SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 11/19/2019 1162114 Ducks lose to Capitals in game marred by spitting incident 1162144 Columbus Blue Jackets stuck in thinking overload 1162115 Ducks pleased with response to Oskar Sundqvist’s hit on 1162145 Blue Jackets need Zach Werenski’s calm and confidence, John Gibson and there’s a reason for his casual puck retrievals 1162116 ‘It’s something you just don’t do’: Garnet Hathaway spits in ’s face during Ducks-Capitals scru 1162146 Why Jim Montgomery has pulled Ben Bishop twice in five games during the Stars’ hottest stretch of the season 1162117 notches first shutout of season as Arizona 1162147 Now Hockey Hall of Famers, a look back at how Guy Coyotes blank Carbonneau and Sergei Zubov transformed the Dallas 1162118 Arizona Coyotes can establish 'identity' against Pacific Stars Division rivals 1162148 Skilled on offense, Stars prospect Jason Robertson asked 1162119 Antti Raanta shuts out Kings as Coyotes roll with for improvement defensively goaltending duo 1162149 Shap Shots: 21 games in, what are the Dallas Stars? 1162120 Unique relationship with agent helping Hinostroza avoid panic of contract year 1162121 The goalie’s mindset: How the Coyotes’ 1162150 Here's what Detroit Red Wings are saying about Filip rediscovered his joy for the game Zadina's injury 1162151 How Robby Fabbri trade impacts Detroit Red Wings, Andreas Athanasiou 1162122 BC coach Jerry York formally inducted in Hockey Hall of 1162152 Consistent workload helps Red Wings' Jonathan Bernier Fame raise his game 1162123 Torey Krug will miss at least one more game for Bruins 1162153 How to watch, listen and stream Detroit Red Wings vs. 1162124 Jake DeBrusk used time off to try to “mature” before return 1162125 Krug out in New Jersey; Bergeron questionable; Ritchie 1162154 Red Wings’ Jonathan Bernier makes case for more starts and DeBrusk could be back 1162155 Sharks top Red Wings 4-3 in shootout for sixth straight win 1162126 Charlie McAvoy 'building (his) game' after slow start to 1162156 Fifteen thoughts on the Red Wings after passing the Bruins season quarter-season mark 1162127 Bruins' Jake DeBrusk, Brett Ritchie trending toward return vs. Devils 1162128 Life after Torey Krug? Matt Grzelcyk gives the Bruins 1162157 Larsson will be back for Oilers road trip options 1162158 Five-game road trip a pivotal point in Edmonton Oilers season 1162159 Evaluating the Oilers’ readiness for the 2021 Seattle 1162129 An 11-7 lineup is one possibility for Sabres. A call-up of expansion draft Dea is another 1162130 Kyle Okposo's latest concussion is darkest entry on Sabres' growing injury report 1162160 Panthers have produced early under Quenneville. The 1162131 Sabres announce another concussion for Okposo; new : ‘keep climbing in the standings.’ Thompson out 3-5 weeks Los Angeles Kings 1162161 Kings’ offensive woes return in shutout loss to Coyotes 1162132 5 Burning Questions: What's wrong with the Flames? 1162162 Kings’ 3-game win streak ends with shutout loss to 1162133 Flames recall Dube ready for action, with or without winter Coyotes clothes 1162163 NOVEMBER 18 RAPID REACTION: COYOTES 3, KINGS 1162134 Is it time for the Flames to consider trading Johnny 0 Gaudreau? 1162164 GAME 21: LOS ANGELES AT ARIZONA 1162165 CAMPBELL-RAANTA; ALUMS RICHARDSON, KUEMPER; AMADIO’S LINE, ROY EVALUATED; 1162135 3 takeaways from the Blackhawks’ 4-1 win over the HOLIDAY ICE Sabres, including Kirby Dach developing much faster than exp 1162136 Jokiharju-Nylander trade now seems like win-win for both 1162166 Buffalo hosts Minnesota in non-conference battle Blackhawks and Sabres 1162167 Wild-Buffalo game preview 1162137 Kirby Dach proving 2019 NHL Draft class had a ‘big three’ 1162168 Carson Soucy hopes he has shown enough to stick after all around with Wild 1162138 Hurricanes visit the Blackhawks after overtime victory 1162169 Wild’s personal ‘GEEK Squad’ helping Minnesota fix problems 1162139 Nathan MacKinnon NHL’s No. 2 weekly star; Avalanche continues road trip at Calgary 1162140 Altitude Sports files lawsuit against , alleges carrier “wants to extinguish competition” 1162141 ‘It’s leverage for a negotiation’: Altitude’s lawsuit against Comcast and what it could mean going forward 1162142 Nathan MacKinnon earns NHL Second Star of the week honors 1162143 Avs Monday Mailbag: Sam Girard, the new guys, Kamenev, and more Canadiens 1162170 Jonathan Drouin and Paul Byron out indefinitely as injury 1162203 Penguins GM Jim Rutherford overcomes odds, joins bug bites Canadiens 1162171 Canadiens' injury double whammy gives Hudon, Weal 1162204 Penguins potent at scoring short-handed goals new opportunities 1162205 Jim Rutherford reflects on 'story of my career' during 1162172 What the Puck: Habs flying after 20 games, but clouds Hockey Hall of Fame induction loom on horizon 1162206 Looking back at GM Jim Rutherford's best moves in 1162173 Injuries sideline Habs' Drouin, Byron indefinitely Pittsburgh 1162174 How the Canadiens can compensate for the loss of two 1162207 ‘There’s only one Jim’: Rutherford heads into Hall of Fame key forwards by leaning on their unconventional defence p tonight 1162175 The Canadiens’ new additions needed time to adapt. A detailed look at what that involves 1162176 Melnick’s weekly GBU: A potential season-defining 1162208 Of cupcakes and hockey sticks: Sharks say they have moment in Washington said a lot about these Canadiens routines, but not superstitions 1162209 First-quarter report card: How Erik Karlsson and the rest of the Sharks grade out 1162177 3 ways the Predators can snap out of their slump St Louis Blues 1162210 Blues notebook: Maroon back in town, but with the other 1162178 Devils to place Cory Schneider on waivers after recalling team goalie from AHL | What it means 1162211 Blues shake up all four line combinations 1162179 Why all signs point to Devils’ Taylor Hall breaking out of 1162212 Preview: Blues vs. Lightning scoring funk soon 1162213 Berube makes unorthodox moves in shaking up all four 1162180 NJ Devils place goalie Cory Schneider on waivers: What's Blues lines next for the team and player? 1162214 ‘He lives for me’: The NHL debut for Blues prospect Klim 1162181 Devils waive Cory Schneider amid continuous struggles Kostin was 20 years in the making for his dad 1162182 ‘Weird is the only way I can describe it’: Trying to make sense of the Devils’ controversy-filled win in Montr 1162215 Lightning’s Erik Cernak shows signs of somebody with a Islanders big NHL future 1162183 Islanders a focused group with a chance to make 1162216 The path to 400 goals: Fellow NHLers break down Steven franchise history Stamkos’ 1162184 Rangers’ call-up Tim Gettinger could help fix -kill 1162217 Tuesday NHL preview: Toronto Maple Leafs at Vegas problem Golden Knights 1162185 Everything is on the table for Rangers when it comes to 1162218 Mike Babcock’s Leafs dominate puck possession, even in defeat, but the defence has been a disaster 1162186 Three thoughts on the New York Rangers' handling of Lias 1162219 Leafs place Trevor Moore on long-term injured reserve, Andersson recall Engvall 1162187 Lias Andersson sent to Hartford to get ice time, David 1162220 Game Day: Maple Leafs at Golden Knights Quinn says 1162221 Barrie, Leafs defence corps left with little choice but to hit 1162188 Carpiniello: David Quinn was hired to develop the reset Rangers’ young players, so let him do that with Lias 1162222 Maple Leafs figure Engvall is ready for his chance in the Anderss NHL spotlight 1162223 'I have always bet on Mike Babcock': Leafs coach Ottawa Senators 1162224 Why Pierre Engvall believes he’s ready to contribute to the 1162189 Warrenspiece: Veronneau returns, Ryan's health a Maple Leafs concern, Rudolfs shines, Brown and Tkachuk bring back 1162225 LeBrun: If Hall enshrinement for one player opens the memorie door for another, who was helped by this year’s class? 1162190 GAMEDAY: Senators versus Detroit 1162226 Monday Morning Leafs Report: ‘A big road trip,’ breaking 1162191 Speed starts with the letter A for Red Wings star up Jake Muzzin and Tyson Barrie, more shots for Tavar 1162192 Smith returns home as Senators prepare for battle of two rebuilding franchises 1162193 5 unexpected developments 20 games into the Senators’ 1162244 Ben Kuzma: J.T. Miller must pick lane to bowl over Stars season in tough trip opener 1162245 Why Adam Gaudette’s two-way growth is just as encouraging as his offensive outburst 1162194 Week in preview: Flyers bringing a (Morgan) Frost 1162246 Dhaliwal’s Diary: Will Lockwood’s big decision, a farm advisory to Florida in first of two tough road games update, and the curious case of Richard Bachman 1162195 Flyers call up top prospect Morgan Frost from Phantoms to boost struggling offense 1162196 Ill-timed errors, Islanders' fresh legs sink Flyers as they blow 3-0 3rd period lead 1162197 Vigneault says Flyers have a long way to go 1162198 Beauvillier, Islanders rally past Flyers for shootout win 1162199 Future Flyers Report: Wisconsin's Wyatt Kalynuk one of four prospects to watch in Big Ten 1162200 Morgan Frost call-up has to do with everyone (especially James van Riemsdyk, Kevin Hayes, Jakub Voracek) 1162201 Flyers call up Morgan Frost, send Carsen Twarynski to Phantoms 1162202 Surprise call-up of Morgan Frost continues Flyers front office’s trend of aggressive responses to brief skids 1162227 Underachieving Maple Leafs search for answers to snap skid 1162228 Golden Knights Max Pacioretty, Paul Stastny hold street hockey clinic 1162229 Golden Knights’ Fleury, Pacioretty to help Cosmopolitan light tree 1162230 Karlsson, Pacioretty spark Golden Knights dormant offense — ANALYSIS 1162231 Golden Knights prospect Peyton Krebs plays first game for Winnipeg Ice 1162232 Vegas Golden Knights fans shut out of free doughnuts for now 1162233 Family Of Four Cost To Attend Golden Knights Game Is Nearly $560 – Fifth Highest In NHL, According to Data-Tra 1162234 Capitals show some fight as brawl interrupts a win over the Ducks 1162235 Travis Boyd making a case to remain with the Capitals as injuries linger 1162236 Capitals beat Ducks after brawl that includes spitting penalty 1162237 Hathaway spits, Panik scores and Boyd produces 1162238 Caps beat Ducks in game dominated by fisticuffs and physical play 1162239 Capitals, Ducks brawl as Washington extends lead late in second period 1162240 Lars Eller was 'not surprised to see that kind of acting' from Brad Marchand in scrum Websites 1162247 The Athletic / LeBrun: If Hall enshrinement for one player opens the door for another, who was helped by this 1162248 The Athletic / Trade talks to F-bombs: The strategies behind the NHL GMs meetings 1162249 The Athletic / DGB weekend power rankings: Which team represents Canada’s best hope to end the dro 1162250 .ca / With chips down, Leafs' Mike Babcock still betting on himself 1162251 Sportsnet.ca / Examining the factors that have the Leafs' Mike Babcock on the hot seat 1162252 Sportsnet.ca / Flames need injection of heart with team still treading water 1162253 Sportsnet.ca / Wickenheiser enters Hall of Fame having paved way for women's hockey 1162254 Sportsnet.ca / talks puck tracking, CBA, Calvert injury non-whistle 1162255 Sportsnet.ca / Why Canadiens should be able to survive Drouin, Byron injuries 1162256 TSN.CA / With Wickenheiser in hockey’s hallowed Hall, ‘all is right in the world tonight’ 1162257 TSN.CA / Amid 5-game skid, Leafs coach Babcock ‘will continue to bet on’ himself 1162258 TSN.CA / Beaulieu helps settle ’ blueline turbulence 1162259 TSN.CA / Tkachuck brothers, Brady and Matthew, proving to be exceptional teammates 1162260 USA TODAY / Capitals-Ducks melee: Garnet Hathaway spits at Erik Gudbranson, receives match penalty 1162261 USA TODAY / Don Cherry, hockey analyst fired for controversial remark, to start 'tell it like it is' podcast Winnipeg Jets 1162241 Playing Winnipeg 'a great test' for struggling Predators 1162242 Lightning's video coach remembers Cup victory 1162243 Wheeler's new line just fine SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1162114 Anaheim Ducks — Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) November 19, 2019

Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.19.2019

Ducks lose to Capitals in game marred by spitting incident

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD | PUBLISHED: November 18, 2019 at 7:09 pm | UPDATED: November 18, 2019 at 8:32 PM

WASHINGTON — Ducks defenseman Erik Gudbranson said it was “about as low as you dig a pit, really.” He said it was “something you don’t do in a game, and he did it.” He also called it “disrespectful” and added that “99.9 percent of the league would say the exact same thing.”

Gudbranson and the Ducks lost to the NHL-leading Capitals 5-2 on Monday night at Capital One Arena, a game marred by a second-period melee in which right wing Garnet Hathaway crossed a very clear line by spitting in Gudbranson’s face.

Hathaway drew a match penalty for spitting, which triggered an automatic review by the NHL. A multi-game suspension by the league is likely, and warranted, although the Ducks were careful in their postgame comments to avoid coming right out and playing judge and jury.

“These games can get physical and they can get nasty,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said. “These guys will throw down, drop their gloves, that stuff goes on in the game. But what I saw there I haven’t seen. I think I’ve been in pro hockey 30 years maybe, and I’ve never seen that before.

“It’s something you don’t see in the game, so it’s just a head-shaker. I’m just glad it wasn’t one of our guys that did that because that wouldn’t go over well in our dressing room.”

Hathaway said he regretted spitting on Gudbranson, but used some tortured logic to explain what happened after a fracas broke out following a hit by the Capitals’ Brendan Leipsic on the Ducks’ Derek Grant near the side of the net. The Ducks rushed at Leipsic and fists began to fly.

Gudbranson ended up paired off with Hathaway, with a linesmen trying to keep them apart. Gudbranson hit Hathaway in the face with a rabbit punch that sent Hathaway’s head flying backward. Nick Ritchie, standing nearby, also appeared to swing at Hathaway.

“I felt like there were a couple of sucker punches I got,” Hathaway said, referring to Gudbranson and Ritchie. “I reacted a little emotionally and, unfortunately, spit came out of my mouth after I got sucker-punched and it went onto him.”

Asked if he had any regrets about spitting at Gudbranson, Hathaway said, “Yeah, it has no place. You don’t plan any of that stuff in your head, and it was a quick reaction by me, and unfortunately the wrong one after a sucker punch.”

Washington coach Todd Reirden came to Hathaway’s defense.

“He was getting punched by a couple of different guys at once and lost control of his emotions and did something there’s no place for in the league,” he said. “That’s disappointing. He feels terrible about it. But he didn’t have to talk to anybody today. He’s the first one to say, ‘I want to own up for what I did.’ He’s not happy about it. That’s who he is. He made a mistake and we’ll see where it goes.”

As for the game itself, the Ducks fell behind only 50 seconds into the first period and trailed 4-0 in the third before rallying with two late goals. They were on their heels from the start but appeared to be staging a comeback before mayhem broke out with 34 seconds left in the second period.

Richard Panik, Alex Ovechkin (power play), Chandler Stephenson, Jakub Vrana and Tom Wilson (empty net) scored for the Capitals. Sam Steel (power play) and Nicolas Deslauriers scored, and goalie John Gibson made 26 saves for the Ducks.

The rematch is Dec. 12 at Honda Center.

“At the end of the day, it’s probably the least respectful thing you can ever do to somebody,” Gudbranson said of the splitting incident. “It’s just not a good part of the game and you don’t want to see that. I thought the refs handled it. It’s something that will be handled after it (by the NHL), as well.”

Garnet Hathaway gets a match penalty for spitting in Erik Gudbranson’s face pic.twitter.com/KfjjkBMtVC 1162115 Anaheim Ducks

Ducks pleased with response to Oskar Sundqvist’s hit on John Gibson

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD | PUBLISHED: November 18, 2019 at 11:14 am | UPDATED: November 18, 2019 at 4:08 PM

WASHINGTON — In the old days, when justice was often meted out with fists and threats of violence, the actions of Oskar Sundqvist of the St. Louis Blues might have turned Saturday’s game with the Ducks into a fight- and penalty-filled debacle that filled the highlight-reel shows with the wrong kinds of action.

The Ducks’ response to Sundqvist charging into John Gibson was measured and appropriate for this era of the NHL, according to Coach Dallas Eakins. The Ducks wanted to send a message that Sundqvist was out of line, but they didn’t wish to overreact.

There was still a game to be won.

Nicolas Deslauriers interceded on behalf of Gibson and engaged Sundqvist. Teammates quickly joined the fracas. Sundqvist was given minors for charging and roughing and Deslauriers was penalized for roughing, and the Ducks got a power play.

The NHL later fined but did not suspend Sundqvist.

“It’s delicate now,” Eakins said. “Back in the day, that would have been a full throwdown, but now you want to make sure you get the power play. What you see these days is somebody takes an extra swipe at one of your guys and you go in and defend it and all of a sudden it’s all even.

“You want to tread lightly.”

Eakins couldn’t say what Sundqvist’s intentions were when he collided with Gibson, who had skated out to play the puck behind his net. Replays showed Sundqvist attempted to squeeze his way into a narrow gap between Gibson and the end boards. The collision sent both falling to the ice.

Gibson was unhurt and made 37 saves by game’s end, a 4-1 victory for the Ducks.

“I did like the way our guys went in there,” Eakins said of the post-whistle fracas. “It went on for the rest of the game with that young man (Sundqvist), with the verbal stuff going on and even at the end it looked like they were still trying to take a poke at him. I liked all that.

“We’ve got to watch anybody who’s in a vulnerable position. Obviously, goalies are out there just trying to play the puck, kind of out of their element out there. Just being a little reckless is never good. I’m not sure if the kid meant to do it or not, but in the end it doesn’t matter.

“You bump a goalie like that and you’re going to have to answer for it whether it’s from the team or from the league.”

Although he had only two points, both assists, in 10 games before he and the Ducks faced the Washington Capitals on Monday, Deslauriers had earned a spot in Eakins’ lineup because of his aggression and willingness to play a physical role on the fourth line.

“(He’s) played extremely well in his role,” Eakins said of Deslauriers, a 28-year-old left wing who was acquired June 30 from the for a fourth-round draft pick. “He brings us into the fight a little bit, and that line has been excellent, and we trust them with everything.”

Eakins has played his fourth line in many different situations, with center Derek Grant and right wing Carter Rowney excelling on the penalty-killing unit. What’s more, Grant scored his first NHL hat trick Saturday against the Blues, giving the Ducks’ much-needed depth scoring.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162116 Anaheim Ducks major would ultimately be rescinded. Gudbranson received a roughing penalty as well as a misconduct. Grant, Leipsic and Guhle were handed double-minors for roughing.

‘It’s something you just don’t do’: Garnet Hathaway spits in Erik But the key penalty here is the match penalty for Hathaway. The incident Gudbranson’s face during Ducks-Capitals scrum will automatically be reviewed by the NHL, and it would be a shock if there is no supplementary discipline levied on a player spitting on another within a game. By Eric Stephens Speculation to what will result was limited in the postgame assessment between both dressing rooms. Asked if he expects to receive additional discipline, Hathaway said: “I think time will tell with that. I’m not sure what WASHINGTON — Chaos broke out late in the second period of Monday the process is from here on.” night’s game between the Anaheim Ducks and Washington Capitals, two teams that don’t have a notable or longstanding history of fury between The Ducks chose their words carefully. Coach Dallas Eakins refused to them. But then, you never know what will set a team off — or teams, as speculate, saying, “That’s way above my pay grade.” both of Monday night’s combatants became instantly raucous at Capital One Arena. “This is in the league’s hands now,” Gudbranson said. “The game’s over. I can walk away from it. I’m sure I’ll get a few text messages about it The temperature was already simmering when Capitals forward Brendan tonight. I’d prefer not to talk about this. It’s probably the last time I’ll talk Leipsic shattered the thermometer with Derek Grant in his sights behind about it with you guys. That part’s out of my hands now.” the Anaheim net. Leipsic smoked the Ducks’ fourth-line center with a massive hit that had players in the vicinity forgetting about hockey and Asked directly whether he felt what Hathaway did was worth a looking to extract a pound of flesh. suspension, the Ducks’ hulking defender added: “I have no idea. I have no idea. I’ll trust the league with that.” Erik Gudbranson immediately went after Leipsic, who shook free and took on Brendan Guhle. Grant quickly sought out Washington’s Garnet Whatever anger existed within the Ducks dressing room during the game Hathaway, another fourth-line grinder, who inserted himself into the had long dissipated by the time it was opened afterward. building fracas. Ducks winger Nick Ritchie jumped in to have Grant’s “Yeah, Guddy there is shocked,” Eakins said when asked how the team back as his teammate traded right hands with Hathaway. reacted. “He was very angry, but he’s a pro, so he got settled down and Before the fracas ventured into line-brawl territory, Hathaway had the you move on. It’s more just of you can’t believe it happened. I hope they presence of mind to zip a pass to Chandler Stephenson back in the slot handle that in their own dressing room, and I’m sure the league will do for his linemate to shoot past Anaheim goalie John Gibson and the whatever they do, too.” scattered-minded Ducks. And then Hathaway lost his head. The theme that ran through the Ducks’ side is respect. Or the lack of it. In a separate scrum that referee Peter MacDougall and linesman Ryan Jabs are always thrown in scrums. Players routinely try to get the extra Gibbons attempted to mediate, Gudbranson snuck in a rabbit punch with shot in, if not the final one. Some are delivered in a sneaky, unsuspecting his right hand, or a sucker punch, if you will, as MacDougall had manner. momentarily turned his head. Hathaway, who was being held on to by the But spitting? That’s a different one. Two of the more infamous episodes official, responded not with his fists but by spitting in the face of the in U.S. sports were outside of hockey, with Bill Romanowski spitting on Ducks defenseman. An angry Gudbranson reacted with a punch while J.J. Stokes during a Denver-San Francisco Monday night NFL game and Hathaway tried to shake himself free to get at his foe. then-Baltimore Orioles second baseman Roberto Alomar launching one Chaos reigned, and the fact that Stephenson scored on the play — the at the face of MLB umpire John Hirschbeck. Romanowski was fined, goal would count as all hell broke loose — or that the NHL-leading while Alomar was suspended. Capitals kept rolling along with a 5-2 victory wouldn‘t erase what The NHL had to deal with Brad Marchand licking opposing players in Hathaway did. scrums twice during the 2018 . It opted to give “That’s about as low as you dig a pit, really,” Gudbranson said. “It’s a bad Marchand a stern warning against any future episodes of that nature thing to do. It’s something you just don’t do in our game, and he did it.” rather than disciplining him.

“At the end of the day, it’s probably the least respectful thing you can This was not a playoff game Monday night, and Hathaway is not a star ever do to somebody,” Grant said. like Marchand. Incidents should be judged on their own merit regardless of what the situation is and who’s involved, but you have to wonder Debate what you felt Gudbranson did or what it should be called. whether this is the opportunity for George Parros, the league’s Hathaway was surprised by the punch. There’s no doubt about him being Department of Player Safety head, to send a message. struck. And the hard-scrabble Capitals winger could have reacted with a fiery desire for some payback. Tried all he could to respond with a Both organizations will surely wonder what the result will be. So will the haymaker. Complained vehemently to the official holding him up. But hockey world. what he did, with television cameras catching the large glob of spittle When asked whether there is any circumstance in which spitting on a lobbed from his mouth, was unequivocally wrong. There is no “what player is acceptable, Gudbranson quickly said, “Zero.” about …?” worth applying here. “Zero,” he repeated. “At least from my end, and I’d say 99.9 percent of It was so egregious that there was no spin possible to downplay his role the league would say the exact same thing. It’s just something that it’s in the wild scene. just disrespectful. I mean, we’re competing. That’s fine. I’ve got no “Obviously, first there was a fight, and then how I saw it was they had a problem with guys fighting. That’s what this game is all about is guys third man in,” Hathaway said. “I think they had a fourth man in, too. The fighting to win hockey games, and sometimes that’s what happens. But refs were trying to break it up, and it felt like there was a couple sucker going to that level is wrong.” punches thrown, and I got there one quick and then reacted a little To the list of things that should not be involved in a scrum, Eakins said emotionally, and unfortunately spit came out of my mouth after I got spitting is “probably right near the top.” sucker punched and it went onto him.” Washington coach Todd Reirden straddled the line of defending his Hathaway was then asked if he regretted his action. player without defending something that is indefensible.

“Yeah, it has no place,” he said. “It was an emotional play by me. You “I have a lot of time for Garnet Hathaway,” Reirden said. “He’s a stand-up don’t plan any of that stuff in your head, and it was a quick reaction and guy, a first-class guy. He was getting punched by a couple different guys unfortunately the wrong one for me to a sucker punch.” at once and lost control of his emotion and did something that there’s no For the record, there were plenty of penalties handed out by MacDougall place for in the league. and Wes McCauley as they sorted through the mess. Hathaway and “That’s disappointing. He feels terrible about it. But he didn’t have to talk Grant were given fighting majors. Ritchie also received one and was also to anybody today. He’s the first one to say, ‘I want to own up for what I given a game misconduct for being a third man in, though the fighting did.’ He’s not happy about it. That’s who he is. He made a mistake, and we’ll see where it goes tomorrow.”

The teams meet again Dec. 6 in Anaheim. No one would cop to taking numbers down Monday night, but a hockey player’s memory is long. The shock would be if there isn’t any extracurricular action when Hathaway or Leipsic are on the ice with Gudbranson or Grant or Ritchie.

Tempers will flare. Fights will occur. Intentionally spitting on an opposing player? There is zero justification for that.

“These games can get physical, and they can get nasty,” Eakins said. “These guys will throw down, drop their gloves. That stuff goes on in the game, but what I saw there I haven’t seen — I think I’ve been in pro hockey 30 years maybe — and I’ve never seen that before.

“It’s just something you don’t see in the game, so it’s just a head-shaker. I’m just glad it wasn’t one of our guys that did that because that wouldn’t go well in our dressing room.”

The Athletic LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162117 Arizona Coyotes

Antti Raanta notches first shutout of season as Arizona Coyotes blank Los Angeles Kings

Richard Morin, Arizona Republic Published 9:36 p.m. MT Nov. 18, 2019 | Updated 10:23 p.m. MT Nov. 18, 2019

The Coyotes got out to an early lead and never looked back in a 3-0 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Monday at Gila River Arena.

The Coyotes (12-7-2) won their second straight and now sit just one point out of first place in the Pacific Division standings.

Coyotes winger Conor Garland extended his team lead in goals with his 10th of the season at 3:12 of the first period. Garland held on to the puck along the boards before dishing to center Christian Dvorak, who expertly lifted a defender's stick to swing the puck back to Garland, who was waiting on the doorstep for a tap-in goal.

Alternate potted the second goal of the opening period at 14:48 when he, too, tucked a feed from Dvorak. Phil Kessel collected the second assist on what was a power-play goal, the Coyotes' first goal on the man-advantage since Tuesday in St. Louis.

The Coyotes scored their second power-play goal of the game at 10:47 of the second period when Jakob Chychrun converted a feed from Garland to give Arizona a 3-0 lead as play moved to the third.

Coyotes goaltender Antti Raanta made 30 saves in the shutout, his first of the season.

The skinny

The score: Coyotes 3, Kings 0.

The streak: W2.

The record: 13-7-2, 26 points.

The 82-game pace: 48-26-8, 104 points.

The standings: 2nd in Pacific.

The player: Conor Garland.

The moment: Derek Stepan's power-play goal at 14:48 of the second period.

The number: 8 — The Coyotes are 8-0-0 when scoring at least one power-play goal.

View from the press box: The Kings certainly got the Coyotes to play a rather undisciplined game that was rife with penalties, but the Coyotes were still stingy enough in the defensive zone to not allow the Kings much of anything in terms of high-danger chances. Great efforts by forwards Conor Garland, Christian Dvorak and others shone bright in this one.

Song of the night: "King Of My Heart" by Taylor Swift.

Arizona Republic LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162118 Arizona Coyotes the puck well and things like that are helping to create our identity. But it's always a work in progress.

"All the really good hockey clubs, you know nine times out of 10 you're Arizona Coyotes can establish 'identity' against Pacific Division rivals getting that identity. We're looking for that kind of ratio. Not six out of 10. It's got to be nine out of 10 where we can be a hard-defending team, a fast team." Richard Morin, Arizona Republic Published 2:41 p.m. MT Nov. 18, 2019 Arizona Republic LOADED: 11.19.2019

After a month filled with brutal travel and unfriendly scheduling, the Coyotes find themselves with a golden opportunity to end November.

The Coyotes finish the month with seven of eight games against Pacific Division opponents — and six of those games will come at Gila River Arena.

The first was a 3-0 victory by the Coyotes over the Calgary Flames on Saturday, and the second will come Monday against the Los Angeles Kings.

After that, the Coyotes will host the Toronto Maple Leafs (Thursday), Edmonton Oilers (Sunday), Anaheim Ducks (Nov. 27) and San Jose Sharks (Nov. 30) before November is out.

Granted the Coyotes still have two more trips this month — to Los Angeles on Saturday and on Nov. 29 — but those are quick hops compared to the team's travel schedule earlier this month.

The Coyotes (12-7-2) have already managed to keep their heads above water despite the less-than-ideal circumstances in terms of the schedule.

They became the first team in history to defeat the last two Stanley Cup champions in back-to-back games on the road, a feat even more impressive when considering the Coyotes had to travel more than 800 miles between Washington, D.C. and St. Louis and were delayed in transit.

After all that, the team's reward is a stretch of home games and healthy run of games against divisional opponents. The Coyotes, who currently occupy second place in the Pacific Division standings, have a chance to firmly establish themselves as legitimate playoff contenders.

"These are the games you need to win," Coyotes forward Lawson Crouse said. "They're against your division and you can't be throwing those points away. It's big."

The Coyotes also have a chance to wash the taste of a miserable two- game performance in their last homestand, both regulation losses against the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets (Nov. 7) and Minnesota Wild (Nov. 9).

Coyotes head coach has spoken in years past about the importance of establishing a home identity. At no point in his tenure behind the Arizona bench has that been more true than now.

"This week here," Tocchet said, "at least we're home a little bit. Before it was like a game or two and we're out of here. I don't know if that attributes to it, but I know that in the last part of (last season) we started getting that identity. This year we've had some good games at home and others haven't been so good.

"The most important thing is to play your game at home. Whether you're on the road or at home, that's the one thing you can't change."

After the Kings, who entered play Monday having won three consecutive games, the Coyotes will take a quick detour from the Pacific Division when they host Scottsdale-raised Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs, who had lost five in a row.

The Coyotes then get a chance at redemption against the Ducks, who bested the Coyotes by a 2-1 score in the season-opener on Oct. 3 in Anaheim.

Finally, the Coyotes end November with their fifth back-to-back set when they travel to Las Vegas and return home the next day to host the Sharks, who entered play Monday with a 10-10-1 record.

When the calendar finally flips to December, the Coyotes hope they will have painted a clearer picture of not only who they want to be, but what they want other teams to see.

"We're still trying to put structure in that identity," Tocchet said. "We're trying to find who we are. We're getting there. I mean, we really defend 1162119 Arizona Coyotes The power play was 1-for-26 in the last eight games entering Monday. It was 2-for-4 against Los Angeles, which ranks 29th out of 31 teams in penalty kill percentage (72.2%).

Antti Raanta shuts out Kings as Coyotes roll with goaltending duo “It was huge to get that going,” forward Christian Dvorak said. “We were just moving the puck, moving the puck well. Just winning our battles and was able to execute. So that was big for us.” BY MATT LAYMAN NOVEMBER 18, 2019 AT 11:09 PM “Obviously we were struggling a little bit, so definitely keyed in on that, practiced that this morning and it payed off.”

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Arizona Coyotes won on Monday, just like they Dvorak was the primary assist on the Coyotes’ only even-strength goal did on Saturday: with a shutout. There was a key difference, though: Monday, during which he lifted the stick of an opposing player and dished There was a different goaltender in net. a behind-the-back pass to Garland, who scored. It might be a candidate for assist of the year when it’s all said and done, set up previously by Raanta’s performance became the key to the Coyotes’ 3-0 shutout win hard work down low by Garland. over the Los Angeles Kings on Monday. The Kings were denied by Raanta on 31 shot attempts — including a breakaway — just two days While we wait for the intermission to end, take another look at this goal. after Darcy Kuemper stopped all 37 shots faced from the Calgary 勞 pic.twitter.com/NaJkjQXsQq Flames. — Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) November 19, 2019 It was the first time since 2012 the Coyotes shutout opponents in consecutive games. It was the first time in franchise history they recorded Garland’s goal was his team-leading 10th of the season. consecutive shutouts with different . Later in the first period, Derek Stepan was the goal-scorer when Arizona “I don’t know what to say — it’s so nice having those two guys there, had good puck movement on the power play. Phil Kessel passed across right?” Conor Garland said. “You’re shooting on them in practice all the the ice from the left side, allowing Dvorak to put a shot on net. Stepan time, you know how good they are. … It’s great to see those two guys get cleaned up the rebound. rewarded, back-to-back, too. That’s pretty cool.” Stepan’s goal was his fourth of the season, and he has now scored in ANTTI  RAANTA. pic.twitter.com/hID6enj9hL back-to-back games. That made it 2-0 Coyotes.

— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) November 19, 2019 In the second period, Garland found Jakob Chychrun at the left circle. He scored his fifth goal of the season to make it 3-0, and also make it a two- Raanta’s shutout was his first since March 31, 2018. Originally acquired point night for Garland. to be a No. 1 starter, a successor to Mike Smith, injuries limited his ice time the past year and paved the way for the emergence of Darcy “We had a good day off yesterday and came ready to play today,” Dvorak Kuemper. Now both goaltenders present a formidable tandem for said. “I thought we had a good 60 minutes, except we had a couple Arizona. penalties [four]. But other than that, it was a good game overall.”

“I’m not scared to name Raants or Kuemps,” head coach Rick Tocchet The goaltender for the Kings was Jack Campbell, who made 24 saves. said. “Obviously what Kuemps has done the last year, or since January The Coyotes were out-shot 31-27. of last year, he’s a top goalie. Raants coming back from those injuries, to Arizona Sports LOADED: 11.19.2019 come into camp good shape, to give us the minutes he’s doing, we’ve got a one-two punch here that’s pretty special with us.”

Since his arrival in Arizona, Raanta has played 67 games and owns a .925 save percentage. In Kuemper’s 79 games with the Coyotes, he has a .924 save percentage; both marks are very respectable. Kuemper also has a .934 save percentage going back to Jan. 1, which is the third- highest in the NHL in that span (Thomas Greiss, Ben Bishop).

“Those guys are leaders in there, Kuemps and Raants,” Tocchet said. “Raants the other day, and Kuemps, we had a day off, but they came to the rink. They wanted shots. [Goaltending coach] Corey Schwab took them out. That’s the sort of stuff they’re doing.

“They know what they have to do to get ready, and they’re willing — on an off day — to go down and take some shots. So it says a lot [about the] character of those two kids.”

A list of the goaltender of record in the last eight games for the Coyotes looks like this:

Open competition: Coyotes have 2 goalies with a 'starter's mentality'

Some of that has to do with back-to-backs, but the Coyotes have demonstrated with actions — not just words — that they believe in both of their goaltenders. That’s especially true when you consider that Kuemper’s shutout on Saturday was followed by a day off on Sunday, yet Arizona went with Raanta in the next game anyway instead of riding the hot hand.

“Obviously a little bit surprised [to play],” Raanta said. “But it was also nice to get back out there and after the Minnesota game, I felt really good, but there was a couple soft goals. It was nice to get the home game, also. I’ve been playing a lot on the road. So it’s always fun to play home in front of your fans and feel the energy from there.”

THE GAME ITSELF

Apart from another shutout from another goaltender, perhaps the most significant development from the Coyotes’ win over the Kings on Monday was that they converted twice on the power play, which has been a major issue for them lately. 1162120 Arizona Coyotes Most players go through cold spells, but Hinostroza’s start came at a pivotal point in his career. He is 25 and he can become a restricted at the end of the season. His production will play a major role in Unique relationship with agent helping Hinostroza avoid panic of contract determining his payday. year “It was definitely weighing on him,” Rutili said of Hinostroza’s start. “I always try to give him honest feedback because you’re trying to help them so sometimes sugarcoating things is not the way to go. I want him By Craig Morgan Nov 18, 2019 to shoot and I want him to use his . I think he’s best when he’s pushing defensemen and he’s driving at guys, using his shiftiness and

his change of speed and directing pucks at the net, but I also think that When a player receives a text message from his agent that reads, “I’d most of it with him is mental. like to kill you,” it might be time for that player to find a new agent. Vinnie “He’s a guy that wants to do well and help his team win. When you get Hinostroza has received that message and similar ones from Pete Rutili, out of the gate and you feel like you’ve had a really good camp but it’s but all Hinostroza does is laugh. still a bit of a struggle, sometimes the longer it goes the tighter you’re “Whenever I need a little kick in the ass, he’ll give it to me,” Hinostroza gripping when it really should be the opposite.” said. Hinostroza began the season with center Brad Richardson and wing This is not your normal player-agent relationship. Michael Grabner in more of a defensive role, but he is currently playing with Derek Stepan and Clayton Keller, affording him a shade more risk- Before Rutili was Hinostroza’s agent, he was his coach for the Chicago taking ability. He has four points (two goals) in his past eight games, but Mission 16U (Midgets) squad that also featured Minnesota Wild forward the Coyotes feel there is more there. Ryan Hartman in the 2009-10 season. In the three years between that season and becoming Hinostroza’s agent in 2013, he was supporting “I like Vinnie’s attitude, I like what he brings to the team and I think he’s a Vinnie, Hinostroza’s father Rick, his mother Laura and the rest of the big piece of what we’re trying to do,” Chayka said. “For us to get to where family in ways that went far beyond a business relationship. we want to get we’ve got to get him going and I know he will because he puts in the time, he puts in the work and I thought he had a great “He’s like a second father to me,” Hinostroza said. “We were definitely summer, a good training camp.” close when I played for him, but when I went to Waterloo (USHL) he was always coming to games, he followed me at Notre Dame and every team Fortunately, for Hinostroza, he still has time. According to the tagging I have been on, he has been there to support me. rule in the collective bargaining agreement (Article 50), any team wanting to re-sign a player to a multiyear extension must have payroll room (the “Our families are so close that his kids call my mom and dad, ‘aunt’ and difference between the cap ceiling and the total amount of all AAVs and ‘uncle.’ They talk every week, maybe even more sometimes. His wife’s bonuses for the team’s one-way contracted players, applicable deferred parents live (in Arizona) so I go over there for Thanksgiving and I even bonuses, buyout amounts, any outstanding offer sheets or qualifying went to Christmas with them last year at the Princess (Resort). My mom offers, and any money earned from two-way contracted players while called me the other day (Friday) and it was just her and Pete’s three they are in the NHL). younger kids (twins Kate and Olivia, 8, and Claire, 3) with my mom having pizza and watching a movie on the couch while Pete and my dad The extensions that Keller and Darcy Kuemper signed took up most of were with his oldest daughter, Ryen, 10, going to her hockey game the Coyotes’ available tagging space, which may be creating a similar because they coach together.” holding pattern to what Jakob Silfverberg endured last season in Anaheim. After March 1, teams get a 10 percent increase in tagging Rutili wasn’t always an agent. While coaching was his favorite hobby (he space which could conceivably create the room needed for Hinostroza’s spent six years with The Mission), his “job job” was working as a national extension. account sales rep for an Italian tile manufacturer in Chicago. Rutili was friends with former agent Bill Zito, who is now senior vice president of Rutili met with Chayka in St. Paul and “had a good chat” when the hockey operations, associate general manager and alternate governor of Coyotes played the Wild on Nov. 14. All sides appear happy to let the the Columbus Blue Jackets. situation play out.

When Rutili quit coaching in 2010 to focus on his job and his growing “Pete doesn’t want me focusing on extensions and stuff like that,” family, Zito offered him a job with the Acme World Sports agency, which Hinostroza said. “For me, it’s about focusing every day in practices and already represented Hinostroza. When the Blue Jackets offered Zito a games and doing whatever I can to produce more. There’s no need for job in 2013, Rutili took over as Hinostroza’s primary agent. me to panic about it as long as we’re winning.

“If I ever needed to talk to someone I would definitely call Pete over Bill “The past five games, I’ve felt more like myself — probably how I felt the anyway because we were so close,” Hinostroza said. “I knew he always last 25 or 30 games last year. Just in watching film, I look more like had my best interest in mind. myself. I’m possessing the puck more and getting pucks back, finding my teammates on the rush and in O-zone. I’m getting a lot of chances, I’m “It is a little crazy that he’s my agent but it’s because of Pete that I ended playing good defense and just attacking. up with Bill in the first place. I knew he was good friends with Bill Zito and that’s why I trusted him. All these advisers come to you when you’re “I was staying on the perimeter a little bit earlier this season and looking young, talking to you, making promises and showing you plans for your for shots but I’ve been trying to get to the middle a little more and use my career. Pete pointed me in Bill’s direction. He had a previous relationship, shot, maybe pull it and shoot it through a screen. If somebody is open, I’ll and I think Pete was on their radar for a while anyway. It couldn’t have try to pass it, but right now, I’m taking a shoot-first mentality. I feel good worked out better.” about my game.”

Every player wants an agent they can trust, but Hinostroza really needed The Athletic LOADED: 11.19.2019 that honest set of eyes and vocal cords earlier this season when he struggled out of the gate with no goals and two assists in his first 14 games, and just 15 shots on goal in the month of October.

“I’ll be honest with you, the first 10 games or so he was horrendous,” Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said. “I couldn’t play him. He was making mistake after mistake, but these last five, six, seven games? Vinnie is coming back.

“When he’s focused, he’s a good player. I think he goes through stretches where he loses his man or defensively he kind of gets lost, but he really has had a conscious effort the last five or six games. He’s got a great shot. If he shoots the puck more, he’s a guy that can score some goals for us.” 1162121 Arizona Coyotes thrust into his first NHL playoff action against powerful Chicago when Backstrom was injured.

Kuemper played in the playoffs the following year and had opportunities The goalie’s mindset: How the Coyotes’ Darcy Kuemper rediscovered his to establish himself as ‘the man’ in Minnesota, appearing in 57 games joy for the game between 2013-14 and 2013-15, but he could never find that level of consistency, and the Wild continued to roll other goaltenders through the door as they sought a franchise starter. By Scott Burnside Nov 18, 2019 arrived and then departed. Then arrived in January 2015, ironically as it would turn out, coming over from Arizona where his career had been resurrected under the tutelage of goaltending Darcy Kuemper became a goaltender in a not unusual fashion. coach Sean Burke. The local youth hockey program in Saskatoon, , had a Kuemper played sparingly during this time, as coming to the rink became routine of allowing players in the youngest age groups to take a turn in more and more onerous, more and more like work and less and less like goal if they wanted. The goaltending equipment was owned by the a dream come true. hockey association and there would be one set of gear for each team to rotate amongst the youngsters on a weekly basis. When he did play, Kuemper worried about when he would get to play again and those feelings were magnified if he didn’t play well. Kuemper, like lots of his young pals at the time, wanted a shot at putting on those clunky brown pads and wearing those cool gloves – not “I think there were times when I was in Minnesota not getting playing time because he foresaw his own future; he just didn’t want to come off the ice and, if a game went wrong or bad, you’re thinking, ‘geez, when am I during the game. going to get back in there?’” Kuemper recalled.

“That’s kind of what drew me to the position,” Kuemper said. “You just In the summer of 2017 he signed as a free agent with Los Angeles. At always felt like you were involved in the play. the time it seemed an under the radar deal. The Kings, trying gamely to remain an elite team after winning Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014 still “From that point on I just kind of stuck with it.” had Jonathan Quick as their mainstay in goal. But the deal would prove A few years later, when he was around 12 years old, Kuemper was gifted to be a turning point in Kuemper’s career because it brought him into the his first set of goalie pads by his parents. orbit of longtime NHL netminder and goaltending coach Ranford.

They were used Vaughn pads, red, black and white. Ranford won two Stanley Cups as a member of the Edmonton Oilers, winning the Conn Smythe in 1990, as well as being the MVP of the 1991 “But they were awesome,” the Arizona Coyotes goaltender recalled. “I Canada Cup and 1994 world championships. He’s been the Kings remember I was so proud of them.” goaltending coach since 2006.

Kuemper’s father is a police officer with the Saskatoon city police When Ranford and Kuemper first met, Ranford reminded Kuemper that department. His mother is an accountant. some of his best games were against the Kings. And then the two set about trying to rekindle some of the joy that had been absent in Sometimes Kuemper would go on ride-alongs with his father and he Kuemper’s game. recalled thinking as he was growing up that it would either be law enforcement or the NHL for him. “I had some ideas on how to try and get him back on track,” Ranford said. “I knew he was a good goalie and I knew he could help our team.” The odds favored a badge and a patrol car, but a combination of his size – Kuemper is 6-foot-5 – athleticism and dedication to his craft saw to it Kuemper told Ranford he felt heavy and flat-footed, so Ranford that policing would have to take a backseat as a chosen profession. suggested being more vertical, upright. Kuemper’s so tall he was always going to be able to use his legs to make stops but being more upright But what happens when the joy that fuels such an against the odds gave him more control. dream dissipates? “It brought more energy back into his body,” Ranford said. What happens when the joy that comes from first settling into a crease in a far-away town like Red Deer, Alberta, or from being named the top They looked at Kuemper’s hand positioning – at times Kuemper felt as Canadian junior goaltender or from being drafted by an NHL club though his hands were locked in a certain position – and made erodes? adjustments there.

What happens when the game that lifted you higher than you imagined One of the knocks on Kuemper was that he didn’t practice hard enough, possible beats you down and crushes your confidence? but Ranford did his due diligence. He talked to Minnesota goaltending coach Bob Mason and saw none of that in his experience in Los Angeles. Those are questions many goaltenders face. But the answers are difficult to find, if they even can be found. Ranford explained to Kuemper how he thought he could help him, and Kuemper responded. For many goaltenders who ponder such realities, their careers fade to black. They turn away from the game, from the position, and find a life It gets hard if you’re practicing every day and know you’re not playing, elsewhere. Ranford noted. “He felt like he’d turned into a target,” Ranford said. “I’ve been there, I’ve felt it and it’s not a fun feeling. The frustration of the For Darcy Kuemper, the answer was Bill Ranford. position can really come into play when you’re not playing much.” Kuemper, named the top goaltender in Canadian junior hockey in 2011 So along with the technical end of things, Ranford tried to make it all a after being selected 161st-overall in the 2009 NHL Draft by the little more fun. They worked on the stylistic things one-on-one for a Minnesota Wild, made his NHL debut on Feb. 12, 2013, and five days period of time, and then they incorporated that into the full team later earn his first NHL victory. practices. But it was an unsettled time for goaltenders in the franchise. The thing with goaltending coaches and the goaltenders they work with is was trying to balance medication and treatment for multiple that not all the ideas work. There are no guarantees, only possibilities sclerosis with being an NHL netminder. Niklas Backstrom was nearing and options, and sometimes it means going back to the drawing board the end of his exemplary career and struggling with ongoing injury again and again. issues. Sometimes it simply doesn’t work. Where and how did Kuemper fit? But it worked for Kuemper and Ranford. Uneasily, as it turns out. Ranford recalls the smile on Kuemper’s face as he started to see He was sent back to the team’s AHL affiliate during that lockout improvements in his game, how his demeanor reflected the renewed shortened 2013 season and then recalled on the eve of the playoffs and enthusiasm for the game. “We hit it off. We had a really good relationship,” Ranford said. “We got allowing the game to come to him. There’s a calmness about him where the fun back in the game and that made it fun for me.” he’s not out of control.”

And when he got a chance to play, Kuemper was good. Very good, in What Kuemper began in Los Angeles has now become a full-blown fact. happening has given the oft-maligned Coyotes a sense of optimism not seen in years. In 19 games he went 10-1-3 for the Kings with a 2.10 goals-against average and .932 save percentage. Then he got word that he’d been He started 21 straight games down the stretch last season as the injury- traded to Arizona for and at the 2018 riddled Coyotes stayed in the playoff hunt long after they had any right to. trade deadline. Kuemper played in a career-high 55 games last season and turned in a .925 save percentage. And his 21 wins were third in the league from Not surprisingly, the Coyotes were impressed by Kuemper’s play as a January through April. backup in Los Angeles. The numbers spoke for themselves. But Coyotes GM John Chayka said the their analytics team had done a deep dive on His meteoric rise to the top of the profession has continued into this Kuemper’s play even before Los Angeles and felt those numbers season. suggested a very positive trend moving forward and that all he needed was opportunity and stability – both of which the Coyotes could provide. The 29-year-old Kuemper went a franchise-record 13 straight games between March 23 and Oct. 22 without allowing more than two goals in a The belief was so strong they immediately signed Kuemper to a two-year game. extension. Through the first week of November, Kuemper led the NHL in goals- “I can’t sit here today and say we knew that Darcy would be performing against average (1.69) and save percentage (.940). at this level consistently,” Chayka admitted recently. One of the first people Kuemper heard from when he was acquired by But, there was a lot of hope and potential. And as it turns out, a little the Coyotes was Luke Schenn. The two knew each other since childhood patience, too. when Kuemper ended up playing for Schenn’s youth team even though Kuemper was younger than other players on the team. When Kuemper first got to Arizona there were some hiccups. Schenn’s father was a firefighter and his brother, Brayden, was also a top He appeared in 10 games for a struggling Arizona team at the end of the young player, so Luke would often carpool with the Kuemper family. 2017-18 season and turned in a 3.22 GAA and .899 save percentage. Kuemper arrived in the evening after the trade and Schenn asked “He came in and he didn’t really perform very well to be honest,” Chayka Kuemper how he was getting to the rink the next day. said. “It took him a little while to settle in.” Hotel shuttle. Even more concerning was Kuemper’s initial response last season when Antti Raanta suffered a long-term injury near the end of November. With his goaltending gear?

“We thought, OK, this is it,” Chayka said. “We made this acquisition for Yes. this exact time and opportunity.” “I said, no chance that is happening,” Schenn said. So he picked up But Kuemper struggled after inheriting the starter’s role. He allowed at Kuemper and got him to the rink and introduced him to the training staff. least three goals in five of the first seven games after Raanta’s injury. “He played unbelievable,” Schenn said. “I’m frankly not at all surprised “He was forcing things and probably being a little bit over-aggressive,” he’s putting up these numbers. Chayka recalled. “He was visibly frustrated on the ice.” “Honestly, his personality has not changed at all since he was 10 or 12. Kuemper’s uneven play sparked a critical meeting with Chayka and He’s a guy that thinks every joke is funny.” veteran goaltending coach Corey Schwab. Basically the two explained to Kuemper the reasons they’d acquired him and the belief they had in him Some goalies don’t like to talk or engage with teammates on game days. to accept this challenge. Not Kuemper.

“But having said that, you have to go out and do it,” Chayka recalled “Darcy, you’d never know if he’s playing or if he’s backing up, he always telling his netminder. “You know this is the opportunity of a lifetime. He has the same kind of approach,” Schenn said. “He’s got the biggest smile had put a lot of time and effort to get to this stage. on his face at all times. The guys in the room just love him.”

“I thought he responded really well to that discussion.” Kuemper did not relinquish the starter role even when Raanta returned. The two provide arguably the best one-two goaltending tandem in the As was the case in Los Angeles, the relationship between goalie and NHL, and thus far the Coyotes are the top team in goals allowed per goalie coach had a major impact on Kuemper’s ability to confront game in the Western Conference and second only to the New York adversity and seize the moment in Arizona. Islanders.

“If you’re a younger guy, you don’t want to show any vulnerability,” Still, it is clear from Kuemper’s deployment that this is his team now. Kuemper said. You don’t want to do or say anything that will cost you playing time. “So you keep stuff inside,” he said. As one longtime Western-based scout noted, Kuemper simply came in and took away the starting goal. Now as an older player and working with Schwab, there is an openness that allows the two to get at problems more quickly and with better “I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs,” Kuemper said. “As I’ve gotten results. “Corey does a great job of making you feel that there is a older and the more I’ve played, I am focused more on the structure of my relationship there, that he’s got your back,” Kuemper said. game more so than the result. I always had that belief I could be a No. 1 in the league and have a lot of success.” The two have identified areas of Kuemper’s game that allowed him to play at a level that has now thrust him into the national spotlight. Apart from the times the Kings and the Coyotes clash as Pacific Division opponents, Ranford is pleased for Kuemper’s success and considers him Schwab said it was less a teacher/pupil relationship and more of a one of the top netminders in the league. supportive, mentor role. “At this stage of his career, I think he was ready to take that next step,” Schwab said. “I wish I could take all the credit,” Ranford said. “For him to work his way out of that hole, I give him full credit. And now he’s reaping the rewards.” Beginning in January, Schwab thinks that Kuemper found a groove that has seen him play a more patient game. But Kuemper is unequivocal about the thanks he feels he owes Ranford.

“With that, he’s more able to stay on his feet longer,” Schwab said. He “The great thing about working with Billy is he kind of instilled that has used his mobility to get around his crease and beat passes and get confidence back in me,” Kuemper said. “The big thing with Billy is he set for shots, he added. “He’s developed a trust in his own ability and is made me feel like I was a good goalie again after some of the trials I’d able to put himself in the best position to make saves and control the been through in the previous years not playing much. I kind of got that rebounds. When he’s able to do that, there’s less chasing the game. He’s belief and that love for the game back in me. I can’t thank him enough for getting me back on track.” There is a lot of road to travel yet in Arizona where the team has struggled almost from the moment they moved from Winnipeg in the summer of 1996. They still play on the wrong side of the valley in Glendale. And they haven’t been to the playoffs since 2012.

But there is new ownership in Alex Meruelo. Second-year head coach Rick Tocchet established a hard-working identity for this team. Phil Kessel came over from Pittsburgh to provide some scoring punch. Fans are actually starting to connect, as the team is averaging more than 15,000 fans per home game – up more than 2,000 per home game from just two seasons ago.

And if the hockey world outside of Arizona has been slow to warm to the Coyotes, and specifically to recognize the stellar work put in by the team’s goaltenders, well, that isn’t all bad.

“As a manager you always want your guys to do well and be recognized,” Chayka said. “But I also think our whole group right now is a very motivated group that all kind of have a chip on their shoulder and have something to prove. And Darcy and Antti have that as well. You’ve got to earn respect in this league.”

The Athletic LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162122 Boston Bruins

BC coach Jerry York formally inducted in Hockey Hall of Fame

Globe Staff November 19, 2019, 12:29 a.m.

Boston College hockey coach Jerry York was formally inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in a ceremony Monday night at Toronto.

York, the all-time winningest coach in college hockey, was inducted into the Builders category.

“I’m just in my 26th year at BC,’’ York said during his speech. “I think of Brian Gionta and Johny Gaudreau . . . so I just love coaching, but I love the people we coach. We’re not coaching pucks, and we’re not coaching against this person or that. We’re coaching people, and I’ve had some great experiences with them.’’

York was joined by Penguins executive Jim Rutherford in the Builders category.

Guy Carbonneau, a three-time Selke Award winner for the Canadiens, was among the eight inductees into the Hall of Fame.

Vaclav Nedomansky, Sergei Zubov, Hayley Wickenheiser and journalist Frank Brown and play-by-play man were also inducted.

Boston Globe LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162123 Boston Bruins Sean Kuraly has just one goal on the season.

GLOBE STAFF The good news, Cassidy said, is the “puck is finding” Kuraly and linemates Joakim Nordstrom and Chris Wagner; they’re just Torey Krug will miss at least one more game for Bruins not finishing (four goals combined). Until Kuraly does, Cassidy said, he needs to remember his primary role.

By Matt Porter Globe Staff, November 18, 2019, 2:42 p.m. “Shutdown guy, make life miserable for one of the other team’s top two lines, and then get the job done on the penalty kill,” Cassidy said. “Offense is, I don’t want to say ‘gravy,’ because I don’t want to be disrespectful to him. We’ve seen him score, especially in big games in Torey Krug has been out since Nov. 10 with an upper-body injury. the playoffs. He’s just got to play through that part of it, not let it affect The Bruins’ power play, in a 1-for-9 funk sans Torey Krug, will have at him mentally.” least one more game to sort itself without its quarterback. See you next week? Krug, who skated on his own Monday in Brighton, will not return for Defenseman Kevan Miller’s return is “trending more toward next week,” Tuesday’s dance with the Devils in Newark. The blue liner, recovering Cassidy said. Miller (knee) has had a few days off skates . . . Center from an upper-body injury sustained Nov. 10 against the Flyers, could be Trent Frederic, who had been filling in on the wing in a two-game recall, ready to go for late-week home games against the Sabres (Thursday) or and winger Paul Carey were reassigned to Providence after riding the Wild (Saturday). pine for the second half of a tight game with the powerful Capitals . . . The first-place Bruins (12-3-5) could have as many as three forward The Bruins recalled forward Brendan Gaunce as an extra. Four weeks reinforcements in New Jersey. ago, Gaunce was flat on the ice after taking a massive hit from Laval forward Michael McCarron. McCarron was suspended two games. Coach Bruce Cassidy anticipates that wingers Jake DeBrusk and Brett Gaunce, who broke his nose, wore a wire cage at Monday’s practice . . . Ritchie, who practiced with the team, would play Tuesday. Top center Brad Marchand wasn’t overthinking the Bruins’ poor shootout Patrice Bergeron worked out off the ice Monday and will test his lower- performance: 2 for 16 on attempts, 0-4 in decisions. “Sometimes they go body injury at the morning skate. All three are in the “game-time decision” in, sometimes they don’t,” said Marchand, who is 0 for 4 himself. “That’s category. hockey.” He also may have been playing a bit coy when he reviewed himself. “I’ve got one move,” he said. “Other guys are more talented. Rookie defenseman Urho Vaakanainen will remain in the lineup, skating They have more options. I’m stuck on that one.” Marchand, who scored third-pair minutes with Matawan, N.J., product Connor Clifton. 100 points last year and is on a 131-point pace this year (13-19–32 in 20 Sign Up games), likely has more tricks in his bag.

DeBrusk said he “kind of hyperextended my leg a little bit” while trying to Boston Globe LOADED: 11.19.2019 make a move on Montreal defenseman Jeff Petry Nov. 5. He finished the game after the injury, sustained on his second shift.

“Hasn’t been fun in the gym,” he said of his last two weeks. “They’ve been bagging me.”

Krug’s replacement, Matt Grzelcyk, has been strong defensively at five on five. In Cassidy’s view, he “fought the puck” Saturday against the Capitals, but the coach is expecting a bounce-back from the third-year back liner.

Matt Grzelcyk (48) seen here making a play for the puck earlier in the season against the Devils, has seen work as Torey Krug’s replacement as of late.

GLOBE STAFF “The other night I didn’t think we were very good on it,” Cassidy said, reviewing his power play’s 0-for-3 performance. “We weren’t crisp anywhere. Some of that was Grizz, certainly. First pass on the breakout needs to be cleaner, decisions up top. We weren’t very creative, it looked like. And when we were, we hit a couple seams, we didn’t shoot the puck.”

The coach wants David Krejci to fire more from his spot at the elbow, and for the Bruins to play off those shots. In that vein, Cassidy said, they’re missing Bergeron’s quick strikes from the bumper, which cause teams to scramble out of formation as they try to recover rebounds.

“Bergy was as big a loss [against Washington] as Torey,” Cassidy said. “I think our power play minus Torey has been OK.”

They would gain a measure of cohesiveness with DeBrusk back in his net-front spot, but that’s not guaranteed. Before DeBrusk’s injury, Cassidy promoted Danton Heinen, who has in his coach’s view won more puck battles in all situations this year.

“I imagine he’ll find his way back to that spot, but he’s got to earn it,” Cassidy said of DeBrusk. “Earn your time there 100 percent of the time, not half the time.”

Lacking finish

Sean Kuraly, after contributing plenty as a fourth-liner last year (8-13— 21), has scored once on 31 shots this season (1-3—4).

“I think he’s losing sight a bit of what makes them a good line and makes him a good player,” Cassidy said. “He’s visibly frustrated when he’s not finishing, which I get. Guys want to score. That shouldn’t then compound or affect the rest of his game. I think it has a little bit.” 1162124 Boston Bruins

Jake DeBrusk used time off to try to “mature” before return

Looks to return vs. Devils tonight

By MARISA INGEMI | November 18, 2019 at 5:45 PM

It seemed like Jake DeBrusk was about to go on one of his hot streaks.

Then, he didn’t practice a couple of days following the game in Montreal, and missed five straight games.

He returned to practice on Monday with hopes of playing on Tuesday night in New Jersey with a positive mindset, looking to use the time off to be even better upon his return, and maybe with a more “mature” approach.

“I’m feeling good,” said DeBrusk. “I’ve obviously been missing the game, so it was great skating with the boys today. I scored in back-to-back games before Montreal, so I used the time to reflect on things and rejuvenate myself in a way. It was different things that were getting to me a little bit. I used the time to be more mature with my approach coming back whenever that is going to be.”

DeBrusk, who played 17 minutes in Montreal, said he hyperextended his leg trying to skate around Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry on his second shift of the game. Afterwards, he and the training staff realized he’d have to take some time for it to heal, and it took a little longer than he originally thought.

“Injuries are all mental, I feel like,” said DeBrusk. “I’ve had different things, but this is my first time going through something like his.”

Before getting injured, DeBrusk had tallied in consecutive games and it looked like he was about to get on a hot streak following a sluggish start to the season. He has three goals and three assists in 15 games this season after he netted 27 goals last year. In his restricted free agent year, he had high hopes to hit another level this season.

Nobody wants to get injured, but if there’s a silver lining, the 23-year-old got a chance to reset a bit before trying to reignite his scoring touch at a time where the Bruins really need it.

“I used the time to reflect on certain things and kind of rejuvenate myself in a way,” he said. “Hasn’t been fun in the gym, not gonna lie, they’ve been bagging me pretty good. But makes me more excited to get on the ice.”

The B’s are missing several forwards, and while many of them are returning soon — the possibility exists that three regular skaters might get back in the lineup in New Jersey — DeBrusk’s presence makes a big difference.

Last year, the defensemen were hit with injuries early in the year, but this season, it’s been the forwards who have struggled to stay on the ice. Anyone who can put pucks in the net is a welcome return.

“It’s been tough watching these games lately since I’ve been out. Hard to watch, but the boys have been battling. You just want to get back on the ice as fast as possible,” said DeBrusk. “It’s opportunity. That’s the biggest thing, (it’s) next man up and just try to get the job done. We miss those guys, we all want to come back as fast as possible.

“Hopefully I start that trend.”

Boston Herald LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162125 Boston Bruins

Krug out in New Jersey; Bergeron questionable; Ritchie and DeBrusk could be back

By MARISA INGEMI | PUBLISHED: November 18, 2019 at 5:45 pm | UPDATED: November 18, 2019 at 6:23 PM

The long list of Bruins injuries could get shorter in New Jersey.

Patrice Bergeron (lower body) didn’t skate on Monday, but according to head coach Bruce Cassidy he did work out with weights and is traveling with the team to face the Devils on Tuesday night; he’ll be a game-time decision.

His eventual return could help boost a power play that’s struggled a bit without Torey Krug manning the point.

“That’s where we miss probably Bergy more than anybody,” said Cassidy. “In the bumper he will get it at the net and then from there, typically when we’re effective, we recover pucks, get teams running around. … I thought Bergy was a big loss the other day as much as Torey.”

Brett Ritchie and Jake DeBrusk skated with the group in full-contact jerseys, and should be available in New Jersey so long as everything looks good at morning skate tomorrow.

Krug, sidelined with an upper body injury since last Sunday, will not be available, but they’re hoping he has a chance to play later in the week. He skated ahead of practice on Monday.

“Ritchie and DeBrusk both skated and no residual effects right now, so we anticipate they’re going to play,” said Cassidy. “We’ll put them as game-time decisions. Krug skated. He’s not available (against the Devils) so he’ll be available a little later as well.”

Ritchie skated on the right of Par Lindholm with DeBrusk on the left of a makeshift third line on Monday. The second unit of Charlie Coyle, Danton Heinen, and Anders Bjork remained intact after some success the last couple of games.

Cassidy mentioned Kevan Miller could be back in the lineup next week after taking a couple of days off from practicing. He was projected for either this week or next.

Karson Kuhlman (leg), David Backes (upper body), and Zach Senyshyn (lower body) did not skate. John Moore (shoulder) did, in a red noncontact jersey.

Gaunce recalled

Brendan Gaunce skated with the Bruins, donning a full facemask, after being recalled Monday morning. He was called up from Providence the day after Trent Frederic and Paul Carey were sent back down.

Urho Vaakanainen was also recalled. He’s scheduled to play in New Jersey, alongside Connor Clifton like he’s been, but was sent to Providence on Sunday as a paper move.

Gaunce played parts of four seasons with the Canucks and spent most of last year in the AHL before signing with the Bruins as a free agent this offseason. The 25-year-old has four goals and three assists in 11 games with Providence this season. A left-handed shot, he’s played a total of 117 NHL contests.

Schneider out in Jersey

The Devils waived goaltender Corey Schneider on Monday, right before their game with the Bruins, with the intention of assigning him to AHL Binghamton. Mackenzie Blackwood will start in net.

Schneider, a Marblehead native and Boston College alum, has struggled mightily this season with a 4.59 goals-against average and .852 save percentage. He’s owed $6 million the next two seasons, carrying that number as his cap hit.

Boston Herald LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162126 Boston Bruins precedent in how we approach those things,” said McAvoy. “Then it’s easy for me to follow his lead. Whatever the game presents is what I try and get [offensively]. I feel like I’m building my game right now. I’m trying Charlie McAvoy 'building (his) game' after slow start to Bruins season to build it from the defensive zone out.

“Things just happen and you’ve just got to play and have fun. At times if I’m going through streaks where I’m not having much opportunity or By Joe Haggerty November 18, 2019 12:41 PM chances, that’s when I look at it and say where I can start joining in more. But I feel like I’m getting these chances. Some of it is just shooting more,

and some of it maybe is just bounces. It’s been kind of new to me where The good news is that a physical challenge against a big, strong and it’s a streak like this, but I think there’s a lot of guys on this team like me offensively explosive Washington Capitals team brought out the best in that are looking to break through and get on a roll. I know that if I build Charlie McAvoy on Saturday night. my game from the defense out and that I’m a defenseman first and foremost. If I can do the best I can every night to keep the puck out of our The bad news is that hasn’t been the norm this season for the 21-year- net, hopefully when we get to the other side of the net I can start helping old McAvoy more than a month into the new NHL season. McAvoy put it in theirs.” picked up a couple assists in 23:23 of ice time in the shootout loss to the Caps, and even better, along with defense partner Zdeno Chara he was To put it in perspective, some hockey prognosticators — this humble able to keep Alex Ovechkin under wraps throughout the game. hockey writer included — pegged McAvoy as a possible Norris Trophy candidate for this season, and he’s got a long way to go to achieve that The two points would have been better, of course, and McAvoy quickly level. There are encouraging signs he’s starting to make the climb there confirmed that after the game while also acknowledging that he played after a very slow start out of the gate, but McAvoy won’t be there until he well. becomes the Bruins' best D-man pretty much every night for long stretches of time. “I tried to play hard on those guys and a big part of that is physicality,” said McAvoy. “[Ovechkin] ending up with zero is pretty nice. I can be McAvoy was exactly that against the Capitals, and now he needs to happy with that, but I’m pretty pissed off that we pissed away two points.” begin doing it again and again with Torey Krug out of the lineup due to injury, and Zdeno Chara unable to shoulder that kind of burden anymore HAGGERTY: Bruins getting frustrated with shootout futility nightly at 42 years old. The game Tuesday night in New Jersey won’t be That was something to build on for a player in McAvoy who has just six as stimulating as a Saturday night game against a Capitals team that assists in 20 games, and equaled half his offensive output from the first won the Cup a couple of seasons ago, so it might be a good test for 19 games with the two helpers against Washington. McAvoy as he keeps building his game to a higher level.

“He was terrific tonight. [The] level of competition tends to bring out the Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.19.2019 best in Charlie, and we certainly saw that [against the Capitals]. We needed it against a heavier group. I think he took the challenge head on. It’s a tougher game for the [Connor] Cliftons and the [Matt] Grzelcyks of the world,” said Bruce Cassidy of McAvoy, who one evening prior had been part of a defensive breakdown that led to a Maple Leafs goal when he wandered away from the front of the net. “[McAvoy] played a lot of minutes, and Charlie was really good in that way at both ends of the ice.

“I thought he was excellent. With Charlie, it’s just, he’s got to stay in the moment, that’s when he plays his best hockey. We’re not in there feeding him. It’s not information overload for that particular type of player. It’s protect the middle of the ice, be assertive with the puck when you see ice and make good decisions when to go. I thought [against the Capitals] a lot of it fell into place. He was up the ice at the right time, defending at the right time and not being vulnerable to a serious counterattack from a team that can finish. He wasn’t putting himself in bad spots. I thought that was the best part. As much as he was involved in the game, there wasn’t much risk. That’s a sign of a guy that’s growing.”

Now McAvoy faces the challenge of maintaining that high level of play and continuing to eliminate the tentativeness to his game. It certainly hasn’t been all bad as McAvoy is leading the Bruins with 22:21 of ice time per game and is a plus-8 for the season while routinely lining up against the other team’s best offensive players.

But he’s also on pace for just 25 points this season and is still looking for his first goal of the year, and hasn’t really managed to find the balance between offense and defense that makes for a true No. 1 defenseman at the NHL level.

Marchand takes hilarious victory lap in Toronto

Some of it has been a few unlucky bounces along the way for McAvoy and those he’s set up for scoring chances, but some of it is also about the paltry 20 shots he’s put on net in his 20 games played this season. Even in the Washington game, McAvoy missed high and wide with a golden scoring chance from the slot on a setup by David Krejci that eventually turned into a goal for David Pastrnak from a bad angle at the side of the net.

McAvoy talked about his game a couple of days ago ahead of the semi- breakthrough performance against Washington, and it was pretty clear the 21-year-old knew there was more for him to give out on the ice.

“For me, it’s just playing hockey. Every night I’m lucky and I’m happy I get to take a lot of pride in the defensive side of the game lining up against guys who are world class players. I really take pride in just shutting them down. [Chara] takes a lot of pride in that and he sets the 1162127 Boston Bruins

Bruins' Jake DeBrusk, Brett Ritchie trending toward return vs. Devils

By Joe Haggerty November 18, 2019 1:06 PM

BRIGHTON, Mass. — The Bruins should get at least a couple of pieces of their team back from injuries for Tuesday night’s game against the New Jersey Devils.

Jake DeBrusk (lower body) and Brett Ritchie (upper body) both skated without restrictions in Monday morning’s practice at Warrior Arena, and it sounded like they would play against the Devils barring any setbacks following practice. For DeBrusk, it will be a welcome return after a five- game absence and he’ll hope to pick up where he left off with goals in each of the two games before he got hurt early in the first period against the Canadiens on November 5.

“I’m feeling good,” said DeBrusk, who has three goals and six points in 15 games this season. “I’ve obviously been missing the game, so it was great skating with the boys today. I scored in back-to-back games before Montreal, so I used the time [out with injury] to reflect on things and rejuvenate myself in a way. It was different things that were getting to me a little bit. I used the time to be more mature with my approach [to the game] coming back whenever that is going to be.”

Patrice Bergeron (lower body) didn’t skate with the Bruins on Monday and will be a game-time decision against the Devils while planning to travel with the team to New Jersey. Torey Krug (upper body) skated ahead of practice on Monday and could be nearing a return to the lineup as well, but he won’t be playing against the Devils.

HAGGERTY: McAvoy 'building his game' after slow start to season

“Ritchie and DeBrusk both skated and no residual effects right now, so we anticipate they’re going to play,” said Cassidy. “We’ll put them as game-time decisions. “Krug skated. He’s not available [against the Devils] so he’ll be available a little later as well.”

As far as other injured Bruins are concerned, Kevan Miller has had a couple of days off the ice, “won’t play this week” but is looking at a possible return to game action next week after he was not on the ice with the team on Monday morning. John Moore (shoulder surgery) did skate with the main group and continues to make progress in his recovery from offseason surgery.

Tuukka Rask will get the start against the Devils on Tuesday night, and both Brendan Gaunce and Urho Vaakanainen were called up to the Bruins ahead of Tuesday’s trip to New Jersey. It didn’t look like Gaunce will be playing against the Devils, however, unless somebody expected to play isn’t able to at game time.

Here are the projected Bruins line combos and D-pairings for Tuesday night’s game vs. the Devils based on practice:

PROJECTED LINES

Brad Marchand David Krejci David Pastrnak

Anders Bjork Charlie Coyle Danton Heinen

Jake DeBrusk Par Lindholm Brett Ritchie

Joakim Nordstrom Sean Kuraly Chris Wagner

DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS

Zdeno Chara Charlie McAvoy

Matt Grzelcyk Brandon Carlo

Urho Vaakanainen Connor Clifton

STARTING GOALIE

Tuukka Rask

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162128 Boston Bruins Krug skated on his own on Saturday. It is unknown whether he will practice on Monday. He will be eligible to come off injured reserve and play against New Jersey on Tuesday. Krug’s return will be most Life after Torey Krug? Matt Grzelcyk gives the Bruins options welcome.

Krug’s long-term landing spot is unknown. As a recent collaboration between an assistant general manager and agent showed, Krug might By Fluto Shinzawa Nov 18, 2019 reel in $23.5 million more on the free market.

Grzelcyk is in line for a bump at the end of the season as well. But Grzelcyk will be restricted, unable to expand his list of suitors unless an Torey Krug has options. If the unrestricted free agent-to-be does not unlikely offer sheet comes his way. consider the Bruins’ offer to be acceptable, he will not have trouble lining up a job on July 1, 2020. By rule, a player’s price goes up when 30 other Whether a promotion comes with Grzelcyk’s raise is unknown. But the teams participate in the bidding, instead of one. Charlestown native has shown he’s up for the task.

The Bruins have options too. The Athletic LOADED: 11.19.2019 Nobody wants Krug to leave. Not the Bruins, not Bruce Cassidy, not Krug himself.

But if Krug believes the term and salary he will command on the free market make it worth leaving a good situation, Matt Grzelcyk will be first in line to assume some of the 28-year-old’s responsibilities.

According to a three-game snapshot, courtesy of Krug’s absence due to injury, Grzelcyk would not leave the Bruins significantly shorthanded.

“Excellent. Excellent,” Cassidy said of Grzelcyk’s performance during the Bruins’ 4-2 win over Toronto on Friday. “We know Grizz has some of that in him. He’s not Torey yet, offensively. Is there a chance down the road he could be? We’re all hoping that.”

Krug is a 5-foot-9 left-shot defenseman. So is Grzelcyk.

Beyond that, they have little in common.

Krug likes to tangle with bigger opponents. He is good at hammering pucks toward the net, usually aimed for teammates’ sticks. He relies on power to churn up and down the ice. On the power play, Krug may be the league’s best at operating the unit from different quadrants of the offensive zone.

Grzelcyk relies on foot speed, stickwork and hockey IQ to win his battles. He is a puck mover more than pounder. Grzelcyk is a natural skater — fluid, rapid, mechanically precise. The Bruins have yet to incorporate as much movement into Grzelcyk’s man-advantage duties.

On the latter point, given Grzelcyk’s processing power, it’s possible he could evolve into a power-play shape-shifter with more ice time.

That is a question the Bruins would love to resolve.

There is no debate about Krug’s value, especially on the power play. It is probably no coincidence that the No. 1 unit has not scored in the three games Krug has missed because of an upper-body injury. He is a maestro who uses his stick as a baton to lead the one-up orchestra.

The statistics (0 for 3 against Washington, 0 for 2 against Toronto, 1 for 2 against Florida with a goal from the No. 2 unit) do not fall in Grzelcyk’s favor. The eye test, however, shows a mobile quarterback who has distributed briskly and efficiently to David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand, his first two looks. In the 3-2 shootout loss to the Capitals, Grzelcyk quarterbacked a group that was without two other significant components: Patrice Bergeron and Jake DeBrusk.

“He doesn’t have his shot yet,” Cassidy said of Grzelcyk compared to Krug. “But he certainly has the ability to get up the ice and make plays. We’ve seen that with Grizz. He made a great play to Coyle the other night, a back-door tap-in, that just hopped over Charlie’s stick. That’s a Krug-like play. So far on the power play, he’s done what he’s asked to do, which is direct it to those two elbow guys, help on the entries.”

At even strength against the Maple Leafs, Grzelcyk made an excellent read prior to Coyle’s opening goal. As Anders Bjork curled into the high slot, Grzelcyk made himself available as a point option. When it was clear that Bjork was going for the net, Grzelcyk got a head start up the ice. Bjork’s shot was blocked wide left, but Grzelcyk’s decision to go up put him in good position for recovery.

When he scooped up the puck, Grzelcyk did not hesitate to wheel around Toronto’s net, knowing he had Bjork covering for him at the blue line. Travis Dermott tried to close Grzelcyk off at the other side. But Grzelcyk caught Dermott and Justin Holl in between by slipping a pass to Coyle for the forward to bury. 1162129 Buffalo Sabres in the WHL in scoring. Pekar has 14 goals and 13 assists in 20 games for Barrie.

••• An 11-7 lineup is one possibility for Sabres. A call-up of Dea is another The Sabres will be facing the NHL's last-place club when Minnesota comes to town Tuesday. The Wild have just 16 points, despite a 4-1-2 By Mike Harrington Published Mon, Nov 18, 2019|Updated Mon, Nov 18, record at home. That's because they are an NHL-worst 3-10-0 on the 2019 road.

The Sabres are just 3-9 at home against Minnesota, but a win Tuesday would give them a three-game winning streak against the Wild for the The Buffalo Sabres practiced with 11 forwards Monday in KeyBank first time since they joined the NHL in 2000. Center. It's possible they could keep that setup and then dress seven defensemen for their game Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild in Former Sabres winger Marcus Foligno has missed the Wild's last four KeyBank Center. games and is out with a lower-body injury suffered Nov. 7 in San Jose. He has two goals and four assists in 16 games this season. Coach Ralph Krueger indicated after practice a call-up could be coming from Rochester but that did not happen Monday night. Just like in Buffalo News LOADED: 11.19.2019 Buffalo, things are getting pretty thin on the farm.

With Curtis Lazar, Rasmus Asplund and Tage Thompson already in Buffalo – and Thompson now on the injured list – Jean-Sebastien Dea and Andrew Oglevie are the only remaining Amerks on NHL contracts. If the Sabres make a move, Dea would be the likely choice.

Dea, 25, has seven goals and five assists in 16 games for the Amerks this season and is the top remaining scorer on the Rochester roster. He is a favorite of General Manager Jason Botterill from their time together in the Pittsburgh organization, with Dea having played parts of the last six seasons at the Penguins' Wilkes-Barre/Scranton farm club in the AHL.

The organizational injury report issued Monday showed it's tough times in Rochester as well. Potential NHL call-ups C.J. Smith, Scott Wilson and Remi Elie are all out long-term with lower-body injuries. Smith is listed as out four to six weeks with Elie and Wilson as week to week.

With two-year deal, Jean-Sebastien Dea gives Sabres a new option at forward

•••

Sabres defenseman Zach Bogosian, who has yet to play this year after hip surgery, has been upgraded to day to day. Of course, that would deepen the logjam on defense, where Buffalo already has eight healthy bodies.

"Obviously today I had another good skate and we're just taking it a day at a time," Bogosian said after practice Monday. "We're being cautious about it and anytime you come back from a situation like mine, it's smart to just take it day to day. But I'm feeling good so that's some positive news."

Bogosian filled out the lineup at forward in practice, skating with and Rasmus Asplund.

"It's just nice to be back out there to be honest with you," he said. "I love the game of hockey so much so as long as I'm out there playing with other guys, it's nice."

•••

It's always dicey to make assumptions on coach Ralph Krueger's defense pairs based on practice because players are funneling through drills, but it looked like will be the odd man out against his former team as he skated Monday with John Gilmour.

Scandella was burned badly on a couple of plays Sunday in Chicago, including Patrick Kane's second-period goal. The South Buffalo native beat Scandella to the spot off a faceoff and rifled a quick shot past Carter Hutton to give the Blackhawks a 3-0 lead.

Scandella's partner, Henri Jokiharju, was skating Monday with Colin Miller, who has been a healthy scratch the last three games. The other two pairs remained the same as Jake McCabe was with Rasmus Ristolainen and Rasmus Dahlin was with Brandon Montour.

•••

Krueger said the Sabres are not currently considering an emergency recall from the junior ranks, which could have involved No. 1 draft pick Dylan Cozens from Lethbridge of the Western League or 2018 draftee Matej Pekar from Barrie of the Ontario League.

Cozens is tearing up the Western League, with 15 goals and 15 assists in the first 21 games for Lethbridge. His 30 points have him tied for third 1162130 Buffalo Sabres Sunday in Chicago. The Sabres said Thompson, the leading goal scorer in Rochester this season, will be out three to five weeks.

Marcus Johansson and Johan Larsson (both upper body) will again be Kyle Okposo's latest concussion is darkest entry on Sabres' growing out for Tuesday's game, with the team hoping at least one might be injury report ready for the upcoming road trip that starts Thursday in Boston.

Krueger conceded it's hard not to feel a little snakebitten when you see By Mike Harrington Published Mon, Nov 18, 2019|Updated Mon, Nov 18, an injury like Thompson's happen in a 4-1 game in which the outcome 2019 has long been decided.

"You are making decisions on the last five minutes on playing players in a game that’s slipped out of reach," Krueger said. "You want to get The Buffalo Sabres' medical news is almost laughable in one sense, with certain ice time in. You throw Tage out one more time. It was a strange the team losing a forward to injury for five consecutive games and likely set of circumstances that caused the injury. But, yeah, you definitely to put a paper-thin lineup on the ice for Tuesday's game against the hope that’s the end." Minnesota Wild in KeyBank Center. The Sabres spent much of October with virtually the same lineup, other But things took a much darker tone Monday afternoon. than a minor injury to Conor Sheary. Things started to go awry when Sobotka was taken out by Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov during the first The club announced veteran forward Kyle Okposo suffered another game in Sweden and haven't stopped since. concussion Saturday against Ottawa. That's the fourth one for Okposo since joining the Sabres in 2016 and the second in this calendar year. "It was a really long stretch with the same forward lines, and there was some good synergy there," Krueger said. "The processes seemed to be Okposo, 31, is listed as out indefinitely. And it's far too early to entertain quite automatic, especially the way we want to be connected on the ice. the thoughts of how much his career is again hanging in the balance, or Losing a forward a game now for five games in a row has been quite what the club does with a player still owed $6 million each of the next disruptive. But the guys are working hard to find the right path." three years. Buffalo News LOADED: 11.19.2019 Still, you have to wonder.

"First and foremost, he's a person, right? You think about him and his well-being," said veteran defenseman Zach Bogosian, on the comeback trail himself from hip surgery. "Hockey comes second to everyone in this room as far as health-wise. You think about him. You'll be there for him and his family as well. Obviously, going through what he's been through in his career, it's been tough for him. We're going to be there for him."

Okposo, remember, had a tumultuous summer in 2017 when post- concussion symptoms and reaction to medications landed him in the neuro ICU unit of Buffalo General Hospital. In February, he was concussed as a result of a fight with New York Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo.

His latest concussion was an unfortunate accident.

Okposo had just come on to the ice late in the second period when he was clipped by Ottawa defenseman Ron Hainsey, who was starting to head to the Senators' bench on a change. Okposo immediately looked woozy and went down to his knees before skating slowly to the bench, where Sam Reinhart and Victor Olofsson helped him over the boards before he headed to the dressing room.

"It was just kind of a freak thing. I saw the whole play develop," Reinhart said. "They had a couple guys trying to get off the ice, and it was very unfortunate the way it happened. I don't think there was any intent there, but it's always scary for someone to be in that spot. We just wish him the best in his recovery.

"It's no secret in the room what he's gone through and we can only support him and be behind him 100% in his recovery. That's the most important thing."

Kyle Okposo injury. #sabres50 pic.twitter.com/twHtFf0ist

— Buffalo Hockey moments (@SabresPlays) November 17, 2019

Bogosian played with Hainsey in Atlanta and Winnipeg and agreed with Reinhart's assertion that there was zero ill intent on the play.

"Obviously, just a freak thing," Bogosian said. "He's not the type of guy that would go out of his way to bump someone, especially going off on a change. Just a freak accident."

"I’m learning about the history here and getting caught up in the past. You’re always concerned," said coach Ralph Krueger. "You just hope for the best result here as quick as possible. It’s all you can really do right now. It’s one of those injuries where you need to have patience. It’s definitely the inactivity that goes with it is always tough psychologically. But we’re there for him. We’re going to fix this together."

