SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 11/26/17 Columbus Blue Jackets 1085130 Kings get off the mat and outlast the Ducks 1085164 Blue Jackets | Cam Atkinson, Nick Foligno back in scoring 1085131 Trevor Lewis’ shootout helps Kings prevail over column Ducks 1085132 Life in NHL still very new for Ducks rookie Kevin Roy Stars 1085133 Ducks vs. Kings Gameday: Visit to L.A. has Anaheim in 1085165 He said it: Players and coaches comment after Stars' 6-4 road frame of mind win over Friday 1085166 Cold facts: Late heroics from Seguin give Stars a 6-4 win Arizona Coyotes over Calgary 1085134 Golden Knights strike quickly to topple Coyotes 1085167 Former Stars great Jere Lehtinen honored by family, 1085135 Healthy and happy, goalie Scott Wedgewood embracing former teammates during jersey retirement ceremony his new opportunity with the Coyotes 1085168 Stars get a big night from Tyler Seguin in win over 1085136 In 3rd meeting, Coyotes seek 1st win over division-leading Calgary; Jere Lehtinen honored Golden Knights 1085169 What the Stars are hoping for with Tyler Seguin's role 1085137 Special teams cost Coyotes in loss to Golden Knights change Boston Bruins 1085138 Bruins will go back to Tuukka Rask in net Sunday 1085170 Detroit Red Wings rally in third, but fall in overtime to 1085139 Gap, angle, challenge: A defenseman’s guide to mastering Devils, 4-3 the rink inside the rink 1085172 Red Wings' Daley out against , team awaiting 1085140 A few observations from the Bruins’ four-game winning test results streak 1085173 Petr Mrazek's exit gives Red Wings a headache 1085141 Tuukka Rask will get the start for Bruins against Oilers 1085174 Booth scores 2 but Wings handed another overtime loss 1085142 NHL caps centennial with documentary lauding its greats 1085175 Detroit Red Wings vs. live chat 1085143 Bruins notebook: Coach Bruce Cassidy gives Tuukka 1085176 Red Wings lose in overtime despite spark from David Rask start in goal against Oilers over unbeaten Anton Booth Khudob 1085144 Conroy: Kevan Miller’s game right-ed with Bruins 1085145 Rask will return vs. Oilers Sunday 1085177 Edmonton Oilers coach believes pace of play has 1085146 Bruins still taking it 'game-by-game' with goalies improved 1085178 Draisaitl moves back to the middle after months on right Buffalo Sabres wing 1085147 Sabres' shoddy record trumps good effort in Montreal 1085179 Oilers fail to put together two good games in a row 1085148 The Wraparound: Canadiens 3, Sabres 0 1085180 Oilers Snapshots: Benoit Pouliot trying to find his game in 1085149 Sabres Notebook: Gorges looking for more; Deslauriers Buffalo faces former team 1085181 Edmonton’s failures of team-building are reflected in what 1085150 Five Things to Know as Sabres visit happens with Connor McDavid off the ice 1085151 Mike Harrington's NHL Power Rankings 1085182 Lowetide: Oilers No. 9 Prospect Winter 2017: Jujhar Khaira 1085152 Flames goalie Rittich makes first NHL start count 1085153 Flames honour -ready Stamps with football fun 1085183 Toews, Crawford help Blackhawks beat Panthers 4-1 of their own 1085184 As Roberto Luongo stays hot, how do Panthers handle his usage, health? Carolina Hurricanes 1085185 Panthers' Bob Boughner: 'We need to have a little bit of a 1085154 For Skinner, Williams as a wing man could be an answer top-six mentality and identity' 1085186 Blackhawks overwhelm, breeze past Panthers 4-1 on Saturday night 1085155 Jonathan Toews, top line break out as Blackhawks defeat Panthers 4-1 1085156 Red-hot Artem Anisimov happy to be reunited with Patrick 1085187 Kings get off the mat and outlast the Ducks Kane 1085188 Alec Martinez and Derek Forbort try to get in front of as 1085157 Jonathan Toews leads Blackhawks in rout of Panthers many shots as they can 1085158 Toews, Crawford help Blackhawks beat Panthers 4-1 1085189 Kings center Torrey Mitchell excited to see other side of 1085159 Five takeaways from Blackhawks 4-1 win over Panthers: rivalries Much-needed offensive breakout for Jonathan Toews 1085190 MITCHELL SKATES, BUT CAN’T PLAY TONIGHT DUE TO VISA DELAY 1085191 WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: NOVEMBER 25 1085160 The Morning After: Three stars, five takeaways from the 1085192 NOVEMBER 25 POSTGAME NOTES Avalanche’s shootout loss at Minnesota 1085193 ANDREOFF LEAVES GAME AFTER FIGHT WITH 1085161 Calgary Flames score twice within 22 seconds in victory BIEKSA over Colorado Avalanche 1085194 NOVEMBER 25 POSTGAME QUOTES: ANAHEIM 1085162 misses third consecutive game 1085195 NOVEMBER 25 POSTGAME QUOTES: JOHN STEVENS because of illness 1085196 GAME 24: LOS ANGELES VS ANAHEIM 1085163 Chambers: Weekend-heavy NHL scheduling leads to long 1085197 NOVEMBER 25 PRE-GAME QUOTES: JOHN STEVENS layoffs 1085198 NOVEMBER 25 NOTES: LAICH ASSIGNED TO ONTARIO; CLIFFORD PROGRESSING; CHANCES Penguins 1085199 Wild has chance to make week 'extra special' vs. Blues 1085238 Sidney Crosby and Phil Kessel score twice each in 1085200 NHL caps centennial with documentary lauding its greats Penguins win 1085201 Penalties derail Wild in loss to Blues 1085239 Penguins notebook: Chris Kunitz returns to Pittsburgh as 1085202 Wild notes: Mikko Koivu remains a big player in goal member of Lightning production 1085240 Phil Kessel is enjoying his best regular season as a 1085203 Jaden Schwartz scores twice, Blues beat Wild 6-3 Penguin 1085204 Wild can't rebound from early deficit in loss to St. Louis 1085241 Deadly Lightning power play doesn't faze Tristan Jarry 1085205 Blues score early, often, to maintain mastery of Wild 1085242 Penguins put it all together in 5-2 win over Lightning 1085243 Malkin remains out with upper-body injury Montreal Canadiens 1085244 For the Penguins, it all starts … with their start 1085206 Carey Price notches as Montreal Canadiens top Buffalo Sabres 1085207 Game Day: Canadiens' Shea Weber will miss his third 1085245 Three things to know: Is this when Brent Burns starts to straight game heat up? 1085208 Liveblog: Buffalo at Canadiens 1085246 Three takeaways: Sharks’ Jones’ health in question after 1085209 In the Habs Room: And the first star ... Carey Price! shutout vs. Jets 1085210 About last night ... Price shuts out Sabres 3-0 1085247 Look of an all-star? Sharks’ two biggest candidates come 1085211 Basu: The residual effects of Carey Price being Carey up big vs. Jets Price 1085249 Logan Couture, Martin Jones lead Sharks past Jets 1085250 Couture powers Sharks past Jets 1085251 Sharks wish they had Winnipeg's luck with the puck 1085212 Predators: Which players ace their quarter-season report card? St Louis Blues 1085252 Blais gets back into lineup as Blues face Wild New Jersey Devils 1085253 Blues were -free Friday vs. Predators 1085213 Devils beat Canucks: 8 observations | Hall carries team 1085254 Parayko shooting puck a big plus for Blues again; Butcher's great move 1085255 Blues turn up the power play in 6-3 win vs. Wild 1085214 How Devils' Brian Boyle reacted to goal, crowd's chants on Hockey Fights Cancer night Tampa Bay Lightning 1085215 1 stat that bodes well for Devils' playoff chances 1085256 Chris Kunitz gets Cup ring in return to Pittsburgh 1085216 Brian Gibbons' 11th goal gives Devils 4-3 OT win over 1085257 Tyler Johnson not stressing slow start Red Wings | Rapid reaction 1085258 Penalties, special teams mark Lightning’s loss to Penguins 1085217 New Jersey Devils vs. Detroit Red Wings: LIVE score 1085259 Lightning journal: Chris Kunitz gets his latest Penguins updates and chat (11/25/17) ring 1085218 Game 23 Live Blog: Devils at Red Wings, 11/25 1085260 ‘A little bit off’ story of Lightning season for Tyler Johnson 1085219 Devils' Stefan Noesen: Scoring 'will come' 1085261 Joe Smith’s takeaways from Saturday’s Lightning- 1085220 Devils Daily Faceoff: Three storylines for Nov. 25 Penguins game 1085221 Gibbons does it again for Devils, scoring OT winner in Detroit 1085264 Ovie and Ovie and Ovie again beats Leafs New York Islanders 1085265 Ovechkin hat trick leads Capitals over Leafs 1085222 Islanders beat Senators, 2-1, for third straight win 1085266 Golden Knights, Oilers, Lightning among the stories of 1085223 Islanders nab third straight victory over flailing Senators NHL’s first quarter 1085224 It’s time for the Islanders to go all-in with a big trade 1085267 Ovie, Capitals overcome Leafs in 4-2 win 1085225 High-scoring Islanders held to two goals, but still get the 1085268 New Leaf cast vs. Caps faces old problem win 1085269 Timothy Liljegren ahead of the curve on and off the ice 1085226 Jaroslav Halak strong in goal for Islanders in win over with Marlies Ottawa 1085270 As Curtis McElhinney struggles with Leafs, Garret Sparks 1085227 Islanders assistant coach Luke Richardson happy to face plays to historic heights with Marlies Ottawa, his old team 1085271 Why the Leafs are really using Patrick Marleau at Vancouver Canucks 1085228 Boo Nieves will miss Rangers game vs. Canucks, but hip 1085289 Kuzma: Legendary stage awaits Daniel Sedin's 1000 injury just a ‘day-to-day thing’ points plateau pitch 1085229 Mats Zuccarello: Rangers must guard against being 1085290 Canucks' Game Day: Midday clash with Rangers on ‘satisfied’ Sunday at MSG 1085230 Mats Zuccarello displaying leadership on, off the ice Vegas Golden Knights 1085272 Golden Knights defeat Coyotes 4-2, remain in first place in 1085231 Brennan: Senators' post-Sweden snooze continues division 1085232 Duchene scores, but Senators lose to Islanders to extend 1085273 Golden Knights’ David Perron misses trip to Arizona slide to 6 games 1085274 Sharks continue to search for offense 1085233 Matt Duchene scores, but Senators still lose to Islanders 1085275 Is the ‘Vegas flu’ a factor in Golden Knights’ early success? 1085276 Vegas Golden Knights defeat Coyotes 4-2 in Arizona 1085234 Dave Hakstol, Wayne Simmonds' future with Flyers could depend on the upcoming stretch | Sam Carchidi 1085235 Flyers' struggles causing them to leave points on the table 1085236 Flyers prospect WATCH: prepares for World Junior Championship 1085237 Flyers 5 takeaways: Losing streak hits seven games in overtime loss 1085277 Alex Ovechkin’s hat trick lifts Capitals to third straight victory 1085278 Alex Ovechkin is one of Putin’s biggest fans. The question is, why? 1085279 Game 25: Capitals at Maple Leafs Date, Time, How to Watch, Game Thread 1085280 3 reasons why the Capitals beat the Maple Leafs 1085281 3 stars of the game: Alex Ovechkin's hat trick blows away the Leafs 1085282 Mike Bossy has a message for Alex Ovechkin after Ovechkin passes him on all-time goal list Websites 1085291 .ca / Extra-motivated Alex Ovechkin inspires Capitals to victory 1085292 Sportsnet.ca / Price’s return a gigantic step in the right direction for Canadiens 1085293 Sportsnet.ca / slump could save Maple Leafs money in the long term 1085294 Sportsnet.ca / Oilers’ Nugent-Hopkins garnering some trade interest around NHL 1085295 Sportsnet.ca / Jarome Iginla to begin skating; Spengler Cup remains an option 1085296 Sportsnet.ca / Vanek having bigger impact than expected for Canucks 1085297 Sportsnet.ca / Down Goes Brown Saturday Storylines: Can Price return save Canadiens? 1085298 TSN.CA / Spirited rally can't lift Leafs past Capitals 1085283 Sharks feast with 4-0 win over Jets 1085284 Chiarot fined for butt-ending Ducks' Perry 1085285 Chiarot avoids suspension…Little line figuring it out…Jets healthy scratches try to stay sharp 1085286 That's fine with us 1085287 Chiarot fined, avoids suspension 1085288 Five keys to Jets vs Sharks

SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1085130 Anaheim Ducks

Kings get off the mat and outlast the Ducks

Curtis Zupke

Getting up off the mat took on two meanings for the Kings. Frustrated and irritable from a string of losses, they were perfectly willing to take out those aggressions against the Ducks on Saturday night. But that came to a literal halt when Ducks defenseman Kevin Bieksa delivered a knockout blow to Andy Andreoff on the first punch of their opening-period tussle. Andreoff never returned. But the Kings did. Down a goal with 92 seconds remaining against the vulnerable and depleted Ducks, the Kings tied it on Dustin Brown’s goal with an extra attacker and won it 2-1 in a shootout in front of 18,230 fans at Staples Center. Anze Kopitar and Trevor Lewis scored in the shootout, and Jonathan Quick allowed only a goal to Corey Perry in the extended session as the Kings ended a three-game losing streak. “These are the type of games you need to find a way to win,” Brown said. “I thought we had a lot of really good looks. We just were not getting it in the net. I thought tonight was our best effort in terms of staying within our game plan throughout the game.” Brown’s second-chance went in off Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm. Brown’s initial wraparound attempt was stopped by a sprawled Ducks goalie , and Brown was left open to finish a play that began with Kopitar’s faceoff win against Antoine Vermette. The comeback deflated what was a gutsy game by the Ducks, who lost leading scorer Rickard Rakell to a day-to-day upper-body injury, the team announced before the game, and were ready to win on Nick Ritchie’s first-period goal. “It’s unfortunate,” Miller said. “I thought I could have ended it on Kopitar [in the third round of the shootout]. I missed my [skate] edge completely. I thought I did exactly what I wanted to do. Then I just didn’t execute the edgework.” Bieksa’s knockout was the highlight of three opening-period fights as the teams wasted no time in renewing their hatred. The Kings’ Kurtis MacDermid started it off against Mike Liambas. Oscar Fantenberg got his first NHL fighting major in an unlikely and brief tussle with Andrew Cogliano, hardly known as a fighter. The triage unit that is the Ducks forwards took yet another blow because of Rakell. And their injury woes reached comic proportions in the first period when the Ducks went down to nine forwards with Cogliano and Liambas in the penalty box and Derek Grant briefly in the trainer’s room. It was a pedestrian game for the first 40 minutes, but the third period resembled something closer to the highly spirited Nov. 7 matchup at Honda Center that was one of the NHL’s best games this season. Saturday was more reflective of two struggling teams on the back end of consecutive games. The Kings were going nowhere with seven losses in eight games, due largely to what Kings coach John Stevens has referred to as “unforced errors” in their transition game and a disconnect between their defensemen and forwards. Torrey Mitchell remained unavailable to the Kings because his immigration paperwork was not completed during the holiday week. … Brooks Laich cleared waivers and was reassigned to Ontario. … The Ducks recalled Kalle Kossila. … Winnipeg’s Ben Chiarot was fined $3,763.44 for butt-ending Perry on Friday.

