SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 8/14/2020 Anaheim Ducks Blackhawks 1190979 Canadiens coach Claude Julien taken to hospital after 1191006 Blackhawks down 2-0 in series against Golden Knights experiencing chest pains after a 4-3 loss in Game 2 1190980 J-S Giguere recalls Mighty Ducks’ ‘nightmare’ 5 OT win in 1191007 3 things to watch for in Game 2 of the Blackhawks-Golden 2003 playoffs Knights series, including a Patrick Kane-Jonathan Toe 1191008 Blackhawks notebook: Jeremy Colliton scratches Adam Arizona Coyotes Boqvist, shuffles lines in Game 2 loss 1190981 After poor showing in Game 1, Coyotes' offense hope for 1191009 Blackhawks’ strong effort confined to 2nd period as Schmaltz's return Golden Knights win Game 2 in overtime 1190982 Ian Cole Diary, Part 2: On winning Game 1, playing 1191010 describes life in broadcasting bubble during back-to-backs and Phil Kessel 1191011 Blackhawks' best effort not enough in Game 2 1191012 Blackhawks' Patrick Kane found his postseason game, but 1190983 Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask on playoff hockey in 2020: is it too late? ‘It feels dull at times’ 1191013 Blackhawks must 'regroup fast' after falling behind 2-0 1190984 Dougie Hamilton roofs winner as Carolina evens series against Golden Knights with Bruins 1191014 Blackhawks' Patrick Kane and Corey Crawford bounce 1190985 David Pastrnak deemed unfit to participate, out for Game back, but Hawks drop Game 2 2 1191015 Blackhawks make lineup changes for Game 2 vs. Vegas 1190986 Former Bruins coach Claude Julien hospitalized with chest Golden Knights pains 1191016 Robin Lehner tweets hilarious cartoon ahead of Game 2 1190987 Bruins drop Game 2 to Hurricanes against Blackhawks 1190988 Hurricanes coach Brind’Amour ‘moving on’ after fined by 1191017 How Blackhawks will try to generate more offense in NHL Game 2 vs. Golden Knights 1190989 sees the positive in Bruins’ third line 1190990 Bruins vs. Hurricanes Highlights: Carolina ties series with Colorado Avalanche 3-2 Game 2 win 1191018 Lazerus: It’s time for Alex DeBrincat to step up before 1190991 Maybe it's time to stop doubting the Bruins top guys after Blackhawks get swept out busting out in Game 1 1191019 Observations from the Golden Knights’ Game 2 win over 1190992 David Pastrnak won't play for Bruins in Game 2 vs. the Blackhawks Hurricanes 1191020 Ian Cole Diary, Part 2: On winning Game 1, playing 1190993 Bruce Cassidy admits Bruins are 'behind on the power back-to-backs and Phil Kessel play' 1190994 Bruins send Claude Julien well wishes as Canadiens Columbus Blue Jackets coach is hospitalized 1191021 Blue Jackets steady themselves, corral Lightning to even 1190995 Bruins miss David Pastrnak’s offense, but it’s their D that series seals Game 2 fate 1191022 Columbus Blue Jackets hope Oliver Bjorkstrand is 1190996 Why Tuukka Rask is starting Game 2 on a back-to-back regaining his scoring touch 1191023 Blue Jackets get another big response, beat Lightning 3-1 Calgary Flames in Game 2 to draw even 1190997 SNAPSHOTS: Injury to Tkachuk would be major blow for 1191024 Big stage in Toronto delivering national attention for Blue Flames Jackets’ Seth Jones 1190998 Flames rally erased by Stars' late in Game 2 1190999 Flames goalie Talbot earning rave reviews under pressure 1191000 Bolts' Brayden 's 5OT winner no shock to inner circle 1191025 The evolution of Jamie Oleksiak continued in Stars’ wild 1191001 ‘I’m enjoying it a ton’: Rising star Dillon Dubé is loving life series-tying win vs. Calgary in the NHL bubble 1191026 Stars defenseman Taylor Fedun fills in for ‘unfit to play’ Stephen Johns vs. Calgary 1191027 Stars goalie Ben Bishop returned to action in Game 2′s 1191002 Hurricanes wake up from their 15-month Bruins nightmare, dramatic win over Flames and the script is flipped 1191028 Need someone to take over a playoff series? The Stars 1191003 Hamilton’s third-period goal lifts Canes to 3-2 win over may need to look no further than Miro Heiskanen Bruins to even series 1191029 Stars 20/20: Oleksiak’s dagger and Heiskanen’s 1191004 Hurricanes ‘moving on’ from Game 1 loss to Bruins, dominance deliver Game 2 win criticism of referees 1191030 The Stars’ third defensive pairing needs a shakeup. Here 1191005 NHL fine for Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour’s comments are the options about refs sets unofficial record Edmonton Oilers 1191031 Lowetide: A rational approach for the Oilers at the 2020 draft Florida Panthers 1191032 Panthers tried to win now in 2020. It didn’t work and new GM has big problems to solve Pittsburgh Penguins 1191033 ‘They’ve got to listen’ – Could the Kings trade up for the 1191069 Would-be Penguins defenseman Dan Hamhuis retires No. 1 pick? 1191070 Tim Benz: For a guy who always talks about ‘moving 1191034 BYRON, DOTY BRING THEIR OWN UNIQUE forward,’ Mike Sullivan’s Penguins keep moving backward SKILLSETS BACK TO REIGN 1191071 Matt Vensel's 2019-20 Penguins report card 1191072 : NHL pulling off pandemic hockey in Gary Minnesota Wild Bettman’s finest hour 1191035 This adds up for Wild: Trade Zach Parise, keep Devan 1191073 Matt Vensel's Penguins chat transcript: 08.13.20Frank Dubnyk Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP 1191037 Wild depth chart: Where things stand before what should 1191074 Paul Zeise's sports chat transcript: 08.13.20Matt be a busy offseason Freed/Post-Gazette 1191075 Game time: SEA group to attract Pittsburgh sporting Montreal Canadiens events — super ones and small ones 1191038 Canadiens coach Claude Julien in hospital with chest 1191076 Inside the Penguins’ collapse and the big changes still to problems, Muller takes over come 1191039 Carter Hart backstops Flyers to 2-1 win over Canadiens in Game 1 San Jose Sharks 1191040 Kirk Muller takes over head-coaching duties for Canadiens 1191077 Sharks 'very happy' with Ryan Merkley's progress before 1191041 Canadiens Notebook: Carey Price makes save of the night first pro year in Game 1 loss 1191042 Stu Cowan: Wishing a speedy recovery to classy Habs St Louis Blues coach Claude Julien 1191078 Blues wanted to make their presence known from the start 1191043 What the Puck: Canadiens need to show more grit to beat vs. Canucks the Flyers 1191079 Blues need to accelerate their building process 1191044 Canadiens Claude Julien rushed to hospital 1191080 Hochman: Game 2 will tell us if these bubbled Blues will with chest pains burst 1191045 In the Flyers' Room: 'I prepared the same as I do for any 1191081 Late-night start, late collapse sink Blues' TV viewership game,' Hart says after win against idol Price figure 1191046 Claude Julien hospitalized with chest pains, will miss rest 1191082 Death of James Cullen, a founding member of the St. of Canadiens series Louis Blues, marks 'end of an era' for the franchise 1191083 Hochman: The 144 seconds that stunned the Blues and Nashville Predators Binnington in Game 1 1191047 Predators defenseman Dan Hamhuis retires 1191084 It’s only one game, but here’s why the Blues might be in 1191048 Predators GM David Poile wants changes, meaning a trouble vs. the Canucks youth movement is most likely on the way Devils 1191085 By now, Lightning should know every minute matters 1191049 Inside ’s unique first month with the Devils from against Columbus a lake in Montana 1191086 Blue Jackets get momentum on first kill 1191087 Lightning-Blue Jackets Game 2 report card: Close, but not Islanders close enough 1191050 Islanders’ power play remains a problem 1191088 Blue Jackets limit the Lightning’s chances to win Game 2 1191051 Islanders prepared to handle any Capitals backlash for 1191089 Follow Lightning-Blue Jackets Game 2 live playoff updates Anders Lee hit 1191090 Ten reasons why the Lightning lost their ‘mojo’ in Game 2 1191052 Islanders-Capitals shaping up as a physical series going defeat into Game 2 1191053 mum on any Islanders lineup changes vs. Capitals in Game 2 1191091 The Leafs have done their best to protect and placate their 1191054 Five years later, Islanders vs. Capitals begins as intensely young stars, Damien Cox writes, but maybe it would as 2015 series ended 1191092 From the president to the players, everyone with the 1191055 Seven takeaways from the Islanders’ comeback win in Maple Leafs — OK, most everyone — is talking tough Game 1 1191093 The tough questions the Maple Leafs must answer, including the toughness question 1191094 Keefe vows to make most of long Leaf layoff 1191056 The Comeback, No. 27: Mark Messier guarantees a 1191095 Down Goes Brown: What’s wrong with the Maple Leafs? Rangers win in Game 6 Exploring 8 theories Flyers Vancouver Canucks 1191058 Flyers need to ‘get better every game’ against confident 1191119 Patrick Johnston: Stecher makes a point to 'salute' late Canadiens father after scoring winner for Canucks 1191059 Canadiens coach Claude Julien hospitalized with chest 1191120 The Skate: Mr. Bo-Dangles pains, expected to miss rest of Flyers series 1191121 10 observations from Game 1: Why the Canucks have a 1191060 Joel Farabee ‘deserves to stay’ on the Flyers’ top line | On real chance to win the Fly 1191122 ‘I had a couple seconds to reflect on my dad’: Troy 1191061 Observations from the Flyers’ 2-1 win over Canadiens Stecher’s emotional tribute 1191062 Flyers' Gostisbehere hoping to speed up his progress 1191063 Flyers Notebook: Vigneault sees series with Canadiens as emotional outlet for fans 1191064 Ice cream and a memory vs. Carey Price remind us Carter Hart is just a kid ... but ready for the moment 1191065 Poised Carter Hart propels Flyers to Game 1 win 1191066 Was the ice a problem in Game 1? Flyers say no, and the stats back them up 1191067 In the big picture of bubble life, Flyers’ coaches focused on the ultimate goal 1191068 The good and bad of Game 1: Analyzing Flyers’ hard- fought win over Canadiens 1191096 Golden Knights’ edge looms larger without change of venue 1191097 Reilly Smith goes ‘undercover’ to score Golden Knights’ winning goal 1191098 Tomas Nosek joins Max Pacioretty on Golden Knights injury list 1191099 Time to embrace Robin Lehner, who’s here to stay for Knights’ playoff run 1191100 Golden Knights’ Game 2 win shows early-season troubles behind them 1191101 Golden Knights’ bottom six forwards are the unsung heroes of Game 2 OT win 1191102 Observations from the Golden Knights’ Game 2 win over the Blackhawks 1191103 VGK’s Reilly Smith Scores OT Game-Winner As Knights Win, 4-3, Over Chicago Thursday To Go Up 2-0 In Series 1191104 Golden Knights — And VGK Fans — Prep For Vegas- Chicago Game 2 Thursday Afternoon After Knights Won Game 1, 4-1 Washington Capitals 1191105 Braden Holtby, who struggled late in Game 1, looks to bounce back for Capitals 1191106 The Capitals were a mess in Game 1. That should make it easy to improve. 1191107 Nicklas Backstrom in concussion protocol, out for Game 2 vs. Islanders after late hit 1191108 Barry Trotz brushes off Todd Reirden's 'predatory' comment on the hit to Nicklas Backstrom 1191109 Capitals vs. Islanders Game 2: Caps get Eller back, but lose Backstrom 1191110 Nicklas Backstrom is in concussion protocol and will not play in Game 2 1191111 Losing Nicklas Backstrom would be 'huge trouble' for the Capitals 1191112 Braden Holtby takes the blame for critical Game 1 mistakes 1191113 Lars Eller in familiar playoff role by replacing an injured Nicklas Backstrom Websites 1191123 The Athletic / Pronman: Which prospects improved their NHL Draft stock at summer U20 camps? 1191124 Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens forge on in playoffs with Julien in their thoughts and hearts 1191125 Sportsnet.ca / Hurricanes' Hamilton scores Game 2 winner for Brind'Amour, grandma 1191126 Sportsnet.ca / Flames left with many questions after losing more than just game 1191127 Sportsnet.ca / Tight-knit Canucks experiencing tragedy, triumph in trying season 1191128 Sportsnet.ca / From EA to the NHL: How synthetic audio is helping tell story of the game 1191129 Sportsnet.ca / Cheveldayoff's creativity key to Jets regaining contender status 1191130 Sportsnet.ca / Golden Knights brimming with confidence after fifth win in bubble 1191131 Sportsnet.ca / UFA Jason Spezza makes pitch to Maple Leafs: ‘The fire still burns’ 1191132 Sportsnet.ca / Blue Jackets' Korpisalo chooses great time for hottest run of career 1191133 TSN.CA / With coach Julien in hospital, Montreal Canadiens want to 'Win for Claude' 1191134 TSN.CA / Intriguing chess match developing between Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues 1191135 USA TODAY / Montreal Canadiens head coach Claude Julien hospitalized with chest pains Winnipeg Jets 1191114 Jets head coach, GM say squad made best of topsy-turvy season 1191115 Pressure mounting on Jets GM 1191116 Jets hope Bryan Little's OK, but have to be realistic 1191117 Jets GM hands out sparkling report card for coach 1191118 Chevy spinning his wheels SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1190979 Anaheim Ducks

Canadiens coach Claude Julien taken to hospital after experiencing chest pains

By HELENE ELLIOTT SPORTS COLUMNIST

AUG. 13, 202012:44 PM

Montreal Canadiens coach Claude Julien was taken to a hospital in Toronto after experiencing chest pains following the team’s first-round playoff game against the and is not expected to return behind the bench for the rest of this series, general manager Marc Bergevin said Thursday.

Bergevin said Julien’s problems are not related to COVID-19. Associate head coach Kirk Muller will be the interim head coach.

Julien, 60, led the 12th-seeded Canadiens to an upset of the fifth-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins in qualifying-round play. The Canadiens lost the opener of their first-round playoff series 2-1 to the Flyers on Wednesday.

Elliott: Young stars should get noticed as NHL playoffs go on

“Claude felt chest pains during the night,” Bergevin said Thursday in Toronto, one of the NHL’s two playoff hubs. “We immediately consulted our doctors and it was agreed to quickly transfer him to the hospital by ambulance. He’s presently there and is under[going] tests to determine exactly the nature of his condition.”

Game 2 of the series is scheduled for Friday.

LA Times: LOADED: 08.14.2020 1190980 Anaheim Ducks It was a mindset that served them well that spring. Sweeping the reigning Cup champion Red Wings gave them all the conviction they needed. Winning two of those four games in overtime — including a Game 1 triple J-S Giguere recalls Mighty Ducks’ ‘nightmare’ 5 OT win in 2003 playoffs OT robbery where Giguere made a team-record 63 saves that still stands — convinced them that grinding away for whatever length of time it took was nothing to fear.

By Eric Stephens “Confidence is a big deal,” Giguere said. “We were confident that we could do the job. We were confident in ourselves. I certainly was. … Aug 13, 2020 You’re on top of your game so you don’t question yourself. You just go in there and play.

Seventeen years later, it is a great memory for Jean-Sebastien Giguere “They were just as confident, I’m sure. They just came back from trailing. and the Mighty Ducks’ historic five-overtime triumph over Dallas in Game But at the end of the day, you don’t worry about the other team. You 1 of the Western Conference semifinals remains one of the greatest worry about yourself. The confidence was definitely there. Nobody was victories for the franchise. down, that’s for sure.”

But the meaning for Giguere should be clarified. Winning that 2003 game Spirits remained high. But the physical toll began to wear on both is what makes the memory for the club’s most accomplished goaltender. goalies. Turco talked about how he required intravenous fluids following It would help propel and define the stirring Stanley Cup playoff run for third overtime to replenish what his body lost. Because he had long had him and the Ducks that fell just one win short of hoisting the NHL’s most an issue with becoming dehydrated during games, Giguere went one coveted trophy. step further by keeping an IV in his arm while he was on the ice. There was only so much time during intermissions to remove his equipment so The process to winning that game was not one to relish. But the the medical staff could get fluid lost through perspiration back into him. marathon Game 1 between Columbus and Tampa Bay that stretched from Tuesday afternoon well into night made the Ducks’ classic victory “It’s a line and you hook up the bag to it,” he said. “You see that at the worth revisiting. hospital. But it takes a while to poke your vein and make sure to get the needle in and all that stuff. Instead of doing it every period, we just left it “It brings it back,” Giguere told The Athletic. “I was telling guys I worked in. We just taped it on my arm. I would come in after the period and the with here (on TV in Montreal) that it brought me back some nightmares, bag would be ready. All you would have to do is connect the bag to the really? You don’t want to go through that again. It was a nightmare.” line. That’s how it was. We’d pour a bag in and it was very refreshing.

When the Lightning’s Brayden Point finally beat Columbus goalie Joonas “You can feel it going through your veins. With the bag and ice packs, it Korpisalo with a rising from the high slot to trigger a boisterous really cools you off. In Dallas, the rink was so warm there. All I needed celebration inside an fan-less Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, their win to was a bit of relief from that.” open up the Eastern Conference first-round series would pass Anaheim’s survival test against Dallas in becoming the fourth-longest game played Anaheim and Dallas battled for more than six hours. Some of the team in NHL history. Point’s score for a 3-2 victory wrapped up the contest and individual statistics would also be surpassed by those in the after a tidy 150 minutes and 27 seconds. It ended at 9:22 p.m. Eastern Columbus-Tampa Bay endurance test. Korpisalo would set an new NHL Time, six hours and 13 minutes after initial puck drop. record by making 85 saves. His counterpart, Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, stopped 61 shots. Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones Back on April 24, 2003, it was Petr Sykora that put the puck past Stars logged 65:06 of ice time. goalie Marty Turco inside American Airlines Center just 48 seconds into the fifth extra period. The epic contest was an instant classic. No one But the Ducks and Stars combined for 117 shots on goal. Giguere made may have been more thrilled — or, better yet, relieved — to see Sykora’s 60 saves in the 4-3 win, while Turco stopped 50 of 54 shots. Bedrock shot go into the net than Giguere, who was running on fumes even if he Dallas defenseman Sergei Zubov played a game-high 63:51 and Derian was constantly being fed fluids. Hatcher was right behind, clocking in at 62:02. Keith Carney led the Ducks with 56:20 played. Among forwards, Dallas star Mike Modano A sixth overtime? Shudder the thought. racked up 55:29 of ice time while Anaheim’s Niedermayer was sent out by coach Mike Babcock to play 53:01. “I was pretty much done,” Giguere said Wednesday. “That was pretty much it for me.” Bananas and other fruits were consumed between periods. Giguere said he didn’t eat anything but did consume energy gels. He joked that the A certified legend in Ducks history with his Conn Smythe Trophy-winning team’s media relations director was the one chowing on some pizza that star turn in those playoffs, Giguere spent Tuesday with his family on their was among the spread in the room. boat within ’s Thousand Islands on the St. Lawrence River instead of planting himself in front of a television for six enthralling hours. The irony, Giguere found as he played every minute, was that the game But when he saw the details of the never-ending Blue Jackets-Lightning wasn’t as taxing from a competitive standpoint the longer it went on. The saga, it took him back in time. pace started to diminish rapidly once it moved into a third overtime. Players on both teams didn’t have as much will to make hard charges to The Mighty Ducks came into their second-round series fresh off a the net. shocking four-game sweep of a powerful Detroit team that had the most wins in the Western Conference with 48 and was second behind Dallas “The shots are not as hard to stop,” Giguere said. “The guys are just kind with 110 points. And they would take a 3-1 lead in Game 1 on the of throwing everything at the net, trying to create something. But there’s strength of goals by Jason Krog, Rob Niedermayer and Steve Rucchin. no traffic. There’s a lot less traffic at the net.

Jason Arnott would bring the favored Stars within one late in the second “You can tell guys are exhausted. Truthfully, for a goalie, the more the period and then Brenden Morrow tied the game with 2:47 left in overtimes went the easier the game was. If you were able to manage regulation. The Ducks had let a two-goal lead slip away, but it hardly your fatigue and your hydration and stuff like that, the game itself wasn’t crushed their spirits. Giguere said it was forgotten once the first overtime that hard because the guys didn’t have any energy left.” began. To the question of whether he remembered if there were any close calls “You’re in a position that you’re a goal away from winning so you got to from either team that would have ended the game much sooner, Giguere stick with the positive and in that sense you’re one shot away from laughed heartily and said, “I don’t remember.” winning,” he said. “You can’t fret about what happened. The coach isn’t going to come in and start yelling because you gave up a late goal and “You know what?” he continued. “Go ahead and watch the whole game stuff like that. It’s really, ‘OK guys, this is our opportunity. You score one again. See if you have five or six hours to kill. Let me know when you goal and you win the game.’ watch it. I’m sure there was a few close calls.”

“You got to stay positive. Positivity is such a big part of playing in the Steve Thomas nearly ended it in the third overtime, but the apparent playoffs and playing in overtime. If you have a good mindset, a good winner off his leg was overturned when a video review showed the Dallas attitude, you got to forget. The 60 minutes doesn’t matter anymore. Just net being dislodged before the puck cross the goal line. Otherwise, the focus on the present and do what you can do.” closest call might have been Giguere not going to distance. “Before going into the fifth overtime, I tried to put my gear back on, but I couldn’t do it,” Giguere said. “All my muscles were cramped, my arms and stuff like that. The trainers helped me get dressed.

“It was a nightmare. It was a good thing that we scored quick into that fifth overtime. It wasn’t going well there at that point.”

When Sykora scored, ESPN announcer Steve Levy simply said, “There it is … The game that would not end just has.” Giguere couldn’t have been happier. The Ducks would win all six overtime games they played in that postseason, including two in the Stanley Cup Final against New Jersey.

“You can’t really go through that unless you’re really prepared for it,” he said. “I guess we were. It was quite an event.”

The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020 1190981 Arizona Coyotes "We know that once we get in our end we have solid defense and a great goaltender back there but can we limit the time spent in our end? Can we force them on their heels a little bit? If we can just play with more After poor showing in Game 1, Coyotes' offense hope for Schmaltz's pressure and make more plays ... hopefully we can gain territory a little return better than we did yesterday."

With Game 2 on Friday being the front end of a back-to-back, the Coyotes know they need to make life a little easier on goaltender Darcy Richard Morin Kuemper and find a way to operate in the offensive zone.

Arizona Republic The Coyotes struggled with making two or more consecutive passes on most of their exits out of the defensive zone. This meant that, despite the

Avalanche going one-and-done on most of their offensive possessions, The Coyotes knew their focus in Game 1 would have to be on defending the Coyotes rarely struggled to get the puck past the neutral zone – the high-end offensive talent at the top of the Colorado Avalanche's creating a situation where they were constantly defending. lineup. They knew that directive No. 1 would be shutting down elite "We watched the game as a team," Tocchet said. "For the first 12 center Nathan MacKinnon, perhaps the most-talented player still alive in minutes or so there was only two or three shots on our net. But it's a little the Stanley Cup Playoffs' round of 16. fool's gold because they were gaining territory and we weren't putting any By those metrics, the Coyotes graded out pretty well in Game 1 on pressure on them. It was an easy game for them to play." Wednesday, despite the 3-0 loss. However, at times it seemed as though the Coyotes forgot they had to create their own offense, too. Arizona Republic LOADED: 08.14.2020 The Coyotes finished with just 14 shots on goal in a game that was tied until the final minutes of the third period. A crushing power-play goal by the Avalanche loosened the screws on an otherwise tight defensive structure by the Coyotes. Still, the way the Arizona offense was creating (or lack thereof), it seemed unlikely the Coyotes were going to score at all in that game.

"You can't back up," Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet said after the game. "You've got to go. You have to make a play, make a pass, win a battle."

Up until this point in the postseason, the Coyotes have been without forward Nick Schmaltz, who led the team in regular-season scoring with 45 points in 70 games. Schmaltz was hit in the head during an exhibition game against the Vegas Golden Knights and has been absent ever since.

But with Schmaltz participating in multiple Coyotes practices in the bubble since the injury, there is an outside chance the 24-year-old could be ready for Game 2 against the Avalanche.

"He's up in the air," Tocchet said of Schmaltz's status on Thursday. "I'll talk to (the trainer) later today. He practiced today, so we'll see how he feels. We need a couple of days in a row. He's frustrated right now so we need a couple of days where he's smiling and saying he's ready to go. Until I hear that, we play ahead with what we have."

Of course, should Schmaltz re-enter the Coyotes lineup sometime this series, someone would have to sit out. The obvious candidates would be either Michael Grabner, Vinnie Hinostroza or Christian Fischer. And while there is no easy choice, it would be hard to justify removing the speed of Grabner or Hinostroza against a team as fast as the Avalanche.

And for a team that posted abysmal offensive numbers on Thursday, the Coyotes could sure use the speed, skill and creativity that Schmaltz brings to the lineup.

"He's a guy that can make plays off the rush," Tocchet said of Schmaltz. "We're starved for that right now and looking for some guys who can make some rush plays. He can help us at the center position. He's a jack of all trades. You've seen him make some high-end plays on the power play. Yeah, he's a sorely missed guy right now."

Although the Coyotes did a good job keeping the Avalanche at bay for most of the game, they managed just 15 scoring chances and two high- danger scoring chances over the 60 minutes, according to Natural Stat Trick. Colorado, meanwhile, finished with 29 scoring chances and seven high-danger scoring chances.

To hold a team like the Avalanche to seven high-danger chances for 60 minutes is a job done. But most teams won't win games by creating just two of their own.

"Everyone can see that," Coyotes forward Taylor Hall said when asked about the team's lack of offense in Game 1. "We had a meeting this morning about how we have to play. It's not just going out and getting more chances as much as what leads to it. Can we be more in their face? Can we pressure them in the neutral zone? Can we force turnovers? 1190982 Arizona Coyotes It’s great to finally get the true playoffs going. Sixteen teams. Four rounds. Best-of-7 and that is how it has been for a long time. We’re excited to finally – as Bedsy () puts it and he said this in the Ian Cole Diary, Part 2: On winning Game 1, playing back-to-backs and round robin – it’s shooting live bullets. The regular season is great and Phil Kessel the standings are great and that’s what gets you here. But the playoffs are where you make your name as a hockey player. That is where we hope to shine. That is our plan. Looking back, I thought with the Vegas game, we obviously lost and that is not good. But in my mind, we tried to By Ryan S. Clark objectively look at wins and losses as best as we can. We did some good Aug 13, 2020 things. We did some not-so-good things. We answered back when they scored. We took a good team to overtime. But we also know there are some things we could have cleaned up. We could have responded to their pressure a little bit better. It was a lesson we needed to learn at Curious about what life is like inside the “bubble” in Edmonton? Don’t some point. Not that we did not know it at that point. But the ability to worry. Ian Cole has you covered. learn lessons makes you a better player and a better team. Learning The veteran defenseman is giving Colorado Avalanche fans a glimpse these lessons and getting better moving forward, hopefully? We are in a into another side of the team’s playoff run. Cole is accustomed to lengthy better spot because of an unfortunate loss. The round robin was postseason performances as a two-time Stanley Cup champion. Knowing definitely a different experience for sure. I think it is very similar in that that, among other reasons, is why Colorado signed Cole back in 2018. you have a regular season and that build up to the postseason and that He was a part of the Avs’ squad that upset the Calgary Flames in the stretch run to the regular season. Those games do mean a lot. You have Western Conference quarterfinal and fell a victory shy of beating the San two or three practice days to get ready and you’re playing three or four Jose Sharks to reach the conference final. days later. I think in that sense, the time table was very similar and the emotions are very similar. A lot was riding on those round robin games Last Tuesday, Cole’s first entry, among other items, detailed how the and we knew that. You know there is going to be a lot riding on games at Avalanche opened the Western Conference round robin with a thrilling 2- the end of the season and you go into the playoffs playing well. I think in 1 victory over the St. Louis Blues after second-line center Nazem Kadri that sense, while it was unprecedented with how we were doing it, I think scored the game-winning goal with a tenth of a second left in regulation. the time table itself and what we looked to accomplish between those round robin games and the start of the playoffs was very similar. On Thursday, Cole provided his second entry as told to The Athletic’s Ryan S. Clark, a day after the Avalanche defeated the Arizona Coyotes Arizona is a great hockey team. They are in the position they are in for a in Game 1 of the Western Conference quarterfinal, and a day before the reason. They had a great season. They beat a very good team in two teams engage in back-to-back contests in Games 2 and 3. Nashville and that is why they are here in the bubble to start with. They are a great hockey team and definitely have some assets as far as To be honest, if you are going over what a hockey season is like, you players go that make them unique and hard to solve. The No. 1 thing have to look at different seasons in other sports. Football is 16 games in probably being Darcy Kuemper, who has been fantastic. Their D are very the regular season and 17 weeks long with the bye week. There is a lot solid and the forwards track back hard and they are a very tough team to of time between games to get refocused. It is not like you are doing it play against. We went into much more detail in our pre-scout meeting every other night for six or seven months like us. Having that mindset, but, overall, they are a great hockey team. Every single game is going to having that goal, realistically, it is to come to the rink every single day for be a challenge. Patience is a virtue for a reason. That is going to matter seven months with the exact same mindset around a singular goal. There in this series. There might be some long hockey games where it might are days when you are not feeling it. However, in this scenario, being that take a while to see our work come to fruition. It could take three periods, it is the playoffs, there is no excuse for a lack of focus or intensity or four periods, eight periods. It does not matter. Patience and maturity is discipline. Your only job, especially when you are in a bubble, your only really going to matter in this series. They are a very patient team. They job is to win playoff games. I think to be honest, being in this bubble does have the ability to generate chances on their own but they wait for simplify that. It does make it a lot easier. My job is to recover for the next opportune times to take advantage of you. The playoffs are so tight that game. That is my one job. Then, after that, my one job is to play well. It is you cannot give them those opportunities. If you do, you need to work easy to think of it in practice. Is it as easy to accomplish? No. But it is together to get the puck out of the zone together. We need to stay easy to see where someone is coming from when we talk about these together and stay true to our gameplan. It is about doing the right things things. and no matter how long it takes, you do it again. You take a day off and Those back-to-back games are going to be low energy on the second you do it again. Then you try to do that four more times. It’s not night, depending upon what happens on the first night. It is going to be a necessarily a crazy formula. It’s not overly complicated. It is a war of tough situation going against a team that is very patient and is willing to attrition and the playoffs always are and this series will be as well. win games, 1-0. It is not going to be a run-and-gun game all over the ice. People in the past have criticized Phil Kessel. But in my experience with It is going to be hard to get ice and it will be very hard to create space Phil, he is a fantastic player and a fantastic teammate. He is a guy I have and to create chances. Those things are going to be very hard. Anything known for a long time. I went to high school with him for a couple of hard takes energy, right? You’re going to expend that energy and then, years. He’s a fantastic guy. He’s a great teammate and a difference- when it is over, you go to sleep and try to get as much of that energy maker. I think everyone is aware of that and everyone knows that. I don’t back as we can. It’s really all you can do. Not having travel, I think, is think any of those statements are going to surprise people. He is one of going to be beneficial for energy levels. It’s different during a back-to- the only players who can skate down the side in a 1-on-1 with a D-man back during the season. During the year, you’re playing at 7 p.m. or 7:30 and fire a shot from the top of the circle and beat the goalie clean. The p.m., and that goes on for three hours. Maybe you’re leaving the rink at way he shoots the puck is so world-class that you cannot let him have 10:30 p.m. once you are done with your postgame rest, recovery, rehab time. I think we did a great job of limiting that. That is going to be one of and getting ice. It’s different for everyone. You get to the airport at 11 the huge challenges of this series. It is keeping the puck out of his hands p.m. and you’re taking off at 11:30 p.m. and flying for however long. It’s and keeping him at bay as best as we can. He is a winner and he knows usually two hours. Everywhere to Colorado is at least two hours or more. how to win. He’s a challenge and he’s a unique player. I think that Even our closest next-door neighbor is a two-hour flight. You land, let’s everyone on our team and our coaches have done a fantastic job. say around 1:30 a.m., and by the time you get in your car, it’s 1:45 a.m. Everyone on our squad knows what we want to do. You are arriving home between 2:15 a.m. and 2:30 a.m., and you’re trying to get some sleep. Anyone who likes sleeping and keeping up on rests knows, it is tough to keep a very consistent sleep schedule when you are up until 3 a.m. one night and going to bed at 10 p.m. the next The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020 night. We’re fortunate to come in rested and ready to go. Being able to not have that travel situation is going to be nice. Having afternoon games as well is also very helpful. You’re sleeping for 10 hours from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. That is so much better for you than sleeping from 2 a.m. to 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. I am someone who is always awake in the morning. That means I get less sleep, unfortunately. Back-to-backs are never easy. But in this situation? Maybe it could be easier than our normal situation. 1190983 Boston Bruins sizzling 7-for-15 in last spring’s four-game conference final vs. the Canes.

⋅ The ‘Canes came with an improved lineup, which helped them limit the Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask on playoff hockey in 2020: ‘It feels dull at Bruins to only six shots in the opening 20:00 (and only two in the first times’ 10:00). No surprise they subbed out Petr Mrazek in net for James Reimer. Mrazek left some fat rebounds in the opener, including the one off an Ondrej Kase wrister that Krejci potted after some nifty stick work. By Kevin Paul Dupont Globe Staff ⋅ Coaches live in the moment always, but especially in the playoffs, so Updated August 13, 2020, 11:57 p.m. expect Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy to go again with Rask in Game 3. But with a noon start on Saturday, after Rask played on back-to-back

nights, it looks like an ideal time for Cassidy to go with Jaro Halak. The The Bruins are two games into 2020 Cup play, knotted at 1-1 with the Slovak stopper started the round-robin opener vs. the Flyers, his first Hurricanes after Thursday night’s 3-2 loss at Toronto. post-season appearance since the 2015 playoffs.

As serious as that might sound, if not critical, their goalie, Tuukka Rask, ⋅ The ‘Canes in the second period flashed some of the scoring moxie that made clear after the loss that he feels something’s missing. led to their play-in sweep of the Rangers. Teuvo Teravainen and Andrei Svechnikov scored only 88 seconds apart, first with the advantage and “Well, I mean, considering I had four months off,” said the franchise then at even strength. Quick-strike power they didn’t show last year vs. tender, asked how he felt both mentally and physically after starting on the Bruins. back-to-back nights, “I mean, I’m not in prime shape, but . . . trying to get there. I’m just trying to have fun and play the game. I’m not stressing too ⋅ Svechnikov’s release is lightning, reminiscent of the great . much about results and whatnot. He snapped in a sizzling wrister off a pinpoint, cross-ice feed from rookie Martin Necas into the left circle. The No. 2 pick in the ’18 draft has “It’s August, and I haven’t played hockey forever . . . so go out there and averaged 22 goals his first two seasons. That release, combined with his have fun and see what happens for me.” O-zone chutzpah, makes him a candidate to pop for 40.

Rask’s a different cat, no question, but that was an unexpected and ⋅ Carolina likes to put heavy pressure at the points during the penalty kill. unusual response, and one that no doubt will dominate Boston talk radio In Game 1, it led to Brock McGinn’s shorthander, when he picked off a on Friday, over the weekend, and perhaps years to come. lamebrained pass by Pastrnak. Looks like they’ll be sniffing for shorties the entire series. Bruins fans live for this time of year, even if the postseason has been tolled into the dog days of summer. They frame their days around playoff ⋅ Joel Edmundson, the ex-Blues defenseman, logged 30 minutes, 33 games, dare not run to the fridge in the middle of the action. It won’t go seconds in ice time in Game 1, second on the ‘Canes only to Jaccob down easy for many of them to hear the No. 1 goalie isn’t stressing like Slavin (37:03). But the towering Edmundson was a DND for Game 3. they are stressing. Likely reason: He took a serious pop from Nick Ritchie at the 12:40 mark Because there is “no buzz around the series,” explained Rask, noting of the third period. Edmundson didn’t miss a shift, but he was rattled. special circumstances framed by the COVID-19 pandemic, “it feels dull at Ritchie has shown little in the first two games, but that was a varsity belt times.” against the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Edmundson.

The lack of atmosphere, he added, “makes it feel like an exhibition game . . . but we’re trying our best to kind of ramp up and get energized and make it feel like a playoff game.” Boston Globe LOADED: 08.14.2020

The three-game round-robin tournament, in which the Bruins dropped all three and fell three rungs to the fourth seed in the East, was supposed to be where teams shook physical rust and mental cobwebs.

It didn’t do it for Rask.

When asked about Rask’s comments, teammate Brad Marchand said Rask perhaps was talking about the round-robin tournament. Nope. Rask clearly was focusing on the moment.

“These are playoff games, playoff atmosphere,” said Marchand, who put on a one-man penalty-killing clinic in the third period when the Bruins were scraping for the tying goal. “We are going to compete hard. There’s no question it doesn’t have the same atmosphere, and there’s no home- ice advantage . . . it’s just straight-up hockey at this point.

“Unfortunately, that’s the playoffs this year and, you know, at least we’re playing.”

⋅ Anders Bjork didn’t light up the scoreboard in Wednesday’s overtime win, but he was strong on pucks, and generally more aware and assertive. Good choice to slot him into Pastrnak’s open spot on the No. 1 line with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron.

Not new territory for Bjork. He made his career debut in the 2017-‘18 season opener as the right winger on the Marchand-Bergeron trio. He’s fast and smart. His game has lacked, and still needs, more sandpaper. If he can keep growing his grit element, his wheels can put him in a position to connect for 25–30 goals a year.

⋅ David Krejci scored in Game 1, then popped in the first power-play goal for the 1-0 lead in Game 2. With gifted, velveteen hands, he’s always looking “pass” as his first option. In his previous 61 playoff games before Wednesday, dating back to the 2013 postseason, he had scored only 7 goals.

Krejci’s go-ahead goal ended the Bruins’ 0-for-13 run on the advantage since landing in Toronto. They were 0-for-4 in Game 1, after going a 1190984 Boston Bruins Teravainen created more trouble for him. At 3:26 of the period, referee Wes McCauley immediately waved off a loose puck that crossed the line after Teravainen fought through the crease and bumped Rask. After a Dougie Hamilton roofs winner as Carolina evens series with Bruins review, officials upheld the call. More annoyance for Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour, who was fined $25,000 for voicing his displeasure with net- front officiating in Game 1. He was tight-lipped afterward.

By Matt Porter Globe Staff Asked if Carolina was taking liberties with him or if the bumps were part of playoff hockey, Rask took a different tack. Updated August 13, 2020, 10:46 p.m. “It doesn’t really feel like playoff hockey right now,” he said. “There’s no

fans. It feels like an exhibition game.” The Bruins were charging, looking for the tying goal in the third period. Marchand gently disagreed. Carolina was keeping them to the outside. It was the type of situation suited for David Pastrnak, an ace at stickhandling and shooting the “Maybe he was talking about the round robin games,” Marchand said. Bruins out of trouble. “These are playoff games.

But Pastrnak was sitting in the stands at Scotiabank Arena, observing the “It’s definitely different. It doesn’t have the same atmosphere. . . . swells and shouts of Game 2. He wore a mask and the dreaded “unfit to Unfortunately, that’s playoffs this year. At least we’re playing.” play” tag. Their next task is to axe the weak plays and mistakes in front of their net Thus the Bruins fell, 3-2, to the Hurricanes without their top scorer, that let Carolina dictate much of the third. At 8:30 of the frame, Hamilton unable to find that tying goal in a frenzied final few minutes after ex-Bruin arrived. The ex-Bruin stepped into a short feed and sent a rocket past Dougie Hamilton nailed the go-ahead strike at 8:30 of the third period. Rask’s glove. All three Hurricanes goals were snipes.

“It’s our turn to push back,” coach Bruce Cassidy said, noting his team’s “First of all, it’s my grandma’s birthday, so I think that one’s for her,” said need to clean up mistakes in its own zone that led to all three Carolina Hamilton, asked if the opponent brought added significance. “Otherwise, goals. I think it’s great to score against your old team in the playoffs in the third period.” This first-round series is tied at 1, entering Game 3 at noon Saturday. A minute later, Warren Foegele drew a hooking call on Charlie McAvoy, David Krejci and Brad Marchand scored for the Bruins, but the hero was giving the Canes a chance to put it out of reach. Marchand, Sean Kuraly, James Reimer. The Carolina backup’s last postseason start came in and Joakim Nordstrom produced a potential game-saving shift, skating Game 7 of the 2013 first round, when he and the Maple Leafs allowed their way into several scoring chances in the Carolina end. They grunted four late goals in the Bruins’ stunning comeback. He made 33 saves on and sweated their way to several more in the final minutes, but no payoff. 35 shots on Thursday, pointing to the sky after escaping the Bruins’ last- Series, even. ditch charge with two stops in the final 10 seconds. “You don’t replace Pasta,” Cassidy said. “We’ll take another look at it and “You’re never going to replace Pasta,” Marchand said. “It was a big hole see what we come up with Saturday.” for our team.”

The Bruins opened the night with Anders Bjork on the top line and kept him there, other than a brief Karson Kuhlman turn in the second period. Boston Globe LOADED: 08.14.2020 Bjork landed one shot in 11:21. Pastrnak, the happy-go-lucky goal- scoring king (48) of the NHL this season alongside Alex Ovechkin, is believed to have suffered an injury late in Game 1.

“Questionable from the game yesterday,” Cassidy said afterward, adding that Pastrnak would be a game-time decision for Game 3. He alluded that Pastrnak needed to test an injury.

The Bruins will not have a morning skate for the noontime puck drop.

On Boston’s first power play chance, Krejci slid into Pastrnak’s right- circle spot on the No. 1 unit. There was no drop-off in production.

The veteran playmaker found the puck at the top of the Bruins’ shifting power play formation. He sent a seeing-eye shot through a maze of sticks and bodies in front at 15:41, scoring the Bruins’ first opening goal in a game since March 10.

Carolina charged back in the second period, earning several long stretches of possession in the Bruins’ zone. They were also gifted a marginal elbowing call against Chris Wagner, which helped them tie the game with 4:47 left in the second. Teravainen walked in and sniped a wrister over Tuukka Rask’s blocker.

Just 1:28 later, the Bruins couldn’t pick up Svechnikov, who took a sharp feed from the wall and was all alone in the middle. The No. 2 pick in the 2018 draft, who had fed Teravainen his goal with a spinning forehand feed, fired a similar shot in a similar spot. Hard, high, and past Rask in a hurry.

The Bruins got it back before intermission. Torey Krug had a scoring chance and wheeled away from the net. Teravainen was called for interference when Krug tripped backward over his leg.

With 4.4 seconds left in the frame, Marchand snapped home his own rebound off a Bergeron feed he tipped off the post.

Rask, who stopped 23 of 26 shots (.885), made his best save of the night in the opening minute of the third, turning back Vincent Trocheck after a curl-and-drag move from the slot. 1190985 Boston Bruins “It was pretty clean in front of him, not a lot of stretches where — demanding stretches. Still, it was four periods of hockey. He had to be ready on his toes the whole game.”

David Pastrnak deemed unfit to participate, out for Game 2 Cassidy also said the timing of the games helped Rask’s case. The unusual 11 a.m. start for Game 1 left him extra hours to recover for the 8 p.m. puck drop for Game 2. The Bruins also didn’t have to travel. By Matt Porter Globe Staff “We went to the rink and back here to the hotel,” Cassidy said, speaking Updated August 13, 2020, 3:01 p.m. from the team’s base at Hotel X in Toronto. “So that had a lot to do with it.”

Moving on A surprise for Game 2: No David Pastrnak. The Bruins leading scorer was deemed “unfit to participate,” the team announced before puck drop, Brind’Amour, who was fined $25,000 for comments he made about the and will be a game-time decision for Saturday’s Game 3. league and officiating after Game 1, did not wish to elaborate before Thursday’s puck drop. “Questionable from the game yesterday,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “We don’t believe it will be a long-term. It’s a day-to-day thing, we hope. “Moving on,” he said. Obviously targeting Saturday at noon … tough to test it, get out skating in a morning skate type of thing.” On Wednesday, Brind’Amour asserted that the review after Coyle’s second-period goal was “a joke” and “a crime scene.” Cassidy said in his noontime press availability that he expected to use the same lineup from the double-overtime win in Game 1 — of which He did have a day-after take on Game 1. Pastrnak (goal, assist in 24:58) was a big factor — if everyone was “It was worse watching it back than it was live, so that didn’t sit that well,” healthy. Brind’Amour said. “We weren’t very good. They did exactly what they The Bruins had an optional skate Thursday morning in Toronto. Pastrnak wanted to do. We’re going to have to change that up if we’re going to win was spotted stretching with several teammates in a photo, posted by the this.” Bruins, of players at BMO Field, the soccer stadium inside the NHL Power outage bubble in Toronto. Dougie Hamilton skated 24:20 and scored the winner, showing no ill Several broadcast outlets, including NESN, speculated pregame that effects from his long layoff. His 26:48 in the double-OT Game 1 was his Pastrnak may have hurt himself jumping for joy after Bergeron’s double- first action since Jan. 16. “He handled it really well,” Brind’Amour said . . . OT winning goal. On video, Pastrnak can be seen landing awkwardly, The Bruins have another back-to-back set in Games 5 and 6 with his feet pointed outward at 45-degree angles. He was in clear (Wednesday-Thursday), if necessary. Cassidy has not said whether he discomfort, wincing and exhaling with a concerned look as he celebrated plans to use goalie Jaroslav Halak in one of those games . . . If the with his joyous teammates. Bruins clinch this series in Game 6, they could have at least four days off. Anders Bjork began the night in Pastrnak’s spot at No. 1 right wing, next The second round is tentatively scheduled to start Aug. 25 . . . Cassidy to Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Replacing Bjork on the third began his postgame comments with a thought for Claude Julien, now line: Karson Kuhlman, 24, who played two games in the round robin bench boss in Montreal, who was hospitalized Thursday with chest pains. (zero points, five shots). He fought his way into the lineup for eight playoff “We’re wishing him a healthy recovery,” Cassidy said. “Our best goes out games last year (1-2—3), capping his debut season. to Karen and the kids.” Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin said Julien is not expected to return for the duration of the team’s first-round Marchand (21:14) and David Krejci (21:05) were used heavily in series against Philadelphia. Julien, 60, holds the Bruins all-time record Pastrnak’s absence. Kuhlman (9:42) was not. for regular season wins (419) and won the 2011 Stanley Cup . . . Cassidy sits tied with for fifth place on the Bruins’ all-time playoff Cassidy said Bjork, who skated 11:21, was promising in his second true wins leaders (23). Harry Sinden (24), (31), and Art Ross (32) playoff game. are in reach this postseason, but Cassidy would need a couple more long “He did some good things,” Cassidy said. “Need him to be a little harder runs to catch Julien (57). in certain situations. Every play matters in the playoffs.”

The Hurricanes made several lineup changes, most notably in net. Boston Globe LOADED: 08.14.2020 James Reimer started his first playoff game since 2013, when he was on the losing end of the Bruins’ three-goal comeback against Toronto in Game 7 of the first round. Petr Mrazek, despite coach Rod Brind’Amour praising him as “locked in” after Game 1, was sat.

Carolina also activated No. 3 right wing Justin Williams and Sami Vatanen, both of whom were “unfit to play” in Game 1, and subbed defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk for Game 1 goal-scorer Joel Edmundson (unfit). Defenseman Jake Gardiner and forward Nino Niederreiter were also scratched.

Despite short rest, Tuukka Rask gets start

The last time the Bruins had playoff games on consecutive days was in the first-round series vs. Toronto in April 2013, Games 6 and 7.

Goalie Tuukka Rask, then 26, started both games.

Seven years and a few months later, Rask was on the clock for Game 2 against Carolina, finishing the unexpected Wednesday-Thursday set by stopping 23 of 26 shots.

Coach Bruce Cassidy pointed to three factors when asked why he went with Rask, who started all 24 playoff games in last year’s run to the Stanley Cup Final, and — not counting the round-robin play in 2020 — has made 79 consecutive playoff starts for Boston.

“How’s Tuukka feeling coming out of the game? He felt fine,” Cassidy said. “Was there a lot of wear and tear to the point where recovery would require more than 24 hours or 30 hours? I don’t think so. 1190986 Boston Bruins

Former Bruins coach Claude Julien hospitalized with chest pains

Staff Report

Updated August 13, 2020, 2:55 p.m.

TORONTO (AP) — Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin said that coach Claude Julien was experiencing chest pains Wednesday night and was taken by ambulance to a Toronto hospital.

Bergevin confirmed Thursday it was not COVID-19 related.

The 60-year-old coach is not expected to be back behind the bench for the rest of the team’s first-round series against Philadelphia. Associate coach Kirk Muller will take over Julien’s role in an interim basis.

Bergevin says he is optimistic Julien will be OK, especially after getting good news from a doctor Thursday afternoon.

"Everything should be fine and we hope for the best," Bergevin said.

Bergevin does not expect Julien’s family to join him at the hospital in Toronto. He hopes Julien will be able to return home to rest.

The Canadiens won their qualifying round series to make it to the round of 16. They trail the Flyers 1-0 in the first round, with Game 2 set for Friday night.

Julien coached the Bruins from 2007-2017, going 419-246-94 and winning the 2011 Stanley Cup before he was fired in the middle of his 10th season with the club.

Boston Globe LOADED: 08.14.2020 1190987 Boston Bruins Carolina got another one of their young stars going just 1:28 later when Andrei Svechnikov took a feed from Necas in the slot and wasted no time snapping it over Rask’s shoulder.

Bruins drop Game 2 to Hurricanes That finally got the B’s attention, and they went back on the attack. After a great chance from the slot, Krug was heading back to the blue line when he appeared to trip himself up over Teravainen’s leg. Teravainen By STEVE CONROY | [email protected] | Boston Herald may have nudged the leg out just a hair, maybe not, but Brind’Amour, already tagged with a $25,000 fine for his rant about the officials on PUBLISHED: August 13, 2020 at 11:20 p.m. | UPDATED: August 14, Wednesday, threw his hands up in disgust on the bench. 2020 at 12:29 a.m. With 4.4 seconds left in the second, they evened it up with their second

PP goal of the game when Brad Marchand roofed a rebound of a Patrice The Bruins gave the impression that they’d left their round-robin blues Bergeron shot to send it into the third deadlocked 2-2. behind them with their Game 1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on

Wednesday, but bad habits die hard apparently. Boston Herald LOADED: 08.14.2020 After being clearly the better team on Wednesday, they were not that on Thursday and they paid for it with a 3-2 loss that they let get away from them in the second and third periods.

Former Bruin Dougie Hamilton blasted a slapper past Tuukka Rask at 8:30 of the third and the Canes held off a furious Bruins push at the end to hang on and tie the series 1-1. Game 3 is noon Saturday.

For a brief second early in the third it appeared the Canes broke the 2-2 tie at 3:26 when the puck ended up behind Rask, who knocked it in with his right leg in a net-front scramble. But referee Wes McCauley immediately waved it off for goalie interference on Teuvo Teravainen, who made a lot of contact with Rask. Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour for the second day in a row challenged the call and for the second time was denied, picking up a minor penalty for his trouble.

The B’s, however, could not cash in on the power-play, and then the Canes took the lead for real at 8:30. In one of a string of sloppy shifts for the B’s, Martin Necas picked up a loose puck in the left corner and was able to cut behind the net before feeding an oncoming Hamilton. The ex- Bruin stepped into the slapper and blew it past Rask’s glove for the lead.

Coach Bruce Cassidy thought the Bruins should have gotten the puck out of the defensive zone.

“You’ve got to punt in those situations and live to fight another day,” said Cassidy. “You’ve got to clear the zone.”

The night started on a disconcerting note for the Bruins when it was announced that Rocket Richard co-winner, David Pastrnak, was termed “unfit to participate” and unavailable to play.

That required Anders Bjork to move up to Pastrnak’s spot on the top line. Karson Kuhlman was added to the lineup taking Bjork’s right wing spot on the third line.

“We don’t believe it will be long-term. It’s a day-to-day thing we hope. Obviously we’re targeting Saturday at noon,” said Cassidy, who said that without a morning skate it will probably go down to a game-time decision.

The B’s got better as the first period wore on and took a 1-0 lead on their first power-play goal since arriving in Toronto. Ondrej Kase, who continued to have the puck on a string, drew a stick foul on Brad Skjei and Pastrnak’s replacement on first unit scored his second goal of the series. With a stickless Jordan Staal defending in front of him, David Krejci moved left to right out high, faking a couple of shots before finding a clear shooting lane. His long, hard wrister beat James Reimer at 15:41.

They flurried for the rest of the period, but could not build on the lead before the period was out, and that was unfortunate.

For in the second period, the Canes took over the game and, eventually the lead.

It started off with the B’s making some unforced errors in their own zone, with both Torey Krug and Brandon Carlo throwing some careless passes into the middle and Zdeno Chara fighting the puck. The Canes started to get traction on a 4-on-4 and kept it going when the teams got back to full strength.

With the B’s scrambling in their own zone, Chris Wagner was called for elbowing that neither he nor Cassidy liked too much. The Canes made them pay when Teravainen sniped a power-play at 15:13 from inside of the right circle that beat Rask to the blocker side. 1190988 Boston Bruins

Hurricanes coach Brind’Amour ‘moving on’ after fined by NHL

Staff Report

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

PUBLISHED: August 13, 2020 at 2:54 p.m. | UPDATED: August 13, 2020 at 3:52 p.m.

TORONTO — Rod Brind’Amour wasn’t going to risk another $25,000 fine from the NHL.

The Carolina Hurricanes coach provided a short, four-word answer, Thursday, when asked if he had anything more to add a day after being fined for calling the league “a joke” in criticizing an officials’ ruling on a goal challenge.

“Fortunately, nope. Moving on,” Brind’Amour said, during a Zoom conference call from his team’s Toronto hotel hours before the Hurricanes played Game 2 of their first-round series against the Boston Bruins.

Brind’Amour caused a stir a day earlier following a 4-3 double-overtime loss, after which the NHL fined him $25,000 for his comments, and issued him a conditional $25,000 fine for any similar comments he might make over the next calendar year.

At the very least, Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon had his coach’s back. Under the heading “In Rod We Trust,” the Hurricanes posted a photo on their Twitter account of a $25,017 check, with a Hurricanes logo on it, signed by Dundon and made out to the NHL Foundation

Initially upset he wasn’t asked about the officials’ ruling during a post- game news conference, Brind’Amour later voiced his complaints to several publications which cover the Hurricanes.

At issue was how officials dealt with the Hurricanes challenging Charlie Coyle’s second-period goal, which put Boston up 2-1.

The puck was batted by a Bruins’ player’s hand and fell into the crease, where Carolina goalie Petr Mrazek made an attempt to smother it. Coyle poked the puck loose and scored.

Brind’Amour told the Raleigh News & Observer that in preparing to make his challenge, referees Chris Lee and Francis Charron declined to reveal their on-ice ruling regarding the goal. That left Brind’Amour with having to make a decision over whether to challenge goalie interference or whether play should have stopped because of an illegal hand pass.

Brind’Amour’s challenge of an illegal hand pass was denied because Lee ruled Mrazek had possession of the puck even though play wasn’t stopped, leading to the possibility of goalie interference. Teams are only allowed one challenge per goal.

“They wouldn’t tell you. It makes no sense,” he was quoted telling the newspaper. “This is why the league’s a joke, in my opinion, on these things. … That one is a crime scene.”

Though the Hurricanes were penalized for delay of game following the failed challenge, Brock McGinn scored a short-handed goal 11 seconds later to tie the game.

Boston Herald LOADED: 08.14.2020 1190989 Boston Bruins Cassidy was going right back with Tuukka Rask for Thursday’s Game 2, despite the games being on consecutive days.

“There were three factors. How’s Tuukka feeling coming out of the Bruce Cassidy sees the positive in Bruins’ third line game? He felt fine. Was there a lot of wear and tear to the point where recovery would require more than 24 hours or three hours? I don’t think so. We were pretty clean in front of him. Not a lot of stretches that were By STEVE CONROY | [email protected] | Boston Herald demanding. Still, it was four periods of hockey, so he’s got to be ready on his toes the whole game,” said Cassidy. “Back-to-back decisions have a PUBLISHED: August 13, 2020 at 2:41 p.m. | UPDATED: August 13, lot to do with travel, short night’s sleep. We didn’t have any of those 2020 at 8:12 p.m. factors. He went to the rink and back to the hotel, so there’s obviously no travel and you get a full night’s sleep, so that had a lot to do with it.”

The Bruins’ third line of Nick Ritchie, Charlie Coyle and Anders Bjork had Not so powerful its positive moments in Wednesday’s Game 1 against the Carolina The B’s vaunted power play is 0-for-13 since the start of the round robin, Hurricanes, most notably the Coyle goal that was scored off some greasy with an 0-for-4 outing — including a shorthanded goal against — in front-net work by all three players. Game 1. Carolina has an aggressive penalty kill and Cassidy would like But the line was also on the ice for two goals against after a couple of to see his team account better for that. lost battles from Ritchie and some miscommunication. “The way they form that tight diamond in the neutral zone didn’t allow us Still, with the first win under his belt, coach Bruce Cassidy didn’t sound to gain entry with possession, which is something we try to do as much like he was at all close to breaking up the line — and he’s not a coach as any team in this league. It was stubbornness on our part not to get who’s afraid to make changes. But he did acknowledge that things could pucks behind them,” said Cassidy. “We have a couple of plays that we have gone more smoothly for them. talked about before. Unfortunately we didn’t have a chance to practice the timing of some of them. We always run that stretch play against “On the first goal, Ritchie certainly had a chance to kill the play. Charlie Carolina off the end boards. We’ve had some success against them Coyle’s caught on defense. I think (Charlie) McAvoy was up. At the end doing that. We actually scored out there. Sometimes we find that will of the day, that’s a D and he helps Ritchie, that play’s dead and it’s a 1- loosen them up. Didn’t work for us.” on-5. From there, Anders comes into the pile thinking Ritchie’s going to kill it so he’s on the wrong side of the ice instead of returning through the No stopping them middle. So just a couple little things. Looked like a harmless play, then Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said his team wasn’t caught by the Ritchie battle, the Bjork route and all of a sudden they’re on a line surprise by the B’s top line’s set play that led to David Pastrnak‘s goal in change and they get the puck in the middle of the ice to fresh legs and Game 1. And therein lies the problem for his team. they make a play. Honestly, it was one breakdown that led to another. If we kill it early, it’s done,” said Cassidy. “The other goal we just got a little “Everyone knows they’re coming. That’s the hard part,” said Brind’Amour. bit anxious on the wall to get in the battle with Anders and the puck beat “You actually know they’re coming and you still can’t defend it. That’s him to the top. If it’s a righty, he’s probably fine, but it’s a lefty, (Hadyn) what happened. We knew exactly what the play was and we knew how to Fleury, who can drag it into the middle of the ice quicker on his off side. cover it. It’s not blown coverage, it’s just that much (holding his thumb Anders attempted to make the block, but it got through. and forefinger an inch apart). That’s all they need. That’s why they’re so elite. There’s a lot of great players in the game, but the chemistry that “Other than that, they did a lot of things well. They obviously scored a these guys have, just know where they’re going with the puck before they goal for us, had some looks. Anders was all alone in front of the net with get it, that’s what the top guys do, and that’s what they are.” a point-blank (chance), a great play by Coyle. They haven’t been together a lot obviously so we’ll allow them time to grow as a line unless Play it back (availability) prevents us from doing that. But all in all, I thought they were better than they were bad, they just happened to be victimized for a Brind’Amour’s assessment of Game 1 after reviewing it: “It was worse couple of goals.” watching it back than it did live, so that didn’t sit that well. We weren’t very good and they did exactly what they wanted to do.” As it turned out, with the surprise scratch of David Pastrnak (unfit to participate), Bjork did have to get bumped up to the top line while Karson Hamilton’s return Kuhlman took Bjork’s spot on the third line. In his first game since breaking his fibula in January, Dougie Hamilton Meanwhile, just judging from the ever-reliable social media meter, it played 26:48 in the double-OT Game 1, finishing with a minus-2 and no seems that Ritchie has become an object of many fans’ ire. Big men shots on net. losing battles never looks good. But while Cassidy acknowledged that “For first game back, I thought he was fine. I thought he was really good there are things Ritchie can work on, the coach will allow him to get that actually,” said Brind’Amour. “He’d been out almost (eight) months. It’s not work in. He also thought his physicality and size did show up at times, the perfect amount of minutes you’d want a guy to play who hasn’t which he believes is needed. played forever, but he handled it really well.”

“He had some good hits. He hit (Joel) Edmundson hard, shook him up. Both teams in any series are looking for the physical part so that there’s the attrition factor, so time will tell on that,” said Cassidy. “He got to the Boston Herald LOADED: 08.14.2020 front of the net a lot. We asked him to do that. Now the way Carolina’s D are active, you’ve got to know, ‘OK, where am I in front? Am I in good position to recover if there’s a turnover or uncertainty on a puck possession so I won’t get beat up ice? Or can I take away the goalie’s eyes and get right on top of the crease?’ Those are some discussions we’ll have with him. He didn’t find a lot of loose pucks for himself, but Charlie Coyle scored a goal, he was part of that sequence. He went to the front of the net with Anders’ chance with Coyle, so he was around there. The physicality part versus Carolina? I think it’s important in any series. They’ve got some big bodies over there. Are you using it to your advantage becomes more of the question for me. We’re willing to keep encouraging him to do that. I think he had four hits and got one pretty good lick in there. It’s his first (playoff) game with us, so we brought him in for a reason and we’ll allow him to grow unless we feel if there’s a better option for us, a quicker option, a guy that has different attributes, then we’ll use him.”

Rask back in net 1190990 Boston Bruins

Bruins vs. Hurricanes Highlights: Carolina ties series with 3-2 Game 2 win

By Nick Goss

August 13, 2020 10:43 PM

FINAL SCORE: Carolina Hurricanes 3, Boston Bruins 2

IN BRIEF: The Hurricanes will not be swept by the Bruins for the second consecutive season.

The 'Canes had lost five straight postseason games to the Bruins entering Thursday night, and they snapped that skid with a 3-2 victory in Game 2 of their first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

The turning point came at 15:13 of the second period when Carolina scored on a Teuvo Teravainen power-play goal, and then the 'Canes scored 88 seconds later to take a 2-1 lead. The Bruins had plenty of chances to build on their 1-0 lead and failed to capitalze. The B's finally ended their power play drought with a pair of goals on the man advantage, but the Hurricanes were the better team at 5-on-5 with a plus- 6 edge in scoring chances and a 2-0 goal differential.

The Bruins also were without the league's leading goal scorer in David Pastrnak. The team announced before the game that he was "unfit to participate."

The Bruins were 0-for-13 on the power play in the Toronto bubble entering Game 2, and David Krejci ended the drought with a goal in the first period. Krejci's shot found its way past two Bruins screening Hurricanes goalie James Reimer before hitting the back of the net.

The Bruins responded by scoring with 4.4 seconds remaining in the second period to tie the score at two goals apiece. Brad Marchand was able to pounce on a loose puck around the crease and beat the buzzer.

Dougie Hamilton put the Hurricanes back on top with an absolute rocket of a shot at 8:30 of the third period that beat Rask up high. This goal must have been extra sweet for Hamilton considering it came against his former team.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.14.2020 1190991 Boston Bruins 1] was a really important game, starting round one,” said Bergeron. “So we had to put whatever was behind us in the past and get some rhythm going. I thought [David Krejci’s] line and [Sean Kuraly’s] line, they got Maybe it's time to stop doubting the Bruins top guys after busting out in some momentum for us, they got us going and I thought we followed up. Game 1 “When things are going well at times you [can] get complacent and you don’t work on things you need to work on. Obviously, you want things to go well all the time, that’s a perfect scenario. [But] we were able to look By Joe Haggerty at video and look at the areas that we can get better at. I thought as a team we did that throughout the round robin and now it’s behind us. August 13, 2020 9:30 AM We’re focused on Game 2. That’s all I can really tell you. I think that’s how we were trying to approach it.”

Is everybody done talking about the round robin now? The Bruins' top guys really don’t need to explain anything to anybody after they went out and played like the stars that they are at the start of The Bruins went out and showed on Wednesday that they indeed saved the real postseason. Now the trick is going to be sustaining it, staying their real live bullets for the actual Stanley Cup Playoffs in a 4-3 double healthy and continuing to up everybody across the board as the overtime win over the Carolina Hurricanes in the Toronto Bubble at competition and intensity level raises with each game in the Stanley Cup Scotiabank Arena. Playoffs.

After being held scoreless in each of the three round-robin losses, the But the Perfection Line served notice in Game 1 that they are back, well Perfection Line exploded for a pair of goals, including the double past the meaningless round robin and intent on taking care of the overtime game-winner from Patrice Bergeron and a nifty first period face- unfinished business from last year’s heartbreaking postseason. off play where all three forwards touched the puck before David Pastrnak finished things off.

Bergeron, Pastrnak and Brad Marchand clearly weren’t at their all-time Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.14.2020 best as Marchand finished with just a single shot on net and the four turnovers from Pasta was a result of being far too casual with the puck. And the top power play unit featuring all three forwards was once again a train wreck and is now 0-for-13 in the Toronto bubble while also falling victim to a shorthanded goal against Carolina.

But Boston’s three amigos also once again demonstrated pretty clearly that the Carolina defense isn’t going to be able to do much to stop them.

Carolina’s best shutdown D-man Jaccob Slavin was on ice for both of the top line's goals and Slavin made a crucial mistake turning his back to the face-off play that Pastrnak finished off at the net right in front of his face. That left both Slavin and Dougie Hamilton as a minus-2 for the game, and Slavin is now a minus-5 in five playoff games against the Bruins over the last two postseasons.

It really doesn’t bode well for the Hurricanes if their best shutdown players can’t effectively slow down Boston’s best offensive players in the least.

After it was over, Bruce Cassidy didn’t exactly say “I told you so,” but stressed that he wasn’t worried about his best forwards showing up now that the Stanley Cup Playoff bell has really been rung.

“These guys are battle tested. Certainly Bergy [Patrice Bergeron] and Marchy [Brad Marchand], and Pasta [David Pastrnak] has been through it — not as much as those guys. We’ve got a lot of trust in those guys. We have discussions. Where is your game at?” said Bruce Cassidy. “Don’t forget that Pasta missed what a lot of teams went through — the training camp. Even though they’ve played together a long time, it’s been four months and change. Now you’re coming into a part of the season that is high stakes.

“We knew there would be a little bit of… I don’t know if rust is the right word. We would take some time for them to make some little plays. Overtime is them. The faceoff play was them. They missed a little bit of that in the round robin. Tonight, they know that there is a little more at stake as well. Put those two things together, those two factors together and we knew they’d be there and competing, and competing at a high level. When they do that, they’re so talented and smart that they know things are going to happen for them — and they did.”

Certainly, the top guys for the Bruins weren’t alone in operating at a high level against the Hurricanes in Game 1. David Krejci scored on a nifty play where Ondrej Kase set up a rebound by firing a puck from his knees, and Charlie Coyle and Anders Bjork crashed the net to disrupt Petr Mrazek and score a very important second period goal.

Bean: B's can build on Game 1, but lineup questions remain

The secondary scoring was there in this one, but the scoring was bookended by two goals from a healthy, rested Perfection Line that is just getting started this postseason.

“We were confident. We’re a confident group, confident line. I think we got better as we went on in the round robin. Obviously, you want to keep getting better and taking the next step, especially we thought that [Game 1190992 Boston Bruins

David Pastrnak won't play for Bruins in Game 2 vs. Hurricanes

By Nick Goss

August 13, 2020 7:39 PM

The Boston Bruins will be without David Pastrnak for Game 2 of their first round Stanley Cup Playoff series versus the Carolina Hurricanes.

The B's announced shortly before puck drop Thursday night that the superstar right winger is "unfit to participate". No other information was provided.

Pastrnak tallied a goal and an assist in Boston's 4-3 double-overtime victory over Carolina in Wednesday's Game 1. His 48 goals scored during the regular season tied Washington Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin for the most in the NHL.

Anders Bjork will begin Game 2 in Pastrnak's spot at right wing on the top line next to Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. Karson Kuhlman will enter the lineup and take Bjork's place on the third line.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.14.2020 1190993 Boston Bruins Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.14.2020

Bruce Cassidy admits Bruins are 'behind on the power play'

By Joe Haggerty

August 13, 2020 5:44 PM

The Bruins had the second-best power play during the NHL regular season among the league’s 31 teams and relied heavily on their special teams last season to get them all the way to the Stanley Cup Final a little over a year ago.

That hasn’t been the case this time around as of yet with the Bruins 0-for- 13 on the power play since arriving at the Toronto bubble a couple of weeks ago, and 0-for-4 in Wednesday’s 4-3 double-overtime Game 1 win against the Carolina Hurricanes. The B’s managed just three shots on net in those power play possessions, which is just anemic for a team that routinely destroyed other teams on the man advantage during the regular season.

Even worse, a telegraphed David Pastrnak pass at the point was intercepted by Brock McGinn for a shorthanded score for the Hurricanes that made things more difficult for the Black and Gold in Game 1. Some of it is clearly about an aggressive Carolina penalty kill that is jumping Bruins puck carriers in the offensive zone, but some of it is also about the lack of practice time with Boston’s full group. The absences of David Pastrnak through all of training camp and other players intermittently through Phases 3 and 4 has been problematic while going over the remedial power play work for the group.

“I think Carolina is aggressive, for sure. The way they form that tight diamond in the neutral zone didn’t allow us to gain entry with possession. Which is something that we try to do as much as any team in this league. Maybe the stubbornness on our part to not to get pucks behind them – we have a couple of plays, we talked about even before. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to practice the timing of some of them,” said Cassidy. “We always run that stretch play against Carolina off the end boards. We’ve had success against them doing that and we actually scored on them up there doing it. We sometimes find that will loosen them up.

B's sticking with Rask, same lineup for Game 2

“Then in-zone, probably forced some plays once we did get possession. I think you have to have a little more of a 5-on-5 mentality when you’re going against that, in terms of protecting a puck, maybe spinning out of a hit and get close support instead of thinking they’re going to let us set up. Some of it was just, we had to live it. We did. It cost us a shorty. We won the game, so we’ll move past it and try to make the necessary adjustments. I think it has hurt us the fact that you’re off for that long. Pasta [David Pastrnak] misses camp. [Ondrej] Kase misses camp on the second unit. You don’t have a lot of reps. When we got here, a couple guys needed maintenance days. Bergy, Pasta again. Now all of a sudden, you think maybe you can catch up here on the practice time and we weren’t able to do much of that either. So we’re behind on the power play. We’re going to have to simplify it and be ready for pressure tonight. Hopefully get it going again because it can be a major weapon for us.”

Certainly one of the things the B’s can do is make quicker decisions with the puck to beat the pressure coming at them, but some of that is dependent on repetition and PP chemistry that only comes with real- game experience and practice time.

Clearly getting the puck to Pastrnak in the face-off circle rather than closer to the point is something the Bruins want to do more of, but that's clearly something Carolina is paying attention to on the PK.

Unfortunately, in the midst of playing six games in nine days to start the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Bruins aren’t going to get a tone of practice time to tighten things up in the middle of this first round series against the Hurricanes. The B’s would be best served by taking care of business against the Canes quickly to work on the PP in practice following this first round series, but that’s easier said than done against anybody in the NHL postseason.

1190994 Boston Bruins

Bruins send Claude Julien well wishes as Canadiens coach is hospitalized

By Darren Hartwell

August 13, 2020 3:05 PM

Claude Julien won't be behind the Montreal Canadiens' bench for their Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Canadiens head coach was taken to a Toronto-area hospital Thursday after experiencing chest pain Wednesday night and is expected to miss the team's first-round series, general manager Marc Bergevin said Thursday.

"We immediately consulted our doctors and it was agreed to transfer him to the hospital by ambulance," Bergevin said. "He's presently there and he's undergoing tests to determine the exact nature of his condition."

Bergevin added Julien's health situation had "nothing to do" with COVID- 19.

It's a scary development for the former Bruins head coach, who is in his fourth season coaching Montreal after 10 seasons in Boston. Julien led the Bruins to a Stanley Cup in 2011 and is the winningest coach in franchise history, with 419 wins.

Associate head coach Kirk Muller will assume head coach duties in Julien's absence.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.14.2020 1190995 Boston Bruins “They did a good job on the forecheck all night,” Cassidy said. “We didn’t return to our spots, and they hit a seam in our coverage. Which we were really good at in Game 1. Didn’t allow a lot of those opportunities. Bruins miss David Pastrnak’s offense, but it’s their D that seals Game 2 Tonight, they found some ways in there.” fate Brad Marchand pulled the Bruins even with 3.8 ticks remaining in the second period. But Carolina had the better scoring chances in the third. Video review confirmed that Teuvo Teravainen interfered with Rask By Fluto Shinzawa before a Brady Skjei shot bounced over the line. But Cassidy did not like how a failed clearing attempt by Bjork gave the Hurricanes the net-front Aug 13, 2020 sniff.

More pressure is guaranteed to arrive in Game 3. Of course the Bruins missed David Pastrnak. “They were doing a good job on the forecheck getting above us, being on Their No. 1 right wing, who pulled up lame after setting up Patrice top of our guys right away,” Brandon Carlo said. “I think just pushing Bergeron’s double-overtime Game 1 winner, was unable to play in the back, maybe throw more high flips into the neutral zone and get them Bruins’ 3-2 Game 2 loss. going back on pucks. We’re just trying to get the puck out of the zone as fast as we can and being assertive on the forecheck instead of letting Bruce Cassidy did not believe Pastrnak’s ailment was a long-term them control that part of the game.” concern. But any injury that causes a postseason absence has to be considered significant. Notes

“You don’t replace Pasta,” Cassidy said. “He’s a 48-goal scorer. Forty- • Rask (23 saves) said he felt fine playing back-to-back games. But he nine now. You hope someone can go in there and play to the best of their acknowledged not being at his strongest because of the layoff. ability and it will work out in your favor.” “Considering I had four months off, I’m not in prime shape,” Rask said. Pastrnak could have been the difference-maker when Cassidy pulled “Trying to get there. I’m just trying to have fun and play the game. I’m not Tuukka Rask in search of the tying goal. He probably would have stressing too much about the results and whatnot. It’s August and I recorded more than the one shot that Anders Bjork, his top-line haven’t played hockey in forever. Just go out there, have fun and see replacement, put on James Reimer. Perhaps the chance that Bjork what happens.” nestled into Reimer’s pads would have slipped behind the goalie with He also said the team has needed to work to ramp up for these playoff Pastrnak on the trigger. Had Pastrnak been in place, Bjork would have games, which lack a traditional playoff atmosphere. stayed on the third line, which was good in Game 1, not so good on Thursday (zero shots from wingers Nick Ritchie and Karson Kuhlman). “To be honest with you, it doesn’t really feel like playoff hockey out there,” Rask said. “There are no fans, so it’s kind of like playing an But Pastrnak’s strength is offense. The Bruins’ troubles in Game 2 came exhibition game. It’s definitely not a playoff atmosphere out there. You try in their own end. The Hurricanes turned it into their playground. Zone and play as hard as you can. When you’re playing at a home rink and an exits did not come easily for the Bruins under Carolina’s searing heat. away rink and the fans are cheering for and against you, it really creates “That’s what their team is predicated on,” Matt Grzelcyk said. “They work a buzz for the series. There’s none of that. really hard. They kind of feed off that from their coach. We knew that “So it just feels like dull at times.” Rask continued. “There are moments coming in. It’s on us, especially as defensemen, to try to move it to the when there are scrums and whatnot, and then there will be five minutes first guy we see available and get out of the zone quickly.” when it’s coast-to-coast hockey. There’s no atmosphere. So it feels like Carolina requires a screaming forecheck to gain possession in the an exhibition game. We’re trying our best to ramp up and get energized, offensive zone. This then activates its defensemen, who jump up to be and make it feel like it’s a playoff game.” available inside the blue line and at the tops of the circles. • Krejci replaced Pastrnak at the left elbow on the No. 1 power-play unit. This was exactly how ex-Bruin Dougie Hamilton scored the third-period Krejci does not have Pastrnak’s one-timer. But the savvy center scored a winner. man-up goal by pump-faking twice on Jordan Staal — who had given his stick to teammate Brock McGinn — and slipping a shot past Reimer. The breakdown started after a David Krejci defensive-zone turnover. The Bruins looked like they had fixed the damage. From one knee, Ondrej • Cassidy began his postgame news conference by sending best wishes Kase settled a loose puck and found Jake DeBrusk. to Claude Julien. His predecessor was hospitalized on Wednesday night because of chest pains, and is expected to miss the rest of the Montreal The left wing had time to turn away from his net and clear the puck. But Canadiens’ series against the Philadelphia Flyers. DeBrusk, feeling the heat from Ryan Dzingel, backhanded the puck into the left corner. There was no help there. Martin Necas pulled away from “I don’t have a lot of details, but on behalf of the coaching staff, players Kase to win the race. Necas wheeled behind the net, requiring Rask to and the whole Bruins organization, we’re wishing him a healthy respect the wraparound. recovery,” Cassidy said. “Our best goes out to (wife) Karen and the kids.”

Instead, Necas spotted Hamilton approaching the top of the right circle, his stick raised to fire. Rask tried to scurry out of his net to cut down the The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020 angle. He didn’t come out far enough. Hamilton rocketed a riser over his glove at 8:30, giving Carolina a 3-2 lead.

“You’ve got to punt on those situations and live to fight another day,” Cassidy said. “The puck’s got to clear the zone when you’re running around. Jake had the other one. They didn’t sort out with Krech and Kase. It ends up in the back of our net.”

In the second period, the No. 2 line was also caught on the wrong end. Rask tried to rim a puck around the wall for Krejci. But the puck wobbled off the glass, tumbled past Krejci and trickled to Hurricanes defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk at the right point.

Kase pursued van Riemsdyk. But before the right wing could close off the gap, van Riemsdyk passed down the right-side wall to Necas. At the same time, Carolina’s dangerous Andrei Svechnikov spun behind DeBrusk and made himself available in the high slot. Necas connected with the winger, who fired a shot under the crossbar to give the Hurricanes a 2-1 lead. 1190996 Boston Bruins The Bruins can also place pucks behind defensemen and hunt them down. This cedes possession. But it can be an effective counter to an aggressive kill. The Bruins didn’t do this enough in Game 1.

Why Tuukka Rask is starting Game 2 on a back-to-back “We’re behind on the power play,” Cassidy said. “We’re going to have to simplify it and be ready for pressure tonight and hopefully get it going again. Because it can be a major weapon for us.” By Fluto Shinzawa Praise for the No. 1 line Aug 13, 2020 The Hurricanes knew the faceoff play was coming. If Patrice Bergeron won the draw, Pastrnak would curl behind Jaccob Slavin and make his stick available at the far post. Marchand would chase down the puck and On Feb. 8, Tuukka Rask stopped 29 of 31 shots in the Bruins’ 4-2 home send a cross-crease dish to Pastrnak. win over Arizona. One day later in Detroit, Bruce Cassidy turned to Rask again. Rask made 17 saves in the team’s 3-1 loss to the Red Wings. Skill, practice and timing can solve even the best prescouts.

Rask’s back-to-back performance continued a career-long trend. In 20 “You actually know it’s coming and you still can’t defend it,” Carolina regular-season starts after playing the previous day, Rask is 7-11-2 with coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “That’s what happened on the one. We a .913 save percentage. knew exactly what the play was and how we decided to cover it. It’s not blown coverage. It’s all these guys need. That’s why they’re so elite. I Cassidy does not believe this will stretch into Game 2 against Carolina. think they’re great players in the game. But the chemistry these guys Even with Jaroslav Halak available, Cassidy will ride Rask on Thursday, have, just knowing where they’re going with the puck before they get it, one day after he stopped 25 shots in the Bruins’ 4-3 double-overtime that’s what the top guys do. That’s what they are.” Game 1 win.

Cassidy cited several reasons. There was no intercity travel involved, The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020 and thus no disruption in sleep. Rask felt fine after Game 1. He was not taxed because of how the Bruins defended and controlled the puck.

“It was pretty clean in front of him,” Cassidy said. “Not a lot of demanding stretches.”

Rask’s busiest segment came in the third period. Carolina put 12 pucks on goal. He was beaten on one: Haydn Fleury’s long-distance shot.

Otherwise, Rask had a far easier day than Petr Mrazek (36 saves). Torey Krug and Brandon Carlo, in particular, helped to lessen the load on Rask because of how they performed against Teuvo Teravainen, Sebastian Aho and Evgeni Svechnikov, Carolina’s No. 1 line.

Carlo played 24:37 at 5-on-5, second-most after Charlie McAvoy (29:51). Carlo played 13:04 against Aho, who recorded one shot. In the first overtime, when Svechnikov loaded up for his signature lacrosse shot from behind the goal line, intending to lift and carry the puck directly into the goal, Carlo rapidly closed on the right wing and knocked the puck off his stick.

One reason Cassidy didn’t cite for going back with Rask was the starter’s Game 1 performance: good, but not great.

He was caught sliding on Joel Edmundson’s shot from distance that opened the scoring, probably because he didn’t pick up the defenseman until it was too late. Rask had no chance on Brock McGinn’s shorthanded snipe for the second goal. In some games, Rask would have fought through the Ryan Dzingel/McAvoy screen that kept him from spotting Fleury’s release for the third Carolina tally.

After such performances, Rask, Cassidy and goaltending coach Bob Essensa like to get the ace feeling better about himself sooner rather than later.

Entries, denied

The power play went 0 for 3 in Game 1. An undisciplined David Pastrnak fling from inside the blue line led to McGinn’s shorthanded jailbreak. The play signaled the most pressing problem: too many fumbled entries against Carolina’s pressure.

“The way they form a tight diamond in the neutral zone, they didn’t allow us to gain entry with possession,” Cassidy said. “That’s something we try to do as much as any team in the league.”

Krug, tasked with retrievals, is the first option to gain the zone. Pastrnak and Brad Marchand are next for speed entries on the flanks. The Hurricanes did well to disrupt those three with their up-ice heat and roadblocks at the blue line.

The Bruins have workarounds. Krug tried one long bomb to Pastrnak off the end boards. Even though the Bruins couldn’t pull it off, Cassidy likes his first unit to mix in this play to plant the seed in the penalty-killers’ minds. 1190997 Calgary Flames “It means a lot. This is what you play for — to play in playoffs,” Giordano said after morning skate. “It’s been tough with some injuries I’ve had to deal with over the years and then not getting in a bunch of years. It’s SNAPSHOTS: Injury to Tkachuk would be major blow for Flames been really tough.

“You can have all the regular-season success you want, but this is what it’s all about. And we have been saying it all year — we think our team is Wes Gilbertson really built well for the playoffs this year.”

Aug 14, 2020 Giordano is Calgary’s longest-serving skater, now in his 14th campaign in the Flaming C.

His career resume includes more than 900 appearances. Counting this EDMONTON — As if a last-minute loss doesn’t sting enough, there’s fear summer restart, only 18 of those have come in the post-season. that the Calgary Flames could now be without their tone-setter and one of their top talents. When he and his pals eliminated the Winnipeg Jets in the play-in round, Giordano was on the smiling side of the handshake line for the first time. Flames alternate captain Matthew Tkachuk made an early exit in Game Back in 2015, when the Flames last won a series, he was recovering 2, departing after being sandwiched by a pair of Dallas Stars — Jamie from a biceps tendon injury. Benn and eventual hero Jamie Oleksiak — on a neutral-zone collision early in the third period. While most of the core pieces are 20-somethings, Giordano won’t get too many more cracks like this. Tkachuk is a tough cookie, so it’s certainly a bad sign that the 22-year- old winger was M.I.A. for the final 15 minutes while his team was trying to “You don’t get these opportunities often,” Ward reminded prior to piece together a comeback. The Flames were able to even the score, Thursday’s tilt. “I think as a young player in this league, if you have early only to surrender the go-ahead goal with 39.3 seconds remaining in success, sometimes you assume that it’s going to happen again and regulation en route to a 5-4 heartbreaker. again. But the reality of it is it doesn’t. Our guys have been talking about that an awful lot, right from the beginning of training camp. They have the There was no update on Tkachuk’s status during the post-game press opportunity now to immerse themselves in the playoffs and to really conferences. appreciate what it brings and what the experience is totally like. “We could have used him,” said Flames coach Geoff Ward. “He does an “I think everybody in our group right now is really learning from it. They’re awful lot of things for us. He’s an emotional leader for us. He’s a gamer. really enjoying it. And they’re holding it dear. They appreciate that they’re He leads our team in a lot of ways. He relishes being in these types of here. They certainly don’t take it for granted. And they understand that at games. He’s an extremely intelligent player. He’s a key guy on the this time of the year, this is where some legacies for players are made, power-play … and they want to have statements on that. “So there are a lot of things that he brings to the table and for him not to “There are a lot of things that I’m sure Gio is looking forward to, but he’s be able to finish the hockey game for us, it’s a hole. And now we have to not the only one in our room. Everyone is.” go back and evaluate exactly what’s going on.” OFF THE GLASS For all those reasons, it would be a major blow if No. 19 is not available for Friday’s Game 3 at Rogers Place (8:30 p.m. MT, Sportsnet/Sportsnet In a back-to-back scenario, the Flames now have a decision to make — 960 The Fan). This best-of-seven series is currently knotted at one win stick with Cam Talbot in Game 3, or give David Rittich a chance in the apiece. crease? … Ben Bishop, who’s been bothered by some sort of injury/ailment and served as backup in the series-opener, was between Tkachuk, who had a team-high 61 points prior to the pandemic pause, the pipes Thursday for the Stars. He recorded 22 saves … Thanks to made several trips to the locker-room Thursday, including one with a terrific hustle and then a snapshot inside the post, Tobias Rieder scored grimace on his face after a stick to the groin area on an early faceoff. his second shortie of the post-season. According to Sportsnet’s stats It was after that double-whammy in the third that he left for good. As he crew, the last Flames skater to pot a pair of penalty-kill goals in the same collided with Benn, his head appeared to slam into Oleksiak’s own playoff run was Jarome Iginla back in 2004 … Just a reminder that Stars noggin. blue-liner Miro Heiskanen, who tallied twice in Game 2, is the youngest guy on the ice in this series. At 21, he is already really, really good. It’s If Tkachuk is a no-go for Game 3, Sam Bennett seems like the most hardly a bold prediction to suggest he’ll have his name engraved on the likely candidate to fill his usual slot. Norris Trophy eventually. On Thursday, Heiskanen became the fourth- youngest defenceman in NHL history to enjoy a multi-goal game in the Subbing on the top power-play in Thursday’s late stages, Bennett scored playoffs. Only Phil Housley, Red Kelly and Sergei Gonchar achieved that the tying tally on a nifty re-direct. He also racked up seven hits, including feat at an earlier age, and that’s impressive company … Johnny an early crunch on Andrej Sekera and a couple of cranks on John Gaudreau was celebrating a birthday in the bubble Thursday. The Klingberg. superstar left-winger turned 27. Corey Perry and Oleksiak ultimately “Chucky is a warrior,” Bennett said after the 5-4 loss. “He battles hard for spoiled the birthday celebrations. While there is blame to go around after us, game-in and game-out. I guess we’ll see what’s up with him, but he’s a sloppy line change, Perry’s superb pass on the game-winning goal a tough kid. He brings a lot to our team. sizzled right through Gaudreau’s lane.

“It’s unfortunate that he had to leave there, but he’s a tough kid.”

Added Flames captain Mark Giordano: “You never like to see a guy not Calgary Sun: LOADED: 08.14.2020 play down the stretch, but hopefully it’s something minor and he can get right back with us.”

SIX-CESS STORY

Giordano suited up Thursday for his sixth battle in the bubble.

That might not seem like a newsworthy sum. He and his Flames teammates are hoping to stick around for a long while yet.

But Giordano, 36, was marking a personal milestone during Game 2 of this opening-round showdown. Due to injuries and early exits, the Flames’ captain and workhorse defenceman has never logged more than five post-season outings in one year.

So six — that’s four during the first-of-its-kind qualification round and two square-offs so far with the Stars — is not insignificant. 1190998 Calgary Flames Facing Stars goalie Ben Bishop, who had been on the bench for the Stars’ previous two contests, they weren’t as hungry or determined Thursday. At least, not compared to their opponents.

Flames rally erased by Stars' late goal in Game 2 “I thought they came out really hard,” said Flames captain Mark Giordano. “We expected that. We had a great first shift obviously, getting that early goal, but they played a good game. They’re a hard-working Kristen Anderson • Postmedia team. I thought they blocked a lot of shots. But we fought hard and battled all night. I thought we did a good job to get it tied there. Aug 14, 2020 “Unfortunately, couldn’t get it into overtime.”

On top of it all, Tkachuk’s issues are concerning. With six minutes EDMONTON — The Calgary Flames are making a habit out of starting elapsed in the first period, he left after Benn speared him in the groin strong in the 2020 post-season. area. He left again before the period was over. He departed again in a And falling flat in the encore. crucial part of the third period after getting sandwiched by Benn and Oleksiak. On the other hand, we have ourselves a series. The Flames were nearly able to get within one goal to make it a 4-3 “From a fan’s perspective, what an awesome time of the year,” said a game when Andrew Mangiapane backchecked his way to Cam Talbot’s calm and measured Flames head coach Geoff Ward, in his post-game crease only to pick the puck back up and go end-to-end. After a vicious media conference via Zoom. “A 1-1 series now, two teams going hard … battle in front of Bishop, which also saw TJ Brodie lose a tooth in the as a fan, you’ve gotta appreciate it. It’s great. Now we just have to put process, it appeared Mangiapane had scored. this in the rearview mirror and get ready for (Friday).” However, the referees ruled that Calgary’s second-line sparkplug had Well, if the boss doesn’t want to beat up on his squad, we will. used a distinct kicking motion, and the goal was overturned. But it wasn’t all bad for the Flames who received an extended power play with Seguin Thursday’s 5-4 Flames loss to the Dallas Stars, which splits the first- taking a high-sticking double-minor. round showdown 1-1, wasn’t always as close as the final score indicated. But they couldn’t generate, especially without Tkachuk on the first unit. Jamie Oleksiak won it with 39.3 seconds left, which is what you’ll see on the final scoresheet. You’ll also see that with 2:49 remaining in the third They did eventually make it 4-3 after another Tobias Rieder shortie — period, the Flames knotted the game 4-4 with 1:02 remaining on the scored while Giordano sat for hooking the Stars’ Mattias Janmark just power play when Sam Bennett, filling in for an injured Matthew Tkachuk, over the halfway mark of the third. tipped an Elias Lindholm shot. When Lucic started a ruckus when he dumped Jason Dickinson into the But what you won’t see is the fact that Tkachuk, dealing with some issue, boards after a whistle, they gained more momentum. left the game three times, which caused some disruption in their lineup at Rogers Place. His status is unknown for Game 3 Friday, which goes at Then even more when Alexander Radulov took a holding penalty against the same time and same place (8:30 p.m. MT, CBC, Sportsnet, Sportsnet Giordano with 3:47 remaining. 960 The Fan). That set up Bennett’s game-tying goal. You won’t see the fact that the Stars essentially beat the Flames at their Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough after Oleksiak won it late. own game — all game — making it hard for Calgary to score, making their own goals look easy to score and physically wearing down their The Flames picked up right where they left off from Tuesday with the opponent. third line storming into the Stars zone and scoring 19 seconds into Game 2. Lucic won another offensive zone draw against Joe Pavelski, sending “We knew they would come out harder, and I think we had a lot of trouble the puck right back to Giordano on the left point. He slid the puck over to the first two periods,” said Lindholm. “I think we were sitting back a little Brodie who fired a shot on net. Bennett made room, tying up John too much and didn’t work enough to get open. But we battled back, and Klingberg in front of Bishop to free up the rebound. And Dube rapped it in at the end, it was tied, and could have gone either way. past Bishop. “But (Friday), we have to be ready from the beginning.” But not much time had passed before Alexander Radulov knotted it 1-1 Yes, the Flames made it close. off a goalmouth scramble, taking advantage of the Flames’ fourth line by hemming in Mark Jankowski, Derek Ryan and Rieder. Brodie was caught Yes, it was exciting as they bounced back late from a two-goal deficit. pinching, and it left Giordano all alone, allowing Miro Heiskanen to jump in on a breakaway. Despite a back-checking Mikael Backlund, the Stars Yet Calgary can’t expect to play like they did (which was the complete defender beat Talbot off the rush to go ahead 2-1. opposite of Tuesday’s 3-2 victory), particularly through two periods, and get out of this series alive. Again, the Stars were the better team in the second period. Despite a Derek Forbort marker, Heiskanen — again — and Perry hit the “I thought we started to chip away,” Ward said. “I thought as the second scoresheet to make it 4-2 heading into a wild third stanza. period went on, it wasn’t so lopsided. For us, what we were able to take away from it was we were able to claw our way back in. For a young In the end, the Stars out-shot the Flames 36-26, while the majority of the team, playoff experience-wise, that is an important thing to learn.” action Talbot saw came early in the evening. Tough to blame the goaltender on this one. This script was almost identical to the second contest of their play-in series against the Winnipeg Jets, which saw them split the opening two “Put it in the rearview — it’s all you can do,” Ward said. “At this time of games. the year, there’s no solace if you lose 10-1 or lose 5-4 like we did. A loss is a loss. We’ve gotta regroup quickly. We’ll go back and get some rest Unlike Game 1, it was Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Corey Perry who and do what we need to do to get ready for the hockey game (Friday) stole the lunch money rather than Calgary’s third line of Milan Lucic, and come out and play. But we can’t stay in this game … it’s over. We’ve Bennett and Dillon Dube running the show. gotta take what we take out of it and move on.” In fact, early in the second period, Ward broke up the wildly successful Ladies and gentlemen, it is on. trio to try and inject some life into the top line, which was anemic on this night. Bennett joined birthday boy Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan while Lindholm centred Lucic and Dube. Calgary Sun: LOADED: 08.14.2020 It wasn’t just that.

After looking like world-beaters Tuesday, getting second and third efforts to try and beat Stars netminder Anton Khudobin and playing strong defensively, they were flat. 1190999 Calgary Flames Still, it’s about working with the cards you’re dealt and that’s exactly what Talbot was able to do in that situation.

“The next shot he got, he looked so calm … he can put it behind him Flames goalie Talbot earning rave reviews under pressure quicker than most guys,” Sigalet said. “In the past, if that would happen to our team, they would fold. Our team did the exact opposite. It kind of elevated our game. Whether that was to help get him out or to push Kristen Anderson • Postmedia forward, it was good on our team to just put that behind us.”

Aug 14, 2020 It’s one example and, of course, there are many situations that will arise in the post-season.

But at the moment, the Flames have confidence in him. EDMONTON — Two games into the Calgary Flames’ first-round playoff series against the Dallas Stars, it has become apparent that this is Cam “They’ve seen him do it all year down the stretch and even in the training Talbot’s net to lose. camp he had,” Sigalet said. “There’s a lot of faith in Cam from our team. They’re out there battling for him. Things aren’t always going to go great, Regardless of what the outcome was going to be in Thursday’s Game 2, but they just know how mentally strong he is and they know he’s going to the 33-year-old Caledonia, Ont., native established himself as the put everything out there for the team. He’s definitely a mentally strong reliable, go-to guy. It’s been a moment that, really, Talbot has been guy. preparing for his entire career until this point. “I don’t think it matters what happens out here, he’s really good at putting His experience. His struggles. His successes. His approach to the everything behind him and moving on.” National Hockey League’s ‘Return to Play’ initiative and re-start training camp. His demeanour.

All of it has contributed to why the Flames went with Talbot — the Calgary Sun: LOADED: 08.14.2020 netminder signed over a year ago in hopes of re-discovering his game — to start the post-season.

“In this unique situation with no fans where you kind of have to find your own motivation, Cam has such a strong mental game,” pointed out Flames goaltending coach Jordan Sigalet as Talbot enjoyed a few days away from the media. “We’ve always said he’s unflappable.

“If things go bad, he shakes things off better than most goalies I’ve seen.”

The back-to-back scenario of Games 2 and 3 — the latter of which goes Friday at 8:30 p.m. MT, CBC, Sportsnet, Sportsnet 960 The Fan) — may present a different situation. Will they take the approach of the Boston Bruins — who played back-to-back games on Wednesday and Thursday — and start their No. 1 both nights?

Or will they take the approach of the Carolina Hurricanes? They started James Reimer in Game 2 after starting Petr Mrazek in their first game.

Still, there’s a case to be made that Talbot is capable of this type of assignment, mentally and physically.

That’s not to say the Flames don’t have confidence in David Rittich, who carried the bulk of the workload at the start of the 2019-20 regular season and who inked a two-year deal with Calgary last summer.

Any long playoff-run is a marathon, not a sprint, and chances are the Flames will need both netminders at some point during what they expect will be a lengthy stay in Edmonton.

But Talbot has earned the right to stay in there.

“I think his past experience of a long run, being around a guy like (Henrik) Lundqvist who has a lot of experience,” Sigalet said. “He also went on a long run in Edmonton that’s helped him for sure … he’s been super- focused, mentally strong, always in good position and when you’re confident, you make things look easy like Cam is doing right now. It’s nice to see that and the guys feed off it.”

Take Tuesday’s 3-2 win in Game 1, for example. A stretch of nine seconds in the second frame resulted in back-to-back goals from the Stars to knot the score 2-2. Screened somewhat by TJ Brodie battling in front, a shot by Denis Gurianov banked in off Brodie’s backside and in. Then, another long bomb from Jamie Benn took an odd hop off the ice and underneath Talbot’s right arm.

Yet instead of crumbling under pressure, Talbot was more concerned about the next shot and next face-off rather than what had just occurred.

As a result, the Flames continued onward and eventually were able to score again — thanks to Rasmus Andersson — before the second period ended.

Albeit, if it was a home game in the Lone Star State — which, technically, it should have been on both Tuesday and Thursday but … the pandemic — the Dallas faithful would have been chirping Talbot and trying to throw him off his game. The Stars, inevitably, would have fed off that emotion. 1191000 Calgary Flames Grant even got a text saying that Brayden had seemed more excited after scoring a goal years ago in the Trails West Tournament after his big game-ender against the Blue Jackets.

Bolts' Brayden Point's 5OT winner no shock to inner circle “Every time he’d be in tournaments as a kid, he’d always get the overtime goal,” Grant said. “I think it’s innate. Some guys just have that way to rise, I don’t know what it is. I don’t know if it’s somebody’s character or Daniel Austin what it is, but some people just find a way and he’s always been one of those guys where in the big moments, he makes a big play.” Aug 13, 2020

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 08.14.2020 Grant Point spent Tuesday afternoon like so many hockey fans.

For five-and-a-half hours, Point dutifully sat and watched every second of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s quintuple-overtime win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

When his son, Brayden, finally potted the OT winner, though, Grant wasn’t actually watching. He was out on the ice working with a group of local Calgary kids at a skills development camp.

He knew something had happened.

“I watched from 1 o’clock until 6:30 but I’m running a skills development camp with some kids and had to leave and run the ice time,” Point said from his Calgary home. “I could feel my phone buzzing in my pocket, though, and I had 157 texts, so I knew something either really good or really bad had happened. The first one I looked at said ‘What a shot’, so then I knew it was a good thing.”

For the people who knew Brayden Point before he was in the NHL, it was completely unsurprising that he was the one who came up big and gave the Lightning a 1-0 series lead in their first-round series against the Blue Jackets.

It’s what Brayden has been doing since he was just a little kid.

From his time with the Calgary Bisons midget-AAA team to a brief stint with the AJHL’s Canmore Eagles right up through his stint with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors, there are stories of Point’s heroics.

He’s always had a knack for scoring huge goals in huge moments.

“The X-Factor that a guy like him has that others don’t is he just seems more determined,” said Tim Hunter, Brayden’s head coach with the Moose Jaw Warriors. “Why does he score big goals? Because he’s got that mental makeup. It doesn’t matter, every shift, he’s going to be a difference-maker. It’s not ‘Well, this is a big moment and I’m going to take advantage of it.’ He goes out every shift to try to take advantage.

“He doesn’t wait for the big moment to be a hero. He does his part within a team framework every time he goes out on the ice.”

That X-Factor is something that was apparent right off the bat to Eagles coach Andrew Milne. Brayden’s older brother, Riley, played four seasons for the Eagles and was the team’s captain in 2012-13.

The Eagles called Brayden up to the AJHL a year earlier for a four-game cameo, and when he arrived in Canmore he was so small that Milne thought he was a local kid helping with the team’s sticks. When Milne realized it was Brayden, the coach actually called Grant to make sure it was OK to play him.

“He probably weighed 119 lbs., and we had guys on that team who were 6-foot-4 and 220 lbs.,” Milne said. “But he was coming around our team when he was 11 or 12 because his brother Riley was with us and you got to know the family and kind of went ‘Oh, this kid’s destined to be a player with the family he’s got, with his background, with the way he works’. “

It didn’t take Brayden long to prove he could play in the AJHL. He collected two assists in his first game and would go on to produce four points in four games.

