SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 11/08/18 Blackhawks cont'd 1114306 Ducks’ offense is finally picture of health in win over 1114339 In replacing future Hall of Famer with inexperienced head Flames coach, pressure is on to help the Blackh 1114307 Ryan Getzlaf, Rickard Rakell team up to help Ducks get 1114340 Open communication the key to Jeremy Colliton past Flames commanding respect from Blackhawks veterans 1114308 Ducks defenseman Josh Manson returns to lineup after 1114341 Q&A: on his opportunity with the IceHogs and 4-game layoff working with Jeremy Colliton 1114309 Ducks making small progress but still struggling with ‘consistency’ and ‘identity’ during skid 1114342 Avalanche doomed by Predators — and replays — in 4th straight loss 1114310 Arizona Coyotes recall Hunter Miska, to IR 1114343 How the Avalanche can put the joystick down and get their 1114311 Coyotes’ Richardson hates ‘traditional bullshit’ and brings mojo — and defense — on track sneaky skills – on and off the ice 1114344 Avs-Predators player grades: A disjointed mess 1114345 Controversy mars Avalanche loss to PredatorsAJ Haefele 1114346 Avs morning skate notebook: Work ethic must improve 1114312 has a new side of his story to tell — in photographs 1114313 Even before ' Uber incident, Bruins 1114347 Blue Jackets notebook | Markus Nutivarra grows into cautious about off-the-ice discussions confident defenseman 1114314 Backes, Bruins make veteran move 1114348 Slick-passing Alexander Wennberg aims to be more active 1114315 Kuraly now on right track for Bruins 1114349 Blue Jackets 4, Stars 1 | Five takeaways 1114316 Jaroslav Halak named Bruins starter for Vancouver game Thursday 1114317 Milan Lucic incident a reminder that Bruins could use a 1114350 From No. 3 to 91, the Dallas Stars explain the story behind guy like that their jersey numbers 1114318 Vaakanainen (concussion) skates for first time since injury Buffalo Sabres 1114351 Detroit Red Wings' Frans Nielsen hoping to pass third 1114319 Jeff Skinner is smashing expectations and raising his price concussion test in fast start with Sabres 1114352 Red Wings' Frans Nielsen anxious to play, but 1114320 Sabres' Skinner willing to be patient about starting talks on understands need to be careful contract extension 1114353 Jimmy Howard's strong play will earn contract extension 1114321 Sabres prospect C.J. Smith trying to stay patient in from Red Wings Rochester 1114354 Joe Hicketts disappointed, determined in latest return to Griffins 1114355 Red Wings more resilient following rough start to season 1114322 Flames fall to Ducks in first game of California road trip 1114356 What’s next for Dennis Cholowski’s development as a 1114323 Fitness issues behind him, Rasmus Andersson has top-pair defenseman become a legitimate top-six defenceman for the Flames Edmonton Oilers 1114357 Edmonton Oilers notes: Milan Lucic gets fined over 1114324 Will Cam Ward be net for the Blackhawks against the incident with Mathieu Joseph Canes? He won’t say. 1114358 Willis: Under the circumstances, playing in the AHL affords 1114325 Canes’ losing streak at five games after 4-1 loss to Blues Jesse Puljujarvi his best chance at career redempt 1114326 New Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton, 33, doesn't think 1114359 This defenseman has been one of the Panthers’ top his age will be an issue in the locker room offensive weapons so far this season 1114327 No kidding: Blackhawks' Brent Seabrook and Jeremy Colliton played against each other as kids 1114328 Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman on a reported rift with Joel 1114360 Kings' Ilya Kovalchuk has improved his play when they Quenneville: 'None of that is true' have needed it most 1114329 A full Blackhawks rebuild? Not so fast. A look at the 1114361 What we learned from the Kings' 4-1 win over the Ducks contracts of the 8 highest-paid players 1114362 Kings’ Jake Muzzin stoked about team’s readiness for 1114330 The one thing new coach Jeremy Colliton can't afford to Ducks screw up with Blackhawks players 1114363 Kings show positive signs in first game under Willie 1114331 What's next for ? 6 NHL teams that could Desjardins, though confidence remains an issue hire the former Blackhawks coach 1114364 TEACH ME (FEAT. ): HEALTHY AND 1114332 Blackhawks' Jeremy Colliton doing just fine in first- SUSTAINABLE EATING HABITS impressions department 1114365 NOVEMBER 7: VILARDI; WILD; WHAT KOVALCHUK’S 1114333 Daniel Carcillo shares story of how Blackhawks GM Stan SEEING; WEAPONIZING SPEED Bowman 'saved his life' 1114366 WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: NOVEMBER 7 1114334 Giving Q his due: Four incredible facts from Joel Quenneville's Blackhawks run 1114335 Where Chicago Blackhawks go from here 1114336 New Chicago Blackhawks coach ready, willing and able 1114337 How Jeremy Colliton plans to implement coaching system on the fly 1114338 Blackhawks players' first impressions of new coach Jeremy Colliton Pittsburgh Penguins 1114367 Wild enjoys fine dining on road trips 1114396 Penguins' Evgeni Malkin faces possible suspension for hit 1114368 Wild-Kings preview to Washington's T.J. Oshie 1114369 Wild's Eric Staal, Matt Hendricks questionable to play vs. 1114397 T.J. Oshie scores late , extends Penguins' skid to five Kings games 1114370 How did ‘techno-ish’ anthem ‘Better Not’ become the 1114398 Penguins GM Jim Rutherford rips team, says roster Wild’s victory song? changes may be coming 1114371 To Russia with love: Wild owner writes Kirill Kaprizov a 1114399 Penguins turn to call-ups for jolt of energy on fourth line letter … in Russian 1114400 Penguins turn to goalie Casey DeSmith to try to snap skid 1114372 From ice to mic, ex-player Ryan Carter is bringing a fresh in Washington voice to Wild media 1114401 Penguins losing streak continues with a 2-1 fall to the Capitals 1114402 Evgeni Malkin ejected for hit to head of Capitals' T.J. 1114373 Analyze This: Max Domi is driving force behind Oshie Canadiens' offence 1114403 Jim Rutherford blasts Penguins' poor start, threatens 1114374 Canadiens, like their goalies, are running hot and cold changes 1114375 Melnick’s GBU: The worst period of their season cost a 1114404 As Penguins gauge interest, Daniel Sprong saga nears tired Canadiens team fascinating stretch 1114405 Garrett Wilson, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's captain, hopes to 'keep it rolling' in the NHL 1114376 Wednesday's recap: Predators 4, Avalanche 1 1114406 Penguins-Capitals: Casey DeSmith gets the nod in goal 1114377 Predators' long road trip a new experience for some new 1114407 Mike Sullivan, Penguins left fuming after Evgeni Malkin’s fathers on the team ejection in hard-fought loss 1114408 Discussion – Penguins at Capitals 1114378 How Devils' Joey Anderson, Brett Seney have handled renewed roster competition 1114409 Joe Thornton’s love for hockey leads him to remarkable 1114379 Recognition didn’t come early or easily for Martin Brodeur milestone but call to the Hall cements his legacy as one of t 1114410 Why Sharks' upcoming stretch of games will be toughest task yet 1114411 Sharks teammates applaud Marcus Sorensen's tenacity in 1114380 Islanders hoping to learn more about power-play unit in win over Wild Florida St Louis Blues 1114412 It's (another) first win for goalie Johnson 1114381 Rangers changing soft rep that defined (and still irks) 1114413 O'Reilly is giving Blues everything they had hoped for and old-timers more 1114382 Rangers have figured out how to protect late leads and 1114414 Blues' Yeo hits pause button, calls off Wednesday practice win close games 1114415 50 years ago: 'We want Red!' Even the Philly fans loved 1114383 Young talent continues to make an impact as Rangers Red Berenson on his record-setting night build on positive momentum Ottawa Senators 1114416 Victor Hedman expected to return to Lightning soon 1114384 Game Day: at Ottawa Senators 1114417 Ex-Lightning star, cancer survivor counts his 1114385 Thomas Chabot taking his game to new levels for blessings Senators 1114386 Senators issue apologies to assistant coach Martin Maple Leafs Raymond 1114418 Why Mitch Marner is worth the price of admission — and 1114387 SNAPSHOTS: Brady Tkachuk should be ready to suit up any extension against Knights 1114419 Andersen proving to be a bargain for Maple Leafs 1114388 Thoughts on Thoughts: Senators Uber and Black Cloud 1114420 Finding the blue lining in Steeltown sports Club, Nylander’s situation, ‘first on, last off’ and more 1114421 LeBrun: How GM George McPhee is maximizing the 1114389 Analyzing the thorny issues surrounding the Senators’ Golden Knights’ one-time salary cap edge Uber video scandal 1114422 Mirtle Notebook: Things I think about the Maple Leafs, Vol. 1114390 How the Senators organization can be better after the 2 Uber fiasco 1114446 Steve Ewen: Canucks prospect Woo brings old-school 1114391 Flyers seek to hold their edge at home against Coyotes hockey to Canada Russia Series 1114392 Giroux, Couturier seek 'mature' sense of calm for Flyers 1114447 Ben Kuzma: A Beantown happy homecoming for hard- 1114393 Brian Elliott returns as Flyers send Alex Lyon back to working Schaller, Gaudette Phantoms 1114394 Jakub Voracek rips into Uber driver for posting video of Senators players 1114395 Flyers’ top line might be back after some help from Patrick, Lindblom, Voracek Vegas Golden Knights Winnipeg Jets 1114423 Erik Haula ruled out for rest of Golden Knights’ road trip 1114443 Winnipeg needs speed to defeat Colorado 1114424 Schmidt needs to be more action than words regarding 1114444 Jets players, coach figure Laine got the reindeer off his NHL drug policy back in Finland 1114425 Suspended Nate Schmidt practices for Golden Knights 1114445 JETS SNAPS: Maurice sees a new Laine, but he’ll stay on 1114426 How GM George McPhee is maximizing the Golden third line, for now Knights’ one-time salary cap edge 1114427 Golden Knights Team Lawyer Works To Increase Women In Sports Leadership Roles SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1114428 Sisolak’s Gubernatorial Victory Over Laxalt Means Raiders, Golden Knights Have a Good Friend in Nevada’s Highe Washington Capitals 1114429 A nasty, chippy game against the rival Penguins was just what the Capitals needed 1114430 T.J. Oshie returns from hits, scores winner in Caps’ 2-1 victory 1114431 Capitals, Penguins prepare for the next chapter in their rivalry 1114432 In almost any other NBA city, Scott Brooks would have to worry about his job. Not in Washington. 1114433 on Tom Wilson’s ‘heavy’ suspension, respect for Ovechkin and Cup hangover 1114434 Oshie overcomes big hits, scores game-winner for Capitals to beat Penguins 1114435 Capitals applaud 'amazing' Backstrom as center is honored for 600 assists 1114436 Cold crashes: Treatment of concussions on ice evolves while NHL fights lawsuit 1114437 T.J. Oshie's rough night ends with sweet revenge in Capitals' 2-1 win over Penguins 1114438 3 reasons why the Capitals beat the Penguins 1114439 The new Attorney General of the United States is a Capitals fan 1114440 Dmitrij Jaskin's secret to fitting in on the top line? Speaking Russian 1114441 Can Nicklas Backstrom shut down Sidney Crosby and Co.? 1114442 The greatest game ever played? Remembering Caps- Penguins from Super Bowl Sunday 2010 Websites 1114448 The Athletic / Thoughts on Thoughts: Senators Uber and Black Cloud Club, Nylander’s situation, ‘first on, last 1114449 The Athletic / Down Goes Brown: Making the case for four passed-over Hall of Fame candidates 1114450 .ca / Takeaways: Mike Smith's struggles becoming all too common for Flames 1114451 Sportsnet.ca / Five potential trade destinations for Maple Leafs' William Nylander 1114452 Sportsnet.ca / NHL Power Rankings: How Hot Is Your Coach's Seat? Edition 1114453 Sportsnet.ca / Why limited opportunity has Flames' James Neal off to terrible start 1114454 Sportsnet.ca / Golden Knights' Schmidt maintains innocence as PED suspension concludes 1114455 Sportsnet.ca / Sportsnet’s 2019 NHL Draft Prospect Rankings: November 1114456 Sportsnet.ca / Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist surprises cancer survivor on Good Morning America 1114457 Sportsnet.ca / Islanders GM Lamoriello on when Ho-Sang, Dal Colle could be NHL ready 1114459 Sportsnet.ca / Q&A: 'In Search of Greatness' director talks Gretzky, Pele, creativity 1114460 TSN.CA / Andersen sparks Leafs past Golden Knights with stellar performance 1114461 USA TODAY / Flyers' big, goofy rookie, Gritty, a monster performer on and off the ice 1114305 Anaheim Ducks Update: Minnesota center Eric Staal is sick and questionable to play, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The Wild have won seven of nine games, which included a 4-1 win against the Kings on Oct.25.

Kings' Ilya Kovalchuk has improved his play when they have needed it LA Times: LOADED: 11.08.2018 most

By CURTIS ZUPKE NOV 07, 2018 | 4:30 PM

This movie has played out before for Ilya Kovalchuk.

He was with the when they began the 2007-08 season 0-6 and fired coach Bob Hartley. They were a sub-.500 team the rest of the way. Kovalchuk, in his inimitable way, remembers the feeling.

“Those days are not what you’re looking for,” Kovalchuk said.

The same could be said 11 years later, at least to start. The 4-8-1 record the Kings compiled in their first 13 games was enough to cost John Stevens his job. It’s not what Kovalchuk predicted when he signed a three-year, $18.75-million contract, but the aforementioned experience conditioned him to the harsh realities of the game.

“It should be the wake-up call for all of us, because nobody’s safe here,” Kovalchuk said.

A 4-1 win over the Ducks on Tuesday is more of what Kovalchuk is looking for after five years away from the NHL. He scored his team- leading fifth goal and recorded his fourth multi-point game this season.

Kovalchuk has been more noticeable on a line with Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli the last two games, both wins. His hands and flashes of elite skill have been apparent, such as his one-time swat of the puck past Ducks goalie John Gibson on a break-in on net.

Kovalchuk is able to produce at 35 partly because of his much talked- about conditioning regimen, which is what drew Kings coach to Kovalchuk on a trip to Russia with the Canadian national team in the summer of 2017.

“We played them in Russia, and he was training,” Desjardins said. “I had my camera out and I was video [taping him], and I didn’t know if I was supposed to [film], so I had the camera down low.”

The trip was a run-up to the 2018 Olympics, when Desjardins coached Canada. His team didn’t play Kovalchuk and the Olympic Athletes from Russia in the tournament but Desjardins remembers seeing Kovalchuk play.

Desjardins has coached players from all walks of life, from Japan to North America, but he admits this is new territory to coach a world-class player who stepped away from the league for years.

But it’s an experience that he welcomes, judging by what he’s seen.

“Usually elite guys don’t leave the league,” Desjardins said. “He made some really high-end plays [Tuesday]. The key for me is just to get him to work hard. If I can get him to work hard, everything else will fall in place.”

One avenue toward that might be the less-is-more approach. Kovalchuk’s sub-16-minutes of playing time in each the last two games are among his fewest of the season. But he has four points in that span and the Kings’ power play has clicked at a five-for-14 rate the last four games.

Kovalchuk’s five goals put him on pace for more than 25 on the season, which falls into the 25-30 goal projection of the organization upon signing him. He remains, neatly, a point-per-game player with 830 points in 830 games. He has said he’s adapted to the new NHL but on Wednesday he offered up a 14-game critique.

“I think I can be much better,” he said. “I think we all can be more consistent, but me personally, I know I can do better. It’s still an adjustment process for me, but I feel much better.”

UP NEXT VS. MINNESOTA

When: Thursday, 7:30 p.m.

On the air: TV: FS West; Radio: iHeartRadio (LA Kings Audio Network). 1114306 Anaheim Ducks

Ducks’ offense is finally picture of health in win over Flames

By MIKE COPPINGER

Just maybe, it was the injuries all along that were the chief reasons for the Ducks’ struggles.

With their most complete lineup yet, the Ducks delivered their best performance of the season in a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday before 16,641 at Honda Center.

Star center Ryan Getzlaf has played between so many different linemates this season as coach Randy Carlyle looked to jump-start the top line, and it was a reunion that did the trick.

Getzlaf skated alongside Rickard Rakell and Patrick Eaves, his running mates from the 2017-18 campaign, and the trio dazzled with a bundle of Grade-A scoring chances.

For an offense-starved club (ranked 29th entering the game), the looks were desperately needed. Just 27 seconds after the Flames tied the score at 2-2, Getzlaf buried a backhander to regain the lead for good 6:33 into the final period.

Rakell created the opportunity by streaking to the net, dragging two defenders along with him, and Getzlaf was there to collect the puck below the faceoff circle. He let out a scream coupled with a fist-pump on one skate. The Ducks needed this after losing eight of their last nine, including a 4-1 loss to the Kings on Tuesday.

“We’ve been working hard to try to close a couple of these games,” said Getzlaf, who has eight points in his last six games. “Emotions are high, obviously, in this room. It was pretty exciting.”

Eaves is still searching for his first point of the season, but Getzlaf is confident he’ll break through soon. The winger, playing in just his fourth game since October 2017 (post-viral illness, shoulder surgery), came close to scoring twice.

He missed to the left of the net on a wrist shot from the slot, and then to the right of the post early in the third period. Eaves’ return to the lineup (32 goals in 2016-17) gives the Ducks another threat.

Rakell, the Ducks’ lone All-Star a season ago, impressed too. He just missed on a breakaway set up by Getzlaf late in the third.

“Our line, I thought, we were there all night,” said Rakell, who led the team with 33 goals last season but has just three through 17 games. He’s been creating more chances lately and appears to be finding his form. “I’m being put in positions where I can get the puck with speed,” he said, ”and get through the neutral zone and get opponents on me and attack the net from there.”

For the first time in eight games, the Ducks scored first. Jakob Silfverberg’s slap shot dribbled through Mike Smith’s five-hole 8:37 into the first period. They padded the lead with another soft goal allowed by Smith, a juicy rebound off the leg pad that Adam Henrique capitalized on more than three minutes later.

The Flames jumped on the board with a Matthew Tkachuk re-direct on the power play late in the first, and then were somehow held off the scoresheet in a chaotic second period when goalie Ryan Miller shined with a few assists from the post.

“We’ve been having trouble with confidence lately,” acknowledged Miller, who made 37 stops. “We have it in this room to win hockey games, we just have to have the right kind of energy.”

Topping a dangerous Flames team riding a four-game winning streak should do wonders for the Ducks’ self-belief.

If they can stay healthy and find some continued cohesion, it’s not too late to turn this season around.

LA Times: LOADED: 11.08.2018

1114307 Anaheim Ducks “In the big picture, when we were writing out the lineup in June, those three were together,” Carlyle said of finally playing Rakell, Getzlaf and Eaves on the same line. “(Tuesday) night was one of the first Ryan Getzlaf, Rickard Rakell team up to help Ducks get past Flames opportunities to do that. What you do in June and July and August changes, and it changes in September and October.

“And here we are changing it in November.” By ELLIOTT TEAFORD "We are doing a little better defensively, which is causing us to play more offense. We just have to keep rolling."

ANAHEIM — Rickard Rakell lowered his head and skated purposefully Getzy talks about the W!#LetsGoDucks | #PrimeTicket toward the front of the Calgary Flames’ net Wednesday at Honda Center. pic.twitter.com/UFu2GaVsrL Moments earlier, the Ducks had surrendered the last of what had once been a two-goal lead, but he had no intention of pausing to reflect on — FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) November 8, 2018 what had happened. Ryan Miller, who stopped 37 of 39 shots tonight, shares his thoughts on Rakell couldn’t convert on his highlight reel-caliber move, but teammate beating a talented Calgary team.#LetsGoDucks | #PrimeTicket Ryan Getzlaf did, depositing the loose puck behind Flames pic.twitter.com/tUjpu9983g Mike Smith for the tiebreaking goal in a 3-2 victory that was just the — FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) November 8, 2018 Ducks’ second in their last 10 games. He's back! Mark Jankowski’s short-handed goal pulled the Flames into a short-lived 2-2 tie 6:06 into the third period. Getzlaf put the Ducks back in front to After playing in his first game since returning from injury, stay 27 seconds later with a well-placed backhanded shot for a 3-2 lead @Joshmanson42 says that tonight's win was a big step in the right after the power-play came to an end. direction for the @AnaheimDucks.#LetsGoDucks | #PrimeTicket pic.twitter.com/odiOwKXNax “Ricky draws a lot of attention to himself when he does those things and rightfully so,” Getzlaf said. “He makes some beautiful plays out there. I — FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) November 8, 2018 was lucky enough to follow up and be all myself. Ricky does great when he gets the puck in space. It’s a wonderful thing when he gets moving.”  JAKOB SILFVERBERG 

Getzlaf’s game-winning goal was the 49th of his career, the third-most in The @AnaheimDucks strike first on his 5th goal of the Ducks history behind Hall of Famer Teemu Selanne (77) and Corey season!#LetsGoDucks | #PrimeTicket pic.twitter.com/jgzRRM1BPI Perry (63). Getzlaf has three goals and five assists in his last six games — FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) November 8, 2018 and three goals and eight assists in 11 games overall. Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.08.2018 Jakob Silfverberg and Adam Henrique also scored for the Ducks, who ended a seven-game streak in which they had given up the first goal. Silfverberg and Henrique staked backup goaltender Ryan Miller to a 2-0 lead only 11:53 into the game. Miller made 37 saves.

Matthew Tkachuk scored a first-period power-play goal for Calgary, which had won four in a row. Jankowski’s goal capped a 2-on-1 break after the Ducks misplayed the puck at the blue line while on a power play. Getzlaf’s goal came five seconds after a tripping to Mikael Backlund expired.

Getzlaf credited Rakell for making the play happen, and Rakell credited Cam Fowler.

“Cam started out by making a great play and opening up the whole (right) side for me,” Rakell said of receiving the puck from his teammate on the right wing. “I just tried to get the puck to the net and (Getzlaf) read the situation really well and scored the goal for us.”

Getzlaf shifted the puck from his forehand to his backhand as he approached the net from the left faceoff circle and beat Smith with a shot between the goalie’s right leg and arm. Getzlaf then pumped his fist in an exuberant celebration as a Honda Center crowd of 16,461 roared its approval.

BEAUTIFUL FINISH BY THE CAPTAIN! Ducks lead!#LetsGoDucks | #PrimeTicket pic.twitter.com/4waCbxZ64Z

— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) November 8, 2018

“Emotions are high, obviously, in this room,” Getzlaf would later say, alluding to the Ducks’ recent seven-game losing streak. “It was pretty exciting. Things, as of late, have been a little bit frustrating at times. We’ve been working hard the last few games. It was nice to get that result.”

Coach Randy Carlyle teamed Rakell and Getzlaf with Patrick Eaves in the second period of the Ducks’ 4-1 loss to the Kings on Tuesday night at Staples Center. They started the game together Wednesday and were the Ducks’ most dangerous line from start to finish against the Flames.

Eaves remains scoreless in four games since making his season debut after an illness and an injury sidelined him for all but two games last season. He was every bit as effective against the Flames as he was against the Kings. He just didn’t have anything to show for it by the end of either game. 1114308 Anaheim Ducks

Ducks defenseman Josh Manson returns to lineup after 4-game layoff

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD

ANAHEIM — Josh Manson joined his Ducks teammates for their optional morning skate before Wednesday’s game against the Calgary Flames at Honda Center. He said he was making progress from an unspecified upper-body injury that sidelined him for four consecutive games.

He said he wasn’t sure when he would play again.

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Then, lo and behold, he was in the Ducks’ lineup.

Watching the Ducks’ struggles from the sideline was difficult for him.

“You want to be a difference maker, you want to be with your team and help out,” he said. “That’s the worst part. It’s never fun to sit out, but it’s especially not fun to sit out when you’re watching your team going on a little bit of a slide and you want to help pull them through.”

Manson, a defenseman, was one of seven players sidelined by injuries or surgeries for Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to the Kings. As of Wednesday morning, there was no sense setting target dates for the injured players to return to the lineup since specifics have proved to be elusive.

For example, right wing Ondrej Kase was said to be making progress several weeks ago from a concussion suffered during an exhibition game in September. He had a setback recently, however, and has only resumed skating with his teammates this week.

Right wing Max Comtois (lower body) and left wing Nick Ritchie (upper body) have skated with their teammates this week. As with Kase, their returns to the lineup remain unclear. No timetable has been established for them or for center Carter Rowney (upper body).

The Ducks won’t be whole again until left wing Corey Perry and defenseman Korbinian Holzer return to the ice from surgeries. Perry is likely out until March 1 after undergoing knee surgery in September and Holzer was expected to sit out five months after having offseason wrist surgery.

As far as Manson was concerned, he was happy to be back on the ice. He wouldn’t say what the specific injury was, but that it didn’t happen in the last game he played, an overtime loss Oct. 28 to the San Jose Sharks. He said it had been building up to that point and he tried to play through it.

“It was nothing major, but something I had to look after,” he said. “But it feels like it’s getting better every day, which is great. Just the way it feels. You’ve got to go off the way your body feels. The skating has been good. The skating has been going well so far.

“It’s definitely heading in the right direction.”

ROOKIE REVOLUTION

Coach Randy Carlyle played three rookies in his six-man defense corps for several games, with Manson sidelined and veteran Luke Schenn a healthy scratch the past five games. Manson doesn’t view Jacob Larsson, Marcus Pettersson and Andy Welinski as true rookies, though.

“Those guys have been around,” Manson said. “Obviously, they haven’t been around for a long time, but they’ve gotten a feel for the NHL. This experience is only going to help them. That’s what it takes to build your game up, opportunity. That’s what I got when I first started out, was opportunity.

“Your game just builds.”

Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114309 Anaheim Ducks Even when the league started to speed past them, the Ducks had no problem establishing who they were. When they did catch up with you, there might be some bruises left behind. But the lineup changes made Ducks making small progress but still struggling with ‘consistency’ and over the summer, a desire to emphasize more speed and skill and the ‘identity’ during skid reliance on multiple rookies that are just trying to find their way, has left them a little toothless and unsure of who they really are.

And that bothers Kesler, who’s never had a problem sinking his figurative By Eric Stephens Nov 7, 2018 teeth into an opponent.

“Consistency. Identity. We’re trying to find all that,” Kesler said. “Right now, I don’t believe we have that. We got to find it soon because we’re LOS ANGELES – Progress when it comes to the sputtering Ducks is almost 15, 20 games into the season. It’s not good enough right now.” coming in nibbles and morsels. Although if you are Randy Carlyle, you might want it to come in Thanksgiving-sized helpings. And fast. Patrick Eaves has been in the lineup for only three games. But he’s already sensed the urgency Kesler speaks of. On a Tuesday night at Staples Center, the Ducks kept their shots on goal allowed to a very respectable number for the third straight contest and “We got to find an identity soon though,” Eaves said. “I think that’s really that does represent progress after the nightly gallery opposing teams important for our team moving forward.” subjected them to. The average against remains too high at 36.4 per game but three straight sub-30 efforts has at least shed the label of being They’re going to have to do it through defense and goaltending. This was the NHL’s worst at suppressing shots. a rare night where Gibson didn’t cover up his teammates’ mistakes as his 23 saves didn’t include one that could turn the game’s momentum. But The bigger picture hasn’t changed, however. A 4-1 loss to the formerly they’ll obviously need him and Ryan Miller to have their usual sharpness. sputtering Kings who took the measure of changing out their Chances are they won’t get much offensive support. to address their crummy start now leaves the Ducks with a crummy 1-6-2 mark over their last nine games. Their 5-1-1 opening salvo is such a Anaheim is 29th with an average of just 2.31 goals per game. Every distant memory that it might as well had never happened. They’ve been other team has at least one player with five or more goals. Kesler, on a descent ever since and now sit outside playoff position. Silfverberg and waiver-claim winger Pontus Aberg lead the Ducks with four each, with all Aberg’s coming over back-to-back games. Usual top Playoff position? Isn’t it too early to think about that? Not really. goal scorer Rickard Rakell has only three.

The Ducks are not out of it by any means. But the key here over the next It means the Ducks are bereft of high-end skill. It means that while week or two or a few is to not sink so far down that you are buried and they’re currently without longtime scorer Corey Perry and potential essentially out of it. The common theory is that if teams are not in offensive threats Nick Ritchie and Max Comtois, the player that they’re position when Thanksgiving arrives, they won’t be able to claw their way missing the most right now is Ondrej Kase. into a spot by the time the schedule wraps up in April. It holds true in all but a few cases. The dreaded three-point games that become Kase’s 0.30 goals per game in 2017-18 was third behind Rakell and commonplace in the second half of the season make the uphill climb that Adam Henrique. Apply that to this season and the 22-year-old winger on much more treacherous. the rise might have five right now. A concussion suffered in the final preseason game against the Kings and recurring related symptoms has And in the currently compacted Western Conference, one good hot kept the elusive and imaginative forward out of action, though he has streak can improve your outlook immensely. But can these Ducks returned to skating in a non-contact jersey. actually put together one? From the looks of it, that’s a no. Right now, it’s a mighty chore to put together one win, much less two. “It’s a big loss obviously,” Henrique said. “We’re running into injuries. Every team runs into it at some point in the year. Right off the hop, we’ve Their latest loss Tuesday was a study in which they played a solid game had a few. Had some guys come back in the lineup and making a outside of what truly matters and that’s the goals the Kings scored. difference. Obviously with Patty back, it’s a huge boost for our team.

There was losing a faceoff on a penalty kill and being a step behind at “You don’t want to rush those guys. Obviously, we miss him out there. every junction of the Los Angeles power play that ended up with Dustin The chemistry that me, (Nick) Ritchie and (Kase) had was there. So, it’s Brown batting in an Ilya Kovalchuk backhand cross-ice pass out of the tough. We certainly miss those guys. Highly-skilled offensive guys.” air. There was the Ducks’ fourth line – in this game Ben Street, Brian Gibbons and Sam Carrick – being outworked by the Kings’ energy All the Ducks can do is play the hand they’re dealt, with Carlyle required counterpart, with Gibbons failing to adequately backcheck and allowing to find the best ways to maximize his players’ output and keep them in low-scoring Kyle Clifford to cruise in and beat Gibson. There was a the card game. Against the Kings, they had four power plays that had terrible second-period line change that had L.A. goalie Jack Campbell great zone time and good looks on most of them but no one able to becoming playmaker in hitting Tyler Toffoli with a long stretch pass that finish. ended in Kovalchuk scoring as part of a huge three-point night. Henrique had two grade-A chances in front that Campbell kept out. But The Ducks were down 3-0 and this forward-short team doesn’t have the he didn’t want to accept that their challenges offensively are what will be firepower to make that up. But there was an element in the game that their reality. particularly irked the straight-talking Ryan Kesler, who had their only “You can always find a way,” Henrique said. “You can always get to that. goal. You can always get on the inside and make plays with the puck. Play in “When you make one or two mistakes and then three and four mistakes, the offensive zone. And just simplify. Try and get pucks on net. I had a pucks are going to end up in the back of your net,” Kesler said. “That’s couple chances tonight. You have to push forward. You can’t get what happened. And we just got bullied out there. They played their frustrated and sit back. game and they pushed us around. We really had no response. “When you’re getting those opportunities, it’s going to come. You just got “Very disappointed in that.” to keep pushing and keep shooting. Keep getting pucks to the net and bodies at the net. That’s how we got our one goal and a few opportunities Carlyle, who might be among a few coaches that raised their eyebrows today.” when Joel Quenneville suddenly hit the market, even noted that Tuesday’s contest largely lacked the fire and brimstone that Kings-Ducks Kesler didn’t want to buy the injury excuse available to them. But he did clashes have had previously. Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin sent Ducks acknowledge the difficulties presented with a lineup over the first few rookie Kiefer Sherwood flying with a check and the Ducks’ Jakob weeks that’s resembled a big-city train station. Silfverberg later responded with dumping the Kings’ hard-hitting Dion “It’s up to us to play with the guys that the coaches put us out there with,” Phaneuf behind the L.A. net. Otherwise, it was a fairly tame affair. he said. “Every given night, it can be a different guy. Lately it has been. “Yeah, we didn’t seem to have that rivalry or that hate in the game,” It’s tough to find consistency right now and it shows in our game.” Carlyle said. “Early anyways.” If they are a team where three goals represent a bushel, then that’s what And that gets at what these Ducks are lacking. An identity. they’ll have to be and keep teams to two and fewer more often than not. (By the way, Anaheim has had three or more in a game only twice in their current nine-game rut).

“That’s the way we played for four seasons in a row and we got 100 points each year,” Kesler said. “Like I said, that’s part of the identity we need to find. Because right now, it’s not showing out there.”

Even with plenty of home games still upcoming, it is only going to get tougher from here on out. Chances to feast on weaker foes were missed. Calgary, who’s tied for first in the Pacific with San Jose and Vancouver, comes in Wednesday night. Minnesota arrives on Friday, with Bruce Boudreau not passing up any chance to stick it to his former employer. After that, it’s Nashville, Vegas, Toronto, Colorado, Vancouver and Edmonton.

“It doesn’t matter who we play right now,” Eaves said. “We got to start getting points.”

The Athletic LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114310 Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes recall Hunter Miska, Antti Raanta to IR

BY MATT LAYMAN | NOVEMBER 7, 2018 AT 6:01 PM

The Arizona Coyotes announced Wednesday that goaltender Hunter Miska was recalled from the AHL’s on an emergency basis as Antti Raanta deals with an injury. That injury will land Raanta on the injured reserve list, confirms 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s Matt Layman.

Raanta was considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury after he left practice early on Tuesday. After practice, head coach Rick Tocchet said he left as a precaution and had tweaked something. The Coyotes play the Flyers in Philadelphia to begin a four-game stretch on the road on Thursday night.

Miska, 23, played at University of Minnesota-Duluth when they reached the NCAA Frozen Four title game in 2017. He signed an entry-level deal with the Coyotes in April of last year and has spent last season and this season with the Roadrunners. In seven games in Tucson this year, Miska owns a .901 save percentage and 3.11 goals against average.

Until Raanta returns, the bulk of the playing time in net for the Coyotes would presumably go to backup , who has a .936 save percentage in four games played this year, which is the seventh-best mark in the NHL.

Raanta has been an important piece for the Coyotes this season, earning a .929 save percentage and 2.10 goals against average. He missed games last year because of injury, appearing in 47 games in his first season as a No. 1 goaltender.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114311 Arizona Coyotes anything. The first month, any time I tried to put my foot down and ‘crutch’ to the bathroom, the pain in my leg from just moving from the bed to the floor was so bad, I’d honestly scream. That’s how much it hurt.”

Coyotes’ Richardson hates ‘traditional bullshit’ and brings sneaky skills – Richardson spent a week in a Vancouver hospital after his surgery, with on and off the ice his mom and former Coyotes trainer Mike Ermatinger at his side. His mom flew back to Scottsdale with him after the surgery and played nurse for weeks. By Craig Morgan Nov 7, 2018 “I was definitely thinking, ‘This could be a tough comeback,’” he said. “After you get over those initial stages, you start rehabbing and feeling a little better. You start to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it took a If you’re trying to make the case that has underrated long time to feel good.” speed, it’s best not to seek support from his teammates — past or present. Although he played 76 games last season, Richardson said “good” was pretty far from what he felt in 2017-18. “I’m not going to give him much credit for being that fast,” Carolina Hurricanes forward Jordan Martinook said. “A couple guys knew how much he was hurting, but he wouldn’t show it,” Demers said. “He’s a tough hombre so he played through it. It’s a “I think he’s slow,” Coyotes defenseman Jason Demers added. “I think testament to who he is and the competitor he can be.” playing with ‘Grabs’ (Michael Grabner) makes anybody look fast. Just by osmosis, you look faster.” Making matters worse for Richardson, 2017-18 was a contract year. He finished with three goals and 15 points, well below the 11-goal, 31-point If you’re surprised by the seemingly harsh nature of those responses, season he turned in his previous full season in 2015-16. While he spoke you probably need a Richardson primer. On the ice, the Coyotes center to “10 to 12 teams” early in free agency, the well of expected offers dried is the embodiment of grit; a player who has parlayed unyielding work up, leaving him with the choice of a one-year deal with what he called a ethic, unyielding tenacity and what Martinook calls “sneaky skill” into a Cup contender, or more talks with the Coyotes. 14-season NHL career. “I’ll be honest, I thought it was going to go a little different and so did my Inside the locker room, Richardson brings that same badger-like agent,” Richardson said. “I had a lot of interest early. With that kind of temperament, combining comic relief and sharp-edged wit. Martinook interest you think there’s going to be a lot of things going on but in the said it keeps everyone on their toes, it keeps the banter flowing, and it end I had a couple choices I had to make and I just felt like picking up requires a response to keep from getting buried. and moving and doing all that for the deals I was getting, I just didn’t think “He’s always putting logs on the fire,” said Martinook, who played three it was worth it.” seasons with Richardson in Arizona. “He’ll find two guys that are kind of Richardson’s daughter, Lexi, just turned 3. During the Coyotes’ last jawing at each other and he’ll go in and fuel it. He’ll pit people against homestand, he took her to a playground every day, played hide-and- each other and then he’ll throw gas on it and try to get you going even seek, wrestled with her and began teaching her how to ride a bike. Lexi more. was the biggest reason Richardson, now single, resumed talks with the “I think Jason Demers is probably one of the most happy-go-lucky guys Coyotes, rather than moving to another city for one year while she stayed in the world and Richie would still find a way to get under his skin. That’s behind with his parents. how Richie is and that’s why people love him. He’s a guy that I was “I’d feel guilty and I’d miss her,” he said. “I don’t think I’d be as focused drawn to from the moment he came to Arizona.” on hockey as I’d want to be.” Most NHL teams play a variation of soccer in the hallways before games Although the Coyotes had shipped Martinook to Carolina for center to get warmed up. Martinook said Richardson is always bragging about Marcus Kruger — an insurance policy in the event of Richardson’s being the best soccer player on the team and he may bend the rules to departure — president of hockey operations John Chayka was ready to prove it. Demers used to take part in those games, but he has given up discuss a contract. the sport in the interest of team harmony. “It was always a priority of ours to bring him back in the fold,” Chayka “If I did play we would probably get into a fight,” he said of Richardson. said. “Any time you’ve got a chance to be a UFA, you’ve earned that “I’d get too frustrated with guys like him. I’d get too angry and take it too right. You only get so many chances and you want to take a look and see personally. I’m too much of a competitor. He’s a competitor, too, and he what’s available to you.” will do anything – like anything – to win. Through 13 games, Richardson is providing good return on the Coyotes’ “To be honest, I don’t know what he’s thinking letting me do this two-year, $2.5 million investment. He leads the league in shorthanded interview. I control his fate right now.” goals (three) and is tied with Grabner for the league-lead in shorthanded Richardson’s humor, his blunt-force honesty and his knack for succinct points (four). He already has eclipsed last season’s goal total while never sound bites have made him a hit with local media, too, but the no-cliché sacrificing the shutdown, defensive role on which he earns his living. approach is not a persona he dons for the cameras or recorders. It’s just Having to keep up with Grabner, one of the league’s faster players, has who he is. also drawn Richardson’s aforementioned speed out into the open on the Coyotes’ league-leading penalty-killing unit. “I hate the traditional bullshit like ‘go hard or go home,’ or ‘get pucks deep,’” he said. “That, to me, is boring. I just try to be myself. I joke “From last December on, he’s been one of my most trusted forwards,” around. I have fun. I feel like I’m pretty lucky to play a sport I like so I coach Rick Tocchet said. “We have some guys on our team where want to enjoy each day and never be miserable at the rink; never bring people may question their foot speed, but if you’re reading the play and anything from home to the rink. There’s even more things I’d like to say you’re on your toes, you look fast. but I can’t say everything. Maybe there will be a time and a place when “It’s not so much A to B that he’s so fast. It’s that he can read a play and I’m done.” that’s why he looks fast. That’s hockey IQ. That’s being ready and There were a few fleeting moments almost two years ago when focused before the game. That’s knowing where your system is. If you Richardson wondered if that day had come. The Coyotes were playing have all those things, you’ll look fast.” the Canucks in Vancouver on Nov. 17, 2016. Early in the second period, Demers lived with Richardson for about a month earlier this season, he recorded his fifth goal and ninth point in the 16th game of the season. giving him an appreciation for his teammate’s family life. With 8:37 left in the second, his season ended when 6-foot-7, 265-pound Canucks defenseman Nikita Tryamkin drove him to the ice, buckling “Lexi just bossed me around,” Demers said, laughing. “Whatever she Richardson‘s right leg awkwardly underneath him. says, you’ve just got to do it. She’s a lot like her dad.”

Richardson suffered a broken right tibia and fibula, a description that Digs aside, Demers also has gained an appreciation for Richardson’s doesn’t fully capture the agony of that moment, or the days that followed. straightforward approach – off the ice and on it. “Those first few days, I couldn’t even get out of bed because of the pain,” he said. “I couldn’t get up to go to the bathroom, get a glass of water, “In today’s day and age, you find less and less people like that,” Demers said. “I don’t want to get on a rant about social media and how it’s changed things, but he’s an old-school guy who came up in the league years ago. He knows how to toe that line between being a professional and having a good time. When it comes time to play, he’s always ready.

“We used to drive to games together and when I picked him up before a game one time, he had a nasty flu he got from his daughter. He looked like he could barely keep his eyes open and he didn’t look like he could move in the (dressing) room. The majority of guys feeling like that would have taken the day off, but he ended up going on the ice and having a great game. That’s kind of who he is. The guy competes and it takes a lot for him to come out of the lineup.”

Richardson is not sure when or if his leg will ever feel like it did before the injury, but with another year on his contract and the Coyotes having won six of their past eight games, he’s feeling a lot more stable than he did the past two years.

“I feel great and it’s not like I think about the leg when I play but when you’re walking around, you just know something is not right,” he said. “I’ve worked with some of our strength guys like J.P. (Major) and I’ve learned how to activate muscles that stopped working through this recovery. I feel like I have a routine and I feel a lot better this year after figuring out how to improve some things that were products of that injury.

“Coming off an injury, you always have it in the back of your mind, but I knew my game was still there. I just needed time to get back and feel good and get everything going again.”

The Athletic LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114312 Boston Bruins The 12-month calendar of hockey has long been one of Orr’s pet peeves. He never played summer hockey. Until he played for the Bruins, he never went to a summer hockey camp, when he was hired as an instructor.

Bobby Orr has a new side of his story to tell — in photographs “If a kid can play, he’s going to get a chance,” said Orr. “And they all have to understand, they are competing against the world. And the chance of you being the one is pretty slim.” By Kevin Paul Dupont Orr held his new book as he talked. With his free hand, he repeatedly tapped an index finger into the glass surface of a coffee table.

So much of the book on Bobby Orr never changes. He was born with a “What you have to do,” he said, tapping, and tapping again, “is do perpetual smile, and he remains ever polite, gracious, still with the everything you can to be your best. That’s training, listening . . . and charming humility of a schoolboy despite those character lines of 70 they’re going to hear all about the drugs and the booze and all the rest. years etched across his face. “Do everything you can to be your best. And if you don’t make it, OK, In a city blessed for decades with many of the world’s greatest athletic you’re not good enough. But you haven’t cheated yourself. performers — Orr arguably the most magnificent of them all — he has remained the brilliant shooting star we sadly watched retire his No. 4 to “And you can’t be a blamer. I’m so sick of hearing, ‘The coach doesn’t the Garden rafters at age 30. like me, this and that. I don’t like the player they’ve got me with.’ That’s bull. If you think you’re so good, then make the other guy better.” The end was too soon, too abrupt, yet not a surprise. Mind willing, heart as wide as the heavens, knees shot to hell. Enough. A very young Bobby Orr in an undated from the book.

“I knew it was time,” Orr recalled Wednesday, thinking back some 40 courtesy bobby orr years to his Causeway Street farewell. “I knew that was it. Unlike most of today’s young hockey wizards, placed on paths to “You know, they talk about pressure. If pressure is worry, I mean, I never stardom by age 10 or 12, Orr worked summer jobs. Uncle Howard owned felt any pressure playing. It was when I couldn’t do what I once did, then I a butcher shop, and nephew Bobby cut meat. worried. I didn’t sleep. That’s pressure. I couldn’t deliver the mail.” “Bacon machine, everything,” he said. “I did it all.”

The new book on Orr, the one that has had him touring Boston and the He sold clothing at Adam’s Menswear, the finest clothier in Parry Sound. suburbs in recent days, is titled, “Bobby: My Story in Pictures.” You’ll find them stacked higher than Andre the Giant (he’s in the book) at your local “Oh, yeah,” said Orr, beaming. “I was a dude.” bookstore. He also spent time as a bellhop at the downtown Belvedere Hotel, where It’s an intriguing, classic coffee table book, chock-full of pictures much of his mother worked in the coffee shop. Barely more than 100 pounds at the hockey-loving world will treasure, most of them never before the time, he would meet guests at their cars in the parking lot, only to published. have them refuse to allow him to carry their bags. Too big a task for such a little kid, they insisted, which led to the hotel manager reminding the In fact, until recently, even Orr hadn’t seen some of the shots. His oldest Orr kid that he was hired as a bag carrier and not a tour guide. sister, Penny, had them tucked away among family keepsakes, the kind of treasures that too often dwell in the tattered shoeboxes and musty “So now I’m back out in the parking lot,” said Orr, “and I’ve got a tug-o- suitcases of attic archives. Seeing some of the old snapshots for the first war going with the guests. ‘Give me the bag. I have to carry the bag!’ ” time, particularly of his parents, was part of what convinced Orr to take them to print. The cover shot of “Bobby: My Story in Pictures” is a stark black-and- white of Orr today, sitting alone in a dressing room littered with hockey It was time again to deliver the mail. gear. A stick propped within arm’s reach, he is dressed in only shorts and T-shirt, arms resting on his thighs, hands pressed together. His hair is “Because . . . you know me well enough,” he said to a longtime tousled, the schoolboy brush cut lost to time. The deep scars on his left acquaintance as he riffled through the book’s 216 pages, “it’s not my knee bespeak a story of pain, frustration, and time made too short. thing.” “The only wish I had is that maybe I’d played longer,” said Orr. “Just a The book is a joy, particularly for Bruins fans, especially those steeped in little bit longer.” all things Big, Bad Bruins — the era that began with Orr the man-child arriving here at age 18 in 1966 and shaking a hapless Boston Globe LOADED: 11.08.2018 franchise by the scruff of its skate-laced collar.

The city then was anything but the championship mecca we’ve come to know in the new millennium. The Red Sox went 21 years between American League pennants (1946 to ’67). The Patriots were still a humorous though oft-entertaining AFL curiosity. We had the Celtics banging out NBA championships, but little else, until the kid with the brush cut arrived from Parry Sound, Ontario.

“I didn’t leave Parry Sound thinking I’d one day be sitting in a room like this,” said Orr during a book-tour stop at the downtown Ames Boston Hotel, in the Bobby Orr Suite that the hotel began marketing last year. “My dream was to be on a team. And we were there. So I just appreciate the opportunities.”

John Tlumacki/Globe Staff

Page 11 of the book shows him sitting on his bicycle, age 10, leaning against a telephone pole, outside the modest family home on Great North Road. It is April, his hockey season complete. There would be no hockey again until the leaves had come and gone and ice was forming on Georgian Bay.

In the book of hockey that Orr hasn’t written, and probably never will, Chapter One might be devoted to everyone keeping the game he loved as a kid, and continues to love as an old man, in perspective. The signature photo could be his grandmother’s cottage on Georgian Bay, where all the Orrs hunkered down every summer, with a sign reading “No Hockey” superimposed over the picture. 1114313 Boston Bruins Of the fourth line, which also includes Noel Acciari, Wagner has the only one that counts, a tip in a Columbus Day rout against Ottawa. He’s not alone in feeling the line might get another.

Even before Ottawa Senators' Uber incident, Bruins cautious about off- With Cassidy using Joakim Nordstrom higher in the order, Wagner has the-ice discussions settled in as the left-wing replacement for Tim Schaller (0-3—3 in 14 games for Vancouver). The line is becoming as trustworthy as Schaller- Kuraly-Acciari was last season. By Matt Porter They’ve had their opportunities: 14 high-danger scoring chances at five- on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick, with seven against. Using shot attempts as a guide, the ice is tilted even (60 shot attempts for, 61 When the Bruins hit the road after this week’s homestand, they’ll have a against). That’s without the offensive-zone faceoffs other lines enjoy (14 day off in Arizona. Jake DeBrusk, who spent some of his youth there, will in the attacking end, 27 neutral zone, 26 defensive end). be happy to hang out, especially if he gets some time with his teammates. For a fourth line, that’s quality work.

Wherever they go, he said, “we’re going to make sure we’re careful what “The trust factor is there, and hopefully it will continue to grow,” Cassidy we say in Ubers.” said. “Just the fact they control the puck against those lines is half the battle.” Arizona was where Ottawa players — and by extension, the rest of the league — were reminded recently that their public performances do not First look always end when they step off the ice. The Canucks, who lost in Detroit on Tuesday to start a five-game, seven- In a dashboard cam video that was recorded Oct. 29 in Phoenix without day road trip, will be fresher in Boston than they will at the end of the their knowledge, seven Senators riding in an Uber were caught mocking swing. assistant coach Marty Raymond, who runs the team’s penalty kill. The Bruins will get their first look at rookie Elias Pettersson, the silky The public spread of the video Monday had the players — Matt Duchene, Swede laid up with a concussion when the Bruins made their Western Thomas Chabot, Dylan DeMelo, Alex Formenton, Chris Tierney, Chris Canada swing three weeks ago. Wideman, and Colin White — apologizing in a statement, and other teammates answering the media on Tuesday. Pettersson, known as “Dekey Pete” and “The Alien” by Vancouver fans, has more than earned a colorful nickname, and not just because the city The most recent sports headlines delivered to your inbox every morning. is starving for a superstar in the post-Sedin era.

“It was tough to see,” DeBrusk said. “Whatever you’re doing, professional According to Sportsnet, the 19-year-old has the most points in his first 10 athlete or not, it’s a normal thing to have those talks [about your bosses]. games of any player younger than 20. His 16 points are better than Joe I might be the only exception — I’ve never said anything like that.” Sakic (15 in 1988), Alexandre Daigle (14 in 1993), Sidney Crosby (14 in 2005), Patrick Kane (13 in 2007), and Eric Lindros (12 in 1992). He was kidding, of course. “Whether he can consistently do that, time will tell,” Cassidy said. “He “Players talk about coaches all the time, at any level in any sport, and certainly has shown it so far.” coaches talk about players,” coach said. “You just hope you’re never mic’d.” Personnel updates

DeBrusk felt for Ottawa, which may be circling its wagons if Tuesday’s 7- Halak will start against the Canucks. Tuukka Rask’s next start will come 3 win over New Jersey is any indication. He said he refuses to be against Toronto (Saturday) or Vegas (Sunday) . . . Rookie defenseman buttoned-up all the time in public, but he’s become highly aware of being Urho Vaakanainen, concussed Oct. 23 at Ottawa, skated Wednesday. It caught in “the soup,” as he called it — becoming grist for the social- was his first time on the ice since Mark Borowiecki’s elbow cleaned his media mill. clock . . . Charlie McAvoy, out since Oct. 18 at Edmonton with apparent concussion-like symptoms, has not returned to the ice. “I think you can still be yourself. You can still have a good time. But it is different now, the last couple years,” DeBrusk said. “You can talk about Boston Globe LOADED: 11.08.2018 two or three or four guys who went out in the club getting hammered one night, and someone’s got their Snapchat or video going on.”

Early last summer at an outdoor spot in Edmonton, DeBrusk said an inebriated fan followed him around with a camera, not saying a word.

“ ‘Dude, I don’t want to be mean, but what are you doing?’ ” DeBrusk recalled asking. “ ‘Do you want a picture? Do you want something?’ He wouldn’t give me anything. He was super hammered.

“So we left. That’s just how it is . . . It was weird. I didn’t like how it felt . . . I didn’t think that would ever happen.

“When you’re a professional representing the Boston Bruins, you’ve got to act like you’re being recorded.”

As for what they might do this year in Arizona, DeBrusk noted last year’s activities included a round at Top Golf, a driving range. They had a good laugh at then-teammate Ryan Spooner, who lost a rented club when it slipped out of his hands on a swing.

“Funniest thing I ever saw in my life,” DeBrusk said. “We’re supposed to be coordinated.”

If anyone caught it on camera, the video remained private.

Fourth line

In Monday’s practice, Sean Kuraly scored by cutting in with a power move, switching backhand to forehand in tight, and tucking one past the blocker of Jaroslav Halak. A fourth-liner beating the league’s hottest goalie, in practice or not, brings confidence.

“Goal of the year so far,” boasted linemate Chris Wagner. 1114314 Boston Bruins

Backes, Bruins make veteran move

Steve Conroy Wednesday, November 07, 2018

With their Military Appreciation Night on Monday, the Bruins honored many current service members throughout the course of the game against the Dallas Stars. Wednesday, some of the players were able to show their appreciation on a more personal level at a post-practice luncheon held in honor of some World War II and Korean War veterans at Warrior Arena.

David Backes’ grandfather was a tail-gunner in WWII and his best friend growing up served in he Marines, giving him a deep appreciation for men and women in uniform.

“Pretty cool, pretty nostalgic of these men and the sacrifices that they made so that we can have the freedoms that we have,” said Backes. “And it was great to see how appreciative they are, especially the Korean War vets, who are thankful of not forgetting ‘The Forgotten War.’ That’s touching. Maybe it means more coming form professional athletes but just as people and fellow citizens, they deserve to be recognized for all that they’ve given us. This is a little token of what we can do after Veterans Appreciation Night on Monday against Dallas and then followed it up with some of the older vets we still have, World War II, Korea. It’s pretty cool.”

Backes visited with Vartkess Tarabassian, an 86-year-old Army veteran of the Korean War who was raised in Roxbury and now lives in Framingham.

“I feel a deep thanks for the recognition that the Bruins are providing all of us,” said Tarabassian. “It’s something about the forgotten war. We haven’t forgotten it, the veterans, obviously. Some of the American public unfortunately has. It takes something like this that gives us a realization that we haven’t been forgotten. Now it’s the remembered war, when you sit down with a group of people such as these folks. We appreciate it. We really do.”.

Talk about talk

A hot topic of discussion surely in every NHL dressing room has been the video that surfaced on Monday of a group of Ottawa Senators critiquing the coaching staff with some not-so-subtle shots.

Coach Bruce Cassidy weighed in on the subject.

“Listen, players talk about coaches all the time at any level in any sport and coaches talk about players all the time. You just hope you’re never miked,” said Cassidy. “They got caught in a tough spot. I don’t know the players or that staff well, but hopefully they’re able to put it behind them. Because it does suck for everybody involved, if all of a sudden you don’t trust your players to have your back as a coach and vice versa, if the players don’t believe the coach has the whatever, intelligence, you pick the word, to do the job. Because that’s a tough way to go to work every day. Hopefully they put it behind them.”

Halak gets Canucks

Cassidy said that Jaroslav Halak, he of the league-leading .952 save percentage and 1.45 goals against average, will get the start Thursday night against the Canucks at the Garden. ...

Urho Vaakanainen, concussed by a Mark Borowiecki elbow/forearm to the head in Ottawa on Oct. 23, skated for the first time since the hit prior to practice. Also on the ice was Kevan Miller, out since Oct. 18 with a hand injury. Miller was allowed to use a stick for a portion of his skate. He’s getting close to finishing up the three-week time-frame that was given, but he hasn’t yet practiced with the team.

Boston Herald LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114315 Boston Bruins

Kuraly now on right track for Bruins

Steve Conroy Wednesday, November 07, 2018

During a practice drill Wednesday at Warrior Arena, Sean Kuraly streaked down the right wing, cut hard in front of Jaroslav Halak’s crease and roofed it over the netminder.

The move earned him stick claps on the ice from his teammates, even from head coach Bruce Cassidy.

One of those in a game would be nice for Kuraly or his linemates, Noel Acciari and Chris Wagner. But if they keep playing like they did against the Dallas Stars on Monday, then a tally or two should be coming their way. Kuraly has one goal this season, scored on Oct. 13 against Detroit and Wagner has one against Ottawa, scored all the way back on the home opener on Oct. 8.

It doesn’t have to be a pretty one like Kuraly scored yesterday in practice. A greasy one will be just fine.

“Oh man, you hope so, because it definitely makes you feel better about yourself and your game and it kind of gives some validity to what you’re doing,” said Kuraly, who scored six last year. “I think we’ve all been through something like this before. Really to me, I look at chances as the most important thing and I start to get worried when I’m not getting chances. I try not to let getting chances and not scoring bother me because you want to score. There’s no secret that it bothers me when I don’t finish on some Grade A chances. It does. But I think we’re getting closer and definitely our focus is bearing down on those.”

Goals may not define your fourth line, but the fact that the B’s got nearly 30 last year from the fourth unit fed into the team’s success. Tim Schaller, who’ll be facing off against his old teammates wearing a Canucks uniform Thursday night, led the way with 12 while skating in the left wing spot that Wagner now mans.

Coach Bruce Cassidy believes the trio can produce more by studying the top line.

“They’re used to being net-front presences, so one of them has to learn how to read off the other one to get to the slot so we get a few more looks from there,” said Cassidy. “Hopefully they go to school on how (Patrice Bergeron’s) line works – low, net-front, slot. And they all kind of interchange. Now listen, they all don’t have that level of talent, so it’s not automatic, but if they start using them as guides, I think we should see more of that, and as a result a few more goals, hopefully.”

The droughts, though, will be more palatable if they can keep top lines on the defensive like they did on Monday.

“When you’re playing against the top line and you’re controlling pucks in the O-zone and Tyler Seguin’s standing there for 30 seconds in his own end and he wants to go their way, it’s frustrating. And that’s the idea,” said Cassidy. “Hopefully it translates into some more offensive production. But just the fact that they control the puck against those lines is half the battle.”

Now it’s a matter of the unit having that effect on opponents very night.

“It’s in our job description to make the positive impact on our team game,” said Kuraly. “It doesn’t always have to be a goal, so we don’t have that pressure, but we put the pressure on ourselves to have a positive impact and put a good shift for our team so that we’re setting up something for the next line if we’re not able to score. That’s kind of our job and something that we’ve got to do consistently.”

Boston Herald LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114316 Boston Bruins

Jaroslav Halak named Bruins starter for Vancouver game Thursday

By NBC Sports Boston Report November 07, 2018

The delicate balancing act continues in Boston.

Tuukka Rask, the Bruins' big-money goaltender, hasn't had a good start to the season, though he has come on strong lately. Jaroslav Halak, on the other hand, has been a pleasant surprise so far, playing very well in his opportunities minding the net.

Bruce Cassidy named Halak the starter for Thursday night's game against the Vancouver Canucks, continuing the pattern of splitting starts between his two . Halak and Rask have both started seven games to start this season after Rask was in goal for the disastrous 7-0 blowout on opening night against the Capitals.

Halak has allowed just under a goal and a half per game on a .952 save percentage, while Rask has allowed nearly three goals per game on a .908 save percentage in the same time frame.

It's not an easy decision for Cassidy; Rask has been the team's full-time starter since 2013, but Halak has been the better player thus far in the season.

He'll likely continue to split the starts until one player emerges head and shoulders above the other. Thus far, Halak seems the most likely to reach that standard.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114317 Boston Bruins much fear of a Lucic-type chasing them around the ice hell-bent on justice. It may not be something that happens as often as it once did, but there are times in B’s games when they could very much use a player Milan Lucic incident a reminder that Bruins could use a guy like that with a Lucic-type intimidation factor.

Right now, they just don’t have a player like that, ready, willing and able to take on that job. It’s something the B’s could sorely use. By Joe Haggerty November 07, 2018 Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.08.2018

Milan Lucic tracks down Mathieu Joseph after he hit Kris Russell from behind and almost starts a line brawl pic.twitter.com/9x5CDQHsfG

— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) November 7, 2018

Call me Captain Caveman if you must, but I applaud Milan Lucic for his actions chasing after Mathieu Joseph and clobbering him when he caught up to him in Tuesday night’s Oilers/Lightning tilt. And I further give kudos to the NHL Department of Player Safety for giving Lucic a $10,000 fine rather than a suspension after a phone hearing with him on Wednesday.

Some may say what Lucic did are actions from bygone era, and has more place in the 1970s than it does in the modern day NHL. Some even called it a blindside hit (it wasn’t) and chastised Lucic for jumping on top of a laid out Joseph like an MMA fighter (hint: if Lucic really wanted to hurt the player, it would have been a much more vicious incident), but what it was at the end of the day was an enforcer-type player protecting one of his teammates.

Joseph had been running around for much of the game going after Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid earlier before smashing Kris Russell from behind in the third period. At that point, Lucic’s protective instincts went into gear and he began chasing after Joseph after he’d been challenged by Jujhar Khaira and Zach Kassian immediately right after the boarding hit.

Joseph knew he had something coming against a physical Oilers bunch, so to say he was completely unsuspecting or taken by surprise in this situation is malarkey. Lucic sent a message without going berserk or getting reckless about it, and it’s a good bet Joseph is going to think twice about going over the edge against Edmonton again.

Honestly, Lucic’s actions are a stark reminder that the Bruins could use a player like that to police things on the ice. They had that guy in Lucic, obviously, but were right in dealing him before he signed a long-term contract that's now overpaying him to the tune of $6 million per season.

But right now Brad Marchand leads the B’s with two fighting majors on the season, and credit to him for stepping up and defending teammates against bigger, stronger opponents when it’s been called for. This is where Adam McQuaid has been missed since being traded to the Rangers at the start of training camp, and nobody has really filled the void for that protector/policeman role on the Black and Gold.

Something was made pretty obvious a couple of weeks ago when David Backes, Charlie McAvoy and Urho Vaakanainen were all knocked out of commission with upper body injuries suspected to be concussions. Opposing teams aren’t afraid to take runs at Bruins players anymore for fear of answering the bell against players like Lucic, or McQuaid, or Shawn Thornton. Instead, the Bruins hope to be team-tough with players like Marchand, Noel Acciari and others getting pushed into the hockey fight game when other teams are stepping over the line.

Bruce Cassidy was asked a couple of weeks ago if other teams were getting a little more brazen in the way they go after Bruins players, and whether that was something that needed addressing.

“It’s interesting because I’ve always thought we’ve done a good job around here of sticking up for one another,” said Cassidy. “We did in Ottawa with [Matt] Grzelcyk. The Vaakanainen one kind of happened in a hurry and I don’t anybody in the pile was aware of what was going on. But it’s a good question.

“If it’s an issue where teams around the league are trying to take advantage of us, then we’d have to have a discussion. I don’t think it is to be honest with you. You don’t want that to creep in, obviously, but you also have to play the game. That’s always a tough one.”

The bottom line is that the B’s transformation from a big, heavy and tough team toward a smaller, skilled and offensively explosive bunch has been a welcomed evolution. But with it has also come Boston’s best players becoming much more popular targets for opponents without 1114318 Boston Bruins

Vaakanainen (concussion) skates for first time since injury

By Joe Haggerty November 07, 2018 2:21 PM

BRIGHTON, Mass – It was a step in the right direction on Wednesday for 19-year-old rookie D-man Urho Vaakanainen, who skated for the first time after suffering a concussion last month in his second career NHL game.

The rookie D-man skated with Kevan Miller ahead of Wednesday’s team practice, but left the ice when the team took the ice for the scheduled practice time.

Vaakanainen was elbowed in the head by Mark Borowiecki in an Oct. 23 win over Ottawa during a play that earned the Senators defenseman a one-game suspension, and kept the rookie off the ice for the last two weeks. Vaakanainen was called up from Providence after a series of injuries to Boston’s back end, and has zero points along with a minus-1 rating in the two games that he played for the Black and Gold.

Bruce Cassidy said there isn’t a timetable for Vaakanainen’s return at this point, but current injuries to Charlie McAvoy and Kevan Miller could pave the way for the rookie to jump back into the lineup when he is healthy enough to play.

“I don’t have any timeline yet. This is part of his process to get back into the lineup,” said Cassidy of Vaakanainen. “Hopefully he’ll join us soon. We’re going to have a team practice on Friday, so hopefully he’s out there. I don’t know. We’ll have to find out how he did today. I’m just happy he’s out there. Charlie [McAvoy] wasn’t. So clearly [Vaakanainen] is further along.”

In other injury news, Miller (hand) skated with a stick for the first time and is closing in on the three weeks where his initial injury was supposed to re-evaluated by the Bruins medical staff. Here are the line combos and D-pairings from Wednesday’s practice with Jaroslav Halak scheduled to get the start on Thursday night against the Vancouver Canucks:

LINE COMBOS:

Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak

Nordstrom-Krejci-DeBrusk

Heinen-Backes-Bjork

Wagner-Kuraly-Acciari

D-PAIRINGS:

Chara-Carlo

Krug-Moore

Grzelcyk-Kampfer

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114319 Buffalo Sabres time and my memories there are good. I just wanted to get a good thing going in Buffalo."

So if Skinner isn't sending any sort of take-that message to the Jeff Skinner is smashing expectations and raising his price in fast start Hurricanes, that means contract-year production is probably a bigger with Sabres motivation. As a pending unrestricted free agent, his price is seemingly going up and up by the game.

Mike Harrington | Published Wed, Nov 7, 2018 Remember, he enters Thursday's game on a pace that would land him with 49 goals and 87 points for an entire season.

---- The Buffalo Sabres knew they were adding some speed to their lineup and were hopeful about putting a few more goals on the stat sheet when NHL goal leaders since Oct. 20 they traded for Jeff Skinner on an otherwise quiet August day a little Player, team GP G more than three months ago. Jeff Skinner, Buffalo 8 8 At least in the season's first 15 games, they got a whole lot more than that. Timo Meier, San Jose 8 8

Skinner has 16 points and a team-high nine goals, which was three off Max Domi, Montreal 9 8 the NHL lead entering Wednesday. Eight have come since he joined Jack Eichel and Jason Pominville two weeks ago on what has suddenly Ryan O'Reilly, St. Louis 7 7 become the franchise's most productive line in years. Jason Pominville, Buffalo 8 7

Since Oct. 20, those eight goals have Skinner tied for tops in the league Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton 10 7 in goals with San Jose's Timo Meier and Montreal's Max Domi. Skinner and Domi go head-to-head Thursday night when the Sabres and ------Canadiens meet in Bell Centre. NHL point leaders since Oct. 20 After eight years with the Carolina Hurricanes, Skinner had no idea how Player, team GP Pts things would go with a new team. At first, it was a struggle. He had no points in the first four games. Since then: Sixteen points and a team-high Mark Stone, Ottawa 9 15 plus-10 rating over 11 games. Brayden Point, Tampa Bay 10 14 "The adjustment has gone pretty smoothly here," Skinner said after practice Wednesday. "The first three, four games didn't work out the way Ryan O'Reilly, St. Louis 7 14 I wanted them to personally and not as a team, either. But individuals Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay 10 13 tend to feel their success like the team. All the guys here have been very welcoming and it's been a really smooth transition for me away from the Jeff Skinner, Buffalo 8 13 rink as at the rink. And I'm happy we're going pretty well as a team." Jason Pominville, Buffalo 8 13 Travis Yost's Sabre Metrics: How Jack Eichel is helping linemates get better shots Jack Eichel, Buffalo 8 12

The Sabres knew Skinner was a prolific goal scorer, with six 20-goal ---- seasons for the Hurricanes and three that went more than the 30-goal Skinner is currently at a cap hit of $5.725 million. He'll be 27 in May. mark. But they had to learn firsthand what a gnat the 5-foot-11 Skinner What might he be looking at going forward? What if Skinner has a 40- could be as well. goal season to go with his three previous 30-goal campaigns? "Whether he's forechecking or backchecking on a guy, he strips a lot of Former Sabre Evander Kane, who turned 27 in August and has one 30- people of pucks," Eichel said. "He gets the puck back in situations. It's goal campaign — seven years ago — got seven years and $49 million good. He wants to get up and go and attack the other team." from the San Jose Sharks in May after three consecutive 20-goal "I can't believe how strong he is on his stick and on his feet," added campaigns in Buffalo. coach Phil Housley. "He doesn't get bounced off pucks. The one thing It would stand to reason that would be a starting point for Skinner, who that's intriguing is the way he's stripping pucks from behind. He never might have a pretty good case to be pushing the $8 million mark annually dies on a play and is always trying to find a way to get that puck back, on a long-term deal. whether it's on the forecheck or reloading back into our own zone." "For me as a player, you focus on the things you can control," Skinner To Skinner, that's always been a key aspect to his game. But it stands said. "There are agents and management people, guys who are really a out now that a new organization is getting a close look. lot smarter than me, who deal with that kind of stuff. Fortunately for me, I "When I'm playing well, that part of my game is usually going," he said. focus on playing. That sort of thing will figure itself out in time. "But that's still a lot to do with your linemates. It's tough to pressure guys "I'm happy with the adjustment that's taken place in Buffalo. I'm in this league. If you are just pushing a guy one-on-one, usually he's comfortable and happy here. I'm just focusing on getting better, going going to move it by you. game by game and getting where we want to be." "You need that guy forced into a situation where other guys are there to During a regularly scheduled appearance last month on WGR Radio, not give him many options and that's when you jump, when you can General Manager Jason Botterill said there had been no negotiations close to get him to turn pucks over and get back on offense quick." with Skinner on an extension. That remains the situation. Contract-year push? The Sabres have some salary cap space to play with next season but will When Skinner was traded for Cliff Pu and draft picks, new Carolina likely stay patient about Skinner, watching the mix of his personal coach Rod Brind'Amour raised a few eyebrows when he said, "It sends a success with the growth of the team in the standings before making any message of what kind of Hurricane we're looking for." firm decisions.

Skinner won't bad-mouth the Canes, pointing out it was just a change of "When Jeff came into our organization, we were clear about let's get a scenery needed for both sides after he played eight seasons and never feeling-out process, let's get him acclimated to Buffalo," Botterill said. made the playoffs. Skinner waived his no-trade clause to come to "Focus on that instead of having the distraction of are we talking, are we Buffalo. not talking. We can wait until later in the year for that.

"My focus is the fresh start," he said. "If you focus on what's in the past, "He's very competitive, you see him on pucks," Botterill added. "He's those are the wrong reasons and it's counterproductive. I enjoyed my involved in the game and that's not just in the game situation. That's in practice too. I think our whole team has increased our intensity level. ... He's brought some life to our organization for sure."

A suddenly elite trio

Eichel's line has put up elite numbers in its eight games together, albeit consisting of a small sample size. Skinner and Pominville have 13 points in that time and Eichel has 12, including 11 assists.

Eichel has never had a left winger anywhere near as productive as Skinner, and Skinner was able to score in Carolina without a center remotely the caliber of Eichel. Now together, they're proving to be a deadly combination.

"He's predictable and he's unpredictable so you get a little bit of both sides," Eichel said. "It's good to be unpredictable for the other team but also to be a bit predictable for the guys you're playing with. We're still getting to know each other. It's only been a few weeks. Just trying to build chemistry and figure out what his tendencies are."

"You want to have success individually, as a line and as a team," Skinner said. "Obviously, it's a pretty small sample and for us we want to try to sustain it over a long period of time. It's a long season. We've had some success and now the key is to keep working every day to get better and keep improving."

As for Thursday's game, Domi burned Buffalo for two goals when the Sabres beat the Habs here, 4-3, on Oct. 25. The Bell Centre will be a good showcase for the Sabres to show off what's become the game's hottest trio up front.

"You have to be aware when Domi is out there with the confidence he's playing with," Skinner said. "Just as they are as a team. They're been playing well, playing fast and it makes it a good challenge for us.

"It's a pretty cool place to play, one of the louder rinks in the league. For us, it's a divisional game and that goes for me now too. That makes it a big game."

Buffalo News LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114320 Buffalo Sabres Jeff Skinner, Buffalo 8 13

Jason Pominville, Buffalo 8 13

Sabres' Skinner willing to be patient about starting talks on contract Jack Eichel, Buffalo 8 12 extension Buffalo News LOADED: 11.08.2018

Mike Harrington | Published Wed, Nov 7, 2018

Jeff Skinner has 16 points in 15 games this season for the Buffalo Sabres – and his eight goals since being put on the club's top line Oct. 20 is tied for the NHL lead in that span.

Skinner is proving to be the sniper the Sabres hoped for when they traded for him from Carolina in August, and is surprising his new team with his ferocity on the forecheck.

Lingering in the background: Skinner is an unrestricted free agent after the season and is likely going to get a long-term extension well over his current cap hit of $5.725 million. The cost of a new deal is going up, seemingly by the day. So is fan angst about the topic.

Sabres General Manager Jason Botterill said recently on WGR Radio that the Sabres can "wait until later in the year" to talk contract with Skinner.

That's the same thought process Skinner has.

"For me as a player, you focus on the things you can control," Skinner told The Buffalo News after practice Wednesday. "There are agents and management people, guys who are really a lot smarter than me, who deal with that kind of stuff. Fortunately for me, I focus on playing. That sort of thing will figure itself out in time.

"I'm happy with the adjustment that's taken place in Buffalo. I'm comfortable and happy here. I'm just focusing on getting better, going game by game and getting where we want to be."

Skinner is tied with San Jose's Timo Meier and Montreal's Max Domi for the league goal lead since joining Jack Eichel's line for the Oct. 20 game in Los Angeles. Skinner and Domi go head-to-head Thursday night when the Sabres and Canadiens meet in Bell Centre.

"You have to be aware when he's out there with the confidence he's playing with," Skinner said of Domi, who scored two goals in the Sabres' 4-3 win over the Habs here on Oct. 25. "Just as they are as a team. They've been playing well, playing fast and it makes us a good challenge.

"It's a pretty cool place to play, one of the louder rinks in the league. For us, it's a divisional game and for me now, too, so that makes it a big game for us."

Coach Phil Housley said former Montreal defenseman Nathan Beaulieu is getting back into the Sabres' lineup after a run as a healthy scratch. He will replace Casey Nelson and partner with Rasmus Dahlin.

NHL goal leaders since Oct. 20

Player, team GP G

Jeff Skinner, Buffalo 8 8

Timo Meier, San Jose 8 8

Max Domi, Montreal 9 8

Ryan O'Reilly, St. Louis 7 7

Jason Pominville, Buffalo 8 7

Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton 10 7

------

NHL point leaders since Oct. 20

Player, team GP Pts

Mark Stone, Ottawa 9 15

Brayden Point, Tampa Bay 10 14

Ryan O'Reilly, St. Louis 7 14

Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay 10 13 1114321 Buffalo Sabres Taylor traces Smith’s strong start to his practice habits. He said the youngster wants to dictate how fast he plays and live up to what he accomplished as a rookie.

Sabres prospect C.J. Smith trying to stay patient in Rochester “His practice habits are paying off in games right now,” Taylor said. “A lot of guys go through their second year having problems or that second- year jinx, or whatever you want to call it. But he’s working hard to not Bill Hoppe | Published Wed, Nov 7, 2018 make that happen.

“He’s not living off of last year. He’s trying to be better than what he was last year and you can tell. It’s showing up in the (defense), it’s showing ROCHESTER – On Friday, Sabres prospect C.J. Smith heard center up in practice and he’s getting rewarded for it.” Yanni Gourde signed a six-year contract extension worth nearly $31 million and felt inspired. Malone awaits debut

Gourde, 26, played 396 minor league contests, including a 38-game stint The Sabres officially assigned forward Sean Malone to the Amerks on in the ECHL, before finally sticking in the NHL a year ago. Following a Tuesday. breakout 25-goal, 64-point campaign and a strong start this season, the Tampa Bay Lightning awarded him a massive new deal. Malone, 23, has been practicing with the AHL club after suffering a knee injury in an NHL exhibition game Sept. 17 in Columbus. “There’s guys that have played quite a few years in the AHL and it seems to pay off,” Smith said Friday after scoring a goal in the Americans’ 4-1 The West Seneca native could make his season debut Wednesday at loss to the in Blue Cross Arena. “I said, ‘Stick with it, be KeyBank Center. patient and you can get that opportunity.’ You just can’t let it affect you at Malone compiled 12 goals and 22 points in 73 AHL games as a rookie the AHL level.” last season.

So far, Smith, 23, is only 69 games into his AHL career. The UMass In other injury news, rookie forward Andrew Oglevie returned Friday after Lowell product cracked the NHL directly out of college, playing his only an injury sidelined him for six games. two contests after signing his entry-level contract in March 2017. Taylor eased the Notre Dame product back into the lineup before giving Gourde played four years before receiving his first NHL action. him more ice time in Saturday’s 4-1 win in Hershey.

Still, Smith hasn’t earned a recall from the first-place Amerks, who host “The second game he played very well for us,” Taylor said. the Cleveland Monsters on Wednesday at KeyBank Center, a tilt between the North Division’s top two teams. Streaking

As a rookie in 2017-18, Smith was an AHL All-Star, compiling 17 goals The 8-3-1 Amerks have earned 17 out of a possible 20 points in their last and 44 points in 57 games. If a high ankle sprain hadn’t stymied his 10 games, outscoring their opponents 41-25 over that stretch. season – he tried to play through it and re-injured it – the winger might’ve maintained his early point-per-game pace. Buffalo News LOADED: 11.08.2018

“He was hurting a lot, he didn’t have full explosion for his inside, outside moves,” Amerks coach Chris Taylor said.

The 5-foot-11, 181-pound Smith said the ankle did not feel 100 percent again until the summer.

This season, Smith has scored five goals and nine points in 12 games. He’s one of six Amerks who have already reached the nine-point mark.

“Sometimes it can be frustrating, you want to get that opportunity,” Smith said of getting recalled. “It is a process, it is slow.”

But Smith said he respects that process and wants to be patient. Examining the career path of Gourde and others tell him he’s on the right track.

“A guy like (Vegas Golden Knights winger) Jonathan Marchessault played five years in the AHL, so there’s guys that have played quite a few years in the AHL and it seems to pay off,” Smith said.

At times last year, the undrafted Smith was the Amerks’ best player, compiling 10 goals and 30 points in his first 27 games. The confidence he generated carried into this season. He enjoyed a strong training camp before the Sabres sent him down.

“I think I took quite a bit (of confidence),” Smith said. “I think I got a little more comfortable here to start the season. I think I did well in training camp, kind of carried that early on in the season, got myself to shoot more pucks, and I think I’ve been rewarded more with it.”

Taylor said he wants Smith to utilize his “great shot,” which can fool goalies because he releases the puck in stride. Smith beat Bears goalie Ilya Samsonov as he zoomed down the right wing.

Smith has pumped 2.8 shots on goal per game this season, up from 2.3 last year.

“He shoots in stride and it’s very hard on the goalie,” Taylor said. “When guys plant their feet, the goalie kind of knows where it goes before it’s going. C.J. keeps his feet moving and throws a goalie off. Those are hard to stop. It was a great goal and he had a great game tonight. I thought he was really, really good.” 1114322 Calgary Flames Sean Monahan couldn’t handle the puck for a tap-in.

Johnny Gaudreau hit the post.

Flames fall to Ducks in first game of California road trip Sam Bennett shot wide and missed the net.

Nothing.

Kristen Anderson, Postmedia In the end, Smith, who dropped to 5-5-1, allowed three goals on 24 shots while Miller — who is two years older than Smith and gave No. 1 John Gibson the night off — stopped 37-of-39 Flames’ attempts.

The Calgary Flames arrived at Anaheim’s Honda Center fresh after a few The loss snapped a four-game win streak as the Flames (9-6-1) continue days’ worth of skates plus a day off and plenty of rest. on a three-game road swing through California. Next up? Another day off Heck, they hadn’t played since Saturday’s 5-3 come-from-behind win on Thursday and a practice on Friday before heading to Staples Center (their fifth come-from-behind win of the season) over the Chicago to square off with the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday followed by the Blackhawks. And since that victory, they talked about how their play second half of a back-to-back on Sunday against the San Jose Sharks. through the previous five games isn’t sustainable despite having won four Calgary Sun: LOADED: 11.08.2018 straight, scoring a league-leading 28 goals in the third period and nabbing points in all five of those games.

As for the Anaheim Ducks? It’s been a season already worth forgetting with a plethora of injuries, an adjustment to a new faster style of play and, just 24 hours earlier, they suffered a loss to the Los Angeles Kings.

So you know how Wednesday’s 3-2 Flames loss was supposed to go — kick them while they’re down.

Nope.

Down 2-1 early in the third with Mikael Backlund in the box for tripping, the Flames received a huge boost from Mark Jankowski who roofed a short-handed goal at the 6:06 mark after battling to win the puck off Brandon Montour in their zone. Tie game.

Not for long.

Twenty-seven seconds later, the visitors were scrambling in front of Mike Smith when Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf roofed one of his own on the Flames’ struggling netminder. They pulled Smith with 2:28 left and sent out an extra attacker, and, sure enough, the Calgary club was able to draw a penalty from Rickard Rakell to create a six-on-four with 1:14 remaining. A comeback was not in the cards on this night, unfortunately.

Struggling, you say?

While the goal alone wasn’t enough to fault Smith for, it was his entire 60 minutes of work that needed to instil more confidence in front of him. The two first-period goals he allowed prior to that were not shining moments.

The first one came at the 8:37 mark of the opening frame on a blooper of a save attempt on Jakob Silfverberg’s shot which Smith thought he’d stopped between his pads before letting it dribble between his legs.

Ouch.

To make matter worse, shortly after 19-year-old Isac Lundestrom tossed an odd-angled shot from behind the net which nearly went off Smith and between his legs.

The Ducks’ second goal came when the Flames were completely disorganized off a face-off which allowed the puck to find Josh Manson at the point. He sent a shot through traffic which Smith stopped, but he couldn’t control the rebound. It squirted out to Adam Henrique and — boom — the home side was up 2-0.

Before the period was over, the Flames cut the Ducks lead in half just five seconds on a power play with another Matthew Tkachuk deflection on an Elias Lindholm’s point-shot.

They got out of the period relatively unscathed, especially since Tkachuk was tagged for high-sticking with 2:50 remaining.

In the second frame, the Flames were getting their chances but just couldn’t capitalize on them.

They drew their second power play of the night when Marcus Pettersson was nabbed for hooking at 7:09. Despite a bounty of rebounds kicked out by Ryan Miller, the Flames couldn’t connect. Mikael Backlund had a wide-open net and missed, allowing Silfverberg to toss a short-handed shot at Smith.

Mark Jankowski had acres of net to shoot at but shot it right at Miller’s chest.

James Neal had an open net and missed. 1114323 Calgary Flames “We talk about being a pro and sometimes it gets overused, and people say well, what does that mean? Well, this is part of it,” Treliving said. “I’m very proud of how he’s dug in on this and changed his body, changed his Fitness issues behind him, Rasmus Andersson has become a legitimate lifestyle and changed his approach. It’s a sign of maturity.” top-six defenceman for the Flames As further proof of his commitment, Andersson spent seven weeks this past summer in Calgary, working closely with Ryan van Asten, Calgary’s head strength and conditioning coach. By Darren Haynes Nov 7, 2018 “The thing you try to educate these young guys on is to make it to the NHL, it’s a lifestyle and it’s not only September to May, it’s every day. That was the one area for him that he had to figure out,” Treliving said. A beer or two with dinner and perhaps some Swedish chocolate for “We helped him in terms of educating him on it, but ultimately, the player dessert. is the one that makes the decision and says OK, I’m going to change my With the Calgary Flames rattling off a fourth straight victory on Saturday, habits.” a 5-3 comeback win over the Chicago Blackhawks, chances are rookie The other thing Treliving has learned is his money talk usually resonates. defenceman Rasmus Andersson celebrated with a little libations and nosh. “I always said look, you can continue on with what you’re doing and we’ll pay you $70,000 in the minors, or you can come up here and we’ll pay After all, it was the weekend, where he allows himself a cheat day, you $800,000. I’m not great at math, but I know I’d like the $800, more particularly after a grueling game in which he’s expended himself for than the $70, but you decide what you want to do.” 13:26 over 18 shifts. One guy with a rink-side view of Andersson’s transformation has been “I always keep a good eye on what I eat and what I shouldn’t eat, but you Ryan Huska, who was his head coach the past two seasons in Stockton can’t do that 100 percent of the time because then you’re not going to (AHL) and this year is an assistant coach in Calgary, in charge of the enjoy it. You need to have some fun, too,” the 22-year-old explains. “It’s defencemen. more the Monday to Friday type of thing, that’s where I try to cut (the unhealthy eating) off completely.” Huska says his “aha” moment came at the start of camp last season.

Andersson knows it’s a challenge that won’t ever go away. “From his first development camp to the first prospects camp in Penticton, he’s always done some great things. He’s got all the tools and “I will always have to keep an eye on it and that’s what I’m learning and he sees the game so well, but can he take that next step and really learn being better at,” he said. “Because I’m one of those guys that if I eat bad what it’s going to take for him to be an NHL player consistently,” Huska for two days, I can gain six pounds. That’s the kind of guy I am, it’s just said. “So when he came back looking significantly different than what we the way my body works.” saw the first year, significantly down weight, that was the big moment for While comebacks are the talk of the town these days — the Flames lead me.” the league with five wins when trailing after two periods (Anaheim, San Fast forward to today where he’s become a fixture in Calgary’s lineup, Jose and Tampa Bay, with two each, are the only other teams with more having played in 13 consecutive games. He first drew in on Oct. 9 in than one) — the emergence of Andersson as a regular on Calgary’s Nashville, a result of the injury to and he’s playing too blueline is a comeback story of its own. well to take out. Hamonic has since returned and now it’s Michael Stone It wasn’t that long ago, July 2016 to be exact, when at the end of who is sitting. development camp, Andersson was called out by general manager Brad It’s still too early to say if Andersson is here for good, especially with two Treliving for being out of shape. vets in Stone and Dalton Prout in the press box awaiting their chance. So “There was a little method behind the madness, of trying to let the player for now, Andersson and his girlfriend Tessa, continue to live out of a know,” Treliving said. “Sometimes it’s like with your kids when you tell downtown hotel. them don’t touch the stove. Sometimes you have to get burnt, and then But if he keeps playing well, and the team keeps winning, a more you finally realize.” permanent residence could come next. Selected in the second round of the 2015 NHL draft with the pick Calgary Tessa’s role in Andersson’s newfound healthy lifestyle is not to be received from Vancouver in the Sven Baertschi trade, Andersson showed underestimated. plenty of promise during two terrific seasons with the . But for that potential to be realized, there had to be some lifestyle changes. “She is a health freak so we don’t have anything (snacks, etc.) at home, which is good for me,” he says. “She’s going to study to be a personal “It was one of those things where I knew I wasn’t in the best shape, I trainer, so she loves cooking healthy and is really good with the nutrition knew that,” Andersson said. part. She’s helped me a lot.” So while he says he saw it coming, given previous discussions on that However, hotel life can be a challenge when it comes to healthy eating. topic with management, it didn’t make it any easier when the hammer Their place has no kitchenette, just a microwave, but by now, Tessa has came down. scoped out all the nutritious food options nearby. “It was embarrassing,” he said this past weekend, sitting in his Flames “She goes out and buys the healthy stuff from the places around us. I dressing room stall and candidly reflecting on that crossroads moment in don’t really have much of a choice and I don’t mind it all. I know I perform his career. well with it,” Andersson said. “Everybody reads about it. Everybody talks about it. When you come Along the way, Andersson says he’s become more and more of an back home, everybody knows about it. It’s not a fun place to be at. That’s expert himself. when I really decided, I wanted to start working harder and show up in better shape, to take that next step in my career.” “It’s knowing what you’re putting in your body. Before I didn’t really think about it, I just ate whatever. But now, I really think about it. What’s good In going from the 225 pounds he checked in at when he first arrived in for me, what’s not.” Stockton two years ago, to the 203 pounds he weighed at this year’s fitness testing, Andersson’s comeback hasn’t been any less dramatic In many cases, it’s just making different menu decisions. than Calgary’s five-goal third period rally against the Avs last week. “I’ve never really been a big fast food guy, it’s more when we go out and “When I look back on it, I deserved it and it was good for me because it eat, instead of grabbing a burger with cheese, bacon, and everything, I was a wake-up call,” Andersson said. “I remember going back into that might get chicken and rice,” Andersson said. summer and knowing that I did not want to be in the place I was, physically or mentally.” “I try to eat a real, healthy lunch every day. Usually salad or chicken with something. And then at night, Tessa usually cooks.” His acceptance of the situation was the first step in turning things around. As Andersson settles into the NHL, there are two people in particular, who have been a great help. One is Huska, who closely works with Andersson and fellow-rookie In evaluating his first month, Huska says he’s seeing a young man that Juuso Valimaki. continues to improve every game.