LA Times: LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085131 Anaheim Ducks “We played good enough to almost get the shutout there,” Ducks defenseman Kevin Bieksa said. “They got one. Losing in a shootout sucks. We all know that.” Trevor Lewis’ shootout goal helps Kings prevail over Ducks These two rivals aren’t what they once were. They’re certainly not the teams that faced off in the spring of 2014, still the only playoff series between the two. But there is nothing diluted about the enmity that exists. By ERIC STEPHENS | [email protected] | Orange County Register Two minutes had yet to elapse from the opening puck drop when Ducks PUBLISHED: November 25, 2017 at 10:58 pm | UPDATED: November fourth-liner Mike Liambas squared off with Kings defenseman Kurtis 26, 2017 at 12:36 am MacDermid, with MacDermid easily claiming a one-sided bout. That fight was no surprise, given that MacDermid had 256 penalty minutes over two seasons before graduating LOS ANGELES – It only made sense for Jonathan Quick and Ryan Miller to the Kings and Liambas averaged 190 over his last four full AHL would have to match wits in a shootout after dueling for 65 minutes in the seasons and led the with 50. latest version of the Freeway Faceoff. A tilt between the Ducks’ Andrew Cogliano and Kings rookie Oscar And it was Quick who prevailed in the battle of the two most Fantenberg was. Neither is known for their pugilistic skills but they joined accomplished American-born in this era. Liambas and MacDermid in the penalty box less than three minutes later. Trevor Lewis scored the decisive goal in the shootout and Quick stopped And then as the Ducks were killing off an interference penalty by the Ducks’ final try in lifting the Kings to a 2-1 victory at Staples Center. Wagner, Bieksa and the Kings’ Andy Andreoff appeared lay out the Quick made 25 saves in regulation and overtime while Miller stopped 33 ground rules during a faceoff before throwing down their gloves. shots. The fight didn’t last as Bieksa dropped Andreoff with the same mixed Lewis beat Miller with a shot in the fourth round after Anze Kopitar kept it martial arts-style punch he used to fell Philadelphia’s Radko Gudas on going with a neat move and score to answer the Ducks’ Corey Perry, Oct. 24. Caught squarely with a right hand to the chin, Andreoff did not who kicked it off by beating Quick with a fake slap shot and curl-around return to the game. conversion. The Kings (13-8-3) won for just the second time in nine games. “I think this team always brings out the best in us,” Bieksa said. “There’s obviously a pretty strong rivalry there. As you can see, the emotions were “I think I’ve shot in two shootouts in my life and one was against him,” pretty high right off the bat. You got everybody going, it was a great Lewis said. “He didn’t bit at all. I think he studies shooters a lot and I’ve game. It was physical, it had a little bit of everything. shot on him quite a bit in the summertime. I think he knew what I was going to do, so I switched it up and fortunately it went in.” “You could tell we wanted this one. You win in the shootout or overtime, you feel like a million bucks. And if you lose, you feel like a zero.” Under siege for the better part of two weeks, the Ducks tightened up their defensive game and didn’t allow the Kings to switch on a shooting While the teams went into trading punches in a literal sense, the Ducks gallery. Meanwhile, Miller picked right up from where he left off in a often- landed the first figurative one that counted. Perry got the puck in the interrupted start to his season. Kings’ zone and drew the attention of all five defenders, which allowed Ritchie to get into the slot and slid a low shot past Quick. Injured on Nov. 9 against Vancouver, Miller made his first start and was as sharp as he had been in his other four appearances. And it seemed It was a welcome sight for the Ducks, who’ve wanted the big winger to be as if he was poised to get his first shutout with the Ducks and the 40th of more of a regular physical presence and get in better positions to use his his career. often accurate shot. Ritchie has three goals in 20 games. Kings coach John Stevens made the move to pull Quick for an extra attacker and it paid off immediately. Kopitar won a draw from Ducks faceoff ace Antoine Vermette, the NHL’s best in that area, and got the Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.26.2017 puck to Drew Doughty. Doughty put a shot on goal that created a rebound and had Miller sprawling to the ice. While Lewis tied up two Ducks defenders in front, Dustin Brown corralled the puck and got two chances to lift the puck up and tie the game with 1:32 remaining. “It’s a tough goal,” Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm said. “Obviously, you don’t want to let in goals that late in the period. They did a good job too. We kind of got tangled up and couldn’t find the puck. He goes around the net. Miller makes a [heck] of a save and he gets it right back on his stick. “Those goals, you can’t always do something them but obviously you’ve got to learn from it for next game.” Brown lauded Miller’s performance in net. The Kings have scored only 16 goals during their current 2-6-1 spell but the one they got in regulation mattered. “These are the types of games you need to find a way to win when you’re having a hard time,” Brown said. “I thought we had a lot of really good looks. We just weren’t getting them in the net. We were just staying with it. “I thought tonight was our best effort in terms of just staying with the game regardless. Lately, we’ve been getting behind in the games and chasing a little bit. Tonight, we stuck to our game plan right to the end.” Nick Ritchie got the only goal for the Ducks (10-9-4), who scratched out a point but dropped their third straight to kick off a stretch of six games away from Honda Center. It doesn’t get any easier for them as they head to Chicago before making stops in St. Louis, Columbus, Nashville and Vegas. In the third, Quick kept it a one-goal game with a terrific left pad denial of Ducks winger Jakob Silfverberg from in front after linemate Andrew Cogliano gave him a pass while coming in as a fourth attacker. After the Kings tied it, Chris Wagner saw a strong chance to break it get snuffed out by the goalie with 52.5 left. 1085132 Anaheim Ducks Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.26.2017

Life in NHL still very new for Ducks rookie Kevin Roy

By ERIC STEPHENS | [email protected] | Orange County Register PUBLISHED: November 25, 2017 at 9:24 pm | UPDATED: November 25, 2017 at 9:25 PM

LOS ANGELES – School is in session for Kevin Roy and Staples Center became the latest classroom to learn about life in the NHL. Roy’s first experience in the grudge match that is Ducks-Kings came Saturday night. And an upcoming trip will have the Ducks rookie potentially playing in the always-lively United Center in Chicago along with stops in St. Louis, Columbus, Nashville and Vegas. There is newness to a lot of things when one is eight games into their career. That can’t be ignored but the Quebec native has to take that aspect out as he makes his way. “I think it’s a small adjustment still,” Roy said. “And then it’s just like kind of any other games. You get used to it and you just keep moving forward. Take the experience in and keep adjusting to that.” Two weeks in, Roy feels that he’s more comfortable and no longer going through a crash course. He got his first goal out of the way quickly, putting in a rebound past Boston goalie Tuukka Rask in his third game. Ducks coach Randy Carlyle understands that everything can seem bigger than it actually is for most players that make their first dip into the league. It’s up to the individual to adjust and play the kind of hockey they’re used to playing, regardless of the atmosphere. “Some people might do it in a week, some people might do it in a month, some people it takes years,” Carlyle said. “The more intense the environment gets, the more hostile the building that you go into, those are the learning curves. “Those are the experience curves that you have to grasp and say, ‘Hey, I got through this. It’s OK. That’s more in breeding the confidence that you can get the job done. You can do it, you can play and you can accomplish something.” Jakob Silfverberg thought back to where he broke into the league with Ottawa. He said he felt there was even more of that dynamic because he was coming from his native Sweden and had to understand how to play more of the north-south brand of chip-and-chase hockey that’s often the case in North America. “Everything’s big and everything’s new,” Silfverberg said. “Especially for Europeans, I think it might be even a bigger change because you’re moving halfway across the world and you’re used to playing on the big ice surface. That aspect might be a little tougher. “But everything for (Kevin), from playing in big buildings and playing probably against players that he used to watch as a kid, it’s all a cool experience. I know it took me a few games to actually start thinking only about the hockey.” Roy said his teammates were very helpful in bringing him up to speed in terms of knowledge about the team and what to do in specific situations. After a while, it becomes less about thinking and more about playing. “They’re games like any others and you just go out there and do what you’re supposed to do,” he said. “You’re supposed to know what you’re doing on your own, really.” Corey Perry still wore the visible scar Saturday but Winnipeg defenseman Ben Chiarot paid a price for putting it there. Chiarot was fined by the NHL for hitting the Ducks winger with the butt end of his stick during the second period of Friday’s contest. He’ll pay $3,763.44, the maximum amount under the league’s collective bargaining agreement, to Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund. “That’s what the league deemed was worthy,” Carlyle said. “That’s the price the player paid for butt-ending. End of story. That’s what they saw. The video didn’t lie.” Ondrej Kase (head) and Jared Boll (leg) skated with the Ducks in their optional workout. Carlyle said there was no decision yet on if Kase or Boll will join the team on the rest of its trip but added that Kase is further along than Boll.

1085133 Anaheim Ducks Despite their loss to Arizona, the Kings have won an NHL-best 26 games in overtime since the 3-on-3 format went into place before the 2015-16 season. Ducks vs. Kings Gameday: Visit to L.A. has Anaheim in road frame of mind Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.26.2017

By ERIC STEPHENS | [email protected] | Orange County Register PUBLISHED: November 25, 2017 at 5:39 pm | UPDATED: November 25, 2017 at 5:50 PM