There are countless similar stories from his time playing hockey in Calgary and across Western Canada.

There was the overtime winner Brayden scored against the Calgary Royals during his first season in bantam.

There’s a double-overtime winner he scored as a 15-year-old in his first year in the WHL. 1191001 Calgary Flames “You know where everyone is all the time, so it makes it a lot easier,” he said. “Even just staying in the room with one guy, even just hanging around and watching a show and not talking much, it’s nice to be around ‘I’m enjoying it a ton’: Rising star Dillon Dubé is loving life in the NHL someone. bubble “It’s when you’re on your own that you start to think about it more. You feel more isolated. So I try to keep myself as busy as possible. I go to the trainer’s room — there’s a big lounge in there — and just hang out with By Scott Cruickshank all the guys.

Aug 13, 2020 “When you’re in your room, that’s when you feel like you’re in the dungeon.”

On the topic of Dillon Dubé — and his straight-line advancement in the It’s post-game. Sometimes even post-practice. Sweating, he slides onto game — the lad’s sunny disposition is one of the first things Joby Messier a raised chair in an empty room. Live microphone on the freshly sterilized mentions. table in front of him, Dillon Dubé peels off his mask and waits. “He’s got a great smile,” said Messier. “He’s the kind of kid you want But never for long. around. A pleasure to be around.” A disembodied voice makes its first brain-picking request. But the longtime hockey man brings up Dubé’s personality as a point of “Dillon, could you talk about …” contrast.

Smiling through his bushy beard, the Calgary Flames winger addresses How someone that easy-going, that charming, could run so hot once the whatever topic the reporter wishes. But if Dubé seems puck’s dropped. uncharacteristically detached at times, well, how could he not be, given Messier, in charge of Notre Dame’s bantam outfit back in the day, the circumstances? recruited Dubé when the kid was with the Airdrie Xtreme. This was an “There’s a camera in the middle,” he said, “but it’s awkward to stare at … ideal prospect for the Wilcox, Sask., program. you can see yourself the whole time, so I don’t really look at it. I kind of The wheels, of course, had been eye-catching. “Obviously, his skating is look off into the distance. It’s a little weird.” always something he’s had,” said Messier. “When you can skate like him, Not that he hates being interviewed. Quite the opposite, in fact. you don’t just pick that up later in life.”

This is one outgoing kid. As friendly a face as you’re likely to encounter in In full view, too, had been a competitive fire — and, to put it kindly, a an NHL dressing room. surplus of it.

Earlier this season, Dubé shared his approach to media obligations: “Any “I liked his desire. I don’t think he gets enough credit for that … because time someone wants to talk to you, it means something. It makes you feel he’s always smiling and such a good-natured kid,” said Messier. “He’s important almost. We are kind of honoured by it. Like, ‘Why would you pretty intense. That’s something you love to see. Some people may be come talk to me?’ I’ve had a lot of it already with world juniors and being intimidated by that, especially when he was younger, but I thought it was here now, on a Canadian team, but it’s exciting every time you get it. It’s fantastic. That’s kind of a gift. If a kid has that, he can work with it. You always fun.” can’t create it, but if it’s there naturally? That’s pretty sought after, from a coaching point of view.” But this — appearing on Zoom calls nearly daily? Notre Dame’s bantams were members of a midget league in They’re a key part of the league’s reboot amid a pandemic. He Saskatchewan. understands that. Which meant the opposition featured older, bigger kids with chips on their The only way for performers to connect with fans, it means players on- shoulders because they were facing the little stars from Wilcox. So there site communicating with reporters on laptops — with possibly hundreds, were regular tests for Dubé and the rest. or even thousands, of kilometres between them. It makes for a strange affair. “He had to manage his emotions a little bit better, but it wasn’t something he really had to adjust,” Messier said. “As he went along, he didn’t lose And Dubé, enjoying a postseason breakout, is a popular panelist. his intensity, but he was better at focusing it, making him a better player rather than distracting him.” So, uncomplaining, the youngster sits there. Admiring Dubé’s progression, the Kelowna Rockets selected him in the “It’s basically like you’re talking to nothing,” said Dubé, chuckling. “I like first round of the 2013 WHL bantam draft. A year later, they dropped the the interaction. I like talking to people face to face. Phone (interviews are boy, only 15, into a game. OK) — it’s one on one — but when there’s 15 people out there, all asking questions, it’s hard to give the best answers you can.” During the Western Conference final.

This is someone who prefers engagement to be up-close and personal. In Portland. In front of 9,259 fans. Which, those clumsy conference calls aside, may explain why he actually digs life in the bubble — the never-ending potential for exchanges with “It was crazy — the most people I’ve ever played in front of,” recalled others. Dubé. “I just remember the guys I was playing against — (Nic) Petan, (Matt) Dumba, (Oliver) Bjorkstrand. Some really good players. That was, The urge to unplug — the itch to, even briefly, get some quality me-time for sure, the most intimidating game of my career. Looking back, it’s — never occurs to him. unbelievable that you could start that young. Definitely at that age, 15 …”

If 24/7 give-and-take seems like a drawback for some players, it happens He stops and laughs. “You don’t know what your future holds. You just to be right in Dubé’s wheelhouse. He relishes the social scene. hope to go out there and kind of fit in. That game, to this day … it was crazy. I’ll never forget that one.” “I don’t really need to get away too much. I like being around the guys all the time,” he said, with a laugh, during a phone chat the other day. “I The Rockets fell in overtime that night, April 22, 2014, with Dubé getting thought by this time it would really kick in, where you’d feel you’re just a few twirls in the extra period. But what sticks with him is the age gap. away from everything, blocked out of society. But, honestly, it just keeps Five years might not seem like much now — Milan Lucic is 10 years getting more and more fun. You just get more comfortable with it, more older than him, for instance, — but when you’re 15 and some of your comfortable with your teammates. We always plan to do stuff together.” teammates are 20? It’s significant.

For the stay in Edmonton, no one has a roommate in the hotel. But Dubé “I was still trying to get used to the guys,” he said. “It makes for a whole seldom gets lonely. With each team taking over an entire floor, company lot more pressure. When you’re older, you lose a little bit of that being is only a door or two away. starstruck. To be able to get in the lineup, I won’t forget that.

“When you’re that age, WHL feels like the NHL.” Rarely since then has Dubé been shaken. pressure on yourself to win and succeed, you can get too in your head and overthink the game.” Playing in the 2015 Memorial Cup championship game, as a 16-year-old, in front of 10,391 fans at the Colisée Pepsi in Quebec City. Nothing, by this stage, is going to dampen the young man’s enthusiasm, which remains at an elite level. Playing the Americans for the 2017 world junior championship — with a crowd of 20,173 jammed into Montreal’s Bell Centre. Even those 30-minute hub-city drives to practices at a local community rink are something worth savouring. “I love it … you get to look outside, Playing the following year for world-junior gold against the Swedes, while you get to see some other people.” But it’s no surprise to learn that serving as Canada’s captain, at the Key Bank Center in Buffalo, with bubble life for Dubé is “awesome” and “amazing.” So is the cramped 17,544 fans on hand. schedule, which features back-to-back contests, with freakishly early or He’s asked about that arc, about ticking nearly every benchmark as a late start times. All of it, he insists, is “exciting” and a “ton of fun.” teenaged puck-chaser. On top of which, he gets to hang out with his chums, all day and every “I think a lot of guys take that path through junior hockey,” said Dubé. “I day — and maybe for a month or two more. was lucky enough to be on teams with (Leon) Draisaitl, (Nick) Merkley, Sure, he’s got to grin though those Zoom calls. (Rourke) Chartier, (Madison) Bowey — really good players — and you watch them and the steps they take. You try to build up to that. I was Sure, he’s away from his folks, Paris and Suzy, and big brother, Jake, but lucky enough to reach all the goals you could in junior hockey. he points out that he was 14 years old when he moved to Wilcox, 16 when he moved to Kelowna. “Once you turn 19 you start turning your sights to the NHL. I feel like it builds throughout your career, each year you keep setting new goals and “It feels like I’m back in those times, surrounded by the guys and kind of you’re trying to accomplish more.” isolated — I’m enjoying it a ton,” said Dubé. “We all joke that it feels like junior hockey again. I know for Looch and Gio, that must feel like forever And, now, should doubt ever creep into his mind during the pro ago, but for me it feels almost like it’s the same league … being in hotels, adventure, there’s that wealth of experience to draw upon. Something to being together all the time. remind him of his quality as a hockey player. “You feel like little kids again because we’re spending so much time Right? Nope. together. We don’t have too many worries other than hockey. We’re “I don’t like to look in the past,” replied Dubé. “(World juniors), that’s fortunate enough that we have a tight group in here and that makes it a something when I’m retired, to be able to say that was pretty cool to do. I lot easier on all of us. just try to look at what I can do at this level and try to build myself at this “You miss your family a ton. But I’m really taking this and running with it level because, obviously, it’s a different league — the best league in the — I know it’s going to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” world.

“You look from last year to this year and you don’t reflect too much on junior hockey. This is such a different animal that you’ve got yourself The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020 into.”

So now? After the junior hubbub, Dubé’s very first taste of the NHL playoffs comes with a nightly (and official) attendance of zero.

Fans or not, it’s far from forgettable.

The Flames steamed through the qualifying round, then claimed Game 1 against the favoured Dallas Stars, in no small part due to the heroics of Dubé and his third-line pals, Milan Lucic and Sam Bennett.

For Dubé, there are four points, including three goals, in five games, an average of more than 14 minutes of ice time, four takeaways, a dozen hits. Which adds up to undeniable impact.

It’s easy to forget that he missed the first five days of camp in July — due, of course, to being “unfit to participate.” Then, on the sixth day, a scrimmage, he showed up at the Saddledome and was instantly the best player on the ice. No exaggeration.

“I didn’t want to let the guys down with having to miss that period of time … you wanted to be back with the guys, you wanted to be in there,” Dubé said of the week-long absence. “Every guy wants to bring his best. If that was something that held me back from bringing my best, I would’ve been upset about it. But I made sure I did all the right things.

“When I came back, I felt really good.”

Nevertheless, when the puck dropped at 8:39 p.m. on Aug. 1, it had not been an entirely seamless entry into NHL playoffs. The freshly turned 22- year-old calls it “eye-opening. I didn’t realize how fast and how hard it was going to be. Especially coming into a game — when you haven’t played forever — and it goes to that intense of a game. That was the fastest game I’ve ever played in.”

But as part of the Flames’ somewhat ready-for-primetime draft class of 2016 — Matthew Tkachuk in the first round, Dubé (and Tyler Parsons) in the second, Adam Fox in the third, Matthew Phillips in the sixth — the speedy forward didn’t flinch, at least noticeably, in the face of the challenge.

Rather, he recalibrated and embraced the high stakes, just like he had on many occasions before.

“If you put too much pressure on yourself, it’s not going to go well,” said Dubé, who — born in Golden, B.C. — grew up in Cochrane, Alta. “At this time of the year, it’s about going out there and having fun. When you put 1191002 Carolina Hurricanes away from home. The Svechnikov-Sebastian Aho-Teravainen line, broken up Thursday, is likely to be reunited Saturday when the Hurricanes have last change. For the first time in more than a year, Hurricanes wake up from their 15-month Bruins nightmare, and the script things have turned the Hurricanes’ way. is flipped

News Observer LOADED: 08.14.2020 BY LUKE DECOCK

AUGUST 13, 2020 11:29 PM

Just when it was starting to look more like Game 6 of a series that never really ended instead of Game 2 of the rematch, the Carolina Hurricanes finally woke up from their Boston nightmare.

They shrugged off another night of questionable officiating. They played through any liberties the Bruins may have taken. It took 15 months and one more game, but they finally turned the page on last year’s sweep.

This was a massive win, not only to even a series that through four periods was looking decidedly grim, but to flip a script that seemed to be going against them. And it was the ex-Bruin, of all people, Dougie Hamilton, who did the final damage with an unstoppable third-period fastball in a 3-2 win, his first goal since January on a rebuilt left leg.

“It’s been a long time for me since I played hockey,” Hamilton said. “For seven months you’re thinking about scoring a goal like that. That’s what fuels you when you’re in those tough moments in rehab. It feels great.”

The power play finally awakened. The goalie rotation — James Reimer again taking the second half of a back-to-back — proved fruitful. The Hurricanes’ top line, broken up to deal with matchup issues, still peppered the scoresheet. This was a game full of turning points, and at a time when the Hurricanes only needed one or two they found several, starting with Andrei Svechnikov single-handedly answering the Bruins for snarl and snark alike.

“There’s a lot at stake and a lot of adversity in the game,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “You have to fight through it, everything that seemed to go against us.”

Still, Rod Brind’Amour’s $25,000 deliberate technical foul didn’t buy the Hurricanes any calls, whether because the Hurricanes are the underdog or just old-fashioned incompetence. Even though he watched his words Thursday night, Brind’Amour may yet need to cough up the other $25,000 he was threatened with by the NHL.

Charlie McAvoy ripped off Jordan Staal’s helmet close enough to one official to risk hitting him with the loose bucket. McAvoy then elbowed Svechnikov in the head. He got away with both. The Bruins seem to know instinctively where the line is. The Hurricanes haven’t found it yet.

Then again, who knows where to look? The Bruins tied the score 2-2 at the end of the second on a power play after Torrey Krug backed into a stationary Teuvo Teravainen and Teravainen was called for interference. That’s like getting called for holding the stick after it has been lodged into your upper palate. Turns out, the officials can wave off a goal: the potential go-ahead goal was ruled out in the third after Teravainen was checked into the crease, leading to another unsuccessful Brind’Amour challenge.

And then again, regardless of how they feel about the penalties or how much Brind’Amour wants to borrow from his 401(k), the Hurricanes were still going to need to kill one or two of those penalties at some point. The Bruins scored on their first two power plays, but the Hurricanes killed the third, after the Teravainen non-goal, a timely kill if there ever was one.

If there was a game in this series where the Hurricanes should have had a clear advantage, this was it. The younger team in a back-to-back, bringing back two key players who didn’t play in Game 1, and with the Bruins missing 48-goal-scorer David Pastrnak to boot. It took them a period or two to find their footing, but once they did they were able to capitalize on circumstances that played into their hands, with Martin Necas leading the way with a pair of assists.

“Every time something seemed to go against us we bounced back,” Brind’Amour said. “It evens the series. Nothing to get overly excited about. It at least gets us back to square one.”

But it is a series now. The old cliche about a playoff series not starting until the road team wins a game still applies even when both teams are 1191003 Carolina Hurricanes While Canes defenseman Haydn Fleury had the biggest hit of the game in the first period, Svechnikov’s hit on McAvoy in the second was an energizer. Svechnikov first took an elbow high, then hammered McAvoy Hamilton’s third-period goal lifts Canes to 3-2 win over Bruins to even into the boards. series “It’s a hard game. You have to play hard,” Svechnikov said.

To which Brind’Amour added, “He can dish it out as well as he can take BY CHIP ALEXANDER it. I think he actually enjoys those challenges.”

AUGUST 13, 2020 10:54 PM Beating the Bruins has been a challenge for Carolina. There was the four-game sweep by the Bruins in the Eastern Conference finals last year. Boston shut out the Canes in the only regular-season game before the pause. Then there was Game 1 on Wednesday, when the Bruins Dougie Hamilton had been thinking about it for months, sweating out again found a way to win. workouts, aching to get back on the ice, wanting so much to play hockey again. “There were a lot of ups and down in that game for a lot of reasons,” Brind’Amour said. “We had our moments there where we were a little On Thursday, just when the Carolina Hurricanes needed it, Hamilton had frustrated but the guys put it behind them. Tonight they weren’t going to that moment. be denied.” The Canes defenseman can hammer a shot as well as any D-man in the league. Against the Boston Bruins in Game 2 of their Stanley Cup playoff series, he did just that, blistering a shot for the winning goal in a 3-2 News Observer LOADED: 08.14.2020 victory in Toronto.

Credit Martin Necas with the assist. The rookie forward, a nonstop hustler, had two assists and gave the Canes a ton of energy in the game, and it was his pass to Hamilton that set up the bomb of a shot from the right circle at 8:30 of the third.

“It’s been a long time for me to play hockey, so I guess for seven months you’re thinking about that kind of stuff, playing a game, scoring a goal, and what it feels like,” Hamilton said, noting he also was thinking about his grandmother, Joan Hamilton, on her birthday and scored for her.

“That’s what kind of fuels you when you’re in those tough moments. It feels great.”

Hamilton’s broken left fibula kept him out of the last 21 games of the regular season before the spread of the coronavirus forced the NHL to pause the season. The decision by the league to return to play allowed him to be fit and ready when the postseason training camp began last month in Raleigh, but he was injured again before the team came to Toronto.

Hamilton again was forced to watch as the Canes swept the New York Rangers in the qualifying round. He finally returned for Game 1 of the Boston series, against the team that once made him a first-round draft pick, but did not have a point in the double-overtime loss.

Hamilton’s shot decided a game that was chippy at times and again raised the ire of Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour. The Canes had a third- period goal waved off when it was ruled Teuvo Teravainen had incidental contact with goalie Tuukka Rask, and Brind’Amour then lost his coach’s challenge for a second straight game.

The first one resulted in some biting postgame comments by Brind’Amour about the refs and the NHL and a $25,000 fine from the league — a fine paid Thursday by team owner Tom Dundon. As for the second, Brind’Amour predictably refused to comment on the play or ruling after Thursday’s game.

But Brind’Amour liked the spunk and resiliency of his team. The Bruins twice scored on the power play — David Krejci in the first period and Brad Marchand in the last few seconds of the second — and there were other no-calls that angered Brind’Amour and the Canes.

Captain Jordan Staal had his helmet ripped off by defenseman Charlie McAvoy in the first period. No call was made and Staal only told that he was helmet-less and needed to leave the ice.

The Bruins did not have David Pastrnak, their leading scorer, in the lineup. Pastrnak apparently was injured when he jumped for joy when Patrice Bergeron scored the winning goal in double overtime in Game 1.

Brind’Amour, in turn, made a number of changes. Justin Williams, unfit to play in Game 1, was back in the lineup. Defensemen Sami Vatanen and Trevor van Riemsdyk played. Goalie James Reimer got the start, making 33 saves in outplaying Rask.

The Canes scored twice in 88 seconds in the second period to take a 2-1 lead. Teravainen zipped a shot past Rask on a power play, then Andrei Svechnikov beat Rask high to the blocker side off a nice Necas pass. 1191004 Carolina Hurricanes When the Canes had the puck in the offensive zone, the Bruins kept them to the outside for the most part. The Canes got goals from Edmundson and defenseman Haydn Fleury on long shots through traffic Hurricanes ‘moving on’ from Game 1 loss to Bruins, criticism of referees that Rask has trouble tracking, and on a strong, shifty individual move by forward Brock McGinn on a shorthanded breakaway.

McGinn’s goal gave the Canes the edge on special teams in Game 1 as BY CHIP ALEXANDER the Bruins, 7-for-15 on the power play against Carolina in the playoffs last year, were 0-4. AUGUST 13, 2020 01:55 PM Cassidy’s explanation: “Carolina’s aggressive nature and the way they

form that tight diamond in the neutral zone didn’t allow us to gain entry There have been times when Rod Brind’Amour watches the replay of with possession. Maybe the stubbornness by us not to get pucks behind Carolina Hurricanes losses and comes away believing his team didn’t them.” play that poorly, perhaps deserved a better outcome.

Wednesday’s loss to the Boston Bruins was not one of those games. News Observer LOADED: 08.14.2020 While forcing the Bruins to two overtimes and having some good moments, the Canes’ poor moments drew Brind’Amour’s attention after the 4-3 loss in Game 1 of their Stanley Cup playoff series in Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena.

Yes, there was a disagreement with the referees over a Bruins goal. It bothered Brind’Amour, greatly, and he said so. His blunt, biting comments about the refs and the league led to a $25,000 fine from the NHL and was a subject he would not broach Thursday morning.

“Moving on,” he said.

Moving on to Game 2 on Thursday night. Unless the 3 p.m. game between Columbus and Tampa Bay goes five overtimes, again, the Canes and Bruins had a scheduled 8 p.m. start.

As for the fine, Canes owner Tom Dundon sent a check for $25.017 -- the extra $17 a nod to Brind’Amour’s old number, No. 17 -- to the NHL on Thursday to pay it in full.

In assessing Wednesday’s game, which the Bruins won on Patrice Bergeron’s goal at 1:13 of the second overtime, Brind’Amour praised the play of goalie Petr Mrazek and defenseman Dougie Hamilton, and the work of his penalty killers, but not much else.

“It was worse watching it back (on replay) than it was live,” he said on his Thursday media call. “It didn’t sit that well. We weren’t very good and they did exactly what they wanted to do. So we’re going to have to change that up if we’re going to win this.”

The Bruins possessed the puck and continually broke down the Canes’ defense, notably on the game-winner. David Pastrnak skated between defensemen Brady Skjei and Joel Edmundson and found Bergeron open to his right for a well-executed backhand pass. Ball game.

The Bruins had 11 scoring chances to the Canes’ three in the overtimes, according to Naturalstattrick.com, a hockey analytics web site.

Noting the Bruins’ 40 shots in Game 1, Brind’Amour said, “I thought Petr was good. He had a lot of Grade-As (shots) on him. Way too many for a game if we want to win. He kept us in there and gave us a chance to win the game.”

While Brind’Amour has James Reimer available and Reimer was impressive in winning the third game of the New York Rangers qualifying round, Brind’Amour said it was possible Mrazek could start again in Game 2. The Bruins will stick with Tuukka Rask, Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said Thursday.

Defenseman Dougie Hamilton, in his first game since breaking his left leg on Jan. 16, had 26:48 in ice time, including 2:44 on the power play. Hamilton finished the game with a minus-2 plus/minus rating but Brind’Amour like what he saw of the big D-man, a 2020 NHL All-Star.

“For the first game back I thought he was fine,” Brind’Amour said. “I thought he was really good, actually. Not the perfect amount of minutes you’d want a guy to play who hasn’t played in forever, but he handled it really well.”

Justin Williams missed Game 1 after being deemed “unfit to play” and Brind’Amour was hoping to have the veteran winger back in Game 2. Defenseman Sami Vatanen also could return, the coach said, adding, ““When we say game-time decisions we’ll actually mean it.”

With Williams out, winger Ryan Dzingel saw his first postseason action but wasn’t very noticeable. Not that he was the only one. 1191005 Carolina Hurricanes career on the Hurricanes’ third pairing when not exiled to the press box. But Fleury has steadily improved throughout the playoffs and even saw time against Boston’s powerful top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice NHL fine for Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour’s comments about refs sets Bergeron and Pastrnak during Game 1. unofficial record “He was a high pick and we have a lot of high hopes for him and I think you’re just starting now to see kind of what we expected when we picked him up,” Brind’Amour said. “It’s been tough for him because we haven’t BY LUKE DECOCK been able to use him as much over the last year and a half. He’s been a healthy scratch just because of the numbers. We’ve got some pretty AUGUST 13, 2020 12:56 PM good defensemen ahead of him. But he’s handled it really well. He’s taken this opportunity to show he belongs.”

Boston Bruins left wing Anders Bjork (10) celebrates his teammates goal Fleury’s unexpected goal — a long-range score from the blue line — was past Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Petr Mrazek (34) during the second his first postseason point. He has scored four goals in 132 NHL regular- period of an NHL hockey Eastern Conference Stanley Cup playoff game season games. in Toronto, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020. NO DEFENSE Boston Bruins left wing Anders Bjork (10) celebrates his teammates goal Bergeron’s game-winner was the second goal of Game 1 for his line. The past Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Petr Mrazek (34) during the second first came off a set faceoff play to Petr Mrazek’s net that the Hurricanes period of an NHL hockey Eastern Conference Stanley Cup playoff game were unable to defend — and not because they didn’t know what was in Toronto, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020. NATHAN DENETTE AP coming, Brind’Amour said. The swiftness of Rod Brind’Amour’s fine was as unsurprising as the fine “Everybody knows they’re coming. That’s the hard part,” Brind’Amour itself, coming only three hours after the Carolina Hurricanes coach called said. “You actually know they’re coming and you still can’t defend it. the NHL “a joke” and Wednesday’s botched review of a Boston Bruins That’s what happened on the one. We knew exactly what the play was goal “a crime scene.” and how we decided to cover it. It wasn’t a blown coverage. That’s all What was surprising was the severity of the fine. Brind’Amour was fined they need. That’s why they’re elite.” $25,000 with another $25,000 threatened if he transgressed again in the TAILWINDS next calendar year. Only Columbus Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella — the league’s most frequent offender by a wide, wide margin — has Aho extended his point streak to five games with a first-period assist been fined more than that in the past decade, a $30,000 hit back in Thursday. … Eight Hurricanes players set new highs for ice time in January 2012. Game 1, but not Jaccob Slavin, whose game-high 37:03 was still 84 seconds shy of Game 7 against the Washington Capitals last season. … Brind’Amour’s Bruins counterpart, Bruce Cassidy, said during last year’s Fleury and Edmundson became the first pair of defensemen to score in Stanley Cup finals that “the National Hockey League’s getting a black the same game for the Hurricanes since Aaron Ward and Frantisek eye with their officiating this playoffs” among other comments about how Kaberle in the Stanley Cup-clinching Game 7 against the Edmonton the officials were favoring the St. Louis Blues after “the narrative changed Oilers in 2006. after Game 3.” He was not fined.

Tortorella was fined $10,000 in January for these comments: “All this (expletive) technology, right? The technology and getting things right ... News Observer LOADED: 08.14.2020 the stubbornness tonight, by the officials, and by the league and by Toronto, however it’s supposed to (expletive) work, screws us. It’s ridiculous.”

That was at least Tortorella’s 11th fine by the NHL. This was Brind’Amour’s first.

Asked if he had any reaction Thursday ahead of the Hurricanes’ 3-2 win in Game 2, Brind’Amour demurred.

“Nope,” he said. “Moving on.”

Afterward, he declined to answer a question about an unsuccessful challenge of a disallowed Hurricanes goal.

IN AND OUT

The Hurricanes made a host of changes in Game 2, one by necessity. Joel Edmundson was “unfit to play” after taking a hard hit in Game 1. Jake Gardiner and Nino Niederreiter were healthy scratches as Justin Williams and Sami Vatanen returned to the lineup after missing Game 1 and Trevor van Riemsdyk saw his first action of the playoffs.

James Reimer got the start in net in the second game of the back-to- back, as was the routine against the Washington Capitals in the last round. And Warren Foegele took Andrei Svechnikov’s normal spot with Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen, with Svechnikov dropping to the third line with Vincent Trocheck and Martin Necas. Necas ended up with a pair of assists, setting up the Hurricanes’ second and third goals.

Reimer stopped 33 of 35 shots for his second win of the postseason, running his save percentage to a sterling .952.

The Bruins were without star winger David Pastrnak, who appeared to injure himself celebrating the Bruins’ double-overtime game-winner Wednesday night.

FLEURY FLYING

One of the positives for the Hurricanes in Wednesday’s 4-3 double overtime loss in Game 1 was the play of 24-year-old defenseman Haydn Fleury, the seventh overall pick in 2014 who has spent most of his NHL 1191006

Blackhawks down 2-0 in series against Golden Knights after a 4-3 overtime loss in Game 2

By PHIL THOMPSON

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

AUG 13, 2020 AT 8:05 PM

The Chicago Blackhawks rallied from a two-goal deficit to tie the score after two periods and sent Game 2 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series into overtime Thursday, but the Vegas Golden Knights won 4-3 on Reilly Smith’s redirect goal 7:13 into the extra session.

The Golden Knights will take a 2-0 advantage in the best-of-seven series into Game 3 on Saturday.

“I thought we showed a lot of character to battle back,” Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton said. “They’re a really good third-period team. ... Disappointing because I thought the guys played hard.”

Hawks goalie Corey Crawford stopped 16 shots in the third period — including five high-danger chances — to send the game into overtime.

With three assists, Patrick Kane passed for most postseason points in franchise history. Kane has 130 points (51 goals, 79 assists) in 133 games.

Smith continued to harangue the Hawks. He scored two third-period goals in the series opener.

The Hawks showed greater urgency after the Game 1 loss and committed to getting quality shots against Knights goalie Robin Lehner, as well as getting more bodies to the net to create traffic in front of Lehner and second-chance shots.

That worked out in the second period, when Kirby Dach scored his first career playoff goal off a rebound.

Dominik Kubalik followed less than nine minutes later with a power-play goal, his first goal of the series and fourth of the postseason.

Vegas took a 3-2 lead when Alec Martinez’s pass bounced off Mark Stone’s midsection, and Stone poked it in. But the Hawks answered with 14 seconds left in the period on Kane’s backhand cross-crease pass to Dylan Strome for the tying goal.

The Hawks made some adjustments after losing 4-1 in Game 1 4-1, and early on they displayed puck possession and put more shots on goal. But they struggled to capitalize on several opportunities and had defensive breakdowns.

Hawks defenseman Lucas Carlsson rushed to break up a potential wrap- around attempt by Jonathan Marchessault, but Marchessault dished to Paul Stastny, who had a clear shot at Crawford for the game’s first goal.

Duncan Keith took a chance on a takeaway attempt but missed, and the Knights had a three-on-one rush and finished with a goal by Tomas Nosek, playing for the first time in the series.

The Hawks had their chances in the first, too, but Strome opted against taking a shot on one opportunity and Brandon Saad fanned a backhand pass from .

The goal post has been particularly unfriendly to the Hawks this postseason. In Game 1, Toews had a would-be goal skip off the crossbar, and on Thursday, Kane hit the iron during the power play.

Colliton shook up the lineup for Game 2.

Defenseman Adam Boqvist was a scratch, Drake Caggiula played on the second line with Dach and Kane and Alex DeBrincat dropped to the third line with Strome and Matthew Highmore.

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191007 Chicago Blackhawks Lehner saw only 13 shots at even strength.

DeBoer said the mission for Game 2 is, “like last night, to make their offense hard to come by, whether it’s not giving them power plays and 3 things to watch for in Game 2 of the Blackhawks-Golden Knights not giving them a lot of room five-on-five and make them earn the series, including a Patrick Kane-Jonathan Toews reunion — anything to opportunities they’re going to get.” spark the offense Colliton acknowledged: “They did a good job last night, they blocked a lot. We were able to get to the top a few times and they were able to get By PHIL THOMPSON in the lane. We got through a few times. There were some rebounds lying around there. CHICAGO TRIBUNE “Ultimately, we’ve got to know: Forwards get to the net, find a way, be AUG 13, 2020 AT 6:30 AM there and you find a way to get it through. That goes back to establishing (offensive)-zone presence, find a way to be there a little bit longer and

we’ll get our chances.” Both the Chicago Blackhawks and Vegas Golden Knights coaches found 3. The Blackhawks won’t get baited into a physical tit-for-tat, but they do things they didn’t like from Game 1 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff need to get more physical. series, which the Knights won 4-1 Tuesday. The Knights dished out 35 hits in Game 1 — with at least four apiece by Knights coach Pete DeBoer felt his team played slow in the neutral zone fourth-liners Nicolas Roy, Ryan Reaves and William Carrier — compared and his skaters didn’t give each other enough puck support, which led to with 20 by the Hawks, topped by Drake Caggiula’s five hits. turnovers. Toews mixed it up with Jonathan Marchessault after Marchessault tried “That’s something we can clean up,” DeBoer said. “If we’re going to build to board Adam Boqvist, but while Toews downplayed the fight Tuesday, on something and carry over something from last game, it’s going to be he said the Hawks do need to get tougher. our third period. We started to play the way we’re capable of playing in the third and got rewarded (with two goals) for that.” “It’s something we can do better as a team,” he said. “For the most part, we’re pretty good at scuffles, whatever you want to call it, after the It’s hard to argue with Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton picking nits about whistle. We want to play hockey, we want to play with the puck, we want what caused his team’s lack of offense. to play our game. The Hawks’ Corsi For percentage, an indicator of puck possession, was “I just thought (Marchessault) took kind of a run at Bokey. When you see 43% for the game and 36% or lower in both the first and third periods. hits like that, you have to give him a shot at least. It was nothing more “We have to protect the puck in the offensive zone a little more, establish than that. That can happen every other play pretty much.” a little bit more zone time, force them to defend for longer periods,”

Colliton said. “They’re a big team, they’re good at getting pucks back, they want to overload in D-zone. Chicago Tribune LOADED: 08.14.2020 “If you can hold it longer, sometimes you can create something,” Colliton said. “We just want to have possession more in the offensive zone and get out of our own end quicker.”

Here are three things to watch for in Game 2 on Thursday.

1. Don’t be surprised to see Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews on the same line.

They’ve spent only about four minutes together in five-on-five situations during the postseason, so not much can be gleaned from that small sample size.

Before the NHL suspended the season, opponents had a higher Corsi For percentage and more high-danger chances when Kane and Toews were on the ice together, but the Kane-Toews combination produced nine more goals (19-10) and eight more high-danger goals (14-6), according to NaturalStatTrick.com.

The Hawks struggled to get shots on goal or even get to the net consistently in Game 1, so Colliton is considering pairing Kane and Toews on the same line in five-on-five, not just the power play.

“It’s always an option for us,” Colliton said. “We’ve done it before. They’ve had success together in the past. You don’t rule anything out. We’re trying to win. You turn over every rock, and every game we talk about the combos. Even within the game, you can be flexible, move guys around, try to get a spark.”

Kane also could play more double shifts like he did during the Oilers series. He has logged the fourth-most total ice time (108 minutes, 53 seconds) among forwards who have played five games this postseason.

“He can play a lot, he’s got a big motor,” Colliton said. “He’s able to conserve energy at certain times so he can play on different lines.”

2. When the Golden Knights clog the lanes, the Blackhawks have to get to the net.

Game 1 illustrated how daunting this matchup can be for the Hawks.

The Knights’ aggressive forecheck made it a chore for the Hawks to get the puck out of their end without turning it over, and if they did reach the attack zone, the Knights defense made it difficult to get a shot through to Robin Lehner, much less get a second attempt. 1191008 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks notebook: Jeremy Colliton scratches Adam Boqvist, shuffles lines in Game 2 loss

By Ben Pope@BenPopeCST

Aug 13, 2020, 9:04pm CDT

Coach Jeremy Colliton insisted after the Blackhawks’ Game 1 loss on Tuesday that he’d stick with the same conservative structure the rest of the series.

What he didn’t share — until it became apparent to all at the start of Game 2 on Thursday — was that he planned to drastically overhaul the Hawks’ forward lines and defensive pairings.

Before a 4-3 overtime loss, Colliton sent his team out for warmups with all sorts of mixed-up combinations.

“We’re trying to get better, so trying to use the group we have [in different ways],” he said. “Up front, [we’re] just trying to manufacture a little more offense, [and] we had a little bit of success there.”

On attack, Drake Caggiula moved up to the second line with Kirby Dach and Patrick Kane; Alex DeBrincat moved down and Matthew Highmore moved up to the third line centered by Dylan Strome; and Alex Nylander was demoted to Highmore’s old spot on the fourth line next to Ryan Carpenter and David Kampf.

With the Hawks trailing in the second period, Colliton shuffled things again, uniting the risky-but-deadly trio of Kane, Strome and DeBrincat. They promptly teamed up for a beautiful tic-tac-toe transition goal.

Kane alternated between Dach-Caggiula and Strome-DeBrincat in third period and overtime.

“For the most part, it worked to our advantage tonight,” Kane said. “Caggiula brings a lot of energy. He may not put up big numbers, but on that first goal, he middle lane-drives, goes to the net, and Kirby is wide open back-door.”

On defense, Colliton made an even bolder move by scratching rookie Adam Boqvist, who had played on the top pairing with Duncan Keith throughout the playoffs but had mostly struggled since Game 2 of the Oilers series. Lucas Carlsson, a standout late in the regular season and July training camp, played in Boqvist’s stead with Connor Murphy on the second pair, while Calvin de Haan was paired with Keith.

“We’ve got a lot of confidence in Carlsson,” Colliton said. “He played really well in the time he got in the regular season, [but] he’s been outside looking in here. We’re hoping [Boqvist], with a day of rest, can come back potentially with another level for us.”

Only the top forward line of Dominik Kubalik, Jonathan Toews and Brandon Saad and the the third defensive pairing of Olli Maatta and Slater Koekkoek were left untouched from the previous lineup.

Golden Knights winger Reilly Smith is far from a household name around the NHL, but based on his postseason performances, he should be.

The overtime game-winner Thursday was just the latest postseason highlight for the 29-year-old Canadian forward.

Thursday marked Smith’s 50th career playoff game, and he has scored 48 points in those games — including 35 points in 32 games with the Knights. That ranks him among the best active NHL forwards in postseason production.

Smith’s line with Jonathan Marchessault and Paul Statsny has owned the Hawks through the first two games. During five-on-five play, that trio has out-attempted the Hawks 31-20 and outscored them 5-0.

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Blackhawks’ strong effort confined to 2nd period as Golden Knights win Game 2 in overtime

By Ben Pope@BenPopeCST

Aug 13, 2020, 7:44pm CDT

The Blackhawks played extremely well for one period and poorly for 2½ others in Game 2 of their best-of-seven playoff series Thursday night in Edmonton.

That mixed-bag effort was enough to carry the Hawks through regulation but not enough to stop the heavily favored Golden Knights from eventually winning, with forward Reilly Smith scoring 7:13 into overtime to give the Knights a 4-3 victory and a 2-0 series lead.

The blown opportunity left the Hawks muttering for the rest of the night about what might have been.

“Would have been nice to see something go in there in overtime, but it’s the way it goes, I guess,” winger Patrick Kane said. “Would have been nice to have a better third period, too, especially after we came back to tie it up and had a lot of momentum. Would have been nice to keep that momentum.”

The Hawks’ comeback in the second period — the momentum Kane referred to — was undeniably impressive.

They made brilliant use of the long change to stretch the normally stingy Knights into playing more open, transition hockey. They out-attempted the Knights 23-20 in the second, out-chanced them 14-12 and outscored them 3-1. They looked, albeit briefly, every bit the Knights’ equal.

“I really liked our first two periods,” coach Jeremy Colliton said. “We showed a lot of character to battle back a couple different times. It’s important not to give [the Knights] extra chances to have zone time, so when we were clean with it and able to advance it and drive it deep into the offensive zone — get a forecheck going, get zone time — we had some success.”

But going into the third period — and later overtime — tied 3-3, the Hawks weren’t able to rediscover their intensity.

The Knights out-attempted the Hawks 36-16, out-chanced them 21-8 and eventually outscored them 1-0 over the final 27 minutes.

While goalie Corey Crawford, after shaking off another disconcerting start, did well to hold off what center Kirby Dach later described as “waves” of Knights attacks, he couldn’t singlehandedly save the game.

“For whatever reason, it just seemed like they came out better than us in the third,” Kane said. “I don’t know if we thought it was going to be a little easier than it was.”

Colliton ran the Hawks’ depth chart through a blender before the game, most notably scratching defenseman Adam Boqvist for fellow rookie Lucas Carlsson.

Some changes clicked; others did not. Unfortunately, Carlsson’s new pairing with Connor Murphy fell into the latter category. They miscommunicated twice with disastrous results, getting caught below the goal line on Paul Statsny’s goal in the first period and leaving Smith wide open in the slot on the game-winner.

“We weren’t able to get the puck in and get it deep and get our ‘D’ off, so you end up with tired guys trying to defend, and we had a breakdown,” Colliton said.

In a normal series, the underdog Hawks would now return to home ice for Game 3, looking for a much-needed boost from the crowd.

But it won’t be so in the Edmonton bubble format. Game 3 will be back at Rogers Place on Saturday night, when the Hawks will need a heroic team effort to turn the series around.

“The key is, how long can we stick with it?” Colliton said. “How long can we be persistent when we face adversity? We’ve faced some adversity here over the first couple of games, and do we have the character to overcome it?” 1191010 Chicago Blackhawks

Eddie Olczyk describes life in broadcasting bubble during Stanley Cup playoffs

By Jeff Agrest

Aug 13, 2020, 2:00pm CDT

Eddie Olczyk packed for two months.

Think about that.

“I’ve become pretty cagey on running the hotel washer and dryer - machines,” he said.

Since July 28, Olczyk has been living in a hotel near NBC Sports Network’s studios in Stamford, Connecticut, where he’s -analyzing Stanley Cup playoff games nationally and for NBC Sports Chicago, home of the Blackhawks. Knowing he’ll be heading to the bubble in Edmonton at some point, he packed as though he were preparing to travel abroad.

“I didn’t know if I was gonna get a chance to get home,” Olczyk said. “I had to bring a bunch of sport coats and suits because when you’re on every day, you can’t just be switching two or three suits. Some people have said some of my suits might look better inside out. I haven’t tried that yet.”

Then there are the shirts and ties and shoes and workout clothes, not to mention the warmer apparel needed to combat the autumn cold in western Canada. He had to prepare for everything.

In the meantime, he’ll continue preparing for his role on the studio desk, as well as in his personal broadcast booth, from where he’ll call Game 3 of the Blackhawks-Golden Knights first-round series with play-by-play voice Doc Emrick at 7 p.m. Saturday on Ch. 5.

Olczyk has had a busy week. On Tuesday, he was working the intermissions of the Blue Jackets-Lightning game until the five-overtime affair forced him out early to call the Hawks game that night with . On Wednesday, he worked the intermissions for the Islanders- Capitals game before calling the Coyotes-Avalanche game. On Thursday, he worked the “NHL Live” pregame show before calling the Hawks game.

He described the booth in which he calls games as “probably twice as big as a phone booth.” It has two monitors, a , a screen with four camera angles and a computer. He ditched the all-12 monitor, which shows the entire ice surface, because it wasn’t worthwhile on such a small screen.

“It’s perfectly workable, and it’s comfortable,” Olczyk said. “You just do the best that you can.”

Olczyk has called Stadium Series and Winter Classic games off monitors at venues where the press box is too far from the players. But he had never dealt with what he called a “three-person party line” from the Sportsnet production crew in Edmonton to the NBCSCH crew in Chicago to him in Stamford. That can be tricky setting up replays.

“There’s gonna be a lag time, and there’s not gonna be a lot of time to explain it, so I just have to say what’s on the picture,” he said. “A lot of times, whatever the fans are seeing for the first time, I’m seeing it for the first time, too, which is not the norm. Sometimes they’ll show something that may be irrelevant to what we’re talking about.”

But Olczyk emphasized these are minor inconveniences considering there’s a pandemic going on, and he praised the technical teams for making the broadcasts as normal as possible given all the moving parts.

“Pat’s sitting in a truck outside the United Center, I’m sitting in a studio in Connecticut and we’re calling a game from Edmonton,” Olczyk said. “It’s a lot of hard work and a lot of long hours for people making sure there’s no delay, and then it’s up to me and Pat to try to make it like we’re in the building together, and obviously we’re several hundred miles apart.”

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191011 Chicago Blackhawks The Hawks got on the board early in the second after an awful Vegas line change and Kirby Dach took advantage, shoveling in a rebound for his first career playoff goal, which cut the Knights' lead to 2-1.

Blackhawks' best effort not enough in Game 2 After Vegas took a bad penalty, Dominik Kubalik shot through a screen, Lehner never saw it and with 7:53 left in the second the Hawks had a power-play goal and a 2-2 tie. Barry Rozner That lasted only a few minutes as Mark Stone collected a rebound and Follow @BarryRozner his 2-foot putt made it 3-2 late in the second, the Hawks again unable to handle the punishing Vegas cycle. Updated Back together on a line for the final minute of the second period -- 8/13/2020 9:10 PM courtesy of Colliton's line shuffling -- Kane, Strome and Alex DeBrincat worked some magic, as Strome got the blue line, dropped to DeBrincat, who saw Kane skating alone down the right side. Kane's sweet feed The Blackhawks played their best game of the playoffs Thursday. found Strome going hard to the net for a stress-free goal and the Hawks had tied it again with only 14 seconds left in the period. Turns out, against one of the best teams in the league, it just wasn't good enough. But the Hawks were badly outplayed in the final 20 minutes against the NHL's best third-period team, and were fortunate to get to overtime. Vegas scored 7:13 into overtime and the Hawks fell 4-3 in the Edmonton bubble, now facing a 2-0 series deficit that looks insurmountable. On the "Would have been nice to have a better third period, especially after we ice versus a group expected to compete for the big prize, the Hawks came back to tie it up," Kane said. "Had a lot of momentum. Would have would now have to win four of the next five. nice to keep that momentum going early in the third."

That is a steep mountain to climb. The Hawks' problem isn't effort. It has been there. But Vegas is fast, big, deep and they support the puck so well that the Hawks simply can't "The key is how long can we stick with it when you face adversity?" sustain pressure 5-on-5. asked Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton. "We're facing some adversity here, and do we have the character to overcome it? The Hawks have no choice but to continue to use their defense as part of the offense knowing that also creates chances the other way for Vegas. "It's an opportunity for our guys. You play all year to be in these games It's a dilemma because the Knights' transition game is superb, their so now we're here and we're facing adversity. So what? Just keep forwards always in a position to help the defense. playing and believe in what we're doing and believe in the guys in the room and we're gonna give them a run." On the positive side, Crawford played very well after that bad goal, Strome and DeBrincat arrived for the first time in the postseason, Kane Colliton's message is strong -- and he has stayed with that since he got was creating all night and the line juggling definitely had an effect. here. But even with all the good, the Hawks have a 2-0 deficit to show for it. But considering Vegas goalie Robin Lehner did not play well and the Knights were sloppy and lacking energy, you wonder now how many "It's a chance to show our character," Colliton said. "(Vegas) is an more games this series can go. excellent team. They're a No. 1 seed for a reason. It's a big challenge for our guys. "Obviously it would have been nice to see something go in there in overtime," said Patrick Kane, who had his most visible game since the "We've responded. Our guys have played hard. Done a lot of good restart and collected 3 assists. "That's the way it goes, I guess." things. Stayed right with them both games. We just have to keep improving. We have a lot of young guys. You gotta think that we're gonna On Reilly Smith's winning tally, the Hawks' defense got caught on the ice get better as the series goes on. for an extended stretch. With the fourth period's long change, Connor Murphy and Lucas Carlsson both wound up exhausted and on the puck "Back-to-back (games) coming up (over the weekend). Take the day to in the corner, leaving Smith wide open for an easy game-winner. regroup and then come with our best effort of the series. Find a way to win a hockey game." "We weren't able to get the puck in and get it deep and get our defense off," Colliton said. "So you end up with tired guys trying to defend and On paper, this didn't look like much of a series before it began and the you get a breakdown." scoreboard says it hasn't been as Vegas continues to play to form.

The Hawks came out with an urgency appropriate for Game 2 and But the Hawks played well Thursday and Game 3 offers a chance to carried the play the first 10 minutes, their defense jumping into nearly make it a series -- however unlikely that seems. every rush and several times involved in the play below the circles.

They tried mixing up the lines, they tried stretch passes and they used at least four men in on the offense most of the first period. They also Daily Herald Times LOADED: 08.14.2020 scratched 19-year-old defenseman Adam Boqvist in favor of 23-year-old rookie Carlsson, who played just 10:33.

"We're trying to get better and use the group we have. We have a lot of confidence in Carlsson," Colliton said. "We're hoping (Boqvist) with a day of rest can come back, potentially, with another level for us."

As it always does in a situation like this, the game found Carlsson quickly, midway through the first when Smith and Jonathan Marchessault played catch behind the net, drawing Murphy to one side, and leaving Carlsson to choose between staying in front or attacking the puck.

But his job there is to stay home. Instead, Carlsson went to pressure behind the net, missed the pass, the forwards didn't collapse in time and Paul Stastny was alone in front to tap it past Corey Crawford for a 1-0 Vegas lead.

Five minutes later after Dylan Strome passed up a wide-open shot -- the third time in the first period the Hawks were guilty of such -- Vegas went down and made it 2-0 when Tomas Nosek on the off wing leaned on his stick and fired a wrist shot right through Crawford, another bad goal for the Hawks' netminder. 1191012 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks' Patrick Kane found his postseason game, but is it too late?

By Scott King

August 13, 2020 10:22 PM

Six games into the Blackhawks' 2020 postseason Patrick Kane finally produced near the level we're accustomed to.

Through his first five postseason games at Edmonton, Kane only had four points (one goal, three assists), with zero points and a +/- rating of -2 against Vegas in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs first round series.

Game 2 against the Golden Knights on Thursday featured a bounce-back performance from Kane, as well as Corey Crawford, and a much better effort from the Hawks across the board, but it wasn't enough to even up the series. Instead, they lost 4-3 in overtime to trail in the series 2-0.

The good news is that Kane is looking like himself, picking up three assists in the second period of Game 2 and helping the Hawks exit the second frame tied 3-3.

First, Kane assisted on Blackhawks rookie forward Kirby Dach's first NHL playoff goal, passing the puck to Calvin de Haan, who fed Dach to cut the Golden Knights' lead to 2-1 at 3:17 of the second period.

Then, Showtime picked up the primary helper on Dominik Kubalik's power-play goal that tied it 2-2, for the rookie's fourth goal in six postseason contests.

Late in the second, trailing 3-2, Alex DeBrincat passed it to Kane, who fed Dylan Strome in front of the crease to tie it 3-3 with 14 seconds remaining in the period for Strome's second postseason goal.

With Kane's third assist in the game, he passed Bobby Hull (129) for third in most playoff points in Hawks history with 130. Denis Savard is in second with 145 and is No. 1 with 150.

"Well, I've been fortunate to play on some amazing teams. And I guess when you have some deep runs in the playoffs, you're going to have the chance to put up numbers and points when you're an offensive guy," Kane said following Thursday's loss. "So I appreciate those teams I've been on, trying to do the same thing here with this team."

The bad news for this Blackhawks team is that they're trailing seemingly one of, if not the best, teams in the playoffs 2-0. The good news is Kane has begun to find his game again and that three assists still doesn't cut it for his potential.

He almost had a goal in the first period on a Hawks' power play but hit the post after beating Robin Lehner five-hole.

If Chicago is able to put together a better effort and play their game closer to the full 60 minutes (pending overtime), Kane may be able to ride some momentum and put them over the top to make the series interesting in Game 3. He's been known to deliver on big stages in key moments.

"I think we got a good group," Kane said. "I think we proved it all year when we played in tough situations, faced some adversity that we were able to come back, we're able to work our way out of it. This isn't a team that's going to give up and I think we're in a situation here where we're coming into a day off then a back-to-back situation and we feel we got a young team with some fresh legs, so hopefully that can be used to our advantage."

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Blackhawks must 'regroup fast' after falling behind 2-0 against Golden Knights

By Charlie Roumeliotis

August 13, 2020 8:50 PM

The Vegas Golden Knights are the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for a reason. They are one of the best offensive and defensive teams in the league, and the Blackhawks are seeing it first- hand in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

In a 4-1 loss in Game 1 on Tuesday, the Blackhawks were reminded that the Golden Knights can tighten up defensively as good as anyone. In Game 2 on Thursday, the Golden Knights reminded the Blackhawks why they were the NHL’s best puck possession team during the regular season and showed how dangerous they can be when they dictate the pace of play.

The Blackhawks went toe-to-toe with the Golden Knights for two periods, but the Golden Knights imposed their will in the third period and overtime and eventually cashed in at the 7:13 mark to take a 2-0 series lead.

"I thought we were playing really well the first two periods," said Patrick Kane, who had three assists in Thursday's 4-3 loss. "And for whatever reason it just seemed that they came out better than us in the third. I don’t know if we thought it was going to be a little bit easier than it was, especially after we tied it up. But they’re a good team, they’re going to fight back, and they carried the play for most of the third."

The Blackhawks made significant lineup changes going into Game 2, looking for a spark after struggling to break through Vegas’ tight-checking style in Game 1. Adam Boqvist, most notably, was a healthy scratch in favor of Lucas Carlsson, who logged only 10:33 of ice time and had a plus-2 rating.

The Blackhawks also changed up the look of three of their four lines and, for the most part, it worked. But the Golden Knights were too much to handle, even without their leading scorer Max Pacioretty, who was ruled "unfit to play."

From the third period on, the Golden Knights led in shot attempts (36-16), shots on goal (23-7), scoring chances (21-8) and high-danger chances (7-3), according to Natural Stat Trick. It was a dominant effort, and only a matter of time before they broke through.

"They're a really good third-period team and they had a hard push," head coach Jeremy Colliton said. "I would've liked to see us handle it a little better. ... Disappointing, because I thought the guys played hard. But at the same time, we need to keep getting better, keep improving. We're not out of it. We're going to regroup and come back raring to go for Game 3."

Credit the Blackhawks for rallying from a two-goal deficit to even the score at 3-3 by the end of the second period. They showed, yet again, that they won't go down without a fight and are never out of a game.

But they've given up the first goal in five of six postseason games now and have yet to play with a lead in 127:13 minutes against the Golden Knights. That needs to change if the Blackhawks want to get back into this series, which is going to be difficult considering teams that go up 2-0 in a series go on to win 87.2 percent of the time.

It's a crucial weekend for the Blackhawks, who have a day off on Friday before playing back-to-back games on Saturday and Sunday.

"Once we find our groove, we’ll be alright as a group," Kirby Dach said. "It’s tough to swallow this one right now. We had chances in overtime to put the game away. That’s not the way it went, so we’ve got to regroup fast here because these next two games are coming up quick."

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191014 Chicago Blackhawks Vegas' push in the third was no surprise as they had outscored opponents 10-1 in their first four postseason games in the final regulation frame, making Crawford's performance all the more impressive.

Blackhawks' Patrick Kane and Corey Crawford bounce back, but Hawks Reilly Smith scored at 7:13 of overtime to win it for the Knights 4-3 and drop Game 2 leave the Hawks trailing the best-of-seven series 2-0.

By Scott King Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.14.2020 August 13, 2020 7:48 PM

The Blackhawks lost 4-3 in overtime to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs first round series, but saw strong performances from Patrick Kane and Corey Crawford that were missing in Game 1.

Here are three takeaways:

Hi, Kaner!

Patrick Kane and his elite play-making ability punched into Game 2 with three second-period assists.

Kane only had four points (one goal, three assists) in the Hawks' first five games of the postseason, with zero and a +/- rating of -2 against Vegas in Game 1.

Early on Thursday, it seemed like the three-time Stanley Cup champion winger was trying to jumpstart his postseason game to help Chicago even the series. Kane hit the post after beating Robin Lehner five-hole in the first period on a Blackhawks power play.

Then, Kane picked up a secondary assist, passing the puck to Calvin de Haan, who fed Kirby Dach for Dach's first career NHL playoff goal to cut the Golden Knights' lead to 2-1 at 3:17 of the second period.

At 12:07 of the second frame, Showtime picked up the primary helper on Dominik Kubalik's power-play goal that tied it 2-2, for the rookie's fourth goal in six postseason contests.

Late in the second, trailing 3-2, Alex DeBrincat passed it to Kane, who fed Dylan Strome in front of the crease to tie it 3-3 with 14 seconds remaining in the period for Strome's second postseason goal.

With Kane's third assist in the game, he passed Bobby Hull (129) for third in most playoff points in Hawks history with 130. Denis Savard is in second with 145 and Stan Mikita is No. 1 with 150.

Roll call

Blackhawks rookie defenseman Adam Boqvist, who had been on the top pairing with Duncan Keith all though the postseason, was a healthy scratch for Game 2. Boqvist has zero points and a +/- rating of -3 from the Hawks' first five postseason games.

Lucas Carlsson drew into the lineup for Boqvist and Calvin de Haan skated with Keith on the top D pairing. It was Carlsson's first NHL playoff game. The 23-year-old defenseman made his NHL debut with Chicago this year and had one assist and +/- rating of +3 in six games with the Hawks this season. Carlsson recorded a +/- rating of -2, a shot on goal and a hit in 10:33 of ice time in his postseason debut.

Golden Knights forward Max Pacioretty was "unfit to play" for Game 2. Pacioretty, Vegas' leading scorer during the regular season, missed the round robin with an injury but recorded four shots on goal against the Blackhawks in Game 1.

Crow's back

After a rough Game 1 against the Knights, in which Crawford allowed four goals from Vegas' 34 shots, he had a rebound performance for Game 2.

There were two goals Crawford would have liked to have back in Game 1. He didn't look like the netminder who saved 43 of 45 shots the game before against the Oilers to clinch the qualifying round series.

After giving up two goals on seven shots in the first period of Game 2, Crawford battled back, as he's been known to do, and stopped all nine shots he faced in the second and all 16 in the third — with the Hawks being outshoot 16-6 — to get Chicago to overtime tied 3-3. 1191015 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks make lineup changes for Game 2 vs. Vegas Golden Knights

By Charlie Roumeliotis

August 13, 2020 4:45 PM

After falling 4-1 to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 on Tuesday night, the Blackhawks made some lineup changes for Game 2 on Thursday.

Adam Boqvist was a healthy scratch in favor of Lucas Carlsson, who made his Stanley Cup Playoff debut. Boqvist has zero points, six shots on goal, a minus-3 rating and is averaging 14:11 of ice time in five postseason games.

Calvin de Haan was promoted to the top pairing with Duncan Keith in Boqvist's absence while Carlsson was partnered with Connor Murphy. The pairing of Slater Koekkoek and Olli Maatta remained the same.

From a forward perspective, Drake Caggiula was promoted to the second line with Kirby Dach and Patrick Kane while Alex DeBrincat was moved to the third line with Dylan Strome and Matthew Highmore, who went from the fourth line to third line. Alex Nylander was demoted to the fourth line with Ryan Carpenter and David Kampf.

The first line of Dominik Kubalik, Brandon Saad and Jonathan Toews is the only trio that stayed the same.

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Robin Lehner tweets hilarious cartoon ahead of Game 2 against Blackhawks

By Scott King

August 13, 2020 12:43 PM

Robin Lehner got the best of his former team in a 4-1 win — saving 19 of 20 Hawks shots — in Game 1 on Tuesday, but that didn't stop the 29- year-old goalie from having a little fun on Twitter ahead of Thursday's Game 2.

Related: Former Blackhawks goalie Robin Lehner's birthday cake is ureal

During Game 1, Lehner had to have a skate blade repaired twice in the second period. The first time Lehner had trouble with his skate on Tuesday, the Hawks were able to hit a post before the next stoppage.

The tweet from Lehner posted at 11:03 a.m. CT on Thursday features a cartoon of a panda, which often represents Lehner in his other tweets, fixing his skates in front of a Hawk.

The homage to Lehner and Game 1 appears to have originated from artist Juan Muniz.

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How Blackhawks will try to generate more offense in Game 2 vs. Golden Knights

By Scott King

August 13, 2020 10:55 AM

It's no secret that the Blackhawks need to generate more offense on Thursday against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2 of the first round Stanley Cup Playoff series.

The Hawks only had a short-handed goal from David Kampf to show for their efforts in Tuesday's 4-1 Game 1 loss. Although, Brandon Saad made one of the top plays in the postseason to set up the goal by stealing the puck in the Golden Knights' zone to set up Kampf.

The potential for more offense is there. Chicago scored 16 goals against the Oilers in the qualifying round. The tallies ranged from greasy goals to snipes and power-play markers.

Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton has the Hawks playing the Knights a little bit tighter with Vegas' ability to roll four lines, but he still thinks they can find a way to outscore their opponent.

Click to download the MyTeams App for the latest Blackhawks news and analysis.

"We have to protect the puck in the offensive zone a little more, establish a little bit more zone time, force them to defend for longer periods," Colliton said on Wednesday prior to a Hawks practice in the bubble. "I think they’re a big team, they’re good at getting pucks back, they want to overload in D zone. If you can hold it longer, sometimes you can create something. We just want to have possession more in the offensive zone and get out of our own end quicker."

Against a big goalie like former Blackhawk Robin Lehner, who saved 19 of 20 shots for Vegas in Game 1, the Hawks need to get to the net and create more traffic in front to inhibit his ability to play and see pucks.

"This time of year, it starts with possession down low. They box in pretty good getting shots from the point, but as forwards, we've got to work harder to get to that net to help our D-men and get eyes in front of Lehner," Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said Wednesday. "There were still some situations yesterday where we had some Grade-A chances and we didn't shoot the puck. We've got to take those shots, we can't hesitate.

"They're throwing pucks from everywhere on Crow and trying to get ugly goals and that's how we're going to score this time of year in these playoff games. Against a team like Vegas, it doesn't have to be pretty. We need to test Lehner a little bit more, throw it at his feet, get in there and try and find some of those 'ugly goals' as we always say. It's pretty simple."

The Hawks scoring ugly goals against the Oilers was a big reason they advanced in the postseason tournament. Five of the Blackhawks' 16 goals against the Oilers came off deflections.

They'll need to get to the net and try to score in similar fashion to even the series in Game 2. Otherwise it could get away from them.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191018 Colorado Avalanche some fire in that defiance. Some anger. Some indignation. He had goal droughts of 12 and eight games during the regular season. A year after scoring 28 even-strength goals, he had just eight. A year after scoring on Lazerus: It’s time for Alex DeBrincat to step up before Blackhawks get 18.6 percent of his shots, he scored on just 8.7 percent. He lost his spot swept out as the trigger man on the top power-play unit to Kubalik, the hot new goal-scorer in town.

And the fact is, DeBrincat has largely been a non-factor this postseason. By Mark Lazerus Yeah, the onus has been on Kane to produce more, too, but he’s been snakebitten (witness his shot at the end of the first period of Game 2 that Aug 13, 2020 beat Robin Lehner between the legs but caught the far post and caromed away). Kane also has seven points through six games, including three assists in Game 2. All season long, Alex DeBrincat shrugged off the frustration, insisting the bad puck luck wasn’t getting in his head. His go-to line was that he still DeBrincat hasn’t been snakebitten. He’s been mostly invisible. felt he was “bringing something to the table” as a playmaker, as a Aside from a pair of assists in the Blackhawks’ worst game of the generator, even as a decoy. postseason, a 6-3 loss to Game 2 against Edmonton, DeBrincat simply And DeBrincat is so laid-back in interviews that it was easy to believe hasn’t made an impact. He hasn’t scored a goal in six games. He had him. Maybe he just was that confident, that mentally strong. one shot in Game 4 against Edmonton, no shots in Game 1 against Vegas. But while he could hide his angst from reporters, he couldn’t hide it from himself. And sure enough, it was eating at him all the while. That In Game 2 on Thursday afternoon, DeBrincat finally showed some signs competitive side in him that comes out during post-practice skills of life. After a dismal first period, he was more aggressive, more active in competitions was in his head, screaming “BE BETTER” the way he the second and third periods. He was the tic, Kane was the tac (as in screams at his teammates during pregame two-touch games. Laid-back? specTACular) and Dylan Strome was the toe in a beautiful passing This guy? Nope. sequence that tied the game 3-3 in the dying seconds of the second period. He finished with nine shot attempts, though just two were on goal. “He’s competitive as hell,” one teammate said of him back when we were It was by far the best he’s looked in these playoffs. doing our anonymous player poll. “It’s scary sometimes.” So maybe it’s coming. But down two games against one of the very best DeBrincat had reason to feel the pressure, too. After all, he opened the teams in the league, it might already be too late. season by signing a three-year contract extension worth $6.4 million a year, a deal that kicks in next season. That’s goal-scorer money, not Jeremy Colliton did his best to help DeBrincat loosen the lid in Game 2, “bringing something to the table money.” DeBrincat raised the bar with reuniting him with Strome — his best friend, kindred spirit and favorite his 41-goal sophomore season, and he simply couldn’t reach it in his linemate. Matthew Highmore got most of the shifts on that line, though third season. Eighteen goals and 45 points is fine for most players, but Kane started double-shifting a bit at the end of the second and for much DeBrincat isn’t supposed to be most players. He’s special. He knows it. of the third. Colliton’s always been wary of that DeBrincat-Strome-Kane He’s proven it. And being ordinary for the first time in his life (the guy had line. It’s been one of the most high-powered offensive trios for the 167 goals in three junior seasons and then 70 in his first two NHL Blackhawks, but it tends to give up as much as it generates. That line seasons) didn’t sit well with him. outscored opponents 11-5 at 5-on-5 play this season, but was drowning in shots and chances against. So they’re a risky proposition for a coach But quarantine gave everyone a chance to sit and be alone with their in any playoff series, let alone against a team as deep and talented as thoughts, and DeBrincat was no exception. He replayed games on his the Golden Knights. screen and in his mind, and you know what? He did bring something to the table, dammit. But getting DeBrincat going is paramount. Without him scoring, the Blackhawks have little chance against Vegas. If that means putting those “Back to last season, I think, I was still getting better,” DeBrincat said three guys on a line together and hoping for the best, so be it. before the qualifying round against Edmonton. “I think the points and goals didn’t necessarily come, but I felt like I still brought a lot to the “I always like to play with Stromer and Brinks,” Kane said after the game. table. I had a little time to reflect. Obviously, I had some bad games, but “We’ve got some good chemistry.” overall, I think it wasn’t as bad as I had in my mind, when you go back The Blackhawks tried being conservative in Game 1 and it didn’t work. and watch games. I think I did a lot of good things. It was a little bit Might as well try being a little reckless. With so many high-end finishers, different for me mentally, trying to get over not scoring as much, and this team is at its best when it’s on the attack. things not going my way. This past season’s going to be big for me and my development, and hopefully I can come out here and get hot right off Of course, that only works when those high-end finishers — starting with the bat.” DeBrincat — actually finish. Otherwise, the Blackhawks might be finished. He hasn’t. Six games in, he hasn’t scored a goal yet, and the Blackhawks’ season is suddenly on the brink, down 2-0 in the best-of- seven series to an exhaustingly deep Vegas team. The Blackhawks can point to a lot of good things from a 4-3 overtime loss in Game 2 — they Denver Post: LOADED: 08.14.2020 rallied from a two-goal deficit, they handled the Vegas forecheck better, and they staved off the Golden Knights’ third-period push to get the game to overtime. But while Jonathan Toews, Brandon Saad, Dominik Kubalik and Patrick Kane all have had some big performances throughout this postseason, DeBrincat hasn’t.

And it’s troubling. At least, it should be.

After just 18 goals this season, Alex DeBrincat’s inconsistent offense made the trip to Edmonton — at least so far. (Jeff Curry / USA Today)

But DeBrincat was just as chill on Wednesday when asked about his absence from the scoresheet.

“Honestly, not too frustrated,” he said. “I feel like I’m still making some plays out there and still trying to do anything I can to help the team win. I feel like maybe scoring and producing is something I need to do, but I think it will come, and I’m trying to do some right things right now.”

Look, nobody’s expecting DeBrincat to tear off his shirt and start self- flagellating with his hockey stick during a Zoom call, but you’d like to see 1191019 Colorado Avalanche If Nosek and Pacioretty are both ruled out of Game 3, the best guess as to who slots into the lineup next is Patrick Brown.

Collars were being nervously tugged throughout the greater Chicagoland Observations from the Golden Knights’ Game 2 win over the Blackhawks area when Crawford was beaten under the blocker point-blank by Nosek in the first period. It was the third dicey goal Crawford had given up in four periods. By Scott Powers, Mark Lazerus and more But Crawford quelled the concerns with a terrific third period, stopping all Aug 13, 2020 16 shots he faced and getting the game to overtime as Vegas utterly dominated play. He finished with 35 saves.

Good offensive things tend to happen for the Blackhawks when Patrick Reilly Smith continued his offensive magic for the Golden Knights in Kane is on the ice. overtime Thursday, putting a one-timer from the doorstep past Corey Crawford to hand Vegas a 4-3 win and a 2-0 series lead. In Darry Belfry’s upcoming book, “Belfry Hockey,” he discussed a lot about how Kane influences the game. A lot of times it’s easy to recognize It was Smith’s third goal of the playoffs. He has six points already this what Kane is doing. Sometimes it can be subtle. As Belfry explained, postseason, bringing his career total to 47. what makes Kane elite is he puts the puck where it’ll benefit his Jonathan Marchessault and Smith continue to have great chemistry and teammates the most. are creating offense nearly every time they’re on the ice. Even during the Kane was on the ice for all three of the Blackhawks’ regulation goals stretches in the game when Chicago controlled play, Smith and Thursday. He had an impact on all of them. Marchessault provided a spark for Vegas. On the first, it was a simple pass to Calvin de Haan, but Kane gave de The two connected on several one-timers that forced Crawford to make Haan the puck where he had time and space. De Haan shot, and Kirby big saves, and they helped Paul Stastny score the game’s opening goal. Dach was there for the rebound. On the second one, he gave Dominik Marchessault fed a pass behind the Chicago net to Smith, who Kubalik the puck in a position where he had time and space. Kubalik immediately slipped it to Stastny on the doorstep for an easy goal. made the most of it. On the third one, Kane started a breakout with a Smith and Marchessault have combined for the third-most points of any pass to Dylan Strome as he was exiting the zone. Later, Kane connected trio in the NHL over the past three postseasons. with Strome again at the net for a goal.

Their combination of speed and puck movement has given Chicago The Blackhawks had a chance in this game even though the analytics problems, especially on the rush. But they’ve been equally good in their were well against them, as many expected. own end, allowing little to the Blackhawks. In 5:16 of even-strength time In the third period alone, the Golden Knights had a 17-3 edge in scoring against Patrick Kane’s line in regulation, the trio gave up only one shot chances at five-on-five. Somehow, the Blackhawks didn’t allow a goal in on goal. that period and forced overtime. For the game, the Golden Knights had a Adam Boqvist was stapled to the bench for the homestretch of the 40-23 edge in scoring chances and a 66.7 expected-goal percentage. Blackhawks’ tense, series-clinching victory over the Edmonton Oilers. He It’s an uphill battle the Blackhawks are going to face every game against was on the ice for two goals against and had a ghastly expected-goals- Vegas. If they have any chance of not getting swept, they’ll have to for percentage of 16.54 in Game 1 against Vegas. capitalize on their chances. The puck could have bounced in their favor In Game 2, he was scratched. in overtime and won the game, but ultimately, the Golden Knights got the result they deserved. On the one hand, Jeremy Colliton is trying to win a playoff series, and if he doesn’t think Boqvist is one of the six defensemen who give him the best chance to do that, then Boqvist shouldn’t be in the lineup. Simple as Denver Post: LOADED: 08.14.2020 that. The playoffs are a meritocracy, not a charity. On the other hand, this postseason is a gift to the Blackhawks, one they didn’t really earn. The narrative throughout this adventure has been that the whole unexpected playoff experience would be invaluable to the Blackhawks’ cadre of young players, giving them a taste of what postseason hockey is like and what it takes to win. Benching Boqvist runs counter to that theory.

On the other hand, Lucas Carlsson is one of those young players, too, and is quickly working his way into the 2020-21 conversation with six strong games before the pause. It’d be one thing if Boqvist had been benched for Nick Seeler. But giving Carlsson a look is worthwhile. And he held his own in limited minutes, even seeing a little power-play time. Carlsson was fine. Is fine good enough to keep him in the lineup in Game 3? We’ll see.

Tomas Nosek wasn’t even supposed to be in the lineup for Thursday’s game, but he filled in for Max Pacioretty, who was ruled unfit to play by the Golden Knights just before the puck drop.

Nosek took advantage of the opportunity, scoring his fifth career playoff goal to put Vegas up 2-0 early.

“It’s a fast game, especially for me,” Nosek told the broadcast during the first intermission. “I was sitting in the stands for the first game. This is a little bit different than the round-robin. It’s a playoff game, and it’s faster.”

Playing between Ryan Reaves and William Carrier on the fourth line, Nosek helped drive possession and was solid in his own end, too. He might not be part of the lineup moving forward if Pacioretty returns, but there aren’t many better 13th forwards out there who can be plugged into the lineup and trusted in all areas of play.

Unfortunately for the Golden Knights, Nosek was knocked out of the game after tangling with Toews near the end of the second period. He didn’t return to the ice, forcing Vegas to rotate centers on the fourth line for the third period and overtime. 1191020 Colorado Avalanche It’s great to finally get the true playoffs going. Sixteen teams. Four rounds. Best-of-7 and that is how it has been for a long time. We’re excited to finally – as Bedsy (Jared Bednar) puts it and he said this in the Ian Cole Diary, Part 2: On winning Game 1, playing back-to-backs and round robin – it’s shooting live bullets. The regular season is great and Phil Kessel the standings are great and that’s what gets you here. But the playoffs are where you make your name as a hockey player. That is where we hope to shine. That is our plan. Looking back, I thought with the Vegas game, we obviously lost and that is not good. But in my mind, we tried to By Ryan S. Clark objectively look at wins and losses as best as we can. We did some good Aug 13, 2020 things. We did some not-so-good things. We answered back when they scored. We took a good team to overtime. But we also know there are some things we could have cleaned up. We could have responded to their pressure a little bit better. It was a lesson we needed to learn at Curious about what life is like inside the “bubble” in Edmonton? Don’t some point. Not that we did not know it at that point. But the ability to worry. Ian Cole has you covered. learn lessons makes you a better player and a better team. Learning The veteran defenseman is giving Colorado Avalanche fans a glimpse these lessons and getting better moving forward, hopefully? We are in a into another side of the team’s playoff run. Cole is accustomed to lengthy better spot because of an unfortunate loss. The round robin was postseason performances as a two-time Stanley Cup champion. Knowing definitely a different experience for sure. I think it is very similar in that that, among other reasons, is why Colorado signed Cole back in 2018. you have a regular season and that build up to the postseason and that He was a part of the Avs’ squad that upset the Calgary Flames in the stretch run to the regular season. Those games do mean a lot. You have Western Conference quarterfinal and fell a victory shy of beating the San two or three practice days to get ready and you’re playing three or four Jose Sharks to reach the conference final. days later. I think in that sense, the time table was very similar and the emotions are very similar. A lot was riding on those round robin games Last Tuesday, Cole’s first entry, among other items, detailed how the and we knew that. You know there is going to be a lot riding on games at Avalanche opened the Western Conference round robin with a thrilling 2- the end of the season and you go into the playoffs playing well. I think in 1 victory over the St. Louis Blues after second-line center Nazem Kadri that sense, while it was unprecedented with how we were doing it, I think scored the game-winning goal with a tenth of a second left in regulation. the time table itself and what we looked to accomplish between those round robin games and the start of the playoffs was very similar. On Thursday, Cole provided his second entry as told to The Athletic’s Ryan S. Clark, a day after the Avalanche defeated the Arizona Coyotes Arizona is a great hockey team. They are in the position they are in for a in Game 1 of the Western Conference quarterfinal, and a day before the reason. They had a great season. They beat a very good team in two teams engage in back-to-back contests in Games 2 and 3. Nashville and that is why they are here in the bubble to start with. They are a great hockey team and definitely have some assets as far as To be honest, if you are going over what a hockey season is like, you players go that make them unique and hard to solve. The No. 1 thing have to look at different seasons in other sports. Football is 16 games in probably being Darcy Kuemper, who has been fantastic. Their D are very the regular season and 17 weeks long with the bye week. There is a lot solid and the forwards track back hard and they are a very tough team to of time between games to get refocused. It is not like you are doing it play against. We went into much more detail in our pre-scout meeting every other night for six or seven months like us. Having that mindset, but, overall, they are a great hockey team. Every single game is going to having that goal, realistically, it is to come to the rink every single day for be a challenge. Patience is a virtue for a reason. That is going to matter seven months with the exact same mindset around a singular goal. There in this series. There might be some long hockey games where it might are days when you are not feeling it. However, in this scenario, being that take a while to see our work come to fruition. It could take three periods, it is the playoffs, there is no excuse for a lack of focus or intensity or four periods, eight periods. It does not matter. Patience and maturity is discipline. Your only job, especially when you are in a bubble, your only really going to matter in this series. They are a very patient team. They job is to win playoff games. I think to be honest, being in this bubble does have the ability to generate chances on their own but they wait for simplify that. It does make it a lot easier. My job is to recover for the next opportune times to take advantage of you. The playoffs are so tight that game. That is my one job. Then, after that, my one job is to play well. It is you cannot give them those opportunities. If you do, you need to work easy to think of it in practice. Is it as easy to accomplish? No. But it is together to get the puck out of the zone together. We need to stay easy to see where someone is coming from when we talk about these together and stay true to our gameplan. It is about doing the right things things. and no matter how long it takes, you do it again. You take a day off and Those back-to-back games are going to be low energy on the second you do it again. Then you try to do that four more times. It’s not night, depending upon what happens on the first night. It is going to be a necessarily a crazy formula. It’s not overly complicated. It is a war of tough situation going against a team that is very patient and is willing to attrition and the playoffs always are and this series will be as well. win games, 1-0. It is not going to be a run-and-gun game all over the ice. People in the past have criticized Phil Kessel. But in my experience with It is going to be hard to get ice and it will be very hard to create space Phil, he is a fantastic player and a fantastic teammate. He is a guy I have and to create chances. Those things are going to be very hard. Anything known for a long time. I went to high school with him for a couple of hard takes energy, right? You’re going to expend that energy and then, years. He’s a fantastic guy. He’s a great teammate and a difference- when it is over, you go to sleep and try to get as much of that energy maker. I think everyone is aware of that and everyone knows that. I don’t back as we can. It’s really all you can do. Not having travel, I think, is think any of those statements are going to surprise people. He is one of going to be beneficial for energy levels. It’s different during a back-to- the only players who can skate down the side in a 1-on-1 with a D-man back during the season. During the year, you’re playing at 7 p.m. or 7:30 and fire a shot from the top of the circle and beat the goalie clean. The p.m., and that goes on for three hours. Maybe you’re leaving the rink at way he shoots the puck is so world-class that you cannot let him have 10:30 p.m. once you are done with your postgame rest, recovery, rehab time. I think we did a great job of limiting that. That is going to be one of and getting ice. It’s different for everyone. You get to the airport at 11 the huge challenges of this series. It is keeping the puck out of his hands p.m. and you’re taking off at 11:30 p.m. and flying for however long. It’s and keeping him at bay as best as we can. He is a winner and he knows usually two hours. Everywhere to Colorado is at least two hours or more. how to win. He’s a challenge and he’s a unique player. I think that Even our closest next-door neighbor is a two-hour flight. You land, let’s everyone on our team and our coaches have done a fantastic job. say around 1:30 a.m., and by the time you get in your car, it’s 1:45 a.m. Everyone on our squad knows what we want to do. You are arriving home between 2:15 a.m. and 2:30 a.m., and you’re trying to get some sleep. Anyone who likes sleeping and keeping up on rests knows, it is tough to keep a very consistent sleep schedule when you are up until 3 a.m. one night and going to bed at 10 p.m. the next The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020 night. We’re fortunate to come in rested and ready to go. Being able to not have that travel situation is going to be nice. Having afternoon games as well is also very helpful. You’re sleeping for 10 hours from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. That is so much better for you than sleeping from 2 a.m. to 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. I am someone who is always awake in the morning. That means I get less sleep, unfortunately. Back-to-backs are never easy. But in this situation? Maybe it could be easier than our normal situation. 1191021 Columbus Blue Jackets Jenner and Vladislav Gavrikov contributed to the Jackets’ 21 blocked shots with one each and Korpisalo came up with a pair of saves against Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman to kill it off.

Blue Jackets steady themselves, corral Lightning to even series Eight seconds after the second of those stops, Nick Foligno finally made Vasilevskiy work with 12:33 left in the period, putting the Jackets’ first shot on goal and then watching Murray tie it at 1 just 19 seconds later. Brian Hedger The Columbus Dispatch The first playoff goal of Murray’s NHL career gave the Jackets some Aug 13, 2020 at 5:46 PM needed juice and was the first of two counter punches Columbus landed to close out the period.

"Murr made a good read," said Dubois, who picked up his first assist on This time, all they needed was the standard three periods. the play. "For a defenseman to cut in front of the net like that, it was a After playing almost three games for the price of one in a five-overtime really smart play by him. It wasn’t a great pass, but he ... I guess he’s a marathon Tuesday, the Blue Jackets made sure Game 2 ended goal-scorer. He’s a sniper now. He tapped it in." Thursday after just 60 minutes. The second counter strike was a power-play goal by Bjorkstrand with Also, the Jackets evened the series at one game apiece with a 3-1 1:25 left, which was his second goal of the playoffs and second of the victory that continued the resilience they’ve shown thus far – seven series –giving the Jackets a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes. games into a postseason that began with a five-game series against Dubois dished out the primary assists on his goal too, continuing his rise Toronto in the playoff qualifying round. into the type of impact center the Blue Jackets need in the playoffs. Joonas Korpisalo again led the way for Columbus, making 36 more As for the shot, it was another beauty from Bjorkstrand, who dropped to saves for a win after setting a modern-day NHL record with 85 stops in one knee in the right circle and one-timed the puck past Vasilevskiy to the series opener. Ryan Murray, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Alexander the far side. Wennberg supported their goalie with goals, and Pierre-Luc Dubois finished with two assists. "I thought the penalty-kill, that first penalty kill was very important for us," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "The penalty kill was very "I think we were more comfortable out there, more comfortable in our important for us after they scored the first goal. We can’t go down 2-0. game," said Murray, who tied it 1-1 with 7:08 left in the first period. "It just I’m not sure what happens there (if they do)." seemed like we were more solid all over the ice. Korpi made some big saves when he had to, and just ... big blocks, good sticks and I think we The goalies were the story in the second. just played a really complete game." Vasilevskiy stopped all 10 shots he faced and Korpisalo went 14 for 14. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 19 saves and Nikita Kucherov scored the goal Korpisalo was again the busier of the two and had to make some big for Tampa Bay, which outshot the Blue Jackets 37-22 after finishing the saves in the final five minutes, including one off an open shot by Blake first game with an 88-63 edge. Coleman and another during a late scramble around the net.

The Lightning really cranked up the offensive pressure in the second half It was more of the same in the third until Wennberg scored, which put of the third period, after Wennberg put Columbus up 3-1 with 8:33 left in Columbus up 3-1 and provided some breathing room. Going around the the period on a high-skill move. right side of Tampa Bay defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, the Jackets’ center dragged the puck between his legs and then kicked it forward with Murray put the Lightning on the power play 1:29 later and that began a his skates for a close rush to the net. frenzied finish that kept both Korpisalo the defenders in front of him busy. Tampa Bay outshot the Jackets 6-1 in the final 7:29 and had six attempts He lifted the puck over Vasilevskiy’s blocker into the net, which sent the blocked, including three in a row by Boone Jenner, Seth Jones and David Blue Jackets’ bench into a big celebration. It was Wennberg’s first goal Savard in a span of 38 seconds in the final minute. since Game 1 of a first-round series against the Washington Capitals in 2018. "We had a couple huge kills tonight," Murray said. "That one at the end of the game was absolutely massive." "It’s a really big goal for us, to give us a little bit of room," Tortorella said. "He’s had an up and down few weeks here. He’s beginning to solidify his Devin Shore made his postseason debut for the Blue Jackets, who were game. He was a very important guy in today’s game, not just the goal but without Cam Atkinson (unfit to play). They also dressed rookie forward he was put in a lot of different situations. He was very important." Emil Bemstrom, who took Nathan Gerbe’s spot on the fourth line after being scratched the previous three games.

Things didn’t exactly start great, though. The only way it could have been Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 08.14.2020 worse for the Jackets in the first 12 minutes of the game would have been if Korpisalo had struggled too.

He did allow Kucherov’s goal to go into the net off a backhand on the short side of the net just 5:24 into the game, but the Finnish netminder was razor sharp the rest of the way – going 32 for 32 on saves the rest of the way.

"It’s been huge," Bjorkstrand said of Korpisalo’s play in the first two games. "You know, he’s making big saves for us and he (did that) that in the first game. It’s just awesome to have him in net."

If Korpisalo’s legs are a little wobbly, though, it’s understandable. He’s the main horse the Jackets will ride with Elvis Merzlikins "unfit to play," and so far he’s more than handling the workload.

The Lightning kept him active again, too, dominating right away.

Tampa Bay built a 10-0 edge in shots, took a 1-0 lead on Kucherov’s goal and made it difficult for the Blue Jackets just to get the puck out of their own end, let alone create offense of their own.

It only resulted in Kucherov’s goal, though, thanks in large part to a great penalty-kill midway through the first period with star defenseman Seth Jones in the penalty box for tripping. 1191022 Columbus Blue Jackets Bjorkstrand started out Tuesday playing opposite Cam Atkinson on a line centered by Riley Nash but found himself as part of a couple of different combinations before Tortorella finally settled on playing him with Dubois Columbus Blue Jackets hope Oliver Bjorkstrand is regaining his scoring and rookie Liam Foudy for most of the third period and all five overtimes. touch Thus far, nothing had really clicked, and the Jackets went into Game 2 still waiting for their top goal-scorer to emerge.

Brian Hedger The Columbus Dispatch "I was playing some good hockey," Bjorkstrand said of his pre-injury play. "I didn’t expect to be able to come back and play playoff hockey this Aug 13, 2020 at 4:14 PM season. So, for me, it’s just exciting that I have the opportunity to help the team make a playoff (run) here."

The shot didn’t have much of chance. Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 08.14.2020 Late in the second period of the Blue Jackets’ 3-2 five-overtime loss Tuesday to the Tampa Bay Lightning, a bitter playoff series-opening defeat at Scotiabank Arena, center Pierre-Luc Dubois had the puck knocked off his stick and watched it bounce over to the hash marks outside the right faceoff circle.

It wasn’t there long, as the whack of a stick quickly sent it screaming toward the net on a sharp angle and the majority of players in the NHL probably wouldn’t have scored off it. This shot, however, was launched by forward Oliver Bjorkstrand, and it put the Blue Jackets up 2-1 with just 48 seconds left in the period.

It went over goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy’s shoulder, hit the crossbar, slid across and nestled into the far side of the net. It was quite a goal, skillfully scored by the Jackets’ leading goal-scorer this season.

It was also Bjorkstrand’s only goal and only point in the first six games of the postseason, preceded by a stat line filled with goose eggs against the Toronto Maple Leafs in a best-of-five series during the playoff qualifying round. To put it nicely, that’s just not enough production.

If the Blue Jackets are going to extend their playoff existence beyond this first-round rematch against the Lightning, which continued Thursday with Game 2 in Toronto, they’re going to need more from Bjorkstrand than just solid minutes.

They’re going to need more goals, whether they’re similar to his beauty Tuesday or uglier varieties. He gave the Jackets a 2-1 lead in Game 2 with a precise wrist shot from the right circle off an assist from Pierre-Luc Dubois late in the first period.

One of the things coach John Tortorella has enjoyed seeing from Bjorkstrand the past two years was a significant uptick in his "compete level" along the walls.

Despite a wiry frame (6 feet, 177 pounds), Bjorkstrand’s willingness to enter the fray against much larger opponents had gotten to an impressive level prior to suffering a fractured left ankle Feb. 20 at Nationwide Arena against the Philadelphia Flyers.

"He just got knocked off pucks," said Tortorella, who played Bjorkstrand on either the third or fourth lines and even scratched him from the lineup because of it during his first couple of full NHL seasons. "I think he’s improved tremendously with his strength and the mental part of the game, where he has the strength and he’s willing to do it along the boards. He’s willing to fight for pucks.

"I think he’s improved tremendously there."

That part of his game has dipped a bit since returning from ankle surgery, but it doesn’t appear to be the main reason Bjorkstrand only had one goal in the Jackets’ first six playoff games. That’s more tied to his inability to convert the scoring chances he’s getting into goals.

According to NaturalStatTrick.com, Bjorkstrand went into Game 2 against the Lightning tied with rookie forward Alexandre Texier and veteran center Boone Jenner in even-strength scoring chances all with 16 over six games.

An even bigger issue, however, is that eight of Bjorkstrand’s chances were the high-danger variety. That led the team in that category, and he didn’t score a goal off any of them.

Another challenge facing Bjorkstrand is finding chemistry with two other forwards to form a strong line for the Blue Jackets.

Tortorella put him on the right wing of Dubois’ line to start a two-week playoff training camp, with Texier on the left wing, but that line has been broken up and reunited multiple times since. 1191023 Columbus Blue Jackets It was Wennberg’s second goal — and his second point of the postseason — after he scored in Game 1 of the qualifying round against Toronto. He continues to drift in and out of good graces with Tortorella, Blue Jackets get another big response, beat Lightning 3-1 in Game 2 to who has moved him all over the lineup this postseason, hoping and draw even waiting for him to find a fit.

“Obviously, it’s a really big goal for us, to give us a little bit of room,” Tortorella said. “He’s had an up-and-down few weeks here. By Aaron Portzline “He’s beginning to solidify his game. He was a very important guy in Aug 13, 2020 today’s game — and not just the goal. He was put in a lot of different situations and was very important.”

3. Korpisalo continues to shine COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ten observations from the Blue Jackets’ 3-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday in Game 2 of their first-round During the qualifying series win over Toronto, Korpisalo had a .956 save series in Scotiabank Arena: percentage. Ridiculous, right?

1. Like it never happened After two games versus the Lightning, it’s at .962. He has made 230 saves on 239 shots after making 36 stops on Thursday. When the Blue Jackets suffered a historic gag job in Game 4 of their qualifying series against Toronto, it was widely wondered — here, there Tampa Bay scored just 5:24 into the game when Nikita Kucherov pulled and everywhere — what the residual effect would be one day later in a puck from below the goal line and banked it off Korpisalo and into the Game 5. net off his backhand. That was the Lightning’s fourth shot of the game.

But there wasn’t one. The Blue Jackets played exactly to their liking and After that, Korpisalo stopped all 33 shots he faced. dispatched the Leafs with seeming ease to clinch the series. “We’ve all seen him play this past season,” Dubois said. “He was an All- Fast forward to Tuesday’s series opener against Tampa Bay, when the Star, and then he gets injured. Then he comes back and (there’s) Blue Jackets lost the fourth-longest game in NHL history, finally another break. We all know what he’s capable of, we all know in the succumbing to the Lightning midway through the fifth overtime period. dressing room that he’s one of the best players in the NHL and he’s feeling really good right now. It’s the kind of loss that could have devastating effects — physically and mentally — for the rest of the series. “Every time we make a little mistake, he’s there to stop the puck and gives us the confidence to try plays. That’s all you can ask from a But the Blue Jackets barely blinked in Thursday’s Game 2. They goaltender. Since Game 1 when he started, he’s been amazing for us.” overcame a sluggish start to grab control by the end of the first period, and they rode another strong outing by goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to a 4. Kill to the rescue 3-1 win. The Blue Jackets had a sluggish start to the game, and it nearly cost “That’s what we do,” Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. “You keep them dearly. asking me that question; it’s what pros are supposed to do. I don’t think it’s anything special. It’s the proper way to go about your business. Columbus was down 1-0 on Kucherov’s goal, was down a skater because of Jones’ tripping penalty at 10:30 of the first, and was being “We’ve had a lot of opportunities with the ups and downs in the last outshot 10-0 by the Lightning. Is it crazy to say the game was already couple of weeks to work at that.” hanging in the balance?

Ryan Murray, Oliver Bjorkstrand (power play) and Alexander Wennberg “That first penalty kill was very important for us,” Tortorella said. “We can scored for the Blue Jackets. Pierre-Luc Dubois had two primary assists, go down 2-0, (or) I’m not sure what happens there.” and Korpisalo stopped 36 of 37 shots. Instead, the Blue Jackets blocked two shots during that penalty kill, one How did the Blue Jackets feel after Tuesday’s marathon? by Boone Jenner, the other by Vladislav Gavrikov. They allowed only two shots on goal to the Lightning, both 60-foot snappers from Victor “Pretty good, actually,” Murray said. “(Seth Jones) had 60 minutes (on Hedman that Korpisalo easily denied. Tuesday) and he was still flying out there. His legs are good. Everyone bounced back. We’re all in good shape. We’ve had lots of good skates The Blue Jackets didn’t get their first shot on goal until the 12:33 mark of and good practices, so I think everyone bounced back pretty good.” the first, but it was a pretty even game the rest of the way.

The series, now tied 1-1, moves along with Game 3 on Saturday. The kill stepped up late in the game, too. Murray was called for holding at 12:56 of the third, but the Blue Jackets protected a 3-1 lead. This time 2. Wennberg … wow! Zach Werenski, David Savard and Gavrikov blocked shots as the Jackets It’s a move Wennberg has tried before, but usually when he’s on the ice limited Tampa Bay to just one shot, another 60-foot wrister, this time by after practice, goofing around with the goaltenders. This is the first time Mikhail Sergachev. it’s worked in a game, though, and what a moment it was. “It was a good momentum swing,” Murray said of the first-period kill. “We The Blue Jackets were up 2-1 past the midpoint of the third period when had a couple of huge kills tonight. The one at the end of the game was Wennberg took a neutral-zone pass from Liam Foudy and skated into the absolutely massive. That kill was big in the third, and the one in the first Lightning zone with speed, with Tampa Bay defenseman Kevin was huge, too.” Shattenkirk on him. The Lightning are 0-for-6 on the power play so far in the series. Wennberg pulled the puck back off his forehand, swatted it through his 5. Murray’s first playoff goal legs off his backhand, kicked the puck back onto his stick with the inside of his right skate — seriously, watch this replay — and shoveled the puck Murray was injured and out of the lineup last spring when the Blue into the far corner of the net before crashing into goaltender Andrei Jackets swept Tampa Bay, so he’s giving the Jackets a slightly different Vasilevskiy. look against the Lightning in this series.

That might be Milbury’s best work. Serious question: Does Wennberg’s How many third-pairing defensemen would pinch in so deep in the goal knock somebody off this list? offensive zone as Murray did in the first period Thursday?

Wennberg’s goal gave the Blue Jackets a 3-1 lead and some all- Murray was trying to chip the puck down deep to Dubois, but it got important breathing room for the stretch drive of the game. caught up in the crush of bodies in the corner, which included an official. Murray pursued it further, eventually outworking two Tampa Bay players “I’ve tried it before,” Wennberg said sheepishly after the game. to send it along the boards. “Obviously, it worked out really good this time — the perfect timing. It’s not often it works that great. I’m just happy it did this time.” Then, Dubois gathered it on the other side of the net and Murray skated to the front of the net. “Eventually it got over there, and I saw some room out front,” Murray Tortorella, though, has washed his hands of the power play. He has said. “(Dubois) put it right on my tape.” turned it over to assistant coach Paul MacLean, who came aboard at midseason. Dubois was impressed. Not only because Murray decided to go hard to the net but also because he adjusted to get his stick blade on the pass. “Mac is taking care of that,” Tortorella said. “As the series goes forward, He one-touched it past Vasilevskiy. special teams comes more to the forefront. Hopefully, we can get more consistent with it.” “It wasn’t a great pass,” Dubois said, “but I guess he’s a goal scorer. He’s a sniper now. He just tapped it in.” 9. Goalie move

It was Murray’s first postseason goal in 17 playoff games. Korpisalo was the starter and Matiss Kivlenieks was his backup for a third straight game, but that’s not the only indication the Blue Jackets 6. Atkinson, Gerbe deemed ‘unfit’ have given that Elvis Merzlikins is injured and “unfit to play.”

Shortly before the Blue Jackets took the ice for warmups, forwards Cam Columbus added Veini Vehviläinen to its roster on an emergency basis, Atkinson and Nathan Gerbe were ruled out of the lineup and deemed bringing him into the bubble in Toronto and putting him in quarantine. “unfit to play.” The guidelines suggest that Vehviläinen will be in quarantine for at least No further information was provided. one week.

Atkinson was the only player in Tuesday’s five-overtime thriller not to Vehviläinen was cut by the Blue Jackets at the end of their training camp generate a shot on goal. Just before Tampa Bay’s Brayden Point scored in Columbus before they headed to Toronto to enter the bubble. He has the winner, Atkinson failed to skate away from Lightning defenseman never played above the AHL level. Victor Hedman for a short-handed breakaway. Hedman knocked him to The Jackets have not said what’s wrong with Merzlikins, who hasn’t been the ice and sent him slamming into the Lightning net behind Vasilevskiy, seen or heard from since he was part of the epic Game 4 meltdown but no penalty was called. The Blue Jackets were furious about the no- versus Toronto. The Blue Jackets were up 3-0 with less than four call. It’s unclear whether Atkinson was injured on that play. minutes to play before losing the lead and losing in the first OT.

Devin Shore made his Blue Jackets playoff debut but played only 5:52 10. Snippets and tidbits over nine shifts. Emil Bemstrom, who played in the first three games of the qualifying series, was back in the lineup, too. Tortorella’s record versus during the regular season is 3-12- 2. His record versus Cooper in the playoffs is 5-1. … After playing an 7. They hate Texier NHL-record 65:06 on Tuesday, Jones played “only” 28:31 on Thursday. Blue Jackets rookie left winger Alexandre Texier has a point in four of the He made a potentially goal-saving play on the first shift of the third period previous five games, all assists. He assisted on Bjorkstrand’s power-play when he skated hard after Tampa Bay’s Barclay Goodrow, lifting goal that gave the Blue Jackets a 2-1 lead at 18:35 of the first period. Goodrow’s stick a split second before he was able to shoot on Korpisalo on a breakaway. … Dubois had the two primary assists, led the Blue It’s clear that Texier has gained Tortorella’s trust. He drew 19:24 of ice Jackets with four shots on goal and won 11 of 16 faceoffs. … Didn’t time Thursday, trailing only veterans Nick Foligno (20:25) and Jenner expect this: The Lightning had a 38-15 advantage in hits. … The Blue (20:55) among Blue Jackets forwards. Jackets are off again on Friday in advance of Saturday’s Game 3.

Texier has worked his way up to the Jackets’ first line, with Dubois at center and Bjorkstrand on the right. The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020 But what has become increasingly noticeable in Texier’s game is his ability to get under his opponents’ skin with his physical, chippy play in the corners.

He’s the most wanted Frenchman since Jean Valjean.

Kucherov wants to kill him. Tampa Bay defenseman Zach Bogosian had to be pulled away from him by officials. Hedman has tried to decapitate him a few times.

This is how Texier is known to play, but he has yet to fully realize that in his NHL career. The lights are starting to flicker on for the 20-year-old.

8. Break up the power play

After going 0-for-14 on the power play in the qualifying series versus Toronto, the Blue Jackets have scored man-up goals in each of the first two games of this series. Dubois scored in the opener, and Bjorkstrand scored Thursday.

Dubois made a perfect feed from below the goal line to Bjorkstrand in the right circle, even though he couldn’t quite see his target, he said.

“It was a nice play by Tex to get it low to me,” Dubois said. “I wasn’t sure where Bjorky was exactly, but I know with his shot, he can score from anywhere. I just had to put it in that space for him and he’d take care of the rest.”

It wasn’t all good on the power play, though.

The Jackets had a power play at 5:33 of the third period after Point was called for high-sticking, but it looked more like a penalty kill. The Lightning, despite being down a skater, had possession of the puck for most of the two minutes, often controlling it in the Columbus end.

“I’m just hoping we can get it more consistent,” Tortorella said. “We had a chance in the third period to give us a little bit of breathing room, and we spent it in our end zone with them forechecking. So there’s still a ways to go with that.” 1191024 Columbus Blue Jackets Werenski finished with 61:14, the fourth-highest total in NHL history. He played 24:10 in regulation and, like Jones, swelled in the first (8:25) and second (9:10) overtime periods before drawing back.

Big stage in Toronto delivering national attention for Blue Jackets’ Seth “We started using a three-pair rotation more as we got into the third and Jones fourth overtimes,” Shaw said. “It was just too taxing on our top four guys.”

In an NHL postgame dressing room, the scoresheets usually arrive a few By Aaron Portzline minutes after the doors open for the media. Players grab them from public-relations staffers to see what kind of statistics they accumulated — Aug 13, 2020 ice time, shots on goal, blocked shots, faceoff wins and losses, etc.

Tortorella has never liked to see them in the room. When he first arrived in Columbus they were banned, but with cellphones today there’s no COLUMBUS, Ohio — For three years now, Blue Jackets coach John stopping the flow of information. Tortorella has been telling anybody who will listen that defenseman Seth Jones deserves to be mentioned among the top blueliners in the NHL. After Tuesday’s game, the Blue Jackets’ ice-time totals were passed around the room quicker than ice bags. But the coach of a small-market franchise — even a microphone magnet like Tortorella — can scream it from the mountaintops with little success “We talked about it after the game, just how easy (Jones and Werenski) in a league where the Canadian and big-city franchises draw most of the make it look, even at those minutes,” Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno attention and respect. said. “That’s the incredible part. It looks like Seth and Z can just skate forever.” People have to see Seth Jones to believe him, perhaps, and that’s what has happened over the last week and a half in Toronto. The rest of the Blue Jackets are no slouches, either.

