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Home , Alfie Moore, Collin Delia, Eric Nesterenko, Paul Maurice, Paul Stastny, Tomas Jurco

Winnipeg Free Press https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/jets-take-night-off-blackhawks-take-the- win-6-2-478370323.html

Jets take night off; Blackhawks take the win 6-2 Beer-league goalie makes NHL debut at age 36 as emergency backup for 'Hawks

By: Jason Bell

CHICAGO — The Jets weren’t just caught in a trap game in Chicago, they were toyed with, chewed up and spit out by the Blackhawks.

Chicago blasted a rather listless, sloppy Winnipeg squad 6-2 at the United Center Thursday, the first of a four-game road swing for the Jets.

The hosts, eliminated from the post-season, had earned just two victories in their previous 10 games and were missing their captain, Winnipegger Jonathan Toews, to an upper-body injury.

They played a kid in making his NHL debut and then had to use a beer-leaguer named Scott Foster — a 36-year-old accountant who was kicking pucks out at Johnny's IceHouse earlier this week — to tend the crease for the final 14 minutes of an NHL regular-season game.

The Jets, meanwhile, are a Top 5 NHL squad with a playoff spot locked up, and blew into the Windy City riding a six-game winning streak.

It was a perfect recipe for the unexpected — a stinker from Paul Maurice's squad, which departed for Toronto immediately after the game and will take Good Friday off before playing the Maple Leafs on Saturday. The trip continues Monday when the Jets face the Ottawa Senators and wraps up Tuesday with a meeting with the Canadiens.

Slow feet, botched defensive assignments, a lack of offensive zip and mediocre goaltending killed the Jets,

"There wouldn’t really be a piece to the game that was at the level we’ve played at — or a level you need to play at — to have a chance to win in the NHL. I don’t think it’s any one thing," said Maurice. "The mental part of our game is to play at a certain rate, a certain pace, and we were well off that.

"We weren’t very good tonight. We’ve been good. Nobody is getting on the plane in a good mood, but it won’t be part of our (preparation) for the next game."

Winnipeg, second in the Central Division, fell to 47-20-10, while Chicago upped its record to 32- 36-10. The Blackhawks, last in the division, won’t qualify for the post-season for the first time since the 2007-08 NHL season, which was also Toews’ rookie season.

It might well have been Chicago's most memorable victory of a long, trying 2017-18 campaign.

The Blackhawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first period on goals by Patrick Kane and Brandon Saad, and led 5-2 after the second. Six minutes into the final frame, a scene unfolded from hockey's bizarro world.

Making his NHL debut was goalie Collin Delia, who beat the earlier in the week playing for the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. He was in because the guy pegged to start, , got hurt before the warm-up.

But Delia started cramping up and couldn't continue, opening the door for Foster, who had signed an amateur tryout contract just minutes before the game.

The Sarnia, Ont., product plays in a couple of rec leagues in Chicago. Hockeydb.com indicates he played the 2002-03 season at Western Michigan University and another game three years later at the same school.

Foster stopped all seven shots directed his way, including a pair of drives from Tyler Myers, a hard from Dustin Byfuglien and a quick release from .

Laine has been stuck on 43 goals for five games now.

'Hawks fans went absolutely crazy, chanting his name after he stopped Paul Stastny from in tight.

"I’m going to remember this one for a long time," said Foster. "I’m an accountant by day. So, a few hours ago I was sitting on my computer typing on the 10-key, and now I’m standing in front of you guys just finished 14-and-a-half minutes of NHL hockey.

"I think I'm just about hitting my prime."

He's one of a handful of on call in every NHL city to fill in when required — which almost never happens.

"The initial shock happened when I had to dress. And then I think you just kind of black out after that," said the father of two. "This is something that no one can ever take away from me. It's something I can go home and tell my kids and they can tell their friends and whatnot. Just a ton of fun and a lot of good memories.

"You know, it’s funny. You think there’d be a lot of pressure. But really, tomorrow, I’m going to wake up I’m going to button up my shirt and I’m going to go back to my day job. What pressure is there for me?"

The Blackhawks made a concerted effort to clog up the shooting lanes, finishing with nine blocked shots in the third.

"Nothing against the goalie, but you want to get as many shots as you can on him and test him early. Any goalie coming in the third period is going to be cold, so you want to get shots. For us, we were trying to force it maybe a little too much," said Jets centre Bryan Little, who scored his 16th. It was the 200th of his NHL career.

"You can tell they tightened up (defensively) and were helping him a bit. They were getting in the way of a lot of shots, getting sticks on them, so it was just one of those nights.

"It was just one of those nights where we just tried to do a bit too much offensively and (the Blackhawks) thrive on those turnovers. With the mistakes that we made, we didn’t give Comrie a lot of help," he said. "It's a wakeup call."

Mark Scheifele fired his 23rd tally for Winnipeg.

Tomas Jurco scored a pair of goals for Chicago, while Erik Gustafsson and Alex DeBrincat added singles.

"We just weren’t prepared to play the game," said Jets captain . "You know, hopefully, we put this one behind us and get prepared for the next one."

Winnipeg's start was a strong indicator of the way the night would go.

Kane took advantage of a dubious pinch by Byfuglien, who missed both the puck and his man. The slick winger darted down the left side and snapped a shot through the five-hole on Comrie at 3:44, his 28th goal of the season.

"He came in and made a pretty good shot. I didn’t think he was going to go five-hole, obviously, and it went in. I was kind of expecting the back-door pass, didn’t play it right," said Comrie, who finished with 36 saves. https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/rest-chemistry-need-to-be-balanced-as- jets-regular-season-winds-down-478368213.html

Rest, chemistry need to be balanced as Jets regular season winds down

By: Scott Campbell

The ' thrilling shootout win over the last weekend had NHL fans and media drooling over the thought of a playoff series between the clubs.

However, it might be tougher getting to that point than some think.

Almost everyone in hockey will have the same answer if they’re asked about how much playoff experience means in a series: if their team has a lot of it, it’s important; if it doesn’t, they might grudgingly admit it might matter a bit, if at all.

I’ve been in the latter camp for a while — there’s something to it, but I think it’s overrated. Most teams gain experience these days growing together, and once you’ve won a , you’ve got lots of it.

There have been three multiple Cup winners since the 2008-09 season, and one single hit.

The came off a loss in the final the year before to win it all in 2009 (later adding titles in 2016-17).

In 2010, the won after a trip to the conference final the year before (later adding titles in 2013 and 2015).

In 2011, the won the Cup, after losing in the conference semi-finals.

In 2012, the broke in for their first title after losing in the first round the previous two years (later capturing the 2014 crown, as well).

A Jets' Cup win would be defying that history — however, the Kings didn’t do much before becoming champions, if you’re looking for a silver lining.

Enough about winning it all, let’s just win a series.

It’s looking like the Jets' first-round challenger will be the (although the or St. Louis Blues could still squeeze in).

There’ll be time to look deeper at this once the final seeds are set, but here’s a quick peek.

The Blues traded centre Paul Stastny to Winnipeg and looked cooked at the trade deadline, but they’ve managed to ring off a big win streak.

While the Jets have dominated them in play, goaltending would be the biggest concern, as Carter Hutton showed in a 2-0 shutout of Winnipeg earlier this season, and Jake Allen demonstrated last year by almost singlehandedly dumping the favoured Wild in the .

The Avalanche are led by Hart Trophy candidate Nathan MacKinnon but are top-heavy in talent and lack depth, although their speed can cause any team fits for a period of time.

Colorado’s save percentage is fourth in the league (Winnipeg is 12th), so theft of a series is possible.

Minnesota’s goalies sit eighth, and Devan Dubnyk has been known for standing on his head through long stretches.

The Wild forward group is built differently — more depth, without the top end the Avalanche possess.

Still, Eric Staal has 40 goals (he’s found the fountain of youth) and they have a couple of strong lines that complement each other well.

Minnesota's ability to clog up the middle of the ice when defending would provide Winnipeg with a challenge.

The Jets need to get themselves ready for the initial playoff round. It’s been a long, injury- riddled season.

Some have suggested head coach Paul Maurice should first wrap his troops in bubble wrap, and then rest a bunch of players toward the end of the regular season.

Such protection isn’t a bad idea, but the Jets need to be in synch when the playoffs start. It will help combat any disadvantage playoff experience might hold against them.