LOS ANGELES –- It might be a short trip to downtown Los Angeles for the Ducks but they are treating Saturday night’s game against the Kings at Staples Center as the start of a six-game road trip. Following their second straight defeat, a 4-1 loss to Winnipeg, the Ducks (10-9-3) left to go up the freeway Friday night. They’ll travel to Chicago for a game Monday against the Blackhawks to continue a difficult journey into inhospitable environments. “When you play at home for extended periods of time you find you get stale,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. “Because you’re into your routine and it’s just the same thing. The same thing. Whereas you’re on the road and you’re always together with your teammates. You’re always out to dinner. “There’s team meals. You’re on the plane. There’s a lot more camaraderie. A lot more bonding takes place. It’s just the life of an athlete on the road.” Maybe the road will be kinder to the Ducks. They’re 4-2-1 away from Honda Center while being unable to keep up their overwhelming success at home in recent years. They went only 3-5-1 in a run with nine of 11 contests in Anaheim. “To have a successful road trip, we always deem the first one is the most important one because usually it sets you up,” Carlyle said. “It can set you up for a decent trip.” Ryan Miller (2-0-2, 1.88 GAA, .943 SV%) is available to play and will likely get the start in goal. It would be his first since getting hurt Nov. 9 against Vancouver. John Gibson did leave the ice first but Miller came off soon afterward and Gibson’s work is being kept to a minimum on days he doesn’t play. Miller, who was activated Friday and watched Gibson’s 32-save effort in defeat, has a 9-5-2 lifetime record against the Kings with a 2.44 goals- against average. Ondrej Kase (head) and Jared Boll (leg) skated with the Ducks in their optional workout. Carlyle said there was no decision yet on if Kase or Boll will join the team on the rest of its trip but added that Kase is further along than Boll. The Kings (12-8-3) are also scuffling. They’ve lost seven of eight after an impressive 11-2-2 start but they did manage to take Arizona in overtime before falling 3-2 on Christian Fischer’s goal. Scoring has dried up during their losing spell. The Kings have only 15 goals over the last eight games and their 4-0 win over Florida represented the only time they’ve scored more than twice. Trevor Lewis has goals in three of his last four games and Tyler Toffoli has two in his last four but Adrian Kempe is without one in his last seven and Dustin Brown hasn’t scored in six. Jussi Jokinen has two assists in the five games he’s played since being acquired from Edmonton for Michael Cammalleri. Marian Gaborik did make his season debut Friday and had an assist no Anze Kopitar’s goal that tied him with Toffoli for the team lead. Gaborik had missed the first 22 games as he recovered from offseason knee surgery. Jonathan Quick (9-8-1, 2.44 GAA, .926 SV%) will be back in net after Darcy Kuemper played Friday against the Coyotes. Quick made 33 saves on Nov. 7 in the Kings’ 4-3 win over the Ducks in the teams’ first meeting of the season. He’s now 18-10-7 lifetime against them. Kurtis MacDermid was scratched against the Coyotes but could draw back in, taking either the place of Christian Folin or Oscar Fantenberg. Kings coach John Stevens had the physical MacDermid in his lineup for the first meeting against the Ducks, who typically play a heavy game. Kyle Clifford is skating on his own but figures to miss his 21st consecutive game. Clifford suffered an upper-body injury on Oct. 11 against Calgary. 1085134 Arizona Coyotes Perlini, 21, is turning heads with his mini goal-scoring streak and his penchant for scoring from all over the place. His goal on Saturday was artfully impressive. Golden Knights strike quickly to topple Coyotes “I just tried to pick up some speed in our zone and got a pass from Max (Domi) cross ice and just tried to drive hard. The (defender) took away the wide option, so I cut in and just shot and luckily, I got it.” Bob McManaman, azcentral sports Published 8:57 p.m. MT Nov. 25, 2017 | Updated 10:40 p.m. MT Nov. 25, 2017 Tocchet described Perlini’s goal as a “highlight reel” and said he wants to see more of his players to have the same mentality of taking the puck hard to the net “instead of looking for a pass in the middle and hitting a skate.” He isn’t surprised at Perlini’s recent scoring outburst. How many different ways can you score a goal in 102 seconds? “When you have that skating ability and you have that shot, those are two The expansion Vegas Golden Knights found a way to do it differently big tools to have in the NHL,” he said. “If some of his corner work he three separate times in that preciously short amount of time Saturday improve on and some of his board work he improves on, he’s going to be night against the Coyotes. And yes, it was enough to earn them a 4-2 a complete player.” victory at Gila River Arena and extend their winning streak to a season high-tying five straight games. Perlini said he’s just grateful to be getting as much ice time as he is alongside line mates Derek Stepan a Tobias Rieder. After having a goal of their own disallowed in the first period and then dominating the first five minutes of the second, the Coyotes got walloped “I try to make the most of every single shift and just play hard each and like a gambler on a cold streak at the blackjack table. They watched the every day and try to get better,” Perlini said. “I believe in my ability every Golden Knights score three straight times – on a short-handed goal, an time I step on the ice and always want to try to make something happen even-strength goal and a power play goal – in a span of just 1:42. for the team.” Jonathan Marchessault added an empty-netter with 1.7 to seal it. Now it’s it back on the road to , where the Coyotes recently won three games in a row at Montreal. Ottawa and Toronto. Arizona plays at Playing for the third time in four nights and on the back end of back-to- Calgary on Tuesday and at Edmonton on Thursday. The Coyotes will back games, it would have been hard to blame the Coyotes if they had have to be better on the power play, where they were 0 for 5 on decided to let down their guard after falling behind 3-0. Saturday, including on a two-man advantage for 1:29. Instead, they made a goalie change, came out with a vengeance to start “You can tell guys are tense right now,” Tochhet said. “It’s a couple of the third period – just like they had done in the second – and scored passes and it’s attacking the net. We’re all kind of looking around. … We twice to make it a game. Oliver Ekman-Larsson atoned for a critical just need to relax, come with our pass and blast the puck.” turnover by flipping in a wrist shot past Malcolm Subban 21 seconds into the third. Then, the red-hot Brendan Perlini went coast-to-coast through traffic down the right wing before roofing a beauty on Subban (24 saves) with 9:25 left to play. Arizona Republic LOADED: 11.26.2017 He has now scored a goal in four straight games and eight on the season. The Coyotes even managed to kill a four-minute power player because of Jason Demers’ double-minor for high sticking. It wasn’t enough, however. The three straight goals by Vegas was a dagger, and it allowed the Golden Knights to improve to 3-0 against the Coyotes this season. Arizona has won four out of its last five, but lost two out of its past three and it’s felt like they just haven’t been able to sustain any type of serious traction. “We just have to be comfortable in our own skin,” first-year coach Rick Tocchet said. “When it’s 0-0, stick to the game plan, get pucks on net, don’t get fancy. Don’t go off the grid. And that’s what happens with a young team sometimes. “San Jose, a veteran team, right? They didn’t get much against us (Wednesday), but they just waited and waited and they capitalized. Vegas, same thing. They didn’t do much. They waited and waited, and capitalized in two minutes. We make our push and we had a chance to tie it up, but we’ve just got to learn … that you’ve got to kind of hang in there and that sometimes it’s OK to live for another shift instead of trying to make a miracle play.” Tocchet said Vegas’ three quick goals wasn’t so much a shock as it was “a warning.” The trilogy of triage began when steady defenseman Ekman-Larsson had the puck stolen from him deep in the Vegas zone with Arizona enjoying a power play. Tomas Nosek went the distance the other way and beat Scott Wedgewood for the short-handed goal at 7:23 of the second period. William Karlsson netted his 13th right off a faceoff draw won by Marchessault at 7:54. Then, with Vegas on the man advantage because the Coyotes were whistled for having too many men on the ice, Erik Haula capped the carnage at the 9:05 mark by knocking in a rebound after Marchessault’s shot was stopped by Wedgewood. Tocchet pulled Wedgewood (14 saves) for recently promoted Marek Langhamer, who stopped all 10 shots he faced. “I was just trying to stop the bleeding,” Langhamer said. “… We scored that first goal pretty early there (in the third) and we were right back in the game. I thought we were the better team for the whole game. We just had a tough break, a tough three minutes where we kind of broke down. “But we battled right to the end so I think we should just keep our heads up.” 1085135 Arizona Coyotes “The first thing for me is, if you have a bad first period, can you lock it down in the second and third?” Tocchet said. “That’s my favorite thing with goalies. He might let a bad goal in, but then just lock it down. That’s Healthy and happy, goalie Scott Wedgewood embracing his new the big thing. opportunity with the Coyotes “Obviously, you always want a guy who’s going to give you a chance to win every night. And the last one, I like a real competitor on the ice. In practice, too. It makes the shooters better. I do like goalies who Bob McManaman, azcentral sports Published 5:29 p.m. MT Nov. 25, challenge you in practice for sure.” 2017 Wedgewood had to challenge himself during the past two injury-plagued years. When a goalie suffers two major injuries back-to-back like he did with his stick-side arm, there is a tendency for general managers and When Scott Wedgewood got drafted by the New Jersey Devils in 2010, coaches to close the book and look elsewhere. he couldn’t believe his good luck. The goalie from Brampton, Ontario, was going to the team with which his childhood idol, , had Wedgewood has seen it happen. become the NHL’s all-time winningest just a year earlier. “You hear all the horror stories and guys like that get buried,” he said. “At first, I was a little intimidated to go and talk to him,” Wedgwood said, “So yeah, those thought creeped in. I obviously wasn’t trying to think recalling his first training camp with the Devils. “After a while, he kind of about it and it wasn’t my main thought. I just knew I had to keep working took to me and his kids would come to camp and say, ‘Hey, my dad says hard to get back and I didn’t hurry up my rehab, but I stuck to it and I did hi.’ He was always really nice.” make it back. I hope that showed to Jersey my determination and my will to work. I mean, I got hurt playing. It wasn’t like I was doing something Brodeur, who retired with 691 career wins, left a lasting impression with stupid in the gym or anything like that. I knew I could get back and play at Wedgewood that has stayed with him to this day – even now as one of this level again. It was just a matter of time before I got an opportunity. … the newest members of the Coyotes. After he won his NHL debut two I love where I’m at now and I just moved into my new place a few days years ago with the Devils, Wedgewood kept getting congratulatory texts ago, so I feel acclimated and normal. from all over North America, some from phone numbers he didn’t recognize. “For me, I wanted to be like Marty. Marty was my idol growing up and he always was until the end in St. Louis (where Brodeur is now the Blues’ “I kept getting numbers from people I hadn’t talked to in forever,” he said, assistant GM). I’ve had my one switch now, and I’d be more than happy “and then I got this other new one and I clicked on it. It said, ‘Congrats on to stay here for my entire career. I want to play, I want to take a team your first start and first win. Here’s to many more to come. somewhere and I want to be a starter one day. I think they see that in Congratulations, Martin Brodeur.’ I took a screen shot, saved the photo me, and I’m as loyal as they are loyal to me.” and I’ve never deleted it.

“I usually delete all my texts, but I’m never deleting that one.” Arizona Republic LOADED: 11.26.2017 It only got better in Wedgewood’s second start, when he stopped all 38 shots he faced to shut out Sidney Crosby and the . Wedgewood was on top of the world. But after losing his next two starts, he suffered a high-ankle sprain, was sidelined for nine weeks, and then was out for an additional six weeks upon suffering a partially torn labrum in his right shoulder. The wins would have to wait. And wait. And wait. “Last year, I ended up blowing out my (shoulder) capsule and I needed to have both my capsule and my labrum repaired,” he said. “So it was the same injury twice and it kept me out for a long time. I haven’t played a lot of hockey, but when I played it, I played it well.” He played it well on Friday, stopping 23 shots in helping the Coyotes defeat the Kings at Gila River Arena for his second win since being acquired in late October from the Devils in exchange for a fifth-round pick. Wedgewood looked to make it back-to-back wins Saturday night when he got the start at home again, this time against the expansion Vegas Golden Knights. Wedgewood is just appreciative of the Coyotes giving him a shot. In New Jersey, he was stuck behind starter Cory Schneider and backup Keith Kinkaid. Arizona, meanwhile, wanted to switch things up at the goalie position. They waived backup Louis Domingue, traded for Wedgewood, and ultimately traded Domingue to the Lightning. Domingue is now in the minors and Wedgewood, at present, finds himself as the Coyotes’ No. 1 netminder while starter Antti Raanta remains sidelined with concussion-related symptoms. “I liked my time in New Jersey,” Wedgewood said. “I loved the organization and they were always great to me. I kept my nose clean as best as I could, I was always professional, and I think down the line that helped me out. … A good opportunity came, these guys needed a switch up, and I was more than happy to come over here and get a fresh start.” So far, coach Rick Tocchet likes what he sees out of the 25-year-old. “He’s stopping the stuff he should stop and he’s getting timely saves,” Tocchet said. “That’s a great recipe for any goalie and for a team to win. It just gives a team confidence. “I think he’s been a great acquisition in the sense that he’s a really good locker room guy, he works hard in practice and he’s played well for us. He’s done a nice job. It seems like he relishes this opportunity and his role.” There are three things Tocchet wants to see out of his goalies. He thinks he’s got all three in Raanta, and he’s hoping Wedgewood has it, too. 1085136 Arizona Coyotes “We don’t have a flashy group,” Marchessault said. “We work hard, harder than the other teams. It’s great to be in a group like that, with no stars. We need all four lines, all players, all goalies. In 3rd meeting, Coyotes seek 1st win over division-leading Golden “It’s been an awesome first two months.” Knights

foxsportsarizona.com LOADED: 11.26.2017 Staff Report Nov 25, 2017 at 5:13p ET

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Arizona Coyotes learned early on this season that the Vegas Golden Knights wouldn’t be the usual NHL expansion team. What they probably didn’t expect in early October was the Golden Knights would be one of the league’s best teams even as Thanksgiving came and went. The league is counting on the two southwestern desert franchises to form an instant rivalry, and it’s matching them for the third time already this season Saturday night at Gila River Arena. But the Golden Knights (14-6-1) are taking care of that rivalry aspect themselves by winning much more than expected. Their 5-4 overtime win over the San Jose Sharks on Friday was their fourth in a row and kept them atop the Pacific Division. “(I’m) a little bit surprised because they threw a bunch of guys together, but in the same sense, all those guys are great players and most are older pros,” Coyotes left winger Brendan Perlini said. The Coyotes have yet to defeat the Knights, losing 2-1 in overtime in the clubs’ second game of the season on Oct. 7 at Arizona and again three days later 5-2 in the first major pro sports home game ever played in Las Vegas. “They’re good players and obviously they’ve shown it and come together as a team,” Perlini said. “We’ve been playing well, too, and we’ve played them a couple of times and now we know what to expect,” said Perlini, who scored for the third time in as many games. “We’ve just got to play them hard.” Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet thought the Oct. 10 game in T-Mobile Arena was one of his team’s worst of the season. Vegas quickly opened up a 4- 0 lead in a game that goaltender Antti Raanta left due to injury — and it may have contributed greatly to Arizona’s 0-10-1 start. And to Vegas’ startling 8-1 start. But he liked his team’s effort Friday even though the Coyotes twice gave up leads, saying, “We didn’t have many passengers tonight, and I think that was the key. We didn’t have a lot of guys having off nights.” The Knights haven’t had many off nights, either, despite going through five goaltenders because of injuries — including starter Marc-Andre Fleury, the former Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley-Cup winning goalie who beat Arizona in those two early season games. Vegas gave up a three-goal lead Friday against San Jose, but backup goalie Malcolm Subban (three saves) came on to play the third period and overtime in place of Maxime Lagace, who left after giving up four goals on 23 shots. “I think we’re relentless,” Subban said. “That’s the biggest thing. We work hard and don’t quit. We play as a team, and the results show it.” The hey did on Friday, again. Jonathan Marchessault scored the game- winner 1:21 into overtime and had two assists, and William Karlsson scored two goals. James Neal — who scored three goals in those first two games against Arizona — added his 12th of the season. The Golden Knights tied an NHL record for an expansion team by winning their eighth in a row on home ice, and their 14 wins by Nov. 24 are unmatched by a first-year team except for the . They have a better record than even the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins (11-10-3). “For us to get two points, with far from our best effort, is big for the guys,” coach Gerard Gallant said. Arizona is 2-7-1 at home after winning Friday behind Christian Fischer’s overtime goal and backup goaltender Scott Wedgewood, who made 23 saves to win at home for the first time with the Coyotes. The Golden Knights are 5-5-1 on the road — about the only average statistic associated with them. 1085137 Arizona Coyotes

Special teams cost Coyotes in loss to Golden Knights

BY CRAIG MORGAN | NOVEMBER 25, 2017 AT 10:05 PM UPDATED: NOVEMBER 25, 2017 AT 10:36 PM

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Coyotes dug themselves such a deep hole over the first quarter of this season that any minor setback from here on out feels bigger than it is. A 4-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday at Gila River Arena had that feel. It ended Arizona’s all-too-brief homestand at 1-2, and sent the Coyotes back on the road with a sour taste in their mouths, but it didn’t erase a lot of the good things they are doing this month. Brendan Perlini scored his eighth goal of the season and has a goal in four straight games. Anthony Duclair (six goals), Christian Fischer (six goals) and Tobias Rider (five goals) have provided secondary scoring the Coyotes were badly lacking in the first quarter of the season — scoring that has helped mitigate a slump for Clayton Keller (no goals in his last 10 games) and a major scoring slump for Max Domi (one goal in his last 24 games). Oliver Ekman-Larsson has been playing like an elite defenseman most nights out, Derek Stepan has points in six straight games (seven points) and the goaltending has been better despite Antti Raanta’s continued injury issues. Saturday’s loss came down to a horrid 1:42 stretch in the second period that chased goaltender Scott Wedgewood in favor of Marek Langhamer, and special teams play that let the Coyotes down — an area that had been a strength over this recent stretch in which they won four of five games. Vegas forward Tomas Nosek scored a shorthanded goal at 7:23 of the second period off an Ekman-Larsson turnover. William Karlsson added an even strength goal 21 seconds later. Erik Haula scored on a power play at 9:05 and the Coyotes wasted a 5-on-3 opportunity in the third period, despite clawing their way back into the game with two even strength goals from Ekman-Larsson and Perlini. “It was big,” said coach Rick Tocchet, whose power play went 0 for 5. “We had a couple chances and we don’t put them in on our first two power plays. Our five-on-three has become an issue again. Other than that, they had two, three minutes (of opportunities). They didn’t have a lot of chances. It’s disheartening because it’s definitely a winnable game.” The Coyotes have had eight 5-on-3 opportunities, the most in the NHL, and they have no goals from those. “The movement of the five guys need to be all on the same page and I feel like we’re a little stagnant right now,” Stepan said. “The guy with the puck needs to trust the five-guy movement to know where his options are. Right now, I think we need to be just a little bit sharper in that movement and that’s how you break down power plays. “They’re going to block shots. They’re going to get in lanes. That’s what a good PK (penalty kill) is going to do, especially five-on-three. Those three guys that are out there are going to make sure that they eat everything so you’ve got to try to disguise a play and get a look.” Ekman-Larsson scored 21 seconds into the third period to pull the Coyotes within 3-1. Perlini made a great individual play to make it 3-2 at the 10:35 mark by cutting wide and then to the net, but a costly four- minute minor on Jason Demers for high-sticking ate up valuable time and cooled the Coyotes’ momentum. As Tocchet noted, that will happen in the NHL. It’s wiser not to dig holes in the first place. “There are guys that are playing good for us and that’s a positive,” Tocchet said. “We just have to become comfortable in our skin when it’s zero-zero and stick to the game plan. Get pucks on net. Don’t get fancy. Don’t go off the grid and that’s what happens with a young team sometimes. You get antsy. “Sometimes it’s OK to live for another shift instead of trying to make a miracle play.”

Arizona Sports LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085138 Boston Bruins Ryan Spooner did not work out — granted a maintenance day — and he also will be assessed at game time.