“On this stage, people are finally beginning to see what we’ve seen for a Foligno’s ice time (50:09) was the 11th-highest figure ever recorded by a number of years,” Tortorella said. “People are taking notice of him, and forward, while Boone Jenner’s (48:26) was the 14th-highest. good for him. He deserves that.” Liam Foudy, in just his eighth NHL game, set a league record for ice time There’s no bigger stage in hockey than a postseason series against the by a rookie (42:27), while Alexandre Texier is No. 2 on the list (42:20). Toronto Maple Leafs, and Jones was outstanding in the Blue Jackets’ 3-2 qualifying win over the Leafs. Every Columbus player set personal ice-time highs for regular-season and playoff games except forward Nathan Gerbe (17:23), who missed There is no better way to attract eyes than a five-overtime thriller, and part of the game after getting dropped by an open-ice hit from Tampa Jones was historically astounding in Columbus’ five-overtime loss to the Bay’s Ryan McDonagh. Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday in Game 1 of their first-round series. “When you look over and see how (Jones and Werenski) are not Jones set an NHL record by playing 65 minutes, 6 seconds across a laboring,” Foligno said, “it actually helps the group. If they’re not tired, whopping 76 shifts. Twenty-five of his shifts were more than one minute then you’re sure as hell not going to be tired.” in length (an ideal shift is typically 45-50 seconds), and one late in the second overtime lasted just under two minutes (1:59). Former Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock knows a thing or two about coaching heavy-minute defensemen. In a lengthy NHL coaching career, Former NHL defenseman Adrian Aucoin, who routinely had 30-minute he has coached Sergei Zubov, Darryl Sydor, Derian Hatcher, Joni nights during his 1,100-game career, said he usually drifts in and out of Pitkanen, Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester, among others. games now, switching channels and finding other things to do with his three sons. He, too, watched every minute of Tuesday’s game.

But not Tuesday. He watched the entire eight-period marathon. “What you’ve got in Columbus is two guys (Jones and Werenski) who can manage the game,” Hitchcock said. “Winning in the playoffs means “Jones is out there throwing around his body, jumping up in plays, playing long stretches where nothing happens, and you go long stretches jumping past forwards on the backcheck,” Aucoin said. “Guys were where you’re tied or up or down a goal, and you have to properly manage hitting him quite a bit, too, and I don’t think people realize how taxing it is a game like that. to get hit like that. “Jones has a big motor. He doesn’t make tired plays. He just manages “Honestly, I was flabbergasted by Jones. It was unbelievable. And he the game properly. Those two, they don’t put themselves in vulnerable didn’t even look tired, didn’t seem like he slowed down. positions where they’re chasing the game. That pair never gets hemmed in, even though they’re up against the other team’s best players.” “I kept telling my kids, ‘Do you understand that Dad’s groins would have been done two minutes into the first overtime?'” It’s Jones, though, who really gets Hitchcock excited.

In recent days, both Toronto coach and Tampa Bay “You evaluate a game he’s just played, and you can’t find an error he’s coach Jon Cooper have said they consider Jones and his playing made,” Hitchcock said. “When you have a defenseman who plays half partner, Zach Werenski, to be one of the top defensive pairings in the the game and plays error-free, that’s gold.” NHL. Aucoin spent his final NHL season in Columbus (2012-13) as the Blue Columbus assistant coach Brad Shaw, a former NHL defenseman, Jackets made a furious sprint to the finish only to miss the postseason coaches the team’s defensemen and runs the line changes from the due to a standings tiebreaker with Minnesota. (The Blue Jackets were in bench during games. He’s always watching ice time to make sure he’s the Western Conference back then.) not overworking a pair. His family lives in Chicago, but he and his family still cheer for the Blue “I knew after regulation that Jonesy had played quite a bit already, but Jackets. They were fully invested in Tuesday’s game, he said. he’s the kind of guy who seldom looks fatigued on the ice,” Shaw said. “He’s an easy guy to keep putting back out there. In the build-up to the NHL’s return to play, he started noticing more talk about the Blue Jackets, he said. And there was a theme. “I tip my hat to Z (Werenski), too, playing over 60 minutes so well. These guys play against some pretty good players, too, so that’s a tough sled “Everybody was talking about Seth Jones and him being back in the for over an hour of ice time. It was fatiguing enough just standing behind lineup for Columbus, how they now have a chance,” Aucoin said. “How the bench and going through it as a coach.” many players — single players, giving their team a chance — can you say that about?” Jones played 27:07 in regulation, which is fairly average for him. He stayed at that roughly nine-minutes-per-period pace for the first (8:52) Jones is a four-time All-Star, so it’s not that he has been entirely ignored. and second (9:33) overtimes before Shaw realized he needed to dial it He has finished ninth (2019), fourth (2018), and 18th (2017) the last three back. seasons in voting for the Norris Trophy, given annually to the league’s top defenseman. But Aucoin said he thinks the NHL is finally coming around to considering Jones one of its true superstars.

“He’s a game-changer, and as an ex-player who liked to be considered an all-around defenseman, there aren’t many guys in each generation you can say that about,” Aucoin said. “Shea Weber in his prime? (Chris) Pronger?

“When you think about those guys, the question is, ‘When do you not want Seth Jones on the ice?’ And he’s just going to get better and better because he’s so confident. He’s just a little bit bigger, faster, lankier than the rest.”

The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191025 Dallas Stars offense for us. He had that opportunity last night and I hope he gets a few more tomorrow.”

Benn, Seguin and Radulov looked rejuvenated on Thursday night, and The evolution of Jamie Oleksiak continued in Stars’ wild series-tying win the Stars outscored the Flames 3-0 with the trio on the ice and outshot vs. Calgary them 10-4. Seguin was noticeable in many aspects of the game: firing shots on the power play, getting to the dirty areas in the crease and leading all Stars forwards with six hits. By Matthew DeFranks Hitting Klingberg: The Flames’ third line of Milan Lucic, Dillon Dube and 2:22 AM on Aug 14, 2020 CDT Bennett battered John Klingberg all game, hammering him along the boards as the Stars tried to exit their own zone. On the game, Klingberg

(6-3, 190 pounds) was hit nine times by Flames. Jamie Oleksiak saw an ocean of open ice and jumped in head first. “We know that they’re going to try and hit us as much as they can,” The Stars defenseman scored the game-winning goal during the Stars’ 5- Klingberg said. “We’re trying to do the same thing to them. I think heavy 4 win over Calgary in Game 2 of their first-round series, sneaking down bodies like that, like [Lucic] and Bennett, they’re going to waste energy the back side before depositing a Corey Perry pass into the net with 39.2 just running around and trying to hit all night. It’s not a problem for us. We seconds left in the third period. can handle it. If they want to run around like that, we’re going to get offensive chances the other way.” “He made a great pass,” Oleksiak said. “He really had eyes and I was able to somehow get it in. It was close. Another goalie might have gotten Calgary’s third line was a difference maker in Game 1 with two goals a paddle, might have missed the net, but it worked out that time. It was a from Dube, and was a focal point entering Game 2 given their physicality great feeling. Great play by Perry.” and speed. Dube scored 19 seconds into the game, but the line did more hitting than anything else in the game. Oleksiak’s goal capped a wild third period for the Stars in which they allowed both a shorthanded and power play goal as the Flames erased a “We’ve got to make it a little harder for them to play, got to be a little two-goal lead the Stars had entered the third period with. Calgary tied the harder against them, more physical,” Bowness said Wednesday. “John game on Sam Bennett’s power play goal with 2:49 remaining. A little over Klingberg took a couple good hits at [Lucic] and we need that from all of two minutes later, Oleksiak answered with the winner. them. We’ve got to get in their face, as well.”

The goal was Oleksiak’s second of the postseason, but biggest in a Stars Perry’s power play: Corey Perry scored another power play goal, in uniform. Without Oleksiak’s goal, the two teams head to overtime and the addition to his assist on the game-winning goal. The Stars have scored Stars are one moment away from staring at a 2-0 series deficit. Instead, two power play goals in the playoffs. Both have been scored by Perry. Oleksiak made a bold read to jump through the slot and win the game. It is no surprise Perry is leading the power play, since that is exactly what “There’s a confident player when it’s the last minute of the game, you lost he did during training camp in July. a two-goal lead and it’s 4-4, and he sees a moment to go,” Stars interim On Thursday night, Perry banged home a rebound for the Stars’ fourth coach said. goal of the game. He also scored a deflection against Vegas last week, “The timing of him finding that weak-side seam and putting the puck in and is now tied with Oleksiak, Heiskanen and Joe Pavelski for the team the net shows how much confidence that kid’s playing with right now.” lead in playoff goals.

Oleksiak has formed a formidable pairing with Miro Heiskanen — who Briefly: Bowness disputed that his team sat back in the third period and sparkled on Thursday night — and the duo has carried Dallas’ play let the Flames back into the game. through the round robin and against the Flames. Add in that Oleksiak has “We did not sit back,” Bowness said. “Specialty teams kind of took the been using his 6-7 frame to physically shut down plays and bang with flow of the game. We weren’t sitting back, they weren’t getting a whole lot some heavy Flames forwards and his growth has become a major either. They were dumping pucks in, but we weren’t in a lot of trouble.” storyline in these playoffs. At 5 on 5, the Flames had more shot attempts (12-8, Calgary) in the third This version of Oleksiak is the one the Stars hoped would emerge when period, but fewer shots on goal (6-5, Dallas). they selected him as a first-round pick in 2012. When general manager Jim Nill re-acquired Oleksiak from Pittsburgh last season (for the same -- Thursday’s game was the first time the Stars scored more than three fourth-round pick the Penguins sent Dallas initially), this player was in his goals since Feb. 25, a 4-1 win over Carolina. It was the first time the dreams. team scored at least five goals since Feb. 3 at the Rangers.

Oleksiak finished the game with 20:51 of ice time, four shots on goal, The offensive outburst is uncommon for Dallas, who hit the five-goal three hits and two blocked shots. mark just five times in 69 regular-season games. Typically, the Stars have relied on their defense to win 2-1 or 3-2 games. Thursday was a “He’s a dominant, dominant player for us,” Bowness said. “He’s a huge different way to win, but not something to get used to. part of this team, as he has been all year. It’s great to see him rewarded with that big goal. Good for him for having the poise, the confidence to -- Dube’s first-period goal meant the Stars have allowed the first goal in jump in there.” the last nine games (10 if you include the exhibition against Nashville). The Stars last scored first on Feb. 29 at St. Louis. Good Rads, bad Rads: Alexander Radulov showed both sides of his explosive game on Thursday night. He scored a first-period goal while skating on a reunited line with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn, but was also called for a costly offensive-zone holding penalty late in the third Dallas Morning News LOADED: 08.14.2020 period that led to Bennett’s game-tying goal.

“I felt like I had my speed going and I was just trying to go around him,” Radulov said. “He kind of stuck his hand in my way, and I was just trying to go around him and use my hand. I shouldn’t do that, but thanks to the guys, thanks to them to not go to overtime and score the game-winner. We’ll take that.”

Radulov added an assist in his 17:03 of ice time. His play was a key element for the Stars entering Thursday. In Dallas’ first four postseason games, Radulov totaled just two shots on goal, and Bowness recognized the need for Radulov’s production during a press conference Wednesday.

“He needs to get some points on the board,” Bowness said. “That’s what he’s here for. He needs to score some goals. He needs to create some 1191026 Dallas Stars “It’s certainly some trips down memory lane, like driving to the practice rink and getting to see the city that I don’t get to spend a whole lot of time in these days.”

Stars defenseman Taylor Fedun fills in for ‘unfit to play’ Stephen Johns vs. Calgary Dallas Morning News LOADED: 08.14.2020

By Matthew DeFranks

9:27 PM on Aug 13, 2020 CDT

Stars defenseman Stephen Johns missed Game 2 against Calgary, with Taylor Fedun replacing him in the Dallas lineup.

Johns did not play in the third period of Game 1, and Stars interim coach Rick Bowness said that Johns did not participate in Thursday’s morning skate. Bowness did not elaborate on what Johns’ injury is or how long the team expects him to be out. The NHL has barred teams from providing any details on injuries, instead just listing them as “unfit to play.”

Fedun played in an NHL game for the first time since Jan. 11, as he was scratched for the Stars’ last 24 games of the regular season and all four thus far in the postseason. He played in five AHL games during a conditioning stint in February, and in the Stars’ exhibition against Nashville on July 30.

Fedun played alongside Andrej Sekera in Game 2.

“[Fedun] knows his strengths and he doesn’t try to step out of what those strengths are,” Bowness said. “He doesn’t try to do too much. He’s very smart, he has a lot of hockey sense, so he doesn’t chase the game. He knows when to let the game come to him. It’s a matter of knowing what you do well and sticking with it.”

Fedun is used to his role as the team’s seventh defenseman. The Stars traded for him in 2018 for that reason, and he played 54 games with Dallas last season due to a glut of injuries on the blue line. This season, he was stuck behind Roman Polak and Sekera and only played 27 games.

This was the first season Fedun, 32, made an NHL roster out of preseason camp after playing in the AHL for much of his career.

“I think my experiences in this game have given me a lot of perspective,” Fedun said. “I’ve spent a lot of time up and down, or years where I’ve been primarily in the American League. It’s given me a lot of perspective where I really enjoy my time when I’m up here and try to make the most of it.”

Fedun began last year’s playoffs in the lineup, playing Games 1 and 2 against Nashville. But after a pair of rough outings, Fedun was a healthy scratch until Jamie Oleksiak’s injury forced Fedun back in against the Blues in the second round.

“I learned that everything is magnified [in the playoffs],” Fedun said. “Every mistake is magnified because they’re so few and far between at this intensity. Every second matters, you’ve got to be ready at every faceoff. You’ve got to be very ready for every battle that you’re engaged in. I think that’s going to be very important tonight to take that mindset into it.”

Other than Fedun’s entrance into the lineup for the injured Johns, Bowness used the same defensive personnel, including Sekera.

Lineup changes: Bowness reunited Tyler Seguin with Jamie Benn and Alexander Radulov on the Stars’ top line for Game 2, something he hinted at doing prior to Seguin’s injury against Colorado that forced him to miss Sunday’s game against St. Louis.

In doing so, Roope Hintz was bumped from playing with Benn and Radulov to playing left wing alongside Jason Dickinson and Corey Perry. The other two lines remained the same.

On the road at home: Fedun is from Edmonton and began his career with the Oilers, making the Stars’ stay there an odd one since he is confined to the hotel, practice rink and Rogers Place.

“It’s definitely a little bit strange,” Fedun said. “The only times that I’ve been able to see my family is through the fence when they’re dropping things off through the security guards for me. Other than that, it’s not a whole lot different from being 1,500 miles away because most of our interaction is through phone calls or FaceTimes and stuff like that. 1191027 Dallas Stars

Stars goalie Ben Bishop returned to action in Game 2′s dramatic win over Flames

By Matthew DeFranks

9:16 PM on Aug 13, 2020 CDT

Stars goaltender Ben Bishop returned to the crease for Thursday’s 5-4 win over the Calgary Flames after missing two games with an injury and serving as Anton Khudobin’s backup in Game 1. It was just Bishop’s third game in Edmonton, after starting the exhibition and the round robin opener against Vegas.

”It’s been a while since I’ve been able to play some meaningful hockey,” Bishop said. “The round robin was the round robin, but now we’re in the playoffs so it’s a lot of fun to play these games and it’s fun to get the win, that’s for sure.”

He made 22 saves on 26 shots in his return, and his most egregious goal allowed came on Derek Forbort’s second-period tally that fluttered past him. Bishop was also beat by a big rebound off the boards (to Dillon Dube), a short-handed breakaway (by Tobian Rieder) and a power-play tip (by Sam Bennett).

”Bish was fine,” Stars interim coach Rick Bowness said. “A couple of bad breaks on some of those goals, but that’s hockey. That’s playoff hockey. He responded, and he was ready to go. That was an easy decision.”

A healthy Bishop is key to the Stars’ playoff hopes this season, and he nearly carried Dallas past the Blues in the second round last year. In NHL history, Bishop has the fifth-best save percentage in the postseason at .9274.

”He’s very good at handling the pressure that comes with playoff games,” Bowness said before the game.

“He knows how good an athlete he is. The athletic ability speaks for itself. The mental toughness speaks for itself.”

Khudobin figures to start Game 3 on Friday night. The Stars play Game 4 on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Morning action: For the first time since March 10, the Stars held a morning skate on Thursday, a product of starting the game at 8:30 p.m. Mountain Time. It was Dallas’ first night game during the return to play in Edmonton.

“With all the strangeness about what’s going on now, it’s nice to have a semblance of normalcy and kind of get into that routine that we normally have,” defenseman Taylor Fedun said.

Bowness said the Stars held a team meeting Wednesday night about “playoff intensity, playoff mentality,” and the morning skate allowed Dallas to go over adjustments for Game 2.

“A day like today, go out and feel good,” Bowness said. “Feel the puck, break a sweat, get in your lines, get in some rushes, get a touch, score some goals. Just get a good feel for yourself.”

Former Stars in the news: Defenseman Dan Hamhuis, who played most recently for Nashville, announced his retirement on Thursday afternoon. Hamhuis played for the Stars from 2016-18, appearing in 159 games and recording four goals and 36 assists. Hamhuis, 37, played 16 seasons in the NHL.

Forward Devin Shore made his postseason debut Thursday for Columbus, playing just 5:52 for the Blue Jackets in their 3-1 win over Tampa Bay in Game 2. Shore was drafted by the Stars in in 2012 and played parts of four NHL seasons in Dallas. The Stars traded him to Anaheim for Andrew Cogliano in January 2019. The Ducks traded him to Columbus for Sonny Milano at the trade deadline this season.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191028 Dallas Stars It’s not surprising, but Heiskanen has been jumping into the rush more than any other Stars defenseman, just like the coaching staff preached in training camp and how he scored his first goal Thursday. He’s been Need someone to take over a playoff series? The Stars may need to look active pinching down in the offensive zone to keep the puck alive and no further than Miro Heiskanen generate offense, and that’s how he scored his second goal. Of course, he’s also displayed his defensive stickwork dispossessing opposing players.

By Matthew DeFranks During Game 1, he led the Stars with eight shot attempts and five shots on goal. He set up Gurianov for a chance early that went off the post, and 7:07 PM on Aug 13, 2020 CDT dished to Seguin when he sent one wide.

“I think I’m more confident right now than when I was when I got here Miro Heiskanen was very clearly the Stars’ top defensemen during the [two years ago],” Heiskanen said earlier this week. “Of course, maybe a playoffs entering the team’s 5-4 win over Calgary in Game 2 on Thursday little bit stronger now than when I got here. It’s a big help for me, yeah, night. The questions that follow are slightly more ambitious. that I got stronger and can hold to the puck more and try to make plays, give good passes, try to shoot a lot.” Has Heiskanen been the Stars’ best player overall? Yes. It’s strange to hear Heiskanen say he got more confident that when he Has Heiskanen been the best defenseman in the NHL during the arrived, especially because his second shift in the NHL was an array of postseason? And after a two-goal performance Thursday that tied the shimmies, head fakes and effortless skating. And it’s flawed to think that first-round series at 1-1, Heiskanen can surely make the case for the best his playoff performance this season is a fluke given that he first career defenseman still playing. postseason game ended with a goal and an assist.

In a game that the Stars desperately had to win to allay a 2-0 series The argument for his lofty rank among all NHL defensemen begins with deficit, Heiskanen dominated. his ability to control play, and his pairing with Jamie Oleksiak formed one of the most effective defensive pairs in the league. “I think you just let Miro be Miro and he’ll take over games,” John Klingberg said. “He’s probably our best player every night. You saw that According to Money Puck, the Stars controlled 60.5% of expected goals today, as well. He’s the engine back there.” at 5 on 5 with Oleksiak-Heiskanen on the ice, third-best in the league among pairs with at least 300 regular-season minutes. No pair in the He ate Mikael Backlund’s lunch in the first period by dispossessing him of NHL prevented high-danger chances like Oleksiak-Heiskanen (1.71 per the puck in the Dallas zone and then beating him up the ice. The result 60 minutes). was a Heiskanen partial breakaway, and a wrist shot that snuck between Cam Talbot’s arm and abdomen. This postseason, the Stars have owned 67.2% of shots on goal with the pair on the ice, the second-best mark in the NHL among remaining One period later, he attacked the Flames’ blue line with pace, galloping teams, according to Natural Stat Trick. by Backlund into the offensive zone, sneaking a no-look prayer from the boards past Talbot. Heiskanen, 21, now has three career playoff goals, With Heiskanen on the ice this postseason, the possession-poor Stars and he became the youngest defenseman in Stars history to score control shot attempts 19.7% more, the highest figure in the NHL. multiple goals in a postseason game. Oleksiak said he’s learned to simply give Heiskanen open ice to skate “I just throw it to the net, and good things happen when you shoot the into since he’ll be all over the rink during games. puck,” Heiskanen said. “That was kind of a lucky break, but good it went in.” “I think letting him make those plays and making sure that he has the puck and he has room out there is huge,” Oleksiak said. “Definitely In the 2020 postseason, no defenseman has more than Heiskanen’s doesn’t impress me to see how much he’s improved upon each game seven points. The Stars have scored 12 goals in the playoffs, and and in these playoffs in general. Heiskanen has been part of seven of them. Entering Thursday, Heiskanen was the only Stars player with more than two points. “Miro’s so involved all over the ice. The more I play with him, I’ve kind of been able to read when he’s going to jump up, when he’s going to make In Game 2, the Stars crushed Calgary with Heiskanen on the ice at 5 on plays on the blue line. I just want to get him the puck and make sure he 5, with a 19-10 edge in shot attempts, 14-5 in shots on goal, and 3-0 in has room to move and be an option for him if he needs it.” goals. He logged a game-high 24:59 on the ice and has been a bright spot — except against Colorado — in an otherwise inconsistent Stars playoff run. Dallas Morning News LOADED: 08.14.2020 “When you need a big play, he makes it,” Stars interim coach Rick Bowness said. “When you need someone to get the game turned around and get your team excited watching him play, he does it. Listen, it’s so much fun to watch that kid play the game.”

Heiskanen’s greatness receives a different shine now. With Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn and Alexander Radulov and Klingberg not producing much before Game 2, the responsibility to carry the Stars through the playoffs may fall to the 21-year-old.

He doesn’t have the nine-figure contract (not yet, at least) or the decade of past performance, but the expectations have risen so much for Heiskanen that he is the Stars’ best candidate for taking over a game, or taking over a series. Perhaps the load shouldn’t fall on a player who has only been able to legally drink for a month, but it’s the situation the Stars have put themselves in with the slow resurgences of Benn and Seguin.

Thursday was a game in which Heiskanen printed his future Norris Trophy resume on a 200-foot sheet of ice, with the hockey world — or whoever stayed up — watching his pristine defense and quick-strike offense.

“Same thing we see out of him every game,” goaltender Ben Bishop said. “It’s something we kind of get used to. It’s good to get him on the public stage here, so everyone can see how good a defenseman he is. Easily one of the best in the league.” 1191029 Dallas Stars He’s their MVP and will be for a long, long time.

His teammates know it.

Stars 20/20: Oleksiak’s dagger and Heiskanen’s dominance deliver “Same thing we see out of him every game. It’s something you kind of Game 2 win get used to,” Ben Bishop said. “It’s good to get him on the public stage here so everybody can see how good of a defenseman he is. He’s easily one of the best in the league, and I think he doesn’t get the credit he By Sean Shapiro deserves night in and night out, but this is Miro. He shows up every single night and gives the same effort. It’s nice to see him get rewarded Aug 13, 2020 tonight.”

Radulov was sitting at the podium with Bishop when he gave that answer and just nodded in agreement. The Dallas Stars tied up their first-round playoff series with the Calgary Flames with a 5-4 win in Game 2 on Thursday at Rogers Place in “I think you just let Miro be Miro and he will take over games,” Klingberg Edmonton. said. “He’s probably our best player every night. You saw that today. He’s an engine back there.” 1. Jamie Oleksiak’s play this season, and since the restart, has been one of the biggest positives for the Dallas Stars. 6. Does Heiskanen think about taking games over?

Oleksiak has gone from a solid third-pairing defender to a legitimate top- “Yeah, of course I want to help my team to win the games,” Heiskanen four option who’s been a fine running mate with Miro Heiskanen. said. “I was 100 percent today so of course, I want to win the games and try to do everything I can.” And in the biggest moment on Thursday, the Big Rig scored his biggest goal, finding the back of the net with 40 seconds remaining to give the I was honestly just expecting him to answer, “I play my game.” Stars a 5-4 win. 7. And Heiskanen did this in what felt like a must-win game for the Stars. 2. It was the final exclamation on a chaotic, high-scoring night that doesn’t fit what we are used to with the Stars. Going down 2-0 in any series would have been difficult, but going down 2-0 with a back-to-back and three games in less than 70 hours could Five goals? have been fatal to the Stars’ season.

They’ve done that only one other time since the start of 2020, on Feb. 3, Instead, the Stars turned Game 3 from a do-or-die elimination game and just five times the entire season. without technical elimination into a chance to take control of a playoff series. There were some normal Stars elements. It was close and came with a bit of third-period turtling, but scoring five goals in a game was something 8. Corey Perry was signed for the playoffs. new and they nearly doubled their entire goal total from life in the bubble so far. I’ve written that sentence way too many times, but on Thursday night he scored the type of goal Jim Nill envisioned when he gave the Stars a 4-2 3. Miro Heiskanen. lead on the power play.

That was the difference in this game. It happened again with less than a minute remaining when he made the sublime pass to Oleksiak for the game-winning goal. The Stars’ best player, and the best overall defenseman remaining in the Western Conference, dominated and made a statement we’ve been Stars fans have hated Perry for a long time, some of them continued to demanding from the Stars’ current aging superstars — he put his stamp hate him even after he signed with the team. If this is the playoff version on the game. the Stars are getting, he’ll have changed some (but never all) opinions in Dallas. Heiskanen played 24 minutes, 59 seconds. When he was on the ice the Flames had no chance. If the Flames were going to win this game — and 9. The Stars had another slow start, but you should have expected that. they almost did — they were going to have to do it in the 35 minutes he was on the bench. This time, it was a strike just 19 seconds into the game by the Flames’ Dillon Dube, who had also gashed the Stars for a pair of goals in the first When Heiskanen was on the ice, the Stars had outscored the Flames 3-0 period in Game 1. and had an 18-7 edge in shots. The Stars also had a 29-13 edge in shots with Heiskanen on the ice. This time, however, the Stars responded and actually won the opening stanza. 4. Oh yeah, he also scored twice. Calgary left a physical impact, particularly the Lucic line, but Dallas Both were beauties. doubled up the shot totals and did the work around the net to actually create first and second chances it never was able to salvage in Game 1. Heiskanen’s first goal was a Norris Trophy-worthy highlight from start to finish. Heiskanen denied a zone entry and then forced a turnover with a Take away the first shift of the game and it was close to a perfect first sweeping poke-check, he helped the puck out of the zone and because period for Dallas. he’s the fastest kid alive (who can now legally drink in the United States), he was free for a breakaway after a smart chip pass from Alexander Here is how it looked visually, courtesy of Natural Stat Trick. Radulov. 10. Searching for offense, the Stars reunited Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin Heiskanen finished it by looking left and shooting right under the glove of and Radulov, and the line clicked early. Cam Talbot. It wasn’t a pretty goal, but they tied the game with a workman-like effort Just watch it again, it was that pretty. where they won the puck back three times on the forecheck and once Dallas established possession Radulov and Seguin were able to set up The second goal looks like a howler by Talbot from a bad angle, and the shop in the slot. Flames goalie should take some grief for this, but Heiskanen’s body of work once again earned the tally. Eventually, the puck went in when Radulov’s centering feed deflected in off Seguin’s foot; it wasn’t pretty or exciting, but it was a devastating shift On the zone entry before the goal he went through the Flames for the Stars’ top line. defensemen like they were turnstiles, the puck stayed in the zone and made it back to Heiskanen, who caught Talbot cheating as he fired a It reminded me of one of the adages from the Ken Hitchcock era that I wrister from the boards between the post and goalie’s blocker. actually believe in: the Benn-Seguin-Radulov line is dominant when they go to work and forget about skill. This doesn’t mean skill isn’t used, but 5. The Stars have 11 goals in the bubble, Heiskanen has points on seven rather that focus comes on outworking the opponent and when the work of them. level is even close to equal their skill starts to win out. 11. Calgary got back into the game because of special teams and Mark Jankowski – Derek Ryan – Tobias Rieder mistakes by top players. Mark Giordano – TJ Brodie John Klingberg was shredded by Tobias Rieder for a shorthanded breakaway goal with 7:36 remaining and a poor pass from Benn. Noah Hanifin – Rasmus Andersson

The goal happened right after midnight central time, which is an Derek Forbort – Erik Gustafsson unfortunate way for Klingberg to start his 28th birthday. 17. Gurianov’s minutes were limited, extremely, to 10 minutes, 42 Radulov, for all his positives, then took an offensive zone holding penalty seconds, which isn’t sufficient usage for a 20-goal scorer. that allowed Calgary to tie the game at 4-4. Each time the Stars talk about getting him more minutes, the actions It’s a call you could try to argue, but with his reputation with officials, don’t follow. Radulov is never going to get the benefit of the doubt in that situation. In theory, you’d hope Gurianov would get major minutes in the second 12. It could have been worse, those could have been the tying and game of the back-to-back on Friday. He’ll be rested. But it doesn’t seem game-winning goals if not for the sequence of events that happened 4:51 likely based on past usage. into the third period. 18. Both teams had a morning skate on Thursday. For the Stars, it was Andrew Mangiapane appeared to have scored at the end of a chaotic their first morning skate since March 10 against the New York Rangers. moment, but the puck was propelled into the net with his skate while he Morning skate means different things for different players and for some was getting pulled down by Heiskanen in front of the net. It was ruled that Stars players, it’s more important to their preparation than others. Mangiapane used a distinct kicking motion to score after a review, which negated the goal, but Calgary did get a four-minute power play that was Andrew Cogliano, for example, doesn’t always go through a full morning going to be called on Seguin before the puck went into the net. skate when it’s optional, but he’s typically the first skater on the ice and has his own routine that lasts about 10 minutes before anyone else gets Dallas then killed off the four-minute threat and limited Calgary to just on the ice. Tyler Seguin has a weighted puck, it’s about the size of a three shots during that time. soccer ball, that he shoots against the boards multiple times before trying 13. Bishop was back in the Stars net after backing up Anton Khudobin in to lift it into the bench. Game 1. Fedun and Oleksiak both said it provided a bit of normalcy in a weird time Bishop had also missed the final two games of the round-robin because for the Stars. he was “unfit to play” so, while he was technically healthy for Game 1, For both teams, it was likely their last practice until after Game 4, so it the Stars wanted to give him a couple more days to get up to speed was important for coaches to make the most of the instruction time. With before playing against the Flames. a back-to-back, it doesn’t make much sense to have a morning skate on Bishop was fine in his return — not great, but not poor — and stopped 22 Friday and with a 1 p.m. start on Sunday, Saturday is a likely off-day. of 26 shots. After the game, Stars interim coach Rick Bowness said the 19. I wonder if the Flames will go to David Rittich in Game 3. Talbot had goalie did his job and also reminded reporters that Dallas would need a couple of moments in the past two games where he’s given gifts to the both goalies during this stretch. Stars and a back-to-back could be a great opportunity to make the switch Maybe we see Khudobin again in Game 3? for Flames coach Geoff Ward.

14. Stephen Johns was unfit to play on Thursday after missing the third 20. The Flames’ third line did its damage to Klingberg and was set on period of Game 1 with an undisclosed injury. destroying the Stars’ defensemen all night.

We don’t have any further updates on Johns, but we do know that he The line tried to apply a similar approach to Heiskanen, but didn’t get didn’t partake in morning skate. nearly as many hits on the 21-year-old, who evaded most of the collisions. Taylor Fedun replaced him in the lineup. While Calgary was trying to dish it out, the biggest loss out of this game 15. Fedun did play in the exhibition game against the Nashville Predators personnel-wise could be for the Flames, who watched Tkachuk leave the when the Stars were allowed to dress two additional skaters, but this was game three times and head back to the locker room for treatment. his first real NHL game since Jan. 11 against the San Jose Sharks. If he’s not ready to go in Game 3 that would be a major loss for the Fedun would have played in the round-robin against the Colorado Flames. Avalanche, but he was “unfit to play” and that’s why prospect Thomas Harley made his cameo appearance.

Fedun’s game could also be considered a cameo after he had only 10 The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020 shifts for 5 minutes, eight seconds of ice time. Dallas essentially went with five defensemen and any chance of getting Fedun more minutes in the third disappeared when the Flames made it close.

16. Bowness also shuffled his forward lines, rolling out this lineup.

Jamie Benn – Tyler Seguin – Alexander Radulov

Mattias Janmark – Joe Pavelski – Denis Gurianov

Roope Hintz – Jason Dickinson – Corey Perry

Andrew Cogliano – Radek Faksa – Blake Comeau

Esa Lindell – John Klingberg

Jamie Oleksiak – Miro Heiskanen

Andrej Sekera – Taylor Fedun

Calgary used the same lineup as Game 1.

Johnny Gaudreau – Sean Monahan – Elias Lindholm

Andrew Mangiapane – Mikael Backlund – Matthew Tkachuk

Milan Lucic – Sam Bennett – Dillon Dube 1191030 Dallas Stars the whole year. He’s played a few games and been scratched a few games, but every time he comes in, he brings a lot to the table. He’s a great puck mover and always in the right spots at the right time. Just a The Stars’ third defensive pairing needs a shakeup. Here are the options great overall player.”

Fedun will be ready to go if Johns can’t. Perhaps that’s the simple one- for-one tradeoff that happens for Game 2. But if Sekera continues to By Saad Yousuf struggle the way he did in Game 1, Bowness may need to dig deeper in trying to pull at out all the stops. How long Johns’ injury lingers — if it Aug 13, 2020 does at all — is unknown, but if Fedun is already in the lineup for Johns, what are the remaining options on the depth chart to potentially spell Sekera? As if the young and fast Calgary Flames weren’t tough enough, the Stars are now tasked with navigating through an unfortunate set of The loudest answer among Stars fans might be Thomas Harley, but the circumstances. Tuesday’s Game 1 loss was a triple-whammy for the Stars’ top prospect might be the last resort, for a multitude of reasons. Stars: It put them in a 1-0 series deficit and exposed one defenseman Harley made his NHL debut in the round-robin and he was fine — not while taking out another. For a team that has publicly conceded that any great, but not awful. The Stars coaching staff was careful not to over- success in the playoffs would be led by strong defensive effort, that’s expose him: Harley was replacing Klingberg in the lineup and still troubling. couldn’t earn a spot on the power play. So using him as a third-pair defenseman while Klingberg and Heiskanen are both available to When Roman Polak opted out of returning to the NHL, it seemed as quarterback the power play units would be limiting his impact. Factor in though fate had sorted out the defensive pairings for the Stars’ coaching his defensive skills still being raw, and it’s not Dallas’ most productive staff. The top three defensemen — Esa Lindell, John Klingberg and Miro option at this moment in time. But the biggest thing with Harley is the Heiskanen — were locks. Stephen Johns and Jamie Oleksiak as No. 4 risk-reward factor. He celebrates his 19th birthday next week and is a key and No. 5 options were sure bets. That left the sixth, and final, part of Dallas’ future. Could exposing him to playoff intensity against a defenseman slot, which was a revolving door between two reliable, team like Calgary before he’s ready shake his confidence and result in unflashy veterans in Polak and Andrej Sekera. With Polak out of the negative long-term ramifications? His potential makes him an enticing picture, the decision-making on a nightly basis was removed and the job option, but perhaps not the smartest one for the current predicament. went to Sekera by default. The other two options are Joel Hanley and Gavin Bayreuther, both of On Tuesday, Sekera was visibly exposed. The eye test showed he was whom offer different skill sets. Hanley played eight games for Dallas this struggling. The stats, including a team-worst 30.56 CorsiFor at even season but spent most of his time in the AHL with the Texas Stars. He strength, backed it up. This was part of a larger trend: Sekera hasn’t was a workhorse down there, routinely playing above 25 minutes a game played particularly well throughout the Stars’ stay in Edmonton thus far. and drawing the opposing teams’ top players. However, Hanley’s And yet there’s an argument to be made that he wasn’t the defenseman offensive game is extremely limited. He doesn’t generate much in the who was the greatest cause for concern coming out of the game. That offensive zone and is a non-threat to find the net himself. Bayreuther was Johns, who was deemed unfit to play midway through the game on provides the opposite dynamic. He’s a decent defender, but his game is Tuesday and did not return to the ice for the third period. On Wednesday, that of an offensive defenseman. His shot from the blue line has been interim head coach Rick Bowness maintained the “unfit to play” label on effective at the AHL level, especially in creating opportunities for the Johns and said he’d leave it at that, out of respect for Johns. forwards on the ice with him. He also led the primary power-play unit in Cedar Park successfully, so he has that in his back pocket — although if In addition to Sekera’s struggling performance and Johns’ questionable the sixth defenseman winds up leading a power play, that means things availability, the Stars are about to enter a daunting stretch in the will have gotten even worse than they already have for the Stars. schedule. Game 2 and Game 3 come in a Thursday-Friday back-to-back, and Game 4 is an afternoon start on Sunday. That’s three playoff hockey Hanley has the more recent NHL experience of the two and also held his games in a span of 63 hours. All of these factors combined to create a own when he jumped into the lineup last year in the playoffs against the situation where depth among the blueliners will be tested. While Game 2 St. Louis Blues, so he’s probably the more battle-tested option. already feels like a must-win for the Stars, Bowness will be tasked with Ultimately, though, a decision between Hanley and Bayreuther would balancing that alongside how to deploy his defensemen over the come down to what Bowness and the Stars want to get out of that third weekend as well. pairing. If it’s solid minutes with steady defense, Hanley gets the nod. If the goal is to ignite something offensively, Bayreuther would be the pick. “We’ve got to get through (Thursday) night, and all of the focus is on getting to that game and winning that game,” Bowness said. “All of the Whatever the case may be, Dallas needs better play from its third focus is on that. That being said, as you’re going through that game, defensive pairing than it got on Tuesday. A healthy Johns would certainly managing ice time is important. We’ve got to keep all of the forwards in hold down one of those slots, but his availability is just unknown right that 15-to-16-minutes range, around that 20-shifts range. The defense now. Sekera, meanwhile, must play better. The Stars don’t need him to may end up with a few extra minutes if Stephen doesn’t play. We’re jump off the screen positively in a way Heiskanen does, but they do need going to watch their minutes, but at the same time, we’ll be doing him to not jump off the screen for being a defensive liability. Bowness is everything we can to win that game.” also going to have to manage their workloads over the fierce sprint of the next three games. The Stars will almost surely have to resort to Fedun at If Johns is unavailable, Fedun is slated to slide in his spot. Fedun last some point during this stretch, but that’s just the first domino. Don’t be played an NHL game on Jan. 11, and Bowness had expressed a desire surprised if Hanley, Bayreuther or even Harley get some playoff minutes to get Fedun some ice time for a while afterward. However, that became with the season hanging in the balance. harder and harder to do as Johns returned from his 22-month absence and Polak was still in the equation. Eventually, Dallas sent Fedun down to the AHL for a five-game conditioning stint in February to keep him ready, which turned out to be a moot point given, you know, a global The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020 pandemic taking everybody off the ice for over four months.

But Fedun has been the ideal No. 7/No. 8 healthy-scratch defenseman for the Stars. He’s a quality locker room presence who, despite being dealt a tough hand, never made his playing time a distraction and has continuously stayed ready for when his number would be called. That, combined with his ability to play at the NHL level, has garnered respect from Bowness and his teammates.

“He’s given us a lot of good minutes being in and out of the lineup,” Bowness said. “If Feds plays, we have full confidence in his abilities to step in and help us.”

“First of all, he a great guy and a great teammate,” Klingberg said. “We have a lot of confidence in all of our (defensemen). Feds has been ready 1191031 Edmonton Oilers Trading down By my count, there are at least 20 prospects who project as top-six

forwards, top-four defencemen or a starting goalie. There is some risk in Lowetide: A rational approach for the Oilers at the 2020 draft dealing down but the Oilers are without a 2020 second-round pick, and going 60 selections without adding a prospect means the team will be losing ground on competition by the minute.

By Allan Mitchell If Holland can deal No. 14 to the Ottawa Senators for the first-rounder (currently No. 21) and Ottawa’s own third Aug 13, 2020 (currently No. 64), that might allow the team to add two quality forward prospects. Using Bob McKenzie’s list for TSN, the highest ranked forwards available would be Jacob Perreault (No. 14) and Brandon Coe It’s early days but we’re beginning to see a possible outcome for the (McKenzie has him at No. 65). Edmonton Oilers at the 2020 NHL Draft. General manager Ken Holland, amateur scouting director Tyler Wright and the team’s scouting staff The additional pick would give Edmonton three choices in the top 85 if surely have the draft surrounded at this point, with tweaks ahead as new Holland chooses to keep the draft pick involved in the James Neal-Milan information arrives in the coming weeks. It will be Wright’s first draft for Lucic trade, effectively trading the 2021 third-round pick in the Calgary Edmonton. transaction.

Although this is just Holland’s second offseason in charge of the Trading in organization, reading him appears to be easier than the ‘closed book’ I keep wondering about Jan Mysak, who I profiled in April. McKenzie has days of Steve Tambellini. It’s important to note that telegraphing plans him listed at No. 34 but Wheeler has him at No. 12 and Pronman has him doesn’t guarantee failure and running a team with no leaks doesn’t No. 43 overall. If Mysak, or one of the other names we’ve discussed ensure success. (Jake Neighbours) is still on the board early in the second round (and One thing is true: It’s more fun for fans when the GM drops clues along someone drops every year), perhaps we see Holland deal into the the way. That appears to be the case with Holland in Edmonton. second round using available assets.

The first-round pick This is where we might see Jesse Puljujarvi in play, especially if management doesn’t believe JP will return a young NHL-ready talent Last season, fans knew Philip Broberg was a strong option for the team’s who can help right away. early pick well in advance of the draft. I wrote about Broberg as an option on June 7, two full weeks before the draft: “I keep coming back to these Needs rumours about the Oilers’ interest in Philip Broberg. NHL teams lie like I wrote about Edmonton’s shopping list at the draft in May, and nothing sidewalks about draft picks this time of year, but Broberg fits the Holland has changed. Edmonton needs forwards and left wing is probably the template like a glove. said last August ‘everything about his position of greatest need. Holloway makes a great deal of sense when game screams top pair defenceman, if not a No. 1 defenceman in the viewed through this lens and Mysak’s two-way ability is also an attractive NHL’ and Broberg has only gotten better since then.” possible addition to the prospect group. So, when Corey Pronman does a mock draft for The Athletic, picks Dylan Trading the first-round pick Holloway for Edmonton at No. 14 and writes “Holloway was a name I heard rumored that Edmonton liked but they didn’t seem to be in the mix An NHL general manager serves two insatiable masters: The team range-wise, something that’s changed as a nature of the unique year,” playing today and the one that will play tomorrow. There’s no doubt then Oilers fans should take notice. If you hear Holloway’s name a few Holland could add immediate help by dealing the pick but the cap money more times from connected sources like Pronman, we might see a repeat is tight and players on entry-level deals who can play in the NHL are of the Broberg build approaching draft day. extremely valuable.

Holloway is a big (6-foot-1, 203 pounds) forward with good foot speed There are names who could pry the No. 14 pick away from Edmonton but and real offensive potential. Pronman says “his offensive upside is the they’re not available because of their great value to current teams. The main point of debate surrounding him when talking to NHL scouts. I think immediate help will come via trades and free agency in the offseason. he’s very skilled. Even if he’s not a truly dynamic offensive player, there’s enough skill in his game to be a quality NHL player.” The pipeline

Holland and Wright are going to take some getting used to, and a name In Holland’s first season with the Oilers, the farm system delivered Ethan like Holloway would represent going away from recent high skill picks Bear, Kailer Yamamoto and Caleb Jones. That’s a fantastic graduating (Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, Jesse Puljuajrvi, Kailer Yamamoto, class. In 2020-21, candidates to play from the Bakersfield Condors Evan Bouchard) in Edmonton. If he’s available, Seth Jarvis is likely to be include Evan Bouchard, Tyler Benson, William Lagesson, Cooper the most skilled player on the board when Edmonton picks, along with Marody and others. Signing Puljujarvi would also increase the quality and names like Jack Quinn, Mavrik Bourque, Noel Gunler and Jacob quantity of youth in the system. Perreault. All of those names represent a more natural fit for the Oilers Holland’s job at the draft will be feeding that farm system by adding drafting style between 2014 and 2018 than Holloway, but the Broberg quality prospects who will be pushing for NHL jobs two or three years pick a year ago suggested a change in the weather. from now. We may see the Holland Oilers targeting big, strong prospects who can A rational approach skate like Broberg and Holloway. Wright and his staff have only one selection in the top 75 currently; Another non-traditional option at No. 14 expect Holland to add a pick before the draft begins. If Holland and One other option who was unlikely to fall to Edmonton before the lottery Wright can find a way to procure one of those brilliant forwards in the first is goalie Yaroslav Askarov, although he may be gone by pick No. 14. I round and add Mysak by trading into Round 2, the 2020 draft will have a asked The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler about Askarov on the Lowdown on strong foundation for success. Tuesday, and he said “I think it’s a coin flip as to whether or not he’s available there. I think there are realistically only two teams in front of Edmonton who might take the plunge based on need. Goaltending is the The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020 one position where it’s a draft for need situation. It’s the one position where you can look at the top of the draft and say here are the teams they’re likely to go to. I look at the Minnesota Wild, Devan Dubnyk is 34, Alex Stalock is 33 years old, Askarov could make sense to them. Also, the pick right before the Oilers belongs to the Carolina Hurricanes. They have depth at virtually every position, and goaltending is their one hole. If it’s not the Wild or the Hurricanes, the Oilers make a lot of sense.” 1191032 Florida Panthers Tallon’s offseason plan last year had two primary focuses. The first was to bring winning experience into the organization, both by hiring Quenneville and by signing veterans with real postseason experience, like winger Brett Connolly from the Washington Capitals and center Noel Panthers tried to win now in 2020. It didn’t work and new GM has big Acciari from the Boston Bruins. problems to solve The second, and the splashier, was to give $70 million to Sergei Bobrovsky to hopefully fix Florida’s longstanding defensive issues.

BY DAVID WILSON Most of the first season of the two-time Vezina Trophy winner’s seven- year deal did not go well. The superstar goaltender had his worst season AUGUST 13, 2020 08:30 AM since his second in the league, giving up 3.23 goals per game with a meager .900 save percentage. Considering Florida also has the No. 1 goaltender prospect in ESPN’s rankings, it quickly seemed like a This season began differently for the Florida Panthers: There were real disastrous deal — the sort of deal a general manager makes when he expectations. feels the pressure to win now.

They hired a big-name coach and signed a big-name goaltender. Tallon’s successor, at least at first, will have to work around it. Everything did in the offseason was geared around finally turning the Panthers into a real contender, which made the latest “We know the importance of goaltending is huge for us and, obviously, flameout one of Florida’ most frustrating yet. he had a lot of pressure on him with the signing of the deal and expectations are high,” Quenneville said. “I think he got comfortable over “It was a very disappointing ending,” coach said Friday the stretch of the season.” after his team lost a 3-1 series to the New York Islanders in the qualifying round for the Stanley Cup playoffs. In the qualifying series, Bobrovsky showed enough to give Quenneville confidence his goalie can revert to form next season. Bobrovsky’s goals It has been less than a week since the Panthers’ season ended and against average dropped to 3.07 and his save percentage climbed already they have fired Tallon and lost the NHL Draft lottery. slightly to .901 even as the Panthers failed to outshoot New York in any of the four games. Whomever Florida’s hire to succeed Tallon this offseason will have a long list of problems to solve after another early exit. Three stand out There’s a history of high-profile goalie acquisitions struggling in their first above the rest. year in their new city, then stabilizing in Year 2. If he doesn’t, Spencer Knight’s presence will put pressure on the entire organization. 1. WHAT TO DO WITH CORE? “It’s kind of a mixed feeling,” Bobrovsky said of his season Friday. “In the Before the season, Aleksander Barkov’s peers agreed: The center was beginning, it was very hard for me, but in the end I started to feel better the most underrated player in the NHL. and better. I adjusted more, got more comfortable with the living, with the Nearly 40 players were surveyed in the league’s annual preseason rhythm and with the whole surrounding — with the guys, with the team, players poll and no player was mentioned more than Barkov when it with the coaches and stuff. For this short period, I felt pretty good came to the question of the NHL’s most overlooked. In the NHLPA’s physically, mentally and I think we made some strides.” player poll, Barkov’s peers even voted him the fifth best center in the 3. WHERE’S THE NEXT GENERATION? entire league. In Tallon’s 10 years as general manager, he picked in the first round 12 It seemed like a good time to hop on the Barkov bandwagon. He was an times. Of those 12 picks, only four — including the three top-three picks All-Star for the first time in 2018 and won the Lady Byng Memorial —became All-Stars for Florida and only four — again, including those Trophy in 2019. Florida had seemingly put a compelling supporting cast three top-three picks — suited up in the postseason for the Panthers this around him, too, and this season was poised to be a turning point for his year. tenure with the Panthers. Roster building and talent development was an issue for a decade and it Instead, Barkov missed out on the 2020 NHL All-Star Game and Florida forced Tallon to try to build a playoff team through free agency. missed out on the traditional 16-team Stanley Cup playoffs. One of the lasting Images of the Panthers’ season was Barkov missing an open net The cleanest path to Florida taking the next step is by getting its next Friday as the Islanders knocked Florida out of the qualifying round with a batch of prospects to pan out. The Panthers have three top-50 prospects 5-1 win at Scotiabank Arena. — their first round picks from the last three years — and they have the No. 12 pick in the upcoming 2020 NHL Entry Draft. “It would’ve been a huge goal for us,” Barkov said Friday. “Obviously looking back on that, that should’ve been a goal 10 times out of 10, but Florida hopes Knight, the No. 16 prospect, will be blocked by Bobrovsky the defenseman made a really good play and I was just unlucky on that for a while, but wingers Grigori Denisenko and Owen Tippett could be one.” counted on next year. The Panthers signed Denisenko to an entry-level contract in July and Tippett even traveled with Florida to Ontario for the The 24-year-old Finn finished the regular season with 20 goals and 42 expanded postseason, although he never suited up for a real game. assists in 66 games, then added another goal and three assists in the Panthers’ quick four-game trip to the extended postseason. It was a good “Anytime you get a chance like this it’s a great opportunity to just take it season, but the production didn’t match his budding reputation. all in and learn from it,” Tippett said in July. “When you come up here, you just take the opportunity to be a sponge.” While the supporting cast and defense are still the source of most of Florida’s long-term questions, it’s time to put the Panthers’ once- promising young core under the microscope. Barkov, All-Star left wing Jonathan Huberdeau and defenseman Aaron Ekblad were all top-three Miami Herald LOADED: 08.14.2020 picks from 2011-2014, and they’ve combined for just four All-Star appearances and one trip to the real postseason in 2016.

Four years after those three took Florda to the postseason as 23-and- under franchise cornerstones, they’re still talking about the need to just get experience playing in meaningful games.

“The only way is up. We got a good experience in this playoffs,” Barkov said. “Obviously, not the regular playoffs, but qualifications or whatever are still playoff games. If you lose, you’re out. If you win, you’re in. It was good to get those couple games for our organization and team.”

2. IS BOBROVSKY THE LONG-TERM ANSWER? 1191033 Los Angeles Kings “It opens up the avenue to do other things throughout your organization. It’s something we always will look at and analyze. … We’ll see where it all goes.”

‘They’ve got to listen’ – Could the Kings trade up for the No. 1 pick? Still, just because the Kings have a surplus of centers in their prospect pool and the Rangers have a need at that position, it doesn’t necessarily make an ideal match. Alex Turcotte (fifth-overall in 2019) has yet to play a game in the NHL and has one collegiate season, at the University of By Lisa Dillman Wisconsin, on his resume. Gabriel Vilardi (11th-overall in 2017) has Aug 13, 2020 played only 10 NHL games after an injury-riddled start to his professional career. And Rasmus Kupari (20th-overall in 2018) is coming off major knee surgery.

The New York Rangers won Phase 2 of the draft lottery on Monday night While the Ottawa Senators may not have a collection of prospects as and immediately a thought arose in the hockey world if they would highly rated as the Kings, it’s still impressive. The Athletic’s Scott actually entertain moving the No. 1 pick. Wheeler ranked the Kings’ system No. 1, with Ottawa at No. 7. But the Senators possess another bargaining chip, in fact, two of them — the No. “The answer is: They’ve got to listen,” said former NHL general manager 3 and No. 5 picks in 2020. That puts them ahead of many other suitors in Brian Burke. “If someone is going to come after that pick hard, you terms of assets and flexibility. generally get some offers.” However, the Kings have that bevy of attractive prospects, along with the Burke paused and added, “They’re generally garbage.” aforementioned centers, including defenseman Tobias Bjornfot, wingers Still, the Rangers have to listen, he reiterated. Arthur Kaliyev — a potential goal-scorer whose game compares to a lower-end Patrik Laine per Wheeler — and Samuel Fagemo. They also Burke, now a commentator on Sportsnet, speaks from experience. He have Akil Thomas and Tyler Madden down the middle, and both project engineered two of the most provocative draft-day deals in the last 30 to make the NHL at some point. years involving high draft choices. Plus, the Kings have 11 picks in this year’s draft, so the L.A. has the One was for defenseman Chris Pronger in 1993 when Burke was the ability to create several different types of trade packages with prospects Hartford Whalers GM. The second in 1999, to put the Vancouver and picks. Plus they have $20,737,273 of current salary cap space for Canucks in position to draft the Sedin twins, Daniel and Henrik. next season with no major restricted free agents to sign.

“I’m really distressed by the lack of draft forward deals since the Sedin Then again, it all depends on what the Rangers do. deal,” said Burke. “It’s almost like the one byproduct of that deal was that it killed draft deals. There’s been hardly any.” The last time New York had the No. 1 pick was 55 years ago, taking forward Andre Veilleux in 1965. He would never play in the NHL (not In 1993, Burke negotiated with the San Jose Sharks to move up to the uncommon in those days.) Two years later, the Kings took defenseman No. 2 spot so he could take Pronger. In exchange, the Sharks received Rick Pagnutti at No. 1 and he would not reach the NHL either but played Sergei Makarov, the Whalers first-round pick (the No. 6 overall which 396 AHL games. they used to take Viktor Kozlov) and two more selections in that draft (Vlastimil Kroupa and Ville Peltonen). The draft is a completely different species now.

It was far more complicated in 1999, when Burke traded away the No. 1 “If you’re (Rangers GM) Jeff Gorton: A. It’s a good day for your franchise, pick to bring the Sedins to Vancouver with the second and third picks in as flawed as the process might be, from my standpoint,” Burke said. “But the draft, sparked by the influence of Canucks scout Thomas Gradin. B. you’ve got to listen (to offers). The speculation up here is that Ottawa is going to offer 3 and 5 for No. 1. But I wouldn’t do that. “I’ve only had the first overall pick once, and I had it for about seven minutes,” Burke said on Tuesday in a telephone interview from Toronto. “This is a good draft. You’ll get a forward and a defenseman if you keep “That’s when I had it from Tampa Bay before I traded it to Atlanta in the those picks. It’s a curious draft because there’s all positions available. Sedin deal. So I only had the No. 1 pick for seven minutes — literally.” There’s a high-ranked goalie — which is not always the case. There’s a couple of good defensemen. There’s good wingers and there’s good It was about as close as the NHL would get to the fictional NFL movie, centers.” “Draft Day.” One of the topics in conversations with Kings chief scout Mark Yannetti It’s a considerable distance between listening and making a seismic was about the dearth of movement in the first round. Like most armchair trade on the virtual draft floor in October. For all the talk and speculation, GMs, he would like to see more teams trading up and down. it simply doesn’t happen much in the real NHL world. Burke explained one of the reasons why it is so static might be because But could the Los Angeles Kings pull it off this year? If anything, they’re of the success he had with the Pronger deal and then the complicated one of the best-positioned teams (currently) to do so. transaction to get the Sedins.

In the first phase of the draft lottery on June 26, the Kings won the No. 2 “I just think those last few deals worked out so well for the team that pick. The prize in this year’s draft has long been considered winger moved up — teams are really reluctant to trade picks now and move Alexis Lafreniere of Rimouski of the QMJHL — who had 112 points in 52 down,” he said. “With these high picks, I don’t think there’s been any games this past season — but the feeling is that the next two prospects, (major) movement since the twins. center Quinton Byfield and forward Tim Stutzle, are head and shoulders above everyone else. “What’s amazing is both of those deals happened on the floor.”

And it is the presence of Byfield — considered a big, strong pivot — at Burke tried his best to pull off a third major draft deal when the Ducks No. 2 that might make the Rangers listen to an offer. had the No. 2 pick in 2005, and they ended up taking Bobby Ryan. He tried to put deals in motion but didn’t get anywhere with his GM brethren. After the Rangers won the lottery, a segment of their fan base went into high gear on Twitter, noting they needed a center more than a winger. “I knew no one else had Bobby as high as we did,” Burke said. “I tried to Rangers president John Davidson did not rule that out on Wednesday in trade down and they wouldn’t even talk to me. Doug Risebrough (then of the Two-Man Advantage podcast. the Minnesota Wild) wouldn’t even talk to me.”

“That’s a great question,” Davidson said. “There’s a lot of general managers in the New York area that wear Rangers jerseys. It’s The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020 interesting — all this stuff. When you sit there and you’re going to get the No. 1 pick, it opens up a whole lot of different thoughts and ideas. Most teams when they get the No. 1 pick, it’s generally a player that’s a very, very good player. So you don’t mess with it all. 1191034 Los Angeles Kings The University of Maine product will re-join a Reign squad that is expected to add several first-year North American pros to its ranks, in addition to some returning faces from last year’s squad. One of those familiar faces will be Doty, who’s contributions to the team came in a BYRON, DOTY BRING THEIR OWN UNIQUE SKILLSETS BACK TO different way. REIGN Though his offensively driven season in the EIHL might say otherwise, at the AHL level, no one is mistaking Doty for a scorer, nor does he pretend to be one. The 6-3 forward knows his strengths on the ice, and those BY ZACH DOOLEY strengths bring something different to the team than any other player on FOR LAKINGSINSIDER.COM the roster.

AUGUST 13, 2020 “Just a really honest hard-working guy that strives to get better every day,” Seeley said. “Dots can play on a regular basis and has the ability to create positive moment shifts during a game. He brings an element of physicality to our group and his presence allows our group to play with a Two different players, two different roles, one thing in common. Blaine little bit more confidence. We look forward to having him back for the Byron and Jacob Doty are back with the Ontario Reign for another 2020-21 season.” season. For Doty, just returning to the AHL was an accomplishment in its own. Both players were, in their own way, unexpected members of the 2019- 20 Reign roster. Doty, by his own admission, wasn’t even necessarily The veteran forward hadn’t played an AHL game since 2016, when he thinking he’d make the team to begin the season, but following a strong skated four in four contests with the Chicago Wolves before he was training camp on a professional try out (PTO), he was on the opening assigned to the ECHL. From there, Doty went on to spend three seasons night roster after he impressed the coaching staff and management with split between two leagues separated by one letter and one ocean, the his toughness and physical presence. ECHL and the EIHL. In his mind, he had almost come to terms with being an ECHL-level player, until he signed the PTO with Ontario a couple Byron, on the other hand, began the season across the country in the weeks before training camp in 2019. Eastern Conference with the Springfield Thunderbirds. With Ontario’s forward corps depleted due to injuries and callups in mid-December, the From there, a hard-working camp impressed the staff enough to extend Reign acquired the then 25-year-old forward via trade, and immediately that PTO into the start of the season, a move which ended only when inserted him into their lineup. Doty earned an AHL contract midway through the season.

“I like the way that both players carry themselves on and off the ice, they “Everything happened so fast for me last year,” he said. “I think I signed a have good practice habits, a high compete level in games and are good PTO maybe two or three weeks before training camp, and I ended up teammates, they’re guys we want in our group,” Ontario Reign General sticking and staying the whole year, which was nice. It was nice, for me, Manager Rich Seeley said of the two re-signings. to show myself that I can play there again. If you look at my Elite Prospects, I was kind of over in the UK for parts of two years, and in the Byron immediately clicked in the Ontario lineup, slotting in on a line with [ECHL] and I kind of accepted myself as being a Coast guy. When I Jaret Anderson-Dolan and Mikey Eyssimont, a line which became came into camp, I had a good camp and wound up staying all year, Ontario’s most productive unit as the team continued to grind out wins which was nice and I was happy to do that.” and keep itself in the midst of the playoff push. While he spent the entire season with Ontario, outside of a three-game “I think I found some instant chemistry with guys right off the way, with assignment to ECHL-Allen to get some game time in, Doty appeared in JAD and Mikey Eyssimont there, and with Matt Luff,” Byron said. “When 18 AHL games with the Reign, serving as a healthy scratch on more you can find chemistry with guys, it definitely makes the transition easier. nights than not. I thought I did a good job of earning the trust of the coaching staff, and I think it was a really good trade for me, personally. I was definitely happy Despite a limited run in the lineup, where he collected an assist, Doty with it.” was a positive influence in the locker room, setting strong practice and off-ice habits for his younger teammates. While he didn’t quite establish That’s not to say that Byron wasn’t an effective player with Springfield, the game totals he would have liked, Doty was able to stay positive where he was in the midst of his third season at the time of the deal. The through the scratches. 6-0 forward scored at around a half point-per-game pace in his 107 games with the Thunderbirds, as one of 15 players in franchise history “It’s getting back in, just trying to stay positive,” Doty said of powering with more than 100 games played in its existence. through. “It’s finding something, just looking forward to that next chance. I think I did a good job of staying positive this year, and I was mostly just The Westward movement, however, provided Byron with a fresh start happy to be back in the American League. Now, I’m looking to take and a new outlook, as well as an intriguing new opportunity to take his another step going into this season, and all I can do is prepare myself for game to another level. that.” “Coming from the trade, I didn’t know much about [the Reign], so I just Looking ahead, Doty’s next step is to cement himself as a regular in the tried to look at it as a fresh opportunity to show who I am and kind of Reign lineup. As Seeley mentioned, he feels that Doty has the ability to identify the kind of player I was,” Byron said. “I just took the opportunity take that next step, to play a regular shift on most night, and the Montana and tried to run with it.” native has the same sentiments. From the team’s point of view, management was happy with how Byron “I have a new belief that I am a player and can be a full-time American came in, and it wasn’t just about his play on the ice, which was, by the Leaguer,” Doty said. “I think my next step is that I’m coming for a roster way, excellent as he led the team in scoring from the time he was spot every night. I was mostly out of the lineup last year, but I’m looking acquired in mid-December. to take that next step and be a regular, push to be in that lineup every Beyond just his 21 points from 29 games was an excellent teammate and night. Personally, that’s how I’m taking it, and I think I’d be selling myself person, as well as a strong work ethic in practice and leadership qualities short if I wasn’t thinking like that.” in the locker room, traits that Seeley emphasized as reasons for bringing the forward back for a full season in Ontario. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 08.14.2020 “Blaine, he came in last year and did a really good job for us,” Seeley said. “It’s not easy being traded during the season and he joined our group seamlessly. He took advantage of his opportunity, quickly earning quality ice time contributing well offensively. I thought he had some chemistry with [Mikey] Eyssimont and Jaret Anderson-Dolan, they were an effective line, he also moved around within our group of forwards and was productive. Blaine is versatile, has good hockey IQ and possesses good leadership capabilities. We look forward to seeing Blaine continue to grow as a player” 1191035 Minnesota Wild And if Dubnyk returned to form, the Wild would have an affordable No. 1 goalie for a year, plus much more information to inform future decisions at the position.

This adds up for Wild: Trade Zach Parise, keep Devan Dubnyk For all of his blunt talk, Guerin will have trouble overhauling the roster. Moving Parise might help. Moving Dubnyk might not.

AUGUST 13, 2020 — 11:59PM Star Tribune LOADED: 08.14.2020 JIM SOUHAN

JIM SOUHAN @SOUHANSTRIB

Bill Guerin puts on a good press conference. He’s unusually blunt for an NHL executive, and wildly forthcoming for a Minnesota Wild executive.

Wild owner Craig Leipold hired Guerin less than a year ago to rid himself of Paul Fenton. Guerin had little time to make changes to the roster last summer. This year, before the trading deadline he dealt the popular Jason Zucker and fired the popular Bruce Boudreau, offering another sign that Guerin will be an aggressive and clear-eyed decisionmaker.

But there is a wide gulf between identifying systemic problems and fixing them. Former Wild GM correctly identified the franchise’s dearth of scoring and dynamic forward play, then made a series of moves that brought in forwards who didn’t fix the problem.

Guerin admits that the Wild isn’t good enough — the only rational view of a franchise that employs expensive veterans but hasn’t won a playoff series or play-in series since 2015. His roster will be blessed by the emergent Kevin Fiala and the finally-stateside Kirill Kaprizov, and cursed by the team’s traditional lack of a No. 1 center.

Guerin inherits the usual conundrum facing a Wild general manager: The Wild is too competitive to tank, and nowhere near good enough to win a Stanley Cup, and aggressiveness for the sake of aggressiveness doesn’t always produce desired results.

Can Guerin land a No. 1 center? Probably not right now.

Does he have other big decisions to make? Yes, and two may define his first full offseason.

What he does with Zach Parise and Devan Dubnyk will be telling, and perhaps pivotal.

Parise is signed through 2025 at about $8 million a year. At 36, he remains what he has been for the past few seasons — a good-not-great forward whose admirable playing style has left him battered.

Parise arrived in a package deal with Ryan Suter, but there is no longer reason to consider them a package deal. Suter came to Minnesota to be near his Wisconsin home. Parise came home to be near his father, J.P., and try to help the Wild win a Stanley Cup.

J.P. died in 2015. The Wild is not likely to contend for a Cup with its current roster — in part because of Parise and Suter’s salaries and ages.

If Parise waives his no-trade clause, he could join a team closer to the Cup, and provide Guerin with a trading chip. Parise wouldn’t bring a No. 1 center in return, but he could bring younger, more affordable talent to the Wild, players who might grow alongside Fiala and Kaprizov.

Dubnyk’s situation is nothing like Parise’s. Dubnyk had a terrible season, in part if not wholly because of his wife’s illness. His play led to Guerin criticizing the Wild’s goalie play, which was subpar statistically.

Parise could help the Wild by leaving. I’m not sure that’s true of Dubnyk.

Alex Stalock played well for stretches this year. Kaapo Kahkonen is promising but unproven and probably wouldn’t draw much attention from Wild fans if not for the struggles of Dubnyk in the regular season and Stalock in the Vancouver series.

Guerin could try to trade for or sign a goalie, but either move would cost the Wild assets.

Unless Guerin has inside information leading him to believe that Dubnyk will never return to form, wouldn’t the best move at goalie be no move?

Dubnyk is 34. He has one year remaining on his contract. If he was treated as the starter in the upcoming season and faltered, Stalock and Kahkonen would get a chance to duel for the No. 1 job before Guerin was required to make a major move at the position. 1191036 Minnesota Wild And if Dubnyk returned to form, the Wild would have an affordable No. 1 goalie for a year, plus much more information to inform future decisions at the position.

This adds up for Wild: Trade Zach Parise, keep Devan Dubnyk For all of his blunt talk, Guerin will have trouble overhauling the roster. Moving Parise might help. Moving Dubnyk might not.

AUGUST 13, 2020 — 11:59PM Star Tribune LOADED: 08.14.2020 JIM SOUHAN

JIM SOUHAN @SOUHANSTRIB

Bill Guerin puts on a good press conference. He’s unusually blunt for an NHL executive, and wildly forthcoming for a Minnesota Wild executive.

Wild owner Craig Leipold hired Guerin less than a year ago to rid himself of Paul Fenton. Guerin had little time to make changes to the roster last summer. This year, before the trading deadline he dealt the popular Jason Zucker and fired the popular Bruce Boudreau, offering another sign that Guerin will be an aggressive and clear-eyed decisionmaker.

But there is a wide gulf between identifying systemic problems and fixing them. Former Wild GM Chuck Fletcher correctly identified the franchise’s dearth of scoring and dynamic forward play, then made a series of moves that brought in forwards who didn’t fix the problem.

Guerin admits that the Wild isn’t good enough — the only rational view of a franchise that employs expensive veterans but hasn’t won a playoff series or play-in series since 2015. His roster will be blessed by the emergent Kevin Fiala and the finally-stateside Kirill Kaprizov, and cursed by the team’s traditional lack of a No. 1 center.

Guerin inherits the usual conundrum facing a Wild general manager: The Wild is too competitive to tank, and nowhere near good enough to win a Stanley Cup, and aggressiveness for the sake of aggressiveness doesn’t always produce desired results.

Can Guerin land a No. 1 center? Probably not right now.

Does he have other big decisions to make? Yes, and two may define his first full offseason.

What he does with Zach Parise and Devan Dubnyk will be telling, and perhaps pivotal.

Parise is signed through 2025 at about $8 million a year. At 36, he remains what he has been for the past few seasons — a good-not-great forward whose admirable playing style has left him battered.

Parise arrived in a package deal with Ryan Suter, but there is no longer reason to consider them a package deal. Suter came to Minnesota to be near his Wisconsin home. Parise came home to be near his father, J.P., and try to help the Wild win a Stanley Cup.

J.P. died in 2015. The Wild is not likely to contend for a Cup with its current roster — in part because of Parise and Suter’s salaries and ages.

If Parise waives his no-trade clause, he could join a team closer to the Cup, and provide Guerin with a trading chip. Parise wouldn’t bring a No. 1 center in return, but he could bring younger, more affordable talent to the Wild, players who might grow alongside Fiala and Kaprizov.

Dubnyk’s situation is nothing like Parise’s. Dubnyk had a terrible season, in part if not wholly because of his wife’s illness. His play led to Guerin criticizing the Wild’s goalie play, which was subpar statistically.

Parise could help the Wild by leaving. I’m not sure that’s true of Dubnyk.

Alex Stalock played well for stretches this year. Kaapo Kahkonen is promising but unproven and probably wouldn’t draw much attention from Wild fans if not for the struggles of Dubnyk in the regular season and Stalock in the Vancouver series.

Guerin could try to trade for or sign a goalie, but either move would cost the Wild assets.

Unless Guerin has inside information leading him to believe that Dubnyk will never return to form, wouldn’t the best move at goalie be no move?

Dubnyk is 34. He has one year remaining on his contract. If he was treated as the starter in the upcoming season and faltered, Stalock and Kahkonen would get a chance to duel for the No. 1 job before Guerin was required to make a major move at the position. 1191037 Minnesota Wild — It wouldn’t affect this year’s salary cap space, but could we see the Wild extend the contracts of Brodin, Kevin Fiala or Marcus Foligno, and how would that affect other decisions?

Wild depth chart: Where things stand before what should be a busy “We’re going to have to try to mix things up a little bit here this offseason offseason,” Guerin said on the podcast. “The amount of things that we’re going to try to do or be able to do is still up in the air. We’ll see. There’s some possibilities.”

By Michael Russo Every move Guerin wants to do has repercussions.

Aug 13, 2020 For instance, sign a free-agent goalie, and you may be forced to buy out Dubnyk. Sign a goalie, and you may be deciding Kahkonen’s not the

goalie of the future. Acquire a lucratively-paid center, and that could For 15 years, I’ve always begun the offseason by putting together a Wild mean you’re not signing someone else down the road or not leaving depth chart with cap hits in an attempt to create some clarity for you, the enough cap space to eventually re-sign Kaprizov or Fiala. fans, and to provide a guide for our loyal readers to follow along with until “You have to be prepared, organized and move with purpose,” Guerin training camp. said. “You can’t just do things because you just feel like doing them. … In most years, all you’ve got to do is take a look at the depth chart and You have to be thorough, you have to be organized. … Not just trading a you’ll have a pretty good idea of what’s going to transpire in the player and bringing a new player in. There are a bunch of different effects offseason. that one move can make and you have to think of everything.”

Who needs to be re-signed? Who could be traded? Where are the holes The 2019-20 cap ceiling was $81.5 million. It’s expected to remain flat that could be filled in free agency? How much money can they spend? despite the immense damage done to the sport during the pandemic.

This offseason — and only partially because my brain is already twisted Add up the players below, and the Wild have $14.8 million to spend this into a pretzel trying to forget years of knowing the critical dates calendar offseason assuming nothing changes. That does not include the re- by heart and trying to absorb and memorize the new one in this signings of roster-locked restricted free agents Kunin and Greenway or strangely-timed offseason on the horizon — I’ve got no clue what next the re-signings of Sturm and Kahkonen. If those two players were to year’s roster is going to look like. make next season’s team out of camp, they must be included in that available cap space. Wild general manager Bill Guerin has made it no secret that he wants to make changes this offseason. This also does not include if the Wild re-sign Koivu or Galchenyuk, and it does not include whatever the heck it’s going to cost to re-sign Soucy. He discussed it during his season wrapup Monday with reporters and again Wednesday on my Straight From the Source podcast. Soucy was supposed to be a restricted free agent this offseason. But if you’re 25 or older with at least three professional seasons and have yet After being gifted a playoff spot in the NHL’s 24-team return to play, the to play 80 NHL games, your status automatically changes to a Group 6 Wild did what they usually do — bow out easily, this time after winning unrestricted free agent. Game 1 then subsequently losing three in a row in a best-of-five play-in vs. the Vancouver Canucks. Soucy has played 66 NHL games.

“I’ve got to figure out what’s the issue,” Guerin said on the podcast. “Why So now that Soucy is free to sign with 30 other NHL teams, it could cost have we been falling short? The teams are good. The guys play hard, but the Wild significantly more money than expected to keep him. there’s something rooted here that it’s not working and it’s not just trading Remember, Soucy ranked fourth among NHL rookie defensemen with players and changing the GM and things like that. It’s something in the seven goals, tied for ninth with 14 points, tied for fourth with a plus-16 way we operate every day. It’s something in the culture, and we need to and was first with a .115 shooting percentage this past season. change it.” As a restricted free agent, evolving-hockey.com had him projected to get So, here’s why next year’s depth chart is so hard to figure out: $1.66 million per season on a three-year deal. So one would think Soucy may be able to command more than $2 million annually now. — Will the Wild bundle up a whole bunch of assets, including potentially one of Jonas Brodin or Matt Dumba, and parlay that into a No. 1 center? Greenway and Kunin, similarly, could be in the $2.5-million range.

— Will the Wild look to sign a top-six center in free agency? Oh, and as for that new critical date calendar, just so you know, all non- playoff teams can make trades now. — Will the Wild trade one of their goalies and acquire a goalie via trade or free agency and/or promote Kaapo Kahkonen? All of the following is considered tentative: The NHL Draft is slated for Oct. 6. That’s the same day clubs must tender qualifying offers to retain — Will the Wild revisit the Zach Parise trade that fell apart with the New the rights of restricted free agents. The first buyout period is the later of York Islanders in February? Oct. 8 or six days after the Stanley Cup final. Free agency begins the later of Oct. 9 or seven days after the Stanley Cup final. Player-elected — Will the Wild re-sign Mikko Koivu and/or Alex Galchenyuk or let them arbitration is Oct. 10 with hearings running Oct. 20-Nov. 8. Training go? camps open Nov. 17 with the 2020-21 season (as of now) starting Dec. — How much will it cost to re-sign restricted free agents Jordan 1. Greenway, Luke Kunin, Nico Sturm and Kahkonen? So buckle up for a lot of stories and news the rest of what could be a very — Will the Wild re-sign defenseman Carson Soucy, and if so, how much eventful offseason. will that cost? For now, to get us started, here’s a refresher on the Wild’s current roster — If the Wild can’t trade Devan Dubnyk or Victor Rask, will they buy heading into this convoluted offseason: either out to create a little more cap relief? Forwards — Can the Wild find a way to trade very expensive veteran Mats 1 Zuccarello, who has a no-move clause? Kirill Kaprizov ($1.38+M) — Could we see the Wild trade Greenway, whom Guerin made clear on the podcast he wasn’t pleased with, or Ryan Donato, who is too skilled to Eric Staal ($3.25M) be a fourth-liner or press-box fixture? Kevin Fiala ($3M) — Will defenseman Greg Pateryn be healthy enough to start next season or maybe start on injured reserve or long-term injured reserve (LTIR) if 2 the Wild need the cap relief? Zach Parise ($7.53+M) Joel Eriksson Ek ($1.48+M) person and talked through texts and things like that. So I think our relationship was already underway. So I think it was good for Dean. Mats Zuccarello ($6M) “We’re just happy that he’s in town and being able to kind of get a feel for 3 it anyways. We got him a physical and things like that and we’re going to Jordan Greenway (RFA) try to check a few boxes with him.”

Nico Sturm (RFA) One of the biggest is to give him a tour of the team’s practice facility, the arena, have him meet a few teammates and look for a place to live for Luke Kunin (RFA) once he returns to Minnesota before training camp.

4 “He’s really happy and comfortable,” Guerin said. “I know he likes the outdoors. He’s from Siberia. So there’s a lot of outdoors to deal with out Marcus Foligno ($2.875M) there, but he likes the fishing and outdoors life. And I think he’s going to Victor Rask ($4M) be very comfortable here. And his English, I tell you what, his English is, — I said in my interviews before that it’s better than he gives himself Ryan Hartman ($1.9M) credit for. It was better than I was giving him credit for. This kid, I mean, his English is excellent. He misses a couple of words here and there, but Ryan Donato ($1.9M) it’s very good. And everybody after meeting him for the first time, they’re Unrestricted free agents: Mikko Koivu, Alex Galchenyuk, Sam Anas, J.T. like, ‘Wow, what a great kid. What a great personality.’ Brown, Kyle Rau, Mike Liambas, Colton Beck. “(Assistant GM Tom Kurvers) said this morning, ‘That’s a happy kid.’ And Vying for spots: Sturm, Gerry Mayhew ($700K), Mitchell Chaffee that’s pretty cool.” ($1.775M), Luke Johnson ($700K), Gabriel Dumont ($700K), Dmitry Wild gets Pens’ first-rounder in 2021 Sokolov ($830K), Mason Shaw ($925K), Brandon Duhaime ($925K), Connor Dewar ($925K), Will Bitten ($910K), Damien Giroux ($850K). The Pittsburgh Penguins have decided to defer the first-round pick they owe the Wild from the Jason Zucker trade to 2021. That pick will be Playing in the KHL in 2020-21: Alex Khovanov, Ivan Lodnia. unprotected, meaning the Wild will get it no matter what — even if the Defensemen Penguins fall off the rails next season and win the lottery.

1

Ryan Suter ($7.53+M) The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020

Jared Spurgeon ($7.575M)

2

Jonas Brodin ($4.16+M)

Matt Dumba ($6M)

3

Brad Hunt ($700K)

Greg Pateryn ($2.25M)

Open spot

Unrestricted free agents: Carson Soucy, Matt Bartkowski.

Vying for spots: Calen Addison ($925K), Louis Belpedio (RFA), Brennan Menell (RFA), Fedor Gordeev ($791+K), Hunter Warner (RFA), Stepan Falkovsky (RFA).

Goalies

Devan Dubnyk ($4.33+M)

Alex Stalock ($785K)

Vying for spot: Kaapo Kahkonen (RFA).

In the system: Mat Robson (RFA), Dereck Baribeau ($733+K), Hunter Jones ($925K).

Totals

Salary cap hit: $66,686,922 (including Kaprizov)

Projected salary cap: $81.5 million

Salary cap space before re-signing restricted, perhaps re-signing unrestricted free agents: $14,813,078

Kaprizov arrives in the Twin Cities

Wild coach picked up prospect Kirill Kaprizov at the airport around 5:15 p.m. Monday and he’s currently quarantining in a St. Paul hotel. Guerin would have loved to welcome Kaprizov, too, but his arrival came at the exact moment the Wild GM had to be on the draft lottery TV show. The Wild wound up not winning the lottery and will pick ninth overall in the October draft.

“I think it’s good that him and Dean got to meet right away and hit it off and I think it worked out great,” Guerin said. “Kirill and I had met in 1191038 Montreal Canadiens As a player, Muller helped the Canadiens win their most recent Stanley Cup in 1993.

Canadiens coach Claude Julien in hospital with chest problems, Muller Globe And Mail LOADED: 08.14.2020 takes over

Stephen Whyno

TORONTO

The Associated Press

Published August 13, 2020

Montreal Canadiens coach Claude Julien experienced chest pains Wednesday night, was taken by ambulance to a Toronto hospital and is expected to be out the remainder of his team’s first-round playoff series.

General manager Marc Bergevin explained Julien’s absence from practice Thursday and confirmed the situation is not COVID-19 related. Julien, 60, remained in the hospital Thursday afternoon while more tests were being conducted to determine the cause of his condition.

“I think he’s in good hands at the hospital here, and everything should be fine and we hope for the best,” Bergevin said. “A little shock and concern, but after talking to Dr. (David) Mulder, there is some good news early this afternoon. ... Hopefully he could be ready shortly and go back home.”

Associate coach Kirk Muller will assume Julien’s duties for the remainder of Montreal’s series against the Philadelphia Flyers. Bergevin and captain Shea Weber expressed confidence in Muller and the rest of the coaching staff to handle the hockey side of this in Julien’s absence.

“The other coaches, they know what our system is,” Weber said. “They’ve put all this plan in place, as well, and they’re going to do a good job leading us that way. ... We’ve still got to compete the same way we’ve been going and accomplish the same things we’re trying to do.”

Flyers coach is a longtime friend of Julien and looked shaken about 20 minutes after he heard the news.

“A lot of things go through your mind, and especially I’ve known Claude since I’ve been 20 and we’ve been through different things without a doubt in our relationship,” Vigneault said. “Right now I want to get this press conference done to go see if I can’t reach out to (Bergevin) and find out the latest development.”

Bergevin does not expect Julien’s family to join him at the hospital in Toronto. Players, coaches and staff are in a quarantined bubble to get through the playoffs.

The Canadiens won their qualifying round series to make it to the round of 16. They trail the Flyers 1-0 in the first round, with Game 2 set for Friday night.

“We beat the Pittsburgh Penguins and it’s not the coaches that beat them, it’s the players,” Bergevin said. “We shocked a lot of people in winning the first series, and I expect them to raise to the occasion and keep on going.”

Story continues below

Playing not only for themselves but for Julien only gives Canadiens players added motivation.

“In these situations, there’s always a little bit of an emotional factor and, like Marc said, a shock factor,” Weber said. “The biggest concern is obviously his health, and we want to make sure he’s healthy first. But I think that that’s something that for sure we can draw on and use that.”

A native of Blind River, Ont., Julien has been an NHL head coach since 2002 when he began his first run as coach of the Canadiens.

Julien guided the Boston Bruins to the Stanley Cup in 2011. He returned to coach Montreal midway through the 2016-17 season.

Muller is also in his second stint on the Habs coaching staff. He was an assistant from 2006 to 2011.

The native of Kingston, Ont., was head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes for three seasons from 2011 to ’14. 1191039 Montreal Canadiens That set the stage for an incredible sequence that could have ended in a Philadelphia goal – or serious injury – at the other end.

Scott Laughton, who has a team-leading five points, took a behind-the- Carter Hart backstops Flyers to 2-1 win over Canadiens in Game 1 back feed from Kevin Hayes with Price completely out of position. Canadiens rookie centre Nick Suzuki found himself in front the vacated net as Laughton wound up for a point-blank slapshot, but Montreal’s netminder made a miraculous, desperation stick stop to save a goal, and Joshua Clipperton potentially Suzuki from a trip to the dentist or doctor. Toronto “Just kind of tucked my head,” said the 20-year-old Suzuki. “Carey did an The Canadian Press unbelievable job there saving that and saving my head.”

Published August 12, 2020 Hart, who grew up idolizing Price, then made a good stop on Paul Byron on a 3-on-1 break before Weber and Farabee traded goals. Updated 21 hours ago “I’ve got to know Carter and got to know how he sees the game and handles the situation,” Vigneault said. “He’s been through big games before and played well. Claude Julien marvelled at the Philadelphia Flyers this week. “He’s just going out and doing what he’s supposed to do, giving us a The head coach of the Montreal Canadiens was impressed by their chance to win games.” depth, team play and skill from top to bottom. Price stopped Hayes early in the third, and then held the fort on a 4-on-3 Despite a disappointing result Wednesday, Julien has now seen first- power play that saw Sean Couturier come close from the doorstep. hand that his roster can hang with the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia got another power play with under nine minutes to go, but the best chance came after the penalty expired when former Canadiens Carter Hart made 27 saves, Joel Farabee scored 16 seconds after centre Nate Thompson – dealt at the trade deadline with Montreal having Montreal tied the game, and the Flyers defeated the Canadiens 2-1 in the thrown in the towel on the season – somehow missed a tap-in from the opener of their first-round playoff series. lip of the crease. After a sluggish first period – Montreal’s first action since eliminating the The Canadiens had a couple opportunities with Price on the bench for an heavily-favoured Pittsburgh Penguins in the qualifying round Friday – the extra attacker, but Hart denied Phillip Danault in tight before Suzuki hit Canadiens got their legs going in the second and went blow-for-blow with the crossbar with under 30 seconds to go. the Broadstreet Bullies. “We generated a ton,” Suzuki said. “We’ve shown that we can play “I thought we did well,” Julien said. “The first period was a tough period against the top teams in the league, and this team is definitely one of for us. Whether it was because we hadn’t played in the last four or five them.” days or whether we’re a little nervous and trying to feel our way through, but I thought from the second period on, we really started playing our Flyers winger Jakub Voracek returned to the lineup after missing his game. team’s final two round-robin games, and made an immediate impact on a Philadelphia power play that entered 0 for 11. “We built some confidence in knowing that we can play with these guys.” Provorov’s one-timer from the point tipped off Byron’s stick up high and Ivan Provorov had the other goal for the Flyers, who will look to take a 2- snuck its way through Price with Voracek providing a screen at 8:54 of 0 lead in the best-of-seven matchup Friday afternoon. Shea Weber the first. replied for the Canadiens, while Carey Price stopped 29 shots in the loss. The Canadiens got a scare later in the period when Derek Grant bowled “It’s what we expected,” Philadelphia head coach Alain Vigneault said. Price over after getting shoved by Xavier Ouellet off the rush. The “Low-scoring, tight-checking game. Two good teams, good goaltending Montreal goalie, whose leg folded awkwardly underneath him for a split on both sides.” second, faked like he was going to give Grant a blocker to the face in Montreal, the final club in the NHL’s 24-team restart, stunned the retaliation – perhaps channelling former Flyers goalie and noted pugilist Penguins – who had the NHL’s seventh-best record when the schedule Ron Hextall – but held back before a scrum ensued in the crease. was halted because of the COVID-19 pandemic five months ago – 3-1 in It was an early indication Montreal won’t be going down without a fight. the best-of-five qualifying round to book a place in the usual 16-slot playoff bracket. “They’re an extremely good team,” Julien said of the Flyers. “I’d like to think that our team is a good enough team to play with these guys.” Story continues below They certainly showed that in Game 1.. Philadelphia, meanwhile, sat fourth of four teams vying for the No. 1 seed in the East, but beat the Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning by a combined 11-3 scoreline in the round-robin tournament to grab the top spot. Globe And Mail LOADED: 08.14.2020

“We showed that we can play with them,” Weber said. “We believe that we can play with them.”

Down 1-0 after that tentative first, the Canadiens showed some life and got even at 14:38 of the second when their power play, which came in a league-worst 0 for 12 in the post-season, finally connected. Hart stopped Weber’s one-time blast, but the puck popped out of a crowd in front to the Montreal captain, who snapped home his third.

The teams were even for exactly 16 seconds, however, as Farabee picked up his own rebound deflection on what looked like a nothing play to double his total.

Montreal, which sat 18 points behind Philadelphia in the standings back in March, had some chances earlier in the period, with Arrturi Lehkonen coming close with the teams playing 4-on-4 before Flyers captain hit the post. Lehkonen then fell down on a potential 2-on-0 as Montreal didn’t even get a shot off. 1191040 Montreal Canadiens is. Everybody is prepared each and every day as far as what needs to be done so you can give yourself a chance to win. So I would say being organized and being the kind of guy that’s on top of a lot of details in every part of the game on and off the ice.” Kirk Muller takes over head-coaching duties for Canadiens

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 08.14.2020 Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette

Aug 14, 2020

TORONTO — Suddenly, whether the Canadiens win or lose their playoff series against the Philadelphia Flyers doesn’t seem so important.

Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin announced during a video conference Thursday afternoon that head coach Claude Julien was taken to hospital by ambulance late Wednesday night after suffering from chest pains following his team’s 2-1 loss to the Flyers in Game 1 of their best-of- seven first-round series.

“A little shock and concerned,” Bergevin said when asked about his reaction to the news. “But after talking to Dr. (David) Mulder (the team physician) there is some good news early this afternoon. So moving forward, I met with the coaches this morning. I have faith in them.”

Bergevin added that Julien’s situation has nothing to do with COVID-19.

“He’s in good hands at the hospital here and everything should be fine and we hope for the best,” the GM said. “There was some positive news, so hopefully he could be ready shortly and go back home.”

Bergevin doesn’t expect Julien to return behind the bench for the duration of this playoff series with Game 2 slated for Friday afternoon at the Scotiabank Arena (3 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio). Associate coach Kirk Muller will take over the head-coaching duties with help from assistants Dominique Ducharme and Luke Richardson.

“We beat the Pittsburgh Penguins, it’s not the coaches that beat them, it’s the players, and we have the same group,” Bergevin said about the Canadiens’ qualifying-round victory. “I thought last night our game, without going into details, we were a little maybe nervous in the first 20. But after that, I felt our team was coming and we played hard, we competed hard, and I expect the same thing tomorrow. We shocked a lot of people in the first series and I expect them to raise to the occasion and keep on going.”

Said captain Shea Weber: “I think the other coaches, they know what our system is, they’ve put all this plan in place as well and they’re going to do a good job leading us that way. I think that my role is not really going to change much. We’ve still got to compete the same way we’ve been going and accomplish the same things we’re trying to do. So I don’t think it’s going to change a whole lot that way.

“I think in these situations there’s always a little bit of an emotional factor and, kind of like Marc said, a shock factor, obviously,” Weber added. “Everybody learned about this this morning. The biggest concern is, obviously, his health and we want to make sure he’s healthy first. But I think that that’s something that for sure we can draw on and use that … we were motivated in the first place, but this could just draw up a little bit more, even more out of that.”

Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault and Julien have a long history together. They were teammates — both defencemen — for two seasons in the early 1980s with the CHL’s Salt Lake Golden Eagles.

“There’s no doubt when I found out about it 20-somewhat minutes ago a lot of things go through your mind,” Vigneault said during a video conference Thursday afternoon. “Especially, I’ve known Claude since I’ve been 20 and we’ve been through different things, without a doubt, in our relationship. So right now I want to get this press conference done to go see if I can reach out to maybe Berg to find out the latest development.”

Julien turned 60 on April 23 and is in his second stint as head coach of the Canadiens after replacing Michel Therrien on Feb. 14, 2017. He has been a head coach in the NHL for 18 seasons and won the Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011.

Rick Green was an assistant coach under Julien during his first stint behind the Canadiens bench.

When asked what he admires most about Julien as a coach, Green said: “His organization. I think that everybody on his staff knows what their job 1191041 Montreal Canadiens in the first period and were leading 1-0 on a power-play goal by Jakub Voracek.

“I thought we had a little bit of a rusty start,” Canadiens captain Shea Canadiens Notebook: Carey Price makes save of the night in Game 1 Weber said after the game. “I thought we were slow out of the gates, loss maybe due to not playing for a bunch of days there. But I thought as the game went on we got better. I mean, we showed that we can play with them, we believe that we can play with them. You know it’s a seven- game series. It was a tight game tonight and it should be a good series Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette going forward.” Aug 14, 2020 What adjustments did the Canadiens make after the first period?

“To be honest, there was a couple of things,” Weber said. “But, like I TORONTO — It was a save for the ages. said, I think we were just rusty. We hadn’t played for a while there. Maybe you kind of lose that edge, that drive for the game. I think the first It also might have saved Nick Suzuki’s life during the Canadiens’ 2-1 loss period kind of woke us up and we got our legs under us again. I thought to the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series also in the first we didn’t do a good job of getting pucks behind their D. I Wednesday night at Scotiabank Arena. think we flipped a lot of pucks to their D and they were able to use their transition and speed like they want to. That’s kind of something that they With eight minutes left in the second period and Philadelphia leading 1-0, thrive on.” Scott Laughton was set up in the slot with Carey Price caught sliding out of his crease and the Flyers forward wound up for a blast. Canadiens Weber scored the lone Canadiens goal in Game 1, giving him 3-2-5 forward Nick Suzuki was hustling on the backcheck and found himself totals in five postseason games. In 70 career playoff games, Weber has alone in the crease trying to play goalie. With the puck headed toward 17-19-36 totals. Suzuki’s head, Price lunged back with his stick and somehow deflected the puck over the net. Flyers coach Alain Vigneault was asked Thursday what adjustments his team might need to make for Game 2. “I wasn’t quite sure what it hit, but it was coming at me,” Suzuki said after the game. “I just kind of tucked my head and I was hoping it was going to “You know, really what we expected is what happened,” he said. “If you hit me and block the shot. But Carey did an unbelievable job there saving don’t manage the puck well against Montreal, they can be the top two or that, saved my head, for sure.” three speed in the league. In the second period, our puck management slipped and they came at us, came at us extremely hard. That’s why you During a video conference Thursday afternoon, Laughton said he need good goaltending. watched the play afterwards on video. “We’ve got real solid goaltending throughout the game, but especially in “Probably see what you could have done different,” the Flyers forward that second period when they came at us,” Vigneault added. “One of our said. “He’s a world-class goalie and one of the best for a reason. He emphasis is making sure with the puck, we’re making the right decisions. sticks his stick out there. I honestly tried to shoot it as hard as I could. A We didn’t do it consistently. I thought we did it for the most part in the first little bit of an open net and tried to put in as hard as I could. Didn’t really and third period but, obviously, in the second period they made it real see what happened at first. I had to check the iPad. Really, really good challenging for us.” save by a good goalie. Hopefully can get one by him next game.” Flyers goalie Carter Hart gave himself an early birthday present when he Was Laughton afraid he might hit Suzuki in the face or the head with the made 27 saves in Wednesday night’s win. shot? On Thursday, Hart turned 22. “To be honest, I didn’t see him right away,” Laughton said. “I was mid slapshot when I saw him in the net. You definitely don’t want to injure a “I think some guys got him some ice cream yesterday after the game and guy when he’s that close in and you’re that close in. At the same time, sang him ‘Happy Birthday,'” teammate Shayne Gostisbehere said during you’ve got to try and score. I tried to go top left there and he was kind of a video conference Thursday. “He’s been pretty good, so let him do his more in the middle of the net. I don’t know if it would have gone in if Price thing.” didn’t get his stick on. You definitely don’t want to try and take a slapshot Flyers captain Claude Giroux was asked what type of person Hart is off at a guy’s head when he’s in the crease like that. I tried to go to the left the ice. side of the net and Price made a really good save.” “I think before games, he’s in a zone,” Giroux said. “He kind of does his Here’s how Price described the save after the game: “Obviously, just own thing. I think pretty much how a goalie is. Off the ice, when we are desperate there and Nick made himself big and I think he got a piece of it back in the bubble, I think he is great storyteller. Justin (Braun) can back as well.” me up on that. I think he’s funny in his own way. He’s a goalie. He’s The Canadiens’ Brendan Gallagher and Tomas Tatar both scored 22 funny.” goals during the regular season to tie for the team lead. Five games into “He’s a great young goalie,” teammate Sean Couturier said about Hart this postseason, they are both still looking for their first goal. after Wednesday night’s game. “A lot of potential. He’s just a true pro Gallagher leads the Canadiens with 24 shots on goal during the ever since he got in. He does a lot of little things right. On and off the ice postseason (including a team-high seven in Game 1 against the Flyers), he prepares himself like a true pro. You can just respect that from a but Tatar has only five shots in five games and had none Wednesday young guy, a young goalie. He’s doing everything he can just to get night. After playing the last two seasons with Phillip Danault as their better.” centre, Gallagher and Tatar are now playing with Suzuki in the middle. How’s the ice? This isn’t the first time Gallagher and Tatar have struggled to score in the One of the big questions during this postseason is how’s the ice holding playoffs. up with so many games being played each day? In 45 career playoff games, Gallagher has 10 goals and he scored only Wednesday night’s Canadiens-Flyers game was the third of the day at one in six games three years ago when the Canadiens were eliminated the Scotiabank Arena. by the New York Rangers in the first round. “I think people are doing everything they can to give us the best ice In 30 career playoff games, Tatar has only four goals. In eight playoff possible,” Vigneault said. “Obviously, three games in a row and one that games with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2018, Tatar scored only one went into overtime can be challenging. I didn’t see a lot of differences in goal. the ice.” The Canadiens got off to a sluggish start Wednesday night after having “I thought the ice was pretty good,” Giroux added. “I think it was better not played since last Friday, when they eliminated the Pittsburgh than during the round-robin. … It was pretty good.” Penguins in the qualifying round. The Flyers outshot the Canadiens 11-5

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191042 Montreal Canadiens Rick Green got to know Julien as a hockey coach and a man as his assistant during Julien’s first stint as head coach of the Canadiens.

“We worked through some good times and bad times together, Stu Cowan: Wishing a speedy recovery to classy Habs coach Claude obviously,” Green said Thursday after the news broke. “One thing about Julien him, he’s loyal to you. He’s a guy that you really have no problem working with because he’s honest and he’s straightforward. There’s no ego, there’s nothing hidden. Everything is organized, everything’s in place. Obviously, for him to be in the business as long as he’s been he’s Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette done some great things. This is a real tough thing to hear. Aug 14, 2020 “He’s really a positive guy, an upbeat guy, a family guy,” Green added. “He enjoys people. He’s a guy that does have a sense of humour … you don’t see it all the time.” TORONTO — Claude Julien is a good man. Green sent Julien a text on his 60th birthday and the coach responded: Canadiens fans can argue whether he’s a good head coach — he “I’ll be getting a hold of you so you can let me know where the senior wouldn’t have lasted 18 years behind an NHL bench and won a Stanley discounts are.” Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011 if he wasn’t — but there is no argument that Julien is a good man. “He’s the kind of guy you like to be around because he’s very, very low key and he’s very pleasant,” Green said. “In tough times, you’d never General manager Marc Bergevin delivered shocking news Thursday know it. He’s the same type of personality and just wants to be the best afternoon during a video conference, announcing that Julien had been he can be. I would say he’s just an all-around good guy to be around and taken to hospital by ambulance late Wednesday night following the a real good family man.” Canadiens’ 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 1 of their playoff series. Get well, Claude.

“Claude felt chest pains during the night,” Bergevin said. “We immediately consulted our doctors and it was agreed to quickly transfer Montreal Gazette LOADED: 08.14.2020 him to the hospital by ambulance. He’s presently there and he’s under tests to determine exactly the nature of his condition. This has nothing to do with COVID.”

Bergevin added that he doesn’t expect Julien to be back for the duration of this playoff series and that associate coach Kirk Muller will take over the head-coaching duties. Game 2 is Friday afternoon(3 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio).

Bergevin said he received some “good news” from David Mulder, the team doctor, Thursday and he hopes Julien will be able to return home to Montreal soon.

Julien turned 60 on April 23 and has an extremely high-stress job where an entire city can second-guess every decision he makes. One month before leading the Canadiens to their last Stanley Cup in 1993, Jacques Demers spent a couple of days in hospital after suffering chest pains he later said were related to the stress and lifestyle of the job.

NHL head coaches work very long hours, as many as 16 on game days. In Montreal, they also have to deal with the constant media scrutiny and answer questions in two languages almost every day — and twice on game days. Now, you can add in the pressure and stress we’re all feeling with COVID-19.

But Julien, a religious man, handles it all with class — even when he gets upset. After a loss late in the regular season this year when Carey Price let in a bad goal, I questioned Julien about playing the goalie in 11 straight games and he blew up.

“I’m not going there,” Julien barked. “Guys, ask questions that make sense! He has a day’s rest between every game. We’re gonna look at one goal that went through him and say, ‘Is he tired?’ How about the saves he made? Come on, guys.”

The next day after practice, a member of the Canadiens’ media-relations team pulled me aside and said Julien had asked him to pass along his apologies for blowing up. Julien later apologized in person, saying he was upset with his team and was blowing off steam.

Those are the kind of behind-the-scenes stories I normally wouldn’t tell, but I think the timing is appropriate to share. I also hounded the Canadiens’ media people last season for a one-on-one interview with Julien, explaining I wanted to write about the man, not the hockey coach. Julien politely turned down the request, saying he wanted the focus to be on the team and not him.