“I really like working with him. We can be honest with each other,” “He’s confident in making plays right now. It looks like he’s been doing Andersson said. “He knows the way I play, he knows the way I think. It’s this for quite a while. Where I think his first few games back, he was good for me that I played for him two years prior. He knows what kind of moving the puck well, but you could see a little bit of tentativeness in his player I am.” game. I don’t see that from him anymore,” Huska said.

The two of them have long since mended what was a rocky relationship Andersson says his focus is on playing his own game. in the beginning. “I’m not here to play Gio’s game. I’m not here to play Brod’s game, or “After the first year we were together in Stockton, I don’t know if I was his Hammer. I’m here to play my game. I have to use that as an advantage. I favourite guy,” Huska admits, with a chuckle. “Because you challenge have to play that as a strength. and that’s what I want to do, too. I want to him in certain situations that you want to try and get the most out of him keep playing my game and I think I can play my game a little bit more and at times, he probably thought I was a little bit hard on him.” and the more each game that goes by you feel better and better and you’re more confident.” Andersson admits that was, indeed, the case. But he’s over that. With the team on a roll, expect Andersson to be right back in the lineup “Now when I look back on it, it was one of those things that I deserved,” on Wednesday night when Calgary begins a three-game road trip at the Andersson said. Honda Center in Anaheim.

Now they work together on a daily basis both on the ice and in the video While the California road trip, and a couple of the tough buildings the room. Flames play in will always present challenges for a rookie defenceman, “Our relationship, last year in particular, got better,” Huska said. “I think it’s not any bigger of a challenge than what Andersson has already he had a better understanding of why I pushed sometimes to try and get overcome in young professional career. out of him, consistently, what everybody sees and what his special So expect him to pass this test, too. attributes are. The Athletic LOADED: 11.08.2018 “We have a good relationship now where we sit and talk about the game and I know where we’d like to get him as a player and I think he now understands what our job is and we’re trying to help him.”

And that’s helping in the areas where he needs to improve, which is his play away from the puck, because the other skills and attributes that Andersson brings to the table are excellent.

“I know I can trust my puck game a lot and I know I can get around with my puck game, but it’s the small details and that’s what Huska is really good at and that’s why I enjoy working with him.”

The other big influence is his father Peter, who was a longtime player — also a defenceman — who spent most of his career in Sweden, although did play a handful of games with the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers.

Peter is now head coach of Malmo in the Swedish league.

“We talk a lot about how I’m feeling and then he says what he thinks and we discuss it a little here and there. He’s my dad and he’s been a big part of my hockey career my whole life,” Andersson said.

“He usually just sends a text after the game. Good game, what did you think about this situation? Then we usually call each other the next day and we talk a little bit.”

“I like to know what he thinks because he played the game,” Andersson said. “We talk about my games, we talk about his games as I try to watch as much as I can.

“It’s one of those things, it’s a father-son relationship, we say what we think. If we agree, disagree, but 99.9 percent of the time, we agree and we see hockey the same way. He more tries to help me in areas I’m not that good at, maybe like keep my gap up a little bit, or play a little more aggressive in the D-zone. Little stuff like that.”

As a show of faith by the organization, this summer Andersson received a pleasant surprise when he woke up one morning and read on Twitter that his number had been changed from No. 54 to No. 4.

“When I got to camp, I walked up to (Head Equipment Manager Mark Depasquale) and I’m like ‘hey, did I change numbers’, and he’s like ‘yeah, didn’t someone text you?’ I was like ‘no, nobody told me anything.’ ‘Oh, someone should have texted you.’”

No big deal.

“Honestly, I don’t really care, anything is better than 54.”

But the significance of that moment was not lost on the young defenceman.

“It’s one of those things where in the summertime, you feel like you’re close, you feel like they believe in you and then they do something like that and change me to a lower number. I was all for it.”

Now he’s proving that he’s not just close, but he’s arrived. 1114324 Carolina Hurricanes “As long as my family is happy I’m happy and it’s been a smooth transition with my kids and getting into their new schools,” he said.

Ward described himself as feeling like the new kid in school with his new Will Cam Ward be net for the Blackhawks against the Canes? He won’t team. It has taken a while, he said, to be himself. say. “I’m a guy who likes to have fun and do some pranks and get involved with everybody,” he said. “I did find myself being the new quiet kid for a BY CHIP ALEXANDER while. Just get used to your new surroundings. It’s such a big change from Carolina.”

Ward said he planned to drop by the Canes’ team hotel Wednesday First, the obvious question: will Cam Ward be in net for the Chicago night, just a few blocks away, and see some familiar faces. He said he Blackhawks on Thursday when they host the Carolina Hurricanes? keeps “close tabs” on the Hurricanes, saying, “There are guys over there I genuinely care about.” “Oh, you know I can’t say that,” Ward said Wednesday. Coach Rod Brind’Amour, Canes captain Justin Williams, Ward ... they Then again, the two teams play again Monday in Raleigh. What about won the Cup together in 2006. And there are so many others to see, being the starting goaltender in his return game to PNC Arena, again longtime friends. facing his former team? Then, the quick turnaround and next week’s game at PNC Arena. Again, “I hope so, but that’s to be determined, I guess,” Ward said. it should be surreal. That will be the coach’s call and as of Tuesday the Blackhawks had a “I’m really not sure what the emotions are going to be like when I come new one. Joel Quenneville, winner of three Stanley Cups, was fired after back to Carolina and walk into PNC again and not go to the Hurricanes’ the Blackhawks’ 6-6-3 start and Jeremy Colliton named as his side,” Ward said. “At the same time, in a sense, I feel like I’ll be coming replacement. home.” “It’s been crazy, with the coaching change,” Ward said in an interview. Ward said the family would be with him in Raleigh. It’s also the “It’s not something as a team that you want to see or go through. We’re Blackhawks’ “Dads Trip” and his father, Ken, will be with him. making that transition now and going through the expectations of what Jeremy wants to get out of his players. “I’ll forever be grateful for what the Hurricanes organization and the fan base, the community and friends have all done for me,” he said. “When “Personally, it caught me by surprise. I’ve only been here for a short it’s all said and done, I can look back at all the great memories I had over period of time and unfortunately didn’t get to know ‘Q’ as much as I would the years in that city. The plan doesn’t change that it’s where I want to have liked. You had to respect what he did in his coaching career and in retire and reside. this organization the past decade.” “That said, we want to beat them in these two games. Don’t get that Colliton, who was coaching the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL, is 33, the twisted.” youngest coach in the NHL. Ward is 34. News Observer LOADED: 11.08.2018 “Definitely something new, to be older than the head coach,” Ward said. “I played against Jeremy in junior. He was with the .” Asked if Colliton scored on him in the , Ward chuckled. “Oh, I can’t remember. It’s hard to remember all the people who scored on me. There’s been too many.” In 13 seasons with the Hurricanes, Ward won a Stanley Cup and was the franchise goalie, setting many franchise records. He made the commute to work from his North Raleigh home -- the one he still owns -- and became part of the community. Then, he was gone. The Canes did not pursue a new contract with Ward after last season and he signed as a free agent with the Blackhawks in July. Ward was brought in on a one-year, $3 million contract to be the backup for Corey Crawford, giving the Blackhawks another veteran goalie as Crawford continued to recover from concussion symptoms that lingered from last season. Ward started the first five games. He won the first two in overtime, at Ottawa and St. Louis, then gave up seven goals to Toronto in his first start at the in a wild 7-6 overtime loss. In eight games, he has a 3-2-3 record with a 3.83 goal-against average and .887 save percentage, numbers that have had some Blackhawks fans casting some of the blame at him after Quenneville’s firing. Crawford is 3-4-0 with a 2.92 GAA and .907 save percentage, losing his last three starts. “When I look at my games, you want to base if off how you feel and how you performed and not get too deep a dive into the numbers, because they can be skewed,” Ward said. “Toronto was the one game I felt like I was off. Otherwise I feel when I’ve played I’ve been able to try to give this team a chance to win and that’s what I’m striving to do.” Ward said slipping into a Blackhawks uniform for the first time was slightly surreal. “The first time I did it, you take a second and recognize this is different,” he said. “But with that said, there’s also excitement, too. There’s a lot of history with this franchise. You think of all the special players who have been able to wear this jersey and wear it proudly.” Ward moved the family to Chicago, into a high-rise apartment downtown -- as he put it, “Right in the mix of everything.” 1114325 Carolina Hurricanes

Canes’ losing streak at five games after 4-1 loss to Blues

BY CHIP ALEXANDER

Former Carolina Hurricanes coach Bill Peters once said losing is contagious, and it seems that way now under first-year coach Rod Brind’Amour. The Canes took a four-game losing streak into St. Louis on Tuesday and it became five after the Blues took a 4-1 victory at the Enterprise Center. Ryan O’Reilly had his first career NHL hat trick and goalie Chad Johnson finished with 38 saves for the Blues, who led 3-1 after the first period. The Canes (6-7-2) have established a trend in the 0-4-1 slide that’s much the same as it was the past few years under Peters: -- Finish with a lot of shots and enough scoring chances to win. -- Hit posts, miss the net, have shots blocked and fail to finish. -- Lose the goaltending battle. “We should be frustrated,” Brind’Amour said. “I would hope so. But we have to park it and then come back and show them all the stuff they’ve done well and the stuff they need to clean up. “It’s a test for these guys and obviously ourselves to stick with what we’re doing and try to find a way to manufacture offense. Scoring goals is not easy. You’ve got to get dirty.” The Canes have had more than 30 shots in each of their 15 games. They were averaging 41.8 a game before Tuesday, setting an NHL record for most shots on goal in the first 14 games of a season (585). But only defenseman Jaccob Slavin was able to score and his first goal of the season, on a power play, was quickly negated by bad penalty and a sudden Blues strike. Two sequences in the first period were telling. The first came after O’Reilly had given the Blues a 1-0 lead as Canes rookie Andrei Svechnikov, with a good chance off the rush, hit the post, then had Johnson get a glove on the puck as Svechnikov tried to knock in the rebound. The Blues quickly were in transition, Robby Fabbri finishing off a rush for a 2-0 lead with his first goal since December 2016. Slavin’s score, on a shot through traffic from the point, made it a one-goal game with 26 seconds left in the first period. But Canes rookie center Nicolas Roy lost a faceoff to O’Reilly, then slashed him moments later, and O’Reilly’s power-play score with five seconds left in the period made it 3-1. “The guys know they can’t keep giving teams goals early and get behind,” Brind’Amour said. The Blues locked it down from there with some good work in the neutral zone and defensive zone. O’Reilly’s third goal was an empty netter. Since the 4-0-1 start that had everyone excited, the Canes have gone 2- 7-1 and scored two or fewer goals seven times. Brind’Amour gave goalie Curtis McElhinney the start Tuesday as Petr Mrazek continues to recover from a lower-body injury. The Canes will finish the four-game road trip in Chicago on Thursday after what will have been an unsettling few days for the Blackhawks, who fired coach Joel Quenneville on Tuesday. The Blackhawks, who have lost five straight, named Jeremy Colliton head coach. The Canes will have all that working against them as they look to end their slide before a six-game homestand that begins Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings. “Our game is pretty solid,” Brind’Amour said. “We’re playing pretty well overall. We’re creating more than enough chances to win the hockey game. The fact they’re not going in right now is the frustrating part. “The guys are giving us, the Hurricanes, everything they can. And that’s all we can ask.” News Observer LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114326 Chicago Blackhawks

New Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton, 33, doesn't think his age will be an issue in the locker room

Jimmy Greenfield

The circus atmosphere that came with Tuesday’s stunning Blackhawks coaching change was largely gone a day after, but the biggest questions surrounding the move remained. How will players react to going from Joel Quenneville, one of the greatest coaches in NHL history, to 33-year-old rookie coach Jeremy Colliton? Can the Hawks turn their season around and make the playoffs? Will the power play finally start working? Colliton is nearly 10 years younger than the Devils’ , the second-youngest coach in the league. Colliton’s age will be a popular topic among fans, at least until he proves himself capable of winning in the NHL. But he doesn’t expect it to be an issue where it matters: in the locker room. “The challenge is not so much different if I were 20 years older,” Colliton said Wednesday. “I have to come in with a plan and show them I can help them win. (If) we as a team have success, then they’re all going to look good and they’re not going to worry about how old I am.” Defenseman Erik Gustafsson gives Colliton a lot of credit for helping him restore his confidence after being sent to Rockford at the start of last season. Gustafsson rejoined the Hawks in January and has gone from fringe NHL player to key member of the defense. Gustafsson can see how Colliton’s age initially might be a factor but said it won’t last for long. “It’s tough at first,” Gustafsson said. “He’s the same age as a lot of guys in this room. But he’s just trying to do the best for the team. “I remember from last year, he doesn’t scream or anything on the bench. I think he has that respect from the first (day) because he’s the coach and you have to respect the head coach. He started off pretty good the first two days.” Colliton’s second full practice lasted well over an hour, longer than Quenneville’s typical practices. The lines were largely the same; the biggest difference was restoring Dominik Kahun to the first line with and Alex DeBrincat after he had been dropped to the third line last week against the Flames. The Hawks spent a good deal of time on the power play, which is 7-for- 50 (14 percent) and ranked 27th in the league through Tuesday. Colliton acknowledged the importance of finding a way to make it better. “Yeah, that’s a big question,” he said. “We’re getting together as groups and we’re discussing it, throwing ideas around. I have some ideas, the staff as a group, we have ideas. Watching clips of some teams that are successful. They need reps. So today you saw that. “As a group, you have to feel confident in your options. You have to feel like, ‘Hey, this is going to work.’ So that’s what we’re trying to build.” Colliton faced one other question: Is he feeling butterflies in anticipation of his first game Thursday night against the Hurricanes? “No butterflies yet,” he said. “But I’m sure it’s going to be special.” Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114327 Chicago Blackhawks

No kidding: Blackhawks' Brent Seabrook and Jeremy Colliton played against each other as kids

Jimmy Greenfield

Brent Seabrook and new Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton have a long history together. Not only did they share an agent at one point, they also played against each other in the Western Hockey League. But that's not all. “Jeremy and I played together when we were 11,” Seabrook said. “We played summer hockey together. We played against each other and our team invited him to a tournament — I can’t even remember when it was, I’d have to ask my dad. But it was a long time ago. He played with us for a tournament and growing up we sort of followed the same career path as kids. A lot of connections there.” Seabrook isn’t among the four players on the Hawks’ roster older than Colliton — Chris Kunitz, Duncan Keith, Corey Crawford and Cam Ward share that distinction — but he’s still only 3½ months younger. “It was nice to see him come back to North America last year and get the job in Rockford,” Seabrook said. “Sounds like he did some good things in Europe and with Rockford last year going to the third round (of the playoffs).” Saad face: Brandon Saad left practice for the dentist's office after taking a puck to the face. Colliton was hopeful Saad would be OK to play Thursday night against the Hurricanes but didn't have an update after practice Wednesday. On the other hand, the coach was able to use the incident to introduce his sense of humor to reporters. “Puck went in the net,” Colliton said. “So that’s a positive.” Short goodbye: Although he didn’t know it at the time, Duncan Keith’s last time playing in a Hawks uniform under Joel Quenneville ended with his ejection for boarding barely more than two minutes into the game. The total time on ice for the player Quenneville often relied on to play up to 30 minutes a game? Thirty-seven seconds. “You always kind of look back at ‘what if,’ but those things are in the past now so there’s nothing you can do,” Keith said. “It’s just the way it went. It’s unfortunate. Definitely thought about that and if that would have made a difference. Can’t worry about that stuff now.” Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114328 Chicago Blackhawks good ones. If you’re motivated by fear, on balance, you’ll make too many poor decisions so you have to take that out of it.

You mentioned your dad, Scotty, who’s a special adviser for the Hawks. Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman on a reported rift with Joel Quenneville: To what degree has he been involved in this process because Barry 'None of that is true' Smith — his top assistant coach with the Penguins and Red Wings — establishes a link between him and the Hawks bench. Are you sensitive to that perception? David Haugh I understand why people say that but my dad doesn’t play a big role. He’s an adviser. He watches every game every night, whether he’s working for Blackhawks or just retired. That’s just who he is. He’s there for me to talk Inside the Blackhawks dressing room at MB Ice Arena after the news to, he’s my dad. His impact? No. He’ll watch our games and the Rockford conference crowd had thinned, general manager Stan Bowman wanted games and talk about guys playing well but he’s very removed. He’s 85, to talk. living in Florida. He’s exactly what I want, an adviser I rely upon. There’s not something in the game of hockey he hasn’t lived through but it’s not Tuesday had been the longest of days. at all like he’s playing this large role. It started before 8 a.m. when Bowman met with Joel Quenneville to If this is a playoff team, why not hire a proven coach known as a inform the legendary Hawks coach that he had been fired. Next came turnaround guy instead of someone coaching his first NHL game meetings with Bowman’s staff and the appointment of replacement coach Thursday night at the United Center? Jeremy Colliton, the 33-year-old whose 57-game NHL career with the Islanders ended prematurely because of concussions. No matter how In some ways, that’s the old model in that you need experience to win. I impressive Colliton was at an afternoon news conference — and he don’t think there’s anything bad with experience, but Jeremy comes at it possesses enough smarts and charisma to pass as “Hockey McVay,’’ a from a different angle. (Players today are) different from players from 20 nod to NFL wunderkind coach Sean McVay of the Rams — Bowman years ago. You can’t tell them the reason for something is “because I sought to clarify why the organization severed ties with the NHL’s said so.” They want to know, ‘Why, what do you mean?’ ” Jeremy has a second-winningest coach ever. sense of that. You’re getting a unique perspective from him. We have veteran players but young players too. I don’t know that you can bring in To hear Bowman calmly explain himself in a 20-minute, one-on-one a coach with just one style in because we’re not a team of just young interview, his tie loosened and his guard down, professional reasons guys or all vets. It’s a fair question. But if we had brought in a veteran guy solely dictated Quenneville’s dismissal — not personal ones as many of like that, he might not have had that blend of skill sets like Jeremy does. us presumed. You don’t necessarily have to believe Bowman; he says Quenneville knows and accepted the tough news with dignity. At 33, Jeremy also has been described as a young coach who embraces analytics. How much did that play a role in your decision? “I do want to address this because I don’t know where it started that we don’t get along,’’ Bowman said of his relationship with Quenneville, who He’s been using analytics already. He’s got a thirst for it. He’s eager for won three Stanley Cups in 10-plus seasons from 2008-2018. input. He asks for everybody. He talks to me and people at Rockford. He asks our analytics guy, “Can you also give me this?” He doesn’t use The rest of our conversation touched on various topics related to the everything, but there are certain analytics he thought would be helpful for bittersweet blockbuster move. him. … He’s certainly on the cutting edge of that. But the thing I like How difficult was it for you to fire a Hall of Fame coach? about Jeremy is he’s not a slave to it. He is a former (NHL) player. He knows the essence of a team is you can’t always boil down to numbers, That was the hardest conversation I’ve had. You prepare for it going in that the element of competitiveness doesn’t always show up in analytics. but it was very emotional for me and for Joel. We’ve been working together a long time and accomplished a lot and the number of When John McDonough says this is a playoff team and he believes in disagreements we’ve had over those years is so small. I’ve learned so accountability, what is the message for you? Did your seat just get hotter much from Joel. None of that (speculation about a rift) is true. Ask Joel today? the same thing. It was a great experience to work with him. I was new to When I say I don’t worry about my job security, I should say it’s not that I the job and he was experienced coach and I observed him a lot as a rival don’t care. That sounds too cavalier. It’s more in a pragmatic or practical of my dad for years. I knew who Joel Quenneville was. I am grateful to way. Worrying about my job security, I’m not going to be any more him. effective tomorrow. I’ll be less effective tomorrow. That’s why I don’t This move represents urgency to save the season. Do you believe you focus on it. It’s not an emotional perspective. It’s pragmatic and practical. had same sense of urgency in the offseason over the construction of this How can I be better? roster? (Bowman paused and sighed.) There were concerns last year but I think everybody felt Joel deserved an And the hot seat? opportunity to get this going again. He earned that right. But a lot of same things weren’t working last year weren’t working this year. You have to Whatever that hot seat means, I’m going to do what I’m going to do look down the road and ask if this would turn around before this season because I think it’s right. If it isn’t right and somebody doesn’t want me to gets away from us. I didn’t have the confidence it would turn around so work here anymore, then I won’t be working here. That’s the only way I we had to do something. know how to do it. Did you ever worry if it came down to Hawks President John McDonough Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.08.2018 picking between the coach and the general manager, he would pick the coach? No. When you start to worry about your job security, you might do things that don’t make sense. This is the big leagues. I understand what comes with that. It includes a lot of criticism, and you can’t do something reactionary or try to pre-empt criticism. Just do what’s in best interest of team short and long term. As a manager, you’re not completely aligned with the coach in terms of timing. I’m worried about tomorrow’s game but also the game in three months. We want to be good every year, as impossible as that may be. Wait, how do you get to the point as a professional sports executive when you don’t worry about job security? You can’t operate out of fear. I don’t. If they don’t want me to work here, I won’t work here and I’m going to work here until that day comes. My dad learned that from his experience. He worked under one-year deals the last six or seven years or coaching. He figured if there was a time they don’t want him, they don’t want him. For me to do something to salvage my job, I don’t believe in that. You just block it out. It’s the only approach I know. In emotional times, you tend to make more bad decisions than 1114329 Chicago Blackhawks

A full Blackhawks rebuild? Not so fast. A look at the contracts of the 8 highest-paid players

Jimmy Greenfield

The Blackhawks have been steadfast in saying they’re not about to enter a full rebuild. Good for them? Not so fast. It’s not exactly their choice. The fact is the Hawks’ hands are tied with several high-salaried players whose no-movement clauses would require their permission to trade themaway. Here’s a look at the eight highest-paid Hawks and how their contracts could restrict general manager Stan Bowman from trading them if he wanted to. Contract information is via capfriendly.com. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews (2022-23): $10.5 million salary-cap hit Each has a full no-movement clause for the duration of his contract. Both are enjoying great starts to their seasons and likely would bring back a good haul even with their high salaries. Toews recently turned 30, and Kane will join him this month. Brent Seabrook (2023-24): $6.875 million cap hit The 33-year-old Seabrook’s contract has a no-movement clause in place until 2021-22, after which he must submit a list of five teams he can be traded to in 2022-23 and 10 teams in 2023-24. Brandon Saad (2020-21): $6 million cap hit Saad, 26, does not have a no-movement or no-trade clause at any point during his contract. His cap hit is reasonable enough that he could be an attractive piece near the trade deadline. Corey Crawford (2019-20): $6 million cap hit Crawford, who turns 34 on Dec. 31, appears to be healthy and playing like the goalie who won two Stanley Cups with the Hawks. His cap hit is very reasonable for a starting goalie. The Hawks have several young goalies in the system but nobody ready to fill Crawford’s skates. Duncan Keith (2022-23): $5,538,462 cap hit Keith’s 13-year, $72 million deal has been one of the best the Hawks ever made, and it should continue that way even as he reaches 40 at the end of the contract. Keith, 35, has a full no-movement clause throughout the deal. Artem Anisimov (2020-21): $4.55 million cap hit Anisimov, 30, had a modified no-trade clause beginning this season that requires him to list 10 teams to which he can be traded. Connor Murphy (2021-22): $3.85 million cap hit Murphy does not have a no-movement clause, but he’s out with a back problem and it’s unclear when he’ll return. At 25, Murphy is young enough that he should maintain his level of play for the duration of the contract, but that might be more of a threat than an enticement. Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114330 Chicago Blackhawks Or it’s an opportunity to get pantsed. Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.08.2018 The one thing new coach Jeremy Colliton can't afford to screw up with Blackhawks players

Steve Rosenbloom

On the day Joel Quenneville was fired as coach for the mistakes Stan Bowman made, the Blackhawks general manager’s new coach said all the right things. Of course he did. You expected that from the Hawks, who are as much brand as hockey organ-I-zation, who are better at media manipulation than the power play. One of the things Jeremy Colliton talked about was earning the respect of his new team. He’s 33, younger than four of his new players, but he has to act like he’s in charge, so yes, earning the respect of Hawks core players with three Stanley Cup rings is vital for the guy with three career NHL goals. That respect might come in practice. Colliton says he wants practices to be up-tempo, same as his predecessor. Quenneville, made it clear immediately that he wanted everything done fast, even mistakes so players could recover and get the puck back quickly. Whatever pace Colliton wanted at his first practice Tuesday apparently was realized. “We had a good practice today, good energy,’’ Colliton said. “We pushed on some things that we want the guys to focus on. It’s just communication with everyone, as early as possible, with as many as possible, so that everyone is on the same page and we know what the plan is. “We plan to win.” It’s always good to have a plan. Always good to communicate it too. Bowman highlighted communication as Colliton’s greatest asset. Bowman said he had seen positive signs when Colliton coached a Swedish second-division team into a promotion to the top division. Bowman said he also saw Colliton’s communication up close when he coached the Hawks’ top minor-league team in Rockford deep into the playoffs last season. Communication is a great asset. Of course, it also can expose a person. The more someone talks, the greater the chance that something wrong or naive will plop out like a playoff pizza Chris Campoli or Eric Gustafsson threw. But here’s where I imagine Colliton will fly or die as a relative kid coaching decorated adults: on the bench during a game. Quenneville was a master bench coach. Still is. In fact, that was the reason Hockey Yoda Scotty Bowman wanted Quenneville installed in Denis Savard’s job in 2008. Bowman noted that Quenneville was excellent at matchups, and Bowman should know. He’s arguably the best bench coach in history. Bowman indicated Quenneville would have better bench smarts than Savard to deal with the division’s accomplished coaches that included Mike Babcock, Ken Hitchcock and . What Quenneville did — what the best bench coaches do — is coach the game that was there, the game that was in front of him. Players know what kind of game is in front of them. Players know when a coach is seizing a moment or blowing a matchup opportunity. Reacting the right way in the heat of the moment — reflecting a deep and instant knowledge of both a coach’s players and the opponent’s and then, in a nanosecond, making a better move than the guy on the other bench — is an ability that can prompt players to follow a coach. Or flame him. You don’t need a secret Uber video to know hockey players can harbor weapons-grade disrespect for a coach and an organ-I-zation. The Hawks brass knows this. I suspect that’s one of the reasons Scotty Bowman’s longtime ally, Barry Smith, was installed as an assistant coach. Whatever Smith can do on the bench in the glare of a game to prevent Colliton from creating a losing matchup that could start grumbling among players is a step forward. Colliton catches a break Thursday. The Hawks play at home against the Hurricanes, so the new coach with the unknown NHL bench chops will get the last change. It’s an opportunity to control the game. 1114331 Chicago Blackhawks

What's next for Joel Quenneville? 6 NHL teams that could hire the former Blackhawks coach

Jimmy Greenfield

With a resume that includes three Stanley Cups and the second-most wins in NHL history, there’s no doubt Joel Quenneville will land another job. The only questions are whether he wants to resume his Hall of Fame coaching career and, if so, where he’ll end up. Here are six possible landing spots for the former Blackhawks coach. 1. Blues Quenneville’s first NHL head coaching job was with the Blues, with whom he went 307-191-77 over eight seasons from 1996 to 2004. The Blues are talented and would seem to be a good fit for Quenneville, who probably wouldn’t go to a team in a rebuild. They have been underachieving all season under second-year coach Mike Yeo, whose job is believed to be in jeopardy. But the Blues have won three of four games and are showing signs of turning their season around. 2. Panthers Panthers general manager hired Quenneville once, and it worked out pretty well. At least for Quenneville. Tallon departed for the Panthers before the Hawks won the Stanley Cup in 2010 and has had limited success there. Current coach is in his second year with the Panthers, but the team is off to a 3-5-3 start. READ MORE: Looking for a 'fresh start,' Blackhawks fire 3-time champion coach Joel Quenneville » 3. Kings The Kings were the first team to make a coaching change this season when they fired John Stevens on Sunday and handed Willie Desjardins the job, albeit with an interim tag. The Kings would have been far more attractive to Quenneville a couple of years ago, but they’re aging more rapidly than the Hawks are and aren’t likely to contend for a few years. 4. Sabres Of all the teams that could be in the market for a coach, the Sabres seem to mirror Quenneville’s first Hawks teams the most. The Sabres have outstanding young players in forward Jack Eichel and defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, and their coach is former Sabres star Phil Housley. Sound familiar? 5. Ducks It’s questionable whether the Ducks would launch coach Randy Carlyle after consecutive 100-point seasons, but they are off to a 6-7-3 start. Quenneville only has to recall two weeks ago, when the Hawks easily handled the Ducks in a 3-1 win at the United Center. 6. Oilers The Oilers are an up-and-coming team for approximately the 100th season in a row, but this time it looks like they’re for real. They have the best player in the world in Connor McDavid and a supporting cast that’s finally pulling its weight. They’re only 8-6-1 — and two of those wins came against the Hawks. Todd McLellan, in his fourth season with the Oilers, could be in danger if his team falls into an extended slump. Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114332 Chicago Blackhawks Age is just a number Colliton is the youngest coach in the NHL. He’s younger than four current Hawks players and — so sue him — barely half Quenneville’s age. Blackhawks' Jeremy Colliton doing just fine in first-impressions department What’s he supposed to do, apologize? Already, it seems, half the questions he’s fielding from the media are age-related. It’s roughly the same with the questions his players are Steve Greenberg being asked. Maybe by the thousandth such question, it’ll dawn on people that Now this was good to see: a Blackhawks player using his size and Quenneville and the sport’s top winner, Scotty Bowman, became first- strength to plant himself in front of the net in the offensive zone, ready to time NHL head coaches in their 30s, too. stir up a little chaos. “I think the challenge is not so much different if I were 20 years older,” It was merely a team practice at MB Ice Arena, but 6-2, 202-pound Colliton said. “I’ve got to come in with a plan and show them I can help Brandon Saad was turning up the physicality, as former Hawks coach them win. [If], as a team, we have success, then they’re all going to look Joel Quenneville had often wished he would. Only Saad was now doing it good and they’re not going to worry about how old I am.” on Jeremy Colliton’s watch, a day after the revered Quenneville was fired If Hawks players are worried about it, they’re doing a fine job of hiding it. and replaced by a 33-year-old virtual unknown. “I think [his age is] a side story,” Patrick Kane said. “He’s had a pretty Colliton will make his debut on the Hawks bench Thursday night against quick rise to the top, if you want to say, from being in Sweden, one year the Hurricanes at the United Center, a dream opportunity for a man who in the minors and all of a sudden he’s a head coach in the NHL. So he’s didn’t land his first coaching job until 2014 — in Sweden — and joined obviously doing something right, and you’ve got to listen to him.” the Hawks organization only a year and a half ago, when he signed on to coach the AHL Rockford IceHogs. That’s not to say players have no concerns about how things might change and feel no pain on Quenneville’s behalf. Oh, and Saad? Well, he took a puck to the face for his trouble. Unwittingly, though, his mug happened to redirect the puck (not to be “But it’s a business,” Kane said. “You’ve got to put that stuff aside and callous, but wasn’t that the whole point?) past goalie Cam Ward. Without move on and put all our trust in Jeremy.” having seen the puck cross the goal line, Saad was doubled over on his skates and headed to the locker room. A visit to the dentist beckoned. On to the next Jeremy Colliton is making a good first impression in Chicago. (AP/Kamil The two most prominent themes about Colliton, other than his age: he’s Krzaczynski) (1) a terrific communicator and (2) smart as a whip. We should all be so lucky as to be described that way. “He was going to the net, which is good, caught a puck in the face, puck went in the net, so that’s a positive,” Colliton said afterward, revealing a “He seems like a bright hockey mind, so we have all the confidence in deadpan sense of humor that won’t hurt his cause as he attempts to win him,” Kane said. over players — and a dubious Hawks fan base. Said Keith: “He’s here for a reason, and you can tell he’s a smart guy.” We’re all just beginning to get to know Colliton, a Western Canadian who That’s just a light sampling. Then again, don’t pretty much all new was unable to stick in the NHL with the Islanders and hung up the skates coaches find themselves on the receiving end of compliments from within in Sweden due to post-concussion symptoms. Weeks and months will the organization? pass and stories with more detail and depth will be written, but Colliton seems to be making positive first impressions on those around him. It’s more than fair for everyone to watch what develops with a degree of Here’s some of what’s being said. skepticism. We aren’t suckers, after all. Will Colliton’s shuffled line combinations and power-play units make a darn bit of difference? Will his Communication is key revamped approach to the Hawks’ special teams do anything to solve Before he left the ice Wednesday toward the end of practice, Colliton longstanding problems? made sure to “bump into” Jonathan Toews. That’s what Colliton calls the Boos might rain down on Colliton from the UC stands someday. On the one-on-one meetings he’s attempting to have with players as often as he other hand, a statue could be built in his honor. Or something in between. can squeeze them in until everyone has been met — and heard — and together the Hawks can move on to the nitty-gritty of the regular season Regardless, here he goes in another pursuit of his NHL dreams. that awaits them. “I grew up wanting to be in the NHL,” he said. “I thought it was going to For about five minutes, captain and coach stood next to the Hawks logo be as a player. Yeah, I made it and I played some games, but wasn’t at center ice and talked. When they finished, Colliton skated over to able to make it full-time and had to retire early. Duncan Keith and engaged the veteran defenseman in conversation. “So this is like a second crack at it. I feel grateful and appreciative for the “Right away, we’re seeing he’s a great communicator and he already opportunity, and now it’s about making the most of it.” wants to take time to get to know each player and figure out what makes that individual best,” Toews said. “He doesn’t want there to be any doubt Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 11.08.2018 or misunderstandings, not only with the system but [also] what guys’ roles are and what’s expected out of everybody in the room. I think that speaks volumes to his understanding how a hockey team works.” Almost right away this season, Saad found himself in Quenneville’s doghouse. As if that weren’t problem enough, there was a disconnect between Quenneville’s frustrations and Saad’s understanding of them. “Nothing was said to me,” Saad said at the time when asked why he’d been practicing in a white jersey signifying a potential lineup scratch from the next game. “I guess I don’t really know where the coaches are coming from,” Toews said at the time. Quenneville, a three-time Stanley Cup winner with the Hawks and the second-winningest coach in NHL history, has an elite résumé that speaks for itself. But maybe Colliton’s communication style — one of the biggest factors in his hiring — will be a breath of fresh air. “I just want them to know we’re in this together,” Colliton said. “We’re working together on it. I’m going to give them feedback, and sometimes it’s going to be positive and sometimes it’s going to be negative, but it all comes from a place where I’m just trying to make them better.” 1114333 Chicago Blackhawks

Daniel Carcillo shares story of how Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman 'saved his life'

Madeline Kenney

Former Blackhawks left winger Daniel Carcillo had no problem ripping his old team on Tuesday after the front office made the decision to cut ties with coach Joel Quenneville. “Quenneville deserves better,” Carcillo tweeted shortly after the news broke. “A man’s man.” Carcillo went so far as to write Quenneville’s firing was “nothing more than” team president John McDonough, general manager Stan Bowman and senior vice president of hockey operations Al MacIssac’s “desperate attempt to save their jobs.” One day later, Carcillo found himself cleaning up a mess he created. “I take responsibility for fueling some of that narrative yesterday,” Carcillo tweeted Wednesday. “I lost sleep over it last night.” Carcillo backpedaled on some of what he originally tweeted. And in the matter of one minute, he sent 10 tweets detailing a very personal story about how Bowman actually helped him save his life. “I want people to know the kind of man that Stan Bowman is,” Carcillo wrote. “I want to people to take a breathe before they spew negativity towards ppl they’ve never met. Stan is a survivor. He’s a warrior.” After playing the Hawks in the 2010 Stanley Cup Final as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers, Carcillo signed a one-year deal with the Hawks in July 2011. Carcillo, who has been open about his past struggles with addiction, said this was around the time he started cleaning up his act. “When I came to the Blackhawks, I had made several lifestyle changes,” Carcillo wrote. “The most significant being I was clean and sober for the for the first time in my career. From everything. No NyQuil. No alcohol. No opiates. No weed. Nothing. I did 90 meetings in 90 days.” Carcillo wrote that he was trying to be as transparent with the Hawks about his transition to a cleaner lifestyle. But his journey to living sober didn’t come without a relapse. After receiving surgery in January 2012 to repair a ligament in his knee, Carcillo signed a two-year deal in March. He tweeted it was “somewhat unheard of in my position [because] of my injury.” “Stan trusted me,” Carcillo tweeted. “He took a chance on me [because] he believed in my character from what I had shown him in my short time with the organization. I signed the contract. I was grateful. “But I had this guilt eating away at my soul that I could not shake. I wasn’t being 100 percent honest & respectful towards Stan. The same courtesy he showed me was not being reciprocated. I had to come clean.” Two days after signing his new contract, Carcillo marched into Bowman’s office and told him he needed help to get off of opiates, he wrote. “I’m sure this came as a shock to him, but he couldn’t have been more graceful & caring with how he handled my situation,” Carcillo tweeted. “I became emotional. I told him I was sorry. I thought it was my fault. I was angry at myself for the position I was putting him & the organization in. “Stan reassured me that the most important piece to this situation was my health. He saved my life. He never once made me feel guilty or unwanted. He encouraged me to seek help. I wanted to! I wanted to be the healthiest version of myself bc I wanted to perform for him.bc of the trust he instilled in me. I never wanted to let him down.” “I will never ever forget how Stan Bowman saved my life.” Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114334 Chicago Blackhawks

Giving Q his due: Four incredible facts from Joel Quenneville's Blackhawks run

Satchel Price

Joel Quenneville’s storied tenure with the Blackhawks ended with a firing Tuesday following the team’s lackluster start this season. The coach survived back-to-back first-round playoff exits and a last-place finish in the previous three seasons, but couldn’t get through a brutal autumn road trip. Current and former Hawks were effusive in their praise of Quenneville after the news broke. GM Stan Bowman defended the decision by focusing on his excitement around Jeremy Colliton, the 33-year-old former AHL coach who’s stepped up into the vacancy. But no matter whom you’re talking to, the accomplishments and performance of Quenneville over the past decade are beyond reproach. During his lengthy run as the head man in Chicago, the Blackhawks took their final steps into hockey royalty. In honor of that remarkable decade in Chicago, one that turned him into a local “icon,” according to Patrick Kane, here’s a look at four incredible facts and stats that back up Quenneville’s greatness. While the Blackhawks found unmatched stability with Quenneville behind the bench, the other 30 franchises were shuffling their coaching staffs constantly. Some guys – Barry Trotz, John Tortorella and – have been around nearly as long as Quenneville, but like the Hawks did with Colliton, teams have regularly turned to fresh faces. Forty-nine men have made their NHL coaching debuts since 2009, when Quenneville was hired in Chicago, according to Hockey-Reference. It’ll be 50 once Colliton coaches his first game Thursday night. It’s the fourth time he’s been part of a midseason coaching change If anyone should know what it’s like to be part of a midseason coaching shuffle in the NHL, it’s Quenneville. This is the fourth time in his head coaching career that he’s been part of a change on the bench by his bosses. 1996: Quenneville got his first gig as a head coach with the Blues after the team fired Mike Keenan 42 games into the season 2004: The Blues fired Quenneville after a 29-23-7 start and replaced him with future Hawks assistant Mike Kitchen 2008: Quenneville became the Blackhawks’ head coach after the team fired Denis Savard just four games into the season 2018: Quenneville lasted just 15 games into the season before being replaced by Colliton He’s the best playoff coach in Hawks history No matter how you slice it, nobody in Blackhawks history comes close to what Quenneville accomplished in the postseason. He’s the franchise leader in playoff games (128) and playoff wins (76), and the only Hawks coach to ever win multiple Stanley Cups. Despite being around for just 10 seasons in their 91-year history, or roughly 11 percent of it, Quenneville has coached 24 percent of their playoff games and 29 percent of their playoff victories. He’s the best regular season coach in Hawks history, too Despite earning exactly 1,000 points in Chicago, Quenneville couldn’t reach the franchise record for all-time coaching wins, which is still owned by Billy Reay with 516. However, in terms of winning points in the standings, nobody has been better than Quenneville, whose teams won 62.7 percent of all possible points. No other coach in Blackhawks history has topped 59 percent. He’s also the only coach in club history to win 50 games in a single season – a feat he accomplished twice. Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114335 Chicago Blackhawks Yes, there's plenty of criticism to go around, and GM Stan Bowman has earned his share, with some good and bad trades, some signings that have been productive and others useless. Where Chicago Blackhawks go from here But Bowman also knew the coach he was working with, and for the last 10 years he tried to give Quenneville players he would employ, which is why Bowman traded Leddy, who was due for big money. Barry Rozner Why pay him top four dollars if you're not going to play him like a top four defenseman? So now what? The big example everyone points to now is Artemi Panarin, but there's no way the Hawks were signing him long term, so they didn't have much Well, the big picture for the Chicago Blackhawks is that everyone ought choice. Columbus is now in the very same spot as Panarin points to to be looking over their shoulders after a Hall of Fame coach was fired unrestricted free agency after this season. Tuesday. Moving Teuvo Teravainen just to get rid of Bryan Bickell's contract is As for whether it was fair, rarely is it ever when a coach is fired, and actually worse considering Brandon Saad could conceivably become a certainly not when the roster isn't good enough. productive NHL player again. As Clint Eastwood said to Gene Hackman in the aptly-named Still, Bowman deserves some credit for the second and third Cups, for "Unforgiven," "Deserve's got nothin' to do with it." finding inexpensive pieces in a hard-cap world to fill in around the core, but he'll never receive that from a percentage of the fan base hanging on So why do it now? to old delusions, much as Jerry Krause never found praise for all that he The Hawks can't completely rebuild, not with so many big contracts did while he was alive. exacting so much of the cap. What no one ever wants to hear is that all dynasties end the same way, But they can try to grow the bottom half of the roster into pieces that will with players overpaid and used up, and a franchise trying to squeeze one help in the years to come. more run out of group that won't get it done without a sudden influx of young, cheap talent. They can develop some young defensemen, but that only comes with significant playing time, and it's fair to criticize Joel Quenneville for his It doesn't always have to be about blame. As my grandmother used to reluctance to do so. say about the pursuit of an explanation, "Sometimes, it just is." Take 26-year-old defenseman Erik Gustafsson, who appeared to be But fans insist upon assigning blame and owners much search to find it. coming on after playing 41 games with the Hawks in 2015-16. It has always been that way. He has good offensive instincts, but a lot of work to do in his own end It has now officially started on the West Side of Chicago and it is likely to where he takes too many chances and is frequently out of position. continue. It was Gustafsson's mistake in the third period of Game 7 against St. Daily Herald Times LOADED: 11.08.2018 Louis in a tie game that cost the Hawks the opening series in 2016. The result was he played only 35 games with the Hawks last season, not one until Jan. 20, which was the last time we saw Gustav Forsling -- only 21 at the time -- the coach giving up on the youngster after he had a strong start to the season. But young defensemen can be quite erratic and you have to live with their mistakes if you want them to get better. And considering where they are in the process, the Hawks should have as many young players on the ice as possible. With Quenneville -- a veteran coach trying to win every shift -- once you got on his bad side, good luck getting into the lineup. He wanted nothing to do with defensemen Trevor Daley and Michal Kempny, so both were dealt and both went on to play huge roles on championship teams the same year they were traded. He had little use for Nick Leddy, but a strange affection for Trevor van Riemsdyk. He would stick with aging forwards at the expense of younger, more talented players, though in his defense those veterans often rewarded Quenneville in the postseason. Regardless, these are relatively small criticisms given Quenneville's extraordinary record, three titles and the entire body of work. We refer you to Tuesday's column for an appropriate tribute, in case you missed it and think the blame here is placed on Quenneville. However, with two first-round exits and missing the playoffs last year, and with the prospect of more of the same this year, Hawks management probably figured there was no reason not to try something else. It's more of a look toward the future than a Hail Mary. The third and fourth lines currently make no sense, especially as most teams are trying to get younger and faster 1 through 12. If your bottom two lines aren't hitting much, or offering a strong defensive presence, you might as well get some guys out there who can skate. Like it or not, every sport is getting younger, cheaper and less experienced in their lineups as they try to take advantage of a player's best -- and least expensive -- athletic years. Teams are matching that on the bench as they go with younger, cheaper and less experienced coaches who can communicate with millennials, someone GMs can easily manipulate and someone more open to modern styles and analytics. 1114336 Chicago Blackhawks big part of my job is create an environment where they can be their best every day and getting better every day."

Tall task ahead New Chicago Blackhawks coach ready, willing and able Colliton's past success is all well and good.

But is he ready for the bright lights of the NHL? Ready to lead players John Dietz like Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Corey Crawford and Chris Kunitz? The thing you noticed first was the laughter. Gustafsson admitted it might be a tough transition at first, and perhaps even stranger when veterans realize almost no sound is coming from the Loud, riotous laughter. bench during games. The joyous sounds were coming from a group of giddy and loose "He doesn't scream or anything," Gustafsson said. "We're probably not Rockford IceHogs as they kicked a soccer ball around before a game last going to hear anything from him." season against the Chicago Wolves at the Allstate Arena. They've obviously heard plenty the last two days as Colliton attempts to "I'd never really seen a group having that much enjoyment at the rink," implement his style a little at a time. At practice Tuesday, the Hawks Cody Franson said soon after the Blackhawks sent the defenseman to worked on the power play and defensive zone responsibilities and also Rockford. "It wasn't like they were having the greatest seasons of their watched some video beforehand. lives, but everybody was having fun. There seemed to be more pace and attention to detail as everyone "That's a testament to a good coach." begins a new era. That coach was Jeremy Colliton, who is succeeding Joel Quenneville Keith, Toews and Kane all said they'll have no problem listening to and will make his debut Thursday when the Hawks host Carolina at the Colliton and doing whatever it takes to right the ship and try to climb back United Center. up the standings. The fact , John McDonough and Stan Bowman are turning "For me it doesn't matter who's behind the bench," Keith said. "We put over the keys to a 33-year-old with no NHL coaching experience certainly pressure on ourselves to perform at our best. … Jeremy's a bright guy. shocked some observers. We always have respect for the coach and you try to do what he tells you to do. But he sports an awfully impressive resume, receives immense praise from former players and brings fresh ideas that might help the Hawks "It's up to the players in the room. We're the ones on the ice, so it's us snap out of their funk. guys that have to execute. You can have a game plan, but if you don't execute what the coach wants, nothing's going to work." Colliton's coaching career began in Sweden, where he led Mora IK to a league-best 35-13-4 record in 2016-17. The next season, the team Dream realized earned a promotion to the after defeating Leksands IF 4-2 in a best-of-seven series. Colliton, who hails from Blackie, Alberta, was selected by the New York Islanders with the 58th pick of the 2003 draft. Two years later, he was Last season, the IceHogs used a strong finish to qualify for the skating on a line with the Penguins' Sidney Crosby and the Bruins' postseason and advanced to the third round of the Calder Cup playoffs Patrice Bergeron for the Canadian World Juniors team. for the first time in franchise history. It seemed a promising NHL career was around the corner, but injuries -- All of these factors played a huge role in Bowman believing that -- and a bit too much self-doubt -- held him back. Colliton ended up playing despite his age -- Colliton is ready to lead the Blackhawks. in 57 NHL games over an eight-year career that was spent mostly in the AHL. "It's the experience I've had getting to know Jeremy the past year-and-a- half," Bowman said. "Watching the way his teams play and the way he "I wish I'd have believed in myself a little bit more that I was good enough handles the team and his strengths as a coach are things which are and just worry less about what other people think," Colliton said last April. going to help our group get to the next level." Now, thanks to a GM in Bowman who believes Colliton has what it takes, Great communicator he's getting a second chance. Many of the Hawks who were in Rockford last season lauded Colliton's "I grew up wanting to be in the NHL, thought it was going to be as a communication skills. Whether it's one-on-one or in groups, he talks with player," Colliton said. "Yeah, I made it and I played some games but players about their game, what he expects and what can make the team wasn't able to make it full time and had to retire early. … I feel grateful for better. He's also not afraid to dole out criticism when necessary. the opportunity and now it's about making the most of it." "I just want them to know we're in this together," Colliton said. "I'm going His reaction when the phone call came from Bowman was equal parts to give them feedback, and sometimes it's going to be positive and surprise and excitement. sometimes it's going to be negative. It all comes from a place where I'm trying to make them better so the team can win. If we're on the same With no self doubt. page I can tell them a lot." "I do feel I can make a difference," Colliton said. "If I didn't I probably Erik Gustafsson and John Hayden definitely appreciate that hands-on wouldn't be very good. A lot of it was just, 'OK, let's go. … There's not a approach. The risk-taking Gustafsson began last season in Rockford, lot of time.' then earned a call-up in January thanks to Colliton's tutelage. "I don't think I've had a chance to be too satisfied. It's more, 'OK we got a "If you're on the first line or fourth line, he brings everything out of a guy," lot of work to do and let's get it done.' " Gustafsson said. "That's what he did for me. Right off the bat when I Daily Herald Times LOADED: 11.08.2018 came down, he took me in and said, 'I want to do everything I can to help you get up.' That helped my confidence." Hayden scored 3 goals in 13 playoff games for the IceHogs as he tried to show the Hawks he was ready to become a full-time NHL player. "My job was to get back here as soon as possible," Hayden said. "Throughout that process he was excellent with me from a development standpoint on the ice and from a mental standpoint off the ice." Colliton has frank conversations because he wants players to know exactly where they stand. If somebody is going home in a bad mood or questioning why they aren't playing enough, it's going to affect their performance. "We want them to go home happy (and) come to the rink in the morning happy because then they're going to be better players," Colliton said. "A 1114337 Chicago Blackhawks

How Jeremy Colliton plans to implement coaching system on the fly

By Charlie Roumeliotis November 07, 2018

Tuesday was a whirlwind of a day in Chicago. It was a somber atmosphere around MB Ice Arena after the firing of Joel Quenneville. Wednesday was a different feeling. There was a little bit more normalcy and even some optimism too after things settled down. "Today was a little bit better for sure, for everybody," Patrick Kane said. "It seemed like we had a little bit more life in practice and start getting excited for the game tomorrow." It may take time for the Blackhawks to completely buy in to what their new 33-year-old head coach Jeremy Colliton is selling, but it's apparent that he's well-prepared and is confident in what he brings to the table. "Very smart guy," Kane said. "He's got a bright hockey mind and I think he can bring a lot to our team. I think he's going to help us out a lot. Not from changing too much, but just from the way he coaches, his personality and what he knows about the game. I'm looking forward to working with him." There's not much time for Colliton to implement his system all at once and there are a few key areas that need to be addressed, including the power play which he took full control of during Wednesday's practice. Another is the way the Blackhawks play in their own zone, something they sprinkled in to practice on Day 2 as well. But in the grand scheme of theme of things, Colliton doesn't plan on changing a whole lot. "The way I want to play isn't so different from how they were playing here," he said. "I just think there are differences in details that I will push. I think it's important that we don't try and wipe the slate clean here. There's no time for that, first of all, but I don't think we need to. There's a few, one or two or three things that we'll focus on going into tomorrow. As the year goes on, we may adjust things depending how things go. For now, we're going to keep it simple." In regards to the power play, Colliton is keeping the 1-3-1 setup in place for now, aside from a couple tweaks to the personnel. That department has been a question mark for years and fixing it is high on his priority list. "That’s a big question," Colliton said. "What we’re doing is we’re getting together as groups and we’re discussing it, throwing ideas around. I have some ideas, the staff as a group, we have ideas, watching clips of some teams that are successful. They need reps. Today you saw that. They got a lot of reps, a lot of time together. I think that’ll help and we’ll go from there. As a group, you’ve got to feel confident in your options. You've got to feel like, 'Hey this is going to work.' That’s what we’re trying to build." It's not so much the scheme Colliton is fixated on as much as getting a positive feeling when having a man advantage and that's a good start. As Colliton slowly starts to integrate his system into practices and games, the players know it's ultimately on them to adjust to these changes on the fly as the Blackhawks look to climb back into the playoff picture. But for now, it's taking it one day at a time. "For myself and for the players, it doesn't matter who's behind the bench," Duncan Keith said. "We put pressure on ourselves to perform at our best and do what we have to do. And that's little habits out on the ice. Jeremy's a bright guy. We always have respect for the coach and you try to do what he tells you to do and what he wants. It's up to the players in the room. We're the ones out on the ice, so it's us guys that have to go out and execute. You can have a game plan but if you don't execute and play to what the coach wants nothing's going to work." Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114338 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks players' first impressions of new coach Jeremy Colliton

By Michelle McMahon November 07, 2018

They say first impressions are everything, and Jeremy Colliton has seemingly made a good one on the Blackhawks players through two days of practice. Yesterday was a day for players to process their emotions of the sudden firing of Joel Quenneville, and today it was back to work under the new regime. Here are four quick first impressions from Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, and Alex DeBrincat on their new bench boss. Jonathan Toews: On his first impression… “He made a comment to us yesterday, that it comes to winning, that he would make small changes that will help us win, and I think that was a smart move there. He’s great communicator, and he wants to take the time to get to know each player.” On playing for a 33-year-old… “It’s really interesting to see a guy, who has experience playing professional hockey, and translates that to being an NHL coach so quickly at his age. He’s doing things really well already.” Alex DeBrincat: On playing for a young coach… “We had a lot thrown at us today, but he does a really good job of explaining things and making sure we’re absorbing it. He really likes to the push the message to us. I like him, he really knows the game, and he’s smart.” Duncan Keith: On what improvements Jeremy Colliton can make to help this team win… “To me it doesn’t matter who’s behind the bench, we always put the pressure on ourselves to do our best. I think Jeremy is a bright guy and we always have respect for the coach. We will always try to do what our coach tells us to do, but we’re the ones out on the ice… you can have a great game plan, but if we don’t go out and execute, then that’s on us.” Patrick Kane: On his first impression of Jeremy Colliton… “He’s a very smart guy, and a bright hockey mind. I think he can bring a lot to our team and help us out a lot. I’m looking forward to working with him.” On taking direction from a 33 year old… “That’s just a side story. He’s had a pretty quick rise to the top, he’s obviously doing something right so you have to listen to him.” On setting aside his emotions of Joel Quenneville’s absence and moving forward… “It’s the business side of it. We haven’t dealt with much coaching turnover here, but we have to set that stuff aside and put our trust in Jeremy now.” In summary, the first impressions surrounding the new bench boss, Jeremy Colliton, were positive around the locker room. At the end of the day, it was made clear from management all the way down to the players, that they’re in the business of winning, and that is exactly the standard they will all adhere to the rest of the season. As for building trust and relationships with the veteran players quickly? Colliton knows that winning will resolve that too. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114339 Chicago Blackhawks

In replacing future Hall of Famer with inexperienced head coach, pressure is on Stan Bowman to help the Blackhawks re-win

By Charlie Roumeliotis November 07, 2018

The Blackhawks made arguably the toughest decision in franchise history on Tuesday to part ways with the best coach that has ever walked through their doors in Joel Quenneville, who also just might be the greatest coach in Chicago sports history. After 11 seasons in Chicago that resulted in three Stanley Cups, the Blackhawks felt it was time for a change. Out goes the second- winningest coach in NHL history and in comes a 33-year-old with zero NHL coaching experience. It's a significant changing of the guard behind the bench and essentially means one thing: Stan Bowman got his guy in Jeremy Colliton and now it's time to see what decisions he makes going forward with a head coach that better aligns with his views philosophically. "This is the first head coach that Stan Bowman has hired and I'm excited about that," said Blackhawks President & CEO John McDonough. "Stan has been very high on Jeremy for a long time and I'm anxious to see how this is going to play out." Hockey insiders expected the Blackhawks to be aggressive this past offseason via free agency, but it was quite the opposite. They entered the season with more than $5 million in unused cap space and were reluctant to add a third year to any deal, settling for veteran role players. Perhaps part of that was because of the uncertainty of this season and not wanting to tie up a large amount of money to one particular player if things went sideways again or it ultimately resulted in an early season coaching change, which it did, and didn't exactly fit the new coach's playing style. If that's the case, then Quenneville was set up to fail from the beginning. But now that the decision has been made, the pressure really shifts to Bowman because he's going to be the one held most responsible for the product on the ice and not what the head coach isn't getting out of the group. With Quenneville as the coach, there were too many instances where the Blackhawks tried fitting a square peg into a round hole with newly-acquired or signed players (Trevor Daley and Michal Kempny, to name a few) and nobody wins in that situation. In hand-picking his head coach, that's no longer an issue for Bowman. With that being said, how is he going to utilize the cap space in both the short- and long-term? How much extra flexibility does this give him in trade talks knowing his future acquisitions or signings is tailored to the way he and his new head coach want to play? One thing is for certain: Bowman's moves from here on out will be viewed under a microscope, if they haven't been already. The Blackhawks still have playoff aspirations, labeling it as a "remodeling" period rather than "rebuilding." But it's in Bowman's hands to help the Blackhawks re-win. "We’re all accountable for this," Bowman said. "This is not just on one person or just on Joel or the other coaches. We all play a role in this and we have to get better, so my role in this arrangement is not just simply finding players. That’s part of my role. My role is interacting with our coaches and helping collaborate to help out team improve. Certainly, part of that is player acquisition of player movement. "We’re on the outlook. If we can upgrade our team in any way, we’re going to pursue that." The clock has started to tick. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114340 Chicago Blackhawks it. He’s extremely smart in (tactics) vs. an opponent and how to go about getting the most out of his guys. The leaders in Chicago will love and respect him for his approach, and the young guys will follow accordingly. Open communication the key to Jeremy Colliton commanding respect He will be a great fit. from Blackhawks veterans “The way Colli carries himself, approaches and handles situations and players, is very impressive. Also, those (veteran) leaders are of the highest quality in the game. They are there to do a job and the age won’t By Mark Lazerus Nov 7, 2018 be an issue in their mind. They want to win.” If anything, Colliton hopes his age can play in his favor. Joel Quenneville was well-known as a players’ coach — a laissez-faire kind of guy who Sometimes, he’d catch a player in the hallway outside the locker room. rarely meddled in players’ affairs and let the leadership core police the Sometimes, he’d sidle up next to a guy while he was eating breakfast. room. He also is 60 years old, so his playing experience doesn’t exactly Other times, he’d take a seat in a nearby open locker stall. It didn’t really match up with that of current NHL players. The Blackhawks brought in matter where, or when. For Jeremy Colliton, it was always about the as an assistant coach last season primarily because of his “why.” ability to relate to younger players. Why was a guy scratched? Why was he taken off the power play? Why Colliton only played 57 NHL games with the New York Islanders over five did his minutes drop? Why was he getting added to the penalty kill? Why seasons, but he did play them in this century. has he been struggling in his own end? Why wasn’t he clicking with a certain linemate? Why is he struggling on the forecheck? “I feel comfortable with these guys, and feel like I’ve been where they’ve been,” Colliton said. “Obviously, I haven’t won a Hart Trophy or anything, “Sometimes you don’t know what’s happening, or you don’t play as much but I want to win and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to win. And I love or you don’t play in certain situations,” Blackhawks winger Alexandre the game. Every one of us has a little to contribute, and I’ve got to do my Fortin said. “And he’s a coach that will come to you after a game, or after part.” something happens, and he will talk to you face to face and will explain to you exactly why. It helps a lot. It gives you confidence in yourself, and it Winning, of course, would make everything a lot easier. gives you confidence in him.” “He made a comment (Tuesday) that it comes down to winning,” Toews Talk to those who have been around Colliton in Rockford over the past said. “He’s here to win and he can make some changes that are going to season-plus, and the same word keeps popping up: communication. help us win and we see that difference, and that speaks for itself. That Colliton’s door is always open, and he goes to great lengths to make sure was the smart thing (to say) right there. Right away, we’re seeing he’s a everyone understands exactly what’s going on at all times. It’s not all great communicator and he already wants to take time to get to know generic platitudes, either. Colliton — who said he already crammed in each player and figure out what makes that individual (play at his) best. quickie sit-downs with just about every player on the Blackhawks roster He doesn’t want there to be any doubt or misunderstandings, not only on his first day as head coach Tuesday — tailors his coaching and his with the system but what guys’ roles are, and what’s expected out of constructive criticism to each player’s needs, both on the ice and everybody in the room. I think that speaks volumes to his understanding between the ears. (of) how a hockey team works.” “He treats everybody individually,” said goaltender Jeff Glass, who Still, it’s only natural for the veterans to look at Colliton warily. Toews’ first played on the same World Juniors team in 2003-04 as Colliton and then coach was an NHL legend, Denis Savard. His second coach, served as Colliton’s goaltender in Rockford last season. “He does a very Quenneville, was an established guy with a decade’s worth of winning good job of finding out what makes each individual guy tick, and what he records under his belt. Colliton is relatively unknown, and entirely needs to do to communicate with each guy. There isn’t one blanket unproven. answer I could give you, where some coaches are very obvious ‘players’ coaches’ or not or whatever. He catered to each guy. He almost circled Keith and Kane still sounded like they were trying to process losing each guy as a new project, and he attacked each guy with a different set Quenneville — Keith wondering aloud if things might have been different of solutions to try to get the most out of each player. And I think as a had he not been tossed from Quenneville’s last game in Calgary just two whole, that made our team better.” minutes in, and Kane believing he could have done more to save Quenneville’s job had he not been sick in Western Canada. That’s exactly the kind of coach an American Hockey League team needs, the kind of teacher/mentor young players such as Fortin require to The veterans are still in shock, but are staying open-minded about develop into NHL players. But how will it fly with a guy like Duncan Keith, Colliton. who’s been in the league for 14 seasons, has won two Norris Trophies The kids, on the other hand, are genuinely excited. and three Stanley Cups, and is two years older than Colliton? Or Jonathan Toews, who’s been the unquestioned leader of the Blackhawks “As a young player going into pro (hockey), you want that feedback and for a decade now? Or Brent Seabrook, who’s the same age as Colliton to know where you stand on the team and in the organization,” Luke and played on that same World Juniors team? Or Chris Kunitz, who is a Johnson said. “He got the best out of everyone last year (in Rockford). whopping six years older than Colliton and has four Stanley Cup rings? I’m excited to have him here.” How does a 33-year-old walk into a room full of stars and veterans and Said Fortin: “He helped me a lot last year, telling me what I needed to instantly command respect? work on to get to the NHL. And I think he will be working with me a lot here, too, and I’m pretty happy about it.” Well, the same way he earned the respect of the young guys: communication. It’s hard not to hear the way the young guys talk about Colliton as veiled, almost unintentional shots at Quenneville, who was player-friendly, but “The challenge is not so much different (than) if I were 20 years older,” not exactly the most cuddly or approachable guy. After being traded to Colliton said. “I’ve got to come in with a plan and show them I can help Arizona over the summer, Hinostroza lamented the constant uncertainty them win. If we as a team have success, they’re all going to look good, he faced under Quenneville, saying: “It changed every night. As a young and they’re not going to worry about how old I am.” guy, there’s a lot of pressure (because) you never really know what Glass said it was a “little weird” at first having an old friend and teammate you’re going to be asked to do that night. … I’m excited to just be able to as a coach, but said the two sat down on Day 1, hashed it out, realized play my game and not worry about stuff like that.” they had similar goals for the season, and quickly found a comfort level Nick Schmaltz was asked Wednesday about Colliton’s communication as coach and player. That IceHogs dressing room had a handful of skills in the context of Hinostroza’s comments. veterans who very much didn’t want to be in the AHL at the time — older guys like Glass, J-F Berube, Cody Franson and Lance Bouma, and “Yeah, it’s nice that if you don’t know what’s going on, you’ve got the younger guys with NHL experience like Vinnie Hinostroza, Tomas Jurco, open-door policy, so you’re able to talk to him and he’s going to tell you Gustav Forsling and Tanner Kero — but Colliton found a way to get all of how it is, be direct with you,” Schmaltz said. “It’s a lot better than not them on board, no matter their age, ego or experience. knowing, like you said. You’d rather have him tell it to you straight and know what’s going on, and not go home just wondering what he’s Those veterans helped the IceHogs sweep two playoff series and make a thinking.” strong showing in a six-game conference-final loss. So Franson said Colliton should have no trouble winning over the Blackhawks’ veteran So the kids are on board. For the fellow 30-somethings who have played leadership core. for Colliton in the past, there’s little doubt the vets will quickly follow. And it won’t come through fear or intimidation — heck, Erik Gustafsson said “Colli is one of the best coaches I have played for,” Franson said. “He has a great sense of his locker room, its personnel, and how to manage Colliton is basically silent on the bench, the polar opposite of the fiery Quenneville — but rather simple communication. “My advice to him would be don’t change,” Glass said. “Don’t change anything that got him there. Do what made you successful in the first place. There are obviously a lot of highly decorated hockey players in the dressing room he’s walking into. But if he treats them the same he treated everybody in Rockford and goes about his business, they’ll gain respect for him that way, rather than trying to be someone he’s not. And I’m not telling him anything he doesn’t know. He’s going to do really well there.” The Athletic LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114341 Chicago Blackhawks SP: Did you learn anything from him or did you have to alter any of your philosophies being his assistant?

King: No, I didn’t have to alter. Again, it’s old school. Why are we above Q&A: Derek King on his opportunity with the IceHogs and working with layers? Why are we not coming back to help? You adjust to it, and then Jeremy Colliton you start the way he brings it in front of you and shows you and teaches the guys, it makes sense. If they have two guys on the forecheck, why should we have three guys underneath them? Let’s get above layers, By Scott Powers Nov 7, 2018 let’s go, turn the puck up and let’s get on offense. And as a player, it’s a lot more fun to play offense than it is defense, that’s for sure. Using that philosophy, it was great to learn it. It was nothing we didn’t already know. Myself as a player, we didn’t really know that. We weren’t really taught it The Blackhawks went another direction, and that left Derek King in a that way. And then as a coach, we never looked at it that way. It was tough spot. always a little different. Now knowing it, it’s great and I enjoy coaching it King had been a Rockford IceHogs assistant coach under Ted Dent for and I enjoy watching it when it works. the 2016-17 season. When Dent was let go following that season, King SP: Have you guys utilized analytics more in the last year or the same as was among the candidates the Blackhawks interviewed for the job. But before? he didn’t get it. The Blackhawks went an unexpected route and hired then-32-year-old Jeremy Colliton, who had been coaching in Sweden’s King: Last year was kind of coming in. I know Jeremy is really big on second division. analytics. I’m still figuring it out. I’ll have to really work at it more. I’m not against it. I think it’s great. Any information you can have to help makes King was disappointed. He was hopeful to finally land his first head these players better, especially at our level, I’m going to take. I just need coaching job after interviewing a number of times over the years. Instead, to make (sure) I know how to read the fine print and what it actually is he had to choose between remaining with the IceHogs as an assistant or helping us with. But I’m for it and will continue to use it down here. potentially pursuing other opportunities. SP: The big talking point is about Colliton’s age and his experience. King chose to remain with the IceHogs. A year later, that decision has When he was hired there, did you have any preconceived notions about worked out well for King. He and Colliton formed a strong working him being younger or did you just get to know him before you made any relationship, helped the IceHogs develop players and win, and now King judgments? Was it difficult with him coming in so young? has been promoted to interim head coach in Rockford after Colliton’s own promotion to Chicago. King: No, when he got the job and found out how young he was, I just knew I had to get in better shape to keep up with him on the ice. I think King, 51, discussed Tuesday his aspirations to be a head coach, working the big thing there, I interviewed for the head job after Teddy left, and not with Colliton, his philosophies on the game and more. to get it, I was a little disappointed. But I understood, there’s a younger Scott Powers: What was your reaction to the news? guy coming in, brings a different philosophy or a different look at the game. Once I got to know and meet with Jeremy, I got to know him a lot Derek King: Well, I was a little shocked. I mean more with the Chicago better, it was easy to believe in what he was selling and easily adapt to it, thing which was going down. When they told me I was going to get the and I think it’s been a great relationship ever since. Hats off to him. There head job, I was excited, happy and thankful for the opportunity. That’s for was no blood or anything. It was just, let’s see what he has, and I sure. enjoyed working with him. Who knows? Maybe down the road there’s still opportunity to work with him again. SP: What’s impressed you about Jeremy Colliton working with him the past few seasons? SP: What’s this opportunity mean for you? King: I think just the way he looks at the game. I’ve been around the King: Well, it’s great. This is something I’ve interviewed for with other game a long time as a player. I like to think I’ve been around enough with teams and the junior level. And even when I was with Toronto, there was different coaches as a coach, and just the way he approaches the game opportunity there, never got it. Again, disappointment, frustrating. But the is it’s nothing we didn’t really know but the way he words it makes it right. opportunity’s a good chance for me to show what I can do as a head Like it makes it, yeah, you know what, this is right, this is what we should coach, and it’s a good test for me to see if I am a head coach. I believe I have been doing years ago. Just the way he thinks the game. He’s a can do it. I have no questions about it. But sometimes it doesn’t work out smart hockey guy, and system-wise, he’s good at it, and you think with the way you want it. his demeanor, the way he is, I think it’s going to be a great fit for him. SP: Was that difficult to stay on last season when they didn’t hire you as SP: What about his systems fits in with today’s game? the head coach? King: Well, I think with the way teams are and the players are with the King: No. I told them after they hired somebody else, I’m like, hey, I’m skill level, the pace, it’s offense and offense and offense. I think it’s the here to help. I’m a pretty loyal guy. I know my job. I think I’m good at it as transition game from defense to tracking to backchecking to turn up quick an assistant. I enjoy working with these kids and developing them. I had and to go right on the offense is going to be huge for Chicago, especially no problems with it. I knew my role and anything I could do to help. We’re with the talent they have. all in this together. Last year I wasn’t pissed off to the point where I’m not helping anymore and being like that. I’m here to help. I’m here to help SP: In talking to IceHogs defensemen the past few seasons, it seemed Jeremy, make it easy for him and make these players better. I think that’s like a lot of them needed time to adjust to that. In teaching that what we did last year. I think we really did a good job of developing our philosophy, what are some of the hurdles? players and getting them ready. We just got to keep doing that here. King: Well, it’s kind of like the old-school guys need to buy into it and see SP: It seems like there’s an upside between the IceHogs’ and that it works, not always thinking defense when we have the puck or Blackhawks’ coaches having a relationship and maybe just the coming in as a centerman low and slow. The way we played it here last communication lines of where players are at development-wise, who can year too, when we get the puck, we got to think we’re gone, we’re on come up and down. offense, let’s go, whether it’s a quick up indirect or as we say it’s above layers and what have you. But, if there’s plays there to be made, make King: Yeah, definitely. It’s a perfect situation for Jeremy and for me. I the plays. If they’re not there, let’s get pucks behind the opposition and keep in contact with him. He can contact us and talk about … and he go to work. And if you play like that and play with some pace, especially if knows the players, so he’s going to be asking like, hey, what’s going on you have a lot of skilled guys, you can be successful at it. with Dylan Sikura or this player or this player, and we’ll give them feedback and see where they’re at. Again, he knows them, I know them. SP: There’s a lot of understanding between risk and reward? And with the system-wise, unless he makes any changes, we’ll be on top King: Yeah, it’s like anything, you’ve watched enough games, you’ve of it to make the change with him at this level. Other than that, we’ll be seen enough games, we don’t need to turn pucks over, but we don’t want playing pretty much the same systems, same style of play that he wants to take away the skill to make plays and the creativity of a player, but you to play up there we’ll be doing it down here. just got to manage that. And through the neutral zone, puck SP: System-wise, were you doing anything different than the management’s key with our team, especially our team here and last year. Blackhawks? I’m sure Jeremy’s going to promote that also. If you don’t have a play, let’s get it behind them and go to work. If you do have a play, let’s make King: No. They changed some D-zone coverage stuff and maybe the it. forecheck, but we implemented it into our daily routine in practice and made sure the guys knew what was going on and used it. As you know, Jeremy Colliton replaced Joel Quenneville on Tuesday. (Scott for players getting called up, if they know the system already, it’s an easy Powers/The Athletic) adjustment for them. SP: Were there any variations on the philosophy of the penalty kill or power play with Colliton? King: No, he allowed us to do what we wanted to do on the power play. He had suggestions, and we talked about it. Again, it goes back to having a good relationship with the whole staff with Brooky (), myself, Jeremy on board with everything. Whatever we were selling, we were selling it together. One wasn’t going one way, one way the other way and the other wasn’t fighting to get both guys to agree. We all agreed on something and stuck with it. SP: Were you in charge of the power play and penalty kill? King: I’ve done power play. SP: I know there was a point you used five forwards last season on the power play. It seems like you’ve been progressive in some ways. Have you been able to push the envelope and try some new things on the power play? King: Well, we try it. We have the two groups. It’s tough too. You got to have the guys who are power play guys, helps, right? At this level, you have a couple of guys on each power play unit that are probably or should be guys at the NHL level and then the other guys won’t be, but at this level they are power play guys, they can handle this. It’s not always perfect. Sometimes it’s a battle. There’s a lot of hot streaks, and you try to adjust things. We’ve tried different things, but it really comes down to, for myself, a big believer is the players need to … it’s their power play and they need to know what’s going on and they need to know how to read the game, how to react to what PK’s giving you and obviously they have to be clean both flat passes and obviously get shots through. That’s stuff I can’t teach them. They just have to be able to do it. SP: How do you feel about the team down there right now? King: I feel good. Like again I was saying earlier with the media before, nothing needs to change here, same program. We just have to teach it without Jeremy, but we’ll continue to plug along here, develop these players. Players that need to play have to play a lot, and they have to earn it, but, again, ice time is going to be there for these guys. The Athletic LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114342 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche doomed by Predators — and replays — in 4th straight loss

By SEAN KEELER

Seriously, Colton Sissons. What did we ever do to you? The Avalanche landed on the wrong end of a Sissons hat trick and a kidney punch at the hands of the Central Division-leading Nashville Predators — again — late Wednesday night at the Pepsi Center in a 4-1 defeat. Sissons’ triple— his sixth, seventh and eighth goals scored in just 10 career games against the Avalanche — spoiled a power-play goal by Matt Calvert and the Avs’ first tilt on home ice in nearly two weeks. Boxscore The Avs (7-5-3, 17 points) dropped their fourth contest in a row and slipped seven points behind Nashville (12-3-0, 24 points), winner of four straight. The hosts have lost five of their last six after a 6-1-2 start, and coach lamented communication breakdowns on the ice, especially on the defensive end. “I think it’s something that mature teams do real well,” Bednar said, “and we’re just not quite there yet in that regard.” Which made this one especially deflating, given the context, the 0-3 road trip that preceded it, and the opponent. Oh, and a pair home goals that were disallowed after video review — the last one off the stick of Colin Wilson at the 7:39 mark of the third period with the Avs trying to trim a two-score deficit. “I’ve got to try to find the review, the replays that they have,” Bednar mused after the game. “Because, to me, there’s one (that) could be inconclusive. Maybe both, I don’t know … the two goals that got called back were just an aspect of our lack of execution.” Although it wasn’t for lack of passion. There was no love lost on the ice — or in the stands — for the Preds, who won all four of the matchups between the division rivals last season and knocked the Avs out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last spring. Sissons plunged the dagger with two first-period goals. But it was his third — off a power play with three seconds left in the second period that pushed the Nashville lead to 3-1 — that twisted the knife, cinching his second career hat trick. The Preds’ man advantage at the end of the second, the result of a slashing penalty on winger Mikko Rantanen, came at the tail end of a period that saw the hosts get more aggressive — and physical — despite being outshot, 29-17, through the game’s first 40 minutes. The crowd got mighty chippy, too, after one home goal in the stanza was disallowed and another — a nifty deflection on the power play 7:08 into the stanza by Calvert, his first of the season — nearly met the same fate. The goal was nearly waved off for high sticking but was reinstated after officials huddled up to give a second look and the restless natives exhaled and roared with delight. It was the Avs’ first game at Pepsi Center since a 6-3 win over Ottawa on Oct. 26 and their first contest in five days. But it was the hosts who looked as though they had the heavier legs early on as the Preds took a 2-0 lead late in the first period. Nashville struck first at the 13:39 mark of opening stanza when Sissons, camping on the right side of the crease, tapped the puck past Seymon Varlamov off a feed from Nick Bonino. Sissons struck again almost four minutes later on a laser from the right circle at 17:21 to double the advantage. That was Vancouver, , native’s seventh career goal, lifetime, against the Avs. The Preds center has 26 career goals in 205 NHL games, and 30.7 percent — almost a third — have come against the Avalanche. Ian Cole’s slap shot for a goal re-energized the Pepsi Center faithful with 18:31 to go in the second period, but Nashville coach Peter Laviolette challenged it. Replays showed that fellow defenseman Sam Girard was offside on a spin move at the blue line before the goal was scored, preserving the shutout and sending the hosts back to the drawing board. Denver Post: LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114343 Colorado Avalanche make a habit of giving up six, seven goals a night. We’re not going to win many games like that.”