A few observations regarding the season-high four-game winning streak: Bruins will go back to Tuukka Rask in net Sunday ■ The Bruins have outscored the opposition, 11-7, with the goals coming from a chorus of 10 different scorers. Rookie Jake DeBrusk, with strikes By Kevin Paul Dupont against New Jersey and San Jose, was the only repeat scorer in the bunch. GLOBE STAFF NOVEMBER 25, 2017 ■ Khudobin, a.k.a. “Anton the Rubber Baron,” recorded all the wins, limiting opponents to 1.71 goals per game and stopping 94.5 percent of the shots he faced. Winners of their last four games under the impressive watch of Anton Khudobin in net, the Bruins on Sunday afternoon will give their No. 1 ■ The Bruins led in the four games by a collective time of 205:41 and puckstopper, Tuukka Rask, his first start in nearly two weeks in a 5 p.m. trailed for only 1:27 (during the first period in San Jose). Average lead Garden matinee vs. the struggling Oilers (1-4-0 in their last five games). time: 51:25 per game. Why? Because coach Bruce Cassidy believes it’s time. ■ Of their 11 goals, nine involved players with NCAA playing experience. Four were scored by ex-NCAAers: Charlie McAvoy (BU), Danton Heinen “It’s his turn to go,” Cassidy said Saturday following a 40-minute workout (Denver), Sean Kuraly (Miami of Ohio), and Matt Grzelcyk (BU). in Brighton, which had Rask on the ice 30 minutes early, handling shots from the injured Brad Marchand and David Backes. “We’ve gotten terrific ■ The Bruins held two-goal leads in three of the four games. Prior to goaltending out of [Khudobin] and we’d like to get terrific goaltending out Friday’s action, clubs able to amass a two-goal lead in games this of Tuukka . . . so everything can be terrific. But, we’ll see.” season were a collective 244-13-19, garnering an astounding .918 point rate. Rask, a substandard 3-7-2 this season, was last seen in net on Nov. 15, a 4-2 loss in Anaheim, after which a frustrated Cassidy said he needed to ■ The 20 shots recorded by the Penguins Friday marked a team low for see better effort and execution from his netminder and his six-man 2017-18. It was also the stingiest the Bruins have been this season. defensive corps. Khudobin and the D corps turned in a much-improved 60 minutes the next night, a 2-1 win at Los Angeles, the start of a run in ■ The Bruins went 0 for 10 on the power play during the four victories. which the Bruins allowed only seven goals over the four-game winning stretch. Boston Globe LOADED: 11.26.2017 Despite the standard talk-show hysteria, Rask, 30, is still considered the franchise puckstopper. He has been that here since the start of the lockout-abbreviated 2012-13 season, and entered this season having appeared in 293 of the 376 regular-season games (77.9 percent) the past five seasons. Khudobin’s recent run not only has been good for the club’s win-loss fortunes, but also, in Cassidy’s opinion, as a means of generating competition around the position — something Rask hasn’t felt since sharing the job with Tim Thomas. Cassidy believes Rask now will feel the push Khudobin’s giving him. “Absolutely,” said Cassidy, his club ninth in the East Saturday morning after the 4-3 win Friday afternoon over Pittsburgh. “When you create competition in your lineup, for anybody, I think it makes you better. Then you have difficult decisions to make, and then they become easy if you know you can trust both of them . . . Internal competition, I think, is good for any team in any sport.” Rask, fully on board with Khudobin’s recent workload, was not made available to the media after the workout. Both Backes and Marchand will remain out Sunday, but their presence in the workout marked a step forward for each. Marchand (injury undisclosed) wore a red “non-contact” sweater. Backes, recovering from colon surgery related to his acute bout of diverticulitis, was able to engage in body contact for the first time since surgery. The original prognosis had Backes out through much, if not all, of December. But he has been encouraged by his progress and sounds like he is eyeing an earlier return. “Whenever that is, we’ll see,” said Backes. “It’s another step . . . you can skate on your own all you want, but real fatigue is when you lean on guys, battle and try to find pucks. But hopefully we’ll be putting on a game jersey here in short order.” Players with major setbacks, typically orthopedic in nature, deal with the need to restore range of motion, strength, and flexibility. Backes said much of that is the same for him. “But being in surgery, you have to make sure tissues are all healed,” said Backes, launching into some graphic imagery, “so you’re not busting wide open again . . . the shovels are only so big on the ice . . . if my insides are outside, they are going to need a few more buckets.” Prior to the start of the 11 a.m. workout, the Bruins announced that they recalled forward Jordan Szwarz from AHL Providence on an emergency basis. They also returned defenseman Rob O’Gara to the WannaB’s. Szwarz was summoned because winger Peter Cehlarik was felled with a leg injury in the third period vs. the Penguins. He met with doctors during the Saturday practice and his status will be assessed prior to Sunday’s faceoff. 1085139 Boston Bruins When he’s on his strong side, it’s second nature for Miller to initiate ingrained footwork to disengage from the wall and position himself inside the right-flank dot line. Gap, angle, challenge: A defenseman’s guide to mastering the rink inside “We’re creatures of habit,” Miller said. “I’ve been playing the right side my the rink whole life. Getting off the wall, it’s a crossover to the left, find your gap, and you find your angle. After doing that for so long, then you’re on your left side and you find yourself doing the same thing on the left, now By Fluto Shinzawa you’re not in between the dots. So you’ve just got to be cognizant of that.” GLOBE STAFF NOVEMBER 25, 2017 It’s also tempting for defensemen playing their off side to hug the wall more closely. Consider when Miller is paired with Brandon Carlo. If Carlo has the puck and wants to go D-to-D, Miller’s natural tendency is to post For NHL-size men who move at Formula 1 speed, the dimensions of their up along the left boards. If he’s tight against the boards, he’s in better office space are not very big. It does not take long for an 85-foot-wide position to shoulder-check and get a more panoramic view, possibly of rink to feel like the at rush hour. Decisions require rapid an opponent slamming down the wall. If Miller is off the wall, his sightline thinking. Time and space are not common commodities. over his left shoulder is limited. Now imagine that width being reduced by almost half. But the closer Miller is to the wall, the harder it becomes for him to The next time you watch the Bruins’ defensemen, notice how closely they reposition himself inside the dot lines. In such cases, the best maneuver come together as they begin their gap-up procedures. Zdeno Chara and is a middle ground. Charlie McAvoy practically clang their right and left skates when they All of this demands rapid processing and even faster movement. It is yet gather into formation to defend against danger. This is how they’re taught more proof that hockey is the hardest game in sports. to play. Todd McLellan is a good coach. He was the boss of a San Jose club that The Bruins want their defensemen to think inside the faceoff dots. By qualified for the playoffs for six straight seasons. After a bumpy first staying within these boundaries, they can limit dangerous advances to season in Edmonton, McLellan led the Oilers to the second round last the flanks of the rink. From there, good NHL goalies laugh off sharp- year. Before the season started, he coached Connor McDavid as part of angle shots. An offensive play made along the walls does not lead to as the Under-23 entry in the World Cup of Hockey. much harm as one taking place inside the circles. So the chances that McLellan suddenly lost his smarts are slim. Coaches “If you’re protecting the middle of the ice, it’s easier to push guys around explore every minute detail when their teams struggle. to the outside,” said Kevan Miller. “If you get stretched, then seams open up in the middle. That’s when you get quality scoring chances. That The fix that could help the plummeting Oilers, however, may be too big to literally starts from the dot lines in the offensive zone. It’s true to the make. whole rink. Even if you’re in the offensive zone, you want to start between the dots when they’re transitioning out of the zone. It forces The Oilers play man-to-man instead of zone defense in their end. Some guys wide. It forces the play outside the dots. Consequently, they get coaches prefer man-to-man because of its simplicity: You pick your less chances, less good quality opportunities, good shots. When you get opponent and stay with him. chasing outside the dots, that’s when seams open and things start to open up.” But the trouble with the free-falling Oilers is their man-to-man setup has them constantly chasing in the defensive zone instead of occupying Bruins assistant coach Kevin Dean, who is in charge of the defense, likes space. They are so worried about shadowing their assignments that they his charges to play in what he calls the rink inside the rink. There are 44 leave the danger areas open with no safeguards in place. This was clear feet in width between the dots for Dean’s defensemen to patrol. on Nov. 21 against St. Louis, when the Blues laid an 8-3 thrashing on the Flying McDavids. “That’s where most of the action happens,” Dean said. “That’s where most of the breakdowns happen. That’s where most of the plays are Part of the issue is the personnel on Edmonton’s blue line. Oscar made. Stay inside the dots, make your plays, and try not to get pasted on Klefbom, Adam Larsson, and Darnell Nurse are their top three the wall.” defensemen. Good players, but not worthy of top-pairing status on a high-end team. Kris Russell, Matt Benning, and Eric Gryba are depth The defensemen are free to eliminate plays along the boards, at the blue defensemen. General manager Peter Chiarelli has been trying to fix the line, or behind the net when they have proper support from their defense since his 2015-16 arrival. That he ceded Taylor Hall for Larsson forwards. But for the most part, defensemen are best served starting their indicates the challenge in acquiring go-to defensemen instead of the parries clustered inside the dot lines, the imaginary vertical markings that draft-and-develop approach. run from one set of faceoff circles to the other. It allows them to be positioned to complete two dissimilar tasks that are like patting your head Edmonton’s defensemen are either worse than expected, not with one hand while rubbing your stomach with the other: gapping up and understanding where they’re supposed to go, or not receiving enough killing a rush, then turning to retrieve the puck. help from their forwards. Good man-to-man teams such as Nashville know where to go once breakdowns take place. The Oilers are so busy For example, if a forward goes on the offensive with the puck, Dean’s looking over their shoulders and second-guessing their coverage reads defensemen should keep a tight gap from inside the dot lines, ceding the that they’re in danger of allowing goals every time the puck crosses the outside ice to the attacker. When it’s time for a confrontation, the blue line. defensemen, with backchecking support, should transition from inside to the outside. They perform this exercise with three checkpoints as One of the downsides of man-to-man is how few redundancies are left guidance: gap, angle, challenge. when things go south. The nature of zone defense is the existence of secondary and tertiary layers of protection to stand between the puck In a perfect world, there are two outcomes. The defenseman either blunts and the net. the rush or forces the attacker to dump the puck into the zone. If the latter takes place, the defenseman is well placed to carry his “With man-to-man, it’s hard when you beat a guy, which sometimes confrontational momentum into a turn, skate forward, and chase down happens in this league,” the Bruins’ Riley Nash said drily. “There’s so the puck. It’s more efficient than being face-to-face with the puck carrier, many good players. It’s like a domino effect on who covers, who’s next in stopping the rush, then needing a rapid 180-degree turn to go into line. Or do you just let them go to the net? If it’s played right, I think it can retrieval mode. work. A lot of teams are doing it. But when there’s a little bit of miscommunication, as with any defense, there’s going to be holes.” Like most things in hockey, all this is easier said than done. Without these layers, the Oilers are leaning heavily on . The Even with regular repetitions, defensemen, especially those playing their goalie is not bailing them out like he did last year. Against the Blues, weak sides, can have trouble setting up inside the dot lines. It’s why Talbot found himself on the bench after letting in a long-distance Dmitri coaches beg their general managers to provide them equal supply of left- Jaskin floater in the first period. and right-shot defensemen. Last year, as a 73-game workhorse, Talbot posted save percentages of Consider the right-shot Miller, who started 2017-18 as McAvoy’s left-side .919 (overall), .927 (even strength), and .801 (high danger during five-on- partner. Adam McQuaid’s broken leg put Miller back in the right-side mix. five play). This season, through 20 appearances, Talbot’s respective But the coaches have still deployed Miller on his weak side, most lately to save percentages had dipped to .900, .914, and .790: not good enough. shelter Rob O’Gara and Matt Grzelcyk from difficult matchups. If and when Talbot regresses to his previous career standards, the Oilers will not be as leaky. It should give them more chances to go on the attack Finland and Sweden in group play. As for Sturm’s ties to Ward, they and allow McDavid to express his prodigious talent. enjoyed a player-coach relationship in Boston. Last spring, Ward was Sturm’s assistant at the World Championship. Ward made his mark in The most efficient way to repair their shortcomings would be to switch to Germany in 2014-15 as coach of Adler Mannheim, which won the zone defense. It is nearly impossible to do mid-flight. It would have been Deutsche Eishockey Liga title. Ward’s assistant that year was Jay Leach, more effective to introduce a new system in training camp. Now it’s too now in his first year behind the Providence bench. Even globally, hockey late. is a small world. Through 21 games, it wasn’t Taylor Hall or Adam Henrique leading the Old friend , facing no NHL takers after his Calgary Devils in goals. That would be Braintree’s Brian Gibbons, who had contract expired, resurfaced on Wednesday as an assistant coach with punched in 10. Gibbons, who is earning the NHL’s minimum wage of the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers. Wideman was never a great skater. But $650,000, has been one of the league’s sharpest investments so far. his hockey sense allowed the right-shot defenseman to log 815 NHL “I know Gibbons from the American Hockey League. I know he has games, in which he scored 99 goals and 288 assists. Wideman’s task will talent,” said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy. “But I don’t think anyone be to pass on his wisdom to juniors. thought he’d have [10] goals.” When it came to raiding Columbus, the Golden Knights had good options Cassidy, an eight-year coaching veteran in the AHL, had plenty of time to in William Karlsson and Josh Anderson. They took Karlsson, the left-shot become familiar with Gibbons’s game. The undrafted forward signed with forward who’s scored 10 goals and eight assists in 20 games. Anderson, Pittsburgh following his four-year Boston College career. Gibbons spent meanwhile, has eight goals and three assists in 20 games. Karlsson has his first two full pro seasons in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pittsburgh’s AHL the higher offensive ceiling . . . One of the best qualities of Hischier, affiliate. In 2013-14, he appeared in 41 games for the Penguins, scoring 2017’s top overall selection, is his battle level. The 18-year-old is still five goals and 12 assists. slight at 175 pounds. But he has a Jeff Skinner-like fearlessness of being strong on pucks in close quarters . . . Eddie Lack, once in the mix to be But after Pittsburgh declined to extend his contract, Columbus signed Vancouver’s starter, has seemingly flamed out of the NHL after being Gibbons in 2014. He appeared in one more game for Springfield, the placed on waivers by Calgary on Thursday. Lack also went south in Blue Jackets’ farm club, than he did for Columbus. Carolina, his previous stop. He is 29 years old . . . Black Friday, once known as the day for shopping deals, will hereby be repurposed for the ‘Brian Gibbons has been very consistent,’ said Devils coach John Hynes date the Sabres are annually eliminated from playoff discussion. of the forward.