The Jets are walking a fine line with six games left in the season (including Thursday's clash with Chicago). Hockey players are going to go all out unless you sit them down. You can’t have a system where things such as getting into shot lanes are imperative, and then expect players to bail out in case they get hurt.

So there may be more scares — like the recent one involving Patrik Laine — but their approach will need to stay the same. It needs to, as there’s no magic switch players can turn on that’ll instantly have them playing their best hockey of the year.

While some Jets players definitely need a rest, the continuity of strong play and chemistry must continue. No one knows better than the trainers and Maurice as to who needs a break — they’ll just need to keep on-ice cohesion in mind when doing so.

Giving goalie Connor Hellebuyck a couple of games off is the easy one. If it’s decided they need it, trying to get agreement from any of the seven players who’ve played every game so far in 2017-18 will be tougher.

That’s where common sense has to rule.

In that last Avco Cup run in Winnipeg, general manager John Ferguson told me I’d be sitting out a game to give a nagging injury a break before the playoffs started.

My thoughts at the time aren’t meant for a family newspaper, but it happened. So did a title win. Maybe players don’t always know what’s best for them.

The Jets have an opportunity to maximize rest while optimizing team play, a luxury they haven’t had in the past.

Treading these uncharted waters correctly will significantly help them get to that second-round series everybody’s been talking about. https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/trouba-ready-for-action-but-wont-play-tonight-in- chicago-478316043.html

Trouba ready for action, but won't play tonight in Chicago Eric Comrie will get start in net

By: Jason Bell

CHICAGO — The Winnipeg Jets will battle the Chicago Blackhawks tonight with the same troops that upended the Boston Bruins Tuesday to wrap up a perfect homestand.

The only difference comes between the pipes, as goalie Eric Comrie gets his third start of the season, and fourth of his young NHL career.

The puck drop is set for about 7:40 p.m., following a ceremony to honour Chicago blue-liner Brent Seabrook as he plays his 1,000th NHL game.

Jets defenceman Jacob Trouba, who was cleared to play Monday after suffering a concussion earlier this month, won't be in the lineup, despite his best efforts to convince his coach.

"He wants back in but he's not playing tonight," said Paul Maurice, following the morning skate at United Center. "He has ripped the door off. He wants in, so I'm going to avoid him today and we'll have to talk about it for Saturday."

This is the club's first stop of a four-game road swing. The Jets play the on Saturday, the Ottawa Senators on Monday and the on Tuesday.

Winnipeg (47-19-10) won its 30th home game of year Tuesday, defeating the Bruins 5-4 in a shootout to finish six-for-six on a retreat at home that began March 15 with a 6-2 victory over the Blackhawks (31-36-10).

Chicago, which will miss the post-season for the first time since the 2007-08 campaign, has won two of three against Winnipeg this season.

Maurice said the 'Hawks aren't a squad to ever take lightly.

"It was a really good lesson for us in December, the speed of the game," said Maurice, whose team was spanked 5-1 at home by Chicago on Dec. 14. "They've gotten quite a bit younger. They've got some players out, but they've got an awful lot of speed to their game. And I don't think we were ready for that."

Chicago also posted a 2-1 victory at home Jan. 12.

"This is a pretty significant shift from our last four games (L.A., Anaheim, Nashville, Boston) where they were really heavy games. Now, this one will be fast," he said.

Blackhawks captain and Winnipegger Jonathan Toews (upper body) won't play tonight.

Associated Press https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/nhl/emergency-g-pressed-into-action-in- blackhawks-win-478362343.html

Accountant-turned-goalie helps Blackhawks beat Jets

By: Jay Cohen, The Associated Press

CHICAGO - Scott Foster thought it was going to be just another night. Then the 36-year-old accountant signed a contract, put on his gear and waited in Chicago's locker room. Then he got into the game.

Then it was his night.

Foster was pressed into action when Chicago lost Anton Forsberg and Collin Delia to injuries, and the former college goalie stopped all seven shots he faced over the final 14 minutes of the Blackhawks' 6-2 victory over the playoff-bound Winnipeg Jets on Thursday.

"This is something that no one can ever take away from me," Foster said. "It's something that I can go home and tell my kids and they can tell their friends. ... Just a ton of fun."

Foster is part of a crew of recreational goaltenders who staff Chicago's home games in case of emergencies for either team. But it usually just means a nice dinner and a night in the press box watching the world's best players compete at hockey's highest level.

Nothing at all like this.

"What a moment," Blackhawks coach said with a chuckle.

Forsberg was expected to start, but he got hurt during a "pregame ritual," according to Quenneville. Delia, who was just recalled from the minors Wednesday, then stopped 25 of 27 shots in his NHL debut before he was helped off the ice with 14:01 left after he cramped up.

Enter Foster, a married father of two who lives in nearby Oak Park and plays in two rec leagues. After a short warmup, the game resumed and Foster got a big cheer from the crowd of 21,839 when he denied Tyler Myers for his first save about a minute after he came in.

"The initial shock happened when I had to dress. I think you just kind of black out after that," Foster said.

Backed by chants of "Foster! Foster!" and more loud ovations, he made another stop on Myers and turned away Paul Stastny and Dustin Byfuglien in the final minutes. When it was over, the Blackhawks poured onto the ice and mobbed Foster in the net.

"He was great," defenceman Brent Seabrook said. "I think the boys were doing whatever they could to help him out. He made some big saves. Fun night."

The Jets had won six in a row and were trying to clinch home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs. But even they were moved by what happened.

"It's tough for anybody to come in 50 minutes into a hockey game, let alone a guy who hasn't played in the (NHL)," coach Paul Maurice said. "A great moment for him."

Carolina Hurricanes equipment manager Jorge Alves became the first emergency goalie to play in a game in the modern era last season. He closed out the final 7.6 seconds of a 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay.

The NHL adjusted its rules last summer to mandate that teams have an emergency goalie present for all home games ready to fill in for either team — setting the stage for Foster's most competitive action since 20 minutes in relief with Western Michigan University in the 2005-06 season.

"A few hours ago I was sitting on the computer typing on a 10-key, and now I'm standing in front of you guys having just finished 14 1/2 minutes of NHL hockey," he cracked.

It was a wild finish to one of Chicago's best performances in a lousy season.

Tomas Jurco scored a career-high two goals in Seabrook's 1,000th regular-season game, and touted prospect Dylan Sikura had two assists in his NHL debut. Patrick Kane, Alex DeBrincat and defenceman Erik Gustafsson each had a goal and an assist, and Brandon Saad also scored.

The 32-year-old Seabrook got the start alongside fellow alternate captain and frequent defensive partner Duncan Keith. He became the fifth player in franchise history to skate in 1,000 or more games for the team, joining Stan Mikita, Bobby Hull, Eric Nesterenko and Bob Murray.

Bryan Little scored his 200th NHL goal for Winnipeg in the opener of a four-game trip. also scored for the Jets, and Eric Comrie made 36 saves while subbing for starter Connor Hellebuyck.

"It wasn't a good night," Little said. "It wasn't good from the start. It's one of those games you want to forget and put behind you and look to the next one."

Kane got Chicago off to a fast start when he shot it between Comrie's legs for his 27th goal 3:44 into the first, and the Blackhawks just poured it on from there. Saad made it 2-0 with a nifty move to his backhand in front at 17:17.

Jurco added two goals in the second before Little got Winnipeg on the board with his 16th of the season at 14:24. But Gustafsson responded for the Blackhawks, scoring on a nice rush to the net at 17:27.

NOTES: Quenneville said Delia was going to travel with the team to Colorado and should be fine for Friday night's game against the Avalanche. With four games left in the season, he said Forsberg (lower body) is likely done for the year. Jean-Francois Berube was recalled from Rockford of the AHL on an emergency basis.

UP NEXT

Jets: Visit Toronto on Saturday night. Blackhawks: Visit Colorado on Friday night.

Winnipeg Sun http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/jets-fall-flat-six-game-winning-streak- snapped-by-blackhawks

Jets fall flat: Six-game winning streak snapped by Blackhawks

By Ken Wiebe

CHICAGO – It was one of those indelible moments where you had to see it to actually believe it.

On an evening where Chicago Blackhawks starting goalie Anton Forsberg was hurt before stepping on the ice for the pre-game warm-up, rookie replacement Collin Delia made his first NHL start before going down with a lower-body injury with 14 minutes left to go in the third period of a game against the Winnipeg Jets.

Oh, and did we mention the Blackhawks No. 1 goalie has been sidelined with an upper-body injury and out of the lineup since Dec. 23?

