SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 12/17/17 Anaheim Ducks Colorado Avalanche 1088672 Ducks fall short in overtime against Capitals 1088705 Chambers: Colorado Avalanche’s young stars building 1088673 Ovechkin’s OT goal lifts Capitals over Ducks 3-2 bonds on and off the ice 1088706 Tampa Bay uses dominant second period to hold on for Arizona Coyotes wild 6-5 victory over Avalanche 1088674 Coyotes' Nick Cousins called his shot on former teammate 1088707 Avalanche’s “Hero Homecoming” grants three kids a Jedi Matt Murray surprise on Star Wars night 1088675 Coyotes can't complete comeback against Penguins, lose 1088708 Stralman, Lightning overcome Landeskog's hat trick for sixth straight Avs 1088676 Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet knows what makes the Penguins tick Columbus Blue Jackets 1088677 Coyotes fall to Penguins on decisive goal with 14 seconds 1088709 Hurricanes 2, Blue Jackets 1 | Season series ends early left with a 2-2 split 1088678 Preview: Coyotes vs. Penguins, 5:30 p.m., FOX Sports 1088710 Blue Jackets | Scott Harrington enjoying regular duty on Arizona Plus defense 1088679 Comeback effort spoiled by late goal as Coyotes fall to 1088711 Jackets struggle to score, fall to Canes 2-1 Penguins 1088680 Forgotten man: Merkley hoping for chance to make impact Dallas Stars on Coyotes 1088712 Game preview: Ben Bishop's return is top thing to watch as Stars play Flyers Saturday Boston Bruins 1088713 Goaltending needs to remain strong, because Stars are 1088681 Bruins’ defensemen still off target not 'scoring their way out of trouble' 1088682 Struggling Bruin Anders Bjork likely held out of Saturday’s 1088714 Cold facts: Flyers' OT power play goal drops Stars game 1088715 Antoine Roussel is among Dallas' most improved players 1088684 Harris: Bruins fail to take full advantage of weary Rangers -- now the Stars hope his health and ice time improves 1088685 Penalty in overtime for too many men on the ice leads to Bruins losing to Rangers Detroit Red Wings 1088686 Bruins notebook: Rookie Anders Bjork a healthy scratch in 1088716 Detroit Red Wings' giant Al the Octopus sells for $7,700 loss to Rangers 1088717 Detroit Red Wings turning penalty kill situations into their 1088687 Harris: Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy has shot to follow in Ray advantage Bourque’s footsteps as Calder winner 1088718 Red Wings turn poachers on penalty kill 1088688 Beleskey ready to 'perform at the level I know I can' in 1088719 Aggressive mindset makes Red Wings a shorthanded Providence threat 1088689 Cassidy: Too many men penalties 'a lousy way to lose' 1088720 Red Wings finally rewarded for staying with 'the process' 1088690 Talking Points: Rangers make Bruins pay for penalties 1088691 Bruins come back to force overtime, but fall to Rangers, 3- Edmonton Oilers 2 1088721 JONES: Edmonton Oilers need to build of win in 1088692 With Bruins youth served, there are still plenty of lessons Minnesota to be learned 1088722 Oilers Snapshots: Jesse Puljujarvi nets the winner for Edmonton Oilers Buffalo Sabres 1088723 Edmonton Oilers hold off Minnesota Wild for afternoon 1088693 Martin Biron finds a familiar rhythm as Sabres analyst victory 1088694 Inside the Sabres: Ryan O'Reilly's search for magic words 1088724 Edmonton Oilers Game Day: At Minnesota Wild 1088725 Boudreau trying to spark ice-cold Koivu from longest Calgary Flames pointless streak of career; Spurgeon expected to return S 1088695 Jagr returns to action as Flames face Predators 1088696 Game Day: Flames vs. Predators Florida Panthers 1088697 Flames' power-play funk continues in shutout loss to 1088726 Preview: Panthers at Golden Knights, 8 p.m., Sunday Predators 1088727 Gerard Gallant reflects on 'disappointing' and 'unfortunate' end with Panthers ahead of reunion in Vegas Carolina Hurricanes 1088698 Hurricanes’ Darling backs up Ward’s two wins with one of Los Angeles Kings his own 1088728 What we learned from the Kings' 4-2 loss to the Rangers 1088729 Kings suffer loss of confidence in defeat by Islanders in Chicago Blackhawks overtime 1088699 Connor Murphy's versatility helping Blackhawks get 1088730 Jordan Eberle scores in overtime as Islanders hand Kings through injuries on blue line third conecutive loss 1088700 Blackhawks defenseman Jordan Oesterle's rule: 'Don't 1088731 Kyle Clifford happy to be back in the Kings’ mix after long want to come out' absence 1088701 Sunday's matchup: Wild at Blackhawks 1088732 DECEMBER 16 PRE-GAME QUOTES: JOHN STEVENS 1088702 For Chicago Blackhawks, nothing healthy about being 1088733 HOW OFTEN DO COACHES YELL AT A TEAM? (PLUS, scratched LOOKING AT THE ISLES’ DEEP OFFENSE) 1088703 From no-look passes to responsible defense, chemistry 1088734 WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: DECEMBER 16 counts 1088735 DECEMBER 17 POSTGAME NOTES 1088704 Three Things to WATCH: Blackhawks look to extend 1088736 DECEMBER 16 POSTGAME QUOTES: JOHN STEVENS winning streak against Wild 1088737 DECEMBER 16 POSTGAME QUOTES: KOPITAR, KUEMPER Minnesota Wild Philadelphia Flyers 1088738 Oilers end Wild's various success streaks 1088773 Flyers Giroux has made a smooth transition to left wing 1088739 Milan Lucic has goal, assist; Oilers hold off Wild 3-2 1088774 Flyers-Stars: At a glance 1088740 Des Moines, Minnesota's minor league city, takes major 1088775 Shayne Gostisbehere's goal gives Flyers overtime win steps to grow sports scene over Dallas Stars 1088741 Tips on planning a sports road trip to Des Moines 1088776 Flyers Notebook: Couturier’s skill in faceoff circle paying 1088742 Wild notes: Mikko Koivu's scoring slump growing more dividends frustrating 1088777 Parent: Fans cheer Hitchcock’s loss, but an encore is 1088743 Wild-Chicago game preview called for 1088744 Minnesota Wild's healthy scratches seem primed for 1088778 Flyers' Muhammad Ali-type mentality behind season-high success winning streak 1088745 Matt Dumba’s two goals not enough as Wild fall 3-2 to 1088779 Shayne Gostisbehere leads Flyers to season-high winning Oilers streak 1088746 Wild’s Mikko Koivu tries to stay positive amid offensive 1088780 Flyers prospect WATCH: Morgan Frost tearing it up amid struggles tournament snub 1088781 Flyers vs. Stars: 3 things to watch in Game 32 Montreal Canadiens 1088782 Why holding a lead is now a strength for Flyers 1088747 Edmonton Oilers hold off Minnesota Wild on Milan Lucic’s 1088783 Flyers 5 takeaways: Team has their ‘swagger back’ as win goal and assist streak hits five 1088748 Ottawa Senators blank Montreal Canadiens 3-0 in NHL 1088784 What Jordan Weal is doing to find last season’s scoring 100 Classic touch 1088749 Game Day: NHL 100 Classic will be a chilling experience 1088785 Whatever his line, Jake Voracek has made Flyers tick for Canadiens 1088750 Habs Game Report: Senators freeze Montreal with 3-0 Pittsburgh Penguins outdoor victory 1088786 Penguins allow comeback, pull out victory at Coyotes 1088751 Stu Cowan: Frozen fans still have some fun at NHL 100 1088787 Mario Lemieux's five goals five ways crowned NHL's Classic greatest moment 1088752 In the Habs' Room: Carey Price punched in, but his 1088788 It's not the first time Mike Sullivan’s Penguins have teammates played hooky struggled like this 1088753 Basu: A three-headed offensive monster with no teeth 1088789 Tough, tight Metropolitan Division cutting Penguins no 1088754 Three things we learned in Ottawa slack 1088755 Basu: A penny for your thoughts, Geoff Molson 1088790 Mario Lemieux reacts to NHL’s ‘Greatest Moment’ 1088791 Penguins show patience, resilience in 4-2 win over Nashville Predators Coyotes 1088756 Predators roast Flames, sweep Canadian road trip to stay 1088792 Hunwick pleased with post-concussion performance for atop Western Conference Penguins 1088757 Predators goalie Pekka Rinne like a proud dad about Juuse Saros’ play as backup San Jose Sharks 1088793 If Couture is gone long, what becomes of Sharks playoff New Jersey Devils chances? 1088758 Devils beat Stars: 8 observations | How Brian Boyle 1088794 Logan Couture’s status unclear after blow to jaw sparked win; Cory Schneider on incredible save St Louis Blues New York Islanders 1088795 Yet another injury: Brodziak out Saturday vs. Jets 1088759 Islanders look to youth for help on troubled line 1088796 Brodziak is latest to join Blues' injury list 1088760 Jordan Eberle puts finishing touch on Islanders comeback 1088797 Hutton stars in goal as Blues win 1088761 Jordan Eberle scores in overtime as Islanders beat Kings 1088798 Hochman: Blues’ Hutton comes up big 48 times in a row 1088762 Clarity could be coming for Islanders captain John Tavares Tampa Bay Lightning 1088799 Joe Smith’s takeaways from Lightning-Avalanche New York Rangers 1088800 Lightning journal: No easy answers on replacing injured 1088763 Mats Zuccarello scores in overtime to carry Rangers over Ryan Callahan Bruins 1088801 Lightning trying to replace ‘heart and soul’ Ryan Callahan 1088764 Henrik Lundqvist wants to play all the minutes he can 1088802 Q&A with Syracuse coach Benoit Groulx about the 1088765 Mats Zuccarello lifts Rangers over Bruins in overtime Lightning’s next generation 1088766 Henrik Lundqvist wins both ends of back-to-back games 1088767 Mats Zuccarello scores in OT to give Rangers win over Toronto Maple Leafs Bruins 1088803 NHL’s a bit different than it in was in 1917 1088804 Islanders Jordan Eberle adjusts to New York life, on and Ottawa Senators off the ice 1088768 Don Cherry says he can see Senators leaving Ottawa if 1088805 NHL concussion battle isn’t ahead by a century attendance doesn’t change 1088806 Leafs refuse to use gruelling schedule as an excuse 1088769 Bruce Garrioch: Despite Eugene Melnyk's angst, the 1088807 Losing Leafs happy with place in standings, but aware Senators are staying put improvements must be made 1088770 Senators applaud fans who braved cold at TD Place 1088808 Kapanen gets in Babcock's good books right away 1088771 Bill Daly understands Melnyk's frustration, but is confident 1088809 SIMMONS: Of Marner's failures, Bettman's success and Senators will stay in Ottawa Shapiro listening to fans 1088772 Senators finally give fans something to cheer about 1088810 Fantasy Fare: Leafs' Rielly taking an alternate path to blue-line points 1088811 Dellow: Why are the Maple Leafs such a mediocre possession team? Vancouver Canucks 1088829 Sedins turn back the clock, put the Canucks on their backs 1088830 What the heck has happened to Jannik Hansen in San Jose? Vegas Golden Knights 1088813 Knights’ Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith won’t focus on revenge 1088814 Knights’ Gerard Gallant downplays game against team that fired him 1088815 Senators owner Eugene Melnyk threatens to relocate NHL team 1088816 Six teams that gave up too much to the Golden Knights in expansion draft Washington Capitals 1088817 Devante Smith-Pelly has found his comfort level with the Capitals 1088818 Captain Comeback: Alex Ovechkin lifts Capitals past Ducks in overtime 1088819 Burakovsky may be healthy, but he is still adjusting to the speed of the game 1088820 Game 34: Capitals vs. Ducks Date, Time, How to Watch, Game Thread 1088821 Tarik's Three Stars: Alex Ovechkin completes Capitals OT comeback 1088822 5 reasons the Caps beat the Ducks Websites 1088831 The Athletic / Boudreau trying to spark ice-cold Koivu from longest pointless streak of career; Spurgeon expec 1088832 Sportsnet.ca / Senators’ Karlsson dedicates Superman performance to Ottawa fans 1088833 Sportsnet.ca / Senators could consider ‘drastic’ roster changes if they miss playoffs 1088834 Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens’ inconsistency results in another forgettable effort 1088836 Sportsnet.ca / Mario Lemieux’s epic five-goal game voted greatest moment in NHL history 1088838 Sportsnet.ca / Winnipeg Jets forward Shawn Matthias being made available for a trade 1088839 Sportsnet.ca / NHL unlikely to hold outdoor game in Canada during 2018-19 season 1088840 Sportsnet.ca / Should Erik Johnson be suspended for nasty play on Namestnikov? 1088841 Sportsnet.ca / Takeaways: Oilers’ Cam Talbot returns to top form 1088842 TSN.CA / TSN Hockey's Top 10 Storylines of the Week 1088843 TSN.CA / Sens pick up much needed victory in NHL 100 Classic 1088844 TSN.CA / Habs, Sens gear up for one of NHL’s coldest outdoor games 1088845 TSN.CA / Dreger Report: Neil looks back at career fondly 1088846 TSN.CA / Melnyk: Senators ‘could look good somewhere else’ 1088847 USA TODAY / NHL turns 100: 21 of biggest changes from then to now Winnipeg Jets 1088823 Bittersweet performance against Blues 1088824 Dubious all-time coaching record for Maurice 1088825 Mason to start for Jets against Blues 1088826 Thorburn excited to see old teammates…Hellebuyck gets an extra day to regroup…Pietrangelo set to return…Injuri 1088827 Five keys to Jets vs Blues (Round 2) 1088828 Mason back in net for Jets: Goalie returns from concussion against the Blues
SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1088672 Anaheim Ducks
Ducks fall short in overtime against Capitals
Staff Report Associated Press
Alex Ovechkin scored on a slap shot at 1:58 of overtime, and the Washington Capitals rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 Saturday night for their sixth straight win at home. Ovechkin's 23rd goal of the season came on a blast from the top of the right circle that beat Anaheim's John Gibson. Washington took only 15 shots over the first 40 minutes and trailed 2-0 before Nicklas Backstrom knocked in the rebound of a shot by Ovechkin at 3:05 of the third period. Evgeny Kuznetsov tied it just over four minutes later, beating Gibson on the stick side with a shot from the left circle. Braden Holtby had 28 saves for the Capitals, who have won in a row and 10 of 12. Washington never got a chance to unleash its power play, ranked seventh in the NHL at 20.8 percent. Anaheim was called for only one penalty, against Kevin Bieksa for fighting in the first period against Tom Wilson. Derek Grant and Jakob Silfverberg scored for the Ducks, who opened a six-game road trip with a win in St. Louis on Thursday night. Anaheim appeared poised to build on that victory before Washington came back. The Ducks went on the power play only once, and cashed in. Silfverberg made it 2-0 at 7:36 of the second period, deflecting a shot by Ryan Getzlaf just five seconds after Andre Burakovsky went to the penalty box for hooking. Derek Grant got the scoring started at 16:01 of the first period, skating down the right side on a 2-on-1 with Dennis Rasmussen before flicking a shot past Holtby's right shoulder.
LA Times: LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088673 Anaheim Ducks
Ovechkin’s OT goal lifts Capitals over Ducks 3-2
Staff Report By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | PUBLISHED: December 16, 2017 at 8:00 pm | UPDATED: December 16, 2017 at 8:09 PM
WASHINGTON – Alex Ovechkin scored on a slap shot at 1:58 of overtime, and the Washington Capitals rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 Saturday night for their sixth straight win at home. Ovechkin’s 23rd goal of the season came on a blast from the top of the right circle that beat Anaheim’s John Gibson. Washington took only 15 shots over the first 40 minutes and trailed 2-0 before Nicklas Backstrom knocked in the rebound of a shot by Ovechkin at 3:05 of the third period. Evgeny Kuznetsov tied it just over four minutes later, beating Gibson on the stick side with a shot from the left circle. Braden Holtby had 28 saves for the Capitals, who have won in a row and 10 of 12. Washington never got a chance to unleash its power play, ranked seventh in the NHL at 20.8 percent. Anaheim was called for only one penalty, against Kevin Bieksa for fighting in the first period against Tom Wilson. Derek Grant and Jakob Silfverberg scored for the Ducks, who opened a six-game road trip with a win in St. Louis on Thursday night. Anaheim appeared poised to build on that victory before Washington came back. The Ducks went on the power play only once, and cashed in. Silfverberg made it 2-0 at 7:36 of the second period, deflecting a shot by Ryan Getzlaf just five seconds after Andre Burakovsky went to the penalty box for hooking. Derek Grant got the scoring started at 16:01 of the first period, skating down the right side on a 2-on-1 with Dennis Rasmussen before flicking a shot past Holtby’s right shoulder.
Orange County Register: LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088674 Arizona Coyotes
Coyotes' Nick Cousins called his shot on former teammate Matt Murray
Richard Morin, azcentral sports Published 11:33 p.m. MT Dec. 16, 2017
What does Coyotes forward Nick Cousins have in common with Babe Ruth? Apparently, more than you think. Before Saturday’s game against the Penguins at Gila River Arena, Cousins skated over to Pittsburgh goaltender and former junior hockey teammate Matt Murray to let him know what was coming. Cousins called his shot. “High glove tonight,” Cousins said as he skated past Murray, whose Penguins are two-time defending Stanley Cup champions. And that’s exactly what Cousins did off a defensive-zone turnover, taking a touch pass from center Brad Richardson and beating Murray with 8.7 seconds left in the second period to bring the Coyotes within one goal. Even though the Coyotes suffered their sixth straight loss in the game, Cousins said he planned on sending Murray a little friendly banter in wake of the goal. The two were teammates with the Sault Ste. Mary Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) from 2010-13. It’s funny,” Cousins said. “In warmup I saw him there … He just sort of laughed, so it’s funny how it worked out. High glove, right? So I’ll give him a text after the game and give it to him a little bit.” In addition to calling his shot before the game, Cousins actually did it with just one glove. The 24-year-old seemed to lose his left mitt on the previous sequence but was able to beat Murray with a wrister nonetheless. “Just on the forecheck there,” Cousins said. “I think if you watch it on the replay, you can see me pick (the glove) up on the forecheck. I sort of missed it. I don’t think you drew it up like that with the one glove.”
Arizona Republic LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088675 Arizona Coyotes Midway through the third period, Keller scooped up a turnover in the offensive zone and delivered a reverse pass to Domi, who collected the equalizer on his third goal of the season. Coyotes can't complete comeback against Penguins, lose sixth straight It was Domi's first non-empty-net goal since the Coyotes’ season opener on Oct. 6. Richard Morin, azcentral sports Published 8:55 p.m. MT Dec. 16, 2017 | “It’s an opportunity when you’re asked to do something and you want to Updated 9:56 p.m. MT Dec. 16, 2017 step into that role,” said Domi, who has not played center since his days in junior hockey. “That’s a heck of a play by (Keller). He’s got unbelievable vision and he found me and all I had to do was put it on net.” The Coyotes have lost their fair share of games this season, but Saturday’s loss left a sting like no other. With less than seven minutes to go, Sheary had a chance to break the tie but Raanta made a sprawling attempt at the puck and shot went off his After trailing 2-0 to the Pittsburgh Penguins late in the second period, the mask to keep the score even. Coyotes rallied in the third to tie the game at two goals apiece after playing their best period of the game. But Penguins defenseman Olli The Coyotes had a chance themselves in the final minutes, when a shot Maatta found the net with 14 seconds left as Arizona lost its sixth straight trickled past Murray and idled in the crease. Coyotes center Brad on Saturday at Gila River Arena. Richardson made a diving attempt to put it in, but he was denied by Maatta who pushed him aside. “It’s tough,” Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet said. “A lot of guys are down … it’s 14 seconds. I thought our third period was our best period And it was Maatta who made another big play, this time in the waning and we didn’t really give them that much. It’s been a season like that and seconds — as the defenseman fired a shot to Raanta’s near side that it’s gonna build character. We’re gonna weed this thing out and build appeared to deflect off his blocker and into the net. Penguins captain character out of these losses. But I’ll tell you, it’s tough.” Sidney Crosby added an empty-netter to seal it. The Coyotes (7-23-5) were visibly outplayed and outshot in the first two “Good teams find ways to win those games,” Domi said. “And they’re a periods by the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins (17- good team over there that found a way. We came up a bit short and 14-3), but dug deep to make it a game before Maatta’s shot from the that’s unfortunate because Antti was unbelievable. He was the best point beat Coyotes goaltender Antti Raanta in the final seconds of the player in the game by far. He kept us in it the whole game.” third. The score: Penguins 4, Coyotes 2. “We put our heart into the game today,” Raanta said. “Everybody was working extremely hard. There was moments where we were probably 10 The streak: L6. minutes in our own end but we were just battling. There was sacrifices The record: 7-23-5, 8th in Pacific. today. … When you get so close to OT and to get even a point, you want to make sure that when the game is tied and less than a minute you want The 82-game pace: 16-54-12. to make sure you make the save. The player: Evgeni Malkin. “When you make that kind of mistake,” he said, “it’s tough because you kind of let your whole team down. It’s a rough one for sure.” The moment: Olli Maatta’s go-ahead goal at 19:45 of the third period. After a slow start to the game, it took only a few minutes for Tocchet to The number: 4 — The Coyotes killed off four power plays before allowing shuffle his lineup, putting Max Domi at center on a line with Clayton a goal on their own man advantage. Keller and Christian Fischer. Christian Dvorak and Anthony Duclair were The quote: “(Raanta) played well and it’s tough. He feels bad, but it’s skating with Dylan Strome, who shifted to wing. adversity. He’ll go back in there again and he’ll give us a chance again. The new-look pairs generated some quality looks in the first period, but That’s the life of the Coyote right now. We have to build off these the Penguins dominated play with two power plays in the period. Still, experiences.” — Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet. neither team found the net and the score was tied at the first View from the press box: The Coyotes did not come to play for the first intermission. two periods, but played one of their best frames of the season in the third “I just wanted to shake it up,” Tocchet said. “Maybe loosen (Max) up, he’s and came just 15 seconds short of stealing a point from the two-time been struggling and a little tight lately. I just wanted to try something defending Stanley Cup champions. different. It’s unfair to him because he hasn’t practiced there. He’s played Song of the night: “Sorrowing Man” by City and Colour. in juniors but that was a long time ago. I just sprung it on him this morning and he said, 'Let’s do it.' … I want to kind of experiment and see what he does there.” Arizona Republic LOADED: 12.17.2017 The Coyotes allowed two more power plays in the third period and the Arizona penalty kill continued to be one of the most effective in the league. However, the wheels finally came off when the Coyotes went to a man advantage of their own. Although they didn’t score on their first four power plays of the game, the Penguins finally broke through on the Coyotes’ first power play — as Carter Rowney scored a short-handed goal off a pass from Bryan Rust at 14:28 of the second period. “Three, four penalties, you can’t start the game that way,” Tocchet said. “You can’t give them those penalties. We had to chase the game.” Less than five minutes later, Penguins winger Conor Sheary found linemate Evgeni Malkin on an odd-man rush to give Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead. Malkin, who scored his 10th goal of the season, appeared to push Raanta into the net but the goal was allowed. The Coyotes wouldn’t go down silently, however, as forward Nick Cousins rifled a shot from the left point to beat Penguins goaltender Matt Murray with less than 9 seconds remaining in the period. It was Cousins’ fourth goal of the season. Although the Penguins still held a 2-1 advantage as play moved to the third period, Cousins’ late goal sparked some fire in the Coyotes that they would use in the third. “I think if you score with under a minute to go in any period, it will definitely give you momentum for the next period,” Cousins said. “I thought for sure it did.” 1088676 Arizona Coyotes physical but it’s more of an in-your-face type of hockey that I think we’re trying to strive for. I think he’s established it with this group.”
For the Coyotes, the best treatment for a lopsided loss to the Lightning Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet knows what makes the Penguins tick on Thursday was acknowledging their shortcomings. “Last night to me … I try to look at it as something we have to learn Richard Morin, azcentral sports Published 4:21 p.m. MT Dec. 16, 2017 | from,” Coyotes center Derek Stepan said. “You can’t take too much out Updated 4:25 p.m. MT Dec. 16, 2017 of it. I don’t think our group liked anything about our game, and that’s something you try to learn from. You have to flush that out and get ready for the next team coming in.” Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet is mired in a two-game stretch in Of course, the welcoming party for the Coyotes wasn't exactly the which he’s coaching against his prior coaching destinations — Tampa warmest — as the team was tasked with taking on the two-time Bay and Pittsburgh — not to mention a Dec. 23 date with the Colorado defending Stanley Cup champions following the Presidents' Trophy Avalanche, his first stop as an assistant in 2002. frontrunners in Tampa Bay. The first leg against the NHL-best Lightning didn’t go as Tocchet had Still, the Coyotes see the stretch as a measuring stick for their team. hoped, as the Coyotes suffered a 4-1 loss at Gila River Arena on Thursday. But now Arizona’s first-year coach will turn his attention to the “It’s a measuring stick that everyone always talks about,” Stepan said. two-time defending Stanley Cup-champion Pittsburgh Penguins on “You have to try to make sure you’re ready to play for a full 60 minutes Saturday. because if you sleep against these teams, you’re going to get eaten.” After spending two season as head coach of the Lightning from 2008-10, Tocchet echoed that sentiment and added that the Coyotes need to bare Tocchet served as an assistant coach with the Penguins for the past down on the details and played a smart, aggressive game to have a shot three seasons. Now, he welcomes good friend and Penguins head coach against Pittsburgh. Mike Sullivan to the Valley for a weekend tilt. “Hopefully these next few days or couple weeks we can get our legs back “We talk all the time, and he’s a good friend of mine,” Tocchet said of his and our energy because we’re playing some really good hockey teams relationship with Sullivan, a native of Marshfield, Mass. “His hockey IQ as and we don’t want to be embarrassed,” Tocchet said. “For the most part, a coach is very high. He’s very decisive, he gathers information and he even with the consecutive losses, we’ve played well in most of these goes with his knowledge and his gut to make decisions.” games. Tampa Bay game was obviously an eye-opener because you could tell we weren’t ready to play.” Sullivan’s decisiveness is what has stuck with Tocchet in his latest sojourn as an NHL head coach, and he feels he’s better prepared having Coyotes prospect Tyler Steenbergen survived the final cuts on Friday served under Sullivan. and is on Team Canada's final roster for the upcoming world championships. “I’m a lot more decisive and a lot more the way I want to play,” Tocchet said. “Mike Sullivan really helped me out with that over the last 3-4 years. The 19-year-old, who was a fifth-round pick by the Coyotes in 2017, has He’s a really decisive guy.” tallied 35 goals and 61 points for the Swift Current Broncos in the Western Hockey League (WHL) this season. Sullivan’s steadfast demeanor was the first thing Tocchet noticed when the Penguins fired coach Mike Johnson on Dec. 12, 2015, and replaced Steenbergen, who ranks first in goals and third in points among WHL him with Johnson. Pittsburgh immediately lost four straight and was skaters this season, may be Canada's purest goal scorer on a relatively outscored 15-4 over that stretch. experienced team. Despite the initial results, Sullivan never backed off his perch. And the Team Canada is slated to play exhibition games against Czech Republic Penguins ended up with the first of two straight Stanley Cup on Wednesday in London, Ontario, and Switzerland on Dec. 22 in championships when it was all said and done. Hamilton. Their first game is on Dec. 26 in Buffalo, N.Y. “For instance, you remember when (Sullivan) took over, we had four or Penguins (16-14-3) vs. Coyotes (7-22-5) five losses in a row,” Tocchet recalled. “I liked the way he handled those On the heels of five straight losses, the Coyotes (7-22-5) welcome the losses. He’s so decisive. Where other coaches might have changed two-time defending Stanley Cup-champion Pittsburgh Penguins (16-14-3) things, he was pretty decisive about the way he wanted to play. I think into Gila River Arena for the second game in a five-game home stretch the players saw that and that really helped us turn that around.” for Arizona … The Penguins, who enter play on Friday holding up sixth Tocchet has tried to instill the same unyielding style of play in his first place in the Metropolitan Division, have lost three straight and four of season with the Coyotes — yet even as they enter play Saturday with the five, with the most recent defeat coming in a 2-1 loss to the Golden fewest points in the NHL (19 in 34 games), Tocchet is determined to Knights in Las Vegas on Thursday … Penguins forward Phil Kessel keep his system intact. entered play on Friday tied for fifth in the Eastern Conference with 37 points this season. His 15 goals lead all skaters on both teams … “Obviously you’ve got to ask your opinion in your inner circle, but I know Goaltender Matt Murray (11-8-0, 2.91 GAA) is expected to start in net on the way I want to play,” Tocchet said. “I’ll tweak, but I’ll never change.” Saturday and make his second start since returning from injury on Thursday. Entering play Friday, the Penguins have allowed 105 goals The Penguins themselves came into Saturday’s game losers of their past this season, which is tied for fifth-most among NHL teams … Saturday three games and occupants of sixth place in the Metropolitan Division. will mark the second and final meeting between the two teams this But you won’t see any panic on the face of Sullivan, and that comes as season, with the Penguins having secured a 3-1 victory over the Coyotes no surprise to Tocchet. on Nov. 7 in Pittsburgh … The Coyotes have won two straight at home against the Penguins and are 3-1-1 in their last five contests against “Just like playing Tampa, they’ve got some high-end talent,” Tocchet them at Gila River Arena. said of the Penguins. “They’ve got some of the best players in the world. Their structure is great with a great coach and they’re struggling right With the Coyotes’ lone goal on Thursday, rookie winger Clayton Keller now a little bit. scored his first goal since Nov. 6 and first at home since Oct. 21. Both his 12 goals and seven tallies at home lead the team. “It’s probably not the greatest time you want to play them when they’re struggling because they could ignite at any time,” he said. “They won two Winger Brendan Perlini has 22 goals since being called up on Dec. 5, Stanley Cups back-to-back, so they’re dangerous.” 2016, which leads all Coyotes players over that span. At the end of the day, few people know what makes the Penguins tick The Coyotes are the youngest team in the NHL, with an average age of better than Tocchet. He’s seen how teams can turn a season around, 25 years and 27 days. and how championship contenders are built. According to the coach, it’s a process that requires trusting your head and your gut — even if those Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson has registered 847:15 minutes of ice decisions go against the grain. time this season, which is the fifth-highest in the NHL. Tocchet has started that process here in Arizona. Keller’s 18:48 of average ice time is tops among NHL rookie forwards. The 19-year-old trails only Vancouver’s Brock Boeser (16 goals) for the “Sometimes that’s tough because sometimes they’re not popular rookie lead in scoring. decisions,” Tocchet said. “I’ve learned a lot from that. (Sullivan) believes in playing a fast style of play, a very belligerent play. Not so much After registering 12 goals and 24 points with the Coyotes’ AHL affiliate in Tucson, Nick Merkley was recalled by the team on Friday. He skated on a line with center Dylan Strome for 15 games. The Coyotes rank third in the NHL in blocked shots (481) and seventh in face-off wins (1,007) entering play Thursday.
Arizona Republic LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088677 Arizona Coyotes Notes: Coyotes C Zac Rinaldo was out sick for the second straight game. … Pittsburgh is 6-1-1 its last eight games against Arizona. … Coyotes LW Jordan Martinook played his 200th career NHL game. … Malkin had Coyotes fall to Penguins on decisive goal with 14 seconds left an assist on Maatta’s goal, extending his points streak to seven straight games.
John Marshall foxsportsarizona.com LOADED: 12.17.2017 Dec 16, 2017 at 11:54p ET
GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Pittsburgh Penguins have struggled in close games recently and giving up a two-goal lead to the team with the league’s worst record was not a good sign. One shot from Olli Maata changed their fortunes. Maatta scored from just inside the blue line with 14 seconds left and the Penguins ended a three-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday night. “We just stayed with it,” said Penguins coach Mike Sullivan, who became the fourth Penguins coach to win 100 games with the franchise. “It was a little discouraging when they tied it up, but I thought we controlled the play most of the night.” Pittsburgh pressured Arizona early and took a 2-0 lead on second-period goals by Carter Rowney and Evgeni Malkin. Arizona got a spark when Nick Cousins scored in the closing seconds of the second period, and Max Domi scored early in the third to tie it against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions. The teams traded good chances and appeared to be headed to overtime until Maatta beat Antti Raanta to the stick side on a shot from the left point. Raanta smacked his stick on the goal after missing the puck and Sidney Crosby closed it out with an empty-net goal. “That’s tough. I mean, it was 14 seconds,” said Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet, whose team has lost six straight and nine of 10. “It’s been a season like that, and it’s going to build character. We’ll weed this out, and these losses are going to build character.” Pittsburgh came to the desert on a three-game losing streak after falling 2-1 Thursday at Las Vegas. It was the Penguins’ fourth loss in five games, all by one goal. The Penguins were sharp early, putting constant pressure on the Coyotes in their own zone, outshooting them 26-11 through the first two periods. Rowney scored in the second period on a nice feed from Bryan Rust after Domi was bumped off the puck in his own zone, creating a 2-on-1. Malkin scored on a rebound with just over minute left in the second, getting the tip of his stick on the puck to trickle it past Raanta. “All the way through the game I thought we generated some good chances,” Crosby said. Arizona’s funk has been season-long its first year under Tocchet, playing well for stretches, but unable to sustain it. Arizona entered Saturday’s game with eight losses in nine games and Tocchet called his team soft after a 4-1 loss to NHL-leading Tampa Bay on Thursday. Arizona had a little more fight against the Penguins, starting with Domi’s roughing penalty for going after Chad Ruhwedel after the Pens’ defenseman ran Clayton Keller into the boards. Raanta was sharp early, making some tough saves to keep the Coyotes in it. He needed to be, too, with the Coyotes making a parade to the penalty box and the Penguins spending a lot of time in Arizona’s zone. The Coyotes showed some life after falling into a 2-0 hole, scoring with 8.7 seconds left when Cousins banged the puck in off the crossbar from the left circle. Arizona carried the momentum into the third period, tying it when Domi scored on a feed from Keller after the Penguins turned it over in front of the crease. The Coyotes kept it close, but lost when Raanta tried to steer Maatta’s shot wide and had it go off his stick into the goal. “When you’re a goalie, you want to make sure the game is tied under a minute, you want to make the save,” said Raanta, who stopped 30 shots. “When you make that kind of mistake, it’s tough because you let your whole team down.” 1088678 Arizona Coyotes ignite at any time. They’ve won two Stanley Cups back to back and they’re dangerous.”
This will be the second and last game between the teams this season; Preview: Coyotes vs. Penguins, 5:30 p.m., FOX Sports Arizona Plus the Penguins won the first 3-1 in Pittsburgh on Nov. 7 behind a goal and two assists each from Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel, some of that high- end talent Tocchet was talking about. Staff Report However, the Coyotes have won the last two games between the two The Sports Xchange teams in Arizona. Dec 16, 2017 at 11:23p ET Penguins goalie Matt Murray is expected to start again after stopping 24 of 26 shots at Vegas. Tocchet all but said Raanta, who made a career- high 44 saves Thursday, will start again because he wants the goalie taking on a heavy workload following three separate injury layoffs. GLENDALE, Ariz. — Looking at the big picture, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Arizona Coyotes couldn’t be more dissimilar. The Penguins are Kessel leads the Penguins with 15 goals and 37 points. Crosby, after a coming off consecutive Stanley Cup wins. The Coyotes only infrequently slow start, has 13 goals and 32 points after scoring seven goals in his win consecutive games. last nine games. Rookie left winger Clayton Keller scored his first goal in 18 games Thursday but still leads the Coyotes with 12 goals. But, right now, Mike Sullivan of Pittsburgh and Rick Tocchet of Arizona — coaches who shared the same bench last season — are going through very similar problems, even if the talent levels and records of their clubs are far different. The Penguins (16-14-3), despite all their skills and superstars and foxsportsarizona.com LOADED: 12.17.2017 superior achievements, have dropped their last three games and four of five, all by one goal. All of a sudden, the talk in Pittsburgh isn’t of a third consecutive Cup parade, but whether the Penguins will make the make the playoffs — they currently occupy the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff position. “I don’t think we’re rattled,” Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said following an off-day practice Friday, a day after a 2-1 loss in Las Vegas. “It’s a tough point when you’re generating chances and in close games and you’re finding ways to let them slip away. That’s the way it goes sometimes but, sometimes, it goes the other way.” Sometimes it doesn’t go your way at all. Ask the Coyotes and Tocchet, an assistant to Sullivan when the Penguins won their second successive Stanley Cup last season. There almost certainly won’t be any playoffs for the last-place Coyotes (7-22-5), who’ve dropped five in a row and eight of nine. They share some of the Penguins’ current problems, only their issues have lasted all season — there’s not enough balance in their scoring, they constantly give away games at the end and they lack depth. Tocchet has stayed patient much of the season, but he was clearly agitated following a non-competitive 4-1 loss Thursday to NHL-leading Tampa Bay, which unleashed 46 shots on Arizona goalie Antti Raanta. Among other things, Tocchet called his team tired, dull, dumb and soft. “I hate soft plays, I hate soft players and we were soft,” Tocchet said. Tocchet was softer in his criticism Friday, saying his players were “disappointed” with their effort — “A lot of our guys know we didn’t play well, and our energy level was low.” But while this stage of the season is critical to the Coyotes only to establish a level of respectability for the rest of the season, this might be the most critical point of this season for the Penguins, period. They own the same 16-14-3 record they did at this stage of the 2015-16 season, when they went on to win the Stanley Cup. But the difference now is the Penguins’ talent level almost certainly was higher that season — like most Cup winners, they’ve lost valuable role players to free agency (Chris Kunitz, Matt Cullen and Nick Bonino, among others) and, last spring, to the expansion draft (goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who beat them Thursday night in Vegas). And, this time, general manager Jim Rutherford is promising to make changes soon unless the Penguins break out of this current slide, one that has dropped them 13 points behind Tampa Bay in the conference standings. “Every team in the league goes through ups and downs, and we’re no different,” Sullivan said. “We just have to make sure we do everything to minimize the skid we’re in right now. We need a good effort, a resilient attitude (Saturday) and control what we can to get the result we’re looking for. “(We) have overcome so many challenges in my tenure here. There’s no reason why we can’t continue to do that.” Tocchet doesn’t doubt the Penguins will find their way, especially with Sullivan behind the bench. “Like Tampa, they have high-end talent,” Tocchet said. “They have some of the best players in the world. … The way they’re structured, they can 1088679 Arizona Coyotes –Domi was playing center on a line with Christian Fischer and Clayton Keller. He was a center in juniors but hadn’t seen time there in the NHL until Saturday. Comeback effort spoiled by late goal as Coyotes fall to Penguins “He asked me if I wanted to play center and I said ‘Sure.’ That’s it,” Domi said of how it came about. Tocchet said that decision was made the morning of the game. BY MATT LAYMAN
DECEMBER 16, 2017 AT 9:40 PM Arizona Sports LOADED: 12.17.2017
GLENDALE, Ariz. — The reigning Stanley Cup Champions were leading 2-1 in the third period. Clayton Keller skated across the front of Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Matt Murray, and his feed to Max Domi resulted in a goal — Domi’s first since Nov. 20 — to tie things up. The Coyotes had life. But any hope of Arizona stealing at least a point in what once was a lopsided affair quickly went out the window when Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta scored from the point to make it 3-2 — with just 15 seconds left in regulation. “When you make that kind of mistake it’s tough because you’re going to let your whole team down,” Coyotes goalie Antti Raanta said of his allowed goal. “It’s a rough one for sure.” Raanta had more than one highlight-reel save to keep his team in the game, but it was the one he didn’t make that was the defining moment in the Penguins’ win. Raanta finished the night having stopped 29 of 32 shots faced. A scoreless first period wasn’t without its chances for either team, as the ‘Yotes and Pens traded scoring chances while Pittsburgh had the greater shot total in the frame, 9-5. It was in that period that Max Domi took exception to a hard hit on Keller, and he made sure Pittsburgh’s Chad Ruhwedel knew it. Domi got two for roughing, a penalty the Coyotes would kill. Coyotes in the penalty box continued to be a recurring theme, as did successful penalty kills. Arizona held Pittsburgh to 0-for-4 on power plays and have now killed off 57 of their last 64 penalties. In the second, Pittsburgh was buzzing. But despite more power play chances, the Penguins waited until they were shorthanded to open the scoring. Bryan Rust picked the puck off from Domi and carried it up the left wing before dishing a pass over to Carter Rowney. Rowney buried it past Raanta, and it was 1-0 Pittsburgh at 14:38. Later in the middle period, Pittsburgh doubled their lead with just over a minute left. A shot and rebound created a scramble in front of Raanta, and Evgeni Malkin poked it in net to make it 2-0. Although late-period goals can be deflating, Arizona got one right back. With mere seconds to go, Nick Cousins held the puck at the circle on the left side before firing it past Murray. At 19:51 in the second, Arizona cut its deficit in half. Cousins and Murray were once teammates in juniors. “I saw him there in warm-ups and I said ‘high glove tonight.’ It’s pretty funny actually,” Cousins said. “And he just sort of laughed so, it’s funny how it worked out.” The Coyotes were right back in it, even though Pittsburgh outshot the Coyotes in the second period, 17-6. In the third, the dynamic of the game changed. The Coyotes were outshooting Pittsburgh for much of the frame and eventually got the game-tying goal. “I thought our third period was our best period,” Tocchet said. “We didn’t really give them that much. [We] climbed back in it.” Though, in the end, a long sequence of chances for the Penguins in the closing minutes caught up to the Coyotes. An empty-netter from Sidney Crosby sealed the 4-2 Penguins victory. “It’s been a season like that. It’s going to build character,” Tocchet said. “We’re going to weed this thing out and we’re going to build character on these losses. They’re tough, I’ll tell ya, though. They’re tough.” –D-backs reliever Archie Bradley was in the house, and he participated in the Coyotes’ on-ice entertainment at first intermission. 1088680 Arizona Coyotes Arizona Sports LOADED: 12.17.2017 Forgotten man: Merkley hoping for chance to make impact on Coyotes
BY CRAIG MORGAN | DECEMBER 16, 2017 AT 7:47 PM UPDATED: DECEMBER 16, 2017 AT 9:40 PM
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Nick Merkley arrived in the Valley around 3 p.m. on Friday. By Saturday afternoon, he was back in his comfort zone, taking care of one of his greatest responsibilities: making Dylan Strome dinner. “He said he wasn’t cooking much when I was down in Tucson,” said Merkley, who was recalled from the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League on Friday. “We made some pasta [Satur]day. Gluten free penne with marinara. Well, I made it. He tries to.” Merkley doesn’t know how many more meals he’ll get to prepare, but he’ll gladly take that tradeoff if it means he can stick with the Coyotes for a while. “I don’t mind,” he said. “Kyle Capobianco taught me the recipe. I can teach Stromer.” Merkley wasn’t in the lineup on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He hasn’t played in a week due to a two-game suspension earned for a high-sticking infraction in a game at Stockton on Dec. 9. The Coyotes want him to practice a couple times, but coach Rick Tocchet expects him to play, perhaps as soon as Tuesday against the Florida Panthers. “We’re looking for sticky guys; guys who can win puck battles and go to the net,” Tocchet said. “He fits the bill for us.” Merkley thinks so, too. “I can do all those things, being hard on pucks and hounding pucks and creating turnovers and trying to create some havoc out there and finishing checks when I need to,” he said. “Hopefully I can bring that vision I brought down there in Tucson, too.” In 20 games with Tucson this season, Merkley has 12 goals and 24 points, good for second on the team behind Strome’s 26 points in 15 games. Merkley played primarily on a line with Strome and Lawson Crouse while the three were all in Tucson. “I had a lot of good chemistry with Dylan, when he was there, and Crouse,” he said. “I thought our line worked really well together.” The Coyotes selected Merkley with the first-round pick (No. 30) they acquired from Chicago (along with defenseman Klas Dahlbeck) for center Antoine Vermette at the 2015 NHL Trade Deadline. He finished sixth in WHL scoring during the 2014-15 season with 20 goals and 90 points for Kelowna. Injuries have slowed his development, however, making him feel like the forgotten man in the Coyotes’ pipeline of prospects. Two seasons ago, the 2015 first-round pick (30th overall) suffered a collarbone injury on a hit by Los Angeles Kings defenseman Kurtis MacDermid early in a rookie game. In February 2016, Merkley was finishing a check against Spokane in the Western Hockey League when his skate caught in the ice and his knee twisted. Three days later, an MRI revealed a completely torn ACL, ending his season with Kelowna and keeping him out of 2016 Coyotes training camp. He had 48 points in 43 games before the knee injury. “He’s missed a lot of hockey. He’s missed a lot of development time but the coaching staff down there is doing an outstanding job with him,” Coyotes assistant general manager and Tucson Roadrunners GM Steve Sullivan said. “He’s becoming the player that we drafted, a dog on a bone. He’s a gritty, skilled type player and we’re seeing it right now on a consistent basis.” Merkley said simply logging hours and games in the pro ranks has helped his confidence and development after the injuries. “It gives you a bit more motivation every time you’re out there,” he said. “Any time I’m healthy I appreciate it. “I built that confidence from the start of the season and I just kept it rolling. Hopefully, I’ll get a couple practices in here and see what happens. I’ll just try and put my best foot forward.” 1088681 Boston Bruins especially with my effort . . . every shift, every faceoff, every little play counts.”
Spooner, plagued by a nagging groin injury, suited up for only the 11th Bruins’ defensemen still off target time this season. He began the afternoon on Bjork’s right wing, opposite DeBrusk, on a line centered by David Krejci. By Kevin Paul Dupont Spooner played 20 shifts for 17:20 of ice time. He seemingly scored at 15:31 of the first period, but it was called back because the Bruins were GLOBE STAFF DECEMBER 16, 2017 offsides. Spooner did not take another shot for the day. Spooner, normally a center, noted Friday that the trickiest part of the a shift to wing is dealing with pucks that are rimmed along the boards by There’s more scoring punch to be had from the Bruins’ defensemen. his defenseman. It takes a knack to gather those feeds, be it in stride or Coach Bruce Cassidy is sure of it. Now he wants to see it. when standing still. “Yes, we can . . . and we [have] the need,” Cassidy said prior to his “Obviously, that’s a challenge,” said Cassidy. “Especially figuring out charges losing to the Rangers, 3-2, in overtime late Saturday afternoon where the pressure is coming from — is it coming from the D, or the high at TD Garden. “It is easier said than done.” forward? That is a challenge for every winger and it will be more so for him, but we just like the way our centermen have been playing. If he’s All of the Boston blue liners were blanked in Thursday’s 5-3 loss to the going to go in the lineup, he’ll have to be a little bit out of his comfort Capitals, but Cassidy felt he saw encouraging signs. His back line zone.” shooters were in the right place, but couldn’t convert chances into numbers on the scoresheet. Shattenkirk worth it “I thought we were in good spots,” said Cassidy, a once-promising puck- Ex-Boston University back liner Kevin Shattenkirk, who struck it rich as lugger and shooter himself. “[Zdeno Chara] joined the rush in the second an unrestricted free agent last July, is the Blueshirts’ top point producer period and the puck just hopped on him — he was point blank. Brandon on the back line (5-17—22). Half of those points (2-9—11) have been [Carlo] jumped up the ice, but just couldn’t handle a pass from [Brad delivered on the power play — like Saturday’s winner. Marchand]. It hopped on him. A faceoff play, [Matt] Grzelcyk got one, but . . . ” Shattenkirk left BU after three years in 2010 to turn pro with Colorado. He was dealt from St. Louis to Washington late last season, the Capitals Torey Krug and rookie Charlie McAvoy lead the Boston defensemen with hoping his pop could help them finally make it to the Cup Final. But they four goals each, followed by Chara (three) and Grzelcyk (one). That’s a flamed out again in Round 2 and Shattenkirk hit the open market, where total of 12 goals back there in 30 games. Not bad. But of the 16 teams the Rangers ponied up $26.6 million over four seasons to bring him to holding a playoff berth through Friday night, the Bruins had the fewest Broadway. goals scored (85) overall, and one-third of the goal scoring has come from only two forwards, David Pastrnak (15) and Marchand (13). Unlike most high-priced UFAs, the 28-year-old Shattenkirk can be traded once this season ends. The final three years of his deal allow the “We’re at the point now that I think our D are making good decisions Rangers lots of elbow room in the trade market. Shattenkirk for the next when they join [the offense],” offered Cassidy. “Now it’s a matter of two years can submit a list of 10 team he won’t play for, and then can executing the final step, getting the shot on net and scoring. only protect against eight teams in the final year of the contract. “I think earlier this year we weren’t there in the attack. We’ve emphasized Noel Acciari, who started his season throwing everyone out of the bar, that more. Forwards are looking for the D, that’s part of it well — we’ve has dialed back considerably on his hitting game. worked more of that into practice. We’re healthier. Now it’s a matter of finishing those plays. I think they’re certainly capable of it.” The ex-Providence standout rolled up 22 hits in his first four games, including 10 smacks vs. the Ducks on Nov. 15, but has given out only 25 Kevan Miller, now in his sixth NHL season, has only 11 goals in 245 more hits over his last 27 games. games. Yet to score this season, he counts himself among those who could deliver more goals. Some of the dropoff, in Cassidy’s opinion, could be that opposing defensemen and forwards are aware of his reputation, and are conscious “Absolutely, myself included,” he said. “You know, one through six, we of not getting in his path. are trying to create some offense there. We’ve done a good job of getting up in the play — just haven’t found the back of the net quite yet. Those “People are aware he’s coming now,” said the coach. “Before he snuck will come. Gryz the other night, Z with a chance . . . I think they will go. up on some people and now the word’s out that he drives through his But the responsibility falls on us to make sure we are hitting the net.” checks. So people know when he’s on the ice.” Given how teams typically collapse in their own zone, with all five His hitting, noted Cassidy, is a key component to the fourth line, which defensive players intent on blocking shots, it can be a challenge for a includes left wing Tim Schaller and center Sean Kuraly. defenseman to identify a bonafide shooting lane. Cassidy believes there are ways for the five-man unit to try to open lanes — by rotations and “It’s part of the game we expect him to bring every night,” said Cassidy. switches. But ultimately, said Miller, the responsibility rests with the “And hopefully it becomes contagious for Schaller and Kuraly — they are shooter. big bodies as well, and we’d like to see a little more of that out of them as well. “ “I think it’s more on the guy, move your feet, try to get by [defensive coverage]” he said. “There’s not a lot the other four guys on the ice can Father’s day do to help you create a lane. Maybe spread the guys out a little in the Miller’s wife, Haley, gave birth to a daughter (Remi) late Tuesday night, offensive zone, keep guys to the outside —but then you’ve got no in front which kept the defenseman out of the lineup Wednesday night in Detroit. of the net to scree. So it kind of falls on the guy, I think.” “Took a little longer than we expected,” said the proud dad. “But we’re Spooner in the mix happy that everyone is happy and healthy. Haley and Remi are expected to leave the hospital Sunday.” . . . Patrice Bergeron ripped off 15 shots, As expected, Ryan Spooner moved back into the lineup, leaving Anders nine of them landing on net. Patrice the Thief also won 20 of his 28 Bjork in the press box, the first healthy scratch for the rookie right winger. faceoffs . . . Kuraly, the fourth-line center, won 7 of 8 drops, a big improvement for the rookie . . . Pastrnak picked up an assist and now “It worked for Jake, I think, just taking a deep breath and watching from has an 11-game point-scoring streak (5-8—13) . . . Marchand’s goal up top,” said Cassidy, noting how a night off in November helped Jake improved his scoring streak to 5-7—12 in eight games . . . Matt Beleskey, DeBrusk kick start his game. “You can see the game at slower pace up who cleared waivers Friday noon, joined the Providence Bruins for their there, how much room you have, and sometimes it’s a matter of, ‘I don’t game Saturday in Hershey. The veteran winger started out on a line with want to be up here again, so I am going to fix whatever I need to fix the ex-BU center Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and Chris Porter. Beleskey on next time I am in there,’ and off we go.” Friday tweeted his appreciation for those who’ve supported him of late and said he was eager to get to work with his new team. The Burins this Cassidy hinted heavily Friday that he would scratch Bjork, the former season went 4-8-2 win Beleskey in the lineup. He had played in only one Notre Dame standout, noting that the rookie had to be harder on pucks of the club’s previous 12 games prior to clearing waivers. and contest better in one-on-one battles.
“My consistency, you can’t lose battles in this league,” said Bjork, who was benched halfway through Thursday’s game. “So my consistency, Boston Globe LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088682 Boston Bruins “That’s a change, right?” said Spooner. “I’m just used to be a support guy there [as a center]. You get those pucks when you’re standing still, it’s just a different feeling, right? I have to get those pucks, try to get to the Struggling Bruin Anders Bjork likely held out of Saturday’s game middle of the ice, make a play quick and just join in.” According to Cassidy, Matt Beleskey cleared waivers on Friday, as expected, and will be headed to Providence. The WannaB’s play Friday By Kevin Paul Dupont night in Syracuse, Saturday night in Hershey, and then not again until Dec. 22 in Hartford. Their next home game is not until Jan. 5.
Beleskey, 0-0—0 in 14 games this season, was placed on waivers Still looking to recapture his game and confidence after sustaining a Thursday. None of the other 30 NHL teams put in a claim on prior to brutal hit a month ago, rookie winger Anders Bjork likely will be held out noon Friday – not surprising given that the veteran left winger still has of the lineup Saturday when the Bruins face the Rangers in a 5 p.m. two years left on his deal, paying him $3.8 million per season. matinee at TD Garden. In the 14 games he played with the varsity, the Bruins went 4-8-2. “We’ll make that decision tomorrow, but that’s definitely a possibility,” Otherwise, they have gone 11-2-2. said coach Bruce Cassidy, following the club’s optional workout Friday afternoon in Brighton. “He is one of the guy’s we’ve discussed [sitting Beleskey took to Twitter and said he was thankful for the support and is out]. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but certainly a possibility, yes.” eager to find his game at Providence. Bjork, who left Notre Dame after his junior year to turn pro this season, Tuukka Rask, winner of his last five starts, will be back on the job vs. the was benched halfway through Thursday night’s 5-3 loss to the Capitals at Rangers. The Finnish franchise stopper has allowed only five goals in his the Garden. His ice time had been light of late — playing less than 10 last five starts and has stopped 124 of 129 shots for a .961 save minutes total in two of the past three games — and he has scored but a percentage. lone goal in the his six games since returning from a heavy hit by Toronto winger Matt Martin on Nov. 11. Rask (8-8-2) and trusty backup Anton Khudobin (7-2-2) will split back-to- back starts with the Blue Jackets here Monday and the Bruins in Buffalo Believed to have suffered a concussion, Bjork sat out the next seven Tuesday. games, not returning to action until Dec. 2 vs. the Flyers. Cassidy said it is undecided whether Rask or Khudobin goes first in that “I just find that Anders is not as strong on the puck as he was at the start split rotation. of the year,” said Cassidy, “or as quick to create turnovers. Parts of his game we’re always going to work on — we have talked about that with all The Bruins’ current 9-3-0 run, lifting them comfortably into the playoff of our young guys — and that’s not a big issue right now. It’s just being conversation in the Eastern Conference, is their best since the startling stronger on pucks.” 12-3-0 performance they put together immediately upon Cassidy taking over the bench in February. Speed is Bjork’s No. 1 asset, and his skating game has been noticeably absent since his return. They also finished 2016-17 with a late kick of 6-1-1. “I think that’s on me, just not moving my feet as much,” said the rookie Heightened awareness? right winger. “My speed is probably my biggest asset and I’ve got to use The final question of Cassidy’s off-day new conference, asked by a more of that, for sure.” Globe reporter, pertained to the current climate in the national work force, Cassidy acknowledged the club ultimately may have to make a decision, specifically the heightened awareness on inappropriate sexual behavior. whether to keep Bjork, 21, on the Boston roster or assign him to AHL The issue is perhaps not as pertinent in an all-male work force, such as Providence, where he would see more playing time. the Bruins, but Cassidy was asked if the constant drum of events has led “That’s the other thing we have to talk about — what’s best for the the club to address the players in regard to the issue at large. player’s development?” noted Cassidy. “You don’t want a player at that “I know there was an e-mail from the company when the stories broke,” age playing sparingly, and you don’t want them sitting out for any length said Cassidy, later clarifying that the missive came from the club’s of time. So, he has played sparingly, we’ve seen that. He hasn’t been a corporate office, Delaware North, in Buffalo. “No, we have not sat down healthy scratch yet and he hasn’t been to Providence — we’ll see what’s as a group in the last two weeks and addressed it point by point . . . and I best for him and what’s best for the Boston Bruins. haven’t seen a need to, to be perfectly honest. “We have to ice the best lineup every night and be mindful of what we “I don’t know if I am wrong on that — and it is a male-dominated industry, are trying to accomplish in the process; it’s tricky somedays, navigating but you read about ESPN last week, I guess some of the guys — football through that. And we are probably at a spot where we’ll have to have that players, I guess, a few of them — so maybe that will be down the road a conversation.” little bit here, I don’t know.” Spooner to play? ESPN recently suspended football analysts Donovan McNabb and Eric Bjork’s immediate fate rests, in part, whether Cassidy decides Saturday Davis following accusations they sexually harassed a female wardrobe afternoon that Ryan Spooner is ready to rejoin the lineup. Sideline much stylist in their work for the NFL Network. of the season with a groin injury, the center-wing has played in only 10 If something were to be addressed by the Bruins, noted Cassidy, it would games, producing a line of 1-3—4. be a matter for general manager Don Sweeney to oversee. “We’ll make that decision, 100 percent, tomorrow, but I think it’s time,” “I guess to answer your question,” said Cassidy, “no, there hasn’t been said Cassidy. “We don’t want a reoccurrence [of injury], if we can help it . any extra attention put on it other than the e-mail that first came out.” . . the lineup was going well . . . those are two of the biggest reasons, I think. We are confident he will play well when he goes in, we just want him to have his best chance to stay in the lineup.” Boston Globe LOADED: 12.17.2017 If he plays, Spooner likely would slot into Bjork’s right wing spot on the Jake DeBrusk-David Krejci line. He also would play on the first-unit power play, said Cassidy, joining Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron up front, with David Pastrnak and Torey Krug the point shooters. “I’ve taken some time here, but I feel fine,” said Spooner. A natural center, Spooner would prefer to be at a pivot spot, but the middle is tied up these days with the likes of Bergeron, Krejci, Riley Nash and Sean Kuraly. That said, Spooner consistently has said he welcomes work on the wing. “Last year, I played 25 or 30 games on the wing,” he said. “It’s not a problem for me.” The trickiest part of switching, center to wing, can be picking off pucks that are rimmed along the boards. Adept wingers learn the art of gathering them in, be it while skating or standing along the wall. 1088683 Boston Bruins Spooner, plagued by a nagging groin injury, suited up for only the 11th time this season. He began the afternoon on Bjork’s right wing, opposite DeBrusk, on a line centered by David Krejci. Bruins’ defensemen still off target Spooner played 20 shifts for 17:20 of ice time. He seemingly scored at 15:31 of the first period, but it was called back because the Bruins were offsides. Spooner did not take another shot for the day. By Kevin Paul Dupont Spooner, normally a center, noted Friday that the trickiest part of the a GLOBE STAFF DECEMBER 16, 2017 shift to wing is dealing with pucks that are rimmed along the boards by his defenseman. It takes a knack to gather those feeds, be it in stride or when standing still. There’s more scoring punch to be had from the Bruins’ defensemen. “Obviously, that’s a challenge,” said Cassidy. “Especially figuring out Coach Bruce Cassidy is sure of it. Now he wants to see it. where the pressure is coming from — is it coming from the D, or the high forward? That is a challenge for every winger and it will be more so for “Yes, we can . . . and we [have] the need,” Cassidy said prior to his him, but we just like the way our centermen have been playing. If he’s charges losing to the Rangers, 3-2, in overtime late Saturday afternoon going to go in the lineup, he’ll have to be a little bit out of his comfort at TD Garden. “It is easier said than done.” zone.” All of the Boston blue liners were blanked in Thursday’s 5-3 loss to the Ex-Boston University back liner Kevin Shattenkirk, who struck it rich as Capitals, but Cassidy felt he saw encouraging signs. His back line an unrestricted free agent last July, is the Blueshirts’ top point producer shooters were in the right place, but couldn’t convert chances into on the back line (5-17—22). Half of those points (2-9—11) have been numbers on the scoresheet. delivered on the power play — like Saturday’s winner. “I thought we were in good spots,” said Cassidy, a once-promising puck- Shattenkirk left BU after three years in 2010 to turn pro with Colorado. He lugger and shooter himself. “[Zdeno Chara] joined the rush in the second was dealt from St. Louis to Washington late last season, the Capitals period and the puck just hopped on him — he was point blank. Brandon hoping his pop could help them finally make it to the Cup Final. But they [Carlo] jumped up the ice, but just couldn’t handle a pass from [Brad flamed out again in Round 2 and Shattenkirk hit the open market, where Marchand]. It hopped on him. A faceoff play, [Matt] Grzelcyk got one, but the Rangers ponied up $26.6 million over four seasons to bring him to . . . ” Broadway. Torey Krug and rookie Charlie McAvoy lead the Boston defensemen with Unlike most high-priced UFAs, the 28-year-old Shattenkirk can be traded four goals each, followed by Chara (three) and Grzelcyk (one). That’s a once this season ends. The final three years of his deal allow the total of 12 goals back there in 30 games. Not bad. But of the 16 teams Rangers lots of elbow room in the trade market. Shattenkirk for the next holding a playoff berth through Friday night, the Bruins had the fewest two years can submit a list of 10 team he won’t play for, and then can goals scored (85) overall, and one-third of the goal scoring has come only protect against eight teams in the final year of the contract. from only two forwards, David Pastrnak (15) and Marchand (13). Word out on Acciari “We’re at the point now that I think our D are making good decisions when they join [the offense],” offered Cassidy. “Now it’s a matter of Noel Acciari, who started his season throwing everyone out of the bar, executing the final step, getting the shot on net and scoring. has dialed back considerably on his hitting game. “I think earlier this year we weren’t there in the attack. We’ve emphasized The ex-Providence standout rolled up 22 hits in his first four games, that more. Forwards are looking for the D, that’s part of it well — we’ve including 10 smacks vs. the Ducks on Nov. 15, but has given out only 25 worked more of that into practice. We’re healthier. Now it’s a matter of more hits over his last 27 games. finishing those plays. I think they’re certainly capable of it.” Some of the dropoff, in Cassidy’s opinion, could be that opposing Kevan Miller, now in his sixth NHL season, has only 11 goals in 245 defensemen and forwards are aware of his reputation, and are conscious games. Yet to score this season, he counts himself among those who of not getting in his path. could deliver more goals. “People are aware he’s coming now,” said the coach. “Before he snuck “Absolutely, myself included,” he said. “You know, one through six, we up on some people and now the word’s out that he drives through his are trying to create some offense there. We’ve done a good job of getting checks. So people know when he’s on the ice.” up in the play — just haven’t found the back of the net quite yet. Those will come. Gryz the other night, Z with a chance . . . I think they will go. His hitting, noted Cassidy, is a key component to the fourth line, which But the responsibility falls on us to make sure we are hitting the net.” includes left wing Tim Schaller and center Sean Kuraly. Given how teams typically collapse in their own zone, with all five “It’s part of the game we expect him to bring every night,” said Cassidy. defensive players intent on blocking shots, it can be a challenge for a “And hopefully it becomes contagious for Schaller and Kuraly — they are defenseman to identify a bonafide shooting lane. Cassidy believes there big bodies as well, and we’d like to see a little more of that out of them as are ways for the five-man unit to try to open lanes — by rotations and well. “ switches. But ultimately, said Miller, the responsibility rests with the shooter. Father’s day “I think it’s more on the guy, move your feet, try to get by [defensive Miller’s wife, Haley, gave birth to a daughter (Remi) late Tuesday night, coverage]” he said. “There’s not a lot the other four guys on the ice can which kept the defenseman out of the lineup Wednesday night in Detroit. do to help you create a lane. Maybe spread the guys out a little in the “Took a little longer than we expected,” said the proud dad. “But we’re offensive zone, keep guys to the outside —but then you’ve got no in front happy that everyone is happy and healthy. Haley and Remi are expected of the net to scree. So it kind of falls on the guy, I think.” to leave the hospital Sunday.” . . . Patrice Bergeron ripped off 15 shots, nine of them landing on net. Patrice the Thief also won 20 of his 28 As expected, Ryan Spooner moved back into the lineup, leaving Anders faceoffs . . . Kuraly, the fourth-line center, won 7 of 8 drops, a big Bjork in the press box, the first healthy scratch for the rookie right winger. improvement for the rookie . . . Pastrnak picked up an assist and now has an 11-game point-scoring streak (5-8—13) . . . Marchand’s goal “It worked for Jake, I think, just taking a deep breath and watching from improved his scoring streak to 5-7—12 in eight games . . . Matt Beleskey, up top,” said Cassidy, noting how a night off in November helped Jake who cleared waivers Friday noon, joined the Providence Bruins for their DeBrusk kick start his game. “You can see the game at slower pace up game Saturday in Hershey. The veteran winger started out on a line with there, how much room you have, and sometimes it’s a matter of, ‘I don’t ex-BU center Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and Chris Porter. Beleskey on want to be up here again, so I am going to fix whatever I need to fix the Friday tweeted his appreciation for those who’ve supported him of late next time I am in there,’ and off we go.” and said he was eager to get to work with his new team. The Burins this season went 4-8-2 win Beleskey in the lineup. He had played in only one Cassidy hinted heavily Friday that he would scratch Bjork, the former of the club’s previous 12 games prior to clearing waivers. Notre Dame standout, noting that the rookie had to be harder on pucks and contest better in one-on-one battles. “My consistency, you can’t lose battles in this league,” said Bjork, who Boston Globe LOADED: 12.17.2017 was benched halfway through Thursday’s game. “So my consistency, especially with my effort . . . every shift, every faceoff, every little play counts.” 1088684 Boston Bruins Boston Herald LOADED: 12.17.2017
Harris: Bruins fail to take full advantage of weary Rangers
Stephen Harris Sunday, December 17, 2017
One of the essential commandments of the NHL is: Thou shalt not whine about the schedule. As with so many commandments, this one is frequently viewed with a good deal of flexibility — and coaches and players do indeed often cite a crowded schedule as a contributor to a tough loss. They should. In reality, there is no doubt that a team playing for the second time in 24 hours is at a disadvantage when taking on a well- rested opponent. So it was that the Bruins took the ice at the Garden yesterday with a presumed significant edge over the Rangers: The B’s had Friday off, while the Rangers played, and beat, Los Angeles at Madison Square Garden. New York didn’t even get the full 24 hours between games with the 5:05 faceoff. And so it was that the Blueshirts ought to feel mighty good about themselves after jumping to a 2-0 lead on the B’s and eventually securing a 3-2 victory on Mats Zuccarello’s power-play score in overtime. “When you look at the schedule, it favors us, having not played (Friday),” said B’s coach Bruce Cassidy shortly before the puck drop. “I don’t know how much you read into that. It is a factor sometimes. “Hopefully we will take advantage of it in the first period. Our legs should be better. There’s no guarantees there. But that’s a bit of our game plan: Make sure we dictate the tempo early. Hopefully it results in a lead. We know we’re a good team with a lead. The last two games we chased it a little bit. It worked out one night (in Detroit); didn’t work out the other night (vs. Washington).” The Bruins were plainly the stronger team in Period 1, but squandered some good chances by missing the net with six shots. They also didn’t exactly have luck on their side: An apparent Ryan Spooner goal was taken off the board because Jake DeBrusk was offside; and the Rangers later grabbed the 1-0 lead on a Michael Grabner shot that flew above the net, caromed off the end boards and then hit Tuukka Rask’s back and bounced in. If there was any advantage for the Bruins because of the schedule, it was gone quickly — and, on a day of sloppy puck-handling, they once again found themselves chasing the score and the game. “We obviously weren’t as sharp as we’d like to be, but going down 2-0 it was nice to get back into it,” said Bruin Danton Heinen, whose sweet net- front deflection of a Zdeno Chara shot woke the B’s up late in Period 2. “We battled back and got a point out of it, and unfortunately fell a little short,” said Heinen. “We had some chances. For like half that (first) period we were creating some stuff. Pucks were bouncing or whatever. It wasn’t going in for some reason. That happens. You’ve got to stick with it. We ended up battling back, so that’s a positive.” Indeed, this qualified as a “good” point for the Bruins because of the rocky start and quick deficit. They are 9-3-1 in their past 13 and generally playing pretty well. “At the end of the day, we still feel we’re playing well,” said Cassidy. “The games we haven’t got points in, we were right there. So I think the group is confident with the way we’re playing. We’ve just got to keep sticking with the process.” The Bruins, of whom little was expected this season, are opening eyes around the NHL. It still looks like a tough challenge for this team to nail down a playoff berth in the crowded Eastern Conference. But league analysts see a program that is very much on the right track. “I don’t think people around the league understand just how good the Bruins are going to be,” said NBC analyst Pierre McGuire the other day in Detroit. “They’re going to be a really, really good team. There’s a lot of real promising stuff for the Bruins in the future. “Their staff has done a real good job. (GM) Donnie Sweeney had a clear plan. Sometimes when you transition your roster, there’s going to be some short-term pain for long-term gain. You’ve got to have the courage to implement that vision and you’ve got to have the courage to stick to it. You can’t change course halfway through. The Bruins are doing it right.”
1088685 Boston Bruins But the catch-up hockey the Bruins have been playing lately — they have allowed the first goal in the last three games — finally caught up to them in OT. Penalty in overtime for too many men on the ice leads to Bruins losing to “We’ve got good character on this team and it’s a good sign that we keep Rangers coming back,” Pastrnak said. “Unfortunately, we can’t keep coming back every single game.” Steve Conroy Sunday, December 17, 2017 Boston Herald LOADED: 12.17.2017 The Bruins erased a two-goal deficit to earn a point — not a bad feat with the way Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist played — but Mats Zuccarello scored a power-play goal at 1:56 of overtime to lift New York to a 3-2 victory yesterday at the Garden. It was a rollicking day of hockey, albeit a quite imperfect one. Rangers fans by the thousands made their way up from New York for this one and the two partisan crowds had the place buzzing. But the New Yorkers got the last roar. In OT, the B’s got caught with three tired players on the ice and Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron in deep. With a dangerous odd-man rush going the other way, coach Bruce Cassidy had no choice but to push the envelope with his line change. Marchand later took the blame for trying a backdoor play instead of playing it simple and just shooting the puck. “I can’t complain there,” said Cassidy, whose B’s were whistled for the same penalty during a third period power play. “We’re trying to gain an advantage and sometimes you get away with it and sometimes you don’t. We didn’t.” On the winner, Zuccarello held and held the puck on the right side looking for passing options, then finally sniped a shot under the bar to the far side. Tuukka Rask (25 saves) saw the release but lost the puck on a screen in front. Still, he thought he was in good position to stop it. “It’s a perfect shot. You beat me like that, I’ll just tip my hat and move on,” Rask said. The Rangers have beaten the B’s in seven straight meetings, the latest after playing, and winning, at home Friday night. The Bruins appeared to have taken the first lead of the game when Ryan Spooner, back in the lineup after missing the previous four games with a recurrence of a groin injury, chipped home a Torey Krug feed. But Rangers coach Alain Vigneault challenged the play for being offsides and it clearly was, as Jake DeBrusk was in the offensive zone ahead of David Krejci, who carried the puck along the blue line for too long. The B’s wound up with a deficit on a fluky goal late in the first. From the high slot, Michael Grabner snapped a shot that deflected off Rask’s mask and hit high off the glass. The puck came straight back and hit Rask in the back before the goalie accidentally kicked it into the net. “I’ve got to talk to the bull gang after this,” Rask said with a smirk. “Must have been a Celtics game last night (there was on Friday). Yeah, that was a first.” The game nearly got away from the Bruins in the second period. J.T. Miller scored a power-play goal at 2:41 when he took a Ryan McDonagh pass in full stride, blew past Brandon Carlo at the blue line and scored on a clean break-in. With the Bruins down 2-0, the wheels got very wobbly. On one shift, the B’s had umpteen chances to clear the puck but failed every time and only a Rangers offensive-zone penalty ended the torment. But just when it looked like the game was a lost cause, Danton Heinen deflected home a Zdeno Chara shot past Lundqvist (33 saves) to make it a one-goal game late in the second. The B’s power play was pathetic for much of the game, coming up empty on its first five tries, but the sixth time was the charm early in the third. David Pastrnak, bad enough in the first two periods to be taken off the first line and the first power-play unit briefly, was thrown back in, and it worked. Pastrnak took the puck in deep, circled the net and made a great pass back to the left wing to Marchand, who ripped a shot past Lundqvist’s glove that had been getting the best of him to tie it up. At that point, the Garden’s vibe was like that of a raucous Beanpot game, with B’s fans and Rangers fans trying to outchant each other. “That was pretty cool,” Marchand said. “I don’t think I’ve seen that too many times before in this arena. A lot of Ranger fans came in and it was pretty cool. We were laughing a little bit on the bench. It definitely makes it fun to play.” 1088686 Boston Bruins
Bruins notebook: Rookie Anders Bjork a healthy scratch in loss to Rangers S teve Conroy Sunday, December 17, 2017
It is a rare occurrence when a rookie can step into an NHL lineup and not find himself a healthy scratch for at least one game during the season. Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo pulled it off last year. Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk was banished to the press box for one game last month and Anders Bjork took his turn last night as a healthy scratch. “It worked for Jake, just taking a deep breath, going up and watching from up top,” said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy. “There’s a lot that goes into it. You can see the game at a slower pace up there, how much room you have, away from the puck what’s going on. And sometimes it’s just a matter of ‘I don’t want to be back up here again.’ It’s ‘I’m going to fix whatever I need to fix’ and off we go. I think that’s it as much as anything sometimes. Just understand that it’s not automatic that you’re not going to be in the lineup every night. We’ve got good players we’ve sat out, good players that don’t get in there every night and that there’s competition. That’s it. And hopefully (he’s back in) sooner rather than later, but I won’t make any promises on who’s playing Monday (against Columbus). We’ll get through this game and go from there.” Since returning from injured reserve after missing seven games with a suspected concussion, Bjork has one goal and no assists in six games. The left-shooting Ryan Spooner, a natural centerman who has played some on the wing, went into the lineup in Bjork’s spot on the right wing for the David Krejci-DeBrusk line. “Ryan has played a little bit of wing. For me in talking to him, he’s not that concerned whether it’s left or right wing to be honest with you,” said Cassidy before the 3-2 loss. “It’s just being out of the middle onto the wing, so it’s all a little bit new to him that way. Sometimes skill guys like to be on their off wing, they get off the wall a little bit easier, taking pucks on your forehand when you haven’t had a lot of experience with it. I think that’s a positive in it. As a centerman I think he used to like coming in the right side into the zone, so there’s some familiarity with it. If we don’t like what we see, we’ll move it around.” Spooner looked fairly comfortable and it appeared he had a goal early in the first period, but it was rightly called back when, upon challenge, it was revealed that DeBrusk was offside. Spooner eventually picked up an assist on Brad Marchand’s third period power-play goal. Speaking of the power play, the B’s have scored a man-advantage goal in five of their last six games, but that doesn’t mean it’s been crisp. They allowed shorthanded goals in back-to-back games and then gave Rick Nash a shorthanded breakaway in yesterday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Rangers. The B’s were 0-for-5 before Marchand’s goal and then nullified a late power play with the first of two too many men penalties in the game. “Early on I thought the pressure in-zone, we weren’t able to handle it,” said Cassidy. “They were more aggressive on the kill than we were ready for and we just did not handle it well. We had a couple of plays in mind we thought might work down low and I think we forced the puck, so we spent a lot of time going back in our own end and breaking the puck out, which becomes frustrating.” . . . The Bruins players decided to wear a wide variety of Christmas gear to the game last night. The winner, arguably, was Patrice Bergeron’s red sequined tails jacket and bow tie. . . . DeBrusk played only 7:43 while Bergeron played a season-high 24 minutes. . . . David Pastrnak extended his point streak to 11 games, tying his longest previous streak from Feb. 23-March 16 of last season.
Boston Herald LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088687 Boston Bruins anyone. He won’t get the gaudy offensive numbers some of the forwards will. But it’s a lot tougher to break in as a 19-year-old defenseman than a 22-year-old forward.” Harris: Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy has shot to follow in Ray Bourque’s As important as their minutes are, it’s not that common for defensemen footsteps as Calder winner to win the Calder. Since Bourque’s win, only six of 36 Calder recipients were blue-liners (along with six goaltenders). The honor typically, and sometimes maybe unfairly, goes to the high-profile forward who posts big Stephen Harris Sunday, December 17, 2017 offensive numbers. B’s timeline Will Charlie McAvoy be the first Bruins defenseman since Ray Bourque Tomorrow, vs. Columbus, 7:05 p.m. — Entering the weekend, the Blue in 1980 to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s best rookie? Jackets were tied for the Metropolitan Division lead. They topped the Bruins, 4-3, in a shootout in Ohio in Game 10. Defending Vezina winner Well, it’s not going to be easy, but the former Boston University star has Sergei Bobrovsky (17-8-1, 2.28 GA, .923 save percentage) is still a legitimate shot. excellent. There might not be a generational frontrunner out there this season; an Tuesday, at Buffalo, 7:35 p.m. — The poor Sabres just can’t seem to individual standout such as 2017 winner Auston Matthews of Toronto. figure it out, as they ranked last in the East and 30th overall entering the But there are several very good forwards who are delivering strong debut weekend. Ex-Boston University star Jack Eichel had just eight goals (two seasons. into empty nets) and minus-11 in 32 games going into Friday’s home game vs. Philly. The current list of contenders would certainly include: Thursday, vs. Winnipeg, 7:05 p.m. — The Jets have quietly built a pretty • Vancouver right winger Brock Boeser, a very smart first-round pick in good campaign. As of Friday, they led the West in goals, with 108. Old 2015 (No. 23 overall) from the University of North Dakota. The 6-foot-1 friend Blake Wheeler is enjoying an All-Star-caliber year (8-30—38 and Boeser entered play Friday as the league’s top rookie scorer, with 16-13- plus-4) in 32 games. 29 totals and an even plus/minus in 29 games. Saturday, vs. Detroit, 1:05 p.m. — The Bruins got outplayed much of the • New York Islander center Matt Barzal, another ’15 pick (No. 16), who way but stole a 3-2 overtime win in Detroit Wednesday. But the Wings took 8-20-28 totals and plus-8 into Friday. Barzal put on a dazzling show have a far better team than their record indicates, a good work ethic, of lightning-fast skating in the Isles’ win at the Garden last Saturday — strong team defense and far too many talented players to be losing with prompting many a B’s fan to question why the team drafted Jakub Zboril such regularity. at No. 13 and Zach Senyshyn at No. 15 in 2015 and not Barzal. There are troubled times in Pittsburgh for the two-time defending • Chicago right winger Alex DeBrincat, a little guy (5-7, 165) drafted No. champion Penguins, who, after a three-game losing streak, were out of a 39 in 2016, posting 12-11-23 totals and plus-4 through Thursday. playoff spot entering play Friday — and contemplating a manpower • Arizona right winger Clayton Keller, an ex-BU teammate of McAvoy. He shakeup. had 12-12-24 production through 34 games. Not much to boast about, “We’re coming in to a critical period where we’ll make a decision whether though, was his minus-20, which probably scratches him off the list of we need to shake things up or not,” general manager Jim Rutherford told Calder frontrunners. the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Wednesday. As for others, New Jersey’s Nico Hischier and Philadelphia’s Nolan Rutherford has tried to maintain patience with his club, but has nearly run Patrick, the 1-2 selections in June’s draft, were frequent preseason out and may be ready to make a big deal. Calder picks. The quick, multitalented Hischier (5-15-20, minus-2) has done well for the surprising Devils. Patrick hasn’t been quite as impactful “We’re almost there,” Rutherford said. “We are at a point where we’re (2-4-6 and minus-3). But barring big finishes, neither would appear to slipping in the wrong direction. We have to watch that real close. I’m not rank among the trophy favorites. going to get into lists (of possible trade subjects). I’m not saying we have to shake it up. (But) we’re good enough to be better than we’re doing. McAvoy certainly does. Going into last evening’s match vs. the Rangers, Hopefully that’s the way it goes here in the next little while. If it doesn’t, I he was just behind partner Zdeno Chara for the most ice time on the don’t think it’s unreasonable to think that a major trade would come out of team (23:41-23:28) and had posted 4-12-16 and a plus-1. Does he make this. mistakes of decision-making and/or execution? Yes. Does he get beat or out-muscled at times by older, more experienced NHLers? Yes. But “We have to understand that every team we play is playing us like it’s a that’s bound to be true of any 19-year-old blueliner. And he performs playoff game. They want to beat the Stanley Cup champions. We can’t most of the time with remarkable poise and skill — suggesting the sky is play two periods and think we’re going to win games.” the limit on his potential as he grows and learns.