Denver Post: LOADED: 11.08.2018 How the Avalanche can put the joystick down and get their mojo — and defense — on track

By SEAN KEELER | PUBLISHED: November 7, 2018

Calgary? Effort. Simple. Coachable. Fixable. Vancouver? Witchcraft. Or juju. Or … something. “It was tough. It was just one of those games,” Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie said before he and his mates took on Nashville late Wednesday night at the Pepsi Center, their first home tussle in nearly two weeks. “However, it’s just kind of — it was just back and forth. I thought we played well there. (Of) the things we looked at, gave up a couple of breakaways and we kind of gave them a lot of the stuff that they got. So (we’re) just trying to clean that up.” Before you kick dirt on the Avs’ defense — a natural reaction given that coach Jared Bednar’s charges scored 11 goals on a two-game road swing through Canada and came away with two losses to show for it — consider the mojo, Barrie said. Or, rather, the lack thereof. “We watched some film, and obviously after the Calgary game we were really disappointed with our effort,” said Barrie of a trek that saw a bizarre 6-5 defeat to the Flames on Nov. 1 and an even wackier 7-6 setback at Vancouver the next night. “We went through a lot of the (motions) there, tried to clean some things up.” Despite the best of intentions, Friday was low on polish and high on bonkers, PlayStation stuff. The Avs scratched back from being down 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 at Vancouver, which was good. They also conceded tying goals after being up 4-3, 5-4 and 6-5, which was mental. It was the first NHL game to feature 13 or more combined goals and no team leading by more than a goal throughout since Nov. 26, 2005, when Detroit outlasted San Jose 7-6. “Yeah, yeah I know: 7-6, you don’t see that often,” Barrie said with a grin. “It’s great for the fans. Obviously, it’s not what you want to see, but you’re going to have games like that. We’ve addressed it, and we’re prepared to be more solid defensively. If we can keep the offense going, that’d be great.” If somebody could put the joystick down, it’d be even better. After Wednesday’s morning skate, Bednar insisted that the defensive lapses that opened November to be more a blip than a pattern. Over their four games prior to Calgary, the Avs had allowed just seven goals, a clip of 1.75 per contest. During the five-game stretch to open the season, they’d given up just 11 combined — or 2.2 per game. “The gaps, that’s part of it, for sure,” Bednar explained. “There are some details there and some structural — or tactical, however you want to put it — things that we have to be better at, or more consistent at.” At Calgary, Bednar said, the Avs were burned tactically, caught “sitting back too far. So that’s something we addressed that night. “(I) thought we were better at it in Vancouver. But they caught us with some speed and went off the end boards on one, and that’s some of the thing. Again, you’ll see with those guys, (do) they make the right decisions on when to (close) a gap and when you’ve got to be able to turn and skate with those guys. “So there are some things that we need to improve there, for sure. But in Calgary, our detail and compete level wasn’t high enough, so it wasn’t a surprise to me the way that game went, to be honest with you. Vancouver, I thought we made a lot of nice adjustments and were firing on all cylinders. And I just think that shooters were having a really good night on both teams, offenses were clicking and executing at a high tempo both directions. And then the goalies weren’t great. So that’s why (you) see a lot of pucks go in the net.” The devil’s in the details. Or on somebody’s shoulder, cackling all the way to the bank. “It’s such a long season, you’ve got 68 games left or something ,” Barrie said. “So you’re going to have weird ones like that. We just don’t want to 1114344 Colorado Avalanche Carl Soderberg (B-) – I’ve really come to appreciate just how hard this guy works every night. He’s taking two overmatched wingers on his side and matching up against high-caliber competition and holding his own. Avs-Predators player grades: A disjointed mess Tonight, he went toe-to-toe with the Johansen line and found success. Semyon Varlamov (B-) – There were some big saves to keep Colorado in it and the first and third goals weren’t goals where you can lay blame at AJ Haefele his feet. I thought the second goal was pretty weak, though, seeing as how I watch him stop 25 of those things in practice every day. The difference between 1-0 and 2-0 was huge tonight and that goal really hurt Colorado. He was otherwise solid, making 30 saves. The Colorado Avalanche lost to the Nashville Predators for their sixth loss in seven games. Below are player grades. Colin Wilson (B-) – I really liked Colin Wilson’s game tonight. He was flying around making plays and making life miserable for Nashville. He Tyson Barrie (D-) – What in the world was that? I’ve watched almost scored a nice goal in the third period that was called back because the every game in Barrie’s career and I’m not sure I remember a game universe was not having Wilson’s revenge tonight. where he was so awful with the puck. He just needs to burn tonight’s game tape and move on. Nikita Zadorov (B) – I thought Zadorov was really good tonight. He was active offensively with six shot attempts. He was physical with five hits. Gabriel Bourque (C) – Another game, another night where I didn’t see He was disruptive with four blocked shots. He even took a phantom Bourque have a tangible impact on the game. I definitely could have interference penalty because he was battling hard in front of his own net missed something small but nothing big happened. (you know, doing his job well, unlike the guy who called the penalty). I Matt Calvert (B) – I thought Calvert was solid tonight. His line was liked Z’s game quite a bit tonight and felt his ice time should have been reliable and did well and he scored his first goal in an Avalanche sweater. reversed with Nemeth’s. Ian Cole (B) – He had a goal and assist taken away from him tonight BSN DENVER LOADED: 11.08.2018 and he was still really good. It’s turned out to be a good signing but the reality is that Cole can’t be your best defenseman. Marko Dano (C) – Like Bourque and Kamenev, a very quiet and limited night here. That fourth line didn’t do anything good or bad. Sheldon Dries (B-) – He could have seriously upped this grade had he scored on his short-handed breakaway but Pekka Rinne did what he does and got in the way. Otherwise, a solid all-around night again for Dries. Samuel Girard (B) – He lost his guy on Nashville’s first goal but he helped create as much offense as he allowed and he would have had two assists were it not for the disallowed goals. He still finished with the one but it could have been better. Erik Johnson (D+) – He’s getting moved around some as it looks like Jared Bednar is trying to spark his most expensive blueliner. EJ hasn’t been very good for the last several games on a personal level. Given his injury history, you can’t help but wonder if a leg ailment of some kind of bothering him. Regardless, he needs to play much better if Colorado’s defense is going to reach its potential. Vladislav Kamenev (C-) – He took a holding penalty in the second period. I never saw a replay of it and given the tough night this crew had it’s fair to wonder if the penalty actually happened or not. That was really the only impact play I remember from Kamenev tonight. Alexander Kerfoot (B-) – He played with a ton of speed tonight and my disdain for him as a center got showed up hard with him going 10-4 on faceoffs. I thought his good shifts were really good, there simply weren’t enough of them. He’s slowly building towards being a really good player, however. Gabriel Landeskog (C-) – Good on faceoffs tonight but that was about it. He wasn’t great throughout and his best scoring chance came early in the first period. Pretty quiet evening from him after that. Nathan MacKinnon (B) – Defensively there were some issues but he made several highlight reel plays tonight that just didn’t go for goals. He was far and away the best part of Colorado’s top line. He nabbed an assist on the lone goal that counted. Patrik Nemeth (D) – There haven’t been many games this season where I felt Bednar leaned on Nemeth a little too much but tonight was definitely one of them. His turnover late in the second period ended in Rantanen taking a slashing penalty and Nashville scoring with three seconds remaining in the period to make it 3-1. Overall, he was not good with the puck tonight and his defense did not make up for it. Matt Nieto (B-) – I really liked Nieto’s game tonight at times. There were some shifts where his speed was creating problems for Nashville. There were also some puck fumbles that killed chances at scoring. Overall, though, I liked this version of Nieto better than the one we’ve been seeing most of this season. Mikko Rantanen (C-) – I need to see a replay to be sure but it looked like Nemeth’s outlet pass at the end of the second period should have been gathered in by Rantanen. Ultimately, Rantanen took a lazy (and yes, it was a soft call) penalty that was completely avoidable at every step. He was pretty invisible otherwise. 1114345 Colorado Avalanche

Controversy mars Avalanche loss to PredatorsAJ Haefele

AJ Haefele

With the Colorado Avalanche coming off their second four-day break in two weeks, there was an expectation of rust as they played just their sixth home game of the year tonight against the Nashville Predators. The leaders of the were also coming off a four-day break so the brisk pace of play at the outset was a mild surprise. That play did not go in Colorado’s favor, however, as Nashville jumped out to a nice shot advantage early on despite the Avalanche getting the game’s first power play. That Predators pressure resulted in them finding the net first when noted Avalanche killer Colton Sissons got lost in a shuffle of bodies and Sam Girard was unable to locate him in time to prevent him from banging home a rebound to give Nashville the 1-0 lead. Nashville kept pouring it on the Avs and Sissons beat Semyon Varlamov under his blocker with a half-slapper that Varlamov would no doubt like a second chance on. The goal was just the 25th of Sissons’ career but his seventh against the Avalanche in just 10 games. Sissons, you might remember, also demonstrated his bizarre mastery of the Avalanche with six points in their six-game playoff series (he had none in Nashville’s seven-game series against Winnipeg). The 2-0 Nashville lead held up through the first period but didn’t stand for long as Ian Cole scored 1:29 into the second period. Nashville challenged the goal as Sam Girard had made an awesome spin move at the blue line and the puck may or may not have come all the way out of the zone (it looked inconclusive to me, I’m sure some of y’all will disagree) but the crew in Toronto clearly saw enough to call it no-goal and the goal was wiped off the board. Colorado would eventually get a goal that counted but not without a little controversy on that one either as Matt Calvert tipped a Girard slap shot that was initially waved off immediately for a high stick. The referees conferred and changed their on-ice call to a good goal and the play went to review but the goal stood after the review, making it 2-1 for real that time. An increasingly physical second period wound down and saw Mikko Rantanen take a lazy (and soft) slashing penalty that turned into a disaster. Sissons tipped a Kyle Turris shot past Varlamov for the hat trick with just three seconds remaining left in the second period. The third period started with a predictable slow pace as Nashville looked to grind their two-goal lead into an easy two points. The Avalanche spent a few minutes playing into the hands of their opponents but a great pinch by Ian Cole led to a Colin Wilson goal with 12:21 remaining in the third period. Because Colorado couldn’t score goals without controversy tonight, the play went to a replay. Upon further review, it was called no goal as the play was determined to be offside (my opinion: I didn’t see a conclusive view) and Colorado lost their second goal of the night. Colorado never really mounted a serious threat the rest of the way and an empty-net goal by Nashville brought the game to its final conclusion of 4-1. Since it became a topic of discussion after the game, I’ll drop it here as well. In the last four years, Colorado is now 3-11 in games officiated by Eric Furlatt (0-8 in the last three years) and Nashville is now 10-2 in the last four years in Furlatt-officiated games. BSN DENVER LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114346 Colorado Avalanche

Avs morning skate notebook: Work ethic must improve

ByAdrian Dater Posted on November 7, 2018

Avs and Predators tonight, a rematch of the fun playoff series last spring. It seems like about two weeks since that game Saturday against the Canucks, so I’m curious to see how the Avs come out tonight. They should come out with plenty of energy, one would think, but long layoffs generally aren’t good for hockey teams. Some lineup stuff: No Tyson Jost, no Sven Andrighetto, no J.T. Compher. The news is encouraging on Jost and Sven 10 though; both skated this morning with regular jerseys on. But Jared Bednar wants to give them a bit more skating and practice time before inserting them back in the lineup. Wouldn’t surprise me if they are in the lineup Friday in Winnipeg. Mark Barberio will be the scratch on defense. Semyon Varlamov in goal. I think, to sum up what Bednar thinks has been going wrong of late, he thinks the forwards and defense have been a bit too gapped out from each other, especially coming back into the defensive zone. But Bednar essentially said the loss Saturday in Vancouver was mostly on goalie Philipp Grubauer, who just couldn’t stop anything. Bednar was NOT happy with his team’s work ethic in Calgary. He is really going to start cracking down, if he hasn’t already, on stuff like that. The one thing this Avs team still can’t afford to have is a complacent, “We’re pretty good, aren’t we?” attitude. Because they’re just not on that overall talent level yet, 1-18. I don’t think the injuries have helped at all, either. I think the loss of Compher, particularly, has hurt the team a lot. And, there is no word on when he might be back. Nothing. I think the Avs really miss his versatility and speed, even though the Avs have gotten more secondary scoring of late. I think this obviously will be a very tough game tonight, but a winnable one if they just put their work boots on. This team has to get that underdog mentality back a bit, in my opinion. Friday night and Sunday’s games are going to be tough enough, on the road again in Canada. They need to treat this game like a late-season, hugely important one if they don’t want to start sliding back toward .500-level mediocrity. BSN DENVER LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114347 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets notebook | Markus Nutivarra grows into confident defenseman

By Brian Hedger

There’s a look that young players get sometimes that just screams uncertainty. Veteran NHL coaches have an eagle eye for it, and the Blue Jackets’ John Tortorella noticed it with Markus Nutivaara two years ago, when the 24-year-old Finnish defenseman was a rookie. >>Join our Columbus Blue Jackets Fans Facebook group for the latest news, updates and to join in on the conversation. “I think early on in his career with us, you (wondered) if he thought he belonged here and was he chasing the game,” Tortorella said Tuesday, after Nutivaara’s second goal of the season was the winner in a 4-1 victory over against the Dallas Stars. “Now, I think he knows he’s a good player and he plays with that type of arrogance.” Last season played a big role in that budding confidence. After offseason hip surgery following his rookie season, Nutivaara came to training camp last year expecting to cement his spot on the NHL roster. Instead, he started out with minor-league Cleveland and waited for another opportunity with the Jackets. It didn’t take long. Gabriel Carlsson suffered a shoulder injury four games into the season and Nutivaara was recalled before a game in Winnipeg. He earned a regular lineup spot, pushing Carlsson to Cleveland, and earned a four-year contract extension with seven goals, 16 assists and 23 points. His maturation process hasn’t stopped, either. Nutivaara is another offensive threat from the back end, supplementing what they already get from Seth Jones and Zach Werenski, and he is improving defensively, too. “It’s already in my head now that if I believe I can be the stronger guy on the ice, like ... it’s going to happen,” he said. “It’s all about the confidence.” On the rise Josh Anderson is off to another strong start after leading the Blue Jackets in goals for much of last season. The 24-year-old power forward, who is 6 feet 3 and 221 pounds, again leads the way with seven goals and has two assists for nine points. Unlike last season, he isn’t playing opposite Artemi Panarin at right wing on the top line. Instead, he is on the right side of a more physical line that includes captain Nick Foligno and center Boone Jenner. ″(Anderson) could be a very important part of this team if he just keeps on concentrating each and every game,” Tortorella said. “It’s something we look for. He sometimes forgets and gets a little inconsistent. We’re going to keep on reminding him, because he’s playing on the power play now, he’s killing penalties and it’s rightfully deserved. He’s just got to keep his concentration as we keep on going game-to-game here.” Defensive shake-up Tortorella mixed up the defense pairings in the second period on Tuesday against Dallas and said he liked the results. Zach Werenski and Seth Jones were split up: Ryan Murray played with Jones, Dean Kukan was paired with Werenski and Nutivaara skated with David Savard. Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114348 Columbus Blue Jackets

Slick-passing Alexander Wennberg aims to be more active

By Brian Hedger

The puck popped free inside the blue line, preventing the Dallas Stars from clearing their zone late in the second period. Nick Foligno got to it first, swept it back behind the net and then skated into the left circle with his stick cocked for a one-timer. The Blue Jackets captain saw who lurked behind the Dallas net, center Alexander Wennberg, and knew he had better be ready to shoot. “I knew he was down there, and when I know Wenny’s going, he’s slippery like that,” said Foligno, who unloaded on Wennberg’s backhand feed to put the Jackets up 3-1 in a game they won 4-1 on Tuesday at Nationwide Arena. >>Join our Columbus Blue Jackets Fans Facebook group for the latest news, updates and to join in on the conversation. “He makes those plays where he can just 1-on-1 a guy in the corner and get out of it, and then he just makes a great pass. I was able to do the rest, but that all starts because of him.” Wennberg’s seventh point also was his seventh assist, putting him on pace for 38 assists when projected over 82 games. He hasn’t scored a goal yet, but goal scoring really isn’t his thing. Those happen occasionally, here and there, but Wennberg’s biggest strength is exactly what he did on that goal by Foligno. He is an offensive spark plug, with a keen eye for making plays and the hands to get it done. The issue is his feet, which tend to make him invisible whenever they stop moving. “His biggest asset is his passing and seeing the ice, but he has to take things to areas to have people draw to him and open up from there,” coach John Tortorella said. “I think that’s the best assessment I can give you, and it’s one of his biggest strengths. But he needs to be in those situations more.” Wennberg knows it too. This is his fifth NHL season, and he has wrestled with that issue in all but one — a breakout season in 2016-17 with career highs in goals (13), assists (46) and points (59). “For me personally, it’s been some good games and some games I’m not involved at all, so you’ve just got to find some consistency and play at the same level,” he said. “I don’t feel like I’m far away from where I want to be, but it’s been a problem in the past, too. You’ve just got to find a way, but I feel like it’s there. I’m just going to try and bring it more.” If he can, consistently, it would boost the Blue Jackets’ scoring output. They are ranked 10th overall in scoring at 3.32 goals per game but that could climb even higher if Wennberg heats up. That remains the goal, with the solution staring up at him the whole time. “Move your legs and get aggressive,” Wennberg said. “It’s all over the ice, in the (defensive zone) or wherever, if you move your feet, you end up in situations earlier than if you stand still and read the game. So, that’s what I’m thinking more is just, ‘Move your feet.’ ” Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114349 Columbus Blue Jackets Tortorella, however, has toyed with the idea of splitting up Zach Werenski and Seth Jones as his top pairing since the start of training camp and finally did it after watching one period Tuesday. Blue Jackets 4, Stars 1 | Five takeaways After re-inserting Dean Kukan into the lineup in place of Scott Harrington to start the game, he mixed up all three pairings during the first intermission – pairing Ryan Murray up with Jones, Kukan with Werenski Brian Hedger and Markus Nutivaara with David Savard. “I just thought (Werenski) was struggling,” Tortorella said. “He was fighting the puck. He just didn’t look confident with the puck. I just felt it The passes were crisp, the defense was solid, the goaltending was early on for him, so we waited until the end of the period and made the outstanding and the Blue Jackets’ effort might’ve been their best of the switch then, and I liked what it looked like.” season. Jones (23:33) and Murray (21:24) led the Columbus defensemen in ice They downed the Dallas Stars, 4-1, on Tuesday at Nationwide Arena – time, each finishing with an assist, while Werenski and Savard added moving into second place of the Metropolitan Division with 17 points – assists and Nutivaara scored a goal. but this is how it’s gone through the first 15 games. The Blue Jackets (8- 6-1) follow head-scratching losses to teams with inferior records with 3. Real ‘Bob’ emerging convincing wins against teams with good records. Bobrovsky looked like himself again in net, which is the third time in the “Jekyll and Hyde,” is what captain Nick Foligno called it Saturday in Los past four games that’s been the case. You could also make the argument Angeles, after the Kings – a day before firing coach John Stevens - that he was solid Saturday in Los Angeles, too, despite allowing four notched just their third win of the season, 4-1, by scoring two goals on 29 shots in the Kings’ 4-1 win at Staples Center. shorthanded goals on the same Blue Jackets power play. Dallas only got one against him and it was a power-play goal by Jamie That was Hyde, at his worst, making the Jackets want to hide in a dark Benn in the third period that Bobrovsky’s couldn’t have seen through a corner. It was a crushing blow to their confidence, which seems to get great screen by Stars center Tyler Seguin. smashed against their collective forehead now every other game. Overall, Bobrovsky was excellent. He made 27 saves in all, including a There are also nights like this, when Dr. Jekyll regains control and all number that he just soaked up in his chest protector to prevent any feels right in the Blue Jackets’ world. rebounds. His movement in the crease was controlled, quick and efficient – unlike some of the awkward gyrations he’d been making in games Their shots are dangerous. They skate faster, completely in control of the going back to the preseason. pace. Sergei Bobrovsky is “Bob” again, not some unknown stand-in wearing his gear. They look like they did Tuesday against the Stars, Since coming in cold with 6:27 left in the first period to replace Joonas who’ve now lost six games in a row to Columbus and must be wondering Korpisalo Oct. 30 against Detroit, a 5-3 loss in which he allowed only the what all the local fuss is about. game-winning goal, Bobrovsky is 2-2-0 in his last four appearances. He’s allowed just one goal in two of his past three outings and continues re- “That’s what I talked about, where we’re a reactive team,” Foligno said. gain confidence with each strong game. “It’s like, ‘OK, we’ve got these guys coming in, we’ve got to play well.’ Then you go to another team and we respect teams, but I don’t think we Arguably his best stop Tuesday was against Blake Comeau, who respect the position we’re in. We’re getting teams’ best and we have to snapped a shot off a great cross-ice setup by defenseman Julius Honka give teams our best. Tonight we did and that’s why we get the win.” in the second period. Bobrovsky read the play and just slid over to make the save with his stick. However long this trend continues will affect the outcome of this entire season. It’s awfully hard to Jekyll-and-Hyde your way into the Stanley “They had some point-blank chances on some of our breakdowns and he Cup Playoffs and harder still to stay alive once you’re there. just ... he looked in control,” Tortorella said. “When I watch Bob play, if he’s moving around a lot, I think that’s when it seems like it just doesn’t “It’s a maturity level for all our guys to know there are no shifts off,” look like him. But he was in control. I thought he was thinking one play Foligno said. “There is a certain standard that we have to play and if ahead all night long and I thought that was a key for some of the saves you’re not going to play it, you’re not going to be in the lineup. It’s just the he made on some of those cross-ice passes.” way it’s gonna be.” 4. Another one for ‘Duke’ Here are five more takeaways: Duclair is on pace to score 33 goals in 82 games and has three assists 1. Baby steps for nine points, putting him on pace to finish the season with 49 points. When you’re ranked dead last among 31 teams in something, things His NHL career-highs for a season are 20 goals, 24 assists and 44 points aren’t just going to change for the better magically. It takes time to claw in 2015-16, which was his breakout rookie season with the Arizona out of a hole like that, but the climb has to start somewhere. Coyotes. Duclair, who’s since been traded to the Chicago Blackhawks and set free to sign with Columbus, said he isn’t interested in tracking his The Blue Jackets, who started Tuesday ranked 31st on the power play progress in goals, assists or points. (10.7 percent), are hoping somewhere was this game against Dallas. They went 1 for 3 and got a big goal by Anthony Duclair to cap the first “Consistency,” he said, when asked about marking his progress. “When one, which gave Columbus a 1-0 lead for the second straight game. I’m showing up, moving my legs and creating chances, a lot of things can happen - especially in the situations I’m put in, playing on the power play It was Duclair’s sixth goal of the season and third on the power play, with guys like (Werenski) and (Artemi Panarin) and playing 5-on-5 with coming off a great shot from the left-wing wall after receiving a pass from (Alexander Wennberg), (Oliver Bjorkstrand) and guys like that.” Boone Jenner. The second the puck ripped through the tail of goalie Ben Bishop’s jersey – after zipping past Jenner’s screen – you could almost 5. Pick it up feel the Jackets’ collective sigh of relief. Speaking of Bjorkstrand, the 23-year old forward watched in street Their next two power plays didn’t produce any goals, but they did what clothes as a healthy scratch. It was the first time he’s missed a Blue they were supposed to do by forcing the Stars to work hard killing them Jackets game for non-injury reasons since Feb. 13, 2017, two seasons off. ago. “It’s funny with the confidence (boost) and I thought the power play “I’m not going to go into an explanation,” Tortorella said, when asked looked pretty good after that too,” coach John Tortorella said. “We had a about the decision after the morning skate. “Obviously, if he’s out we’re couple other chances, didn’t finish. You just hope you get a couple things not happy with his play.” like that to happen for our guys and they regain their confidence.” The first clue happened Sunday in Anaheim, when Bjorkstrand played 2. Defensive shake up just 5:33 on seven shifts and sat the entire third period of the Jackets’ 3-2 overtime loss. Coaches don’t like to juggle their defense pairings the way they do forward lines, which are more prone to be tossed in a blender and There’s more competition up front now, with Brandon Dubinsky back “whipped” on the high setting. from an oblique tear, and that means more pressure to play well – even for regulars like Bjorkstrand. Defense pairings are about sticking with stability, knowing each other’s tendencies and finding something that will work on a long-term basis. Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114350 Dallas Stars Over the past few weeks, we’ve been asking each of the players for the story behind their numbers. Here are they are, from No. 3 to 91.

John Klingerg, No. 3: Ask the trainers, they gave it to me. I have no story. From No. 3 to 91, the Dallas Stars explain the story behind their jersey numbers If you could pick any number, what would you pick? I always really liked No. 9, you can’t obviously have that here but I had that when I was a junior back in Sweden and the national team and stuff By Sean Shapiro and Saad Yousuf Nov 7, 2018 like that. I think another number that I really like is 15 and that was actually free after my first year. I was thinking about changing but I had a pretty good year. I think No. 3 fitted me pretty good so I just kept it. Jersey numbers are important. In Stars history: Including Klingberg, 13 players have worn no. 3, most Often the number on a player’s back becomes part of his identity. Certain notably former Stars broadcaster, Craig Ludwig (1992-1999). numbers come with a degree of reverence and we hoist those digits to the rafters where they are kept as a constant reminder of one player’s Miro Heiskanen, No. 4: I don’t really mind either way. But it’s a good excellence. number. So while the choice may seem trivial or arbitrary, the question “What In Stars history: Including Heiskanen, 22 players have worn no. 4, most number would you like?” is a meaningful one Stars General Manager Jim notably Craig Hartsburg (1980-1989). Nill asks every player when they join the organization. Julius Honka, No. 6: They just gave it to me. I don’t have any story. I “It’s important for players,” Nill said. “They want to have a number, don’t have a preference [for any number]. whether it’s superstitious or they’ve had it their whole life so the first thing In Stars history: Including Honka, 28 players have worn no. 6, most is you ask a player, ‘what number would you like?’ Then we’ve got to look notably Trevor Daley (2004-2015). at our list and see.” Martin Hanzal, No. 11: I wore No. 11 in Arizona and in junior and when a Before he signed with the Stars, Blake Comeau had worn No. 14 with the player left this summer and became available, I wanted to switch to it. It Colorado Avalanche. No. 14 is spoken for in Dallas and belongs to Stars represents my name day, 11-11 is my name day back home (in the captain Jamie Benn. Comeau understood that and Nill gave him a choice Czech Republic.) of three different numbers. The winger picked No. 15. Hanzal wore 10 last season and 11 became available when Curtis When it comes to numbers there are a couple general rules that Nill likes McKenzie signed with Vegas. In the Czech Republic, each name has a to follow. If you have a number already it’s yours, the team isn’t going to day on the calendar where it is celebrated in the country. ask you to switch. Veterans get the first choice of available numbers and for the most part, the Stars try to avoid “football numbers.” In Stars history: Including Hanzal, 25 players have worn No. 11, most recently Curtis McKenzie. “We like to keep lower numbers,” Nill said. “The lower the number, the better, just out of etiquette of the game a little bit. A lot of teams have Radek Faksa, No. 12: When I started to play hockey, when I was 12 or numbers retired, that can’t have lower numbers. You look at certain 13, I was number 12. So it’s my first number I ever started with. I went to teams … to the original six teams and they only have so much they can a different team and there were jerseys, you couldn’t choose any do.” number, there wasn’t 12. So, I picked 10. The Stars aren’t an original-six team, but they already have a handful of Then, same in the OHL, I had 94 — my year I was born — because lower digits unavailable because of jersey retirements. 7, 8, 9, 19, and 26 someone had 12. Then I picked 12 after I came here again. I would just are hanging from the rafters, and their unavailability has impacted certain wear 12 or 94. numbers on the current roster. In Stars history: Including Faksa, 23 players have worn no. 12, most Nill said some jersey numbers are reserved for certain positions. recently Alex Chiasson. Numbers two through six are typically defensemen, while goalies are typically between No. 29 and 35. Mattias Janmark, No. 13: Pretty simple, I got called off of training camp, then Jim [Nill] told me that I made the team and asked me what number I “We like to have defensemen that are true to the game,” Nill said. “There want to wear and gave me a few options. I’d worn it [13] for half of a year is kind of a defensemen certain range, and then forwards a certain range, before, it was just the only number that kind of talked to me so in that and then you have goalie numbers after that.” moment, just picked it. While lower numbers are typically desired, exceptions are made for If you could pick any number, what would you pick? players of a certain caliber. For example, when No. 19 wasn’t available in Dallas, the Stars weren’t going to tell Tyler Seguin he couldn’t wear No. I would like to wear 26. I wore that a lot but that’s obviously not available 91. Valeri Nichushkin wears No. 43 because he’s superstitious and it here. And then No. 10 I’ve worn for quite some time and then No. 13. I matches his birthday — March 4th (in Europe, the day is listed before the like my number. month). In Stars history: Including Janmark, eight players have worn no. 13, most Other higher numbers, typically those in the 40s, are reflections of a recently Ray Whitney (2013-2014). training camp number and convey a backstory. Jamie Benn, No. 14: No story. It’s not really a favorite number of mine or When a young player is given a low number out of the gate it’s a pretty anything. I went to the WHL, they gave me 14 just because. And when I good indication of the Stars’ expectations for them. Dallas had reserved came here I think Stu Barnes just passed it on when he retired. And then No. 4 for Miro Heiskanen before last season even started. No. 10 I came in one or two years later and they gave me 14 because I had it in belongs to prospect Nick Caamano, even though he has yet to play an Kelowna. That’s kind of it. It doesn’t really mean anything to me. Grew NHL game or break out of the AHL. up, I pretty much wore 10 my whole life, that was kind of taken when I got here. Players wearing numbers like 46 or 48 — Gemel Smith and Dillon Heatherington — have those numbers because they were first given to Former Stars captain Brenden Morrow was wearing No. 10 when Benn them as NHL training camp numbers, and they have since outperformed was a rookie with the Stars. He said he didn’t care about it that much to what may have been expected. switch to No. 10 after Morrow retired. The number means much more to some players than it does to others. In Stars history: Including Benn, 23 players have worn no. 14, most When the Stars signed Roman Polak his traditional No. 46 wasn’t recently Stu Barnes (2003-2008). available since it belongs to Smith. Nill offered Polak No. 45. Blake Comeau, No. 15: Nothing special. They gave me a list of numbers “I call some guys and I’ve got a list of three or four numbers, Roman to choose from and I just chose that one and that was it. Polak is one of them, he said, ‘I don’t care, I just want a number.'” Nill If you could pick any number, what would you pick? said. “He’s an old-time player, he respects the game and happy to be playing the game and he’s like, ‘You know what, Jim, whatever number I wore 14 in Colorado but that won’t be happening. I’ve had different you’ve got, it doesn’t matter to me.’ … Some guys are superstitious, numbers on a bunch of the teams I’ve played on so I got no preference some guys are like ‘hey, it’s just a number, it’s not a big deal.'” for it, really. In Stars history: Including Comeau, 19 players have worn no. 15, most I don’t know why No. 10. I used to be No. 13 because my uncle wore notably Jamie Langenbrunner (1997-2011). number 13. Then they wouldn’t let me be 13 one year when I was really young. I don’t know, maybe the unlucky thing — but yeah, I don’t know Jason Dickinson, No. 16: There’s no story. I was just given 16, that’s all. how me and my dad got on 10, but we went with 10. I’ve been 10 literally If you could pick any number, what would you pick? since junior, every level of pro hockey up until here and here, I’m 37. Probably 11. I’ve always been 11 so it’s just kind of comfortable for me. In Stars history: Including Dowling, 14 players have worn no. 37, most Down in Austin [with the Texas Stars], it was either 38, which is what recently Patrik Nemeth (2014-2015). they gave me, or 11, which has always kind of been my number ever Valeri Nichushkin, No. 43: It’s my birthday. since I was a kid. My dad picked it for me when I was young and he was No. 11 and that stuck. In Stars history: Including Nichushkin, seven players have worn no. 43, most recently Jamie Oleksiak (2013). In Stars history: Including Dickinson, 34 players have worn No. 16, most recently Ryan Garbutt (2014-2015). It is the most-worn number in Roman Polak, No. 45: In training camp with St. Louis my first year they franchise history. gave me 62, and I thought I kind of wanted the 62 and would make that my own. Then Martin Rucinsky came in and he wanted the 62, because Devin Shore, No. 17: That’s the number they gave me in training camp. I 26 was taken by Petr Cajanek. I told him no problem, go take the 62, and mean, I don’t really care too much about numbers but I like it. I think it’s a they gave me 46 and I just stick with it. Smitty had it (here in Dallas) and good number. I always wore my birth year growing up, 94. It also rhymes I’m not tied to numbers or anything like that. Jim Nill called me and said with my last name. there are numbers available, what do you want to pick? And he gave me In Stars history: Including Shore, 27 players have worn no. 17, most 45. I’m not very picky about it. It looks similar to 46. recently Rich Peverley (2014). In Stars history: Including Polak, four players have worn no. 45, most Tyler Pitlick, No. 18: It was what was left. recently Brenden Morrow (2000). If you could pick any number, what would you pick? Gemel Smith, No. 46: I was just given it. Not really, I wore 15 in Edmonton because that was available. In the If you could pick any number, what would you pick? past, I’ve worn 9 or 7 but yeah, it was one of the numbers that were My number is usually 14 or 9. Obviously, can’t be 14 and can’t be 9 available and I just chose it. either. My dad’s birthday is on the 14th so I’ve always been (inclined to In Stars history: Including Pitlick, 25 players have worn no. 18, most wear that number). Nine was because I couldn’t be 14 when I was in recently Patrick Eaves (2015-2017). OHL, I was kind of given that number because 14 in the OHL was retired so I couldn’t be 14 either. So, I was given 9 and stuck with 9. Esa Lindell, No. 23: They just gave it to me. In Stars history: Smith is the third player to wear no. 46 for the Stars, the If you could pick any number, what would you pick? other two being Jamie Wright (1998-2001) and Dan Keczmer (1991). I liked 3. I was 3 in the AHL, I had 6 back home when I played in Finland. Alexander Radulov, No. 47: It’s my number. It’s not important at first, but The first year I came, they just handed it to me so I didn’t have a choice. then it is now. So it’s my number and now that I’ve had it and someone I’m fine with it. first gave it to me, I’ve made it my own. In Stars history: Including Lindell, 23 players have worn no. 23, most In Stars history: Including Radulov, four players have worn no. 47, most recently Kevin Connauton (2014-2015). recently Johnny Oduya (2016-2017). Brett Ritchie, No. 25: I like No. 20 and Cody Eakin was wearing it when I Dillon Heatherington, No. 48: It’s just a number they gave me, it’s not came here so (equipment manager Steve Sumner) gave me a list of something that really means much. And I wore a lot of different numbers numbers I could wear and 25 was the best option. There are just certain as a kid and growing up. No. 77 was actually my favorite number that I numbers I like and 25 is one of them. No particular reason but 20 is my wore as a player when I was younger. favorite number and it was taken. It’s not taken now and I thought about when Eakin left taking 20 but I’m going to keep this [25]. In Stars history: Heatherington is the fourth player to wear no. 48, most recently worn by Francis Wathier (2011-2013). Stephen Johns, No. 28: I really don’t have a story … it was my number in college and when I made the team, it was my number. Jason Spezza, No. 90: I always wore No. 9. Nine was my favorite number, like as a kid, I was 9 growing up. Nine is a number that’s always In Stars history: Including Johns, 30 players have worn no. 28, including retired everywhere so it’s a tricky number. So 19 because of Stevey Y current Dallas Stars Director of Alumni Relations, Bob Bassen (1996- [Steve Yzerman]. When I came to Dallas 19 and 91 weren’t available so 1998). 90 made sense. Ben Bishop, No. 30: It was just kind of given to me when I was in juniors In Stars history: Spezza is the first player in franchise history to wear No. and have worn it ever since. There’s no real reason; I was just given it at 90. a young age and just kind of stuck with it. Tyler Seguin, No. 91: I’d always been No. 9 growing up and once I made In Stars history: Including Bishop, 13 players have worn no. 30, most the NHL, Steve Yzerman was always my favorite player. Joe Sakic was a recently Dan Ellis (2014). good player and there are a lot of good 19s out there. I said you know what, I’m gonna choose this and go for it. Marc Methot, No. 33: It’s not something I really think too much about. I wore No. 3 in Ottawa and if that was available I’d take that. But I don’t Seguin wore No. 19 with the Boston Bruins before flipping to 91 with think Klinger was really interested in doing something like that, I think Dallas. No. 19 is retired in Dallas in honor of Bill Masterton. he’s higher on the food chain. In Stars history: Seguin is just the second player to wear No. 91 in In Stars history: Including Methot, 11 players have worn no. 33, most franchise history, the other being Brad Richards (2008-2011). recently Alex Goligoski (2011-2016). The Athletic LOADED: 11.08.2018 Anton Khudobin, No. 35: My first team, the Minnesota Wild, just gave me that number. In some teams that I went, they didn’t have 30 or 31 so the last choice was 35. If you could pick any number, what would you pick? 31, because my father played in that number and that was my first number. In Stars history: Including Khudobin, 13 players have worn no. 35, most notably Marty Turco (2001-2010) Justin Dowling, No. 37: I’ve been No. 10 my whole life until I came here. Why no. 10? 1114351 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings' Frans Nielsen hoping to pass third concussion test

Helene St. James, Nov. 7, 2018

The Detroit Red Wings expect to have two forwards back for reinforcement soon.

Andreas Athansiou and Frans Nielsen are both targeting a return Friday when the Wings host the New York Rangers (7:30 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit). Athanasiou (leg) will pretty much just have to give his own OK to return, while Nielsen will have to pass a concussion protocol test — something he appreciates, even while he feels fine, as an important step for his long-term health.

Both forwards have been injured since the Oct. 28 game against Dallas. The two skated Wednesday on a line with Gustav Nyquist. They had been getting better on a line with Thomas Vanek, who suffered a knee injury the game after Nielsen and Athanasiou were hurt, Oct. 30 at Columbus, and is out at least another week to three weeks.

Nyquist is a deft passer (he has a team high 11 assists in 15 games) and the thinking is that could be a good line as the Wings try to win for a fifth time in six games.

“If we have that line together, that was my thought process,” coach said Wednesday. “Nyquist is a really smart player, similar to Vanek. I think he can help utilize AA’s abilities, put pucks into spaces for him. I think it’s a line you could start in the o-zone because Frans on the left side has been doing a way better job winning faceoffs on that side. It gives us a little bit of a potentially dynamic offensive line and we need more of that.”

The Wings haven’t started well the last two games, and needed a shootout to seal Tuesday’s 3-2 victory over Vancouver. Dylan Larkin performed the heroics in the shootout, further showcasing his desire to be a go-to guy for the team (Nielsen, Vanek and Athanasiou would normally be the top three in the shootout rotation because of their history of shootout success). Larkin had the day off Wednesday, and is expected to be available Friday.

Like Larkin, Athanasiou is someone opponents have to respect because of his speed. His numbers when he got hurt weren’t great (four goals, two assists in 11 games) but Athanasiou had used his speed to create scoring chances in most games, showing a commitment to consistency.

“I think he’s a done good job from day one of training camp of playing at a consistent level and being engaged in the game on a consistent level,” Blashill said. “When he’s engaged and skating and stopping on pucks and competing, he’s a really, really good player. He’s done a really good job of that through the course of the first part of the year and then got hurt. I hope he can come back and play at that high level as soon as possible.”

Nielsen had four assists in four games when he was hurt. He is hesitant to call what he has a concussion because he only experienced headaches for a couple days after being hit and since then, “I’ve been fine, I’ve been skating, I’ve been in full practices,” he said. “I’m feeling normal right now on the ice and in every day life.”

Still, he’s taken two baseline tests and not passed. The specter of long- term damage that concussions can inflict has left Nielsen respectful of the protocol that comes with any hint of a head injury.

“Like the doctor said, this is not a shoulder where you can go and get surgery and then you are fine after a certain amount of months,” Nielsen said. “This could (affect) me my whole life if you’re not careful with it, so that’s why they’re extra careful.”

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114352 Detroit Red Wings “When he’s not playing lots, (it’s best) to play in the American league and continue to work for pushing for more offense.”

On Wednesday night, Ehn was sent back to the Griffins. Red Wings' Frans Nielsen anxious to play, but understands need to be careful Larkin held out

Dylan Larkin didn’t practice Wednesday after taking a hit during Tuesday’s victory over Vancouver that caused him to miss several shifts Ted Kulfan, Nov. 7, 2018 to open the second period.

Larkin returned, took a regular shift, and eventually scored the only goal Detroit — Frans Nielsen wants to play. You can sense it in his voice and in the shootout, giving the Wings’ the victory. his actions. But Blashill said after the game it wouldn’t be surprising to see Larkin Nielsen has been practicing for almost a week now, while being in take a day, or two, off from practice — and that’s exactly what happened concussion protocol. Wednesday.

But having tests taken earlier this week, Nielsen didn’t satisfy doctors “We’ll see (about Thursday),” Blashill said. “I expect him to practice. with the results. He’ll take them again Thursday, and is hopeful of Obviously he left the ice (Tuesday) and he was out for a little bit. But I returning to the lineup the following night against the New York Rangers. don’t think it’s anything long-term, it’s just part of the grind.”

Still, Nielsen is going to be careful. With everyone knowing the dangers Andreas Athansiou (upper body) practiced Friday and is set to return of concussions, Nielsen is on board about safety being first and foremost. Friday.

“You do argue with the doctors and you do want to come back and play,” Detroit News LOADED: 11.08.2018 Nielsen said after Wednesday’s practice, which he took part in entirely. “But I’m sure it’s one of those things later in life you’re probably thankful he talked you into not coming back too early.”

Nielsen has missed the last four games since being hit awkwardly along the boards Oct. 28 against Dallas.

He hasn’t had any concussion-related symptoms, isn’t having any headaches or having any adverse affects to everyday life.

“Like the doctor said, it’s not like it’s a shoulder where you can go and get surgery,” Nielsen said. “This is something that can keep with your whole life if you’re not careful.”

Nielsen has looked effective during practices.

“Guys are pushing me and I’m feeling good right now,” Nielsen said. “Hopefully I can get cleared (Thursday).”

Coach Jeff Blashill is in daily communication with trainers and the medical staff, but isn’t going to push any player into the lineup if he’s not ready to compete.

“They understand I have their best interests,” said Blashill, adding it’s mainly between the medical staff and the player. “I wouldn’t want any player to risk long term health (issues). Coaches stay out of it (decision to return player to game action), and that’s the way it should be for obvious reasons.”

Christoffer Ehn was excited to be back with the Wings.

Happy to be back

The Wings recalled forward Christoffer Ehn before Tuesday’s game and he played seven shifts, just under 7 minutes (6:53), being credited with four hits.

Ehn made the Wings out of training camp, but was sent to Grand Rapids as the roster got healthier and it was best for Ehn to get playing time in the AHL.

Ehn understood why he was sent down.

“I’m still in development, it’s all new to me, like the North American playing style,” Ehn said. “I can get more minutes in GR, work on my game, and get into a bigger role, too, playing important parts of the game.

“It was fun, the first couple games down there, we had a real good weekend (three victories), so I’m real happy with that.

“(But) it’s fun to be back and playing here. I just have to keep working and take it day-by-day and play my game. I try to bring a lot of skating and help the team.”

When the Wings wanted to add another forward Tuesday to return to 12 forwards and six defensemen, Blashill said Ehn was the natural choice to return.

“He plays real good hockey when he’s here,” Blashill said. “When we need a guy, he can help us. He walks in and he plays good hockey. 1114353 Detroit Red Wings The Red Wings are rebuilding but still want to win, at least be competitive. They get that with Howard, which is why he'll be sticking around past this season.

Jimmy Howard's strong play will earn contract extension from Red Wings Injury update: Dylan Larkin didn't practice Wednesday after getting hurt in the final minute of the first period Tuesday (he finished the game and scored the lone shootout goal). Blashill said it's not serious and Larkin is By Ansar Khan expected to practice Thursday.

Frans Nielsen (concussion) and Andreas Athanasiou (leg) are "trending toward returning" Friday against the Rangers at LCA, but haven't been DETROIT - Gustav Nyquist was asked if Jimmy Howard has been the cleared, Blashill said. Detroit Red Wings' most consistent player. Ehn reassigned: The Red Wings reassigned forward Christoffer Ehn to "I would say so for sure," Nyquist said following Tuesday's 3-2 shootout the on Wednesday, after he appeared in one game victory over the Vancouver Canucks at Little Caesars Arena. "It's hard to during his second stint with the team. argue that, the way he's playing. Every game he's given us a chance to win, so that's huge for us." "We would like him, if he's not playing lots on a regular basis, to play in the American League and continue to work on pushing for more offense," The Red Wings (5-8-2) have rebounded from an 0-5-2 start, winning four Blashill said. "When he's here he's going to be more in a role where he's of their past five games. Howard has been the main reason. He is 3-0-0 more of a defensive-type player and he's probably playing a little bit safe. in his past three starts, with a 2.59 goals-against average and .925 save percentage. "He plays very good hockey when he comes here, but we'd like to get more offense out of him. So if he's not going to play tons (in Detroit), Overall, his numbers aren't great (4-5-2, 2.93 GAA, .917 save that's why we've had him down, but certainly he's a guy who can come in percentage), but they don't tell the whole story. He has played well and help us. Plays good hockey, walks right in and helps us, played on behind an injury-ravaged defense that started the season with four the wing and did a great job." rookies. Michigan Live LOADED: 11.08.2018 "Jimmy's been playing great all year," Justin Abdelkader said. "He's making some big saves and bailing us out when we need him. We just got to continue to do a good job in front of him and try to be in lanes and block shots and clean up rebounds, because a lot of times he's so good at making that first save."

The Red Wings are happy with Howard, and Howard is happy in Detroit. That is why the sides are sure to agree on a contract extension this season.

Howard is in the final year of his contract (a six-year deal with a cap hit of $5.29 million) and turns 35 in March, which has led to speculation he might be moved at the trade deadline for a draft pick. With Jonathan Quick out indefinitely following knee surgery last week, some wondered if a trade might come sooner and the Los Angeles Kings would be interested.

It doesn't matter. The Red Wings are committed to keeping Howard. He likely will receive a multiyear contract, and the tandem of Howard and Jonathan Bernier will be manning the nets in Detroit for a couple more seasons.

None of the Red Wings' goaltending prospects (Filip Larsson, Keith Petruzzelli, Joren van Pottelberghe) will be NHL-ready in at least the next several seasons. Howard is better than what they have in Grand Rapids (Harri Sateri, Patrik Rybar). And the Red Wings see no point in searching for a better alternative in July's thin free-agent market.

The Red Wings know what they have in Howard, someone who gives them solid goaltending for the most part, despite facing a lot of rubber (the Wings are being outshot by an average margin of 35-28 and have outshot their opponent only twice in 15 games).

"If you go over the course of the last couple years, I think Jimmy has been excellent," coach Jeff Blashill said. "A little bit coming out of the (All- Star) break last year he wasn't as good for a stretch and it hurt his numbers, but other than that he's been really good. It's an unreal testament to looking at yourself and saying, 'I got to get better at certain things.' He did that a number of years ago and he's just a real good goalie now on a consistent basis and he's got a real competitive fire to him. He wants us to win bad. It shows in his game."

That was apparent in the 40-save performance vs. the Canucks, in which Howard stopped all three shootout attempts. He said he wasn't aware the crowd was on its feet chanting his name as Bo Horvat was skating in for the final attempt.

"Just clear the mechanism, stick with the process," Howard said.

"I think it's just going out there and working hard for 60 minutes, realizing that this game has a lot of ups and downs and if you just continue to stick to it and keep working for 60 minutes some nights you're going to get the bounces and we were able to find a way to get two points." 1114354 Detroit Red Wings

Joe Hicketts disappointed, determined in latest return to Griffins

By Peter J. Wallner

GRAND RAPIDS - It wasn't any easier for Joe Hicketts to go from the Detroit Red Wings to the Grand Rapids Griffins for a third time in less than a season, but it did come with its positives.

For one, the Griffins had open arms to have his presence on defense, and it showed as the team earned five of six points in three games in three days last weekend.

Individually, Hicketts returned to the AHL with some fresh hockey cred in his pocket. He had been the Red Wings since training camp - far longer than his two stints last season - that provided him valuable experience on and off the ice.

"You learn something new every day there (with the Red Wings) with the veteran guys around you like (Niklas) Kronwall, (Mike) Green and (Trevor) Daley," Hicketts said. "They've been around like 10, 15 years and there's so much you can learn from them from just watching and talking to them."

He played in eight games in Detroit without a point or penalty and a minus-six rating but was a healthy scratch for about a week and a half before sent to the Griffins on Oct. 31.

Add in two full seasons already with the Griffins and the 22-year-old is in a place where he has knowledge and experience to offer the Griffins yet has shown enough to remain a prospect with potential with the Red Wings.

Hicketts, a 5-foot-8 overachiever with a quick toothless smile and infectious personality, wants to impart his experience and attitude on the Griffins this time around.

"It was a little gloomy at some points (in Detroit) but, even when I got here, the team wasn't off to a rough start, but not the kind of start everyone thought," he said. "So, I look to bring some energy and also some laughter to the room. It's important to stay loose, too, and have some fun."

Hicketts, paired with Vili Saarijarvi, had two assists in his first three games as he looks to improve his offensive presence. The Griffins are on the road for games Thursday and Saturday at Manitoba.

Hicketts had seven goals and 34 points and a plus-15 in 73 games in 2016-17 and went 3-9-12 with a minus-10 in 67 games last season, along with five games in two stints with the Red Wings (three assists and a plus-5).

"I thought I've been playing well," he said. "I'm moving the puck and that's something I want to come down here and do. Make sure that I can make those little plays out of the defensive zone. I've found I've been in the offensive zone a little more and not just playing defense as much."

As for the disappointment, it's there. But Hicketts knows the landscape well.

"I'm not naive to the fact they had eight D up there and what the contracts and salary situations are ... It was fortunate for me but tough for the team that bunch of veteran D went down with injuries or illness to start the year," he said.

"That provided some young guys an opportunity for some NHL action. But at the end of the day, you come down here and work hard and look to earn the next call up."

Michigan Live LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114355 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings more resilient following rough start to season

By Ansar Khan

DETROIT - Little was going the Detroit Red Wings' way the first half of Tuesday's game against the Vancouver Canucks.

They were being outshot by a wide margin and were on their heels. They had a pair of coach's challenges go against them. They faced a two-goal deficit midway through the second period.

Earlier this season, they might have folded, or they might have come back and played just well enough to lose.

Lately, they have been more resilient. On this night, they got stronger as the game progressed, tied it early in the third period and won it 3-2 in a shootout at Little Caesars Arena.

Jimmy Howard made it possible with 40 saves in regulation and overtime and three stops in the shootout, where Dylan Larkin scored the lone goal.

Red Wings' Jeff Blashill lauds team's resiliency

The Red Wings (5-8-3) have won four of their past five and are 5-3 since their 0-5-2 start.

"We're bending, not breaking," Howard said. "Early in the season when stuff started to go wrong the body language was off and things really exploded on us, and now guys are continuing to keep working."

The turning point happened when the Red Wings killed a delay of game penalty at 11:21 of the second period. It was the result of a failed coach's challenge seeking to overturn a goal by Ben Hutton that made it 2-0. Replays indicated the play was not offside.

"You need guys to step up when it starts to go the wrong way and I thought Howie was a big factor," Blashill said. "If you go down 3-0, it gets way harder, especially for a team that doesn't score easy."

Gustav Nyquist talks about tying goal for Red Wings

The Red Wings gained momentum from the kill and got on the scoreboard at 13:43 of the second period when Justin Abdelkader converted on the power play. Gustav Nyquist tied it at 1:37 of the third, on a rebound of a shot by Jacob de la Rose.

De la Rose, centering Nyquist and Michael Rasmussen, have played well the past two games.

"We've built some chemistry," Nyquist said. "Those guys are two big bodies, forechecking really well. With those guys, I get to touch the puck a lot, they like to go to the net and try to just make as many plays as possible."

The Red Wings were missing their two-best shootout men in Frans Nielsen and Thomas Vanek and another good one in Andreas Athanasiou. But Larkin's goal, on the first shot against Jacob Markstrom, was all they needed.

"His shootout percentage hadn't been very good, and he had been in every coach's ears saying he had worked real hard on his shootout moves through the course of the summer and he's been excellent in the shootouts we do in practice," Blashill said. "It was a nice move and he scored. I think when you score first the goalie knows at that point if you shut them out you win the hockey game and it looked like there was no way Jimmy was losing that hockey game."

Justin Abdelkader pleased with Red Wings' resiliency

Early on, it looked like the Red Wings might lose.

Rookie Elias Pettersson, off to a sensational start (10 goals, 16 points in 10 games), ripped a shot from the top of the faceoff circle that caught the top far corner of the net at 13:39 of the first period.

"Tip your hat," Howard said. "That was an unbelievable shot. That kid, he's going to be special."

Michigan Live LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114356 Detroit Red Wings All of those players, with the exception of Jake Gardiner and Toby Enstrom (who each finished sixth) were top five in voting for the award, too.

What’s next for Dennis Cholowski’s development as a top-pair Again, you can quibble with which of those players Cholowski actually defenseman resembles and which the Red Wings would be most pleased if he turned into, but the realistic answer for approaching this tier seems to be a nearly 40-point target for the 20-year-old. That breaks down to just under By Max Bultman Nov 7, 2018 a half-point per team game the rest of the way.

That may be achievable — he’s ahead of that rate 15 games in, even though it’s still far too early to buy stock in “pace,” and that’s having The Calder Memorial Trophy favorite was at Little Caesars Arena missed two games with injury. One possible complication could be his ice Tuesday night, doing all the things a Calder winner should do. time, which to this point is at nearly 21 minutes per game. In his last five Elias Pettersson scored a goal on a laser of a shot and drew a Nikita games, however, he’s crossed the 20-minute mark just once. That’s Kucherov comparison from Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard. The probably due in part to the fact that Detroit rolled seven defensemen for Canucks phenom bought himself time and space with his hands in the some of those games, chipping into everyone’s time on the ice, but there offensive zone. He looked, in general, far more experienced than does seem to be a requisite TOI for serious top-five contention. someone playing just his 10th game in the league. For all those reasons, And when you look at the point shares those players racked up, each of he’s the clear early favorite for the league’s rookie of the year award. those 12 players totaled at least 3 defensive point shares by season’s But in Detroit, the Red Wings are pretty darn happy with one of their end. That’s an area where Cholowski is behind, at 0.3 in his 13 games rookies, too. And while Pettersson’s early polish has almost certainly played (to go with 0.6 offensive). lowered the ceiling for what Dennis Cholowski could accomplish this Approach those benchmarks, though, and Detroit’s happiest surprise award season, his actual, on-ice ceiling is reaching promising territory for could soon be earning broader notoriety. the Red Wings. But for the Red Wings, the goal won’t be for Cholowski to place high in “I think it’s a real positive that he looks like a guy who could potentially be Calder voting this year. It’ll be for him to develop into a perennial top-pair a top-pair-type D-man,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said Monday. “We defenseman. That requires a whole other consideration. ultimately need young defensemen to not just be NHL defensemen but to be top-2 or top-4-type D-men. It’s a huge part of the growth of this “I think, as the year’s gone along, you have to continue to be consistent organization, so I think the fact that he’s showing signs that he could in your overall game,” Blashill said Monday. “Like, I thought he did some move toward that is a great thing. real good things the other night (against Edmonton) with the puck, but he made lots of errors as well. He’s just gotta learn to eliminate more and “Now, he’s gotta keep moving in that direction. He’s gotta be able to play more of those errors. I would say the number one thing, though, is he’s against (Connor) McDavid and have a real good night. He’s gotta be able got great poise, but sometimes he wants to slow the game down and the to play against those types of players. Or, and he’s done a good job of rest of the team, we want to play fast. this, produce at a real high level.” “And so he’s gotta make sure that he’s able to shoulder check, know As of Wednesday morning, Cholowski is tied for fourth among all NHL where he’s going with the puck before he gets it and get that puck rookies in scoring with eight points (two goals, six assists). Two of the moving north as quick as possible whenever that’s available. If it’s not players he is tied with are fellow defensemen Maxime Lajoie (Ottawa) available, use his feet to create some space, maybe draw people to him, and his former Portland (WHL) teammate Henri Jokiharju (Chicago). Not and then use that poise. But not slow the game down.” too far down the list are preseason Calder contenders Rasmus Dahlin and Miro Heiskanen, of Buffalo and Dallas, with five and six points, Outside of reducing his errors, these aren’t the kind of traits that need to respectively. be developed tomorrow, per se. But that’s Detroit’s vision for its young blueliner. And this is one way to get there: by highlighting what’s next That Cholowski is in the same breath as the latter two is a meaningful even in times of success. development in itself, especially considering the Red Wings didn’t quite know what they would be getting from their 2016 first-round pick coming That is also where these two conversations diverge a bit. What could get into September’s prospect camp. He was coming off a huge WHL Cholowski award votes in six months is only part of what gets him where season, but with uncertainty still lingering, it makes sense why he was Detroit wants long-term. thought to be on the outside looking in this year. This is not to say he’s particularly deficient in those other areas, mind But since it’s still early, let’s avoid dwelling too much on what Cholowski you. Just that they’re what the Red Wings are looking for him to build. has done in the Red Wings’ first 15 games and start looking ahead to the And Cholowski’s certainly aware of that. next 67. And since the team seems to have hopes of him being a top-pair guy, let’s set a high bar. “Just hitting plays quicker and gaps, I’d say, is the biggest thing,” Cholowski said Tuesday morning. “Just trying to be aware of it all the Here are the final-season numbers for the top defensemen in Calder time. Sometimes I do it; sometimes it’s a little loose. So just be thinking voting each of the last six years: about it while I’m in the game and being aware of where I am on the ice, ending plays quicker so I can get it on my stick quicker.” Via Hockey-reference.com That means stepping up quicker to end plays farther up the ice, not A couple of additional top-five finishers, John Klingberg in 2015 and Olli allowing teams to gain various zones and put more pressure on Detroit. Maatta in 2014, posted 40 and 29 points, respectively. Those are achievable things, and being aware of them will help him. But With the possible exception of Maatta, and accounting for stylistic being a rookie means things take time — even for a player who has thus differences among the group, that’s about as good as you can ask for a far looked ahead of schedule. rookie with top-pair hopes. And these are the numbers that, over the last Month one was great for Cholowski, who has been praised throughout half-decade, have been associated with establishing a player as that. the organization for his offseason efforts and has surpassed early Age is going to render direct comparisons here tricky — only Charlie expectations offensively. In the locker room, he has grown more and McAvoy was Cholowski’s same age (20) in his rookie season — but more at ease, at least with reporters, and Tuesday he easily handled a generally speaking the bar has been about 40 points for a top-five Calder scrum packed with out-of-town media from his home Vancouver area. finisher on D. Where he actually finishes among this bunch is, Now comes the next phase. As the surprise of his early production turns realistically, irrelevant to his development, but let’s go with this anyway, into a standard, Cholowski will have to keep meeting it, all while adding since it shows the bar for elite company. new elements to his game. Let’s also add the top finisher from the previous six years, too — just for It’s not necessarily going to be a simple task, nor is it especially fair to the sake of completeness (while allowing for the fact that offensive place the burden of elite expectations on him so soon. defensemen are more prized of late):

Via Hockey-reference.com But if Cholowski wants to get where the Red Wings think he can, that’s the road ahead.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114357 Edmonton Oilers needs a win over the Panthers, who haven’t played since returning from Finland after their Nov 1-2 games against the Jets.

POINT DREW MCDAVID IN TAMPA Edmonton Oilers notes: Milan Lucic gets fined over incident with Mathieu Joseph Tampa centre Brayden Point is Lightning’s best two-way player, often out against the other team’s big gun. It was his turn at Connor McDavid on Tuesday and he was very good.

Jim Matheson, Edmonton Journal “Point has done a remarkable job working his way into the league (third- round pick) and while you look at his offensive numbers and appreciate those, his face-offs and his attention to detail is really good,” said FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida — Milan Lucic wanted a refreshing day at McLellan. the beach Wednesday on an Edmonton Oilers off-day here, but instead was feeling the heat and on the phone with the Department of Player This ’n that: The Oilers top four on defence, solid for weeks, had troubles Safety offering his side as he looked for a pound of flesh after Tampa’s the last two road games. Klefbom and Adam Larsson struggled for one of Mathieu Joseph had hit Kris Russell from behind. their rare nights against the Caps and Russell and Darnell Nurse were -7 collectively against Tampa … McLellan didn’t know if Alex Chiasson, After some deliberation, the league rightly, decided to only fine Lucic dinged up in Washington, would play against Florida … Suspended $10,000. No suspension, a slap on the wrist, as it should be for the Vegas defenceman Nate Schmidt has been allowed to skate with his club players policing their game. and his first game will be Nov. 18 against Oilers in Edmonton.

“Just standing up for a teammate, especially a guy who gets penalties Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 11.08.2018 called on him when he hits clean … standing up for a heart-and-soul guy who puts his body on the line the way he blocks shots every night,” said Lucic. “He’s got a pretty nice mark on his face from the hit from behind.”

Lucic thought it was “time to react” at 5-2. He was right.

His coach Todd McLellan thought there was nothing wrong with it.

“We felt a player took a liberty with Kris Russell and I agree with that. Part of the reason we have Looch here is to watch out for that. His teammates need that (response),” said McLellan.

Lucic’s centre Ryan Strome figured it was one man trying to even a score.

“The league’s cracking down on whacks and slashes but the the league has to watch guys who’ve been run from behind. Kris was cut. It’s a game of emotion,” said Strome.

The Lightning saw it differently, which is their right.

“I thought it was a premeditated, blind-side hit,” Steven Stamkos said after the 5-2 Tampa win Tuesday. “I saw it live, I haven’t seen it replayed. You just don’t want to see that.”

Here’s how it went down. Lucic was in hunt mode after the refs missed the Joseph hit on Russell earlier in the third. He didn’t follow Joseph up the ice, baiting him with his stick. He waited until he came off the boards, they belted him with a body-check, hard. Albeit, an unsuspecting check, but not a high elbow. Then, he cuffed him a few times, then jumped on him. It wasn’t like he wailed on him like it was Ultimate Fighting. But the NHL has to be seen as being politically correct on violence.

The league used to let players look after their own store when they thought something was wrong. Now, they step in, look at the tape 100 times and make a disciplinary call. This was Lucic sending a, “don’t do that,” message to Joseph. He could have hurt him, but he didn’t. It looked like a reputation hearing for a “roughing” penalty.

Lightning disturber Cedric Paquette also spent much of the night running Oilers too-Oscar Klebom and Matt Benning.

“He tries to get under people’s skin,” said Lucic.

RATTIE BACK IN LINEUP

Ty Rattie should have had a goal in his first game back from his oblique muscle strain but Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped it with his helmet. But Rattie made nifty back-hand feed to Leon Draisaitl for a goal.

“I thought Ty played an admirable game. He hasn’t had a lot of practice time because we’ve played so many games (nine in 15 days),” said McLellan.

NO EXCUSES ON TRIP

McLellan didn’t want to use the compressed schedule as a crutch.

“We’ve lost two in a row and we’ve had a taxing time but I don’t want to use any excuses. We’re looking for a day off here, to hopefully, refill the tank so we can go home with a .500 trip,” said McLellan, who definitely 1114358 Edmonton Oilers The last option is that the Oilers do neither of these things; that they instead carry on in the course that they’ve started upon: not developing Puljujarvi, not trading Puljujarvi, just waiting as his value slowly declines Willis: Under the circumstances, playing in the AHL affords Jesse to the point where he can be flipped to St. Louis for Zach Pochiro and a Puljujarvi his best chance at career redemption conditional draft pick.

If they’re going to avoid that kind of disappointment, it might be a good idea to change what hasn’t worked over the last two seasons. Which is a By Jonathan Willis Nov 7, 2018 little awkward, because the current strategy of mostly leaving Puljujarvi in the press box to collect dust has been a semi-regular part of Todd

McLellan’s strategy in handling the situation. Jesse Puljujarvi was selected fourth overall at the 2016 NHL Draft. His Chiarelli was talking about it at least as early as Dec. 13, 2016. At that value since then has been reduced, but it has not yet been erased. point, Puljujarvi had sat for five of the team’s seven December games It seems clear that if the draft were to be redone today, he would not be and just as they are now, fans were getting antsy about it. selected so high. Puljujarvi has fallen to 11th among selected players in “He’s here because he’s on the team and he’s shown that he can play at total points, with a mere 29, and conservatively has already been passed this level,” Chiarelli said when asked about the situation. “He hasn’t by prospects such as Matthew Tkachuk, Clayton Keller, Mikhail played lately; I believe there’s a chance that he’ll play tonight. It’s not Sergachev, Charlie McAvoy and Alex DeBrincat. A reasonable case ideal to have an 18-year-old not playing every game. He may see some could be made for many others. time in the American League; we’ll see how it goes.” Draft position is after all just a snapshot in time, and in 2016 the picture But to those worried that it was cause for concern that the freshly drafted of Puljujarvi was far more flattering than it is today. He was regarded as a Puljujarvi was sitting idle, or not progressing, or perhaps even that his future star, a complete package of size, speed, scoring, smarts and lengthy stay in the pressbox was a result of discord between a GM who character. The MVP of the World Juniors as a young 18-year-old, refused to take him off the roster and a coach who refused to play him, International Scouting Services said he had “superstar potential.” The Chiarelli offered reassurances. Hockey News quoted one scout who said “you’re really splitting hairs here” when comparing him to Patrik Laine, who scored 44 goals for “When he’s not playing I don’t see improvement, but I’ve seen Winnipeg last season. improvement from the start of the year. I think he’s squeezing the stick a little bit. He’s had chances to score; the fact that he’s in position to score And the Oilers? The addition of Puljujarvi was cited by GM Peter Chiarelli is a good thing. When an 18-year-old doesn’t play all the time, or he’s as one factor which made trading away future Hart winner Taylor Hall playing limited minutes—and this is an age-old dilemma. You have to easier. balance the development at playing eight minutes vs. 15 minutes or 20 “He’s a really good player and we were fortunate to get him. Columbus minutes somewhere else. had other needs and I can’t speak for them. This happens sometimes,” “I’ve had extensive discussions with the coaching staff; we’re all on the Chiarelli said in the June 29 press conference following the Hall trade. same page on this. We’ll see how it goes throughout the Christmas “We were fortunate. Yes, it did make it easier. It made it easier. You don’t holiday. I’m happy with his development. It would be ideal if he was want to say ‘this guy’s filling this guy’s role,’ because he’s a young player playing every game, but he’s not, so we’ll address it as it goes along.” and he’s growing and he’s just beginning his career, but it did make it easier.” Puljujarvi played 10 minutes that night, which was one of just six games he’d play before being assigned to the AHL. His minutes in those games, Nobody imagined that in his third year as an NHLer, the player described respectively, were 6:36, 12:57, 9:50, 9:14 and 3:27. above would find himself scratched for the fifth time in eight games. Yet when Edmonton took to the ice against Tampa Bay on Tuesday, He’d spend the rest of the year in Bakersfield, scoring 28 points in 39 Puljujarvi found himself relegated to watching the action once again. contests. This was extremely respectable production for his age; at 18 he was scoring at basically the same clip as guys like Max Pacioretty, It’s frustrating, but hardly the whole story. As much as a lot of emphasis Andrew Ladd and Bryan Little had at 19. A comparison made more is placed on the “fourth overall” part of Puljujarvi’s draft number, some impressive by the fact those players were at the older end of the 19-year- should be given to the “2016” part, too. Edmonton’s second-round pick old spectrum and had previous North American experience, while that year was Tyler Benson, a rookie pro two months older than Puljujarvi was on the younger side of the 18-year-old spectrum and in his Puljujarvi. Benson has one goal and seven assists through nine AHL first season on this side of the Atlantic. games, a performance which is generally regarded as a success. The Oilers had jumped the gun a little bit in getting Puljujarvi to the NHL If Puljujarvi is to be scrutinized for failing to live up to his draft position, and although all the public comments – from Chiarelli and from due attention must also be given to his age. If he is to be damned for Bakersfield coach Gerry Fleming – were encouraging, the team now failing to win the confidence of his NHL coach on a full-time basis, we opted for patience. When Edmonton opened 2017-18, Puljujarvi wasn’t must also damn Benson and Cooper Marody and Cameron Hebig by the on the roster; instead he was sent back to the AHL for further same measure. There’s nothing magic about games in the NHL, as development, despite vacancies on the Oilers’ starboard side and he opposed to the AHL or WHL or NCAA, that means a player must mature stayed there even as the club got off to a slow start. faster simply by playing in them or be labeled a failure if they fail to excel immediately. The miles on Puljujarvi are no greater than they are on a It seemed like the right call. I won’t go through the various contemporary wide range of other 20-year-olds who are still easily accepted as quality comments explaining what Puljujarvi needed to do in the minors in order prospects, even if he’s a third-year pro and they are rookies. to earn major-league promotion; I summarized them already in a piece which ran on this site last fall. That column lauded the change in What the Oilers have is a promising 20-year-old player, albeit one whose Edmonton, which seemed now to be prioritizing Puljujarvi’s development stature has been much reduced from when he was a blue-chip 18-year- over immediate team need. old prospect. That leaves Edmonton with the task of getting a positive return with the precious development time it still has with this player. “Puljujarvi will be back in Edmonton soon enough,” that piece concluded complacently. “The important thing isn’t that it happens immediately. It’s Optimally, the team could hang on to Puljujarvi and develop him. As that when he does come back it’s to stay.” much as questions have developed about his game, he’s still a marvelous athlete with projectable skills. The Oilers have weaknesses at It ran Nov. 9. On Nov. 10, the Oilers announced the placement of Anton right wing and being able to plug even a middle-six forward with size, Slepyshev (another forward whose development path in Edmonton speed and a cost-controlled contract would have value. included long stretches in the press box) on injured reserve and recalled Puljujarvi from Bakersfield. Failing that, Edmonton could cash Puljujarvi in on the trade market at his current value. If they’ve soured on the player, or feel they can’t The dividends were immediate. Through the end of 2017 Puljujarvi adequately develop him, or simply feel they have a reasonable offer that appeared in 22 games, scoring eight goals and recording 11 points, while will solve some problems, this is a viable approach. averaging more than 14 minutes per night. Concerns about his uneven first season, worries that the Oilers had again jumped the gun by recalling him after only 10 minor-league games (and a single goal) Washington people can probably answer the question, Ovechkin receded to the background. developed last year. His leadership skills and the way he led that team to their championship, some of the things he did in the playoffs, that was Then they resurfaced. development 10, 11, 12 years into his career, so it never ends.”

Puljujarvi’s scoring evaporated. He’d put up just nine points in his last 43 The answer began as an admirably comprehensible lecture on the contests. As his production waned, his ice time dipped, falling into the 12- differences between junior, AHL-eligible/waiver-exempt and AHL- 13 minute range on most nights. The pattern echoed the trend that eligible/waiver-eligible prospects and ended as a discourse on Detroit general manager Ken Holland had observed over his long AHL Ovechkin’s postseason leadership. It touched on Puljujarvi only career, and shared with author Jason Farris for his book Behind the tangentially, in that along the way McLellan talked about how some Moves. players who aren’t Evan Bouchard and aren’t waiver-eligible can be “The minute a young kid would play well for six weeks, he’d get (called) assigned to the minors, and if we do a little research on our own we find up and (provide) a little bit of spark, and then six weeks later they would that this general class of player includes Puljujarvi. (be sent back) down and they were just beaten up,” Holland explained, At no point did McLellan offer his verbal opinion on what the Oilers noting that he’d mostly played in struggling organizations, desperate for should do with Puljujarvi. But he doesn’t really need to. Coaches may the help. “The league was too tough. They couldn’t make a difference. It dissemble or obfuscate or feign ignorance or just flat-out refuse to took you another few weeks, few months to get those players back to answer a question, but every single game they make lineup decisions where they (had been) confidence-wise and playing-wise.” and every single game those lineup decisions loudly proclaim their Chiarelli, although observing the same decline in Puljujarvi’s play that’s opinions. Puljujarvi, at age 20, has sat out one-thirds of his team’s so evident from the numbers, wrapped the experience up with an games. That speaks volumes, even if the coach prefers to take a wide optimistic ribbon when he was asked about the player in his year-end berth around anything that looks like a stated opinion on a given subject. press availability. It’s hard to escape the feeling that the Oilers are a little bit trapped by “I saw a real rejuvenated offensive player when we called him up, for a their clumsy handling of the player so far. They jumped the gun when he large part a dangerous player, and then I saw a player who lost a lot of was 18 and had to send him back down to the minors. They jumped the confidence at the end,” the GM said. “When you put it all together I liked gun when he was 19 and let him spin his wheels for half a season in the what his season brought, and frankly wouldn’t do anything differently. majors rather than send him back. And now here they are and the player He’s talented and physical enough to contribute at our level and develop is 20 and has one point in 10 games as the coach (mostly with success) at our level and that’s why we brought him up when we brought him up.” tries to cobble together a winning lineup that one-third of the time doesn’t include Puljujarvi. Despite subtle differences, the scripts for Puljujarvi were largely the same in both 2016-17 and 2017-18. There isn’t any particularly good way out of that predicament, and certainly no exit that guarantees a favourable outcome. What is certain is In 2016-17, he started the year with the club and played until the coach that the only was Puljujarvi can work his way out of it is with playing time. lost faith in him and consigned him to regular minutes in the press box. The GM talked about how much he liked his development, but noted he Some teams have chosen the AHL as a solution. Oilers fans may cringe was squeezing his stick a little too much. Shortly thereafter he was sent thinking about the yoyo development path of Magnus Paajarvi and Anton to the AHL, which seemed to rejuvenate him. Lander, but it need not end that way. Puljujarvi scored 0.31 points-per- game at age 19, and several players in that same range had long stints In 2017-18, he didn’t start the year with the Oilers. He started in the in the minors at age 20 and eventually emerged as NHLers: minors, and just as he started clicking got recalled. This time he played well for a stretch before his game collapsed. Again, the GM concluded Jiri Tlusty, drafted 13th overall by Toronto in 2006, had 16 points in 58 the year by talking about how much he liked Puljujarvi’s development and games at age 19 (0.28 points per game). He was sent to the AHL at 20, how lost confidence had become an issue as the year wore on. where he scored at a point-per-game rate, and went on to a 446-game NHL career spent mostly as an all-purpose middle-six forward. In both years Edmonton was far too eager to get him into the lineup, the player’s game slumped as he proved himself unready for the rigors of Kyle Turris, drafted 3rd overall by Phoenix in 2007, had 20 points in 63 regular NHL duty and the GM handwaved away those slumps as a lack games at age 19 (0.32 points per game). He was sent to the AHL at 20, of confidence rather than as something more serious. And while 2016-17 scored at just under a point-per-game rate, and is now 623 games into was perhaps excusable given the hype surrounding Puljujarvi, repeating an NHL career where he’s mostly been a really good second-line centre. the process in 2017-18 showed a basic inability on the part of the Oilers Mikkel Boedker, drafted 8th overall by Phoenix in 2008, had 28 points in to learn from their past mistakes. 78 games at age 19 (0.36 points per game). He was sent to the AHL at Now it’s fall 2018, and Puljujarvi has played just 10 of 15 contests, 20, stayed there for a while at 21, and is now 633 games into an NHL because like Phil Connors or the USS Bozeman he’s stuck in a time loop, career spent mostly as an all-purpose middle-six forward. doomed to repeat the same cycle eternally until he figures out the It’s embarrassing for a highly touted draft pick to have to step back into meaning of love or Data saves the day or in this case, something gives in the minors after his team rushed him into the majors. But that Edmonton. embarrassment need not stand in the way of a strong NHL career in the The head coach tends to end up taking the heat for this sort of thing, years that follow. The AHL can be a legitimate springboard for a good because he is the guy scratching the player on a recurring basis. But it’s young player, even one who logged major-league time as a teenager. fairer to view it as a sign of broader organizational indecision, rather than Readers with long memories will remember that sometimes these AHL laying the whole mess at the door of the coach. assignments were followed shortly thereafter by the drafting team giving On October 25, Puljujarvi was scratched against Washington, and up on the player in question. Of our three examples, only Boedker would McLellan was asked by TSN’s Jason Gregor whether the AHL was an pass the development stage with his original organization. option for the young player. McLellan, the plainspoken westerner, much Carolina managed to pawn off a disappointing prospect of its own, praised for his directness, gave him a doozy of an answer. Philippe Paradis, on the Leafs in exchange for Tlusty. They were “Well, let’s leave Jesse out of the equation; let’s talk about the young rewarded with several good years, including a brilliant lockout-shortened players,” he started. “For Evan Bouchard that’s not an option. There’s 2013 campaign where Tlusty had 38 points in 48 games. that type of young player in the league where they either play here and Ottawa did something similar, re-gifting perma-prospect David Rundblad develop and get practice time and try and grow their game and fit into a to the Coyotes in exchange for Turris, who turned into the player he is team environment or they have to go back to junior. There’s other players now almost immediately after the trade. that fit the mold where they can do it in the minors, and then there’s another group that just get past waivers and you have to make a decision (Rundblad had originally been acquired by Ottawa for the pick that St. on whether or not you want to risk losing that individual to waivers to get Louis turned into Vladimir Tarasenko, and was eventually flipped to him down or develop him here. Chicago for a package which included the pick used on Christian Dvorak. Since he’s only 28 years old, even now it’s possible the big lesson in all “But development’s ongoing; it goes on forever. Connor McDavid’s still of this is that someone should go sign him to a contract and then work developing. Leon’s developing. In Washington, some might say and the him into a trade involving any draft pick at all coming the other way.) The fates of Turris and Tlusty illustrate the risk that every path the Oilers might opt to take carries. If they send Puljujarvi to the AHL, they might lose him, as they have past prospects. If they keep him in the NHL, he might not develop. And while a trade might seem like the safest course, it’s entirely possible they end up with a faded prospect with no future, while some other team gets 400 useful top-nine games out of Puljujarvi.

There is no certainty here, and there’s no point in pining for a rerun of the 2016 draft or even in wishing that Edmonton had been less twitchy about his development. The player and the team are here now, and if each has cause for disappointment in the other, that’s a small matter compared to the larger one of getting the most out of a situation that should still be salvageable.

The Oilers still need right wings, which makes a trade undesirable. Puljujarvi still needs to play, which makes the NHL and McLellan’s skepticism less than ideal. That leaves the AHL, where Jay Woodcroft and Co. have been doing exciting things with Benson, Marody and Hebig. If given the chance, they might do even more with Puljujarvi.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114359 Florida Panthers

This defenseman has been one of the Panthers’ top offensive weapons so far this season

BY JORDAN MCPHERSON

The Florida Panthers’ most reliable source of offensive chances this season has come from their back line.

Veteran defenseman Keith Yandle, in his third season with the Panthers and 13th NHL season overall, has been a steady point producer during the early going of the season.

Just how good has he been? Yandle has not only recorded at least one point — which is earned by either scoring a goal or assisting on one — in all but two of the Panthers’ first 11 games this season, he also ranks in the top 10 in the league among defensemen in a slew of offensive categories.

“He’s taking charge,” Panthers coach Bob Boughner said. “His assets are obviously the way he can pass the puck and see the ice offensively.”

Yandle’s versatility and ability to fuel the offense will be critical as the Panthers begin a three-game homestand at the BB&T Center on Thursday against the Edmonton Oilers. The Panthers (3-5-3, 9 points) are about to begin a stretch in which they play 14 games in 24 days, a stretch the Panthers hope will get them out of their early-season rut in which they recorded an NHL-low nine points during their first 11 games and have been outscored 41-34.

“I know for me, I’d rather play than practice,” Yandle. said “It’s what you’re here for: To play games. We love playing. When you’re playing every other night, you don’t have time to think too much.”

The Panthers likely don’t want Yandle to think too much either if it means seeing the production he has already created this year.

Heading into Wednesday’s slate of games, Yandle ranked fifth among defensemen while averaging a career-best 1.09 points per game. His team-leading nine assists are tied for 10th among blue line players.

Boughner noted that he has seen Yandle begin to flourish after the coaching staff moved him down to the second line with Alex Petrovic

“I think it allows Yandle maybe to sort of be freed up a little,” Boughner said. “Don’t worry about having to be a shut-down guy every night, although we still want him to be aware and be good defensively with his details. Maybe mentally it helps him a little bit.”

But Yandle’s strength as of late is coming on the power play. When the Panthers are in a man-up situation, Yandle has thrived. He leads NHL defensemen with five power-play points and is one of five defensemen with multiple power-play goals so far this season. He tallied three points (2 goals, 1 assists) during the power play in the Panthers’ two-game Global Series matchup against the Winnipeg Jets in Helsinki, Finland, last week.

“Being on the top of the power play, it’s a responsibility to be that quarterback. He’s doing a great job of it,” Boughner said. “It’s a lot of deception out there, too. He’s looking one way and passing the other. He knows when to shoot and when to pass. He’s done a real good job of just getting his puck through at the right time.”

Yandle added: “Probably the best power plays are the shooting power plays. I think penalty kills are so good nowadays with all the video and stuff. You know what teams like to do and you know what they’re going to do. When you can catch them by surprise a little bit and get second opportunities at the net, that’s when things go good.”

Miami Herald LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114360 Los Angeles Kings Update: Minnesota center Eric Staal is sick and questionable to play, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The Wild have won seven of nine games, which included a 4-1 win against the Kings on Oct.25.

Kings' Ilya Kovalchuk has improved his play when they have needed it LA Times: LOADED: 11.08.2018 most

By CURTIS ZUPKE

This movie has played out before for Ilya Kovalchuk.

He was with the Atlanta Thrashers when they began the 2007-08 season 0-6 and fired coach Bob Hartley. They were a sub-.500 team the rest of the way. Kovalchuk, in his inimitable way, remembers the feeling.

“Those days are not what you’re looking for,” Kovalchuk said.

The same could be said 11 years later, at least to start. The 4-8-1 record the Kings compiled in their first 13 games was enough to cost John Stevens his job. It’s not what Kovalchuk predicted when he signed a three-year, $18.75-million contract, but the aforementioned experience conditioned him to the harsh realities of the game.

“It should be the wake-up call for all of us, because nobody’s safe here,” Kovalchuk said.

A 4-1 win over the Ducks on Tuesday is more of what Kovalchuk is looking for after five years away from the NHL. He scored his team- leading fifth goal and recorded his fourth multi-point game this season.

Kovalchuk has been more noticeable on a line with Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli the last two games, both wins. His hands and flashes of elite skill have been apparent, such as his one-time swat of the puck past Ducks goalie John Gibson on a break-in on net.

Kovalchuk is able to produce at 35 partly because of his much talked- about conditioning regimen, which is what drew Kings coach Willie Desjardins to Kovalchuk on a trip to Russia with the Canadian national team in the summer of 2017.

“We played them in Russia, and he was training,” Desjardins said. “I had my camera out and I was video [taping him], and I didn’t know if I was supposed to [film], so I had the camera down low.”

The trip was a run-up to the 2018 Olympics, when Desjardins coached Canada. His team didn’t play Kovalchuk and the Olympic Athletes from Russia in the tournament but Desjardins remembers seeing Kovalchuk play.

Desjardins has coached players from all walks of life, from Japan to North America, but he admits this is new territory to coach a world-class player who stepped away from the league for years.

But it’s an experience that he welcomes, judging by what he’s seen.

“Usually elite guys don’t leave the league,” Desjardins said. “He made some really high-end plays [Tuesday]. The key for me is just to get him to work hard. If I can get him to work hard, everything else will fall in place.”

One avenue toward that might be the less-is-more approach. Kovalchuk’s sub-16-minutes of playing time in each the last two games are among his fewest of the season. But he has four points in that span and the Kings’ power play has clicked at a five-for-14 rate the last four games.

Kovalchuk’s five goals put him on pace for more than 25 on the season, which falls into the 25-30 goal projection of the organization upon signing him. He remains, neatly, a point-per-game player with 830 points in 830 games. He has said he’s adapted to the new NHL but on Wednesday he offered up a 14-game critique.

“I think I can be much better,” he said. “I think we all can be more consistent, but me personally, I know I can do better. It’s still an adjustment process for me, but I feel much better.”

UP NEXT VS. MINNESOTA

When: Thursday, 7:30 p.m.

On the air: TV: FS West; Radio: iHeartRadio (LA Kings Audio Network). 1114361 Los Angeles Kings

What we learned from the Kings' 4-1 win over the Ducks

By CURTIS ZUPKE

Willie Desjardins has the pacing and the facial expressions down pretty good. Now if he can only emulate former coach and fellow Alberta, Canada, product with more wins.

His debut as Kings coach was successful on several levels. A 4-1 triumph against the Ducks at Staples Center gave the Kings two wins in a row for the first time this season, and glimpses of promise.

The Ducks continued to lose traction at 6-7-3 and find themselves searching for the same thing the Kings seek: emotional intensity.

Here’s what we learned:

Desjardins is a good communicator. Players reported that their new coach talked a lot and set a tone on the bench. Some of this was probably out of necessity as a brand-new voice but it’s a good sign.

“He’s kind of got a real-level demeanor, and I think that calm demeanor helps you stay calm,” Jack Campbell said. “I thought the boys really responded to everything he said and stuck to the game plan. It was just a really good start for us.”

Desjardins took the emotional temperature of his team postgame, when he talked about getting a good start, something he has always implored his teams to do. That’s been a big problem for the Kings.

“A big part of success is confidence,” Desjardins said. “I don’t think our confidence is great right now. I think at times we kind of fell back. But there’s little adjustments we can make that will make us better.”

Willie Desjardins guides the Kings in his first game as interim head coach, a 4-1 win over the Ducks on Nov. 6.

The presence of Brown cannot be underestimated. Brown is one guy, but it’s not an accident that the Kings are 3-1 since their former captain joined them following a broken finger.

Brown’s goal Tuesday gave him three goals in four games, and elevated the Kings’ power play to 5 for 14 over the past four games.

“You look when Brownie comes back this year, he’s an emotional leader out there,” Kyle Clifford said. “He doesn’t say a whole lot in the room, but he carries this team.”

Ryan Kesler called out his team. The Ducks center was blunt after a charged rivalry game in which the Kings were more physical than they’ve been in a long time.

“We just got bullied out there,” Kesler said. “They played their game and they pushed us around and we really had no response.”

Kesler and the Ducks haven’t gotten any traction this season. They were winless in seven straight, won one game, and then fell back Tuesday.

“Consistency. Identity,” Kesler said. “We’re trying to find all of that. Right now, I don’t believe we have that, and we got to find it soon, because we’re almost 15-20 games into the season. It’s not good enough right now.”

LA Times: LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114362 Los Angeles Kings four lines and that’s the kind of outing you need from them so we could do that.”

Gabe Vilardi update Kings’ Jake Muzzin stoked about team’s readiness for Ducks Forward Gabe Vilardi (back), just 19, continues to practice with the team on a non-contact basis. Desjardins provided an update on the team’s No. By ROBERT MORALES 11 pick in the 2017 draft.

“He’d be pretty well off-limits right now,” Desjardins said. “He’s getting a lot closer, though.” EL SEGUNDO — It was Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin who recently dropped several expletives while talking about the plight of his team the Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.08.2018 day after it dropped a 5-2 decision to the Philadelphia Flyers at Staples Center on Nov. 1.

He talked about the team not being as prepared as it should be, and he did not mince words.

“When you’re tip-toeing into a game, you’re just kind of not sure if you want the puck, you’re not sure you want to take a hit, (expletive) like that,” he said at the time. “(Expletive), it drives me nuts. So, including myself, we all have to be better at it.”

The next day, the Kings defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1, but the Kings fired coach John Stevens on Sunday and replaced him with Willie Desjardins on an interim basis.

Fast-forward to Tuesday. The Kings played their first game under Desjardins, and looked good in defeating the rival Anaheim Ducks 4-1 at Staples Center. Muzzin didn’t have any points, but he played a highly energized 23:22 and delivered an absolutely vicious hit that leveled Ducks forward Kiefer Sherwood.

Muzzin was pleased, in more ways than one. Again, he mentioned the preparation.

“We had a good game against Columbus the game before and we kind of just continued to build off that,” said Muzzin, whose team still resides in last place in the Pacific Division with 11 points at 5-8-1. “We’re still not where we want to be, so we have to keep this momentum going. And that’s what we focused on.

“Willie coming in had some fresh energy and, you know, I think we came prepared. That first period was great.”

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The Kings scored twice in the first period, and Desjardins said he really liked what his team did in those first 20 minutes.

Muzzin appreciated his hit on Sherwood. It was there, so he took advantage.

“That one was a good one,” Muzzin said Wednesday after practice. “Yeah, you want to be physical and sometimes you get big ones, sometimes you don’t. I mean, they come when they come.

“You can’t go out looking for a big hit because sometimes you’ll run out of position.”

Muzzin hit on Sherwood: https://t.co/4Fyh6FTOxX#ANAvsLAK #GoKingsGo #LAKings pic.twitter.com/97TlqNB36H

— Eric (@Kingsgifs) November 7, 2018

The crowd roared when Muzzin took down Sherwood. Desjardins and the players on the bench loved it, too.

“Yeah, it was a big hit,” said Desjardins, whose team takes on Minnesota (8-4-2, 18 points) at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Staples Center. “And it was a clean hit; that’s the key. Muzz is noted for that, so he can come in and he can deliver those hits. … It got the bench excited right away. There were a couple of plays that really got the bench going.”

Fourth line success

The Kings got two points and good overall play from their fourth line of center Nate Thompson and wings Kyle Clifford and Trevor Lewis on Tuesday. Clifford had a goal and Lewis an assist.

That’s what the Kings need, their coach said.

“Yeah, we’ll count on that fourth line,” Desjardins said. “It’s hard to win with only three, or you can’t win with two, for sure. So we want to play 1114363 Los Angeles Kings Canucks and 152 more in the AHL. And his familiarity with the Kings’ core pieces runs deep from having coached three seasons against them when he was with the Canucks, from the 2014-15 season to 2016-17.

Kings show positive signs in first game under Willie Desjardins, though The Kings (5-8-1) did many things right in Desjardins’ debut. They finally confidence remains an issue got off to a good start as it was just the second time this season they’ve led 2-0 after the first period.

By Lisa Dillman Nov 7, 2018 The other time was on Oct. 11 when Campbell shut out the Montreal Canadiens. On Tuesday, there was more of resemblance to the Kings of old – though they did take a step forward with a renewed defensive structure in what would be the last game under Stevens, on Saturday LOS ANGELES – Luc Robitaille made a quick trip into the Kings’ against the Columbus Blue Jackets. dressing room at Staples Center, a gathering of shiny happy people enjoying their first victory under a new coach, Willie Desjardins. Now they’ve won back-to-back games for the first time this season.

In the corner of the dressing room, the Kings president spied Jack The Kings outhit the Ducks, 24-18, highlighted by the punishment Muzzin Campbell, who made 30 saves and also contributed one eye-catching administered to Anaheim rookie forward Kiefer Sherwood early in the assist. Robitaille casually came over and tapped Campbell’s pads, third period. acknowledging the goaltender’s fine work in a 4-1 win against the Ducks. “He was just coming down the wing and had a good angle on him,” After all, the highest scoring left winger in league history can appreciate a Muzzin said. “I think he maybe tried to cut and it was just a good hit. I clever puck-handling play. was trying to catch my breath out there for a second.”

Not often does the winning goaltender contribute to difference-making The Kings have won three of the past four games, a stretch correlating plays at both ends of the ice. Robitaille is an infrequent visitor to the with the return of physical winger Dustin Brown, who missed the first 10 dressing room after games, which made his appearance on Tuesday games because of a broken finger. night noteworthy. Muzzin agreed with the assessment that they were starting to rediscover The interaction with Robitaille took mere seconds, probably longer than their identity against the Blue Jackets or even a bit before that game. the play of the game when Campbell had recorded his first career NHL assist, a dazzling stretch pass. It would lead to Ilya Kovalchuk’s second- “We’re focusing on short shifts and swarming in with pressure, creating period goal, making it 3-0. momentum and keeping it,” he said. “If we lose it, we’re trying to get it back as quick as possible. And we’ve done a good job of that. Our “That play he made, he looked like Marty Brodeur there,” said Kovalchuk, special teams has been better and that helps.” who played with the goaltender Brodeur, one of the best stickhandling netminders in NHL history, in New Jersey. Their power play, which had been ranked last in the NHL, has shown signs of life, climbing to 21st in the league (16.7%). The penalty kill had Brodeur, who will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday, been ranked 20th at the end of last month but has looked revitalized, now scored two goals and had 45 assists in his legendary career. eighth (82.9%).

Against Anaheim, Campbell looked at what was going on in front of him There are positive signs but Desjardins seems to be realistic about the with the Ducks and spotted an opening. challenges ahead. He liked the first period against the Ducks but acknowledged that they laid off a bit after getting ahead. Well, a big opening. “A big part of success is confidence, and I don’t think our confidence is “I saw them all changing,” he said. “They all kind of went to the bench. I great right now,” he said. “I think at times we kind of fell back but there’s thought it would be a smart play to throw it up and Ty (Tyler Toffoli) made little adjustments we can make that’ll make us better.” a great place to chip it over to Kovy. The Athletic LOADED: 11.08.2018 Campbell … the playmaking goalie.

“What a play,” Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin said. “He looked me off and went right up the wall. I was like, ‘Wow, I didn’t even have to touch it.’ It was great.”

But Campbell rightly put it in proper perspective. If he can facilitate, great. But his job responsibilities rest elsewhere.

Did he get a huge kick out of the assist?

“I got a huge kick out of going up 2-0 on the Ducks (after the first period),” Campbell said, smiling.

Oh that.

Now it’s tempting to read way too much into their victory in Desjardins’ first game behind the bench with the Kings, far too easy to make sweeping statements about the dawning of a new era.

That’s the way it is with the first game with a new coach following an in- season change. Or the first game of a new season – a big win and everyone starts planning a Stanley Cup championship parade. At the other end, a big loss and there are demands for mass firings and trades.

The timing couldn’t have been better: a new coach in a game against a longtime rival. In fact, the last time the Kings made an in-season coaching change – replacing Terry Murray with Darryl Sutter in December of 2011 – the first opponent happened to be the Ducks. The Kings required a shootout to win in Sutter’s debut and it also featured the return of Mike Richards, who had been out because of an injury.

There were plenty of other parallels. Desjardins, like Sutter, had one day of practice to get ready for the Ducks after being hired on Sunday to replace the fired John Stevens. But it’s like getting back on a bike for a career coach like Desjardins with 246 NHL games with the Vancouver 1114364 Los Angeles Kings Still, this is a winner, winner, chicken dinner league. Here’s Toffoli, describing the ins and outs of professional hockey eating habits. There might even be room once in a while for a cupcake.

TEACH ME (FEAT. TYLER TOFFOLI): HEALTHY AND SUSTAINABLE Tyler Toffoli, on when he began to get a handle on responsible eating EATING HABITS habits:

I think just as each year goes by, you learn what your body tells you – JON ROSEN what feels good when it goes in your body, and what doesn’t. It’s those little things. Obviously, staying away from the fried foods and stuff. But, at the same time, I still eat bad food every once in a while, just because it tastes good. When I have a couple days in between games, it doesn’t TEACH ME really matter what I eat. Allow me to present a new LA Kings Insider recurring feature – one that Toffoli, on whether he counts his calories or grams of fat: has actually been in the planning stage for over a year. During the season, whether on social media or in LAKI commenting, I get asked During the season, I definitely don’t watch as much, only because we’re questions about certain aspects of the team’s play, travel, logistics and practicing every day and playing, burning so many calories. But in the organizational structure. I try to answer these questions the best I can, summer, it’s definitely one of those things where you watch. I know I try but thought, ‘why not get the answer from someone more learned and my best to stay away from all the bad foods and eat really clean, and you ask a player?” And thus begins LAKI’s Teach Me series, which will just kind of stay on top of it when you’re trying to get into your best shape regularly ask a player on the team about an aspect of their profession or over the summer. role that may not immediately be known by the general, hockey-watching public. We’re planning on tackling a ton of topics that might not otherwise Toffoli, on how many different ways he’ll eat chicken, pasta, rice and be germane to the daily question-and-answer scrums that take up so vegetables over a season: much of our time between 11 am and noon. What is getting traded like? During the season, when we’re on the road, it’s super easy. There are so How would you describe playing in Montreal? What kind of a teammate many different options for us, for pre-game meals and stuff. In the was Colin Fraser? How do you deal with reporters and the media? How summer, I don’t really eat a whole lot of pasta, carby foods like that. I are rookies treated? How do nicknames stick? All of these topics – and kind of try to eat as clean as possible. many more – will be covered in the Teach Me series. Toffoli, on the most difficult foods to give up: So, let’s face it. This isn’t the hippest Teach Me feature. “So, Tyler Toffoli,” I said in my most nasally voice, “do you prefer broccoli or Going from junior to the American league, it was just easy to have a cucumber?” McDonalds or something after a game, just because it’s on the way home, and when we were in junior at least, it’s later, you can also eat The pursuit to properly prepare professional athletes obviously goes well whatever you want when you’re 17 years old. But now, after games, I try beyond simply making sure that they eat their veggies. Eating healthy is to eat as well as I can as possible, and there are meals for us that they part of a wide and comprehensively expanding universe in which teams cook and that we can bring home, which definitely makes our lives a lot will do much of whatever is possible to ensure that their players are easier so you don’t have to go home and cook something up when it’s performing to their peak physical limits of endurance and explosiveness. 11, 11:30 at night. In an increasingly hands-on endeavor, teams will often hire their own nutritionists – Kristy Morrell, who also works with the USC athletic Toffoli, on whether players can still eat chicken fingers and fries from department, is the Kings’ official Sports Dietician – who help plan daily time to time: meals and will work with players individually, even to the point of providing lists of the foods they should keep in their house and taking Every once in a while, definitely. I don’t have a kid, so I’m not around it as younger players shopping at supermarkets. Whether at home or on the much. All that stuff, it’s so good, and when you grow up eating chicken road, at a hotel or on a charter flight or at Staples Center, the Kings are fingers and pizza and burgers and stuff, you’re still going to have it, but responsible for providing about 75% of the players’ meals, and Morrell it’s definitely one of those things as when you grow older, you just realize has done a good job auditing the meal plans and working with the team’s you can’t eat it. chef at Toyota Sports Center when anything needs to be adjusted. All LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.08.2018 players are different. Some want to get leaner, some need to add muscle mass to their frames. Some have significant food allergies. What might work for Jeff Carter might not work for Oscar Fantenberg. Likewise, what might be appropriate to eat one day might not be appropriate the next. To recover from games, a higher carbohydrate intake may be needed. When players need to repair tissue in their bodies, they’ll consume more protein.