After Collin Delia had been helped off the ice, out of the locker room came a 36-year-old accountant in a Blackhawks uniform, sporting a training camp number (90) and a simple goal in mind.

Scott Foster, who last appeared in an NCAA game with Western Michigan during the 2005-06 season, was asked to try and preserve a 6-2 lead against a Jets team with a potent offensive lineup.

Wouldn’t you know it, Foster did it – turning aside all seven shots he faced – including one from Jets sniper Patrik Laine.

Foster’s relief work preserved the first NHL victory for Delia and came on a night when Blackhawks defenceman Brent Seabrook appeared in his 1,000th NHL game.

“The initial shock happened when I had to dress. And then I think you just kind of black out after that. I don’t think I heard anything other than put your helmet on. I don’t think this will overshadow playing 1,000 games in the NHL or getting your first NHL win,” said Foster, who was named first star of the game. “I think I’m just about hitting my prime. It’s funny, you’d think there’d be a lot of pressure. But, really, tomorrow I’m going to wake up, button up my shirt and go back to my day job. So, what pressure is there for me?”

What pressure indeed.

And what a moment when a FOS-TER, FOS-TER chant rained down from the rafters inside the United Center after he stopped Jets centre Paul Stastny in tight.

“That’s something you’ll never forget. I mean, you understand what’s happening and they’re going to have a lot of fun with it, so you might as well, too,” said Foster. “I’m an accountant by day. So, a few hours ago I was sitting on my computer typing on the 10-key, and now I’m standing in front of you guys just finished 14 and a half minutes of NHL hockey.”

As for the Jets, this was a clunker – a game where it was quite easy to identify their biggest problem.

“We were just really slow,” said Jets captain Blake Wheeler, who had his seven-game point streak snapped. “When you’re slow, you shoot pucks into shin pads.”

The Blackhawks blocked 22 shots during the game (including nine in the third period) and did a good job throughout the contest of limiting most of the Jets shot-attempts to the outside when they were able to get shots through.

“They did a good job in the lanes, pressured the puck carrier, which we made fairly easy for them to do,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice. “It’s a frustrating night five minutes into the game, but it didn’t boil over to foolishness.

“There wouldn’t really be a piece to the game that was at the level we’ve played at or a level you need to play at to have a chance to win in the NHL. I don’t think it’s any one thing. The mental part of our game is to play at a certain rate, a certain pace and we were well off that.”

The Jets compounded their offensive issues by playing far too loose defensively and also made a pair of bad pinches (one by Dustin Byfuglien just under four minutes into the contest and another by Josh Morrissey in the second period) that ultimately led to goals.

The laying of eggs have been few and far between for the Jets for the most part, but this effort fell squarely in the category of an ugly loss.

“It was one of those games where every mistake we made was a big one and led to a goal. Especially in that second period, it was just a knife to the heart. It wasn’t a great period for our team. Way too many mistakes and we didn’t help our goalie out much,” said Jets centre Bryan Little. “It wasn’t a good night. Wasn’t good from the start. It’s one of those games you want to forget, put behind you and look to the next one. It’s definitely humbling to realize when we don’t play our game and we are not ready to play a game like that can happen. A little bit of a wake- up call.”

This wake-up call snapped the Jets six-game winning streak and came before the Jets will continue a four-game road trip on Saturday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Little (with his 16th goal of the season and 200th of his NHL career) and Mark Scheifele (with his 23rd of the campaign) had the goals for the Jets.

The milestone means nothing to Little, at least not at the moment.

“No, not really. It’s not like I’m celebrating,” said Little. “To me, it’s just a number and it’s just a goal in a game that was forgettable.”

It was also a forgettable evening for Jets goalie Eric Comrie, who made 36 saves but allowed six goals in his third NHL start of the season and fourth of his NHL career.

With Jets backup Steve Mason closing in a potential return next week from a knee injury, Comrie will soon be headed back to the minors.

This experience is sure to serve him well at one point, even though it probably didn’t feel like it right now.

“They scored a lot of goals and they won the game, that’s about it. I tried to battle as hard as I could,” said Comrie, who took a moment to discuss what it was like to see Foster summoned from the bullpen. “It’s pretty cool for him. It’s probably something he dreams about, really special for him. I really respect him for what happened, he went in and made some good saves. But at the end of the day I can’t focus on that, I’m just trying to stop the puck at my end.”

The last word goes to Foster, who will return to his recreation league team with a story to tell and a lifetime of memories from his cameo with the Blackhawks.

“Might be a lot of extra ribbing for that one. It’ll be fun. A lot of guys will have a lot of fun with that,” said Foster.

But nobody will have more fun with it than Foster, who was grinning from ear-to-ear as he was surrounded by reporters in the Blackhawks room afterward.

“There’s always a chance. You come to enough games, guys do get hurt,” said Foster. “You just don’t think that it’s going to happen to you. There are lot of games that are played every night and this is, it’s a unique story, still. It’s fun to be part of it.

“I’m going to remember this one for a long time.” http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/trouba-set-to-return-jets-defenceman- needs-to-convince-coach

Trouba set to return? Jets defenceman needs to convince coach

By Ken Wiebe

TORONTO – It sounds like Jacob Trouba is ready to do more than just plead his case.

The Winnipeg Jets defenceman has missed the past five games with a concussion, but if he can convince head coach Paul Maurice that he’s ready to go, there’s more than an outside chance he could suit up on Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“(Trouba) has ripped the door off (his coach’s office) and he wants in,” Maurice said following Thursday’s morning skate. “We’ll have to talk about it for Saturday.”

The only thing working against Trouba right now is a lack of practice time for the Jets.

Although Trouba was on the ice for Thursday’s morning skate, the Jets used Friday as a mandatory day off under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement.

So while Trouba has been cleared for contact since Monday, he hasn’t sustained many bumps.

The Jets (47-20-10) have five games left in the regular season and after missing 20 with an ankle injury, you can be sure Trouba wants to find a rhythm before the Stanley Cup playoffs arrive.

Trouba suffered the concussion in a big collision with captain Jamie Benn on Mar. 18.

Speaking of injuries, goalie Steve Mason is on the road trip and joined his teammates on the ice after the formal portion of the morning skate on Thursday wrapped up.

Maurice said Mason could be an option to get into game action next week and the best guess is that he could play against the Montreal Canadiens next Tuesday as the Jets wrap up this four- game road trip. http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/byfuglien-embraces-change-jets-d-man- made-commitment-to-reduce-risk

Byfuglien embraces change: Jets D-man made commitment to reduce risk

By Ken Wiebe

TORONTO – Dustin Byfuglien is a changed man.

The towering Winnipeg Jets defenceman still prefers to limit his interactions with members of the media, but remains a beloved teammate who exudes passion for the sport of hockey and isn’t afraid to keep things light when the mood calls for it.

But when it comes to his style of play this season, it’s been no laughing matter.

Although there are occasional lapses and the odd pinch where Byfuglien comes up with neither the man or the puck – like on Patrick Kane’s goal in Thursday’s 6-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks – they are fewer and much farther between.

Byfuglien has found a happy medium with his style of play and it took a conscious effort for him to arrive at that place.

“Yeah, I’m not as risky,” Byfuglien said earlier this week. “But the way we play, our team system, kind of falls into play with it. My game has been good. You always feel you can do better, but I’ve been happy with my play.”

The Jets (47-20-10) continue a four-game road trip against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday at Air Canada Centre.

While it’s true the Jets stronger starts, ability to build leads and not have to chase as many games has played a role in this new and improved level of play for Byfuglien, his willingness to take fewer risks has been duly noted.

“He’s taken more responsibility out there to play at both ends,” said Jets centre Bryan Little. “It hasn’t taken anything away from him offensively, but he’s bought into what we’re trying to do. Play defence first, shut them down and then wait for our offence to come. He’s doing a great job out there. He’s still physical and still gets in the play and is an offensive threat. But he’s done a great job of rounding out his game.”

Byfuglien may only have six goals this season, but he’s still managed to put up 41 points in 65 games and found a way to have a big impact on many games.

“He’s kind of a wild-card player,” said Jets centre Paul Stastny. “When you can play like that, sometimes it’s hard to know what he’s going to do as an opposing guy. He’s so strong physically. Any time you get into the corner, you think you have him beat but (with) his upper- body strength, he’s so strong that just one little shove and he gets you off-balance. He can get away with stuff like that just because he’s such a specimen.