Okposo, who has just one goal in 19 games, joins Vladimir Sobotka (lower body) among veterans with a long-term injury. Tage Thompson is in a similar predicament as his Sabres season debut ended with what appeared to be a shoulder injury with just more than two minutes to play 1162131 Buffalo Sabres

Sabres announce another concussion for Okposo; Thompson out 3-5 weeks

By Mike Harrington Published Mon, Nov 18, 2019|Updated Mon, Nov 18, 2019

The Buffalo Sabres opened practice shortly after noon today in KeyBank Center and the injury news got particularly darker for the team just as it stepped on the ice.

In their weekly injury report, the Sabres acknowledged that veteran winger Kyle Okposo suffered another concussion Saturday night against Ottawa and is listed as out indefinitely. The club also announced that winger Tage Thompson is out 3-5 weeks with an upper-body injury. He appeared to injure his shoulder in a collision with the glass with less than three minutes to go in Sunday's 4-1 loss in Chicago.

Centers Marcus Johansson and Johan Larsson (both upper body) are listed as day to day but neither practiced Monday. Vladimir Sobotka (lower body) is listed as out 4-6 weeks. Coach Ralph Krueger said after practice that Johansson and Larsson will be out for Tuesday's game against Minnesota here but could be possible for the upcoming road trip that opens Thursday in Boston.

"It was a really long stretch with the same four forwards lines and there was some good synergy there," coach Ralph Krueger said after practice. "The process seemed to be quite automatic, especially the way we want to be connected on the ice. Losing a forward a game for five games now has been quite disruptive but the guys are working hard to find the right path."

Defenseman Zach Bogosian, on the road back from hip surgery, has been upgraded to day to day and was skating at forward in practice so the team could work out with four lines.

Bogosian upgraded to day to day, filling out up front with Girgensons and Asplund. Other lines are Olofsson-Eichel-Skinner, Skinner-ERod-Sheary, Vesey-Mittelstadt-Lazar. #Sabres

— Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) November 18, 2019

The Okposo news is particularly grim because that would be his fourth concussion since joining the Sabres and his second in this calendar year. Okposo suffered another in a fight in February with New York Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo.

Okposo, of course, had serious issues with post-concussion rehab in the summer of 2017, landing in the Neuro ICU unit of Buffalo General Hospital. He still has three more years remaining on his contract that has a cap hit of $6 million per season. He has just one goal and four assists in 19 games this season.

The Sabres are exceptionally thin at forward now, as the only players left at Rochester on NHL contracts are J-S Dea and Andrew Oglevie. Remi Elie, Scott Wilson and C.J. Smith are all out long-term in Rochester with injuries.

Krueger said the team could dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen for the game against the Wild but is also pondering a callup of one of the two remaining forwards in Rochester. Krueger said the team is not currently considering a callup of No. 1 draft choice Dylan Cozens on an emergency basis from Lethbridge of the .

Buffalo News LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162132 Calgary Flames feels like a distant memory, and he’s not even close to the most snake- bitten of the bottom-six sorts.

When you can’t score, you can’t afford many mistakes in your own end. 5 Burning Questions: What's wrong with the Flames? Was last season an anomaly?

Calgary’s captain-of-the-future, Matthew Tkachuk, didn’t sugar-coat his Wes Gilbertson comments after Sunday’s lopsided loss in Las Vegas.

“It’s disgusting,” fumed Tkachuk, one of the guys who actually is carrying Flames' emotional effort falls flat in desert shutout by Coyotes his weight in the offensive zone. “It’s bad. It’s bad right now. We need to change this around … Something’s gotta change here. We’ve gotta get Remember, way back in September, when goaltending was the biggest back to the old us.” question mark for the Calgary Flames? The old us, of course, refers to the 2018-19 Flames. That crew rolled to Ah … the good ol’ days. 50 wins during the regular season — the second-highest total in franchise history — and topped the Western Conference standings. As Grey Cup week kicks off in Calgary, the talk of the town — with all due respect to Andrew Harris and Brandon ‘Speedy’ Banks and the rest Despite a first-round playoff flop, the Flames returned all of the same of the chaps who will starring Sunday in the CFL’s championship core pieces. showdown at McMahon Stadium — centres around the slumpy state of the local hockey heroes. It’s important to remember, though, these guys don’t have much experience as should-be front-runners. The Flames returned empty-handed from a two-game weekend road-trip, stretching their current winless skid to four straight games. What’s worse, They were a surprise story for much of last winter. Now, it’s fair to in back-to-back losses to NHL Pacific Division rivals in Arizona and Las wonder if they’re simply struggling with the sky-high expectations brought Vegas, they didn’t muster a single goal. on by their own success.

Fans are frustrated. Fans are flabbergasted, even. Maybe 2018-19 was the exception.

With a 10-10-3 record, the Flames are, statistically speaking, mediocre. Is there enough emotional investment? In fact, when their alarms rang Monday morning, they were still tied for It’s impossible for outsiders to gauge give-a-hoot. the final wildcard slot in the Western Conference standings. However, when a squad is so often surrendering the first goal of the Thing is, the expectation was not for the Saddledome-dwellers to be so- evening, so often playing catch-up in the final stanza, so consistently so. This crew was supposed to be a top contender … as long as the inconsistent, it’s hardly a surprise that their emotional engagement has goaltending was up to snuff. been called into question.

Puck-stopping hasn’t been a problem. As they prepare for Tuesday’s Head coach Bill Peters is constantly talking about “starting on time,” but matchup with Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche (7 p.m., the Flames have allowed the opening strike in 15 of their 23 games. /Sportsnet 960 The Fan), here are five other questions Yikes. facing the Flames … Yeah, they have managed a hat-trick of third-period comebacks, but they What’s wrong with Johnny? have been trailing after 40 minutes on 14 separate occasions. That’s There is plenty of blame to go around, but this is Johnny Gaudreau’s another ugly stat. team and the superstar left-winger simply hasn’t been good enough. Occasionally, a few of them get mad.

Now 26, Gaudreau hasn’t been nearly as dangerous as he was last But they’re usually too busy trying to get even. winter — when he piled up 99 points and finished fourth in Hart Trophy voting — or in previous seasons. You can’t always tell which guys loathe losing, and even-keel is a quality that teams need some of too, but terms such as ‘emotional engagement’ There haven’t been as many highlight-reel setups. Gaudreau doesn’t and ‘push-back’ and ‘compete-level’ will be all the buzz around the have the hardest shot, and opponents seem to be limiting his passing Saddledome for as long as the Flames continue to scuffle. options and daring him to fire. Is there a quick fix? With just five goals so far, it’s not a bad strategy. This is quite a pickle for . Gaudreau, who still sits second on the team with 18 points, was a career- worst minus-5 in Sunday’s 6-0 shellacking in Sin City. The Flames general manager is presumably itching to tinker with his roster, but it’s tough to maximize return value when you’re trading away The previous weekend, he coughed up seven turnovers against the an underachiever. defending champion St. Louis Blues. Right now, the Flames have a lot of those. This isn’t on just one set of shoulders, but it would make a huge difference if No. 13 starts to look more like his usual self. Remember, Treliving tried to land Jason Zucker and then Nazem Kadri — and those are just the coulda-been acquisitions that we caught wind of Why can’t the Flames score? — so he certainly isn’t afraid to wheel and deal.

Johnny isn’t the only guy who is underachieving offensively. But is now the time?

Far from it. And if so, what is tops on his wish-list?

The Flames averaged 3.52 goals per game last season, tied for the A proven scorer? second-best attack in the league. Depth on defence? So far this fall, you can knock off an entire snipe per night — the Flames are now averaging 2.52 tallies. Heading into Monday’s action, only the Some sandpaper and spark? Detroit Red Wings and the Columbus Blue Jackets were tickling less twine. There was online debate Monday about whether the time has come for the Flames to trade their biggest star, Gaudreau. That feels like a Much has been made about Sean Monahan’s drive to play a more well- conversation for the summer months, but the banter shows that pressure rounded style, but he’s scored 30-plus in the past two campaigns and, is mounting for Treliving to react. with five, Johnny’s sidekick is currently nowhere near that pace. So what’s his next move? Mikael Backlund can’t buy one. Mark Giordano hasn’t had as much success when he jumps into the rush. Sam Bennett’s spring showing Calgary Sun: LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162133 Calgary Flames So when he was pulled into Stockton head coach Cail MacLean’s office two hours before the Heat game against the San Jose Barracuda on Saturday, it was business as usual.

Flames recall Dube ready for action, with or without winter clothes Dube’s recall forced the dispatching of Quine back to the AHL on Sunday which wasn’t the Flames’ only roster move of the weekend as blueliner Oliver Kylington was summoned from the AHL in the wake of TJ Brodie’s Kristen Anderson, Postmedia scary medical episode from last week.

Flames head coach Bill Peters revealed that Sam Bennett was kept out of Sunday’s game at Vegas with an upper-body injury, while Travis With an hour’s notice, Dillon Dube hastily shoved his duffle bag full of Hamonic missed part of the game with a lower-body injury after blocking clothes. a shot. With forward Austin Czarnik still on the long-term injured reserve Recalled by the Calgary Flames officially Sunday but receiving the word and no timetable for Brodie’s return, Dube and Kylington’s stays might be Saturday, the 21-year-old knew that this might not be just a weekend extended for the foreseeable future. thing as he prepared to travel from Stockton, Calif., to Las Vegas to meet And that includes helping the Flames, losers of four straight, try to the club at the team hotel ahead of their game emerge from their current funk starting with Tuesday’s clash against the at T-Mobile Arena. Colorado Avalanche (7 p.m., Sportsnet One/Sportsnet 960 The Fan). With snow in the forecast for Calgary and the reasonably warm Then, they’ll hit the road for a four-game road swing through St. Louis, temperatures in California, other players would be in a panic. Winter Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Buffalo. coat? Business-casual winter dress-coat? What about normal-casual winter wear? Would they have to make a quick trip to Chinook Centre to Dube drew into Sunday’s game, playing 14:17 of icetime, recording two stock up on warmer gear for the team’s upcoming four-game swing shots and two hits on the team’s third line with and Milan through out east? Lucic.

Dube, being from Cochrane, was not worried. His closet at his parents’ He was also able to get a dose of some familiar faces in Vegas as his house remains (mostly) fully stocked. billets, Vinay and Sarah, during his Kelowna Rockets days in the Western Hockey League, coincidentally had pre-booked a trip to Sin City “I threw in mostly business-casual suit stuff, because if I do get the to watch the Flames. chance to go home, I have the majority of my clothes there,” the speedy centre/winger said Sunday. “It’s easy for me. Guys for (Stockton Little did they know that Dube would be with the team at that time. roommates) Quiner (Alan Quine) or Rino (Zac Rinaldo), they have to pack their life with them in a suitcase.” “They booked it in the summer — the plan wasn’t to watch me,” Dube said, chuckling. “They’re obviously Flames fans now, following me Or like Matty Gaudreau, who was recalled from the ECHL and didn’t throughout my career. They’re world travellers, and they always come have a suit with him because business-casual is the dress-code here, and you know why — it’s a great spot. It was just a cherry on top, requirement with the Kansas City Mavericks. being able to be here no matter what happens.”

Or like his roommate Quine, who had … uh … limited options. Calgary Sun: LOADED: 11.19.2019 “You look at Quiner,” Dube said. “All he had were a pair of sweats, a shirt and one suit. He got called up and was up for two weeks and was wearing the same stuff.

“You just have to hope you have everything.”

Truth be told, their packing skills are the least of their worries when they get the word. It represents a small portion of their thoughts, Dube’s especially, as he joined the Flames for the first time this season.

Many were penciling him into Calgary’s opening day lineup ahead of the 2019-20 campaign, but when the time came to whittle down the Flames’ main roster ahead of the NHL season opener, Dube’s name was not on it.

Challenge accepted, and he welcomed his assignment to the .

And, more importantly, he understood it.

“When I’m down in Stockton, it’s good for my game, it’s good for me …” said Dube, who has four goals and nine assists in 13 AHL games this season. “So there’s no worries about that. I’m happy with whatever happens.

“Obviously, being here is great — I want to be here, and that’s the main goal for everyone. I want to be an NHLer every single day. But I put a lot of trust in Tree (Flames general manager Brad Treliving) and (Flames head coach) Bill (Peters) and the staff to do what’s best for me. Now, it’s a lot easier to play when you let that happen and you’re comfortable with what’s going to happen there so you can almost just go out and play.”

Dube is relaxed and is familiar with the process, now, which wasn’t the case a year ago when his mind was racing most of the time.

Instead of being laser-focused on making the NHL — putting the cart before the horse, running before walking, etc. — he understands the bigger picture.

“I think I’m a lot more calm this year than last year,” he said. “Every time (I was called up), there were nerves everywhere. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t do anything … it’s just more relaxed. I’m more comfortable with everything going on. It’s not as hectic as last year. I’m just more excited, now, to get out there.” 1162134 Calgary Flames first-round sweep by the Ducks in 2017. His last playoff goal? May 10, 2015.

Whatever the explanation — whether it’s that other teams have learned Is it time for the Flames to consider trading Johnny Gaudreau? how to defend him or the system isn’t working for him or his frustration is getting the best of him — Gaudreau is at the point in his contract at which the whispers began with Iginla. Is it time to start seeing what the trade By Darren Haynes Nov 18, 2019 market is for him?

In the early 2010s, the Flames weren’t getting it done despite having one of the NHL’s oldest teams. They would squeeze into the playoffs, then Ben Hanowski, 29. Two goals and 11 points with the Cologne Sharks of get knocked out in Round 1. Each summer they desperately hoped next the Deutsche Eishockey League. season was going to be different to avoid squandering over a decade of Kenny Agostino, 27. Eight goals and 14 points with the having one of the best players on the planet on their roster, but that one of the American Hockey League. more Cup run never came to fruition. Now, looking back, it’s more than fair to argue that hanging on to Iginla — a fan favourite — for too long set Morgan Klimchuk, 24. Five goals and seven points with the Belleville the organization back several years in the process. Think about the Senators, also of the AHL. package Iginla could have commanded had he been dealt a few seasons earlier. All three, still playing professional hockey this season. All three, long gone from the Calgary Flames organization. Not one of the three remains But that’s where this whole debate with Gaudreau gets very interesting. in the National Hockey League; Agostino is on his fifth organization since While it’s easy to make a comparison between how the two teams were departing, Klimchuk his second. playing — 10 years ago with Iginla, right now with Gaudreau — and call the situations similar, they’re actually fundamentally different. Around these parts, you don’t have to look very hard to find an example of what can happen when you ignore the signs and hold on to a star Unlike Iginla’s situation, a Gaudreau trade need not be the waving of a player for too long. white flag with the current group and the first step in a rebuild. Far from it. Where the Flames were at in the summer of 2010 and where the team is A measly two goals and five points are all the Flames got in NHL today are two completely different places. production in return for Jarome Iginla when Jay Feaster, general manager at the time, finally pulled the trigger and traded the franchise’s That team a decade ago was old and on the decline. After famously all-time greatest player to the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 27, 2013. reaching the Cup final in 2004, the Flames made the playoffs the next four seasons but exited in the first round each time. They had just One of those goals was by Hanowski and came in his debut, no less, on finished a year (2009-10) in which they didn’t even make the postseason. April 15, 2013. He was skunked in his other 15 games. The other was It was a team trending in the wrong direction with the number of players notched by Agostino in one of 10 NHL games he logged with the Flames. in its 30s in double-digits, most/all of whom were past their prime — or The 2013 late-first-round pick included in the deal (ending up 28th “post-apex,” as Feaster liked to say. overall) turned into Klimchuk. He went pointless in one game with Calgary over three-plus pro seasons with the organization. It remains his The 2019-20 Flames are nothing like that. This team is loaded with lone NHL appearance. young talent still very much on the rise. In fact, at 26, Gaudreau is the second-oldest of the so-called next wave, who are already here: Matthew By the time Iginla was traded, just three months away from hitting the Tkachuk, 21; Elias Lindholm, 24; Sean Monahan, 25; Noah Hanifin, 22; open market as a free agent, that was the best package of assets the Rasmus Andersson, 23; Juuso Valimaki, 21; Andrew Mangiapane, 23; GM could get. In Feaster’s defence, mind you, it’s important to note he Sam Bennett, 23; David Rittich, 27; Oliver Kylington, 22; Dillon Dube, 21. was trading a player with a no-movement clause, so he was limited to negotiating with a small number of approved teams. In that group, you have at least three-quarters of what should be the top four on the blue line for the next several years — and those guys are Iginla’s situation remains a textbook example of the perils of listening to good, too. It’s reasonable to think there are as many as five players in the heart, not the head, when it comes to the handling of star players on that group who could make up Calgary’s top-six forward group for a long a team getting worse, not better, or underperforming and in need of a time to come. They have their starting goaltender for potentially many shake-up. years. Fast forward to today and you have the concerning play of Johnny It feels like something of significance has to happen with this club soon to Gaudreau, who is coming off a weekend to forget. How else do you change the core (and no, recalling Dillon Dube as they did on Sunday describe it when you’re supposed to be the offensive catalyst, yet your does not count), shake up an underperforming group and also salvage team gets shut out on back-to-back days. He’s got one assist (coming on this season. Perhaps the place to start is the guy who is struggling the the power play) in the last four games — all of them losses. most, yet would also command a significant return. Yes, perhaps it’s time On Sunday, he finished a career-worst minus-5 as the Flames lost 6-0 to for general manager Brad Treliving to explore trade possibilities for Vegas. His previous career-worst was a minus-4 versus St. Louis over Gaudreau — one of his most lucrative assets — and not necessarily for three years ago. Sure, plus-minus is not a stat without its detractors, but futures either. Think: an old-fashioned hockey trade. Two teams a minus-5? That’s not indicating anything good. changing their mix.

The night before, in Arizona, it was his cross-check to the back of Gaudreau is coming off a 99-point season. That was tied for seventh in defenceman Jason Demers that ignited a melee with the Coyotes with 12 the league. While there’s been a drop-off, from afar this season hasn’t seconds remaining in the second period. been that bad statistically, with 18 points in 23 games. He’s a five-time all-star who would surely fetch a big return — especially when you YOU COULD SAY THINGS GOT HEATED AT THE END OF THE consider he still has two more seasons remaining at a cap-friendly AAV SECOND PERIOD. PIC.TWITTER.COM/CC5GZZ4RE2 of $6.75 million.

— ARIZONA COYOTES (@ARIZONACOYOTES) NOVEMBER 16, 2019 Heck, there’s still three-quarters of this season remaining. Make a move now and a team would be acquiring him for closer to three years, as Gaudreau said postgame on Saturday that his reaction was a response opposed to the less than five weeks remaining when Iginla was finally to being tripped by Demers in the corner, just seconds earlier. But one dealt. senses the frustration that went into that rare display of lumber to the numbers from the 5-foot-9 left winger has actually been several months Plus, with Gaudreau’s modified no-trade clause not kicking in until 2021- in the making. 22, they’re not painted into a corner in terms of potential trade partners, either. Go back to the second half of last season: just seven goals and 26 points in 31 games after the All-Star break (after piling up 73 points in 51 games What could the team get for Gaudreau? That’s a topic for another day, up until that point, which had him tied with Connor McDavid for third in but in a 31-team league, there would be lots of teams interested in league scoring). Then there’s the Avs’ decisive dismantling of the Flames bringing on a guy with that type of star power. He’s still among the most in five games last April, when Gaudreau produced just a single assist. If skilled players in the league. He sells a ton of jerseys. It just seems it’s you want to expand the postseason sample, he had two assists in the not working here any longer with the current core and change has become necessary.

The reality, of course, is this is a very difficult trade for Treliving to pull off. We’re talking about a giant part of the organization. He’s a star player and the most exciting one to put on a Flames uniform since Kent Nilsson in the early ’80s. Just count the number of No. 13 jerseys in the crowd every time you visit the Saddledome. Ownership is among many stakeholders such a trade would impact.

But also, remember that one of the reasons it’s difficult to trade a star player is backlash from the fan base — from season-ticket holders, in particular. But even in their eyes, Gaudreau is starting to lose some luster. As the #TradeGaudreau hashtag picks up steam on social media, as fan discontent continues to grow on a nightly basis, it sure seems like that’s the case. Rather than the fan base revolting if they make such a trade, maybe the revolt will come if they don’t.

Three years ago, as you’ll recall, the Flames were without Gaudreau for 10 games starting in mid-November when he was sidelined with a broken finger. It was an injury that was supposed to cripple the team and sink the season. At the time, Calgary was already off to a slow start at 6-10-1.

It didn’t. The Flames went 6-3-1 in his absence and would go on to make the playoffs.

The club’s current mark of 10-10-3 is far from scuffling when you think back to the many dark years the Flames organization has suffered. Heck, more like dark decades. But it’s very much a concerning record when you consider the amount of talent on this team and what that mostly same group of players accomplished last season. The Flames didn’t go a blistering 50-25-7 and finish second overall by fluke. They didn’t do it on the coattails of one player, either. It was the sum of the parts that made the difference. Even if Gaudreau was moved out, if you consider the return one would get, the sum of the parts could still be every bit as good — just different.

Maybe now isn’t the right time. Maybe this team does turn the corner and maybe all of this chatter becomes a debate for another time. Like next June. I’ve thought all along that the current core of this club would get one more crack at the postseason. But as this year shows signs of slipping away, there may not be enough patience in the front office to let it come to that. Missing the playoffs this season would be a major blow.

The idea of shaking up the core right now, before it comes to that, is at least worth exploring. With GM meetings coming up, the timing could be right, too.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162135 Chicago Blackhawks With nine points in 14 games, Dach is scoring at a higher rate (0.64 points per game) than anybody from the 2019 draft, including the two players taken before him. Jack Hughes has 10 points in 19 games (0.53 3 takeaways from the Blackhawks’ 4-1 win over the Sabres, including PPG) for the Devils, and Kaapo Kakko has eight in 16 (0.50) for the Kirby Dach developing much faster than expected Rangers.

Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton was asked if he saw Dach in the same category as those two players, the consensus top two picks in the draft, By JIMMY GREENFIELD CHICAGO TRIBUNE |NOV 18, 2019 | 6:25 AM but he would talk only about the player he sees on a nightly basis.

“They’re all different players,” Colliton said. “We love him, obviously. He’s a tremendous talent. For him to step in as he has, he missed basically all wanted no part of saying something that might end up on of training camp and he’s been a factor for us. He’s helping us win. Got a the Sabres bulletin board. lot of fun times ahead of us watching him develop, and he’s going to be a The Blackhawks goalie has made 11 starts against the Sabres in his big-time player for us.” career and beaten them every time, including Sunday night’s 4-1 victory 2. The ‘1-2 punch’ of goalies Corey Crawford and Robin Lehner is at the . helping the Blackhawks dominate the second of back-to-back games. Asked to try to explain his dominance over one team for so long, he Give general manager Stan Bowman credit. He snapped up Robin couldn’t. And he wouldn’t. Lehner when he became available in free agency and described how “It’s weird how that works out,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s the schedule Lehner and Corey Crawford would be used perfectly. or just kind of have their number, I don’t know. I don’t want to say “We have the best 1-2 punch in the league is the way I look at it right anything too bad. Bad karma.” now,” Bowman said after Lehner signed in July. “I certainly feel really The Hawks have had an eerie dominance over the Sabres at the United comfortable going into next season, whether Corey Crawford’s in net or Center with 10 straight wins. The last time the Sabres won there was Robin Lehner’s in net.” Jan. 10, 2007, five months before the Hawks drafted Buffalo native It’s 20 games into the season, Crawford and Lehner have each started Patrick Kane No. 1 overall. 10 games and there’s no discernible difference over their last five starts. Will Crawford, whose contract expires at the end of this season, be Crawford is 3-0-2 with a .937 save percentage; Lehner is 3-2 with a .936 around next year to try to make it an even dozen? It’s too soon to think save percentage. about that. Having such a great goalie tandem means Colliton doesn’t even have to But it’s not too soon to take a dive into another pretty good game for the consider letting one of them play both ends of back-to-back games. The Hawks. Here are three takeaways from the win. Hawks are 4-0 this season in the second of back-to-backs, with Lehner winning three of them and Crawford taking Sunday’s game. 1. Kirby Dach is developing much faster than expected. Would Crawford have liked to have started both games this weekend? It’s hard to believe that less than a month ago, Kirby Dach was on a Not really. injury rehab assignment in Rockford without any clear indication when he would be in the NHL. “I still felt a little tired and I didn’t even do anything (Saturday),” Crawford said. “Getting old, I guess, I don’t know. Robby’s been playing so good. The Hawks could have kept Dach there for five games as he got back Obviously I want to try to get as much ice time as I can, but when you into playing shape after a concussion. Instead they called him up after have another goalie that’s playing so well, why not just go back and three games, and he made his NHL debut Oct. 20 against the Capitals. forth? I think we’re both wishing to get a few in a row. But it’s working right now, so can’t complain.” The questions before and after that game centered around whether the Hawks would keep Dach or send him back to his junior team, the Neither can Colliton. Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League. Such a notion now seems silly. “We’re getting excellent performances almost all the time, and not every team has that where they can in the (second of a) back-to-back go to a Dach has burst onto the scene with three goals and three assists in his Vezina candidate or a Stanley Cup winner,” Colliton said. “So it’s pretty last four games, including a pair of goals against the Sabres that thrilled good options for us to have.” the United Center crowd and had his teammates doing whatever they could to get him the hat trick in the last few minutes. 3. The Blackhawks are .003 percentage points out of a playoff spot.

“I took a goal away from myself, too, to try and hit him in the slot,” Patrick Yes, it’s only mid-November, but it’s draining to be chasing a playoff spot Kane joked. “He had a couple of chances, would’ve been cool to see. all season. Even the last one, when he came around the net and tried to backhand. The Hawks put themselves in a bad spot by opening the season 3-6-3 It would’ve been cool to see him score three backhanders. It was a fun and letting the Western Conference contenders get a head start. With a shift.” 6-1-1 record in their last eight games, they’ve almost erased that deficit. Dach wasn’t shy about admitting how much he hoped to get the hat trick After Sunday’s win, the Hawks have 22 points for a .550 points in the 14th game of his career. percentage. That’s ahead of the Ducks (.524) and Golden Knights (.523), “I obviously wanted it pretty bad,” he said. “Kaner gave me a couple of who have 23 points but have played more games, but .003 points behind nice chances and I might owe him a steak dinner for missing those the Predators (.553). ones.” The odd thing about the Hawks’ current four-game winning streak is Dach became the first 18-year-old to score two goals in a game for the they’ve been outshot in each game by fairly wide margins. The Sabres Hawks since Kane on Oct. 23, 2007, just a few weeks shy of his 19th outshot them 34-27 to bring the total over the four games to 174-111. birthday. When asked if he recognized any similarities in their games, But those shot totals are skewed by the fact opponents have been trying Kane identified one. to claw back in each game. The Hawks built early leads in three of the “Maybe a little bit of the confidence coming in at 18 to be able to just four games, and even against the Golden Knights, when they fell behind know that you’re a good hockey player,” Kane said. “Maybe that’s a little early, they bounced back to take a big lead heading into the third period. bit of what I see, that we have some similarity. Whatever the Hawks are doing is working, and the points are starting to “But besides that we’re totally different players. He’s a big guy, he’s really pile up. And that matters far more than opponents’ shot totals piling up. good in puck battles and coming out with pucks and skating with the puck “Definitely it’s a big win,” Colliton said. “We’re collecting points, and good up the ice. He continues on, gets a feel for the game. He’s going to be a teams, they collect points whether they’re really good or just OK or even special player.” when they’re not as good.”

Here’s coverage from Sunday’s game: The night was supposed to be about a couple of kids trying to impress Rockford on Sunday and said he doesn’t plan to play professionally their former teams. again.

A different kid ended up impressing everyone. The 33-year-old stopped short of retiring, saying he would like to play in an international tournament with his brother later this year. But he said he Rookie Kirby Dach put in a pair of sweet backhanders for the first two- was “done” and didn’t want to take away ice time from young players on goal game of his career to lead the Blackhawks to a 4-1 win over the the IceHogs. Versteeg missed three weeks earlier this season with an Sabres on Sunday at the United Center, their fourth straight victory to injury and had one assist in six games. improve to 9-7-4. It was also their 10th consecutive home win over the Sabres, who lost for the eighth time in 10 games. "It was hard for me to play at the level I needed to and it was hard to watch kids sit out for me," he said. The 18-year-old Dach was the best player on the ice as he extended his point streak to four games with his fourth and fifth goals of the season, He finished his NHL career end with 358 points (149 goals, 249 assists) narrowly missed another on a breakaway and drew a penalty. He has in 643 games with six teams. nine points in 14 games this season. Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.19.2019 Kirby Dach (@kdach77) extends his point streak to four games.

Talk about making an impression.  pic.twitter.com/qoCS2Px1Gk

— NHL (@NHL) November 18, 2019

Corey Crawford had a pretty good night as well but, then again, he always does against the Sabres. He stopped 33 of 34 shots to beat them for the 11th time in as many starts.

Dach’s heroics overshadowed the return of former Hawk Henri Jokiharju to the United Center and Alex Nylander’s first game against his old team. Jokiharju was dealt to the Sabres in July for Nylander, who had two goals in Saturday’s 7-2 win over the Predators.

By the time Jokiharju’s NHL career is over, his brief time with the Blackhawks may seem as insignificant as Dylan Strome’s 48 games with the Coyotes or Patrick Sharp’s early days with the Flyers.

Jokiharju has found a home on the Sabres’ blue line, but for a while last season it was unthinkable that his days with the Hawks were numbered.

When last season began, Jokiharju made the roster only because Connor Murphy was out with a back injury. But then-Hawks coach Joel Quenneville took a liking to the 19-year-old and played him 21 minutes, 34 seconds a game over the season’s first month. On Nov. 3 against the Flames, Jokiharju played a season-high 25:29 in part because Duncan Keith was ejected early in the game.

Two days later, Quenneville was fired and Jeremy Colliton hired.

Jokiharju quickly fell out of favor and appeared in only 23 games with Colliton behind the bench. His ice time was reduced by more than four minutes per game under Colliton and he ended up spending most of the second half of the season in Rockford.

"I think it's a little bit how the coach sees you as a player and as a person," Jokiharju said. "I think that was one of the issues in here."

He didn't know exactly what the issue was and wasn't interested in revisiting the topic.

"Right now I'm just focusing (on) Buffalo and happy to be with Buffalo," Jokiharju said.

Although the trade surprised Hawks fans and league observers who couldn’t fathom them trading a young right-handed-shot defenseman they drafted and developed, it didn’t come as a shock to Jokiharju. The way the previous season played out, he could see the writing on the wall when the Hawks traded for Olli Maatta and Calvin de Haan in mid-June.

"Honestly, I thought maybe it's going to be me," Jokiharju said.

Jokiharju has been a solid third-pairing defenseman for the Sabres this season but was on the ice for the Hawks’ first goal when Dach blew past him and lifted a backhander that deflected off the stick of the Sabres’ Jack Eichel to make it 1-0.

A few seconds after Dach missed on a breakaway, he took a nice pass from Zack Smith as he crossed the blue line and this time sent a backhanded shot over Sabres goalie Carter Hutton’s right shoulder.

Buffalo native Patrick Kane had a power-play goal, his 11th of the season, that extended his point streak to nine games and goal streak to six. Jonathan Toews closed the scoring for the Hawks midway through the third period with his fourth of the season.

Versteeg is “done”: Kris Versteeg, who won Stanley Cups with the Hawks in 2010 and 2015, was granted a release from his AHL contract with 1162136 Chicago Blackhawks argument that the Hawks deserved a small second asset in addition to Nylander, but those usually prove to be irrelevant in the long run.

As both teams move on in the season, Sunday’s game should close at Jokiharju-Nylander trade now seems like win-win for both Blackhawks least the first chapter of debate on the Jokiharju-Nylander swap. and Sabres Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 11.19.2019 The trade was initially roundly criticized by the Blackhawks’ fanbase and neutral analysts alike, but it has actually worked out well for both the Hawks and Sabres.

By Ben Pope Nov 18, 2019, 4:45pm CST

Alex Nylander has undeniably performed better in the Blackhawks’ organization than the Sabres’. Getty

In an offseason of otherwise popular moves with the fan base, Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman immediately took a lot of flak for the trade that sent Henri Jokiharju to the Sabres for Alex Nylander.

Four months later, the one-for-one swap has turned out better than expected for the Hawks — and just as good as expected for the Sabres.

If anything, the early verdict is a win-win trade, which is presumably what Bowman and Sabres GM Jason Botterill were going for.

Although neither Nylander nor Jokiharju particularly stood out Sunday in a game the Hawks won 4-1, both showcased just how substantially the trade has elevated their respective roles and careers.

Jokiharju has appeared in every game this season for Buffalo and averaged a sizable 16:37 per game, proving himself as a reliable player while the Sabres’ supposed top two defensemen (Rasmus Ristolainen and Rasmus Dahlin) struggle.

And Nylander — unable to permanently crack the Sabres’ bottom-tier roster the last three seasons — has played in 19 of 20 games for the Hawks, doubling his game total from the last three years, and averaged 12:53 per game.

“He’s playing very well,” coach Jeremy Colliton said Sunday. “Based on his play, [he] could have more goals, more points, and so [we’re] very happy for him.”

Comparing their respective campaigns is difficult, considering the positional differences. Nylander holds the lead in points, 9-7. Jokiharju’s shot-attempt and scoring-chance ratios are better. Hockey Reference’s point shares statistic, which evaluates individual impact on standings points earned, gives Jokiharju a slight edge, 1.3 to 0.9.

But considering the doomsday mentality through which many initially viewed the trade, a slight edge to the Sabres is a welcomed outcome.

The comparisons might be pointless, anyway. It was obvious all along that Nylander needed a change of scenery to rejuvenate his young career, and it has become increasingly clear that Jokiharju and Colliton weren’t compatible, either.

In Jokiharju’s return to the United Center on Sunday, he said he somewhat expected to be traded over the summer and referenced his lack of a relationship with Colliton as a key reason why. The 2017 first- round pick was sent to the AHL shortly after Colliton’s arrival last season and never returned, despite solid results in his NHL tenure under Joel Quenne-ville.

“Honestly, I thought, ‘Maybe it’s going to be me [who gets traded],’ ” Jokiharju said. “Too many D-men. I saw a couple guys coming in.

“It’s a little bit [about] how the coach sees you as a player and as a person. I think that was one of the issues in here.”

Jokiharju admitted it would be weird to face off against Duncan Keith, a key mentor for him last season. Nylander said the same about the Sabres’ Victor Olofsson, a longtime AHL teammate and friend.

But as far as seeing their old organizations again, both seemed uninterested in offering up more than basic platitudes. There isn’t exactly a reservoir of happy nostalgia to tap into.

That’s why the summer trade, as lopsided as it appeared at the time, has worked out rather well for both parties. Fans still can make a convincing 1162137 Chicago Blackhawks Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 11.19.2019

Kirby Dach proving 2019 NHL Draft class had a ‘big three’ after all

After a two-goal night Sunday, Dach is averaging more points per game than top-two picks Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko.

By Ben PopeNov 17, 2019, 9:39pm CST

Kirby Dach scored twice as the Blackhawks beat the Sabres 4-1 on Sunday.

Blackhawks rookie Kirby Dach, never one to talk about himself, openly admits he keeps track of how Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko — the two players picked ahead of him in the draft in June — are doing.

When Dach next glances at the leaderboard, he’ll like what he sees.

The Devils’ Hughes has 10 points in 19 games. The Rangers’ Kakko has eight points in 16 games. After his first career two-goal game in the Hawks’ 4-1 victory Sunday against the Sabres, Dach has nine points in 14 games.

In terms of points per game, he’s now in the lead.

‘‘It’s a competition, but it’s good; it pushes each of us to be better,’’ Dach said. ‘‘We all want to prove that we’re the best one to come from the draft.

‘‘It’s obviously still a long way to go throughout our careers, but we’re going to be connected for a long time.’’

Dach took longer to find his groove in the NHL than his peers, but one hardly can blame him, considering he missed all of training camp and the first few weeks of the season recovering from a concussion.

Even upon returning to health, Dach had the uncertainty of his full- season home — Chicago or Saskatoon — hanging over him mentally. He never lets on that the Hawks’ decision to keep him (rather than send him back to juniors) eased his nerves, but there’s no denying his smiles are broader, his hard-nosed nature more hard-nosed and his signature celebrations more emphatic.

Because ever since the Hawks — who won their fourth game in a row — committed to the teenage center and subsequently switched their system to allow their forwards to flourish more, Dach has thrived.

Dach has four goals and two assists in his last four games. He also became only the second 18-year-old in 40 years to score multiple goals in a game for the Hawks, joining Patrick Kane (2007).

Kane and Dach aren’t alike in many ways, but Kane said he does see one thing they have in common.

‘‘Maybe a little bit of the confidence coming in at 18, to be able to just know that you’re a good hockey player,’’ Kane said. ‘‘[If] he continues on, gets a feel for the game, he’s going to be a special player.’’

It seems Dach already has a feel for the game.

‘‘I have a lot of confidence in myself and the team is playing good, so that helps out with individual success,’’ Dach said. ‘‘When your team is going the right way and you’re winning games and scoring goals and your top players are producing — not saying I’m a top player or anything — it helps a lot.’’

Making Dach’s recent burst all the more remarkable is that he is skating on the fourth line with grinders Ryan Carpenter and Zack Smith. He played the fewest minutes on the team Saturday against the Predators, and his ice time increased only slightly against the Sabres.

Overall, Dach is averaging just more than 11 minutes a game, a far cry from Hughes’ 15:58 and Kakko’s 15:18. Yet he’s outproducing them.

Neither coach Jeremy Colliton nor the Hawks’ front office, which veered off the board to take Dach over Bowen Byram and Alex Turcotte (neither of whom made their franchises’ NHL rosters), could have anticipated this. But they certainly aren’t complaining.

‘‘They’re kind of all different players,’’ Colliton said. ‘‘We love him, obviously. Got a lot of fun times ahead of us watching him develop.’’ 1162138 Chicago Blackhawks

Hurricanes visit the Blackhawks after overtime victory

By Associated Press

Carolina Hurricanes (12-7-1, third in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (9-7-4, fifth in the Central Division)

Chicago; Tuesday, 8 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Carolina visits the Chicago Blackhawks after the Hurricanes beat Minnesota 4-3 in overtime.

The Blackhawks are 6-3-2 at home. Chicago has given up 13 power-play goals, killing 80% of opponent chances.

The Hurricanes are 5-4-1 on the road. Carolina is sixth in the league recording 9.4 points per game, averaging 3.4 goals and 6.0 assists.

In their last meeting on Oct. 26, Carolina won 4-0. Andrei Svechnikov scored a team-high two goals for the Hurricanes in the victory.

TOP PERFORMERS: Patrick Kane has recorded 26 total points while scoring 11 goals and collecting 15 assists for the Blackhawks. Jonathan Toews has recorded 9 points over the last 10 games for Chicago.

Dougie Hamilton leads the Hurricanes with a plus-11 in 20 games played this season. Svechnikov has scored eight goals over the last 10 games for Carolina.

LAST 10 GAMES: Hurricanes: 6-4-0, averaging 3.7 goals, 6.6 assists, 4.1 penalties and 8.8 penalty minutes while allowing 2.8 goals per game with a .904 save percentage.

Blackhawks: 6-2-2, averaging 3.6 goals, 6.2 assists, 3.9 penalties and 8.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.6 goals per game with a .937 save percentage.

Blackhawks Injuries: None listed.

Hurricanes Injuries: None listed.

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162139 Colorado Avalanche

Nathan MacKinnon NHL’s No. 2 weekly star; Avalanche continues road trip at Calgary

By MIKE CHAMBERS | PUBLISHED: November 18, 2019 at 12:45 pm | UPDATED: November 18, 2019 at 1:41 PM

Compared to the rest of the nation, Denver homeowners aren’t typical. They’re more like tumbleweeds.

Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, still playing without regular wingers Mikko Rantanen and Gabe Landeskog, produced four goals and seven points in three games last week to become the NHL’s No. 2 Star of the Week, the league announced Monday.

MacKinnon, who leads the Avs with 29 points (13 goals) in 20 games, had two goals in each of Colorado’s two road wins, at Winnipeg and Vancouver. He factored in all four goals in a 4-0 victory over the Jets and scored his second goal of the game against the Canucks in overtime.

Between those games, MacKinnon did not produce a point in a 6-2 loss at Edmonton.

The Oilers’ Connor McDavid had a career-high six points in that game against the Avalanche and was named the NHL’s No. 1 star Monday. He led the league with 10 points (three goals) in three games for the Oilers. Florida defenseman Keith Yandle was the No. 3 star after producing eight points (one goal) in three games for the Panthers.

Avs on the road. The Avs, who are 4-1 in their last five games after going winless (0-4-1) in their previous five-game stretch, had an extra day off in Vancouver on Sunday and traveled to Calgary on Monday. They will face the Flames on Tuesday at in the fourth leg of their five-game trip.

In addition to the injuries to Rantanen and Landeskog, the Avs have been playing without forward Colin Wilson and their two top goalies – Philipp Grubauer and Pavel Francouz. Forward Matt Calvert, who went down with a head injury against the Canucks, also might not be available Tuesday.

Calgary, the defending Western Conference regular-season champion and Colorado’s playoff upset victim in the first round last season, is coming off two shutout losses on the road — at Arizona and Vegas. The Flames are 0-3 and have scored just one goal in their past three games.

Colorado will conclude its trip Thursday at Minnesota.

Denver Post: LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162140 Colorado Avalanche Altitude Sports TV dispute: These 43 bars will be showing Monday’s Nuggets-Kings game

“We have been able to work out a reasonable deal with AT&T DirecTV Altitude Sports files lawsuit against Comcast, alleges carrier “wants to and their customers in the Denver region are watching our coverage,” extinguish competition” Hutchings said. “The difference between the two is that Comcast refuses to negotiate market-based fair terms.”

By KYLE FREDRICKSON | PUBLISHED: November 18, 2019 at 12:05 Gov. Jared Polis inserted his voice into the saga Saturday with an open pm | UPDATED: November 18, 2019 at 5:22 PM letter addressed to Jim Martin, president and CEO of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, which owns Altitude Sports. Polis wrote: “I strongly encourage you to complete a deal immediately that allows us to watch our Colorado teams at home on Dish and Comcast.” The months-long negotiations to bring Avalanche and Nuggets games back on television are now headed to a courtroom. On Monday, Hutchings said the had not discussed the lawsuit with Polis, nor was it part of a political strategy. Altitude Sports filed a lawsuit on Monday against Comcast for violation of state and federal antitrust laws. The 45-page complaint alleges the “It’s important that the governor obviously is aware of this situation,” television giant “wants to extinguish competition from Altitude” through Hutchings said. “It impacts all of the folks in Colorado as well as the rest stalled-out negotiations with financial terms that “make no economic of the region we serve.” sense unless Comcast’s aim is to use its monopsony power to eliminate Altitude so that Comcast will control sports programming” in Colorado, Denver Post: LOADED: 11.19.2019 Nebraska and Wyoming.

Comcast’s latest proposal to Altitude for broadcasting rights to Nuggets and Avalanche games represented a 50-percent cut from the previously agreed-upon contract, per a source familiar with negotiations. Comcast would also remove Altitude from an “expanded basic package” to a “sports tier” — decreasing the percentage of subscribers reached from 70-85% down to 15-20%, according to the lawsuit.

The lack of a middle ground sets the stage for a potentially lengthy court battle as the Altitude on Comcast continues.

“We’re prepared to do this the whole way,” said attorney Bill Isaacson, the outside counsel hired to represent Altitude. “Any court will tell both parties to try and reach a rational solution, but this case is not brought to bring pressure in order to do something like that. It’s brought to get a resolution.”

Comcast spokeswoman Leslie Oliver responded to Altitude’s complaint with the following statement: “This is a meritless lawsuit in an intensely competitive market where Comcast has no competitive regional sports network and Altitude has multiple distribution alternatives. Instead of pursuing baseless litigation, Altitude should engage in responsible commercial negotiations that would allow Comcast to distribute its programming to those customers who want it without driving up costs for customers who do not. Since at this point Altitude has rejected all reasonable offers, we have provided our customers with a credit until we reach an agreement. We will vigorously defend ourselves against Altitude’s claims.”

The lawsuit, which requests a jury trial on six counts of antitrust law violations (two federal and four state), describes Comcast’s behavior as “predatory” and outlines a pattern of business tactics that have allowed for the reduction or elimination of independent regional sports networks across the country.

The complaint cites that Comcast “has launched or acquired 11 RSNs, and in recent years has attempted to quadruple its holdings” with the market cornered in large cities such as Philadelphia, Chicago and the Bay Area of California. Should Comcast follow a similar pattern in Colorado, the lawsuit alleges it “will attempt either to buy Altitude or set up its own RSN to replace Altitude.”

Isaacson said: “If you’re an independent RSN out there, and your contract is coming up in future years, I would read this complaint with great interest.”

Comcast continues to charge its Denver market subscribers of Altitude a “regional sports fee” — although Comcast did reduce the monthly charge by $1.25. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser announced an investigation earlier this month into whether Comcast and DirecTV overcharged their customers during the Altitude blackout.

Altitude reached a multi-year carriage rights agreement with DirecTV last month with undisclosed terms. The regional sports network has also not reached an agreement with Dish Network, but that provider is not included in the antitrust lawsuit. Altitude chief operating officer Matt Hutchings declined to comment on the status of negotiations with Dish. However, Comcast is the largest television distributor in Denver’s designated market area with television reach into 57% of all homes over 70 counties between Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming, per the lawsuit. 1162141 Colorado Avalanche At present, there is no NBC Regional Sports Network in Denver. The suit recalls how Comcast partnered with the Mountain West Conference to form the MountainWest Sports Network known as “The Mountain” in ‘It’s leverage for a negotiation’: Altitude’s lawsuit against Comcast and 2006. Comcast operated the channel out of the Comcast Media Center in what it could mean going forward Centennial, which is less than six miles from Altitude’s campus. The suit states the Comcast Media Center is “the largest television and film studio in Colorado.”

By Ryan S. Clark Nov 18, 2019 Comcast ceased operating The Mountain in 2012 but still has the studio which has been rebranded as WestWorks Studios.

WestWorks recently announced on its website that it would be VANCOUVER — Monday marked the latest step in the ongoing dispute discontinuing operations effective Nov. 1. between Altitude and Comcast with the regional sports network filing a lawsuit alleging antitrust violations against one of the nation’s largest The suit also has a subsection titled “Professional Hockey in the Denver cable carriers. DMA” stating Comcast has control of the NHL through one of its subsidiaries, the NBC Sports Network. The document states NBCSN has Kroenke Sports & Entertainment — the parent company that owns the rights to televise nearly 100 regular-season games while providing Altitude — is still seeking a new agreement with both Comcast and Dish other features like, “Wednesday Night Hockey.” Network to resume airing Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets’ games, among other programming. Altitude agreed upon a new deal on NBCSN, as mentioned in the document, will broadcast the “maximum Oct. 31 with DirecTV, although financial terms of their pact were not number” of Avalanche games this season. The network said in a release disclosed. several months ago the Avalanche will be on national television 12 times throughout the 2019-20 season. Altitude’s initial 15-year contracts with the three major carriers ended within days of each other in late August immediately before the Altitude also states Comcast is a partial owner in the NHL Network which Avalanche and, later the Nuggets, each began training camp. The owns and operates NHL TV and “therefore has partial ownership and Avalanche opened the season with an 8-1-1 start only to fall prey to control, and a share of the profits, of the NHL TV product.” injuries yet still own the second-best record in the Central Division and one of the strongest in the NHL. The Nuggets are 9-3 and are third in the “This is a meritless lawsuit in an intensely competitive market where Western Conference standings behind the Los Angeles Lakers and Comcast has no competitive regional sports network and Altitude has Rockets. multiple distribution alternatives,” Comcast said Monday in a statement. “Instead of pursuing baseless litigation, Altitude should engage in The suit comes days after Colorado Gov. Jared Polis tweeted an open responsible commercial negotiations that would allow Comcast to letter he wrote to Altitude and KSE to “strongly encourage you” to distribute its programming to those customers who want it without driving complete a deal with Comcast and Dish to allow fans to watch the up costs for customers who do not. games. “Since at this point Altitude has rejected all reasonable offers, we have Lee Berke, who is the president and CEO of the LHB Sports, provided our customers with a credit until we reach an agreement. We Entertainment & Media, Inc. consulting firm, described Altitude’s suit as will vigorously defend ourselves against Altitude’s claims.” “aggressive.” One of the challenges facing Altitude in seeking a new deal is the fact it “But, at the same time, it’s a negotiation and it’s the start of the is an independent RSN in a landscape where few exist. negotiation,” Berke said. “You try to amass leverage to achieve a deal. Ultimately … it’s being done in part to reach a deal. … It’s leverage for a Both MSG and NESN, for example, are also independent RSNs but are negotiation. My thought is it is going to take months and months, if not, in a different situation compared to Altitude. years before they go to trial. It will add more work for everyone that is MSG televises the New Jersey Devils, the , the New involved. York Knicks, the New York Rangers and the New York Red Bulls. That, “What Altitude wants to do is reach a deal. This is being done in service in turn, gives MSG an advantage in negotiating with cable carriers in that of that.” it has a wide-ranging offering for three NHL clubs and one of the NBA’s marquee franchise in the Knicks while also having an MLS club in its The suit alleges Comcast has a monopsony — or a market in which there portfolio. is only one buyer — in the Denver Designated Media Area for which the carrier, “willfully seeks to maintain that monopsony power by using NESN has the Boston Bruins and the Boston Red Sox. It allows the anticompetitive conduct to force Altitude from the market, and then network, which is a staple of New England sports culture, the opportunity vertically integrate,” according to the document filed in to have year-round programming with the Bruins being shown from late District Court in Colorado. fall through early spring while the Red Sox are televised from early spring through the fall. Altitude claims Comcast’s actions have the “purpose and effect of harming competition and consumers.” The document also states Altitude, by comparison, has the NBA and the NHL but is not the Comcast is aware Altitude, which is an independent RSN, cannot broadcast home for several teams when compared to MSG. The network continue without being distributed by the carrier while further adding does also not have a major summer draw like NESN possesses with the Comcast is “taking all steps to cause Altitude to fail.” Red Sox.

Comcast, per the document, has 92 percent of the cable customers in The rest of the RSNs throughout the nation are part of larger the Denver DMA which is comprised of 70 counties between Colorado conglomerations owned by AT&T, Comcast or the Sinclair Broadcast (48), Nebraska (15) and Wyoming (seven). It also states Comcast has Group, which recently purchased the regional networks from the largest market share among all multichannel video programming Disney for a reported $9.6 billion. distributors — MVPDs — at 57 percent with the next larger provider Finding a new contract also comes at a time when dynamics within the being DirecTV at 25 percent. cable and satellite industry are changing. More customers are deviating The suit also accuses Comcast of using its grip within the Denver DMA in toward cord-cutting in seeking more options when it comes to what they the attempt to “force Altitude from the market” and then create its own want to watch, which ultimately determines a network’s value. regional sports network that would take control of those broadcasting Providers such as Comcast and DirecTV have customers who want rights to the Avalanche, Nuggets, Colorado Rapids and Denver RSNs like Altitude but must also acknowledge there are customers who Mammoth. do not watch the channel.

The NBC Regional Sports Networks, a consortium of channels owned by Thus, raising the following question: Why should customers subsidize a Comcast, have outlets in various locations such as the Bay Area, Boston, channel they do not watch? Chicago, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. Many of those networks have broadcast rights to various NBA and NHL teams while also Comcast said in a release in October that the majority of their customers televising other leagues such as Major League , MLL and MLS. in Colorado and Utah who have access to Altitude do not watch the channel with more than 95 percent of those people watching less than the equivalent of one game per week. Dish group president Brian Neylon also told The Athletic in October that less than 10 percent of Dish customers who have Altitude in their package watch the network.

Neylon said Altitude could agree to a rate that offers value to a majority of customers. Matt Hutchings, who is KSE’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, previously said Altitude sought financial terms to the contract they originally signed 15 years ago with Comcast, DirecTV and Dish. Neylon pointed out, however, the market has changed over time and that the rates must also be reflective.

Another alternative Neylon offered was Altitude offering itself as a standalone channel that allows those who want the network to pay for it without having customers subsidize a RSN they don’t watch.

Berke said there have been situations in the past when networks will file legal action against a cable provider when both sides are at an impasse when it comes to negotiations.

“It’s meant to generate the headlines that everyone is generating,” Berke said. “It all goes in the hopper for the potential to reach a deal.”

The Athletic LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162142 Colorado Avalanche

Nathan MacKinnon earns NHL Second Star of the week honors

By Aarif Deen - November 18, 2019

Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon was named the NHL’s Second Star for the week ending Nov. 17, it was announced on Monday.

MacKinnon, 24, willed the Avalanche to victory in overtime on Saturday, finishing the week with four goals and three assists in three games.

The forward made headlines at the conclusion of Colorado’s victory against the Vancouver Canucks over his comments regarding the Matt Calvert incident late in the third period. Calvert was struck by a puck, causing him to bleed from the side of his head on the ice. The referees let the play continue, leading to a Canucks goal and eventually another to force overtime.

In overtime, MacKinnon won the faceoff against a near unbeatable Bo Horvat before scoring 27 seconds later to give the Avalanche their fourth win in five games.

MacKinnon leads Colorado’s offense with 13 goals and 29 points in 20 games, most of which have been played without his two usual linemates, Mikko Rantanen and Gabe Landeskog, who continue to sit out with injuries.

He ranks sixth in the league in points and first in shots-per-game, with 4.95. His 99 total shots are second behind Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, who has 108 in 22 games. milehighsports.com LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162143 Colorado Avalanche Alexander Kerfoot, so the Avs are getting everything they had hoped out of Kadri.

Evan once Mikko comes back, what does that do to our projected lines? Avs Monday Mailbag: Sam Girard, the new guys, Kamenev, and more Donskoi really has done well at RW w/Nate so I know he’ll go back w/Kadri but a case could be made

BY EVAN RAWAL NOVEMBER 18, 2019 — Patrick Kincaid (@orig_rockiefan) November 17, 2019

As brutal as this injury run has been, the Avs have held their heads above ground because some others have stepped up. Donskoi is one of Welcome to the weekly Avs mailbag, where we answer whatever Avs those guys, and he’s produced well playing with Nathan MacKinnon. He’s questions you have on your mind. If you have any questions for the been the third wheel in the past on top lines, so it’s something to mailbag, leave them for Evan Rawal on twitter or respond in the consider. comments. Ultimately, when Rantanen comes back, I don’t think there should be any What is causing Sam Girard’s issues with the puck right now? question that you put the Big Moose back with MacKinnon. They’re too good together and complement each other really well. Where I think — do not feed the octopus (@dnftocto) November 17, 2019 things should maybe get looked at is with the other wing. Donskoi can What’s happening with Sam Girard right now is particularly interesting. play left wing, and a big part of me would love to see what Landeskog Girard was, at least to my eye, easily the Avs best defenseman for the and Kadri could do together. I do think it’s unlikely to happen, because first handful of games and looked ready to take another step. Of late, the Avs were doing well to start the year with their big line together and though, there seems to be a little bit of a struggle for him with the puck, Kadri running the second line, but if it were up to me, I would give it a particularly on the breakout. shot putting Donskoi with MacKinnon and Rantanen, and running with Landeskog, Kadri, and Burakovsky as your second line. I’ve got a few theories on what’s going on, but the biggest thing I’ve noticed is that opposing teams are forechecking Girard extremely hard Twenty games in, how do you grade the Avalanche team process? Not these days, a lot of times sending multiple skaters in to attack him. Girard results, but process? against one forechecker…I’ll take Sam every time, but two? That’s where — No One In Particular (@NoOneIn49460244) November 17, 2019 any defenseman is going to get into trouble. If you take a look at the giveaway he had in the opening seconds of the Dallas game, it was At even strength? The Avs have been very good. When healthy, they’re partially due to the Stars’ heavy forecheck, as he had to deal with four lines deep and were coming at teams in waves. If this team gets someone chasing him down from behind and another forechecker in front healthy, I have no worries about what this team can do at even strength. of him. I’ve noticed more and more teams doing that of late. The amount of shots on goal they’re giving up is a bit of a concern, but missing as many forwards as they are might be playing a role in that. It’s a credit to Girard, as teams have recognized how important he is to the Avs breakout, and it’s something he will need to adjust too. One thing The concern comes into play with special teams. Not having your number about Sam, whether it’s on the breakout or in the offensive zone, he likes one goaltender will hurt no matter what on the penalty kill, but too often to make the perfect play, sometimes overpassing the puck when he the Avs are giving up that “royal road” pass and it’s burning them. It should keep it a little more simple. That may be something he has to would help if their defensemen would stop taking penalties, because the adjust too and if he’s in trouble, just to chip it out and live to fight another defenders that take them are typically the ones who are supposed to be day. out there helping the penalty kill.

Another thing that comes into play is the spacing between the Avs The power play is a tough one to comprehend. They’re in the bottom half forwards and defense. Sometimes, it’s a little too big, and even the best of the league on the power play now, and while missing Rantanen has defenseman is going to get into trouble if he has no support. Avs hurt them big time, their process on the power play when he was in the forwards sometimes get a little too comfortable when Girard has the lineup was still not great. The Avs power play is set up for the top three puck, knowing how good he normally is on the breakout, thinking “Sam’s on the umbrella (MacKinnon, Makar, and Rantanen) to make it all got it”. That forces them to take some chances and they normally would happen, and when that doesn’t work, there really isn’t a whole lot else not take with other defenders, and the gaps get too big. They’ve going on. It’s a very static power play overall without a lot of puck or improved of late but just something I’ve noticed. player movement, and that’s been the case for longer than just this year. The talent in the lineup has still made them pretty efficient in past years The thing with Girard is that even though he’s struggling with turnovers a on the power play, but their process can certainly be better. bit, he usually still makes several nice plays on the breakout and in the offensive zone to make up for it. He’s still incredibly young, so growing Seeing them try a different power play breakout against Vancouver that pains aren’t a huge surprise, but considering he’s been one of the best in ended with Kadri getting a breakaway was nice. They’ve used that the NHL in terms of breakout efficiency, the turnovers of late have been breakout in the past and it’s given them success, but it happens very concerning. rarely.

Who has been the best off-season addition? Makar doesn't count. What future do you see for Kamanev with the Avs?

— Darcy Gillis (@dgillis90) November 17, 2019 — On The Fritts (@on_the_jFritts) November 18, 2019

How do you pick just one? It seems like every addition the Avs made in I have to admit that I probably like Kamenev more than others. I think the summer has not only lived up to the hype but surpassed any he’s a very smart player who is a lot better defensively than he’s given expectations you may have had. credit for. With all these injuries, I’m wondering why the Avs aren’t giving him a chance on the penalty kill, but coaches love the guys they love. If I had to pick just one (and that’s tough to do), I would have to go with Nazem Kadri. As good as Burakovsky, Donskoi, and Bellemare have As for his future with the Avs, I’m not so sure how long he will be here. been, having a legitimate second line center in Kadri behind Nathan The reality is the Avs have a ton of centers, both in their lineup currently, MacKinnon changes the dynamic of the entire team. and a few on the way in Shane Bowers and Alex Newhook. Unless Kamenev really takes off, I don’t see him being with the Avs a whole lot Beyond producing at a 62-point pace, he’s been good defensively for the longer. It’s not a good sign for him that even with all these injuries, the team, and while there is an argument to be made that face-offs are an staff still doesn’t trust him to play a ton of minutes, despite producing in overrated stat, Kadri has been incredible at them, and his ability to win limited time. I think he is an NHL player who can play in this league for a face-offs in the offensive zone has led directly to a few goals. Just the while, but it may not be with the Avs. presence of Kadri alone allows the Avs to get creative when it comes to Nathan MacKinnon’s ice time and gives them the ability to put him out At this point what are reasonable expectations for Makar the rest of the there as much as they want in offensive situations. season?

Kadri’s biggest problem this year has been taking penalties, but it’s — Jackie (@tigervixxxen) November 18, 2019 countered by the fact that he tends to draw a lot of penalties himself, so it evens out in the end. Kadri alone is outproducing Tyson Barrie and At this point, there is nothing reasonable about what Makar is doing. A rookie defenseman producing at over a point per game is almost unheard of. The thing is he looked relatively pedestrian for the first ten or so games this year, and has only recently taken over games, so he was picking up points just on pure talent alone.

You have to expect him to hit a rookie wall at some point, as it happens to any rookie coming out of the NCAA. Still, at this point, even if he finishes the year with a point every other game, he’ll finish with over 50 points. I guess I would consider that reasonable, because I do expect it to slow down in the second half. I predicted 49 points before the year started, and even I thought that might be a little high. Now we all look stupid for underestimating the young man.

The most impressive part of what’s happening is how much better he is getting defensively. The physical play has picked up, and he knows where to be in the defensive end now. The fact that he’s picking all of this up so quickly shows how special a talent he really is. You could argue he will be the Avs number one defenseman by the end of this season, if he isn’t already. The Avs hit the jackpot when they lost the draft lottery back in 2017.

That’s it for this week. I’ll be back next Monday answering more of your questions.

BSN DENVER LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162144 Columbus Blue Jackets Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 11.19.2019

Columbus Blue Jackets stuck in thinking overload

Brian Hedger The Columbus Dispatch Nov 18, 2019 at 5:30 AM

They want to succeed.

At the root level of the Blue Jackets’ offensive struggles, that sentiment is entrenched in the list of reasons the puck isn’t going into the net. Critics have pointed to the departure of stars like Artemi Panarin and Matt Duchene, but that’s one of those easy answers that isn’t entirely on target.

Panarin was a huge piece of the offensive puzzle the past two seasons and Duchene would be great centering one of the top two lines, but there is still plenty of offensive talent on the Blue Jackets’ roster.

Coaxing it out is the trick.

"We have a cloud that we can’t shake, as far as just … they want to do well," coach said after practice Saturday, a day after the Jackets eked out a 3-2 overtime victory against the St. Louis Blues. "It’s almost like they’re trying to think too much, (trying) to do well instead of being instinctive. We do not have enough instinctiveness in our play, and nothing will change until we get that."

That instinct is what makes guys like Panarin and Duchene such good players. The current Blue Jackets have it within them, too, but there is also a thinner margin for error. Not only did Panarin, Duchene and forward Ryan Dzingel sign elsewhere, but two-time Vezina Trophy winning goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky also left.

The Jackets have replaced Bobrovsky with Joonas Korpisalo and rookie Elvis Merzlikins, two talented young goalies, but they don’t want to take too many risks with either in net. They’ve done a good job of cutting down odd-man rushes, but the Jackets’ struggles to convert their own scoring chances is an anchor they need to cut free.

The Jackets are averaging just 2.37 goals per game, second-lowest among the NHL’s 31 teams, and they don’t have a single player with double-digit goals. Tortorella has fiddled around with multiple line combinations, but only a couple yielded the kind of offensive pressure he’d like to see.

In fact, just throwing four lines together in random fashion for the third period Friday against the Blues worked as well as anything else he has tried.

"We’re just so tentative, so it’s hard to really judge what your lines can look like when there’s so many people that are tentative, because it’s not who they are," Tortorella said. "It’s not who they are as players, and (when) we get there, then I think we’ll get a much better feel for what the lines should be."

Blowing up the entire forward rotation might have been the key.

The Jackets started to gain some traction after a listless second period that was dominated by the Blues, and at least one of the new line combinations took full advantage of the opportunity. It was centered by Pierre-Luc Dubois, who pulled aside his new linemates — Sonny Milano and rookie Emil Bemstrom — and basically gave them a green light to hunt for goals.

It was a mindset Dubois hopes the rest of the team adopts.

"We can’t be afraid to lose games," he said. "Everybody in this dressing room wants to win, but if we go out there with the thought of being scared to lose, you’re already putting yourself behind the eight ball."

Again, they want to succeed. That’s obvious. Wanting to win, though, can sometimes morph into not wanting to lose — and that’s counterproductive.

"You’re one foot in the hole if you’re doing that, so we just need to have a mindset like, ‘Let’s go win 5-0 tonight,’ " Dubois said. "I think we need to go out there with more of an aggressive mindset, like, ‘Let’s make them have to score four goals to beat us tonight.’ I just think that’s how we have to play." 1162145 Columbus Blue Jackets “I don’t think people realize there’s no point in getting there 2 feet ahead of the guy,” Werenski said. “He’s just going to crush you. I’d rather get there with him on me and then play the puck because then I can spin off Blue Jackets need Zach Werenski’s calm and confidence, and there’s a of him and go. reason for his casual puck retrievals “If I go back 5 feet ahead of him, I might be able to rim the puck out, but he’s just going to hit me. He has my angle and everything. A lot of times I go back with him, then I can spin off and make the play off of him. It’s By Aaron Portzline Nov 18, 2019 one of those things I don’t think a lot of people understand.”

That extends to Werenski’s coaches, too. Tortorella was bothered by it, as was Michigan coach Red Berenson and Werenski’s coaches with the COLUMBUS, Ohio — John Tortorella cut off the reporter’s question U.S. National Team Development program. before the sentence was complete, which is not unusual for the Blue Jackets’ firebrand coach. But this time was different. It’s not that Werenski is afraid to get hit. “Absolutely not,” he said. “I’ll take a hit to make a pass.” As the scribe searched for a way to describe Zach Werenski’s body language, especially as he goes back for pucks in the defensive zone, But getting blasted as he goes back to play a puck could very well take Tortorella added a warning: “You have to be very careful (if you’re going) him out of the play and, as he said, limit the plays he can make to simply to label him with ‘no urgency.’” rim around the woodwork.

The reason Tortorella thought it was so important, he said, is because he If he can bring the opponent in deep with him, then peel off and make the made the same mistake himself early in Werenski’s career. play, it allows him to keep the puck and forces the forechecker to skate back the length of the ice. “It took me a while when we first got him (in 2016-17),” Tortorella said. “We went through a couple of years of me figuring out how to coach him. It just looks odd to see a defenseman allow a 15-foot gap to be closed as he goes back on a puck. “There’s urgency there. It’s just, that’s how he skates. He’s on top of the ice, there’s not a lot of extra motion. But he is one of the top (players) in “(Tortorella and I) had a lot of conversations about it,” Werenski said. “A our league as far as going back and escaping out of tight areas. It just couple of years ago, we were having a talk and he looked at me and doesn’t look like he’s working at it.” said, ‘I can’t read you. I can’t figure out.’

It is said that the great ones make the difficult look easy. So far this “I told him I’ve fought that my whole career. I think he’s figured me out season, Werenski is one of the few Blue Jackets players who has now and knows how to get the best out of me. It’s been a lot better.” avoided a prolonged offensive slump. While the rest of the club is knotted up in offensive anxiety, Werenski just feels the game and lets it flow. Notebook

He has scored six goals this season, second on the Blue Jackets and • After two desultory periods versus St. Louis, Tortorella adopted one of fourth in the NHL among defensemen. He’s scored a goal in three George Costanza’s philosophies as he reshuffled his forward lines to consecutive games, including the overtime winner in Friday’s 3-2 win start the third. “Isn’t there a ‘Seinfeld’ episode, doing the opposite?” over St. Louis. Tortorella said. “It may sound a little silly, but that’s basically what it was. Did I think I’d be playing Luc, Sonny and Bemmer together? No, I didn’t THIS GUY#CBJ | @EASPORTSNHL think I’d be doing that.” That’s Pierre-Luc Dubois at center, with Sonny PIC.TWITTER.COM/N8BQO3GPYG Milano on his left and Emil Bemstrom to his right. The other combinations: Gustav Nyquist, Boone Jenner and Oliver Bjorkstrand; — COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (@BLUEJACKETSNHL) NOVEMBER Alexandre Texier, Riley Nash and Cam Atkinson; Eric Robinson, 16, 2019 Alexander Wennberg and Josh Anderson. “There have been certain games and certain stretches where I can get in • Tortorella indicated he would “probably” stick with those lines on my own head,” Werenski said. “You saw it early on last season, Tuesday when the Jackets host Montreal. “I’m not sure if that was it, but defensively. we certainly played with more energy (in the third period),” Tortorella “But for me, right now especially, I just tell myself to move my feet. That’s said. “I thought Jens’ line went out there right away first shift and started something early on I wasn’t doing enough of. I don’t think I was playing it right away. It was one of the better periods we’ve had in a while.” bad, I just wasn’t really creating anything.” • Tortorella’s extreme scrambling of the lines — putting players together Werenski and his playing partner, Seth Jones, had dinner with assistant who have never skated together previously — is his latest attempt to get coach Brad Shaw last week in Denver, the night before the Blue Jackets players to relax and just play. He figures they’ve been “gripping the played the Colorado Avalanche. Shaw, who coaches the defensemen, sticks” since around the 10th game of the season. “We have a cloud we takes his pairs out to dinner for small-group chats. can’t shake,” he said. “We do not have enough instinctiveness in our game and nothing will change until we have that.” Jones has struggled, too, which should show just how deeply that frost has affected the Blue Jackets. • Werenski, when asked if he’d considered that the scoring slump is not a slump at all, just the reality of what the Blue Jackets might be this Werenski isn’t necessarily regarded as one of the leaders on the team season: “I know that’s not true. We control play in a lot of games. We but it is an all-hands-on-deck situation as the Jackets (7-8-4) are in a have a ton of chances. I know it’s kind of hard to say we have chances dead heat with New Jersey (7-8-4) for last place in the Metro. but no goals to show for it, but some times it just doesn’t happen for you. If we’re playing well and creating chances, we’re good enough in here “I’m not going to say too much in the room,” Werenski said. “We have a that guys are going to start scoring and we’re going to start winning some hell of a hockey team in here. I know that. Once guys start getting out of games.” this and playing more loose, we’re going to start winning some games and putting up some goals. The Athletic LOADED: 11.19.2019 “For me, it’s just going out there every night, moving my feet, getting the puck, trying to take charge and create offense. If I can do that, maybe it’ll help some guys get out of this.”

Werenski’s “chill” persona could come in handy right now for the Blue Jackets, but his — again, how to say it? — casual way of skating after pucks has drawn the ire of fans.

As he goes back on pucks in Nationwide Arena, one can hear the crowd amplify as a hard-skating opponent closes considerable ground from behind on Werenski. 1162146 Dallas Stars The turnaround for Bishop in the last month has leveled his overall numbers (.925 save percentage, 2.29 GAA) to be more in line with his career figures, and the Stars are now third in the league in scoring Why Jim Montgomery has pulled Ben Bishop twice in five games during defense by allowing 2.43 goals per game. the Stars’ hottest stretch of the season “You feel good, you go into every period thinking you’re going to do well, Bishop has been yanked from two of his last five starts, an odd quirk and every game you’re going to win,” Bishop said. “It’s one of those during the Stars’ current 10-1-1 stretch. things, when things are going well, you expect really good results. You put that kind of pressure on yourself.”

Injury updates: Stars forward Mattias Janmark returned to practice By Matthew DeFranks 12:15 AM on Nov 19, 2019 Monday morning after missing the last three games with a lower-body injury. Montgomery said Janmark is expected to play against Vancouver

on Tuesday, but the team would re-evaluate him after morning skate. FRISCO — Across the last month, Ben Bishop has been perhaps the Both forward Roope Hintz and defenseman John Klingberg did not best goaltender in the NHL. That hasn’t protected him from a quick hook. practice Monday as the continue to progress from lower-body injuries. Bishop has been yanked from two of his last five starts, an odd quirk Hintz has missed the last five games, while Klingberg has missed the last during the Stars’ current 10-1-1 stretch that has been backstopped by the four. goaltending tandem of Bishop and Anton Khudobin. Since Oct. 19, “Don’t want to put a date on it, but we’d like to think that one of them is Bishop owns a .945 save percentage, just .00005 behind Thomas Greiss back by Saturday, latest both Monday,” Montgomery said. for the best mark in the league over that time. Blake Comeau did not practice Monday, with Montgomery saying it was a Stars coach Jim Montgomery pulled Bishop during the second period of maintenance day for the Stars forward. Saturday’s 5-4 overtime win over Edmonton, after he allowed his third goal on the game’s first 15 shots. Bishop exited after playing 23:34 in a Dallas Morning News LOADED: 11.19.2019 3-2 game.

On Oct. 29, Montgomery pulled Bishop after the first period in an eventual 6-3 win over Minnesota. Bishop allowed two goals on 10 shots as the Stars trailed 2-0. After the Minnesota game, Montgomery and Bishop met the next day to discuss the decision.

“We’ve been together for one year and last year obviously went really well,” Bishop said. “It was more a feeling out process. It’s kind of unusual to get pulled after two goals, and three goals, when it’s a 3-2 game, 2-0 game. It’s just kind of unusual from my point of view.

“You kind of want to battle it out there and try to find a way to win a game. You don’t want to have to be perfect and be worried about [being pulled]. It’s just a feeling out process. ‘What are you thinking here?’ I tell him what I think. He tells me what he thinks. That’s kind of the way it goes.”

Khudobin entered both games and earned a pair of wins as the Stars came back to beat both the Wild and the Oilers. Khudobin has also been one of the league’s best goalies during the Stars’ hot stretch, with a .941 save percentage (third in the league) and 1.70 goals against average (first).

“Obviously, the coach has the authority to do what he did and we won the game, so that’s really all that matters,” Bishop said. “At the end of the day, we’ve got two goalies that can play. If Monty feels like that was the right decision, if we win the game, can’t disagree with him.”

The Stars built their team around strong defense and elite goaltending and have been getting both during the last month that erased a 1-7-1 start and placed Dallas in a playoff position. So Bishop and Khudobin are vitally important to the team’s success.

Last year, when Bishop was a Vezina Trophy finalist, he wasn’t pulled from a game once. In 2017-18, under Ken Hitchcock, Bishop was pulled four times, including twice in a week in February against Vancouver (four goals on 20 shots in 24:38) and San Jose (four goals on five shots in 17:23).

Montgomery said he trusts his gut when making the decision to remove a goalie.

“Sometimes, it’s you’re trying to change the momentum of the game, like the Minnesota game,” Montgomery said. “Bish has been great for us. His three previous games were incredible. Didn’t want to make a change, but felt that was the right thing to do for the team. Ultimately, that’s the decisions we make: what’s best for the Dallas Stars. Spoke with Bish, and Bish is happy the team won and Bish is starting [Tuesday] night. He’s our guy.”

Bishop: “I think both times I got pulled, I could have stayed in and we could have won that game. It wasn’t like the game was 3-0 in the first. It was 2-0 on the power play goal, [first] the slam dunk goal against Minny. I wasn’t thinking I was going to get pulled either time. As a goalie, I’ve been pulled a handful of times. I know when it’s not your night. There’s some nights where you need to get out of there.” 1162147 Dallas Stars

Now Hockey Hall of Famers, a look back at how Guy Carbonneau and Sergei Zubov transformed the Dallas Stars

By Tim Cowlishaw 6:10 PM on Nov 18, 2019

In the fall of 1995, it made little sense the Stars would even want 35- year-old Guy Carbonneau. Less than nine months later, it made no sense they could so easily obtain 25-year-old Sergei Zubov.

If ever a sports franchise transformed itself from outhouse to penthouse it was the Dallas Stars during what some would call the 1995-96 season and what I might call my first year on the beat. When I switched from the Cowboys beat to the Stars beat, my parents thought I was on the brink of being fired. I’d call the Stars an afterthought but that would imply fans had greater awareness of their presence on the Dallas scene, two years past their arrival from Minnesota, than was true at the time.

Carbonneau and Zubov are being inducted Monday night into the Hockey Hall of Fame, which is more than just the best Hall of Fame located next to a food court in a Toronto shopping mall. What they did in Dallas at opposite ends of their very opposite careers — a French-Canadian forward determined to defend and a Russian defenseman who was all about offense — played a central role in the Stars capturing the Stanley Cup in the summer of 1999 and returning to the Cup Final a year later.

Carbonneau was acquired from St. Louis for Paul Broten on Oct. 2, 1995, and although GM Bob Gainey (also head coach for another two months) had every reason to respect anyone else who had worn the Montreal “C” since his retirement as a player, what kind of leadership was Carbonneau likely to bring a team destined to miss the playoffs?

The Stars still looked like a team in need of just about everything at the June 1996 player draft when suddenly the team pulled off one of its greatest heists, swapping defenseman Kevin Hatcher to Pittsburgh for a younger, more skilled, more interested Zubov. Having led the New York Rangers in scoring in 1994 when the club captured its first Cup since 1940 (and still its only one since then), then engineered the Penguins to the league’s best power play (not to mention Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals) in 1995, how in the world was Zubov even on the block?

You can thank Mario Lemieux for lacking the patience that Zubov would often exhaust on those power plays, but regardless the Stars took off in 1996 under new coach Ken Hitchcock and the race to the Cup was on.

Gainey assembled a locker room filled with former captains (Carbonneau, Joe Nieuwendyk, Pat Verbeek, Brian Skrudland) to guide the young stars like Mike Modano, Jere Lehtinen, Jamie Langenbrunner and Zubov through the rigors of a long season. A three-time Selke Trophy winner in Montreal where he also won two Stanley Cups, Carbonneau helped Modano establish himself as a solid defensive center to go along with his remarkable offensive skills.

Meanwhile, Zubov and Darryl Sydor gave the Stars an exemplary pair of skilled puck-moving defenseman to take the ice when the bone- crunching Derian Hatcher and Richard Matvichuk weren’t doing their thing in front of the crease.

Zubov never quite approached the scoring status in Dallas he achieved in that Cup season in New York — for one thing, league scoring fell dramatically after the 1994 lockout — but he performed at a high level for a decade, producing his highest point total in the ‘05-‘06 season when he was as old as Carbonneau had been upon his Dallas arrival.

Two decades later, the Stars organization is all about building new playoff tales to remember. It’s worth recalling the importance Carbonneau and Zubov brought to this city’s sports fans one more time.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162148 Dallas Stars difficulty adjusting to his first professional season after three years at Minnesota-Duluth. Tufte has two points in 15 games and did not play Sunday in Toronto.

Skilled on offense, Stars prospect Jason Robertson asked for Tufte was never a big scorer in college (career high was 16 goals as a improvement defensively sophomore) and has occupied a bottom-six role in the AHL. He is listed at 6-6, 230 pounds.

By Matthew DeFranks 3:01 PM on Nov 18, 2019 This is what Laxdal said about him last week in Winnipeg:

“He’s a very immature player if you base it off pro status. Every game that he plays, every practice that he practices is going to allow him to WINNIPEG, Manitoba — To Texas Stars coach Derek Laxdal, young mature more every day to try and get to the level he needs to be. He’s offensive forwards are like horses. They have habits. You have fixes. got to be physical. He’s got to be hard.

“The biggest thing to me is they’re like young thoroughbreds,” Laxdal “Is he going to be a big top-six prolific goal scorer? I don’t know, but he said during an interview last week in Winnipeg. “You have to break their has to play a certain way to give himself a chance to get there. In order to habits, you have to break them in. They do a lot of good things be a really good third-line left winger, he’s got to be a penalty killer, he’s offensively, and every young player does it, they’ll cheat offense a little got to be physical, he’s got to be hard on pucks. He’s got to use that big bit and not pay attention to defensive side of the puck or putting pucks in body.” good places.” Dallas Morning News LOADED: 11.19.2019 For the Stars’ AHL affiliate, this season is as representative as any when it comes to coaching young players. Texas has now lost 11 consecutive games after Sunday’s 4-3 loss to Toronto and has not won a game since Oct. 19. Of the 19 players who played Sunday against the Marlies, nine were in their first season of AHL competition.

The highest-profile first-year forward is Jason Robertson, the 2017 second-round pick who led the in scoring with 117 points last season and leads Texas forwards with eight points on four goals and four assists. He is Texas’ most offensively gifted forward and perhaps the team’s most promising forward prospect (now that Denis Gurianov has graduated, the argument leans Robertson over Ty Dellandrea).

While Robertson leads the Texas forwards in scoring (defenseman Emil Djuse has 10 points), only one other AHL team has its leading scoring forward with as few points.

“Everything is more structured and to be able to create offense, you’ve got to break their structure and try to be more aggressive,” Robertson said. “Really play more with an edge, and that’s what I’m trying to incorporate into my offensive game is playing more with an edge, kind of chippy, a little harder with the puck, without it.”

For Robertson, putting points on the ledger won’t be the issue. It’ll be preventing odd-man rushes the other way, and remaining sound in his own zone.

“They want the puck so bad,” Laxdal said. “The way they think offense, they want the puck on their stick. Sometimes what he’ll do is he’ll dive in as the F3 (highest forward in the offensive zone) and miss the puck, try to strip it and then they go three on two the other way.”

Laxdal mentioned this was prevalent in other skilled forwards like Tye Felhaber, who was second in the OHL with 59 goals last season. And to move from the AHL to the NHL, they have role models to follow in Gurianov and Roope Hintz.

“The way Jim Montgomery runs his team, getting above pucks and being on the right side of pucks, we teach the same thing,” Laxdal said. “So if he learns it down here like Gurianov, like Hintz, when his time is ready -- or as Jim Nill would say, the fruit is ripe -- he’ll go out. He can score. That’s a natural talent that he has. He has to work at his defensive side of the game.

“It’s not going to happen overnight. It’s going to be a lot of one-on-one video. It’s going to be a lot of on-ice walkthroughs and going through the mistakes in the game. Sometimes, he’s going to have to sit during the game and just take a breath and sit back.”

At the other end of the ice, Robertson has the size to battle in the crease, though that wasn’t always part of his game at the major junior level. Robertson is listed at 6-3, 210 pounds.

“Just battling, a couple cross checks here and there to gain body position,” Robertson said. “It’s a lot harder than it was in junior. You could get away with rolling right off somebody, but here you really got to dig deep and gain body positioning when you get to the net and create space for yourself.”

Tufte update: Among Texas players, no one was as highly drafted as forward Riley Tufte was. Tufte was picked at No. 25 in 2016 and has had 1162149 Dallas Stars Speaking of things ramping up:

I’LL SAY IT. STANLEY CUP CONTENDERS.

Shap Shots: 21 games in, what are the Dallas Stars? — HARRISON FJORD (@HARRISONFJORD33) NOVEMBER 17, 2019

Cup contenders. The extreme optimists are already planning parades in June around this 21-game sample size. Some believe what they’ve seen By Sean Shapiro Nov 18, 2019 at the quarter mark of the season – or better yet, the recent 12-game sample size – is enough to warrant those lofty expectations.

The Dallas Stars beat is far from boring. For me, it depends on how you define a Cup contender.

It’s something I get reminded of quite frequently when talking to other I’m of the belief that the playoff system isn’t one where the best team beat writers around the NHL. Whether it’s massive point swings or mood always wins. So, in theory, any of the 16 playoff teams will be a Cup swings by decision-makers, something always seems to be going on with contender; after all, the L.A. Kings once won the cup as the eighth seed the Stars – especially in the past calendar year. in the Western Conference. Since the Stars are looking like a playoff team, they therefore look like contenders. And after 21 games this season, things have been chaotic and unpredictable, to say the least, for a team that went from sky-high If you are more selective with your Cup contenders and don’t like the expectations to massive disappointment — and now back to being idea of including half the league, then the Stars aren’t a contender yet. among the NHL’s best over the past three weeks. They’re in the middle tier of the league, not quite in the top echelon.

That leads to a very interesting and fair question at the season’s quarter F*CKING HORSES*T mark of the season: What are the Dallas Stars? — J.D. BURKE  (@JDYLANBURKE) NOVEMBER 17, 2019 This is where I turned to many of you to do my work for me this week. Ah, yes, the Stars are never going to shake the long-term impact of Jim Let’s take a look. Lites’ tirade. It’s now woven into the fabric of the team’s image and will STILL CAPABLE OF MAKING ME REAL DAMN NERVOUS IN THE BAD be for a long time. WAY. The San Jose Sharks had a consistent captain for the past four seasons, — TINK (@00HEX) NOVEMBER 17, 2019 and yet I still think of them as the franchise that would strip captaincy away at any time. Public drama sticks with a team, no matter how much MUST WATCH TV they want to bury it.