We checked in with two impartial observers — NBC analysts Pierre McGuire and Mike Milbury — about how good McAvoy can be. About Boston Herald LOADED: 12.17.2017 how good he already is. “He’s dynamic defensively, way underrated physically and so strong offensively,” McGuire said in Detroit Wednesday. “He makes a difference in almost every game. And he’s only going to keep getting better. He’s just scratching the surface of the player he’s going to be.” Milbury said McAvoy has to get serious Calder consideration. “What’s he’s (playing), 231⁄2 minutes?” the ex-Bruins player and coach asked rhetorically. “He’s right there in rookie scoring. I’d say he has to shoot more, but you can’t say enough good things about him. “He looks like he’s going to be a good No. 1 for a long time. He’s changing the future of the Bruins franchise, really. If Chara can hand the torch to a new No. 1 defenseman like that, you’re a lucky franchise. “It’s a fair comparison to (Kings star Drew) Doughty — a guy who can play in all situations — penalty kill and power play, 5-on-5, gets lots of ice time and have an enormous impact. Nothing seems to fluster him. To me, you have to be born with that attitude. I think McAvoy has that. “I’ve focused on him a lot lately and I see an ability to recover. Even if he makes a mistake, he’s able to recover, get back into position. That’s a great sign. You may get in trouble, but then you work hard to get back to cover your own mistake. “I think he’s a legitimate (Calder) candidate. There are some other good ones out there. It’s a little early to start pinning the favorite’s role on 1088688 Boston Bruins
Beleskey ready to 'perform at the level I know I can' in Providence
By Joe Haggerty December 16, 2017 10:32 AM
BRIGHTON, Mass – In an unsurprising move given the strong character he’s shown since arriving in Boston, Matt Beleskey tweeted an assurance that he was going to work hard and regain his game after being sent to Providence. Beleskey, 29, cleared waivers on Friday afternoon and was assigned to the Providence Bruins, where he'll presumably play in all situations and get plenty of ice time to rebuild his confidence and game while waiting for another chance in the NHL. There’s no guarantee when or if that next chance is going to come given the richness of the Bruins prospect pool at the forward position, but Beleskey said via social media that he was ready to put in the work. Beleskey still has 2 1/2 years left on a contract that will pay him $3.8 million per season, but he’s hit a wall the past two seasons with just three goals and a minus-18 in his past 64 games for the Bruins. It’s a far cry from the hard-hitting, confident player that posted 15 goals, 37 points and 260 hits in his first season in Boston or the one who popped in 22 goals for the Anaheim Ducks heading into free agency. Some have speculated that the blue-collar Beleskey isn’t a good fit for Bruce Cassidy’s speed and skill-based system. Others say that the hard- nosed winger hasn’t been the same since injuring his knee at the start of last season. Whatever the case, the hard-hitting, heavy part of his game has been missing the past couple of seasons and the Bruins hope that Beleskey can find it in the AHL. “Matt [Beleskey] is very well liked in the room. So, no one likes to see a player get waived. The way we look at it as an organization is, he hadn’t played much, and I think the best way for him to get back to helping the Boston Bruins is to get playing,” said Cassidy. “So, he goes to Providence, finds his game, what he did well before previously – from my end, we just thought there were some players in the lineup that outperformed him, plain and simple. “We are trying to reward the players that earned it on merit and not look so much at maybe contract status, et cetera. You know, within reason. I think some of the young guys have pushed him. We’ve seen it at different positions and that’s as simple as I can make it. Like I said, I like Matt. He’s very respectful of the coaching staff of what we are trying to do. We just felt we had better in the lineup. The team is going well. The decision was made.” While it’s entirely possible that a stint in the AHL could be exactly what’s needed to light the fire in Beleskey’s game, the truth is that the demotion is an admission by the Bruins that the five-year, $19 million contract wasn’t a good one. Furthermore, it’s not very common for veteran NHL players to come back and regain their former high level once it gets urgent enough that they’re assigned to the minors. The more likely scenario with Beleskey is that he spends the rest of the season in Providence, the Bruins get the $1.025 million in savings on the salary cap and the team strongly considers a buyout in the offseason. It’s all disappointing considering the signing of Beleskey was their reaction to letting Milan Lucic go in a trade three years ago. They were desperately looking for a big-hitting, intimidating power forward to take Lucic's place in a search that’s still ongoing to this day.
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Cassidy: Too many men penalties 'a lousy way to lose'
By Joe Haggerty December 16, 2017 11:59 PM
BOSTON – The Bruins made plenty of mistakes in Saturday night’s overtime loss to the New York Rangers, but perhaps most glaring was the pair of too many men on the ice penalties late in the tightly contested hockey game. The first too many men call wiped out the Bruins final power play of the game, and the second infraction set up the Mats Zuccarello overtime game-winner in the 3-2 victory for the Rangers. Bruce Cassidy had a wry smile on the Bruins bench right after the penalty was called, and copped to a guilty plea of trying to get away with a little something after the game was over. Bruins come back to force overtime, but fall to Rangers, 3-2 Truth be told, the too many men on the ice call in OT could have been called on any one of Torey Krug, Patrice Bergeron or Brad Marchand as they headed off the ice after a long shift going back and forth up the ice. The Bruins were scrambling to try and change players while also catching up to a Rangers rush into the B’s defensive zone, and that’s where the trouble came in. “We’re scrambling to get on the ice, so the call might have been from, like, [Charlie] McAvoy jumping for [Torey] Krug, it might have been Krech [David Krejci] going for Bergy [Patrice Bergeron]. I don’t know. I can’t complain, I mean, we’re trying to gain an advantage there,” said Cassidy. “Sometimes you get away with it, sometimes you don’t. We didn’t. And the other one was on the power play; we had a forward jump for the wrong guy. “We had six guys. So, it’s hard to complain about them, you know, we were at fault there, we’ll take the blame for that and unfortunately it’s a lousy way to lose, but we had some chances in overtime too, we just lost our footing on a couple too. It was one of those nights, it seemed like we were – we had some chances at the offensive blue line, even in overtime, we just lost control of pucks and lost our footing and took away some good chances for us.” Cassidy and the Bruins had a little too many men on the ice trouble during their first-round playoff series against the Ottawa Senators last spring, but it hasn’t really been a recurring issue at all for the B’s bench this season. So the expectation is that Saturday’s OT loss to the Rangers, too many men on the ice penalties and all, was another example of a lot of odd things happening to the Bruins in a game they most definitely didn’t deserve to win.
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Talking Points: Rangers make Bruins pay for penalties
By Joe Haggerty December 16, 2017 11:03 PM
GOLD STAR: King Henrik Lundqvist has pretty solid career numbers against the Bruins, and has enjoyed some very good games against the Black and Gold over the years. King Henrik’s Saturday night was more of the same with 33 saves in the overtime win, including a number in spots where the Bruins began to get decent pressure on the New York net. Lundqvist did allow a power play goal in the third period to allow the Bruins to force an overtime, but he also stopped 15 shots in the third period to make certain that the Bruins didn’t get any more in the final 20 minutes. It was all there: The flashy glove save attempts, the quick reaction saves going post-to-post and the solid play that forced the Bruins to actually beat him for everything they got. BLACK EYE: You’ve got to put this one on the Bruins bench for taking a couple of too many men on the ice penalties at tough moments in the game. The first wiped out a Bruins power play late in the third period that might have given Boston a chance to end things in regulation, and the second was in the 3-on-3 OT during a moment of chaos as gassed Bruins players were attempting to come off the ice during a Rangers rush. Instead, it was a too many men on the ice penalty again, and this time it was Mats Zuccarello that made the Bruins pay with a game- winning PP strike through a Chris Kreider screen in front of Tuukka Rask. Bruce Cassidy said the B’s simply tried to get away with one in the overtime, but they were caught on a night when Boston had way too many mistakes to actually win the game. TURNING POINT: An early turning point for the Bruins could have changed the game in their favor when Ryan Spooner had a goal overturned very early in the first period. Jake DeBrusk was offside as David Krejci entered the zone with the puck just prior to the goal, and the Rangers bench quickly and successfully challenged the play directly afterward. Given that the Rangers have played a busy schedule as of late, the Bruins believed they could have really put a lot of pressure on the Blueshirts if they could have taken an early lead. Instead, the Bruins fell behind by a two-goal deficit, and were once again playing catch-up hockey before finally falling in overtime. HONORABLE MENTION: Danton Heinen continues to play well for the Bruins, and has essentially been given a vote of confidence by the Bruins with the assignment of Matt Beleskey to the minor leagues. Heinen scored his seventh goal of the season when he stood in front of the net and tipped home a Zdeno Chara point shot in the second period that finally got the B’s offense going. Heinen finished with four shots on net and six shot attempts in his 15:25 of ice time, and is actually tied with Patrice Bergeron for third in the Bruins in goals after potting his seventh of the season. It’s a really good sign as well when a young guy like Heinen isn’t afraid to hang around in the shooting lanes for tips and redirections when a big shooter like Chara winds up and blasts away. BY THE NUMBERS: 22 – the number of giveaways the Bruins in the overtime loss to the Rangers where they consistently mismanaged the puck, turning things over to the Blueshirts on a regular basis. Brad Marchand led the B’s with four giveaways, but Charlie McAvoy and Jake DeBrusk were just behind him with three of their own. QUOTE TO NOTE: “There were problems getting into the zone and there were problems in the zone…there were problems. We struggled on the power play. We’re not going to hide from that, but it got us a goal later, so we eventually kind of got it squared away. But we certainly had opportunities early to take advantage and we didn’t.” – Bruce Cassidy, talking about a Bruins power play that went 1-for-7 in the loss with just six total shots on net.
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Bruins come back to force overtime, but fall to Rangers, 3-2
By Joe Haggerty December 16, 2017 7:48 PM
BOSTON – It was a highly entertaining hockey game at its core, but it was also one that will go down as a loss for the Boston Bruins when it’s all said and done. The Bruins dropped a 3-2 overtime decision to the New York Rangers on a Mats Zuccarello sniped shot that beat Tuukka Rask high to the glove side, and ended the Bruins attempts to come all the way back from a two-goal deficit midway through the game. The Rangers struck first on a fluky goal in the first period as Michael Grabner sped through splitting the Bruins defense, and fired a shot high and wide that took a wild carom off the glass and ricocheted off the back and skate of Tuukka Rask before ending up in the back of the net. The Blueshirts added to in a poor penalty kill effort in the second period with JT Miller getting behind the entire B’s four-man unit, and promptly burying a backhanded bid past Rask. The Bruins fought back, however, and halved the lead after one of five brutal power play possessions in the first two periods of the game. Zdeno Chara lofted a point shot at the Rangers net shortly after one of their PP’s had expired, and Danton Heinen tipped the shot past Henrik Lundqvist to make it a one-goal game. The Bruins then finally hit paydirt on the power play in the third period as David Pastrnak wheeled around and fed Brad Marchand for a one-timer at the bottom of the face-off circle. That’s the way the game stayed until the 3-on-3 OT when the Bruins were whistled for a too many men on the ice penalty, and Zuccarello scored in the extra session for the Rangers win.
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With Bruins youth served, there are still plenty of lessons to be learned
By Joe Haggerty December 16, 2017 4:19 PM
BRIGHTON, Mass – The Bruins youth movement has gone remarkably well through the first three months of the season. Cassidy takes issue with no "third man in" call -Charlie McAvoy, just 19, is a contender for the Calder Trophy and leads all first-year players in ice time while excelling in all aspects of the game. -Jake DeBrusk has endured through some ups and downs in a top-six role alongside David Krejci and has played a key role in a number of Bruins wins this season while on pace for a solid 19 goals and 44 points. -Danton Heinen has erased the memory of his ineffectual NHL audition last season and has established himself as a third-line winger while on pace for 19 goals and 53 points as a solid 200-foot player. -Anders Bjork is currently in a quiet period, but he’s shown enough speed and skill to be able to live up to the hype. -Sean Kuraly has been solid as a fourth-line center and Matt Grzelcyk is beginning to establish himself as a puck-moving defenseman capable of holding up an NHL job. This doesn’t even mention guys like Noel Acciari and Brandon Carlo that are still in the first few seasons of their NHL development and continue on an upward trend for the Black and Gold. Despite all of these positive developments, there are still going to be teaching moments and frequent lessons for the young Bruins. The Thursday night loss to the Washington Capitals was one of those moments with a standout youngster McAvoy getting pushed around by the big, strong Cap. Bjork finished with a season low in ice time while getting benched in the second and third periods. He may even get scratched for Saturday’s game vs. the Rangers after simply not being hard enough on the puck recently. As the season goes along the intensity, the speed and the physicality is going to heighten around the league and a game against a big, strong, deep and dangerous team such as Washington was a good reminder of that for Boston’s rookies. “This league has different levels as you go along. It’s tough enough for the young guys when they’re healthy, so there’s another level happening that [Anders Bjork] is going to have to catch up. I think it’s a little more physical. I think he’s getting pushed off pucks now, and you’re starting to see it against some of, you know, the men,” said Bruce Cassidy. “We knew that coming in that there’d be a time where that may or may not happen with all the young guys. We saw that with [Danton] Heinen last year. He’s kind of figured it out. “[Against Washington] Charlie [McAvoy] had a tough time. You know, he got pushed off some pucks and beat one-on- one, so it happens to a lot of guys. That’s a good hockey club. It’s a good test for those guys to understand what it takes. You know, Grizz [Matt Grzelcyk], not so much. I thought, you know, his quickness allowed him to get in and out of spots, but that’s where Anders is right now, and he’s got to fight his way through it.” Certainly it’s the kind of first-year learning process that every NHL player goes through, so there’s a level of patience and understanding from the veteran guys that have been there. Patrice Bergeron broke into the NHL as the youngest player in the league and knows it better than most. “You’re going to see that during the season, especially for young guys. So I think it’s about going back to what you do best,” said Bergeron. “I think when you move your feet and you stop and start in the right position, things fall get back and fall back into place. He’s right there and the plays are going to come back to him, I think it’s part of being a professional and being a young guy and learning. I’m not worried about it.” Clearly, the Bruins aren’t worried about it while knowing full well this would be a learning curve for the rookies, and that the rare instance where the rooks are taken to school will help the team out in the long run.
Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088693 Buffalo Sabres what kind of team first-year general manager Jason Botterill and first- year head coach Phil Housley are eventually going to build.
"Jason Botterill is going to have that evaluation period done and then Martin Biron finds a familiar rhythm as Sabres analyst they start building the team the way they want it," Biron said. "Because you can say whatever you want, you can say there's not enough talent, or there's not enough speed, or there's not enough grit. And it's not really By Amy Moritz | Published December 16, 2017 | Updated all of that. I think it's just a matter of giving the team a direction. Right December 16, 2017 now, you're in a transition period and it's hard because you don't know where that team is going to be in two years, what Coach Housley and the general manager want the team to look like. Right now it's a mix between what the team used to look like and what it may look like, but we have no Hey, Marty! idea. So I’m patient, but it was a tough, tough start." It's a phrase he can't escape. At the grocery store. At his son's hockey Is Biron perhaps being too positive? Fans ask him that all the time, but practice. In the hallway of KeyBank Center. Wherever Martin Biron is, Biron doesn't see it as being positive. within a few minutes he'll hear, "Hey, Marty!" And then end up in a 20- minute conversation about hockey and Buffalo and the Sabres. "It's just calling it the way I look at it," Biron said. "I look at the game against Philadelphia. If this team was five games over .500 we wouldn't It's part of the package of his job with the Buffalo Sabres broadcast crew. even look at that game twice. We'd say, eh, they had opportunity, they While Biron has been a media analyst for a while, including gigs with the lose 2-1 on the road to a team that's hot, no big deal. Move on. They're NHL Network and the Canadian sports network TSN, this is his first full not five games over .500, and so now it becomes, 'We only had 20 shots season on the Sabres broadcast. He works the pre-game show, and oh, we really couldn't execute well.' intermissions and post-game show with host Brian Duff. "I try not to look at the circumstances. I try to look at that game, which is Thirty-three games into this particular venture, Biron said it's "better than hard to do. But you've got to be honest, and obviously you don't always advertised." want to be on the negative, because the game is 95 percent mistakes Working for a team's broadcast night in, night out, has taken Biron back and 5 percent great plays. So it's easy to point out the mistakes. You've to the rhythm of his own playing days. got to balance it out and be able to show the good stuff as well." "You know you can watch the games on TV all the time or you can come to the games, but when you're really working the game and thinking the Buffalo News LOADED: 12.17.2017 game and watching some practices and trying to break it down, talking to the players, it really brings you back to when you were playing," said Biron, who was a goalie with the Sabres from 1995 to 2007 and retired in 2013. He gave an example Friday morning, after the Sabres had lost to the Flyers in Philadelphia and before their game with Carolina in KeyBank Center (which ended up being a 5-4 overtime loss). Working the broadcast, Biron said, "brings you back to, what's the preparation on a day like today? You're facing Carolina. You played last night in Philly. You came back. Optional skate. How do you adjust playing a Philadelphia team to now playing a Carolina team? It brings you back to when you were playing and how you prepared or how you saw the team prepare. So all of that put together definitely puts you in that game-ready mode. You get up in the morning. There's a game. OK, morning skate. Gotta do this. Gotta do that. So it's back to the routine and that's a lot of fun." It's a lot of fun also because his performance isn't critiqued daily in the media. "The only difference is that at the end of the night, yeah, you have a great show, you have a show where maybe it's not as good, it doesn't show in the paper the next day," Biron said. "It doesn't say, you gave up six goals on 20 shots, you got pulled. So that's a lot better that way. But you still feel the ups and downs of the games, the ups and downs of the broadcasts." Ups and downs of the broadcast, you say? There's more than just a paycheck earned playing hockey. There's an opportunity to learn valuable life lessons that can translate into other situations, and other jobs. Like on Thursday night. When the Sabres are on the road, Biron and Duff stay in Buffalo, broadcasting their part of the show from an in- house studio. And sometimes, things go wrong. "We had some little difficulties," Biron said. "We lost our feed (Thursday) going into our pregame show so you finish the pregame show and you're like, 'Man, what happened there?' But then you realize you still have two intermissions and a postgame and you've got to be able to put it behind you and move forward, right? It's kinda like that same grind, that same routine as to when you were playing. Other than the fact that you spend a lot more time at home than you used to. When they're on the road for a week playing three games, you're at home almost every day getting stuff done so that's good." The broadcast has been entertaining, particularly Biron's easy-going nature with Duff. But the on-ice product itself has been difficult to watch at times, many times, early this season. The Sabres are 8-18-7 after their 5-4 overtime loss to Carolina on Friday. The team was off on Saturday, returning to practice Sunday as they prepare to host the Boston Bruins on Tuesday. In the Sabres, Biron sees a team finding its way after struggling at the start of the season. And he's patient because, he said, no one knows 1088694 Buffalo Sabres Numbers-wise, O'Reilly is just a shade off what he normally is. With eight goals and 21 points in 33 games, he's on pace for 20 goals and 52 points. During the previous four seasons, he averaged 21.5 goals and Inside the Sabres: Ryan O'Reilly's search for magic words 58.5 points. But the losses are plentiful, and so is the time in the defensive zone. O'Reilly starts in the offensive zone just 37.73 percent of the time. He By John Vogl | Published December 16, 2017 | Updated was at 45.47 percent last year. December 16, 2017 It's resulted in more goals against and shots against. At five-on-five, he's been on the ice for 13 goals scored and 21 against. It was 38-38 last season. The shots are 390 for and 458 against, a swing from the nearly After the Sabres' lackluster loss in Philadelphia, Ryan O'Reilly said it for even 996 to 1,021 last year. the umpteenth time: When it's all added up, O'Reilly is left searching for answers. More often "It starts with myself." than not, the answer is, "It's on myself to be better." O'Reilly continually shoulders the blame for Buffalo's forgettable season. "It's been tough this year," O'Reilly said, "but hopefully it comes." The center repeatedly says it's on him to be better.
While standing next to O'Reilly, it's clear he is sincere with his comments. There is gloom in his eyes and voice. Buffalo News LOADED: 12.17.2017 The words, however, get lost in translation on the way through Sabreland. The fans have read or heard his mea culpa so many times that it rings hollow. This was mentioned to O'Reilly. "And I wish I had an answer on how to fix things, but I'm trying to figure it out as best I can," he said. "I know other guys are, too, and it's tough." O'Reilly and Jack Eichel became Sabres on the same night in June 2015. From that moment on, it was up to them to lead Buffalo out of the basement and back to the playoffs. Yet here they are in the basement again. "It's probably been the toughest season I've ever been a part of," said O'Reilly, a nine-year veteran. "It hurts. When we're not able to perform our best and I let this team down, it's on myself. I can't really look at anyone else. "Yeah, it's been a pretty miserable year so far." During years of contract disputes with Colorado, O'Reilly longed for a change. He wanted to be The Man somewhere. Former Buffalo General Manager Tim Murray granted O'Reilly's wish. He traded for the center and promptly signed him to a seven-year, $52.5 million extension that began last season. There are still five-plus seasons left, but so far it's a case of be careful of what you wish for. With higher expectations comes higher responsibility. And when things don't go well, there's more blame and deeper pain. "More and more as I have a bigger role on this team, it's on me more," O'Reilly said. "When you're younger and you don't have as much pressure, it's a little easier. But looking at it in the position that I am, it matters a lot more." The disappointment is evident in his body language and facial expressions while he's in KeyBank Center. The alternate captain tries not to take it home. "It is tough some nights going home and trying to figure out what's going on and why I'm not performing the way I want to perform," the 26-year- old said. "But there's things you do to try and stay away and get away from the game to come back and be hungry and figure it out." There are plenty of things to keep O'Reilly occupied. He and his fiancée are expecting a baby any day. He has guitars and music. He takes in movies. After banking $15.8 million during his final three seasons in Colorado and $26.2 million during his opening three seasons in Buffalo, he can follow any whim. He also talks with his father, Brian. The elder O'Reilly runs Human Potential Plus, which coaches individuals, athletes and businesses to improve and succeed through positive thinking and motivational tactics. "We talk a lot," Ryan O'Reilly said. "It always helps to try to get back to the beginner's mindset, to always find a way to grow and reinvent yourself every game." O'Reilly has not been impressed with his game this season. When he sees videos, he doesn't even recognize the guy in the No. 90 sweater. "I feel I've really struggled this year," O'Reilly said. "I don't think I picture myself being anything like the way I've been playing. It's a complete lack of creativity and just not what I expected." 1088695 Calgary Flames
Jagr returns to action as Flames face Predators
Wes Gilbertson Published on: December 16, 2017 | Last Updated: December 16, 2017 12:47 PM MST
Guess who’s back? Legendary right-winger Jaromir Jagr returns to action Saturday, skating on the fourth line as the Calgary Flames welcome the surging Nashville Predators for a Hockey Night in Canada clash at the Saddledome. The 45-year-old Jagr, who is within striking distance to erase Gordie Howe’s all-time games-played record later this season, has missed five consecutive contests with a nagging lower-body injury. “If you look at this numbers and what he’s created every time he’s on the ice, it’s almost like any line he’s been with has generated a little bit more,” said Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan of Jagr. “We’re at the point where we have to get him in the lineup and see how he feels, because he’s had two or three days of good skating now and feels a lot better, so the next step is to get him some live game action.” Jagr, who has one goal and a half-dozen helpers in 17 appearances in the Flaming C, will work alongside Matt Stajan and alternate captain Troy Brouwer, a fourth line that has a mind-boggling 3,404 games of National Hockey League know-how. You can expect to also see No. 68 on the power-play. The Flames had their four-game point-streak snapped in Thursday’s 3-2 home loss to the San Jose Sharks and are once again below .500 at the Saddledome (8-9-0). The Predators, meanwhile, have collected points in six straight and are trying to finish off a sweep of their three-game tour of western Canada after a 7-1 drubbing of the Vancouver Canucks and a 4-0 shutout win against the Edmonton Oilers. They’ve been the NHL’s hottest team for the past six weeks, with a superb 15-2-2 record in their past 19 outings. “We know that they’ve been playing well, and that’s no secret,” said Flames defenceman Travis Hamonic. “We fell short in the last game against San Jose, but we believe within our group that we’ve been playing some good hockey, as well. We know that we want to continue to get better at home. That’s an area that every team wants to improve on. We want to make this a hard building to play in. “Hopefully a good 60-minute effort tonight from our group.” Hamonic will have a special cheering section Saturday. The 27-year-old and his wife, Stephanie, are playing host to a father and two sons from Nunavut as part of The Northern Project initiative. Fourteen-year-old MacLeod from Naujaat, Nunavut, was selected as the first recipient. Along with his dad and his younger brother, they boarded five flights — Repulse Bay to Coral Harbour to Rankin Inlet to Churchill to Winnipeg to Calgary, finally — and were picked up in a stretch limo. Their all-expenses-paid trip is courtesy of the Hamonics. “It just puts a smile on my face to see how excited they are,” said Hamonic, who is of Metis descent. “Pakak and MacLeod, unbelievable kids. I’ve had a chance to hang out with them this morning, and their dad Emmanuel. Just a great family, great people, genuine, kind. They brought me some gifts. Those are the kind of people that you want to surround yourself with — good, kind-hearted people. So to see them come in here and get this experience … The smile they get, it makes it well worth it. “This life is a good life that we live, and I’m very proud of what I do for a living. But I’ll be an old retired guy one day and you want to look back on your time and think that there was a lot more to your life than just being a hockey player. If you can use this stage to do those things and accomplish that, for me that’s something that I’m even more proud of.” After Saturday’s contest, the Flames will jet to Vancouver for Sunday’s meeting with the Canucks at Rogers Arena.
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Game Day: Flames vs. Predators
Kristen Odland, Postmedia Published on: December 16, 2017 | Last Updated: December 16, 2017 12:00 PM MST
The last time these two saw each other, the sophomore winger had beat Nashville’s starting netminder twice — once in the third period of a closely fought battle and the other in the shootout. The latter, of course, did the trick in a 3-2 shootout victory. Tkachuk, who just turned 20-years- old on Dec. 11, hasn’t scored in two games. Meanwhile, Rinne, who has 17 wins this season (only Braden Holtby and Andrei Vasilevskiy had more heading into Friday’s action) hasn’t played since Tuesday’s 7-1 stomping of the Vancouver Canucks. Should be quite the duel. FIVE STORYLINES FOR THE GAME 1. LAST TIME THEY MET When these teams faced each other on Oct. 24, you could have sworn it was mid-season given the level of the clash. The Flames snapped a two- game losing skid at Bridgestone Arena with a 3-2 shootout victory. And they did so in exciting fashion as they erased a two-goal deficit. Matthew Tkachuk had started the comeback with a goal in the late stages of the game and finished it with the decisive shootout winner. 2. DONATE THE WEIGHT OF THE FLAMES The Calgary Flames and Calgary Co-op are teaming up to support the Calgary Food Bank. During Saturday’s game against Nashville, fans are asked to bring non-perishable food items and are aiming to “Donate the Weight of the Calgary Flames.” Saturday is the final day of collection as the goal is set for 5,400 pounds of food. Fans can make non-perishable food or cash donations upon entry at Saturday’s game. 3. THE NORTHERN PROJECT Travis Hamonic, his wife Stephanie and the Calgary Flames officially announced a community program directed at Indigenous children from the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon and providing them with a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Northern Project will see children and their families visit Calgary for the weekend on an all-expenses paid trip, courtesy of the Hamonics. “My wife Stephanie and I are extremely excited to host Indigenous children and their families who may otherwise not have the opportunity to see an NHL game,” Hamonic said in a release. “Being Métis myself, I hold my roots very close to my heart and hope this initiative provides the children and their families with a bit of light and hope for their future.” The first recipient, 14-year-old MacLeod from Naujaat, Nunavut, his 13-year-old brother Pakak and their father Emmanuel arrived on Friday and will be in attendance for Saturday’s game. Throughout the season, three families will be awarded the opportunity. 4. HEY HEY IT’S JUUSE Nashville netminder Juuse Saros posted a franchise-record 46-save shutout on Thursday as the Nashville Predators blanked the Edmonton Oilers 4-0. In the first period alone, the Preds were out-shot 22-4. This came after a 43-save performance against the Dallas Stars last week. It was his second consecutive win in a back-to-back situation. While the Flames will likely face the Predators No. 1, the 22-year-old Finn has started seven games this season and has a 3-3-1 record with a 2.94 goals against average and a .911 save percentage. 5. ON THE PROWL If anyone was wondering if the Predators have missed a step since the 2017 Stanley Cup final, check out the NHL standings. Heading into Friday’s action, they are sitting at second in the league (and tied with St. Louis with 44 points). Following Thursday’s 4-0 beat-down of the Edmonton Oilers, they were 20-7-4 to lead the Western Conference. They’re scoring a lot (averaging a fifth-best 3.32 goals per game average), saving a lot (averaging 2.64 goals against per game), and have won 15 of their past 20. Gulp.
Calgary Herald: LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088697 Calgary Flames “I thought we played well. For whatever reason, the puck didn’t go in tonight,” Giordano said. “I thought our power-play was better as far as generating chances, but bottom line is we’ve gotta find a way to get one. Flames' power-play funk continues in shutout loss to Predators When you get a five-on-three for a long period of time, you have to score in this league. That hurt.”
The Flames beelined to Vancouver after Saturday’s loss and will try to Wes Gilbertson give the fine folks of Airdrie something to cheer about during Sunday’s Rogers Hometown Hockey broadcast — a 5 p.m. MT clash between the December 17, 2017 crew from Calgary and the host Canucks at Rogers Arena. Flames defenceman Travis Hamonic had a special cheering section at Saturday’s matchup. During a second-intermission contest at the Saddledome, a long-haired fan named Paul fired through a tiny target from centre-ice to win $5,000 The 27-year-old and his wife, Stephanie, have launched The Northern worth of groceries at Calgary Co-op. Project — providing all-expenses-paid opportunities for Indigenous youngsters from Canada’s Territories to attend a game at the If Paul brought his skates, he might have earned a look on the power- Saddledome. play in the third period. Fourteen-year-old MacLeod from Naujaat, Nunavut, was selected as the The Calgary Flames’ struggling special-teams unit could certainly use a first recipient. boost after another 0-for performance in Saturday’s 2-0 home loss to the Nashville Predators. Along with his father Emmanuel and younger brother Pakak, they hopped five different flights — Repulse Bay to Coral Harbour to Rankin Inlet to The Flames (16-14-3) failed to cash on any of their five man-advantage Churchill to Winnipeg and finally to Calgary — and were picked up in a opportunities against the Predators. Their power-play has now been stretch limo. skunked in five straight games. They toured the locker-room with Hamonic at morning skate and high- “We’re not playing bad hockey. We’re actually playing good hockey, but fived the Flames as they filed onto the ice for pre-game warm-up. we’re not getting any help with our power-play,” said Flames bench boss Glen Gulutzan. “I thought our penalty-kill looked real sharp. Our five-on- “The smile they get, it makes it well worth it,” said Hamonic, who is of five game is in tact. We hit four cross-bars or posts, I believe. Metis descent. “This life is a good life that we live, and I’m very proud of what I do for a living. But I’ll be an old retired guy one day and you want “We’re having a little trouble generating, we’re squeezing a little bit five- to look back on your time and think that there was a lot more to your life on-five, but our power-play is the one thing that has to bail you out when than just being a hockey player. If you can use this stage to do those you go through these things. things and accomplish that, for me that’s something that I’m even more ”And it’s not.” proud of.” Predators stalwart Pekka Rinne made 32 saves for Saturday’s shutout, while forwards Ryan Johansen and Kevin Fiala each solved Flames Calgary Sun: LOADED: 12.17.2017 starter Mike Smith at the other end. Smith was presented with a silver goaltending stick in a pre-game ceremony to commemorate his recent milestone as one of only 70 netminders in league history to hit the 500- game plateau. The Predators were Stanley Cup finalists last spring and have been the NHL’s hottest team for the past six weeks, now with a 16-2-2 mark in their past 20 outings. The Flames, to their credit, controlled much of the five-on-five play. Their power-play again let them down, especially after Predators right- winger Austin Watson was slapped with a five-minute major for a blindside hit on Garnet Hathaway during the middle stanza. Hathaway exited immediately but returned for the third, while alternate captain Troy Brouwer dropped his mitts and left Watson with a bloodied nose. Brouwer received an instigator penalty, so the squads were playing four- a-side when Johansen snapped the scoreless tie by backhanding a bouncing puck past Smith. Not ideal, but Predators blueliner Anthony Bitetto was dinged for boarding with plenty of time remaining on Watson’s sentence, gifting the hosts with 1:48 of five-on-three advantage. The result? Nothing to show for it. The Flames managed three shots on net — all courtesy of captain Mark Giordano — during that extended two-man edge but couldn’t tickle the twine. On their most dangerous chance, Micheal Ferland’s stick shattered as he leaned into a one-timer. “I think that was our chance to kind of get in the game,” said defenceman Dougie Hamilton of the fruitless five-on-three. “Obviously we didn’t, and it’s frustrating.” The Predators added an insurance marker in the final minute of the second, with Fiala squeaking a re-direct through Smith’s five-hole after a feed from Kyle Turris. The Flames are now 0-for-19 on the power-play in their past five games, although leading scorer Sean Monahan did come close to snapping them out of that funk when he cranked the cross-bar on a third-period power- play against the Predators. The locals dented a lot of iron on this night, with Giordano, TJ Brodie and Jaromir Jagr — back in action after a five- game absence due to a lower-body injury — all catching a piece of the post. 1088698 Carolina Hurricanes “They’re going to push and we’re going to play people who are playing well,” Peters said.
If both play well, the Hurricanes can build a season. Hurricanes’ Darling backs up Ward’s two wins with one of his own
News Observer LOADED: 12.17.2017 BY CHIP ALEXANDER [email protected] DECEMBER 16, 2017 11:11 PM UPDATED 6 HOURS 9 MINUTES AGO
This is the way the Carolina Hurricanes envisioned it working between the pipes: Goalie Cam Ward playing well one game, Scott Darling the next. General manager Ron Francis brought in Darling to be the Canes’ No. 1 goalie this season and Ward, in preseason, said he could accept a lesser role after being Carolina’s franchise goalie since the Stanley Cup run in 2006. Such was the plan. Ward, given consecutive starts against the Vegas Golden Knights and Buffalo Sabres, won them both. Darling, in turn, backed up Ward’s overtime win Friday over the Sabres with a 35-save effort in the Canes’ 2-1 victory Saturday over the Columbus Blue Jackets at PNC Arena. For the first time this season, the Hurricanes (14-11-7) have won three straight games. And it has started in net, where Ward has given his team calm, steady play in his two games and Darling then responded with a clean, tidy performance. “It’s been great and it’s huge for us,” said defenseman Noah Hanifin, whose second-period goal Saturday was the winner. “When you’ve got guys like Cam and the way Scotty played for us, it’s huge. It gives us motivation. “We know what we’ve got in net there. We’re a lot more confident, especially in the D-zone.” Ward’s 3-2 win over the Golden Knights — in a shootout, no less — was his 300th career victory, and the veteran was given a rousing ovation Saturday by the home fans at PNC Arena. That win earned him the start Friday against Buffalo, in the last game of a six-game road trip, and the Canes won 5-4 after Ward made a nifty pad save against the Sabres’ Evander Kane in overtime and defenseman Jaccob Slavin then scored. Darling was watching. A night later, it was his turn and his third start against the Blue Jackets (20-12-1), who came into the game one of three Metropolitan Division leaders with 41 points. Darling faced 16 shots in the first period and gave up a goal on Alexander Wennberg’s tip from the slot. But he was aggressive in net, using his stick well, and allowed fewer rebounds than he has in other games. “He bailed us out there early,” center Jordan Staal said. Darling, obtained in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks, has had two embarrassing gaffes this season, both in games against the New York Rangers. He fumbled and dropped a high, lofted puck by Mika Zibanejad from the blue line, then left the net and whiffed trying to play the puck, allowing an easy goal. “I’m learning every day and I’ve been learning from Cam,” Darling said. “He’s been showing me the ropes. “He talks to me and keeps my confidence up. He’s been through it all in his career and he’s seen the highs and the lows. If he sees me down he’s quick to give me a pat on the back and be like ’It’s all going to balance out in the wash.’ He’s been great to me.” Darling, who has started 22 games, had not won since a 4-3 shootout win over Nashville on Nov. 26. He was winless in five straight games but made 36 saves against Columbus in a 3-2 shootout loss Nov. 28. A few hours before Saturday’s game, Canes coach Bill Peters was asked if he might go with Ward again, even in a back-to-back set. But he stuck with the plan to start Darling against the Blue Jackets’ Sergei Bobrovsky. “He gave us a chance to build a game,” Peters said. With 50 games remaining, it’s hard to say how the split will be between Darling and Ward the rest of the way. Goaltending coach Mike Bales will weigh in and Peters will make the decision. 1088699 Chicago Blackhawks
Connor Murphy's versatility helping Blackhawks get through injuries on blue line
Chris Hine Chicago Tribune
Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy has become used to life on the left side over the last month. With the team having a surplus of right-handed defensemen thanks to the emergence of Jan Rutta and Cody Franson, Murphy was the odd- man out and ended up switching to the left beside Brent Seabrook. Murphy and Seabrook have skated together since the Hawks’ 3-1 loss to the Flyers on Dec. 9. But with injuries to Franson and Rutta, Murphy moved back to his natural right side. That’s where Murphy was Thursday for the Hawks’ 5-1 victory over the Jets and where he will be Sunday when the Hawks face the Wild at the United Center. “It’s not about relearning (the right side),” Murphy said. “Just remind yourself when you hop over the boards what side of the ice you’re going to.” Murphy was skating with Gustav Forsling at practice Saturday. But Murphy’s time on the right might not last. Coach Joel Quenneville said he expects Franson and Rutta, who are nursing upper-body injuries, to return to the ice soon, perhaps as early as the morning skate Sunday. Murphy’s versatility has helped him earn avoid the fates of Jordan Oesterle and Michal Kempny, who were healthy scratches when Franson and Rutta were playing. Oesterle has filled in the last three games while Kempny played Thursday for the first time since Nov. 12. “That’s really hard. Those guys handled it so well, sitting out and working hard every day to continue to stay sharp and get better,” Murphy said. “It shows the work they put in when they’re not in the lineup when they do get a chance. Both of them showed they deserved to play.” “It makes it exciting that we have the defensive depth and guys that can contribute.” Lighter load: The Hawks recently went through a stretch in which they played five games in seven days. Beginning Saturday, they will play just three over the next 11 days. Sunday marks their final home game of 2017. “Let’s take advantage of the home ice,” Quenneville said. “We’re coming off some wins but I still think there’s a 60-minute complete game for us.”
Chicago Tribune LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088700 Chicago Blackhawks “You don’t wish to lose or anything bad to happen,” Oesterle said. “You want team success. I just realized (I had to) control whatever I can control, like my practice habits, how hard I work, and just wait for my Blackhawks defenseman Jordan Oesterle's rule: 'Don't want to come out' opportunity.”
Paul Skrbina Chicago Tribune LOADED: 12.17.2017 Chicago Tribune
Jordan Oesterle always has preferred sweaters over suits and ties. But the Blackhawks defenseman has had little control over his wardrobe options this season. For the first seven games Oesterle’s look was more businessman, less hockey player because he was a healthy scratch. They were scratches Oesterle longed to itch. His first opportunity arrived Oct. 19 but lasted just three games. The weight of not playing was, at times, heavy on the 25-year-old’s mind. “The first seven games I sat out, I was back and forth,” Oesterle said. “I never experienced anything like that in my career. Going through that helped me for the next time around. I realized once I’m home from the rink, I park it. I can’t control what the coaches think.” Or can he? Oesterle’s second chance — third, if you count the 10-minute cameo he made Nov. 11 — to make a first impression arrived when Cody Franson was relegated to injured reserve with an upper-body injury. Oesterle has played well enough during the last three games to leave coach Joel Quenneville with a tough decision once Franson or Jan Rutta return from their ailments. “We don’t mind that,” Quenneville said. “We welcome it. That’s a good sign.” That’s because his time around, Oesterle said he didn’t let sitting out get to his very-upper body — his mind. Instead, he said, he plotted a strategy about how he wanted to approach his next chance. No gusto and more “just playing my game.” “It’s definitely in the back of your head,” he said. “When you get that time, you want to take full advantage and want to play with an attitude you don’t want to come back out. “I know what it’s like being on the outside looking in. It’s not as fun as playing in the game.” The Blackhawks have won all three games since Oesterle’s latest return as part of their four-game winning streak. He’s averaging about 20 minutes on the ice each time — and savoring each one. “You never know if this might be the last one for a while,” he said. “I’m just trying to force their hand to keep me in.” Oesterle also is trying to figure out how to improve his game. Since his return, he has contributed on the offensive end with an assist. He blocked three shots against the Coyotes in his first game back. He has been playing well with Duncan Keith. Quenneville said Saturday that Franson and Rutta (upper-body injury) might skate Sunday before the game against the Wild, which could put them one step closer to returning. In the meantime, Oesterle plans to continue to mind his P’s and “Q.” “Everybody thinks you can bring more, you can give a little bit more,” Oesterle said. “I can bring some more to this team.” That’s exactly what Quenneville is hoping. So far, pretty good, no matter the motivation. “Whether it’s frustration, you channel it properly, it could be healthy for your team,” Quenneville said. “You just want to get in there in the worst possible way, show you can play. And the better you play, the more you’ll play. It enhances your situation of staying in the lineup.” But even when he was out, Oesterle said one of his main focuses was being a good teammate, which carries as much as weight inside the locker room as the burden of frustration does out of it. He knew his chance likely would come at the expense of another player, most likely because of an injury. 1088701 Chicago Blackhawks
Sunday's matchup: Wild at Blackhawks
Chris Hine Chicago Tribune
Storylines: The teams have split two meetings this season, with the Hawks falling 5-2 on Oct. 12 at home and winning 2-0 on Nov. 4 on the road. The Hawks will likely be without injured defensemen Cody Franson and Jan Rutta. Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk will miss the game because of a lower-body injury. Trending: Hawks center Tommy Wingels has three goals in his last four games, bringing his season total to five. He had seven in each of the last two seasons.
Chicago Tribune LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088702 Chicago Blackhawks "You still just want to play your game," he said. "You don't want to come in and try to do too much and make a mistake."
Quenneville wouldn't say that deciding who sits and who plays is the For Chicago Blackhawks, nothing healthy about being scratched toughest part of his job, but he has seen tangible evidence that guys often return with more purpose to their game. John Dietz "That's what you're hoping for, knowing you've got a lot of energy, a lot of excitement built up," he said. "Whether it's frustration -- (if) you channel it Follow @johndietzdh properly it could be healthy for your team. "You just want to get in there in the worst possibly way and you want to show you can play. The better you play, the more you'll play and it The healthy scratch. enhances your situation of staying in the lineup." Whether they're forced to sit out one game because a coach wants to give them a kick in the pants or if they're out for weeks on end because of a loaded roster, this can be the toughest thing players deal with during Chicago Tribune LOADED: 12.17.2017 their pro careers. "It (stinks) not playing," said the Blackhawks' Ryan Hartman, who has sat out three games this season. "So you're always ready to get back in the mix when your name is called." Coach Joel Quenneville recently used the same lineup for a six-games- in-10-day stretch in which the Hawks went 1-3-2. Would it perhaps have been a good idea to insert Jordan Oesterle, Michal Kempny or the since- departed Tanner Kero for a game or two for some added energy? Because when Oesterle and Kempny -- and the just-called-up Vinnie Hinostroza -- were slotted in over the past week, their fire was more than noticeable. Quenneville said his staff looks at "all the variables of what makes us best," and that sometimes using guys who aren't playing much can be healthy for the team. But he also admitted it's a tough balancing act because he wants to use the strongest players as often as possible. Kempny dressed Thursday for the first time since Nov. 12 and scored on a wicked blast in the third period of the Hawks' 5-1 victory at Winnipeg. Oesterle, who has been scratched a team-high 25 times, has looked fantastic skating with Duncan Keith. He has 7 shots on goal, is a plus-4 in the last three games, and even worked on the second power-play unit Saturday at practice. Those two finally returned to the lineup because of injuries to Cody Franson and Jan Rutta, and are expected to play against Minnesota on Sunday as the Hawks go for their fifth straight victory. "It's a really hard mental thing, getting scratched and sitting out," said defenseman Connor Murphy, who sat three of the Hawks' first 12 games. "You go into every season having the expectation to help your team and be out there battling with each other every day. When you don't get that chance, it's hard, and it's easy to get down. "We've had guys that have handled it well and are really strong and good teammates. They still come to the rink with a smile on their face and are working hard, and that's all you can ask of anyone." Murphy, Hartman (no goals in 17 straight games) and Richard Panik (no goals in 21 straight) are three regulars who have been scratched due to lackluster play. Hartman was benched in recent wins over Buffalo and Arizona, then returned and played well against Florida and Winnipeg. Panik sat the last two, and it's anyone's guess when he will return after the Hawks destroyed the Jets with one of their best efforts of the year. Hartman, Oesterle and Murphy said they are definitely motivated after getting scratched. "It adds a little fuel to your fire," Murphy said. "Everyone wants to have a lengthy career in the NHL and everyone wants to play in every game they can. So it definitely isn't a good sign when you're (scratched). "You want to make sure you're coming out and showing you have extra motivation that you're going to have everything on your side to keep them from sitting you out." If you think that's a unanimous opinion, though, think again. "You need to be extremely, extremely motivated every opportunity you have in the lineup," forward Tommy Wingels said. "I don't think it takes a healthy scratch to change your demeanor, your drive or anything like that. … You have to be ready to give it your all every game." Wingels did say watching from above can make you realize what areas can be improved, but the fire needs to be there "every single night." Hinostroza, a healthy scratch 14 times last season, agreed with Wingels. 1088703 Chicago Blackhawks
From no-look passes to responsible defense, chemistry counts
12/16/2017, 06:05PM Mark Lazerus @MarkLazerus | email
Nick Schmaltz already was cutting across the slot in search of a rebound when Connor Murphy was still in his backswing, and Patrick Kane already was sliding over for a backdoor look at the bottom of the right circle while three Jets converged on the crease. When Schmaltz got to the loose puck, he didn’t even bother looking over his shoulder. He wheeled and fired a no-look pass across the slot that landed right on Kane’s tape for an easy goal. No, Schmaltz didn’t know Kane was there. But he had a hunch he would be. ‘‘I know he always hangs out over there; he’s always on that right side of the ice,’’ Schmaltz said. ‘‘Kind of an instinct play and kind of got lucky it found his tape, and he made a great shot. It was a lucky play, but sometimes you’re just throwing it to an area and hoping he’s there.’’ That’s what hockey players talk about when they mention ‘‘chemistry’’ with a linemate, an experiential knowledge of where a player likes to be and a sixth sense of when he’s going to be there. Some of it comes naturally. More often than not, however, it comes with experience, repetition and a whole lot of talking — on the ice during practices, on the bench during games and in the dressing room. ‘‘That’s stuff we try to work on and talk about, whether it’s open-side plays or coming behind the net and finding that guy on the short side or whatever it is,’’ Kane said. ‘‘We’re talking about certain things all the time, so it’s nice to see one connect.’’ Chemistry is why Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, who haven’t played together much for three years, always can slip right back into it. For example, Seabrook knows where Keith likes to receive a defenseman-to- defenseman pass and that he likes to circle back and try again if a breakout or zone entry looks off-kilter. It’s why the Hawks brought back Brandon Saad — to recapture that magic he had with Jonathan Toews. It’s why coach Joel Quenneville doesn’t mess with his lineup after a victory. Chemistry isn’t only about highlight-reel goals, either. One of the few constants this season has been the fourth line of Lance Bouma, Tommy Wingels and John Hayden. And the chemistry they’ve developed by playing so much together helps them at both ends of the rink. When the opponent is racing down the ice in transition or cycling in the offensive zone, there’s no time to peek over your shoulder and see where your linemates are. You have to trust them. ‘‘It’s a game out there, and you’re not able to be exactly where you want to be at all times,’’ Wingels said. ‘‘Communication certainly helps, and the chemistry you build up when you play with the same guys over and over is a really big part of that.’’ Alex DeBrincat had some instant chemistry with Saad and Toews when he first was bumped up to the top line, but Wingels cautioned that instant chemistry doesn’t last long. It has to be worked on. So Toews has stayed in DeBrincat’s ear, helping him know where to be and when to be there. Because structure is important, but a little schoolyard flair is always more fun. ‘‘You make a lot of good plays like that when you know where they’re going to be and where they like to be, so it’s a lot easier,’’ DeBrincat said. ‘‘That’s built up over time.’’ Plays such as Schmaltz’s to Kane are still rare and take an exceptional level of vision, skill and hockey sense. But even in the more mundane moments, chemistry counts. ‘‘This game’s fast,’’ Wingels said. ‘‘And the faster you play it, when you don’t have to look to know where your teammates are, the more success you’re going to have.’’
Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088704 Chicago Blackhawks
Three Things to WATCH: Blackhawks look to extend winning streak against Wild
By Charlie Roumeliotis December 16, 2017 8:09 PM
Here are Three Things to Watch when the Blackhawks take on the Minnesota Wild tonight on NBC Sports Chicago and streaming live on the NBC Sports app. Coverage begins at 5:30 p.m. with Blackhawks Pregame Live. 1. Foot on gas. The Blackhawks have won four straight and are looking to make it five in a row against a Wild team that's fighting to stay in the playoff picture also. The Wild are already without Devan Dubnyk, who's considered week to week with a lower-body injury, and they rank dead last in shots per game (28.5). That's not a favorable combo right now, because the Blackhawks rank sixth with 34.5 shots per game. Joel Quenneville always preaches playing with pace and with the puck, and there shouldn't be a reason the Blackhawks don't continue that tonight with the Wild coming off a back-to-back. 2. Can the second line stay hot? In the last three games, the trio of Nick Schmaltz, Artem Anisimov and Patrick Kane has combined for 10 points (five goals, five assists), and they've teamed up to score the game winner in two of the last three. Kane himself has a three-game point streak after going pointless in his previous four, which was the longest drought since 2009. That line has been clicking, and it's important for it to stay that way as the Blackhawks look to evolve into a strong four-line team. 3. How will the blue line stack up? The Blackhawks were hopeful that Cody Franson (lower body) and Jan Rutta (upper body) would skate at practice on Saturday, but neither of them did. So unless something drastic changes overnight, it appears the Blackhawks will roll out the same six defensemen with Ville Pokka being the lone healthy scratch. Jordan Oesterle has played so well since returning to the lineup that Quenneville put him on the second power-play unit during Saturday's practice, and Michal Kempny made an impact in his first game since Nov. 12 when he scored a goal in Thursday's 5-1 win against the Winnipeg Jets. If both of them play turn in another solid performance, it will be interesting to see how Quenneville plays his cards once one or both of either Franson or Rutta are ready to return soon.
Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088705 Colorado Avalanche Chambers’ take: Keller, 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds, is the teenage version of Johnny Gaudreau, 24, who played three years at Boston College before his sensational NHL rookie season of 2014-15 in which he was a Chambers: Colorado Avalanche’s young stars building bonds on and off Calder Trophy finalist. Thanks to Gaudreau, 5-9, 160, the NHL can’t the ice ignore the little guy who is a treat to watch in today’s game.
By MIKE CHAMBERS | [email protected] | The Denver Post Denver Post: LOADED: 12.17.2017 December 16, 2017 at 4:24 PM
The NHL’s collective bargaining agreement is set to expire after the 2021-22 season, and given that the 10-year contract is the longest in league history and the financial landscape has changed since it became law in 2013, the next deal is bound to have new wrinkles. One element seems to be working well for both sides: a required roommate on the road for players in their entry-level contracts. It’s a big deal this season for the Avalanche, which has used 11 youngsters on their ELCs and is currently carrying six, including five rookies. The rebuilding Avs are the league’s second-youngest team, and one benefit of that youth is saving on hotel expenses, as I facetiously wrote in this space last Sunday. Third-year Finnish forward Mikko Rantanen, whose ELC expires after this season, shared a hotel room with rookie defenseman Anton Lindholm of Sweden on the recent four-game road trip. Next season, Rantanen will have his own room, per the CBA. All players outside of the ELC aren’t required to have a roommate. “If I have to choose, I would want my own room, so you can nap whenever and nobody’s there,” Rantanen said. “But I’m with Lindholm now and he’s a great roommate. We nap at the same time so it’s good for both of us.” The arrangement works particularly well for Lindholm and fellow rookies J.T. Compher, Alex Kerfoot, Tyson Jost and Sam Girard. They appreciate the company while playing in many cities for the first time. “It’s nice having a guy to go to dinner with or make sure you’re on time for everything,” said Compher, the Avs’ only American rookie. “I think we have a real mature group of rookies but you don’t want to be late at any time in your career, but especially early in your career.” “I’m fine with it,” said Kerfoot, who is Canadian like Jost and Girard. “You’re coming from college and junior where it’s the same thing. So you’re used to it. Obviously, the older guys appreciate having their own room. It’s fine how it is.” Compher, Kerfoot and Jost also share living quarters in the Cherry Creek area. They lost one roommate, defenseman Chris Bigras, when he was reassigned to the minors last month. Bigras was known for his cooking, but the other guys seem to be getting by without him. “A little more takeout lately,” Compher said. “But it’s easy when you have a bunch of guys. Everyone takes (a dish) and makes big portions and you’re good to go.” “We’ve been doing some collaborative efforts at home,” Kerfoot said. Girard and Lindholm have their own places in Cherry Creek. Girard, 19, lives with his girlfriend, but the other guys look out for him. “For a 19-year-old, he’s a very mature kid,” Compher said of Girard, who was acquired Nov. 4 from Nashville in the three-team trade that sent Matt Duchene to Ottawa. “He’s got a really good head on his shoulders. Early on, he was asking about where to go to eat and stuff. He caught on quick.” When: The Avalanche concludes a two-game road trip Saturday at rebuilding Arizona. The teams also meet Wednesday, Dec. 27, following the NHL’s three-day Christmas break. What’s up: Keller, a 19-year-old rookie, entered the weekend leading the Coyotes in goals (12) and points (24), ranking among the top-five for first- year players. He has cooled off since beginning the season by scoring four goals in his first four games, and six in his first seven, but is still considered a top young offensive star in the league. Background: Keller grew up Chesterfield, Mo., outside St. Louis, and developed into a first-round NHL draft pick along with childhood teammates Matthew Tkachuk of the Calgary Flames and Luke Kunin of the Minnesota Wild. University of Denver sophomore defenseman Michael Davies also played in that group. Keller was selected by Arizona with the seventh pick of the 2016 draft and played last season as a true freshman with at Boston University, where he led the Terriers with 21 goals and 45 points in just 31 games. 1088706 Colorado Avalanche Colorado (15-15-2), currently in last place in the Western Conference Central Division, is back in action on Monday at home against two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh. Tampa Bay uses dominant second period to hold on for wild 6-5 victory over Avalanche Denver Post: LOADED: 12.17.2017
By KYLE NEWMAN | [email protected] | The Denver Post PUBLISHED: December 16, 2017 at 10:03 pm | UPDATED: December 16, 2017 at 10:25 PM
For the first period Saturday night, the Avalanche looked every bit like a team that had won three of its last four while flashing a bounce-back ability that was absent last season. They traded scoring opportunities with the NHL’s winningest team, Tampa Bay, and goalie Jonathan Bernier made a number of flashy saves that had the Pepsi Center crowd believing in an upset. Then the floodgates opened in the second, as the Lightning scored twice within 19 seconds and followed that up with two more lamp-lighters in the period en route to hanging on for a wild 6-5 win. By the time Colorado finally got on the board via Gabriel Landeskog‘s 11th goal of the season to make it 4-1 late in the second, the visiting team’s offensive assault had the Avalanche stunned and the boo birds coming out from all corners of the arena. All four of the Lightning’s second period goals came by way of unchallenged crossing passes that resulted in wide-open looks for Tampa Bay right in front of the net. To begin, Victor Hedman’s long pass up ice found a zooming Nikita Kucherov in a seam between two Avalanche defenders, and the Russian beat Bernier one-on-one to draw first blood. Then, another slick Tampa Bay pass, this time by Tyler Johnson, went to Anton Stralman right in front of the crease. Stralman nearly whiffed completely on the shot, but managed to nick the puck, which took an odd bounce and petered past Bernier to make it 2-0. Hedman and Yanni Gourde had the next two scores for Tampa Bay, which proceeded to add to its advantage 2:29 into the third on another goal by Stralman that made it 5-1 and sent fans headed for the exits. But in the face of the large deficit, Colorado flashed a resiliency that has become commonplace as of late, even if it came too late on an evening that ended up being the most combined goals in an Avalanche game this season. Two tipped goals by Landeskog in just over two minutes gave the captain his second career hat trick and reinvigorated what remained of the crowd. “We’re here to play, and we’re here to compete. We’re not going to be pushed around, and we’re not going to give up on anybody,” Landeskog said. “The most important thing is that we showed that to ourselves tonight.” Then Nathan MacKinnon weaved his way through the Tampa Bay defense and put home a wrist shot in the top right corner to make it 5-4 with 9:22 remaining in the game. “Coach (Jared Bednar) talked about being the aggressors in the third period, and throughout the first couple periods, but we weren’t able to do that at the start,” Landeskog said. “We got down, started playing harder, winning battles and doing the little plays right, and we got rewarded for it.” But the Lightning seemed to shut the door on the comeback when Mikhail Sergachev knocked in a loose puck off a rebound to give Tampa Bay their third four-on-four goal of the evening and a 6-4 advantage. “What sticks with me is our four-on-four play — it’s not that complicated coming into the zone, and we’re in it together, so I get to share the blame,” Bednar said. “We haven’t had a lot of it, we haven’t practiced it a lot, and coming into D-zone coverage our forwards are over-tracking and not looking around and finding their D. That was the difference in the hockey game.” But the Avs again cut the lead to one, 6-5, on MacKinnon’s goal at 14:14, but Tampa Bay held off Colorado, which put on great pressure in the final minute with its goalie pulled. Landeskog assisted on both goals, giving him five points for the game. 1088707 Colorado Avalanche
Avalanche’s “Hero Homecoming” grants three kids a Jedi surprise on Star Wars night
By KYLE NEWMAN | [email protected] | The Denver Post PUBLISHED: December 16, 2017 at 8:02 pm | UPDATED: December 16, 2017 at 8:55 PM
Even in the wake of renewed fervor with this weekend’s release of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” — and even knowing he was going to Star Wars night at the Avalanche game on Saturday — 11-year-old Grant Doyle used his several visits with Santa this winter to ask not for a Millennium Falcon, although that was no doubt high on his list. Instead, Grant kept asking the big man to get his dad, Navy chief Bill Doyle, returned home by Christmas from a year-long tour in Africa, the sixth deployment of his 15-year military career. Grant had his request granted early in the first period, when he and his two sisters, 9-year-old Grace and 8-year-old Gabby, were asked to participate in a ruse contest called “Guess the Star Wars Character.” When the third character came out in a Jedi cloak, underneath — to the three kids’ shrieking surprise — was Bill, an unexpected reunification that had the Pepsi Center crowd on its feet. The stunt was organized by Jill Doyle, Bill’s wife, who knew it’d be a lifelong memory for her entire family. “I have a little bit of gumption — he’s an Avs fan, I knew the generic time frame that he was coming home, and I couldn’t think of a better way for the kids to never, ever forget it,” Jill Doyle said. “I typed a simple email to the Avalanche, and they responded really quick.” It was a moment that was put in motion on a fateful September day in 2001, after which Bill didn’t hesitate to make a beeline to his local recruiter. “I was old for someone joining at that point at 27, and I had gotten my degree from college but hadn’t really used it much,” the 44-year-old said. “I was at a crossroads wondering what I wanted to do, and then 9/11 happened, and that lit it for me.” And throughout a successful career that’s seen him receive the Marine Corps Commendation Medal and the Navy Commendation Medal, Bill credits Jill for being his family’s backbone on the home front. An accomplished waltz and swing dancer, he’s looking forward to getting back on the dance floor with his wife. “For a deployed family, the spouse has it just as bad, if not worse, than the deployed member,” Bill Doyle explained. “She’s been such a strong person to keep the house in line, and wrangle three kids through four reserve deployments and a successful career as a teacher, too.”
Denver Post: LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088708 Colorado Avalanche remains sidelined by a foot injury. He has missed three straight games. ... Colorado D Erik Johnson drew a five-minute major and a game misconduct for boarding Vladislav Namestnikov at 15:57 of the second. Stralman, Lightning overcome Landeskog's hat trick for Avs ... Landeskog had his first career hat trick on Nov. 16 against Washington. He's the first Avs player to have two hat tricks in a season since Milan Hejduk in 2006-07. ... The Lightning's 12-1-0 record against Western Conference teams is the best by an East team. By: DENNIS GEORGATOS, Associated Press December 17, 2017 Updated: Today at 12:33 am Colorado Springs Gazette: LOADED: 12.17.2017 DENVER (AP) — The Tampa Bay Lightning got a timely offensive boost from its defensemen to keep their winning streak going. Anton Stralman had two goals, and fellow defensemen Victor Hedman and Mikhail Sergachev also scored to help Tampa Bay beat the Colorado Avalanche 6-5 Saturday night for their seventh straight win. "It was huge. We needed that tonight," Hedman said. "We want to create offense from our 'D' and tonight was a good example that we are getting involved in the offensive zone and capitalizing on opportunities." Nikita Kucherov and Yanni Gourde had the other goals for the Lightning, who have two wins against the Avalanche during the streak. Gabriel Landeskog had his second career hat trick and added two assists, and Nathan MacKinnon scored twice for Colorado, which nearly rallied after twice trailing by four goals. "They came on strong at the end, put on a lot of pressure," said Tampa Bay goalie Peter Budaj, who finished with 32 saves against his former team, including several key stops in the late going. "This is a big win for us. It was back and forth and back and forth. But at the end, we came through." Landeskog said the Avalanche showed fortitude in fighting back but also made some mistakes that prevented them from completing the comeback. "We're here to play," he said. "We're not going to be pushed around and we're not going to give up on anybody. The most important thing is we showed it to ourselves tonight. The 4-on-4 goal, the (last Tampa Bay) goal, kind of ticks me off; it was missed coverage by me. If that doesn't happen, all of a sudden we got a tie hockey game. Nonetheless, it sends a strong message to us that we can come from behind." Trailing 5-2, the Avalanche got within two on Landeskog's third goal of the night, a power-play score at 6:27 of the third in which he used his stick to change the direction of Tyson Barrie's slap shot past Budaj and into the net. Landeskog's third goal snapped Colorado's 0-for-20 streak on the power play, a drought that had spanned six games. Colorado pulled to 5-4 when MacKinnon scored on a wrist shot at 9:22 of the third but Tampa Bay answered with a goal by Sergachev at 11:32, putting his stick on the puck amid heavy traffic in front of the goal and knocking it through Landeskog's legs and into the net. MacKinnon scored again to pull the Avalanche within one again with 5:46 remaining. Colorado pulled the goalie for an extra skater for the last 90 seconds but couldn't tie it. After a scoreless first period Tampa Bay got four gaols in the second period, including the first two 19 seconds apart. Kucherov started the flurry at 9:11, gathering in a lead pass from Hedman and skating between the circles before lifting a shot over goalie Jonathan Bernier's stick-side and into the net. At 9:30, Stralman corraled a loose puck in front of the net by going airborne over the fallen Jonathan Bernier and tapping the puck into an empty net. The Lightning made it 3-0 at 11:22 of the second on a goal by Hedman, who hit a backhander past Bernier, and added another by Gourde at 13:21 to cap the outburst that covered a span of 4:10. The Avalanche got on the board with 5:44 left in the middle period when Landeskog finished off a breakaway with his 11th of the season, beating Budaj with a wrist shot over his glove side. The Avs missed a chance to score later in the second when Hedman used his hand to swat away a loose puck in the crease after it trickled away from Budaj, who had saved a shot from MacKinnon. Tampa Bay went up 5-1 on Stralman's second goal of the night at 2:29 of the third. Landeskog got his second of the night when he deflected in a shot from the slot by Barrie at 4:58. NOTES: Lightning F Ryan Callahan is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury suffered Thursday at Phoenix. ... Avalanche C Alexander Kerfoot 1088709 Columbus Blue Jackets
Hurricanes 2, Blue Jackets 1 | Season series ends early with a 2-2 split
By George Richards Posted Dec 16, 2017 at 10:06 PM Updated at 4:48 AM
RALEIGH, N.C. — Although it is early in the season, the Blue Jackets aren’t exactly upset they don’t have another game scheduled with the Carolina Hurricanes. The teams met for the fourth time since opening week on Saturday night and thanks to some puck luck — and 35 saves from Scott Darling — the Hurricanes took a 2-1 win at PNC Arena. Carolina not only won two of the four meetings but earned a point in each of the losses. “I don’t know what it is about them,” said Cam Atkinson, who fed Alexander Wennberg for the Blue Jackets’ goal midway through the opening period. “I don’t know if I would say we struggle against them, but they play us hard.” Said Wennberg: “We always have tough games with them. We’re both smart teams who can skate and like to forecheck.” Carolina won a third consecutive game for the first time this season and did so under rough circumstances. The Hurricanes had played at home only once this month and finished off a six-game trip with an overtime win Friday at Buffalo. Yet they didn’t look worn out as they jumped to the initial lead and took a 2-1 advantage into the third period. Carolina led 1-0 despite not putting a puck past Sergei Bobrovsky. In a defensive move down low, the Jackets’ Jack Johnson put his stick on the puck and pushed it toward his goalie. Somehow the puck got past Bobrovsky at 3:40 of the first and slid across the line. The goal was credited to Jordan Staal. “They scored a couple of fluky goals and we didn’t create enough second chances,” coach John Tortorella said. “Give them some credit; Darling made some key saves at key times. I don’t care how many shots are on the board, we only had one or two second chances. It’s a winnable game if we get some run support.” With 7:59 left in the first, the Blue Jackets tied the score when Wennberg notched just his third goal of the season — but second in his past four games — as he deflected a nice pass from Atkinson after working his way into the slot. “We created a lot of chances, we just couldn’t find the back of the net enough,” Wennberg said. “That’s the way the game goes. They played really smart. They didn’t give us any Grade-A chances.” The teams slogged through an uneventful second period in which both put players in the penalty box for an extended 4-on-4 look. Carolina cashed in when defenseman Noah Hanifin made it 2-1 when he pounced on a loose puck. The opportunity came when Derek Ryan took a shot that went through Bobrovsky’s skates and clipped the post. The puck came out with Bobrovsky sprawled out on the ice. The Jackets had numerous chances but couldn’t solve Darling, who stopped a flurry of shots in the final five minutes — including two by Nick Foligno in front of the net with 4:16 remaining. Atkinson had a chance to tie it at 3:13 when he was pulled down by Justin Faulk on a breakaway. Atkinson was awarded a penalty but not a penalty shot. The Blue Jackets went 0 of 4 on the power play. “We created chances,” Josh Anderson said, “but it was a goalie’s night.”
Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088710 Columbus Blue Jackets
Blue Jackets | Scott Harrington enjoying regular duty on defense
By George Richards Posted Dec 16, 2017 at 8:10 PM Updated Dec 16, 2017 at 8:10 PM
RALEIGH, N.C. — The Blue Jackets mixed up two of their three defensive pairings last week with only Seth Jones and Zach Werenski sticking it out together. Do not expect any complaints from Scott Harrington. Harrington has been paired with David Savard after spending time with Markus Nutivaara — when he was on the ice, that is. After spending a good chunk of the season as a healthy scratch, Harrington is finding the rhythm that comes with consistent playing time. Entering a game against Carolina on Nov. 28 at Nationwide Arena, Harrington had been scratched for 12 consecutive games and played in just two of the opening 24 games. On Saturday night, the Jackets faced the Hurricanes once more and, as was the case last month, Harrington was in the lineup — as he has been for the past eight games. “Obviously it’s a lot more fun playing than not,” said Harrington, who got his first goal of the season last weekend in New Jersey. “It has been good, nice to get into some games and be in that competitive environment again. You feel like you are helping the team every night. I’m trying to enjoy it.” Harrington is not only in the lineup more and more, but the 24-year-old is finding increased playing time. After playing just 15:41 in his first two games (combined), he has hit the 12 minute mark in four of the past six games heading into Saturday. “Every game you play, you feel more and more comfortable,” said Harrington, who played a season-high 16:38 Tuesday in a loss to the Oilers and was on for 14:01 Thursday against the Islanders. “It is much easier playing 10 games in a row than going 10 games in between. Your confidence grows, each game builds on the previous one. I’m trying to take my game to the next level.” A hoop hall After beating the Islanders 6-4 on Thursday, coach John Tortorella rolled out the same lineup at PNC Arena on Saturday as Sergei Bobrovsky made his seventh consecutive start in goal. Tortorella did his pregame news conference from the North Carolina State men’s basketball media room; the Wolfpack shares the arena with the Hurricanes. N.C. State played UNC-Greensboro on Saturday afternoon with the Hurricanes playing the Jackets later that night. N.C. State lost to Greensboro 81-76.
Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088711 Columbus Blue Jackets
Jackets struggle to score, fall to Canes 2-1
Staff Report Dec 16, 2017 at 10:28p ET
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Noah Hanifin scored the tiebreaking goal in the second period, Scott Darling stopped 35 shots and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 Saturday night. Eric Staal also scored for the Hurricanes, who won their third straight in their first home game after a two-week trip. Alexander Wenneberg had the goal for the Blue Jackets, and Sergei Bobrovsky finished with 22 saves. Carolina never trailed despite being handily outshot 36-24 by Columbus. Darling was the primary reason, stopping prime scoring chances throughout by the Blue Jackets to record his first win in his last six starts. Hanifin gave Carolina the lead with 7:02 remaining in the middle period with a 4-on-4 tally. The young defenseman joined his forwards on a rush up the ice and crashed the net, banging home his own rebound after an initial kick save by Bobrovsky. That was all Darling needed, as he turned aside all 20 Columbus shots over the final two periods to secure the victory. Staal had put the Hurricanes up 1-0 at 3:40 of the first with some help from the Blue Jackets. Staal took a puck in the corner and sent a pass through the crease, where Columbus defenseman Jack Johnson accidentally poked it through Bobrovsky’s legs and in. Wenneberg tied it for Columbus with 7:59 left in the opening period, chipping in a pass from Cam Atkinson through Darling’s legs. NOTES: The Hurricanes have earned at least a point in 16 of their last 19 meetings with the Blue Jackets. … Hanifin has scored six of the 10 goals by Carolina defensemen this season. … Columbus dropped to 10-2-1 in one-goal games. … F Phil Di Giuseppe and D Haydn Fleury were scratched for the Hurricanes. … The Blue Jackets scratched F Markus Hannikainen and D Gabriel Carlsson.
foxsportsohio.com LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088712 Dallas Stars prime focus. We're going to have to win some games 2-1 or 3-2 here in the second half of the season."
-Stars coach Ken Hitchcock on the importance of having both goalies Game preview: Ben Bishop's return is top thing to watch as Stars play playing well. Flyers Saturday "That's one thing going in there it's compete. Up and down the lineup, you've just got to go in there and work and compete. They come out hard By Mike Heika , Staff Writer Contact Mike Heikaon Twitter:@MikeHeika and they play a hard style in that building. So just going to have to work." -Stars center Tyler Seguin on playing at Philadelphia. Storyline "I think we're playing good hockey on the road. We're going to bring all the good stuff and the positive stuff in. We know that's going to be a hard While it's dangerous to say a game is all about the goalie, this one is game, as well, with some good pace and they've got a good power play, pretty much all about Ben Bishop. The Stars' No. 1 goalie put together too. So it's going to be fun game and we're sure excited to get back on two losses around some back soreness and then watched backup goalie track right away again." Kari Lehtonen start three in a row. So how does Bishop, the two-time Vezina finalist who signed a six-year contract in the summer, respond? -Stars defenseman John Klingberg on bouncing back from a 5-2 loss at Well, he's 4-6-0 on the road this year with a 3.55 GAA and .885 save New Jersey Friday. percentage, so there's a lot to watch here. Key match-up Dallas Morning News LOADED: 12.17.2017 Tyler Seguin vs. Claude Giroux The two centers continue to be among the top scorers in the NHL. Giroux has 34 points (13goals, 21 assists) in 31 games, while Seguin has 29 points (14 goals, 15 assists) in 32 games. In 18 career games against the Flyers, Seguin has 22 points (9 goals, 13 assists) Key Number 800 Stars coach Ken Hitchcock is one win shy of becoming the third coach all-time to reach 800 career regular season wins. Hitchcock is 799-488- 200 in his career with the Stars, Flyers, Blue Jackets and Blues. Notable Dallas lost to the Islanders, 5-2, on Friday and is 18-14-1 (37 points), 8- 10-1 on the road. Philadelphia is coming off a 2-1 win over Buffalo Thursday and is 13-11-7 (33 points). The Flyers have won five straight after going winless in 10. Dallas is 2-2-1 when playing on the second night of back-to-backs this season. Brian Elliott is expected to start for Philadelphia. He is 11-6-6 on the season with a 2.68 GAA and .913 save percentage. Defenseman Marc Methot is out for 4-6 weeks after arthroscopic knee surgery. He is skating and the Stars hope he can return to play before Christmas. With Martin Hanzal (hamstring) and Antoine Roussel (elbow) now healthy, Jason Dickinson was returned to the AHL Saturday. The Stars are 12-47-16 all-time in Philadelphia. Dallas ranks third in fewest shots on goal at 29.5 per game and 12th in most shots on goal at 32.3. Philadelphia ranks 10th in fewest shots on goal at 31.1 and 14th in shots on goal at 31.9. Philadelphia ranks 28th on the penalty kill at 76.7 percent. He said it "It's exciting for the team; to go 3-1 on the road trip would be incredible...We can turn this into an average .500 road trip, or we could turn it into a great road trip. It's on us. That's a real opportunity for us. When you get the first two, you get greedy." -Stars coach Ken Hitchcock on how the Stars would like to get three out of four wins on their current road trip. "I really didn't feel like I was ever out of the groove. It's just more about getting back in there and another game. I don't treat it any different. Just try and get back at it." -Stars goalie Ben Bishop on sitting for three games while Kari Lehtonen played. "We're going to need both our guys, quite frankly, to be the story in the second half. If we expect to be a playoff team, they're going to have to be the story. We're going to have to move ahead of 10th or 11th place in goals against. We're going to have to get into the top 10, because we're not scoring our way out of trouble...Our goals against is going to be a 1088713 Dallas Stars
Goaltending needs to remain strong, because Stars are not 'scoring their way out of trouble'
By Mike Heika , Staff Writer Contact Mike Heikaon Twitter:@MikeHeika
PHILADELPHIA -- Ken Hitchcock said Saturday he's going to need his goaltenders to be strong if the Stars want to make a run up the standings. Ben Bishop then went out and showed that the high ideals are certainly within this team's ability by making 28 saves in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. The defeat gave Dallas a 2-1-1 record for five points on a four-game road trip and hammered home that the team is going to be in a lot of games just like this. "We're going to need both our guys, quite frankly, to be the story in the second half," Hitchcock said of Bishop and Kari Lehtonen. "We're going to have to move ahead of 10th or 11th place in goals against. We're going to have to get into the top 10, because we're not scoring our way out of trouble ... We're going to have to win some games 2-1 or 3-2 here in the second half of the season." Of course, there are other areas of need, as well. Dallas handed the Flyers six power plays, and Philadelphia scored twice on the man advantage. Shayne Gostisbehere tied the game in the second period and then won it in overtime after Alexander Radulov took a hooking penalty. Radulov also took a high-sticking in the third period, and that steamed Hitchcock, who said his best players aren't leading the way. "It was really two poor penalties by a good player," Hitchcock said of Radulov. "It's not team discipline, it's individual. It's disappointing. Radulov took full blame. The Stars were battling hard and had chances to win, but Brian Elliott was good in net for the Flyers. Meanwhile, Bishop was outstanding while facing 12 shots from the Philadelphia power play. On the winning goal in overtime, Bishop's stick was knocked out of his hand, and he pretty much had no chance to make the save. Had the Stars been playing at even strength, the Flyers wouldn't have been able to mount that kind of attack. "Bishop gave us a chance; he was unbelievable," Radulov said. "I take responsibility and I need to make sure it won't happen again." It was a gritty performance by the Stars, who had lost Friday in New Jersey. Gemel Smith opened the scoring on a nice feed from Remi Elie, and the Stars' third and fourth lines kept the energy level up all night. Elie and Smith flanked Martin Hanzal, and the line of Antoine Roussel, Radek Faksa and Tyler Pitlick also created a lot of chances. However, Hitchcock wasn't happy with Radulov and the other skilled players. "Our role players were outstanding, and that's what has led us to good team play 5-on-5. They are doing their job. We need our impact players to get up another gear," Hitchcock said. "We can't continue to have the role players on the hockey club carry the hockey club. We need more from the people that you know exactly who I'm talking about." Bishop was one of the star players who performed well, stopping several great chances and earning a point for his team after sitting out three games. Antoine Roussel is among Dallas' most improved players -- now the Stars hope his health and ice time improves "I felt good," Bishop said. "I think you've got to look at the positive, and now we have a homestand here and I think getting the five points in these four games is something positive moving forward." Especially when the 18-14-2 Stars seem in a good place. Dallas plays nine of the next 10 at home and is 10-4-0 on home ice. What's more, Bishop is 9-3-0 this season on home ice with a 2.03 GAA and .931 save percentage. "He was focused and outstanding, and you could tell all day he was going to play like this," Hitchcock said. "If he plays like this, it gives us a chance to win every game. But we're not going to a consistent winning hockey club until the message is drawn into the top players. When it is drawn into the top players, then we'll go to another gear."