“But having him on the (same) team is great. There’s nothing better than when he jumps in the play because all of a sudden it forces the opposition to turn around and watch him and creates a lot more space for the forwards.”

Off the ice, Byfuglien is known as a prankster and a guy who knows how to keep things loose.

“Buff is just Buff. It’s kind of an old-school presence – an easy-going attitude. (A guy) that wants to win, but keeps it light because sometimes we take things too seriously,” said Stastny. “We don’t realize how fun it is, how lucky we are to be in this position, so sometimes you focus on the little things and he lightens the mood up. When you’re having fun, that’s when you’re playing a better game.”

Because of the laid back and fun-loving personality that is often shown on the ice but rarely to members of the media, there’s a notion Byfuglien doesn’t have a burning desire to win.

“It’s a mistake to think (that). He’s not casual,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice. “But what makes him different is he has a big smile on his face and really enjoys the most pressure-filled moments. So, when he’s walking out onto the ice and the crowd’s going, he’s got a big smile on his face. And you’ve seen him joke around with a player or a referee at an intense time in the game, and the puck drops and he’s wired and he’s on. He likes the experience.”

And leaves a lasting impression on those who have played with him.

“He’s been a dedicated player for a long time,” said Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp. “A lot of question marks about him coming out of junior, we didn’t know if he was going to be a player for us or not. Then, as soon as you see him play and the impact he can have in a game or a series, it’s a no-brainer. One of the fun, more enjoyable guys to watch in the league.”

Maurice has said on several occasions Byfuglien is playing the best hockey of his career and that development couldn’t come at a better time for the Jets.

As the lone player on the roster to own a Stanley Cup ring from his championship run with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010, Byfuglien is going to need to sustain a high level of play for the Jets to try and go on a lengthy run.

“What he did was really a conscious effort to not feel like he had to drive the game all the time and to be more patient in his game. He’s picking the right spots,” said Maurice. “His game has evolved in step with our team. Try to play the right way. If we’re down a goal, it’s not the end of the world. We have confidence in our ability to come back because we can score goals. We’re quite a bit more patient and he’s a leader in that department.” http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/five-keys-jets-at-maple-leafs

FIVE KEYS: Jets at Maple Leafs

By Ken Wiebe

Winnipeg Jets at Toronto Maple Leafs

6:15 pm CT, Air Canada Centre. TV: CBC, . Radio: TSN 1290

THE BIG MATCHUP

Mark Scheifele vs Nazem Kadri Scheifele scored his 23rd goal of the campaign in Thursday’s 6-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks and has two goals and seven points in six games since returning from an upper- body injury. He’ll see a steady dose of Kadri on Saturday. Kadri has put together consecutive 30-goal seasons and remains a tough player to go up against and someone that relishes going up against the opposition’s best offensive players.

KEYS TO THE GAME

The great debate rages on Although neither player has any interest in the comparison, whenever the top two picks of the 2016 NHL Draft get together, the spotlight usually shines brightly on Jets sniper Patrik Laine and Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews. Laine is second in the NHL in goals, but has gone five games without a point. Matthews missed 20 games due to injury but had 30 goals and 54 points in 57 games going into Friday’s action. Laine has five goals and six points in three career games against the Maple Leafs and Matthews has a goal and six points in three games against the Jets.

Return to form After getting a rare rest on Thursday, Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck returns to the crease and he’s searching for his 41st win of the campaign. Hellebuyck is riding a five-game personal winning streak, but gave up a combined eight goals in his past two starts and has three straight games with a sub-.900 save %. So he’ll be looking to be sharp.

Find your legs The Jets had their six-game winning streak snapped on Friday and their biggest issue was easy to identify. This was another one of those games when the Jets didn’t play fast enough. Their pace was lacking and so was their defensive coverage. If either of those things isn’t up to par on Saturday, the Maple Leafs can make the opposition pay.

Solve the backup After Frederik Andersen started against the New York Islanders on Friday, the Maple Leafs are expected to turn to backup Curtis McElhinney, who is having an outstanding season – posting a record of 10-4-1, with a 2.09 goals-against average and .935 save % with three shutouts in 16 games (13 starts).

Beware of JVR Maple Leafs left-winger James van Riemsdyk is a pending unrestricted free agent and he’s expected to cash in this summer after putting together an outstanding season. Going into Friday’s game, van Riemsdyk led the Maple Leafs with a career-high 35 goals and has 53 points in 73 games. He has four goals and 17 points in 23 career games against the Jets.

CBC Sports http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs-winnipeg-jets-1.4599125

Leafs or Jets? Which has better shot of ending Canada's Cup drought? It's been 25 years since the Montreal Canadiens were the last to hoist Lord Stanley's mug

Tim Wharnsby · CBC Sports · March 29

June 9th will mark 25 years since the last Canadian-based club celebrated a Stanley Cup when put the Montreal Canadiens ahead for good early in the second period of Game 5 of the 1993 Stanley Cup final against the Los Angeles Kings at the Montreal Forum.

Since then, the (1994 and 2011), (2004), (2006) and Ottawa Senators (2007) have each made trips to the final only to come up short.

Hopes are high this spring for the Winnipeg Jets and Toronto Maple Leafs to end the Canadian championship drought. Both clubs have enjoyed excellent regular seasons and appear bound for bumper playoff runs. But which team, the Jets or Maple Leafs, has the better chance? It's an interesting question.

Two different teams They meet for the second and final time at the Air Canada Centre on Saturday, five months since the Maple Leafs hammered Winnipeg at the MTS Centre back on opening night. There's been plenty of development on both sides in the 178 days since their initial meeting.

The Jets and Maple Leafs have watched their dynamic young talent continue to develop. For Winnipeg, 24-year-old netminder Connor Hellebuyck has come into his own and is now considered a top-10 goalie. Captain Blake Wheeler, 31, has enjoyed a banner season with a career-high 86 points.

Centre Paul Stastny was an excellent addition at the trade deadline and has helped sniper Patrik Laine pick up his goal-scoring pace. Like Wheeler, 28-year-old Toronto forward James van Riemsdyk has enjoyed an outstanding season with a career-high 35 goals in limited ice time — he averages only 14 minutes and 53 seconds a game.

Toronto also added a checking centre at the trade deadline in Tomas Plekanec and call-ups from the AHL , Kaperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson, have boosted the speed of the bottom two lines.

Not much separation statistically

As you can see, not much statistically separates the two Canadian-based teams, so we enlisted the services of three NHL pro scouts to determine which team is better.

The first scout sat on the fence. He believes the difference between the teams is a toss-up. He did add that both Winnipeg head coach Paul Maurice and Toronto's Mike Babcock have enjoyed strong seasons. They put their young players out in key situations at critical times and now late in the season, you can see the dividends with how well both teams have been playing.

The Jets and Maple Leafs have identical 18-6-2 records since the all-star break. The Leafs have defeated top teams like the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins at home as well as the Nashville Predators on the road in recent weeks.

Winnipeg has a six-game win streak entering its road match against the Blackhawks on Thursday and have also knocked off the Predators and Bruins with shootout wins in the last two outings.

'Both capable teams' "These are both capable teams," scout No. 2 said. "They both have strong goaltending, balance up front with young game-breakers like Laine, [Mark] Scheifele and [Auston] Matthews. Babcock is the better coach, but I still would give Winnipeg the edge because of their defence and they manage the puck better.

"[The Jets] have three good decent pairings, but Toronto, even though [Travis] Dermott has come in and done a nice job, still needs one or two defencemen. "Toronto still relies on outscoring the opposition to win games. We know that doesn't always work in the playoffs. They need better puck management."

Our third scout agrees that the Jets have the better group right now. But he also looked down the road and he believes the Jets have the tougher road in the playoffs because the Predators stand in their way in the West.

"But if you're asking me who would win in a seven-game series between Winnipeg and Toronto, Winnipeg would win," scout No. 3 said. "The Jets play a big, heavy game and would wear down Toronto."

NHL.com https://www.nhl.com/news/blackhawks-emergency-goalie-scott-foster-has-ton-of-fun/c- 297477604

Emergency goalie has 'ton of fun' playing for Blackhawks 36-year-old accountant has to finish win against Jets by Tracey Myers @TraMyers_NHL / NHL.com Staff Writer

CHICAGO -- Scott Foster didn't expect his Thursday to end like this.