‘Brian Gibbons has been very consistent,’ said Devils coach John Hynes of the forward. Boston Globe LOADED: 11.26.2017 In subsequent stops with the Rangers and Devils, Gibbons nearly became an AHL fixture. In 2015-16, he played in 63 games for Hartford, followed up by a 72-game stretch in Albany last year. Even though he is on a two-way deal, Gibbons is performing like he wants no part of an AHL return. “I enjoyed my time in the American League,” Gibbons said. “Had a lot of fun. Met really good guys. It’s good hockey, competitive. You’re still earning a living. I enjoyed the AHL. But the NHL, this is where everyone wants to be.” Gibbons is 29. By his age, it’s easy for players of his profile to become career AHLers or choose to seek their fortunes in Europe. Some of his former teammates belong to this category, such as Carter Camper, Ryan Bourque, and Sean Collins. But Gibbons is sticking up top this year. He’s always skated well and exhibited good stick skills, leading back to his Chestnut Hill days alongside Nathan Gerbe, Cam Atkinson, and Joe Whitney. Like his former college teammates, the 5-foot-8-inch, 175-pound Gibbons did not fit the typical NHL template. But coaches always have room for thinkers like Gibbons, who has shown a knack this season for being in the right place at the right time. On Wednesday against his hometown team, Gibbons helped the Devils gain a point by tying the game in the third period. When Damon Severson settled the puck at the right point, Gibbons found a soft spot in the Bruins’ down-low coverage. He tipped Severson’s shot into the net for his 10th strike, doubling his previous NHL career best. “Brian Gibbons has been very consistent,” said Devils coach John Hynes, who’s been using the left-shot forward as his No. 2 right wing next to Henrique and Nico Hischier. “He’s a high hockey IQ guy. Great compete level. Been very consistent. Can play with whoever we put him with. He’s been good. I think you see a guy who’s been real determined this year. Very focused. Very consistent. It’s nice to see him compete at the level he is, because now you get a chance to see his skill and hockey sense come out.” In theory, a smart, quick, and experienced forward such as Torrey Mitchell would have no issues getting on Claude Julien’s good side. But the former University of Vermont forward went scoreless in 11 appearances before the Canadiens swapped him to Los Angeles on Thursday for a conditional 2018 fifth-round pick. It could be the start of a series of transactions for the scuffling Canadiens. The next pieces could be of bigger stature unless Montreal finds some traction. Captain Max Pacioretty, signed for $4.5 million annually through 2019, would be the big-name draw on the market. Old friend Marco Sturm, currently GM and coach of Germany’s national team, attended the Boston-New Jersey game on Wednesday as a guest of Devils assistant coach Geoff Ward. Sturm has been considering players for the upcoming Olympics. The NHL’s nonparticipation has somewhat leveled the field, but Germany has a tall task starting against 1085140 Boston Bruins

A few observations from the Bruins’ four-game winning streak

By Kevin Paul Dupont GLOBE STAFF NOVEMBER 25, 2017

Coach Bruce Cassidy said Rask, a backup for the club’s recent string of four straight wins, is the starter Sunday when the dysfunctional Oilers visit the Garden for late-afternoon matinee. Rask’s most recent start, a loss, was Nov. 15 in Anaheim. Prior to the start of the 11 a.m. workout, the Bruins announced that they recalled forward Jordan Szwarz from AHL Providence on an emergency basis. They also returned defenseman Rob O’Gara to the WannaB’s. Marchand (in a red jersey) and Backes both participated in drills when the rest of the roster took the ice for practice. A few quick observations regarding the season-high four-game winning streak: ■ The Bruins outscored the opposition, 11-7, with the goals coming from a chorus of 10 different scorers. Rookie Jake DeBrusk, with strikes against New Jersey and San Jose, was the only repeat scorer in the bunch. ■ Anton “The Rubber Baron” Khudobin recorded all the wins in the Boston net, limiting opponents to 1.75 goals per game and stopping 94.5 percent of the shots he faced. ■ The Bruins led in the four games by a collective time of 205:41 and trailed for only 1:27 (during the first period in San Jose). Average lead time: 51:25 per game. ■ Of their 11 goals scored in the four games, nine of them involved players with NCAA playing experience. Four were scored by ex- NCAAers: Charlie McAvoy (BU), Danton Heinen (Denver), Sean Kuraly (Miami, Ohio) and Matt Grzelcyk (BU). ■ The Bruins squeezed out two-goal leads in three of the four games. Prior to Friday’s action, clubs able to amass a two-goal lead in games this season were a collective 244-13-19, garnering an astounding .918 point rate. ■ The 20 shots recorded by the Penguins Friday was a team low for 2017-18. It was also the stingiest the Bruins have been this season. ■ The Bruins went 0 for 10 on the power play during the four victories.

Boston Globe LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085141 Boston Bruins

Tuukka Rask will get the start for Bruins against Oilers

Steve Conroy Saturday, November 25, 2017

The Bruins' goaltending world will take another turn on Sunday when Tuukka Rask gets the net again for the B's contest against the underachieving Edmonton Oilers at the Garden. Rask has not played since the B's 4-2 loss in Anaheim on November 15 and, since then, the B's have gone on a four-game win streak with Anton Khudobin in net. The B's have earned points in every game Khudobin has played this year (7-0-2, .932 save percentage, 2.22 GAA) while Rask is 3-7-2 with 2.89 GAA and .897 save percentage. But the Bruins won't go very far unless Rask gets right, and Sunday will be his first step in that endeavor. How he responds to not just the added rest but the growing concern about his play will be very interesting. “We'll see (on Sunday) around 5 o'clock,” said coach Bruce Cassidy. “He's used to playing a lot of hockey. He hasn't for a while. For him, he might treat it like an injury when he hasn't played a bit. But he's been practicing, practicing well. It's his turn to go. We've gotten terrific goaltending out of Doby. We'd like to get terrific goaltending out of Tuukka, so everything can be terrific. We'll see. It's his chance (on Sunday).” Cassidy hopes the time on the sideline can light a fire under Rask. “Absolutely,” said Cassidy. “Any time you create competition in your lineup for anybody, I think it makes you better. It just makes you better. Then you have difficult decisions to make, but then they become easy if you know you can trust both of them, at any position. Internal competition is good for any team in any sport.” Rask was not available for comment... Brad Marchand practiced on Saturday but will not be available for Sunday's game against the Oilers. Ryan Spooner, who has just come back from a groin tear, missed practice with an undisclosed injury and Cassidy said he'll be a game-time decision... Peter Cehlarik, who suffered a left leg injury in the B's win on Friday, was seeing the doctor on Saturday and more of an update should be available on Sunday. Judging by the way he was hobbling after Friday's game, he would seem doubtful... With the Cehalrik and Spooner injuries, Jordan Szwarz was recalled from Providence on an emergency basis while defenseman Robbie O'Gara was sent back to the farm.

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NHL caps centennial with documentary lauding its greats

Staff Report Associated Press Saturday, November 25, 2017

The NHL is wrapping up its centennial celebration with a documentary that taught even "The Great One" something about his sport. "I found out some interesting things about the game that I didn't know," Wayne Gretzky said. The record-breaking career of hockey's greatest player one highlight of "The NHL: 100 Years" documentary that airs Sunday night, a century to the date of league's founding on Nov. 26, 1917. After narrowing down its top 100 players, its greatest teams and best moments and going outdoors during the yearlong commemoration, the NHL is letting a noted fan in Jon Hamm narrate its growth from fledgling league on life support to 31 franchises today. "It's been an interesting journey for the NHL," said Hamm, the actor of "Mad Men" fame. "The Montreal Maroons are just as much a part of this as the Vegas Golden Knights and we celebrate that. It's etched in the trophy. I think that's pretty cool. There's a part of the NHL that celebrates history like no other league." The four-part, two-hour documentary is broken up over the 25-year periods of the league: the beginnings, Original Six era, expansion and modern times. Gary Bettman, approaching his 25th anniversary as commissioner, said the show will "refresh some vivid hockey memories" and is an important historical record that set the stage for the future. Former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Bobby Orr, Jaromir Jagr, Gretzky and others tell the stories. "This kind of puts it all together," said Steve Mayer, the NHL's executive vice president and chief content officer. "It was absolutely the goal to do something that would be a piece that would live forever and summarize the first 100 years." The first 100 years pays special attention to Gordie Howe's career; Orr's famous 1970 Stanley Cup-winning goal and leap through the air; Gretzky's role in shaping the direction of the league; and the league's expansion into nontraditional markets in California, Florida and elsewhere. "If Wayne doesn't come along, the league takes another 10, 15, maybe 20 years to expand the way they expanded," said Hamm, who grew up as a St. Louis Blues fan in the 1970s. "He was Michael Jordan and Larry Bird in one package. He was the kind of a person that made people that didn't care about hockey care about hockey." Gretzky learned plenty about the early days of the NHL with gruesome injuries, goaltenders without masks and the roadblocks that threatened to derail it. He figures anyone who was around in the 1930s and '40s would be amazed about what the league looks like now, though he downplays his own importance in that. "Just to play in the is such a great honor," said Gretzky, who won the Cup four times with the Edmonton Oilers, owns 61 NHL records and whose No. 99 is retired leaguewide. "I know as a fan from watching George Armstrong or Jean Beliveau lift the Stanley Cup when I was a kid or getting that ultimate dream of lifting the Stanley Cup myself, I felt very special to be part of it." Hamm, who hosted the unveiling of the 100 greatest players in January, was excited just to see Gretzky on the Blues late in the 1995-96 season. He knows there's no doubt about Gretzky's place as the face of the NHL. "You just look at the offensive records that he put up, the amount of championships that the guy won, the way that he made players around him so much better and you think, 'OK, that's a generational player.'" "He just wants to play the game and wants to be the best that ever was," Hamm added. "And I think that kind of thing inspires the Auston Matthews, the Connor McDavids, the guys that are coming around this next kind of generation."

Boston Herald LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085143 Boston Bruins play hard, that I’m defending myself and, from a medical standpoint, things won’t regress when those things do happen.” . . .

The Bruins are 5-0 with centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci in the Bruins notebook: Coach Bruce Cassidy gives Tuukka Rask start in goal lineup, including Khudobin’s four-game win streak. against Oilers over unbeaten Anton Khudobin Injuries mount

Ryan Spooner recently returned to the lineup from a groin tear but Steve Conroy Sunday, November 26, 2017 missed practice with an undisclosed injury. Cassidy said the forward will be a gametime decision. The Bruins’ goaltending world will take another turn today when Tuukka Forward Peter Cehlarik, who suffered a left leg injury Friday, was seeing Rask gets the net again for a Garden game against the underachieving a doctor and more of an update should be available today. Edmonton Oilers. With Spooner and Cehlarik banged up, forward Jordan Szwarz was Rask has not played since a 4-2 loss to the Ducks in Anaheim on Nov. recalled from Providence on an emergency basis while defenseman 15 and, since then, the B’s have gone on a four-game win streak with Robbie O’Gara was sent back to the AHL team. Anton Khudobin. The B’s have earned points in all nine games Khudobin has played this season (7-0-2, .932 save percentage, 2.22 goals-against average) but only five with Rask (3-7-2, .897 SP, 2.89 GAA). Boston Herald LOADED: 11.26.2017 But the Bruins won’t go very far unless Rask gets right, and today will be his first step in that endeavor. How he responds to not just the added rest but the growing concern about his play will be interesting indeed. The Oilers are struggling this year,but they did pop in 11 goals in two games against Rask and the B’s last year. “We’ll see (today) around 5 o’clock,” coach Bruce Cassidy, who is still going game to game on the goalie decisions, said yesterday at practice. “He’s used to playing a lot of hockey. He hasn’t for a while. For him, he might treat it like an injury when he hasn’t played a bit. But he’s been practicing, practicing well. It’s his turn to go. We’ve gotten terrific goaltending out of Dobby. We’d like to get terrific goaltending out of Tuukka, so everything can be terrific. We’ll see. It’s his chance (today).” Cassidy hopes the time on the sideline can light a fire under Rask. “Absolutely,” said Cassidy. “Any time you create competition in your lineup for anybody, I think it makes you better. It just makes you better. Then you have difficult decisions to make, but then they become easy if you know you can trust both of them, at any position. Internal competition is good for any team in any sport.” Rask was not available for comment. In wins against the Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks and New Jersey Devils, Khudobin was excellent. Whether it went into Cassidy’s thinking or not, Khudobin showed some signs in Friday’s victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins of what we saw a little earlier in the season when he muffed easy shots and made things a little harder than they needed to be. Marchand practices Brad Marchand practiced but will not be available against the Oilers. The winger skated in a red noncontact jersey, but that didn’t seem to limit him much. At one point, he crashed into Khudobin. Marchand got up slowly but with a smile on his face. “Dobby was playing rough out there today,” said a smiling Marchand, who has missed seven of the last nine games with a suspected concussion. “The red jersey was just precautionary. I’m trying to work my way back into things, getting into game shape and game mode. Just trying to do as much as I can and I’m feeling pretty good.” . . . The last game Marchand played was against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Garden on Nov. 10. In that game, he playfully gave Leo Komarov a peck on the cheek during a post-whistle scrum. Marchand’s reasoning? “He kept hugging me after every whistle so I thought he wanted to get a little closer. I guess not. He shut me down,” said Marchand in his first chat with reporters since then. David Backes, who has been out since Oct. 30 following colon surgery due to complications with diverticulitis, was a full participant in practice for the first time, but the forward doesn’t have a target date for a return to the lineup. “Being a surgery, you have to make sure all the tissues are healed so you’re not busted wide open. Those shovels are only so big and if my insides are on the outside, they’re going to need a few more buckets,” said the ever descriptive Backes. “It’s about feeling good, getting the OK from the doctor that if I do take a couple good licks — I’m not going to change my game and not hit anybody — everyone needs to feel comfortable that I can play that way, 1085144 Boston Bruins Those decisions will fall on management and Cassidy, as will the tough choices on whom to remove from the lineup up front when David Backes, Brad Marchand and Anders Bjork return. But after watching Miller cruise Conroy: Kevan Miller’s game right-ed with Bruins up the right wing and seal the victory last weekend, it seems as if the B’s would be robbing themselves of a pretty good weapon by putting him back on the left. Steve Conroy Sunday, November 26, 2017 Today, vs. Edmonton, 5 p.m. — After a breakthrough last year, the Oilers have fallen back, thanks to their old bugaboos — goaltending and defense. They rank in the bottom third in both goals for and goals against. The Bruins clung to a one-goal lead late in the third period against San Jose when Kevan Miller grabbed hold of a puck in his own end and Wednesday, vs. Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m. — The Lightning have been the headed up ice. The rugged Miller may not be as known for his offense as best team not only in the Atlantic Division but in the NHL, averaging he is for pancaking opponents along the boards, but once the 6-foot-2, nearly four goals a game. This will be a test. 210-pound freight train gets rolling down the right wing, no ones going to knock it off the track. Saturday, at Philadelphia, 1 p.m. — The Flyers are much like the Bruins, fighting to stay over .500 and in the playoff hunt. They’ve skidded a bit Miller skated from end-to-end and then made a centering pass to Danton lately, going 2-4-4 in last 10 entering the weekend. Heinen for the redirect home, putting two points in the bag for the transcontinental flight home. Jack Eichel (left) is an immensely talented hockey player who can and has changed the course of a game by himself. He’s done it here to his It is a play that Miller, who steadily has added offensive elements to his hometown Bruins. And here’s hoping the local boy finds his footing. game since becoming a full-time NHLer in 2013-14, is very capable of making, as long as the right-shot defenseman is playing on the right side. But things are going the wrong way for the North Chelmsford native and If the B’s were healthy last Saturday in San Jose, then chances are he Buffalo Sabres franchise player. Going into yesterday, Eichel had three would not have been in that spot. goals and five assists in his previous 15 games, well off his per-game average. Early last week, he was dropped from the top line with Evander The B’s started out the season with four right-shot defensemen (Charlie Kane and was skating with struggling veterans Zemgus Girgensons and McAvoy, Miller, Brandon Carlo and the currently injured Adam McQuaid) Jason Pominville against the Blue Jackets Monday. First-year coach Phil and two left-shot blueliners (Zdeno Chara and Matt Grzelcyk, who was Housely did not want to say it was the third line, but that’s what it was. soon replaced by the recuperating Torey Krug) with righty Paul Postma as the extra. That meant one of the righties had to play the left side, and In that 3-2 loss, Eichel — before he got down to some too-little-too-late it fell upon Miller to move to his off side and play with McAvoy. The work — was trailing Cam Atkinson behind the Sabres net before Atkinson downside of that showed up in the season opener against Nashville. With fed Boone Jenner for what turned out to be the game-winner. He had a the B’s up 3-1 late in the third, Miller attempted a chip-out that would better performance on Friday against Edmonton, as he scored a goal, have been routine had he been working with his forehand, but the play was plus-2 and won 80 percent of his draws. becomes more difficult on the backhand. Miller chipped it over the glass for a penalty, beginning a sequence of events that led to a near Eichel is only 21 and you’d expect some hiccups along the way. But the comeback by the Predators. Sabres are never going to break out of their doldrums if their best player plays only every other shift. For the $80 million investment that was Since McQuaid went out of the lineup with a broken fibula on Oct. 15, made in Eichel, more is expected. Miller has played more on the right side, and it seems coach Bruce Cassidy has tried to keep it that way. No hard and fast decision has been made to keep Miller on the right side, Boston Herald LOADED: 11.26.2017 but it seems that would be best for the player and team eventually. Just because he can play the off side and — good soldier that he is — appears willing to do it, doesn’t mean he should play there. “I don’t know if we’ve gotten to that point, but we want to as much as possible while still dressing the best six guys. So that’s the challenge we’ve got,” Cassidy said last week before the New Jersey game. “And that’s why Grizz (Grzelcyk) is up because we like both (Miller) and Paul on the right side. And Carlo we haven’t used a whole lot on the left and I don’t really want to move Charlie to find out how he does play the left side. That’s been a bit of a challenge. We were hoping it would play out that the left side wasn’t an issue. I don’t think it’s to the point where we can’t do it. I think it’s just proven itself that the right is easier than the left.” Cassidy didn’t want to quantify how much better a player Miller is on his natural side than the left. “I don’t know if I want to go down that road. I just think he’s more comfortable there,” Cassidy said. “It’s just inevitable that you’re going to get in some bad spots on your off-side handing the puck on your backhand handling the puck as opposed to the forehand with it. It’s harder to make a play. And that’s it. I don’t know if there’s a difference with his battle level, how he’s going to approach the game in terms of his matchup. It’s just those little areas. When you’re in tight games, then you’ve got to factor it in a little bit.” So the remaining question — unanswerable right now — is this: What happens when McQuaid gets back? OK, so he’s still a month or so away from his targeted return date. And with the way this season has gone for the Bruins in regard to injuries, it seems almost a pipe dream to have a fully healthy blue line. But in the event that may happen, do you simply go back with the four righties-two lefties makeup and move Miller back to the left side? Or has Grzelcyk or Robbie O’Gara developed to the point where they can even it up? And if that’s the case, where does that leave McQuaid, the selfless, body-sacrificing veteran who certainly has earned the right to get back in the lineup when healthy? How reluctant would the B’s be to move McQuaid, a universally respected player in the locker room and one of the toughest guys in the league — perhaps for a like-minded lefty D- man? 1085145 Boston Bruins