Dallas Morning News LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088714 Dallas Stars
Cold facts: Flyers' OT power play goal drops Stars
By Mike Heika , Staff Writer Contact Mike Heikaon Twitter:@MikeHeika
Flyers 2, Stars 1 (OT) Three Stars 1. Shayne Gostisbehere, Flyers - Both goals for Philadelphia 2. Brian Elliott, Flyers - Wins game with 26 saves 3. Ben Bishop, Stars - Gets Stars a point in standings with 28 saves. Big play Ben Bishop had a ton of great saves, and his stop of Wayne Simmonds on the power play in the second period was remarkable, but the Flyers still scored on that man advantage. Even more impressive was his glove save on Claude Giroux a few minutes later to keep the game tied. It gave the Stars a point in the standings. Discuss Do you like when Ken Hitchcock spreads his superstars across three lines, or do you think Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin need some time together. Hitchcock reunited the dynamic duo, and they showed flashes Saturday. Both seem to need each other to set a spark. What does it mean? Stars get five out of eight points on the road trip. Dallas heads home to play nine of the next 10 at American Airlines Center. They need to take advantage of a place where they are 10-4-0 and make a move up the standings. GOALS Stars: Remi Elie raced up the left wing and fed Gemel Smith trailing the play, and Smith pumped in his third goal of the season at 7:13 of the first period. Stars 1, Flyers 0. Flyers: With Tyler Pitlick in the box for roughing, the Flyers power play put six shots on goal. Shayne Gostisbehere finally scored when he dove to poke in a puck that rebounded off the end boards at 9:10 of the second period. Stars 1, Flyers 1. Flyers: After Alexander Radulov was called for a penalty in overtime, Gostisbehere won the game for the Flyers with 1:10 left to play. Flyers 2, Stars 1 (OT).
Dallas Morning News LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088715 Dallas Stars
Antoine Roussel is among Dallas' most improved players -- now the Stars hope his health and ice time improves
By Mike Heika , Staff Writer Contact Mike Heikaon Twitter:@MikeHeika
PHILADELPHIA -- Dependability is one of the traits Antoine Roussel holds closest, so he's a little bit frustrated by the last two seasons. After playing three consecutive seasons of 80 games or more, Roussel missed 20 games last season with an ankle injury and already has missed six games this season with flu and an elbow injury. That has created a bit of drive in the 28-year-old. "I've been unlucky, to be honest with you," Roussel said. "I really try to pride myself in playing 82 games, and early on I was able to come close to that. But last year I broke my ankle, and that was it, boom. 2017 hasn't been good for me, so I can't wait for it to be over with." Still, Roussel is playing well when he's healthy. He has nine points (three goals, six assists) in 27 games and is earning the respect of new coach Ken Hitchcock. "When I first saw him, he was an energy player with limited structure in his game," Hitchcock said. "But now he has structure and positional play, he's very good killing penalties, he can read angles very well, he's become an effective checking player." Hitchcock said Roussel's absence has been notable. "It's not just what he does, it's what he has become for me," Hitchcock said. "We missed his energy, but we also missed his good play. He's one of the most improved players on the team." Roussel said he also feels comfortable in Hitchcock's style of play. While the high-energy winger who likes to attack fit just fine in Lindy Ruff's way of hockey, he said there is something to having a little more structure. 'Relentless competitiveness' of Stars' Radek Faksa and Antoine Roussel is making new linemate look really good "I am playing confident a little bit more, and the game is slowing down for me, and that helps," Roussel said. "Plus, the whole team is playing together, and that helps me." Roussel said he understands he creates challenges for his teammates. "With me, when I am free for all, and go, go, go, then it's harder for the team to adjust," he said. "But at the start, we really focused in on defense and now it is stamped in, so we are able to focus on offense a little more, maybe. It's good, and it spreads around the lineup and you see more scoring. It's better." Special teams struggling: The Stars were among the NHL leaders on special teams to start the season, but recent slumps have caused them to fall to the middle of the pack. Heading into Saturday's game, the Stars' power play was two-for-38 in the previous 13 games, while the penalty kill allowed 10 goals on 45 chances. "I'm concerned about the penalty kill and I'm concerned that we're getting scored on in the last 20 seconds of the penalty killing. I think that's personnel and we've got to make a change," Stars coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We have to make a change in the way we play our people. I think we've given it enough time to see if it can straighten itself out, and it's not." Briefly: With Martin Hanzal (hamstring) and Antoine Roussel (elbow) returning to health, the Stars assigned Jason Dickinson to the AHL Saturday. -- Brett Ritchie and Jamie Oleskiak were healthy scratches against the Flyers.
Dallas Morning News LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088716 Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings' giant Al the Octopus sells for $7,700
Hasan Dudar 5:53 p.m. ET Dec. 16, 2017
Al the Octopus — an icon sure to be recognized by Detroit Red Wings fans — was sold for $7,700 Saturday morning in an online auction of memorabilia from Joe Louis Arena, said Dan Rosenthal, the Chief Operating Officer for Schneider Industries Inc., the company handling the “Bid on the Joe” auction. The giant octopus went in the first lot of bids that closed at 10 a.m. Saturday, according to Rosenthal, who said no one will know who the bidder is until the entire auction closes, in order to “prevent any shenanigans” and make sure everyone is a legitimate bidder. The last lot was to close Saturday at about 5:30 p.m., Rosenthal said. Read more: Joe Louis Arena memorabilia up for auction as Detroit Red Wings vacate How 1 couple spreads Christmas spirit, one crisp $100 bill at a time The online auction began at 7 a.m. on Dec. 10. It featured several other pieces of Detroit hockey history, including lockers, locker room doors, photos, signs, and more, according to a Dec. 7 news release. The Detroit Free Press reported that Olympia Entertainment and Red Wings employees are in the process of moving to Little Caesars Arena in Midtown and are expected to have vacated Joe Louis Arena by the end of the month. Detroit Free Press LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088717 Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings turning penalty kill situations into their advantage
Helene St. James 5:38 p.m. ET Dec. 16, 2017
Luke Witkowski came onto the ice wearing a pigeon hat, much to the delight of his Detroit Red Wings teammates. Such is the difference a victory can make for a team that had been working hard but had little to show for it. The Wings had a good, spirited practice Saturday, and will take Sunday off as the next game doesn’t fall until Tuesday at the New York Islanders. The plan is to build on Friday’s 3-1 victory over Toronto, which delivered a much-needed shot of confidence after losing 10 of their past 11 games. “We’ve worked hard lately, the last many games here, and we haven’t got the results we wanted,” Frans Nielsen said. “We deserved to win. We just have to keep doing it. Hopefully if we work hard we get the bounces, too, and then, like we did today, we can have a little more fun away from the games.” The game-winning goal was scored while the Maple Leafs were on a power play, when Trevor Daley became the fifth player on the Wings to score shorthanded (joining Dylan Larkin, Nielsen, Darren Helm and Luke Glendening). Larkin scored his second shorthanded goal of the season Wednesday. The Wings are tied with San Jose and Florida for the NHL lead with six shorthanded goals. Detroit’s penalty-killing forwards excel at creating breakaways and 2-on-1s. “We’ve got some good skates on the PK, so when we do win the puck we can beat guys up the ice and create some offense that way,” Nielsen said. “And on the other side of it, I think if we keep doing that, I think it’s going to help our PK defensively. If teams are a little afraid of us creating chances, they might not crash the net as often with four guys, so it can help us both ways.” Turning the penalty kill into a scoring threat has been a focal point of assistant coach Doug Houda, and reflects how much speed the Wings have in players like Larkin, Glendening, Helm and Andreas Athanasiou. “When you insert Larkin in the kill, Nielsen and Helm, you get AA on one of the units, you have opportunities to have real threats there,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “When you are a threat on the penalty kill, it backs teams off a little bit and that’s a hard way to run a power play.” Larkin, who also plays on the power play, backed that up. “As a power play guy, when you know that the other team is looking for offense, it puts you on your heels,” he said. “Usually there are four forwards out there and one guy is going to bite and make a mistake because he is not used to being back there and having to skate backwards. “Instead of just sending it down, we’re getting our heads up and making plays and holding on to it.” Unwind and recharge The Wings already had Sunday as a scheduled day off, as mandated by the collective bargaining agreement, and Blashill decided to cancel Thursday’s schedule of events and opt for a mental break after Wednesday’s overtime loss to the Bruins. “I wasn’t going to have a real skate anyways,” he said. “At that point I just thought we needed to be away from the rink. A lot of times I think it’s better to come to the rink and flush it out, but we’d done that too much. We needed to be away from the rink. Anybody with kids might have taken their kids sledding. Just, let’s get away from it. "It had a positive effect. We should have fun. This is a high pressure and results-oriented business for sure, but we should have fun. We are playing hockey for a living, or coaching hockey for a living, and when you win, you can have a little bit more fun. You should love coming to the rink every day and that’s a lot easier to do when you have won.” Detroit Free Press LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088718 Detroit Red Wings “When you win you can have a little more fun, no question about it. But it should be a fun environment. Hard working, but you should love coming to the rink.” Red Wings turn poachers on penalty kill Detroit News LOADED: 12.17.2017
Ted Kulfan 4:59 a.m. ET Dec. 17, 2017
Detroit — A hockey team doesn’t enjoy the idea of killing a penalty and being shorthanded. But the way the Red Wings have played on the penalty kill, it doesn’t look as if they really mind. The Red Wings scored their sixth shorthanded goal of the season Friday — tied for the league lead with San Jose and Florida — continuing a season-long trend of being aggressive and, actually, looking for offense while being a player down. Coach Jeff Blashill credits assistant Doug Houda, who oversees the penalty kill, with instilling an aggressive approach. “(Houda) made a point of focus from the beginning of the year when we have opportunities, let’s be a threat on the penalty kill,” Blashill said. "When you insert (Dylan) Larkin in the kill, (Frans) Nielsen, and (Darren) Helm, we have Double-A (Andreas Athanasiou) on one of the units, you have an opportunity to have real threats there. Glennie (Luke Glendening) for that matter. “The way everybody’s power play is going, they’re all about being four (players) at the net. When you have four at the net, if the puck goes the wrong way, you have opportunities for shorthanded chances. We’ve given up some shorthanded chances but I do think when you’re threat on the penalty kill, it backs teams off a little bit on the power play and it’s a hard way to run a power play.” Defenseman Trevor Daley scored Friday’s shorthanded goal in the second period, breaking a 1-1 tie and giving the Red Wings momentum and control of the game. Daley was on a 2-on-1 rush with Larkin, and after the Leafs overplayed on Larkin, Daley positioned himself for a clean shot on goalie Curtis McElhinney. “We have six (goals) but we could have more at this point,” said Larkin, who scored shorthanded Wednesday against Boston. “It seems like the past couple games, every time we’re out there we’re creating something. When you know the other team is looking for offense, it puts you on your heels.” Shorthanded goals are, and always have been, huge momentum changers. “Huge,” Blashill said. “A lot of times you’re looking at it and saying, ‘boy, we’re going to be down another goal’ and all of a sudden you score and it’s a different story. “It just takes a lot away from the other team’s power play.” Blashill appreciative Blashill began Friday’s postgame news conference thanking the referees for paying particular attention to the Maple Leafs’ interference. “Just one thing I thought was great was the refs demanded the game be played the right way by calling those interference calls,” Blashill said. “Those are big-time interference calls. “Babs (former Red Wings, current Toronto coach Mike Babcock), he does a good job. We used the word cutoff, but cutoff has turned into tackle. It’s not tackle football. That’s trying to take it back to the 1980s. Honestly, I was excited the refs said they’re illegal plays.” Winning tone Amazing what a victory can do. Saturday’s practice began with Luke Witkowski wearing a pigeon stocking cap to the ice, which reflected the relaxed atmosphere around the rink following Friday's 3-1 win over the Maple Leafs. “We should have fun,” Blashill said. “This is a high pressure and results- oriented business for sure, but we should have fun. We’re playing or coaching hockey for a living. 1088719 Detroit Red Wings
Aggressive mindset makes Red Wings a shorthanded threat
December 16, 2017 at 3:32 PM Ansar Khan
DETROIT -- When the Detroit Red Wings are shorthanded, they're not just looking to dump the puck down the ice, they're seeking opportunities to deposit it into the net. An aggressive mindset and more speed and scoring ability on the penalty-kill units has resulted in six shorthanded goals, which is tied for the NHL lead with Minnesota and Florida. The Red Wings have tallied more shorthanded goals in 32 games than they did the previous two seasons combined (five). Assistant coach Doug Houda emphasized more up-ice pressure on the penalty kill to disrupt opponents' ability to set up their power play. He also encouraged penalty killers to pounce on scoring chances. Dylan Larkin has two shorthanded goals. Darren Helm, Luke Glendening, Frans Nielsen and Trevor Daley have one each. "When you insert Larkin in the kill, Nielsen and Helm, we got (Andreas Athanasiou) on one of the units, Glenny, you have opportunities to have real threats," coach Jeff Blashill said. "The way everybody's power play is going, they're all about being four at the net. And when you have four at the net, if the puck goes the wrong way, you have opportunities for shorthanded chances. "We've given up some shorthanded chances, but when you're a threat on the penalty kill, it backs teams off a little bit and it's a hard way to run a power play." It has benefited the PK, which has ranked in the top five at times before slipping recently to 10th (82.9 percent). "We have six (shorthanded goals), but we could have more at this point," Larkin said. "It seems like past couple games, every time we're out there, we're creating something, which sounds crazy, but as a power-play guy, when you know the other team's looking for offense, it puts you on your heels. Usually, there's four forwards out there (on the power play) and one guy is going to bite and make a mistake because he's not used to be being back there and having to skate backwards." This is the most shorthanded goals Detroit has scored since 2009-10 (eight). "I think it's just being more aggressive, taking the chances when we have them," Glendening said. "We're using six penalty killers (forwards), a little more than we have in the past, and it creates the opportunity to stay a little fresher on the ice." They seem to get odd-man rushes regularly on the PK, including many two-on-ones. "Our forwards are doing a really good job of coming back and helping (the defense) to stand up on the lines, which can create some turnovers and get some chances," Jonathan Ericsson said. "Also, as soon as we get a chance, they're hungry and going up there and creating that two- on-one. They want the puck. They don't want us just to clear it. We'll have time to make plays." Said Larkin: "Instead of just sending (the puck) down (the ice), we're looking, we're keeping our heads up and making plays and holding onto it for a split-second and chipping pucks into space and all six of the penalty killers (forwards) can really skate." Shorthanded goals can provide a huge momentum swing and emotional boost while deflating the attacking team. "Lots of times you're looking at it and saying, 'Boy, we're going to be down another goal,' and all of a sudden you score and it's a different story,' " Blashill said. "When (opponents) come in to their PP meeting, I guarantee their coaches are saying, 'They've scored this number of shorties.' That puts you on your heels a little bit. It's a hard way to run a power play." The Red Wings have a three-day break before starting a three-game trip Tuesday at the New York Islanders (7 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit). Michigan Live LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088720 Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings finally rewarded for staying with 'the process'
December 16, 2017 at 6:07 AM Ansar Khan
DETROIT - Lack of results could have prompted the Detroit Red Wings to deviate from the process coach Jeff Blashill constantly preaches. Process is sort of the code word for playing the right way, and Blashill believes his team has continued to adhere to it during tough times. "It's tough, it's frustrating, it's demoralizing when you're not getting results," Blashill said. "But it shows the character we have in the locker room that night after night we're coming out with the right process it takes to be successful." The Red Wings, for one of the rare times lately, were rewarded Friday for having right process. They got goals from a pair of defensemen, won the special teams battle and had better goaltending in a 3-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Little Caesars Arena. The Red Wings (12-13-7) won for only the second time in 12 games (2-5- 5). They failed to capitalize on a stretch in which they played 13-of-15 games at home, going 4-4-5. They are 6-6-6 at LCA and need to make up ground on the road, where they play their next four. "We've been doing the right things lately and haven't been able to get the results," Trevor Daley said. "This is a big one for us. We needed it." Daley snapped a 1-1 tie with a shorthanded goal at 11:22 of the second period, after Danny DeKeyser evened it at 5:22 of the second. Tomas Tatar delivered a key insurance goal at 9:39 of the third, on the power play, on a nice feed from Henrik Zetterberg, who had two assists. "It was getting tougher and tougher every day with that many losses," Tatar said. "Hopefully, we will turn it around and build off this." The Red Wings had squandered third-period leads and lost in overtime in their previous two games against Atlantic Division rivals Boston and Florida. "The last couple of games some unfortunate bounces ended up in the back of our net," Jimmy Howard, who made 25 saves, said. "Tonight, we finished it, we went out and continued to play in the third period." That's because they stuck with the process, Blashill said. What exactly is the process? "It's managing the puck. It's getting on people with great pressure. It's being fast coming up the ice and using our speed and putting other teams on their heels and doing it right shift by shift," Blashill said. "Every shift we got to outwork, outcompete, out-detail our opponent. "I've always been somebody that felt strongly that you don't let the emotion of wins and losses cloud your vision of how you played. That goes with wins just as much with losses. "Outside of five periods against Montreal, we've played like this. We don't have the results to show for it." Daley said they're hard to play against when they play "the right way." "You look at what's been going on lately, it's easy to get down by one and then fold," Daley said. "We've been telling each other we're a good team and the results are going to go the right way." The Leafs, who opened the scoring on Andreas Borgman's goal at 1:58 of the first, were called for an interference penalty in each period. "(Referees) demanded the game be played the right way by calling those interference calls," Blashill said. "Those are big-time interference plays. I said it last time we were in (Toronto). I thought it was great the refs stayed on it." Now his team must stay with "the process" and pick up points on the road to compensate for what they squandered at home. "I don't think our process was a whole lot different than it's been, but we found a way to get two points," Blashill said. "As I said after the last number of games, we got to stay with the exact same process come Tuesday (at New York Islanders). If you keep doing it over and over, you're going to get the results you need." Michigan Live LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088721 Edmonton Oilers The Nashville visit represented the first game in a stretch of 38 games when the Oilers don’t play a single game in the Eastern time zone. Thirty- one of those games in the stretch are against Western Conference JONES: Edmonton Oilers need to build of win in Minnesota teams. To this point, the Oilers have only played five games against Pacific Division teams and have a very positive 4-1 record. Beginning Jan. 2 here against Los Angeles, Edmonton gets a heaping helping of divisional action. Terry Jones The Oilers may or may not have had this sink in under their helmets yet, December 16, 2017 9:00 PM MST but they can’t wait ‘til spring. They have to do it now. The Oilers have three home games before Christmas — Monday against San Jose, Thursday against St. Louis and Saturday against Montreal. Win one. Lose one. Win one. Lose one. Win one. The only way to have a Merry Christmas would be to sweep them and If the Edmonton Oilers had the opposite start to their season and weren’t take a 17-17-2 record into the holidays. stuck in 14th place in the West still trying to dig themselves out of their Have two more trips into the toilet in those games, and without a doubt, Grand Canyon-like hole, the focus coming out of Saint Paul, Minn., with a they’ll have flushed their season down the drain. 3-2 win over the Minnesota Wild Saturday in their first afternoon victory in five starts, would be all on all the positives. Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 12.17.2017 Cam Talbot returned from injury to the nets looking like the Cam Talbot of last season and leave the building with an 11-10-1 record, a sub 3.00 goals against average and a plus .900 save percentage unlike the 3-7-1, 3.22, .886 numbers Laurent Brossoit had when the buzzer sounded on their most recent large letdown following a highly impressive win. It would be hard to say Talbot played dramatically better than Brossoit in his last five games but you could make the case that the team played with more confidence in front of No. 33 than No. 1. The win left the Oilers with a 9-7-2 away record. Only seven other teams have nine wins on the road so far this year. It’s hard to find a team that had a winning record on the road during a season and missed the playoffs. So there’s that. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored his 13th goal of the season as he continues to trend to a 30-goal season. Up, down, in, out, The Nuge continues to have a career year without getting to share the same ice with Connor McDavid for many minutes. Nineteen-year-old Jesse Puljujarvi, still waiting to be rewarded with power-play minutes, scored his fifth goal in 15 games since coming up from Bakersfield and should be told to get a place if he plays three more “he’s arrived” games before Christmas. Milan Lucic had his seventh goal and set up the Puljujarvi goal. Lucic, who performed up to his reputation (and paycheck) in the playoffs, is finally matching that level for the first time over a significant stretch in the regular season and has taken the expected leadership role in these trying times that you’d expect. Darnell Nurse continues to develop into an elite top pair defenceman in front of your eyes. I mean, there are plenty of positives that aren’t getting much play because the massive implosions in coming off these significant (in this case ending a five-game Wild winning streak at home) performances. When you can’t get out of 14th place because you can’t win two games in a row and basically can’t win for losing because your penalty killing and power play stink to high heaven, the positives aren’t going to get the attention they’d otherwise deserve. And so here we go again. Do you go to Rogers Place Monday for the visit of the San Jose Sharks braced for yet another dive down the drain in this giant game of Snakes & Ladders the Oilers have insisted on perpetuating on their paying public this season? How do you take a team that had 103-points last year and fail to win two games in a row more than twice in 35 games? This is a team that desperately needs to get on a major roll and can’t even wait until after Christmas to get it going. You can’t win anything if you can’t win at home and in their second season in their beautiful new building, the Oilers have only managed to win five of their first 15 games. If you are a season ticket holder, do your own math on how much it’s cost you per win to watch this team live-and-in-person so far this year. I wrote it after the last loss at home to Nashville. This is not only when the Oilers absolutely, unequivocally have to put a major string of results together. It’s also the exact same time as the schedule presents the string of games to do it. 1088722 Edmonton Oilers pain in his left leg was unbearable. He was eating his meals laying down, same story when he was a passenger in the vehicle his wife was driving.
This ’n that: Dumba’s two goals was the second time he’s done it in the Oilers Snapshots: Jesse Puljujarvi nets the winner for Edmonton Oilers NHL. Dumba and his former Red Deer Rebels junior teammate Ryan Nugent-Hopkins shared a hug after the game … The Oilers are tied with San Jose, Detroit and Florida a top the NHL with six short-handed goals Jim Matheson after Nugent-Hopkins’ goal, with four coming on the road … Ennis had one of his most dangerous games this season for the Wild with four shots December 16, 2017 5:23 PM MST on Talbot … Hard to believe but Wild captain Mikko Koivu hasn’t had a point in 10 games and hasn’t scored in 23 games, going back to Oct. 28.
Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 12.17.2017 ST. PAUL, Minn. – After Jesse Puljujarvi swept the game-winning puck past Alex Stalock and plunked himself back on the Edmonton Oilers bench Saturday, coach Todd McLellan gave the teenage winger a hug and whispered in the kid’s ear. Puljujarvi’s large smile, with his ever-present tongue dangling outside his mouth, would easily have lit up the Xcel Energy. Positive feedback, you can’t beat it, especially after the 19-year-old helped beat Minnesota Wild with his sixth goal in his 16th game. He only played 9:49 because he’s not on the power play or penalty kill, but had four shots. “He said ‘nice job.’ Of course, when that happens, that’s a good thing,” said Puljujarvi, who got a five-footer by Stalock after Milan Lucic’s pass on a two-on-one break first went off Puljujarvi’s skate and banged off the Wild goalie’s pad. A lot of rookies would have given up on the play after the excellent stop, but Puljujarvi is hanging around the net way more than he ever did last season when he had just one goal in 29 games before going to Bakersfield, never to return in his first NHL kick at the can. “In the NHL you have to go there. You go to the net and you stop,” said Puljujarvi. “Then you try to be physical there.” “He’s scored a couple of goals like that now and I quickly told him that his game is changing … before he’d be looping and skating away from the net. Now he’s staying in those areas and he’s getting rewarded,” said McLellan. “He had a big smile on his face. He understood.” Lucic definitely sees a different Puljujarvi this year, too. “The main thing is he’s skating more. When he’s struggled, his feet aren’t moving,” said Lucic. “He’s looking for the next play instead of going to make that next play and when he’s doing that, that’s when he’s effective. “He’s scoring for us … it’s great to have him step up since being called up. It’s a matter of finding consistency as a young player, the day-in, day- out thing.” Lucic finding his form Lucic was the Oilers best forward, playing with Puljujarvi and Connor McDavid. His goal and assist to Puljujarvi gave him four goals and six feeds in his last 10 games. He’s got 24 points in 32 games. “This is probably the best he’s played in the year and-a-half with us. He’s one of those factors we talk about. In the locker room there’s a sense of calmness to him and he’s leading the team on the ice, also verbally in the room,” said McLellan. McDavid saves the day In the last 30 seconds, McDavid got on his horse and stopped Nino Niederreiter’s wrap-around try at the post with Talbot trying to get back — a game-saving play. Then Kris Russell dove to block Matt Dumba’s blast. It appeared to hit him in the chest but Russell said it was lower. “Broke my (pant) buckle. Rest of the shift I had trouble keeping my pants up,” laughed Russell. It got a little hairy in the last minute, but that’s the way it usually is. “Unusual situation at the end where we had the power play (Jason Zucker high stick on Brandon Davidson’s face) and because of that it allows them to stretch the game and gamble without worrying about icing the puck. Plus you’re not sure when the goalie’s coming out, so you’re not sure when their net’s going to open up,” said McLellan. “But we handled it well.” Parise working his way back Zach Parise, who had surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back in October, got his first skate with the Wild on Friday. He might be back by New Year’s. Parise, 33, who has eight years and $45 million left on his 13-year contract, battled back issues for two years until this fall when the 1088723 Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers hold off Minnesota Wild for afternoon victory
Jim Matheson December 16, 2017 4:03 PM MST
ST. PAUL, MINN. — It started with their No. 1 netminder Cam Talbot returning after missing three weeks and ended with Edmonton Oilers figuring out how to beat a backup goalie. Talbot, who had missed seven games with an upper-body problem, was rock-solid, getting bitten by two bullets by Matt Dumba, while the Oilers found a way to put three past Minnesota’s No. 2 Alex Stalock in a 3-2 victory. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (shorthanded), Milan Lucic and Jesse Puljujarvi scored to give the Oilers only their fifth win here in 28 games in the last 11 years. Puljujarvi got the winner when he swept his own rebound past Stalock, his sixth goal in 16 games. The Oilers got their first one on Stalock on their 17th shot in the middle period, ending a run of 104 shots without a sniff against backups this week. After Talbot stopped Nino Niedereitter in close on a power play, the Wild got caught with three forwards and the defenceman Dumba in too deep. Nugent-Hopkins finished off a nice two-on-one shorthanded feed from Zack Kassian. It was the Oilers sixth shorthanded goal of the year, which ties them with San Jose, Detroit and Florida for the league high. Four have come on the road. Dumba atoned for his error, burying a nice saucer feed from Mikael Granlund later on Talbot to tie it, but Oilers got the lead back when Leon Draisaitl swept the puck away from Ryan Suter after a Connor McDavid rush and put it on a tee for Lucic, who blew it past Stalock. In the first period, Talbot only saw one harmless bad-angle shot by Tyler Ennis in the first 10 minutes but had nine over the final 10, including two big ones on Granlund. The Oilers, meanwhile, had 11 on Stalock in the opening nine minutes but just two the rest of the way. ON THE BENCH: The Oilers sat Anton Slepyshev to put Drake Caggiula in on the fourth line … Nathan Walker, picked up from Washington on waivers, has only played once … Eric Gryba was a sitter for the fifth straight game on the Oiler blue line. Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088724 Edmonton Oilers Jujhar Khaira — Leon Draisaitl — Ryan Strome Anton Slepyshev — Mark Letestu — Zack Kassian Edmonton Oilers Game Day: At Minnesota Wild Defence pairings Nurse-Russell Jim Matheson Klefbom-Benning December 16, 2017 6:00 AM MST Davidson-Auvitu Goalies Keys to Game Laurent Brossoit 1.Hope Talbot stops bleeding Cam Talbot Cam Talbot is off injured reserve and will be back in net after missing Wild Game Day Lines (projected) seven games with an upper-body problem. He hasn’t played since beating Arizona on Nov. 28. Laurent Brossoit was 3-4 in his shot at being Nino Niederreiter Mikko Koivu Mikael Granlund the starter with wins in Calgary, Montreal and Columbus. Talbot needs to Jason Zucker Eric Staal Zack Mitchell re-establish his game which has been far from last year’s Vezina type 73- game run. He’s only got a .903 save percentage, far off what he’d like, in Joel Eriksson-Ek Matt Cullen Charlie Coyle the .920 range. Tyler Ennis Daniel Winnik Chris Stewart 2. Great shot metrics, but… Defence pairings The Oilers have 166 shots over their past four games but they’ve only won twice, which runs counter to the puck-possession, get shots on net Ryan Suter Matt Dumba analytics theory. And they’ve only given up 96 with the puck continually in Jonas Brodin Ryan Murphy the other team’s end. The Oilers lead the NHL in five-on-five shots with 1,671 with Calgary next at 1,624. But the shots for is a stat for losers Mike Reilly Nate Prosser right now (when they out-shoot the opponent they’re 9-10-1). They would undoubtedly be just fine to get 25 against the Wild and score four. Goalies 3. What happened to King Leon? Alex Stalock He’s only had one goal in his last eight games, the short-handed one Steve Michalek against Philadelphia on the two-on-one with Connor McDavid. Just two in his last 11, getting another in garbage time in the Blues’ blowout last Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 12.17.2017 month and three in the past 17 games over the last month. He’s had just 32 shots in those 17 games. He has a pedestrian 22 points. He’s 83rd in NHL scoring, tied with Kevin Fiala and J.T. Miller. 4. Breaking Wild’s penalty-kill mojo In Columbus, the Oilers scored twice on the PP against the best home PK in the league, and they’ll get another test against Minnesota, a team that’s only given up three goals in 47 tries in 15 home games this season. That’s a 93.6 per cent rate of efficiency in their own barn, tops in the league with Buffalo next at 92.3 per cent. Against Nashville Thursday, the Oilers had 11 shots on their three power plays but didn’t get a sniff. 5. Try scoring first for a change The Oilers have only done it 12 times in their 32 games and they’re 8-3-1 when they do so. When they don’t, they’re a very fragile 5-14-1. Try leading after two periods, too. They’re 7-0 with the lead after 40. When they don’t have it, they’re 2-14. So there’s not a lot of comeback in the Oilers. You don’t see the rally caps anywhere. First goal for Preds (high- stick deflection by Pontus Aberg) was story of Oilers season. Lucky break, and they couldn’t come back from it. Big Matchup Another backup Alex Stalock against the Oilers, who have had 87 shots against No. 2 goalies Curtis McElhinney in Toronto and Nashville’s Jusse Saros and haven’t scored a single goal. Will Stalock. who got his first NHL shutout in three years Thursday, blanking Toronto, follow McElhinney and Saros’s lead? Stalock is only playing because ex-Oiler Devin Dubnyk is out with a right knee sprain for several weeks. Dubnyk has an 8-1 record with a .948 save percentage and a 1.31 average against his old team. Special Teams Oilers: PP: 16-87, 18.4 per cent (17th). PK 29-104, 72.1 per cent (31st). Wild PP 19-88 21.6 per cent (fifth). PK 20-117, 82.9 per cent (ninth). Sick Bay Oilers: Adam Larsson (back), Andrej Sekera (knee) Wild: Devan Dubnyk (knee), Zach Parise (back), Jared Spurgeon (groin, questionable) Oilers Game Day Lines (projected) Milan Lucic — Connor McDavid — Jesse Puljujarvi Patrick Maroon — Ryan-Nugent-Hopkins — Mike Cammalleri 1088725 Edmonton Oilers But offensively, it’s becoming a real problem, particularly when coach Bruce Boudreau admits that he intentionally took his best playmaker, Mikael Granlund, away from Eric Staal this homestand in order to try to Boudreau trying to spark ice-cold Koivu from longest pointless streak of get Koivu going. career; Spurgeon expected to return Sunday Remember, Granlund skated with Staal and Nino Niederreiter in Anaheim and San Jose recently, and Staal erupted against the Sharks with two goals and an assist. In Thursday’s win over Toronto, Granlund Michael Russo scored a big third-period goal after Staal just so happened to hop the boards on a line change for Koivu.
“I'm sure he's frustrated,” Boudreau said of Koivu. “He's a guy that A, has Mikko Koivu honestly may never, ever score again. a lot of pride and B, is a really good player. The one thing about Mikko is, even if he's not scoring, he's defending and competing really hard. So I Or at least it just feels that way. mean we all want to see him succeed in scoring. I know it's wearing on The Wild captain has gone through long droughts before. him.” His rookie year — way, way back in 2005-06 — Koivu scored in the final The Wild hardly lost because of Koivu against the Oilers, but they sure game of the season against the Dallas Stars to snap a 44-game goalless could have used some production. streak. Last season, Koivu scored one goal in the final 23 regular season But the Wild just didn’t play well enough. Against a goalie playing for the games. first time this month, the Wild barely challenged Talbot in the first 10 But despite a relatively fast start to this season in which he scored four minutes of the game in what was their typical afternoon sluggish start. goals and eight points in his first 11 games, Koivu has gone 23 “Obviously I didn't get them ready enough to play or they didn't get consecutive games without a goal and amazingly 10 consecutive games themselves ready enough to play,” Boudreau said. “Or maybe a without a point. That’s the longest pointless stretch in his entire 13-year combination of both.” career. Then, their power play was a disaster against the league’s worst penalty Koivu hasn’t scored a goal since Oct. 28 – the same game he was kill. Besides giving up a shorthanded goal, the Wild had one advantage perhaps cursed by the left post that kicked out his empty-net attempt in negated by a Charlie Coyle penalty, and the Wild took two penalties right the waning seconds. The Wild’s leading scorer in the history of the after failed power plays. organization hasn’t even registered an assist since Nov. 24. “I thought some of them we had chances, myself included,” Koivu said. This was largely been overshadowed because the Wild won 12 of their “The difference is if you’re going to put the puck in the net or not. If I did, past 17 games and hadn’t suffered a regulation home loss since Nov. 4. or if we did, we’re not talking about it right now. It’s a good sign that we’re But during a Saturday matinee at Xcel Energy Center, the Wild’s eight- getting chances, but at the end, it’s all about the goals and we couldn’t game home point streak ended with a 3-2 defeat to the Edmonton Oilers capitalize tonight and that was why the difference.” in a game in which Koivu continued to be frustratingly snakebit. Boudreau did move Tyler Ennis into Jason Zucker’s power-play spot late. “I think when you’re winning, it’s a lot easier,” Koivu said. “But tonight, when you don’t score on those chances and when you lose the game, “Maybe some of our guys think that they're anointed and should be on obviously that’s when it gets frustrating when you’re not able to help the the power play whether they're playing good or bad,” Boudreau said. team in that way. “Again, that's something I'll have to change.” “But all we can do is create and get in there and find a way. It’s a matter Then, in the third period, instead of getting an early push, the highs and of the next one. You’ve got to work at it. It’s not an easy thing to do in this lows of the often erratic Dumba continued. league, and sometimes you go through stretches that you’re not scoring. All you can do is get ready for the next one and make sure you’re ready Yes, he’d ultimately pick up his second career two-goal game with a pair when you get a chance and try to put the puck to the net and get out of of one-time howitzers, but his defensive decision and mistake coughed it.” up a 2-on-1 and a 3-1 Oilers lead before he scored that second goal. Koivu finished the game with three shots on goal. One of them came on Within eight seconds, the Wild went from losing an offensive-zone faceoff a power play with the game scoreless. to giving up a goal to Jesse Puljujarvi on a 2-on-1. It came after Dumba chose to step up into Lucic and the big power forward just bulled through Cam Talbot kicked it out, and next thing you know, defenseman Matt him. Coyle didn't help matters with his retreat to cover up. Dumba was pinched in too deep and the Oilers were off for a 2-on-1 shorthanded rush that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins buried. “You’ve got your play set up, and I ended up getting caught,” Dumba said. “I probably should have skated back a little further with Looch rather Then, right after Milan Lucic gave the Oilers a 2-1 lead, Dumba fired a than going at him. He’s a pretty strong guy. He kind of just powered puck wide intentionally for Koivu to redirect. through it, and it’s unfortunate. I want that one back. I think everyone does.” Half the net was empty, and Koivu executed the deflection perfectly … except for the fact the puck struck the post and caromed right back into Boudreau was not pleased. Talbot. “The thing about giving up odd-man rushes is, when you're ahead of them and you let them past you, it's pretty irritating,” he said. “It’s a matter of finding the chance and finding the open spot,” Koivu The good news, maybe? said. “But you’ve got to be around the net. That’s where it happens. And that’s what I believe and that’s usually where I score and that’s where The Wild get to try to rebound against the rival Chicago Blackhawks on you have to be better.” Sunday to kick off a four-game road trip. A year ago at this time, Koivu only had seven goals and 17 points – three “Anytime you lose, and at this level, you want to get back as soon as more goals than right now and two more points. But he was well on his possible,” said goalie Alex Stalock, who likely will start games on way to his first Selke Trophy nomination and playing tremendously. consecutive days for the first time in his NHL career. “And for us, lucky enough it’s [Sunday].” This season, Koivu ranks among centers with at least 10 games 63rd in Corsi, 45th in Fenwick and 69th in PDO. If you don’t know analytics, Spurgeon likely to return Sunday google it, but let’s just say it isn’t just the eye test that says Koivu hasn’t been up to par. The decision was probably made before the game anyway because he requires waivers if he plays another game, but Ryan Murphy picked the Even winning faceoffs – when he’s not kicked out of the circle first – is wrong game to struggle. becoming a chore for one of the top drawmen in the NHL. With Jared Spurgeon set to return from a groin injury after missing nine The 34-year-old, who is earning $9.18 million this season in the final year games Sunday, Murphy, after his toughest game since being recalled of a seven-year deal and a year before a two-year, $11 million extension last month, was reassigned to AHL Iowa. kicks in, is clearly struggling. The Wild had to make a roster move in order to activate Spurgeon. There Sure, defensively, most nights he does his job and is still a difficult center was some thought the Wild may choose to keep Murphy, who scored a for top centers like Connor McDavid to go up against. goal and assist and was plus-5, averaging 18 minutes a night the past nine games, and send down Mike Reilly. Reilly also needs one game before he requires waivers. … For a fifth straight game, the Wild scratched a different forward. It went from Matt Cullen to Chris Stewart to Ennis to Marcus Foligno to, on Saturday, Zack Mitchell. Foligno had a tough game against the Oilers. Defenseman Gustav Olofsson, who also requires waivers to get to Iowa, was scratched for the fifth time in seven games. … Stalock, on a clear, registered the first shot by a Wild goalie in history. What did you think of this story? The Athletic LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088726 Florida Panthers
Preview: Panthers at Golden Knights, 8 p.m., Sunday
Matthew DeFranks
Panthers at Golden Knights When/where: 8 p.m./T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas. TV: Fox Sports Florida; Radio: 560-AM; 850-AM (Palm Beach) Scouting report: The Florida Panthers face the expansion Vegas Golden Knights for the first time in franchise history on Sunday night at the T- Mobile Arena. It will be a reunion of sorts for the two teams, with former Panthers coach Gerard Gallant now behind the Vegas bench, and forwards Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith shipped there in the offseason. Marchessault and Smith have combined for 19 goals and 30 assists this season, while Gallant has guided the Golden Knights to a 20- 9-2 record. … The Panthers enter Vegas after a 2-1 loss to Colorado on Thursday night, their second loss to the lowly Avalanche in a week. Florida has lost six of its past eight games. It has also collected points in five of seven games. … Sunday should be goaltender James Reimer’s sixth consecutive start for Florida. In the past three games, Reimer has been outstanding for the Panthers, posting a .935 save percentage and 1.97 goals against average. … Panthers forward Denis Malgin could return Sunday. Coach Bob Boughner previously said Malgin passed concussion protocol. Sun Sentinel LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088727 Florida Panthers about the vacant coaching position. On April 13, they made him the first coach in franchise history.
“I got an opportunity to do it,” Gallant said, “and I jumped at it.” Gerard Gallant reflects on 'disappointing' and 'unfortunate' end with Panthers ahead of reunion in Vegas Gallant said there’s “not a thing” he would change from his time in Florida. And with Vegas, he remains the same coach with the same style, an upbeat but steady personality that Smith and Marchessault came to Matthew DeFranks know as members of the Panthers. “He’s a guy that really doesn’t change too much for whoever it is,” Smith said. “He keeps the same coaching structure, and I think that it’s a little As the Florida Panthers floundered through the last four months of a easier to gravitate towards because you know what you’re going to get. once-optimistic season turned into obscurity, Gerard Gallant watched. He It’s not a lot of changing mood swings.” had no more young core to nurture and no more lineup to tweak, no more division championship to defend and no more team to coach. He could Added Marchessault: “He’s always happy and he’s consistent every day. no longer alter the outcome or try to save the franchise from an injury- He just brings a vibe out at the rink that nobody looks so uptight. ravaged start, paralyzed by an unceremonious firing last November. Everybody wants to have fun.” So Gallant watched. Then he simmered. Then he calmed. Then he With Smith and Marchessault pacing the offense, and Gallant pulling the moved on. strings behind the bench, the Golden Knights are in the thick of the playoff race in the Western Conference, positioned for a run at the Pacific But Sunday will be the first time Gallant gets a shot at his old team, when Division championship. his expansion Vegas Golden Knights host the Panthers in the first meeting between the franchises. Gallant’s Golden Knights — who also So Gallant remains diplomatic even if slightly peeved about the end in boast former Panthers forwards Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith Sunrise. — are off to a terrific start in their inaugural season, racing to a 20-9-2 “I loved my 2 1/2 years there,” Gallant said. “The team was really playing record. well. We had an expanding season the year before. My second year “The bottom line is when you’re winning hockey games, it’s fun,” Gallant there, we had 103 points and everything was going well. We really liked said in a recent phone interview. “And we’re having fun right now.” our team, the direction it was going. A lot of things changed that next summer. It was outstanding. I loved my players there. I had a great It’s a drastically different position for Gallant from a year ago. This time relationship with my general manager, with Dale Tallon. It was last year, Gallant was unemployed. He spent time in Europe visiting his unfortunate the way things ended at the end of it. It’s hockey. It’s their grandchildren in Germany (his son-in-law plays professionally in the business.” DEL). When he returned to South Florida and stayed through April, he would watch hockey. Sun Sentinel LOADED: 12.17.2017 Sometimes he watched to see other teams around the league. But the Panthers still populated his screen, and his recent firing ate at him. “It was still stinging me,” Gallant said. “After a while, I was watching just to see their players, to watch the games and to see the other teams that are playing, too. I probably watched 10 of their games after I got let go last year. The first four or five were tough.” On the screen, Gallant saw his team. It was the group he helped transform from a 66-point team in 2013-14 to an Atlantic Division title team in 2015-16 with a franchise-best 103 points. He saw Aleksander Barkov continue to develop into an all-around center. He saw Jonathan Huberdeau morph from the teenager he coached in Quebec to a point- per-game forward. But he remained powerless, the result of a “real disappointing” finish to his 185-game tenure in Florida as general manager Tom Rowe added “interim head coach” to his nameplate. Rowe took over as Florida’s GM after the 2015-16 season, replacing Dale Tallon and bringing a different philosophy to the front office. The roster was flipped. The decision-makers were rotated. Gallant could sense change on the horizon, even if he said the Panthers didn’t give him a reason for his firing in Raleigh. “When you get let go, I don’t want to listen to somebody tell me why I got fired,” Gallant said. “You could feel it coming, for whatever reason. I looked back at it and say: You know what, they treated me well when I was there. The owners paid me well. I did the best job I could do. They wanted to go in a different direction and do different things, so that’s what they could do. When you own a hockey team, you can do what you want. “That’s basically where it went. They wanted to go in a different direction. When they let me go, I was upset for two weeks, but after that, I just moved on. I loved my time there. I loved my players there. I thought it was going real well. Obviously, other people had different thoughts.” The Panthers were 11-10-1 when Gallant was fired, with Huberdeau and Nick Bjugstad yet to play a game. Florida went 24-26-10 under Rowe and finished 14 points out of a playoff spot. This summer, the team re- installed Tallon as its general manager and hired Bob Boughner as its head coach. The coaching carousel swung slowly last season. Gallant was the first coach let go, and it was nearly two months later before the next NHL coach was fired. (The New York Islanders fired current Panthers associate coach Jack Capuano on Jan. 17.) But that didn’t mean Gallant was denied opportunities. Approximately three weeks after the Panthers packed him in a taxi cab, Gallant began to hear from Vegas. The team didn’t exist yet. It didn’t have any players, but about every 10 days, the team spoke with Gallant 1088728 Los Angeles Kings
What we learned from the Kings' 4-2 loss to the Rangers
Curtis Zuple
An aggressive forechecking team with a premier goalie and a penchant for dominating third periods? The Kings could have been looking into a mirror when they saw the New York Rangers on Friday night. The Rangers are opportunistic, skilled and have the luxury of Henrik Lundqvist in goal. And, as the hockey saying goes, their best players were their best players. This time, it was in the form of Rick Nash’s game-winning goal in a 4-2 Kings loss at Madison Square Garden. Here’s what we learned: It was a rough night for the Kings defensemen. Eastern Conference opponents are usually a tough task, if only because of the unfamiliarity. But the Kings especially had their hands full chasing Rangers forwards. Kurtis MacDermid had Nash skate around him on one play, then was induced into checking Ryan McDonagh to get out of position on the Rangers’ second goal. Christian Folin coughed up the puck to Nash for the deciding goal. “Their left side is big left wingers with lots of speed,” Kings coach John Stevens said of the Rangers. “They’ve got quality center men that are really responsible and they’ve got a lot of skill and playmakers on the right side … They have good speed but their team game is sound, and it prevailed tonight.” The Kings’ penalty kill is leaking. The Rangers scored on a bit of a fortunate bounce on their power-play goal by Chris Kreider, but it stands as the fourth straight game the Kings’ No.1-ranked unit has allowed a goal. They gave up 10 goals in the first 29 games of the season. It would probably help if the Kings did not take two offensive-zone penalties, one by Jussi Jokinen on Brendan Smith and another by Trevor Lewis on Kevin Shattenkirk. No penalty kill is invincible but the standard has been set so high by the Kings that any mistakes are magnified in losses. Nash is still elite. The veteran winger reminded West Coast fans why he remains one of the NHL’s skilled forwards. He had several chances, on top of his goal, looked dangerous all night and finished with five shots. Nash also took a mental note on Jonathan Quick that paid off on his 425th career goal. “I had kind of the same play in the first period and I tried to go high glove [side] and he kind of moved his chest right in front of it, so I thought I had to switch it up and try to go blocker [side],” Nash said. LA Times: LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088729 Los Angeles Kings
Kings suffer loss of confidence in defeat by Islanders in overtime
Curtis Zupke
Technically, it will go down as a point in the standings. Specifically, it was a point earned with seconds left in regulation Saturday. But the state of the Kings was measured psychologically by Anze Kopitar following a 4-3 overtime loss to the New York Islanders. “I just think we’re not a confident group right now,” Kopitar said. “We’re more playing not to lose than we are to win. We got to turn that around.” Kopitar spoke with weariness even though his goal with 13 seconds remaining in regulation allowed the Kings to walk out of Barclays Center with something tangible. That point is their only one earned on this trip, and it happened after the Kings lost a 2-0 lead, then the game, when Jordan Eberle scored on a two-on-one at 3:06 of overtime. The Kings mostly spent the final 40 minutes of regulation giving the Islanders power plays, and Kopitar and Dustin Brown shouldered much of that time in their own end. “Kopi and Brownie ended up getting taxed — extra minutes there,” Kings coach John Stevens said. “Certainly penalties played a big part. They got a dangerous power play. It gave them some momentum, [and] even when they don’t score, they get opportunities.” Kopitar and the Kings still found fight. Kopitar stuffed the puck in under Islanders goalie Thomas Greiss to make it 3-3 in the dying seconds of regulation, in a controversial play that was reviewed for goalie interference. In the Kings’ eyes, it shouldn’t have reached that juncture. They built a two-goal lead on scores by Oscar Fantenberg and Tyler Toffoli, only to have the Islanders come back with goals by Josh Bailey with 49.3 seconds left in the first period and John Tavares, who one-timed the puck from the right side on the power play. The shot was created by accident because Kopitar prevented Anders Lee from getting to the initial pass, and the puck slid right to Tavares. “It was an unfortunate bounce,” Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper said. “The [penalty killers] did the right thing — got a stick on the puck in the middle that they’re trying to one-time — and it goes straight across to their other guy.” More inexplicable was that Lee was left open to backhand the puck over Kuemper for a 3-2 lead with 3:16 to go in regulation. Kopitar said they were in trouble leading up to that because of the penalties. “That was certainly the case, but sometimes when you have the lead, you pull back, just not really intentional, but you do and it cost us tonight,” Kopitar said. It hasn’t cost the Kings first place in the Pacific Division. Kuemper is still without a regulation loss at 5-0-3. There was a sentimental note to the game because Fantenberg’s goal happened in front of his father and grandfather, among the 13,087 in attendance. Stevens was hardly feeling sentimental when relayed Kopitar’s comment about confidence. “You put the work in, you do the preparation and you go out there and apply yourself,” Stevens said. “It sucks when you lose. That’s the bottom line, so maybe the spirit isn’t what it was when you’re winning hockey games, but … I thought we got some good performances tonight and some performances that need to be better.” LA Times: LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088730 Los Angeles Kings
Jordan Eberle scores in overtime as Islanders hand Kings third conecutive loss
ERIC STEPHENS December 16, 2017 at 10:51 PM
NEW YORK – Jordan Eberle scored with 3:06 left in overtime to lift the New York Islanders to a 4-3 win over the Kings, dealing the Pacific Division leaders their third consecutive loss. Eberle got a pass from Mathew Barzal on an odd-man rush in the 3-on-3 period and fired a shot past Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper, who otherwise made 29 saves in giving Jonathan Quick a night off on a back-to-back scenario. After the Rangers’ Rick Nash scored a late tiebreaking goal Friday night, Anders Lee appeared to provide the difference for the Islanders with 3:16 remaining. Lee does his damage right in front of goalies and he set up shop, receiving a pass from Ryan Pulock and flipping a backhand shot over Kuemper. Suddenly, the Kings appeared to be headed for their third straight regulation loss and one where they held a 2-0 first-period lead. Anze Kopitar saved them from that as he jammed a third effort between him and Dustin Brown past Islanders goalie Thomas Greiss. An initial call was a good goal on the ice and an automatic review to the NHL’s situation room in Toronto held up the original decision, with Kopitar determined to not have interfered with Greiss in front. Kopitar also had a chance to lift the Kings to a comeback in overtime with a breakaway chance 20 seconds in but Greiss stared the Kings’ captain down and made the critical stop. Eberle then didn’t miss on his two-on- one opportunity. The penalty kill had its good and bad moments. It put the clamps on the Islanders in the second period when consecutive penalties by Marian Gaborik and Torrey Mitchell put the Kings two players down for 24 seconds and shorthanded for nearly four straight minutes. But in the third, the Kings managed to leave John Tavares wide open in the right circle and after Andres Lee misfired on a one-time try, the Islanders’ superstar captain didn’t miss when the puck came to him. His 19th goal of the season forged a 2-2 tie. It did respond with another needed penalty kill after Kopitar went to the box for tripping. The Kings then had their turn with a 5-on-4 advantage as Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck sat for two minutes but did little with it outside of a Drew Doughty point shot. An active first period saw the teams strike for three goals between them. Oscar Fantenberg celebrated his reappearance into the Kings’ lineup with his second goal of the season on a point shot that skipped past Greiss’s glove hand. Tyler Toffoli pushed the lead to two in snapping a wrist shot past Greiss after working his way deep into the Islanders’ zone on a power play to cash in Adam Pelech’s hokding penalty. But before the Kings could get out of the first unscathed, Josh Bailey made it 2-1 with a neat redirection of Calvin de Haan’s shot. Bailey’s ninth goal of the season also gave him 39 points in what’s become a big contract year as a potential unrestricted free agent. Orange County Register: LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088731 Los Angeles Kings MacDermid struggled, getting badly beaten by Rick Nash for one high- level chance and allowed an open lane for Kevin Hayes to score a second-period goal as he went for a hit on Ryan McDonagh along the Kyle Clifford happy to be back in the Kings’ mix after long absence boards. Fantenberg suited up for the first time since Dec. 1 at St. Louis as MacDermid had been playing regularly. ERIC STEPHENS Orange County Register: LOADED: 12.17.2017 December 16, 2017 at 6:33 PM
NEW YORK – Kyle Clifford might have been away from the ice for two months, but the rugged Kings winger didn’t feel as if he was out of the loop. Clifford is only three games into his return to action after a lengthy absence caused by an upper-body issue. Given that he’s just six games into his season overall, this might seem like the real start of it. Not in his mind. He’s been there all along, even if at times it’s just in spirit. “I stayed pretty close to the team while they were in L.A. I went through it with them. I wasn’t on the ice, but I was definitely engaging with them every day. It’s a long year and it’s just good to be a part of their success from the start.” With 28 games lost over those two months, Clifford has had some catching up to do. To hear Kings coach John Stevens speak on that subject, it appears he already has. “He’s been good,” Stevens said. “He’s chomping at the bit to get back. From a physical fitness standpoint and readiness, he thought he was ready two weeks ago. Nobody works harder than Cliffy. “I think he’s really allowed the forecheck to get established. He gets in on top of pucks. … He’s just [playing] a really sound team game.” The challenge for Clifford, as Stevens pointed to, is keeping up the same level of energy each night as they dig further into the schedule once the initial surge that comes with resuming play wears off. “Players that are hurt are ready to come back,” Stevens said. “They’re mentally prepared to come back and then you get into the course of playing several games in a week and it’s just a matter of getting reset. “I don’t worry about Cliffy when it comes to that because he’s a guy that’s all in, all the time. So I think he’s been a welcome addition back in our lineup.” Clifford doesn’t feel that he has lost time to make up. The silver lining to his injury was that it didn’t affect his legs, allowing him skate with his injury and keep his fitness in that area. “I think every injury is different. It all depends on the injury,” Clifford said. “I was fortunate that mine was upper body so I still worked on the legs. The conditioning was there. There’s definitely a couple of tweaks here and there I felt in the first game. “Watching video and just made sure I’m trying to get back as quick as possible.” Stevens put Clifford in a familiar spot, reuniting him with fellow grinders Nick Shore and Trevor Lewis. And that made the winger smile. “They’re two really good players and really easy to read off of,” Clifford said. “I think in this league, you just got to be prepared to play with anybody and be ready for that.” FINDING MIDDLE GROUND The Kings want to guard themselves against the highs and lows that streaks can bring. They’ve dealt with a 1-6-1 skid after their 11-2-2 start and they wanted to cut off any bad stretch that could set in after consecutive regulation losses followed a victorious eight-game run. “I think in the previous streak, we almost got guilty of being too down on ourselves,” Anze Kopitar said. “And then that’s what sometimes you don’t feel comfortable or confident on the ice as you should. Play to the swagger that we did before that. “Right now, you’re trying to stay as even keel as you possibly can. You can’t get too high and too low. And, yes, obviously you want to stop the bleeding as quick as you can.” ICE CHIPS Just one lineup change was made from their Friday night loss to the Rangers as Oscar Fantenberg moved back into the lineup to replace Kurtis MacDermid. 1088732 Los Angeles Kings
DECEMBER 16 PRE-GAME QUOTES: JOHN STEVENS
JON ROSEN DECEMBER 16, 2017
On Kyle Clifford’s first two games back: I think he’s been good. I think he’s really allowed the forecheck to get established, he gets in on top of pucks, he gets a lot of stops, he’s got just a really sound team game. We put him back with Shore and Lewie last night. That line’s been solid for us, really responsible. They seem to spend a lot of time in the offensive zone. I think the challenge with him is to stay there. Players that are hurt, they’re ready to come back, they’re mentally prepared to come back, and then when you get into the course of playing several games in a week, it’s just a matter of getting reset. I don’t worry about Cliffy when it comes to that, because he’s a guy that’s all-in all the time, so I think he’s been a welcome addition back in our lineup. On whether too much is made of a player getting back to speed after being out for an extended period: There can be. I mean, if you look at the guys we’re referencing for us lately, it’s been Gaborik and Clifford. Gabby came back and played probably his two best games out of the gate. It’s not easy for a guy to jump in mid-season when the pace of the play is as high as it is, but I think all teams do a good job making sure one, that they’re medically cleared, that they physically rehabbed themselves and they get enough touches on the ice and conditioning in terms of on-ice situations that they get their timing back so they’re ready to play. So, it’s not as if it’s training camp and you’re wading into those situations. They pushed hard prior to returning to play so that they’re ready to go. On whether there will be any lineup changes: You know what, there may be, but I’ll be honest with you, there’ll be some game time decisions here. On whether the Kings will look to take advantage early of the Islanders’ challenges in allowing goals: I think the bigger issue with the Islanders is they make a habit of putting the puck in the net. We’ve got to make sure we’re ready to go. I think they’re a good hockey team. I think they play fast, I think they’ve got some dynamic players on their team. I think Tavares is well-known, but I think Barzal … has become a star in a hurry and has changed the whole dynamic of that hockey team. You look at some guys that play hard, and theoir defense has got some mobility and size. We look at what they’re capable of, and there’s lots of times this year they look like a really sound hockey team, and that’s what we’re going to expect tonight. On whether he liked the line combinations against the Rangers: You know what? We did for the most part. We moved some guys around a little bit, but I thought it gave us some continuity, it gave us some good momentum in the games. We could play all four lines, and I thought we got good momentum in different ways from all the lines. We weren’t not happy with the setup of the lines yesterday. On an “active” Adrian Kempe, and whether he liked his line’s performance: That line was good. I mean, they’ve been real responsible without the puck, which is encouraging, but they were just a bit off last night. They had a lot of situations that almost happened, and we’d just like to see them execute in those situations. They’ve got a lot of looks where the puck looked like there were going to be good opportunities and never materialized, but in terms of the way they were skating, moving the puck, the energy they played with, it was positive. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088733 Los Angeles Kings Players such as Casey Cizikas (5-5=10) and Cal Clutterbuck (4-6=10) provide deep options offensively and are capable of creating opportunities off of heavy and effective forechecking. HOW OFTEN DO COACHES YELL AT A TEAM? (PLUS, LOOKING AT “They just play the game their way,” Clifford said. “They play hard, they THE ISLES’ DEEP OFFENSE) play simple, and I think they think the game really well. So, we know they’re not going to give up a lot, but it’s going to be a dog-fight yet. “ JON ROSEN As it is with virtually any game, the team that implements their own style of play to a greater degree and minimizes mistakes will put itself in DECEMBER 16, 2017 position to win. “Obviously their top two lines are very good high scoring lines, so you want to pay attention to that a little bit,” Kopitar said. “But, at the same Midway through a conversation with Anze Kopitar at the Kings’ hotel time, you just try to put the stamp on this game with the LA Kings identity. Saturday afternoon, the question was asked how often a hockey coach You know, we’ve got to come out and play our game and first and might blow his gasket over the course of a season. foremost worry about us and we’ll see what happens.” “Well, it varies,” Kopitar said, a sly grin creeping across his face as he And though they lost to the Rangers, the Kings essentially did that last dropped innuendos towards his previous coach’s approach. night. Their effort was good, they produced one of their better forechecking efforts of the season and played with an excellent pace. It With Los Angeles, he has experience playing for Marc Crawford, Terry was several defensive miscues that ultimately cost them the opportunity Murray, Darryl Sutter and John Stevens. It isn’t hard to separate the to get the game to overtime. yellers from those with a less pointedly direct means of reaching their players. “I think our first period was strong,” Kopitar said. “We gave up a few chances, but I think we created a lot more than we did obviously in “I mean, well, I’ve had it growing up when my dad was coaching me,” Jersey. But even in the second and third we were going and we were Kopitar said. “He’s more on the side where he’ll snap more often than right there and then you know, there were some costly mistakes we’ve not, so he starts yelling. He kicked an object a few times in his career.” got to eliminate.” But even as the Kings sturdy season to date has teetered on several Clifford, who played his second game after missing 28 with an upper- extended winning and losing stretches, Stevens hasn’t given any body injury, continued to get his legs underneath him. He’ll be part of a indications that he’s blown up at his players or channeled his frustration group counted that will be counted on to sustain the team-wide effort that into hurling inanimate objects. That the team is in first place with a 20-10- has raised the greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts performance during Los 3 record has something to do with this, as does Stevens’ well-prepared, Angeles’ winning ways in the continued absence of Jeff Carter. thoughtful composure exuded in conversations with the media. “I thought last game, on a personal level, I felt really better,” he said. “He hasn’t even snapped yet, so I think we’re all waiting for that. At some “And I thought we had a really good team game, really structured and our point, it is going to happen,” Kopitar said. “But yeah, he’s an even-keel forecheck did well. I think we just need to execute and get that final goal guy. In all honesty, I don’t think you have to really snap to get your there. I think that would’ve been the difference.” message across and I think John does a really good job of that where he comes in the room and sometimes he is mad and pissed off, but he still LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.17.2017 composes himself and really gets the messages across that he wants. And we certainly listen and understand it’s … that we’ve got to play better.” How much does a typical coach snap over the course of the season? “You guys can see the difference between Johnny and Darryl, and it varies from the guy. I mean Terry Murray, I don’t remember him snapping too often. You know Mark Crawford before him, he snapped a few times,” Kopitar said. It’s an interesting topic, but not one particularly applicable to recent events. The Kings had won eight straight before their losses to the Devils and Rangers, and even in defeat produced a fine effort at Madison Square Garden on Friday night. At this point, it doesn’t align symmetrically with the team’s challenges in early November. “I mean, I think in the previous streak we almost got too guilty of getting down on ourselves,” Kopitar said. “And I think sometimes that you don’t feel comfortable or as confident on the ice that you should. You know, play the swagger that we did before that. So right now, you’re trying to stay as even-keel as you possibly can. You can’t get too high, too low. And yes, to your question, obviously you want to stop the bleeding as quick as you can and sometimes the best thing is just to get right back at it so you don’t have to think about it too much. So, I think tonight will be a good indicator. I think we got in last night at a decent hour, we got a nice meeting right now, and a bit of a stretch and we’ll be ready to rock tonight.” ______In a study of extremes, the New York Islanders rank second in the league with an average of 3.5 goals per game, and 30th in the league with an average of 3.43 goals-against per game. The next closest NHL team to the Isles’ combined 225 goals for and against is the Maple Leafs, who have combined for 206. But it’s not just John Tavares (18-19=37), Anders Lee (19-14=33), Josh Bailey (8-30=38), Matthew Barzal (8-20=28) and the rest of the high- octane forwards that steer a diverse offensive group. It’s becoming redundant with the number of times it has been noted on this site, but the Isles’ fourth line has been among the most effective in hockey over the last four or five seasons, even after Matt Martin’s departure. “Yeah, they’ve got a deep team up front and we’ve got to be prepared for that,” Kyle Clifford said. “I think that’s just the way the new NHL’s going. Every team’s got four lines they can play so you know, our four lines can be prepared to play too.” 1088734 Los Angeles Kings disappear for weeks in the aftermath of Alec Martinez’s Cup-clinching goal.
LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.17.2017 WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: DECEMBER 16
JON ROSEN DECEMBER 16, 2017
The Los Angeles Kings’ 4-2 loss to the New York Rangers on Friday night was an even game that served an effective reaction from the visitors after a Tuesday night to forget in New Jersey, but it wasn’t a win. It was essentially a toss-up in which the run of play didn’t necessarily produce an expected outcome. Both teams would probably be content with their first periods, but even though Los Angeles was able to generate fine chances in the offensive end, it was New York that struck first, marking the fourth straight game Los Angeles’ previously airtight penalty kill yielded a power play goal. The Rangers had an opportunity to double their lead in the second period when a rebound popped out towards Mats Zuccarello, whose stick was tied up by Jake Muzzin in an important defensive zone wash. In the other direction, moments later, Marian Gaborik sprung loose in a burst of speed and used a quick release to beat Henrik Lundqvist five-hole with a shot that ascended roughly a foot off the ice. With the score tied later in the period, Lundqvist denied Drew Doughty from the top of the right circle and Gaborik generated two follow-up high-grade rebound bids that were turned away before a defensive miscue – more on that in a moment – produced a clear path to the net for Kevin Hayes, which he took advantage of on a two-on-one. Los Angeles out-shot New York 13-8 in the third period and had the better offensive zone time, but Rick Nash made a strong defensive play to take the puck from Christian Folin in the neutral zone, leading to the late game-winner. All around, it was a solid defensive performance from the Rangers, who banked on 15 different shot blockers and limited the number of pucks the Kings were able to get towards the net from the perimeter. That the empty-netter was scored after Doughty’s attempt from distance was blocked into the neutral zone seemed to be an appropriate end to a game that was evenly played but separated by a New York defensive effort that had a greater impact. It’s also beginning to take shape that the Kings could use some reinforcement defensively and would be pressed into a precarious situation were Doughty, Jake Muzzin, Derek Forbort or Alec Martinez to be felled by injury. Reinforcement from Ontario – see: Paul LaDue and Kevin Gravel – might add interesting youth to the mix but would essentially replace a sixth or seventh defenseman with a sixth or seventh defenseman. There’s not really a revolving door in the defensive depth at the moment – Kurtis MacDermid has played eight games in a row, while Folin, who has mostly been effective in his minutes, has played six in a row, and Fantenberg has sat for the last six – but, instead, that none of the three has firmly provided well-above-replacement value minutes, and in the case of last night, MacDermid offered some indications towards his limitations in mobility. (The team was very happy with MacDermid’s training camp, and he provides physicality and toughness few in the league can match.) Nash, who stepped around him in the first period to fire off a quality chance, will make even top-flight defensemen look silly at times, but MacDermid also traveled a long way to converge with Dustin Brown to make a hit on Ryan McDonagh, freeing up Hayes for the two- on-one look. This isn’t a dire situation; the team has been satisfied with Folin, whose mistake last night doesn’t erase 23 and nine-tenths games of hard minutes. Los Angeles also leads the league with an average goals-against of 2.33, though that’s largely a reflection of how well their goalies have played. Based on correspondence, the team isn’t at this moment pursuing options outside of the organization through a trade, and is still using the first half of the season to get the most accurate sense of where they’re at defensively and across their entire roster. Stick taps and congratulations all around to Marian Gaborik, a friendly, soft-spoken, sensitive and well-admired forward who has also been one of the fastest and highly skilled pure goal scorers of his generation. It’s disappointing that the Kings weren’t able to punctuate his 1,000th game with a win, but if there are any lasting memories I’ll carry of his career with the organization to-date, it’s how you couldn’t wipe a smile off his face in the aftermath of the 2014 Stanley Cup. He has made large sums of money and has enjoyed a distinguished lifestyle, but apart from the individual accolades and personal highs, there is readily available evidence that he is an outstanding teammate, and to see how seamlessly he fit in the 2014 run, and how his presence helped catalyze a marathon championship experience is, to this point, the high-water mark of his career. The Kings wouldn’t have gotten through Anaheim, and probably not Chicago either, without his explosive and timely goal scoring. He so thoroughly earned that ear-to-ear smile, which seemed as if it didn’t 1088735 Los Angeles Kings
DECEMBER 17 POSTGAME NOTES
JON ROSEN DECEMBER 16, 2017
POSTGAME NOTES -With the overtime loss, Los Angeles fell to 48-44-15 all-time against New York, a record that includes a road mark of 20-27-7. The Kings remain winless in their three visits to Barclays Center (0-2-1). Los Angeles finished the season series with a 1-0-1 record versus New York, marking their first winning series against the Islanders since going 1-0-1 in 2014- 15. -With the overtime loss, the Kings fell to 14-5-1 against the Eastern Conference, 5-2-1 against the Metropolitan Division, 7-5-4 in one-goal games, 11-2-1 when scoring first, 6-2-1 when leading after the first period, 10-1-1 when leading after two periods, 6-4 in games that extend past regulation, 10-6-2 when outshot by their opponent and 17-0-3 when scoring at least three goals. -Los Angeles fell to 4-4 in games decided in overtime in 2017-18 and 28- 11 since the switch to the 3-on-3 format prior to 2015-16. Their .718 winning percentage ranks second behind Calgary’s .759. Overtime game-winners against the Kings have been scored by Ryan O’Reilly, John Moore, Jaden Schwartz, Esa Lindell, Mikael Granlund, TJ Brodie, Shea Theodore, Sean Monahan, Viktor Arvidsson, Christian Fischer and Jordan Eberle. -The Kings, who entered the night with the league’s top penalty kill, have allowed power play goals in five straight games for the first time this season. Prior to this stretch, they had allowed power play goals in back- to-back games only twice. -Tyler Toffoli’s power play goal ended a 1-for-17 power play stretch over the previous eight-plus games. It was the team’s fourth road power play goal this season. -Toffoli recorded the 100th assist of his career on Oscar Fantenberg’s goal. With a goal and an assist, he now has 99 goals, 100 assists and 199 points in his career. With a +2 rating, he is now a +101 over 327 career games. -Dustin Brown played his 998th career game. -Los Angeles attempted 56 shots (29 on goal, 12 blocked, 15 missed). New York attempted 63 shots (33 on goal, 18 blocked, 12 missed). All L.A. skaters other than Alex Iafallo, Nick Shore and Dustin Brown registered a shot on goal. -The Kings won 23-of-63 faceoffs (37%). Adrian Kempe won 3-of-11, Anze Kopitar won 13-of-32, Nick Shore won 3-of-11, Trevor Lewis won 1- of-1, Jussi Jokinen won 3-of-3, Tanner Pearson won 0-of-2, Torrey Mitchell won 0-of-2 and Tyler Toffoli won 0-of-1. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088736 Los Angeles Kings
DECEMBER 16 POSTGAME QUOTES: JOHN STEVENS
JON ROSEN DECEMBER 16, 2017
POSTGAME QUOTES On whether it was good to “scratch out” a point in the loss, or whether it stung: Well, I think it was a good point. The game looked like it got away from us there. At the end of the day, you want two points. Got off to a good start, two-nothing lead. You’d like to build on that, but once we went down with three minutes to go, the same cast of characters find a way to get a point for us, but ultimately we want two points. On whether the second period penalties slowed the team down: Sure did, yeah, sure did. Penalties made it five-on-three there. Back on the penalty kill, Kopi, Brownie ended up being taxed extra minutes there. Certainly penalties played a big part in it. They’ve got a dangerous power play. It gave them some momentum in the hockey play. Even when they don’t score, they get opportunities, so, for sure. On how the Islanders gained momentum in the second period: I thought it was a pretty good hockey game. They’re a good team, so I’m not sure what you want me to say. We had penalties there, they took advantage of it. They got a late goal in the first period. I thought they got a break on the power play goal. We actually had good coverage, but that’s what happens, right? You get in that situation too much, you get a stick on a puck, and it goes right to Tavares, back side. I would’ve liked to have seen a little better play on the third goal, but at the end of the day, guys found a way to get a point. [Reporter: It looked like Kopi was frustrated at that moment, too, because, like you said, he got a stick on it and it goes right to Tavares.] That’s a good read. The guy was maybe just a fraction of a second late, but he saw the play going to the guy in the hole, and it just deflected to the guy backside, but that’s why you don’t want to put yourself in those situations too often. You get on the penalty kill too much, good players are going to get those opportunities and good things are going to happen for them, so you’d like to get that number way down. On an assertion by Anze Kopitar that the team is “not a confident group right now”: I don’t really know what ‘confidence’ is, right? You put the work in, you do the preparation, you go out there and apply yourself. I mean, it sucks when you lose. That’s the bottom line, so maybe the spirit’s a little bit not what it was when you’re winning hockey games, but at the end of the day, I thought we got some good performances tonight and performances that needed to be better. ‘Confidence.’ It’s a dangerous word. Confidence comes from preparation. Guys like Kopi prepare all the time. That’s why he’s a confident player all the time. On Oscar Fantenberg’s performance: Fantenberg came in and gave us a good game. I thought he gave us some good, solid play, and that’s what we were hoping from him. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088737 Los Angeles Kings
DECEMBER 16 POSTGAME QUOTES: KOPITAR, KUEMPER
JESSI MCDONALD DECEMBER 16, 2017
POSTGAME QUOTES Anze Kopitar, on losing the game after tying it up late in the third period: Well, it’s definitely bittersweet. You’re going into the third period with the lead and you, then you end up chasing the game with three minutes left in the period. So we’ll take the point, but obviously we can’t be satisfied with that. You know, I just think we’re not a confident group right now. We’re more playing not to lose than we are to win so we’ve got to turn that around. Kopitar, on what caused the lack of offense in the second half of the game: I think the second period, a lot of it had to do with the penalties and us killing. So that was certainly the case. But yeah, sometimes when you have the lead you pull back just not really intentional, but you do. And it cost us the game. Kopitar, on what he saw on his goal in the final seconds of the game: I mean there was nothing much to it. Obviously we were trying to get pucks to the net and hang around and we were able to jab it in. Kopitar, on whether he was certain the call on the ice was going to stand: I mean I knew I got a lot of the puck a couple times and I was above 95 percent sure that I wasn’t hitting his pad or anything. So you know, and then I saw the replay and in my head I was thinking, “this should be a good goal,” yeah. Darcy Kuemper, on John Tavares’ goal: Yeah it was unfortunate bounce, you know the PKers doing the right thing. Get a stick on the puck in the middle that theyr’e trying to one-time and it goes straight across to their other guy, Tavares, for a one-timer. Unfortunate bounce for us and yeah, then it was a tie-game. Kuemper, on the drawbacks of being on the penalty kill five times: Well, I mean it’s hard to generate offense when you’re killing, but I thought we did a good job of killing them off until the bounce in the third. I guess it just takes away a lot of offensive time. Kuemper, on losing despite winning games late earlier in the season: I mean we got the tying goal in the dying seconds, but now we’ve been doing a great job in the last couple minutes all year and then in overtime the puck rims around the glass off our two-on-one and then it comes back to them for a two-on-one and I just wasn’t able to make the save. Kuemper, on how important it is to come away with a point despite the loss: I guess, yeah, it’s better than no points, but right now we’re just feeling like we left a point on the table. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088738 Minnesota Wild
Oilers end Wild's various success streaks Loss to Edmonton stops a winning roll at four games and ends a run of scoring points in eight games in a row.
Megan Ryan DECEMBER 16, 2017 — 4:06PM
So much for setting that longest win streak of the season. The Wild lost 3-2 on Saturday at Xcel Energy Center to the Edmonton Oilers. The Wild (17-12-3) had been on a four-game run, which matched its longest of the season. The squad also snapped its home winning streak of five games, including scoring points in the previous eight when the team was 7-0-1 since Nov. 14. Edmonton improved to 14-17-2. The first period was pretty quiet, minus a scare toward the end for winger Jason Zucker. He took defenseman Ryan Suter’s shot off his left knee and then fielded winger Charlie Coyle’s rebound off his elbow. He needed help limping off the ice and down the tunnel but was back on the bench to start the second. Edmonton managed the breakthrough goal at 9 minutes, 15 seconds in the second period. Center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins grabbed a feed from winger Zack Kassian on a two-on-one to beat Wild goaltender Alex Stalock. The goal came shorthanded despite Edmonton having the worst penalty kill in the league at 72.11 heading into this game. In fact, the refs were quite whistle-happy, calling Edmonton for four penalties and the Wild for six, including one to end the game when the Wild was looking for the tying score. Wild defenseman Matt Dumba equalized at 13:18 of the second period, taking winger Mikael Granlund’s feed for a one-time blast past Edmonton goaltender Cam Talbot. But Edmonton winger Milan Lucic put his team ahead again at 16:37 with assists from Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. Stalock made some random Wild history at 1:35 in the third period when he skated out of his crease to clear the puck and ended up putting a 167- foot wrist shot from the defensive zone on goal. That’s the first time in franchise history a goalie has done that. Edmonton extended its lead at 8:32 in the second from Jesse Puljujarvi off a Lucic assist. But Dumba unleashed yet another one-timer blast, this time from Chris Stewart and Eric Staal, with five minutes left in the game to put the Wild back within one. That matches a career high for him for goals in a game. The Wild play at the Chicago Blackhawks at 6 p.m. Sunday. Star Tribune LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088739 Minnesota Wild Slepyshev on the Oilers fourth line. . Wild LW Zach Parise practiced with the team Friday for the first time since undergoing surgery on his lower back Oct. 24. However, he has not been cleared for full contact. Milan Lucic has goal, assist; Oilers hold off Wild 3-2 UP NEXT Edmonton: Plays San Jose on Monday night, the first of three straight MIKE COOK home games. DECEMBER 16, 2017 — 5:10PM Minnesota: Begins a four-game trip Sunday night in Chicago. Star Tribune LOADED: 12.17.2017 ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Edmonton Oilers hope Cam Talbot's return can help stop their roller-coaster December. Talbot made 29 saves after missing seven games with an undisclosed injury, Milan Lucic had a goal and assist and the Oilers held off the Minnesota Wild 3-2 on Saturday. Talbot said he felt great after his jokingly self-proclaimed "2 1/2-half week vacation." He was eased in as the Oilers had 10 of the first 11 shots on goal. "Sometimes coming off an extended period like that, sometimes you want early work. But they kept the first few to the outside and let me get comfortable, and just battled out from there and just tried to control the game," Talbot said. "Anytime you get one of your core players or key players back, regardless of position but maybe even more important in (goal) it's calming influence," coach Todd McLellan said. "I felt our team didn't panic tonight." Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jesse Puljujarvi also scored for Edmonton, which has alternated wins and losses for nine straight games dating to Dec. 2. "We've been playing the right way the last five, six games and it seems like every other game we've been getting the result that we want," Lucic said. The Oilers outshot Nashville 46-23 Thursday, yet lost 4-0. They had 41 shots in a 1-0 loss at Toronto last Sunday. Matt Dumba scored twice for Minnesota, which lost for the first time in five games. It was also the Wild's first regulation loss at Xcel Energy Center since Nov. 4. Minnesota was 7-0-1 in its previous eight home games. The Wild were 0-for-4 on the power play and have scored just once in 19 chances over the past nine games. "I thought some of them we had chances, myself included," said Wild captain Mikko Koivu, who has no points in his past 10 games and has gone 23 games without a goal. "The difference is if you're going to put the puck in the net or not. If I did, or if we did, we're not talking about it right now." Lucic gave the Oilers a 2-1 lead late in the second period with a quick shot from the slot after the puck squirted away from a battle between Ryan Suter and Leon Draisaitl. His pass set up Puljujarvi for a redirect past Alex Stalock midway through the third for a 3-1 lead. Lucic has four goals and six assists in his past 10 games. Dumba scored with 5 minutes left for the Wild for his second career two- goal game. The defenseman has four goals in his past seven games. A Talbot save during a scramble resulted in the Oilers first goal — a short-handed tally — when a rebound went directly to Zack Kassian in the defensive end. On a textbook 2-on-1, his perfect feed allowed Nugent-Hopkins to easily beat Stalock for his team-leading 13th goal. "You give them six power-plays and then when you get your four and you don't take advantage of it and they're plus-1 on it then you're in trouble," Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said. Dumba, who was caught deep on the Oilers goal, got redemption 4 minutes later as he blasted a feed from Mikael Granlund behind Talbot. "Those two rolling pucks to the middle, they're tough to read coming off his stick. He does have a good one-timer when he gets it off," Talbot said. NOTES: Dumba's other two-goal game was March 3, 2015. . Minnesota reassigned D Ryan Murphy to AHL Iowa. . Wild D Jared Spurgeon missed his eighth straight game with a groin injury. . A healthy scratch the past two games, Edmonton C Drake Caggiula replaced LW Anton 1088740 Minnesota Wild On the way to Wells Fargo Arena, 7-year-old Jerad Graves asked his mom if they were heading to see an NBA game.