The 36-year-old accountant from Oak Park, Illinois has gone to about 15 Chicago Blackhawks games this season as an emergency goaltender.

The first surprise Thursday came when he was about a block away from United Center, when he was told he'd be dressing for the game against the Winnipeg Jets. The second surprise came about six minutes into the third period when starting goaltender Colin Delia was injured and Foster had to go in.

"I don't think I heard anything other than 'Put your helmet on,'" Foster said.

Foster made seven saves and did not allow a goal playing 14:01 in the 6-2 win. Delia, who left the game with cramping, got the win in his NHL debut by saving 25 of 27 shots. But Foster, who plays in a league at Johnny's IceHouse West, the Blackhawks' former practice rink about a mile from United Center, got an incredible experience.

"I'm an accountant by day," Foster said. "So a few hours ago I was sitting on my computer typing on a 10-key, and now I'm standing in front of you guys just finished 14-1/2 minutes of NHL hockey."

Foster played 55 games for Western Michigan from 2002-06. He is the first emergency goaltender to play in an NHL game since Jorge Alves, an equipment manager for the , played eight seconds in a 3-1 loss to the on Dec. 31, 2016.

It's the second time recently the Blackhawks have had to dress an emergency goaltender. Eric Semborski, 23, was a backup to Scott Darling against the when Corey Crawford had an appendectomy on Dec. 3, 2016.

Anton Forsberg was expected to start against the Jets but sustained a lower-body injury before the game. Delia left with cramps 5:59 into the third period and Foster hurriedly prepared and took a quick warmup. Quenneville was laughing and smiling as Foster came out of the tunnel.

"I think I would too," Foster said.

One minute later, he made his first save on a wrist shot by Tyler Myers and later made a highlight-worthy save on Paul Stastny. With every save he made, the crowd got louder, at one point chanting, "Foster! Foster!"

"Opening day for baseball, but we had to go to the bullpen a couple times today," Quenneville said. "One of those interesting things you don't see very often. What a moment for him."

Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook, playing in his 1,000th NHL game, said he didn't mind playing second fiddle to Foster.

"[Patrick Sharp] was just laughing about it, saying it just sums up my career in a nutshell. My night and Scottie comes in and steals the spotlight," Seabrook said. "It was great. It was pretty cool to see him go in there. The guys were saying when he was sitting in the locker room, there he was as cool as a cucumber, and he just went out there and … took a few shots. I was like, 'Oh, this guy looks pretty good.' He was great. I think the boys were doing everything they could to help him out and he made some big saves and it was a fun night."

Foster will be back at work Friday. He said jokingly that he'll tell his friends, "I made about 30 saves in a 1-0 win."

It wasn't how Foster expected his Thursday to go, but he now has an experience he'll never forget.

"There's always a chance," Foster said. "You come to enough games, guys do get hurt. You just don't think that it's going to happen to you. This is something that no one can ever take away from me. It's something I can go home and tell my kids and they can tell their friends and whatnot. Just a ton of fun and a lot of good memories." https://www.nhl.com/news/winnipeg-jets-chicago-blackhawks-game-recap/c-297458324

Emergency backup goalie plays for Blackhawks in win against Jets 36-year-old Foster makes seven saves after starter Delia is injured by Charlie Roumeliotis / NHL.com Correspondent

CHICAGO -- Scott Foster made seven saves as the emergency backup goalie to help the Chicago Blackhawks defeat the Winnipeg Jets 6-2 at United Center on Thursday.

"The initial shock happened when I had to dress," said Foster, 36, an accountant who played four seasons at Western Michigan University from 2002-06. "And then I think you just kind of black out after that. ... From my perspective, this is a dream. This is something no one can ever take away from me. It's something I can go home and tell my kids and they can tell their friends and whatnot. Just a ton of fun and a lot of good memories."

Collin Delia, who started after Anton Forsberg was injured while warming up before the game, made 25 saves in his NHL debut before leaving with a 6-2 lead at 5:59 of the third period because of cramping.

"It had a little bit of everything," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "Opening day for baseball, but we had to go to the bullpen a couple times today. One of those interesting things you don't see very often. Both goalies played extremely well."

Tomas Jurco had two goals, and Patrick Kane, Brandon Saad, Erik Gustafsson and Alex DeBrincat scored for Chicago (32-36-9), which won for the second time in eight games and ended a four-game losing streak at home.

Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook played his 1,000th NHL game.

"[Patrick Sharp] was laughing about it, saying it just sums up my career in a nutshell," said Seabrook, who was honored in a pregame ceremony. "My night and Scottie comes in and steals the spotlight. It was great. It was pretty cool to see him go in there."

Bryan Little and Mark Scheifele scored, and Eric Comrie made 36 saves for the Jets, who lost for the first time in seven games.

"We just weren't prepared," Jets captain Blake Wheeler said. "Came in, had a pretty bad morning skate, looked at the lineup sheet, and just weren't prepared to play the game."

Winnipeg (48-19-10) is seven points behind the Nashville Predators for first place in the Central Division and eight points ahead of the Minnesota Wild for second.

Kane gave the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead at 3:44 of the first period when he scored on a breakaway.

Saad made it 2-0 at 17:17 when he scored with a backhand shot off a pass from Nick Schmaltz.

Jurco extended Chicago's lead to 3-0 at 4:26 of the second period with a no-look, backhand shot past Comrie. He made it 4-0 at 11:13 when he scored from below the right face-off circle off a cross-ice pass from Gustafsson.

Little scored at 14:24 to get the Jets to within 4-1, but Gustafsson made it 5-1 at 17:27 when he scored on a breakaway.

Scheifele made it 5-2 with 1:09 left in the second.

DeBrincat put the Blackhawks ahead 6-2 at 2:11 of the third period.

Goal of the game DeBrincat's goal at 2:11 of the third period.

Save of the game Delia stopping Kyle Connor at 8:22 of the first period.

Highlight of the game Foster stopping Paul Stastny at 15:22 of the third period.

They said it "We weren't very good tonight. We know we've been good. Nobody's getting on the plane in a good mood, but it won't be part of our prep for the next game." -- Jets coach Paul Maurice

"I'm an accountant by day. So a few hours ago I was sitting on my computer typing on a 10-key, and now I'm standing in front of you guys just finished 14 1/2 minutes of NHL hockey." -- Blackhawks emergency goalie Scott Foster

Need to know Little scored his 200th NHL goal. ... Forward Dylan Sikura had two assists for the Blackhawks in his NHL debut. ... Chicago recalled goaltender J-F Berube from Rockford of the after the game. … Delia is expected to be available against the Colorado Avalanche on Friday, but Quenneville said Forsberg likely is done for the season because of a lower-body injury.

What's next Jets: At the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; CBC, SN, NHL.TV) Blackhawks: At the Colorado Avalanche on Friday (9 p.m. ET; ALT2, NBCSCH, NHL.TV)

USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/blackhawks/2018/03/30/chicago-blackhawks-scott- foster-plays-emergency-goalie-accountant-nhl/472343002/

How did a 36-year-old accountant play goalie in Chicago Blackhawks' win?

By Tom Schad, USA TODAY

A 36-year-old accountant made seven saves for the Chicago Blackhawks in an NHL game Thursday night.

Yes, you read that correctly.

After starter Anton Forsberg was hurt during what coach Joel Quenneville described as a "pregame ritual," and backup Collin Delia cramped up early in the third period, the Blackhawks turned to Scott Foster, an emergency goalie and married father of two who plays in two recreational leagues. He signed a contract, put on his gear and then, amazingly, stopped all seven shots he faced.

"The initial shock happened when I had to dress," Foster told reporters after Chicago's 6-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets. "I think you just kind of black out after that."

In a postgame scrum with reporters, Foster estimated that he's attended 12 to 15 games this season as an emergency backup, which typically amounts to watching the game from the press box and eating dinner.

But not on Thursday night.

"A few hours ago I was sitting on the computer typing on a 10-key," Foster said. "Now I’m standing in front of you guys having just finished 14 and a half minutes of NHL hockey."

In honor of Foster's night in the spotlight, here's a quick primer on emergency goalies, how often they're needed and a few cases in which they've actually made an impact.

Why do NHL teams need emergency goalies? For every NHL game, each team is allowed to dress 20 players: 18 skaters and two goaltenders. So if one of the goalies comes down with a stomach bug or some other sudden ailment on the day of the game, that team will try to recall a minor-league goalie to back him up. And if that isn't an option? Enter: Emergency goalies.