Hockey was the main focus for much of Julien’s life as he bounced around the minor leagues as a defenceman for 12 seasons, only playing 14 games in the NHL with the Quebec Nordiques before starting his coaching career with the QMJHL’s Hull Olympiques, leading them to the 1997 Memorial Cup. He became a father for the first time at age 46 when his wife, Karen, gave birth. There are now three children at home. 1191043 Montreal Canadiens But the whole team also has to match Price’s heart. Did you see Price after Derek Grant smashed into him? He raised his blocker and looked ready to smash it into his face. Then he stopped, which was the only possible decision he could make. What the Puck: Canadiens need to show more grit to beat the Flyers But where were his teammates? This has been the story of Price’s career in Montreal. Every team tries to run him and his teammates stand around watching this happen. If Chris Kreider, Kyle Palmieri or Grant runs Price, Brendan Kelly • Montreal Gazette someone with a Habs jersey has to run them. Period. It’s a bit prehistoric Aug 13, 2020 but the message has to be that if you mess with our superstar, you mess with me. Why is that so hard for the Canadiens to understand? Montreal goes as far as Price takes them. Grant knows that. The Flyers know that. So don’t let them try to take out the heart and soul of the team. Show This is not the time to panic. some heart — and score more often on Hart. For the first time in this surprisingly exciting NHL post-season, your

Montreal Canadiens are trailing in a series, following a 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers Wednesday night. But far too many Habs fans, Montreal Gazette LOADED: 08.14.2020 among the most anxious in the entire world of professional sports, are flipping out today.

It’s time to remember one of Aislin’s most famous editorial cartoons in the Gazette. That was the one featuring René Lévesque and Robert Bourassa following Lévesque and his Parti Québécois’s shocking victory — shocking for us anglos anyway! — in November 1976. It shows the PQ leader, cigarette in hand, saying: “O.K. everybody, take a Valium!” Please take note Habs fans.

However, a major monkey wrench was thrown into the series with the news Thursday afternoon that Habs head coach Claude Julien has been taken to a Toronto hospital with chest pains. Assistant coach Kirk Muller will replace Julien. With one news flash, all of us are reminded that this is just a game and all fans’ thoughts are with Julien and his family.

The Flyers lead the series, but there’s lots of time for the Canadiens to recover. Take away the first period and the Canadiens went toe-to-toe with the Flyers for the remaining two periods and if it wasn’t for some heroics from the world’s biggest Carey Price fan — that would be the young lad Carter Hart — this could’ve well gone the other way. Heck, if it wasn’t for one zinger off a crossbar from 21-year-old star Nick Suzuki with 26.4 seconds left, this could’ve turned into another epic OT thriller.

I said it before the series and I’ll say it again, Montreal can beat Philadelphia and they will, in seven games. But — and this is a humungous “but” — it is going to take more effort from a few passengers on the Canadiens’ bus. Let’s start with the most obvious goat, and I don’t mean G.O.A.T. Tomas Tatar was just awful Wednesday and has looked like a ghost for the entire post-season.

Someone needs to tell him that his COVID 19-induced vacation is over. Game on, man! What’s really worrisome is that this is the first time we’ve seen Tatar in a Habs jersey in the playoffs and it has us all remembering what a total bust he was in the playoffs for the Vegas Golden Knights. Vegas GM George McPhee paid a steep price for Tatar that season, giving Detroit three draft picks, including a first-round pick, and then Vegas ended up benching him for 12 of 20 games in Vegas’ epic run that year to the Stanley Cup final. Is he just no good in the playoffs anymore?

Then take Joel Armia, please. One of the bigger forwards, he isn’t using his size at all and has mostly distinguished himself by taking dumb penalties. Jonathan Drouin scored a huge goal against the Pens and he looked engaged Wednesday, but he remains as mysteriously inconsistent as always.

Julien out-coached Pittsburgh’s Mike Sullivan and Julien’s master-stroke in that series was bringing Suzuki up to centre the first line. Pure genius. But the coach needs to work some more magic. He might have started that by bringing Max Domi up to play alongside Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Drouin. Domi on the fourth line simply wasn’t making sense any more.

But the real difference-maker isn’t to be found in the stats. If the Habs are to win this, they’ll win with heart and sheer determination, which is how they dispatched Sidney Crosby’s team. You want heart, not Hart, look no further than Price. He is playing like this is his last chance to prove the doubters wrong about his place in hockey history.

But he can’t do it himself. There is the small matter of scoring goals. Forget secondary scoring. Montreal needs primary scoring. Tatar, Brendan Gallagher, Domi, and Phillip Danault have yet to score a goal in the tournament. That’s insane. If that doesn’t change, they won’t beat the Flyers. 1191044 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens head coach Claude Julien rushed to hospital with chest pains

Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette

Aug 13, 2020

TORONTO — Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin announced Thursday afternoon that head coach Claude Julien was taken to a Toronto hospital after suffering chest pains following the team’s 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers Wednesday night in Game 1 of their NHL playoff series.

“Claude felt chest pains during the night,” Bergevin said during a video conference. “We immediately consulted our doctors and it was agreed to quickly transfer him to the hospital by ambulance. He’s presently there and he’s under tests to determine exactly the nature of his condition. This has nothing to do with COVID.”

Julien turned 60 on April 23. He did a video conference with reporters after Wednesday night’s game and appeared to be fine.

Bergevin said he received a call very early Thursday morning from David Mulder, the Canadiens’ longtime team physician, informing him about Julien’s condition.

“A little shock and concerned,” Bergevin said about his reaction to the call, adding he obviously couldn’t go back to sleep. “But after talking to Dr. Mulder (again) there is some good news early this afternoon.

“We don’t expect him to be back during this series against the Flyers,” Bergevin said about Julien. “Kirk (Muller), Dominique (Ducharme) and Luke (Richardson) will share the responsibility. However, Kirk is the associate head coach and he will assume the responsibility of the head coach until Claude’s return. We understand that Kirk does not speak French but there are exceptional circumstances and we’re asking you for your understanding. Out of respect for Claude and his family I will not answer any further questions about his medical condition.”

The Canadiens’ practised without Julien Thursday morning as they prepare for Game 2 of their best-of-seven first-round playoff series against the Flyers Friday afternoon at Scotiabank Arena (3 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio).

“I know Claude talked to his wife early in the morning,” Bergevin said. “I don’t believe she’s on her way here. He’s in good hands at the hospital here and everything should be fine and we hope for the best. There was some positive news, so hopefully he could be ready shortly and go back home.”

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191045 Montreal Canadiens

In the Flyers' Room: 'I prepared the same as I do for any game,' Hart says after win against idol Price

Pat Hickey • Montreal Gazette

Publishing date:Aug 13, 2020

There was a moment before Wednesday’s Canadiens-Flyers game when goaltenders Carter Hart and Carey Price were stretching on either side of centre ice at Scotiabank Arena.

Hart, who grew up with Price as a role model was the first to rise and, before he skated to the bench, he turned to Price.

“I just said hello, wished him luck, and it was time to play,” Hart said in a video conference after the win..

It was the prelude to a goaltending duel which saw Hart, who is celebrating his 22nd birthday on Thursday, emerge victorious. He made 27 saves as the Flyers edged the Canadiens 2-1 in the opening game of the best-of-seven first-round Stanley Cup playoff series.

Price was no slouch as he stopped 29 shots.

The final score was predictable because each team is led by a strong goaltender and the rival coaches, Philadelphia’s Alain Vigneault and Montreal’s Claude Julien, stress defence first.

“I thought we played our game in the first and third periods and we got away from that in the second period,” said Vigneault.

Hart had to be at his best in the second period when the Canadiens outshot Philadelphia 17-7 and tied the score at 1-1 on a power-play goal by Shea Weber. It Montreal’s first power-play goal after going 0-for-12 in the qualifying round against Pittsburgh.

“They had a lot of possession and that’s why they were able to create some great chances in the second period,” said Philadelphia defenceman Ivan Poporov, who opened the scoring with a first period power play. “(Hart) did a great job keeping us in the game. After they scored we got the goal back right away and in the third we controlled the puck, went on the forecheck, had a few power plays. That helped us create momentum.”

Weber’s goal should have given the Canadiens some momentum but Joel Farabee, a 20-year-old rookie from Boston University, scored 17 seconds later, when Travis Sanheim’s shot was redirected in front and Farabee scored on his own rebound.

Vigneault has shown a lot of faith in Farabee, using him on the top line with veterans Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux.

“Personally, I try to help the team whatever my role is,” said Farabee. Playing with Couts and (Giroux), two world-class players is great but we have to keep the momentum rolling.”

“It’s (Farabee’s) first playoff but it doesn’t look like it,” said Poporov. “He has poise, he makes plays. He deserves to play on that line. He complements those guys.”

The Flyers had reason to be confident going into the third period even though the Canadiens came on strong in the second period. Hart has a 31-1-1 record when the Flyers have the lead after two periods. And the Flyers seemed determined to improve on that record as they held the Canadiens to six shots on goal.

While this Hart’s first NHL playoff action, he seems to be taking it in stride.

“I prepared the same as I do for any game,” he said. “Coming into the playoffs it’s a different situation for everybody having that long break in- between. I do my work on the ice, we do all our video. Everyone has his own way of preparing and you have to prepare like any other game.”

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191046 Montreal Canadiens them making their NHL coaching debuts with Montreal one after the other.

“There is no doubt when I found it about it, a lot of things go through your Claude Julien hospitalized with chest pains, will miss rest of Canadiens mind,” Vigneault said, clearly rattled by the news he had received 20 series minutes earlier. “I’ve known Claude since I was 20 years old. We’ve been through difficult things without a doubt in our relationship. I can’t wait to get this press conference done so I can reach out to Berg and find out more about it.” By Arpon Basu One thing Vigneault expressed little doubt in is the capacity of the Aug 13, 2020 Canadiens’ assistant coaches to compensate for Julien’s absence.

“Most NHL teams have a head coach, but also one of the associate or Montreal Canadiens coach Claude Julien was taken to hospital by assistant coaches who has also been a head coach,” he said. “In my ambulance early Thursday morning after experiencing chest pains case, I have two (Therrien and Mike Yeo). Claude has Kirk Muller who overnight, general manager Marc Bergevin announced. has already been a head coach. I can’t speak for the players, but I can speak for the coaches. They prepared to face the Flyers before the Bergevin was not willing or able to get into the details of Julien’s series, and to me, they’ll continue with what they already prepared. condition, but did seem encouraged by some news he received early Thursday afternoon, just prior to making the announcement. “I know Kirk because I worked with him last year at the world championships. Michel knows him well and we talked about it. He’s a “He’s in good hands at the hospital here and everything should be fine, good coach and a good person. We hope everything goes well for and we hope for the best,” Bergevin said. “There was some positive Claude.” news and hopefully he can be released shortly and go back home.” Muller has always been a very popular coach among his players, playing Bergevin made it clear Julien’s condition was not related to COVID-19, the role of “good cop” assistant coach very well. His recent history as a and that he will not be returning behind the bench for the rest of the player helped him nurture those relationships with players early in his Canadiens’ first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia Flyers. coaching career and it is something he has seemingly never lost. Players Associate coach Kirk Muller — who was head coach of the Carolina gravitate toward him and rarely have a negative thing to say. Hurricanes from 2011-14 — will take over for Julien. The Canadiens have two more assistants on staff with previous head coaching But that was when he wasn’t making the final decisions, and it remains to experience at lower levels, Luke Richardson and Dominique Ducharme. be seen if Muller will be quite as decisive as Julien has been in these playoffs. The turning point in the Canadiens’ qualifying round defeat of “Claude is a man who works closely with his assistants,” Bergevin said. the Pittsburgh Penguins was when Julien decided to shuffle his forward “(After watching) our series against the Penguins and even the game lines midway through Game 3, sparking a comeback from a 3-1 deficit to yesterday, I sincerely believe our team is ready. For sure, we will miss win 4-3. Claude. But all three of our assistant coaches have experience … and they will work together.” Will Muller feel as comfortable making changes like that? While it’s true he has three years of experience as the head man in Carolina, the Julien, 60, has been an NHL head coach since 2002 when he was first Hurricanes did not make the playoffs in any of those three years. hired by the Canadiens. He then briefly coached the before a long tenure with the Boston Bruins, winning a Stanley Cup in But ultimately, Weber is correct in that these coaches have all worked 2011. He was re-hired by the Canadiens in 2017. together to prepare the Canadiens’ game plan against the Flyers, and it is up to the players to implement it. Bergevin was woken up by a phone call from the Canadiens’ long time head physician, Dr. David Mulder, very early Thursday morning with the “I met with the coaches this morning, I have faith in them,” Bergevin said. news of Julien’s condition. He then spoke to Canadiens owner Geoff “We beat the Pittsburgh Penguins. It’s not the coaches that beat them, Molson and informed team captain Shea Weber at breakfast before it’s the players, and we have the same group. And I thought last night our meeting with the rest of the coaching staff. game, without going into details, we were maybe a little nervous the first 20 (minutes), but after that I felt our team was coming. We played hard While there weren’t too many details, Bergevin referenced receiving good and we competed hard, and I expect the same thing tomorrow. news on Julien’s condition multiple times and did not appear overly concerned for the coach’s long-term health. That must also be why “We shocked a lot of people in the first series and I expect them to (rise) Bergevin felt comfortable discussing the Canadiens’ series against the to the occasion and keep on going.” Flyers, which Montreal trails 1-0 after losing Game 1 on Wednesday 2-1.

It would be difficult to imagine Bergevin discussing that if Julien’s condition was overly serious. The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020 The playoffs are a time when a little edge can make a big difference, and for the Canadiens, knowing their coach is unable to be with them and watching on a television in a Toronto hospital could provide it.

“I think in these situations there’s always a little bit of an emotional factor, and kind of like a shock factor,” Weber said. “Everybody learned about it this morning and the biggest concern is obviously his health; we want to make sure he’s healthy first. But I think that’s something for sure that we can draw on and use that as maybe — we were motivated in the first place, but this could just draw up a little bit more.”

Weber does not feel his role as captain becomes any more important in Julien’s absence.

“I think the other coaches know what our system is, they’ve put all these plans in place as well, they’re going to do a good job leading us that way,” he said. “I think my role’s not really going to change much. We still have to compete the same way we’ve been going and accomplish the same thing we’re trying to do.”

The Flyers have ties to Julien as well. Coach Alain Vigneault played alongside Julien with the minor-pro Salt Lake Golden Eagles in 1981- 82, and assistant coach Michel Therrien was replaced by Julien as Canadiens head coach in 2017. From 1997 to 2006, the Canadiens were coached first by Vigneault, then Therrien and then Julien, with each of 1191047 Nashville Predators

Predators defenseman Dan Hamhuis retires

Paul Skrbina

Nashville Tennessean

Dan Hamhuis, who spent the first six seasons and the last two seasons of his 16-year-career with the Predators, announced Thursday he is retiring from the NHL.

The 37-year-old defenseman, who also played six seasons for the Canucks and two for the Stars, shared the news Thursday afternoon on TSN Radio Vancouver.

Hamhuis told the radio station he felt "real at peace with" the decision.

He played 357 regular-season games and 34 postseason games with the Predators. He averaged a career-low 14:08 ice time in 2019-20 and did not appear in the postseason.

He appeared in 1,148 regular-season games during his career after being taken 12th overall by the Predators in the 2001 draft.

"I was surprised to play one game," the Predators defenseman told the Tennessean earlier this season. "I was thinking probably 700 or 800 would be amazing in the NHL."

Hamhuis last scored a goal Feb. 9, 2018. But his role in the locker room was vital for the Predators. Hamhuis served as a mentor for young players such as Dante Fabbro and Rem Pitlick.

His experience and calm nature often served the Predators well during times of distress.

Hamhuis said in November he wasn't sure when he'd retire but added he had been considering it.

The end comes sooner than expected for Predators after they fall to Coyotes in OT in Game 4

"You probably start to think about it more and more every year," said Hamhuis, who would have be an unrestricted free agent after this season. "I don't think you want to think about it too much and have your mind distracted from playing, but it's also probably good to put some thought into what after hockey might look like. ... These last few years it’s certainly something I've been thinking about, but I definitely enjoy playing right now."

Tennessean LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191048 Nashville Predators movement on our team would be good, bringing in some younger players for sure."

Predators GM David Poile wants changes, meaning a youth movement is Tennessean LOADED: 08.14.2020 most likely on the way

Paul Skrbina

Nashville Tennessean

David Poile wasted little time summing up the 2019-20 season Thursday morning.

"This is unacceptable," the Predators general manager said less than a week after his team was eliminated by the Coyotes in the qualifying round of the NHL playoffs. "This is how we have to view this result is that we have to be better and it's not acceptable."

He said the trend of the last couple of seasons, each with an earlier postseason exit than the last, made it "clear to me that we need to make some changes."

While Poile said "everything is on the table" as far as what those changes could be, don't expect a complete roster overall.

Not with the salary cap standing pat at $81.5 million, a number the Predators were just over $2.3 million under this season.

Yes, the Predators have six unrestricted free agents with contracts valued at $13,450,000, so a free-agent signing or an impactful trade isn't out of the question.

One or both of Mikael Granlund and Craig Smith, who account for $10 million of that, could very well be gone.

Still, if what Poile continually hinted at comes to fruition, a youth movement is in order next season. The Predators will try to address some of their shortcomings in-house.

That means players such as Eeli Tolvanen, who has tried to find his way in Milwaukee for most of the last two seasons, likely will have a legitimate shot at playing meaningful time in the NHL next season. Poile even hinted that he could see Tolvanen playing on the second line with Matt Duchene, but he was careful not to imply that coach had made any decision yet.

That 2019 first-round pick Philip Tomasino will have a good chance to make the roster next season. That Yakov Trenin could see more time.

"I've got to provide John with some players that fit into his beliefs," Poile said. "I can't sit here today and tell you exactly what these changes are going to be. All I can say and will say at this time is all the options are on the table."

One option Poile has is to again try to trade Kyle Turris and his annual $6 million cap hit. In lieu of that, Poile could elect to buy out Turris for $16 million and absorb a $2 million per year cap hit through 2028.

Poile said "our second line just didn't get it done" and called it "a weak point of our team," referring to Turris, Duchene and Granlund. He preceded that by referring to Turris as "a player that scores what I think is going to be the winning goal in Game 3 that I think is going to lead us to victory" in the game and the series, in reference to Turris go-ahead goal that was disallowed after Duchene was called offside.

"The necessity of this question might not even be there if that goal is not offside and we go on to win the game and win the series," Poile said.

But it was offside and the Predators didn't win the game or the series and thus missed qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 2013-14.

Poile understands that. Understands the criticisms.

It's his job now to try to quell some of those shortcomings.

Poile said that process began awhile ago. That he and his staff identified some changes they wanted to make before the return to play and are reassessing some of those based on the Arizona series.

"A couple of years ago I sat here saying I felt we were really close and that conversation with the players that they really wanted another chance," Poile said. "I don't quite feel the same way. I think some 1191049 New Jersey Devils “That’s usually a one- or two-fish day,” he said. “If I get more than that, it’s a banner day for me.”

When he’s not fishing, Ruff likes to mountain bike on one of the many Inside Lindy Ruff’s unique first month with the Devils from a lake in trails in the area or go white-water rafting. Montana Of the Ruff’s four children, two have spent much of this summer in Whitefish. Ruff’s youngest daughter earned her doctorate from Belmont University in Nashville this year but didn’t have a graduation ceremony, By Corey Masisak so she invited a few friends from grad school to come celebrate in Montana. Aug 13, 2020 Wake surfing is also a very popular activity in the Ruff household.

“We’ll spend four or five hours sometimes on the boat doing that,” Ruff The opening scene of “Valiant,” a documentary about the incredible first said. “The water here is fairly refreshing. It’s nice now, but when we first season of the Vegas Golden Knights, includes sweeping views of the get here it’s probably in the 60s, so you’ve got to be able to put up with a Montana landscape and the club’s owner, Bill Foley, surveying the scene little bit of chilliness.” from his helicopter. Next comes the story of how Foley first told Murray Craven, now a senior vice president of the Golden Knights, about his The Ruff family boat, docked on Whitefish Lake. (Lindy Ruff) grand idea — a hockey team in Las Vegas — while standing on a lake dock in Whitefish, Mont. Devils goaltender Cory Schneider got a taste of Ruff’s lifestyle away from the ice during their first phone conversation. Schneider missed Ruff’s There’s another prominent hockey figure drawing up plans for his new initial call, and then called him back. team by the lake these days. Lindy Ruff, named head coach of the New Jersey Devils last month, and his family have a summer home on “I think he was actually in the middle of reeling in a fish when I called,” Whitefish Lake. Craven is his neighbor and Foley’s place is “at the end of Schneider said. “He was like, ‘Hang on a sec.’ He came back like a the lake.” minute later and said, ‘Sorry about that, I had one on the line.’”

“Geoff Sanderson, whose son (Jake) is going to be a pretty high pick in During a summer that didn’t include travel restrictions amid a pandemic, the draft, is about 15 or 20 good casts from my house,” Ruff said. “Doug Ruff might have traveled to Michigan to meet with Jack Hughes, to Houda, who coaches with the Red Wings and coached with Boston, is Switzerland for lunch on Nico Hischier’s terrace or to Thunder Bay, Ont. another one. There’s a collection of NHL people around this area, and for a day of fishing with Mackenzie Blackwood. Instead, Ruff spent the there’s even more on Flathead Lake (about 40 miles to the south).” first few days after he was named head coach of the Devils on a steady stream of phone calls. Ruff joked during his introductory press conference as Devils coach on July 10 that he was the first coach in league history to be unveiled over Several of those calls were with general manager Tom Fitzgerald so they Zoom. could start putting together a plan for 2020-21 season and assistant coach interviews to fill out Ruff’s staff. He also reached out to all of the The first offseason for a new coach is centered around making players and had conversations similar to the one he had with Schneider. connections and gearing your team up for a training camp that will include new information and systems. Trying to accomplish those tasks “I really enjoyed that part. It was more about getting to know them virtually is a uniquely challenging experience, even for someone who has personally than anything hockey-wise,” Ruff said. “I told them all I’d be coached the sixth-most games in NHL history. calling again in mid-to-late August, and that would probably be a Zoom call to put faces to names and we can talk a little more about hockey For Ruff and the Devils, it all has to be done from afar. then.

“Usually there is an opportunity to be around some of the players, and “There’s just a lot of unknown right now, so that first conversation was even to be around your own personnel that work for the team,” Ruff said. just about getting to know them. Married? Kids? Where are you hanging “That’s the weirdest part.” out for the summer? What are you doing? And maybe a little bit of fitness talk, saying that we have a really good opportunity with all of this extra Sunset on Whitefish Lake. (Lindy Ruff) time to put ourselves in elite shape and maybe get one step on the teams Ruff grew up in Canada, in the tiny Northern Alberta village of Warburg; that are playing right now inside the bubble.” his wife, Gaye, is from Lethbridge, which is in Southern Alberta and not If it had been a typical coaching search, Ruff would have flown to New far from the Montana border. Jersey for at least one interview, toured the Devils’ facility and met Lindy played for the WHL team in Lethbridge and also started joining dozens of people who work for the franchise. Once he was introduced as Gaye’s family during vacations in Montana. Even as his hockey playing the coach, those faces would have already been familiar. Without the in- and coaching career took the couple to various NHL cities, the Ruffs person meetings, Ruff has had a lot of catching up to do. continued to return to the state. “He seemed pretty upfront and was really easy to talk to,” Schneider said At first, they stayed in a rustic cabin with the barest of necessities in of Ruff. “It didn’t seem like he was hiding anything or had an agenda or Apgar, a village at the southern end of Lake McDonald inside Glacier anything. We touched a little bit on what to expect, but no promises or National Park. Eventually they bought the house on Whitefish Lake, and guarantees. It was good to talk to him. He’s been around for so long and it has become a gathering place for both sides of their family. has such a track record, but I really didn’t know him personally before this.” “We started first coming (to Montana) in the mid-to-late 80s. We’ve been coming here a long time,” Ruff said. “It became a place we like to go to to Ruff does have a few connections on the Devils roster. Travis Zajac just get away from things.” played for Ruff at the 2009 world championships. Ruff was an assistant coach with Canada when P.K. Subban helped lead them to a gold medal Whitefish is a town of about 8,000, with breathtaking views of the lake at the Sochi Olympics in 2014. and Big Mountain to the north. Foley owns Whitefish Mountain Resort and a cluster of the restaurants in town. Blackwood and Damon Severson went to Slovakia for the worlds, with Ruff as an assistant, last summer. Severson, in particular, spent a lot of It’s grown in popularity as a tourist destination because of its proximity to time with Ruff because the coach was in charge of the defense corps and great skiing on the mountain and to Glacier National Park, which is about the penalty kill. a 30-minute drive away. But you can still get a great burger at The Bulldog Saloon and there’s a collection of dive bars on Central Avenue, “Every time I had a conversation with Lindy or we watched video or where residents can enjoy an escape from the commotion. anything like that, I thought he was really solid,” Severson said. “He was easy to talk to. … I feel like the relationship that we’ve already started For Ruff, a typical summer day in Whitefish starts with him sitting on his last year overseas makes it a smooth transition for me.” dock, fishing pole in hand. While he might opt for some of Montana’s famous fly fishing in a river nearby, most days he’s content to fish from his dock with the hope of snagging some lake trout. When he’s not talking to his players on the phone or Zoom, Ruff is getting acquainted with their on-ice work. He plans to devote more time to watching the 2019-20 film in the coming weeks. The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020

Most of what he’s seen so far came from later in the season, when the Devils were having more success. What is he looking for?

“Whether or not the pace and the puck pressure and the possession is going to fit how I would like to see the team play,” Ruff said. “That basically starts in your own end. Can we leave the zone under control versus chipping it out of flipping it out? Once we’re in the zone, can we do a few things that would add to the possession numbers? Obviously when we’re playing with the puck a little bit more, the chances will go up and you can be a little better offensively.

“There was a lot I liked about the way they played. So for me, it really is just trying to understand what each player’s role will be because every player is going to bring something a little different, so just looking for role and responsibility.”

One of the themes from Ruff’s first press conference was his desire to mold the team into one that plays at a fast pace and with the puck. His teams in Dallas consistently played fast and scored lots of goals. His best teams in Buffalo were offensive machines.

The Devils have not been that type of team over the past two seasons.

“You’ve got to have players that are willing to hang onto it in high-danger areas,” Ruff said. “I’m a big proponent of taking away time and space. Creating opportunities off of hard forechecks, off puck pressure — more so than trying to defend and look for the turnover to create opportunities that way. I’d like to see the opportunities come from a speed game, from a speed forecheck, from getting on top of people and not giving them time.”

One of the Devils’ strengths is the collection of young forwards they have, headlined by Hischier, Hughes and Jesper Bratt. Those three have all shown the potential to be game-breaking players but have yet to blossom into consistent producers like some of their peers around the league.

“You can’t do it alone, but you can do it as a five-man group,” Ruff said. “Part of that for me is four guys in on the offense and creating enough motion in the offensive zone to allow some of these guys to play some one-on-one hockey and create opportunities on their own.”

Severson, in particular, could benefit greatly from playing in Ruff’s system. Ruff noted that Severson’s performance in Slovakia improved as the tournament progressed and that momentum seemed to carry into his 2019-20 campaign, which included a career-high in ice time per game.

“When you’re over there, it is a short tournament and you’re not sure what your role is going to be,” said Severson, who was paired with Edmonton’s Darnell Nurse for the entire tournament. “Lindy played the crap out of us, so that was great. … Now I just have to prove that I can be that same defenseman that played really well for him over there, that trustworthy guy on both ends of the puck.”

The Ruffs left Montana this past weekend and returned to their home in Clarence, N.Y., a town just outside of Buffalo. Ruff has even more work to do in his second month with the Devils, including assembling his coaching staff. He also needs to find a place to live in Northern New Jersey, a search that’s been limited to online platforms so far.

Fitzgerald and the other six GMs of the teams that missed out on the NHL’s return-to-play tournament have lobbied the league for extra time to practice before the start of training camp. The 24 teams that did return had a second training camp, “Phase 3,” and the seven others would like to replicate that.

The two-week minicamp they’re requesting would give Ruff the critical in- person time to build relationships with his players and to start to make his mark on his new team.

“I would consider that a big deal, instead of just coming into the main camp cold,” Ruff said. “But there is always that week or 10 days before camp starts when players start to gather. That could give me an opportunity to get to know people, too.”

For now, he will spend his time on more phone calls, in Zoom meetings, in film sessions and at the drawing board. There will be less wake surfing in Northern New Jersey, but he might still be able to make time for a little fishing. 1191050 New York Islanders

Islanders’ power play remains a problem

By Mollie Walker

August 13, 2020 | 10:48PM

The Islanders’ power play went just 4-for-16 during the play-in series against the Panthers and its struggles have spilled over into the first round against the Capitals.

Going 0-for-3 on the power play Wednesday, the Islanders generated just five shots with the man-advantage.

“I think we had five chances on our power plays, we had a couple good looks, but obviously we didn’t get a goal,” Trotz said Thursday in preparation for Friday’s Game 2. “If you can get one every game, then you stand a good chance of winning a hockey game. I liked a lot of things that we did, but they have a good penalty kill.

“They haven’t been scored on, I don’t think, in a game since they’ve come back here and they’ve been strong all year in that area. We know that we’re up against it, we’re making a couple adjustments and seeing if we have any success.”

The Islanders could’ve lost their heads when the penalty box became a revolving door for them through the first two periods of Game 1, but they didn’t.

Spending what felt like, and really was, more than half the first period on the penalty kill, the Islanders somehow managed to take a 0-0 score into the first intermission. And when the penalty calls kept rolling in and Washington eventually capitalized on back-to-back man-advantages in the second, the Islanders didn’t flinch.

“I think the biggest thing is that we trust our game, we trust what we need to do,” Trotz said Thursday. “If we don’t get to it right off the bat, we don’t change our game dramatically. I think that’s where you get the consistency and over time it pays off, it pays dividends.

“There’s not a lot of hope that something happens, it’s just sort of chipping away, if you will. Our mental approach is just being consistent, play our game, get to our game and if we get to our game for a long period of time then we’ll generally have success. It doesn’t mean you’re going to have success all the time, but it’s going to give you the opportunity to have success on a pretty regular basis.”

The Islanders came charging back with four unanswered goals spanning from the end of the second and throughout the third to take a 1-0 series lead in the best-of-seven first round series. After the game, Islanders players pointed to their ability to stick to their systems and structures as to why they were able to grind out the win.

“I think the confidence we have within our group is huge and we just build off of every shift, we build off the line before and when we play five on five, we’re at our most dangerous,” Casey Cizikas said. “We have four lines that can move the puck and get the puck in deep and that are fast. We just keep continuing to build more and more throughout the game and I think in the third period is all came together for us. We kept it simple.”

The Islanders held a hefty advantage from the faceoff dot Wednesday, winning 64.7 percent.

“I thought we did well,” Casey Cizikas said. “I saw something online where I think I was the worst one, I had 50 percent. That’s what you want from your centerman, you want to win those draws, you want possession, you want to have the puck on your side.”

Brock Nelson led the Islanders, going 14-for-20 from the circle, while Mathew Barzal went 8-for-11. Evgeny Kuznetsov was 6-for-12 for the Capitals.

New York Post LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191051 New York Islanders

Islanders prepared to handle any Capitals backlash for Anders Lee hit

By Mollie Walker

August 13, 2020 | 6:45PM

The Capitals are surely still thinking about Islanders captain Anders Lee and his hit on Nicklas Backstrom that knocked the Capitals star center out of the rest of Game 1, and officially out of Game 2 as well.

Less than three minutes into the Islanders’ eventual 4-2 win in Game 1 Wednesday, Lee laid a hard hit on Backstrom, whose head was turned at impact, while skating over the blue line and into the Islanders’ zone. The hit knocked Backstrom onto his side and prompted John Carlson to go after Lee, who received an interference penalty for it.

During postgame interviews, Capitals head coach Todd Reirden described Lee’s hit as “predatory,” and Carlson asserted it was “real dirty.” Lee said he “tried to throw the brakes on,” but ended up catching Backstrom, which he acknowledged led to having to fight Tom Wilson as a repercussion.

Islanders coach Barry Trotz was understanding of the Capitals’ reaction to Lee’s hit, but claimed that because Lee was coming laterally over the blue line, he was bound to hit traffic. Asked about his reaction to the Capitals’ strong words, Trotz wouldn’t elaborate much.

“Player safety looks at it, they’ve got good hockey people,” he said on a Zoom call Thursday. “Todd was doing what you expect a coach to do, [which] is defend his players. I don’t have anything on that reaction at all.”

But if the Capitals do come out with an extra oomph in their step to feed their added motivation, Trotz said the Islanders will not let it throw them off their game.

“We’re just going to stay the course,” Trotz said. “Whatever happens. We’re well equipped to play if they want to play physical, we’ll play physical, that’s not a problem. We’re just going to play our game, we know one way to play and we have to play it.”

Reirden announced Thursday that Backstrom would not play in Game 2 on Friday and that the Swede is in the concussion protocol. The storyline seems all too familiar as Wilson was responsible for knocking former Islanders defenseman Lubo Visnovsky out of the Islanders-Capitals series in the first round of the 2015 playoffs.

The longstanding rivalry has always been a physical one, and the Islanders were expecting this series to be nothing less than what it already has been.

“Definitely has the potential [to be as physical as the 2015 series],” Cal Clutterbuck said. “A lot of the usual suspects are involved so I think both teams have a lot of will and determination and ability to be physical. I think we’re both going to try and wear each other down. Good, I mean, I love it. So let’s go.”

Clutterbuck said he believes the Islanders’ rivalry with the Capitals really went to the next level after that 2015 series, in which Washington won in seven games. And the Islanders have made a point to never underestimate the competition they have in the Capitals, which they proved in how they played them in Game 1.

“When you have two good teams that are deep and physical and talented, playing each other as many times as we have over the last five years, six years since then, that’s what you get,” he said. “It’s a good rivalry.”

New York Post LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191052 New York Islanders for us and you never want to see a guy go down, especially a guy like that. We’re going to do our best to play for him and step in.”

And if the Capitals try to step up even more against the Islanders? Islanders-Capitals shaping up as a physical series going into Game 2 “Whatever happens, we’re well equipped,” Trotz said. “If they want to play physical, we’ll play physical. It’s not a problem.”

By Andrew Gross [email protected] @AGrossNewsday Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 08.14.2020

Updated August 13, 2020 6:35 PM

The effects of Islanders captain Anders Lee’s hit on the Capitals’ Nicklas Backstrom are likely to linger for the length of the teams’ first-round playoff series.

Capitals coach Todd Reirden announced his No. 1 center is in concussion protocol and unavailable for Friday night’s Game 2 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto after absorbing a blue-line check from Lee early in the first period of the Islanders’ 4-2 Game 1 win on Wednesday.

“Both teams have a lot of will and determination and the ability to be physical,” Islanders right wing Cal Clutterbuck said after practice on Thursday. “I think we’re both going to try and wear each other down. Good, I love it. Let’s go.”

The Capitals, not surprisingly, did not like Lee’s hit on an unsuspecting Backstrom, with Reirden calling it a “predatory” play after Game 1. The NHL Player Safety Department reviewed the sequence and took no action against Lee.

“No, not really,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said when asked if he had any reaction to Reirden’s comment. “Player Safety looks at it, they’ve got good hockey people. Todd was doing what you’d expect a coach to do: defend his players. I don’t have any reaction at all.”

Lee was not among the players the Islanders made available for interviews via Zoom on Thursday, though he did address the play after Game 1.

“It’s a hit,” Clutterbuck said. “It happens in the course of a hockey game, especially a playoff hockey game. Player Safety looks at that. We’re going to focus on Game 2.”

Lars Eller, who missed Game 1 as he completed his quarantine after leaving the Toronto bubble to attend the birth of his child, will enter the Capitals’ lineup for Backstrom.

Both teams have aspects of their game they want to improve on Friday night.

For the Islanders, it’s playing more five-on-five and improving on the penalty kill after the Capitals’ power play went 2-for-7 in Game 1. The Capitals managed just 12 shots playing five-on-five and were outscored, 3-0, at even strength.

One of T.J. Oshie’s two second-period power-play goals was somewhat fluky, with Evgeny Kuznetsov’s initial shot hitting off defenseman Adam Pelech and rebounding off the backboards directly to the open Oshie. But defenseman Scott Mayfield said Oshie’s second goal, as he muscled to the crease and pushed the puck between goalie Semyon Varlamov’s pads, was preventable.

“We’ve got to make sure we’re tying up sticks,” Mayfield said. “I lost Oshie. They were fluky goals but, at the same time, 2-for-7, that’s not good enough.”

The Capitals are looking for a more complete, 60-minute effort after building a 2-0 lead through 11:18 of the second period and using their forecheck to draw the Islanders into penalties.

Alex Ovechkin also has yet to notch a point in four games since the Capitals’ season resumed.

And there’s no doubt the Capitals will still be angry over Lee’s hit on Backstrom.

“I think it’s definitely fuel for the fire, in a way,” said Capitals right wing Tom Wilson, who fought Lee at 17:13 of the first period after challenging him and had visible red welts on his knuckles during his Zoom interview. “Obviously, we didn’t like the hit. Nicky is our star player. He’s a leader 1191053 New York Islanders

Barry Trotz mum on any Islanders lineup changes vs. Capitals in Game 2

By Andrew Gross [email protected] @AGrossNewsday

Updated August 13, 2020 6:10 PM

That Friday night’s Game 2 of the Islanders-Capitals’ first-round series will continue to build upon the physical foundation laid in Game 1 is expected.

Whether Barry Trotz adjusts his lineup in reaction to the feistiness shown in the Islanders’ 4-2 win in Wednesday’s series opener is not something the coach was willing to disclose.

Capitals coach Todd Reirden announced one necessitated change, with Lars Eller entering the lineup for Nicklas Backstrom, who suffered a concussion on Islanders captain Anders Lee’s first-period check.

Trotz has 6-5, 235-pound left wing Ross Johnston available.

Leo Komarov, a key penalty killer, was in the lineup in both Game 1 and the Islanders’ clinching 5-1 win over the Panthers in Game 4 of their qualifying series. Tom Kuhnhackl was in the lineup the first three games against the Panthers.

“He had a really good camp, he’s been up and he played in the exhibition game,” Trotz said of Johnston, who had three goals, an assist and 78 penalty minutes in 32 games this season. “He’s been on top lines, he’s been on checking lines as well. He’s in the mix. He’s one of those players who keep getting better.

“We’ve got a couple of guys, Michael Dal Colle, Andrew Ladd, on defense, Noah Dobson, Johnny Boychuk, they’re all in the mix,” Trotz added. “Right now, we feel comfortable with the mix we have. If we make a change, it might only be one change.”

Boychuk suffered a suspected head injury in Game 1 against the Panthers and Andy Greene has been in the lineup the past four games.

Life in quarantine

Eller completed a four-day quarantine in his Toronto hotel room on Wednesday after leaving the sequestered bubble to return to Washington for the birth of his child.

“I had a couple of dumbbells in my room, some elastic bands,” Eller said. “You don’t feel right after a couple of days of doing so little but I’m in a good place now.”

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191054 New York Islanders “I think that was kind of the spark that kind of ignited the flame,” Clutterbuck said. “Obviously, we’ve been able to have success, both teams, since, and when you have two good teams that are deep and physical and talented playing each other as many times as we have over Five years later, Islanders vs. Capitals begins as intensely as 2015 series the last five, six years since then, that’s what you get. ended “So it’s a good rivalry.”

Game 9 is Friday night. By Neil Best

Updated August 13, 2020 4:04 PM Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 08.14.2020

Officially, it merely was the first game of a first-round playoff series in 2020, but it sure felt like Game 8 of a first-round series from 2015.

Such was the level of rough play and harsh words between the Islanders and Capitals, both during and after the Islanders’ 4-2 victory in Toronto on Wednesday and into Thursday’s off day.

But still, 2015?!?

Having playoff bad blood last five years in modern sports is not normal. It is something out of the 20th century, when players moved less and the Islanders could win four Stanley Cups in a row with 16 players around for all four.

Anyway, about 2015: Barry Trotz was in his first season as Washington’s coach after 15 in Nashville when the Islanders faced him in what many involved regard as the most bruising experience of their careers.

“It was the most physical series that I’d been involved in as a coach,” Trotz said in 2018.

On Thursday, the Islanders’ Cal Clutterbuck said of Game 1, which featured not one but two first-period scraps involving captain Anders Lee after Lee sidelined the Caps’ Nicklas Backstrom with a hard check:

“I think it started in that 2015 series. That was and still might be the most physical series I’ve been a part of. It would be tough to top that one, especially with the atmosphere in both buildings and the way it was going down.”

Clutterbuck said the current series has the potential to match that one, based on early evidence. And part of the reason is the continuity of big names for both teams.

As Clutterbuck said, “A lot of the usual suspects are still involved.”

Nine Islanders remain on the roster from the lineup for the Capitals’ 2-1 victory in Game 7 in 2015. So do six Capitals, including Backstrom, Alex Ovechkin, goalie Braden Holtby and Tom Wilson, who was Lee’s opponent in Game 2’s second bout.

It also was Wilson who in Game 4 in 2015 took out Islanders defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky with a devastating hit behind the goal. Visnovsky, who had missed 58 games with a concussion the season before, suffered a head injury and never played in the NHL again.

That Islanders-Capitals series marked the end of the Islanders’ original run at Nassau Coliseum, when they were supposed to be moving to for good.

So their fans were extra-intense for the games on Long Island, including the Islanders’ 3-1 victory in Game 6.

The Islanders finally won their first playoff series since 1993 the following spring, then did it again in 2019 under Trotz, who in 2018 had won the Stanley Cup with the Caps.

After the Capitals ousted the Islanders in ’15, they lost in seven to the Rangers, for whom current Islander Derick Brassard then was playing.

“I remember when Barry got the job in Washington, he put structure in the team,” Brassard said. “They became a lot harder to play against. They’re a tough team, a tough opponent. Their coach [Todd Reirden], he was on Barry’s staff so, basically, it’s like we’re playing ourselves.”

Said Wilson, “I think it’s no secret that the physical play is going to be there in this series . . . It’s the hockey that people love to watch; it’s the hockey that we love to play.”

This is the teams’ first playoff meeting since 2015, and no one seems to have forgotten it. 1191055 New York Islanders Another overwhelming game at even strength The Caps mustered just 26 total shot attempts at 5v5. They had 11 shots

on goal at 5v5, with nine of those coming in the third period. According to Seven takeaways from the Islanders’ comeback win in Game 1 Natural Stat Trick, the Caps had three high-danger scoring chances at 5v5 to the Isles’ nine.

After controlling the even-strength game against the Panthers, the By Arthur Staple Islanders did it again to a much better team. Lucky, too, since the game could have easily been far more out of hand with six Caps power plays in Aug 13, 2020 the first 36 minutes of the game.

“Five-on-five we’ll play with anybody in the league,” Trotz said. For about 39 minutes, Game 1 looked nothing like a playoff contest on The same play-drivers from the Panthers series were at it again on which the Islanders could hang a “Mission: Accomplished” banner. They Wednesday. Anthony Beauvillier and Josh Bailey were on the ice for one were undisciplined and unable to generate much given the lack of five- 5v5 shot on goal against all night and they connected on the fourth goal on-five time, which kept their best players glued to the bench. to seal it in the third. Brock Nelson had two assists and won 14 of 20 But the dam started to crack on Jordan Eberle’s soft goal past Braden faceoffs. Mathew Barzal had two assists, as well, and won eight of 10 Holtby with 63 seconds left in the second. It cracked some more when draws. Anders Lee tied it 51 seconds into the third. And it burst on Josh Bailey’s A crazy stat: The Caps iced the puck 11 times in Game 1. The Islanders shorthanded game-winner at 6:52 of the third, a stretch of less than eight won all 11 faceoffs that resulted from those icings. Those didn’t lead minutes of playing time in which the game and the early portion of this directly to goals, but they were another sign of how much the Islanders series turned dramatically. controlled the play when they weren’t down a man and how little room Here are our seven most notable takeaways from a deeply strange 4-2 they gave the Caps to play with speed. Islanders win in Game 1: They got to Holtby The captain came to play If you were wondering which Holtby would show up — the Cup-winning When Lee spun around and jammed home a rebound of Ryan Pulock’s goalie from two years ago or the .897 save percentage guy from this shot early in the third, a text came through from our resident playoff regular season — watching him fail to catch Eberle’s clear-sighted wrist panelist, the NHL assistant coach: shot late in the second told plenty. Holtby left some rebounds and paid the price for a miscommunication with Ovechkin on Nelson’s “X-factor. Told ya.” shorthanded dump-in, leading directly to Bailey’s winner.

Lee was in the middle of this Game 1 right from the outset — just 2:33 Semyon Varlamov was sharp, stopping six Ovechkin shots, but he was into the game in fact, when he delivered a surprising hit on Caps center barely threatened outside of the two goals that both came off broken Nicklas Backstrom well away from the puck. He took an interference plays and a couple of other hairy moments. penalty, engaged John Carlson in a wrestling-type scrum and then answered the bell when Tom Wilson asked for a dance late in the first. If Ilya Samsonov, the Caps’ terrific rookie goalie, were available, you might wonder if a change would be coming if the Islanders beat Holtby That might seem like a lot of time in the box for the Islanders captain, but again on Friday. But this isn’t a concern, since Samsonov is home with it meant he was completely engaged in this game. It’s been a long, tough an injury and Holtby is the only goalie with any real experience. playoff slog for Lee. His 162 regular-season goals since the start of the 2014-15 season rank him 22nd in the NHL in that span, but he had just No lineup changes and none likely coming one empty-net goal in 17 playoff games coming into Wednesday. Trotz made it clear after Game 1 that he stuck with Andy Greene over a A league source said Wednesday evening that Lee would not face any healthy Johnny Boychuk, as well as with Komarov, because “there’s no supplemental discipline for the hit, which briefly sent Backstrom to the reason to take them out.” locker room and then knocked him from the game after the first period. Komarov took that bad penalty but was otherwise fine and has always Alex Ovechkin was confident Backstrom would be fine for Friday’s Game enjoyed trying to get under Ovechkin’s skin. Fans would love to see Ross 2, but the resulting injury from a hit that involved no head contact was Johnston dress so he can go toe-to-toe with Wilson, but that’s not what’s what prompted Caps players and coach Todd Reirden to make some needed now with a series lead. angry comments postgame. And Greene was steady once again on the third defense pair and on the “Of course they’re going to react, I know what they think of Nick penalty kill. He and Pulock got over five minutes of PK time and were on Backstrom in that locker room,” Barry Trotz said. “It’s one of those plays, for just one shot on goal against. It’s unlikely Boychuk gets back for if you come laterally, with the congestion at the blue line, Anders is Game 2. making a hockey play. I don’t know if Nick was ready or not. Anders is a strong guy. The hit was made, then they responded, Wilson went after They got to Wilson, too Lee, they fought and that’s probably the end of it. We’ll see.” Isles fans will never have anything but hate for Wilson from the last time Discipline needs to be better these two teams met in the playoffs, back in 2015. Wilson ended Lubo Visnovsky’s season and NHL career with a huge hit — an interference Lee not completely pulling up on the Backstrom hit might have been a minor, like Lee’s hit on Wednesday — in Game 4 of that first-round way to set a tone, but the other Islander penalties were mostly careless. series. Fittingly it was Lee, then in his first year as an NHL regular, who Matt Martin got a reputation call for shoving Ovechkin after the Caps challenged Wilson to answer for the hit early in Game 5. captain raked his stick across Martin’s back following a whistle; Martin wiping out Carl Hagelin away from the puck early in the second, leading Wilson is a much different factor for the Caps now as a top-six forward to the first of T.J. Oshie’s two power-pay goals, was less excusable. So who plays in all situations. He took 11 penalty minutes in Game 1 and was Eberle’s hook during a power play. There was an egregious too was a non-factor outside of winning the fight. Ovechkin and Oshie had many men call. And Leo Komarov took his regularly scheduled stick foul good nights, Backstrom’s ended early and Kuznetsov and Jakub Vrana penalty, this one coming in a 2-2 game in the third, with Bailey scored the weren’t too visible. Wilson needed to be a player, not Liam Neeson in eventual winner. “Taken,” and Lee didn’t seem too unhappy that he’d gotten Wilson’s focus on something other than producing a win. Considering how strong the Islanders were once they played five-on-five hockey — there was only 8:33 of 5v5 play in the opening period and just “He’s making plays out there as well as (being) the Tom Wilson everyone three combined shots on goal at that strength — they have to get away knows him for,” Lee said. “Anytime you can get under anybody’s skin in from handing the Caps power plays. It was an obvious thing to avoid this game, doesn’t matter who it is — and I don’t know if I did that in that before the series began and now even more so, especially with a Caps fight — but it’s just one of those things.” team that’s going to be steamed and possibly looking to exact some revenge in Game 2. Somewhere in Slovakia, let’s hope Visnovsky allowed himself a smile seeing his old teammates make Wilson a little crazy. Fourth-line concern?

Martin’s two penalties aside, it was hard for the line with him, Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck to get much going, since Cizikas and Clutterbuck spent about a third of their ice time killing penalties. But Cizikas took just 10 faceoffs, fewest among the four regular centers, and his 7:31 of even-strength ice time was lowest on the team.

He took a Dmitri Orlov glove to the mouth in the first, but there were seemingly no other obvious moments of concern for Cizikas’ health during Game 1. We’ll see if he’s banged up or if it was just the flow of the game that kept his ice time down.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191056 New York Rangers To that point, adherence had been simple enough. But now the series hung in the balance and Messier was guaranteeing victory. It felt like something big was about to happen.

The Comeback, No. 27: Mark Messier guarantees a Rangers win in Being Rangers fans, the Horowitzes were already worried. Game 6 The same morning Seth Horowitz looked at the New York Post and thought of Joe Namath, Rangers defenseman Brian Leetch grabbed a copy of the newspaper and sarcastically presented it to Mark Messier. He Rustin Dodd needed to see what he had done. The “Captain Courageous” headline was there, staring back at him in all its glory, his words sending a jolt Aug 13, 2020 through the city.

“I sat back and said ‘Oh my God’,” Messier would say later. “And Brian May 24, 1994 turned to me and said ‘Looks like we have to win tonight, huh?’ ”

On the day he promised victory, Mark Messier stopped for breakfast at The day before, at the Playland ice rink, Messier had finished practice the On The Way Cafe, a new brunch spot not far from the rink at the and stood before a scrum of 10 or 15 reporters. The night before, the Playland Ice Casino in Rye, NY. He took a seat at the counter, picked up Rangers had lost 4-1 at Madison Square Garden in Game 4. There were a newspaper and scanned the headlines. He ordered and paid his bill. questions about the health of Leetch and Messier. The series, and the When the meal was over, he grabbed his things, thanked the staff and season, was slipping away after two straight losses, and prompted by a headed off for practice with teammates Glenn Anderson and Mike simple question by Mark Everson, the beat writer for The Post, Messier Richter. It was a Tuesday morning in May, and Messier’s New York delivered a simple answer. Rangers were on the brink, one loss from another playoff disaster. They “We’re going to go in and win Game 6,” Messier said. “That was the trailed the New Jersey Devils 3-2 in the NHL’s Eastern Conference finals. focus this morning and it’s the way we feel right now. We’ve done that all Game 6 was the next day at the Meadowlands. The ghosts of 1940 hung year, we’ve won all the games we’ve had to win. in the humid spring air, the unease and uncertainty reaching the New York dressing room a few blocks away. “I know we’re going to go in and win Game 6 and bring it back here for Game 7. We have enough talent and experience to turn the tide. That’s Messier, the 33-year-old captain, knew exactly what he had to do. That exactly what we’re going to do.” morning, on the drive from the Upper West Side to Westchester, he’d turned to Richter and offered a simple reminder: “All we have to do is win In another moment, he added: “We can win and will win.” this game.” The words were spoken with the same matter-of-fact confidence that Messier, Richter would recall later, had said the words with zero pretense Mike Richter heard on the way to breakfast. It wasn’t a brash prophecy. It or doubt. It was just Mess being Mess. He was calm and sincere and wasn’t quite Namath. Was it really a guarantee? Stan Fischler, the believed deeply in his team. All they had to do was win. hockey historian and television analyst, would call the moment a “nothing to lose situation.” Rangers general manager Neil Smith believed it was Now he had to make sure everyone else believed, too. media created, a specialty of the New York papers. (Despite the Knicks May 25, 1994 opening the Eastern Conference finals against the Pacers that night, the Post kept Messier on the cover, leaning into the prediction.) Messier, The next day, Seth Horowitz, a Rangers fan on the Upper West Side, however, knew there would be some fallout. This was New York, after all, scanned the back cover of the New York Post. Horowitz was a subscriber and he’d just guaranteed a win. As he left practice, he warned a few to the paper and a sports fan, so it wasn’t unusual for him to check the teammates: He may have created a storyline. back page first in the morning. Still, he wasn’t quite ready for what he saw. There, splashed across the newsprint, was Rangers captain Mark The Messier guarantee, as it would be known, had been born of a simple Messier and a large, banner headline: desire. The Rangers needed a shot of belief, to remember who they were and why they were favored to win the Stanley Cup. “Captain Courageous’ bold prediction: We’ll Win Tonight.” “Our confidence (had) started to waver,” Messier said. It was, in the grand New York tradition, a classic guarantee, like Babe Ruth calling his shot in the 1932 World Series or Joe Namath predicting New York had been the class of the NHL during the regular season, victory before Super Bowl III. Horowitz, a 30-year-old associate at a New girded by the steely play of Leetch and a team-record 52 goals from York law firm, had grown up a Giants fan in Great Neck, but as he looked Adam Graves. They swept the season series against the Devils 6-0, at the headline, he, too, immediately thought of Namath. As a New York winning five games by at least two goals. And two years earlier, in the sports fan, he said, the story “is a part of your DNA.” 1991-92 playoffs, they had so dominated New Jersey in the seventh game of a first-round series that Claude Lemieux, the Devils winger, had It seemed, to Horowitz at least, that Messier was pulling a Broadway Joe, sat alone afterward in a bus in the bowels of Madison Square Garden, and that made him think of someone else: His father. Gedale Horowitz disappointed and frustrated. had grown up a Rangers fan on the Upper West Side, attending games at the old Garden on Eighth Avenue, near Times Square. For 50 cents, “I hate that team,” he said. he would buy a seat in the side balcony, ignore an obscured view of the By the spring of 1994, in the days before the Eastern Conference finals ice and root on Chuck Rayner and Don “Bones” Raleigh, the boyish began, even the proud Lemieux had conceded that the Rangers had the center who famously hit the post in Game 7 of the 1950 Stanley Cup “best team on paper.” Still, the Rangers were the Rangers, and as finals. Gedale had been 8 when the Rangers last won the Stanley Cup in Messier told teammates, the playoff demons had to be slayed, one way 1940. He officially became a season ticket holder in 1968. He loved the or another, or the “1940” chants wouldn’t cease, and the fans would keep sport, relishing the speed and physicality. When his son Seth came along waiting for the next catastrophe, for the next 1950 or 1979. a few years later, he indoctrinated him into the ways of the Rangers, teaching him about the dual tenets of loyalty and heartbreak, about the “All those near misses,” said Seth Horowitz, who was preparing for ghosts in the Garden. anything in Game 6. “All those chances, and never being quite good enough.” By the spring of 1994, Gedale was on the executive board at Salomon Brothers and still waiting for another Stanley Cup. He just wasn’t sure if it In this way, the roots of the guarantee dated back years, before Mike would ever come. When the New York Post hit doorsteps on the morning Richter was pulled during a perplexing Game 4 and before a listless of Game 6, Seth and Gedale Horowitz already had tickets to Brendan performance in Game 5. The Rangers were eternal underachievers, the Byrne Arena. Not only that, but they would also be sitting in the personal proud franchise with a postseason problem, and it wasn’t just the weight box of Devils owner John McMullen, one of Gedale’s good friends and of the series that was dragging down their confidence. It was everything business associates. The Horowitzes had already been to the McMullen that had transpired before Messier arrived from Edmonton in 1991. box for Games 3 and 4, and to their knowledge, they were the only Rangers fans in the suite. As such, admittance came with a few rules: That the collapse would come against the Devils only added to the They couldn’t cheer. They couldn’t wear Rangers gear. They had to bewilderment. Once dubbed a “Mickey Mouse organization” by Wayne watch in silence. Gretzky during their early years, the Devils had settled in New Jersey in 1982, been in town for 12 seasons and never won anything meaningful. Scott Niedermayer goal eight minutes into the game — on a botched Once a vagabond franchise with ill-conceived stints in Kansas City and deflection from New York’s Sergei Nemchinov — and Lemieux’s later tip- Denver, they were often an afterthought in their own market — not to in, Richter had been nearly perfect, keeping the Rangers in the game. At mention outnumbered in their own building when the Rangers came to one point, , the ESPN broadcaster on the call, paused to Jersey. As the Devils’ John MacLean put it before the series began: take notice. “Around here, we’d be underdogs even if that record was the other way around.” “Mike Richter is holding down the fort right now for the New York Rangers,” he said. By then, though, the Mickey Mouse days were gone, and a fresh swagger was starting to surface. The Devils weren’t yet the perennial Richter wasn’t going anywhere, but that didn’t change the reality on the force they would become, but they were getting close, winning a scoreboard or the jubilant atmosphere in the suite of Devils owner John franchise-record 47 games. With rookie Martin Brodeur in net and Scott McMullen. As a congregation of local businessmen and politicians milled Stevens galvanizing a ferocious defense, the rhetoric started to line up about, Seth and Gedale Horowitz tried to blend in. with the record. “There was laughter and joy in McMullen’s box,” Seth Horowitz said. McMullen, the Navy man who brought the team to Jersey, even promised “They all thought the Devils were going to go onto the Cup finals.” to win a championship before the vaunted Rangers. Seth, meanwhile, tried to hide his emotions. As the final seconds of the “We’ll win the Stanley Cup before they do,” he told reporters in the early first period ticked off the clock, he wasn’t happy. By midway through the ’90s. second period, he was nearly despondent.

When the Eastern Conference finals began, it seemed as if a quiet If the mood inside the owner’s box was buoyant, it was nearly euphoric confidence had taken root in the New Jersey dressing room. Ken out in the arena. At least among those in red. Jim Biringer, an 8-year-old Daneyko, the Devils defenseman and a good friend of Messier, told Devils fan from New Jersey, was sitting at center ice — Section 108, reporters that the Devils were the only team in the playoffs that could Row 7 — so close to the old press box that Rangers GM Neil Smith had beat the Rangers. Lemieux laid it out in stronger terms: “Deep down, I given him an extra stat packet at an earlier game in the series. Biringer think if we stick to our game plan, we can beat them.” had left school that day in Dumont and returned home to a call from a friend. He’d wanted to ask if he’d seen Messier’s guarantee. At 8 years Still, by the night of Game 6, it was hard to believe. The New Jersey old, he had no true sense for the Rangers’ tortured history, the Devils’ Devils were one game from the Stanley Cup finals? All they had to do first years in Jersey or the historical context of a New York guarantee, but was win one game at home. Easy enough. Of course, it apparently you didn’t need to be an old head to understand that something wild was wasn’t just Messier who had a strong feeling about this series. It might afoot. have been a divine power. As New York Governor Mario Cuomo had predicted before Game 5: “The Devils have always been formidable, but Pete DeVito, a 14-year-old Devils fan from Hillsborough, N.J., felt the in the end, God wins. The Rangers.” same. Sitting with his father in Section 232 — high above center ice, opposite the benches — he had watched Niedermayer and Lemieux Game 6 combine for the second goal near the end of the first period, listened to the arena erupt, then turned to his dad: “We’re going to the finals,” he The first period was nearly over and Mike Richter wouldn’t look at the said. bench. The din inside Brendan Byrne Arena had risen to a frenzied roar. The pompoms handed out pregame had turned the crowd into a shaking Around the same time, John Fox, a Rangers fan from Carlstadt, was wave of confetti, like a cascading wall of white noise. The Devils were asking himself a simple question. He had gone to his first game at mobbing each other near center ice, celebrating a Lemieux goal that Madison Square Garden in 1971, become a season ticket holder and gave New Jersey a 2-0 lead with two and a half minutes left in the first. spent the last three decades pouring his heart and soul into a hockey Richter, the Rangers’ goaltender, took a sip from his water bottle and team. With the Rangers trailing 2-0 and the second period halfway gone, turned around, staring back toward the ice, away from the critical gaze of he felt a familiar dread. It was almost existential. Why couldn’t he have New York coach . been a Devils fan?

“Don’t pull me out of this game, Mike,” Richter thought to himself. “Don’t “Growing up a Rangers fan, it was always a disappointment,” he said. do it.” “Even when you thought they would win, something would go wrong. This was the year you were sure it wasn’t gonna go wrong, and it was Richter was 27, boyish-looking and intelligent, and one of the best happening again.” netminders in the NHL. He had grown up in Flourtown, Pa., not far from Philly, coming of age watching the Broad Street Bullies and wearing a As the second period pressed on, Richter continued to stand on his head Bernie Parent Flyers jersey, emulating the legendary goaltender. He had and Smith, the GM, continued to absorb taunts in the press box. The starred collegiately at Wisconsin, debuted for the Rangers during the Devils continued to control the action, but they could not put the game 1989-90 season, and won MVP honors at the 1994 NHL All-Star Game away. Down in the lower bowl, 20 rows from the ice, a 34-year-old at Madison Square Garden. Yet for all his credentials and talent, it didn’t Rangers fan named Adam Kula watched the action. At home on Long stop Keenan from pulling him whenever things went awry. The dance Island, his wife Lori was nine months pregnant with the couple’s second had gone on for most of the year; the opposing team would score a child and due in a matter of days. But that didn’t matter. Kula had grown couple early goals and Keenan would send in backup Glenn Healy to up a Rangers fan and worked just blocks from the Garden after college. take over. Richter had always tried to stay professional, to say he needed There was no way he was missing this. to play better. But when he won a new truck for his MVP performance in the All-Star Game, he had done so after coming off the bench, so he In two days, in fact, Kula would watch his son Corey come into the world joked with reporters. at a Long Island hospital, wish his wife well, then head straight for the train station in Great Neck to be at the Garden for Game 7. So perhaps, “I’ve had practice playing parts of games,” he said. in some bizarrely cosmic way, Kula had engendered some good karma. Because as he watched from his seat, he saw the Rangers’ Alexei The controversy surrounding Keenan’s quick hook had come to a head in Kovalev streak into view, unleash a shot, and beat Martin Brodeur to cut a Game 4 loss, when Richter was benched along with Leetch. It was a the deficit to 2-1 with nearly two minutes left in the second. Just like that, confounding move, made ever stranger when Keenan told reporters that the momentum had changed, and for those in attendance, the building Leetch and Messier were injured. But it did prove one thing: Richter had suddenly felt like the Garden. You could feel it, too, from the concourse to be worried, even now, even in the midst of Game 6. to the lower bowl to the owner’s box, where Seth and Gedale Horowitz “You don’t know whether he’s going to pull you,” Richter had said early suddenly had hope. that season. “But you do know you don’t want to give him that “Once we got that first goal,” Kula said, “You just knew that something opportunity.” was kind of happening.”

The truth, of course, was that Richter had given Keenan no reason. In Before they became teammates in New York, Rangers defenseman Jay the midst of a disastrous start, he had been the Rangers’ best player on Wells competed against Mark Messier for more than a decade, butting the ice. The Devils had three 2-on-1 chances in the first five minutes and heads on the ice in Los Angeles and Edmonton, witnessing his talent and would put 13 shots on net in the opening period. Dominating the action, marveling at his ability to lead. By the spring of 1994, after three seasons they unleashed eight of the game’s first nine shots. Yet aside from a together on the Rangers, Wells had come to a simple conclusion: There was nothing scarier in the NHL than when Messier got that “real serious stubs from all four rounds of the playoffs, including the Eastern look of determination in his eye.” Conference finals. His father had kept them all this time.

“In the third period,” Wells said, “he had that.” Gedale Horowitz died in April after a long illness. He was 87 and still a Rangers fan, and it caused Seth to reflect back on the run in 1994, how a If the Devils wanted to cling to some morsel of hope, they were still 8-1 in moment can last forever. On the night of Game 6, they had left the the playoffs when leading after two periods; the Rangers, meanwhile, owner’s box without saying goodbye. The mood was somber and quiet, were 0-3. But the Rangers had Messier, a man that New Jersey’s Bernie and the color had drained from John McMullen’s face. Nicholls would call “the best money player in the game,” a man who had guaranteed victory and was starting to get the look. “We just got out of there,” Seth said.

“I know Gretz and Mario get a lot of credit,” Nicholls would say. “But Together, they watched Stephane Matteau’s heroics in Game 7. They when the chips are down, I want Mess.” watched the Rangers vanquish the Canucks in seven games. They watched Messier lift the cup, finally slaying the demons of 1940. So it went: Just two minutes into the third period, Kovalev was leading the attack and Messier was flying across the frame and slipping into an “To share that with my father, that was really special,” Seth said. opening, receiving a pass before unleashing a surprising back-handed shot that appeared to fool Brodeur. The puck found the net, tying the It was a beautiful spring in New York, maybe the greatest ever for game at 2-2 and setting off another explosion from Rangers fans inside Rangers fans, and it didn’t even cost Gedale Horowitz a friend. The very the arena. On the ESPN broadcast, Thorne delivered a prophetic next spring, the Devils hoisted the Cup themselves, and a short time message: “Just throw the clicker away! You’ve got all you’ll need right later, McMullen sent Lord Stanley himself over to Gedale’s office for a here.” day.

Up in McMullen’s box, the joyous atmosphere had shifted to a quiet It was a nice gesture, of course, a couple hours with the Stanley Cup. It unease. The Rangers had seized control. Messier and Kovalev were was also a reminder: The Devils got ‘em this time. But nothing could take pressing the issue. The Devils were allowing the space for chance after away from a year earlier, when Messier and his guarantee wiped away chance. 50-plus years of frustration.

“You could feel the tension rising,” Seth Horowitz said.

Midway through the period, Niedermayer and the Rangers’ Esa Tikkanen Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 08.14.2020 were whistled for matching roughing penalties, which resulted in a 4-on-4 and another golden opportunity for New York. Moments later, Kovalev was leading another attack and firing a slap shot that Brodeur couldn’t control. The puck kicked free. Messier was there. In the seconds after he buried the shot, after the Rangers’ finally had the lead, Seth Horowitz was still sitting in rival territory. He could not celebrate; that was rule No. 1. So he grabbed his father by the arm and wouldn’t let it go.

“You couldn’t get up and cheer or scream or raise your hands,” he said, “so I just grabbed him and squeezed hard.”

The Devils, of course, still had nearly eight minutes to even the score. But Messier was not done. When New Jersey pulled Brodeur on a power play with 1:53 left, the Devils would have a 6-on-4 opportunity and a chance to force the issue. But Messier quickly won a faceoff, and after a loose puck squirted behind the net, Leetch disrupted the play. Messier suddenly had the puck on his stick and a clear shot at an empty net. In a split second, he pivoted and fired. When the puck hit the back of the net, the Rangers bench went crazy and Thorne screamed.

“Do you believe it?” he asked the ESPN audience. “Do you believe it? He said, ‘We will win Game 6.’ He has just picked up the hat trick.”

In the moments after the game, after the series had been evened at 3-3 and the teams prepared for a seventh game at the Garden, Smith would compare the third period of Game 6 to a thermometer. He was at freezing, he said, when New York trailed 2-1. The first Messier goal had raised the temperature to 45. The second had pushed it to 70.

“And on the third,” he said. “The top blew off the thermometer like one of those cartoons.”

In the moments after the game, the Devils’ would lament the missed chances in the first and second periods. (“They didn’t come back,” he said. “We gave it to them.”) Keenan would call Messier’s hat trick “the most impressive performance by any hockey player in the history of this league,” while Doc Emrick, the iconic play-by-play voice, would dub the performance “The called shot.” Later, the Knicks’ Patrick Ewing would label the whole affair — the guarantee, the hat trick, the win — as a “bold statement.”

“The thing that I admire about it, he was the one,” Ewing said, speaking to reporters during a playoff press conference. “He did everything that he had to do to win.”

Messier, of course, did not dwell on the night. That was not his nature. He passed the credit to Richter. The series was not over. They could not slay the ghosts of 1940 in Game 6. All the Rangers had to do was win, he had said, and now they had to do the same in Game 7.

One day earlier this year, more than 26 years after Game 6, Seth Horowitz was at his father’s home, looking through his belongings. He stumbled upon a program from the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals and ticket 1191057 New York Rangers To that point, adherence had been simple enough. But now the series hung in the balance and Messier was guaranteeing victory. It felt like something big was about to happen.

The Comeback, No. 27: Mark Messier guarantees a Rangers win in Being Rangers fans, the Horowitzes were already worried. Game 6 The same morning Seth Horowitz looked at the New York Post and thought of Joe Namath, Rangers defenseman Brian Leetch grabbed a copy of the newspaper and sarcastically presented it to Mark Messier. He Rustin Dodd needed to see what he had done. The “Captain Courageous” headline was there, staring back at him in all its glory, his words sending a jolt Aug 13, 2020 through the city.

“I sat back and said ‘Oh my God’,” Messier would say later. “And Brian May 24, 1994 turned to me and said ‘Looks like we have to win tonight, huh?’ ”

On the day he promised victory, Mark Messier stopped for breakfast at The day before, at the Playland ice rink, Messier had finished practice the On The Way Cafe, a new brunch spot not far from the rink at the and stood before a scrum of 10 or 15 reporters. The night before, the Playland Ice Casino in Rye, NY. He took a seat at the counter, picked up Rangers had lost 4-1 at Madison Square Garden in Game 4. There were a newspaper and scanned the headlines. He ordered and paid his bill. questions about the health of Leetch and Messier. The series, and the When the meal was over, he grabbed his things, thanked the staff and season, was slipping away after two straight losses, and prompted by a headed off for practice with teammates Glenn Anderson and Mike simple question by Mark Everson, the beat writer for The Post, Messier Richter. It was a Tuesday morning in May, and Messier’s New York delivered a simple answer. Rangers were on the brink, one loss from another playoff disaster. They “We’re going to go in and win Game 6,” Messier said. “That was the trailed the New Jersey Devils 3-2 in the NHL’s Eastern Conference finals. focus this morning and it’s the way we feel right now. We’ve done that all Game 6 was the next day at the Meadowlands. The ghosts of 1940 hung year, we’ve won all the games we’ve had to win. in the humid spring air, the unease and uncertainty reaching the New York dressing room a few blocks away. “I know we’re going to go in and win Game 6 and bring it back here for Game 7. We have enough talent and experience to turn the tide. That’s Messier, the 33-year-old captain, knew exactly what he had to do. That exactly what we’re going to do.” morning, on the drive from the Upper West Side to Westchester, he’d turned to Richter and offered a simple reminder: “All we have to do is win In another moment, he added: “We can win and will win.” this game.” The words were spoken with the same matter-of-fact confidence that Messier, Richter would recall later, had said the words with zero pretense Mike Richter heard on the way to breakfast. It wasn’t a brash prophecy. It or doubt. It was just Mess being Mess. He was calm and sincere and wasn’t quite Namath. Was it really a guarantee? Stan Fischler, the believed deeply in his team. All they had to do was win. hockey historian and television analyst, would call the moment a “nothing to lose situation.” Rangers general manager Neil Smith believed it was Now he had to make sure everyone else believed, too. media created, a specialty of the New York papers. (Despite the Knicks May 25, 1994 opening the Eastern Conference finals against the Pacers that night, the Post kept Messier on the cover, leaning into the prediction.) Messier, The next day, Seth Horowitz, a Rangers fan on the Upper West Side, however, knew there would be some fallout. This was New York, after all, scanned the back cover of the New York Post. Horowitz was a subscriber and he’d just guaranteed a win. As he left practice, he warned a few to the paper and a sports fan, so it wasn’t unusual for him to check the teammates: He may have created a storyline. back page first in the morning. Still, he wasn’t quite ready for what he saw. There, splashed across the newsprint, was Rangers captain Mark The Messier guarantee, as it would be known, had been born of a simple Messier and a large, banner headline: desire. The Rangers needed a shot of belief, to remember who they were and why they were favored to win the Stanley Cup. “Captain Courageous’ bold prediction: We’ll Win Tonight.” “Our confidence (had) started to waver,” Messier said. It was, in the grand New York tradition, a classic guarantee, like Babe Ruth calling his shot in the 1932 World Series or Joe Namath predicting New York had been the class of the NHL during the regular season, victory before Super Bowl III. Horowitz, a 30-year-old associate at a New girded by the steely play of Leetch and a team-record 52 goals from York law firm, had grown up a Giants fan in Great Neck, but as he looked Adam Graves. They swept the season series against the Devils 6-0, at the headline, he, too, immediately thought of Namath. As a New York winning five games by at least two goals. And two years earlier, in the sports fan, he said, the story “is a part of your DNA.” 1991-92 playoffs, they had so dominated New Jersey in the seventh game of a first-round series that Claude Lemieux, the Devils winger, had It seemed, to Horowitz at least, that Messier was pulling a Broadway Joe, sat alone afterward in a bus in the bowels of Madison Square Garden, and that made him think of someone else: His father. Gedale Horowitz disappointed and frustrated. had grown up a Rangers fan on the Upper West Side, attending games at the old Garden on Eighth Avenue, near Times Square. For 50 cents, “I hate that team,” he said. he would buy a seat in the side balcony, ignore an obscured view of the By the spring of 1994, in the days before the Eastern Conference finals ice and root on Chuck Rayner and Don “Bones” Raleigh, the boyish began, even the proud Lemieux had conceded that the Rangers had the center who famously hit the post in Game 7 of the 1950 Stanley Cup “best team on paper.” Still, the Rangers were the Rangers, and as finals. Gedale had been 8 when the Rangers last won the Stanley Cup in Messier told teammates, the playoff demons had to be slayed, one way 1940. He officially became a season ticket holder in 1968. He loved the or another, or the “1940” chants wouldn’t cease, and the fans would keep sport, relishing the speed and physicality. When his son Seth came along waiting for the next catastrophe, for the next 1950 or 1979. a few years later, he indoctrinated him into the ways of the Rangers, teaching him about the dual tenets of loyalty and heartbreak, about the “All those near misses,” said Seth Horowitz, who was preparing for ghosts in the Garden. anything in Game 6. “All those chances, and never being quite good enough.” By the spring of 1994, Gedale was on the executive board at Salomon Brothers and still waiting for another Stanley Cup. He just wasn’t sure if it In this way, the roots of the guarantee dated back years, before Mike would ever come. When the New York Post hit doorsteps on the morning Richter was pulled during a perplexing Game 4 and before a listless of Game 6, Seth and Gedale Horowitz already had tickets to Brendan performance in Game 5. The Rangers were eternal underachievers, the Byrne Arena. Not only that, but they would also be sitting in the personal proud franchise with a postseason problem, and it wasn’t just the weight box of Devils owner John McMullen, one of Gedale’s good friends and of the series that was dragging down their confidence. It was everything business associates. The Horowitzes had already been to the McMullen that had transpired before Messier arrived from Edmonton in 1991. box for Games 3 and 4, and to their knowledge, they were the only Rangers fans in the suite. As such, admittance came with a few rules: That the collapse would come against the Devils only added to the They couldn’t cheer. They couldn’t wear Rangers gear. They had to bewilderment. Once dubbed a “Mickey Mouse organization” by Wayne watch in silence. Gretzky during their early years, the Devils had settled in New Jersey in 1982, been in town for 12 seasons and never won anything meaningful. Scott Niedermayer goal eight minutes into the game — on a botched Once a vagabond franchise with ill-conceived stints in Kansas City and deflection from New York’s Sergei Nemchinov — and Lemieux’s later tip- Denver, they were often an afterthought in their own market — not to in, Richter had been nearly perfect, keeping the Rangers in the game. At mention outnumbered in their own building when the Rangers came to one point, Gary Thorne, the ESPN broadcaster on the call, paused to Jersey. As the Devils’ John MacLean put it before the series began: take notice. “Around here, we’d be underdogs even if that record was the other way around.” “Mike Richter is holding down the fort right now for the New York Rangers,” he said. By then, though, the Mickey Mouse days were gone, and a fresh swagger was starting to surface. The Devils weren’t yet the perennial Richter wasn’t going anywhere, but that didn’t change the reality on the force they would become, but they were getting close, winning a scoreboard or the jubilant atmosphere in the suite of Devils owner John franchise-record 47 games. With rookie Martin Brodeur in net and Scott McMullen. As a congregation of local businessmen and politicians milled Stevens galvanizing a ferocious defense, the rhetoric started to line up about, Seth and Gedale Horowitz tried to blend in. with the record. “There was laughter and joy in McMullen’s box,” Seth Horowitz said. McMullen, the Navy man who brought the team to Jersey, even promised “They all thought the Devils were going to go onto the Cup finals.” to win a championship before the vaunted Rangers. Seth, meanwhile, tried to hide his emotions. As the final seconds of the “We’ll win the Stanley Cup before they do,” he told reporters in the early first period ticked off the clock, he wasn’t happy. By midway through the ’90s. second period, he was nearly despondent.

When the Eastern Conference finals began, it seemed as if a quiet If the mood inside the owner’s box was buoyant, it was nearly euphoric confidence had taken root in the New Jersey dressing room. Ken out in the arena. At least among those in red. Jim Biringer, an 8-year-old Daneyko, the Devils defenseman and a good friend of Messier, told Devils fan from New Jersey, was sitting at center ice — Section 108, reporters that the Devils were the only team in the playoffs that could Row 7 — so close to the old press box that Rangers GM Neil Smith had beat the Rangers. Lemieux laid it out in stronger terms: “Deep down, I given him an extra stat packet at an earlier game in the series. Biringer think if we stick to our game plan, we can beat them.” had left school that day in Dumont and returned home to a call from a friend. He’d wanted to ask if he’d seen Messier’s guarantee. At 8 years Still, by the night of Game 6, it was hard to believe. The New Jersey old, he had no true sense for the Rangers’ tortured history, the Devils’ Devils were one game from the Stanley Cup finals? All they had to do first years in Jersey or the historical context of a New York guarantee, but was win one game at home. Easy enough. Of course, it apparently you didn’t need to be an old head to understand that something wild was wasn’t just Messier who had a strong feeling about this series. It might afoot. have been a divine power. As New York Governor Mario Cuomo had predicted before Game 5: “The Devils have always been formidable, but Pete DeVito, a 14-year-old Devils fan from Hillsborough, N.J., felt the in the end, God wins. The Rangers.” same. Sitting with his father in Section 232 — high above center ice, opposite the benches — he had watched Niedermayer and Lemieux Game 6 combine for the second goal near the end of the first period, listened to the arena erupt, then turned to his dad: “We’re going to the finals,” he The first period was nearly over and Mike Richter wouldn’t look at the said. bench. The din inside Brendan Byrne Arena had risen to a frenzied roar. The pompoms handed out pregame had turned the crowd into a shaking Around the same time, John Fox, a Rangers fan from Carlstadt, was wave of confetti, like a cascading wall of white noise. The Devils were asking himself a simple question. He had gone to his first game at mobbing each other near center ice, celebrating a Lemieux goal that Madison Square Garden in 1971, become a season ticket holder and gave New Jersey a 2-0 lead with two and a half minutes left in the first. spent the last three decades pouring his heart and soul into a hockey Richter, the Rangers’ goaltender, took a sip from his water bottle and team. With the Rangers trailing 2-0 and the second period halfway gone, turned around, staring back toward the ice, away from the critical gaze of he felt a familiar dread. It was almost existential. Why couldn’t he have New York coach Mike Keenan. been a Devils fan?

“Don’t pull me out of this game, Mike,” Richter thought to himself. “Don’t “Growing up a Rangers fan, it was always a disappointment,” he said. do it.” “Even when you thought they would win, something would go wrong. This was the year you were sure it wasn’t gonna go wrong, and it was Richter was 27, boyish-looking and intelligent, and one of the best happening again.” netminders in the NHL. He had grown up in Flourtown, Pa., not far from Philly, coming of age watching the Broad Street Bullies and wearing a As the second period pressed on, Richter continued to stand on his head Bernie Parent Flyers jersey, emulating the legendary goaltender. He had and Smith, the GM, continued to absorb taunts in the press box. The starred collegiately at Wisconsin, debuted for the Rangers during the Devils continued to control the action, but they could not put the game 1989-90 season, and won MVP honors at the 1994 NHL All-Star Game away. Down in the lower bowl, 20 rows from the ice, a 34-year-old at Madison Square Garden. Yet for all his credentials and talent, it didn’t Rangers fan named Adam Kula watched the action. At home on Long stop Keenan from pulling him whenever things went awry. The dance Island, his wife Lori was nine months pregnant with the couple’s second had gone on for most of the year; the opposing team would score a child and due in a matter of days. But that didn’t matter. Kula had grown couple early goals and Keenan would send in backup Glenn Healy to up a Rangers fan and worked just blocks from the Garden after college. take over. Richter had always tried to stay professional, to say he needed There was no way he was missing this. to play better. But when he won a new truck for his MVP performance in the All-Star Game, he had done so after coming off the bench, so he In two days, in fact, Kula would watch his son Corey come into the world joked with reporters. at a Long Island hospital, wish his wife well, then head straight for the train station in Great Neck to be at the Garden for Game 7. So perhaps, “I’ve had practice playing parts of games,” he said. in some bizarrely cosmic way, Kula had engendered some good karma. Because as he watched from his seat, he saw the Rangers’ Alexei The controversy surrounding Keenan’s quick hook had come to a head in Kovalev streak into view, unleash a shot, and beat Martin Brodeur to cut a Game 4 loss, when Richter was benched along with Leetch. It was a the deficit to 2-1 with nearly two minutes left in the second. Just like that, confounding move, made ever stranger when Keenan told reporters that the momentum had changed, and for those in attendance, the building Leetch and Messier were injured. But it did prove one thing: Richter had suddenly felt like the Garden. You could feel it, too, from the concourse to be worried, even now, even in the midst of Game 6. to the lower bowl to the owner’s box, where Seth and Gedale Horowitz “You don’t know whether he’s going to pull you,” Richter had said early suddenly had hope. that season. “But you do know you don’t want to give him that “Once we got that first goal,” Kula said, “You just knew that something opportunity.” was kind of happening.”

The truth, of course, was that Richter had given Keenan no reason. In Before they became teammates in New York, Rangers defenseman Jay the midst of a disastrous start, he had been the Rangers’ best player on Wells competed against Mark Messier for more than a decade, butting the ice. The Devils had three 2-on-1 chances in the first five minutes and heads on the ice in Los Angeles and Edmonton, witnessing his talent and would put 13 shots on net in the opening period. Dominating the action, marveling at his ability to lead. By the spring of 1994, after three seasons they unleashed eight of the game’s first nine shots. Yet aside from a together on the Rangers, Wells had come to a simple conclusion: There was nothing scarier in the NHL than when Messier got that “real serious stubs from all four rounds of the playoffs, including the Eastern look of determination in his eye.” Conference finals. His father had kept them all this time.

“In the third period,” Wells said, “he had that.” Gedale Horowitz died in April after a long illness. He was 87 and still a Rangers fan, and it caused Seth to reflect back on the run in 1994, how a If the Devils wanted to cling to some morsel of hope, they were still 8-1 in moment can last forever. On the night of Game 6, they had left the the playoffs when leading after two periods; the Rangers, meanwhile, owner’s box without saying goodbye. The mood was somber and quiet, were 0-3. But the Rangers had Messier, a man that New Jersey’s Bernie and the color had drained from John McMullen’s face. Nicholls would call “the best money player in the game,” a man who had guaranteed victory and was starting to get the look. “We just got out of there,” Seth said.

“I know Gretz and Mario get a lot of credit,” Nicholls would say. “But Together, they watched Stephane Matteau’s heroics in Game 7. They when the chips are down, I want Mess.” watched the Rangers vanquish the Canucks in seven games. They watched Messier lift the cup, finally slaying the demons of 1940. So it went: Just two minutes into the third period, Kovalev was leading the attack and Messier was flying across the frame and slipping into an “To share that with my father, that was really special,” Seth said. opening, receiving a pass before unleashing a surprising back-handed shot that appeared to fool Brodeur. The puck found the net, tying the It was a beautiful spring in New York, maybe the greatest ever for game at 2-2 and setting off another explosion from Rangers fans inside Rangers fans, and it didn’t even cost Gedale Horowitz a friend. The very the arena. On the ESPN broadcast, Thorne delivered a prophetic next spring, the Devils hoisted the Cup themselves, and a short time message: “Just throw the clicker away! You’ve got all you’ll need right later, McMullen sent Lord Stanley himself over to Gedale’s office for a here.” day.

Up in McMullen’s box, the joyous atmosphere had shifted to a quiet It was a nice gesture, of course, a couple hours with the Stanley Cup. It unease. The Rangers had seized control. Messier and Kovalev were was also a reminder: The Devils got ‘em this time. But nothing could take pressing the issue. The Devils were allowing the space for chance after away from a year earlier, when Messier and his guarantee wiped away chance. 50-plus years of frustration.

“You could feel the tension rising,” Seth Horowitz said.

Midway through the period, Niedermayer and the Rangers’ Esa Tikkanen The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020 were whistled for matching roughing penalties, which resulted in a 4-on-4 and another golden opportunity for New York. Moments later, Kovalev was leading another attack and firing a slap shot that Brodeur couldn’t control. The puck kicked free. Messier was there. In the seconds after he buried the shot, after the Rangers’ finally had the lead, Seth Horowitz was still sitting in rival territory. He could not celebrate; that was rule No. 1. So he grabbed his father by the arm and wouldn’t let it go.

“You couldn’t get up and cheer or scream or raise your hands,” he said, “so I just grabbed him and squeezed hard.”

The Devils, of course, still had nearly eight minutes to even the score. But Messier was not done. When New Jersey pulled Brodeur on a power play with 1:53 left, the Devils would have a 6-on-4 opportunity and a chance to force the issue. But Messier quickly won a faceoff, and after a loose puck squirted behind the net, Leetch disrupted the play. Messier suddenly had the puck on his stick and a clear shot at an empty net. In a split second, he pivoted and fired. When the puck hit the back of the net, the Rangers bench went crazy and Thorne screamed.

“Do you believe it?” he asked the ESPN audience. “Do you believe it? He said, ‘We will win Game 6.’ He has just picked up the hat trick.”

In the moments after the game, after the series had been evened at 3-3 and the teams prepared for a seventh game at the Garden, Smith would compare the third period of Game 6 to a thermometer. He was at freezing, he said, when New York trailed 2-1. The first Messier goal had raised the temperature to 45. The second had pushed it to 70.

“And on the third,” he said. “The top blew off the thermometer like one of those cartoons.”

In the moments after the game, the Devils’ Ken Daneyko would lament the missed chances in the first and second periods. (“They didn’t come back,” he said. “We gave it to them.”) Keenan would call Messier’s hat trick “the most impressive performance by any hockey player in the history of this league,” while Doc Emrick, the iconic play-by-play voice, would dub the performance “The called shot.” Later, the Knicks’ Patrick Ewing would label the whole affair — the guarantee, the hat trick, the win — as a “bold statement.”

“The thing that I admire about it, he was the one,” Ewing said, speaking to reporters during a playoff press conference. “He did everything that he had to do to win.”

Messier, of course, did not dwell on the night. That was not his nature. He passed the credit to Richter. The series was not over. They could not slay the ghosts of 1940 in Game 6. All the Rangers had to do was win, he had said, and now they had to do the same in Game 7.

One day earlier this year, more than 26 years after Game 6, Seth Horowitz was at his father’s home, looking through his belongings. He stumbled upon a program from the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals and ticket 1191058 Philadelphia Flyers Coach Alain Vigneault said: “When the game was on the line, I felt we played pretty good. It was a first step in playoff hockey. You’ve got to get better in every game, and that’s what we’re going to try to do.”

Flyers need to ‘get better every game’ against confident Canadiens Center Sean Couturier, who had seven shot attempts (four on goal), five hits, and won nine of 14 faceoffs (64%) in Game 1, was thinking along the same lines. by Sam Carchidi, “We’re playing some solid defensive hockey,” he said, mindful the Flyers have allowed one goal in each of their four postseason games. “We’ve

just got to click a little better offensively, but it’ll come.” There are two ways to look at the Flyers’ 2-1 escape Wednesday over Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 08.14.2020 Montreal in Game 1 of their hard-fought Eastern Conference quarterfinal.

From the Canadiens’ perspective, the loss at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena demonstrated there’s not much difference between their eighth-seeded team and the top-seeded Flyers.

“We showed we can play with them,” Montreal defenseman Shea Weber said.

From the Flyers’ perspective, it could serve as a wake-up call, making them realize they would have dropped the opener if not bailed out by unflappable goalie Carter Hart.

The Canadiens were coming off an emotional play-in series against heavily favored Pittsburgh, which they won, three games to one. The Flyers, meanwhile, won all three round-robin games in a less-intense seeding tournament.

“I really think they benefited from playing a series before,” Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere said Thursday in a Zoom call with reporters. “Obviously, with us just playing three games against three different teams is a little bit different. They got that taste of real playoff hockey. Definitely give them credit; they were relentless out there and played pretty well. I don’t think we played too well as a team. It’s good going forward for the rest of the series.”

He meant the Flyers would learn from their mistakes in Game 1.

The teams will meet Friday in Game 2 at 3 p.m. in Toronto, the Eastern Conference’s hub city.

Flyers center Derek Grant (38) is pushed into Montreal goalie Carey Price by Xavier Ouellet (61) during the first period of an Eastern Conference Stanley Cup playoff game Wednesday. The Flyers survived, 2-1.

The Flyers, who were nearly flawless as they beat Boston, Washington, and Tampa Bay, and stole the top seed in the round-robin tournament, played solidly in the first and third periods against the Canadiens. They were hard on pucks, created good scoring chances, and generally tilted the ice in their favor.

The second period, however, was their worst 20 minutes of their four post-season games. By far.

They were dominated in the second by the speedy Canadiens, getting outshot, 17-7. Still, the Flyers managed to take a 2-1 lead into the third on a hard-working goal by rookie Joel Farabee. Both teams had one second-period goal.

“We turned too many pucks over in the second, and they were skating by our checks,” said left winger Scott Laughton, aware the Flyers must do a better job of containing feisty winger Brendan Gallagher (seven shots). “I think we’ve got to be better at stopping and starting and making it harder on their D to go back and retreat pucks.

“Probably not our best game,” Laughton added, “but I thought we picked it up in the third, and we were able to close them out, and Hartsy did a really good job.”

Justin Braun, Gostisbehere’s defensive partner, said the Flyers need to “be harder in some areas and play smarter.”

The Flyers did a nice job shutting down the Habs in the third period and controlled a good portion of the play.

“I think we just got back to playing a simpler game, not trying to do too much,” Braun said. “Get it deep and make them come 200 feet, and in the second we got in trouble with some turnovers and not getting the puck out at the blue line – and that led to a lot of chances for them. We got back to the recipe that worked in the first, and that really helped us.” 1191059 Philadelphia Flyers

Canadiens coach Claude Julien hospitalized with chest pains, expected to miss rest of Flyers series

by Sam Carchidi,

Montreal coach Claude Julien is expected to miss the rest of the playoff series against the Flyers after he was hospitalized early Thursday morning with chest pains.

Marc Bergevin, the Canadiens’ general manager, sounded encouraged by hospital reports on Julien, saying there was some “positive news” and that he was hopeful the veteran coach would be able to return home shortly.

The Flyers edged the Canadiens, 2-1, in Game 1, on Wednesday night in Toronto, as Carter Hart beat his boyhood idol, Carey Price. After the game, Julien conducted a virtual news conference with reporters.

Bergevin said Julien, 60, was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance after experiencing chest pains overnight. He said he was undergoing tests and that it was not coronavirus-related.

Some things are bigger than sports. Sending our thoughts to Claude and his family and hoping for a speedy recovery.

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) August 13, 2020

Flyers coach Alain Vigneault is close friends with Julien. They were teammates at Salt Lake City in the early 1980s, and they have coached against each other on different levels.

“A lot of things go through your mind,” Vigneault said on Thursday afternoon, adding he just learned of the news 20 minutes earlier. “I’ve known Claude since I’m 20, and we’ve been through different things in our relationship.”

Vigneault said he would reach out to Julien after the news conference.

"No decision has been made yet. Possible Claude will come back to hotel, more likely he returns home. We don't have the details yet."--Marc Bergevin

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) August 13, 2020

Voracek’s new spot

Vigneault used right winger Jake Voracek primarily as a third-line left winger Wednesday and made it sound as though he would stay there for Game 2. Voracek had been the top-line right winger, a spot now occupied by emerging rookie Joel Farabee.

“I liked Jake’s game. I thought he was strong on the puck, good on the forecheck,” Vigneault said. “Obviously, he’s a little more comfortable on the right side, but I think there’s adjustments that are made throughout games and series, and at this time, that’s where we feel he will be most beneficial to our team.”

Voracek scored a power-play goal, a tally that was originally credited to Ivan Provorov. It was changed after the game, when the NHL said the shot deflected off Voracek in front.

Breakaways

Despite a couple of long overtime games in the playoffs, most Flyers said the ice conditions Wednesday at Scotiabank Arena were better than they were in the round-robin tournament. The Flyers and Canadiens played the third game of the day on the surface. ... Vigneault liked the work of James van Riemsdyk (four shots) on the fourth line. He also said he was pleased “for the most part” with defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere on the third pairing.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191060 Philadelphia Flyers Flyers have a size advantage over the Canadiens; will it matter? Jake Voracek: ‘Hopefully, we can go all the way.'

Oskar Lindblom is close to returning to practice. Joel Farabee ‘deserves to stay’ on the Flyers’ top line | On the Fly Fair question: Where the hell was Mrazek going?

Rod Brind’Amour got $25k fine for observing ‘This is why the league’s a by Ed Barkowitz, joke.'

Video of the play that had Brind’Amour incensed The NHL has a stat that teams winning Game 1 of a seven-game series Series schedule: go on to win about 69% of the time. But Wednesday night’s Flyers win in their opener over Montreal might mean even more. Wednesday, Aug. 12: Game 1, Flyers beat Montreal, 2-1

Let’s put those round-robin games aside for a minute, and call this series Friday: Game 2, vs. Montreal, 3 p.m. (NBCSP, NBCSN) the start of the playoffs. Just about everybody who played in the round- robin agrees those games were more like the regular season in terms of Sunday: Game 3, vs. Montreal, 8 p.m. (NBC10) intensity. Tuesday: Game 4, vs. Montreal, 3 p.m. (NBCSP, NBCSN)

So on Wednesday night, the Flyers were carried by a goaltender making *Wednesday: Game 5, vs. Montreal, TBD his first playoff start and a rookie comfortable enough on the top line that he just happened to score the game-winning goal. We know the historic *Friday, Aug. 21: Game 6, vs. Montreal, TBD numbers, but it’s impossible to quantify what the win will mean for the confidence of those youngsters going forward. *Sunday, Aug. 23: Game 7, vs. Montreal, TBD

You’re signed up to get this newsletter in your inbox twice a week for the *-If necessary. ... Games in Toronto. ... The Flyers are the designated rest of the Flyers season. If you like what you’re reading, tell your friends home team in Games 1, 2, 5 and 7. it’s free to sign up here. We want to know what you think, what we should Get over it add, and what you want to read, so send me feedback by email or, more preferably, on Twitter (@EdBarkowitz). Thank you for reading. As the Columbus-Tampa Bay dragged on and on the other night, NBC analyst and Philadelphia frenemy Mike Milbury suggested the NHL — Ed Barkowitz ([email protected]) needed to do something to prevent games from going five overtimes.

Joel Farabee rewards coaching staff for leaving him on top line As the hours and overtimes dragged on, with neither team able to break The unfortunate injury to Michael Raffl in the first round-robin game through for a goal, it got borderline ridiculous. Because the Eastern opened the door for Joel Farabee to get himself back in the lineup. Conference is all bubbled up in Toronto, the Boston-Carolina game had to be moved to the next morning. With the way Farabee has grabbed this opportunity, the only way he will ever be scratched again is if he roughhouses with a cat. So does Milbury, who’s been in hockey just about all his life, have a point? Should the NHL consider alternatives that would keep players Farabee, 20, scored the game-winning goal Wednesday night, as the healthy and fans interested? Flyers won Game 1 of a series for the first time since 2012. He first deflected a shot from Travis Sanheim, then rammed home the rebound. “No,” said Flyers coach Alain Vigneault, who was the Canucks coach in It came 16 seconds after the Canadiens tied he score at 1-1. 2007 when Vancouver won a four-overtime game over Dallas. He said the hotel in Toronto where the Flyers are headquartered was stoked. It was the second straight game the rookie has scored a goal. “Everybody here, everybody was glued to the TV. It was exciting. It was “It’s his first playoff, but it doesn’t look like it,” said Ivan Provorov, 23, demanding. I much prefer that than seeing it won in a shootout. I gotta playing in his 10th playoff game. “He has poise. He’s been making plays. tell ya, just going by the people around here, everybody was real He’s been scoring and helping us big-time.” excited.”

The injury to Raffl opened one door for Farabee. Jake Voracek’s , Milbury’s fellow analyst and the winning goalie when the unavailability for the third round-robin game created another chance. Flyers beat the Penguins in five overtimes in 2000, agreed by saying the Coach Alain Vigneault wanted to see whether the kid could handle Stanley Cup is the most grueling trophy in sports to win for a reason. skating on the top line with Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux. It was wonderfully ironic that the game that was pushed back was won by “I think he deserves to play on that line,” Provorov said. “He contributes a Boston, where Milbury played for 12 seasons and coached two more. lot. I think he complements Coots and G really well. The Bruins won in double overtime.

Voracek returned Wednesday and was credited with deflecting The last word Provorov’s shot for the Flyers’ first goal. Mostly, though, Voracek played on a line with Derek Grant and Nic Aube-Kubel. We’ll let Jo Ann Burke, who tweeted us about the topic from @jpbflyers201, take it home. Farabee didn’t make the team out of training camp and missed the trip to the Czech Republic. He got suspended for three games (which was two “Why mess with what works and has worked for so long?” she wrote. games too many) for a hit in mid-December. He missed three more “Anything other than playing until someone wins by playing the game as games and lost noticeable weight with a stomach virus. And he was sent is, is the only thing that makes sense.” down to the minors when the Flyers acquired Grant and Nate Thompson Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 08.14.2020 at the trade deadline.

Sure can’t question the kid’s perseverance.

“I just do everything I can to help the team, whatever my role is given that night,” said Farabee, a first-round pick in 2018 (14th overall). “Obviously playing with Coots and G, they’re two world-class players, and it’s a lot of fun playing with them. Hopefully, we can keep this momentum rolling and keep getting better and better over this series.”

Things to know

It was the Carter Hart show in Game 1.

Observations, three stars and a replay of Carey Price’s amazing save. 1191061 Philadelphia Flyers

Observations from the Flyers’ 2-1 win over Canadiens

by Ed Barkowitz,

Observations from the Flyers’ 2-1 win over Canadiens

Observations from the Flyers’ 2-1 win over Montreal.

All Hart. The questions from the Canadian media during the week were often about whether Carter Hart could withstand the pressure of his first playoff series, against his childhood hero Carey Price, no less. He stopped 27 of 28 shots, was strong on rebound control and is the reason the Flyers have won Game 1 of a playoff series for the first time since 2012. Got some help from the crossbar in the final minute, too.

Don’t be fooled by the score. The Flyers had too much trouble clearing their own zone — whether it was clumsy clearing attempts or pesky Canadiens’ forechecking. Even steady defenseman Matt Niskanen looked like he was still in round-robin mode as the Canadiens kept forcing errors.

Save of the game. Scott Laughton thought he had an open net and cranked up the howitzer for a sure goal. Price dove back into play and deflected the shot with the blade of his stick. Happiest guy might have been Montreal teammate Nick Suzuki, who was in the line of fire. “I don’t think that’s going to be topped [for the rest of the playoffs],” said NBCSP analyst Chris Therien.

Another look at the Price save and how incredibly close this was to Suzuki's head. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/FLpqFaZBSZ

— Here's Your Replay (@TheReplayGuy) August 13, 2020

ON THE FLY NEWSLETTER

Our three stars. Carter Hart, Carey Price, Joel Farabee. The official three stars were Hart, Ivan Provorov, Jeff Petry.

More power to ya. These teams came into the series 0-for-23 combined on the power play. Naturally, each scored on their first power-play opportunities. Ivan Provorov originally was credited with the goal, which would have been the first of his playoff career (in his 10th game). But it later was given to Jake Voracek who provided a solid screen in front of Price.

Whither Jake. Jake Voracek returned to the lineup after missing the final round-robin game and was on the third line with Derek Grant and Nic Aube-Kubel. Joel Farabee was on the first line with Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux. Voracek even got to take a faceoff for the first time since Feb. 1 — 193 days ago.

Many happy returns. Hart turned 22 on Thursday. Let us all hope he never plays a game the day before his birthday ever again.

That was dumb. Montreal defenseman Xavier Ouellet is lucky he didn’t injury his own goalie when he decked Derek Grant into Price on a first- period chance.

YIKES.

Ouellet runs Grant into Price. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/9SYD0VDhzK

— Here's Your Replay (@TheReplayGuy) August 13, 2020

The kid’s alright. Farabee scored the Flyers’ second goal 16 seconds after Montreal had tied it. The Flyers have an uncanny knack for coming right back on the next shift following a goal allowed. With no fans in the stands, the only momentum to be had must be generated (or stopped) by the players.