The NHL is sometimes referenced as the Never Hungry League, a colloquialism that is particularly apt on road trips. For a typical road game day, the ballroom in which the team eats breakfast will often open at 7:30 a.m., and after returning from the morning skate, there will also be a lunch, a pre-game snack, and, if the team returns to the hotel that night, a post-game team dinner. This is in addition to the fruit and granola bars available at check in and in the hotel suite the players relax and unwind in, and the post-practice lunches on non-game days.

“We have breakfast [on the road], it’s standard,” Toffoli said. “There’s eggs, there’s an omelet station for us. There’s scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, and then for the guys like Carts and other guys who can eat whatever they want, there’s French toast and pancakes. We’ll then go to the rink and practice, and we’ll come back, and honestly, you wouldn’t even believe how much food there is. There’s like five different types of pasta, there’s different types of vegetables, and then there’s chicken, salmon and turkey meatballs, and then there’s different sauces and stuff for you, as well.”

These set-ups are also available at home, where the Kings have catered breakfasts and lunches in the team’s private areas. It’s also different from the routines in junior hockey. Though junior standards are also evolving, eating post-game burgers and pizza is a familiar staple of post-game bus life on road trips. 1114365 Los Angeles Kings it’s natural. When I was playing, Lemieux was in the last years of his career like Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, all those guys. Now it’s like Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin, now it’s those guys. I didn’t know if it’s much, NOVEMBER 7: VILARDI; WILD; WHAT KOVALCHUK’S SEEING; much faster, but probably it is, a little bit. But I didn’t feel that much WEAPONIZING SPEED different.”

Kovalchuk’s conditioning is a large reason he’s been able to hit his early marks. His training regimen had been advertised earlier in the summer, JON ROSEN but on Wednesday, Desjardins admitted to capturing some covert video footage of his training while passing by a Russian team area at the 2017

Channel One Cup in the lead up to the PyeongChang Games. INSIDERS. A very happy Wednesday to you and yours. The LA Kings “I had my camera out, and I was videoing it. I didn’t know if I was practiced at Toyota Sports Center at 11:00 a.m. and remained on the ice supposed to, so I had it kind of down low,” Desjardins said, smiling. “He for the better part of an hour. Let’s get down to brass tacks. works really hard in the gym. Like, he trains hard, so I was secretly taping him so I could bring it back and watch what he was doing, so it was Notes! good.”

–We’re still learning the rhythm and structure of Willie Desjardins’ That work and the pure, unadulterated skill that the organization so badly practices. There were no real line rushes and no color-coding beyond the needs has been reflected in his team-best production and a raised yellow and purple practice jerseys worn by the forwards and the black scoring chance production rate. jerseys worn by the defense. He also noted yesterday that because he wants players to be rested for the game, he won’t always hold full-team “He makes some really high-end plays, and the key for me is just to get morning skates the day after a regular practice. I don’t know how much him to work hard,” Desjardins said. “Like, if I can get him to work hard, stock to put into this, but Michael Amadio and Paul LaDue remained on everything else will fall in place.” the ice for some extra work with Peter Budaj and Gabe Vilardi today. Los –Especially early on Tuesday, the Kings played with a good pace that Angeles faces Minnesota Thursday night at Staples Center (7:30 p.m. / had been missing for much of the season. They turned pucks over FOX Sports West / FOX Sports app / LA Kings Audio Network). quickly and sent play in the opposite direction and, in several instances, –Vilardi has been participating in practice without a red, no-contact got defensemen into the rush. Was there any any significant shift in jersey, but that doesn’t mean he’s been cleared for full contact. “He’d be schematics in the team’s first game under Desjardins? pretty well off-limits right now, still, but he’s getting a lot closer, though,” “I don’t think there’s such a big change,” said Adrian Kempe, though the Desjardins said. young forward did note a shift in thinking. –A quick update on Thursday’s visitors: Eric Staal, who scored 42 goals “He wanted us to be more creative and have more fun out there with the last season, missed Tuesday’s 4-3 loss in San Jose due to illness – puck, and I think that reflected pretty good in the game yesterday. I Bruce Boudreau told reporters today that it’s likely the center has a virus thought our offense was better, and I think we felt, everybody, that we – and is “questionable” to play tomorrow at Staples Center. can be more creative with the puck and stuff like that, and don’t be afraid Boudreau said Staal is still sick. They think it’s some sort of virus. Will fly to make mistakes. Obviously, that’s going to happen, but if you’re not commercially tonight to LA, probably. He’d have to make a bigtime afraid to make them, there’s going to be less mistakes as well, so I bounceback to play tomorrow #mnwild thought it was a good game yesterday from our team, and we need to build on that.” — Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) November 7, 2018 Did the pace seemed to be raised at ice level, or are we searching for a Thursday’s game is the first of a back-to-back set for the Wild, who play narrative or something that might not be there? the Ducks at Honda Center on Friday. “I think the first period, for sure, we wanted to come out and show our –Ilya Kovalchuk: 830 NHL games, 830 career points. There are valid speed and play fast and physical right away, and that was a really good questions about the ceiling of this offense and where exactly Los Angeles first period,” Kempe said. “We got a couple of goals and we kept building is going this season and beyond, but their key free agent target has been on that, and we just tried to play more creative with the puck and play as a part of the solution rather than a part of the problem, totaling five goals you should do in the D zone and try to get out of the zone as quickly as and 14 points through the first 14 games after Tuesday’s one-goal, three- possible.” point, first star performance. Desjardins was happy with the team’s skating and overall play in the first “I think I can be much better,” he said. “I think we can all be more period, and throughout the game was happy with their ability to defend consistent, but me, personally, I know I can be better. It’s still an well and work hard to get the puck back. He cited in-game adjustments adjustment process for me, but I feel much better. I think our power play that the players picked up on well, such as Ilya Kovalchuk and Tanner started clicking a little bit because we started working. That’s very Pearson flip-flopping at times on the left side of the lineup. He was also important, because in today’s game, the special teams make a huge happy with the performance of the fourth line, led by Nate Thompson’s difference, and if you win your battles, five-on-four and four-on-five on the two shots, three hits and plus-two rating in 15:13 of ice time. PK, then you’ve got a good chance to win the game.” “Yeah, we’ll count on that fourth line,” Desjardins said. “It’s hard to win He’s yet to consistently be set up on that one-timer, but with one goal with only three. You can’t win with two, for sure. We want to play four and six points, his power play production reflects his underrated lines, and that’s the kind of outing we need from them.” playmaking ability. That offensive awareness was on display Tuesday as he sensed some chaos in front of John Gibson and backhanded a rolling But as for the speed, all teams want to play with a crisp cadence and puck towards the goalmouth, where Dustin Brown chopped a one-hopper transition quickly and minimize the time spent in the defensive zone. into the net to open the scoring. That’s not unique to any team; it’s a reflection of the modern game. Where is the nuance? How do the 31 teams weaponize that speed and He’s got points in four straight games, with his latest three coming use it to their benefit? against an Anaheim team whose personnel featured only three players – Ryan Getzlaf, Andrew Cogliano and Cam Fowler – from his last outing “I do think it depends on the teams,” Desjardins said. “There are certain against the Ducks on February 17, 2012. teams that are built a little bit different. I think we’re a team that’s built a little bit different. Like, we’re a heavier team. Maybe we’re not as quite as Many reporters were quick to question him about his speed and how it good at the transition team – and we’ll keep working at that – but we’re would align with a more up-tempo NHL during off-season and pre-season good in our own zone and the heavy game. A lot of times the heavy media availability. What about now? What types of trends does he see in game is the one that works in the playoffs. The only problem is that you a league he last played in five years ago? have to get to the playoffs, so that’s kind of the key. We’re maybe not as quite as quick in that transition. We’ll work at it, we’ll get better. But we “It’s tough to say,” he said. “The NHL always was very good. You have to also do other things better than other teams.” be at your top level to compete with all those guys. Right now, kind of a generation changing, and all those younger guys like McDavid, MacKinnon, like Kucherov, all those guys, they come into the league, and On Tuesday, that transition was highly beneficial and allowed them to score the rush-type goals potted by Kyle Clifford and Kovalchuk. The Clifford goal started when Clifford pressured Sam Carrick into a turnover that Jake Muzzin flipped to Trevor Lewis, who fed an activating Alec Martinez, who met scant resistance through the neutral zone.

“There’s way more skating for guys in the game, and for us, it’s not just skating with the forwards, it’s the D, too,” Desjardins said. “We’ve got to get our D moving. I thought they were good last night. They joined, they created some stuff on the rush for us, and we’ve got to keep getting them involved.”

–Any German speakers? Marco Sturm held a press conference alongside German Federation President Franz Reindl to talk about his decision to join the LA Kings upon the conclusion of the Deutschland Cup.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114366 Los Angeles Kings their best players if they’re to make something out of this puzzling season.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.08.2018 WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: NOVEMBER 7

JON ROSENNOVEMBER 7, 2018

GAME STORY

The LA Kings, who have begun to pick up the pieces after a tumultuous start that shook their foundation from its axis, had a favorable match-up in Willie Desjardins’ first game as head coach. The Anaheim Ducks, in case anyone hadn’t noticed, entered Tuesday’s game reeling under a not-too-different set of broader circumstances – team identity, age and pace of play are also topics du jour in Orange County – yet influenced heavily by injury and a sharply uphill direction of play. So, in the type of game that often provides the team with a new coach an extra degree of focus and emotion, this was a comfortable landing spot for a Kings group that needs as many points as it can collect as quickly as possible. In their 4-1 win, Los Angeles did a number of things they hadn’t done well to this point. They won critical early moments of the hockey game that allowed them to jump out to a 2-0 first period lead, using a first period power play goal by Dustin Brown – his second power play goal and third goal overall in four games – to claim a lead before relying on several important Nate Thompson blocks and Jack Campbell’s sliding save on Brandon Montour to preserve the lead. From there, the Kings were rewarded for several deft touches and their quick turnaround in play leading to Kyle Clifford’s goal. This is one of the league’s heaviest rivalries. (We all know the tendencies of Kings-Ducks games.) It was a surprise in an early and important juncture of the season to see Anaheim come out of the gates a little bit flat. “I think when you make one or two mistakes and then three and four mistakes, the puck will end up in the back of your net. That is what happened tonight, and we just got bullied out there,” Ryan Kesler said. “You know they played their game and they pushed us around and we really just had no response.”

Some individual performances are worth mentioning, or, in Jake Muzzin’s case, writing a sonnet to commemorate. Now, regular readers of Jaking Up with the Kings Waking Up with the Kings know this column to be an impartial and unabridged diary of both the positive and negative aspects of Jake Muzzin’s wonderful, wonderful skill set. On Tuesday, he was Los Angeles’ best defenseman. Clifford pressured Sam Carrick into turning the puck over into Muzzin’s hands, and in the abbreviated span of half a second, Muzzin quickly flipped it on his backhand to Trevor Lewis, who fed an activating Alec Martinez to pick up some speed through the neutral zone, leading to the second goal. It was one of several subtle Muzzin touches to either end or start plays, and that includes a quick Ryan Kesler separation from the puck in front of the Anaheim bench in the second period that sent play in the other direction. He was also a flying force out there, playing the type of engaged physical game that feeds his confidence in other areas; it’s almost a surprise he didn’t score a goal. He was credited with three hits and five of the team’s 23 blocked shots in 23:22, finishing a plus-three and serving as one of the veterans that helped set the hardened, engaged tone at the outset of the game. Ilya Kovalchuk was threatening all night and registered three points in an economic 15:45 of work. He’s back up to 830 points in 830 career games and leads the Kings with 14 in 14 games.

Juan Ocampo/NHLI

This was obviously a win that reflected team-wide detail and commitment, so singling out two players isn’t telling the entire story. Los Angeles did what it had to do against Gibson, who’s about as good a goalie as there is in the NHL right now. They came out attacking, had a quick, up-ice mindset and got bodies and pucks to the net to take advantage of their opportunities. To beat Gibson, who entered with a .935 save percentage, it’s beneficial to score on the second shot, some six minutes into the game. The Kings are now 3-1-0 on their current homestand but still far back in the Western Conference picture. Before their road schedule picks up, it’s imperative that they sustain this honeymoon period as long as possible and not fall back into any familiar downfalls that marked much of their season to date. They’ll have to be better at the outsets of games, just as they were Tuesday. They’ll have to continue to produce in special teams, just as they have been with a power play that’s 5-for-14 over its last four games and has killed off 17 straight penalties over its last five. They’ll have to get Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty going, because their best players are going to have to be 1114367 Minnesota Wild “It’s a nice time to get away from hockey, too, and just sit and have a meal and enjoy two hours with each other.”

Star Tribune LOADED: 11.08.2018 Wild enjoys fine dining on road trips

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune NOVEMBER 7, 2018

LOS ANGELES – When Wild winger Nino Niederreiter studies the schedule for a season, he looks at when the team will travel to Philadelphia. His reason for searching out this date on the calendar, however, has nothing to do with hockey. Niederreiter wants to know when he can sink his teeth into a slab of beef from a steakhouse named Barclay Prime. “We can’t wait to go there,” he said. More than halfway through a franchise-•record seven consecutive road games, Wild players have been reacquainted with life out of a suitcase barely a month into the season. And while being away from home can present challenges, from not having last change in games to losing out on sleep while flying into the early-morning hours to the next city, dining at some of the finest restaurants in North America is a perk players embrace. “Not many people get to do that as much as we do,” forward Charlie Coyle said. “It’s really nice to be able to do that, so you feel fortunate.” Building a Rolodex of go-to eateries is a rite of passage in the NHL. Although some might do research on their own, most players start to figure out their spots by quizzing teammates. “You’re kind of looking for a veteran to hold your hand and bring you places,” winger Marcus Foligno said. “And also pick up the bill.” Players tend to dine in packs; a group text message goes out detailing the night’s pick and when to meet in the hotel lobby to depart for dinner. With the Wild, six to eight in a party is common and the menu is typically one of three cuisines — steak, Italian or sushi. And players have their preferences for each. Goalie Devan Dubnyk’s favorite steak is at Nick and Sam’s in Dallas. Foligno likes Cafe Milano in Washington, D.C. And Miku in Vancouver is where Coyle — who is a sushi fanatic — gets his fill when the Wild visits the Canucks. “I try to get it as much as I can,” said Coyle, who — despite being from the Boston area — didn’t try seafood until he moved to Minnesota. Since they’re usually fueling up for an upcoming game, players are mindful of what they’re eating. But they’re also not afraid to occasionally indulge. “It’s not like you’re going to get dessert every single night,” Niederreiter said. “But some nights you feel like it. You look at it and some dessert smiles at you, and you have to take it.” The group also savors the conversation with teammates. When they’re in the Twin Cities, everyone tends to spend nongame nights with family and the players with wives and children rarely eat out. Winger Zach Parise has a chef come in at the beginning of the week to prep meals that he and his wife Alisha can finish off when it’s time to eat. Dubnyk’s trainer also sends over soups every few months that he can heat up; otherwise his wife, Jennifer, crafts the night’s menu. Same with Foligno’s wife, Natascia, who serves up Italian dishes such as chicken Parmesan and lasagna. “I think after my playing career I’ll be a little bigger than I am now,” Foligno said. But on the road, players bond over meals. And they always order a side of camaraderie. “Hockey’s always going to be a subject of discussion at the table,” Foligno said. “But you kind of just get to know each other — their hobbies, what they do in the summer time, where guys go and live. That’s what you want. 1114368 Minnesota Wild

Wild-Kings preview

SARAH MCLELLAN

9:30 p.m. at Los Angeles • Staples Center • FSN, 100.3-FM Road trip continues with Kings Preview: This will be Los Angeles’ second game with interim coach Willie Desjardins. The Kings fired John Stevens after a 4-8-1 start. Players to WATCH: Winger Ilya Kovalchuk leads Los Angeles in goals (five) and points (14). Defenseman Drew Doughty is averaging a team- high 27 minutes of ice time per game. Numbers: The Wild didn’t have a penalty in the 4-3 loss in San Jose on Tuesday, the ninth time that’s happened in franchise history. The Kings are 4-3-1 at home. Goalie Jack Campbell has a .918 save percentage. Injuries: Wild Fs Eric Staal (illness) and Matt Hendricks (general soreness) are questionable. Kings G Jonathan Quick (torn meniscus), D Paul LaDue (undisclosed) and F Jonny Brodzinski (shoulder) are out. Star Tribune LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114369 Minnesota Wild

Wild's Eric Staal, Matt Hendricks questionable to play vs. Kings

By Sarah McLellan NOVEMBER 7, 2018

SAN JOSE, Calif. – The Wild might not get center Eric Staal back to face the Kings Thursday, and the team may also be without veteran Matt Hendricks. Neither player was on the ice Wednesday afternoon in San Jose for a brisk practice before the group departed for Los Angeles. Staal remains ill, and the team believes he may be dealing with a virus. It’s likely he doesn’t fly to L.A. until Wednesday evening instead of accompanying the team in the afternoon. “Tonight he’d have to feel really good tonight and have a really good morning skate to feel strong enough to go,” coach Bruce Boudreau said. “I would say he’s questionable.” The same status appears to apply to Hendricks, who Boudreau said had a maintenance day as he deals with bumps and bruises. Hendricks subbed into the lineup Tuesday with Staal unavailable, and he logged 13 minutes, 18 seconds in his first action since he suffered a lower-body injury Oct.16 against the Coyotes. Boudreau still expects the Wild to be able to dress 12 forwards against the Kings because if Staal or Hendricks can’t play Thursday, he said the team will call somebody up from the American Hockey League. “We won’t be a man short one way or another,” Boudreau said. Despite falling to the Sharks 4-3, the Wild assembled a strong effort without Staal. The team limited San Jose to 22 shots and didn’t give the Sharks a single power play – only the ninth time that’s happened in franchise history and the fourth on the road. While there was still disappointment with the result, the Wild seemed to recognize the positives from that showing and exhibited an upbeat vibe during Wednesday’s session. And with a back-to-back upcoming against the Kings and Ducks, resetting in a hurry will be important. “They were pretty energetic this morning out there,” Boudreau said. “That’s a good sign.” Star Tribune LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114370 Minnesota Wild Game time: 9:30 p.m. Thursday Where: Los Angeles How did ‘techno-ish’ anthem ‘Better Not’ become the Wild’s victory song? TV/Radio: FSN, KFAN-FM 100.3 Pioneer Press LOADED: 11.08.2018 By DANE MIZUTANI

LOS ANGELES — After each Wild victory, assistant equipment manager Matt Benz performs perhaps the quietest big job in the organization. While players celebrate on the ice, and coaches exchange high-fives on the bench, Benz makes a mad dash back to the locker room to get everything set up for the postgame festivities. The job, he knows, isn’t so much taxing as it is important. Heck, the only thing Benz really has to do is push a button, step away and let the music play. But it’s all in the timing: When players walk through the dressing room door, techno anthem “Better Not” by Louis The Child must be blaring over speaker system. The song was chosen by defenseman Matt Dumba. “It was a summer tune that my buddies played a lot,” he said. “You’ve always got to feel it out. You’ve got to have a night out with the boys or something and kind of go from there. It’s a feel-good tune, so I threw that in the mix. It might stick. It might not.” Considering the Wild enter Thursday’s 9:30 p.m. puck drop at Los Angeles second in the Central Division with an 8-4-2 record and 18 points, it might be better not to mess with a good thing. “It’s got a good beat to it,” said Marcus Foligno, who’s been known to belt out an off-key rendition from time to time. “It makes us feel good whenever we hear it. That’s what winning is all about.” It’s hard to imagine a more random a victory song anywhere else in the NHL. In a culture where bass-heavy “bangers” have monopolized the turn up, and SoundCloud rappers have finessed their way onto the radio and into the mainstream, “Better Not” isn’t exactly a typical celebration anthem. It’s eclectic vibe is devoid of an overpowering bass line, and aside from a few calculated beat drops throughout its 3 minutes, 43 seconds, it’s pretty mellow by today’s standards. Add in the fact that game-winning songs the past two seasons have been chart-topping tracks “Bad And Boujee” by Migos and “Rockstar” by Post Malone and this one really doesn’t fit. And maybe that’s the point. As long as everyone inside the locker room likes it, it doesn’t matter what anybody outside of it thinks. “You find that it doesn’t really matter what the song ends up being,” goaltender Devan Dubnyk said. “You’re always going to like it because it’s associated with a good feeling after the game.” Still, most players admit they had never heard the song before Dumba, the team’s unofficial locker room DJ, played it for the first time. “It’s kind of a techno-ish song, I think, or something like that,” Eric Staal said with a laugh, adding that he still doesn’t even know the name of the actual song. “I’d know it if I heard it. I guess the more we win, the more we’ll get to know it — and the more we’ll get to love it.” That’s usually how it goes over the course of an 82-game season; that game-winning song has a way of burrowing its way into the subconscious of almost every player. Staal still has an affinity for Kanye West’s “Gold Digger” because it was Carolina’s victory song when he won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006. “Anytime I hear that song, that’s what I think of,” he said. “It’s just one of those things.” And yes, Staal still knows all the words. That’s what the Wild hope happens with “Better Not,” as random as it might seem on the surface. “It’s hard to pick a song that everyone likes,” Dumba said. “As long as the boys start having a connection with it, though, that’s all that matters. You want it to be a feel-good tune. That’s the most important thing.” MINNESOTA WILD VS. LOS ANGELES KINGS 1114371 Minnesota Wild Milstein says the Wild are respecting the fact that Kaprizov has committed to remaining in Russia through the 2019-20 season. He says it’s impossible to buy Kaprizov out of his contract, something Leipold To Russia with love: Wild owner writes Kirill Kaprizov a letter … in understands. Russian But Leipold wants to continue to have open dialogue with Kaprizov so he always knows the door is open in two years. For many reasons, some of which the Wild couldn’t control, former Wild GM Chuck Fletcher wasn’t By Michael Russo Nov 7, 2018 able to get that message across to Kaprizov the past few years. “I can’t say that we didn’t do a good enough job in the past, but I’ve always wondered what if we had done more and would he not have LOS ANGELES — Craig Leipold desperately wanted to travel to Moscow signed that extension to the contract,” Leipold said. “I don’t know the with general manager Paul Fenton so he could meet Kirill Kaprizov, look answer to that, and we never will, but I know that he’s a good player. him straight in the eyes and convey just how badly the Wild want the He’s got options in Russia. And if he wants to play for the NHL, he has to dynamic young prospect donning a Wild sweater in a few years. come to us. Particularly after this meeting, it went very well, and we feel really good that he will come over here as soon as he’s able.” There has been too much lost in translation since the Wild drafted him in 2015, and the lack of communication at least partly resulted in Kaprizov Staal still sick signing a two-year extension with his KHL team that will keep him from signing with the Wild until at least the 2020-21 season. Wild center Eric Staal, who missed his first game since 2014 on Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks, was still sick Wednesday. He didn’t Unfortunately, Leipold’s twice-replaced left hip didn’t heal fast enough for practice and the hope was that he could catch up with the team in Los the team’s owner to cross the Atlantic with Fenton on Saturday morning Angeles by playing commercially Wednesday night. so he could meet Kaprizov. So Leipold did the next best thing he could think of: On personalized Minnesota Wild Craig Leipold stationary, the “We think it’s some sort of virus, so we thought he’d stay away again owner wrote Kaprizov a letter … in Russian. today,” coach Bruce Boudreau said. “It was translated into Russian and typed in Russian, so when they sat Boudreau said Staal, who had his consecutive games played streak of down and had dinner the other night, Paul gave Kirill the letter and he 335 interrupted, is questionable to play against the Kings on Thursday. read it with a big smile on his face,” Leipold told The Athletic during a phone interview Wednesday. “He’d have to feel really good tonight and have a really good morning skate to feel strong enough to go,” Boudreau said. How’d Leipold manage to have his letter translated and typed into Russian? Matt Hendricks returned from a knee injury against the Sharks but couldn’t practice Wednesday. “I have my sources,” Leipold joked. “He had a maintenance day. He had some bumps and bruises,” What did the letter say? Boudreau said. “We won’t be a man short one way or another. We’ll make a move to call somebody up or Matt will play or Eric will play.” “It was just a personal letter saying that I apologize that I can’t make it … but I told Kirill that, ‘The State of Hockey is so looking forward to having The Athletic LOADED: 11.08.2018 you play here and we can’t wait for you to come to this state.’ Paul sent a note back that said, ‘Kirill loved the letter and is so pumped to come here, I think he would come right now if he could.’” Leipold’s response? “I sent Paul another note saying I could have the plane there in 12 hours,” Leipold said before erupting in laughter. “The league won’t be too happy with that last comment,” he added. “It was just a joke. … I swear, it’s a joke.” Fenton flew to Moscow with Kaprizov’s Russian-speaking agent, Dan Milstein, to watch Kaprizov play two games for CSKA Moscow. He’s now in Finland scouting the Karjala Cup, a tournament that Kaprizov is also participating in with his national team. In between, Fenton and Kaprizov had dinner with Milstein, a native of Russia, serving as interpreter. Besides Leipold’s letter, it’s believed Fenton delivered other Wild goodies like apparel and a recruitment video showing what it would be like for him to play at Xcel Energy Center and the TRIA practice rink. “Paul, Kirill and I had a nice dinner,” Milstein said in an email to The Athletic. “Both Kirill and Paul were impressed with each other. They will stay in touch going forward.” Like all Wild fans, Leipold watches highlights of the 21-year-old with his mouth ajar. The Wild, in their history, haven’t had too many players with this much hype, with this much skill and with this much decoration. He captained Team Russia in the world junior championships two years ago and scored a tournament-leading nine goals. He scored the Olympic gold-medal clinching overtime goal just this past winter in South Korea. He set an Under-20 KHL record two years ago with 42 points (20 goals) in 49 games for his old team, Salavat Yulaev (Ufa), last season led CSKA Moscow with 25 assists and tied for first with 40 points and this season leads the team with 10 goals and is tied for second with 17 points. He’s a highlight machine. Leipold wants Kaprizov to bring his talents to St. Paul in two years, and that was the purpose for Fenton’s visit and Leipold’s letter in Russian. “We want him to feel welcome here,” Leipold said. “We want him to feel wanted here. I communicated to him that our team and our community are all waiting for him, and we look forward to the day that he lives in St. Paul.” 1114372 Minnesota Wild 7:30 PM - Oct 3, 2018 130 From ice to mic, ex-player Ryan Carter is bringing a fresh voice to Wild See Minnesota Wild's other Tweets media Twitter Ads info and privacy

Carter will also serve as an ambassador for the Wild’s “Faceoff for Michael Russo Nov 7, 2018 Fitness” school assembly program. Over the next two years, Carter will go to more than 90 elementary and middle schools in the Twin Cities to talk to kids about the importance of physical fitness, nutrition and healthy SAN JOSE — “No way! Security!” captain Mikko Koivu yelled after lifestyle choices. spotting the Wild’s newest reporter creep onto a bench that would In addition, starting next Thursday, Carter will begin to do periodic pre- normally be “no-access” for ink-stained wretches, internet scribes and and post-game shows as an analyst on FSN. most television microphone holders. Even though Carter used to play hockey in front of thousands of fans “You playing with all your buddies out there?” the reporter courageously nightly, he’s particularly scared about this new role. He has shadowed fired at the Wild’s longest-tenured player on the first day of training camp former player-turned-analyst Wes Walz just to learn the ropes and the two months ago. Wild have also schooled him on different techniques, like breaking down A few minutes later, the reporter grabbed hold of a mic and began to video, as he sits on the desk next to FSN host Audra Martin. interview Zach Parise. “It’s different, at least I’m finding it’s different being interviewed and “Rumors are flying around you’re a little heavy on the scale. Big talking about yourself all the time and you develop a comfort doing that summer? Buffet line?” the reporter asked. as opposed to being the one holding the mic,” Carter said. “I’m on the other side now asking questions or talking about the game. It’s a setting “Actually, I’m a little lighter. Can’t you tell?” Parise countered. I’m not familiar with and don’t have experience doing, so there’s a definite settling in period that isn’t easy.” “A little lighter? Maybe the gear’s gotten bigger over time,” the quick- witted reporter shot back at Parise. It’s not just the on-camera aspect that Carter is nervous about. These are not typically things professional reporters would — or should Again, these are his friends, so Carter doesn’t want to be too critical — say to players, but this is the genius of hiring Ryan Carter to work for when dissecting the play of his buddies. But the reality is Carter could the Wild and, starting next week, Fox Sports North. add value to the Wild’s telecasts because he sees the game differently after being inside the trenches for so many years. Carter isn’t your prototypical reporter. First of all, reporters don’t get up at 7 a.m. on the road to go for a run. (That’s just stupid.) Carter spots nuances of the game that many who didn’t play the game may miss. He can explain why the Wild deploy the center-ice drop pass Second of all, passing the mic back and forth sometimes gets confusing on the power play. A solid penalty killer and checker in his day, he can for Carter and looks amusingly awkward. explain why the Wild are collapsing down low on the penalty kill or why their controlled forecheck looks good or bad on a particular night. Third of all, if Carter was wearing a heart monitor during interviews, it would probably trigger trainers to sprint in with paddles. Most of all, though, Carter wants to have fun. When Carter does his on-camera hits, he says he’s secretly that nervous, Minnesota Wild although that’s quite understandable now that he has traded in his jersey and transitioned over to the dark side — the stinkin’ media. ✔ The 35-year-old native of White Bear Lake, Minn., played 473 NHL @mnwild games, including 113 for his hometown Wild. He even won a Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks, although Carter says his ring and name on Media day was busy for @Ryan_Carter22. He takes you behind-the- the Cup should be followed by an asterisk because the minor-league scenes to chat with Koivu, Parise and see how well @Stalock32 can callup only qualified to get his name engraved by playing the mandatory draw. one Stanley Cup Final game in 2007 after dressing for no regular-season 8:30 PM - Sep 16, 2018 games and three conference final games. 147 Reporters are supposed to be impartial observers who do their best to keep a distance from developing friendships with players. But Carter 15 people are talking about this proudly wears team apparel and considers himself a friend to most every Wild player. After all, he actually played with almost every Wild player at Twitter Ads info and privacy some point or another. He finds the entertaining bits, like chatting with players in a Ghostbusters But this was the appeal when the Wild came up with the idea of hiring the Halloween costume, more enjoyable than the pre- or post-game Hockey gregarious ex-forward to do digital content on their team platforms. 101-type interviews. He has a relationship with these guys, so they automatically feel more Minnesota Wild comfortable when he shoots the breeze with them as opposed to, say, ✔ the beat writer. Because it’s their pal “Carts,” players often let their personalities shine by bantering back and forth with a grin on their face. @mnwild “I have trouble taking him seriously, but I think it’s great the Wild did this,” Who ya gonna call? @Ryan_Carter22 catches up with Eric Fehr, Devan said Jason Zucker. “Sitting next to him in the locker room made for a Dubnyk and Eric Staal about today's 80s night game against Carolina. really good time. He was a guy that always had a lightening mood in the room, so it made it fun. Seeing this way now, it hasn’t changed. He’s the 2:00 PM - Oct 13, 2018 same guy.” 57 Just look at this exchange with Zucker, Carter’s once-upon-a-time former fourth-line linemate and locker-room stall next-door neighbor for two See Minnesota Wild's other Tweets seasons. Twitter Ads info and privacy Minnesota Wild “It was difficult at first because I didn’t know what was compelling,” he ✔ said. “I didn’t know how to phrase questions to get guys to talk, I was uncomfortable passing a mic back and forth, but the goal of the position @mnwild is to bring a different coverage. He's been right so far, but will @Ryan_Carter22 guess #mnwildFirst by “It’s challenging to find a way that doesn’t burn out both with the players @ticasino correctly tomorrow? and viewers.” He tried to put some pressure on @Jason_Zucker16... Carter’s role has changed, there’s zero doubt about that. Take a recent morning skate in Edmonton. @mnwild As former teammates of Carter were meeting in the locker room and First @Jason_Zucker16 stole the mic from @Ryan_Carter22, then he preparing to go on the ice for a game against the Oilers later in the battled @CharlieCoyle_3 during #StrikeItWild benefitting @mnwildFound evening, Carter was stuck in the Rexall Place press room listening to the & @DinoMights. non-sensical babble of yours truly, Wild director of social media Katlyn Gambill, Wild.com reporter Dan Myers and FSN’s Kevin Gorg. See how #Zoyle did in the alley. With Myers and Gorg spewing their typical gibberish, Carter was staring 9:30 AM - Oct 23, 2018 blankly at our faces absorbing all this ridiculousness. 244 “Poor Carts!” I said, laughing. “He looks like he’d rather be anywhere 32 people are talking about this else. You’ve got to be thinking, ‘I can’t effing believe I’m sitting with these idiots rather than getting ready to go on the ice.’” Twitter Ads info and privacy Fast forward to San Jose on Tuesday morning. “I want to omit myself from any situations where I might say something or do something that was in friendship mode and use it in professional Myers and Gorg were again letting loose their typical nonsense when mode, if that makes sense,” Carter said. “I mean, it’s strange. The guys Gambill suddenly chimed in and asked Carter, “Aren’t you glad you’re have been really good, but I have to consciously remember at times that part of this crew now?” I’m not part of it anymore. Even though they’re my friends and peers and, The funny thing, Carter is. ‘I want to go out to dinner with you,’ I have to draw a line. I need to understand there are certain things that are not for me even though it “I had like six things I wanted to fire back, but I just don’t know Dan was only a few years ago that I was right there.” Myers well enough yet to know how he’ll react,” Carter said. And there are times where Carter longs to be part of it again. You see, Carter was a locker-room glue guy during his career. On Monday, Carter leaned against the glass watching practice in San He’s actually in his element, only in a very different setting — a media Jose almost with a look of sorrow on his face. dining room in street clothes vs. a locker room in hockey gear. View image on Twitter “The stuff that comes natural to me is having a good time, and the locker room is a setting where there’s some gentle ribbing,” Carter said. “I got View image on Twitter better at that over the course of my career. It’s something I like to do Michael Russo more often than not. ✔ “When I was done playing, I looked to fill the locker room void and tried to find relationships that are like that. I just had a way of communicating and @RussoHockey that was part of it. I would go with friends or neighbors or buddies and hang out, sit by the fire, whatever, and give gentle ribs.” Poor ⁦@Ryan_Carter22⁩. Apparently the #mnwild forgot his skates Carter started laughing: “They just weren’t well-received. People either 5:06 PM - Nov 5, 2018 wouldn’t fire back the way I wanted them to or maybe got offended. So my communication style just wasn’t working and I had to change. I’ve 72 noticed it on this side, too. I’ve almost changed. I’m like a little slower or a See Michael Russo's other Tweets little more quiet and I keep things holstered a little more.” Twitter Ads info and privacy He’s found that when interacting with Koivu, his old captain. “When I retired, I just got away from the game because I didn’t want He assumes Koivu is sarcastically ripping on him every time he walks those thoughts,” Carter said. “But the more I’m around it again, the more into the locker room to interview one of his teammates. But he’s not I miss it. Today at practice, yeah, they were having fun out there and I exactly sure. wanted to jump out there and have fun with them.” “He’s always giving me a hard time, but I can never tell if he’s serious or Over a span of two seasons from 2014-16, Carter scored 10 goals and if he’s just actually giving me a hard time,” Carter said. “We should do a 25 points for the Wild. compilation of faces of mine that he gets from me where I’m dumbfounded because it takes me so long to read what he’s actually The Wild didn’t re-sign him after the 2015-16 season, but he accepted a trying to say. He commands a lot of respect, so you don’t want to make tryout and played for Bruce Boudreau in the exhibition season. Mikko mad, and sometimes I’m not sure if I actually am. One big reason why the Wild didn’t sign Carter the year before is “So I haven’t gone back after him with the barbs the way I would have if I because he hurt his right shoulder. Instead of having surgery, he tried to still shared a locker room with him.” rehab it through therapy and other means. Carter’s on-camera stuff has been downright entertaining. But in camp, his shoulder was shot. He was ultimately dismissed from his tryout and underwent surgery for a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Just take a look at him hanging with Zucker and Charlie Coyle during a team bowling outing, or when he sat down in San Jose with young Nick Carter figured his career was done, but he rehabbed and ultimately Seeler and ribbed him for how he watches videos on the team plane by signed a two-way contract with the Wild in Feb. 2017. He was sent to holding his iPhone in front of his face rather than investing in, say, a Iowa in order to rediscover his game and be a depth insurance policy in bigger-screened iPad. case the Wild went on a playoff run. “There was a hesitation at first when the Wild approached me with this,” But the Wild acquired Ryan White in the Martin Hanzal package, and Carter said. “It was, OK, these guys are my friends and I’m kind of being White ultimately took Carter’s role. The Wild lost in the first round, Carter asked to do a job to cover them. But part of the coolness of this is there’s was never recalled and his career was over. a relationship there and maybe we can get some things that maybe others can’t. So I had to decide: Is that something I’m comfortable In fact, he needs to now get his left shoulder operated on. His bone leveraging? My friendship with these guys. above the shoulder protrudes so far out, he’s always flagged at airports because screeners think he’s hiding a weapon. “I mean, you know especially, it’s hard to walk a line where you can cover somebody and they’re happy with it versus maybe saying something that “I just wanted to be away from hockey. I just wanted to be done,” he said, you don’t think is a big deal but it is to them and they’re upset. And I don’t before adding with a laugh. “I wanted to be productive, but I didn’t want to want my relationship with them as a friend to be changed in any way by work. So I was like, I should go back to school.” what I’m doing professionally.” He was 35 or so credits short of his degree at Minnesota State Mankato. So, Carter is seriously walking that line. He was originally a finance major back during his student athlete days, but he wasn’t allowed to finish that degree remotely. Even though he’s buddies with these guys, he’s doing his best to avoid hanging out with them on the road or even going for dinner. So he switched his degree to an interdisciplinary degree with a sports management, communications and marketing emphasis. Minnesota Wild This past May, Carter actually walked during the graduation ceremony ✔ after some nudging by his wife, Erin. They have three daughters — ages 6, 4 and 2, and Erin felt it was important to show their girls because they were at an age where maybe they’d soak it up and remember watching their dad graduate college years from now. View image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on Twitter Minn. St. Athletics @msumavericks Something pretty cool happened today at Minnesota State's graduation ceremony. Former Maverick men's hockey forwards Tim Jackman (MSU 2000-02) & Ryan Carter (2004-06) are fmr @NHL players. Both graduated today - proud of these fine young men! @collegehockey @LetsPlay_Hockey 11:59 AM - May 5, 2018 757 102 people are talking about this Twitter Ads info and privacy “I didn’t think it would be cool,” Carter said. “I thought I would just go through the motions, but when I saw the energy and the excitement that the young kids had walking, it gave me energy and I thought, ‘This is cool.’ I’m glad I walked at the age of 34. It was fun.” Carter didn’t know what he’d do next. His wife was getting tired of him around the house — “She didn’t like me adding my two cents,” Carter jokes. Then, thankfully, the Wild came calling. Let’s put it this way: His contract with the Wild in a non-player role didn’t require an agent to negotiate like it did in his playing days. “It was my first time at this, so I was like, ‘Don’t play your cards,’” Carter said, laughing. “Well, there’s a little less room and skill for negotiation in this kind of contract. They basically said, ‘This is how it works.’ Now I understand why so many people in the business world told me, ‘Now, you understand you’re not going to make what you were making playing. Don’t be surprised when the number’s much different.’” But Carter has a new appreciation for the roles of the behind-the-scenes Wild employees and, frankly, the beat writers. “When you’re playing, you’re so focused on playing and winning and doing what you need to do,” he said. “You don’t fully understand what everybody else is doing in their jobs. On the other side, you now see how hard Katlyn and Dan and (Wild videographer) Dusty (Peterson) and Sicky (media relations director Aaron Sickman) and everybody works and the time they put in. “I mean, I thought we logged a lot of hours as a player, but it’s nothing compared to what they do and the skills that they have. It’s been eye- opening. My eggs are a little scrambled. There’s much to this process, but it’s fun.” Carter doesn’t know where this will take him. Will he keep working for the Wild? Will he do more TV? Could he potentially get into coaching or player development? Who knows? “I have zero expectation beyond this season,” Carter said. “This sounds so hockey, but I’m just trying to do the best I can right now and not look past it. I don’t want to commit one way or another because for all I know, this could be a major flop. But it’s nice to be around hockey. When you’re around, you’re relevant. When you’re not, you’re irrelevant. “So if I want to be in hockey, you’ve got to be in hockey in some capacity and this is a fun one.” The Athletic LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114373 Montreal Canadiens

Analyze This: Max Domi is driving force behind Canadiens' offence Habs newcomer has always been an excellent playmaker, but his most noticeable increase has been in the goal-scoring department.

MARC DUMONT, SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE

In 82 games for the Arizona Coyotes last season, Max Domi scored only nine goals, four of which went into an empty net. In 15 games this year for the Canadiens, Domi has nine goals, all of which have come against a goaltender. Domi’s impact has been stunning to say the least, as he’s been the driving force behind Montreal’s offensive resurgence. Last year, the Canadiens scored a paltry 1.96 goals per 60 minutes of ice time, good for 30th in the league — only the lowly Buffalo Sabres scored less frequently. This year, however, the Canadiens rank eighth in the NHL, scoring 3.28 goals per 60, a significant increase. I reject the narrative that Domi, who has 16 points simply thrives in a tough market, because that logic also dictates that he struggled due to playing in a quiet market. If a player can thrive in Montreal, he can also do so in Arizona, where if anything it should be easier. Any professional worth their contract will feel pressure to perform no matter where they play. But there’s no doubt that Domi has enjoyed a sharp uptick in production. Let’s take a look at how he’s done it. He has always been an excellent playmaker, and this season is no exception. He’s matched roughly the same assist rate as he’s produced during the course of his career. The most noticeable increase has been in the goal-scoring department, where Domi has more than doubled his best goal-scoring rate, which came during his rookie season. Compared with last year, Domi is scoring almost six times more frequently. If we take a look at his shooting statistics chart, we notice an increase in high-danger scoring chances and shots, though the most significant increase is in his shooting percentage, which is hovering slightly above 28 per cent. That shooting percentage will inevitably go down, but Domi has ameliorated his underlying metrics enough to justify an increase in production without attributing it all to luck. There was certainly some luck involved, but his high-energy style of play and work ethic have led to more scoring chances. He plays with a lot of speed, which has helped the Canadiens transition through the neutral zone more often, leading to more scoring chances overall. He’s hitting more, but he’s also getting hit a lot more — absorbing more than double the hits so far this season compared with 2017-18 — which indicates he’s not shying away from getting into battles in tough areas, and is carrying the puck with a lot more frequency. In addition, Domi’s giveaways have increased by about 25 per cent, which again is evidence that he’s carrying the puck more often. It’s also worth noting that Domi’s production during the power play has gone from subpar, during his days with the Coyotes, to above average with the Canadiens. With the Coyotes last season, he had 2.5 points per 60 during the man advantage, while this season he’s clocking in at 7.5 points per 60, effectively tripling his offensive output. Again, it’s his shooting percentage that’s driving the scoring increase, as he’s scored on three of the six shots he’s taken during man advantages. Of course, we shouldn’t expect Domi to maintain his nearly 50-goal pace. That’s not a realistic expectation by any means. The Canadiens have played less than 20 per cent of the season, and Domi is bound to hit a rough patch at some point where we’ll see his shooting percentage return to normal levels. But given his improved play, it’s a fairly safe bet that he’ll smash his previous career highs. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114374 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens, like their goalies, are running hot and cold

PAT HICKEY, MONTREAL GAZETTE Updated: November 7, 2018

It would be foolish to suggest that the Canadiens have a goaltending controversy. Carey Price is No. 1 and, if the Canadiens hope to be a playoff contender this season, he has to play like a No. 1. Antti Niemi is a seasoned veteran who has proven his worth as a backup since the Canadiens claimed him on waivers a year ago. If Montreal is going to be a playoff contender, he has to be ready to answer the call when Price needs a break. Only one of the goaltenders got the job done on the Canadiens’ two-day road trip to New York this week. That would be Niemi. He gave up three goals on eight shots in the first period as the New York Islanders took a 3-1 lead. But he was perfect the rest of the way. He made 18 saves during the final two periods and an overtime that started with the Islanders on a power play. He faced five shooters in the shootout and none of them found the back of the net. He stopped three shots and, on two other occasions, he forced the shooters to fire wide. The Canadiens won the game and Niemi improved his record to 3-1. His numbers for the season aren’t great — a 3.13 goals-against average and an .893 save percentage — but he’s made the saves when they counted. That ability and his work ethic in practice are the reasons why the soft- spoken Niemi commands the respect of his coaches and his teammates. Contrast Niemi’s heroics with Price’s performance the following night against the New York Rangers. For the first 30 minutes, Price looked like the goaltender who was once the best in the world. He was square to the puck. He made big saves on close-range shots. He confidently plucked shots out of the air with his glove hand. It was the Canadiens who held the 3-1 lead. But things changed in the third period. The Canadiens sagged after they surrendered a short-handed goal late in the second period and they had failed to take advantage of power-play opportunities. There might have been an element of fatigue as they played their fourth game in six nights although head coach Claude Julien suggested the problem was more mental than physical. He talked about players losing focus, making bad decisions, taking unnecessary penalties. But Price was the major factor in the collapse. Remember those three goals Niemi gave up in the first period Monday? Well, Price gave up three goals on eight shots, but the difference is that he gave up the goals in the third period Tuesday when the game was on the line. “I didn’t make the saves at the end to hold us in there,” Price said after the game. Price has lost more games than he’s won this season. He has a 5-4-2 record with a 2.81 GAA and a .901 save percentage. Those aren’t numbers which win Vézina or Hart Trophies. On many teams, it wouldn’t earn you a No. 1 job. There were other factors that played into the results in New York. On Monday, the Canadiens put on a major push after a sluggish first period. They were determined not to lose a second consecutive game for the first time this season. The same push wasn’t there Tuesday. Price wasn’t the only Canadien who had difficulties Tuesday. Jonathan Drouin had four shots on goal, but he needs to be more engaged when the Canadiens don’t have the puck. He was on the ice for four of the New York goals. Jeff Petry was a minus-3, but it was a wonder he could still stand at the end of the game. While Julien likes to talk about using four lines to keep his players fresh, he has shown no such concern where Petry is concerned. The defenceman played 28:25 on Tuesday after he was on the ice for 28:41 on Monday. On Tuesday, Jordie Benn (19:06) was the only other Montreal defenceman who played more than 17 minutes. Hurry back, Shea Weber. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114375 Montreal Canadiens a spark for the Rangers to build on in the third period. Domi seemed distracted after his goal gave the Habs a 3-1 lead, taking a needless holding penalty behind the play shortly after Tatar’s offensive zone pick Melnick’s GBU: The worst period of their season cost a tired Canadiens nullified a 5-on-3. Then there was Charles Hudon – again. Hudon is team averaging a penalty minute per game. He’s not good enough to be spending that much time in the penalty box. And just for good measure there was a late too many men on the ice call for the second straight game. Chris Kreider evened things out with a dumb penalty of his own By Mitch Melnick Nov 7, 2018 but does Neal Pionk go end to end to score the game winner if the teams were playing 5-on-5?

· Defence: Tough to say it’s a trend but it sure feels as though there are Well that was a collapse departure messy meltdown reality check going to be a lot more nights like this inside the Habs zone, at least until sobering reminder that the Habs aren’t yet experienced or good enough Shea Weber returns. As good as Noah Juulsen was in Brooklyn he was to close out a winnable game on the road. It’s also a wake-up call to the victimized far too often, including on the game winner. The pairing of Jeff coaching staff and management. If their team had this much difficulty in Petry and Jordie Benn was a mess. Some of this is on Julien. What did their first set of back to back games this season (and an easy bus ride he expect to get from Benn, in particular, after playing him for 23 minutes between games at that), what’s around the corner when their schedule in Brooklyn? In the last two games Petry has clocked in at almost 60 really toughens up? minutes. Mike Reilly is creating room for himself with the puck, but once Claude Julien said after the game that his team being tired following an he gets inside the other team’s blue line he can’t seem to find the net emotional come from behind win in Brooklyn was not a factor when they with his shot. Xavier Ouellet and Victor Mete were ok. So why didn’t were up 3-1 in the second period. That there were too many “mental Mete, who helped set up Tatar’s second goal with some strong work mistakes” that cost them the game, not fatigue. down low, get more than 13:36, especially since he was underworked (13:48) the night before? What’s the alternative? Maybe it’s Karl Alzner to Nice deflection attempt. the rescue. Mental mistakes are a by-product of fatigue. Julien continues to roll out a · Power Play: Domi’s cool, matter-of-fact goal gave the Habs a two-goal depth defenceman on his top pairing. He doesn’t trust one of his six guys lead. On most nights that should have been enough. But then McLeod on the blue line enough to play him even though he has fresh legs. And did his thing and instead of burying the Rangers, the Habs spent most of he certainly doesn’t trust what constitutes his fourth line these days to the rest of the game flat footed. By the time they had a partial power play play them more often to give his top guys a breather. late in the game with a chance to tie it, Mika Zibanajad took advantage of embarrassingly bad checking by Hudon and Jonathan Drouin to add a I get it. He’s trying to bank as many points as possible before the holiday shorthanded insurance goal to cap off the Rangers comeback win. season. But if they don’t use their depth, in whatever form it might exist, while playing an aggressive up-tempo pace, then the only thing they’ll be · Injuries: It’s no surprise the deeper into the season we go the more celebrating are Boxing Day specials. And I don’t know if they can pull off apparent it becomes how deep a hole the Weber injury created. But it’s another 3-for-1 deal like they did with Vegas. got to be disconcerting for the Habs to know that Matthew Peca, who is 25, cannot fill the skates of 36-year-old Tomas Plekanec as a fourth line So what the heck happened anyway when they had that second period center. Add the lower body injury to Paul Byron and now an apparent lead? Well you had Cody McLeod pull his old “energy” guy physically knee issue to a very effective Joel Armia and the Habs lack of depth up attacking a skilled player (have you missed that?) act that was supposed front might be sending Marc Bergevin scrambling for help. And oh yeah, to send a message and fire up his team but instead gave the Habs a don’t be surprised if Artturi Lehkonen woke up with a badly swollen left four-minute power play and then briefly a 5-on-3. It was such an hand after blocking a Kevin Shattenkirk slap shot early in the third period. obviously critical moment in the game that Julien used his time out so Kirk Muller could draw up a play that would lead to the knockout punch, · Carey Price: He looked good, as he always seems to against the or at least until McLeod got on the ice again. Rangers. Until the team in front of him fell apart. And he couldn’t bail them out. Fatigue was not an issue here, as it might have been a year But there was no sense of urgency. Kind of like a “we’re too cool to be ago at this time. Price was too passive in his crease when Pionk overly concerned” type of approach. By the time the third period rolled completed his rush to break the tie. He didn’t look good on the game around, the Habs were done. There was no jump, no movement, no life. tying goal either when an unguarded Pavel Buchnevich tapped in a Marc The only question remaining was would the Rangers be able to take Staal rebound after Staal’s shot caught Price up high. It’s a shot Price advantage of an obviously weary group of skaters and beat a goaltender would normally grab and squeeze but for some reason (“I don’t know if it who has given them fits since he entered the league. hit a stick (Drouin?) or I just mistracked it”), he changed his glove angle It was Montreal’s worst period of the season. And they couldn’t get a key and while he stopped the puck, he couldn’t find it before it was buried save. behind him. Other than a night in Boston, the Canadiens have not had to rely on Price to get them two points. They needed him in this one. And The Habs have been a treat to watch to open the season. We’ve already they will continue to need him to be better moving forward. Since the learned that they are resilient. They’ve yet to lose two straight, which will shutout win over the Bruins, Price’s save percentage has trailed off from happen at some point, perhaps as early as Thursday night against .922 to .915 to .910 to .907 to .901. Which is pretty much where it ended Buffalo. But based on what we’ve seen I’d expect them to respond in the up last season. It’s giddy up time, cowboy. appropriate manner. THE UGLY They should play angry. Not at the Sabres, but at themselves. · Jonathan Drouin: His young career summed up in back to back nights Then we’ll see if they can clear another hurdle along the marathon route. in New York. He couldn’t touch the puck without turning it over. Maybe one of these days he’ll actually be the best player on the ice in THE GOOD consecutive games. · Tomas Tatar: Needed just 23 seconds to score his first goal in nine The Athletic LOADED: 11.08.2018 games. Added another. Could have had two more. The great Tatar (13 points in 15 games) – Max Pacioretty (2 goals in 11 games) match up is still one game away. · Brendan Gallagher: A strong bounce back from a rare off night in Brooklyn. Gallagher and Tatar both had a game high six shots on goal. Finally picked up his second assist of the season on Tatar’s second goal. Then neatly set up Max Domi on the power play. · Andrew Shaw: For the first time this season he looked like the real Andrew Shaw. He needs to get off the fourth line. THE BAD · Penalties: It finally caught up to them. Phillip Danault, who not surprisingly wasn’t as effective after playing over 20 minutes the night before in Brooklyn, had just stepped back on the ice after taking his second penalty of the game late in the second period when Tony DeAngelo’s seeing-eye shot from inside the blue line provided enough of 1114376 Nashville Predators

Wednesday's recap: Predators 4, Avalanche 1

Paul Skrbina, Nov. 8, 2018

DENVER -- Seven in a row looked as easy as 1-2-3. Colton Sissons' hat trick and Pekka Rinne's goaltending did the trick for the Predators on Wednesday night. Sissons' third career three-goal game helped the Predators to a 4-1 victory against the Avalanche, extending their franchise best road start to 7-0. Rinne made 24 saves for his part in the Predators' fourth consecutive victory, and the first of the team's five games on their 10-day road trip. The Predators' video coaches also deserved an assist. Two Avalanche goals were ruled no good after review -- one in the second period and another in the third. Sissons' first goal came with 6 minutes, 21 seconds left in the first. He scored again with 2:39 left. His third goal, which he deflected off a Kyle Turris shot with 2.8 seconds left in the second, was perhaps the most important. It gave the Predators a 3-1 lead and was a rare power-play goal. The Predators began the game tied for worst in the NHL with an 11.8-percent success rate with an advantage. Ryan Hartman scored an empty-net goal late in the third period for the Predators. Records: The Predators moved to 12-3, while the Avalanche fell to 7-5-3. Bignumbers: 11 and 7. Consecutive regular-season games and games at Pepsi Center won by the Predators. Biggame: Nick Bonino had three assists for the Predators. Notable: Predators forward Viktor Arvidsson participated in the team's morning skate Wednesday. Arvidsson was placed on injured reserve Monday, retroactive to Oct. 30. While he was eligible to return, he did not. Predators coach Peter Laviolette said Arvidsson was "day-to-day" and offered no insight on when he could return, though general manager David Poile told 102.5-FM on Tuesday he didn't think he'd be out long. Quotable: "I guess it depends on how you define short(-term). It’s already been a few games. It is what it is." -- Laviolette on whether he thought Arvidsson's injury was short-term. Next: At Dallas Stars, 1 p.m. Saturday at American Airlines Center. TV/radio: /102.5-FM. Tennessean LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114377 Nashville Predators

Predators' long road trip a new experience for some new fathers on the team

Paul Skrbina, Nov. 7, 2018

DENVER — Mattias Ekholm paused for a moment Wednesday as he ripped the tape from his shin pads after the Predators' morning skate at Pepsi Center. The defenseman's concentration was interrupted by a thought that, really, required little thought. With the team in the infant stages of one of its longest road trips of the season — 10 nights, five games, three time zones — Ekholm's mind wandered to his family when he was asked about the downside of such an excursion. Without hesitation he said he misses them the most — his 7-month-old son William and his fiancée, Ida Bjornstad. "Try to FaceTime them as much as I can," Ekholm said before his team faced the Avalanche. "Other than that you’ll manage, but you miss them a lot." Dads on the road Ekholm is one of several first-time fathers on the team. This is the first time he'll be away from his new family for this long, beginning more than 1,100 miles away from Nashville in Denver. Ekholm understands that being away comes with the territory of being a professional athlete. But packing his bags for such an extended time away has new meaning now that he's a dad. Meaning with a new kind of emotion attached to it. "My son is that age where he’s learning new stuff every day," Ekholm said. "It’s tough to be away from, but it’s part of our job. I’m trying to stay focused on the hockey games, but when I get spare time the first thing I do is call them." Fellow defenseman Matt Irwin can relate. His son, Beckham, is 9 months old. He, too, noted earlier this season "how quickly things change," when children are that young, calling fatherhood "awesome." "He keeps us busy, that's for sure," Irwin said of his son. Even when that changing takes a different form, as in changing a diaper. Irwin recalled one of the first times his son surprised him in the middle of such a change. "Off the dresser, down the side and onto the ground," he said with a laugh. "'Wow. Didn't know he was capable of that.'" Feeling at home away from home The Predators have shown, though, that missing their little ones and their significant others doesn't have to show on the ice. Going into Wednesday, the team had won its first six games away from home, a franchise record. Ekholm attributed the success to fast starts that have helped quiet crowds. "If I knew the key to it, I would try to do it every night," Ekholm said. "We never expect to lose. There's a winner’s mentality in here. It doesn’t matter if we’re at home or on the road." Coach Peter Laviolette said he couldn't pinpoint exactly why, either, other than their consistent play. He said there was no "magic recipe" for the success. And he added that there are no wagers in place with his players for this trip like there was in Canada earlier this season, when Laviolette wore a bull mask to a postgame interview. "It's always a little bit different on the road," he said. "You’re going home to your spouses and your own bed and your dog (at home). When you're on the road you only have your teammates." And in Ekholm's case, and the case of other fathers on the team, FaceTime, of course. Tennessean LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114378 New Jersey Devils

How Devils' Joey Anderson, Brett Seney have handled renewed roster competition

By Chris Ryan

OTTAWA -- Competition for the Devils' NHL roster didn't end with final cuts in training camp. The rotation of Devils prospects in the NHL lineup continued following the start of the season, with the latest influx brining forwards Brett Seney and Joey Anderson to the team. Neither made the initial roster out of training camp, with both going to the AHL during the last rounds of cuts. That didn't mean their NHL chance was gone. Both went down and performed, and while surrounded by other players aiming for the NHL team, they stood out. "Every guy, whether you're in the AHL or NHL, you're always going to be competitive," Seney told NJ Advance Media. "I think that's what builds a winning attitude in an organization, and I know especially the guys in Binghamton were chomping at the bit to get up. So it's nice to have a few guys get up and be able to contribute. But I think man-to-man, it's just about focusing on what you can do and how you can helming the team win." Devils lose to Senators Both Seney and Anderson are playing their first pro seasons in 2018-19 following collegiate careers, so on top of fighting for roster spots, they had to adjust to a new level of competition. While the AHL sits a rung below the NHL in terms of talent, it's still an incredibly difficult place to play. Devils coach John Hynes often calls it the second toughest league in the world. Anderson heard about what to expect when he went down, and it lived up to the hype. Part of that competition is the drive behind almost everyone there to make an impression and reach the NHL. "It's hard to put up points there, and people don't quite realize that. It's a tough league," Anderson said. "There's not many guys that are happy or thrilled to be in that league, so guys are fighting for jobs, much like any team. There's a lot of fight that happens, guys competitively battling in games." While points are certainly tough to rack up in the AHL, Seney found a way to produce right out of the gate. His one goal and nine assists over his first 10 games led all AHL rookies. After going without a point in the NHL preseason, Seney found an offensive groove in the AHL while focusing on what coaches wanted. "It was just rounding out my game in general," Seney said. "In my 10 games in Binghamton, I focused a lot on my defensive zone and being responsible in the offensive zone as well. To play at this level, especially as a centerman, you have to play a 200-foot game. That's something I really focused on and it helped me get to this point." Devils' Jesper Bratt skates in drills Both have tried to use their first NHL chances as a continued learning opportunity and a chance to make an impression. They know how quickly things can change in either direction. "They're giving guys opportunities that have played well. It always kind of catches a guy off guard," Anderson said. "Guys are definitely excited for that, and I'm sure down there, that's a big message down there. There is movement, so they keep that competition down there too." Star Ledger LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114379 New Jersey Devils “It’s funny how it works,” Brodeur said. “I had had some unbelievable seasons in the NHL but never really had a sniff for the Vezina Trophy because the Dominator (Hasek) was dominating everything. But I think Recognition didn’t come early or easily for Martin Brodeur but call to the just stepping out of being a New Jersey Devils player and winning gold Hall cements his legacy as one of the GOATs with Canada at the Olympics, it really helped me out in terms of opening eyes to the hockey world. I won four Vezinas after my first Olympic gold medal. I think there was a direct connection.” By Pierre LeBrun Nov 7, 2018 And yet Brodeur was quick to add in the same breath, he would not change a single thing.

“I wouldn’t trade my position with New Jersey for anything else,” Brodeur This is the third in a series of stories profiling the 2018 Hockey Hall of said. “Who cares that I didn’t get recognized for a while, if you win Fame induction class. hockey games and you go to the rink with a big smile on your face because you know you have a chance to win every night, it’s a pretty It was a foregone conclusion that the NHL’s all-time winningest good trade-off.” goaltender would get automatic entry into the Hockey Hall of Fame. The beginning And yet, isn’t it interesting that Martin Brodeur had to wait until his 10th NHL season to win his first Vezina Trophy? Raised in hockey’s religious cauldron of Montreal, Brodeur wasn’t just born into the game’s most passionate market, he was surrounded by This is where Brodeur’s story needs to begin. The idea that a superstar, sports in his own house. His late brother Claude was a minor-league first-ballot Hall of Famer who set all-time NHL goalie marks for wins pitcher in the Montreal Expos organization in the early 1980s before (691), shutouts (125) and games played (1,266) somehow nearly a suffering a career-ending shoulder injury. Brodeur’s late father, Denis, decade into his career still didn’t quite get the respect he truly deserved was the long-time photographer of the Montreal Canadiens but before despite seven consecutive 35-plus win seasons at that point in his that was a goalie himself, winning a bronze medal with Canada’s hockey career. team at the 1956 Olympics. Oh, there was a guy named Dominik Hasek – truly one of the greatest “I was really fortunate that I grew up in a big sports family … my dad ever – who picked up six Vezina Trophies during Brodeur’s first nine being around the NHL, it was definitely neat,” Brodeur said. “Having that seasons in the NHL, Brodeur twice the runner-up. support at home, where they knew what they were talking about and they But there were also three other netminders that picked up Vezina were exposed at one time or the other in different aspects of sports. That Trophies during Brodeur’s first decade: Jim Carey (1996), Olaf Kolzig was a great tool to lean on for me.’’ (2000) and Jose Theodore (2002). And how much fun it was to tag along with dad at work. Nothing against those guys, Kolzig had a splendid career and Theodore “My dad would give me a few bucks to carry his camera bag,” Brodeur was out of this world during his Hart Trophy campaign of 2001-02. recalls. “I would go to practice or a photo shoot. It was different back But no matter how you cut it, it is truly bizarre that arguably the greatest then. I was able to come in with my dad a lot. I remember when I was 12 netminder in the history of the game couldn’t get recognized for being the or 13 years old and seeing Patrick Roy, I got to work on the set when my best at his position until 2003. dad was taking pictures of him. I also remember when (former Expos great) Gary Carter came to the house.” And for that, well, you’ve got the New Jersey Devils to blame. The defensive juggernaut that was the Devils of the 1990s and early 2000s In fact, his father’s job as a sports photographer later impacted the way created the perception that Brodeur didn’t need to be that great to stop Brodeur handled the media. There aren’t many goalies who talk the pucks behind that suffocating system. morning of game days, and Brodeur would do it forever – and on the day of a Stanley Cup final game, to boot. Which was a terrible exaggeration. “People often asked me why I was so good with the media, well, a lot of it “Speaking personally, I know how good he was because every time I was because my dad in his job was denied access sometimes,” Brodeur made a mistake he was there bailing me out,” Hall of Fame defenseman said. “He would come and he wasn’t happy. As a kid, you see that, a and former Devils teammate Scott Niedermayer told The Athletic. “So professional athlete maybe not giving him the time of day, it made you yeah, we were what we were in New Jersey, we played a certain way, think. So it sinks in as a young kid. I was fortunate enough to become a Marty was a big reason we were able to do that because he was so good professional and play the sport I love but it was important to have respect back there. It works both ways; we looked better because of him just as for people who were doing their jobs.” much as maybe he benefited from the way the team played.’’ There comes a time in every NHLer’s journey when the light bulb goes Niedermayer paused for a moment and cut right to the heart of it. on and they realize this could actually be a thing. “I don’t know, you can break things down any way, but I would take Marty For Brodeur, he began to realize he was a decent prospect around 15 in the net any time, any day, in any game,” Niedermayer said. years old. By the time Brodeur picked up his first Vezina, he had already won three “For me, just before my midget AAA year, I got invited to a Team Quebec Stanley Cups. training camp to represent the province at a tournament in Calgary,” Brodeur said. “I had never really gone to a camp to expose myself to “The bottom line is, it’s a lot of fun winning as a team and as a group and other people. So I didn’t know how I would fare. Because we really didn’t winning Stanley Cups. That’s what it’s about,” Hall of Fame defenseman have good teams where I played, I was getting shelled every game. But I and former Devils teammate Scott Stevens said. “I think I’d rather play on liked it, I had a lot of shots. I got to that camp and made the team. I that type of team than a team full of superstars who are trying to look ended up playing most of the games for Quebec in that tournament. And after themselves. Marty fit right into our group. He was a great goaltender when I got to midget AAA I think some people started to recognize how who made the save when we needed it.” good I was. Even for myself, I was like: ‘OK, I can play at that level.’ It Winning trumps all. seemed like it was starting after that.” “I never felt that any of our players got some of the recognition they QMJHL teams started scouting him, as did U.S. colleges. It was on. should get individually,” former Devils GM Lou Lamoriello said. “But our The 1990 NHL draft team, which is the most important to have success, had success because of that. Because they thought winning first. How many Vezinas After his second season with the St-Hyacinthe Laser in the goal-happy you win or how many first all-stars you get, the one thing they can never QMJHL of the late 1980s, Brodeur readied himself for the 1990 draft in take away from you is how many Stanley Cups and having your name Montreal. written on that. Individual awards are exactly what they are, but we play a team sport. I think that’s what made Marty so good, those things didn’t Not that he was overly anxious. He wasn’t a highly-touted prospect. get in the way. If recognition is to come, it will surface. And that’s exactly “I was ranked in the second round, like 30th or 31st overall,” Brodeur what happened with Marty.’’ said. “And so, I wasn’t really nervous at all. I had met with 16 (of 21) It did eventually come. teams. The Devils were one of them. I knew New Jersey had a lot of interest. But they were drafting so low (in the second round) that I didn’t Brodeur himself points to the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics as a turning point think I would go there.” for how the rest of the hockey world viewed him, fair or not. The Devils entered the draft with the 11th pick overall and the 32nd pick Team Canada overall. Brodeur figured that first pick was too high for him and the second pick was too low. So while the Devils expressed interest, he One of the first things Brodeur noted when we began our conversation couldn’t figure out how it would happen. was that it really hits home for him that it’s not the NHL Hall of Fame, but rather the Hockey Hall of Fame. Then Lamoriello did a Lamoriello thing. He traded picks No. 11 and 32 to Calgary in exchange for picks No. 20, 24 and 29. Team Canada means a ton to him. It’s always been clear as day that wearing the red Maple Leaf was an absolute point of pride. “We had a pretty high pick that year and we knew that Calgary was very interested in (higher-ranked goalie prospect) Trevor Kidd,” recalls “I owe a lot of gratitude to , there’s no doubt,” said the Lamoriello. “So we went to them and made the trade.” four-time Olympian. “All the invites, especially early on, it was important to me.” The Devils used pick No. 20 to select Brodeur, making him a first-rounder after all. He didn’t make the world juniors, which he duly noted, so the 1996 IIHF men’s world championship was his first international foray. Of course, had Lamoriello known he was drafting the future all-time wins leader, he would not have traded down. “I was on a playoff team so I didn’t get many chances to go to the world championships but that one year we didn’t make the playoffs in ‘96, I had “We would have traded up!” laughed Lamoriello. “And I say that because the opportunity to play in Austria for Canada for the first time. It was fun,” it’s the truth. But he’s had such an incredible career with the grace and he said. “We got the silver medal. But it was a good preparation for the humility that you would ask in anyone. To this day he’s that way.” World Cup of Hockey that was coming in the fall.” Where Lamoriello and Brodeur differ on that draft day was recalling their Brodeur played for Canada at the 1996 and 2004 NHL-NHLPA World first conversation. Cups, but he’ll long be remembered for helping Canada end its 50-year Olympic gold medal drought in men’s hockey in 2002. “I remember sitting with him in Montreal talking about the process when we drafted him and what we thought would transpire in terms of going He began the tournament as the backup to Curtis Joseph, but after back to junior, playing in the American League, and you couldn’t have Sweden crushed Canada in the opener and an entire nation went into full written a better book,” Lamoriello said. panic mode (it’s important to remember the national angst after Canada didn’t win gold at the first NHL Olympics in 1998, which led to Team “I don’t remember,” Brodeur said of the meeting, laughing. “First of all, I Canada needing to win gold in Salt Lake City – or else), the late Pat didn’t really understand English that well at that time.” Quinn made the gutsy call to bench his own The path laid out netminder and insert Brodeur. The 1991-92 season was Brodeur’s last in junior. He got a late-season “We had three high-profile goalies in 2002: Joseph, Brodeur and Eddie recall to the Devils, which caught him by surprise, and he appeared in Belfour,” recalled veteran coach Ken Hitchcock, a member of the four games. coaching staff in Salt Lake City. “When Pat made the decision to switch off of Cujo after the Swedish game and go with Marty, that was a big hit “I was 19 years old. Next thing you know I’m in the NHL,” Brodeur said. for Pat to do that.” “Then there was a (10-day NHL players) strike (in April), so I went back to junior. Everything was crazy.” What Hitchcock especially remembers was Brodeur’s demeanor through it all. Which both impressed yet terrified the coaches. If Brodeur thought that sample size of NHL action was going to lead to more in the big show in 1992-93, he quickly found out he was wrong. “The thing that stood out in that tournament was his calmness,” Hitchcock said. “We kept thinking, ‘Does this guy know he’s starting?’ “Lou wanted a path for me to become an NHL player. So the following Because he had the mannerisms and the body language of just another year, I didn’t even play a preseason game, he sent me right down to forward or defenceman. There was a casualness, a confidence about Utica (AHL). I was devastated,” Brodeur said. “I had been able to play a him that was just … Marty was the first goalie in the NHL I had seen few NHL games the year before and I felt comfortable. I thought I would behave like this. I said to Pat one day, ‘He does realize he’s playing get a sniff at it at camp, but Lou said, ‘We told you that you’re going to tonight, right?’ He was just so calm and so in control.’’ play a couple of years in the minors.’ That was just the plan they had for me.” Brodeur was outstanding in net, Mario Lemieux, Steve Yzerman and Joe Sakic led the way up front, Canada finally won gold, and a country It has been Lamoriello’s way for many years, with few exceptions. partied like crazy. “Sometimes our young players forget what is needed,” Lamoriello said. The Team Canada net was then his for almost a decade. He was part of “Everyone wants everything yesterday rather than having the patience a winning team at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, earned silver at the that is needed. In this day and age, you have to force yourself to make lockout-infused 2005 men’s world championships, and was part of the those right decisions. It’s better a little late than too soon … Timing is disappointing Olympic quarterfinal exit in Torino before the 2010 everything, and when he did come in, no one ever looked back.” Vancouver Olympics arrived. After a season in the AHL and an offseason trade that sent goalie Craig A 5-3 round-robin loss to Team USA in Vancouver spelled the end for Billington to Ottawa in a package deal for netminder Peter Sidorkiewicz, Brodeur, head coach Mike Babcock making the difficult decision of suddenly opportunity arose when Sidorkiewicz was injured to start the benching Brodeur to kickstart his team under immense pressure in a season. home Olympics. “That gave me the chance to start the year with the Devils,” Brodeur said. “It wasn’t a long meeting or anything like that,” Babcock said of the “And I never let it go after that. I wanted to play as many games as I conversation with Brodeur. “But I liked the kind of pro he was; what he could and play as well as I could. It was the perfect storm having (head did, how he never got in the way. It’s about the team. Great players win. coach) Jacques Lemaire there and a great system. Also having Jacques That’s what they do, they win championships in a team sport because Caron as my goalie coach, a French guy; he took me under his wing and they make other people better and they make other people accountable. he was like a father figure to me. I just didn’t let go after that. I put my That’s what Marty did. foot in there and was determined that I wouldn’t let go.” “I had to switch Dom Hasek and (Chris) Osgood in our (the Red Wings’) He split starts fairly evenly with Chris Terreri in the 1993-94 season, 2008 Cup run. There’s a superstar. If you think they’re happy, they’re not allowing Brodeur to learn both in net and on the bench. happy. But they’re about winning,” Babcock said. “I learned to play the game the right way,” Brodeur said. “I sat and Roberto Luongo and Team Canada went on to glory, and Brodeur never watched and learned what the league was all about while also being able made a peep. to play every two games or so. That’s really the way they brought me up. I was ready for high-intensity competition. The following year I was able Just like Joseph had his chance ripped away in 2002 and Brodeur took to take the reigns of the No. 1 goalie, play a shortened season, and our advantage, eight years later the roles were flipped. team won the Stanley Cup. Everything happened fast but I was ready for “And the end of the day, you play until you lose,” said Brodeur rather it because the organization did the proper things with me. They didn’t matter-of-factly. “I knew going into Vancouver, I couldn’t afford to lose rush me into anything. They didn’t put me in positions where I couldn’t one game, because Luongo was waiting and it was his turn. Just like handle myself. I grew my confidence from there.” Carey Price was waiting after Luongo and now it’s Carey’s team. That’s From there, well, Stanley Cups in 1995, 2000 and 2003, and eight 40-win the beauty of it. I think I had a pretty good run. I can’t complain about seasons, and so much more. anything.” Oh, he was beyond disappointed at the time. But Brodeur didn’t let it Why the switch? become a distraction. He put Team Canada first. And that is something Hitchcock, also part of that Olympic staff in 2010, will never forget. “It was just a tough period last year, obviously not making the playoffs in St. Louis, me traveling a lot, I took on the assistant GM job for the “I was more impressed with Marty in 2010 in some ways than I was in Olympics and was co-GM with Sean Burke for the world championships, 2002,” said Hitchcock. “This is a Hall of Fame guy giving up the net to I probably spent about 50-60 days in Europe last year,” Brodeur said. Roberto. And we all knew Marty would be disappointed but he was the “My contract was up with the Blues, I sat down with Doug Armstrong and ultimate team guy when it was really uncomfortable in that moment. He he just wanted me to do more.” saw both ends of the spectrum and yet, in both instances, he was the ultimate team guy. It was so impressive the way he handled himself and Brodeur just couldn’t commit to that. He needed more balance in his life. his body language and disposition around the players in 2010. It showed The 46-year-old reached out to the Devils to see if there would be some you a lot about how much he knew about winning, that it can’t always be kind of opportunity where he could step back a bit. a perfect fit and yet you still got to get the job done.” “They came up with this idea to come on board with them on the To this day, Brodeur feels a strong connection to Hockey Canada, which business side,” Brodeur said. “That really intrigued me. I made my own is why he was co-GM of Team Canada for the men’s world schedule with them. I’m working three days a week. I’m spending every championships last year along with Sean Burke and also helped advise weekend with my youngest son at home (in St. Louis), I get to see my Burke on the Olympic men’s team for South Korea. kids’ activities. I think it’s still a big learning curve for me if I want to move eventually to a different position in hockey, to be able to master the “To me, anyone who has had the chance to play for Team Canada, we business side and understand it. And I think they’re giving me the are indebted to them,” Brodeur said. “To me, it’s like the 32nd NHL opportunity to do that. It’s been great.” organization, that’s how unbelievable they are.’ One day, years from now, perhaps a return to hockey ops. Perhaps run a The personality team. Maybe, maybe not. Brodeur has had bad days just like the rest of us. His much-publicized That can wait. separation and divorce from his first wife, which filled the tabloids, wasn’t an easy time. In the here and now, it’s about one final moment to put closure to a superstar playing career. But for the most part, every day is a good day in the world of Martin Brodeur. His gregarious, relaxed personality was evident with media but And on induction night at the Hockey Hall of Fame, he will have his more importantly lit up a dressing room. sisters, Line and Sylvie, on hand and, of course, his wife and his five kids. His parents and older brother, meanwhile, will be there in spirit, no “We probably took it for granted, really,” Niedermayer said. “But looking doubt. back at it now after some time has passed, I think it probably made us tremendously confident to look at our goalie, the most pressure-packed “That’s a tough one,” he said. “For my parents and my big brother, it’s position in hockey, and he’s smiling and enjoying every minute of it. something you wish they were there to enjoy it with you. They were there Whether it was a Stanley Cup final game or a practice in some small rink for most of my playing career. So they got to experience some great somewhere on the road, he was really enjoying himself and having fun.” things. This is the icing on the cake and I know they’ll be up there thinking about it and be really proud of it. Niedermayer and Stevens were the bedrock of that Devils championship defense and both had low-key, actions-speak-louder-than-words “It’s the ultimate, you never expect to be in the Hall of Fame.” personalities. Stevens in particular exuded intensity through his eyes. The Athletic LOADED: 11.08.2018 Talk about intimidating. The goalie? Just another day in the park. “Yeah, he enjoyed the game and he was pretty laid-back,” Stevens said. “That makes a good goalie usually if somebody is laid back and rolls with the punches. Marty was good at that. You could see that on and off the ice, that type of personality. But I mean at the same time, he was a real competitor. I can tell you in practice or in games, he never wanted to get beat. He wanted to stop every shot.” Few goalies in the history of the game played the puck like Brodeur. Was it just a coincidence that in the middle of Brodeur’s career the NHL decided to bring in the trapezoid to limit the goalie’s ability to play pucks in the corner? “Yeah, anything to get back at the Devils,” chuckled Stevens. The Devils probably thought that was the case and, to some small degree, there was probably some basis to it, but not in total fact. A league source told The Athletic recently that the decision to adopt the trapezoid was multilayered and wasn’t centered around just Brodeur. In fact, Marty Turco at the time was another goalie that played the puck well but overall, the league and GMs of the time were concerned about the lack of forechecking and felt the trapezoid would help open things up a bit. Just don’t tell the Devils of that era that. What now? After his retirement in 2015 as a member of the St. Louis Blues – which was strange, to say the least – Brodeur tried his hand at management under Blues GM Doug Armstrong. But after putting a few seasons in as assistant GM, Brodeur felt the toll of all those hours on the road was too much. He shifted gears after taking a job with the Devils as executive vice president, business development. The job allows him to work three days a week and keep his weekends for family. “Right now I’ve changed a bit what I’m doing for a living,” Brodeur said. “I don’t know yet (about a future in NHL management). It’s been a fun couple of months with New Jersey. I’m learning a total different aspect of what a hockey team is. I’m getting my feet wet for now in this position and it’s been interesting.” 1114380 New York Islanders

Islanders hoping to learn more about power-play unit in Florida

By Andrew Gross

TAMPA, Fla. – The Metropolitan Division-leading Islanders play their 15th game of the season on Thursday night as they open a two-game Florida swing against the Lightning. That moves them closer to coach Barry Trotz’s first deadline for assessing his new team’s power play. “I think it’s still a work in progress and it will be,” Trotz said after Wednesday’s practice at Amalie Arena, of which approximately two- thirds was spent working on special teams. “Some guys are still struggling with some of the concepts, when to move the puck and when not to. We’re going to go the first 20 [games] and then reassess it, personnel-wise, making sure we have the right people in the right spots.” The personnel was altered on Wednesday only because Jordan Eberle was held out of practice for a maintenance day. But Trotz said he expects his two power-play units to be the same on Thursday and Eberle to be available against the Atlantic Division-leading Lightning. Trotz has maintained two consistent power-play units from the season opener, with Eberle skating with fellow forwards Anders Lee, Mathew Barzal and Josh Bailey along with defensemen Nick Leddy while defensemen Ryan Pulock and Johnny Boychuk and forwards Anthony Beauvillier, Brock Nelson and Cal Clutterbuck comprise the second group. The two units operate somewhat differently, with Barzal often controlling the flow from the left half-wall while the other unit relies on Pulock and Boychuk getting their booming shots through. The Islanders (8-4-2) have gotten man-advantage production despite an 0-for-4 with just three shots in Monday’s 4-3, five-round shootout loss to the Canadiens that snapped a five-game win streak. They are ranked 15th in the 31-team NHL with nine goals in 44 chances (20.4 percent) and Monday marked just the fifth game this season the Islanders did not score a power-play goal. Last season, and with former captain John Tavares as a power-play stalwart, the Islanders ranked sixth in the league at 58-for-250 (23.2 percent). “We’ve had a lot of opportunities,” said Lee, the new captain. “We haven’t really capitalized on them as much as we’d like to, as much as we expect as a unit. It’s just figuring things out a little bit, moving the puck a little quicker, being a little bit more dynamic and being a little bit more predictable in some ways.” Notes & quotes: Left wing Matt Martin (upper body/day-to-day), who has missed the last two games, did not accompany the Islanders on this trip. “He’s getting work done right now,” Trotz said …Trotz did not name a goalie for Thursday but indications from practice suggest Robin Lehner will get his first start since exiting a 6-3 win at Pittsburgh on Oct. 30 with back spasms. Trotz said Lehner was “close to 100 percent.” Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114381 New York Rangers The dramatic shifts in deployment from Vigneault to Quinn: Brady Skjei’s o-zone rate dropping from 56 to 45.2; Hayes’ rate increasing from 42.6 to 50.5; Zibanejad’s rate decreasing from 53.4 to 43.9; and Mats Rangers changing soft rep that defined (and still irks) old-timers Zuccarello’s rate decreasing from 49.8 to 40.5. And here’s one: Vlad Namestnikov’s o-zone rate is a team low (for forwards) 28.9.

4. Let’s just say that if the Rangers figure on riding Henrik Lundqvist, who By Larry Brooks November 7, 2018 has been at the top of his game, the ratio of 12 starts in 15 games equates to 66 overall, and needs correction.