NHL rules state that if both of a team's goalies are forced out due to injury, a team is "entitled to dress and play any available goalkeeper." And more recently, the NHL has required home teams to maintain a list of available area goaltenders who could fill in for either team in a pinch.

How often do they actually play? In a word: Rarely.

Jorge Alves, an equipment manager for the Carolina Hurricanes, was believed to be the first goaltender of the modern era to appear in a game when he suited up for the team last season. He spent seven seconds on the ice.

Others have come remarkably close, though. Eric Semborski, a youth hockey coach, dressed for the Blackhawks in 2016. Paul Deutsch, who owns an embroidery and screen print shop, was signed by the Minnesota Wild in 2011; he told reporters he hadn't played organized hockey since 1978.

Can anyone top Foster's night? While there's never been a man-off-the-street situation like Foster's, the Blackhawks had another pretty legendary situation involving an emergency goaltender in 1938 — and in the Stanley Cup Finals, no less.

The story, as outlined by The Los Angeles Times and others, goes like this: The Blackhawks were set to play the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 1, but their starting goaltender learned on the day of the game that he had broken his toe in the last game. The backup goaltender couldn't make it to Toronto in time. So the Blackhawks were forced to sign minor-leaguer Alfie Moore, who lived in the area.

Moore had played professional hockey at one level or another for a decade, but the twist is that on this day, he had supposedly been drinking.

"As the story goes, when Moore was picked to participate in the series, he was at a local bar," Brian Cronin wrote in The Times. "Various stories conflict over how drunk he was, but the main part of the story remained that he was plucked from a local bar on the afternoon of Game 1 and thrown into the Stanley Cup Finals."

Chicago went on to win the game, 3-1.

Chicago Tribune http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/hockey/blackhawks/ct-spt-blackhawks-collin-delia-debut- notes-20180329-story.html

From beer league to big league: 36-year-old goalie Scott Foster makes emergency debut in Blackhawks' 6-2 win

By Joe Knowles

Collin Delia was hoping he would get a chance to play in the NHL sooner or later. It turned out to be sooner.

Scott Foster figured his chance might never come. It came out of nowhere.

Delia got the start in goal Thursday night against the Jets after Anton Forsberg was a late scratch. Forsberg apparently was injured during the morning practice, forcing Delia into the lineup.

Down to just one goalie, the Hawks had to bring in an emergency backup for Delia, so they signed the 36-year-old Foster to an amateur tryout contract. Foster lives in Oak Park and played at Western Michigan University from 2002-06.

In the third period, Delia had to leave the game with an injury, and suddenly Foster was the goalie of last resort. Foster, wearing sweater No. 90, took over and held the Jets scoreless, making seven saves, each accompanied by a roar of appreciation — and maybe a fair amount of surprise — from the United Center crowd.

Tomas Jurco scored twice and Patrick Kane, Brandon Saad, Erik Gustafsson and Alex DeBrincat had a goal apiece to make Delia a 6-2 winner in his NHL debut. Foster got the “save” in relief.

“It was opening day for baseball but we had to go to the bullpen a couple of times today,” Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said.

To say Foster wasn’t expecting to play — let alone turn in a spotless performance — is an understatement. Foster said he has served in the emergency role a dozen or so times before, along with a handful of other local goalies. But he never was needed.

Until he was.

“I got the call when I was about a block away (from the United Center),” Foster said. “The initial shock happened when I had to dress. You just kind of black out after that.”

All but one of Foster’s seven saves was relatively ordinary, if any saves a 36-year-old accountant/beer-league goalie makes in his NHL debut can be called ordinary. The exception was a spectacular stop on the Jets’ Paul Stastny, one that Foster will replay in his mind — and on video, probably — for as long as he lives.

Foster’s day job is with Golub Capital. He was asked what he would tell his co-workers about his unexpected debut – assuming he shows up for work on Friday, and really, wouldn’t you call in “sick” if you were him?

“I’ll tell them I made about 30 saves in a 1-0 win.”

As time passes and Foster retells the tale, expect that save number to top 50 and the game to become an overtime thriller.

For Foster, who is used to playing in a near-empty rink with his Johnny IceHouse Adult League team, the sound of the United Center crowd chanting his name as the clock wound down Thursday night was unreal.

“That’s something you’ll never forget,” Foster said. “You understand what’s happening, and they’re going to have a lot of fun with it, so you might as well, too.”

After the final horn, Foster was mobbed by his temporary teammates. Talk about your one shining moment.

The turn of events that led to two understudies playing goal for the Hawks began on Wednesday, when J.F. Berube was sent down to Rockford and Delia was called up to take his place as Forsberg’s backup. Delia had made one relief appearance for the Hawks in the preseason, playing one period against the Red Wings and stopping all eight shots he faced. Delia played in 24 games for Rockford this season with a goals-against average of 2.68 and a save percentage of .904.

Delia’s solid debut on Thursday was overshadowed by Foster’s, but for an undrafted free agent such as Delia, the move from Rockford to the NHL is still a big step in a short amount of time. It’s a step the 23-year-old Delia wasn’t sure he would be taking so soon, but nevertheless it’s one he envisioned often during his relatively short stint with the Ice Hogs.

“You go to sleep every night thinking about it,” he said after Thursday’s practice at the United Center. “You wake up every day thinking about it.”

“Jeff Glass (former Hawks goalie and Delia’s teammate in Rockford) gave me some good advice,” Delia said. “He said once the puck drops, you’re an NHL goalie.”

And for one night, at least, so was Foster.

Quenneville said Delia will make the trip to and is likely to play Friday night against the Avalanche. The Hawks recalled Berube from Rockford after the game; he’ll catch up to the team in Denver. Quenneville said Forsberg is probably done for the season with an unspecified upper-body injury.

Dylan Sikura also made his NHL debut, manning the right wing on a line with fellow rookies Victor Ejdsell and DeBrincat. Sikura picked up his first career points with two assists. Ejdsell also recorded his first point, an assist, in his second career game.

Buff love: Dustin Byfuglien, a key member of the 2010 Stanley Cup-winners, was back in Chicago with the Jets, and Hawks coach Joel Quenneville was asked if the team misses the big defenseman/forward and his exuberant personality.

“He’s a special player,” said Quenneville, using one of the adjectives he typically reserves for his favorites. “He’s unique in a lot of ways as far as his involvement in the offensive part of the game, his size and his ability to get back and defend as well. You can use him in a number of ways, whether he’s at the net being disruptive in the offensive end or using his physicality in the neutral zone on entries. He’s a force. He really enhances your team … very well-liked as a teammate and adds a lot of ingredients to the camaraderie as well.”

Byfuglien is just one of the players whom the Hawks had to move after winning the Cup in 2010. The NHL’s hard salary cap is unforgiving, and Quenneville accepts the consequences, mainly because he doesn’t have a choice.

“That (2010) team had a number of guys who went on to have a lot of success in other places. We’ve lost a lot of guys over the years,” Quenneville said. “I think, reinventing every single year, the organization has done a nice job of being competitive and finding ways to win as we’ve gone along here. A lot of times we’re replacing 10 guys year to year.”

One-timers: Thursday’s game was Brent Seabrook’s 1,000th in the NHL. Seabrook ranks fifth all-time in games played as a Blackhawk, behind Stan Mikita (1,394), Bobby Hull (1,036), Eric Nesterenko (1,013) and Bob Murray (1,008). … Quenneville said John Hayden and Jonathan Toews were “getting better” and “maybe could get back on the ice” Friday. Both players are out with unspecified injuries. Toews last played in the 5-1 loss to the Avs on March 20. Hayden played in Saturday’s 3-1 victory over the Islanders in Brooklyn and participated in the morning skate on Monday but was scratched before the 4-3 loss to the Sharks later that night. … Blake Hillman, the former defenseman who signed with the Hawks on Wednesday, was not in the lineup Thursday night. When asked if Hillman would play Friday against the Avalanche in Denver, Quenneville had just a one-word response: “Likely.”

Chicago Sun-Times https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/dylan-sikura-alex-debrincat-blackhawks-debut-2018/amp/

Blackhawks beat Jets with 36-year-old rec-leaguer Scott Foster in goal

By Mark Lazerus

As a random guy off the street, a 36-year-old in a No. 90 jersey, made his way out of the dressing room, stepped up to the bench, then down to the ice, all Joel Quenneville could do was laugh.

‘‘I think I would, too,’’ Scott Foster said.