— JSTERN (@THEJMANSTERN) NOVEMBER 17, 2019 Of course, public drama comes to the forefront more often when the coach decides to call out the two players, Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin, A couple of years ago, during the Lindy Ruff era, the Stars were must- who were targeted last season. He apologized for the callout – which watch TV because of their unpredictable nature. If you didn’t have a came in frustration after a game – but the apology never gets as much rooting interest, they were incredibly compelling. A game could be tied 2- interest as the initial affront. 2 in the second period and end up 6-5. The Benn and Seguin story, however, is an important part of this season. The Stars were also known for their ability to blow leads and take them And one that’s been covered at length when it comes to struggles, then a back in the same night. This edition of the Stars has turned into must- recent digging in and finding their game during the Western Canada road watch TV for a different reason. trip. The first 55 minutes of the game might not be overly compelling, but on AS MIRO WOULD SAY, “COOL.” most nights, the final five minutes of a Stars game are guaranteed to be close. The game almost always hangs in the balance late. Of the Stars’ — NATHAN "GRAV" (@NATHANGRAVITEH) NOVEMBER 17, 2019 21 games, 11 have been decided by one goal. Miro Heiskanen is going to get Norris Trophy votes this season. If there When Dallas is involved, there is always a flair for the dramatic late. was any question about a sophomore slump, Heiskanen has only proven he may have even been a bit undersold, shouldering increased LIKE MOST OF MY RELATIONSHIPS, A MIXTURE OF HEAVEN AND responsibilities after John Klingberg was injured. HELL. We use the term “franchise player” way too flippantly in hockey, almost to — ROOPE’S HELPFUL HINTZ (@JOESOONER) NOVEMBER 17, 2019 the point that it loses meaning when it comes to talking about younger A ROLLER COASTER players. But Heiskanen truly is a franchise player and the first quarter of his second season has just been further evidence of that. — ANDREW (@AJDREW38) NOVEMBER 17, 2019 OUT OF WINTER CLASSIC JERSEYS 🤷🏼♀ THE REASON I DRINK. LATELY BEING OUT OF CELEBRATION. FORMERLY OUT OF DEPRESSION. — GO STARS!!!!! (@GOSTARSS) NOVEMBER 17, 2019

— CODY (@CODYMARCOM) NOVEMBER 17, 2019 This whole situation makes me laugh, and I’m not sure what I’m laughing at. You haven’t reached this deep into a story about the Dallas Stars without knowing about the swing in the standings. If you don’t, how did you Am I laughing at those who were skeptical about giving Dallas an outdoor stumble onto this column? game? The ones who still make jokes about weather when the NHL proved a long time ago they could hold an outdoor game in Southern A 1-7-1 start has been followed by a 10-1-1 run, and the current eight- California? game point streak is one of the NHL’s biggest stories. The roller coaster that Andrew alluded applies beyond the standings. Am I laughing at the frequent mentions that Dallas somehow got a Winter Classic before Minnesota? I think I am, especially since it’s coming from It’s been a very emotional two months for the Stars fan base. Same goes a market that failed to sell out a Stadium Series game in 2016. for the players, who all saw the press clippings where those with legitimate NHL knowledge picked Dallas as a Cup contender. Then Am I laughing that the organization somehow correctly picked Roope things fell apart spectacularly, and less than 10 games into the season, Hintz as one of the players to order jerseys for all the way back in we were wondering if someone was going to get fired. January? What if he had flopped after that? The extent to which that worked out makes me laugh for some reason. The downs of this roller coaster were significant drops, ones where the ride was almost stopped and the fire department had to rescue And maybe I’m laughing because I didn’t realize how much jerseys passengers mid-loop. The highs have soared, creating an edge of moved the needle. nervousness and anticipation. Each moment you think the Stars are going to finally come down a bit, the slope ramps up. A FOURTH OF THE WAY AND I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHERE THIS IS HEADED. HTTPS://T.CO/ZYXLBZFGM2 — JAMEY NEWBERG (@NEWBERGREPORT) NOVEMBER 17, 2019

This is probably the best thing about this season. There are still at least 61 games to go. Buckle up.

The Stars aren’t going to give us anything more about why Ben Bishop didn’t start against the Winnipeg Jets in the first game of the road trip. That was the game when we were told Ben Bishop was originally going to be the starter before the trip, only for Jim Montgomery to announce at the rink that morning that Anton Khudobin would be in net.

I tried and pried, but neither goalie coach Jeff Reese, the goalies nor Montgomery were interested in divulging anything more. What we do know is that Bishop didn’t have any issue with the decision, which is the most important thing from my viewpoint.

Reese, was however, willing to talk conceptually about why certain goalies start in certain places.

“Success in certain rinks, things like that,” Reese said. “For me, we have a really good situation here. It doesn’t matter who we put in. We’re all very comfortable as a staff, and we have the luxury of that. They’re both very good goaltenders and mentally strong.”

Reese attributes that to both goalies being veterans who weren’t shaken by the Stars’ October schedule that featured very few practices.

“If you had a young guy, now it would have been a lot tougher,” Reese said. “Bish and Dobby, they just go out and play.”

Bishop and Khudobin both subscribe to the idea that it doesn’t hurt to have prior success against the upcoming opponent.

“I think it helps,” Bishop said. “You don’t go into the game thinking, ‘Oh, I did really well against this team.’ I think it’s when you are going into the other building, and you know you’ve had a lot of success in that building … I think you might feel better going into the game, but then it’s all about that game once it starts.”

Bishop used the 2019 playoff series against Nashville as an example of when he overcame past history. During the 2018-19 season, Khudobin was the go-to in Nashville because of his performances against the Predators. Once the playoffs happened, Bishop was the No. 1 goaltender in net.

“I think going into Nashville, I don’t know if I’d ever won in that building,” Bishop said. “I kind of looked at that as the law of averages. Eventually, I had to win a game, and we did it in the playoff series.”

It’s all a very roundabout way of saying confidence and mental approach are the most important things in the game’s highest-pressure position. If you have past success, use it to your advantage. If not, find another way to get mentally stable.

Quick Hitters

Joe Pavelski’s impact during the Stars’ recent run can’t be understated, and he took control of the room during the second intermission on Saturday in Edmonton. I thought it was interesting that Dallas didn’t give Pavelski the second “A” when John Klingberg was hurt, but I think it also emphasized that he does not need a letter to be a leader.It took time for Pavelski to become fully comfortable in Dallas, but he’s now taken steps as the ancillary leader who has eased the burden on Benn and Seguin. It’s something I don’t think the Stars truly had the past couple seasons. There had been other leaders, but it means a bit more when it comes from a player like Pavelski who is also there for his play as point- producer.

I caught up with Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers on Thursday about how he was born in Houston and learned to play hockey in Texas before he moved to Canada as a 10-year-old. Myers said he started playing because of the Houston Aeros and remembers going to watch the old minor-league team play quite often as a kid. That’s the impact a team in a non-traditional market can have, and it’s a shame Houston is no longer on the AHL circuit.

I hit Titanium Elite status with Marriott on the Stars’ last road trip, a level you reach by staying in their hotels for 75 nights in a calendar year. This isn’t bragging but rather a chance to say “thank you” to my wife, who doesn’t get nearly enough thanks for what she does as essentially a single mother to our daughter for much of the hockey season.

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Here's what Detroit Red Wings are saying about Filip Zadina's injury

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press Published 12:53 p.m. ET Nov. 18, 2019 | Updated 4:04 p.m. ET Nov. 18, 2019

Just as he appeared to have regained his confidence, Detroit Red Wings prospect Filip Zadina suffered a setback.

The Wings didn’t reveal much about the situation, but Zadina did not play Saturday when the Grand Rapids Griffins were at Rockford.

Asked for an update Monday, Wings coach Jeff Blashill kept his answer short.

Red Wings forward Filip Zadina skates with the puck ahead of the Islanders' Matt Martin during the first period of the Wings' 3-2 overtime loss to the Islanders in the preseason game on Monday, Sept. 23, 2019, in Uniondale, N.Y.

“I get the reports but I don’t want to comment on it further than that,” he said. “I know he was out. He was injured.”

Here's why Red Wings are sticking with the struggling veterans

Blashill did not say whether it is an upper- or lower-body injury, or how long Zadina will be out. The Griffins, whose next game is Wednesday, have not released any information about him.

Zadina was playing the best hockey of his pro career. He had put together two straight two-point games, and crammed 10 points — five goals, five assists — into his past 10 games. It was just what the Wings wanted to see from their sixth overall pick in 2018.

Zadina, who turns 20 on Nov. 27, has struggled to show off his skill set that made him such a lethal scorer in junior hockey. He had 16 goals and 19 assists in 59 games with the Griffins last season.

That is not unusual for a forward in his first year of pro hockey (Anthony Mantha went through the same growing pains), but Zadina came in with the pressure of being a high draft selection.

[ How Robby Fabbri trade affects Detroit Red Wings, Andreas Athanasiou ]

He had an unimpressive showing during exhibition season, looking lost as he ran out of time and space to make plays. For him to hit a snag just as he was beginning to thrive at the AHL level is an unfortunate development for Zadina and the organization.

He has six goals 11 points overall in 16 games this season.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162151 Detroit Red Wings he may not have had a hand in the matter. Still, Athanasiou's NHL-worst minus-21 is jarring.

“What he can do is play real good hockey and him and I have talked How Robby Fabbri trade impacts Detroit Red Wings, Andreas about making sure he plays a complete game,” Blashill said. “Sometimes Athanasiou it’s a matter of circumstance, sometimes you’re not playing good enough. I would say the early part of the year he wasn’t playing as complete as he could and he’s played way more complete lately. If he competes, that’s all I ask of him, and he’s really competed lately. If he keeps competing Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press Published 6:00 a.m. ET Nov. 18, like that, it’ll have corrective measure.” 2019 What Athanasiou’s improved play does is give Yzerman options. He

already has made three trades — for Fabbri, Brendan Perlini and Adam SAN JOSE, Calif. — With every game he plays in a Detroit Red Wings Erne. Those were minor moves, but Yzerman was adding guys he uniform, Robby Fabbri looks like the trade of the season. Which may lead wanted to a roster he inherited. Athanasiou, 25, is a 30-goal scorer with a Steve Yzerman to trigger another one. career 0.53 point-per-game average who could yield a top prospect to add to the rebuild. The Red Wings take a five-game point streak into Tuesday's game against the Ottawa Senators at (7:30 p.m., Fox Detroit Free Press LOADED: 11.19.2019 Sports Detroit) after returning from California with four points in three games.

They have not lost in regulation since Yzerman stole Fabbri from the St. Louis Blues, sending the defending Stanley Cup champions grinder Jacob de la Rose in a trade that so far looks lopsided. In the five games since he joined the Wings, Fabbri has six points.

He has ignited Dylan Larkin’s power-play unit and chemistry on the second line with Andreas Athanasiou and Valtteri Filppula.

The line contributed two big goals in Saturday’s 4-3 shootout loss against the Sharks. The first goal — Fabbri fed Athanasiou, who raced up ice and scored on a backhand — nipped momentum 13 seconds after the Sharks had taken a 2-0 lead. The second goal — Fabbri sent a short pass to Filppula, who skated up ice and passed to Athanasiou for a one- timer — tied the game with 4:14 to play in regulation.

Fabbri is a former first-round pick, drafted by the Blues at 21st overall in 2014, the same year the Wings selected Larkin at 15th. Two ACL injuries to the same knee derailed Fabbri’s career just as he was gaining a foothold, and when he was ready to forge ahead again, the Blues were too deep for him to have a chance. The Wings, on the other hand, thirst for a scorer.

[Why the Wings are sticking with struggling vets and keeping prospects in minors]

“Here he’s had the opportunity to play,” coach Jeff Blashill said after the game at SAP Center. “Now he’s going to go back out the next shift if he makes a mistake or not, that’s the reality of the situation that we’re in, and we can afford him that opportunity and he’s grabbed it.”

Fabbri was not made available after Saturday's game. It was his second two-point performance with the Wings. He has a point in four of five games thanks to his skill with the puck.

Red Wings center Andreas Athanasiou, middle, is congratulated by teammates after scoring a goal against the Sharks during the third period of the Wings' 4-3 loss in San Jose, California, on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019.

“When he gets the puck he’s not looking to dump it in and play it safe,” Larkin said. “He makes tape-to-tape plays. When he gets the puck, he’s moving his feet and he’s looking for his linemates. You see him with Val and AA, they’ve been playing their best hockey since he’s come on board. It’s good to have a guy that makes guys around him better and that’s exactly what he does. Having him as been a huge spark for our team.”

Athanasiou had one goal and six assists in 15 games before Fabbri arrived. Since the trade, Athanasiou has four goals.

“He’s a really good player,” Athanasiou said. “Fun to play with. I think we’re still building our (chemistry), all three of us.”

Athanasiou drew a penalty in overtime when he had the puck on his stick and Brent Burns resorted to tripping him to diminish the scoring chance. It’s part of what makes Athanasiou such a dangerous player — a combination of powerful acceleration and hands who last year scored 30 goals.

Athanasiou had a rough start to the season after getting hurt in training camp, but his skill set is proven. Plus-minus can be a misleading stat – a player is dinged for being on the ice when an opponent scores, though 1162152 Detroit Red Wings Blashill didn’t name a starter for Tuesday’s game against Ottawa — going back to Bernier would appear to be the conventional thinking — but does seem intent to give both goaltenders time to grab hold of the position. Consistent workload helps Red Wings' Jonathan Bernier raise his game “If one of them separates from the other, he will play more,” Blashill said. “(But) it’s real hard in this league right now to have a one-goalie system. The games are so close, you have to be so sharp. Both goalies have to Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News Published 3:50 p.m. ET Nov. 18, 2019 | be so sharp.” Updated 3:51 p.m. ET Nov. 18, 2019 Zadina injured

Forward Filip Zadina, the Wings’ first-round draft pick in 2018, didn’t play Detroit — Coach Jeff Blashill was waiting for a goaltender to go out and Saturday in Grand Rapids, leading to rampant speculation on social take hold of the net, getting the greater share of the starts. media of a potential trade, or injury, or any number of issues. It took most of the first quarter of the season, but it looked like Jonathan Blashill said Monday that Zadina was injured, but wouldn’t elaborate as Bernier became that goaltender. to the nature of the injury. And, then, Jimmy Howard got his first start in about 10 days Saturday “I did get the reports, but I don’t want to comment,” Blashill said. “He was and saved a point for the Wings in the standings with two glorious stops out. He was injured.” late in regulation. Zadina has been playing some of his best hockey of the season, with If Blashill can get both veteran goaltenders to play to their level and settle points in four consecutive games, and raising his totals to 11 points (six the position down, he’s all for it. goals, five assists) in 16 games. “I’d like both going and that’s what we’d really like to do, have both going Senators at Red Wings and not rely on one guy,” Blashill said. “Now, if one guy really grabs it and separates himself from the other guy, that’s the approach we’ll take.” ► Faceoff: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Little Caesars Arena, Detroit

At least for a week, for a period of four starts, that guy was Bernier, who ► TV/radio: Fox Sports Detroit/97.1 FM started while the Wings defeated Boston and Vegas in regulation, beat Anaheim in overtime, then lost to Los Angeles in overtime. ► Outlook: The Senators (8-11-1) have won six of their last 10 games and have climbed out of Eastern Conference cellar. … C Jean-Gabriel Howard started Saturday’s shootout loss in San Jose. Pageau has sparked the Senators with 11 goals, and D Thomas Chabot (10 assists) is a factor. For Bernier (5-4-2, 3.17 goals-against average, .892 save percentage), it was a rare opportunity since he’s been with the Wings to get four Detroit News LOADED: 11.19.2019 consecutive starts and get into a rhythm a No. 1 goalie enjoys.

“Your reads get a little bit easier when you play more, and you gain confidence the more you play,” said Bernier, who as a smaller goalie (6 feet, 185 pounds) relies heavily on his timing and reads. “We’ve been playing better as a team, as well, so it’s been nice.

“Just the confidence, of you go out there and you know what you’re capable of doing. For me, I know my reads are a big part of my game, so the more you play, the easier the reads are.

“You don’t have to think too much, just go out there and play.”

Blashill felt the consistent playing time helped Bernier.

“When you’re a smaller goalie you have to rely on reading the play and the more you play, the more confident you are in those reads,” Blashill said. “There’s probably a correlation for him, for the amount he plays and how his game has been.

“It’s a good thing for him. He’s worked real hard, and the one thing about Bernier and Howie, they both work hard, regardless of how the outcomes are, they both get out there and get better ever day.”

Bernier was signed as an unrestricted free agent on the first day of of free agency in July 2018, in an attempt to form a stronger goaltending combination and relieve Howard of a larger workload.

But Bernier got off to a slow start, couldn’t find any sort of consistency until late in the season, and Howard again was forced to take on a bigger workload.

Being in the organization for a second season, being more familiar in his surroundings and with teammates, has appeared to help Bernier.

“The first couple of months, every time you come in to a new team, it’s hard,” Bernier said. “No one knows who you are, even for the coaching staff it takes time to get familiar with everyone and feel comfortable for sure.”

Blashill was intent on splitting the playing time between the two early this season, and alternated Bernier and Howard through the first month of the season.

“Then it got to a spot where neither one was grabbing it (the No. 1 position),” Blashill said. “Then Bernie grabbed it for a little bit and did a good job and played a few games in a row, and Howie went in and made huge saves late in the game to keep us in ... where we had an opportunity to win the game and get us a point.” 1162153 Detroit Red Wings

How to watch, listen and stream Detroit Red Wings vs. Ottawa Senators

By Lauren Williams

The Detroit Red Wings return home after a three-game trip that closed out Saturday with a 4-3 shootout loss to the San Jose Sharks. Detroit hosts the Ottawa Senators, who beat the Wings 5-2 last month in Ottawa.

Detroit (7-12-3) and Ottawa (8-11-1) face off at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 19, at Little Caesars Arena.

Related: Robby Fabbri provides spark for Red Wings’ second line

Related: Red Wings’ Filip Hronek developing knack for agitating opponents

WATCH

Broadcast: Fox Sports Detroit

Live Stream: Hulu | YouTube TV | fubo (free trial)

LISTEN

Red Wings Affiliates: Detroit (WXYT-97.1 FM/ 1270 AM); Ann Arbor (WTKA-1050 AM); Grand Rapids (WTKG-1230 AM); Kalamazoo (WQLR- 1660 AM); Saginaw (WSGW-790 AM)

Live Stream: TuneIn Radio

Michigan Live LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162154 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings’ Jonathan Bernier makes case for more starts

The Associated Press By Ansar Khan

DETROIT – Jimmy Howard has been the Detroit Red Wings’ workhorse for many years, but coach Jeff Blashill prefers a balanced workload, unless one of his goaltenders grabs the No. 1 job.

Jonathan Bernier has had the hot hand during the team’s five-game points streak (3-0-2).

“We went into the year and I wanted to get Bernie a little more of a regular rotation to see if that can help give us two guys that are playing at a high level,” Blashill said. “Then it got to a spot where nobody was really grabbing it, then Bernie grabbed it for a little bit and did a good job and played a few games in a row.

“I thought Howie went in (Saturday’s 4-3 shootout loss at San Jose) and made some huge saves late in the game to keep us in a spot where we had the opportunity to win and got us a point. But I’d like to have both going and not rely on one guy. Now if one guy really grabs it and separates himself from the other, then that’s the approach we’ll take.”

Blashill did not reveal who will start Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators at Little Caesars Arena (7:30 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit), but it is likely to be Bernier, who has gone 3-0-1, with a 2.49 goals-against average and .905 save percentage while starting four of the past five games.

“When you’re a smaller goalie, you have to rely on reading the play. The more you play, probably the more comfortable you are in those reads,” Blashill said. “I think there’s probably a correlation for him for the amount he plays consistently and how his game has been.

“The one thing about Bernie and Howie, they both work hard regardless of how the outcomes are. They go out and they get better every day, so hopefully they can both give us real good goaltending.”

Howard has struggled, going 2-8-1 with a 3.86 goals-against average and .884 save percentage.

“It’s hard for me to pinpoint one thing. I would just say I think it’s a short- term thing, it’s not like it’s been 100 games,” Blashill said. “It just didn’t go as well really for either guy for a stretch there as they would have liked and as we would have liked. Some of that’s on the team as a whole, some of it’s on them to play a little bit better, but I think they are.”

The Red Wings have been playing with a banged-up patchwork defense.

“I have to be better, try to make every save you’re supposed to make and then mix in one or two you’re not supposed to make just to give the guys confidence, give them a chance to win every night,” Howard said.

Hronek skates, status questionable

Filip Hronek practiced Monday and said he’s feeling better after missing two games with a leg injury.

“He was able to get through the whole practice and I told him I really want him to practice to have the opportunity to play (Tuesday),” Blashill said. “I just didn’t think he could sit out another day and expect to go in there. Now I have to feel confident that he can go out there and skate at full speed. We’ll see.”

Givani Smith, who might have injured his hand in a fight with Anaheim’s Nicolas Deslauriers last week, is out for Tuesday.

Michigan Live LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162155 Detroit Red Wings team’s AHL Grand Rapids affiliate. ... Sharks C Tomas Hertl was back in the lineup after leaving Thursday’s game against Anaheim in the third period after sustaining a blow to his right knee. Hertl had his five-game goal scoring streak snapped, one game short of the team record (Owen Sharks top Red Wings 4-3 in shootout for sixth straight win Nolan, Jan. 20-30, 2003). ... Couture 11 pts (two goals, nine assists) in his last five games.

UP NEXT By GIDEON RUBIN Associated Press Nov 17, 2019 Red Wings: Host the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night.

Sharks: Host the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — The surging San Jose Sharks weren’t at their best. Still, they did enough to keep their winning streak going. Macomb Daily LOADED: 11.19.2019 Kevin Labanc had a goal, two assists and the shootout winner as the beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 Saturday night for their sixth straight win.

Red Wings Sharks Hockey

Jeff Chiu

Logan Couture had three assists and Erik Karlsson and Marc-Edouard Vlasic scored for San Jose.

“When you’re putting together a winning streak, you’re going to win all kinds of different ways,” Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said. “You’re going to put some solid games together, and you’re going to have to win some like this.”

Andreas Athanasiou scored twice and Taro Hirose added one for Detroit, which has lost 12 of 16.

The Sharks have 21 points in 21 games (10-10-1), the first time reaching the point-per-game mark since they were 3-3-0 on Oct. 15.

Red Wings Sharks Hockey

Jeff Chiu

“We’re obviously in a better spot now than we were six games ago, and we still have a long way to go,” said Karlsson, who played in his 700th NHL game. “I think we’re finding ways to win games now. I don’t think we played well in Anaheim or tonight in long stretches, but we’re finding a way.”

Martin Jones had 25 saves and stopped all three Red Wings attempts in the shootout. Among his saves was a sensational one that robbed Brendan Perlini of a power-play goal midway through the second with San Jose up 2-1.

San Jose’s NHL-best killing unit held the Red Wings scoreless on three power plays including one in overtime.

“He made massive saves,” Couture said of Jones. “That penalty kill, and save in the second was huge … He’s playing great. Big reason we got two points was him tonight.”

Jimmy Howard had 16 saves and stopped 2 of 3 shootout attempts.

Athanasiou tied it at 3 by scoring his fifth of the season with 4:14 left. He took a no-look pass from Valtteri Filppula on a 2-on-1 and fired a 35- footer past Jones.

Karlsson broke a 2-2 tie at 12:32 of the second on a power play.

Labanc snapped a streak of eight games without a goal when he scored his sixth with just under a minute left in the first of a scoreless game. He hadn’t tallied a point in his previous five games.

Vlasic fired a in long shot just over a minute into the second to give the Sharks a 2-0 lead.

The Red Wings answered 13 seconds later on Athanasiou’s fourth goal, and they tied it midway through the second on Hirose’s first goal of the season in his 18th game.

“Overall we played pretty good hockey,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. “We weren’t perfect, I thought we played fast a lot of the times, I thought our gaps were better, I thought our O-zone offense was better. We leaked a little oil at the end of the hockey game and I thought we were good in overtime.”

NOTES: Red Wings C Luke Glendening was back in the lineup after missing 11 games with a wrist injury. ... D Filip Hronek (lower body) missed his second straight game. ... D Mike Green missed Saturday’s game for personal reason. ... F Givani Smith was assigned to the team’s 1162156 Detroit Red Wings GAR VALUES THROUGH LAST EVENING, BROKEN OUT BY TOP-6 AND BOTTOM-6. COL AND TB ARE TOP-5 IN BOTH WHILE THE WILD ARE JUST PEAK WILD. YOU CAN HOVER OVER AND FIND SPECIFIC PLAYERS HERE IF YOU WISH: Fifteen thoughts on the Red Wings after passing the quarter-season HTTPS://T.CO/MXSVAPR1IZ PIC.TWITTER.COM/NMG0HQXLSE mark — JORDAN DIX (@JORDAN_DIX) NOVEMBER 17, 2019

6. I’d be even more curious to see this stat broken down by top three vs. By Max Bultman Nov 18, 2019 bottom nine, in the Red Wings’ case, because I suspect things would look even more dramatic. Based on Evolving-Hockey’s GAR totals,

Mantha, Larkin and Bertuzzi account for 13.8 goals above replacement Maybe it was the recent late-night start times (combined with the cruel so far this year. Fabbri is up to 2.9 already, but the only other Red Wings removal of Daylight Savings), or maybe it’s just the frantic pace of a forward with a positive GAR is Darren Helm at 0.5. In other words, the hockey season, but it was easy to miss when the Red Wings passed the Red Wings really need that second line to keep up its recent play, season’s quarter mark late last week. because the top six still accounts for a huge share of the team’s success on the whole so far. It has been an eventful month and a half (for both good and bad) in Detroit, but from it all we’ve finally got a sample big enough for potential 7. Speaking of that top line, Tyler Bertuzzi is doing a lot to prove that last clarity on where the Red Wings’ season is headed. year’s breakout season might have been a sign of things to come. As impressive as he is in several facets of the game, it was impossible not to Here are 15 thoughts through the first 22 games: wonder if Bertuzzi’s 21 goals last year were in part the product of a huge rise in shooting percentage, from 8.4 percent as a rookie to 16 percent 1. Part of the reason things have gotten better in the last two weeks: The last season. Twenty-two games into this campaign, though, his shooting Red Wings finally seem to have two threatening scoring lines. The percentage is actually slightly up even more from that figure (17.8 combination of Andreas Athanasiou, Robby Fabbri and Valterri Filppula percent), and his eight goals have him pushing toward a 30-goal pace. had a strong game against the Sharks statistically, owning 75 percent of It’s still fair to think his shooting percentage will dip down a bit the rest of the shot and scoring chance share and 87 percent of the expected goals the way, since only 21 players in the league shot 17.8 percent or better share while they were on the ice. That level of performance was almost over at least 40 games last season, but at minimum last season’s rate entirely missing from the team’s second line in the early season and looks a lot sturdier than it did in the offseason. Bertuzzi’s finishing ability through much of the prolonged October losing skid. might just be real. 2. Athanasiou’s sudden spark in production is part of that, but that was 8. Larkin, meanwhile, is having a slightly tougher time replicating his always going to come in time. For context: The team’s 5-on-5 shooting consistent production from a year ago. He had just one stretch of three or percentage with Athanasiou on the ice was a mere 3.08 percent in more games without a point last year, and already has two this season. I October. In November, that number is back up over 11. That may be a don’t think it’s a major concern, especially since Larkin has been so good percentage point or two higher than can be expected to sustain in other areas (due in part to strong defensive impact, his 6.2 overall (Athanasiou’s career on-ice EV sh% is about 8.8), but it is further proof GAR is actually tied with Connor McDavid, placing him among the top-10 that a boost in the second line’s overall production was just a matter of centers in the league by that stat), but it’s worth watching to see if he can time. rediscover some of the consistent scoring touch that made his 2018-19 3. On a similar note, Athanasiou’s plus-minus, which does rank last in the so impressive. He certainly had a golden chance in overtime against the league at minus-21, owes in large part to the Red Wings’ goaltenders Sharks that he missed on. saving less than 82 percent of shots with him on the ice at even strength. 9. And besides, the Red Wings have actual issues to worry about. That’s not to say Athanasiou was good defensively for the whole first Although their third line scored against the Sharks by way of a Taro quarter, but still: Not only is that percentage the lowest in the league Hirose goal assisted by Brendan Perlini, getting more from that nearly among players with at least 50 minutes played (according to Natural Stat silent trio is the next frontier for the team. They did grade out reasonably Trick), it’s basically 9 percentage points lower than the next-lowest of his well by possession metrics against San Jose, but there’s a long way to career. In fact, Athanasiou has seen remarkably consistent oiSV% go before the line stops being a question mark. throughout his career at 91.53, 90.86, 90.06 and 90.9 before this year. So an 81.21 percent in that category definitely qualifies as an anomaly, 10. Putting Hirose with Perlini does give Detroit two offensive-minded and it probably won’t stay that way. That said, the fact that pucks have players to play together there, and you do wonder if Perlini’s due for a bit been going in on nearly 20 percent of shots with him on the ice, and the of that same organic bounce-back Athanasiou has gotten in recent Red Wings’ overall goal differential, means Athanasiou’s plus-minus is games. His shots per game (1.88) are in line with the rest of his career, likely doomed to stay near the bottom, even with some expected positive but nothing has gone in for him despite being a career 12.6 percent regression in oiSV%. This is partly why plus-minus gets the reputation it shooter. He should be due. has. It can be really influenced by things beyond the player’s control. 11. That still, however, isn’t going to fix the third line. And in a this- 4. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a more tangible change to explain the season context, it’s hard to say what will. The answer is probably second line’s improvement, I think you can point to each member of that nothing. Maybe Hirose and Perlini can blend even better than expected, line for a piece of it. Fabbri’s arrival has given that line a logical third and of course Frans Nielsen isn’t going to stay at zero points all year if piece, and his six points in his first five games in Detroit have obviously he’s healthy, but even then: This line is not going to strike much fear into been significant (especially since five are primary points). Filppula opposing coaches. It’s not impossible to win with subpar third lines — appears to be playing a more impactful game of late (although it’s tough Boston, according to the Corsica player ratings via DailyFaceoff.com, to find a great stat to support that), and Jeff Blashill praised Athanasiou’s actually has a third line that grades out slightly worse than Detroit’s — compete level to reporters after the Sharks game. “I think he’s played but it puts big demands on the rest of the roster to do so. And the Red way more complete lately, and he’s really competed,” Blashill said. A full- Wings are not even close to being Boston. scale improvement for this line, then, and one that makes the Red Wings way more dangerous than when they need the Tyler Bertuzzi-Dylan 12. Defensively, meanwhile, the Red Wings are basically experiencing a Larkin-Anthony Mantha line to do all their scoring. repeat of last season, with all their defensemen out at once, forcing an inexperienced lineup to the forefront. Even before Mike Green missed 5. An awesome visual depiction of the Red Wings’ lineup dynamics came Saturday’s game while awaiting the birth of his second child, Detroit was Sunday morning from Jordan Dix, who ranked teams by their top six and thin because of injuries to Danny DeKeyser, Patrik Nemeth and Filip bottom six’s respective Goals Above Replacement. Goals Above Hronek (their three best defensive blueliners). The Green absence left Replacement is a stat that tries to boil all of a player’s contributions into them with Dennis Cholowski, Madison Bowey, Joe Hicketts, Jonathan one single stat. It’s not perfect (nor is any stat), but it at least attempts to Ericsson, Alex Biega and Dylan McIlrath. Hicketts was sent back down approximate how valuable a player has been relative to the replacement Sunday, and the group helped steal a couple points out west, but if last level (and to other players). This chart, then, tells a familiar story with year is any indication then having such a deeply inexperienced defense how the Red Wings grade out, but with interesting context: The Red corps is rocky terrain if the team has to continue this for any amount of Wings’ top six ranks in the top 10 in the league by GAR; their bottom six time. is dead last. 13. That’s made even more problematic by the Red Wings’ two goaltenders both ranking in the bottom seven of the league by save percentage (minimum seven games played). Jonathan Bernier did turn in a few solid showings in a row last week (though his save percentage still didn’t always reflect it) so perhaps it’s not all bleak in the crease, but it does mean the Red Wings could be especially vulnerable until they can get healthy on defense again. And they were already pretty vulnerable to begin with.

14. From that standpoint, one of the overarching themes of the season’s first quarter is basically: The Red Wings are what we thought they were. They’ve had a couple solid stretches (they won three of their first four, and they’ve picked up eight points in their last five games) and one extremely rough one, losing 12 of 13. But putting too much stock into any stretch of games with this team is asking to ride the emotional roller coaster. On the aggregate, the Red Wings’ 22 games have left them more or less where they were expected to be: a bottom-five team that is generally competitive and wins a few games it isn’t expected to, but is also simply overmatched in others. It’s easy to get lost in the trees, but that’s the forest so far.

15. Down in Grand Rapids, though, there are at least a couple of positive recent glimmers. Filip Zadina has 10 points in his last 10 games, including two straight multi-point games. Joe Veleno also has five in his last five, although the transition from the QMJHL has clearly not been immediate for him. Similar to the point above, though, I’d try to avoid riding the roller coaster there. Zadina has made some noticeable progress, but there are probably more challenges to come.

Still, in a season like this, the Red Wings will have to take progress anywhere they can get it.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162157 Edmonton Oilers

Larsson will be back for Oilers road trip

Robert Tychkowski

The Edmonton Oilers have done well for a team that lost a top four defenceman on opening night, but they’ll get Adam Larsson back very soon.

If he isn’t in the lineup Tuesday night in San Jose, Larsson says there is a “100 per cent” chance he plays Thursday night in Los Angeles.

“I feel good, I feel really good,” said Larsson, who broke a bone in his lower leg in the first game of the season. “I’ve been skating for two weeks now, so it’s been a long couple of weeks and I’m really glad to be back. Obviously this was the first real practice with the team, so we have a couple of days to get up to speed.”

He’ll be a welcome addition, but head coach Dave Tippett cautions that joining a team in mid-season is always hard for a player.

“I think we have to recognize first that he’s been out a long time. It’s not like he’s going to jump into mid-season form. It’s going to take him a few games to get up and going. That being said, I’ve been around the game a long time and I’ve never seen anyone work as hard to get back.”

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162158 Edmonton Oilers “They’re a team that took it to us last time we were in their building,” said Nurse. “To go back and play in that same arena with that bad taste in our mouth is good for us.

Five-game road trip a pivotal point in Edmonton Oilers season “They try and set the tempo early for teams that are coming in. You have to match it or out-compete them. Our work ethic is going to be the most important part of our game.”

Robert Tychkowski No better time to show their mettle than here and now.

“They outworked us and out-executed us, they gave it to us pretty good,” said Russell. “We have to go in there and have a good start, show that It’s only mid November, but the Edmonton Oilers are already preparing we can play with them and start the road trip off right.” themselves for what they believe is the defining point of their season. Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 11.19.2019 Five games on the road, all against Western Conference opponents, all of them against resurgent teams trying to track the Oilers down from behind.

They either separate themselves from the pack, or get swallowed up and spend the last 55 games of the season sweating it out in the middle of the hunt.

“This is our biggest trip to date and could be one of those ones that you look back on at the end of the year and say it was a difference maker,” said defenceman Darnell Nurse.

The Oilers open with a rematch against a San Jose team that beat them 6-3 last week, take on the LA Kings (who’ve won three games in a row), before playing Vegas and Arizona in a back-to-back set and finishing up in Colorado.

The five teams are a combined 30-18-5 at home this year.

It’s a stern test, no question about it, and will reveal much about a club that has shown more in the first 22 games than anyone ever expected.

“We’re playing some tough teams,” said defenceman Kris Russell, who believes the Oilers will have to pick up their game if they want to remain a step ahead.

“We have to keep growing and keep getting better because the teams around us are doing that.”

True. As well as the Oilers have started this season, they haven’t really been able to escape the Pacific Division logjam. Only six points separate first place Edmonton from fifth place Calgary. The Sharks are eight points back, but they’re also on a six-game win streak.

“That’s the thing,” said Russell. “You can’t take any games off, any shifts off, because it seems like the teams around us are starting to come.

‘We have to make sure we execute our game plan and really bring it on this road trip because this is big, we’re playing some big divisional games and those are points we need.”

The Oilers feel good that they don’t have to play catch up this year. They know how hard it is to make up ground when you’ve dug yourself a hole. But they are also discovering that protecting their spot isn’t a piece of cake, either.

“Teams are getting points every night,” said Nurse. “The teams that didn’t start off so hot are finding their game now and putting together wins.

“As the season goes on, teams get better and better. You have to match that pace or outperform it. That’s the thing with our team; we know we’re in a good spot right now, but we have to continue to grow our game so we’re in a good position come March.”

Most coaches will try to hide from the importance of a trip, largely because they don’t want to provide any fuel for negativity among media and fans if things go badly. Head coach Dave Tippett went the other way – he’s challenging his players with the magnitude of what they are about to take on.

“Very important,” he said of the five-gamer. “We had a meeting in the morning to talk about this trip. It’s a great test for our group right now.

“I like where we’re sitting, one of our goals was to get off to a good start. I like 85 per cent of our game, but there’s 10 or 15 per cent that we have to clean up and get better.

“That’s why this trip is so important, because this will test us. If you’re not playing to your capabilities you’re probably not going to win games.”

It all starts in the Shark Tank, which has been a watery grave for the Oilers in recent times. 1162159 Edmonton Oilers season makes him an obvious choice ahead of Jones now. Bear is also an RFA this summer.

That leaves Jones and possibly Adam Larsson, who will require a new Evaluating the Oilers’ readiness for the 2021 Seattle expansion draft contract in 2021, as the potential targets for Seattle. Evan Bouchard, Dmitri Samorukov and Philip Broberg cannot be picked.

Goalie: Stuart Skinner By Daniel Nugent-Bowman and Jonathan Willis Nov 18, 2019 Mikko Koskinen is making a strong case to be protected after a strong start to the 2019-20 campaign. Let’s give it more time before we anoint him as the goalie of the future, though. Koskinen will have one year left It has been nearly a year since our last look at the Oilers’ readiness for on his $4.5 million AAV deal by June 2021. the 2021 Seattle expansion draft. Much has changed in the interim, making this a good moment for an update. If Koskinen isn’t the goalie to protect, there isn’t a clear-cut guy. It’s probably between Skinner and Dylan Wells. We’ll take Skinner because Edmonton’s first choice will be whether to protect seven forwards and he’s played more in Bakersfield so far. Prospect Olivier Rodrigue doesn’t three defencemen or eight skaters of any position. A logical case can be need to be protected. made for either method. The 8-1 approach The 7-3-1 approach There is a strong argument that a team considering the eight-skater Under this scenario, we opt for the more traditional approach of choosing approach would be better off trading away a defenceman so as to protect seven forwards, three defencemen and a goalie. Recent history shows more players or failing that to come to some kind of agreement with this is the way the Oilers will probably go. Seattle as to which player is going to be selected. The trade approach Only seven teams opted to protect eight skaters and a goalie rather than makes a lot of sense for the Oilers, who in addition to their expansion- go the 7-3-1 route during the 2017 expansion draft. The advantage with eligible defencemen have exempt prospects such as Evan Bouchard and the latter option is obvious: the ability to protect more players. Dmitri Samorukov on the way.

A lot can happen in 19 months and the Oilers roster will continue to Yet it’s worth noting that of the eight teams that protected eight skaters, evolve. However, there is a pretty big issue with this scenario for the only three lost forwards: Arizona, Florida and Nashville. The Panthers, Oilers right now. They lack the quantity of quality forwards necessary. incredibly, managed to lose both Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith, with newly reinstalled GM offering a masterclass in Forwards: Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Tyler Benson, Kailer how to botch an expansion draft. Leaving them aside, the other two Yamamoto, Cooper Marody, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins*, player acquired for cases are instructive. Jesse Puljujarvi/free agent The Predators sacrificed James Neal in order to protect a quartet of elite The Oilers are in no danger of losing a forward in the expansion draft. defencemen. This was a reasonable decision at the time, and if it isn’t Really, there are only two sure-fire locks on the current roster and applicable to the Oilers it does show that there are extreme cases where another three prospects with upside in Bakersfield worthy of protection. an eight-skater approach can be justified if the forward loss is going to After that, some projection is needed just to find two more players. hurt less than the leaving of, say, unprotected.

Let’s start with the two locks. McDavid and Draisaitl are two of the best Arizona is a more useful test case. They lost Teemu Pulkkinen because players in the NHL and will have five and four years, respectively, even after protecting four defencemen the list of exposed skaters was remaining on their expensive-but-still-team-friendly contracts by the time remarkably weak. In hindsight, Vegas may have even been better off the expansion draft rolls around. They’ll be the first two names Ken grabbing a defenceman, such as Kevin Connauton. Depending on what Holland jots down. happens over the next year, the Oilers could well find themselves in a position where they shield four defencemen and lose a blueliner anyway. Benson, Yamamoto and Marody will all be heading for restricted free agency and we’ll know by that point if they’re NHLers or not. (For the Skaters: Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins*, Tyler sake of this piece, we’re banking on it.) Benson, Oscar Klefbom, Darnell Nurse, Ethan Bear, Caleb Jones

With first-year pros like Ryan McLeod exempt from the draft, there are There is a scenario wherein the Oilers negotiate a new contract with still two spots that need to be filled. Nugent-Hopkins, leave him unsigned, and then extend him after expansion. In that case, an extra spot could be found for Kailer Nugent-Hopkins would be a lock, but he’ll be a pending free agent in Yamamoto or some other fourth forward. In this case, Seattle might be 2021. Assuming he’s re-signed, he’ll be protected. hard-pressed to find any forward to claim off the Oilers roster, with For the final slot, we’ll have to go outside the box. The likelihood of Jesse Cooper Marody and James Neal the most obvious targets. Puljujarvi ever playing for the Oilers again is minuscule. That standoff is We have assumed instead that the Oilers re-sign Nugent-Hopkins in bound to be resolved by expansion draft time. If Holland can deal advance of the expansion draft, leaving Edmonton with a choice between Puljujarvi for the ideal young player he covets, that acquisition almost protecting Benson or Yamamoto. The loss of either would be unfortunate, certainly will be on the Oilers’ protected list. If Holland somehow only but given prospect development curves there’s a non-zero chance that gets picks for Puljujarvi, we’ll say a free agent signed next summer gets one or the other is trending as a bottom-six forward (or worse) by the the last forward spot. time Seattle makes its choice anyway. Where’s James Neal, you might ask? It’s hard to imagine his scoring What an eight-skater approach does allow for is the protection of Jones rates remaining at the level of his great start after another 140 games. He in addition to the expected trio of Klefbom, Nurse and Bear. That might also turns 34 just before the start of the 2021-22 season and he’ll have not seem vital, but Bear’s emergence this season should make it clear to two more years on his contract with a $5.75-million cap hit. everyone the potential that Jones has. The two prospects have been It’s wiser to leave the spot for someone else and hope Seattle takes him. neck-and-neck since draft day, and Jones was a better Condor last If Neal’s still scoring at the same pace and Seattle does nab him, his season than Bear, whose season was hampered by injury. Seattle salary can still be reinvested more wisely. should be licking its lips if the opportunity to grab a cheap, 24-year-old Jones falls in its lap. Defencemen: Oscar Klefbom, Darnell Nurse, Ethan Bear Even with both Bear and Jones protected, Seattle is going to have to Klefbom and Nurse have been constants on The Athletic Edmonton’s seriously consider selecting a defenceman over the lesser of expansion draft projects dating back to last December. Klefbom’s under Benson/Yamamoto. As it stands, 2021 UFA Adam Larsson and prospect contract until 2023 at just over $4 million AAV. He’s a given. As a William Lagesson would both be exposed. Larsson at this point would be pending RFA commanding a hefty raise this summer, Nurse’s spot isn’t a 28-year-old veteran and perhaps a leading light on a new Seattle team, guaranteed. It’s sure expected though. while Lagesson will be a cheap and presumably capable 25-year-old We’ve flip-flopped on Bear and Caleb Jones for the third defenceman NHLer. slot. Bear’s evolution to a top-pairing defenceman at 22 years old this Goalie: Mikko Koskinen* If it isn’t a prospect like Skinner, then whoever is starting for the Oilers in JW: I agree entirely. It’s a zero-sum game for Seattle: if they’re going to 2021-22 will be on the protected list. In the worst case, expansion might get Player X from you anyway, they only make a deal if the assets even be a good place to lose Koskinen’s contract, perhaps at the cost of coming back exceed the value of Player X. The one time I think it makes a draft pick. Given Olivier Rodrigue’s exempt status, there’s also the sense is if there’s a particularly ugly contract a team needs to be rid of, possibility that all of Edmonton’s current eligible goalies are exposed. but the Oilers shouldn’t be in that position in summer 2021. With Seattle not really an option, and it being desirable to avoid the loss of a The difficult choice facing the Oilers defenceman if possible, the question then becomes: Who do you trade – Jonathan Willis: Looking at the cases for both the 7-3-1 and eight skaters Klefbom, Nurse, Bear or Jones – and when? approach, my initial takeaway is that no matter what the Oilers do, this is DNB: I’d say you’re keeping Klefbom because of that contract and you’re going to be a tougher exercise than the Vegas expansion draft, where keeping Bear because of his age and upside. That leaves a choice they lost Griffin Reinhart. I assume they’re going to have enough between Nurse and Jones. Will Nurse be too expensive? Are you forwards to force them into a 7-3-1 approach, and at that point I fully confident enough that you know what you have in Jones? Can you afford expect them to lose Caleb Jones, at least if nothing else changes first. to deal a veteran when you’re also likely losing Russell and Benning in Daniel Nugent-Bowman: You’re right; the Oilers are bound to lose the same span? someone more important than Reinhart this time around. Barring a trade, JW: I think that frames it rather well, and the answer to that question is it’s unavoidable. The 7-3-1 approach will probably make the most sense an article in its own right, so maybe that’s a good place to leave it. Jones by June 2021. Right now — especially with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins not is cheaper, younger, and probably fetches less on the trade market. under contract past the draft — the eight skaters method would be the Nurse is older, more expensive, and probably carries a larger return, but way to go. Holland could protect McDavid, Draisaitl, Benson and the risk is that the Oilers move out a quality, in-his-prime defenceman Yamamoto up front and Klefbom, Nurse, Bear and Jones on defence. and then have to bank on youth to fill that gap. It isn’t an easy choice, but JW: As it stands, I’m in complete agreement, particularly with Nugent- it’s the one that needs to be made. Hopkins an unrestricted free agent in 2021. I have to believe he’s going The Athletic LOADED: 11.19.2019 to be extended, though, at which point the eight skaters method forces you to expose one of Benson, Yamamoto or Jones. At this point, even with the strength of the prospects coming on defence, I’d lean to one of the two forwards, most likely Yamamoto.

DNB: Assuming Nugent-Hopkins is re-signed, I’d say choosing which forward to expose between Benson and Yamamoto is a toss-up. There’s still a fair bit of time for each player to improve his case. Protecting Benson is probably the right call if the decision had to be made in November 2019.

Here’s the thing, though: So much can — and probably will — change over the next 19 months. This team’s forward depth has to improve by then, making the 7-3-1 approach a more likely scenario.

JW: Right. It wouldn’t take much to tip the scales in that direction, and it’s certainly preferable to protect 10 skaters over eight, all else being equal. At that point, we tip back to the exposure of Jones (and Adam Larsson, if re-signed).

The trouble is that if Jones looks anything like Bear has this season — something which is a distinct possibility, given the matching arcs of their careers – that is not an outcome the Oilers should want.

DNB: I’m with you there. Giving up a potential second-pairing defenceman for nothing isn’t ideal. On the plus side, their blueline still has a lot of nice pieces. There would be the three protected players — Klefbom, Nurse and Bear — plus potentially Larsson and even William Lagesson. And then there are the three prospects that are exempt from the draft in Evan Bouchard, Philip Broberg and Dmitri Samorukov.

JW: That’s an important point. It’s possible to argue that losing Jones isn’t great, but that with everything else the team has coming he’s an acceptable loss. This is particularly if Larsson is re-signed, because they would be bound to lose a good defenceman no matter what. However, I’d suggest the better argument is that sometime before expansion – and possibly as early as right now – the Oilers should be shopping one of the four expansion-eligible defenceman in an attempt to upgrade at forward.

DNB: That’s probably the best move. The timing of this conversation is certainly intriguing with Larsson due to return to the lineup from injury this week and Jones just being called up from Bakersfield. To me, when the trade happens doesn’t matter at all. Sure, the Oilers could use help up front, especially a scoring winger and third-line centre. But given this is a team in transition and trying to set itself up for sustained success in a year or two, getting maximum value in a deal is more important than anything.

JW: The timing is certainly negotiable. Further away from the draft is probably easiest for the team on the other end of the deal, which will have its own list of protected defencemen to worry about, but that doesn’t make it essential. I do think it makes sense to deal with a team other than Seattle, though. Last time around, Vegas did rather well in its little side deals with the clubs at its mercy.

DNB: Trading with Seattle is a no-win situation. If Seattle becomes the last trading partner for some odd reason, it’s better just to take a swig of medicine and say goodbye to one of those blueliners. 1162160 Florida Panthers regulation to force overtime. Florida loses in shootout but picks up a point.

▪ Oct. 1: The Panthers trailed the New Jersey Devils 4-1 on the road Panthers have produced early under Quenneville. The new goal: ‘keep barely a minute into the second period. Their response: Five unanswered climbing in the standings.’ goals for a 6-4 win.

▪ Oct. 24: Florida trailed the Calgary Flames 4-2 with about 15 minutes left in the first game of their four-game road trip through western Canada BY JORDAN MCPHERSON NOVEMBER 18, 2019 02:34 PM and Colorado. The Panthers score three goals in a 10-minute span to go up 5-4 but ultimately concede the game-tying goal with 2:43 left and lose

in shootout to pick up one point. The Florida Panthers don’t need look very far to see where they stand ▪ Oct. 30: After trailing the Colorado Avalanche 3-1 with 12:27 left in third among the rest of the NHL. The reminders are constantly in sight on two period, Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau score back-to-back goals to tie monitors — one in a hallway just outside their dressing room at their it up. Huberdeau scores the game winner 29 seconds into overtime. practice facility in Coral Springs and another in the back left corner of their dressing room at the BB&T Center on game day. ▪ Nov. 12: The Panthers made franchise history by overcoming a four- goal deficit after two periods to defeat the Boston Bruins 5-4 in a Along with a rotating array of assignments and schedules, the Panthers shootout. see a clear view of the NHL standings. Most players tend to focus on the present, but having to glance at where they stand among the rest of the “We match up against any team if we’re playing our best,” winger Brett league has provided a subtle — yet resonating — push as they wade Connolly said. “We can play against any team. We just have to keep through the early portion of the season. getting better every day. We’ll take it from there.”

“I think everybody has a pretty good awareness to it,” said first-year These rallies, and this mind-set, have helped the Panthers slowly, surely Panthers coach Joel Quenneville, a three-time Stanley Cup winner and meticulously picked up points. during his tenure with the Chicago Blackhawks who picked up his 900th career win as an NHL head coach on Saturday. “We’ll remind them at While the goal is to win each game outright and get two points at the end times, but it’s a playoff race when we begin the season. It looks like it’s of the night, Florida has maintained its steady place in the standings going to be that way. We want to make sure we do everything we can. even without finishing with a W. Our division is as tough as ever. Let’s make sure we get points.” Florida has just five regulation losses and has not gone back-to-back They have done just that. games without earning at least one point.

After a decade rife with slow starts that ultimately resulted in having to “We’re not letting things linger,” defenseman Keith Yandle said. “Our play catch up to be in playoff contention — and usually falling short — highs aren’t too high. Our lows aren’t too low.” the Panthers are off to one of their best starts to a season in franchise OFFENSIVE JUGGERNAUT history. The backbone of the Panthers’ success has come on the offensive side Their 10-5-5 record gives them 25 points and has them slotted as the No. of the game. 3 team in the Atlantic division behind the Montreal Canadiens (11-5-4, 26) and the Boston Bruins (12-3-5, 29). Their 71 goals ties the franchise record through 20 games with the 1995- 96 team that reached the , the only Panthers team It ties with the 2011-2012 season for the most points through 20 games that has won a playoff series. this decade. Only three other Panthers teams in franchise history — the 1995-96 team (29), 1996-97 (29) and 1999-2000 (25) — had a better The Panthers’ top line of Barkov, Huberdeau and Dadonov are once start in the standings a quarter of the way through the season. again doing the heavy lifting — Dadonov leads the team with 10 goals while Barkov (six goals, 19 assists) and Huberdeau (nine goals, 18 All of those Panthers teams with at least 25 points through 20 games assists) are one of three duos from the same team with at least 25 points made the playoffs. apiece so far this season. This season’s group staved off a gauntlet of a start to get to this point. In But the Panthers are seeing contributions from everyone. They are one addition to the learning curve that comes with a new coach, the Panthers of three teams with six players who have scored at least six goals — played 13 games against teams holding down playoff spots as of Hoffman (eight), Connolly (seven) and Frank Vatrano (six) are the others. Monday, 12 games overall on the road and have faced three of the four Overall, 17 players have posted at least one goal. division leaders — with two of those games away from the BB&T Center. They have some of the best power play production in the league, with It’s putting them in prime position to return to the playoffs after a three- their 26.6 percent efficiency on the man advantage ranking fourth in NHL season hiatus. and is just a shade below last season’s franchise-best 26.77 rate. The “We’re in a good spot,” captain Aleksander Barkov said after practice Panthers have scored 11 power-play goals over the last nine games. Monday ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers. “We “We’re getting some balance in our lineup,” Quenneville said. want to stay there. We want to keep climbing in the standings.” DEFENSE STILL WORK IN PROGRESS RALLY CATS But even with a potent offense, the Panthers’ defense and goaltending The Panthers’ strong start to the season has come with its share of late- needs to take a step forward over the rest of the season if they want to game theatrics. contend for their first Stanley Cup title. Florida has trailed in half of its game heading into the third period this Florida is giving up an average of 3.55 goals per game — the fourth-most season. They’re 4-4-2 in those games — picking up 10 of a possible 20 in the league — and have been outscored 21-15 in the first period so far points. this season. The Panthers have scored 29 of their 71 goals — more than 40 percent Sergei Bobrovsky, the two-time Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender who — in the final 20-minute period of regulation. Only the Nashville the Panthers signed for $70 million over seven years, has made Predators, with 32, have more third-period goals. spectacular saves at big moments multiple times this year, but that Yes, the Rally Cats appear to be back. doesn’t take away from the fact that his .882 save percentage is the second-worst in the league among goalies with at least 500 minutes of And most of their big comebacks have come away from home. ice time.

▪ Oct. 11: The Panthers trailed the Buffalo Sabres 2-0 two minutes into “Everyone goes through stretches where you’re at your best and other the third period. Evgenii Dadonov scores four minutes later to cut the times when you’re up against it, regardless of the position. It’s magnified deficit in half before Mike Hoffman strikes with 10 seconds left in in goal,” Quenneville said. “Just have to find your way through it and collectively, I think we all can help.” WHAT’S AHEAD

After a slew of road trips to start the season, the Panthers will have the comfort of playing on home ice for the next few weeks. They close out a four-game homestand with games against Philadelphia on Tuesday and the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday before traveling to the on Saturday. After that, 10 of their next 11 are at the BB&T Center, where the Panthers are 4-2-2 on the year.

“We want to establish that we’re a good home team,” Barkov said, “and that it’s tough to play in Florida against us.”

Miami Herald LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162161 Los Angeles Kings

Kings’ offensive woes return in shutout loss to Coyotes

Highlights from the Kings’ 3-0 loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Monday.

By JACK HARRISSTAFF WRITER NOV. 18, 2019 9:14 PM

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Austin Wagner skated back to the bench slowly, showing little emotion as his team’s fate became increasingly sealed on Monday night.

Moments earlier, the Kings’ speedy forward had streaked down the ice for a third-period breakaway. But like so many chances before it in the Kings’ 3-0 loss to the Arizona Coyotes, the opportunity amounted to nothing.

Last week, renewed optimism temporarily returned to the Kings’ campaign in the form of an unexpected 3-0 homestand. After recording consecutive wins just once in their first 17 games this season, coach Todd McLellan hoped his team could bottle their sudden hot streak.

“Whatever it is,” McLellan said Monday morning, “it needs to continue.”

Instead, the Kings reverted back to their rugged early-season form.

By the first intermission Monday night, the Coyotes had built a two-goal lead with tallies from Conor Garland (who buried a strong feed from Christian Dvorak barely three minutes into the game) and Derek Stepan (who finished off a tic-tac-toe power-play chance).

Anaheim Ducks v Washington Capitals

HOCKEY

Capitals’ Garnet Hathaway ejected for spitting on Erik Gudbranson in Ducks’ loss

In a second period dominated by special teams – the teams took six combined penalties in the frame – the Coyotes cashed in for the second time with the man-advantage. The Kings, meanwhile, squandered each of their four power-play chances on the night.

“We tried to prepare our group for their quickness and their tenacity,” McLellan said. “We didn’t quite get there. We weren’t ready to experience it. It showed up in the first period. That led to penalties, to having the penalty kill do the work it had to do tonight. It didn’t get the job done.

“Same thing can be said for the power play. They were on top of us. They were quicker than we were.”

The Kings’ few third-period comeback bids fizzled, failing to ever crack Coyotes goalie Antti Raanta with any of their 30 shots. Monday’s off-the- ice antics – the Coyotes mockingly unveiled a replica of the Staples Center Taylor Swift banner the curse-conscious Kings have covered up for home games, sparking a Twitter standoff between the two club’s social media accounts – provided almost as much intrigue as anything that happened between the boards.

As Kings captain Anze Kopitar put it, “We were just too slow. Our feet weren’t moving, our mind wasn’t as sharp as it needed to be.”

Earlier Monday, McLellan had warned of a Coyotes club emerging from the type of rebuilding process in which the Kings currently find themselves. As he predicted, their stingy style suffocated his group, sucking the life out of whatever short-lived momentum the Kings had built the week before.

“We’ve got to learn a lesson that we better be up to speed right off the bat,” McLellan said, adding: “especially in the third, we had a few opportunities, we created some chances. We didn’t go away, which can be a little bit of a moral victory for us. But we can’t rely on those at this point. We’ve got to show up and be ready to play from period one on and not put ourselves in that situation.”

LA Times: LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162162 Los Angeles Kings — FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) November 19, 2019 “Both need to be better. We weren’t very clean on either one… We won a

game last game and our special teams were better. Tonight it was the Kings’ 3-game win streak ends with shutout loss to Coyotes other way around”@DustinBrown23 looks back on the PK & power play after tonight’s loss@CarrlynBathe | @LAKings | #LAKingsLive pic.twitter.com/YOJjhkTLLV

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS |PUBLISHED: November 18, 2019 at — FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) November 19, 2019 9:24 pm | UPDATED: November 18, 2019 at 11:05 PM Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.19.2019

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Conor Garland had a goal and an assist, Antti Raanta stopped 31 shots and the Arizona Coyotes beat the Kings 3-0 on Monday night.

Derek Stepan and Jakob Chychrun also scored, and Christian Dvorak and Nick Schmaltz had two assists apiece as the Coyotes won for the fourth time in five games. Schmaltz raised his point total to a team-high 18.

Raanta and Darcy Kuemper became the first goaltending tandem to post back-to-back shutouts for the Coyotes. Kuemper held the Calgary Flames scoreless Saturday night.

Raanta, who made the most of his surprise start in net, denied a breakaway attempt by Austin Wagner with 10:32 to play. Jack Campbell made 24 saves for the Kings, who had their three-game winning streak snapped.

“There’s been games where I haven’t made those timely saves, so obviously it felt good to make that,” Raanta said. “It was nice to get back out there. I’ve been playing a lot on the road, so it’s always fun to play at home in front of your fans and feel the energy there.”

Garland’s team-leading 10th goal came when Schmaltz centered a spinning puck to Dvorak, who got a stick on it and put a shot on goal. Garland was waiting to deflect the puck past Campbell at 3:12 of the first period.

Arizona took a 2-0 lead on its first power play, using precision passing to score at 14:48 of the first. Four players touched the puck on Stepan’s second goal in two games, with Dvorak centering to Stepan for a close- range wrist shot.

The Coyotes had been 1 for 26 on the power play until Stepan scored.

The Kings got a pair of power plays in the first 8:30 of the second, but couldn’t convert and went 0 for 4 with the man-advantage for the night.

The Coyotes cashed in on another power play with Chychrun’s goal off a no-look pass from Garland at 10:47 of the period.

“They get two, we don’t get anything,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “Momentum swings a lot. We tried to prepare our group for their quickness and their tenacity. We just didn’t quite get there. We weren’t ready to experience it.”

NOTES

The Kings and Coyotes have a spirited rivalry in the Pacific Division, and to that end, a video explaining a banner inside Staples Center that honors singer Taylor Swift for the most sold-out performances at the venue was played inside Gila River Arena. Some believe the banner has been bad luck for the Kings, who have gone so far as to cover it up for home games – so Coyotes mascot Howler unveiled a Taylor Swift banner above the tunnel to the Kings’ dressing room during the first period to cheers from Arizona fans. … Vinnie Hinostroza played in his 200th career game. … The Coyotes’ next game is against Toronto, their only opponent outside the division between Nov. 16 and Dec. 3.

UP NEXT

The Kings host the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night, the first of four straight home games.

More to come on this story.

“We had a few opportunities, we created some chances, we didn’t go away, which can be a moral victory for us, but we can’t rely on those at this point. We’ve got to show up & be ready to play from period 1 on”

– Coach Todd McLellan after tonight's loss@CarrlynBathe | @LAKings pic.twitter.com/FPuq0evYxX 1162163 Los Angeles Kings — With the loss, the Kings fell to 7-8-0 against the Western Conference, 3-5-0 against the Pacific Division, 2-7 in games decided by three goals or more, 1-9-0 when their opponent scores first, 0-8-0 when trailing after one period, 0-10-0 when trailing after two periods and 8-8-0 when NOVEMBER 18 RAPID REACTION: COYOTES 3, KINGS 0 outshooting their opponent.

— Los Angeles was shut out for the third time this season (also 10/15 vs CAR, 10/17 vs BUF). Antti Raanta earned his third shutout in his fifth JON ROSENNOVEMBER 18, 2019 career start against Los Angeles. The three shutouts have all come with different teams (NYR, CHI, ARI). By stopping all 30 shots, he extended the Coyotes’ shutout streak to 127:49. Postgame Quotes — Anze Kopitar’s six-game point streak (3-6=9) and Alex Iafallo’s four- Todd McLellan, on special teams playing a large role in the loss: game point streak (1-4=5) were snapped in the loss.

Well, that’s a pretty obvious observation. They get two, we don’t get — The Kings attempted 73 shots (30 on goal, 25 blocked, 18 missed). anything, momentum swings a lot. I thought prior to the power plays and The Coyotes attempted 45 shots (27 on goal, 9 blocked, 9 missed). Phil the penalty kills that we tried to prepare our group for their quickness and Kessel and Derek Stepan tied with a game-high four shots, while six their tenacity and we didn’t quite get there. We weren’t ready to players (Doughty, Kopitar, Brown, Lizotte, MacDermid, Toffoli) tied with a experience it. It showed up in the first period and that led to penalties, it team-high three shots for L.A. led to having the penalty kill doing the work it hand to do tonight and it didn’t get the job done, and the same thing can be said for the power — Los Angeles won 24-of-49 faceoffs (49%). Adrian Kempe won 3-of-4, play. They were on top of us, they were quicker than we were, they took Michael Amadio won 1-of-2, Anze Kopitar won 13-of-28, Alex Iafallo won any type of passing routes away from us, so give them credit, and we’ve 1-of-1, Blake Lizotte won 2-of-5, Nikolai Prokhorkin won 2-of-6 and Jeff got to learn a lesson that we better be up to speed right off the bat. Carter won 2-of-3.

McLellan, on whether it was disheartening to chase the game for a long Monday, November 19 is a scheduled off day for the team. Should that time: schedule change, it will be updated upon the team’s arrival tonight at LAX. Well, it’s tough. You can see when we play with the lead, you have a little more energy, you feel a little better about yourself. I thought about the LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.19.2019 second and the third, especially in the third, we had a few opportunities, we created some chances, we didn’t go away, which can be a little bit of a moral victory for us, but we can’t rely on those at this point. We’ve got to show up a nd be ready to playu from period one on and not put ourselves in that situation.

McLellan, on Antti Raanta’s performance:

He made some big saves, but I think on our 30 shots, there weren’t too many really, really dangerous ones. You can think about the breakaway – Dustin Brown had a great opportunity. There were a few others that yes, he made some really good saves, but he wasn’t overly taxed tonight by any means tonight on our behalf.

McLellan, on whether fatigue was a factor in the loss:

No, no, fatigue was not a factor today for our group. In fact, we were quite easy on the guys yesterday, and I wish we would’ve skated a little bit more – maybe we would’ve had better legs. So I don’t think fatigue could be brought into the equation tonight.

McLellan, on what Arizona did well to make it difficult to generate an offensive rhythm:

They played at a much higher pace and a more tenacious pace than we did. We often got the puck, when we did get it, we were standing still looking to move the puck up the ice up to players that were already checked. You’ve got to use your legs sometimes. I know the puck moves a lot quicker than players do, but there are moments where you’ve got to skate it out of trouble and buy time for others to get in the open. I didn’t think we did a lot of that early in the game.

Anze Kopitar, on the challenges faced in the loss:

Well, they had a good start, obviously. We didn’t. They scored a couple power play goals and we diudn’t do that, so we lost the special teams battle. Most of the time that makes a difference and it certainly did tonight.

Kopitar, on a stingy Arizona team and what they did well to limit offense:

We were just too slow. Either our feet weren’t moving, or our mind wasn’t as sharp as it needed to be. It seemed like we were half step too slow. A couple of feet off, which I the big picture, obviously that’s big and that’s the difference.

Postgame Notes

— With the loss, Los Angeles fell to 91-104-36 all-time against the Arizona franchise, a record that includes a road mark of 41-57-19. These teams have three games remaining against each other: November 23 and March 22 at Staples Center and January 30 at Gila River Arena. 1162164 Los Angeles Kings

GAME 21: LOS ANGELES AT ARIZONA

JON ROSENNOVEMBER 18, 2019

Arizona Coyotes 3, Los Angeles Kings 0

Final

Preview

Box Score

Ice Tracker

Fox Sports Live Stream

SOG: LAK – 30; ARI – 27

PP: LAK – 0/4; ARI – 2/4

First Period

1) ARI – Conor Garland (10) (Christian Dvorak, Nick Schmaltz) 3:12

2) ARI PPG – Derek Stepan (4) (Christian Dvorak, Phil Kessel), 14:48

Second Period

3) ARI PPG – Jacob Chychrun (5) (Conor Garland, Nick Schmaltz), 10:47

Los Angeles Kings (8-11-1) at Arizona Coyotes (12-7-2)

Monday, November 18, 2019, 7:00 p.m. MT

Gila River Arena, Glendale, AZ

Referees: #3 Chris Schlenker, #24 Graham Skilliter

Linesmen: #82 Ryan Galloway, #63 Trent Knorr

Fox Sports West, FOX Sports GO, LA Kings Audio Network

LAK starters: G Jack Campbell, D Sean Walker, D Drew Doughty, LW Alex Iafallo, C Anze Kopitar, RW Dustin Brown

LAK scratches: D Joakim Ryan, F Carl Grundstrom, F Ilya Kovalchuk

ARI starters: G Antti Raanta, D Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D Jason Demers, LW Michael Grabner, C Brad Richardson, RW Christian Fischer

ARI scratches: F Barrett Hayton, D Ilya Lyubushkin, G Eric Comrie

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162165 Los Angeles Kings Kuemper was also involved in a 12-player fracas on Saturday that included Matthew Tkachuk, who the Kings know plenty about. “Definitely the first as a pro. It was fun, and it ended up being harmless, so it’s all good,” he said of the exchanges, which were inflamed when he CAMPBELL-RAANTA; ALUMS RICHARDSON, KUEMPER; AMADIO’S responded to Tkachuk cross-checking a prone Jason Demers by LINE, ROY EVALUATED; HOLIDAY ICE grabbing him from behind and slamming him to the ice.

“It wasn’t against any individual player, it was just trying to get a guy off our defenseman and then things escalated from there,” Kuemper said of JON ROSENNOVEMBER 18, 2019 the episode in which even David Rittich skated from the opposite crease to have a say in the proceedings.

INSIDERS. A fine, fine afternoon to you from Glendale, Arizona, — More from Todd. Nikolai Prokhorkin, as he alluded to on Saturday, is Maricopa County’s answer to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The LA coming to the rink realizing he’s going to play. That adds confidence to Kings and Arizona Coyotes meet tonight (6:00 p.m. PT / FOX Sports his play and has allowed him to make “small, minor improvements,” like West / FOX Sports GO / LA Kings Audio Network) for the first of their four holding onto the puck for an extra beat to allow a teammate to get open. regular season games, with the visitors expected to line up as such: He’s been encouraged by Adrian Kempe and Austin Wagner’s ability to Iafallo-Kopitar-Brown refine their play without the puck on the wing, noting some added “urgency” in Kempe’s play. McLellan commended Kempe’s ability to hunt Carter-Amadio-Toffoli down pucks and noted both forwards’ improvements along the boards in the defensive zone. That’s particularly important for Wagner, who still Kempe-Lizotte-Wagner needs additional “polish” there but has started to limit the undue risk that Clifford-Prokhorkin-Luff had accompanied the reward he’s capable of providing. “There’s not as much ‘hope’ into the middle and play where it’s a gamble or a risk. He’s Walker-Doughty got a big body, he’s got good hands and good legs, so he protects pucks Hutton-Martinez well. He still creates chances on a nightly basis,” McLellan said.

MacDermid-Roy McLellan also praised Kempe and Tyler Toffoli for regrouping well after sitting out a game. “Those are the results you hope for when you take a Notes! player out,” he said. “It’s always a risky venture, but both have responded well, which tells me they’re both good individuals as far as the character — The vitals: Jack Campbell left the ice first and is expected to start in of them go, and they take responsibility for their game.” goal versus the Coyotes, against whom he’s 2-1-1 with a 2.46 goals- against average and a .925 save percentage in four career appearances. If there was a correlation between the wins in the 3-0-0 home stand, it Ilya Kovalchuk traveled and skated with the team at Gila River Arena but was that the Kings didn’t give up goals in quick bunches, didn’t give up isn’t expected to play. No other lineup changes are expected from goals early, and handled adversity and the mental aspect well. Saturday’s game. — Matt Roy has been leaving a positive mark on the coaching staff. “The — Their vitals: Antti Raanta, 3-0-1 in four career appearances against term that’s used in the coaches office is Steady Eddie. He’s almost Los Angeles with a 1.48 GAA, a .946 Sv% and two shutouts, gets the become predictable in the type of game that he’s going to have, which is nod. No lineup changes are expected in front of Raanta, so the 18 a really good sign for him,” McLellan said. “He’s brought a little bit of skaters should align Dvorak-Schmaltz-Garland, Keller-Stepan- physicality or nastiness to the rink lately, and when he’s engaged he Hinostroza, Crouse-Soderberg-Kessel and Grabner-Richardson-Fischer seems to play better, and offensively he’s getting a shot through from the up front, with defensive pairings of Ekman-Larsson-Demers, Chychrun- point.” Goligoski and Ness-Oesterle. The Coyotes are climbing in the standings and are winners of three of four – even if Saturday’s shutout of Calgary Roy has also been free to activate in the offensive zone – an indication was their only regulation win in their last eight. In any event, they’re in that the team is playing with the puck more regularly, and, according to second place in the Pacific, are coming off a three-goal win over a good McLellan, benefiting from its young, right-shot defenseman’s growing team, and have allowed the second-fewest goals in the league. They’re confidence. “stingy,” according to Todd McLellan, a team that manages the game “When we didn’t see it early, he probably wasn’t confident to go. Now it’s well and allows little but still is able to generate the types of “long in his DNA, he feels good about his game, he’s picking good spots, using chances” that challenged Los Angeles over the first two weeks of the his legs, so the checklist for him is no different than anybody else. I’m season. Rick Tocchet commended his team’s ability to defend the puck sure he’s a confident player right now,” McLellan said. “Should be.” as he strives “to put structure in that identity.” — The very basic shot and possession metrics indicate that Michael “All the really good hockey clubs, you know, nine times out of 10 that Amadio has meshed well with Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli, all of whom you’re getting their identity. So, we’re looking for that kind of ratio. Not six own very healthy shot, chance and expected goal rates in the limited time or seven out of 10, we’re looking for nine out of 10,” he said. they’ve been on the ice together.

— There are a pair of fondly remembered ex-Kings on the Coyotes, The Kings haven’t changed their lineup around having won three straight Darcy Kuemper and Brad Richardson. Richardson played a role in the games, so is it safe to assume Amadio is holding his own between a pair franchise’s first Stanley Cup and appeared in 36 playoff games in Los of veterans in a higher-profile spot in the lineup? Angeles, and we spoke earlier today about Jeff Carter and the 2012 Cup. “A really special year, and that was just such a group of characters and “Mods has been a really interesting player for us, because I see a great guys that we just meshed so well. Probably the most fun time I’ve tremendous amount of skill, a really good hockey brain, an understanding had playing hockey,” he said. Richardson also spoke of the similarities of what we want to do and how to do it. The consistency part is getting between those Kings teams and a young but defensively stout Coyotes better, but that’s still something that he’s battling with,” McLellan said. “I team that’s looking to play its first playoff games since May, 2012. think he plays better with more minutes, yet his body has got to get used “You’ve got to be comfortable winning those tight games. I think that’s to taking those minutes on. He’s doing a really good job with that line. been our M.O. the last couple years, and now we’re trying to build on that That line’s been effective, and we’d like to see it continue, and he’s a big and take it to the next level,” he said. part of it.”

Their ability to keep scores low and find comfort in those types of games Those minutes have been up – Amadio had logged at least 16 minutes in is due in some part to Kuemper, who wasn’t going to sign with Los three straight before Sunday’s 13:35 – but along with raised minutes are Angeles as a UFA and was traded to Arizona two-thirds of the way raised expectations and competition. Amadio has one goal and one through 2017-18. Kuemper is 9-5-0 in his 14 appearances, leads the assist in the past month and will look to offer the production to best state league with a 1.85 GAA and ranks second with a .937 Sv%, and his case for a lineup spot where the Kings don’t have a great deal of commended the team’s ability to build off their second half a season ago depth. and continue to make strides in the direction they want to head. (L.A. is “I think Mods is a really good player,” Toffoli said. “He does a really good expected to face Antti Raanta tonight.) job of making the little plays, and some say he’s not that great of a skater, but at the center position, you keep your speed and your momentum, and he does a really good job with his timing – and that’s when he’s playing really well, when his timing is really good. Like I said, he makes those little plays and plays to himself that create space for him.”

Tyler Toffoli, on his role without the puck in the 1-3-1:

For me, I feel like I’m more backed off in the neutral zone. As you can tell, I’m at the red line. I think for me it’s not that big of a difference, but for the D, on the other side, I think that’s a big difference for them – when they have to kind of stand up there, they’re used to kind of backing off. It took a little time, but after training camp but for myself, I felt pretty fine with it all.

Toffoli, on how he and Carter have meshed with Amadio in the offensive zone:

All three of us can make those plays. When Carts is taking the puck wide, it creates space for us, as well. I feel like it’s been working pretty well and we’ve scored some goals here and just have to keep going.

Michael Amadio, on any defined roles along his line, or whether it’s based more on position:

In the D-zone, Carts is a center as well, but whoever’s the first forward low is going to be the center for the D-zone shifts, so the biggest thing for us is just communicating and talking and letting [each other] know where [we] are on the ice.

— Holiday ice dates! More information is here, but at a quick glance, here are your locations:

Westfield Topanga – 6100 Topanga Canyon Blvd. Woodland Hills, 91367

Opens Dates: November 15th – January 12th

Westfield Valencia Town Center – 24201 West, Valencia Blvd, Valencia, 91355

Open Dates: November 21st- January 12th

L.A. LIVE – 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, 90015

Open Dates: November 30th – January 12th

Each location will host a “kick off” to the holiday season, featuring appearances by Bailey, the LA Kings Ice Crew, LA Kings alumn and the such. These kick-off opening events are:

Holiday Ice Westfield Topanga – November 15th

Holiday Ice Westfield Valencia – November 22nd

L.A. LIVE – November 30th

— Tonight’s officials are referees Chris Schlenker and Graham Skilliter and linesmen Ryan Galloway and Trent Knorr. Thanks for reading, Insiders. Let’s talk soon.

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Buffalo hosts Minnesota in non-conference battle

By The Associated Press NOVEMBER 19, 2019 — 2:10AM

Minnesota Wild (7-11-2, seventh in the Central Division) vs. Buffalo Sabres (10-7-3, fourth in the Atlantic Division)

Buffalo, New York; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Buffalo hosts Minnesota in a non-conference matchup.

The Sabres are 6-2-2 at home. Buffalo has converted on 21.5% of power-play opportunities, recording 14 power-play goals.

The Wild are 3-10-0 on the road. Minnesota has given up 10 power-play goals, killing 83.6% of opponent chances.

The matchup Tuesday is the first meeting of the season between the two teams.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jack Eichel leads the Sabres with 13 goals, adding 11 assists and totaling 24 points. Sam Reinhart has four goals and five assists over the last 10 games for Buffalo.

Eric Staal leads the Wild with six goals and has recorded 14 points. Jason Zucker has totaled two goals and six assists over the last 10 games for Minnesota.

LAST 10 GAMES: Wild: 4-4-2, averaging 3.2 goals, 5.2 assists, 3.6 penalties and 9.4 penalty minutes while allowing 3.1 goals per game with a .900 save percentage.

Sabres: 2-6-2, averaging 2.1 goals, 3.1 assists, 3.5 penalties and 8.9 penalty minutes while giving up 3.4 goals per game with a .893 save percentage.

Sabres Injuries: Kyle Okposo: day to day (upper body).

Wild Injuries: Marcus Foligno: out (lower body).

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Wild-Buffalo game preview

Chris Miller

6 P.M. AT BUFFALO • FSN, 100.3-FM

Road has not been kind so far

Preview: The Wild (7-11-2) has the fewest points in the NHL and the league’s worst road record (3-10). Buffalo is 10-7-3 after losing 4-1 at Chicago on Sunday.

Players to WATCH: Sabres C Jack Eichel had four goals in Saturday’s victory over Ottawa and is 13th in the NHL in scoring (13-11-24). D Rasmus Dahlin, the top overall pick in the 2018 draft, was benched for poor defensive play Saturday by coach Ralph Krueger. He had 44 points in his rookie season and finished third in Calder Trophy voting. RW Victor Olofsson set an NHL rookie record by scoring his first seven goals on power plays. Former Gophers C Casey Mittelstadt (3-4-7) has played all 20 games. … C Eric Staal (6-8-14) leads the Wild in scoring but is also a team-worst minus-14.

Numbers: Buffalo is 6-2-2 and has a .258 power play percentage at home. … The Wild has a .122 power play percentage on the road but .833 penalty kill percentage.

Injuries: For Buffalo, C Kyle Okposo (undisclosed), C Vladimir Sobotka (knee), C Marcus Johansson (upper body), W Johan Larsson (upper body) and W Tage Thompson (undisclosed) are out. Wild W Marcus Foligno (lower body) and D Greg Pateryn (core muscle surgery) are out.

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Carson Soucy hopes he has shown enough to stick around with Wild

By Chris Miller Star Tribune NOVEMBER 19, 2019 — 12:08AM

Carson Soucy earned a surprise spot on the Wild roster this season as a 25-year-old rookie, and a difficult decision looms when veteran defenseman Greg Pateryn is cleared to play.

Pateryn had core muscle surgery at the end of training camp, opening up a spot on the third defensive pair that Soucy claimed. He has played in 17 of 20 games and leads the team in plus-minus (plus-4) as he gains NHL experience.

“Being here, it could be short-lived with the depth we have on D, so I just want to take it game by game and work on my consistency,” said Soucy, who scored his first NHL goal Saturday in an overtime loss to Carolina.

The bubble wrap is off Pateryn, who went through his first full contact practice Monday at Tria Rink before the Wild left for Tuesday’s game at Buffalo.

“He’s going to be in full practice all the time this week and probably we’ll make a decision,” coach Bruce Boudreau said. “When he gets cleared will probably be Wednesday or Thursday. We’ll see what happens then.”

What could happen is the Wild keeps eight defensemen. Odd man out Nick Seeler has played in only four games, but he would have to clear waivers to be assigned to Iowa of the AHL. Soucy could be sent down without waivers.

Soucy had a cup of coffee with the Wild at the end of the 2017-18 season when Ryan Suter was injured but spent all last season with Iowa after an unimpressive training camp in 2018.

This season, Soucy is making the most of his audition. Even though he describes himself as a “younger guy,” that’s only in-game experience. Defenseman Matt Dumba, for instance, is two days older than Soucy but has played in 342 more NHL games.

“There’s guys in there with a lot of games,” said Soucy, who is paired with 31-year-old Brad Hunt. “I was kind of nervous around them, knowing what they’ve done to get where they’re at. It’s been good to get a little more comfortable.

“There’s learning curves in every game. We’ve got the coaches and the other guys giving pointers, and that’s huge for a young guy.”

Soucy’s goal Saturday, which tied the score 3-3, came when he hopped up in the play and beat Hurricanes goalie James Reimer from the left circle after a nifty pass from Victor Rask.

Soucy’s not much of a goal scorer — he had 12 in 147 games at Minnesota Duluth from 2013 to ’17, and six in 133 games over the past two seasons at Iowa.

“My game is defense,” he laughed. “I had to look at the video a couple of times to see how I got so wide open.”

Moving up

Boudreau has been comfortable playing his third line of Luke Kunin centering Joel Eriksson Ek and Jordan Greenway against the opposition’s top two lines. In Saturday’s loss, Eriksson Ek and Greenway both had excellent chances to beat Reimer and win the game but were foiled.

“They’ve got really good energy, they like playing with each other, and they’ve all got pretty good speed,” the Wild coach said. “They’ve been responsible so far ... it’s hard not to like them.

“They like the responsibility [of playing against top lines] and it gives us the opportunity to get [Mikko] Koivu’s line or [Eric] Staal’s line against somebody else, if [Kunin’s line] can do the job. It makes for a good fit if it works out. Now, we’ve only done it on home games … it’s harder to do on the road. But our home record [4-1-2] is what it is for a reason. Get the good matchups, and our guys have risen to the occasion, for the most part.” 1162169 Minnesota Wild

Wild’s personal ‘GEEK Squad’ helping Minnesota fix problems

By DANE MIZUTANI | PUBLISHED: November 18, 2019 at 2:01 pm | UPDATED: November 18, 2019 at 2:30 PM

Maybe the Wild have found their own personal GEEK Squad to fix their problems.

Not to be confused with the techies that work for Best Buy, Jordan Greenway, Joel Eriksson Ek and Luke Kunin are helping Minnesota find its legs after a difficult start — and coach Bruce Boudreau couldn’t be happier.

“They are getting better and better,” he said. “That’s going to be a great line in the future for this team.”

And in the present.

There could be a legitimate argument made that Greenway, Eriksson Ek and Kunin have been the Wild’s most consistent combination over the past couple of weeks. They have been so good, in fact, that Boudreau has regularly deployed them against the other team’s top line.

“It allows us to get Eric Staal’s line and Mikko Koivu’s line against somebody else if they can do the job,” Boudreau explained. “I think they like playing with each other, and they have been very responsible, so far, when I’ve given them a job to do. It’s hard not to like them right now.”

It makes sense that the GEEK Squad has been so good together. Eriksson Ek is meticulously responsibility in both ends, Greenway brings a unique physical presence and Kunin provides some scoring prowess from in close.

“We all kind of bring something different to the table,” Greenway said. “We have just been able to build off each other. It’s been going great with those guys. We just want to continue to get better and build off what we started.”

It’s also helped that the trio has been able to develop some chemistry while playing together for a prolonged period of time. That wasn’t the case last month when Boudreau repeatedly shuffled the deck in search of some offense.

“It for sure helps to play with the same guys,” Eriksson Ek said. “You just get a feel for each other every game, you start to trust each other more and more and start to know where the other guys are going to be without even looking. It’s made things a lot easier for us.”

As much as the Wild would like the GEEK Squad to score with more regularity — between them, they have 6 goals and 20 assists in 20 games — if the three young players can become a shutdown line, that might be more than enough.

“We like that role,” Kunin said. “It’s a good challenge every time we get put out there against some of the best players in the league. It’s fun to shut them down, and we can also take advantage of those guys maybe cheating offensively and get some opportunities going the other way.

“It’s been going good, so we can’t change the way we play no matter who we’re up against.”

BRIEFLY

Injured defenseman Greg Pateryn is getting close to returning. He was a full participant in practice on Monday morning and is nearing 100 percent as he recovers from sports hernia surgery. “He’s going to be in full practice this week,” Boudreau said. “He’s probably going to get cleared on Wednesday or Thursday, so we’ll see what happens then.”

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Jonathan Drouin and Paul Byron out indefinitely as injury bug bites Canadiens

THE CANADIAN PRESS

Montreal Canadiens coach Claude Julien says forwards Jonathan Drouin and Paul Byron are scheduled to undergo surgery and will be out indefinitely.

Drouin suffered a wrist injury and Byron hurt his knee in the Canadiens’ 5-2 win at Washington on Friday.

Drouin was levelled by a thunderous check by Capitals star Alex Ovechkin in the second period, though the Canadiens say his injury came from an unrelated play in the third period.

“Obviously, he’s one of our best players,” Canadiens forward Max Domi said. “To be missing him now, it’s a tough pill to swallow. Other guys are going to have to step up. ... We all know we have the character in here for guys to step up.

“When someone goes down, it gives the opportunity for someone else. When you have the depth we have, it’s a good opportunity for guys to prove some stuff here.”

Julien said the team hopes to have more specific timelines within a few days.

He acknowledged it’s a tough blow for Drouin, who was off to a strong start with seven goals and eight assists in 19 games.

“We’re in a sport where injuries unfortunately happen,” Julien said. “We’re just going to hope it’s shorter than longer, and we’re going to hope he comes back the way he left us.”

Byron limped to the locker room late in the game at Washington. He has one goal and three assists.

The Canadiens recalled forward Charles Hudon from AHL Laval to help bolster the ranks.

“Injuries are going to happen along the way,” Canadiens defenceman Jeff Petry said. “It’s our responsibility in here for each guy to step up a little bit and pick up a little bit more to take care of that.”