Rask will return vs. Oilers Sunday

By Joe Haggerty November 25, 2017 1:22 PM

BRIGHTON, Mass – Tuukka Rask will be back in goal and the Bruins again may be missing some bodies when they suit up on Sunday afternoon against the struggling Edmonton Oilers. Brad Marchand has been ruled out from a potential return after wearing a red no-contact jersey at practice Saturday at Warrior Arena. Ryan Spooner and Peter Cehlarik were missing from practice after Friday afternoon’s win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Cehlarik (lower body) was meeting with doctors on Saturday in a development that indicates he’s out for Sunday and Spooner will be a game-time decision. Rask will also get the start in net after sitting out the past four games, all wins, started by Anton Khudobin. Bruce Cassidy is hoping that the rest period can spark the struggling No. 1 netminder. “It's his turn to go. It’s his turn to play. We've had terrific goaltending out of Doby and hopefully, we'll get terrific goaltending from Tuukka,” said Cassidy of Rask, he of the .897 save percentage, a 3-7-2 record and a 2.89 goals-against average. “Then everything will be terrific."

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085146 Boston Bruins

Bruins still taking it 'game-by-game' with goalies

By Joe Haggerty November 25, 2017 10:55 AM

BOSTON – Clearly, Anton Khudobin didn’t stand on his head on Friday afternoon while letting up three goals to the Pittsburgh Penguins. But the Bruins backup goalie did enough to win his fourth game in a row between the pipes. He made a big-time stop on Phil Kessel with 7.5 seconds left from the edge of the left face-off circle with Patric Hornqvist bearing down on him right in front of the net. It was one of his 17 saves in the 4-3 win that improved Khudobin to 7-0-2 on the season with a 2.22 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage. The performance was an interesting one for the Bruins backup because it was clearly still solid without even a single softie among the three goals allowed, but not so dominant that the B's would feel compelled to play Khudobin again if they wanted to work Tuukka Rask back in against the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday afternoon. Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy has a couple of days to make the decision and said the B’s are still very much going game-by-game with the goaltending choice between Khudobin and Rask. “We’re going to go game-to-game. It’s not going to be...well, we’re playing Dobby [Khudobin] until he loses, you know, we talked about this. Personally, I thought to put Tuukka [Rask] in [on Friday] after no practice, he hasn’t had a lot of live action, would have been a disservice to him as well with an afternoon game,” said Cassidy. “Maybe if it was a night game, you know, he gets some feel in the morning. So Dobby was probably going to go either way because he’s played more lately. “Now we’ll reassess. Again, I know it sounds like we’re kicking it down the curb, but that’s what we are doing to be honest with you because we don’t announce our goalie on Friday for Sunday. That’s what we’re looking at but that’s the thought process as well.” Clearly, Khudobin is enjoying the run he’s having and seeing his name up near the top of the NHL save percentage leaderboard along with and Corey Crawford. But he also understands that this isn’t an easy stretch for Rask sitting back and watching as the team keeps on winning and performing at its highest level all season. Rask hasn’t completely lost his starting job because the Bruins are still intent on getting their No. 1 back on track, but it’s the first time post-Tim Thomas that Rask has sat for four games in a row. That’s a pretty significant development in scheme of things with the B’s goaltending situation. “It’s never easy," Khudobin said. "It’s never easy and we are partners and I wish him really, really well ahead of us in games. He’s going to get in games – I don’t know when – but I hope he’s going to get in a rhythm too, because we both do the same job. My job is the same, and if I’m going out there then I try to play and try to get the win. If he’s going to go there, then [it’s the] same thing. I wish him good luck in everything. So, there’s nothing changed about that. “I think for every goalie, when you’re playing more and more and more, you always get in a rhythm, you feel the puck better, you kind of, you see the puck better, and of course, for me personally it’s easier. I mean, it’s not really easy to play in this league, but when you’re in the rhythm, then it’s easier for me.” The million dollar question is when, or if, Rask is going to get into that same rhythm that’s leading the way for Khudobin, and when he’s going to get that chance again after struggling through the first few months of the season.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085147 Buffalo Sabres "Working hard and zone time and shots and being there is not good enough," Eichel said. "You don't get rewarded for getting shots on goal and shot attempts. You get rewarded for goals in the net." Sabres' shoddy record trumps good effort in Montreal Buffalo News LOADED: 11.26.2017 By John Vogl | Published Sat, Nov 25, 2017

MONTREAL – The problem with a terrible start is it doesn't allow for any leeway. Take Saturday night, for example. In virtually any other situation, the Buffalo Sabres' latest loss would have been chalked up to running into a hot goaltender. Montreal's Carey Price made a triumphant return after missing 10 games with an injury, stopping all 36 shots he faced to beat Buffalo, 3-0. The Sabres swarmed him at times. They had 78 shot attempts compared to 52 for the Canadiens. If the Sabres were 10-10-4, they'd simply tip their caps to Price and move on to Tuesday's game against Tampa Bay. "Their goalie was pretty hot, and he won a game for them," Sabres right wing Jason Pominville said in Bell Centre. "Sometimes you've got to give credit to someone battled hard and played well." The Sabres, of course, are not 10-10-4. They fell to 6-14-4, including 1-6- 2 in the last nine games. They're the lowest-scoring team in the NHL, and a shutout was added to their résumé. Playing well is important, but Buffalo needs wins. There's just not a lot of leeway at the moment. "This isn't a league that's built on moral victories," center Jack Eichel said. "To outplay somebody is not what we're really here to do. We're here to win games." The Sabres actually had a chance to win. They were down, 2-0, and heading to the power play midway through the third. A goal cracks Price's aura of invincibility and pulls Buffalo within a goal. Instead, Eichel coughed up the puck. He skated toward the Montreal blue line and dumped it onto the stick of Paul Byron, who scored on the resulting breakaway with 11:33 to play. Au revoir, Buffalo. The Wraparound: Canadiens 3, Sabres 0 "Obviously, I'd like to have that one back," said Eichel, who had eight shots on goal and another eight that missed the net or were blocked. "I had a lot of chances. I've got to score a couple goals tonight. The chances were there, but I didn't finish." Ultimately, neither did the Sabres, though Evander Kane might have an argument. It appeared he potted his 13th with 32.5 seconds left, but the video officials overturned it. They cited goaltender interference, but it appeared Price initiated contact with Sam Reinhart outside the crease. "I have no idea what they were reviewing," Kane said. "I saw the replay on the Jumbotron, and I don't know if I need to go to the eye doctor, but it looked like Sam was outside the crease. "I don't have anything good to say about that decision, but like I said maybe I'll go to the doctor and get my eyes checked." Despite the debate, it was merely the difference between a 3-0 loss and a 3-1 loss. It was still a low-scoring night, giving the Sabres one goal or none in eight of their 24 games. "We've got to figure out a way to score," Kane said. "We played well, but we didn't score. That's the name of the game." As Eichel said, it's not the time for moral victories. Still, there's no denying there were some. Buffalo outplayed Montreal despite closing a run of six games in nine nights. The Sabres kept up the pressure despite being down a forward after Jacob Josefson suffered a lower-body injury in the first period. "The last two games have been some of our best hockey," coach Phil Housley said. "I know the bottom line is winning. … I can't fault the effort. You can say what you want to say, but if we continue to play this way moving forward, we're going to get a lot more wins." The coach was right. It was a solid effort by the Sabres and would win many nights. But the Sabres' terrible start doesn't allow for any leeway. It matters little if there's a hot goalie, a bad call by the officials or anything else imaginable. 1085148 Buffalo Sabres Sabres Notebook: Gorges looking for more; Deslauriers faces former team

Hockey Fights Cancer: The Canadiens welcomed six youths from The Wraparound: Canadiens 3, Sabres 0 Leucan – a pediatric cancer association – onto the ice for the starting lineups as part of Hockey Fights Cancer Night. Suite holders hosted 70 kids from Leucan in their booths to watch the game. By John Vogl | Published Sat, Nov 25, 2017 | Updated Sun, Nov 26, 2017 Next: For the first time since Nov. 15-16, the Sabres have a two-day break. Their run of six games in nine nights is over, so Buffalo will take Sunday off and return to practice Monday. The Tampa Bay Lightning visit KeyBank Center on Tuesday. MONTREAL – There was no doubt who the fans came to see. Montreal goaltender Carey Price had barely stepped onto the ice Saturday when the sellout crowd started chanting, "Carey, Carey, Carey." Buffalo News LOADED: 11.26.2017 Buffalo would have liked to see the all-world goalie miss one more game. They might have had a chance to win. Price, who had been out since Nov. 2 with a lower-body injury, blanked the Sabres during his return to the crease. The goalie made 36 saves to deliver a 3-0 victory in Bell Centre. The Sabres hoped to build off Friday's slump-busting win, but they had no luck against the wall in net. Buffalo fell to 1-6-2 in the last nine games, 6-14-4 this season and 0-1-2 against Montreal. Injury report: The Sabres played with just 11 forwards for the second and third periods after Jacob Josefson left with an injury. The center had a full shift during the final minute of the first period, but he never came out for the second. Josefson was playing in his third game after missing 15 with an ankle injury. He had an assist Wednesday against Minnesota and scored Friday against Edmonton. Top shelf, wrong shelf: The Canadiens opened the scoring on the power play, and they received unexpected help. Defenseman Jeff Petry fired a low slap shot from the blue line, and Sabres blue-liner Rasmus Ristolainen tried to stop it. Instead, the puck launched over goaltender Robin Lehner into the top corner with 7:06 left in the first. Buffalo defensemen have yet to score into the opposing net through 24 games. On the rebound: Sabres defenseman Marco Scandella got caught moving forward at center ice, which allowed the Canadiens to slip behind him for a two-on-one. Lehner made a pad save on Paul Byron's blast, but the rebound went to driving Alex Galchenyuk. He easily deposited his fifth goal to put the Sabres in a 2-0 hole with 6:02 left in the second. Power-play mistake: The Sabres hadn't given up a short-handed goal since Oct. 20 against Vancouver. The run is over. Jack Eichel handed the puck to Byron at center ice, and the former Sabres forward scored on a breakaway with 11:33 left in the game to make it 3-0. It was the seventh short-handed goal allowed by Buffalo this season, tied with the New York Islanders for the most in the NHL. Empty net: The Sabres pulled Lehner for an extra attacker following a commercial break with 5:22 to play. It almost worked. Evander Kane scored with 32.5 seconds left to end Price's shutout bid, but the goal was erased for goalie interference after video review. Active first: Price made 10 saves during the first period and Lehner stopped 13 of 14, including all the ones taken by Montreal. The Sabres hit the opening intermission in a 1-0 hole. Even busier second: The Sabres fired 15 shots at Price during the second, including seven of the opening eight in the period. None slipped past the goaltender, who kept his team in front through two periods despite getting outshot, 25-23. Of Lehner's eight saves during the second, his best was a power-play chance in the slot by Galchenyuk. Scratches: Sabres coach Phil Housley made two changes to his lineup. Defenseman Josh Gorges replaced Justin Falk and skated with Nathan Beaulieu. Right wing Seth Griffith skated in place of Kyle Criscuolo on a line with center Johan Larsson and left wing Zemgus Girgensons. "We have just played a lot of hockey in the last week or two," Housley said. "We need some fresh bodies in the lineup." Left wing Matt Moulson sat for the sixth straight game. 1085149 Buffalo Sabres Rasmus Ristolainen wasted no time making an impact in his return to the lineup against Edmonton. The defenseman had two assists and five shots with 27:32 of ice time. Sabres Notebook: Gorges looking for more; Deslauriers faces former When Housley reflected on the performance Saturday, he was just as team impressed with Ristolainen's chippy play. The defenseman pushed and jawed with several Oilers after whistles. By John Vogl | Published Sat, Nov 25, 2017 "He had snarl to his game," Housley said, "and I think we have to have more of that from all of our guys, playing with more emotion. You can see how effective Rasmus was." MONTREAL – Josh Gorges felt he was playing well, and the numbers back him up. He learned that's not enough. Buffalo News LOADED: 11.26.2017 The defenseman needs to do more if he wants to stay in the Buffalo Sabres' lineup. After returning to health and playing in six straight games, Gorges was a healthy scratch Friday against Edmonton. He played Saturday against Montreal, so it was a short hiatus. Still, the day off stung. "You never want to be the guy that's on the sidelines," Gorges said in Bell Centre. "You want to be out there, and you want to continue to be out there. I won't say it's an easy situation, but it's one of those things that's the nature of the business that we're in. These decisions are out of my hands, so you do what you can and deal with the rest." The Sabres are carrying seven defensemen, so someone has to sit every night. Justin Falk was scratched against the Canadiens. Things will get even more crowded when Zach Bogosian, who has begun practicing, makes his season debut. "I thought I played well, but obviously with the situation with this many guys, you've got to do something more," Gorges said. "It's hard. You don’t want to try to go out of your comfort zone and do something that's not you because that can be a recipe for disaster, but at the same point if they're looking for something more, then I guess you've got to try to find something else and show them that maybe they can't take you out of the lineup." Gorges was the odd man out early, sitting the opening three games. He played in three straight then got hurt, leaving him on the sidelines for nine games. He returned two weeks ago against Montreal. Gorges crushed Brendan Gallagher with a check, then dropped the gloves when Jordie Benn sought retribution for the hit. It sparked a run of six straight for Gorges, who entered Saturday with 22 hits, 17 blocked shots and an even rating in 10 games. He is playing a manageable 16:07 per night this season after averaging 20:13 during his first three years with Buffalo. "He brought a physical element," Sabres coach Phil Housley said. "You could see the last time we were in here, he came down, pinched hard, was physical in the battle and stepped up and really gave our team a boost. "I'm not looking to say that fighting is the answer. It's just the physical element, being tough to play against in front of our net. I thought he did a really good job of that." The Canadiens knew Saturday was special for left wing Nicolas Deslauriers, so they chose the former Sabres forward to lead the stretch during their morning skate. "I don’t have any stretch in my book so that’s always going to be short and sweet, but it means a lot," Deslauriers told reporters at the practice rink in Brossard, Quebec. Deslauriers spent four seasons with the Sabres after being acquired from Los Angeles. Buffalo traded him to Montreal near the end of training camp. He was in the minors during the teams' first two meetings, so Saturday's game was the first time he faced his former team. "I have something to prove every game," Deslauriers said. "I just got here, but it’s going to be special. That’s where everything started." The Sabres deemed Deslauriers expendable after claiming Jordan Nolan on waivers, so they dealt him for defenseman Zach Redmond. The fun- loving French Canadian is missed in the dressing room. "He was a heart-and-soul type guy, a guy that played every night and gave everything he had," Gorges said. "He fought for his teammates, went to battle and a good guy in the room. He got along with everybody, didn't really have any beefs. He was just a good-hearted guy." 1085150 Buffalo Sabres