Shots all around. Montreal had one shot on goal in the first 13 minutes of the game. The Canadiens had 82 shots on goal against the Flyers in their final two meetings of the regular season, plus another 31 that were either blocked or missed the net. This easily could have gone the other way if Hart wasn’t so stellar.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191062 Philadelphia Flyers "We’ve been through different things, without a doubt, in our relationship. Right now, I want to get this press conference done and go see if I can’t reach him."

Flyers' Gostisbehere hoping to speed up his progress Assistant coach Kirk Muller will guide the Habs starting with Game 2 Friday afternoon.

Delaware County Times LOADED: 08.14.2020 By Rob Parent

To some degree, Shayne Gostisbehere was a surprise starter Wednesday night when the Flyers opened what they hope is a long playoff season. Considering the way Game 1 of the first-round match with the Montreal Canadiens went, however, the club and Gostisbehere would best be served by taking everything a shaky step at a time.

"I think they really just benefited from playing a series before," Gostisbehere said Thursday, referencing the Canadiens' qualifying round upset of Pittsburgh in a best-of-five series. "Obviously with us playing three games (in the round-robin Eastern Conference seeding tourney) against three different teams, it's a little different. They got that taste of real playoff hockey. Definitely give them credit. They were relentless out there. They played pretty well. I don’t think we played too well as a team."

The Flyers certainly played well enough to win, though, only because Carter Hart, playing in his first NHL postseason game of any real consequence, turned in a superb, 27-save performance.

Despite going up against his personal goaltending hero, Habs veteran Carey Price, Hart was as solid and stoic as ever, before, during and after the game.

"I think before games, he’s in a zone," Claude Giroux said. "He kind of does his own thing. I think pretty much (that's) how a goalie is. Off the ice, when we are back in the bubble, I think he is great storyteller. ... He’s a goalie. He’s funny."

The Flyers were sucking some serious wind behind the fast Canadiens in the second period Wednesday night, but Hart kept bailing them out. That gave the Flyers time to regroup and put together a very solid third period, holding Montreal at bay with the one goal lead and allowing the Habs just six shots on Hart in that last period.

So the defense had a first game to remember, too.

Plenty of room for improvement, though.

"I think we need to be a little harder in some areas," defender Justin Braun said. "Play smarter. They took advantage of some turnovers by us, some sloppy play and quick passes behind guys that they were turning into offense. I thought they did a good job capitalizing on our mistakes."

It was Braun's job to pair up with Gostisbehere, who is coming off his second arthroscopic knee procedure in less than a year and has a long way to go to get up to his old speed.

"I thought the first and the third (periods) we were feeling pretty good," Braun said. "We got in some trouble, I think like the whole group, in the second. He’s offensively dynamic and he’s got that step and move at the blueline. It’s nice to have that."

Gostisbehere's always had that, but he knows he's still rounding back into form.

"Getting a couple surgeries, especially on both knees, is definitely not ideal," Gostisbehere said. "Especially for a guy who takes pride in his skating and getting up in the play. I definitely feel better. I feel more elusive and more confident with every day that goes by. It’s not only in the games, but in practice, too. I feel good and getting back to my old self, doing things I normally do. I’m just going to take it day by day and keep it simple."

The Canadiens will be without head coach Claude Julien for the balance of the series after he was hospitalized with chest pains Thursday. Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault is an old friend.

"I’ve known Claude since I was 20; we go way back, we're good friends," Vigneault said. "I’ve obviously going to reach out with him. I just found out the news, I want to say 20 minutes or so, just before jumping on the bus. 1191063 Philadelphia Flyers But in reviewing video from that qualifying series, Vigneault said he didn't see anything different than what he saw during three regular season matches with Montreal.

Flyers Notebook: Vigneault sees series with Canadiens as emotional "Nothing that we didn’t know," said Vigneault. "We knew, obviously, the outlet for fans Habs’ speed and their goaltending (with Carey Price), and the way they work. There’s nothing in that Pittsburgh series that caught us off guard. They’re an extremely hard-working team. It’s going to be a good series."

By Rob Parent It didn't go as long as Game 4 of the Philadelphia-Pittsburgh conference semifinal in 2000, but it almost did.

That 2-1 Flyers victory at the Civic Arena on May 4, 2000 lasted 152 Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault said Wednesday that his team's series minutes and 1 second of game time, some seven hours in real time. against the Montreal Canadiens will give fans in his home province of Quebec and his newish hockey home of Philadelphia something to On Tuesday in Toronto, Game 1 of the opening round series between celebrate, much needed in these tough times. Tampa Bay and Columbus went 140:48 and lasted more than six hours. It was the fourth-longest NHL game, right behind that Flyers-Penguins It was nearing the end of a gameday ritual, Alain Vigneault answering classic won by Keith Primeau 20 years and one pandemic pause ago. standard pre-game media questions Wednesday. Even housed in a Toronto bubble, Vigneault was carrying through with his chores, but he It might have proven difficult for the Flyers, since that afternoon game saved the best answer for last. Tuesday on the only sheet of ice available in the bubble pushed the scheduled game between Boston and Carolina back a day. That game For an otherwise mundane final question, with his team's playoff-opening ended up going into double overtime Wednesday, thereby threatening to game against the Montreal Canadiens still several hours away, Vigneault push back the start of the Flyers' game Wednesday night. felt the urge to extrapolate. But that didn't change Vigneault's mind on what he had witnessed the "Pittsburgh had (Sidney) Crosby and (Evgeni) Malkin and it’s definitely day before. something that they were trying to establish, but they weren’t able to do it," Vigneault said after a question of whether the Flyers' could capitalize "If you’re a hockey fan yesterday, and I’ve been a part of ... if my memory on their apparent advantage with size and experience at center over the is right ... it was back in Vancouver in ’06-’07, I think we went to four Habs. overtimes or something, but everybody here, everybody was glued to the TV," Vigneault said. "It was exciting. It was demanding. It was hockey the "There’s experience," Vigneault continued, "whether it be in goaltending, way that I much prefer than seeing it won in a shootout. on D, in the middle, (but) at the end of the day, players have got to come out and play. For me, it’s going to be a battle. Playoff hockey is hard. It’s "Just by the people that were around here yesterday, everybody was real tight." excited."

And it's emotional. At least it was at this moment, at the start of what is Delaware County Times LOADED: 08.14.2020 bound to be the oddest playoff season in hockey history; against one of the NHL teams that Quebec City native Vigneault grew up cheering for.

"In this global time right now, for me, Philly fans are excited to have an opportunity to maybe think something else, (other) than what’s happening in the world," Vigneault said. "I know for me being a Quebecer and being a Francophone, I think for the Quebec people right now, having the opportunity to think about something else other than the virus, wear your mask, social distancing and such, to be able to have sports for a few hours of the day to take your mind away everything else is great.

"I said sometime in April, I felt that sports is going to be a way to get away a little bit from what’s happening. The Philly fans today, Quebec fans and Montreal Canadiens fans are going to get their first opportunity."

It comes against a Flyers club that hasn't seen playoff hockey since April of 2018, missed four of the last seven postseasons and hasn't seen a second playoff round since 2012.

It comes against a Flyers club that steadily improved as the pre- pandemic season wore on, and promptly saved its best for last, winning 12 of the last 13 games, including three straight over the impressive likes of Boston, Washington and Tampa Bay to secure the top seed in the East.

Whether you see it as a valid seeding spot or not, the Flyers earned it, and kept intact Vigneault's reputation as a coach who often leads a new team of his to fast postseason heights ... even if he's never won it all with any of them.

"The only thing on my mind at this time is not about being the No. 1 seed or having a bull’s eye on our back," Vigneault said. "It’s the Montreal Canadiens and what we’re going to have to do to win tonight’s game. It’s one game at a time. It’s about staying in the moment. It’s about preparing yourself and your team the right way.

"Our players are obviously a little nervous, but I think more excited than nervous. We know we are playing against a real good opponent. We’re ready for the opportunity."

In making the comparisons to his club and the Penguins' physically imposing offense, Vigneault indicated the Canadiens' successful defensive approach that to a large degree shut down Crosby and Malkin. 1191064 Philadelphia Flyers After a short and sweet exchange with Price, Hart did his thing in Game 1.

“Just said hello quickly in warmups, good luck and it was just time to go Ice cream and a memory vs. Carey Price remind us Carter Hart is just a play," Hart said. kid ... but ready for the moment When you gotta keep your cool around your idol...and try to beat him in the #StanleyCup Playoffs! pic.twitter.com/sYU2SYTpR0

By Jordan Hall August 13, 2020 9:35 PM — NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) August 13, 2020

If Hart continues to play the way he has this season and to start the tournament, he could remember the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs for much NHL 24-TEAM TOURNAMENT more than a memorable matchup with Price.

Enjoy that birthday, young man — Hart leads Flyers to a not-so-easy But there's a kid in everyone. Then again, Hart is only 22 years old. Game 1 win "He’s a special kid," Derek Grant said last week. "He’s so calm. He puts 5 big storylines to watch in Flyers-Canadiens 1st-round series his mask on, you don’t know how old he is."

A look at Flyers-Canadiens schedule with different aspects to note With his mask off, Hart hopefully enjoyed a little ice cream and soaked in the moment. How sweep it is — Flyers run through round robin, earn East's No. 1 seed Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.14.2020 Flyers are making believers in round robin, pick up huge win for East seeding

Feel good to be back? Despite possible injury, Flyers open 24-team tourney with a bang

Can the Flyers go all the way? Our Stanley Cup predictions are here

5 questions on Flyers' chances in 24-team tournament

When Carey Price was at his most dominant, winning the Vezina Trophy (top goalie) and Hart Memorial Trophy (MVP) in 2014-15, Carter Hart was just 16 years old.

The precocious but innocent kid had just begun molding his game at the junior hockey level with the WHL's Silvertips in Everett, Washington.

Price was at the sport's pinnacle.

"He was my favorite goalie growing up," Hart said.

On Wednesday, the night before his 22nd birthday, Hart found himself stretching next to Price at the center-ice line in front of the scorekeepers' bench.

There was Hart, on the same NHL stage as his idol, facing him in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The NHL postseason is serious business, requiring the utmost competitiveness and focus. Hart, whose youthfulness often belies his maturity, fully understands the beast that is the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But the postseason makes for special moments and memories. NHL players all looked up to someone at some point. For Hart, he allowed himself to appreciate the storyline ahead.

"Definitely really cool," Hart said last Sunday about the upcoming best-of- seven first-round matchup with Price's Canadiens. "Just had the chance to actually meet him the other week and talk with him for the first time, so that was something pretty cool. For your first playoff series, playing against Carey Price will definitely be a lot of fun; I look forward to it."

Price, who turns 33 years old on Sunday, was unable to spoil the youngster's birthday. By midnight, Hart and the top-seeded Flyers had a 1-0 series lead after earning a hard-fought 2-1 victory over eighth-seeded Montreal. Hart is 3-0-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average and .966 save percentage through three games in the NHL's return-to-play 24-team tournament.

On the ice, the Flyers were able to celebrate around Hart after he turned away 27 of 28 shots, with 16 of those saves coming in the second period when the Flyers really needed him.

Off the ice, they made sure to celebrate Hart's birthday a little early, making the best of the circumstances in the Eastern Conference's Toronto bubble.

“I think some guys got him some ice cream yesterday after the game and just sang him happy birthday," Shayne Gostisbehere said Thursday with a smile. "He’s been pretty good.”

“Let him do his thing,” Scott Laughton chimed in about Hart.

“Yeah, let him do his thing," Gostisbehere echoed. 1191065 Philadelphia Flyers More:Vigneault’s players a little nervous but excited about Game 1 Voracek returned to action after missing the final round robin game (a

4-1 win over Tampa Bay) and played on the third line with Derek Grant Poised Carter Hart propels Flyers to Game 1 win and Nicolas Aube-Kubel.

Also, Shayne Gostisbehere started on the third defense pairing, with Robert Hagg sitting this one out. Wayne Fishflyingfis hhockey.com Farabee played on the top line with Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux. James van Riemsdyk was moved down to the fourth line with Nate Thompson and Tyler Pitlick. If Carter Hart experienced any nervousness in his first “official’’ Stanley Cup playoff game Wednesday night, it certainly didn’t show. Provorov said the Flyers were more aggressive on the power play than they had been in the round robin. On the eve of his 22nd birthday the Flyers goaltender looked calm and composed against the Montreal Canadiens, leading them to a 2-1 win at “We were more direct, funneling the puck to the net,’’ he said. “Shots Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. from the top and that helped us to create chances.’’

The victory gives the top-seeded Flyers a 1-0 edge in the best-of-seven As for Farabee’s performance, Provorov was quick with the opening round series, which resumes Friday afternoon, 3 p.m. compliments.

Hart, who stopped all but one of 28 shots, was at his best in a hectic “He’s been great for us,’’ Provorov said. “It’s his first playoff but it second period which saw the speedy Canadiens swarm the Flyers’ net. doesn’t look like it. He’s been making plays, scoring, helping us big time. He deserves to play on that line.’’ Yet the only goal Hart allowed came on a Montreal power play, with All- Star defenseman Shea Weber blasting a can’t-miss shot into an open net Farabee was asked if he’s been a bit star-struck playing with at 14:38. That tied the score at 1-1. Couturier and Giroux. Vigneault is showing him a lot of faith.

Fortunately for the Flyers, rookie Joel Farabee responded just 16 “Obviously playing with Coots and G, they’re two world-class seconds later when he deflected Travis Sanheim’s point shot into players,’’ Farabee said. “It’s a lot of fun playing with them. Hopefully we Montreal goaltender Carey Price’s pads, then put back the rebound at can keep this momentum going.’’ 14:54 for his second goal of the playoffs. Courier-Post LOADED: 08.14.2020 At times, Hart was spectacular, finding pucks through traffic and guiding them out of harm’s way.

“We’re in the playoffs right now, so it’s crunch time,’’ Hart said after the game on a Zoom call. “We know that Montreal is a good team. They come hard. I thought tonight was a good battle between both teams.

“Whenever there’s a good battle on the ice, it feels rewarding in the end. That was a hard-fought win by us.’’

Coach Alain Vigneault has come to expect these kinds of clutch performances.

“I’ve gotten to know Carter,’’ Vigneault said. “I’ve gotten to know how he sees the game and handles the situation. He’s been through big games before so he’s just going out there and doing what he’s supposed to do and that’s a chance to win games.’’

The Flyers jumped on top at 8:54 of the first period when they scored their first power-play goal of the postseason. With Jake Voracek setting a screen in front of Price, Ivan Provorov fired a shot from the point which found its way into the net.

Philadelphia was 0 for 11 on the power play prior to that goal.

However, Montreal staged quite a comeback in the second and looked like it had taken over the momentum. Then came the third period and the Flyers held the Canadiens to just six shots in that final frame.

What made the difference?

“I think we just didn’t play our game in the second period,’’ Provorov said. “We turned the puck over at the blue line, turned the puck over in our zone. That kind of created momentum for them. They had a lot of possession. . .that’s why they were able to create chances.

“Hartsy did a great job. He kept us in the game. When we came out for the third, we finally started to play our game. We put the puck deep, we forechecked and we had a few power plays help us to create some momentum and keep playing our game.’’

Hart said the gravity of playing in his first real playoff game never really struck him.

“Honestly, it was just prepare the same,’’ he said. “I think coming into the playoffs, it’s a different situation for everybody. You just have to prepare that like it’s any other game.’’

Sean Couturier said Hart’s work ethic is a key to his success.

“He has a lot of potential,’’ Couturier said. “He does a lot of little things right, on and off the ice. You can just respect that from a young guy. He’s doing all he can just to get better.’’ 1191066 Philadelphia Flyers All situations. Data courtesy of Evolving-Hockey. The Aug. 9 game between Dallas and St. Louis (first game of the day, 2-1 score) was omitted because of data integrity issues.

Was the ice a problem in Game 1? Flyers say no, and the stats back So if it wasn’t the ice surface that slowed down the Flyers on them up Wednesday, what was it? Often, the simplest answer is most likely correct: The Flyers just didn’t play up to their potential even as they nabbed a big, 2-1 win, and the Canadiens did a solid job of disrupting them — especially in the second period. It wasn’t the ice. It was what By Charlie O'Connor Aug 13, 2020 Montreal did — and what Philadelphia didn’t do — that led to the apparent choppiness.

When it became clear the NHL would be forced to postpone Tuesday “In the second period, our puck management slipped and they came at night’s game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Boston Bruins until us, came at us extremely hard,” Vigneault said. “One of our (points of) Wednesday morning at 11 a.m. ET because of the five-overtime epic emphasis is making sure (that) with the puck we’re making the right earlier Tuesday between Tampa Bay and Columbus, Flyers fans and decisions. We didn’t do it consistently. I thought we did it for the most players had just cause to worry. part in the first and third period, but obviously in the second period, they made it real challenging for us.” Not because the winner of the first game of the Bruins-Hurricanes series would have any direct impact on Philadelphia’s chances of victory The Flyers will continue to work to improve their decision-making for against the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of their series, of course. But Game 2, with the knowledge that the ice quality in Toronto continues to the schedule adjustment meant that three games would be played on the trend upward, which should make it easier to generate creative plays. Scotiabank Arena playing surface Wednesday, with the Flyers’ opener And coincidentally, the same person pushing his club to make those against Montreal as the final game of the night. Add in that the Bruins- improvements was apparently on-point with his prediction on July 28 Hurricanes contest ended up going to double-overtime, and a reasonable about the trajectory of ice quality in the bubble. fear emerged: The ice surface in Toronto, during an 84-degree day in “I think — and I’m thinking out loud here when you’re asking me this mid-August, would be a mess by the time the puck dropped for Flyers- question — I don’t think a lot of people had skated on this ice lately,” Canadiens a little after 8 p.m. ET. Vigneault said after the Flyers’ exhibition game against the Pittsburgh So when Game 1 proved to be a low-scoring affair in which a grind-it-out Penguins three Tuesdays ago. “There’s been no games. Usually it takes Canadiens team outplayed the more offensively creative Flyers for a good week of skating on an ice for the ice to be good. I see it getting extended stretches, it was easy to jump to the conclusion that a poor ice better, even though it is hot, it is humid, and there’s gonna be a lot of surface was at least partially to blame. Add in a few memorable falls — activity.” such as Artturi Lehkonen’s collapse on a potential two-on-zero rush — There’s little reason for Flyers fans to worry about playing surfaces, along with what appeared to be a constantly bouncing puck, and the especially when their head coach is doubling as a hockey Nostradamus. case seemed open and shut. Assorted notes According to the Flyers players, however, the ice wasn’t a major problem. 1. Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin announced Thursday that “No, I thought the ice was pretty good. I think it was better than during the Montreal head coach Claude Julien was taken to the hospital after the round-robin,” Claude Giroux said Thursday afternoon, turning to game Wednesday night complaining of chest pains. No further teammate Justin Braun for support. information was given on his condition, aside from that he was still Braun, sitting next to Giroux for a video conference call with the media, undergoing tests and not expected to rejoin the Canadiens for the rest of nodded in confirmation: The ice was fine. the first-round series.

“I think people are doing everything they can to give us the best ice Vigneault is close with Julien and has known him since before his own possible,” head coach Alain Vigneault said when asked about the ice coaching career began. He learned of the news shortly before speaking surface’s quality in Game 1. “Obviously, three games in a row — one that with the media, and understandably, was worried about his friend and went in overtime — can be challenging, but I didn’t see a lot of colleague. differences in the ice.” “When I found out about it 20-some-odd minutes ago, a lot of things go It seems counterintuitive: How could the ice be better in the third game of through your mind,” Vigneault said. “Especially (because) I’ve known a day than it was during the Flyers’ round-robin games? Each of their Claude since I’ve been 20, and we’ve been through different things three round-robin games was the first (or only) game on those days. Yet without a doubt in our relationship. Right now, I want to get this press it’s better now than it was then? conference done, to go see if I can’t reach him, reach out to maybe (Bergevin) to find out the latest development.” “I would agree,” Scott Laughton said when told of Giroux’s comments. “I thought the ice was actually probably the best we’ve had since we’ve 2. While the hockey community is hoping for the best for Julien, the been here. … I think the NHL’s doing a really good job at trying to fit series will continue in his absence, with Habs assistant coach Kirk Muller (games) in and make sure everything is safe for the players to go out taking over bench duties as the stand-in head coach. Muller does have there and play. I mean, the ice isn’t going to be perfect — it’s August in NHL head coaching experience — he coached the Hurricanes for parts Toronto, it’s hot out. It’s always a challenge, but I thought the ice was of three seasons from 2011-12 through 2013-14 — and is generally really good.” viewed to hold the role of “players’ coach” on the Montreal staff. In the absence of Julien, of course, he’ll have to do a lot more than that. It’s not just the players throwing cold water on the idea that more games equal worse ice. The prevailing hypothesis is that the more that’s hockey Jakub Voracek in action during the third period of Game 1. (Dan played on an ice surface over the course of a given day, the rougher it Hamilton / USA Today) will become, leading to less creative hockey and in turn, fewer quality 3. One of the more surprising pregame developments Wednesday was chances and goals scored in games. But so far in the NHL bubbles, the revelation that Jakub Voracek would not only be skating on the third that’s not how it’s played out. In fact, the third game of the day in a line — and not in his usual spot with Giroux and Sean Couturier on Line specific locale has actually been, on average, the highest-scoring game 1 — but also would be stationed at left wing, not at his natural right wing and the game with the most chances. position. On Thursday, Vigneault noted he was impressed with Voracek’s Wednesday night’s Flyers-Canadiens matchup might not have fit that work, despite the unorthodox lineup placement. statistical pattern, but when viewed alongside the other bubble games, it “I liked Jake’s game yesterday,” he said. “I thought he was strong on the actually looks like an aberration rather than a smoking gun for the case puck, good on the forecheck. Obviously, (he’s) a little bit more that multiple games in a day are wearing down the ice surfaces in comfortable on the right side, but I think that there’s adjustments that are Toronto and Edmonton and killing offense. Even after accounting for made throughout games, and throughout series, and at this time, we feel team quality, teams have been more productive further into the night as that that’s where he can be most beneficial to our team. Overall, I thought compared to early in the day on a barely used sheet. he played a strong game.” 4. James van Riemsdyk also was out of the top six in Game 1, instead stationed at left wing on Line 4. And Vigneault doesn’t seem especially motivated to move him back up.

“JvR on the fourth line or the first line, (it) doesn’t change the way that he has to play, which is a north-south game, big body, goes to the net — that’s where he scores most of his goals from,” Vigneault said. “On that line with Nate (Thompson) and Tyler (Pitlick) — Tyler hard on the forecheck, Nate a pretty up-and-down hard player, that line had some real good looks yesterday. Very effective.”

5. With his usual bluntness, Shayne Gostisbehere expressed his belief that the Canadiens had a leg up on the Flyers entering Game 1 due to the nature of the return-to-play structure.

“I really think they benefited from playing a series before,” he said. “Obviously, us just playing three games against three different teams is a little different. They got that taste of the real playoff hockey. Definitely give them credit, they were relentless out there, they played pretty well, but I don’t think we played too well as a team. It’s good going forward and for the rest of the series.”

6. The new third pairing of Gostisbehere and Justin Braun didn’t exactly light the world on fire in their second game back together; per Natural Stat Trick, they controlled just 31.82 percent of the shot attempts at five- on-five and 30.12 percent of the expected goals. Braun acknowledged that switching between former partner Robert Hägg and Gostisbehere was an adjustment, but he didn’t seem especially concerned with how difficult it would be over the long term.

“I think Hagger’s obviously a little more physical and will create loose pucks that way, by separating the man,” he said. “Ghost is more stick-on- puck, less ‘finish guys,’ which is fine, either way works. You just got to play off that, depending on what you think is going to happen in the play. I think, playing with either guy, our focus is on good breakouts and getting through the neutral zone. The rest of it will take care of itself.”

7. Braun had the wisecrack of Thursday’s availability, in response to the first question in French. “You take this one,” the Minnesota-born Braun said to Giroux, smirking and drawing a laugh from his bilingual teammate.

8. Carter Hart turned 22 on Thursday, and according to Gostisbehere, the team was ready for it. “I think some guys got him some ice cream yesterday after the game and just sang him ‘Happy Birthday,'” he said, chuckling. “He’s been pretty good, so let him do his thing.”

The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191067 Philadelphia Flyers And how much information does the coaching staff need to give the players about their own game?

“Sometimes you can overwhelm them,” Vigneault added. In the big picture of bubble life, Flyers’ coaches focused on the ultimate The biggest focus is identifying the right mix, putting players in the right goal roles and getting their games as strong as possible, said Yeo.

“But you could get caught up in over-coaching,” Yeo noted. “We By Scott Burnside Aug 13, 2020 recognize that. We understand that we are not perfect right now. And it’s important to give them information but not bombard them.”

How can you tell where that line is? Every day or so, depending on the vagaries of the NHL’s schedule, Philadelphia Flyers coach Alain Vigneault and assistant Mike Yeo head “Where it starts to take away from their instincts,” Yeo said. downstairs from their rooms in Hotel X, just west of downtown Toronto, to That balance has to be applied to the coaching staff too so that they one of the four tennis courts housed in the bubble’s massive, 10,000 aren’t working 24/7, which would be very easy in this situation. square foot athletic center. After practice, the coaches will do some work on their own, then enjoy With a view of Lake Ontario and the majestic downtown Toronto skyline some free time before invariably reconvening in the coaches’ lounge to as a backdrop, the two hit the ball around for 45 minutes or an hour, gameplan for the next game and watch some of the games going on stepping away, if only for a moment, from the task at hand, preparing in a down the road and across the country in Edmonton, and eat some most unusual setting for a run at the Stanley Cup. dinner. “It’s my mind reset of the day,” Vigneault said. “Uber Eats, baby,” Yeo said. It’s not exactly Rafael Nadal versus Roger Federer, although Yeo insists And they have the timing down perfectly on how long it takes for food to that Vigneault is gifted with some pretty impressive tennis weapons. arrive from their favorite area restaurants. “He’s got the skills and I’ve got the work ethic,” Yeo joked. The lounge has become the nerve center for the game-planning that has “I just try and get it back to him.” gone into the Flyers’ successful round robin schedule and will continue to serve as such as they battle the Montreal Canadiens in a best-of-7. Not far from the tennis courts is BMO Field. The sports complex is also part of the bubble, and that’s where you’ll find assistant Ian Laperriere, It has also become a place of comfort for a coaching staff that has grown goaltending coach Kim Dillabaugh and some of the training and video increasingly close this season. staff running the stadium steps often in the afternoon after practices and “So far we’ve been together every night,” Therrien said with a laugh. before the evening coaches’ meeting. “Nobody has this experience about what we’re facing right now.” The coaches, seemingly in shifts, are also regular visitors to the Tim Hortons coffee truck that is parked just outside the hotel near where the The Flyers sailed through the round robin with a 3-0 record before teams board buses to and from Scotiabank Arena. Sometimes Yeo will learning Saturday afternoon that they would be facing the Canadiens. But grab a coffee and enjoy a bit of welcome outdoor time. Assistant Michel Therrien admitted that the round robin games were different than what Therrien will do the same after a morning workout in the gym. was happening on the same ice for the qualifying round teams.

“That’s a nice little touch,” Laperriere said. “The urgency of the playoffs, it wasn’t the same as the best-of-5 series,” he said. “You get your double-double and you go on your way.” So the coaching staff had to do its best to instill in the group a sense of The Flyers coaches and other staff are hunkered down on the 10th floor urgency, all while moving players in and out of the lineup to ensure they of Hotel X, while the players are two floors above. In between there are were as prepared as a unit as they could be. medical rooms set aside for the team, as well as the team’s main meeting and meal room. “The intensity was there,” he said. “So far we’ve been really pleased.”

Yeo laughs that he hasn’t been up to the players’ floor nor does he have In some ways these first days in the bubble have hearkened back to any plans to. when the Flyers staff first came together last September at the team’s practice facility in Voorhees, New Jersey. That’s their space. In Vigneault’s office was a brand new sign with a big Flyers logo and It is a nod to the strange balance that has to be struck for all teams who underneath, “Bienvenu” a nod to Vigneault’s French-Canadian have been thrown together in this ambitious project to complete the background. 2019-20 season. On his desk was a small plastic replica Stanley Cup that has been a “I’m sure they missed us,” Laperriere joked, noting the players had a talisman of sorts during his NHL coaching career, pulled out of storage four-month break from the coaches before the league and players’ union after he took the Flyers coaching job. finalized plans the return to play plan. Vigneault was the first coaching hire for GM Chuck Fletcher since being With just three games in eight days plus one exhibition game after the hired by the Flyers in December 2018. team arrived in the Toronto bubble, there was a training camp feel to the proceedings for the Flyers. When the two men met last offseason after the Flyers had missed the playoffs, Vigneault was blunt about his expectations. He’d enjoyed his “It’s like an extended road trip,” Vigneault said. “Basically we do the same year away from the game, hanging out in Florida golfing and playing thing as if we were in a playoff road trip.” tennis, visiting with his two daughters. He was going to come back to Establishing a routine has been as important for the coaching staff as it coaching only if he felt it was with a team that had a shot at winning a has been for the players. Meetings to plan practice routines, duties to Stanley Cup. divide up, extra practices with the young players and Black Aces who Much has been accomplished since these men first sat down. aren’t likely to get in games. “We’re way beyond that,” Yeo said. And there are peculiarities of the bubble that the coaching staff must address. For instance, when you have the players constantly at your They all know what Vigneault wants, how he wants things done. disposal, how much coaching is too much? Even things as simple as the sequencing and types of video clips that “It’s the same question I ask myself before a playoff series,” Vigneault Yeo prepares for team meetings, he knows what Vigneault will want in said. “How much information do I need to give my team about the other getting across a message about the team’s play. team.” “It feels like we just picked up where we left off,” Yeo said. “It’s a fun staff Fletcher loved the idea, and he and his wife, Rhonda, sent a letter to all to work with.” those in the organization asking for photos. Longtime Flyers staffer Jody Clarke, daughter of Hall of Fame Flyer Bob Clarke, gathered the photos, What seems obvious from the strides taken in this season of upheaval is and they were set up in the players’ meal room – an idea put forward by that the group is simpatico. They are a different team on special teams. captain Claude Giroux’s wife, Ryanne. They are infinitely better at defending. The coaching staff has worked through injuries, including the loss of promising forward Oskar Lindblom “It’s a really nice personal touch having those pictures there,” Yeo said. “I to Ewing’s sarcoma and Nolan Patrick to recurring migraine issues. think for the players’ sake it shows the organization cares.”

Several analysts and scouts familiar with the Flyers give credit to the It’s not just coming to play games but the recognition that everyone is coaching staff for not only correcting some of the flaws in the team’s style involved, he said. of play but also creating a sense of unity. For a team that hasn’t won a Stanley Cup since 1975, that is no small thing. The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020

“I think it’s the best coaching staff in the league,” one former coach and longtime scout said.

The bubble hasn’t only been about continuing to forge a strong bond, it’s been a reminder about the path that has brought them all to this point.

The Flyers played Pittsburgh in their only exhibition game. Therrien was working on some stuff at Scotiabank Arena after the game and took a later bus than his colleagues after the game. As he got on the elevator in the hotel who should join him but Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin.

“I’m looking at those guys and I said, ‘Oh my God, it’s like the old days,’” Therrien said, laughing. “I coached them when they were 18 years old, teenagers.”

On the short ride they talked about their respective families.

“I don’t want to cross that line about talking the game,” Therrien said.

But to see those players grown, with families of their own, was a reminder of how we never know the path that will unfold in front of us, and how moments like these are to be savored and embraced.

“Time goes fast,” Therrien said.

Therrien coached Crosby, Letang and Malkin along with the rest of that emerging Penguins team to their first playoff appearance in the Crosby era in 2007. The following year Therrien and the Penguins went to the Stanley Cup Final, but in February 2009, he was fired. Four months later Therrien’s replacement, Dan Bylsma, was holding the Stanley Cup.

Last summer, Therrien’s old pal Vigneault approached him about returning to the bench, promoting the chance to play the good cop role as an assistant. Therrien told him he wouldn’t take the job for anyone but Vigneault.

Now Vigneault and Therrien will face off against a Montreal Canadiens team both have coached for. In fact, when Vigneault was fired from his first NHL coaching gig with the Habs early in the 2000-01 season, he was replaced by Therrien.

As for Yeo, he began the 2018-19 season as coach of the St. Louis Blues. He ended the season at home watching his in-season replacement hoisting the Stanley Cup.

For coaches like Therrien and Yeo who have worked for multiple NHL teams, these new roles as assistant coaches might not have looked immediately like opportunities, but rather something in some way beneath them.

Instead, they both have looked beyond their own personal disappointments to the one thing that unites the entire coaching staff: The one glaring omission from each of their resumes – a Stanley Cup.

When you haven’t won the Cup, Therrien told us, you think about it every single day. It’s what motivates you to come to the rink, the chance to fill that void.

In the team’s big meal room on the 11th floor, between the players’ and the coaching staff’s floors, is a sprawling mural of pictures of families.

It’s a project that in some ways reflects the evolution of this team from last September.

It was Vigneault’s idea to have some sort of touchstone area, a reminder of not what they are playing for but who they are playing for. And it involves not just the players but everyone in the bubble from strength and conditioning coaches to social media staff to the players.

Everyone. 1191068 Philadelphia Flyers He looks poised to remain “A Problem” for the Flyers all series long. No need to worry: Philadelphia didn’t have its ‘A-game’ but still won

Which Flyers players actually looked anything close to “their best” on this The good and bad of Game 1: Analyzing Flyers’ hard-fought win over night? Canadiens Hart, most certainly. Philippe Myers was active and engaged from the

opening shift, and broke up multiple dangerous scoring opportunities, so By Charlie O'Connor Aug 13, 2020 he qualifies. Farabee continues to prove the Flyers can’t afford to take him out of the lineup, and not merely because he scored the game- winning goal.

It all seemed to be going according to the best possible plan for the Beyond those three players, the rest of the lineup still has a lot more to Philadelphia Flyers after one period. give, and yet Philadelphia still found a way to squeeze out a victory. The most optimistic view of the series from a Flyers perspective is that this Sure, during the stanza’s final few minutes, the Montreal Canadiens had was Montreal’s best punch, and it still wasn’t enough. created a few solid scoring chances. But on the whole, the first 20 minutes were all Flyers. Philadelphia was in full flight, attacking off the After all, it’s not difficult to imagine what the Flyers could do to the rush, turning the Canadiens’ mistakes into transition chances and even Canadiens if the Kevin Hayes line isn’t getting buried in the defensive getting their dormant power play working again, courtesy of an Ivan zone or Claude Giroux is firing on all cylinders offensively or Matt Provorov point blast (later deemed to have redirected off Jakub Voracek) Niskanen is looking like the rock-solid No. 2 he was during the season that gave the Flyers a well-earned 1-0 lead in Wednesday’s series and not the player some mistakenly feared the Philadelphia might be opener. The game looked every bit a mismatch between the hottest team getting last summer when Washington moved him in a salary dump. in hockey and the No. 12 seed in the Eastern Conference (heading into the play-in round). But this is what truly deep teams do. Someone new steps up each night, and if no one steps up, the goalie is there to give them a fighting chance. Then, they hit the ice for Period 2 and something happened to the Flyers Philadelphia is a truly deep team now. Get used to it, Flyers fans. that they hadn’t encountered in the Toronto bubble: Their opponent punched back. Maybe start worrying: What if Montreal can keep the Flyers off their ‘A- game’? The second period was all Montreal, even if Philadelphia ended up matching it in goals during the period due to Joel Farabee’s tally 16 Of course, it’s a Flyers-centric viewpoint to assume that “our guys will seconds after the Habs broke through to even the score at 1-1. The obviously start playing better at some point.” Key Philadelphia players Canadiens overwhelmed the Flyers, winning the second-period shot- might be struggling for reasons outside of Montreal’s control. But maybe, attempts battle 35-13 and making them look positively mortal for the first just maybe, the Canadiens play a style that forces the Flyers to operate time since February. And while the Flyers ultimately eked out a pivotal at less than full strength in this series. Game 1 victory 2-1, this was far from a comfortable win for the heavy That possibility can’t be ruled out, especially after Montreal finished favorites. It was a grind, particularly over the final 40 minutes, fought Game 1 leading in all of the main play-driving metrics, holding the Flyers along the boards and in the two 8×6 feet spaces in front of the teams’ to a 46.44 Corsi for percentage at even strength and a 41.94 expected respective nets. goals for percentage. The Flyers have a 1-0 lead in the series, but was their air of invincibility It goes beyond the numbers. Sean Couturier didn’t impose his will upon punctured? Or was this an example of a great team finding a way to pull the slippery, relentless Danault as he usually does to opposing centers, out a traditional “playoff-type” win? even if his line did finish one-up in goals against due to the singular effort Why Flyers fans shouldn’t worry: Carter Hart of Farabee. Also, the Montreal top line centered by rookie Nick Suzuki outplayed the Hayes line, which was absolutely flying during the round If there were any remaining worriers who felt Hart would be overwhelmed robin. in his first real taste of NHL playoff action, they can retreat to the deepest, darkest parts of Flyers fandom and repent. And regarding the second period, the hard truth is this: It was the first time since at least February that the Flyers were clearly outworked. Hart was stellar. Facing a team that lived up to its modus operandi by Being outplayed because amazing players on the other team sometimes peppering him with shots from all angles and relentlessly chasing down make amazing plays is one thing, but this is a club that prides itself on rebounds, the Flyers’ now-22-year-old goalie (his birthday is Thursday) work ethic and dedication to the cause, and the Canadiens beat it at its never faltered — from his back-to-back in-close stops on Artturi own game for an entire period. At the very least, that’s worthy of respect. Lehkonen and Phillip Danault late in the first period to his final big save on a Danault rebound chance in the final minute of the game. The No need to worry: The Flyers’ best period was the final period Canadiens had 29 shots on goal, blasted 65 shot attempts and racked up Even great teams aren’t going to dominate every minute of every period: 3.16 worth of expected goals. They could manage only one real one, parity across the league is too prevalent. But what those great teams can though, and Hart was the reason why. do is respond to stretches of poor play by quickly making adjustments “Hartsy did a great job. He kept us in the game,” Provorov said. and regaining control of the game.

After the first period, the Canadiens played their game and played it well, That’s exactly what the Flyers did in the third period. according to their head coach, Claude Julien. They just didn’t play it well Couturier set the tone on the very first shift, blasting Jeff Petry into the enough to overcome Hart, a development that bodes extremely well for boards and quickly recovering the puck on an uncontrolled entry. the Flyers’ chances of winning three more games. If this is the version of Philadelphia dumped the puck into the zone five straight times to start the Hart they’ll get in this series? Good luck, Montreal. third period, and recovered four of them. It served as an unspoken Why it might be worth getting a little nervous: Carey Price statement of purpose to Montreal: We’re not going to let you dictate the tempo anymore. You’re playing our style now, and you’re not going to Yes, Hart outplayed the goalie that he considers to be his idol. But that like it. speaks more to how locked-in Hart was, not that Price underwhelmed in any way. He was stellar as well, and easily delivered the save of the The result was an ideal “period with the lead,” as the Flyers outshot night against a mystified Scott Laughton midway through the second Montreal 13-6 despite holding a 2-1 goals advantage throughout. If the period. final period serves as a springboard into Game 2, the Flyers are well- positioned to get off to a strong start. Anyone who hoped Price would turn back into his regular-season self after his incredible performance versus Pittsburgh in the qualifying round “When we got out there for the third, we finally started to play our game,” will be just as disappointed as those misguided souls who were banking Provorov said. “We put the puck deep, went on the forecheck, had a few on Hart suffering a bad case of the jitters in his first playoff game. He power plays that helped us create momentum and (kept) playing our stopped 93.6 percent of the shots sent his way, saved 0.29 goals above game.” expectation and continued to look the part of Vintage Carey Price. When asked after the game, Farabee held that nothing much was said in Give the Flyers 20 games of producing chances like the ones they did in the locker room between the discouraging second period and the Game 1 and they probably get the scoring results they deserve. But they encouraging third. The players knew what they needed to do to turn it don’t have 20 games. They are in a short series, and they can’t keep back in their favor and close out the win, and that’s what they did. wasting opportunities like the ones they burned in Game 1.

Maybe start worrying: What happened in the second period? Julien pointed out that his team was one crossbar via a late Suzuki shot from sending the game to overtime, and he wasn’t wrong. Montreal The strong third period and even the Game 1 victory doesn’t fully wash shouldn’t have had that chance. away the stink of that middle stanza. The Flyers could barely pass, looked slow on their skates, and most concerning of all, they lost battle No need to worry: Flyers still the better team on paper, and now hold a 1- after battle to a team that flat-out looked hungrier. 0 edge

Yes, the Canadiens couldn’t sustain it in the third. But now they have a Fans can fret that this was something of an “ugly win.” They can ruminate blueprint for success that is no longer theoretical. They’ve actually made on the missed opportunities. They can worry about players who didn’t it work against the Flyers, and that’s not an insignificant achievement. look their best.

“I think we just didn’t play our game in the second period,” Provorov said. It doesn’t change the fact that the Flyers now need to win only three “We turned the puck over at the blue line, turned the puck over in our more games to advance to Round 2, and the Canadiens — already the zone, and that created momentum for them. They had a lot of underdog entering the series — must win four. possession, and that’s why they were able to create chances.” At the start of the series, Dom Luszczyszyn’s model gave the Flyers a 64 Look, bad periods happen, and it’s not difficult to argue that this was the percent chance to win; with the Game 1 victory (and the insertion of first bad one they’ve had in Toronto. The Flyers deserve a little leeway Shayne Gostisbehere into the lineup over Robert Hägg), that jumped to here, especially because they came away with the win. But they can’t 76.8 percent. It’s a stark reminder that there are no moral victories in the allow whatever happened in the second period to recur or else they’ll be playoffs, especially when a team is already at a talent disadvantage. in serious trouble. Philadelphia just took a big step toward moving on, regardless of style points. No need to worry: Flyers are still the way more creative team Maybe start worrying: The Canadiens lost, but they now have reason to Public expected-goal models maintained that the Canadiens created believe more dangerous chances than the Flyers in Game 1. Had the Flyers simply blown out Montreal 5-1, this series might have Frankly, I don’t buy it. been over before it began, especially if you’re a believer in momentum. Most of Montreal’s best chances — and the ones that racked up the vast Philadelphia just rolled through the three best teams in the East with majority of its xG — were generally rebounds right into the pads of an in- relative ease, and if it had treated the Canadiens as a mere pebble to be position Hart. Meanwhile, Philadelphia’s most dangerous opportunities crushed into the dirt by its massive tires, the task of taking down the came via passes through or into the slot, or across the goal mouth, the Flyers might have seemed impossible to a young Montreal team that types of chances that force a goalie to move laterally, which dramatically didn’t even expect to be in the playoffs before the pandemic struck. increases the degree of difficulty of a resulting save. Now, the Canadiens have a dangerous thing: hope.

Take these dueling sequences early in the second period. For 50 “I think we built some confidence knowing that we can play with these seconds, the Canadiens pinned the Flyers in their zone. It was great guys,” Julien said. “That’s the way I feel right now, that they’re an work — they forced turnovers, denied zone exits and won races to loose extremely good team. I’d like to think that our team right now is a good pucks to generate all of that possession time. And what did they create enough team to play with these guys.” during the sequence in the way of shots? The Flyers, to their credit, hold the Canadiens in similar esteem, at least A wraparound publicly. And that’s why this “worrying” exercise, in the end, is more for A point shot the fans than anyone else. The players always were “worried” about the Canadiens, in the sense that they rightfully took them very seriously as Another point shot an opponent.

A failed pass trying to set up a dangerous one-timer in front They were never expecting this series to be easy or quick. And they seem prepared for it to turn into the knock-down, drag-out fight that Suzuki skating the puck right into Hart’s pads Game 1 made it look like it very well could become. A sharp-angle perimeter shot “We know that Montreal’s a good team,” Hart said. “They come hard. I Then, the Flyers headed back down the ice, and within six seconds of thought tonight was a good battle between both teams. Whenever it’s a attack time, conjured up two scoring chances that were more dangerous good battle on the ice, it always feels rewarding at the end. That was a than anything Montreal could pull off with all of that attacking zone time. hard-fought win by us.”

Despite all the good things Montreal did, it didn’t score a goal at even Joel Farabee and company celebrate after his second-period goal. (Dan strength, and that wasn’t just because of Hart’s brilliance. The Canadiens Hamilton / USA Today) have a real problem with finishing, and with the way in which they Nine more observations generate scoring chances. Their chances are just not as dangerous as the ones the Flyers regularly create, and Game 1 was no exception. 2. Even with Voracek back in the lineup, Farabee remained on the top line with Couturier and Giroux. Head coach Alain Vigneault noted Maybe start worrying: Creativity doesn’t matter if you can’t finish multiple times after Saturday’s final round-robin game that the first line’s The foundational belief behind hockey advanced stats is that if a team performance with Farabee was the best it had looked in Toronto, so outshoots and outchances the opposition for long enough, it’ll eventually perhaps the rookie’s continued presence shouldn’t have surprised. And be rewarded on the scoreboard. But the key word there is eventually, and Farabee justified the placement, scoring the game-winner and buzzing all eventually doesn’t always work in a seven-game series. night long. “He’s been great for us,” Provorov raved. “It’s his first playoff, but it doesn’t look like it. He has poise, he’s been making plays, he’s Yes, the Flyers showed Wednesday that they can execute their usual been scoring and he’s been helping us big time.” creative passing plays despite the Canadiens’ intense puck pressure and speed on defense. But they didn’t finish on pretty much any of them. 3. Voracek, instead, largely played left wing on the third line, with Derek Giroux hit the post on the above chance early in the second period. Nate Grant in the middle and Nicolas Aubé-Kubel on the opposite side. The Thompson failed to convert on two open nets. Hayes and Laughton didn’t line didn’t create much in its first stint together, but the idea of Voracek, get a shot off on an early two-on-one. Laughton couldn’t find a way to even if he’s not at full-strength, feasting on bottom-six matchups — and avoid Price’s stick while staring at a wide-open net. The Flyers could helping prop up Grant, who ideally would not be serving as a contender’s have racked up four or five even-strength goals; instead, they got one, 3C — is an enticing one. courtesy of a deflected-point-shot-turned-rebound-opportunity for Farabee. Not exactly the prettiest scoring play. 4. The Flyers’ power play finally broke through with Voracek’s first-period tally, and that wasn’t its only positive moment. The focus seemed to be on keeping it simple and sending shots toward the net, which Provorov later confirmed. “I think we were a little bit more aggressive, a little more direct,” he said.

5. The round-robin games technically counted as “playoff” games, but this was the first time Hart hit the ice for a true best-of-seven NHL playoff contest. Did he prepare any differently? Was there a moment when the gravity and importance hit him? “Honestly, I just prepared the same,” Hart said. “Coming into the playoffs here, it’s a different situation for everybody, having a long break there between, but you know what? We all prepare the same. We do all our video before games to get ready. Everybody has their own way of preparing. You just have to prepare like it’s any other game.”

6. It was tight, but Philadelphia did “win” the five-on-five neutral-zone battle, generating six more total zone entries and one more controlled entry than Montreal. It was a good start for the Flyers in their attempt to own the middle of the ice in this series.

7. To my eyes, the two most consistently impactful skaters for Montreal were Danault and Joel Armia (10 shot attempts), who seemed like his name was called by the NBC announcers every few minutes because of how active he was in Game 1. Danault, as previously noted, held his own against Couturier and even won quite a few shifts against him — no easy task.

8. Travis Konecny continually stood out for his tenacious backchecking. For a player who at one time didn’t have a sterling reputation as a two- way player, Konecny has really bought into Vigneault’s emphasis on playing a 200-foot game.

9. Myers was strong throughout, but he had two plays worth singling out. The first was a fantastic early breakup of a two-on-one chance; the second was simply Myers’ incredible athleticism in action, as he ate up space to recover on a potential two-on-one and prevent the second forward from retrieving a possible rebound.

10. No Flyers forwards cleared 20 minutes of ice time (Couturier led the group with 19:10) and none of them had fewer than 10 minutes (Tyler Pitlick trailed all others with 10:19). Perhaps Vigneault’s minutes distribution changes deeper into the series, but for now, he’s showing zero concern about rolling four lines.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191069 Pittsburgh Penguins Harrison Ruopp, was drafted by the Coyotes using the draft pick the Penguins sent to the Flyers to acquire Hamhuis’ signing rights.

During the 2011 offseason, the Flyers dealt that pick to the Coyotes as Would-be Penguins defenseman Dan Hamhuis retires part of the trade that sent goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov to the Flyers.

The failure to sign Hamhuis and Michalek’s inability to find a fit with the Penguins led to the team re-signing former defenseman Rob Scuderi to SETH RORABAUGH | Thursday, August 13, 2020 11:41 p.m. an ill-fated four-year contract in the 2013 offseason. Barely a year later, Shero was fired by the Penguins and Scuderi, who had largely struggled

during his second act with the Penguins, was traded to the Chicago Longtime NHL defenseman Dan Hamhuis announced his retirement Blackhawks by Shero’s successor, Jim Rutherford, in December of 2015. through the Nashville Predators on Thursday. Tribune Review LOADED: 08.14.2020 Over 16 seasons, Hamhuis appeared in 1,148 regular season games and scored 356 points (59 goals, 297 assists). A stout defensive defenseman throughout his career, Hamhuis, 37, primarily played for the Predators throughout his career but also spent time with the Vancouver Canucks and Dallas Stars.

He nearly became a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins a little more than decade ago.

The 12th overall pick in the 2001 draft, Hamhuis was set to become an unrestricted free agent in the 2010 offseason. The cash-conscious Predators were unable to agree to a contract extension with Hamhuis and dealt his signing rights to the Philadelphia Flyers for forward Ryan Parent and a conditional draft pick on June 19.

Negotiations between Hamhuis’ agent and the Flyers went nowhere, so the Flyers traded his signing rights to the Penguins on June 25, the first night of the NHL’s draft, for a third-round pick in 2011.

Former Penguins general manager Ray Shero, previously the Predators’ assistant general manager, felt his ties with Hamhuis could convince him to join the Penguins. Hamhuis, then 27, was considered one of the top potential unrestricted free agents on the market and the Penguins were looking to beef up their blue line as negotiations with defenseman Sergei Gonchar on a contract extension were not progressing.

“I have seen him since we drafted him in Nashville in the first round,” Shero said that night from the floor of Los Angeles’ Staples Center, site of the draft. “I was with him in the AHL and in the NHL. He is a good two- way defenseman who is mobile. He makes a good pass. It would strengthen our defense if we can sign him.”

Ultimately, the Penguins were unable to sign Hamhuis, whose loyalties to Shero were outweighed by his loyalties to his home province.

A native of Smithers, B.C., Hamhuis signed a six-year deal worth $27 million with the Vancouver Canucks on July 1, the first day of the free agent signing period.

After seeing Gonchar sign with the Ottawa Senators that same day, Shero filled the void on his blue line by signing defensemen Paul Martin ($25 million) and Zbynek Michalek ($20 million) to five-year contracts.

“I have known Dan for a long time,” Shero said that day. “We had drafted him when I was in Nashville. He is a good defenseman. It’s competitive to get defensemen when they are free agents. If I have to spend a third- round draft pick to try to get a step up on someone — which in the end we didn’t get Dan Hamhuis, but we got two other guys. … I think it worked out well. I saw Dan signed with Vancouver, which is very close to home for him. That is a great landing spot for him as well.”

It certainly worked out well for the Canucks, at least in the short term. They were the NHL’s best team in the 2010-11 regular season with a 54- 19-9 record and played in the Stanley Cup Final, losing to the Boston Bruins.

“We did get some different offers from other teams, and some of them were higher in contract value, but we like the fit in Vancouver. We like the opportunity presented from a hockey perspective, and the lifestyle perspective for my family was also a very important consideration,” Hamhuis said to reporters the day he signed with the Canucks. “We are quite familiar with the city, and it’s a city that we quite enjoy.”

Martin served out his contract with the Penguins and was a steady presence, albeit often injured.

Michalek only lasted two seasons in Pittsburgh and was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes during the 2012 NHL draft in a salary dump. Oddly, one of the assets the Penguins acquired in that trade, defensive prospect 1191070 Pittsburgh Penguins And for a Penguins franchise that hasn’t had fans in the stands or playoff revenue beyond the first round for two straight years now, that cements my skepticism that the organization will reboot with a vastly new roster.

Tim Benz: For a guy who always talks about ‘moving forward,’ Mike So Sullivan has to make it work with most of the same guys that he has Sullivan’s Penguins keep moving backward failed with over the past two postseasons.

Goalie Matt Murray will likely be gone. Defenseman Justin Schulz too. Veterans who never should’ve been acquired at the trade deadline in the Tim Benz first place — such as Patrick Marleau and Conor Sheary — shouldn’t be retained.

In those spots, the Penguins can go cheaper, younger and faster. If they A favorite crutch for Penguins coach Mike Sullivan is “moving forward.” want to do so. He uses it as a transition. As punctuation. As a point of emphasis. It’s a good idea. One seemingly embraced on the record by Sullivan and All the time. Rutherford. The GM advanced that notion earlier in the week. Sullivan cosigned Wednesday. Unfortunately, his team has spent the last three years moving backward. “Jim and I have always been believers in a combination of youth with our Badly. veteran leaders,” Sullivan said. “Usually those guys are hungry and enthusiastic and trying to prove themselves and establish themselves. From Stanley Cup champion in 2017. To a second-round exit in ‘18. To That enthusiasm can be contagious. When you look at our teams that getting swept in the first-round of ‘19. Then getting upset by the 24th- have had success, we’ve had that combination. That’s something that we seeded Montreal Canadiens in the 2020 NHL qualifying round. talk about a lot as a hockey operations staff.” I heard a few “moving forwards” from Sullivan during his season-ending Will Sullivan and Rutherford actually follow? And will they make the right teleconference Wednesday. Can you blame him? Would you want to look moves to get there? back at that disastrous playoff series? “Moving forward,” they better. Because Sullivan doesn’t have much more But he was forced to do so by reporters on the other end of the line. room to fall back. I can’t you blame them either. That next step back would be completely out of the playoffs. And, for They were still trying to figure how the fifth-seeded Penguins could’ve Sullivan, potentially out of a job. lost to a Montreal club that never would’ve been in the playoff hunt were Tribune Review LOADED: 08.14.2020 it not for the league’s expanded qualifying format.

Sullivan didn’t have many answers. He was asked whether he found the results “puzzling” because the team got off to a great start in the regular season despite having lots of injuries.

“For sure it does,” he said. “Because for such a significant portion of the season, we felt really good about our team, the direction it was going and the results we were getting.”

Once again, though, that direction became backward.

Sullivan leaned into another refrain during his 12-minute Q&A: He’s the head coach. So blame him.

“We fell short this year. And we all need to take responsibility for that. It always starts with the head coach. And it starts with me,” Sullivan said.

Hmmm. Wednesday was a weird day to pound that drum, seeing as how Sullivan’s three assistants — Mark Recchi, Sergei Gonchar and Jacques Martin — were informed they won’t be back next season.

I counted at least four “the-buck-stops-here” type of references from Sullivan. But he’s still employed, and they are out of work.

So I guess the buck stopped somewhere else when it came to decisions about coaching accountability.

Perhaps that occurred because there are too many bucks remaining on Sullivan’s contract. He just got a four-year extension prior to last season whereas the contracts of his three assistants were up the moment the season ended.

Maybe the buck stops in the middle of next season — if there is a next season. Because that’s when the Penguins seem to do their best at making coaching changes.

Michel Therrien, Dan Bylsma and Sullivan were all promoted during bad campaigns after their predecessors were fired. So getting off to a fast start is crucial for Sullivan.

Yet another reason roster changes promised by general manager Jim Rutherford will likely be less impactful than you may have expected after his saber-rattling “state of the franchise” address Tuesday.

My guess is Sullivan will be against a full teardown. Unless it is so obvious — so massive — that he has the built-in excuse of 2020-21 being a full rebuilding year. 1191071 Pittsburgh Penguins Analysis: Sidelined three months due to injury. Had 11 goals and 30 points in 24 games upon returning. But his overall play dipped compared to 2018-19, when he was the Hart Trophy runner-up. His minus-8 rating was by far the worst of his career. Scored two big goals in the playoffs Matt Vensel's 2019-20 Penguins report card but couldn’t carry the club.

Jake Guentzel | LW

MATT VENSEL Pittsburgh Post-Gazette AUG 14, 2020 5:00 AM Regular season grade: A

2019-20 overall grade: A

After the Penguins waited about five months to get bounced out of the Analysis: Guentzel had 20 goals and 43 points when he crashed into the playoffs in less than a week, Sidney Crosby suggested last Friday that it boards in December. Expected to miss the rest of the season following would be difficult to evaluate this season given the long pause shoulder surgery, he got a second chance due to the pandemic. Yeah, necessitated by a pandemic. he squandered chances against the Canadiens. But given he probably wasn’t 100%, we’ll give him a pass. At a team level, that’s true to a degree, though there were warning signs prior to the pause, and the Montreal Canadiens had to chill out for a long Patric Hornqvist | RW while, too. Regular season grade: B These playoffs were obviously important at an individual level as well. But there is a danger in overreacting to a four-game sample while 2019-20 overall grade: B attempting to assess how the long, strange 2019-20 season went for Analysis: Bounced back after a tough 2018-19 season to produce 17 each particular Penguins player. goals and 32 points in 52 games, despite often playing in the bottom-six. At least that was the thinking when we sat down this week to hand out We won’t dock him for his quiet postseason. He can’t control how the grades to the 27 players who suited up in at least eight games for the coaches deploy him. Penguins in this lost season. That four-game final exam, which the team Sam Lafferty | C/RW bombed, factored into overall marks for the season. But it shouldn’t completely tank a player’s grade. Regular season grade: C+

Also, please note each player grade is relative to expectations. We 2019-20 overall grade: C shouldn’t grade Crosby on the same curve as Sam Lafferty or Kris Letang on the same one as John Marino. Keep that in mind as you scroll Analysis: Rookie was in over his head in his only playoff appearance. But through: during the regular season, the Hollidaysburg native did some good things, finishing with 13 points in 50 games. With plus size and speed, FORWARDS Lafferty has a chance to become a bottom-six regular, assuming he has not already reached his ceiling. Anthony Angello | C, RW Evgeni Malkin | C Regular season grade: C- Regular season grade: A- 2019-20 overall grade: C- 2019-20 overall grade: B Analysis: Rookie scored once in eight games, playing sparingly when in the lineup. Did not suit up in the playoffs. At 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, he Analysis: He was the team MVP in the regular season, playing with more must play with more physicality and better process the game mentally to passion than he did a season ago. Based on points per game, Geno was become a regular. one of the NHL’s top offensive players. However, he disappointed again in the playoffs, failing to tally a single point at 5-on-5. His overall grade Zach Aston-Reese | LW takes a big dip as a result. Regular season grade: B Patrick Marleau | LW 2019-20 overall grade: C Regular season grade: C Analysis: Embraced his role as a checking-line grinder and had his best 2019-20 overall grade: D NHL season before getting hurt again. Back for the playoffs, ZAR surprisingly showed little energy, took a bad penalty and cost the Analysis: Veteran brought very little on the ice during his brief stint here. Penguins with blown assignments. Still a good bottom-six player in there Deadline add did not record a playoff point and was a minus-4 on somewhere, but running out of chances. disastrous third line.

Nick Bjugstad | C Jared McCann | C, LW

Regular season grade: INC Regular season grade: B-

2019-20 overall grade: INC 2019-20 overall grade: C-

Analysis: He had more surgeries (two) than goals (one), making it difficult Analysis: Tale of two seasons here. Had 14 goals in first 44 games then to fairly evaluate his season, especially since he may never have been none in final 25, including playoffs. Made a healthy scratch for Game 3 of healthy. the Canadiens series. Penguins say they like him at center. But with his speed and one of the top wristers on the team, the restricted free agent is Teddy Blueger | C better off on the wing. Regular season grade: B Evan Rodrigues | C, RW 2019-20 overall grade: B Regular season grade: C+ Analysis: Made strides throughout his first full season and centered one 2019-20 overall grade: C+ of the NHL’s peskiest checking lines. Needs to improve at faceoffs. One of two to play every game. Nine goals and 22 points in 69 games aren’t Analysis: Showed some promise after coming over from Buffalo but was bad but probably needs to show more pop offensively to be the third-line not given an opportunity in the playoffs. Restricted free agent deserves a center in 2020-21. longer look.

Sidney Crosby | C Bryan Rust | RW

Regular season grade: B Regular season grade: A 2019-20 overall grade: C+ 2019-20 overall grade: A consider partner Dumoulin missed a big chunk of it. Quiet playoffs for Letang, both in a good way and a bad way. Analysis: The subject of trade speculation this time a year ago, Rust had a career year. Led the Penguins with 27 goals, nine on the power play, John Marino | RD while displaying so much more poise with the puck. Remained a valuable penalty-killer, too. Regular season grade: A+

Conor Sheary | RW 2019-20 overall grade: A+

Regular season grade: C Analysis: Acquired from Edmonton last summer for only a sixth-round pick, rookie surprisingly made the team out of camp, bumped veterans 2019-20 overall grade: D+ out of the lineup then climbed into the second pairing. Has good size, skating and puck skills but above all else is strikingly poised. Team now Analysis: Deadline acquisition gave hope that he could be a top-line sees him as a future top-pair guy. solution with four points in eight regular-season games. But he couldn’t finish in the playoffs, failed to make an impact with his wheels and Marcus Pettersson | LD brought little else. An unrestricted free agent, Sheary won’t be back unless he accepts a bargain-bin deal. Regular season grade: B

Dominik Simon | LW, RW 2019-20 overall grade: B

Regular season grade: C- Analysis: Counted on to play a top-four role. Had ups and downs but in totality it was a solid second season in Pittsburgh for the 24-year-old. 2019-20 overall grade: C- Skated in every game and quietly had 22 points and a plus-9 rating. Not a problem in the playoffs. Analysis: Had 22 points in 64 games while getting lots of time on one of the top two lines. Was a minus-9, though, before missing the playoffs due Juuso Riikola | LD to injury. Team tried him at center for a few games, but that experiment was unsuccessful. Simon is another restricted free agent. Curious to see Regular season grade: C if they keep him around. 2019-20 overall grade: C

Brandon Tanev | RW Analysis: Clearly not trusted by the coaching staff. Was prone to major Regular season grade: A- mental lapses but advanced statistics paint a positive picture of his 5-on- 5 impact. Got in 36 games, including a few at forward, while the team 2019-20 overall grade: B+ battled injuries. Hardly played down the stretch and was a healthy scratch during the playoffs. Analysis: Long-term signing was ripped by some but was worth the money in Year 1. Not only was he a bottom-six spark plug and a good Chad Ruhwedel | RD penalty killer, he scored a few clutch goals during the regular season. Was a mild disappointment in the playoffs. Not as noticeable and had Regular season grade: B- awful turnover on series-winning goal. 2019-20 overall grade: B-

Jason Zucker | LW Analysis: Entered the season as their eighth or ninth defensemen but Regular season grade: B ended up skating in 41 games. Played pretty well, too, with six points and a plus-4 rating. Should have gotten a chance in Canadiens series but 2019-20 overall grade: B was a healthy scratch.

Analysis: Had eight goals and six assists in 19 games, including playoffs, Justin Schultz | RD after big trade in early February. Probably wasn’t completely comfortable in stop-and-start first few months in town, but his speed and Regular season grade: D competitiveness impressed. 2019-20 overall grade: F

DEFENSEMEN Analysis: Caliber of play has plummeted since he got votes for the Norris Brian Dumoulin | LD Trophy in 2017 while helping Penguins win the Stanley Cup. Injuries the past two seasons were certainly a factor as skating, puck skills, Regular season grade: B confidence all deteriorated. After a pathetic playoff performance, past Cup hero is unlikely to be re-signed. 2019-20 overall grade: B GOALTENDERS Analysis: Was arguably the team’s best all-around blue liner when he went down in late November. Sidelined three months and looked a little Tristan Jarry | G rusty upon returning. Rough Game 1 in Canadiens series but stabilized and was fine in final three. Regular season grade: B+

Jack Johnson | LD 2019-20 overall grade: B+

Regular season grade: D Analysis: One of the stories of the season for the Penguins, Jarry broke through in his fifth year as a pro. First-time All-Star, NHL’s hottest goalie 2019-20 overall grade: F in December and set a team record for longest shutout streak. But the 25-year-old cooled off in 2020, going 7-7-1 with a .901 save percentage Analysis: Weakest link along the Pittsburgh blue line but was not as in last 15 regular-season starts. problematic, at least during the regular season, when appropriately played on the third pairing. Penguins like him as a penalty killer, but he Matt Murray | G really hurt them at 5-on-5 during the Canadiens series. Dumping his $3.25 million salary will be challenging. Regular season grade: D

Kris Letang | RD 2019-20 overall grade: D

Regular season grade: B Analysis: Another inconsistent regular season. That’s three in a row. Lost his job to Jarry in December and didn’t exactly seize it back, though he 2019-20 overall grade: B- did perform better in the season’s second half. Playoffs were a microcosm of his season — one good start, one bad and one decent. Analysis: Letang, with 44 points, was again an All-Star, though his Restricted free agent could be a goner. selection came after Guentzel went down. Malkin and Rust were arguably more deserving. Still, a solid season, especially when you Matt Vensel Post Gazette LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191072 Pittsburgh Penguins That kind of vengeful anger and hatred is on display across the tournament. It’s wonderful.

Meanwhile, the NHL’s COVID testing plan has been flawless. As a recent Joe Starkey: NHL pulling off pandemic hockey in Gary Bettman’s finest ESPN piece explained, players and other essential personnel are tested hour each day, and results arrive within 24 hours. Couriers deliver the samples to labs near both sites. There hasn’t been a positive test since the bubbles opened.

JOE STARKEY From the start, the NHL was bubble-or-bust. No traveling. That, as ESPN reported, happened on the strong recommendation of people such as Dr.

Isaac Bogoch, a Toronto-based infectious disease doctor who advised Jamie Hersch opened “NHL Tonight” by referencing the “five very the NHLPA. different, very entertaining hockey games” that had played out over the The move to Canada made all kinds of sense. previous 13 hours Wednesday. “I think what we did differently in Canada was, early on, all of the senior It wasn’t quite to the level of the five-overtime epic between Columbus political leaders appreciated that (COVID-19) was a big deal,” Bogoch and Tampa Bay a night earlier, but it was pretty darn close. told ESPN. “We listened to our senior public health leadership. When “On the heels of that five-OT game,” co-host said, “we got they said it was time to lock down, we locked down. When they said it a double-OT in the morning game.” was time to put on a mask, we put on a mask. ... And we waited. When they said it was time to open up safely and slowly, we carefully and The morning game. The NHL has morning games! slowly started to open up.

Joe Starkey’s Mailbag: Was that the worst playoff loss in Penguins “It wasn’t perfect, and we certainly got some things wrong, but we didn’t history? politicize this pandemic whatsoever.”

Who needs Breakfast at Wimbledon when you can have Breakfast at Even the draft lottery, idiotic as it was that none of the worst teams got Edmonton, or at least Toronto? There isn’t much difference between the the first pick, made for great television. People were peeved the New NHL’s two bubble sites as television entities. Both are spectacular. York Rangers won, believing they were the team the NHL was rooting for. This whole thing has been spectacular. It’s basically March Madness on ice. Every time I turn on the TV, I’m watching live hockey. Boston- If so, good for the NHL. It’s winning a lot these days. Carolina had an 11 a.m. puck drop. Post Gazette LOADED: 08.14.2020 Sure, that was only because their game the night before was postponed by Columbus-Tampa. So what? It just underscored how the NHL has been both light on its feet and highly calculated in navigating COVID-19 chaos.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was criticized here and elsewhere for taking his sweet time to put a pandemic plan together. Looks now like it was worth the wait.

It looks to me, in fact, like this might be Bettman’s finest hour.

It’s early yet. Still technically the first round. But I’m blown away by how seamlessly the league has pulled this off, even after leaving Las Vegas at the last minute and making the tournament an All-Canada proposition.

I doubted whether a bubble concept could work. I certainly doubted whether the frantic intensity of playoff hockey would translate to television with no fans in the stands.

Mike Sullivan handles bench duties against the New York Islanders in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs at NYCB Live's Nassau Coliseum on April 10, 2019 in Uniondale, New York. The Islanders defeated the Penguins 4-3 in overtime.

I was wrong on both counts.

At Scotiabank Arena in Toronto and Rogers Place in Edmonton, the league covered the lower bowls with sleek tarps that mitigated the reality of no fans. As Yahoo Sports described it, the “large screens and lights around the lower bowls create a look that is part television studio and part video game.”

It really does feel like some combination of an outdoor game, an international game and a video game. It’s like watching a hockey movie on set.

The EA Sports sound effects are subtle but efficient. They neither assault the senses nor cheapen the product but do just enough to satisfy the viewer’s expectation that a significant play — a goal, a great save, a near-miss — will be accompanied by a crowd reaction.

The NHL is using 32 cameras in each arena, 12 more than a normal game. That includes the rotating “JitaCam,” which does not feature Booger McFarland at the wheel but does provide wildly unique angles from its perch underneath the scoreboard.

As for the players’ intensity, turns out they don’t need fans to go from zero to Zdeno Chara in a hurry. Did you see Anders Lee hammer Nicklas Backstrom on Wednesday? Did you see the Capitals’ reaction? 1191073 Pittsburgh Penguins Matt Vensel: Marc, I really have no idea. I’m still trying to envision how this team can be drastically different if the same coach and the same core remain, especially since Mike Sullivan suggested to us yesterday that he still thinks the Penguins can contend playing a similar style. Matt Vensel's Penguins chat transcript: 08.13.20Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP On the Road: If a team were to offer a 1st round pick and a bottom six forward or a 2nd or 3rd pair defenseman for Letang, would GMJR make the move?

MATT VENSEL Matt Vensel: I can’t speak for Jim, at least not at this point, but I do think there is something to the idea of making a trade that 1) shakes up the

core and 2) potentially makes the team more balanced across the lineup. Matt Vensel: Good afternoon, Pens fans. A lot to talk about today after The Phil Kessel trade last summer at least tried to accomplish that goal. the early playoff exit last week, changes to the coaching staff and It was essentially Phil for Alex Galcheyuk, a prospect in P.O. Joseph and GMJR’s interesting comments about the team. Go ahead and leave your the cap space to sign Brandon Tanev. questions now and we’ll get going here around 1. Monk: Good Afternoon Matt. No team is winning in the playoffs without Matt Vensel: Alright. Time to get started. I hope to keep this party going grit. They can win enough during the season with speed where grit is less for a full hour. I’ll need your questions to do that. So fire away. of a factor than in the run for the Cup. If Sullivan insists on speed, they’re going to have to infuse some grit players on both the back end and front Ron J: Good afternoon Matt . It seemed to Me after the first 8 minutes of end with enough speed to make Sullivan happy. If that doesn’t happen game 1 when We didn’t sore . I got the impression that They thought it the Penguins will continue to be a mid level playoff team that gets isn’t gonna be as easy as We thought . dumped in the early rounds of the playoffs because to win in the playoffs requires the sand the current group of Penguins lack. Matt Vensel: I really don’t know if they took this team lightly. Only they can say that. For me, the series came down to Game 3. I agree with the Matt Vensel: I’m not sure how to define “grit” honestly. If you’re saying coach and the GM that the Penguins were the better team in the first two the Pens need a bunch of guys to go out there and knock people around, games and probably should have won Game 1. And even though they I don’t know that I agree. But if you’re talking about mental toughness as didn’t have their A game in Game 3, they led, 3-1, midway through the part of your definitely, then we’re on the same page there. If you could second. And they crumbled and never fought back. It’s doubtful they describe with one word the Penguins in the first half of the season, it would have survived another round had they beat the Habs. But they can would be “resilient.” Nothing seemed to rattle them, both at a macro and point to that sequence there as the turning point. micro level. And then that faded away for some reason and was completely non-existent after the series turned in Game 3. That is the Kevin: Didnt realize clicking enter automatically sends the question lol biggest head-scratcher to me. If the Penguins are going to be a low to mid 70s team as far as the cap Guest: What do you think of gmjr calling out Schultz like that ? That goes (According to an article from the Athletic this morning), how do they seemed kind of cruel to just call him out especially when he is on his way plan on legitimately changing their roster with those given constraints? out anyhow Matt Vensel: Kevin, it is understandable if the Pens are hesitant to pay up Matt Vensel: Well, to be fair, I believe Jim was asked directly about the to the salary cap ceiling to open the season given the financial third pair and I’m not going to give him grief for answering it honestly. landscape. But I would be very surprised if they were significantly below Look, it’s no secret Justin Schultz stunk in that series. Everyone who was the cap ceiling. Even if they wanted to get there, I honestly don’t even paying attention could see it. So why sugarcoat it? My takeaway there know how they would do it unless they straight up dumped a highly-paid was that Rutherford was also probably doing some asset management cornerstone like Evgeni Malkin or Kris Letang. Per CapFriendly, their with Jack Johnson by trying to take a little of the blame off of him. You current 2020-21 cap commitment is $68,275,175, and that’s with just 15 know, in case they try to trade him. And let’s be real here: Jack was bad players projected on the roster currently. but there was plenty of blame to go around. He was being asked to put Angie: How’s Sid feeling after his team got kicked out of the playoffs on out fires at times and isn’t equipped to do that. his birthday? Shame that the rest of the team didn’t show up. He was one Ron J: Any team that traps always beats the Pens in the playoffs . Do u of the few that still was trying... His post-match interview was perhaps the agree ? most devastated I’ve ever seen him... and the admission that it’s a possibility the window may be closing? That hurt to see him so down. Matt Vensel: Or the traps just stand out more to folks when they actually work? Matt Vensel: Angie, Crosby hasn’t spoken publicly since the post-game press conference but I’m guessing he probably still feels the same. Guest: How shocked are you about them letting gonchar go? He seemed to have a magic touch with the defenseman Tampa Bay Lightning players, bottom center, celebrate after Brayden Point scored against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the fifth overtime Matt Vensel: That one was surprising. Sergei Gonchar splits his time period in Game 1 on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, in Toronto. between Pittsburgh and Dallas. One wonders if they wanted somebody who was more all-in. But you’d think they’d still find some kind of role for Joe Starkey Gonchar given his work with individual defensemen. Joe Starkey: NHL pulling off pandemic hockey in Gary Bettman’s finest Penguins defenseman Jack Johnson checks Canadiens left wing Artturi hour Lehkonen in front of Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry. Tom in Dallas: Is Marino the next Lethang? I see him as developing into Joe Starkey a solid offensive threat on the PP. I think in a couple of years when Kris is gone, his lead role will be filled by Marino. Joe Starkey’s Mailbag: Was that the worst playoff loss in Penguins history? Matt Vensel: Tom, last week Jim Rutherford told me that the Penguins see John Marino as a top-pairing defenseman “in a short period if time.” Guest: Hi Matt , I think the gm needs to take more blame for this mess I’m not sure exactly what Jim meant by that, but that transition could and I don’t think I heard him take any personal responsibility ? His occur next season if they do move Letang. Marino was excellent as a endless trades have to have a negative effect on team moral rookie, plays with so much poise and fits their defensive style (at least the one they preferred last season). The question for me is offensive Matt Vensel: Is this Joe Starkey? ICYMI, here’s his column from upside. He showed this season he could be a 40-point player. But can he yesterday about this very topic if you want to give it a read: make a big leap there with more opportunity, particularly on the power https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/joe-starkey/2020/08/12/Joe- play? We may find out here shortly. Starkey...

Marc: In your opinion what can GMJR do to make this team a contender burt reynolds: Assuming no COVID related delays in the playoffs, when next season without trading the core three? do the free agents actually become free agents, i.e. what is the first day they can sign (not that I’m expecting big moves from teh Penguins, but it’s always a fun day to follow the signings). Matt Vensel: It’s going to be a quick turnaround after the Stanley Cup is Marleau and Sheary in were foolhardy. Can we hope that his “hot seat” is awarded in early October. I’d guess free agency will start the first week of as warm as Sullivan’s? November at the latest because you need to give players and their families a chance to move and get settled into new cities. Matt Vensel: See above. It’s hard to win. He has been far from perfect since 2017, in part because he couldn’t pay everyone who helped them Guest: Do the pens win if Jarry starts the series ? win the Cup in back-to-back years. But let’s not forget all the awesome moves he made to retool the team and make the Pens a Cup-caliber Matt Vensel: I don’t know. Maybe? Maybe Tristan’s better than Matt team again. Who’s to say the Hall-of-Famer can’t pull it off again? Now, if Murray in Game 1 and the Penguins steamroll the Canadiens? But they there’s another early exit next season, I think he’s fair game. had so many issues that were a bigger worry than goaltending. And, look, every decision Sullivan made with the goalies was defensible. Guest: Do you think they try to trade Hornqvist ? He has a large contract Neither guy seized the starting gig down the stretch. From Jan. 1 on, but his enthusiasm is so needed on this team Jarry was 7-7-1 with a .901 save percentage. Murray was 9-6-1 with a .905 save percentage. Given that, it made sense to start with Murray. I Matt Vensel: Hornqvist is a warrior and a champion, but I have a hard didn’t think he played poorly enough in Game 1 to get benched. And then time seeing a team actively trying to acquire him given that he is 33, has he was very strong in Game 2. So you go back to him for Game 3. All a history of injuries and concussions and is under contract for a salary of makes sense to me. Sure, in hindsight it’s easy to say they should’ve $5.3 million for the next three seasons. Never say never, but... played Jarry because Murray didn’t get it done. Will: I wonder if there is some jealousy between Malkin and Sid. When Kennywood: It seems to be the JR acquires players, pays them too Sid was out Malkin was the alpha dog and carried the team up to the much, then struggles with the cap issues that he created. Educate me Allstar game. When Sid came back Malkin took a back seat to Sid and please. his play showed it. I think it might be time to break up the 2 alpha dogs. What do you think? Matt Vensel: I think that’s an educated take actually. You can say that he has been guilty of overpaying some guys to reward them for past Matt Vensel: Sorry, Will, I don’t see it and don’t agree that they should success. I’m specifically thinking about that Patric Hornqvist contract, trade Geno. which isn’t going to get any easier to move in the future. And, yeah, some Mako: Matt - I am interested in your take on Malkin, beyond just this other moves didn’t pan out, starting with the Jack Johnson signing. But series. To me, when Malkin has been at his best he as played an there have been good moves in there. Getting Marino for a sixth-rounder aggressive but disciplined north-south game. When he is off his game he was a steal and Tanev worked out in the first year. But to your point, Jim is undisciplined with the puck and penalties and plays more of a roving, has spent a lot of time and assets trying to undo some of the mistakes he circling game in which the Pens lose any speed advantage they have. In has made. Hey, it’s hard to win, people! And I’d argue the two Cups recent years I feel like we are seeing more and more of the latter. Its not outweigh the two recent disappointments. clear to me if Malkin can play his a-game consistently. If he cannot, given Monk: I don’t know about the rest of the Penguin fans out there, but I’m how this impacts the teams style and play, then the team may need to getting tired of this “re-tooling” talk. It obviously hasn’t worked and if the consider options with him. Your perspective? past is any indication of the future won’t work. It injects to much chaos in Matt Vensel: I think Evgeni Malkin was one of the top 10 or 15 players in the form of player’s not being familiar with each other. Instead, “re-build” the NHL last season. His offensive numbers were just a tier below the a team around Crosby. He’s such an elite athlete and professional that three MVP finalists. He played with more focus and fire all over the ice. as long as his core holds up, he can lead a champion team into his late And he was again a leader. I have no idea what happened in the 30’s. That’s a 5, 6 year window. Start building for that window instead of playoffs. His line actually generated a bunch of chances in the first retooling for now. couple of games, they couldn’t score, then Geno disappeared. That is Matt Vensel: Counterpoint: Crosby is 33, has played a lot of hockey over definitely a problem. The stars deserve a heaping of blame for the early the years, missed three months due to sports hernia surgery this season exit, too. But I’m not going to completely dismiss everything I saw from and was not dominant like he was a year ago. I by no means am saying him during the regular season. He was an elite player again. Sid is washed up. I’m just saying there are no guarantees he’s still going sarah: Any possible truth to the suggestion that Sully was maybe trying to to be an elite player two or three years from now. And do you think as prove a point to GMJR about JJ by refusing to take him out of the lineup competitive as he is he’s going to be cool with the franchise going after scratching him last year and basically having GMJR continually stick through an intentional teardown that robs him of a couple of potential up for JJ? Cup runs? Time is running out. Matt Vensel: Why would the coach put his season and his job at risk to Guest: Do you think the head coach from wbs could be promoted to do that? assistant coach ? Guest: They keep talking about trying to replace Bonino , could they try Matt Vensel: I’ve wondered about that. But I’d guess that it’s more likely and trade for him ? I don’t believe he had done as well in Nashville so they keep Mike Vellucci with WBS to help with their player development. maybe we can get him back And if the Penguins were to make an in-season coaching change, Vellucci would be on the short list. He’s a very good coach and has a Matt Vensel: Nick Bonino would not have saved their season. The Pens really interesting backstory. It involves Al Iafrate and a car crash. Give do need a third-line center to emerge. If Teddy Blueger can show more this a read if you want to know more about him: https://www.post- progress offensively, I think he could be the answer for a while. gazette.com/sports/penguins/2019/09/09/mike-vellucci-... Ron J: Any more podcasts ? Kennywood: I agree with “Guest” about the cruelty issue. Some journalists, and fans on social media, talk about players and how they are Matt Vensel: Ron, we recorded new podcasts Saturday and Wednesday doing their jobs in ways that regular folks do not have to endure. I think and dove deep into what could happen this offseason. Check out those kindness and respect should always be foremost in how we discuss an North Shore Drive podcasts. Barring big news, that should be it from us athlete’s performance. for a while on the podcast front. Our Steelers, Pirates and college guys will still be going strong, though. Thanks for listening! Matt Vensel: I hear you. As often as possible, I try to remind readers, Twitter followers and others that these guys are human beings. They’re Matt Vensel: Alright, folks. I hear the kids stomping around upstairs when not Madden create-a-players. For example, people were giving Mike it’s supposed to be nap time. So I have to bow out unfortunately. I feel Sullivan grief yesterday for saying it was a difficult day for him because bad because there’s a bunch of questions still in the queue. How about he had to fire assistant coaches who are also his friends. These guys we do this again later this month? Maybe we’ll have more clarity then on have been through so much together, most of it good. How could they what the Penguins plan to do this fall. not be close? I know the NHL is a results-oriented business that pays Matt Vensel: Thanks to everyone for joining me today and stick taps to well. But show a little empathy. the many of you who sent thoughtful questions. Enjoy Pirates season?

On the Road: Matt, In my opinion, GMJR needs to be shown the door. It Matt Vensel: I kid. I kid. No one enjoys the Pirates. We’ll talk hockey should have happened the minute he signed his name to the JJ contract, again soon. which was ridiculous to say the least. Furthermore, moves such as bring Post Gazette LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191074 Pittsburgh Penguins Zeise: I think he plays a little but similar to Letang but he isn’t as irresponsible and doesn’t make as many of those game-changing mistakes

Paul Zeise's sports chat transcript: 08.13.20Matt Freed/Post-Gazette Buster: It has been highly publicized recently that neck goiters offer very little virus protection. Why, then do Pirates and Steelers coaches all wear them?

PAUL ZEISE Zeise: No no no no no. Don’t do that. Don’t try to drag me into this mess. They are setting a good example by wearing face coverings.

Kevin: When do you see J Bell starting to work his way out of this slow Zeise: OK welcome back and let’s get started! Lots to get to and lots of start? questions already! Fire away all the questions you want answered and let’s chat Zeise: Take that stretch from late April to the end of May out of Josh Bell’s career and tell me if that is the rule or the exception with him. He is Artie Bridge: Paul, Did you anticipate this level of pathetic play from the better than he is showing now but I’m not sure there is this huge breakout Pirates? And what does it signal about the next few years? Can we coming for him reasonably look forward to post-season play anytime in the 2020’s? An overview of fans cheering as the Michigan football team takes to the Zeise: No I picked them to win between 26 and 28 games so obviously I field in Michigan Stadium before an NCAA college football game against thought they would be better than this. I will say all of these injuries have Wisconsin in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. made it tough to gauge just how bad they are. I don’t think they would be this pathetic if they had all their guys available Fred: Pirates stink,Pens are done,PSU is done. Pitt soon to be done..Steelers a month away.....Who’s are you picking to win Aussie Barry J.: Do you think that the Nuttings are making money this season? Rules Football league? Zeise: I don’t believe any of these teams would be playing if they weren’t Zeise: I don’t know any of the teams but I do enjoy watching that when it making money. They aren’t making what they usually do but they aren’t is on. It seems like a fun sport to watch losing their shirt either Harry: Is there a place where we can see what MLB players who have Vince: Do you think it’s more than likely that Malkin may on his way out tested positive for covid actually get sick as opposed simply to getting a since Gonchar was let go? Thanks. positive test result? Zeise: No Jim Rutherford made it pretty clear he isn’t going to make that Zeise: You haven’t been paying attention. It isn’t important whether kind of move with a core player people are sick or not, it only matters how many positive cases we have. Paul Zeise mailbag: Are the Pirates tanking? In fact don’t bring up sickness and ask questions like that because if you do it shows you just don’t take this pandemic seriously enough. Guest: College sports are a mess. NCAA has been largely silent on the entire conference play or wait debates. Is the NCAA as we know it No crying qbs: You think college football won’t happen? I don’t see how starting to end? I could see all the large BCS schools form their own making that decision now was necessary. I agree it will shut down, organization since they reallynci though. I think it is less about protecting the players and more about liability. Zeise: What all of this has shown is how weak and almost meaningless the NCAA is. Zeise: I think eventually the SEC and ACC will be shamed enough in to shutting down. It will happen, it always happens. Nobody wants to be a Fred: After watching Hard Knocks the other night and seeing the amount leader in this and stand up to the shut down mob. And you are right - of precaution and money chargers and Rams were putting into Covid liability and the cost of testing are the two biggest factors, not this prevention, I do believe the NFL will have a season. To think colleges myocarditis hysteria. could afford the same precautions though is impossible to believe...especially considering colleges are more than just football. Do Kevin: Is there any way major-league baseball can force Pirate you think if Big 12 or ACC continues to move forward that individual ownership to sell the team to someone that really wants to invest in it? schools will drop out? Zeise: No, I mean I guess they could technically but they won’t. Rob Zeise: I don’t think anyone will drop out. I think the conferences will likely Manfred speaks highly of the Nuttings. They are profitable and they are find it impossible to move forward at some point and we won’t have MLB company guys who never make waves college football. The spring idea is asinine. The cost of testing alone is B Koepka: Is my arrogant, he man act wearing thin? Who has more going to hurt the efforts of some of these conferences to keep moving majors when all said and done, me or that PC guy from Northern Ireland? forward Zeise: Yes your act is wearing thin. I know you are related to Dick Groat Southside Jimmy: Hey Paul, how’s your golf game? I watched the but you ain’t Dick Groat in talent or class. I think you are a really good tournament last week. That young guy Collin Morikawa made some great player but you ain’t been recently so maybe a little humility is in order shots and kept his poise when he didn’t. I’ve also been impressed with the young talent like Cameron Smith and Matthew Wolfe. Chris: I’ve heard you, Walsh and Pompeani talk about your golf games. Any other local media duffers we should know about? Zeise: i love all the young talent on the PGA tour. I love how well they play, how poised they are and how mature they are. They all play so well Zeise: I’m not in their class. Richie is a mid-low 70s golfer. Pomp is a it is fun to watch them. As for my golf game, my handicap is dropping, mid-high 70s golfer. Chris Mueller and Jeff Hathorne are both high 70s slowly but surely, but I have a long, long way to go golfers. Paul Alexander is a high 70s golfer. Gerry Dulac is a mid-70s golfer. Those guys are all really good. I’m in the category of most Zeise: We have to have more questions and chatting than this!!! average golfers. I shoot about 95-105. I’m getting better though because Donna: Seems to me the Pens’ assistant coaches were made last year I was more 105-115 scapegoats for the dismal ending to this season. I think everyone from Yuri: Paul, do you see Shelton batting Reynolds second and Bell cleanup Rutherford to the players are to blame as well. Your thoughts? if they continue to struggle? Zeise: Yep but that’s how it works. That’s how it always works. It is clear Zeise: I think you have to ride with Reynolds and hope he snaps out of it. message that Mike Sullivan is now on the hot seat. It is that simple - it is Bell is a power hitter and sometimes they need to drop in the lineup for a easier to fire a few assistants than break up a roster. If the Pens get off to week or two to find their swing a slow start next season I think it will be over for Sullivan Fred: You mentioned young talent in golf. How about NBA. Did you see Tom in Dallas: Is Marino the next Lethang? I see Kris retiring in a couple the game Luka Doncic of mavericks the other night? Only 21. Zion has of years and his skates being filled by Marino gotten most of the press but if building a team Doncic is the guy you want. Zeise: I would agree and Ja Morant too. There are some really good young players right now in the NBA too. Thing is it is still Lebron’s world ....

G Junker: Is your colleague Gerry a decent golfer, or does he just talk a good game, aided with a little foot wedge action?

Zeise: As I said, Dulac shoots in the mid 1970s

Zeise: Sorry mid-70s

Harry: Thank you. I’ll, um, try to pay better attention.

Zeise: My man

Shelton D: I’m clearly a nice guy, but am I in over my head? Some, maybe the vast percentage, of my moves have been head scratchers. Your thoughts, please.

Zeise: I don’t think he is in over his head, I just think he is learning on the job which is different. He will get better and grow into it Once he gets more experience. It also isn’t easy to operate a bullpen that has a bunch of AAA arms in it

Martin S.: Paul, why is everyone canceling or delaying their respective sports seasons? After all, Trump said this is all going to just “disappear.”

Zeise: Some would argue they are cancelling sports to create more chaos to make Trump disappear!!! I have no idea what they are hoping to accomplish by delaying and cancelling sports but more power to them

Krugerrand: “In fact don’t bring up sickness and ask questions like that because if you do it shows you just don’t take this pandemic seriously enough. “ You’re the best!

Zeise: I try. And yes I know I am being sarcastic but the goal at the start of all this was never to eliminate every positive case. The virus is here but testing healthy people who aren’t sick and have no symptoms to me is lunacy.

Call me Skeptical: I have severe doubts about those sports reporters handicaps. They paying you off to up their street cred?

Zeise: Well every golfer lies, right? I

Zeise: am telling you unequivocally that my handicap index on GHIN right now is 24.1 - which means depending on the course my handicap fluctuates between about 21 and 30.... and so when I say I typically shoot between 95-105, I’m telling the truth. I have played with Richie multiple times. I’ve watched him shoot 70. I’ve never seen him shoot worse than 76. I’ve played with Paul Alexander, his number is real. Pomp’s number is real. I’ve played with both Mueller and Hathorne and both of them are really good too. So nope, they are all as good as advertised and much better than me

Harry: Go with Freemantle in Aussie Rules.

Zeise: Sounds good, they are now Mt team!! See I’m easy!

Post Gazette LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191075 Pittsburgh Penguins professionalism required to host a world-class sports event. We continue to do this each day with the support of local organizations and sports stakeholders.”

Game time: SEA group to attract Pittsburgh sporting events — super It called the SEA’s creation of a sports commission “a continuation of ones and small ones previous programming.”

“We look forward to continuing to work with the Sports & Exhibition Authority and our other partners to attract sports events to Pittsburgh and MARK BELKO our surrounding region,” it said.

Mr. Costa has said earmarking up to $1.7 million a year from state gambling funds to the Pittsburgh-Allegheny County SEA for a sports A sports commission designed to help attract everything from Super commission accomplishes the same goal VisitPittsburgh wanted without Bowls to high school volleyball tournaments to the Pittsburgh area is the need for a tax increase. ready to take the field. The SEA board is expected to appoint the first five members of the Sports & Exhibition Authority board members are expected to vote commission Thursday. They are to include Mr. Fontana; SEA board Thursday to create the commission in a bid to bring more sporting events member Sala Udin, a Pittsburgh school board member and former city to the city. councilman; and Mr. Costa. State Sen. Wayne Fontana, SEA board chairman, said the goal is not Others will be added to represent the city’s professional sports teams as only to recruit high-profile events like a possible Super Bowl or a Major well as collegiate and high school interests, Mr. Fontana said. Mayor Bill League Baseball All-Star Game, but also to bring in collegiate and high Peduto and Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald also will have school events or tournaments. picks. “It’s not just the home runs,” he said. “This is about the smallest and “It’s going to be inclusive. Everybody’s going to have some largest events.” representation and everybody’s going to have some input. It’s all about Steelers mailbag: Will there be any roster surprises? bringing business to Pittsburgh,” Mr. Fontana said.

The commission will be backed by an annual allocation of up to $1.7 Commission members, Mr, Costa noted, will make recommendations to million from the state. State Sen. Jay Costa, D-Forest Hills, included the the SEA board, which will have the final say. money in the expanded gambling bill passed several years ago. The Penguins and the Steelers both issued statements in support of the That money is expected to start flowing this year. The exact amount commission Wednesday. could range from $1.5 million to $1.7 million, Mr. Costa said. It will be “We are encouraged that our sports teams will have additional support in used by the commission in part to provide financial incentives to score attracting events and maintaining the world-class facilities that we are sporting events, Mr. Fontana said. fortunate to have in Pittsburgh,” said David Morehouse, Penguins Some big-time sporting events require revenue guarantees before president and CEO. committing to a city, local tourism officials have said. Or money could be “We are aware the potential new sports commission is on the agenda for allocated for logistics like shuttles in support of events. the SEA meeting on Thursday, and we are in support of the concept,” But Mr. Costa stressed that funds also will be used to help shore up and Steelers spokesman Burt Lauten added. preserve SEA-owned venues like the David L. Lawrence Convention A Pirates spokesman did not respond to a request for comment. Center, Heinz Field, PNC Park and PPG Paints Arena. The city has hosted a number of high-profile events over the years, Part of the funds can be earmarked to fulfill the SEA’s obligations to including the first and second rounds of the NCAA men’s basketball maintain the sports venues under agreements with the teams. In tournament, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the National addition, the convention center, Mr. Costa said, is facing a host of Hockey League All-Star Game and draft, and the NCAA Frozen Four deferred maintenance needs, including a new roof that could cost $8 hockey championship. million. In fact, in 2017, the NCAA awarded Pittsburgh 22 preliminary and One focus of the commission will be to look for ways to bring more sports championship events between 2018-22, the most hosted by any city in programming into the convention center, which has been battered by the the four-year bid cycle. COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Fontana said he sees the potential for it to host basketball and volleyball tournaments and even esports video game The Steelers have talked about bringing the Super Bowl to Heinz Field in competitions in the future. the future, although most consider that a long shot.

Given that the pandemic could change the way in which large Post Gazette LOADED: 08.14.2020 conventions are conducted in the future, there is a need to find other revenue sources for the center, which typically operates at a deficit.

SEA seeks more than $20 million in pandemic-related aid for sports venues, convention center

“It’s not going to be all big conventions where you have three or four- night hotel stays. It might be a one day type of thing or one night. We have to have volume. We have to build volume,” said Mr. Fontana, D- Brookline.

“We’ve got to keep the door open and put a new focus on” sports, he added.

The SEA’s play comes at a time that VisitPittsburgh had been considering its own proposal to create a similar commission.

The tourism organization had been lobbying the state Legislature for an increase in Allegheny County’s 7% hotel tax to fund its plan. But that request has gone nowhere, and VisitPittsburgh stated Wednesday it no longer is pursuing its own commission.

“VisitPittsburgh is not planning to develop a separate commission,” it said. “SportsPittsburgh, a division of VisitPittsburgh, was developed to actively promote Pittsburgh as a destination with the expertise and 1191076 Pittsburgh Penguins They may have been blinded to issues that had become as obvious as they were confounding.

In their first 13 games with Crosby back in the lineup, the Penguins went Inside the Penguins’ collapse and the big changes still to come 9-3-1 and ascended to first place in the Metropolitan Division. They were a plus-10 in goal differential and clicked on the power play at 31 percent, but their previously stifling defense and puck possession at 5 on 5 waned. Rob Rossi and Josh Yohe Aug 13, 2020 It was during this stretch that Sullivan opted to begin splitting starts

between Murray, a two-time Cup winner, and Jarry, who had made the The Penguins had planned to spend a couple of months in Toronto’s All-Star Game. Jarry went 5-2-0 with a .928 save percentage. Murray bubble. They stuck around for only two weeks. was 4-1-1 and at .933.

For the second time in a matter of months, the world as they knew it had There was no apparent problem because each of the Penguins’ goalies changed when they returned to Pittsburgh. Only this time, unlike in was going great. Unless, that is, hockey history was the guide. March, a pandemic was not to blame. “What do they say: if you have two goalies, you don’t have one?” a After conducting interviews with more than a dozen team, league and Penguins player said after the season. “It just seemed like the people in industry sources, The Athletic has pieced together how personnel charge wanted Matt to be the one, but we played better, for whatever decisions, coaching strategy and late-season chemistry issues led to the reason, when Jarry played. That’s how it looked to me. I guess coaches Penguins’ downfall this season, and how the economic fallout of two saw something different.” failed postseasons could limit their ability to build a Stanley Cup While Sullivan ultimately decided to go with Murray when the postseason contender. began against Montreal, his confidence in the goaltender had been A chaotic offseason in Pittsburgh got underway Wednesday when the eroding for a couple of years, according to a team source. Penguins dismissed three assistant coaches. It is a long way from being “Sully used to think Murray was the toughest goaltender mentally that finished. he’d ever come across,” the source said. “But that was then.” How did a promising season fall apart? The coaching staff had been continually frustrated with Murray’s habit of After the Penguins were swept out of the 2019 postseason in the first playing too deep in his crease. Those occurrences typically flared after round, general manager Jim Rutherford resisted any urge he felt to offseasons or when Murray spent time away from the team. Murray’s “break up the band.” Captain Sidney Crosby was safe, and Rutherford tendency to make himself look small in the net, despite his 6-foot-5 never seriously entertained trading center Evgeni Malkin or defenseman frame, is born of this habit. Kris Letang. It was no coincidence that the Penguins’ best stretch came in December, There were changes — the biggest of which was Phil Kessel’s trade to when Murray was not playing. the Arizona Coyotes. The Penguins also dealt defenseman Olli Maatta to But a backslide loomed as the trade deadline approached. The Penguins Chicago, signed Brandon Tanev to a long-term deal and, in an under-the- went 3-8-0, falling from first to third place in the division, a drop that radar move, added rookie defenseman John Marino. But by and large, would ultimately force them into the qualifying-round against the the core of the Penguins remained intact. There were few position battles Canadiens and their standout goalie, Carey Price. in training camp and lines were somewhat predictable. Their last game before the break was a win in New Jersey. It had been The team overcame injuries to significant players to amass one of the preceded by a stunning weekend in Pittsburgh, where the Penguins were best records in the league. Malkin and winger Bryan Rust missed most of beaten by a combined score of 11-4 in back-to-back games against the October, and Crosby was out from mid-November to January after Capitals and Hurricanes. By then, three new forwards — veteran Parick undergoing core muscle surgery. Jake Guentzel, on pace for another 40- Marleau, Evan Rodrigues and Conor Sheary (a member of the 2016 and goal season, was lost for the season after sustaining a shoulder injury ’17 Cup clubs) — had joined the roster. Rutherford had intended the New Year’s Eve. moves to supplement the Penguins’ depth and also provide Crosby with If the absences slowed the Penguins, it didn’t show in the standings. a familiar winger, as Guentzel was not projected to recover from shoulder surgery in time for the start of the playoffs in early April. The Penguins were 9-6-1 when Crosby sustained his injury. They went 18-6-4 while he was out, led by Malkin, a dominant top line and strong The moves might have backfired. play by Tristan Jarry, who supplanted a struggling Matt Murray as the go- “It’s a bit weird, right?” said a player late in the regular season. “The GM to goalie. talks about liking the group, not wanting to risk our chemistry. And then “I thought Pittsburgh might have the best team in the league again,” said we add three new guys at the deadline. I don’t know. Didn’t make much a rival executive. “Jarry was incredible. Malkin, I think, had never been sense to me, but it’s not my call.” more complete as a player; you could tell he was feeling it. They had Added another veteran Penguins player, after the playoffs: “We had too guys on top of you every shift. Doing it without really good players like much change all year — so much change with guys injured and trades. Guentzel and (Brian) Dumoulin, and they’re getting Crosby back — if you We get healthy a little bit and change more. Why?” asked anybody in January the answer to ‘are the Penguins back’ would have been ‘yes.’” Adding Zucker, that player said, was the only move the Penguins needed. He also questioned sending Dominik Kahun, a versatile forward Rutherford, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in acquired in the Maatta trade last summer, to Buffalo for Rodrigues and November, often likes to say a hockey team is never as good or as bad Sheary. as it looks, that the trick for a general manager is assessing what his club is in that murky, middle ground. Still, even after Crosby’s return, the “Kahun was a good player for us,” the player said. “Maybe the coach Penguins were winning while undermanned. Rutherford talked openly doesn’t like him? I’m not sure.” about not wanting to mess with “team chemistry” by making too many moves before the trade deadline. Overwhelmingly, players believed Sullivan was at his best most of the season. They praised his calmness during the early stretch of injuries. His February deal to acquire winger Jason Zucker from Minnesota was They respected his decisions to ride Jarry’s hot hands and the Guentzel- embraced by Penguins players. One said Zucker “is exactly what we Malkin-Rust line from mid-November through December. They believed needed with Jake probably not coming back.” And after a few games with he had a pulse on the squad, a clear message and the confidence of a Zucker, a veteran of the 2016 and ‘17 Cup clubs offered that “if we can coach who knew he was fully supported by the Penguins’ star players, just get a few guys back and keep guys in the lineup, I like our chances their management and ownership. against anybody in the playoffs — especially with Jarry. He’s kind of like (Murray) was for us in ‘16.” But once in Toronto’s bubble, things changed for the Penguins.