That’s accountant Scott Foster. Beer-league goalie Scott Foster. Blackhawks legend Scott Foster.

Pressed into emergency service by a season-ending pregame injury to Anton Forsberg and third-period cramping afflicting Collin Delia, Foster lived the dream of every rec-leaguer clinging to the glory days of his youth in dingy rinks.

Blackhawks emergency goalie Scott Foster makes a save on Jets center Paul Stastny during the third period Thursday night. (AP Photo)

Foster played in the NHL. And he played awfully well, too. When his beer-league playoffs begin next week, he’ll be the only guy on the ice who can say he stared down a slap shot by Patrik Laine, who swatted away a snap shot by Dustin Byfuglien, who stoned Paul Stastny on the doorstep.

Foster stopped all seven shots he faced in 14 minutes and one second of glory, had his name chanted by 21,000-plus fans and was named the No. 1 star of the Hawks’ 6-2 trouncing of the Jets in the wildest game of the season.

His payment? No money, but a lifetime of bragging rights at Johnny’s IceHouse and a heck of a story to tell his two young kids in Oak Park.

‘‘You think there’d be a lot of pressure,’’ said Foster, who played 55 games at Western Michigan in 2002-06 before moving to the Chicago area. ‘‘But tomorrow I’m going to wake up, I’m going to button up my shirt and I’m going to go back to my day job. What pressure is there for me?’’

It was supposed to be defenseman Brent Seabrook’s night for playing in his 1,000th regular- season game. Then top prospect Dylan Sikura was supposed to have the spotlight in his NHL debut. Then Forsberg’s freak lower-body injury — he was wearing a boot after the game — made Delia the story.

Foster trumped them all.

‘‘[Patrick Sharp] was just laughing about it, saying it just sums up my career in a nutshell,’’ Seabrook said with a laugh. ‘‘It’s my night, and Scotty comes in and steals the spotlight.’’

Foster is one of a few local goalies who are on call for home games, just in case something like this happens. He said he has been the designated emergency goalie for 12 or 15 games this season, but he usually just sits in the press box and enjoys the free food.

When Forsberg hurt himself during his pregame warmup, Foster was a block away from the arena. The Hawks kept him in the dressing room, which would allow him to face some warmup shots on the off chance he were needed.

And Foster indeed was needed, trudging past a laughing Quenneville with a look of bewilderment in his eyes, then facing a few warmup shots from Jordan Oesterle and Vinnie Hinostroza.

‘‘The initial shock happened when I had to dress,’’ Foster said. ‘‘And then you just kind of black out after that.’’

‘‘It’s Opening Day for baseball, but we had to go to the bullpen a couple of times today,’’ Quenneville said.

Foster was the capper to a wild evening. Seabrook was feted beforehand with a silver stick, a painting and a trip to Disney World. Sikura had two assists and four shots on goal in an impressive debut. And Delia was sharp in net, making 25 saves before leaving the game. Tomas Jurco had two goals, and Patrick Kane, Brandon Saad, Erik Gustafsson and Alex DeBrincat also scored for the Hawks.

Say this about the homestretch of this lost Hawks season: It has been meaningless, but it sure has been interesting.

‘‘Who would have thought?’’ Foster deadpanned. ‘‘You just keep grinding away in men’s league, and eventually you’ll get your shot.’’

Chicago Daily Herald http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20180329/accountant-by-day-beer-league-goalie-by-night- steals-show-for-chicago-blackhawks

Accountant by day, beer-league goalie by night, steals show for Chicago Blackhawks

By John Dietz

On a night that was supposed to be all about celebrating Brent Seabrook's 1,000th NHL game and watching the debut of ultra-talented forward Dylan Sikura, it was a 36-year-old beer-league goalie who stole the show at the United Center on Thursday.

Oak Park's Scott Foster, an accountant by day, was forced into action during the Blackhawks' 6- 2 victory over Winnipeg after Anton Forsberg went down with a pregame injury and Collin Delia was injured with 14:01 left in the game.

"I don't think I heard anything other than, 'Put your helmet on,' " said a dripping Foster while surrounded by a throng of media at his locker stall.

Foster has attended 12-15 games this season, always sitting in the press box in case a scenario like this develops. After Forsberg was injured, Foster was called down and he sat in the Hawks dressing room in full gear just in case.

And then it happened. Delia cramped up after making a save, and after he was helped off the ice, in came Foster.

"It's funny. You think there'd be a lot of pressure," said Foster, who played 55 games for Western Michigan in the early 2000s. "But really, tomorrow I'm going to wake up, I'm going to button up my shirt and I'm going to go back to my day job. So what pressure is there for me?"

Foster made a pad save on a shot by Tyler Myers 61 seconds after entering and also made impressive stops on Dustin Byfuglien and Paul Stastny with 5:39 and 4:38 remaining. The crowd was chanting "Foster! Foster! Foster!" down the stretch and absolutely erupted when he was named the No. 1 star of the game.

That's something you'll never forget," said Foster, who finished with 7 saves. "You understand what's happening and they're going to have a lot of fun with it, so you might as well too."

Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said Delia should be fine to play against Colorado today and that Forsberg is likely done for the season. The Hawks called up J-F Berube from Rockford less than an hour after the game ended.

"Opening day for baseball, but we had to go to the bullpen a couple of times today," Quenneville said. "One of those interesting things you don't see very often. Both goalies played extremely well."

Delia stopped the first 20 shots he saw and finished with 25 saves.

Sikura, who signed a two-year contract Monday, had 2 assists, finished with 4 shots on goal and played almost 14 minutes.

"It was a pretty special night," Sikura said. "It was Seabs' 1,000th (game) and that ceremony got pretty emotional for some guys. And with the goalie changes, it was pretty crazy. It's something I'll never forget."

Celebrating Seabrook: Brent Seabrook became the fifth player in Blackhawks history to play in 1,000 games with the franchise Thursday, and the organization honored the three-time Stanley Cup champion with a 15-minute pregame ceremony emceed by Troy Murray.

Patrick Sharp presented Seabrook with the traditional Silver Stick given to players who reach 1,000 games. Duncan Keith and Patrick Kane then unveiled a painting with three different images of Seabrook.

Before the gifts were handed out, a video was played that showed some of Seabrook's biggest goals and also featured tributes from Sharp, Kane, Keith, Jonathan Toews, Andrew Shaw, Andrew Ladd, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Marian Hossa.

"It was pretty special," Seabrook said. "Being here for so many years since I was a 17-year-old baby, they had some pretty good footage."

Seabrook was joined on the ice by his mom, dad, brother, wife and three kids.

Slap shot: Coach Joel Quenneville said John Hayden and Jonathan Toews, both out with upper-body injuries, are improving and might be able to skate Friday.

TSN.ca https://www.tsn.ca/video/orlesky-hellebuyck-has-been-the-difference-this-year-for-jets~1360052 (VIDEO LINK)

Orlesky: Hellebuyck has been the difference this year for Jets

Leafs Lunch guest host Mark Roe with Andy Chiodo are joined by TSN Winnipeg reporter Sara Orlesky to preview the Leafs-Jets game that does Saturday night and find out what kind of buzz there is in Winnipeg heading into the playoffs. https://www.tsn.ca/accountant-by-day-hawks-emergency-goalie-named-no-1-star-1.1042519

Accountant by day, Hawks emergency goalie named No. 1 star

By Frank Seravalli

Before making his improbable NHL debut with the Blackhawks on Thursday night, Scott Foster last tended goal for the Sharks.

No, not those Sharks, but the Sharks of the beer league at Johnny’s Ice House West in Chicago.

Foster’s fairytale fit for Disney ended with 21,389 fans feting the 36-year-old as the game’s No. 1 star after he emerged from the bowels of the United Center as the Blackhawks’ emergency third netminder to shut out the visiting Winnipeg Jets and preserve a 6-2 win in 14:01 of action in the third period.

A few hours earlier, the Sarnia, Ont., native was wrapping up his 9-to-5 – proving once again that sports really are television’s best reality show.

“I’m an accountant by day. So a few hours ago, I was sitting on my computer typing on the 10- key, and now I’m standing in front of you guys, just finished 14 and a half minutes of NHL hockey,” Foster told reporters after the win.

“Who would’ve thought?” Foster said, laughing. “You just keep grinding away in men’s league and eventually you’ll get your shot.”