"I said, 'It's kind of like an NBA JV team,' " Rene Graves said. "He loved Des Moines, Minnesota's minor league city, takes major steps to grow that analogy. He was excited to see it." sports scene Three nights after drawing just 2,098 fans for their victory over the Austin Spurs, the Wolves almost doubled that attendance for this game against Joe Christensen Salt Lake City. DECEMBER 16, 2017 — 5:46PM It helped that 6-11 center Justin Patton was making his long-awaited professional debut. The former Creighton star was the No. 16 overall pick in last June's NBA draft but broke a bone in his left foot last summer. DES MOINES – Minnesota is the ultimate goal, one last step on a long Despite the short distance from Des Moines to Minneapolis, just 245 journey, and it's so close — a straight shot up Interstate 35 — the Iowa miles, the Timberwolves haven't shuttled players back and forth nearly as Wolves and Iowa Wild players can almost see it. much as the Wild. Those transactions happen less frequently in the NBA, in general, because fewer players take part in each game. For now, they are grinding away in Des Moines, a place most never expected to live when they grew up dreaming of playing in the NBA or But Patton's injury underscored the importance of this G-League move NHL. for the Timberwolves. Two years ago, when they wanted Tyus Jones to get playing time, they sent him to Boise, Idaho, which was a Utah Jazz With about 635,000 residents in its growing metropolis, Des Moines has affiliate. become the minor league hub for the Timberwolves and the Wild, whose feeder teams play in spacious Wells Fargo Arena, surrounded by the Now, Patton, Anthony Brown, Melo Trimble, Elijah Millsap and others are city's unexpected charms. running Thibodeau's plays in Iowa, so they're ready if their chance comes with the Timberwolves. "Des Moines has been incredible," Iowa Wolves coach Scott Roth said last weekend. "I think it's a great minor league town." Tapping Iowa's loyalty Roth's Wolves were getting ready to play the Salt Lake City Stars in a Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said the team considered Rochester, Friday clash, followed one night later in the same arena by an Iowa Wild Fargo and Sioux Falls as potential G-League hubs before buying the game against the San Diego Gulls. franchise formerly known as the Iowa Energy. It was a showcase weekend for the city recently named the No. 1 minor Taylor noted how well the Iowa Wild has drawn, along with the Class league market in America by the Sports Business Journal. AAA Iowa Cubs. Wells Fargo Arena also is home to the Iowa Barnstormers, an Indoor Football League team that once launched Kurt Wells Fargo Arena in downtown Des Moines, which opened in 2005, is Warner's NFL career. home to both the Iowa Wolves and the Iowa Wild. Taylor, who also owns the Star Tribune, sees Des Moines' potential but Wells Fargo Arena in downtown Des Moines, which opened in 2005, is isn't promising this move will bring a profit. home to both the Iowa Wolves and the Iowa Wild. "I think most of the teams, the goal is to come close to break even, if "The arena's almost too big, too nice," Roth said. "When you get 3,000 or things are run well because you're putting money in to develop players," 4,000 fans in here, you really can't feel it." he said. Wells Fargo Arena, which locals call "The Well," can seat 17,000 people. Sitting courtside at his first Iowa Wolves game, Taylor said it would help Since opening in 2005, it has hosted the NCAA men's basketball to acquire a prominent player with Iowa ties, as his Lynx have with tournament and staged concerts by Garth Brooks, Taylor Swift and Paul Lindsay Whalen and the Timberwolves have with Jones. McCartney, among others. Last month, the Iowa Wolves drew 4,032 for the Santa Cruz Warriors, The Wolves and Wild cover the upper deck with black curtains for most and hundreds came wearing Iowa State gear, cheering for former games, hiding unused seats. The Wolves drew 3,923 for this Friday Cyclones star Georges Niang. Nate Rushing, 40, was among the Iowa game, and the Wild followed with 6,922 for its Saturday "Star Wars Night" State fans who watched Niang score 19 points that game. promotion. "I felt bad for our [Wolves] players," Rushing said. "He got more applause "You've got a pretty rabid fan base that's just learning the sport of than our whole team." hockey," Iowa Wild President Todd Frederickson said. "So we see this as unlimited potential, and you can't beat the proximity to St. Paul." Growing new hockey fans The Wild moved its American Hockey League affiliate from Houston to Sometimes, Iowa Wild coach Derek Lalonde teases his Des Moines Des Moines in 2013. The Timberwolves are new to Des Moines. They neighbors. were among six NBA teams that purchased new affiliates this season in what was once the D-League (D for development) and now called the G- "I could walk Sidney Crosby down my road, and no one would know League (for sponsor Gatorade). him," Lalonde said. "But if I walk the third string D-back from 10 years ago of the Iowa State football team, my neighbors would be all over him. Minnesota basketball boss Tom Thibodeau asked Roth to coach the It's the reality of it." Iowa team and implement the organization's systems. Roth, who spent two seasons in the same league as Bakersfield's coach a decade ago, Hockey is not one of the 11 sports sanctioned by the Iowa High School didn't hesitate. Athletics Association. Skating rinks are hard to find in large swathes of the state. "Like anywhere else in this league, this is not where anyone wants to be," Roth said. "But it's a bridge." Lalonde coached Green Bay in the amateur-level United States Hockey League and made the rounds through Iowa, which has five USHL teams Wolves' new path — Sioux City, Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, Dubuque and Des Moines. Outside the arena, the Center Street pedestrian bridge spans the Des "I secretly knew Des Moines was a pretty nice city," said Lalonde, an Moines River, with its modern arch pointing toward the Iowa State upstate New York native. Capitol's golden dome. But previous AHL efforts there had failed. Last decade, Des Moines had Fans see that view on the short walk from the arena to the downtown the Iowa Stars (a Dallas Stars affiliate) for three seasons and the Iowa hotels, and from there, it's just a few more blocks to the bustling bars and Chops (Anaheim Ducks) for one, but neither developed much traction restaurants along Court Avenue. with fans. Walkers can take skyways from those restaurants to the arena, but there When the Wild moved its AHL affiliate from Houston to Des Moines four are multiple detours with all the new buildings under construction. In the years ago, a primary goal was growing the sport of hockey in Iowa. downtown Kaleidoscope Mall, a sporting goods store called The Stadium Schools weren't offering floor hockey in their phys-ed curriculum, for is filled with Iowa Hawkeyes and Iowa State Cyclones gear — but example. nothing featuring the hometown Wolves or Wild. So the Iowa Wild purchased floor hockey equipment for those schools, along with one free ticket and an Iowa Wild jersey for each student. "It was our thought if we could get more kids in Des Moines wearing Iowa Wild jerseys, that would translate into more fans for us," Frederickson said. "And eventually it would translate into more Minnesota Wild fans." Next step: playoffs The Iowa Wild averaged about 5,800 fans per game for its first three seasons, but the on-ice product was historically bad. The team won just 32 percent of its games. Things improved last season, under Lalonde, and the team entered this weekend 12-8-6, tracking toward its first playoff berth. "I truly believe if they get a playoff team in here, this team's popularity will take off," said Adam Swangel, 41, a season-ticket holder from Des Moines. Fans watching the San Diego game could see former Gophers captains Justin Kloos and Kyle Rau playing on the same line. Luke Kunin, the 20- year-old forward who played 17 games for the Wild this season, was rebuilding confidence. Most of the team's players live in one of two neighboring apartment complexes in West Des Moines. "Des Moines is a little bit smaller, but it's almost like Minneapolis," said Kloos, a former Mr. Minnesota Hockey from Lakeville South. "There's a lot of stuff to do. It's a similar lifestyle, similar people." The Iowa Wild plays with the energy of a team that has had 11 of its players promoted to the NHL already this season. Four promotions (Kunin, Christoph Bertschy, Landon Ferraro and Zack Mitchell) came the same night, after the Wild had a slew of injuries in Chicago. "We went into the office, and they said, 'Hey, you guys are gone,' " Ferraro said. "It was about 10 o'clock, and they had the car service set up for 11:15. You race home, throw whatever you can into a suitcase, and go." The fortunate ones get that chance. The rest keep striving to cross the bridge. Star Tribune LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088741 Minnesota Wild
Tips on planning a sports road trip to Des Moines
DECEMBER 16, 2017 — 5:46PM Staff Writer
Road trip tips for Des Moines Iowa Wild and Wolves The Wild plays at home next Friday night against the Grand Rapids Griffins, with the Wolves at home next Saturday against the Agua Caliente Clippers. After that, the next chance to see them both at home the same weekend is Jan. 20 (Wild vs. Milwaukee Admirals) and Jan. 21 (Wolves vs. Reno Bighorns). Tickets: Wolves tickets range from $10-$32, and Wild tickets range from $10-$45. Their websites (Iowa.gleague.nba.com and Iowawild.com) also have courtside and rink-side seating promotions. Des Moines (About 245 miles south, on I-35) Where to stay: Numerous downtown hotels offer weekend discounts on travel websites, all within walking distance of Wells Fargo Arena. Pregame food and drinks: Buzzard Billy's sports bar is two blocks south of the arena, featuring a Cajun Creole menu and two bars, including one called "The Penalty Box." Nightlife: The 1908 Draught House and El Bait Shop are two popular destinations about a half-mile from the arena. Court Avenue is lined with other bars and restaurants. Star Tribune LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088742 Minnesota Wild Star Tribune LOADED: 12.17.2017
Wild notes: Mikko Koivu's scoring slump growing more frustrating
Megan Ryan DECEMBER 16, 2017 — 7:59PM
When the puck clanked off the post and then off Edmonton goaltender Cam Talbot and somehow still ended up wide of the net, it became abundantly clear that Mikko Koivu must have done something to anger the hockey gods. That second-period shot, which could have immediately tied the score after Edmonton had just struck its first in a 3-2 victory Saturday, embodied Koivu's recent offensive struggles. The captain hasn't tallied a point since Nov. 24, a 10-game drought, and hasn't scored a goal since Oct. 28, a 23-game lull. He has just four goals and 11 assists this season. "When you're winning, it's a lot easier. But [Saturday], when you don't score on those chances and when you lose the games, obviously that's when it gets frustrating, when you're not able to help the team in that way," Koivu said. "But all we can do is create and get in there and find a way. It's a matter of the next one. You've got to work at it. It's not an easy thing to do in this league, and sometimes you go through stretches that you're not scoring. All you can do is get ready for the next one and make sure you're ready when you get a chance and try to put the puck to the net and get out of it. Koivu said he didn't know exactly why the puck wasn't cooperating with him. "Sometimes you want to have more patience. Sometimes you have to find another angle to shoot it," he said. "But it happens quick. Like I said, it's a matter of finding the chance and finding the open spot. But you've got to be around the net. That's where it happens. And that's what I believe, and that's usually where I score. And that's where you have to be at it and be better." Coach Bruce Boudreau said he re-teamed Koivu with winger Mikael Granlund, whom he called the Wild's "best offensive player" and "best playmaker," as a way to generate some success from the center. And while that hasn't manifested in the statistics yet, Boudreau doesn't think Koivu is a complete failure. "He's a guy that A, has a lot of pride and, B, is a really good player," Boudreau said. "The one thing about Mikko is, even if he's not scoring, he's defending and competing really hard. So I mean, we all want to see him succeed in scoring. And I think at this time last year, he had six goals. So it's not an overly big difference." And yet, "I know it's wearing on him," Boudreau said. Immediate redemption While back-to-back games are a grind, with the Wild hopping on flight to Chicago just about an hour after its loss Saturday, Sunday's tilt at the Blackhawks provides a chance for a quick rebound. "That's the beauty of this league, you get right back to it again," forward Charlie Coyle said. "Prove ourselves tomorrow night, and that's what we're looking forward to." The Wild, which broke its longest winning streak of the season at four, has a chance to end Chicago's current four-game win streak. Wild goaltender Alex Stalock also might play in his first full back-to-back NHL games. "Anytime you lose, and at this level, I think, you want to get back as soon as possible," Stalock said Saturday. "And for us, lucky enough, it's tomorrow." Spurgeon on brink? After the game, the Wild reassigned defenseman Ryan Murphy to the Iowa Wild, which likely heralds the return of the injured Jared Spurgeon, who has missed eight games because of a groin strain. "There's a possibility," Boudreau said of Spurgeon playing Sunday. "It's still day to day. I don't know. We will find out." Murphy, 24 notched a goal and assist in nine games with the Wild since his call-up Nov. 27. He also recorded six penalty minutes, a plus-5 rating, 12 shots on goal and 11 blocked shots. 1088743 Minnesota Wild
Wild-Chicago game preview
DECEMBER 16, 2017 — 7:59PM MEGAN RYAN
6 p.m. at Chicago Blackhawks • FSN, 100.3-FM Eastern swing starts in Chicago Preview: The Wild (17-12-3) failed to post its longest winning streak of the season Saturday against Edmonton, ending it at four. But the team has a rebound chance vs. the Blackhawks (16-11-5), who are on a four- game winning streak of their own. This also starts a four-game road trip for the Wild, with stops at Ottawa, Florida and Tampa Bay. Quotable: "Should be good. We're excited to get going. It's going to be a quick turnaround here. Chicago tomorrow night, playing some really good teams on this trip, too, so we're going to be prepared for that and try to work our hardest." – Wild defenseman Matt Dumba. Players to WATCH: Jonathan Toews leads Chicago with 39 points in 38 games against the Wild. Winger Patrick Kane has 37 points in 42 games. Numbers: The last time the Wild played at United Center on Oct. 12, the team lost three forwards (Charlie Coyle, Nino Niederreiter and Marcus Foligno) to injury despite a 5-2 victory. All three are back healthy for this second trip. Injuries: Wild F Zach Parise (back) and G Devan Dubnyk (lower body) are out while D Jared Spurgeon (groin) is questionable. Chicago D Jan Rutta (upper body), D Cody Franson (upper body), D Michal Rozsival (upper body) and F Marian Hossa (allergies) are out. Star Tribune LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088744 Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild's healthy scratches seem primed for success
Megan Ryan DECEMBER 16, 2017 — 7:07PM
Hi, I almost forgot to write this postgame blog. Anyhow, here is my gamer from the Wild's 3-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday at Xcel Energy Center. A notebook, including a little ditty on Mikko Koivu's scoring struggles, should be up soon, too. Something I didn't have a chance to use after Friday's practice were these quotes from forward Chris Stewart. I talked to him about the recent trend of healthy scratch players coming back and having great games. Stewart said players shouldn't ever get too comfortable, so responding to being passed over with positive play shows the coach the player cares and isn't happy about being left out. "This is a performance-based industry, so you know you get judged off your performance," Stewart said. "I think when you do get healthy scratched, you're more than likely not going to be able to argue it. ... You know when you have a bad game, and you know when you have a good game. So I think the more good games you can have and just kind of make that decision as hard on them as possible." Matt Cullen started the streak when scratched Dec. 8 at Anaheim, playing well against San Jose on Dec. 10 and scoring his 250th NHL goal against Calgary on Dec. 12. The Stewart, scratched at San Jose, scored in the shootout against Calgary. Tyler Ennis experienced his first healthy scratch against Calgary but then scored against Toronto on Dec. 14. "I don't want to say healthy scratches lead to good games. I just think internal competition is healthy and good for the team," Stewart said. "Sometimes, going and watching from the press box and seeing firsthand is, again, that refresh is, I think that definitely helps. But I mean, as veteran guys, I think you want to be a staple in the lineup. You don't want to get caught up in that game. But it's kind of out of your hands. You know, if you are out, there's not time to dwell on that and be a bad teammate. You know, there's just a lot of hockey coming up, and you know when you're called upon, you've just got to do it." Marcus Foligno was the odd man out against Toronto but didn't continue the trend Saturday against Edmonton. So maybe Zack Mitchell, who sat Saturday, will have a chance to pick it up again 6 p.m. Sunday at Chicago. OK, so, I'll be back between Christmas and New Year, covering the Dallas and Nashville games. Have a happy holidays, y'all. Star Tribune LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088745 Minnesota Wild “Anytime we lose, and at this level, I think, we want to get back as soon as possible,” Stalock added. “And for us, lucky enough, it’s (Sunday).”
Pioneer Press LOADED: 12.17.2017 Matt Dumba’s two goals not enough as Wild fall 3-2 to Oilers
DANE MIZUTANI December 16, 2017 at 6:10 PM
Wild coach Bruce Boudreau knew the Edmonton Oilers were going to come out firing Saturday afternoon, especially considering they had been shut out in their previous game despite firing 46 shots on goal. “We are going to have to be great defensively against them,” Boudreau said. “I really worry about teams that struggle the night before. I mean, we’ve had this where we seem to play a team that got shut out the night before, and every time they do that, they come in, and they go, they start scoring again.” He was right as the Wild allowed the Oilers to get off the schneid in a hard-fought 3-2 loss during a matinee at the Xcel Energy Center. “I didn’t get them ready enough to play or they didn’t get themselves ready enough to play,” Boudreau said. “Maybe a combination of both.” Matt Dumba tried his best to keep the Wild in it with a pair of goals, and Alex Stalock made 26 saves in a losing effort. It marked the first loss in about a week and a half for the Wild, who are still teetering on the cut line in the Western Conference playoff race. “They capitalized. We didn’t,” Charlie Coyle said. “That’s kind of the bottom line there. Not much more we can say. That’s what it comes down to.” After a scoreless first period, Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored a short-handed goal midway through the second period to give his team the lead. That came a few seconds after Mikko Koivu was denied front point-blank range. Koivu drilled the post with a nearly perfect redirection on his next shift. Those two plays encapsulated Koivu’s recent struggles offensively, as he has now gone 23 games without a goal and 10 games without a point. Nonetheless, the Wild pulled later in the second period when Dumba fired a slap shot from the high slot after a slick pass from Mikael Granlund. Granlund to Dumba on the one-timer pic.twitter.com/K5spJZ7yve — CJ Fogler (@cjzero) December 16, 2017 Oilers winger Milan Lucic helped his team regain the lead a few minutes later when he collected a bouncing puck in the slot and beat Stalock with a well-placed shot. “It was kind of just a bouncing puck,” Stalock said. “It kind of ended up right on Lucic’s stick right in the slot and quick play in the back of the net.” Oilers winger Jesse Puljujarvi scored what proved to be the winning goal early in the third period on a rebound from in close after Stalock made an incredible pad save to deny the initial shot. “(They) got fortunate,” Stalock said, referencing the third goal. “(It bounced) off the pad came right back on to his stick and had a wide open net. Just capitalized on the chances they got.” Dumba was back at it late in the third period with another one-timer, this time from Chris Stewart, to cut into the deficit, and make for an interesting final five minutes of the game. Stewart to Dumba for the one timer pic.twitter.com/gtwVDw5Dyd — CJ Fogler (@cjzero) December 16, 2017 “I think I’ve always kind of had that,” Dumba said of his shooting mentality. “(I was) fortunate enough to get some good looks tonight.” Although the Wild couldn’t net the equalizer, they won’t have much time to sulk about the loss, as a game against the rival Chicago Blackhawks awaits Sunday night at the United Center. “That’s the beauty of this league,” Coyle said. “You get right back to it. (We need to) prove ourselves tomorrow night.” 1088746 Minnesota Wild
Wild’s Mikko Koivu tries to stay positive amid offensive struggles
DANE MIZUTANI December 16, 2017 at 7:52 PM
When Wild captain Mikko Koivu wakes up Sunday morning in the Windy City, it will have been exactly 50 days since he has found the back of the net. In fact, his last goal came three days before Halloween in a 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, when he beat goaltender Matt Murray with a perfectly placed redirection from the slot. Entering Sunday’s game against the rival Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center, the 34-year-old Koivu has gone 23 games without a goal and 10 games without a point. A microcosm of those offensive struggles came in the second period Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers at the Xcel Energy Center first when Koivu was denied twice from point-blank range and on the ensuing shift when he crushed the post on a nearly perfect redirection. Koivu admitted it’s been frustrating for him, though he emphasized that those frustrations have been quelled by the fact that the Wild have been one of the hottest teams in the NHL over the past month. “When you’re winning, it’s a lot easier,” Koivu said. “When you lose the games, that’s when it gets frustrating. When you’re not able to help the team in that way.” “You’ve got to work at it,” Koivu added. “It’s not an easy thing to do in this league. Sometimes you go through stretches (where) you’re not scoring and all you can do is get ready for the next (game) and make sure you’re ready when you get a chance and try to put the puck to the net and get out of it.” To his credit, Koivu does so much for the Wild, even when he’s not scoring. He constantly plays against the opposing team’s top line and has done a marvelous job shutting down some of the most potent threats in the league. Still, coach Bruce Boudreau said he can tell the offensive struggles are starting to get to Koivu. “I’m sure he’s frustrated,” Boudreau said. “He’s a guy that, A, has a lot of pride, and, B, is a really good player. You know, the thing about Mikko is even if he’s not scoring he’s defending and competing really hard. So, I mean, we all want to see him succeed in scoring. … I know it’s wearing on him.” Although there’s no simple solution, Koivu has vowed not to change his approach. “It’s a matter of finding the chance and finding the open spot,” Koivu said. “You’ve got to be around the net. That’s where it happens. And that’s what I believe. That’s usually where I score.” FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING Alex Stalock gloved down a shot from Connor McDavid, and with everyone assuming he was going to cover it up, dropped the puck and cleared the zone. His clearing attempt bounced off the boards and into the waiting arms of Oilers goaltender Cam Talbot for a shot on goal. It marked the only shot on goal by a Wild goaltender in franchise history. It goes in the record books as a wrist shot from 167 feet. POWER-PLAY STRUGGLES After a brief hot streak in November, the Wild power play has dried up. After going 0 for 4 in Saturday’s game, the Wild are 3 for 22 on the power play in their past 10 games. Boudreau hinted that changes might be on the way as a way to spark the team as it embarks on a four-game road trip before the holiday break. “Maybe some of our guys think that they’re anointed and should be on the power play whether they’re playing good or bad,” Boudreau said. “Again, that’s something I’ll have to change.” Pioneer Press LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088747 Montreal Canadiens
Edmonton Oilers hold off Minnesota Wild on Milan Lucic’s goal and assist
MIKE COOK DECEMBER 16, 2017
Milan Lucic had a goal and assist and the Edmonton Oilers held off the Minnesota Wild 3-2 on Saturday. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jesse Puljujarvi also scored for Edmonton, which has alternated wins and losses for nine straight games. Matt Dumba scored twice for Minnesota, which lost for the first time in five games. It was also the Wild's first regulation loss at Xcel Energy Center since Nov. 4. Minnesota was 7-0-1 in its previous eight home games. Lucic gave the Oilers a 2-1 lead late in the second period with a quick shot from the slot after the puck squirted away in a battle between Ryan Suter and Leon Draisaitl. His pass set up Puljujarvi for a redirect past Alex Stalock midway through the third period for a 3-1 lead. Lucic has four goals and six assists in his past 10 games. Dumba scored with 5 minutes left for the Wild for his second career two- goal game. The defenceman has four goals in his past seven games. Edmonton goalie Cam Talbot made 29 saves after missing seven games with an undisclosed injury. A Talbot save during a scramble resulted in the Oilers first goal when a rebound went directly to Zack Kassian in the defensive end. On a textbook 2-on-1, he and Nugent-Hopkins raced into the Minnesota end before Nugent-Hopkins converted a perfect pass to beat Stalock for his team-leading 13th goal. Stalock finished with 26 saves. Dumba, who was caught deep on the Oilers goal, got redemption 4 minutes later as he blasted a feed from Mikael Granlund behind Talbot. NOTES: Dumba's other two-goal game was March 3, 2015. . Wild D Jared Spurgeon missed his eighth straight game with a groin injury. . A healthy scratch the past two games, Edmonton C Drake Caggiula replaced LW Anton Slepyshev on the Oilers fourth line. . Wild LW Zach Parise practiced with the team Friday for the first time since undergoing surgery on his lower back Oct. 24. However, he has not been cleared for full contact. UP NEXT Edmonton: Plays San Jose on Monday, the first of three straight home games. Minnesota: Begins a four-game road trip Sunday night in Chicago. Globe And Mail LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088748 Montreal Canadiens The Canadiens now head out for a three-game western Canadian road swing, while the Senators host Minnesota Tuesday night before a two- game road trip through Florida before the Christmas break. Ottawa Senators blank Montreal Canadiens 3-0 in NHL 100 Classic Globe And Mail LOADED: 12.17.2017
LISA WALLACE DECEMBER 16, 2017
The Ottawa Senators needed a big effort from their top players on Saturday and they received it. The Senators capped off a weekend of festivities with an impressive 3-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens Saturday night at the NHL 100 Classic outdoor game in front of 33,959 fans at TD Place. Ottawa controlled the game from start to finish and had outstanding performances from goaltender Craig Anderson, who made 28 saves for his 40th career shutout, and captain Erik Karlsson, who played a season- high 32:55 and had one assist. "We knew we needed to have a good game," said Karlsson. "We didn't know what to expect, what type of game it was going to be, but I think we came out strong and we finished strong. I don't think we strayed from the kind of game that needed to be played in an atmosphere like this." Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Bobby Ryan and Nate Thompson, into an empty net, scored for the Senators (11-13-7), who won back-to-back games for the first time in over a month. Carey Price was kept busy as he stopped 35 shots for the Canadiens (14-15-4), but didn't get any offensive support to help his cause. The Canadiens failed to take advantage of an Ottawa team that had been struggling of late and know this was a missed opportunity. "We know where we are in the standings, we know it's a division game and it doesn't matter the hype, doesn't matter the outside noise," said Montreal captain Max Pacioretty. "We didn't play a strong game and that never feels good." The temperature at puck drop was -10.8 C., and dropped throughout the game to -25 C. with wind chill, but it was an experience that won't soon be forgotten. "I think that's the coldest I've ever been," said Ryan. "The fans came out and made it a heck of a night by being loud and being engaged and when the home team gets two points and the city can rally around it for a great event makes it all the better. "It was worth every second of it. We had a blast." Trailing 1-0 heading into the third the Canadiens pushed a little harder, but had very few scoring chances aside from one where Philip Danault slid his shot through the crease. With just under three minutes to go in the third Jonathan Drouin had a brutal giveaway in his own zone and Ryan made the most of it, breaking in alone and beating Price to give the Senators a 2-0 lead. It was Ryan's second goal in as many games. He says he finally feels like his game is turning around since breaking his index finger in October. Thompson added an empty-net goal with 10 seconds left. The Senators were finally rewarded for a strong effort at 14:55 of the second as Pageau tipped a Karlsson point shot to get Ottawa on the board. Pageau now has eight career goals against the Canadiens. "To score that goal was pretty special," said Pageau, a Gatineau, Que., native. "When I scored that goal and your goalie doesn't give one it makes it easier. I think we played a really solid game and obviously when the atmosphere's that loud the energy level is always up." Ottawa tested Price earlier in the period as well when Mike Hoffman had three shots on an early power play, and Matt Duchene had a great chance only to see the Montreal netminder make a blocker save. A scoreless first period saw the Senators outshoot the Canadiens 15-8. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as well as NHL commissioner Gary Bettman were on hand for the festivities. Trudeau was seen shaking hands with the Senators as they made their way to the ice. Former member of the Montreal Canadiens, Guy Lafleur, and Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson dropped the puck for the ceremonial faceoff. 1088749 Montreal Canadiens his record above .500 for the first time this season. Price comes into the game with a 9-9-2 record, a 3.04 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage. Game Day: NHL 100 Classic will be a chilling experience for Canadiens “I think he’s back … he’s played extremely well since he’s come back,” Julien said about Price. “He had that one game against Edmonton (getting pulled after allowing four goals on 14 shots in a 6-2 loss to the Stu Cowan Oilers last Saturday) … and it happens to all good goaltenders. I saw (the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Sergei) Bobrovsky the other night and he gets December 16, 2017 4:21 PM EST pulled. That happens. (Price has) bounced back and he’s back to being Carey again. Last (game) he was good … that was one goal (on 32 shots
in the 2-1 OT win over the Devils). I think he’s feeling more like himself OTTAWA — It’s going to be cold Saturday night at Lansdowne Park — right now than he did at the beginning of the year. It was frustrating for very cold. him because that’s not the kind of goalie he is. When the puck drops for the outdoor NHL 100 Classic between the “He was having a bit of a challenge start,” the coach added about his No. Canadiens and Ottawa Senators (7 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports, TSN 1 goalie. “But what I liked about it is during his injury and all that stuff he Radio 690) the temperature is forecast to be minus-14C with a wind chill did a lot of things to get himself ready and when he came back to play he making it feel like minus-21. was a difference-maker.” When asked after Friday afternoon’s practice at Lansdowne Park if it Canadiens numbers would be colder for a goalie than other players, the Canadiens’ Carey Brendan Gallagher leads the Canadiens in goals and points with 13-6-19 Price responded: “Maybe. They (the players) get to sit on a warm bench. totals, but is pointless in his last four games and only ranks 124th in the But just dress appropriately and it’s not too bad.” NHL scoring race. Gallagher is followed on the Habs’ scoring list by Canadiens coach Claude Julien has already been behind the bench for Phillip Danault (6-13-19), Max Pacioretty (8-10-18), Alex Galchenyuk (7- four outdoor NHL games, including the 2016 Winter Classic on New 11-18) and Jonathan Drouin (5-12-17). Captain Pacioretty has gone five Year’s Day when he was with the Boston Bruins and they lost 5-1 to the games without a goal and has only one in the last 14 games. Pacioretty Canadiens at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. is on pace for 20 goals after scoring at least 30 in each of the last four seasons. “When you’re playing outdoors, the conditions are a little bit different,” Julien said after Friday’s practice. “Today it’s really cold outside, so the The Canadiens rank 26th in the NHL in defence, allowing an average of ice is in great shape. The cold weather from the top is making the ice 2.68 goals per game, and rank 22nd in defence allowing an average of even harder. We saw a little bit of a chunk of ice there come off in the 3.09 goals. They rank 22nd on the power play (17.30 per cent) and 25th corner. So that’s to say that we have to keep our game simple. We can’t in penalty-killing (78.30). just go out there and try and complicate the game more than we have to. Senators numbers I think it’s about playing your game, but keeping it simple. Keep moving pucks up the ice quickly and that kind of stuff. That’s what I pull back Mark Stone leads the Senators in scoring with 14-13-27 totals, followed from all the games we played in the outdoor games because the by Mike Hoffman (9-13-22), Erik Karlsson (1-18-19) and Derick Brassard conditions are a little bit different than what we’re used to.” (7-11-18). Captain Karlsson’s minus-18 is the third-worst plus/minus figure in the NHL. The only players with a worse plus/minus are the When asked if he liked the outdoor games, Julien smiled. Arizona Coyotes’ Clayton Keller (minus-20) and Oliver Ekman-Larsson “I knew somebody was going to ask me that,” he said. “I’m just in love (minus-23). with them. The Senators rank 25th in the NHL in offence, scoring an average of 2.7 “You know what?” the coach added. “I don’t hate those games. Those goals per game, and rank 27th in defence, allowing an average of 3.3. are different types of games, I think, that has a lot of people excited, even They rank 27th on the power play (15.31 per cent) and 27th in penalty- players. There’s guys in there that haven’t played an outdoor game yet. I killing (77.01 per cent). enjoy it. I know a lot of people are going to tell you: ‘Well, it’s growing Praise for Weber old,’ or this and that. I think it’s an experience and all you need to do is to manage it properly. Canadiens defenceman Shea Weber has been playing through a lower- body injury that sidelined him for seven games earlier in the season. “I think it’s great that today (practice) is outside, guys are enjoying it. But Jordie Benn, who has become Weber’s regular partner on the blue line, you have to manage it in a way that tomorrow guys have to understand was asked after Thursday’s win over the Devils if he has to do anything that it’s a big two points and all that stuff and we go out there and just different now playing with him. play our game. It’s a one-game situation, so I can deal with that. I have no issues with it.” “I don’t have to do anything different,” Benn said. “Shea’s better than half the D-men in this league not at 100 per cent. So I don’t have to do Andrew Shaw has played in outdoor games before with the Chicago anything different. I just got to give the puck to Shea because he’s better Blackhawks and is looking forward to playing his first with the Canadiens. with the puck than I am … it doesn’t matter if he’s 50 per cent or 100.” “It’s going to be cold, but it’s going to be fun,” he said. “I think it’s colder The injury factor for the fans. Obviously, our body heat … we’re moving around, we’re sweating and we have heaters on the bench. I don’t think it’s going to be The poorer quality of ice for outdoor games always increases the too much of a factor, but this whole outdoor game is fun. All the activities possibility of an injury. involved with it and playing outdoors like you’re a kid again it’s a special thing to be a part of.” “That’s anywhere,” Julien said. “There’s guys that have been injured on (indoor) ice that there’s been a crack in the ice somewhere from a skate The Canadiens did not have a morning skate on Saturday. blade from earlier. It does happen. But for the most part, you deal with it and then you move forward.” The Canadiens (14-14-4) come into the game two points behind Boston (15-10-4) for the third and final playoff spot in the Atlantic Division with Lehkonen won’t play the Bruins holding three games in hand. The Bruins play host to the New York Rangers at 5 p.m. Saturday. The Canadiens are coming off a 2-1 Canadiens forward Artturi Lehkonen, who has missed the last 14 games overtime win over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night at the Bell with a lower-body injury, took part in Friday’s practice but won’t be in the Centre. lineup against the Senators. The Senators (10-13-7) are seven points behind the Bruins and only four “It’s his first (full) practice with us,” Julien said. “He’s going in the right points ahead of the last-place Buffalo Sabres (8-18-7) in the eight-team direction where they’ve allowed him to practise with us, but there’s still a Atlantic Division. The Senators are coming off a 3-2 win over the New little ways to go here before medically he’s cleared. He’s not cleared. York Rangers on Wednesday, but they have only two wins in their last 14 He’s cleared to practise, but he’s not cleared to play.” games (2-10-2). This Date in Habs History This will be the third meeting of the season between the Canadiens and Senators. The Canadiens won the first two games, beating the Senators Dec. 16, 1950: Jean Béliveau and Bernie Geoffrion made their NHL debuts and helped the Canadiens end a five-game losing streak by Price will make his 10th straight start in goal for the Canadiens after playing the New York Rangers to a 1-1 tie in front of 14,158 fans at the missing 10 games with a lower-body injury and will have a chance to get Forum with Geoffrion scoring his first NHL goal. What’s next? Saturday night’s game is the first of seven straight on the road for the Canadiens. They will play three games in Western Canada next week, facing the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday (10 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN Radio 690), the Calgary Flames on Friday (9 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN Radio 690) and the Edmonton Oilers next Saturday (7 p.m., SN, TVA Sports). Montreal Gazette LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088750 Montreal Canadiens
Habs Game Report: Senators freeze Montreal with 3-0 outdoor victory
Pat Hickey December 16, 2017 10:23 PM EST
OTTAWA — Carey Price did his best, but he received no support from the Montreal offence that was as cold as the temperature and the Senators defeated the Canadiens 3-0 in the NHL 100 Classic on Saturday at TD Place. Craig Anderson made 25 saves for his second shutout of the season, but the Habs didn’t make life difficult for him until late in the game when the Senators went into prevent mode. Pageau opens the scoring: The Senators took a 1-0 lead when Jean- Gabriel Pageau redirected Erik Karlsson’s shot from the point at 14:55 of the second period. It was the fourth goal of the season for Pageau, who has played some of his best hockey against Montreal. He has eight goals and four assists in 18 games against the Canadiens. Price kept the game from getting out of hand when he dove to make a blocker save on Matt Duchene with 2:55 remaining in the period. Bobby Ryan sealed the deal with a goal at 17:02 of the third period after a brutal turnover by Jonathan Drouin. Nate Thompson added an empty-net goal. Bruins salvage a point: The Boston Bruins scored two goals in the third period to come back from a 2-0 deficit before losing 3-2 to the New York Rangers in overtime. At the end of the night, Boston had opened a five- point edge over the Canadiens in the battle for third place in the Atlantic Division and the Bruins still hold three games in hand. Price holds the fort: Price had a busy first period as the Senators outshot the Canadiens 15-8. Ottawa players ran Price on at least four occasions in the scoreless period and the goaltender took matters into his own hands when he stepped to his left and threw his shoulder into an Ottawa attacker. Defencemen accounted for five of the Montreal shots and there wasn’t a scoring chance in the lot. Something special: For the second consecutive game, the Canadiens’ penalty-killing unit didn’t give up a power-play goal, successfully killing off three penalties. The Canadiens came up empty on their lone power play. Baby, it’s cold outside: The temperature at game time was minus-13 Celsius and when you figured in the 13 km/h wind, it felt like minus-20. At the start of the second period, it was minus-14 and felt like minus-21 and TSN-690 broadcaster Dan Robertson’s water bottle had frozen. As the game came to a close, the sellout crowd of 33,959 was dealing with minus-15 temperatures that felt like minus-22. Lemieux honoured: Pittsburgh Penguins star Mario Lemieux was introduced during the second period after the scoreboard showed the highlights of the Dec. 31, 1988, game when he scored five goals in five different ways — at even-strength, on the power play, shorthanded, on a penalty shot and into an empty net. A fan vote recognized the feat as the greatest moment in NHL history. The long and winding road: This was the first of seven consecutive road games for the Canadiens, who will meet the Canucks in Vancouver on Tuesday (10 p.m, TSN2, RDS, TSN-690 Radio) before moving on to Calgary on Friday and Edmonton on Saturday. After Christmas, the Canadiens play in Carolina, Tampa and Sunrise, Fla. They return to the Bell Centre on Jan. 2 to play the San Jose Sharks. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088751 Montreal Canadiens out Montreal was playing in Ottawa I thought there’s no way I’m missing this game.”
The NHL keeps holding these outdoor “classics” because fans are still Stu Cowan: Frozen fans still have some fun at NHL 100 Classic willing to pay big money to freeze their buts off with ticket prices ranging from $129 to $399 at Lansdowne Park. When the temperature drops like it did Saturday night — it was minus-15 with a wind chill of minus-22 at Stu Cowan the end — the game becomes a survival test for fans and the NHL could have sold a bunch of “I Survived the NHL 100 Classic” T-shirts if December 16, 2017 11:54 PM EST someone had thought to make them. “It’s a one-time event,” Turgeon said between sips of his pre-game beer, adding he wasn’t worried about the temperature. “We have hot pads and OTTAWA — Canadians aren’t the only ones crazy enough to sit outside everything we need.” in a football stadium to watch a hockey game when the temperature is minus-10.8C and dropping with a windchill around minus-20. I imagine bathroom breaks after a few beers might have been a challenge while wearing a parka and snow pants. Hopefully, Turgeon’s Those were the conditions when the puck dropped to start the sold-out hands stayed warm with those hot pads. NHL 100 Classic Saturday night between the Canadiens and Ottawa Senators at Lansdowne Park. Among the 33,959 bundled-up fans was We’ll give the last words on this NHL 100 Classic to the guy from Luis Morris, who is from Basingstoke, England, and was with his long- England with the fur hat, parka and P.K. Subban Canadiens jersey. distance girlfriend, Martine Warren, an Ottawa native and huge Canadiens fan. “She’s teaching me to skate,” Morris said about his girlfriend from Ottawa. “I’ll be a Canadian one day. I’ve got about 10 layers on … my “Martine introduced me to hockey,” Morris said outside TD Place a face is hurting a little bit, but I’m feeling good about it. couple of hours before the game started. “I used to be a soccer fan, as most English people are, and now I like hockey more. It’s more exciting, “I’m so looking forward to it.” faster, there’s just more going on.” Montreal Gazette LOADED: 12.17.2017 Morris and Warren were both wearing red Canadiens sweaters over their parkas with Morris sporting a fur hat and his girlfriend a Canadiens tuque. Morris was wearing an old P.K. Subban jersey. “It dates back to when I first started watching the Canadiens and he just struck me as a really great leader and just a great player, so he was my favourite,” Morris said in his British accent about Subban, who is now a Nashville Predator. The Canadiens could have used Subban on this night — or any other player who could generate some kind of offence as they lost 3-0 to the Senators, who came into the game with a minus-21 goal differential that was almost as scary as the wind-chill temperature. The Canadiens, who were outshot 38-28, probably felt warmer than the Senators because they spent most of the night chasing the puck as they won only 19 of 65 faceoffs (29 per cent). After almost 35 minutes of “action” and the fear of fans falling asleep and catching frostbite, Jean-Gabriel Pageau finally opened the scoring at 14:55 of the second period, giving Senators fans something to clap their hands about and warm up. Bobby Ryan made it 2-0 at 17:02 of the third period following a brutal giveaway by Jonathan Drouin deep in the Canadiens’ zone and then Nate Thompson scored the final goal into an empty net. This was not a “classic” game. As one fan tweeted: “I bet the 1917 game was better than this thing.” “It was just a matter of not being that good,” the Canadiens’ Paul Byron said. “It’s tough conditions out there, everybody’s cold, the ice isn’t ideal. But both teams are playing there and they were just better than us.” It was a night when you almost felt guilty sitting in a heated indoor press box. That was until learning the water bottle TSN Radio 690 play-by-play man Dan Robertson had in his open-air booth froze. The cold weather didn’t seem to bother François Turgeon and Yohann Giroux, who travelled from St-Joseph-du-Lac to attend the game and were already drinking beer two hours before the puck dropped while wearing Canadiens sweaters over their parkas. “It will stay cold,” Giroux said with a smile about his beer. “Maybe we will have a couple more.” Just then a couple of Senators fans walked by and asked: “Where’d you get the pints?” “Beer? La bière?” Turgeon said while pointing toward the nearest beer stand. “Merci,” one Senators fans responded. The two solitudes brought together by beer and hockey — it doesn’t get much more Canadian than that. “This is a great Canadian moment,” Warren said about attending the NHL 100 Classic with her boyfriend from England. “I was hoping to maybe get down to Boston last year when they were in the Winter Classic,” she added. “And to see your team in an outdoor game is very special. I didn’t think I’d get the opportunity, so when I found 1088752 Montreal Canadiens offence. It’s just too late when our backs are against the wall and it seems like we just wait for that and it’s too late at that point.”
“We created absolutely nothing until we felt we needed to and we can’t In the Habs' Room: Carey Price punched in, but his teammates played wait for that late in the game,” Pacioretty added. “We got to start off hooky games like that and try and gain some momentum that way to win "We didn’t play a strong game and that never feels good.” games.” Montreal Gazette LOADED: 12.17.2017 Pat Hickey December 16, 2017 11:39 PM EST
OTTAWA — It’s tough to win hockey games if you can’t win faceoffs, can’t score and can’t match the other team’s work ethic. The Canadiens couldn’t do any of those things Saturday night as they dropped a 3-0 decision to the Ottawa Senators in the NHL 100 Classic outdoor game at TD Place. The numbers told only part of the story. The Canadiens have struggled most of the season in the faceoff circle, but they found themselves chasing the puck most of the night after winning only 29 per cent of the draws. The Senators outshot the Canadiens 38-28, but few of those Montreal shots could be categorized as scoring chances. Despite all that, Montreal was in this game until Jonathan Drouin turned the puck over in his own end and Bobby Ryan scored to give Ottawa a 2- 0 lead with 2:58 to play. “With Carey Price being Carey Price tonight, he gave us a chance after two periods,” said coach Claude Julien. “It’s a matter where you’re chasing the puck all night and losing the draws and you don’t get inside those dots to create more offence. We needed a blue-collar attitude tonight and they had a better blue-collar attitude than we did and because of that, we were down 1-0 after two periods. “We made a push in the third, but maybe a little too late and and not enough,” Julien added. Drouin, who has been brutal in the faceoff circle this season, was one of Montreal’s better performers, winning three of six draws. But Tomas Plekanec won only five of 19; Byron Froese won two of 12; Phillip Danault won five of 13; and Andrew Shaw won three of nine. In some cases, aggressive play by wingers can make up for a lost draw, but Julien said the Canadiens didn’t have a chance because Ottawa “was winning the faceoffs clean.” Froese said he was racking his brain to figure to how to turns things around, but couldn’t come up with an answer. “We just couldn’t get the puck back to our guys and try and create off that,” Paul Byron said. “Any time you’re forechecking the whole time it’s certainly tough to get the puck back and have the energy to go down and create offence. We’re a better team than what we showed today.” The game was slower than normal because there was a lot of snow on the rink and the ice crew was kept busy repairing divots. “It’s both sides so it’s not an excuse,” Danault said. “We still have to find a way to score a goal or make a tape-to-tape pass. I know it was hard … the puck was rolling a lot. But they were better than us tonight.” “Collectively, we didn’t generate enough,” said Price, who stopped 35 of the 37 shots he faced. “They did a really good job of boxing up the middle of the ice and kept us from getting into those prime scoring areas.” The Canadiens didn’t get him any goals and Drouin let him down when he gave away the puck in the Canadiens zone and allowed Ryan to waltz in unimpeded. Nobody knows what Drouin was thinking because he made himself unavailable after the game,. “We know where we are in the standings,” said captain Max Pacioretty. “We know this was a division game. It doesn’t matter the hype, it doesn’t matter the outside noise. We didn’t play a strong game and that never feels good.” Pacioretty also dismissed the effect of the conditions. “They found ways to create chances, so we can’t use that,” he said. “They found ways to jump on opportunities when they were there. We had chances there in the third to create some zone time, to create some 1088753 Montreal Canadiens The Canadiens’ opportunities will soon no longer be limited to single games. They will refer to the entire season. The opportunity they have is to play in the awful Atlantic Division, which provides the easiest ticket to Basu: A three-headed offensive monster with no teeth the playoffs in the NHL. Despite all their problems, everything that is wrong with this team, they have a legitimate chance to play in April.
But they won’t unless that trio of offensive players figures things out. Arpon Basu Unless they become consistent threats. Unless they cut out the games like Saturday where they are collectively absent.
The Canadiens can’t afford any more of those. OTTAWA – The volume fell to a whisper. The Athletic LOADED: 12.17.2017 When asked about the play, he immediately knew what was a being referred to. A puck is lying loose in the crease, Craig Anderson doesn’t know, his team is down 1-0, it is the third period, and he is there. The player the Canadiens always count on to provide offence. The player who has done it on an incredibly consistent basis for so long. That player, at that moment, was there. He didn’t deliver. Max Pacioretty is not solely to blame for the Canadiens losing the NHL100 Classic 3-0 to the Ottawa Senators in front of 33,959 fans at TD Place on Saturday. No, he had company. But at that moment he had an opportunity and he came up short. And he knew it. “I see it come and I went to swipe at it and my stick hit the guy’s heel,” Pacioretty said, referring to Johnny Oduya, who was the only thing preventing a sure tying goal. That’s when his voice became barely audible. “Yeah,” he said, “I’ve got to score that.” He does. Because you could count the Canadiens’ legitimate opportunities to score on Craig Anderson on one hand, and still have a finger or two to spare. That was one of them, and it could have changed the game. Pacioretty now has one goal in the last 15 games, and it’s difficult for the Canadiens to win if he doesn’t score. It’s been that way forever, but this is one of the worst scoring slumps of his career. If Pacioretty’s voice fell to a whisper, it was still louder than Jonathan Drouin’s, who was not around to address his no-show in this game. Neither was Alex Galchenyuk. They are the two purest offensive talents on the team, and they didn’t have the puck all night. Their shot attempt percentage hovered around 30 percent, and they spent most of their time watching the Senators play with the puck. The 29-percent fiasco in the faceoff circle had something to do with it, no doubt, but it’s not only that. If Drouin, Galchenyuk and Pacioretty do not lead the way offensively for the Canadiens, they have no chance, no matter how great Carey Price plays in the defensive end. He was the only the reason the Canadiens had a chance to win this game at all, but he can’t score goals. “Collectively we didn’t really generate enough,” Price said. “They did a really good job of boxing up the middle of the ice and making it difficult for us to get into those prime scoring areas.” Want an idea of what Price is talking about? How about this heat map. That is remarkably bad. The Canadiens logo is basically clean, and that’s the area of the ice they need to be shooting from to have any hope of scoring. Claude Julien knows he only has a few real weapons offensively on his club. He can afford to have one have an off night and still be in decent shape. When two aren’t going there’s still a chance because of who he has playing goal. If all three of them are absent, it’s hopeless. “Not good enough, obviously,” Julien said when asked if his best offensive players approached the third period the right way. “We didn’t score and we didn’t win the game, so yeah, you’re absolutely right, we need more. We need to create more and we need to create more from the inside. You see it some nights we have that. Tonight, we didn’t.” Julien wasn’t asked specifically about Pacioretty, Drouin and Galchenyuk, but he didn’t have to be. He knows who his offensive players are. He doesn’t have that many of them, so it would be hard to lose track. “Until we figure that out and we become more consistent in that area, that’s what you’re going to see,” he continued. “So we have the ability, but consistency is a big part of our game right now we’ve got to find. When we do those things well we’re a good hockey club. When we don’t you see opportunities like tonight fade away.” 1088754 Montreal Canadiens
Three things we learned in Ottawa
Arpon Basu
Senators 3, Canadiens 0 • First things first, nothing from this game should be extrapolated to mean more than what happened in this one, single game. There is nothing to be gained in trying to identify trends or continue the season-long evaluation of a team that’s involved in an outdoor game. It is a spectacle, a one-off that in no way resembles any of the other games these two teams will play. What they did Saturday was fun (or was supposed to be, at least, though the first 30 minutes were downright sleep-inducing), but it doesn’t carry over. That should be good news for the Canadiens. Jonathan Drouin and Alex Galchenyuk mistook this game for Halloween and arrived dressed as ghosts, at least until Drouin gave the puck away to send Bobby Ryan in for the insurance goal late in the third period. Then there’s captain Max Pacioretty, who opened the third period by taking a penalty with his team down a goal and had a chance to score the tying goal midway through the third with a loose puck lying in the crease in front of an open net, but his route to the net was faulty, meandering, and he couldn’t beat Johnny Oduya to that puck. The good news for the Canadiens? Carey Price masked their mistakes and played brilliantly, inciting Matt Duchene to scream “Oh my God” at him after a miraculous stick save on a 2-on-1 rush. But the Canadiens don’t have that many offensive players. They need them to show up. It hasn’t happened for a while. • Jeff Petry had himself another pretty good night on the blue line, and as we’ve seen so many times this season, when he has a good night his partner Karl Alzner does as well. It makes Petry’s play so important, because when he’s off, when Alzner has to correct his mistakes, well then Alzner is off too and the Canadiens are down one effective defence pairing. Usually, it’s only the NHL’s elite players that are able to have such a massive influence on the play of their teammates. It’s pretty obvious at this point Petry has that influence on Alzner, and that the Canadiens are a massively improved team when he’s playing well. Because there is rarely any middle ground with Petry, so if he isn’t playing well he’s usually playing awful. He’s been on the right side of that ledger most nights for quite some time now, which gives the Canadiens two good defencemen as a result. • There’s that pesky defensive zone coverage thing again. I know I said not to take anything that happens in this game and apply it to any other game, but this one is undeniable. Jean-Gabriel Pageau wins a draw in the Canadiens zone (he officially lost it, but only because David Schlemko was the first player to touch the puck afterward. He did so briefly and ineffectively), floats into the slot and easily tips an Erik Karlsson point shot past Price to open the scoring. Phillip Danault “won” the draw, got spun around in doing so and simply lost Pageau, who was his man. Danault was still in the faceoff circle when Pageau tipped the puck in from the opposite side of the slot. This remains a defensive blind spot for this team. It needs to change. Of course, it could be avoided if the Canadiens could win a faceoff or two, which they couldn’t do to save their lives Saturday night. The Athletic LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088755 Montreal Canadiens
Basu: A penny for your thoughts, Geoff Molson
Arpon Basu
OTTAWA – I would have loved to know what Geoff Molson thought when he first heard it. When he first caught wind of the fact Eugene Melnyk was on Parliament Hill complaining Friday night. And doing so just as a weekend Molson had so badly wanted for his own city was about to kick off. They could not have been very pleasant thoughts. Just over a month earlier, Molson stood on a stage alongside NHL commissioner Gary Bettman after a Montreal Chamber of Commerce luncheon and fielded question after question about the lack of a celebration in his city. How the place where the NHL was founded 100 years ago, an event the NHL has been celebrating for over a year now, did not benefit from the type of party that would befit its place in league history, or befit its nature as a city, frankly. Who celebrates its own history, particularly when it comes to hockey, better than Montreal? Instead of a party, there was a meeting. A business meeting. That was basically it. The NHL general managers held their annual Hall of Fame weekend meeting in Montreal instead of Toronto in the building where the league was founded in 1917 to mark the event. A plaque was unveiled commemorating it as a national historic site, some photos were taken, a big lunch was held with a bunch of business people, and it was over. Molson, and Bettman, for that matter, wanted so much more. But the possibility of holding an outdoor game was impossible because there is no suitable venue for one in Montreal, and apparently that was the only option considered when it came to marking the city’s place in NHL history. This weekend in Ottawa makes that day in Montreal last month look that much worse. It is wall to wall activity in the nation’s capital, the city is alive and feeling good about hockey for the first time since October with the hockey world fixated on this place. It is where the NHL’s first game was played 100 years ago and it is being properly celebrated, with highly accessible activities for the public in addition to the outdoor game. It is exactly what Molson would have wanted. Except when he didn’t get what he wanted, and was questioned repeatedly on why that was, both he and Bettman stood there and answered the questions as respectfully as they could, defending the lack of a proper celebration and expressing their disappointment that this was the case. Molson could have easily deplored the fact his city was being short- changed, even though it would have been quite awkward to do so with Bettman standing right next to him, but he didn’t. He didn’t do that because it would show a lack of respect to the league that was being celebrated that day, albeit in a very muted way. It would have been classless, so Molson did the classy thing. Good for him. Melnyk chose to go another route. That’s his prerogative. He chose to go the route of the kid who put 10 things on his Christmas list to Santa, got nine of them and cried about the one he didn’t get. He chose to take what should have been a joyous event and douse it in negativity. In his own city. At a time his team is sinking and needs all the positivity it can get. As he was doing so Molson had to be dumbfounded. Because in that same scenario, Molson was the kid who sent Santa 10 things he wanted for Christmas and got a sweater and socks instead. And he put on his new socks and his new sweater and smiled and said how warm and comfortable they were, all the while wishing he could have those nine toys Melnyk got off his list. And seething while Melnyk complained about the one he didn’t get. While this weekend in Ottawa is making it painfully obvious how inadequate the celebrations were in Montreal last month, Molson’s reaction to that compared to Melnyk’s on Friday night made it even clearer that in the grand scheme of things, Montreal has nothing to complain about. The Athletic LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088756 Nashville Predators
Predators roast Flames, sweep Canadian road trip to stay atop Western Conference
Adam Vingan 1:10 a.m. CT Dec. 17, 2017
CALGARY, Alberta — Blasts of fire spew from the Saddledome scoreboard, an obvious nod to the hometown Calgary Flames But it'd be difficult to find a more appropriate metaphor for the red-hot Predators' blazing rise toward the top of the Western Conference and NHL standings. By blanking the Flames 2-0 on Saturday, the Predators swept their three- game tour through Western Canada to remain in the division and conference leads. Nashville is a league-best 16-3-2 since Nov. 1. “When you win games, obviously your confidence level gets higher, but it’s a good combination of confidence and still being hungry," said Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne, who made 32 saves to record the team's second consecutive shutout. "I feel like we know that we’re a good team, we’re one of the top teams in the league, but we still want to get better.” Here are three observations from Saturday's victory: Chemistry lesson The instantaneous connection developed by the Predators' forward line of Kevin Fiala, Kyle Turris and Craig Smith rightfully has commanded a significant amount of attention since forming about six weeks ago. Each member of that particular unit has flourished offensively, and they starred again Saturday. Fiala redirected Turris' centering pass behind Flames goaltender Mike Smith in the second period. Fiala and Turris each extended their respective point streaks to seven games, among the longest active in the NHL. Turris has 17 points in as many games since his Predators debut on Nov. 11. Within that same timeframe, Fiala and Smith share the team lead with eight goals. That line has outscored opponents 10-4 during five-on-five play, according to naturalstattrick.com. “I think we’re confident in what we can do when we play right," Turris said. "But we’re also not (getting ahead of ourselves). We’re building as a team and trying to get better.” Don't forget the "D" When analyzing the Predators' three-game winning streak, don't overlook their sound defensive play. Nashville surrendered one goal during the trip behind top-notch goaltending. Rinne made the necessary saves, but credited his teammates for nullifying the Flames' best scoring opportunities. The Predators used active sticks to tie up potential Calgary chances and clear pucks out of high-danger areas. They also blocked 19 shots and killed the Flames' five power plays, including a two-man advantage in the second period. Watson ejected, discipline coming? Predators forward Austin Watson received a major penalty for interference and a game misconduct stemming from a hit he laid on Flames forward Garnet Hathaway in the second period. Hathaway returned to the game after a brief absence. Watson, who fought Flames forward Troy Brouwer before being ejected, received the first suspension of his NHL career last month, forced to sit out of two games for boarding. When he returned from that suspension, he acknowledged that he needed to be more aware of his play in certain areas. Because Watson's league-sanctioned discipline is still fresh, it may compel the Department of Player Safety to look at his latest hit more closely. Tennessean LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088757 Nashville Predators
Predators goalie Pekka Rinne like a proud dad about Juuse Saros’ play as backup
Adam Vingan 5:39 p.m. CT Dec. 16, 2017
CALGARY, Alberta — Find someone who looks at you the way Pekka Rinne looks at Juuse Saros. Like a proud parent, Rinne on Thursday embraced a beaming Saros, whose 46-save shutout that night against the Edmonton Oilers was a franchise record. There is a certain father-son vibe to the Finnish goaltenders' relationship, and the fact that their Predators teammates playfully refer to them as such solidifies it. At least Saros is no longer living rent-free at Rinne's house, having moved into his own place when the regular season started. Their bond certainly is familial, the 35-year-old veteran doing whatever he can to successfully shepherd the 22-year-old rookie through the early stages of his NHL career. Saros' advanced maturity, as evidenced in his most recent start, has assisted in that process. "I wasn't ready to play (in the) NHL (at) that age, that's for sure," said Rinne, who made his Predators debut at 23 and graduated to starter one month before his 26th birthday. "He's right there. He was able to play a game like he did last game." Saros has leaned on that levelheaded approach this season, yo-yoing between Nashville and AHL Milwaukee five times in the past month as part of the Predators' plan to keep him fresh. A bumpy beginning has since smoothed, with Saros sporting a 3-0-1 record and .952 save percentage in his past four NHL appearances. "I think it pretty much comes naturally for me," Saros said. "Even growing up as a young kid, I always tried to (make that) my priority, not getting too high or too low because it's not a good road if you start to think too much about yourself." Saros finds comfort in knowing that he always can turn to his childhood idol for guidance, and Rinne's influence is evident. As reporters flocked to Saros on Thursday to discuss his record-breaking shutout, he didn't bask in the accomplishment. He met each question about its significance to him with a bashful smile, instead discussing areas of personal improvement after making a career high in saves. It was very Rinne-like. “For a young guy, he has that skill to kind of take a step back and be able to look from a different perspective, which is very impressive," Rinne said. "I feel like I was way more emotional when I was his age. “The way he handles things is way beyond his age.” Tennessean LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088758 New Jersey Devils Stars forward Jamie Benn got the puck in the slot, where he fired a low shot to toward the middle of net. Schneider, who slid to the right post to cut off another shot, lunged back to the middle of the crease, reaching Devils beat Stars: 8 observations | How Brian Boyle sparked win; Cory his glove arm across the ice. He managed to get his glove on the shot Schneider on incredible save and steer it away from danger, keeping it a two-goal game. Here's how Schneider described the play: December 16, 2017 at 06:30 AM "I think a shot got blocked and kicked out to my right there," Schneider said. "I thought the guy was going to shoot it quick, because It came to Chris Ryan him off a deflection and I sort of paddled out. I couldn’t really see it, I couldn’t find it very well. I was just trying to get a piece of it or just try to get out a little bit. So I maybe got a little bit too far out of my crease and saw him throw it to the middle, and just pure desperation. Fortunately I The Devils earned a hard-fought 5-2 win over the Dallas Stars on Friday was able to get a glove on it. Sometimes you have to come up with at the Prudential Center in Newark, where they scored the final three those. Hopefully not too often. But it’s nice when they come in big goals. Brian Boyle gave them a three-point effort, one night after a late moments like that.” loss where the Devils again missed some of their key offensive players. Here are eight takeaways and observations from their 18th win of the NHL.com season, which moved the Devils back into a first-place tie in the Metropolitan Division. Coleman's evolution NHL: Dallas Stars at New Jersey Devils Forward Blake Coleman netted his fourth goal of the season to put the Devils up 2-1 late in the first period, and it marked the second goal in as Boyle provides spark many career games against the Stars for the native Texan. Coleman joked he'd be on pace for 82 goals a season if he only played Dallas, but Brian Boyle's second-period goal proved to be the game's turning point in his first-period tally was another reward for his style of play. more than one way. It ultimately ended up being the game-winning goal after it put the Devils up, 3-2, but it also directly led to yelling and pushing "He’s really found his identity as a player," Hynes said. "He’s extremely between Boyle and Stars players John Klingberg and Greg Pateryn. competitive, he’s fast, he’s quick, he’s relentless on the puck. He’s found Boyle's physical extracurricular activities earned him a 10-minute an identity on the penalty kill. Now you’re seeing because he’s so misconduct, which kept him out until the third period. Ultimatley, Boyle competitive, he feels comfortable in his role. Now he’s got a shot and condemned his own actions. he’s a good player, and he’s able to provide some scoring for us, which has been in addition to what he already was.” "You play between the whistles. I went too far, and I paid for it," Boyle said. "That’s 10 minutes. That’s selfish. And I’m almost 33 years old. I Lappin finds net should know better." Lappin scored his first goal of the season in his second game since being But the rest of the team used it as a rallying point. The game remained recalled from the AHL on Wednesday. After he led Binghamton with 12 chippy the rest of the way, and the Devils got enough fuel from the goals early this season, Lappin immediately got rewarded in his return to center's play to finish out the win. the NHL level. Lappin's third period score put them up, 4-2, and helped them finish off the win. “It gave us a spark," goalie Cory Schneider said. "He scored a big goal and was fired up, and we didn’t look back after that. Clearly got us going "It’s a huge two points," Lappin said. "Back-to-back game, we played last a little bit, woke us up a little bit. We talk about all of his intangibles and night at 7:30 and to come out, play a hard, tight game, it was really his presence. He’s a player. Seven, eight goals now. He can score, he important for us." can play the game." Boyle scores 2 as Devils down Stars Stars Devils Hockey Back-to-back challenge Boyle's 100th The Devils knew they weren't going to have much margin for error That power-play goal was also Boyle's 100th of his NHL career, and he coming into Friday. The Stars were off Thursday and well-rested, while added an assist plus his 101st goal on an empty netter in the third period. the Devils traveled later Thursday night following a 2-1 overtime loss to On a night where the Devils were missing key forwards Taylor Hall, Kyle the Montreal Canadiens. Along with that, the Devils were playing without Palmieri and Marcus Johansson, Boyle provided an offensive spark. Hall, Johansson and Palmieri for the second straight night. Boyle missed all of October while starting treatment for chronic myeloid “It was just one of those nights. Back-to-back, we’re missing some core leukemia, and despite being absent for those early games, he now sits guys," Coleman said. "Maybe guys didn’t have their legs necessarily, but fourth on the team with eight goals. His return from cancer has been an that’s where you really dig in deep, and this group has the character to emotional ride for Boyle, his family and the Devils, and Thursday added some how find a way to scratch and claw and get two points.” another chapter to that story. Veteran leadership “Sept. 19 feels like a long, long time ago," Boyle said. "There’s been a lot that’s gone on with my family, which is most important to me and the Without some of those key offensive players in the lineup, Hynes pointed support I've gotten, that’s why I’m able to play. From my wife, from my to the veteran leadership in the Devils' room as a reason for the win. parents and especially this club here, everybody top to bottom. I’m Guys such as Boyle and Schneider helped set the tone. having a blast. I really am. We’re playing well, so let’s keep that going.” "The older guys we have this year are high-character guys," Hynes said. Standing up for Boyle "They care about the team, they care about winning, they care about trying to push this in the right direction. Coaches always preach those Some of the chippiness that led to Boyle's 10-minute misconduct started things, but when it comes from within the room from the players, it’s a big when Boyle was cross-checked into the boards in the middle of the difference, and I think it speaks volumes of the character of the guys we second period. That led to Nick Lappin jumping in and have leading our team.” "I thought it was a little bit from behind," Lappin said. "He’s a leader on Star Ledger LOADED: 12.17.2017 this team and veteran guy and a line mate. I don’t want anyone doing that to him. I thought the guy took a little bit of a liberty on him and that’s not going to fly. "You see his emotion after he scores that goal. After that, he’s fired up and coming out in the third period, I thought we build off that momentum a little bit and that sparked us, and we were able to come out on top.” Schneider's ridiculous save With the Devils leading by two with 3:50 to play, the Stars pulled goalie Kari Lehtonen for an extra skater in a last-ditch effort to stay alive. They produced plenty of pressure and set up a perfect shot to get back within one goal. Unfortunately for them, Devils goalie Cory Schneider wasn't having it. 1088759 New York Islanders
Islanders look to youth for help on troubled line
Greg Joyce December 17, 2017 | 12:07am
Not long after Wednesday night’s game ended in 5-2 loss to the Stars at Barclays Center, Islanders coach Doug Weight provided a stern assessment of his third line. “It’s becoming an issue,” he said, and then let roster moves over the next 48 hours do the rest of the talking. Anthony Beauvillier was a healthy scratch Thursday and resurfaced on the fourth line Saturday while Josh Ho-Sang was sent to AHL Bridgeport on Friday. By Saturday’s game back at Barclays Center against the Kings, Brock Nelson was the last man standing from the third line that played Wednesday. Joining him on the new line were center Casey Cizikas and right wing Cal Clutterbuck. Ho-Sang and Beauvillier, meanwhile, have been given directives aimed at finding confidence and consistency in their new spots. “[Beauvillier] has to make a statement tonight to me,” Weight said before the game. “Win some draws, be physical, get pucks in. … He’s got some great wheels, but you gotta slap me in the face to put you back out there again.” He went pointless again, but the 20-year old seemed to accomplish the job. “I thought [Jason Chimera] and Beau were really good in that role,” Weight said. For the 21-year-old Ho-Sang, who recorded two goals and six assists over 16 games since coming back up from Bridgeport on Nov. 11, the goal was to rediscover his game with more consistent playing time in the minors. “He’s gotta play high minutes in some situations where I haven’t been allowed to put him in enough,” Weight said. Five-hundred eighty-nine days passed between NHL games for Steve Bernier, but he was more than happy to make his return to the ice Saturday night at Barclays Center on the Islanders’ fourth line and second power-play unit. “My game is very simple,” Bernier said before the game, a day after he was recalled from AHL Bridgeport. “I don’t try to do anything flashy out there. … I waited for a long time and I’ll try to do my best.” Looking for some consistency and the ability to get pucks in the Islanders’ own zone, Weight was banking on the “positionally reliable” Bernier to help. “He’s not here to change the world,” Weight said. “He’s just going to play his game, but we need some stability. He’s a great person, he’s well respected in the room and it’s going to be good for us.” The crowd of 13,087 was the second-highest attendance at Barclays Center this season. Only the home opener (15,234) was better. New York Post LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088760 New York Islanders
Jordan Eberle puts finishing touch on Islanders comeback
Greg Joyce December 16, 2017
The Islanders were right back in an all-too-familiar spot Saturday, trailing 2-0 in the first period for the third time in three games. This night proved different, in a big way. After the Islanders mounted a third-period comeback, only to have it wiped away by the Kings tying the game with 13 seconds left in regulation, Jordan Eberle scored the game-winner 1:54 into overtime to capture a 4-3 win at Barclays Center. “This is a huge win for us,” coach Doug Weight said. “Going down 2-0 to one of the better defensive teams, better road teams — better teams in the league — it’s pretty special.” After goalie Thomas Greiss stonewalled Anze Kopitar on a breakaway at the other end, Eberle took a pass from Mathew Barzal and buried it top shelf. “I thought the whole night we played well,” Eberle said. “Obviously the score wasn’t leaning our way for most of the game, but we stuck with it, found a way to take the lead and ultimately win.” The Islanders (18-12-3) had been stuck in a 2-6-1 skid over their previous nine games entering Saturday, coming in with back-to-back regulation losses for the first time this season. But a sense of urgency and grit made sure it didn’t fall to three. Anders Lee was nearly the hero in regulation, backhanding a pass top shelf for his 20th goal of the year to give the Islanders their first lead of the game with 3:16 left. But with 13 seconds left in the third, Kopitar jammed home a rebound past Greiss. Weight challenged the goal for interference, but the call was confirmed. The coach was livid because the Islanders had a similar goal called back Monday against the Capitals. “It’s the same exact play,” Weight said. But his players made sure it was only a footnote Saturday. The Islanders’ first line continued to fly around, with each of them scoring a goal. John Tavares assisted on two, but his own goal was the equalizer at 4:15 of the third period. Josh Bailey sent a pass to Lee, who misfired, but the puck slid over to Tavares in the right circle, where the captain ripped a slap shot into the back of the net to tie it at two. “Our group just does a really good job of staying in the moment and not worrying about things going against us,” Tavares said. For the 22nd time in 33 games this season, the Islanders had to play from behind after Oscar Fantenberg put the Kings up 1-0 at 12:56 of the first period. Then for the third time in the past three games, the Islanders went down 2-0, courtesy of a power-play goal from Tyler Toffoli at 17:11. But they got one back in the final minute of the period, which helped swing momentum. Calvin de Haan fired off a wrister and Bailey was there in front of the net to redirect it in for his ninth goal of the year. “We definitely wanted it,” Bailey said. “As of late, we kind of let some games slip away from us. So it was important for us to come out here and get a big two points.” Making his second straight start — his first back-to-back starts since Nov. 22-24 — Greiss was strong, making 26 saves. In his previous three starts before Saturday, he had allowed a combined 16 goals, but kept his team alive in this one, especially on Kopitar’s overtime breakaway attempt. “We just gotta build on it,” Greiss said, “and keep the momentum going.” New York Post LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088761 New York Islanders
Jordan Eberle scores in overtime as Islanders beat Kings
Arthur Staple December 17, 2017 2:46 AM
They were down, they rallied, they were up, they were angry and finally, they were winners. The Islanders have experienced mostly lows of late, but on Saturday, they played a strong game, felt jobbed in the closing seconds of regulation and earned some justice in their minds when Jordan Eberle scored the overtime winner at 1:54. The 4-3 win over the Kings snapped the Isles’ first two-game regulation losing streak of the season and allowed them to keep pace in the tight Metropolitan Division, where just about everyone seems to gain points every night. “We played great defensively today, battled hard, outplayed them pretty much the whole game,” said Thomas Greiss, who won for the first time since Nov. 24. Among his 26 saves was a stop on Anze Kopitar’s breakaway in the opening seconds of overtime after John Tavares lost an edge. The game didn’t start well for Greiss or the Islanders, who fell behind 2-0 on goals by Oscar Fantenberg and Tyler Toffoli. That marked the fifth time in the last seven games that the Islanders gave up the first two goals, and against the Pacific Division-leading Kings, it seemed more problematic than usual. But Josh Bailey redirected Calvin de Haan’s point shot past Darcy Kuemper with 46.3 seconds left in the first to cut the deficit to 2-1. It gave the Islanders a little better feeling after a decently played period. “I think it was big just to get rewarded, at least feel better about our first,” Tavares said. “Any time you get a goal late, especially when you’re down, is big.” After a scoreless second period that included a 24-second five-on-three for the Isles, they broke through in the third on the power play. Bailey set one up for Anders Lee that Lee misfired on from the high slot. The puck bounced right to Tavares, though, and he fired it home to tie it at 4:15. That kicked off a dominating third period by the Islanders, who had four lines rotating well and spent most of the period in the Los Angeles end. In the closing minutes, the Isles grabbed their first lead. Tavares dropped the puck near the blue line for Ryan Pulock, who made a determined rush down the right side that drew two Kings. He passed it to Lee right in front of Kuemper and Lee flipped a backhand under the crossbar for his team-leading 20th goal at 16:44, giving each member of the Isles’ top line a goal and Tavares three points. “Special line, special group, three special players and they’re rolling,’’ Doug Weight said. “Gotta ride them.” Almost all the way to a regulation victory. With 13 seconds left, Kopitar jammed a puck under Greiss and over the goal line to tie it. The NHL Situation Room initiated a review and the goal was confirmed, even though Weight saw it as the same play as Monday, when Lee had a goal waved off for pushing Braden Holtby’s pad along with the puck over the line. “If it’s not a goal for Anders Lee, you can’t tell me it’s any different,” Weight said. “What is the difference in that play, it’s under Thomas’ pad, just like Anders Lee [on Monday], he hits the puck first. It’s almost the same camera angle, just a different color jersey.” Greiss denied Kopitar in OT and the Isles disrupted a two- on-one to get one of their own, with Mathew Barzal feeding Eberle for the winner. “I thought the whole night we played well,” Eberle said. “We created chances. Obviously, the score wasn’t leaning our way most of the night, but we stuck with it, found a way to take the lead and ultimately win.” Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088762 New York Islanders
Clarity could be coming for Islanders captain John Tavares
Arthur Staple December 17, 2017 2:48 AM
Clarity is the word that people close to John Tavares have been using going on seven months now, ever since the Islanders’ captain informed Garth Snow and team ownership that he would be waiting on contract talks. There may be some clarity coming soon on one of Tavares’ key issues. New York State may be nearing an announcement on the winning proposal to develop the parcel of land at Belmont Park, according to several league sources, possibly before the calendar flips to 2018. The Islanders’ main priority is to start building their new arena as soon as possible if their proposal is selected. Their close-second priority is getting Tavares signed to a long-term contract. Islanders co-owner Scott Malkin visited last week with Pat Brisson, Tavares’ agent, in Los Angeles. Malkin and Brisson have kept in constant contact since last season, when the Islanders turned their focus to a new arena. There’s no indication that Tavares would change course and decide he’s ready to sign if the Isles win the Belmont bid. He declined to discuss anything to do with a possible arena decision, which is not official. But this would be the first big step for Tavares toward getting clarity on one of the main holdups for a new Islanders deal. BERNIER MAKES DEBUT Steve Bernier got his first NHL regular-season action since April 10, 2016, the final Islanders game that season. The 32-year-old right wing was called up on Friday when Josh Ho-Sang was sent to Bridgeport as Doug Weight desired a more straightforward style of play from his bottom-six forward group. “I think the best way to play good defensively is to be in the offensive zone,” said Bernier, who had 10 goals and four assists in 21 games for Bridgeport this season. “It’s been a while since I’ve been in the NHL. I’m very excited about it. I’ve waited for a long time and I’m going to try to do my best.” Bernier and Anthony Beauvillier stepped into Saturday’s lineup, with Alan Quine sitting out. Weight kept the same defense as in Thursday’s 6-4 loss in Columbus, meaning Dennis Seidenberg remained a healthy scratch with Thomas Hickey (upper body) on injured reserve. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088763 New York Rangers
Mats Zuccarello scores in overtime to carry Rangers over Bruins
JUSTIN TASCH Sunday, December 17, 2017, 2:13 AM
BOSTON — There was a degree of surprise Saturday afternoon when Alain Vigneault said he was turning to Henrik Lundqvist not just for the second straight day, but less than 24 hours removed from their previous start time with Saturday’s game beginning at 5 p.m. With each passing save Lundqvist made against the Bruins, surprise dissipated. Ah, yes, this is why Lundqvist was out there again, because he thrives in these situations, and Vigneault put another “big game” label on this one as he did a week earlier. And for the second straight night, Lundqvist made 33 saves in the Rangers’ 3-2 overtime win, finished off by Mats Zuccarello’s power-play goal. “I feel like the more I play, the more relaxed I get,” said Lundqvist, who said he was tired after Friday’s win against the Kings but told Vigneault he wanted to play Saturday. “It’s something we talked about over the summer: Playing back-to-backs and playing more games helps me to be in the right mindset. Physically it’s more challenging, but mentally it’s easier, I find. But the biggest part of the game is the mental aspect.” Lundqvist has played both ends of a back-to-back 81 times, and in the second game of those he’s 53-21-7 with a 2.02 goals against average, .930 save percentage and nine shutouts. In his last eight such starts, Lundqvist is 8-0 with a 1.73 GAA and .948 save percentage, allowing two or fewer goals in all eight, which included last Saturday’s 5-2 win over the Devils. The Rangers (18-12-3) finished this stretch of six games in nine nights by winning each of the last two nights after dropping two straight. Ondrej Pavelec was slated to start at least two of those six games but only did once, though he started the game in Pittsburgh that preceded that stretch. “It was a big game. Henrik had been playing real well, and I just thought it was the right thing to do,” Vigneault said. “We’re definitely gonna need (Pavelec) here as we move forward, but I thought for (Saturday) we needed to do this.” Seven of the game’s 12 penalties were assessed to the Rangers, who were not as good as they were the previous evening, perhaps fatigue setting in during the third period with their second start time in 22 hours; Boston didn’t play Friday. Brad Marchand’s power-play goal tied the game at 2 apiece 5:38 into the third when he was wide open in the right circle as both Marc Staal and Boo Nieves abandoned that side of the ice. But the Rangers’ top-ten penalty kill finished 6-for-7. Michael Grabner’s bank off the end glass deflected off Tuukka Rask’s back and in at 14:42 of the first for Grabner’s team-best 16th goal of the season. J.T. Miller’s power-play goal off a breakaway set up by Ryan McDonagh doubled the Rangers’ lead before Danton Heinen was left alone in front for a tip. A too-many-men penalty by the Bruins in overtime gave the Rangers a four-on-three, and Zuccarello waited for Chris Kreider’s screen before snapping home the winner, redeeming a self-admitted rough night. “I didn’t think we played our best game today. I was probably the worst player out there,” Zuccarello said. In his last 12 games, Lundqvist has a 2.12 GAA and .936 save percentage and he has been the biggest reason the Rangers have been able to pull themselves into playoff position after their woeful start. “He was definitely in the zone. We’ve seen it many times throughout the season,” Ryan McDonagh, whose game appears to be turning positively, said of Lundqvist. “It’s great to see him playing with confidence there, being aggressive. He’s just making such good reads. He’s coming out on guys and they don’t have a lot of room, taking away their time and space and making those tough saves side-to-side.” Lundqvist even had an old-school stand-up kick save with his left pad with 2:55 remaining in regulation to deny Torey Krug. “You mix in everything you’ve got,” Lundqvist said. With zero days of rest, the Rangers can’t ask anything more from him. New York Daily News LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088764 New York Rangers
Henrik Lundqvist wants to play all the minutes he can
Brett Cyrgalis December 16, 2017 | 9:51PM
BOSTON — It might have come as a surprise with how much Henrik Lundqvist has played this early into the season. But according to the Rangers franchise backbone in net, this was all premeditated over the summer. “I feel like the more I play, the more relaxed I get,” Lundqvist said after getting both games of a back-to-back sweep, making 33 saves en route to a 3-2 overtime win over the Bruins on Saturday. “It’s something we really talked about over the summer. Playing back-to-backs and playing more games just to help me to be in the right mindset. “Physically, it’s more challenging. But mentally, it’s easier, I find. The biggest part to the game is the mental aspect.” Coach Alain Vigneault explained his decision to play Lundqvist by saying this was a “big game,” just as he did when Lundqvist got both games of last weekend’s back-to-back, in Washington on Friday then home to the Devils on Saturday. Lundqvist has now started 28 of the team’s first 33 games. But after Lundqvist made 33 saves in a 4-2 win over the Kings on Friday, he said he was “tired” and was asked if he wanted to play again on Saturday. His response? “I said, ‘I want to go,’” Lundqvist said. “It’s a fun challenge to have in front of you.” It also helps the 35-year-old Swede has outstanding numbers when starting both games of a back-to-back. He has done it now 81 times in his career, and in the second game he is 53-21-7, with a 2.02 goals- against average and a .930 save percentage, to go along with nine shutouts. Just so happens he has now won all of the previous eight times he’s done it, with a 1.73 goals-against average and .948 percentage in that span. During this weekend, he stopped 66 of 70 shots and got his team four big points. “Two games where I felt like there was a lot of pressure at times,” Lundqvist said. “I knew playing this game would be challenging physically with a short time of recovery. But I saw it as a challenge too to make a difference.” Vigneault originally said backup Ondrej Pavelec was going to play two games during the stretch of six games in nine nights that ended on Saturday. He only started on Monday in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Stars, but that was after an unexpected start in Pittsburgh on Dec. 5 (before this stretch) when Lundqvist came down with the flu. “We’re definitely going to need Pavs here as we move forward,” Vigneault said. “But I thought for tonight, we needed to do this.” The power play scored for the second straight game after going the five previous without a goal. With Mika Zibanejad (concussion) still sidelined, the lineup remained the same for the eighth straight game, meaning defenseman Steven Kampfer was the only healthy scratch. New York Post LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088765 New York Rangers
Mats Zuccarello lifts Rangers over Bruins in overtime
Brett Cyrgalis December 16, 2017 | 8:07pm
BOSTON — The Rangers’ schedule had allowed them some breadth to find their game early in the season, and when they finally were thrown into the grinder, they showed some resolve. The Blueshirts wrapped up a segment of six games in nine nights with a gutsy 3-2 overtime victory against the Bruins on Saturday, a snipper shot from Mats Zuccarello on a power-play 1:56 into the extra frame sealing the deal and making their blown 2-0 second-period lead seem inconsequential. And this came less than 24 hours after they needed some late-game heroics from Rick Nash after blowing a 2-1 third-period lead to beat the Kings at the Garden. So with some tired eyes and heavy legs, the Rangers (18-12-3) were able to smile in the bowels of TD Garden, knowing this stretch took a lot out of them — and they got a lot out of it. “That’s such a big back-to-back for us,” J.T. Miller told The Post. “We should be feeling good about ourselves.” The game was a bit chaotic, making for what Miller called “a playoff-like atmosphere” with the sellout crowd of 17,565 split among fanbases, alternating chants and with ample plays to be excited about. “It was an awesome game to be a part of,” Miller said, who got a power- play goal on a breakaway 2:41 into the second period to give his team a 2-0 lead. But with some sluggish plays, the Rangers gave the Bruins (15-10-5) seven power-play chances for 11:45 of man-advantage time. It was a hold on Brady Skjei that allowed Brad Marchand to score the game-tying power-play goal 5:38 into the third period, finishing an all-world pass from David Pastrnak. But it was Boston that made the critical mistake, taking a too-many-men penalty 1:05 into the 3-on-3 overtime that allowed the Rangers a 4-on-3 advantage and allowed Zuccarello the time to wait for a Chris Kreider screen and then pick the near-side top corner on Tuukka Rask. “I was probably the worst player out there,” Zuccarello said, overstating the fact of what was still a down game for him. “I think I played really bad, so it was nice to see that one go in and help the team get two points.” The feeling from the Rangers was that this was a “big game,” the quote once again coming from coach Alain Vigneault as he explained why he was going with starting goalie Henrik Lundqvist for both games of this back-to-back. Vigneault’s decision was rewarded when Lundqvist was outstanding again, the best of his 33 saves a left-pad beauty against Torey Krug with just under three minutes remaining in regulation to keep the game tied. “We really had to earn the points in these two games,” Lundqvist said. “But we found a way and it’s a good feeling.” It started with a little bit of luck for the Rangers, first getting a Ryan Spooner goal 4:29 into the game overturned when Vigneault challenged and won on a blatant offside. And then at 14:42 of the first, Michael Grabner’s golden touch continued and got him the team-leading 16th goal of the season when his shot went off the backboards, hit Rask on the back and went over the goal line. But after Miller made it 2-0, the Bruins kept pushing and got some life when Danton Heinen tipped in a Zdeno Chara blast to make it 2-1 late in the second period. The Rangers knew it wasn’t going to be easy, and knew they needed to scrape the bottom of the gas tank to get it done. Which they did, being rewarded with four big points this weekend and now just three more games between them and the Christmas break. “You’re not going to win every game,” Miller said. “But this is a demanding part of the schedule now, and I think we’re ready for it.” New York Post LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088766 New York Rangers
Henrik Lundqvist wins both ends of back-to-back games
Laura Albanese December 16, 2017 9:46 PM
BOSTON — Common sense would indicate that Henrik Lundqvist would be tired after making 33 saves against the Kings on Friday, that home and away back-to-backs aren’t exactly conducive to fresh legs, and that the 5 p.m. puck drop Saturday made that even more the case. Common sense also seems to dictate that it’s best not to mess with something that works — at least as far as coach Alain Vigneault is concerned. Despite a game that seemed tailor made for an Ondrej Pavelec start, Vigneault chose to go back to the 35-year-old Lundqvist, playing in his 28th game of the Rangers’ 33 this season, and was rewarded for it. “Big game,” Vigneault said when asked about his reasoning (though, granted, he’d likely say that about any game). “He was definitely in the zone,” Ryan McDonagh said. “We’ve seen that many times this season . . . He’s coming out on guys when he doesn’t have a lot of room and taking away their time and space.” Lundqvist made 33 saves again Saturday, including a number of impressive stops in the second period and a big kick save with less than three minutes left in the game. His record improved to 16-8-2 and he’s 8- 2 in his last 10 decisions. Vigneault said he’d likely get Pavelec in for a start soon. “Two games where it felt like it was a lot of pressure at times,” Lundqvist said. “I knew playing this game would be challenging physically because it’s a short time for recovery but it was a chance for me to try to make a difference . . . We [worked] really hard to earn the points in the two games.” The Rangers have scored power-play goals in back-to-back games after going 0-for-9 in the previous five games, but Vigneault said the unit still misses Mika Zibanejad, who is out with a concussion. “I think the percentages are almost double when Mika is in there than when he’s not there,” he said. “That right-handed shot, that right-handed opportunity to one touch a shot brings a different dimension . . . So it makes it a little bit more challenging.” Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088767 New York Rangers
Mats Zuccarello scores in OT to give Rangers win over Bruins
Laura Albanese December 16, 2017 8:45 PM
BOSTON — Mats Zuccarello said he was probably the worst player on the team on Saturday, but anyone looking at the scoresheet could counter that he was the best player for the handful of seconds when it counted the most. Playing their second game in less than 24 hours, overtime was likely the last thing the fatigued Rangers wanted, but Zuccarello’s goal ended it 1:56 into the extra frame as the Rangers beat the Bruins, 3-2. It ended a stretch of six games in nine days, including this home-and-away back-to- back set (the Rangers edged the Kings on Friday night at MSG, then played a 5 p.m. start in Boston on Saturday). “I think I played really bad today so it was nice to see that go in,” Zuccarello said. “You just have to stay positive. Some days are like that when you get a chance to help the team out, you’ve got to be there. Obviously, me shooting like that, it’s not going to go in a lot, so that was a good way to get a win.” The Bruins were called for a too-many-men on the ice penalty after a sloppy line change with 3:55 left in overtime, giving the Rangers the 4- on-3 man advantage, and Zuccarello was patient in a way that belied his previous struggles. He juggled with the puck in the left circle for a beat, allowing Chris Kreider to screen Tuukka Rask, and delivered a precision snap shot to the back of the net for the victory. Henrik Lundqvist, who played in both games of the back-to-back, made 33 saves. He outright saved the game with a little less than three minutes left, when his kick save on a point-blank shot by Torey Krug kept the game tied at 2. “The more I play, the more relaxed I get,” he said. “It just helps me to be in the right mindset. Physically it’s more challenging, but mentally, it’s easier I find, and the biggest part of the game is mental.” The Bruins were able to overcome a two-goal deficit in the final two periods, after something of a dispiriting start that saw their first goal — netted 4:29 into the game — overturned for an offsides call. The Rangers committed seven penalties — many mistakes that appeared a result of fatigue — but the penalty kill let up only one goal. Unfortunately for them, it was the equalizer. The Bruins tied it at 2 at 5:38 of the third, when Brad Marchand’s one-timer floated over Lundqvist’s shoulder on the glove side. And though the Bruins did appear to be the superior team down the stretch, the Rangers absolutely had physics on their side. At 14:42 of the first, Michael Grabner went one-on-one against Kevan Miller and flicked a wrister over the crossbar, but it appeared the puck had other ideas. It bounced off the back wall, and ricocheted off Rask’s back, who thought the threat was over, and skittered in. It was Grabner’s 16th goal and maybe his most surprising — even he didn’t realize he scored right away and it took him a beat to pump his arms. It was his eighth point in the last 10 games and his seventh goal. The Rangers went up 2-0 in the opening minutes of the second period when Brady Skjei took a high stick to the face and they immediately cashed in. Ryan McDonagh found J.T. Miller on a breakaway about 20 seconds into the man advantage, and Miller scored. The Bruins, though, were finally able to get something going with 2:55 left in the second period, when Zdeno Chara’s slapshot got a little help from Danton Heinen, who tipped it off the crossbar and in to cut the Rangers lead to 2-1. They tied it in a third period where they attempted 16 shots. All that did, though, was set Zuccarello up for some redemption. “It’s such a quick release,” Lundqvist said. “Every team has one or two players that can slap the puck like that and as a goalie, you just have to be on your toes at all times. It’s hard. He fakes it, he looks you off and he just comes at you fast.” Fast enough to turn a very bad day into a very good win. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 12.17.2017
1088768 Ottawa Senators
Don Cherry says he can see Senators leaving Ottawa if attendance doesn’t change
Canadian Press Published on: December 16, 2017 | Last Updated: December 16, 2017 11:26 PM EST
Hockey commentator Don Cherry says the Senators will leave Ottawa if the club doesn’t find a way to draw more fans to their games. The “Hockey Night in Canada” personality was speaking on his weekly Coach’s Corner segment during the first intermission of the NHL 100 Classic game in the nation’s capital between the Senators and Montreal Canadiens. His prediction comes after comments made by Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, who brought up the possibility of relocation on Friday, took a shot at fans and said a new downtown arena might never happen. “If people don’t show up and pack the place all the time… you can’t survive with 13,000,” Cherry said. “He’s gone, Ottawa’s gone for sure, don’t know where, but Quebec would be nice.” Ottawa made the Eastern Conference final last season and took the eventually Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins to double overtime of Game 7. Despite missing out on the Cup final by just a goal, Melnyk said the organization was, “begging people to buy a ticket.” “(If) you don’t sell out in the playoffs you’ll never sell out,” said Cherry. Tired of seeing too many empty seats, the NHL club made the decision in the off-season to reduce capacity at Canadian Tire Centre by 1,500 to about 17,000. Rows in the upper bowl are currently covered with tarps. “I don’t blame him at all, he cannot survive with 13,000 people,” said Cherry. “I’m not saying he should move (downtown Ottawa) but it’s too far out Kanata.” Ohhh Don Cherry @hockeynight , never a dull moment and without a lil shot or 3 to @Senators eh.. Whatever, can't teach the ignorant or bias — Sooo.. (@staticacumen) December 17, 2017 I am not a @Senators fan but Don Cherry is a moron sounding gleeful that he wants the team out of Ottawa! #NHL100Classic— Darrell Samuels (@Darrell_Samuels) December 17, 2017 So Don Cherry Thinks The Senators Are Done Sure Hope The Man Is Wrong My friends !— dennis mick (@OHLNOJHLWHL) December 17, 2017 Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088769 Ottawa Senators Nobody is certain how many seasons tickets the Senators have, but if the franchise could boost the number, it would help grow the business and guarantee income. Bruce Garrioch: Despite Eugene Melnyk's angst, the Senators are It feels like this week has had no shortage of news with the 100 Classic staying put as the backdrop for everything else that has been happening. Melnyk told Postmedia Wednesday he wasn’t selling the team “period” Bruce Garrioch and indicated Friday the business is doing “OK” but needs to be better, or the reality is the payroll may have to be cut. Published on: December 16, 2017 | Last Updated: December 16, 2017 8:47 PM EST Now that the possibility of moving has been put on the table, everybody has something to think about need to stand down. Because this team isn’t going anywhere anytime soon — if at all. The timing would have never been right for Eugene Melnyk. Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 12.17.2017 The reality is he is frustrated with the empty seats at the Canadian Tire Centre and — like everybody in the organization — he’s perplexed why the Senators can’t fill the 17,500 seats in the building after advancing to the Eastern final last spring before losing in double-OT of Game 7 to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Senators covered up seats and still can’t fill the building. No, Melnyk’s timing wasn’t good as the Senators prepared to face the Montreal Canadiens in Saturday night’s NHL 100 Classic at Lansdowne Park, but when was a good time to tell the fans that the possibility exists you may move the team if attendance gets to the point where the club can’t be successful in Ottawa? And while many fans weren’t happy with the fact Melnyk suggested he might move the franchise if the number of empty seats continued to grow, he owns the Senators and as he has stated has no plans to sell anytime soon. In the meantime, he is trying to come up with answers as to why this team doesn’t have a connection with the marketplace. While there has been talk in recent weeks that several groups — including Quebec billionaire Andre Desmerais — are interested in buying the franchise, deputy commissioner Bill Daly told Postmedia in a one-on- one interview Saturday afternoon that Melnyk hasn’t shown any inclination to sell. Although people have called the league’s headquarters in New York to express their interest in buying an NHL team, commissioner Gary Bettman and Daly have never bothered to approach the 58-year-old Melnyk because he has been adamant that he’s not going to sell and it will be willed to his children. “We never get to the point of having to entertain any of those discussions if the owner has no interest in selling his franchise and I’ve got no indication, zero. And, I believe I can speak for the commissioner as well, that Eugene has any interest in selling the Senators,” Daly said Saturday. The reality is attendance needs to improve because, even if the Senators do get a deal done to move to LeBreton Flats, it’s not going to happen any time soon. If an agreement is reached before the end of next month with the National Capital Commission, that doesn’t mean shovels will go into the ground immediately. First, the land has to be cleaned up and then, of course, the new rink is in the first phase of the construction. Ideally, the Senators would hold their Opening Night in October, 2021, but right now that seems as if it’s a long way off. There’s a lot of hockey to be played in Ottawa before that happens. In the meantime, the Senators will have to find a way to get people to travel to Kanata on a regular basis. There are the complaints about the costs of going to a game, the traffic and, there’s lately been a lot of noise about the cost of parking. It hasn’t helped that the Senators haven’t exactly been great this season. The Senators went into Saturday with a 2-10-2 record in their past 14 games and there was a crowd of just over 13,000 against the visiting Rangers this week. Given the issues selling tickets, it’s a good thing the Senators have only 39 home games this season as a result of one game held in Sweden and another at Lansdowne. Ottawa is a good hockey market. The fans are passionate about their team. If you want evidence of that fact, turn on the radio or check the social media feeds to hear or read how upset people are when the team isn’t winning. The Senators need to figure out why some of those people aren’t buying tickets. The first situation they need to tackle if they’re going to be successful is a bigger season ticket base. That’s been a battle they’ve dealt with since the franchise came back to Ottawa to start the 1992-93 campaign. The issue is the Senators have too much inventory to move every time they play a home game. 1088770 Ottawa Senators
Senators applaud fans who braved cold at TD Place
Don Brennan Published on: December 16, 2017 | Last Updated: December 16, 2017 8:11 PM EST
Dion Phaneuf has a pretty good idea of what fans had to endure at frigid TD Place on Saturday night. He experienced something similar at the same stadium quite recently. “I have a great appreciation for everyone that’s going to be here supporting it,” the Senators’ defenceman said shortly after arriving for the NHL100 Classic against the Montreal Canadiens. “I was lucky enough to be able to go to the Grey Cup here, and that was a few weeks back. We’re much colder than we were then, temperature-wise, and I know sitting outside during that game (that) it was definitely chilly.” Phaneuf was inspired by those who braved -20 conditions. “I think it’s going to be a special night for everyone celebrating the game,” he said. “They’re going to be bundled up, and speaking for myself, I’m excited to play in front of the people that are going to be here. It’s going to be a passionate fan base from both sides. And they’re hopefully going to be wearing lots of layers. “It just shows the dedication to the game of hockey and the support we have in this country.” Erik Karlsson agreed, praising the support of the fan base. “They’re excited to be here,” he said. “They’ve always come to support us. Especially at events like this. I think that whether it’s going to be -20 or not, this is an opportunity most people don’t want to miss. They’re going to be prepared for it. We appreciate that a lot. The hard part is probably going to be watching this game. I think we’re going to be the ones who are going to be the warmest out there.” Guy Boucher was dressed for the occasion, wearing a high school football-like jacket with a Senators ‘O’ over his heart. “Takes me back 20 years,” joked Boucher. “Or 30.” Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088771 Ottawa Senators “Particularly for a typical fan on a week night to have to deal with those infrastructural issues. It’s tough ask.”