Five Things to Know as Sabres visit Montreal Canadiens

By John Vogl | Published Sat, Nov 25, 2017

MONTREAL – The Sabres needed more than two weeks to earn one victory. They can pick up two in 24 hours. Here are Five Things to Know as the Sabres visit the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night. 1. Going streaking OK, so two wins hardly constitutes a winning streak. But after going 0-5- 2, the Sabres would love to build off Friday's 3-1 victory over Edmonton. "It was a great response," coach Phil Housley said. "This team's been through a lot in the short past here. It's been a lot of challenges, a lot of conversations. It's time to put things into action. I thought the guys responded well." Buffalo has won two in a row only once this season, beating Boston on Oct. 21 and Detroit on Oct. 24. 2. Montreal welcomes back one star … Carey Price will be in net for Montreal after recovering from a lower-body injury. He hasn't played since Nov. 2. Though the goaltender is just 3-7-1 with a .877 save percentage and 3.77 goals-against average, he is 15-12-8 with a .933 and 2.00 against Buffalo during his career. The Sabres did not hold a morning skate, so their starting goaltender will be announced by Housley around 5 p.m. Sabres Notebook: Habs' Price to play; Beaulieu talks rumors, game; Falk filled in well 3. … but not another The Habs will be without defenseman Shea Weber for the third straight game. Though he skated, he has a lower-body injury. 4. Hello again This will be the 23rd game for the Sabres (6-13-4), and it's already their third meeting with Montreal. The Habs won, 3-2, in a shootout on opening night in Buffalo. They also won, 2-1, in overtime in Montreal on Nov. 11. The Sabres are 4-3-3 in their last 10 games against Montreal and 5-4-1 in the last 10 in Bell Centre. 5. Farm living The Rochester Americans had a game to remember Friday, picking up a 10-3 home win over Binghamton. Evan Rodrigues had a career-best four-point night with two goals and two assists. Stevie Moses, Hudson Fasching (two each), Alex Nylander, Sean Malone, Brendan Guhle and C.J. Smith also scored for the Amerks. They improved to 10-5-2 and are in second place in the American Hockey League's North Division.

Buffalo News LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085151 Buffalo Sabres 29. Edmonton Oilers. The Flying McDavids have crash landed. They were terrible here Friday. (28)

30. Buffalo Sabres. Win over Oilers eliminates thought of epic double- Mike Harrington's NHL Power Rankings digit skid. (30) 31. Arizona Coyotes. Tocchet suddenly getting results with four wins in By Mike Harrington | Published Sat, Nov 25, 2017 five games. (31)

Buffalo News LOADED: 11.26.2017 Through Friday's games. Last week's rankings in parentheses. 1. Tampa Bay Lightning. Crazy how Sabres ticket market has collapsed: It's $7 on Stubhub to see NHL's best team here Tuesday. (1) 2. St. Louis Blues. Breakout year for Schenn after trade from Philly. (2) 3. Columbus Blue Jackets. Top of the Metro after six straight wins. (6) 4. Toronto Maple Leafs. Babcock on Carolina win after yielding 47 shots on goal: "It’ll be a Picasso in the morning." (3) 5. Winnipeg Jets. A 6-1 stretch has them up to second in the Central. (4) 6. Nashville Predators. Improved to 9-1 in last 10 with blanking of Blues. (12) 7. New Jersey Devils. Another Sabres near-miss: Butcher has 17 points in 22 games. (5) 8. Vegas Golden Knights. A three-point lead in Pacific after OT win over Sharks. Amazing. (9) 9. New York Islanders. Tavares is The Franchise for team that is 7-0-2 at home. (10) 10. Washington Capitals. Three wins in four games includes solid victory over Bolts. (15) 11. New York Rangers. Lundqvist spooking opponents since Halloween: 9-2, 2.23/.932. (18) 12. Los Angeles Kings. Gaborik activated off IR for season debut after knee surgery. (8) 13. Minnesota Wild. Nice tribute by Sabres and fans for return of Ennis, Foligno. (14) 14. Vancouver Canucks. Rookie Boeser leads team in goals and points (11-11-22). (24) 15. Pittsburgh Penguins. Go home and home with Sabres Friday and Saturday. Four points required. (7) 16. Calgary Flames. Gaudreau, Monahan both over a point a game. (19) 17. . Are 9-2 at home but just 3-8-1 on the road. (22) 18. Boston Bruins. Overcame bizarre replay review in Crosby's favor to come back against Pens. (26) 19. San Jose Sharks. Burns finally gets first goal of season in 22nd game. (16) 20. Colorado Avalanche. Sabres draftee Compher has three goals, three assists in 15 games. (20) 21. Detroit Red Wings. Team Average, with 24 points in 23 games and even in goals at 66-66. (11) 22. Chicago Blackhawks. With slumps throughout lineup, slipped into last in Central. (17) 23. Anaheim Ducks. Rugged five-game roadie starts Monday: Chicago, St. Louis, Columbus, Nashville, Vegas. (21) 24. Philadelphia Flyers. Dropped back-to-back OT decisions to Islanders. (23) 25. Carolina Hurricanes. Didn't get rewarded for big effort against Leafs. (25) 26. Ottawa Senators. Duchene with no points, minus-10 rating in first seven games. Yikes. (13) 27. Montreal Canadiens. Going nowhere without Price and they need the vintage model too. (27) 28. Florida Panthers. Just six goals in last four games but still went 2-2. (29) 1085152 Calgary Flames Just 22 ticks later, Backlund buried a rebound of the back-boards for a milestone goal — No. 100 of his NHL career. The 28-year-old Backlund hit triple digits in 484 games, all in Flames silks. Flames goalie Rittich makes first NHL start count Better yet, the special tally doubled as a birthday gift for his father, Jan. “It’s a big milestone for me, going through some tough but some great Wes Gilbertson times, too, in Calgary,” Backlund said. “It’s been a roller-coaster ride up until here, so I’m very happy I reached it.” Published on: November 25, 2017 | Last Updated: November 25, 2017 11:31 PM MST The Flames will play host Tuesday to the Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m., Sportsnet West/Sportsnet 960 The Fan), their first home-ice outing in more than two weeks. DENVER — The Calgary Flames headed home on a high note. ICE CHIPS Their return flight was slated to land in the wee hours of Sunday morning, Flames LW Kris Versteeg missed Saturday’s contest due to a lower-body but it might be months before puck-stopping call-up David Rittich comes injury. down from Cloud 9.