Internally, the Penguins saw a silvery future. What happened in Toronto? Some players were troubled by Sullivan’s loyalty to players who won with Constructed to win with speed, skill and depth, the Penguins at times him before, specifically Sheary, Murray and Justin Schultz. looked slower and thinner against the Canadiens — and any skill advantage was unrecognizable, especially on the power play. But the feeling wasn’t overwhelming. In past seasons, the Penguins have produced on the power play often “Look, we were one of the best teams in the league and we lost how because their players were more creative than opponents. They could do many guys? Not just any guys, but our top guys,” a player said. “We did damage without doing a lot of things right, because Kessel excelled at that because Sully knows what he’s doing. If you’re saying he believes in zone-entries and as a shot-pass option on the side of the ice opposite guys too much — I’d rather have a coach who does than one who Malkin and Crosby. doesn’t.” The Penguins finished first overall in power play at 26.2 percent in Mark The locker room was divided about Sullivan’s choice to start Murray over Recchi’s first season as an assistant. They fell to eighth at 22.3 percent Jarry before Game 1 against Montreal, but most of the Penguins’ last season. They were 16th at 19.9 percent for the shortened 2019-20 veterans sided with Sullivan’s decision to go with Murray because of his season. playoff history. Any struggles during the regular season had been attributed to Kessel’s Murray and Jarry have a good relationship and Murray never publicly absence and the constant injuries preventing Sullivan and Recchi, the criticized Sullivan for playing Jarry as often as he did in December and power play’s architects, from finding a rhythm with any set group of five. January. It was clear, though, that Murray was seething because of the lack of playing time during that portion of the season. He believes he But from their exhibition game against the Flyers, in which Schultz plays better when he receives a regular amount of work, a mindset replaced Letang as the power-play quarterback, to Game 1 against the common among goaltenders. Canadiens, where Zucker found himself on the top unit, the Penguins’ power play appeared to be a trial-and-error exercise that worked against Sullivan wanted to give him a final opportunity to redeem himself in the them. postseason and, while Murray didn’t bomb, it seems that Penguins fans’ final image of him wearing black and gold will be of him getting beaten by They looked lost on the advantage, and their one noticeable advantage, Jeff Petry’s bad-angle shot to win Game 3. possessing the puck in 5-on-5 situations, was stymied by continuously drawing penalties that put them on the power play. As the team trained in Pittsburgh, Sullivan was boisterous and upbeat during on-ice workouts, paralleling an optimism he expressed with The struggles on the advantage against Montreal in the playoffs struck a coaches and players before the Penguins left for Toronto. nerve that had bothered the Penguins dating the past couple of seasons. They had all the talent in the hockey world and not enough results. Once the team arrived in Canada, Sullivan became more subdued with a quiet confidence, according to many players. The change was more “We should score at 30 percent,” a player said of the power play after the noticeable after the Game 3 loss, which put the Penguins one game loss to Montreal. “We have no plan, the wrong mentality. I don’t know away from elimination. why. Coaches don’t know. We should be great.”

In the day between Games 3 and 4, Sullivan barely raised his voice to In the end, a team overflowing with talent and confidence couldn’t even the players during a meeting. He remained positive but members of the take the 24th-best team in the NHL to five games. Penguins were surprised that he didn’t show more emotion. “Sully thought they were good,” a former member of the Penguins said. “I thought we deserved to be yelled at after Game 3,” a player said. “But “He thought they were really good. I don’t think they were as good as he Sully was just confident. He kept saying, ‘I know you guys are thought they were.” disappointed, and so am I. But let’s just stick with this.’ He was being positive, which was fine. But it’s not what we deserved.” What comes next?

Sullivan admonished only two players during a video session the day The loss — both the actual result and the nature of the defeat — before Game 4: Schultz and Zach Aston-Reese. The third pairing, which damaged the Penguins in ways that might not become clear for months, included Schultz and Jack Johnson, struggled mightily against the if years. But the early response, specifically the dismissal of three Canadiens. Johnson was on the ice for five goals against in the series assistant coaches, appears to have confirmed that ownership is involved while Schutz was on the ice for six. While it was Johnson who received a in the offseason more than at any time since a hockey operations beating from social media regularly, it was Schultz who wore Sulivan’s shakeup in 2014. wrath during the Montreal series. Days later, Rutherford repeated this Jacques Martin and Sergei Gonchar, each a member of Sullivan’s pattern by saying that Schultz had “more to give” while refusing to extended staff dating to the back-to-back Cup wins, were surprised by criticize Johnson. their dismissals. They, like Recchi, were informed Wednesday morning, Sullivan snapped at Aston-Reese during the video review, criticizing the within an hour of the Penguins issuing a news release stating that those winger for his retaliation penalty in the third period of Game 3. Sullivan assistants contracts would not be renewed. said that if Crosby, who was continually harassed during the series, Many around the hockey world — including current and former members wasn’t responding with retaliation, then Aston-Reese shouldn’t. of the Penguins’ organization — were stunned by Gonchar’s dismissal.

Despite this brief display of irritation, Sullivan didn’t erupt on the Said one former member of the organization: “Wow. I didn’t see that Penguins during this series the way many players were expecting. The coming at all. I think they’re all good coaches, and the best of the three is Penguins’ play in Game 4 was just as listless. Gonchar. Ask any of the defensemen. They’ll tell you.”

It’s not that Sullivan didn’t care about the result — nobody suggested An NHL executive said, “Sullivan is a great coach but he likes being that. Rather, there was a sense from numerous players that Sullivan had surrounded by yes men. All three of those guys had those low-key so much belief in this group of players that he steadfastly believed they personalities. That doesn’t always work. They need someone like (Rick) were going to beat the Canadiens and ultimately make a championship Tocchet, someone who will challenge Sully. That would be best for Sully run. and the Penguins.”

Overconfidence has cost the Penguins in the past, and it probably did so Though Gonchar is particularly close to Malkin, his dismissal is not a again against the Canadiens. signal of renewed strain between Malkin and Sullivan. Management “Our team felt too good, I think,” a team source said after the loss to believes Malkin respects Sullivan, that any disputes are mostly the result Montreal. “It’s tough to say, but maybe we still are playing if we score of differing personalities occasionally clashing — “healthy tension,” as early in that first game. But when you have players like ours and they described by one team employee. don’t score and then they have to go against a trap like Montreal has, it Crosby made it clear to Rutherford last season that he does not want isn’t so easy for skill players to settle for dumping the puck and going to Malkin to be moved for any reason, unless Malkin requests a trade. get it. Malkin has no desire to be traded and at a season-ending meeting “And I don’t know if we had the type of team to do that.” reiterated his desire to finish his NHL career with the Penguins. Can the Penguins still build a contender around Crosby and Malkin? (Dan Hamilton / USA Today) Ownership wants to keep Malkin tethered to Crosby for the long haul.

But things could change in other ways.

The Penguins, for the first time since 2007, likely will not spend near the salary cap to start the upcoming season, according to multiple team and league sources.

Revenue is down, in part because of early playoff exits and in part because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and ownership believes cost-cutting measures are reasonable at this time. Rutherford would be permitted to spend to the cap in-season if ownership was convinced the club was a piece or two away from a deep playoff run, team and industry sources said.

“They’re a revenue-based ownership. They spend what they make,” an industry source said. “Maybe it’s not the best thing to count on playoff home games, but they do, so nobody should be surprised if things tighten there.”

The Penguins have 16 players with guaranteed roster spots who count $68.2 million against an $81.5 million cap. But multiple team and league sources said the Penguins will look to spend in the low- to mid-$70 million range to start next season. To get there, the team will seek trades of multiple veterans, especially because ownership favors those moves over buyouts.

Rutherford told reporters this week he prefers to keep Crosby, Malkin and Letang together. But rival executives expect him to explore a Letang trade, for multiple reasons.

“Letang’s market value is better, if you can believe it,” said one executive, who does not believe Rutherford will ultimately move Letang. “Malkin can pick where he wants to go, and do you get him for just two years and he goes back to Russia? With Letang, the only thing you’re worried about is his health. Can he stay healthy? He’s still a top defenseman and you’re probably going to keep him around if you get him, so (the Penguins) would get more for him, I’d think.”

Added another league executive: “I’d take either guy, are you kidding? Malkin was incredible last season. You add that guy, you’re adding a true No. 1 center. But people think he’d only go a couple of places, and I don’t really see Jimmy or Mario breaking up Crosby and Malkin. They’re legends. They’re still great. And who the hell is going to play center behind Crosby?”

Like Crosby, Malkin’s contract contains a full no-movement clause. Letang’s contract has a modified clause, making him easier to move.

As an organization, the Penguins are deeper with defensemen than they are centers. While there is agreement among ownership and management that the Penguins would not “win” a trade of either Malkin or Letang, a return of draft picks, prospects and cap space would not be without value.

“They’ve had how many years of sellouts there? Good luck with them if you move one of those players,” an industry source said. “They traded (Marc-Andre) Fleury because they had Murray. That didn’t go their way. Do they think fans will forget about that if they move another beloved player while pushing the replacement as the future? I sure as hell don’t.”

Despite the challenges — a new group of assistant coaches, a new franchise goalie and a group of younger, less-experienced players — many around the league believe the Penguins are better positioned than their recent postseason record indicates. And Rutherford, who operated on a budget during his run in Carolina, is more familiar than anybody in the organization with building a contender without the deepest well of resources.

“There’s always some kind of drama in Pittsburgh when they don’t win the Cup. It’s always, ‘That’s the end of the Penguins.’ And it never is,” one rival executive said.

“They think it was their bounce-back season and that they failed. The rest of us think they overachieved during a rebuilding season. I think the Penguins are fine. But if they want to overreact and blow everything up, a lot of us will be all for it. That’s one less dangerous team to worry about.”

The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191077 San Jose Sharks

Sharks 'very happy' with Ryan Merkley's progress before first pro year

By Marcus White August 13, 2020 7:30 PM

The Sharks seem somewhat set at the top of the right side of their defensive depth chart, at least for now.

Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson are established veterans, with three Norris Trophies and nearly 1,300 NHL points combined. They're also 35 and 30, respectively, in a league that is becoming increasingly youth-driven. The future quickly becomes the present in the salary cap-driven NHL, and contributors on rookie contracts are among the most valuable commodities in the sport.

San Jose arguably had an eye towards that future even before general manager Doug Wilson traded for Karlsson. Nearly three months prior, the Sharks drafted right-handed defenseman Ryan Merkeley with the No. 21 overall pick. Now, just over two years later, Merkley is the team's top prospect entering his first professional season, and the Sharks are "very happy" with his progress.

"He's just a hockey rat who wants to be at the rink, and those are the types of guys we want to work with," Sharks director of scouting Doug Wilson Jr.

Wilson Jr. said Merkeley's love of the sport stood out before and after the Sharks drafted him in 2018. The Sharks executive noticed Merkeley lingering on the bench at the NHL scouting combine that year, catching up with his peers well after his workout session was completed. Merkley also stuck around in Dallas after he became the first first-round defenseman taken by San Jose in five years, sitting in the team's suite at the American Airlines Center on the draft's second day and chatting with former development coach (and current Sharks assistant) Mike Ricci.

That, combined with Merkley's high-end skill, made the defenseman an easy choice for the Sharks despite concerns about his attitude and defensive game. San Jose drafted Merkley as a 17-year-old, and he would be traded twice in his last two seasons in the OHL. Merkley settled in with the London Knights this past season, scoring a career-high 76 points (15 goals, 61 assists) and leading the Knights to first place in the Western Conference when the season was suspended -- and eventually canceled -- due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Wilson Jr. has previously said he felt Merkley made strides on defense, and the Sharks will continue to work with him up close. Whether Merkley starts next season in the NHL or the AHL with the Barracuda, he'll develop under the front office's close watch in San Jose.

"At the draft (in 2018), I think what I was saying was you can't teach Merkley's skill, so that's when you have to really dig in and learn about the kid more to see if he has what it takes to learn, and be coachable, and progress the rest of his game and build that foundation," Wilson Jr. said. "And in our opinion he did, so we're excited to have him part of our future and have him turn pro this year."

Merkley will be one to watch whenever the Sharks convene for training camp. San Jose has no right-shooting defenseman signed beyond this season other than Burns and Karlsson, yet it's fair to wonder if the 20- year-old would be better served logging big minutes in all situations for the Barracuda to start his pro career.

No matter which level Merkley begins at next season, the Sharks' future beyond Burns and Karlsson will be here sooner than you think.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191078 St Louis Blues seconds to reflect on my dad. The biggest thing was everyone showed support on the bench instantly and gave me a tap and motivated me to keep going.”

Blues wanted to make their presence known from the start vs. Canucks “What Troy had to go through in the summer was devastating,” said forward Elias Pettersson. “I wanted to go and hug him.”

“It gave me chills,” said forward Brock Boeser. Tom Timmermann Goalie Jakob Markstrom’s father also died during the season.

“It was very emotional for him,” Markstrom said. “I know what he’s going The Blues play a physical game and they wanted to send a message through. It’s not easy. For him to show emotions, I was happy. I got right from the start to the Canucks that however long this series lasts, it emotional as well thinking about it. I gave him a big hug after the game. was going to be painful. The Blues were credited with 30 hits in the I’m super happy for him. He’s another guy who blocks a ton of shots. To game, to just 18 for Vancouver. Zach Sanford and Jaden Schwartz each get rewarded with a big goal with everything that’s going on, that’s huge.” recorded five hits. Bluenotes “We’re a team that is effective over a long series and on the first couple games, we want to be heavy, we want to make their D turn, we want to Berube and his coaching staff went back to suits for the start of lean on them as much as possible,” said forward Troy Brouwer. “We elimination play after Berube and assistant coaches Steve Ott and Mike want to give their skilled players as small amount of time as possible, Van Ryn took a more casual response to the round-robin games, when make every time they touch the puck difficult for them. That’s something they wore zippered jackets. “We kind of had this in the back of our minds we established last night and something that we’re going to continue to when the playoffs started,” he said. “We’re going to go back to the suit, establish as this series goes.” so that’s why we did that.” … Vancouver forward J.T. Miller, who scored the final goal, didn’t take part in pregame warmups for Game 1 and was One of the players the Blues went at was rookie defenseman Quinn initially listed as a scratch. “I’m not going to get into too much detail,” said Hughes, one of the leading candidates for the Calder Trophy as rookie of Vancouver coach , who quickly lived up to his promise. “He the year. Hughes saw a lot of that as the season went on. couldn’t get out for warmups and obviously played the game. That’s all I’m going to say about it.” Green said Thursday he expected Miller to be “Honestly, it’s kind of an honor that they key on me,” Hughes said. on the ice for warmups on Friday. … Sanford and Jake Virtanen got 10- “That’s how I take it. I know my teammates have got my back and at the minute misconducts with 39 seconds left in the game. end of the day, I’ve got to try to play my game to the best of my ability. They’re going to do what they have to do. It is what it is.” St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 08.14.2020 Going fourth

Craig Berube didn’t have any updates on Alexander Steen or Sammy Blais on Thursday, so they remain day-to-day for Game 2 on Friday.

Those absences in Game 1, plus the continued absence of Ivan Barbashev, who is scheduled to return to the Edmonton bubble on Friday after the birth of his first child, caused Berube to take apart his fourth line of Barbashev, Steen and Oskar Sundqvist. Sundqvist moved to the third line and Mackenzie MacEachern, Jacob de la Rose and Brouwer made up the fourth line. Brouwer had the most ice time of the bunch at 6:24 and the three were barely on the ice in the third period.

“They did a good job for us,” Berube said. “I know they didn’t get a ton of minutes, but they did a good job. I thought they were an effective line. We got down by two goals and I went to three lines and that cut their minutes pretty short, but overall I think they were an effective line for us.”

They’ve got rhythm, finallyThe Blues’ time in Edmonton, Alberta, has been marked by lots of waiting. Game 1 of the Vancouver series was their fifth (including the warmup game) in the 2½ weeks they’ve been in Canada.

But now the schedule picks up, with the seven games of the series scheduled for 12 days.

“(The gap between games) wasn’t the most ideal situation, I don’t think,” defenseman Justin Faulk said. “Especially after taking four months off, you don’t want to be taking four or five days, three days, whatever, between games. You’d like to kind of get in that rhythm of every other day. That’s what we have most of the time in the regular season, so it’s good to have that going now.”

For Dad

Troy Stecher’s goal in the third period of Game 1 put the Canucks ahead to stay at 3-2, but the goal also had a very special meaning for the fourth- year defenseman.

Stecher’s father, Peter, died at 65 on Father’s Day from complications of diabetes. Peter had been Troy’s first coach and when Troy was a rookie, he wrote a letter to his son that he never mailed, telling him how proud he was of him for all his hard work. Troy found the note while cleaning out his father’s apartment after he died.

After the goal, Stecher pointed upward. He was soon engulfed in teammates.

“It’s been tough, obviously, at certain moments throughout this process,” he said. “I’m thankful to be surrounded by my teammates. I had a couple 1191079 St Louis Blues When something like that occurs, Berube wants his team to shrug it off, go back out on the next shift and regain momentum. That didn’t happen Wednesday

Blues need to accelerate their building process “That’s what we were so good at before and we gotta get back to that,” Berube said. “We’ve come from behind. We’ve won in a lot of different ways and fashions, so we can’t let one goal affect us the way it did last night.” Jim Thomas Resiliency certainly has been a hallmark of the Blues’ play, this season

and last. But they didn’t respond well to the Stecher goal or Bo Horvat’s EDMONTON, Alberta — Even before the Blues arrived in the Edmonton score 2 ½ minutes later that turned a 2-2 game into a 4-2 Canucks lead. hub on July 26, there has been a lot of talk about ramping up, building So Friday’s Game 2 against the Canucks becomes a test of the Blues’ their game for the challenges of Stanley Cup playoff hockey. resiliency as much as anything. And there was no doubt the Blues made progress — substantial progress Can they stay the course when something bad happens? Can Binnington — Wednesday, albeit in a 5-2 defeat to the Vancouver Canucks in Game bounce back as he almost always has after an off night? 1 of their Western Conference quarterfinal. We’ll see. Whether you call it mojo, swagger, confidence, something But they’re not there yet, and now they’ve dug themselves a little hole in seems to be missing with these Blues right now, even with the improved this best-of-seven series. play Wednesday Which begs the question. Or questions. Shouldn’t this construction “Maybe we don’t have it right now coming into this playoff,” Berube said. process have started earlier? And why has it been so difficult to get their “The round-robin games, losing those games the way we lost them in the game ramped up coming off the long coronavirus pandemic break? third period, might have affected us a little bit. But I’m not too worried “Yeah, I guess we can’t deny that it wasn’t pretty in the round-robin about that part of it — the resilient part of it.” there,” defenseman Justin Faulk said. “We think we’re on the right track Neither are the players, according to Troy Brouwer. and we’re gonna be better next game. “It may look like that from the outside perspective,” Brouwer said. “But in “Am I surprised? I don’t know. I think we got a bunch of gamers on this our dressing room, we’re very confident in our group. We have, I think it’s team that like to show up in big-time situations, which is what I think 20 Stanley Cup champions on this team, and with that is experience. you’re gonna see here.” “Obviously the round-robin didn’t go exactly the way we liked. We were From the original 24-team postseason field, the Blues and the New York still working, building. But our game has made a lot of progression in the Rangers are the only teams that haven’t won a game. last couple days, including (Wednesday) night as well. Still a few things And in case you missed it, the Rangers won’t have a chance to end their to clean up. But the confidence in our team hasn’t wavered.” losing streak until next season. They were bounced in three games in If so, it’s time for that confidence to show through. Because being down their best-of-five qualifying series against Carolina. (And also lost their 1-0 in a seven-game series is a little hole. Being down 2-0 looks more exhibition game to the New York Islanders.) like a ditch. As for the Blues, they are 0-4-1 in Edmonton, matching their longest St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 08.14.2020 winless streak of the 2019-20 regular season. They went 0-3-2 from Feb. 6 (a 4-2 loss to Winnipeg) through Feb. 16 (a 2-1 loss to Nashville).

After that Nashville loss, they reeled off eight consecutive victories, solidifying their perch atop the Western Conference and Central Division. That win streak began with back-to-back shutouts by Jordan Binnington. Yes, the same Jordan Binnington who has given up 11 goals over his last five periods here in Edmonton.

Starting with the 4-0 exhibition loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, the Blues have been outscored 19-8 in the bubble. The real difference has come in the third period, where the tally is: Opponents 11, Blues 0.

For the defending Cup champions, this all must be surprising, right?

“Yes and no,” coach Craig Berube said. “I think with the round-robin games, I don’t believe that we were fully-invested playing our game and playing as hard as we needed to be successful.

“But again, I’ll say (Wednesday) night I thought we were a pretty good hockey team. It was a lot more like us. I was happy to see that. I thought 5-on-5, we played some real good hockey. Power play got us a goal.

“I thought the guys were a lot more energized — played with a lot more energy and life. We were physical. Did a lot of good things. So I’m just gonna focus on that right now.”

The Blues outshot the Canucks 31-22, and outhit them 30-18.

Despite those positives, Berube didn’t like the team response after a surprise goal by Troy Stecher gave the Canucks the lead for good, 3-2, early in the third period.

“I felt like we just lost our life after that a little bit, and our energy,” Berube said. “We gotta make sure that doesn’t happen. I mean, things happen in the playoffs. ... And you gotta make sure your energy stays up and your spirit stays up.”

The Blues were controlling play and on the verge of taking over the game before Stecher surprised Binnington with a shot that went under his arm — blocker side. In some ways, it was a stunning goal, because it’s the kind Binnington doesn’t normally give up. 1191080 St Louis Blues “It’s been a blast,” said Brock Boeser, a 23-year-old rising Canuck, via Zoom on Thursday. “I think all of us young guys are learning from the first series against the Wild how intense and physical (the postseason) will be. That’s the same way with the Blues, they’re a really good hockey Hochman: Game 2 will tell us if these bubbled Blues will burst team, they play direct, keep it simple and play hard. I think we’re all enjoying it, and hopefully we can get another win tomorrow.

“I think it’s huge getting that first win. We feel we know the way we need Benjamin Hochman to play in order to win.”

But Vancouver’s freshness and fearlessness just make this more fun. If In 2019, the eventual Stanley Cup champs lost Game 1 of the Stanley the Blues are going to win a game … or a series … or even, dare we, the Cup Final. Cup, it’s going to be by rising up and accomplishing something.

Actually, they also lost Game 1 of the Conference Final. They did it last year in those final two Game 2s.

And now, in these 2020 playoffs, they’ve lost a “third consecutive” Game But, as Berube pointed out, last year was last year. 1. But this one seems heavier. Different. “It’s a new year, and in the playoffs, you’re going to lose games,” the If the Blues lose Game 2, too, will they have enough resolve to make this coach said. “You’re not going to go throughout the playoffs without any series a series? It just feels different, because, well, it’s different. They’re losses probably. We lost the first game. We’ve got to improve, we’ve got in the Edmonton bubble, their opponent is ignited after a series win and to look at what we did well, and we have to move on and get ready for the Blues haven’t once experienced victory since they arrived in Alberta. the next game. That’s all you can do. You can look back at last year, but that’s a totally different year. I’m not going to do that.” Not the exhibition game. Not in the three round-robin games. Not in Wednesday’s 5-2 loss to Vancouver. The Blues can win Game 2. Get out of the box. Get in front of the Vancouver goalie more often. Get this thing going the way they know “The round-robin games, losing those the way we lost them maybe they can play. Get back to being the Blues. affected us a little bit,” coach Craig Berube said Thursday via Zoom. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 08.14.2020 If the Blues lose Friday’s Game 2, that would be 20 days in the Edmonton bubble, zero winning accomplishments. They’d be down 2-0 in a series — and need to win four of five games that are crammed into seven days.

I feel bad going down this mental path. And surely the Blues don’t want to go down this mental path. Heck, they wouldn’t allow it when asked: “It’s a seven-game series, and you don’t win the series in two games,” defenseman Justin Faulk said. “I think we’ve all been in those situations where you’ve seen teams come back from down two. And we’re not too worried about what happened in the round-robin.”

But they really, really need to win Game 2.

And they can. They showed signs of encouragement in Game 1, notably in five-on-five play, especially in five-on-five when it was the Blues’ second line against the Canucks’ top line. Ryan O’Reilly, Zach Sanford and David Perron excelled in that matchup, outshooting and outplaying the hotshot Vancouver youngsters (of course, those same youngsters thrice deconstructed the Blues’ penalty kill in the Game 1 win).

In net, Blues goalie Jordan Binnington deserves the benefit of the doubt until proven that he can’t bounce back from a rough outing.

And even without their two biggest bangers, the Blues still crunched their share of Canucks into the boards. The Blues finished with 30 hits, while Vancouver had just 18. Brayden Schenn unleashed three particularly vicious smashes that made a mark on the game — and possibly the series.

“We’re a team that is effective over a long series,” Blues veteran Troy Brouwer said. “In the first couple games, we want to be heavy, we want to make their defensemen turn, we want to lean on them as much as possible. We want to give their skill players as small amount of time possible (to make a play). That’s something that we established last night, and that’s something we’re going to continue to establish as the series goes on.”

But it must be said that the Canucks have established something, too — fearlessness.

The storyline of the upstarts against daunting defending champs dissolved when that fifth puck rattled around the back of Binnington’s net.

Shoot, even coming into this series, the Canucks recalled their three regular-season games against St. Louis — Vancouver won one in regulation, won another in a shootout and got a point in a third, losing in overtime.

And unlike any other postseason, the lower seed doesn’t have to deal with the overwhelming, loud crowd in the higher seed’s house for those first two games.

So, yeah, maybe some Canucks woke up sore from the bruising Blues’ hits, but those are just battle wounds after an earned victory. 1191081 St Louis Blues

Late-night start, late collapse sink Blues' TV viewership figure

Dan Caesar

“Late Night with the Blues” was a comparative dud in the St. Louis television ratings.

The reigning Stanley Cup champion Blues opened their latest playoff run with a contest Wednesday in Edmonton, Alberta, that did not begin until 9:45 p.m. (St. Louis time) and ended at 12:18 a.m. That late slot, plus the Blues’ third-period collapse in which a 2-2 tie sunk to a 5-2 loss to Vancouver, generated a rating that was 18% below their playoff opener last year — and that was their lowest-rated 2019 postseason game.

The game Wednesday was on Fox Sports Midwest and NBCSN, with FSM’s telecast being seen in 4.4% of homes in the market with a TV and NBCSN’s figure at 1.5 for an overall rating of 5.9. Last year, Game 1 against Winnipeg, which began about 2½ hours earlier, drew a 7.2 rating.

Even more telling: The Blues’ three recent relatively meaningless playoff seeding games, which started earlier than Wednesday’s contest, all drew better ratings than did the first postseason match that counts. (Ratings from Nielsen, which tracks viewership.)

Many things have changed in sports this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. But one thing remains constant — the NHL not being up front with starting times. The Blues’ contest began 15 minutes later than listed.

There is a respite Friday from the late-night Blues, when Game 2 is set to begin at 5:30 p.m. (St. Louis time) — which probably translates into at least 5:40. But it’s back to the post-9:30 starts for the next two contests, on Sunday and Monday.

BLUES BUMP BIRDS: If and when the Cardinals resume playing, any of their games that overlap Blues first-round playoff contests will be televised on FSM Plus. Hockey would be on FSM’s main channel.

Fox Sports Midwest utilizes Plus when it has games being shown simultaneously. This arrangement, Blues on FSM and Cards on Plus, has been used in recent seasons for the hockey playoffs.

If the Blues advance beyond the opening round, FSM’s telecasts do not. NBC and NBCSN have exclusive U.S. rights the rest of they way.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191082 St Louis Blues Turns out “Uncle Frank” wasn’t a relative at all. He was Frank Leahy, the legendary Notre Dame coach, whose visits to St. Louis were to treat an illness at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

Death of James Cullen, a founding member of the St. Louis Blues, marks Blues roster, salaries and player profiles 'end of an era' for the franchise NHL live odds and latest line

Updated: NHL scores and schedule Jim Thomas “How my dad got to know him, I don’t know,” Mike said.

About four years after helping to form the expansion Blues, Cullen EDMONTON, Alberta — The call came on a Sunday morning in 1966. concurrently became general counsel for the NHL. That’s right, he Sid Salomon Jr. was on the other line. worked for both the team in St. Louis and the National Hockey League. There was full disclosure to avoid any conflict of interest. “We’re getting up a deal involving hockey in St. Louis,” Salomon said. “Would you be interested in representing us?” Cullen became a member of the NHL’s executive committee. For the league, he negotiated the purchase of the California Golden Seals from James Cullen, a St. Louis attorney, knew Salomon from politics and the Charles O. Finley. He was instrumental in the truce between the NHL insurance business. Cullen, a devout Catholic, said he’d be over right and the World Hockey Association. after Mass. Then NHL president Clarence Campbell took Cullen under his wing and “It’ll take you a little longer than that,” Salomon replied. “We’re in Miami.” eventually Cullen became Campbell’s hand-picked choice to succeed him. They met in an Eastern Airlines office in Miami; Cullen later said they wrote the deal to purchase The Arena on a plain piece of paper. It was “Cullen is the top candidate,” Stan Fischler, one of the most influential the birth of the St. Louis Blues, and Cullen was there every step of the hockey writers of the day, wrote in 1974. “Insightful, personable, and way for the first decade or so of the franchise’s existence as secretary better looking than (NFL commissioner) Pete Rozelle. ... Cullen is the and legal counsel. man.”

There probably aren’t many current Blues fans who know of Cullen. But Cullen told Post-Dispatch columnist Jeff Meyers at that time that taking in the 1960s and ‘70s — anybody who was anybody in St. Louis knew the league president job “depends on the circumstances. I would want who Cullen was. the terms of employment to be very clearly stated.”

So when James Daniel Cullen passed away on July 29 at age 95, an era For one, Cullen had strong loyalty to St. Louis, attending both St. Louis in Blues hockey ended. He was the last living founding member of the University High and St. Louis University, where he lettered in football and hockey team. basketball.

“You’re right. It’s kind of the end of the era,” said his son Mike Cullen. “He And Mike recalled his father telling him that he was startled to see Dave was very much one of the founding fathers of that franchise.” Molson, owner of the Montreal Canadiens and part of the Molson beer family, walk into a league meeting in Montreal with a gun in his briefcase. He traveled to New Orleans to get the licensing rights from the estate of blues legend W.C. Handy to the “St. Louis Blues” song. He attended NHL Montreal was league headquarters at the time, the Quebec separatist meetings as the team’s alternate governor. On a couple of occasions, movement was strong at the time, and just a few years removed from with the franchise in dire financial straits, he tried to put ownership violence. As Mike recalled, his father said he’d take the president’s job, if groups together. the league opened an office in New York.

When players got in a little trouble, like that memorable fight in the stands “My dad just had a concern of moving to Montreal, bringing his family to in Philadelphia in 1972, it was Cullen who bailed them out and handled Montreal, because of the political situation up there,” Mike said. the legal situation. Of course, the league is now headquartered in New York and has been And as his influence quickly grew in the NHL, he came within an inch of since 1989. But in 1974, it was a non-starter. When the league said no to becoming league president — now known as league commissioner. the idea of a New York office, Cullen said no to the president’s job.

“He did everything from the very beginning,” said Carol Salomon, ex-wife “That was it,” Mike said. “Looking back on it, he never told me he of the late Sid Salomon III and daughter-in-law of original Blues owner regretted it, but I gotta tell you I think that’s something that he regretted.” Sid Salomon. “He was very loyal, a fine friend of the family. He was there to guide them along and he was very critical to the success. Cullen’s time with the Blues came to an end in 1977, the year the Salomons sold the team and The Arena to Ralston Purina. “With the organization, he was involved in everything. The trades. They would talk all night on the telephone. Jim was really into every part of the But there was much to Cullen’s life beyond hockey. As a teenager, he formation and the continuation of the Blues. The early years. ... And a was assistant traveling secretary for the St. Louis Browns and St. Louis very dear friend of Sid III’s. They palled around together, and gave each Cardinals from 1940-43, before serving as a navigator-bombardier for the other a lot of support.” Army Air Corps during World War II.

Mike Cullen, a St. Louis attorney himself, has all sorts of stories about his Early in his career, he was a civil rights attorney working with the Rev. father. Ralph Abernathy and the Rev. Martin Luther King. Later in a legal career that included a diverse domestic and international clientele, he drafted As a youngster, he remembered tagging along with his father to the constitution of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Springfield, Mo., to meet with Pat Jones, founder of Modern Security Life Insurance Co. In those days Jim Cullen had a lot of clientele in the “I knew him well,” said Carol Salomon, who has called Durango, Colo., insurance business. home for the last 25 years. “He was a wonderful family man. He was a very intellectual man. He was well-read. Jones had a lot of Brahman bulls that Mike might like to see, his father told him. Yes, there were bulls and there was also an indoor pool — “In a very quiet way, he was very wise. When he spoke, you listened and unheard of in those days. There were some older boys swimming in the respected him. . . .He was very loved and well-connected to people. He pool and one of them was Jerry Jones, Pat’s son and future owner of the had just a nice way about him that people were drawn to and respected.” Dallas Cowboys. And he was an original Blue, as much as Al Arbour, the Plager brothers, Young Mike also remembered “Uncle Frank” coming to the Cullen home Glenn Hall or the Salomons. in Richmond Heights several times a year. On every trip, he would tell A funeral Mass with social distancing is scheduled for Aug. 21 at young Mike, maybe 10 years old at the time, to get into a “four-point” Immacolata Catholic Church in Richmond Heights. stance and give him some football tips. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191083 St Louis Blues “Well, you should have a lot of party stuff,” said. “For a long playoff run.”

As he finished his sentence, Vancouver’s Horvat was dashing through Hochman: The 144 seconds that stunned the Blues and Binnington in the neutral zone as Dunn and Alex Pietrangelo scurried back on defense. Game 1 If this is going to be a long playoff run, Binner better be better, but the Blues better pick him up ... and pick up their sense of urgency.

Benjamin Hochman St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 08.14.2020

They’ve got to pick up Binner in Game 2.

Shoot, they should’ve picked him up right there in Game 1.

Yes, Jordan Binnington allowed the worst goal of his (year? pro career? life?) at the worst possible time — the third period of a 2-2 playoff game. It became Wednesday’s game-winning goal, too. But this was a case where the Blues needed to promptly pick up Binnington, the guy who had saved them so many times with saves.

Instead, the Blues allowed that goal to mentally rattle them — they nearly allowed a goal just 10 seconds later, as Colton Parayko was uncharacteristically slow-footed on defense. And then, 2:24 after the third goal, Vancouver scored its fourth, embarrassing defenseman Vince Dunn in the process.

The Blues, at their best, make their mark with their defense, squashing opponent’s opportunities and igniting an offense built on poised puck possession. And the good news is, that happened often during five-on- five play in the Game 1 loss. But games are won and lost in those brief flashes of time when guards are let down.

And it took 144 seconds for the Blues to blow 60 minutes.

"I liked our game (overall),” coach Craig Berube said after the 5-2 loss on a Zoom press conference from Edmonton. “We made two mistakes in the third period and they both ended up in our net. I didn't like those mistakes and we have to stop those from happening."

The Blues owe it to themselves to play sharper and smarter in Game 2, and frankly they owe it to Binnington, who had been seemingly the only Blue on his game in the round robin play … and of course essentially saved their 2019 season and helped win them the Stanley Cup.

Now, the third goal Binnington allowed was so bad, some people are possibly clamoring for Jake Allen to start Game 2. No. Binnington has resolve. He has bounce-back-ability. That’s what he’s famous for! We saw it time and again last season and last postseason. He’ll be fine in Game 2. Of course, he’ll spend the next day or so dissecting why and how he allowed these stick-side goals in the third period.

And if Binnington wins Game 2, keep him in there for Game 3. If he somehow loses Game 2, then you can go to Jake for Game 3 and come back to Binnington for the back-to-back Game 4 the next night.

As for Game 1’s fourth goal, the back-breaker, it started out as innocently as the third goal (when Vladimir Tarasenko didn’t forcefully get the puck out of the D-zone, leading to the surprise goal by Troy Stecher). And again, that’s what was frustrating about the Blues during that 144-second stretch. They should’ve been playing the most-focused hockey they could. Instead, they lost a face-off in the offensive zone, they got caught puck-watching in the neutral zone and then Bo Horvat unleashed a nasty move to literally skate around Dunn.

Painful on the eyes.

For the Canucks, it was just what this team needed to solidify themselves. These boys belong in this series. And it’s going to be a series. Still think the Blues will win. A lot to hang your helmet on, even in the loss. But it was still a loss.

"We know we have to better in the third, no doubt about it,” forward Brayden Schenn said in the postgame Zoom. “We're giving up some goals and got to tighten up a little bit. But as a game, it was better. Obviously not good enough, and we'll find ways to continue to build and try to score some more goals here."

Watching the replay of the fourth goal, something caught my ear. As the face-off began, Blues broadcaster John Kelly read a promo for the Blues’ “House Party Kit” with flags, rally towels, koozies and beads and the sort.

“That’s a lot of party stuff,” Kelly said after. 1191084 St Louis Blues shut down on March 12. But in four playoff games in Edmonton, the Blues have been outscored 9-0 in the final 20 minutes.

Wednesday’s game was tied at 2 heading into the third period, and while It’s only one game, but here’s why the Blues might be in trouble vs. the the Blues did put some pressure on the Canucks in the offensive zone, Canucks they gave up back-to-back goals in a span of 2:24 for a 4-2 deficit.

“We need everybody to be their best,” Berube said. “We can’t have any guys that are going to make a mistake at that time. It’s critical that you By Jeremy Rutherford Aug 13, 2020 don’t. … We made two mistakes and they were in our net.”

The Blues can certainly turn around that trend, but they haven’t been able to yet. The Blues were better, right? What else we learned They had intensity. They had structure. They had purpose. Even though the Blues didn’t play well in the round-robin, they are the “I thought the compete level was there,” Blues forward David Perron said. reigning Stanley Cup champs. Vancouver is young and lacks playoff “We talked about raising that, and we did.” experience, and was supposed to be a better matchup for the Blues than, Yet, they fell to the Vancouver Canucks 5-2 in Game 1 of their Western say, Calgary. Conference quarterfinal Wednesday night at Rogers Place in Edmonton. But in Game 1, the Canucks looked anything but intimidated. They The Blues have been here before. They lost Game 1 in two of their four scored just 4:29 into the game, and after the Blues answered with a series in 2019 en route to the Stanley Cup. There’s no question they can power-play goal by David Perron, Vancouver bounced back and scored recover from this loss. again.

But I’m going to give you a few reasons why I think the No. 4-seeded And on a night when the Blues outhit Vancouver, 30-18, the Canucks Blues, now down one game to none in their best-of-seven series, could didn’t back down. They kept coming. be in some trouble against the No. 5-seeded Canucks. “I mean, we knew they weren’t going to be intimidated by us,” Schenn First, the obvious said. “We all play in the same league and they’re a good hockey team. So that’s not even a thought that probably crosses our mind.” At some point, the Blues actually have to stop taking penalties instead of just talking about being more disciplined. After acknowledging the issue But a thought that probably should cross the Blues’ minds is that they’re ad nauseam in the round-robin, they took six more minor penalties in not going to be able to wear clubs down like they did in four rounds of the Wednesday’s loss to Vancouver. postseason last year. An opponent such as San Jose was running on fumes last year, but every team is fresh following the four-month pause, They have now committed 21 minors in four playoff games, and their so the Blues will have a tougher time getting teams to surrender. penalty-killing unit has given up six goals on 22 opportunities (72.7 percent). The Canucks converted three of their six chances. We also learned Wednesday that the Blues must be more willing to go to the net if they’re going to win this series. They finished with 31 shots on There were three tripping calls against them Wednesday and two stick goal, but according to Naturalstattrick.com, just three of those came on violations. Yes, the referees have been blowing their whistles a lot, and rebound attempts while playing 5-on-5. not all of the calls have been justified, but these are not good penalties the Blues are taking. “I thought we had a lot of good looks,” Berube said. “But we’re going to have to do a better job of getting more traffic in front of their goalie and “We’ve got to be better,” Blues coach Craig Berube said. “We’ve got to getting some greasy goals.” be more careful with our sticks. They are not great calls, but they’re obviously calling them, so we’ve got to do a better job.” The Blues were not setting screens for each other in Game 1, and in fact, they were shooting high on the 6-foot-6, 206-pound Jacob Markstrom The Blues continue to put themselves in bad situations, leading to the without even trying to obstruct his view. penalties. Early in the first period Wednesday, a turnover by defenseman Vince Dunn turned into a breakaway for the Canucks’ Brandon Sutter. “Yeah, I think at this time of the year, the front of both nets is really Dunn’s defensive partner, Justin Faulk, had to give chase and was called important,” Blues forward Jaden Schwartz said. “I think our execution and for slashing Sutter. Was it a legit slash? Maybe not, but the Blues created battle level has to be better … definitely in front of the net. He’s a big guy, the unfavorable circumstance. so we’ve got to get traffic there. We did a little bit, but just not enough.”

Then in the second period, the score was tied at 1 and the Blues were on Meanwhile, at the other end of the rink, Blues goalie Jordan Binnington a power play when Tyler Bozak was called for tripping, negating the final wasn’t nearly as attentive as he was during round-robin play. He allowed 28 seconds of the power play. Vancouver didn’t score, but moments five goals on 22 shots, and while there were costly mistakes made by the later, Brayden Schenn was called for tripping and the Canucks did club on a couple of them, Binnington can’t allow the one scored by Troy capitalize on that one with a power-play goal by Elias Pettersson for a 2- Stecher, giving the Canucks a 3-2 lead just 5:37 into the third period. 1 lead. #CANUCKS TAKE A 3-2 LEAD, MID-3RD, OFF @TROYSTECHER'S THIS GOAL FROM @_EPETTERSSON HAD THE #CANUCKS UP 2-1, FIRST CAREER PLAYOFF GOAL! BUT THE BLUES TIED IT AND IT'S 2-2 AFTER 2. SHOTS: 23-18 ST. PIC.TWITTER.COM/9TMPZOSDMJ LOUIS. PIC.TWITTER.COM/T4DZERKGMS — VANCOUVER #CANUCKS (@CANUCKS) AUGUST 13, 2020 — VANCOUVER #CANUCKS (@CANUCKS) AUGUST 13, 2020 “We could have done something different than we did with (the puck),” “It’s not only us,” Schenn said. “If we went back to Vancouver’s playoff Berube said. “But obviously, Binner, he probably wants that one back for series against Minnesota, they had 28 power plays in four games. So sure. But it is what it is.” they’re calling a lot of penalties and that’s on us to keep your stick to yourself and check with your legs rather than your stick. Penalties are Looking ahead going to happen. You’re going to get power plays and you’re going to So let’s be optimistic and say that moving forward, the Blues will correct have to kill off some penalties, and it’s going to be like that all series.” their penalty problems, they’ll be dynamite in the third period, they’ll get The Blues, though, have yet to listen to their own words. Perhaps the refs to the front of the net and Binnington will be on his game. will stop calling so much as the playoffs go along, but they haven’t yet, That doesn’t mean that what fell in their favor Wednesday will continue and that’s all that matters. that way.

Another area of the Blues’ game that needs to be fixed, or it could be a The Blues’ second line of Zach Sanford, Ryan O’Reilly and David Perron quick exit, is the team’s play in the third period. In the regular season, locked down Vancouver’s top line of J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser and they outscored opponents 76-62 in the third period before the league Pettersson on Wednesday. The lines went head-to-head 5-on-5 for 6 minutes, 10 seconds in Game 1 and the Blues’ threesome outshot the Canucks’ threesome, 6-0.

Pettersson had a power-play goal, and defenseman Quinn Hughes had an assist on the man-advantage, and between them, Hughes was the only one to put a shot on goal 5-on-5. And the Blues lost.

How long Vancouver’s young superstars can be held in check should be a major concern as the series continues.

Furthermore, how long can the Blues patch up their lineup while they are without Ivan Barbashev, Sammy Blais and Alexander Steen?

Barbashev and his wife welcomed their new baby girl, Daniil, on Tuesday in St. Louis. Berube said that Barbashev may arrive in Edmonton on Friday, which would be followed by four days of quarantine. So there’s a good chance that he could miss the first four games of the series.

BABY BARBASHEV IS HERE!!!

DANIIL BARBASHEV ARRIVED LAST NIGHT, ON THE EVE OF THE #STANLEYCUP PLAYOFFS! CONGRATULATIONS @BARBASHEV2295 AND KSENIA! #STLBLUES PIC.TWITTER.COM/RAN71DURCR

— ST. LOUIS BLUES (@STLOUISBLUES) AUGUST 11, 2020

Blais was injured in the Blues’ 2-1 loss to Dallas in round-play play Sunday and not in the lineup against Vancouver. Neither was Steen, who since training camp has missed several days rehabbing an undisclosed injury. They are both listed as day to day.

In their absence Wednesday, Berube was forced to move Oskar Sundqvist to the third line and assemble a fourth line of Mackenzie MacEachern, Jacob de la Rose and Troy Brouwer. A few weeks ago, none of those three would have been expected to be in the lineup for Game 1.

The Blues have a successful offense when they’re rolling four lines, right? Well, Brouwer played 6:24, followed by de la Rose (5:46) and MacEachern (5:12) against the Canucks, and they didn’t direct a single shot toward the net.

Also, without Steen, the Blues are without a player who logged the most shorthanded ice time of any Blues forward in the regular season (2:19 per game). For a PK unit that surrendered three goals on Wednesday, Steen’s status could be an issue moving forward as well.

Game 2 is Friday at 5:30 p.m. CT, and while the Blues do have time to bounce back, their Game 1 loss shouldn’t be glossed over. They’re now 0-3-1 in four games that have counted for something, and 0-4-1 including their exhibition loss to Chicago.

“I don’t think we were good enough as a team, right from our very first exhibition game,” Schenn said. “It’s obviously not the result we wanted (against Vancouver). We’re going to continue to build here, get better and try to wear them down, and that’s what the playoff series is all about. We’ve been in this situation before, and even all last year, we were down in some series. It is what it is, they’re a good team over there, and we’re going to have to find a way to be better.”

The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191085 Tampa Bay Lightning Even when Columbus doesn’t convert those opportunities into goals, it’s an extra two minutes that Tampa Bay loses on offense. And shortening the game plays right into the Columbus philosophy.

By now, Lightning should know every minute matters against Columbus At this point, Cooper does not seem overly concerned about the special team percentages. And he’s absolutely correct that two games are a small sample size.

John Romano “On a power play, if you get anything over 20 percent you’re in pretty good shape,” Cooper said. “We had two power plays tonight and we had

some pretty darn good looks. You know what, if we get two power plays Tampa Bay's special teams have been a problem in both games of a the next night and don’t score and then have one power play the next series that is now tied at 1-1. game and score on that, the percentages work out. Basically, you’re looking for momentum.” There were things you expected when the Lightning’s playoff series with Columbus began. The Lightning had momentum in Game 2. For a dozen minutes they looked like they were playing at a level that Columbus could not even For instance, the Blue Jackets would be stingy when it came to giving up imagine. And then the Blue Jackets killed a penalty and turned the game odd-man rushes. That’s just their way. And coach John Tortorella would around in a matter of seconds. look perpetually grumpy. That’s just his way. That’s not a good sign. Columbus may not overwhelm you with individual Then there were things you did not expect and, honestly, the Lightning skills, but the team knows how to keep a score close and take advantage cannot have. of the tiniest opportunity.

Like Tampa Bay giving up goals in consecutive games against one of the By now, the Lightning should know that. weakest power-play units in the entire NHL, let alone the current 16-team playoff field. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 08.14.2020

Yet, here the Lightning are. Tied at one game apiece after a 3-1 loss on Thursday that was heavily influenced by special teams play. After two games, the Lightning are 0-for-6 on the power play and Columbus is 2- for-8.

“We’ve been losing the special teams battle,” defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. “At the end of the day, we know we need to be better in those spots.”

It’s not just about those specific goals, although they obviously hurt. It’s also the effect that special teams can have on a game’s momentum.

On Thursday, the Lighting looked like they were finally going to have their way with the Blue Jackets. They were up 1-0 barely five minutes into the game and, after 12 minutes, Columbus still had not managed a shot on goal.

Then Tampa Bay failed to score on a power play, and the atmosphere seemed to change immediately. Columbus got its first shot at the net five seconds after their penalty kill ended, then scored the tying goal 17 seconds later.

“The most important part of the game was that first penalty kill,” Tortorella said.

Columbus’ first power play wasn’t so bad, either. After defenseman Erik Cernak was called for interference with 1:41 remaining in the first period, right wing Oliver Bjorkstrand was left all alone in the faceoff circle and slammed home a shot six seconds into the power play.

“Unfortunately, on the PK the goal they scored on, that was just a missed assignment. Coaches had the team prepped on that and they missed it. That was a tough one to swallow,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “The other ones we killed absolutely fine, so there was one missed assignment. It’s a mental mistake and in games of this magnitude you can’t make them.”

To be more precise, you can’t make them against these guys.

Columbus is not your typical playoff team. The Blue Jackets were 27th in the NHL in scoring in the regular season. They were 28th in power play goals. For crying out loud, their power play was 0-for-14 in the play-in series against a mediocre Toronto defense.

The Blue Jackets cannot afford to get into a high-scoring showdown, so every opportunity for a goal is precious. And when you allow their power play unit to score 25 percent of the time, it’s like giving away one of your greatest advantages.

And that doesn’t even include the fact that Tampa Bay has had too many unnecessary penalties. They were called twice for having too many men on the ice in Game 1, then left wing Alex Killorn was called for a ridiculous punch in the middle of a play on Thursday.

RELATED: Lightning-Blue Jackets Game 2 report card: Close, but not close enough 1191086 Tampa Bay Lightning

Blue Jackets get momentum on first penalty kill

Lightning notebook | Columbus scores just 22 seconds after Tampa Bay's power play expires.

MARI FAIELLO

To Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella, it was the sequence that changed the game Thursday — one that ended up leading to a 3-1 win for his team against the Lightning and a split of the first two games of their first- round playoff series.

“That first penalty kill was very important for us,” Tortorella said. “We can’t go down 2-nothing. I’m not sure what happens there.”

Columbus’ first goal at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto stemmed from a scoreless Lightning power play, which came after Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones was called for tripping Lightning wing Ondrej Palat.

With the Lightning leading 1-0 midway through the first period, the Blue Jackets killed the penalty.

The Lightning’s first power-play unit, which had defenseman Mikhail Sergachev at the helm instead of defenseman Victor Hedman, didn’t score. Hedman, playing on the second unit, had two quality shots stopped by goalie Joonas Korpisalo. Columbus blocked two other shots, from Sergachev and center Brayden Point.

With 30 seconds left in the Lightning’s man advantage, the Blue Jackets won a faceoff in the Tampa Bay zone. The Lightning got the puck back 11 seconds later, and Palat worked his way into the offensive zone. He shot the puck into the boards, and it rebounded out to the right side. Hedman took a shot, also stopped by Korpisalo, with five seconds remaining in the power play. The Blue Jackets grabbed the rebound and raced into the Lightning zone.

The Blue Jackets, trailing 9-0 in shots at the time, recorded their first shot three seconds after the power play expired. Nineteen seconds after that, defenseman Ryan Murray scored to tie the score.

‘Unacceptable’ goal

With 8:33 left in the third period, the Blue Jackets extended their lead to two goals.

Forward Liam Foudy passed to forward Alexander Wennberg, who was streaking down the right wing toward Lightning defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. Wennberg faked a shot that Shattenkirk fell for, then put the puck between his legs and beat Shattenkirk wide before cutting back inside and scoring on Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Shattenkirk was less than impressed with his performance.

“(Wennberg) made a good move on me,” he said. “But in that point in the game, it’s a pretty unacceptable play by me to let us go down by two there when we really need a goal.”

Advantage, Columbus

Vasilevskiy was pulled with 3:43 left in the game. But the man advantage turned out to not be an advantage for the Lightning. The Blue Jackets flooded the middle of the ice, blocking three shots and forcing three others wide. When the Lightning did get a shot on Korpisalo, Columbus defenders cleared the puck from the front of the net, preventing rebounds.

Still no Stamkos

Lightning captain Steven Stamkos was out of the lineup once again with a lower-body injury. He hasn’t played yet in the postseason through three round-robin games and two playoff games.

Times correspondent Lindsay Eastwood contributed to this report.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191087 Tampa Bay Lightning It’s easier to find fault with a power play that failed to convert on both its opportunities and is now 0-for-6 in two games. With captain Steven Stamkos still sidelined with a lower-body injury, Johnson worked on the No. 1 unit. Sergachev replaced defenseman Victor Hedman at the point, Lightning-Blue Jackets Game 2 report card: Close, but not close enough with Hedman sliding to the second unit.

The penalty kill allowed just one shot on three shorthanded situations, but that shot found its way into the net. McDonagh went below the goal FRANK PASTOR line to pick up Dubois, leaving Bjorkstrand open in the lower right circle. Dubois passed to Bjorkstrand, whose one-timer beat Andrei Vasilevskiy to the far side as Lightning center Mitchell Stephens lunged in vain Columbus wasn't better by much, but it was just enough to even the toward Bjorkstrand, a step too slow. series. Lightning center Blake Coleman and Goodrow did a nice job keeping the If the six-hour marathon played two nights ago wasn’t enough of an puck in the Columbus end for much of a third-period penalty kill. indication, the first-round playoff series between the Lightning and Blue Jackets will be determined by the slimmest of margins. But a Columbus power play that entered the series 0-for-14 has scored twice with the man advantage in two games against the Lightning. An inch or two here. A half-second there. Those were the differences in McDonagh said Tampa Bay is not moving fast enough in its structure and Columbus’ 3-1 victory Thursday in Game 2. is allowing the Blue Jackets too many good looks.

The Lightning had three goalmouth passes narrowly elude sticks. One Grade: C-minus puck bounced over a blade; another slid under one. Defenders were a step away from blocking a pass or a getting in front of a shot. Goaltending

And just like that, we’ve got a series, now tied at one game apiece. Though coach Jon Cooper pulled Vasilevskiy for an extra attacker with more than 3½ minutes remaining, the Lightning goaltender allowed all Here is how we graded the Lightning’s performance in Toronto: three Columbus goals while facing just 22 shots.

Offense The first two were the result of great puck movement by the Blue Jackets and came on a redirect and a one-timer in front of the net set up by sharp To be fair, this is no easy task. Columbus does a great job of collapsing Dubois passes from below the goal line. in front of its net, and goalie Joonas Korpisalo has been on his game, positioning himself well and squaring to the puck. He doesn’t give up It’s hard to blame Vasilevskiy for Columbus’ third, goal, in which many rebounds, and when he does, he has five teammates in front of Wennberg made a nice individual move around Lightning defenseman him looking to clear the puck. Kevin Shattenkirk, putting the puck through his legs and then kicking it back to his stick before driving hard into the Lightning goaltender. Because it will likely take a rebound or a redirection to beat Korpisalo, who stopped 36 of 37 shots Thursday, it’s incumbent on the Lightning to Vasilevskiy made some nice saves in the second period, stopping Dubois get pucks to the net, create distractions in front of him and get to off the rush on a 2-on-1 and center Gustav Nyqvist from the left circle. He rebounds when a puck does bounce off his pads or squirt out of his also turned away a dangerous chance from center Liam Foudy from the glove. side boards in addition to Texier’s shot from in close following the Sergachev turnover. And when the Lightning have a scoring opportunity, they need to finish. Right wing Nikita Kucherov banked in a goal off Korpisalo’s pads in the Grade: C-plus first period, but linemates Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat squandered opportunities. And while Tyler Johnson set up fellow center Anthony Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 08.14.2020 Cirelli and left wing Alex Killorn with passes through the goalmouth, he failed to put either of his shots on net.

Another Grade-A chance was thwarted when defenseman Seth Jones chased down center Barclay Goodrow on a breakaway and tied up Goodrow’s stick, preventing him from getting a shot off.

Grade: D

Defense

The Lightning had the better of the play early, outshooting the Blue Jackets 7-0 over the first 10 minutes. But Columbus got going midway through the period and held a 6-5 shot advantage the rest of the way.

Columbus’ top line of Pierre-Luc Dubois, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Alexandre Texier, who combined for four points, was particularly problematic for the Lightning. Dubois won 69 percent of his faceoffs, allowing Columbus to possess the puck, and assisted on two goals, including one by Bjorkstrand.

Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev had a rough third period, failing to keep the puck in the Columbus zone on center Alexander Wennberg’s goal and later turning it over to Texier behind his own net with the Lightning on the power play, resulting in a backhand scoring opportunity for the Blue Jackets forward.

Of the Lightning’s 37 shots on goal, 20 were by defensemen. So, they’re getting some pucks to the net, just not enough of them. With Columbus collapsing in its end, Tampa Bay’s defensemen need to change the angles of their shots to get more through.

Grade: C

Special teams

Take it from the man himself: “We’ve been losing the special-teams battle,” Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. 1191088 Tampa Bay Lightning Once again, Columbus got in shooting lanes. They followed up their 62 blocked shots in Tuesday’s five-overtime marathon with 21 in Thursday’s game.

Blue Jackets limit the Lightning’s chances to win Game 2 “Our shots have to be quicker,” defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said. “It’s not so much getting it past the first guy, it’s the second guy, the second layer that tries to front that shot.”

DIANA C. NEARHOS He said the opportunities would come from getting the pucks toward the net to “create some havoc” and create chances for deflections and

rebounds. Thursday's first-round outing goes much more quickly, but the series is Defenseman Ryan McDonagh spoke to the importance of not just now tied one game apiece. shooting the puck on net from the blue line but also looking to set up Just another couple of inches and Lightning left wing Alex Killorn might forwards at the sides of the net for openings like the one on which have tied the score. Those 2 inches could have come on the space that Kucherov scored. center Tyler Johnson had to make his pass or what Killorn had to take his “It’s definitely an area we’re talking about,” McDonagh said, “and we can shot. improve on that for sure going forward.” The Blue Jackets weren’t giving up that space, though. Contact Diana C. Nearhos at [email protected]. Follow They stuck right on the Lightning and turned Tampa Bay’s great scoring @dianacnearhos. chances into good ones. They forced okay shots on great Lightning Blue Jackets 2-0-1—3 openings, limiting Tampa Bay’s ability to finish. Lightning 1-0-0—1 That led to a 3-1 Blue Jackets win Thursday in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series at Toronto to tie the series at one game each. First Period—1, Tampa Bay, Kucherov 2 (Point, Palat), 5:24. 2, Columbus, Murray 1 (Dubois), 12:52. 3, Columbus, Bjorkstrand 2 “Two inches here, 2 inches there, those could be two goals,” Killorn said. (Dubois, Texier), 18:35 (pp). Penalties–Jones, CBJ (Tripping), 10:30; “You just get frustrated in the game, but whenever you’re getting chances Cernak, TB (Interference), 18:19. like that, in the end you’re pretty happy you can create those chances.” Second Period—None. Penalties–Killorn, TB (Holding), 5:22. On Johnson and Killorn’s 2-on-1 in the second period, Johnson streaked down the wing while Killorn headed to the net. Columbus defenseman Third Period—4, Columbus, Wennberg 2 (Foligno, Foudy), 11:27. Vladislav Gavrikov laid out in front of Johnson, taking away the shooting Penalties–Point, TB (High Sticking), 5:33; Murray, CBJ (Holding), 12:56. and passing lane. He forced Johnson to hold on to the puck for a couple of seconds too long. Shots on Goal—Columbus 6-10-6_22. Tampa Bay 12-14-11_37.Power- play opportunities—Columbus 1 of 3; Tampa Bay 0 of 2. Goalies— #TBLightning's Johnson races down the ice and meets Killorn at the net, Columbus, Korpisalo 3-1-1 (37 shots-36 saves). Tampa Bay, Vasilevskiy but they can't put the puck in against #CBJ's Korpisalo. #TBLvsCBJ 3-2-0 (22-19). T—2:34. Referees—Francis Charron, Chris Lee. pic.twitter.com/rvGJjLwvbB Linesmen—Shandor Alphonso, Greg Devorski.

— 홼횊횛횒 홵횊횒횎횕횕횘 (wears a mask) (@faiello_mari) August 13, 2020 Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 08.14.2020 Johnson couldn’t connect with Killorn, and they missed the Grade-A chance.

Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones similarly played the game of inches to disrupt center Barclay Goodrow’s scoring chance in the opening minute of the third period. Center Yanni Gourde fed Goodrow at the defensive blue line, and Goodrow took off in a foot race against Jones.

Jones caught up to a half-step behind. Then as Goodrow tried to switch to his forehand, Jones got his stick in to jar the puck loose.

Goodrow is off to the races but loses the handle and eliminates the scoring chance. #GoBolts #CBJ pic.twitter.com/gR3D1lJHut

— Alison (@AlisonL) August 13, 2020

That’s not to say the Lightning didn’t put shots on goaltender Joonas Korpisalo. They recorded 37 shots (which accounts for more per period than their 88 in 7½ periods of play in their Game 1 win), but many of those shots came from the perimeter, and Korpisalo didn’t give up many rebounds.

When he did early, the Lightning made good on one opportunity.

Right wing Nikita Kucherov’s first-period goal to open scoring came on the Lightning’s third chance of the game. Left wing Ondrej Palat took a shot from the right circle, then another from the high slot. The second sailed over the net, where Kucherov collected the puck.

He made a nice move to the post while other players were still figuring out where the puck ended up and slipped it in.

The Lightning took more shots from the left side of the net front than any place else, according to the statistics website Natural Stat Trick, but they were unable to capitalize on rebounds and deflections like they did in Game 1.

The way Columbus collapses in the zone makes it harder for the Lightning defensemen to find lanes to get the puck through to the net or to the forwards down low. 1191089 Tampa Bay Lightning And that’s it. Columbus wins, 3-1. Second period

Blake Coleman skates deep into the Columbus zone about 2 minutes Follow Lightning-Blue Jackets Game 2 live playoff updates into the period, but Columbus defenseman Zach Werenski pokes the puck off his stuck at the right faceoff dot.

FRANK PASTOR Assistant Sports Editor Shortly afterward, Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy stops Pierre-Luc Dubois’ blast from the right circle.

Joonas Korpisalo’s absorbs Victor Hedman’s shot from the right circle Columbus ties the best-of-seven series at one game apiece with a 3-1 about 5 minutes in. win. Lightning nearly scores when Tyler Johnson picks off a flip pass from the No, they’re not still playing. They’re back playing. It’s a different game. Columbus zone at the blue line, then passes across the crease to And they had 41-1/2 hours of rest in between. Anthony Cirelli, but the puck just eludes Cirelli’s stick.

Not as much as they’d expected, but every little bit helps. Alex Killorn penalized for holding at 5:22. On replay, it looked more like a punch to Seth Jones’ mouth. Less than day two days after Brayden Point ended the fourth-longest game in NHL history, the Lightning and Blue Jackets are lacing them up #TBLightning's Killorn gives #CBJ's Jones a punch to the mouth. He'll sit again for Game 2 of their first-round playoff series this afternoon in in the box as CBJ goes on their second power play of the day Toronto. #TBLvsCBJ pic.twitter.com/Fz8Au2mQqZ

The teams have already made history (most shots, most saves, most — 홼횊횛횒 홵횊횒횎횕횕횘 (wears a mask) (@faiello_mari) August 13, 2020 minutes played) and created their share of memorable moments, but you can be sure there is plenty of excitement still to come. Lightning, with active sticks in the passing lanes, kill the penalty.

Follow along with us starting at 3 p.m. as the Lightning continue their Korpisalo turns away a Nikita Kucherov shot from the left circle with 9:35 coronavirus-delayed quest to avenge last season’s playoff ouster at the left in the period. hands of these same Blue Jackets, the first step in their pursuit of the Vasilevsky smothers Riley Nash’s blast from the left circle with 8:39 left. Stanley Cup. Vasilevskiy steers Bjorkstrand redirection from in front into the corner. FINAL SCORE: Blue Jackets 3, Lightning 1 Johnson and Killorn just miss connecting in front of the Columbus net Third period with about 8 minutes remaining in the period as the puck goes Barclay Goodrow with a breakaway 30 seconds into the period after a underneath Killorn’s stick. great stretch pass from Yanni Gourde, but Seth Jones prevents Goodrow Pileup in front of Columbus net after Mikhail Sergachev’s shot from the from getting a shot away. left circle hits Barclay Goodrow in the back and the puck briefly is loose #TBLightning's Goodrow with a great opportunity, but couldn't get around in front of Korpisalo. #CBJ's Jones #TBLvsCBJ pic.twitter.com/lf5ri98LpY Sergachev appears to be favoring his right side as he skates off the ice. — 홼횊횛횒 홵횊횒횎횕횕횘 (wears a mask) (@faiello_mari) August 13, 2020 Was hit by Nick Foligno.

Lightning goalie Andrei Vaseilevskiy makes a save on a shot from the Tyler Johnson misses high after a Columbus turnover with just over 1 slot about 5 minutes in. minute to play in the period.

Blue Jackets go on a power play after Brayden Point penalized for high First period sticking Zach Werenski at 5:33. Ryan McDonagh prevents a Columbus 2-on-1 opportunity less than three Blake Coleman and Goodrow keep the puck in the Columbus zone for minutes in by breaking up a pass with his skate. much of the shorthanded situation. After blocking a shot in his own end, Lightning defenseman Kevin Zack Bogosian gets a shot through to the net, but Joonas Korpisalo Shattenkirk hustles to the other end, where his shot from between the makes the save with 12 minutes remaining. circles is stopped by Joonas Korpisalo around the 4-minute mark.

Columbus goal. After Mikhail Sergachev fails to keep the puck in the Blue Lightning goal! Nikita Kucherov banks in a shot off Korpisalo’s right pad Jackets’ zone, Alexander Wennberg makes a nice move around Kevin from below the goal line after Ondrej Palat misses high from the slot Shattenkirk and scores with 8:33 remaining to give Columbus a two-goal (5:24). Lightning 1, Blue Jackets 0. lead. Blue Jackets 3, Lightning 1. #TBLightning's Kucherov notches the opening goal against #CBJ, giving #CBJ extends their lead to two goals as Wennberg gets the puck in past #GoBolts a 1-0 lead #TBLvsCBJ pic.twitter.com/L9eKu48oDJ #TBLightning's Vasilevskiy. #TBLvsCBJ pic.twitter.com/HUdkkeXTum — 홼횊횛횒 홵횊횒횎횕횕횘 (wears a mask) (@faiello_mari) August 13, 2020 — 홼횊횛횒 홵횊횒횎횕횕횘 (wears a mask) (@faiello_mari) August 13, 2020 Korpisalo stops Brayden Point from in close at 8:32. Ryan Murray penalized for holding Alex Killorn, putting the Lightning on Kucherov has two chances from the right circle around the 9-minute the power play with 7 minutes remaining. mark, but the first misses high and wide and Korpisalo stops the second. Scary moment for Lightning as Alexandre Texier steals the puck from Lightning outshooting the Blue Jackets 7-0 through the first 10 minutes. Sergachev behind the Tampa Bay net and gets off a backhand shot that Vasilevskiy stops. Lightning goes on the power play after Seth Jones is called for tripping at 10:30. Brayden Point nearly scores from in front of the net on the delayed Down two goals, the Lightning pull Vasilevskiy out of the net with 3:37 penalty. Korpisalo makes a save from point-blank range. remaining. Korpisalo gloves Victor Hedman shot from the top of the right circle at Palat has an opportunity from the left circle, but Korpisalo makes a glove 11:59. save. Nick Foligno nearly sneaks a shot past Vasilevskiy at 12:25. Seth Jones ices the puck with 1:27 remaining, creating a faceoff in the Columbus zone. Blue Jackets goal. Ryan Murray deflects Pierre-Luc DuBois’ centering pass from below the goal line past Vasilevskiy to tie the game (12:52). Johnson nearly has a chance from the low slot, but Jones gets in the Lightning 1, Blue Jackets 1. way. #TBLightning power play expires and about 22 seconds later, #CBJ ties up the game at 1-1 #TBLvsCBJ pic.twitter.com/SjpjU9f5sK

— 홼횊횛횒 홵횊횒횎횕횕횘 (wears a mask) (@faiello_mari) August 13, 2020

Kucherov had an opportunity from in front after a nice leave from Palat with about 3 minutes left in the period.

Erik Cernak penalized for interfering with Oliver Bjorkstrand near the blue line, putting Columbus on the power play with 1:41 left.

Columbus goal. Blue Jackets don’t waste any time taking advantage, as Bjorkstrand beats Vasilevskiy to the far side with a one-timer from the lower right circle. Dubois sets up the goal with a pass from below the goal line. (18:35) Blue Jackets 2, Lightning 1.

And just like that #CBJ takes the 2-1 lead over #TBLightning 16 seconds into the power play. #TBLvsCBJ pic.twitter.com/cJV4S0JKj2

— 홼횊횛횒 홵횊횒횎횕횕횘 (wears a mask) (@faiello_mari) August 13, 2020

Kucherov and Columbus defenseman Zach Werenski mix it up at the buzzer. Kucherov appeared to take exception to a high hit into the end boards as time expired.

Pregame

Columbus forwards Cam Atkinson and Nathan Gerbe are out for today’s game, unfit to play according to a tweet from the Blue Jackets’ PR staff. Devin Shore and Emil Bemstrom will take their places.

LINEUP NEWS: F Cam Atkinson and F Nathan Gerbe will miss today’s Game 2 vs. Tampa Bay (unfit to play). F Devin Shore and F Emil Bemstrom draw in. #CBJ

— CBJ Public Relations (@BlueJacketsPR) August 13, 2020

Andrei Vasilevskiy (61 saves in Game 1) and Joonas Korpisalo (an NHL- record 85 saves) again will start in net.

Today’s @geico projected starters and OT legends.#TBLvsCBJ | #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/vLens5UpG5

— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) August 13, 2020

Just as in Game 1, the Lightning will put the Yanni Gourde line out first.

Lightning captain Steven Stamkos remains out with a lower-body injury.

Your #TBLvsCBJ Game 2 starters!

Coburn, Joseph, Rutta, Schenn, Stamkos, Verhaeghe, Volkov, Wedgewood

Vasilevskiy vs. Korpisalo#GoBolts pic.twitter.com/EBVcvBzzHU

— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) August 13, 2020

With Boston and Carolina scheduled to play tonight on the same ice, the NHL seemed all too aware that it has only so much control over the projected 8 p.m. start time.

Hey @TBLightning and @BlueJacketsNHL, can you let us know when you expect to be done today? K, thnx. #StanleyCup

— NHL (@NHL) August 13, 2020

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191090 Tampa Bay Lightning man looks and it allowed them to get some momentum back. At the end of day, we need to play a unit of five and not give up those odd-man looks like we did.”

Ten reasons why the Lightning lost their ‘mojo’ in Game 2 defeat 2. Coverage breakdowns

Blue Jackets defensemen Ryan Murray, of all people, scored the tying goal with eight minutes to go. By Joe Smith Aug 13, 2020 Sure, it was one of two phenomenal passes by Pierre-Luc Dubois. But a defenseman got way too open by darting in front of the net, beating Kevin Shattenkirk and Yanni Gourde to the spot. When McDonagh mentioned You couldn’t have drawn up a better start for the Lightning in Game 2. not playing as a unit of five, that is one example. Gourde saw it but had Coming off the emotionally and physically exhausting win two nights to get there. It ended up with four Lightning players watching Murray give earlier, Tampa Bay pounced on the Blue Jackets from the opening the Blue Jackets a momentum-swinging goal. faceoff. They took the first 10 shots of the game, getting a lot of traffic in BIT OF A BREAKDOWN FROM THE #GOBOLTS HERE AS THE PUCK front of Columbus goaltender Joonas Korpisalo. Hart Trophy winner GETS FREE OF THE SCRUM BUT THEY MISS #CBJ MURRAY Nikita Kucherov’s line remained hot, with the winger pouncing on a JUMPING UP PIC.TWITTER.COM/PQCEAKXRLU rebound to make it 1-0. — OMAR (@TICTACTOMAR) AUGUST 13, 2020 “We did everything we wanted to do,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. 3. Penalty kill missed assignment “We just didn’t seem to have a whole bunch going on,” Columbus coach John Tortorella said. The Blue Jackets were 0-for-14 on the power play in their five-game series with Toronto. If there was ever a chance to take control in this series, this was it. But in a momentum and game-swinging Lightning power play, Columbus killed They don’t have a ton of game-breakers but Columbus has scored a it off and found some life. And Tampa Bay lost their “mojo.” Blue Jackets power play goal in each of the first two games of the series. The one in defenseman Ryan Murray scored with eight minutes to go in the first Game 1 was a double-deflection off two players, which happens period, Oliver Bjorkstrand had a power play goal with a couple minutes sometimes. But there was a Lightning breakdown on this goal by left and they never lost the lead in a 3-1 Game 2 win at Scotiabank Bjorkstrand, who fired it from the right circle. Again, a hell of a shot, but Arena. he was left open when McDonagh made the calculated risk to jump Dubois behind the net. Mitchell Stephens couldn’t make it there in time “To be honest, we might have gotten a little comfortable,” Cooper said. with Bjorkstrand’s quick release. And goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, who had “The second that happens to you, what happens tonight can get you. You 61 saves Tuesday, didn’t bail them out on that one. give up that first one, and then a tough penalty and got scored on there. We just kind of lost our mojo when we gave up the lead. There were “Basically McDonagh took a gamble,” Engblom said. “He thought he had spurts where we got it back, but just not the same consistency as the Dubois against the wall on his backhand, so he decided to jump him. other night. When you give a really good team like Columbus a chance to Dubois was really slick. The puck was rolling, and I watched the replay in get back into it, they took advantage of it.” slo-mo, I’m guessing McDonagh was thinking. ‘The puck was rolling and he had his back to me for a second or two, I’ll jump him down low.’ It Here are 10 observations from Thursday’s loss, and why this will likely be would have looked brilliant if he had pinned him. But Dubois got the puck a long series. so cleanly and found Bjorkstrand right on his stick. Bjorkstrand got it and 1. Start was template but too short shot it all in one motion, and Stephens couldn’t get there in time.”

What struck me the most about the Lightning’s Game 1 win — all six Said McDonagh: “We want to play fast, and we were just a little half hours of it — was their patience. They were relentless, of course, with second from getting those two plays to stop. We’re a stride away. We their forecheck, showing the ability to play both their skill game and the have to be really detailed. It’s a game of inches there and we need to be Blue Jackets’ tight-checking game. They didn’t sacrifice defense for quicker with our structure. offense and make the kind of mistakes that Columbus feasts on. “They’re winning the special teams battle and that’s on the whole group.” It looked good Thursday when the top line — Kucherov, Brayden Point Speaking of Dubois, he’s been a really big factor in this series. He set up and Ondrej Palat — manufactured the game’s first goal. Palat set up the two goals in Game 2 and the Lightning need to have a plan for him. whole play, hustling to grab a loose puck in the high slot and send the puck wide. Kucherov made a smart play by corralling the rebound behind 4. The missed chances the net and sneaking a backhand past Korpisalo. “A brilliant play by a brilliant player,” Fox Sports Sun color analyst said. It’s not like the Lightning didn’t have their share of grade-A looks.

PALAT NEARLY SCORED FOR THE #GOBOLTS BEFORE Tyler Johnson set up two glorious ones in the second period alone. They KUCHEROV DID ON THE REBOUND looked nearly identical, with Johnson feeding Anthony Cirelli off the rush PIC.TWITTER.COM/PN9ZBUYBOU and the Selke-caliber center seeing the puck bounce over his stick. “I’ve got to bear down and make those,” Cirelli said. — OMAR (@TICTACTOMAR) AUGUST 13, 2020 SOLID EFFORT BY TYLER JOHNSON TO FIGHT FOR THE PUCK. This is how you need to score against Columbus, on rebounds or NEARLY SETS UP ANTHONY CIRELLI FOR THE TYING GOAL screens — greasy goals. Korpisalo has been so hot, he’s going to stop #GOBOLTS PIC.TWITTER.COM/VGFYF03QP3 anything he sees. — OMAR (@TICTACTOMAR) AUGUST 13, 2020 Think about the four goals the Lightning have this series: Then, Alex Killorn had a similar great chance as he crashed the net near A Kucherov shot off Point’s leg. the left post but couldn’t get the redirection into the open net.

A Korpisalo own goal off his pad. “We’re just off by a couple inches,” Killorn said. “I don’t know if it’s because we had taken a couple months off (pandemic pause), but it’s A Point knuckling wrist shot in 5 OT. two inches there, two inches there and it could be two goals. You get Kucherov’s crafty carom. frustrated in the game. But (at least) you’re getting chances like that. In the end, you’re pretty happy you can create those.” They’re not getting their highlight-reel goals or easy ones off the rush. And when the power play couldn’t cash in midway through the first, the 5. The Korpisalo show Blue Jackets felt they were given much-needed life. “That was really Korpisalo has been phenomenal all playoffs. Just ask the Leafs. And two important,” Tortorella said. days after Korpisalo racked up a playoff-record 85 saves, he made 36 in “We had a great start to take the lead, and we got out of our structure a a Game 2 win. Sure, the Lightning misfired on a few (like the Killorn and little bit,” defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. “We gave them some odd- Cirelli chances) or shot it at him on other occasions. But in a sport where hot goaltending can fuel a long playoff run, the Blue Jackets appear to be break it up. But with the puck rolling from a great stretch pass from gaining confidence by the play of their No. 1. Gourde, it’s tough to do at that speed.

#GOBOLTS PALAT PICKED A SPOT.#CBJ KORPISALO GETS GOODROW IS OFF TO THE RACES BUT LOSES THE HANDLE AND ENOUGH OF IT PIC.TWITTER.COM/F9QXUCYARB ELIMINATES THE SCORING CHANCE. #GOBOLTS #CBJ PIC.TWITTER.COM/GR3D1LJHUT — OMAR (@TICTACTOMAR) AUGUST 13, 2020 — ALISON (@ALISONL) AUGUST 13, 2020 JOONAS KORPISALO SO FAR THIS POSTSEASON: “(Jones) plays very much like Heddy does,” Engblom said. “He’s very •.962 SAVE % IN 6 GAMES intelligent. He has a presence about him. He always seems to know •STOPPED FIRST 57 SHOTS HE FACED where to be on the ice. He doesn’t have to make a lot of desperate plays because he’s in the process of being in the right place. He has that •SHUTOUT IN DO-OR-DIE GAME anticipation, that intuition about things.”

•MADE 85 SAVES IN SINGLE GAME 8. The power play

•STOPPED 154 OF 158 SHOTS IN 3 GAMES SINCE GETTING You don’t have to score a goal on every power play but you don’t want to PULLED lose your team the momentum.

•DOING IT VS. 1ST AND 4TH HIGHEST SCORING TEAMS THIS Tortorella and the Blue Jackets made it clear they felt the game swung SEASON on their penalty kill midway through the first period. That was a golden opportunity for the Lightning to make it a two-goal lead. Tampa Bay had — DIMITRI FILIPOVIC (@DIMFILIPOVIC) AUGUST 13, 2020 another great chance in the third to cut it to a one-goal Columbus lead It’ll be interesting to see if Cooper switches up some lines for Saturday’s but couldn’t find a way. game. But the bottom line is that the Lightning have to get more of those Cooper pointed out that they haven’t gotten many power play chances greasy goals; find a way to get inside on a Columbus team that is so and that there were some quality chances on the ones they had. good at boxing out and keeping them to the perimeter. It’s about where skill meets will. They did it in Game 1 and can do it again. “You have to understand that when you go on the ice on the power play, power plays that get anything over 20 percent are in pretty good shape,” 6. The back-breaker Cooper said. “And we got two power plays, we score one power play the The Lightning still had a shot, with this being a one-goal game for about next game and those percentages work. You’re looking for some 30 minutes, before the Blue Jackets scored the back-breaking goal momentum and we had some looks that didn’t go in for us.” midway through the third. The Lightning decided to go with Mikhail Sergachev running the top unit It was a highlight-reel play by Columbus forward Alexander Wennberg, with Hedman on the second. Usually, Hedman has been with the first one he’s tried many times in practice, and he did it to perfection in unit, but Sergachev has had his share of reps (and chemistry) with the beating Shattenkirk to the front of the net. first group. They are missing one major piece in captain Steven Stamkos, who is still out indefinitely with a lower body injury, one that’s related to 3-1 #CBJ his March core surgery. We tried to explain here why Stamkos’ status is complicated, why he once appeared close to returning a couple weeks NONE OTHER THAN ALEXANDER WENNBERG. ago and is now stuck in the “ebbs and flows” of the rehab. PIC.TWITTER.COM/KOPPIPK1SK I don’t have a specific update on Stamkos. The last one Cooper gave — ALISON (@ALISONL) AUGUST 13, 2020 was over the weekend, when he said Stamkos is out “indefinitely until “On the initial rush, he had quite a bit of speed on me,” Shattenkirk said. he’s not.” We haven’t had access to practices this week, though there’s “I just bit on the shot initially, and he made a good move on me. At that only been one Sunday (Stamkos didn’t practice Friday or play in point in the game, it’s a pretty unacceptable play by me to allow us to go Saturday’s round robin game). There is no media access to practice and down by two when we really needed a goal.” the team has stopped giving us the practice lines, so we’re doing the best we can. The next time we can get more information is Friday. Engblom, a two-time Stanley Cup-winning defenseman, said what hurt Shattenkirk on the play was how he got his stick jammed behind him, Until then, the Lightning will have to find some mojo with the man which usually doesn’t happen. advantage.

“If he’s able to clear his stick the way he normally does, he would have 9. Frustrated at times had his stick on stick and it would be very doubtful Wennberg would have Once again, the Lightning took some bad penalties, whether it was made it in front of the net,” Engblom said. “Or it would have been an Killorn punching Jones in the back of the head (even if it was retaliatory) obstructed shot. He was just a little late moving that stick. I give or Point’s high stick 200 feet from his net. The Blue Jackets have shown Wennberg a lot of credit for how he executed, took advantage of that that they can score on their power play, so these must be avoided. mistake and executed. Most of the time, those razzle-dazzle plays people make a big deal out of it, but nine times out of 10, 19 times out of 20, We saw how the penalty kill cost the Lightning in last year’s sweep; they they’re good for maintaining puck possession. This one worked and it don’t want it to be on their epitaph again. was a big goal.” What seems obvious is that the Blue Jackets are trying to frustrate and 7. The Jones factor agitate Tampa Bay’s top players, specifically Kucherov, who looked like he had enough. There was the extra hit by Werenski after the whistle, or Is it just me, or does it feel like Seth Jones is always on the ice? The Blue a hit or a slash here and there. Jackets’ Norris Trophy-caliber defenseman has gotten more national recognition in these playoffs, including playing for 65 minutes in Game 1. #GOBOLTS KUCHEROV AND #CBJ WERENSKI TRYING TO SEND A Cooper has said that the Jones-Zach Werenski tandem might be the best MESSAGE AT THE END OF THE FIRST in the league, and we’re seeing why in this series. PIC.TWITTER.COM/9SVUQWMFWU

Jones is the Blue Jackets’ Victor Hedman, who was a workhorse again — OMAR (@TICTACTOMAR) AUGUST 13, 2020 Thursday with 26:47, six shots and five blocks. Jones played a game high 28:31, always seeming to get a shooting lane or making a subtle Kucherov’s frustration last spring led to his ill-advised hit at the end of play to thwart a chance. One of the biggest moments came in the first Game 2 and suspension for Game 3. It’ll be important for Kucherov and shift of the third period, when Barclay Goodrow got on a breakaway. But the rest of the group to stay composed, not let it take them out of their as Goodrow tried to corral the puck for a shot, Jones lifted his stick, and game. That’s the Blue Jackets’ admitted goal. there wasn’t even a shot. “That’s the kind of the way we want to play,” Wennberg said. “We want to In hindsight, Goodrow would have been better off moving the puck to his give them a hard time out there. They have some really good players out backhand, which would have made it much more difficult for Jones to there, and if we keep playing our game and working hard and, in the end, it just felt for us like we stuck to our game plan.” 10. Mental toughness

If we’ve learned anything from these playoffs, it’s that these Blue Jackets can’t be shaken.

They bounced back after their massive collapse in Game 4 against the Leafs by shutting them out in Game 5. So we shouldn’t be surprised that Columbus got up off the floor from Tuesday’s potentially devastating, five-overtime defeat and played even better in Game 2.

“That’s what we do,” Tortorella said.

It was interesting reporting my story talking to former NHL players who were part of some of the longest games in history, and how there can be such a huge ripple effect on the rest of the series. The players I spoke with, including NBCSN’s Brian Boucher, who was between the benches for Game 1, believed the Blue Jackets wouldn’t be phased by the marathon loss. Boucher said the Blue Jackets have shown they can handle adversity, with the kind of coach and leadership that can carry them through.

“It’s motivation, man, like I don’t want to do that again,” former Stars goaltender Marty Turco said. “Columbus knows they can hang with those guys, playing such an awesome team. It just adds fuel for Columbus to come back.”

This really feels like the Lightning are in for a long series with Columbus. Tampa Bay still has what it takes to win it, and is the more talented club from top to bottom, but the Blue Jackets — the way they play and respond — will make them an extremely tough out.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191091 Toronto Maple Leafs yelling match during one of the games. Can you even imagine such a scene in Toronto with one of Matthews, Marner or Nylander?

What’s interesting is how the mentality of the Leafs organization seems The Leafs have done their best to protect and placate their young stars, to differ from that of the Raptors, their MLSE basketball cousins. There is Damien Cox writes, but maybe it would be better to take the kid gloves a toughness about the Raptors that revolves around Kyle Lowry, a player off. who has had to scrap for every NBA dollar he has earned and every bit of respect he has attracted. That has rubbed off on players like Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam. The “We The North” motto has become what this team is all about. By Damien Cox Still, when it was determined that DeMar DeRozan was going to be

traded to bring in Kawhi Leonard, a move the organization knew would Stop coddling the golden boys. Time to toughen them up, starting with make Lowry unhappy, Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster did it anyway. letting them stand up on their own two feet in the world’s toughest hockey Team first. It was up to Lowry to accept it. market. The Leafs, however, don’t have a personality like Lowry, and Auston Matthews will be 23 years old next month, has played four full management is more likely to accommodate the wishes of their star NHL seasons and made $15.9 million this season. Mitch Marner is 23 players than risk one being unhappy. Babcock was too tough and didn’t already, has also played four NHL seasons and made $16 million this let them be creative all the time with the puck, so he went and Sheldon season. William Nylander is 24 years old, has played six pro seasons in Keefe was brought in to let the players explore their imaginations. North America, made $12 million last season and another $9 million this We saw how that played out. season. Now is the time to keep building the Leafs, not tear down what’s been These are talented, seasoned veterans pulling in extraordinary salaries. built. Ignore all the suggestions to get rid of this guy or that guy. The The only experience they lack is the experience they have failed to earn. Leafs need to demand more of their best and be up front about it. The So let’s stop the coddling. clock is ticking. Matthews and Nylander will be unrestricted free agents after four more seasons. Marner is a UFA after five more. You might say it was telling during a 15-minute interview on the FAN 590 on Wednesday that Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas only seemed to get his Matthews has definitely developed as a 200-foot player, and now he dander up when asked about somebody out there somewhere in social needs to develop more as a forceful, team-first personality. Marner media universe saying something critical about Mitch Marner. Nothing doesn’t need protection. He’s not so different from where Steve Yzerman specific or personal. Just generally negative comments on Marner’s was after four years of his career, but needs to learn how to handle the performance against Columbus. heat on his own. Nylander remains the most frustrating of the three. A little tough love, and perhaps you’ll get more. Dubas, in response, sounded offended. How dare anyone criticize Marner for anything, ever? Don’t people realize what a great person From inside that room, some players need to emerge who take defeat Marner is? Asked about Marner’s contract as a salary cap issue, Dubas personally, not as a minor inconvenience. That’s how this team will responded by spouting individual statistics. How many more points he succeed. had than another player with a similar contract. Nothing about team Lean on these young men and ask more of them. The suspicion here is accomplishments. they will respond. It’s not just Marner. When Auston Matthews wanted Mike Babcock to visit Toronto Star LOADED: 08.14.2020 him in Arizona, Babcock went. When Matthews wanted more ice time, he got the word out. Ultimately, it was one of the factors held against Babcock when he was fired.

When Matthews got in trouble being a jerk with a female security guard, the Leafs protected him. When news leaked out through a Toronto columnist that Matthews had been infected with the coronavirus during the NHL shutdown, the Leafs organization reacted as though it was the most severe breach of security in Canada since Igor Gouzenko.

Not surprisingly, rebuking that coronavirus story and its author was the first thing Matthews wanted to talk about after the Leafs lost Game 1 to Columbus two weeks ago. It was at the forefront of his mind, the most important item to deal with. Not the loss.

Nylander, of course, dragged the Leafs through a lengthy contract fight and got Dubas to publicly vow never to trade him, then played terribly for half a season. He’s hardly become a reliable performer. You pay him all that money and make that promise, and you’re setting yourself up to bear the consequences of an athlete who may lack motivation from time to time.

Contrast the way these players have been brought along with the way in which the Leafs very successfully developed Nazem Kadri. They held him back in the minors to make sure he learned his craft. He was criticized for his conditioning. When he misbehaved, the team suspended him. Lots of tough love along the way.

By the end, they had developed one of the NHL’s better two-way centres, and a player with an edge. Why have these others been treated so differently?

Similarly, all reports suggest Columbus head coach John Tortorella has pushed former Blue Jackets first rounder Pierre-Luc Dubois hard, demanding more and more. Sometimes the episodes have played out rather publicly.

When the Leafs and Jackets played, Dubois was excellent at times, as good as any Leafs forward. Still, he and his coach got into a heated 1191092 Toronto Maple Leafs effects, specifically Kadri’s back-to-back post-season suspensions). This summer they’re back on it. Back in November they were fed up with Babcock’s nose-to-the-grindstone refrains. Now they’re being heard reaffirming their fundamental truth. From the president to the players, everyone with the Maple Leafs — OK, most everyone — is talking tough It can give you the idea Shanahan, who was influential in keeping Babcock around when there was a move to fire him last off-season, is finally asserting more control over the operation. And maybe it helps explain why Dubas came off as so unappealingly petulant and overly By Dave Feschuk defensive on Wednesday. While Shanahan was doing exactly what’s required in a post-loss media session — acknowledging the need to “face the music” while suggesting his club has “taken a step back in the past Mike Babcock hasn’t been the coach of the Maple Leafs for what seems couple of years” — Dubas engaged in petty asides when anyone so like eons now. much as hinted at questioning his top-heavy roster construction. The GM bizarrely went to bat in defence of Cody Ceci (Dubas condescendingly But most of nine months since Babcock was fired, his influence still insisted he has data that indicates Ceci is better than the rest of us looms large. At least, you could have been convinced of as much this believe). He went on an unhinged tangent about the allegedly week, when key members of the organization were asked to explain the unwarranted criticism directed at Mitch Marner. Considering Marner had gist of Toronto’s latest hockey disappointment. It was striking that more just admitted he “wasn’t engaged” in Game 1 against Columbus, Dubas than one Maple Leaf chose words that Babcock might as well have put in calling the player’s critics “idiotic” was ineloquent at best. their mouths. If he sounds touchy, understand that Dubas is having his core beliefs Babcock, if he’s remembered for anything beyond two Olympic gold questioned here. And while he hinted that this season’s acquisition of the medals and a single Stanley Cup, will be remembered for his collection of undeniably sandpapery Kyle Clifford was evidence he is not finesse- catchphrases. “Do it right.” “Start on time.” “Dig in.” You pick the one that obsessed to a fault, the fact Clifford played an average of eight minutes a ought to adorn his gravestone. Babcock always pushed a simple view of game against the Blue Jackets didn’t exactly solidify the case. Muzzin’s the game. Sustainable wins only come with hard work. And if hard work Cup-ring-wearing presence stands as the only solid argument. fails, work harder. Playoff hockey can be a chess game. It’s often a goaltender’s game. But By the end of his tenure, it was clear the Leafs had tuned out those it’s always, always, a grinding effort-based game. Kids learn the mantra incessant refrains. The idea that the key to success was as simple as 60 in tyke: Work beats talent if talent doesn’t work. But you don’t need to be minutes and 82 games of faithful effort and unfailing commitment — inside the Maple Leafs locker room to know there are players within it Babcock never sold it to important corners of a talent-blessed Toronto who spent the past handful of years mostly rolling their eyes at such dressing room. clichés. These gifted Leafs have often played as though they’ve believed When Sheldon Keefe took the reins, the players spoke as though they they’re talented enough to loaf through vast swaths of a season and flip a had been emancipated from a sweat shop. They beamed about finally switch when it counts (never mind that they’ve always failed to rise to the being allowed to “play free,” to let their “skill come out,” to unleash their occasion when the stakes get higher and the competition gets more creativity. They exploded into the highest-scoring team in the league. ruthless).

For all that, they managed three five-on-five goals in a five-game play-in Pattern repeated sufficiently, it was fascinating to hear this week’s loss to Columbus. And now that it has come time to explain another post- management-based acknowledgment of various Babcock-ian truths. season failure — why the Shanaplan is more than six years old and its Habits matter. The regular season sets the stage for the important only significant victory has come in the draft lottery — various Maple games. As tiresome as it was to hear Babcock prattle on about the need Leafs are singing from the hymn book of hard labour. to “do it right every day,” it’s hard to argue Babcock wasn’t right, every day. And as much as Keefe introduced himself as the anti-Babcock — Captain John Tavares spoke of the need to “dig in our heels” for a insisting he’d focus on what the Leafs are more than what they are not — brighter future. Jake Muzzin, one of two members of the Leafs roster who suddenly there’s an organizational realization that it’s what the Leafs are has hoisted the Stanley Cup, did an even more credible Babcock not that’s the problem. impersonation. “I do believe you can develop grit,” Shanahan said. “I do think players “This group needs to dig in more,” he said. “Yeah, we have lots of skill can change how they are perceived. But I also think we recognize that and talent and speed. But when it comes to playoff hockey, the will to win compete level and grit are areas we might have to help our team a little has to burn a little hotter, you know what I mean?” bit with.”

Babcock would have nodded approvingly. Let’s assume the “we” includes Dubas, even though Dubas said no such “I hope guys understand that we've got to dig into the next level and thing, even though about a year ago the GM made a major trade that that'll bring this team further along,” Muzzin said. flew directly in the face of that notion. Whatever the case, nine months after Babcock was shipped out, and after having unleashed their Even more significantly, team president Brendan Shanahan, for his part, shackled skill and still been shut out twice in three playoff losses, it says spent part of Wednesday speaking of the need to inject more “compete something that the Maple Leafs are replaying Babcock’s greatest hits. It’s level and grit” into the lineup, both by developing it internally and by time to dig in, indeed. Somewhere, the ex-coach must be smiling. changing personnel. Toronto Star LOADED: 08.14.2020 You’ll excuse fans for throwing up their hands at Shanahan’s assertion. It was around this time last year, of course, that the Leafs decided Nazem Kadri was expendable, trading him to Colorado in the deal that brought back one dismal year of Tyson Barrie and innocuous third-line centre Alex Kerfoot. Kadri, of course, combines top-six skill with the greasy unpredictability Toronto has sorely lacked since his departure. To no one’s surprise, Kadri is currently starring for the Avalanche, scoring what turned out to be the winning goal in Wednesday’s Game 1 win over Arizona, after which Colorado coach Jared Bednar called the former Leaf “our best forward, by far.”

“He plays at a high compete level all the time,” Avalanche right winger Mikko Rantanen said of Kadri. “He has the skill to play on the first power- play unit but still has the grit to his game. He’s a big part of our team. We want to play gritty like that.”

After another playoff loss, suddenly the Leafs want to play gritty like that, too — although you’ll be excused if you’re confused. Last summer, after all, they were moving off grit (and grit’s occasionally unflattering side 1191093 Toronto Maple Leafs candidates, including Marlies coach Greg Moore and assistants A.J. MacLean and Rob Davison.

Toronto Star LOADED: 08.14.2020 The tough questions the Maple Leafs must answer, including the toughness question

By Mark Zwolinski Sports Reporter

The Maple Leafs aren’t yet a week into their off-season and the winds of change are howling all around them.

The loss in the play-in series to Columbus, a team most observers felt the Leafs should have beaten, followed three straight years of first-round exits. The latest setback is weighing heavily on players and management, who have admitted the team took a step back this year in its overall performance.

So there are questions, with the sting of missing the final 16 not likely to ease any time soon:

What is the Leafs’ cap situation? The Leafs finished the season topped out in cap space at $95.1 million (U.S.), according to capfriendly.com. They had $13.6 million on long-term injury reserve, allowing them to get under the NHL’s $81.5-million ceiling.

The club will pay $40.4 million to the big four (Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares) next season but should have at least $10 million freed up with the expected departures of unrestricted free agents Tyson Barrie and Cody Ceci.

Decisions will have to made on UFAs Kyle Clifford and Jason Spezza, and restricted free agents Ilya Mikheyev, Travis Dermott, Denis Malgin, and Frederik Gauthier. It’s likely all the RFAs are retained.

But cap space is needed. GM Kyle Dubas will at least explore the trade market to upgrade his blue line, and there are extensions to consider for winger Zach Hyman and goaltender Frederik Andersen, whose contracts expire next summer.

Will they extend Andersen? This is probably the most interesting Leafs’ talking point this off-season. Andersen’s five-year, $25-million deal ends after next season and he has faced his share of criticism over the last two years? He has yet to win a playoff series with the Leafs, though that can be said of the team’s other core players.

Should he remain part of the core? He’s 30 years old and could be part of a large group of UFA goalies in 2021. But if Dubas can engineer a creative extension, and he’s good at that, Andersen should be able to help get this team over that first-round hump. The other options — acquiring a free agent or going with backup Jack Campbell and another in-house candidate — aren’t exactly shiny upgrades over Andersen. Still, a tough call.

Will the Leafs break up the big four? There has been plenty of talk about that, namely shedding Nylander. Like Andersen, they’re all fair game. Dubas has the four forwards signed through at least 2023-24, which appears to be their window to bring a Stanley Cup to Toronto. They’ve had precious little time as a group to begin achieving that, and it’s hard to see Dubas breaking them up. If he does, it will be seen as an admission that there was a hole in the original plan. It’s a bit early to reach that conclusion.

Can this team add some toughness to its game? That has been a rallying cry among the fan base. Dubas did upgrade the team’s grit element with by dealing for Jake Muzzin and Clifford the last couple of years, and Spezza and Kasperi Kapanen have been surprisingly spirited at times. But this is a team that often turns the other cheek. Here’s a thought: Why not ask the current roster to get mad? Toronto plays with speed and talent and emotion, but few players get truly mad when an opposition forward runs into Andersen. They did show up for Andersen in Game 2 of the Blue Jackets series, and they had their best game of the playoffs, and possibly the season.

What changes will there be to the coaching staff? Sheldon Keefe’s job is safe. But he’ll need at least one new assistant after Paul McFarland, who ran the power play, accepted a multi-year deal to return to the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs. There’s a wealth of experience available — six coaches were fired in the Western Conference this season, as well as Leafs coach Mike Babcock in the East — and some solid in-house 1191094 Toronto Maple Leafs Matthews wouldn’t upstage management with public thoughts on what’s needed to get the Leafs over the top in terms of ‘killer instinct’ or roster changes, leaving that to Keefe and general manager Kyle Dubas. But turning 23 before next camp, he’ll head back to Arizona with one creed. Keefe vows to make most of long Leaf layoff “I know everyone in here believes in each other. Our confidence level isn’t feeling high right now, but it should be there. The perception of maybe how things are going or how the team is perceived outside the Author of the article:Lance Hornby locker room might be a lot different than what we believe.