There is no question the league is monitoring the situation and they’re Bill Daly understands Melnyk's frustration, but is confident Senators will raising the same questions as to why attendance has dropped so low. stay in Ottawa “Yes, for sure, we monitor all of our clubs’ attendance,” Daly said. “From my perspective, it’s a head-shaker that this team isn’t doing better from Bruce Garrioch an attendance standpoint and a fan’s standpoint. Published on: December 16, 2017 | Last Updated: December 16, 2017 “The team was one goal away from going to the Stanley Cup final last 6:27 PM EST year. This is a very competitive team in a hockey market and it’s not something we’ve experienced in Canada in probably 20 years.”
Like Melnyk, league officials are trying to figure out what the problem is in The National Hockey League can understand Eugene Melnyk’s Ottawa and then they can help the team recover. Bettman and Daly both disappointment with empty seats at the Canadian Tire Centre. stated last month when the Senators were in Sweden for the Global Series that the Senators need to get a deal done at LeBreton Flats. While the Ottawa Senators’ owner vented Friday night to the media and even suggested he’d consider moving the franchise if the situation “I don’t have the answers because I couldn’t put my finger precisely on became a “disaster”, deputy commissioner Bill Daly told Postmedia in why it’s happening,” Daly said. “It does certainly emphasize the point that one-on-one interview Saturday the club can’t just pick up and moving to a downtown arena is essential for the team and its a long-term success another city. in Ottawa. Frustrated with the empty seats in Kanata after advancing to the East “I get this a little bit second-hand. We do have people who work for us in final last spring against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Melnyk told reporters if the city, and they say a lot of fans — when asked why they’re not going the picture got any worse he’d have to consider moving the franchise, but out to Kanata — say they’re waiting for the arena to get built downtown. Daly doesn’t believe that’s anywhere close to becoming a reality. Once the downtown arena became something that is close to a reality, it may have exacerbated the issue of people wanting to go out to Kanata.” Speaking before Saturday’s 100 Classic between the Senators and Montreal Canadiens at Lansdowne Park, Daly maintained the NHL The fact the Senators were playing in a downtown arena at Lansdowne considers Ottawa a strong marketplace and is confident everything will Park Saturday night wasn’t lost on league officials. Melnyk told reporters be fine here. during his news conference the club didn’t have to necessarily move closer to the city, but don’t forget he’s still trying to negotiate his best deal “Having heard what (Melnyk) said, he certainly didn’t say he was with the National Capital Commission and the partners in RendezVous relocating the franchise and, quite frankly, I don’t think he even came LeBreton. close to saying that,” said Daly Saturday. “The way I read that is, nothing’s out of the question. We hope that all the right things are done “This is where people want them,” said Daly. “Part of the element of and this team is here for a long time in the right facility. tonight’s game, which will be very interesting, is that it’s convenient and it’s easy for everybody to get to. I do think that will re-emphasize the “But you’d be silly as a businessman to rule out any alternatives.” need here, ultimately, for a downtown arena.” Daly knows the reality Melnyk couldn’t move the franchise without LANSDOWNE WAS ONLY SOLUTION TO OUTDOOR GAME IN approval from the league. OTTAWA, DALY SAYS “I think it was exaggerated in terms of the significance of the comments,” The pictures from the outdoor rink on Parliament Hill have looked pretty said Daly. ” I’d also say it’s very important to understand that everything majestic as part of the preparation for Saturday’s 100 Classic at that’s done in the NHL, vis-a-vis franchises and potential relocations are Lansdowne Park. done through the board of governor and 30 other franchises. And, while the Hill was the first choice for the Ottawa Senators to host “No individual owner has the ability to say he’s leaving a market and the Montreal Canadiens for the first outdoor game in club history, deputy going to a new market. That is ultimately a decision for the board of commissioner Bill Daly told Postmedia in a one-on-one interview governors.” Saturday afternoon it was never close to becoming reality. Yes, teams have moved during commissioner Gary Bettman’s 25-year That’s because it just wasn’t going to work. tenure with the league, but he has worked hard to maintain franchises in their marketplace. The Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, Arizona “I’ve seen some pictures and it looks spectacular as everybody expected Coyotes and the Senators — in 2003 by Melnyk — have all been sold out it would,” said Daly. “But for anybody who thinks it was possible for us to of bankruptcy to stay where they are. play a National Hockey League game there, I think it’s evidence that it was never going to happen and it was never going to be successful if we “Franchise stability is very important in professional sports,” Daly said. tried to make it happen. “It’s not just our sport, but Gary’s been commissioner for 25 years and he prides himself on his ability to make situations better and fix problems “It’s not what it would have been, but it has been a good substitute. The where they exist, as opposed to running away from the problems. pictures are spectacular. A rink on Parliament Hill is a great idea. Playing a game there and trying to accommodate 30,000-plus fans is unrealistic.” “That’s what I would say with respect to Ottawa, as well. I don’t know exactly how to explain (what’s happening here), but yes we consider Daly said the logistics wouldn’t work because a pop-up stadium of 30,000 Ottawa to be an NHL marketplace for sure.” people wasn’t going to work on the Hill plus the government didn’t back the project because of the costs and time involved in building the rink The Senators are ranked last among the seven Canadian teams with an along with the massive security concerns. average attendance of 15,281 through 15 home games this season. That’s down from 16,744 last year and the Senators have covered up “I think it was logistically difficult, if not impossible,” Daly said. “It’s 1,500 seats at the top of the building so that it doesn’t look so empty on possible that it wouldn’t have ever been able to happen. If it was ever some nights. able to happen, it would have cost a lot of money and more than it would be justified by. So, what’s the problem? Why is there a disconnect between the Senators and the marketplace? Is there a malaise surrounding the team? Even “I understand there’s some criticisms now with the costs associated with those who live in Ottawa have a difficult time understanding what’s the (rink) there now, but I understand it’s going to be there until February happened here. and I think that’s great and the way to do it, but the costs associated are significant.” “That’s why it’s a fair question,” Daly said. “You kind of scratch your head as to why attendance wasn’t an issue when the team was competing for The Hill just wouldn’t have been able to handle the temporary stands and conference championships every year in the early 2000s. everything that went with it. “I don’t have an answer for that exactly. But there’s no doubt that it’s not “There was a discomfort as well with having a stadium complex that the model of convenience for fans to travel, for those who are working close to the head seat of government in Canada. That creates a lot of downtown, as far as they have to travel to get into that parking lot and out logistical issues: Bathrooms, concessions and all that stuff was difficult to of that parking lot after the game, in particular. I’ve experienced those work through. At the end of the day, the right decisions were made,” said issues and sometimes I have better access in and out and you still have Daly. travel issues. The fact the Senators were able to hold the game at Lansdowne after the Grey Cup was here three weeks ago has worked out well. “All the signs here are really, really positive,” said Daly. Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088772 Ottawa Senators Coach Guy Boucher said the team's leaders, Karlsson first among them, finally appear to be rounding into form, and that bodes well for the future.
“That's the way it has to be,” Boucher told reporters in French following Senators finally give fans something to cheer about the game. “When you look at what Erik's overcome, he went the whole summer without training, did no exercise in order to let his injury heal, then no training camp, he had to wait about a week, had two practices By James Gordon and a game, and everyone said, 'ah, it's Erik Karlsson, it's Superman.' 2 hours ago “Well, excuse me, it was clear to me and to our staff that it wouldn't be until Christmas that we'd see the real Erik Karlsson start to play, and that's exactly what's happened. Of course it was Jean-Gabriel Pageau. It had to be. “Slowly, he's getting his timing back. You know, it doesn't matter what human being, what athlete and at what level, who doesn't have a Pageau, whose playoff hat trick heroics against the Montreal Canadiens summer and doesn't have training camp … it's hard to recapture that,” he in 2013 first spurred the now-famous “Pageaauuu, Pageau Pageau added. “Erik Karlsson is Erik Karlsson, he can get it back faster than Pageaauuu” chants in Ottawa, heard his signature song again after anyone I know, but there's still a process that has to play out, and I think scoring the Ottawa Senators' first goal in a 3-0 win at the NHL 100 Erik, it's only recently that he's started to accept that process.” Classic game at TD Place Saturday night. Boucher said that Karlsson was frustrated that things weren't feeling the Pageau, whose scoring clip against the Habs far outpaces his career way that they should right away, but that he's calmed himself down and is norms, didn't disappoint in the latest marquee moment for the franchise. finally getting back to the elite level of play he expects of himself. “Obviously, like I said earlier, it was awesome,” he said after the game. If Karlsson can't maintain his newfound pace or if the goaltenders' recent “The atmosphere was crazy from the warm-up to the last second of the improved play turns out to be a mirage, well, all is still lost. third. Obviously, to score that goal, it was pretty special and, like I said, when I scored that goal, if (our) goalie doesn't give one up, it makes it But, at the very least, fans will wake up Sunday with something they easier.” didn't have a week ago: hope. Bobby Ryan, with a nice breakaway deke, put the Senators up 2-0 with The Athletic LOADED: 12.17.2017 less than three minutes left in the third, and Nate Thompson rounded out the scoring with his fourth of the season into an empty net. The Habs were listless for much of the game, firing just 28 shots at the Ottawa net, while the Senators peppered Canadiens goalie Carey Price with 37. Craig Anderson moved his save percentage back over .900 with his second shutout of the season. It was a dominant performance for Ottawa in a season that has featured far too few of them, and it came at the perfect moment for a fan base that was desperate for something, anything, to go right. Had the Senators put up another stinker 24 hours after owner Eugene Melnyk had mused about the possibility of moving the team, it would have been pandemonium in the capital. As the players fought through frigid temperatures (-10.8 C at puck drop and falling fast) and punishing winds, the hashtag #MelnykOut was heating up across Canada on Twitter. Instead, they rose to the occasion and gave the pro-Ottawa contingent among the 33,959 frozen fans in attendance a warm, fuzzy feeling to take home with them. Senators captain Erik Karlsson, who'd drawn the ire of team management recently for having the audacity to suggest he be paid fair market value for his services, showed why he's worth every penny to this squad. After hitting a bit of a wall following a hot start upon his return from off-season foot surgery, he looked like his old, dominant self on Saturday. He played a total of 32:55, took seven shots, blocked eight, drew the primary assist on Pageau's game-winner, and provided the kind of off-ice leadership fans needed to see from an organization in crisis. “I think that we've been on the road a lot here, not winning a lot of games … coming home here, showing everybody that we still care a lot, we want to do well for ourselves (and) do everything we can to get out of the hole we dug ourselves in,” he said. “They've been supporting us through all this, and they always have for as long as I've been here. They've been great, and they're still great. “We want to give them something back,” Karlsson added. “I think that it's important for us to show that we have character, and we don't want to lose as much as they don't want us to lose.” It wasn't just about optics. Amid all the outdoor ambience, the pop stars, the fireworks and fighter jets, the Senators, suffering through a 2-12 run prior to their contest against the Habs, absolutely needed a victory to keep their already slim playoff hopes alive. If they're to pull off another Hamburglar-style miracle and qualify, they'll need to win most of their remaining games – in regulation, ideally – against the two teams they're in direct competition with for the third and final Atlantic Division playoff spot: The Habs and the Boston Bruins. Is it possible they might be getting back on the right track? 1088773 Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers Giroux has made a smooth transition to left wing by Marc Narducci STAFF WRITER
Flyers captain Claude Giroux has made the switch from center to left wing appear seamless this season. Giroux has 13 goals and 21 assists. His 34 points are second on the team to Jake Voracek’s 38. More impressively, he has a plus-9 rating after being minus-15 last year. Giroux has been on the Flyers first line all season with Sean Couturier, who has 15 goals, tied for a season-high. “I think it was an adjustment early on in the season,” Giroux said after today’s morning skate as the Flyers take a five-game winning streak into tonight’s 7 p.m. game against the Dallas Stars at the Wells Fargo Center. “Now being on the wing the entire time, you get a little more comfortable on the wall or even in the neutral zone defensively.” The Flyers have won five in a row and that coincides with moving Wayne Simmonds to the first line with Couturier and Giroux, and Jake Voracek to the second line with Vattieri Flippula and Michael Raffl. Giroux and Couturier have developed a strong chemistry. “Playing with Coots is fun,” said Giroux, who will play in his 403rd game tonight as Flyers captain, second on the team only to Bob Clarke, who was captain for 610 games. “It’s not like I don’t take faceoffs, I take a good number of faceoffs.” And he hasn’t lost his touch. Giroux has a 57.91 faceoff percentage (245 of 423), which is sixth in the NHL among players who have taken 275 or more faceoffs (Couturier is 23rd, with a 54.33 percentage). A major factor for Giroux is that he is healthy this season. While he played all 82 games a year ago, Giroux admitted toward the end of last season that it took him awhile to feel like himself after hip and abdominal surgery in May of 2016. “I feel good right now and it’s about taking care of your body,” said Giroux, who had 14 goals and 44 assists last season. “…I am in really good hands with the trainers here on the team.” Flyers coach Dave Hakstol says Giroux’s diligent preparation has led to his success in the position switch. “It is a credit to G, he studied it and I think he works a lot harder at it than people might know in terms of just seeing other players who have done it, but more so studying the things with his game, the strength of his game individually and how he can translate that to the left wing from the center ice position,” Hakstol said. Growing up, Giroux did play some left wing so it wasn’t totally new to him. “He seems to be pretty comfortable there and I think it is a little easier being a center moving to wing, than being a wing and moving to center,” Couturier said. Still, it hasn’t been easy, even though Giroux has made it look so. Notes: Brian Elliott will make his seventh straight start in goal tonight for the Flyers….Dallas coach Ken Hitchcock, in his second stint with the Stars, will be going for his 800th career win. A former Flyers coach, Hitchcock is 799-488-200. The only other NHL coaches to record 800 wins are Scotty Bowman (1,244) and current Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Queenville (867)…Dallas is coming off Friday’s 5-2 loss at New Jersey. Stars captain Jamie Benn (13 goals, 16 assists) and center Tyler Sequin (14 goals, 15 assists) share the team lead in points with 29. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088774 Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers-Stars: At a glance by Sam Donnellon STAFF WRITER
Stars (18-14-1) at Flyers (13-11-7) WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday WHERE: Wells Fargo Center BROADCAST & STREAMING: TV– NBCSP; radio–97.5 FM SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE: Twitter, @BroadStBull @samdonnellon KEY PLAYERS: Martin Hanzal has been in and out of the Stars lineup with injuries this season but is expected to play. The 30-year-old, 6-6 center has struggled with just three points and a minus-10. Of the 29 points Stars captain Jamie Benn has this season, 18 have come on the road. He has points in three of his last four games at the Wells Fargo Center, and 11 points in 12 games against the Flyers. Dallas forward Jason Spezza has 31 points (9-22) in 36 career games against the Flyers. The Flyers have been paced by Jake Voracek (7-31=38), Claude Giroux (13-21=34) and Sean Couturier (15-15=30) this season, but the story of their five-game winning streak has been their secondary scoring. Scott Laughton, Dale Weiss, Jordan Weal, Travis Konecny and, of course, Michael Raffl (three goals) have all scored in the stretch. Thursday night, rookie defenseman Travis Sanheim added his name to that list with his first goal in his 28th NHL game. THINGS TO KNOW: Stars coach and former Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock was denied his 800th victory in the Stars' 5-2 loss to New Jersey Friday night. He’ll try again Saturday night. He won 131 games in his three-plus seasons as Flyers coach. Including last night, Dallas has not won in the nine games it has trailed after the first period. The Stars are 3-10-1 when the opponent scores first. Last year, Dallas ranked 29th in goals-against average and 30th in save percentage while paying its two goalies a combined $10.4 million. The Stars were 11th in goals against prior to last night’s game in New Jersey and are paying Ben Bishop and Kari Lehtonen a combined $11 million to stop pucks this year. Hitchcock said Bishop would start Saturday night’s game. HEAD TO HEAD: Including playoffs, the Flyers are 82-46-32 all time against the Stars franchise, including an 8-3 record in the postseason. They own a 51-14- 16 record at home. Since moving from Minnesota to Dallas and becoming just the Stars, the franchise is 43-72-34 overall against the Flyers and 12-47-16 on the road. They split outcomes last season, with the Flyers taking a 4-2 victory on Dec. 10 and the Stars countering with a 3-1 victory at home a week later. UPCOMING GAMES: Monday: 7 p.m. Los Angeles Wednesday: 7 p.m. Detroit Friday: 7 p.m. @Buffalo Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088775 Philadelphia Flyers
Shayne Gostisbehere's goal gives Flyers overtime win over Dallas Stars by Marc Narducci STAFF WRITER
The Flyers needed some extra time but kept their winning streak alive on Saturday night, thanks to Shayne Gostisbehere’s power-play goal in overtime for a 2-1 victory over the Dallas Stars at the Wells Fargo Center. It was Gostisbehere’s second power-play goal of the game and came with just 1 minute, 10 seconds left in overtime. That makes the Flyers 2-7 in overtime/shootouts this season. “The last overtime game I think we sat down as a team and we looked at it, [said] ‘Get our skates up-ice, don’t take any chances, be honest and we’ll get our chances,’ ” Gostisbehere said. “That’s what happened. I know we had a power play there, but I think we had a pretty good overtime up to that point.” The Flyers previous five wins during this streak came in regulation. Dallas, which lost 5-2 in New Jersey on Friday, didn’t look fatigued. Stars coach Ken Hitchcock, who formerly guided the Flyers, was trying to become the third NHL coach to win 800 games. He entered the game 799-488-200. The only coaches with 800 have been Scotty Bowman (1,244) and Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville (867). In the first minute of overtime, Dallas center Tyler Seguin hit the post with a blast. With 1:32 left in the overtime, the Flyers went on the power play when Alexander Radulov was called for hooking Valteri Filppula. Gostisbehere then scored the game-winner on a wrist shot. The Flyers had their chances, but Gostisbehere tipped his cap to Stars goalie Ben Bishop. “He was on his game for sure. I think he made some big saves and probably saved some he wasn’t supposed to save,” Gostisbehere said. “I think our goalie [Brian Elliott] did the same thing tonight. Both played pretty good. He [Bishop] made some heavy saves. One with his face.” Early in the third period, Elliott stopped Tyler Pitlick and Seguin from close range. With 12:39 left, Pitlick shot wide on a breakaway backhand. Dallas took a 1-0 lead when Remi Elie, from behind the net, found an open Gemel Smith at the right circle. Smith’s one-timer beat Elliott to the far post with 12:47 left in the first period. Dallas entered the game 15-3 when scoring the first goal. On a second-period power play, Bishop made a sprawling save on Wayne Simmonds from in front of the net. The Flyers kept applying pressure on that power play and tied the score on Gostisbehere’s goal with 10:50 left in the second period. Jake Voracek’s shot missed the net and bounced off the back board to the Flyers defenseman, who tapped in his fifth goal while diving on the ice, despite Bishop getting a piece of the shot. “I think we were just feeding off each other, finding lanes,” Gostisbehere said of that power play. “We were just relentless, and I think the goal at the end showed how we weren’t giving up there.” After the goal, the Flyers failed to cash in on two breakaway opportunities. Voracek, who had to fend off tight backchecking, shot wide on his chance. With just under five minutes left in the second period, Flyers right winger Travis Konecny shot wide with a backhand on a breakaway. This winning streak has given the Flyers renewed confidence. “Our mindset is a lot better right now — we take care of pucks, make the simple play, the right play,” Flyers captain Claude Giroux said. “It is kind of working for us right now, so we have to keep going.” Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088776 Philadelphia Flyers we’re out there, there’s not really a position where I’m the center and he’s the wing. It’s more like whoever’s first on the puck or first down low, you kind of fill in each other’s roles. And offensively, if we have the puck most Flyers Notebook: Couturier’s skill in faceoff circle paying dividends of the night, there’s not really (strict) positioning. You just try to create some plays offensively and make things happen.”
The Flyers had won five straight games to improve to 13-11-7, but still By Rob Parent they were wallowing in a tie for last place in the Metropolitan Division. While a 10-game winless skid was primarily responsible, the Delaware County Daily Times improvement by other teams in the division had much to do with it. The Flyers’ record would place them fourth if they were in the Atlantic POSTED: 12/16/17, 8:52 PM EST | UPDATED: 3 HRS AGO Division.
That’s why making a playoff push will be all the more difficult this season. PHILADELPHIA >> When Sean Couturier lined up as a wide-eyed “It’s a long ways ahead of us but I think what’s going to make a difference teenaged center for the start of the 2011-12 season, he didn’t have much is our record within the division,” Couturier said. “Every night is a big two of an offensive game, but he certainly knew how to use his defensive points, but when you beat your division opponents it’s points you take skills to full effect. He was just 18 at the time, so clearly there was much away from (them) that they can’t get back.” time to improve. Pointing out the Flyers are 1-0-3 against Metro Division teams this It took a while. season, Couturier added, “Obviously the OT losses kind of suck, but we Much chronicled this season is the way Couturier finally has broken out have to get some wins within our division. I think that’s going to be huge as a scoring center with his move to the top line, which pushed Claude throughout the year.” Giroux into his first real work on a wing since junior hockey. But Giroux Burlington County Times LOADED: 12.17.2017 has taken to left wing much in the same way Couturier has so effectively assumed the status of top-line center; he went into the season’s 32nd game Saturday night against the Dallas Stars having already tied his career high in goals with 15. First with Jake Voracek by their side and more recently with Wayne Simmonds as the top-line right wing, Couturier and Giroux have been a dynamic pair this season. But that’s not true only from a production standpoint. They’re both primarily responsible for the Flyers being one of the best faceoff teams in the NHL. According to puckbase.com, which tracks the top 100 players in the league by faceoffs taken, Giroux was ranked sixth in the league at 57.9 percent wins, and Couturier was 23rd at 54.3 through Friday. What’s more, with a supporting cast that includes Valtteri Filppula, Scott Laughton and Nolan Patrick, the Flyers are overall the third-best faceoff team in the league, checking in at 52.7 percent. At home, they are No. 1 in the league at 56.3, just a smidge above overall leader Nashville in that sub-category. “With (Giroux) being a righty, that helps a lot,” Couturier said. “He can take a lot of faceoffs on the right side, and on the left you have me, Laughts, (Filppula) and a few other guys who can take draws. There’s a lot of guys that are strong on sticks and strong on faceoffs. It’s obviously a big part of our team.” Along with his offensive uptick, faceoffs have also become a big part of Couturier’s arsenal. He admitted it took him a few seasons of hard schooling to get better at faceoffs, needing to not only improve his physical strength at the dots but also his perspective. It takes a lot of cunning and a touch of sneaky nastiness to succeed at this facet of the game. That’s why from time to time at training camps over the years, a certain Hockey Hall of Famer skilled in the art of sneaky-nasty (and two-way hockey) would drop by and give Couturier and other Flyers some tips. “I remember two or three years ago Mr. (Bob) Clarke came in and gave us some tips here and there, and obviously it helped a lot,” Couturier said. “But at the same time as the years go on you get more experienced at it; you get a little more leverage between the dots.” Asked if some of that gained leverage comes from occasionally using the stick to full effect on opponents’ extremities during puck drops, Couturier grinned and said, “Yeah, that was (Clarke’s) type of game.” Now winning faceoffs has become a big part of the Flyers’ game, with Giroux as one of the league’s most skilled specialists in the art, and Couturier getting better and better. “It’s something I take pride in and try to get better at,” Couturier said. “The first few years coming in, being below 50 percent, that’s something that you want to (change), to be over 50 percent. I put in the necessary effort in the offseasons and tried to get stronger the last few years. These last two years that seemed to help a lot.” While much has been made of Giroux moving to left wing and Couturier being the center of that line, Couturier said the two have taken so well to playing next to each other that positioning doesn’t really come into play. “Ever since he moved to the wing, he’s seemed to be comfortable,” Couturier said of Giroux, who entered the Stars game with 13 goals and 34 points. “It was probably an adjustment for him at the start, but when 1088777 Philadelphia Flyers You couldn’t count the number of times he had said something similar during his four seasons in Philadelphia in the 2000s. The rewards weren’t great enough here for Hitchcock, though his 2004 team that lost in the Parent: Fans cheer Hitchcock’s loss, but an encore is called for conference finals to Tampa Bay in seven games could have won a Cup if not for injuries. Not since Shero, however, have the Flyers had such a champion motivator behind their bench. By Rob Parent Shero will always be No. 1 in the fans’ minds, the one coach that brought home the gold. But with Hitchcock’s next win, maybe a little appreciation Delaware County Daily Times for his accomplishments will sink in, too. POSTED: 12/16/17, 11:36 PM EST | UPDATED: 22 MINS AGO # Burlington County Times LOADED: 12.17.2017
PHILADELPHIA >> Fred “The Fog” Shero was certainly a character. And there were those two Stanley Cup championships under his watch to set his name in gold at the top of the Flyers’ long list of head coaches. Big bear Pat Quinn was naturally skilled at gently motivating players under his tutelage. Terry Murray was a long-time fixture around the Flyers who had success here and elsewhere. What neither did was win a Cup like Shero, though they came very close and were fired too soon afterward for their efforts. It’s a tough business, coaching NHL teams. Coaches are rarely shown the love. No time. So Ken Hitchcock wasn’t thinking about how close he came to his 800th career win as an NHL coach Saturday night at Wells Fargo Center. That’s because Shayne Gostisbehere scored a 4-on-3 power play goal with 1:10 left in overtime to boost the Flyers to a 2-1 victory over Hitchcock’s stubbornly defensive Stars. And rather than a subsequent reflection on all the past wins, Hitchcock focused on this one loss. “The positive we can take out of this is our role players did exactly what they should do; our role players were outstanding and that’s what has led us to good team play 5-on-5,” Hitchcock said. “They’re doing their job. The impact players can get up another gear. If we’re going to compete for a playoff spot out West, what really tells here is that we played really good teams out here and we were more than competitive and in some cases way better than some of the teams here. But, at the end of the day, we’re not going to get any better until our impact players have a strong, positive impact in the game on a consistent basis.” That quickly, the third-winningest head coach in league history — and (sorry Freddy) the best head coach the Flyers ever had in the eyes of some (read: me) — kicked right into motivation motion. It is his greatest attribute, pushing veteran, highly skilled players with a combination of shril and demanding rants, coy use of the media and a never-ending show of care and support. He’s the coach you hate to love, but you just can’t help yourself. “I liked him,” winning Flyers goalie Brian Elliott said of Hitchcock. Then, perhaps with a nod to a few of the stories about their time together in St. Louis, Elliott added a slight laugh and said, “I don’t know what else you’re looking for.” Reminded that while both were winning a lot of games for the Blues, it was said that not all was domestic bliss between them, Elliott said, “Well, yeah, but he’s a very prepared coach and you don’t get that many wins or that many chances to get wins if you’re not a prepared, great hockey mind. “He’s definitely going to be in the Hall of Fame,” Elliott added, “if he ever stops coaching.” When he accepted a second shot at coaching the Stars, the team that he won his lone Stanley Cup ring with in 1999, Hitchcock said it would be his last roundup. This first season of his second tenure isn’t going that well. The OT loss to the Flyers leaves the Stars at 18-14-2, which puts them just below the middle of the Central Division pack. But with people like Ben Bishop in goal, and established stars Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn and Alexander Radulov, teams have plenty of reason to be wary of Dallas. And Hitchcock has reason to keep his players wary of him. So seconds after this third game in four days during a four-game Eastern road trip ended in extra time, the future Hall of Fame motivator was back at it. He wasn’t going to talk about his 799 wins, not when a lesson was to be learned from this one loss. “We can’t continue to have the role players on the hockey club carry the hockey club,” Hitchcock said. “We need more from the people that you know exactly who I’m talking about. They need to come through to carry us to the next level.” 1088778 Philadelphia Flyers Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.17.2017
Flyers' Muhammad Ali-type mentality behind season-high winning streak
By John Boruk NBC Sports Philadelphia December 17, 2017 12:15 AM
The Flyers developed a Muhammad Ali-type mentality Saturday night. It was hockey’s version of the rope-a-dope, where the Flyers took the Dallas Stars' best punches early on before going the distance, eventually wearing down an opponent that was playing their third game in four nights. The end result was a 2-1 Flyers victory, extending their season-high winning streak to six games (see observations). In fact, the Stars attempted to set the tone on the opening shift when Stars captain Jamie Benn tried to rattle the cage of Claude Giroux. They tangled on their way back to the bench with Benn extending his glove underneath Giroux’s chin. “We knew they were going to have a good push at the start of the game,” Brian Elliott, who has started all six games of the winning streak, said. "We knew they wouldn't be able to keep it up playing a back-to-back. I thought our guys did a really good job of sticking to that game plan and staying patiently persistent." The Flyers also knew the Stars would come out of the gates flying after a disappointing 5-2 loss at New Jersey the night before. “We’ve been on the other side of it,” Giroux said. “Playing a back-to-back, it’s not easy, especially when you’re traveling and we really wanted to take advantage of that. Other teams took advantage of us before.” The Flyers started to turn up the heat in the opening minutes of the second period when they controlled play with extended shifts in the Stars' end of the ice, coupled with a pair of breakaway opportunities from Travis Konecny and Jakub Voracek. “That (second) period was the one for me where we pushed the game in our direction,” Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol said. “It was during the second period we were able to use everybody. Everybody was going and that allowed us to raise the pace of play a little bit.” The Flyers were also propelled by their power play that finished the game 2 for 6 and a whopping 12 shots on net. After scoring on a rebound that deflected off the backboards, Shayne Gostisbehere landed the knockout blow with 1:10 remaining in overtime when "Ghost" blasted an overtime slapper during the 4-on-3 man advantage. “A lot of that power play was going rover," Gostisbehere, who scored his fifth career overtime winner, said, "but you could tell we were feeding off each other, finding lanes and we were just relentless and a goal at the end just showed we weren't giving up there." Stars coach and former Flyers bench boss Ken Hitchcock was attempting, for the second time, to become the third coach in NHL history to win 800 career games. Much of the reason he didn’t achieve the milestone was the careless penalties of forward Alexander Radulov, which led to both of the Flyers' power-play goals. “It’s not team discipline, it’s individual,” Hitchcock said. “It’s disappointing to fight like we fought and battle. Come off, playing hard like this off a back-to-back, it’s really disappointing to take those two penalties at the end of the game.” The Flyers also snapped a seven-game losing streak in contests that extended after regulation. The Flyers had dropped five of those in overtime and another two in the shootout. “I thought we had a really positive attitude,” Elliott said. “I think everyone thought we would go out there for overtime and win. I didn’t think anybody had any doubts or anything. That’s all you can ask for going into those situations.” “I liked the way we approached overtime,” Hakstol said. “I didn’t think we pressed or pushed anything. We weren’t taking any long shifts, no high risk plays. I thought guys just went out and did their job and did it the right way.” Right now, it’s a Flyers team that may not be floating like a butterfly, but they can certainly sting like a bee. 1088779 Philadelphia Flyers fire a backhand, but his shot went wide. Konecny could have brought the puck wide to his forehand, creating a better 2-on-0 opportunity with Raffl, but you could see Konecny is more desperate to score a goal. Shayne Gostisbehere leads Flyers to season-high winning streak • The Stars had a matchup advantage late in the second period when a line of Benn, Spezza and Radulov was matched up against the Flyers' fourth line and third defensive pair. As the Stars entered the zone, By John Boruk Sanheim was turned around and fell to the ice. Sanheim's partner, Gudas, hit the deck and broke up a centering pass with his stick. The NBC Sports Philadelphia Flyers finally survived and were able to dump it out of the zone. December 16, 2017 9:45 PM • The Flyers' third line of Jordan Weal, Nolan Patrick and Jordan Weal had a strong opening shift to begin the third period. They logged about
30 seconds in the Stars' zone and generated a couple of shots on The wins just keep on coming. Bishop. The Flyers on Saturday night extended their season-high winning streak • Sanheim is usually good for one defensive gaffe per game. The Stars to six games with a 2-1 overtime win over the Dallas Stars after Shayne and Lance Pitlick caught Sanheim flat-footed when the puck was lofted Gostisbehere scored the game-winning goal just seconds into a power high, up and out of the Dallas zone. That resulted in Pitlick blowing past play. Sanheim and attempting a backhanded breakaway play that went wide of the Flyers' net, similar to Konecny's in the second period. Gostisbehere scored both of the Flyers' goals with the man advantage. His first power-play goal was the Flyers' first home power-play goal since Lines, pairings and scratches Nov. 18, snapping an 0-for-20 drought. Forwards The OT victory also snapped the Flyers' seven-game losing skid in Claude Giroux-Sean Couturier-Wayne Simmonds games ending after regulation. Michael Raffl-Valtteri Filppula-Jakub Voracek Brian Elliott, who made his seventh straight start, stopped 26 of 27 shots. Jordan Weal-Nolan Patrick-Dale Weise Former Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock was looking for his 800th career win. Taylor Leier-Scott Laughton-Travis Konecny • It was a rather interesting start to the game, as Claude Giroux and Jamie Benn got tangled up at center ice between the two benches. Benn Defense extended his glove underneath Giroux's chin and a lot of pushing and shoving ensued. Both guys went off for roughing minors. Ivan Provorov-Andrew MacDonald • During the matching penalties, the Flyers dominated the 4-on-4 play. Robert Hagg-Shayne Gostisbehere First, the Flyers' fourth line had an extended possession, though Travis Konecny tried to create a play on his own and wound up with a very low Travis Sanheim-Radko Gudas percentage shot near the blue line. The Flyers' best opportunity came Goalies when Wayne Simmonds worked a beautiful give-and-go with Sean Couturier that resulted in Simmonds having a break. Brian Elliott • The Stars struck first with their fourth line when Gemel Smith beat Elliott Alex Lyon on a one-timer to the far post. The Flyers had enough men back on defense, but they lost coverage when Scott Laughton was caught puck Scratches: Forward Jori Lehtera and Mark Alt. Both were healthy. watching and didn't cover the backside pass. By the time Laughton Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.17.2017 realized it, he was a step behind. Not a good goal to give up, but the Stars have a pretty effective fourth line. • Tensions rose again when Dan Hamhuis grabbed Simmonds after firing a shot, and as Couturier came to his defense, he gave Hamhuis a subtle jab that resulted in a two-minute roughing, which negated a Flyers power play after just 30 seconds. Hamhuis appeared to have embellished when he launched his head backward. A no-call should have been the way to go. • The Stars' combo of Jason Spezza and Alexander Radulov had some effective zone time and took advantage of the Flyers' third defensive pairing of Travis Sanheim and Radko Gudas. Radulov drew a penalty when he made a move past Valtteri Filppula, who reached out and tripped up Radulov. The Stars generated two power-play shots, including one that Elliott appeared to glove after it had been deflected. • Twenty-five minutes into the game and there wasn't much open ice at all. It was tight checking with both teams clogging up the middle and disrupting the passing lanes. Even when the Flyers turned the puck over, they were able to minimize the damage. • The Flyers' power play finally got on the board after they were buzzing all over the Stars' net. After Ben Bishop came up with a remarkable save on Simmonds at point-blank range, the Flyers threw everything at Bishop as a result of their quick puck movement, which kept the Stars' penalty killers out for an extended shift. The hard work paid off when Gostisbehere cut backdoor and cleaned up a backside rebound off the boards. One of the Flyers' best all-around power-play efforts of the season. "We were putting everything we had but the kitchen sink at the net," Gostisbehere said after the second period. "We missed a couple of shots, but they were banking off the boards pretty good and thankfully, I was there to clean it up." • Gostisbehere came right back and sprung Jakub Voracek on a breakaway with a heads-up two-line stretch pass. Voracek elected to go forehand, but his shot went a foot wide. • Konecny's scoring frustrations continued when he broke in all alone off a feed from Michael Raffl. Konecny chose to cut across the crease and 1088780 Philadelphia Flyers The skinny: Since being drafted last season Salinitri has developed a bit and has a big role on a good team that is ranked third in the entire CHL. How he factors into the Flyers’ future is still a bit unclear. If the team Flyers prospect WATCH: Morgan Frost tearing it up amid tournament doesn’t sign him to an entry-level contract he could go back to Sarnia for snub what’s called an “overage” season as a 20-year-old. Cohen’s take: “Anthony Salintiri is an excellent skater who moves the puck up the ice well. He is an offensive weapon on the penalty kill at Dave Isaac, @davegisaac times. He has a pro one-timer.” Published 5:07 p.m. ET Dec. 16, 2017 | Updated 6:53 p.m. ET Dec. 16, Pascal Laberge 2017 Pascal Laberge, center, Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL)
Age: 19 Morgan Frost has been the topic of conversation quite a bit these days and not just because of his stats. More so because of Brayden Schenn’s. Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 174 pounds Schenn was the NHL’s first star of the week for his six goals in four Acquired: 2017 first-round draft pick (27th overall) games, including a hat trick against the Montreal Canadiens. The Flyers This season: 30 games, 6 goals, 14 assists traded Schenn to St. Louis at the draft in June and got back two first- round picks for taking Jori Lehtera as well. The skinny: There is a trade freeze in the Quebec league and when the window opens again on Monday it is expected that Laberge will be traded To project that Schenn could put up the same statistics with the Flyers is to the Quebec Ramparts. It will be his third team in four seasons. He was nearly impossible. Who’s to say that he would be at center or even in a traded by the Gatineau Olympiques to Victoriaville in his first year. The first-line role? His 37 points have people buzzing about what the Flyers second-round pick signed an entry-level contract early, something the had better be getting in Frost, the first of those two No. 1 picks. Flyers may have wished they didn’t do in hindsight. Laberge has Frost, 18, had a four-point day on Saturday and is tied for second in struggled mightily since suffering a concussion in a vicious hit last scoring in the Ontario Hockey League. He was not invited to Team season. Canada’s summer camp for prospects of the World Junior Championship Cohen’s take: “He's so much stronger on his skates than he was a year later this month. The only players to make the team despite not being at ago. He has exceptional eye-hand coordination. He's got playmaker that camp were 2016 draft picks. written all over him.” A dynamic center, Frost has been a playmaking machine. His omission Matthew Strome from the Canadian roster is a mild surprise considering the points he’s put up. He is now riding an 11-game point streak in which he's racked up Matthew Strome, left wing, Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL) eight goals and 19 assists. Age: 18 He also had a little gut check earlier in the month when he was one of three Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds suspended one game for breaking a Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 210 pounds “team rule.” Coach Drew Bannister told the Sault Star that it was “not a Acquired: 2017 fourth-round draft pick (106th overall) big deal,” like underage drinking (in Ontario the legal drinking age is 19) and that the players voted at the beginning of the season to suspend any This season: 31 games, 17 goals, 17 assists player who broke a team rule. The skinny: One of the first things you ever hear about Strome is his That probably didn’t help his cause to be a late addition to the footwork needing improvement, but there’s a lot to the player even if that tournament roster, but being left off of it might be a chip on his shoulder weakness dropped him a couple rounds in the draft. He may take a while for the rest of the season. longer, but should be part of an impressive group of power forwards for the Flyers some day. With so much interest in the prospect group, the Courier-Post will check in on the promising young players each week. Here’s the latest progress Cohen’s take: “His skating is what needs the most work. I like his hockey report with insights from SiriusXM radio host Russ Cohen whose show IQ. I like his tight circles in the offensive zone looking to make a play. His about prospects airs on the weekends. work ethic is excellent and his defensive awareness is very good.” *all statistics through Friday, December 15 Carsen Twarynski Morgan Frost Carsen Twarynski, center, Kelowna Rockets (WHL) Morgan Frost, center, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) Age: 20 Age: 18 Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 198 pounds Height/weight: 6 feet, 180 pounds Acquired: 2016 third-round draft pick (82nd overall) Acquired: 2017 first-round draft pick (27th overall) This season: 30 games, 23 goals, 15 assists This season: 33 games, 19 goals, 36 assists The skinny: As is typical of an overage player in junior hockey, Twarynski is putting up big numbers. He could have signed a contract and joined The skinny: Realistically, Frost needs at least one more season in junior the Lehigh Valley Phantoms — he was assigned to the AHL team’s hockey. Because of the Canadian Hockey League’s agreement with the training camp — but instead went back to Kelowna for one more year. He NHL, he can’t play with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms until he’s 20. His might be able to help the Phantoms now, as injuries to Colin McDonald, numbers have been superb this season. Next year should be complete Mikhail Vorobyev and Mike Vecchione have sapped the forward group, domination. but he projects to be there next season. Cohen’s take: “Morgan Frost should be playing for Team Canada in the Cohen’s take: “I love his long skating stride. He has a quick wrist shot. U20 World Junior Championship. He has elite vision and that makes him He has good feet on defense. Solid two-way players with good offensive a dangerous passer. He can score goals by going around defenders or upside.” using his wrist shot, his fast release is the key. He gets to loose pucks first. Could lead the OHL in scoring someday.” Courier-Post LOADED: 12.17.2017 Anthony Salinitri Anthony Salinitri, left wing, Sarnia Sting (OHL) Age: 19 Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 182 pounds Acquired: 2016 sixth-round draft pick (172nd overall) This season: 34 games, 14 goals, 18 assists 1088781 Philadelphia Flyers zone and don’t make any dumb decisions. That’s what we’ve been doing.”
2. Weal getting closer Flyers vs. Stars: 3 things to watch in Game 32 Last season Jordan Weal had a finishing touch, especially late in the season. His shooting percentage was more than 16 percent and this Dave Isaac, @davegisaac season it's less than half that. He has only three goals on the season, but the offense might be getting close. He has three points in his last five Published 8:55 a.m. ET Dec. 16, 2017 games and his line with Nolan Patrick and Dale Weise has gotten more ice time and better chances.
“I think for him it’s the same thing as everyone else: consistency,” said Tonight: Flyers vs. Dallas Stars Wayne Simmonds, who has been on a line with Weal before. “He’s a heck of a player. He’s got great skill. You’ve just got to keep going and Site: Wells Fargo Center/Philadelphia, Pa. going and just keep pushing the limits. I know, as an older guy in this Time: 7 p.m. league, sometimes people scout you. There’s pre-scouts and everything and they figure out your tendencies and stuff. You’ve got to find a way to TV/Radio: NBCSP/97.5 FM beat the system.” Records: Stars 18-14-1; Flyers 13-11-7 3. Goalie matchup #FlyersMailbag: Concern for the youth movement Brian Elliott will likely be between the pipes once again for the Flyers. He has a career record against Dallas of 7-5-0 in 13 games with a 2.62 FLYERS PROJECTED LINEUP goals-against average and .907 save percentage. Forwards Ben Bishop will be in goal for Dallas. His numbers against the Flyers 28-Claude Giroux, 14-Sean Couturier, 17-Wayne Simmonds include a 2-2-0 record in five games with a 2.85 goals-against average and .898 save percentage. 12-Michael Raffl, 51-Valtteri Filppula, 93-Jake Voracek Courier-Post LOADED: 12.17.2017 40-Jordan Weal, 19-Nolan Patrick, 22-Dale Weise 20-Taylor Leier, 21-Scott Laughton, 11-Travis Konecny Defensemen 9-Ivan Provorov & 47-Andrew MacDonald 53-Shayne Gostisbehere & 8-Robert Hagg 6-Travis Sanheim & 3-Radko Gudas Goalie 37-Brian Elliott Injuries/Suspensions D Brandon Manning — injured reserve, hand injury G Michal Neuvirth — injured reserve, "lower-body injury" STARS PROJECTED LINEUP Forwards 40-Remi Elie, 91-Tyler Seguin, 17-Devin Shore 13-Mattias Janmark, 90-Jason Spezza, 47-Alexander Radulov 14-Jamie Benn, 12-Radek Faksa, 18-Tyler Pitlick 21-Antoine Roussel, 10-Martin Hanzal, 25-Brett Ritchie Defensemen 23-Esa Lindell & 3-John Klingberg 2-Dan Hamhuis & 29-Greg Pateryn 28-Stephen Johns & 6-Julius Honka Goalie 30-Ben Bishop Injuries/Suspensions D Marc Methot — injured reserve, arthroscopic knee surgery THREE THINGS TO WATCH 1. Strong mental game It's one thing to claim that things weren't bad during a 10-game win streak but the Flyers are showing why it might not be as ridiculous as it sounds. They've won five straight games and the mental game is much stronger than it was two weeks ago when they were coughing up late leads and losing in overtime or a shootout. “If we played like that in the third period (two weeks ago) we would lose that game,” Jake Voracek said after the Flyers held on to beat Buffalo 2-1 Thursday. “It’s about confidence, making sure the pucks get out of the 1088782 Philadelphia Flyers When: 7 p.m., Saturday TV/Radio: NBCSP/97.5 FM Why holding a lead is now a strength for Flyers Courier-Post LOADED: 12.17.2017
Dave Isaac, @davegisaac Published 3:26 p.m. ET Dec. 15, 2017
PHILADELPHIA — The feeling on the bench Thursday night was indicative of how the game looked on TV or from the press box. Even though the Buffalo Sabres were making a push to tie the game late in the third period, the Flyers weren’t in havoc. Unlike two weeks ago, the Flyers were calm. “We lost 10 in a row there and you could see in the last couple minutes when we had a lead guys are panicking. We’re throwing the puck away,” Dale Weise said. “We had some good poise down the stretch tonight. It’s execution, but it’s a big mental game, too.” The Sabres may be the worst team in the Eastern Conference, but they still mounted an attack. In the final two minutes of the game the Sabres had three shot attempts and cycled the puck in the Flyers’ end. With a high level of composure, the Flyers turned them away. Two attempts were blocked and goalie Brian Elliott had to make one save, off a Ryan O’Reilly deflection just outside the crease. “I think it looks calmer because we’re not making those turnovers,” Elliott said. “We’re getting pucks out of our end and into theirs. I think we’re just working a little smarter. That probably comes across as calm out there.” Those turnovers were a big factor, to be sure. The bigger factor was ending the 10-game losing streak the Flyers were mired in. Three times during that streak the Flyers had a lead after the second intermission and went on to lose in either overtime or a shootout. Being able to get back in the win column kick started the confidence the Flyers have used to close the door in their last five wins. “If we played like that in the third period (two weeks ago) we would lose that game,” Jake Voracek said. “It’s about confidence, making sure the pucks get out of the zone and don’t make any dumb decisions. That’s what we’ve been doing.” The change isn’t tactical and it does help that the Flyers now have veteran defensemen Radko Gudas and Andrew MacDonald both back in the lineup. Place Thursday’s effort up against those three losses after regulation and it’s clear that execution is the biggest change. In the final two minutes against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Nov. 27, the Flyers allowed eight shot attempts and one goal, the tying tally from Jake Guentzel with 64 seconds left. One game prior, against the New York Islanders, the Flyers allowed two shot attempts and had two of their own with a pair of minutes left on the clock. The Flyers had surrendered their lead with 7:49 left on the clock and went on to lose in overtime. In the third defeat, at the Winnipeg Jets, the Flyers lost the shot-attempt battle 2-1 in the final two minutes. Only seconds after Brandon Manning blocked Patrik Laine’s shot, Mark Scheifele tied the game with 49 seconds left. The Flyers lost that one in a shootout. “Just mentally, when you’re not doing so well, when you’re not winning and you go into the third and you’re down a goal or up a goal you have some doubts in your head,” Claude Giroux added. “I think in the last few games just that confidence of knowing we can close out a game or get that one goal back, it’s huge.” Loose Pucks The Flyers took the day off from practice Friday. With an every-other-day game schedule this week they needed to find time for rest at some point. … According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Flyers are the fifth team in NHL history to have a win streak of five or more immediately follow a drought of 10 or more losses. The last time it happened was the 2005-06 San Jose Sharks. … Long-time public-address announcer Lou Nolan, who recently worked his 2,000th career game, will sign his book “If These Walls Could Talk: Philadelphia Flyers” from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center team store.
Up next: vs. Dallas Stars 1088783 Philadelphia Flyers For the last several years the Flyers didn’t have many concerns when the puck went behind the net. Steve Mason was very good at handling it and Elliott is…not. Flyers 5 takeaways: Team has their ‘swagger back’ as win streak hits five Less than two minutes into the game he had a gaffe that put the Flyers behind when he went behind the net and tried to wrap the puck around the boards. Instead Zemgus Girgensons pinned himself along the wall Dave Isaac, @davegisaac and blocked it. He fed Ryan O’Reilly for an easy goal. Published 11:00 p.m. ET Dec. 14, 2017 ZEMGUS GIRGENSONS STEALS THE PUCK FROM BRIAN ELLIOTT AND RYAN O'REILLY SLAMS IT HOME! pic.twitter.com/jd1lxgEHf7
— NHL Daily 365 (@NHLDaily365) December 15, 2017 PHILADELPHIA — The number is so staggering that it sounds like the rehearsed line had to have been more cliché than truth. “They came hard and a little miscommunication. Bad play on my part,” said Elliott, who made 19 saves on the night. “We did a heck of a job How on Earth could the Flyers have still felt good during a 10-game coming back and tying that up. That could go sideways in a hurry, but we losing streak? sorted it out and in the second period we really came at it and the rest of the game was a positive.” “We knew we were playing good hockey and little plays were biting us,” goalie Brian Elliott said. “It wasn’t like we were so far out of games or It’s not the first time Elliott has coughed up the puck like that and it wasn’t were getting slaughtered. We had leads and we squandered them. We the last. A couple minutes later he turned the puck over again to Sam were positive.” Reinhart, nearly resulting in an early two-goal deficit. Whatever they did worked because after beating the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 Big save from Elliott to keep it locked at one! Thursday night the Flyers have won five straight. Two weeks ago, the pic.twitter.com/QwmYBr28tR playoffs seemed like a pipe dream and now they’re within striking distance with plenty of time left. — NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) December 15, 2017 And while they may have been positive the whole time, Thursday night On the other hand, he sure helped out later in the game. The Flyers were was an example of a team that had confidence and that surely wasn’t the on a power play and he had to be sharp to deny Evander Kane with a case during the whole losing streak. right-pad save. He got Kane again, with his glove, in the third period. “To be honest with you, I don’t think we played good today,” said Jake Close it out Voracek, who had his league-leading 31st assist on Valtteri Filppula’s game-winning goal. “To be honest, we found a way to win, which is really The Flyers are now 11-0-3 when leading after two periods and their important. You’re not going to play great every night, but I don’t think it ability to finish games has come back in a big way since the 10-game was a good game by us.” losing streak. It was then that those three overtime losses came when they choked on leads against the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Less than 90 seconds into the game the Flyers were down a goal and a Islanders and Winnipeg Jets. couple weeks ago that might have doomed them. Hell, even a late lead might have doomed them with their mental state at that point. “Just mentally, when you’re not doing so well, when you’re not winning and you go into the third and you’re down a goal or up a goal you have They did the job Thursday and won a game ugly instead of filling the net some doubts in your head,” Claude Giroux said. “I think in the last few with goals. games just that confidence of knowing we can close out a game or get that one goal back, it’s huge.” “Those are the best wins, I think,” Michael Raffl said. Six of the Sabres’ 20 shots game in the third period, but the Flyers “I think we still kept our belief,” Dale Weise said. “We weren’t getting weren’t playing hold-your-breath hockey like they were a couple weeks blown out in games. Minus a couple where we didn’t have very good ago. efforts we were right in games and blew a couple late leads and lose in overtime a couple games. “We lost 10 in a row there and you could see in the last couple minutes when we had a lead guys are panicking. We’re throwing the puck away,” “I think we got our swagger back a little bit in the last 10 minutes. We’re Weise said. “We had some good poise down the stretch tonight. It’s just making good plays and being confident.” execution, but it’s a big mental game, too.” Here are four more takeaways from Thursday’s win… Fun with numbers First goal for Sanheim Much like Tuesday’s game, there were some obscure stats to come out of the result. There have been so many “almosts” for Travis Sanheim and finally the payoff came Thursday night. • Despite the 10 straight games without a win, the Flyers have gone 5-5-5 in the last 15 He was high in the slot when Dale Weise found him with a pass from the goal line and he beat goalie Robin Lehner. • Thursday marked the sixth straight game where they took fewer than three penalties. Discipline has helped with the turnaround recently. “It feels great,” Sanheim said. “Obviously, it was a big goal in the game and I’m just excited to finally get the first one. Weiser was coming behind • Twenty shots against tied a season low for the Flyers. They previously the net and I saw my winger kind of cheat to the wall and I had a seam had that mark in a 3-0 loss at the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 14, but two of down the middle. He made a great pass and I was pretty excited that it those goals were empty-netters. went into the back of the net.” • According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Flyers are the fifth team in Weise fished it out of the net for the rookie as a keepsake. He said he NHL history to have a win streak of five or more immediately follow a thought he felt even better about the goal than Sanheim did. drought of 10 or more losses. The last time it happened was the 2005-06 San Jose Sharks. “He’s been pressing for a little while,” Weise said. “I was so happy to see him get it, see the smile on his face. That’s gonna do wonders for his game. You could see the shift after he got another chance there. I’m so happy for him.” FLYERS 2, SABRES 1 It certainly highlighted what is normally a mixed bag for Sanheim. He has Up next: vs. Dallas Stars made some of the mistakes that a young defenseman might and has done well to play through them and bounce back well. On Thursday night When: 7 p.m., Saturday Sanheim wasn’t his best defensively. He had a giveaway and was out of TV/Radio: NBCSP/97.5 FM position a couple times. Courier-Post LOADED: 12.17.2017 “I thought minus the goal, that might have been my worst period of the season,” Sanheim said. “But I thought we bounced back, battled hard in the final 40 and came through with the win. Elliott’s puckhandling 1088784 Philadelphia Flyers “His numbers are ridiculous,” Regina Pats player Sam Steel told the Toronto Sun’s Terry Koshan. “It’s crazy. I feel bad for the guys on the west coast who have to face him every night. What Jordan Weal is doing to find last season’s scoring touch “Technically, he is almost flawless.” Hart, 19, will turn pro next season with either the Flyers or Phantoms. Dave Isaac, @davegisaac Loose Pucks Published 5:01 p.m. ET Dec. 14, 2017 | Updated 5:02 p.m. ET Dec. 14, Before the Flyers took the ice for morning skate Thursday, Michal 2017 Neuvirth skated on his own. The goalie, on injured reserve with a lower- body injury, hasn’t played since Nov. 28. … Raffl played in his 300th NHL game Thursday, drawing foreign reporters to speak with the Austrian PHILADELPHIA — For all the talk about the Flyers’ rookies, there’s about his milestone. He is only the third from his country to reach 300, another player who is going through an NHL season from start to finish joining Thomas Vanek and Michael Grabner. … The Flyers have played for the first time. against their division only four times, the least among the eight teams in the Metropolitan Division. They’ve played against the Western In 2015 Jordan Weal made the Los Angeles Kings’ opening night roster Conference’s Central Division nine times and the Pacific Division 12 but played in only 10 games before he came to Philadelphia via trade in times. December. He played only four for the Flyers down the stretch as they made a playoff push and last year he was mostly with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Up next: vs. Dallas Stars Weal, 25, isn’t a rookie by the definition of the league because of his games played the last two seasons. He’s still a first-time regular in the When: 7 p.m., Saturday NHL. TV/Radio: NBCSP/97.5 FM “It’s definitely different,” he said. Courier-Post LOADED: 12.17.2017 “The American League you play on the weekend and then you’ve got the whole week off. You can kind of take the week to get away from it and not really think about hockey. I mean, you’ve got practices, but not worry about the games.” And Weal isn’t worrying per se. Not yet. He isn’t scoring as often as he did at the tail end of last season. He had seven points in his last seven games, including a four-game goal streak. It helped net him a two-year, $3.5 million contract in the offseason. Entering Thursday’s game he had three goals in 25 games. He was counted on to be part of the secondary scoring, which had been a problem at times when the Flyers’ top line was the only one carrying the mail. These days Michael Raffl has pinched in and same for Scott Laughton. Weal, on a line with Nolan Patrick and Dale Weise, hasn’t. “I think for him it’s the same thing as everyone else: consistency,” said Wayne Simmonds, who has been on a line with Weal before. “He’s a heck of a player. He’s got great skill. You’ve just got to keep going and going and just keep pushing the limits. I know, as an older guy in this league, sometimes people scout you. There’s pre-scouts and everything and they figure out your tendencies and stuff. You’ve got to find a way to beat the system.” It’s a little tougher in the second go-around in the league and perhaps that’s part of what Weal is finding. Last year he was scoring on 16.3 percent of his shots. This year it’s roughly half, at 7.9 percent entering Thursday’s game. His success last year from a shot percentage standpoint isn’t unsustainable. Seven of the eight players in the NHL that have more than 15 goals own shooting percentages higher than 18 percent. The only exception is Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, who shoots more than anyone in the league. Last season Weal had the finishing touch. This year he’s still working to find it and it won’t come just by a high volume of shots in practice. “Work on getting it off quicker and quicker and quicker is definitely gonna help because you won’t need as much time to get it off,” Weal said. “That’s one of the things you’ve got to stress here is not only the accuracy and where to put it, but if you can get it off as quick as you can, it’s going to give the goalie less time to get set and get ready for your shot because they’re really good in this league.” Is Hart Canada’s No. 1? Camp is underway for both the U.S. and Canada ahead of the World Junior Championship later this month. The prospect that many believe is the future of the Flyers between the pipes, Carter Hart, is looking like a star for the Canadians. In an exhibition on Wednesday he had 18 saves for a shared shutout. Sound familiar? The 2016 second-round pick has five shutouts for the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League to go with a 1.32 goals- against average and .961 save percentage. He has been named the WHL’s goalie of the week for the last four weeks and goalie of the week for all of Canadian junior hockey each of the last three. 1088785 Philadelphia Flyers “For sure it’s frustrating, especially after I put the hard work in off the ice,” he said. “It was frustrating, definitely. It was a hard couple days. It was depressing, but I’ve got good people around me helping me through. I’ve Whatever his line, Jake Voracek has made Flyers tick worked hard the last week. I’m feeling good on the ice right now.” Loose Pucks Dave Isaac, @davegisaac Marlton teen Maison Houser will be a guest of the Flyers at Sunday’s practice. He lost his right eye in a hunting accident recently and has Published 5:53 p.m. ET Dec. 16, 2017 already begun playing right wing as a freshman for Bishop Eustace. … Saturday’s game against Dallas was the Flyers’ 22nd against a Western Conference opponent, most of any team in the East by six. … Brian Elliott made his seventh straight start. PHILADELPHIA — His new line was built mostly out of desperation and so far it’s working like a well-oiled machine. The Flyers had lost 10 in a row and Jake Voracek’s unit with Claude Up next: vs. Los Angeles Kings Giroux and Sean Couturier was the only one consistently scoring. When: 7 p.m., Monday Coach Dave Hakstol moved Wayne Simmonds up with Couturier and Giroux and put Voracek with Michael Raffl and Valtteri Filppula. Voracek TV/Radio: NBCSP/93.3 FM keeps racking up points. He co-led the NHL in assists entering Saturday’s action. He’s stayed on top of his game. Courier-Post LOADED: 12.17.2017 “He’s been there most of the year,” Hakstol said. “Every player is gonna have a night where he’s not quite at his best, but Jake’s done a very good job in terms of his consistency. That combination (with Filppula and Raffl) there was a little spark right away when they went together in Calgary and that chemistry has remained. Those guys have been critical for us and we need them to keep doing the things that they’re doing.” Players have different attributes that tell them they’re doing well outside of goals and assists. For Voracek it’s how well he moves his feet. Ever since he was traded to the Flyers in the summer of 2011 he’s spent his summers in Montreal working on his skating. If he’s skating well, he’s usually controlling the puck well. “Sometimes you just don’t have that step, but you have to adjust,” Voracek said. “Usually I’m moving well which is good. There’s another part, which is how quick your brain works. Sometimes you’re slower. Like the first period (Thursday) was horrendous against Buffalo. I was missing passes that I never miss, but it happens sometimes. You just have to stick with it. You cannot play 82 games at the top of your level. It’s impossible. But hands, brain, legs, when it’s on, you feel it.” Not only is Voracek feeling it, so are his linemates. He’s assisted on 10 goals for Couturier (two of them on the power play) and seven for Giroux (also two on the man advantage) before Saturday’s game against Dallas. His new linemates were quickly finding him to be generous, too. Half of Filppula’s eight goals entering Saturday came come courtesy of a Voracek assist and three of Raffl’s five. “You see he has the puck and you know it’s not going to go anywhere because he’s so strong to protect it,” Raffl said. “The only thing you have in mind is to get open somewhere so you can finish your route. You might be able to get to the open spots a little quicker than usual when you wait and try to help someone out. I think he’s one of the best in the league. He has to be. He’s very easy to play with.” Two of those Filppula goals and all three of Raffl’s came since the new line was formed. All of those games they played together were wins. Confidence helps just as much as a slick pass. “I’m really comfortable when I have the puck in the neutral zone that I can gain the blue line. It’s one of those things,” Voracek said. “It’s not a question for me. It’s a question for Fil or Raf. I can’t really talk about myself that much.” Even off the ice he’s setting up his linemates. Neuvirth nears a return There were three goalies on the ice for Saturday’s morning skate. Alex Lyon split time in one goal with Michal Neuvirth, who has been on injured reserve since last Tuesday. He could be activated as soon as Monday because his stint is retroactive to his last game, on Nov. 28. “It feels really good. It was something I had to get fixed,” Neuvirth said. “Doctors told me it’s going to take seven to 10 days. I went to see the doctor on Wednesday after eight days and I skated Thursday.” Neuvirth is likely to practice with the Flyers again Sunday, which would be his fourth straight day on the ice. The oft-injured goalie is eager to return to the active roster, perhaps a bit embarrassed that his latest ailment didn’t even come in a game. 1088786 Pittsburgh Penguins
Penguins allow comeback, pull out victory at Coyotes
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Saturday, Dec. 16, 2017, 11:02 p.m.
GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Penguins have struggled in close games recently, and giving up a two-goal lead to the team with the league's worst record was not a good sign. One shot from Olli Maatta changed their fortunes. Maatta scored from just inside the blue line with 14 seconds left, and the Penguins ended a three-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday night. “We just stayed with it,” said Penguins coach Mike Sullivan, who became the fourth Penguins coach to win 100 games with the franchise. “It was a little discouraging when they tied it up, but I thought we controlled the play most of the night.” The Penguins pressured Arizona early and took a 2-0 lead on second- period goals by Carter Rowney and Evgeni Malkin. Arizona got a spark when Nick Cousins scored in the closing seconds of the second period, and Max Domi scored early in the third to tie it against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions. The teams traded good chances and appeared to be headed to overtime until Maatta beat Antti Raanta to the stick side on a shot from the left point. Raanta smacked his stick on the goal after missing the puck, and Sidney Crosby sealed the outcome with an empty-net goal. “That's tough. I mean, it was 14 seconds,” said Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet, a former Penguins assistant whose team has lost six in a row and nine of 10. “It's been a season like that and it's going to build character. We'll weed this out and these losses are going to build character.” The Penguins were sharp early — reversing a trend of recent slow starts — putting constant pressure on the Coyotes and outshooting them 26-11 through the first two periods. Rowney scored in the second period on a nice feed from Bryan Rust after Domi was bumped off the puck in his own zone, creating a 2-on-1. Malkin scored on a rebound with just over minute left in the second, getting the tip of his stick on the puck to trickle it past Raanta. “All the way through the game I thought we generated some good chances,” Crosby said. Tribune Review LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088787 Pittsburgh Penguins
Mario Lemieux's five goals five ways crowned NHL's greatest moment
Jonathan Bombulie Saturday, Dec. 16, 2017, 8:57 p.m.