Montreal, riding a six-game point streak, is in Columbus on Tuesday to face the Blue Jackets before returning home to meet the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday.

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Canadiens' injury double whammy gives Hudon, Weal new opportunities

PAT HICKEY, MONTREAL GAZETTE Updated: November 18, 2019

Things didn’t look good for Canadiens winger Jonathan Drouin when he was run over by Alex Ovechkin in the second period Friday in Washington.

Drouin was slow getting to his feet and when he reached the bench, he proceeded immediately to the quiet room, where he went though the NHL’s concussion protocol.

A clear-headed Drouin returned to the ice in the third period, but he wound up on the injured-reserve list the next day with a wrist injury.

As the Canadiens prepared to fly to Columbus for Tuesday’s game with the Blue Jackets (7 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio), head coach Claude Julien announced that Drouin was undergoing surgery on his wrist. He also revealed Paul Byron came out of the Washington game with a knee injury and he will undergo surgery Tuesday.

“We won’t know how long they’ll be out until after the surgeries,” said Julien. “You find out things once you’re in there and we’re hoping for the best news possible.”

The fact that Drouin underwent surgery is already a concern. A simple break doesn’t require surgery and there’s a recovery period of four-to-six weeks. If there is a compound fracture or ligament damage, the recovery could take longer. His agent, Allan Walsh, tweeted Monday that Drouin will be out for eight weeks.

After a disastrous finish last season, Drouin was off to the best start of his career with 15 points in 19 games. He was engaged at both ends of the ice and appeared ready to take the next step in his career after a summer of hard work on and off the ice.

“It’s happened to other players in the past,” said Julien. “They get off to great start and get hurt. I can remember (Steven) Stamkos in Tampa who was supposed to be going to the Olympics in Sochi and he was off to a great start and broke his leg crashing into a post in Boston. We’re in a sport where injuries unfortunately happen and we’re just going to hope that it’s shorter rather than longer and he’s going to come back the way he left us. Time will tell.”

Julien has a ready-made replacement for Drouin on the top line. Tomas Tartar started the season with Phil Danault and Brendan Gallagher and collected a goal and three assists in Washington while Drouin was being checked out. He has two goals and five assists in a four-game points streak and leads the Canadiens with 20 points.

Jordan Weal will get more ice time on the third line, while Charles Hudon has another chance to prove he can play in the NHL. He came up from Laval for Saturday’s game against New Jersey and was limited to less than eight minutes of ice time, primarily because there were nine penalties in the third period and Hudon wasn’t involved on the power play or as a penalty-killer.

“I just have to do my stuff,” said Hudon. “(Laval head coach Joël Bouchard) and me have been talking a lot and I’m doing what he’s asking of me. He wants me to have a good stick, forechecking a lot and finishing my checks. If I do that, the pucks come back to me and I have a good shot.”

This is the first of a back-to-back set with the Canadiens playing at home Wednesday against Ottawa. Carey Price will start in goal and Julien said he’ll wait to name a goaltender for the Ottawa game, but he’ll likely split the workload and give Keith Kinkaid another start at home. He took a similar approach last week and Kinkaid earned a point in an overtime loss at home to New Jersey Saturday after Price won Friday in Washington.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162172 Montreal Canadiens Subban played six seasons in Montreal and provided many exciting moments, most notably in the 2014 playoffs when he was the dominant player in that inspirational series against the Boston Bruins. I’ve never understood why fans ici boo the best players on the other team. Why What the Puck: Habs flying after 20 games, but clouds loom on horizon would you boo Sidney Crosby? But it’s even worse in the case of Subban. The Canadiens are looking better than expected after 20 games, but the team has tended to thrive in fall and fade in the winter. He made more of a connection to the community than any other non- Québécois player in the past two decades. What did Subban do Saturday

during the day? He zipped down to the Montreal Children’s Hospital to BRENDAN KELLY, MONTREAL GAZETTE Updated: November 18, visit a patient he knows who wasn’t doing well. 2019 So don’t boo Subban. You should be bigger than that.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.19.2019 It’s time for the quarter-season report card on your Montreal Canadiens.

There’s been lots to like about the Habs during their first 20 games and that’s reflected in the fact that they’re sitting pretty in second place in the Atlantic Division and fourth in the East.

But — you knew there was a “but” coming — for years, the Canadiens have thrived in the early part of the season and then faded after Christmas when the games toughen up and the points become harder to bag. So let’s wait for the midseason rating.

And news Monday morning makes it look like things are going to get tougher for the Habs sooner rather than later. Head coach Claude Julien announced that Jonathan Drouin and Paul Byron will be undergoing surgery, Drouin for a wrist and Byron for a knee. Both will be out indefinitely. It goes without saying that that’s terrible news for the team. Drouin has been Montreal’s best forward so far and was on pace for a career season. Byron, on the other hand, has been less effective.

Even I have to admit this team has done better than expected thus far. The unusual thing is they’ve made it to near the top of the standings without any superstars. This really is a team effort. Three of the four forward lines are almost always a potential threat though, oddly, the weakest link has been the third line.

The top line of Brendan Gallagher, Phillip Danault and Tomas Tatar has once again hit its cruising speed. Tatar, who had four points Friday in that extraordinary victory in Washington against the Capitals, seems to have stopped getting lazy penalties and is producing offensively. Danault looks great and what more needs to be said about Gally other than that he’s the heart and soul of this club.

Like everyone else, I’m also mighty impressed by the two rookies, Nick Suzuki and Cale Fleury. Did you see that beauty of a pass across the crease Suzuki made to Gallagher that resulted in a goal on Friday? The 20-year-old from London, Ont., has five goals and nine points in 20 games, which are perfectly reasonable stats. Fleury, who scored his first NHL goal Saturday, also looks solid on the blue line.

Speaking of defencemen, that fellow sure looks like a monster this fall, with six goals and 17 points in 20 games. Early on, that slapper wasn’t hitting the back of the net. Now it is, as we all saw when he just rocketed a Howitzer into the net Friday in Washington.

A buddy texted me Friday, when it was 4-0 for Montreal in Washington, and said: “Wow! Dipping my toe onto the bandwagon.”

Ha! I’m still waiting. Mostly it’s because it’s only mid-November.

The Habs have won the October Stanley Cup too many times for me to be sure this will last. There are issues, notably the play of Max Domi. He was possibly the team’s best player last season and he’s a shadow of his former self this year. It doesn’t help that he cost his team the game Saturday by getting that selfish four-minute double minor in the third, which opened the door for to score the tying goal. Domi has to be better if the team is to make the playoffs.

Just as worrisome is the sophomore slump of Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The 19-year-old Finn has two goals and one assist in 13 games. And in his first game back following a groin injury, he played only nine minutes Saturday, showing the coach still has doubts about him.

P.K. Subban: That was embarrassing to hear thousands of fans at the Bell Centre booing Subban every time he touched the puck. Canadiens fans are supposed to be classy, and that was anything but. You can believe the Habs won the Weber-Subban trade — it’s certainly looking good for Montreal — but that doesn’t justify booing Subban. 1162173 Montreal Canadiens

Injuries sideline Habs' Drouin, Byron indefinitely

Jonathan Drouin and Paul Byron will be out of the lineup indefinitely as the result of injuries they suffered in Friday night's win over the Capitals in Washington.

PAT HICKEY, MONTREAL GAZETTE Updated: November 18, 2019

Jonathan Drouin and Paul Byron will be out of the lineup indefinitely as the result of injuries they suffered in Friday night’s win over the Capitals in Washington.

Drouin underwent wrist surgery on Monday, and Byron is scheduled to undergo knee surgery on Tuesday.

“We’ll a better idea of a timeline after the surgery,” coach Claude Julien said after the Canadiens practised in preparation for Tuesday’s road game against the Columbus Blue Jackets (7 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio).

The Canadiens recalled Charles Hudon from Laval. He played Saturday against New Jersey and was sent back to the minors after the game.

Julien said Carey Price will start in goal, and he will wait to decide on a goaltender for Wednesday’s home game against the Ottawa Senators.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162174 Montreal Canadiens because what Petry is doing on the play is largely irrelevant in his decision-making process because he knows Petry has the speed to get back if he is also up the ice.

How the Canadiens can compensate for the loss of two key forwards by Then there was this against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday: leaning on their unconventional defence pairs When it is suggested to Mete that he doesn’t need to pay as much attention to what Petry is doing, he disagrees.

By Arpon Basu Nov 18, 2019 “Not less attention, but I think almost more risk, kind of,” Mete said. “I feel like we skate a little bit more together … I guess I would say Webby is more like offensive-defensive, kind of like a two-way. I feel like Petey is more just (an) offensive kind of thing.” When news drops that two important forwards will be having surgery and out of the lineup for the foreseeable future, the natural inclination is to The best example of why Mete doesn’t need to concern himself as much look at other forwards to compensate for that loss. with what Petry is doing as he does Weber came in the second period against the Capitals. Watch how a potential two-on-one against Mete is The Canadiens lost Jonathan Drouin and Paul Byron on Monday, two first neutralized by Byron getting back, but also how Petry is able to top-nine forwards, so their depth up front is going to take a hit. People recover and put an end to the threat: will look to Max Domi to break out of his slump and start producing at left wing. Or they can look to Jesperi Kotkaniemi to ramp up his game after Meanwhile, having Chiarot as a partner allows Weber to jump into the returning from his groin injury, or Artturi Lehkonen to start scoring, or Joel rush more often and initiate the transition game as well. Instead of Armia to pick up the slack and produce like he was at the start of the constantly looking to his left when he has the puck in the defensive zone season. They can also look to Jordan Weal and Charles Hudon, who are to give it to Mete, we’ve seen Weber head-manning the puck himself and taking Drouin’s and Byron’s spots in the lineup. making some crisp passes to forwards slashing through the neutral zone. So, another perhaps unintended consequence of these defence pairings It is true that all of those players will have to elevate their games to is that Weber has more of an offensive mindset. In the four games Weber varying extents to make up for the double-whammy of surgery has played with Chiarot, he has three goals and three assists. announcements Claude Julien dropped Monday after practice. But what if the true answer lies elsewhere, somewhere no one thinks to look The conventional wisdom that the ideal defence pair has one puck-mover because it is not typically the place an answer to a situation like this is and one stay-at-home type is being turned on its head a bit. found? So, what does that have to do with the loss of Drouin and Byron? While What if the answer is on defence and a new, unconventional set of Chiarot and Weber handle the heavy lifting with the tougher matchups, pairings that allows the top four to perform and — most importantly in this playing behind the top line of Phillip Danault, Brendan Gallagher and context — provide offence at an optimal level? Tomas Tatar more often than not, a line that doesn’t need much help to transition the puck from defence to offence, Petry and Mete can help the Julien put Ben Chiarot and Shea Weber together on his first defence other forward lines get through the neutral zone quickly and generate pairing on Nov. 5 against the Boston Bruins primarily to allow them to offence. face the top line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. That was the focus. But the residual effect was that Victor Mete A big potential consequence of losing Drouin and Byron is that the was paired with Jeff Petry. Canadiens’ overall team speed up front will be compromised; Weal and Hudon don’t exactly move as well as the players they are replacing. If the All Mete did was go out and score the second goal of his career. Canadiens are slower up front, their transition game might suffer. And the And then he scored another. transition game is the bread and butter of the Canadiens’ system. It is a big part of their identity. What’s important to note on the first goal is Petry’s positioning. He is the one who dove deep into the offensive zone and made the pass to the Having Petry and Mete together would help mitigate that, ensure the middle that was ultimately deflected out to Mete in the slot. transition game remains on point and take some calculated risks to make sure the puck stays in the offensive zone a bit longer. “Luckily, it went in,” Mete said, “but if it didn’t, (Petry) was probably already on his way back just in case.” “When I look at it, in most years I’ve been paired with a guy who was more of a stay-at-home D that you know if you’re going to jump, he’ll be Mete was right, to a certain extent. Petry (No. 26 below) was actually back there,” Petry said Monday. “But I guess it gives you the same behind the net when Mete shot it, but he was heading back in the right comfort knowing you have a guy that skates so well there with you as direction and, with the way he can move, probably could have recovered well. So you have the ability to stay in the play a little bit, try to keep the in time if the Bruins took it the other way off the rebound. puck in, stay at the offensive blue line knowing that he can skate across if somebody gets behind you.” This is the essence of why the pairing works, at least in Mete’s eyes, because there is a certain level of comfort in situations like this. And the It is difficult to know whether Julien will keep Chiarot with Weber together comfort is mutual. on a more permanent basis or if he will pull that weapon out only against teams that have one big forward line that needs to be shut down. “It’s kind of like we are almost always more going forward,” Mete said prior to the Canadiens’ game in Washington last Friday. “Like, you’ll see He might continue to tailor his defence to his opposition, but an argument sometimes that we’re both in the offensive zone. When I’m playing with could be made that the injuries to Drouin and Byron put Julien in a Webby, one of us is back. But we’re both (Mete and Petry) kind of fast position in which he can’t afford to separate Mete and Petry if he wants enough to get back if we do get caught.” the Canadiens to continue playing fast.

Later that evening, Mete showed exactly what he was talking about. All The Athletic LOADED: 11.19.2019 these plays happened in the first period in Washington, and what is important to note in each one is how little hesitation Mete has before getting involved in the play offensively.

Here, Mete jumps into the slot to make himself available for a pass, the puck gets turned over and Petry is already back there, but Mete also manages to get back quickly enough to neutralize the threat.

Same here, as Mete is near the goalmouth looking for a loose puck when it is cleared, but Petry is back there and Mete also gets back shortly thereafter.

There were two other occasions in the first period of the game in Washington in which Mete jumped up aggressively and without hesitation, knowing Petry would back him up. He doesn’t hesitate 1162175 Montreal Canadiens “I’m at that point now, but the first couple of exhibition games and even into the season you’re a little bit hesitant, and when you’re hesitant that’s when the mistakes can happen,” he said.

The Canadiens’ new additions needed time to adapt. A detailed look at Acclimatizing to a new team also means having to get used to a raft of what that involves off-ice factors as well. What’s the practice schedule like? Which stats do the team track? How does the team handle travel arrangements?

“There’s so many little things nobody knows about. Like meetings, when By Sean Gordon Nov 18, 2019 they happen, who goes to power play and penalty kill, and when,” he said.“Everybody has a team chat, instead of iMessage it’s WhatsApp for

the Habs; getting to the airport is different, bus times are different. Then For this exercise, you are an NHL player who has just joined a new team. you have a different locker room, with guys who have been together for a while.” You have questions. Ah yes, the room. For example: OK, now that practice has started, where exactly am I supposed to be in this system drill? Because unlike the previous guy, Players all love to talk about how hockey guys are hockey guys, so your new coach might not want his forwards close to the boards near the they’re all basically similar and you almost certainly know a guy who defensive blue line. played with this or that new teammate – it’s a cliché because it’s true. Cousins, for example, played with Max Domi in Phoenix and Dale Weise “I remember my first practice here, I stood on the wall as a winger the and Jordan Weal in Philadelphia (and briefly Arizona), also he trains in first four times, probably. Finally, one of the coaches came over and said the offseason with former Canadien Andrew Shaw. ‘uh, OK, what are you doing, because that’s not how we play’,” the Canadiens’ Nick Cousins laughed. “Little details like that, you want to get That doesn’t mean integration is automatic or seamless. it down pat as soon as you can.” Cousins, who is a talkative sort, said “I just try to stay a little bit quiet at The 26-year-old Cousins had played 259 NHL games before signing with first, feel everybody out and go about my own business. I’m comfortable Montreal as a free agent this past summer. But just because you’ve been now, so I’ll pipe up.” around for a while doesn’t mean there isn’t an adaptation period upon He’s on his third team (“call me Suitcase,” he quipped) so he’s getting landing in new surroundings. used to adjusting. That goes for rookies like Nick Suzuki the same as it does for veteran The kid defencemen like Ben Chiarot, another July acquisition, or Nate Thompson, a 35-year-old centre who came over before last winter’s trade Imagine being the guy, toast of the town, playoff MVP, among the very deadline. best in the world in your age group and you arrive in a room where you’re just another first-round draft pick. Basically, a third of the guys in there But what does the familiarization process actually entail? When hockey can make the same claim. players talk about needing time to feel comfortable in a new system or style, what specifically do they mean? Everyone was a star at some point before they came to the NHL, and though Suzuki’s first quarter-season in the big league has gone about as Given the Canadiens have now played 20 games, or roughly a quarter of well as can be reasonably expected for a 20-year-old first-year pro, it has their season, we decided to ask three players who joined the club from also required a whole lot of adapting. other teams this year, and one acquired in mid-stream last season, about their experience. There’s moving into the apartment the team provides its rookies in a condo tower adjacent to the rink (he lives there with fellow youngster The mid-career guy Cale Fleury, who joined the organization at the minor league level a year To follow up on what Cousins said, here’s one unique thing about being a ago.) There’s figuring out the written and unwritten rules of an NHL room winger in Claude Julien’s game plan. He generally wants his forwards and how to get to and from the practice facility. Oh, and there’s coping further from the boards than is customary so they’re able to angle toward with playing with and against the world’s best players. the opposition from the middle of the ice outward in the neutral and So what’s the biggest challenge, Nick? defensive zones. “Coming from junior, there’s a lot more attention to detail, I think,” he “Being a winger in the neutral zone, we come in through the dots instead said. “And your compete level day in and day out. It has to be higher.” of just being on the wall, that’s probably been the biggest adjustment,” Cousins said. “As a centreman, you’re used to being in the middle but As far as the specific details he’s had to take care with: the intricacies of (Claude) likes all three (forwards) in the middle of the ice to try and get body positioning along the boards and in open ice (if you’re above the speed. Instead of stopping and post up, he likes us coming in through the puck when you’re supposed to be below it in any one of the three zones, dots.” expect to be made to pay), stick positioning to disrupt passing lanes, when to help in the defensive zone, where to battle and where to retreat. It sounds like a small, simple thing in theory, we’re talking about a distance of one or two strides, tops. But in practice, it takes time to get “In junior, I could forecheck a defenceman and get my stick on a lot of used to if you’ve been playing another way for the last four or five pucks,” he said, “but these guys are so good at finding little spaces and seasons, as Cousins had. little seams, you have to do a way better job of getting your stick in the right place.” When coaches talk about “the little details,” this is the kind of stuff they mean. Where a player is supposed to start from, and where he’s The speed of the game is often cited as the biggest difference between supposed to end up, who he’s supposed to cover. the elite junior ranks and the NHL, that’s how it manifested itself for Suzuki. There’s a lot more than that, of course. A non-exhaustive list: stick position in the defensive zone, reading the options on break-outs and Some players never quite manage to reach the point where they can which routes to take both in your own end and on the offensive zone make rapid-fire decisions at NHL pace, that’s not a huge problem for forecheck. Suzuki, whose biggest asset might be his lightning-quick brain.

“All five guys have to be aware of what every other guy is going to do; Even still, it takes some time to get used to no longer having the half-a- repetition in practice ends up translating into the games, everything just stick-length of space that you’ve had all of your life, or the quarter-second comes second-nature, you don’t have to think, you just know someone’s of extra time that a lesser defender would take to close down a shot or going to be there or whatnot,” he said. “But you need to have that pass opportunity, which you quickly realize NHL regulars don’t need. repetition.” “I’m feeling more like myself, for sure,” he said. “The first few games Cousins said he’s at the stage now where he doesn’t have to think about you’re definitely tentative, hesitant, whatever word you want to use. I feel where a teammate is going to pop up in a given situation (in an NHL confident making plays, more confident with all the guys in the room.” game, having to take time to think = bad things). Over the last 10 games, he’s scored three goals and racked up points at “Knowing what to expect from guys is the biggest thing,” Chiarot said. a 50-point pace, despite limited and somewhat sheltered ice time. “Knowing where guys are going to be on breakouts, knowing how they’re Whatever the case, this is what Confident Suzuki looks like. going to attack the offensive zone, you need to actually see it for a while before it becomes automatic.” The big-ticket free agent He makes a good point, there. The speed of the game is such that Ask Ben Chiarot and he’ll tell you: his first two or three weeks in a players aren’t usually waiting to spot a teammate, or for an opening to Montreal uniform were a work in progress, the last 10 games have felt materialize. No, more often than not, these guys are anticipating plays like he’s finally up to speed. that haven’t yet happened, making split-second decisions based on “I’d say ever since about game five, I’ve started feeling better. The idea familiar patterns. The best hockey involves trusting that your teammate when you come into a new situation is to work out the kinks early, build a will show up at the appointed spot at the right moment. Trust takes time. solid foundation and build from there,” he said. After playing Boston recently, Cousins identified the Platonic ideal of The numbers bear that out. In his first 10-game segment as a Canadien, teammates who have an instinctive feel for one another’s game (i.e. Chiarot ended the night on the losing end of the even strength shot-share chemistry): Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. battle six times, with a negative expected goals differential seven times “It’s outrageous,” he said, “they’re not even looking and it’s on the tape, and with 35 high-danger scoring chances against (compared to 29 for, then all of a sudden someone’s wide open cross-ice. It’s crazy. That’s per NaturalStatTrick.com). what everyone is trying to get to, as a line and as a team.”

In his last 10, the story has essentially been a mirror image. The grizzled vet

Despite playing heavier minutes, especially since he was paired with If there is a competitive advantage in acclimatizing to new circumstances, Shea Weber against Boston on Nov. 5, the Canadiens have ended the it lies in having done it a bunch of times. Repeat something often enough night with a positive shot share and expected goals differential all but and odds are you’ll get good at it. twice when Chiarot is on the ice. Nate Thompson has played in seven NHL organizations and is the 23rd- He’s been out there for 29 high-danger chances from the opposition and oldest player in the league. By the time he arrived in Montreal, via trade 39 at the offensive end. Chiarot has also scored four of his six points on from Los Angeles, he was good at packing and unpacking, and at getting the season since Nov. 5. his family settled in a hurry.

These aren’t perfect metrics and playing with better teammates probably “A guy who’s never been traded before, maybe it’s harder to feel at home helps Chiarot. But there’s no arguing he isn’t a better player for the – I guess that’s my advantage, I’ve been traded a few times,” he said. Canadiens than he was in the early going. Unlike the others mentioned above, Thompson arrived in February, with Chiarot said the biggest challenge for him has been to adapt to a new only six weeks or so left in the regular season and the Canadiens way of thinking. The example he cites is when it comes time to exit the chasing a playoff spot. zone – as Julien pointed out in a recent news conference, Chiarot’s former employers in Winnipeg prefer to keep the puck along the boards There wasn’t much time for him to learn the system tweaks or what the where their big-bodied forwards can battle for it. Montreal coaches liked to do on, for example, faceoff plays. In his case, his experience came to the fore. Montreal, by contrast, likes to exploit the centre of the ice where possible, and the prime directive is to move the puck quickly to teammates who “There’s maybe a half-dozen variations on what any given team is trying are already in full stride. Most teams nowadays also like their to do with faceoffs,” he said, “but like with every team, the most important defencemen to use the little dead areas below and inside the faceoff dot part is making sure everyone’s on the same page and knows what the and chip pucks into there so a forward who’s curling back can pick it up, plan is.” but again there are nuances from team to team and from line to line. As with anything else, it requires timing to work effectively. Despite the fast pace of innovation in the NHL, there aren’t a million permutations when it comes to neutral zone forechecks and defensive There’s also the subtleties of transition play and learning where the coverage schemes. When Thompson was asked about the level of forwards will seek to exploit counterattacking lanes (Weber, you’ll notice sophistication that goes into systems, he said: “I don’t think it’s overly has this down to a science); as the year has progressed, Julien has sophisticated, but maybe that’s because I’ve been around for a while asked his defencemen to storm up the ice in support of the forwards, all now. It’s really about knowing what every guy on the ice’s job is, knowing of a sudden the Montreal blue line, as a group, leads the league in goals. his position; the main thing is communication. Talking off the ice makes A lot is happening, even if you’re not new. things a lot easier.”

“It’s a big change when you’ve played in the same place for five years, Not overly sophisticated is not the same thing as unsophisticated; there’s a lot to process,” he said. “You’re not out of sorts exactly, but Julien’s system involves lots of defensive switching, and what The everything is different.” Athletic’s Justin Bourne describes as defending in layers. The idea is that even if an opponent succeeds in getting around a Canadiens defender, Right, but what things? there will be another in close proximity to prevent a clear lane to the net. “Like, literally everything,” he laughed. Other teams use the approach, but as Thompson said, “every coach is different when it comes to specific details of what they want, some Here’s Chiarot breaking the puck out for Winnipeg in last year’s playoffs, coaches are more vocal about it.” his first option is up the boards and though he has a man slashing through the middle and at least a little time to evade the forechecker, up In other words, it’s not rocket science or even an NFL playbook, but the boards it will go: there’s a correct way of doing it, and the way that will get you benched. Like Chiarot and Cousins, Thompson said the key to quickly feeling And here he is doing it against Philadelphia on Nov. 7, note how he’s comfortable is to understand your teammates’ tendencies, or “how they focused on exploiting the middle of the ice from the entire time. The like to play, what they expect in a certain situation.” result is good on multiple levels: Does this player want you to put the puck ahead of him? Does that one The newness is not just system-wise. The practice facility routine, the prefer to handle toward his backhand side? Is this other guy going to game-day setup, the food, the equipment and training facilities — want me to go to the net or find space for a return pass? Players are everywhere you look there’s something and/or someone new. Just incredibly perceptive when it comes to habits and tells, which is partly getting everyone’s name right is a challenge. why deception is An Official Thing and is ingrained in young hockey players now. Chiarot arrived in Montreal in more or less ideal circumstances; it was the offseason, he had time to find a place to live and to meet with coaches Thompson is surely right to focus on communication, why try and piece and teammates well ahead of time. There was an opportunity to Watch together a player’s preferences by watching when you can just walk up video and to take the ice for some informal sessions before training and ask? But that’s not always a straightforward proposition for a camp. It helped. But it wasn’t enough. Nothing short of playing against an younger guy. NHL opponent is. When he arrived in Montreal, perhaps the biggest adjustment was a stylistic one. He’d played all but 40 games of the previous six seasons in the Western Conference.

“Different teams have different styles,” he said. “I came from L.A. where it was a heavier game . . . the east is faster, so I had to get used to thinking fast, playing fast, knowing when guys are going through, when guys are going wide. For me that was the biggest thing to get used to, the different style of game.”

Consider that Thompson was a factor essentially from the moment he joined the club; his role as the fourth-line centre may not be as demanding as that of the No. 1 guy, but the point is he did his job well, and immediately.

It has taken less than two months for Cousins, Suzuki and Chiarot to go from meeting their teammates at the club’s charity golf tournament to playing their best hockey for the team. Actually, Suzuki wasn’t invited to the golf tourney, or if he was he couldn’t make it.

When you look at everything that goes into joining a new team and reaching peak efficiency on the ice, the surprise isn’t that it takes so much time for players to adjust.

It’s that it takes so little.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162176 Montreal Canadiens Because you can still see the sun. HEY @CANADIENSMTL FANS. HTTPS://T.CO/USRYMY033P

— (@CRAIGJBUTTON) NOVEMBER 16, 2019 Melnick’s weekly GBU: A potential season-defining moment in Washington said a lot about these Canadiens THE GOOD

· Tomas Tatar: Quite the week he had playing away from his usual linemates and with them again, briefly, while Drouin went through By Mitch Melnick Nov 18, 2019 concussion protocol in Washington. He stayed out of the penalty box, but a poor decision late in the game against Columbus led directly to what appeared to be a game-winning goal by Zach Werenski with less than I’m not sure when I started to think that maybe the Montreal Canadiens two minutes to play. But moments later Tatar made up for it by slamming turned an important corner. Perhaps it was Carey Price’s big save on home the game-tying goal. Claude Julien dropped Tatar from the Danault Alexander Ovechkin early in the first period Friday in Washington, since line because of his continuous string of bad penalties, which was also an Ovechkin seems to always beat Price with one of those shots (as he did indication that the veteran winger was not focused enough nor playing on a Washington power play much later in the game). Or maybe it was with the same passion and intensity we saw from him most of last keeping the game scoreless against the hottest team in the NHL in their season. Message delivered loud and clear. Tatar’s four points in rink through the first 20 minutes. Washington was not only his most productive night as a Hab, it was a career high. Another assist Saturday against New Jersey was his But certainly, it was the way they reacted after Jonathan Drouin felt the seventh point in four games, moving him atop the Canadiens’ scoring list wrath of Ovechkin who was in full tank-splattering mode when he nailed with 20 points. And the Habs suddenly have a player among the top 25 Drouin, who had his head down, inside the Washington zone in open ice. scorers in the NHL, with Tatar tied for 20th. I had difficulty believing Drouin would be able to get up. But he did, clutching his head while ever-so-slowly skating off the ice and directly · Carey Price: Price was in top form at home against Columbus as he into the quiet room behind the Canadiens’ bench. helped steal two points and then recorded a rare win in Washington with a couple of key saves early before the Canadiens blew it open with four This was a pivotal moment. It was the speed and skill and smarts of the goals in just over eight minutes in the second period. First NHL goalie to Habs against the speed and skill and smarts and size and nastiness of record 10 wins this season. Added a touch of class Tuesday night when perhaps the best team in hockey just one calendar year and change he was beaten by rookie Eric Robinson who was left alone in front of him removed from their Stanley Cup championship. and squeaked a shot through Price’s pads. It was Robinson’s first NHL And look what happened. goal. Price flipped the puck to Riley Nash before the Columbus forward moved to pick it up for Robinson, who was playing in his 15th NHL game. Montreal’s best and most experienced players took control of the game. But it wasn’t just the usual suspects – Shea Weber, Brendan Gallagher, · Shea Weber: The latest Weber-Subban match up was a struggle for Phillip Danault, Tomas Tatar, Jeff Petry. Rookies Nick Suzuki and Cale both players who log so much ice time and it showed in their second Fleury looked like young veterans. Victor Mete was almost literally flying. game in two nights. Subban’s turnover inside the Montreal zone led A fourth line of Nate Thompson, Nick Cousins and Jordan Weal played directly to the opening goal by Gallagher. Weber’s turnover behind his tic-tac-toe games deep inside Capitals’ territory. net led directly to the Devils’ first goal. And Wayne Simmonds’ late game- tying goal on a power play was among the easiest he’s ever scored, as Even when the inevitable Ovechkin goal was scored and a late he tapped the puck into an open net after sneaking behind Weber. But breakaway by Evgeny Kuznetsov finally brought some energy into their the Habs’ oldest defenceman was outstanding against Washington. And building, you didn’t get the sense the Caps were about to mount some he was pretty good against Columbus as well, after he took back-to-back dramatic comeback. Not the way the Canadiens were playing. tripping penalties in the first period while no doubt feeling a lot less than perfectly healthy fighting a virus. Weber’s goal in Washington, a shot When Tatar clinched the win with an empty-netter, after a faceoff win by from the boards near the left faceoff circle, was the kind of shot that only Thompson gave Montreal control of the puck, I thought maybe the 2019- a small number of players could execute. He had Caps goalie Ilya 20 Canadiens were a better team than I thought when the season began Samsonov, in just his eighth NHL game, ducking on the shot. He’s likely (a bubble team battling for a playoff spot – just like last season). never seen anything remotely like Weber’s shot, either in Magnitogorsk I know we can all get caught up in a moment. And the Habs struggled or in Hershey, Pennsylvania. It reminded me of something Andrew mightily on home ice three nights earlier to beat a Columbus team that Hammond did on a shot from the other side of the ice by Subban at the has several issues and then followed up the emotional win in Washington Bell Centre during the Habs-Ottawa playoff matchup of 2015. Weber has by coughing up the lead and the game on home ice Saturday against points in six consecutive games. He’s up to 17 for the season. Only six New Jersey. NHL defencemen have more. I’d love to know what he said to Ovechkin in a brief on ice conversation after the Capitals’ captain obliterated But I think what happened in Washington was a lot more meaningful. Drouin. When that game ended, the team that had scored the most 5-on-5 goals in the entire NHL was the Montreal Canadiens. There is a long way to go. · Nick Suzuki: Ice in his veins. Threaded the needle to set up Tatar to About 75 percent of the season still needs to play out. send the Habs-Blue Jackets game into overtime and then a shootout that was won by Drouin and Price. In Washington, Suzuki again showed They still need to figure out how to improve their penalty kill. The power tremendous poise at the side of the net as he waited for Gallagher to play shows real signs of life even as a nagging concern or two remains. shake free of his check before sending a perfect feed towards But seeing a 20-year old rookie on it is a welcome sight as opposed to a Gallagher’s blade before it was deflected into his own net by sign of desperation. And, like almost every team in the era, Washington’s Jonas Siegenthaler. And there he was again Saturday they’ll need to stay free of lengthy injuries to their best players. night against New Jersey, at the side of the net to slap in a loose puck And then general manager Marc Bergevin can act on one of the many that was sent there from inside the blue line by Max Domi. I love the way serious conversations he’s having with teams already looking to rebuild Suzuki slithers his way out of traffic to find soft spots in the offensive or retool. zone. I feel like I’m repeating myself here but, it’s also impressive to see him anticipate where the puck is going and getting there before it does. So that dark cloud that emerged Saturday at the Bell Centre that seemed This is a special player. Yeah, he made a bad cross ice pass on a power to affect almost everyone, including the referees, isn’t going to keep play at a critical time that led to a goal by Nico Hischier with just one hanging there. second to play in the second period Saturday. It was a game changer. But overall, Suzuki is slowly climbing the rookie scoring ladder. He’s third It’s like being on your favorite beach in the summer. As soon as you get in goals and seventh in points. And it seems like he’s just starting to roll. your beach towels and chairs set in the sand (and maybe an umbrella (“He’s not big enough, he’s not strong enough, he doesn’t skate well too), you sit or lie down. Breathing easy. Relaxing. Then you start to enough, blah blah blah”) apply some sunscreen. It’s almost perfect. But within seconds the sun is gone. Then you feel a couple of raindrops. While some people scatter · Cale Fleury: First NHL goal Saturday was a beauty with the move of a with their belongings you look out at the horizon. And up. And you don’t seasoned vet as he skated in from the slot to beat MacKenzie Blackwood move. with a nifty backhand shot. A few moments later he saved a certain goal when a carom off the backboards gave the Devils an empty net to shoot · Paul Byron: Now there is definite reason to be concerned. Friday’s at, but Fleury slid out to block the shot. Other than one notable giveaway, 300th game as a Hab in Washington was forgettable, except for the late Fleury hardly seemed overwhelmed playing his first game against leg injury he suffered. Seems like all those breakaways/scoring chances Ovechkin and the Capitals. he used to produce while shorthanded have gone to Nate Thompson. Maybe an injury reset will eventually get him going. · Phillip Danault: With a nod to Tatar, Danault might have been the best player on the ice Friday night in Washington. Considering the setting and · Artturi Lehkonen/Joel Armia: Armia has predictably cooled off. He’s still circumstance it was one of the best games I’ve seen him play. For a few getting shots away but they’re being stopped or he’s missing the net. I minutes late on Saturday it looked like he had followed it up with the don’t think anybody expected 30 goals from him. After scoring in three game-winning goal after getting tripped into the crease by Subban. His straight games in late October, Armia is 0-for November (nine games). impressive nudge of the puck over the goal line by using his thigh might He’s still on pace for well over 20 goals. Lehkonen? Since scoring a goal have come from watching Alouettes’ head coach Khari Jones shake ‘n in garbage time in Dallas he’s gone another six games without one. bake on the sidelines. Danault clearly forced the puck over the line but it was impossible to tell on replays if it was totally voluntary or if it was the THE UGLY result of contact from behind by Blackwood who was scrambling to reach · Ovechkin hit on Drouin: “It’s hockey. Not a ballet,” said Ovechkin after over Danault’s prone body to grab the loose puck. It was a sad bit of Friday’s game. He’s right. The problem wasn’t the contact but what irony that Danault watched the Devils win the game in overtime while happened after Ovi hit Drouin, as his momentum took his forearm into sitting in the penalty box for hooking, but a proper ending nevertheless Drouin’s face and bounced his head off the ice. The Habs say Drouin’s for one of the most bizarre games in recent Bell Centre memory. current injury isn’t related to the hit. Ok, it’s possible. After he returned for · Jeff Petry and Victor Mete: Terrific week. Petry logged over 32 minutes the third period, Drouin took a couple of more heavy hits along the Tuesday night against Columbus. Other than a miscue that led to a late boards. Short term, the Canadiens should be able to cover, especially if Kuznetsov breakaway goal that in the end was meaningless, Mete was Domi can find his game. But what happened can also serve as a outstanding at both ends of the ice. His confidence is clearly at an all- reminder. It’s still big boy hockey out there. Especially at playoff time. time high. Just imagine this Habs team with a winger who can combine skill, size and physicality. What they used to call a power forward. · Ben Chiarot: Like Weber and Subban, Chiarot showed some signs of fatigue Saturday night. He had the puck on his stick but waited too long · Ron MacLean: It must have been incredibly difficult for MacLean to prep to clear it before losing control and the Devils eventually tied the game. and deliver his remarks in the aftermath of the gong show edition of But again, overall, whether it’s playing alongside Weber or feeling much Coach’s Corner the week before. It was raw but that was only part of the more comfortable in new surroundings or a combination of the two, reason it was difficult to watch. For me, it was too private. Why talk to Chiarot is eating up a lot of ice time while making it mostly difficult for Cherry directly if you had already spoken to him during the week? I give opposing forwards and showing the ability to also create some offence. him marks for trying to maintain balance on an uneven bar. Ultimately, His fake shot and perfect feed to Weber in Washington is an example of the blame for the mess lies not on MacLean or even Cherry but the a play that few fans thought they’d see from him. people at /Sportsnet who should have seen a moment like it coming from years or even decades away. The Cherry · Jordan Weal: He lives. Like a lot of Montreal skaters, Weal took apology tour (“I should have said ‘everybody’ instead of ‘you people’. No, advantage of a gaping hole in Caps’ coverage down low almost all night he should not have said ‘You people that come here…’) was even more on Friday, using a strong goal scorers background to bury his third goal difficult to watch, especially his cringe-inducing hit with that great of the season, pretty good production for a winger who has played just 12 defender of Canadian freedom, Tucker Carlson. No doubt Don will pop games. up somewhere else that will encourage him to pop off, but here’s a real chance for Sportsnet to enter a new decade with a fresh approach to · Keith Kinkaid: Once again kept his team in the game with a series of informing and entertaining Canadian hockey fans. Meanwhile, Montreal terrific saves – my favorite being the shorthanded breakaway by Hischier viewers got a slice of inadvertent black humor after MacLean’s emotional when Kinkaid clearly anticipated the young star going five-hole on him as sign-off: a blaring commercial for “Pure Lift” (a concrete repair service) if he’d seen the move before in practice. Seconds later, Kinkaid sagged with a sell line covering the TV screen that read “Breaking up is hard to noticeably after Hischier beat him along the ice to give the Devils some do.” much needed life heading into the third period. Maybe one of these nights, the likeable Kinkaid won’t have to work so hard to earn a win. In The Athletic LOADED: 11.19.2019 his four starts he’s faced 150 shots on goal.

· Charles Hudon: It was good to see him again. Riding a hot stick in Laval. It’s just too bad a parade to the penalty box in the third period kept him on the bench.

THE BAD

· Max Domi: He’s going through his most difficult stretch as a member of the Canadiens. It’s been tough watching Domi trying to create offence alongside wingers who, for the most part this season, can’t find the net even if they skate right into it. Add to that, perhaps, the issue of a new long term contract hanging over his every move and you can understand Domi going into full-on press mode. Trying to do too much. Trying to do it himself. Trying to skate and stickhandle through NHL players like he’s back in London. But his frustration over his inability to score – no goals in seven games and a Lehkonen-like one goal in 15 games – didn’t translate into taking silly penalties. In fact, it was kind of the opposite. He seemed at times too passive. Difficult as it was to believe, Domi entered Saturday’s game against New Jersey without taking a single penalty this season. With Jesperi Kotkaniemi healthy enough to play and Suzuki looking as good as he is, it’s no wonder Domi was moved to his more natural position at left wing. He did set up Suzuki’s goal but that was a 5- on-3 power play. His two minor penalties on the same play on another Montreal power play helped send the Canadiens to an unexpected loss on home ice. Domi owned it fully post-game when he said, “it won’t happen again.” Domi is too talented not to get going again offensively. With Drouin out for at least a week and the Habs’ next three games against teams that are, at this moment, out of the playoff picture, I’d say the timing couldn’t be better for him to snap out of his funk.

· Ryan Poehling: The Habs desperately need some size up front but Poehling clearly needs more time to develop in Laval. 1162177 Nashville Predators have reached 300 in a season since the Predators have been in existence.

But consider this: Ryan Johansen has been held without a goal in 18 of 3 ways the Predators can snap out of their slump 19 games this season. His only two came Oct. 10 against the Capitals. He has no goals in his last 27 shots.

Viktor Arvidsson has six goals in 19 games, a good nine goals behind his Paul Skrbina Nashville Tennessean Published 6:53 AM EST Nov 18, pace of last season, when he set a franchise record with 34 in just 58 2019 games. He has just one goal in his last nine games, which has included 20 shots on goal.

Offense obviously isn't the obvious problem. Obviously the numbers If the playoffs began today, the Predators would be out of the picture for likely will work themselves out. When, though, is the question. the first time since 2013-14. Special teams But they don't start today. As mentioned, the power play, which finished last in the league last And the Predators are far from out of the picture. season, isn't the problem. But the penalty kill, at least in spurts, has Yes, the team has lost six of seven. Yes, they've given up goals at an been. alarming rate of late. The Predators are in the bottom third of the league at 75.4%. An Yes, it seems like the sky is falling after a record blowout loss to the improvement from the beginning of the season, but still a concern. Avalanche, quickly followed by an ugly loss to the Blackhawks, with a They've allowed 15 power-play goals in 19 games and are eight-worst in shootout loss to the Sharks sandwiched between. the league.

But April is a long ways away. A lot can — and probably will — happen Improve here and the results will be a lot different. during the next 4 ½ months. There are 63 games remaining. Now is no time to panic. Now is no time to rest easy. And, let's face it, the law of averages typically kicks in somehow or Tennessean LOADED: 11.19.2019 another.

"It probably has something to do with it moving through the course of the year," Predators coach Peter Laviolette said after the Blackhawks loss, which he referred to as confusing. "At the end of the night there are going to be over 30 chances for. I’ll take those 30 chances. A lot of them are inside the zone. There is a lot of good things that we did and we couldn’t get the puck to drop. ... There are things we can do better."

Last season the Predators looked like early Stanley Cup favorites, opening a franchise-best 12-3 before injuries to key players humbled them.

Still, they were able to win their second consecutive division title.

Still, they fell in the first round of the playoffs, just like every other division winner.

This year, despite an 8-3-1 start, isn't last year, though.

This year the Predators have a power play. They have a capable offense. They're also 1-4-2 in their last seven.

So what's been plaguing them?

Here are three ways the Predators can be better, and likely will.

Defense

There's no way around it. The third pairing has been, well, not very good. Whether it's Dan Hamhuis and Yannick Weber or Hamhuis and Matt Irwin.

Most teams don't have game-changers here, but too often this season the Predators have been exposed when in their third pairing. This could be an area general manager David Poile will have to address sooner rather than later. There doesn't seem to be much help in Milwaukee.

Hamhuis and Weber have allowed 16 high-danger chances against and have just 12 for despite playing just over 100 minutes together, landing them at 42.86%, according to naturalstattrick.com. Hamhuis and Irwin are at 46.67%.

As a whole, the Predators have allowed 64 goals, an average of 3.36 per game.

Offense

Sounds crazy, considering the Predators have scored 70 in 19 games, fourth in the league. That 3.68 per game hardly seems sustainable. That's 302.1 for the season.

Only four teams — the Lightning (319 last season), Capitals (313 in 2009-10), Senators (312 in 2005-06) and Red Wings (301 in 2005-06) — 1162178 New Jersey Devils

Devils to place Cory Schneider on waivers after recalling goalie Louis Domingue from AHL | What it means

By Chris Ryan

The Devils placed goalie Cory Schneider on waivers at noon on Monday. If he clears on Tuesday, he will report to the Binghamton Devils for an AHL assignment. The news was first reported on NJ.com’s Devils Insider.

The team recalled goalie Louis Domingue from the AHL on Monday. He was on the ice for the team’s morning practice at Prudential Center in Newark, wearing No. 70. Mackenzie Blackwood also practiced.

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Given Schneider’s $6 million cap hit and contract that runs through the 2021-22 season, it’s unlikely another NHL will claim him. That will allow him to sort out his struggles on an AHL assignment.

“The way the schedule comes now, it lends itself (to an AHL assignment). We didn’t see him getting in a lot of games over the next couple weeks,” Devils coach John Hynes said. "When a player, particularly a goalie, when you’re not going to have a lot of opportunity to play, it’s hard to get your game back and get the game reps that you need and the confidence that you need. You can’t just do it through practice or pregame skate.

“Looking at that was a situation where we feel like it’s an opportunity for him to go down and play, and that’s if he does clear.”

Schneider posted a 4.59 GAA and .852 save percentage in six NHL games this season, and he’s is still searching for his first win.

“We addressed it with our players, and unfortunately it’s part of the business, but it’s explained too that this isn’t the end of the road with Cory, too,” Hynes said. “It’s an opportunity for us to be able to help him and get his game to where it needs to be. We had a similar situation with him last year where it worked out really well. Went down to Binghamton and played and got some footing for himself, got his game back and came back and played well for us later in the year.”

Domingue was acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Nov. 1, where the Devils sent a conditional 2021 seventh-round pick to the Lightning in exchange for the goaltending depth. That pick will go to the Lightning only if Domingue plays in seven or more NHL games this season, appears in one or more playoff game, or is traded prior to the 2020 NHL Draft.

In four games in Binghamton, Domingue posted a 2.25 GAA and .918 save percentage. In 26 NHL games last season, Domingue posted a 21- 5-0 record with a Lightning, boasting a 2.88 GAA and .908 save percentage.

Star Ledger LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162179 New Jersey Devils

Why all signs point to Devils’ Taylor Hall breaking out of scoring funk soon

By Chris Ryan

Snakebitten wouldn’t be a strong enough term to describe Taylor Hall’s scoring luck through 19 games this season.

The 2017-18 NHL MVP has just two goals to his name through the Devils’ opening stretch of the season, with his last coming on Nov. 1 against the Flyers.

He still leads the Devils in scoring by a comfortable margin, posting 17 points thanks to 15 assists, including two primary helpers in Saturday’s 4- 3 OT win over the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre in Montreal.

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“Just got to keep working for the goals. I think I’m getting inside a lot more,” Hall said at the conclusion of the team’s Western Canada road trip last week. “The chances are close to the paint or close to the slot. Hopefully things start to turn.”

The lack of goals isn’t from a lack of chances. Hall leads the Devils with 70 shots, 115 shot attempts and 55 scoring chances. Only Wayne Simmonds holds a higher expected goal total than Hall’s 5.67. Simmonds is at 5.94, thanks to a bulk of his attempts coming in high-danger spots.

The puck simply hasn’t gone in the net for Hall. His shooting percentage is currently 2.86 percent — the lowest of any Devil who’s scored at least one goal this season.

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And for Hall personally, that’s well below any number he’s ever posted in his career. His lowest shooting percentage in a single season was 8.4 percent in 2016-17, when he still scored 19 goals in his first season with the Devils.

Hall’s shot and attempt generations are also on par with his past seasons. His 11.7 shots per 60 minutes is a higher rate than his 10.44 per 60 he posted last season while scoring 11 goals in 33 games. His 8.86 scoring chances per 60 minutes would rank as the second lowest of his career for a single season, but he’s finished between 8.85 and 11.26 during every NHL campaign.

In short, Hall’s doing every necessary to generate goals. The puck simply hasn’t gone in so far this season. If Hall continues to rack up shots and attempts at his current rate, he’ll eventually start to change that.

Star Ledger LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162180 New Jersey Devils Schneider was so good the Devils signed him to a seven-year, $42 million extension in July of 2014. It was a move that had to be done at the time, even if that contract didn't age well.

NJ Devils place goalie Cory Schneider on waivers: What's next for the "It could have been a lot worse for a few of those years," captain Andy team and player? Greene said. "We just couldn’t play well enough in front of him to reward him for those couple seasons. It’s unfortunate today, Not that it’s over, but it’s unfortunate today that this has happened."

Abbey Mastracco, NHL writer Published 11:50 a.m. ET Nov. 18, 2019 | Two seasons ago, when the team finally made it back to the playoffs, Updated 8:20 p.m. ET Nov. 18, 2019 Schneider helped get them there through the first half of the season before hip and groin injuries took him out of action. Keith Kinkaid, now

with the Montreal Canadiens, took over in through their stretch run and NEWARK — Cory Schneider was acquired to usher in a new era of New Schneider had hip surgery after the season. Jersey Devils hockey. That era may be coming to an end. Mackenzie Blackwood emerged as the goalie of the future with a strong The Devils placed the veteran backstop on waivers Monday at noon with rookie campaign last year, and the Devils went into the season hoping the purpose of assigning him to Binghamton of the American Hockey Schneider would make at least 30-35 starts behind him. But in six this League in order to improve the shortcomings in his game. There may be season, he put up a .852 save percentage. a path back to the NHL, but at the moment it seems tenuous. This sharp decline was somewhat unexpected after a solid performance In his place, New Jersey called up Louis Domingue, the veteran backup in the IIHF World Championships over the summer and a very good acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning a few weeks ago. training camp. Through four games with the Binghamton Devils, Domingue owned a "We were talking about not too long ago at training camp, how confident .918 save percentage. he looked, how good he looked, and then the first two periods against "(General manager Ray Shero) spoke with Cory about that yesterday and Winnipeg he looked unbelievable," Greene said. "And then he just kind of hopefully, if he does clear waivers and goes to Binghamton, then it’s not from there, for whatever reason, he wasn’t playing the way he wanted the end of the road here for us," coach John Hynes said following to." practice at RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House on Monday. "It’s an Schneider brought an optimistic outlook to the rink each day. He became opportunity for us to help him and for him to help himself, get his game an important figure in the development of Blackwood and even Jack where it needs to be and it will be good for both parties." Hughes, the Devils' first overall pick in the draft in June. Hughes has The 33-year-old Schneider has a $6 million cap hit and a contract that been living with Schneider, his wife Jill and their two young kids at their takes him through 2022. He also has a full no-trade clause, but not a no- house in Short Hills. movement clause, which allows the Devils to send him to the AHL should But with the team desperately trying to hang on to momentum gained he clear waivers. from winning five of their last eight, it was time. If this is the end of his Mar 15, 2019; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; New Jersey Devils NHL career, it's a sad one. But the Devils are hoping it's not over just yet. goaltender Cory Schneider (35) awaits the start of play against the "We’re scratching and clawing here for wins," Hynes said. "We come off Vancouver Canucks during the first period at Rogers Arena. two, Mackenzie is playing well, the schedule lends itself to where we can This move was inevitable after Schneider's last start 10 days ago in go back to him for sure tomorrow and then go from there. We believe it’s Edmonton. He allowed four goals in a game where the Devils controlled an opportunity for him to get an opportunity to get his game back to the possession and generated more offense than the Oilers. But New where he and we would like it." Jersey lost 4-0 and Mackenzie Blackwood hasn't ceded the net since. Bergen Record LOADED: 11.19.2019 It became clear that the team was uncomfortable using Scheider over the weekend, when Blackwood started back-to-back games for the first time in his career.

"We didn’t see him getting into a lot of games in the next couple weeks," Hynes said. "When a player, particularly a goalie, isn’t going to have a ton of opportunity to play, it’s hard to get your game back and get the game reps that you need and the confidence that you need. You can’t just do it through practice or pre-game skates. Looking at that, it was a situation where we feel like it’s an opportunity for him to go down and play and that’s if does clear."

An AHL conditioning stint worked for Schneider last season when he was struggling after a return from hip surgery. An abdominal strain forced him to go on injured reserve and he then spent some extra time in Binghamton trying to regain whatever it was that he had lost.

At the time of his demotion, he was off to the worst start of his career with a .852 save percentage and a 4.66 GAA. But he showed vast improvements in his return still managed to salvage his numbers and finish with a .903 save percentage.

Brought over from the Vancouver Canucks by former Devils’ general manager and team president in exchange for the No. 9 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft (the Canucks used the pick to select Bo Horvat), Schneider was the heir apparent to hall-of-game goaltender 's throne. It's a tough assignment for a young goalie on the rise and the timing was never right.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Boston College product appeared to be on the path to greatness until injuries set him back over the last few years of his career. He anchored the Devils through the early days of their rebuilding process. Schneider wasn't able to play behind a winning team until 2017- 18. 1162181 New Jersey Devils

Devils waive Cory Schneider amid continuous struggles

By Justin TaschNovember 18, 2019 | 11:48am | Updated

Cory Schneider’s spot on the Devils’ NHL roster became untenable.

The veteran goaltender will be placed on waivers Monday at noon, the team announced, the culmination of several injury-plagued seasons and a vast decline in performance. He’ll be assigned to AHL Binghamton if he clears waivers as expected.

Schneider, 33, has a 4.59 goals against average and .852 save percentage in six starts this season. The Devils are 0-4-2 in those six games. He’s under contract through the 2021-22 season with a $6 million cap hit per year. Schneider would still carry a $4,925,000 cap hit if his contract is buried in the minors.

After being acquired from the Canucks before the 2013-14 season, Schneider split goaltending duties with Martin Brodeur before taking over for the Devils legend the following season. After an excellent first few seasons in Newark, he has a 3.12 GAA and .901 save percentage in 72 regular-season appearances over the last three years, including this season.

Mackenzie Blackwood, 22, has drawn most of the starts this season for the Devils, putting up a 2.79 GAA and .904 save percentage in 14 games (13 starts).

In a corresponding move with Schneider being waived, the Devils called up 27-year-old Louis Domingue from Binghamton to serve as Blackwood’s new backup.

New York Post LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162182 New Jersey Devils 3. New Jersey had a 20-9 advantage in shots on goal and a 23-17 advantage in shot attempts. There isn’t public data that tracks actual time of possession (yet), but it’s fair to assume the Devils had the puck a lot in the first period. ‘Weird is the only way I can describe it’: Trying to make sense of the Devils’ controversy-filled win in Montreal That wasn’t necessarily the case after an official dropped it on the ice. Montreal won 16 of the 24 faceoffs in the first period. This is yet another reminder that faceoffs are overrated, and particularly at even strength. The ones on special teams can mean more, but when both teams have By Corey Masisak Nov 18, 2019 five skaters on the ice, what a team does in the seconds after the puck is dropped means more than who gets a faceoff win in the box score.

MONTREAL — Taylor Hall was walking through the visitor’s locker room 4. A new NHL rule this season states, if a goaltender covers up a dump- late Saturday night at Bell Centre when he asked what time the team bus in from beyond the center red line, his team will not be able to change was leaving for the airport. players and the opposing team can choose where the faceoff takes place (the same punishment as icing). Handling the puck is not one of The answer he received from a Devils team official stopped him in his Blackwood’s strengths at this point in his career, and there have been a tracks. His eyes found the digital clock in the room and a look of couple of adventures with him trying to adjust to this change. bewilderment passed over his face. Then it hit him: The game he had just participated in, one of the weirdest and wildest of his NHL career, had None quite like this one … taken nearly three hours to complete. Blackwood was about to cover the puck, remembered the rule and … The Devils defeated the Canadiens 4-3 in overtime. For comparison’s flipped a behind-the-back pass to no one in particular, sending the puck sake, New Jersey’s season-opening game that featured a goalie injury into the far corner. I didn’t see Damon Severson after the game, but you and a four-round shootout took 13 fewer minutes to complete. The wonder what was going through his mind when he realized Blackwood longer-than-usual affair was due in part to the fact it was a “Hockey Night had just pulled off an NBA move. in Canada” game and it needed overtime to declare a winner. The Devils did get the puck out of the zone, but ended up icing it a few But this was far from a normal Saturday night tilt. One near-hero became seconds later. So what Blackwood was trying to prevent happened a scapegoat, and one scapegoat became a hero. anyway.

At one point, there were 12 penalties called in less than 23 minutes of 5. Canadiens defenseman Cale Fleury is going to remember this game game play. The Canadiens thought they had scored a game-winning goal for a long time, for good reasons. It was nearly for another reason after with 47.3 seconds left in regulation, but league review revealed a bizarre this ill-timed mishap. set of circumstances led to the puck crossing the Devils’ goal line and it Kinkaid moved up to the hashmarks to meet Wayne Simmonds and cut was waived off. off any angle for him to collect a gift of a goal. Hall also suggested that Montreal’s Keith Kinkaid, making his first start 6. Jesper Bratt is listed at 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds. Joel Armia is listed against his former team, played a role in the length of the game. The at 6-foot-4 and 213 pounds. Bratt had three hits in 15 games before goaltender, Hall said, has earned a reputation for hanging onto the puck Saturday night, when he got his money’s worth on No. 4. and forcing extra faceoffs, thus lengthening the game. The game featured 74 faceoffs, up from the Devils’ average of 60 prior to Saturday P.K. Subban went tumbling into the net to the left of Blackwood during night. the first period. Because Subban knocked the cage off its moorings, the Devils were not allowed to change players and the Canadiens picked the This was a game that was worth a second (and in some places, a third spot for the faceoff (another new rule). and a fourth) look. Upon further review, it’s easier to see why Subban nearly went face-first So, after a decent night’s sleep in frigid Montreal, I went back and re- into the post. Montreal’s Brendan Gallagher gave him a shot to the face watched the contest to compile a comprehensive list of everything weird in the first 37 minutes of the game. Gallagher might have been ejected and wild that happened Saturday night at Bell Centre. had he done this once the parade to the penalty box started. First period 7. This was the first time the Devils faced their old friend, Keith Kinkaid. 1. The Devils spent most of the final two periods Friday night in Newark Hall said the barrage of shots on goal early in the game were not a result clinging to a lead and watching the Penguins put goaltender Mackenzie of who was in the Montreal net. Blackwood under siege. Shot attempts at 5-on-5 in the final 40 minutes That said, the Devils had a clear mandate going into the game: Get to the were 47-15 in favor of Pittsburgh, including 29-5 in the third period. Still, net. And they didn’t mind if there was some collateral damage because of New Jersey survived with a 2-1 win. it. Miles Wood, noted speedster who has collected some big on-ice car The Canadiens went to Washington and gave the league-leading crashes, hit Kinkaid twice in the first period. The second one resulted in a Capitals a spanking, collecting nearly 60 percent of the shot attempts, heavy collision. scoring chances and expected goals in a 5-2 win. One night later, these 8. The HNIC broadcast had this clip ready after Wood barreled into two teams convened in Montreal, and the Devils turned the start of the Kinkaid. This incident happened during a Devils-Canadiens matchup in game into their personal shooting gallery. 2016, and the GIF doesn’t show how far Jeff Petry dragged Kyle Palmieri New Jersey put up 20 shots on goal in the first period, and nine more in nor the last punches from Carey Price. Imagine if this had happened in the first 4:06 of the second. The Devils did not reach 29 shots on goal in Saturday’s game, two days after the Myles Garrett fiasco in Cleveland. 10 of their first 18 games. They had 29 in this game with nearly 36 Or if Palmieri had been knocked out by the initial punch. There was no minutes left in regulation. supplemental discipline for Price.

2. The Devils were special ops assassin-level accurate in the first period. 9. Palmieri bumped Kinkaid well after the whistle early in the second At one point, New Jersey was credited with 19 shot attempts, and 18 of period. After the game, Palmieri called Kinkaid’s reaction a dive. You can them were registered as shots on goal. By the end of the period, it was see him start to make the diving motion with his glove at the end of the 20 of 23. clip.

How did that happen? Well, the official scorers were a little generous on This was yet another incident that could have resulted in a penalty, but it a couple of shots. The Devils had at least two that were clearly going happened in the first 37 minutes. Palmieri and Kinkaid likely would have wide of the net, but Kinkaid caught them. They had another two shot each earned two minutes for this in the third period. attempts that were not counted as blocked or missed. That’s a bit of an 10. Despite the heavy advantage on the shot clock, the Devils nearly inexact science. went into the first intermission trailing by one goal after a Gallagher But still, NHL teams don’t often put nearly 95 percent of their shot deflection. Nikita Gusev made sure it was a tie game again. attempts on net over a 15-minute period. He had two great looks, both set up by incredible Blake Coleman passes. Hall and Palmieri both said they couldn’t remember a period like that. Kinkaid got the first one, but had no chance on the second. The officials called nine penalties in total, including a double-minor.

Gusev had five shots on goal in the first period, setting a personal single- Here’s a full rundown: game record in his first NHL season. He added a sixth early in the second, matching his best two-game total before Saturday night. — Montreal’s Jordan Weal was assessed a four-minute minor penalty for … Jack Hughes skating into his stick. Maybe that’s a savvy move by an Second period 18-year-old rookie. Maybe it’s an example of how the high-sticking minor vs. double-minor decision can be perplexing at times. 11. The Canadiens grabbed a 2-1 lead when Cale Fleury scored his first NHL goal, and it was a pretty one. It also came one what essentially — The Devils were trailing by a goal and had a big chance to tie the turned into a 3-on-1 to Blackwood’s right, even though the puck already game with four minutes of power-play time. They took a penalty for too was in the New Jersey zone to the goaltender’s left. many men on the ice 1:25 into a subpar power play.

John Hayden checked Gallagher near the boards, but he actually hit him — Domi, after drawing a slashing call on Subban in the second period into Simmonds. That dislodged the puck and took two New Jersey with only one hand on his stick, got called for hooking Hall with a one- defenders out of the play. Phillip Danault collected the loose puck, got it handed tug. That gave the Devils a brief 4-on-3 and a short 5-on-3. to Fleury and he had a clear path to the net once Andy Greene committed to taking away his first pass option. — Brett Kulak was docked for an illegal hit to Coleman’s head. Looks like he missed him. 12. Hall has two goals this season, despite a team-leading 70 shots. He’s tied for 15th in the NHL in shots on goal. Every other player with 65 or — Simmonds negated a second Devils power play by taking a hooking more shots has at least five goals. He finished this game with nine shot penalty while fighting for the puck behind the Montreal net. The HNIC attempts, which included six individual scoring chances. He hit the post broadcast called it a makeup call, either from the “hockey gods” or the twice, and those weren’t even his best chances to score. officiating crew.

For the first 55 minutes of this game, a familiar story was playing out. Hall — Later, after a full 65 seconds of 5-on-5 time, Wood took a high-sticking was generating chances, for himself and for teammates, but he wasn’t call. There was 8:53 left and the Devils were still down a goal. But, 11 getting rewarded for it. seconds later …

Case in point No. 1 … — Domi made a poor decision, backhanding Coleman’s stick away from him after they had collided. This is the moment when things got really Hall was nearly gifted a goal by a weird bounce off the boards. But Fleury weird: Domi got two minutes for interference and two more for did his best Marc-Andre impression, sprawling out in front of the crease unsportsmanlike conduct. to thwart Hall’s first shot. Then Kinkaid made an against-the-grain save on the second shot. — After a hard shot rattled Kinkaid’s mask, he tried to get the officials’ attention that play needed to be stopped. They called Palmieri for a 13. Case in point, No. 2 … cross-check a couple seconds after Kinkaid’s mask broke to stop the proceedings anyway. Gusev hit the left post from the right point and, after another fortunate bounce, passed on a shot from the slot to try to get Hall a layup. Petry 18. Despite the nine penalties in less than 11 minutes, two potential slightly disrupted the pass and ended the danger when Hall couldn’t one- infractions went unpunished. time the puck and tried to pull it around Kinkaid’s outstretched leg for a stuff attempt. Ben Chiarot might have gotten away with head-butting Simmonds. I saw them come together after the whistle and my first thought was, “Wait, did 14. Case in point, No. 3 … he just head-butt Simmonds?” A replay shown on the scoreboard reinforced it. But given the rest of the chaos in the game, I wanted to see That’s a nearly impossible angle for Hall skating away from the net on his a clearer replay before confirming my suspicions. backhand. He did hit the post, and it looked like a certain assist, but Will Butcher shanked his shot into the rough. Well, neither broadcast of the game — MSG Networks nor HNIC — showed the confrontation. But HNIC analyst Garry Galley must have also 15. Remember how the Devils roared to a 29-9 lead on the shot clock in seen it, either live or on the scoreboard replay, because he said, “Chiarot a little more than 24 minutes? They had exactly one shot on goal over and Simmonds have a little word-to-word, and Chiarot actually head- the next 12:12 that came on Hall’s second try after the weird carom. Hall butted him with his helmet. I’m surprised he didn’t get a penalty there.” and Gusev each hit the iron during that stretch, but in the Devils’ most trigger-happy performance of the season, they still had a near-dry spell (This is Simmonds, clearly miffed, complaining to multiple officials about that lasted almost 20 percent of the game. it).

16. The HNIC broadcast noted that both of these teams have been 19. This next play looked questionable for Victor Mete from the opposite plagued this season by yielding goals in the final minute of periods. New angle, but then this angle … yikes. Jersey gave up a 3-on-5 goal to Montreal’s Nick Suzuki with 1:18 remaining in the second period, but then the Devils got it right back to cut That might have been an interference penalty even before all the rules the deficit to 3-2. changes and rules reinforcements after the 2004-05 lockout.

Nico Hischier, in the top-four of the penalty kill rotation because Kevin 20. New Jersey was officially 0-for-4 on the power play and trailing by a Rooney is injured, had two glorious chances while Montreal still had the goal. Then the Devils made a beautiful tic-tac-toe play that led to a 5-on-4 advantage. Kinkaid stopped the first one … Simmonds goal and a tie game.

… but couldn’t get the second one. 21. Then came the strange goal that eventually wasn’t. This was the big one. Two great passes from Pavel Zacha during the sequence. Also, that’s New Jersey’s first shorthanded goal of the season. They have scored 10 The play started weirdly, because of course it did. Shea Weber’s stick goals when playing 4-on-5 in each of the previous two seasons. shattered when he tried to blast the puck on net. It went to Gallagher and left the Devils out of position because they had braced for the Weber Third period 103-mph fastball and got an eephus pitch instead.

17. There were no penalties in this game until Subban was called for Gallagher threw it toward the net. Danault tripped (or Hischier tripped slashing Max Domi’s stick at 17:47 of the second period. That began one him). Then the puck went off Danault’s lower-half twice. The first hit him of the craziest barrage of penalties after nearly two-thirds of a “clean” closer to his knee as he attempted to propel the puck forward with his game. body.

It started with the two penalties on the Devils late in the second period — Then, it looked like the puck hadn’t crossed the goal line, but Danault Subban’s and a hooking call on Severson. Then the third period felt was just sitting on it. So he again appeared to give it a nudge, this time farcical at times. The officiating crew did not cover itself in glory in this with his upper thigh. Blackwood was trying to reach for it, but Danault period. was in the way. Did Hischier close his hand on the puck, which would have resulted in a penalty shot? Canadiens players definitely thought so. The officials called this a good goal on the ice, then the NHL situation room determined it wasn’t. The referee said it was no goal because the puck was kicked into the net, which led to more confusion in the arena, but here was the league’s official response:

“Video review determined Phillip Danault illegally directed the puck into the New Jersey net with his leg. According to Rule 78.5 (i), apparent goals shall be disallowed, “When the puck has been directed, batted or thrown into the net by an attacking player other than with a stick. When this occurs, if it is deemed to be done deliberately, then the decision shall be NO GOAL. A goal cannot be scored when the puck has been deliberately batted with any part of the attacking player’s body into the net.”

Danault, for one, did not agree with the call.

“I think they stole the game,” he said. “First of all, that was a good goal. Second of all, I was pushed into the net. On top of that, their player put his hand on the puck, so it should be a penalty shot. The referee said he didn’t see it. I imagine he didn’t look closely at the replay.”

Overtime

22. Remember when Hall was the frustrated star who couldn’t score, and Danault thought he had just led his team to an improbable victory with a wonky goal in the final minute of regulation? Well, Hall went streaking up the left wall in overtime, and drew a hooking penalty for the second time in the game. This one was on Danault.

With him in the penalty box, Hall found Palmieri for the game winner. Hall finished the game with two primary assists and two drawn penalties to go with all of his shot attempts and individual scoring chances.

“(Hall) stayed with it, made some key plays at key times,” Devils coach John Hynes said. “That’s what makes him a good player. If he’s not scoring, it’s how else can he help us win? It’s defending or how hard he’s playing or setting other players up. (Saturday) he did all of that.”

This was certainly the Devils’ weirdest game of the season. It was also the second frantic finish in as many days, and the second win against a team in the top eight of the Eastern Conference in that span.

“It was just … yeah, I think weird is the only way I can describe it,” Palmieri said. “You go out there (in the third period) and I don’t know even know how many 5-on-5 shifts we got. Then with the disallowed goal in the last minute. It was a lot of crazy stuff happening, but I’m sure it was pretty fun to watch.”

— Additional reporting from Arpon Basu, Montreal Editor in Chief.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162183 New York Islanders

Islanders a focused group with a chance to make franchise history

By Brian Heyman

The date was Feb. 21, 1982, and the Islanders were skating inside “The Igloo,” aka the Pittsburgh Civic Arena. They were on their way to claiming the third of their four straight Stanley Cups, but they lost this game to the Penguins, 4-3, bringing a franchise-record 15-game winning streak to a screeching halt.

That’s also the franchise record for consecutive games with at least one point. Now the Islanders have a chance to tie it nearly 38 years later. They’re 13-0-1 in their last 14 games and can match the mark Tuesday night against the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.

“I had no idea,” said after Monday’s practice in East Meadow. “I don’t think this group is really looking at that. It’s pretty business as usual on this streak. It hasn’t really fazed us. We haven’t really been even talking about it . . .

“So, I mean, it would be a cool thing to maybe accomplish. But, again, we’re just worried about the next game, and hopefully we can get some points.”

Besides the effort, disciplined play and many contributors, a big reason why they have this point streak has indeed been the fact they haven’t gotten wrapped up in it.

Streak? What streak?

“I just think with anything, we just sort of go game by game,” coach said. “We don’t talk about any records or anything like that. To me, the league is so good. If you don’t think about just your opponent right in front of you, you’re not going to have success. Or you’re going to have varied degrees of success.

“I just think we’ve been really good at just focusing at the task at hand. And the task at hand is Pittsburgh and nothing past that really.”

Pittsburgh ended the Islanders' 10-game winning streak Nov. 7, edging them 4-3 in OT at Barclays Center after the Islanders took a 3-0 lead into the third period. They’ve won three straight since.

“We’ve never really thought about what we’re doing,” Casey Cizikas said. “We’re just playing hockey, and that’s kind of the best way to do it.”

The Islanders saved the point streak Saturday night in Philadelphia, climbing out of a 3-0 hole in the third to win 4-3 in a shootout.

“It’s not about this streak,” said Anthony Beauvillier, who has scored twice in each of the last two games. “It’s about playing the right way and getting better every day.”

Still, he allowed that 14 straight games with a point is “pretty impressive.”

“We’ve faced some really good teams,” Beauvillier said. “Obviously, it’s really fun winning, so we want to keep that going.”

Notes & quotes: Cizikas will be playing in his 500th NHL game, all with the Islanders. “It means a lot to me personally,” the center said . . . Left wing Matt Martin (lower body) was cleared for contact in practice for the first time since getting injured Oct. 25. Trotz said he won’t play Tuesday night, but added, “I think past that, then he’s probably a viable option.”

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162184 New York Rangers

Rangers’ call-up Tim Gettinger could help fix penalty-kill problem

By Larry Brooks November 18, 2019 | 8:23PM

The Rangers broke even at five-on-five during their fruitless visit to Florida last week that produced regulation defeats in Tampa and Sunrise. But while scoring six goals at full strength against the Lightning and Panthers on Thursday and Saturday, respectively, the Blueshirts were outscored 7-0 on special (easy for you to say) teams.

And so on Monday, the Rangers drilled down on penalty-killing at practice in the wake of that unit being torched for seven goals on 10 disadvantages down south. The Rangers rank 29th in the NHL with a 72.9 percent penalty-kill efficiency after finishing 27th with 78.2 percent a year ago. The team’s shorthanded save percentage of .847 is 10th from the bottom of the league.

“Obviously we need to do a better job of understanding what our responsibilities are and have to be quicker in making decisions,” David Quinn said. “We did a walk-through clarifying what our responsibilities are.

“These last two games have been a disaster from the penalty-kill standpoint. We’ve got to be better.”

Tim Gettinger, recalled from the AHL Wolf Pack on Sunday in the corresponding move to Lias Andersson’s demotion, was working on the penalty kill. That was part of the 6-foot-6 forward’s portfolio with the Wolf Pack under coach Kris Knoblauch.

Tim GettingerRobert Sabo

Andersson had the best goals-against ratio among the Blueshirts’ regular rotation of penalty-killing forwards, on for a goal every 8:15. Mika Zibanejad has been on for one every 7:31, Brett Howden one every 7:15, Ryan Strome one every 5:34, Jesper Fast one every 4:58 and Greg McKegg one every 4:48.

“I take a lot of pride in my defense and penalty killing,” said Gettinger, who played four games with the Rangers from Nov. 24, 2018 through Dec. 1, 2018. “PK for me is big.”

Gettinger will play the wing on the fourth line with McKegg in the middle and Brendan Smith on the other flank. The 2016 fifth-round, 141st-overall selection, had six points (two goals, four assists) in 17 games upon his promotion. He’s a no-frills guy.

SEE ALSO

The questions surrounding Lias Andersson's Rangers future

“I’m just looking to come up and do here what I did [in Hartford],” Gettinger said. “Use my size, move my feet, be physical and just keep doing what got me here. I can be a net-front presence, be physical down low, taking pucks to the net and creating chaos down there.”

While perhaps helping the Rangers to minimize chaos on the penalty kill.

Zibanejad, who skated on his own before Monday’s practice, was ruled out of Wednesday’s Garden match against the Caps by Quinn. The coach said No. 93 continues to make progress from the neck/upper-body injury he suffered on Patrice Bergeron’s punishing reverse hit late in the first period Oct. 27. This will mark the 10th straight game missed by Zibanejad, who missed nine games two years ago in the wake of a concussion.

Kaapo Kakko, knocked out of both games in Florida by the flu, practiced in full but was not at full strength.

Micheal Haley cleared waivers but had not been assigned to the Wolf Pack as of Monday afternoon.

New York Post LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162185 New York Rangers “There’s got to be consistency to his game and one of the things he’s got to work on is playing faster,” said Quinn. “That’s a simple answer but a lot of times it is the answer for a lot of players.

Everything is on the table for Rangers when it comes to Lias Andersson “He’s got to play faster, it’s got to be a little bit quicker from one play to the next. It’s not just skating fast, it’s playing fast. There were times he did that but there were times when he wasn’t playing quite fast enough.”

By Larry Brooks November 18, 2019 | 3:44PM Through two-plus years, Andersson has gone nowhere fast for the Rangers. Maybe he needs a move to the wing. Or maybe just a move out

of the organization. Credit is owed the Rangers for treating Lias Andersson as they would New York Post LOADED: 11.19.2019 any other young prospect required to earn minutes and not as an entitled seventh-overall selection of the 2017 entry draft that the Swede was just hours after the club had obtained that pick in the Derek Stepan deal with Arizona.

Credit to the front office led first by Glen Sather and now by John Davidson for not directing David Quinn to abandon his principles and give the youngster ice time the coach did not believe Andersson had warranted in order to make what appears an unwise draft decision look good.

But now that Andersson has been dispatched to the AHL for the third straight year, this becomes all about whether there is a path back to New York for the 21-year-old and if so, whether it might make more sense to shift Andersson to the wing once he suits up for the Wolf Pack.

For with a healthy Mika Zibanejad, Ryan Strome, Filip Chytil and Brett Howden all ahead of Andersson on the varsity depth chart, a vacancy in the middle does not seem to exist. Even if Strome moves to the wing when Zibanejad returns from the neck/upper body injury that will sideline No. 93 for a 10th straight game Wednesday at MSG against Washington, that leaves only a minimal fourth-line role available for the third-year pro.

That is exactly where we came in and where Andersson went out after having played 3:55 in Saturday’s 4-3 defeat in Florida during which he had one third-period shift, did not get so much of a second on an inadequate penalty-kill unit and sat for the final 16:59. If Andersson’s ultimate upside following 66 NHL games in which he recorded nine (3-6) points while getting an average of 10:33 per is unknown, it is pretty clear the Rangers won’t draw it out of him if he continues in that role.

“We’re open to everything,” Quinn said when asked about shifting Andersson to the flank, where he lined up 10 times for the Rangers last season. “I think moving Lias to wing is an option, too.

Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

“I think if he plays well, there’s an opportunity on the wing. I think everything is on the table for him if he goes down there and plays well and if we bring him up, maybe we do put him on the wing. But at his age I want to continue to give him a fair opportunity in the middle.”

Ah, but the question is whether Andersson did get a fair shot in the middle when skating limited minutes between Brendan Smith and either Greg McKegg or the now-waived Micheal Haley, none of whom has ever been mistaken for Artemi Panarin.

“I get that, and everybody talks about that, but there are things in this game that you need to do regardless of who your linemates are,” the coach said. “This isn’t about points. This is about, you watch the game and a player should be doing this and they’re doing that, a player should be doing this quicker and they’re not doing it quick enough, a player should be physical and they’re not physical. That has nothing to do with who your linemates are.

“I’m not just talking about Lias. I’m talking in general. A lot of players think along those lines and that’s a big mistake, that’s a big mistake if that’s what players are thinking because you should be able to be an effective player regardless of who you’re playing with. There are things this game is going to demand and you should be able to do them regardless of who’s on your wing or your D-partner is, or whoever. There’s an easy evaluation process for an individual.”

This isn’t Chytil II (or Chytil III). When the Rangers dispatched No. 72 to the AHL following a disappointing camp, they held that second center spot open for him. There is no such opening reserved for Andersson, who may or may not be able to increase his value as a trade chip by playing well in Hartford, for whom he recorded 34 points (11-23) in 61 games the last two years. 1162186 New York Rangers I'll buy that Howden has been slightly better than Andersson this season, but he hasn't been particularly good, either. He’s a bigger player, better built to withstand the physicality of playing in the middle and in front of the net. And unlike Andersson, Howden has had a few standout games, Three thoughts on the New York Rangers' handling of Lias Andersson including his two-point performance in the Oct. 24 win over the Buffalo Sabres.

Clearly, Quinn feels that Howden has done more of what’s been asked of Vincent Z. Mercogliano, NHL writer Published 6:30 p.m. ET Nov. 18, him. But, yes, I agree I would have liked to see Howden and Andersson 2019 swapped in the lineup for a few games.

Nov 12, 2019; New York, NY, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Matt TARRYTOWN – I’m just going to come out and say it. Murray (30) makes a save in front of New York Rangers center Brett Howden (21) during the second period at Madison Square Garden. New York Rangers coach David Quinn should have given Lias Andersson an opportunity to play above the fourth line. The other fair criticism is that both Quinn and general manager Jeff Gorton praised Andersson for earning his roster spot with a good training I’ll also say this. camp.

Had he done so, there’s a good chance the Rangers would still be in the I asked Quinn what changed between now and then. position they’re in now — having to send Andersson to AHL Hartford because his play warrants a demotion. Some fans overrate the 21-year- “Consistency,” he said. “There were shifts where I thought he did a lot of old Swede because of his draft positioning — seventh overall in 2017 — good things, and (then) there was a drop in his play. That’s going to and allow that to cloud their perception of the reality, which is that happen to a lot of young players.” Andersson hasn’t been very good. Was Lias Andersson the right pick? TBD And one final thing. As Quinn pointed out, a trip to Hartford served as an effective If Andersson doesn’t pan out — and we’re still a long way from making motivational tactic to help another young center, Filip Chytil, iron out the that declaration — it’ll be more about the Rangers making a bad draft issues in his game. choice than any coaching decision. “We just want Lias to get more playing time and touch more pucks,” We’ll dive into each of those points, but let’s start with the first. Quinn said. “We thought it did wonders for Fil and we’re hoping it’ll do wonders for Lias, as well.” Tough times on the fourth line Which leads me back to that third and final point. When questioned Monday about why Andersson has been stapled to the fourth line, Quinn had this to say. The narrative that Andersson is ruined is a massive overreaction. Now he’ll have the chance to get consistent ice time and rebuild his “I get that,” Quinn said. “Everybody talks about that, but there are things confidence, with Quinn indicating he could be used at both center and in this game that you need to do, regardless of who your linemates are. winger. And this isn't about points — this is about, if you watch the game, a player should be doing this, and they're doing that. A player should be That’s the right move at this juncture. moving quicker, and they’re not moving quicker. A player should be But the elephant is the room is his draft position, which is the cause for physical, and they’re not physical. That has nothing to do with who your some of the over-the-top reactions. Guys aren’t picked seventh overall to linemates are.” be bottom-six grinders, which may be what Andersson turns out be. Quinn admitted that Andersson was “in defensive positions more” That’s not an ideal scenario, but it’s better than the pick being a bust because his linemates — which have been Brendan Smith, a former altogether. defenseman, and either Greg McKegg or the recently waived Micheal “Without question,” Quinn said when asked if being picked No. 7 overall Haley — lack skill and scoring ability. has added to the pressure on Andersson. “It's not an easy situation for But it’s true that the 21-year-old has seemed hesitant, even lost, at times. any 21-year-old who has all these expectations.”

He’s not particularly big or physical, and he hasn’t looked particularly Chytil was taken in the same draft at No. 21 overall, and the Rangers quick. He hasn’t been great on faceoffs. And even with limited linemates, have clearly come to value him more. he’s flashed virtually nothing in the offensive zone. McKegg, Smith and None of the centers who were selected after Andersson have turned into Haley (who’s played seven fewer games than Andersson) have each stars yet, but Casey Mittelstadt (No. 8 to Buffalo), Martin Necas (No. 12 managed to score a goal, while Andersson posted just one assist in 17 to Carolina) and Nick Suzuki (No. 13 to Vegas) have had more promising games. starts to their careers. There haven’t been many, if any, plays that made you think, “Wow, this Too bad Elias Pettersson (No. 5 to Vancouver) didn’t fall a couple more kid needs to be featured.” spots. With that said, it was a mistake for Quinn not to give Andersson at least a Eventually, with the luxury of hindsight, the Rangers will be judged for game or two on the third line, just to see what happens. Maybe it would whether or not they made the right pick. have sparked him, and it certainly would have given the kid something to feel good about. In the meantime, it’s fair to wonder if the Rangers should have put him a better position to succeed. But if we’re being fair, we also have to put Quinn admitted, “We sort of thought about that,” but added, “I don’t want some blame on the player. to take one guy out who I think should be playing. And it’s not just a small sample. Guys build trust and they build a bank account where they make Bergen Record LOADED: 11.19.2019 good plays.”

'A drop in his play'

I know what you’re all going to ask.

How come fellow 21-year-old center Brett Howden has remained ahead of Andersson in the pecking order?

“I think Howds is getting better and better,” Quinn said. “I liked his game (Saturday) night. One of the things, again, with a young player is consistency, playing on the right side of the puck. When he does that, he's an effective player. I think he's doing that more and more.” 1162187 New York Rangers

Lias Andersson sent to Hartford to get ice time, David Quinn says

By Denis Gorman Updated November 18, 2019 8:53 PM

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — The decision to send Lias Andersson to Hartford had nothing to do with Mika Zibanejad’s eventual return to the Rangers’ lineup.

Rather, it had everything to do with David Quinn’s belief that in order for the No. 7 overall pick in the 2017 draft to maximize his potential, he would need the opportunities to play that he was not receiving with the NHL club.

Which Quinn also hopes leads to Andersson developing consistency to his game.

“There are things in this game that you need to do regardless of who your linemates are,” Quinn said Monday after practice, in his first comments since Andersson was sent to the AHL Wolfpack, and Tim Gettinger was called up in the corresponding roster move.

In 17 games this season, Andersson recorded one point, but was averaging just 9:33 of ice time a game while playing on the fourth line. But Quinn dismissed the idea that performance can be affected by the quality of his linemates.

“This isn’t about points, this is about watch the game,” Quinn said. “Players should be doing this quicker and they’re not going quick enough. They should be physical and they’re not physical. That has nothing to do with who your linemates are.

“So those are the things — and I’m not just talking about Lias. A lot of players think along those lines and to me it’s a big mistake,” Quinn said.

“It’s a big mistake [if that’s] what players are thinking because you should be able to be an effective player regardless of who you’re playing with,” Quinn said.

“There are things this game is going to demand, and you should do it regardless of who’s on your wing or who your ‘D’ partner is or whoever.”

In Andersson’s case specifically, Quinn pointed to Filip Chytil, who began the season at Hartford before being called up on Oct. 28. In the nine games Chytil has played, the 17th pick of the 2017 draft has six goals and an assist for seven points.

“We just want to get Lias more playing time and touch more pucks,” Quinn said. “[Playing in Hartford] did wonders for Fil and we’re hoping it will do wonders for Lias as well.”

The Rangers are going to enter Wednesday’s nationally televised match against the Capitals shorthanded, as Quinn announced Zibanejad would not play again.

Despite being at the facility, Zibanejad did not participate in practice although Quinn said the top-line center skated before the near 75-minute practice, and diagnosed the 26-year-old as having “another good day, today. Getting closer to coming back, just not sure when. Day-to-day.”