“The results in playoffs haven’t shown, but with the players we have and What do Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and Sheldon Keefe have in common? the core group we have, being together four years now, we really believe we’re right there. All three can’t wait for November. “I’ll be honest, we don’t really care what other people think or write about For Maple Leafs coach Keefe, the pain and humiliation will linger from all the things we need. I think our management, our staff and this losing a qualifying-round playoff series that was there for the taking. But organization, believe. We’ll power through this adversity and break the first eight months of 2020 have already provided 20/20 hindsight, through eventually.” helping him set the table for what will be his first full season behind the bench, starting in late autumn. COACHING QUESTIONS

After waiting for the COVID-19 delayed playoffs to start, Toronto was There will be at least one change behind the Leafs bench next season. once more a quick post-season casualty. Its deficiencies against As previously announced, assistant Paul McFarland is going back to the Columbus naturally made people wonder what the coaching staff were OHL Kingston Frontenacs as head coach, where he was stationed three doing since March when Keefe and his players prattled on about proving years before joining the Florida Panthers and in 2019, the Leafs under themselves, putting the down time to good use through live chats, pre- Mike Babcock. scout video, staying in shape, getting back on ice through Phase 2 and eventual full workouts. While the subject of McFarland’s replacement and the return of wasn’t broached as the Leafs broke up earlier this week, it could “We felt that was very productive,” Keefe said this week. “However, you be Sheldon Keefe considers one of his long-time former Marlies staffers, don’t make substantial change through Zoom calls, a two-week training A.J. MacLean or Rob Davison, for McFarland’s post. It would be more camp and a five-game series. likely MacLean, who is the son of former NHLer and coach Paul “You make it over a full off-season, full training camp, full exhibition and MacLean. full regular season. To think you just flip a switch in playoffs and play With the European hockey calendar slightly less affected than the NHL’s gritty-style hockey, that’s not reality.” by COVID-19, the Leafs have loaned defenceman Filip Kral to HC Prerov As alternate captain Auston Matthews observed with dry humour in his of the Czech League and defenceman Jesper Lindgren to Modo of media exit interview “we have plenty of time before we play meaningful Sweden. They join previously loaned forwards Egor Korshkov (KHL hockey (again).” Lokimotiv Yaroslavl) and defenceman Mikko Lehtonin (KHL Jokerit) with an eye to them returning sometime before the NHL/AHL regular season So why not make the most of that? Though Keefe differs in style from and playoffs conclude in late spring 2021. predecessor Mike Babcock, they share the 24/7 dedication to prep work. Don’t expect Keefe to stay away from his office too long. Toronto Sun LOADED: 08.14.2020

“Am I disappointed in our results? Yes. Am I disappointed we didn’t see enough growth or change? Some of that was probably ambitious on our side. We wanted to do better in that area. But the changes we needed to make within our group are really a mindset that has to happen over the course of this off-season and then from day one of camp.

“Given my five years in the organization (with many of his Marlies graduates on this team) I do have a little more knowledge to how that process has worked. There’s room for growth and that’s where I’m looking to push this team. That sets ourselves up for greater consistency in regular season, which fuels our confidence and ultimately, our performance in playoff situations.”

Matthews, whose quest for 50 goals ended in March when the NHL shut down, followed by six points against the Blue Jackets, also planned to make it a short break before getting back to conditioning and putting his game face on. The Stanley Cup is projected to be awarded in early October, with a brief off-season before NHL camps begin around Remembrance Day.

“I kind of want to get back into it, because all that time off we have, I feel we can make meaningful strides in a lot of different areas,” Matthews said.

Of course, the Leafs as a whole will be altered, given inevitable free- agents departing such as Tyson Barrie, possible trades and at least two newcomers challenging at forward — Nick Robertson and former KHLer Alexander Barabanov.

Once the roster is more certain, Keefe thinks the cycle of an 82-game season will provide him a better chance to mold the Leafs into the two- way team they had hoped would manidest itself against Columbus.

“We (need to show) the confidence of who we are through all of that process,” Keefe said, “to be ready to compete in playoffs; everything from the standings (ideally with home-ice advantage against a low seed) to how we’re playing as a team.” 1191095 Toronto Maple Leafs — GREG WYSHYNSKI (@WYSHYNSKI) AUGUST 12, 2020 Theory: The philosophy works, but the current roster doesn’t

The theory: You can win with lots of skill, supplemented by some depth Down Goes Brown: What’s wrong with the Maple Leafs? Exploring 8 and grit. The approach wouldn’t have worked in the 80s or 90s, but in the theories modern NHL it absolutely can. But the Leafs have the wrong guys in the wrong roles. That’s why it’s not working.

By Sean McIndoe Aug 13, 2020 Why it fits: There’s at least some recent evidence to support this idea too. Start with the blue line. No, you don’t need six Chris Prongers to win a playoff round. But you also don’t want Cody Ceci playing top-four minutes, and for some reason, the Leafs insisted on that pretty much all Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but with their season on the line, season long. We all knew they needed a right-handed defenceman last the Toronto Maple Leafs came up small. Sunday’s Game 5 loss to the year, but the guy they went out and got, Tyson Barrie, was a disaster. Blue Jackets marked the third straight year the Leafs have lost a winner- take-all game, and the fourth straight that they’ve lost in the first round You can keep going. They’re paying Mitch Marner like he’s an elite, Hart- they played. Four years into the Auston Matthews/Mitch Marner/William caliber difference-maker that he might not be. John Tavares is very good, Nylander era, the Leafs have won as many postseason rounds as they but should he be one of the highest-paid players in the league? We’ve did during the dark decade before. As in, none. gone around in circles on William Nylander for years. And while Freddie Andersen has generally been good, what’s the deal with those back- It wasn’t supposed to be this way. The Leafs were the favourite against breaking goals and constant collapses in deciding games? Columbus, if only marginally. The talent on the roster seems undeniable. They’ve been a roughly 100-point team for four years now. When you Except…: Even if there’s some truth here, I’m not sure how helpful it is. look at what normally goes into a successful rebuild, the Leafs have When you’re building an NHL team, you don’t get to choose the exact checked most of the boxes. And yet here we are again, in the aftermath guys you want for every role. You take what’s available. Tavares was the of another game that was supposed to be their chance to Change The best free agent on the market. Marner was (probably) the best guy they Narrative, and it all played out the same way it always does. could draft in that spot. No team, including the ones that win Cups, get their ideal guy in every spot. They do the best they can, then they figure AUSTON MATTHEWS SAYS IT'S out how to make it work. "EMBARRASSING" GETTING BOOTED FROM THE FIRST ROUND AGAIN CONSIDERING TALENT ON LEAFS ROSTER. Where that leaves us: There’s a lot of overlap between the first two theories, and they boil down to the same thing: The roster needs an — LUKE FOX (@LUKEFOXJUKEBOX) AUGUST 12, 2020 overhaul, or at least some significant changes that go beyond tinkering. So what’s wrong? And how can they fix it? How do you do that when you’re capped out and most of your key pieces are on long-term deals? The roster has its holes, like any roster in a hard cap league will. There’s always room for improvement. But with the Shanahan-era Leafs, that’s Theory: They quit when the going gets tough not what we’ve come to mean when we ask what’s wrong. No, we mean: The theory: This Leafs team is happy to rack up wins (and personal What’s wrong? What’s the fundamental flaw, the big problem, the accolades) when it’s easy. They’ll bomb on hapless teams in the regular overarching defect that’s keeping them from achieving the success that, season, sure. You need a win streak in November, they’ve got you. But on paper, they should have already had? when the games really matter and the other team pushes back, and That’s what everyone’s trying to figure out these days. That includes the something inevitably goes wrong, the Leafs fold. They sulk. They slump Leafs themselves, who spent yesterday’s season-ending Zoom sessions down on the bench, hang their heads, and shrink away. Then they go answering variations of the same question: What’s wrong with you guys? home.

Let’s look at eight theories you’ll hear come up about this team, and see Why it fits: Honestly, this one might hold the most visceral appeal. which ones might be on to something. Hockey fans love to assign blame to faults of character. Forget about talent or strategy or whatever else, if everyone just tried harder they’d win Theory: The whole philosophy behind the roster is flawed all the time. And with this theory, we get the added bonus of getting to dump on an entire generation. Look at these spoiled 20-somethings with The theory: By now, the Brendan Shanahan/Kyle Dubas model is fairly their participation trophies. They don’t know what it means to work hard. well-established. Load up on skill, control the puck, trust your goaltending, and win the game by playing in the other team’s zone, Start saying stuff like that out loud, and you can see the appeal. It’s where you do your best work. Toughness is fine, as is veteran grit, but satisfying. that’s not the priority in today’s game. You pay top dollar for speed and skill, and fill in as much of the rest as you can afford around the edges. JAKE MUZZIN: “THIS GROUP NEEDS TO DIG IN MORE. YEAH, WE HAVE A LOT OF SKILL, TALENT & SPEED, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO It makes a lot of sense, right up until the postseason arrives, the game PLAYOFF HOCKEY THE WILL TO WIN HAS TO BURN A LITTLE clogs up, and you’re getting outworked by a team with less skill but more HOTTER … ONCE WE FIND THAT WE’LL BE DANGEROUS” jam, and your high-priced superstars can’t find room to operate. — MARK MASTERS (@MARKHMASTERS) AUGUST 12, 2020 Why it fits: It sure seems to pass the eye test. And losing to a hard- working team like the Blue Jackets will only reinforce it. Except…: In the Leafs’ case, it’s pretty clearly not true.

Except…: It’s not like skill teams aren’t having any success around the If anything, this team seems to do pretty well when facing adversity. We league. Last year’s Blues were a heavy team, but the Big Bad Bruins saw that against Columbus, when they lost a tough opener and haven’t been all that big or bad in years, and they seem to do fine. The responded with their best game of the series. We saw it against Boston Penguins won back-to-back Cups without intimidating anyone. And if you in 2018, when they fought back from down 3-1 in the series. We saw it can’t advance without size and muscle, how come smaller teams like against the heavily favoured Capitals in 2017, when the Leafs lost a Montreal, Calgary and Arizona could find a way to win last week? heart-breaking first game and then pushed back with two overtime wins.

Where that leaves us: A variation on this theme is the old: “They’re built Do teams that quit when it’s hard rally back from down 3-0 with four for the regular season, not the playoffs” curse. And there’s truth to that. minutes left and their season on the line? This Leafs team isn’t one that’s designed to go hard to the net and score Where that leaves us: Never let facts get in the way of a good narrative. dirty goals, and sometimes those end up being the difference in the But maybe we’re on the right track, with… playoffs. But while there may be something here, all those counterexamples suggest that this can’t be the entire problem. Let’s keep Theory: They quit when the going gets easy looking. The theory: Take that last point and flip the script. The Leafs don’t quit “YOU ALL THINK I HAVE ONE WAY OF GOING ABOUT THINGS AND when things get hard. Instead, they wait until things are going reasonably THAT IT’S NEVER CHANGING,” SAID LEAFS GM KYLE DUBAS. “THE well, and they’ve scored a few goals or won a few games. Then they VISION FOR ME IS ALWAYS CHANGING.” hang a big “Mission Accomplished” banner, pat themselves on the back, being said here: Toronto is too hard on its players… but also too easy? and ease off the gas pedal. And then it all falls apart. At the same time? They run all the stars out of town over nothing, but also build them statues after every win streak? How can it be both? Why it fits: This one sure seems to do a better job of fitting the record. Maybe it can be. Maybe Toronto is just a market of extremes, and that Look at the Columbus series, when they followed their dominant Game 2 hurts the team’s chances. Or maybe this one just boils down to with half of a dominant Game 3, then fell asleep. Or how after their complaining for the sake of complaining. And if we’re going to do that, at shocking Game 4 comeback, they came out flat in the finale. Look at the least pick a lane. 2019 series with Boston, when they held a 3-2 series lead and were up in Game 6 before collapsing. They didn’t win another game against the Where that leaves us: Nowhere, really. I don’t think this theory holds up Caps after those two overtime stunners. Or look at any number of well, and if teams in big hockey markets can’t win then somebody should regular-season moments over the years, when they followed a few wins tell the Blackhawks and Bruins. But even if you think there’s some truth with a disappointing effort. here, the market isn’t changing.

Or look at the trademark moment of the Shanahan era: The David Ayres Theory: They’re a good team that’s had bad luck game. They’re facing a Zamboni driver. They score on both of their first two shots. Then they barely test him the rest of the way. It got too easy, The theory: This was basically what Keefe had to offer right after the so they disappeared. Game 5 loss. He was referring to a specific kind of luck – 5-on-5 shooting – and wasn’t just hand-waving away any other issues. But it was still Except…: This one isn’t anywhere near as fun as the “quit when the striking to hear an NHL coach use what’s long been considered a dirty going gets tough” theory. word in hockey.

Where that leaves us: As you can probably guess, I think there’s at least “A LITTLE MORE LUCK AND IT MIGHT BE A DIFFERENT RESULT.” - some truth in this one. But whichever way you slice it, the whole “they SHELDON KEEFE, CITING LEAFS’ LOW SHOOTING PERCENTAGE just don’t want it bad enough” narrative always seems a little too 5-ON-5 convenient, doesn’t it? — LUKE FOX (@LUKEFOXJUKEBOX) AUGUST 10, 2020 KYLE DUBAS: “I DON’T GET THE CRITICISM OF MITCH MARNER ONE BIT. I REALLY STRUGGLE WITH IT. HE’S A GUY THAT PLAYS Why it fits: I’ve been writing about the role of luck in the NHL for years. I HIS ASS OFF EVERY NIGHT.” think it’s a massively underrated factor, especially in the modern era of parity. And I think we don’t talk about it enough because we like to have — CHRIS JOHNSTON (@REPORTERCHRIS) AUGUST 12, 2020 nice simple stories where the best team always wins, and “a big part of this is just random chance” messes that up. Theory: It’s the coaching The Leafs lost to the Blue Jackets because they shot two percent at 5- The theory: We don’t need to overthink this. In pro sports, when a team is on-5 and ran into hot goaltending, and when that happens in today’s NHL underperforming its talent level year in and year out, it’s probably the you lose. They lost to the Bruins and Capitals because those were better coaching. teams, but a bounce or two here or there in any of those series changes Why it fits: You could make a not-unreasonable case that the Leafs were the result. Today’s NHL playoffs are basically a big coin-flipping contest, outcoached in each of those playoff losses. We’ve seen what the right and sometimes the coin comes up tails four times in a row. You don’t coach can do for teams like the 2019 Blues, or the 2018 Capitals, or any blame the coin, or call it a quitter, or toss it the trash. number of Penguin teams, or that young Blackhawks team that went on All of which is to say, yeah, Keefe might be on to something here. to win three Cups. Maybe the Leafs just haven’t found their guy yet. Except…: What if he is? How do you possibly sell that message to Leaf Except…: We heard a lot of this last year, when Mike Babcock was in fans right now? Check the response on Twitter when Keefe’s “luck” charge. They eventually fired him and replaced him with Sheldon Keefe, soundbite dropped. It wasn’t great, unless you’re really into F-bombs and a guy who took a very different approach. Babcock was cranky and eyeroll emojis. “Good teams make their own luck” has never made one mean; Keefe is more even-tempered. Babcock was stuck in his ways; bit of a sense, but man, fans sure do you love to say it. Keefe is a modern-day guy. Babcock refused to play his stars when it mattered; Keefe went into the options menu and turned line changes off. Where that leaves us: If you buy into the bad luck theory, the way They’re not polar opposites by any stretch, but you can see the contrasts. forward is basically to stick with the plan, tinker with the roster where possible, and trust that eventually the bounces will even out. Maybe they If you can’t win under one guy, and you can’t win under the other, maybe will. That’s kind of what happened with the Capitals a few years ago. But it’s not the coach after all. if the Leafs go into next year with roughly the same approach, and the Where that leaves us: It’s always easier to fire a coach than to overhaul a coin comes up tails again… then what? roster, especially these days. But even if coaching is part of the problem, Let’s take this home with one last theory, that may be the toughest of all Keefe hasn’t even had a full season on the job. He isn’t going anywhere for Leaf fans to stomach. for a while, so this section doesn’t help us much. Theory: They’re a good team, not a great one, and they’re getting the SHANAHAN: "I HAVE COMPLETE FAITH IN KYLE AS GM AND results we should expect SHELDON AS COACH." #LEAFS The theory: The entire premise of pieces like this are flawed, because — TERRY KOSHAN (@KOSHTORONTOSUN) AUGUST 12, they start with the idea that the Leafs are some sort of elite team that’s 2020 underachieving. They’re not. They’re good, but not great, and teams like Theory: It’s the fans/media/market’s fault that usually finish in the 95-to-105 point range, make the playoffs and then lose early. The theory: How are you supposed to win in Toronto? You’re on the front page of every paper every day, no matter what. Everything is under a That’s what the Leafs keep doing, because it’s who they are. They lost all microscope. The media picks fights to get attention, the fans turn on four postseason series to teams that were better. Leafs fans can engage players based on what talk radio tells them, and stars who’d be in all the hand-wringing and over-analysis that they want, but there’s no welcomed in any other market get run out of town. mystery here. They’re losing because they’re not good enough.

And if we think this team backs off when things are going well, can you Why it fits: As a wise man once said, you are what your record says you blame them? Win two games in a row in Toronto and it’s “plan the are. The Leafs’ record over the last four years is hard to argue with. parade.” These guys are treated as legends as soon as they string a few Mirtle raised this point in his post-series piece, but it’s worth repeating. good games together, why would they put in the work to elevate their Not only has this version of the Leafs failed to win a round, they’ve never games in a market where good enough is always good enough? put up a 110-point season. They haven’t had a Hart or Vezina or Norris Why it fits: Some of that definitely does sound like Toronto. finalist, or a first-team All-Star. They haven’t come close to winning their division. There’s simply no evidence that they’re as good as the Bruins or Except…: I mean, you see the problem, right? I think I’ve summarized Lightning, or any number of other teams. the most common criticisms of the Toronto market, and you definitely hear all of them often, especially from outsiders. But think about what’s Except…: When they look good, man, this team looks really good. We’ve seen them dominate teams, including some very good ones. Then again, you can say that about pretty much every team.

So is there any evidence that they’re actually an elite team that just hasn’t shown it? A little. The underlying numbers point in the right direction. And on paper, they still look like they should be more than they’ve shown. But it’s been four years, so… yeah.

For what it’s worth, Dubas doesn’t seem to be buying this angle.

DUBAS IS ASKED IF IT'S POSSIBLE HE HAS MISREAD THE POTENTIAL OF THIS GROUP.

"NO."

NEXT QUESTION.

— JOSHUA KLOKE (@JOSHUAKLOKE) AUGUST 12, 2020

Where that leaves us: If you’re a Leafs fan, this might be the option you’d least want to be true. It’s one thing to fix a problem, even a hard one. It’s another to realize there is no problem, because you’re getting exactly the results you should expect. The roster is capped-out and hard to make major changes to. If the Leafs have really peaked as a team that’s merely good and has no clear path to get much better, then in a certain sense, the rebuild has failed.

Eight theories. Each with at least a little bit truth to it. There’s room for plenty of overlap here; you don’t have to pick just one answer. But whichever way you want to go, Dubas and Shanahan have their work cut out for them this offseason. If they think the roster needs an overhaul, the cap will make that difficult. If they prefer to stay the course, the message may be a tough sell, to both fans and players.

The good news is, they’ve got some extra time to work with. That’s what happens when you go out early. Again.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020

1191096 Vegas Golden Knights and some of our puck decisions. So I think our group is real open to constructive criticism. You never play a perfect game — we didn’t play a perfect game tonight.

Golden Knights’ edge looms larger without change of venue “At the same time, you have to take your hat off to them. Every night you have a feeling on that bench that regardless of the situation, they’re going to find a way to win. That’s a good feeling to have as a coach.”

By Ron Kantowski Las Vegas Review-Journal August 13, 2020 - 8:55 PM DeBoer said a change of scenery and spending an off day with loved ones would be welcome right about now. At the same time, being stuck Updated August 13, 2020 - 9:10 PM inside a Canadian bubble with a 2-0 edge over Cinderella sure beats the clickety-clack of a Chicago “L” train.

Were this any other hockey season, Golden Knights coach Pete DeBoer LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 08.14.2020 might be talking about not getting comfortable with a 2-0 series edge, and how things can quickly flip-flop in the Stanley Cup playoffs with a change of scenery.

But this is not any other hockey season. This is a hockey season that will conclude in a sterile environment during a pandemic without spectators, white-outs and octopuses being tossed onto the ice.

There won’t be a change of scenery for Game 3 inside the bubble Saturday at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta. Not unless a graffiti artist climbs on top to spray paint some elevated train tracks on it, or the aroma of a deep dish pizza instead of crowd noise is pumped in for effect.

But although the Knights beat the upstart Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 in overtime Thursday, they did not dominate the Western Conference’s 12th seed after grabbing a 2-0 first-period lead. It took a goal by Reilly Smith and 7 minutes, 13 seconds of bonus hockey to decide it.

The gap between the teams did not widen from fissure to chasm.

And so what was shaping up as a one-sided series may yet evolve into something interesting, though the site and atmosphere will not be changing.

And, just as likely, it still could turn into a VGK rout. Especially if the Blackhawks do not react well to letting an excellent chance of leveling the series slip away.

Hawkish on Hawks

You can mark down Knights goalie Robin Lehner among those who believe the first-round series is a long way from over, despite VGK outshooting the plucky pucksters from Chicago 39-25 and 23-7 after the Hawks had tied the game a second time late in the second period.

“I thought Chicago played really well,” said Lehner, who was acquired from the Blackhawks just before the trade deadline and the virus pause and remained unbeaten since joining the Knights. “Everyone keeps saying they’re the underdog. But you look at their team, their experience, the skill — it’s Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane out there, you know they are world-class players.”

But it also should be noted the Knights are now 8-1 all time against the Blackhawks. And that like Chicago, they have pretty good players, too, almost all of whom can skate like the dickens and play both ends of the ice.

Like those race cars currently turning practice laps for the Indianapolis 500, it seemed the Knights were able to grab a higher gear whenever one was needed Thursday. It made you wonder if the final score amounted to little more than the Knights making a green flag pit stop for tires.

Or, in Lehner’s case, a new pair of skates after a blade on his old ones snapped twice during Vegas’ 4-1 Game 1 victory.

Bubblelicious beginning

The Knights have yet to lose in the Edmonton bubble, or anywhere since the shutdown in early March. As was suggested in the postgame videoconference, it is getting more difficult to find a flaw in their game.

More difficult, but not impossible.

DeBoer said he bounced a few words off the bubble following the first game of the series that tested the Knights’ workmanship and resiliency.

“It’s not hard, you can ask our group,” the usually stoic DeBoer said with a slight chuckle about finding fault with his players. “We lit into ’em pretty good after our last game about some of our play through the neutral zone 1191097 Vegas Golden Knights Lehner improved to 7-0 since he was acquired at the trade deadline in February, including 4-0 with a 2.39 goals-against average and .907 save percentage in the playoffs.

Reilly Smith goes ‘undercover’ to score Golden Knights’ winning goal Kirby Dach, Dominik Kubalik and Dylan Strome scored Chicago’s goals in the second period, and Patrick Kane had three assists.

“We kind of got sucked into their game a little bit, and it went back and By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal forth a bit,” Lehner said. “But we had a really good third, put a lot of pressure on them, and it was really nice to see Reilly score the game

winner.” Paul Stastny described Golden Knights teammate Reilly Smith as LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 08.14.2020 “undercover” in reference to his lack of recognition across the NHL.

Watch Smith’s winning goal Thursday and it’s obvious why that was the perfect word choice.

Smith slipped into the shadows and popped out unnoticed by the Chicago Blackhawks’ defense before he scored 7:13 into overtime to give the Knights a 4-3 victory in Game 2 of the Western Conference quarterfinals at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta.

The Knights lead Chicago 2-0 in the best-of-seven series, which continues at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

“I think we’re a pretty resilient crew,” Smith said. “There’s some lulls in the game where we kind of turned it into a track meet, and that’s not the style of game we want to play against Chicago. There’s still a lot of things we need to clean up, but we’ll take the win and try to get a little bit better tomorrow.”

Smith finished with two points and leads the Knights in scoring during the postseason with seven points (three goals, four assists) in five games.

He is the franchise’s all-time leading scorer in the playoffs, and his 35 points in 32 games are sixth in the league since 2017-18. Only Brad Marchand (42), David Pastrnak (41), Evgeny Kuznetsov (40), Alex Ovechkin (36) and Patrice Bergeron (36) had more points entering Thursday.

On the shift before Smith’s winner, defenseman Brayden McNabb hit the post and the line of Nick Cousins, Nicolas Roy and Alex Tuch generated several chances.

After the Blackhawks cleared the zone, Smith looped back near his own blue line and then got lost along the right wing as the puck went to Cousins on the opposite side of the ice.

Stastny grabbed the puck in the corner and quickly whipped a pass to Smith, who was standing alone in front of the net for the redirection.

The Knights improved to 4-3 all time in overtime.

“I think what makes him so good is he’s slippery,” Stastny said of Smith, who had a career high 27 goals in the regular season. “He’s not the biggest guy out there, but he’s hungry for the puck all the time. He makes these little plays all the time. He never quits on a play. When you have guys like that, with his skill, I think it’s easy to play with.”

The Knights played without left wing Max Pacioretty, who was ruled unfit to play and missed his fourth game of the postseason.

Stastny and Tomas Nosek had first-period goals before Nosek departed late in the second period with an apparent injury and did not return. Coach Pete DeBoer did not have an update after the game on Nosek’s status.

Mark Stone gave the Knights a brief 3-2 lead late in the second period with his third goal of the playoffs before they turned up the offense in the third period and overtime, outshooting Chicago 23-7.

The Knights have outscored teams 12-1 in the third period and overtime during the postseason.

“I think some desperation sets in,” DeBoer said. “We’re sitting at the end of two tonight tied, and in a couple of those other situations behind. Our group has been able to find another level in the third period in those spots.”

Robin Lehner made his third straight start in goal ahead of Marc-Andre Fleury for the Knights and finished with 22 saves while wearing new skates after losing his blade twice in Tuesday’s victory. 1191098 Vegas Golden Knights

Tomas Nosek joins Max Pacioretty on Golden Knights injury list

By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal

The Golden Knights improved to 2-0 in their first-round series against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday, but they did so without their leading scorer.

Max Pacioretty was ruled “unfit to play” by the team before puck drop and sat out its 4-3 overtime win. It was the fourth time in five postseason games in Edmonton, Alberta, that he didn’t play.

Tomas Nosek replaced Pacioretty in the lineup, but he left the game because of injury.

Nosek played his final shift with 3:34 remaining in the second period. Coach Pete DeBoer said after the game that he didn’t have an update on either player.

“We’ll get some of that information overnight and tomorrow,” DeBoer said. “As of now, (they’re) unfit to play.”

Pacioretty suffered a minor injury in training camp and joined his teammates late in the NHL’s Edmonton bubble. He did not play in the Knights’ exhibition or three round-robin games.

Pacioretty made his first appearance Tuesday against the Blackhawks and played 18:08, slightly above his season average. DeBoer said Wednesday the left wing, who leads the team with 32 goals and 66 points, was understandably rusty in his first game since March 9.

“I talked to him this morning, and I think he was a little disappointed in how the game went for him,” DeBoer said. “I had to remind him: ‘You haven’t played a hockey game basically in five months.’ … He’s in really good shape. He looks good in practices. The game timing is something that you’ve got to play games in order to get back. I know he’s going to get that back quickly, so I’m not worried about it.”

Nosek took advantage of the opportunity and played well before getting hurt. He scored his first goal of the postseason with 4:25 left in the first period to put the Knights up 2-0.

If Pacioretty and Nosek are unable to play in Game 3 on Saturday, the team probably would call on a player from the taxi squad it brought to Edmonton. The extra forwards are Patrick Brown, Reid Duke, Keegan Kolesar, Peyton Krebs and Gage Quinney.

All except Duke and Krebs, the team’s 2019 first-round pick, appeared in the NHL this season.

“We’re going to dig into that group sooner than later because of injuries and different things,” DeBoer said Wednesday of the taxi squad. “I’m very comfortable with all those guys there that they’ll be ready to come in and contribute when we call on them.”

DeBoer keeping options open

Goaltender Robin Lehner improved to 7-0 with the Knights and 4-0 this postseason with Thursday’s victory.

Still, DeBoer didn’t anoint him as his starter for the rest of the playoffs. He said he will continue to consider Lehner and Marc-Andre Fleury, especially because the team plays Saturday and Sunday.

“I think I’ve been clear since we started this that we’ve got two starters,” DeBoer said. “How I roll them out is going to be day to day based on what I feel gives us the best chance to win a game and win a series. That’s not going to change. I’m sure both guys are going to play. What that rotation looks like is something that we’re going to discuss daily.”

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191099 Vegas Golden Knights DeBoer said. “That is something that’s going to go into the mix when we’re making decisions.”

No one who’s followed the Golden Knights since their inception can Time to embrace Robin Lehner, who’s here to stay for Knights’ playoff watch the broadcast cutaways of a straight-faced Fleury sitting on the run bench and not feel any emotion. Seeing a healthy, helmetless Fleury staring blankly into a faceoff circle or fiddling with his glove during a Vegas’ newer goalie improves to 7-0 when starting in net with Game 2 playoff game is a surreal sight considering the way he willed the team to win the Stanley Cup Final two years ago.

Sports has a tendency to display the passage of time in the cruelest of ways. That’s not to say the 35-year-old Fleury is washed up, an unfair By Case Keefer characterization he’s already battled back from once in his career, or even unable to win playoff games.

For one of the first times in his tenure as a Vegas Golden Knight, Robin It’s just that the 29-year-old Lehner is in his prime and gives the Golden Lehner encountered some turbulence Thursday night. Knights the best chance of winning a championship. It might not be the most comfortable truth, but it’s a truth the Golden Knights have accepted. The Golden Knights’ trade-deadline acquisition goalie let in two Chicago Blackhawks’ goals within nine minutes early in the second period of LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 08.14.2020 Game 2 of the teams' Western Conference quarterfinals series in Edmonton. That knotted up the score and threatened to turn what had started to look like a runaway Vegas series win into a prolonged thriller.

Lehner didn’t fret, though, and later said his confidence to stand tall was a reflection of the tight-knit nature of his new team.

“Everyone buys into the system and does the right things,” Lehner said. “I think in the long run you get rewarded. From a goalie’s situation, letting in a goal, there’s no panic. Letting in two goals, you trust your team and know you can come back.”

The fortitude allowed Lehner to bear down and stop all but one puck thrown at him for the rest of the game — and faulty defense was mostly to blame for Dylan Strome’s 3-3 equalizer — to help the Golden Knights to a 4-3 overtime victory. Vegas now leads the series 2-0, and Lehner has been as valuable as anyone on the roster.

The Game 2 victory made Lehner the first NHL goalie in five years to win his first seven starts with a new team and there’s no doubt all his teammates were thrilled for his success.

The Golden Knights have fully embraced Lehner, and the fanbase would be wise to follow their lead. It only takes cursory investigation on social- media platforms to see misdirected enmity thrown in Lehner's direction.

He's being known more as the guy who’s keeping Marc-Andre Fleury on the bench than the guy who’s playing because he gives the Golden Knights the best chance to win.

That needs to change. Fleury’s place is forever etched into Golden Knights’ history, but Lehner has proven repeatedly that he’s the better primary option going forward.

“I thought he came into our camp after the pause and was lights out in all the scrimmages and he’s picked up right where he’s left off in the games,” Vegas coach Peter DeBoer said earlier this week. “This isn’t the case of one guy not getting the job done. This is just one guy, from the time he got here, being fantastic.”

Fleury is surely hurt by his benching through the first two official playoff games, but according to DeBoer, he’s not taking it as a personal affront. And if he’s not taking it as a personal affront, then his biggest fans shouldn’t either.

“Marc-Andre is the ultimate pro,” DeBoer said. “I think every NHL player has a lot of pride and wants to play every night but there is no one more professional in his relationships within the team or how he handles things or how he is in the community than Flower.”

It’s a delicate situation but DeBoer appears to be handling it to the best of his ability. It seems obvious he’s chosen Lehner as his first option even though he’s holding onto a “two starting goalies” company line presumably out of respect for Fleury.

That’s going to have to fade if Lehner starts each of the next two games against the Blackhawks. With a back-to-back slated for Saturday and Sunday, if there’s any time to mix it up in net, it would appear to be this weekend. DeBoer has been noncommittal but has hinted the demanding schedule may force him to consider lineup changes.

“Definitely a factor, the condensed schedule and the fact that you have back-to-backs where with a normal playoff schedule, you wouldn’t,” 1191100 Vegas Golden Knights After Stastny and Tomas Nosek scored in the first for a 2-0 lead, the Blackhawks had their best period of the two games, scoring three times but never taking the lead.

Golden Knights’ Game 2 win shows early-season troubles behind them In the third period and overtime, the Golden Knights outshot the Blackhawks 23-7. Even as Crawford was trying to fend off Vegas long enough for his team to steal a goal, the Golden Knights refused to give an inch. By Justin Emerson “When you’re defending all the time and trying to find the man, trying to

find the puck, it gets exhausting,” Stastny said. “When you play good The Golden Knights had a problem early this season. They just kept teams, it’s the first team that plays its style instead of reacting to what the letting winnable games slip away. other team is doing, and I think we’ve done a good job of that.”

The players said so, as did the eye test, the analytics and every For half the season, the Golden Knights battled what the statistical world frustrated Vegas fan after a late goal turned a would-be win into another calls random variance and what the hockey world calls puck luck. frustrating loss. DeBoer taking over as coach, Lehner taking over as starter, Cousins and The Golden Knights are a different team now. The team that was out of a Alec Martinez and Zach Whitecloud coming in and securing key roles — playoff spot in January looks like a juggernaut now — undefeated in the these things helped Vegas reduce the inherent randomness of hockey season restart, rolling through opponents, and after Thursday’s 4-3 win in and make its own luck. Game 2 against the Chicago Blackhawks, halfway finished with the first The Golden Knights now look like the team they felt they should have round. been all season. The Blackhawks couldn’t stop them in either of the first “It’s a very tight-knit group and everyone buys into the system and does two games. If Vegas keeps playing like this, you’ll be hard-pressed to find the right things, and I think in the long run you get rewarded,” said goalie someone who can. Robin Lehner, who was traded to Vegas in February. “It’s a very well- LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 08.14.2020 structured team here, and there’s a lot of skill at the same time. We’ve just got to keep it going.”

The Golden Knights from the first half of the season are gone, left in the Ottawa snow the day they brought in Peter DeBoer, adding a new independent variable to speed up the positive regression the team knew was coming. Every game it seemed the Golden Knights had the shot attempts or expected goals to win, but they only managed 24 victories in their first 49 games.

Thursday’s game had an early-season type of feel to it. The Golden Knights bombarded Chicago goalie Corey Crawford with pucks, but after Mark Stone’s goal went in at 17:20 of the second to give Vegas a 3-2 lead, Crawford was impenetrable. Chicago’s net was under siege, but the Blackhawks managed to tie it with 13 seconds left in the second and escape the third period unscathed.

Overtime arrived, and with it the chance for chaos. The Blackhawks are good in transition, and one defensive breakdown would have been all it took to sink a Golden Knights game that should have been in the bag. Dylan Strome even hit the crossbar in overtime.

Vegas didn’t let that happen, watching its third line set up the game- winner. Nick Cousins, Nicolas Roy and Alex Tuch — of whom only Tuch was an early-season regular — took away the puck and set up four shot attempts in 17 seconds at Crawford. When they left the ice, it allowed Reilly Smith and Paul Stastny to hop on the ice immediately into the zone and score in overtime. It was Smith’s third goal this series, and the first playoff overtime goal of his career.

In the 11:43 that Cousins, Roy and Tuch were on the ice together at 5- on-5, the Golden Knights had 22 shot attempts. The Blackhawks had five.

“I thought they tilted the ice in our favor almost every time they were out there, particularly in the third and overtime,” DeBoer said. “We asked those guys to do that and I thought they were real effective tonight.”

There was also the man in net, the goalie who has done nothing but win, but in doing so has supplanted one of the most adored men in Las Vegas sports history. Lehner ran his winning streak to start his Vegas career to seven with 22 saves on Thursday, becoming the first goalie in almost a decade to win his first seven decisions with a team.

DeBoer insisted after the game that he doesn’t have a clear-cut No. 1, even as Lehner has started the last three games, the first time since Lehner arrived that he did not alternate starts with Marc-Andre Fleury. With Vegas facing a back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday, it’s possible both goalies get a start.

“I think I’ve been clear since we started this that we have two starters,” DeBoer said. “How I roll them out is going to be day-to-day, based on what I feel gives us the best chance to win a game and win a series.”

In an ideal world, though, the Golden Knights’ skaters will make it so it doesn’t matter who the goalie is, and through six-plus periods of this series, they’ve done that for five of them. 1191101 Vegas Golden Knights second and extend plays. They win puck battles behind Chicago’s net and tire out defenders before exiting.

“That line with Roy, Tuch and Cousins really controlled the game below Golden Knights’ bottom six forwards are the unsung heroes of Game 2 the dots, and really set up shifts for the other lines,” Stone said. OT win While Chicago does have the firepower to hang with the Golden Knights’ high-end players, the Blackhawks don’t have the same type of depth throughout the lineup. And while Patrick Kane was superb toward the By Jesse Granger Aug 13, 2020 end of the game, he can’t stay on the ice forever. He eventually has to go off and that’s when Vegas takes over.

And when Vegas’ bottom six forwards can dominate possession, they will As Reilly Smith and Paul Stastny embraced in celebration of Smith’s score occasionally — like Carrier did in Game 1 and Tomas Nosek did in overtime winner behind the Blackhawks net, Chicago defenseman Game 2 — and make life easy for the top six forwards. Connor Murphy could be seen in the background, bent at the waist with his hands on his knees, taking deep breaths of exhaustion. “That’s so much easier than having to go out there on a set breakout, when they’re coming at you flying with five guys,” Stastny said. “When Smith’s one-timer from in front of the net was pretty. Stastny’s pass from we’re successful we can roll four lines. For Pete it’s easy just to throw behind the goal line to set it up was even better. that line, or Carrier and Reaves. Those lines play a different style, but the But the reason the Golden Knights won Thursday’s game 4-3 in overtime benefit is we’re always kind of fresh because we don’t double down or go came just before that. Plays by Brayden McNabb and Nick Cousins that every other shift.” held the Blackhawks’ exhausted defensive unit on the ice just long The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020 enough for a fresh Smith to end the game.

Cousins was on the ice for the shift prior, creating a flurry of chances with his linemates Alex Tuch and Nic Roy. The three cycled the puck around the Blackhawks zone and fired shots at goaltender Corey Crawford. The Chicago netminder came up with several key saves and got lucky one shot rang off the post.

“We were shocked that they didn’t score,” said Smith, who watched from the bench. “There were a couple pucks that looked like they were going to find the back of the net, Crawford made a couple big saves.”

After surviving the onslaught the Blackhawks finally cleared the puck out of their own zone with a deflection from Dominik Kubalik that tipped the puck over Nate Schmidt’s stick and into the neutral zone. But instead of slowly plodding back to get the puck and resetting, McNabb hustled to grab the puck just as it crossed the red line, and immediately fired it to Cousins at the Chicago blue line.

As you can see at the beginning of that clip, Chicago’s entire team was heading for the bench, desperate for a line change. But McNabb’s pass forced four of the five players to retreat back into their own zone.

“McNabb made a good play there,” said Stastny. “Roy was changing, so I got out there. So instead of dumping it in they knew they were tired, so Cousins did a self-chip. I came in to support them.”

Cousins held the puck just long enough to hand it off to Stastny. Smith jumped over the boards and went straight to the net, where Stasnty dished a pass through a visibly tired Jonathan Toews, right onto the stick of Smith for the goal.

“I think it started the shift before that,” Smith said after the game. “I think all five guys did a good job cycling the puck, creating some opportunities and hemming them in their zone. Cousins did a great job being able to delay, create time for me and Stastny to get in. Paul (Stastny) made a great pass and I was fortunate enough that it took a good bounce off my stick.”

And it wasn’t just that shift. The Golden Knights bottom two lines were exceptional on Thursday, constantly outworking and outpossessing the Blackhawks.

In 10:25 of even strength ice time, the third line of Roy, Tuch and Cousins held a 17-5 edge in shot attempts, a 6-2 edge in shots on goal, an 8-2 advantage in scoring chances and 2-0 in high danger chances.

They didn’t score, but they carried the play, and consistently handed the puck off to one of the Golden Knights’ top two lines with possession in the offensive zone.

“We ask those guys to really set the table, physically and with possession, so that when our offensive guys get out there we can catch teams either tired or on their heels a little bit,” Peter DeBoer said. “I thought tonight Roy, Tuch and Cousins were fantastic that way. I thought they tilted the ice in our favor almost every time they were out there, particularly in the third and overtime.”

Tuch and Roy both have big bodies that they use well to shield the puck in the offensive zone, allowing them to maintain possession for an extra 1191102 Vegas Golden Knights If Nosek and Pacioretty are both ruled out of Game 3, the best guess as to who slots into the lineup next is Patrick Brown.

Collars were being nervously tugged throughout the greater Chicagoland Observations from the Golden Knights’ Game 2 win over the Blackhawks area when Crawford was beaten under the blocker point-blank by Nosek in the first period. It was the third dicey goal Crawford had given up in four periods.

By Scott Powers, Mark Lazerus and more Aug 13, 2020 But Crawford quelled the concerns with a terrific third period, stopping all 16 shots he faced and getting the game to overtime as Vegas utterly

dominated play. He finished with 35 saves. Reilly Smith continued his offensive magic for the Golden Knights in Good offensive things tend to happen for the Blackhawks when Patrick overtime Thursday, putting a one-timer from the doorstep past Corey Kane is on the ice. Crawford to hand Vegas a 4-3 win and a 2-0 series lead. In Darry Belfry’s upcoming book, “Belfry Hockey,” he discussed a lot It was Smith’s third goal of the playoffs. He has six points already this about how Kane influences the game. A lot of times it’s easy to recognize postseason, bringing his career total to 47. what Kane is doing. Sometimes it can be subtle. As Belfry explained, Jonathan Marchessault and Smith continue to have great chemistry and what makes Kane elite is he puts the puck where it’ll benefit his are creating offense nearly every time they’re on the ice. Even during the teammates the most. stretches in the game when Chicago controlled play, Smith and Kane was on the ice for all three of the Blackhawks’ regulation goals Marchessault provided a spark for Vegas. Thursday. He had an impact on all of them. The two connected on several one-timers that forced Crawford to make On the first, it was a simple pass to Calvin de Haan, but Kane gave de big saves, and they helped Paul Stastny score the game’s opening goal. Haan the puck where he had time and space. De Haan shot, and Kirby Marchessault fed a pass behind the Chicago net to Smith, who Dach was there for the rebound. On the second one, he gave Dominik immediately slipped it to Stastny on the doorstep for an easy goal. Kubalik the puck in a position where he had time and space. Kubalik Smith and Marchessault have combined for the third-most points of any made the most of it. On the third one, Kane started a breakout with a trio in the NHL over the past three postseasons. pass to Dylan Strome as he was exiting the zone. Later, Kane connected with Strome again at the net for a goal. Their combination of speed and puck movement has given Chicago problems, especially on the rush. But they’ve been equally good in their The Blackhawks had a chance in this game even though the analytics own end, allowing little to the Blackhawks. In 5:16 of even-strength time were well against them, as many expected. against Patrick Kane’s line in regulation, the trio gave up only one shot In the third period alone, the Golden Knights had a 17-3 edge in scoring on goal. chances at five-on-five. Somehow, the Blackhawks didn’t allow a goal in Adam Boqvist was stapled to the bench for the homestretch of the that period and forced overtime. For the game, the Golden Knights had a Blackhawks’ tense, series-clinching victory over the Edmonton Oilers. He 40-23 edge in scoring chances and a 66.7 expected-goal percentage. was on the ice for two goals against and had a ghastly expected-goals- It’s an uphill battle the Blackhawks are going to face every game against for percentage of 16.54 in Game 1 against Vegas. Vegas. If they have any chance of not getting swept, they’ll have to In Game 2, he was scratched. capitalize on their chances. The puck could have bounced in their favor in overtime and won the game, but ultimately, the Golden Knights got the On the one hand, Jeremy Colliton is trying to win a playoff series, and if result they deserved. he doesn’t think Boqvist is one of the six defensemen who give him the best chance to do that, then Boqvist shouldn’t be in the lineup. Simple as The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020 that. The playoffs are a meritocracy, not a charity. On the other hand, this postseason is a gift to the Blackhawks, one they didn’t really earn. The narrative throughout this adventure has been that the whole unexpected playoff experience would be invaluable to the Blackhawks’ cadre of young players, giving them a taste of what postseason hockey is like and what it takes to win. Benching Boqvist runs counter to that theory.

On the other hand, Lucas Carlsson is one of those young players, too, and is quickly working his way into the 2020-21 conversation with six strong games before the pause. It’d be one thing if Boqvist had been benched for Nick Seeler. But giving Carlsson a look is worthwhile. And he held his own in limited minutes, even seeing a little power-play time. Carlsson was fine. Is fine good enough to keep him in the lineup in Game 3? We’ll see.

Tomas Nosek wasn’t even supposed to be in the lineup for Thursday’s game, but he filled in for Max Pacioretty, who was ruled unfit to play by the Golden Knights just before the puck drop.

Nosek took advantage of the opportunity, scoring his fifth career playoff goal to put Vegas up 2-0 early.

“It’s a fast game, especially for me,” Nosek told the broadcast during the first intermission. “I was sitting in the stands for the first game. This is a little bit different than the round-robin. It’s a playoff game, and it’s faster.”

Playing between Ryan Reaves and William Carrier on the fourth line, Nosek helped drive possession and was solid in his own end, too. He might not be part of the lineup moving forward if Pacioretty returns, but there aren’t many better 13th forwards out there who can be plugged into the lineup and trusted in all areas of play.

Unfortunately for the Golden Knights, Nosek was knocked out of the game after tangling with Toews near the end of the second period. He didn’t return to the ice, forcing Vegas to rotate centers on the fourth line for the third period and overtime. 1191103 Vegas Golden Knights

VGK’s Reilly Smith Scores OT Game-Winner As Knights Win, 4-3, Over Chicago Thursday To Go Up 2-0 In Series

By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com

Reilly Smith sometimes gets overlooked on a team with many leaders, names and popular players. Not Thursday.

The Golden Knights forward scored the overtime game-winner Thursday and led the VGK to a 4-3 OT win over the Chicago Blackhawks, giving the Knights a 2-0 game lead in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Coach Pete DeBoer mentioned the team’s ability to take it to the next level to close out games.

VGK forward Paul Stastny opened the scoring off a nifty feed from linemate Jonathan Marchessault in period one. And then Tomas Nosek — back in the line on the fourth line — snapped a wrister for the VGK 2-0 lead after period one.

Stastny responded to an LVSportsBiz.com question about what it’s like to play with Smith as a linemate. Here’s his complete response:

Before he left the bench with an apparent injury, Nosek was interviewed after period one. “It’s a fast game. Little different from round robin,” Nosek said in between period one and two.

In period two, Blackhawks 19-year-old rookie Kirby Dach backhanded a rebound into an open net to slice the Knights lead in half to 2-1. Lehner didn’t have a chance after he made the initial save.

Then Dominik Kubalík snapped a wrist shot just inside the post on a power play to knot the score at two apiece midway through the middle period.

Knights forward Mark Stone found a puck sitting right at his skates and flipped the disc into an open net late in the period to give the VGK a 3-2 lead.

VGK forward Mark Stone

But Chicago converted on a Dylan Strome goal after some nifty puck movement and the score was locked at three after two periods. Patrick Kane, a Blackhawks 31-year-old forward, assisted on all three Chicago goals after two periods.

The Golden Knights have dominated the third period during the Pandemic Playoffs, outscoring foes, 10-1.

But the third stanza was scoreless — and off to overtime the Knights and Blackhawks went. Smith scored the winner and goalie Robin Lehner remains unbeaten at 7-0 for the Golden Knights.

The Knights and Blackhawks battle in games 3 and 4 Saturday and Sunday in the Edmonton host city Bubble at Rogers place.

Owner Bill Foley, on Knights TV programming between periods one and two, said players helping Las Vegas after the Oct. 1, 2017 mass shooting on the Strip set the tone for the NHL franchise to give to the local market.

The Knights held a charity night fundraiser Thursday for the VGK Foundation, raising well over $265,000 at last look.

It’s great to see national anthem singer Carnell “Golden Pipes” Johnson singing the anthem before the VGK games. LVSportsBiz.com did a story on Johnson in season one, urging the Knights to use Johnson as their postseason anthem singer.

And our postgame chat with Golden Pipes:

Lehner had quite a few skates to pick from after the blade came off his skate not once but twice in Game 1. A look online showed these goalie skates to choose from among others.

LVSportsBiz.com LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191104 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights — And VGK Fans — Prep For Vegas-Chicago Game 2 Thursday Afternoon After Knights Won Game 1, 4-1, Tuesday

By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com

Golden Knights Superfan Lan Beyster is breaking out the drinks and the sanitizers.

It was Game Day Tuesday, and the ringleader of the Vegas Golden Knights Misfits fan club was ready to have fun with her Misfits pals in the age of COVID-19, a pandemic that has claimed the lives of 165,000 Americans.

“Planning a home watch party during a pandemic is not as bad as I thought it would be. I keep my guest list at a max of 25 people. I have everyone bring their own food, ice and beverages. I do have sanitizers and disinfectants throughout the house,” Beyster said. “Having a watch party at home saves money for everyone and the it’s also a fun way for VGK fans to feel like they’re at the fortress.”

Beyster sets up VGK postseason game watch in her back yard. She expects only a few people for today’s 2:30 p.m. VGK-Blackhawks Game 2, but she noted today that more Misfits fans will be returning for Games 3 and 4 Saturday and Sunday when they don’t have to work.

Another VGK superfan, Christopher Green, likes to go to Dean’s Place off Dean Martin Boulevard near the Silverton Resort in the south valley.

“They have dozens of televisions in a malleable, lawfully-compliant environment, non-smoking and smoking, fully-stocked bar with a great Italian-American kitchen. Soups, salads, a steak & burger or two, lots of familiar entered entrees like Marsala & Bolognese. The staff are friendly, tolerant & vehement VGK fans who attended games at T-Mobile Arena as are the few other patrons,” Green said.

Christopher Green

“The business maintains a strict capacity limit according to current governmental requirements. Great energy and great spaces, even a dog friendly patio. To the business is very accommodating to Knights fans as long as you always wear your mask and pay attention to the new ways but they’ll shout #GoKnightsGo and WOOOOOOOO! along with you all you like,” Green pointed out.

With many fans staying home to watch Golden Knights playoff games, the VGK have created a home watch party kid that retails for $30. LVSportsBiz.com contacted Brian Killingsworth, VGK’s chief marketing officer, to get the lowdown on the Knights’ newest retail product. Here’s how the watch kit came together.

“We truly have the best home ice advantage in the NHL with the best fans in the National Hockey League. We all miss the collective energy and excitement of a packed Fortress so we wanted to find an innovative way to have our fans be able to celebrate VGK Stanley Cup Playoff wins with their friends and family so we created the Stay-at-home watch party kits,” Killingsworth explained.

“Each Watch Party kit contains an exclusive playoff Knight Up bag, playoff rally towels, light up cheer sticks, car decals, cowbells, whistles and other noisemakers for only $30. We are encouraging our fans to show us their at-home viewing set-ups and capture their goal celebrations and send it to us on Twitter at @goldenknights. The Stay-at- home Watch Party Kits have been selling really well at the Arsenal at City National Arena and online at vegasteamstore.com and we only have a limited number of kits left.”

LVSportsBiz.com LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191105 Washington Capitals in the NHL,” MacLellan said in late July. “He’s played really well at the [AHL] level; he’s gotten better every year, has worked hard at his game.”

Copley went 17-8-6 with Hershey in the 2019-20 season and had a .905 Braden Holtby, who struggled late in Game 1, looks to bounce back for save percentage and 2.47 goals against average. The 28-year-old Capitals goaltender went 16-7-3 with Washington in 2018-19, which was his first full season in the NHL.

The Capitals have faith in Holtby and know they need to do more on the Samantha Pell other end of the ice, especially with Nicklas Backstrom out. Backstrom was placed in the concussion protocol after a late hit by Lee in Game 1.

“We know we need to be better, we need to generate a little more TORONTO — Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby was offense,” Tom Wilson said Thursday. “We looked at some ways this arguably the team’s best player through round-robin play here. The morning on how to do it. We just have to execute it at the end of the day, pending free agent looked sharp, posting a .925 save percentage and get pucks to the net — you know, that playoff-type hockey.” 1.98 goals against average, and he appeared to be hitting his stride at the opportune time. Washington Post LOADED: 08.14.2020 But in the late stages of Wednesday’s Game 1 loss to the New York Islanders, the 30-year-old goaltender’s game collapsed.

He took the blame for the Islanders’ first goal of the night that cut Washington’s 2-0 lead in half late in the second period. The play began with Mathew Barzal and Jordan Eberle attacking on the rush. Barzal dropped the puck for Eberle, who then cut left to right, getting past Capitals defenseman John Carlson before firing what should have been a harmless wrister toward the net. Holtby appeared to misplay the puck, which went right over his raised glove and into the net.

Svrluga: The Capitals-Islanders series already has some sizzle, but there’s something missing

“First, first goal obviously can’t go in,” Holtby said after the game. “I haven’t seen a replay of it yet. Can’t really tell you too much. I just know it’s a bad goal in a bad part of the game. That’s on me. That changes the momentum of the game right there. That’s just something that you move on with, you realize the importance of the little things and you strive to do them better next time. ”

The Islanders tied the score 51 seconds into the third period on a goal by Anders Lee.

Later in the third, Holtby was clearing the puck on a Capitals power play and tried to casually pass it to Alex Ovechkin, who was engaged with Brock Nelson. With Ovechkin unaware the puck was coming to him, Nelson got possession and passed to Josh Bailey, who scored the eventual game-winning goal shorthanded.

“I didn’t realize that there wasn’t much time there,” Holtby said. “I should’ve just held on to it. I thought we had more time. That one’s something that we just — you don’t want it to happen. It was kind of a weird play. It’s more that first one that I’ve got to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

Holtby finished with 23 saves on 27 shots, and his play has raised concerns even though it was only the first game of the series. He will get a chance to bounce back Friday in Game 2.

“I think we have an experienced enough group to know that one game doesn’t make a series,” Holtby said. “It’s how you respond to it; it’s how you do the little things, learn from the game that you just played and find ways to play them better. … First game in the series doesn’t say much about how it’s going to go. It’s how you respond from here on out.”

Nicklas Backstrom in concussion protocol, out for Game 2 vs. Islanders after late hit

The Capitals’ backup goaltending options aren’t ideal.

Rookie Ilya Samsonov did not travel with the team to Toronto because of an injury he suffered off the ice in Russia, so Vitek Vanecek has been named the No. 2 behind Holtby. Pheonix Copley is also with the team.

Vanecek had a solid campaign with Hershey of the in 2019-20, posting a 2.26 goals against average and .917 save percentage behind a 19-10-1 record in 31 games while splitting time with Copley. Vanecek, 24, has not made an official NHL appearance — he played in the third period of the exhibition game against the Carolina Hurricanes on July 29. Coach Todd Reirden and General Manager Brian MacLellan praised Vanecek after his performance.

“Vitek, he’s earned a chance to play some games, and unfortunately we haven’t had the opportunity to get him into games, regular season games 1191106 Washington Capitals The Caps can only dream of games when a Trotz-coached club will be so undisciplined that it takes seven penalties, many completely unnecessary. There will probably be no more such gifts. Also, the Caps squandered two glorious power-play goals by T.J. Oshie — the kind of The Capitals were a mess in Game 1. That should make it easy to plays that define No. 77 and show his make-you-gasp combination of improve. hand-eye coordination, grit and spooky anticipation.

Svrluga: The Capitals-Islanders series already has some sizzle, but there’s something missing Thomas Boswell The Caps wasted an especially fine performance from Oshie, who had

four blocked shots and four big hits, plus a sprawling improvised “save” If it will help the Washington Capitals get playoff-focused and ornery to when he swiped a loose puck out of the Caps’ crease when it was six hear that they flat-out stunk in Game 1 of their playoff series with the inches from the goal line. New York Islanders, then my noble work for the day is probably done in Oshie wasn’t just the Caps’ player of the game. He was almost their only one sentence. player in the game. Sometimes contending teams — even veteran ones only two years The evening turned when goalie Braden Holtby whiffed on a shot, removed from a Stanley Cup victory — can excuse themselves for 22 possibly ticked by a defenseman, to cut Washington’s lead to 2-1 with miserable minutes at the end of what should have been a winnable 1:03 left in the second period. Some think, without crowds, that there will game. not be many obvious momentum swings in these playoffs, moments It’ll be tempting for the Caps to recall how well they played in taking a 2-0 when you see one team’s energy level soar while the other wilts — with lead in the first 38 minutes of Wednesday’s 4-2 loss and overlook the that gap widening all the way to game’s end. But it happened in Game 1. scary longer-term implications of the way the Islanders outplayed them in From that instant, the Caps flopped — skates up — getting outworked five-on-five situations. while also making a flood of mental mistakes.

After their defeat, the Caps followed standard, and entirely logical, In the first minute of the third period, the Caps failed to clear the crease, operating procedure in the NHL by lobbying for a suspension for contributing to a point-blank Lee goal. Islanders captain Anders Lee after a hit that knocked Nicklas Backstrom New York’s winning goal was the epitome of a bad-look gift as the Caps, out of the last two periods and landed him in the concussion protocol, who allowed nine careless shorthanded goals in the regular season, ruling him out for Friday’s Game 2. permitted yet another. On a Caps power play, Alex Ovechkin skated back Lee’s blow seemed in the mean spirit of doing opportunistic damage to a like a strolling pedestrian as he “chased” a puck that was shot softly into foe’s first-line center. But the NHL deemed the play, which earned a two- the Caps’ end. What would have happened if he had hustled back? minute interference penalty and started a Lee-John Carlson scuffle With that tone set, it was little surprise to see young Jakub Vrana wander moments later, not worthy of suspension. That should only tick the Caps back at his leisure on what turned into a three-on-two New York rush. off more. That crucial third Islander — Vrana’s man — scored on a layup rebound. “It looked real dirty to me,” said Carlson, the Norris Trophy finalist whose All these mishaps and misdemeanors can be wiped away by a strong return from an undisclosed lower-body injury was the best news of the Game 2 Friday night. Even though Game 1 winners have advanced 69 night. percent of the time in NHL history, the Caps have three things going for Nicklas Backstrom in concussion protocol, out for Game 2 vs. Islanders them. after late hit First, they should have Lars Eller back; the center was held out of Game “They’re trying to take that [play] out of the game,” Carlson added of the 1 after returning from paternity leave. That seemed sensible, given his way Backstrom, looking back at a pass, turned around just in time to lack of on-ice practice during four days of back-in-the-bubble quarantine. glimpse Lee’s attempt to blast him from the NHL’s Toronto bubble all the But when Backstrom was lost, the Caps’ choice not to have Eller active way to the one in Edmonton. “Nicky doesn’t get hit very often. That created a double void. should tell you all you need to know. He’s one of the most aware players Second, even if they disliked the Islanders before Game 1, that emotion in the league.” has now ramped up. In part, that may be because Backstrom missed 40 games in the 2011-12 “We weren’t happy with how that game finished up. So, don’t want to talk season because of concussion issues, which the Islanders, and ex-Caps too much in detail about it, but we’ve addressed some things [in 5-on-5 coach Barry Trotz, certainly know. play],” Tom Wilson said Thursday. Then, of the Backstrom hit, Wilson Capitals Coach Todd Reirden also played the Suspend That Villain card added, “I definitely think it’s fuel for the fire. … He’s a leader for us. Guys as forcefully as he could. Backstrom “was extremely vulnerable. … It’s as have to step up and try to jump into a (bigger) role. … But it’s a hit that simple as that — late hit, player wasn’t expecting it. And it’s predatory.” obviously we didn’t like.”

Of course, “dirty hit” and “predatory” are fighting words, even in a league Third, the worse you’ve played in a loss, the more you can improve the where “Good afternoon” can get the gloves to drop. next time you get a chance. The Caps were so limp and lame for the last 22 minutes that their room for improvement in Game 2 can be measured The NHL’s written and unwritten definitions of acceptable mayhem are an in miles. eternal mystery of sport. So the Caps are stuck with “that’s hockey,” especially in this meeting between teams that had what Trotz called a AD “physical, vicious, highly emotional” series when they last met in 2015 — If they fail to atone for a wasted win and fall behind a tough, disciplined with Trotz on the other side. The question now is: Can the Caps move on Trotz team by two games, then their next measurement may also be in — without Backstrom for an undetermined time — to control this series? miles — 483 of them from Toronto back to Washington. They certainly rebounded often in their Stanley Cup run, when they In the playoffs, urgency is the virtue that counts most when it arrives one trailed in games in all four series: 2-0, 1-0, 3-2 and 1-0. There’s no game before you desperately need it. reason a Caps team with 90 regular season points (first in the Metropolitan Division) should lack confidence against the Islanders, who Washington Post LOADED: 08.14.2020 were fifth in the same division with 80 points (in one fewer game).

On paper and ice, the talented, offensively oriented Caps and the structured, low-star-power, defense-first Islanders are as even as their 4- 4 head-to-head record over the past two seasons, with the scoring in those games (21-21) also tied entering this showdown. But such reassurances ignore every aspect of Game 1. 1191107 Washington Capitals So that was a sacrifice I made, but I still got some time with my family. Yeah, not the ideal situation for me. That’s what I did.”

Eller was cleared for Game 1, but the Capitals opted to hold him out until Nicklas Backstrom in concussion protocol, out for Game 2 vs. Islanders Game 2. He will now jump up into the top six, where he has seen after late hit sustained success skating alongside Jakub Vrana and T.J. Oshie. In the 183 minutes Eller, Oshie and Vrana were on the ice together during the regular season, the Capitals produced nine goals at even strength while allowing six. Additionally, Eller played a major role when Backstrom went Samantha Pell down against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the Capitals’ run to the 2018 Stanley Cup. .

TORONTO — Veteran center Nicklas Backstrom is in the NHL’s “I love when those challenges happen because I think I don’t change the concussion protocol and will not play in Game 2 of Washington’s first- way I think about the game or the way I prepare myself,” Eller said. “It will round playoff series against the New York Islanders on Friday, Coach basically mean I will be playing more minutes probably than I otherwise Todd Reirden said Thursday. would. My mentality is the same, trying to go out there and play a strong two-way game and create offense in every shift.” Less than three minutes into Wednesday’s 4-2 Game 1 loss, Islanders captain Anders Lee delivered a late hit on Backstrom, whose head was With Backstrom out for Friday and potentially longer, the Capitals will be turned at impact. Lee was called for interference on the play. down a veteran player who has 107 points (36 goals, 71 assists) in 127 playoff games over 12 years, as well as one of their leaders. In 61 “Nick is a tremendous leader for us,” Reirden said Thursday. “His body of regular season games, Backstrom tallied 54 points (12 goals, 42 assists). work as a player speaks for itself, but that’s next man up. Who’s going to Not only does Backstrom’s play at even strength help facilitate ice time take advantage of that opportunity? That’s playoff hockey. That’s winning for the other three lines, but his role on the power play is crucial. hockey during the regular season is having guys that are in depth positions that take advantage of it. Sometimes you have players that Backstrom also briefly filled in for Eller on the penalty kill (38 seconds) roles are elevated within the game. That’s what we’re challenged with, Wednesday. But the Capitals do have some experience with Backstrom’s and we’ll be ready for that tomorrow.” absence this season.

According to the NHL’s player-safety guidance on what constitutes an In the eight games Backstrom missed with an upper-body injury, interference call, all late hits that are evaluated for supplemental Washington went 6-1-1, winning six straight and completing its first 4-0-0 discipline are timed to the hundredth of a second and timing is “not the road trip since 1993. determining factor.” With Eller moving up, Travis Boyd should continue to take Eller’s place Only on plays where late hits are “excessively high, predatory, or violent,” on the third line. Boyd was on the ice for 14 minutes Wednesday and may the infractions rise to the level of supplemental discipline. No averaged 10:50 of ice time in the team’s last two round-robin games. He additional discipline will be issued from the NHL’s Department of Player recorded 2:02 of power-play time with the second unit against the Safety for Lee’s hit. Islanders and had no shots on goal playing on the third line alongside Carl Hagelin and Ilya Kovalchuk. Backstrom played the rest of the first period after the hit, recording 7:21 of ice time. When Backstrom came to the bench, he and trainer Jason The streaky play of Evgeny Kuznetsov also will come into focus because Serbus had an extensive conversation. Backstrom, who has a history of he will become Washington’s top center. While Kuznetsov did score concussions, did not return to the bench for the second period and did during round-robin play, he did briefly leave the Capitals’ game against not play the rest of the game. the Philadelphia Flyers with what appeared to be a left ankle injury before returning and subsequently getting benched for defensive lapses. Capitals players and coaches were furious with the hit, with Reirden calling it “predatory” and John Carlson saying it looked “real dirty.” Lee Kuznetsov had six shots on goal Wednesday, tied for the team high with said after the game that he “tried to throw the brakes on a little bit there, Alex Ovechkin. He also recorded 26:37 minutes of ice time, another team but I caught him.” high.

“It’s definitely fuel for the fire, in a way,” Tom Wilson said. “Obviously we Washington Post LOADED: 08.14.2020 didn’t like the hit. … We are going to do our best to play for him.”

The Capitals took pride in staying healthy and injury-free during the team’s nearly two-week training camp tuneup period before the start of round-robin play to determine playoff seeding. There was some uncertainty surrounding how NHL players would look after a four-month pause amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, along with concerns about a potential deluge of injuries stemming from players accelerating quickly back into game shape.

Those concerns were nonexistent at MedStar Capitals Iceplex back in Arlington, Va., — aside from an off-ice injury suffered by reserve goalie Ilya Samsonov in Russia before the NHL restart. But now that the Capitals are in Toronto, the team has yet to finish a game with all of its regulars at its disposal.

Carlson suffered what appeared to be a left leg injury in the third period of the team’s exhibition game July 29 and missed all three round-robin games before returning to the lineup Wednesday.

Center Lars Eller — who will play in Game 2 at Scotiabank Arena — missed the final two round-robin games and Game 1 against the Islanders after returning home to Washington for the birth of his second child. Eller said Thursday that his son, Alexander, was born Aug. 4 and he returned to Washington the following day. The Capitals were concerned that if Eller entered the hospital for the birth, he would need to spend more time in quarantine.

“It would’ve been a lot more than four days, even just potentially being in contact with somebody that could have covid,” Eller said, referring to the disease caused by the coronavirus. “Not knowing but just precautionary. 1191108 Washington Capitals

Barry Trotz brushes off Todd Reirden's 'predatory' comment on the hit to Nicklas Backstrom

By J.J. Regan August 13, 2020 5:14 PM

Nicklas Backstrom was injured on a late hit delivered by New York Islanders captain Anders Lee in Game 1 on Wednesday and the Capitals made it known after the game that they did not like the hit at all. Head coach Todd Reirden provided some of the strongest comments as he called the hit "predatory."

"It was a late hit on an unexpected player that was in a spot [where] he was extremely vulnerable," Reirden said. "So those are some things we saw there. It’s as simple as that. Like I said, late hit, the player wasn’t expecting it and it’s predatory.”

Given a chance to respond on Friday, however, Islanders head coach Barry Trotz brushed aside Reirden's comments.

"Not really," Trotz said when asked if he had a response. "[The Department of Player Safety] looks at it, they've got good hockey people. Todd was doing what you expect a coach to do, is defend his player. I don't have anything on that reaction at all."

Backstrom is in the league's concussion protocol as a result of the hit and will not play in Game 2. That is sure to irk the Caps even further after Lee received no supplemental discipline from the league.

"I definitely think it's fuel for the fire in a way," Tom Wilson said. "Obviously we didn't like the hit. Nicky is our star player. He's a leader for us. You never want to see a guy go down, especially a guy like that. We're going to do our best to play for him, and step in."

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191109 Washington Capitals key, especially with how much the Caps are struggling to score at 5-on-5 at the moment.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.14.2020 Capitals vs. Islanders Game 2: Caps get Eller back, but lose Backstrom

By J.J. Regan August 13, 2020 3:40 PM

The Capitals continue their playoff series against the New York Islanders on Friday with Game 2 (NBC Sports Washington, 8 p.m.) of their best of seven series. Catch all the action on NBC Sports Washington starting at 7 p.m. with Caps Pregame Live followed by the game at 8 p.m. Stick with NBC Sports Washington after the game for Caps Postgame Live.

Here's what you need to know for Game 2.

Backstrom is out, Eller is in

Nicklas Backstrom is in the league's concussion protocol and will not play in Game 2, head coach Todd Reirden revealed on Thursday. Backstrom was injured by a late hit from Islanders captain Anders Lee in Game 1. The puck was not close and Backstrom was caught by surprise. That is a huge loss for Washington, but the good news is that the team will get a center back in Lars Eller.

Eller left the Toronto bubble to be with his family for the birth of his second child. He returned and had to receive four negative tests in four days in order to be cleared by the league to return. He did so prior to Wednesday's game, but was held out as a precaution after not skating for a week.

Eller is expected to slot into the second line for Backstrom with Jakub Vrana and T.J. Oshie.

As for the rest of the lines, Reirden said any other possible lineup changes were still being discussed so, if he does want to tweak the lineup for what will be a pivotal Game 2, we won't know about it until Friday.

Looking back at Game 1

The Caps trail 1-0 in the series after dropping Wednesday's Game 1 to New York 4-2.

Washington led 2-0 with 22 minutes remaining in regulation and still lost after giving up four consecutive goals. That's a tough loss. Braden Holtby made two critical mistakes that were the difference in the game, but really the whole team did not play well at all in the third period. It was a missed opportunity for the Caps given how well they played for the first two periods.

T.J. Oshie was the team's best player scoring each of Washington's two goals.

Where has all the offense gone?

The Caps have now played in four postseason games. Here are some less-than-encouraging offensive stats:

The Caps have scored 1.75 goals per game, tied for 20th out of 24 playoff teams.

The Caps have scored 3 goals at 5-on-5. Only the New York Rangers scored fewer (2).

Only five Caps players have scored more than 1 point: T.J. Oshie (3), Evgeny Kuznetsov (2), Tom Wilson (2), John Carlson (2) and Radko Gudas (2).

Alex Ovechkin and Jakub Vrana both have yet to record a single point.

The Islanders are a stingy team defensively, but Washington has to find more offense, especially at 5-on-5 play.

Still perfect on the penalty kill

Enough of the negative stuff. Ready for a positive? The penalty kill remains perfect. Washington killed off an additional four power plays in Game 1 to improve to 12 out of 12 kills in the postseason.

This series is going to be a very rough, physical series and penalties are going to come for both teams. Winning the special teams battle will be 1191110 Washington Capitals

Nicklas Backstrom is in concussion protocol and will not play in Game 2

By J.J. Regan August 13, 2020 3:20 PM

The hit that took Nicklas Backstrom out of Game 1 will now also keep him out of Game 2. Capitals head coach Todd Reirden declared on Thursday that Nicklas Backstrom would not play in Game 2 against the New York Islanders on Friday and is in the NHL's concussion protocol.

Backstrom was injured by a late hit from Islanders captain Anders Lee in Game 1. The puck was not close and Backstromw was caught by surprise by the hit. Lee was given a minor penalty for interference on the play. The Capitals made their displeasure with the hit known on the ice as John Carlson immediately dropped the gloves with Lee and Tom Wilson fought him later in the same period. After the game, Calrson called the hit "dirty," Oshie said the hit was "extremely late" and Reirden labeled in "predatory."

Despite what Washington thought, however, Lee received no supplementary discipline and now the Caps will have to prepare for Game 2 without one of their top centers.

"Nick is a tremendous leader for us," Reirden said. "His body of work as a player speaks for itself, but that's next man up. Who's going to take advantage of that opportunity? That's playoff hockey. That's winning hockey during the regular season is having guys that are in depth positions that take advantage of it."

The good news is that the team will get Lars Eller back who has been cleared to return to the ice. Eller left the Toronto bubble to be with his family for the birth of his second child. He returned and had to receive four negative tests in four days. He did so prior to Wednesday's game, but was held out as a precaution after not skating for a week.

Eller is expected to slot into the second line for Backstrom with Jakub Vrana and T.J. Oshie in Game 2.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191111 Washington Capitals

Losing Nicklas Backstrom would be 'huge trouble' for the Capitals

By Mike DePrisco August 13, 2020 11:41 AM

Nicklas Backstrom only played seven minutes in the Caps' frustrating Game 1 loss to the Islanders last night after a late hit by Anders Lee sidelined him for the second and third periods.

The Caps' weren't happy about it, fans certainly weren't happy about it, and now the focus shifts to the 32-year-old center who's struggled with concussions in the past. And as the team's radio voice, John Walton explained on the Sports Junkies Thursday, losing Backstrom for more time than they already have would be troubling news.

"If Nicky is out for any length of time, that's huge trouble," Walton said. "The good news is they're gonna get Lars Eller back in Game 2 and he may have to -- and he has in the past -- been the second-line center. But if you lose Nick Backstrom you're obviously losing something big."

Backstrom's value to the Capitals' offense can't be understated. He's a terrific passer, has a unique chemistry with Alex Ovechkin and facilitates the offense like a point guard does in basketball.

The Islanders are a physical, defensive-minded team, but Walton thinks Lee's hit on Backstrom was a cheap one.

RELATED: HOLTBY TAKES BLAME FOR CRUCIAL MISTAKES IN GAME 1

"I don't know if it crossed into suspension territory, [Lee] is not going to be from what we're told," Walton said. "But it was cheap, it was late and it was a lot of things that came out of the Caps' dressing room."

Now we wait to hear Backstrom's status ahead of a crucial Game 2, and since the Eastern Conference playoffs are played in the same place and most of the media is covering the games from home, it's harder to get concrete updates in a timely manner.

"One of the problems that we're fighting is that when you're [broadcasting] in Washington and the games are in Toronto you don't have the same access to information that we usually have," he said. "We can only go on what we saw."

Head coach Todd Reirden is expected to talk on Backstrom's availability Thursday after practice, so with any luck, the Caps will have Backstrom back for Game 2 on Friday night. If they don't have him, though it's going to be difficult for Washington to avoid the dreaded 2-0 series hole.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191112 Washington Capitals

Braden Holtby takes the blame for critical Game 1 mistakes

By J.J. Regan August 13, 2020 6:00 AM

Braden Holtby was the Capitals' best player in the round robin. On Wednesday, he committed two major mistakes that proved to be the difference in Washington's 4-2 Game 1 loss to the New York Islanders and he did not shy away from responsibility afterward.

Late in the second period, the Caps led 2-0 and looked to be in complete control. Then Jordan Eberle took a pass from Mathew Barzal, cut from left to right and fired what should have been a harmless wrister from the top of the faceoff circle. Instead of being an easy save, however, Holtby's body drifted to his right and the puck somehow avoided his raised glove and hit the back of the net.

"First goal obviously can't go in," Holtby said. "I haven't seen a replay of it yet. Can't really tell you too much. I just know it's a bad goal in a bad part of the game. That's on me. That changes the momentum of the game right there."

In the third period, after the Islanders rallied to tie the game at 2, Holtby took a cleared puck on a Caps' power play and tried to casually hand it off to Alex Ovechkin without realizing Brock Nelson charging in after them. Nelson would win possession and pass it off to Josh Bailey who scored the game-winning short-handed goal.

"Shorthanded goal was just more of a miscommunication," Holtby said. "I think I was kind of fighting for it in the sealing and I didn't realize that there wasn't much time there. I should've just held onto it. I thought we had more time. That one's something that we just - you don't want it to happen."

That's two major mistakes with one proving to be the turning point of the game while the other was the game-winning goal.

While Holtby was quick to put the blame on himself, head coach Todd Reirden said the loss was a collective effort.

“Like the rest of our players, I thought we had a good first half of the game and we needed more from everybody in the second half, not just [Holtby]," Reirden said,

It is interesting to wonder what would happen in Game 2 if Ilya Samsonov was healthy and with the team. Holtby was the team's No. 1 all season, but Samsonov played frequently and, for much of the season, outplayed Holtby. Would Reirden make the goalie change for Game 2 if that option was available?

With Samsonov injured, however, this question is purely hypothetical. With the team's two goalie choices behind Holtby being Vitek Vanecek and Pheonix Copley, a goalie switch for Game 2 is not even worth considering. The only solution is for Holtby and the team to forget about Game 1 and remember that it's a long series and Washington is by no means out of it.

"I think we have an experienced enough group to know that one game doesn't make a series," Hotlby said. "It's how you respond to it, it's how you do the little things, learn from the game that you just played and find ways to play them better. I think to push forward from a game like today is one that I want to make sure that I have my best game come next game and as a group, I think individually if we all expect more of ourselves then that's how we've won in the past and that's how we're gonna do it again. First game in the series doesn't say much about how it's gonna go. It's how you respond from here on out."

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191113 Washington Capitals room since I came back. I went for a walk outside, got some time in the sun, had a good workout with the Black Aces, watched the game at the rink and had a good practice this morning. Now we’re here.”

Lars Eller in familiar playoff role by replacing an injured Nicklas While holed up in his hotel room, Eller said he relied on a couple of Backstrom dumbbells and bands to do workouts designed for him by Mark Nemish, the team’s longtime strength and conditioning coach.

“I was doing one hour of actual work a day, but besides that, a lot of By Tarik El-Bashir Aug 13, 2020 watching a lot of hockey games, trying to get some reading in, trying to not look at screens the whole day, but it is tough,” Eller said. “A lot of

FaceTime with the family back in D.C. The whole thing is weird, being in The Capitals received mixed news on Thursday: they’re getting back one this bubble, leaving, coming back and then go straight into a playoff key player but they’re losing another. game. You have to adapt to the situation. Clearly not the ideal preparation.” Center Lars Eller returned to practice after completing his quarantine and will suit up Friday for Game 2 of Washington’s first round series against Eller actually could have played in Game 1 but the team didn’t want to the New York Islanders. drop him right into a postseason contest after several days of relative inactivity, Reirden said. Now for the bad news. The Caps won’t have Nicklas Backstrom, who is in the NHL’s concussion protocol, according to coach Todd Reirden, after “That was a choice to put Lars in the best situation to succeed,” Reirden the star center and alternate captain absorbed a late hit from Anders Lee said, “and that was to not have him playing until Friday.” in the first period of Wednesday’s 4-2 defeat. Reirden said Eller looked good in Thursday’s practice but added that he’ll “Nick is a tremendous leader for us,” Reirden said. “His body of work as a need to monitor Eller’s minutes in Game 2. player speaks for itself. But it’s next man up. Who’s going to take “We’ll see how he’s doing with the speed and the pace of the game,” advantage of that opportunity? That’s playoff hockey.” Reirden said. “Obviously, he’s fresh. I’m sure adrenaline will certainly get It’s expected that Eller will step in for Backstrom, who is arguably the him going early in the game. Obviously he’s excited to get back out there team’s most important forward due to his responsibilities at both ends of and really excited about the opportunity. That’ll add a jolt to us. But we’ll the ice and on the power play. It’s a role Eller has filled at times in the have to play that one by ear. It’s important to set him up for success after past, including four games during the 2018 run to the Stanley Cup. a long time off the ice and manage those minutes properly.”

(In those four contests, Eller recorded two goals and three assists. In Backstrom can’t be replaced. Not completely, anyway. But the impact of fact, in the 30 combined games that Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov his absence can be mitigated, Tom Wilson said, if everybody does just a have missed over the past four seasons, Eller has 22 points.) little bit more. Wilson also said his teammates should use the hit that knocked Backstrom out of the lineup as “fuel for the fire” and “to do our Skating in the top-six is an opportunity Eller said he always relishes. best to play for him.”

“I love when those challenges happen,” he said. “I don’t change the way I “Lars has done an amazing job when one of those top two centermen is think about the game or the way I prepare myself. It will basically mean I down,” Wilson said, referring to Backstrom and Kuznetsov. “He’s done an will be playing more minutes probably than I otherwise would. My amazing job filling in and picking up some slack. That’s why it’s nice to mentality is the same, trying to go out there and play a strong two-way have depth at the center spot. Guys got to step up and come together as game and create offense on every shift. It will be more minutes basically a group and rally for each other, rally for a guy like Nick and hopefully get but I will play the game the exact same way. And I had a very good the job done.” experience playing with (T.J. Oshie) and (Jakub Vrana) in the past.” “And we’ll see him back in the lineup when we see him back in the If that’s indeed what Reirden decides to do, the Caps figure to go lineup.” Kuznetsov, Eller, Travis Boyd and Nic Dowd down the middle. The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020 What’s unclear is the state of Eller’s conditioning after he missed a handful of practices. The 31-year-old left the bubble last week to be with his wife, Julie, and newborn son, Alexander, his second child. Eller actually arrived in Washington a day after his son’s birth, but that was by design. By chartering a plane to and from D.C. and only coming into contact with family — rather than visiting the hospital — Eller reduced the number of days he had missed with the Caps to just four.

“I basically gave up being at the birth,” Eller said. “That was the only way to get around not being at the hospital. I would have had to serve way more than four days of quarantine. I don’t know if it was going to be seven or eight or nine days or 10 or two weeks. It would’ve been a lot more than four days, even just potentially being in contact with somebody that could have COVID.”

He added: “So that was a sacrifice I made, but I still got some time with my family. Yeah, not the ideal situation for me. But that’s what I did.”

JOHN CARLSON DID NOT APPRECIATE THIS ANDERS LEE HIT ON NICKLAS BACKSTROM. NO ONE TOUCH OUR NICKE PIC.TWITTER.COM/IX65QKJBIG

— IAN OLAND (@IANOLAND) AUGUST 12, 2020

Eller returned to Toronto on Saturday and immediately began serving a league-mandated quarantine that required him to test negative for COVID-19 on four consecutive days. He was not permitted to leave his hotel room during that period.

“I got back here five days ago in the morning, (was) picked up at the airport, went into the hotel, (got) tested, went straight to my room, spent the next four days there. Room service (and) testing came to my room every day in (protective suits) and masks,” he said. “Then after four consecutive tests, (Wednesday) morning was my first time out of my 1191114 Winnipeg Jets Speaking during his own video session, Cheveldayoff expressed his admiration and respect for the group, despite its qualifying-round failure.

"I’m real proud of this group, real proud of the leadership of this group, Jets head coach, GM say squad made best of topsy-turvy season real proud of the way that the players handled the adversity from Day 1 of Part 1 of the season right until the final buzzer," Cheveldayoff said.

"Same with the coaching staff. Whatever adversity was thrown at them, it Jason Bell was more about what do we have to do now?

Winnipeg Jets coaches from left, goaltending coach Wade Flaherty, head coach , assistant coach Charlie Huddy and Manitoba Moose The men at the controls of the Winnipeg Jets say the severe turbulence head coach Pascal Vincent. of the 2019-20 season took a toll but didn’t damage the structure and stability of the NHL team. WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES

Head coach Paul Maurice and his boss, general manager Kevin Winnipeg Jets coaches from left, goaltending coach Wade Flaherty, head Cheveldayoff, both acknowledged Thursday the team’s exit from the coach Paul Maurice, assistant coach Charlie Huddy and Manitoba Moose post-season before it really started was a colossal disappointment for the head coach Pascal Vincent. organization. "How do we evolve from this and go from there? The results aren’t what The Jets were dumped 3-1 by the Calgary Flames in a best-of-five you would like, but that’s what you’re dealt with in pro sports sometimes qualifying series, culminating with a 4-0 defeat before an empty Rogers here. It’s about moving forward." Place in Edmonton. Top-line centre Mark Scheifele and scoring winger Patrik Laine went down with injuries in Game 1 and were sidelined for the The Jets organization has always been a mutual admiration society, from rest of the series. top to bottom, loyal almost to a fault. But it’s difficult to poke holes in the GM’s lofty grading of Maurice and his staff — Jamie Kompon, Charlie Pressure mounting on Jets GM Huddy and Wade Flaherty — in such a topsy-turvy season.

Kevin Cheveldayoff is about to enter his 10th year with the Jets. "We didn’t get the job done that we all set out to do. But under the circumstances, they’ve done an ‘A’ job for me. They’ve done everything Kevin Cheveldayoff didn't look, or sound, like a guy with the weight of the that I could have asked them to do, you know, from the standpoint of, world on his shoulders as he held his annual end-of-season chin wag they didn’t look me in the eyes and say, ‘You know, Chevy, I do this with local media on Thursday. The Winnipeg Jets general manager was tonight with this group.’ They looked me in the eyes and said, ‘We’ll do calm, cool and collected during a nearly 45-minute session that covered whatever we can, we understand the situation here and that’s what we’re plenty of ground. going to do here,’" said Cheveldayoff. But make no mistake: while we may not have seen him sweat — or The two members of the Jets brass faced a slew of questions during their anything close to the public hand-wringing we've seen from angry final interviews before the late-summer off-season. Here’s a sampling of executives in other NHL markets this week such as Toronto, Minnesota soundbytes: and Pittsburgh — Cheveldayoff's seat should be plenty hot these days given the current state of his hockey club. PLAYERS WHO TOOK A STEP

The loss of Scheifele was another punch to the gut for a squad that took Maurice: "Kyle Connor had an exceptional regular season this year... plenty of hard knocks over the course of, arguably, the most unique NHL there’s just not a lot of times that you’re grabbing Kyle and saying, ‘Hey, campaign in history — owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. you know your last three or four games haven’t been very good, what’s going on?’ He’s kind of turned that corner. Andrew Copp made a huge For Maurice, the overarching theme from his sixth full season behind the step forward. He’s always been a very, very bright defensive player. His bench in the Manitoba capital was his club’s unwillingness to quit. defensive reads are elite, but he’s added in another half-step to his game "You know what, there were so many days that what you were left with through hard training. He’s a little bit quicker. Now you’re starting to see was an inspired feeling about the character of a lot of the people that you the hands develop." had. There were so many — and it was so well documented — so many WHY YOU’RE STILL THE MAN FOR THE JOB events that were unexpected and could have been catastrophic in a lot of ways, but the players didn’t let that happen," said Maurice, who spent Maurice: "This year was, I’m going to rate, as top-three years that I’ve about 40 minutes with the media by video conference. had in this league and I’ll include my staff on that. We did a fantastic job surviving what we went through. (It’s) very difficult in this league to "We had some losses this year that you walked off the bench and you develop and attempt to win at the exact same time, rarely does it happen. thought there wasn’t much left for your hockey club to do. And then you And we’ve had many good, young players who have come in and their had some, in the end, where you thought you could have or should have games continue to get better and better, and you would have lots of been better. But I’m going to look at this as a year of great resilience by confidence and faith that would continue going forward." that group and I’m really, really proud of the way these guys continued to fight in situations that, understandably, would have slowed them down, THOUGHTS ON BRYAN LITTLE but it didn’t. They kept fighting. That will be what I’m left with." Maurice: "You’ll separate the two things, the person and the player. From Over the summer, the Jets blue line was levelled with the departures of a player point of view, we would absolutely now have to plan going Jacob Trouba (a trade to the New York Rangers for pleasant surprise forward that he wouldn’t be a player, because we’ve been doing that Neal Pionk), Tyler Myers and Ben Chiarot (both to free agency). since his injury. As a person, you want a perfect life for everybody, you want perfect health and you want to be able to enjoy your life. For Bryan, Then, before training camp even started, Finnish-born skaters Sami Niku from the Winnipeg Jets and from me personally, I want his life to be and Kristian Vesalainen were shaken up by a motor vehicle collision as great, and if that means he doesn’t step on the ice again then that’s what they headed in for their physicals. Crucial performer Dustin Byfuglien quit I want." the game. Mason Appleton broke a bone in his foot while tossing around the pigskin before the Heritage Classic in Regina. Bryan Little was ON TEAM TOUGHNESS knocked out by friendly fire from the stick of Nikolaj Ehlers in November and might never play again. Cheveldayoff: "It’s easy to say you want to get bigger, you want to get stronger, you want to get faster. But the pendulum, you’ve got to be Then, the global threat of the coronavirus forced the league to shut down careful how you try to look at that. I think for us, when we assess a in March and restart with a restructured playoff format earlier this month player, you’re assessing a lot of it on character, you’re assessing a lot of — a major hurdle all teams had to handle. it on compete, assessing a lot of it on what elements that person brings to that organization when you’re bringing people in. To sit here and say Winnipeg finished the abbreviated regular season fourth in the Central our goal is to get bigger, stronger, tougher, our goal is to get pieces that Division (37-28-6), buoyed by the sensational goaltending of Vezina fit and will complement the pieces we have in place already." Trophy candidate Connor Hellebuyck, a patchwork defensive crew that performed above expectations and a highly skilled top-six forward group. THE APPROACH TO THE DRAFT Cheveldayoff: "Getting into the top-10 class, there’s some really good, talented players there I think that are going to be there for us. I think we’re going to get a good player. Sitting here right now and understanding as you’re drafting an 18-year-old person, forcing a young player just because you might have a hole in your organization is not the best way in all cases to build your organization. Now, if that player forces himself onto the team, then you take a good hard look at it."

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 08.14.2020 1191115 Winnipeg Jets The end result was a massive bloodletting. Jacob Trouba was traded, Tyler Myers, Ben Chiarot and Brandon Tanev were allowed to walk in free agency, and then Dustin Byfuglien dropped a bombshell by opting not to play just as training camp was set to begin. Throw in Bryan Little's Pressure mounting on Jets GM freak early-season injury and the Jets were bringing a pool noodle to a knife fight.

"Obviously we got dusted back from the plate by a couple of curve balls By: Mike McIntyre | Posted: 08/13/2020 7:00 PM that we didn’t anticipate but I thought we came off the mat and found a way to be competitive and to be in a situation probably sitting here where no one anticipated," Cheveldayoff said in response to my question. Kevin Cheveldayoff didn't look, or sound, like a guy with the weight of the world on his shoulders as he held his annual end-of-season chin wag Fair enough, but the Jets are supposed to be more than just competitive with local media on Thursday. The Winnipeg Jets general manager was at this point. They were supposed to be among the annual favourites for calm, cool and collected during a nearly 45-minute session that covered the Stanley Cup. plenty of ground. That's why Cheveldayoff may have to do something that doesn't come But make no mistake: while we may not have seen him sweat — or naturally for him — he's going to have to come out swinging. Whether it's anything close to the public hand-wringing we've seen from angry in the trade market or through unrestricted free agency, the normally executives in other NHL markets this week such as Toronto, Minnesota slow-and-steady GM must leave no stone unturned. The status quo is not and Pittsburgh — Cheveldayoff's seat should be plenty hot these days acceptable. given the current state of his hockey club. His first order of business is deciding what to do with his own unrestricted In case you haven't noticed, the Jets are heading in the wrong direction. free agents. The biggest ones include defencemen Dylan DeMelo, Dmitry A trip to the Western Conference final in 2018, a first-round playoff exit in Kulikov and Nathan Beaulieu, forward Cody Eakin and backup goalie 2019 and now a qualifying series loss in 2020 should have alarm bells Laurent Brossoit. New contracts are also needed for pending RFAs Jack ringing around these parts. Roslovic, Mason Appleton, Jansen Harkins and Sami Niku. Unlike last year when Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor headed up a huge list, none of It would be one thing if this was an organization going through a re-build. this year's class will break the bank. But they're not. They have one of the best goaltenders in the NHL and an expensive and talented forward core that, for the most part, is locked up That allows for some cost certainty, especially once the Jets figure out long-term. They are spending to near the salary cap and supposed to be whether Little is going to resume his playing career, or go on long-term in "win-now" mode. And yet, they're once again left to watch meaningful injury relief, which would clear his US$5.29-million cap hit off the books. hockey while the big boys play on for the next couple months. How about buying out the oft-injured Mathieu Perreault, presuming you can't trade him and the last year of his US$4.125 million contract, for The players chasing a championship aren't happy. Fans paying big further financial freedom? money to support the team aren't happy. And I don't imagine team owners Mark Chipman and David Thomson are jumping for joy, either, Dylan DeMelo is an unrestricted free agent. barely two years removed from what was seen in many quarters as the "We lost 1,000 pounds of defencemen last year, and we're going to want Jets finally becoming a hockey heavyweight. to probably try to get back to that a little bit." – Paul Maurice Just how much more rope does Cheveldayoff have to work with before The blue-line is the biggest priority, especially with Josh Morrissey, Neal ownership, as loyal as they typically are, decides to go in a different Pionk and Tucker Poolman as the only regulars signed for next season. direction? Sure, there's promising young pieces in Ville Heinola and Dylan Samberg Which brings us back to the architect: just how much more rope does in the pipeline, but this group desperately needs an infusion of size and Cheveldayoff have to work with before ownership, as loyal as they skill. typically are, decides to go in a different direction? "We lost 1,000 pounds of defencemen last year, and we're going to want Cheveldayoff is about to enter his 10th year with the Jets. Only David to probably try to get back to that a little bit," Maurice admitted Thursday. Poile (Nashville), Doug Wilson (San Jose), Bob Murray (Anaheim), Stan Winnipeg gave up far too many high-end chances this year, more than Bowman (Chicago) and Doug Armstrong (St. Louis) have been at the any team in fact, and were repeatedly bailed out by goaltender Connor helm longer. Hellebuyck's heroics. When he was just average, as he was during the Which is why this should be the most important off-season of play-in series against Calgary, the end result wasn't pretty. Hoping for a Cheveldayoff's tenure. Both he and head coach Paul Maurice — who miracle on ice most nights isn't sustainable. was signed to a contract extension earlier this year — made repeated Cheveldayoff told me earlier this year he made a promise to captain references to "holes" in the lineup, ones which became glaringly obvious Blake Wheeler, when he signed a contract extension taking him through after Mark Scheifele, Patrik Laine and Mason Appleton were injured in the 2023-24 season, to try to build a contender each season. This after Game 1 of the best-of-five play-in series against the Calgary Flames. the first six years in Winnipeg produced just one playoff appearance. Kevin Cheveldayoff is about to enter his 10th year with the Jets. Wheeler's not getting any younger, and the Jets now have just three Although the effort was certainly there, the Jets were no match for the playoff appearances (and two series victories) in nine seasons. Unless bigger, stronger, deeper Flames, who easily disposed of them in four major improvements are made, a window that seemed wide open just a games. Now Cheveldayoff and company have approximately three-and- couple years ago is at risk of slamming shut. a-half months until the 2020-21 season is projected to begin to find a way If that happens, it will be time for Cheveldayoff to be shown the door. to retool and reload. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 08.14.2020 No, all of the issues are not entirely the fault of Cheveldayoff, who has done a terrific job on the drafting and developing side of things. But the buck ultimately stops with him in a results-oriented business where the most important question is often "What have you done for me lately?"

I asked Cheveldayoff whether he's feeling additional pressure, and his answer came in the form of a history lesson going back to last summer. You'll recall many viewed that as the most challenging he would face, with no shortage of unrestricted and restricted free agents to deal with and very little financial wiggle room to work with.

"Obviously we got dusted back from the plate by a couple of curve balls that we didn’t anticipate but I thought we came off the mat and found a way to be competitive and to be in a situation probably sitting here where no one anticipated." – Kevin Cheveldayoff 1191116 Winnipeg Jets guys are going to be, at least the starting core of those guys and then what’s available in terms of filling the rest of that roster out.”

As for where the Jets need to improve the most, Maurice points to Jets hope Bryan Little's OK, but have to be realistic hockey’s red zone.

“What we do in front of our net and what we create in front of their net would be the most glaring five-on-five areas.” Paul Friesen WHO’S NO. 2?

The compressed schedule forced on teams next season will put The Winnipeg Jets are planning for life without centre Bryan Little. demands on one position in particular.

While Little waits to see if his head injury improves enough for doctors to “We’re all kind of eagerly anticipating what it might look like,” Maurice give him the green light to play again, his team can’t. said. “It goes back to the month of June here, you’re just dying to find out what the schedule is going to look like. So what are the factors in a “I want his life to be great, and if that means he doesn’t step on the ice compressed schedule? One would be your backup goaltender will again then that’s what I want,” head coach Paul Maurice said, Thursday. become really important to your hockey team.” “We’ll just let that happen and hope for the best. But in terms of planning going forward … we have to prepare that he won’t be a player for us That’s because teams likely will play more back-to-back games than again.” ever, maybe even blocks of four games in five days.

Little has four more years on a contract that pays him an average of $5.3 LIKE A KID AT CHRISTMAS million per season. Cheveldayoff says moving up from 12th to 10th in the draft lottery will If he can’t play, his salary is freed up. And the Jets will have another make a difference in the quality of player they get. significant hole to plug. His coach watched the lottery draw for the chance to pick Alexis “We’re going to have to look at that area,” GM Kevin Cheveldayoff said. Lafreniere first overall like a kid dreaming of the ultimate Christmas “Whether it’s something that through our discussions we feel we can fill present. internally, or whether we feel that there’s opportunities for a trade or something from outside.” “We all used to get the Canadian Tire Christmas catalogue, right?” Maurice said. “How I grew up is you knew you weren’t getting anything Little hasn’t played since taking a slap shot to the side of his head in out of it, but man, you went through every page and circled all the stuff early November. you’d love to have.

The Jets acquired Winnipeg product Cody Eakin from Vegas at the trade “Sure, you had some line combinations and played with some things. But deadline, but he’s about to become an unrestricted free agent. we weren’t expecting it.”

TAKING A HARDBALL Winnipeg Sun LOADED 08.14.2020 Among the questions Maurice faced in his season-ending conference call with reporters was this one: “Why are you still the right man for the job?”

He pointed to his resume and his success in developing the Jets’ young talent.

“The first playoff round we won two years ago was the first playoff round this franchise won, so I was the right guy then,” Maurice began. “I’ve been to the conference final three times, Stanley Cup final. This year was, I’m going to rate, as top-three years that I’ve had in this league, and I’ll include my staff on that. We did a fantastic job surviving what we went through.

“It’s very difficult in this league to develop and attempt to win at the exact same time, rarely does it happen. And we’ve had too many good, young players who have come in and their games continue to get better…”

The Jets haven’t won a playoff round in the last two years.

SIZE MATTERS

Maurice played down suggestions his team needs more grit, saying he saw plenty of that.

“In terms of grit and the bite, we lost some big men, there’s no doubt about that,” he said. “But that one’s a tough one to qualify. That month of November, month of January, when our record wasn’t good, and into February, that’s as good a grit as I’ve seen here.”

Size on the blueline is another story, after the departures of Dustin Byfuglien, Tyler Myers, Ben Chiarot and Jacob Trouba over the last year or so.

“I mean, we lost 1,000 pounds of defencemen last year, and we’re going to want to probably try to get back to that a little bit,” the coach said. “You want guys that are going to go get the puck regardless of who’s coming after them. You don’t have to be tough, you just can’t be afraid.”

The Jets face yet another makeover of the defence, when Dmitry Kulikov, Nathan Beaulieu, Dylan DeMelo and Luca Sbisa all become unrestricted free agents.

“Clearly there’s a lot of holes to be filled on our blueline,” Maurice said. “But, assuming nobody else retires, we have an expectation of who those 1191117 Winnipeg Jets

Jets GM hands out sparkling report card for coach

Paul Friesen

It’s not often you see a GM praise his head coach for missing the playoffs, but Winnipeg Jets front-office boss Kevin Cheveldayoff thinks Paul Maurice did a splendid job this season.

“You don’t want to say it’s incomplete,” the GM, asked to grade his coach, said. “We didn’t get the job done that we all set out to do. But under the circumstances, they’ve done an ‘A’ job for me. They’ve done everything that I could have asked them to do.”

Cheveldayoff cited Dustin Byfuglien’s last-minute no-show and the myriad of injuries that hamstrung Maurice and his staff on many nights.

“They didn’t look me in the eyes and say, ‘You know, Chevy, I can’t do this tonight with this group.’ They looked me in the eyes and said, ‘We’ll do whatever we can. We understand the situation here.’”

Cheveldayoff also stood behind Maurice’s biting comments about Matthew Tkachuk’s hit that took Mark Scheifele out of the qualifying series against Calgary.

Flames GM Brad Treliving this week said Maurice crossed the line by calling the hit filthy, disgusting and intentional.

“We certainly didn’t like what we saw,” Cheveldayoff said. “Did Matthew Tkachuk go over the boards with an intention of hurting anyone? No, I don’t believe that for a second, and I don’t think anyone thought that. But did he go into the boards a little recklessly and did he make sure he got a piece of Mark Scheifele? Yep. That was the case, and I think the recklessness is something that, ultimately, Paul was talking about.”

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 08.14.2020 1191118 Winnipeg Jets Second-line centres and top-four defencemen don’t just become available, you say?

This year they will. Chevy spinning his wheels With the pandemic pressing the lid down hard on the salary cap, plenty of teams won’t have the coin to keep all their talent.

Paul Friesen Thanks mainly to Byfuglien’s freed-up cash, Cheveldayoff has the space. Finally, No. 33’s decision to bail has a positive ramification.

The Jets can spend the money to coax a free agent to our COVID- Nine seasons, three playoff appearances, two series victories. friendly climes, or add salary in a trade.