5. All right, Cam Talbot is the Rangers’ best free-agent signing of an Regarding the Rangers, the most pleasantly surprising pro sports team in undrafted college player, but has Pionk showed enough after 41 games the area: to move ahead of Jed Ortmeyer for second? Or are you in on Thomas Pock? 1. Tuesday it was Neal Pionk riding to the rescue of Filip Chytil, a couple of weeks ago it was Jesper Fast intervening on behalf of Pavel New York Post LOADED: 11.08.2018 Buchnevich and in between those episodes there was Brady Skjei attempting to avenge a wrong done Mats Zuccarello. You probably have noticed that none of the respondents is exactly Nick Fotiu. A pack mentality has developed under David Quinn and it has been in force since the coach reprimanded his team in the wake of the same-old, same-old in the exhibition opener at New Jersey, in which no one answered Eric Gryba’s concussion-inducing headshot against Boo Nieves. This all-for-one, one-for-all approach is not only in stark contrast to the bygone era under in which the Rangers turned more cheeks than a prison guard conducting strip searches, it is all but antithetical to the franchise’s historical pedigree. That is why it is so welcome. There have been pockets of resistance throughout time and there have always been select players such as a Vic Hadfield, a , a Fotiu, an Adam Graves, a Brandon Dubinsky, willing to take the lead in the protection racket. But these players represent the exception, not the rule, under a perpetuating overriding philosophy passed from one regime to the next. Historically, the Rangers have worn white gloves to the party while opponents called Bobby Orr and the Animals and Broad Street Bullies have slipped into their brass knuckles. A pair of Cups got away in the early ’70s, and the one identifying incident with which Emile Francis’ teams have to live with forever is the Dale Rolfe-Dave Schultz bout in Game 7 of the 1974 semis in Philadelphia. And, boy, does that irk those players no end. After I referenced it in the lead-up to the 2012 Winter Classic in Philly, I received an email from Brad Park in which, unsolicited, he explained why none of the players on the ice intervened, citing most prominently both Rolfe’s signal not to intercede and the specter of a game misconduct for being third-man-in. When I spoke to Hadfield last year, he explained it much the same way. And then, when talking to a couple of weeks ago about the 1976-77 rebuilding experience, without prompting he brought it back to that May 5, 1974, afternoon at the Spectrum. “I still hear about it,” Stemkowski said, more than 44 years later. “I still have to explain why. Vic’s hands were busted, for one. For another, Dale was 6-4, 220. It was the first period. We had to be smart about it. And we dominated the game anyway. [Bernie] Parent was the reason we lost, not that fight.” Maybe. Probably. Right, almost certainly. But the legend endures. Even with John Tortorella behind the bench, there was always the possibility of a line brawl against the Devils but a sense that retaliation was not in the coach’s language. That is why it seems so different now. Cody McLeod also responded on Tuesday when Max Domi (legally) clocked Chytil, but he picked up a double-minor for high sticking, a charging minor and 10-minute misconduct. That’s not what you want, as Joe — not Dan — Girardi would say, but it too is reflective of a mentality that has been absent on Broadway for decades. The Rangers' toughest decision as their big rebuild takes shape 2. So, how close is the one-two Mika Zibanejad-Kevin Hayes tandem to the Derek Stepan-Derick Brassard 1A/1B combination down the middle, and how much room for growth is there in the two centers? More to the point, Hayes has been the Rangers’ best player — the Swedish goaltender, aside — since the start of last season. And the Blueshirts are going to flip him for a late first-rounder and a prospect rather than signing him to a long-term extension? I don’t think so. 3. I’d say I’m not quite sure I get this except that I am quite sure that I do not get it: McLeod leads team forwards with a 52.8 percent offensive- zone faceoff start rate, as per Naturalstattrick.com. 1114382 New York Rangers

Rangers have figured out how to protect late leads and win close games

By Colin Stephenson

The Rangers have successfully protected a late lead in two straight games. Is it possible they’ve fixed the problem? During last week's road trip out west, the Rangers allowed their opponent to score a goal in the final minute in three straight games. In their last two games, both at home, they protected a lead and scored insurance goals to extend their winning streak to four games. On Sunday, Jimmy Vesey sealed it with an empty-net goal in the 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres, and on Tuesday it was Mika Zibanejad’s opportunistic jamming in of a loose puck in a 5-3 win that capped a rally over the Montreal Canadiens. After a rough start, the Rangers are 7-7-1 and feeling better about things. “I think we’re learning from experience right now, and that’s a great sign,’’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist said. “I thought our third period was really good [Tuesday] and the penalty kill was really good. So we just try to keep pushing here, and try to continue that good feeling we’ve had as of last week or so.’’ Lundqvist said those words on Monday, after the win over Buffalo, but he could have easily said the same words after the Blueshirts rallied from two goals down and played an inspired third period in the win over Montreal. He didn’t, because the Rangers were off on Wednesday, a well-deserved day off after two games in quick succession after a nine- day road trip. “It’s been a long stretch here,’’ coach David Quinn said after Tuesday’s game. “That West Coast trip can take a lot out of you, and you get in Friday at 8 a.m. and you play Sunday . . . I love how we responded coming back from the trip and we win two hockey games.’’ “Obviously, after what happened on the west coast, it’s important for us to be able to close out games, and we did a good job,’’ Lundqvist said Monday. “Smart plays, and worked really hard in the end. The most important thing is to win, but you still want to feel like you can close out games.’’ Defenseman Brady Skjei felt pretty confident Monday that whatever issues had been plaguing the Rangers in their last-minute collapses – and Quinn had pointed out there were different issues in each of the three games in California – have been fixed. “That first game in San Jose, we tried to learn off that, and had the same exact opportunity in Anaheim to do the same thing – couldn’t get done again,’’ Skjei said. “But being in the situation again [Sunday] night and finishing the job, that feels good, and just kind of shows you that we can close out games, and use that confidence going forward here when we’re six-on-five, that we can close it off.’’ Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114383 New York Rangers The Chytil situation is one that’s been watched and discussed. He plays mostly fourth-line minutes with Cody McLeod on one of his wings. Does that hurt his development? Is he better playing first-line minutes in the Young talent continues to make an impact as Rangers build on positive minors? momentum Perhaps. But the way it’s working is that the teen learns more in practices and in meetings than he would in Hartford, and learns in games, even when he’s seated. Maybe the coach is right with his handling. As long as By Rick Carpiniello Nov 7, 2018 he progresses. And he seems to be. I asked Chytil if he feels he’s making strides even when he’s not playing much. NEW YORK – Maybe it’s time. Or about time. Or almost time. “Of course,” he said. “I feel much better when I play, when I have more But even if it’s not yet time for all these young players to be in the lineup ice time, But if I don’t play I learn from our guys. I watch Mika together, always, well you’re getting a glimpse. (Zibanejad). I watch (Kevin) Hayes. I watch all the guys on the ice and learn what I’ve got to do.” The Rangers (7-7-1) – somehow winners of four in a row after a come- from-behind third-period blitz of Montreal that became a 5-3 victory He added, “The first period, that was one of the best periods I’ve played Tuesday – are currently one point out of the wild card and still getting this year. Then after that there was a long distance between my shifts younger. because they played power plays, we played power plays.” We’ve said this for a while now. They will be even younger after the Feb. Chytil stayed mentally involved, watched, and was ready, and quite 25 trade deadline, younger still next October, and probably even younger happy, when Quinn sent him on the ice for a power play in the third. the following October. “I looked at his minutes after the second and I said, ‘I want to play this kid It’s not just that many young players are playing, and mostly playing a lot, more’ but the period got all (disjointed) with all the penalties,” Quinn said. but it seems they’re figuring out stuff – to their credit, and to the credit of “He played well tonight. I felt bad for him that he was on the ice for the the pushing/teaching/insisting/benchings of coach David Quinn and his second goal because he had nothing (to do with it). He did a good job staff. defending, actually.” On Tuesday, you saw Pavel Buchnevich score one from the paint, tying Quinn was asked if Chytil still has to earn a spot on this roster. the game at 3-3 midway through the third. He nearly got another one from the same spot shortly later, after some benchings and many “I think when you’re 19, you’re always fighting for a spot here,” Quinn discussions with the coach. said. “But, listen, he’s a heckuva player. He’s got a lot of talent. He’s going to be a real good player in this league.” Same for Tony DeAngelo, figuring it out while playing out of necessity due to injuries on defense, but figuring it out nonetheless. He’s defending Andersson, who was cut at the end of preseason because he was better, making better decisions, and scored a big goal that started the outplayed in camp by Howden – and we’ve all seen what he’s about onslaught of four-straight when the Rangers were down 3-1 late in the already – and by Chytil, was recalled Monday. Quinn said this is not just second. a situation where he’s filling in for Howden. He’s here to get a chance to stay. You saw Filip Chytil, 19, play what he (and Quinn) thought was his best period of the season. Despite his fourth-line status and seat on the bench “I thought Lias had a good night,” Quinn said. “I liked his game a lot. And for a lot of the penalty-filled second period, Quinn rode him more in the I’m not surprised. He’s a guy that’s a good player. We knew he’d be back third. here eventually.” You saw 20-year-old Lias Andersson make his season debut, replacing Andersson admitted he was “nervous, of course” before the game, and injured fellow 20-year-old Brett Howden and doing it emphatically. that he was told to keep doing what he did in Hartford, where he Howden, who has earned a veteran level of trust already, figures to be excelled. He has an eye on the future, for sure, though. back Friday. “I just try to take it step-by-step, and lead the way for the team,” You saw Neal Pionk, who played just a few games too many last season Andersson, who was a teen until October, said. “I’m still young, but one to still qualify as a rookie, go coast-to-coast for the tie-breaking/winning day I want to be a leader in this room. And I just try to learn from all the goal with 2:44 left. older guys in here and just try to soak things up.” “I’m happy for them, really,” Quinn said. “Those guys are all good players Andersson took two accidental high-sticking penalties and Montreal and the biggest thing at this level, and I’ve said this before, you’ve got to scored on one of them. redefine what hard work is. And guys that are offensive players have to understand what it takes to be effective offensively in this league. It’s He and Chytil, of course, were drafted together in the first round in 2017, probably unlike anything that you go through before you get here, you were teammates in Hartford for a while last season, and came up know? together at the end of the year. They have this natural relationship and should be teammates here for a long time … at some point, if not starting “And, these guys are talented players. It’s just a lesson they have to now. learn. They’re young. It’s fun to watch. I feel good for them. It’s fun to watch, for them to play well and feel good about themselves.” “It was great to see him,” Chytil said. “It was great to see on Twitter last night that he was called up and today when I saw him, it was great.” New York Rangers Thoughts: ✔ 1) Put another one in the category of “You do dissect the wins” even if @NYRangers most coaches say they don’t. Quinn was not happy with the first two periods and told his players that during the second intermission. "It's fun to watch for them to play well and feel good about themselves." “You’ve got to put something into it to get a win,” he said. “You just don’t - #NYR Head Coach David Quinn win hockey games without effort and I didn’t think we had a lot of that in the second period. Just a lot of coasting. You can say what you want 11:07 PM - Nov 6, 2018 about the (penalty) calls, but you’ve got to skate in this game. You’ve got 566 to hit people. You’ve got to get in people’s way. All you need to know is watch faceoffs. We were slow off faceoffs, we weren’t aggressive on our 66 people are talking about this assignments, and all I said was, ‘Don’t come in here and act like you care about it if you don’t put the effort in. You’ve got to earn victories in this Twitter Ads info and privacy league’ and I thought we did a pretty good job of that in the third period.” So maybe, when Fredrik Claesson and Adam McQuaid are healthy, 2) In fairness, the Habs were playing their fourth game in six nights and DeAngelo stays in, even if some veterans have to rotate in and out of the the Rangers still feeling the effects, somewhat, of their Western trip. The lineup. Maybe at some point Chytil, Andersson, Howden and Buchnevich Rangers will do three in four starting Friday, the first two back-to-back on are all in the same lineup up front. Pionk’s not going anywhere. Not to the road (Detroit-Columbus). mention backup goalie Alexandar Georgiev. 3) So, down 3-1, and before they got chewed out, the Rangers were on the power play late in the second. A pass hit Zibanejad in the skates and he just stopped – leading to a 2-on-1 short-handed break that was Sportsnet thwarted by a hustling Buchnevich (should there be an exclamation point there?). As the same power play expired, DeAngelo’s long wrister slipped ✔ trough the screen of Vlad Namestnikov and past Jimmy Vesey’s @Sportsnet deflection attempt beat Carey Price. 3-2. Andersson nearly tied it moments later, but Price made a sliding pad save. Caption this...#IceSurfing 4) In the middle of the third, Staal trailed the play and put a high shot on 7:32 PM - Nov 6, 2018 goal. Price juggled it, then dropped it, and Buchnevich – attacking the dirty area of the ice – banged in the loose puck. 3-3. And there he was 22 again, right in the paint, when Price gloved a Staal shot at the end of a long Rangers shift in the Montreal zone with 5:18 left. See Sportsnet's other Tweets 5) Hayes just missed on a deflection during a Rangers power play late, Twitter Ads info and privacy and when Vesey was called for a highly questionable hooking penalty – 14) During that power play, Lundqvist had to make one save through embellished by Jeff Petry – Pionk took Chris Kreider’s pass, spun away traffic because Hayes beat Shaw on a faceoff but the puck hit the from Jonathan Drouin a la Brian Leetch near his own net, and went linesman’s skate and was recovered by the Habs. Hayes had a chance coast-to-coast. He toasted Noah Juulsen, went wide on Price and stuffed to tie on an ensuing 2-on-1, tried to force a pass to Kreider which was the go-ahead goal into the far side. 4-3. blocked by Jordie Benn, but came right back to Hayes. This time he New York Rangers made the pass to Kreider for a dunk at the right post. 1-1.

✔ 15) Early second, during a Rangers power play, Price had to make a good stick save on Buchnevich’s one-timer in the slot. Brady Skjei lost @NYRangers his stick, which set off a fire drill in the Rangers zone, and Tatar redirected a pass from Phillip Danault. 2-1. WOW!@NPionk95 goes coast to coast for the #NYR win! 16) The next shift had more mayhem and Jesperi Kotkaniemi hit the 10:07 PM - Nov 6, 2018 crossbar. Buchnevich nearly tied it from Hayes moments later, but Price came across the crease to make a save. 2,665 17) Uncontested Goal of the Night (still without a sponsor): Talk about a 903 people are talking about this gift. The Rangers were killing Andersson’s second penalty when Staal Twitter Ads info and privacy vacated the net front (or net vicinity) to join three teammates in the left corner. You could see the result coming a mile away. Of course the 6) Seconds later Zibanejad threw one in front but Petry put it right back Rangers lost the battle, and Gallagher slid it to the front, from where Tie’s on Zibanejad’s stick and he beat Price on the short side. 5-3. kid, Max Domi, had about half an hour to put a shot past Lundqvist. 3-1. Too, too easy. Staal more than made up for that gaffe later, though on a 7) It didn’t start well at all. Twenty-three seconds after the anthems, Chris combative plus-3 night. Kreider lost an offensive-zone draw to Brendan Gallagher after both centers were kicked out. Pionk tried to keep in a bouncing puck at the 18) A mess ensued when Domi took a run at Chytil. He was challenged right point and whiffed on it, sending out Tomas Tatar 2-on-1. Staal took by Pionk, then McLeod got involved. Nothing happened there, so away the passing lane, so Tatar shot and put it through Lundqvist. 1-0. McLeod and Pionk both took a run at Drouin. Then Mike Reilly went after Easy peasy. McLeod, who may have put his hands on the linesman after he dropped his gloves and threw a punch that missed Reilly. End result was McLeod Sportsnet got two for charging, four for roughing and a misconduct, which is right ✔ there in the midterm Election Night rulebook.

@Sportsnet MSG Networks ✔ 23 seconds in...Tomas Tatar rips home the first goal of the night.  Catch all of tonight’s NHL action, only on @Sportsnet Twitter. @MSGNetworks 7:16 PM - Nov 6, 2018 Buch ties it up!!! 64 Let's get it #NYR! 19 people are talking about this 9:31 PM - Nov 6, 2018 Twitter Ads info and privacy 42 8) McLeod tried to get Andrew Shaw to go in front of the benches, but See MSG Networks's other Tweets Shaw didn’t seem interested. On his next shift, McLeod found himself on Twitter Ads info and privacy the receiving end of a 2-on-1 from Ryan Spooner. McLeod shot it comically wide. … unless it was a really poor pass. The Rangers came 19) Andersson’s steal and Brendan Smith’s pass sent Vlad Namestnikov right back, this time Chytil and McLeod 2-on-1, and so Chytil shot it. Price on a short-handed breakaway, but Price turned him away. Lundqvist made a good save but the Rangers couldn’t get to the rebound. killed off most of the additional minor penalty, until Smith caught Joel Armia with a leg-on-leg collision at center ice, and gave the Habs 43 9) Lundqvist smothered a deflection by Zavier Ouellet. Price robbed seconds worth of 5-on-3. That lasted only until Tatar tackled Pionk and, Vesey from Zibanejad, then Vesey put the rebound off the right post. frankly, it began to look like an Olympic Diving competition (or the 2014 10) Maybe Kreider should have run over Price. I kid, I kid. He had a Eastern Conference Final), including one beaut by Brendan Gallagher, chance mid-first when Price had the puck behind the net and Kreider had who did a triple-back flip from a one-handed-shove by Staal. Drouin to squeeze between Price and the wall to avoid a collision that would flopped around like Tomas Plekanec most of the night. have certainly been a penalty. 20) It also had, by then, gotten very nasty, particularly the new Staal- 11) Quinn said, again, that he thinks Lundqvist can play at a high level for Domi rivalry. several years, and again compared him to Tom Brady at 41. So, if 21) Back to DeAngelo for a few moments: I have said this before, that Lundqvist is the 25th best starting goalie now, what will he be at age 41? there is no more bogus stat in hockey than +/- … that it doesn’t No. 32? (we need a sarcasm font). He only lost his stick on two saves, I necessarily mean a plus player is good defensively or a minus player is believe. Still might want to try some pine tar. bad defensively. Players who play a lot on good even-strength teams 12) Daily Zucc-O-Meter: Mats Zuccarello was robbed by Price from the tend to be plus, and vice versa. But over time there are trends that have slot early. Later he was called for one of those modern-day softie some “tell” to them. Last year, DeAngelo only had two games in which he slashing calls. Let’s face it, the NHL had to put in the rule to make all was “plus” (both of them +1) out of 32 games in which he played. That’s those baby love-taps illegal because NHL referees started to refuse to hard to do. This season, in seven games played, he’s already had four call any slashing penalties a few years ago, so they became epidemic. games in which he’s been plus (including a +2 vs. Buffalo Sunday and a +3 in Los Angeles last week) and only one game of minus (-1). Draw 13) Quinn’s reaction to the penalty call: your own conclusions, at your own risk. But there’s no doubt he’s been better lately than he ever was last season. 22) And, again, I think the Rangers should really value the way he competes and battles and plays on the edge a little bit. As I said when he was sitting, he belonged in Hartford, playing, but that option was off the table because of waivers. Now that he got an opportunity due to injuries, he’s made the most of it, and deserves more. A lot more. We’ll see what happens when the others get healthy. 23) So the Blackhawks fire Joel Quenneville after three Cups. Such nonsense, but it happens all the time, right Darryl Sutter? And almost always for the worse. “Ten years, three Cups,” Quinn said, shaking his head. “You can be a really good coach and still lose your job, and that’s what happened to Joel. … If he chooses I’m sure he’ll be unemployed for about 10 seconds.” My Three Rangers Stars: 1. Neal Pionk. 2. Pavel Buchnevich. 3. Mika Zibanejad. The Athletic LOADED: 11.08.2018

1114384 Ottawa Senators VEGAS FORWARDS Game Day: Vegas Golden Knights at Ottawa Senators Jonathan Marchessault-William Karlsson-Reilly Smith Max Pacioretty-Cody Eakin-Alex Tuch Bruce Garrioch Tomas Nosek-TBD-Tomas Hyka Will Carrier-Pierre-Édouard Bellemare-Ryan Reaves VEGAS AT OTTAWA DEFENCE Thursday, 7:30 p.m., Canadian Tire Centre, TSN5, TSN 1200 AM, Brayden McNabb-Colin Miller Unique 94.5 FM Shea Theodore-Nick Holden SPECIAL TEAMS Jon Merrill-Brad Hunt OTT: PP 27.1% (6th); PK 70% (28th) GOALTENDERS VGK: PP 11.8% (30th); PK 82.5% (9th) Marc-Andre Fleury THE BIG MATCHUP Malcolm Subban Thomas Chabot vs. Jonathan Marchessault INJURIES The club’s top defenceman is coming off a three-point effort in a 7-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday. He not only leads NHL OTT: Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Zack Smith defencmen in scoring, he went into Wednesday’s ranked fourth in scoring VGK: Paul Statsny in the league. If the Senators are going to have success against the Knights, a key is to keep Marchessault off the board. Ottawa Sun LOADED: 11.08.2018 FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME 1. CLOSE OUT STRONG The Senators can close out this homestand with a win before heading to Florida for back-to-back games. The club dropped a 4-3 overtime decision to the Knights on Oct. 28 in Vegas after taking a third-period lead. 2. POWER PLAY ON FIRE The Senators have had issues over the years with the man advantage, but not this season. The club went 1-for-4 on the power play Tuesday against the Devils when Colin White scored his second of the game at 17:44 of the second. 3. LEADING THE WAY Against the Devils, Mark Stone had a five-point night with two goals and three assists while Matt Duchene had three assists. The club needs its top players to be its best players consistently. 4. A HAPPY RETURN Brady Tkachuk may only be 19 years old, but he’s made an impact for this organization and he’ll be welcomed back with open arms. He’s a smart player who has good skills and is willing to pay the price. That’s key. 5. STRONG DEFENSIVE PLAY Yes, Craig Anderson made some good saves and the Senators did fall behind 2-0 against New Jersey, but it may have been the club’s best effort from start to finish. They need to limit the Knights’ chances in this one. ROSTERS OTTAWA FORWARDS Ryan Dzingel-Matt Duchene-Mark Stone Brady Tkachuk-Chris Tierney-Mikkel Boedker Nick Paul-Colin White-Bobby Ryan Max McCormick-Tom Pyatt-Magus Paajarvi DEFENCE Thomas Chabot-Dylan DeMelo Max Lajoie-Cody Ceci Mark Borowiecki-Christian Jaros GOALTENDERS Craig Anderson Mike McKenna 1114385 Ottawa Senators “It’s not like I have 40 goals. I’ve got a bunch of assists, so the guys put the (puck) in and they made great plays. The reason I’m doing well is because my team is helping, too.” Thomas Chabot taking his game to new levels for Senators Ottawa Sun LOADED: 11.08.2018

Bruce Garrioch

It wasn’t hard to find Thomas Chabot in the NHL’s scoring stats Wednesday morning. Not only was he tops among defencemen with 4-16-20 points, the 21- year-old was ranked fourth in league scoring. He’s the first blueliner to reach the 20-point plateau in the first 15 games since Brian Leetch (4-17- 21) with the New York Rangers in 2000-01. Yes, that’s pretty heady company. But coach Guy Boucher noted after Wednesday’s skate at the Canadian Tire Centre that one of Chabot’s best attributes is his ability to stay on an even keel, and that’s why he’s made so much progress since the club took him No. 18 overall in 2015. “He gained confidence by being the guy in junior, the guy for Hockey Canada (at the world juniors) and having success there,” Boucher said. “He came back last year and you could feel there was a man in the boy that was growing. “He needed to get some reps in the American league (last year) and he took that very seriously. Last year, he grew. To me, there’s no drastic improvement in a short period of time. It’s a great improvement over three years where we’ve seen a young man grow. “Is it a fast growth? Yes, it equals his talent and his potential. Through all of that, the No. 1 thing for him is humility, and that’s why his success keeps impressing everybody because he keeps that humility and simplicity needed to be consistent.” Chabot, who played 24:23 on 29 shifts against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night, indicated the extra playing time has helped his confidence. “When you watch (Tuesday), I got lots of ice time,” Chabot said. “Every time you step on the ice, you don’t spend a lot of time on the bench so it helps you get momentum and going. I’m happy with the way that it’s going. “(Tuesday) was a great team effort and it was a great win for the team.” Yes, and Chabot was a key contributor to the win. As far as Boucher is concerned, it’s all part of maturity. “Consistency is the toughest thing to acquire in any sport, and for a young guy that’s almost an impossibility to be consistent,” Boucher said. “That’s the definition of being young and having to learn the details of the game that make you become a pro over time. “I think, right now, the dangerous thing is not to start getting excited about things that I hear like trophies and things like that. If you care about the kid, that’s the worst thing you can do. Right now, he’s on a solid path where his humility is driving him in the right direction. “Because of that, his attention to detail is terrific, his work ethic is great and his team-first sense of where the game should be is sending him in the right path. Anything else that’s added to that right now doesn’t serve him at all.” Boucher doesn’t want to put too much pressure on Chabot. “He’s a young guy that still needs to be shielded from some of the outside influences that would take him off that track,” Boucher said. “It’s important that he keeps a level head on what he needs to do and he’s been doing it. That’s what’s impressive right now.” A key to Chabot’s success is his ability to skate and move the puck because of the pace the game is played at. “I’m just trying to take advantage of it,” Chabot said. “I’ve always been a pretty good skater. The game is so fast. We’ve got to use that and I’m just trying to use it as much as I can.” He hasn’t looked at the scoring stats and gives plenty of credit to the players around him for helping him take the next step in his career. “I hear about it and the guys kind of joke around here,” Chabot said. “Like I said to the guys last night, if it wasn’t for them, nothing would happen. The guys I’m playing with are playing well. I’m just trying to help the team to win. 1114386 Ottawa Senators

Senators issue apologies to assistant coach Martin Raymond

Bruce Garrioch

The Ottawa Senators who were taped by an Uber driver in Arizona last week while they mocked assistant coach Martin Raymond have issued public apologies. After the Senators wrapped up their skate at the Canadian Tire Centre on Wednesday, defencemen Chris Wideman and Thomas Chabot, who were among seven players in the vehicle, both spoke with the media. Chris Tierney and Dylan DeMelo also offered themselves up to speak to the media to issue apologies — if they were needed to be available — and so was Alex Formenton, who is back in junior. Following the club’s victory over the New Jersey on Tuesday, centre Matt Duchene and winger Colin White also said they were sorry. “From the bottom of my heart, expressing my apologies to Marty Raymond for my role and for what happened that night,” Wideman said. “What was said was definitely not how we feel about him as a person and as our coach. “We were carried away and that’s definitely all I can say about it.” Chabot said he felt the same about Raymond. “As a group, we want to apologize to Marty Raymond,” Chabot said. “He’s someone we really appreciate. We love having him around. He shares his passion for the game every single day and he’s always there for us, but I think that’s where we’re going to leave it. “We’re not going to go any further comments than that.” Duchene spoke Tuesday night after the game. “I want to take this opportunity to extend my absolute sincere apologies to (assistant) Marty Raymond,” he said. “He is a heck of a person and coach, and he didn’t deserve what we said. That’s all I can say on that right now, unfortunately. “I sincerely, sincerely mean that, and that’s all I can say on behalf of myself and my teammates.” Ottawa Sun LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114387 Ottawa Senators Winger Bobby Ryan also left late in the game and wasn’t on the ice Wednesday, either, but he’s expected to play.

THE LAST WORDS SNAPSHOTS: Brady Tkachuk should be ready to suit up against Knights Boucher has been pleased with the way the young players have stepped up. He pointed to what he’s seen from centre Colin White, who has Bruce Garrioch been taking steps in the right direction for months. “Right now, no games or moments of the season where there’s a defining moment,” Boucher said. “It’s a constant progression of our players and progression never means a straight line. That’s not the way the progress works. Over a long The Ottawa Senators will have a welcome addition Thursday night period of time — 10 to 15 games — you see the starting point and the against the Vegas Golden Knights at the Canadian Tire Centre. end point, and then you see progression. In between, it’s not a straight line, it’s up and down.” … The Senators will have some decisions to It looks like winger Brady Tkachuk is ready to return. make on defence if everybody is healthy. Veteran Mark Borowiecki, who Tkachuk, who finished the game after tearing a ligament in his left leg missed Tuesday’s game with an undisclosed injury, was back on the ice Oct. 15 against the Dallas Stars, was taking regular shifts during the Wednesday and is expected to suit up against the Knights. If the club club’s skate at home Wednesday and is expected to get the green light to goes with 12 forwards and six defencemen, two blueliners will have to be play against the Knights. scratched. It’s possible that Erik Burgdoerfer, a healthy scratch Tuesday, could be sent back to Belleville if Boroweicki is able to return. He skated That would be a quicker than expected return for Tkachuk, who was in the fourth pairing with Chris Wideman on Wednesday but Boucher also supposed to be out a month when the injury originally took place. likes the 11 forwards and seven defencemen alignment, so decisions are up in the air. “I’ve got to talk the trainers and the coaches, nothing official, but I felt good out there,” Tkachuk said Wednesday. “I feel like I’m game-ready. I Ottawa Sun LOADED: 11.08.2018 felt really good on the ice today. We’ll see what the coaches and the trainers have to say.” Coach Guy Boucher told reporters Wednesday afternoon he was just waiting for Tkachuk to get the green light. He may only be 19 years old, but he’s made a positive impact with 3-3-6 points in four games and a hard-nosed style that makes him valuable. He suffered the injury in the first period against the Stars, but managed to finish the game, but had a hard time walking when taking off his gear. The next day, the ligament injury was diagnosed and since then he’s been working hard to get back in the lineup. “It’s tough to watch,” he admitted. “I want to be out there so bad and I want to do what I can for the team. It was tough to know at the start I was going to be out for a month. It was tough, but I’m better because of it. “I’m super-excited to get back. I don’t know when that will be, but I loved watching the team doing well and I can’t wait to be out there.” Tkachuk skated on a line with veterans Chris Tierney and Mikkel Boedker, which is likely the way the Senators will start Thursday. Boucher told reporters Tuesday that Tkachuk wanted to play that night, so he’s champing at the bit to get into the lineup. “I’ve been trying to do that (return to playing) for a while now but I knew I wasn’t ready,” Tkachuk said. “I want to be out there. I want to contribute, I want to play and I want to help the team in any way I can. I’ve been anxious to get out there. “Hopefully it’s tomorrow, but we’ll see.” He isn’t going to change his style just because he’s coming off an injury. “For me, it’s just trying not to think about it,” Tkachuk said. “That’s when (an injury) is an issue, when you think about it and you’re worried about it. “My mindset is to play better than I was before. I’m in better shape. I feel like I’ve learned a lot in the couple of weeks I haven’t been playing and I’ve been watching and really picking up on things. My mindset is just that I want to be better.” ANDERSON READY TO GO Breathe a sigh of relief, Ottawa, Craig Anderson was just given a bit of a rest Wednesday. He will be back in the net Thursday night. Anderson, who was taken out of Tuesday’s 7-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils with 5:03 left in the game, wasn’t on the ice for the club’s skate, but that was done for precautionary reasons. With Mike Condon assigned to the club’s AHL affiliate in Belleville, the Senators went with Mike McKenna to finish the game because there was no point taking any chances with Anderson, who stopped 30 of 33 shots before he left. “He just tweaked something (Tuesday) and that’s why we were like, ‘OK, we’re not going to take a chance here and make it worse,’ ” said coach Guy Boucher Wednesday. “The two or three shifts before we pulled him out we were aware of it. “Because of the score, to be honest with you, we were at that point.” 1114388 Ottawa Senators 5. So, after a season with no coaching changes, we have two before American Thanksgiving. Right from the start, the pressure’s been intense. There were a ton of rumours about going back Thoughts on Thoughts: Senators Uber and Black Cloud Club, Nylander’s behind a bench. Reached Monday, he said, “I’m happy in Seattle, and I situation, ‘first on, last off’ and more will be staying here.” While I get saying this, if he means it, I don’t really get it. What competitive coach would choose the option of not coaching for almost By Justin Bourne Nov 7, 2018 two full years, then taking on a team that – hot take coming here – isn’t going to be good for a long time.

I get the job security – it’s years and years to work with (read: get paid). It’s been a long time since I’ve rolled out a “Thoughts on Thoughts,” so it But I think another team would give him that. I’m pretty convinced feels really good to be back at it. For those who haven’t read one of everyone is so blinded by Vegas’ early success that they think that’s just these before, the idea is pretty simple: I take a handful of notes from going to be the new norm for expansion teams. I’m not buying it. Elliotte Friedman’s excellent “31 Thoughts” and react to them. Here’s his latest, which started with – you guessed it – thoughts on the Ottawa It sounds to me like NHL teams have learned from the Vegas expansion Senators Uber-bizarre situation off the ice. draft (our own Pierre LeBrun discussed this at a Toronto Puck Talks event). When Seattle’s turn comes, nobody’s overreacting and trading What a wild 24 hours. them the equivalent of Jonathan Marchessault to take Reilly Smith. Nobody’s sending them Alex Tuch to “only” take Erik Haula. Some teams My first reaction to the Ottawa Senators’ Uber Video: there by the may lose a decent player; this time they’ll just eat that loss and move on. grace of God go I. So all of that is to say: Tippett is either bluffing, or making what looks like How many times have you been frustrated with your boss, a co-worker, a surprising choice to me. Would an offer from the Ducks change his your partner, a friend, whoever and privately unloaded to someone else? mind? The Red Wings, the Blues … somewhere? Time flies and all, but (Or, at least you thought it was private.) Honestly, when you saw/heard of you’d think he’d want back in at some point before October of 2020, the video, how many of you thought, “That could have been me?” particularly if he gets the chance to coach a roster with potential after all those tough years in the desert. It’s almost uniting that so many people watched that video and had the initial thought, “Thank the holy heavens that when I was younger, the 22. Back when Connor McDavid was at OHL Erie, his trainer, Gary world wasn’t papered with cameras and other recording devices.” A very Roberts, warned him that “90-second and two-minute shifts don’t work in small percentage of the takes following the leak of the video were the NHL.” Yet, there was the electrifying forward blowing by Ryan Suter negative toward the players. It was mostly cringing and “Yeah I’ve been to score after a 79-second shift last Tuesday in Edmonton. that person.” Those moments happen with varying frequency depending on how things are going at work. There’s actually something in common between those two. Suter, who, in 2013-14 played the fourth-most minutes in one season since the NHL In an odd quirk, one of my favourite things as a hockey player was began recording ice time, is excellent at conserving energy while being finding the other sarcastic, and we’ll say somewhat “judgy” people, and out there for a long time. McDavid has that ability, too, but, as Roberts unintentionally forming Black Cloud Club. Those people were great to says, “He’s put in the work. He’s committed. In the summers, when his have morning coffee with. I’m aware these people exist in every walk of friends were going out or finishing for the day, he’s the guy who stayed to life, but I feel like in hockey your life and future is particularly in the hands do one more thing or work on something on his own.” of the coaches on a daily basis, so it’s really, really easy to blame them for your own failures. The job is hyper-volatile, and you can’t succeed 23. Roberts had a great line about playing with Sidney Crosby for a year- without proper opportunity, your team can’t succeed without structure and-a-half. “I’d see him on the ice 30 minutes before practice. I’d ask him and discipline, and in hockey, every day and every minute the staff what he was doing. He said, ‘I didn’t like the way my hands felt last dictates those things. night.’” Roberts said he laughed and replied, “Well, how do you think the rest of us feel?” So when things aren’t going great – and there are times in every season that’s the case – lord, can the conversations get hilariously nasty (as we Hockey twitter (and sports Twitter in general) has its share of go-to saw). That’s just part of being a coach – if you want to be the guy making punchlines. One justifiable one is the old preseason “he’s in the best the decisions, you have to live knowing how players talk about you when shape of his life!” This is a well-beaten joke, and justifiably – it’s everyone it’s going poorly. every preseason, apparently. A guy would basically have to show up with icing sugar and Cheetoh dust on his shirt for anyone to report anything But truly, as a player, it’s so important to be able to pour it all out like that. different. I swear it’s therapy. Because the next day when you make about 10 high percentage plays and none work out, and you’re in-game adrenaline’d I will say though: the “first guy on, last guy off” stuff is much tougher to up, and you get hollered at on the bench every time, you need to be in a parse. That’s simply because some guys really are, and it does make a good place to not yell back, which can be extremely detrimental to your difference. So my point here is unrelated to either McDavid or Crosby, career. who are all-universe talents with extreme drive – we’ll never really know what’s god-given gift and what’s just the sheer work they’ve put in. But 4. One note about Jeremy Colliton’s coaching: opponents said AHL whenever someone says/writes the “first on last off” phrase, I’d always Rockford became much more aggressive under him. Lots of activity from want to know what the players are doing. Because I was a first on/last off the defence in the offensive zone, which is similar to what the NHL club guy, but only because I love the fresh sheet of ice before practice starts, prefers. They also aggressively held the blueline, stopping and attacking with no coaches around, and just a little time to enjoy the game before in certain cases. Previously, they tended to sag back and protect the net. the “get it in deep”-fests would begin. And after practice I liked to play Rebound, or even just keep-away, because again, hockey is fun. But that I had the privilege of playing with Jeremy in Bridgeport for a short while, didn’t make me better, at least not much. and got to spend a week with him at a Leafs development camp (the Leafs often bring in young coaches from outside the organization to It’s great to be first on, last off. But when we read about anyone being further relationships, pick brains, etc.). If I could use three words to mythologized for those habits, it’d be great to know how that extra time is describe Colliton as I know him, I’d go with smart, serious, open-minded actually used. Some guys are just so much more efficient at using bonus (is that four words?). time to truly work at getting better. Obviously it won’t be easy as a young guy taking over such a storied 11. The speedbump for Carolina is they have business to do. Sebastian franchise, but if anyone can it’s him. During my time as his teammate, I Aho needs a new contract. So do Micheal Ferland, Brock McGinn and was certain he was older than me. Not looks-wise, just maturity. Most of Teuvo Teravainen. No one needs permission to speak to Nylander, who the on-bench advice from teammates consists of “You gotta f***ing pass is a free agent, so you can discuss contract concepts without penalty. me that puck there!” He was great about explaining things in detail to me Aho’s the internal priority as a franchise cornerstone, but his contract when I wasn’t in the right spot, and generally making me feel comfortable won’t go into Auston Matthews/John Tavares territory. That helps the off the ice. Hurricanes with Nylander’s key issue: salary too far below teammates. Turns out I’m a couple years older than the guy, but I’m not worried he’s I strung together some tweets earlier today on Nylander’s contract too young to succeed with the Blackhawks. For those reasons, I’m situation, which basically said that I could conceivably see him neither confident they’ll grow to take him seriously. He’ll have his work cut out for getting signed or traded this year. Here’s that thread, starting with a link him in the early going, but he’s such a hard worker, I have no doubt he’ll to Boss Mirtle’s Leafs thoughts post: find a way to make it work as well as that roster is able to. PART OF ME COULD SEE DUBAS BEING STUBBORN ENOUGH TO NEITHER SIGN OR MOVE NYLANDER BEFORE DEC. 1. NOT A GREAT OPTION GIVEN TEAM’S POTENTIAL, BUT HE’S NOT SOMEONE WHO’D LIKE BEING HELD HOSTAGE. MIRTLE NOTEBOOK: THINGS I THINK ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS, VOL. 2: HTTPS://T.CO/5UF9MLVSJJ — JUSTIN BOURNE (@JTBOURNE) NOVEMBER 7, 2018 SHORT TERM THAT’D SUCK. (MAY HELP HELP FUTURE DEALS?) JUST SEEMS LIKE WILLY’S CAMP IS ASKING A TON VS WHAT HE’S PROVEN. IF YOU CAN’T GET VALUE BACK IN A TRADE (OTHER TEAM HAS TO SIGN HIM, TOO), CAN’T KILL YOUR CAP GIVEN OTHER UPCOMING DEALS… MAYBE JUST “TOUGH BEANS, BILL?” — JUSTIN BOURNE (@JTBOURNE) NOVEMBER 7, 2018 (ALSO, IF I’M NYLANDER, AND I WAKE UP ON DEC.1ST, AND MY AGENT HAS SO OVERPLAYED OUR HAND I HAVE TO FORFEIT A PRIME YEAR OF MY CAREER, LIKE SIX MILLION DOLLARS, AND WATCH MY TEAM RACK UP 100+ PTS AND PLAY IN PLAYOFFS WHILE I TRAIN FOR NEXT YEAR, I’D HAVE A NEW AGENT BY LUNCHTIME) — JUSTIN BOURNE (@JTBOURNE) NOVEMBER 7, 2018 What struck me about this point on Nylander earning closer to his teammates if he was in Carolina, and that being a good thing is … say what now? If he can earn $6.5 million in Toronto – much less than their top players – he’d be less happy than if he were making $6.5 million in Carolina, where there aren’t players earning a bunch more? I’m not great at math, but I can’t imagine concerning yourself with Income Rel given $6.5 million USD is $6.5 million USD no matter where you are. There are arguments to be made for earning in both cities – one’s cheaper, one has fewer taxes, one has opportunities to earn you wouldn’t get in the other, and all that. But surely “playing with lesser players who earn less to make yourself feel better” can’t be a worthwhile factor. 31. Most sports fans of my vintage (48) were Sports Illustrated readers. My first subscription was a 12th birthday present in 1982, and my favourite writer/reporter became Dr. Z, Paul Zimmerman. He looked at everything a little differently, through the eyes of both a former player and tough reporter. He created his own charts, his own method of judging effectiveness and always came up with new details you couldn’t find elsewhere. I loved reading his stuff. For one of his All-Pro Teams, he selected a Chicago Bears offensive lineman named Mark Bortz. He wrote that someone told him not to do it, because Bortz was “a butcher.” Zimmerman did it anyway. When we were at Western University, old friend Scott Feschuk told me, “Paul Zimmerman doesn’t think you can be great at this job.” He showed me a quote where Dr. Z said (paraphrasing), “You can’t be a great reporter without being a prick.” (Scott always thought I was too nice.) You guys can judge how that turned out, but it was an excellent reminder of how we can’t be afraid to step out of our comfort zones. RIP to a legend. I consider myself extremely fortunate to be able to write about the game from an angle that rarely puts me in a position to have to confront those I’m writing about. Generally, I get to say “here’s the video, here’s an idiotic play,” then move on with my life. Which is to say, I thought Mark Lazerus’ piece on the Blackhawks scapegoating Joel Quenneville was tremendous. He made some excellent points about Q getting hung out to dry for being handed an inferior roster, and he did it candidly, knowing he has to go in and talk to the brass face to face at some point again. When I started blogging, it was super easy – it feels like you can say whatever, whenever, about anyone. It takes some real courage to still write like that when you have to confront the people on the other end of those words. I admire reporters who can do that a great deal. Check that piece out here. The Athletic LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114389 Ottawa Senators have a strong case against Uber (who just so happens to be one of the Senators’ corporate sponsors).

Uber has already acknowledged that the driver in this case clearly Analyzing the thorny issues surrounding the Senators’ Uber video violated company policy when, as multiple sources have confirmed, he scandal filmed the group without their consent on Oct. 29, when the team was in town to play the Coyotes, and later posted the video on YouTube (albeit without any identifying tags, such as “NHL” or “Senators”). According to By Katie Strang Nov 7, 2018 screenshots obtained by The Athletic, the driver then sent that link, via his Twitter account, to reporters from the Ottawa Citizen, calling the players “cheap entitled kids.” The driver appeared to be upset about a tip from the approximately two-mile drive (Uber’s policy is that tipping is It has been a few months full of embarrassing pockmarks on the Ottawa optional and can be done up to 30 days after the trip). Senators organization. There was the clumsy attempt to warm fans to the rebuilding process with an extremely awkward video featuring team “This is a clear violation of our community guidelines. As soon as we owner Eugene Melnyk and defenseman Mark Borowiecki; the salacious learned of this situation, we immediately worked to help get this video fight between the significant others of former teammates Mike Hoffman removed,” an Uber spokesperson told The Athletic on Tuesday. and Erik Karlsson, in which cyberbullying was alleged and a protective order was sought; and the arrest of former assistant general manager Rob Khazzam, general manager of Uber Canada, was even more Randy Lee for harassment, who has since been dismissed. emphatic in expressing Uber’s issue with what happened as a result of one of its independent contractors. So when a video surfaced on Monday night of a handful of Senators players, surreptitiously recorded in the back of an Uber — complaining “A video was released by the media today of several Uber passengers about their coach, ripping their penalty killing abilities and lamenting their being filmed without their consent while having a private discussion special teams’ futility — the story was met with a similar refrain: during a trip in Phoenix. This is a clear violation of our terms of service and we worked vigorously to investigate this issue,” Khazzam said via his Of course this would happen to the Senators. Twitter account on Monday night. And though the initial shock of the video’s release abated and some of “Filming or recording passengers without their consent is totally the more awkward elements of the fallout have been on public display, unacceptable and if reported / detected we will investigate + take action there are some thorny issues that remain, among them: privacy issues, to preserve our communities privacy and integrity. In this specific case, Uber ride-sharing policies, and whether the driver who recorded and we made efforts to have the video taken down.” circulated the video should have been behind the wheel in the first place. The video was indeed taken down, on Nov. 5, but not before both the Chief among these concerns from within the Senators organization, the Ottawa Citizen and members of Senators management had an NHL Player’s Association and the players themselves is that those opportunity to view its contents (a source confirmed that the Senators players’ privacy was breached. became aware of the video from the Ottawa Citizen reporters). The team sent a letter through its attorneys, to the Editor of the Ottawa Citizen on According to an NHLPA source, the union is “looking into potential Wednesday demanding the video be taken down and stating that it was options to address this privacy violation.” posted with knowledge that it was taken without the players’ consent. This is not to deny that the players were ill-advised to make such “The Citizen has published the video with full knowledge that it was disparaging comments about a member of their coaching staff (assistant surreptitiously obtained; that it was removed from the ubiquitous coach Martin Raymond was the chief target of the griping) in front of a YouTube video website for this reason; and that the content of the video complete stranger, or that this is far from atypical of the type of talk you’d does not involve any matter of genuine public interest,” the letter, which hear within the confines of any team dressing room or collection of was reviewed by The Athletic, states. players away from the rink. “The Citizen’s mass publication of the video is a clear and obvious But that the players’ conversation could be secretly recorded and publicly violation of the rights of the Senators players involved under Ontario law disseminated without their consent is a major red flag to several of the and has damaged the Ottawa Senators. The Ottawa Senators demand parties involved. And it poses the question: that the Citizen immediately remove the video from the internet.” Is this privacy breach legally actionable? Stephen Zolf, a partner at the Toronto-based law firm Aird Berlis who Taking a look at Arizona’s statutes, it is not abundantly clear. The video specializes in media and telecommunications, said he thinks this privacy laws are fairly narrow, designed to deal with taping someone in a argument by the Senators will be “challenging” to advance, as the video bathroom, dressing room or engaged in sexual activity. As far as the is already part of the public domain, but Zolf believes those players more broad interpretations of electronic communications, Arizona is “would likely have a cause of action against Uber for violating its own known as a “one-party consent” state. According to the Reporters policy.” Committee for Freedom of the Press, electronic capturing of a “The scope of Uber’s privacy policy relating to use of ‘information’ of a conversation is allowed provided one party to the conversation consents customer/rider is fairly narrow: on any reasonable interpretation, the use (which, in this case, would presumably be the driver). However, the would be limited to information such as the user’s phone number, login interpretation of the “in-person conversations” is a bit different, as it name and password, address, payment or banking information, provides the requirement for consent “for the taping of a conversation demographic information through user surveys, information submitted spoken by a person who has a justified expectation that the conversation when user contacts Uber customer support, ratings or compliments etc,” will not be intercepted.” Zolf said, via email. Certainly, those players in the Uber would argue they did not reasonably “The policy neither expressly nor in an implied basis permits Uber to expect their conversation to be recorded and publicized, though the capture the contents of ‘information’ resulting from a conversation of a argument could also be made that, as public figures, their expectation of rider(s) without meeting the obligation to obtain each passenger’s privacy might be different. consent for use of such information.” But it’s also fair to ask what constitutes the driver being a “party” to the Kris Klein, International Association of Privacy Professional’s managing conversation. Though the driver initially asked a few questions of the director of Canada, called it an “obvious breach of privacy” and said that players when they entered the vehicle, inquiring what team they played if the incident happened in Canada, it would have violated a number of for, he was not included in the conversation thereafter. It is worth noting laws. that the intent behind the state consent laws was to cover telephone conversations in which there are dynamic, mutual conversations, “It is also an example of why some American lawmakers are talking whereas this incident presents a different scenario in which the driver about the need to protect personal information in the United States as it appears to bait the players with a question and proceeds to simply let the is protected in Canada and elsewhere like the EU,” Klein wrote in an camera roll (the video ends by him muttering “Fuck you” into the camera email. “In Canada, organizations like Uber are not allowed to collect and after amiably opening the car door for a few of the players and wishing disclose our personal information without our consent.” them a good night). Klein said he was also troubled by the way the video came out, and the However, while the Senators players captured on the video — Matt motivation behind the driver to publicize its content. Duchene, Chris Wideman, Chris Tierney, Thomas Chabot, Alex Formenton, Dylan DeMelo and Colin White — may not have an ironclad “It would be nice to know the motivation behind why the driver did what case against the driver himself, privacy law experts feel they would likely they did,” Klein said. “Were they trying to extract some sort of payment?” Multiple attempts to reach the driver, James Sparklin, were unsuccessful. The fact that Sparklin was allowed to operate an Uber is also an interesting wrinkle to this story, as a background check conducted by The Athletic revealed multiple brushes with the law, including multiple arrests and convictions. Sparklin was convicted on a misdemeanor charge of assault in 1999, and in 2012 he entered a plea agreement for misdemeanor assault and disorderly conduct. He served eight days in jail in 1999, according to an Olympia City Jail corrections officer; it is not clear whether he served jail time for the 2012 offense. An Uber spokesperson defended the due diligence performed on the driver before his hiring. “All drivers undergo a thorough screening process (completed by CheckR, which is accredited by the National Association of Professional Background Screeners) before they gain access to Uber. This includes a Motor Vehicle Records check and criminal records check that scours local, state and national databases,” said the spokesperson, who confirmed that the driver went through this process before gaining access to the app. Uber allows for drivers with misdemeanor offenses to be hired, but not felonies, though the policy does state that “violent offenses” should also be disqualifying. It is unclear whether Sparklin’s convictions would be considered by Uber to be “violent offenses.” A follow-up to Uber’s press office about this question yielded this response: “Your question really depends on the local regulations,” Andrew Hasbun replied via email. “States and cities have adopted laws that govern the background check process. For example, California’s law is here. So “violent offenses” often falls to the states to determine, however, in many states, regulations mirror our standard background check which is detailed here and in the chart below.” (Chart c/o Uber) Hasbun said Uber also has internal policies against certain violent crimes, citing this policy: “Subject to and in accordance with state and local law, some types of criminal convictions such as murder, sexual assault, terrorism-related offenses, and other serious criminal convictions will result in disqualification if they occurred at any time in a person’s lifetime.” As for right now, the Senators appear to be trying to keep a tight lid on the situation; none of the players who appeared in the video spoke about the incident after the team’s morning skate on Tuesday. A source confirmed that the team was well aware of the video before it became public, and that there was a postgame team meeting to discuss its contents after Sunday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Lightning and again on Tuesday morning to prepare for the impending media storm. It is believed that all other parties involved are exploring such options as well, which could include legal remedies. This may explain why the public statements have remained so limited. “I want to take this opportunity to extend my absolutely sincerest apologies to Marty Raymond,” Duchene told reporters at Canadian Tire Centre following the 7-3 win over the Devils on Tuesday. “He’s a heck of a person, a coach and he did not deserve what we said. That’s all I can say on it right now, unfortunately.” The Athletic LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114390 Ottawa Senators forward with ideas, or at least say what they were getting wasn’t enough, then that’s just as big of a problem.

The only way there is going to be a benefit from the humiliation felt by How the Senators organization can be better after the Uber fiasco Raymond and the embarrassment of the players after their comments became public, is if there is a significant change in the way players and coaches interact. By Chris Stevenson Nov 7, 2018 Raymond can use this. He knows what the players really think. He knows what he has to do to be a better coach. The first evidence that the Ottawa Senators latest off-ice fiasco could There’s evidence the Senators can learn from their public relations wind up being a positive for the team came in the form of a 7-3 win over fiascos. After letting things fester in their dressing room last season, they the visiting New Jersey Devils on Tuesday. seemed to have been proactive with the Uber situation, getting out in front of it as soon as they became aware of the situation. As one pro scout from another team texted: “I guess the boys gave new meaning to ‘playing guilty.’ Big win to say the least.” “We told ourselves this year we’d be quick on everything,” Guy Boucher said, “and we were very quick on it. This was dealt with days ago. The Now it will be interesting to see if the Uber video incident is just the latest organization dealt with it, the staff dealt with it, the players dealt with it. in a long line of missteps for the organization or if it results in some As a group, we’ve dealt with it, and we moved on.” positive changes to the Senators culture, particularly when it comes to how they interact, learn and communicate. The Senators seemed to have learned at least one lesson from this debacle. On a night when the NHL was watching to see how the Senators would perform after their latest controversy, the Senators came up with one of Now we’ll see if they can learn even more. their most complete games of the season against the Devils. The Athletic LOADED: 11.08.2018 The Senators had 42 shots on goal against the Devils, who were playing the second game of a back-to-back, making it their highest total in a game this season (previous high was 39 in a 4-2 loss to the Boston Bruins at home on Oct. 23). Quite significantly, they tied the Devils with 16 shots in the third period and kept the pressure on despite having a 5-2 lead entering the final 20 minutes (the Senators had given up 65 shot attempts and taken 30 in the third periods of their previous three games, all losses). The Senators said they had dealt with the aftermath of the frank and withering comments about assistant coach Martin Raymond made during an Uber ride involving seven players and caught on video in Phoenix on Oct. 29. The video was circulated by Postmedia on Monday night. The six remaining players (Alex Formenton had since been sent to the of the OHL) combined for 10 points in the win against the Devils. Senators veteran forward Matt Duchene, who made some of the most critical comments in the video, had three assists, including this backhand beauty for Mark Stone’s 100th NHL goal. Duchene closed another portion of the incident when he issued an emotional apology after the game. “All right guys, really quick,” he said as the media congregated at his stall. “ I can only say what I’m about to say on the matter for right now. I want to take this opportunity to extend my absolutely sincere apologies to Marty Raymond. He is a heck of a person and coach and he does not deserve what we said. That’s all I can say on it right now, unfortunately. I sincerely, sincerely mean that on behalf of myself and my teammates … “It’s hard for me to even talk about because it makes me emotional. It’s not the person that I am or any of us. We did a heckuva job bouncing back tonight as a whole group. I’ve said it all season and I’m going to keep saying it: we have a heckuva group in here. It’s impressive what we have in here and how we can come out and do what we did tonight.” The comments of the Uber-7 focused mostly on the struggles of the penalty-killing unit under Raymond’s direction. The Senators didn’t allow a goal over two New Jersey power plays, so that’s a start. Where do the Senators go from here? The incident can wind up being beneficial for the Senators if they can take the unvarnished truths spoken during the ride and use them as a jumping off point for a culture change when it comes to communication. Players are often the target of criticism from their coaches. Why not the other way around? If players don’t feel like they are getting the direction and information they need to do their jobs to the best of their ability, they should be able to speak up and call out coaches, too. It doesn’t have to be done as bluntly as the Uber-7 did it, but calling for new ideas and approaches is going be for the collective good. There’s a lot to be unpacked in the comments made by the players, but there didn’t seem be any ideas about how to improve the team’s woeful penalty-killing unit. In a way, the players were guilty of the same way of looking at things that made Raymond a target. If they players had tried to make suggestions in the past and been rebuffed, then that’s a problem. If they didn’t feel they could come 1114391 Philadelphia Flyers skating,'' Elliott said. "Trying to be smart about it, not push things too fast."

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.08.2018 Flyers seek to hold their edge at home against Coyotes by Sam Donnellon

Here's a thought: Instead of shooting hoops or kicking a soccer ball as their usual warmup Thursday night, how about the Flyers knock each other around a little beforehand? "It definitely helps when you're on the road and you get a hit early," defenseman Christian Folin said after practice at SkateZone on Wednesday. "You're trying to get your head into it. Even if you get hit, it actually helps you. It's OK; let's go. It pumps you up. They should do some research about that — what happens to the body when you get hit. "People get put in a corner, they do amazing things." OK, so knocking each other around isn't the most enlightened idea going, especially given this team's injury history. Still, the Flyers put themselves in that corner 12 days ago, after a 6-1 home shellacking at the hands of the New York Islanders. They were lifeless and listless, making what coach on Wednesday termed "reckless plays in the offensive zone," putting him on an early hot seat, and initiating conversations of breaking up a core that has in equal parts thrilled and tortured its fan base repeatedly throughout their years together. That loss left the team 4-7, and seeking some sort of an identity that did not begin and end with the word fragile. They couldn't get the first goal. They couldn't kill a penalty, and couldn't score when given the man advantage. Their goaltenders seemed made of glass, and their skaters acted at times as if enrolled in a no-check league. "That last game here left such a bad taste in everybody's mouths," said Folin, the free-agent signee who has been just short of a revelation since his auspicious fall in one of his early starts with this team. "So we went out there with the idea to set the tone early. We talked how we have to play with more of an edge." Folin has. Now paired with Shayne Gostisbehere, he is a team-leading plus-6 and is carrying over from his previous season in Los Angeles what he believes was some of the best hockey he has played as a professional. Known for his physical play, Folin says that Ghost's skating "makes it easier for me to step up, because I know he's going to be able to cover me." "It's got to be part of our identity," Folin said about physicality. "We don't have to go out and fight everyone, but if we play hard and make strong plays, that has to be part of our identity if we want to go a long way this year." Defenseman Christian Folin wants the Flyers to play with more of an edge. A successful 3-0-1 Western swing reinforced that. The Flyers trailed only once, when they lost to San Jose in overtime. After spending all but one of their previous 11 games chasing the lead, they scored first in all four games. Fragile morphed into edgy, exemplified by Folin's long skate into a scrum during their 5-2 victory at Arizona on Monday – a game that ended with nine penalties called over the final 20 seconds. The Flyers will begin a five-game homestand at the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday night against the same team they last mixed it up with. They have yet to record a fight this season, these descendants of the most prolific fighting hockey team that ever existed, but if those end-of-the game scrums with the Coyotes have any carryover — and Hakstol believes they just might — the start of Thursday's game should be anything but lifeless or listless. Which, if Folin is right, should only help to jolt the home team from those early-game lulls. "We talked about that a little bit coming back yesterday," Folin said. "We know that we have a bunch of home games, so we have to set the tone right away. Get on our toes. … Play that road mentality." Breakaways Goaltender Alex Lyon and forward Tyler Goulbourne were reassigned to the Phantoms after Wednesday's practice. … Brian Elliott rejoined the Flyers for practice, but it seems unlikely he will start ahead of Cal Pickard on Thursday. For one, Pickard is coming off impressive starts in San Jose and Phoenix. For another, Elliott – who took a shot off the same dome that Travis Konecny inadvertently kneed in practice last Sunday – didn't sound as if he was quite ready. "It's been three days without 1114392 Philadelphia Flyers by two, you can't get that all back in one shift. You have to go back and work the right way."

And do so with a sense of ... maturity? Giroux, Couturier seek 'mature' sense of calm for Flyers "It's just being a good professional," Giroux said. "Being able to be at your best. Teams that do that usually are pretty successful. Right now By Rob Parent we're going pretty well, playing well as a team. It's good to come back home. We weren't successful earlier in the season at home but I think we're a different team now. This road trip was great for us and I think we're excited now to come home and play in front of our fans." VOORHEES, N.J. — Claude Giroux is urging his Flyers teammates to keep the act going. You know, the whole acting like a grown-up thing. • • • Coming off a four-game road trip that began with speculation about the After a hard and lengthy practice Wednesday at the Skate Zone, Elliott stability of head coach Dave Hakstol's job and ended Monday with a 5-2 said he's recovered from the surprising head knock he received at the victory over the Arizona Coyotes for the third win on a trip that netted the road practice Sunday. Flyers seven points, Giroux pointed out that for the first time this season the club had displayed some "maturity" in its game. "I had a test out there today," Elliott said. "I passed the test." That's something that should be old hat for the Flyers by now. As for whether he'd be able to play in the home rematch with the Coyotes, Elliott gave a somewhat vague answer. "It's not about being immature," Giroux clarified. "When I say playing mature, it's just being professional. I'm not saying we weren't doing that "It's been a couple, three days without skating," he said. "I'm trying to not earlier in the season and that's why we were losing. What I'm saying is if push things. We're going to talk about it." we want to be successful this season and in the future, we just have to Elliott described the injury by adopting his trademark half-smile and be a mature team and be able to shrug things off." adding, "It was a 2-on-1 drill, there was pass across and I tried to slide Despite a core group of forwards that have played together for several across and ... a player to be named later came and hit (me). It was either years and a veteran goalie in net – at least he was until some kid a knee or a leg or something but it went right to the melon. I wasn't knocked him out during the road trip – that mature ability to get back up feeling the greatest right after, but progressively got better throughout the when down was something the Flyers were having difficulty doing. three days." When you allow the other guys to score first in 10 of your first 11 games, Asked if player-to-be-named-later Konency had offered to buy him dinner no wonder things were a little frantic. in a show of redemption, Elliott said, "Well, that'd be a first if he did." "When the other team scores the first goal or it's not going well, I think we • • • start trying a little harder, and we stop thinking about our game instead of NOTES >> In a hint as to whether Elliott was healthy enough to at least just going out and have fun playing the game," said the wisened, 30- back up Pickard Thursday, the Flyers sent goalie Alex Lyon and extra year-old Giroux. "We start pressing, we start changing what we're doing, forward Tyrell Goulbourne back to the Phantoms Wednesday night. ... because we want to come back and tie the game right away. We just Coyotes brought goalie Hunter Miska up from their AHL affiliate. He may have to let the game come to us." back up Coyotes backup Darcy Kuemper as starter Antti Raanta has a "Sometimes when you try to do too much you get frustrated, and the lower-body injury. plays aren't there," added Giroux's mature, 25-year-old linemate Sean Delaware County Times LOADED: 11.08.2018 Couturier. "You just keep trying to force things and that's when you get away from the good things. I thought we did a good job (on the trip) to refocus, relax and just get set. "The season is still young," Couturier added. "We got seven out of eight points but we have to keep going and climb in the standings." The Flyers played largely the same way those first 11 games, which is, they didn't play well enough. Top line stalwarts Giroux and Couturier weren't clicking like before, though second-line center Nolan Patrick showed signs of coming into his own as a blooming star. The mostly youthful defense was a big problem, which in turn helped produce problematic goaltending. To make matters worse veteran guru Brian Elliott was accidentally waylaid Sunday during a practice drill by an energetic youth named Travis Konecny, forcing Elliott out for the game in Phoenix. And, of course, backup goalie Michal Neuvirth got healthy just in time to go on the road ... and get hurt again. So third goalie Cal Pickard had to go for a second straight night in Glendale, Ariz., and he oversaw a win over an upstart Coyotes team that came in having won their previous five games. The Rick Tocchet- coached Coyotes come into Wells Fargo Center Thursday looking to make amends against the Flyers, who are commencing a five-game homestand and are in the process of making up for the way they played for most of the month of October. In 10 of those games, they played from behind. "We control the way we start the hockey game, the mentality we take into a hockey game," Hakstol said. "We dug ourselves a little hole here before we went on the road and our team did a good job of sticking with it, sticking together and digging out of that hole." Oddly enough, that show of mature determination on the road trip was mostly led by young, second-line players Patrick and Oskar Lindblom, who lately have been the Flyers' most productive forwards. Hakstol said the panicky play during October wasn't just a show of the youth that has joined the lineup in recent years. "It wouldn't be fair to just put it on the young guys," Hakstol said. "You go through stretches where you're pressing and you try to do a little bit too much and more times than not that comes back to haunt you rather than help you. (It's) great to score the first goal if you can. That empowers you to play with a little bit more patience. But even if you get down by one or 1114393 Philadelphia Flyers

Brian Elliott returns as Flyers send Alex Lyon back to Phantoms

By John Boruk November 07, 2018

VOORHEES, N.J. — Brian Elliott may need to install some orange cones around his crease. Elliott returned to practice Wednesday and was immediately greeted with a Jakub Voracek shot to his mask that left the Flyers' netminder appearing a little woozy. This unfortunate incident came just three days after Travis Konecny collided with Elliott during Sunday’s practice session in Arizona. “It was just a 2-on-1 drill with a pass across and I tried to slide across when a player to be named later came and it was either a knee or a leg right to the melon," Elliott said Wednesday. “I was feeling not the greatest right after, but I progressively got better throughout the past couple of days.” When asked if the “player to be named later” has picked up a dinner check for his inadvertent collision, Elliott responded, “That would be a first.” Elliott was scratched from Monday’s game against the Coyotes but believes he’s ready if called upon to play Thursday. The Flyers loaned goaltender Alex Lyon, as well as forward Tyrell Goulbourne, back to Lehigh Valley. However, my suspicion is that Calvin Pickard — the first goaltender off the ice at Wednesday’s practice — will earn another start following a solid 34-save winning effort in Arizona, and Elliott will return to the net for Saturday’s afternoon contest against the Blackhawks. Elliott and the rest of the Flyers must find a way to bring that level of consistency back to the Wells Fargo Center following a 3-0-1 road trip (see story). “Prepare the same way and take that mentality that I don’t care how we’re going to do it, we’re going to go out there and win,” Elliott said. “I think at home, sometimes it’s a little tougher. It’s trying to take that same focus and bring it here. It’s going to be a challenge, but it shouldn’t be.” The Flyers have held a lead in just two of their first six games on home ice and have been outscored, 26-14. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114394 Philadelphia Flyers

Jakub Voracek rips into Uber driver for posting video of Senators players

By John Boruk November 07, 2018

VOORHEES, N.J. — Jakub Voracek understands there are camera phones lurking around every corner and that privacy rarely exists in today's age of instantaneous information, but that breach of privacy was taken to a whole new level when members of the Senators were videotaped trash-talking the team by an Uber driver in Phoenix, Arizona, during Ottawa's late-October road trip. “I guarantee that every single person who has a boss, every sports team in the world can guarantee it happens everywhere," Voracek said Wednesday. “And I can guarantee that the coaches behind the door talk about the players. It happens everywhere all the time. “You go out for a beer, you go out for dinner, it happens. The coaches vent about the players when they go out to dinner about who f---ing sucks, who’s playing bad, who’s playing better. It happens everywhere. So now it comes out, they’re making a big deal. I don’t think they said anything bad, just that their PK and their PP sucks.” Most, if not every, Flyers player I talked to had seen the video, which the Ottawa Sun posted. Who knows exactly what the Uber driver’s motivation was behind posting the video — something comparable to Taxicab Confessions — but what concerns Voracek is how a normal civilian could potentially cash in with damning information. “Who gives a s---? He’s a f---ing idiot. Do your job,” Voracek said. “You’re an Uber driver, drive cars. Don’t try to sell copies to make some money. Get the f--- out of here. You know what I mean, he’s a loser.” After returning Tuesday from Arizona, where the video was apparently shot, the Flyers won’t have to concern themselves about out-of-town Uber rides for a few more weeks with their next road trip coming later this month in Buffalo and Toronto. But the incident will certainly serve the Flyers as a reminder that not every conversation between teammates will be a confidential one. “I guess it's sad about where society is going,” Brian Elliott said. “I think it’s the best thing they could have done was take an Uber out for dinner or out for drinks that night. It’s just kind of sad that it comes out like that. Hopefully, you’ll conduct yourself that you shouldn’t have to watch your back like that, but I’m sure there are situations you want private. That’s the social media world of today.” Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114395 Philadelphia Flyers recounting his Arizona experience, calling him a “player to be named later.”

When asked if said player picked up a dinner bill to apologize, Elliott Flyers’ top line might be back after some help from Patrick, Lindblom, joked, “Well, that would be a first if he did.” Voracek Loose Pucks

It would appear the Flyers will face Darcy Kuemper again Thursday. Dave Isaac, NHL writer Typical starting goalie Antti Raanta “tweaked something” in practice Tuesday, Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet told reporters. … The Flyers begin a five-game homestand and desperately need to improve their play VOORHEES — From mid-February to the end of last season, Claude at Wells Fargo Center, where they are 2-4-0 this season. Only the Florida Giroux carried the Flyers on his back. Panthers (0-3-1) are worse in the NHL. … Wednesday’s game with tie Hakstol with the late Pat Quinn for sixth on the Flyers’ all-time games- In the final 24 regular-season games he was held off the scoresheet only coached list with 262 games. Saturday will tie him with John Stevens for twice. He racked up 36 points in that timeframe and it barely got the fifth and the following game, next Tuesday against the Florida Panthers, Flyers to the playoffs. will tie him with Paul Holmgren for fourth. ... Injured winger James van Riemsdyk (knee) took the ice with development coach Kjell Samuelsson It was an MVP-type season and he finished fourth in Hart Trophy voting. before practice started. He is still nine to 13 days away from returning to It was an impressive feat…and hardly a recipe for success. the lineup. “Look around. You can’t rely on one or two people, one or two lines,” Courier-Post LOADED: 11.08.2018 coach Dave Hakstol said. “You have to have depth and you have to have different guys chipping on different nights.” Monday night it was Giroux’s turn again. He had his first three-point night of the season in the Flyers’ win over the Arizona Coyotes and it punctuated a stretch where he had only three points in his previous six games. He’s the team’s captain and is expected to perform like one of their top players, although it’s hard to do that 82 consecutive games. He and his line have been getting some help recently, especially from Nolan Patrick and Oskar Lindblom who play with Jake Voracek. Lindblom and Patrick each had six points on their recent four-game road trip. “I think everybody obviously wants to produce,” Patrick said. “That’s something that’s good about our team is that when certain guys aren’t going, there’s certain guys that can step up and contribute. I think we need that to win games. “Jake’s a huge factor on that line. He makes a lot of plays down low and he’s strong and Oskar has great vision from behind the net. Me and him make good little plays to each other. It’s been a pretty good line so far.” “Those two young guys have really good chemistry together,” Hakstol said referring to Patrick and Lindblom. “We stuck with it for a long time last year and just couldn’t find the production so eventually we went away from it, but right away when we came back to it this year that same chemistry is there. They work well together and they mesh really well with Jake and the different abilities there. There were a couple nights where they were difference makers for us.” That wasn’t the case Monday night against the Coyotes when a line of Derek Stepan, Christian Fisher and ex-Flyer Nick Cousins dominated shot attempts against them. They did, however, team up for Lindblom’s empty-net goal that was an insurance score in the 5-3 win. Instead that night, it was Giroux’s line with Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny that did the heavy lifting. That was a good sign particularly for Couturier, who has been solid on the defensive side of the puck all season but hasn’t had the offensive output he did in a breakout season last year. Part of that, Hakstol surmises, is because Couturier wasn’t a full participant in training camp after a knee injury. There’s also been some impatience from Couturier without the results. “Sometimes when you try too much you kind of get frustrated and the plays aren’t there,” said Couturier, who had a goal and an assist for his first multi-point game of the season Monday. “You just keep trying and you force things. That’s when you kind of get away from the good things. I thought we did a good job, just focused and relaxed and take it one shift at a time and enjoy the game.” Elliott healthy enough to return Goalie Brian Elliott might be wise to start taking more maintenance days because his last two practices have been a medical adventure. Sunday in Arizona he got hit in the head by Konecny and wasn’t able to dress for Monday’s game so the Flyers flew Alex Lyon in to back up for Cal Pickard. Lyon went back to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms Wednesday along with Tyrell Goulbourne, but not before Voracek took a wrist shot that hit Elliott in the head during practice. “I definitely got a test out there today,” he said. “So, I passed the test.” Elliott figures to back up Pickard Thursday for the rematch against the Coyotes. He was careful not to throw Konecny under the bus when 1114396 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins' Evgeni Malkin faces possible suspension for hit to Washington's T.J. Oshie

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018, 1:21 a.m.

WASHINGTON – Evgeni Malkin could be suspended for a hit he delivered to Washington Capitals winger T.J. Oshie in the third period of a 2-1 Pittsburgh Penguins loss on Wednesday night. Malkin was assessed a match penalty, which is automatically reviewed by the NHL league office to determine whether supplemental discipline is appropriate. On the play, Malkin carried the puck across the blue line and left a drop pass for Sidney Crosby. Oshie said he was trying to let Malkin skate by and apply pressure to Crosby. As he tried to do so, he collided with Malkin, who delivered a shoulder to the Capitals winger’s chin. Oshie went to the locker room for medical attention, then returned to the game and scored the winning goal in the final 90 seconds of the third period. “He might maybe have thought I was coming to hit him, and so he threw the reverse shoulder out there, which I try to do that all the time,” Oshie said. “I did it at least once tonight. I just wasn’t expecting it being on the PK. You don’t typically go for hits, so he caught me there. It is what it is. I passed my concussion test, went out and won the game.” Oshie did not lobby for a suspension. “Not my concern anymore,” he said. “We got the W. I don’t care what happens to him.” For a hit to the head to merit discipline, two conditions must be met. The head must be the main point of contact and the hit must have been avoidable. Oshie’s head was the main point of contact, and by giving a match penalty, the on-ice officials ruled Malkin made a deliberate attempt to injure an opponent. Whether the hit was avoidable is the gray area in this case. If the league’s department of player safety decides Oshie initiating the contact made the hit unavoidable, Malkin could escape further punishment. Malkin has never been suspended. A $5,000 fine for spearing Los Angeles’ Dustin Brown during a game last season is the only supplemental discipline of his career. Tribune Review LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114397 Pittsburgh Penguins

T.J. Oshie scores late goal, extends Penguins' skid to five games

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018, 10:27 p.m.

WASHINGTON — Beaten and battered all game long, T.J. Oshie extended the misery of the Pittsburgh Penguins when the game was on the line Wednesday night. Oshie scored a clutch tiebreaking goal with less than two minutes left, leading the Washington Capitals to a 2-1 victory over the Penguins, who have lost five in a row. In the first period, Oshie took an unpenalized high-stick from Olli Maatta and went to the locker room for repairs. In the third period, Oshie took a shoulder to the chin and again had to leave the ice. After he was checked for a concussion and Malkin was assessed a match penalty for a check to the head, Oshie returned and played the hero’s role. John Carlson took a pass from Evgeny Kuznetsov and waited at the left point for Oshie to cruise in front of the net. Penguins goalie Casey DeSmith leaned to his right for just a second to look past Alex Ovechkin and Maatta, who were tangled up in front. At that exact moment, Carlson hit Oshie with a perfect pass for the goal from the far post. “The outcome, that one really hurts because we played so well and (had) so many chances, so many opportunities to go ahead in the third period, second period,” DeSmith said. “We just played so solid tonight.” Coach Mike Sullivan was uncharacteristically curt in his postgame meeting with reporters. Although he didn’t say so, officiating was likely the target of his silent rage. On the match penalty, Oshie approached Malkin as the Penguins center entered the offensive zone. Malkin did not change his path, but he delivered a jarring shoulder to Oshie’s chin. “I think (Oshie) kind of wants the contact there,” winger Carl Hagelin said. Match penalties automatically are reviewed by the league for supplemental discipline. Sullivan said he didn’t expect Malkin to be suspended, but he offered no other commentary. “It doesn’t matter what I think,” Sullivan said. Oshie’s goal aside, it was the best performance the Penguins turned in during their five-game losing streak. That might not sound like a high bar, but a quick look at some stats shows how dominant the losing team actually was. They held a 42-22 advantage in shots and a massive 70-29 edge in even-strength shot attempts. When Sidney Crosby was on the ice at even strength, the Penguins outshot the Capitals, 17-2. They were outscored 1-0. “It’s more encouraging after we played tonight, definitely, but we still came out with nothing,” Crosby said. “It’s still frustrating.” Crosby scored the Penguins’ goal on a first-period power play. Jack Johnson grabbed a puck that held been fumbled by the Washington penalty kill and shuffled a cross-ice pass to Crosby at the bottom of the right faceoff circle for a one-timer and a goal. It was one of eight shots on goal for Crosby in the game. Braden Holtby, the game’s No. 1 star, stopped the other seven. “We were on our toes. We were physical. We generated some really good chances,” Crosby said. “We’ve just got to put the puck in the net. We’ll do that if we get those chances.” The biggest problem the Penguins ran into was they took five penalties before Malkin’s hit on Oshie. Washington scored on its third chance with the man advantage on Ovechkin’s trademark one-timer from the left faceoff circle in the second period. “When you have to kill that many, especially against that power play, and they do the job they did, it’s frustrating that we don’t get rewarded with at least a point there,” Crosby said. Tribune Review LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114398 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins GM Jim Rutherford rips team, says roster changes may be coming

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018, 7:06 p.m.

WASHINGTON – Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford is taking his team’s early season losing streak very seriously. Rutherford gave a scathing assessment of his team’s recent performance on his bi-weekly radio show that aired Wednesday night on 105.9 FM, wondering aloud if roster changes would be required to snap the team out of its four-game skid and uneven start to the season. “Has this team been together too long? It’s something I always have to watch for,” Rutherford said. “When do you have to make those changes? The players are doing everything they can to tell me now’s the time.” No area of the team was spared from Rutherford’s critical eye. He took the team’s younger players to task. “At a young age, guys win Stanley Cups and a lot of guys go their whole career and they don’t even get close to it,” Rutherford said. “We’ve got some young guys that won a couple, then they get bigger contracts and then they kind of settle in. They forget what got them to where they are today.” Then he turned his attention to the players in contract years. “Maybe they change their game,” he said. “Maybe they think scoring more goals or getting more points is what’s going to get them more money. So they get away from their game, what their role is.” He said he’s not satisfied with his team’s goaltending. “The two years we won the Cup, we were playing at times the way we’re playing now, but between (Marc-Andre) Fleury and (Matt) Murray, they were phenomenal in goal and they were hard to score against,” Rutherford said. “That’s not what we’re getting now. We’re getting inconsistent goaltending.” He lamented a lack of secondary scoring. “It’s almost like the guys come to the game and say, ‘Let’s just let the top guys do it. Let Sid and Geno and Phil and Letang carry us and well just get through the game and move on to the next game,’ and forget about the work ethic it takes or forget about the role they play,” Rutherford said. He said the Daniel Sprong situation is not working out as intended. “We hoped Sprong would be in the top nine,” Rutherford said. “He hasn’t jumped ahead of anybody on the right side so he’s playing on the fourth line. It’s not ideal.” He noted that Monday’s call-ups of Zach Aston-Reese and Garrett Wilson served to send a message. “Once they start coming, I don’t need to tell anybody. Actions are louder than words,” Rutherford said. “This will be the first move of a few if we don’t get it going.” Rutherford said he didn’t see any players available on the open market that could help his team’s defense and he said the preference is always for the players in the room to work out their problems on their own. Still, the threat of roster changes was a theme he went back to on several occasions. “We have the players that can work through it,” Rutherford said. “Sometimes they can. Sometimes they can’t. I wonder if this group’s been together too long and if we need to change it up, but that’s what I’ll watch for here in the next few games.” Tribune Review LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114399 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins turn to call-ups for jolt of energy on fourth line

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018, 1:15 p.m.

WASHINGTON – Twenty-six players have scored at least six AHL goals so far this season. Two of them are on track to be in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ lineup Wednesday night. Based on personnel groupings at morning skate, Daniel Sprong and Juuso Riikola look like they’ll be healthy scratches when the Penguins play the Washington Capitals. That means Zach Aston-Reese and Garrett Wilson, the six-goal scorers called up from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton when Derek Grant was sent down Monday, will likely make their NHL season debuts. Chad Ruhwedel is also expected to return to the lineup on defense. The Penguins have received next to no offense from their fourth line in the early part of the season, but coach Mike Sullivan said that’s not necessarily his motivation for turning to Aston-Reese and Wilson. “I’d like to see them bring us a lot of energy,” Sullivan said. “I’d like to see (them) help us build momentum and establish an offensive-zone forecheck and establish some offensive-zone time. I think that line has the potential to do that. “They’re a line that defensively is very sound. We could use them in defensive-zone situations if need be. That’s how we look at that line and what it can bring to this team to help us win.” Aston-Reese, a hard-nosed 24-year-old who played 16 games for the Penguins last year in the regular season and nine more in the playoffs, was sent down at the end of training camp. He was the only forward among the leading candidates for one of the final roster spots who didn’t have to clear waivers to be sent to the AHL, and his camp performance wasn’t enough to overcome that obstacle. Since arriving in Wilkes-Barre, he’s recorded 41 shots on goal, most on the team and fifth-best in the league. He had a hat trick in an 8-5 loss to Bridgeport on Sunday. He said he focused on improving the physical part of his game, from throwing hits to winning puck battles. “Every day was just a day of growth,” Aston-Reese said. “The guys down there were so hungry, practice and game time. I definitely found an edginess to my game.” Wilson, meanwhile, was named Wilkes-Barre/Scranton captain, filling the role held for the last five years by Tom Kostopoulos. That honor can be a double-edged sword. It shows a team respects a player’s character, but it might also show it views him as a minor-league talent. Wilson, 27, made sure he didn’t get pigeon-holed by leading the team with 11 points in 11 games. “Whenever you get the C, you start to wonder if you’re just kind of getting a leadership role down there,” Wilson said. “They said in exit meetings that wasn’t the case. They just wanted me to go down and lead by example and help the young guys. I’ve tried to do that so far.” Wilson is equipped to provide the energy Sullivan asked for. He’s a 6- foot-2 power forward with 43 pro fights to his credit, including two in the NHL during a 34-game stay with the Florida Panthers and one with suspended Capitals winger Tom Wilson in juniors. “My game is a physical game,” Wilson said. “I like to get in on the forecheck and get to the front of the net.” In most cases over the past few years, call-ups from Wilkes-Barre have been filling in for injured players, trying to simply keep the Penguins’ train rolling. Now that they’re on a losing streak, that dynamic is a little different for Aston-Reese and Wilson. “They’re such a great team. I know they’re not going to be losing for too long,” Wilson said. “Hopefully I can help get a win here and do my thing out there.” Tribune Review LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114400 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins turn to goalie Casey DeSmith to try to snap skid in Washington

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018, 12:36 p.m.

Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan’s lineup shake-up in advance of Wednesday night’s game at the Washington Capitals didn’t stop at the forward lines or power-play units. It extended to the net, too. Casey DeSmith will start in goal, making his first career appearance against the Capitals, as the Penguins look to snap a four-game losing streak. DeSmith has played well this season, going 2-0-2 with a 2.25 goals- against average and .932 save percentage in seven appearances, four of them starts. He has turned in significantly better numbers than Matt Murray, who is 4- 4-1 with a 3.87 GAA and .886 save percentage. “(DeSmith has) played extremely well for us to this point. He’s given us a chance to win on most nights,” Sullivan said. “Matt just played four games in a row. I think there’s been some inconsistency in our overall team game. That’s part of the decision making, but Casey’s game has been very strong in this early part of the season and he’s given us a chance to win.” Tribune Review LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114401 Pittsburgh Penguins Malkin launched a bouncing puck over an empty net from a few feet out. Kessel put a shot off the post – one of a few Penguins pings on the night. Holtby stopped successive point-blank shots by Malkin and Patric Penguins losing streak continues with a 2-1 fall to the Capitals Hornqvist. And Kessel’s shot on a late 2-on-1 cracked Holtby in his mask. Holtby kept it going in the third period, shutting down Carl Hagelin after the winger got a step on the Capitals then stopping Wilson, making his 6-8 minutes Penguins debut, with his blocker on a breakaway. With the Penguins on a power play early in the third period, Malkin dropped the puck off to a teammate inside the blue line then threw his WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Penguins entered Wednesday’s game shoulder into the face of Oshie, sending the Capitals winger flying. against the Washington Capitals, their bitter rivals and the reigning Stanley Cup champions, on a four-game losing streak that felt like 40. Malkin was assessed a five-minute major penalty for an illegal hit to the head and was booted from the game. He may soon hear from the league So, after their latest lackluster performance Monday against the New office about potential discipline. But Sullivan, who said “it doesn’t matter Jersey Devils, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan made his most drastic set what I think” about the penalty, isn’t concerned about a suspension. of lineup changes to date, splitting up the dangerous duo of Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel and bumping Jake Guentzel down to the third The Penguins penalty kill, one consistent bright spot this season, was line. suddenly tasked with keeping Ovechkin and the league’s top power play in check for nearly four minutes. They made it look easy. The coach scratched struggling winger Daniel Sprong and inserted the gritty, recently-recalled Zach Aston-Reese and Garrett Wilson on a new- “That’s incredible, going up against the top power play in the league and look fourth line centered by Matt Cullen. with the amount of skill they have on their unit there, to shut them down and not give them much zone time at all,” said DeSmith, who gave a Sullivan briefly broke up a Penguins power play that had packed little shout-out to forechecking forwards Hagelin, Riley Sheahan and Bryan punch during their recent skid, putting Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang on Rust. one unit and Malkin and Kessel on the other. The Penguins in the third period held the Capitals to just four shots in And in net he went with Casey DeSmith, who got their most recent win by nearly 19 minutes until Oshie received a pass from John Carlson in the shutting out the Canucks in Vancouver on Oct. 27, in favor of starter Matt slot and roofed it over a sprawling DeSmith. Murray after he lost four straight starts. “I was kind of looking around the short side because Ovechkin was in Sullivan, desperate to shake the Penguins out of this funk, stopped short front tied up with somebody,” DeSmith said. “I was a little flat-footed of reshuffling their social media team and sending anthem singer Jeff there, so I didn’t get a good read and a good push over. I definitely could Jimerson to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. have gotten closer to that one.” Each of those moves reaped benefits for much of the night. Their top DeSmith stopped 20 of 22 shots but his record dropped to 2-0-3 on the three lines all generated more scoring chances than they allowed. The season. two call-ups brought energy and physicality. The Penguins scored a power-play goal with Malkin and Kessel on the bench. And DeSmith was Up next for the slumping Penguins are the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday again sharp. at PPG Paints Arena. But it ultimately didn’t matter. “If we play like that, we’re going to give ourselves a good chance to win every night,” said Crosby, who scored his seventh goal in the loss. T.J. Oshie scored with 74 seconds left to give the Capitals a 2-1 win at “That’s the way we need to play. We were on our toes. We were Capital One Arena. The Penguins' losing streak now sits at five games. physical. We generated some really good chances. We’ve just got to puck the puck in the net.” “That one really hurts because we played so well,” DeSmith said. “We had so many chances. We had so many opportunities to go ahead in the But, while encouraged, Crosby added, “We still came away with nothing, second and third period. We played so solid tonight. Everyone was so it’s still frustrating.” buying in and blocking shots. Everybody did the right things tonight.” Post Gazette LOADED: 11.08.2018 Sullivan echoed DeSmith’s sentiments, declaring that “we were better in so many areas.” He added: “Sometimes that happens. You play well and don’t get the result. But we’ve just got to build on it. That’s what I told our guys after the game. I thought it was a solid effort by everybody.” Oshie’s game-winner came minutes after an illegal hit by Malkin sent him to the locker room for a second time. He also took an Olli Maatta high stick to the eye area during the first period. Malkin gets a major for this hit on Oshie, who went to the room pic.twitter.com/vUsRGLBbOL — CJ Fogler (@cjzero) November 8, 2018 “Not my concern anymore,” Oshie said of Malkin's hit, which could result in a suspension or a fine. “We got the ‘W.’ I don't care what happens to him.” Crosby got the game’s opening goal on a first-period power play. After Dominik Simon jostled the puck loose from the corner, Jack Johnson whipped an impressive backhand pass across to Crosby, who ripped a one-timer from the bottom of the right circle over Braden Holtby’s left pad. Sidney Crosby = Super Human Crosby’s goal gives him 10 points (6G-4A) in 7 road games this season. He has recorded at least a point in 6 of 7 of those games. pic.twitter.com/SqflEwuMaj — Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 8, 2018 The Capitals tied it midway through the second on an Alex Ovechkin blast with Crosby in the box. The Penguins had several quality chances in the second period but couldn’t put the puck in the net. 1114402 Pittsburgh Penguins

Evgeni Malkin ejected for hit to head of Capitals' T.J. Oshie

Adam Bittner Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Penguins-Capitals rivalry has its latest controversial hit. This time, it was a Penguins star who dealt it. With his team on a power play early in the third period Wednesday in Washington, center Evgeni Malkin delivered this hit to the head of Capitals winger T.J. Oshie after dropping a pass to teammate Sidney Crosby. Malkin gets a major for this hit on Oshie, who went to the room pic.twitter.com/vUsRGLBbOL — CJ Fogler (@cjzero) November 8, 2018 Oshie, as the tweet notes, subsequently left the game, though he later returned and scored the game-winning goal for the Capitals in a 2-1 Washington win. Malkin, meanwhile, received a major penalty and a game misconduct ejection, as well as a strong reaction from social media. Predictibly, opinions were split. Malkin has been ejected. Looked like there was intent, it was avoidable, and the contact was definitely to Oshie's head. — Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) November 8, 2018 There's no defending that. Take unnecessary head contact out of the game. That was unnecessary head contact. — Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) November 8, 2018 Oshie not eligible to be hit; Malkin makes contact directly to Oshie’s head. Interference. Hit to the head. Take your pick. https://t.co/XfgISqVfYY — Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) November 8, 2018 The match penalty provision of Rule 48 is for when a player "attempted to or deliberately injured his opponent with an illegal check to the head." Not sure how one watches this and disagrees with tossing Malkin. https://t.co/S4CIBNsQRq — Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) November 8, 2018 Think I’m getting old. Thought Lucic play was cheap, penalty, maybe a fine (but didn’t really hate the play, still believe in reminding opponents to be cautious). Malkin on Oshie, 5&gm seems plenty. Game’s fast, always have to brace for contact, went wrong, didn’t seem malicious. — Justin Bourne (@jtbourne) November 8, 2018 We’ll see in the coming days if the NHL renders any additional discipline. Coach Mike Sullivan said he isn’t concerned about a potential suspension. Asked for his thoughts on the hit and penalty, the coach replied, “It doesn’t matter what I think.” Malkin was not available to media after the game. Oshie said that the hit was “not my concern anymore.” “We got the ‘W.’ I don't care what happens to him,” he said. For what it’s worth, he didn’t seem too upset about the hit. "He got over the blue line and went to make a drop pass and my read was to let him skate by, jump around and go pressure the guy on the blue line there,” Oshie said. “He maybe thought I was coming to hit him and so he threw the reverse shoulder out there, which I try to do that all the time. I did it at least once tonight." The two teams have met in the playoffs in each of the past three seasons, and those series have included some big hits that drew suspensions. Among them: Washington’s Tom Wilson was suspended three games last season for a hit that broke the jaw of the Penguins’ Zach Aston- Reese. Two years ago, Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen was suspended a game for a cross check that concussed Crosby. Post Gazette LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114403 Pittsburgh Penguins There’s also the worry in the GM’s mind that things have gotten stale with the Penguins, and he might have to drastically change the construction of the team. Jim Rutherford blasts Penguins' poor start, threatens changes “Has this team been together too long? It’s something I always have to watch for,” Rutherford said. “When do you have to make those changes? The players are doing everything they can to tell me now’s the time.” Jason Mackey Pittsburgh Post-Gazette You can catch the full interview with Penguins Radio Network here.