The Rangers are 5-3-1 but have dropped three of their last four without Zibanejad, who was injured when he absorbed a hit from Boston center Patrice Bergeron in the Rangers’ 7-4 loss to the Bruins on Oct. 27.

Zibanejad recorded four goals and seven assists for 11 points in nine games before he was injured.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162188 New York Rangers The organization absolutely, positively, does not consider Andersson a bust. The decision is about better developing a young player in whom the front office and coaches still have confidence.

Carpiniello: David Quinn was hired to develop the Rangers’ young A top Rangers exec believes Andersson will be a good NHL player but, players, so let him do that with Lias Andersson as many have said from the moment the choice was made, he was drafted too high.

The Rangers took him No. 7 in 2017 with the pick they acquired with By Rick Carpiniello Nov 18, 2019 Tony DeAngelo in the trade that sent Derek Stepan’s contract and Antti Raanta to Arizona. They selected Andersson after Nico Hischier, Nolan

Patrick, Miro Heiskanen, Cale Makar, Elias Pettersson and Cody Glass GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Part of the job description for Rangers coach were off the board. Nobody picked behind Andersson in the first round David Quinn can be summed up with a portion of Rudyard Kipling’s has really lit it up yet in the NHL, with Corey Mittelstadt, Robert Thomas poem, “If.” and, yes, Chytil, taken by the Rangers at No. 21, the most notable.

Quinn has been told, more or less, “keep your head when all about you Perhaps, arguably, the Rangers put too much emphasis on Andersson’s are losing theirs and blaming it on you.” character and makeup — a potential future captain, they thought — and his understanding of the game away from the puck, not to mention his That is what he’s paid to do. The mission statement when the Rangers willingness to battle and to annoy opponents. hired him was to develop and teach for the well-being and future of a young, rebuilding franchise, and in order to do so, Quinn must make It makes you wonder, too, if Chytil had been taken No. 7 overall and difficult decisions — though to him, they don’t seem as difficult as others Andersson No. 21, instead of vice versa, how much hullabaloo it all make them out to be. would be causing. My guess is not nearly so much.

That brings us to another “difficult” decision Quinn made on Sunday, one That’s really the crux of the issue. Well, that and Andersson’s usage. And which wasn’t difficult for him in as much as he believes it was the correct his performance. path for rookie Lias Andersson, 21, who was assigned to Hartford. The Rangers do not think he is a bust. He’s a baby. They certainly have It also reminded me of something Quinn said in September, when he was not given up on him in any way. contemplating the decision to send Filip Chytil and Vitali Kravtsov to They invested a lot of time in Andersson over the summer, working on Hartford to start the season and figuring there might be a public firestorm his conditioning and his body fat and his skating. He deserved to be with (which there was). the team on opening night. “I think that to send a 20-year-old to the American Hockey League and That doesn’t mean they wouldn’t trade him in the right deal, because have it (be) a big deal is alarming,” Quinn said. “If you can’t send a 20- they’d trade just about anybody in the right deal. That goes for any of year-old down to play in the American Hockey League, why do we have their young’uns. the American Hockey League?” Quinn was asked if being the seventh pick put additional pressure on Exactly. Andersson to succeed right away. Andersson goes back to Hartford, having never risen through the first 18 “Yeah, I’m sure. Without question,” Quinn said. “It’s not an easy situation games to anything above a fourth-line center. Andersson, who turned 21 for any 21-year-old who has all these expectations. Once your career last month, had a good training camp and preseason and made the team starts, nobody cares where you got drafted. You’ve got to play.” over Chytil and Kravtsov but really hasn’t done much since. Chytil went down and worked on his game and is now back and thriving. Kravtsov Andersson has played in 61 games in the AHL over two seasons and has went down, sulked and exercised an out clause that allowed him to return 11 goals and 23 assists and a miserable -24 on a bad team. He has to Russia for the season. played in 66 NHL games and has three goals and six assists, including one assist in 17 games this season. One of his NHL goals went in off his The argument made by those who don’t see Andersson every day in wallet. He scored twice, with an assist, in five preseason games. That practice is simple: He isn’t ever going to succeed on the fourth line with might have caused even more positive overreaction, especially from a Brendan Smith and Greg McKegg or Micheal Haley, or by playing only a crowd that only believes a player is playing well when he scores and few minutes a game. That is fair if all you’re looking for is (unearned) ice poorly when he doesn’t. time and offensive stats. And the other contention is that Brett Howden shouldn’t be playing ahead of Andersson on the third line, which is Quinn acknowledged he thought about playing Andersson on a higher arguable, even if Howden’s game is more consistent and reliable despite line, but said, “I don’t want to take one guy out (of the top nine) who his complete lack of offense. should be playing. It’s not just a small sample. Guys build trust and they build a bank account when they make good plays. So, we certainly “We just wanted Lias to get more playing time, touch more pucks,” Quinn thought about that, but didn’t do it.” said after Andersson’s minutes plummeted to 3:55 on Saturday in Florida, where the coach rode Artemi Panarin hard in his best game with On what happened from training camp to now, Quinn said, “Consistency. the Rangers. “It did wonders for Fil and hopefully it will do wonders for There were shifts where I thought he did a lot of good things, then there Lias as well.” was a drop in his play, which can happen to a lot of young players.”

I asked him what he saw, or didn’t see, from Andersson. When Chytil was demoted, it seemed possible Andersson could have gotten a shot on the second or third lines just to light a spark under him “There’s got to be a consistency to his game, one,” Quinn said. “Two, you or to see what he could do. When Kaapo Kakko was sidelined for the last know, one of the things that he’s got to continue to work on is playing two games with the flu, perhaps there was a chance for Andersson to faster. I know that’s a simple answer. A lot of time it is the answer for a slide up to a third-line wing, but it didn’t happen. lot of players when they ask, ‘What do I need to do?’ You’ve got to play faster. There’s got to be a little quicker play from one play to the next. Quinn said he thought McKegg was better suited to play in Kakko’s spot And it’s not just skating fast; it’s playing fast. The more you play, the and said McKegg was plus-six in scoring chances (and yes, coaching better chance you have to do that. staffs keep their own stats, with their own version of what is and what isn’t a scoring chance, and it differs from the popular shoot-from- “I certainly understand that. From a playing standpoint, he’s got to play a anywhere stats available). I asked him about the notion that it’s difficult to little faster. I thought there were times he did that, and that’s when he’s judge a player if he’s playing a lesser role with, for lack of a better word, effective, and then I thought there were times where he wasn’t playing lesser linemates. quite fast enough. You know, he’s done an awful lot of good things the last year-plus, and again, it’s a 21-year-old going to play in the American “I get that and I get that everybody talks about that,” Quinn said. “But Hockey League to gain some confidence, play a little bit more, touch the there are things in this game that you need to do regardless of who your puck more and put him in better position to have success.” linemates are. And this isn’t about points. This is about — you watch the game and the player should be doing this and they’re doing that. The player should be doing this quicker and they’re not doing it quicker. The player should be physical and they’re not physical. That has nothing to do with who your linemates are.

“So, those are the things — and I’m not just talking about Lias, I’m talking in general — a lot of players think along those lines, and to me, that’s a big mistake. That’s a big mistake if that’s how players think, because you should be able to be an effective player regardless of who you’re playing with. There are things that this game is going to demand, and you should be able to do it regardless who’s on your wing or who your D-partner is or whoever. And I understand that you may be in defensive positions more depending on who your wingers are or your partner is defensively or whatnot, but at the end of the day, there’s an easy evaluation process for an individual regardless of who your linemates are.”

Quinn said he’d be open to Andersson trying the wing. He’s clearly going to be behind Mika Zibanejad (who skated again on his own Monday, but will be out for a 10th straight game Wednesday with a neck injury) and Chytil, and likely Howden and Ryan Strome, who admirably filled in for Chytil, then Zibanejad, and could play wing. That’s on the table for Andersson, though the Rangers would prefer to develop him as a center.

“At his age,” Quinn said, “I still want to give him a fair opportunity in the middle.”

And why not? It’s the developmental coach hired to develop young players dealing with one’s struggles doing what he thinks is best for one particular young player.

It really shouldn’t be so complicated.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162189 Ottawa Senators THE SHOT CLOCK: Dating back to Nov. 4, Senators goaltender Anders Nilsson has stopped 137 of the past 147 shots he has faced. That’s a .931 save percentage. That also includes being lifted midway through the 8-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Nov. 11, when with the misfortune Warrenspiece: Veronneau returns, Ryan's health a concern, Rudolfs of a few bad bounces and deflections off sticks and skates meant he shines, Brown and Tkachuk bring back memories saved only 15 of 19 shots … With Nilsson starting Tuesday, Craig Anderson will get the assignment at the Bell Centre Wednesday against

the Montreal Canadiens. Ken Warren HOME, SWEET HOME: Just like Senators coach D.J. Smith, who grew up across the river, Vladislav Namestnikov welcomed the extra day here. Detroit is his summer home. “I went to visit family (Sunday) and they will DETROIT — Hockey school has been in session for Max Veronneau be at the game, along with some friends, too … since the start of the 2019-20 season, but he has put that other school — Princeton University — behind him. Ottawa Sun LOADED: 11.19.2019

At least for the time being.

“That’s all done with,” Veronneau said of going back to complete his mechanical engineering degree after finishing out the 2018-19 season with the Senators. “And hopefully, I don’t need to use that anymore.”

After being recalled from Belleville of the AHL and joining the Senators in Detroit Monday, the Ottawa native is vowing to make the most of whatever chance he gets this time around.

SLOW START IN AHL: If some things came early and easy for Veronneau — he scored two goals and two assists in 12 NHL games after signing with the Senators — it has been a bumpy ride since.

He didn’t last long in training camp before being assigned to Belleville of the AHL and was a regular healthy scratch at the start of the season.

“It has been a tough adjustment period, for sure,” Veronneau said following Monday’s workout. “The AHL is a very tough league and it was tough to get going, but I’ve felt over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been playing a lot better.”

Veronneau has scored three goals and three assists in 14 games with Belleville.

“Coming from college, it has been a big jump. I’m just blessed to have been able to play 12 games last year and hopefully some this year. You’ve always got to be ready (in Belleville). Ottawa has been giving a lot of people chances and I have to make the most of it.”

BOBBY RYAN’S HEALTH: Veronneau could be in the lineup against Detroit — Senators coach D.J. Smith says his speed should help the team — but his status could depend on whether Bobby Ryan can play. Ryan left practice early Monday and afterwards, Smith said, “he wasn’t feeling well.”

If Veronneau doesn’t play Tuesday, there’s a strong chance he could be in the lineup Wednesday when the Senators move on to face the Canadiens in Montreal.

WHAT ABOUT BALCERS? At some point, the Senators will bring back red-hot winger Rudolfs Balcers. Assigned to Belleville as he returns to game action following a training camp knee injury, Balcers has scored three goals in only two games for the AHL squad … On the topic of prospects and injuries and the AHL, there’s plenty of mystery surrounding an injury suffered by Red Wings’ winger Filip Zadina. Drafted sixth overall in 2019, Zadina didn’t play against Grand Rapids on Saturday. “I get the reports, but I don’t want to comment on it further than that,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said at his Monday availability. “I knew he was out. He was injured.” Whatever it is, it comes just as Zadina appeared to be finding something to get rolling on his pro career. He has scored five goals and five assists in his past 10 games.

GETTING THE GANG BACK TOGETHER: Asked about Logan Brown’s impact since returning to the Senators lineup two games ago, Brady Tkachuk was full of praise. “He’s a great player,” said Tkachuk, who is currently on a line with Brown and . “First off, he’s got great vision, he’s always looking to make plays. I love playing with him so far, it brings back some of the glory days of us two.” Tkachuk and Brown played minor hockey together in St. Louis.

FOOTBALL RULES: Tkachuk was part of the Senators gang that watched the Dallas Cowboys defeat the Detroit Lions here on Sunday. “It’s cool to go on a day off, with the boys,” said Tkachuk. What was Veronneau doing when he heard the news of his recall? “I was just watching some football, sitting on the couch, when coach (Troy) Mann called me. A couple of hours later, I was on the road.” 1162190 Ottawa Senators Dennis Cholowski – Mike Green Jonathan Ericsson – Madison Bowey

Alex Biega – Dylan McIlrath GAMEDAY: Senators versus Detroit Goaltending

Jonathan Bernier Ken Warren Jimmy Howard

Sick Bay Ottawa Sun Sports Hockey Ottawa Senators Dan DeKeyser, Luke Glendening, Trevor Daley, Justin Abdelkader, Ottawa Senators at Detroit Red Wings Patrik Nemeth Little Caesers Arena, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. THE BIG MATCH-UP TV: TSN5, RDS2. Radio: TSN-1200, 94,5, Unique-FM Anthony Duclair versus Andreas Anthanasiou: Speed. And more speed. FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME: In a game where tight-checking usually rules, Duclair and Athanasiou can open up things up with their ability to get behind the defence. After Stopping the big line: After letting the Jack Eichel Tower put up four on scoring his seventh of the year against Buffalo, Duclair ranks second on them Saturday, the Senators need to stop the red-hot Bertuzzi-Larkin- the Senators with seven goals. After a slow start to the season, Mantha trio. The line has combined for six goals and 10 assists in the Athanasiou is coming off a two-goal game in a 4-3 shootout loss to San past five games. Jose Saturday and has four goals in his past four games.

What goes up, must come down: Saturday was a night to forget for Jean- Ottawa Sun LOADED: 11.19.2019 Gabriel Pageau, on the ice for all four of Eichel’s goals, but we expect he’ll go right back at checking against the top Red Wings line Tuesday.

Nilsson’s turn in net: Anders Nilsson has been the better of the two Senators goaltenders for the past few weeks and he was solid from start to finish in Friday’s 2-1 win over Philadelphia. He ranks sixth in the NHL with a .925 save percentage.

Power play emerges from shadows: The Senators have scored with the man advantage in consecutive games for the first time this season. They’re also playing against the NHL’s worst penalty killing team in Detroit.

The long road trip syndrome: The Senators are in middle of a three-game trek, but the Red Wings are returning home after playing three in California. With the jet-lag, time-zone factors in play, the Red Wings home record (5-4-1) and the Senators road record (2-7-1) might be over- rated.

Special Teams

Ottawa: PP 8.8 (31st) PK 82.0 (15th)

Detroit: PP 15.7 (22nd) PK 70.6 (31st)

Senators Lines

Brady Tkachuk – Logan Brown – Anthony Duclair

Nick Paul-Jean – Gabriel Pageau – Connor Brown

Vladislav Namestnikov – Colin White – Tyler Ennis

Filip Chlapik-Chris Tierney – Bobby Ryan

Defence

Nikita Zaitsev – Thomas Chabot

Mark Borowiecki – Dylan DeMelo

Ron Hainsey – Erik Brannstrom

Goaltending

Anders Nilsson

Craig Anderson

Sick Bay: Artem Anisimov, Scott Sabourin, Christian Wolanin

Red Wings Lines

Tyler Bertuzzi – Dylan Larkin – Anthony Mantha

Robby Fabbri – Valtteri Filppula – Andreas Athanasiou

Brendan Perlini – Frans Nielsen – Taro Hirose

Darren Helm – Christoffer Ehn – Adam Erne

Defence 1162191 Ottawa Senators

Speed starts with the letter A for Red Wings star

Ken Warren

DETROIT — Andreas Athanasiou’s game is as fun to watch as his name is to say.

Over the course of his career, the Red Wings speedy 25-year-old winger has delivered some of his best action against the Senators.

Athanasiou (pronounced Ath-ah-nah-see-yew) has six goals and one assist in 15 games against Ottawa, but it sure seems like more given the number of breakaways he has had over the past five seasons.

“I don’t know, I don’t think so,’’ he said Monday, when asked about his Senators-related success. “But I remember one game, I had like five breakaways against them and I missed every single one. And then there was that penalty shot. Was that last year?”

At that point of the conversation, linemate Robby Fabbri interrupted to say, “you don’t know, eh, and now you’re describing every play?”

Athanasiou laughed at that.

“I know I’ve definitely had some tough games (against) Ottawa … some good ones, some bad ones. I seem to have some good legs in there (at Canadian Tire Centre). Those games feel good when everything is going.”

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162192 Ottawa Senators Logan Brown, who assisted on Anthony Duclair’s power play goal Saturday, has added a spark to the first unit. On the second unit, defenceman Erik Brannstrom has been moved down low from the blue line, a position he says he has never played before, while Dylan DeMelo Smith returns home as Senators prepare for battle of two rebuilding is serving as the quarterback. franchises “DeMelo is a guy who can get shots though from the top and that’s kind of what we’re looking for,” said Smith. “Brannstrom has shown a nice patience with the puck on that flank. He gets his head up. He makes Ken Warren plays. He looks confident.”

Brannstrom has registered only two assists in 19 games, but he feels like DETROIT — The viewpoint has certainly changed for Ottawa Senators his past three games have been his best. rookie head coach D.J. Smith. “I’m trying to do more with the puck and I’m starting to get more and As Smith was putting the Senators through Monday afternoon’s workout more involved in the offensive zone,” he said. at the practice rink at the Little Caesars Arena, Detroit Red Wings “I want to stay here (in the NHL), so I’ve got to play my game. That’s why general manager Steve Yzerman was looking on from above. I’m here.” Rewind the clock a few years and it was Smith, a Windsor native who Ottawa Sun LOADED: 11.19.2019 grew up just across the Detroit River, who was watching Yzerman and the rest of the powerhouse Red Wings.

“It’s good to get back,” Smith said. “I watched the Red Wings as a kid. I came to many, many games. I watched (Bob) Probert and Yzerman and cheered those guys on, so it’s certainly special to come back here and coach here.”

Smith has taken the time to soak it all up in his homecoming.

Following Saturday’s 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres, the Senators flew directly here and had a day off Sunday before Monday’s workout in preparation for Tuesday’s game against the Red Wings. The extended road trip concludes Wednesday against the Canadiens in Montreal.

The Senators coach may very well have turned some former Detroit fans into Ottawa fans, but he certainly can’t say enough about where he came from.

“I will probably have 20 people here,” he said. “They know by now. They buy their own tickets. As a player, you used to buy them and realize how expensive they are. But a lot of people don’t know that Windsor is only one mile away from Detroit and there are a lot of die-hard fans there, whether (they cheer) for the Red Wings, Toronto, Ottawa or Montreal. It’s a real good hockey town.”

If the Windsor faithful are cheering for either the Senators or the Red Wings, they know that patience is required.

Both organizations are in the midst of long-term rebuilding efforts and Tuesday’s game is effectively a Basement Bowl, featuring the 15th and 16th placed teams in the Eastern Conference.

There have been positive signs for both squads of late.

Even with the loss to the Sabres, when Jack Eichel potted all four goals, the Senators (8-11-1) have won four of their past six games.

“He is a great player, with so much skill,” said Brady Tkachuk, looking back at Buffalo. “We played a pretty good game. We made a couple of mistakes here and there. They didn’t’ give us much and they played great defensively, but we were right there until the end.

“We’ve shown some good things, but we know we can be better.”

Meanwhile, the Red Wings (7-12-3) have skated away from a dreadful 1- 11-1 stretch that included a 5-2 loss to the Senators on Oct. 23. While there is no comparing them to the powerhouse squads of the Yzerman/Probert era, they’ve gone 3-0-2 in their past five games.

The Red Wings top line of Tyler Bertuzzi, Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha has combined for six goals and 10 assists in that stretch.

“We’ve been harder to play against,” Larkin said following the Red Wings workout here Monday morning. “We’ve played to our structure and played as five guys on the ice. I do think we’ve been tougher to play against in these past five games.”

Anders Nilsson will be in the Senators net, charged with shutting down that line, along with Andreas Athanasiou, who has scored four goals in his past four games, as well.

In terms of their own offence, the Senators may have finally found some answers on the power play, having scored in consecutive games for the first time this season. 1162193 Ottawa Senators Probably one of the best stories to start the season has been the exceptional play of impending free-agent Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who is off to the best statistical start of his NHL career.

5 unexpected developments 20 games into the Senators’ season Through 20 games, the 27-year-old centre has 11 goals — including two shorthanded and three game-winning markers— and on a team with a minus-11 goal differential, his plus/minus of plus-15 leads the entire NHL.

By Hailey Salvian Nov 18, 2019 It’s been pretty remarkable to watch. Pageau has been a bulldog, and if you roll the tape back, you’ll see most of his goals come from strong

defensive play and proper positioning. He’s never going to be the flashy At the start of training camp in September, the Ottawa Senators had goal scorer like Connor McDavid or Alexander Ovechkin. But Pageau is almost no external expectations and even less pressure as most people so smart in his own zone, he often forces turnovers that lead to goals. in the hockey world had written the team off before any pucks had been Like this one in New York last week, where he blocks a shot at 5-on-5, dropped. The bar, as you could imagine, was set incredibly low, and the chases down the loose puck and scores. players knew that. His reaction to this goal? “We’re aware of what people say. It’s hard not to hear it with rankings and stuff, but not many of those rankings at the beginning of the season “Ouch,” he said in the visitors’ room at Madison Square Garden. hold true to the end,” Dylan DeMelo said before the season started. “I don’t see why we can’t surprise some teams.” He scores goals and makes jokes. But in all seriousness, Pageau is the poster boy for “works hard” and the type of player D.J. Smith loves to “I think we’ll be a lot better than people think,” added forward Connor have on his teams. Brown during training camp. “He does it right, day in and day out,” Craig Anderson said about his And 20 games into the season, it is safe to say that the Ottawa Senators teammate. “He’s the hardest-working guy in practice and he’s a water bug out there and he makes sure he plays the right way and he gets have certainly surprised some people. Even if it’s just because they rewarded for it.” aren’t as bad as some predicted. “He’s (got) underrated skill — you guys don’t know how much skill he The Sens’ 8-11-1 record places them 28th overall in the National Hockey has, but he’s got a great shot and some great hands and he’s always in League, only a single point out of last place. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t the right spot at the right time.” mention that they are also just five points back of rival Toronto Maple Leafs. Pageau’s career-high is 19 goals, which he notched in 2015-16. It should be noted that Pageau is carrying a shooting percentage of 23.9 percent THE OTTAWA SENATORS, THE ALLEGED WORST TEAM IN THE right now, compared to a career average of around 10 percent. But he’s NHL, ARE ONLY 5 POINTS BEHIND THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS, also shooting a lot more. Through the first quarter of the season, Pageau THE ALLEGED BEST TEAM IN THE NHL. has 46 shots on goal, which would put him on pace for a career-high of — CONNOR (@CONNORMOCKETT) NOVEMBER 16, 2019 184 shots.

The team is rebuilding, everybody knows that by now and they haven’t These numbers will likely regress as the season goes on, but even if they been without their faults either. But through the first quarter of the do, he could hit 30 goals on the year. And with no power play time that is season, they are playing competitive hockey and creating a culture of really impressive. accountability and hard work, which will be key moving forward in the As he continues to play well, suggestions that the Senators trade Pageau rebuild. at the deadline have started to pick up. “I think we’ve made some progress for sure and we’re not a pushover,” Do the Senators keep the local guy who is playing well and might want to Mark Borowiecki said. “We work in practice, we work in most games and stay? Or do you trade him for a package that you can’t say no to in I think if we bring the kind of efforts we have in the past we’re going to February? It will be interesting to see how this one plays out, and I think start making some noise and scaring some teams.” regardless of the outcome, this is a good problem for GM Pierre Dorion If you can set aside the fact that the team is still lingering in the basement to have. of the league (hello high draft picks??), then you can see that there are 3. Special Teams several unexpected developments that have started to form through the first 20 games. Here are five of those surprises. This one is both a positive and negative development.

1. Their record Let’s start with the bad, shall we? The Senators’ power play is … well, not good. They’ve only scored six power-play goals on 68 opportunities I won’t spend too much time on this, as it was discussed above, but the this year, which places Ottawa 31st out of 31 teams on the man fact that the so-called “lowly,” “bottom-feeding” Ottawa Senators are 8- advantage, scoring on just 8.8 percent of their chances. 11-1 is pretty significant. On the PP, Ottawa only generates 85.73 shots per 60 minutes (or Most early projections had this team being the worst club in the NHL by a CF/60), which is ranked 25th in the league. Their 3.06 goals per 60 landslide, and through 20 games that doesn’t appear to be the case minutes though is 30th in the league, ahead of only Anaheim. Not only (shoutout to the Detroit Red Wings and LA Kings). are they not shooting a lot, they aren’t scoring on those limited number of The Senators had a rocky start to the season losing four straight games shots either. And a lot of that has to do with issues entering the zone, before registering a win, but as of late, the majority of their losses have coupled with their inability to generate high danger opportunities in front been competitive (except for an 8-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes). of the net. With new coach D.J. Smith behind the bench, the team has been more These struggles on the power play are unexpected because when you physical, working hard and are starting to correct some of the defensive look at the pieces on the top unit, they should have produced more than issues that were glaring in previous years. six goals. The top power-play unit as of late has featured Thomas Chabot “I think everyone knows right now what we as a team need to do to win as the quarterback, with Brady Tkachuk bullying in front of the net, hockey games,” Anders Nilsson said after backstopping a 2-1 win over Anthony Duclair’s speed on the outside, Logan Brown’s vision and a the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday. “We can’t out-skill the opponent, we rotation of Bobby Ryan and Tyler Ennis filling things out. On paper, this have to beat every opponent every night on work ethic and we have to looks fine. Not elite, but certainly better than 8.8 percent. work extremely hard and work harder than our opponents. I think it’s just So far, Ennis has three of the six power-play goals, with Chris Tierney, a mindset that everyone knows we have to do.” Vlad Namestnikov and Duclair netting the rest. And since he’s been With seven wins in their last 12 games, the Senators are being rewarded called up, Brown has helped, creating more chances and has two for their efforts. primary assists at 5-on-4. With Brown back from injury, maybe the power play will start to improve. 2. Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s play On the positive side of the special teams’ spectrum, the Senators penalty competitive when the team starts slow, making a number of miraculous kill is pretty solid and has been key to several wins this season. Including saves along the way. their most recent victory over the Flyers where they had to kill off four straight minutes to end the game as they protected their one-goal lead. Including this: After the game, Smith said the penalty kill has “been the best part of our And this: game probably all year.” In Anderson’s defence, he has played well too. But Nilsson is starting to The PK is clicking at an 82 percent success rate and has allowed only 13 show signs that he could be the No. 1 goaltender in Ottawa. goals. They’ve also scored four shorthanded goals, which is tied for second-most in the NHL. Anderson is in the last year of his contract, so the team is going to need clarity on who their starter is long-term and it would make Dorion’s life As good as the penalty kill is, the Senators have only won the special easier if Nilsson could be that guy moving forward. Because it doesn’t teams battle twice this season and will certainly need to improve and appear that their goaltending prospects in Belleville are quite there yet. take advantage of their power play opportunities moving forward. Ten games is a small sample size, but if Nilsson can show that he can 4. Logan Brown and Nick Paul sticking in the NHL start six or seven games out of 10 and continue to play as well as he has, When Logan Brown was the last cut out of training camp, a lot of people he could take that starting spot and run with it. from Brown’s camp, including Logan were unhappy. The Athletic LOADED: 11.19.2019 His agent, Andy Scott, went to bat for his client on TSN1200 radio, saying that he’s never seen “another player met with such resistance by the team that drafted them early in the first round.” An agent will never go on record with comments like that without being told to, or given the OK.

When Brown got called up after a string of injuries down the middle in Ottawa, the message was clear. “You say you deserve to be here, now prove it.”

And so far through six games (Brown missed three games with an upper- body injury), he has proven that he belongs in the NHL. The 21-year-old has been playing on the top line with Duclair and Tkachuk and has fit right in. He has been averaging 12:58 of ice time per game, which is skewed because he only played three minutes against the Bruins before leaving with an injury. On Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres, he played an NHL career-high 17:37.

Brown has showcased his elite vision while playing on the Sens’ top PP unit and has also displayed a strong 200-foot game. Through six games, Brown has three primary assists and has carried play with over 67 shots generated per 60 minutes.

Smith has spoken highly of his young centreman and Brown’s uptick in ice time is showing that he is gaining his coach’s trust.

On the topic of prospects, another bright spot has been Nick Paul.

The 25-year-old has been with the Senators organization since his rights were traded from the Dallas Stars in July 2014 and he’s seen a ton of ups and downs in those five years. He’s gone between the AHL and NHL many times each season and this year when he didn’t make the team out of camp, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever get another chance.

Well, he did, and so far Paul hasn’t looked back. In 15 games this season, he has two goals and six assists and has been playing on a line with Pageau and Brown. Their line is often relied on to face off against other team’s top trios to shut them down.

After a win against the Detroit Red Wings, Smith surprised Paul and told him to get a place in Ottawa (after 23 days of being called up in the NHL an organization is allowed to tell a player to find a more permanent home than a hotel room) and it seems like, at least for now, Paul has stuck in the big leagues.

I won’t get too far into Paul’s story, because we have a great profile coming up about his winding road to the NHL and I don’t want to spoil anything.

5. Anders Nilsson looking like he could be the natural starter

The final unexpected development through 20 games has been the dominance in the crease by Anders Nilsson.

To start the season, Smith said he wanted to roll his goalies out with a 50/50 split, but that Craig Anderson, because of his long history, deserved the first go at things.

Anderon, 38, started the first two games of the season and four of the first seven. Since then, Nilsson has started eight of the last 13. Of the first 20 games, both netminders have played 10 games each.

Nilsson has posted a 5-4-1 record with a 2.76 goals against average and .925 save percentage, and that includes his four goals against and .789 save percentage in the 8-2 loss to the Hurricanes last week. In most of his starts, Nilsson has either won his team the game or kept them 1162194 Philadelphia Flyers All hell is breaking loose in Arizona... pic.twitter.com/PUtqyI5QHh — Harman Dayal (@harmandayal2) November 16, 2019

Triviality Week in preview: Flyers bringing a (Morgan) Frost advisory to Florida in first of two tough road games Who holds the Flyers’ record for most consecutive games played?

a) Mark Howe. b) Dave Poulin. c) Rod Brind’Amour. by Ed Barkowitz, Answer below.

Special teams report

Week in preview: Flyers bringing a (Morgan) Frost advisory to Florida in PP (*NHL rank) first of two tough road games PP/Last 5 games The addition of prospect Morgan Frost gives the Flyers an interesting new look on the top line. Frost will center Claude Giroux and Travis PK (*NHL rank) Konecny. PK/Last 5 games

“He brings a lot of skill and work ethic,” explained Konecny, who said he Flyers may have played only briefly alongside Frost in the preseason. “He just needs to come up and play his game. It’s not too hard playing with ‘G’ 16-77, 20.8% (13th) [Giroux]. You’ve just gotta get open. For me and Frosty, it’s just going to be a matter of working hard, getting the puck back to ‘G’ and getting 3-17, 17.6% open.” 48-57, 84.2% (8th)

The Flyers’ first game this week is a trip to Sunrise, Fla. where the 12-14, 85.6% temperature is pushing 80 degrees. Florida Game 21 - Tuesday at Florida, 7 p.m. (NBCSP) 17-63, 27.0% (4th) About the Panthers: Their power-play is almost as hot as the local weather. Florida had two more goals in Saturday’s win over the Rangers 7-21, 33.3% and are 11 for their last 30 with the man advantage (36.7%). They’ve scored at least one PPG in nine straight games (5-3-1 record). ... The 43-52, 82.7% (14th Panthers are coached by Joel Quenneville, who won three Stanley Cups 9-12, 75.0% with Chicago. The Panthers, not surprisingly, are one of the conference’s most improved teams. Saturday’s win against the Rangers was the 900th Carolina of Quenneville’s career. Only Scotty Bowman (1,244) has more. ... 15-63, 23.8% (7th) Sergei Bobrovsky, who signed a seven-year, $70 million deal in free agency, has been mediocre. His .882 save percentage and 3.53 goals- 4-14, 28.6% against average are career worsts. 60-72, 83.3% (t-11th) Where they stand: 10-5-5 (25 points), third place in the Atlantic; Through 20 games last season, the Panthers were 8-9-3. 14-15, 93.3%

Inquirer Sports Daily Newsletter Calgary

Sports news in your inbox daily 13-75, 17.3% (19th)

Game 22 - Thursday at Carolina, 7 p.m. (NBCSP) 3-17, 17.6%

About the Hurricanes:: Have won three in a row, the last two in overtime. 71-83, 85.5% (6th) ... 19-year-old Andrei Svechnikov, the second overall pick in 2018, is tied 13-17, 76.5% with defenseman Dougie Hamilton for the team lead with nine goals and 13 assists. The Flyers held him off the score sheet when they beat the *Entering Monday. Hurricanes in Philadelphia on Nov. 5. ... Jordan Martinook, one of the Hurricanes’ alternate captains, returned to the lineup on Saturday after Last week/Nov. 11-17 missing a month with a core muscle injury. ... Defenseman Trevor van The Flyers went 0-1-2. Saturday’s shootout loss to the Islanders -- after Riemsdyk (James’ brother) returned to the lineup on Saturday after blowing a three-goal lead in the third period -- was disappointing. missing two games as a healthy scratch. Our for the week: Carter Hart, Claude Giroux, Oskar Where they stand: 12-7-1 (25 points), third place in the Metro, one point Lindblom. ahead of the Flyers and Pittsburgh. Answer man Game 23 - Saturday vs. Calgary, 1 p.m. (NBCSP) Rod Brind’Amour holds the Flyers record for most consecutive games About the Flames:: Had a worse weekend than the Flyers, suffering played with 484. The streak ended when Brind’Amour broke his foot shutout losses on the road to Arizona and Vegas. The one in Vegas (6-0) blocking a shot in a preseason game in 1999. He was sent to Carolina was particularly deflating. “We just can’t get [a] lead. When we trail, we that January in the Keith Primeau deal. press and they put a six spot on us," Matthew Tkacuk said. "We kind of let them run away with it and leave our goalie out to dry countless times.” This week in Flyers history ... Have a minus-19 goal differential on the road, where Calgary is 4-8-1. They are 6-2-2 at home. ... Had a nice little donnybrook on Saturday in Nov. 21, 1995: Eric Lindros had two assists and a spirited fight with Marty Arizona, which included Tkachuk getting thrown to the ice by Coyotes McSorley as the Flyers rallied to beat Wayne Gretzky and the Kings, 5-2. goalie Darcy Kuemper. ... Defenseman TJ Brodie missed the two Lindros said his bout with McSorley was an answer for several cheap weekend games after collapsing at Thursday’s practice and suffering an shots McSorley had taken earlier in the game. “Just part of hockey, eh?” apparent seizure. Neurological tests came back negative. ... Gloucester Lindros said afterward. Catholic’s Johnny Gaudreau has 18 points in 23 games, which puts him He said it on a pace for 64 -- well below the team-best 99 he had last season. He was a minus-5 on Saturday, leaving him at minus-8 for the season. He “My play wasn’t good enough. If I was the coach, I wouldn’t have put me was plus-18 last year. out there.”

Where they stand: 10-10-3 (23 points), 5th place in the Pacific. -- Rookie Joel Farabee after he was benched in the third period on Wednesday

He also said it

"Our division, you’ve got to keep winning. Otherwise you get kind of left in the dust.”

-- Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162195 Philadelphia Flyers tape with him," Vigneault said. "He’s a good young player. We’ve got a lot of belief that he could be a good player in this league. [It was] a reset for him.”

Flyers call up top prospect Morgan Frost from Phantoms to boost Ice chips struggling offense Defenseman Matt Niskanen was given a maintenance day off on Monday. Vigneault said he will skate Tuesday morning in South Florida and expected him to be ready Tuesday night. ... With Niskanen out, by Ed Barkowitz, reserve forward Chris Stewart filled in as a defenseman for Monday’s practice. ... Another roster move is imminent as Scott Laughton (broken

finger) inches closer to returning. If he’s cleared by doctors on Thursday, Have the Flyers improved? Certainly. Will the relatively new powers who Laughton, a key penalty-killer, will practice Friday and could play run the club hesitate to shake things up? Doesn’t seem like it. Saturday against the visiting Flames ... Frost will become the fifth Flyer already this season to make his NHL debut, joining Farabee, Connor A three-game losing streak and an offensive slump that has lasted a Bunnaman, German Rubstov, and Carsen Twarynski, who was sent couple of weeks prompted the Flyers to call up highly regarded prospect down to the Phantoms to clear the roster spot for Frost. Morgan Frost from the AHL’s Phantoms on Monday. Coach Alain Vigneault, just as he did with Joel Farabee recently, wasted no time Look who’s here.  pic.twitter.com/ZpIKakizwP giving Frost some prime real estate on the roster, either. — Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) November 18, 2019 Frost, a 2017 first-round pick, will center a line that includes Travis Konecny on the right side and Claude Giroux on the left Tuesday night Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.19.2019 when the Flyers visit the Florida Panthers. Giroux will be the line’s primary faceoff man.

“You know, we’re 20 games in. We feel we’re in a good place. We feel that our team in these 20 games has improved, but there are definitely some areas where we need to continue to improve,” Vigneault said.

Frost, 20, is tied for the Phantoms’ lead with five goals and 12 points in 16 games. He had a groin injury in training camp that hurt his chances of making the opening-day roster. Farabee, his close friend and the Flyers’ 2018 first-round pick, was called up Oct. 20.

“We’ve got to put those guys in situations where they can best help the team, but also have an opportunity to perform,” Vigneault said. “They’re offensive players, so that’s where we’re putting them in.”

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The addition of Frost allows Vigneault to move center Michael Raffl to the fourth line alongside Andy Andreoff and Tyler Pitlick. That’s been an effective line. Farabee and Oskar Lindblom will skate with Sean Couturier, which leaves the Flyers’ three most prominent struggling and well-paid forwards left to figure things out for themselves. But they better hurry.

“The [Kevin Hayes] line -- with Jake [Voracek] and James [van Riemsdyk] – that should be a big, good NHL line. They should be able to contribute five-on-five and play well offensively and defensively,” Vigneault said.

“I love Kevin Hayes as a person. James and Jake -- I’m starting to learn are great people. But I need more from the hockey player. I know that they want to do well. We’re 20 games in. It’s time.”

Vigneault coached Hayes for four seasons with the Rangers.

The three players combine for $22.3 million of this year’s salary cap -- more than 27 percent. They have one goal total in nine games this month (JVR, Nov. 7).

“I’m not telling you anything I haven’t told them," Vigneault said. "Obviously, they feel pressure, but that’s why they’re paid the big bucks. You’ve got to deliver. You’ve got to produce and we expect those guys to produce.”

Frost was in Allentown on Sunday, playing video games with Phantoms teammate Isaac Ratcliffe, when he got the call about his promotion from Phantoms coach Scott Gordon, who convinced Vigneault and general manager Chuck Fletcher that Frost was ready.

“They’re giving me an opportunity here to play with two amazing players [Konecny and Giroux],” said Frost, who will be in the lineup on Tuesday at Florida. “I FaceTimed my dad. I don’t even know if he’s ever used FaceTime before. It was really special to make that call.”

Phil 'er up

Expect defenseman Phil Myers to return to the lineup on Tuesday. The rookie defenseman had some sloppy turnovers on Friday at Ottawa and was scratched for Saturday’s loss to the Islanders. “We watched some 1162196 Philadelphia Flyers Delaware County Times LOADED: 11.19.2019

Ill-timed errors, Islanders' fresh legs sink Flyers as they blow 3-0 3rd period lead

By Rob Parent

PHILADELPHIA — Flyers goalie Brian Elliott partially explained away his team's third-period implosion Saturday night on fatigue felt by his teammates. Two games in two nights? That's enough to tucker out any hockey body, isn't it?

"It's a tired bunch of guys after a game last night (Friday in Ottawa) and getting in late," Elliott said amid the fallout of a 4-3 shootout loss to the New York Islanders, who once trailed 3-0 in the third period. "It caught up with us with a couple of (on-ice) decisions here and there and (bad) changes, and on the power play and the breakaway on the first goal. It just kind of all added up. We tried to weather the storm there and we got a point out of it, but it's definitely frustrating."

It had to be for Elliott, because whether they were tired or too often a touch lazy or simply overwhelmed by the superior skaters for the Islanders, the fact remained that the Flyers blew a three-goal lead in the space of 10 minutes and 10 seconds of ugly third period anti-hockey.

They played with a bit more pop in overtime, but by the time the shootout began it was the 34-year-old Elliott who seemed to need a rest.

"Uh, no," Elliott said crisply. "You know, you're trying to make the next save."

Give him plenty of credit, for he made 33 saves against an Islanders team (14-3-1) that has now produced at least one point in 14 consecutive games while winning 13 of them and moving into the second spot in the Metropolitan Division.

It's easy to get tired against a team like that, especially since the Isles had two complete days of rest before this game.

"It's a challenging league," coach Alain Vigneault noticed. "We played against a very strong opponent tonight. I don't think they lost a game since the first week of October or something. So we knew we had our hands full."

Yet with what Vigneault called a few bad defensive changes – including one that created a picturesque 4-on-1 Islanders breakaway that yielded only a Casey Cizikas shot off a post – and a couple of other ill-fortuned boo-boos, the Flyers fell far behind in energy level in the third and were soon falling for good in a one-sided shootout laugher.

Just because they'd played the night before?

"Might be fatigue-oriented," Vigneault said, "but those are things in our control. So for me, I"m very confident we'll be able to improve in those areas. We won't make those same mistakes again and we'll be better next time."

Well, if he says so...

What also really hurt was a Flyers penalty for too many men on the ice midway through the third that made this Islanders comeback a reality.

"It's just (lack of) focus," Oskar Lindblom said. "We're old enough to recognize when we have to be on the ice. ... It's not good enough and we have to be better."

That power play was almost killed off, but had 10 ticks left when a Mathew Barzal goal brought the Isles to within one at 3-2 and essentially put the tiring Elliott and his error-prone teammates on notice about what was about to happen: The almost inevitable nightmare comeback against a Flyers team that lately has given up more than a couple of late leads.

"Well, we weren't waiting for it," Elliott said. But then he got to the moral of the meltdown.

"We've got to close out games," Elliott said. "The little plays, getting the puck out when you have a chance, allowing guys to change, keeping fresh bodies on the ice and not getting stuck out there. ... We spent a little too much time doing that." 1162197 Philadelphia Flyers Before the game Vigneault hinted there were a couple of injury issues that was keeping him from deciding on a lineup. He didn't detail the injuries and they weren't supposed to be significant. But one hint was that Phil Myers was scratched after playing eight straight games. Robert Vigneault says Flyers have a long way to go Hagg, who had been scratched in eight straight and nine out of the previous 10 games, filled in for him.

Also on the scratch list with Myers was fellow promoted Phantom Carsen By Rob Parent Nov 17, 2019 Twarynski, who was replaced by Chris Stewart, who hadn't played in the prior seven games.

PHILADELPHIA — Less than 24 hours after the Ottawa Senators, of all Delaware County Times LOADED: 11.19.2019 lousy teams, had snapped what had been a seven-game points streak for his team, Flyers coach Alain Vigneault had no problem celebrating the occasion.

Prior to the Flyers' follow-up game Saturday night against a truly hot team, the New York Islanders, Vigneault laid a few critical challenges on his players that were indicative of the causes behind the 2-1 loss to the usually unsightly Senators the previous evening.

"Five on five, we need to be better than we have," Vigneault said of his team's even-strength play. "We're a minus team right now, 5 on 5, and there's no doubt that teams that get into the playoffs are on the plus side. So we're not there right now as far as our 5-on-5 play. I think our process is good. I think we're getting a lot of chances. we're just not putting the puck in the back of the net."

Vigneault had that right, as the power play-oriented Flyers have scored just 42 goals during 5 on 5 situations, while getting scored upon 48 times at even-strength heading into the Islanders game at Wells Fargo Center.

But that's OK, because Vigneault really isn't all that happy with his club's power play, either.

"It's a little bit like (even strength play), we're not finding the back of the net," Vigneault lamented. "Last night we got some real good looks at the end. The power play had an opportunity. Our big boys had the opportunity to make the difference for us. But right now it's not there."

It wasn't there against the Senators even though Ottawa coach D.J. Smith said the first few minutes of the game was, "maybe our worst start of the year" for his now 8-10-1 team. But the Sens prevailed largely because the Flyers couldn't build on an early one-goal lead, and then couldn't take advantage of four minutes of power play time at game's end that included a lot of two-man advantage, as Vigneault pulled Carter Hart from the net for an extra skater.

Hence some power play shuffling for the Isles' game, though Vigneault also made a key change with his power play quarterbacks Ivan Provorov and Shayne Gostisbehere in Ottawa.

"Yesterday Provy started off and had three turnovers in the first 10 minutes," Vigneault said. "So we made a switch. Ghost, it seemed to me he was playing a little bit better. If you want to play you've got to make the plays. At that time I didn't think Provy was."

Ouch ... fair enough.

"I think we have to continue to do the right things, but sooner or later some of our guys have got to find a way to get those results," Vigneault said. "Last night is a perfect example. We're playing a real good game. we're winning 1-nothing. If we make it 2-nothing, we hurt their will a little bit. We weren't able to do that and that's something where we're talking with our group and hopefully we'll get better starting tonight.

"We have to get on the plus side and to do that, continue with the process, but you have to go into the tough areas," Vigneault added. "Most of the goals are scored a couple of feet from the goaltender, and you have to go in there. You have to have that willingness to play inside and we're talking about that with our group right now."

• • •

Vigneault kept shuffling his power play QBs against the Islanders, as Provorov was the QB on a first unsuccessful power play, then Gostisbehere came in. It was late in that second Flyers power play and in the final minute of the first period that Provorov had a one-timer blast from far out on the point to beat Isles goalie Thomas Greiss for a two- goal Flyers lead. The Flyers had been just 2-for-21 on the power play before that.

• • • 1162198 Philadelphia Flyers NHL in save percentage (.942) and had allowed more than two goals only once in nine starts. His 1.88 goals against average was second behind Arizona’s Darcy Kuemper.

Beauvillier, Islanders rally past Flyers for shootout win UP NEXT

Flyers: Starts a two-game road trip Tuesday night at Florida.

Nov 17, 2019 Islanders: Plays at Pittsburgh on Tuesday night.

Delaware County Times LOADED: 11.19.2019

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The New York Islanders have played almost flawless hockey for over a month.

On Saturday night, they had a perfect response in the third period to keep their dominant run going.

Anthony Beauvillier scored twice during New York’s three-goal, third- period rally, and the Islanders beat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 in a shootout.

Beauvillier and Mathew Barzal combined to erase a 3-0 deficit in the final 13 minutes of regulation, and and Barzal scored in the shootout.

“We just wanted to make something happen,” said Beauvillier, who has scored four goals in the last two games and six on the season. “The good bounces came our way and we picked up a good win.”

The Islanders are on a 13-0-1 roll that’s vaulted them into second place in the Metropolitan Division behind Washington. It’s New York’s longest stretch without a regulation loss since a 15-game run in 1982.

“I don’t know what it is with this group, but we just knew we were going to be in the fight till the end,” Barzal said. “That is what we did tonight.”

“The great thing about this group is they realize that they have to put the work in to get the results,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. “Because of that, we are getting some results. It's easy to pat yourself on the back, we've gotten points in a number of games. It's hard to do in this league, but we don't really concern ourselves about that.”

After getting stymied by goaltender Brian Elliott for most of the evening, the Islanders broke through when Beauvillier took advantage of the Flyers’ sloppy line change before beating Elliott.

Barzal slammed one past Elliott on a power play with 6:22 left, and Beauvillier got his fourth goal in two games with 2:04 left.

“It’s a good bounce, one of those bounces where you’re just happy to have when they come,” Beauvillier said.

Thomas Greiss stopped 28 shots and turned away Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux in the shootout to earn his seventh straight win.

“I’m definitely feeling good about my game, just try to battle every night and the guys played late tonight especially the second or so period and found a way to win the game,” Greiss said.

On the flip side, the Flyers appeared to suffer the effects of playing on back-to-back nights, falling flat in the third period. Barzal’s goal came as a result of a bench minor for too many men on the ice. The Islanders were able to take aim at Elliott through the back half of the game as Philadelphia struggled to get its defensemen in the right spot.

“You have to close out games,” Elliott said. “The little plays — getting the puck out when you can, allowing guys to change, just keeping fresh bodies on the ice and not getting stuck out there. We spent a little too much time doing that. We will look at it and I’m sure we will find some other things, too.”

Couturier got the game’s first goal on a wrist shot that deflected off defenseman Nick Leddy’s stick in the first period.

Ivan Provorov scored on a power play with 24 seconds left in the first. He one-timed Couturier’s feed for his fourth goal of the season.

Oskar Lindblom added his ninth of the season midway through the second period.

NOTES: Philadelphia has posted points in eight of nine games. A seven- game points streak for the Flyers was snapped with a 2-1 loss at Ottawa Friday. ... The Flyers are 6-1-3 at home. ... Saturday night was the first time in six games the Flyers scored more than two goals in regulation, dating to a 4-1 win over Carolina on Nov. 5. ... Greiss entered leading the 1162199 Philadelphia Flyers • Wyatte Wylie, another defenseman to watch, is a point-per-game player right now with five goals and 14 assists in 19 contests for the WHL's Everett Silvertips.

Future Flyers Report: Wisconsin's Wyatt Kalynuk one of four prospects to Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.19.2019 watch in Big Ten

By Jordan Hall November 18, 2019 10:10 PM

It’s time for our weekly check-in on the Flyers’ prospects playing in the AHL, overseas and at the junior and college levels.

• The Flyers have some exciting young defensemen at the pro level. They also have some at the college and junior ranks.

Two that have received a lot of attention are Cam York and Egor Zamula. York was the Flyers' first-round pick this summer and is in his freshman year at Michigan, while Zamula is a near-point-per-game 19-year-old playing for the WHL's Calgary Hitmen.

Another defenseman to keep tabs on his Wyatt Kalynuk, who the Flyers selected in the seventh round of the 2017 draft. The junior at Wisconsin had a goal, eight shots and seven blocked shots over two games against Notre Dame last weekend.

He picked his spot 

Wyatt Kalynuk buries one top shelf and No. 15 @BadgerMHockey ties it up pic.twitter.com/FGYlcFEHOU

— Wisconsin On BTN (@WisconsinOnBTN) November 17, 2019

The 16th-ranked Badgers sport exciting underclassmen with Cole Caufield (2019 top-15 pick), Alex Turcotte (2019 top-five pick) and K'Andre Miller (2018 top-25 pick).

“The goal is to win a national championship," Kalynuk said this summer at Flyers development camp.

Kalynuk is a huge piece for Wisconsin. The 22-year-old has 10 points (two goals, eight assists) through 12 games.

"Probably my biggest strength is skating," Kalynuk said. "At Wisconsin, getting bigger, stronger and faster just improves it even more.

“I would consider myself a late bloomer, but it’s not a knock on me or anybody."

Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher checked out the Badgers last season in February. Wisconsin was playing Flyers prospect Tanner Laczynski and Ohio State. With Kalynuk, Laczynski, York and Bryce Brodzinski (2019 seventh-round pick at Minnesota), the Flyers will be watching plenty of Big Ten hockey this season.

Quick hits

• Goalie Kirill Ustimenko, a 2017 third-round pick, had a 32-save shutout for the ECHL's Reading Royals in a 1-0 win last Saturday over the Wheeling Nailers. The 20-year-old has a 2.57 goals-against average in 10 games (six wins).

• Isaac Ratcliffe has missed the Phantoms' last three games with an injury. The 2017 second-round pick is transitioning to the pro level with three points (one goal, two assists) in 12 games.

• Noah Cates scored his team-leading fifth goal in Minnesota Duluth's 3-2 win Saturday over Miami (Ohio). The 2017 fifth-round pick is a sophomore on the country's ninth-ranked team.

"We talk about him every day and we can't stop bragging about him," Flyers player development coach Kjell Samuelsson said this summer.

GOAL!!! @cates_noah Noah Cates gets ready for Christmas with the wrap-around and UMD is up now 3-1 on another PPG in the 2nd! #UMDmHky pic.twitter.com/GYQy0QGMZO

— UMD Hockey gifs (@UMDHockeygifs) November 17, 2019

• Jay O'Brien, a 2018 first-round pick, is second in the BCHL with 40 points (15 goals, 25 assists) through 26 games for the Penticton Vees. 1162200 Philadelphia Flyers Vigneault and general manager Chuck Fletcher speak daily with AHL affiliate head coach Scott Gordon. On Sunday, Vigneault spoke with Fletcher for an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon. After hearing from Gordon, they felt the time was right for Frost. Morgan Frost call-up has to do with everyone (especially James van Riemsdyk, Kevin Hayes, Jakub Voracek) “Putting our two minds together, we came up with this,” Vigneault said. “It wasn’t about coming up with a plan, it was just looking at our overall team — our four lines, our defense.”

By Jordan Hall November 18, 2019 7:00 PM As much as it was about Frost and the Flyers, it had a ton to do with van Riemsdyk, Hayes and Voracek. Frost is here and will make his NHL

debut Tuesday night against the Panthers in Florida. While many eyes VOORHEES, N.J. — Could Morgan Frost have used more time in the will be on Frost, Vigneault will continue to look for more from van AHL? Riemsdyk, Hayes and Voracek.

Possibly. He’s a head coach with a track record of making the playoffs — and he sure doesn’t want to miss them in Year 1 with the Flyers. But 20 games into the 2019-20 season, the Flyers were in a spot where they needed the 20-year-old’s ability. Uniquely, Frost impacts all four of Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.19.2019 the Flyers’ lines.

The Flyers are searching for greater balance and consistency within their forwards. They haven’t had it through 20 games and it’s a reason why they’ve been up and down during a 10-6-4 start.

Frost’s advertised prowess for playmaking permeates the big club’s makeup. Monday’s arrival of the 2017 first-round pick allows head coach Alain Vigneault to do many desired things with the Flyers’ lineup.

It moves Claude Giroux from the middle back to left winger, where he’s had his career-best success, without seriously hampering the Flyers at center. Frost will play between Giroux and Travis Konecny, a spot that accentuates the prospect’s strengths.

“T.K. is not a 10-year veteran, but he’s one of our young players that is definitely on the uprise and playing real well,” Vigneault said. “We’re playing Morgan with our captain. The captain will lead the way and help the young man out.”

It pieces back together the Flyers’ fourth line of Andy Andreoff, Michael Raffl and Tyler Pitlick, which was strong and gives the Flyers the necessary depth to augment Vigneault’s system.

“We felt that by bringing Morgan in and being able to go back to Raffy’s line, which had success with Andy on the left side and Tyler on the right side, it gave us better balance,” Vigneault said.

It keeps Sean Couturier with Oskar Lindblom, a duo that has highly performed, while adding Joel Farabee to the group. The trio showed promise in the 4-3 shootout loss Saturday night and it’s important the 19- year-old Farabee is around talent.

“Whoever we’ve played with Coots has played well,” Vigneault said.

And, most notably, it creates a line of James van Riemsdyk, Kevin Hayes and Jakub Voracek, three players that haven’t produced the way everyone expects them to produce. JVR, Hayes and Voracek have combined for 29 points in 20 games. They are three of the Flyers’ four highest-paid players, all with an average annual value of $7 million or above.

Vigneault knows those players must perform overall and especially at 5- on-5 for his team to take a legitimate step forward.

The Hayesy line, Jake and James, that should be a big, good NHL line, they should be able to contribute 5-on-5 and play well both offensively and defensively.

All those guys, I love the person. I love Kevin Hayes as a person, James and Jake I’m starting to know, they’re great people. I need more from the hockey player. Two different distinctions, right? The person and the hockey player. Those three guys, I need more from the hockey player. I know that they want to do well. We’re 20 games in. It’s time. I’m not telling you anything that I haven’t told them. Obviously they feel pressure, but that’s why they’re paid the big bucks. You’ve got to deliver, you’ve got to produce, and we expect those guys to produce.

Older guys, because of their reputation, because of what they’ve done in the league, they have more leash, they have more money in the bank. Some of our guys, they’ve used a few withdrawals. I’m not stating anything that [anybody doesn’t know], but I expect more from James, I expect more from Kevin, I expect more from Jake as far as 5-on-5 play. You’d ask those guys, they’d tell you the same thing. They need to be better for our team to get into the playoffs and we’re aware of that. 1162201 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers call up Morgan Frost, send Carsen Twarynski to Phantoms

By Jordan Hall November 18, 2019 11:00 AM

VOORHEES, N.J. — Here comes Morgan Frost.

The Flyers called up the playmaking center Monday from AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley and sent Carsen Twarynski to the Phantoms.

Frost, an exciting 20-year-old prospect who the Flyers selected in the first round of the 2017 draft, had 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 16 games with Lehigh Valley.

Over his final two OHL seasons with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, Frost put up 221 points (79 goals, 142 assists) and a plus-103 rating in 125 regular-season games.

He is expected to make his NHL debut Tuesday when the Flyers play the Panthers in Florida (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP) and will wear No. 48.

Frost received the news Sunday from Phantoms head coach Scott Gordon.

"To be completely honest with you, I was pretty surprised," Frost said Monday after Flyers practice. "I wasn’t really expecting it, I was just hanging out with [Isaac Ratcliffe] playing video games on an off day. Got that call, I saw Gordo’s name, I thought of a couple things before I answered the call. Answered it and it was a nice surprise.”

The first person he broke the news to was his dad Andy Frost.

"I FaceTimed my dad after," Frost said. "I don’t even know if he’s ever used FaceTime before. I think it was more sufficient that I FaceTimed him instead of called him.

“It was really special.”

Frost will play center, which allows Claude Giroux to play first-line left winger, where he’s had career-best success (see weekly observations). Frost will be between Giroux and Travis Konecny (more on lineup here).

"They’re giving me an opportunity here," Frost said. "Playing with two amazing players, so I’m really excited for that.”

So 21 games into the 2019-20 season:

Morgan Frost is playing with Claude Giroux and Travis Konecny.

Joel Farabee is playing with Sean Couturier and Oskar Lindblom.

Pretty exciting.

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) November 18, 2019

Morgan Frost. pic.twitter.com/QVM6cpIfxp

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) November 18, 2019

Morgan Frost leading stretches to finish practice. pic.twitter.com/8iD7ULqvLf

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) November 18, 2019

How long could Frost be here? His play could dictate that, but Scott Laughton (broken finger) is nearing his return from long-term injured reserve. Laughton could be back as soon as Saturday's game against the Flames.

Nonetheless, Frost is getting his first shot.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162202 Philadelphia Flyers The Flyers aren’t playing terrible hockey at the moment. They’ve earned a standings point in all but one game in November, and two of their three recent defeats came via shootout. But the lineup’s weaknesses were Surprise call-up of Morgan Frost continues Flyers front office’s trend of easy to spot. Giroux is a better winger than center at this stage of his aggressive responses to brief skids career, but he was playing in the middle due to Patrick’s absence and Scott Laughton’s injury. The fourth line of Andy Andreoff, Michael Raffl and Tyler Pitlick showed promise two weekends ago, but it was broken up when the coaching staff decided the top nine needed a Raffl-sized By Charlie O'Connor Nov 18, 2019 boost.

Calling up Frost and sticking him in the middle on one of the top three Three times, the Philadelphia Flyers have lost two games or more in a lines addresses both issues. row this season, inspiring predictable worries from fans about the “In my discussion yesterday with Chuck — you know, we’re 20 games in, direction of the club and the quality of the roster. we feel we’re in a good place,” Vigneault said. “But there are definitely Three times, general manager Chuck Fletcher has responded by making some areas where we need to continue to improve. Our 5-on-5 play is a high-profile call-up of a top prospect. one of them. And we felt that by bringing Morgan in, and being able to go back to (Raffl’s) line, which had success with Andy on the left side, and At this point, the tactic doesn’t seem like a coincidence. Tyler on the right side, it gave us better balance. And it would, in our mind, help us with our 5-on-5 game.” Less than 48 hours after the Flyers dropped a tough-to-swallow decision to the Islanders on Saturday night, the AHL-to-NHL transactions sheet lit Morgan Frost in action at development camp in June. (Courtesy of Kate up again. This time, it was Morgan Frost, who scored 109 points last Frese) season in junior hockey and 12 points in 16 games thus far with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Fans had already started to wonder what it The other benefit to a Frost recall? It lets the players know might take to force a recall of the talented 20-year-old forward, especially reinforcements are coming — particularly when losses threaten to start given that there seemed to be a spot available for him in the lineup — a piling up. top-nine center role, since Nolan Patrick remains stuck in limbo with his “Everybody’s excited to see what he brings,” Raffl said about Frost after migraine disorder. practice. “It’s not acceptable to lose two (or) three games in a row. So I Well, apparently, it took similar circumstances to when Joel Farabee was think it’s a good message that somebody else is coming up and we’re called up on Oct. 20, and when Philippe Myers returned to the big club trying to continue to get better.” on Halloween — an extended losing streak that inspired an extended Jakub Voracek largely agreed that the Frost call-up — and the similar conversation among the Flyers’ brain trust on what could be done to timing of the Farabee and Myers recalls — sends a message that the improve the team. front office won’t let poor results fester without at least trying some kind “Chuck and I talked for an hour yesterday morning, and an hour in the of maneuver intended to give the team a boost. afternoon, about where we were, what he thought, what I saw. And “It’s really hard for me to answer, but I’m sure that you’re looking for putting our two minds together, we came up with this,” head coach Alain some spark if you’re making those call-ups with the skilled guys, you Vigneault said after practice on Monday. know what I mean?” he said. “Because our record is pretty good, but it “It was just looking at our overall team, our four lines, our defense,” he could be even better if we produced more, that’s for sure.” said, “and after both of us (talking) with (Phantoms head coach) Scott Frost might not be ready to stick in the NHL. After all, just three weeks (Gordon), we thought that bringing up Morgan (was the right move), and ago, Fletcher expressed skepticism regarding the 2017 first-round pick’s playing him in a role where he can have success.” readiness. It’s possible he struggles mightily in a brief audition and Just as Farabee immediately jumped into a top-nine winger role after his quickly returns to the minors with a list of skills to refine. After all, call-up, and Myers reunited with Travis Sanheim for his first Flyers game Laughton appears poised to return as soon as Saturday, and he could of 2019-20, Frost will make his NHL debut in style, centering a scoring easily slide into Frost’s new spot, placing a Band-Aid on the Flyers’ line with captain Claude Giroux on the left side and Travis Konecny, the gaping hole in the top nine until Frost is truly ready to excel (or Patrick is team’s scoring leader, on the right. It’s hard to think of a more cleared to return). advantageous spot in which Frost could start, even if the recall caught But in the here and now, a recall of Frost was the most dramatic him a bit by surprise. (realistic) response possible to the recent mini-swoon, the transaction “(Isaac) Ratcliffe and I were just playing video games, and Scott with the highest likelihood of helping the team reach a new gear. And Gordon’s name showed up on my phone (on Sunday),” Frost said. “I based on the front office’s track record, it shouldn’t be a major surprise wasn’t sure what it was for, and he told me, and yeah, just an amazing this is the route they took. feeling.” After all, no one in the organization has lost sight of the ultimate goal for Frost’s 2019-20 advanced stats with the Phantoms the 2019-20 Flyers, one that Vigneault pointedly referenced on Monday in the most succinct explanation of why Frost will make his debut on All metrics are for 5-on-5 only. Data are accurate through Nov. 10 and Tuesday in Florida. courtesy of Brad Keffer and PhancyStats.com. “The teams that are going to get into the playoffs are the teams that Frost had been banging on the recall door for a while, but purely based obviously continue to improve, and we need to be one of those,” he said. on his recent production, the timing of the move is a bit curious. After “So we’re happy with where we are right now, but we definitely know that scoring 12 points in 10 games between Oct. 18 and Nov. 10, Frost went we need to continue to improve.” three games without a point. If anything, the mini-slump would have given the Flyers a ready-made excuse to keep him in the minors longer. And if they do improve in the coming games? It won’t be a coincidence. That they defied convention speaks to two things: Gordon’s endorsement It’ll be a direct result of the front office’s aggressive approach to of Frost — according to Vigneault, the Phantoms coach vouched for potentially impactful call-ups. Frost’s recent improvement despite the brief dry spell — and the The Athletic LOADED: 11.19.2019 important, immediate needs of the big club.

If the situations of Farabee (recalled after four consecutive Flyers losses), Myers (after blowout defeats in New York and Pittsburgh) and now Frost (after a three-game losing streak) hint at anything, it’s that the new regime has little interest in sitting idly by when the results dip. It’s been the purest manifestation of the “bias for action” that Comcast Spectacor chairman and CEO Dave Scott spoke about last November after former general manager Ron Hextall’s ouster. 1162203 Pittsburgh Penguins Wickenheiser won seven gold medals at the World Championships and four Olympic gold medals in two decades with the Canadian women’s national team. Zubov had 771 points in a 16-year NHL career, including one season with the Penguins in 1995-96. Penguins GM Jim Rutherford overcomes odds, joins Hockey Hall of Fame Tribune Review LOADED: 11.19.2019

Jonathan Bombulie

At the start of the 2016-17 NHL season, Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford was told teams couldn’t win back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in the salary cap era.

When the Carolina Hurricanes were founded in 1997, Rutherford was told there was no way a team could succeed in a hockey market so non- traditional.

When Rutherford was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as part of a six-member Class of 2019 on Monday night in Toronto, the final words of his induction speech were a message to the naysayers who ended up being oh so wrong.

“What I’ve learned the most in my life and my advice to people is, ‘Don’t let anyone tell you you can’t do something,’ ” Rutherford said. “Because that was the story of my career. And the more they told me I couldn’t do things, the more it turned out that I did.”

As a player, Rutherford won 151 games for four teams, including the Penguins, during a 13-year NHL career. He gained great renown for being the first goaltender to wear a mask with designs painted on it. He was being inducted, however, as a builder for his work after his playing days were through.

Only three general managers in the NHL’s modern era — Sam Pollock (seven), Glen Sather (five) and Bill Torrey (four) — have more Stanley Cup rings than Rutherford (three).

When he won with the Penguins in 2016, he became the second GM to win the Stanley Cup with two different teams. When the Penguins repeated in ‘17, he became the first GM in the salary cap era to claim back-to-back titles.

He spent the vast majority of his 10-minute speech Monday thanking those that made his journey possible, starting with his parents, John and Dorothy, and his sisters. He also thanked his wife, Leslie, daughter, Andrea, and son, James.

“My family lived paycheck to paycheck, but they always found a way to get me equipment, and they took me to every game and every practice,” Rutherford said.

When it came to players who made his success with the Penguins possible, he mentioned Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Matt Murray, Phil Kessel, Patric Hornqvist and Marc-Andre Fleury specifically.

His most effusive praise was reserved for Crosby.

“The most special aspect of my career has been the chance to be part of a team with Sidney Crosby,” Rutherford said. “It’s really hard to put into words for everyone in Pittsburgh who knows what I’m talking about. It’s remarkable to be able to watch Sid day in and day out, to see his work ethic, to see the impact he has on the team and the city.”

Rutherford mentioned one other player as well.

“I’ve been fortunate to win three Cups as a manager, and there’s one player who’s been with me for all three,” Rutherford said. “I want to recognize Matt Cullen, who played such an important role for all three of those teams.”

Rutherford was presented for induction by Mario Lemieux.

The other inductees honored Monday night were longtime Boston College coach Jerry York in the builder category and players Guy Carbonneau, Valclav Nedomansky, Hayley Wickenheiser and Sergei Zubov.

Carbonneau, a three-time Stanley Cup champion, was a standout two- way forward for Montreal and Dallas. Nedomansky was the first Eastern European player to defect to North America. 1162204 Pittsburgh Penguins ultimately, it’s a player’s game. And the players have done a terrific job. They’re finding some chemistry with some of the tandems we’re trying to use up front. The defensemen are doing a real good job in making sure that they make good reads and good decisions on when we’ll go to Penguins potent at scoring short-handed goals pressure. What’s really impressed me the most is just the decision making in the sense that it’s not isolated pressure. It’s cooperative or it’s

collective pressure. And that’s a lot harder to beat. That’s when we’re at SETH RORABAUGH | Monday, November 18, 2019 4:33 p.m. our best and I think the guys are doing a good job.”

In addition to feeling different, short-handed goals tend to have a different weight as it relates to the outcome of a game. Of the 59 short-handed Bryan Rust acknowledges his goal in Saturday’s 6-1 thumping of the goals scored in the NHL this season prior to Monday, 40 (67.7%) have Toronto Maple Leafs at PPG Paints Arena didn’t mean much to the come in victories for the team that scored them. overall outcome of the game. “Any time a team can get a short-handed goal, especially when the other It was early in the third period and his team was already up by four goals. team is supposed to score on the power play, it takes a lot of energy out His score merely added more security to a victory which already very of them,” Rust said. “If you can score that goal, it fires up your bench a safely procured. little bit.”

But it was a short-handed goal. Those feel different. Ultimately, the primary goal of a penalty kill is to prevent them, not necessarily score them. But being capable of scoring goals can also be a “It’s obviously nice,” Rust said. “You’re not expecting to score in that big reason teams keep pucks out of their own net. situation.” The Penguins are second in the NHL on the penalty kill at 89.1%, having The Penguins have scored in those situations four times this season. allowed only five goals on 46 opposing power-play opportunities. Prior to Monday’s games, only the Vegas Golden Knights had more short-handed goals this season with five. “If teams know that, they’ll tense up a little bit knowing that we’re dangerous on the (penalty kill) offensively,” Aston-Reese said. “Just kind This short-handed scoring surge for the Penguins comes in stark contrast of confidence going out there. Believing that you’re going to get the job to last season when they didn’t score their first goal against an opposing done and get a little added bonus.” power play until Dec. 14. Ultimately, the 2018-19 Penguins were one of the NHL’s leaders in short-handed goals with 12, but they got off to a Tribune Review LOADED: 11.19.2019 slow start in that area.

Their first short-handed score came in the late stages of a 7-2 rout of the Winnipeg Jets at Bell MTS Place on Oct. 13. After Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey fumbled a puck at the offensive blue line, Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese blew past him, claimed the puck in the neutral zone and created a breakaway. Approaching the net, he lifted a wrister past goaltender Laurent Broissoit’s blocker, off a post and into the cage.

The second short-handed goal was a game winner as it came in overtime of a 3-2 home win against the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 13. In a four- on-three situation, forward Brandon Tanev challenge a tired Avalanche power play by weaving the puck into the offensive zone, then got a little lucky when his shot was deflected into the cage by Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog.

On Nov. 2, a short-handed goal allowed them to get things to overtime in a 2-1 home loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Late in the third period, Rust stole a pass in the defensive zone and created a three-on-two rush. From the left wing, Rust fed a pass to trailing defenseman Brian Dumoulin, who gripped and ripped a wrister past goaltender Mike Smith’s glove hand.

Then, on Saturday, forward Teddy Blueger stole a puck in the defensive zone to create a two-on-one rush. His feed to Rust was buried and gave the Penguins a five-goal lead.

“We changed a few things this summer,” Dumoulin said. “(Development staffer Matt Cullen) and (assistant coach Jacques Martin) did a good job of adjusting things and ways we could change it. We’re all on the same page right now. With that, it leads to opportunities.”

What precisely has been altered?

“Sometimes, we have pressure points,” Dumoulin said. “We’ve changed that a little bit. For the most part, we’re all just on the same page and helping each other.”

“Jacques always talks about being aggressive up ice and being aggressive right off the entries when they (the opposing power play) first enter the zone,” Aston-Reese said. “When you have that aggressiveness, you’re bound to get some chances. They’re going to have to make a good play to score. But a lot of times they’ll fumble a puck or lose an edge. We’ve had our chances. We could have six or seven (short- handed goals). But I think it’s just our aggressiveness.”

As a result, their penalty kill has been nearly as potent as their struggling power play, which has been limited to eight goals this season.

“We’re faster on the penalty kill,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “We have the ability to put more pressure on (opponents) in different areas. As a result, the guys are forcing turnovers. I give the players a lot of credit. I think Jacques has done a real good job of getting them on the same page. But 1162205 Pittsburgh Penguins Lanny McDonald, chairman of the board of the Hockey Hall of Fame, presents the Hall of Fame ring to Jim Rutherford on Friday in Toronto.

Mike DeFabo Jim Rutherford reflects on 'story of my career' during Hockey Hall of Looking back at GM Jim Rutherford's best moves in Pittsburgh Fame induction Sergei Zubov, Hayley Wickenheiser, Vaclav Nedomansky, Guy

Carbonneau and Jerry York joined him in the six-person class inducted MATT VENSEL Pittsburgh Post-Gazette NOV 18, 2019 10:04 PM Monday into the Hall. Zubov spent the 1995-96 season in Pittsburgh, tallying 66 points in 64 games.

Rutherford is the seventh general manager since the NHL expanded in TORONTO — Monday was one of the greatest nights of Jim Rutherford’s 1967 to win at least three Stanley Cups, one in Carolina and two in career, a tribute to a legendary hockey life highlighted by three Stanley Pittsburgh. He is the only GM in the post-expansion era to win a Cup with Cup titles and a chance to thank the many, many people who helped him multiple teams. get up there on that stage. Rutherford arrived Thursday in Toronto. When he walked into the official It also was, in his words, “probably the toughest seven minutes of my hotel for the Hall of Fame and saw on the walls pictures of those who career.” went in before him, that’s when reality cross-checked him. This was actually happening. Two hours before the ceremony, the 70-year-old was antsy about his speech. He typically likes to speak off the cuff. But he wanted notes He received his Hall of Fame ring a day later. The inductees were Monday night. honored at the Toronto-Boston game Friday night then he ducked into a suite to watch on TV as his Penguins played the New Jersey Devils. “It’s a one-in-a-lifetime speech. There’s been so many people that have Saturday was a fan forum. touched my life and my career. … I don’t want to miss anybody,” he told the Post-Gazette before climbing in a limousine that took him to the After the alumni game Sunday, when he was handed his Hall of Fame Hockey Hall of Fame. “But I’m looking forward to it because this is what watch and sports jacket, Penguins leadership, including coach Mike I’ve worked for and earned.” Sullivan, celebrated him at a dinner inside the Hall of Fame. They then attended Monday’s induction. Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Matt Murray (30) gloves a shot from the Dallas Stars in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Dallas, Throughout the weekend, Rutherford was surrounded by Leslie and his Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019. kids, along with a number of other relatives. He joked that it felt like a family reunion. Bill Brink “I pulled on my first pair of skates when I was 5 years old in Beeton, Advertising bets on a team's Twitter account? Welcome to sports about 60 miles north of here,” Rutherford said to open his speech. “I gambling in 2019 never could have imagined coming here one day to be inducted into the Technically, his speech lasted nine minutes, 45 seconds. And he nailed Hockey Hall of Fame.” it. Rutherford thanked his late parents, John and Dorothea, for their Pittsburgh Penguins support.

✔ “My family lived paycheck to paycheck,” he said. “But they always found a way to get me equipment and they took me to every game and every @penguins practice.”

Welcome to the @HockeyHallFame, Jim Rutherford. Rutherford was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the first round in 1969. He played for four NHL teams, including the Penguins, before Embedded video retiring at 33. 1,156 In 1984, Rutherford accepted his first job as a general manager, with the 9:23 PM - Nov 18, 2019 Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. In four seasons with the Spitfires, he was twice named the OHL’s executive of the year and in Twitter Ads info and privacy 1988 they swept through the OHL playoffs before coming oh-so close to winning the Memorial Cup. 175 people are talking about this When Karmanos, owner of the Spitfires, purchased the , After Rutherford was handed his Honored Members plaque by Penguins he hired Rutherford to be his team president and GM. Three years later, owner and a fellow Hall of Famer in Mario Lemieux early on in the in 1997, the franchise relocated to Raleigh, N.C. In addition to putting a induction ceremony for the 2019 class, the GM spent much of his speech good team on the ice, Rutherford had to help them carve out a foothold in showing gratitude. NASCAR country. He thanked his parents and sisters for the support over the years and his In 2006, his Hurricanes, formerly the Whalers, won their only Stanley wife and two children for talking him off the ledge after losses. Peter Cup. Karmanos, the man who gave him his first GM gig and his longtime mentor. Old coworkers and former players in Windsor, Hartford and Rutherford was at peace and considering retirement when the Hurricanes Raleigh and current ones in Pittsburgh. and he parted ways in 2014. Then the Penguins came calling. Five years later, there he stood Monday inside the Hall, enshrined alongside other Heck, even Phil Kessel, Marc-Andre Fleury and Matt Cullen got shout- legends. outs. Early in his Penguins tenure, Rutherford acquired through trades Kessel, Rutherford, with his dry sense of humor, got laughs when he thanked his Patric Hornqvist, , Nick Bonino, Justin Schultz and Trevor young son, James, who was sitting next to his wife, Leslie, and daughter, Daley to bolster the supporting cast around All-Stars Sidney Crosby, Andrea. Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. He also hired Sullivan, “a very special “Thank you for all those trades you recommend we make,” he said. “If we coach,” midway through 2015-16. could actually make those trades, you’d probably be standing here The Penguins won the Cup in Rutherford’s second season in Pittsburgh someday.” and a year later they became the first team in the NHL’s salary-cap era to Rutherford, who has made many trades for the Penguins since 2014, go back-to-back. After that first Cup in Pittsburgh, he won the NHL’s GM was elected by an 18-member selection committee in the builders of the year award. category in June. “My time in Pittsburgh has been the highlight of my career,” said Rutherford, who knows the two Cups he won there got him over the Hall of Fame hump.

He added that “the most special aspect of his career” is working with Crosby.

“It’s hard to put it into words, but everyone in Pittsburgh knows what I’m talking about,” he said. “It’s remarkable to be able to watch Sid day in and day out, to see his work ethic, to see the impact he has on the team and the city.”

With Crosby, Malkin, Letang and Sullivan still around him every day, Rutherford is not done trying to add another Cup or two to his Hall of Fame resume.

The final words of his induction speech showed that the scrappy former goalie still has a chip on his shoulder, something that has served him well.

“What I’ve learned the most in my life and my advice to people is don’t let anyone tell you you can’t do something. Because that was the story of my career,” he said. “The more they told me I couldn’t do things, the more it turned out that I did.”

Post Gazette LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162206 Pittsburgh Penguins 6. Trevor Daley heist In December 2015, the Penguins swapped a struggling veteran

defenseman in Rob Scuderi for a veteran defenseman in a bad situation Looking back at GM Jim Rutherford's best moves in Pittsburgh in Trevor Daley. It became one of the more lopsided moves in Rutherford’s tenure. Daley fit perfectly with the speed game coach Mike Ranking deals is an inexact science at best. But that didn't stop us from Sullivan wanted to play. After recording just six assists in 29 games in trying Chicago, Daley put up 22 points in the final 53 games of the 2015-16 season and 19 points in 56 games in 2016-17 while helping the Penguins

win back-to-back Cups. MIKE DEFABO Pittsburgh Post-Gazette NOV 18, 2019 3:45 PM Go to section

5. Not trading Marc-Andre Fleury If there’s one thing that has defined Penguins general manager Jim One Rutherford’s best moves as a general manager was actually not a Rutherford’s Hall of Fame career, it’s that he’s not afraid to make a deal. move at all. In the five-plus years he’s spent running the Penguins, he’s made 42 When Marc-Andre Fleury suffered a concussion at the end of the season, trades and dozens of other decisions that helped maximize stars such as rookie goalie Matt Murray stepped in to lead the Penguins to the Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and bring Pittsburgh two more Stanley franchise’s fourth Stanley Cup in 2016. Over the next year, trade rumors Cups. swirled. With the NHL expansion draft looming, the Penguins could only As Rutherford enters the Hockey Hall of Fame, we ranked some of his protect one goalie and risked losing Fleury for nothing. best moves in Pittsburgh. It wasn’t easy. Moves like picking up Matt But instead of shipping Fleury at the deadline, Rutherford kept two top Cullen from the scrap heap, fleecing the Edmonton Oilers for goaltenders. When Murray suffered an injury during the 2017 Cup run, defenseman John Marino in exchange for just a sixth-round pick and that decision looked genius. Simply put, the Penguins don’t win a second acquiring speedy Swede Carl Hagelin made our list of honorable Stanley Cup without Fleury there to step in. mentions. That alone shows some of why Rutherford has become a Hall of Fame general manger: 4. A third-round pick for a top-four defenseman in Justin Schultz

10. Ron Hainsey solidifies the blue line for another Cup run When the Penguins gave up a third-round pick for Justin Schultz, Oilers fans and analysts were happy to simply rid themselves of the Jim Rutherford reflects on 'story of my career' during Hockey Hall of defenseman. Many said his play had devolved, as he posted just 10 Fame induction points in 45 games prior to being moved. As the trade deadline approached in February 2017, the Penguins blue The risk was minimal (just a third-round pick) and the price tag line needed to be addressed. Kris Letang was out with an injury that manageable after the Oilers agreed to retain about half of what was at would keep him sidelined throughout the postseason and Trevor Daley the time a $3.9 million contract. But in Pittsburgh, Schultz has become was dealing with an injury of his own. one of the Penguins most valuable defensemen. And the trade turned out Insert Ron Hainsey. In exchange for a 2017 second-round pick and minor to be another heist for Rutherford. league forward Danny Kristo, the Penguins got a seasoned NHL veteran After helping the Penguins win the Cup in 2016, Schultz enjoyed a whose experience proved critical in helping Pittsburgh bring home its breakout year in his first full season in Pittsburgh in 2016-17, setting second Cup in two years. career-highs in goals (12), assists (39), points (51). He proved invaluable 9. Marcus Pettersson for Daniel Sprong when Kris Letang missed the 2017 postseason with a herniated disc.

The Penguins traded offense for defense when they dealt young winger 3. James Neal for Patric Hornqvist gamble pays off Daniel Sprong for young defensemen Marcus Pettersson. While Sprong Rutherford’s first move as the Penguins general manager turned out to tallied 19 points in his first 47 games for Anaheim last year, Pettersson be one of his best. In summer 2014, the Penguins acquired Patric has evolved into a top-four defenseman — and someone the Penguins Hornqvist and Nick Spaling in exchange for James Neal. would like to keep in the organization long term. This year, Sprong has yet to appear in an NHL game while Pettersson has provided stability to The move initially looked like a big risk. Neal was still just 26 at time, a the Penguins blue line, making the trade look better and better as time six-time 20-goal scorer and a fan favorite. But over the years, the deal goes on. proved to be a win for Pittsburgh. Hornqvist has produced significantly for the Penguins, recording 242 points in his five-plus years here. But more 8. Cutting bait on Brassard, while adding McCann than the production, he brought an edgy playing style, a willing agitator in When Rutherford realized Derick Brassard wasn’t a good fit in Pittsburgh, front of the net and a voice of leadership in the locker room. he turned one failed trade into one of his best. He shipped Brassard, 2. Mike Sullivan proves to be the change in leadership the Penguins Riley Sheahan and three 2019 draft picks to the Florida Panthers in needed exchange for Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann. In December 2015, the Penguins were a star-laden team that was failing While Bjugstad has become a third-line center who has tallied just one to live up to expectations. They were just 15-10-3 and in fifth place in the point this year, the McCann part of the trade has made the deal more Metropolitan Division. Rutherford acted swiftly, firing Mike Johnston and than worth it. At 23 years old, McCann fits the mold as one of the promoting Sullivan from the club’s AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. younger, faster, tougher-to-play-against Penguins. He’s shown versatility to play center or wing and is third on the team with 12 points in 18 Six months after the coaching shuffle, Sullivan was hoisting the Stanley games. Cup. And a year later, another one.

Mike Sullivan is 'grateful' to attend Jim Rutherford's Hockey Hall of Fame Sullivan has brought a competitive fire to the bench and a commanding induction voice that players respect. This offseason, Rutherford took steps to maintain that consistency by inking Sullivan to an extension through the 7. The HBK line begins to form with the addition of Bonino 2023-24 season — a move that might make another one of these type of In July 2015, the Penguins acquired forward Nick Bonino, defenseman lists in a couple years. Adam Clendening and a 2016 second-round pick from the Vancouver 1. The Kessel blockbuster Canucks in exchange for Brandon Sutter and a 2016 third-round pick. Before the 2015-16 season, Rutherford pulled off a blockbuster trade The stats alone show the lopsided nature of the deal. Bonino recorded 66 when the Penguins acquired Phil Kessel from the Toronto Maple Leafs. points for the Penguins, while Sutter tallied 43 points for the Canucks during the same stretch. But more than that, Bonino became a major The compensation, at least on its face, was significant. The Penguins piece of the HBK line with Carl Hagelin and Phil Kessel. That balance gave up first- and third-round picks in the 2016 draft, Kasperi Kapanen (a across three lines made the Penguins a matchup nightmare and, first-round pick in the 2014 draft), plus defenseman Scott Harrington and eventually, two-time Cup champs. forward Nick Spaling. In exchange, the Penguins received Kessel, forward Tyler Biggs, defenseman Tim Erixon and a second-round pick in the 2016 NHL draft.

One of the key elements of the trade was that the Leafs agreed to retain $1.25 million of Kessel’s $8 million salary. Almost immediately the deal paid off — big.

During the 2016 Cup run, Kessel led the Penguins in playoff scoring with 10 goals and 22 points. Had Sidney Crosby not played out of his mind, there’s an argument to be made that Kessel deserved the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP. He followed it up with another Stanley Cup in 2017.