If you had been told those would be the results of Kevin Cheveldayoff’s Or both. first shot at an NHL GM’s job, would you have made the hire? “All you can do is project internally here by poring over other team’s caps That’s a question only Jets boss Mark Chipman could answer — and and situations as to what might become available,” the man pulling the you’d probably need a vial of truth serum to get a straight one. purse strings said. “Then, one thing we can provide for those players is an opportunity to play with a real solid core of players. Whether it’s a Yes, the man can run a scouting department and make good draft picks. centre or whether it’s a winger or whether it’s a defenceman, we’re an And while there are extenuating circumstances for this year’s step back easy sell … to get a player to come in and prove themselves.” from the post-season, the bottom line shows a Chevy spinning his The Jets need someone who’s already proven. wheels: The Jets are going in the wrong direction since that heady trip to the conference final two years ago. They’d be an easier sell if they were coming off another playoff run.

“Obviously we got dusted back from the plate by a couple of curve balls Because nothing says ‘Join Us’ like a Stanley Cup contender. that we didn’t anticipate,” Cheveldayoff said during his end-of-season Q & A with the media on Thursday. “But I thought we came off the mat and Winnipeg Sun LOADED 08.14.2020 found a way to be competitive and to be in a situation probably sitting here where no one anticipated.”

I don’t know, I thought the expectation by now was to make the playoffs and be a consistent contender?

Yes, Dustin Byfuglien threw a giant wrench into the works — and Lady Luck used it to wallop a few too many players over the head, or foot, or hand, this season.

But Cheveldayoff’s roster still looks far from complete.

He has a group of top-six, win-now forwards and a win-now goalie, but more of a where-are-they-now defence.

There’s a lack of depth, up front and on the blue line, the latter due to a mass exodus forced by a salary-cap squeeze last summer and Byfuglien’s disappearance in the fall.

“We tried to do some things on the fly, given the limited cap space that we had until the trade deadline,” Cheveldayoff said. “We acquired some players. Most of the players probably punched above their weight class.”

He didn’t name names, but waiver-wire acquisitions like Luca Sbisa and Carl Dahlstrom, and trade pickup Nathan Beaulieu would qualify.

You can’t expect players to punch above their size year after year. They have weight classes for a reason.

So after a season of mostly band-aid solutions on the blue line, Cheveldayoff has to rebuild it, yet again.

He can start with kids like Dylan Samberg and Ville Heinola, but rookies come with growing pains.

Teams can win with youth, Cheveldayoff countered.

“But having said that, we’re certainly going to look and try to add NHL players to the roster,” he added. “Whether it’s free agency or trade, we’re going to really look hard at that.”

I’d say the days of looking are over.

To take the GM’s baseball analogy and run with it, it’s time to take a big swing.

The significant trades Cheveldayoff has made in his tenure were forced on him: Evander Kane and Jacob Trouba wanted out.

He needs to initiate the next one.

A second-line centre and a top-four defenceman are must-haves for this team to become competitive again.

Regarding the former, Bryan Little’s career is in doubt. Even when he was healthy, the Jets deemed trades necessary to upgrade that spot for a playoff push the past two years. 1191119 Vancouver Canucks “Stech is a competitor. Smart player. Gets himself in good position. He’s fearless. And we all know about Eddie. They’re a good pair. We’re confident in that pair,” he added.

Patrick Johnston: Stecher makes a point to 'salute' late father after Edler chalked up their success to superb communication. scoring winner for Canucks “We’ve played together now for a while, we read each other well,” he said. “Our strength is we battle really hard in our end, just try to keep it simple, do the right play, use each other when we can,” Edler said. Patrick Johnston “We talk to each other … over the years we’ve been building up a good relationship on the ice.”

Troy Stecher's big night for the Vancouver Canucks against the St. Louis Miller expected to be fine Friday Blues was more than just scoring the game-winning goal We still don’t know why J.T. Miller wasn’t able to be part of the Game 1 Troy Stecher’s poignant point to the sky defined the moment Wednesday warm-up. He was briefly listed as a scratch before the game and Adam night. Gaudette skated in his place during pre-game rushes but was scratched at the last minute so Miller could play. The plucky defenceman from Richmond is best known for his defensive abilities and smart takes on the game, much less for having offensive All Green would offer Wednesday was that Miller wasn’t able to make it punch. out on the ice for the warm-up.

His goal in Wednesday’s 5-2 win for the Vancouver Canucks against the Asked Thursday if he expected Miller to have any problems joining the St. Louis Blues in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round series Game 2 warm-up, Green said he didn’t anticipate any issues. stood as the game winner. He followed his laser-like shot through Blues goalie Jordan Binnington by pointing to the sky at Rogers Place in a Benn skates salute to his dad, who died of diabetes-related heart problems on Jordie Benn has cleared quarantine and skated with the Canucks for the Father’s Day. first time in Edmonton on Wednesday, the team confirmed to Postmedia It was as emotional a moment as we’ve witnessed in the 2020 NHL Thursday. postseason. He wiped a tear from his eyes. Elias Pettersson gave him a Benn had started training camp with the team last month, but returned to hug at the bench. Bo Horvat, the team’s captain, got emotional speaking his home in Dallas in mid-July to be with his pregnant fiancée Jessi about the moment after the game in Edmonton. Kohout. She gave birth to the couple’s first daughter, Billie, three weeks “Thankful to be surrounded by my teammates,” Stecher said after the ago. game. “Winning definitely helps. The atmosphere and the vibe in the Benn travelled to Edmonton at the beginning of last week and, under a room is a lot better, even back at the hotel when we’re hanging out. Even protocol agreed to between the league and federal and provincial public if we were losing, I think, just being around the teammates and the guys health officials, was required to quarantine in his hotel room for at least you’re closest with, who you spend the most time with, you’re going to four days while being tested for COVID-19 each day. have happy thoughts.” Because he had travelled to Dallas he spent an extra day in quarantine Winger Brock Boeser has known Stecher for many years, dating to their and was cleared to skate on his own on Sunday. He continued to be time at the University of North Dakota. tested and continued to test negative and was cleared to rejoin his “Seeing him point up to the sky, it gave me chills,” Boeser said teammates on Wednesday. Wednesday, when asked to reflect on what his friend had done and was Hamhuis hangs ’em up going through. That Stecher got to play hero made Boeser happy. Former Canucks defenceman Dan Hamhuis, a mainstay of the 2011 “It’s tough for Stech — there’s good days and bad days.” Stanley Cup Final team, announced Thursday he’s retiring. Boeser’s father had a health scare last summer, when he was again “Happily going into retirement now from hockey. Feel really at peace with diagnosed with cancer. He thought his father might die. He heard from it,” he told TSN 1040. teammates, all supporting him. Hamhuis said he made the decision in February that this would be his “Whenever someone goes though something like that, we have a close final NHL season. He said he was interested in playing another year in group here, everyone is so supportive,” he said. “A lot of really good Europe so his family could have a new experience, but those plans human beings on this team.” changed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Just as important in the Canucks’ playoff-opening win was the play of Vancouver Province: LOADED: 08.14.2020 Stecher and his defence pairing partner Alex Edler. They went head to head with the Blues’ first line of Vladimir Tarasenko, Brayden Schenn and Jaden Schwartz and kept them contained.

When Stecher and Edler were on the ice against the Schenn line, which totalled more than six minutes, the Canucks outshot the Blues. That’s as good a result as you can hope for in a matchup, especially one that features the opposition’s top scoring line.

“Just trying to play hard. It’s the playoffs here so there’s no more excuses,” Stecher said of how he and Edler played against the Blues. “Every single puck battle matters, winning every single line matters, it comes down to details this time of the year.”

Edler has been a Canuck for 14 years, a regular for 13. He’s had many blue-line partners over the years. Since Travis Green took over as the Canucks’ head coach in 2017-18, he’s often turned to Edler and Stecher to be his shutdown combo.

“I thought Baumer did a good job getting them out there,” Green said post-game, handing credit to assistant coach Nolan Baumgartner for managing to get the team’s preferred matchups as often as he could, no mean feat given the Canucks were the away team and didn’t have the final change for face-offs. 1191120 Vancouver Canucks But he did open that window, one which surely has a factor of fatigue in it as well.

He was terrible against the Wild in game 4, as bad as we’ve ever seen The Skate: Mr. Bo-Dangles him.

He was the complete opposite against the Blues, as good as we’ve ever seen him. Patrick Johnston In the series-clincher against the Wild, he was making loads of mistakes, several of which led to goals against. He wasn’t as sealed up as you’d expect him to be. Fatigue was surely a factor. The Canucks were very good Wednesday against the Blues. They'll have to be just as good in game 2. The first four games of this series has a similar schedule as the Wild series: days off between games 1, 2 and 3, but then game 4 coming a Good morning St. Louis! day after game 3. At least against the Wild game 3 was a matinee game, This ain’t the Round Robin, fellas. meaning Markstrom could get to bed earlier and maybe make use of an extra six hours or so to recuperate. The Blues are faster than the Wild, that much is clear. They can create things offensively. That much else is clear. The Blues are a team you don’t want to feel tired against.

The Wild could not do that. Goalie switch?

But the Canucks played hard in their qualifying series versus Minnesota Blues coach Craig Berube said before the series he’s likely to use both and got themselves up to speed for these playoffs. his goalies.

The Blues played in the round robin, didn’t win a game and while they Jordan Binnington wasn’t great against the Canucks. But on the season, looked quick a lot of the time Wednesday night, they also looked like a he wasn’t as bad as people think, Kevin Woodley told me yesterday. team that was still in training camp mode. Games 3-4 will be back-to-back Sunday-Monday. Will that change? You’d think so. They saw a lot from the Canucks in Berube on the possibility of using Binnington and Allen: "Definitely could, game 1, especially on the power play. for sure. I think I talked to you guys before the playoffs that I think both That said, it wasn’t a comprehensive win for the Canucks by any stretch goalies will be used." #stlblues— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) of the imagination. August 10, 2020

Jordan Binnington gave up a couple goals he’ll like back. And the Blues That said, Jake Allen was outstanding in all aspects this season. Berube controlled a lot of the play at even strength. wouldn’t go wrong to switch his goalies right away.

Still, the Canucks were full-value for their 5-2 win. Their power play Cap hummed. Jacob Markstrom stood tall in net. What a time Bo Horvat is having. And as we know, if those two things are working, the Canucks are a Bo Horvat just undressed Vince Dunn. Sheesh. #Canucks tough team to beat. pic.twitter.com/Cn2bw2qM45— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) August 13, 2020 “I miss my dad every day.” pic.twitter.com/fjqzzGzP4Q— Jason Brough Vince Dunn is a very good defenceman. The man they call Cap made (@JasonBroughTSN) August 13, 2020 him look like a minor leaguer. The feels Hughes is a gem That the winning goal was tallied by Troy Stecher was great. But you already know that. He deserves all the headlines. We know how hard this summer has been Assisting on Bo Horvat's PP goal to make it 1-0 @Canucks vs the Blues for him. early on in Gm1 of their series tonight, Quinn Hughes has joined Ray Nice moment as TV timeout began and players spilled on to ice, Elias Bourque (8 in 1980 with BOS) as the only rookie defencemen to record Pettersson grabbed Troy Stecher and hung on for several seconds while at least 7 points within their first 5 career #StanleyCup Playoff games speaking to him. Stecher lost his dad, Peter, on Father's Day.— Iain pic.twitter.com/HzQvQXJLQJ— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) August 13, MacIntyre (@imacSportsnet) August 13, 2020 2020

An under card storyline for Stecher in all this was how he and Alex Edler The Sportsnet panel compared him with and Brian Leetch and were deployed a lot against the Brayden Schenn line. They dominated in in normal times we make fun of hall of fame comparisons, but we’ve seen the matchup. the little magician play hockey for more than a year now and we can agree: he’s amazing. The Blues have two top-end lines. Keeping the likes of Schenn, Vlad Tarasenko and Jayden Schwartz contained is no mean feat. (Schwartz’s He’s like no other player we’ve ever seen in Vancouver. He changes the goal came against Hughes-Tanev). game every time he’s on the ice. He’s Bure-like in his skating, Sedin-like in his processing speed. “I thought Baumer did a great job getting them out there,” Travis Green noted post-game, pointing out that his team didn’t have last change. He’s going to be a great all-time Canuck.

That definitely deserves kudos as well. They were highly effective in Let’s remember some guys shutting down Schenn and company. FIRST PLAYOFF GOAL SINCE LUCA SBISA IN 2015!!! #CANUCKS— The sight YoungJudd (@YoungJudd_1) August 13, 2020

Jacob Markstrom is not one who really likes to look backwards, but he That bubble was burst by Bo Horvat, in case you’ve already forgotten. did let a small window open into how he felt physically Tuesday night vs. The lineup thing his last appearance, last Friday. Here is official lineup sheet. Miller added at bottom. “I could see the puck clearly,” he said. pic.twitter.com/osybnwyQiB— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) August Some of that was about the defence in front of him, but some of that, 13, 2020 surely, in the context of the question — I asked him what the difference Adam Gaudette skated in Mller’s spot during pre-game line rushes. Miller was against the Blues in game 1 compared with the Wild in game 4, was even listed as a scratch for a handful of minutes pre-game. whether it was about getting some rest after playing four games in six days — and he mostly said the past is the past. That he was at the bottom of a list that was otherwise in numerical order they signed him, a few scouts I know said to me ‘Hextall might have a told us this was a game-time decision. steal there.’” camera shot of Miller at bench and there was a Gaudette stick on the The new wave of scouting is very keen on understanding everything rack behind him— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) August 13, 2020 about a player. Performance matters a lot more in the past than it does now. The Canucks drafted a hulking defenceman the next year in Afterwards, Travis Green said he wouldn’t go into the detail but that Miller Mackenze Stewart but he went nowhere. couldn’t make it out for warm-up. Myers, plainly, was different. He’d had some Hockey Canada That sounds like a player who had bad sushi. Or a bad burger. Or a development exposure in the years ahead of his draft year, but nowhere bad…you get the picture. had he shown an offensive touch.

The Canucks’ power play hummed and Miller picked up an assist and a And then after being signed by the Flyers, everything seemed to click. goal, but he was not his customary self at even strength. Indeed the whole life was off-kilter and were out-shot by the Ryan O’Reilly line, He put up a big year in the Q for Rouyn-Noranda in 2015-16 and again in something we’re not used to seeing and certainly not something that 2016-17. He moved to the AHL for 2017-18, immediately impressing and happened in the qualifying round. in his second season of pro hockey even suited up 21 times for the Flyers. O’Reilly and wingers David Perron and Zach Sanfaord are as tough an opponent the Lotto Line can face; there’s good reason O’Reilly is a Selke He’s the kind of find every team hopes to land. It’s the cheapest way to trophy finalist as one of the league’s best defensive forwards. make your team better.

Those O’Reilly wheels It’s interesting looking at the tail end of the 2015 draft. The Canucks, of course, had the second-last pick and took Tate Olson, a blueliner for the if you were wondering if the Blues really are better than the Wild, I direct Prince George Cougars who had a decent frame and put up good you to Jayden Schwartz’s breakaway goal or the late-second period numbers. effort by Ryan O’Reilly to outskate Quinn Hughes of all people on a what could have been an icing. He had an outstanding 2015-16 season, one that pushed his projection of making the NHL to nearly 1 in 3, according to Canucks Army. Even if The Blues are quick and deadly in all aspects his skating seemed a good bet for a seventh rounder.

Juicebox And then he struggled in 2016-17, went unsigned by the Canucks and Let’s be clear: what Kevin Bieksa has already done with the Sportsnet wasn’t drafted again. panel is incredible. He got a cup of professional coffee in 2018-19 after aging out of junior The guy has an incredible ability to relay how the game works in the hockey, first skating at the Minnesota Wild’s training camp, then playing simplest terms. Sportsnet has tried stuff like this before but the former for three separate teams in the ECHL, including, initially, the Allen Canucks blueliner makes it sing. Americans, the Wild’s ECHL club. He was released after five games with Allen, landed with the Newfoundland Growlers for five games, played a His banter is great, it really lightens the mood and he’s able to teach in a single game for the Florida Everblades then headed off to the world of U way that we’ve not often seen before. Sports hockey with Acadia University.

And the rest of the panel seems to be raising their game along with it. Drafted right before Olson was a hulking over-age Russian defenceman named Ziyat Paigin. The Oilers grabbed the 6’5″ monster with a big shot. Bieksa’s a sharp cookie. He has a finance degree from Bowling Green He’d already played in the KHL. A seventh-round bet made sense. and was a conference all-academic player while playing NCAA hockey there. He was traded by Kazan to Sochi early in the 15-16 season and had a huge year in the resort city, scoring 27 points in 37 games. His dad is a longtime union organizer. Being able to talk in effective terms is a family trait. He went back to Kazan for 16-17 but barely played. Late in the season he signed with the Oilers and joined their AHL club in Bakersfield for five Phillipe Myers, a scouting case games. He went to Penticton Young Stars in Sept. 2017, didn’t impress, Imagine a hulking defenceman who can move the puck. Every team then went back to Bakersfield for seven more games before asking to go wants a guy like that. back to Russia.

The Flyers have one in Philippe Myers. He’s 6’5″. He scored 58 points in The NHL draft remains a place with a lot of bad buys of lottery tickets. 109 career AHL games. He’s become a regular player for Alain Vigneault Five years later, it still seems so wild to me that no one drafted Myers, with the Flyers, skating on the second pairing. even in the seventh round, and yet a guy who can’t skate (Olson) and an over-ager who couldn’t defend on big ice (Paigin) did. And he was undrafted. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 08.14.2020 The Flyers signed him as an 18-year-old free agent after being impressed by him at their 2015 rookie camp, months after every team had passed on him at the draft. And that came after the Flames had invited him as an undrafted free agent to their summer development camp but didn’t see enough to invite him to their rookie camp.

Big players have been handed contracts on what seems like a whim before. There was nothing in his performance to that point to suggest he would be as intriguing a package as he turned out to be — so this is a case of where the eye test said enough to make a big gamble.

Anthony Mingioni, who covers the Flyers for Center Ice Philly, says Myers was a player one of their scouts had had his eye of for a while.

Todd Hearty, who was splitting a role scouting the Q with the nearing- retirement Simon Nolet, was very high on him. Myers wasn’t playing a lot for Rouyn-Noranda.

“Hearty was really impressed with his raw athleticism for someone his size,” Mingioni told me. “A lot of raw stuff that he saw the physical development, the way he was able to close on forwards with his straight- line speed and an absolute boomer from the point, that they thought might come together. … They still were in process of building a defensive pipeline so that inclined them to take a chance there. I remember when 1191121 Vancouver Canucks You want Hughes intercepting a pass to the slot and sending a perfectly placed alley-oop to Pettersson for a controlled entry? You can have some of that too.

10 observations from Game 1: Why the Canucks have a real chance to Perhaps the best part about all of this is that by his absurdly high win standards, it wasn’t even the best we’ve seen of Hughes. That’s a scary thought if you’re the St. Louis Blues.

Defending the rush By Harman Dayal Aug 13, 2020 Facing the defending Cup champions is a tall order, but the common belief that many, including myself, shared was that facing St. Louis was a much better matchup than Vegas or Colorado. The Canucks have believed they can make noise in the playoffs all year. Actions speak louder than words, though, and their 5-2 victory in Game 1 Why is that? over the defending Stanley Cup champions is all the hockey world needed to see: Vancouver has arrived as a threat. Well, we all know that defensive play was Vancouver’s Achille’s heel and if we’re to get more specific, defending the rush was their biggest Initially, entering the first round as underdogs, the Canucks have weakness. The Canucks allowed more rush chances than every NHL catapulted to series favourites with a 55 percent chance of advancing team except one and were similarly bottom-five in surrendering rush past the Blues by colleague Dom Luszczyszyn’s model. goals, according to Sportlogiq.

Game. On. What happens when the NHL’s best rush offence meets one of the league’s worst transition defences? That would have been the storyline It’s not about getting caught up in the emotions of a big win or presenting had Colorado been Vancouver’s foe. It’s a similar story with Vegas, albeit false hope when I say this — the Canucks have a real chance to upset to a lesser extent. The point is that the Golden Knights and Avalanche the Blues. have the team speed and offensive weaponry to exploit Vancouver’s Wednesday night wasn’t about bending under pressure, hanging on by a glaring team flaw. thread and then relying on Jacob Markstrom to save the day. No, this The Blues are a decent team in transition, but it’s a much easier matchup was the team continuing to play arguably its best hockey of the year, for the Canucks to handle because they aren’t a quick-strike transition legitimately outplaying the Blues. team that will burn you with their pace. Ironically, it’s the heavy and With that in mind, here are 10 observations from Game 1. physical style where every inch has to be earned that suits the Canucks better than the exhilarating, back-and-forth trading-chances style the club Bo Horvat picks up the slack for the top line might have been goaded into against Vegas or Colorado. It particularly suits the slower bottom-six, plus some of Vancouver’s veteran defenders There haven’t been many nights where Elias Pettersson’s line has looked like Alex Edler and Tyler Myers. overmatched this season, but Wednesday evening might have been one of them. Pettersson managed to find the back of the net of the power You still saw Jaden Schwartz, who’s arguably the Blues’ fastest player, play (elite talent produces even on off-nights), but aside from that, he had take advantage on his goal but St. Louis didn’t muster much in transition a tough time at even strength. The Canucks didn’t generate a single shot otherwise. on goal with Pettersson on the ice at 5-on-5, plus he was scored on. Vancouver should have more success competing against St. Louis than That’s not a knock on Pettersson — it’s going to happen from time to they would have facing Vegas or Colorado. time when you’re matched against arguably the NHL’s best two-way centre in Ryan O’Reilly. Pinching D-men and clogging the neutral zone to disrupt breakouts

But if you told me before the game that the Lotto Line would struggle in While we’re on the topic of defending in transition, I’ve been quite the opener, I would have pegged the Canucks’ odds near nil to come out impressed with how improved the Canucks have looked at defending the on top in Game 1 — it’s not even funny how much deeper St. Louis’ neutral zone. bottom three lines are with Tyler Toffoli out. Vancouver’s allowed few odd-man rushes after the first game against And yet on a night where Pettersson’s line caved, the Canucks were still Minnesota, but the key is that they’ve done so while maintaining an right there with the Blues at 5-on-5. aggressive forecheck.

That’s a testament to many players, but you’ve got to tip your cap for the The Canucks want to play a fast, up-tempo style and they’ve given their captain. defencemen freedom all year to pinch on the forecheck. In the first half of the season, this caused major issues where the blueliners would make Bo Horvat not only shut the lethal Brayden Schenn/Vladimir Tarasenko poor decisions for when and when not to pinch or the high forward line down but had the beauty toe-drag goal in the third period. Add that to wouldn’t rotate to cover adequately. his power-play marker to open the scoring and he’s already got four goals and six points through five postseason games. It led to a lot of goals against and at its worst, you wondered if the Canucks might have to pursue the puck more conservatively to keep I really can’t say how impressed I am that the club managed to come out their neutral zone structure intact. on top at 5-on-5 in a game where Vancouver’s top forwards were underwater. Credit to the Canucks, they tightened their rotations and made much better decisions on pinches in the last month or so of the regular season Quinn Hughes looks poised to take over the series and it’s carried into the playoffs.

Many Canucks performed well in Game 1, but it was Quinn Hughes who Against St. Louis, Vancouver did well (in the first period especially) in put his early stamp on the series. The assist on Bo Horvat’s goal gives disrupting St. Louis’ breakouts. The forwards were quick to apply him seven points in his last four games — just two back of Sebastian Aho pressure and from there two things worked — the defencemen made and Connor McDavid for the league lead in the playoffs. calculated and timely pinches and they clogged up the neutral zone relatively well. But it’s more than just points. It’s every puck he knocked out of the air to keep alive at the line on the power play. It’s every breakout pass he There were many examples, but here’s a couple of effective pinches we made while avoiding a huge hit from the forecheck. It’s every instance saw, starting with one from Troy Stecher. where he pinched up the wall, gained inside position and absorbed full body contact to extend an offensive zone possession like this. Here’s one from Quinn Hughes.

Even in the playoffs where time and space are incredibly difficult to find, And one from Tyler Myers as well. Hughes is able to draw attention and manufacture extra real estate for I thought they got away from it a little bit in the second period, but the his teammates regardless of whether it’s 5-on-5 or with an advantage. Canucks were tight and took space in the neutral zone away, too. This is a perfect example of the type of plays Loui Eriksson snuffs out. In the following instance, meanwhile, all three forwards do just enough on We mentioned off the top how well the Horvat line did in its shutdown role the forecheck to slow the breakout so that Chris Tanev has time to gap and Loui Eriksson was a big part of that, with an excellent 71.6 percent up in the neutral zone. expected goal share in nearly 15 minutes of 5-on-5 action.

Vancouver did well to forecheck and apply pressure as a five-player unit The clip in a previous section demonstrates how well he played in Game 1. It’ll be equally crucial to controlling play over the rest of the positionally and there are so many things he does that don’t stand out, series. but quietly help the Canucks control puck possession. He’s good along the walls, has an active stick in the neutral zone and you can almost Troy Stecher making a case for more minutes always depend on him to make the right play.

The goal is an excellent story and an awesome plus, but let’s ignore that Eriksson owns a 55.2 percent expected goal share through his four for a second. The truth is, even before that, Troy Stecher’s quietly been playoff games and has been on the ice for 1.13 actual goals against per having one hell of a postseason in a limited role. 60 minutes. He’s got no offence to offer, but you couldn’t ask for anything Stecher’s been incredibly active at pinching to keep offensive plays alive, more defensively. played an efficient, straightforward game with the puck and has protected Defending leads the inside admirably defensively. The Richmond, B.C., product combined with Alex Edler to outshoot and outchance the ever so dangerous Remember when the Canucks had massive issues holding leads in the Schenn line in almost seven head-to-head minutes. regular season? This is one of the quotes from Bo Horvat in December that stood out in a positive manner a day after the club had a meltdown In five games, Stecher leads all Canucks skaters in 5-on-5 shot attempt against the Penguins: differential and expected goal share. He’s been impeccable defensively, owning a minuscule 1.67 expected goals against per 60 minutes rate that “The best way (to stem the tide) is obviously to play well defensively, but paces Vancouver defenders, while not being on the ice for a single even- I think spending a lot more time in their end (is important),” Horvat said. strength goal against. Meanwhile, the Canucks have generated four of their own 5-on-5 goals with Stecher on the ice. “I think having that push back and not just sitting back and hoping that we’re going to come out with a win but pushing for the next goal. And I Stecher is playing too well to be averaging less than 13 minutes per night think if we start doing that, and play well offensively, then it’s going to in these playoffs. I’m not advocating that he should step into a top-four take care of itself.” role, but he’s earned more ice-time. Vancouver’s done exactly that, pushing offensively for the next goal in Where should those minutes come from? Honestly, it might be worth third periods once they grasp an initial one-goal lead. shaving Tyler Myers’ workload. #CANUCKS HAVE OUTSCORED OPPONENTS 7-0 AFTER 2ND Before anyone accuses me of bias let me make this clear — Myers had a PERIODS IN LAST 3 GAMES good regular season and Stecher quite honestly didn’t. But right now, there’s no debate about who’s been more effective. — JEFF PATERSON (@PATERSONJEFF) AUGUST 13, 2020

We can talk about the 10 minor penalties, but more importantly, I don’t Adding insurance markers takes the pressure off and it definitely helped think Myers has been at his best overall. He had a couple of giveaways in Game 1. in Game 1 and his gap control has been concerning defensively. The Bottom-six holds up… with a little bit of luck numbers reflect his overall struggles in the postseason too as he’s been significantly outshot and outchanced, to the tune of a 38.9 percent The resurgence of Brandon Sutter has been surprising but necessary. expected goal share when on the ice. He’s taken the third line centre mantle again and has done everything you could have hoped for. I have no qualms if the Canucks choose to play Myers more than Stecher on the whole, but the latter deserves more rope at the very least. Sutter has an extra pep in his skating stride that he didn’t seem to have in the regular season. The 31-year-old is creating scoring chances and It’s all about the details took the draw on the power play that Vancouver used to open the You hear coaches at this time of year stress attention to detail. Every scoring. Sutter’s two-way results have looked mighty impressive as well, puck battle, every net-front tussle, every clearing attempt matters. currently rocking a 55.6 percent expected goal share.

Jake Virtanen’s inconsistencies in nailing some of those subtle areas are The Canucks are simply outplaying opponents when Sutter’s line has well documented — it’s why he’s struggled to earn Travis Green’s trust. been on the ice in the postseason.

But early in the third period, he made a good play along the walls. He On the other hand, the fourth line’s results aren’t very good — the picked up a rimmed puck in the defensive end, absorbed a hit from Tyler numbers suggest they’ve been stuck in their own zone (Beagle’s 3.1 Bozak and got the puck out of the zone — the type of sequence you’d expected goals against per hour at 5-on-5 is team-worst) but they’ve love to see with more regularity. been crucial to the penalty kill. And despite all the quality chances they’ve given up, they somehow haven’t been scored on. The reaction from the bench speaks volumes. According to colleague Thomas Drance, J.T. Miller shouted: “Thattaboy, Jake!” Miller’s reaction Between the Sutter line genuinely driving positive results and the Beagle was louder and more animated than it would have been for a goal. trio getting a little bit of luck, the Canucks’ typically weak bottom-six has stepped up in a big way. That’s more great news for a Canucks team that That’s what playoff hockey is about. Right now, the Canucks don’t need can beat the Blues if they keep this level of performance up. Virtanen to go on an end-to-end rush or stand out in any flashy way. They just need him to do his part and play a solid, reliable defensive The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020 game in addition to the speed he brings on the forecheck.

Jacob Markstrom’s quiet excellence

Despite some of the soft goals he surrendered in the first round, I don’t think there’s been enough attention on how well Jacob Markstrom is playing in the playoffs.

He’s not having to steal games as he did in the regular season. He hasn’t had to be Superman yet. But with the skaters in front of him looking so much better, Markstrom has quietly stopped pucks earning a .928 save percentage. Based on the quality of shots faced, Markstrom ranks sixth among goalies in saving 1.7 goals above expected in the playoffs.

Is that good? That seems good.

Eriksson’s subtle skills making an impact 1191122 Vancouver Canucks A couple of seconds to reflect, and in spirit at least, to celebrate a big Canucks playoff goal with his dad too.

Hockey was a central component of Stecher’s relationship with his dad, ‘I had a couple seconds to reflect on my dad’: Troy Stecher’s emotional as it is for so many of us. Stecher’s dad was his hockey coach. They’d tribute often go to Canucks games together, at what was then called GM Place, which is partly why Stecher is said — even internally among Canucks management — to wear Canucks colours more proudly than just about anyone ever has. By Thomas Drance Aug 13, 2020 Born and raised in Richmond, B.C., Stecher’s father was a Canucks

season ticket holder for a time, through his company. Stecher grew up a EDMONTON — As he sat on the dais after the first traditional playoff win Canucks fan. of his Vancouver Canucks captaincy, Bo Horvat began to get choked up. And not just a casual Canucks fan, a hardcore Canucks fan. Horvat was trying to discuss what it had meant to him to see his Stecher’s favourite player growing up was Ed Jovanovski. He still tapes teammate, Canucks defenceman Troy Stecher — whose father passed the knob of his stick just so, because that’s how Todd Bertuzzi did it. He away in June — celebrate the game-winning goal in a 5-2 victory over can rattle off his favourite esoteric Canucks playoff moments — the St. Louis Blues in the Stanley Cup playoffs by pointing to the sky. Jovanovski jumping up and down in the penalty box like crazy after Matt “I couldn’t be happier for Troy to get that one, I think I speak for Cooke tied Game 7 against Calgary in 2004 — with the ease of any everybody…” said Horvat, before trailing off. diehard you might strike up a conversation with in a bar.

The subject was too emotional for Horvat, a new father himself. He just When Stecher talks about “the pain” of the Canucks losing in 2011, as he couldn’t quite find the words. Empathizing with Horvat, you could almost did this week, he’s not talking about the same pain that a player on that feel that universal lump forming in the back of his throat. Horvat is team experienced. For Vancouver hockey fans, he’s talking about their typically the model of stoic hockey leadership, but this time, he just pain. No wonder Stecher is beloved in this town. wasn’t able to finish the sentence. On Wednesday though, as Stecher discussed the goal and his tribute to Horvat waited a beat, and, understandably, especially in the his father, he was talking about something much more real than the dehumanizing setting of a postgame Zoom teleconference, deflected. frustration of being a long-suffering hockey fan. He was talking about the “Good talk,” he said. sense of loss that motivated him to take that moment and pay tribute to the memory of his father after scoring the biggest goal in the last five If Horvat couldn’t finish the sentence, it didn’t matter. His reaction said it years of Canucks history. all. “It’s been tough, obviously, at certain moments throughout this process, What words can you use to do justice to the unspeakable amount of loss but I’m thankful to be surrounded by my teammates,” Stecher said. “The this group of Canucks players have been through over the past 12 biggest thing is that everybody showed their support on the bench, a months anyway? bunch of guys gave me a tap and that motivated me to keep going.”

If it has been a dream season on the ice for this Canucks franchise, away That support was evident in the building. Canucks star Elias Pettersson from the rink, the past 12 months have been filled with real-life loss for sought out Stecher during a subsequent TV timeout in the third period, this group of young men. and embraced his teammate.

It began with a terrifying health scare last summer when Canucks “I saw his celebration right away and I wanted to congratulate him,” forward Brock Boeser’s father Duke Boeser suffered heart failure, when a Pettersson explained of the moment. “What Troy had to go through this blood clot moved to his lungs. Stecher — his college teammate at North summer was devastating, so I just wanted to go hug him.” Dakota — flew out to visit and support him. Markstrom, meanwhile, who could relate to the moment, saved his This fall, Canucks goaltender Jacob Markstrom lost his father, Anders embrace for after the game. Markstrom, to cancer. He travelled back to Sweden twice during the regular season to be with his family as they coped with the loss, never “It was very emotional for him, and because I know what he’s going missing a beat on the ice as he led the club to the playoffs. through, it’s not easy,” Markstrom said. “For him to show that emotion, just, yeah I saw how happy he got and I got emotional as well thinking During the hiatus, two more Canucks players lost their fathers. about it. I gave him a big hug after the game and I’m super happy for him.” Forward Zack MacEwen lost his father, Craig MacEwen, to a stroke. In a bubble in Edmonton, the Canucks are playing for the Stanley Cup. And then on Father’s Day, Stecher’s father, Peter Stecher — a And they’re winning games. On Wednesday, the Canucks decisively Vancouver hockey coach and a longtime Canucks season ticket holder defeated the defending Stanley Cup champions in the first game of a — passed away. best-of-seven series, it was their fourth consecutive win in the NHL’s “For it to happen three times in a season, I don’t know that I’ve ever even return to play tournament. heard of that,” Canucks coach Travis Green said on Zoom call in mid- For the city of Vancouver — a city grappling with a new spike of active July, following the opening of the club’s Phase 3 training camp in COVID-19 cases — a Canucks playoff win is something to rally around. Vancouver. “Man, I don’t know if there’s a script to dealing with loss like Something to share collectively, even in this moment of global pestilence that.” where, as University of British Columbia professor Wade Davis put it On Wednesday night in Edmonton, Stecher unleashed a point shot recently, “The cultural foundations of our lives, the toolbox of community blocker-side on Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington. The puck beat the and connectivity that is for the human what claws and teeth represent to Blues starter to give the Canucks a 3-2 lead in the third period. the tiger” are under attack by COVID-19.

As he celebrated the goal, the Canucks defender looked to the sky, For Stecher, the man who scored the goal to win the game, it was a raised an arm in triumph and cried out: “Let’s go!” moment in the midst of a physical, hard-fought playoff game to reflect on losing his father. TROY STECHER, WHO LOST HIS FATHER – A LONGTIME #CANUCKS SEASON TICKET HOLDER – ON FATHER'S DAY 2020, To point at the sky in celebration. SHOUTING "LET'S GO!" TO THE SKY AS HE CELEBRATES A THIRD To exclaim, “Let’s Go!” in tribute to his old man, who was a hockey PERIOD GO AHEAD PLAYOFF GOAL FOR HIS CHILDHOOD TEAM. coach, a Vancouverite, a Canucks fan, and most importantly, a father. INCREDIBLE. HTTPS://T.CO/WBT4IW6HJV The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020 — THOMAS DRANCE (@THOMASDRANCE) AUGUST 13, 2020

“I had a couple of seconds there to reflect on my dad,” Stecher said postgame, of the poignant moment. 1191123 Websites Mikhail Abramov, C, Victoriaville (Toronto): Abramov was Russia’s top center, building off a strong 2020 season in the QMJHL. “He was good, close to great. He’s creative. He made other players better,” said Larionov. Abramov’s vision stood out consistently. His skating is still The Athletic / Pronman: Which prospects improved their NHL Draft stock average, but his skill/IQ/shot combination looks good enough to give him at summer U20 camps? a real shot to become an NHL player.

Vladislav Firstov, LW, UConn (Minnesota): This was Firstov’s first appearance for the national team and it was some of the best hockey I’ve By Corey Pronman Aug 13, 2020 seen him play in the past two years. I still have minor questions on his skating and how dynamic an offensive player he is, but he stood out among his U20 peers as a player who could drive the bus offensively and There’s been a little bit of movement in the hockey prospects world as help a power play. Larionov was a fan. “He worked his ass off every some European national camps have gone on and leagues are starting night,” Larionov said. “He reminded me of Chris Kunitz. He passed the to prepare for the 2020-21 season. Here are some preliminary notes and puck well, he scored goals, got under people’s skins and got the job thoughts from the camps this summer. done.”

Germany U20 Camp Artemi Kniazev, D, Chicoutimi (San Jose): Kniazev was named the top defenseman in the Sochi open with five points in three games. It was (Three games vs. Switzerland’s U20 team) some of the best hockey I’ve seen Kniazev play in the past few years. Tim Stutzle, C, Mannheim (2020 draft-eligible): Stutzle had one goal and His skating and puck-moving ability made a difference when he was on three points in three games versus Switzerland. It was an up and down the ice, and he created a lot of offense. Larionov had the following to say showing, with the occasional flash of high-end ability that displayed his about him: “He has ability to join the rush, he takes a lot of chances. He great skating and playmaking. He was able to gain the zone a lot with his plays a little like [Alexander Romanov] last year. Romanov needed to skating and skill, and roam around the ice well. I thought overall he learn how to have balance in his game and take care of your defensive looked good, but I would say he wasn’t as dominant as I thought he’d be play, and Artemi needs some polish as well.” for a player of his talent given the quality of his opponents. Daniil Chayka, D, Guelph (2021 draft-eligible): Chayka is a late 2002 John-Jason Peterka, RW, Munich (2020 draft-eligible): Peterka played on birth date, very young for the Russian U20 team and didn’t look out of a line with Stutzle the entire tournament. While I thought Peterka was place among players who were one or two years older. “His hockey IQ fine, I was hoping for a little bit more from a projected first-round pick. He looked top notch,” said Larionov. I wouldn’t say Chayka’s offense showed flashes of his great hands and good speed, but I didn’t see him popped, but he looked like he was able to move pucks and think make a ton of plays. And like Stutzle, that line didn’t play at the level I creatively at that pace, to go along with good size and skating ability. thought it would. Peterka’s a good player, but you want to see a 5-foot-11 That package looks like the potential to be a first-round pick in 2021. forward be dynamic, and I didn’t see that guy show up in Switzerland. Yan Kuznetsov, D, UConn (2020 draft-eligible): Kuznetsov was one of Peterka was drafted by London in the CHL Draft, leading to questions if the youngest players in college hockey as a 17-year-old last season. He he would come to Canada instead of playing in Germany next season. I held his own but it was a big level jump for a player his age. I’ve always asked him this following the conclusion of Germany’s U20 camp. He appreciated the size and mobility, but wondered about the offense. At the replied, “This is hard to answer. I am concentrating now on my U20 camp I don’t think his puck game stood out like his pure athletic preseason – getting ready and looking forward to the draft and the tools, but he showed good puck poise and made a lot of good decisions. following camps. From there we go and decide.” “I like him very much,” Larionov said. “He was strong defensively and Lukas Reichel, LW, Berlin (2020 draft-eligible): Reichel played on a made some plays with the puck. He’s smart, he’s reliable, his work ethic different line than Stutzle and Peterka, and without as much help was exceptional. He looks like a good NHL prospect.” produced more than either, with NHL scouts praising Reichel as the Czech Republic U20 Camp player who helped his case the most of the three top prospects in the event. I don’t think he dazzled, but he showed good speed, skill and (Three games vs. Slovakia’s U20 team) compete. There was some momentum for his draft stock in the last few months of the season and the camp was another showing of why I think Stanislav Svozil, D, Brno (2021 draft-eligible): I saw Svozil live in he’s going to go in the first round. February at the U18 Five Nations in the Czech Republic, and I was impressed with how well he played against older players as an underage Russia U20 Camp player and was a top player for the Czechs. He did the same thing as a U18 player on the U20 team this summer, looking poised and capable. (Four games vs. Sochi’s junior team as part of the Sochi Open) He’s a very good skater with great hockey sense, allowing him to skate Rodion Amirov, LW, Ufa (2020 eligible): Amirov was one of Russia’s top and make plays versus older, stronger players. Svozil has the looks of a scorers and was consistently dangerous throughout the event. His great top prospect for the 2021 NHL Draft. skill was on display often, including a lacrosse-style goal and, in general, Jaromir Pytlik, C, Sault Ste. Marie (2020 draft-eligible): Pytlik led the making defenders miss with his puck handling. He made more plays to tournament in scoring with two goals and six points in three games. his teammates than I’ve seen in the past, but he also didn’t play as fast Despite his big numbers, I wouldn’t say he blew me away with his play. I as I’ve seen him before. NHL scouts watching the event thought he liked how he moved the puck inside the offensive zone and how he looked like a player who could go in the teens in the 2020 draft. played in the tough areas of the ice. His game lacks flash in terms of Maxim Groshev, RW, Nizhnekamsk (2020 draft-eligible): Groshev helped speed and skill, but he does tend to find a way to produce and play big himself as much as any draft-eligible player this summer. He was first in roles wherever he goes. NHL scouts are split on whether he’s going to be goals and tied for second in points for Russia. In an interview with The a real player in the league for some of the reasons I discussed. Athletic, Russia’s U20 coach Igor Larionov praised Groshev’s speed and Jan Mysak, C, Hamilton (2020 draft-eligible): Mysak had one goal and work ethic, including several great backchecks where he broke up grade- four points in the three games of the tournament and was one of the A scoring chances to go with the offense. He’s a very skilled and speedy Czech Republic’s better players. He’s more noticeable than others on a player who looked like a bull in how he created offense at the net with consistent basis because of his great speed. Mysak showed very good pace. He’s not a great passer, but I see a player who can be an effective vision, but I wouldn’t say he stood out as a truly dangerous offensive up and down winger in the NHL. threat, especially as an undersized forward. When I see Mysak he Egor Afanasyev, LW, Windsor (Nashville): Afanasyev was one of reminds me a bit of Dillon Dube at the same age, and Dube turned into a Russia’s top players in his first national team appearance since he was quality NHL player, although I don’t think Mysak’s speed is quite as good. 16 years old. He made a lot of plays to his teammates to create chances, Finland U20 Camp and on the power play the unit flowed through him. His skating still isn’t good enough, but the rest of his game looks very desirable, as Larionov Finland’s U20’s had some intra-team scrimmages a few weeks ago. I pointed out. “He’s big and powerful, he can pass the puck well and he wasn’t able to watch the camp, so I talked to Finland’s U20 coach Antti can score goals,” Larionov said. “He has a lot of potential, he’s like a Pennanen about who he thought stood out during the camp. North American power forward with a Russian skill set.” Eemil Viro, D, TPS (2020 draft-eligible): “He was our best defenseman,” Pennanen said. “He was better than those older players like Ville Heinola or Santeri Hattaka. He was good defensively, he’s skillful, he’s a very good skater. He will play in the NHL someday.”

Kasper Simontaival, RW, Taapara (2020 draft-eligible): “He was very impressive,” Pennanen said. “I didn’t have too much expectations, but he was very good with the puck. He has a lot of hockey sense, a great attitude.”

Matias Mantykivi, C, SaiPa (Boston): “This guy is so good, he is such a smart hockey player,” Pennanen said. Mantykivi went in the sixth round because of his size and skating, and the coach recognized Mantykivi’s game could slow down at times. “He could play in the KHL, and why not in the NHL, because he is so smart,” Pennanen said.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191124 Websites "I think in these situations there’s always a little bit of an emotional factor and, like Marc said, a shock factor," said Canadiens captain Shea Weber. "Obviously, everyone learned about this this morning and the biggest concern is his health. We want to make sure he’s healthy first. Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens forge on in playoffs with Julien in their thoughts But I think that’s something, for sure, we can draw upon and use it as… and hearts not as if we weren’t motivated in the first place, [but] this can maybe draw even more out of that."

This situation, though shocking, is not without precedent. Eric Engels | August 13, 2020, 6:34 PM It was during the 1992-93 Canadiens season, when Muller was a player

with the organization, that head coach Jacques Demers was hospitalized TORONTO — It’s the image that resonates most in the wake of news after experiencing chest pains. He was dismissed after all tests came that Montreal Canadiens coach Claude Julien was rushed to the hospital back clear, and he ended up coaching the team to a Cup win months with chest pains Wednesday night after his team’s 2-1 loss in Game 1 of later. their Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Philadelphia Flyers: a It was back in 2002, incidentally the same year that Julien began his NHL trimmed-down Julien, seated at the podium of the media room inside the coaching career, that Pat Quinn (who was 59 at the time) missed Game Canadiens’ practice facility on the second day of Phase 3 training camp, 3 of the Eastern Conference Final due to a "chest condition." Without him smiling and eventually joking with several journalists as the questions on their bench, the Toronto Maple Leafs fell in overtime by a score of 2-1 poured in via Zoom. and, upon his return, went on to lose to the Carolina Hurricanes in six He appeared as though the rest from March to July had done him well, games. like he had enjoyed quality time with family but also taken some for The hockey is secondary when things like this happen. You think about himself to do what the hectic schedule of an NHL coach doesn’t always the man, his family, his friends, and the members of his young team, for permit. Julien spoke on that day about how excited he was for the whom he is both coach and father figure. opportunity the Canadiens were given to participate in this tournament for the Stanley Cup — especially after a gruelling season that saw them You think about the stress of this work, particularly at this time — when resting in 24th place in the 31-team league when life as we knew it was the stakes are so high and the lights so bright. halted due to COVID-19. Geoff Ward knows. The Calgary Flames coach has been through two "We have a chance to prove we’re a better hockey team than what we cardiac episodes himself. showed," he said. "It’s stressful," he told Sportsnet. "When you do it for as many years as And then he arrived in Toronto 11 days later and helped the Canadiens Claude has… I can’t speak to how the extended stress affects a coach. It shock the hockey world with a monumental upset over the Pittsburgh certainly is very stressful, especially at this time of year, because it’s so Penguins in the qualifying round of these playoffs. short between games. You spend an awful lot of time away from the game, preparing so your sleep is not as good, you’re eating at different Julien had them prepared for Game 1 against the Flyers, he coached times. them through an impressive performance that fell just short of a stunning win, and then he calmly went through his media availability without any "The stakes are high this time of year – you have to find ways to get indication something was wrong. away from the game and relax a bit but that’s not always possible. Important things for your health can get neglected at this time of year, But something was. when the stakes are high." "I’m here to you inform you of a situation that explains the absence of our You can only imagine how Ward felt when hearing the news about Julien, head coach, Claude Julien, from our practice this morning," said whom he worked for as an assistant coach — first in Hamilton as part of Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin in an impromptu statement just before 2 Montreal’s AHL affiliate, the Bulldogs, and then in Boston, with the Bruins p.m. ET on Thursday. "Claude experienced pain in his chest overnight. from 2007-2014. We immediately consulted with our doctors and decided to rush him to the hospital by ambulance. He went through tests to determine the "I was shocked," Ward said. "My thoughts and prayers are with Claude nature of his condition. This situation has nothing to do with COVID. and his family. Not only do I feel for Claude and his family, but the organization and the team. It has ripples when something like this "We don’t foresee him being back with us before the end of this series happens. He’s such a great person and he’s a great coach. I’m sure his against the Flyers." presence around that team will be missed. In a year of the unexpected becoming reality so frequently that it’s "But right now everybody’s thoughts are with him, that he’s healthy and seemingly turned into the only constant we can rely on, this was still doing well. It’s not a good thing to hear and, when it’s a friend, it’s really unthinkable. Even with Julien turning 60 this past April. not a good thing to hear." A hockey lifer — first as a professional player from 1980-92 and then as Bergevin said that once he received a first bit of "positive news" from Dr. a coach who worked his way up from the QMJHL to the NHL in just four Mulder in the early hours of the morning, he was able to rest a little years — going from the bench to the hospital for reasons unrelated to easier. this global pandemic was a jarring bit of news. For everyone. His confidence in the Canadiens’ ability to move on without Julien put his Especially the Canadiens. mind at ease, as well. "A little shock and concern," said Bergevin. "But after talking to "Claude is a guy who works closely with his assistants," Bergevin said. [Canadiens head physician] Dr. David Mulder there is some good news "For our series against the Penguins, and for our game yesterday, I early this afternoon." thought, sincerely, our team was ready. And I see no issue. For sure we’ll He explained that Julien was "in good hands" at a Toronto-area hospital, be missing Claude, but our three coaches have experience as head that he spoke with him this morning, that there was hope he’d be out of coaches — Kirk in Carolina, Luke in Binghamton and Dom at the world the hospital within days and that he’d return home — whether it was to junior championships. So, we have experienced guys who will work Montreal to be with his family, or to Toronto to be with his Canadiens together. And, honestly, after speaking with Shea and the team, we’re family. ready. I’m eager for the game tomorrow at 3 p.m."

Either way, Julien may be out of sight for some time. But he certainly He added that there’s a possibility that Julien would be back behind the won’t be out of mind. Canadiens’ bench before long, but that it was more probable he’d first return to Montreal to be with his wife and children. As the Canadiens forge on, with Kirk Muller assuming head coaching duties and Dominque Ducharme and Luke Richardson sharing the rest of As Julien was transported to a hospital outside of the bubble, he’d have the responsibilities, Julien will be in their hearts, too. to go through a mandatory quarantine and produce several negative COVID-19 tests before being permitted to rejoin the Canadiens. But there are much more important things than that right now.

"We’re hoping for the best for him right now," said Bergevin.

So are we.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191125 Websites Had Hamilton not bulged the twine, Brind’Amour might’ve doubled down and gone for $50,034.

When the coach stepped to the podium, his first questioner offered to Sportsnet.ca / Hurricanes' Hamilton scores Game 2 winner for spare him any officiating questions. Brind'Amour, grandma Brind’Amour pursed his lips, nodded and said, “Thank you.”

No stranger to playoff gamesmanship, Brind’Amour’s “crime scene” rant Luke Fox | August 14, 2020, 2:08 AM came with a degree of calculation. Even if it didn’t pay off in an extra call his way (penalties were even, four per side), it paid off in inspiration for his troops.

TORONTO – Perspective is everything, isn’t it? “When he said that, we wanted to win for him and rally for him,” Hamilton said. “We want to play hard for him, and we respect him so much.” The same worldly night that can feel “dull at times” for the losing goaltender can feel like the light at the end of a gruelling seven-month “Rod, he’s very dedicated, and he’s going to have them prepared. I tunnel for the defenceman who unleashes a not-so-dull game-winning mean, he works, and that’s the motto of their team,” Marchand said. “The clapper clean over his left shoulder and under the bar. teams that are in the best condition and work the hardest, with the ice conditions, that’s just going to pay off. So, we knew they were going to Where Grandma keeps the victories. push. They’re resilient.” “It’s been a long time for me since I played hockey. For seven months In this back-to-back — perhaps the first of two back-to-backs in the you’re thinking about that stuff — playing the game, scoring a goal, what series — Hamilton logged a team-high 51:08. This after not playing a it feels like. That’s kinda what fuels you when you’re in those tough hockey game since snapping his left fibula on Jan. 16. moments in rehab. Feels great,” said Dougie Hamilton, after ending the Carolina Hurricanes’ five-game playoff losing skid to his former club, the Were it not for the pandemic, no chance the mid-season Norris candidate Boston Bruins. would be available for the playoffs.

“It’s my grandma’s birthday today, so I think that one is for her.” “All that layoff, the rust factor you think would be there. But he was special,” Brind’Amour praised. “A huge goal tonight. But the minutes he’s To be certain, Carolina’s 3-2 Game 2 win, which knots the first-round putting up there, that’s something we didn’t really expect. He’s obviously series at a game apiece, did not feel like an exhibition game to Grandma answered the bell.” Joan. Clapped it. Top shelf. Thanks so much. It is the icing on the cake! Gramma Joan Ring, ring. — Joan Hamilton (@Turner13jetJoan) August 14, 2020 We have ourselves a series. Let’s get Tuukka Rask’s post-loss comments out of the way. “It was a pretty good shot, I guess,” Rask said. “To be honest with you, it doesn’t really feel like playoff hockey right now. There’s no fans. It feels like playing an exhibition game,” Rask said, You know, for an exhibition game. matter-of-fact. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 08.14.2020 Oh? You don’t say…

“When you play at your home rink, you play at an away rink, and there’s fans cheering for you or against you and that creates another buzz around the series. There’s none of that, so it just feels dull at times.”

The emotions that come packed into 19,000 nervous bodies in a cold rink are most certainly missed, so the onus falls on the players themselves to summon sort of reasonable facsimile.

For the Hurricanes — suddenly turning this thing into a series with legs after getting swept by Boston in the 2019 Eastern Conference Final — all they had to do was glance up behind them, to the man running the bench.

Rod Brind’Amour, ripped poster boy for “players’ coach,” went to bat for the guys after Game 1’s loss, partially turned on a Petr Mrazek gloved puck that Boston jabbed lose for a goal.

“This is why the league’s a joke, in my opinion, on these things,” Brind’Amour told The News & Observer. “That one is a crime scene.”

The coach was swiftly dinged a $25,000 fine from the league, and the Hurricanes cut the cheque, adding a $17 tip like a bunch of jerks:

A series of iffy calls or non-calls did not fall Brind’Amour’s way in Game 2. Charlie McAvoy ripped off Jordan Staal’s helmet, which should be a minor by letter of the book. Boston’s Brad Marchand tied the game 2-2 on the power-play with three seconds left in the second period and Teuvo Teravainen in the box for a disputed interference call:

Then Brind’Amour, severely on tilt, unsuccessfully challenged a third- period Carolina goal nixed due to goalie interference, thus forced to kill off a subsequent delay-of-game penalty.

“I loved it. Loved it. There’s a lot at stake,” Brind’Amour said. “A lot of adversity and things happen in the game, and you have to be willing to adapt and kinda fight through it.

“It definitely brings you that much closer. Although, I don’t know how much closer this group can get. It was just one of those nights I felt good things were going to happen to us.” 1191126 Websites threat. Ditto Sean Monahan. In an effort to kickstart their line, Lindholm was shuffled, to no avail.

“I just felt like after the first period we really only had one line going,” said Sportsnet.ca / Flames left with many questions after losing more than just Ward of Bennett and Milan Lucic’s wrecking crew, which opened the game game with a Dillon Dube goal past Ben Bishop 19 seconds in.

“Inject a little life. Sam’s line was going well so I injected Sam, Looch and Benny into different lines. As the second period went on it wasn’t as Eric Francis | August 14, 2020, 3:17 AM lopsided as the first period. For us what we’ve got to take away from it is we were able to claw our way back. For a young team playoff-wise, that’s

an important thing to learn.” EDMONTON – They lost the game, they lost Matthew Tkachuk, and for a Who starts in net Friday? considerable amount of time, it looked like they lost their confidence. This wasn’t on Cam Talbot at all. Yet somehow, the Calgary Flames never lost faith. Yes, there was one weak goal by Miro Heiskanen that he’d like to have Despite yet another parade of punishment dished out by the Flames back, but more than a handful of his 31 saves were beauties that, quite Thursday night, the Dallas Stars did well to push back on the ice and the frankly, kept things from getting ugly. Yet, in a series with the first four scoreboard. games scheduled over five-and-a-half days, Ward said from the outset As expected. there would be the possibility of having to play two netminders.

Game on, as the series is now tied 1-1. Is now the time to introduce David Rittich to his first NHL playoff action, with the team reeling from an emotional setback? Livestream the Flames in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, plus every game of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Sportsnet NOW. Don’t expect an answer until shortly before the 8:30 pm MT puck drop Friday. In a game with more hits than Rod Carew, the Flames were reminded of the type of big boy hockey the Stars have relished for years. Can the Flames bounce back and elevate to the level the Stars were at Game 2? For the first two periods the Flames dished it out and they took it, but it was Gang Green that managed to sustain plenty of offensive pressure on It remains to be seen how the group deals with the physical toll the a younger Flames club that was back on its heels most of the evening. schedule may start to take, as well as the mental toll of really having the Stars take it to them for the first 40 minutes. Yet, despite falling behind 4-2 late in the second period, and having a third-period goal overturned in controversial fashion, the Flames After a lacklustre series debut, Benn and Tyler Seguin started baring somehow managed to tie it with three minutes left. their teeth in a gritty game the Stars needed to win. Struggling to score through the round robin and most of the season, the Stars’ offensive Their gutsy comeback was rendered moot in the final minute when explosion of sorts had to be concerning for a Flames team that made its defenceman Jamie Oleksiak finished a golden pass from Corey Perry last three games look easy with stifling defence and newfound moxie that exposed broken coverage and gave the Stars a 5-4 win, with the they vowed to show after last year’s playoff flop. winner coming with 40 seconds remaining. The Flames vowed to take the positives out of the setback, which A dagger for a Flames team that surely understood afterwards the better included the late comeback and the fact they weren’t flustered by the team won. situation room’s decision to call back Andrew Mangiapane’s goal five minutes into the third while down 4-2. Mangiapane’s skate knocked the “We knew they would come out harder, and we had a lot of trouble the puck in as he fell to the ice, prompting video review officials to deem it a first two periods,” said Elias Lindholm, who was demoted to the third line kicking motion few Flames fans would agree with. in favour of a possessed Sam Bennett midway through. “We were sitting back a little too much and didn’t work enough to get open. We battled A shorthanded goal by Tobias Rieder with eight minutes left set up back and at the end it was tight and could have gone either way. Bennett’s dramatic power play redirect with three minutes left to tie it. Tomorrow we have to be ready from the beginning.” Enter Oleksiak, and newfound doubt. The Flames took great solace from their ability to get right back at it Friday night with an eye on atoning for their first sub-par effort in four “They came out hard but the important thing for us is we were finally able outings. to get our legs under us and come back and make it a game,” said Ward, whose club has lost 11-straight Game 2’s, dating back to 2004. They may have to do so without the services of Tkachuk, who left the game on three occasions with injuries. The first came from a stick to the “That’s what it’s all about this time of year — it’s about managing your groin courtesy of Jamie Benn, and the knockout blow that ended his moments. It’s not always about playing a good hand well, sometimes you evening in the third period came when he was sandwiched by Benn and have to play a bad one. You put it in the rearview.” the towering Oleksiak. We’ll find out Friday if that’s easier said than done. There was a better chance of solving the Caramilk secret than getting Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 08.14.2020 late-night answers from coach Geoff Ward on Tkachuk’s status after he was seen wobbling following a final blow that likely initiated concussion testing.

“Chucky is a warrior — he battles hard for us game in and game out,” said Bennett, who was the game’s ultimate beast, with a tying goal, five shots and seven hits for a team limited to one scoring chance in the first and just a few in the second. “We’ll see what’s up with him, but he’s a tough kid and he brings a lot to our team. It was unfortunate he had to leave there.”

In their previous three games the Flames had answers to everything, by way of tight defence, punishing physicality and confidence that gave them tremendous momentum.

Now there are plenty of questions outside of Tkachuk’s status:

Where has the Flames first line gone?

Johnny Gaudreau celebrated his 27th birthday much the same way he has throughout these playoffs — on the perimeter. Never a scoring 1191127 Websites Picked by about nobody to even make the playoffs, the Canucks handled the Minnesota Wild in the qualifying round and calmly took the game away from the champion Blues in the third period on Wednesday, winning 5-2 to open the best-of-seven series. Sportsnet.ca / Tight-knit Canucks experiencing tragedy, triumph in trying season The Canucks have won four straight playoff games, which last happened on their way to the Cup final in 2011. Vancouver seems to be getting stronger, more confident as their many young players realize they are not overmatched in their first Stanley Cup tournament. Iain MacIntyre | August 13, 2020, 7:12 PM Game 2 is Friday.

“We wanted to try to find the right kind of people – people of high EDMONTON – Said by every successful hockey team and a lot that character who are going to play hard and compete hard,” Benning aren’t: “We’ve got a great group of players, a really close team, guys who explained. “I believe if you work hard, you become more than the sum of play hard and sacrifice for each other.” your parts. We always make sure we do our background work with the And because this is what good teammates are supposed to say, these people we draft and who we bring in, the free agents we look at. ideals often seem like fortune-cookie platitudes, sound bites to satisfy the “If you have a group of guys that are willing to work hard for each other. . media and fans during an uninspired road trip in the middle of January. . you can have success with a group like that. Since I’ve been here, that’s But then you watch the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday, and see the always been important to us.” raw emotions when Troy Stecher scores a winning playoff goal against Benning has run the Canucks for six years. The qualifying round was his the St. Louis Blues two months after his dad died on Father’s Day. first playoff series win in Vancouver. The team has been almost entirely You see how teammates including Elias Pettersson hug him during a rebuilt. Whatever mistakes Benning has made, he and Green got the television timeout, how captain Bo Horvat, a new father himself, is chemistry right. swamped by emotions post-game when he tries to talk about Stecher, As Boeser said, there seem to be a lot of good human beings on this how stoic goaltender Jacob Markstrom, who lost his own dad last team. November, admits to becoming emotional at what he witnessed. “I think you get to a point where you get out of yourself and you’re playing “I know what he’s going through,” Markstrom said. for each other,” Benning said. “When you develop that culture where You can’t fake this. You can manufacture a forecheck, but you can’t you’re going to compete and do whatever you can to win that game. . . manufacture emotions like these. guys get out of their comfort zone to do anything that helps the team achieve more. When you can gather a group of players that can do that, I Livestream the Canucks in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, plus every game think that’s when you have something.” of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Sportsnet NOW. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 08.14.2020 The Canucks are a tight group. They are fond of each other and will do anything to help their teammates. And they have grown closer through a series of personal hardships that began last summer when winger Brock Boeser’s dad stopped breathing for 15 minutes before he was resuscitated so he could continue to battle both cancer and Parkinson’s Disease.

Stecher, who went to the University of North Dakota with Boeser, actually flew to Minnesota from Vancouver in August to support his friend and be with teammate when it seemed Duke Boeser still might not make it.

The Canucks are as real as it gets.

“If that emotion is faked, then the team doesn’t go anywhere,” general manager Jim Benning said Thursday. “I don’t think it’s fake. It’s got to be real. Where it ends up, where it’s going to go, I don’t know. But as a general manager, that’s what you’re trying to do – assemble a group of guys that are going to play hard for each other.”

Few teams build a long playoff run on talent alone. Almost always there is something more.

The Blues were the worst team in the NHL halfway through last season, but came together to survive and ended up winning the Stanley Cup.

The year before, the expansion Vegas Golden Knights built one of the most improbable runs in playoff history with a team of castoffs, helping heal Las Vegans after their city was fractured by the almost incomprehensible mass shooting of nearly 500 people at a music festival.

Three Canucks lost their fathers in the span of one season. Three others have welcomed newborns in the last two months.

Things happen.

“Whenever someone goes through something like that, I think we have a close group here and everyone is so supportive of each other,” Boeser said Thursday. “Even what I went through, the stuff with my dad, everyone texted me last year. It goes a long way.

“When you lose some loved ones over this past year, it’s hard. I think our whole team is super supportive. A lot of really good human beings on this team. I definitely think it brings us together.”

Canuck coach Travis Green said: “This group likes being together, they enjoy hanging out with each other. And they really want to win badly. As a coach, that’s important.” 1191128 Websites (Hockey Twitter will look after that part.) So, what’s in a game? It starts with the general crowd noise, the audible

anticipation, as the baseline sound of every game’s broadcast — that Sportsnet.ca / From EA to the NHL: How synthetic audio is helping tell comes in the form of a three-minute audio loop, mimicking the story of the game atmosphere of a rink full of excited fans and void of any “audio landmarks” that would stand out.

“If you listen really, really closely, it’s like this mix of close-up fans that Emily Sadler | August 13, 2020, 11:25 AM you can actually hear reacting to the play plus the 17,000 fans at the same time,” said Pritchett.

Then there are shot reactions – “Literally, I’ve written down in my notes New camera angles, giant screens, fluorescent lighting around the rink here: ‘oohs and aahs,’” Pritchett said with a laugh. These match up with framing the main event – hockey’s got a new look this summer. goals, saves, or misses, with every possible reaction coming in at varying Fans at home have no doubt noticed it sounds a little different, too. voracities, from a glove save in the first play to a Game 7 overtime winner with Lord Stanley on the line. There’s also applause for a nice With the COVID-19 pandemic eliminating the possibility of proceeding play or save, and even a fight loop for the rowdy fans (not) in attendance. with fans in attendance, the NHL decided to bring in some help in the form of synthetic audio in an effort to create a more normal atmosphere. As much as it sounds like Pritchett’s team and the league have got it down to a science – for every action, there is an equal and augmented If it feels like the players are living in a real-life video game, you’re not far reaction – it turns out it’s actually more of an art. off. All that audio, aside from the organic stuff – skates on ice, pucks on sticks, chirps on opponents – is supplied by EA Sports’ NHL division, “When we were in discussions with the NHL as to what type of person makers of NHL ’20 and the upcoming NHL ’21. should be handling the hardware and doing this in real time during the games, we stressed to them the importance of having somebody that “What you’re hearing inside the real-life games right now are the exact was more artistically oriented as opposed to technical,” Pritchett said. same sounds that we use in our product,” said David Pritchett, “This is not a technical tool – this is an artistic tool.” presentation designer at EA Sports’ NHL franchise headquarters in Vancouver. The tool he’s talking about is called the Ableton Push 2, operating a system called Ableton Live. From the Stanley Cup Qualifiers to the Stanley Cup Final, livestream every game of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, -free, on “It’s typically meant for DJs. It’s more of a musical tool, it’s meant for live- Sportsnet NOW. mixing, on the fly, at clubs and things like that and it’s intended to be easy to use and super intuitive,” said Pritchett. “The idea is that it As the “vision holder” for the video game product’s visual and audible becomes so intuitive for the operators that they’ll have one hand on that elements and overall presentation, Pritchett was a major driving force in piece of hardware and not even have to look at it while they’re watching creating the audio hockey fans have been hearing since 24 return-to-play the game … clicking buttons and be using rotary dials as it happens, teams set out in their quest for the Stanley Cup earlier this month. almost like a musical instrument.”

Upon seeing how EA’s FIFA division supplied in-game sound for the The result is a symphony of sounds that make up a hockey game. And return of the Premier League in June, the NHL reached out to Pritchett’s while it may seem like there’s an entire orchestra behind the audibles, it team with a question: “What opportunity is there for NHL to do something turns out it’s all the work of a one-man band. similar?” That’s where Jeff Kozak comes in. Equipped with the Ableton operating While the video game relies on artificial intelligence to trigger a series of system and EA’s collection of clips, it’s Kozak who’s actually applying the audio reactions programmed to be at the ready at all times, applying that sound effects in real-time to every single Western Conference game in same audio to real-life sports means doing it manually — with an audio Edmonton’s hub city, making the big game sound more like… well, the operator located at the rink and manipulating the synthetic sound in real big game. (Michigan-based audio operator Matt Coppedge is doing the time. same role for every Eastern Conference game in Toronto’s hub.)

Where soccer’s sounds come in rolling waves, slowly building to a Sound is second-nature to Kozak, whose extensive musical experience crescendo as the beautiful game unfolds on an expansive sea of green, began when he first started playing piano at a young age and grew as he hockey provides a much greater challenge with its fast, frenetic pace and took up the violin, performing in symphonies and on stage for about 12 unpredictability. (Make it playoff hockey in the year 2020, put it in a years before transitioning to the technical side of things. bubble, and anything can happen.) Without knowing it, you’ve heard Kozak’s contributions to hockey Like every aspect of the NHL’s unique return-to-play setup, plans broadcasts before – over the course of his 31-year career, the freelance between EA Sports and the NHL came together quickly over the course sound mixer has traveled wherever hockey goes, helping bring of about a month and a half of meetings, mock-ups, test-runs, and fine- thousands of hockey games (including All-Star Games, outdoor classics, tuning – done remotely and via Zoom, of course. and Stanley Cup Finals) to life on the small screen.

“There’s a fine line there, where we want something that sounds “I know what the building’s supposed to sound like in between play. I authentic, but we need to be careful with that,” Pritchett said. “What we’re know what the crowd reaction is going to be on certain aspects of the really doing is helping with the storytelling of the game.” play – a great body check, a fabulous save, a puck sliding by an open net super slowly,” Kozak said. “I was really actually invigorated by the Working in EA’s favour was the NHL’s desire to create a more neutral in- chance to do this.” game atmosphere, with both sides getting a home-team feel as far as crowd reactions and goal horns go. Kozak, who’s used to being tucked away in the sound suite of a technical production truck, is now located up – waaay up – at the press box level of “The NHL made it very clear that they don’t want it to be something that’s Edmonton’s Rogers Place where normally a commentator and analyst kind of in-your-face, and I totally support that as well,” he said. “They use would watch and call the game. it more as a background tool, just to add a little bit of something so that we’re not constantly reminded that we’re in this COVID era, I suppose. This new vantage point has forced him to re-think how he watches the And I think that’s great.” game he’s made a career in, in order to get fully in sync with the ebb and flow of narrating a hockey game through the collective gasps and roars in The NHL also wanted to keep things positive – i.e., more cheers than place of the 18,500 fans that would typically fill the seats at the home of jeers. the Oilers. “There were things that we knew we didn’t want, like booing on referee He’s used to listening to a flurry of other voices through his headset – calls,” Pritchett explained. “We wanted to keep it positive, for sure – that’s commentators, producers, directors, fellow sound technicians. Now, his the number one thing – but we also didn’t want to be in this weird focus is solely on the dozen players battling on the icy stage below him. situation where it felt like the NHL was making commentary on the reffing in the games.” “They tell me everything that’s going on on the ice. I can hear their Prior to the real competition starting up, the idea of synthetic audio was dialogue up here – it’s astounding,” he added “So, I’m mixing the game to have it input only into the broadcast feed – not into the arena itself. live, to them, and it’s super helpful. It really is.” That changed at the end of the exhibition games, when the NHL tried feeding it straight into the rink for the players to hear, too. In front of him throughout every game is the Ableton Push 2’s panel of 64 colour-coded buttons – eight rows of eight, with dials above each row to “The feedback we’ve been getting from players and officials is that adjust the volume and intensity of each sound and reaction. they’re very happy with what they’re doing,” said Kozak. “It’s putting them in a place where they feel like things are somewhat normal. That’s Kozak was able to configure the grid to his own preference like a probably something we’re most proud of – is the fact that we’re being personalized, colourful Rubik’s cube of a keyboard, all lit up come game transparent and neutral.” time and ready to be played as soon as the players set foot on the ice. With plenty more games on the way, expect more evolution – and more “I can load that with whatever sounds I want in a way where I can make it unique soundbites. Just as no two hockey games are the same, no two easy for my hand just to rest on a button and I know that my index finger crowds sound exactly alike, either. Kozak, Coppedge, Pritchett and the is a cheer or my thumb is a goal or my pinky is different sound, and I can NHL will continue to collaborate as competition progresses to bring in colour-code all that. And then with my left hand, I have all kinds of new sounds as the stakes get higher. different crowd intensity samples – so, as play is moving up the ice, I’m making it louder just like people would cheer a rush up the ice in a real As Pritchett pointed out: “You really have to be thinking about the long crowd,” Kozak explained. “I’m trying to replicate that, but not too much game as well, over time – like, what am I going to reserve for those really because I still have to be conscious of the fact that I am sweetening the big moments?” game, I’m not trying to re-create the crowd. The game is dictating to us what it should sound like.” We’ll have to wait and see. And listen.

Kozak didn’t have much time to prepare – he learned about the job Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 08.14.2020 opportunity just a few weeks before traveling to Edmonton from his home base near Peterborough and, once settled inside Edmonton’s bubble, he received the fully-loaded hardware and software just two days before the puck dropped on the first exhibition game.

For two days, he called up old hockey games on YouTube, studying the rise and fall of the ambient sound and reactions, recording those games using his own applied audio, and then listening back to compare.

Through that process, Kozak learned that the natural tendency is to put in too many sound effects.

“Less is more, for sure,” he noted. “There’s commentary overtop of it … the skate sounds and the sticks and the dialogue from the ice. You have to leave some room in there for everything.”

Tom Wilson, noting how at times it is a little bit weird and quiet on the ice playing in front of no fans: "Conversations with the other team are a little easier"

— Samantha Pell (@SamanthaJPell) August 5, 2020

Kozak’s biggest takeaway?

“The thing I noticed right out of the gate was, because I’m used to seeing the game on a monitor in a broadcast, was how fast it is up here — it’s just so incredibly fast,” he said.

Have any plays snuck up on him?

“Well… Connor McDavid,” he said, with a laugh. “The other night, that goal under the crossbar…”

“At times, it’s very difficult to see the puck up here because you’re so high … It was up and under the crossbar, and I was trying to figure out where the puck was and it was in the net. Just an incredible goal.”

That half-second pause between the puck zipping past the goal line and Kozak’s finger releasing an eruption of fan noise from the would-be hometown crowd is something he’ll “forever remember.”

It also brought a human element to a process driven by technology.

“It is comforting to know that that does happen in real life,” he said with a laugh. “But it’s not comforting when you’re the person pushing the button.”

Now about three weeks into the action – and working up to three games a day – in Edmonton, the action has slowed down for Kozak and he’s clearly having fun with what is a “really unique opportunity.”

“As the games have gone by, it’s gotten much easier. The game’s slowed down enough that you can make the decision,” he said. “And 99.9 times you’re correct – unless it’s Connor McDavid with that backhand under the crossbar.”

There are a lot of new normals these days, and it takes some time to get used to them.

The league and its broadcasters went into this process knowing there would be room for plenty of growth and adjustments to come, and we’ve seen that already. 1191129 Websites spot,” said Copp. “Just try to let my play do the talking. It’s not going to be assumed, for sure. I just feel like I’m working hard for it and that’s where I see my game going.”

Sportsnet.ca / Cheveldayoff's creativity key to Jets regaining contender Should the Jets be looking to make a deal for an external option, Max status Domi of the Montreal Canadiens or Nolan Patrick of the Philadelphia Flyers could be two players that may be looking for a change of scenery once the offseason arrives.

Ken Wiebe | August 13, 2020, 6:41 PM Given the fact the Jets expressed an interest in acquiring Nazem Kadri from the Toronto Maple Leafs last summer, Domi makes a lot of sense —

especially since the emergence of Nick Suzuki has essentially pushed WINNIPEG — Kevin Cheveldayoff still has more questions than answers him out of a top-six role. when it comes to a flat salary cap and the impact the pandemic could As for Patrick, bringing the former Brandon Wheat Kings captain into the have on his budget. fold would provide a boost in the skill department but given his health But one thing the general manager of the Winnipeg Jets is going to have during the past two seasons, there would be some inherent risk involved at his disposal is salary cap space — and you can expect him to show in a potential trade. some creativity in how he’ll work to fill some of the holes in his roster But both players would be highly motivated to flourish in a new situation during the offseason. and could fill a void the Jets have attempted to fill with trades during each Simply put, all options will be considered as the Jets look to upgrade the of the past three deadlines (Paul Stastny, Kevin Hayes, Cody Eakin). defence corps and bolster a talented forward group. With 11 pending unrestricted free agents from the current roster, there is “There’s a strong commitment from this organization group to do the bound to be some significant turnover, which is what one would expect things that need to get done,” said Cheveldayoff, who spoke for nearly 42 from a Jets team that should be proud of the way they battled adversity minutes. “I’ve never discussed internal budgets or different things like but are also coming off a second straight early exit. that. But from a perspective of being competitive, this organization is Cheveldayoff says he hasn’t opened contract discussions with committed to that. I have no concerns there. defenceman Dylan DeMelo, though he reiterated the contribution he “We’re sitting here now understanding where the cap number is and made since his acquisition makes him a good fit to stick around. understanding there are going to be challenges in how to work with a flat “He really fit in well,” said Cheveldayoff. “We’ll definitely take a look at it. cap, not only now but the cap moving forward as it’s laid out. There’s not We haven’t had any negotiations with his representatives. But there has a lot of expected growth because of the pandemic for the foreseeable been a constant communication with respect to the understanding that future. There are going to be some tough decisions, certainly in our we think he has been a good fit. organization and some other organizations as well because of the nature of the cap.” “Being an unrestricted free agent or potential unrestricted free agent, there’s obviously different things that I’m sure you know they’re Having some cap flexibility could open up some possibilities that some considering. The positive side of things there for us right (now) is other teams pressed up against the ceiling won’t have at their disposal. generally you’re sitting here waiting for that salary cap to get set. We do “All you can do is project internally here by going over and poring over know that number, now it’s just a matter of trying to understand our own other team’s caps and situations as to what might become available or internal circumstances with respect to filling all the holes that we have, to not. Then, one thing we can provide for those players is an opportunity to what parameters we can assign to every situation. But we really play with a real solid core of players,” said Cheveldayoff. “Whether it’s a appreciated what he brought to the table for us.” centre or whether it’s a winger or whether it’s a defenceman, we’re an It’s also possible the Jets opt to go big-game hunting, perhaps making a easy sell to say ‘you can play with Josh Morrissey’ or ‘you can play with pitch to St. Louis Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo. Player X up front.’ Those are enticing things to try to get a player to come in and prove themselves.” Pietrangelo, who became the franchise leader for points by a defenceman earlier this season, would prefer to remain in St. Louis but a The off-season priorities for the Jets are easy to identify — and represent flat cap likely means he’ll have to take less than market value to stay in a common theme. the fold. One of the biggest question marks is the health and availability of veteran Might that leave the Jets with an opportunity to lure him over to a Central centre Bryan Little, who has been out since Nov. 4 and carries a cap hit Division rival by offering a deal with a larger average annual value? of $5.291 million for the next four seasons. It would be a bold stroke by Cheveldayoff, one that would bring in a No. 1 A day after an emotional Little spoke with reporters for the first time since blue-liner and provide an even bigger shooting threat for the Jets’ power suffering the head injury, Jets head coach Paul Maurice showed empathy play. for the situation but also revealed the need to at least consider a Plan B. One position the Jets don’t really need to worry much about is between “You’ll separate the two things, the person and the player,” said Maurice. the pipes, where Connor Hellebuyck just completed a Vezina-calibre “From a player point-of-view, we would absolutely now have to plan season. going forward that he wouldn’t be a player, because we’ve been doing that since his injury. As a person, you want a perfect life for everybody, Hellebuyck is a workhorse, but there is a question surrounding who the you want perfect health and you want to be able to enjoy your life. For backup goalie is going to be. Bryan, from the Winnipeg Jets and from me personally, I want his life to be great, and if that means he doesn’t step on the ice again then that’s With Laurent Brossoit set for unrestricted free agency, it remains to be what I want. seen if he’s going to sign another one-year deal where he knows what he’s in for — or if he prefers to join another organization where more “I don’t have the medical answers and clearly, even Bryan doesn’t have starts could be available for him. those, yet, on whether or not he’ll be given an opportunity to be a skater. So, we’ll just let that happen and hope for the best. But in terms of The Jets also have Eric Comrie, Mikhail Berdin and Arvid Holm under planning going forward, we have to look at this as Bryan wasn’t a player contract for next season, so it’s possible the position is filled internally. for us this year for good reason, and that wouldn’t change and we have While Maurice’s assessment is ongoing, he conceded the Jets need to to prepare that he won’t be a player for us again.” improve metrics on both the offensive and defensive sides of the game. If that turns out to be the case, Andrew Copp is the top internal Before the roster reconstruction picks up, the Jets focus will shift to the candidate, especially after filling in admirably after Mark Scheifele left 2020 NHL Draft. Game 1 of the qualifying round against the Flames with a suspected ankle injury. Maurice confesses that in the days leading into the NHL Draft Lottery, he allowed himself to dream about the prospect of bringing Alexis Lafreniere “I don’t want to assume or have to tell the coaches I want it. I think I want into the fold — though he’s now likely heading to the New York Rangers. my play to dictate that (Maurice) can’t have me anywhere else but that “We all used to get the Canadian Tire Christmas catalogue, right? So, how I grew up is you knew you weren’t getting anything out of it but, man, you went through every page and circled all the stuff you’d love to have,” said Maurice. “I also knew I wasn’t getting any of it, so it wasn’t upsetting on Christmas morning. It was just a fun part. So, the answer to your question is, ‘sure.’ You had some line combinations and played with some things. But we weren’t expecting it.”

As of right now, the Jets have only four picks in the 2020 NHL Draft, but one of them is coming at 10th overall.

While the Jets are likely to add an impact forward or blue-liner, the chances are good that the player won’t be ready to compete for a roster spot in December and likely will require some additional seasoning.

As is customary, Cheveldayoff made it clear that it will be up to the chosen player to show whether he’s ready for NHL duty or not.

“There’s some really good, talented players there that are going to be there for us,” said Cheveldayoff. “We’re going to get a good player. I don’t know that any of us when we drafted Ville Heinola felt he was going to come into training camp and do the things that he did.

“Sitting here right now and understanding you’re drafting an 18-year-old person, forcing a young player just because you might have a hole in your organization is not the best way in all cases to build your organization. Now, if that player forces himself onto the team, then you take a good hard look at it.”

Cheveldayoff, who is entering his 10th offseason since taking the job, will be taking a hard look at a lot of things during the coming weeks and months.

The moves that he makes will go a long way to determining whether the Jets are going to be a bubble team once again or can get back to challenging for the Stanley Cup like they did in 2018.

“Again, it doesn’t necessarily change what year you’re in, what the situation truly was in the past here. It’s about looking forward, about trying to make assessments of where you’re at within an organization, what you have with assets in front of you and what the challenges are that you have to meet,” said Cheveldayoff. “It’s interesting, last summer sitting here to a person at the podium last year everyone was talking that this summer was going to be the hardest summer that I had with respect to getting contracts done and finding a way. Everyone was talking about offer sheets.

“Obviously we got dusted back from the plate by a couple of curve balls that we didn’t anticipate, but I thought we came off the mat and found a way to be competitive and to be in a situation probably sitting here where no one anticipated. This is where the busy time kind of starts for us. We have obviously preparation for the draft coming up, preparation for some internal contract signings, preparation for free agency and preparation for the unknown. So there’s lots of work to be done and we’re ready for the task.”

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191130 Websites “When we’re playing our game we can win different ways,” said Stastny. “When Pete came in it brought a new sense of life into us. It seemed like we spent less time in D-zone, found different ways to win. Since training camp opened up, he instilled in us to get back to what made us good. Sportsnet.ca / Golden Knights brimming with confidence after fifth win in There aren’t a lot of teams that can play our style for 60 minutes.” bubble Not in this series, anyhow.

“I thought we were playing really well the first two periods,” offered Kane, Mark Spector | August 13, 2020, 10:13 PM “and for whatever reason it just seemed that they came out better than us in the third.”

For whatever reason. EDMONTON — Pete DeBoer’s Vegas Golden Knights are 5-0 in Edmonton and have not lost a hockey game since March 6. His goalie, The Blackhawks had better start figuring out some answers, or this will Robin Lehner, is 7-0 since coming over from the Chicago Blackhawks at be their last weekend in the Edmonton bubble. the trade deadline, and even if DeBoer had to use his backup, that player’s name is Marc-Andre Fleury. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 08.14.2020

Even for a National Hockey League coach, a group of guys who can find a flaw in a hole-in-one or a 29 hand in crib, it must be getting difficult for DeBoer to find things to improve on with his team.

“It’s not hard,” DeBoer smiled, after a 4-3 overtime win that puts Vegas ahead 2-0 in its Round 1 series against the Chicago Blackhawks. “You can ask our group. We lit into them pretty good after the last game about some of our play in the neutral zone. Some of our decisions. But our group is really open to constructive criticism. You never play a perfect game, and we didn’t tonight.”

“At same time,” he added, “you’ve got to take your hat off to them. They find ways to win every night, and there’s a feeling on that bench that, regardless of the situation, they’re going to find a way to win.”

No one in this tournament is more confident than these Golden Knights, who count 13 different scorers that have scored 23 times in Edmonton. Reilly Smith had two in Game 1 of this series, then zipped the winner past Corey Crawford at 7:13 of the first OT session, Smith’s fifth shot of the game.

It was one of those goals that you could feel was coming, the way the ground rumbles as a train pulls into the station.

“It started the shift before that,” said Smith, who watched the line of Nick Cousins, Nicolas Roy and Alex Tuch tire out the Jonathan Toews line before changing. “All five guys cycled the puck, kinda hemmed them in their zone. Then Cousins delayed, created some time for me and (Paul) Stastny to get in. Paul made a good pass and it went in off my stick.”

The Chicago Blackhawks haven’t held a lead in this series, and with back to back games set for Saturday and Sunday, they’re going to need a weekend’s work to avoid a sweep. They did come from behind Thursday, erasing a 2-0 deficit, and Dylan Strome hit a crossbar in the extra session.

But they’re down 2-0 no matter how you slice it. Saturday is must-win territory for the Blackhawks.

“It’s a different team than Edmonton was,” said young Kirby Dach, who scored his first-ever playoff goal in this game. “They come at you in waves, but we did a good job of weathering the storm. They’re good at collapsing down low. Once we find our groove, we’ll be OK as a group. But it’s tough to swallow. We had chances in overtime to put the game away, but it didn’t happen that way.”

Patrick Kane had three assists, but Vegas D-man Shea Theodore was plus-four on the night.

Max Pacioretty, who came up to Edmonton late and played in Game 1 of the series, did not dress for Game 2. He was said to be “unfit to play.”

Lehner, meanwhile, has stolen the No. 1 job from Fleury, a development that nobody saw coming when the Golden Knights brought him in from Chicago at the trade deadline.

“Coming into this group, it’s a very tight-knit group,” Lehner said. “Everyone buys into the system and does the right things, and in the long run you get rewarded. Letting in a goal, there’s no panic. Letting in two goals… You trust your team, that we can come back. It’s a very well structured team here and a lot of skill at the same time.”

Vegas was less dominant in Game 2 than they had been in their 4-1 Game 1 victory. But they won anyhow, a sign of a team that does not need to follow the same script every night. 1191131 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / UFA Jason Spezza makes pitch to Maple Leafs: ‘The fire still burns’

Luke Fox | August 13, 2020, 11:26 AM

TORONTO — “The fire still burns, and I really hope to be back here next year.”

This is Jason Spezza laying his cards on the table and placing his heart on his sleeve.

The 37-year-old unrestricted free agent does not want his 17-year NHL run to go out like this, his last game-sheet appearance a gutty fight, his final result a heartbreaking loss.

“I know I’m not the player I once was, but I do feel like I can help quite a bit,” Spezza said Wednesday. “When you lose, there’s consequences, but I’d really love a chance to come back with this group.”

Spezza, a father of four girls, has made his home (again) in this city. He has already made his millions and wants another crack at a Stanley Cup. He signed a one-year contract in 2019-20 to chase a dream for the league-minimum $700,000.

Spezza and GM Kyle Dubas are expected to engage in contract conversations in the coming weeks, although re-upping RFA Travis Dermott and Ilya Mikheyev will take priority.

“We’re not up against the cap, contrary to everyone’s belief. We’ve got a little bit of space,” Dubas said Wednesday. “We’ve got restricted free agents only to sign back… .So, we’ll get them taken care of using the mechanisms the league provides for both and have discussions with their people.”

The question becomes: Does Spezza — a fast favourite among teammates — fit into Dubas’s vision of filling in the fringes?

Despite his age, Spezza remained healthy all season, contributed to the second power-play unit and was an invaluable voice of experience in a young room.

In the play-in series loss to Columbus, his fourth line didn’t register a goal, but didn’t get scored on either. Spezza started the majority of his shifts in the defensive zone and ended the majority in the O-zone, prompting Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella to call out his own fourth- line pivot, Alexander Wennberg, after Game 4.

“Wenny just hasn’t stepped up, plain and simple. He’s done a really good job killing penalties, but Spezza’s line fed it to him. “That’s why Toronto was playing Spezza’s line. If it wasn’t the Matthews, Marner and Tavares with the goalie pulled, it was Spezza’s line.”

From the Stanley Cup Qualifiers to the Stanley Cup Final, livestream every game of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, blackout-free, on Sportsnet NOW.

Spezza finished the abbreviated regular season with nine goals and 16 assists, an uptick in production rate from his previous two seasons in Dallas.

“To me, it’s special to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs. It’s special to play for an team, being a Toronto boy, something I dreamed of. You wanted to be a part of something special,” Spezza said.

“I didn’t take for granted any days I got to put the jersey on. It was really important for me and for us to have a good culture to do well, and it’s really disappointing to be done this early.”

Dubas will not waste time reaching out to the GMs of the 14 other eliminated franchises and sketching out a course to fill around his core with free agents and trades.

Spezza is an option, but he won’t the only one.

“It will be on me to be creative,” Dubas said.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 08.14.2020 1191132 Websites Fortunately, Korpisalo has been more than up to the task for a Jackets team that has already played 28 periods of hockey in its seven playoff games.

Sportsnet.ca / Blue Jackets' Korpisalo chooses great time for hottest run “We all know in the dressing room that he’s one of the best goalies in the of career NHL and he’s feeling really good right now,” said Dubois. “Every time we make a little mistake he’s there to stop the puck and give us confidence to try plays and that’s all you can ask from a goalie.

Chris Johnston | August 13, 2020, 8:00 PM “He’s been, since Game 1, since he started, he’s been amazing for us.”

Do you need further proof?

TORONTO — It’s starting to look like Joonas Korpisalo might be the only With Thursday’s performance, Korpisalo became the first goalie in NHL thing that can save us from 2020. history with 121 saves through two games of a playoff series, surpassing Curtis Joseph’s 118 for St. Louis against Toronto in 1993. The stoic Finn has certainly had a significant hand in getting the Columbus Blue Jackets to where they are in these bubble-bound Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 08.14.2020 playoffs, tied 1-1 with the Tampa Bay Lightning and seemingly getting stronger with each test of mental fortitude.

This is the stuff that legends are made of.

Korpisalo, at age 26 and with more than 180 professional games on his resume, has timed the hottest run of his NHL career with the first six career starts he’s ever made in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“It’s just awesome to have him in net,” teammate Oliver Bjorkstrand said after Thursday’s 3-1 victory over the Lightning.

From the Stanley Cup Qualifiers to the Stanley Cup Final, livestream every game of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, blackout-free, on Sportsnet NOW.

As committed and stout as Columbus plays defensively, they’ve needed some help. Korpisalo turned aside 36 shots in Game 2 against Tampa, bringing his total to 154 in the last three outings alone.

And no, that’s not a typo.

His recent body of work includes a shutout to eliminate the Toronto Maple Leafs — one of two he posted in that qualifying series — and a record-setting 85-save masterpiece during Tuesday’s quintuple overtime loss to Tampa.

“You just try to go save by save. Not thinking too much and just grinding through it,” Korpisalo said by way of explanation for how he kept his concentration into the eighth period.

Losing in that manner could easily break the spirit of some players and teams, especially when Tampa surged ahead on a Nikita Kucherov goal less than six minutes into Game 2. But Korpisalo didn’t let another puck get past him, giving teammate Pierre-Luc Dubois time to find his legs and the chance to set up Ryan Murray and Bjorkstrand for big goals, before Alexander Wennberg iced it with a glorious individual effort in the third period.

Korpisalo has a .962 save percentage to show for these playoffs so far and it would be unreasonable to expect him to continue allowing fewer than two goals per game with this much work.

But sustainability is a concern for another day.

The Blue Jackets rank 22nd of 24 teams with an expected goals percentage of 40.51 at even strength during this return-to-play and yet they’ve managed to outscore opponents 13-7 in that game state.

No wonder the Leafs have already gone through end-of-season media availabilities and the Lightning are having to answer questions about why this series won’t end up being a repeat of last year.

Korpisalo backed up Sergei Bobrovsky during the sweep of Tampa in April 2019 and got the nod from John Tortorella to start this post-season largely out of loyalty. The Blue Jackets coach wanted to reward the work he put in during four seasons as the backup and ended up going to Elvis Merzlikins for a game and a half in the Toronto series, only to see Merzlikins get injured.

Now he needs Korpisalo. The Blue Jackets have recently flown Veini Vehvilainen to Toronto in order to have him enter the NHL bubble, observe quarantine and give them a third goaltending option behind Matiss Kivlenieks

But they only have six games of NHL experience between them. 1191133 Websites “The biggest concern is obviously his health and we want to make sure he’s healthy,” Weber said. “But I think that’s something that for sure we can draw on and use that - as if we weren’t motivated in the first place. But this just draws a little more out of that.” TSN.CA / With coach Julien in hospital, Montreal Canadiens want to 'Win for Claude' Muller experienced a similar situation as a player with the Canadiens. On March 9, 1993 – a few weeks before the Stanley Cup playoffs – head coach Jacques Demers was hospitalized for chest pains. Habs GM Serge Savard called on Jacques Lemaire to spell him for a few games. Frank Seravalli Demers later returned to the bench and the Habs went on to win the

Stanley Cup that spring, which began a 26-year drought for Canada’s Montreal Canadiens coach Claude Julien was hospitalized after clubs that is in danger of turning one year older. experiencing chest pains on Wednesday night and is expected to miss What a story it would be if the Canadiens could be the ones to break that the remainder of the Habs’ first-round series, the team announced spell. Thursday. “I met with the coaches this morning. I have faith in them. We beat the “He is presently there and he’s undergoing tests to determine the exact Pittsburgh Penguins and it’s not the coaches that beat them, it’s the nature of his condition,” GM Marc Bergevin said in a prepared statement. players,” Bergevin said. “We have the same group … We shocked a lot “This has nothing to do with COVID.” of people winning the first series, and I expect them to rise to the Julien was transported to a Toronto hospital by ambulance hours after occasion and keep on going.” the Canadiens dropped the opening game of their best-of-seven series TSN.CA LOADED: 08.14.2020 with the Philadelphia Flyers by a 2-1 margin.

Bergevin said the early returns on tests for Julien were “positive.”

“A little shock and concern, but after talking to Dr. [David] Mulder, there is some good news early this afternoon,” Bergevin said. “I think he’s in good hands at the hospital here, and everything should be fine, and we should hope for the best.”

Bergevin said it’s possible Julien would return to the team’s hotel in the Toronto bubble, but it’s more likely he returns home. In order to resume coaching duties, Julien would be required to quarantine in his hotel room for a period of time – as determined by the NHL’s Hub Medical Director – since he was transported outside the league’s secure zone.

“No decision has been made yet,” Bergevin said.

In the meantime, associate coach Kirk Muller – who was head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes from 2011-14 – will take over as acting head coach. Muller will work in conjunction with assistants Dominique Ducharme and Luke Richardson.

“We understand that Kirk does not speak French, but there are exceptional circumstances and we are asking you for your understanding,” Bergevin said in his statement.

Julien, 60, helped the Habs knock off the No. 5 seed Pittsburgh Penguins in a massive qualifying-round upset last week to begin his second playoff appearance in his second stint as the Canadiens’ head coach. The Blind River, Ont., native guided the Boston Bruins to a Stanley Cup in 2011 and holds a 66-53 all-time playoff record behind the bench.

News of Julien’s hospitalization rippled through the hockey world.

There was a crack in the voice of Flyers coach Alain Vigneault, his counterpart in this series, when he was asked about his friend of nearly 40 years. The benches of the Canadiens and Flyers are intertwined; in the early 2000s, Vigneault was replaced by current Flyers assistant Michel Therrien and Therrien was then replaced by Julien.

The coaching fraternity is tight, but it’s even tighter among French- Canadians - and Vigneault and Julien go back further still, to long before either ever picked up a white board.

Vigneault and Julien skated on the same blueline with the CHL’s Salt Lake Golden Eagles in the 1981-82 season. The two also opposed each other in the Stanley Cup Final in 2011.

“We have come a long way together,” Vigneault said. “A lot of things go through your mind. I’ve known Claude since I was 20, so we go way back. We’re good friends. Right now, I want to get this press conference done to go see if I can’t reach out to maybe him, or Berg, and find out the latest development.”

Captain Shea Weber said news of Julien’s hospitalization filtered through the Canadiens’ players at breakfast on Thursday morning. They held a team meeting before practice.

Weber said there is a natural emotional and shock factor upon learning the news, one that the Habs could channel into a ‘Win for Claude’ push. 1191134 Websites up their most dangerous weapons in the offensive zone as much as possible.

The Blues looked rough in Game 1, but the fact that they were able to TSN.CA / Intriguing chess match developing between Vancouver successfully slow down the Canucks top line at even strength could be a Canucks and St. Louis Blues harbinger of a lengthy series to come.

The chess match continues on Friday.

Travis Yost TSN.CA LOADED: 08.14.2020

For more than a year now, the Vancouver Canucks young core – anchored by forward Elias Pettersson and defenceman Quinn Hughes – has been looking for a statement victory. In their first playoff game on Wednesday night, they got it.

Travis Green’s team scored five goals to beat the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues 5-2 in the series opener, putting the Canucks in the driver’s seat.

There were a few important takeaways from Game 1. First and most importantly: Vancouver clearly belongs. This was not an inexperienced team that looked rattled. In fact, I thought they did an excellent job of using their speed on the wings to effectively counterattack St. Louis on a number of occasions, an important development considering the Blues’ ability to own the puck for extended periods of games.

Other things that were encouraging: The power play was on fire (Pettersson, Bo Horvat, and J.T. Miller all scored while up a man), and Jacob Markstrom clearly looked more comfortable than Jordan Binnington.

If there was one area of concern, it was at 5-on-5. Right before the dam broke early in the third period, the Blues were really starting to lean on Vancouver – utilizing their vicious forecheck to beat the Canucks blueline deep into their own zone. The trio of David Perron, Ryan O’Reilly and Zach Sanford may have been the best unit for either side at even strength:

It wasn’t a problem in Game 1, thanks to a few phenomenal individual plays, a sizable goaltending advantage and some fantastic power-play work that was a continuation of the kind of success we saw all season long.

But Craig Berube throwing his best line at Vancouver’s top unit was an effective strategy, even in an otherwise losing effort. The Pettersson, Miller, and Boeser line didn’t generate a single shot from the “high- danger” area of the ice, in large part because they were working so feverishly to win the puck back and break out of the defensive third.

This was by design on the St. Louis side, no question about it. Berube rotated his top two defensive pairings – one anchored by Alex Pietrangelo, one by Colton Parayko – behind the O’Reilly line to slow down Vancouver’s big guns. The rest of the St. Louis lineup, as a result, didn’t see much of the Pettersson line:

Berube didn’t have to go deep into the playbook to figure out putting his best line – a line that is very capable on both ends of the ice – would be an effective mitigation strategy for Vancouver’s top scorers. But few groups have been able to take the Pettersson line out like that at even strength.

Part of the reason Vancouver was an intriguing upset pick here, and why they were successful during the regular season, was the direct result of the team’s ability to form a very formidable top line. The trio was light years ahead of the rest of the Canucks and most other lines around the league.

When Vancouver’s top line wasn’t driving the team across the finish line – well, those generally were the games that the Canucks lost this season:

This shouldn’t take anything away from Vancouver’s win – special-teams play matters, goaltending advantages matter even more, and if Vancouver’s depth players hold up better than expected (they certainly did in Game 1), this becomes less of an issue.

But it’s also a great example of something that I’m sure Green and the rest of the Canucks organization is dissecting after celebrating Wednesday night’s win. For this team to beat St. Louis and make a deeper push into the Stanley Cup playoffs, they are going to need to free 1191135 Websites

USA TODAY / Montreal Canadiens head coach Claude Julien hospitalized with chest pains

Steve Gardner

Following a 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in their NHL playoff series opener Wednesday night, Montreal Canadiens head coach Claude Julien was hospitalized after experiencing chest pains.

Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin said Julien was undergoing tests to determine his condition, but the symptoms were not related to COVID-19.

Julien is not expected to return to the bench for the rest of the Canadiens' best-of-seven series with the top-seeded Flyers. Associate coach Kirk Muller will take over as acting head coach.

Julien, 60, began his NHL coaching career with the Canadiens in 2002, but was fired midway through his third season. He led the Boston Bruins to the 2011 Stanley Cup during his 10 seasons there before returning to Montreal midway through the 2016-17 season.

USA TODAY LOADED: 08.14.2020