Post Gazette LOADED: 11.08.2018 Jim Rutherford is nowhere near happy. The Penguins general manager — never known for holding back much in interviews — blasted his team on his bi-weekly radio show Wednesday with Josh Getzoff of the Penguins Radio Network on 105.9 FM. Rutherford also threatened changes if things didn’t improve. “What I’m seeing I don’t like,” Rutherford said. “Nobody likes it. We’re trying to figure out what’s gone wrong here. “I’d like to say we have an answer for it. We don’t right now. We’re watching it really close. “Certainly if this continues, in short order, we’re going to have to make some changes.” The Penguins made two on Tuesday, bringing up Zach Aston-Reese and Garrett Wilson, and Rutherford said those were absolutely intentional. He also said they would be the first of several if things don’t improve. “Actions are louder than words,” Rutherford said. “This will be the first move of a few if we don’t get it going.” One of the things that’s bothering Rutherford is the effort he feels his team is giving. Or, in this case, not giving. “We’re not playing with any energy or determination,” Rutherford said. “We’re just trying to get through the games. These other teams are coming and outworking us. They deserve to beat us. In some of these games, they probably deserve to beat us worse than the score indicates. “It’s just getting back to basics and guys getting back to work — come to the rink ready to work and determined to win. I haven’t seen it since we got back from Canada. It’s very concerning.” The Penguins went 4-0 during those four games, racking up 23 goals. Their stars shined, and they got scoring from all four lines. Only the stars have continued to score. Carl Hagelin, Riley Sheahan, Bryan Rust, Matt Cullen and Daniel Sprong have combined for just four goals in 13 games. That’s a problem, Rutherford said. Nobody is helping out Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel and Kris Letang. “It’s almost like the guys come to the games and say, ‘Let’s just let the top guys do it.’ Let’s let Sid, Geno, Phil and Letang carry us,” Rutherford said. “We’ll just get through the game and move on to the next game, forget about the work ethic it takes or forget about the role they play. “But when those guys [meaning the Big Four] can’t get it done, whether they’re shut down or they’re not having a good game, that’s when we need those other guys to come in and contribute and help win games. We’re not getting it.” Nobody was immune to criticism. Rutherford next took aim at Matt Murray and Casey DeSmith. “In the two years we won the Cup, we were playing at times the way we’re playing now,” Rutherford said. “But between [Marc-Andre] Fleury and Murray, they were phenomenal in goal. They were hard to score against. That’s not what we’re getting now. We’re getting inconsistent goaltending.” Without using names, Rutherford criticized players who had just gotten big contracts — likely meaning Rust or Dumoulin, who received a big- money extension last season. And also players in contracts years, most notably Hagelin and Sheahan. “We’ve got some young guys that won a couple [Stanley Cups], then they get bigger contracts, and they kind of settle in,” Rutherford said. “They forget what got them to where they are today. “Then we have some guys on the team who are working toward a contract next offseason. So they maybe change their game. They maybe think scoring more goals or getting more points is what’s going to get them more money. They get away from their game, what their role is. I see that happening with some of the guys on both ends of my point here.” 1114404 Pittsburgh Penguins If Sprong doesn’t start scoring some and Rutherford finds that sour apple in the way of a competitive offer, something similar could easily happen here, especially when you consider Rutherford’s history of striking early As Penguins gauge interest, Daniel Sprong saga nears fascinating and rehabbing high-round draft picks who are down on their luck. stretch Post Gazette LOADED: 11.08.2018

Jason Mackey:

General manager Jim Rutherford said this summer he expected right wing Daniel Sprong to be part of the Penguins’ NHL club in 2018-19 and earn top-nine ice time. More than a month into the season, neither has happened. Worse, Sprong had a disappointing training camp, did next to nothing given an opportunity to play alongside Sidney Crosby, will be a healthy scratch for the second time Wednesday in Washington and has no goals in 12 games while playing almost exclusively fourth-line minutes. For the sake of both sides, something must happen. And soon. Multiple industry sources confirmed to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently that the Penguins are listening to offers on Sprong, although it’s less clear whether they’re actually hearing anything. Opposing general managers typically aren’t clamoring for players in Sprong’s situation, but as one source said, it might be “easy to move a sour apple for sour apple.” Is Sprong sour? Not attitude-wise, at least not publicly. He’s mostly said all the right things and has consistently talked about needing to earn his ice time and make the best of what he’s given. Only Sprong and the Penguins coaching staff could speak to how he’s really approached his job, although it’s probably not smart to hold your breath while looking for them to start talking about any of that publicly. Where the possibility of a Sprong trade becomes really interesting is when you look at his potential. In the right situation, the 21-year-old easily could score 20 or 25 goals the rest of the way and make Rutherford look foolish. It’s one of the reasons you should expect Rutherford to slow-play this, along with the fact that the market hasn’t quite crystallized yet and the organization’s hope that Sprong may still figure this out. Meanwhile, the Penguins are left with an incomplete player. Someone struggling to earn — and keep — a spot in the lineup, a guy who often mismanages the puck outside of the offensive zone, functions as an average defender at best and continues to work on puck support. Look at the situation objectively, and it’s hard to see how Sprong — who didn’t score in the preseason, either — could have a meaningful role on the Penguins as they’re currently constituted. Sprong, who has four goals in 38 regular-season games at the NHL level, is no better than the third-best right wing on the team behind Phil Kessel and Patric Hornqvist, who are signed through 2022 and 2023, respectively. But we are talking about a second-round pick (46th overall) from 2015, someone who led the Penguins’ AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in goals (32) and points (65) last season and a forward who has scored at pretty much every level at which he’s ever played, including more than a goal per game his last year in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Whether the Penguins deal Sprong could come down to timing and how this current stalemate gets resolved. If Sprong’s play improves and he gives coach Mike Sullivan what he wants — solid two-way play and a splash of offense — then Sprong probably stays. The Penguins have invested too much. But as Rutherford assesses his team, he could easily determine they need some help on defense with Justin Schultz out for a few more months and try to flip Sprong for a defenseman who has fallen out of favor with his current team. The Penguins did something similar last year with Derrick Pouliot, pulling the plug when it seemed like the former first-round pick and AHL All-Star was never going to make his final push here. 1114405 Pittsburgh Penguins “We played a handful of games together, so we kind of understand each other’s games,” he said. “It will be fun. We’ve just got to be sound in our D zone and be responsible there and just be strong on the puck. And Garrett Wilson, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's captain, hopes to 'keep it rolling' when I get it, try to find them. Obviously, they have good offensive in the NHL instincts. I just need to go to the net and create some space for them.” Post Gazette LOADED: 11.08.2018 Matt Vensel Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Penguins first told Garrett Wilson at the end of last season that they wanted him to replace the retiring Tom Kostopoulos as captain of their American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Wilson’s first thought was “uh oh.” Did that mean the Penguins didn’t envision him ever becoming an NHL player for them? “Whenever you get the ‘C,’ you start to wonder if you’re just getting a leadership role down there,” he said. “They said in exit meetings that wasn’t the case and they just wanted me to go down there, lead by example and help the young guys. I’ve tried to do that so far.” And now, a month into the season, Wilson has been called up to the NHL club — and made his debut Wednesday when the Penguins visited the Washington Capitals. “It’s a huge honor,” Wilson said after the morning skate at Capital One Arena. “The last few years I’ve been trying to get up here and have a game here and hopefully show what I can do. Having those NHL games already under my belt helps a little bit with the nerves. ... I’m just going to come in here and try to play my game and try to help this team win.” The NHL games Wilson was referring to were with the Florida Panthers. Between 2013 and 2016, he played 34 of them. He did not record a point and totaled 24 penalty minutes. He joined the Penguins organization in 2016-17 but had yet to play a game with the NHL club. Wilson had six goals and 11 points in 11 games so far this season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. “I got off to a pretty hot start down there,” he said, “and hopefully I can just keep it rolling.” The Penguins didn’t promote Wilson for his scoring, though they won’t turn down any goals he might give them. No, they hope Wilson and Zach Aston-Reese, who was also called up from the AHL on Tuesday, will bring energy, establish the forecheck and help the team build some in- game momentum in bottom-six roles. “My game is a physical game,” the 27-year-old said. “I like to get in on the forecheck and get to the front of the net. It’s tough anytime you’re coming in to a team. They’re such a great team, so they’re not going to be losing for too long. So hopefully I can help.” Aston-Reese confident Aston-Reese was disappointed to be one of the team’s last cuts at the end of the preseason and be returned to the AHL. But he credits it with helping him rediscover his game. “Every day was just a day of growth. The guys down there are so hungry come practice and game time. So I definitely found a little edginess to my game,” he said, adding, “[Physicality] goes far beyond just throwing hits. It’s being heavy on pucks, puck battles along the wall, getting the puck in deep. … That’s something that was kind of lost, I think.” Coach Mike Sullivan believes Aston-Reese returns with some swagger after scoring a hat trick in his last game before getting called up, with Derek Grant getting sent back down. “Our intent was to get him some games, give him an opportunity to capture his game again and build some confidence,” he said. “And he’s certainly done that in Wilkes-Barre.” Aston-Reese was in the lineup Wednesday, skating on a fourth line centered by Matt Cullen and with Wilson on the left wing. Daniel Sprong, meanwhile, was a healthy scratch. Sheahan’s new wingmen During Tuesday’s practice, Phil Kessel and Jake Guentzel were both bumped down to a third line centered by Riley Sheahan as Sullivan looks to distribute scoring through his lineup. They were back together Wednesday against the Capitals. Sheahan had some success with those two last season and hopes to click with them again. 1114406 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins-Capitals: Casey DeSmith gets the nod in goal

Matt Vensel Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Casey DeSmith will start in goal for the Penguins against the rival Washington Capitals on Wednesday. The Penguins are looking to snap their four-game losing streak. DeSmith last started a game on Oct. 27, stopping 29 Canucks shots in Vancouver for his second career shutout in a 5-0 win. That was the last time the Penguins won a game. DeSmith, however, made unplanned cameos in three of the last four Penguins losses, twice when starter Matt Murray got pulled after allowing a fourth goal during the second period and another time when Murray had to pop into the locker room to get work done on a skate blade. In those games, DeSmith gave up three goals on 30 shots. “He’s played extremely well for us to this point. He’s given us a chance to win on most nights,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said after Wednesday’s morning skate. “Matt just played four games in a row. I think there’s been some inconsistency in our overall team game. And so that’s part of the decision-making. But Casey’s game has been very strong.” Overall, DeSmith is 2-0-2 with a .932 save percentage and a 2.25 goals against average. Murray, meanwhile, has a save percentage of .886 in his nine starts and has allowed 3.87 goals per game. He was beaten for at least four goals in each of his five starts at PPG Paints Arena. But he has played well on the road, including three wins on the Canada trip. Sullivan made major lineup changes following Monday’s 5-1 home loss to the New Jersey Devils. During Tuesday’s practice, Phil Kessel and Jake Guentzel were both bumped down to a third line centered by Riley Sheahan and Sullivan split up his top power-play unit. The Penguins also called up Zach Aston-Reese and Garrett Wilson from their AHL club. And Sullivan, hoping to get his team turned around, is giving his backup goalie a shot in a nationally televised game against Alex Ovechkin and the defending champion Capitals. Post Gazette LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114407 Pittsburgh Penguins The Penguins out-shot the Capitals in the third period, 16-5, despite the Capitals enjoying a major penalty in which to work.

“I thought we were better in all areas,” Sullivan said. “I thought we played Mike Sullivan, Penguins left fuming after Evgeni Malkin’s ejection in hard- with far more urgency. I thought we won puck battles. I thought we fought loss stopped on pucks. I thought we got the puck to the net, we went to the net. We were better in so many areas.” By Josh Yohe Nov 7, 2018 Just not in the win column. The Penguins are now a profoundly ordinary 6-5-3.

Radical line changes and two No. 1 power-play units were on display in WASHINGTON — The Penguins departed Washington feeling awfully this game. In general, all of Sullivan’s experiments went well. good about their performance. “If we play like that, we’re going to give ourselves a chance to win every They weren’t too thrilled about anything else. After the 2-1 setback at night,” Sidney Crosby said. “You’ve got to play 60 minutes. We did a lot Capital One Arena, the Penguins fumed about their unfortunate luck and of good things and we can build off of that, but we still have to find ways Evgeni Malkin’s ejection. to get points.” Malkin was assessed a five-minute major for hitting the head of Ten postgame observations Washington’s T.J. Oshie, who ultimately beat the Penguins with 1:14 remaining in the third period. • The Malkin play was so unique because you rarely see an instance when the puck carrier is the player initiating contact. It’s hard to argue, The normally long-winded Mike Sullivan was a man of very, very few though, that Malkin did not initiate contact with Oshie’s head. He most words following the loss. certainly did. Will he be suspended? I don’t know. There’s no suspension history there and, while it was a clear hit to the head, I’ve seen more What were his thoughts on the penalty to Malkin? flagrant plays go without punishment. What was interesting was the Penguins’ anger at the call. Almost invariably in these situations, the “It doesn’t matter what I think,” Sullivan said. Penguins will, almost to a man, insist they didn’t see a good replay or Is Sullivan concerned Malkin will receive discipline from the NHL? offer a mere “no comment.” The locker room was quite unified behind Malkin in its belief that it wasn’t that bad of a hit. Johnson referred to it as “No.” a “hockey play.” It will be interesting to see what the league rules. Were there too many penalties taken by the Penguins, who were • The Penguins did indeed deserve a much, much better fate. I’d argue shorthanded six times? that this was their best performance of the season. Yes, even better than that 9-1 win in Calgary or the shutout victory in Toronto. There’s been a “Yeah, there were.” notable lack of passion and an even more notable lack of defensive Did Sullivan care to articulate the argument he made to referee Wes interest from the Penguins so far this season. That certainly wasn’t the McCauley, who ejected Malkin? case in this game. They badly, badly outworked and outplayed the Capitals. Sometimes, when you’re in a rut like the Penguins are, you start “No.” losing games you deserved to win. This was a classic example. The Penguins outshot the Capitals, 42-22, and that’s a pretty accurate Jack Johnson was more expansive. representation of how the game went. This was a step in the right “I don’t think Geno’s trying to hit anyone in the head when he’s on a direction even in a losing effort. power play,” Johnson said. “He’s trying to win the game.” • Where is Oshie starting to rank on the list of all-time Penguins killers? The Capitals took a slightly different stance, naturally. He’s easy to dislike as far as the Penguins are concerned. Malkin’s shot to his head could be classified as sneaky dirty, clearly, but Oshie, many “That’s one of those that the league is definitely going to take a look at, of the Penguins will say, is a little sneaky dirty himself. That said, he’s but that’s definitely a blow to the head,” Washington coach Todd Reirden some kind of a hockey player and always seems to come up big against said. “That’s why we had T.J. leave to and go through a concussion the Penguins. He took a Maatta stick to the face in the first period and protocol. Those are things we’re trying to remove from the game. Of all had to undergo concussion tests following the Malkin hit in the third teams, we know that from dealing with it on the other end. We’re just period. He still won the game in the final two minutes. He has a way really fortunate that it wasn’t something that was more serious and he about him in big moments. was able to come back. But a lot of times in those type of issues, you’ve got to kind of monitor it even for the next few days. That was, I felt a high • The decision to go with Casey DeSmith over Matt Murray in this game hit, and I’m sure the league will look at it.” was … interesting. One can’t fault Sullivan’s choice, though. DeSmith played a fine game. He virtually had no chance on the Oshie game- Perhaps even more frustrating than the Malkin ruling was the fact that the winner. The other Washington goal came courtesy of Alex Ovechkin on Penguins killed the major penalty and seemingly had all the momentum the power play from his favorite spot. during a tie game in the third period. It’s felt like a victory for the Penguins was inevitable, as they dominated play during the third period. I don’t believe there’s a goalie alive who would have stopped that shot. Starting against the Capitals, in this building, with the Penguins on a four- Ultimately, they came up short. game losing streak entering the contest, was quite a test for DeSmith’s nerves. He took the loss, but I also think he gained even more trust from “I had no doubt in my mind we were going to come down here and play his head coach. hard, and play well,” Johnson said. “And we did.” • Then, there’s the other goaltender. Braden Holtby didn’t exactly enter Finding any fault in the Penguins’ performance would require some effort. this game on a roll, nor did the Capitals in general. Holtby’s not been Jim Rutherford isn’t happy with his team at the moment, and Sullivan has sharp but, in a theme that was ignited in the playoffs last spring, Holtby been furious at various times during this season because of a lack of played his best game against the Penguins. He was aided by a couple of effort and lack of defensive thoughtfulness. posts and the Penguins — notably Hagelin — missing empty nets. Still, This game was different. They were physically dominant throughout the Holtby brought the goods against the Penguins in a big way. He was the contest and seemed particularly in control in the final period. Until they best player on the ice by a mile. (He also did a nice acting job according weren’t. to Hagelin, who told me after the game he believed Holtby embellished during a goaltender interference penalty in the first period.) “I just think we played so much harder tonight,” Olli Maatta said. “And we • That said, Crosby played a wonderful game. He scored on a one-timer played smarter, too. We definitely played well, probably deserved better. in the first period, a powerplay goal that saw Johnson feed Crosby in the I don’t know what else you can really say. We worked really, really hard right circle. out there. It was much better.” When Sullivan wasn’t being dismissive of the officiating, he did take a Crosby registered a season-high eight shots on goal. He won 18 of 25 few moments to compliment his team’s effort. faceoffs. He blocked a key shot late in the third period when the game was still tied. Crosby nearly willed the Penguins to a victory in this game, This was the best performance the Penguins have produced since their his work down low was utterly dominant at times. He wasn’t himself in the destruction of western Canada. season’s first few games, but he’s in strong form since that point, and he didn’t disappoint against the Capitals. “It sure is,” Sullivan said. “I thought our guys played extremely hard. They deserved a better fate tonight.” • Zach Aston-Reese (8:27) and Garrett Wilson (6:20) didn’t see a ton of ice time, but I felt, with the exception of one shift when the fourth line was pinned in Penguins’ territory, the duo did a nice job. Wilson drew a penalty and was stopped on a third-period breakaway. Aston-Reese wasn’t exceptionally noticeable but was perfectly good enough. It’s a no- nonsense fourth line, one that plays with a physical edge. Wilson isn’t a speedster, but that’s not what the Penguins were looking for when they put this line together. He’s physical, he’s tough, he likes to fight. Sullivan wants a physical line that can change the course of a game with energy and physical play. I’m guessing they’ll get another look together against the Coyotes on Saturday. • The Penguins did give up a power-play goal to Ovechkin, but the penalty killing, which has been good all season, was outstanding. The Penguins were on the power play when Malkin took his major penalty, but they still had to kill more than four minutes of a penalty against arguably the NHL’s finest power play. They did so brilliantly. The Capitals didn’t so much engineer even a good look during that stretch. It felt like game-altering or even season-altering moment. Unfortunately for the Penguins, the momentum produced during that surge continually died in Holtby’s glove. • It was a pretty bad night for McCauley and fellow referee Chris Schlenker. They missed two obvious penalties against the Penguins in the first period, including Maatta’s high-stick of Oshie. Also, I didn’t like a second period call on Malkin in front of Washington’s net. He got a punch in, sure, but that was a pretty nasty scrum in front of the net, and I didn’t really think awarding a power play from that sequence of events was prudent. • So, what to make of the Penguins? They’ve lost five straight games, which is obviously troubling. Any idea that they don’t care because it’s November hockey was put to rest in this game, though. They cared a lot in this game. They sacrificed their bodies. They consistently won 50-50 puck battles. They essentially did everything their head coach wanted them to do. It’s nearly impossible to be critical of them after this game. Sometimes, a team deserving of a victory loses. That’s what happened in this one. Still, the signs are quite encouraging. They seemed to find themselves in this one. The Athletic LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114408 Pittsburgh Penguins • A free agent signing by the Penguins in the 2016 offseason, Garrett Wilson has spent three seasons in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Despite a handful of recalls, he has yet to play a game for the NHL club. Discussion – Penguins at Capitals • Jamie Oleksiak has played in 199 career games. • Daniel Sprong looks to be the odd man out of the forward rotation By Seth Rorabaugh Nov 7, 2018 tonight. Garrett Wilson looks to be on the fourth line with Matt Cullen and Aston-Reese.

• Look for Jusso Riikola to be out of the lineup and Chad Ruhwedel to be A preview of the Capitals. back in. When and where: 7:30 p.m., EST, MCI Center Verizon Center Capital • The Capitals’ half of the 50/50 raffle at Capital One Arena will be One Arena donated to the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh to benefit victims of last month’s shooting at Squirrel Hill’s Tree Of Life Synagogue. TV: NBC Sports. • The referees are Chris Schlenker and Wes McCauley. The linesmen Record: 6-4-3, 15 points. The Capitals are in fourth place in the Patrick are Lonnie Cameron and Scott Cherrey. Neapolitan Ice Cream Metropolitan Division. — Leading Scorer: Evgeny Kuznetsov, 18 points (6 goals, 12 assists). Postgame notes Last Game: 4-2 home win against the Oilers, Monday. Right winger Devante Smith-Pelly had a goal and an assist for the Capitals. Observations from the Penguins’ 2-1 loss. Last Game against the Penguins: 7-6 overtime home loss, Oct. 5. Right Statistically speaking winger T.J. Oshie had two goals and an assist for the Capitals. -The Penguins led in shots, 42-22. The last time the Penguins played the Capitals, this happened: -Sidney Crosby led the game with eight shots. Probable goaltenders: Casey DeSmith (2-0-2, 2.25 GAA, .932 SV%, 1 SO) for the Penguins. Braden Holtby (4-3-2, 3.62 GAA, .888 SV%, 1 SO) -Jamie Oleksiak and Rust were the only Penguins’ skaters held without a for the Capitals. shot. Injuries: For the Penguins, center Derick Brassard (undisclosed) and -Capitals defenseman John Carlson led the game with 28:17 of ice time defenseman Justin Schultz (left leg) are on injured reserve. For the on 25 shifts. Capitals, defenseman Brooks Orpik (undisclosed) is on injured reserve. -Letang led the Penguins with 26:16 of ice time on 32 shifts. Potential lines and defensive pairings: The Penguins had an optional -The Penguins had a 31-28 edge in faceoffs (53 percent). morning skate. Consider this a guess based on Tuesday’s practice: -Crosby was 17 for 25 (53 percent). The Capitals’ lines and pairings at today’s morning skate: -Capitals center Lars Eller was 7 for 10 (70 percent). Pregame notes: -Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov led the game with six blocked shots. From Josh Yohe in Washington and Seth Rorabaugh on his Pittsburgh- based couch: -Maatta led the Penguins with four blocked shots. • In something of a surprise, DeSmith will get the start tonight instead of Potpourri Murray. It’s been tremendously difficult to gauge Murray’s play lately because, frankly, the Penguins’ defensive work hasn’t exactly been -Malkin was given a match penalty at 3:14 of the third period for striking outstanding. This clearly indicates, though, that Mike Sullivan isn’t thrilled Capitals right winger T.J. Oshie in the head: with Murray’s current work. DeSmith has been very good this season, but -A match penalty carries an automatic suspension from the NHL “until the he also doesn’t take up much net because of his lack of size. That could Commissioner has ruled on the issue” according to the NHL’s rule book. be a scary thing, given that he’s facing one of the greatest goal scorers in hockey history tonight. -Relevant to the matter also is Malkin’s only history of supplemental discipline is a $5,000 fine he received for spearing Kings right winger • The Penguins adjusted their power play personnel in practice: Dustin Brown on Jan. 18. Fines aren’t part of determining if a player is First unit: Patric Hornqvist, Phil Kessel, Olli Maatta Evgeni Malkin, Bryan considered a “repeat offender” within the rules of the NHL’s collective Rust bargaining agreement but, according to an FAQ page for the NHL’s depart of player safety, any history of supplemental discipline is weighed Second unit: Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel, Jack Johnson, Kris Letang, for future supplemental discipline: Dominik Simon “The status of the offender and, specifically, whether the Player has a • The Penguins recalled Zach Aston-Reese as well as Garrett Wilson history of being subject to Supplementary Discipline for On-Ice Conduct. from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and assigned Derek Grant to Wilkes- Players who repeatedly violate League Playing Rules will be more Barre/Scranton Tuesday. severely punished for each new violation.” Aston-Reese will play his first game with the Penguins this season after a -Wilson made his Penguins debut. He had 6:20 of ice time on nine shifts successful stint with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The Penguins wanted him to and recorded two shots on three attempts. He also drew a tripping get some work in at the AHL level before recalling him and are pleased penalty in the second period by Capitals defenseman Michal Kempny. with his work. He figures to play on the fourth line against the Capitals. -Aston-Reese made his season debut. He had 8:27 of ice time on 13 • Aston-Reese had little to say about Tom Wilson’s repeated attempts to shifts and one shot on three attempts. have his 20-game suspension reduced. Wilson, of course, broke Aston- Reese’s jaw during the second round series between the Penguins and Historically speaking Capitals last spring. -The Penguins’ last five-game losing streak took place Dec. 11-19, 2015. Garrett Wilson, the AHL Penguins’ captain, was the team’s leading That encompassed the last game of the Mike Johnston era and the first scorer with 11 points (six goals, five assists) in 11 games (to say nothing four games of the Mike Sullivan era. of a team-leading 34 penalty minutes). Aston-Reese, arguably the -Crosby (1,131) surpassed Bernie Federko (1,130) for 57th place on the organization’s top prospect, has nine points (six goals, three assists) in NHL’s all-time scoring list. 11 games. -Wilson’s last NHL game was with the Panthers in a 2-1 overtime road Mike Sullivan has regularly spoken about playing down low through good loss to the Islanders at the Barclays Center in game 6 of a first-round and bad times this season. Much of the offense Aston-Reese and Garrett playoff series. The victory clinched the series for the Islanders. Wilson have generated this season has come near the crease. The Athletic LOADED: 11.08.2018 Both players bring a physical element which isn’t abundant on the rest of the NHL roster: 1114409 San Jose Sharks Thornton is not necessarily big on celebrating individual milestone achievements.

As he was on the cusp of 1,000 career assists in Feb. 2017, joining 12 Joe Thornton’s love for hockey leads him to remarkable milestone other players who have accomplished that feat, including his idol, Wayne Gretzky, Thornton said, in a matter-of-fact fashion, “I think when it arrives, it’ll arrive.” By CURTIS PASHELKA | PUBLISHED: November 7, 2018 Maybe it’s a milestone you appreciate more as a player when your career is over. SAN JOSE — Both Marcus Sorensen and Barclay Goodrow were still in Those around him appreciate it right now. awe. “I play just over 300 games, and my body sometimes feel like it can’t Here they were, two forwards who were basically still learning to skate 20 even make it to 500,” Hertl said. “It’s amazing how many games. He’s years ago, talking Tuesday about what it was like to be on the same line had some tough times the last couple years and I’m really happy for him. with a veteran of 1,499 NHL games in Joe Thornton. Hopefully he enjoys it too.” “He’s one of the best players to ever play the game,” said Goodrow, who All-time NHL leaders in games played had the game-winning goal in the Sharks’ 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Player Games played “It’s an honor to play with him,” said Sorensen, who had his first career Gordie Howe 1,767 three-point game. Mark Messier 1,756 Thornton, 39, will become the 19th player in NHL history to play in 1,500 Jaromir Jagr 1,733 games Thursday when the Sharks visit the Dallas Stars to start a quick two-game road trip. In 20-plus seasons, he’s played 967 games with the Ron Francis 1,731 Sharks, second-most in franchise history behind Patrick Marleau (1,493). Mark Recchi 1,652 Ideally, Thornton would’ve reached this milestone last season. But in his 1,493rd game on Jan. 23 against the Winnipeg Jets, a mid-ice collision Chris Chelios 1,651 with then-teammate Mikkel Boedker resulted in torn anterior cruciate and Dave Andreychuk 1,639 medial collateral ligaments in his right knee. Scott Stevens 1,635 Thornton was, at that point, just starting to feel his old self again after he had surgery in April 2017 to repair the same exact injury, only to his left Larry Murphy 1,615 knee. Ray Bourque 1,612 But if Thornton ever grew frustrated or depressed with having to go through a long rehabilitation in back-to-back offseasons, it didn’t show. Patrick Marleau 1,590 He knew he still wanted to play and was going to do whatever it required Nicklas Lidstrom 1,564 to get back on the ice. Jarome Iginla 1,554 “That’s not Jumbo,” said Sharks forward Tomas Hertl, who started his NHL career on the same line with Thornton. “Maybe other guys, but Alex Delvecchio 1,550 Jumbo, he was saying, ‘I will be back.’ Johnny Bucyk 1,540 “Right away after he was injured (in 2017) he was like, ‘Give me two weeks, I’ll be back.’ He was always positive. He just wanted to play Shane Doan 1,540 hockey. He loves the game.” Brendan Shanahan 1,524 Sharks general manager Doug Wilson has seen everything that Thornton has gone through. Steve Yzerman 1,514 “He does things that people don’t even know or see to be able to play,” Mike Modano 1,499 he said. “If he ever shared his actual routine with everybody, people Joe Thornton 1,499 would not believe it. But you don’t put that much work in if you don’t truly, truly don’t love it. This is a really special person.” San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 11.08.2018 Nights like Tuesday, when Thornton scored his 399th career goal and helped two young teammates have unforgettable games, would seem to help make the huge task of coming back worthwhile. It also demonstrated that he can still be an effective player in a league that is getting faster by the season. Reaching 1,500 games “is really hard to do, and it’s even harder to do in the era that Joe’s in right now,” said Hall of Fame defenseman Scott Stevens, who played 1,635 games from 1982-2004 and is now an analyst for NHL Network. “The way the game has changed, hats off to Joe to figure out how to stay effective and be as good as he has been in a different era.” Of the 18 players who have reached this plateau, 14 are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, with others like Jaromir Jagr, Marleau and Jarome Iginla likely to follow once they become eligible. Thornton, with 1,430 career points, 16th all-time, will be there too, one day. And that’s perhaps the most important key to playing this long. Along with desire and overall health, you’ve got to be exceptional. “Joe is still incredible with what he can do at his age,” Stevens said. “It’s a combination of things. Staying healthy, and he’s done that, and you’ve got to play sometimes injured. “If you look at it, to have 1,000 is pretty amazing. And here he is, putting in another 500, which is pretty remarkable.” 1114410 San Jose Sharks

Why Sharks' upcoming stretch of games will be toughest task yet

By Chelena Goldman November 07, 2018

SAN JOSE -- Ahead of the Sharks’ Tuesday night game against the Minnesota Wild, Logan Couture acknowledged San Jose’s opponent was going to be tough. “This is probably one of, if not the, best team we’ve played this year so far,” he said. While the Sharks were victorious that evening, their obstacles aren’t all behind them just yet. Next, they have a Central Division-centered back- to-back on the road before their longest homestand of the season, which is chock-full of steep competition. As the season becomes more serious and the stakes become higher, the upcoming stretch of games becomes the Sharks’ most difficult task yet. That task starts with a two-game roadie in Dallas and St. Louis, against two teams at the bottom of their division who have a lot to prove. Playing on the back-to-back Thursday and Friday, all while factoring in travel, is going to be a test in itself. Sure, every team has quick road trips of this sort and the Sharks have already done plenty of traveling this season. And heck, at least the team won’t be hopping every time zone in the country like they did on their last road trip. Nevertheless, it’s still a quick turnaround to start off a stint of six games across a 10-game span. Then, there’s the competition the Sharks will face on the road over the next few days. The Dallas Stars, for starters, have played the Sharks tough for a few seasons now. Plus, Dallas’ goaltending is better than it has been in past seasons – provided Ben Bishop continues to stay healthy. Yes, the same Ben Bishop who shut the Sharks out 6-0 on New Year’s Eve last season. All that said, they’ll be hosting San Jose after coming off a six-game road trip where they dropped their final two decisions. Remember what coach Peter DeBoer said last week about the Sharks needing to play up to the opponent’s level of desperation? Thursday’s game in Dallas is looking as though it could be one of those contests. Friday’s opponent, the Blues, is a slightly different animal. Someone who hasn’t been paying attention to St. Louis may be impressed with how they look on paper, with the fourth-most goals scored per game and the third best power play in the league. Their overall performance, however, has been incredibly lopsided, and has them firmly placed on the bottom rung of the Central Division ladder. Though the Blues rose to the occasion with a 4-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, the win came on the heals of a dreadful 5-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild Saturday that increased rumors coach Mike Yeo’s job is on the line. In short, this is another team that’s going to play the Sharks tough, no question. The Sharks, for their part, appear to be fixing their early-season kinks. They’re finding depth scoring and figuring out how to mirror their opponents’ energy level on a regular basis. Those keys will have come into play as they face two desperate teams on this two-game road trip. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114411 San Jose Sharks

Sharks teammates applaud Marcus Sorensen's tenacity in win over Wild

By Chelena Goldman November 07, 2018

SAN JOSE -- At the tail end of the Sharks' preseason, Marcus Sorensen was a standout. After splitting time with the big club and its AHL affiliate over the last two seasons, he finally looked ready to contribute on the NHL level every night. Then after he went through a dry spell -- as players often do -- the floodgates opened Tuesday night against the Minnesota Wild, as the Swede had a career game with three points in the Sharks' 4-3 win. Sorensen’s teammates never had any doubt in his game. “He’s been unbelievable for us,” defenseman Brent Burns said. “He’s great to be around. He’s got a great energy.” The 26-year-old forward, who had been spending the bulk of his playing time on the Sharks' fourth line, hadn’t found the back of the net since Oct. 11 against the New York Rangers. In fact, he didn’t register another point until Oct. 30, also against New York. That isn’t to say Sorensen failed to create opportunities, especially on the penalty kill, where he scored that short-handed goal on Oct. 11. Sorensen is one of the reasons San Jose’s penalty kill is ranked third in the entire league, not allowing the opposition to score on the man advantage a whopping 22 consecutive times. “Even if he’s not scoring,” Burns continued, “he plays a fast game, a hard game. He’s one of our most tenacious guys.” That tenacity has translated into a physical game as well. Sorensen has registered 14 hits, and he had one dust-up with Anaheim’s Joseph Blandisi on Oct. 28. Linemate Barclay Goodrow pinpointed Sorensen’s mix of strength and speed as what made him so successful Tuesday night. “Marcus uses speed on the forecheck,” Goodrow said. “I thought we turned over a lot of pucks in the offensive zone, which led to offensive zone time and scoring chances.” Needless to say, this level of play from Sorensen -- and the rest of San Jose’s bottom six, for that matter -- could boost the Sharks on their upcoming road trip. San Jose is setting up to play a back-to-back against two very physical teams in the Dallas Stars and the St. Louis Blues. St. Louis, in particular, has the fourth-most goals scored leaguewide on the season and the third-best power play -- something Sorensen and the Sharks’ penalty kill unit surely will have to face. Sorensen’s “tenacity,” as his teammates called it, could go a long way to helping the Sharks have a successful roadie. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114412 St Louis Blues

It's (another) first win for goalie Johnson

By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch

It was a milestone of sorts for backup goalie Chad Johnson, turning aside 38 of 39 Carolina shots to post his first victory as a member of the Blues in Tuesday’s 4-1 triumph. “It’s just nice to get the first one out of the way,” Johnson said. “It was big for our team. I just wanted to come in and be solid with my game, try and get the two points, and it worked out for us.” He was all that and more against the Hurricanes. He tracked the puck well, limited rebounds, and although Carolina didn’t have a ton of prime scoring chances, he made the big saves when called upon. So did he commemorate the night by saving a puck from the game? As a veteran who’s played in at least parts of nine NHL seasons, Johnson’s enthusiasm for that was, uh, lukewarm at best. “I’ve played for a lot of teams, so I have a lot of first wins,” Johnson said. “Sometimes I save them. I might get a puck here, I’m not even sure.” Then, as if debating himself, he concluded: “Probably not. Ryan (O’Reilly) got the hat trick, he can have it.” The Blues have one of the lightest early-season schedules of anyone in the . Only Florida has played fewer games (11) than the Blues’ 13. So opportunities for playing time have been scarce for Johnson, 32, who has appeared in regular-season games for the New York Rangers, the then-Phoenix Coyotes, Boston Bruins, New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames and now the Blues. All after being drafted in the fifth round by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2006. Memento or not, Johnson’s work against Carolina had to be reassuring for Blues fans who might have wondered why the team would sign a goalie who posted a 3.55 goals-against average and a .891 save percentage last season for the Sabres. That easily was Johnson’s worst season statistically in the NHL, but he was playing for the NHL’s worst team — the Sabres finished with a mere 62 points. Entering last season, his career numbers were better than those of last year’s Blues backup, Carter Hutton, and not far off Jake Allen’s. “We’ve typically been a place where goalies can come in and do very well,” coach Mike Yeo said. “That’s why Chad signed here. So we’ve gotta shore up our game ... when we get real strong or solid in our defensive game, then we’ll give those guys a chance every night.” In four games this season, two in relief of Allen, Johnson has a 2.47 goals-against average and a save percentage of .919. PAUSE BUTTON Blues players were watching video Wednesday morning at Enterprise Center when informed by the coaching staff that practice had been called off for the day. Some instructions were attached. “No practice,” said forward Ivan Barbashev, “(but) it would be a real good thing to do something as a team, like a workout or just some fun. I think it’s a good decision, to be honest.” The result was a game of two-touch soccer on the floor of Enterprise. The idea of the game is to keep the ball in the air. “If it hits the ground, the last guy who touched it, he’s out,” Barbashev said. “It was fun.” After a couple of tough losses, a tough game Tuesday against Carolina, and all sorts of speculation — including plenty involving the head coach’s job security — Yeo decided to hit the pause button. “There’s been a lot of emotion lately,” he said. “You can see in parts of our game sometimes, you can almost see some hesitation, just not quite as quick. So just kind of a mental reset day. Get the guys a chance to recover from last night and get prepared for a good, hard practice tomorrow.” St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114413 St Louis Blues turning pucks over,” O’Reilly said. “From that, we’re finding each other. We’re playing quick, we’re being dangerous, and if we want to have success, we’ve got to be a line that’s leading that charge.” O'Reilly is giving Blues everything they had hoped for and more The other thing that continues to stand out about O’Reilly is how much he works. Long after most Blues forwards have returned to the dressing room, O’Reilly and his linemates will still be on the ice, working on things. By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch It could be 15 or 20 minutes or more of extra time for the group. “He’s one of the first guys on the ice and he’s always one of the last guys,” said winger Zach Sanford, who played six games on O’Reilly’s left Hockey nicknames are famously uninventive. Alex Pietrangelo becomes before Schwartz pulled in. “He’s one of the hardest working guys on our Petro, Vince Dunn is Dunner, and Jaden Schwartz is Schwartzie. team and in the league, and I think that’s a big part of his success. All the little stick skills might take some time to get to his level — he’s pretty Blues center Ryan O’Reilly invites variety. good there — but the hard work and the positioning and being in the right “I’ve gotten Riles before,” he said. “O’Ry. I’ve got a bunch. I get Factor, spot at the right time, that’s been working for him, and that’s what I’m from the old Bill O’Reilly show. Not Rhino. Nobody calls me that, but I’ve trying to get working for me.” heard it before.” “I want to always continue to grow my game,” O’Reilly said. “I always For the Blues right now, you can call O’Reilly indispensable. Not a whole want to be a student of the game and find ways and challenge myself lot has gone right for the Blues in the early stages of the season, but the and get better. It’s nice here, you see the amount of guys that work after play of O’Reilly has been the unquestioned high point. He leads the team practice on different things. We’re all moving in the right direction.” in scoring with seven goals and 12 assists for 19 points in 13 games, and That’s what the Blues need most right now. Moving in the right direction. currently has points in eight consecutive games, during which he has Forward progress. seven goals and eight assists. In four of the past seven games, he’s had two points or more and in three of them he’s had three, including St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.08.2018 Tuesday night’s hat trick. A factor indeed. O’Reilly went into Wednesday’s games tied for seventh in the league in points, and his point streak was the second-longest active streak. His hat trick was the first in his 10-season NHL career. “That’s surprising that’s his first hat trick,” said Blues backup goalie Chad Johnson, who has been a teammate of O’Reilly two of the previous three seasons in Buffalo. “He deserves it. He’s been through a lot over the course of the last few years. He’s been in some tough situations. It’s nice to see him get rewarded. He works so hard and he wants to win so bad.” “This is what we were hoping for from him,” Blues coach Mike Yeo said. “For me, that was just a reward of consistent good play. When he’s on top of his game, he’s engaged in battles, he’s winning faceoffs, he’s a strong two-way center, he’s impacting the game defensively in our zone and all over the ice, and obviously he’s impacting the game offensively. “I think we’ve seen his value, what he’s brought to the power play. We’ve seen his power, what he brought to us in depth of offense. I feel that’s been consistent all year long. He’s been giving those things. When you play consistent hockey, when you do the right thing, some nights the puck is going to bounce your way and some nights you might get three. Some nights you might not get anything. But you’re playing a real strong game, and you keep doing that over time, you’ll get rewarded.” O’Reilly spent the past three seasons in Buffalo, which can take its toll on anyone. While the Blues dealt three players and two draft picks to get him, they so far have come out ahead on the deal with the players dealt, Patrik Berglund, Vladimir Sobotka and Tage Thompson, combining for three goals and four assists. His point streak matches his career high. “Just kind of establishing our game, getting in on that forecheck and not worrying about the numbers,” he said. “Just kind of doing what I can do to win each battle and create. You don’t go out there thinking how many points I’m going to get in a night. It’s doing what I can to win the game, and when I do the right things, I feel like I get rewarded for it, and you can see our line, too: When we do the right things, we get that pressure and we’re a tough line to play against.” O’Reilly has been the center of gravity for the Blues so far, and the team has used him to try to build strength by putting players in proximity to him. Schwartz is struggling offensively? Put him next to O’Reilly and let him pull him along. “When a guy is on top of his game like that, then guys want to play with him,” Yeo said. “Obviously it helps their game, helps them get to their game, and I think Schwartzie and Vladi (Tarasenko), both guys playing with him, it’s a good opportunity for them.” O’Reilly has been essential in the big steps taken by the team’s third- ranked power play. He has two goals and six assists when the team is up a man. O’Reilly has been going strong all season. The Blues have played 13 games, and he has points in 10 of them. Tarasenko has assists on four of O’Reilly’s seven goals, and O’Reilly has assists on four of Tarasenko’s six goals. It’s become a mutual appreciation society. “I think at the start of the year I wasn’t really myself and I think I’m slowly starting to find my game a bit. (Before I was) just kind of working and 1114414 St Louis Blues BLUENOTES In each of the Blues' five victories this season, they've scored three goals in one period. Blues' Yeo hits pause button, calls off Wednesday practice With Brayden Schenn sidelined with an upper-body injury, Robby Fabbri got some time on the Blues' second power play unit against Carolina. By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch Speaking of Schenn, Yeo had no update Wednesday on his injury status. Similarly, Yeo had nothing new to report on defenseman Robert Bortuzzo, who has missed the Blues' last five games _ and six of their Blues players were watching video Wednesday morning at Enterprise last seven ) with a lower-body injury. Center when informed by the coaching staff that practice had been called off for the day. The Blues had only 20 shots on goal against Carolina, preceded by 16 shots on goal Saturday against Minnesota. Those are the Blues' two "No practice," said forward Ivan Barbashev. "(But) it would be a real good lowest shot totals this season. thing to do something as a team, like a workout or just some fun. I think it's a good decision to be honest." St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.08.2018 The result was a game of two-touch soccer on the floor of Enterprise. The idea of the game is to keep the ball in the air. "If it hits the ground, the last guy who touched it, he's out," Barbashev said. "It was actually a lot of fun to see like 'Jaybo' (Jay Bouwmeester) out there. I've never seen him play." Net Front Presence: Pressure mounts on Yeo after Blackhawks fire Quenneville Barbashev said there are many good soccer players on the team, listing Vladimir Tarasenko, Alexander Steen, Tyler Bozak and Robby Fabbri among the best off the top of his head. Where does Barbashev rate? "I'm OK," he said. After a couple of tough losses, a tough game Tuesday against Carolina, and all sorts of speculation _ including plenty involving the head coach's job security _ Mike Yeo decided to hit the pause button. "There's been a lot of emotion lately," he said. "You can see in parts of our game sometimes, you can almost see some hesitation, just not quite as quick. So just kind of a mental reset day. Get the guys a chance to recover from last night and get prepared for a good, hard practice tomorrow." The Blues complete their seven-game homestand with games Friday against San Jose and Sunday against Minnesota. THOMAS WATCH Yeo has made it clear on a couple of occasions recently that the decision on rookie Robert Thomas' status is general manager Doug Armstrong's call, not his. "We spent some time with 'Army' just in my office (Wednesday), and the topic didn't come up," Yeo said. "So I'm not bringing it up, and he hasn't brought it up, so we'll just keep going down that path." Thomas logged his fourth assist of the season Tuesday on what proved to be the game-winning goal by Robby Fabbri in the Blues' 4-1 triumph over Carolina. But Yeo said Thomas' play wasn't as good as it has been in other recent contests. "I actually thought last game was a bit of a step back," Yeo said. "Watched some video with him today. Obviously he made a nice play to get an assist there, but the complete game has to be there to be a centerman in the National Hockey League." Tuesday was Thomas' ninth game of the season. By league rule, if he plays in a 10th game, this season will count as a year against his entry- level Blues contract. So if the Blues are going to send him back to junior hockey, it makes all the sense in the world to do so prior to that 10th game. With that 10th game approaching, it undoubtedly has put some pressure on Thomas, 19, to make something happen. "I think that it's kinda normal, something we tried to warn him against, but you get an opportunity like that, now you think, 'OK, now I gotta go get points,' " Yeo said. "Next thing you know, other parts of your game start to slip. "You start to lose sort of your defensive focus or your competitive level, and next thing you know, not only are you losing those things but then you don't have the puck as much, too. Good players, offensive players, they need the puck. But you have to do the right things in order to get it. "So I think it'll be a good learning experience for him and help him going forward." 1114415 St Louis Blues "I picked up the puck then," said Berenson. "After all, who expects to get more than three goals in a game?" Thirty-two seconds later, Berenson had his fourth of the contest. Henry rifled a shot up the middle and the 6- 50 years ago: 'We want Red!' Even the Philly fans loved Red Berenson foot, 193-pound Berenson knocked it down at center, cruised in alone on on his record-setting night Favell and beat the Philly goalie with a shot that bounced off both goal posts before finally lodging itself in the twine.

Terry Crisp, who kept insisting, tongue in cheek, that the reporters should By Wally Cross Of the Post-Dispatch Staff interview him too, because he got the "insurance goal," increased the Blues' lead to 6-0 by batting in Gary Sabourin's rebound at 3:46 of the final period. Then Henry finished off a pretty three-way effort with Ab McDonald and Berenson by scoring at 9:59. On Nov. 7, 1968, Red Berenson of the St. Louis Blues had one of the greatest nights in NHL history. The Post-Dispatch was on the scene and Berenson completed the scoring at 14:04 when he again skated around here was our original coverage. Van Impe and slapped a 45-foot bullet past Favell. The goal drew a 30- second standing ovation from the partisan Philadelphia crowd. "Go, Red, PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 8 - "We want Red, we want Red," chanted the go . . . go, Red, go," went the chant in the final three minutes and crowd of 9164, and Gordon Berenson, the mighty Red Baron of the Berenson came close to getting No. 7. Blues, responded by tying a National Hockey League record that has stood for 24 years. Favell made a great leg save on a 58-foot slap shot by Red late in the frame. Berenson had missed the net earlier after McCreary had cleared Berenson, who previously had never registered even a hat tricK (three the way. "I just couldn't believe the puck was going in that often," said goals) in his six NHL campaigns, fired in six goals to lead the Blues to an Berenson. "But every time I looked up the light was on." 8-0 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers last night. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.08.2018 "I couldn't believe that the crowd actually wanted me to score more," said Berenson, as he toweled himself in the St. Louis locker room. "They hated us here last year. "But let me tell you. It was one of the greatest thrills of my life." The victory strengthened the Blues' hold on first place in the NHL's West Division. St. Louis has 13 points, four more than the second-place Los Angeles Kings. Berenson spent a half hour answering the questions of at least 20 reporters in the dressing room. But he saved some of his best remarks for later. "I think that just about duplicates the thrill of paddling a wilderness river," said the avid outdoorsman. "Everything went right. It's like planting trees. Some years you plant 12 and five or six come up; some years you plant 12 and none come up. Tonight everything was going in." Berenson's six goals matched the modem NHL record set by Syd Howe (no relation to Gordie) of the Detroit Red Wings in 1944. Joe Malone scored seven goals for the Quebec Bulldogs against the Toronto St. Pats in 1920, before the present NHL was established. The Post-Dispatch is the only local organization covering the Blues home and away. Support our coverage by starting a digital subscription. Berenson's four goals in the second period matched the record for most goals scored in a single period held by Busher Jackson of the Toronto Maple Leafs and by of the Chicago Black Hawks. Jackson set the original record Nov. 28, 1934, at The Arena in St. Louis. He scored his four goals in the third period to lead the Leafs to a 5-2 victory over the St. Louis Eagles. Bentley matched the mark in 1943 in a 10-1 triumph over the New York Rangers. Overlooked by many reporters in their rush to interview Berenson were two other St. Louis players who played outstanding games. Left winger Camille Henry scored the 270th goal of bis NHL career, an achievement that would have won him headlines on any other night, and goalie Jacques Plante got the sixty-fifth shutout of his 12 years in the big time. "I'm quite happy to take a back seat tonight," said Henry. "I once scored six goals in the American League, but that's not like the NHL. Red deserves every headline he gets." Henry's 270th goal, the Blues' seventh, tied him with former Montreal Canadien stars Howie Morenz and Aurel Joliet. "It was a big goal in my life. I saved the puck," said Henry, "but this is Red's night." Berenson started the Blues off to their highest single-night goal total when he grabbed a loose puck in the St. Louis zone, powered his way around Flyer defenseman Ed Van Impe inside the Philadelphia blueline and shifted goalie Doug Favell out of position before lifting a high backhand shot into the cage. Sixteen minutes 42 seconds had elapsed in the first period. "All I could think was, 'Thank God I can still score'," recalled Berenson, who hadn't had a goal in more than a week. Then came the second period . . . Berenson picked up a pass from Bill McCreary along the boards in the center zone, punched it past defenseman Joe Watson and glided in alone on Favell before faking him out of position and beating him with a high backhand. Four minutes later, the big redhead drilled Henry's drop pass past Favell for his third goal of the night and sixth of the season. 1114416 Tampa Bay Lightning

Victor Hedman expected to return to Lightning soon

By Diana Nearhos November 7, 2018

BRANDON — Victor Hedman is hard to miss on the ice. The 6-foot-6, 223-pound defenseman was a welcome sight for the Lightning at the Ice Sports Forum on Wednesday. It was his first practice with the team since suffering an upper-body injury on a hit by Vegas' Ryan Reaves on Oct. 26. Hedman has missed six games and had skated a few times on his own and after practice before Wednesday. Coach said Hedman would not be in the lineup for tonight's game against the Islanders at Amalie Arena but he would return in the near future. On the awkward but clean check from Reaves, Hedman crashed into the boards at an odd angle, with his right shoulder appearing to bear most of the contact. The Lightning has managed without its defending Norris Trophy winner. It has gotten contributions across the defensive corps, including goals from Braydon Coburn and Slater Koekkoek. Ryan McDonagh has played in many scenarios that he hadn't been in with Hedman in the lineup. He has done everything asked of him. But Hedman brings something to the offense that no other defenseman on the team can match. Ondrej Palat is not advancing as well as Hedman after being hurt against Vegas blocking a shot. He was expected to return first. "Palat is probably a few weeks away," Cooper said. "He wasn't progressing the way we liked, so we shut it down here for a little bit." Cooper said Palat needs rest, not surgery. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114417 Tampa Bay Lightning Life is good again. John and Valerie were at Amalie Arena on Tuesday night as John dropped the puck on the ceremonial opening faceoff to commemorate Ex-Lightning star, cancer survivor John Cullen counts his blessings the NHL's "Hockey Fights Cancer'' initiative. Cullen is part of the inspiration for hockey's public fight against cancer. By Tom Jones John smiled thinking back to his time with the Lightning, and playing in the team's first-ever playoff series at the then-Thunderdome in St. Petersburg. Valerie smiles thinking about everything else. Tampa — Remember John Cullen? "It's almost like cancer gives you an opportunity, whether you want it or not, to look at life in a different way,'' Valerie said. "Having gone through If you're a life-long Lightning fan, of course you do. He's something of a that, it may not have worked out. This could have been a memorial. But legend in these parts. A true inspiration. we're here and it's giving us the chance to look at life is such a more positive way.'' If you don't remember his story, he has lived to tell about it. And best of all? And that's the part that is inspiring. That he has lived to tell his story. That he is alive today. "It's just the opportunity to have one more day,'' Valerie said. "I'm lucky,'' Cullen said. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.08.2018 It all started in March of 1997. Cullen was 32 and the three-time all-star was in his ninth NHL season. It was his second season with the Lightning, where he was among the team leaders in points. Life was good. He was married to the love of his life, Valerie, and they had a beautiful baby girl named Kennedy. He was living his dream of playing hockey. "We had it all,'' Valerie said. With just a few weeks left in the season, Cullen started to feel run down. At first, he thought it was just the usual bumps and bruises that pile up over the course of a long hockey season. Then he thought it might have been a bad cold. Maybe the flu. But when the symptoms wouldn't go away, he decided to visit the doctor. He didn't have a cold. He had cancer. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma to be exact. With treatment, his prognosis was good, a 92 percent chance at recovery. "I always said if you're going to get cancer,'' Cullen said, "that's the one to get.'' But he had no idea what was in store. Radiation and chemotherapy ravaged his body. He lost his hair. He threw up constantly. In a matter of weeks, he dropped nearly 50 pounds down to 145. He looked like he was dying. Because he was. Doctors re-evaluated him. The treatment was not working. Cullen's odds of surviving dropped. Doctors said it was a 50-50 shot that he would live, but only after a risky bone-marrow transplant in November of 1992. During the procedure, his heart stopped. But Cullen recovered and even returned to hockey. I was there the night he scored a goal in his first game back at the Olympiahalle in Innisbrook, Austria in September of 1998, more than 18 months after he was diagnosed and less than a year after his heart stopped on the operating table. Cullen's goal came in a preseason game, but for him, it was like scoring in the seventh game of the Stanley Cup final. It remains one of the most emotional things I've ever seen in more than 30 years as a sportswriter. The comeback from cancer, at least as player, didn't last very long. He played only four regular-season NHL games before he was forced to retire. Cancer had simply drained too much from him. He retired and became a Lightning assistant coach. But he hated being away from his family, which soon included twins Karlyn and Kortland. So he left hockey and joined his brother's car dealership in Georgia. Now he has his own Chevrolet dealership near Atlanta. "It's crazy how this world works,'' Cullen said. "It was 20 years ago. I know for the first few years, I was really appreciative. And then as time goes on, I got to knock myself in the head and go, 'Hey, remember back when?' ''

It doesn't take much to remember how awful that time was and how close John came to losing his battle. "I remember everything,'' Valerie said. "It was bad.'' But now, the Cullens truly do appreciate where they've been and where they are. Kennedy is now 23. The twins are 18. 1114418 Toronto Maple Leafs from Brad Hunt. Later in the shift, he jumps knees first onto the boards at the bench to avoid the puck as it goes by, and a too-many-men call. Smart. It’s funny. Why Mitch Marner is worth the price of admission — and any extension 20th shift. Marner gets checked into the goal by Miller, kept in the goal by Miller, and then bumped to the ice by Miller. Marner is listed at six foot and 175 pounds, 10 pounds above his rookie weight, and out of uniform By BRUCE ARTHUR you can see the muscle he has layered onto his still-boyish frame. Marner gets up smiling and chewing his mouthpiece.

21st shift. It’s 2-1 and Marner pushes the play. He finds Tavares, but It was a lousy game Tuesday night, in front of a sleepy crowd. The Tavares is offside. He grabs a puck inside the Vegas blue line and Toronto Maple Leafs weren’t very good, after a decent start. Their goalie swerves between Alex Tuch and Theodore to get a shot off that Fleury saved them and they won. But on a sleepy night, Mitch Marner was worth has to cover. Later, Marner takes a puck inside the Toronto blue line, the price of admission again; even the Toronto price of admission. Here skates and dangles past one Knight and then another, drops the puck to are snapshots from his evening, or 13 ways of looking at Mitch Marner. Tavares at the Vegas blue line and continues on with his stick out, looking back. Tavares finds him and Marner gets to the front of the net, First shift. Off the top the 21-year-old Marner chases down a puck in the where he is stopped again. Vegas end, slips back up the boards, spins on Shea Theodore and creates about three feet of space, but his backhand pass to John On TSN, Ray Ferraro nails it. “He always feels like there’s a play.” Tavares is broken up. Of Marner’s 14 assists this year, only one was a secondary assist. And at the very end, Hyman sprawls and gets a pass across and Fleury has to dive out to keep it from Marner, who was behind the defence one Mitch Marner’s game plan is working: “Try to make myself more of a last time. At the end he is standing in front of the Vegas goal as time runs shooter than a passer so people don’t have a clue what’s going to out on a game Toronto had no business winning, but did. Marner chews happen.” his mouthpiece, and he’s done for the night. He spent too much time in his own end; he scored the winner, and nearly created more. Whatever Third shift. Toronto’s first power play. Marner creates a shot for Morgan he costs, they’re lucky to have him. Rielly and a chance for Patrick Marleau out front. Nothing comes of it. The Leafs are only 29th in power plays so far this year, which will happen Toronto Star LOADED: 11.08.2018 when you almost never cycle the puck. Since he entered the league three years ago, Marner is third in the league in five-on-four points per 60 minutes among those who have played significant minutes. New Jersey’s Taylor Hall, last year’s Hart Trophy winner, is second. Rielly, actually, is first. Fourth shift. The Leafs are stuck in their own end, though not dangerously; a Marner pass relieves the pressure. Later, Marner is open in front but Zach Hyman’s pass is a tumbleweed, and Marner can’t corral it. He falls down trying, though. Fifth shift. The puck is in the Leafs zone. It slides to Marner on the left boards, slowly. He notes William Karlsson is following it. Marner waits, cool. The puck settles on the outside of his left skate, and Karlsson is on his right. He lets Karlsson hit him, half-turns to protect the puck, and as Karlsson tries to come around, Marner spins back up ice and creates space to slip a neat pass to Ron Hainsey before Jonathan Marchessault arrives to bump him. The pressure vanishes. It’s like he watched the play happen in slow motion. Sixth shift. Marner takes the puck from Vegas defenceman Colin Miller, swings out to the blue line and does a tour — past Max Pacioretty, past Brayden McNabb behind the net — and threads the puck between two Vegas defenders across the ice to Tavares. The shot is stopped. Eighth shift. Nine seconds into the second period, the Leafs are rushing and Marner slides to his right to create space. Tavares finds Marner in the slot, and the shot whips across his body, beating Marc-André Fleury high blocker side for a 2-0 lead. Marner now has one more career point than the injured Auston Matthews, though in 19 more games. Marner led the Leafs with 69 points last season. He is playing three minutes more per game this year, and is on pace for 104. “That’s something that I really worked on, just coming across the middle and trying to get that puck off quickly and get it to the net,” Marner said earlier this year. “Try to make myself more of a shooter than a passer so people don’t have a clue what’s going to happen … it’s been getting better.” After the faceoff, Marner breaks up a pass near the Toronto blue line and chases it down the ice, gassed at the end of a 90-second shift; Theodore catches him, and sweeps it away at the last second. Ninth shift. Tired at the end of another long shift, Marner takes a hooking penalty. He doesn’t love the call. 10th shift. Marner lifts the stick of Reilly Smith on a backcheck and sends the puck the other way. At the other end he pressures Theodore in the corner, and misses Andreas Johnsson — or Nazem Kadri? — on a pass in front. Close. The whole second period is a Vegas push, so every puck sent the other way matters. 14th shift. After a giveaway and then a controlled zone entry, Marner is thrown into the boards by Miller, comes out of the corner and fires a spinning backhand. Pad save. Seventeen of Marner’s 48 shots this season have come in the four games without Matthews. 18th shift. The Leafs are holding on, killing time. Marner backchecks to break up a Karlsson to Marchessault pass, and tips another puck away 1114419 Toronto Maple Leafs need everybody involved in the offence, so it’s great to see Brownie score.”

LOOSE LEAFS Andersen proving to be a bargain for Maple Leafs Perhaps it was not the way Babcock planned it, but with the Leafs holding on to a one-goal lead late against Vegas, defenceman Ron Terry Koshan Hainsey had a shift that lasted one minute 56 seconds, ending two seconds before Nazem Kadri scored into an empty net. “It probably just turned out that way, (Hainsey) couldn’t get off the ice,” Babcock said. “Ron knows where to stand when the game is on the line so having a The Maple Leafs are getting their money’s worth out of Frederik little knowledge and being a veteran and standing in the right spot never Andersen. hurt anybody.” … Patrick Marleau’s assist on the goal by Kadri put him at 599 in his NHL career. That ties Marleau with Alex Kovalev for 88th on Of the 22 goaltenders in the National Hockey League this season who the NHL list … The Leafs, who did not practise on Wednesday, loaned had played in at least 10 games through Tuesday, only three — Andrei forward Trevor Moore back to the . With the Leafs Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning (.935), John Gibson of the starting a four-game trip on Saturday in Boston, expect Moore, if not a Anaheim Ducks (.933) and Devan Dubnyk of the Minnesota Wild (.930) different forward, to be recalled at some point in the coming days. Moore — had a better save percentage than the mark of .929 that Andersen has was recalled last Friday but did not get in a game … Vegas coach Gerard provided in 13 games for Toronto. Gallant said on Wednesday that Erik Haula, who suffered a right knee After 2018-19, Andersen will have two years remaining on a contract that injury when he was hit by Marleau in the third period and had to be taken carries an annual salary cap hit of $5-million US. This season, no fewer off the ice on a stretcher, will remain with the team but will not play in the than 16 goalies in the NHL are costing their teams more money against Knights’ next three games that comprise the rest of their trip. the cap. Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.08.2018 Andersen was the reason the Leafs beat the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena, a victory that saw him turn aside all eight shots he faced in the third period. Not a great workload to be sure, but it was a continuation of the kind of netminding Andersen has been providing in the final 20 minutes in each of his games. Andersen has posted a .936 save percentage in the third period, stopping 131 of 140 shots on goal. With the Leafs’ offensive skills in abundance — though tested with Auston Matthews nursing a shoulder injury and restricted free agent William Nylander digging in his heels — Andersen doesn’t necessarily have to be terrific every night. Often, though, he has been just that, and at a bargain rate. “His ability to be as quick as he is going post-to-post, never really being out of it (are key assets),” Leafs forward John Tavares said. “As a shooter, knowing a goalie is really never out of it, there is always a bit of doubt in the back of your mind that he has the chance to make a save on you. He is just real poised.” ALL IN ON BROWN When Connor Brown scored in the first period against Vegas, his first goal after going 10 games without one, the relief was clear in his celebration. The Leafs who were watching from the bench were pretty pumped when Brown scored. The goal came as a result of Brown picking the pocket of Golden Knights defenceman Nick Holden before turning quickly and beating goalie Marc-Andre Fleury with a shot high on the glove side. “Yeah, that was great,” winger Mitch Marner said. “That guy is a workhorse. He gets in on the forecheck every single time, he makes a lot of turnovers, he is always tracking back and making it hard on the other team. “I was super happy for him when he got that goal. He has had so many chances that just have not bounced his way. That was a pretty impressive shot to get flat-footed in front of your body and get it up that quick. I think it takes a lot of pressure off his back.” Brown’s only other goal this season, so far, came into an empty net against Dallas on Oct. 9. As much as Brown’s work ethic does not waver, there’s a hill for the 24- year-old winger to climb after he scored 20 goals in 82 games as a rookie two years ago. Brown played in 82 games again last season, scoring 14 goals. Brown wants to contribute offence consistently, but at the same time, he doesn’t want to find himself dwelling on it more than he should be. “I think you take it day by day and you try not to look at the whole picture,” Brown said using the goal to build from. “We have been talking about (secondary scoring) recently. Our big guys have been scoring but it’s important for us to take a bit of load off their back.” The line of Par Lindholm between Andreas Johnsson and Brown was the Leafs’ best defensively against the Golden Knights. “I thought that line was our best line at the start of the game,” Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. “I thought that line was real effective and you 1114420 Toronto Maple Leafs Before turning their clocks back at home, the Leafs rediscovered their strong road form in a 5-0 win. If you were witnessing your first game and been told Pittsburgh’s Phil Kessel had been traded for the Leafs’ Kasperi Finding the blue lining in Steeltown sports Kapanen, they might think you’d been sampling too much of the recently legalized stuff. Kessel was limited in chances, but budding star Kapanen continues to be a threat every shift. The pendulum in that trade is clearly swinging in the Leafs’ direction. BY MIKE WILSON, GUEST COLUMNIST Finally!

Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.08.2018 PITTSBURGH–In a city painted black and gold, Brett Lawrence’s Jeep is a distinctive Maple Leaf blue. His Pennsylvania plates are fastened with their logo, a Toronto flag flaps from his rear window and his two dogs were named ‘Maple’ and ‘Sittler’. His manager’s office at the Quality Inn University Center, not too far from PPG Paints Arena, has a lot of man-cave Leaf-themed items. Brett is from Don Mills, but spent the past 30 years in the states and when he heard about the Ultimate Leaf Road Trip, was keen to offer a room for Saturday’s game. This is what my journey’s all about, Leaf fans lending assistance or just making a kind gesture while sharing a mutual passion. Brett and I immediately hit it off, spending an hour trading hockey stories. I also dropped by the Senator John Heinz History Center to learn more about this interesting city and was fortunate to see The Smithsonian Apollo 11 exhibit, more than 100 artifacts from the mission, including the Command Module Columbia. Pretty awesome to see for my generation that was watching on July 20, 1969. Sports coverage at the Center is well done, with some terrific items on the Steelers and Pirates, but the lack of hockey exhibits puzzled me. Pittsburgh has won five Cups; boasts some of the greatest players in the game and pro hockey dates back to an NHL team in 1925, also called the Pirates. My disappointment was shared by a Calgary couple I met. Marshall is a Pens’ fan and girlfriend Stephanie a Leafs supporter, but both expected more than a few cutouts of Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby. The Center is promising more hockey in future. The night before the game, I joined members of the Toronto media and Leafs media relations to celebrate Joe Bowen’s induction next Monday into the broadcast wing of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Many humourous stories were exchanged, but the best were spun by Bonesie’s winger, Jim Ralph, who need only look at you to induce laughter. Dinner was at the Grandview in Mt. Washington, overlooking Pittsburgh and the Three Rivers skyline, reached by a classic cable funicular. My hotel was also near the site of Forbes Field, 1909-70, now a historical landmark retaining part of the original outfield wall. In the bottom of the ninth, in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, Pittsburgh’s Bill Mazeroski’s walk-off home run beat the Yankees, something we Torontonians can relate to Joe Carter’s blast in 1993. The spot where Maz’s ball landed on the sidewak is also marked, while across the street inside the University of Pittsburgh’s Posvar Hall, is Forbes’ home plate, embedded in the floor. Babe Ruth’s last homer at Forbes on May 25, 1935 completed the Bambino’s Toronto connection, having swatted his first pro dinger at Hanlan’s Point on Toronto Island, Sept. 5, 1914, both knocked right out of each stadium. Between 1946-56 the were the Leafs’ AHL affiliate. I once owned a letter from future Leaf Bill Barilko to management asking for tryouts with the Hornets for he and brother Alex. Instead, they ended up on the Hollywood Wolves. Notable Hornets’ alumni include, George Armstrong, Tim Horton, Bob Goldham, Billy Harris, Paul Henderson, Sid Smith and Howie Meeker. The large contingent of Leafs fans around the rink at game time certainly impressed Penguins’ officials, who don’t usually see so many non- division rivals pack the house. But this is a popular destination for GTA kids in hockey tournaments and among those playing and later attending the NHL game was one of Patrick Marleau’s four sons. Between periods, I caught up with old friend Dusan Kralik, who trains elite level junior, college and NHL players, but also coached with the Toronto Aeros, who were also in attendance. In their private suite was a home-made sign ‘Toronto, Pittsburgh Strong’ with a Star of David and a red heart, in memory of victims of the massacre in Pittsburgh last weekend. Dan Mead, one the first responding officers who was wounded in the attack, happened to be in the next box and came by to chat with the boys and their families. I also had the honour of meeting this very modest man with the large cast on his arm. “Just doing what I was trained to do,” he assured me, a very moving moment. 1114421 Toronto Maple Leafs thought we might be getting one in the NHL, I met with the Redskins and talked to them about how they managed the cap. They had some good

advice. It’s come in handy. And I guess the practical experience of LeBrun: How GM George McPhee is maximizing the Golden Knights’ working with the cap for so long now, we’re going in this direction and we one-time salary cap edge hope we’re right in doing it the way we’re doing it.’’

The fact of the matter is, because they’ve started from scratch, the Knights have been as busy as any team in the league getting contracts By Pierre LeBrun Nov 7, 2018 done.

“Because we were an expansion team and we had a lot of guys that are either free agents or RFAs and some young players, we’ve done George McPhee and Laurence Gilman sat together in the corner for a probably more work and more contracts than any other team in the few minutes watching the Maple Leafs practice on Monday. league in the last year and a half,” McPhee said. “But it was an Not too long ago, the assistant GM of the Leafs had advised the NHL in opportunity to try and get it right. Time will tell.’’ setting up the expansion roster rules for Vegas, but the truth is, Gilman And like any other GM or front-office type around the league, McPhee is and McPhee have known each other for many years. keeping tabs on what’s playing out here in Toronto with the Maple Leafs’ What I’m dying to know is whether Gilman looked over to McPhee and salary cap dance. Namely the prolonged contract squabble with William mentioned how jealous he is over the Golden Knights salary cap Nylander, but also how it’s all going to play out with Auston Matthews situation. and Mitch Marner and their new contracts. No NHL team operates in a vacuum, every contract signed in this league ends up having some kind We jest, of course. of ripple effect on other teams.

The Knights are no longer a first-year team but they continue, for now, to Which means every team in the league is watching with interest to see enjoy an edge over the rest of the league in terms of their cap situation how Leafs GM Kyle Dubas ends up navigating these waters. and set-up. While Cup contenders like Tampa Bay, Winnipeg, Toronto and Nashville, among others, continue to perform cap gymnastics over “Everything is related to everything else,’’ McPhee said. “The bottom line the next few years, Vegas is in a pretty good good spot. is, and we’ve all said it, if you have a good team, you’re going to have these issues. If you don’t have these issues, it typically means you don’t Which is exactly why Vegas is trying to sign long-term deals with all their have a good team. So, you just have to find ways to make it work.’’ key players in order to bring down their AAV. While McPhee would not comment on contracts from other teams, the The team’s philosophy is that their current cap flexibility is a perishable two deals most teams complain about privately is the one Leon Draisaitl commodity, and one day soon enough, they won’t have it anymore. signed in Edmonton (eight years, $68-million, $8.5-million AAV) and the “When you have the room to do it, it usually makes sense to do it,’’ Jack Eichel contract in Buffalo (eight years, $80-million, $10-million McPhee told The Athletic on Monday, referring to the long-term contract AAV). approach. “Because everything is more predictable in the future, you can In both instances, each club felt justified in those decisions and you can just simply manage the cap better. And you have to be a little prescient understand why that was the case. The Oilers were in a jam after signing and believe that the players will go into these contracts and that it makes McDavid that summer and Draisaitl was coming off a huge playoff sense for them and you’ll get value. So, you cross your fingers and hope performance. While Draisaitl knew he wouldn’t command the same you’re right.’’ $12.5-million a year that No. 97 signed for, he was only willing to come To wit, the last three contracts done: down so far.

Shea Theodore, seven years, $36.4-million, $5.2-million AAV The Sabres were were trying to turn the page under new management and sign their young superstar, franchise player one year earlier made Alex Tuch, seven years, $33.25-million, $4.75-million AAV sense for them to bring stability and send a message of a new era. And they don’t believe for a second the price would have been any cheaper Nate Schmidt, six years, $35.7-million, $5.95-million AAV had they waited.

The betting in all three cases is that midway through those deals, the Again, you can see how each side has a valid argument in both cases. AAV for each will be below market value, giving the Knights good players at a lower cap hit. But whether they are or not, at the very least in But the by-product, of course, is that other young, stud RFAs are using combination with all of their other players who are locked up, they have a those contracts to elevate their demands. That’s how it works. Nylander’s stable vision of what lies ahead with their team cap-wise. camp looked to the Draisaitl deal originally and that contract squabble remains on the Leafs’ hands. Realistically, how does Marner’s camp not “I don’t know that we’re looking for bargains as much as having that cost look at Eichel’s deal as a fair comparison when they get serious in talks certainty,” McPhee said. “We know what Theodore cost now and what with the Leafs? Colorado Avalanche stud Mikko Rantanen leads the NHL he’ll cost five years from now and seven years from now. And the same in scoring and happens to need a new contract after the season. What’s thing with Tuch and some of the other guys. It allows us to plan better. his second contract going to look like when framed in the Draisaitl/Eichel Again, I think we’ve been watching hockey long enough to trust our context? instincts and evaluations of players and you have analytics to help you with that as well now. But, that’s more about what we’re trying to do. Vegas will have its own interesting negotiation with William Karlsson who Because it just makes things a lot easier to plan for in terms of other needs a new deal after signing a one-year contract last year. Another player acquisitions or trades or what have you.’’ advantage for the Knights? No state income tax. Players will sign for a bit less because of it. The Theodore negotiation with Newport was a difficult one. The player’s camp wanted a two-year bridge deal and that makes sense. If I was Either way, Vegas has a mission: to use their one-time salary cap representing a young player with promise, it’s the path I’d take, because window/edge to their advantage and maintain as much cost-certainty as that third contract would look juicy in two years’ time. The Knights said no possible. way and it was clear that was the hill they were ready to die on. They needed cost certainty and it cost them more salary now for a young The Athletic LOADED: 11.08.2018 player with just a year and a half under his belt in the NHL. But the long play is what Vegas wanted, no matter the gamble.

McPhee was running the Washington Capitals when the salary cap entered the league in 2005. Those lessons from the early cap years, plus what’s happened around the league in the last several years with other cap-challenged teams, helped forge the Golden Knights’ game plan.

“We’ve learned some lessons about the cap. Obviously we’ve all worked with it for a while,” McPhee said. “But early on before we had a cap and 1114422 Toronto Maple Leafs 21:52 last season. One minute of that decrease has come shorthanded; the other 40 seconds or so has been at even strength.

Getting the 37 year old more rest is imperative this season. As much as Mirtle Notebook: Things I think about the Maple Leafs, Vol. 2 fans rail against Hainsey, he’s likely to be in their top four all year, barring a trade for another right D. (Tellingly, Igor Ozhiganov’s minutes were down to a season low 9:48 on Tuesday.) He’s an important factor, even By James Mirtle Nov 7, 2018 as the No. 4.

I’ve been hanging onto these charts for a few weeks, waiting for the right time to write a piece on Hainsey alone, but I think it makes more sense to My apologies this wasn’t posted sooner. I — like most of you watching at just use them here. Essentially what I found in digging into the data was home, I imagine — watched Tuesday’s game against the Golden Knights that, looking back at Hainsey’s last three seasons, his shot share results and wondered “What on earth is this Maple Leafs team?” decreased as the season went on. That’s not a good thing when you’re supposed to be able to answer such Basically, he wore out: questions in columns like this one. Of course, Hainsey won a Stanley Cup in there, in 2017 with the Fifteen games into the 2018-19 season, the Leafs are 10-5-0, which is Penguins, so it’s not as if the results were all bad. But these aren’t the fourth best record in the NHL. They’ve gotten there without William exactly insignificant dips over the course of three consecutive regular Nylander all season and without Auston Matthews the last 4.5 games seasons. (basically one-third of the year). It was unmistakable last year how terrific he looked 20 games in — and That’s a 109-point pace over a full season. It’s probably not enough to then how he declined by the time the first round of the playoffs came win the Atlantic, but it’s enough to earn home-ice advantage in the first around and he had to log huge minutes against one of the best lines in round, which could be a key factor if they again face the Bruins. the league. I think at this point, you take a 109-point season. And the only reason Even if you believe Travis Dermott should be in the top four and Hainsey they might get to that point, based on these early results, is how damn needs to be bumped down to third pair and PK duty, the Leafs still need good Frederik Andersen has been. him to play key minutes. He’s a popular veteran on this team, one who The Leafs haven’t exactly looked airtight defensively. After spending a has mentored the kids (like Dermott) well, and isn’t going to come ton of time in their own end against Vegas, they’re at 49.9 percent completely out of the lineup. possession on the year and have generated only 48.4 percent of the Finding a sweet spot for his minutes is going to be key the rest of the way shots on goal at even strength. because they need him to be at his best in April and beyond. If you mix in some shot quality, Toronto’s results improve: 11th in scoring The home-road splits chances (51.9 percent) and tied for seventh in high danger (54.2). But we’re not talking about world beating results, at least 5-on-5. There are still a lot of puzzling aspects to this Leafs team. One of the them is why they look so awful at home. Where the Leafs have enjoyed a significant advantage is in goal. Andersen is tied for the NHL lead in wins (eight). His .929 save I normally hate writing about these splits, especially this early in the year. percentage is fourth among goalies that have appeared in at least 10 I mean … we’re talking about nine home games and six on the road. games, trailing only Devan Dubnyk, John Gibson and Andrei Vasilevskiy. What conclusions can you draw? How much of this is sample size His .938 even-strength save percentage is one of the very best in the nothingness? league — and by far the best of his career. In fact, Babcock said as much earlier this week, pointing out that luck is As Jonas Siegel wrote at the start of the year, Andersen changed how he probably the biggest factor in the difference. trained in the offseason, specifically so he would get off to a better start. We know goalie results in small samples can be incredibly volatile, but “The puck goes in right now on the road,” he said. “I think we’re about 16 it’s also been undeniable how calm and “quiet” Andersen has been in the percent in the shooting department (on the road) versus six (at home crease, something that wasn’t there in the fall of 2016 and 2017. before Tuesday’s win over Vegas). As much as it looks like we’ve done nothing at home, that’s not the case at all. We’ve actually played some His strong start has literally gifted the Leafs points. A .918 goaltender the good games.” last three years — slightly above average for a No. 1 — Andersen has been saving pucks at a rate equivalent to allowing at least two fewer Okay, so let’s go deeper than shooting percentages … goals over his 13 starts so far. Basically, what we’re seeing across the board is that the Leafs have “Obviously, everyone sees every night, Freddie Andersen has been been a different team on the road, even in all the underlying metrics. unbelievable for us every single game here,” Mitch Marner said Even though shooting has been a key factor, their success away from postgame. “And he’s the reason we stole one tonight.” home isn’t entirely percentage driven.

If Andersen can maintain anything close to the .925 save percentage One thing about this that gives me pause — and that may indicate this is range, it will be a huge part of the Leafs taking the next step to becoming more than small sample size issues — is the fact the Leafs struggled a true Stanley Cup contender — especially in a year where some of their similarly at home early last season. stars are absent early on. It will also put him in the conversation for the This piece from Ian (Graph) Tulloch midway through last year highlighted Vezina Trophy. why that was happening: Essentially Babcock using the Marleau-Kadri- We’re only 15 games in, but something feels different about Andersen Komarov line in a hard shutdown role was dragging down their this year. possession results at the ACC.

The Hainsey conundrum Why this is happening early this season is less easy to discern. But if you take the home-road splits and apply them to individual players, what we Ron Hainsey had a tough night Tuesday. He had a ton of company, but see is the Hyman-Tavares-Marner line has been much less effective at his 23.5 percent possession mark (CF) was a personal worst on the controlling play at home. The same can be said for the Rielly-Hainsey season. pairing on D.

That dropped him to 48.4 percent on the year — although if we take out The Leafs have been less concerned with individual matchups this blocked shots, he’s on the right side of 50. His marks in scoring chances season than last year, and they haven’t had a player as weak as are also in the black. Komarov playing hard matched against top lines regularly.

But will they stay there? But it’s worth keeping an eye on the fact they’re again having a hard time at home and ponder what needs to change. You don’t want to be getting Mike Babcock has clearly dropped Hainsey’s minutes this year. He’s now just 45 percent of the unblocked shot attempts when you have last the No. 4 D every night, with an average of 20:11 per game, down from change, especially given the depth on the roster. (When it’s fully intact anyway.)

It’s early — but this isn’t a brand new issue.

The Nylander watch

Not a ton of news has been coming out of either camp. Mostly what I’ve been hearing is gossip from other teams and agents.

Kyle Dubas has met with some clubs, including sitting down with Minnesota GM Paul Fenton. (The Wild are an intriguing potential trade partner given their need for a skilled right winger and some depth on defence. One imagines Dubas would be interested in someone like Jared Spurgeon, if made available. Not in a 1-for-1 deal, mind you.)

One theory going around is that Dubas is simply taking stock of his options, while also getting some additional intel on how other teams value their talent and prospects. It makes sense to prepare in the event that this crazy contract stalemate goes into late November and have to decide whether to make a deal or lose the player for the year.

What may scare some potential trade partners off, however, is Nylander’s asking price. If his camp holds firm on wanting around $8- million a season on a long-term deal, that’s going to be a big ticket for any team to absorb.

Consider this: The Leafs are balking at that asking price — and they don’t have to give up anything to get the deal done. Another team would theoretically have to not only pay Nylander a ton of money on their cap long term but also give up a good player from their roster.

It’s a big ask, even for teams that really like the player.

My money is still on bridge deal — but we’re down to just three weeks left to get that compromise done.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.08.2018

1114423 Vegas Golden Knights

Erik Haula ruled out for rest of Golden Knights’ road trip

By David Schoen / Las Vegas Review-Journal

OTTAWA, Ontario — Erik Haula has been ruled out for the remainder of the Golden Knights’ road trip. “He’s not going to play the next three games and then he’ll get re- evaluated when we get back home,” coach said Wednesday after practice at Canadian Tire Centre. Haula was injured during the third period of Tuesday’s 3-1 loss to the Toronto The second-line center was driven hard into the boards by Maple Leafs forward Patrick Marleau and crumpled to the ice holding his right knee before eventually being taken off on a stretcher. Gallant said Haula will remain on the road with the team. The Knights face the Ottawa Senators on Thursday then finish the four-game swing with back-to-back games in Montreal and Boston beginning Saturday. The Knights faced a similar situation last month when injured forward Paul Stastny was ruled out for the final three games of the first road trip. The team announced he would be out for at least two months once it returned home. With Haula unavailable, Cody Eakin was centering the second line with Max Pacioretty and Alex Tuch during practice Wednesday. Eakin is tied with Ryan Reaves for second on the team in goals with four. Early in his career with Dallas, he showed promise in a top-four forward role when injuries hit. “He steps up. Cody’s a good player, and he’s played good for us all year long,” Gallant said. “He gets an opportunity to go up there. Cody does whatever we ask him to do. He gets probably a little bit more ice time.” Candid camera The Senators are still dealing with the fallout from the video of players trashing the team’s coaching staff during an Uber ride in Arizona. Knights veteran Max Pacioretty said the incident will make players more cautious going forward, though Gallant did his best to downplay what happened. “All the players talk about coaches all the time, believe me. And vice versa. We talk about them all the time, too,” Gallant said with a grin. “It’s unfortunate. It shouldn’t happen.” Absentees Defenseman Deryk Engelland, who missed Tuesday’s game at Toronto, was not with the team Wednesday. Engelland returned to Las Vegas after his son became ill and is expected to rejoin the team during the road trip. “Everything looks good with his son,” Gallant said. “He’s going to travel back (Wednesday) or (Thursday).” Also, forward Ryan Reaves was given a maintenance day. Reaves injured his leg in the first period against Toronto and went to the locker room for several minutes before returning.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114424 Vegas Golden Knights games but, really, it’s about my character. But at the end of the day, if you can look in the mirror and know you didn’t do something, that’s the only thing that matters. I never did anything intentionally. I never tried to. Schmidt needs to be more action than words regarding NHL drug policy It’s not in my DNA. “I hope to help guys understand … If I have to be the guy that it happens to for it to never happen again, that’ll be OK with me. I can live with that.” By Ed Graney / Las Vegas Review-Journal We’ll see.

To enact real change, Nate Schmidt must be about more action than Nate Schmidt says he wants to help, to enact change, to make things words. better, to create more transparency. He likes to talk, is great at it, so this is his chance. We shall see. Let’s see if fellow players would listen and follow. Such comments are all well and good, except for the part about the odds being stacked heavily against such desires. Or if they’re all just fine, for whatever nefarious reason or not, with the status quo of an absurd drug program. Like, every book in the Library of Congress being placed on top of each other stacked. And, well, if he actually acts on his words. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.08.2018 Schmidt skated with the Golden Knights in Ottawa on Wednesday, the next allowable step before he returns to the lineup Nov. 18 at Edmonton, when his 20-game suspension for violating the league’s performance enhancing drug policy ends. “You have to at this point accept (blame),” Schmidt said. “Once you accept the suspension, you take responsibility. As part of the Players Association, I hope to talk to as many guys as I can about my experience. I don’t want this to ever happen to anybody else and go through what I did. It’s not fair.” It’s not a matter of fairness. Schmidt tested positive and the only impartial person throughout the appeals process and with all the evidence was an arbitrator who ruled against him. That’s a matter of fact. Schmidt is correct. He’s to blame. But what his suspension has done on a much broader and far more important level than merely taking from the Knights their best defenseman to begin a season is to shine a spotlight of disgust on unquestionably the worst drug program in sports. The league’s current collective bargaining agreement runs through September of 2020, but the NHL and Players Association each have options to terminate the deal at different points in September of next year. It is believed that things like escrow payments and revenue sharing are among the leading issues to be debated. The fact this drug policy isn’t continues the charade of it all. It’s not enough that Schmidt reminds fellow players to watch what they eat, to stay clear of certain meat products. He mentioned such a thing Wednesday — along with saying he recently went deer hunting and, “That’s where my meat will be coming (from) for the foreseeable future” — supporting one theory that Schmidt tested positive for clenbuterol and blamed it on tainted meat. So is this just about warning guys away from some bad steak or really caring about legitimizing the drug program in which he was caught? If he really didn’t cheat and truly wants change, Schmidt needs to champion a drug policy that begins with testing on game days, that administers far more than up to two “no-notice” tests annually with one conducted on a team-wide basis, that greatly increases its mandatory maximum of 60 offseason tests in a league of 700-plus players. That, speaking of transparency, would allow a player like Schmidt to publicly discuss what he tested positive for and the specific date of his last test. That his league gets real about this. He needs to speak with NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr and challenge those within the association to demand such vast, sweeping amendments, because why wouldn’t every player want such changes so as to strengthen their argument that no deliberate cheating occurred? Or does an association where just three players over a 10-year period were caught violating the policy — and not because countless more weren’t likely cheating — prefer the standard deny, deny, deny approach? “It’s not (missing) the games or the money,” said Schmidt, whose suspension cost him approximately $482,258.28 in salary. “It’s the reputation. I couldn’t care less about the money and it sucks to miss 1114425 Vegas Golden Knights Schmidt said it was difficult for him to watch Knights games, which often start at 3 or 4 a.m. in Vienna.