It never happened before and probably never will happen again. According to fan voting, it's the best there's ever been. The game where Mario Lemieux scored five goals five ways was named the greatest moment in the 100-year history of the NHL Saturday night. Results of the voting were announced during an outdoor game in Ottawa. Canadiens legend Guy Lafleur presented Lemieux with a framed picture in recognition of the accomplishment. “It was certainly a special night,” Lemieux said. “You think of all the great moments in NHL history over the last 100 years, for the fans to pick my five goals is something special. So thank you to all the fans. Appreciate it.” Lemieux scored even strength, on the power play, short-handed, on a penalty shot and into an empty net in an 8-6 victory over New Jersey on Dec. 31, 1988. The accomplishment beat Bobby Orr's Stanley Cup-clinching overtime goal from 1970 in the final round of voting. Tribune Review LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088788 Pittsburgh Penguins than what they showed, the same as all punch-a-clock workers who show up and don’t feel like they gave their best.
“When it’s tough like this, you have to find a way to get through it,” It's not the first time Mike Sullivan’s Penguins have struggled like this Crosby said. “You can’t let it build. You have to find a way to get momentum back. I think you just have to recognize those situations. I think we’re in one of those right now. We need some big plays. We’ve got JASON MACKEY the guys in here who can do it.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Snapping out of the funk also has some interesting parallels. [email protected] That four-game stretch back in 2015 was snapped when the Penguins erupted for four second-period goals in a 5-2 win over Columbus on Dec. 6:49 PM DEC 15, 2017 21. (This group has the Blue Jackets on the same date.) In net that night for the Blue Jackets was Joonas Korpisalo, third on the depth chart at the time. On Saturday, the Penguins could see Scott GLENDALE, Ariz. — Phil Kessel grew so angry during a power-play drill Wedgewood, who’s below Antti Raanta and Louis Dominque on the at Friday’s practice that he snapped his stick off the Gila River Arena Coyotes’ depth chart. boards, later chucking it behind one of the benches. Could it be time for the Penguins to snap out of this thing and look like a There’s certainly some tangible frustration around the Penguins these real, live Stanley Cup-winning hockey team? days, but it’s not without recent precedent. In fact, it feels eerily familiar to the first four games of coach Mike Sullivan’s tenure here — all losses. Matt Murray seems to think so. Consider: “A lot of times when teams are doing really well, it’s because different guys are stepping up on different nights,” Murray said. “Right now, we’re • These Penguins have lost four of five, including three in a row, all by having guys have off-nights all on the same night. That’s sports, I think. one goal. Furthermore, they’ve scored a total of five goals in their past That’s professional hockey. That’s the grind of it. You don’t worry about three games. In 2015-16, the Penguins totaled four goals in Sullivan’s that. You focus on your game, the things that you need to do. first four games. “It’s clear what we’re capable of. We know that. It only takes one to open • Their record now is 16-14-3, the same as their record after Sullivan’s the floodgates.” first four games. Post Gazette LOADED: 12.17.2017 • It’s somewhat minor, but the Penguins’ power play — a weapon for much of this season — hasn’t scored in two games. That 2015-16 team had a 15-game stretch where it converted at 23.2 percent before failing to score a power-play goal in seven straight. • Those Penguins had clearly grown tired of former coach Mike Johnston and had lost their way. This group has simply played a ton of hockey in the past two seasons. Comparing one to the other isn’t totally fair, however. Different teams, different context. That group was trying to find an identity. This one must get back to one. “Two years ago, we were definitely searching for confidence,” Ian Cole said. “This year, we’re certainly searching, but I don’t think we lack confidence. We know we can do it. It’s just a matter of figuring out how to do it and how to do it consistently, because we’ve done it. We just haven’t done it for long enough stretches.” What the Penguins need to do is fairly simple. Starts have to be better. As Cole alluded to, there needs to be a consistent effort for 60 minutes. Defending harder was something Sullivan brought up after a 2-1 loss to Vegas on Thursday. A day later, that was still one of the primary talking points to come out of the dressing room. Captain Sidney Crosby took that to mean stopping on pucks and finishing hits when they’re there, something the Penguins could and should do to slow down the other team. Patric Hornqvist stressed a back-to-basics approach, one heavy on work ethic. The Penguins are adamant they’ve seen signs that this is about to turn in the right direction. “There are some encouraging aspects of our game that we know if we stay with it in certain areas that we think we’ll get some results here,” Sullivan said. “We believe in this group of players. We know we have to get better in some areas, as well. We’ve tried to identify those. “We had a film session [Friday] morning, trying to identify a couple of those areas and give them some clear evidence in why we think the way we think. I do think the areas that we have to continue to improve at, we can. We’re capable. “I think it’s important us right now to stay resilient from an attitude standpoint and make sure that we keep some confidence and some swagger about us that allows us to have success.” That swagger is important. Nobody should walk around thinking they’re God’s gift to the NHL, but if you’re a good team, there’s no sense walking around acting like a bad one. The vibe around the Penguins lately has been a little bit different. Frustration is there. Not in the sense that anybody’s mad at another or that they’re huge problems. More that these guys know they’re better 1088789 Pittsburgh Penguins “He’s a versatile guy, for sure,” Sullivan said of Rust. “We’re trying to find some combinations that can have some success out there. I’ve had Rusty up and down this lineup in the first part of the season. I usually Tough, tight Metropolitan Division cutting Penguins no slack always do. “Listen, I love ‘Rusty’s’ game. He can skate. He’s an energy guy. He brings our team speed to another level when he’s at his best. We’re JASON MACKEY trying to help him get there. Whatever line he’s on, he’s going to bring those dimensions to that line.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Post Gazette LOADED: 12.17.2017 [email protected] 6:21 PM DEC 15, 2017
GLENDALE, Ariz. — It may sound like a cliché. It most certainly is not. As the Penguins continue to try and find their footing, they won’t get help from a weak division. Coaches and players in any sport, at any level, love to tell you about the difficulty of their division, conference or league. In this case, the Penguins have a legitimate beef. Widely recognized last season as the NHL’s toughest place to play, the Metropolitan Division hasn’t budged from its perch, meaning for the Penguins to get where they want to go, they can’t afford to fritter away points to division foes. “This is a good division,” Bryan Rust said. “There’s a lot of good teams. Any time you can get points, you have to make the most of that. “For us, we’re in a position where we need to start getting a many points as possible if we want to try and get to the top of our division and stay there.” How good has the Metropolitan Division been? Just 10 teams separated first and last place entering Friday’s games. The Central Division was second-best at 12 points followed by the Pacific (24) and Atlantic (26). None of the Metro’s eight teams is below .500. Furthermore, if the playoffs ended Friday, it would occupy five of eight spots, with the first two missing out — Pittsburgh and Philadelphia — also being Metro teams. “It’s pretty crazy,” Riley Sheahan said. “I think every team now in the NHL, it’s getting closer and closer. Every team is so good. Especially in our division, if we could go on a little streak and put some games together, we could put ourselves in a good position. “I guess it’s a good thing and a bad thing. You have to stay consistent. You definitely have to be ready every game.” The Penguins did fine in their division a season ago, compiling a 20-8-2 record. They’re 4-2-0 so far in 2017-18. It’s a similar pace, but that will have to keep up as they enter a portion of their schedule where, after they return home from this three-city trip, seven of the following 11 games are against division teams. The good news is the Penguins are six points out of first place. The bad news is that they’re four points out of last. It literally could go either way. “Definitely, you look at where you are in the standings,” Olli Maatta said. “We’re not where we want to be right now, but the encouraging thing here is that if we can bunch a couple of wins together, we can really climb up in the standings. These games are as important as the games in April.” Game lines hold The Penguins practiced at Gila River Arena on Friday and made no changes to their lineup. Of course, it could still happen before Saturday’s game against the Arizona Coyotes, but for now, Patric Hornqvist remained on the left side with Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel, while Rust skated on the fourth line. “We know what ‘Horny’ brings to whatever line he plays on,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “He has a simple, straight-ahead game. He competes so hard. He goes to the battle areas. Whether he plays the left side or the right side, he’s going to bring the same game. We’ve discussed different line combinations and possibilities for [Saturday] night’s game. We’ll see where it goes.” Rust has scored twice in 14 games, but Sullivan’s explanation for why he has Rust with Carter Rowney and Ryan Reaves didn’t sound like the coach is unhappy with anything Rust has been doing or not doing. 1088790 Pittsburgh Penguins
Mario Lemieux reacts to NHL’s ‘Greatest Moment’
JASON MACKEY Pittsburgh Post-Gazette [email protected] 1:12 AM DEC 17, 2017
GLENDALE, Ariz. — It ranks up there with the ridiculous, nobody-will- ever-match-this feats in all of professional sports. Now, Penguins co-owner Mario Lemieux scoring five goals five different ways — which he did on Dec. 31, 1988 — is officially the greatest moment in NHL history. It was announced Saturday night, as part of the 2017 NHL 100 Classic in Ottawa, that Lemieux’s big night edged out Bobby Orr’s goal that won the 1970 Stanley Cup for the Boston Bruins. “It wasn't something you thought about — five goals, five ways," Lemieux said, according to the team’s website. "I was very proud of the five-goal game, but we were just trying to win a hockey game and get ourselves into playoff position. I didn't realize what had happened until after the game." The Penguins won that game, 8-6, over the New Jersey Devils at Civic Arena. Lemieux scored an empty-netter, off a pass from Jay Caufield, late in the game to go with his even-strength, power play, shorthanded and penalty- shot goals. That season, Lemieux led the league with career-highs of 85 goals and 199 points, winning the Art Ross Trophy and lifting the Penguins to their first playoff berth since 1982. “There have been a lot of great plays in 100 years," Lemieux said. ”This is something very special from the fans. I feel very honored.” Voting began in mid-October, with 64 moments nominated by a group of national broadcasters. No surprise this one made its way through the tournament. "I want to thank the fans for this tremendous honor,” Lemieux said. “There have been so many great plays in 100 years of NHL hockey. So many great players. To be chosen as having the greatest moment is something I'll always remember." Post Gazette LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088791 Pittsburgh Penguins This one saw the Penguins hold a 31-17 edge in shots on goal and a 72- 37 advantage in attempts. It goes without saying that the Penguins controlled play for long stretches. Penguins show patience, resilience in 4-2 win over Coyotes A really important takeaway could be to remember where that mentality came from. JASON MACKEY Sullivan hit hard the idea that he wanted his entire group to simplify its approach, to get more pucks on Coyotes goalie Antti Raanta, to see what Pittsburgh Post-Gazette might happen. [email protected] The Penguins didn’t tune out their coach. They listened. And it worked. 11:15 PM DEC 16, 2017 “We wanted to put pucks on net and try to create some offense with those sprays, try and chase down those rebounds,” Rowney said. “We did a good job of getting some pucks to the net and having some traffic.” GLENDALE, Ariz. — Frustration would’ve been understandable, if not Murray stopped 15 of 17 shots. The degree of difficulty wasn’t terribly likely, for the Penguins during significant portions of a 4-2 win Saturday high. It might’ve been harder for Murray to keep from dozing off or his against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena. feet from falling asleep. Only it never materialized. Nevertheless, the Penguins No. 1 goaltender appears to be in perfectly fine form after a six-game absence. That also should be seen as Not when the Penguins consistently generated about three times as encouraging. much offense as lowly Arizona, only to wind up with two goals through 59 minutes. “I wouldn’t say tougher, just different,” Murray said of the lack of action. “You just have to keep yourself engaged and be ready for a Grade A Or when the Coyotes tied the score at 2-2 midway through the third chance.” period off an Olli Maatta turnover in front of his net. A final takeaway was Kris Letang. His first period was a bit of a struggle, But on the eve of Steelers-Patriots, the Penguins took a page out of Mike with three charged giveaways. Tomlin’s playbook. They didn’t blink. Patience, resilience, whatever you want to call it. The two-time defending champs flashed it. Big change after that. Letang wound up with 11 shot attempts in 27:12 and appeared back to his old self after the first 20 minutes. “We hung in there,” said Maatta, who wound up scoring the game-winner on a drive from the left point at 19:45 of the third period. “We kept going.” “I didn’t think he had the best start, but he settled into the game,” Sullivan said. “He simplified his game, and I think that’s when he’s at his best, “Resilient game,” Matt Murray added. “It could have gone either way. We when he takes what the game gives him and doesn’t force anything that didn’t get frustrated. We stuck with it.” isn’t there.” Certainly did. First Published December 16, 2017, 10:40PM Maatta specifically.
To atone for his mistake, Maatta pulled a puck off the goal line, a smart Post Gazette LOADED: 12.17.2017 play by a defenseman who might be having his best season as a pro, now with three goals and 14 points in 34 games. Evgeni Malkin, Carter Rowney and Sidney Crosby (empty-netter) scored the other goals for the Penguins, who improved to 17-14-3 overall and 7- 9-2 on the road. After an off day Sunday, the Penguins wrap up this three-game road trip Monday against the Avalanche in Denver. The win Saturday showed there’s plenty of fight left in these Penguins. They entered this one having lost four of five and three in a row. The qualifier there was that they were all by one goal. Saturday was tense at times, too, but coach Mike Sullivan was encouraged by the demeanor on the Penguins bench. “It was a different feel behind the bench,” Sullivan said. “It was a good feeling to sense the urgency that our guys had.” The penalty kill turned in another stellar effort. It killed off both Arizona power plays to improve to 33 for 35 in the past 10 games. That unit now has gone eight games without allowing a power-play goal. Rowney got things going with the first short-handed goal of his career at 14:38 of the first period. Bryan Rust started the sequence by stripping the puck from Max Domi and using his speed to transition the other way, sending a nifty feed Rowney’s way. “Rusty made a good play to break that up,” said Rowney, who didn’t have a shot on goal in his previous five games. “He got some good speed and made a nice play to me.” Malkin knocked in a rebound to make it 2-0 at 18:58 of the second before Nick Cousins beat Murray from the inner-edge of the left circle at 19:51 of the period. Domi’s goal came at 9:43 of the third. It could’ve invited a sense of here- we-go-again, but that’s not how the Penguins reacted at all. Instead, they fought harder. “I really liked our stick-to-it-ivness,” Sullivan said. “We just went back to work.” 1088792 Pittsburgh Penguins the best chance to win on any given night when Matt’s at his best. For all those reasons, it’s important that he’s in goal.”
Sullivan also tweaked his second and third lines. After one of his best Hunwick pleased with post-concussion performance for Penguins games all season in Vegas, Carl Hagelin jumped up to play with Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist — back on the right side. JASON MACKEY That created a third line of Conor Sheary, Riley Sheahan and Phil Kessel, one of the few times this season Sullivan has separated Malkin Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Kessel. [email protected] Cup hangover 7:51 PM DEC 16, 2017 In case you haven’t heard, Sullivan and Tocchet are close. According to Tocchet, Sullivan expected his team to have a bit of a hangover this season after winning back-to-back Stanley Cup titles. GLENDALE, Ariz. — Excuse Matt Hunwick if he’s not exactly in a mood Tocchet also doesn’t expect the Penguins’ recent struggles to last. to celebrate. “I know Sully talked in the summer, he expected a little bit of a hangover,” But with the Penguins struggles — they had lost four of five and three in Tocchet said. “They’ll get it together. I really believe that. I’m a big a row entering a game Saturday night at Arizona — has come a believer that you get your team ready a month before the playoffs. resurgence for Hunwick. Usually, those are the teams that do well in the playoffs.” Hunwick returned Nov. 18 from a 15-game absence because of a Post Gazette LOADED: 12.17.2017 concussion. In that time, he feels he’s playing his best hockey of the season, a statement he made after scoring the first overtime goal of his career in a 4-3 win Dec. 7 against the New York Islanders. “I’m happy with my skating and the way my legs are feeling,” Hunwick reiterated Wednesday in Las Vegas. There are numbers that bear that out. Hunwick scored in his first game back and has three goals on the season, most among Penguins defensemen. In the six games he played before the concussion, Hunwick was a 42.6- percent possession player. That number has shot up to 51.6 in the past 12, 58.6 in the past five. Hunwick’s five-on-five scoring chances also have decreased, from 9.8 before the concussion to 7.8 after. Whether he has played on the left or right side, with Olli Maatta or Ian Cole, things have seemed to stabilize a bit for Hunwick, whom the Penguins signed in offseason to a three-year contract worth a total of $6.75 million. “He’s a good skater, a really smart player,” Maatta said. “He’s playing really well right now. He makes things a lot easier for me, for sure, when he’s talking out there. He’s always in the right spot. It goes both ways. I have to make sure I’m doing the same thing — talk to him and support him all around.” When the Coyotes visited Pittsburgh Nov. 7, Arizona coach Rick Tocchet and Phil Kessel vented over two difficult early season schedules. While Saturday marked the Penguins’ 17th road game in a 73-day stretch, it’s nothing compared to Arizona, which has played an NHL- record 21 away games in 66 days. “I was talking to Phil last time, he was whining about it,” Tocchet said Saturday before the game. “I said, ‘Don’t even complain to me. I don’t want to hear it.’ I know they’ve had a tough schedule, but they don’t compare to our schedule.” Right guy, right spot Arizona began the game Saturday with an NHL-low seven wins. They had lost five in a row, scored the second-fewest number of goals (76), given up the most (118) and had the worst goal differential (minus-42). But Tocchet knew what was in store when he took the job, and it’s one of the reasons why the Coyotes hired Tocchet, believing he had the patience and drive to turn this thing around. “He’s a battle-tested guy,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “If anybody’s built for it, it’s him.” Line it up On a three-game road trip and with no back-to-backs for a month, it wouldn’t have been out of place for Sullivan to play backup goalie Tristan Jarry Saturday night. But Matt Murray only returned from a six-game absence Thursday, which prompted Sullivan to stick with his starter in goal. “Matt’s just come back, so I think it’s important that Matt get some games,” Sullivan said. “He’s our No. 1 goalie. We believe Matt gives us 1088793 San Jose Sharks In short, a Couture injury would give the Sharks a harsh reminder of just how much they miss Marleau’s versatility.
More important than wins and losses, though, is the threat that a If Couture is gone long, what becomes of Sharks playoff chances? concussion could pose to Couture’s long-term health. Couture suffered two concussions during his junior hockey career with the Ottawa 67’s roughly 10 years ago, which could impact the severity of his symptoms. By PAUL GACKLE | [email protected] Couture is also a hard player to keep off the ice. He became the poster Bay Area News Group child of hockey toughness last spring when he played six playoff games while his mouth was being held together by wiring and plastic. PUBLISHED: December 16, 2017 at 4:38 pm | UPDATED: December 17, 2017 at 2:57 am Fortunately, Couture knows the long-term health risks of playing with concussions. Over the summer, Couture hosted his first annual All-In For Brain Research charity event in his hometown of London, Ontario, and in training camp, he told the Mercury News that he’d never even consider EDMONTON, Alberta — The cliché machine will get cranked into high trying to play through a concussion. gear this week if the Sharks lose Logan Couture to a significant injury. “I know the consequences down the line,” Couture told the Mercury The Sharks will belt out the usual chorus lines like carolers singing on a News. “It’s up to the player, as well, to realize that you’ve only got one street corner: next man up, it’s an opportunity for someone else, brain and that injury is very, very serious.” everyone needs to give a little more. Suffice it to say, there isn’t a cliché that can capture just how serious a In reality, though, Couture is the one player on the Sharks roster who’s head injury could be for both Couture and the Sharks. irreplaceable. San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 12.17.2017 The optimism of the Sharks (17-10-4) performance over their first two months of the season turned sour after Couture left the ice at 5:12 of the third period in Vancouver on Friday. Couture went down after taking a shoulder to the jaw area from Vancouver Canucks forward Alexander Burmistrov. When he got back onto his feet, he looked woozy, skating lightly toward the Sharks bench. Although head coach Pete DeBoer declined to provide any information about the injury in his postgame media session, all of the above suggests that Couture suffered a concussion on the play. The Sharks had a day off Saturday and were unavailable to provide an update on Couture’s status. If this is true, it could put the Sharks season in peril as DeBoer acknowledged last month that head injuries are “you never know” situations. In other words, Couture could be skating at practice in Edmonton Sunday afternoon or he could be sidelined for months. Concussions are inherently unpredictable injuries. If the injury winds up being serious, and Couture misses a significant chunk of time, the Sharks playoff hopes will be on the ropes. The Sharks went 14-15-1 without Couture in 2015-16 after the alternate captain suffered a pair of serious leg injuries. After he returned to the lineup on Dec. 30, 2016, the Sharks launched their run to the Stanley Cup Final, and along the way, Couture became just the fourth player in 20 years to record 30 or more points in one playoff season. Last year, the Sharks got eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs as Couture struggled to play through a mouth injury that made it painful just to breathe, eat and talk. The 28-year-old center is even more vital to the Sharks success this season as the team is struggling to generate offense in the wake of Marleau’s departure to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Couture is putting together a career year, leading the Sharks in goals (15) and points (25) while taking on a defensive-minded role, matching up against the top scoring lines in the league on a nightly basis. When Couture suffered his leg injuries 2015-16, Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski were still leading the team’s offensive charge and DeBoer was able to plug the hole in the middle of the second line by sliding Marleau into the center position. Now, if Couture misses games, DeBoer will be forced to engage one of two unappetizing options: he can move Tomas Hertl back to center or play Chris Tierney out of position on one of the team’s top two lines. Both choices would produce ripple effects throughout the Sharks tenuous forward lineup. Sliding Hertl over to center would take even more sting out of his line as he would need to be replaced by an unproven left winger, such as Kevin Labanc, Timo Meier or Mikkel Boedker. Tierney, meanwhile, is just starting to come into his own as a third line center; it isn’t clear that he’s ready to handle the responsibility of nightly matchups against the likes of Connor McDavid, Anze Kopitar and Ryan Getzlaf in the Pacific Division. This option would also force DeBoer to skate another center, such as rookie Danny O’Regan or Barclay Goodrow, in a new role on the third line, which is less than ideal. 1088794 San Jose Sharks San Francisco Chronicle LOADED: 12.17.2017
Logan Couture’s status unclear after blow to jaw
Staff and news services Updated 11:02 pm, Saturday, December 16, 2017
The Sharks have to be holding their breath over the health of Logan Couture after the team’s leading scorer did not return to Friday’s overtime loss in Vancouver after taking a blow to the head. Couture was slow to get to his feet and make his way off the ice with assistance at 5:12 of the third period after Canucks forward Alexander Burmistrov caught the San Jose center with his shoulder to the jaw area with an unpenalized hit. The Sharks did not practice Saturday after traveling from Vancouver to Edmonton, and were not available to provide an update on Couture’s condition. Couture, 28, is off to a fast start with a team-high in goals (15) and points (26) after 31 games. The team is idle Sunday but is scheduled to practice with Monday’s final game of a three-game trip in Edmonton on the horizon. — Ross McKeon Saturday’s games Senators win outdoor game Craig Anderson stopped 28 shots for his 40th career shutout, leading the host Ottawa Senators past the Montreal Canadiens 3-0 in the NHL 100 Classic outdoor game. The temperature at puck drop was about 12 degrees at Lansdowne Park for the first outdoor game for the current Ottawa franchise. “I think that’s the coldest I’ve ever been,” the Senators’ Bobby Ryan said. “The fans came out and made it a heck of a night by being loud and being engaged and when the home team gets two points and the city can rally around it for a great event makes it all the better. “It was worth every second of it. We had a blast.” Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Ryan and Nate Thompson scored for the Senators, who have consecutive wins for the first time in more than a month. Carey Price was kept busy as he stopped 35 shots for the Canadiens. Flyers 2, Stars 1: Shayne Gostisbehere scored two goals, including the winner 3:50 into overtime, as host Philadelphia won its sixth in a row. Brian Elliott made 26 saves and Jakub Voracek had two assists for the Flyers, whose winning streak has followed a 10-game skid. Gemel Smith scored for Dallas Islanders 4, Kings 3: Jordan Eberle scored 1:54 into overtime to lift host New York, which overcame a two-goal deficit to hand Los Angeles a third straight loss after an eight-game winning streak. Predators 2, Flames, 0: Pekka Rinne stopped 32 shots for third shutout of the season, the 46th of his career, as Nashville beat host Calgary. Rangers 3, Bruins 2: Mats Zuccarello scored a power-play goal 1:56 into overtime for visiting New York, which beat Boston for the seventh straight time. Blues 2, Jets 0: Carter Hutton made a career-high 48 saves to earn his ninth career shutout as St. Louis beat visiting Winnipeg. Hurricanes 2, Blue Jackets 1: Noah Hanifin scored the tie-breaking goal in the second period, and host Carolina beat Columbus. Penguins 4, Coyotes 2: Olli Maatta scored with 14 seconds left and visiting Pittsburgh ended a three-game losing streak. Capitals 3, Ducks 2: Alex Ovechkin scored on a slap shot at 1:58 of overtime to complete host Washington’s rally from a two-goal deficit. Lightning 6, Avalanche 5: Anton Stralman scored twice to help visiting Tampa Bay overcome a hat trick by Gabriel Landeskog and beat Colorado for their seventh straight win. Oilers 3, Wild 2: Milan Lucic had a goal and assist as visiting Edmonton snapped Minnesota’s four-game winning streak. 1088795 St Louis Blues The Blues had 15 players participate in an optional skate Saturday, so they didn't form lines. Based on how they lined up Thursday against Anaheim, and adjusting for the absence of Brodziak, here's how things Yet another injury: Brodziak out Saturday vs. Jets might shake out Saturday: Forwards By Jim Thomas Sobotka-Stastny-Tarasenko St. Louis Post-Dispatch Steen-Schenn-Jaskin 5 hrs ago Upshall-Berglund-Barbashev Paajarvi-Sundqvist-Thorburn On Friday, the Blues had three banged-up players who didn't practice. A Defensemen fourth, defenseman Carl Gunnarssson, left practice early after taking a Edmundson-Parayko shot off his right leg.. Gunnarsson-Bortuzzo Three of those four are ready to go for Saturday night's game with Winnipeg. Robert Bortuzzo, Dmitrij Jaskin, and Gunnarsson returned to Dunn-Schmaltz practice during an optional morning skate. Gunnarsson left practice a little early Saturday as well, but proclaimed himself fit for the Jets. Goalie "I took a shot off the shin and just felt like I had to get off and check it Hutton out," Gunnarsson said of Friday's scare. "But it's good." That would leave Brodziak and Sammy Blais, who practiced Saturday The lone exception in that group is fourth-line center Kyle Brodziak, who morning following his latest recall from San Antonio, as the team's extras. will sit out Saturday's game with an unspecified injury. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 12.17.2017 "He's a little dinged up," coach Mike Yeo said. "We were hoping he'd come in and feel better today, but that wasn't the case. Hopefully, he feels better (Sunday) but not too optimistic." The Blues fly to Winnipeg following Saturday's game at Scottrade Center for a rematch Sunday with the Jets in Manitoba. Oskar Sundqvist will replace Brodziak in the lineup Saturday, and presumably Sunday as well if Brodziak misses both games. "Sunny's obviously done a good job for us, and should be able to come in and fill that spot," Yeo said. Sundqvist opened the season as the Blues' third-line center, appearing in 22 of the team's first 24 games. But his playing time has plummeted since the return of Patrik Berglund from shoulder surgery, with Sundqvist a healthy scratch in six of the last nine games. Sundqvist has no goals and three assists in 25 games this season, with a minus-2 rating. He has seen some action on both the power play and penalty kill this season. Until now, Brodiak has been only one of eight Blues to appear in all 33 games, with five goals, five assists, a plus-3 rating and regular duty on the penalty-kill unit. HUTTON STARTS After seven consecutive starts by Jake Allen, backup Carter Hutton gets the start in goal Saturday against Winnipeg. Hutton returned Friday from a weeklong stint on injured reserve _ the result of taking a puck off the top of his foot from teammate Scottie Upshall in a morning skate Dec. 7. This will mark only his second start since Nov. 24, the day after Thanksgiving. In his last start, Dec. 1 against the Los Angeles Kings, Hutton was pulled after allowing three goals in two periods of what ultimately became a 4-1 loss. He had a cameo appearance Dec. 5 in Montreal, appearing for 3 minutes 27 seconds of the second period _ without facing a shot on goal _ after Allen lost a skate blade. "I really didn't miss too much," Hutton said of his time on IR. "I think I only had a couple days off the ice. . . .Truthfully, I've gone longer stretches without playing. It's kind of been my role when I've been in this league." BRING ON THE JETS The Blues had a tough time against Winnipeg last season, to put it mildly, going 0-4-1. So without Jaden Schwartz, Alex Pietrangelo, Jay Bouwmeester and Brodziak for Saturday's game, they're bracing for a tough challenge. "There's just an awful lot of skill on their hockey team," Yeo said of the Jets. "They've had goaltending this year that has been maybe at a higher level than what they've had in the past. And that's translated to more wins. . . .They're big, they're heavy, and they're highly-skilled. "Obviously, these guys ate us up last year. Five games we played against them and they won all five. And they weren't by fluke." PROJECTED LINES 1088796 St Louis Blues Blues prospects Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas have made the final roster of the Canada squad that will participate in the World Junior Championship later this month in Buffalo. Kyrou plays for the Sarnia Brodziak is latest to join Blues' injury list Sting of the Ontario Hockey League and is the leading scorer in the league. Thomas plays for the London Knights of the OHL.
Another Blues prospect, Tanner Kaspick of the Western Hockey By JIM THOMAS League’s Brandon Wheat Kings, did not make the final cut. St. Louis Post-Dispatch Do you read BLUE? 5 hrs ago Get our FREE e-newsletter, with the latest news, talk and features about the St. Louis Blues.
Email Less than three weeks ago, on Nov. 29 to be exact, Patrik Berglund returned from shoulder surgery to make his season debut. Jay SIGN UP! Bouwmeester had returned three games earlier from a fractured ankle, and Alexander Steen had been back for quite some time from a broken Save thumb. MORE INFORMATION So as the Blues hit the meat of the their schedule, they were as healthy Hutton stars in goal as Blues win as they were going to be in 2017-18. Well, that didn’t even last four games. Hutton stars in goal as Blues win Goalie Carter Hutton went down in practice the day of the team’s game The Blues’ offense remains a work in process. After scoring just one goal with Dallas on Dec. 7. in their previous two games, the Blues doubled that with two goals S… A week ago in Detroit, Jaden Schwartz and Alex Pietrangelo were VIDEOS injured. Video: Jaden Schwartz’s ankle injury derails career-year pace Before Tuesday’s game with Tampa Bay, Jay Bouwmeester was lost. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 12.17.2017 And the roster hits keep coming. Center Kyle Brodziak, a valuable member of the team’s fourth line and penalty-killing unit, missed Saturday’s game with Winnipeg with an unspecified injury. Brodziak, who has five goals and five assist with a plus-3 rating, was one of several banged-up players who sat out Friday’s practice. Brodziak made a brief appearance at Saturday’s morning skate but left the ice before the formal practice started. “He’s a little dinged up,” coach Mike Yeo said. “We were hoping he’d come in and feel better today, but that wasn’t the case. Hopefully, he feels better (Sunday) but not too optimistic.” The Blues were flying to Winnipeg following Saturday’s game with the Jets for a Sunday rematch in Manitoba. Oskar Sundqvist replaced Brodziak in the lineup Saturday and presumably will do so Sunday as well if Brodziak misses that game. “Sunny’s obviously done a good job for us, and should be able to come in and fill that spot,” Yeo said. Hutton returned to action Saturday, making only his second start in goal since Thanksgiving weekend. But Pietrangelo, Bouwmeester, Brodziak, and of course, Schwartz — who will be sidelined at least five more weeks with a foot injury — were missing from Saturday’s lineup. Brodziak’s absence means that about 40 percent of the way through the season, only seven Blues have appeared in all 34 games. Saturday’s game was the fourth missed by team captain Pietrangelo. The expectation is that he will return in for Sunday’s rematch game in Winnipeg, but Yeo wasn’t tipping his hand Saturday. “He’s coming along,” Yeo said. “He feels good. It’s been a big improvement. Every day he’s gotten better.” BACK-TO-BACK It doesn’t happen very often these days, what with 31 teams in the modern NHL. But the Blues are playing Winnipeg on successive days this weekend. “It almost gives a little bit of a playoff feel here in December,” Yeo said. “I don’t know it you like it playing against Winnipeg but it makes for fun hockey, emotional hockey. I think the crowd gets into it. It’s always fun.” The closest the Blues get to repeating the Winnipeg-Winnipeg weekend comes during the final week of the regular season. They play Chicago at home on April 4, and after an off-day April 5, play at Chicago on April 6. “It’s a little bit different,” center Brayden Schenn said. “You don’t really get to see that kind of deal with the NHL schedule, but at the end of the day you gotta play them whether it’s two nights or throughout the course of the year.” TEAM CANADA PROSPECTS 1088797 St Louis Blues a practice for the game right before that. Yeo said after the game that Blais’ injury wasn’t thought to be serious. And in some good news, it looks as if Pietrangelo and Brodziak could play Sunday when the Blues Hutton stars in goal as Blues win and Jets meet again in Winnipeg. Bouwmeester, however, didn’t fly with the team to Winnipeg but could join the team in the middle of their four- game trek westward across Canada. By Tom Timmermann Yeo reunited Tarasenko with Schenn for the first time since Dec. 1 and it worked well, with Tarasenko having plenty of chances along with a goal St. Louis Post-Dispatch and an assist. 6 hrs ago “He seemed to be skating and finding ways to get behind their defense and being a threat off the rush and obviously we need him to do that,”
Yeo said. “Good to see him get one on the power play and obviously we The Blues’ offense remains a work in process. After scoring just one goal knew he would be a factor there too.” in their previous two games, the Blues doubled that with two goals The Blues worked on their power play Friday and it paid off as they Saturday night against the Winnipeg Jets, a team they failed to beat last snapped their run of unsuccessful efforts at 12. Midway through the season in five meetings. period, Colton Paryako fed Alexander Steen, a child of Winnipeg, for a Their goaltending, however, is an entirely different matter. one-timer that Steve Mason saved. The puck came off the other side and Tarasenko was there to put in the rebound for his 15th goal of the Backup goalie Carter Hutton, making his first start since Dec. 1, had season. about as good a game as a goalie can have. He made 48 saves and these were the acrobatic, stick-out-a-pad, flash-the-glove, hug-the-post Dunn got the other goal on a one-timer from the blue line with Steen kind of saves that on this night were the difference between a win and a setting a screen in front. In between, it was all Hutton, who faced 21 loss. The Blues got two power-play goals, from Vladimir Tarasenko and shots in the second period alone. Up until late in the second period, Vince Dunn, in what amounts to progress for their struggling offense, but Winnipeg was putting up a shot on goal per minute. The Blues made more significantly, got a dazzling game from Hutton in a 2-0 win at things a bit easier on Hutton in the third period, limiting the Jets to just 11 Scottrade Center, snapping a two-game losing streak. shots on goal. “If this is what we need to do, then that’s what we need to do,” Blues St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 12.17.2017 coach Mike Yeo said. “That was the message yesterday on the ice after practice. We spend a lot of time talking about not scoring goals and whatnot the past couple days. You can win games other ways. If we have to win 1-0, if we have to win 2-0, if we have to win 2-1, whatever you have to do, we have to find a way to do it and I thought our guys embraced that and we got a much needed win tonight.” Other than a 3 minute, 27 second appearance on Dec. 5 while Jake Allen was having an equipment repair, Hutton hadn’t played in two weeks. Part of that time he was on injured reserve after he extended his foot to make a save in practice and took a puck off the top of his foot. So a goalie who is used to sitting got an even longer rest than usual. Turns out that was a good thing. Hutton, who as a career backup goalie has turned the idle time between games into a science of staying ready despite prolonged hiatuses, said he was more refreshed than normal going into the game, feeling better than he usually does at this time of the season. “I find some times in the season you come into training camp and it’s such a peak early on, and then November can be a grind,” Hutton said. “I feel sometimes in my career I’ve had rough Novembers and lulls. It’s not that you’re trying to. It’s a grind. Then you’re into this part of December and you’re looking forward to Christmas and things are picking up. You kind of just re-energize a bit and I think that’s something that kind of always happens with me. You have to kind of restart again, change some of the things and get back to something fresh and stay sharp.” “It’s amazing what Hutty did tonight, coming in after not playing for a little bit,” said Dunn, whose power-play goal with 2:26 to play sealed the win. “I think it’s amazing that he can come in and control the game like that. All kudos to him.” “Hutts was rock solid for us,” said center Brayden Schenn. “Coming off a week away from the team and coming back and having a performance like that was awesome. That’s what we need from our goalies. We’re not scoring a ton of goals right now. Goalies have been good for us and that was obviously the story again for us.” Yeo said he wrestled with the decision of whether to use Hutton on Saturday at home or Sunday at Winnipeg. “We thought maybe we’d play him (Sunday) to get that extra skate, but talking with him and talking with (goalie coach) Dave (Alexander) and (assistant GM) Marty (Brodeur), both guys felt he was ready tonight and clearly he was. He was sharp right from the start. There’s something to be said for having a little bit of rest and a little time to clear the mind and obviously he was excited to get back in the net and we were excited to have him back.” While the Blues stopped their losing streak, their injury run continued as Sammy Blais, in his first game since being called back from San Antonio, left the ice in the first period with a lower-body injury. He came back and tried one shift in the second period but couldn’t go on. The Blues were already playing the game without Alex Pietrangelo, Jay Bouwmeester, Jaden Schwartz and Kyle Brodziak, all of whom were playing as recently as last Saturday. That’s five players in five games, and Hutton got hurt in 1088798 St Louis Blues “They dumped one in and I thought about trying to go for it, but I couldn’t get around it to fire it down,” said a laughing Hutton, who ended up chipping the puck toward the half boards. “Jake and I were laughing Hochman: Blues’ Hutton comes up big 48 times in a row because I told him at the TV timeout that I was going to try to score. I had a good chance but, hey, I was slow on the draw.”
And when it was over, a foghorn never sounded as beautiful. Colton Benjamin Hochman Parayko was the first player there, giving Hutton a fist bump, and soon after, many others smothered Hutton. It was the latest of the “biggest St. Louis Post-Dispatch wins of the season.” They needed this one. And it was a thrilling one and an important one, as the Blues do it all over again Sunday night against
the Jets, this time in Winnipeg. Allen will be in goal. Hutton will be sore. A Grinch, I tell you — that was Carter Hutton, going out of his way to St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 12.17.2017 make sure no red lights twinkled. Yep, on Saturday night, the Blues’ backup goalie didn’t allow goal, while the Blues, for a change, actually did light the lamp. Twice, even! The Blues needed this one —somehow, some way — and Carter Hutton played the game of his life. He made 48 saves in the 2-0 win over Winnipeg. Forty-eight saves. The Cardinals could use that. It was the most saves ever by a Blue in a shutout. If this is indeed going to be a special season, it’s going to take nights like these, with unlikely heroes such as Hutton playing masterful game- changing and mood-changing hockey. Consider that the last couple times the Blues played at home, they looked like they were on the road. So, yeah, imagine if they’d lost Saturday, and then had to head out on this bear of a trip for four games in Canada? But Hutton stood on his head and flipped the script. And his performance was emblematic of this dramatic Blues season so far – with innumerable injuries, unlikely players have made big plays. Hutton made 48 of ’em Saturday. “This is a team sport, and Jake (Allen) is our guy, Jake’s our starting goalie, but when I get in there, there are games where you have to find a way to steal one,” Hutton said. “It was my night and things worked out well. Some nights you fight and you battle through and you get the win, but tonight, things went our way. And it’s a collective effort in here.” I’ve always been impressed by Hutton’s demeanor and personality. A thoughtful hockey man, he’s praised for his work ethic. It was just kind of cool to see him be the star. And one particular save stood out, because they surely were going to score. A gorgeous pirouetted pass ended up on the stick of Nikolaj Ehlers. Who was wide open. In front of the net. Where Hutton wasn’t. But — the Blues goalie glided to his left, essentially doing the splits, while thwarting the shot with his left blocker, parallel to the ice. And as one young fan’s sign said: It’s Getting Hutton Here. “Tonight I came into the game with a little more of nerves, a little excitement, mixed emotions,” Hutton said. “I thought I settled in well right away. The first couple shots, I thought I was seeing it well, tracking pucks off and getting rebounds. They put a lot of shots on, too — (Blake) Wheeler does a good job of just shooting for rebounds in tough areas. So for me, it almost gets me in the game, because I like to compete and battle. So I thought it really played to my strengths early on. And then as the game went on, it was almost my puck-handling took over. And then we did a good job in the third where we just didn’t give up a whole heck of a lot.” Hutton will go down in history. It was the most saves ever in a Blues shutout, per @STLBluesHistory. And only three times ever has a Blue stopped more shots in a regular-season game. Curtis Joseph stopped 51 shots in 1992, so did Wayne Stephenson in 1974. And in 2006, Jason Bacashihua made 49 saves … but lost in overtime to the Blackhawks. But as for Hutton’s night, it was even more astounding because he hadn’t played in awhile. You may recall from “The Tyler Stewart Game,” Hutton took a shot to the foot that Dec. 7 morning, which kept him sidelined until Friday. So Saturday was just his second start since Nov. 24. And in his last one, on Dec. 1, he was pulled after letting up a trio of goals in two periods to Los Angeles. But if you zoom out, Hutton was 8-2 in his past 10 goals. He’s one of the top No. 2s in the NHL — this season he has a 1.88 goals- against average. The start was an early birthday gift for Hutton — he turns 32 on Tuesday — and his game was an early Christmas gift for Blues fans. In the final minute, the Jets pulled their goalie. Things were going to so well for Hutton, we joked on press row that Hutton himself would be the Blue to score an empty netter. 1088799 Tampa Bay Lightning
Joe Smith’s takeaways from Lightning-Avalanche Joe Smith’s takeaways from Saturday’s Lightning-Avalanche game Published: December 16, 2017Updated: December 16, 2017 at 11:48 PM
Could tell just how much Ryan Callahan meant in the Lightning dressing room by hearing teammates talk about his latest injury. Steven Stamkos said he was "sick to my stomach." Brayden Point called him a "heart and soul player." Teammates all saw how hard the 32-year-old worked to get back after a hip injury last season. Center Brayden Point played in his 100th career NHL game Saturday. Watching the 21-year-old, it looks like it was his 1,000th. He’s smart, a force at both ends of the ice and a bargain at $686,000 a year. Nikita Kucherov won’t be the only forward in line for a big raise after next season; Point also will be a restricted free agent. Really seems like Tyler Johnson has come alive since his move to right wing a couple of weeks ago. Johnson had been creating chances before, but his production has increased a ton. He now has a point in seven straight games, tying his career high. That’s a testament to depth down the middle. Tampa Tribune LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088800 Tampa Bay Lightning
Lightning journal: No easy answers on replacing injured Ryan Callahan
Joe Smith Times Staff Writer Published: December 16, 2017Updated: December 16, 2017 at 11:45 PM
The good news for the Lightning is that GM Steve Yzerman is hopeful RW Ryan Callahan will be ready to go in 3-4 weeks when his upper body injury is re-evaluated. The hard part, however, is finding someone to replace the veteran wing. "I don’t know if anyone can," coach Jon Cooper said. That’s not to say the Lightning (27-6-2) can’t win without Callahan. There are others who can slide into the fourth line like J.T. Brown. Cory Conacher took Callahan’s spot on the penalty kill in Saturday’s morning skate. But Cooper’s point is that Callahan’s contagious presence on the ice, and his respected voice in the locker room, are very difficult to replace with one person. "He’s such a big part inside our room," Cooper said. "The leadership core has got to bind together, and it’s one of those situations where he’ll still be around our team, won’t be in our lineup. He’s a big loss because he’s kind of a heart and soul guy for our team. So we’ve got to regroup and move on without him for a few weeks." There was no callup Saturday, and it doesn’t sound like one is coming in the immediate future. Tampa Bay went with 11 forwards and seven defensemen against the Avalanche on Saturday night, an alignment Cooper has used a lot this season. D Braydon Coburn, who missed the previous six games, returned, with Andrej Sustr in and Slater Koekkoek and Brown out. Backup Peter Budaj was in net. Brown, a healthy scratch eight of the past 11 games, could play right wing on Callahan’s line with Cedric Paquette and Chris Kunitz. Brown also brings a physical style and energy and can play on the penalty kill. "He’s done it in the past," Cooper said. "I’m sure he can moving forward." Callahan had just six points in 29 games (one goal) but still impacted the game. It wouldn’t be surprising if Callahan continues to travel with the team on upcoming road trips, like he and Steven Stamkos did in the second half of last season. Callahan had worked so hard to come back after missing most of last year with nagging hip issues. This has to be a punch to the gut. "He’s in good spirits," Kunitz said. "He’s definitely here to support his teammates." Conacher sticking? Callahan’s injury could have a ripple effect on Conacher. Once Conacher reaches the 10 cumulative NHL game threshold this season — or 30 days up — he’d have to clear waivers in order to get sent back to AHL Syracuse. Conacher played his eighth game Saturday. It seems likely that either Conacher stays beyond the 10 games or Tampa Bay decides to swap out Conacher after Tuesday’s game in Vegas for someone like Adam Erne, a power forward who has been earning raves in the Crunch’s 10-game winning streak. Impact on deadline? Many have asked whether Callahan’s injury will lead the Lightning to pursue another winger at the Feb. 26 trade deadline. Don’t rule out Tampa Bay evaluating its options. Columbus and the Lightning have scouted each other often this season; the Blue Jackets could use a center to play with Artemi Panarin (see: Tyler Johnson or Vladislav Namestnikov), the Lightning could use a wing (like an Oliver Bjorkstrand?). Best-case scenario is Callahan returns in a month. In the meantime, the Lightning has internal options it can evaluate, such as Conacher, Brown, Erne, etc. Anthony Cirelli has played well with the Crunch, as has Russian winger Alex Volkov, with Crunch coach Benoit Groulx saying it’s "when, not if" the first-year pro reaches the NHL. Tampa Tribune LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088801 Tampa Bay Lightning
Lightning trying to replace ‘heart and soul’ Ryan Callahan
By Joe Smith Published: December 16, 2017
With veteran wing Ryan Callahan out at least 3-4 weeks with an upper body injury, the natural question is who will fill his shoes? "I don't know if anyone can," coach Jon Cooper said. That's not to say the Lightning (26-6-2) can't win without Callahan. There are others who can slide into the fourth line like J.T. Brown. Cory Conacher took Callahan's spot on the penalty kill in Saturday's morning skate. But Cooper's point is that Callahan's contagious presence on the ice, and his respected voice in the room, are very difficult to replace with one person. "He's such a big part inside our room," Cooper said. "The leadership core has got to bind together, and it's one of those situations where he'll still be around our team, won't be in our lineup. He's a big loss because he's kind of a heart and soul guy for our team. So we've got to regroup and move on without him for a few weeks." There was no callup Saturday, and it doesn't sound like one is coming in the immediate future. Tampa Bay appears to be going with 11 forward, seven defensemen lineup tonight against the Avalanche, an alignment Cooper has used a lot this season. Defenseman Braydon Coburn, who missed the last six games, looks like he'll be back, with Andrej Sustr in and Slater Koekkoek, Brown out. Backup Peter Budaj is in net. Brown, a healthy scratch during the Lightning's streak, is expected to play right wing on Callahan's line with Cedric Paquette and Chris Kunitz. Brown can bring a similar physical style, energy. "He's done it in the past," Cooper said. "I'm sure he can moving forward." Callahan had just six points in 29 games (one goal), but still impacted the game. It wouldn't be surprising if Callahan continues to travel with the team on upcoming road trips, like he and Steven Stamkos did in the second half of last season. Callahan had worked so hard to come back after missing most of last year with nagging hip issues. This has to be a punch to the gut. "He's in good spirits," linemate Chris Kunitz said. "He's definitely here to support his teammates. He's a character guy, been a captain for another organization, and is a great leader in the room." CONACHER STICKING? Callahan's injury could have a ripple effect on Cory Conacher. Once Conacher reaches the 10 cumulative NHL game threshold this season – or 30 days up – he'd have to clear waivers in order to get sent back to AHL Syracuse. Conacher is likely to play in his eighth game tonight. Would imagine either Conacher stays beyond the 10-games, or Tampa Bay could decide to swap out Conacher after Tuesday's game in Vegas for someone like Adam Erne, a power-forward who has been earning raves in the Crunch's 10-game winning streak. IMPACT ON DEADLINE? Many have asked whether Callahan's injury will lead the Lightning to want to pursue another winger at the Feb. 26 trade deadline. Wouldn't rule out Tampa Bay evaluating its options leading up to the deadline. But I'm sure part of it depends on how Callahan recovers. If Callahan is re- evaluated after 3-4 weeks (mid-January) and it's determined it's a longer- term injury, then that could create more of a need. Best-case scenario is Callahan is back in a month or so. In the meantime, the Lightning does have some internal options it can evaluate, such as Conacher, Brown, Erne, etc. Anthony Cirelli has played well with the Crunch, as has Russian winger Alex Volkov, with Crunch coach Benoit Groulx saying it's "when, not if" the first-year pro reaches the NHL. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088802 Tampa Bay Lightning box. For him it’s about getting stronger, he’s still a young guy, he’s got to put some muscle on his body. It’s about being a better player without the puck, understanding what he’s got to do in certain areas, protect the Q&A with Syracuse coach Benoit Groulx about the Lightning’s next puck, how to accomplish in 40 seconds what he used to do in a minute generation back in junior hockey or Russia." It certainly looks like Conacher is playing like he wants to stay up in the NHL. By Joe Smith "It’s been great for Cony. He’s been a great leader for us, him and Times Staff Writer Gourde were a great duo for us (last year). He didn’t have the start he wanted, but every day, he was a good player, a good leader for us. We’re Published: December 16, 2017Updated: December 16, 2017 at 10:13 so happy for him. He’s doing things well out there, and he’s going to find AM a way to hang in there." On the blueline, who would be the next call-up ready? Cernak, Thomas, Masin? DENVER — There might be one team in hockey hotter than the Lightning. "I think they need more time. They showed a lot of good things last year, second half of the season. But now this year, they’ve got to be better It is Tampa Bay’s AHL affiliate, Syracuse. than where they were last year, and consistency is a big word for them. The Crunch had won nine straight heading into Friday’s game against You know that’s a trap when you come back a second year after losing in Providence. Why is this important? While the AHL is a developmental the final, you think it’s going to be easier, and it’s tougher. league, the Crunch’s winning culture has a significant impact on the With all this talk about NHL, how about you? GM Steve Yzerman told me Lightning pipeline. he believes you’ll be an NHL coach one day. Is that your dream? Look no further than Yanni Gourde or Jake Dotchin, Tampa Bay regulars "I want to coach in the NHL, there’s no doubt in my mind. But I’m very that cut their teeth with the Crunch. So did Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat happy where I am now. I think I cannot be in a better spot for me to and head coach Jon Cooper. Cory Conacher found his game there in last improve as a coach, for me to have success as a coach, for me to not season’s Calder Cup run and is now a staple in the Lightning lineup. only push my limits but limits of our players. As a coach, I think it’s one of There could be more prospects coming, especially with veteran wing the greatest environments a coach can be in." Ryan Callahan (upper body) expected to be out three to four weeks. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 12.17.2017 Who’s closest to a call-up? How did the Crunch streak start? We chatted with Syracuse coach Benoit Groulx: What’s been the difference in starting this streak (after a 4-9-1 start)? "I think the biggest change is the arrival of Louis Domingue (acquired from Arizona last month for goalie Michael Leighton and forward Tye McGinn). He’s been phenomenal since he’s been with us. He gives us a chance to win every night. We had lost six games by one goal, so games were tight, but we found a way to lose most of them. With his arrival, making one more stop a game, it’s allowed our team to play with more freedom. Look at our young guys, it’s nice to see they’re not afraid to make a mistake." I heard Crunch owner Howard Dolgon gave you a supportive phone call, too. That help a lot? "We had lost a game or two, back to back in Toronto. The next morning at the rink he gave me a call. ‘If you want to talk, I know how much you guys want to win, know how much you guys are working. I’m here for you.’ It’s nice to have this phone call from the owner." One guy, forward Anthony Cirelli, has been impressive (AHL Player of the Week). What have you thought of him? "He’s becoming a better player every day now. He’s more familiar with the routine of pro hockey, not only on the ice but off the ice. It’s all about playing in all three zones, competing. It’s about growing, and I think (players) understand that maybe the NHL isn’t tomorrow for us, but it’s right there at the door and they believe the better they are, the closer they’ll be to playing in the NHL. Another guy I can tell you he’s closer is Adam Erne." Why is Erne knocking at the NHL door? "His game is much better. He’s one of those players that understands he’s got to be a good player in all three zones. He’s making plays, he’s tougher to play against when he doesn’t have the puck. He’s a much better player without the puck than he was. He was more on the rush offensive player before, but now he’s a better playmaker, he’s more in front of the net. Doing all the little details that is necessary to have success in the NHL. I really like his progression. When you have young guys like (Alex) Volkov and (Mathieu) Joseph and (Mitchell) Stephens and (Erik) Cernak, Ben Thomas, those young guys are all progressing, getting closer. They all do something to catch your eye and you’re like, ‘Hmmm, you know what, he’s got a legitimate chance to play (in the NHL).’ " Speaking of Volkov, he was really intriguing in training camp, impressed the coaching staff. What have you seen in his first year pro? "It’s not about ‘if,’ it’s more about when (he’s in the NHL). He’s got the size, he’s got the speed, he’s got all the skills. He’s very deceptive for the opposition. You believe he’s slowing down and all of a sudden he’s got a second gear. He can beat you inside, can beat you outside. He’s got a good shot, good vision, good hockey sense. He’s got a lot of tools in his 1088803 Toronto Maple Leafs Jack Adams played for Toronto in the first NHL season, and now the league’s coach of the year trophy bears his name. Today, Adams winners would have wanted more production out of Adams had he NHL’s a bit different than it in was in 1917 played for them. The feisty centre didn’t have a single point in his rookie campaign.
The NHL was a train league in 1917. In November, the Calgary Flames By KEVIN ALLEN took the train from Philadelphia to Washington to commemorate that era. The cigars, wide-brimmed hats, two-toned shoes and card-playing were USA Today a nice touch. Sat., Dec. 16, 2017 Tickets for the Stanley Cup championship after the NHL’s first season ranged from 50 cents to $2. Last June, Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final
in Nashville set a secondary market record on SeatGeek with an average The NHL is 100 years old this season. On Saturday, the league price of $2,116. That was the highest price the SeatGeek had ever celebrated its first game, actually played Dec. 19, 1917, with an outdoor tracked for an NHL game. game between the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators. Here are In 1917-18, NHL players were Canadian exclusively. This season, 46.1 some notable changes from then to now: per cent of NHL players are Canadian. Americans hold 26.8 per cent of The average NHL player was under 180 pounds in 1917. Today, NHL playing jobs. The remaining players primarily come from Sweden, Winnipeg’s Dustin Byfuglien is 260 on a light day. An average NHLer is Finland, Russia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Switzerland and about 205. Austria. In 1917, the NHL started with four teams and ended up with three teams. Reg Noble played in the NHL’s inaugural season, and lasted longer than Today, the NHL is seriously considering Seattle for the 32nd team. any other founding player. He was 37 when he played his final NHL There’s a line forming to gain franchises. season in 1932-33. Today, Jaromir Jagr is the NHL’s oldest player. He turns 46 in February and wants to play beyond age 50. The NHL started with every team in Canada. Today, the lineup includes three teams in the New York metropolitan area, plus three teams in Toronto Star LOADED: 12.17.2017 California, two in Florida and two in the desert (Las Vegas and Arizona). Toronto’s Harry Cameron was rumoured to be the NHL’s highest-paid player in 1917-18 at $900 per season. This season, Chicago’s Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane will receive $13.8 million (U.S.). Joe Malone was the NHL’s top goal-scorer with 44 goals in 20 games in 1917-18. Last season, Sidney Crosby led the NHL with 44 goals in an 82-game schedule. In 1917, NHL teams were asked to pay $200 (Canadian) for players taken in a dispersal draft. Recently, potential owners of a Seattle franchise were told that they will have to pay $650 million (U.S.) for an expansion franchise. Offence was all the rage in the inaugural season as teams averaged 4.75 goals per game. Today, each team is averaging 2.98 goals, a mark that would be the highest since 2005-06. In 1917, the NHL changed the rules to permit goalies to drop to the ice to make a save. Previously, it was a penalty for a goalie to drop. Today, NHL scorers would love it if goalies couldn’t play on their knees. About 700 fans showed up for the NHL’s first game between the Montreal Wanderers and Toronto. This season, the Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks average more than 21,000 fans per game. The Detroit Red Wings, Tampa Bay Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs are averaging more than 19,000. The top four point-producers — Joe Malone, Cy Denneny, Reg Noble and Newsy Lalonde — combined for 164 points and 196 penalty minutes. Today, everything from faceoffs to puck possession to zone entries/exits are tracked. In the NHL’s first season, players Alf Skinner and Joe Hall were involved in a stick-swinging duel in Toronto. Both players were arrested, but they received suspended sentences. The league fined them $15. This season, Philadelphia defenceman Radko Gudas was suspended 10 games for slashing Mathieu Perreault. His fine was more than $400,000 of lost wages. The team from Toronto won the Stanley Cup that season. Today, the team from Toronto is in the midst of a 50-year Cup drought. In 1917, the maximum driving speed in most American cities was 10 mph. Today, some NHL players have been clocked skating more than 30 mph. During the NHL’s first season, Malone decided he wasn’t making enough money. A bank offered him a higher salary than the NHL. The following season he accepted a job at the bank and played only home games. In today’s NHL, the average salary is more than $3 million per player. No one is giving that up to work at a bank. In 1917, only 8 per cent of people had telephones. Today, Alex Ovechkin boasts 2.7 million Twitter followers. Art Ross registered one point in 1917-18. Connor McDavid won the Art Ross Trophy a few months ago with 100 points. 1088804 Toronto Maple Leafs “I try to play every day,” he said. “It’s something that takes me away from hockey a little bit. Music helps since it means using a different side of the brain.” Islanders Jordan Eberle adjusts to New York life, on and off the ice Eberle said he was enjoying playing in a less-stressful environment than Edmonton, where the Oilers are in a constant news media spotlight. They made the playoffs only once in his tenure. By ALLAN KREDA “It’s different here, for sure,” he said. “In Edmonton you get recognized The New York Times everywhere. It’s an adjustment, but I enjoy it.” Sat., Dec. 16, 2017 The Islanders have reached the post-season three times in the past five seasons but have advanced past the first round only once since 1993. Amid tension about the future of Tavares, who could become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, they will need continued production NEW YORK—When forward Jordan Eberle was traded to the New York from his supporting cast. Islanders from the Edmonton Oilers in June, he did not know what to expect. He had rarely lived outside Western Canada. The Islanders also are eager to leave Brooklyn for a proposed new arena at Belmont Park, closer to their former home, Nassau Coliseum, which He was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, where he played junior hockey. they left in 2015. He met his wife, Lauren Rodych-Eberle, when they were in high school in Calgary. Drafted 22nd overall in 2008 by the Oilers, he played seven Eberle is eager for high-tension Eastern Conference rivalry games seasons with Edmonton before the summer deal, which sent Ryan ahead, especially when the Islanders host the New York Rangers twice Strome to the Oilers. at Barclays Center later this season. The big city seemed intimidating, but the Eberles — who met in a 10th- While his entire focus is currently on hockey, he is anticipating extra time grade math class and were married in July — quickly found a home in in the area to play golf next summer on Long Island. Garden City, and any trepidations quickly evaporated. For now, there’s his first Christmas in New York to experience — jam- “I thought I may not be accustomed to what’s going on here,” said Eberle, packed crowds and all. The seasonal snowfall reminds him of home. 27, who had five seasons with 20 or more goals for the Oilers. “But the community I live in is very quiet, more like what I’ve been used to.” “It’s funny how everyone panics here,” he said of a recent dusting in the area. “I’m used to getting 12 feet of snow.” Eberle also has adjusted well on the ice for the Islanders, who needed scoring depth beyond John Tavares and rising star Anders Lee. Toronto Star LOADED: 12.17.2017 Eberle did not score in his first 10 games, but he now has 12 goals and 22 points overall for the Isles (17-12-3) heading into Saturday’s home game against the Los Angeles Kings. In recent weeks he has developed chemistry on a line with sizzling rookie centre Mathew Barzal and veteran left wing Andrew Ladd, who moved his family to Long Island last season when he signed a seven-year free- agent contract. Eberle was originally envisioned as the right wing on a line with Tavares and Lee, but his shift to the second line has alleviated pressure on Tavares, the team’s leading scorer in seven of his eight seasons with the franchise. The Islanders are in the playoff mix in a tight Metropolitan Division race, where 4 points separate the top five teams. Eberle’s simmering intensity has impressed his coach. “He’s been really solid, really confident; he’s a quiet leader,” said Doug Weight, a former Oiler whom Eberle looked up to when he was younger. “Jordan has stepped up and accepted every role we have given him in a good way.” Playing with Ladd has helped Eberle. Their wives have bonded as native Albertans, and Ladd and Eberle are thriving alongside the 20-year-old Barzal, a rookie of the year candidate with 28 points through 32 games, including a five-assist performance against the Colorado Avalanche on Nov. 5. “Ebs has become one of my best friends, and Ladd is one of the great leaders I have been around,” Barzal said. “It helps me being a young guy playing with two veterans. They make me feel comfortable.” Eberle has fallen into the groove of many Long Islanders, riding the train to his workplace in Brooklyn instead of battling relentless traffic. “The biggest change is taking the train to the game and learning to live that way,” he said. “There’s not as much driving here. It’s nice. I enjoy it.” His wife had been teaching voice and piano lessons in Calgary in recent years, and the cross-continent move meant she needed to be creative to keep her career thriving. She conducts music lessons by Skype with her students in Alberta and also travels home for a week each month. She hopes to expand her music teaching to Long Island once her work visa comes through. She acknowledged that the chance to catch a Broadway musical on a whim was a major bonus to their New York life. Thanks to his wife’s musical profession, Eberle has nurtured hobbies away from the game. She gave him a guitar several birthdays ago. 1088805 Toronto Maple Leafs which cause multiple concussion hemorrhages in the deeper portions of the cerebrum.”
If today it reads like an 89-year old primer on CTE, Martland’s report NHL concussion battle isn’t ahead by a century didn’t change much in the 1920s. Boxing enthusiasts weren’t, for the most part, interested. And if anyone made the connection to the blows being sustained by hockey’s heads, they weren’t writing about it much By STEPHEN SMITH less trying to adjust the game. Special to the Star That doesn’t mean that trainers and doctors and teams ignored concussions, but a blow to the head was, in many ways, just another Sat., Dec. 16, 2017 injury in a sport that, by its very nature, featured a whole painful lot of them. In hockey’s prevailing “shake it off, everybody gets their bell rung,
get back out there” culture, that’s what you did. Going back through old Hockey has changed in a hundred years, but it’s not that different. newspapers, you’ll come across accounts of players trying to revive stricken teammates with snow from the ice they’re lying on. When the True, as a modern-day hockey fan beamed back to the NHL’s opening word “concussion” appears, it’s usually qualified by a “mild” or a “slight.” night in December of 1917, you’d find Arenas representing Toronto rather than Maple Leafs, along with some strange rules, and dimly-lit rinks so December of 1933 marked a watershed in hockey’s concern for its clouded with cigarette smoke that, at times, you couldn’t see the puck. players’ heads, if only temporarily. With Toronto visiting Boston, Bruins star Eddie Shore made a mistaken beeline for Leafs winger Ace Bailey Still, the first game Toronto played in Montreal against the Wanderers (he was mad at Red Horner). Bailey had his back turned when Shore hit featured plenty of familiar sights in terms of stickhandling, bodychecks him, and he went down hard, hitting his head with a thud that was said to and goals. Given such eternal hockey constants as hard ice, heavy frighten spectators throughout the rink. sticks, speedy skating and male grievance, you might reasonably have expected to see the NHL’s first fight — though, in fact, that didn’t come Two brain surgeries saved Bailey’s life; he never played another hockey until Toronto’s second game, two nights later. game. But if hockey was chastened, its players alarmed, the caution didn’t last long. As the league and its owners discussed whether Shore What you would have witnessed on Dec. 19, 1917 was the league’s should be banned for life, players across the league tried out a variety of inaugural concussion. what they called at the time “headgears.” Not that anyone at the time, or since, logged that unfortunate first, They wore them for a while, but helmets were cumbersome and hot, and including (most likely) the trailblazer himself, Montreal’s Harry Hyland. He most of the players who donned them in the months after the Bailey hit would have other things on his mind, no doubt: he did, after all, almost would soon return bareheaded to the ice. score two hat tricks on the night. And that’s how hockey continued, mostly, right through to 1968, when Celebrating its centennial this year, the NHL is, as you might expect, Minnesota North Stars winger Bill Masterton died at age 29 as a result of spotlighting the best players from its rich history, the greatest goals, the untreated concussions aggravated by one final on-ice head injury. That’s coolest sweaters. But this is an era, too, in which chronic traumatic when the league set about (eventually) making helmets mandatory. encephalopathy (CTE) is as much a hockey term as coach’s challenge or Scotiabank NHL 100 Classic. As today’s NHL continues to struggle with Meanwhile, back in the winter of 1917-18, those pioneer NHLers went the realities of head injuries and their long-term effects on players’ brains, about their business. it might also be time to note some grimmer landmarks. Ahead of Toronto’s first game, coach Charlie Querrie had issued a In a couple of years, the Arenas would turn into St. Patricks and then, in remarkable 15-point manifesto to his players. Directive No. 4: 1927, Maple Leafs. While they would go on to win the first Stanley Cup of “Remember that it does not require bravery to hit another man over the the NHL era in 1918, they didn’t start out so smoothly that first December head with a stick. If you want to fight, go over to France.” night. In a foreshadowing of years of future woe, they had goaltending It was a noble effort, even if it didn’t really take. The temper of the game, issues. and the tempers of its players, made it hard. At the end of January, when “Torontos Weak In The Nets,” the Star headline lamented next morning, the Canadiens visited Arena Gardens on Mutual Street, Toronto beat “Wanderers Won By 10 To 9.” them 5-1. The crowd at Montreal Arena was sparse — just 700 spectators, by That was the least of the action, though: late in the game, Toronto’s Alf some reports. According to next morning’s Star, it wasn’t a particularly Skinner butt-ended Montreal’s Joe Hall in the mouth, whereupon Hall rough game, though the players were “irritable.” knocked Skinner to the ice. The ensuing scene ended with Hall cracking (a possibly already unconscious) Skinner over the head with his stick. A speedy 28-year-old winger who’d end up in the Hockey Hall of Fame, Hyland notched a first-period hat trick before adding two more goals later Toronto police arrested both players on charges of common assault. in the game. Both had been fined already by the referee, $15 a man, and at court that was enough for the magistrate: he said they’d been “amply punished.” None of the accounts mention a concussion, as such. They say only that Hyland came away with a black eye. At some point, he was in on A century later, hockey is a faster, better-lit, less smoky, more thrilling Montreal goaltender Bert Lindsay, who deflected a shot Hyland’s way. spectacle than ever. But as science exposes, more and more, the long- And there it was: the puck, said the Star’s report, “struck him a terrific term tolls of hockey impacts, the game and its flagship league have smash fair in the eye, knocking him out.” reached a crossroads. In Game Change: The Life and Death of Steve Montador and the Future of Hockey, hall of famer Ken Dryden’s latest It’s not much to go on, but looking back to a land beyond YouTube book, the former Montreal Canadiens goaltender argues that hockey has highlights, it’s what we’ve got. No one at the rink that night was no choice but to change its ways, directly challenging NHL commissioner concussion-spotting or enforcing league-mandated protocols in quiet Gary Bettman to do whatever it takes to eliminate hits to the head. rooms. Hyland may well have returned to the game, and he was in the Wanderers’ lineup two nights later when the Canadiens overwhelmed Not so widely noticed as Dryden’s, The Pepper Kid is another book new them 11-2. to the hockey shelf. Exploring the life and times of his largely forgotten grandfather, Peterborough writer Shayne Randall reveals a hardy, highly The Wanderers didn’t last the season, but the NHL was up and going. As talented and extremely unforgiving defenceman who happens to have the goals piled up, the legends grew, great players found their way to the been both Toronto’s very first NHL captain and a great-uncle to Doug ice to win famous Stanley Cups. But as the goals and the championships Gilmour, the 24th player to wear Toronto’s C. were logged and transformed into lore, head injuries remained mostly unseen as an issue for the NHL. Ken Randall took most of the penalties called that opening night in 1917. He’d win a second Stanley Cup with Toronto in 1922, and continued on In 1928, a New Jersey pathologist named Dr. Harrison Martland did write in the league through the 1926-27 season. about the hidden damages that a career’s worth of punches to the head was inflicting on the brains of boxers. Fans knew all about seeing their He died in 1947 at the age of 58. “He was really beaten up,” his grandson heroes “punch drunk,” Martland noted, staggering around the ring in a was saying this past week. “There were lots of fist fights, but there were “cuckoo” or “goofy” state, but medical literature mostly hadn’t paid lots of stick fights. I mean, the stick fighting was brutal. My dad said, at attention. the end of the season it would take him a month to recover. He’d be in bed for two weeks. He really took a lot of punishment.” “I am of the opinion,” he wrote, “that in punch drunk there is a very definite brain injury due to single or repeated blows on the head or jaw Shayne Randall has no way of knowing how many concussions Ken Randall sustained in his “stormy” 26-year hockey career, but of the sombre conclusion he reaches in his book he has no doubt: the blows he took to his head “left him in a traumatic state near the end of his life and hastened his demise.” Toronto Star LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088806 Toronto Maple Leafs
Leafs refuse to use gruelling schedule as an excuse
Terry Koshan Published:December 16, 2017 Updated:December 16, 2017 10:01 PM EST
No one in their right hockey mind expected the Maple Leafs would run the National Hockey League table and win all 82 of their games. But professional hockey players, to a man, are wired to win, and there were no excuses being offered after the Leafs’ losing streak hit three games on Friday night in Detroit. “It’s a tough stretch — lots of games, travelling, it takes a toll,” defenceman Morgan Rielly said. “But we have a sport science team here. We’re all taken care of, so rest isn’t an issue. We felt good. “We have to learn from our mistakes. It’s important we right the ship a little bit and start winning some games.” The Leafs have lost three in a row in regulation for the second time this season, with the Carolina Hurricanes the next opponent on Tuesday afternoon at the Air Canada Centre. The Leafs have not lost four consecutive games in regulation since March 31-April 6, 2016. “It’s something we should be able to handle, and we need to be playing like pros every night,” defenceman Andreas Borgman said of the Leafs’ run of five games in seven nights that ended in Detroit. “It doesn’t matter if we have that many games. “I just think we need to dig in here and be our best. That’s all it takes, we have a good team here. I’m not worried about it.” The game against the Hurricanes will mark the Leafs’ last home game of the 2017 calendar year, with five on the road still to come. Starting on Jan. 2 versus the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Leafs’ first six games of 2018 will be at the ACC. MAC TIPS HIS CAP When Red Wings defenceman Trevor Daley beat Leafs goalie Curtis McElhinney for a shorthanded goal on Friday night, one that wound up being the game-winner, it marked the third time the Leafs’ power play has given up a goal this season. Leafs defenceman Jake Gardiner didn’t play the Wings’ odd-man break well, giving Daley too much space and time to pick the top corner over McElhinney’s right shoulder. McElhinney took nothing away from Daley’s shot. “You’ve got to play the odds a little bit,” McElhinney said, referring to playing the shot or the pass. “I’ll give him credit for making a good shot. Shorthanded goals, they’re tough to give up. That one certainly stung.” McElhinney was making his sixth start of 2017-18, and his record fell to 3-3-0. The 34-year-old sports a .921 save percentage, and it’s likely he will be back in goal on Wednesday when the Leafs visit one of his former teams, the Columbus Blue Jackets, to complete a back-to-back set. In losing to Detroit, the Leafs dropped to 3-3-0 in the second half of back to backs. In total, they have 14 back-to-back sets this season. MARLIES LOSE The Toronto Marlies suffered a rare loss on Saturday, and in doing so, relinquished first place overall in the American Hockey League. The Marlies lost 2-1 at the Ricoh Coliseum against the Manitoba Moose, falling to 21-6-0 on the season. The Moose improved to 20-5-1-2, giving it 43 points, one more than the 42 amassed by the Marlies. The lone Toronto goal was scored by Jeremy Bracco, who ended Michael Hutchinson’s bid for a shutout at 19:39 of the third period. Ben Smith and Justin Holl assisted on the Bracco goal. Before a crowd of 5,070, Garret Sparks made 25 saves for the Marlies. Hutchinson stopped 39 Marlies shots and was named first star. The clubs meet again at Ricoh on Sunday afternoon. Toronto Sun LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088807 Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Sun LOADED: 12.17.2017
Losing Leafs happy with place in standings, but aware improvements must be made
Terry Koshan Published:December 16, 2017 Updated:December 16, 2017 6:43 PM EST
No matter the worries that come with a three-game losing streak, the Maple Leafs might have been keeping one crucial hockey thought in mind as they went about their business and enjoyed a rare Saturday off. Despite a rough week during which they picked up zero of a possible six points on a trip through Philadelphia, Minnesota and Detroit, the Leafs remain firmly in second place in the Atlantic Division with 41 points, a total that gave them a seven-point bulge over the third-place Boston Bruins before games on Saturday. “We’re sitting good,” centre Tyler Bozak said after the Leafs lost against the Red Wings on Friday night. “We’re having a good year. You never want to lose three in a row like we did, but we have some games left before Christmas and we want to end on a high note, get feeling really good before the break.” The Leafs play host to the Carolina Hurricanes in the Next Century Game on Tuesday afternoon, visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday and hit Manhattan for a tilt with the New York Rangers next Saturday before a three-day Christmas break kicks in. For the Leafs to return to winning mode this week, there will be plenty on coach Mike Babcock’s plate in terms of finding ways to gain traction when the club returns to the ice for practice on Sunday. Zone entries on power plays, for example, have not been happening with much authority, and partly as a result, the Leafs have gone 1-for-17 with a man-advantage in the past seven games. And on Friday, the Leafs’ defence corps often couldn’t get comfortable against a pressuring Red Wings forecheck. Babcock doesn’t have an issue with the level of effort his group has been bringing to the rink each night, and one might wonder whether there is a breaking point coming. The Leafs, even without Auston Matthews, have too much talent to be scoring an average of one goal a game, which has occurred in their past four games. While there remains the possibility that Matthews will return on Tuesday after missing four games with an upper-body injury, Babcock, until he gets 100% assurance from the team’s medical staff, has to carry on as though Matthews will continue to nurse what may or may not be a concussion. The Leafs have been let down recently by a number of offensively gifted players, a trend that started before Matthews was hurt in Pittsburgh against the Penguins last Saturday. Together, Nazem Kadri, Patrick Marleau and William Nylander have combined for one goal (Marleau) and one assist (Nylander) in the past seven games. Mitch Marner has four assists in that span, but three came in one game, in the win versus the Penguins. Despite the team drought on the whole, the Leafs’ 109 goals were the third-most in the National Hockey League, behind Tampa Bay (117) and the New York Islanders (114). Backup goalie Curtis McElhinney got goal support only from defenceman Andreas Borgman on Friday, but was not wringing his hands afterward when pondering the Leafs’ dry run. “There’s always ebbs and flows through a season with goal scoring,” McElhinney said. “I think it’s one of those things (that happens). It will definitely come back. It’s just a matter of working through it.” Said Bozak: “We’re just going to have to get back to what we do and create a little more offence. We can’t rely on our goalies as much as we have. I think our special teams have to be a lot better as well.” Babcock had some advice for his players, whether they’ve been part of the scoring malaise, before departing Little Caesars Arena late on Friday night. “I think the first thing you do is you go home and breathe,” Babcock said, “and just come back to work.” 1088808 Toronto Maple Leafs
Kapanen gets in Babcock's good books right away
Terry Koshan Published:December 16, 2017 Updated:December 16, 2017 6:29 PM EST
We’ll be curious to see whether Kasperi Kapanen did enough in Detroit to earn another look in the Maple Leafs lineup on Tuesday against Carolina. Though Kapanen’s participation could hinge on whether Auston Matthews returns, the fact remains that Kapanen, playing with Dominic Moore and Matt Martin, impressed his coach on Friday night. It was Kapanen’s first game with the Leafs since Nov. 4. “I thought our fourth line was our best line,” Mike Babcock said. “I thought Kapanen had really good speed and good tenacity. “We know he is a good player. We gave him a chance on a back to back to have fresh legs and he had them.” While Babcock suspected defenceman Andreas Borgman’s goal might have been Kapanen’s because of a deflection off the Leafs forward, there had been no official change from the NHL on Saturday. Some Leafs fans would like to see both Kapanen and Josh Leivo getting a longer chance to stay in the lineup at the expense of Leo Komarov, who is the Leafs’ worst possession player at even-strength. Considering Komarov leads Toronto forwards in ice time while the team is shorthanded, it’s unlikely he comes out any time soon. Toronto Sun LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088809 Toronto Maple Leafs from your ideals in the final minutes of games and put your best players together?