In total, Kessel produced 303 points and 110 goals with the Penguins. While his tenure in Pittsburgh ended after a trade to Arizona, the contributions he made to two Stanley Cup runs — and to Rutherford’s Hall of Fame resume — shouldn’t be overlooked.

Post Gazette LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162207 Pittsburgh Penguins Penguins at age 65. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were enormous building blocks, sure, but much work was required when Rutherford arrived in Pittsburgh. He pulled it off, and then some.

‘There’s only one Jim’: Rutherford heads into Hall of Fame tonight “I guess you could say that I started thinking about it after we won the back-to-back Cups,” he admitted. “I began wondering then if I’d get that call someday. It wasn’t on my mind all the time, but I knew it was possible.” By Josh Yohe Nov 18, 2019 Rutherford’s Hall of Fame credentials largely were cemented during his

wondrous run between July 2015 and February 2016. The Penguins very rarely, under almost any circumstance, practice when • In July of 2015, he pulled the trigger on the deal that brought Phil they’ve played the two previous days. Kessel to Pittsburgh, a landmark trade that gave Crosby and Malkin a Yet there they were Sunday morning, having a full workout at PPG Paints much-needed third wheel. Arena only 12 hours after dismantling the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was a • In December 2015, Rutherford righted a wrong when he fired the special practice, and there was a special reason. struggling Mike Johnston and hired Mike Sullivan as head coach. Jim Rutherford is being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame today, and Sullivan was the perfect coach for those teams and Rutherford the Penguins’ coaching staff wasn’t about to miss it. immediately trusted Sullivan to run the show.

“There’s only one Jim,” Brian Dumoulin said. • A couple days after hiring Sullivan, Rutherford pulled off a memorable deal, convincing the Blackhawks to take Rob Scuderi in return for Trevor This much is undeniable, and Dumoulin would know. Even at 28, Daley. Dumoulin has lived many hockey lives and Rutherford has played an enormous role. Dumoulin might be the ultimate illustration of Rutherford’s • One month later, he acquired Carl Hagelin, who would play an management career. instrumental role on the two Stanley Cup teams.

• In 2009, Rutherford made Dumoulin the 59th overall pick in the NHL • In February, Rutherford traded for Justin Schultz, getting a top-four Draft. General managers who don’t draft well don’t win Stanley Cups, defensemen for a third-round pick. and, while Rutherford has become infamous for dealing top picks during • During this time, as Rutherford developed a strong relationship with his tenure in Pittsburgh, his eye for talent and trust in scouts has landed Sullivan, he made the decision that the Penguins needed to go with their players like Dumoulin. young wave of players, including Conor Sheary, Bryan Rust, Tom • In 2012, Dumoulin was included in one of Rutherford’s most famous Kuhnhackl and Matt Murray. trades, the one that sent Jordan Staal from Pittsburgh to Raleigh. Rutherford’s work during that six-month span helped the Penguins Rutherford never met a big trade that he didn’t like. He’s made 42 trades transform themselves from enigmas into champions. in five years while running the Penguins. But the Staal deal was a fair one, and this can’t be ignored. Rutherford had enormous leverage that “He’s done a lot of great things here,” Dumoulin said. weekend in Pittsburgh because Staal wanted to play with his brother in Raleigh and the hockey world knew it. Still, Rutherford offered Ray Shero Rutherford has also been a general manager who used his people skills a fair deal, even when he didn’t have to. This impressed Rutherford’s to enhance his team. Sure, Rutherford made a number of deals and future employer. decisions that helped the Penguins earn multiple championships. His personal touch also was required. • In 2017, Dumoulin agreed to a six-year contract worth $4.1 annually. Dumoulin is set for life financially because of the deal, but it was a steal The Penguins had quite a situation at goaltender in 2016 with the for the Penguins, as he has emerged as one of the NHL’s best defensive emerging star, Matt Murray, and the franchise icon, Marc-Andre Fleury, defensemen and the ideal partner for Kris Letang. General managers are sharing the net. Fleury was forced to swallow his pride in 2017 when it never perfect in the department of money management, but Rutherford become evident Murray was Sullivan’s preferred goaltender. has negotiated certain deals — Dumoulin’s and Jake Guentzel’s come to Rutherford could have traded Fleury but the two spoke and both decided mind — that have clearly helped the Penguins shape their roster nicely he should remain in Pittsburgh through the completion of the 2016-17 under the salary cap. season. A Murray injury required Fleury to play in the first two rounds of • In 2016 and 2017, Dumoulin played a key role in Stanley Cup the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs, and he performed brilliantly in leading the championships teams. He’s been drafted by Rutherford, traded by him, Penguins past the Blue Jackets and Capitals. signed by him and has celebrated with him. And make no mistake, for all In one of the more poignant Images of the Penguins’ back-to-back of Rutherford’s contributions to the Penguins and Hurricanes, winning championship run, Rutherford, who rarely enters the locker room, was championships is typically a requirement for a general manager to be waiting for Fleury at his locker following Game 7 in Washington and enshrined in Toronto. Rutherford has his name on the Stanley Cup three greeted him with a bearhug. Rutherford, himself a former NHL times, twice with the Penguins and once with the Hurricanes. goaltender, handled the most delicate goaltending situation in franchise “You can’t say enough about the job he’s done,” Dumoulin said. “He history to perfection. made so many moves to help us win the Cup twice. And don’t forget “He does have an approachable way about him,” Murray said. “You about what he did in Carolina, either.” know, he’s just a good guy.” When Rutherford arrived in Pittsburgh in 2014, the Penguins hadn’t won Rutherford also is a superstitious guy. He doesn’t speak to anyone on the Stanley Cup in five years. They had star power, yes, but the game days, the old goalie living on in the 70-year-old. His players find organization had largely lost its way. him chatty and approachable, a grandfather-like figure. “Obviously there was some skill here,” Dumoulin said. “But the team here To a point. needed some more players, some changes. He was the guy to make it all work.” “He is a little bit like that,” Dumoulin said. “But at the same time, you kind of walk on eggshells around him because he’s intimidating. He’s an When the Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2017, it was a matter of time important guy. Plus, he’s got those superstitious. So it can be until Rutherford was enshrined. Even he started to let himself think about intimidating. Then he hits you with his sense of humor, and you relax.” it. Rutherford is a family oriented man and will be joined by his loved ones “Well, not on a regular basis,” Rutherford explained. “I didn’t think about it tonight in Toronto. His wife, Leslie, son, James, and daughter, Andrea, much at all over the years. After we won the Cup in Carolina, people will be with him. Rutherford’s sister, Marilyn, also will be in attendance. used to tell me I’d get in someday. Never really thought about it at the time, though. I wasn’t sure. It was only one Cup.” “And people from the Penguins’ organization are coming, which means a lot,” Rutherford said. “I consider them family, too.” Then came the move that turned Rutherford from a successful general manager into something more, as he accepted a job offer from the When Rutherford received the Hall of Fame phone call from Lanny McDonald a few months ago, his thoughts immediately raced to his childhood in Ontario.

“The first people I thought of were my mom and dad,” Rutherford said.

Both of his parents are deceased.

“I thought back to them helping me with my skates when I was 5,” he said. “All the memories and all the things my parents and Marilyn did for me, it wasn’t always easy financially, but I always had the equipment and everything else that I needed. They always made sure I had what I needed. They never missed a game.”

When Rutherford’s mother, Dorothea, died in 2018, Shero and the New Jersey Devils held a moment of silence for her before the Penguins’ game in Newark.

“My mom was the biggest Penguins’ fan,” Rutherford said. “It was her whole life, especially in her later years. She lived and died with every game we played.”

Thus, she did a lot of living while watching her son guide the Penguins to multiple championships.

In Toronto on Monday, he’ll receive the ultimate honor in hockey, only about an hour from where was raised in Beeton, Ontario.

“It’s a special thing,” Rutherford said. “I’ll think about my family. I’ll think about what we accomplished in Raleigh, helping bring hockey to North Carolina and winning the Cup there. And I’ll think about the Penguins and all we’ve done together.”

Murray joked that he and Rutherford don’t discuss goaltending technique all that often because “the technique is probably a bit different than when he played.”

Murray turns serious when discussing Trader Jim, the guy who isn’t afraid to change up a hockey team when he believes it is needed.

“It’s part of the game,” Murray said. “He’s the GM. He can do what he wants. He can trade whoever he wants.”

Not many have done it better.

“He’s earned it,” Dumoulin said. “He’s been around a long time, and he’s won everything there is to win.”

PRACTICE TIDBITS

• The Penguins practiced for about 45 minutes Sunday and will be off Monday in advance of their home game Tuesday against the Islanders.

• Patric Hornqvist returned to practice, a rather unexpected development for the forward who has been out the past couple of weeks with a lower- body injury sustained Nov. 2 against the Oilers.

• Sullivan did not offer a timeline for Nick Bjugstad, who sustained a leg injury Friday in New Jersey. Bjugstad was limping noticeably following Saturday’s game against the Maple Leafs.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162208 San Jose Sharks “I didn’t know that about Doug, but it doesn’t surprise me,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said. “I know what our coaching staff goes through just in regards to some of that stuff.”

Of cupcakes and hockey sticks: Sharks say they have routines, but not DeBoer said when the Sharks go on the road, he and his staff will superstitions remember “what desk we sat the last time we were at if we’re on a win streak Or, if we lost last time in, we’ll shuffle the deck.

“It’s ridiculous, but I think everybody does it.” By CURTIS PASHELKA | PUBLISHED: November 18, 2019 at 4:03 pm | UPDATED: November 18, 2019 at 4:11 PM When he’s at home and has a free night during the season, Sharks center Tomas Hertl said he’ll usually walk to a bakery in the South Bay after dinner for a cupcake. It’s a habit he began last season, and he went on to have a career year. There was simply no need to change things SAN JOSE — The first rule about having superstitions is to not to refer to this year. them as being superstitions. “It started last year and it worked all season,” Hertl said, “so it kind of got They’re called routines, in case you were curious. into (my routine).” “Superstition has this stigma about it,” Sharks winger Evander Kane said. Kane said he’s worn the same watch to every home game this season, “Superstitions are fine. Everybody has them, whether they admit it or and right now has 10 points in 10 games at SAP Center. not.” “I have two new sticks before every game as well,” Kane said. The Sharks have won six straight going into Tuesday’s home game “Routines, superstitions. That’s more a superstition than anything. I like against the Edmonton Oilers. They’ve completely turned around their to have a fresh stick, so I know everything is brand new, ready to go.” season in that time, going from a team that was at the bottom of the Western Conference standings to one that has rejoined the pack in the Bottom line, if a player thinks he’s playing well because of whatever bunched up Pacific Division. quirky off-ice or pregame habits they might have, then so be it. Right now, the Sharks are on a pretty good roll. There’s a few reasons why the Sharks have enjoyed more success: Tighter defense at times. Increased scoring. Good special teams. Timely “It’s definitely a mental thing,” DeBoer said. “Whether it’s a reset because saves. you’ve lost and you change things, or you want to keep things going the right way, so you want to make sure you keep that routine.” But believing in superstition to switch up the mojo isn’t one of them, they say. Like most other professional athletes, their routines, especially on San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 11.19.2019 game days, are ingrained.

“I think everybody has their routine already. Maybe they switched something up, but I don’t notice it too much,” Sharks winger Patrick Marleau said. “I just try to keep doing the same thing, be consistent all year long.

“But I’m sure there’s guys that once a win streak starts, they went to a certain place after. Or pregame, they just keep going back. I think that stuff does happen.”

If you have not already, we strongly encourage you to sign up for a digital subscription, which gives you access to all content on the Mercury News and East Bay Times websites. With your support, we can continue bringing these stories — and much more — to your screens. Here’s where to sign up for the season pass: Mercury News, East Bay Times.

Doing something out of the ordinary to spark a turnaround hasn’t been out of the question in the past for the Sharks.

As a guest on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast earlier this year, former Sharks forward T.J. Galiardi said that when the team was on a losing streak during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, he jokingly taped pre-wrap around his head before a game. He later went into the trainer’s room and saw Joe Thornton, who noticed some loose strands of Galiardi’s hair sticking out.

Thornton then, according to Galiardi, snipped off a good chunk of the protruding locks.

The Sharks won that night, and kept winning. Suddenly, a new tradition of cutting off a little bit of hair from an unfortunate player’s head — usually Galiardi’s — was born. It reached a point that after a playoff win over the Los Angeles Kings in 2013, Thornton, according to Galiardi, snipped off a bit of hair from owner Hasso Plattner’s head.

“So it started off with one guy and he would pick the player of the game,” Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic said. “Then that player would get to cut Galiardi’s hair.

“If you win, you get to clip it. I guess it was the incentive just to cut the guy’s hair. It was always T.J. hair, and he had a lot of it.”

During the 2003-2004 season, general manager Doug Wilson would share a pizza with two beat writers assigned to cover the team before games, including one from The Mercury News. He would then sit between them in the press box during games.

The routines started early in the season when the team was struggling. That season ended with the Sharks advancing to its first-ever Western Conference Final. 1162209 San Jose Sharks 21 gp, 10g, 11a, 21 pts Grade: A-

If there is a frontrunner among Sharks players to be named to the All- First-quarter report card: How Erik Karlsson and the rest of the Sharks Star Game, it’s probably Hertl, who has really found his game in recent grade out weeks. He scored in five straight games before failing to get one on Saturday against Detroit, and has multi-point games in three of his last six. This is the Hertl that the Sharks need for the duration of the season By Kevin Kurz Nov 18, 2019 that, for whatever reason, was missing through the first couple of weeks.

Hertl leads the Sharks with 14 even-strength points, and he’s been a beast in the faceoff circle (55.9 percent). If he continues his point-per- When you’re a 10-10-1 team, well, that’s pretty much the mathematical game pace and stays healthy, it will be a new career high, surpassing his definition of average. 74 points in 77 games last season. It shouldn’t, therefore, be overly surprising that there are a whole lot of C- Evander Kane level grades here in our player-by-player evaluation of the Sharks so far, as they reach the quarter-point of the regular season. 18 gp, 12g, 6a, 18 pts

This review is a deep dive, so let’s get right to it. Stats courtesy of Grade: A- NHL.com and Natural Stat Trick. Seven of Kane’s 12 goals have come on the power play, as he’s proven Forwards it was the right decision for him to move into Joe Pavelski’s old spot on that top unit. He leads the Sharks with 68 shots, is second in hits with 44 Logan Couture and, of course, he’s not afraid to get his nose dirty when it comes to the 21 gp, 3g, 18a, 21 pts rough stuff. Kane is simply a valuable guy for multiple reasons, and his $7 million salary could end up being a bargain if he hits 40 goals — a Grade: B target that seems to be within reach this season.

Couture was really struggling to do much of anything before the current The only reason Kane loses a few points is for that three-game abuse-of- six-game winning streak began about two weeks ago. Headed into a officials suspension to start the season. Otherwise, he’s been pretty meeting with Minnesota on Nov. 7, the new captain had just one goal and consistent. nine assists for 10 points in 16 games. Lately, though, Couture has been driving the bus again. In the last five games, he has 11 points (2g, 9a), a Melker Karlsson hot streak that essentially coincides with coach Pete DeBoer putting 19 gp, 1g, 1a, 2 pts Evander Kane on his left wing in place of the scuffling Timo Meier on Nov. 5. Grade: C-

It could be argued that Couture has been the victim of bad luck. His three Melker Karlsson doesn’t do much of anything 5-on-5. goals have come on 51 shots for a shooting percentage of 5.9 percent — far below his career average of 12.4 percent. That suggests it’s only a Melker Karlsson is one of the most important pieces of the Sharks’ matter of time before he starts lighting the lamp again on a more regular impressive penalty kill. basis. Let’s move on. Dylan Gambrell Kevin Labanc 17 gp, 1g, 3a, 4 pts 21 gp, 6g, 6a, 12 pts Grade: D Grade: C The 23-year-old got off to a rough start, had a decent brief stretch in Labanc’s grade may seem a bit low at first glance, but remember, this is October, and is now back to being generally ineffective again. At 5-on-5, a season in which he is supposed to truly establish himself as a top-six Gambrell has been on the ice for four Sharks goals and 10 against, while forward. He’s been given chances there, and he’s coming off of his best the opposition is out-chancing the Sharks with Gambrell on the ice, 76-53 game of the season with three points and a shootout winner against the (41.1 percent). Red Wings on Saturday. But he also was scoreless in his previous five Gambrell has to be getting dangerously close to finding himself a healthy games before that. scratch again, like he was for the third game of the season, or perhaps On the more positive side, Labanc leads all Sharks players with a 58.3 even reassigned to the Barracuda. It’s possible that the former second- shot-attempt percentage. He’s been on the ice for 131 scoring chances round pick just might not be an NHL-ready player right now, and that the and 113 against, and that 53.7 percentage is also tops on the team. He’s organization simply overrated him in the offseason. Or maybe he’s still not hurting the team, he just needs to do a little bit more to help. feeling the effects of an injured middle finger on his left hand that kept him out for three games earlier this month. Patrick Marleau

Barclay Goodrow 17 gp, 4g, 5a, 9 pts

21 gp, 5g, 5a, 10 pts. Grade: B

Grade: A Marleau gave the Sharks a nice boost when he joined them on Oct. 9 and his production is probably in line with what can reasonably be While Goodrow is the kind of player that a deep offensive team probably expected from the 40-year-old. Marleau’s scoring pace equates to 43 has on its fourth line, he’s done well with the increased responsibility of points over an 82-game season, which is actually more than the 37 playing in the top nine. Goodrow’s current line with Tomas Hertl and points he had in 82 games with Toronto last season. Meier has had some really good games lately, and the 26-year-old’s contributions there can’t be overlooked, as he’s just seven points behind What still makes no sense is why the Sharks waited so long to sign him his career best in a single season. to a one-year contract, considering what they’ve gotten from some of the other depth forwards. For a guy who didn’t have the benefit of a training Goodrow, who leads the Sharks with a +2 rating (tied with Patrick camp, Marleau has been fine. Marleau), is also the team’s most valuable penalty-killing forward, and they continue to be the top-ranked PK unit in the league. Among the Timo Meier players who returned from last season’s Sharks team, Goodrow is probably the only one truly exceeding expectations other than possibly 21 gp, 5g, 8a, 13 pts Kane. Grade: D Tomas Hertl Meier is perhaps the Sharks’ most disappointing player so far with just because he’s not getting as many shots off — Burns is currently five goals. After 30 goals in 2018-19, he’s not even on pace to reach 20 averaging 4.76 shot-attempts per game, after he had 6.06 last season. this season. He also hasn’t brought much to the power play, either, with just one assist in 42 minutes as part of the second unit. Some of Burns’ underlying numbers are concerning. His -16 rating is currently second to last in the NHL and he’s been on the ice for 147 A low point may have come on Saturday when Meier was partly Sharks scoring chances to 185 against. If the Sharks are going to be a responsible for Detroit’s game-tying goal in the third period, and he was better 5-on-5 team, Burns will have to be better, too. benched for the final 4:14 of regulation and all of overtime. If he can bear down on a few of his scoring chances — he actually leads the Sharks Brenden Dillon with 47 of them — it would be a huge boost to the lackluster 5-on-5 21 gp, 0g, 3a, 3 pts game. Grade: B+ Lukas Radil Dillon’s game hasn’t changed a whole lot in recent seasons, and that’s 12 gp, 0g, 0a, 0 pts just fine. Having him on the third defense pair is a luxury for the Sharks, Grade: F as Dillon’s 55.2 shot-attempt percentage is the third-best mark on the team and tops among the blueliners. He leads the Sharks with 69 hits Radil is basically the anti-Goodrow this season. He’s been given plenty of and is fifth on the team in shorthanded ice time at 2:09 per game. Now, chances to contribute, even skating in the top six on a few different will the Sharks re-sign the pending unrestricted free agent at some point? occasions, but has done nothing. In more than 114 minutes of 5-on-5 play, Radil hasn’t even been on the ice for a single Sharks goal (he’s Mario Ferraro been on for three goals-against). Why he’s gotten such a long leash from 18 gp, 0g, 2a, 2 pts. the coaching staff and the front office is mystifying. Grade: A Marcus Sorensen Not only did Ferraro somewhat surprisingly make the team out of training 18 gp, 3g, 3a, 6 pts camp, he’s leapfrogged others on the NHL roster like Tim Heed, as his Grade: C- aggressive style and team-first attitude have quickly endeared him to the coaching staff and his teammates. Get used to seeing the 2017 second- The best word to describe Sorensen at this point is probably round draft pick in a teal sweater for a long, long time. “serviceable.” Sorensen is another player whom the Sharks hoped would take another step in his development, but that hasn’t happened yet this Tim Heed season after he worked his way out of the lineup altogether in last 13 gp, 0g, 1a, 1 pt. season’s playoffs. Perhaps some of his struggles are due to Joe Thornton slowing down, but Sorensen hasn’t done enough on a nightly Grade: D- basis to make anyone think he’s suddenly going to become a 20-goal It’s a bit perplexing why Heed returned to the Sharks this summer after scorer at the NHL level. Erik Karlsson re-signed, because he had to know that he was again Joe Thornton going to have to fight for a roster spot. DeBoer has never shown great faith in the right-shot defenseman, and Heed’s play throughout training 21 gp, 0g, 6a, 6 pts camp and the first part of the season didn’t help his cause. Supposedly Grade: D an offensive defenseman, Heed has just one point this season, an assist against Edmonton on Nov. 12. He’s not physical enough in his own end, This past week should have been one in which Thornton and the Sharks’ he isn’t very big and he has had trouble managing the puck. He’ll bottom-six forwards had a real impact. Neither the Ducks nor the Red probably remain on the roster as long as Dalton Prout deals with a Wings are deep offensive teams, and each opponent had some concussion, but unless the Sharks run into more injuries on their back significant pieces missing on the blue line, to boot. But the Sharks didn’t end, it’s evident that he’s never going to be a regular. take advantage, and that lack of success probably starts with the veteran third-line center. Thornton has just five even-strength points in 21 games Erik Karlsson this season, and that’s not going to cut it. 20 gp, 2g, 14a, 16 pts.

At 40 years old, Thornton could be dealing with all sorts of aches and Grade: C- pains that we don’t know about, like when he played through an infected ankle last January. But on a team that already had depth issues entering Here’s what I believe many people out there tend to overlook: When the season, the Sharks were counting on Thornton to more closely you’re made the highest-paid defenseman in the NHL, like Karlsson resemble the guy they had in the second half of last regular season than became over the summer with an eight-year, $92 million contract, you what they’ve gotten so far. This season looks more and more like it will had better be in the discussion for the Norris Trophy for at least the first be the end of the road for the beloved future Hall of Famer and best two or three years of that deal. When you’re being paid to be an elite player in franchise history. player, you had better be a difference-maker more nights than not. At 29 years old, Karlsson should be in the prime of his career, but he hasn’t Defense played like it so far.

Brent Burns I don’t believe Karlsson has played as poorly as some other prominent 21 gp, 5g, 14a, 19 pts media personalities have suggested. But he absolutely has to be better, and that’s just not up for debate. Grade: B- As we’ve mentioned here several times and as he himself has admitted, This season, Burns has been Burns, for the most part. Yes, he’ll have Karlsson isn’t the kind of player who’s typically going to start October in some games where you’re left shaking your head at just what he was midseason form. While that should be a bit concerning now that he’s doing out there all night — including Saturday against Detroit — but he’s approaching 30 and is locked up long term — perhaps Karlsson needs to still been the team’s biggest weapon in the offensive zone this season find a new workout routine in the offseason — there is reason to believe other than maybe Hertl. That includes on the power play, where Burns is he’ll improve this season, because it was just about this time last season tied with Kane for the team lead with nine points. When evaluating Burns, when he really got going. you can’t overlook what he brings in the offensive end, and that gets overlooked far too often from many out there in the Twittersphere. Offensively, there have been flashes of the old Karlsson, including Nov. 12 when he posted three assists against the Oilers. Since he’s been Still, in the past, Burns has been able to take over games and almost paired with Marc-Edouard Vlasic, he’s gone from a -13 on Nov. 5 to just a singlehandedly win them, and that hasn’t really happened yet this -4 headed into Tuesday’s rematch with Edmonton. That’s encouraging season. Perhaps that’s just due to the passage of time — Burns will turn for the Sharks. 35 in March — but after posting six games of at least three points last season, he hasn’t had three-point games yet this season. That’s probably But the blatant turnovers, the losing of 50-50 puck battles and a tendency to be flat-footed and get beat wide in the defensive zone do lead to questions as to whether Karlsson can perform at an elite level again. And that should frighten the front office and team owner Hasso Plattner. If Karlsson can’t clean up the defensive errors while also making more of an impact offensively, the Sharks probably aren’t a playoff team. The next month will be very revealing when it comes to the guy who should be — and who has to be — the Sharks’ best player.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic

21 gp, 3g, 2a, 5 pts.

Grade: D+

Fortunately for the Sharks, Vlasic is trending in the right direction. Unfortunately, he had nowhere to go but up after the first month, when he was arguably the worst defenseman in the NHL, at least according to one metric.

For that, we hand it off to The Athletic’s resident stat guru, Dom Luszczyszyn:

Through October, Vlasic ranked last in the league in Game Score, a metric designed to estimate a player’s total value based on his box score (points, blocks, penalties) and on-ice stats (expected and actual goals at 5-on-5). That’s thanks mostly to his leaky defense, generally Vlasic’s biggest strength. In the first month, the Sharks allowed 2.99 expected goals-per-60 at 5-on-5 with Vlasic on the ice and 4.05 actual goals leading to an ugly 34 percent expected goals rate while being outscored 15-4 at 5-on-5.

Those poor numbers have completely reversed in November however, coinciding with more time next to Erik Karlsson. Since Nov. 1, Vlasic’s defensive numbers have cleaned up (1.81 expected goals against per 60, 2.44 goals against) and the Sharks are now out-chancing and outscoring opponents again with him on the ice. His Game Score for the month is 0.86, a huge step up from his minus-0.97 the month prior and the 24th highest in the league among defenders.

Since this is a grade based on the whole season so far, Vlasic’s early struggles can’t be overlooked, hence the tough grade. It’s the second straight season in which the veteran’s lack of urgency and intensity has been noticeable, leading to sloppy play all over the ice. He got his game fixed in the second half last season; this season it might’ve happened much earlier.

Goalies

Aaron Dell

6 gp, 2-3-0, 3.83 gaa, .878 sp

Grade: D

Dell has started five games this season, and in only one of them has he really been any good — Oct. 24 in Montreal when he made 35 saves in a 4-2 Sharks’ win. He followed that up by allowing four goals in Ottawa in just two periods before he was pulled, and then surrendered five goals on 28 shots in a loss to Vancouver on Nov. 2.

Just like last season, it seems as if DeBoer has lost faith in Dell. The coach said he didn’t even consider not starting Martin Jones on Saturday against Detroit in what seemed like the perfect opportunity to get the backup in against a weaker opponent. Dell could be one more poor start away from the waiver wire.

Martin Jones

17 gp, 8-7-1, 3.23 gaa, .889 sp

Grade: C-

Just like Vlasic, Jones is trending in the right direction with some strong performances lately. His numbers are much more respectable now than they were before the six-game winning streak, all of which he’s started. He’s among the best NHL goalies on the penalty kill, which has kept the Sharks afloat to this point. At the same time, among the 28 goalies that have played at least 500 minutes this season, Jones’ .871 save percentage at 5-on-5 is dead last. It’s tough to give the guy a good grade when that’s the case.

The Sharks will just have to hope that Jones’ recent play is a harbinger of things to come.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162210 St Louis Blues

Blues notebook: Maroon back in town, but with the other team

By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Pat Maroon, who left the Blues as a free agent after he helped them win the Stanley Cup, will make his return to St. Louis on Tuesday with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Before the game, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong will present him with his Stanley Cup ring.

“It’s definitely going to be an emotional night,” Blues forward Tyler Bozak said. “He was a huge part of what we did last year and being from here, with a lot of family and a place that means so much to him and such a well-liked guy in our room that everyone gets along with really well and everyone stays in touch with, I know we’re all excited to see him. Maybe he’ll take it a little easier on us in the physical category out there.”

“I think you’ve got to expect it’s going to be a great reception,” added Blues forward Brayden Schenn. “He was a very well-liked guy in our locker room, he still talks to a lot of guys through text messages. He’s close with a lot of guys and him being a hometown kid and scoring one of the biggest goals in St. Louis history, the crowd’s going to give him a good ovation. Once it’s all said and done and he gets his ovation and waves at the crowd, he’s going to be old Pat Maroon and he’s going to be having fun out there, chirping guys, laughing, playing hard like he always does.”

Still here

The Blues called Klim Kostin up for protection because San Antonio, their minor-league affiliate for which he was playing, was going to be in Winnipeg over the weekend and getting an extra forward to St. Louis in case of emergency might be difficult. But the Rampage now are in Chicago, so travel isn’t an issue anymore, and Kostin still is in St. Louis after a good showing Saturday.

“I think for him and for the organization, the team, we’ve got to see what we’ve got here,” Blues coach Craig Berube said. “I’d like to see him again.

“He just brings an element that we like. He’s a big guy, finishes his checks, he can skate and shoot. Goes to the net. For his first game, I thought he did a good job, he really did. I’d like to see him again.”

Also still with the Blues are two players trying out, Jamie McGinn and Troy Brouwer. For McGinn, it was day eight and for Brouwer day seven of their maximum 10-day trial periods.

Hall of fame coach

Blues forward Zach Sanford played two seasons at Boston College and his coach while he was there, Jerry York, went into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday.

“Whenever I think about him or talk about him, the first thing that comes up is how good of a person he is and how he’s one of the best college coaches ever, if not the best,” Sanford said. “The way he handles his players when they come in and how he treats them, pushes for them to excel in school and off the ice more so than he does on the ice is pretty cool. His big thing is building you as a person off the ice. Maybe some coaches are more focused on you as a player. He was awesome. He was there for me a lot of different times, even once I left, he’s been around, I’ve talked to him and he’s been great for me.”

York has won five NCAA titles and has an NCAA record 1,067 wins.

“My sophomore year we got him his 1,000th win,” Sanford said. “That was pretty cool. There’s not many coaches in any sport who can say they have a thousand wins. All he’s done coaching: how many guys he’s put in the NHL, how many Stanley Cups guys have won, how many Hobie Baker finalists and winners and national championships and Beanpots and Hockey East titles. The list goes on and on. He’s very well deserving of that honor.”

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162211 St Louis Blues Sammy Blais went back to his spot with Ryan O’Reilly and David Perron. Thomas, a center all his life until the Blues used him as a winger to ease his jump from juniors to the NHL, will center the third line, with Zach Sanford and Oskar Sundqvist. Blues shake up all four line combinations And the fourth line, the team’s most dependable unit (and Berube admitted, a tough line to break up), has newcomer Klim Kostin taking Sundqvist’s spot. By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch 6 hrs ago 0 “I think we’re trying to see if Bozak can have some chemistry with those

guys,” Berube said. “I know when I’ve moved Bozak late in games a lot of The Blues’ offense is not in high gear now. times on different lines, and he’s been with those guys, they’ve been good. I haven’t put them together for a whole game yet. So I’d like to see In the past four games the Blues have scored eight goals total, and only if something can happen there. I wanted to get Robert Thomas in the five in five-on-five play. Two of those five goals have come from middle of the ice for a game, more than one game hopefully here. His defensemen, and another two have come from the fourth line. The skating and his open-ice puck play is really good. (Center is) his natural team’s top three lines have produced just one even-strength goal — from position and he’s a puck distributor. He’s a good playmaker. Hopefully, Jaden Schwartz — in the past four games. maybe he can get something going there.”

So on a dull, gray Sunday in St. Louis, Blues coach Craig Berube sat in Chemistry shouldn’t be a challenge for the line with Schenn, Schwartz his home and mulled, for the most of the day, he said, over ways to and Bozak. There are only 22 skaters from Saskatchewan who have improve his team’s struggling offense. played in the NHL this season, and those three are among the top six of that group in points. “I was with my kids,” he said. “They don’t want to talk to me anyhow. They’re busy.” “Why not?” Schenn asked. “We’ve got the ‘Sasky’ boys together. ‘Bozie’ being a very good two-way forward, a good centerman, I play a little of What he came up with was the biggest revision of Blues lines this both too, I think we’ll read off each other. I’ve done a little of a hybrid season. All four lines were overhauled. He took a center, Tyler Bozak, center and whoever is low plays low and we’ll both take faceoffs and see and put him at wing and took a winger, Robert Thomas, and put him at if we can get something going here. center. He broke up the one line that was productive, all in the pursuit of achieving the team’s most pressing goal: More goals. “We always defend hard five on five, no doubt about it, but I think when we maybe go into a little bit of a lull is when we’re not scoring five on five. “(We need to) generate some five-on-five scoring,” Berube said. “It’s I think when we score five on five it gives confidence to guys, gives been down and we’ve got to generate more. Just trying to move a few swagger to guys. Sometimes it comes and comes naturally and right now guys around and see if we can get something going.” it’s not and we have to find ways to get out of the funk five on five, The Blues rank 28th out of 31 teams in five-on-five scoring, with 35 goals whether it’s communicating with guys on your line or when you’re on the in 21 games. (Only Detroit, Calgary and Columbus, in that order, have ice with them or just finding different ways to score. We have to do it as a less.) The Blues are 14th in overall goals. But if their power play, which group.” has scored 18 goals, isn’t clicking — as has been the case in the past St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.19.2019 three games in which it is one for 10 — the Blues are in trouble.

The Blues’ funk extends to Oct. 24, when they beat the Kings 5-2 and when, not coincidentally, Vladimir Tarasenko had his season effectively end with a dislocated shoulder. Since then, they haven’t scored more than three non-empty-net goals in regulation in any of those 11 games.

If not for two empty-net goals against Edmonton, on Nov. 6, the Blues wouldn’t have had more than three goals in any of the past six games. That is not an easy way to win games, even if the Blues did have a seven-game winning streak that covered some of that span.

In some of those games, the problem was clear. The Blues were being kept to the outside and not getting chances at rebounds or loose pucks in dangerous areas. They were better at that Saturday against Anaheim, but still couldn’t turn it into goals.

It’s not for a lack of chances. The Blues have had 100 shots on goal in the past three games, and scored on just five of them.

“We’re doing a good job of getting lots of chances,” Berube said. “But I think we have to execute better on a lot of our Grade A chances. We can hit the net more, bear down a little bit more in those areas. It sounds like a little thing but it becomes a big thing. The chances are there and we have to do a better job of hitting the net and executing a little bit better there. . . . It’s not about shot attempts. You’ve got to shoot the puck, and we all get that, but the quality of the shots is the most important thing.”

And, Blues forward Brayden Schenn said, it’s more than just getting to the front of net.

“Players without the puck have to work harder to find open areas, try to beat their guys off the wall, beat the defender to get to the net before them,” he said. “All that usually equals goals. The easy answer is to get to the net more, but I think there’s a lot of areas we have to get better at to score goals.”

To try to make that happen, Berube rearranged everybody.

Bozak, who has played center for just about half the team on the third line, was moved up to the top line, forming an all-Saskatchewan group with Schenn and Schwartz. (Bozak said he has played wing very seldom in his career.) 1162212 St Louis Blues

Preview: Blues vs. Lightning

By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch

BLUES vs. LIGHTNING

When, where: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Enterprise Center.

TV, radio: FSM, WXOS (101.1 FM).

About the Lightning: Tampa Bay made history last season, tying the NHL record for wins (62) and scoring a league-high 325 goals. The Lightning had three 40-goal scorers, and Hart Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov became the highest-scoring Russian in NHL history (128 points). But they flopped in the playoffs, getting swept by Columbus in the first round.

This season, the Lightning (9-6-2) still score in droves. They lead the league with 3.71 goals per game, and have 11 players with four or more goals headed by Steven Stamkos (seven), Ondrej Palat (six) and Kucherov (six). Stamkos scored his 400th career goal in Saturday’s 4-3 loss to Winnipeg.

But the normally tight Tampa Bay defense has been off, which goes a long way to explain the team's current sixth-place standing in the Atlantic Division. Vezina Trophy winning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is allowing 3.02 goals per game

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162213 St Louis Blues St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.19.2019

Berube makes unorthodox moves in shaking up all four Blues lines

By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Mired in a three-game losing streak and, more significantly, stuck in a scoring rut where the team hasn't scored more than three non-empty net goals in a regulation game in three weeks, Blues coach Craig Berube is giving his offense a shake on Monday.

Berube changed all four of his lines, and there were unorthodox moves all around: Tyler Bozak, almost exclusively a center in his NHL career, is moving to the wing; Robert Thomas, naturally a center but mostly a wing in his brief NHL career, is going to the middle; and the fourth line, the one redeeming unit on the offense, was broken up, with Klim Kostin moving in and Oskar Sundqvist joining the third line.

"Generate some five-on-five scoring," Berube said. "It's been down and we've got to generate more. Just trying to move a few guys around and see if we can get something going."

It's not for lack of shots. The Blues had a season-high 38 shots on goal in Saturday's 4-1 loss to Anaheim.

"We go over chances all the time, and we're doing a good job of getting lots of chances," Berube said, "but I think we have to execute better on a lot of our Grade A chances. We can hit the net more, bear down a little bit more in those areas. It sounds like a little thing but it becomes a big thing. The chances are there and we have to do a better job of hitting the net and executing a little bit better there.

"It's not about shot attempts. You've got to shoot the puck, and we all get that, but the quality of the shots is the most important thing."

The Blues lines looked like this on Monday:

Schwartz-Schenn-Bozak

Blais-O'Reilly-Perron

Sanford-Thomas-Sundqvist

MacEachern-Barbashev-Kostin

The top line features the team's three players from Saskatchewan. Bozak sees occasional duty late in the game on the wing when Berube has shortened his bench and plugged Bozak in as a wing on either of the top two lines, but that generally only amounts to a couple shifts per game.

"I think (I'm) trying to see if Bozak can have some chemistry with those guys," Berube said. "I know when I've moved Bozak late in games a lot of times on different lines, and he's been with those guys, and they've been good. I haven't put them together for a whole game yet. So I'd like to see if something can happen there.

"Sunny I used last year at different times on lines and different areas, he's a guy that can go up and down your lineup and do different things. I wanted to get Robert Thomas in the middle of the ice for a game, more than one game hopefully here. He's a great player that his skating and his open-ice puck play is really good. Hopefully, maybe he can get something going there."

Kostin, it should be noted, was called up in large part because the team wanted a spare forward on hand while its San Antonio farm team was playing in Winnipeg. The Rampage are in Chicago now for a game on Tuesday, so travel concerns are no longer an issue. Kostin is here now because the team wants to see him play.

Tryout candidates Troy Brouwer and Jamie McGinn are still with the team. This is day 8 for McGinn, day 7 for Brouwer. The Blues have 10 days to make a decision on whether or not to sign them.

The defensive pairings were:

Parayko-Pietrangelo

Bouwmeester-Faulk

Dunn-Bortuzzo 1162214 St Louis Blues and myself like 20 years. That means a lot, my dad watching the game. He couldn’t believe his son was playing first game right now. He doesn’t have any words.”

‘He lives for me’: The NHL debut for Blues prospect Klim Kostin was 20 In that moment, The Athletic wanted to see what Sergei would say, so I years in the making for his dad found out where his seats were: Section 119, Row Q, and although he was alone, his seats were Nos. 9-10. Knowing that he didn’t speak English, I solicited the help of Kirill “Kesh” Kvaterman, a U.S.-based correspondent for MatchTV in Russia, who could translate. By Jeremy Rutherford Nov 18, 2019 As the Blues’ warmups were wrapping up, the two of us went to the

seats, and they were empty. Did he plan on sitting there? Was it worth it Unable to utter a word of English, Sergei Kostin walked into Enterprise to wait? As Kesh and I contemplated, he looked down near the glass, Center, where he was welcomed by Jim Maier of NHL Security. where the Olympia machine enters the ice. He pointed to a man wearing a baseball cap, a black puffy jacket and blue jeans. It was about an hour before the Blues would face Anaheim, the debut for Sergei’s 20-year-old son, Klim Kostin, who was the No. 31 overall pick in “He stands like a Russian,” Kesh said. “I wonder if it’s him.” the 2017 draft. Sergei Kostin is the man circled in red. (Jeremy Rutherford / The Athletic) The Kostins, who are Russian, have spent the past two years living in As the 7 o’clock puck-drop drew near, those people standing in that area San Antonio, Texas, waiting for this day. They moved there together so dispersed, and an usher led the man in the black jacket up the stairs and Klim could have support while he played for the Blues’ American Hockey toward the lower-bowl seats where we were situated. Kesh decided to League affiliate. When he wasn’t at practice or working out, Klim would approach him and ask if he was Klim’s dad, and judging by the friendly sit for hours with his dad, watching NHL games and hanging out. Too reaction, it was him. much time, according to some of his Rampage teammates, who wished he would have come out for a beer every now and then. Sergei politely said he was too nervous to talk at that time, but he would later say, “I stood there shocked of everything. This is the first time I am “He lives for me, he lives for my hockey career,” Kostin said. “It’s me and at a show like this and plus my son’s fantasy has come true to play his him. We have a great relationship. We’re always together, everywhere. first game in the NHL and he is now part of this amazing NHL show. You We like to watch NHL games in San Antonio. can’t explain this feeling.” “And I don’t like the beers,” he added, laughing. Earlier in the evening, Blues coach Craig Berube had addressed the On Wednesday, Kostin received the semi-shocking word from Blues media, and when asked about Kostin making his NHL debut, he replied: assistant general manager Kevin McDonald that he had earned his first “He’s just got to keep the game simple. He’s a big, physical guy, just play call-up by the club. your game. Work the puck in the offensive zone, be strong on it, be physical. But at the same time, be disciplined. He’s got a good shot. Use “I’m like, ‘Are you sure it was me?'” Kostin said. “He said, ‘Yeah.'” your shot (and) just get to the net.”

His first phone call was to his father, who was in Los Angeles at the time, Now as Sergei Kostin was settling into his seat, the team was playing and likewise didn’t believe what he was hearing. Berube’s previously recorded news conference about Kostin on the Jumbotron. His dad, though unable to interpret the coach’s comments, “It was like a couple seconds of words, and it was like, ‘Dad, you hear?'” watched the interview, as well as the line combinations that appeared on Kostin said. “He was like, ‘Are you sure that was you?’ He said the same the screen. thing. I was like, ‘Yeah, they call me up!'” The game began and Kostin, playing on a line with veteran center Tyler Kostin was a healthy scratch Friday against Columbus, but while working Bozak and another 20-year-old winger, Robert Thomas, took his first shift out during the game, learned that he would be in the lineup Saturday 2:05 into the first period. against Anaheim. His dad made the flight from LA, and while being escorted through the building by Maier, went past a group of Blues On his third shift, Kostin had back-to-back hits on Anaheim’s Erik kicking a soccer ball and spotted his son. Gudbranson. He would finish with four hits, tying Sammy Blais for the team-high in the game. “I got a big hug!” the younger Kostin said. “I tried to play simple,” he said. “The coach, he likes that, play simple, HE'S IN. #STLBLUES HTTPS://T.CO/TA11IBOWSJ play physical. That’s what I tried to do.” PIC.TWITTER.COM/K4HLJ6Q1UR In the second period, the Blues trailed the Ducks 2-1 when Kostin almost — ST. LOUIS BLUES (@STLOUISBLUES) NOVEMBER 17, 2019 put the puck past goalie John Gibson to tie the score for his first NHL The players’ pregame routine over, Kostin returned to the locker room to goal. suit up for his first NHL game. He put on his uniform, No. 37, but couldn’t “My linemates did all the work,” Kostin said. “I just tried to score and I find his helmet. Or more accurately, knowing the rookie would be miss the puck.” nervous, one of his teammates took his lid. In the third period, the Blues fell behind the Ducks 3-1, and needing two “Somebody stole my helmet,” he said. “I always practice with my helmet, goals, Berube had Kostin take some shifts with O’Reilly and David but somebody on the team like stole it before practice. I was like, Perron, taking the spot of Zach Sanford. ‘Where’s my helmet?'” “No reason, really,” Berube said afterward. “Just trying to find something But it was showtime, just after 6:30 p.m., and Kostin didn’t have any time different in the game, see if something could connect.” to search the locker room. He lined up to go on the ice for the warmup and was aware of the NHL custom that sends the player making his It didn’t work for the Blues, but Sergei took notice. debut onto the ice for the first lap or two before the rest of the club joins him. “I’m just thrilled for my son,” Sergei said. “I have watched my son play since he was 4 years old, day in and day out hockey practice, and now “Yeah, I know the tradition,” Kostin said. “I saw it from other teams. So, I he gets to play in the greatest league in the world on a line with proven just skated out.” NHL stars like O’Reilly and Perron. It was surreal.”

As he glided on the ice wearing the Blues’ powder-blue heritage uniform, On an empty-net goal by Anaheim’s Derek Grant, his third of the game Kostin’s brownish hair glistened in the cool air. for a hat trick, the Blues lost the game 4-1. Kostin, who had 11:45 of ice time, lamented the loss, but did a video interview with Kesh after the After 1 1/2 trips around the rink, and two successful shots into an empty game and spoke with The Athletic and other reporters. net, with Anaheim’s entire lineup skating at the other end, Kostin was finally joined by goalie Jordan Binnington and the rest of the Blues. Kirill “Kesh” Kvaterman interviews Blues prospect Klim Kostin after his NHL debut Saturday. (Jeremy Rutherford / The Athletic) “It was a great feeling, first game,” he said. “It’s my dream come true. That’s his dream, too, you know. We were waiting for this moment, him At times, Kostin was the most noticeable Blues’ forward on the ice. Asked afterward if he played well enough to remain with the club and stay in the lineup: “You should ask coach, I don’t know. I just try to do my best for staying here a long time and that’s it. I thought it was a big step to come here and play my first game. Thanks for the coaching staff and GM. They gave me a chance to play my first game.”

Not one to get ahead of himself, Berube only addressed Kostin’s performance on Saturday.

“He was fine,” Berube said. “I thought for his first game in the NHL he did a good job. I was happy with him.”

If Kostin plays Tuesday when the Blues host Tampa Bay, or whenever he suits up for his second game, he believes he’ll be far less nervous than he was against Anaheim.

“First game, always nervous,” Kostin said. “If I’m going to play next game, I will be relaxed.”

He was one of the last players to leave the locker room, and when he did, Kostin went to see his dad first. The two who had watched many NHL highlights back in San Antonio were now seeing clips of Klim on monitors in the hallway.

Klim Kostin’s image is shown on a hallway monitor after Saturday’s game. (Jeremy Rutherford / The Athletic)

“I just worked hard and then he tried to help me improve my skill, improve my game, to come here,” Kostin said. “He helped me all my life. He’s my favorite coach. He’s waiting for this for 20 years; I’m waiting like 17. He can’t understand right now, what’s going on. He was nervous a lot. He can’t believe his son played first game.”

“I don’t even know how to put it into words,” Sergei admitted. “I still don’t even fully comprehend what has just happened.”

As they left Enterprise Center together late Saturday, the soccer warmup and hockey game over, and no need for a translator any longer, one final thought was made clear.

“It’s not enough,” Kostin said. “He wants to see me the next 10-15 years in this league. Our dream has come true for now. But we want to make the next step”

The Athletic LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162215 Tampa Bay Lightning “He’s done a much better job this year of just getting his big body in lanes and blocking shots,” Richards said. “Some of that is probably spending some time with McDonagh and watching him.”

Lightning’s Erik Cernak shows signs of somebody with a big NHL future McDonagh didn’t know much about Cernak when the latter joined the team last year. McDonagh was new to the organization, so didn’t know Tampa Bay’s second-year defenseman is primed to take on a bigger the prospects especially well, only seeing Cernak in training camp. Once role. they started playing together, McDonagh noticed Cernak strong skating.

“His ability to defend backwards, his backwards skating, his ability to close on these top forwards at a high pace,” he said. “For a big guy (6- By Diana C. Nearhos foot-4, 225 pounds), he can move laterally so well.”

Cooper suggested the Lightning had underestimated Cernak skating TAMPA — Erik Cernak packed for a week when he got the call to head before he joined the team. It makes a difference in how he breaks the to join the Lightning in Buffalo. puck out and allows him to skate out of a situation and make a quick little play. It was supposed to just be a short stint for his first taste of the NHL. But in 53 weeks, the 22-year-old defenseman has been back to Syracuse “When you can do that and also be able to defend,” Cooper said. “You’re just long enough to collect the rest of his belongings. an incredible asset to the team.”

By March, it was impossible to take Cernak out of the Tampa Bay lineup. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.19.2019 Now, in his second NHL season, he’s only gotten better.

One thing coach monitors when in a player’s second year is his expectations. Sometimes they think the success is just going to continue, making it a challenge to manage the ups and downs.

Lightning help hockey meet STEM in the classroom, via @dianacnearhos #GoBolts https://t.co/z9S4Fdp6aQ

— TampaBayTimesSports (@TBTimes_Sports) November 18, 2019

“He’s found a way to weather through those,” said Cooper, whose team is 9-6-2 and in sixth place in the Atlantic Division with 20 points heading into Tuesday’s game at St. Louis. “He’s had big responsibilities playing with (Ryan) McDonagh and the assignments he’s taken, but he’s been able to handle it. That’s a sign of somebody that probably has a big future in this league.”

Cernak feels the difference. By the end of last season, he felt comfortable in the league, like he’d fully adjusted to the NHL. But when he showed up for training camp in September, Cernak was surprised to find he felt even better.

Cernak noticed a shift in his mental approach, confidence that came through in his training.

“I had 60 games under my belt and I felt much different over the summer,” he said. “I knew I still had to work hard to show what I can do but I knew I could play in this league with the best players.”

Now the Lightning want to see Cernak establish himself as a top-four right-handed defenseman.

UP NEXT | at Blues, 8 p.m. Tuesday | TV/Radio: NBC Sports/970-AM

On some teams, that would mean power-play time, but the Lightning are rather stacked in that area. The question here is if there are injuries, can he step in there? He’s already on the first penalty-kill unit and is playing late in games or in overtime.

That increased confidence can be seen in his offensive play, an area assistant coach Todd Richards pointed to as a growth opportunity. Last year, Cernak averaged under two shots a game. He’s up to four a game to start this season.

It’s not just about shots, though. He finds opportunities to get involved. Where he might have hung back around the point as a rookie, Cernak is not hopping in on the rush or pinching down low.

Steven Stamkos is the ninth active player to reach 400 goals. He needed the second-fewest games of the group to do it. https://t.co/gG632uZXH9 #GoBolts #Bolts #TBLightning #GoJetsGo #WPGvsTBL @dianacnearhos #NHL

— TampaBayTimesSports (@TBTimes_Sports) November 17, 2019

Playing with McDonagh, who is known for picking his spots well, helps Cernak. He can see what McDonagh does, and they talk on the bench and in practice.

Cernak has also blocked more shots this season. He blocked 79 shots in 58 games last year and already has 25 in 16 games. 1162216 Tampa Bay Lightning “He has such a big range,” said Maple Leafs star , a childhood buddy of Stamkos. “It doesn’t have to be the perfect pass at the right speed. It can be front foot, back foot. It can be hard or slow. He can be late catching up to it, or it can be early. There’s such a big window The path to 400 goals: Fellow NHLers break down Steven Stamkos’ shot or target to get it off and be accurate with it.”

Stamkos said he looked up to Hall of Famer in how he could pull off a great shot, no matter the pass. By Joe Smith Nov 18, 2019 “Stammer is just a great contact hitter,” said , the

Lightning’s Fox Sports color analyst and a two-time Cup-winning TAMPA, Fla. — Lightning captain Steven Stamkos has been described defenseman. “It’s a God-given talent that he’s worked at. It’s timing. It’s as a pure goal scorer, blessed with a God-given ability to manipulate the everything. Other guys can do it hundreds of times and can’t come close toe-curved blade of his Bauer stick the same way Picasso applied his to doing it as well as him. brush. “He knows his weapon so well. He knows exactly where he wants to hit it Turns out, it’s all wrong. on the blade. He doesn’t miss that spot very often. He knows the trajectory. He’s done it a thousand times.” At least the “born-to-score” theory. Engblom compares Stamkos’ shot to a golf swing like Rory McIlroy’s. “When he was a kid, he couldn’t shoot,” his father, Chris Stamkos, said. “He could skate and pass, but he couldn’t shoot.” “Standing on the tee, he’s barely 5-9, and you hear the click and he hits it 304 yards,” Engblom said. “Technically, it’s perfect. You don’t even hear It’s hard to imagine that today, with Stamkos racking up his 400th career it off the club. That’s Stammer. He manipulates that thing like a golf club. NHL goal Saturday night against the Jets, fittingly scoring on a one-timer You hear it click, that’s it.” from his “office,” the left circle. He required the second-fewest games among active players to reach 400 regular-season goals, behind only Said Jets coach Paul Maurice: “In some ways, he’s like the right-handed Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin. (Sidney Crosby) in terms of what he’ll do what his hands and his body to dig that shot off the ice. To get down on one knee to rip it, he can take it Still, Stamkos’ shot — the envy of many of his peers — is a product of from all different (spots) in front of him. He’s just a brilliant shooter.” years of working at his craft, beginning at Score Hockey School outside of Toronto when he was 8 or 9. There was a synthetic ice surface the As St. Louis said, Stamkos is always looking to score. His career size of three panes of glass at Amalie Arena, with Stamkos and a coach average shooting percentage is 16.9, with a peak of 19.8 percent during in one-on-one sessions a few times a week where they’d pound his 60-goal season in 2011-12. hundreds of shots. “There are certain times you’re just shooting it trying to get it on net, and Then Stamkos would return to his Markham, Ontario, home and put shooting it as quick as possible,” Stamkos said. “Other times, if you know dents into the drywall and baseboards of the family’s unfinished a goalie has a tendency to anticipate well and slide over, I have to go basement. back against the grain. There are different moments where you can think before you shoot.” “My dad used to tell me that (Hall of Famer) Joe Sakic would shoot 500 pucks a day,” Stamkos said. “You work on release points. Obviously, I The goalie’s perspective wasn’t a big kid. You can’t shoot the puck until you get weight behind How do you stop Stamkos’ shot? you. But I had the technique down. Even the best in the world struggle with that. Just ask Canadiens “I was always a pretty decent skater as a kid, but I could never really netminder Carey Price. Stamkos has scored more goals on Price (17) shoot it. I just kept working on it and it worked out. than any other goalie he’s faced, including goal No. 398 on Oct. 15 at the “It didn’t happen overnight.” Bell Centre.

Stamkos said he finally started to feel confident in his shot when he was Price knew it was coming. He knew where Stamkos was going to shoot 14 or 15 years old and has kept the same type of curve on his stick blade from. He even saw it, too. Still, he had no chance. since his junior days at Sarnia in the Ontario Hockey League. If it ain’t “Oh yeah, I saw it,” Price said. “I only saw the pass when it was already broke, why fix it, right? in front of me in the middle, and by then, with him shooting 90 miles per With Stamkos, one of the best goal scorers of his generation, hitting the hour, it’s too late. No. 400 milestone, we decided to canvass the league for insight on his “He’s just good at getting it off from anywhere within a certain range, and trademark shot. he’s got a lot of velocity. He’s been doing it for a while now and he’s What makes it unique? What sets Stamkos apart? pretty successful at it. You know it’s coming, but it’s still difficult to stop.”

I think Stamkos’ longtime linemate, Hall of Famer Martin St. Louis, Even on Stamkos’ 400th goal, scored from the top of the left circle on a summed it up best. one-timer Saturday, Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck thought he had a chance. What’s Stamkos’ secret? “Front foot, back foot, short side, far side,” St. Louis said. “He doesn’t just shoot — he shoots to score every time.” “You know, I wish I knew,” Hellebuyck said. “That’s one of those that I think I want (back). In my mind I had it, and then it kind of bobbled and The technique bounced through. I’m kicking myself on that one, but obviously he’s a premium scorer from that position. My hat’s off to him, but I don’t want You watch any Lightning practice, there’s a common denominator. that to get in on me too often. It’s Stamkos working on his one-timer after the regular session is done. “His release is pure and doesn’t give you a whole lot of reaction time, and The attempts will all be around, above or below, his usual spot in the left you’ve really gotta be all over it.” circle. But there will be different kinds of passes and speeds. And Stamkos isn’t just going through the motions — he’s shooting to score. Several goalies have mentioned that while Ovechkin can overpower you with his shot, what strikes them the most about Stamkos’ one-timer is his Teammates have said that no matter what type of pass they make, accuracy. Stamkos can still make it work. “I mean, he’s just one of those pure goal scorers,” Flames goalie Cam “It’s hand-eye coordination and practice taking pucks off the front foot, Talbot said. “He reminds me of Ovechkin. He just sets up on that one taking pucks off the back foot,” Stamkos said. “You’re manipulating your side. He can overpower you with his slap shot. He can catch you, picking hands and feet to get good wood on it.” his corner wherever he wants to put it. The guy just has unbelievable Stamkos was a good baseball player growing up, too, so maybe it’s akin accuracy, but then he’s one of those guys who can just blast it through to getting good wood on a bad pitch. you, too, so he can beat you any way he wants. Those great goal scorers are also really good at just coming down and shooting through the D- man. They can find their spots. … Not many guys are able to do that. But So you can remember them all? when you have that much velocity, that much accuracy where you can put the puck wherever you want, that’s what sets those guys apart. For the most part, I can remember them. If you said, “What was your 27th goal last year?” maybe not. But if you told me which game it was, I “I’d have to put him right up there with Ovie. If he was healthy would probably remember the play. (throughout his career), he’d probably be closer to 500 goals right now. I think he’s one of the best goal scorers of all time — and he’s still got a lot It’s your job, right? You remember things in your job. I love scoring goals, of goals left in him, for sure.” so it’s a good feeling. Your body just naturally stores those good feelings.

Stamkos competes in the hardest shot competition at the 2018 NHL All- UNREAL MILESTONE FOR AN UNREAL GUY. Star Game skills competition in Tampa. (Kim Klement / USA Today) CONGRATS, @REALSTAMKOS91! ⚡️ Versatility PIC.TWITTER.COM/UTT0DXRTAA

Lightning assistant Jeff Halpern, who played with Stamkos early in his — TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (@TBLIGHTNING) NOVEMBER 17, 2019 career, has seen quite a transformation in the two-time Rocket Richard — Stick taps to my teammates Arpon Basu, Ken Wiebe and Scott Trophy winner’s scoring ability. Cruickshank at The Athletic for their help with this story. “A lot of the goals he was scoring early on, they were similar — driving The Athletic LOADED: 11.19.2019 through the middle of the ice — and the chemistry he had with (St. Louis) earlier in his career fed off that,” Halpern said. “He’s a tremendous passer now. That’s the one thing I noticed in his game is how good of a passer he’s become. Not just on power plays, but on entries and moving the puck up the ice. People always remember him as a shooter with his speed and driving the play. But right now, I’m impressed every day how creative he is with the puck and sometimes those passes lead to other people scoring. He has really completed his game.”

Stamkos’ performance last season is a perfect example. He racked up 45 goals, his highest total since scoring 60 in 2011-12, while averaging almost four fewer minutes of ice time per game (18:18 vs. 22:01). Stamkos, determined to evolve into a more well-rounded player, won 53 percent of his faceoffs (well above his career average of 48.9 percent) and even got more time on the penalty kill.

And you’ve seen Stamkos evolve into more of a playmaker, as well, from his career high of 59 assists in 2017-18 to 53 a year ago. His 13 assists through 17 games this season put him on pace for 62.

Shooting is still Stamkos’ No. 1, but he has struck an excellent balance between creating and scoring, which makes him that much more dangerous.

“He doesn’t get enough credit,” St. Louis said. “People don’t understand how hard it is to keep evolving as a player and not just be a one-trick pony. I think his faceoffs were really good. He’s improved in so many other ways, (and) he really took his career to another level. It’s not about scoring goals, which he does. But he’s gotten better at everything else. That doesn’t happen a lot.

“It’s impressive. And having him play with (Kucherov), he finally has that (connection) that I had with him. He just has more tools right now.”

In the last two seasons, Stamkos has posted the two highest assist totals of his career: 59 and 53. This season, he is on pace for 62. (Brad Mills / USA Today)

Stamkos’ milestone memories

Which pucks have you kept and showcased?

To be honest, I don’t really have a dedicated shelf for pucks. There are some in frames but not plastered all over my house. I still have my first 50-goal sticks, 60-goal stick, the pucks, jerseys from those games. Anytime you get to a milestone. But I can’t say I’m a huge collector.

Your most memorable goal?

My 60th goal (in 2011-12) was probably going to be the one that — I don’t want to say it’s the biggest goal in my career because hopefully there’s bigger ones coming. But it was a pretty amazing moment to score 60 and get a standing ovation in Winnipeg.

You also have a reputation for being able to remember all of the goals you’ve scored in the league. Is that true? Like, do you remember the second goal you scored last season?

That was against New Jersey on a 5-on-3 power play. (Nikita Kucherov) passed it to me, and I one-timed it.

Your first playoff goal?

It was against Pittsburgh, there was a shot from the point, it might have been Brett Clark, and I went to the net and scored on a backhander against (goalie Marc-Andre) Fleury. Those are the ones that stick out. 1162217 Toronto Maple Leafs

Tuesday NHL preview: Toronto Maple Leafs at Vegas Golden Knights

By Dave Feschuk

T-MOBILE ARENA

FACEOFF: 10 p.m.

TV: TSN4

RADIO: TSN 1050

NEED TO KNOW

Win city: The last time the Maple Leafs won a game, they beat the Golden Knights — 2-1 in overtime in Toronto on Nov. 7. That Toronto win started a five-game losing streak for Vegas. But the Golden Knights broke that trend in Sunday night’s 6-0 home win over the Calgary Flames. The Leafs are 4-1-0 all-time against the Golden Knights.

Next man up: With Trevor Moore placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury suffered in Friday’s loss to the Bruins, the Leafs called up forward Pierre Engvall from the Toronto Marlies. Engvall, who co-leads the Marlies in scoring with 16 points in 15 games, is a six-foot-five former seventh-round pick who is expected to get into the lineup eventually — although, given that he didn’t make it in time for practice on Monday, not likely on Tuesday. “He’s a big body. He can really skate. He’s having success (in the AHL),” coach Mike Babcock said. “It would make us a bigger, faster team. We’d like to have him, but he’s got to be ready.”

Flower power: In Sunday’s win, Marc-André Fleury made 34 saves for his 58th career regular-season shutout, which ranks 20th on the all-time list. Fleury needs one more victory to become just the seventh goaltender in NHL history to record 450 wins. The other six are Martin Brodeur (691), Patrick Roy (551), Roberto Luongo (489), Ed Belfour (484), Curtis Joseph (454) and (453).

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UP NEXT

Thursday at Arizona Coyotes, 9 p.m.

Toronto Star LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162218 Toronto Maple Leafs Change for change’s sake is one thing. But Muzzin insisted more than once Monday that the particulars of the coaching staff’s plan aren’t the problem. It comes down to what individual players prioritize as important. Until defence ranks higher on the list, it’s going to be difficult to win. Mike Babcock’s Leafs dominate puck possession, even in defeat, but the defence has been a disaster “It’s not even X’s and O’s. It’s the will inside every guy in here to keep the puck out of the net. And I think we need a better effort out of that, in all honesty,” Muzzin said. “It’s not X’s and O’s. It’s playing with passion and playing with heart. And that’s what we need to do.” By Dave Feschuk Mon., Nov. 18, 2019 Barrie, for one, concurred: “You have to know that defence is what wins.”

Which is not to say that demanding better defensive performances out of LAS VEGAS—The Maple Leafs are built on a theory. Get the puck. Move offence-first players is as simple as a snap of the fingers. the puck. Compile a roster brimming with superior speed and skill and use it to dominate possession of the puck. If you’ve got it, after all, the “I’ve been a guy who’s produced and been offensive my whole life. And other team doesn’t. just because you want me to be a Norris Trophy candidate doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. You can’t change who you are,” Barrie said. “But it’s It’s the foundational hockey philosophy of the team as constructed by GM important, for whatever role you’re in — you have to focus on the Kyle Dubas. But lately, it looks like a fatal flaw. defensive side of things.” Here’s the problem: During Toronto’s current five-game losing streak, the If they’re trying, it’s not always showing. Last year, the Leafs were guilty puck-possession plan has been going great. They’ve been dominating of overusing the home-run pass: the long stretch pass that was the staple the thing to the tune of a 57 per cent Corsi rating. They’ve been an elite of their offensive approach. This year, they’re guilty of giving up the puck-possession team all season, actually, ranking second in the NHL in home-run chance: the grade-A scoring opportunity from point-blank five-on-five Corsi rating heading into Monday’s games. Which might be range. During their current losing streak they’ve given up 14 goals from great if their opponents haven’t been dominating the scoreboard. The the high-danger area. No NHL team has given up more than 10 such Leafs sat in a four-way tie for 22nd in the league standings as measured goals over that same span. You’d think “Cover the slot” would be a go-to by points percentage. instinct for most pros. Not so for the puck-pushing, defence-shirking NHL After all, when you’ve got the puck 57 per cent of the time, the other team from Toronto. team’s still got it 43 per cent. Which is still a lot. If you treat defence as an But Muzzin, for one, wasn’t about to consider the season a lost cause. afterthought — and so many Leafs do — 43 per cent is more than Losing streaks happen. Things can change. In this particular case, mind enough for an opponent to do damage. you, individual priorities must. Building a team around possession is a Which is why Jake Muzzin spent part of Monday calling for his compelling theory. But without defensive ownership, it’s proving to be a teammates to change their outlook. Sure, Dubas’s possession-based losing one. roster has been built by prioritizing offence-first puck skills. And yes, as a “Where do we go from here? Well, we go up,” Muzzin said. “We’re kind of result the bulk of the players on the team have built their identities as near the bottom. I’ve been doing some thinking about it. I think we have pros — and their fortunes as multimillionaires — around offence. good, good people in here. A good team. Good players. Good guys. But I But as the only player on the roster in possession of a Stanley Cup ring, think we need to come together a little bit more. And I think we need to Muzzin has a strong view about treating defence as optional. play with a little more passion, a little more awareness and urgency on the defensive side of the puck.” “The reality is, when you don’t care (about defence) this is what happens. You lose games,” Muzzin said. “You can score all the goals you want, but Toronto Star LOADED: 11.19.2019 if you’re not going to play the right way on the defensive side of the puck, you’re not going to win. Yeah, guys have set their careers being offensive guys, and that’s great. And we need that. Every team needs that. But you’re not going to win if you don’t play on the defensive side of the puck just as hard. So I think we need that commitment out of everyone.”

With 60 games remaining on the schedule, beginning with Tuesday night’s date with the Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena, there’s certainly time for a transformation. But given how poorly the Maple Leafs have played of late — they haven’t endured a losing streak this long since they were en route to finishing dead last in 2015-16 — it’s only logical to wonder if head coach Mike Babcock will be the one to oversee it. Babcock, speaking to reporters, said he’s heard the speculation around his job status, mostly through text messages from concerned friends. But perhaps as a function of his status as the richest coach in the history of the sport — he’s in the fifth season of an eight-year deal worth $50 million U.S. — he shrugged it off as irrelevant.

On Monday, he conducted business as usual. He met with captain John Tavares and alternate captain Morgan Rielly to discuss the team’s ugly spiral. And after practice he took his usual run around the arena, arriving as sweaty and breathless as usual to his meeting with the media.

“I’m going to do (the job) as hard as I can for as long as I can,” Babcock said. “I’ve always bet on Mike Babcock. I’m going to continue to bet on him.”

With Toronto ranked in the bottom third of the league in goals-against per game, Babcock shuffled the team’s defensive pairs during Monday’s 40- minute practice. Muzzin, who’s spent the bulk of the season playing with Tyson Barrie, was partnered with Justin Holl. Barrie played with Travis Dermott. The top pairing of Morgan Rielly and Cody Ceci remained unchanged.

“I mean, I don’t know. It is what it is. Sometimes (stuff)’s not working out, you change it,” Muzzin said. 1162219 Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs place Trevor Moore on long-term injured reserve, recall Engvall

By Mark Zwolinski Mon., Nov. 18, 2019

The Maple Leafs placed winger Trevor Moore on long-term injured reserve Monday with a shoulder injury he sustained last week against the Boston Bruins.

With Moore out, the club recalled Pierre Engvall from the AHL Marlies. Engvall, who is tied with Pontus Aberg for the team lead in scoring, is expected to join the Leafs in time for their game Wednesday against the Golden Knights in Las Vegas.

Placing Moore on LTIR means he will be required to sit out either 10 games or 24 days, whichever comes first. Travis Dermott and Zach Hyman both began the season LTIR but have since returned to action.

The Leafs (9-9-4), who have lost five straight games, have been battling injuries all season. They recently got captain John Tavares back after he missed two weeks with a broken finger, only to lose Mitch Marner to a high-ankle sprain.

The club has gone 0-4 without Marner, who is expected to be out at least another two weeks. Toronto also lost Alex Kerfoot indefinitely last week after the centre required dental surgery.

Toronto Star LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162220 Toronto Maple Leafs Defence pairs Morgan Rielly-Cody Ceci

Jake Muzzin-Justin Holl Game Day: Maple Leafs at Golden Knights Travis Dermott-Tyson Barrie

Goaltenders Terry Koshan Frederik Andersen

Kasimir Kaskisuo TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (9-9-4) at VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS (10-9- 3) GOLDEN KNIGHTS LINES

Tuesday, 10 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, LW-C-RW

TV: TSN4, Radio: 1050 AM Max Pacioretty-William Karlsson-Reilly Smith

THE BIG MATCHUP Jonathan Marchessault-Cody Eakin-Mark Stone

Frederik Andersen vs. Marc-Andre Fleury Alex Tuch-Paul Stastny-Cody Glass

The Maple Leafs got Golden Knights backup Malcolm Subban two weeks Will Carrier-Thomas Nosek-Ryan Reaves ago in Toronto, and though Subban played well, figure on Fleury getting the call. Fleury was excellent against the visiting Calgary Flames on Defence pairs Sunday night, making 34 saves in a 6-0 victory. Andersen, meanwhile, Brayden McNabb-Nate Schmidt will be well-rested, not having played since Friday, when the Leafs lost at home against the Boston Bruins. Nicolas Hague-Shea Theodore

FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME Jon Merrill-Deryk Engelland

1. Hey, remember when? Goaltenders

The Leafs haven’t won since Nov. 7, when they beat Vegas 2-1 in Marc-Andre Fleury overtime at Scotiabank Arena on a goal by John Tavares. That night, the Leafs held their own against a heavier Golden Knights team, enabling Malcolm Subban Mike Babcock to record his 700th win in the NHL. The effort was there for INJURIES Toronto, and it got it done without Zach Hyman, who still was out. A similar approach — hard and determined — has to happen. Golden Knights —None.

2. Focus on Fred Maple Leafs — RW Mitch Marner (ankle), C Alex Kerfoot (face), W Trevor Moore (shoulder). Lost in the Leafs’ recent struggles has been the relatively good play of No. 1 goaltender Frederik Andersen, who has been in net for all nine of SPECIAL TEAMS the Leafs’ victories. When Andersen has stolen a win for his teammates, they have gladly acknowledged as much, and perhaps it’s what Toronto Power play will require on Tuesday night. Andersen has done well against Vegas in Golden Knights: 21.6% (10th) his career, allowing just 13 goals while going 4-1-0. Maple Leafs: 16.7% (21st) 3. Transition talk Penalty kill As coach Mike Babcock was saying on Monday, the Leafs have not been great in transition this season, and as a result, have not had the kind of Golden Knights: 87.2% (4th) scoring opportunities they have had in the past. Trouble is, to get it done Maple Leafs: 75% (25th) effectively, they will have to do so against a Vegas team that always make the opposition play honest hockey. Perhaps the Leafs will be Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.19.2019 buoyed by their recent history here — a win last season.

4. Second that

Whatever blueprint the Leafs have used in the second period of games, feel free to follow from the opening puck drop. The Leafs have been down 1-0 in 17 of 22 games, have allowed 29 goals in the first period (the most in the NHL) and have allowed 28 in the third period (tied for the most). In the second, it’s 16 goals against. Vegas? Leads the NHL with 29 goals in the first period. Game could be over quickly.

5. Matthews factor

While Auston Matthews has not been great against his home-town Arizona Coyotes, who entertain the Leafs on Thursday (two goals in six games), it’s different with Vegas. Matthews, with 14 goals in the Leafs’ first 22 games, has five goals and two assists in four career games versus the Knights. With Mitch Marner injured, Matthews’ inclusion on the score sheet is that much more crucial.

MAPLE LEAFS LINES

LW-C-RW

Andreas Johnsson-Auston Matthews-William Nylander

Zach Hyman-John Tavares-Kasperi Kapanen

Ilya Mikheyev-Jason Spezza-Nic Petan

Dmytro Timashov-Nick Shore-Frederik Gauthier 1162221 Toronto Maple Leafs

Barrie, Leafs defence corps left with little choice but to hit reset

Terry Koshan

LAS VEGAS — Tyson Barrie will be happy to get to know Travis Dermott a little better.

The Maple Leafs, struggling during a five-game losing streak, will go with a couple of new defence pairs against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, using Barrie with Dermott, and Justin Holl with Jake Muzzin.

While the Leafs’ bigger goal is to improve in transition, Barrie, on an individual basis, is ready to try anything different.

“It’s fresh and exciting,” Barrie said on Monday. “You get to try to do something new and I think it can invigorate you a bit.”

Barrie, whose name has come up in trade speculation as he has been trying to find his proper place on the Leafs blue line, acknowledged he is puzzled by his own play. He has just six assists in 22 games.

“A little bit,” Barrie said. “It’s tough. I’ve played some decent hockey games where nothing has happened. It’s frustrating. I know I’m a good player and I have been a good player in this league a long time. I just have to get back to that.

“There’s no secrets (from a team perspective): It’s time to get going. It’s not time to panic, but we have a good chunk of the season out of the way and we’re not where we want to be. It’s time to bear down and man up here.”

With that in mind, coach Mike Babcock is hitting the reset button with his defence corps. The forward lines at practice on Monday did not change from the loss in Pittsburgh on Saturday.

“They’re all going to play a little bit more with everyone on O-zone faceoffs,” Babcock said of his D-men. “We’re just going to find a way to maximize the group. We have to do a better job in that area.

“As a group of forwards we have to get to work and look after our D better. We have to clean that area of our game up. We’re not getting the transition we’re used to getting over the last few years, so we have to do a better job in the offensive zone, being organized coming out, so we can get some transition going the other way like we used to. That is a priority. It will allow our skill to come out.”

Failing to win on the three-game trip to the Western U.S., which was preceded by the loss in Pittsburgh, could end Babcock’s tenure as Leafs coach.

“The standings are what the standings are,” Babcock said. “We have to get going in the right direction as fast as we possibly can. We have talked about the commitment we need to make to one another and to our sweater.”

Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162222 Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs figure Engvall is ready for his chance in the NHL spotlight

Terry Koshan

LAS VEGAS — With his size, Pierre Engvall doesn’t have to look up to many players.

At 6-foot-5, 214 pounds, the Maple Leafs’ newest forward acknowledges he does exactly that when he considers the path taken by 5-foot-10, 194- pound Andreas Johnsson.

Both are seventh-round picks by the Leafs, Johnson 202nd overall in 2013 and Engvall 188th overall in 2014.

“Not like you have the big expectations on you, but I have been (sticking) with it,” Engvall said. “When you have Johnny, you can look up to him and when you see him make it, you feel like you can make it too.

“It has been a dream since I was so small. Really happy to be here. Going to try my best.”

Engvall was told after the Toronto Marlies’ game on Sunday that he was being called up. After arriving following practice on Monday, his debut should come soon, though perhaps not until the Leafs visit the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday.

“With any of the players we have brought up, what we have tried to do is let them overripe,” coach Mike Babcock said. “In the summer, Engvall was on the (lineup) napkin. When camp was over, he was not on the napkin. (Dmytro) Timashov wasn’t on, and was.

“How (Engvall) feels and the swagger he walks in with now, compared to what he used to have, is different. That leads us to think he is ready.”

Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162223 Toronto Maple Leafs points out of a wildcard spot and three points out of third in the Atlantic Division.

After the Leafs’ dismal loss in Pittsburgh against the Penguins on 'I have always bet on Mike Babcock': Leafs coach Saturday, the team had Sunday off and at practice on Monday one wouldn’t have known it’s a group in trouble.

“Tavares had a good meeting with me, Rielly had a good meeting with Terry Koshan me,” Babcock said. “They came to see me without me going to see them, which I really appreciated.

“When you look at it as a group, not one guy in the group is happy. LAS VEGAS — If the Maple Leafs don’t put a halt to their losing ways Coaching staff is not happy. We’re big boys. We just look around and we and Mike Babcock is fired as a result, the coach is going to go out on his watch how we play. We have to do a better job.” shield. Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.19.2019 Speculation is building that Babcock, with the Leafs carrying a five-game losing streak into a game Tuesday night against the Vegas Golden Knights, is in danger of joining the unemployment line if wins don’t start to come with regularity.

Following practice at T-Mobile Arena on Monday, we asked Babcock about the difficulty in keeping talk about his job future at bay.

“I’m a pretty good spot in my life,” Babcock said. “My kids are grown. If my kids were young, I’d never coach in Toronto, okay?

“So in my spot, I don’t spend a whole lot of time listening. But I do get text messages from people who are friends and they are sending you texts because they care about you.

“I’m going to do it as hard as I can as long as I can. I have always bet on Mike Babcock, I’ll continue to bet on him.”

Babcock will continue to bet on himself with a different Leafs look against the Golden Knights. The defence pair of Morgan Rielly and Cody Ceci remained the same at practice, but Tyson Barrie, who has struggled in his first 22 games with the team, and Justin Holl were flipped. Barrie will skate with Travis Dermott on Tuesday, while Holl will be alongside Jake Muzzin.

The Leafs also recalled forward Pierre Engvall from the Toronto Marlies and placed Trevor Moore, who suffered a shoulder injury against Boston last week, on injured reserve. Engvall did not join the Leafs in time for practice, and Babcock was not clear whether Engvall will make his National Hockey League debut against Vegas, though it appears unlikely.

The moves could amount to swapping around deck chairs on a sinking ship if the Leafs don’t, finally, stop pretending to recognize their failing ways and actually do something about it.

If they lose to Vegas, it will mark the first time since 2015-16, Babcock’s first season with the team, that Toronto has lost six games in a row.

As a long-time observer of the Leafs put it to us on Monday: “Every coach has a shelf life, and Babcock is no different. That time might have come.”

The players, including captain John Tavares, continued to say the right things. For Tavares, the idea that Babcock might be relieved of his duties at some point has a fairly simple solution.

“If we play the way we’re capable of, everything takes care of itself,” Tavares said. “We’re the ones who put our skates on, put our gear on and play. We are just not doing a good enough job.

“Our coaching staff, led by Mike, is extremely prepared, detailed, passionate, motivated and wants to win as badly as anybody. That has never been questioned or has wavered. It’s up to us, starting with myself, to do the job we need to on the ice.”

This from defenceman Jake Muzzin, who has won a Stanley Cup: “The talk is the talk. Everyone talks. Address what needs to be addressed but then you have to, honestly, you just have to grab your (self) and get to work. It’s not Xs and Os. It’s playing with passion and playing with heart. That’s what we need to do.”

How about the change in defence pairs?

“Sometimes (stuff’s) not working out, you change it,” Muzzin said. “I don’t know. That’s as simple as I have for you.”

One small bonus for the Leafs — and this is what it has come to — is that from games on Monday night, they couldn’t slip any lower than their 10th-place standing in the Eastern Conference. The Leafs were two 1162224 Toronto Maple Leafs It might sound trivial, but making better use of his speed and size is an important element in Engvall separating himself from the pack.

The Leafs signed a handful of players with NHL experience, including Why Pierre Engvall believes he’s ready to contribute to the Maple Leafs Aberg (who left Sunday night’s game after taking a hit to the head), Kenny Agostino and Garrett Wilson, who would fight for limited spots in training camp and be ready if and when injuries occurred.

By Joshua Kloke Nov 18, 2019 That it was Engvall, who has never played an NHL regular-season game, who was called up speaks to how well he’s developed this season.

On Monday, Mike Babcock referenced his long-held belief that any The 6-foot-5 Pierre Engvall stood towering above a group of reporters possible call-ups should be “overripe” in the AHL. Sunday evening at the Coca-Cola Coliseum. His smile scrunched and his shoulders shrugged as he considered the hypothetical: With the number “You just watch, and when are they ready,” said Babcock. “And when of injured Maple Leafs forwards, and with Engvall playing some of the have they dominated enough that when they come up, they have best hockey of his life for the Toronto Marlies, what could he bring to a confidence. It’s not when I think he’s ready, it’s when he thinks he’s Leafs lineup in the event he was called up? ready. So when he gets out on the ice and he feels confident enough to play, to do what he does, and there’s a few simple things we walk “What I can bring is what I’ve shown with the Marlies,” said Engvall. “I’m through that he’s got to do to be successful.” a good skater with a good shot and I think I’m a two-way player. That’s what I’m going to bring.” Engvall has long been a touted member of the Leafs’ prospect pool. After being drafted out of Frolunda’s junior ranks, then Leafs director of Engvall, whose first language is not English, should be given the benefit amateur scouting Dave Morrison said the team believed Engvall had a of the doubt regarding his mid-answer switch from the hypothetical to the “real high ceiling.” more affirmed future tense. Though it might have been simply a grammatical error, his confidence was still evident: Engvall believed on Once Engvall spent began playing for Mora IK of the Swedish Sunday night he was ready to make his NHL debut. Allsvenskan, Sweden’s second division, he added far more depth to his game. He became a far better player away from the puck under the “Obviously my goal is to play in the NHL,” said Engvall. “If I get a chance, tutelage of current Chicago Blackhawks head coach Jeremy Colliton, I’ll try to enjoy it as much as I can.” who was Engvall’s head coach with Mora, but it’s been his improvement Engvall will now do just that after he was called up to the Leafs on with the puck and his ability to pair his smooth skating with his size in Monday. He’ll likely make his NHL debut at some point during the Leafs increased efforts to drive to the net that manifested first in Sweden, and current Western Conference road trip. then with the Marlies.

“I think confidence and opportunity are a big part of it,” Marlies coach “He’s so big and he’s such a good skater and he’s got such a good reach Sheldon Keefe said on Sunday regarding Engvall’s strong play as of late. that if he could learn to take the puck inside and take the puck to the net more consistently, he could have more goals,” said Colliton in 2017. “It’s Drafted in the seventh round of the 2014 draft, the 23-year-old forward tough to get the puck off him. He can take two strides and he’s inside of began his career as a winger but transitioned to centre last season as the you in the shot lane.” Marlies dealt with injuries. He’s adapted well, driving offence for the Marlies with his strong shot, his smooth skating and his ability to use his His progression since 2017 has been dramatic, considering it looked to size to separate opponents from the puck. some like his career was “flaming out.” He was a late-season addition to the Marlies in their 2017-18 season and logged eight points in nine Engvall’s recent play, including scoring five goals through his last three regular-season games before playing in all of the Marlies’ 20 postseason games, is the obvious talking point. But Keefe insisted his development games. has been noticeable throughout the early season. His first full season with the Marlies was part of a learning process for “I don’t know if he’s made such strides in his last few games,” said Keefe. Engvall. It took him time to both feel comfortable with a new team and “The puck’s going in the net for him but he’s been great for us all season. playing on a smaller ice surface. But this season, he’s ditched those He’s been skating like that through the neutral zone, driving play up the nerves. ice, generating shots and chances.” “You start to relax,” admitted Engvall. “ better then.” Engvall’s recall by the Leafs is, in part, one borne out of necessity, with injuries to Mitch Marner, Alexander Kerfoot and Trevor Moore, who was And if last season was meant for him to fully acclimatize to North placed on IR on Monday. American hockey, this season has showcased his dominance at the AHL level. But that shouldn’t discount the fact that he’s earned it, either. “The puck’s going in the net for him but he’s been great for us all “He’s been a good player here for a long time now,” Keefe said Sunday season,” Keefe said on Sunday. “He’s been skating like that through the evening, after Engvall had a goal and an assist in the Marlies’ 4-3 win neutral zone, driving play up the ice, generating shots and chances.” over the Texas Stars. Another element of his emergence as one of the better Marlies players is Engvall’s strong form has brought him to 16 points in 15 games, tied for his shot. Engvall said he’s always had a shoot-first mentality, but this the lead in Marlies scoring, after scoring 32 points in 70 games last season, he’s become more confident with the puck on his stick. season. “When I get in the shooting area, I shoot, I don’t think,” said Engvall. When first asked about his offensive uptick, Engvall credited his linemates, Pontus Aberg (who is tied with Engvall for the team scoring That mentality, along with his size and reach came in handy on the lead) and Egor Korshkov. weekend on his first goal against the Texas Stars, when he elected to shoot through traffic and then follows up on his own rebound by But he also admitted that some of his improvements can be traced to the stretching past the closest defenceman. personal attention Keefe has paid to him and his development this season. And according to Keefe, he’s shouldered increased responsibility with injuries to other Marlies forwards this season. That added responsibility “A lot of details,” Engvall said, raising his eyebrows. could benefit him with the Leafs.