He also downplayed his impact once he returns, but referred to himself Suspended Nate Schmidt practices for Golden Knights as “Novocain” that can help dull the pain of the slow start. “I think right now it’s been a tough schedule, it’s been a tough go for our By David Schoen / Las Vegas Review-Journal guys,” Schmidt said. “No one guy is going to change anything. But I think on the ice and in the locker room, I think I can help the atmosphere out a little bit when things happen. I’m fresh. I feel great.” OTTAWA, Ontario — Nate Schmidt sent a group text message a week ago, cautioning his Golden Knights teammates that the volume at practice and in the locker room was about to get cranked up. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.08.2018 “These guys aren’t going to have a whole lot of silence here the next 10 to 12 days,” Schmidt said. The gregarious defenseman, who is serving a 20-game league suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance, was reunited with the Knights on Wednesday and wasted little time making good on his promise. Schmidt participated in practice at Canadian Tire Centre, and his voice could be heard throughout the arena during the 45-minute workout. “I think they put (my locker) over here for a reason with no one else around me so that I wouldn’t chew anybody’s ear off this morning,” said Schmidt, who spoke publicly for the first time since the suspension. “It’s just awesome to be back with the guys.” Schmidt skated with the Knights during training camp then spent the past month practicing with the Vienna Capitals, a professional team in Austria, while serving his suspension. The league’s collective bargaining agreement permits players to return to their team 10 days prior to the conclusion of the suspension. Schmidt is eligible to play starting Nov. 18 at Edmonton. “I was happy to see Nate back,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “We love Nate. He’s the heartbeat of the dressing room in there, and the guys love having him back and having him around. It was really good to see him.” Schmidt’s presence provided a timely lift for a team that has lost five of its past seven , including Tuesday’s 3-1 setback at Toronto. The Knights (6-8-1) sit two points out of last place in the Pacific Division entering Thursday’s game against the Ottawa Senators. “He was talking lots, as he always does, and hyper as ever, but it’s great to have him back,” defenseman Colin Miller said. “He always brings that positive energy and a smile on his face, so it’s great to see him.” Schmidt maintained his innocence Wednesday, while also accepting his share of responsibility for the suspension. The CBA prevents Schmidt from disclosing the substance for which he tested positive, but he said he does not know how it got into his system. Schmidt cited “environmental contamination” in his statement that was released Sept. 2 by the NHL Players’ Association and implied that again Wednesday. “About a month ago, I got to go hunting at home,” Schmidt said. “I got myself a deer, and that’s where my meat will be coming (from) for the foreseeable future.” Schmidt also declined to disclose when he tested positive — “I’ve gotten fined enough in the last month and a half,” he said — but alluded to the issue hanging over his head during the Knights’ run to the Stanley Cup Final. “You worry about the things you can,” Schmidt said. “The whole time you go through it, it’s tough. No matter what you do, you think about it. Try and walk away, try and go home and make dinner and do this or that, it still comes up as much as you try to live your life.” Schmidt signed a six-year, $35.7 million contract extension Oct. 24 while he was in Vienna. The long-term deal was a relief for Schmidt, who would have been an unrestricted free agent after the season and worried whether the suspension would affect his bargaining power. “To have that type of backing from a guy (general manager George McPhee) that I have a lot of respect for, and to have it be there — our practices in Vienna were pretty tough — it’s almost a scrap of good news,” Schmidt said. “Words aren’t just to be said, they’re backed up by actions as well.” 1114426 Vegas Golden Knights “Because we were an expansion team and we had a lot of guys that are either free agents or RFAs and some young players, we’ve done probably more work and more contracts than any other team in the How GM George McPhee is maximizing the Golden Knights’ one-time league in the last year and a half,” McPhee said. “But it was an salary cap edge opportunity to try and get it right. Time will tell.’’ And like any other GM or front-office type around the league, McPhee is keeping tabs on what’s playing out here in Toronto with the Maple Leafs’ By Pierre LeBrun salary cap dance. Namely the prolonged contract squabble with William Nylander, but also how it’s all going to play out with Auston Matthews Nov 7, 2018 and Mitch Marner and their new contracts. No NHL team operates in a vacuum, every contract signed in this league ends up having some kind

of ripple effect on other teams. George McPhee and Laurence Gilman sat together in the corner for a Which means every team in the league is watching with interest to see few minutes watching the Maple Leafs practice on Monday. how Leafs GM Kyle Dubas ends up navigating these waters. Not too long ago, the assistant GM of the Leafs had advised the NHL in “Everything is related to everything else,’’ McPhee said. “The bottom line setting up the expansion roster rules for Vegas, but the truth is, Gilman is, and we’ve all said it, if you have a good team, you’re going to have and McPhee have known each other for many years. these issues. If you don’t have these issues, it typically means you don’t What I’m dying to know is whether Gilman looked over to McPhee and have a good team. So, you just have to find ways to make it work.’’ mentioned how jealous he is over the Golden Knights salary cap While McPhee would not comment on contracts from other teams, the situation. two deals most teams complain about privately is the one Leon Draisaitl We jest, of course. signed in Edmonton (eight years, $68-million, $8.5-million AAV) and the Jack Eichel contract in Buffalo (eight years, $80-million, $10-million The Knights are no longer a first-year team but they continue, for now, to AAV). enjoy an edge over the rest of the league in terms of their cap situation and set-up. While Cup contenders like Tampa Bay, Winnipeg, Toronto In both instances, each club felt justified in those decisions and you can and Nashville, among others, continue to perform cap gymnastics over understand why that was the case. The Oilers were in a jam after signing the next few years, Vegas is in a pretty good good spot. McDavid that summer and Draisaitl was coming off a huge playoff performance. While Draisaitl knew he wouldn’t command the same Which is exactly why Vegas is trying to sign long-term deals with all their $12.5-million a year that No. 97 signed for, he was only willing to come key players in order to bring down their AAV. down so far. The team’s philosophy is that their current cap flexibility is a perishable The Sabres were were trying to turn the page under new management commodity, and one day soon enough, they won’t have it anymore. and sign their young superstar, franchise player one year earlier made sense for them to bring stability and send a message of a new era. And “When you have the room to do it, it usually makes sense to do it,’’ they don’t believe for a second the price would have been any cheaper McPhee told The Athletic on Monday, referring to the long-term contract had they waited. approach. “Because everything is more predictable in the future, you can just simply manage the cap better. And you have to be a little prescient Again, you can see how each side has a valid argument in both cases. and believe that the players will go into these contracts and that it makes sense for them and you’ll get value. So, you cross your fingers and hope But the by-product, of course, is that other young, stud RFAs are using you’re right.’’ those contracts to elevate their demands. That’s how it works. Nylander’s camp looked to the Draisaitl deal originally and that contract squabble The betting in all three cases is that midway through those deals, the remains on the Leafs’ hands. Realistically, how does Marner’s camp not AAV for each will be below market value, giving the Knights good players look at Eichel’s deal as a fair comparison when they get serious in talks at a lower cap hit. But whether they are or not, at the very least in with the Leafs? Colorado Avalanche stud Mikko Rantanen leads the NHL combination with all of their other players who are locked up, they have a in scoring and happens to need a new contract after the season. What’s stable vision of what lies ahead with their team cap-wise. his second contract going to look like when framed in the Draisaitl/Eichel context? “I don’t know that we’re looking for bargains as much as having that cost certainty,” McPhee said. “We know what Theodore cost now and what Vegas will have its own interesting negotiation with William Karlsson who he’ll cost five years from now and seven years from now. And the same needs a new deal after signing a one-year contract last year. Another thing with Tuch and some of the other guys. It allows us to plan better. advantage for the Knights? No state income tax. Players will sign for a bit Again, I think we’ve been watching hockey long enough to trust our less because of it. instincts and evaluations of players and you have analytics to help you with that as well now. But, that’s more about what we’re trying to do. Either way, Vegas has a mission: to use their one-time salary cap Because it just makes things a lot easier to plan for in terms of other window/edge to their advantage and maintain as much cost-certainty as player acquisitions or trades or what have you.’’ possible. The Theodore negotiation with Newport was a difficult one. The player’s camp wanted a two-year bridge deal and that makes sense. If I was The Athletic LOADED: 11.08.2018 representing a young player with promise, it’s the path I’d take, because that third contract would look juicy in two years’ time. The Knights said no way and it was clear that was the hill they were ready to die on. They needed cost certainty and it cost them more salary now for a young player with just a year and a half under his belt in the NHL. But the long play is what Vegas wanted, no matter the gamble. McPhee was running the Washington Capitals when the salary cap entered the league in 2005. Those lessons from the early cap years, plus what’s happened around the league in the last several years with other cap-challenged teams, helped forge the Golden Knights’ game plan. “We’ve learned some lessons about the cap. Obviously we’ve all worked with it for a while,” McPhee said. “But early on before we had a cap and thought we might be getting one in the NHL, I met with the Redskins and talked to them about how they managed the cap. They had some good advice. It’s come in handy. And I guess the practical experience of working with the cap for so long now, we’re going in this direction and we hope we’re right in doing it the way we’re doing it.’’ The fact of the matter is, because they’ve started from scratch, the Knights have been as busy as any team in the league getting contracts done. 1114427 Vegas Golden Knights than 20 years and there is a local chapter chaired by Lisa Motley, director of sports marketing and special events at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). Daniels is a member of the year-old local Golden Knights Team Lawyer Works To Increase Women In Sports chapter, which hosted several WISE sessions at South Point hotel-casino Leadership Roles a few months ago. WISE offers programming and valuable networking on a monthly basis.

November 7, 2018 LVSportsBiz.com LOADED: 11.08.2018 By CASSANDRA COUSINEAU LVSportsBiz.com

While the Vegas Golden Knights’ inaugural season shattered every record for success for a first-year major league team, the VGK’s business side also drew praise for some non-traditional approaches toward growing the Knights’ brand not only here in the desert but literally across the world. That’s why it was no surprise last month when LVSportsBiz.com learned of another new business mission off the ice to tackle an issue that deserves attention among NHL teams. One day, Golden Knights President Kerry Bubolz approached Tamara Daniels, VGK director of business legal affairs. The team’s in-house lawyer, who oversees trademark acquisition, brand identity and strategic partnerships, was selected for a game-changing project. Bubolz, who has focused on instilling best practices at all levels of the VGK business organization while also stressing a winning work culture, has prioritized the inclusivity of women in management as a vital goal. It’s an important priority for the tradition-laden NHL because — compared to the other major league professional — hockey has lagged behind in embracing change like the NBA has. So, the NHL is tackling the issue. Case in point: In 2017, the NHL introduced Kim Davis as the league’s executive vice president of social impact, growth initiatives and legislative affairs to boost the NHL’s outreach efforts. Her task is as formidable as her title implies. When Bubolz heard Davis address league executives for the first time, he took the message directly to Daniels at the Golden Knights. Her mission is to turn and translate this idea into action at the VGK in Las Vegas. “We’re not just looking for champions of change from within the organization,” Daniels said during an interview before a recent Golden Knights game at T-Mobile Arena. “That is part of it though. Ultimately, our goal is to make sure we’re supporting and retaining women in key positions. It’s going to be a process.” For now, this effort to support and retain women in key team posts is in its early stages and is informally referred to as the, “Women and Diversity Committee.” Daniels has already identified the first steps toward achieving her mandate. She’s shared with Bubolz the idea that creating a diverse group of applicants should include seriously considering candidates who may not have direct experience in the sports industry. Finding a home in the desert wasn’t initially part of the plan for Daniels, a native New Yorker from the western part of the state. Golden Knights owner Bill Foley hired her as senior vice president and general counsel for Foley Family Wines, which is just one of several businesses controlled by Foley. So, the 30-something Daniels and her husband moved to California wine country outside San Francisco. Then as the new NHL team was being formed, Foley personally tapped Daniels for the club’s legal position in Las Vegas. Sports are not necessarily a new part of Daniels’ life. The Georgetown Law School graduate with nearly 15 years of legal practice played multiple sports growing up and was on the varsity soccer team as an undergrad at State University of New York (SUNY) Fredonia. These days, Daniels’ experience with team sports has intersected with her legal career. Daniels wants women in the sports industry to understand that having a competitive spirit isn’t an impediment. In fact, it’s just the opposite. It’s currency that is an asset to success. Toward that end, Daniels has encouraged young women currently working with the Golden Knights to be problem solvers and be aware of sacrifices along the way. In a general sense, the idea of advocating for women in sports leadership roles isn’t a new idea in Las Vegas. A national organization called, Women In Sports and Events (WISE), has been in existence for more 1114428 Vegas Golden Knights

Sisolak’s Gubernatorial Victory Over Laxalt Means Raiders, Golden Knights Have a Good Friend in Nevada’s Highest Office

By ALAN SNEL LVSportsBiz.com

He was credited with giving the Raiders-UNLV stadium negotiations a “kick in the ass” a year ago to get that deal done, while he was among the local leaders and first responders on the ice during an emotional pre- game ceremony at the Vegas Golden Knights’ first-ever home game Oct. 10, 2017 at T-Mobile Arena. Nevada’s governor-elect — Democrat Steve Sisolak — is a major sports fan of both the Golden Knights Raiders and Las Vegas’ first-ever professional sports team and its future major-league NFL sports franchise in 2020 have a close and supportive friend in the state’s top executive government office. Sisolak defeated his Republican opponent, Attorney General Adam Laxalt, to succeed Republican Governor Brian Sandoval, who did not endorse his fellow Republican in the close race. It was also an unusual governor race because the public never saw Sisolak and Laxalt in the same room to debate each other during their campaigns. Sisolak outpaced Laxalt, drawing 49 percent of the vote compared to Laxalt’s 45 percent. Sisolak, the county commission chairman of Nevada’s biggest county, was a major supporter of the $750 million public subsidy given by Southern Nevada to the Raiders to help realize their $1.8 billion stadium project on 64 acres on the west side of Interstate 15 between Russell Road and Hacienda Avenue. Another stadium subsidy supporter was Sandoval, who signed the stadium bill in 2016 that paved the way for the 65,000-seat, fixed-domed stadium. LVSportsBiz.com launched its website in June 2017 with a story on Sisolak’s penchant for supporting the Raiders and the Golden Knights. In fact, Sisolak even used Golden Knights footage in one of his campaign TV spots. Sisolak also snapped a selfie with Golden Knights President Kerry Bubolz. The governor-elect has staunch support from the Laborers local 872 union, which held a Raiders stadium rally in a North Las Vegas park in summer of 2017 and had a special speaker in the name of Sisolak. The Raiders appreciated Sisolak’s support because the Clark County Commission approved stadium site and parking plans even though there were those who questioned the team’s parking proposal of satellite parking lots that would use shuttles to move fans to the stadium site. Here’s another stadium-related tweet by Sisolak showing the county commission chairman signing the bond ordinance authorizing the sale of the stadium authority bonds. No wonder locals looked at Sisolak as the Raiders stadium unofficial publicist. He used Twitter to also update locals on everything from hotel room tax revenues that will help pay off the debt on the stadium subsidy to show a photo of former UNLV President Len Jessup and Raiders President Marc Badain shaking hands before a stadium board meeting. The NFL team had worked out an agreement with UNLV to have the university’s football team play at the new palatial football stadium.

LVSportsBiz.com LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114429 Washington Capitals Of course, there’s a pragmatic element to Wednesday night’s events: By getting two clean points against Pittsburgh, Washington vaulted to second in the Metropolitan Division, trailing the New York Islanders (and A nasty, chippy game against the rival Penguins was just what the former coach Barry Trotz) by just a point, and kept the Penguins reeling. Capitals needed And yet they still understand their reality. “I think we’ve been middling way too much in our game,” said By Barry Svrluga defenseman John Carlson, who set up Oshie’s game-winner. “The consistency hasn’t been there.” Sports columnist “Inconsistent” is the word new Coach Todd Reirden thinks fits best, too. November 7 at 10:43 PM Before Thanksgiving, that’s fine. What this team is not — and this is important — is dead. Through 14 games a year ago, the Caps were 7-6- 1 — a remarkably similar, blah record. But in the dressing room, there was concern. It seems so long ago now, but the seven-game loss to the The Washington Capitals needed this Wednesday night. Their season, Penguins in the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs nearly flattened the entire before the arrival of the Pittsburgh Penguins, was all cream of wheat and organization. The devastation lingered. You wondered whether these unbuttered white bread, a cup of water — no ice — to the side. They guys even wanted to be around each other. needed the kind of Sriracha sauce only the Penguins can bring them this early. Some sizzle, please. Now, though, they’re collectively coming off their greatest triumph. They have, minus a fourth-line center and backup goaltender, the same team. Enter Sidney Crosby. Enter the Penguins. Yeah, Pittsburgh had lost four So when Reirden says, “I think most teams through the first 20 games straight. Yeah, both teams carried ho-hum 6-4-3 records. But it has to be are still starting to form their identity and how they want to play,” against Pittsburgh that T.J. Oshie took a stick to the face, drawing blood shouldn’t this be a team that already knows who it is? and boos — and came back anyway. It has to be against Pittsburgh that Oshie absorbed Evgeni Malkin’s right shoulder with his head — It’s not that easy. immediately bringing concussion worries — and came back to score the goal with a minute and change left that delivered a 2-1 victory. “I used to think that it wouldn’t be different at all from the year before,” Niskanen said. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized, you’ve got to rebuild “Face is a little messed up,” said Oshie, a new Frankenstein stitch mark everything every year.” across the bridge of his nose. “But feelin’ pretty good now.” It’s important to remember that the rebuilding this year has come without The Capitals didn’t play that well. They needed each one of Braden Tom Wilson, the rugged winger Washington deemed worthy of a six- Holtby’s 41 saves. Pittsburgh looked more physical and, at times, faster. year, $31 million contract in the offseason. Wilson has six more games to But before Wednesday, the Capitals — excuse me, the defending serve before the completion of his 20-game suspension for a needless Stanley Cup champion Capitals — hadn’t won even two straight games. preseason hit. Now, even on a night they were outplayed, they might have the jolt this season needed. What you find in watching the Caps without Wilson is that Wilson just might be worth all the money they paid him. The top line of Ovechkin and “We feel like this is a big week for us,” center Nicklas Backstrom said. Evgeny Kuznetsov functions properly when Wilson is there to create Wins over Edmonton and Pittsburgh are behind them, with division rival loose pucks that Kuzy gathers up, when Wilson is there to fly back on Columbus still ahead. Excitement, engagement, interest — they all seem defense, when Wilson is there to create space for the other two. With possible. Wilson, the lineup falls into place. Without him, Reirden has tried five different players at right wing, the latest being Dmitrij Jaskin — a guy That’s been the thing: With these Caps, there’s not really anything to lose they picked up off the waiver wire because they were preparing for sleep over. But there’s also not much to get out of bed for, either. Given Wilson’s suspension. the enormity of this past spring’s accomplishment, maybe that’s kind of a best-case scenario. No team played more hockey than the Capitals last So there’s unevenness here, and it’s to be expected. It’s even to be year, 106 games combined in the regular season and the playoffs. Throw forgiven. But what we know about the Capitals this year: Pittsburgh still in a few extra beers and a day with the Cup for each and every brings out the fun, they’re still finding themselves — and they’re still the character, and, well, a home game against Florida in October might not Stanley Cup champs. boil your blood.

They needed Pittsburgh. Maybe that’s what it took for Holtby to refocus because he played his best game. Maybe that’s what it took to get the Washington Post LOADED: 11.08.2018 Capital One Arena crowd reengaged. “Playing a top-tier team, that’s fun,” veteran defenseman Matt Niskanen said. “No offense to some teams, but yeah, there’s not a whole lot of excitement there at some points in October. But they count the same.” It just doesn’t feel like it. So it was refreshing to welcome an opponent for which no faux motivation is needed. Even after taking the Cup and going through Pittsburgh to do it, the Penguins remain the Penguins. So when Crosby lingers a little longer to argue with the ref about one slight or another, he’s going to hear it — in a rather spirited fashion — from the crowd. When Carl Hagelin flattens Holtby in the crease, Alex Ovechkin is going to arrive swiftly in the corner to, um, discuss the matter with Hagelin, and a scrum will ensue. And when Malkin skates into the Capitals’ zone on a Penguins’ power play in the third period, gets rid of the puck and then unloads his right shoulder into Oshie’s head — well, there’s the shot to really put the game on edge. Malkin received a five-minute major for an illegal check to the head and a game misconduct. Oshie wobbled to the dressing room. Of course this happened against Pittsburgh. And, of course, Oshie came back and buried the game-winner. “There’s a certain level of hate,” Oshie said earlier in the day. “There’s a level of respect. And when you mix those in, it usually makes for a pretty nasty, fun hockey game.” By the end, it was both. The non-Oshie goals came from Crosby and Ovechkin, each on the power play, which is still as it should be. Ovi vs. Sid, Caps vs. Pens, and the season is no longer a slog. The emotions are again right there. 1114430 Washington Capitals biggest stars of their generation, scoring the first two goals of the game. Then it became a goaltending duel with Holtby and Pittsburgh’s Casey DeSmith keeping the score knotted at 1. Holtby won that matchup with T.J. Oshie returns from hits, scores winner in Caps’ 2-1 victory his best performance in what has been a rocky start to the season for him, saving a whopping 41 shots.

Just like his teammates, Holtby had an uneven start to the season with By Isabelle Khurshudyan moments of brilliance and also some costly blunders. Entering the game, he had a 3.62 goals against average and an .888 save percentage. On November 7 at 10:38 PM Wednesday night, he caught a few breaks with several Penguins shots bouncing off the goal posts, but he looked poised as he stopped 25 shots

through the first 40 minutes as the Capitals again had some sloppy By the end of what had been a very long night, Capitals forward T.J. moments in front of him. Oshie had two stitches at the side of his left eye and a wide smile He continued to buy them time in the third period until Oshie returned plastered on his face. When he was helped to the locker room with 16:33 and made the considerable beating he took all night worth it. left in the game, his teammates assumed he wouldn’t be back on the ice for the rest of the night. He already had survived one injury earlier in the “I don’t know if I’ve ever had one like that,” Oshie said. “But it was nice to evening, but two was probably too much. get back out there both times. I have to throw a shout-out to the training staff and the doctors both times. They did a good job making sure I was Oshie was determined to return, hopping on a stationary bike, answering okay, and I probably would’ve came out a lot sooner, but they wanted to questions and then passing a balance test. He successfully got through be 100 percent. Thanks to them.” the concussion protocol and made his way back to the bench with less than four minutes left in the game. “You get a little fired up when you’re not allowed to be out there and Washington Post LOADED: 11.08.2018 you’ve got to watch your teammates,” Oshie said. “I didn’t see it on TV, but all the guys that weren’t playing were in a part of the training room, and when I came out, they said that Pittsburgh was taking it to us and [goaltender Braden Holtby] was standing on his head.” Collecting a pass from defenseman John Carlson in the slot, Oshie scored the go-ahead goal with 1:14 left in regulation to deliver the Capitals a 2-1 win over the Penguins. Washington has won two games in a row for the first time this season. “You never want to see a teammate in that situation, but the term ‘warrior’ is brought up, and that’s T.J. Oshie to a tee,” Holtby said. “The way our game was going, once he came back, that gave us life. Guys like him, leaders like him, they know when to show up. You can tell once he stepped back on the ice that he had a mission to score and give it to them that way.” Less than five minutes into the game, Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta clipped Oshie in the face with a high stick with the blade going under Oshie’s visor and catching him near the eye. He missed the rest of the period and got two stitches before returning for the start of the second period. Then with the game tied at 1 to start the third period, Capitals center Travis Boyd was called for holding, and on the ensuing power play, Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin was called for an illegal check to the head of Oshie when his shoulder collided with Oshie and knocked him to the ground. Malkin was ejected, and Oshie had to be helped off the ice and to the locker room. “He maybe thought I was coming to hit him, and so he threw the reverse shoulder out there, which I try to do that all the time,” Oshie said. “I did it at least once tonight. I just wasn’t expecting it being on the [penalty kill]. You don’t typically go for hits. He caught me there, and it is what it is. I passed my concussion test, went out and won the game. We’re feeling good in here.” Though the NHL Department of Player Safety will closely examine the hit, the early indication is that it won’t lead to supplemental discipline for Malkin because he appeared to be bracing for impact from Oshie. “That’s definitely a blow to the head,” Washington Coach Todd Reirden said. “That’s why we had to have T.J. leave and go through a concussion protocol. Those are things we’re trying to remove from the game. . . . We’re just really fortunate that it wasn’t something that was more serious and he was able to come back.” Malkin was assessed a major penalty, so the Capitals had nearly four minutes of power-play time. But they weren’t able to capitalize, and after the game, Holtby said poor ice conditions might have played a role in that. Though Washington lost momentum from the failed power play, it got it back from Oshie’s return. “He had some fresh legs,” Carlson said. “Both teams were kind of wearing each other down at that point. You could tell he was extra fresh, and he was able to make something out of nothing, really. . . . He was on the wall. It’s probably one of the fastest I think I’ve seen him skate, around the top of the circle there, and I just tried to make a play to him. And there was enough traffic in front that the goalie couldn’t really see where I was going with it.” Because it was the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins, it started as Alex Ovechkin vs. Sidney Crosby, the two captains and 1114431 Washington Capitals The Capitals will have a pregame ceremony honoring Backstrom for tallying his 600th assist ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Penguins. During the ceremony, Backstrom will receive a special gift Capitals, Penguins prepare for the next chapter in their rivalry from the National Hockey League and the Capitals organization. He became the first player in the Capitals franchise and the 87th player in NHL history to reach the 600-assist mark on Oct. 22 against the Vancouver Canucks, earning an assist on Alex Ovechkin’s third period By Isabelle Khurshudyan goal. November 7 at 3:03 PM “He’s a guy that you coach against and I’ve been fortunate to coach a lot against him with being an inner-division opponent when I was in my prior

spot [Pittsburgh]," Reirden said. "So I was able to watch him and you Dmitrij Jaskin’s memories of the Washington Capitals playing the always have a certain admiration for a guy that can do the things that Pittsburgh Penguins go back a decade, when he was a 15-year-old Nick can do. But it pales in comparison to how I feel about him now that playing in the Czech Republic and just watching the best of the best face I’ve coached him. I thought he was good — he was really good — when I each other from afar. Wednesday night’s game, when he lines up on coached against him. Now that I get to watch him every day and deal Washington’s first line with captain Alex Ovechkin and center Evgeny with him and see how he thinks the game, he’s amazing. ... He’s an Kuznetsov, will be the first time he’s been part of the rivalry, but being a ultimate pro off the ice and the things he sees during the most fan of it has taught him what to expect. pressurized situations are amazing. He’s a special player, and we’re fortunate enough to have him and so is everyone around this area that “It’s been going on forever,” Jaskin said. “It’s the same 10 years later.” gets to watch him every day perform.” It’s still Sidney Crosby against Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeni Malkin. The supporting casts now include T.J. Oshie and Patric Hornqvist and Kuznetsov and Jake Guentzel. The competitive hatred and Washington Post LOADED: 11.08.2018 collective skill on the ice is what has made the rivalry so captivating around the league, but with three Stanley Cups between the teams over the past three years, there’s a mutual respect, too, especially as the Capitals now strive to win back-to-back championships as the Penguins did a year ago. “It’s different," Oshie said. "There’s a certain level of hate, there’s a level of respect and when you mix those in, it usually makes for a pretty nasty, fun hockey game. So, it’s always fun playing in these rivalry games. I haven’t been here for the full whatever it’s been that this rivalry has kind of been going on, but I’ve jumped on board here the last couple years, and it’s fun to play.” Both teams enter Wednesday’s game with something to prove. They’re tied with 15 standings points and have the same 6-4-3 record. And while the Capitals want to win two games in a row for a first time all season, the Penguins are on a four-game losing skid. Washington will look to build on the defensive performance it had against Edmonton on Monday, when it was able to limit talented centers Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl at even-strength. Crosby and Malkin are an even greater challenge, and expect Backstrom and Oshie’s line with Chandler Stephenson to get the challenge of facing Crosby’s trio. “He’s one of the smartest players in the game, so when he has the puck or even when he doesn’t have the puck, he’s always moving to a good area or opening up an area for his teammates," Oshie said. "That’s no exception when he’s down low with the puck. For a lot of guys, it seems like there’s not a lot of space down there, but he seems to make space for himself or just keep guys on his hip, and he’s able to make plays. Him and Nick have matched up quite a bit in the past, and it’s always a fun battle to watch.” The Capitals are expected to keep the same lineup they had in the 4-2 win against Edmonton, which had Jaskin playing his first game in the top- six forward corps with Jakub Vrana on the fourth line beside center Travis Boyd. Coach Todd Reirden said he felt that had the scoring threats spread throughout, perhaps matching up better against another deep team like Pittsburgh. After Braden Holtby got the night off on Monday, he’ll be back in net, while the Penguins are expected to start their No. 2 goaltender, Casey DeSmith. “We’re proud of what we were able to accomplish last year, but we also understand that they would like to be the champs again and they know that right now, this is a game that they’re pointing towards and they feel is important to kind of get things turned around for them," Reirden said. "So we need to understand it’ll be a desperate opponent tonight and obviously a skilled one that’s always considered one of the top teams in the league for sure, regardless of record or not. It’ll be a great challenge tonight.” Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik will miss his fourth straight game with an undisclosed “lower-body” injury, and he hasn’t practiced in nearly two weeks. Reirden said Orpik hasn’t been on the ice on his own in that time either, and with Washington off on Thursday, it’s a safe bet he’ll miss Friday’s game against Columbus, too. The Capitals have been going with a third pairing of Christian Djoos and Madison Bowey. “He’s day to day, and he’s still not skating," Reirden said. "Once he gets back on the ice, he’ll be closer to playing, but for right now, he’s not on the ice.” Backstrom to be honored 1114432 Washington Capitals There was a time when team majority owner Ted Leonsis did approve Flip Saunders’s in-season firing, but that move was akin to placing a bandage over a bullet wound during the dreadful 2011-12 season. In almost any other NBA city, Scott Brooks would have to worry about his Saunders was 49-115 and the team ranked 21st in the league in home job. Not in Washington. attendance. The disillusionment within the fan base was hard to ignore. The team had to do something. And yet, it took a 2-15 start for Leonsis to do it when Washington Capitals' coaches had been discarded for far less. By Candace Buckner Since the Alex Ovechkin era started in 2005, three Capitals coaches have faced the fate of in-season firings. Last season, Barry Trotz, who November 7 at 11:07 AM had won two Presidents' Trophies for the best regular season record, was nearly fired twice (in November and March) before the Caps went on

to win a third straight Metropolitan Division title and then the Stanley Cup. DALLAS — As usual, Scott Brooks walked out of the locker room and The Cup win triggered a clause in Trotz’s contract that gave him an stood in front of a blue Washington Wizards backdrop. After every game, automatic two-year extension with only a modest raise, far below his the head coach has to share some sort of insight about his team’s play value on the open market, and he instead chose to resign. The Capitals and eight times in the first 10 games of this season, Brooks has had to promoted his top assistant, Todd Reirden, who would have gotten the answer for a loss. There have been so many sterile defensive head job earlier had Trotz not saved his job by winning during the regular performances and so much evidence of disturbing apathy, that on season. Tuesday after the latest defeat, Brooks simply played the hits. On the basketball side, however, Leonsis has shown unprecedented “There’s only one way to do it and it’s doing it together,” Brooks said loyalty. following the Wizards' 119-100 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, using a Last fall, Leonsis gave Ernie Grunfeld a contract extension despite the familiar battle cry from previous defeats. 538-686 franchise record he has amassed in his 15-plus years as the "Staying together, doing it together and believing in each other,” Brooks Wizards' lead executive. Under Grunfeld, Washington has advanced to continued. “We’ve been here before. We have enough in our locker the playoffs eight times but has never made it past the second round. room.” This season, his current roster does not appear deep enough to contend in the East. The bench yet again has been wildly ineffective while playing Despite the horrendous start for a team that expected to contend in a without a starter and the team’s fourth-highest paid player, Ian Mahinmi, LeBron James-less East, it appears Brooks, in his third season as the has received two consecutive DNPs. Wizards' head coach, has more than enough collateral within the organization to remain protected from social media uprisings and hot- But these days, a second-round playoff exit doesn’t look so bad with the seat rumors. He also has the unwavering support of his players. Wizards getting smoked by 19, the fourth blowout loss this season, to a rebuilding Mavericks team. “He’s a guy who’s coming in and doing a job like the rest of us,” Markieff Morris said. “Sh-- happens. You take losses but it’s like, we started like In the second quarter, the Wizards fell into a 20-point deficit and Brooks this before. You know what I’m saying? We’re just trying to find it.” stood several steps away from the sideline, watching over his offense. Morris was called for a foul and as the whistle blew to change Even more, Brooks has the security of working in Washington. possessions, Brooks smacked his hands and retreated to his seat. That seat, despite the outside speculation, is far from hot. The NBA can be brutal for the well-dressed man at the front of the bench. In Cleveland, Tyronn Lue was fired only six games into the season. Luke “It’s kind of hard to ignore when you have social media and the world we Walton is currently coaching the Los Angeles Lakers but his boss, Magic live in and everybody making rumors about it. It’s — it’s — you hear it,” Johnson, is reportedly growing impatient. It’s never a good thing when Beal said, admitting that he’s aware of talk about Brooks’s job security. “private” meetings with the president of basketball operations become public. “It’s on TV, people are talking about it. No truth to it at all,” Beal said. “But you never really pay attention to it because he comes in and he works [Magic Johnson says he won’t fire Lakers Coach Luke Walton unless every day. He’s here every day. I’m not saying this as a good thing but something ‘drastic’ happens] we’ve been in this position before. We’ve dug ourselves out of this hole before. He’s a well-experienced coach. He’s played in the league. He’s In just about any other NBA market, a 2-8 start from a veteran team that coached an unbelievable team in [Oklahoma City] and now he’s coaching has been together too long to be this disjointed might cast serious doubts us and trying to get us to that level. So you’ve got to respect what he’s on the job security of the easiest target, the head coach. But in done. You can’t just shoot a man in his foot.” Washington, things are different. The coach is safe here.

This is not simply because the Wizards have already batted down the non-story of Brooks not being in the line of fire. No, Brooks will likely Washington Post LOADED: 11.08.2018 remain the Wizards' leader because: He’s guaranteed $21 million from an organization that has soared past the luxury tax despite its roster holes. He heads a revamped staff with only one longtime assistant experienced in taking over head coaching duties. Most of all, he works for an owner who may be willing to press the eject button on his NHL coaches but practices the patience of a monk when it comes to making changes to his basketball operations. In 2016, when the Wizards wooed Brooks, they went all in. Five years, no options, all guaranteed. Brooks would be the voice through the all-star primes of Bradley Beal and John Wall. Such a long-term commitment didn’t come cheap. Brooks signed for $35 million, giving him one of the highest base salaries among NBA coaches. But let’s say an alternate universe exists: If Washington can’t pull out of this funk and the organization goes against its long-held ethos of standing pat, Brooks would still be owed the whole shebang while the team places the interim tag on someone on his coaching staff. Over the summer, the Wizards lost veteran assistants Sidney Lowe and Chad Iske to Detroit and Charlotte, respectively. They were replaced by Robert Pack and Ryan Richman, a young coach who’s in his first year at the front of the bench after spending the last few seasons in player development. That leaves top assistant Tony Brown. Though Brown served as an interim head coach in the 2015-16 season with the Brooklyn Nets, he led that rebuilding team to a 11-34 finish. 1114433 Washington Capitals the net. . . . You never know when the puck’s going to hit you. Coaches preached it to me. I tried to live it as a player. . . . It’s like a guy covering a wide receiver but his hands are around his waist. You got to get those Eddie Olczyk on Tom Wilson’s ‘heavy’ suspension, respect for Ovechkin hands up. It’s the opposite in hockey, but it’s the same kind of teaching and Cup hangover point. Teams spend $285 on those sticks; you better get your money’s worth. Get your stick on the ice!

The Post: Give us a health update. How are you feeling? (Olczyk is By Ben Strauss cancer-free after battling Stage 3 colon cancer.) November 7 at 6:30 AM Olczyk: Feel healthy, feel like I’m back to normal. Feel lucky that I’m back on my feet, doing what I love to do. Just got back from the Breeders' Cup, so back in my hockey and horse racing mode. Everything is looking up. The Capitals are 6-4-3 early in their campaign to defend the Stanley Cup and host the rival Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night at Capital One Arena. Eddie Olczyk will be in town to call the game on NBC Sports Network and ahead of the showdown he talked to The Washington Post Washington Post LOADED: 11.08.2018 about the mixed early returns on the Capitals, whether Tom Wilson’s suspension may have been too harsh and why he’s always telling players to keep their sticks on the ice. The Post: Let’s start with the Caps, who are off to a somewhat sluggish start. Is the Stanley Cup hangover real? Eddie Olczyk: I think they’re going to be smiling when we come into the building because I think they’re a perfect two for two on Wednesday night. They’ll be happy to see us. . . . One of the reasons they separated themselves from everyone else last season was their depth and the scoring they got from their bottom six guys. With injuries or suspensions, it’s been a lot tougher for them. . . . At the end of the day, there is something to [the Cup hangover]. I can just speak from experience [winning] in New York in 1994. We made a bunch of changes. . . . But in the end, I think they’ll be fine, and if they get back into the playoffs, that’s all they want regardless of where they finish. The Post: You mentioned injuries and suspension, which leads us to Tom Wilson. What do you make of his suspension? Olczyk: He’s an integral part of their team. He’s a guy that’s got good skill level, a guy that can skate, a guy that can kill penalties, a guy that can play with world-class players and a guy that crosses the line every once in a while. He can drop the gloves; we know that. Intimidation will always be a part of the game. You know when he’s on the ice, and he has the ability to run you into the sixth or seventh row. Does he cross the line at times? Yes, absolutely. On the suspension, I thought it was a little heavy, the number. Certainly into the double-digits [made sense], there’s no way around that, but that’s the way it is. . . . Would 30 other teams in the league want him? Yeah, I think they would have both hands up. One other thing I will say, and it wasn’t talked about a lot, is the prior game [when Wilson’s hit earned him a suspension] Robert Bortuzzo elbowed Michal Kempny. Bortuzzo got suspended a couple of games. So I think when you look at how that game went in St. Louis and Bortuzzo running around — I think he drilled someone from behind in that game, too. Wilson did not play in that game. You look at that and say, if you’re taking liberties on some of our players, you know. . . . I thought [the number of games] was a little high, but I wouldn’t argue that it should have been 12 or 15 games. The Post: Some Capitals fans have felt over the years that your colleague Mike Milbury has been a bit of an Alex Ovechkin critic. Does winning a Cup change the way people feel about him around the league? Olczyk: Regardless of if it’s Mike or anyone else, the Caps had underachieved for a long time. Once you win, you have the bragging rights against anyone who wants to be a critic. So yeah, that’s out the window for [Ovechkin]. But what I was most impressed about during the playoffs with him was his ability to be much more selective in his physical play. Saving energy instead of hit everything and forecheck everywhere. He stepped up on the biggest stage with the most pressure and I couldn’t be happier for him. The Post: Is Milbury going to be nicer to him now? Olczyk: [laughs] You’d have to talk to Mike on that. [In life of horses and hockey, Eddie Olczyk never faced odds like his cancer battle] The Post: Anybody that watches you has heard you talk on the air about how important it is for players to keep their sticks on the ice. Is there a story behind the advice or a coach who instilled it in you? Olczyk: The backstory is as a player I just tried to always have a good stick — offensively or defensively. Then when I was coaching in Pittsburgh it was something that I thought was very important. Coaches emphasize this all the time. . . . Sometimes players have brain cramps, they think they’re with a guy and all of a sudden the puck is in the back of 1114434 Washington Capitals to the head and Oshie left to be evaluated for a concussion, which he cleared.

Later, Oshie said he “didn’t care what happens” to Malkin, discipline- Oshie overcomes big hits, scores game-winner for Capitals to beat wise. Penguins “Not my concern anymore,” Oshie said. “We got the ‘W.’”

Meanwhile, the Capitals had 3:51 of power play time once Travis Boyd By Adam Zielonka - The Washington Times - Wednesday, November 7, finished serving a minor, but they couldn’t score on the opportunity. 2018 But all that did was set up Oshie for the heroic game-winner, adding to his -plus-sharpshooter reputation. He got knocked down, but he got up again. T.J. Oshie showed the “He can play both ways,” Nicklas Backstrom said. “He can be gritty. He Pittsburgh Penguins they were never going to keep him down. can be goal-scorer. I mean, he likes to be involved. As you can tell he Oshie left Wednesday night’s Washington Capitals game twice after was involved tonight.” being hit by a stick, then by an opponent’s shoulder, but he returned from Oshie was itching to return while he was out of the game, undergoing both and scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 win over Pittsburgh at concussion protocol and taking time on the exercise bike to drain fluids in Capital One Arena. his legs. Alex Ovechkin also scored for the Capitals, John Carlson had two assists “I didn’t see it on TV, but all the guys that weren’t playing were in a part and Braden Holtby made 41 saves. of the training room and when I came out they said that Pittsburgh was Oshie was hit in the face with Olli Maatta’s stick in the first period, giving taking it to us and Holts was standing on his head,” Oshie said. “You get him a gash between his left eye and the bridge of his nose. He returned fired up when the team’s not playing well when you’re not in there. You to start the second period but had to leave again in the third when Evgeni want to be in there and try to help.” Malkin shoulder-checked him in the head. The two sides meet again Dec. 19 in Washington. In the meantime, the But the right winger and former Olympic hero hit the ice yet again in the Capitals will take Thursday off before Friday night’s division game waning minutes of a game seemingly headed for overtime. Carlson fed against the Columbus Blue Jackets. him a pass in the slot, and Oshie beat Casey DeSmith high for the The day off could give Oshie a chance to take a well-deserved break, deciding goal at 18:44. especially after he received stitches. But in typical hockey player fashion, “My face is a little messed up, but I’m feeling pretty good now,” Oshie he won’t play those up. said. “Can you see? Just two (stitches),” he said. “Don’t got to talk about it.” Oshie’s teammates clearly admired the night he had. “You never want to see a teammate in that situation, but the term Washington Times LOADED: 11.08.2018 ‘warrior’ is brought up, and that’s T.J. Oshie to a tee,” Holtby said. “The way our game was going, once he came back, that gave us life. Guys like him, leaders like him, they know when to show up. You can tell once he stepped back on the ice that he had a mission to score and give it to them that way. That was phenomenal.” Washington and Pittsburgh have combined to win the last three Stanley Cups, but they entered Wednesday with identical 6-4-3 records, struggling to gain their footing in the first quarter of the season. The Capitals edged ahead of their rivals in the Metropolitan Division standings and have won two games in a row for the first time all year. The Penguins are on a five-game losing streak for the first time under coach Mike Sullivan. This game was nothing like Pittsburgh’s 7-6 overtime win in October, as Holtby and DeSmith, the Penguins’ second-string goalie, refused to allow pucks by them at even strength for most of the night. DeSmith only had to face 22 Washington shots. Oshie’s first exit from the game came just a few minutes after puck drop. Jakub Vrana filled in on the second line for the rest of the period, but Oshie received stitches and returned after first intermission. Before that could happen, Sidney Crosby scored his 21st career goal against Washington while Pittsburgh was on its first power play. When Dmitry Orlov made a poor pass attempt from behind Washington’s net, Jack Johnson intercepted it and fed it to Crosby for a snipe at the 12:16 mark of the first. The bitter rivals got into their first scuffle with five minutes left in the period when Carl Hagelin shoved Holtby onto his back. Patric Hornqvist popped in a would-be goal, but the goalie interference call negated it. In a turn befitting the Capitals-Penguins rivalry, Ovechkin scored the game’s next goal when Crosby went to the box for hooking in the second. The captain scored on a slap shot from the left circle, assisted by Carlson and Backstrom. Not only have the Capitals had the best power play success rate in the league this year, they entered the Pittsburgh game converting on a whopping 48 percent of power plays at home. However, the Capitals finished the night 1-for-6 on the man advantage. Although the Penguins outshot the Capitals 17-10 in the second, Pittsburgh went scoreless in the period and wasted a power play opportunity with sloppy play while the Washington penalty kill dominated the puck. Malkin’s disqualifying penalty against Oshie occurred about 3:30 into the final frame. Malkin was assessed a game misconduct for an illegal check 1114435 Washington Capitals “Whether it’s McDavid’s speed or (Sidney) Crosby’s ability to play down low and really puck-protect as well as anybody or (Evgeni) Malkin’s ability to beat you one-on-one,” Reirden said. “Every opponent has Capitals applaud 'amazing' Backstrom as center is honored for 600 something that differentiates them, that makes them the elite of the elite. assists Nick is in that category and he is able to understand what those guys that are in that group of elite players are trying to accomplish. So I think that helps him understand how to defend against them.” By Adam Zielonka - The Washington Times Lars Eller added that Backstrom “never seems to panic.” Wednesday, November 7, 2018 “You can learn a lot just looking at the way he plays, the way he practices, the way he makes decisions and always keeps his calm,” Eller said. The Washington Capitals honored longtime center Nicklas Backstrom for eclipsing 600 career assists with a pregame ceremony Wednesday night before playing their game against Pittsburgh. Washington Times LOADED: 11.08.2018 A video tribute showed messages of congratulations from Backstrom’s family in Sweden, some current teammates and four Swedish NHL greats: Mats Naslund, Ulf Dahlen, Peter Forsberg and Mats Sundin. The league gave Backstrom a commemorative crystal and team owner Ted Leonsis presented him with a golden puck. The Capitals‘ all-time assist leader recorded No. 600 on Oct. 22 at Vancouver, while the team was out on a four-game road trip. He has reached 13 for the season, and 603 for his career, since then. Backstrom is fourth among active NHL players in assists and has finished top-three in the league in six seasons. With 815 points entering Wednesday’s game, he is also on pace to pass Peter Bondra (825) for second-most points all-time in a Capitals uniform. “I think ceremonies like this doesn’t happen every day, so I will take full advantage and enjoy it,” Backstrom said at the team’s morning skate. Backstrom was humble when talking about the achievement, while his teammates and coach reflected on what he has meant to the Capitals organization. Backstrom, 30, has played his entire 12-year career in Washington, predating most everyone in the building apart from Alex Ovechkin. “It’s unbelievable. It’s a pleasure to play with him,” Evgeny Kuznetsov said. “You know, he’s not gonna teach you a lot, he’s not gonna say a lot of words, but I don’t think he have to do that because you can just follow him on the ice, you can follow him off the ice and can see what he’s done and just learn a lot from that.” How Backstrom carries himself off the ice, in fact, was a common refrain among other Capitals centers. “I look up to him a ton, and it’s not just the on-ice stuff either,” Travis Boyd said. “He’s the nicest guy you’ll ever meet off the ice. He’s always saying hi to you. I remember my first couple call-ups that I got up here, I didn’t really know anyone, didn’t really know anything, and I’d see him in the hallway. He’s got a smile on his face saying hi to me. “As a younger guy, in your first couple call-ups, coming into the National Hockey League for the first time, it can be a little intimidating. To have a superstar player like that say hi to you, it makes you feel comfortable and at home.” Coach Todd Reirden first got to know Backstrom’s game by coaching against him while an assistant with the Penguins. “I was able to watch him and you always have a certain admiration for a guy that can do the things that Nick can do,” Reirden said. “But it pales in comparison to how I feel about him now that I’ve coached him. I thought he was good — he was really good. When I coached against him, now that I get to watch him every day and deal with him and see how he thinks the game, he’s amazing.” Just refer to his latest assist, No. 603, which came Monday night against Edmonton. Skating toward the blue line in Washington’s offensive zone, Backstrom beat his marker with an unexpected spin move and backhand pass to T.J. Oshie, who caught it in stride and on the tape of his stick, setting him up to score. “Some of the things he does every single day, guys on the team will look at each other and just go, ‘You’ve gotta be kidding me. How does he do that?’” Boyd said. “That’s just a normal day, that’s another day in the office for him.” Backstrom is not known to slack off on defense, either. Against the Oilers Monday, Backstrom’s line frequently matched up with Connor McDavid’s, and the Capitals were able to hold the best player in hockey without a point at even strength. Reirden credited Backstrom with always knowing his elite opponents’ strengths and tendencies, in part because he is in that elite class himself. 1114436 Washington Capitals a very brief period of rest, sometimes as short as 24 hours, and then we begin some exercise,” he said. “As long as it doesn’t exacerbate symptoms or make them worse, it’s probably helpful actually to get them Cold crashes: Treatment of concussions on ice evolves while NHL fights exercising a bit.” lawsuit There is also risk for keeping players isolated in a dark room for too long, as the social withdrawal can lead to symptoms of depression. By Adam Zielonka - The Washington Times - Tuesday, October 30, 2018 Andrew Peterson, a neurologist and sports medicine director at the University of Iowa, said handling concussions in youth hockey can include logistical obstacles, like simply getting onto the rink where a player is down and conducting diagnostic tests in tight spaces. Michal Kempny doesn’t remember taking an elbow to the left cheek in a Sept. 25 preseason game against the St. Louis Blues. He doesn’t “You’re oftentimes doing it around the bench, a very cramped area with a remember any part of his shift before the injury, either. very rowdy group of folks hanging out around you,” Peterson said. “It’s always been a challenge to get a good evaluation just because of the “I saw it on the video,” the Washington Capitals’ blueliner said after his setting.” recovery. “I don’t remember the whole shift when it happened. I had a little bit blackout.” Because concussion symptoms can evolve over time, Stuart said, researchers are looking for more “objective” means of diagnosis. Kempny received a concussion on the play. Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo was suspended two preseason games and the regular season “We’re looking at biomarkers, which are not ready for prime time,” Stuart opener for the illegal elbowing, but he returned to the ice for St. Louis said. “But it could be that saliva or blood could give us insights about before Kempny recovered and made his season debut for Washington. concussion.” It was Kempny’s first concussion, and he didn’t know what to expect with Courtroom fight the recovery time. In 2013, the NFL paid out $765 million to settle lawsuits brought by “It was a little bit (frustrating),” the Czech said. “But I had to listen to my retired players who claimed the league should have done more to doctors. I had probably three, four days I didn’t do anything. And then I educate them about concussion-related risks inherent in the sport. started to like work out and little bit, like, body weights.” That same year, former hockey players brought a similar lawsuit against Kempny is on a growing list of NHL players who already have had a the NHL. The difference, though, is that the NHL is still fighting its lawsuit concussion in the young season — joining Penguins goalie Matt Murray, five years later. Ducks winger Ondrej Kase, Canucks star rookie Elias Pettersson and Blues center Oskar Sundqvist. Sundqvist was injured by the Capitals’ A judge ordered the league and the plaintiffs to enter mediation, but NHL Tom Wilson in a different Washington-St. Louis preseason game. commissioner Gary Bettman said as recently as September that he thinks the suit “doesn’t have merit.” (Attorneys representing the retired Football has long been at the center of the so-called “concussion debate” players did not respond to requests for comment.) in both youth and professional sports, and soccer, too, is struggling to deal with the connection between heading the ball and brain injuries. But In the NFL, a health official acknowledged a link between head trauma hockey’s relationship with concussions and chronic traumatic and CTE in 2016, marking a sea change from the league’s previous encephalopathy (CTE) is also complicated, including the ongoing stance that the science was not there yet. litigation between retired players and the NHL and a reticence to admit a The NHL, though, has held out — and Bettman still denies a link between link between CTE and blows to the head. blows to the head and CTE. USA Today polled 29 top NHL players in the preseason and found a The two sides were interested in facing off in a set of trials in 2019, but majority (21 players) had moderate or high levels of concern about more recently, TSN reported that they are moving closer to a settlement. concussions. All of this is not to say the league hasn’t gotten more serious about brain Those CTE concerns are increasingly shared at the professional level by injury along with the rest of the sporting world. A rule that banned checks athletes looking to protect their long-term health, and, at the amateur to the head from a lateral or blind-side position was passed in 2010 in an level, by multitudes of parents and coaches worried about the kids. effort to reduce concussions, though an independent study soon found Football has responded by settling lawsuits, scrambling to improve the rule did not have that desired effect. training and equipment and going as far as fundamentally changing rules In 2015, the NHL followed the NFL in introducing designated “concussion to try to eliminate the most violent collisions. spotters” — trained officials whose duty it is to watch games and identify Hockey? Well, they’re working on it. players who may have suffered a head injury. The following year, the league updated its concussion protocol to include “central spotters” Capitals defenseman and alternate captain Brooks Orpik remembers a watching every game from NHL offices. concussion he had while playing at Boston College at the turn of the century. Again, he doesn’t actually “remember” — he has no memory of But the concussion spotter strategy has weathered some criticism for the injury or the moments before it. ceding certain situations, like headfirst crashes into the boards, back to team doctors. The hit he took “probably looked terrible,” he said, but the next day he felt no lingering effects. It’s also hard to track just how many concussions NHL players experience, because teams are not required by the league to publicly “And then there’s ones where you see guys just get little glancing blows release injury news. Many clubs stick to vaguer “upper-body” and “lower- that don’t look like much and then they’re out for a few months,” Orpik body” identifications, which would lump a concussion into the same said. “I think that’s the scary part. It’s not like a bone injury where it’s four category as a sprained wrist. to six weeks and you can tell exactly the timeline. Everybody responds differently.” USA Hockey, the country’s governing body for the sport in charge of fielding Olympic teams and developing grass-roots amateur programs, The 38-year-old has played hockey across a few generations now, and does not have an official stance one way or the other on a link to CTE, he’s seen how care for these injuries has evolved. When he was hurt at Stuart said. Boston College, he said the prescribed treatment was “to do nothing and wait it out.” The doctor added his opinion is that current research — including Ann McKee’s work studying brains of deceased football players — has “Now, you make sure you get your neck treated right away,” Orpik said. “I yielded “alarming” data that needs deeper inquiry. know a lot of times, myself and other guys I’ve played with, you get a concussion and then you’re actually over the concussion, but you still “Repetitive concussions are definitely not good for the brain,” Stuart said. think you have it because you have a cervical sprain or another neck “The exact cause-effect relationship to progressive neurodegenerative injury that gives you the exact same symptoms as a concussion.” diseases like CTE is certainly very worrisome and needs further study. But we know that progressive neurodegenerative diseases happen to Much of Orpik’s experience was echoed by Michael Stuart, the chief people that have never played sports.” medical officer for USA Hockey, who also had three sons play in the NHL. The NHL and USA Hockey work together on several marketing and charitable partnerships, but they do not have influence on each other’s “Instead of complete physical and cognitive rest — putting an athlete into policies. Dave Fischer, USA Hockey’s senior director of communications, a darkened room and making them lay in bed — we’ll now actually have said how the NHL chooses to “go down the path” of addressing concussions is up to them. USA Hockey has done its part to make the sport safer. In 2011, it raised the age level for body-checking to the 13- and 14-year-old group. It’s instilled a mantra of “When in doubt, sit them out” for coaches to err on the side of caution when a player might be hurt. And during October, it collaborated with the Concussion Legacy Foundation to promote “Team Up, Speak Up” Week, an effort to teach young athletes to report concussion symptoms. “In the sport of ice hockey, I think we’ve been proactive,” Stuart said. “We’ve made a lot of strides. We have a long way to go, but we have rules in place that will hopefully eliminate a lot of the dangerous activities that can cause injuries in the brain and cervical spine.” In the meantime, NHL players like Kempny and Orpik accept that concussions are still part of the risk of playing hockey. “Hit like that happens. Things like that happen,” Kempny said. “It is what it is. Like I said, I had to deal with it and now I feel great.” “There’s only so much (the league) can do,” Orpik said, ” … Some of that stuff, like the speed that we play at and as big as guys are, that unfortunately is gonna happen whether there’s intention behind it or not.”

Washington Times LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114437 Washington Capitals Holts was standing on his head. You get fired up when the team's not playing well when you're not in there. You want to be in there and try to help.” T.J. Oshie's rough night ends with sweet revenge in Capitals' 2-1 win over Penguins Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.08.2018

By Brian McNally November 08, 2018 12:38 AM

CAPITAL ONE ARENA — T.J. Oshie took a stick to the eye early and a shoulder to the face late. If an anvil landed on his head at center ice, no one would have blinked. Sent to the training room twice during Wednesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins – the second time after an ugly shoulder thrown by Evgeni Malkin sent him sprawling like a rag doll – Oshie returned with just 3:29 to go. His appearance was so sudden teammate, Nicklas Backstrom did a double take. “I was a little surprised, especially when there's only two minutes left or something,” Backstrom said. “He's just special like that." Oshie proved it once more when he curled around the left faceoff circle, saw an opening and darted toward the front of the net. Defenseman John Carlson saw him and threaded a pass that Oshie gathered and ripped into the top of net past a helpless Casey DeSmith. Revenge was sweet. So was the 2-1 win over Washington’s biggest rival. “My face is a little messed up, but I'm feeling pretty good now,” Oshie said. Sporting two stitches over his left eye from an errant high stick, Oshie joked that maybe he should go back into the quiet room when he misinterpreted a question. But it’s not a laughing matter for a player with a history of concussions. He wasn't sure if he’d be allowed back into the game. He watched the clock as the seconds passed in a tie game. He drained his legs on the exercise bike. He answered all of the trainers’ questions. He did balance drills and didn't falter. He was good to go. Malkin and the Penguins paid for it. They were seething after a game where they felt they were the better team, but couldn't take advantage of 42 shots against Caps goalie Braden Holtby and lost their fifth straight game (0-4-1). "You never want to see a teammate in that situation, but the term 'warrior' is brought up, and that's T.J. Oshie to a tee,” Holtby said. “The way our game was going, once he came back, that gave us life. Guys like him, leaders like him, they know when to show up. You can tell once he stepped back on the ice that he had a mission to score and give it to them that way. That was phenomenal." Of course, Oshie’s heroics can’t happen if Holtby doesn't play his best game of the season. He entered with a .888 save percentage and a 3.62 goals-against average. He turned away 41 Pittsburgh shots, including a late breakaway by forward Garrett Wilson. Oshie first took a high stick from, Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta in the first period. Referees didn't catch it, but Oshie was bleeding from the eye and went to get stitches 4:34 into the game. He returned 10 minutes of game time later. Things didn't look so good after the Malkin hit. On the power play, Malkin anticipated a hit from Oshie and instead smashed his shoulder into his face. Oshie flopped to the ice and stayed down for a few moments before skating off. Malkin, after a huddle by the officials, was handed a five- minute major penalty and a game misconduct and ejected. He could face discipline from the NHL Department of Player Safety. Malkin gets 5 minute major, 10 minute game misconduct for this high hit on Oshie. Oshie heads to locker room. This time Oshie missed 13:02 of game time and there was no reason to think he’d be back. But he took one shift, ended it no worse for wear and then scored the game winner on his second shift back with 1:14 to go. Oshie shouted and whirled his arms as his teammates mobbed him in celebration. There might have even been a few choice words said as he skated past the Penguins bench, too, though Malkin was long gone by then. “You get a little fired up when you're not allowed to be out there and you've got to watch your teammates,” Oshie said. “I didn't see it on TV, but all the guys that weren't playing were in a part of the training room and when I came out they said that Pittsburgh was taking it to us and 1114438 Washington Capitals Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.08.2018

3 reasons why the Capitals beat the Penguins

By J.J. Regan November 07, 2018 10:15 PM

CAPITAL ONE ARENA – In what was a highly physical affair and easily the most exciting game of the season thus far, the Caps came out on top over rival Pittsburgh on Wednesday 2-1. Here are three reasons why the Caps won. T.J. Oshie’s epic night Oshie had a rough night, but a storybook ending. Early in the first period, Oshie took a hefty whack to the face from the stick of Penguins’ defenseman Olli Maatta. The stick appeared to hit Oshie in the nose and narrowly missed his left eye. He missed the remainder of the first period, but returned for the second, and clearly he had a score to settle. Oshie was on fire the entire game and helped set up the Caps’ first goal of the night. Washington failed to convert on its first two power play opportunities, but with Sidney Crosby in the box early in the second, Oshie planted himself right in front of goalie Casey DeSmith. DeSmith leaned to his left to peer around the screen, but as he did, John Carlson passed to Ovechkin, who was set up in his office in the right faceoff circle. With DeSmith leaning left to see around the screen, there was no way for him to recover and get over in time to stop the Ovechkin shot. Then Oshie was on the receiving end of a blatantly high, illegal hit from Evgeni Malkin in the third period that again sent Oshie to the locker room. Malkin’s night was done, but Oshie’s wasn't. He returned late in the third period to score the game-winning goal and complete the storybook ending. Oshie’s nose and his head probably won’t feel very good, but it was all worth it in the end. Holtby mentioned in the locker room after Wednesday’s morning skate that it felt like there was a fluky goal in every game he started this season. Luck finally turned in Holtby’s favor on Wednesday. Don’t get me wrong, Holtby was tremendous in this game. He was in complete control of the rebounds, he snagged every shot that got near the glove and he was strong on the goal line in the wake of a very physically aggressive Penguins team. But for the first time this season, Holtby also seemed to get all the bounces to go his way. Pittsburgh hit a number of posts and also missed wide open nets over the course of the game. One sequence in particular stood out in the second period when Carl Hagelin had an empty net to shoot on, missed and the puck went to Evgeni Malkin, who also had an empty net to shoot at and he missed as well. The save of the game came midway through the third period when Holtby denied Garrett Wilson on the breakaway with the blocker to keep the game tied at 1. Holtby finished with 41 saves on 42 shots and earned his first win since Oct. 22. Malkin had a very frustrating game. That frustration started to show in the second period and boiled over with a dangerous hit in the third. Malkin took an unnecessary penalty in the third period when he threw a punch at John Carlson in a scrum in front of the Caps’ net. Things really got ugly in the third period when Malkin hit Oshie up high with a blatantly illegal hit. As Malkin entered the Caps’ offensive zone, Oshie stepped up to challenge him. Malkin handed off the puck then caught Oshie with a shoulder to the head. Replay showed the head was the principal point of contact on the play, and Malkin was assessed a five-minute major for the play and ejected from the game. Washington failed to convert on the resulting power play, but the penalty was still significant as Pittsburgh was without its top scorer for the remainder of what was a close game.

1114439 Washington Capitals

The new Attorney General of the United States is a Capitals fan

By J.J. Regan November 07, 2018 7:30 PM

The country experience a pretty significant firing over the week. Though it had been rumored for quite some time, it still came as quite the shock when the news was finally announced. I of course am referring to Joel Quenneville getting fired by the Chicago Blackhawks. Pretty crazy, right? The second most notable firing of the week came in Washington as President Donald Trump fired Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday. Sessions was replaced by Matthew Whitaker. As with all politicians, we should judge Whitaker not by his politics, but by what sports teams he cheers for. If there’s one thing you should know about the new attorney general, it’s that he leans red. As in, he’s a fan of the Washington Capitals.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114440 Washington Capitals

Dmitrij Jaskin's secret to fitting in on the top line? Speaking Russian

By J.J. Regan November 07, 2018 1:45 PM

With Tom Wilson suspended, the Caps have struggled to find someone to play right wing on the top line alongside Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The team found chemistry with Wilson on the top line last season as his physical presence and board work opened up offensive opportunities for his skilled linemates. With Wilson serving a 20-game suspension, head coach Todd Reirden has tried to find another player who can complement Ovechkin and Kuznetsov, but 13 games into the season the Caps have yet to find a long-term solution. “It’s not easy when other two guys play with the third guy for so many games and then you try to fill that in,” Kuznetsov said Wednesday. “It’s not easy.” Reirden has previously used Brett Connolly, Chandler Stephenson, Devante Smith-Pelly and Jakub Vrana on the top line. Currently, the top spot belongs to Dmitrij Jaskin, who will play with Ovechkin and Kuznetsov for the second consecutive game. Jaskin has a similar build and playing style to that of Wilson so the move makes some sense. He also has an advantage over the other options Reirden has previously used and that’s language. There are a variety of reasons why it is hard for players to play with Ovechkin and Kuznetsov. It is hard to keep up with their speed and skill, you’re stepping onto a line that already had developed chemistry, you have to take on a lot of defensive responsibilities to make up for their offensive tendencies, you are playing against the opposition’s top shutdown players, etc. But there’s another issue that you may not have anticipated, a language barrier. Yes, both Ovechkin and Kuznetsov speak English…with the media. When they are together, however, they revert back to their native language. “It’s definitely not easy especially to play with me and [Ovechkin],” Kuznetsov said. “We kind of always talk in Russian. But now with Jaskin, he can speak Russian, it’s a little bit easier and he also understand the hockey too.” Of all the players the Caps have tried at right wing thus far, Jaskin is the only one who can speak Russian. Vrana can understand some, but very little. Will that mean Jaskin stays on the top line any longer than his teammates? No. The fact that he can speak Russian does not necessarily mean he will develop any chemistry on that line. But being able to communicate and understand his new linemates is a distinct advantage he has and one that the line can use as a whole against its primarily English speaking opponents. You may not think of Jaskin as a top-six NHL forward, but don’t be surprised if he stays on the top line for longer than you expect.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114441 Washington Capitals These are two teams that are not accustomed to losing very much in recent years. A rivalry matchup gives both teams an emotional wakeup call. The question is which team will respond. Can Nicklas Backstrom shut down Sidney Crosby and Co.? Evgeni Malkin seems to have enjoyed the extra time off in the summer because he has had a tremendous start to the season with seven goals and 20 points in just 13 games. Sidney Crosby is off to a bit of a slower By J.J. Regan start by his standards with six goals and 14 points. November 07, 2018 12:25 PM Just in case anyone out there had their doubts over whether he is still among the NHL greats, however, he certainly rose to the occasion in Edmonton for the Connor McDavid vs. Crosby matchup, scoring two goals including the overtime winner. The Pittsburgh Penguins visit Washington for the first time this season on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN). Crosby saved his best night of the season thus far for the biggest matchup of the season. You can bet he will be ready to go for The Caps and Penguins met previously on Oct. 4, a 7-6 overtime loss for Wednesday’s rivalry matchup against the Caps. the Caps that came just one night after their opener and Stanley Cup banner raising ceremony. Here are five things to watch. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.08.2018 Celebrating Nicklas Backstrom The Caps will honor Backstrom prior to the game for getting his 600th career assist. It is a fitting night to honor him given how pivotal a role he will play in the game. As Washington’s top shutdown forward, Backstrom will most likely be tasked with matching up against Sidney Crosby’s line as he has done many times in the past. His defensive abilities are the most overlooked aspect of one of the league’s most overlooked players. If Crosby struggles to produce Wednesday, Backstrom and his line will have a lot to say about it. The fact that No. 19 has been as incredible offensively as he has in his career while also being a top shutdown forward really speaks to how dynamic a player he is. After seeing Backstrom honored, keep an eye out for what he does against Crosby. Head coach Todd Reirden made some tweaks to his offensive lineup for Monday’s game and he is keeping those lines together. Dmitrij Jaskin remains in his top-line role with Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. He played well on that line Monday, and nearly cashed in on several offensive opportunities as he planted himself in front of Edmonton’s net. He also helped keep the Oilers’ forwards from generating much offense of their own. There were times, however, when it was clear Jaskin lacked the speed to keep up with his linemates on the rush. The Penguins may not be as fast as they once were, but does Jaskin have the jets to keep up what will likely be a fast-paced tempo on Wednesday? The Jakub Vrana, Travis Boyd, Devante Smith-Pelly line also returns after a dominant performance Monday that saw both Vrana and Smith- Pelly score in the first period. As good as that line played, however, putting Vrana on a fourth line role limited his playing time to a team-low 8:09. He’s a player that should be getting more playing time than that and Reirden acknowledged that he would have liked to get him more time after the game. The Caps may start with the same lines we saw on Monday, but it would not be surprising to me to see some mid-game shuffling because that’s a lot of talent there on that fourth line. It may not look like it on paper, but Monday’s game was one of Washington’s better defensive performances of the season. The Caps largely kept the puck to the perimeter as Edmonton’s forwards struggled to penetrate the defense and were constantly forced to kick the puck out to the blue line. The Oilers still got 33 shots on goal because goalie Pheonix Copley struggled to control his rebounds leading to an inflated shots total and more high-danger chances. The buzzword for the Caps’ defense this season has been commitment. They need to commit to getting into shooting lanes, blocking shots and boxing out in front of the net. It’s hard to do that for a regular season game in November, but the results of Monday’s game speak for themselves. Washington will need a similar defensive commitment to beat a dangerous Penguins offense. The Caps are one of just two teams in the NHL that has not won two consecutive games yet this season. Considering that, they are very fortunate to still have 15 points in 13 games. But Monday’s win over Edmonton gives Washington a chance to earn a second straight on Wednesday and gain a little momentum in a packed November schedule. This is a big game for Pittsburgh as well considering the Penguins are slumping badly. The Penguins have lost four straight games, the last two of which the lost by a margin of 10-1. 1114442 Washington Capitals he quickly swept a quick backhand shot through the five-hole of Fleury. Less than five minutes later, he fired a one-timer off the faceoff to complete the hat trick. The greatest game ever played? Remembering Caps-Penguins from Tie game. Super Bowl Sunday 2010 The arena may not have been full to capacity, but I’m not sure it has ever been louder in a regular season game than it was at that moment. By J.J. Regan Somehow Ovechkin and the Caps had tied what looked like a lost game and forced overtime. November 07, 2018 7:00 AM On the power play with a chance to win it, the Caps set up the offense with Mike Knuble right in the face of Fleury. Fleury gave Knuble a chop with the goalie stick in the back of the leg that sent him to the ice. No call. The Capitals-Penguins rivalry has changed quite a bit over the past year. Injustice, pure and simple. Washington continued on the power play and When you look at the great moments of that rivalry, most Caps fans will Mike Green set up Ovechkin for the one-timer from the office. think no further than the 2018 series when the Caps finally got over their playoff hump with a series clinching overtime goal from Evgeny The shot beat Fleury, the horn went off, the crowd went berserk...but the Kuznetsov in Game 6. puck never actually got past the goal line. Instead it hit off the post and bounced back underneath Fleury. Fleury desperately tried to cover the The 2018 series certainly had its share of great moments, but Caps- puck, but Knuble was faster with the stick, tapping the loose puck Penguins did not begin and end in 2018. Let’s not forget some of the underneath Fleury and in. great moments these two teams shared before that. Game over. A new chapter to the Caps-Penguins rivalry will be written on Wednesday as the two teams meet in Washington for the first time this season (7:30 That game was the 14th straight win for the Caps, which still stands as p.m. ET, NBCSN). NBC Sports Washington will be counting down the the longest winning streak in franchise history. Fittingly, the streak ended 10 best moments from the rivalry through all our pre and postgame the next game as the Caps fell in overtime to the Montreal Canadiens. coverage starting with Caps FaceOff Live at 6:30 p.m. As I sit here and write my memories from that game, I could go on and To get you ready for the countdown and Wednesday’s game, let me tell on. There are few games I remember as vividly as this one. The historical you about one of my favorite Caps-Penguins memories. It was the significance, the rivalry, the emotions ranging from despair, to hopeful, to greatest game I’ve ever seen. jubilation – I remember all of it. Because of my job covering the Capitals for NBC Sports Washington, I When you watch hockey long enough, there are always gems that got to see every home game in the 2018 Stanley Cup game in person. emerge as great games. But to me, this game stands alone. I had never There were so many great games and moments from that run and I will seen anything like it before or since. It truly was the greatest game I’ve always remember that postseason, but the greatest game I ever saw did ever seen. not happen in the 2018 playoffs. But where does it rank in the list of the 10 greatest moments of the Caps- Heck, it didn’t happen in the playoffs at all. Penguins rivalry? Be sure to tune in to NBC Sports Washington for coverage of Wednesday’s game as we count down. The year was 2010. A 5-4 shootout win over the Florida Panthers on Jan. 13 was the first of what would turn into the longest win streak in Capitals franchise history. Washington would win all of the nine remaining games in the month of January and the first three of February to extend the win Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.08.2018 streak to 13. That streak was on the line on Sunday, Feb. 7 when the Pittsburgh Penguins came to town. The attendance for the game on Feb. 7 was said to be over 18,000. I can tell you, it wasn’t close to that. This game happened in the wake of “Snowmadgeddon,” a snow storm that dumped two feet of snow around the area. The arena wasn’t empty by any means, but there were more empty seats than would be normal for a rivalry game of this magnitude. With the game on Super Bowl Sunday and mountains of snow all over the city, a lot of people chose to stay home that day rather than make the trek to what was then known as the Verizon Center. To me, it didn’t matter how much snow there was. The Caps were playing the Penguins and I had tickets. There was no way I was going to miss it. My dad and I got into his jeep, turned on the four-wheel drive and carefully made our way into the city. This game had everything. It was another offensive duel between Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, it had great saves, great goals, breakaways, odd-man rushes, big hits, fights, a hat trick, everything you could ever want in a hockey game. In the first period, Sidney Crosby drew first blood with two goals. Crosby. It had to be Crosby. By the end of the first period, the Caps trailed 2-0. But Alex Ovechkin would not be outdone. Midway through the second period he scored on a breakaway with a perfect shot that knocked apart the net camera behind goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. I remember seeing the camera explode with Ovechkin’s shot and the arena exploded with it. But the crowd was silenced once more as Jordan Staal would score twice to pull Pittsburgh ahead 4-1. That’s when the despair began to set in. It had to be Pittsburgh, didn’t it? The win streak was going to come to an end at the hands of those damn Penguins and yet another black mark would be added to the chapter of a rivalry that was already full of them. Eric Fehr would score to make it 4-2 before the end of the second and then Ovechkin took over. In the third period, Ovechkin pulled the Caps within one as a shot hit off of then Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik and to Ovechkin’s feet and 1114443 Winnipeg Jets

Winnipeg needs speed to defeat Colorado

By: Mike Sawatzky Posted: 11/7/2018 9:40 PM

The Central Division was the NHL’s toughest in 2017-18 and the early indicators suggest the same will be true this season. On Friday, the Jets host the up-and-coming Colorado Avalanche. Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen along with Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon form the top line in hockey. The speedy group has a combined 55 points this season as Rantanen leads the league in points. The trio has helped lift Colorado to one of the best marks in the Western Conference this season. The Avs (7-4-3) and Winnipeg (8-5-1) were tied for third place in the division heading into Friday’s action and Colorado’s sensational top line of Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog has been doing much of the damage, occupying the first, third and 12th spot, respectively, in league scoring. "No surprises, really," Winnipeg defenceman Tyler Myers said Wednesday. "We know Colorado’s a fast team. Their top line is one of the best lines in hockey right now. We’re going to have to watch out for that, but they’re playing good hockey. We’re going to have to make sure we’re back up to speed coming back from the trip (Finland)." Winnipeg’s power play is operating at a 33.3 per cent clip, which is second in the league behind the Washington Capitals’ No. 1-rated unit (36.6 per cent). Fourteen of Winnipeg’s 41 goals have been scored with the man advantage. Head coach would like to be more productive in 5-on-5 situations. "We need our ratio 5-on-5 to improve, whether you win a game 2-1, 5-1, how you generate your offence, we’d like to see those numbers improve," he said. "But I’m not overly worried about our scoring. How we play the game offensively is a big chunk of our focus. But I’m not worried about an individual not having the numbers he wants." Is Maurice encouraged his team continues to win while not consistently playing its A-game? "We’re playing our A-game for October," Maurice said. "We’re not where we want to be, but we don’t want to hit our peak in Game 3. So it’s development of a team, but also development of individual players. When you’re as young as we are, we expect all these young players to be better by the end of the year. "That’s one of the advantages of having a young team. There’s lots of room for growth. One of the challenges is the consistency in your game takes time to cement." The Jets, who last played Nov. 2 in Helsinki, will go seven days between games. That’s more than enough time to adjust to the intercontinental travel for centre Bryan Little. "Yeah, I think they’re trying to be smart with giving us some rest and time to get adjusted, but it feels like it’s almost too much; we’re ready to play games," Little said. "Everyone’s kinda back into and ready to go." Sophomore centre Jack Roslovic was a healthy scratch for Winnipeg’s last game, but he is expected to return to the lineup on the club’s fourth line against the Avs. Roslovic wasn’t dwelling on the temporary demotion. He has two assists in 13 games thus far. "It’s not anything about me or what’s going on," Roslovic said. "It’s about the team. And it’s tough to watch the team, especially when you lose one like that. But you lose games in the season and you’ve just got to keep on getting better."

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 11.08.2018 1114444 Winnipeg Jets more direct. He's shooting the puck a little harder. He's got more confidence carrying it up the ice.

"So we like what the boost is. You can do all the things to get a guy some Jets players, coach figure Laine got the reindeer off his back in Finland confidence. But it doesn't work nearly as well as a goal."

By: Mike Sawatzky Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 11.08.2018 Posted: 11/7/2018 3:26 PM

The frustration that gripped Patrik Laine through the opening 12 games of the regular season was not an illusion. Paul Maurice will admit to that. And it had a lot to do with the 20-year-old's journey back to his Finnish homeland for the NHL's Global Series, pitting the Winnipeg Jets against the Florida Panthers in a pair of games last week. Laine, his country's most celebrated hockey star, could have wilted under the pressure from the intense focus of fans in Helsinki and the unrelenting demands of the European media. Of course, quite the opposite occurred. Laine scored four times in the two games, bringing his 14-game total to seven goals and nine points, and he pulled it off with the sort of dramatic flair Winnipeg fans have become accustomed to. But in the weeks leading up to Helsinki, the enormity of the occasion appeared to weigh on the star forward; he was uncharacteristically hesitant, often fumbling the puck in key situations. "We were aware of it," Maurice said following a Wednesday morning practice at Bell MTS Iceplex. "His game wasn't where we thought it would be prior to it. And he would admit to that. So the obvious (question) is, 'What's unusual? What's different about your situation?' Well, you're heading to a pretty intense, pretty emotional time for a young man. He handled it, clearly, exceptionally well. "But even leading into it, the two or three days, there were so many requests to talk to him. And he was so good at dealing with all the people, signing all the autographs — he really opened himself up. Didn't close himself off because he didn't like his game. He took every question. He handled it exceptionally well." If he's ever nervous, Laine never seems to show it. Yet Helsinki seemed to provide a release when others might have disappeared on such a big stage. "I don't know what word to attach to that — maybe 'in the moment' would be correct," said Maurice. "Because that's been probably on his calendar since the summertime. And there's pressure that goes with it. He's a 20- year-old that has truly a nation looking at him and wants to perform well. So when the first one went in, all of a sudden he does relax a little bit. You want to work as hard as you possibly can, but guys like that do have to relax with the puck on their stick. And we saw more ease with it, for sure." For his sometimes-linemate Bryan Little, it was a welcome return to form. "I think hopefully he brings that game back with him," said Little. "He was fine over there. He looked really confident, he looked like he was turning it up a bit, so hopefully he brings it back here." Added defenceman Tyler Myers: "I think he really enjoyed it. Especially putting up four goals going back home, you know, turned into an even bigger god over there than he already is. It was good to see him have some success over there. I think all the guys in the room were pretty happy for him." Laine's teammates didn't see much of him off the ice during the trip. His itinerary was packed with commitments and he appeared to thrive in the situation, which is not really a surprise for someone with his savvy in the public eye. "You know what, the thing I’ve noticed about Patty the last couple of years playing with him is he handles pressure really well, he doesn’t let it weigh on him too much, even when things are going well or aren’t going well," said Myers. "He stays pretty even-keeled and sticks with it so it’s a good quality to have, especially in a young guy." Laine has also found a new home — albeit temporarily — on a line with Adam Lowry and Brandon Tanev and his confidence is soaring. "Shooters need confidence — so his practices look different now than they did prior to it," said Maurice. "He's moving more powerfully. He's adapted himself to the two guys he's playing with. I'm not sure I have that long-term, but it's the right direction for his personal game. A little harder, 1114445 Winnipeg Jets “We’re playing our A-game for October,” Maurice said. “We’re not where we want to be, but we don’t want to hit our peak in Game 3.”

As always, Maurice is more concerned with team defence than with a JETS SNAPS: Maurice sees a new Laine, but he’ll stay on third line, for lack of five-on-five scoring. now “We became a very strong defensive team by the end of last year. That’s on our radar as a place that we’ve got to get to. And then our offensive Paul Friesen game will follow with that… our shooting percentage is really, really low right now, which isn’t a bad thing if you’re still winning some games.”

A healthy scratch last game, Jack Roslovic is poised to take the He may be one of the two longest-serving head coaches in the NHL now, suspended Brendan Lemieux’s place on the fourth line, with Andrew but Paul Maurice still has plenty of rope left. Copp and Nic Petan. And he’s using it. “I’ve just got to keep on working, do what got me here and just stick to it,” Roslovic said. “It’s not anything about me or what’s going on. It’s about Only a man very secure in his position would leave a natural goal scorer the team. And it’s tough to watch the team, especially when you lose one like Patrick Laine on a line with straight-line checkers Adam Lowry and like that.” Brandon Tanev as long as Maurice has. Roslovic was gunning for a bigger role this season. He’s managed just Laine is expected to start his third straight game on the Jets’ third line two assists in 13 games. against Colorado, Friday, Winnipeg’s first game since the Finland trip. “Everyone wants to produce, everyone wants to score,” he said. “I want “He’s adapted himself to the two guys he’s playing with,” Maurice said to be a contributor on the team and am going to do everything that it following practice, Wednesday. “I’m not sure I have that long-term, but takes.” it’s the right direction for his personal game. A little harder, more direct.” Some advice for the NHL: a full week between games after the global Laine’s game has been prone to giveaways in his own zone and bereft of shindig isn’t really necessary. much five-on-five offence. “They’re trying to be smart with giving us some rest and time to get It bottomed out as the trip to Helsinki arrived, the 20-year-old Finn, adjusted,” Little said. “But it feels like it’s almost too much. We’re ready to without a point in five games, carrying the burden of his poor play to his play games.” home country. Myers and Little both said it was a far harder adjustment going overseas “We were aware of it,” Maurice said. “His game wasn’t where we though than returning. it would be prior to it. And he would admit to that. He’s a 20-year-old that has truly a nation looking at him and wants to perform well. Maybe some extra days can be tacked onto the front of the trip, instead of at the back. “Even leading into it, the two or three days, there were so many requests to talk to him. And he was so good at dealing with all the people, signing all the autographs – he really opened himself up. Didn’t close himself off because he didn’t like his game.” Winnipeg Sun LOADED 11.08.2018 Instead of showcasing Laine on one of the top two lines, Maurice stuck him on the third, a bold move that could have gone either way and left plenty of room for criticism. In Helsinki, Laine shed his chains with four goals in two games – three on the power play, one into an empty net. There are plenty of negatives from a trip like that – the interruption to the Jets’ schedule just as they appeared to be playing better, the compressed schedule they’ll play to make up for it, the jet lag – but if a revived Laine is part of the deal, it will have been worth it. “Hopefully he brings that game back with him,” Bryan Little said. “People came to see him play and he put on a show for them.” Tyler Myers put it another way. “Turned into an even bigger god over there than he already is,” the defenceman said. “I remember last year, he went stretches where he wasn’t getting much and then having stretches where he had 20 goals in five games. Hopefully he just continues it.” Myers was referring to a February-March stretch last season when Laine scored 16 times in a dozen games. Since returning, Maurice has seen a new, more relaxed No. 29 in practice. “Shooters need confidence,” he said. “He’s moving more powerfully. He’s shooting the puck a little harder. He’s got more confidence carrying it up the ice. “You can do all the things to get a guy some confidence, but it doesn’t work nearly as well as a goal.” The Jets learned a little more about their gifted shooter last week, specifically how he deals with major pressure. Yet, on the third line he’ll stay, for now. WHERE’S THE A-GAME? As inconsistent as the Jets have been through 14 games, their 8-5-1 record has them tied for sixth in the Western Conference standings. You could say they’re winning a decent amount even without their A- game. 1114446 Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.08.2018

Steve Ewen: Canucks prospect Woo brings old-school hockey to Canada Russia Series

Steve Ewen

Vancouver Canucks' prospect Jett Woo has no problem with the physical part of the game, and tried to prove that against Russia in the CIBC Canada Russia Series on Monday and Tuesday. “You don’t see the guys who play that old-school, smash-mouth, run over people style. Not a lot of guys are willing to do that anymore, but I think there’s still room for that in the game.” Tim Hunter has pegged Jett Woo as a throwback and you’d think Hunter would know something about that. “Jett’s a real unique kind of player nowadays,” said Hunter, a rugged winger during his playing time with the Vancouver Canucks, who now coaches the Moose Jaw Warriors. His Saskatchewan WHL team features Woo, a rugged defenceman who was the Canucks’ second-round pick, 37th overall, in last June’s NHL Entry Draft. “You don’t see the guys who play that old-school, smash-mouth, run over people style. Not a lot of guys are willing to do that anymore, but I think there’s still room for that in the game.” Hunter is also coach of Team Canada for the upcoming world juniors in Vancouver and Victoria. As part of that, he was behind the bench for the Team WHL that hosted a Russian side on Monday at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops and on Tuesday at Langley Events Centre in the CIBC Canada Russia Series. Woo is in the running for a Team Canada tryout, which put him in the lineup for Team WHL this week. He laid memorable heavy checks both nights, getting Alexander Yaremchuk driving to the net in Kamloops and then Nikita Shashkov in the corner in Langley. “Just the different kind of things you need to do to play at this level,” Woo, 18, said when asked about takeaways from playing the Russians this week. “We talked about in the dressing room that when you go play world juniors, it’s almost like playing playoff hockey in the AHL. It’s a really fast game out there. You can see the differences from the CHL coming here and it was good for all of us.” This physical game is his calling card but Woo did put his offensive instincts on display Tuesday in particular, sneaking in from the point in the second period for a pair of scoring chances in what wound up a 3-1 Team WHL loss. He had nine goals and 25 points in 44 games with the Warriors last season. He missed four games off the top of this season with Moose Jaw because of injury. He has one goal and five points in 11 contests with Moose Jaw so far. “I feel like I’ve developed a lot. Every time I go on the ice or in the gym, I’m trying to get better. From where I was last year to now is a huge difference,” Woo said. The six-foot, 203-pound right-handed shot figures playing in the world juniors is “every kid’s dream,” and said “hopefully I’m able to come back here and play well here.” When asked how closely he’s keeping track of the Canucks, Woo replied: “I have (Elias) Pettersson in my fantasy lineup every day!” For the most part, Hunter had Woo paired for the two Team WHL contests with Vancouver Giants rearguard Bowen Byram, 17, who’s being projected as a possible lottery pick for next June’s NHL draft at Rogers Arena. Byram is an offensive-minded player who likes to jump up into the rush. That safety-valve role might be what’s best suited for Woo as he climbs up the ranks. “You think it’s going to be hard coming here and playing with someone different, someone new and someone I haven’t been able to see too much, but it was fun to mix our playing styles together,” said Woo.

1114447 Vancouver Canucks doing a lot of good things. He gives you everything he has, which as a coach goes a long way.”

Gaudette admits he’s a work in progress, but he’s willing to put in the Ben Kuzma: A Beantown happy homecoming for hard-working Schaller, work. Gaudette “It definitely hasn’t been easy — it’s been tough,” admitted Gaudette, who has two assists in his first 15 career NHL games. “But the best way Ben Kuzma for me to learn is to be thrown right into the fire and figuring it out for myself and I’ve done that at every level.