SCENE AND HEARD SIMMONS: Of Marner's failures, Bettman's success and Shapiro listening to fans If a team with Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and Paul George can’t win, that’s on the players, not on the coaches in Oklahoma City … By the way, for those who contend that Carmelo hasn’t won anything, I Steve Simmons give you this: He was a big part of a Syracuse national championship team in the NCAA and just about the best player on a gold medal winning Published:December 16, 2017 Olympic team in Beijing … One of these things is not like the other: What’s Josh Bailey doing in the Top 10 in NHL scoring? … What an Updated:December 16, 2017 5:21 PM EST impressive deep rookie class in the NHL: Brock Boeser, Matthew Barzal, Clayton Keller and defencemen Charlie McAvoy, Mikhail Sergachev and
Will Butcher. The Calder race is going to be a great one … Welcome to Is Mitch Marner failing the Maple Leafs or are the Maple Leafs failing the Toronto, Serge Ibaka. So nice of you to show up … You want to be second-year winger? offended, how about this? Joe Flacco, who is barely average, on a dreadful offence, is being paid $24.5 million a year by the Baltimore This is 15 games now without a goal for the gifted Marner. This is one Ravens … Giancarlo Stanton is in New York alongside Aaron Judge, goal in the past 33 games. This isn’t a slump. This might be a ticket to which means one thing to me: anytime the Yankees are in Toronto, I’m the American Hockey League. there watching … Whatever Baltimore gets for Manny Machado should be a template of sorts to see what the Blue Jays can attain for Josh And the way coach Mike Babcock moves Marner around, from line to Donaldson, if they ever get around to that … The Hall of Famer, Marv line, sometimes showing little faith in him, then too much faith by placing Levy, used to say: if you listen to the fans, soon you will be sitting with him in a position he can’t succeed, as the point man of the umbrella them. Does Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro not know this? power play, the messages are mixed as the Leafs slump without Auston Matthews and the young players are being exposed without their future AND ANOTHER THING captain. The Argos open up next season with the following schedule: In It isn’t just Marner failing. William Nylander, with all that talent and one Saskatchewan, home to Calgary, home to Edmonton, in Edmonton, extra year of experience, has one goal in the past 15 games. One goal in home to Winnipeg, at Winnipeg. That’s crazy hard for the defending Grey his past 54 shots on goal, and the bevy of those he has fired either wide Cup champions. An 0-6 start is not out of the question and 3-3 would or over the net. have to be considered magnificent … What I don’t like about the Argos schedule: They play two home games on days the Blue Jays play the The entire Leafs rebuild was based on the kids, Matthews, Marner and Yankees, one opposite a Cleveland game at Rogers Centre and another Nylander, three youngsters of immense ability. Matthews is out with a on a Baltimore date in Toronto … The odd championship juxtaposition mystery injury — likely a concussion — while neither Marner not between the Argos and Toronto FC continues. TFC did over 30,000 for Nylander has shown any inclination or ability to step up in his absence. the MLS Cup, a sold out crowd at BMO Field. The Argos did less than What makes the Marner situation all the more troubling is that the Leafs half of that at the gate. But when Victor Vasquez scored to make it 2-0 for needed front office debate to choose Marner over defenceman Noah the Reds, about two million Canadians were watching on TV. When Matt Hanifin in the 2015 NHL Draft. Mark Hunter went with Marner while Black intercepted the ball in the Grey Cup end zone, about six million Babcock let others know he preferred Hanifin. Canadians were watching … Hockey, a coach told me the other day, is not a 60 minute game. It’s a 360 minute game. And the minutes are The odd thing about this: Hanifin, a mostly defensive defenceman, has divided among the six players on the ice. You lose Auston Matthews and five goals this season in Carolina. Marner has two for the Leafs. A year you lose close to 20 good minutes a game. The residual effect, long ago this time, after his first 34 NHL games, he had eight goals, 18 term, is you can replace that for a night or two successfully. But not assists. beyond that … Happy birthday to Donovan Bailey (50), Vincent Damphousse (50), Dave Poulin (59), Stone Cold Steve Austin (53), THIS AND THAT Eugene Levy (71) and Paul Tracy (49) … And hey, whatever became of Gary Bettman deserves a raise. And no, I haven’t lost my mind or been Angelo Esposito? caught up in the spirit of the season. I don’t care much for Bettman, the Accuracy of on-ice stats needs fixing hockey man. I have come to greatly appreciate Bettman, the businessman and all he has done to grow the NHL. The fact he could get Mike Babcock looks at the game sheets and wonders how it is the NHL’s anyone to agree to pay $650 million U.S. for a Seattle expansion tracking of ice time can be so inaccurate. The numbers the Leafs come franchise — can we say goodbye Quebec City — is both stunning and up with rarely correspond with the numbers the league statisticians brilliant. Of course, if there’s another lockout in 2020, allow me to change produce on a nightly basis in the NHL. my mind … My friends at TSN have come out with their list of the Top 25 NHL players of all time. Can’t understand how they left Mike Bossy and Former NHL goaltenders Jamie MacLennan and Andy Chiodo look at the Denis Potvin off their list … There are times I wish I understood Babcock nightly lists of shots on goals in many NHL buildings and find when they better. He ran a power play the other night with Morgan Rielly, Tyler break down games, which they do regularly, the shots they come up with Bozak and Marner as major players. All three are below average to poor do not mirror the shots on goal listed on game sheets. NHL shooters … Leafs have to find a permanent place for Kasperi From a personal perspective, I’ve watched NHL games regularly and Kapanen. He’s better than some of those playing regularly in the lineup marvelled at the inaccuracy of the giveaway-takeaway stats. On one shift … If everybody on the Leafs worked as hard as Zach Hyman, and in a game recently, a player gave the puck away three times. At the end pushed himself to the extreme, there wouldn’t be many slumps for this of the period, he was listed as having one giveaway. team, even without Matthews … The very busy Frederik Andersen just got busier. He has hired marketing agent Brad Robins to represent him. So if the NHL can’t get time on ice correctly, can’t properly track shots on Robins is best known for repping Martin Brodeur and Carey Price, among goal, can’t seem to get the giveaways and takeaways — and probably others. hits as well — accurately, then the entire process of statistical gathering for teams and players and media and fans needs to be addressed. And HEAR AND THERE somehow fixed. Drew Doughty is back in the early season Norris Trophy conversation, The next time you see the statistic save percentage, take it with a grain along with the injured Alex Pietrangelo. Who hasn’t been in the of salt. It’s only as accurate as the information provided and what seems conversation? Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson, 1-2 in scoring from the clear these days is the information provided is not entirely accurate. backend the last two seasons, currently ranked 23rd and 19th on the list … A free agent looking to hit it big in the off-season — defenceman John Junior hockey coverage slowly evaporating Carlson, still only 27, having his best offensive season with the Washington Capitals … Mark Scheifele may lead the Winnipeg Jets in David Branch has experienced all kinds of crisis situations in his time in points but if you talk to people around the team, they’ll tell you their club charge of junior hockey in Canada but this one caught him completely MVP is captain Blake Wheeler … There is a new Canadian Hockey unaware and truly unprepared. League in the works. It’s just a matter of when. The new central For 38 years he has run the Ontario Hockey League and for the last 21 government of the CHL will replace David Branch as head man … Ron years he had been president of the Canadian Hockey League — and Hainsey leads the NHL in SHIT. Honest. Short handed ice time … suddenly he’s caught with a problem he may not be able to do much There’s a minute to go in the game, Edmonton is down a goal, why isn’t about. Leon Draisaitl on the ice with Connor McDavid? Why don’t you get away There are junior hockey teams in Moose Jaw, Guelph and Barrie. There are no longer daily newspapers in those markets. There will be more newspaper closings in more junior hockey markets in the not too distant future. That is the way the world is going. But what does it mean for junior hockey? In places like Moose Jaw and Barrie it means the daily conversation from the newspaper is gone. In some places, these teams have been covered the way professional teams are covered, with beat reporters and columnists following their every move. As local television has been diminished and local news is being phased out, the onus will be on people like Branch to see others to get their stories to the public. In the past few years, the NHL has hired a bevy of first rate writers for its nhl.com website and teams such as the Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights and New Jersey Devils have hired veteran pros to cover their teams for their own online websites. Is this ideal? No. Is it better than having no coverage? Absolutely. There is an opportunity here for someone. Just not certain what the opportunity is. Jays may rest hopes on starting pitching In a week of little Blue Jays news of note — save for the unusual chase of the 37-year-old C.C. Sabathia — there was no major headline about Aaron Sanchez throwing without any blister problems. Perhaps there should have been. In this strange place the Jays are in, with president Mark Shapiro actually admitting the only reason the club isn’t tearing the team down to rebuild is because it sells a lot of tickets, the notion that Sanchez can be healthy and productive, possibly for an entire season, is almost equivalent to a big free agent signing. You see, the only real chance the Jays have to compete in the American League next season is have both Marcus Stroman and Sanchez healthy. That gives them a 1-2 in their pitching rotation which to start the season is a better option than the the powerhouse Yankees have in Luis Severino and Masahiro Tanaka. It’s not far behind, if behind at all, what Chris Sale and David Price bring in Boston. Last season, Stroman was a top five starter in the league. The year before, Sanchez won the ERA title. They can be ace and ace at the top of the Jays rotation. If somehow the Jays can get health and performance from Marco Estrada, J.A. Happ and whomever else they sign — say Sabathia even — starting pitching may keep them competitive. With a front office that has yet to show any ability to wheel and deal and no desire to go for the home run, this may be the only hope they have. Toronto Sun LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088810 Toronto Maple Leafs No one has ever questioned his elite skill level, but the Preds just couldn’t find a regular place for him in the top six. However, the arrival of Kyle Turris as his playmaking centre has Fiala on fire of late, with five of Fantasy Fare: Leafs' Rielly taking an alternate path to blue-line points his seven goals on the season coming in the past six games. Alex Stalock G, Wild * * * Joel Colomby With Devan Dubnyk out for a few weeks, 30-year-old gets a lengthy run that so far he’s been able to capitalize on. He put up solid numbers for Published:December 16, 2017 the Sharks before his short and not-so-sweet stay with the Leafs two seasons ago. Updated:December 16, 2017 4:49 PM EST Nicolas Deslauriers
RW-LW, Canadiens Toronto Maple Leafs' Morgan Rielly takes a quick shot on goal past Hurricanes' Ryan Murphy. Rielly takes fewer slap shots than any of the If you’re looking for a little more robustness in your lineup without hurting NHL's top offensive D-men. JpgGerry Broome) your plus-minus, maybe he’s your guy. In his past five games, the former Sabre has thrown 32 hits, while going 1-3-4 with a plus-7, though most of Attempt to identify of the prototypical offensive defenceman and the first those stats came in that 10-1 blowout of the Wings on Dec. 2. names that might come to mind are Brent Burns and Shea Weber with their booming point shots, or Erik Karlsson’s elite skating and playmaking HOT AND NOT (Forwards the past two weeks) abilities. Tom Wilson WAS 3-4-7, plus-6, 21 PIMs, 24 hits Morgan Rielly? Watching Maple Leafs games closely this season, the 23- year-old defenceman’s modus operandi — at the behest of the coaching Vincent Trochek FLA 3-6-9, minus-3, 19 hits, 13 blks staff, no doubt — appears to be to simply toss the puck in the direction of Brad Marchand BOS 4-5-9, plus-3, 19 PIMs the opposition cage and hope something happens. Tyler Johnson TB 4-7-11, plus-6 And with 21 points, it’s working, though not in the traditional sense. Jack Eichel BUF 4-5-9, minus-2, 12 PIMs To confirm or dispel our suspicions, we went back and looked at video of each of Rielly’s four goals and 17 assists so far this season and noted, Kyle Turris NAS 2-7-9, plus-4, 4 PPP not surprisingly, that 12 of his 21 points have come as the result of a simple snap or wrist shot on goal. Sure, most of Rielly’s offerings were Brayden Schenn STL 6-1-7, plus-4, 14 hits easily blocked or fell harmlessly away. But on nine occasions, the puck Michael Raffl PHIL 3-3-6, plus-7 was deflected in or a rebound was batted home while three of his soft shots even snuck through everyone and went in. Derrick Brassard OTT 0-1-1, minus-9 This is no accident. Only eight of Rielly’s 77 shots this season (10.3%) Mark Scheifele WPG 1-2-3, minus-1 have been slap shots. That is far and away the lowest percentage among NHL D-men, the next closest being Flames’ Mark Giordano at 17.3%. At Leon Draisaitl EDM 1-2-3, minus-1 the other end of the spectrum, Blackhawks’ Duncan Keith has a Nazem Kadri TOR 0-0-0, minus-1 whopping 72% of his shots on goal via the slap (53 of 64) while Drew Doughty winds up 50% of the time Alex Pietrangelo 43% and Burns 35%. Cam Atkinson CLB 0-1-1, minus-1 The point of this is that Rielly’s .61 points per game rank him 18th among GAMES THIS WEEK NHL rearguards while his 21 points are tied for ninth and better than the likes of Burns, Keith, Weber and some other blast-away bombers who 4 — ANA, BOS, CLB, PHIL were drafted ahead of him in fantasy leagues. 2 — CAL, CHI, VGK Remember, in fantasy, we don’t ask how, just how many. And Rielly is All other teams play 3 games right up there with the best of them, even if he doesn’t pass the eye test. ♦ Devastating loss for Jaden Schwartz owners, the high-scoring winger INJURY UPDATES being sidelined with an ankle injury that will keep him out for about two Ryan Kesler (hip) should finally make his season debut this coming week months. The injury has prompted the Blues to juggle their top two lines … Marcus Johansson’s return to the Devils lineup lasted five games with Vladimir Tarasenko finding himself with second-liners Paul Stastny before he was sidelined again, this time with a sore ankle after blocking a and Vladimir Sobotka and Brayden Schenn dropping down to join Alex shot … The Ducks get Ryan Getzlaf back, just in time to lose linemate Steen and Dmitrij Jaskin who moves up to take Schwartz’s place in the Corey Perry for at least a couple of weeks … Dustin Byfuglien could miss top six. a few weeks with his lower body injury) … Jaromir Jagr is practising and should be back any day now … Alex Pietrangelo is on IR, but day-to-day ♦ Evgenii Dadonov returned from his shoulder injury a few weeks earlier after blocking a shot last weekend … Brandon Dubinsky (eye) is gone for than expected, but did not did not immediately regain his top-line placing about two months … Taylor Hall took a knee-on-knee hit on Tuesday and at the expense of Nick Bjugstad who went 3-2-5 in the eight games since hasn’t played since … Auston Matthews’ injury is rumoured to be a the first-year Florida winger went down. Dadonov, though, remained a concussion sustained after being accidentally hit by teammate Morgan top-six winger, skating with the hot Vincent Trochek. Rielly. ♦ A couple of surprising scoring droughts came to a halt on Monday Toronto Sun LOADED: 12.17.2017 night. Henrik Zetterberg snapped a 22-game goalless streak against Florida, a futility run made even more head-scratching considering the Red Wings captain had four goals in his first seven games before going dry for 48 consecutive shots on goal. Rangers’ Rick Nash’s tally against Dallas ended a 10-game drought that followed five goals in five games around mid-November. We’re not going to say that Zetterberg and Nash owners can expect either to embark on a torrid streak to return their overall stats to projected levels. At their advanced hockey ages, fantasy owners would be happy with just getting them back to some kind of consistency, even if means their overall totals never do completely recover. ♦ And isn’t it a little odd that retired Canucks enforcer Derek Dorsett remains owned in 11% of CBSSportsline leagues (down from 14% last week)? Are there that many owners who’ve already packed it in and aren’t paying attention? WAIVER WATCH (With fantasy rating out of 5) Kevin Fiala LW, Predators * * * * 1088811 Toronto Maple Leafs If you back the icing calls out, you're left with offensive and defensive zone faceoffs attributable to frozen pucks or shots that were deflected
into the stands. On average, there's an end zone faceoff for every 4.2 Dellow: Why are the Maple Leafs such a mediocre possession team? shot attempts generated or allowed by a team. Defensively, the Maple Leafs are almost perfectly average: they generate a faceoff once every 4.25 shot attempts allowed. Offensively, they seem to have great difficulty in generating faceoffs: they generate one faceoff for every 5.1 By Tyler Dellow shot attempts allowed. 21 hours ago Of Toronto's -86 faceoff differential, you can attribute about -21 of it to the Maple Leafs being a net loser on icings, -9 to the Maple Leafs having been out-attempted on the season and the remaining -56 to their curious The Maple Leafs have been winning a lot of games to start the year. inability to generate offensive zone faceoffs from their shot attempts. I Their division is basically an omnishambles, with the Maple Leafs having should say: I'm not entirely convinced that this is a bad thing, by the way. an nine point cushion in the playoff race. Despite this, there are some *Why* don't the Maple Leafs generate offensive zone faceoffs is a ominous undercurrents. Toronto was a fairly average possession team question for another day but one plausible explanation might be that the last year. This year, they're a little bit worse than that. Maple Leafs aren't taking a lot of shots of the type that get easily frozen.
Through Wednesday, the Maple Leafs sat 18th in the NHL in Corsi% at Offensive zone faceoffs are, of course, good from a possession 49.4 per cent. This is down about a point from last year. perspective because they tend to be situations that can easily lead to If we look at it through the lens of line/pair combinations, a few things shot attempts. Still, if goalies find it harder to freeze shots taken from start to pop out. close to the net, well, that's a price you'd be willing to pay. If the result of the goalie failing to freeze that puck tends to be chaos leading to Yeesh, that second pair. Jake Gardiner and Nikita Zaitsev are continuing chances for your team…that's also a price you'd be willing to be pay. So to have a rough year. Outside of their time with the Nazem Kadri led there's some complexity here that's beyond the scope of this piece. It's a second line (for which there's an excuse), the Morgan Rielly/Ron Hainsey possible piece of the puzzle as to why the Leafs are a pretty mediocre pairing has been pretty solid. possession squad though.
From a goals perspective, the Maple Leafs have actually been pretty A bigger piece, I think, is that the Leafs are absolutely godawful after good at 5-on-5. The concern, of course, is that the possession catches defensive zone faceoffs. They're very good at winning those faceoffs – up with them at some point and it all goes south. The first line in they're rolling along at a 55.4 per cent winning percentage but as soon as particular has put up outstanding numbers – a 108.1 PDO will take you a the puck is dropped, the Air Canada Centre DJ might as well fire up long way in life. When that comes back to earth – and it will – the picture Yakety Sax, regardless of whether they win the draw or lose it. will look less rosy. In Toronto's game against Carolina a few weeks back, the Maple Leafs It's no secret that the Bozak line, which is basically the third line, hasn't won 11 defensive zone faceoffs. They proceeded to get out-attempted had a very good year. They've stunk possession-wise when they aren't 17-0 on those shifts. That -17 is the second worst collection of defensive with the Rielly pair and they're getting hammered in goals. zone wins a team has put together this decade – back in Randy Carlyle's heyday, the Maple Leafs managed a -18 against the Ottawa Senators. Now, the zone starts are very interesting and explain part of the problem The caveat there is that it took place over 18 defensive zone wins. The here, I think. current edition got run over much more efficiently.
Both Colleague Dom and Editor Mirtle have recently discussed how Part of the problem the Maple Leafs are having after defensive zone wins discombobulated the Maple Leafs have looked. This is a piece of that is tied up in their inability to generate anything. It happened again the puzzle. How in the world can most of Toronto's defence/forward pairs other night in Minnesota. Watching the video, it looks like Toronto had a have zone starts that are worse than league average for that pretty simple approach: win the faceoff, fly the zone, try to hit a streaking defence/forward pair? Well, the Maple Leafs have a weirdly awful split of forward to tip the puck in or, even better, with a pass. offensive and defensive zone faceoffs this year. Through Wednesday night's games, they have a team zone start of 45.6 per cent, which puts Unless the goal was icings and turnovers, it didn't work. them 26th in the NHL. 0:00 Zone starts are funny things because they're both driven by how well a team generates shots for and against and drivers of how well a team 0:00 generates shots for and against. The more shot attempts you allow, the 0:00 more likely you are to have a defensive zone faceoff; the more defensive zone faceoffs you have, the more likely you are to give up shot attempts. If this is all you do or most of what you do, I think it's inevitable that you're It's all very Zen. going to end up with a lousy Corsi% in this situation. That doesn't *necessarily* mean that it's a bad idea – if a team was creating higher Given that, it's unsurprising that there's a fairly strong relationship quality shots from this, it might be worth it. I'm skeptical that such a thing between a team's Corsi% and zone start. Toronto's currently got the exists but if you were choosing between tactics that would result in 40 ninth biggest spread this decade between their Corsi% (49.4 pre cent) per cent Corsi% and a 95.0 PDO or a 30 per cent Corsi% and a 105.0 and their zone start (45.6 per cent). Unsurprisingly, given that we're still PDO, the decision is obvious. Maybe Toronto likes pushing back the in the land of small samples at this point in the season, three of the eight opposing defence and eliminating the risk of the puck being turned over teams in front of them by this metric are also teams from this year: in a more dangerous area of the ice. You can come up with all sorts of Nashville (49.4 Corsi% vs. 44.1 zone start), Dallas (52.8 Corsi% vs. 47.9 plausible sounding justifications for doing this. zone start) and Florida (48.9 Corsi% vs. 44.9 Corsi%). All of that said, Toronto's not doing particularly well in this situation. So how, exactly, are the Maple Leafs allowing so many defensive zone They've been outscored 7-3. They were doing much better with this early faceoffs? Well, through Wednesday they'd had 451 offensive zone in the season from a possession perspective. In their first eight games, faceoffs at 5-on-5 and 537 defensive zone faceoffs. So they're -86. they put up a 46.5 per cent Corsi% after defensive zone wins, although Toronto has iced the puck 176 times with the goalies in at 5-on-5; the they were outscored 4-1. Since then, they're at 25.7 per cent, although opposition has iced the puck in the same circumstances just 155 times. they've been out-scored just 3-2. Florida, the worst team in the NHL, has It's not surprising that Dallas and Nashville are at the bottom of the net a 30.3 Corsi% after defensive zone losses this year. icing list – it goes some distance to explaining why they've had so many I went back and watched the video from Toronto's eighth game of the defensive zone faceoffs relative to their possession. That's a rabbit hole year and it looks hard to me to make a case that anything has changed, to go down on another day, although it's fun to contemplate what although the economics of sport journalism make it unfeasible to really Edmonton might be doing from a tactical perspective that nets them four do the work necessary to be comfortable in that conclusion. Maybe – and icings per game over the Predators after the Oilers outshot Nashville 46- this is a maybe – the Leafs were making a few more plays into the 23 in a 4-0 loss. Toronto's in the red on icing calls but not outrageously neutral zone as opposed to just chucking it out there and hoping. so. This is part of the puzzle for the Maple Leafs though. Whether teams have them figured out a little bit or the players aren't quite good enough to execute the strategy or the strategy needs to change a little, there's something not quite right that's been afflicting them after defensive zone wins. It adds up, costing them scoring chances and more defensive zone faceoffs and icings, leading to more shots against and fewer shots for.
It's a long season and winning games buys time to fix problems. 82 games does have a tendency to reveal weakness though and, even if it doesn't, the Maple Leafs are after bigger things than simply making the playoffs. If the Maple Leafs want to contend for the Stanley Cup this year, something that the parlous state of their division makes an utterly reasonable objective, they need to find a way to tilt the ice a little bit more towards the offensive zone.
The Athletic LOADED: 12.17.2017
1088812 Vegas Golden Knights Eberle said he was enjoying playing in a less-stressful environment than Edmonton, where the Oilers are in a constant news media spotlight. They made the playoffs only once in his tenure. Islanders Jordan Eberle adjusts to New York life, on and off the ice “It’s different here, for sure,” he said. “In Edmonton you get recognized everywhere. It’s an adjustment, but I enjoy it.” By ALLAN KREDA The Islanders have reached the post-season three times in the past five seasons but have advanced past the first round only once since 1993. Sat., Dec. 16, 2017 Amid tension about the future of Tavares, who could become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, they will need continued production from his supporting cast. NEW YORK—When forward Jordan Eberle was traded to the New York The Islanders also are eager to leave Brooklyn for a proposed new arena Islanders from the Edmonton Oilers in June, he did not know what to at Belmont Park, closer to their former home, Nassau Coliseum, which expect. He had rarely lived outside Western Canada. they left in 2015. He was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, where he played junior hockey. Eberle is eager for high-tension Eastern Conference rivalry games He met his wife, Lauren Rodych-Eberle, when they were in high school in ahead, especially when the Islanders host the New York Rangers twice Calgary. Drafted 22nd overall in 2008 by the Oilers, he played seven at Barclays Center later this season. seasons with Edmonton before the summer deal, which sent Ryan Strome to the Oilers. While his entire focus is currently on hockey, he is anticipating extra time in the area to play golf next summer on Long Island. The big city seemed intimidating, but the Eberles — who met in a 10th- grade math class and were married in July — quickly found a home in For now, there’s his first Christmas in New York to experience — jam- Garden City, and any trepidations quickly evaporated. packed crowds and all. The seasonal snowfall reminds him of home. “I thought I may not be accustomed to what’s going on here,” said Eberle, “It’s funny how everyone panics here,” he said of a recent dusting in the 27, who had five seasons with 20 or more goals for the Oilers. “But the area. “I’m used to getting 12 feet of snow.” community I live in is very quiet, more like what I’ve been used to.”
Eberle also has adjusted well on the ice for the Islanders, who needed scoring depth beyond John Tavares and rising star Anders Lee. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 12.17.2017 Eberle did not score in his first 10 games, but he now has 12 goals and 22 points overall for the Isles (17-12-3) heading into Saturday’s home game against the Los Angeles Kings. In recent weeks he has developed chemistry on a line with sizzling rookie centre Mathew Barzal and veteran left wing Andrew Ladd, who moved his family to Long Island last season when he signed a seven-year free- agent contract. Eberle was originally envisioned as the right wing on a line with Tavares and Lee, but his shift to the second line has alleviated pressure on Tavares, the team’s leading scorer in seven of his eight seasons with the franchise. The Islanders are in the playoff mix in a tight Metropolitan Division race, where 4 points separate the top five teams. Eberle’s simmering intensity has impressed his coach. “He’s been really solid, really confident; he’s a quiet leader,” said Doug Weight, a former Oiler whom Eberle looked up to when he was younger. “Jordan has stepped up and accepted every role we have given him in a good way.” Playing with Ladd has helped Eberle. Their wives have bonded as native Albertans, and Ladd and Eberle are thriving alongside the 20-year-old Barzal, a rookie of the year candidate with 28 points through 32 games, including a five-assist performance against the Colorado Avalanche on Nov. 5. “Ebs has become one of my best friends, and Ladd is one of the great leaders I have been around,” Barzal said. “It helps me being a young guy playing with two veterans. They make me feel comfortable.” Eberle has fallen into the groove of many Long Islanders, riding the train to his workplace in Brooklyn instead of battling relentless traffic. “The biggest change is taking the train to the game and learning to live that way,” he said. “There’s not as much driving here. It’s nice. I enjoy it.” His wife had been teaching voice and piano lessons in Calgary in recent years, and the cross-continent move meant she needed to be creative to keep her career thriving. She conducts music lessons by Skype with her students in Alberta and also travels home for a week each month. She hopes to expand her music teaching to Long Island once her work visa comes through. She acknowledged that the chance to catch a Broadway musical on a whim was a major bonus to their New York life. Thanks to his wife’s musical profession, Eberle has nurtured hobbies away from the game. She gave him a guitar several birthdays ago. “I try to play every day,” he said. “It’s something that takes me away from hockey a little bit. Music helps since it means using a different side of the brain.” 1088813 Vegas Golden Knights Game day Who: Panthers vs. Golden Knights Knights’ Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith won’t focus on revenge When: 5 p.m. Sunday Where: T-Mobile Arena By Steve Carp TV: AT&T SportsNet (Cox 313/1313, DirecTV 684, CenturyLink 760/1760, U-verse 757/1757) December 16, 2017 - 7:27 PM Radio: KRLV (98.9 FM, 1340 AM)
Line: Off Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault weren’t happy to see Gerard Gallant lose his job 13 months ago. But they agree with their former Three storylines Florida Panthers coach and now their coach with the Golden Knights — it’s about the present, not the past. 1. Gallant’s revenge? This is Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant’s first opportunity to face his former employer since the Panthers fired Gallant The Knights host the Panthers at 5 p.m. Sunday at T-Mobile Arena, and on Nov. 26, 2016. Gallant has taken the high road and not put his Gallant will be the focus of attention, though he wishes he wasn’t. He previous team’s ownership on blast. But you can bet his players will want wants his players to focus on picking up two points. to win this one for him and assistant coach Mike Kelly, who also was fired by Florida. “It’s the bigger picture,” Smith said. “We want to make the most of this homestand.” 2. Struggling Panthers. Florida has lost six of its past eight, though the Panthers have been involved in one-goal games in six of those eight. Reilly Smith is focused on the present 3. More Merrill. Knights defenseman Jon Merrill will remain in the lineup, Marchessault said: “I’ve been with five organizations, so I’ve played as Luca Sbisa deals with a lower-body injury. After Merrill scored the against former teams before. It’s about keeping things going and staying winning goal Thursday against Pittsburgh, Gallant wants to keep Merrill’s on the winning track.” confidence high. Both players said Gallant’s firing was uncomfortable for them. Florida Panthers “It was a terrible experience, and it wasn’t fun to be part of that,” 5 p.m. Sunday, T-Mobile Arena Marchessault said. “Obviously as players it was our fault because we weren’t winning as much as the organization wanted. It was unfortunate, — The Skinny: The Panthers remain in recovery mode after firing Gerard and there’s not a lot of good memories of it.” Gallant in November 2016. Florida has lost six of its past eight and is sixth in the Atlantic Division with a 12-15-5 record. The Panthers are Marchessault's thoughts when Gallant was fired at Florida last season without starting goaltender Roberto Luongo, who suffered a lower-body Smith said: “That happened in Carolina last year, and you don’t see injury Dec. 4 and is expected to miss six to eight weeks. things like that happen too often. It was disappointing what happened.” — Top scorers: Center Jonathan Huberdeau and center Vincent Gallant is downplaying the game, but expect the Knights to give a little Trocheck lead the Panthers with 32 points apiece. Trocheck has a team- extra effort Sunday for their coach. high 13 goals and 19 assists, and Huberdeau has nine goals and a team- leading 23 assists. “Everyone had goosebumps and butterflies for Flower,” said Marchessault, referring to Marc-Andre Fleury and Thursday’s emotional — Goaltender: James Reimer, 6-8-4, 3.48 goals-against average, .896 win over Pittsburgh, Fleury’s former team. “I think you’ll see the same save percentage. thing for Turk.” — Coach: Bob Boughner, first season, 12-15-5 Gerard Gallant holds no grudges against his former team — Founded: 1993 Bjugstad’s anniversary — Last Stanley Cup: None (Lost in 1996 Stanley Cup Finals) Saturday was the three-year anniversary of the longest shootout in NHL — Did you know: Since playing for the Stanley Cup in 1996, the Panthers history, and Gallant was part of it as coach of the Panthers, who needed have made the playoffs only four times, never advancing beyond the first 20 rounds to defeat Washington on Dec. 16, 2014. Center Nick Bjugstad round. had the game winner in his second go-round. Steve Carp Review-Journal “Every time they scored, one of our guys would score,” Gallant said. “Guys we didn’t expect to score scored. I was ready to leave the bench three or four times. Then Bjugstad scored a beautiful goal to win it.” LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 12.17.2017 Nick Bjugstad recalls making history playing for Gerard Gallant Bjugstad, who is with the Panthers for Sunday’s game, said it was a bizarre game. “You saw guys who had never gone scoring and keeping it going.” he said. “For me, it was about the guys who scored in the 14th, 15th round to keep us going. It was no big deal for me to end it. ” Bjugstad said he got lucky on his winning shot. “The ice wasn’t very good at that point; a lot of pucks bouncing,” he said. Carrier update Will Carrier practiced Saturday, and though he was still in a red noncontact jersey, he was moving well and took part in all the drills. The forward suffered an upper-body injury Nov. 25 and has missed the past nine games. “He looked really good,” Gallant said. “I don’t think he’s that far away, but I don’t want to say when he’ll be back.” More Golden Knights: Follow all of our Golden Knights coverage online at reviewjournal.com/GoldenKnights and @HockeyinVegas on Twitter. Contact Steve Carp at [email protected] or 702-387-2913. Follow @stevecarprj on Twitter. 1088814 Vegas Golden Knights “Guys love playing for him because he wants everyone to succeed. But you also know where you stand. Accountability is huge. Knowing each person is held to the same standard by him. That’s really important. He’s Knights’ Gerard Gallant downplays game against team that fired him a treat to play for. I love it.” Mike Kelly was also in Florida with Gallant and is now a member of his coaching staff here, someone who believes Sunday’s game will come By Ed Graney and go without his boss feeling the need to prove anything, who doesn’t expect him to prepare for or treat the opponent any differently than he December 16, 2017 - 6:56 PM would another. “He doesn’t change who he is, regardless if he’s talking to the best player or the Zamboni guy,” Kelly said. “He’s just the same person, every day If another home victory comes Sunday, which would be the 13th in 16 and all the time. He’s sincere. He wants everyone to do well and enjoy games at T-Mobile Arena, which would continue this ridiculously good success and do it together.” beginning for an NHL expansion team, which would occur against a franchise he knows better than most, don’t expect Gerard Gallant to One story that gained national traction upon Gallant being fired in Florida gloat. dealt with a picture of him shortly after receiving the news via phone from ownership. The team had just lost at Carolina and was headed to Or make it appear more important than any other win this season. Chicago. Gallant was headed home. Or give the slightest notion such an outcome brings even a hint of He was photographed waiting for a taxi in the cold of Raleigh, North additional satisfaction. Carolina, and later said he hadn’t wanted to wait for a car service the “Did it bother me getting fired?” Gallant said. “Sure, but that’s because I team had called for him. thought we had two great years and did everything we talked about doing This much we know: Given the job he has done with the Knights, if he and things were going well. But they had a change of philosophy and ever needs a ride anywhere in Las Vegas, I’m guessing cars will be lined wanted to go in a different direction. I can live with that, but I was up and down Tropicana Boulevard. disappointed because I loved my players. “It would be easier now,” he said. “Sometimes, ownership makes decisions. I accepted it.” If the Knights win Sunday, he insists his smile won’t be bigger than after That’s his story, and he’s sticking to it. any other victory. Gallant and the Golden Knights welcome Florida to town, where the That’s his story, and he’s sticking to it. franchise that fired the coach in November 2016 gets its first look at the team he has directed to the best start in league history by an expansion side. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 12.17.2017 Whether it was because of Gallant and management having different visions for the Panthers, specifically his reported disagreement with an emphasis on analytics in regard to personnel decisions or belief the team sacrificed too much of its physical presence with such moves, or all of it, or some of it, or none of it, this happened: After beginning last season 11-10-1, the Panthers fired a man who the previous year led them to a franchise record 103 points, the Atlantic Division title and was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award, annually bestowed to the NHL’s top coach. Gallant, 54, insists he learned more from being fired as coach in Columbus a decade ago than the Florida experience, saying by then he was confident in his abilities and that another opportunity would soon follow. “People know who I am and what I can do,” he said. Vegas agreed. I have voted over the years for many of the top awards in college and pro sports and would think, while understanding such honors are often based on the subjective views of those casting ballots, the Jack Adams falls in line with how most Coach of the Year races are decided. And, while certainly not discounting the jobs being done in places such as St. Louis and New Jersey and Los Angeles, anyone who doesn’t believe Gallant should be a massive leader in the clubhouse at this point has probably had one or 20 too many Molsons. The Knights have 20 wins in 31 games and sit second to the Kings in the Pacific Division. As an expansion team. Come on. Preaches skill, rest How is he doing it? A self-described dirty player for 615 regular-season games over parts of 11 NHL seasons, what was Gallant’s old-school style in skates has transformed into a modern desire for skill and speed and clean play while standing behind the boards. The Knights are one of the league’s least penalized teams and probably its most rested. Gallant doesn’t beat them up at practice. Morning skates are barely 35 minutes of drill time. They never go long. “(Gallant) is a unique guy,” defenseman Nate Schmidt said. “The beauty is, before we all got here, the words that stuck out to me that I heard about him were ‘loyal’ and ‘honest’ and ‘respected.’ 1088815 Vegas Golden Knights It was the second straight year the Penguins were named the top trending team by the internet search giant.
Penguins center Sidney Crosby was the top player on Google’s list for Senators owner Eugene Melnyk threatens to relocate NHL team the second consecutive year.
By David Schoen LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 12.17.2017 December 16, 2017 - 6:13 PM Updated December 16, 2017 - 6:21 PM
It was supposed to be a festive occasion for the NHL, with an outdoor game Saturday in Canada’s capital to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of the league’s first games. Then, Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk sneezed all over the birthday cake and spit in the punch bowl. Melnyk made a not-so-veiled threat Friday to relocate his financially struggling franchise, less than 24 hours before the NHL 100 Classic between the Senators and Montreal Canadiens at Lansdowne Park. “If it doesn’t look good here, it could look very, very nice somewhere else, but I’m not suggesting that right now,” Melnyk told reporters Friday at Parliament Hill during the Senators’ alumni game. “That’s always the possibility with any franchise. If you open a grocery store and nobody comes, but one opens two blocks down and there’s a line outside, where are you going to have your store?” Melnyk’s comments came a little more than a week after the NHL announced it would accept an expansion application from Seattle. Quebec City and Houston also are seeking teams. Melnyk, who purchased the Senators in 2003, denied the team was for sale but said “the market here has to prove itself.” The Senators are 26th in the league in attendance based on percent of capacity, averaging 15,281 fans through 15 games. The team struggled to sell out its three home games at Canadian Tire Centre in last season’s Eastern Conference finals against Pittsburgh. “You can’t keep spending at the top end and getting the lowest revenues. It just doesn’t work,” Melnyk said. “Here we’re fighting every day to sell a ticket, honest to God. When you get to the third round of the playoffs and you’re begging people to buy a ticket, something’s wrong with that picture. So, we’re just hoping that changes.” Melnyk downplayed the possibility of a downtown Ottawa arena and has been seeking to refurbish the team’s current arena in suburban Kanata, Ontario. The owner admitted he previously slashed the front-office budget and also hinted at cuts to the player payroll. The Senators rank 11th in the league this season with a projected salary cap hit of nearly $73.3 million, according to CapFriendly.com. Former Senators center Kyle Turris said last week that Melnyk decided against re-signing him. Turris was traded to Nashville on Nov. 5 in a three-way deal for Matt Duchene and signed a six-year, $36 million extension with the Predators. Two weeks ago, star defenseman Erik Karlsson told reporters he wasn’t taking a hometown discount from the Senators as he approaches free agency and also could be traded. The Senators entered the NHL 100 Classic at 10-13-7 and in second-to- last place in the Atlantic Division. “Imagine if you own a McDonald’s franchise, but you can move it,” Melnyk said. “Why would you sell it? It’s something that’s very difficult to buy. We’re doing OK here. We’re not doing great, but we’re doing OK.” Birthday bash The Toronto Maple Leafs will celebrate their centennial when they host Carolina in the “Next Century Game” on Tuesday at Air Canada Centre. The game features a special 2 p.m. local time start. The Maple Leafs will wear special jerseys to commemorate the Toronto Arenas, one of four teams to play the NHL’s first-ever games on Dec. 19, 1917. Trending up The Pittsburgh Penguins were the NHL’s most-searched team in 2017, according to Google’s “Year in Search 2017.” 1088816 Vegas Golden Knights Haula has 11 goals and 10 assists, and has jumpstarted the line with Neal and David Perron since being moved up. He would currently be third on the Wild in points, and is only five points away from his total last Six teams that gave up too much to the Golden Knights in expansion year in Minnesota. draft Tuch has seven goals and eight assists for the Golden Knights, and has been one of the best fore checkers on the team and an integral part of the power play. The 21-year-old is almost certainly one of the major By Jesse Granger building blocks for McPhee to build around in the future. Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017 | 2 a.m. In Minnesota, Dumba has struggled severely this season with turnovers. “You know, (Dumba) just hasn't been playing that well,’’ Wild The expansion draft that welcomed the Golden Knights into the NHL this coach Bruce Boudreau told the Star Tribune. “He's a good player that summer strained the league’s other 30 franchises. maybe I've set the bar pretty high for him, and he hasn't reached that bar. I just thought that was an inexcusable play. And at some point, you have In an attempt to create a more competitive expansion franchise, teams to be accountable for your actions. We can teach and show and do this. I were allowed to protect far fewer players than in past drafts, leading to mean, it's like a ‘you can lead a horse to water’ type of thing.” some marquee players being left available for Vegas. Pittsburgh Penguins Many teams lost key players that are now contributing to the Golden Knights’ early-season success, but no team lost more than the Florida Seeing the Penguins on this list may come as a surprise considering Panthers, which visit for a 5 p.m. game tonight at T-Mobile Arena. veteran goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has missed the majority of the season with a concussion. It was their own doing, starting last season when they surprisingly fired coach Gerard Gallant less than a year after he led Florida to the best But make no mistake, the Penguins wish they could have Fleury back. record in franchise history. In June, Pittsburgh asked McPhee to take the aging goaltender off their “He’s a great coach,” said Golden Knights winger Jonathan hands to relieve salary cap issues. The Penguins fully believed in Matt Marchessault, who played under Gallant in Florida. “He wants you to be Murray and thought free-agent pickup Antti Niemi would be a serviceable loose, make plays and have fun around the rink. He’s always joking and backup. messing around the locker room and at practice, and saying hi to everyone. He has amazing respect for us and it makes for a great In Niemi’s first start, the Penguins pulled him after allowing four goals in atmosphere to be around every day.” nine minutes. He played twice more for Pittsburgh, going 0-3 overall with 16 goals against. Gallant and the Golden Knights have the fifth best record in the NHL at 20-9-2, while the Panthers are the fifth-worst team in the league at 12-15- The Penguins then waived him. 5. Murray has also struggled this season and the Penguins are off to their Marchessault, whom the Panthers left unprotected in the expansion draft worst start in some time. despite scoring 30 goals last season, has continued his success in Fleury looked outstanding early in the season before his concussion with Vegas. The 27-year-old has 10 goals and 16 assists for 26 points an impressive .925 save percentage, and has played well since already. returning, including in a win over the Penguins on Thursday. “I wanted to prove that that wasn’t just a one-season deal,” To make matters worse for Pittsburgh, it gave McPhee a Marchessault said. “I wanted to prove that but I always knew I could. Last Second-round pick in 2020 to select Fleury in the expansion draft. season was my first full year, so I knew that if I had the opportunity that I would help out my team and I think it’s just fun that I can have the chance Nashville Predators to do that here.” Last year, James Neal was a big part of the Predators’ run to the Stanley Meanwhile in Florida, Nick Bjugstad, whom the Panthers protected over Cup. This year, he’s tied for the team lead in goals for the Golden Marchessault, has 11 fewer points. Third-pairing defensemen Alex Knights. Petrovic and Mark Pysyk were also protected, and have combined for only six points this season. “We have a really good group of guys here,” Neal said. “We had to come together quickly to form a team but we’re growing each day. We are Losing Gallant and Marchessault would have hurt enough, but the having fun, and everyone cares for each other and wants to win for each Panthers also traded up-and-coming forward Reilly Smith to the Golden other. When you have that good things happen so we’re going to enjoy it Knights for a fourth-round pick this offseason. and keep going with it.” Smith has joined Marchessault on Vegas’ top line, and has 23 points on Neal is tied for 12th in the NHL with 15 goals, which would be the most the season. He’s also served as one of the Golden Knights’ most on the Predators this season. Meanwhile, Calle Jarnkrok, who was versatile players. protected over Neal, has scored only seven goals in 31 games in Nashville. Jarnkrok is four years younger than Neal, so the Predators The line of Smith, Marchessault and William Karlsson is the eighth might not been too upset with their decision, but Neal certainly could feel highest scoring line in the league. like one that got away. The Panthers got the worst of it, but many other teams also wish they Columbus Blue Jackets could change their approach. Here are five other teams likely wishing for an expansion draft do-over. No player on the Golden Knights has surprised the NHL more this season than William Karlsson. Minnesota Wild The 25-year-old center leads the Golden Knights in goals (15) Minnesota has one of the deepest defensive units in the league, and because of that it was forced to expose young blue liners Jonas Brodin and points (26) and has already exceeded his career highs in both. Only and Matt Dumba. one player in Columbus has more points than Karlsson -- free agent pickup Artemi Panarin. In an attempt to keep their defense intact, the Wild worked Instead of Karlsson, the Blue Jackets protected players like out a deal with Golden Knights general manager George McPhee to instead select forward Erik Haula. In exchange, the Wild gave Vegas Cam Atkinson (six goals and four assists), Brandon Dubinsky (three their top AHL prospect, Alex Tuch. goals and nine assists) and Scott Hartnell, who was released a week after the expansion draft. A third of the way through the season, Haula has moved into Not only did the Golden Knights get their top-line center in the top line and Tuch appears to be a star in the making. Karlsson, they also took on the $5.2 million contract of David Clarkson “It’s really good to see Erik coming out of that bottom-six position he had from Columbus in exchange for a 2017 first-round draft pick and a 2019 in Minnesota,” Tuch said. “I thought that with the depth they had, second-round draft pick. especially at center, it was tough for him to dig his way out of there but he’s done that in Vegas and is playing really well.” The Blue Jackets gave the haul up to protect backup goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, who is 3-3-0 this season. Boston Bruins The Golden Knights could have taken current backup goaltender Malcolm Subban during June’s expansion draft. The former first round pick was widely regarded as one of the prospects with the highest potential at the position, but hadn’t worked out in Boston to that point. Instead, McPhee opted to take speedy defenseman Colin Miller, who has been outstanding for Vegas this season. Buried under multiple pairs of veteran defenders in Boston, Miller was never given this opportunity. “You’re not really sure because you haven’t had that opportunity in the NHL and you’re not really sure how it’s going to go,” Miller said. “I definitely had the confidence in myself so maybe it was just getting it at the right moment.” The 24-year-old has averaged more than 18 minutes of ice time per game, including major minutes on the power play. With 17 points, Miller is the highest scoring defenseman on the Golden Knights. “Confidence is everything in all sports,” Miller said. “The coaches do a great job giving us that though. They’re supportive and they show confidence in you so you have it in yourself.” The Bruins chose to expose Miller over Kevan Miller, who has not scored in 27 games and is a third-pairing defender. And McPhee still ended up getting Malcolm Subban, whom the Bruins waived on Oct. 2. Since joining Vegas, Subban is 7-2-0 with a 2.33 goals against average, which is fifth-best in the NHL, and appears to be a possible franchise goaltender going forward.
LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088817 Washington Capitals
Devante Smith-Pelly has found his comfort level with the Capitals
By Callie Caplan December 16 at 7:34 AM
From the first game of the season, forward Devante Smith-Pelly knew he could find comfort playing for the Capitals. He committed a turnover that led to an Ottawa goal in Washington’s Oct. 5 shootout win, and as Smith- Pelly skated to the bench, he was already fretting the mistake. But Coach Barry Trotz didn’t yell. He didn’t cut his playing time, either. “At that point in years past, that would be the knife for me,” Smith-Pelly said. “But [Trotz] said: ‘Don’t worry about it. That stuff happens.’ ” The Capitals are Smith-Pelly’s third team in three seasons, but a mutual trust with the coaching staff and camaraderie with his teammates makes the forward feel he’s poised to fortify his place in the lineup against his first NHL team, the Anaheim Ducks, in Capital One Arena on Saturday night. “I knew that he played on the fourth, the third lines and that he was that style of player. But when we came here, I was like, ‘This guy’s got more,’ ” Capitals center Jay Beagle said. “He’s been given the chance, and he’s got tons of skill and he’s smart with the puck. He can play up and down in any line. He can play a fourth-line role, but he also can play that first- and second-line role, and he plays it really well.” Trotz said after practice Friday that right wing T.J. Oshie wouldn’t return against the Ducks from the upper-body injury that has kept him out for the past five games, but the coach knows he has a decision looming. When Oshie returns, Smith-Pelly is one of the candidates to be scratched from the lineup. He most recently has played on the fourth line with Beagle and Chandler Stephenson. “That’s for the coach to decide,” Smith-Pelly said sitting at his locker Friday. “I’m just doing my job every night: blocking shots, playing physical and putting up points. That’s what I’ve been asked to do, and I think I’ve been doing it pretty well.” Smith-Pelly feels his improved production, along with what Trotz said is a valuable role in wearing down opponents with his 6-foot, 223-pound frame, has spoken for itself. After the Montreal Canadiens traded him to the New Jersey Devils late in the 2015-16 season, Smith-Pelly made a splash with eight goals and five assists in 18 games. But a lingering knee injury hampered his production last season, when he tallied nine points in 53 games and finished on injured reserve. The Devils bought out his contract over the summer, and he signed with the Capitals a few days later. Smith-Pelly has embraced his relationship with Trotz — the two have had meetings throughout the season — and he has five goals and six assists through 33 games, already eclipsing his point total from last season. He earned time with Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov on the first line in 12 games earlier this season. And he has found chemistry in collaborating with Beagle and Stephenson on the fourth line as the Capitals have found a rhythm in winning nine of their past 11 games. “Their line has a little bit of offense, but they can grind you out pretty good, too,” Trotz said. “I’ve been using them more and more as the lines have settled in a little bit, and they’ve got some pretty good responsibility on the ice now, and what it’s done is evened out our ice time.” Smith-Pelly also has gotten a taste of the city, recently visiting the Newseum and making a mental list of museums and art galleries he wants to visit during future downtime. For now, the 25-year-old is focused on squaring off Saturday against some his former teammates from Anaheim, where he played from 2011- 12 until he was traded to the Canadiens before the 2015 deadline. “I definitely think about that as one of the better times in my hockey career,” Smith-Pelly said. “I had a lot of fun in Anaheim, and I’m looking forward to seeing the guys and playing against them.”
Washington Post LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088818 Washington Capitals “Even if we’re down two goals, it felt like we had a good feeling,” Backstrom said. “We felt like we created good enough chances to score.”
Trotz told his players not to waver. Captain Comeback: Alex Ovechkin lifts Capitals past Ducks in overtime “I just said, ‘Stay to the process. We get one, we’re going to get the other one,’ ” he said. “We were creating way too much not to get more than By Isabelle Khurshudyan one.” December 16 at 10:43 PM Washington Post LOADED: 12.17.2017 Capital One Arena was silent as Alex Ovechkin unfurled his shot. The next sound was the puck clanging off the post and into the netting. Then, a wall of noise. The Capitals overcame a two-goal deficit in the third period to force overtime, and Ovechkin’s goal — blasted from the faceoff circle before ramping up off a defender’s stick — 1:58 into the extra period lifted them to a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday night. The two standings points moved them into sole possession of the Metropolitan Division lead. “That was fun,” Coach Barry Trotz said. Ovechkin’s goal came at the end of a lengthy, 1:19 shift in three-on-three overtime, when he was trying to get a shot off before going for a line change. His 23rd goal tied him with Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov for the NHL lead. “I’ll take it,” Ovechkin said. Through the first two periods, Washington’s top line had been especially snakebit, robbed by Ducks netminder John Gibson on several prime scoring opportunities and missing the net on others. With how much possession time that trio had, a goal seemed inevitable. It finally came 3:05 into the third period, when Nicklas Backstrom scored on the rebound of an Ovechkin shot, putting the Capitals on the board and halving the Ducks’ lead to 2-1. Since Backstrom snapped his 21-game goal drought, he has four goals in six games. And less than five minutes after Backstrom’s goal, Evgeny Kuznetsov tied the score with his 11th goal, shooting the puck over Gibson’s pad. “We came out with a purpose in the third period,” Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby said. “We showed our character,” Ovechkin said. “Everybody believes in this room we can come back. Obviously, we had great chances in the second, but we don’t score. He played unbelievable today, Gibson.” The Capitals entered the game riding a five-game home winning streak, with this their last game at Capital One Arena before Christmas. The team hadn’t trailed in Chinatown during December, something that changed in the first period. On a two-on-one rush with less than four minutes until intermission, Anaheim fourth-line center Derek Grant shot a puck over Holtby’s blocker to lift the Ducks to a 1-0 lead. Earlier in the period, Capitals forward Tom Wilson had a look at an open net, but his shot clanged off the post instead. Gibson haunted the Capitals over the next 20 minutes. In the first minute of the second period, Alex Chiasson deked his way to the net, alone and in close, but Gibson fell into a split, saving the shot with his glove. Less than three minutes later, he did the same with a point-blank Wilson shot. As good as Gibson was, the Capitals’ play was largely disjointed. Their passes weren’t crisp, and Washington managed just three shots on goal through more than 12 minutes in the second period. Puck management had been poor, with too many turnovers. Several players complained about ice conditions after the arena hosted the Syracuse-Georgetown men’s basketball game earlier in the day. “Yeah, it was really bad,” forward Devante Smith-Pelly said. “That might have played a part into the sloppiness throughout.” [Capitals’ win over Colorado showed what a difference a month can make] Andre Burakovsky was sent to the penalty box for hooking 7:31 into the second period. Right off the faceoff, with Holtby screened, Ryan Getzlaf’s shot made its way through two bodies, and Jakob Silfverberg tipped the puck through the small hole between Holtby’s skate and the post. That gave the Ducks a two-goal advantage. It seemed as if a new Capitals team hit the ice for the third period, when Washington managed to erase its deficit in less than eight minutes. 1088819 Washington Capitals
Burakovsky may be healthy, but he is still adjusting to the speed of the game
By J.J. Regan December 16, 2017 10:06 AM
Andre Burakovsky was considered a key piece of the Capitals offense this year, but a thumb injury in late October forced him out of the lineup until Dec. 8. But just because he is healthy does not mean he is back to game speed yet and that is evident in his stats. In four games since he has returned, Burakovsky has only one point to show for it, an assist against the Colorado Avalanche. “Stops and starting and turning feels, I think when I'm skating, I feel like it's a little bit odd,” Burakovsky said after practice on Friday. “But I think stickhandling and passing and shooting is coming back. I had a couple good looks [Thursday against the Boston Bruins], it's just some bad luck. Just sometimes when I skate I can feel like it's still a little bit different.” When a player misses six weeks like Burakovsky did, he has two hurdles to clear before he is truly “100-percent.” First, he must get healthy. Second, and one aspect that many forget is the process of getting back into game speed. Burakovsky has done the first part, but he is still working on the second. “Just like any player coming back, they're not going to be 100-percent all the time in the whole thought process, the whole game process,” Barry Trotz said. “He's missed six weeks. He's in great shape, he's worked hard, he's done all that but it's just getting the timing. You've been skating and working with guys and haven't had six weeks of people tracking you down, leaning on you, putting pressure on your stick and the puck and all that. Those plays are a little harder to make because you haven't had that for six weeks.” For a player like Burakovsky who wants to produce points, that process can get frustrating. He’s back in the lineup and getting minutes, but not points as he continues to get back up to speed. “Obviously, I'm trying not to get frustrated, but I'm just a player that's really hard on myself,” he said. “When things aren't going 100-percent the right way, I'm getting hard on myself. I'm trying not to think too much about it, just trying to do all the right things.” It’s all just part of the process for a player who needs to realize that being healthy doesn’t necessarily mean you’re 100-percent.
Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088820 Washington Capitals Use the comment section below to discuss the game action with other Capitals fans.
For all the latest Caps coverage, follow Capitals Insider Tarik El-Bashir, Game 34: Capitals vs. Ducks Date, Time, How to Watch, Game Thread Capitals correspondent JJ Regan and the NBC Sports Capitals account on Twitter. Be sure check out our Capitals page and NBC Sports Washington's Facebook page. By J.J. Regan
December 16, 2017 6:00 AM Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.17.2017
What: Washington Capitals vs. Anaheim Ducks Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C. When: 8:00 p.m. ET How to WATCH: Capitals-Ducks will be broadcast on NBC Sports Washington (Channel Finder) Live Stream: You can watch the Capitals-Ducks game on NBC Sports Washington's live stream page. You can also stream the game online with no cable TV subscription on fuboTV (try for free!). WHEN IS THE CAPITALS-DUCKS GAME? The Capitals (20-12-1) take on the Ducks (14-11-7) Saturday, December 16 at 7:00 p.m. ET at Capital One Arena. WHAT CHANNEL IS THE CAPITALS-DUCKS GAME ON? The Capitals-Ducks game will be broadcast on NBC Sports Washington. Coverage kicks off with Capitals FaceOff at 7:00 p.m. followed by Capitals GameTime at 7:30 p.m. Stay with NBC Sports Washington following the game for Caps Extra, Caps Overtime at 11:00 p.m. and Caps in 30 at 12 a.m. for all your postgame coverage. (NBC Sports Washington channel Finder) 7:00 p.m. — Caps FaceOff 7:30 p.m. — Caps GameTime 8:00 p.m. — Capitals vs. Ducks 10:30 p.m. — Caps Extra 11:00 p.m. — Caps Overtime 12:00 a.m. — Caps in 30 WHERE CAN I STREAM THE CAPITALS-DUCKS GAME? The Capitals-Ducks game, as well as Caps GameTime and Caps Extra, is available to stream live here through NBC Sports Washington's live stream page and is available to authenticated NBC Sports Washington subscribers on desktops, tablets, mobile devices and connected TVs anywhere in the United States. The game is also available to stream, along with all the pregame and postgame shows, on fuboTV (try for free). WHAT ARE THE PROJECTED LINES FOR CAPITALS-DUCKS? Here are the Caps' projected lines: Forwards Alex Ovechkin - Nicklas Backstrom - Tom Wilson Jakub Vrana - Evgeny Kuznetsov - Alex Chiasson Brett Connolly - Lars Eller - Andre Burakovsky Chandler Stephenson - Jay Beagle - Devante Smith-Pelly Defensemen Dmitry Orlov - Matt Niskanen Brooks Orpik - John Carlson Christian Djoos - Madison Bowey Goalies Braden Holtby starts with Philipp Grubauer as backup. Scratches: T.J. Oshie (upper-body injury), Taylor Chorney CAPITALS-DUCKS OPEN THREAD 1088821 Washington Capitals
Tarik's Three Stars: Alex Ovechkin completes Capitals OT comeback
By Tarik El-Bashir December 16, 2017 10:43 PM
For 40 minutes, Saturday’s showdown vs. the Ducks was The John Gibson Show. But the Anaheim goaltender could only keep the surging Caps at bay for so long. Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov rallied the home team in the third period, then Alex Ovechkin scored in overtime to lift Washington to a thrilling 3-2 victory. The Caps have now won a season-high six in a row at home and three straight overall. Meanwhile, the Ducks’ last four losses have come after regulation. Tarik’s three stars of the night: 1-Alex Ovechkin, Capitals Ovechkin sealed the come-from-behind win by ripping a shot past Gibson 1:58 into the extra session. No. 8 also had the primary assist on Nicklas Backstrom’s game-tying goal in the third period. The goal was Ovechkin’s 23rd on the season (tied for first) and the 21st of his career in overtime, which is the highest total in NHL history. 2-Evgeny Kuznetsov, Capitals Kuznetsov scored Washington’s second goal...though it looked like he was actually trying to pass the puck. But thanks to a deflection off a Ducks' defender's stick, the puck changed directions and slipped past Gibson to knot the score, 2-2, at 7:27 of the third period. Kuzy now has five points in the last three games (1 goal, 4 assists). 3-Nicklas Backstrom, Capitals For a long time this season, it looked like Backstrom may never score again. Now, he can’t stop scoring. His second goal in two games—and fourth in six contests—cut the Caps’ deficit to 2-1 four minutes before Kuznetsov’s strike. The scoring play began with a giveaway by Anaheim defenseman Josh Manson deep in Anaheim’s end.
Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088822 Washington Capitals
5 reasons the Caps beat the Ducks
By J.J. Regan December 16, 2017 11:22 PM
This game was not going the Caps' way through two periods. Everything changed in the final frame, however, as the Capitals rallied from a 2-0 deficit to force overtime. Alex Ovechkin did the rest in a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Here's how the Caps were able to rally for the win. Braden Holtby holding the goal line late in the second (about 4:10 left) Washington trailed 2-0 in the second and the Ducks were looking for more late. A shot from Derek Grant on the left went wide and hit off the backboards right to Dennis Rasmussen who tried to stuff the puck on Holtby's right. Holtby dove to cover the goal line. Critically, his goal stick stuck out past the post and neither Rasmussen nor Logan Shaw could get the puck past the stick to get the puck to the front and stuff it in. Once the puck finally did squirt free into the crease, Hotlby gloved it. A 3-0 deficit may have been lights out for Washington. Nicklas Backstrom's early third period goal Trying to overcome a two-goal deficit in one period is a daunting task. Every second that ticks by makes your comeback bid harder. The fact that Nicklas Backstrom was able to strike just over three minutes into the third period was absolutely critical. Backstrom was able to net a rebound off of an Alex Ovechkin shot just over three minutes into the third period. The Caps went from a two-goal deficit to trailing by one with 17 minutes remaining. Suddenly, that mountain they had to climb did not seem so high. A lucky tip or a veteran call? If you've been yelling for Evgeny Kuznetsov to shoot the puck more, you were probably pleased with his third period goal to tie the game at two. With Tom Wilson open on the backdoor, Kuznetsov chose to call his own number and fired a shot past Gibson. Or did he? Was Kuznetsov trying to pass that puck? Take a look at the replay.
Like magic, Kuznetsov turns this into a tie game! ♂ Watch #CapsDucks live: https://t.co/NGTPHxGvna pic.twitter.com/Xs5F0paVuZ — NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) December 17, 2017 Just at the last second, Andrew Cogliano hits either the puck or the stick of Kuznetsov. Whether he meant to pass and it was a lucky break or he was thinking shot the whole way, it worked out for the Caps. Braden Holtby's two early saves on Rickard Rakell in overtime Rakell wanted the Ducks to win this game. Less than a minute into overtime, he had a lane to shoot on Holtby. Holtby made the initial save, but the rebound bounced to the faceoff circle. Both of the trailing players in red skated past. Holtby took a step forward to try to clear the puck from danger, but then saw Rakell had a step on him to collect his own rebound. He stopped, then kicked out the pad to make an incredible save to deny Rakell again about 10 feet out of the crease. Alex Ovechkin's bullet Sometimes when you play against a player like Ovechkin, there's nothing you can do. At the end of his shift, Ovechkin elected to carry the puck into the offensive zone rather than passing it off to change up. He was forced to the boards by Brandon Montour and decided just to tee-up the mini slap shot. When you're the greatest goal scorer of a generation, however, even a shot from the top of the faceoff circle near the boards is a dangerous shot.
Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088823 Winnipeg Jets "In the short term, sure. But not on the long term," Maurice said when asked about the struggles of his top goal-scorers. "They’re good players and they’re going to score. When you’ve got a guy who has gone five or Bittersweet performance against Blues six games that hasn’t found the net and who was on a good rhythm before, you know they’re pressing and feeling it a little bit."
Maurice added: "But great players, all of them go through it. They all go By: Jeff Hamilton through stretches of five or six and struggle to find the back of the net and they find a way to fight through it. As they get further on in their Posted: 12/16/2017 9:33 PM | career, they get smaller and smaller gaps (between goals)." Last Modified: 12/17/2017 12:06 AM What was perhaps lost in the frustration of another loss was the stellar play of Steve Mason. Mason made 28 saves in his first game back from a
concussion, which he suffered in the first period of a 4-0 loss to the San ST. LOUIS — The Winnipeg Jets were reminded of a hard lesson that in Jose Sharks on Nov. 25. He kept the Jets in the game with a number of hockey nothing is guaranteed, no matter how much you might feel key saves, including a highlight reel stop on the goal line against deserving of a better fate. Alexander Steen in the third period to keep it a 1-0 game. That, in short, was the take-home message in the visitor’s locker room Mason would make the original save on Steen’s one-time shot in the first following a long night at the Scottrade Center, where the Jets put forth a period, but the puck bounced free and eventually onto the stick of performance seemingly worthy of two points, outplaying the St. Louis Tarasenko, who buried his 15th of the year. He admitted he was tricked Blues in every way, but where it truly counted. by the second goal and could have played it better. By the time the dust settled, it was the Blues who would leave victorious, "I lost it on the one side. I looked to my right and probably should have edging the Jets 2-0 in the Central Division matchup Saturday night. looked to my left and lost it through a couple bodies there," he said. "I’m not sure if it was deflected or not, but it found its way through." "What more can you do?" asked a visibly frustrated Blake Wheeler, the Jets captain, then following up with another question: "That was a hell of Mason will return to the bench tonight when the Jets seek revenge in the a road game tonight, wouldn’t you say?" back half of a home-and-home series with the Blues. He’ll have a front row view of what he said should be a good challenge for the Jets. Even if Though a strong case, it will do little ease to fan’s frustrations as the Jets the bad taste of defeat still lingers by puck drop. continue their current free-fall. Winnipeg put up 77 shot attempts on the night, with 48 of those hitting the net. But Blues backup goaltender Carter "Sometimes the way hockey works is you can put as good an effort as Hutton, who was called on to give starter Jake Allen the night off and was possible and still come up on the short end of the stick," he said. "That’s playing his first game in a week since being activated from injured the frustrating part about the game, but the nice thing is you can get right reserve, was up to the challenge. back up on the horse and we have a great opportunity to continue the strong effort and get two points tomorrow." He stopped everything that came at him to earn his first shutout of the season and prevent the Jets from rising out of their current funk. "Certainly you’d think that you throw that again and you’d be on the right Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 12.17.2017 side of it," Wheeler added. "But nothing is guaranteed." The Jets (18-10-5) have now dropped five of their last six games and six straight on the road. It wasn’t long ago Winnipeg was enjoying unprecedented success, leading the Western Conference — and tied for most points in the NHL. Now, the Jets are third in the Central Division and are losing valuable ground on the teams below them in the standings. Chicago and Minnesota are just four points shy of the Jets’ 34, with Dallas, who has played one more game, only three points back. The pressure of dropping even further, though, didn’t seem to faze a sombre but encouraged group. The Jets felt they left everything on the ice, dictating much of the play through three periods. Even after Vladimir Tarasenko gave the home side a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal midway through the first, the fight in Winnipeg hardly extinguished. It just wasn’t enough to finish the job, with the Blues eventually adding another goal on the man advantage in the dying minutes of the game — from a shot by defenceman Vince Dunn that found the top right corner — which ultimately sealed the win. With the victory, the Blues (22-10-2) snapped a two-game losing streak, wrapping up their four-game home stand at 2-2. St. Louis is now in top spot in the Western Conference, two points up on the Nashville Predators (Nashville was battling the Calgary Flames still at press time). "There’s a change in gears here that happens in December. Pressure starts to weigh pretty heavy on some teams," Jets head coach Paul Maurice said. "That’s all part of that learning process with the grind. This is the real NHL now. "You got through the easy part and you’re into that heavier area where teams are fighting and you’ve got to learn how to do it." What was most disappointing on the night was that the Jets’ top players continue to struggle. Wheeler has just one assist in his last game; Mark Scheifele has just one assist in his last six. Patrik Laine, the Jets’ most skilled shooter, is goalless in his last four games, while his centreman Bryan Little hasn’t found the back of the net since Nov. 29 — a stretch of eight games. As for the Jets’ power play, a unit heading into the game was third best in the NHL, went 0-for-4 on the night. The Blues, who entered the gam with the 25th ranked PP, suddenly came to life on the man advantage, scoring two goals on five opportunities. It was the first two power-play goals for St. Louis in the last five games. 1088824 Winnipeg Jets "He’s gonna get better, he skates, he’s a big, strong kid. I like him. I’m not going to weigh these games negatively too heavily if he has an off night." Dubious all-time coaching record for Maurice Shawn Matthias won’t gripe about his lot in life with the Jets. The veteran winger has played in just one of Winnipeg’s past 15 games By: Jason Bell and Mike Sawatzky — slotting in Dec. 3 when Kyle Connor was injured. Before that, he was a healthy scratch for nine contests, then a spectactor from the press box Posted: 12/16/2017 8:52 AM for five straight since. Last Modified: 12/16/2017 8:54 AM The 29-year-old Mississauga, Ont., native, who has 542 games under his belt split between Florida, Vancouver, Toronto, Colorado and Winnipeg, said it’s the most frustrating stretch of his NHL career. The Winnipeg Jets’ 5-1 defeat to the Chicago Blackhawks gave head But he’s trying to stay positive and aid the Central Division club in less- coach Paul Maurice 578 losses in his head coaching career. obvious ways. Paul Maurice set an NHL record Thursday night and is now ahead of "It it what it is. You have to be a good teammate. You have to be a good legendary coaches such as the late Al Arbour, Scotty Bowman, Mike person, a professional," Matthias said. "You have to think about the Keenan, Lindy Ruff, Joel Quenneville and the late Pat Quinn. team, and the team’s doing well. You have to do your part and that’s keeping the goalies sharp in practice, skating when guys are banged up It’s not exactly the kind of benchmark a bench boss craves. so practice goes smoothly. The Winnipeg Jets’ 5-1 defeat to the Chicago Blackhawks gave Maurice "It’s definitely different. It’s the first time." 578 losses in his head coaching career, vaulting him past Arbour — who coached the New York Islanders to four consecutive Stanley Cup Matthias played 17 straight to start the year but managed just two championships in the early 1980s — for the most in NHL history. assists, both coming in Winnipeg’s 7-1 rout of the Pittsburgh Penguins on Oct. 29. Asked to comment Friday, Maurice gave a playful first response. In the final year of a two-year, US$4.25-million contract, Matthias hasn’t "Who’d I pass?" the 20-year NHL coach wondered, followed by "Not so been showcasing himself to earn another multi-year deal with the Jets or bad..." when told he’d broken the tie with Arbour. someone else. "Longevity, eventually you’re going to crack that number," he said. "If I’d But that’s not his primary focus. had a team like (the 2017-18 Jets) for 20 of those seasons I wouldn’t have reached it quite as fast." "I’m not thinking about it, to be honest. (The contract issue) is far away right now. There’s more to think about now, like staying in shape, doing In 19 previous seasons, five of the teams he guided qualified for the post- the little things to stay ready. season. "There’s two ways to go about it. You can think about yourself and those Maurice joined the Hartford Whalers as an assistant for the 1995-96 guys aren’t good teammates, those aren’t guys that you want around," he season but assumed the head coaching job after just 12 games when the said. "I think I’ve done a good job of staying positive, staying ready and team struggled out of the gate, becoming one of the youngest head working hard and helping out. coaches in league history at 28. He stayed with the club when it moved to Carolina the following year, leading them to four consecutive winning "I’m in a fortunate position. I play in the best league in the world, and I get seasons (1998-2002) and a spot in the Stanley Cup final in ‘02 before paid a lot to do this. So, I’ve been lucky in my life." losing to the Detroit Red Wings in five games.
A year later, the Hurricanes finished out of the playoffs, and he was fired early into the 2003-04 campaign. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 12.17.2017 "I haven’t had too many seasons when I’ve walked away and thought a team didn’t at least get real close to its potential. We’ve had a couple of tough years in there, going back the year (2002-03) after we lost in the (Stanley Cup) final. We had a real tough season," he recalled. Maurice also coached two years in Toronto and parts of four more in Carolina, joining the Jets in 2014 after Claude Noel was fired. He signed a new multi-year deal with Winnipeg in September. He remains 16th overall in victories with 614, and 10th in games coached with 1,397. "Survival is not something you want to be the most important thing people say about you, but there’s a quality there — the teams that I’ve coached worked hard. I look back at them and we started every year thinking we had a chance to win," he said. "I feel the same about this one, but this one’s got a little bit more firepower." Tucker Poolman’s rookie pro season has involved a lot of waiting and watching, but with injuries to veteran blue-liners Dustin Byfuglien and Toby Enstrom he’s played two consecutive games while averaging more than 13 minutes of ice time paired with Ben Chiarot. Poolman, 24, played three games with the Jets in October and is now without a pointin five career games. How has he done overall? "I guess parts of it I’ve been happy with and other parts, not so much I guess — just little things, (like) making passes on the tape. I mean, it’s tough jumping in quick after a few weeks off," he said Friday. Maurice sees Poolman’s development heading in an upward trajectory. "Really liked his first game," Maurice said. "Last night (5-1 loss to Chicago), I thought he looked like the rest of the group — so he had lots of friends. I’ve got a lot of time for this guy. 1088825 Winnipeg Jets In order to give Hellebuyck some rest, Maurice has decided to go with backup Steve Mason against the Blues. Mason is in need to get back into a rhythm after missing nine games with a concussion he suffered in the Mason to start for Jets against Blues first period of a 4-0 loss to the San Jose Sharks Nov. 25. "It’s the kind of game I think he could excel at; they put a lot of pucks to the net through traffic," said Maurice, noting he liked Mason’s last full By: Jeff Hamilton road game, which was 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings Nov. 22. "Steve would have played a bunch of games in this block if it wasn’t due Posted: 12/16/2017 12:53 PM to injury. And it’s different for a goalie that runs a month that when you don’t play but you’re healthy your mind can play tricks on you. When
you’re coming off an injury you’re focused on getting healthy, feeling ST. LOUIS – The Winnipeg Jets find themselves mired in rare slump in good so he’s actually in a real positive place to go in tonight." what’s been an otherwise successful 2017-18 NHL season so far. The Mason has backed up Hellebuyck the last two games but with the Jets Jets (18-9-5) have dropped four of their last five games and, along the set to play five games in the next eight nights, some kind of rotation in way, have fallen from first place in the Western Conference earlier this net will be necessary. Mason is 2-4-1 in seven starts, with a 3.45 GAA month – and a share of the league-lead in points – to third in the Central and .904 save percentage. Division. "Just feel the puck early, hopefully. Make a couple of simple saves, get a The good news is Winnipeg has the chance to break out of their current couple of touches behind the net, make a couple of clean passes and slump in a major way in the next week, beginning with a home-and-home other than that, muscle memory takes over, more or less," said Mason. series with the St. Louis Blues that begins tonight at Scottrade Center "This year, in general, has been a test. Most of my starts have been few before wrapping up Sunday afternoon at Bell MTS Place. and far between, so I feel like I’ve been utilizing the practice time to the The Blues (21-10-2) have been one of the hottest teams in the NHL this best of my abilities and trying to stay sharp. I’m going to go out there and year. With 44 points, they hold a share of top spot in the Western try to give the team a chance to win. Conference and the Central Division with the Nashville Predators, who "I’m excited. Obviously coming in here, it’s a tough place to come away have two games in hand. They’re led by off-season acquisition, with two points, so we’ve got our work cut out for us. But it will definitely centreman Brayden Schenn, who has a team-best 37 points in 32 be a fun game to be a part of." games, including 16 goals. The Blues will counter with Carter Hutton in net, after starter Jake Allen Even with a number of key players out of the lineup, including forward has lost his last two starts. Hutton is 4-2-0 this season, with a stellar 1.88 Jaden Schwartz and defenceman Alex Pietrangelo, the Blues are still a GAA and .937 save percentage. solid team and one that has proven already this year they have the depth to compete with anyone. St. Louis opened the season without forwards Alexander Steen, Patrik Berglund and Robby Fabbri, as well as defencemen Jay Bouwmeester. Fabbri and Bouwmeester have yet to Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 12.17.2017 return. As for the Jets, they’ll once again be without defencemen Dustin Byfuglien and Toby Enstrom. "They had some big injuries right at the start and the question was how were they going to get out of the gate and they answered that," said Jets head coach Paul Maurice. "They’ve done a marvellous job of surviving some important people out of their lineup because they’ve got some real good depth here. We feel we’ve developed some depth on our group so…we miss Buff and Toby, for sure, the minutes and the situations they play in. Everybody has to go through it and to do well you have to flourish in those times as well." St. Louis finishes up a four-game home stand tonight – one that started off with a promising 3-2 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres but has fizzled out following losses to Tampa Bay and, most recently, Anaheim on Thursday. The Blues have been exceptional on the road, collecting points in 12 of 15 games (10-3-2) this year. That hasn’t translated on home ice, where with the recent pair of losses St. Louis is a respectable 11-7. The Jets have been on a much different path, with most of their success coming on home turf. While the Jets are 11-3-1 at Bell MTS Place, they’ve struggled at times on enemy territory, where they boast a 7-6-4 mark. Winnipeg has dropped their last five road games, including a three- game stretch through Detroit, Sunrise, Fla., and Tampa Bay earlier this month. Fresh off one of their worst efforts of the season – a 5-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks Thursday at home – concern has started to creep in over all aspects of the Jets’ game. Specifically, though, there is alarm over the defensive-zone play and in net. The Jets have surrendered five or more goals in three of the last five games. Against Chicago, Maurice, hoping to create a spark for his team, shuffled his forward lines. He moved Nikolaj Ehlers to the top line with captain Blake Wheeler and Mark Schiefele, who has just one assist in his last five games. Mathieu Perreault, who started the game on the fourth line, then took over for Ehlers on the No. 2 unit, alongside Bryan Little and Patrik Laine. Maurice won’t continue with the experiment, though, returning to the familiar lineup against the Blues. Connor Hellebuyck has enjoyed his best start as a professional, boasting a 16-4-4 record, 2.55 goals against average and .917 save percentage. But in six of his last eight games Hellebuyck has finished with a below- .900 save percentage, with the Jets earning just two wins during that stretch. 1088826 Winnipeg Jets Maurice was asked about the injury story line going into the first match- up of the season between the two Central Division rivals.
“We’re fine about that. (The Blues) had some big injuries right at the start Thorburn excited to see old teammates…Hellebuyck gets an extra day to and the question was how were they going to get out of the gate and they regroup…Pietrangelo set to return…Injuries a factor (for both answered that,” said Maurice. “They’ve done a marvellous job of teams)…Moose on fire surviving some important people out of their lineup because they’ve got some real good depth here. We feel we’ve developed some depth on our group so …we miss (Byfuglien) and (Enstrom) for sure. The minutes and Ken Wiebe the situations they play in. Everybody has to go through it and to do well you have to flourish in those times as well.” December 16, 2017 Still rolling December 16, 2017 10:45 PM CST The Manitoba Moose continued to roll on Saturday, earning a 2-1 victory over the Toronto Marlies at Ricoh Coliseum. ST. LOUIS – Chris Thorburn was doing his best to treat it as just another Moose goalie Michael Hutchinson made 39 saves as he improved to 10- game, but playing a first game against his old mates after 10 seasons in 1-2 with one shutout, a 1.76 goals-against average and .949 save % in the organization was going to be an emotional experience. 13 AHL games this season. “A little nervous, a little anxious, excited. All of those emotions (after) 10 Offensively, the Moose were led by rookie winger Mason Appleton, who years with one organization or whatever it was. The first shift will be chipped in a pair of assists and is up to 10 goals and 26 points in 28 tough, but once I get that over with it will just be another hockey game American Hockey League games this season. hopefully,” Thorburn said after the morning skate and being facing off against the Winnipeg Jets. “It will be a little different. It’s one I marked on The decision for Appleton to leave the Michigan State Spartans program my calendar when I first signed with St. Louis.” after his sophomore season is looking like a wise one so far. Thorburn, who played 713 games for the Jets/Atlanta Thrashers The Moose, who improved to 20-5-1-2, face the Marlies on Sunday to franchise between 2007 and 2017, was chosen by the Vegas Golden close out a stretch of three games in three days. Knights in the expansion draft but was never signed, making him an unrestricted free agent. Prior to the game, the Moose recalled goalie Jamie Phillips from the Jacksonville Icemen of the ECHL, since Eric Comrie was injured in The rugged winger then signed a two-year deal worth $1.8 million Friday’s win over the Belleville Senators. ($900,000) with the Blues to remain in the Central Division.