One of those details involved encouraging Engvall to, in his words, take “The puck hasn’t always gone in for him like it has this weekend but he’s “one more stride.” Engvall’s skating is one of his better attributes. His been really good for us in all areas of the game: penalty kill, power play,” movement in space through the neutral zone looks silky to the point of it said Keefe. also appearing effortless. Babcock will naturally appreciate his size on what could likely be a fourth But by learning to take that extra stride both when trying to win puck line role. That role, including the limited minutes and focus on playing a battles and also when driving to the net, he’s been able to maximize his physical game, will be a different one than Engvall is used to with the size and overpower opponents. Marlies. But Engvall, of course, insists he’s ready.

“I know that I’ve got to take that role in the beginning, to do different things than I’m doing here,” Engvall said of playing on the fourth line. “Last year I did a couple of those things with the Marlies. I’m used to doing it.”

And Babcock has noticed a difference, too.

“He knows what’s expected,” said Babcock. “How he feels, and the swagger he walks in with now, compared to what he used to have, is night and day different. That leads us to think that he’s ready.”

The Athletic LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162225 Toronto Maple Leafs Only Randy Carlyle (1981 Norris Trophy winner) among retired blueliners has won a Norris and not been inducted into the HHOF.

“Willy was an all-around great player,” Savard added. “He played well LeBrun: If Hall enshrinement for one player opens the door for another, defensively, he played in all situations. It was no fluke he scored all those who was helped by this year’s class? goals. And defensively, he played against top lines every night.’’

Again, I ask the question: why is Wilson not in the HHOF?

By Pierre LeBrun Nov 18, 2019 Jere Lehtinen/Rod Brind’Amour

Lehtinen, other than being a winger not a centre, was basically Carbonneau a decade later, with both winning three Selke Trophies as TORONTO — If you believe one player’s induction can pave the way for the NHL’s top defensive forward. He was Mr. Shutdown of his era. another, a couple of noteworthy doors were opened with the 2019 class, which the Hockey Hall of Fame officially inducted Monday. He also won a Stanley Cup with Dallas in 1998-99.

Could Sergei Zubov finally getting in mean good things for Doug Wilson “For 11 years, Jere Lehtinen was the most complete player in the world,’’ or Sergei Gonchar? his former coach Ken Hitchcock told me on Monday. “He did it all. You talk about the 200-foot player, he was the 205-foot player. For 11 years Could Guy Carbonneau, who after all of those years of bringing his he was the best in the world. I don’t just mean defensively, I mean a impeccable shutdown game, being inducted into the Hall mean Jere complete player.’’ Lehtinen or Rod Brind’Amour will get a closer look now? No one had a better view than Hitchcock, who saw him on a nightly basis Does Czech trailblazer Vaclav Nedomansky getting enshrined on in Dallas. Monday mean the selection committee dips into the past again for another forgotten superstar from overseas, I’m thinking of former Soviet Brind’Amour, meanwhile, was a more prolific offensive player than national team captain Boris Mikhailov? Carbonneau and Lehtinen but if you’re going to make his HHOF case it’s based on his 200-foot game, as his two Selke Trophies point out. Let’s take a look: His former GM Jim Rutherford, himself inducted into the Hall on Monday, Sergei Gonchar/Doug Wilson believes Brind’Amour’s playing career is Hall of Fame-worthy.

Gonchar’s 811 career regular-season points are more than the likes of “I do, and I really, really hope it happens,’’ Rutherford said on Monday. HHOFers Borje Salming, Rob Blake, Mark Howe and Scott Niedermayer. “He is deserving.’’ They’re also more than Zubov’s 771 career points although the latter played 233 fewer games. Neither won a Norris Trophy although Boris Mikhailov especially in Gonchar’s case, he played in the Nicklas Lidstrom era, so, Really, it’s probably former Soviet star Alexander Yakushev being yeah. inducted into the Hall in 2018 that should have paved the way in a more Perhaps the strongest case for Gonchar, in my mind, is this: his peak direct fashion for Mikhailov, who was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame offensive years happen to coincide with the depths of the NHL’s Dead in 2000 after a career which saw him score 428 goals in 572 Soviet Puck era. The league’s lowest goals per game averages in the past 40 league games. years spanned from 1997-98 through 2003-04 before new rules in 2005 Mikhailov won a pair of Olympic gold medals and eight IIHF world titles opened the game up. During the Dead Puck era, Gonchar put up five 50- with the powerhouse Soviet national team in the 1970s while playing on point seasons, including matching his career high of 67 points in 2002- the top line with Valeri Kharlamov — who was inducted posthumously 03. into the HHOF in 2005. He went to the Cup final with Washington in 1998, Pittsburgh in 2008 It seems to me that with Yakushev and Nedomansky both getting before winning his Cup with the Penguins in 2009. Oh, and he put up 90 inducted in back-to-back years that the HHOF has started on a path to fill points in 141 career playoff games. the gaps from a past era, specifically when it comes to international “When we went to the Stanley Cup final, he was just incredible the first players that had a tremendous impact on the game. Which is a good couple of rounds,’’ Gonchar’s former GM in Washington, George thing. Remember, it’s not the NHL Hall of Fame, it’s the Hockey Hall of McPhee, said on Monday. “He single-handedly beat Boston, every game Fame. I think we’ll see Mikhailov in the Hall one day. he was coming up with a really big goal.’’ Who’s next after Hayley Wickenheiser? “He was a really gifted player, offensively,’’ McPhee added. “I think he Hayley Wickenheiser was the headliner of the entire 2019 HHOF class, became a better player when he got older. From afar, it looked to me like period; a slam dunk if there ever was one. he took charge more as he got older, he was better defensively as he got older. But there’s no doubt, offensively, he was really pretty special for a But what’s important for the selection committee is to keep the ball number of years. I mean, we had a power play that just couldn’t be rolling. It was mind-boggling to me that after inducting the first two female stopped. We had Adam Oates on the wall just chipping it out to (Peter) players in 2010 in Angela James and Cammi Granato, that three years Bondra and Gonchar for one-timers. It couldn’t be stopped.’’ went by before Geraldine Heaney got the call in 2013. Then the HHOF skipped the women again in 2014 and in 2016. Like, come on. Angela As for Wilson, well, I have made his case many times but Zubov getting Ruggiero was inducted in 2015 followed by Danielle Goyette in 2017 and in now can only strengthen what has long been an oversight by the Jayna Hefford last year. HHOF’s selection committee — at least in my humble opinion. So who’s next? Wilson’s 827 career regular-season points are 15th all-time by NHL blueliners and he also captured the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top Lots of candidates, including the likes of U.S. stars Natalie Darwitz and defenseman in 1981-82. Wilson had a booming slapshot, he was a threat Jenny Potter. Canada’s Caroline Ouellette should be a lock one day but to score every time he was on the ice and played in eight NHL All-Star she just retired last year. She won’t be eligible for HHOF consideration games. until 2021.

Former Blackhawks teammate Denis Savard, inducted into the HHOF in France St. Louis was a star in the 1990s in the early days of the women’s 2000, told me in a 2015 interview that he believed Wilson should be in game and inspired many Canadian women to pick up the sport. If she the Hall. doesn’t get the call over the next few years, there’s the danger of being forgotten. “No question,” Savard said. “He was a great teammate, he was a guy that was awesome for all of us to have on the team. Just a great person. I would argue Cassie Campbell-Pascall also deserves a look. She was … He had 39 goals the one year, was a Norris Trophy winner, I don’t named to the Order of Hockey In Canada in 2012 but hasn’t got the know how many have ever won the Norris and not been elected to the HHOF nod. She’s actually part of the 18-member selection committee for Hockey Hall of Fame, do you?” the HHOF so if she were ever nominated she would need to recuse herself. If she doesn’t make it as a player, her day will probably come in the Builders’ Category.

What about the day we first see a female player that’s not Canadian or American?

Riikka Sallinen played forever for Finland including in the Olympics at the age of 44 in 2018, 20 years after playing at the Nagano Olympics. Really an amazing career. Former Swedish goalie Kim Martin is another compelling candidate. You may remember her role in the upset seminal win over the U.S. at the Torino Olympics.

Daniel Alfredsson/Alexander Mogilny

Where the argument that one players’ induction should open the door for another fails is in regards to Daniel Alfredsson, who continues to get passed over despite what I believe a similar career track to his countryman Mats Sundin, who got inducted in his first year of eligibility.

I am told that Alfredsson has been nominated at least once over the past few years but obviously didn’t get the required support from the selection committee (remember that nominees need 14 votes out of the 18 to get in). That’s an oversight in my opinion.

So to is keeping Mogilny out. I see both some Pavel Bure and some Paul Kariya in the case for Mogilny, his game a blend of both those HHOFers. I think the case is growing for Mogilny and I do believe he will get in within the next few years.

There are others, of course, from Curtis Joseph to Theo Fleury to Keith Tkachuk and Jeremy Roenick, lots of fun cases to debate.

But there’s also next year’s class of first-year eligibles NHLers.

First-year eligibles for 2020

The first-year eligible list of retired players for next year isn’t a deep one as far as potential candidates but certainly, Jarome Iginla jumps off the page.

His 625 goals are tied for 16th all-time with Joe Sakic. And it’s worth mentioning that Iginla played right into the heart of the Dead Puck era while filling the net as one of the NHL’s most feared power forwards. He’s a Hall of Famer through and through.

Another serious Hall of Fame contender who hasn’t played since 2017 is Marian Hossa. He was forced off the ice due to a skin condition but has not formally retired and is being paid by the Coyotes through 2020-21. But I have confirmed via a Hall of Fame source that Hossa will be eligible for induction in 2020, essentially getting the Chris Pronger treatment. Pronger was inducted into the Hall in 2015 despite still being under contract with the Coyotes.

The only other notable player from the 2020 first-year eligibles would be Shane Doan, another terrific power forward from his era.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162226 Toronto Maple Leafs Remarkably, through his first 15 games of the season, the Leafs captain has only five shots on goal on the power play, one less than Jason Spezza, who’s played less than half his minutes. Tavares has one power-play goal. Monday Morning Leafs Report: ‘A big road trip,’ breaking up Jake Muzzin and Tyson Barrie, more shots for Tavares He led the Leafs with 71 shots with the man advantage last year and was second to Matthews with 10 goals.

Re-energizing him would probably go a long way toward re-energizing By Jonas Siegel Nov 18, 2019 the power play as a whole. And the Leafs are trying, with Tavares recently moving back to the net-front position he occupied on the power

play last season. Editor’s note: The Monday Morning Leafs Report is a weekly collection of “Well, I had good success there last year, so I certainly have a good feel quotes, observations, stats and notes. Stay tuned each week! for it,” he said. The Maple Leafs took a long overnight flight to Vegas after Saturday’s A look at the shooting leaders for the Leafs on the power play shows humbling loss in Pittsburgh. Tavares getting lost as the puck bounces between Matthews and, before During the Ron Wilson and Randy Carlyle years, I rode on the team he was hurt, Mitch Marner: plane, and after losses like that — embarrassing defeats, after which the Power-play theory head coach hammers effort level amid growing uncertainty over his own job security — things tended to be quiet. Tense, really. Matthews seemed to hit the mark on the struggles of the power play earlier this month. This was after a Nov. 7 game against the Golden There’s probably no better time than now, though, for the Leafs to get Knights in which the 22-year-old scored on the power play. away from it all, to escape the rising heat at home and maybe bond some during hard times. “I thought as we went along through the first two periods, we were a bit stagnant,” he said. “In the third, we pretty much said, ‘What do you have “I think it’s way overdue for us,” captain John Tavares said of the to lose? Let’s move around, let’s get the penalty kill thinking more.’ I potential benefits of the road trip, which picks up Tuesday night in Sin thought we did a really good job of that, with different guys going to City, with stops to follow in Arizona and Colorado and, after a brief return different areas and reacting, playing off our instincts. Not just drawn-up home, Detroit and Buffalo. plays but reacting off one another, using each other and making plays. The Leafs need to turn this thing around now. We spread them out a little bit and were able to score.”

A bad trip could spoil the season and force Kyle Dubas to do something. Torn ACL A good trip, on the other hand, would cut all this tension, turn down the “I think I know the history of everybody who had an ACL injury,” Zach temperature and get things moving in the right direction. Hyman said last week. The Leafs will have to perform a lot better than they have to this point on A “big football fan,” Hyman then listed Adrian Peterson, Cooper Kupp the road. They’ve dropped six of their first nine games away from home and Jimmy Garoppolo among the NFL stars to come back and find this season, for the fourth-worst points percentage (.333) in the league, success after tearing their ACL. Another source of inspiration and besting only Ottawa, L.A. and Minnesota. Since starting the year with guidance: Rielly, who suffered the injury in November of his draft year road wins in Columbus and Detroit, the Leafs have lost six of seven on (which might have led to his sliding to No. 5, where the -led the road (the one win came in a shootout) and they have been outscored Leafs scooped him up. Rielly will very likely end up as the best player 32-19. from that 2012 draft. Other candidates: Filip Forsberg, Tomas Hertl, Five of those nine games did come on the second night of a back-to- Teuvo Teravainen, Jacob Trouba, Colton Parayko, Matt Dumba, Jaccob back, including in Pittsburgh over the weekend, and it’s not as if things Slavin or, perhaps, Andrei Vasilevskiy and/or Frederik Andersen.) have been a whole lot better at home, though the Leafs do boast a 6-3-4 “He did a different surgery. I did the patella; he did the hamstring,” record. Hyman said of Rielly. “But when I first got it done, he was somebody that “It’s a big road trip,” Auston Matthews concluded. “We gotta make sure I spoke to a bunch. Actually, (former Leaf) Frankie Corrado reached out that this (skid) comes to a stop.” to me. He got his (surgery) done a little bit before me, and he kinda gave me the scoop on what I was gonna go through. I didn’t realize how long it Too soon? would be, how long of a process it is. So he gave me some insight into that, and that was really helpful. I definitely looked at a bunch of different Is it too soon for Mike Babcock to break up the twosome of Jake Muzzin people who had gone through it, and it’s something that you can come and Tyson Barrie? The Leafs have been outscored 18-9 (!) when Muzzin back from and come back stronger.” and Barrie have shared the ice at five-on-five this season, including two goals against in Pittsburgh. It’s worth recalling that Hyman played three games with the injury, which he suffered late in Game 4 of the Leafs’ first-round series with Boston. Should Kasimir Kaskisuo stop this shot through traffic? Maybe. But it’s The recovery — from the day of the surgery until his season debut last indicative of the way things have gone for the duo all season. The Leafs week — took 199 days, or six and a half months. have given up 3.6 goals per 60 minutes when Muzzin and Barrie have been out there at five-on-five, the fifth-worst mark among the 30 pairs to “It’s excruciating pain after the surgery,” Hyman said. “When you do the log at least 200 minutes together this season. (Muzzin and Barrie are patella graft, you’re taking pieces of your bone and you’re making a graft 10th from the bottom in expected goals against per 60, a hair or two out of it. The couple days after, the week after, it’s really painful. You worse than Morgan Rielly and Cody Ceci.) can’t really do much. You’re just lying around, waiting to get going and get treatment. Now, that seems like a long time ago.” An ugly .882 save percentage hasn’t helped matters for Muzzin and Barrie, but an expected goals mark of 46 percent (fifth-worst) isn’t Rebound master encouraging, either. Could Justin Holl be a temporary sidekick for Muzzin, at least until Barrie, who picked up only his second point in the One thing Andersen has been excelling at this season: limiting rebounds. last 19 games against the Penguins, gets on track? In fact, nobody in hockey has done it better than the 30-year-old in five- Or is it time to explore more dramatic change, perhaps an entire on-five situations this season. Andersen is yielding a league-low 1.9 restructuring of the defence? rebound attempts per 60 minutes.

Missing shooter Andersen has been elite in swallowing up shots this season. (Dan Hamilton / USA Today) Find the shooter is what Paul McFarland told members of the Leafs’ No. 1 power-play unit as it went through its paces ahead of last Friday’s A positive approach game against Boston.

One shooter who hasn’t found almost any shots this season: Tavares. Spezza has taken an admirable approach to his situation with the Leafs this season, which has seen him scratched (10 times) almost as often as he’s been in the lineup (12).

“Frustration’s just useless,” he said. “It’s really a useless emotion. It doesn’t do you any good. You lose confidence over it. Yeah, there’s days when I come (to the rink) and I’m maybe not as upbeat as I am other days, but I think you just really try to refocus every day. I know it’s a long game involved here, there’s gonna be injuries, and now it’s come maybe sooner than we had liked as a team. But for me, it’s an opportunity, and that’s why I try to stay sharp. But there’s just no point in getting frustrated. There’s no point in sulking. You’re not gonna help yourself. You’re gonna get in the games, you’re not gonna be ready. So, for me, it’s just trying to be in the present and just having that mindset.”

What’s interesting is how Spezza settled on that mindset.

The 36-year-old said it was precisely the advice he offered teammates during his years as a leader with the Ottawa Senators and Dallas Stars.

“And now, this is an opportunity for me to practice the lessons that I’ve preached to guys over the years,” Spezza explained. “It’s easy to sit there and say. And now I realize how hard it is to every day get yourself up and get yourself motivated to work when you know you’re not in the lineup for a couple days. But I think it’s an opportunity for me to prove to ex-teammates that I’ve had that I can do it, too.”

He distilled his approach down to this: “I was lucky to be at the top of a mountain on a team for a long time, and now I’m at the bottom, and I gotta grind and do what I told those guys to do.”

“This isn’t a unique situation”

Spezza brought up former Senators teammates like Chris Kelly (“never worried about his own stats”), Colin Greening and Mike Hoffman (on waivers at one point in Ottawa) among those who just kept working when times were tough.

“I look at a guy like Jamie Oleksiak,” he went on. “That guy sat out like 50 games, I think, with us in Dallas the last few years. I’d try to prod him to keep working, keep working. And he went to Pittsburgh, played great, got a three-year deal. They (had) cap problems, traded (him) to Dallas. Now he’s playing great for Dallas. They’re really happy with him. There’s lots of stories. There’s lots of stories. This isn’t a unique situation. Maybe it’s just more talked about because it’s me and I’m at the end of my career and I’m here in Toronto. But this goes on everywhere. And a lot of times, it’s guys that nobody even knows about or talks about, the ones that keep working and give themselves a chance.”

I asked Trevor Moore about Spezza. The two are dressing room neighbours at the Leafs’ practice facility. “When you talk to him, he has so many stories about the game — the way it’s changed, what he’s been through and stuff like that,” Moore said. “He’s an awesome presence. He’s always a super-positive guy. It’s nice to have that kind of guy on the bench.”

Kasimir Kaskisuo

One thing that seems to come up often about new Leafs backup Kaskisuo: confidence.

“He’s confident in himself, in his own skin,” Hyman said. “He’s been around the organization for a while. He had a great start with the Marlies, and I think he’s earned his way up here.”

“This kid, we’ve had him in the East Coast League, we had him in another franchise, we had him all over, and he’s been resilient. And to me, that’s a good sign,” Babcock said of Kaskisuo.

Kaskisuo gave up six goals on 38 shots in his NHL debut against the Penguins. He’s only the third Finn ever to play goal for the Leafs, and the first since Jussi Rynnas. (The other: Vesa Toskala, of course.)

Time will tell whether he can solidify the backup spot.

He should get his next start (assuming the Leafs don’t add another goalie by trade before then) on Nov. 30 at home against the Sabres.

— Stats and research courtesy of Natural Stat Trick, Hockey Reference and HockeyDB.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.19.2019

1162227 Vegas Golden Knights “Obviously with the contract stuff and whatnot, you put a little extra pressure on yourself,” Barrie said. “You don’t really feel it until things start to go poorly. I’d be lying to you if I said I wasn’t feeling it a little bit right now, but it’s 20-odd games in and it’s a tough stretch in my career. I’m Underachieving Maple Leafs search for answers to snap skid looking to turn it around.”

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.19.2019 By David Schoen

November 18, 2019 - 6:40 PM

Tighten up defensively. Get back to creating chances in transition. Work harder. Find a bit of confidence along the way.

That sounds a lot like what the Golden Knights were saying during their month-long skid.

On Monday, it was the underachieving Maple Leafs going to that well in hopes of saving their season.

“Obviously, what we’re doing isn’t going good enough,” Toronto coach Mike Babcock said following practice at T-Mobile Arena. “We’ve got to get a reset and get going in the right direction as fast as we possibly can. We’ve talked about the commitment we need to make to one another, to our sweater and do things right.”

The Maple Leafs (9-9-4) were one of the betting favorites to win the Stanley Cup at the start of the season but enter Tuesday’s game against the Knights losers of four straight and winless in their past five (0-4-1).

Their last victory came Nov. 7 when they defeated the Knights 2-1 in overtime at Scotiabank Arena behind 37 saves from Frederik Andersen.

Babcock, in his fifth season with the club, has seen his coaching seat grow warmer as a result of his team’s slump.

“I’m in a pretty good spot in my life,” Babcock said. “I’m going to do it as hard as I can, as long as I can. I’ve always bet on Mike Babcock, and I’ll continue to bet on him.”

Toronto hasn’t played since getting blasted 6-1 at Pittsburgh on “Hockey Night in Canada” on Saturday to start a six-game road trip.

Captain John Tavares and alternate captain Morgan Rielly met with Babcock afterward to discuss system changes and other ways to snap the Maple Leafs from their doldrums.

“It’s nice to get everyone in the same room and on the same page,” Rielly said. “We’re motivated. We want to turn things around. When we talk as a group, it’s important to understand it’s a big point in the season for us. It’s time to dig in and put the work in. We’re prepared for it. We know what’s at stake.”

The Maple Leafs are without right wing Mitch Marner, their second- leading scorer, for a minimum of three more weeks with an ankle injury.

Forward Alex Kerfoot (dental fractures) is out indefinitely and forward Trevor Moore (shoulder) was placed on injured reserve Monday. The team recalled forward Pierre Engvall.

Toronto allowed 23 goals in its past five games and ranks 23rd in goals allowed per game (3.41).

“This can really test a lot of things, not just about your play but just feeling good about yourself mentally,” Tavares said. “I think it’s just reinforcing the commitment that we have in here and the way we need to play and to one another.

“I think there’s no question that we have to be a lot better. We have to realize the areas of the game that are hurting us and if we don’t want to fix those, our results aren’t going to change.”

Babcock switched his bottom-two defense pairs at practice Monday, putting Justin Holl beside Jake Muzzin and dropping Tyson Barrie to the third pair with Travis Dermott.

Barrie has struggled in 22 games with Toronto after being acquired from Colorado in the offseason, and teams reportedly have inquired whether the 28-year-old puck mover is available in a trade.

Barrie, who has six assists and a minus-10 rating, will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer. 1162228 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights Max Pacioretty, Paul Stastny hold street hockey clinic

By Ben Gotz

November 18, 2019 - 5:25 PM

Max Pacioretty, who was born in Connecticut, knows firsthand what it’s like to grow up in a non-traditional hockey market.

He takes the sport’s diversity issues seriously as one of the few players of Hispanic descent in the NHL. That’s why days like Monday are important to him.

Pacioretty and his Golden Knights teammate Paul Stastny took an hour out of their day to teach street hockey to a group of about 40 kids at Doc Pearson Community Center in North Las Vegas. It was part of their “Paul and Patches” program, which tries to spread the game to disadvantaged youth.

Only a few kids said before the event that they’d played hockey before. Pacioretty and Stastny hope that will change now.

“Obviously, coming from Montreal you never meet a kid that never played hockey,” Pacioretty said. “So to come in a gym full of kids who had never played and at the end say they were looking forward to playing again is really special.”

Pacioretty and Stastny have had their program for two seasons. They teach kids about hockey and then invite them to see the Knights. Many of Monday’s students will attend Saturday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers as the two players’ guests.

They hope those experiences encourage more kids to give hockey a chance at a young age. Expanding the game is important to both of them, Pacioretty said, and they’re willing to give their time to try and make it happen.

“We’ve been so fortunate with what this game has given to us,” Stastny said. “As you get older you realize it’s about sharing the wealth of knowledge that you have and trying to spread the joy this game has given us to others.”

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162229 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights’ Fleury, Pacioretty to help Cosmopolitan light tree

By Rochelle Richards

November 18, 2019 - 12:21 PM

This year, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas will have a golden holiday season.

The Ice Rink at the Cosmopolitan will host its third annual tree lighting ceremony on Wednesday with help from Vegas Golden Knights Marc- Andre Fleury and Max Pacioretty.

VGK in-game hosts Big D and Mark Shunock will host the evening, and DJ Lee Orchard, aka the Golden Knight, will play a live DJ set.

Fans, locals and tourists are invited to help kick off the winter season and partake in all the festivities the ice rink has to offer.

The event begins at 6 p.m., with the tree lighting at 7 p.m.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162230 Vegas Golden Knights — Knights right wing Ryan Reaves played his 600th career NHL game Sunday. He has 42 goals, 42 assists and 879 penalty minutes with the Blues, Penguins and Knights.

Karlsson, Pacioretty spark Golden Knights dormant offense — — Karlsson scored his 74th and 75th goals in his 186th game with the ANALYSIS Knights, tied for the eighth-most by a player through a modern-era franchise’s first 200 regular-season games.

— Pacioretty was on the ice for five of the Knights’ six goals against By David Schoen Calgary. He finished with eight shot attempts (five on goals).

November 18, 2019 - 11:21 am — Calgary is 0-3-1 in its past four games and has not scored in its last 130:03. The Flames were shut out on consecutive days for the first time

since March 25-26, 2009. William Karlsson’s new left wing, Max Pacioretty, is different than his — The Flames’ first line had a rough time defensively, as Gaudreau and previous one. Sean Monahan each were minus-5. “We had a good line tonight, they “He’s a little bigger. That’s the first thing that comes to mind,” the Golden had a lot of energy and played hard, did a good job,” Flames coach Bill Knights center said, chirping his 5-foot-9-inch former linemate Jonathan Peters said. “Through 40 minutes that was a good line for sure. When I Marchessault. say through 40 minutes it was a good line all night, but the game got away from us.” “It’s a little different since he’s a right-handed (shot), too. (Pacioretty has) got some other qualities. He has a really heavy shot, so if we can get him LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.19.2019 to shoot the puck, we have a bigger chance to score.”

Karlsson and Pacioretty combined for five points Sunday to help the Knights break out of an offensive slump with a 6-0 victory over Calgary at T-Mobile Arena.

The Knights matched their season high for goals that was set in a 6-2 victory over Calgary on Oct. 12 while snapping a five-game winless streak (0-4-1). They scored more than three goals for the first time in eight games and the third time in their past 16 outings.

“It’s a process. I thought we were playing good hockey and losing and that happens sometimes,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “We got rewarded finally. It’s good for our team and for our confidence. Now we have to continue to play that way and play the right way and we will get good results.”

Pacioretty joined Karlsson and right wing Reilly Smith starting with Wednesday’s game against Chicago, and Karlsson has four goals and three assists in three games. He had two goals and an assist against the Flames and leads the Knights with 23 points.

”It’s a message, right? That it’s not working with what we have right now. We’re going to mix it up,” Karlsson said. “You just want to play the best you can. So far, it’s been working with (Pacioretty) for us. I think the other lines have done a great job, too.”

Karlsson set a blue-collar example for his teammates on his first-period goal, as he dived to block a shot, broke up a pass intended for Johnny Gaudreau in the slot, then raced the other way and finished off a 2-on-1 with Pacioretty.

It was Selke Trophy stuff.

Pacioretty has two straight multipoint games and has scored in five of his past six. He finished off a 2-on-2 rush with Karlsson by sending a BB past Cam Talbot’s glove for a 3-0 lead with 11:47 remaining in the third period.

It should also be pointed out that Marchessault, who is skating with center Cody Eakin and right wing Mark Stone since the line shuffle, is riding a five-game point streak and has nine points in his past 10 games.

“It’s kind of that time of year where guys, teams are seeing what they’re made of and they want to make statements,” Pacioretty said. “Obviously we dug a little bit of a hole for ourselves with those losses. It’s important for us as individuals to feel good about our game now and go out there as a unit of 20 guys again and try to do the same thing.”

The Knights continue their four-game homestand Tuesday against reeling Toronto, which was walloped 6-1 at Pittsburgh on Saturday. That’s followed by games against San Jose and Pacific Division-leading Edmonton.

“I thought the team played really well and we had all kinds of chances to score. A lot of good things happened (Sunday),” Gallant said. “Like I said, thank God this losing streak is over because we have a good team and we are playing well. A lot of good things tonight, so we have to carry it over. We have a big week coming up.”

Dump and chase 1162231 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights prospect Peyton Krebs plays first game for Winnipeg Ice

By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal

November 18, 2019 - 10:58 am

Updated November 18, 2019 - 5:28 PM

Hockey is Peyton Krebs’ passion. So having that taken away from him the last few months was painful.

Sunday, though, he was back. The Golden Knights’ 2019 first-round pick played in his first game for his major junior team, the Winnipeg Ice, since suffering a partially torn Achilles tendon before the June draft.

He wasn’t perfect, or even great, and the Ice lost 4-1 to the Portland Winterhawks in Portland, Oregon. But he played. And for Sunday, that was enough.

Krebs, a 5-foot-11 center from Calgary, Alberta, finished with one assist, two shots on goal and a 45 percent faceoff winning percentage (9-of-20) in his first game back. The Ice (9-11-1) are hoping his presence gives them a boost. Not just because of his impressive two-way play that caused the Knights to take him 17th overall despite his injury. Because the 18-year-old is mature beyond his years.

Krebs captained Team Canada at the 2019 International Federation World U18 Championships in January and is a leader for the Ice.

“What he does for the culture, what he does for everyone in the room, and how he carries himself, interacts with his teammates, how focused he is on getting better every day, what his practice habits are like, I’ve never seen a high-skilled player like him,” Ice coach James Patrick told reporters after the game. “I know all of our 18-, 17-, 16-year-olds really look up to him.”

The Ice aren’t only getting a leader in Krebs; they’re getting a hungry player. He spent much of his rehab time in Las Vegas and got a taste of the NHL lifestyle. He stayed with right wing Mark Stone and his girlfriend Hayley Thompson, attended the Knights’ Halloween party, practiced with the team Tuesday and signed his entry-level contract Saturday.

Now it’s up to him to knock off the rust, play well and try to force the Knights’ hand next training camp.

“Anytime you can live with an NHLer, be around that atmosphere, it is pretty motivating,” Krebs said. “(Stone and Thompson) were really welcoming, they are great people, they made it easy on me to rehab as fast as I could.”

Street hockey clinic

Knights forwards Max Pacioretty and Paul Stastny hosted a street hockey clinic at Doc Pearson Community Center in North Las Vegas on Monday. It was part of their “Paul and Patches” program, which tries to introduce hockey to disadvantaged youth.

Pacioretty, who is one of the few NHL players of Hispanic descent, said it’s important to him to try and expand the game. Only a few of the about 40 attendees said they had played hockey before Monday. Pacioretty hopes many of the kids will now give the sport a second chance.

“Obviously, coming from Montreal you never meet a kid that never played hockey,” Pacioretty said. “So to come in a gym full of kids who had never played and at the end say they were looking forward to playing again is really special.”

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162232 Vegas Golden Knights

Vegas Golden Knights fans shut out of free doughnuts for now

By Glenn Puit

November 18, 2019 - 7:58 am

Updated November 18, 2019 - 2:15 PM

Call it a case of doughnuts delayed but not denied.

Vegas Golden Knights fans showed up en masse at three Krispy Kreme outlets in the Las Vegas Valley early Monday, ready to collect on a special promotion offering free doughnuts to anyone who attended Sunday’s home shutout of the Calgary Flames by the Knights.

But when the fans arrived with ticket stubs in hand, they got shut out, too.

“They are closed,” a disappointed Knights fan, Homero Gonzalez, said in the parking lot of the Krispy Kreme at 7015 W. Spring Mountain Road.

“I came here because I went to the Golden Knights game (Sunday) night and I thought I was going to get free doughnuts for work, and I was going to take them to the office,” said Gonzalez.

Turns out the three Krispy Kreme outlets in the Las Vegas Valley recently changed ownership. And, it just so happens Monday morning was the time chosed by the new owners to install their new cash registers and IT cabling. It was a case of unfortunate timing that the shutdown occurred on the morning after the shutout of the Flames.

“I personally talked to about 100 to 150 customers,” said Kurt Kuyper, president of W.K.S. Krispy Kreme, the new owner of the Las Vegas outlets.

Kuyper said the stores were scheduled to reopen at 4 p.m. Monday and that the promotion would be honored to anyone who attended Sunday’s game. He said Krispy Kreme would honor the free doughnuts promotion through next Monday.

“We are letting everyone know who comes by the store that it is an unfortunate turn of events … and if there is a shutout in the future we will take care of it as well with no interruptions,” Kuyper said. “This is a hiccup.”

Knights fans seemed to take it all in stride. There was some disappointment but also a lot of understanding. Customers were greeted with a sign on the door saying Krispy Kreme was closed because “we are installing new computers, cash registers and security equipment.”

Knights fans Susan Kennedy and Dave Poz didn’t let the denial of doughnuts sour their day, or deter their team spirit.

“Go Knights go,” Kennedy said. “This is our closest Krispy Kreme. We came for our free doughnuts because of Andre Fleury. Go Knights go!”

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162233 Vegas Golden Knights listed separately as “Average Premium.” Luxury suites are excluded. Teams have a say in what seats are considered General or Premium.

LVSportsBiz.com LOADED: 11.19.2019 Family Of Four Cost To Attend Golden Knights Game Is Nearly $560 – Fifth Highest In NHL, According to Data-Tracking Team Marketing Report

November 18, 2019

By Alan Snel

When some Vegas Golden Knights fans say it costs $500 to take their family of four to a VGK game these days, they actually were not too far off.

Team Marketing Report, a publication tracking the costs of attending major league sports game, just released data showing that it cost $559.42 for a family of four to attend a Golden Knights game at T-Mobile Arena — the fifth highest family-of-four cost in the 31-team National Hockey League.

Team Marketing Report compiles the family-of-four game costs in its “Fan Cost Index” by looking at the team’s average ticket, average premium ticket and the cost of a beer, soft drink, hot dog, parking and cap. The Knights’ average ticket of $104.36 alone ranked fourth highest in the NHL, while the Golden Knights’ average premium ticket of $450 was second in the league only to the New York Rangers’ 663.12, according to TMR.

The VGK average ticket price of $104.36 is way above the NHL team average of $75.76, according to TMR research. The Golden Knights’ family-of-four cost of nearly $560 is above the NHL team average of $424.62, according to the Team Marketing Report data.

Here’s a look at the family-of-four cost rankings. It’s interesting to note that all four teams ahead of the Golden Knights in the family-of-four expenses are Original Six clubs (Rangers, Leafs, Blackhawks and Bruins, with the two other Original Six teams, Canadians and Red Wings, ranking seventh and eighth, respectively):

The Golden Knights’ family-of-four cost for 2019-20 is up 3.3 percent over the 2018-19 number. Overall in the NHL, the price of attending league games for the 2019-20 season is up 1.3 percent, according to TMR research.

The Golden Knights are averaging attendance of 18,237 fans game after 11 home dates this season. The Knights are filling T-Mobile Arena to 105 percent of capacity thanks to so many standing room only ticket sales. Multiply 18,237 fans a game by an average ticket of $104.36 and the VGK are generating $1.9 million a game in ticket revenue. Over 41 regular season games, that’s $78 million in ticket revenue not counting preseason games and playoff games.

Team Marketing Report’s Fan Cost Index is regarded as the sports business industry’s standard measurement of the cost for a family of four to attend a game. Team Marketing Report says the numbers reflect “the most current data.” Here is TMR’s research methodology:

The Team Marketing Report Fan Cost Index compiles prices for four average priced general tickets, parking for one car and the least expensive, in-game pricing for: two draft beers, four soft drinks, four hot dogs and two (adult-size) team caps. Costs are determined through calls, emails and research with teams, venues, concessionaires and season ticket holders. Identical questions are asked of all sources. Not all teams participate, but TMR offers every team and league officials the opportunity to review their numbers for accuracy before publication. TMR reserves the right to update FCI numbers when additional information is presented and verified.

“Average Ticket” represents the weighted average price across each team’s General seating while “AT$ Change” shows the percentage change in the Average Ticket price from the previous season. The average weighted price factors number of seats sold for each category with the cost for each seating category to “weight” pricing by percentage of the total number. Season ticket pricing is used for all seats when offered. This takes into account if a team offers multiple tiers. When a seat category is not offered as a season ticket, we use the team’s weighted average single game price. Premium seats (tickets that come with at least one added amenity and classified by team as premium) are not included to calculate a team’s Average Ticket price and are instead 1162234 Washington Capitals the Capitals’ home loss to Colorado on Oct. 14. Washington is 13-1-2 since that 6-3 loss to the Avalanche.

“He’s tremendous,” captain Alex Ovechkin said of Holtby. “He’s working Capitals show some fight as brawl interrupts a win over the Ducks hard. Of course, everybody has ups and down, but his game right now is definitely up. I think we feel it, and a couple lucky bounces that goes in, but you can see all the games and he was outstanding today.”

Samantha Pell The Capitals led from the opening minute after Richard Panik scored his first goal for Washington only 50 seconds into the game. After a November 18, 2019 at 10:35 PM EST prolonged search for his first point as a Capital, the 28-year-old newcomer let out an emphatic scream as he finally buried a shot from the faceoff circle. The Capitals have now scored three goals in the opening Washington Capitals forward Brendan Leipsic triggered a melee Monday minute of a game, the most by any team this season. night against the Anaheim Ducks. With a crushing hit on Ducks center Derek Grant behind the Capitals’ net, Leipsic sparked an all-out brawl While it ultimately became an afterthought, Panik’s goal was a welcome late in the second period that became the most remarkable sequence of positive sign for the Capitals. Panik signed a four-year, $11 million Washington’s 5-2 win. contract in the summer, but he recorded no points in his first 12 games and missed 10 games after being placed on long-term injured reserve With Leipsic in the center of the madness was fellow offseason Oct. 16. But since hitting the “reset button” after he came back Nov. 11, acquisition Garnet Hathaway, who took on multiple Ducks and received a Panik had continually been knocking at the door. match penalty for spitting. The frenzied scene, which resulted in two ejections and 50 penalty minutes, brought fans at Capital One Arena to “Obviously it’s nice to have the first one of the year off your chest,” Panik their feet as they watched the chaos unfold and as the officials took said. “I wish I didn’t [not] have a point until this point, but it just started almost five minutes to sort out all the infractions. creeping in my head. But I was working hard, staying positive, and now it’s ­going to go the other way.” “You could kind of feel it going that ­direction,” Capitals Coach Todd Reirden said. “They have a team that plays hard. They have some The Capitals extended their advantage when Ovechkin scored a textbook players that go to the net hard and finish their checks, and their coach power-play goal from his office in the left faceoff circle at 6:39 of the pushes them to play hard.” second period.

Hathaway, known for his physical presence on the ice, jumped in after It was Ovechkin’s 15th goal of the season and his 254th career power- Leipsic decked Grant and the gloves started to fly off. •Hathaway went play goal, only one behind Teemu Selanne for third in NHL history. after Grant, throwing punches to his face before both fell in a clump to Defenseman John Carlson got the secondary assist, extending his point the ice. Anaheim’s Erik Gudbranson and Hathaway were then involved, streak to seven games (one goal, nine assists). Carlson leads the team and Gudbranson punched Hathaway while they were being held apart by with 33 points (eight goals, 25 assists). an official, which led to Hathaway appearing to spit on Gudbranson. Stephenson’s goal came next, and the Capitals’ lead was no longer the Hathaway, who got in a scrum with three players during the melee, focus. admitted after the game that “spit came out of my mouth after I got sucker punched, and it went onto him.” Washington Post LOADED: 11.19.2019 “It has no place,” Hathaway continued. “It was an emotional play by me. You don’t plan any of that stuff in your head, and it was a quick reaction and unfortunately the wrong one for me to a sucker punch.”

Hathaway was assessed five minutes for fighting Grant and the match penalty for spitting, and Leipsic got four minutes for roughing. All match penalties trigger an automatic review from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety or Hockey Operations Department. Incidents of spitting are typically handled by the Hockey Operations Department, and players have been suspended for spitting in the past.

With the potential of a suspension for Hathaway and the Capitals already tight to the salary cap, Reirden said the team will assess its situation Tuesday morning and wait to see what the league decides. Both (hand) and Carl Hagelin (upper body) remained out Monday night with injuries.

On the Ducks’ side, Gudbranson was given a 10-minute misconduct and a roughing penalty, Grant a five-minute major for fighting, Brendan Guhle four minutes for roughing and Nick Ritchie a 10-minute game misconduct.

“It’s just disrespectful,” Gudbranson said of Hathaway spitting on him. “I mean, we’re competing. That’s fine. I’ve got no problem with guys fighting. That’s what this game is all about, guys fighting to win hockey games, and sometimes that’s what happens. But going to that level is wrong.”

Almost lost in the chaotic sequence was Chandler Stephenson’s goal for the Capitals, which came just after Leipsic’s initial hit on Grant and gave the Capitals a 3-0 lead. Hathaway earned the assist before he joined the brawl.

Washington padded its lead 5:44 into the third period, when Jakub Vrana scored his 10th goal of the season. After the Ducks scored twice, Tom Wilson had an empty-netter with 1:11 left to seal the win.

And while the game may be remembered mostly for the fights, Washington did earn another two points to improve its NHL-best record to 16-3-4. Goaltender Braden Holtby was strong despite the late hiccups, finishing with 32 saves to improve to 10-0-1 since getting pulled during 1162235 Washington Capitals

Travis Boyd making a case to remain with the Capitals as injuries linger

Samantha Pell

November 18, 2019 at 2:33 PM EST

Washington Capitals forward Travis Boyd got on the bus after Saturday’s 3-2 shootout win over the Boston Bruins, checked his phone and smiled. There was a video of Hayden, his five-year-old daughter, jumping up and down on the couch in her pajamas cheering, “Daddy scored a goal for me and Mommy!”

Boyd, whose goal was the first of his season, has been a solid contributor since getting called up from the Capitals’ American Hockey League affiliate in Hershey, Pa., because of lingering injuries affecting the roster. Capitals Coach Todd Reirden said Boyd is “absolutely” competing for a long-term spot with the team after not making the opening-night roster. Boyd will move from the fourth line to the third to play alongside Richard Panik and Lars Eller for Monday night’s game against Anaheim.

“Absolutely, he’s known that,” Reirden said of Boyd’s chances to remain at the NHL level. “The message has been clear to him … he’s doing everything he can with his game to prove every night that he deserves an elevated role or to be here. Certainly with the low cap hit the offense he’s been able to generate, makes it an intriguing situation for sure. He’s been good for us when called upon for sure.”

Boyd, who carries a $800,000 salary cap hit, has one goal and four assists in seven games. Boyd has a point on five of the six even-strength goals he has been on the ice for this season, including the one he scored Saturday to Hayden’s delight.

“She usually always tells me before games to score a goal for her and just so happened that I did,” Boyd said of his daughter. “It was obviously a really cool, being able to get back on the bus after the game and see that. It put a smile on my face for sure.”

The Capitals soon will have to make a decision on Boyd. . After a player has played in 10 NHL games or spent 30 days on an NHL roster,he must clear waivers once again if he gets sent down. Boyd has been on the Capitals NHL roster for 27 days, including Monday.

Boyd can still play in Wednesday’s game against the New York Rangers, that will be Day 29, before a decision is forced.

“Yeah, you know a lot of it is completely out of my hands and I’ve got nothing to do with the business side of it, but when I get a chance to play just like tonight, I try to take advantage of it any way possible,” Boyd said. “Try to be detailed in the defensive zone and when you get a chance to make a play offensively, you make a play.”

Boyd’s latest call-up was Saturday morning, arriving in a salary cap- related move after injuries to Nic Dowd (hand) and Carl Hagelin (upper body). Both players are still day-to-day, with Hagelin closer to coming back than Dowd, according to Reirden. Hagelin will miss his sixth game, and Dowd his third. Hagelin has been wearing a light-blue non contact jersey in practices and morning skates over the past couple days, but Dowd was not on the ice Monday for morning skate and Reirden called the injury worse than they had originally believed.

Notes: Braden Holtby will start in net against Anaheim, with goaltender Vitek Vanecek backing him up after the team had to reassignIlya Samsonov to Hershey for salary cap reasons.

“If something were to happen it wouldn’t bother me one bit to see Vanecek in a game,” Reirden said. “He’s done well. He’s earned his opportunities and never seen him at a game in this level. It is good to have him here.”

Washington Post LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162236 Washington Capitals The Capitals took the lead in the first minute of the game and never relinquished it. Panik, a Washington free agent signing this summer, ended his season-long drought and recorded his first point as a Capital with a wrister goal on the first shift of the game. Panik missed 10 games Capitals beat Ducks after brawl that includes spitting penalty on long-term injured reserve, but since returning he still hadn’t been able to convert until Monday.

Travis Boyd, promoted to the third line with Panik and Lars Eller after By Adam Zielonka - The Washington Times - Monday, November 18, recent good performances, snapped a pass from behind the net to Panik 2019 at the left circle. Panik’s shot split a narrow opening between defenseman Cam Fowler and goalie John Gibson.

It wasn’t the kind of Myles Garrett-esque bashing that will have the whole “Obviously it’s nice to have the first one of the year off your chest,” Panik country talking, but the Washington Capitals‘ biggest, most brutal fight of said. “I wish I didn’t (not) have a point until this point, but it just started the season is sure to leave a mark. creeping in my head. But I was working hard, staying positive and now it’s going to go other way.” Washington forward Garnet Hathaway was assessed a match penalty and ejected from the Capitals‘ 5-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks for Ovechkin scored on a power play in the second period, his 15th goal of spitting at an opponent in the waning moments of a brawl. the season. Vrana added his 10th of the year in the third.

Richard Panik, Alex Ovechkin, Chandler Stephenson, Jakub Vrana and The Ducks scored a pair in the third period to make things interesting, but Tom Wilson scored for Washington. Braden Holtby made 32 saves as Wilson scored on their empty net to ice it. the Capitals improved their NHL-best record to 16-3-4 (36 points). The Capitals visit the New York Rangers Wednesday before they get to But the game will be remembered for emotions boiling over and pump the brakes a bit. They’ve played a league-high 23 games to date, culminating in Hathaway spitting on Ducks defenseman Erik but after the New York trip the Capitals will have one game in six days. Gudbranson, which could earn Hathaway further punishment from the Washington Times LOADED: 11.19.2019 league.

“That’s about as low as you dig a pit, really,” Gudbranson said. “It’s a bad thing to do. It’s something you just don’t do in a game, and he did it.”

Hathaway expressed regret for his actions after the game.

“It has no place (in the game). It was an emotional play by me,” Hathaway said. “You don’t plan any of that stuff in your head and it was a quick reaction and unfortunately the wrong one for me after a sucker punch.”

Chippy play and bruising hits pervaded the first two periods. At one point, Anaheim blueliner Brendan Guhle tripped the Capitals‘ Brendan Leipsic coming out of a faceoff, which led to some shoving. But in the final minute of the second, Leipsic landed a booming shoulder check to send the Ducks’ Derek Grant to the ground, and a six-player fight broke out behind Anaheim’s net right as Stephenson potted his goal.

Leipsic fought Gudbranson while Grant challenged Hathaway — and Hathaway clocked him and dragged him back to the ice.

Referee Peter MacDougall tried to keep Hathaway from taking on two more Ducks at the same time. MacDougall didn’t hold Hathaway and Gudbranson far enough away from each other; Gudbranson sucker- punched Hathaway, and he responded with the spit.

“First there was a fight and then how I saw it was they had a third man in,” he said. “I think they had a fourth man in, too. The refs were trying to break it up and it felt like there was a couple sucker punches thrown and I got there one quick and then reacted a little emotionally and unfortunately spit came out of my mouth after I got sucker punched and it went on to him.”

Coach Todd Reirden said the Capitals will have to see whether the NHL will call Hathaway for a hearing and what it means for the roster, which is already hard up against the salary cap.

“I have a lot of time for Garnet Hathaway,” Reirden said. “He’s a stand-up guy, a first-class guy, and he was getting punched by a couple different guys at once and lost control of his emotion and did something that there’s no place for in the league. That’s disappointing and he feels terrible about it. But he didn’t have to talk to anybody today, but he’s the first one who said, ‘I want to own up for what I did.’”

The Ducks had a different view, of course.

“At the end of the day, it’s probably the least respectful thing you can ever do to somebody,” Grant said.

Five players were assessed a total of 50 penalty minutes — 31 for the Ducks, 19 for the Capitals. And because the referees didn’t blow a whistle before Stephenson’s shot, the goal stood.

“I didn’t even know Chandler scored until the dust was all settled,” Leipsic said. “It was nice to get a goal out of it too, I guess.” 1162237 Washington Capitals improved after the injury and that has been clear to me ever since he returned.

Travis Boyd is an NHL player Hathaway spits, Panik scores and Boyd produces Boyd added another assist in this game as he set up Panik 50 seconds in. He now has six points in eight games played. Most importantly, he has a cap hit of only $800,000. He needs to stick around in Washington. By J.J. Regan November 18, 2019 10:24 PM Turning point

Stephenson's goal simultaneously marked the moment the game was out WASHINGTON -- The Capitals won 5-2 on Monday against the Anaheim of reach, and the moment neither team cared what the score was Ducks in a game that very much took a backseat to the fight that erupted anymore. in the second period. Play of the game You can read a recap of the game here. This was a real pretty move by Evgeny Kuznetsov. I thought he was Observations from the win shooting, John Gibson thought he was shooting, the Ducks thought he was shooting, but he wasn't. Take off your fan hat for a minute when watching Hathaway Stat of the game I love fans. I have a job because of fans. You guys love hockey so much you want people like me to write about hockey so that you can read There were 50 total penalty minutes handed out for the second-period about hockey when you're not watching hockey. But when you watch the brawl: Hathaway fracas, you guys have to take a step back and take off the fan hats. Quote of the game

Hathaway spit on a dude. You can't have that. The entire scrum erupted when Leipsic knocked Grant over with an incredible hit. From there all hell broke loose. Stephenson was asked Yes, Erik Gudbranson socked him while he was being held back by the about Leipsic after the game: refs. That's bad. Yes, I can understand why he would be pissed. Honestly, he should have just tried to punch him back. But... "Since growing up, playing against him since I was 15, and you know he's been the exact same. He catches guys by surprise. I've seen him Hathaway spit on a dude. You can't have that. knock guys that are twice his size on their ass. So he's pretty stocky and a little fire hydrant out there." I got a lot of reaction from fans saying "It was his mouth guard," "Some spit came out of his mouth when he was punched, but it wasn't a spit," Yikes. This is awkward. "What about Brad Marchand licking people?" "The rules say game misconduct, not an automatic match penalty, so clearly the suspension Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.19.2019 should be rescinded!

Let's try to look at this objectively.

Hathaway after the game admitted to spitting on Gudbranson, albeit in the most awkward way possible.

"The refs were trying to break it up," he said, "And it felt like there was a couple sucker punches thrown and I got there one quick and then reacted a little emotionally and unfortunately spit came out of my mouth after I got sucker punched and it went on to him.”

One player spit on another, it was caught on camera and he admitted to it afterward.

The gaggle of penalties the referees called was a mess and half of them were wrong. Having said that, they got Hathaway right by tossing him and supplementary discipline is likely coming.

"It has no place," Hathaway said. "It was an emotional play by me. You don’t plan any of that stuff in your head and it was a quick reaction and unfortunately the wrong one for me to a sucker punch.”

Journalist note

Hathaway did not have to talk after the game. A lot of players don't talk after a bad game or a bad situation like this. Hathaway did. That does not absolve him from spitting, but I thought it was worth noting that he did not hide away from the media. He came out and answered our questions. I'm sure it wasn't fun, but he did it. Good on him.

Oh yeah, there was a hockey game....

It was easy to forget that an actual game was being played with everything going on in the second period. I have to admit that I did not even notice that Stephenson scored. When Brendan Leipsic came in and decked Derek Grant, my eyes were glued to everything going on below the goal line. I literally did not know there was a goal until I watched the replay and realized, oh...Stephenson scored?

By the way, the Ducks and Caps play again on Dec. 6.

Don't Panik

Panik has played well since returning from injury and finally, finally he was rewarded with a goal. He spoke after the game about how his game 1162238 Washington Capitals

Caps beat Ducks in game dominated by fisticuffs and physical play

By J.J. Regan November 18, 2019 9:48 PM

WASHINGTON -- A huge fight in the second that resulted in the ejection of Garnet Hathway stole all the attention from Monday's game between the Capitals and Anaheim. On the scoresheet and in the standings, however, it will still count as two points as the Caps defeated the Ducks with little trouble, 5-2.

Here's how the Caps won.

Panik's first goal

Coming into Monday's contest, Richard Panik had zero points in his first 12 games as a Cap. He finally got the monkey off his back on Monday 50 seconds into the game.

The third line had a dominant shift early in the game, keeping possession with strong forecheck work and cycling the puck. Travis Boyd, playing in his second game after getting recalled from Hershey, took a pass and found Panik from behind the net. Panik had room and fired a wrist shot to the opposite corner, beating John Gibson for his first of the year.

Panik has played well since returning from LTIR but has been robbed by goalies like Carter Hart, Cary Price, and Jaroslav Halak. That first one must feel like a huge relief.

Kuznetsov fakes on the power play

The Caps had only one opportunity on the power play Monday, but took advantage thanks to an epic fake by Evgeny Kuznetsov. John Carlson fed Kuznetsov near the blue line and he inched his way towards the net. He got to the top of the faceoff circle, lifted his leg and looked like he was about to wrist one on net. That's what I thought, that's what Gibson thought, that's what the penalty killers thought. Instead, Kuznetsov fed Alex Ovechkin in the office, giving him an empty net to shoot on.

Give Ovechkin an open net from the office and he's going to finish that play.

Stephenson scores before all hell breaks loose

Just when things were getting crazy, Chandler Stephenson took a pass from Hathaway and fired a wrister from the high-slot to beat Gibson. Except no one noticed. Right before the pass, Brendan Leipisic crushed Derek Grant at the goal line and it was on. It was not even clear if the goal counted until the players were finally separated several minutes later. When it stood, the score was 3-0 and the game was over because, at that point, both teams were focused on all the extracurriculars.

A goal and a goal washed out

Jakub Vrana added an exclamation point in the third period to make the score 4-0. Anaheim also had a goal washed out as Rickard Rakell was called for incidental contact for clipping Holtby in the shoulder, spinning him before the shot was fired. Anaheim mustered a minor comeback bid in the third, but Vrana's goal and the Ducks' no-goal made the lead insurmountable.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162239 Washington Capitals

Capitals, Ducks brawl as Washington extends lead late in second period

By Kevin Brown November 18, 2019 9:02 PM

Drop your gloves and toss those helmets!

The first good fight of the Capitals season has graced Capital One Arena Monday night as Washington hosted the Anaheim Ducks. Brendan Leipsic was one of the main instigators after some aggression boiled over from the previous faceoff.

Thankfully for Capitals fans, Chandler Stephenson calmly finished in front of the goal to extend the lead to 3-0 while the Ducks were too busy fighting in the corner.

A few of the Ducks defenders teamed up on Leipsic following his vicious hip-check away from the action. While Stephenson cashed in, other Caps came to Leipsic's defense.

Garnet Hathaway was assessed a match penalty for the fight's only ejection, most likely because he spit at an Anaheim player. There were 11 total penalties given to five different players.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162240 Washington Capitals

Lars Eller was 'not surprised to see that kind of acting' from Brad Marchand in Tom Wilson scrum

By Caroline Brandt November 18, 2019 10:03 AM

During the first period of Saturday's game against the Boston Bruins, Michal Kempny gave Brad Marchand a little shove following a whistle with 20-seconds left in the frame. Marchand responded with an even greater shove to Kempny's face.

Caps' top line enforcer Tom Wilson came onto the scene immediately, taking exception to Marchand's tiff with Kempny. When Marchand saw Wilson coming after him, he immediately flopped to the ice before Wilson could lay more than an elbow on him. Lucky for Wilson, the referees didn't buy it and neither did anyone on the Caps.

"I'm not surprised to see that kind of acting from him," Lars Eller said of Marchand on The Sports Junkies Monday.

"I think it's good that we back each other up and Tom came over and Marchand...yeah, I don't know what he was doing," Eller said. "He just kind of turtled on the ice there and goes down and Tom barely even touched him."

The Caps came out of Boston with two points, beating the Bruins 3-2 in an overtime shootout victory. They host the Anaheim Ducks Monday night at 7:00 p.m.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162241 Winnipeg Jets Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 11.19.2019

Playing Winnipeg 'a great test' for struggling Predators

Jason Bell

Posted: 11/18/2019 9:54 PM

NASHVILLE — The Nashville Predators have been uncharacteristically messy in their own end the past seven games, and their standing in the Central Division has suffered because of it.

The Preds burst out to an 8-3-1 start this season and were battling with the St. Louis Blues for top spot in the NHL’s Central Division, but have gone just 1-4-2 in their past seven while giving up a whopping 32 goals in that span.

Some unsightly blemishes on the schedule lately include a 9-4 defeat Nov. 7 in Denver to the Colorado Avalanche and a 7-2 loss to the visiting Chicago Blackhawks three nights ago.

The Predators, winless in four games, collide with the Jets (12-8-1) tonight at 7 p.m. at traditionally rambunctious Bridgestone Arena.

Nashville has dipped to sixth spot in the Central, four points behind third- place Winnipeg and two points back of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Preds captain Roman Josi said the mood’s been ornery during the recent slide.

"It’s a long season and you’re going to go through some downs, but obviously we’re not liking the way we’re playing right now and we need to find a way out of it," the defenceman said after Monday’s practice. "Winnipeg is a great test. Every time we play them, it’s a hard game and it’s become a big rivalry the last couple of years. There’s no better way for to get out of this than a big win over them."

Team defence has been a hallmark of head coach Peter Laviolette’s squad for several seasons. Just last season, the Predators tied the Boston Bruins for the third-fewest goals (212) allowed, giving up an average of 2.55 per game.

Through 19 games this season, Nashville ranks 13th in goals against (64), surrendering an average of 3.37 per game — and a bloated 4.57 in their past seven outings.

"We got to start showing some desperation," veteran goalie said. "This is obviously a place we don’t wanna be at the moment and we’re looking from the outside in for a playoff spot. So, it’s a great opportunity against a good team (Winnipeg), especially at home, too, after the last game. We got embarrassed."

The Predators made some player moves the past 48 hours. Forward Miikka Salomaki was reassigned to the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL on Sunday and the club recalled forward Mathieu Olivier and defenceman Steven Santini on Monday.

Santini is a veteran of 114 NHL games, all with the New Jersey Devils, while Olivier, a physical winger, could make his NHL debut tonight against the Jets.

During its tough stretch, Nashville also beat the Detroit Red Wings 6-1, lost 2-1 in a shootout to the San Jose Sharks and fell 5-3 to the host Vancouver Canucks.

Laviolette said he can’t blame the recent losses on one specific thing.

"They’re not games that you can just say, ‘Yep, if we just do this one thing, we’re going to be fine,’" he said. "One night, it was a penalty kill. One night, we didn’t show up. One night, we couldn’t catch a break. One night, we lost on (shootout) breakaways. So, there’s different things that add up.

"I’m not making any excuses because the bottom line is, we’re in the business of winning hockey games. And we didn’t get that done in the last, I’d say the last seven, eight, nine games. There’s such a wide gamut of how we played... but at the end of the day, there’s only one win in there. So, it’s not good enough." 1162242 Winnipeg Jets During his tenure, he’s worked or some big-name bench bosses, such as Jacques Demers (1997-99), Tortorella (2000-08), Rich Tocchet (2008- 10), Guy Boucher (2010-13) and present coach, Jon Cooper, who was handed the reins in March 2013, He also worked for Tortorella on the Lightning's video coach remembers Cup victory Team USA coaching staff at the 2016 World Cup.

Kirwan says despite the outspoken and often fiery public persona of the man affectionately known as Torts, he rarely lost his cool with the rest of Jason Bell his coaches. But early one morning when some reports were due on his Posted: 11/18/2019 3:00 AM desk and the printer was malfunctioning, the video coach was in the doghouse.

"I had this habit of defaulting to calling him John when I had something TAMPA, Fla. — Nigel Kirwan doesn’t retrieve his Stanley Cup ring from a bad to tell him, and I remember saying the copier was broken. He walks safety deposit box often but was cajoled by the old gang from St. John’s- out and slams the door, and all I heard was ‘crash, bang, boom, smash, Ravenscourt School to bring the hard-earned bauble home a few years F-bomb...’ And I didn’t want to see what he did in that part of the office," ago. he says. "Five minutes later our goalie coach at the time, Jeff Reese, knocks on my door and says, "Nigel, what happened out here?’ And I get It’s not that the former Winnipegger has distanced himself from the past up and look and there’s plastic and all kinds of glass and the machine on — far from it. He occasionally pulls up video from the 2004 NHL playoffs the floor with a blinking red light. and fast-forwards to the good parts, of which there were no shortage as the Tampa Bay Lightning captured their first and only Stanley Cup "Torts comes out and he says, "Well, now they gotta get us a new damn championship. copier. And I said, ‘No, Torts, now they gotta get us a new fax machine. The copier’s still broken.’" "Not every team had a video coach in those days, I was one of a half a dozen guys around the league doing it. Games were on VHS tapes and it The Lighting was primed and ready to claim their second Cup a year ago took forever,” Kirwan says. after posting a remarkable 62-16-4 record, tying a record for regular- season wins and easily finishing first among the NHL’s 31 teams. None And the memory of lifting the sacred mug above his head comes back that mattered when they were swept by the Tortorella-coached Columbus with impact. Blue Jackets in the first round of the post-season in April. "I remember as a kid skating at Dutton Memorial Arena (on the SJR Kirwan, who returns to Manitoba periodically, says the ache of that grounds) with all my buddies and you’re hoisting fake Stanley Cups, or disastrous series was far worse than a six-game defeat to the Chicago you’re playing street hockey and you’d always pretend to be in the NHL. I Blackhawks four years ago in the Cup final. had all those aspirations but I wasn’t a good player. So, to actually stand on this ice and hold it over my head was something I’ll never forget," says "The better team won (in 2015) and that comes with the territory. But last Kirwan, the Lightning’s video coach and one of just a few in the year, we played so well all season long and there was this expectation to organization who’ve been around since the very beginning — the NHL’s make a real run. So, to come out and get swept in the first round was a expansion to the Gulf Coast in 1992. shocker, to all of us. That’s the hardest pit I’ve had to go through with this team," he says. "Fifteen years ago, I can’t believe it’s been that long. I remember it like it was yesterday. We wrapped up here (downtown Tampa) in Game 7 "As soon as we lost Game 4 in Columbus, I talked to Torts and he was against Calgary (Flames). Marty St. Louis, Vinnie Lecavalier, Dave gracious and he knew I was hurting. He’s a pro." Andreychuk, Brad Richards, Dan Boyle, it was a great crew and you don’t forget those guys. We had a special bond. That team was Despite that major misstep, there’s a lot of joy working for Cooper every especially tight and we’re all still close to this day." day, along with the rest of the staff — assistant coaches Todd Richards, Jeff Halpern, Derek Lalonde and goalie coach Frantz Jean. One of the game’s great characters, John Tortorella, was the driving force behind that championship run, Kirwan acknowledges. "Coop’s great. He’s a lot of fun and one of the brightest hockey coaches I’ve ever been around." "He was the guy I give the most credit to," says Kirwan. "We’re still really tight and I think he’s one of the most misunderstood guys in hockey. He’s Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 11.19.2019 not the ogre he appears to be on TV, he’s a really nice, good man and I thoroughly enjoyed working for him.

"When he took over, that team was a bit of a joke and hadn’t done well for years and years, and the culture needed to change and needed a kick in the butt and he was the right guy at the right time to come along and chance the mindset of the organization."

Kirwin, 50, was born in Jamaica moved with his family to Winnipeg when he was two years old, played minor hockey in Fort Garry and attended SJR before attending Western University in London, Ont., and then joining his family in Florida.

While completing a second degree (finance) at the University of Tampa, he accept an offer from a friend who was working for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to help out in the equipment department of the NFL team, and he did that part time for three years. In 1992, another friend coaxed him to apply for a sales job with expansion Lightning, and he was hired. He was also coaching hockey and mentoring other coaches in the Tampa area.

The Lightning were aligned with amateur hockey groups in the area, and two years into his sales job Kirwan was offered a newly created position of director of amateur hockey for the NHL team, in addition to his sales job. He developed a kinship with the team’s first head coach , who made an offer he couldn’t refuse in ‘96.

"We were a couple of months into the season, and I walked down here and didn’t know what the heck I was supposed to do. There weren’t a lot of us. Not every team had a video coach in those days, I was one of a half a dozen guys around the league doing it. Games were on VHS tapes and it took forever," he says. 1162243 Winnipeg Jets Maurice said the pressures on Scheifele aren’t always seen. Those include the pressure to produce and the pressure to play against the other team’s best.

Wheeler's new line just fine “And now he’s also trying to develop a young winger (Laine) in a new position for that player, playing with Mark against the other team’s best,” Maurice said.

Scott Billeck Maurice has seen a willingness from Laine to improve the other parts of his game this season. That has been needed for the young Finn to play Published:November 18, 2019 on the top line against the other team’s top line. Updated:November 18, 2019 9:16 PM CST It worked well in against the Panthers, where the lined found seven points between them and were positionally sound.

NASHVILLE — It’s been five games now since the split that some people In Tampa, it was less apparent playing against such an offensive would rather have seen without having to lose a key player to injury. juggernaut. Their underlying numbers weren’t great, but Maurice expected it. In reality, it was a nasty puck to the head of Bryan Little that finally forced Paul Maurice’s hand. “I understood it, it’s a pretty good line they were playing against and they’re still young wingers,” Maurice said. The day after that Nikolaj Ehlers’ one-timer and sent Little to injured reserve, Maurice had evacuated Blake Wheeler off Mark Scheifele’s Scheifele’s grown to know what to expect from Connor. And he’s played right-hand side and parachuted him into the second-line centre role with Laine some, too. where Little once was. “It’s just a matter of getting comfortable with them and getting used to “They knew it,” Maurice said. “They knew when the injury happened we each other, that’s about it,” he said. “The biggest thing for our line is it were going to go in this direction. They both agreed with it.” doesn’t matter who scores the goal, it’s just a matter of every guy doing their job no matter who ends up scoring it, whether it’s a hit they took or a The move had a ripple effect down the lineup, with Jack Roslovic getting hit they made or a good stick in the neutral zone, it doesn’t matter. As a much-deserved promotion to the second line alongside Wheeler and long as we’re playing the right way.” Patrik Laine getting his dream job of playing next to Scheifele on the team’s top line. LONG-TERM SOLUTION

“I think we’ve done a really good job,” Wheeler said. Paul Maurice would describe the partnership of Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler as a pillar of the team, and the foundation of what they do on “Initially, when you make that switch, your focus is on the defensive end forward. of the ice. Moving to a new position, playing with a couple of young players, it’s a lot of responsibility for all of us. You focus on that Whether he wanted to or not, when Bryan Little went down, the reality (defensive) end and using our speed to come back defensively equally was a split needed to happen. as much as we’ve been using it offensively.” Given Maurice’s penchant for keeping the duo together, you may be Wheeler’s line has been especially potent possession-wise, putting up a surprised that Maurice had no reluctance to splitting them up. 61.62 Corsi for % along with an expected goals percentage of 63.55%. “The challenge with that is those two were dynamic, their numbers were Breaking it down a bit further, the line is creating 65 shot attempts per 60 spectacular together,” Maurice said. “That you take away an offensive minutes played and limiting opponent’s shot attempts to 40.51 per 60 foundation from your team. It was necessitated by Bryan’s injury, I felt. minutes. Their expected goals for/60 is 2.08 and expected goals The chance that it would be long-term, I needed a long-term solution against/60 is 1.2. potentially and we needed to start working on that.”

Offensively and defensively, the line is a hit. Winnipeg Sun LOADED 11.19.2019

“We’ve definitely have made an impact,” Wheeler said. “A lot of good things.”

Wheeler said speed has been the key component on the line.

There’s no shortage of it, either, given Wheeler is flanked by Ehlers — or ‘Fly’ as he’s affectionately known — and Roslovic.

“They’ve been really responsible. They did a really good job along the walls bringing pucks out. Good on them. They’ve excepted the challenge and we’ve done a good job.”

Maurice said Wheeler has always taken pride in taking a young guy or two under his wing. He did so with Kyle Connor, Maurice said.

“Blake has that ability to get that, help players around him develop an identity as a player,” Maurice said. “I think Jack Roslovic as well are both going to learn so much about effort and pace playing with Blake that there’s a longer-term benefit rather than they score some goals and we win some hockey games. He can change their career.”

Scheifele’s surroundings were impacted in a lesser way in that he kept Connor on his left wing and was given Laine, who he had played with before.

Still, taking away a long-time partner in Wheeler wasn’t going to be easy.

“He gets it,” Maurice said. “And he’s working with them now on the bench, conversations. He has a comfort level with Kyle, he’s played with him enough. But (he’s handled it) really well. I like the way Mark’s embraced it.” 1162244 Vancouver Canucks “This is a big trip,” stressed Miller. “We’re playing good teams and it’s a good time for our group to come together on and off the ice. We’re excited. We had this marked on the calendar from the beginning of the season, and it starts tomorrow (Tuesday) because we want revenge on Ben Kuzma: J.T. Miller must pick lane to bowl over Stars in tough trip the Stars. opener “But you can’t get caught up in the moment, and we don’t want to be on the fourth game and scrambling. But we’re going to be a hungry team.”

BEN KUZMA Miller has been better than advertised; early success has the 26-year-old winger on pace for 32 goals, which would surpass a pair of 22-goal Published:November 18, 2019 campaigns with the Rangers in 2015-16 and 2016-17. Updated:November 18, 2019 8:29 PM PST His preseason target was 25 goals, but his strong puck presence through the neutral and offensive zones, ability to deflect pucks and work in concert with Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser has pulses racing. DALLAS — J.T. Miller understands percentages. Maybe it’s because Miller has played for tough coaches in Alain The Vancouver Canucks winger knows the 7-10 split in bowling requires Vigneault and John Tortorella and has had tough personal and team a powerful and precise delivery to convert the spare. Striking one corner setbacks. He’s also got some old-school strut. pin in the proper spot, having it bang off the back wall and bounce or roll across the lane to take out the other corner pin is just as hard as it Miller plays with an edge and can talk with one. And three more seasons sounds. at a US$5.25-million annual salary cap could be a bargain — even with surrendering that conditional first-round pick to the Lightning in the trade The success rate is one out of every 145 attempts, which is a minuscule acquisition — if he plays a major role in getting the Canucks to the 0.7 per cent. playoffs for the first time in five years.

This is relevant because Miller knows 10-pin bowling — he once had 10 “I’m trying to make myself the best player I can be, and from a leadership strikes while rolling a 278, which is 22 short of a perfect game — and he standpoint, I’m trying to improve in being a 200-foot player and playing carried an impressive 200 average during summer leagues in his native big minutes,” he said. “I want to be a complete player and have been East Palestine, Ohio. trying to work toward that my whole career. It’s something I’m focused on every day.” He also knows how hard it is to win the Stanley Cup after enduring a pair of seven-game Stanley Cup Eastern Conference final series losses on Offensively, Miller is more concerned with getting shots than missing the home ice at New York and Tampa Bay in 2015 and 2018, respectively. net — he had five go wide Saturday against Colorado, but did direct 10 while going 8-for-13 in face-offs. His 51 shots are tied for fifth on the club, Miller has learned from the bitter past to bring resolve and relevancy to but his most pressing concern Tuesday is Dallas. the present. A November to remember isn’t off to a great start for the Canucks with a 2-4-3 record, and it’s going to take more than proficiency “We like the challenge,” he said. “When we’re playing that heavy and fast on special teams. The club ranks 20th in even-strength scoring and game, and taking care of the puck, we’re a really hard team to play getting dirty, greasy goals by getting to and staying in the hard areas has against. But if we make low-percentage plays, they (Stars) can kill you.” to be more than just talk. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.19.2019 After all, this could be a season-defining six-game road trip. It opens here Tuesday against the resurgent Stars, who are on a 9-1-1 charge, and continues with tough stops in Nashville, Washington, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Edmonton, and could either help ignite or douse the playoff-push mantra.

So a little bowling reference makes sense to keep the Canucks’ season from hitting the gutter. If Miller has converted a 7-10 split, he might be more than a timely trade acquisition who’s second in team goals (eight) and tied for second in assists (12) and points (20). So, about that split. Has he done it?

LISTEN: The latest edition of the White Towel podcast is super-sized: Host Paul Chapman is joined by Canucks beat writers Patrick Johnston and Ben Kuzma plus columnist Ed Willes. The quartet take a look at Quinn Hughes’ ongoing growth as an NHL defenceman, the fact the Canucks keep scoring in buckets and the pressures they’re going to face on a big road trip to close November.

NEXT GAME

Tuesday

Vancouver Canucks vs. Dallas Stars

5:30 p.m., American Airlines Center, TV: Sportsnet Pacific; Radio: Sportsnet 650 AM

“I have not, but the other one — the 4,7,10 — I’ve got a couple of those,” Miller said after Monday’s fast-paced practice to prep for those Stars, who play a heavy, turnover-inducing game. “I’ve been bowling my whole life. My dad got me and my brother our own balls that were built for us and it kind of made it way more fun.

“And then we were in a Wednesday league like three summers in a row — a couple of beers and a pizza — and it was perfect. I’ve missed the last two summers and I’m looking forward to getting back into it.”

The Canucks have to dictate play and strike early Tuesday. They’ve allowed the first goal in 14 of 21 outings and are simply wasting energy playing catchup on too many nights. 1162245 Vancouver Canucks period of time. Erik Gudbranson, for instance, boasted really strong underlying numbers in his first month with the Penguins but soon saw everything come crashing down and was traded in October to the Anaheim Ducks. Why Adam Gaudette’s two-way growth is just as encouraging as his offensive outburst With that in mind, it’s important to note that while Gaudette’s two-way results have improved, it’s too early to say with full confidence that it’ll continue this way. The early signs provide a reason for cautious optimism though. By Harman Dayal Nov 18, 2019 What’s changed compared to last season?

Glaring areas of weaknesses in Gaudette’s game last season were Adam Gaudette’s done everything in his power to establish himself as a related to both strength (puck battles along the boards, net-front battles) regular NHL forward. and the slower speed at which he was processing defensive reads. Take He kicked the door down in training camp and led the Canucks in the play below from last season, for example. preseason scoring. When opportunity wasn’t available, Gaudette adapted A lot of young centres have a tendency to puck watch and you can see to skate with a rotating cast of linemates while playing both centre and that in the clip above, Gaudette was hovering higher in the circle wing. And now that injuries to Brandon Sutter and Jay Beagle have watching the battle along the boards. In that split second, he lost track of struck, the former Hobey Baker Award winner has stepped up to the Blues forward Zach Sanford who then had tons of time to feed a pass plate with four goals and seven points in eight games since a November into the slot. That’s an example of a sequence where Gaudette needed recall. to show quicker awareness around him to be in the right spot positionally. With each strong showing Gaudette delivers, the Canucks become closer In the grand scheme of things, I really think Saturday night’s game to regularly icing a third line constructed to score. Offensive production is against the Avalanche encapsulates a lot of the pros and cons in important for that, but it’s the 23-year-old’s play without the puck that will Gaudette’s two-way game. Let’s dive into the tape — starting with a net- be decisive for him to earn a prominent role when Sutter and Beagle front battle from the first period. return. To that extent, the strides in Gaudette’s two-way profile are equally as promising as the offence he’s delivered. Despite lining up at centre, Gaudette spent most of the game on the wing in the defensive zone — a different winger would usually fill in down-low. There are a few different proxies we can use for a player’s defensive In this instance, however, Gaudette starts low off the face-off. game and each one of them reflected rather underwhelmingly for Gaudette last season. The obvious indicator was how carefully Travis You can see that he loses the initial battle to gain inside position for the Green deployed him — Gaudette averaged just 11:15 minutes per game rebound, but thereafter he makes a nice stick check to tie up Pierre- last season and was iced in some of the most sheltered minutes Edouard Bellemare and prevent him from pouncing on the rebound. A possible. stop like this is nice to see as Gaudette has largely struggled with these battles in front of the net — an example of him losing the battle for the According to PuckIQ, Gaudette was last among Canucks forwards in only rebound which leads to a goal against seen in a preseason game against spending 14.6 percent of his minutes against top competition. the Kings. It’s not uncommon to see coaches go out of their way to give soft Being a two-way forward isn’t just about being reliable away from the minutes to young players, but the results Gaudette posted under these puck — a lot of it comes down to the split-second decisions you make favourable circumstances were certainly alarming. His shot differential with it. Cutting down on turnovers is really important and any plays you was fine at 47.1 percent, but they leaked scoring chances against with can make to prolong the team’s puck possession is less time the him — controlling just 40.8 percent of the expected goals. As a result, opposition has to attack against you. Vancouver was outscored 24-17 whenever Gaudette stepped on the ice at five-on-five. By this virtue, I was really impressed with Gaudette’s decision-making with the puck Saturday night. Suffice to say two-way growth is important for Gaudette to stick as an NHLer and by that token, it’s nice to see the early results he’s posted. Gaudette could have been a split second faster to recognize that Tyler Myers’ only play was a rim around, but after that, the former does a nice Red areas indicate spots where extra shots are allowed, blue areas job of making a simple yet smart play to maintain puck possession. He represent spots where fewer shots are allowed. realizes Colorado’s forecheck pressure means he can’t cut through the This year, the Canucks are allowing notably fewer shots against with middle as his escape route, but also that he’d have to chip the puck off Gaudette on the ice. You can see from the sea of red in front of the net the glass if he streaked up the wing and the defencemen gapped up. last season that opposing teams were regularly able to generate scoring Instead of hanging onto the puck for too long with pressure or going chances from the most dangerous areas of the ice, but those defensive glass and out, he simply relays the puck back to Chris Tanev who now challenges have largely subsided this season. has time and space to reset and lead a breakout. This is a subtle, yet Naturally, one might wonder how much of these improved results come effective drop by Gaudette that allows the Canucks to keep possession from Gaudette’s own progression versus the improved team around him. of the puck. For insight into that, we can turn to Evolving-Hockey’s Regularized Adjust Another example occurred earlier in the same period — this time in the Plus Minus (RAPM) — a model that tries to account for factors like offensive zone. teammates, zone starts and more to identify one player’s individual impact. Here, Gaudette receives the puck in an awkward spot between the legs but makes a really nifty one-touch to keep the play alive. A lot of people With this table, negative numbers (green) are good as they indicate the might not associate this type of play as one that drives possession, but a player is making an impact to allow either fewer expected goals or shots lot of forwards would struggle in receiving this pass and turn it over to the against. swarming backcheckers. The fact that Gaudette was able to continue the In Gaudette’s case, we can see that his defensive impact has been play allowed the Canucks to create a chance and then spend the rest of roughly break-even — he’s slightly better than league average at the shift in the offensive zone. It’s sequences like this that explain why he preventing expected goals but slightly worse than league average with drove over 60 percent of the shots and scoring chances against respect to shot suppression. The takeaway is that he’s not making a Colorado. considerable difference defensively either good or bad. At the same time, there were reminders about how raw Gaudette still is. This might not sound like much, but we’re talking about a player who’s Notice how he presses too high into the neutral zone and then gets gone from looking like one of the league’s worst play-drivers last year to caught for an odd-man rush against. someone who’s held their own this season. Tanner Pearson shouldn’t be allowing the pass up the wall in the first A critical caveat in all this is that we’re only talking about an 11-game place, but Gaudette makes a mistake in blowing through the neutral zone sample. Shot metrics usually take at least 20-30 games to hold and abandoning his check instead of staying above the puck which leads meaningful predictive value so we need to see this continue over a larger to his man getting a shot off. There are also subtleties like playing the man instead of the puck that we need to see from him on a more consistent basis.

It doesn’t harm them on this sequence, but he needs to squeeze Nazem Kadri against the boards and eliminate him from the developing play. Gaudette goes in half-heartedly and it allows Kadri to poke the puck free. You can see a different example of him not playing the body lead to a goal against in preseason.

Adam Gaudette’s two-way game was a major concern last season — he was dominated and hemmed in his own zone despite being fed soft minutes. We’ve seen an uptick in his offensive production, but equally important for him to stick long-term is the status of his two-way game.

It’s too early to say if he’s taken significant strides in that department, but the numbers reflect positive early signs. In watching Gaudette, you can see that he’s stronger in battles and he’s making a lot smarter decisions with the puck to prolong possession time and push play up the ice.

His play away from the puck remains a work in progress as he’s prone to making misreads on the forecheck and in his own zone and he still needs to improve the details of his game like settling bouncing pucks, but you’re slowly seeing him adapt to the quicker pace of play.

Development in that area is encouraging to see as it’s just as important for his success in Vancouver as producing offensively.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162246 Vancouver Canucks — the Canucks completely wrote off Bachman. The most inexplicable part of this story is that the Canucks entered this AHL season with no apparent plan for Bachman. By not playing him they have completely diminished his trade value. They’re also damaging his chances of Dhaliwal’s Diary: Will Lockwood’s big decision, a farm update, and the continuing his career in the future. curious case of Richard Bachman The Petrus Palmu files

Petrus Palmu is the forgotten draft pick who left Utica last year to go back By Rick Dhaliwal Nov 18, 2019 to Finland.

I knew something was up when Palmu wasn’t invited to take part in the prospects camp in Vancouver before Canucks training camp, and when Will Lockwood sign? he didn’t end up in the AHL this season. The Canucks drafted forward Will Lockwood in the third round in 2016, When Palmu left Utica last season, he did a radio interview with me and but the team didn’t sign him last year, which means he can become a shared his personal take on why things didn’t work out in the AHL. He UFA on August 15, 2020. hinted that there wasn’t a lot of communication between him and the The 21-year-old wanted the chance to be a captain and leader for coaching staff about why he wasn’t getting ice time. Michigan this season — a big reason why he opted to return to college Certain people in the Canucks organization were bent out of shape about hockey and not go pro. It had nothing to do with the Canucks. that interview. An NCAA source tells me that no shortage of NHL teams have noticed Despite all that, Palmu continues to perform at a high level. Playing for Lockwood’s play this season. His work ethic and character are big JyP HT Jyvaskyla this season, Palmu has 17 points in 12 games. reasons why. After this season, his agent, Todd Diamond, will talk with the Canucks But where is the fit in Vancouver? Where is Lockwood on the depth about possibly rejoining Utica. chart? These are things both sides have to figure out. The Hogs’ future The Canucks could potentially sign Tyler Madden and Nils Hoglander this year; Kole Lind and Jonah Gadjovich are already in the system in Utica. Thanks to the internet and social media, fans can get a glimpse of prospects like never before. Game-by-game highlights are available The team drafted a whopping 8 forwards this past summer at the NHL every day, up to the minute. Draft. When Canucks forward Nils Hoglander scored his lacrosse-type goal last I’m sure talks will take place during the season, and by the trade deadline month in Sweden playing for Rogle BK Angelholm, you could say that the Canucks will have a better idea of whether or not Lockwood will sign Vancouver fans got a little excited. And for good reason. — but maybe they move him because you don’t want to lose him on August 15 and get nothing in return. Angelholm general manager Chris Abbott had this to say about Hoglander: “He has an insane amount of talent. His puck skills are very Speaking of 20-year-old Madden, he’s off to a sizzling start at high-end. ” Northeastern University with eight goals in his first 12 games. Here’s what Abbott had to say about Hoglander’s highlight-reel goal: “To His coach Jim Madigan told me he isn’t surprised by the hot start: “He execute that goal in a game with speed, thousands of people watching, it has a good stick, good offensive instincts. He reminds me a little of Adam was impressive. Confidence is one thing, but you still have to have the Gaudette. Teams are keying on Tyler. He is getting a lot of extra skill and ability to pull that off.” attention this season and still producing.” Hoglander is only 18 years old. His agent, Alain Roy, talked with the Here’s what Madden’s adviser Brett Peterson told me: “Just taking it Canucks last summer, but both sides agreed it was better to play another month by month, week by week. Tyler is concentrating on helping season in Sweden. Northeastern win and his academics, not his contract. ” Hoglander can sign when his season is over. Madigan also had nice things to say about Canucks 2019 draft pick and rookie forward Aidan McDonough, who has six points in 9 games. The Canucks have to be careful, though: they saw two young European prospects, Jonathan Dahlen and Palmu, go to Utica last year and have a One NCAA scout I spoke with offered high praise for Jack Rathbone: tough time getting ice time. “Saw (him) play last week — best player on the ice. Elite skater. He is making NHL passes right now. Smart player and he really evolved his When deciding to go pro in North America, European kids have to figure game from his high school days. Canucks have a good one.” out: Do they want to go to the AHL, a league they know very little about, or do they stay and play in the comfort of home? The curious case of Richard Bachman That decision is not as easy as it was years ago. The 32-year-old goaltender has not played a single minute this season in Utica — he has been wasting away on the pine since the AHL season Rushing Hoglander is the worst-case scenario, because Abbott is began. One source called the Canucks’ treatment of Bachman convinced this kid will eventually play in the NHL. “I feel he has the ability “disgusting” — noting that he’s been with the organization since 2015 to execute at the highest level. His one-on-one skill is there for the NHL.” and has been nothing but a loyal, hard-working, lead-by-example player, as well as a mentor to young players such as Thatcher Demko. A scout who saw Hoglander last week in Helsinki had this to say about him: “So strong. Does not get bumped off the puck for a smaller guy. His You can trace this story back to November 15, 2018, when the Canucks, compete level is through the roof, never quits on a puck. High, high skill with Bachman in the net, lost to the Minnesota Wild 6-2. Prior to that level.” game, Bachman had been a valued member of the organization as an “insurance policy” against NHL injuries, as well as an important leader for On the farm the AHL Comets. Last season began with Anders Nilsson and Demko Defenceman Olli Juolevi suffered another injury setback: He’s in injured, so Bachman began as the backup goalie in Vancouver. He went Vancouver getting a lower-body injury checked out by Canucks doctors. 21 days without playing prior to the Minnesota game. Was Bachman lousy in that Minnesota game? Absolutely. Is rust an acceptable excuse The fifth-overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft has had a tough time staying for a backup goalie? Absolutely not. But it certainly was an extenuating healthy. Just when he gets positive traction in his development, another circumstance. That, along with learning and adjusting to a new goalie injury pops up. coach, factored into his poor outing. Agent Markus Lehto said he didn’t have all the details yet: “We should What makes this situation so confusing — and so compelling — is that have more information early this week.” you don’t normally write off a player with a 10-year track record of success after one poor performance. In essence, by signing Zane McIntyre — whom Jim Benning had drafted when he was with the Bruins Another important draft pick is very close to returning to the Comets lineup: 21-year-old, second-round draft pick Jonah Gadjovich, who has missed 12 games with a muscle strain.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162247 Websites “Willy was an all-around great player,” Savard added. “He played well defensively, he played in all situations. It was no fluke he scored all those goals. And defensively, he played against top lines every night.’’