Foster last played competitively 12 years ago in his senior season at Western Michigan University, when he allowed three goals in one period of action. It was his only appearance of the season. He had a 4.52 goals-against average for the Chicago Sharks last season.

But in the NHL, apparently, Foster is Australian for save.

Foster stopped all seven shots he faced – turning aside a rip from in the slot, a to cross- crease one-timer and gobbled up a shot through traffic.

The Madhouse on Madison, which hasn’t had much to cheer for this season, roared with each of his stops. They were chanting “Fos-ter, Fos-ter!” during play.

Foster only ended up in uniform, signed to an amateur tryout agreement just before the game, when planned starter got hurt during his pre-game warmup ritual.

That paved the way for , who started the season in the ECHL, to make his NHL debut. But Delia went down after making a sprawling save early in the third period.

The Blackhawks have one of a half-dozen emergency netminders in the building for each contest. Foster estimated he’d done the gig 12 or 15 times before. He would get a bite to eat, enjoy the game in the press box, then head home. But with Forsberg hurt, Foster was in uniform the entire game, wearing No. 90 and sitting in the tunnel, just in case. The NHL stipulates an emergency third goaltender cannot sit on the bench.

“The initial shock happened when I had to dress,” Foster said afterward. “Then I think you just kind of black out after that.”

Foster reportedly told the Blackhawks’ equipment staff as they took his bag out of his car when he arrived at the arena: “Holy crap, I hope I don’t have to play tonight.”

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville was probably thinking the same thing. When Foster was forced to enter in the third period, Quenneville could do little more than shake his head and laugh in disbelief.

“It’s opening day for baseball, but we had to go to the bullpen a couple times today,” Quenneville said postgame.

The Blackhawks were ahead 6-2. With Foster in net, that lead suddenly seemed like it might be in jeopardy.

Never before has a team played defence that ferociously with a four-goal lead. The Blackhawks blocked every shot possible to try and make sure Foster’s dream didn’t turn into a nightmare. He even survived a Winnipeg power play.

“The guys were saying when he was sitting in the locker room there, he was cool as a cucumber,” told reporters. “And he went up there, and [bleep], took a few shots. I was like, oh, this guy looks pretty good.”

Foster stole the show from Seabrook, who was appearing in his 1,000th career game, and top prospect , who was also making his debut and had two assists.

Delia will be officially credited in the annals with the ‘W,’ but Foster was so close to becoming the oldest goaltender to win his NHL debut. He is three years older than , who broke an 88-year- old record for Philadelphia in Winnipeg in Dec. 2014.

Every team keeps a rolodex of local emergency third goalies now, but Foster will reign as the one who got to play longest in today’s modern-day NHL. Trainers and coaches used to enter games frequently in the early Original Six era before backups were commonplace.

Foster’s run with the Blackhawks won’t extend beyond his 14:01 of fame. Chicago called up netminder Jean-Francois Berube after the game from AHL Rockford.

But Foster left United Center with $500, his day’s wage as per the NHL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, his game jersey, and a lifetime worth of memories.

“You know, it’s funny. You think there’d be a lot of pressure,” Foster told reporters. “But really, tomorrow, I’m going to wake up, I’m going to button up my shirt and I’m going to go back to my day job … I’m going to remember this one for a long, long time.”

TSN 1290 (AUDIO LINKS) https://www.tsn.ca/radio/winnipeg-1290/kidd-it-s-fun-to-watch-comrie-get-his-chance-1.1041992

Kidd: It's fun to watch Comrie get his chance

TSN 1290 Jets analyst Trevor Kidd joined host Kevin Olszewski to set up a Thursday meeting with the Chicago Blackhawks and what he has seen from young backup Eric Comrie. https://www.tsn.ca/radio/winnipeg-1290/mckenzie-no-reason-for-jets-to-hit-panic-button- 1.1042646

McKenzie: No reason for Jets to hit panic button

TSN's Bob McKenzie joined the Big Show for a look around the NHL including the Bruins passing Tampa, Scott Foster's unforgettable night and if there's any concern after Winnipeg's lackluster effort in Chicago. https://www.tsn.ca/radio/winnipeg-1290/morrissey-jets-prepared-for-potential-wild-matchup- 1.1042645

Morrissey: Jets prepared for potential Wild matchup

Winnipeg Jets d-man Josh Morrissey joined the Big Show to talk about the team's disappointing loss to Chicago and Scott Foster, the hit on Bruins d-man Matt Grzelcyk and how the club is preparing for a matchup in the post-season against the Wild. www.winnipegjets.com https://www.nhl.com/jets/news/jets-win-streak-snapped-at-six-after-loss-in-chicago/c-297473554

Jets win streak snapped at six after loss in Chicago Little scores 200th career goal, Comrie makes 36 saves by Mitchell Clinton @MitchellClinton / WinnipegJets.com

CHICAGO, IL - It wasn't the start to a four-game road trip the Winnipeg Jets were looking for.

Coming into tonight's tilt with the Chicago Blackhawks, the Jets (47-20-10) had won a season- high six games in a row.

But that streak came to an end Thursday night, as only Bryan Little and Mark Scheifele found the back of the net in a 6-2 loss.

Tomas Jurco scored twice for Chicago (32-36-10), while Patrick Kane, Brandon Saad, Erik Gustafsson, and Alex DeBrincat added singles to round out the Blackhawks scoring.

"We just weren't prepared. We came in and had a pretty bad morning skate… We just weren't prepared to play the game," said Blake Wheeler.

"We were just really slow."

Chicago opened the scoring just 3:44 in, when Joe Morrow's blast from the point missed wide, and rimmed around the boards in the Blackhawks zone. Kane chipped the puck past Dustin Byfuglien at the other point, and on a rush the other way, Kane beat Eric Comrie five hole for his 27th of the season.

"He came in and made a pretty good shot. I didn't think he was going to go five-hole. I was expecting the back door pass. I didn't play it right," said Comrie, who made 36 saves in the game.

"I'll have to watch the game film. A couple pucks go in, and that's what happens."

Saad made it 2-0 late in the opening period, when Morrow mishandled a reverse pass from Byfuglien below the Jets goal line off a defensive zone face-off. Nick Schmaltz moved the puck out in front, and Saad outwaited Comrie, moving to his backhand to slide home his 18th of the campaign.

Winnipeg's deficit grew to three in the second period when Jurco, after temporarily losing the puck off the rush, was able to swat a backhand toward the net from the goal line. It squeaked its way past Comrie, putting Chicago up 3-0.

"There wouldn't be a piece of the game that was at the level that we've played at, or at the level you need to play at to win in the NHL," said head coach Paul Maurice.

"I don't think it's any one thing. The elemental part of our game is to play at a certain rate, a certain pace. We were well off that tonight."

Jurco would net his second of the game later in the period, when he took advantage of a cross crease pass from Gustafsson, who had pinched down the left side boards.

The Jets would get on the board with just over five minutes to go in the middle frame, when Little deflected a Dustin Byfuglien point shot for his 16th of the season, and 200th of his NHL career.

"It wasn't a god night. It wasn't good from the start. It's one of those games you want to forget, put behind you, and move on to the next one," said Little.

"It's definitely humbling. You realize that when we don't play our game, and we're not ready to play, a game like that can happen. It's a little bit of a wake up call."

The momentum was short lived, however. Three minutes later, Gustafsson took a breakaway pass from DeBrincat, and with a quick shot, beat Comrie high on the stick side to restore Chicago's four-goal lead.

Kyle Connor's hustle paid off before the end of the second, as he raced behind the net, won a puck battle, and fed Scheifele who found some space to the right of Collin Delia (who was making his NHL debut for Chicago). Scheifele ripped a one-timer, getting the Jets within three after 40 minutes.

DeBrincat's 27th of the season came 2:11 into the third, and put Chicago up 6-2.

With 14 minutes to go, Delia (who was starting in goal for Chicago because Anton Forsberg got hurt in warm-up), got injured as well. That forced Scott Foster, a 36-year-old goaltender from Sarnia, ON into action as the emergency back-up.

He made seven saves in relief, preserving Chicago's win.

"You can bigger picture some games. We weren't very good tonight. We know we've been good. Nobody is getting on the plane in a good mood," said Maurice.

"It won't be part of our prep for the next game."

Next stop on the road trip is in Toronto against the Maple Leafs on Saturday. https://www.nhl.com/jets/video/postgame--eric-comrie/t-277437442/c-59401103

POSTGAME | Eric Comrie

Eric Comrie comments on his performance tonight in Chicago