He’s enjoying his new surroundings, but has kept an eye on what his former team is up to. Winnipeg Sun LOADED 12.17.2017 “(The Jets) are doing a good job, they’re right with us,” said Thorburn. “The standings are close and there’s no question this team, this (Jets) organization was ready to burst out. Hopefully, we can slow them down a bit. We understand the task.” Prior to the game, Thorburn had an opportunity to catch up with a few of his former teammates. “He stopped by to say hello to everybody,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice. “He’s such a big personality…the guy walks down the hallway and everybody walks out, all the trainers and coaches and players that are there to say hello to him. He’s had a real positive impact on our team and the culture of our group and we’re really glad he’s found a place he can play in and have an impact.” Thorburn had no points on Saturday and took 11 shifts for 6:06 of ice time, recording one hit. He has three assists and 17 penalty minutes in 20 games this season. Time for some extra work After starting nine of the past 11 games and appearing in 26 of the first 33 games, Saturday was a good time for Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck to get an extra day of work in as Steve Mason got the call between the pipes. “Sure. We haven’t had enough practice time and certainly when he’s running the number of games that he has you’re really watching that workload,” said Maurice. “So it gives him a chance to get out for a little bit of time and working on some things.” Hellebuyck, who is 16-4-4 with a 2.55 goals-against average and .917 save % in 26 games this season, is expected to get the call in goal on Sunday in the rematch with the Blues. On the mend After missing the past three games with a lower-body injury, Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo is expected to be activated off injured reserve and return to the lineup against the Jets. Pietrangelo, who was on the ice on Saturday morning for the Blues optional skate, is having a tremendous season, recording seven goals and 23 points in 30 games while averaging 25:45 of ice time per game. Working through it There were several key cogs missing from both lineups on Saturday – defencemen Dustin Byfuglien and Toby Enstrom for the Jets and blue- liners Jay Bouwmeester and Pietrangelo and forwards Jaden Schwartz and Robby Fabbri for the Blues. 1088827 Winnipeg Jets
Five keys to Jets vs Blues (Round 2)
Ken Wiebe December 16, 2017 10:24 PM CST
Jets can’t solve Hutton: Mason shines in return but Jets fall 2-0 to Blues Cherry: I can see Senators leaving Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers takes a four-game goal-scoring streak into Saturday’s tilt against the Blues.Kevin King / Kevin King/Winnipeg Sun Winnipeg Jets vs St. Louis Blues 5 pm CT, Bell MTS Place, TV: TSN3. Radio: TSN 1290 THE BIG MATCHUP Connor Hellebuyck vs Jake Allen Since the backups played Saturday, the match-up still applies. Hellebuyck has allowed five goals in six of his past 15 starts, but his numbers remain above average – including 16 wins, a 2.55 goal-against average and .917 save % – so he’ll be looking to get back on track. Allen is off to a strong start to the season as well, with 17 wins in 27 starts with a 2.54 goals-against average and .911 save %. Keys to the game Home cooking Although the Jets lost 5-1 to the Chicago Blackhawks at Bell MTS Place on Thursday, it was their first regulation loss on home ice since Oct. 17 when they fell 5-2 to the Columbus Blue Jackets. For the season, the Jets are 11-3-1 on home ice, so it’s obvious they feel comfortable there. Ehlers back on track Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers had a four-game goal-scoring streak snapped in Saturday’s tilt against the Blues. By scoring in the previous four consecutive games, Ehlers moved into a tie for the team lead in goals with linemate Patrik Laine with 15. Ehlers has 25 points in 33 games. Short rest The Jets are getting set for their fourth set of games on consecutive days and so far they’re 1-1-1 on short rest. It’s the first time this season they’ll face the same team in consecutive games. The Blues are getting set for their seventh set of games on consecutive days and they’re 5-0-1 in that scenario. Welcome back The Blues will be happy to have captain and top D-man Alex Pietrangelo return to the lineup on Sunday after he missed the past three games with a lower-body injury. Pietrangelo has seven goals and 23 points in 27 games while averaging nearly 26 minutes of ice time per game. He’s a Norris Trophy candidate. The local lad Manitoban Joel Edmundson is blossoming into a top pairing blue-liner for the Blues. He’s already established a new career high for goals (six) and is closing in on his career high for points (15), with 12 after only 34 goals this season. Chosen in the second round (46th overall) by the Blues in the 2011 NHL Draft, Edmundson is averaging 20 minutes per game after a breakout performance during the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Winnipeg Sun LOADED 12.17.2017 1088828 Winnipeg Jets The Blues have been led offensively by former Brandon Wheat Kings forward Brayden Schenn, who has 16 goals and 37 points in 33 games after being acquired in a trade from the Philadelphia Flyers last summer. Mason back in net for Jets: Goalie returns from concussion against the While the Jets are without defencemen Dustin Byfuglien and Toby Blues Enstrom, the Blues are without several key pieces as well, including blue- liners Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester and forwards Jaden Schwartz and Robby Fabbri. Ken Wiebe
December 16, 2017 2:09 PM CST Winnipeg Sun LOADED 12.17.2017
ST. LOUIS – It’s been a long road back for Steve Mason after dealing with the second concussion of his NHL career, but he’s back between the pipes tonight as the Winnipeg Jets open an important home-and-home series with the St. Louis Blues. Mason, who was injured after taking a slapshot to the mask in a game against the San Jose Sharks on Nov. 25, isn’t worried about needing much time to shake off the rust. “Just feel the puck early, hopefully. Make a couple of simple saves, get a couple of touches behind the net, make a couple of clean passes and other than that, muscle memory takes over, more or less,” said Mason, who is 2-4-1 with a 3.45 goals-against average and .904 save % in eight games this season. “This year, in general, has been a test. Most of my starts have been few and far between, so I feel like I’ve been utilizing the practice time to the best of my abilities and trying to stay sharp. I’m going to go out there and try to give the team a chance to win. “I’m excited. Obviously coming in here, it’s a tough place to come away with two points, so we’ve got our work cut out for us. But it will definitely be a fun game to be a part of.” Jets head coach Paul Maurice explained why it made sense to get Mason the start in the front end of the two-game mini-series instead of tomorrow’s game at Bell MTS Place. “I liked (Mason’s) last full road game,” said Maurice, referring to Mason’s 38-save effort in a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Nov. 22. “This is the kind of game I think he can excel at. (The Blues) put a lot of pucks to the net here, with traffic. Connor (Hellebuyck) has got enough games on him right now that a couple of days in between games can help recharge some batteries. Steve (Mason) would have played a bunch of games in this block, were it not for the injury.” The Jets, who are 18-9-5, enter the contest just three points behind the Blues (21-10-2) in the chase for top spot in the Central Division. While the Jets are coming off a lacklustre showing in a 5-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks and have dropped five consecutive road games overall (0-3-2), the Blues have lost consecutive games on home ice and looking to rebound as well. It’s the first of two meetings between the Central Division rivals and the Jets are hoping history repeats itself after sweeping the Blues 5-0 in the season series in 2016-17. “Maybe (it gives the Jets) a little confidence going into the game. We know how to be successful against this team, but every year is different. It’s all about us. If we play the right way and do the right things, we’re a confident enough group that we feel like we’re going to win most games,” said Jets forward Andrew Copp. “(The Blues are) a team that’s on top of our division and it’s a tough test. “It’s good to get back at it pretty quickly (after Thursday’s loss) and not have a three or four day break after something like that. We’re looking forward to getting back on the right foot here.” Blues forward Chris Thorburn admitted it’s an unusual feeling getting ready to face his former teammates for the first time since joining his new club as an unrestricted free agent. “A little nervous, a little anxious, excited. All of those emotions (after) 10 years with one organization or whatever it was. The first shift will be tough, but once I get that over with it will just be another hockey game hopefully,” said Thorburn, who played 713 games for the Jets/Atlanta Thrashers franchise between 2007 and 2017. “It will be a little different. It’s one I marked on my calendar when I first signed with St. Louis. We’re coming into this one with two games we’ve lost in a row, so it’s about us worrying about us and hopefully coming out with two points. “(The Jets) are doing a good job, they’re right with us. These are two big games back-to-back. The standings are close and there’s no question this team, this (Jets) organization was ready to burst out. Hopefully, we can slow them down a bit. We understand the task.” 1088829 Vancouver Canucks So far, he’s been right. Just imagine, then, being Henrik and knowing that this is the best he’s felt in a few seasons but also being unable to show anyone because the Sedins turn back the clock, put the Canucks on their backs ice time wasn’t there. And then think about Henrik answering all of those questions on all of Jason Botchford those days about what’s it like to be marginalized, playing 10-12 minutes a night? December 16, 2017 “There was no frustration,” Henrik said. “We just felt we needed to be ready when we got our chances. For the Sedins, things are different. “It was never hard to answer questions. But the media and fans had asked for this (the Sedins stepping back in their roles) for a long time. They’re 37 years old. How can they not be? “And when it happened, they were still asking questions about it. For me, When they play a lot, there’s pain to manage which wasn’t there five it wasn’t a big deal. years ago. “But there were a lot of people outside the room talking about it. But there’s something else. There have been games where they’ve hardly played at all. “We knew there may be injuries and our time might come.” The low point was a 4-2 win against Pittsburgh on Nov. 4. Henrik Sedin It’s definitely the Sedins time right now. They played nearly half of didn’t even see nine minutes of ice. Friday’s overtime and they looked spectacular doing it. “When you don’t play as much, you have to do other things,” Henrik said. For as long as Horvat as out, this is their team again. The Canucks will “It’s been the first time in 15 years we had to have bike rides after games go as far as the Sedins take them. just to get something out of the night. The first post-Horvat injury step in the right direction was Friday’s win. “It happened a few nights this year.” The Sedins carried the Canucks like it was six years ago. On that particular night, during that particular bike ride, Henrik had three They desperately needed hope after a string of losses, which points. For the season. accompanied a string of injuries. What did you think about the Sedins then? It’s still not a lot, but right now these Canucks do have some hope. It wasn’t exactly how the brothers had visualized the final year of their contracts, maybe the last year of their careers. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 12.17.2017 This season was to be about redemption. It was about avenging last season’s letdown, and proving they could still play on the same ice as the top players in the world. The Canucks, however, had other plans. The budding Next One, Bo Horvat, was taking over as the top centre. A coach’s favourite, Brandon Sutter, was taking over as the shutdown centre. And there just wasn’t much room in his mix for the Sedins to show they could still be the Sedins. “I really liked the way they handled it and handled themselves,” Vancouver Canucks head coach Travis Green said. “I wasn’t surprised. They had nights where they were playing 13 or 14 minutes. They also had nights where they played nine and 11. “I talked to them after those games and (told them) those weren’t enough minutes for them to be productive. “It is funny how a few extra minutes can help certain players.” Yes, those extra minutes helped Henrik to three assists Friday, matching his entire haul for the first month of the season. For several weeks now, the Sedins have been point-a-game players, near the top in the NHL in production. Part of this revitalization story has been a power play which has blown minds since Brock Boeser joined the Sedins, and was positioned in what is now referred to in Vancouver as “The Spot.” Since the move on Nov. 14, the Canucks have the best power play in the NHL. Henrik had no power-play points before it. He’s had seven since. But it isn’t just power-play success. In the sixteen games since mid- November, Henrik has 17 points. He’s been great, and on nights like Friday, a 4-3 win, he’s been beyond great. You may ask yourself where was this in October? But to the Sedins, it’s felt like it was there all along, just beneath the surface. Like a plant needs water, they just needed some confidence and playing time. “I felt from Day 1 that it’s been a while since I had this kind of jump in my skating,” Henrik said. “It felt good from Day 1. “If we felt like we did last year or the year before, maybe more ice time wouldn’t have made a difference. “But we worked hard all summer and felt really good in camp. I felt like from Day 1, if we got more ice time, we would produce more.” 1088830 Vancouver Canucks How has this all gone so wrong? To figure it out, The Athletic's Kevin Kurz came on our show Friday to provide some insight. What the heck has happened to Jannik Hansen in San Jose? “[He] was invisible for the first six weeks, and some of that was because he was a healthy scratch for nine games,” Kurz said. “He's been on the By Mike Halford fourth line for a little bit. He's started to play better in recent weeks, and I think he has been better lately. If you look at the last month overall, he has been a more impactful player. And he came by them honestly. A ninth-round pick out of Denmark — a “I remember, obviously, watching this guy in Vancouver for years and he round that doesn't even exist anymore — Hansen went from a curiosity to was just a gritty, agitating type player that could put the puck in the net a quality NHLer and local fan favourite. The speedster thrice won the every once in a while, and the Sharks really just haven't seen that guy. club's Fred J. Hume Award as unsung hero, the only player in franchise history to do so. He put together a string of five straight double-digit goal “Is it related to the knee [injury] he had last year? I don't know know the campaigns, culminating with a career-high 22 in '15-16. answer to that, but I think it's a fair question to ask.” So it was with mixed emotions when, at last year's trade deadline, the So there's one theory. Hansen did miss extended time in '16-17 following Canucks shipped him off to San Jose in exchange for Nikolay Goldobin. a hit from Jets forward Mathieu Perreault, but recovered well enough to Captain Henrik Sedin said it was “really tough” to see Hansen go. appear in 25 games for the Canucks and Sharks (and another six in the Benning acknowledged it was a difficult decision to make. post-season). Yet there was a silver lining. His complete lack of production remains the biggest issue. Kurz went on to add the next step for Hansen would be to “actually create some In San Jose, Hansen got something of a new lease on life. Freed from offence,” and a variety of metrics suggest it's long overdue. one of the worst teams in the league, he was joining a club one year removed from the Cup final and, notably, would get to play with fellow THE SHARKS WHO HAVE SCORED AT A WORSE RATE WITH THE Dane Mikkel Boedker. (In a league where there are only seven active SAME NUMBER OF MINUTES: Danish players, this was no small thing.) Has that led to a rift with DeBoer? Tough to say. The veteran bench boss What's more, head coach Peter DeBoer was happy to get Hansen for the isn't much for public remarks, and didn't offer a ton early in the year when stretch drive. Hansen was a spectator. “A guy that played both ways, had speed, could kill penalties, could chip “I’m not measuring him on points,” DeBoer said, the Mercury News. “It’s in some goals, could play with good players, had a long history in the the same with all those (depth) guys. We have the ability to create some playoffs, knew the Western Conference,” DeBoer said. “All those boxes mismatches against other teams’ depth and depth defencemen, so we checked, and from a character point of view, the reports were fantastic as are looking for some production. far as fitting in with our group.” “But they aren’t measured on that. At the end of the day, I just want In Vancouver, there was a sense of civic pride upon bidding him farewell. positive things to be happening.” A new city would get to see what made Jannik Hansen so special. Fare The odd part is that, for almost the entirety of his time in Vancouver, thee well, Jannik. Go win a Cup in San Jose. (Because if you did, the Hansen endeared himself to coaches. He was a favourite of Alain Canucks would get an additional first-round pick.) Vigneault and, despite the infamous dressing down from John Tortorella, So all great, right? actually had a pretty good effort during the ill-fated '13-14 campaign. Hansen scored 11 times, the fourth-highest total of his career, and Well, no. averaged just under 16 minutes per night. Because that's when Hansen's feel-good story pretty much ended. Hansen's biggest success came under Willie Desjardins, who was routinely effusive in his praise. Desjardins often skated Hansen with The 31-year-old's stint in San Jose has been forgettable, to put it bluntly. Daniel and Henrik Sedin, largely due to Hansen's versatile game. Acquired in part to play alongside Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski on the club's top line, he started decently enough, scoring seven points in 15 “His speed is good, he adds a little life in the dressing room and he’s so games following the trade, but faded in the playoffs and recorded just a good on the PK,” Desjardins told The Province, just months before single point in the Sharks' opening-round loss to Edmonton. Hansen was traded to San Jose. “He’s getting better as he goes and more effective because he pushes the defence back and can jump on That was pretty much the end of skating with the Joes. them. This year, it's been ugly. “He has come a long way. Two years ago, he wasn’t a guy you would think of on that (top) line. Now, he’s a pretty good fit.” Hansen was banished to the press box for a lengthy stint, sitting as a healthy scratch nine times in October and November. While he's “Fit” might be the key to all of this. Yeah, it's a nebulous term. But at the regained a regular lineup spot, Hansen has struggled to make an impact. end of the day, it just doesn't seem like Hansen is a very good one in San He's scored just three points in 22 games, all assists, and received Jose. On Friday he was skating with Joel Ward — another guy that's limited ice time in what's largely been a fourth-line role. been in and out of DeBoer's doghouse — and Marcus Sorensen, a 25- year-old that's spent most of his professional career in the Swedish In Sunday's 4-3 OT loss to Minnesota, Hansen played a season-low League. 9:05. “All I can think of is that certain guys just fit in certain places better,” Against Vancouver on Friday he skated 11:43, the lowest among all TSN's Ray Ferraro opined. “When I think of Hansen, my vision [of him] is Sharks forwards. straight down the wing, or straight in on the forecheck, get a body on it, Which begs the question: What the heck is going on here? keep the cycle going, roll the puck around the boards, stay involved in the play, good penalty killer — and he seems totally lost there.” It's a puzzler, to say the least. Hansen's game is not, by any measure, a complex one — he's a straightforward, speedy veteran that should This, unsurprisingly, has led to scuttlebutt about Vancouver possibly (theoretically) be able to slide into most lineups. That's why DeBoer said bringing Hansen back. But tap the brakes on that one. Because the what he said, and that's probably why Sharks GM Doug Wilson targeted Canucks retained $500,000 of his salary in the deal with San Jose, they Hansen as a deadline acquisition. There's an inherent risk of dropping a can't re-acquire him for a full calendar year. That wipes out any possibility guy into your team with a quarter of the season remaining. The more of a trade, yet does leave the rumour mill open for free agency. calculated the risk, the better. Even then, the possibility of a reunion remains a long way away. Hansen But it hasn't worked. And now the Sharks and Hansen both face very looks to be a Shark for the foreseeable future and, based on what uncertain futures. Say what you will about the current value of Nikolay DeBoer said after Friday's loss, the club is still hoping the situation will Goldobin, but San Jose may have shipped him out for one-and-a-quarter eventually work out. seasons of negligible impact. Hansen, meanwhile, is in the last of a four- “He's finding his way with us,” DeBoer said. “It's a different role than he's year, $10-million deal with a $2.5M cap hit, and faces the unenviable task played on other teams. this summer of trying to secure a new contract while coming off the worst stretch of his career. “He's got to just keep bringing energy to the rink every day that he comes and shows up and plays. He's doing a good job for us lately.” How good, it seems, is a still a matter for debate.
The Athletic LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088831 Websites But offensively, it’s becoming a real problem, particularly when coach Bruce Boudreau admits that he intentionally took his best playmaker, Mikael Granlund, away from Eric Staal this homestand in order to try to The Athletic / Boudreau trying to spark ice-cold Koivu from longest get Koivu going. pointless streak of career; Spurgeon expected to return Sunday Remember, Granlund skated with Staal and Nino Niederreiter in Anaheim and San Jose recently, and Staal erupted against the Sharks with two goals and an assist. In Thursday’s win over Toronto, Granlund By Michael Russo scored a big third-period goal after Staal just so happened to hop the boards on a line change for Koivu.
“I'm sure he's frustrated,” Boudreau said of Koivu. “He's a guy that A, has Mikko Koivu honestly may never, ever score again. a lot of pride and B, is a really good player. The one thing about Mikko is, even if he's not scoring, he's defending and competing really hard. So I Or at least it just feels that way. mean we all want to see him succeed in scoring. I know it's wearing on The Wild captain has gone through long droughts before. him.” His rookie year — way, way back in 2005-06 — Koivu scored in the final The Wild hardly lost because of Koivu against the Oilers, but they sure game of the season against the Dallas Stars to snap a 44-game goalless could have used some production. streak. Last season, Koivu scored one goal in the final 23 regular season But the Wild just didn’t play well enough. Against a goalie playing for the games. first time this month, the Wild barely challenged Talbot in the first 10 But despite a relatively fast start to this season in which he scored four minutes of the game in what was their typical afternoon sluggish start. goals and eight points in his first 11 games, Koivu has gone 23 “Obviously I didn't get them ready enough to play or they didn't get consecutive games without a goal and amazingly 10 consecutive games themselves ready enough to play,” Boudreau said. “Or maybe a without a point. That’s the longest pointless stretch in his entire 13-year combination of both.” career. Then, their power play was a disaster against the league’s worst penalty Koivu hasn’t scored a goal since Oct. 28 – the same game he was kill. Besides giving up a shorthanded goal, the Wild had one advantage perhaps cursed by the left post that kicked out his empty-net attempt in negated by a Charlie Coyle penalty, and the Wild took two penalties right the waning seconds. The Wild’s leading scorer in the history of the after failed power plays. organization hasn’t even registered an assist since Nov. 24. “I thought some of them we had chances, myself included,” Koivu said. This was largely been overshadowed because the Wild won 12 of their “The difference is if you’re going to put the puck in the net or not. If I did, past 17 games and hadn’t suffered a regulation home loss since Nov. 4. or if we did, we’re not talking about it right now. It’s a good sign that we’re But during a Saturday matinee at Xcel Energy Center, the Wild’s eight- getting chances, but at the end, it’s all about the goals and we couldn’t game home point streak ended with a 3-2 defeat to the Edmonton Oilers capitalize tonight and that was why the difference.” in a game in which Koivu continued to be frustratingly snakebit. Boudreau did move Tyler Ennis into Jason Zucker’s power-play spot late. “I think when you’re winning, it’s a lot easier,” Koivu said. “But tonight, when you don’t score on those chances and when you lose the game, “Maybe some of our guys think that they're anointed and should be on obviously that’s when it gets frustrating when you’re not able to help the the power play whether they're playing good or bad,” Boudreau said. team in that way. “Again, that's something I'll have to change.” “But all we can do is create and get in there and find a way. It’s a matter Then, in the third period, instead of getting an early push, the highs and of the next one. You’ve got to work at it. It’s not an easy thing to do in this lows of the often erratic Dumba continued. league, and sometimes you go through stretches that you’re not scoring. All you can do is get ready for the next one and make sure you’re ready Yes, he’d ultimately pick up his second career two-goal game with a pair when you get a chance and try to put the puck to the net and get out of of one-time howitzers, but his defensive decision and mistake coughed it.” up a 2-on-1 and a 3-1 Oilers lead before he scored that second goal. Koivu finished the game with three shots on goal. One of them came on Within eight seconds, the Wild went from losing an offensive-zone faceoff a power play with the game scoreless. to giving up a goal to Jesse Puljujarvi on a 2-on-1. It came after Dumba chose to step up into Lucic and the big power forward just bulled through Cam Talbot kicked it out, and next thing you know, defenseman Matt him. Coyle didn't help matters with his retreat to cover up. Dumba was pinched in too deep and the Oilers were off for a 2-on-1 shorthanded rush that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins buried. “You’ve got your play set up, and I ended up getting caught,” Dumba said. “I probably should have skated back a little further with Looch rather Then, right after Milan Lucic gave the Oilers a 2-1 lead, Dumba fired a than going at him. He’s a pretty strong guy. He kind of just powered puck wide intentionally for Koivu to redirect. through it, and it’s unfortunate. I want that one back. I think everyone does.” Half the net was empty, and Koivu executed the deflection perfectly … except for the fact the puck struck the post and caromed right back into Boudreau was not pleased. Talbot. “The thing about giving up odd-man rushes is, when you're ahead of “It’s a matter of finding the chance and finding the open spot,” Koivu them and you let them past you, it's pretty irritating,” he said. said. “But you’ve got to be around the net. That’s where it happens. And that’s what I believe and that’s usually where I score and that’s where The good news, maybe? you have to be better.” The Wild get to try to rebound against the rival Chicago Blackhawks on A year ago at this time, Koivu only had seven goals and 17 points – three Sunday to kick off a four-game road trip. more goals than right now and two more points. But he was well on his way to his first Selke Trophy nomination and playing tremendously. “Anytime you lose, and at this level, you want to get back as soon as possible,” said goalie Alex Stalock, who likely will start games on This season, Koivu ranks among centers with at least 10 games 63rd in consecutive days for the first time in his NHL career. “And for us, lucky Corsi, 45th in Fenwick and 69th in PDO. If you don’t know analytics, enough it’s [Sunday].” google it, but let’s just say it isn’t just the eye test that says Koivu hasn’t been up to par. Spurgeon likely to return Sunday Even winning faceoffs – when he’s not kicked out of the circle first – is The decision was probably made before the game anyway because he becoming a chore for one of the top drawmen in the NHL. requires waivers if he plays another game, but Ryan Murphy picked the wrong game to struggle. The 34-year-old, who is earning $9.18 million this season in the final year of a seven-year deal and a year before a two-year, $11 million extension With Jared Spurgeon set to return from a groin injury after missing nine kicks in, is clearly struggling. games Sunday, Murphy, after his toughest game since being recalled last month, was reassigned to AHL Iowa. Sure, defensively, most nights he does his job and is still a difficult center for top centers like Connor McDavid to go up against. The Wild had to make a roster move in order to activate Spurgeon. There was some thought the Wild may choose to keep Murphy, who scored a goal and assist and was plus-5, averaging 18 minutes a night the past nine games, and send down Mike Reilly. Reilly also needs one game before he requires waivers. … For a fifth straight game, the Wild scratched a different forward. It went from Matt Cullen to Chris Stewart to Ennis to Marcus Foligno to, on Saturday, Zack Mitchell. Foligno had a tough game against the Oilers. Defenseman Gustav Olofsson, who also requires waivers to get to Iowa, was scratched for the fifth time in seven games. … Stalock, on a clear, registered the first shot by a Wild goalie in history.
The Athletic LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088832 Websites “Everybody was on the same page, everybody really wanted a win,” Karlsson said. “We love this city. We love all our fans. And we want to come up and show up for them.” Sportsnet.ca / Senators’ Karlsson dedicates Superman performance to Let’s be honest. Sens fans got slapped in the face Friday night with Ottawa fans Eugene Melnyk picking a peculiar occasion to threaten moving the team. The Ottawa players, however, savoured this weekend, greeting fans, Luke Fox hobnobbing with the alumni, stuffing HotShots in their boots and making the most of it. December 17, 2017, 12:30 AM Karlsson showed the way with high-fives and bench dancing and pick- you-up smiles. When the microphone was put before him, he thanked the fans. OTTAWA – Christmas came nine days early. “He’s our marquee player. The city rallies around him, as do we. It’s nice “You look at what Erik Karlsson has been through,” coach Ottawa to see him engaged,” Ryan said. “He’s our leader, so it was really nice to Senators coach Guy Boucher said. see him step up on the big stage, and we knew he would.” Invasive, seldom-performed foot surgery in which doctors plucked out NHL on Sportsnet NOW half of his ankle bone and replaced it with an artificial tendon. No training all summer. Zero camp. One week of practice, then into the fire against a Live stream over 300 marquee regular season games, regional matchups league off and running with a two-week head start. for the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs, and the entire 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Toss in rampant trade speculation, the extrication of security-blanket defence partner Marc Methot, the pressure of playing for your next LEARN MORE contract, and a franchise in disarray off the ice and free fall on it. No wonder Karlsson — who took to the great outdoors Saturday night with a The Sens have now won twice in a row for the first time in over a month. minus-18 rating and one goal — looked like someone had been stuffing They hope this can be one to build off. They’re certainly not deaf to the Kryptonite rocks into his skates. noise outside, but they’re refusing to let it crumple them. They’re fighting for the people who pay to see them play. “Everyone knows he’s Superman,” Boucher said, “but it was clear to me that it wasn’t before Christmas that we’d see the real Erik Karlsson — “We want to give them something back. It’s important for us to show that and that’s what’s happening now.” we have character. We don’t want to lose as much as they don’t want us to lose,” said Karlsson, finally warming indoors. Senators could consider 'drastic' roster changes if they miss playoffs “Coming home here, showing everybody that we still care a lot. We want MIKE JOHNSTON to do well for ourselves. We’ll do everything we can to get ourselves out of the hole we dug ourselves. They’ve been supporting us through all Canadiens' inconsistency results in another forgettable effort this, and they always have. ERIC ENGELS Ryan agreed that Saturday’s performance was his captain’s best since the surgery. If the loyal and long-johned Ottawa fans felt like they were getting Scrooged by the hockey club’s owner on the eve of their showcase We asked Karlsson if this was his best game since the return. celebration of the National Hockey League’s 100th anniversary game, well, Karlsson doffed the Clark Kent glasses he’s been wearing since “It’s my best outdoor game,” he smiled. “Ever.” Sweden, smeared on eye-black, pulled a balaclava over his gorgeous face, and donned a red cape. Part Santa (he gave), part Superman (he saved), Karlsson delivered an Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.17.2017 all-world performance for nearly 34,000 supporters, many of them tweeting #MelnykOut with frigid fingers, in the Sens 3-0 dismantling of the Montreal Canadiens at Lansdowne Park. “Oh, this was 100 tonight. Absolutely,” Boucher said. “When Erik defends that well, that hard, the rest of his game follows. He was outstanding tonight. We definitely rely on our captain.” Uh, yeah. Karlsson skated an incredible 32:55 in biting, feels-like-minus-18°C weather that plummeted during each intermission and sank into the players’ bones during the numerous TV and snow-shovelling timeouts the contest required. “I was like, ‘This building’s going to empty out’ when I figured out it was that cold in the first 10 minutes,” said Bobby Ryan, who scored the Sens’ second after burgling Jonathan Drouin. “Canadians are nuts, I guess.” Karlsson’s ice time broke an outdoor game record. So did his eight blocked shots. Pucks, Karlsson said, that stung extra in the elements. There’s more. Karlsson led all players with seven shots, was the only Senator on the ice for all three goals, and the winner — tipped deftly by big-game role player Jean-Gabriel Pageau (no, he did not eat a chicken Parm for lunch) — came off an EK65 blast from the point after the Sens won an O-zone face-off. A four-point game against a bitter rival bookended by controversy and pageantry and stuffed with cameos — Bryan Adams! Prime Minister Trudeau! Guy! Alfie! Mario! — Ottawa wanted, needed and deserved this one so much more. The Senators dominated every facet of the game, as a quality Montreal scoring chance was as hard to come by as Melnyk supporter. The Sens’ patience and execution laid bare why the Habs are the only NHL team without a 20-point skater. 1088833 Websites
Sportsnet.ca / Senators could consider ‘drastic’ roster changes if they miss playoffs
Mike Johnston December 17, 2017, 12:25 AM
If the Ottawa Senators’ 2017-18 season continues to spiral, there could be some significant roster shuffling in the nation’s capital. The Sens have won two straight after blanking the Montreal Canadiens 3-0 in the NHL 100 Classic, however the team has lost 12 of the past 16 games and franchise owner, Eugene Melnyk, has drawn criticism from the fan base after suggesting he’d be open to moving the team. “If, and I use the word if, the mandate for the Ottawa Senators is to shed some money off that $68-million payroll that Eugene Melnyk alluded to [Friday], the easiest way for them to do that is to trade Mike Hoffman,” Nick Kypreos said during the Headlines segment on Hockey Night in Canada Saturday night. “Some have suggested to me that the Ottawa Senators and the Edmonton Oilers have had conversations on Hoffman.” Kypreos added that a potential deal for a player like Hoffman wouldn’t necessarily require the Sens to take salary back, unlike if the team tried to move veteran skaters with lucrative contracts like Dion Phaneuf or Bobby Ryan. Hoffman, 28, has three years remaining on his contract with an annual salary cap hit of $5.1875 million. A team in the Oilers’ position would be more likely to participate in a trade built around draft picks and prospects. That way the Oilers wouldn’t upset the current roster they have as the team works to get back into the playoff race, according to Kypreos. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reported Ottawa head coach Guy Boucher delivered a message to his players on behalf of management following a seven-game road trip earlier this week that the organization was considering the possibility of changes. “My understanding from the management side of things is that they’ve looked at some deals,” Johnston said. “Right now, short term, they haven’t been able to find anything but if they are certainly out of the [playoff] race by the [Feb. 26 trade] deadline they’ll be sellers and if they don’t make the playoffs they’re going to consider something very drastic around here. A real big shakeup if [making the playoffs] doesn’t come to fruition.” Elliotte Friedman added that if there is a major shakeup with the Sens, Mark Stone is unlikely to be made available for a trade. Jean-Gabriel Pageau, on the other hand, could garner some interest from teams looking to add depth down the middle. Stone is in the midst of a career year and if the pending restricted free agent continues his impressive output he could command upwards of $7 million per year on a new deal, according to Kypreos, who added contract talks might not take place until the end of the season. Stone’s cap hit for this season is $3.5 million.
Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088834 Websites Brendan Gallagher has been beyond reproach this season, leading the Canadiens in goals (13), points (19) and plays made in the trenches (all of them), but was largely ineffective over a shockingly low 12:46 of ice- Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens’ inconsistency results in another forgettable time. effort When Julien was asked for his evaluation, he said, "Not good enough, obviously." Eric Engels "We didn’t score and we didn’t win the game," Julien added. "We need more and we need to create more and we need to create more from the December 17, 2017, 12:09 AM inside, and you see some nights we have that and tonight we didn’t. Until we figure that out and become more consistent in that area, that’s what you’re going to see. We have the ability, and consistency is a big part of the game we’ve gotta find. When we do those things well, we’re a good OTTAWA—It was a sensational setting for a hockey game, with just hockey club, and when we don’t, we see opportunities like that fade under 34,000 people there to witness it. away." The snow globe effect kicked in as things wore on, the noise level kicked And in the grand scheme of things, Montreal’s inconsistency has led to up a few decibels, and the light shone bright—particularly on the many more forgettable nights than memorable ones this season. hometown Senators, who emerged with a 3-0 win in the Scotiabank NHL 100 Classic. The opportunity to play outdoors and in commemoration of the first hockey game played in the NHL—a 7-4 win for Montreal over another It was memorable, unless you were a member of the losing Montreal incarnation of the Senators—should’ve been something to savour for the Canadiens, who did virtually nothing through 57 minutes of the game to boys in bleu, blanc et rouge. make things turn out different. As Pacioretty said, the -11 weather and the conditions of the ice had "We obviously want to get some sustained zone pressure, but we always nothing to do with why it turned out to be one they’d prefer to never wait until our backs are against the wall to do so," said Canadiens revisit. captain Max Pacioretty, who generated his team’s best chance of the game after it was well out of reach. "I don’t know if it’s a mindset or what guys have to do to create this, but it’s just far too easy to play against." Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.17.2017 It was a cinch for the Senators, who came into the game having won just two of their last 14 games. Not to take anything away from them, but they got no contest from the Canadiens in any of the areas you expect to face a battle in over the course of a hockey game. In the faceoff dot, the Canadiens lost 29 of the first 35 battles. On the 36th, Montreal centre Phillip Danault pulled a puck back to defenceman David Schlemko and Senators forward Tom Pyatt stole it right off his stick and passed it to Erik Karlsson, who sent it right off teammate Jean- Gabriel Pageau’s stick and over goaltender Carey Price’s shoulder. Less than five minutes later, when the second period came to a close, the shots were 29-16 Senators, and the Canadiens had generated exactly zero of theirs from the high-danger zone in front of Ottawa goaltender Craig Anderson. After two periods, the shots the Habs have got through to Anderson are hilariously bad. pic.twitter.com/kvlKDpIjgG — Andrew Berkshire (@AndrewBerkshire) December 17, 2017 Even so, the Canadiens had a chance to flip the script in the third period because of the miracles Price turned in. There he was in the first period, stopping Gabriel Dumont on a clean break, battling Bobby Ryan for position to freeze a loose puck in front of him, fighting off the Senators onslaught and keeping things even. Price made remarkable saves in the second period—none better than the two on Ryan and Mike Hoffman while the Senators were on an early power play. And after Pageau opened the scoring, Price pushed his way from one end of his crease to the other to get the shaft of his stick on what looked like a sure goal for Matt Duchene on a two-on-one rush. But the Canadiens needed 11 shots to get any kind of quality opportunity on Anderson after that, and only two of their last three of the third period would’ve qualified as something dangerous. "We needed a blue collar attitude tonight and the blue collar attitude wasn’t good enough," said Canadiens coach Claude Julien. And who’s going to provide that, if not the team’s supposed offensive leaders? At the other end, Karlsson put in a herculean effort—playing more than half the game, recording an assist, seven shots on net and blocking eight from the Canadiens. But Pacioretty, who had one goal in his last 14 games coming into Saturday’s, did little to generate another until the Canadiens were down 2-0 and had an extra attacker on the ice with less than two minutes to go. Jonathan Drouin, who won three of his six faceoffs, made the worst play of the game when he gave away a puck right in front of Price for the goal Ryan scored to make it 2-0 with 2:58 left, and he finished without recording a single shot from less than 20 feet away. Linemate Alex Galchenyuk was credited with two giveaways and failed to get a shot on goal. 1088835 Websites Brendan Gallagher has been beyond reproach this season, leading the Canadiens in goals (13), points (19) and plays made in the trenches (all of them), but was largely ineffective over a shockingly low 12:46 of ice- Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens’ inconsistency results in another forgettable time. effort When Julien was asked for his evaluation, he said, "Not good enough, obviously." Eric Engels "We didn’t score and we didn’t win the game," Julien added. "We need more and we need to create more and we need to create more from the December 17, 2017, 12:09 AM inside, and you see some nights we have that and tonight we didn’t. Until we figure that out and become more consistent in that area, that’s what you’re going to see. We have the ability, and consistency is a big part of the game we’ve gotta find. When we do those things well, we’re a good OTTAWA—It was a sensational setting for a hockey game, with just hockey club, and when we don’t, we see opportunities like that fade under 34,000 people there to witness it. away." The snow globe effect kicked in as things wore on, the noise level kicked And in the grand scheme of things, Montreal’s inconsistency has led to up a few decibels, and the light shone bright—particularly on the many more forgettable nights than memorable ones this season. hometown Senators, who emerged with a 3-0 win in the Scotiabank NHL 100 Classic. The opportunity to play outdoors and in commemoration of the first hockey game played in the NHL—a 7-4 win for Montreal over another It was memorable, unless you were a member of the losing Montreal incarnation of the Senators—should’ve been something to savour for the Canadiens, who did virtually nothing through 57 minutes of the game to boys in bleu, blanc et rouge. make things turn out different. As Pacioretty said, the -11 weather and the conditions of the ice had "We obviously want to get some sustained zone pressure, but we always nothing to do with why it turned out to be one they’d prefer to never wait until our backs are against the wall to do so," said Canadiens revisit. captain Max Pacioretty, who generated his team’s best chance of the game after it was well out of reach. "I don’t know if it’s a mindset or what guys have to do to create this, but it’s just far too easy to play against." Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.17.2017 It was a cinch for the Senators, who came into the game having won just two of their last 14 games. Not to take anything away from them, but they got no contest from the Canadiens in any of the areas you expect to face a battle in over the course of a hockey game. In the faceoff dot, the Canadiens lost 29 of the first 35 battles. On the 36th, Montreal centre Phillip Danault pulled a puck back to defenceman David Schlemko and Senators forward Tom Pyatt stole it right off his stick and passed it to Erik Karlsson, who sent it right off teammate Jean- Gabriel Pageau’s stick and over goaltender Carey Price’s shoulder. Less than five minutes later, when the second period came to a close, the shots were 29-16 Senators, and the Canadiens had generated exactly zero of theirs from the high-danger zone in front of Ottawa goaltender Craig Anderson. After two periods, the shots the Habs have got through to Anderson are hilariously bad. pic.twitter.com/kvlKDpIjgG — Andrew Berkshire (@AndrewBerkshire) December 17, 2017 Even so, the Canadiens had a chance to flip the script in the third period because of the miracles Price turned in. There he was in the first period, stopping Gabriel Dumont on a clean break, battling Bobby Ryan for position to freeze a loose puck in front of him, fighting off the Senators onslaught and keeping things even. Price made remarkable saves in the second period—none better than the two on Ryan and Mike Hoffman while the Senators were on an early power play. And after Pageau opened the scoring, Price pushed his way from one end of his crease to the other to get the shaft of his stick on what looked like a sure goal for Matt Duchene on a two-on-one rush. But the Canadiens needed 11 shots to get any kind of quality opportunity on Anderson after that, and only two of their last three of the third period would’ve qualified as something dangerous. "We needed a blue collar attitude tonight and the blue collar attitude wasn’t good enough," said Canadiens coach Claude Julien. And who’s going to provide that, if not the team’s supposed offensive leaders? At the other end, Karlsson put in a herculean effort—playing more than half the game, recording an assist, seven shots on net and blocking eight from the Canadiens. But Pacioretty, who had one goal in his last 14 games coming into Saturday’s, did little to generate another until the Canadiens were down 2-0 and had an extra attacker on the ice with less than two minutes to go. Jonathan Drouin, who won three of his six faceoffs, made the worst play of the game when he gave away a puck right in front of Price for the goal Ryan scored to make it 2-0 with 2:58 left, and he finished without recording a single shot from less than 20 feet away. Linemate Alex Galchenyuk was credited with two giveaways and failed to get a shot on goal. 1088836 Websites
Sportsnet.ca / Mario Lemieux’s epic five-goal game voted greatest moment in NHL history
Mike Johnston December 16, 2017, 10:30 PM
On New Year’s Eve in 1988, Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Mario Lemieux became the first player in NHL history to score goals five different ways in the same game. It’s an achievement likely to never be duplicated and it has been voted the greatest moment in NHL history. The announcement was made during Saturday’s NHL 100 Classic in Ottawa. Meanwhile during the Montreal vs. Ottawa game… Guy Lafleur, Mario Lemieux's hockey hero, just presented #66 with a painting for his #NHLGreatestMoments achievement. pic.twitter.com/SNnjt9Czaa — Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 17, 2017 Lemieux scored one goal at even strength, one while shorthanded, one on the power play, one on a penalty shot and even buried an empty netter to secure an 8-6 victory over the New Jersey Devils that night. Even Strength Shorthanded Power Play Penalty Shot Empty Net Mario Lemieux’s tremendous feat has been voted the Greatest Moment in NHL history! #NHLGreatestMoments #NHL100 pic.twitter.com/UOFkVNeHip — NHL (@NHL) December 17, 2017 The NHL announced in October the launch of a project that pitted 64 of the greatest moments in league history against one another in a bracket- style tournament where the winner of each matchup would be determined by fan votes. In the opening round, Lemieux’s five-goal effort beat brothers Peter and Anton Stastny each scoring eight points in the same game as rookies with the Quebec Nordiques in 1981. Lemieux then took down Wayne Gretzky passing Gordie Howe for the NHL’s all-time goals lead and the New York Islanders winning their fourth straight Stanley Cup. No. 66 beat No. 99 again in the semifinals only this time it was Gretzky’s achievement of scoring 50 goals in 39 games. Lemieux’s unique five-goal game edged out Bobby Orr’s iconic 1970 Stanley Cup-winning overtime goal in the finals.
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Sportsnet.ca / Senators could consider ‘drastic’ roster changes if they miss playoffs
Mike Johnston December 17, 2017, 12:25 AM
If the Ottawa Senators’ 2017-18 season continues to spiral, there could be some significant roster shuffling in the nation’s capital. The Sens have won two straight after blanking the Montreal Canadiens 3-0 in the NHL 100 Classic, however the team has lost 12 of the past 16 games and franchise owner, Eugene Melnyk, has drawn criticism from the fan base after suggesting he’d be open to moving the team. “If, and I use the word if, the mandate for the Ottawa Senators is to shed some money off that $68-million payroll that Eugene Melnyk alluded to [Friday], the easiest way for them to do that is to trade Mike Hoffman,” Nick Kypreos said during the Headlines segment on Hockey Night in Canada Saturday night. “Some have suggested to me that the Ottawa Senators and the Edmonton Oilers have had conversations on Hoffman.” Kypreos added that a potential deal for a player like Hoffman wouldn’t necessarily require the Sens to take salary back, unlike if the team tried to move veteran skaters with lucrative contracts like Dion Phaneuf or Bobby Ryan. Hoffman, 28, has three years remaining on his contract with an annual salary cap hit of $5.1875 million. A team in the Oilers’ position would be more likely to participate in a trade built around draft picks and prospects. That way the Oilers wouldn’t upset the current roster they have as the team works to get back into the playoff race, according to Kypreos. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reported Ottawa head coach Guy Boucher delivered a message to his players on behalf of management following a seven-game road trip earlier this week that the organization was considering the possibility of changes. “My understanding from the management side of things is that they’ve looked at some deals,” Johnston said. “Right now, short term, they haven’t been able to find anything but if they are certainly out of the [playoff] race by the [Feb. 26 trade] deadline they’ll be sellers and if they don’t make the playoffs they’re going to consider something very drastic around here. A real big shakeup if [making the playoffs] doesn’t come to fruition.” Elliotte Friedman added that if there is a major shakeup with the Sens, Mark Stone is unlikely to be made available for a trade. Jean-Gabriel Pageau, on the other hand, could garner some interest from teams looking to add depth down the middle. Stone is in the midst of a career year and if the pending restricted free agent continues his impressive output he could command upwards of $7 million per year on a new deal, according to Kypreos, who added contract talks might not take place until the end of the season. Stone’s cap hit for this season is $3.5 million.
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Sportsnet.ca / Winnipeg Jets forward Shawn Matthias being made available for a trade
Mike Johnston December 17, 2017, 12:47 AM
Winnipeg Jets forward Shawn Matthias has had a rough go of it lately and the team has made it known the 29-year-old is available for a trade, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Matthias has just two assists in 18 games this season but has only gotten into the lineup twice since Nov. 14. The Mississauga, Ont., native was a second-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings back in 2006. His rights were traded to Florida before he made his NHL debut so he has split his 542-game NHL career between the Panthers, Canucks, Maple Leafs, Avalanche and Jets. Matthias is a pending unrestricted free agent with a $2.125-million salary cap hit.
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Sportsnet.ca / NHL unlikely to hold outdoor game in Canada during 2018-19 season
Mike Johnston December 17, 2017, 1:27 AM
The NHL 100 Classic took place Saturday night when the Ottawa Senators hosted the Montreal Canadiens outdoors on a chilly night at Lansdowne Park. Unfortunately for Canadian hockey fans, it’s unlikely there will be an outdoor game in the Great White North next year. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported the news during the Headlines segment on Hockey Night in Canada before adding that he wouldn’t be surprised if a marquee team like the Edmonton Oilers were involved the next time the league plans an outdoor game in Canada. Last season there was the Heritage Classic between the Jets and Oilers in October at Investors Group Field in Winnipeg, plus the Centennial Classic between the Maple Leafs and Red Wings at Toronto’s BMO Field on New Year’s Day. The NHL has two more outdoor games planned for this season. The Rangers and Sabres are set to meet at Citi Field in New York on Jan. 1 and the Capitals will host the Maple Leafs at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium March 3. On Jan. 1, 2019 the Bruins and Blackhawks will play a game at Notre Dame Stadium and the Penguins and Flyers meet in an all-Pennsylvania matchup at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Feb. 23, 2019.
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Sportsnet.ca / Should Erik Johnson be suspended for nasty play on Namestnikov?
Mike Johnston December 17, 2017, 2:06 AM
Colorado Avalanche defenceman Erik Johnson could be facing supplemental discipline for a nasty play he made on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Vladislav Namestnikov Saturday night. Late in the second period of what ended up being a 6-5 Lightning victory, Johnson cross-checked Namestnikov who fell hard into the boards behind the Colorado net. Johnson received a slashing minor, boarding major and a game misconduct for the play. Namestnikov was able to return to the game the following period. The Lightning lost Ryan Callahan earlier this week after the forward crashed into the boards in a game against the Coyotes. #tblightning Cooper on Erik Johnson boarding on Vladislav Namestnikov: "Dangerous play. You just hold your breath on those. Got a little fortunate with Vladdy, obviously didn't get as fortunate with Callahan." — Joe Smith (@TBTimes_JSmith) December 17, 2017 Namestnikov has 13 goals and 15 assists in 32 games this season playing on a line with Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov.
Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088841 Websites of course has many fans wondering why Puljujarvi isn’t being used with the man advantage.
The good news? At least the league’s worst penalty kill was perfect, Sportsnet.ca / Takeaways: Oilers’ Cam Talbot returns to top form killing four Wild powerplays. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also scored a shorthanded goal off a lovely bit of skating by Zack Kassian, tilting the special teams battle to the Oilers for a rare night. Mark Spector ERIC FRANCIS December 16, 2017, 5:56 PM I Wish I Had Jesse’s Burl
OK, bad pun. But, hey — good player. Look, we’re not offering any excuses here. The Edmonton Oilers haven’t been near good enough this season, and their dire straits are their fault Puljujarvi arrived in the NHL thinking he had to score his goals from a and their fault only. distance. Well, he’s got four goals in his last seven games, and every one of them came after he’d used his size and speed to stake out ground But you tell me the last time you saw an NHL club chase two Vezina in the low slot, and used his scorer’s hands to bang home a puck. winning goalies, then get shut out on 40-plus shot nights by two backups — all in a four-game span. And the best news? He can still rifle a puck from 40 feet as well. After a 4-0 loss to Nashville on Thursday the Oilers players swore they As for head coach Todd McLellan using him on the powerplay, well, that had this thing headed in the right direction, and after the road game can only be a matter of time. But some folks have done nothing but Edmonton played in Minnesota Saturday, it’s difficult to argue that their criticize how the team has handled this young player’s evolution, and game is getting back in order. from where we sit, it seems like they have a pretty good idea what they’re doing with Puljujarvi. The Oilers out-hit the Wild 15-6, and led 1-0, 2-1 and 3-1, before closing out a steady 3-2 victory. Milan Lucic (five pints in five games) had a goal Chill-ax. He’s 19, and barely scratching the surface. and an assist, Jesse Puljujarvi netted the game-winner on a nice drive to the net, and Cam Talbot returned at top form. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.17.2017 Here are some takeaways from a 3-2 road win that doesn’t put the Oilers back in contention, but beats the heck out of losing. LEARN MORE One is Better Than Two You’ll never hear me say that backup Laurent Brossoit didn’t give his club a chance to win every game during Cam Talbot’s absence. But you’ll also never hear me say that a No. 1 goaltender isn’t a better option than the No. 2, both in the pucks that get stopped and the confidence a team plays with when they’ve got ‘their guy’ in between the pipes. Talbot stepped back into the Oilers’ nets after missing seven games with an upper body injury, and was not just as good as the guy who’d left the team in November — he was as good as the Talbot who posted a .919 saves percentage last season. He stopped 29 of 31 shots, beaten only by a pair of Matt Dumba one-timer blasts. It’s only one start, but maybe that three-week break is what Talbot’s game required. Lucic Train Rolling The party line on Lucic goes something like this: “Oh boy, how bad is that contract going to be in two or three years?!?” That’s not entirely unfair, considering that the 29-year-old winger has five years left after this season, at $6 million per. But while folks worry about the future, the Lucic of the present is earning every dollar. The bruising winger scored 23 goals and 50 points last season and is on pace for 20 goals and 60 points this season. Then there are the goals that get scored because Lucic takes traffic to the front of the net, and a puck goes in because of the mayhem Lucic causes — without him getting a point. On Saturday he rifled home a loose puck in the high slot for the Oilers second goal, then skated right through Dumba and fed Puljujarvi for a two-on-one goal that made the score 3-1. Sure, Lucic isn’t speedy. You don’t get Lamborghini speed in the same package as Tundra power and size, folks. But he brings plenty to the table for me, in the contract years that count right now. Powerplay Needs A Plan The Oilers powerplay is a microcosm of their game. They have the puck a ton, but do very little with it. On Saturday the struggling unit went 0-for-6, generating a rather pathetic nine shots on goal in 10:49 with the man advantage. The opposing penalty kill is content to watch the Oilers throw the puck around the perimeter, and nearly every foray towards a scoring chance requires an Oiler to attempt an intricate pass over two sticks, or through two players, a low-percentage chance which is almost never rewarded. There is no doubt an ending point to this game plan — a trigger point where the puck is supposed to arrive for that dangerous shot at the net. It’s just nearly impossible to spot that goal line with this powerplay, which 1088842 Websites With the National Hockey League celebrating its 100th anniversary, TSN issued a list of the Top 25 players in the history of the league. It’s an interesting list, though as with all lists, I’d make a few changes. TSN.CA / TSN Hockey's Top 10 Storylines of the Week I'd have Crosby and Lidstrom higher. Too many goalies.https://t.co/FIFWCMeUr8 By Scott Cullen — Scott Cullen (@tsnscottcullen) December 16, 2017 MATTHEWS INJURY A wild week in Ottawa, Canada’s World Junior roster is set, the Top 25 Toronto Maple Leafs franchise centre Auston Matthews has missed the NHL players of all-time, Matthews, Bailey and more in TSN Hockey’s Top past four games, with a mysterious injury, and it hasn’t gone very well for 10 Storylines of the Week. the Leafs. They have scored a total of four goals in those four games, losing three, and their only win was a 1-0 win over Edmonton during SENATORS which Curtis McElhinney recorded a 41-save shutout. It all started innocently enough, it seemed, with The Athletic’s Craig The mystery around the injury is because the team won’t divulge what Custance interviewing Los Angeles Kings defenceman Drew Doughty exactly has sidelined Matthews, and the best indication is that he might about free agency in the summer of 2019. Doughty mentioned that he not have a concussion. Anything that happens with Matthews is a big would consult with Senators defenceman Erik Karlsson, who will also be story in Toronto, but any injury that could have a long-term effect on a free agent that summer, and everything went haywire. Matthews is going to be an issue for the Maple Leafs. Karlsson, naturally, was questioned by Ottawa reporters about it and PREDATORS PUSHING indicated that he would not take a hometown discount with his next deal. Not an unreasonable position for a player of his stature to take. After Saturday night’s 2-0 win at Calgary, the Nashville Predators have suffered just one regulation loss in their pastfirst-pla 14 games (a 5-3 Unless, of course, that player is on the Ottawa Senators, apparently, home loss to Vancouver, believe it or not), giving them the second-best because the reported reaction was that owner Eugene Melnyk was record in the league behind Tampa Bay. disappointed and it immediately prompted discussion about how soon the Senators might consider dealing their superstar defenceman. For good Balance has been the name of the game for last year’s Stanley Cup measure, scoring winger Mike Hoffman’s name found its way into the finalists. Filip Forsberg is scoring a point-per-game and newcomer Kyle trade rumour mill this week, and Kyle Turris had some things to say Turris has had a point-per-game since arriving in a trade from Ottawa, about his departure. but Nashville has six more players with at least 20 points. Kyle Turris speaking in Vancouver on the end of his time in Ottawa: “It’s VEGAS, BABY, VEGAS tough because I think management did want to sign me, but I think that They currently sit second in the Pacific Division, but the expansion Vegas the owner didn’t. And that was his decision.” #Predators #Senators Golden Knights have the best record (20-9-2) in the division, having — Josh Clipperton (@JClipperton_CP) December 13, 2017 played three fewer games and sitting two points behind the first-place Los Angeles Kings. Those stories had legs for most of the week but, really, were just appetizers to Melnyk’s performance on the eve of the NHL 100 Classic That they managed to compile this record while going through a stretch outdoor game against Montreal, when the Sens owner said, “I think the when they were forced to start their fourth-string goaltender in 13 games market here has to prove itself, or you have to make changes. We’ve cut made it all the more remarkable, but now the Golden Knights are everything to the bone in the organization. We are probably one of the relatively healthy and there are some signs that they might not fade away thinnest management groups in the league. The next thing you have to too quickly. look at is players." While it remains to be seen just how well some of Vegas’ surprise “I'm not going to blow a lifetime of working hard on a hockey team." performers – William Karlsson and Erik Haula come to mind – hold up #Sens owner Eugene Melnyk on rumours he would sell the Senators over the course of a full season, it is encouraging that the Golden Knights https://t.co/5FeRnXv61C #TSNHockey pic.twitter.com/swAT6UGojd have improved their puck possession stats. — TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) December 16, 2017 Through the end of October, they ranked 18th in the league, with a 49.0% score-adjusted Corsi, which isn’t all that bad for a team in its first It is not unprecedented for an owner to express frustration about their year of existence, but since then the Golden Knights are sitting at 52.3%, market, but to do it on the eve of an outdoor game that the Senators are which puts them in the Top 10 since November 1. hosting, and the spotlight (which is rare for Ottawa!) that comes with it, is unorthodox to say the least. Where's the upside? With points in the bank and improving shot differentials, the Golden Knights look like a team that could stay in the hunt for a playoff spot. Questions have been cropping up for years about whether Melnyk has the financial wherewithal to keep the Senators competitive over the long CAPITAL RECOVERY haul – there were rumours, which Melnyk denied, that some Sens In a bit of a surprising twist, the Washington Capitals are once again on employees have missed pay cheques – but these aren’t the kinds of top of the Metropolitan Division. The Capitals opened the season 5-6-1 questions that dog too many other franchises. and seemed to have too many holes to really get back among the And after all that bluster, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman quickly put contenders this season, but they’ve won 10 of the past 12 games and cold water on the notion that the Senators might move. that’s changed the outlook rather quickly. #NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says coverage of Melnyk's comments Washington has not been a strong possession team (48.4% score- is "much ado about nothing" that #Sens "aren't going anywhere." VIDEO adjusted Corsi), so that remains an area of concern, but Alex Ovechkin : https://t.co/TkM55vwduR #TSN pic.twitter.com/bz9Zpwxq6M has 23 goals in 34 games, which puts him on pace for 55 goals over a full season; not bad for a guy who was supposedly in decline last season. — Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) December 17, 2017 JOSH BAILEY At least the Senators came away from the outdoor game with a 3-0 win against Montreal, a little good news for the first time in a while, but their There are two New York Islanders sitting atop the team’s scoring race owner’s untimely outburst is going to hang over this franchise for a while. with 40 points in 33 games. One, as expected, is John Tavares. The second player is more surprising: it’s right winger Josh Bailey, who plays WORLD JUNIOR ROSTER SET with Tavares and Anders Lee on one of the league’s most productive lines. Team Canada made its final cuts for this year’s World Junior Hockey Championship. Naturally, Canada has a skilled team that should contend Bailey recorded a career-high 56 points last season, but is on pace to for a gold medal, but there were some surprises, most notably with obliterate that number this season. That’s interesting because, like goaltender Michael DePietro and centre Nick Suzuki among the final Tavares, Bailey is set to be an unrestricted free agent next summer. cuts. Here are the top scorers that are set to be unrestricted free agents in Canada plays its first game of the tournament on Boxing Day, facing off 2018: against Finland. SCORING LEADERS, 2018 PENDING UFA CLASS TOP 25 PLAYERS IN NHL HISTORY PLAYER TEAM POS GP G A PTS John Tavares N.Y. Islanders C 33 19 21 40 Josh Bailey N.Y. Islanders RW 33 9 31 40 Evander Kane Buffalo LW 33 14 17 31 Jonathan Marchessault Vegas LW 28 10 16 26 John Carlson Washington D 33 3 22 25 David Perron Vegas LW 25 7 17 24 James Neal Vegas RW 31 15 9 24 Paul Stastny St. Louis C 34 7 16 23 Joe Thornton San Jose C 31 5 17 22 James van Riemsdyk Toronto LW 33 15 7 22 INJURIES It’s been a rough stretch for injuries, beyond the Auston Matthews situation, with Corey Perry, Brandon Dubinsky, Devan Dubnyk, Taylor Hall, Jaden Schwartz, Alex Pietrangelo, Sven Baertschi, Chris Tanev, Dustin Byfuglien, and Logan Couture among the significant contributors to get hurt recently. This isn’t anything more than the nature of the game, as most players miss time at some point in the year, but that leaves their teams in a tough spot trying to fill holes in the meantime. MATT JOHNSON TSN produced an outstanding story on former NHL enforcer Matt Johnson, who has gone missing and is thought to be homeless in Santa Monica, California. It’s hard to read about just how disposable some pro athletes are, and it’s a challenge for the league, and players’ association to figure out how they can best prevent these players from slipping through the cracks. This is tremendous and heartbreaking. It's scary to see what happens to former NHL players, especially those who made their living by fighting. The fall is hard. https://t.co/E5jOuLhzyE — Scott Cullen
TSN.CA LOADED: 12.17.2017 1088843 Websites But the NHL 100 Classic weekend will always be remembered for the incendiary comments Senators owner Eugene Melnyk made on Friday night, when he threw fuel on an already fiery relationship with the Sens TSN.CA / Sens pick up much needed victory in NHL 100 Classic Army. On a weekend designed to celebrate NHL hockey in the nation’s capital, Melnyk said he would consider relocating the Senators, warning the By Frank Seravalli “market has to prove itself.” “If it doesn’t look good here, it could look good somewhere else,” Melnyk said on Parliament Hill. “How long can you underwrite a team? Like, OTTAWA — By the time the final horn sounded, frozen sweat formed ice literally underwrite. Write a cheque … I have it, but I’m not going to blow chips in the beards of Senators forwards Mike Hoffman and Zack Smith. a lifetime of working hard to support a hockey team. It’s not going to happen.” But the Senators were smiling - and not just because they could finally retreat to the warm confines of the Redblacks’ dressing room at TD NHL commissioner Gary Bettman downplayed Melnyk’s comments, Place. saying the firestorm they created was “much ado about nothing.” They were going home winners for the second game in a row, a feat “The Ottawa Senators aren’t going anywhere,” Bettman told TSN. worth celebrating after a month of hell. This one, though, felt a little bigger than two points. As much as Ottawa fumed in the wake of Melnyk’s spin, they didn’t turn their back on their team. Brassard said Senators players went out for The Ottawa Senators outlasted the Montreal Canadiens, 3-0, in the NHL warmup and predicted “there was no way people are going to be 100 Classic on Saturday night in an outdoor recreation the league’s first standing for three and a half hours” in the cold. matchup a century ago. The NHL’s 23rd regular season venture outside will go down as one of the coldest played. “But they did,” Brassard said. “That shows a lot of passion.” The official temperature at puck drop was minus-10.8 degrees Celsius It was a feeling to remember on a night you couldn’t feel your extremities. (12 Fahrenheit), making it the third-coldest outdoor game on record. A swirling wind made it feel significantly colder, with 33,959 fans braving “When the home team has two points, the city can rally around that for a the elements as the thermometer dipped to minus-16 in the third period. great event,” Ryan said. “The fans came out and made it a heck of a night and were engaged. It’s something that I’ll look back on forever.” Sens forward Bobby Ryan said it was the coldest he’s ever been.
“By far. Not even close,” Ryan said. “It was cold. Every period got colder. It was worth every second of it. We had a blast.” TSN.CA LOADED: 12.17.2017 Though the players bundled up with balaclavas and extra layers, it almost seemed as if the Habs and Sens never really quite warmed up. The two teams posted just one high-danger scoring chance in the first period - and they were far and few between. “The puck turned into an ice cube out there,” Mike Hoffman said. “You don’t have much control.” Ottawa’s Jean-Gabriel Pageau (who else?) broke the ice with a second period redirection that served as the game-winner to keep the Senators perfect (2-0) in outdoor games. More importantly, the two linchpins for Ottawa’s success saved their best for the bright lights. Erik Karlsson and Craig Anderson finally looked like their usual all-world selves again. Anderson pitched his second shutout of the season and Karlsson played perhaps his most complete game of the season. Karlsson had seven shots on goal, 13 attempts, and set NHL regular season outdoor records for ice time (32:55) and blocked shots (eight). Oh, and he got back on the scoresheet, assisting on Pageau’s winner for just his third point in 15 games. “Karl was a force,” Derrick Brassard said. “I know the game wasn’t spectacular to watch, it was really simple, but he had [a lot] of attempts and blocked shots. It was great to see. When a team struggles, it makes it harder on him because it puts a lot of pressure on him. He was great tonight.” Ryan netted a beautiful breakaway goal with under three minutes to play to seal the Sens’ third win (3-10-2) since returning from Sweden on Nov. 11. Nate Thompson added an empty-netter. The NHL 100 Classic accounted for a four-point standings swing for Ottawa over division rival Montreal, who was blanked for the fifth time this season. “I heard some guys complaining about [cold] ears and feet, but for me it was absolutely hands. My hands were cold,” Ryan said. “I was as close to the heater as I could be between shifts.” It was the one game, Brassard said, players were “almost happy” to be on the bench. It was so frigid that it would’ve been cruel for second intermission act, Canadian rock icon Bryan Adams, to play Summer of ’69 - since that wind Cut Like a Knife. There were plenty of fireworks as the NHL officially turned the page to its next 100 years with the last planned celebration of its centennial season. Legends Guy Lafleur and Daniel Alfredsson dropped the puck. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau slapped palms with his hometown Habs. Mario Lemieux was honoured for the NHL’s “Greatest Moment” of the last 100 years, as voted by fans, for his five goals scored five different ways on Dec. 31, 1988. 1088844 Websites said he would use hand warmers in his glove for Friday’s practice, but not the actual NHL 100 Classic.
“I’ve got leggings and a turtleneck and I’m going to wear the balaclava,” TSN.CA / Habs, Sens gear up for one of NHL’s coldest outdoor games Phaneuf said. “It definitely kept your face warm [in Michigan in 2014 with the Maple Leafs]. You try to gauge how much you’re going to wear because you don’t want it to restrict you. I remember by the time the By Frank Seravalli game came around, you weren’t wearing much more than you usually do because you’re used to a certain feel.”
That feel is why Sens netminder Craig Anderson said he would wear just OTTAWA — Matt Duchene is one of 658 players to participate in one of one extra layer to keep warm underneath his pads. Goaltenders have the NHL’s 22 regular season outdoor games over the last 15 years. unique challenges outdoors, including adjusting to different depth sightlines while tracking the puck. But his experience at Denver’s Coors Field was missing an important element: authentic hockey weather. “The puck is a little bit harder to catch,” Carey Price said. “When it’s frozen, it’s hard to close [your glove].” “It was 70 degrees Fahrenheit,” Duchene said Friday. No matter how cold, both sides said they were looking forward to the Thinking back to when his father, Vince, would build an outdoor rink on change in scenery. Ryan said this wind chill “embodies a true Canadian their Haliburton, Ont. driveway every winter, Duchene said: “Colder the experience,” something he didn’t get growing up in New Jersey. It will be better. It’s a very Canadian thing.” a test for even those born and bred. Then he paused for a second. “I don’t get cold too easy,” Duchene said. “I used to not wear too much “Well, not too cold,” Duchene said, laughing. “A little brisk air will be on the outdoor rink. My mom used to get on me about that. We’ll see if perfect.” that’s changed or if I’ve gotten soft over the years.” Oh, the air at TD Place will be plenty brisk. Saturday night’s NHL 100 Classic could go down as the coldest modern outdoor game the league TSN.CA LOADED: 12.17.2017 has played yet. The forecast calls for minus-13 Celsius, according to Environment Canada, with wind chills hovering around minus-19. That’s true hockey weather. The original Heritage Classic, held in Edmonton in 2003 five years before the league made outdoor appearances a regular season staple, is widely considered the coldest played. Wind chills in that game hit minus-21. This one will be close. “There are going to be moments we wish we were inside,” Senators captain Erik Karlsson said. Even the NHL’s first-ever game a century ago to the day on Dec. 19, 1917 - also between the Senators and Canadiens - was played indoors at a 7,000-seat venue aptly named “The Arena.” That game was delayed by 15 minutes because of a salary squabble, with players protesting their contracts calling for a 20-game season when the schedule listed 24. Fast forward 100 years. Those founding players couldn’t then imagine what will take place Saturday night, with more than 35,000 fans braving the elements at TD Place while CF-18 jets roar overhead for a pre-game flyby. As much as things change, they also stay the same. The NHL Players’ Association will be in constant contact with the NHL and must sign off on conditions on Saturday night. While the NHL 100 Classic is expected to be played without any hindrance, players still hold sway. “You’d like it to warm up a little bit,” Sens defenceman Dion Phaneuf said. “But we’ll play in whatever weather we have to. We get treated pretty well. We’ve got heaters on the bench. When you’re on the ice, it might be a little colder than you’re used to, but it’s going to be a fun weekend.” With it so cold, there are a few unique challenges for NHL icemakers. For one, it may be too cold to operate the league’s specially designed lightweight Zamboni - for fear of cracking the ice. The NHL shoveled and manually resurfaced the ice on Friday for practices, just like it was done 100 years ago - but it wasn’t a nod to simpler times. The NHL actually had to heat up the temperature of the ice surface overnight on Thursday and Friday to preserve optimal conditions. The Canadiens and Senators used Friday’s practice to find their optimal equipment setup for Saturday night’s show. Montreal’s Tomas Plekanec may be fashion forward with his usual turtleneck, but the “balaclava” - the formal term for a ski mask - will be the fashion trend at the NHL 100 Classic. “I don’t even know how to pronounce that,” Bobby Ryan said. “I’ve never worn one or heard of that. But I’m going to give it a go. I think covering up your ears is a big part of it.” Phaneuf said the Senators were outfitted in “all the same stuff the NFL wears” from extra layers to eye black to hand warmers. He joked that he would’ve worn his jacket underneath his equipment if it could’ve fit. He 1088845 Websites "I really enjoyed Paul Maclean as well. Paul is a tremendous person, a lot like Bryan and it was unfortunate what happened to Paul in Ottawa , but I speak very highly of Paul and respect him and what he stands for." TSN.CA / Dreger Report: Neil looks back at career fondly While Neil wasn't known for his offensive talent, he did score 112 goals and 250 points in the NHL. Three goals instantly come to mind when asked to describe his favourite goals...two of them are his and one By Darren Dreger belongs to his good pal, Daniel Alfredsson. "In 07, scoring in the Stanley Cup Final right after my daughter was born that was a very proud moment and another one was scoring the overtime He played more than 1,000 NHL games, all with the Ottawa Senators, winner against the Rangers in Game 2 (2012 Eastern Conference and amassed more than 2,500 penalty minutes. Quarterfinals). Those are two special goals and one goal that I didn't score but was an unbelievable experience to be a part of was the goal His hands are battered from dropping the gloves close to 350 times. He Alfie scored to send us to the Stanley Cup Final. Coming back to has some arthritis, but other than that, Chris Neil feels like he's on top of Ottawa, there must have been 14,000 people at the airport. There was the world. just a little tunnel for us to drive through and we were high-fiving fans...it He's one of Ottawa's most beloved and at 38-years-old, this husband and was unbelievable, it truly was." father of three knew it was time to call it quits. Neil isn't sure what the future will look like professionally. He's well "Probably a month and a half ago I made up my mind that I wasn't going connected in the Ottawa business community and is a partner in Central to play and making the decision was tough, but at the end of the day, I've Bierhaus, a popular restaurant in Kanata. For now, he's more than happy got no regrets. For my family as well, it was the right time and spending time with his family, including helping coach his eight-year-old opportunity to do it." son’s minor hockey team. Undoubtedly, he and his wife Caitlin will also continue their charitable work with Roger Neilson House. Over his 15-year NHL career, Neil worked hard on his game on and off the ice. With rule changes he adapted by getting leaner and doing what Chris Neil is one of the game’s good guys. he could to adjust to the increased speed the league demanded.
However, Neil never changed his thinking on what his role with the Senators was. He never had to be told to step in to defend a teammate TSN.CA LOADED: 12.17.2017 or when it was time to stir things up to spark the Sens’ bench. He knew his job and performed to the best of his ability every night, so he leaves with no regrets. "No, what you see with me is what you get. I think that's why I played for as long as I did. I have so much respect for all of the guys I went up against over the years. The question I get all the time is, ‘who's the toughest guy?’ They are all tough. At the end of the day, if you're not ready to go, anyone of those guys can knock you down, so you have to be at the top of your game every single night and I have a tremendous amount of respect for every guy in that role." "The way the game has gone, you don't see too much of that anymore, but I'm still all for a good ole donneybrook out there. I enjoy watching it and I took pride in it, to lift my teammates up and to let them know that no one is going to take liberties on them. For me it was important to have my teammates’ back every single night." Neil, Ottawa's sixth round draft pick in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, paid his dues in the minors, including an impressive 2000-2001 season with the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins where he recorded 15 goals and 36 points with 354 penalty minutes. He was ready for the NHL and fondly remembers his rookie season and a group of guys that became life-long friends. "When I came into the league in Ottawa my first year, it was a family, we were a tight group, it wasn't just one guy, everyone was together. Certain guys you keep in touch with more, but like Philly (Chris Phillips) Reds (Wade Redden), Fish (Mike Fisher), those are guys that took me under their wing. I lived with Mike and obviously we share the same beliefs and I think through that Mike and me became very close, but that's not taking away from the other guys because everyone was instrumental in helping me progress in my career." Neil faced adversity through coaching and management changes over the years, but there's no hesitation when asked to define his proudest time as a Senator. Although it didn't end the way he and the Sens were hoping, the battles won and the experiences of making it to the 2007 Stanley Cup finals against the Anaheim Ducks top his list of accomplishments. "The run in 2007 under Bryan Murray was unbelievable and everyone was willing to go through the wall for that guy. That says a lot about his makeup and character that he could get the most out of every guy in that locker room whether they played five minutes or played 22 minutes. He had a way of dealing with people...he was really good at that." "He had your back every single night and whether you needed a wake-up call or if the team was flat he would find a way to get under the refs skin to get everyone riled up. If he was into the game...everyone had to get going. By far, he's one of the best coaches I've ever had. Murray will always have a special place in Neil's heart, but Neil also wants to acknowledge another former Sens coach who had an impact on his career. 1088846 Websites “Here we’re fighting every day to sell a ticket. Honest to god,” Melnyk said. “When you get to the third round of the playoffs and you’re begging people to buy a ticket, something’s wrong with that picture. We’re just TSN.CA / Melnyk: Senators ‘could look good somewhere else’ hoping that changes. We’re not pushing, we’re not doing anything other than trying enthusiastically.”
So what is the solution? Melnyk threw cold water on an all-out pursuit of By Frank Seravalli a downtown arena in the LeBreton Flats area, saying “it wouldn’t be a total disaster for us at all if it didn’t happen.”
“Because until the law changes, where you can give tickets to civil OTTAWA — With hundreds of fans braving -20 C wind chills to kick off servants, that is a disaster for us,” Melnyk said. “What are we doing? what should have been a marquee weekend for the NHL in the nation’s We’re moving from the suburbs, where it’s built its own little base. Don’t capital, Senators owner Eugene Melnyk said Friday night he would forget: are all those Kanata people going to come downtown? You’re just consider moving the franchise. moving the arena closer to people who can’t get tickets.” “If it doesn’t look good here, it could look good somewhere else,” Melnyk Melnyk suggested “caution” with LeBreton Flats, suggesting “we have said. “But I’m not suggesting that right now. That’s always the possibility options.” He said the team could stay at Canadian Tire Centre for a with any franchise. significant length of time if $25 to $50 million was invested in it. “If you open a grocery store and nobody comes, but one opens two “We need something to happen at one point,” Melnyk said. “Something’s blocks down and there’s a line outside, where are you going to have your got to break for us somewhere.” store?” In the meantime, Melnyk said he wants to “think positively.” The scene on Parliament Hill, with snow falling, was a perfect one for politicking – with the outspoken Melnyk perking up eyebrows of hungry “We’ll try and do things like this [outdoor game], which is probably going hockey fans in Quebec City and bigwigs in Ottawa as the Senators to be the greatest outdoor game to date – I almost guarantee you,” search for a new downtown arena. Melnyk said. “All in all, I think we are doing OK. We’re going to turn it around hockey-wise. I’m just looking forward to one day being in a But Melnyk swore he wasn’t posturing. parade.” “I don’t bluff,” Melnyk said. “I won’t sell it. It just won’t happen. Imagine if Melnyk’s parade in front of the microphones Friday night lit a Centennial you own a McDonalds franchise, but you can move it. Why would you Flame to the NHL 100 Classic weekend in an already hypersensitive sell it? It’s something that’s very difficult to buy. We’re doing OK here. market, but he said he wasn’t concerned. We’re not doing great.” “No,” Melnyk said. “It keeps the newspapers selling, it keeps the radio Melnyk said “the market here has to prove itself” or changes will be people listening.” made.
“How long can you underwrite a team?” Melnyk asked. “Like, literally underwrite. Write a cheque.” TSN.CA LOADED: 12.17.2017 For now, Melnyk said he has the financial wherewithal to continue to write those cheques, despite acknowledging that the Senators have “cut everything to the bone in the organization.” Canadian Business ranked Melnyk as the 79th richest Canadian with a net worth of $1.21 billion this year. “Yeah, I have it,” Melnyk said. “But I’m not going to blow a lifetime of working hard to support a hockey team. It’s not going to happen.” Melnyk, who purchased the team in 2003, firmly denied rumours floating around league circles that he recently missed a payroll for front office staff or failed to reimburse scouts for expenses. “No. That didn’t happen,” Melnyk said. “It didn’t happen. I don’t know where you’re getting this stuff.” Melnyk did, however, admit that the Senators are down to bare bones staff. An NHL source also told TSN that coach Guy Boucher is one of the lowest-paid head coaches in the league. “We are probably one of the thinnest management groups in the league,” Melnyk said. “The next thing you have to look at is players … It’s a direct relationship between revenue and how much you spend on players … We spend $68 million a year. Unlike everyone says, ‘You are cheap?’ Are you kidding me? … Even at $68 million, that’s way too much over a revenue base that we have.” His hint about cutting back player spending immediately drew a line to impending negotiations with superstar defenceman Erik Karlsson. The Senators can sign their franchise player to an extension on July 1. Two weeks ago, Karlsson made it clear he is not going to accept a deal less than fair market value, words some believe were directed at Melnyk. Former Senator Kyle Turris said this week Melnyk made the decision to not re-sign him. Turris was traded in a three-way deal for Matt Duchene and signed a six-year, $36 million deal the same day with the Predators. “We want to keep and maintain great players. You see what’s going crazy with salaries and bonuses,” Melnyk said. “We can’t keep spending at the top end and getting the lowest revenues. It just doesn’t work.” Ottawa failed to sellout Canadian Tire Centre in suburban Kanata during last year’s Eastern Conference final. This season, they reduced capacity to 17,373, down from 19,153 a decade ago. Ottawa has averaged 15,281 fans over 15 home dates this season, ranking the Senators 26th in the league, according to ESPN based on percentage of capacity (81.3 per cent). 1088847 Websites 17. Jack Adams played for Toronto in the first NHL season, and now the league’s coach of the year trophy bears his name. Today, Adams winners would have wanted more production out of Adams had he USA TODAY / NHL turns 100: 21 of biggest changes from then to now played for them. The feisty center didn’t have a single point in his rookie campaign.
18. The NHL was a train league in 1917. In November, the Calgary Kevin Allen, Flames took the train from Philadelphia to Washington to commemorate that era. The cigars, wide-brimmed hats, two-toned shoes and card- Published 12:24 p.m. ET Dec. 16, 2017 playing were a nice touch. 19. Tickets for the Stanley Cup championship after the NHL’s first season ranged from 50 cents to $2. Last June, Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final The NHL is 100 years old this season. Today, the league is celebrating in Nashville set a secondary market record on SeatGeek with an average its first game, which was played Dec. 19, 1917, with an outdoor game price of $2,116. That was the highest price the SeatGeek had ever between the Montreal Canadiens and Senators (7 p.m. ET, NBCSN) at tracked for an NHL game. Ottawa's Lansdowne Park. 20. In 1917-18, NHL players were exclusively Canadian. This season, Here are some notable changes from then to now: 46.1% of NHL players are Canadian. Americans hold 26.8% of NHL 1. The average NHL player was under 180 pounds in 1917. Today, playing jobs. The remaining players primarily come from Sweden, Winnipeg’s Dustin Byfuglien is 260 on a light day. An average NHLer is Finland, Russia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Switzerland and about 205. Austria. 2. In 1917, the NHL started with four teams and ended up with three 21. Noble played in the NHL’s inaugural season, and lasted longer than teams. Today, the NHL is seriously considering Seattle for the 32nd any other founding player. He was 37 when he played his final NHL team. There’s a line forming to gain franchises. season in 1932-33. Today, Jaromir Jagr is the NHL’s oldest player. He turns 46 in February and wants to play beyond age 50. 3. The NHL started with every team in Canada. Today, the team lineup includes three teams in the New York metropolitan area, plus three teams in California, two in Florida and two in the desert (Las Vegas and USA TODAY LOADED: 12.17.2017 Arizona). 4. Toronto's Harry Cameron was rumored to be the NHL's highest-paid player at $900 per season in 1917-18. This season, Chicago’s Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane will receive $13.8 million U.S. 5. Joe Malone was the NHL’s top goal scorer with 44 goals in 20 games in 1917-18. Last season, Sidney Crosby led the NHL with 44 goals in an 82-game schedule. 6. In 1917, NHL teams were asked to pay $200 Canadian for players taken in a dispersal draft. Recently, potential owners of a Seattle franchise were told that they will have to pay $650 million for an expansion franchise. 7. Offense was all the rage in the inaugural season as teams averaged 4.75 goals per game. Today, each team is averaging 2.98 goals, a mark that would be the highest since 2005-06. 8. In 1917, the NHL changed the rules to permit goalies to drop to the ice to make a save. Previously, it was a penalty for a goalie to drop. Today, NHL scorers would love it if goalies couldn’t play on their knees. 9. About 700 fans showed up for the NHL’s first game between the Montreal Wanderers and Toronto. This season, the Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks average more than 21,000 fans per game. The Detroit Red Wings, Tampa Bay Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers and Toronto Maples are averaging more than 19,000. 10. The top four point producers -- Joe Malone, Cy Denneny, Reg Noble, Newsy Lalonde -- combined for 164 points and 196 penalty minutes. Today, everything from faceoffs to puck possession to zone entries/exits are tracked. 11. In the NHL’s first season, players Alf Skinner and Joe Hall were involved in a stick-swinging duel in Toronto. Both players were arrested, but they received suspended sentences. The league fined them $15. This season, Philadelphia defenseman Radko Gudas was suspended 10 games for slashing Mathieu Perreault. His fine was more than $400,000 of lost wages. 12. The team from Toronto won the Stanley Cup that season. Today, the team from Toronto is in the midst of a 50-year Cup drought. 13. In 1917, the maximum driving speed in most American cities was 10 mph. Today, some NHL players have been clocked skating more than 30 mph. 14. During the NHL’s first NHL season, Malone decided he wasn’t making enough money. A bank offered him a higher salary than the NHL. The following season he accepted a job at the bank and only played home games in the NHL. In today’s NHL, the average salary is more than $3 million per player. No one is giving that up to work at a bank. 15. In 1917, only 8% of people had telephones. Today, Alex Ovechkin boasts 2.7 million Twitter followers. 16. Art Ross registered one point in 1917-18. Connor McDavid won the Art Ross Trophy a few months ago with 100 points.