The Athletic / LeBrun: If Hall enshrinement for one player opens the door Again, I ask the question: why is Wilson not in the HHOF? for another, who was helped by this year’s class? Lehtinen, other than being a winger not a centre, was basically Carbonneau a decade later, with both winning three Selke Trophies as the NHL’s top defensive forward. He was Mr. Shutdown of his era. By Pierre LeBrun Nov 18, 2019 He also won a Stanley Cup with Dallas in 1998-99.

“For 11 years, Jere Lehtinen was the most complete player in the world,’’ TORONTO — If you believe one player’s induction can pave the way for his former coach Ken Hitchcock told me on Monday. “He did it all. You another, a couple of noteworthy doors were opened with the 2019 class, talk about the 200-foot player, he was the 205-foot player. For 11 years which the Hockey Hall of Fame officially inducted Monday. he was the best in the world. I don’t just mean defensively, I mean a complete player.’’ Could Sergei Zubov finally getting in mean good things for Doug Wilson or Sergei Gonchar? No one had a better view than Hitchcock, who saw him on a nightly basis in Dallas. Could Guy Carbonneau, who after all of those years of bringing his impeccable shutdown game, being inducted into the Hall mean Jere Brind’Amour, meanwhile, was a more prolific offensive player than Lehtinen or Rod Brind’Amour will get a closer look now? Carbonneau and Lehtinen but if you’re going to make his HHOF case it’s based on his 200-foot game, as his two Selke Trophies point out. Does Czech trailblazer Vaclav Nedomansky getting enshrined on Monday mean the selection committee dips into the past again for His former GM Jim Rutherford, himself inducted into the Hall on Monday, another forgotten superstar from overseas, I’m thinking of former Soviet believes Brind’Amour’s playing career is Hall of Fame-worthy. national team captain Boris Mikhailov? “I do, and I really, really hope it happens,’’ Rutherford said on Monday. Let’s take a look: “He is deserving.’’

Gonchar’s 811 career regular-season points are more than the likes of Boris Mikhailov HHOFers Borje Salming, Rob Blake, Mark Howe and Scott Niedermayer. They’re also more than Zubov’s 771 career points although the latter Really, it’s probably former Soviet star Alexander Yakushev being played 233 fewer games. Neither won a Norris Trophy although inducted into the Hall in 2018 that should have paved the way in a more especially in Gonchar’s case, he played in the Nicklas Lidstrom era, so, direct fashion for Mikhailov, who was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame yeah. in 2000 after a career which saw him score 428 goals in 572 Soviet league games. Perhaps the strongest case for Gonchar, in my mind, is this: his peak offensive years happen to coincide with the depths of the NHL’s Dead Mikhailov won a pair of Olympic gold medals and eight IIHF world titles Puck era. The league’s lowest goals per game averages in the past 40 with the powerhouse Soviet national team in the 1970s while playing on years spanned from 1997-98 through 2003-04 before new rules in 2005 the top line with Valeri Kharlamov — who was inducted posthumously opened the game up. During the Dead Puck era, Gonchar put up five 50- into the HHOF in 2005. point seasons, including matching his career high of 67 points in 2002- It seems to me that with Yakushev and Nedomansky both getting 03. inducted in back-to-back years that the HHOF has started on a path to fill He went to the Cup final with Washington in 1998, Pittsburgh in 2008 the gaps from a past era, specifically when it comes to international before winning his Cup with the Penguins in 2009. Oh, and he put up 90 players that had a tremendous impact on the game. Which is a good points in 141 career playoff games. thing. Remember, it’s not the NHL Hall of Fame, it’s the Hockey Hall of Fame. I think we’ll see Mikhailov in the Hall one day. “When we went to the Stanley Cup final, he was just incredible the first couple of rounds,’’ Gonchar’s former GM in Washington, George Who’s next after Hayley Wickenheiser? McPhee, said on Monday. “He single-handedly beat Boston, every game Hayley Wickenheiser was the headliner of the entire 2019 HHOF class, he was coming up with a really big goal.’’ period; a slam dunk if there ever was one. “He was a really gifted player, offensively,’’ McPhee added. “I think he But what’s important for the selection committee is to keep the ball became a better player when he got older. From afar, it looked to me like rolling. It was mind-boggling to me that after inducting the first two female he took charge more as he got older, he was better defensively as he got players in 2010 in Angela James and Cammi Granato, that three years older. But there’s no doubt, offensively, he was really pretty special for a went by before Geraldine Heaney got the call in 2013. Then the HHOF number of years. I mean, we had a power play that just couldn’t be skipped the women again in 2014 and in 2016. Like, come on. Angela stopped. We had Adam Oates on the wall just chipping it out to (Peter) Ruggiero was inducted in 2015 followed by Danielle Goyette in 2017 and Bondra and Gonchar for one-timers. It couldn’t be stopped.’’ Jayna Hefford last year. As for Wilson, well, I have made his case many times but Zubov getting So who’s next? in now can only strengthen what has long been an oversight by the HHOF’s selection committee — at least in my humble opinion. Lots of candidates, including the likes of U.S. stars Natalie Darwitz and Jenny Potter. Canada’s Caroline Ouellette should be a lock one day but Wilson’s 827 career regular-season points are 15th all-time by NHL she just retired last year. She won’t be eligible for HHOF consideration blueliners and he also captured the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top until 2021. defenseman in 1981-82. Wilson had a booming slapshot, he was a threat to score every time he was on the ice and played in eight NHL All-Star France St. Louis was a star in the 1990s in the early days of the women’s games. game and inspired many Canadian women to pick up the sport. If she doesn’t get the call over the next few years, there’s the danger of being Former Blackhawks teammate Denis Savard, inducted into the HHOF in forgotten. 2000, told me in a 2015 interview that he believed Wilson should be in the Hall. I would argue Cassie Campbell-Pascall also deserves a look. She was named to the Order of Hockey In Canada in 2012 but hasn’t got the “No question,” Savard said. “He was a great teammate, he was a guy HHOF nod. She’s actually part of the 18-member selection committee for that was awesome for all of us to have on the team. Just a great person. the HHOF so if she were ever nominated she would need to recuse … He had 39 goals the one year, was a Norris Trophy winner, I don’t herself. If she doesn’t make it as a player, her day will probably come in know how many have ever won the Norris and not been elected to the the Builders’ Category. Hockey Hall of Fame, do you?” What about the day we first see a female player that’s not Canadian or Only Randy Carlyle (1981 Norris Trophy winner) among retired blueliners American? has won a Norris and not been inducted into the HHOF. Riikka Sallinen played forever for Finland including in the Olympics at the age of 44 in 2018, 20 years after playing at the Nagano Olympics. Really an amazing career. Former Swedish goalie Kim Martin is another compelling candidate. You may remember her role in the upset seminal win over the U.S. at the Torino Olympics.

Daniel Alfredsson/Alexander Mogilny

Where the argument that one players’ induction should open the door for another fails is in regards to Daniel Alfredsson, who continues to get passed over despite what I believe a similar career track to his countryman Mats Sundin, who got inducted in his first year of eligibility.

I am told that Alfredsson has been nominated at least once over the past few years but obviously didn’t get the required support from the selection committee (remember that nominees need 14 votes out of the 18 to get in). That’s an oversight in my opinion.

So to is keeping Mogilny out. I see both some Pavel Bure and some Paul Kariya in the case for Mogilny, his game a blend of both those HHOFers. I think the case is growing for Mogilny and I do believe he will get in within the next few years.

There are others, of course, from Curtis Joseph to Theo Fleury to Keith Tkachuk and Jeremy Roenick, lots of fun cases to debate.

But there’s also next year’s class of first-year eligibles NHLers.

First-year eligibles for 2020

The first-year eligible list of retired players for next year isn’t a deep one as far as potential candidates but certainly, Jarome Iginla jumps off the page.

His 625 goals are tied for 16th all-time with Joe Sakic. And it’s worth mentioning that Iginla played right into the heart of the Dead Puck era while filling the net as one of the NHL’s most feared power forwards. He’s a Hall of Famer through and through.

Another serious Hall of Fame contender who hasn’t played since 2017 is Marian Hossa. He was forced off the ice due to a skin condition but has not formally retired and is being paid by the Coyotes through 2020-21. But I have confirmed via a Hall of Fame source that Hossa will be eligible for induction in 2020, essentially getting the Chris Pronger treatment. Pronger was inducted into the Hall in 2015 despite still being under contract with the Coyotes.

The only other notable player from the 2020 first-year eligibles would be Shane Doan, another terrific power forward from his era.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162248 Websites sure backup goalies are ready to play immediately and other minutiae within the game.

And this is the distilled version of topics. After the November meeting, The Athletic / Trade talks to F-bombs: The strategies behind the NHL Campbell said he typically gives the GMs homework assignments to GMs meetings discuss with their front offices and their coaches to bring back to the spring meeting. A couple months out from that meeting in March, he’ll send out an email asking for formal agenda items.

By Craig Custance Nov 18, 2019 By Campbell’s estimation, half the proposed agenda items are CBA issues that aren’t going to get changed. So they get chopped. And

there’s one particular GM (more on that in a moment) who sends in the Tim Murray guesses this moment occurred during his first year as the bulk of the discussion topics. Sabres GM in 2014. There was discussion internally amongst the NHL’s “There’s one guy who submits 30-40 every year,” Campbell said. “The general managers about teams hosting their own personal draft other guys, there’s about 15-20 submitted. We have our own that we combines for NHL prospects. Murray, always looking for an edge as both have – areas we want to discuss. We do a lot of reporting.” a talent evaluator and someone with an owner willing to spend, loved the idea. Others thought it had the potential to create a disadvantage for Factor in carryover items from the November meeting and the spring smaller budget teams. meeting can fill up fast, which means Campbell has to determine which topics get discussed. So the GMs, as they do in the spring meeting every year in Boca Raton, Fla., separated off into their breakout sessions. When the meeting “I gauge it by the GM and his experience whether I need to bring it forth reconvened in the big room at the Boca Beach Club, the discussion or he should bring it forth. Jarmo Kekalainen said, ‘After six years, I opened up to the group at large. All the league’s GMs, sitting at tables haven’t brought anything.’ So he put on three things this time,” Campbell lined into a large square, seated alphabetically by team, began to debate. said.

Commissioner Gary Bettman usually has a good feel for how these In putting together his proposals last spring, Kekalainen got the opinions things will play out and anticipated the push back from the new Sabres of people in the Blue Jackets organization as part of the advance legwork GM if they started fining teams for holding individual workouts. before the meeting. The end result was that one of his proposals, a pitch to change the tiebreaker to make the playoffs from regulation and “They came back and proposed a fine of $25,000 and on the mic, Gary overtime wins to just regulation wins made it through. It’s now in the goes, ‘Tim, you’re going to pay that fine,’” Murray said this week, in rulebooks. relaying the story. Kekalainen explained that there’s strategy involved when putting The red light flashed on Murray’s microphone, signaling his moment to something on the agenda. He’s not going to waste everybody’s time if it respond. has no chance of passing. Not only does he get a feel for everyone in his “I’ve got a check in my pocket right now, I’m just telling you, I’m going to organization, he likes to get a sense of what his colleagues are thinking. pay that fine right now,” Murray said. “If it seems like, ‘Yeah, there’s a lot of support for it,’ you try to put it on And if there truly wasn’t an F-bomb in that response, it might have been the agenda,” Kekalainen said. the only time for Murray. He didn’t speak long when he spoke at GM The opposite is also true. He’d like to completely eliminate blindside hits meetings, but he tried to get his point across as forcefully as possible. He where the player doesn’t see the guy coming but got a hint at the walked in opinionated and wasn’t going to wait to have his voice heard. pushback that would come if he tried. “I’d hit my button (to talk) and Gary would say, ‘What is it, Tim?’ I’d say, “I talked about the blindside hits once and got crushed on it,” he said. “I ‘Fuck me,’ and start in. Lou (Lamoriello) is across the table and he’s may have had five or six guys support that.” giggling. That was my style. … Good or bad, I wanted people to remember what I said,” Murray said. Just by his nature, Kekalainen said he was very much in listen mode the first couple years at these meetings. “I try to keep that as a rule for And Murray’s performances, especially as a GM early in his tenure, were myself. First, listen,” he said. so memorable because they broke away from the typical norms of these meetings. On Tuesday at the NHL offices in Toronto, the league’s GMs That’s typically how it goes. One GM said he was pulled aside before his will gather for their annual November meeting. Typically, this is just a first meeting and it was explained to him that there’s a two-meeting rule. check-in to go over some of tweaks recently implemented. If anything, Keep your mouth shut for the first two meetings. the most significant thing to come out of the meeting this week may be the start of trade talks that will come to fruition down the road. “Maybe Paul Fenton missed the memo,” joked a GM.

Getting all the GMs in one place at a time in the season where teams are It’s not always followed and that’s OK. The veteran GMs say they facing some crucial decisions tends to spark those conversations. encourage the newcomers to speak up and have their voice heard. Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello said he has no expectations of etiquette “There’s a lot of seeds planted,” Murray said of the fall meeting. “There’s from the next generation of GMs. nobody out of it. You kind of get the lay of the land, you just have a very casual conversation. If you stay where you are, you’ll move this guy or “Absolutely not,” he said. “Anybody who looks at it like that are either that guy. Plant the seeds.” insecure or naive or not wanting to be progressive.”

But these meetings as a whole have led to some of the biggest changes Predators GM David Poile echoed that opinion and says it’s been an the game has seen. The people in that room are viewed as the evolution in that room. gatekeepers to the game and it’s a fascinating process to examine. “I’ll try to say this the right way. When I first got in it, the relationships It’s a process that starts with Colin Campbell. were a little bit different and I was pretty young compared to the other guys. You had to earn your stripes a little bit to get into the club,” Poile At the conclusion of the spring meetings in Boca Raton, Campbell said. “These days, I think that everybody is fairly welcome. Guys jump in chatted about the process. How an agenda item gets on the list. How he right away. I think there’s obviously a little bit of respect, that you chooses which general managers get to present their ideas. For shouldn’t be going overboard in your first couple meetings. But I’ve seen example, in that three-day meeting last March, there were 21 agenda guys jump right in there.” items hitting on a wide range of issues: discussion on delay tactics around late-game icing, clocks in the corner boards, signing KHL players And that wouldn’t have necessarily happened back in the day. to future contracts, wearable technology and a review of supplemental “You have to earn your stripes. That you’re here, you’ve already earned discipline among many others. your stripes to get here,” Poile said. “When I first became a GM, it was There were also breakout sessions that covered even more ground: the the Cliff Fletcher, Harry Sinden, Emile Francis, Lou Nanne – they number of exhibition games, players wearing visors improperly, making referred to them as Murderer’s Row. I felt it myself. It was very intimidating.” That’s not to say there’s no intimidation now. That’s part of the reason behind the breakout meetings. A couple years ago, the breakout meetings were done in three groups, and even with 10 or 11 people in a group, Campbell noticed reluctance from some to join in. Last spring, he added an additional breakout session to make the groups smaller and encourage more dialogue.

“I respect the fact that you’re a young GM and it’s a little bit nerve- wracking when you come in the room. You see the Lou Lamoriellos and David Poiles and Gary Bettman at the front. That’s why we have the breakout meetings,” Campbell said.

And after a while, you get into the rhythm of the meetings. Like any group, the personalities start to emerge. Poile is the guy who brings a million ideas to the table. If you had to guess who Campbell is referring to as the GM who sends in the most agenda items, Poile would be a safe bet.

Poile smiled after the last meeting in the Boca Raton when it was suggested to him that he had a reputation as the guy sending in the most rules ideas.

“I’ve been pretty consistent over the years,” he said.

Veterans like Lamoriello, Sharks GM Doug Wilson and Edmonton GM Ken Holland are executives identified as being consistently vocal in the large group, along with Poile. When Steve Yzerman talks, he doesn’t mince words. “He’s cutthroat,” described a GM. Florida GM Dale Tallon is the guy taking shots from the peanut gallery.

“He never turns his mic on, he just chirps from the corner,” joked one of Tallon’s colleagues.

It’s all about finding your comfort level.

“There’s no unwritten rules, it’s just common sense. Every person has to earn respect. Even Sid had to earn respect from his peers. It’s about acting the right way,” Devils GM Ray Shero said. “You have to get a feel for the meetings. Who does what. How the and run the meetings. I think for me, I was there three years before I even said anything.

“Now, they can’t shut me up.”

The Athletic LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162249 Websites much the same as it is now. They haven’t impressed so far, but I’m not taking them off the contender’s list yet.

Next up are the Canadiens, who had one of those statement games in The Athletic / DGB weekend power rankings: Which team represents Friday’s win over the Capitals and then lost a weird one to the Devils in Canada’s best hope to end the Stanley Cup drought? which we learned you can’t kick a puck with your hip. They haven’t been getting much Cup talk outside of Montreal, and even a few weeks ago I had them pegged as just about the prototypical stuck-in-the-middle team. But the buzz is building, and rightly so. The Habs aren’t dominating, but By Sean McIndoe Nov 18, 2019 they’re banking points, and staking a solid claim to one of the Atlantic’s top three spots. The schedule gets tough now, and we’ve seen hot starts disintegrate in Montreal in recent years. But right now, Montreal is the Did you know that a team from Canada hasn’t won the Stanley Cup since first Canadian team that’s playing like a legitimate contender. 1993? It’s a little-known fact that almost never gets brought up. If you’re a Canadian, you probably haven’t heard anyone mention it in minutes, And that brings us to the country’s best team, at least according to the maybe even hours. (Squeezes bottle of maple syrup so tightly it shatters standings. The Oilers are still camped out on top of the Pacific, with few in his hand.) Yeah, we really enjoy hearing that little fun fact. Sure do. signs that the inevitable plunge back to earth is coming. They had a weird week, losing to the lowly Sharks, beating the Avalanche and then Since we’re already just a wee bit on edge up here these days, let’s steer dropping an OT decision to the Stars. The story is still Connor McDavid into the skid. A quarter of the way into the season, which Canadian team and Leon Draisaitl; they’re unstoppable, and so are the Oilers when looks like they have the best chance to win the Stanley Cup? they’re on the ice, but when they’re not this team is pretty ordinary. Can you win a Cup with two forwards carrying the team? Probably not, That’s a fitting query for this column since the Cup question is the big one although you can bank enough early-season points to get a firm grip on a we’re trying to answer each week. So far this season, only one Canadian playoff spot while you figure the rest of it out. team has appeared in the top five. That was way back in week one, and it’s fair to say that team isn’t going to be invited back anytime soon. But Back to our original question: Which team is the most likely to end that even if Canadian teams aren’t showing up here often, some of them have Canadian drought? The unfortunate answer is that nobody jumps out as to be at least quasi-contenders, right? an obvious choice, although we can make a few cases. For all their problems, the Leafs certainly have the talent, and probably more than Well, maybe. We’ve got seven teams to work through, and it feels like we any team in the country. The Flames and (maybe) Jets are in that boat should mention all of them, just for the sake of completeness. So … the too, looking like teams that aren’t especially dangerous right now but Ottawa Senators. They’re a team. So far, even a slightly better one that could be by the end of the season. The Canucks are feisty, and young we may have been expecting. But they’re not winning the Cup. Next. teams sometimes make sudden leaps that we don’t see coming. And If we keep working our way up the standings, we get to the middle-of-the- while the Oilers might have too much recent baggage for anyone to feel pack before we run into a four-team Canadian traffic jam. (For American confident, they’re playing great and will eventually have to be taken readers, a Canadian traffic jam is a lot like one of yours, only with more seriously. apologizing, moose and Zambonis.) All four teams are within three points But out of everyone, I think the answer might be the Canadiens. They of each other, hanging right around the wildcard race. That isn’t the worst look good, they have a goaltender we know can catch fire and Shea place to be, but doesn’t exactly scream “Cup favorite.” Weber might be a ninja. They don’t feel anything like favorites right now. Of those teams, two are probably right about where we’d have expected. But at 26 years and counting up here, we may have to take what we can The Canucks were one of those early-season surprises that have been get. coming back to earth, hitting a November speed wobble after a very So after all of that, did Montreal make this week’s top five? They did not. strong October. There’s a general sense of optimism coming out of Let’s go figure out who did … Vancouver these days, and rightly so, as the future looks bright. But that future isn’t here yet, though, and a Cup run this year still seems like a Road to the Cup longshot. The five teams that look like they’re headed towards a summer of keg The Jets are heading in the opposite direction; a recent contender that stands and fountain pool parties. now feels like a borderline playoff team at best. We know the blue line situation by now, and it certainly doesn’t sound like Dustin Byfuglien is It’s Hall of Fame induction night in Toronto tonight. Congratulations to all walking through that door any time soon. But it’s also fair to say that the the honorees – yes, even Guy Carbonneau – on their big night. Be sure total disaster some of us saw coming hasn’t happened. The Jets are a to check out our recent features on Vaclav Nedomansky, Jerry York, perfectly decent team so far, albeit one with flaws. And we know from Sergei Zubov and Hayley Wickenheiser. 2018 that this core is capable of a long run if they can heat up at the right 5. Tampa Bay Lightning (9-6-2, +4 true goals differential*) – They had a time. They won’t be anybody’s playoff favorites, and they still have a chance to come into the weekend rankings on a four-game win streak tough fight just to make it that far, but if they ever did … I mean, you and make my life easier, so of course they dropped a 4-3 decision to the never know. But it feels unlikely. Jets on home ice. Come on guys, let’s work together here. We also have to mention (deep sigh) the Maple Leafs. They’re probably By the way, I thought Justin Bourne’s take on the Lightning was the most hyper-analyzed team in the league right now, partly because insightful, although it may not make Tampa fans feel especially there are so many Leaf fans and partly because everyone else loves a optimistic. good train wreck 18-wheeler cliff dive. They’re a mess right now, coughing up a winnable game with the slumping Bruins on Friday and 4. New York Islanders (14-3-1, +14) – I guess they didn’t like their last then getting their teeth kicked in by the Penguins on Saturday. They’re a ten-game win streak and have decided to start over with a better one. team built to play one way with a coach who wants another, with frail psychology and too many injuries and no backup goalie and a long road 3. Boston Bruins (12-3-5, +21) – They picked up three out of four points trip that still has five games to go. Panic time? It might be. on the weekend, which may represent a righting of the ship after four straight losses. But the injuries are piling up, with Torey Krug headed to The Leafs are getting most of the attention these days, as per Canadian the injured reserve list and Patrice Bergeron missing Saturday night’s law. But they aren’t the country’s only supposed Cup contender that’s game. underperforming; the Flames were a 107-point team last year, and they’re on pace to fall well short of that. A few weeks ago on the podcast, One area where the Bruins haven’t taken a step back: Brad Marchand’s I described the Flames as a team where almost everyone was troll game. performing just 10 percent worse than you’d expect, and it was all adding 2. St. Louis Blues (12-4-5, +3) – It was a rough week, with three straight up to an ugly start. That’s overly simplistic, but they’re still giving off that losses (although two came with points). They’re still sitting on top of the underachiever’s vibe. It’s a mixed message in terms of optimism; on the West, but any hopes of pulling away have hit a speed bump. one hand, there are no glaring problems here that can’t be solved, but on the other hand, there’s also no easy scapegoat who can be shipped out By the way, happy anniversary to Blues fans – tomorrow marks one year and replaced in an easy fix. One thing worth remembering: as Eric since the team fired Mike Yeo and replaced him with Craig Berube. I’m Duhatschek points out, their record at this point last year was pretty told that turned out well. 1. Washington Capitals (15-3-4, +15) – They suffered their first regulation close to bottom five consideration, they’ve also been nowhere close to loss in over a month on Friday, which allowed the Islanders to finally gain what was expected coming into the season. a bit of ground. But only a bit and Saturday’s rebound win over the Bruins was impressive enough to keep them in the top spot. They headed into last night’s game against Calgary with five straight losses, including the last four in regulation. That had dropped them all the In other news, keep your head up when Alexander Ovechkin is on the way down to 13th in the West based on points percentage, with even the ice. Sharks having temporarily caught up to them. Beating up the Flames last night will certainly take some of the immediate pressure off, but it still *Goals differential without counting shootout decisions like the NHL does leaves them looking up at half the conference. for some reason. So what’s going on? We can chalk at least some of this up to bad luck, Not ranked: Pittsburgh Penguins – We can’t build an especially strong with the Knights sitting with a rock bottom PDO and the sort of case for the Penguins in the top five, at least not this week. They’ve possession and expected goals numbers that would suggest they fallen well back of the Capitals and Islanders in the Metro, and even the deserve a better fate. That’s always an unsatisfying answer, but Hurricanes have snuck past them. They lost two of three this week, and sometimes the puck just isn’t bouncing your way. the only win came against a team that everyone beats these days. And of course, Sidney Crosby is out for six weeks or more. That’s part of the story. But it’s not the whole thing, because the Knights have looked like a team with flaws. They’re not getting enough offense But all that said, don’t sleep on these guys. They’ve weathered a brutal from the blue line, which may be a tough problem to fix. The forwards first quarter of injuries, with the big three of Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and aren’t shooting anywhere near as well as their talent would suggest they Kris Letang all missing significant time. And they’ve played pretty well; if should, which is the sort of thing that usually evens out over time but your model runs off of expected goals, it probably loves them. starts to get at least a little worrisome as the season heads into the In terms of the long-term outlook, the key here is going to be Crosby. second quarter. Marc-Andre Fleury’s been fine, but none of the backups He’ll be out for a while, but we’re told that when he comes back he have been and Fleury’s about to turn 35, so you don’t want to ride him should be 100 percent for the rest of the year. If the Penguins can hang into dust. in there without him, they should be in good shape. Maybe really good None of those problems are insurmountable. But the early-season shape. struggles have left the Knights with some ground to make up in the In the meantime, they get a rivalry home-and-home with the Islanders Pacific race, so they’ll want to get it sorted out as quickly as possible. this week. That’s not great timing since an Isles sweep would put some Maybe last night is a good start. We’ll see. serious distance between the two teams. But it’s also a chance to send a By the way, some of this – the high expectations, the talented roster nice little message, especially on the heels of snapping New York’s win that’s gone cold, the backup goalie troubles – makes the Knights sound a streak a few weeks ago. lot like the Western Conference’s version of the Maple Leafs. So it’s The bottom five appropriate that we’ll see those two teams face off tomorrow. Someone will get a nice boost on their way back to contending; someone will get The five teams that are headed towards the best lottery odds and lots of yet another reminder that a season is slipping away. Alexis Lafreniere junior highlight reels. The Athletic LOADED: 11.19.2019 The ugliest play of the weekend came in Vancouver on Saturday, with Colorado’s Matt Calvert taking a puck to the head. The play was allowed to continue, with the Canucks scoring several seconds later.

These plays can be tough calls for the officials. The rulebook instructs them to only blow the play dead if the player is in danger; you may remember the controversy in last year’s playoffs when the Blues scored on Ben Bishop after he went down with a collarbone injury. You clearly can’t have plays being blown dead every time a defensive player appears to be hurt since that would encourage all sorts of bad acting and overselling whenever a team was under pressure. But the Calvert case was clearly different, with a player suffering a head injury and bleeding on the ice. Avs players were furious after the game, and rightly so.

5. New Jersey Devils (7-8-4, -17) – When they lose, it looks awful – see Wednesday’s third-period meltdown against the Senators. But then they reel off a win or two and look at least somewhat respectable. They’ve even caught up to the Rangers and Blue Jackets in the Metro, although that’s not saying much. They’ve got the Bruins and Penguins next, so if they keep the momentum going, they’ll have earned it.

4. Ottawa Senators (8-11-1, -10) – They lost to the Sabres on Saturday, but have still won a respectable six of ten. That’s progress, and at this stage of the rebuild, progress is really all you can ask for.

3. Los Angeles Kings (8-11-1, -19) – They swept a three-game homestand, including an impressive win on Saturday over the Golden Knights. That game also marked the 1000th of Jeff Carter’s career; he marked the occasion by scoring the winning goal late in the third.

2. Minnesota Wild (7-11-2, -16) – They’ve dropped down to last place overall in terms of points, although they’re still ahead of Detroit based on points percentage. Given that, it probably wasn’t the best time for the big Nino Niederreiter homecoming.

1. Detroit Red Wings (7-12-3, -30) – Their mini win streak ended this week with a pair of losses, although both brought loser points. That spells the end of the California trip, and they’re back home against the Senators tomorrow night with a chance to climb out of last place in the East. Whether or not that’s a good thing will depend on where you’re at on the Tanking Acceptance Scale.

Not ranked: Vegas Golden Knights – It seems crazy to even mention the Knights down in this half of the rankings. And while they weren’t all that 1162250 Websites Babcock had player-initiated meetings with Rielly and captain John Tavares, and the chatter has picked up among the group.

"We’ve had some talks and we’ll have more talks and try to address (the Sportsnet.ca / With chips down, Leafs' Mike Babcock still betting on defensive issues)," said Muzzin. "So everyone understands thoroughly himself what needs to be done."

The Leafs also held their traditional rookie dinner here Sunday night — an event that is scheduled well ahead of time. That usually offers players Chris Johnston | November 18, 2019, 8:09 PM the chance to blow off some steam and have a few laughs together.

Some visiting teams have gone to great lengths to try and keep their group focused before playing the Golden Knights, but Babcock didn’t pull LAS VEGAS — The day after the worst performance of the Toronto out any special measures with two nights in Vegas before Tuesday’s Maple Leafs‘ season, Mike Babcock spent an "off" night here watching game. the Vegas Golden Knights host the Calgary Flames along with other members of the team’s coaching and management staff. "I’m worried about that all the time, but what do you do?" he said. "I don’t think you can put ‘em in jail, they’re men. This is a great city. Nashville’s There’s no off button for the hard-driving head coach at the best of times. a great city. There’s a whole bunch of great cities." There’s no option for there to be one right now with the Leafs fresh off a Nor has he spent much time focusing on the increased chatter about his 6-1 pounding at the hands of the Penguins in Pittsburgh and having future. dropped five straight games. "Not really, I’m in a pretty good spot in my life. My kids are grown," said Babcock’s job security is now a source of open speculation and he’s not Babcock. "If my kids were young, I’d never coach in Toronto, OK? So in far past the midway point of his contract. That has to be a bit jarring for a my spot, I don’t spend a whole lot of time listening. man who once said he planned to coach all eight years on his landmark Leafs deal and then stick around for two more "because we’re going to "But I do get text messages from people that are friends and they’re be so good." sending ya texts (because) they care about ya."

And yet, even with the growing chorus of critics around him and his Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.19.2019 team’s slide down the standings, you don’t get the sense much has changed. Babcock doesn’t look or sound like someone who feels like he’s coaching for his job.

"I’m going to do it as hard as I can, as long as I can," he said Monday at T-Mobile Arena. "I’ve always bet on Mike Babcock. I’ll continue to bet on him."

The Leafs have been on a bad beat for the last week and a half. They’ve only come out on the right side of expected goals once in their last six games — with a slight 50.22 per cent edge in Wednesday’s loss to the Islanders — and they’ve surrendered 23 goals against in the process.

It’s been a ghastly defensive stretch.

Of Saturday’s game in Pittsburgh, where they hung goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo out to dry in his NHL debut, Tyson Barrie said: "I think we’re kind of killing ourselves. That last game was a bit embarrassing. I think we gave up probably 20 odd-man rushes it felt like."

The biggest gains can be achieved by tightening up.

That’s why Babcock switched his bottom-two defensive pairings for Monday’s practice — putting Justin Holl beside Jake Muzzin while slotting Barrie beside Travis Dermott — and suggested that he’ll do a little more in-game juggling on offensive zone draws in an effort to better optimize the lineup.

However, there’s a belief behind closed doors that their issues run deeper than personnel or tactics. As the Leafs have started searching for answers, they’ve asked tougher questions of themselves.

"I’ve been doing some thinking about it and I think we have good, good people in here," said Muzzin. "Good team, good players, good guys, but I think we need to come together a little bit more and I think we need to play with a little more passion, a little more awareness and urgency on the defensive side of the puck.

"It’s not even X’s and O’s, it’s the will inside every guy in here to keep the puck out of the net. I think we need a better effort out of that and that’s all honesty."

When it was pointed out to Muzzin that the Leafs are built with a disproportionate amount of skilled offensive players — guys that haven’t reached this point because of their defensive awareness — he brought it back to commitment.

"The reality is when you don’t care (about defence) this is what happens: You lose games," he said. "You can score all the goals you want, but if you’re not going to play the right way on the defensive side of the puck you’re not going to win."

The glitz and glamour of the Vegas Strip feels like a strange place to arrive in the middle of a rough patch. The Leafs have had a series of heart-to-heart talks since their charter landed from Pittsburgh. 1162251 Websites “They do this in the NFL all the time — you want to save the head coach, they fire the offensive coordinator. So they’ve already taken one dramatic step to prolong this coach’s life and it hasn’t had any positive impact.”

Sportsnet.ca / Examining the factors that have the Leafs' Mike Babcock Health hurting the standings on the hot seat There’s no doubt that injuries — the Leafs are at 43 man-games lost and counting — have played a role in the losses.

Emily Sadler November 18, 2019, 5:23 PM They clearly missed Zach Hyman’s grit through the first 19 games of the season, and John Tavares’ seven-game absence due to a broken finger showed in the standings as well. They’re currently four games (and four losses) into what’s expected to be four to six weeks without Mitch Marner A few weeks ago, the question hovering over Toronto was whether it was (ankle). Injuries to depth pieces like Alex Kerfoot (dental fractures) and too soon for the Toronto Maple Leafs to panic just one month into a Trevor Moore (shoulder) mean more line juggling for Babcock as they try season filled with expectations yielding uninspiring early results. to dust themselves off and stay above .500 on the season. After another losing weekend that included a 6-1 drubbing by the Power play headed in wrong direction Pittsburgh Penguins, consider the floodgates of panic blown wide open — whether it’s warranted or not. This summer, all signs pointed to the Leafs’ already strong power play being much better, not worse. First, the club brought in Paul McFarland It’s the head coach who tends to shoulder most of the blame in these — the brain behind the Florida Panthers’ second-ranked power play — situations, and that’s got head coach Mike Babcock’s seat feeling pretty as a new assistant coach. Trading for Tyson Barrie, a noted power-play hot. specialist, had fans drooling over the prospect of seeing the offensive- As Brian Burke said early Monday morning, “you can’t blame all 20 minded rearguard quarterback the first unit paired with players such as players, so it ends up on the coach.” Tavares, Matthews and Marner. But it hasn’t exactly worked out like that.

“When you fire a coach, it’s really an organizational failure,” Burke said Last year’s power play: 21.8 per cent (ranked 8th) during an appearance on Sportsnet’s Lead Off. 2019-20’s power play to date: 16.7 per cent (ranked 21st) “The players, I think, are getting a free ride here and that drives me nuts.” Barrie, who tallied a career-high 30 power-play points in 2017-18 and At this point last year, the Maple Leafs had a 15-7 record with 30 points followed it up with 25 last season, is currently on the second unit with just and sat fourth in the league. At no point were they considered out of a single power-play point to his name. reach of a playoff spot. Penalties are up — way up. Rather than building on an excellent season by making some crucial off- Though not as drastic a change as their power play, the Maple Leafs’ season roster adjustments, it feels like the Maple Leafs have taken a penalty kill has also declined. What was mediocre in the regular season step back. Twenty-two games into 2019-20, the club with lofty (79.9 per cent, good for 17th league-wide) was straight-up bad in the expectations finds itself in the lower half of the league’s standings at No. playoffs — the only club with a penalty-kill percentage worse than the 19 with 22 points thanks to a 9-9-4 record. Maple Leafs’ 56.3 was the Tampa Bay Lightning, and we all know how “It’s tough to get worse from here. It’s frustrating,” Auston Matthews told their first-round series went. reporters after Saturday’s dismal loss in Pittsburgh. Last year: 228 penalties taken (fewest in NHL) “I think in the locker room, confidence isn’t exactly high right now. I don’t 2019-20 to date: 82 think we’ve played to the ability that we’re capable of over the last course of games. We’ve got nobody to blame except for ourselves.” So far in 2019-20, the Maple Leafs are killing three-quarters of penalties taken (ranked 25th), but the troubling stat is the number of penalties The club is currently riding a five-game losing streak, four of which came they’re taking. on the road, as they head west for another tough road stint and many are questioning whether Babcock will still be employed by the end of it. Andersen can’t do it on his own

So, what exactly has gone wrong? And are the stats as dire as we’re Behind every good coach is a great goaltender. Behind every winning making them out to be? Here’s a look at some of the key factors that may coach is a great backup, too. Babcock has his guy in Frederik Andersen, be involved in the Maple Leafs’ disappointing season to date in an effort who has once again put up decent numbers (2.74 GAA, .912 SV%) and, to bring a little context to the struggle. lucky for him, Andersen is at his best when he’s busy.

Off-season of (too much?) change But in a league wading into the load-management waters, where contenders increasingly depend on strong performances from second Chemistry can be a funny thing in sports. You can’t force it, but it’s strings, the Maple Leafs simply cannot keep up. Toronto has let in the obvious when you’ve got it, and even more so if you don’t. Considering second-most goals league-wide, with 75 — only the Detroit Red Wings the amount of off-season change in Toronto, it shouldn’t be too surprising have allowed more. At this point last year, they’d given up the fifth-fewest they’re running into some early season hiccups. goals (58). A troubling trend, but not as troubling as this stark Out: Nazem Kadri, Jake Gardiner, Patrick Marleau, Ron Hainsey, Nikita comparison: Zaitsev, Connor Brown, Tyler Ennis Goals against Andersen through 16 games this year: 44 (9-4-3 record) In: Tyson Barrie, Alex Kerfoot, Cody Ceci, Jason Spezza, Ilya Mikheyev, Goals against Leafs backups through six starts this year: 29 Dmytro Timashov (Two goals against were empty-netters.) New faces behind the bench haven’t paid off You’ve got to wonder how much of this has to do with Babcock’s rule In addition to several roster moves, the Maple Leafs also made two when it comes to his crease in back-to-back game situations. As it coaching changes over the summer, bringing in assistants Paul stands, Andersen always gets the first start with the backup suiting up McFarland and Dave Hakstol to replace D.J. Smith and Jim Hiller. behind a tired squad for the second. The Maple Leafs have yet to win the In Monday’s Lead Off appearance, Burke explained why those personnel second half of a back-to-back game, and the blame cannot sit squarely moves could mean trouble for Babcock: on the shoulders of the man in the blue paint.

“I think what people are overlooking in this market is they switched out For comparison, last year’s starter-backup breakdown at this point in the the two assistant coaches last summer, which is what you do when season saw Andersen (12-6) let in 38 goals in 18 games, with Garret you’re trying to save a head coach. I did it for Ron Wilson before I had to Sparks (3-1) making four appearances and letting in 13. move him out, I brought in two new assistant coaches,” Burke said, Neither can Matthews referencing his time as Maple Leafs GM. Matthews has been incredible this season. He’s written his name onto the scoresheet in all but six games this season, and is far and away the club’s most productive player. His 14 goals on the season is almost twice as many as the next in line (William Nylander, with eight) and his 27 points give him almost 10 more than Marner, who’s still in second despite having missed a week already.

How are they scoring?

When it comes to targeting the Maple Leafs’ struggles, it’s typically been all about the blue line. But there are actually more pressing concerns upfront.

Freddie Andersen's all situations expected save percentage last season was .9133, this season it's .9174. Every game he's facing 2 fewer high danger chances, 2 fewer passes to the slot, and one less screened shot on net. The Leafs ARE better defensively.

— Andrew Berkshire (@AndrewBerkshire) November 18, 2019

You know that saying, “They don’t ask how, they just ask how many”?

Yeah, we’re kind of ignoring that here when we look at the Leafs’ goal- scoring right now. As frustrated as this forward core is — you heard Matthews during his post-game — they are scoring. They’re currently fifth in goals for and 10th in shots per game.

But there’s a trend here that’s bringing cause for concern, and it’s showing some divide between the way the players are scoring and the way Babcock wants them to score. The Maple Leafs are winning the battle when it comes to firing shots from the outer edges of the offensive zone, but losing the battle — by a pretty large margin — when it comes to those near-net battles. Sportsnet contributor Andrew Berkshire did a deep dive into the numbers last months, and the trends still hold true.

Who would replace him?

For some teams, the biggest unknown when it comes to firing a head coach is the question of who would replace him. The Maple Leafs don’t have that problem.

“They’ve got the guy they want, sitting and waiting in the wings,” Burke said, pointing to Toronto Marlies head coach Sheldon Keefe. “That’s a very A-typical situation, so me, I would not be surprised if they’re not looking hard at that.”

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162252 Websites However, should this team fail to make the playoffs or fall short of winning at least one round this summer you can bet Gaudreau will start to be shopped.

Sportsnet.ca / Flames need injection of heart with team still treading He will then have two years left on his deal and will have the Flames water thinking very much about not wanting to be left dealing their leading scorer from a position of weakness as they were when they gave Jarome Iginla away.

Eric Francis | November 18, 2019, 2:45 PM Calgary Flames' Johnny Gaudreau. (Jeff McIntosh/CP)

Calgary Flames’ Johnny Gaudreau. (Jeff McIntosh/CP)

Two games without a goal, four games without a win and now the Back to the reality of the situation facing the Flames. Calgary Flames get a visit from the team that humiliated them in five games last spring. The 10-10-3 club has just one home game before they embark on a four- game roadie through St. Louis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Buffalo. They forever surrender the game’s first goal, spend most of their time While all but the Blues game are winnable, they are 4-8-1 on the road chasing, and are almost a goal-a-game behind the scoring pace that thus far. made them so formidable a year earlier. No team in the league comes close to chasing leads more than the Fans want Bill Peters fired, Johnny Gaudreau traded and Sean Monahan Flames, playing 647 minutes — almost 11 full games — with a deficit. tarred and feathered. A 6-0 loss to Vegas Sunday has that sky-is-falling feeling hockey fans are familiar with in every Canadian city in which In a tight league, it opens you up to having to press too hard, which can hockey is played. open the floodgates for a 2-0 game to turn into a 6-0 rout as it did late Sunday. Fact is, it’s early. The goaltending is not at fault as David Rittich has given his team a No, the Flames haven’t been anywhere close to where they want to be chance every outing. The lads in front of him have simply failed to live up this season. Wildly inconsistent from game to game and period to period, to their potential as the defending Western Conference points winner. they can’t seem to get back to being, well, themselves. Expectations are sky high, confidence is dangerously low. Matthew Tkachuk said as much after the game, with one of those, “things have got to change around here” rants that show the sort of emotion and Many take solace in the fact it’s just 23 games into the season and there desperation these Flames are so sorely lacking on the ice. the struggling Flames sit, tied with Vegas for the final wild-card spot.

They seem to keep waiting for that moment when the team will be Not nearly as bad as their efforts should dictate. galvanized by one of their stirring comebacks, the emotional medical There’s plenty of time for this team to do like it did last year, turning an scare TJ Brodie’s intense fainting episode provided, or a tailspin like this early 9-1 beatdown at home against Pittsburgh into a surge to the top of that has seen them score three goals in four outings. the west. To this point, it hasn’t come. The belief inside and outside the room that this team is capable of such a It appears too many players just don’t hate losing enough. The time for rebound is certainly waning. The coach, who isn’t on the hot seat by the action is nigh. An injection of heart is needed, as this team is too talented way, has exercised tremendous patience publicly. Behind closed doors, to continue treading — no, taking on — water much longer. he has plenty of reasons to be every bit as concerned as the fans are.

It’s with that in mind that Tuesday’s opponent is rife with such delicious Is another kick in the pants what it will take to get them going? Waiting irony. for the GM to provide it would add to the argument a significant overhaul is in order this summer. Not only are the Colorado Avalanche the team that first exposed last spring just how far the Flames are from being a legitimate contender, it’s Fact is, the answers are in the room — whether they’ll figure that out also the home of an emotional player who is exactly what the Flames before it’s too late is the big question. could use right now: Nazem Kadri. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.19.2019 Identifying the team’s lack of pushback as an area the Flames needed to address, GM Brad Treliving pieced together a swap with Toronto in June that would have sent Brodie and Mark Jankowski to the Leafs.

Kadri refused the deal as he had Calgary on his 10-team no-trade list and has since been public about his motivation for doing so revolving around wanting to remain a Leaf.

He was traded to the Avs days later.

Flames fans are left to wonder what kind of impact his grit, heart and depth could have done for a team missing equal measures of all three for large chunks this season.

Alas, we’ll never know.

Treliving is indeed looking long and hard at possible moves with an eye on spurring on a team that appears to have started believing the pre- season press clippings suggesting they had a three-year window of serious Cup challenges ahead.

It’s a Herculean task to effect significant change during the season in today’s NHL given how tight so many teams are to the salary cap.

With the GMs meeting in Toronto Tuesday he’ll have a great chance to commiserate with Leafs GM Kyle Dubas, perhaps kicking around the idea of a deal swapping pending UFAs Brodie for Tyson Barrie. However, given the cap hits involved, a trade like that would be difficult to pull off.

Odds are against Treliving being able to do anything monumental with the likes of Gaudreau until the summer. 1162253 Websites bad for her,” Wickenheiser said, grinning. “Fifteen-year-old roommate, not so much fun for her.” She thanked her earlier teammates for fighting for “relevance, and instead of asking what the game could give them, they asked what they could give the game, and they changed my life Sportsnet.ca / Wickenheiser enters Hall of Fame having paved way for forever.” women's hockey It’s Wickenheiser who changed the women’s game forever, too, coming in with skill the game hadn’t seen before.

Kristina Rutherford Just before he marched down the red carpet, Brian Burke put it best, tie untied and slung around his neck: “I think Hayley is the greatest women’s

hockey player ever,” the former executive turned Sportsnet star analyst TORONTO — She had just grinned and held her plaque that’ll soon go said. “She’s walking in and neither shoulder’s going to touch either side up in the Hockey Hall of Fame’s hallowed halls, and then Hayley of the door frame.” Wickenheiser stood in front of hundreds of people and she recalled how Considering what’s on Wickenheiser’s plate right now — after she retired hard she had to fight for what is likely the greatest career in women’s from hockey, she enrolled in medical school, which she’s tackling while hockey history. also working in player development with the Toronto Maple Leafs and One story: She was just a kid when she signed up for a hockey school in running her girls’ hockey festival, WickFest — he wonders what else she Regina, and since she’d be the only girl, they told her she’d have to sleep has planned. in the usher’s closet. So she and her brother jammed their stuff in that “I mean, next thing I’m going to see her walking on the moon,” Burke closet and that’s where they slept. said. Seriously, don’t put it past Hayley Wickenheiser to become an Another story: While playing Bantam AAA, Wickenheiser took the spot of astronaut. a boy on the team, and that season she developed an ulcer. “I wasn’t Fellow Hall of Famer Jayna Hefford was in the crowd Monday, and she nervous to get hit or go on the ice, that’s actually where I felt good,” she tried to put her finger on Wickenheiser’s greatest impact on the women’s said. It was the “comments and harassment” Wickenheiser would often game through a 23-year career with the national team. hear from parents and teammates in the hallways that tore up her stomach. “I think it’s just that she was the face of the game for so long, and she carried that with her for most of her career,” Hefford said. “I wanted to play the game so bad, I didn’t care what I had to endure,” the 41-year-old said. “That’s not an easy thing to do, but I think that’s where her mark was made in that she was the face and she was always just leading the way And thank goodness she did. On Monday, No. 22 from little Shaunavon, for those who weren’t necessarily right in the sport. She was leading it in Sask., led a class of six inductees into the Hall of Fame, the seventh the sport, but outside the sport, she was the one people knew.” woman inducted in history, the last to speak of the 2019 class in a nearly three-hour proceeding at the Hall that included a red carpet, a silent Not that notoriety ever mattered to Wickenheiser. She’s the only inductee auction and real-life “statues” of hockey players who wore old school in the Hall of Fame’s history that it was unable to reach to notify her that gear and held hockey poses for impressive lengths of time. she was in, and for about four hours. She was in the middle of a simulated catastrophe with her medical school, and no phones were It was the Hall’s chairman of the board, Lanny McDonald, who opened allowed. the evening (fine pick to kick things off, sporting that classic moustache in Movember) as he welcomed the inductees to “hockey’s greatest team.” “It probably never even crossed her mind,” former teammate Sami-Jo Small said, of the Hall of Fame honour. “Awards? She doesn’t stop to Wickenheiser was joined by fellow players Guy Carbonneau, the three- wait for anything like that.” time Stanley Cup champion, as well as three-time all-star and two-time Cup-winning defender Sergei Zubov and Vaclav Nedomansky (“Big On Monday, Wickenheiser thanked her son, Noah, who was also in the Ned”), the first player to defect from behind the Iron Curtain. Penguins crowd. A member of the Canadian military, he doesn’t like hockey, GM Jim Rutherford and Jerry York, the winningest NCAA hockey coach though as his mother puts it, the sport “has given me everything that I in history, were inducted in the builders’ category. have in my life.”

Carbonneau flipped seamlessly between French and English, recalling She had two little knee-high nieces in the crowd, too, and what his “long-shot” Canadiens team that won the Stanley Cup in 1993 and Wickenheiser said she’s proudest of is the fact that they can walk into a told his wife — they met at age 17 — that he never gave her enough rink today with hockey bags slung around their shoulders and sticks in credit for raising two daughters, having her own career and supporting their hands and nobody will look at them twice. They don’t have to cut him during his. There were a lot of tears in a lot of family members’ eyes their hair short and change in the bathroom like aunt Hayley did. in the crowd Monday. “The road is just a little bit easier,” Wickenheiser said. But the grand theme of the night was that none of these inductees ever dreamt they’d be enshrined here. Carbonneau called it an “unexpected And, though she didn’t say it, that’s in large part because the seventh call” earlier this year. Zubov — who forgot to thank his wife and his three woman inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame helped to pave it. kids in his first time up (Wickenheiser invited him back up during her Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.19.2019 speech and he told his kids he loved him and that “daddy is dumb”) — had to defect to play in the NHL at all, so he ever dreamt of this day.

Rutherford said “I never could’ve imagined” he’d be here, just after he received his Hall of Fame plaque from Mario Lemieux, who was the most popular guy on the red carpet.

Rutherford ended his speech with some advice: “Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. Because that was the story of my career, and the more they told me I couldn’t do things, the more it turned out that I did.”

For Wickenheiser, it was her parents who fought for her when she was young, and particularly her mom, Marilyn, who argued to get her on boys teams in Saskatchewan and Alberta, and who started up girls teams in both of those provinces.

And it was Wickenheiser’s talent that got her noticed earlier than any Canadian in the history of the women’s program. The four-time Olympic gold medallist remembered being a Grade 10 student when her national team roommate was Margot Page, then a Grade 10 math teacher. “Felt 1162254 Websites While he didn’t have hard numbers to offer up, he believes the number of challenges have been reduced by roughly a third after the league introduced a two-minute penalty for any failed coach’s challenge. He said the point of video review is to avoid egregious errors, so a decline in Sportsnet.ca / Gary Bettman talks puck tracking, CBA, Calvert injury non- challenges for judgement calls like goalie interference is viewed as a whistle positive development.

“On a close call that could go either way, it shouldn’t be challenged,” he said. Ryan Dixon | November 18, 2019, 1:32 PM Bettman also addressed the incident that occurred on the weekend in a

game between the Vancouver Canucks and Colorado Avalanche. After TORONTO — More than 20 years after a glowing puck gave hockey one taking a shot to the head from close range, Avalanche forward Matt of its best inside jokes, intimate puck-tracking technology is inching Calvert was sprawled out on the ice, bleeding, while play was allowed to closer toward being part of the everyday game experience. continue for a significant amount of time because the Canucks were threatening to score, which they eventually did. Speaking at the Prime Time Sports and Entertainment Sports Management Conference on Monday morning, NHL commissioner Gary “Generally [the rule allowing officials to stop the game] is applied with Bettman said he is hopeful puck-tracking technology will be in place common sense and that’s what we encourage the officials to [use],” he before the start of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. This is the same said. “Obviously if the player is in real distress on the ice, the officials system that debuted at the 2019 NHL All-Star Game 10 months ago in need to react. But those are tough situations to be in to evaluate in real San Jose. time.

“We’re continuing to test it and we have to install the capability in every “What you don’t want — and this wasn’t the case [with Calvert] — you building,” Bettman said. “It’s just a time-consuming process.” don’t’ want it being used for gamesmanship, where a game is stopped needlessly. Having said that, any time a player is in distress, the officials Puck- and player-tracking data has been on the league’s radar for years know they need to stop the game.” as a means for both game participants and viewers to learn more about what’s happening on the ice. Puck tracking can tell us if a puck passed Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.19.2019 even a whisker over a goal line (or red line or blue line), while tracking players will allow those watching at home to know just how fast Nathan MacKinnon was going when he blew by your favourite team’s defenceman.

Senior Writer Ryan Dixon and NHL Editor Rory Boylen always give it 110%, but never rely on clichés when it comes to podcasting. Instead, they use a mix of facts, fun and a varied group of hockey voices to cover Canada’s most beloved game.

“It’s going to start as a broadcast enhancement and then we’ll take it from there,” Bettman said. “It’s going to have to evolve because in terms of what data people are finding useful, [that’s] something we’re going to all learn together.”

Bettman referenced the FoxTrax puck that popped up early in his tenure as league commissioner. The idea there, of course, was to help people who might be new to the game follow a small black object around the T.V. screen by making it bigger, blue and glowing. While purists derided the innovation, Bettman noted it laid some of the groundwork for what we now consider standard aspects of sports viewing.

“While it didn’t work perfectly on a puck, it led to video insertion [like we see on] the first-and-10 line in football,” Bettman said, referencing the yellow line visible on any screen showing a National Football League game. “This [new puck-tracking] technology that we have in place is much more precise, with a puck that has integrity.”

Before speaking to the media, Bettman was interviewed by Sportsnet analyst and former general manager Brian Burke on a number of topics. Burke, who worked for Bettman and the league as executive vice- president and director of hockey operations in the mid-1990s, praised his old boss for — among other things — implementing a viable economic system in the NHL and helping the league find ownership stability in numerous struggling markets over the years.

Bettman, who’s been part of three work stoppages since beginning his job in 1993, said he’s encouraged by the fact that, while both sides still have their issues, neither the National Hockey League Players’ Association nor the league itself exercised an option to re-open the Collective Bargaining Agreement ahead of schedule next summer.

“I think that’s a very positive sign,” he said of the decisions made in September.

Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman talk to a lot of people around the hockey world, and then they tell listeners all about what they’ve heard and what they think about it.

The commissioner, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame last year, said there’s nothing further to report in terms of NHLers participating in the 2022 Winter Olympics in China. As the league’s general managers prepare to meet this week in Toronto, Bettman indicated that, on balance, he’s happy with the state of video review. 1162255 Websites might take a bit of time considering he’s just one game removed from missing seven with a groin injury.

For Lehkonen, who has just two goals despite having the sixth-most Sportsnet.ca / Why Canadiens should be able to survive Drouin, Byron scoring chances on the team (according to Natural Stat Trick), there’s injuries more urgency. Even if Julien isn’t pressing him for more.

“I think he can score,” the coach said. “I think he knows that too. But every time somebody goes down, we expect somebody else to pick up Eric Engels | November 18, 2019, 2:30 PM the scoring. I expect for the guys like him who might pick up the scoring… I still expected them to be scoring before anyway. So I expect

them to score any time. BROSSARD, Que. — It’s bad news for the Montreal Canadiens, but it’s “I don’t believe in putting more pressure on guys to score just because particularly devastating news for Jonathan Drouin. someone else is out and they have to do something more than they’ve The 24-year-old — who has seven goals and 15 points in 19 games — been doing before, because that’s like telling them they haven’t done had surgery on Monday to repair damage done to one of his wrists. enough. Will a player like (Lehkonen) get more opportunities (with Drouin’s agent tweeted that the centre is expected to miss eight weeks players missing)? Maybe. But at the same time, we know he’s a guy that with the injury, which he suffered in the third period of Montreal’s 5-2 win everyone seems to think he can produce a little bit more. He thinks so, over the Washington Capitals last Friday. too. He’s got to hit the net when he shoots; he’s got a good shot, and if that happens there’s no doubt it’s going to be a big help to us.” The Ste. Agathe, Que., native must be so disappointed. You could make the argument he’s been Montreal’s best player to date as they’ve It’s also going to help the Canadiens if Nick Suzuki, who was promoted to established an 11-5-4 record through 20 games, and given how hard he’s centre Max Domi and Joel Armia ahead of Montreal’s 4-3 overtime loss worked to rebound from a tough end to last season, the timing of this to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, continues to play with confidence. injury couldn’t be worse. The 20-year-old has points in each of his last three games and has “Tough break,” said teammate Nick Cousins on Monday. “He’s been recorded five goals and four assists through the first quarter of his NHL lights out. Obviously, I wasn’t here last year, but guys are telling me he’s career. That’s why the coach feels comfortable elevating his role. playing the best hockey of his career. He’s been awesome. He’s been “To me, he’s shown that he’s been able to handle that stuff,” said Julien. working hard, and not only the offensive side. The defensive side is “I’m always cautious in how I answer (questions about being able to actually what’s impressed me the most. He’s backchecking hard through depend more on young players) because it’s a daily thing, it’s a weekly the middle, and he’s like a dog on a bone out there. When he doesn’t thing. A guy does well, he’s going well (and) all of a sudden you might have the puck… sometimes guys just wait for it to come to them, but he see fatigue or something in a young player and he’s not handling certain just goes to get it. It’s been fun to watch. He’s obviously a tough guy to situations as well, and then you’ve got to adjust. But right now, I think his lose at this point of the season.” play in the last little while has been really, really good.” It won’t be easy for the Canadiens to deal with the injury to Paul Byron, Suzuki’s not alone in that department. either. Byron had somewhat picked up his game of late after a very slow start Head coach Claude Julien said the Ottawa native will undergo a knee out of the gate. And Drouin played exceptionally well through virtually all surgery on Tuesday, and that it’s unclear at this point how serious the of his games. injury is and how long it will keep him out. This setback has to be a very bitter pill for him to swallow. Like we said, it’s a bad-news day for the organization. “We’re in a sport here where injuries unfortunately happen,” said Julien in But here’s why the Canadiens can deal with it. agreement. “We’re just going to hope that it’s just shorter than longer, First, they boast one of the most balanced attacks in the league, as we and we’re going to hope that he’s going to come back the way he left us.” covered in depth in our quarter mark report of their season. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.19.2019 Additionally, they went 10-7-1 over their final 18 games last season, while Drouin was their least-used forward and went without a point in 16 of those games. And they’ve put together the record they have so far this season without Byron — a bona fide 20-goal scorer — contributing more than one goal and three assists.

Don’t misinterpret any of that. Drouin isn’t the player he was at the end of last year and the Canadiens will certainly miss the player he is this year at 5-on-5 and on the power play. Byron’s injury leaves a hole on a penalty kill that has already struggled mightily thus far.

But the Canadiens are better equipped to deal with certain injuries. They’re built to withstand these ones in particular.

“I have absolutely not been on a team with this much balance and depth,” said Cousins, who signed with the Canadiens as an unrestricted free agent this past July. “This has been the most complete team I’ve ever been on. We have all four lines that can contribute and play a certain style that Claude wants us to play, so I think that’s the new NHL. I think you’ve got to have 12 forwards that can play.”

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Some of them are going to have to step up now.

Players like Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Artturi Lehkonen, who have both helped in other departments but haven’t produced as expected, immediately come to mind.

For Kotkaniemi, who has just two goals and an assist after scoring 11 goals and 34 points as a rookie last season, it’s understandable that it 1162256 Websites It served her so well. To be sure, Wickenheiser was not the first to take that abuse, not by a longshot. When Wickenheiser made it to Canada’s national women’s program in 1994, her teammates were twice her age. It is undoubtedly the Angela Jameses, the Geraldine Heaneys, the Danielle TSN.CA / With Wickenheiser in hockey’s hallowed Hall, ‘all is right in the Goyettes and the Jayna Heffords that all helped pave the path for her in world tonight’ Canada.

"Those women gave up their careers, they fought for relevance, instead of asking what the game could give them, they asked what they could Frank Seravalli give the game," Wickenheiser said. "That changed my life forever."

If they paved the path for Wickenheiser, she then laid more miles down. TORONTO — There was no suspense on Monday night. No, it was She became the first women’s player to play professional men’s hockey another seemingly inevitable moment for the greatest women’s hockey in Finland. She became the first woman to skate in an NHL development player of all-time, as Hayley Wickenheiser took her rightful place in camp with the Philadelphia Flyers. She became the first (and still only) hockey’s hallowed Hall. woman to work in the NHL full-time in an on-ice development role.

Wickenheiser had been building to that moment ever since she blazed “Bob Clarke gave me a chance to become a better hockey player onto the scene in 1994 at age 15, the youngest to ever represent Team because he looked at me as just a hockey player,” Wickenheiser said. Canada at the World Championship. “I’m grateful to the Toronto Maple Leafs, to Kyle [Dubas] and Brendan [Shanahan], and the development staff that I work with every day. They “My roommate that first year was Margot Page. She was a Grade 10 hired me not because I was a woman, but because they think I’m good math teacher and I was a Grade 10 student,” Wickenheiser said in her enough to help their hockey team.” speech. “I feel bad. A 15-year-old roommate could not have been that much fun for her.” Wickenheiser was a pioneer not because she was an outstanding player, but because she was fearless. She was never satisfied. She marched to In short order, Wickenheiser became an icon – not just in Canada, but as the beat of her own drum, sometimes to the chagrin of her own the face of women’s hockey around the world. Four Olympic gold teammates. medals, twice named the MVP of the Olympic tournament, seven World Championship golds, and a host of records that may well never be Wickenheiser: 'To play for my country is the greatest honour in my life' broken. Hayley Wickenheiser dominated in her 23 year career as a member of With Hayley Wickenheiser getting inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, the Canada’s National Women’s Team and says the opportunity to play That's Hockey welcomes in Mario Lemieux to look back at what for her country is the greatest honour of her life. She reflects on the Wickenheiser accomplished representing Canada and her impact on the hardships of growing up as a female in the game and is grateful she's game globally. been able to pave the way for the next generation of female hockey players. So yes, Monday night’s induction seemed inevitable, until Wickenheiser pinched all of us living in the 2019 world and reminded us that growing “I will always have respect for her,” Goyette said. “Not a lot of people up in Shaunavon, Sask., in the 1980s was a different place for a little girl would put themselves out there like she did.” who just wanted to be a hockey player. Really, the only thing inevitable on Monday was that Wickenheiser put “She was never afraid of anything,” said fellow Hockey Hall of Famer herself out there again, using her incredible platform for the good of the Danielle Goyette. “There’s one thing about ‘Wick.’ She wanted to be the game. best and she wanted to prove it to you that she was the best, and she did When Nedomansky finished thanking his family once and for all, anything in her power to make it happen.” Wickenheiser quipped: “All is right in the world tonight.” Wickenheiser, now 41, was never afraid. She was also never afraid to be And for a few moments, it was indeed, that little girl from Shaunavon different, whether it was growing up, during her 23 years with Team serving as the brightest star in the Hockey Hall of Fame’s 2019 induction Canada, or on Monday night, when she yielded time during her speech class. so fellow inductee Vaclav Nedomansky could return to the stage so he could thank his wife, whom he somehow forgot to mention. “If [girls] decide to play hockey, they can walk into a hockey rink anywhere in Canada with a hockey bag and a hockey stick over their “I wanted to play the game so bad that I didn’t care what I had to endure,” shoulder and no one is going to look twice,” Wickenheiser said. “The Wickenheiser said, “And looking back as a little girl at that time, it was a road is just a little bit easier. The game is truly for everyone.” lot.” TSN.CA LOADED: 11.19.2019 Her stories made the hair on your neck stand up.

Wickenheiser shared how she was the only girl at a hockey school once in Regina. There was no place for her to sleep since it was a boys’ camp. But they did have one little room at the Regina Agridome if she was interested in staying.

“It was in an usher’s closet,” Wickenheiser said. “And so my brother felt sorry for me, so he and I jammed ourselves into this closet and slept there for a week so I could go to the hockey school.”

Or how about that time that Wickenheiser developed an ulcer, she said, as she played Bantam AAA against the boys?

“I wasn’t nervous to get hit, or to go on the ice. That’s actually where I felt good,” Wickenheiser said. “It was when I had to come to the rink and change in the bathroom and then walk through the lobby of all the parents and the comments and all of the harassment that I would often hear.

“I started to get good and I was taking the spot of another boy and people didn’t like that too much.”

Wickenheiser said all of those comments, all of those moments gave her “thick skin and resilience.”

“They taught me not to listen to the critical opinion of others,” she said. 1162257 Websites transition going the other way like we used to, that’s a priority for us, it will allow our skill to come out."

Leafs Ice Chips: Babcock shakes up his defensive pairings TSN.CA / Amid 5-game skid, Leafs coach Babcock ‘will continue to bet Following Saturday's humbling loss to the Penguins, Mike Babcock is on’ himself finally making some changes to his beleaguered blueline, which includes shifting struggling Tyson Barrie down to skate alongside Travis Dermott. Mark Masters has more. Mark Masters Despite picking up an assist on Saturday (his second in the last 19 games), it was another rough night for Barrie, who was on the ice for four of the Pittsburgh goals despite playing a season-low 17:06. TSN Toronto reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes on the Maple Leafs. who practised at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on The adjustment to a new team has not been easy for Barrie and the Monday ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Golden Knights. stress has been magnified, because he’s in the final year of his contract.

Does Mike Babcock have trouble tuning out chatter about his job "It's a new situation for me and one that comes with a lot of pressure and security? obviously with the contract stuff and what not you put a little bit of extra pressure on yourself, but, at the end of the day, you try not to think about "You know, not really," the Maple Leafs head coach said. "I'm in a pretty it and just play." good spot in my life. My kids are grown, if my kids were young I'd never coach in Toronto. So, in my spot, I don't spend a whole lot of time Easier said than done for the pending unrestricted free agent, who spent listening." his previous eight NHL years in Colorado.

But Babcock is certainly aware that speculation about his future is "You don't really feel it until things start to go so poorly so I'd be lying to swirling right now. He's been getting text messages from friends sending you if I said I wasn't feeling it a little bit now." their support. So, what's the coach's mindset? Barrie will get a chance to open a new chapter of the season on Tuesday "I'm going to do it as hard as I can, as long as I can and I've always bet as he joins forces with Dermott. on Mike Babcock and I'll continue to bet on him." "It could be a good fit," Barrie said. "He's a very skilled guy, he skates The Leafs have lost five straight (0-4-1) for the first time since Feb. 23 to really well, he makes plays, he's a confident guy so hopefully we can March 3, 2017 and currently sit outside the playoff picture as they mesh well together, get some stuff going in the O-zone and maybe it will embark on a tough road swing through Vegas, Arizona and Colorado. be a fit."

"The standings are what the standings are and we got to get a reset and Struggling Barrie admits contract year has been weighing on him get going in the right direction as fast as we possibly can," Babcock said, "so we talked about that and the commitment we need to make to one Amid a disappointing first season with Toronto, in which he's registered another and to our sweater and do things right." just six assists in 22 games, struggling Maple Leafs defenceman Tyson Barrie admits that the pressure of playing a contract year has been With the heat turning up in Toronto, Babcock betting on himself weighing on him.

Toronto's first practice since a humbling loss to the Penguins was pretty Is Babcock worried about his players letting loose in a city like Las standard, 33 minutes in length, focused mostly on even strength play. Vegas? But this is far from a standard time for Mike Babcock's slumping team. Questions about the coach's job security continue to swirl, and Babcock "I'm worried about that all the time, but what do you do? I don’t think you was asked if it's tough to tune that out. Mark Masters has more. can put them in jail. They're men. This is a great city, Nashville's a great city, there's a whole bunch of great cities. We got a game tomorrow and Babcock ran a fairly standard practice on Monday, the team's first on-ice we have to be all-in tomorrow. We know that." session since the humbling 6-1 loss to the Penguins in Pittsburgh Saturday. There was no yelling or skating drills. It lasted 33 minutes, Multiple players have cited this road trip – the first multi-game voyage of around the average for Babcock, and focused on even-strength play. the season – as an important time to bond and grow closer. But it sounds like there's been more honest dialogue than crazy partying. There was, however, one big change: the defence finally got a makeover. While Morgan Rielly and Cody Ceci remained together the other two "It's nice to get everyone in the same room and on the same page," said pairs had a new look with Justin Holl and Tyson Barrie swapping spots. Rielly. "We had an opportunity to talk and it's important now that we look Holl skated alongside Jake Muzzin while Barrie was with Travis Dermott. ourselves in the mirror and it's time to dig in and we’re aware of that. It's a good test for us." "In a perfect world you want to have your partners and stick with it and have it work that way," Barrie said, "but when things aren't going well The leadership group reacted quickly to the setback in Pittsburgh with maybe a different combo can kind of jumpstart you." both captain John Tavares and Rielly, an alternate captain, holding a meeting with Babcock. Babcock previously said defence pairings take longer to mesh and he wanted to give the group time to build chemistry. While Babcock is stressing systematic changes, the players are focusing on effort. "Well, obviously, what we're doing isn't going good enough and so want to give everyone a reset there and help ourselves," the coach explained. "There are a number of things we talked about that we can improve on, "Now, they're all going to play a little bit more with everyone on O-zone you know, D zone being one, power play being one, penalty kill, neutral faceoffs and that. We're just going to try and find a way to maximize the zone, kind of all the way through," said Rielly. "We just have to dig in group." more. We've talked about things we can change within the system and how we can improve, but it comes down to work ethic and that's on the "We're kind of killing ourselves," said Barrie. "Last game was a bit players so that's what we have to be prepared to do." embarrassing. We gave up probably 20 odd-man rushes it felt like. The good news is it's things we can fix. It's not that we don’t have the skill or "There's no secrets," said Barrie. "It's time to get going. It's not time to the players in here it’s all, you know, essentially systems and panic, but we've got a good chunk of the season out of the way and we're commitment to doing it right." not where we want to be so it's time to bear down and man up here."

And, in that regard, Babcock is quick to point out it has to be a team With the Leafs riding a five-game losing streak, Mike Babcock explains effort. that both John Tavares and Morgan Rielly came to see him to discuss ways for the team to snap out of their funk, which the head coach "As a group of forwards we have to get to work and look after our D appreciates, saying that it's an important part of the leadership group's better and so that's kind of the message here is we have to clean this responsibilities. area of our game up for sure," Babcock said. "We're not getting the transition we're used to getting the last few years and so we got to do a better job ... being organized coming out and so we can get some Trevor Moore (shoulder) was placed on injured reserve paving the way for Pierre Engvall to be recalled from the Marlies giving the Leafs an extra forward.

Babcock was noncommittal when asked if Engvall, who has 16 points in 15 games in the AHL, will make his NHL debut on this trip.

"He's a big body, he can really skate, he’s having success, it would make us a bigger, faster team," Babcock said. "We'd like to have him, but he's got to be ready for us to have him."

Babcock actually protected Engvall, who has played centre and wing with the Marlies, to make the NHL this season.

"In the summer napkins, Engvall was on the napkin," the coach revealed, "when camp was over he wasn’t on the napkin. (Dmytro) Timashov wasn't on and then was."

Engvall arrived at the rink shortly after practice ended.

Lines at Monday's practice:

Johnsson - Matthews - Nylander

Hyman - Tavares - Kapanen

Mikheyev - Spezza - Petan

Timashov - Shore - Gauthier

Rielly - Ceci

Muzzin - Holl

Dermott - Barrie

Marincin

Andersen

Kaskisuo

TSN.CA LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162258 Websites -For the record, Maurice is one of the best quotes in the National Hockey League. His intellect and loquacious personality put him in a completely different class over his coaching peers. He continually serves up great one-liners and analogies over the standard coach-speak. Here’s his take TSN.CA / Beaulieu helps settle Winnipeg Jets’ blueline turbulence on the team’s comeback in New Jersey at the beginning of the season: “The first period was like eating a sand sandwich on toast. But it got

pretty darn exciting at the end though; and we get to keep that one. It Paul Edmonds was a great comeback.”

-After back-to-back 91 points seasons, Jets forward Blake Wheeler was asked if his slow offensive start is a concern. As usual, the captain gave A career in the National Hockey League can be fleeting. a profound answer: “For me, it’s about not being a liability anywhere else (on the ice). I’ve watch a lot of my game and I haven’t seen a lot of One month you’re progressively moving up the depth chart and taking a difference between this year, last year or the year before, except where regular shift, the next you find yourself a healthy scratch in the first round the numbers are.” By the way, Wheeler is on pace for 47 points this of the Stanley Cup playoffs. season. Different variables within an organization can impact your longevity, but -Here’s one from Jets centre Adam Lowry on why his line of Andrew when the opportunity arises seizing the chance and understanding your Copp and Mathieu Perreault are successful at defending and creating surroundings is imperative. offensive chances: “We’re not going into puck battles tip-toeing in.” That is the exact scenario defenceman Nathan Beaulieu finds himself in WORKING OVERTIME this season with the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets possess the best overtime record in the league at 6-0-1. They Acquired last year from the Buffalo Sabres in a deadline acquisition, the are 4-0 in OT and 2-1 in shootouts this season…Winnipeg is 9-1-1 in soon-to-be 27-year-old understands the relevance this campaign has on one-goal games…Perreault leads the team by scoring first in a game his future in the NHL. thrice this season. “It’s a huge year,” he says profoundly. “I feel like I have a lot to prove. TSN.CA LOADED: 11.19.2019 Coming to (Winnipeg) I knew there was going to be a great opportunity. So, yes, it’s a big year for me. But if I take care of what I need to do and the team is on the right track I think everyone will succeed in the end.”

After the trade, Beaulieu suited up for 18 regular season games with the Jets, contributing five assists, seven penalty minutes and a plus-5 rating last spring. However, he was scratched for all six playoff games against St. Louis.

The two-year contract the Jets absorbed when they traded for him ended July 1. Coming out of that agreement, Beaulieu then inked a one-year, $1 million deal last summer to stay in Winnipeg. It was a contract that paid him far less than his previous deal with the Sabres.

Now whether there were other offers is unsure, but according to the product of Strathroy, Ont., he wasn’t very interested in leaving for another opportunity in what could have been his fourth NHL city in six years.

“I just love this organization and team,” says Beaulieu, a 2011 first-round (17th overall) selection of the Montreal Canadiens. “It’s been everything that I hoped it would be with the honesty and trust factor with the coaches. I love coming to [the] rink every day. There are no bad days here. It’s such a positive environment.”

Unfortunately, this season didn’t get off to a smooth start. He missed the first month with an upper-body injury which was suffered in the final preseason game in September in Minnesota.

He worked hard to stay in shape despite the injury and was a mainstay on the stationary bike around the team’s dressing room, which fostered the running joke that cycling the Tour de France might have been easier. But entering play this week, Beaulieu has skated in six games and appears to be getting back into a solid rhythm.

“I told myself it was going to take three to five games to sort everything out,” he says. “I worked really hard when I was out, so my shape is good. I’m not going to lie, at times I felt like there were 30 guys on the ice and it was a little confusing, but as the (games) have gone on I’ve felt much better.”

What the six-foot-two, 200-pound Beaulieu brings of value to the Jets is size, physicality, experience and a positive personality to the team’s blueline, especially in the wake of the many off-season departures at that position.

“He came in last year and was a good player for us,” says Jets head coach Paul Maurice. “He was quick; he was hard (to play against) and willing to stick up for his teammates. He fits our style.”

Beaulieu will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Should things progress nicely for both parties, one could see an extension with the Jets again – and thus his time in Winnipeg becoming anything but fleeting.

QUOTABLE MOMENTS 1162259 Websites Granted, there are other areas of the game where Matthew’s numbers are more impressive and may not be obvious in the graph above – those include (but certainly aren’t limited to) Matthew’s exceptional drawn penalty rate, a repeatable skill that creates heaps of incremental power- TSN.CA / Tkachuck brothers, Brady and Matthew, proving to be play opportunities for Calgary and adds goals and wins to the standings exceptional teammates over longer periods.

It is true that Matthew and Brady are, in one word, annoying to play against – that’s been a common refrain we have heard from players and Travis Yost teams around the league since both entered the NHL. It’s also true that they are exceptional teammates to have on the ice. Regardless of who they play with, who they play against, or how they are deployed by their When Matthew and Brady Tkachuk were coming through the head coaches, the Tkachuk brothers drive line performance in developmental ranks, their play drew attention for a multitude of reasons. considerable fashion.

The physicality was there. The non-stop motor was there. The hockey And to that point, they’re ultimately no different than Keith. sense and intelligence, especially in the offensive zone, was there. So too was the last name – the last name that became part of hockey lore in TSN.CA LOADED: 11.19.2019 St. Louis after Keith Tkachuk’s 18-year, stellar career.

There is a tremendous amount of pressure levied on professional athletes when their last name is synonymous with a legend. The vast majority of elite athletes in any sport never get a chance to see their kids compete at a professional level. The few who do know their kids will spend an exhaustive amount of time trying to clear the bar they set for them.

That’s what makes the Tkachuk story so fascinating. Keith’s resume speaks for itself, but Matthew and Brady have seamlessly transitioned into the National Hockey League and have become two of the more dynamic forwards the league has to offer. Differentiating between the two, of course, is difficult – they both love playing between and after the whistles, they both make a living in skirmishes in front of the net, and, most importantly, they both have an unbelievable knack for creating or finishing scoring sequences in those tight areas.

Their professional careers have been extensions of their junior careers. Matthew was taken as the sixth-overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft after stints with the U.S. National Development Team and the OHL London Knights; Brady went fourth overall two years later, his time spent with the same U.S. National Development Team with one year in the NCAA ranks with Boston University.

Since that time, both forwards have rather instantaneously become top- six fixtures for the Calgary Flames and Ottawa Senators, respectively. This season, Matthew is leading his team in scoring (10 goals, 10 assists) in 22 games, and Brady is fourth amongst Ottawa forwards (six goals and five assists) in 20 games.

But scoring alone doesn’t really encapsulate the impact either forward has on his club. One of the most impressive data points underpinning the play of both is that Matthew and Brady’s teammates alike see their numbers surge when paired with a Tkachuk; when those players are separated from either Matthew or Brady, they tend to see their numbers collapse.

That’s true at both ends of the ice, where both players’ respective team- level impacts have been eerily similar to start their careers:

For a quick point of reference, being in the 75th percentile here would indicate that a respective player boosts the performance of his teammates better than 75 per cent of forwards around the league.

To that point: the Tkachuk brothers appear to have an impact everywhere, but it’s most pronounced in the offensive zone. Whether we are looking at goal rates, shot rates, or expected goal rates, both Matthew and Brady have a substantially positive impact on the performance of their linemates on the attack.

Across the board in the three major teammate relative offensive categories, Matthew and Brady have an impact that exceeds more than 75 per cent. (Brady’s impact on teammates expected goal rates is actually in the 99th percentile; his peers here include Andrei Svechnikov, Brad Marchand, Brendan Gallagher, Connor McDavid, Jeff Skinner, Mark Stone, Sidney Crosby and Sean Couturier. I think you get the point.)

If you are an Ottawa fan here, you have to be overwhelmed with excitement. Not only does Brady appear to be a mirror image of his incredibly successful older brother in Calgary, he’s matched (or exceeded) his numbers in basically a rookie season and a fraction of a sophomore year when it comes to teammate impacts. 1162260 Websites

USA TODAY / Capitals-Ducks melee: Garnet Hathaway spits at Erik Gudbranson, receives match penalty

Mike Brehm

The Anaheim Ducks committed a hockey faux pas Monday night when they ignored the puck and focused on battling a Capitals player who had delivered a big hit, leading to a Washington goal.

In the ensuing scrum, Capitals forward Garnet Hathaway violated hockey decorum by spitting at a Ducks player, leading to an ejection.

"I reacted a little emotionally. Unfortunately spit came out of my mouth after I got sucker punched and it went on to him (Ducks defenseman Erik Gunbranson)," Hathaway told reporters about the incident late in the second period.

Hathaway received a match penalty, which was confirmed after a replay. That infraction means he's automatically suspended until the NHL can hold a hearing.

The penalty occurred during a melee after Brendan Leipsic's heavy hit on Derek Grant led to a goal by Chandler Stephenson to give the Capitals a 3-0 lead.

Hathaway fought Grant, then Anaheim's Nick Ritchie and Gudbranson got involved with him, and Hathaway spit at the latter player.

"That's about as low as you can take a path, really," Gudbranson told reporters. "It's a bad thing to do. It's something you don't just do in our game. And he did it."

There was a long delay, in which the goal initially was not put up on the scoreboard. But eventually it was, and the referee announced the match penalty.

"It has no place," Hathaway said. "It was an emotional play by me. You don’t plan any of that stuff in your head. It was a quick reaction and unfortunately, the wrong one from me after a sucker punch."

All told, 50 penalty minutes were assessed, including a game misconduct to Ritchie and a misconduct to Gudbranson.

The Ducks were initially incensed by Leipsic's hit on Grant and three Ducks players tangled with him behind the net. Hathaway picked up the puck and fed Stephenson, who beat goalie John Gibson with a wrist shot.

Leipsic said he thought his hit was clean.

"I thought the puck was right there," he told reporters. "It was kind a big blackout after that when everyone starts getting whipped around and stuff. I didn't even know that (Stephenson) scored until the dust was all settled. It's nice to get a goal of it, too."

The Capitals killed off the five-minute match penalty and won 5-2.

USA TODAY LOADED: 11.19.2019 1162261 Websites

USA TODAY / Don Cherry, hockey analyst fired for controversial remark, to start 'tell it like it is' podcast

Mike Brehm

Don Cherry, fired from his "Hockey Night in Canada" segment over a controversial remark, tweeted last week, "You'll be hearing from me soon."

On Monday, that format was revealed: a podcast.

The Toronto Sun reported that the podcast, named "Grapevine," will be available Tuesday morning, then every Monday during the NHL season. The popular, outspoken former coach told the newspaper that his son, Tim, who produced Cherry's old "Grapevine"TV show, and grandson, Del, would be with him on podcast.

Cherry, 85, was fired by Sportsnet after saying Nov. 9 during his Coach's Corner segment that people in Toronto were being disrespectful by not wearing poppies to honor Canada's fallen military heroes leading up to Remembrance Day.

"You people ... that come here, whatever it is, you love our way of life, you love our milk and honey," Cherry said. "At least you could pay a couple of bucks for poppies or something like that. These guys paid for your way of life that you enjoy in Canada.”

His words were viewed as a criticism of immigrants and Sportsnet called his words "divisive."

He went on to say he believed he was fired because he used the words "you people" instead of "everybody." Hall of Famer , who was coached by Cherry, was among those who supported him, calling the firing "disgraceful."

Cherry told the newspaper that he would address the firing on the first installment of the podcast, but other topics as well.

NFL winners & losers: Ravens up, Bears down

Doctors positive on Alabama QB's recovery

MLB team brings back popular logo from its past

Golfer shows compassion to fan who yelled in playoff

"That’s not all we talked about,” he told the Sun. “We are talking hockey, of course. It’s going to be terrific. In this one, I am talking about The Rocket (Montreal Canadiens Hall of Famer Maurice Richard), one of the all-time greats.”

And he's expected to continue to be outspoken on the podcast.

His Twitter chatter says: "Hockey Icon Don Cherry, continues with his 'tell it like it is' attitude on hockey and more!"

USA TODAY LOADED: 11.19.2019