“That’s what’s happening here. It forces you to be sharper and more BOSTON — In a sports-crazed city that embraces its heroes, Tim attentive and feeling better every game.” Schaller and have close ties to the area and their own legion of admirers. Schaller not only played for the Bruins last season, a lasting bond with Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.08.2018 his older brother Dave, who required a life-saving bone-marrow transplant from his younger sibling 10 years ago, spawned a charity to benefit cancer-stricken children. It’s why giant Timmy Heads will pop up on your television screen Thursday when the Vancouver Canucks visit the TD Garden. Gaudette not only played here at Northeastern University, which doesn’t get the recognition of rival Boston College of Boston University, he won the Hobey Baker Award last season as the top NCAA player and tossed out the first pitch at a Red Sox game in fabled Fenway Park. It’s also a happy homecoming for Schaller and Gaudette because of what they’ve already accomplished this NHL season. With a roster ravaged by injury and a coach willing to place his trust in improving forwards, Schaller has leapt from the fourth to first line and the rookie Gaudette has lapped up more minutes as his game grows. Neither has scored yet — Schaller had a dozen goals in 2017-18 — and this is the perfect place for both to pot their first. After all, Schaller chose the Canucks in free agency because he was with the Rochester Americans of the AHL at the time Green was coaching the . Schaller admired the approach and Green admired Schaller. “It was always a battle and it’s a kind of game I want to play — hard- nosed and fast-paced,” recalled Schaller, who signed a two-year, $3.8- million contract July 1. “The way Travis coaches kind of fits my style of play.” It’s why Schaller became a fourth-line fixture at left wing and why the gritty 27-year-old Merrimack, N.H., native was bumped up to the first line on Oct. 31 against the Chicago Blackhawks. On Tuesday in Detroit, he was there again. Schaller had one scoring chance and fanned on another during a 3-2 shootout loss, but he also wasn’t on for a goal against. Schaller, Bo Horvat and Jake Virtanen were often matched up against the trio of rookie Michael Rasmussen, Jacob de la Rose and Gustav Nyquist. “He’s a good, heavy body and a smart player,” Green said of Schaller. “We’re trying to use Bo a bit in a matchup role with (Brandon) Sutter out and he’s the most capable of that. (Schaller’s) good at holding onto pucks down low and getting pucks on the wall, and not just in his own zone. “He’s strong on pucks in the offensive zone, and part of it is he scored 12 goals last year and you’re hoping with opportunity that he creates. But it’s not just about that — a lot has to do with matchups.” And a lot of what makes Schaller tick has to do with that charity. “It was my first game in Boston and going out for warmups, I’m trying not to fall and make a fool of myself,” recalled Schaller. “I look at the glass and there are 12 big Timmyheads and my brother and my buddies were banging on the glass.” Schaller’s brother received requests for the likeness and giant 3 1/2 foot Timmy heads popped up around the NHL. The demand led to a website — tim-schaller.com — to sell Timmyheads and Timmyheads T-shirts to benefit The Jimmy Fund charity for cancer care. That story is hard to match, but Gaudette’s determination to crack the roster — even before Jay Beagle suffered a forearm fracture Oct. 13 — wasn’t lost on Green. He liked how the 22-year-old Braintree, Mass., native kept working at every aspect of his game. He had an assist, two shot attempts, four hits and won 50 per cent of his six draws Tuesday in 12:32 of ice time. “He’s in the right spot, he’s working hard and there are a couple of little things in his game that we hope he picks up on,” said Green. “But he’s 1114448 Websites intense. There were a ton of rumours about Dave Tippett going back behind a bench. Reached Monday, he said, “I’m happy in Seattle, and I will be staying here.” The Athletic / Thoughts on Thoughts: Senators Uber and Black Cloud While I get saying this, if he means it, I don’t really get it. What Club, Nylander’s situation, ‘first on, last off’ and more competitive coach would choose the option of not coaching for almost two full years, then taking on a team that – hot take coming here – isn’t going to be good for a long time. By Justin Bourne I get the job security – it’s years and years to work with (read: get paid). Nov 7, 2018 But I think another team would give him that. I’m pretty convinced everyone is so blinded by Vegas’ early success that they think that’s just going to be the new norm for expansion teams. I’m not buying it. It’s been a long time since I’ve rolled out a “Thoughts on Thoughts,” so it It sounds to me like NHL teams have learned from the Vegas expansion feels really good to be back at it. For those who haven’t read one of draft (our own Pierre LeBrun discussed this at a Toronto Puck Talks these before, the idea is pretty simple: I take a handful of notes from event). When Seattle’s turn comes, nobody’s overreacting and trading Elliotte Friedman’s excellent “31 Thoughts” and react to them. Here’s his them the equivalent of Jonathan Marchessault to take Reilly Smith. latest, which started with – you guessed it – thoughts on the Ottawa Nobody’s sending them Alex Tuch to “only” take Erik Haula. Some teams Senators Uber-bizarre situation off the ice. may lose a decent player; this time they’ll just eat that loss and move on. What a wild 24 hours. So all of that is to say: Tippett is either bluffing, or making what looks like a surprising choice to me. Would an offer from the Ducks change his How many times have you been frustrated with your boss, a co-worker, mind? The Red Wings, the Blues … somewhere? Time flies and all, but your partner, a friend, whoever and privately unloaded to someone else? you’d think he’d want back in at some point before October of 2020, (Or, at least you thought it was private.) Honestly, when you saw/heard of particularly if he gets the chance to coach a roster with potential after all the video, how many of you thought, “That could have been me?” those tough years in the desert. It’s almost uniting that so many people watched that video and had the 22. Back when Connor McDavid was at OHL Erie, his trainer, Gary initial thought, “Thank the holy heavens that when I was younger, the Roberts, warned him that “90-second and two-minute shifts don’t work in world wasn’t papered with cameras and other recording devices.” A very the NHL.” Yet, there was the electrifying forward blowing by Ryan Suter small percentage of the takes following the leak of the video were to score after a 79-second shift last Tuesday in Edmonton. negative toward the players. It was mostly cringing and “Yeah I’ve been that person.” Those moments happen with varying frequency depending There’s actually something in common between those two. Suter, who, in on how things are going at work. 2013-14 played the fourth-most minutes in one season since the NHL began recording ice time, is excellent at conserving energy while being In an odd quirk, one of my favourite things as a hockey player was out there for a long time. McDavid has that ability, too, but, as Roberts finding the other sarcastic, and we’ll say somewhat “judgy” people, and says, “He’s put in the work. He’s committed. In the summers, when his unintentionally forming Black Cloud Club. Those people were great to friends were going out or finishing for the day, he’s the guy who stayed to have morning coffee with. I’m aware these people exist in every walk of do one more thing or work on something on his own.” life, but I feel like in hockey your life and future is particularly in the hands of the coaches on a daily basis, so it’s really, really easy to blame them 23. Roberts had a great line about playing with Sidney Crosby for a year- for your own failures. The job is hyper-volatile, and you can’t succeed and-a-half. “I’d see him on the ice 30 minutes before practice. I’d ask him without proper opportunity, your team can’t succeed without structure what he was doing. He said, ‘I didn’t like the way my hands felt last and discipline, and in hockey, every day and every minute the staff night.’” Roberts said he laughed and replied, “Well, how do you think the dictates those things. rest of us feel?” So when things aren’t going great – and there are times in every season Hockey twitter (and sports Twitter in general) has its share of go-to that’s the case – lord, can the conversations get hilariously nasty (as we punchlines. One justifiable one is the old preseason “he’s in the best saw). That’s just part of being a coach – if you want to be the guy making shape of his life!” This is a well-beaten joke, and justifiably – it’s everyone the decisions, you have to live knowing how players talk about you when every preseason, apparently. A guy would basically have to show up with it’s going poorly. icing sugar and Cheetoh dust on his shirt for anyone to report anything different. But truly, as a player, it’s so important to be able to pour it all out like that. I swear it’s therapy. Because the next day when you make about 10 high I will say though: the “first guy on, last guy off” stuff is much tougher to percentage plays and none work out, and you’re in-game adrenaline’d parse. That’s simply because some guys really are, and it does make a up, and you get hollered at on the bench every time, you need to be in a difference. So my point here is unrelated to either McDavid or Crosby, good place to not yell back, which can be extremely detrimental to your who are all-universe talents with extreme drive – we’ll never really know career. what’s god-given gift and what’s just the sheer work they’ve put in. But whenever someone says/writes the “first on last off” phrase, I’d always 4. One note about Jeremy Colliton’s coaching: opponents said AHL want to know what the players are doing. Because I was a first on/last off Rockford became much more aggressive under him. Lots of activity from guy, but only because I love the fresh sheet of ice before practice starts, the defence in the offensive zone, which is similar to what the NHL club with no coaches around, and just a little time to enjoy the game before prefers. They also aggressively held the blueline, stopping and attacking the “get it in deep”-fests would begin. And after practice I liked to play in certain cases. Previously, they tended to sag back and protect the net. Rebound, or even just keep-away, because again, hockey is fun. But that I had the privilege of playing with Jeremy in Bridgeport for a short while, didn’t make me better, at least not much. and got to spend a week with him at a Leafs development camp (the It’s great to be first on, last off. But when we read about anyone being Leafs often bring in young coaches from outside the organization to mythologized for those habits, it’d be great to know how that extra time is further relationships, pick brains, etc.). If I could use three words to actually used. Some guys are just so much more efficient at using bonus describe Colliton as I know him, I’d go with smart, serious, open-minded time to truly work at getting better. (is that four words?). 11. The speedbump for Carolina is they have business to do. Sebastian Obviously it won’t be easy as a young guy taking over such a storied Aho needs a new contract. So do Micheal Ferland, Brock McGinn and franchise, but if anyone can it’s him. During my time as his teammate, I Teuvo Teravainen. No one needs permission to speak to Nylander, who was certain he was older than me. Not looks-wise, just maturity. Most of is a free agent, so you can discuss contract concepts without penalty. the on-bench advice from teammates consists of “You gotta f***ing pass Aho’s the internal priority as a franchise cornerstone, but his contract me that puck there!” He was great about explaining things in detail to me won’t go into Auston Matthews/John Tavares territory. That helps the when I wasn’t in the right spot, and generally making me feel comfortable Hurricanes with Nylander’s key issue: salary too far below teammates. off the ice. I strung together some tweets earlier today on Nylander’s contract Turns out I’m a couple years older than the guy, but I’m not worried he’s situation, which basically said that I could conceivably see him neither too young to succeed with the Blackhawks. For those reasons, I’m getting signed or traded this year. Here’s that thread, starting with a link confident they’ll grow to take him seriously. He’ll have his work cut out for to Boss Mirtle’s Leafs thoughts post: him in the early going, but he’s such a hard worker, I have no doubt he’ll find a way to make it work as well as that roster is able to. My apologies this wasn't posted sooner. I -- like most of you watching at home, I imagine -- watched... 5. So, after a season with no coaching changes, we have two before American Thanksgiving. Right from the start, the pressure’s been Short term that’d suck. (May help help future deals?) Just seems like Willy’s camp is asking a TON vs what he’s proven. If you can’t get value back in a trade (other team has to sign him, too), can’t kill your cap given other upcoming deals... maybe just “tough beans, Bill?” What struck me about this point on Nylander earning closer to his teammates if he was in Carolina, and that being a good thing is … say what now? If he can earn $6.5 million in Toronto – much less than their top players – he’d be less happy than if he were making $6.5 million in Carolina, where there aren’t players earning a bunch more? I’m not great at math, but I can’t imagine concerning yourself with Income Rel given $6.5 million USD is $6.5 million USD no matter where you are. There are arguments to be made for earning in both cities – one’s cheaper, one has fewer taxes, one has opportunities to earn you wouldn’t get in the other, and all that. But surely “playing with lesser players who earn less to make yourself feel better” can’t be a worthwhile factor. 31. Most sports fans of my vintage (48) were Sports Illustrated readers. My first subscription was a 12th birthday present in 1982, and my favourite writer/reporter became Dr. Z, Paul Zimmerman. He looked at everything a little differently, through the eyes of both a former player and tough reporter. He created his own charts, his own method of judging effectiveness and always came up with new details you couldn’t find elsewhere. I loved reading his stuff. For one of his All-Pro Teams, he selected a Chicago Bears offensive lineman named Mark Bortz. He wrote that someone told him not to do it, because Bortz was “a butcher.” Zimmerman did it anyway. When we were at Western University, old friend Scott Feschuk told me, “Paul Zimmerman doesn’t think you can be great at this job.” He showed me a quote where Dr. Z said (paraphrasing), “You can’t be a great reporter without being a prick.” (Scott always thought I was too nice.) You guys can judge how that turned out, but it was an excellent reminder of how we can’t be afraid to step out of our comfort zones. RIP to a legend. I consider myself extremely fortunate to be able to write about the game from an angle that rarely puts me in a position to have to confront those I’m writing about. Generally, I get to say “here’s the video, here’s an idiotic play,” then move on with my life. Which is to say, I thought Mark Lazerus’ piece on the Blackhawks scapegoating Joel Quenneville was tremendous. He made some excellent points about Q getting hung out to dry for being handed an inferior roster, and he did it candidly, knowing he has to go in and talk to the brass face to face at some point again. When I started blogging, it was super easy – it feels like you can say whatever, whenever, about anyone. It takes some real courage to still write like that when you have to confront the people on the other end of those words. I admire reporters who can do that a great deal. Check that piece out here.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114449 Websites “a winner”? That sounds silly, but apparently, it makes sense to somebody.

Why I think he should be in: At least part of my argument in favor of The Athletic / Down Goes Brown: Making the case for four passed-over Joseph is that the Hall of Fame, in general, has been too stingy with Hall of Fame candidates goaltenders. If you became a hockey fan in 1973 – 45 long years ago – you’ve only seen the debuts of five goalies that made the Hall of Fame. That’s kind of ridiculous, and Joseph seems like a nice opportunity to By Sean McIndoe start a course correction. Nov 7, 2018 But beyond that, Joseph checks both boxes you want in a Hall of Famer: Big numbers over a long career, and a peak period where he was clearly among the very best in the league. He never won that Vezina, but he was a finalist three times and finished in the top five on two other occasions. I have to admit, I love Hockey Hall of Fame debates. That makes this a Remember, his peak overlaps with Dominik Hasek’s; that should be a good week for me, because it’s one of two times during the year that the factor, just like how we don’t penalize guys for not winning Hart Trophies Hall’s choices are front and center. The first comes in the summer, when over Wayne Gretzky in the 80s or the Norris over Bobby Orr in the 70s. the inductees are announced, and the second comes now, as we get ready for induction weekend. Joseph wasn’t Hasek, nor was he Martin Brodeur or Patrick Roy. But that can’t be where the bar is, because if it is then we might as well padlock And I can’t get enough. I love arguing over who’s already in. I love the Hall doors for goalies right now. We can debate whether a Hall of arguing over players who aren’t eligible. And I especially love arguing Fame should be reserved for the very best of the best, but right now over guys who haven’t made it yet, but maybe should have. Those are hockey is using different standards for different positions. Let’s fix that. the really fun ones, because we can keep revisiting and refining the case for years – maybe even decades. One sentence that will convince you: Everyone else in the top twelve in wins who’s eligible is already in, and the three active players in the group Over the years, I’ve written plenty of pieces on HHOF candidates. And – Roberto Luongo, Henrik Lundqvist and Marc-André Fleury – range from you’ve probably read plenty just like them, because just about everyone slam dunks to very likely inductees. breaks out a list from time to time. But if there’s a criticism of those pieces, mine included, it’s that they can be a bit wishy-washy. We end up Odds he gets in: I like his chances, if only because when Luongo and listing a bunch of names and talking about the pros and cons of each, Lundqvist arrive in front of voters with similar resumes – lots of wins and and maybe get into why some cases are stronger than others. But most individual success, no Cup wins – they’re both getting in. That’s going to of us try not to be too definitive. After all, you never know when the Hall make Joseph’s exclusion a lot harder to defend. The question is whether will prove you wrong. he has to wait for those guys, or if the Hall decides to get its goalie house in order first. So today, I’m going to go one further. I’m going to break down the case for four names that have been eligible for a while, and that I’m willing to Alexander Mogilny say should be in the Hall of Fame. No maybes or could-bes or “he has a solid case.” I’m planting my flag in the ground. These four guys should be Eligible since: 2009 in. Period. The case for: Wyatt Arndt actually laid it out pretty well last week. You Will the HHOF prove me right by eventually inducting all four? Maybe, can read it towards the end of this column. but I don’t like my odds – as you’ll see, some of my picks have been waiting a while. But you never know. I remember going through The short version: Mogilny was widely considered one of the best candidates a few years ago and slowly but surely realizing that Paul wingers of his generation. He was a two-time postseason all-star, and his Kariya’s case was a lot stronger than I thought. It took a few years, but stunning 76-goal season would have earned him a share of the Rocket eventually, the Hall agreed. Can I take all the credit for that? Of course Richard Trophy in 1993 if the award had existed. He had another 50-goal not, that would be ridiculous. But most of the credit? Yes, I think that’s season, and topped 30 goals eight times, most in an era where scoring reasonable. had plummeted and skill players had to fight through open-field tackles to get near the net. Still, he hit the 1,000-point mark and averaged over a So let’s see if I can work that magic again. Here are the four names I’m point-per-game, and on an adjusted goals basis he’s tied with Guy willing to get behind as deserving a Hall of Fame plaque someday soon. Lafleur. Curtis Joseph The case against: You could make the case that Mogilny was never the best player on his own team, and he only received Hart Trophy votes in Eligible since: 2012 one season. And the most straightforward argument: He’s a goal-scorer who didn’t reach 500 goals. The case for: The big number is 454. That’s Joseph’s career win total, which ranks fifth all-time. Why I think he should be in: Even beyond the numbers, which are borderline HHOF-worthy in their own right, Mogilny was a crucially Granted, wins aren’t a great stat for measuring a goalie’s worth, because important figure in NHL history. In 1989, he became the first Russian star they’re so team dependent. The wins leaders from a single season tell us to defect to the West. That decision, which carried plenty of risk for the close to nothing about true talent. But when you’re looking at career then 20-year-old, helped open the NHL’s doors to players from behind totals, there’s at least some value in the wins column, if only because it the Iron Curtain, reshaping the league. highlights guys who were able to hold down jobs as starters on competitive teams for a long time. One sentence that will convince you: Only six other players in NHL history have scored more than 70 goals in a season, and every one of And it’s not like Joseph spent his career racking up wins behind loaded the others – Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, , Phil Esposito, Jari Kurri rosters. He spent the first 13 years of his career with the Blues, Oilers and Teemu Selanne – was an absolute no-questions-asked Hall of and Maple Leafs, three teams that were decidedly average (or worse) Famer.* when he arrived, then got significantly better once he took over. Not all goalies are difference-makers; Joseph clearly was. Odds he gets in: There’s still a chance, but Mogilny’s been eligible for almost a decade. We have no way of knowing if he’s been close during The case against: I think we can all agree that the biggest problem with any of those years, but he seems to get lost in the group of almost-there Curtis Joseph is that when he writes a book it shoots straight to number forwards like Jeremy Roenick, Theo Fleury, Peter Bondra and Keith one on the bestseller list and takes over entire walls of bookstores Tkachuk. With those guys, plus Daniel Alfredsson and (soon) the Sedins, without leaving any room for lesser-known authors, right? Yes, I thought Patrik Elias and Pavel Datsyuk in the pipeline, Mogilny is at risk of getting so. Stop doing that, Curtis. lost in the shuffle. He shouldn’t be. (I’m kidding, of course. I’m not bitter. Joseph’s book is great, and I (*Yes, fine, I used an arbitrary end point here to exclude Bernie Nicholls. encourage you to learn more about it right here.) He ruins everything in these discussions.) Beyond that, his wins total is at least partly a factor of longevity over Doug Wilson success – he also ranks third in career losses, after all. His career goals- against average and save percentage aren’t all that impressive, and even Eligible since: 1996 when you adjust for era they’re good but not amazing. He never won a Vezina or was a first-team all-star. The case for: You want longevity and sustained performance? Wilson played 14 years and ranks in the top 15 in all-time scoring for But the big knock on Joseph seems to be that he never won a Stanley defensemen, ahead of guys who played longer like Borje Salming, Scott Cup. Is it possible to rank in the top five for all-time wins and still not be Niedermayer and Rob Blake. You want a guy who was considered among the very best at his position than his share of power struggles. Remember, this is a guy who got at his peak? Wilson won a Norris Trophy, and had three other top-five suspended and fined $100,000 for bailing on the Rangers just days after finishes. He was a three-time postseason all-star. He even finished in the that historic Cup win. top-ten in Hart voting twice, and most Hart voters don’t even know that defensemen exist. Does all that matter? In theory, maybe not. But when you’ve got a committee full of hockey lifers in a room debating Keenan’s Hall case, the This is an argument I found on the internet: “Here are the all-time scoring odds are pretty good that at least a few are harboring a grudge. That can leaders among defensemen for the other five Original Six teams: Ray be all it takes to sideline a candidacy. Bourque, Nicklas Lidstrom, Borje Salming, Brian Leetch and Larry Robinson. Those aren’t just five Hall of Famers, they’re five no- Why he should be in: Remember when I said the Hall of Fame was weird questions-asked Hall of Famers. And yet here’s Wilson, who leads the about goalies? They’re really weird about coaches. Blackhawks all-time list by a mile, and his candidacy seems to be all but That’s partly because there isn’t a coaching category. There’s a player forgotten.” I’m not sure who came up with that, but they seem very smart category. There’s a referee and linesmen category. There’s a Hall-of- and handsome. Fame-adjacent media section. But coaches get lumped in as “builders,” The case against: Apart from his Norris year, he might be a guy who fits along with owners and GMs and league presidents and various other the “Hall of Very Good” criteria more than the Hall of Fame. And while he behind-the-scenes types. That doesn’t work, since a coach’s job isn’t scored 23 goals and 73 points as a 32-year-old, his numbers dipped really to “build” anything other than a winning season, but that’s how it’s sharply after that, and he was done by 35. Maybe another strong year or always been done. two makes him a no-brainer, but he didn’t get there. But either because of that or for some other reason, coaches tend to Why I think he should be in: Put simply, Wilson was one of the very best have a tough time getting into the Hall of Fame. We all remember the defensemen of his generation, and the only reason we don’t remember extended wait for Pat Burns, the only three-time Jack Adams winner; he him that way is that he had the misfortune of playing during the Ray died before the Hall got around to inducting him. Pat Quinn eventually got Bourque/Paul Coffey era. It’s basically the same sort of problem we find in, although he had a long career as a GM, too. Even a dual role hasn’t with Joseph vs. Hasek/Roy/Brodeur. been enough yet for Bryan Murray, although you’d hope that changes soon. Jacques Demers won a Cup in Montreal and is the only man to win Maybe I’m putting too much emphasis on that Norris Trophy – after all, the Jack Adams in back-to-back years, but that hasn’t been enough. And Randy Carlyle won it the year before, and nobody’s calling him a Hall of there’s been no HHOF buzz at all for longtime coaches whose bench Famer. But if you start with Wilson’s win in 1981 and move forward, you careers appear to be over, like Ron Wilson or Jacques Martin. don’t find a single Norris winner who isn’t in the HHOF until you get to the guys who aren’t eligible yet. And if you go backward and skip over That seems odd. To get in the Hall of Fame as a player, you typically just Carlyle, you don’t get to a non-Hall Norris winner at all. They’re all in. need to have been considered one of the very best at your position for a Carlyle and Wilson are two massive outliers, and with all due respect to period of time. But for coaches, that’s rarely enough – you have to either Carlyle’s playing days, Wilson was miles better. But even if you insisted transcend the job by also having success as a GM, or be the subject of a on taking that Norris season out, Wilson is still a multi-time all-star with groundswell of public support the way Burns was. career totals that are worthy of a close look. Keenan isn’t getting that groundswell, because again, lots of people can’t One sentence that will convince you: Here’s the complete list of players stand him. But at some point, the HHOF has to figure this coaching thing who both won a Norris Trophy (peak) and finished in the top 25 all-time in out. Surely we’re not still going to be messing around with this stuff when defenseman scoring (longevity), but haven’t been inducted into the it’s time to talk about guys like Joel Quenneville or Ken Hitchcock or Hockey Hall of Fame: Doug Wilson, and that’s it. Barry Trotz. Are we? Odds he gets in: Not great. In fact, considering he’s been eligible for over One sentence that will convince you: He once punished Alexei Kovalev 20 years, it’s tempting to say that his ship has sailed. But there are two by making him stay on the ice for ten straight minutes, only to find out factors keeping his hopes alive. The first is that the HHOF committee is that Kovalev thought he was being rewarded. kind of weird, and will occasionally induct guys after a decade or more – Odds he gets in: Slim to none would be my guess. But here’s hoping that Mark Howe’s 13-year wait would seem to offer Wilson some hope here. “slim” can at least jar the door open for some other names down the line, The second is that he’s currently one of the best GMs in the league, even if Iron Mike can’t make the grade. which means his name is still top-of-mind in the hockey world. Heck, maybe he leads the Sharks to a Cup or two and gets in as a builder So those are the four names that I’m saying should be in the Hall of someday instead. Fame. Go ahead and tell me I’m wrong. (No really, go ahead, I know you’re going to anyway.) Mike Keenan But to be clear, that doesn’t mean these are the only guys I think should Eligible since: Not really applicable since he’d be going in as a builder be in. Clearly, there are more recent candidates with strong cases. And and they don’t have to be retired, but he hasn’t coached in the NHL since there’s still plenty of work to be done on the women’s side, where six 2009. inductees isn’t anywhere near enough. The case for: Keenan ranks in the top ten for all-time coaching wins – But what about that other fringe candidate that you like? I know the and unlike goaltenders, wins are a pretty decent way to evaluate a head Sergei Zubov truthers are out there, ready to pounce. There are strong coach. He also won a Jack Adams as coach of the year, and he made cases for Fleury, Roenick, Tkachuk or Steve Larmer. The argument for four trips to the final with three teams in a ten-year stretch. He only won Kevin Lowe is stronger than you might think. Daniel Alfredsson is still one of those, but it was a big one – by ending the Rangers’ 54-year lurking. I’m not completely convinced we should have shut the door on drought in 1994, Keenan was behind the bench for what might be the Ron Hextall. You’ll no doubt see other names mentioned in the leadup to most iconic Cup win in the NHL’s modern history. Monday’s ceremony. You can go on down the list. No really, there’s a But as we’re often reminded, it’s the Hockey Hall of Fame, not just the whole website that’s nothing but a list. NHL Hall of Fame. And Keenan won in just about every league he Maybe some of them get in next year, when a window opens up because coached in, including championships in the OHL, AHL and (most Vincent Lecavalier is the only major name entering eligibility. Maybe the recently) the KHL, making him the only coach to win titles in both the Hall never honors any of them. Maybe some of them get the Rogie KHL and NHL. Vachon treatment and only get the call after we’ve all stopped thinking And on top of all that, he also had an inspired if spotty career as a GM, about their candidacy. The HHOF can be strange like that. making plenty of aggressive deals including one for Wayne Gretzky. He The point is that I’m not saying “no” to any of them. There’s still room for really is one of the most interesting men in hockey. a little bit of the wishy-washy approach here. I’m just making the case The case against: His NHL coaching career drops off sharply after that that we put these four at the front of the line. Come to think of it, this first decade; he basically bounced around the league for 15 years, looks like a pretty decent starting point for the Class of 2019. coaching five teams and never getting out of the second round of the And for the record, if that happens, I won’t even need four separate thank playoffs. Fans in places like Boston, Florida, Calgary and (especially) yous during the induction speeches. One group effort will be fine. Vancouver don’t have a ton of positive memories of their Mike Keenan eras. But the bigger problem is one that we might as well just come right out The Athletic LOADED: 11.08.2018 and say: Keenan could be a jerk, and lots of people in the hockey world hated him back in the day. Heck, a lot of them probably still do. The list of players he clashed with is a long one – ironically including all three of Joseph, Mogilny and Wilson, among many others – and he had more 1114450 Websites It’s coming. Coach Bill Peters said this week he likes Neal on the Backlund line, and suggested he could play there much more moving forward. Sportsnet.ca / Takeaways: Mike Smith's struggles becoming all too common for Flames How often may largely be dictated by the opposition as Michael Frolik has been his go-to guy on Backlund’s shut-down line whenever the Flames face one of the league’s more formidable trios. Eric Francis | @EricFrancis The problem for Neal is, most teams in the league have stellar top lines November 8, 2018, 2:06 AM worthy of being keyed on. But the fact is, while playing with the team’s best playmakers Wednesday Neal was more noticeable than ever. All told his line accounted for 14 of Calgary’s Comeback Kids finally ran out of time. the Flames’ 39 shots. Backlund led the way with six and missed a wide- open net in the second period. For the first time in four games the Flames were unable to author a third period comeback, falling 3-2 to the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center That also doesn’t include Neal’s nifty setup of Johnny Gaudreau that No. Wednesday. 13 rang off the post midway through the game. Down 2-1 entering the final period, the Flames’ bid to become just the Neal certainly earned a chance to see more ice time with the big guns, fourth team in NHL history to win four straight games while trailing after befitting his five-year, $28.75 million contract signed during the summer. two periods was stymied by a vintage Ryan Miller outing. Dillon Dube missed the trip as he goes through concussion protocol A mere 27 seconds after the Flames scored their league-leading 29th following the awkward hit Duncan Keith threw on him Saturday. It third-period goal early in the frame to tie the game, former Calgary prompted the Flames to summon AHL tough guy Anthony Peluso from Hitmen captain Ryan Getzlaf scored the winner. Stockton and he wasn’t half bad. It was a gutsy, solid effort in a building the Flames have only won once in Injecting a physical presence the Flames have sorely lacked this season, in their last 28 visits. Peluso threw his 225-pound frame around aplenty, rocking several Ducks on a night he didn’t look out of place in his 4:20 of ice time. Old school. Alas, the outing puts an end to a five-game point streak that saw the Flames collect nine of a possible ten points following their 9-1 setback Austin Czarnik also drew in following a lengthy string of healthy scratches against Pittsburgh. and showed plenty of rust as he was unable to bury the several good chances he had on the second power play unit, as well as Mark They can thank Miller for that, as he turned aside 37 of 39 Flames shots Jankowski’s fourth line. to earn the win. Jankowski picked a fine time to score his first of the year – a pretty third Here are some takeaways from the first of a three-game roadie in period shorthanded snipe that tied the game 2-2 for less than half a California. minute. Sportsnet NOW gives you access to over 500 NHL games this season, Don’t be fooled by the fact that Gaudreau recorded no shots on goal on a blackout-free, including , Rogers Hometown night that ended his five-game point streak – he was solid. Although not Hockey, Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey, the entire 2019 Stanley quite as stellar as Elias Lindholm, he was a threat all night long. Cup Playoffs and more. Gaudreau was slashed on the wrist by Rakell with 1:14 left to give the Mike Smith continues to be the biggest talking point of the Flames’ Flames a great chance to tie the game with a power play unit that season for all the wrong reasons. accounted for a Tkachuk tip in in the first. However, it may have come at a price as Gaudreau was wincing considerably following the type of slash The 36-year-old once again put the Flames in an early hole with a whiff he’s been so accustomed to receiving over the years. We’ll see how the NHL starters simply shouldn’t make. wrist is on Friday when the Flames reconvene for practice. Smith had a clear view of Jakob Silfverberg’s slap shot from the faceoff It had nothing to do with the game but the Chicago Blackhawks firing of dot, yet found a way to turn a routine save into an adventure that Joel Quenneville struck a chord with Travis Hamonic, as the new Hawks somehow squeezed through his pads and into the net only eight minutes coach is his former teammate, Jeremy Colliton. into the game. Hamonic and Colliton played together on Long Island in 2011, where Deflating, and all too common a sight for the Flames this season. Hamonic said he saw leadership qualities in his teammate that helped By night’s end Smith finished with 19 saves on 22 shots, marking the Colliton in his meteoric rise up the coaching ranks. eighth time in 11 starts his save percentage was under .900. "Great guy," said Hamonic, who is five-years younger than the 33-year- The man who entered the game with a ghastly 3.71 goals-against old Colliton. average and .871 save percentage was outplayed once again by his "You could just tell he’d be a coach. I found out he was coaching over in counterpart. Sweden a few years after I played with him and I wasn’t surprised. I knew Give Smith credit, after his Flames spotted the Ducks a 2-0 lead he held a couple guys who played for him there and had success. the fort with a stellar second period that included key saves on Pontus "I heard he got the job in (AHL) Rockford and wasn’t surprised either. Aberg and Hampus Lindholm as well as two stops on Rickard Rakell. He’s a pretty special person. It’s hard to pinpoint but he’s just one of Yet, after his team tied the game early in the third he was unable to stop those guys who carried himself in that manner." Getzlaf in tight.

The club has largely resisted the urge to start red-hot backup David Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.08.2018 Rittich more than Smith, hoping to give the veteran a chance to fight his way through the struggles that have plagued him since the late stages of last season. How long that will last is anyone’s guess. Although he had nothing but four shots to show for it, this was James Neal’s best outing as a Flame. Wednesday’ loss marked the first time this year Neal was handed a starting assignment in the Flames top six, lining up on the right side of Mikael Backlund’s second unit with Matthew Tkachuk. Neal was stymied by Miller on a great setup by Tkachuk, and made a great pass to Sean Monahan who was unable to convert during a delayed penalty call. In short, Neal fit in. He was noticeable. 1114451 Websites PHILADELPHIA FLYERS From Feb. 1 through the end of the regular season in 2017-18, the Flyers had a top-10 record in the NHL at 18-8-6. That finish set the bar higher Sportsnet.ca / Five potential trade destinations for Maple Leafs' William on expectations in 2018-19. Nylander So it’s been hard to swallow another middling 7-7-1 start through 15 games. Rory Boylen | @RoryBoylen “You look at our team on paper, and we’ve got a pretty good team. But November 7, 2018, 11:29 AM paper doesn’t mean a whole lot. We need to play better,” Flyers GM Ron Hextall told reporters in late October. “I’m a pretty patient guy, but things need to start going better here.” The closer we get to Dec. 1, the more trade speculation will ramp up The Flyers have answered with three wins in their past four games (all on around William Nylander and the Toronto Maple Leafs. the road) and got at least a point in each one. This has probably dulled the speculation that head coach Dave Hakstol is on the hot seat, but if a Still without a contract, Nylander is less than a month away from the cut- Nylander-type becomes available, the Flyers would be an intriguing fit. off date when he either needs to sign a deal or will be ineligible to play in the NHL this season. And there is no indication the team and player are On last week’s 31 Thoughts Podcast, Friedman noted the Flyers were a any closer to agreeing on terms. “stealth team” for Nylander and have pieces Toronto would want if they decide to move. “I get the sense that they’ve hit a real road block with Nylander, like a serious road block,” Elliotte Friedman said on Sportsnet 650’s The MINNESOTA WILD Program last Tuesday. “It can change, but as I talk to you right now I understand they’re at a total standstill. A hot 8-3-2 start maybe makes it less likely the Wild jump into the trade market, but with a new GM in Paul Fenton, you can bet that at some “I still lean towards [believing] they want to sign him. I believe that’s their point he’ll want to put his mark on this roster. first choice, but they haven’t made a lot of progress. I think both sides are getting frustrated, but the one thing about the trading is — I don’t think Even with a good record, though, you have to wonder if Nylander is worth they’ve decided to trade him now, but I think they’ve at least made the shaking things up for. The Wild average 3.08 goals per game (15th in the decision that they’re going to have to think about it.” league) and convert on 18.6 per cent of their power plays (20th) so there is room to improve in an area Nylander excels. Prior to the start of the season we highlighted a number of RFAs who missed training camp or the start of the season in recent years. Two of Consider, too, that Minnesota is one of the league’s oldest teams with an the five highlighted players who missed regular season games were average age of 29 and you can see why a flashy 22-year-old with back- traded within two years: Ryan O’Reilly and P.K. Subban, who had to-back 60-point seasons would be an enticing target. massive new contracts. The other three were Hampus Lindholm, Eric Staal’s expiring contract means it’s possible there will be a hole at Andreas Athanasiou and Jacob Trouba, and you still have to wonder centre soon and Mikko Koivu will turn 36 before the playoffs start. The what Trouba’s future in Winnipeg holds. Wild are going to need to start skewing younger soon. Only one of the three players we mentioned who only missed training Ryan Dixon and Rory Boylen go deep on pucks with a mix of facts and camp were eventually traded, so while Nylander isn’t destined to be fun, leaning on a varied group of hockey voices to give their take on the traded yet, more than a few players in his situation have eventually been country’s most beloved game. moved. Most of the time that was because the new contracts they signed ended up being too rich for the teams that signed them. Speaking of stealth teams, how about the Ducks? GM Bob Murray usually goes about his business quietly and seems like a GM who could So, as we crawl towards the ever-important Dec. 1 date, and with Auston be in the market for a player of Nylander’s type. Matthews back skating for the Leafs, we look at a few potential trade destinations for Nylander, if it ever gets to that point. It’s no secret the Ducks are struggling. They are 6-6-3, a record improved by the outstanding netminding from John Gibson, and despite the CAROLINA HURRICANES league’s worst average shot differential per game (-11.7). Last year This is the most obvious fit for Nylander. Anaheim got off to a similarly slow start with an 11-10-4 record through Nov. 29, and then traded defenceman Sami Vatanen to New Jersey for “I do think that when the time does come — if the time does come — that centre Adam Henrique. Toronto decides they’re going to deal him I think that Carolina has made it very clear they are all in,” Friedman said on Hockey Night in Canada’s Injuries helped Murray into the trade market in November of last season Headlines segment last Saturday. and the Ducks are again hurting today. Ryan Getzlaf has been in and out of the lineup. Patrick Eaves just returned for the first time in a year. Carolina needs scoring and Toronto needs defence, so naturally they Ondrej Kase remains out with a concussion. Nick Ritchie returned from look like good trade partners on paper. The Canes’ offence looked to be his own contract dispute and then got injured. Rookie Max Comtois turning a corner with 25 goals in their first seven games this season, but recently went down, and vet Corey Perry is out for a while. more than half of those (13) came in two games against the Rangers and Canucks. They’ve mustered only 13 goals in their past seven and a 6.5 When the Ducks were swept out of the first round of last year’s playoffs shooting percentage on the season that ranks dead-last in the NHL. by San Jose, Murray spoke about the need for his team to get faster in 2018-19. There were no additions made over the summer to achieve Toronto, meanwhile, can score with the best of them, but their main that, which makes Nylander an intriguing option. challenge is defending other teams’ top units. They especially need another right-shot defenceman, or two. LOS ANGELES KINGS Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.08.2018 The Kings very much want to change the way they play the game. After years of dominating with a ‘heavy hockey’ style, Los Angeles hasn’t adapted to a speedier game with as much success as other teams have. Head coach John Stevens was dismissed on Sunday, players are beginning to appear in the trade rumour mill, and as of Tuesday, the Kings sat last in the NHL with a 4-8-1 record. With 2.15 goals per game, Los Angeles has the least-productive offence in the league. Using last year’s final scoring lists, Nylander’s 61 points would have been good for second (tied with Jeff Carter) on Los Angeles’ roster. The fact that Nylander could potentially become a centre one day helps the Kings, as they could move Carter back to the wing. Nylander’s speed and shiftiness add an element the Kings lack. The only issue that could arise is Los Angeles’ cap situation — today they already have $76.954 million committed to 16 roster players next season. 1114452 Websites Tavareses, Trotz has guided the Islanders to the top of the Metropolitan without a clear No. 1 goalie and only one goal from Mathew Barzal.

6. Minnesota Wild Sportsnet.ca / NHL Power Rankings: How Hot Is Your Coach's Seat? Edition When a new GM steps in and doesn’t make a coaching change, as was the case in Minnesota with Paul Fenton, the theory goes that the first firing is free. Compound that with Bruce Boudreau’s reputation as a Luke Fox | @lukefoxjukebox brilliant regular-season coach (.654 winning percentage) whose clubs come up short in spring (.478 in the playoffs), and the seat isn’t exactly November 7, 2018, 12:21 PM icy. Boudreau does have a season beyond this one on his deal (at $2.65 million), and the Wild have come out the gates strong.

7. San Jose Sharks But, really, aren’t they all interim coaches? Under Peter DeBoer, the Sharks have been fine but unspectacular after So much for the anomaly that was the NHL coaching landscape of 2017- their blockbuster off-season. Doug Wilson’s franchise is all-in now, so we 18, when all 31 head coaches survived the 82-game gauntlet. imagine DeBoer’s job security depends on how his troops perform in a post-season they almost always make. Just over a month into 2018-19, already two modern dynasties have fired their bench boss, and other jobs are in danger early. 8. Boston Bruins Chicago’s Joel Quenneville, he of three Stanley Cup championships, was Bruce Cassidy rose from interim bench boss to Jack Adams finalist, and handed his walking papers Tuesday and immediately joins Alain he’s found a balance between the Bruins’ youth and ring-bearing Vigneault as a tempting free agent. veterans to remain a contender in a highly competitive, top-heavy Atlantic Division. The early returns have far exceeded expectations. He’s dealing “It was pretty shocking,” says Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant, no with a compelling goalie controversy these days, as backup Jaroslav stranger to the axe himself. Halak outplays Tuukka Rask. “That’s two in two days. Joel Quenneville is at the top of the coaching 9. Winnipeg Jets pedigree. It’s too bad. It’s a part of our business, we all understand that, but it’s real tough.” Paul Maurice is the perfect example of how a coach can survive calls for his head and thrive. After an extension many ripped in the 2017 off- This week, we examine the security* of all 31 head coaches in our NHL season, all Maurice did was guide the Jets deeper into spring than Power Rankings: How Hot Is Your Coach’s Seat? Edition. they’ve gone. Maurice has a wealth of experience to draw on, and he’s Per tradition, all 31 teams are ranked in order of their current now the second-longest-tenured man in the biz, next to Cooper. awesomeness. The write-ups, however, zero in on the men in suits 10. Colorado Avalanche screaming expletives. A Jack Adams Award finalist in June, Jared Bednar came into Colorado *subject to change green and turned the Avs into a legitimate player in the Central Division With 6 grams of delicious, crunchy, energy-giving protein, there’s nothing — thanks in no small part for stacking that ridiculous top line. Bednar’s you and almonds can’t do. Visit Almonds.com for more ways to slay your work last season earned him an extension through 2019-20, and a team day. we thought might stake a step back has done anything but. 1. Nashville Predators 11. Montreal Canadiens Among current NHL head coaches, Peter Laviolette is now the third Quickly scooped from a divisional rival, Claude Julien alone failed to longest-tenured man standing. He ranks second (to Babcock) in playoff produce an immediate turnaround, but his work this season — the Habs games won (73) and first in bull’s heads worn during a post-game scrum. look young and fast and some new faces have assimilated smoothly — is Laviolette’s Preds finished tops in the regular season last year and lead impressive. That GM Marc Bergevin has already played his fire-the- the pack in points percentage now. Judging by the video evidence, coach card and Julien is owed $15 million for the next three seasons Laviolette is feeling pretty secure: removed him from the hot seat. Scratching vets like Tomas Plekanec and Karl Alzner is a sign of a man comfortable in his career. 2. Tampa Bay Lightning 12. Vancouver Canucks It feels like yesterday that AHL call-up Jon Cooper was the new kid on the block. Now, at age 51, the former lawyer has seized Quenneville’s — whom Vancouver has locked up for three more years at mantle as the NHL’s longest-tenured head coach. That speaks volumes a relatively cheap $1 million salary — is our early favourite for Coach of about both Cooper’s abilities and the fickleness of the gig. the Year. No one is getting more out of less, and that’s a compliment. The Canucks’ effort and entertainment value is suddenly of the charts. “He’s got a lot of things on his fingers that I don’t have,” Cooper told reporters Tuesday of Coach Q, a mentor. “He’s the envy of many 13. Washington Capitals coaches.” Washington let its only Stanley Cup champion head coach, Barry Trotz, Cooper himself is in a contract year, but new GM Julien BriseBois has walk away in order to promote Todd Reirden. The results have been publicly endorsed the man behind the East’s top team. decent, if not exactly Trotzian, but to be fair, Reirden’s top six has remained in flux in light of Tom Wilson’s 20-game suspension. He 3. Toronto Maple Leafs describes his group as “definitely a work in progress.” When Bodog released its rather grim odds ranking of NHL coaches most 14. Edmonton Oilers likely to get fired at the top of season, Mike Babcock’s were the longest: 66/1. Toronto’s coach left his previous post under his own volition and is Prior to puck drop, Todd McLellan was ranked No. 1 by Vegas odds- widely believed to hold job security in a career without any. Under makers as first coach fired. At worst, he’ll be the third. Continually to contract through 2022-23 at $6.25 million per, Babcock altered the pay make difficult lineup decisions, keep a superstar happy, and figure out scale for his position. Expectations are through the roof, and he has time which of his wingers can actually play, McLellan staunched the early and space. Three straight first-round playoff exits could crank the bleeding and has led the Oilers into playoff position. But the pressure thermostat, though. valve will never fully be turned off. 4. Calgary Flames 15. Pittsburgh Penguins After a shaky start, the Flames have won four straight, shot to the summit Mike Sullivan was the man pulling the strings during the only back-to- of the Pacific, and are buying in to new coach Bill Peters’ demanding back NHL championship run of the salary-cap era. He oversees the best style of defence. Here’s betting this is a legit playoff team. If not, the axe one-two centre punch in hockey and has two years left on his contract, may not fall on the coach this time. and yet his power-play is dry, his goaltending isn’t where it once was, and his Penguins have recently been humbled by the Isles, Leafs and 5. New York Islanders Devils. He’s certainly not on the hot seat, but there is tension in that Pittsburgh room. In signing a five-year deal to reset the Islanders in the wake of a turbulent off-season, the Stanley Cup–winning Barry Trotz has job security 16. Dallas Stars aplenty. Entering with low expectations and more Komarovs than When a team starts with three straight seasons with a different coach, league will have his hands full returning a very accomplished and well- the next significant change might come elsewhere. Veteran Jason paid core back to glory. Spezza is enjoying a resurgence under NCAA grad Jim Montgomery, whom he says doesn’t carry himself like a newbie to the pro game. 26. Anaheim Ducks “He’ll call you out if you’re not paying attention. He commands your Randy Carlyle finds himself in the same boat as so many Ducks: win now attention when he’s speaking. You can tell he’s a confident coach who or else. Anaheim’s championship window is closing, if not already shut. knows what he’s doing,” Spezza says. “He has his way he wants us to Big-name injuries and imbalanced shot clocks haven’t helped matters. play, and until we start playing that way, he’s going to make sure he’s The heat is on. driving it into us.” 27. Carolina Hurricanes 17. Columbus Blue Jackets Under rookie coach Rod Brind’Amour, the Hurricanes started strong and The Blue Jackets gave John Tortorella a two-year extension in have put up solid possession metrics, but they’ve fallen back to the pack September that carries Torts through 2020-21. We don’t see why a and are juggling three goaltenders. Considering this team just cleaned small-market club would do such a thing if the coach was on a leash as house a few months ago, we’d expect a trade before any further off-ice short as some of his post-game conferences. It’s the futures of shake-ups. Columbus’s star players — Sergei Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin — that 28. Vegas Golden Knights are of greater concern. The coach of the only team (Los Angeles) that scores less frequently 18. Arizona Coyotes than Gerard Gallant’s Golden Knights has already been fired. But we Rick Tocchet’s group has performed significantly better in Year 2, the certainly don’t pin that on the reigning Jack Adams winner. Both of the Coyotes plus-8 goal differential indicating that they’ve deserved a better franchise’s big forward finds, Max Pacioretty and Paul Stastny, have fate than their record. Compare Tocchet’s roster to other in the Pacific, been injured. Nate Schmidt, who drives play from the back, got and it’s difficult to blame him for the Coyotes’ struggles. He’s signed suspended 20 games. And their shooting percentage is a dismal 6.8 through 2019-20 at $1.5 million per season. (30th). Bad luck is real. Ask Vegas. Signed through 2020-21, Gallant won’t be pushed curbside anytime soon. 19. Buffalo Sabres 29. Florida Panthers Sabres fans are hardly convinced Phil Housley is the man to lead them back to the dance, and already this season has been a bit of a roller After one of the NHL’s better second halves, rookie coach Bob Boughner coaster in Buffalo. The Pegulas haven’t been shy about cutting cheque if and his Cats looked ready to make noise this fall. But with Roberto they sense an upgrade is available. On the flip side, the Sabres roster is Luongo going down for a month, Florida is behind the 8-ball. Boughner still one in transition, Housley was GM Jason Botterill’s choice, and has three seasons left at $1 million apiece and should be given at least making a coaching change every two years would show the kind of two of those to mold a playoff team. indecisiveness this club could do without. 30. Detroit Red Wings 20. Philadelphia Flyers It’s tough to fairly judge Jeff Blashill’s work since he inherited the gig from Dave Hakstol has another season beyond this one ($2-million salary) on Babcock with the Red Wings’ roster the thinnest it’s been in the average his deal with the Flyers, but were his tenure a video game, he’d be down reader’s lifetime. Blashill has a .490 win percentage, is one of the few to his last life. GM Ron Hextall backed his man after last year’s “Fire head coaches making less than $1 million, and he’s in the final year of Hakstol!” chants, but there’s been no such endorsement this fall. He’s in his deal. Ken Holland, who was extended not long ago himself, is a fan his fourth season and has yet to win a playoff round. The Flyers need to — but just look at some of the more qualified candidates now available. take a step. “I was given this quote a while ago,” Blashill told reporters Tuesday, “and 21. New York Rangers I think it’s a great quote for anybody in any high pressurized job where there is hirings and firings: the best soldiers are the ones that aren’t Of the three NHL bench bosses tied with the most years remaining on afraid to die. their deals (signed through 2022-13), David Quinn is the only one without a Cup ring. Heck, the college grad doesn’t even have six weeks of NHL “I don’t come here at any point at any time worried about that. I come experience under his belt. But as the Rangers gun for a lottery reset, here worried about doing the very best job I can.” Quinn’s pressure to win is virtually nil. His task is to take the long view 31. Los Angeles Kings and elevate work ethic (see: Kevin Shattenkirk’s healthy scratch). It’s working during this four-game win streak. The interim tag that prefaces Willie Desjardins’ job title leads us to believe he’ll need to jumpstart the Kings back into the playoff picture if 22. Ottawa Senators he’s to stick beyond June. That’s a tall order when commandeering an Dealt yet another off-ice controversy during a season in which his old, slow group of forwards whose offence has run dry. P.S. Your starting contract is up, Guy Boucher and his assistants are hanging by a thread. goaltender, Jonathan Quick, is out until further notice. It’s hard to lay the blame at the feet of the coach after the star power from the Sens’ 2017 Eastern Conference finalist roster got gutted. It might also be difficult to find a willing, qualified candidate to take over at Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.08.2018 this juncture. 23. St. Louis Blues Here’s something Mike Yeo already said: “Heck, my job should be in question.” If we’re doing Coach Q’s Next Gig Power Rankings, St. Louis rises to the top. The Blues are not supposed to be rebuilding, nor are they supposed to be last in their division. Oh, and there is a website solely dedicated to tracking whether Mike Yeo has been fired. It’s called IsMikeYeoStillCoach.com. Harsh. 24. New Jersey Devils In any other year, John Hynes would’ve gained considerably more Jack Adams consideration for his excellent work in 2017-18. The Devils subtracted instead of added to their young roster over the summer, Cory Schneider has been sidelined, and still Hynes has them at .500. 25. Chicago Blackhawks That Chicago is eating another two years of iconic coach Joel Quenneville’s salary means his Stan Bowman–picked replacement, Jeremy Colliton, should have ample berth to install his aggressive system and try to make the Blackhawks a playoff team again. Preferably, ASAP, according to CEO John McDonagh. The youngest head coach in the 1114453 Websites probably be lowered for his output unless he can get more shots, from better locations.

In previous years, Neal has compensated for lower shot rates by moving Sportsnet.ca / Why limited opportunity has Flames' James Neal off to closer to the net, which kept him as a 30-goal threat in recent years, but terrible start this season so far we’ve seen his scoring chances go down with his shots. Andrew Berkshire I’m not convinced that Neal is incapable of recovering, but he’s a player to watch right now, because Calgary will need to get him going once November 7, 2018, 2:55 PM Elias Lindholm’s hot streak cools off a little.

When he signed with the Calgary Flames in July, I wrote about how Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.08.2018 James Neal should be a decent fit with their forward group — at least in the short term — based on the fact that he remained a productive even- strength player despite some overall decline in his play entering his 30s. So far, that take hasn’t been looking so great. One of the assumptions that I made was that Neal would get a chance to play with Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau, bringing a scoring and agitating presence to that line. That would complement not just that line, but the agitating presence of Matthew Tkachuk on the second line, making the Flames very frustrating to play against, on top of being tough to defend. Unfortunately, in limited minutes (only 22), Neal has not been successful on that line at all. In fact they’ve been torn to shreds while together, and Elias Lindholm has stolen Neal’s spot there with a career high shooting percentage and over a point per game pace. Another thing I didn’t expect to happen. Without a spot that makes sense for him to play in, Neal has been bounced around the Flames’ lineup to a ridiculous degree, playing 10 minutes or more with seven different line combinations in his just 191.35 minutes of 5-vs-5 ice time, according to Corsica.Hockey’s line combination tool. The result has been a terrible start for Neal, where his minor penalties outnumber his points by a 5-4 margin over 15 games. Looking strictly at his on-ice statistics, his performance is below team average, but that’s not unexpected for a player slotted on the third line of a very top-heavy team, so the question I have is whether Neal has hit a sharp decline to begin this year. Let’s look at the same statistics I presented over the summer and compare Neal’s year in Vegas to his first 15 games in Calgary. Overall, Neal is about as involved in creating scoring chances as he was last year, still at a top-six forward rate, which is a good sign for him. However, his tendencies are all backwards. Throughout his career, Neal has been a pretty decent playmaker in getting the puck to the slot, but he’s always been a shoot-first player with the playmaking being a secondary option. This year his shot rates from the slot are all down, while his passing rates are up. In a vacuum, this is not necessarily bad, but I have noticed over the last couple years that when snipers are in a funk, this is often what’s happening — they’re not being selfish enough with the puck. The issue isn’t his teammates not finding him either. Neal is receiving 2.72 passes in the slot per 20 minutes played at 5-vs-5, the highest rate on the Flames, significantly ahead of Sean Monahan in second at 2.47. So not only should he be getting more scoring chances, most of them should be involving pre-shot movement as well, making them extra dangerous. But he’s not getting his shots off. A similar problem has happened with Neal’s attacking off the rush. While the Flames aren’t quite the rushing team that Vegas was last season, Neal ranks 12th among Flames forwards in scoring chances off the rush, where he’s been preferring to pass, something he has never shown himself to be adept at before. If this is just a struggling player in a small sample size trying to find teammates to score while feeling like he’s in a rut, it’s probably nothing to worry about for the Flames. But the trouble with Neal is that he has been on a shooting decline in recent years. Going back to the lockout-shortened season of 2012-13, Neal has seen his shot rates fall since 2014-15, and while there was a rise last season, it would make sense that he benefitted from the Vegas bump that many other players did. This season’s rates seem in line with the rate of decline he was seeing in Nashville. None of this means that Neal is a useless player by any means — he has demonstrated that he’s still capable of putting up a decent number of shots, and he has been a consistent 10-12 per cent shooter for the last five seasons. What it does mean, though, is that expectations should 1114454 Websites “You know what, I got to go hunting at home and I got myself a deer and that’s where my meat will be coming from for the next foreseeable future,” he added. Sportsnet.ca / Golden Knights' Schmidt maintains innocence as PED If he had his druthers, there’s clearly more he’d like to say about a suspension concludes process that’s stretched over several months. However, section 47.11 of the collective bargaining agreement calls for confidentiality on positive tests. Chris Johnston | @reporterchris Schmidt plans to honour that. November 7, 2018, 6:38 PM “I’ve gotten fined enough in the last month and a half,” he said. “So there’s some things you can’t talk about … what it was, timing, all that other stuff. I don’t really want to get fined anymore, to be honest.” OTTAWA — For Nate Schmidt, this is still a fight worth fighting. The automatic 20-game suspension for a first offence cost Schmidt a It’s not one he can likely win in the waning days of a 20-game little more than $460,000 in salary because he went unpaid during the suspension for violating the terms of the NHL’s performance-enhancing first 34 days of the regular season and will now earn just 60 per cent of substances program — not with confidentiality rules preventing him from his pay until he’s eligible to play games again. providing blow-by-blow details of what went down, and not in a cynical sporting world where athletes tend to be presumed guilty no matter how Stream over 500 NHL games blackout-free, including the Flames, Oilers, vehemently they deny a doping charge. Leafs and Canucks. Plus Hockey Night in Canada, Rogers Hometown Hockey, Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey and more. No matter. Should he test positive a second time in the future, he’ll be slapped with Those things are well beyond the control of the Vegas Golden Knights a 60-game suspension. defenceman, who was over the moon after finally being allowed to rejoin his teammates for practice on Wednesday afternoon, but still struggling Still, there have been moments of affirmation amid the struggle. Schmidt with the idea his character was brought into question by the positive test. is blown away by the support he’s received from the Golden Knights. McPhee even signed him to a $35.7-million, six-year contract extension “When you can look in the mirror and know you didn’t do something on Oct. 25 — putting action to the words of support he voiced when the that’s all that matters,” said Schmidt. “You can see the Almighty and suspension was handed down. know when it’s all said and done — you can look at him in the face, myself, my family, my friends — and say that I know that wasn’t Now back with his teammates, he’s reprised his role as the life of the something I intentionally did, or even tried to even do. dressing room. He led the stretch during practice at Canadian Tire Centre and hopes to provide a shot of energy to a team that’s been hit “That’s not in my DNA to do something like that.” hard by injuries and stumbled to a 6-8-1 start. Full disclosure, before we go any further: I have no idea if he did or didn’t “These guys aren’t going to have a whole lot of silence here the next 10 do it. I don’t even know what banned substance he tested positive for. or 12 days,” said Schmidt. “I texted them about a week ago and said ‘I But Schmidt is one of the great characters in our game — the sort of hope you guys have enjoyed the silence. I’m back in seven days.”’ person you want to take at face value — and Wednesday was the first time he addressed reporters since the 20-game ban was announced on Above all, Schmidt appreciates the support he’s received from every Sept. 2. corner of the hockey world and beyond. It helped on the tough days. He was permitted to participate in practices during Golden Knights Even if he can’t change the way he’s viewed in the court of public training camp and joined the Vienna Capitals once the regular season opinion, he intends to do whatever he can to push for changes that would started. He spent a month skating in Austria before returning home last keep a future player in a similar situation from being suspended. week to get some work in with the University of Minnesota. “I’m all about keeping our game clean and I told them in the beginning Now he’s back with the Golden Knights, inching closer to his Nov. 18 ‘test me every day if you want to.’ The whole time. It wasn’t something return at Edmonton, and still not entirely sure how he found himself in that I was trying to shy away from,” said Schmidt. “I want to be able to this situation to begin with. work with the league and the [NHL Players’ Association] and put something together. I don’t want this to happen to anybody else. It was “I honestly wish I could tell you. I don’t know,” said Schmidt. “I have hard enough. theories. But at the end of the day it is what it is, it’s theories. No one really knows. All of the experts you could talk to — you talk to everybody “If I have to be the guy that it happens to in order for it to never happen you can and everybody can offer an idea — I just don’t take any more of again, you know what, that’ll be OK with me. anything. Pretty much clean all the way through. “I can live with that.” “No supplements. I ate as much clean things as I can eat, which I try to do anyways. It’s just a shitty situation. Sometimes bad things happen to people for no reason.” Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.08.2018 Schmidt was informed of his positive test long before news of it ever went public. The first phone call he made was to Golden Knights general manager George McPhee — a sign, he contends, that he didn’t have anything to hide. The 27-year-old was tested twice last season and is believed to have known about the positive result even while logging the most minutes among Vegas players during their run to the Stanley Cup final. Without confirming that timeline, he said he simply focused on what he could control once it happened. He offered to take a lie-detector test. He had his hair analyzed by an expert, who concluded there “was no evidence of intentional use,” according to the statement Schmidt released in September. An expert in environmental contamination testified at his appeal hearing that the amount of tainted substance found in his system was “the equivalent of a pinch of salt in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.” The problem? It was still there. “The problem is there’s zero tolerance,” said Schmidt. Athletes in other sports have blamed positive tests on tainted meat. While Schmidt continues to eat meat, he says “I make sure I know where it comes from.” 1114455 Websites 16. Arthur Kaliyev, RW, Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL) 6-foot-1, 190 pounds: The goal scoring has always been there. He has shown other parts of his game that make you think the sky’s the limit. Finding consistency in those Sportsnet.ca / Sportsnet’s 2019 NHL Draft Prospect Rankings: other areas will cement him inside the top-15. November 17. Matthew Robertson, D, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL), 6-foot-3, 201 pounds: He’s as steady as they come and is currently a better defender than point producer. The offensive side continues to evolve. Sam Cosentino 18. Yaroslav Likhachev, RW, Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL) 5-foot-10, November 7, 2018, 1:21 PM 160 pounds: The smaller ice is forcing him to think the game and make plays quicker. Stick skills are multi-dimensional.

19. Victor Soderstrom, D, Brynas (Sweden U20) 5-foot-11, 179 pounds: There’s Jack Hughes, then there’s everybody else. Not quite as dynamic as either Adam Boqvist or Nils Lundkvist – a couple of 2018 first-rounders — but he’s more well-rounded at this stage. Hughes belongs in the conversation with those generational players that have come before him — Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews — 20. Matvey Guskov, LW, London Knights (OHL) 6-foot-1, 172 pounds: although his game is more reminiscent of Mitch Marner. There’s rawness to his game. Will benefit in a variety of ways with Evan Bouchard and Alex Formenton returning to the Knights. There’s plenty to like in this draft class, especially at centre. Lethbridge’s Dylan Cozens and Saskatoon’s Kirby Dach will slug it out to the end of 21. Anttoni Honka, D, JYP (Liiga) 5-foot-10, 179 pounds: Is playing top- the season to be the top Canadian selected, but both are currently six minutes as an 18-year-old in the highest Finnish league. While his projected to be top-seven picks. team has struggled, he’s still performing to expected levels. We don’t have the high-end depth at defence we had a year ago and, in 22. Cam York, D, USNTDP, 5-foot-11, 171 pounds: Adept with deception fact, we may see only one blueliner go inside the top 10. in his game and always looking for offensive opportunities, be it by jumping into the rush or with deft passing ability. With two key events currently taking place in Europe, we’re sure to have some changes in December, but for now, here’s our November rankings. 23. Thomas Harley, D, Mississauga Steelheads (OHL) 6-foot-3, 188 pounds: Starting to come out of his shell. A smooth skater with excellent 1. Jack Hughes, C, USNTDP, 5-foot-10, 168 pounds: Has hit the quarter passing abilities. Has good reach to help him defensively. mark in quest for wire-to-wire status as this draft’s top player. 24. Nolan Foote, LW, Kelowna Rockets (WHL) 6-foot-3, 187 pounds: A 2. Kaapo Kakko, RW, TPS (Liiga), 6-foot-4, 207 pounds: Adapting well at big summer put him in position to take off this season as Kelowna’s go-to taking the same game he plays against his peer group and applying it in guy. It’s hard to say which way it will go with his dad now behind the Finland’s top league. Handles and protects the puck well at top speed. bench, but the early returns indicate he has rediscovered his goal-scoring 3. Dylan Cozens, C, Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL), 6-foot-3, 185 pounds: touch with 10 in 15 games. Adapting to a heavier workload and the attention given to top players by 25. John Beecher, LW, USNTDP, 6-foot-2, 203 pounds: The type of the opposition, yet still producing at more than a point per game rate. player every team needs in that he plays the game the right way. Won’t 4. Kirby Dach, C, Saskatoon Blades (WHL), 6-foot-3, 195 pounds: With dazzle with offensive ability, but will do enough of the little things to more trust in his shooting ability, he’s proving he can score (11 goals in maintain top-six minutes. 19 games). Extremely focused and won’t allow distractions to take his 26. Jakob Pelletier, LW, Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL), 5-foot-9, 161 eye of the prize. pounds: The hockey IQ is way too high to ignore. He makes those 5. Vasily Podkolzin, RW, SKA St. Petersburg (MHL) 6-foot-1,183 pounds: around him better and competes like a champ. Based on his play at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, he should be a dominant 27. Lassi Thomson, D, Kelowna Rockets (WHL) 6-foot, 188 pounds: MHL player. Maybe’s he’s bored, but seeing him play against stiffer Playing with confidence and asserting himself offensively, he’ll continue competition would be helpful. to hone his defensive game by playing for yet another long-tenured 6. Alex Turcotte, C, USNTDP, 5-foot-11, 189 pounds: Injury-plagued former NHL star defenceman in Adam Foote. season has limited him to just three games. Based on past successes, 28. Alex Vlasic, D, USNTDP, 6-foot-5, 193 pounds: Because of size and however, he’s still a top 10 pick. skating ability, he will produce at this level. Projects more as a two-way 7. Raphael Lavoie, C/RW, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) 6-foot-4, 192 player at the next level. pounds: Great hands with the ability to work in tight spaces. Combined 29. Samuel Poulin, LW, Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL) 6-foot-1, 207 with acute shooting ability, he is a threat every time he crosses the blue pounds: Not afraid to have a shoot-first mindset. Six of his nine goals line. have come at even strength. 8. Alex Newhook, C, Victoria Grizzlies (BCHL) 5-foot-11, 190 pounds: 30. Kaedan Korczak, D, Kelowna Rockets (WHL) 6-foot-2, 192 pounds: Highly motivated from not making Canada’s Hlinka-Gretzky team, he has There’s still plenty of room in hockey for the complementary defenceman taken his frustrations out against the rest of the BCHL with 34 points in who holds down the fort. Korczak produces well in the CHL, but that 22 games. won’t be his calling card at the next level. 9. Matthew Boldy, LW, USNTDP, 6-foot-1, 187 pounds: Size, skate, 31. Moritz Seider, D, Mannheim (DEL) 6-foot-3, 183 pounds: Minutes score, say no more. have increased overall, but most notably he’s seeing more time in more 10. Ryan Suzuki, C, Barrie Colts (OHL) 6-foot, 172 pounds: Can process important situations. Benefits from playing in a top-notched program the game as quickly as he moves, a major asset in today’s NHL. loaded with developmental resources. 11. Trevor Zegras, C, USNTDP, 6-foot, 166 pounds: Makes plays, and that’s a term scouts use so frequently today. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.08.2018 12. Bowen Byram, D, Vancouver Giants (WHL) 6-foot-1, 195 pounds: Is multi-faceted in that not only can he play a new-aged offensive game, but he’s utilizing his smarts to defend as well. 13. Philip Broberg, D, AIK (Allsvenskan) 6-foot-3, 190 pounds: A big man who skates like the wind. Improving his stick skills will allow him to put more deception into his game, which will improve his output. 14. Peyton Krebs, C, Kootenay Ice (WHL) 5-foot-11, 180 pounds: Drives the play with high compete. Skates well, with excellent vision and distribution skills. 15. Cole Caufield, RW, USNTDP, 5-foot-6, 155 pounds: The snipe show has transcended every type of competition and projects to do the same at the next level. 1114456 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist surprises cancer survivor on Good Morning America

Josh Beneteau | @jbenny15 November 7, 2018, 8:17 PM

November is Hockey Fights Cancer month and the New York Rangers are doing their part to bring a smile to one cancer survivor. Connor McMahon, 17, is a three-time cancer survivor but has been cleared of the disease for two years. Now he helps other kids with cancer by providing them with backpacks that say the word “Hope” to teach them to never give up. On Wednesday, McMahon appeared on Good Morning America with his parents to share his story. During the interview, he talked about how playing hockey and cheering for the New York Rangers played a part in his recovery. “When I was diagnosed with cancer, hockey was kind of my escape,” he said. Hosts Michael Strahan and Sara Haines then brought out Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist to surprise McMahon with two signed jerseys, one signed by Lundqvist and another featuring McMahon’s last name. Lundqvist also invited him to a game, including a tour of the locker room and a chance to meet other Rangers players. “I have my own kids now and I don’t know how you battled through it, but it’s inspiring,” Lundqvist said.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114457 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Islanders GM Lamoriello on when Ho-Sang, Dal Colle could be NHL ready

Mike Johnston | @MikeyJ_MMA November 7, 2018, 8:54 PM

New York Islanders fans have been asking the same question since 2014: when will Joshua Ho-Sang and Michael Dal Colle be ready to make the full-time leap to the NHL? Lou Lamoriello, in his first season as the team’s general manager, doesn’t have an answer at the moment but he is encouraged by what he’s seeing from them this season with the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers. “Neither one of them had a great year last year and neither one had an exceptional training camp but as we speak right now I feel very good because they’re both playing extremely well in Bridgeport,” Lamoriello said Wednesday during an appearance on Prime Time Sports. Dal Colle was taken fourth overall in 2014 and Ho-Sang went 28th yet neither has seen much NHL action with Dal Colle having only four regular-season NHL games on his resume, while Ho-Sang’s much- ballyhooed career has resulted in him suiting up for just 43 regular- season games in an Isles uniform. With former franchise centre John Tavares leaving in free agency, Lamoriello coming in as GM and Barry Trotz being hired on as the new head coach, the 2018-19 campaign represented a fresh start and a chance for players like the two 22-year-olds to finally crack the Islanders roster out of camp. However, Lamoriello also acquired veteran forwards Leo Komarov, Valtteri Filppula and Matt Martin in the off-season, which meant there were fewer vacant roster spots, and both Ho-Sang and Dal Colle were sent to down Bridgeport to further their development. Ho-Sang told the New York Post in late October he didn’t like his chances of making the team out of camp, saying: “I felt like they had their minds made up on what was going to happen and what the team was going to look like. It’s OK. They had the whole summer to plan that.” Ho-Sang has responded by being a point-per-game producer through 12 AHL contests this season. Dal Colle is also off to a hot start with six goals and seven assists in 10 games with the Sound Tigers. “Both players have worked very hard at doing what’s necessary to be better,” Lamoriello said. “They know they didn’t have a great camp. So, they’ll get that opportunity because there’s no excuses. It’s a whole new regime here – coaches and management – so it’s on them right now. We can’t look to what to happened last year and certainly when they’re ready they’ll get a chance. It’s up to them. “I have no complaints about them right now and how they’ve prepared themselves and worked during training camp. It didn’t go as well as they would’ve liked it to I’m sure – they got in exhibition games – but right now they are playing well for us.” Lamoriello added that Bridgeport GM, his son Chris Lamoriello, “is in constant contact with them” and monitoring their progress. “They both have talent, they both have skill, and that’s something you cannot teach,” the elder Lamoriello said. “Now you have to get everything else going.”

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.08.2018 1114458 Websites probably be lowered for his output unless he can get more shots, from better locations.

In previous years, Neal has compensated for lower shot rates by moving Sportsnet.ca / Why limited opportunity has Flames' James Neal off to closer to the net, which kept him as a 30-goal threat in recent years, but terrible start this season so far we’ve seen his scoring chances go down with his shots. Andrew Berkshire I’m not convinced that Neal is incapable of recovering, but he’s a player to watch right now, because Calgary will need to get him going once November 7, 2018, 2:55 PM Elias Lindholm’s hot streak cools off a little.

When he signed with the Calgary Flames in July, I wrote about how Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.08.2018 James Neal should be a decent fit with their forward group — at least in the short term — based on the fact that he remained a productive even- strength player despite some overall decline in his play entering his 30s. So far, that take hasn’t been looking so great. One of the assumptions that I made was that Neal would get a chance to play with Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau, bringing a scoring and agitating presence to that line. That would complement not just that line, but the agitating presence of Matthew Tkachuk on the second line, making the Flames very frustrating to play against, on top of being tough to defend. Unfortunately, in limited minutes (only 22), Neal has not been successful on that line at all. In fact they’ve been torn to shreds while together, and Elias Lindholm has stolen Neal’s spot there with a career high shooting percentage and over a point per game pace. Another thing I didn’t expect to happen. Without a spot that makes sense for him to play in, Neal has been bounced around the Flames’ lineup to a ridiculous degree, playing 10 minutes or more with seven different line combinations in his just 191.35 minutes of 5-vs-5 ice time, according to Corsica.Hockey’s line combination tool. The result has been a terrible start for Neal, where his minor penalties outnumber his points by a 5-4 margin over 15 games. Looking strictly at his on-ice statistics, his performance is below team average, but that’s not unexpected for a player slotted on the third line of a very top-heavy team, so the question I have is whether Neal has hit a sharp decline to begin this year. Let’s look at the same statistics I presented over the summer and compare Neal’s year in Vegas to his first 15 games in Calgary. Overall, Neal is about as involved in creating scoring chances as he was last year, still at a top-six forward rate, which is a good sign for him. However, his tendencies are all backwards. Throughout his career, Neal has been a pretty decent playmaker in getting the puck to the slot, but he’s always been a shoot-first player with the playmaking being a secondary option. This year his shot rates from the slot are all down, while his passing rates are up. In a vacuum, this is not necessarily bad, but I have noticed over the last couple years that when snipers are in a funk, this is often what’s happening — they’re not being selfish enough with the puck. The issue isn’t his teammates not finding him either. Neal is receiving 2.72 passes in the slot per 20 minutes played at 5-vs-5, the highest rate on the Flames, significantly ahead of Sean Monahan in second at 2.47. So not only should he be getting more scoring chances, most of them should be involving pre-shot movement as well, making them extra dangerous. But he’s not getting his shots off. A similar problem has happened with Neal’s attacking off the rush. While the Flames aren’t quite the rushing team that Vegas was last season, Neal ranks 12th among Flames forwards in scoring chances off the rush, where he’s been preferring to pass, something he has never shown himself to be adept at before. If this is just a struggling player in a small sample size trying to find teammates to score while feeling like he’s in a rut, it’s probably nothing to worry about for the Flames. But the trouble with Neal is that he has been on a shooting decline in recent years. Going back to the lockout-shortened season of 2012-13, Neal has seen his shot rates fall since 2014-15, and while there was a rise last season, it would make sense that he benefitted from the Vegas bump that many other players did. This season’s rates seem in line with the rate of decline he was seeing in Nashville. None of this means that Neal is a useless player by any means — he has demonstrated that he’s still capable of putting up a decent number of shots, and he has been a consistent 10-12 per cent shooter for the last five seasons. What it does mean, though, is that expectations should 1114459 Websites creativity is similar to Curry. For Gretzky it was playing behind the net to protect himself. For Curry, it’s how you get him taking 40-footers with a quick release because at his size if he depended on shooting from closer Sportsnet.ca / Q&A: 'In Search of Greatness' director talks Gretzky, Pele, his shot would get blocked. So, he comes along and changes the game. creativity GP: It’s not like people be creative for the hell of it. You got to figure out a way to do things better than everybody else, so you can’t do exactly what they’re doing because everyone has their own strengths and Donnovan Bennett weaknesses. You have to find your advantage as sort of survival. SN: I remember years ago football coaches would scream at receivers to catch the ball with two hands. Now go to a game and watch warm-ups What do superior athletes have in common? Is athletic greatness a result and everyone is practicing one-handed catches. It is just part of the game of creativity, or simply winning the genetic lottery? and every week you see a one-handed catch in a game. How long do you think that lag is from someone who is a paradigm shifter like Odell In Search of Greatness, a documentary film by Gabe Polsky, attempts to Beckham Jr. to it then becoming, some form of consensus? answer these and other questions. GP: People start doing it right away. What you need is people with The film examines the importance of creativity in athletic ability and the enough power that aren’t afraid of the consequences. Are you going to roles “nature” and “nurture” play in an athlete’s development. bench Odell Beckham Jr. if he tries something and it doesn’t work? He Sports legends Wayne Gretzky, Jerry Rice and Pelé explain in the film doesn’t care. And ultimately you have to win. What these coaches don’t how their own athletic genius was nurtured. get is nobody is coming to watch you. People pay money to watch these athletes be great so let them be great. Much of the way we coach “If they had me at the combine they’d have me at the lowest because I athletes is about ego. couldn’t bench 195 (pounds) once,” Gretzky reveals in the film. “Jumping wasn’t something I was good at. My cardio was my forte so I’d do well at SP: I was talking to Joe Carter about the lack of minority baseball players the anaerobic part of it, but that doesn’t make you a hockey player.” and why he thinks the numbers have gone down. Even before I finished the question, he said it was because they are forced to play on travel Other interview subjects who are thought leaders on the subject, such as teams. How is creativity impacted by the way that youth sports have New York Times best-selling author Sir Ken Robinson and investigative been, administered and socialized where you now need to specialize at reporter at ProPublica, David Epstein, explain that the environments such a young age? young athletes currently develop in don’t promote creative behaviours. GP: That takes away from the dream of playing other sports and that just The film explores theories that elite athletes have both “a rage to master” takes away from play, period. This is going to sound politically incorrect and an ability to learn quickly and studies that show today’s children have but you know why inner-city kids are so good? Because they play pick less free time to play than the average prisoner because their lives are so up. They play for fun, to entertain with flair and style. It isn’t tactically structured with school and activities. perfect. But it’s good. Then they get to the NBA and they’ve built all of these skills and ways to play with expression and crush all the rich white In just over an hour the film exposes how, unlike in the 1960s, 1970s and kids who shoot technically sound and all play the same way. Nobody 1980s, modern day parents and coaches can be slaves to measurable wants to see that. It’s not good. If that’s what you want just get a bunch of analytical data, drills and sport specific training rather than allowing robots to play. young athletes to play freely in whichever way they are passionate. I had a coach at Yale who was like, ‘I want you to play systems, the The documentary has already been mentioned in early Oscar buzz and tactical way, defensive, neutral zone trap. I want you to play in a way that opens in Canada with a debut screening in Toronto on Nov. 9, screening makes you replaceable.’ Who wants to do that? What NHL scout wants in 12 major markets in North America. to draft a player that’s replaceable? They want a player that brings Polsky is also the executive producer of the Emmy-nominated National something to the table, not just a cog in the system. Geographic anthology series, Genius. He also directed, Red Army, one SN: A fascinating part of your doc was to see what drives people. You of the most critically acclaimed films of 2014. included the famous Michael Jordan Hall of Fame speech in which he I recently caught up with with Polsky to discuss the film and the idea that lists everyone who has doubted him. sports greatness is a result of enhanced creativity and not physical GP: If people don’t feel you’re in their favour and get in your way and ability. they reject you, it’s beyond painful because you want to show your skill. Gabe Polsky: I played college hockey and the coach was so bad and so I’m sure you feel the same way. So, it could be really motivating and all structured that I wanted to create a manual for other coaches to allow these guys have that because they are really confident. They know what their players to be creative. The players want this. They need this, they they can do and they know they can be better than other people. It’s very just cannot say as much as they don’t want to be benched. Coaches try painful, but that pain could be transformed into motivation. to control everything so it validates their importance. I did this to give the SN: Is there anyone that you didn’t talk to for the film that you wanted to? players a voice. If Gretzky and Jerry Rice and Pele are saying it, clearly it’s true. GP: Michael Jordan and Serena Williams, although I was able to include their stories in other ways. I wasn’t able to figure out a way to get Willie SN: I played university football here in Canada. I remember there was a Mays, although we were close three times. sign just above the door when you left the locker room that people tapped. It read: “dare to be great.” I always loved that saying because in order to dare to be great you have to risk failing spectacularly. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.08.2018 Who are the athletes now with that daring aspect of creativity? GP: These guys are magicians. The Muhammad Alis, the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry. Golden State’s coaches watched the film and they told me Steph Curry is the only person who will try to throw a behind the back pass in Game 7 of the Finals and throw it out of bounds. But you can’t say anything to him because that’s what makes him, him. It’s the same with Odell Beckham Jr. and the one-handed catch. They are innovative and leading so everybody loves watching them because of what they create and it’s just beautiful and they’re having a lot of fun and that’s what it’s all about. You know, often times they start doing something that no one’s seen before and there’s a lot of people who have fear that think they won’t be any good or who just aren’t open-minded. You get yelled at for that kind of experimentation and failure sometimes, but otherwise how would you produce a great thing? SN: Watching the film, when Gretzky was talking, the person who I thought of in my head the entire time, was Steph Curry. What Gretzky was saying about necessity being the genesis for his invention and 1114460 Websites felt like you did enough to win and you didn’t. Sometimes the shoe is on the other foot. We’ll take it, but maybe now we can loosen up at home.”

Happy to be home TSN.CA / Andersen sparks Leafs past Golden Knights with stellar performance Tuesday’s win on home ice was just the second for Toronto since Oct. 15, and put them at 4-5-0 on the season in their building. The Leafs had pledged before facing the Golden Knights to finally put together a strong Kristen Shilton performance at home, and while it wasn’t the same free-wheeling, confidence-laced outing they’re partial to on the road (where Toronto is a perfect 6-0-0), it was a step in the right direction to getting their home record more in line with what it is away from Scotiabank Arena. TORONTO – Lately, the Toronto Maple Leafs have lamented not earning better results at home when their play dictated they probably could have. Secondary scoring about to rise? But in Tuesday’s 3-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights, the Leafs were on the other side of the equation - being outplayed by their When Brown got on the board early in the first, it marked the first even- opponent but ultimately saved by a terrific 35-stop performance from strength goal by any skater on the Leafs’ bottom two lines since Oct. 24. Frederik Andersen. In total, those players (Brown, Lindholm, Johnsson, and Toronto’s fourth line of Tyler Ennis, Frederik Gauthier and Josh Leivo) have combined for It’s the circle of life in hockey, when ebbs and flows sometimes have a only five goals (at 5-on-5 and on the power play). It’s not enough to funny way of evening out. sustain the Leafs, especially with Auston Matthews out, and they know it. That’s what made Brown’s goal so important. It not only helped the Leafs “[Andersen] played real well. We expect him every once in a while to win get off to good start, but propelled his line to their best game since us a game,” said Mike Babcock. “When we play real well and don’t give becoming a unit after Matthews’ injury on Oct. 27. up anything he gets the win and sometimes he gets the shutout. That’s a bonus for him. So it goes both ways. We’re all in it together and I thought Johnsson in particular has struggled out of the gate this year, but with a Freddie was really strong for us tonight.” bigger opportunity on the third line he’s started to resemble that dangerous offensive threat Toronto hopes he can eventually be more Tuesday’s performance was the most recent in a string of successful consistently at the NHL level. Through two periods, Johnsson was tied outings for Andersen. He’s started eight consecutive games now for for most shots on goal (three) with Brown, one of which came after he Toronto, posting two or fewer goals against in seven of those contests. battled for a breakaway chance late in the second period that was Including his .973 save percentage versus Vegas, the 29-year-old now thwarted by a sprawled-out Marc-Andre Fleury. Brown had also boasts a .929 save percentage on the season, third-best in the NHL generated a near breakaway in that period, but couldn’t get enough on among goalies with at least 10 starts, and his eight wins is tops in the his shot to fool Vegas’ goaltender. Going forward, the more pressure the league. Leafs’ bottom-six can take off the top performers with contributions, the better. Lindholm's line finished with a team-best 50 per cent possession “It seems like he’s got no pressure on him, it just seems like he goes out against Vegas. there and has fun with it,” said Mitch Marner, who scored Tuesday’s game-winning goal for Toronto (10-5-0). “When he gets to the rink, he’s a Marner taking his shot very serious guy, he focuses, he gets ready for the games. He’s a pro; he knows how to get it done right.” Before his second period score on Tuesday, it had been eight games since Marner last lit the lamp for Toronto, a stretch where he recorded Against the Golden Knights (6-8-1), Andersen saw some goal support seven assists. For the last two years, the 21-year-old has spoken early when Connor Brown buried his second of the season early in the frequently about improving his shot so he isn’t underestimated as a one- opening frame to put Toronto up 1-0. It was the first time the Leafs had dimensional threat on the ice, but there have been several instances scored a goal in the first or second period at home since Oct. 15, and already this season where Marner has passed up scoring opportunities to reflected how well not only Brown’s line with Par Lindholm and Andreas make a pass instead. His goal on Fleury was an example of how Johnsson played out of the gate, but the team as a whole. Marner’s scoring acumen continues to grow when he’s patient enough to let the play evolve and be the guy with the puck on his stick. It’s not that Marner kept the momentum in Toronto’s hands with a goal nine seconds he doesn’t put shots on net – Marner has the Leafs’ second-most shots into the second period, but once the 2-0 lead was in hand, the Leafs on net this season with 48 – but he doesn’t also fight to the middle of the completely fell apart in front of Andersen. Toronto was pummeled in puck ice like he’s doing more and more frequently, and taking the opportunities possession in the middle frame at only 28 per cent, and it was only available for himself instead of deferring to his linemate John Tavares or, Andersen keeping them ahead. While Toronto frantically chased play less often, Zach Hyman. Marner finished Tuesday’s game with a team- around him, the goalie stayed cool and collected himself in the crease as leading four shots on net in 20:27 time on ice. Vegas hit the 30-shot mark with more than two minutes still remaining in the second period. Through three periods, Toronto was outshot 37-21 by Penalty kill picking up steam Vegas. After going through a dip in late October where the penalty kill gave up “I think we stopped playing,” Marner said in his assessment of the four goals in five games, the Leafs have started to turn the corner second. “We didn’t forecheck, we didn’t get on the forecheck at all and shorthanded. Toronto is now 10-for-10 on shorthanded chances over its help out our D. We weren’t slowing people down at all. I think everyone last three games, thanks to an aggressive kill like the one that challenged sees every night that Freddie Andersen has been unbelievable for us the Golden Knights and prevented them from getting set up in the here every single game, and he’s the reason we stole one tonight.” offensive zone. The Leafs now sit sixth in the league on the penalty kill (83.7 per cent). A season ago around this time, it wasn’t a given Andersen could be counted upon to do that. He’s spoken frequently about his slow starts the “It seemed like a normal hit. I was rubbing him out after he dumped the previous two years (his save percentage through 13 games last season, puck in and I turned to go to the bench and I heard the whistle go after for example, was .895), and credits a more focused off-season training that, turned around and he was on the ice. I just hope he’s okay.” regime with helping him get off to a hotter start this time around. – Patrick Marleau, reacting to his hit on Erik Haula in the third “I personally feel good,” Andersen said. “I think we’re keeping it a little bit period that forced the Golden Knights winger to be stretchered off the ice more to the outside, which is helping me out seeing the puck better and with what appeared to be a leg injury. clearing the shooting lanes so I don’t have to fight through traffic and that makes my job easier.” It was bodies in front of the net that led to the Golden Knights’ lone goal TSN.CA LOADED: 11.08.2018 on Tuesday, a second period score tipped in by Cody Eakin in front of Andersen’s crease. Vegas beat Andersen on a couple other opportunities as well, but hit the post and crossbar to preserve Toronto’s advantage. But the Leafs would never balk at a few lucky bounces, especially after their last home game ended in outperforming, but still losing to, the Dallas Stars. When Toronto needed a difference-maker this time around, it came not in the form of an offensive weapon, but between the pipes. “I thought we started real good the first 10 minutes and then we got fooling around with the puck. We were lucky to get out of the second,” said Babcock. “In the end we will look at this game like with Dallas…you 1114461 Websites “We’ve learned a lot of the mascot code over the past couple of months,” Schwab said. “When we are asked who he is, he’s just ‘Gritty.’”

Gritty doesn’t talk, but both hands and belly button squeak. The Flyers USA TODAY / Flyers' big, goofy rookie, Gritty, a monster performer on had a discussion about how sensitive the belly button squeaker needed and off the ice to be to ensure it squeaked when kids hugged Gritty. “We gave him googly eyes because it gives him another way to emote,” Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Schwab said. Published 8:55 a.m. ET Nov. 7, 2018 | Updated 10:05 a.m. ET Nov. 7, No sign whatsoever that Gritty’s popularity is subsiding. Based on 2018 requests, Schwab said Gritty could be booked solid for multiple events a day if that is what the Flyers wanted.

Said Heller: “A day doesn’t go by that we don’t see that costume go past Philadelphia Flyers executive Paul Holmgren, a former hard-nosed our doors.” player, once joked that the franchise had such a history of gritty players that the team should have a mascot named Gritty with “sandpaper hands.” USA TODAY LOADED: 11.08.2018 "That name kind of stuck,” said Joe Heller, the Flyers’ vice president of marketing. “When we got something on paper, coupled it with the name, it all started to take shape from there.” What the Flyers ended up with is the most talked-about character in the NHL this season. Many people are buzzing about Canucks rookie Elias Pettersson, but Gritty’s notoriety has extended beyond the bounds of the hockey world. The googly-eyed, orange and fuzzy mascot debuted on Sept. 24. He has been on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" and was the subject of a skit on "Conan." Gritty also was mentioned on "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" and "Saturday Night Live." Homemade Gritty costumes, for children, adults and dogs, were hot in and around Philadelphia on Halloween. Gritty-carved pumpkins were also in style. “It hasn’t died down,” said Sarah Schwab, the Flyers’ director of marketing. “I remember in the first couple of days after we unveiled him, it blew up. It was an onslaught. And it really hasn’t slowed.” Gritty videos abound on YouTube, including one in which he shows off his dance moves with the Phillie Phanatic, the Phillies' mascot. Schwab said she just received a request from an outlet that wanted Gritty to show up so they could carve his form into a block of cheese. “There was always hope that he would be well-embraced but obviously this is bigger than we would have guessed,” Heller said. Gritty mania started when he was born, bolstered by two unscripted falls as he skated for the first time on the Philadelphia ice. People seem to relate to his rough opening night. Heller was in the press box and noted the tumble. “I said to someone, ‘Does that look like a real fall?'” Heller said. “He landed on his upper back. And then he shot someone in the back with a T-shirt cannon and he fell a second time. And I said, ‘OK, it’s him wiping out for sure.'” Heller said Gritty showing “his clumsy side” won over fans. His Instagram and Twitter posts also have resonated. “It was the perfect storm,” Heller said. The Gritty project was a couple of years in the making, launched because Flyers officials recognized they were missing out on a marketing opportunity. Mascots are popular, usually making about 250 appearances per year. The Flyers originally consulted David Raymond, the original Phillie Phanatic, about their desire to have a mascot. But the Flyers ended up with a design from Brian Allen of Flyland Designs. The Flyers considered animals, a variety of creatures, monsters and fictional characters, aviation offerings and human portrayals before deciding on the 7-foot orange Gritty. “We just figured a monster-like creature defines the tough ruggedness of the team and the Philly sports landscape,” Heller said. Heller said the objective was to have Gritty connect with fans as one of their own. He is supposed to be the ultimate Flyers fan, but also someone who is defensive about standing up for his city. Only one person plays the Gritty character, but the mascot code is that the person does so in anonymity. The Flyers don't reveal who's behind the mask.