Rittich earned his first big-league victory Saturday as the Flames capped a marathon six-game road-trip with a 3-2 triumph over the Colorado Calgary Herald: LOADED: 11.26.2017 Avalanche at Pepsi Center. “For me, first start in the NHL, and I wanted to start with a win,” Rittich said. “It happened, and I’m so happy about it. I don’t have too much words — I’m just so happy right now.” The 25-year-old from the Czech Republic delivered 24 saves in a poised performance, while Micheal Ferland and Mikael Backlund both bulged twine in a 22-second span late in the second period to crack open a tie game and give their grinning goalie a bit of a buffer. Dougie Hamilton also scored for the Flames (13-9-1), who collected seven of a possible dozen points on their lengthy getaway. Rittich packed earlier this week for a roadie to Ontario, Calif., and then Tucson, Ariz., but was re-routed when he was recalled from the American Hockey League’s Stockton Heat. He served as the Calgary club’s backup Friday against the host Dallas Stars and then made the most of his first career start in Colorado. Among his finest work, Rittich denied JT Compher on a dangerous re- direct and flashed his glove to snare Alexander Kerfoot’s rebound attempt. He also stopped Carl Soderberg on a third-period breakaway. Afterward, he was sporting the black Calgary Police Service cowboy hat, an in-house player-of-the-game award. “I thought he played well. He made some key saves when we needed them,” said Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan. “And boy, when you see a guy that excited and such a good guy, it’s certainly a nice feeling to play well in front of him and get him a win in the NHL. That’s a big thing.” Indeed, after a leaky performance in front of Mike Smith in Friday’s 6-4 loss to the Stars in Big D, the Flames blueline brigade made sure the new guy didn’t face too many 10-bell chances. Avalanche defenceman Nikita Zadorov scored with 2:54 remaining in regulation to pull the home-side within one, but that’s as close as the Avs could get. “I’m so excited about the game and say, “Thanks, guys’ because they played unbelievable and block every single shot, so that was good for me,” Rittich said. “They helped me. It’s just 26 shots, so it wasn’t too, too much like in Dallas for Smitty. And I felt great.” It was Hamilton’s shot that was being fished out of the back of the net, but Flames sophomore Matthew Tkachuk was key for the Flames on a first-period power-play strike. Tkachuk started by drawing a penalty — he was decked by Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog during a scramble around the crease — and later teed up Hamilton for a one-timer from the top of the circle. Landeskog made amends as the hosts evened things up with a man- advantage marker of their own in the middle stanza. His name won’t appear on the score-sheet, but he was parked at the end of the crease — and right in Rittich’s sight-line — as winger Mikko Rantanen cashed in a low shot. The Flames provided Rittich some run support with a bang-bang sequence in the final minute of the second. Ferland, who had dented the iron earlier in the evening, accepted a feed down low from centre Sean Monahan and tucked a shot right under the cross-bar from close range. 1085153 Calgary Flames Gaudreau is, after all, one of the NHL’s elite setup men. Heading into Saturday’s matchup in the Mile High City, he was tied for second in the league-wide scoring race with 34 points, including 23 assists. Flames honour Grey Cup-ready Stamps with football fun of their own “Johnny could be a good QB,” Monahan reasoned, before delivering a playful dig at his left-winger. “I don’t know if his hand will fit around the ball, though.” Wes Gilbertson Perhaps that’s why a couple of other teammates had the wee whiz Published on: November 25, 2017 | Last Updated: November 25, 2017 working in their defensive secondary. 5:10 PM MST “Johnny might be a good safety,” Kulak said. “Pick off some passes and then run through everyone. We could get a couple of pick-sixes from Johnny.” The Calgary Flames, let’s be clear, are not claiming to be pigskin prospects. “Johnny would have to be the safety,” agreed Giordano. “You can’t put a guy with his size, really, at any other position.” But with the sibling Stampeders in Sunday’s Grey Cup in Ottawa, we started to wonder … What if you had to build a football roster out of Unless, perhaps, Stampeders lifer George Hopkins — an equipment man Flames? Who would the local hockey heroes pick among their puck pals at McMahon Stadium since, believe it or not, a few months before Jagr to man various positions on the gridiron? was even born — needs help on the sidelines? Left-winger Kris Versteeg was mostly minding his own business when he “Johnny? Water-boy,” Brouwer chirped. overheard his name, his ears perking up when defenceman Matt Bartkowski cast him in a certain special-teams role — and we’re not Ouch. talking power-play. Truth is, Gaudreau probably wouldn’t want to be , not behind “Did you just say I’d be the kicker?!?” Versteeg protested from across the an offensive line this sparse. locker-room. “No way. I’d be the QB.” Protecting the pocket is a five-man job, but only one of the Flames was “No, you’re too short,” Bartkowski countered. “Dougie would have to be volunteered for that thankless task, with Smith figuring Giordano might be the QB. You need the tallest guy.” tenacious enough to hold his own in the trenches. At centre, specifically. Thankfully, it will be — not Versteeg or Dougie Hamilton “Just an animal,” Smith said of the Flames’ captain. “You gotta protect or any of the other skating stars — at the offensive controls Sunday for the quarterback. Somebody has to do it.” the Stampeders as they battle the for the Canadian If the starting netminder was aware that a few guys — Giordano among Football League’s shiny prize in a championship showdown at TD Place them — had handed him the ball as QB, he might have beefed up that Stadium in Ottawa. offensive line with several more bodies. The Flames, who wrapped a six-game getaway with Saturday’s late date The Stampeders’ five starting hoggies for Sunday’s Grey Cup — from left against the Colorado Avalanche at Pepsi Center, will be watching from to right, , , , Brad their La-Z-Boys. Erdos and Dan Federkeil — weigh a combined 1,560 lb. That’s probably close enough to the action. You’d need about eight Flames to stand on the scale to match that sort of “I would make Barts the assistant coach,” Versteeg said, returning the mass. friendly fire. “Actually, assistant ‘D’ coach. I wouldn’t give him full control, Smith, who insisted he should be catching passes and not chucking since I don’t fully trust him.” them, then turned his attention to other openings on the field. Versteeg is one of the laugh-factories in the Flames’ locker-room. This “Monny could probably be quarterback. Johnny, strong safety. Ferly, tight was right in his wheelhouse. end,” he said, listing the three forwards on Calgary’s top unit — After assigning a headset (batteries not included) to Bartkowski, he Monahan, Gaudreau and Micheal Ferland. “I don’t know if Jags can run, scanned the name-plates as he filled out his imaginary football roster — but he would be a heck of a wide receiver. finding spots for blood-and-guts blueliner Mark Giordano and legendary “Who do I like on ‘D’? Hammer (Travis Hamonic) would probably be a right-winger Jaromir Jagr, for stalwart puck-stopper Mike Smith and gritty d-man. He likes to muck it up. And we’ve gotta have Bart in there, since-demoted backup Eddie Lack and for forwards Matthew Tkachuk probably on the defensive line somewhere.” and Michael Frolik, sidekicks on the so-called 3M Line. Ah yes, defence. “Gio would probably be my fullback. Jags would be a tight-end,” Versteeg said. “Eddie Lack, he’d be the eye-in-the-sky. I wouldn’t let him near any They say you win championships with your stop units, and record-setting contact, at all. Mike Smith, he’s a bull in a china shop. He could be a linebacker Alex Singleton — feted Thursday as the CFL’s most running back, believe it or not. I don’t know if Jags would be a great outstanding defensive player — and the rest of the Stamps’ tackling blocking tight end, but I think he could be like a Gronk (Rob Gronkowski) troupe will hope to prove that true against the Argos. and catch. And if they need any help? “Chucky … What’s a turd-disturber in football — a chirper, a guy getting in their grill? Cornerback? Yeah, Chucky would be a cornerback. I feel There was talk of Brouwer on the defensive line, of Giordano at like he would just start crap out there. linebacker, of TJ Brodie on the corner. “And Fro, he’s an elite route runner, so he’d be running elite inside Ferland is the Flames’ leading thumper, arriving in Colorado with 44 hits, routes. And probably put me as backup quarterback.” and one of his friends figures the snarly right-winger could rack up quarterback sacks, too, a la Ja’Gared Davis or . There were no other claims to backup quarterback, so Versteeg can have the clipboard. “I would definitely take Ferly and put him on the defensive end there and tell him to run some guys over,” Monahan said. The starting signal-caller, however, remains up for debate. For the most part, though, the Flames were focused on offence. “It’s gotta be Smitty,” said Flames alternate captain Troy Brouwer, Everybody enjoys a celebration, right? referring to the workhorse goaltender. “He’s got the smarts for it. He’s just got sport smarts. And he’s tall so can see over everybody, and he’s Michael Stone cruised by as Brouwer sized him up as a tight end — an just a natural athlete. His wife, his kids … They’re all natural athletes. So NFL term, with three-down squads going instead with a couple of Smitty, for sure.” slotbacks (think Marquay McDaniel and ) in many formations — and nodded his approval. “Who would I want as my QB?” repeated defenceman Brett Kulak, pondering the question before assigning that gig to the only rookie on the Jagr, who has so many career points that it seems like he’s been scoring roster. “I’ll go with Janko (Mark Jankowski). Yeah, I think he could see in sevens, was a popular pick as a red-zone target. the field pretty well, throw some good passes.” Although forward Curtis Lazar isn’t nearly as thick as Jerome Messam, Not surprisingly, first-line centre Sean Monahan suggested that Johnny the Stampeders’ bull-dozing ball-carrier, a Flames teammate pointed out Gaudreau should handle the passing duties. that he has the stocky build of a running back. Others liked Giordano lugging the rock. “He’s like a bulldog,” Bartkowski explained. So what do you think, captain? “Running back, huh? Yeah, I would love to be the running back,” Giordano said. “Just put your head down and try to bowl through a few guys. I’d take that.” The Flames will take a day off Sunday to recuperate after their six-game junket. Kick their feet up, flick on the flat-screen, support their crosstown team on the gridiron. “The Stamps have been great. Even last year, they were great,” Giordano said. “I’ve got to know Bo Levi Mitchell a little bit here over the years and the CFL is a tough league — you could have a great year but if you don’t finish it out, they don’t view it as a success. So I’m rooting for them. “I think it would be great for the city. They’ve been a really successful team, but anytime you can bring a championship home is great.”

Calgary Herald: LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085154 Carolina Hurricanes Skinner played with Jussi Jokinen and Tuomo Ruutu in his first NHL game in October 2010, and maybe he’s not a hard winger to slot. Whoever he plays with, he keeps scoring goals. For Skinner, Williams as a wing man could be an answer “It’s a long season and things are going to change,” Skinner said. “You’ve got to be able to adapt and communicate with your linemates and try and find that success and get on a roll.” BY CHIP ALEXANDER [email protected] Chip Alexander: 919-829-8945, @ice_chip NOVEMBER 24, 2017 11:34 PM Herald-Sun LOADED: 11.26.2017 UPDATED 3 HOURS 2 MINUTES AGO

Jeff Skinner seemed to be in the middle of everything Friday in the Carolina Hurricanes’ 5-4 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs at PNC Arena. Whether setting up Derek Ryan for a goal, tangling with Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen around the net, giving his opinion to the referees or being a part of a big push in the final minutes of regulation, Skinner often was front and center. Vocal, engaged. More importantly for the Canes, 21 games into the season, Skinner might have found the right line to be the most effective. Canes coach Bill Peters has a found a lot of success – and winger Sebastian Aho starting finding the net – in using Aho and Teuvo Teravainen on a line with center Jordan Staal. The “TSA” line, it has been called. Skinner, after scoring a career-high 37 goals last season, has gone through so many line permutations it’s hard to keep up with them. Ryan has been his centerman much of the season and Skinner also has had Victor Rask and more recently Elias Lindholm in the middle. But there has been a growing list of wingers on the right side – Justin Williams, Brock McGinn, Josh Jooris, Phil Di Giuseppe, Lindholm. In the first three games of the season, Skinner played with Ryan and Janne Kuokkanen, a rookie. If Skinner has any complaints, he keeps them to himself. “It’s something I don’t really worry too much about because it’s not in my control,” he said. “I can control how I play. That’s not always quite as well as I’d like to, so that’s my No. 1 focus. “When you’ve got guys sticking together it’s because they’re playing well and they’re producing or you’re getting results. I’m not sure which comes first, the chicken or the egg.” On Friday, Canes coach Bill Peters had Skinner and Williams back together, with Ryan in the middle. Williams and Ryan each had five shots and Skinner three, and Skinner and Williams both had two assists. Then there was the disagreements about Andersen. In the second period, with the Canes buzzing around the net, the Leafs goal suddenly became dislodged and play was stopped. It was hard to say if Andersen or another Leafs player were responsible but no penalty was called despite Skinner’s protestations. It was a more dicey situation in the third. Trailing 4-1, the Canes picked up a goal from Staal, but Skinner was called for goaltender interference 47 seconds after Staal’s goal. Relays indicated Andersen was outside the crease and initiated the contact with Skinner. But Skinner went to the penalty box and Patrick Marleau scored what would be the deciding goal for the Maple Leafs. “Those moments happen,” Skinner said. “There’s a lot of moments like that in a game and obviously that one gets a little more magnified, given the circumstances.” Skinner called it a tough loss, and that it was for Carolina (9-8-4). But the line of Skinner, Ryan and Williams might be one answer moving forward. Peters had hoped to have Skinner with Ryan and Lee Stempniak this season, but Stempniak has yet to play a game because of an unspecified upper-body injury. With Stempniak out, Williams appeared to be the best option at right wing and Peters has had the line together before this season, including the Canes’ 6-3 win in Toronto on Oct. 26. “It shouldn’t be very hard but at the same time it’s nice having continuity and familiarity and knowing what your centerman’s tendencies are,” Williams said. “But that only comes with winning consistently – the same lines. Hopefully we can do that.” 1085155 Chicago Blackhawks

Jonathan Toews, top line break out as Blackhawks defeat Panthers 4-1

Chris Hine Chicago Tribune

Jonathan Toews probably didn’t expect much when he took a backhanded, tennis-like swing at the puck. Especially not with the way he and his line have been scoring of late. Toews had just one goal in his last eight games, and that goal was an empty netter. His wingers, Brandon Saad and Richard Panik, combined for one goal in the Hawks’ last 14 games. But somehow, Toews desperate whack of the puck in the second period Saturday bounced off the ice like a ground ball taking a bad hop in an infield and made it past Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo. It was one of two goals Toews and his line scored as the Hawks defated the Panthers 4-1 at BB&T Center. Fed up with their recent woes, Toews and his line asserted their will from puck drop. Early in the first period, Saad had a couple choice chances and kept hacking away – he finished with seven shots on goal in the first period. It was the first time a Hawk had seven shots on goal in a period since Dustin Byfuglien in 2008. He would score to snap his drought of one goal in his last 11 games when he re-directed a pass from Toews at 14:35. But Saad’s wasn’t the first goal of the night for the Hawks. That belonged to John Hayden, whose third goal of the season came after a strong shift from the Hawks’ fourth line. He put home a Tommy Wingels rebound at 9:25. They had 30 shot attempts to six for the Panthers during 5-on-5 play in the first period and led 21-7 in shots on goal. The Panthers evened that out quickly in the second period and cut the shot differential to 22-20 within the first six minutes. They also got a goal from Jared McCann at 1:06 after a penalty on Nick Schmaltz expired. But it didn’t take long for the Hawks to get back on track. The first line again generated offensive zone time and Patrick Kane notched his third goal in the last two games. Kane wheeled around at the right circle and snuck a shot short side through the equipment of Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo. Then Luongo would allow another soft goal when Toews earned a bit of puck luck later in the period. Chris Hine’s three stars1. Jonathan Toews, Blackhawks – Scored a goal added two assists2. Brandon Saad, Blackhawks – Had goal, assist, seven shots in first period3. Corey Crawford, Blackhawks – Strong night in net with 37 saves Up next: Vs. Ducks. 7:30 p.m. Monday; NBCSCH

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085156 Chicago Blackhawks

Red-hot Artem Anisimov happy to be reunited with Patrick Kane

11/25/2017, 04:22PM Mark Lazerus @MarkLazerus | email

SUNRISE, Fla. — Nearly every day this month, Artem Anisimov has been asked if he’ll keep his “Movember” mustache into December given his hot streak. And while the joke question is getting old, Anisimov is more than happy to keep getting it — because it means he’s still scoring. “Not sick of it at all,” he said with a laugh. Entering Saturday’s game against the Panthers, Anisimov had nine goals and two assists in his last 11 games. Reunited with Patrick Kane, Anisimov has found his game again after floundering through most of October on the third line. He had one goal and one assist in the first 10 games of the season. Anisimov — like so many of his scuffling teammates are now — said repeatedly in October that once he got a goal or two, the floodgates would open. He was right. “Confidence is the most important thing in hockey,” Anisimov said. “If you’re getting that confidence, you try to keep it going as long as you can. It was hard, but I wasn’t doubting myself. The game was just not coming my way, my timing was off, and the puck was always not finding me.” Anisimov’s return to the second line has helped Kane, too. Many centers struggle to play with Kane, because he dominates the puck from the wing. But Anisimov scored 42 goals over the past two seasons while centering Kane and Artemi Panarin. He doesn’t mind deferring to the winger and focusing on his defensive responsibilities at one end, and crashing the net at the other. “I know how he plays, I know what to expect from him, and we just clicked right away,” Anisimov said. “Everybody wants to play with the puck. But I try to create space for him and be close to him when he has time and space. Sometimes two guys go to him, and then he can find me because I have open ice. It just works.” Joel Quenneville noted that most of Anisimov’s goals have come within a few feet of the crease. “He’s at the net,” Quenneville said. “With the two guys he’s playing with, the puck’s generally going to end up there. That’s where the rewards are.” Lockout seasons aside, the Hawks haven’t been home for Thanksgiving in more than 40 seasons. Typically, this weekend has been the end of a two-week jaunt through Western Canada and California. This year, it was just the end of a quick two-game trip to Florida that just happened to come during Thanksgiving week. And while Patrick Kane was glad to spend a rare birthday at home last week, the Hawks actually kind of miss their monster roadie. “You think about it now, it would have been nice to have the almost two- week trip [because] you get a lot of road games out of the way, and then the travel isn’t as bad [the rest of the season],” Kane said. “The circus trip’s always fun because you spend a lot of time with the guys, and it’s early on in the season, and you’ve got a new team and everyone’s still trying to get to know each other a little bit. Looking back on it, it was always a fun trip. I can look back on a lot of those trips and it seems like it’s where we really took off as a team. … You have those trips and all of sudden you’re ahead of the pack and you have a lot of home games left.” Roster report Tanner Kero was a scratch for the 12th time in the last 14 games. Michal Kempny was a scratch for the sixth time in seven games, and Jordan Oesterle for the 11th time in 12 games. Even with five games in seven days coming up, Quenneville wouldn’t commit to working them into the lineup, or bringing up Vinnie Hinostroza, who has 18 points in 19 games for Rockford.

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085157 Chicago Blackhawks “Its fun to win,” Toews said. “Especially on the road when guys put in the effort like that. We can’t get away from that.”

Jonathan Toews leads Blackhawks in rout of Panthers Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 11.26.2017

11/25/2017, 11:54PM Mark Lazerus @MarkLazerus | email

SUNRISE, Fla. — Who knows exactly what Jonathan Toews was actually trying to do when, after knocking the puck off Mark Pysyk’s stick along the goal line, he flung his stick out as the puck fluttered toward the net. “Exactly what happened,” Toews deadpanned. “We’ll just leave it at that.” What happened was Toews somehow swatted the puck out of mid-air with a tennis-style backhand, sending it bouncing between the legs of Roberto Luongo for a second-period goal in the Blackhawks’ 4-1 victory over the Florida Panthers on Saturday night. A couple weeks ago, Toews probably doesn’t make contact with that puck, and the Panthers easily clear it. But after a lengthy and excruciating stretch of bad hockey, things are finally starting to go the Hawks’ way. They’re now 4-1-1 in their last six games, with the first five coming against playoff-caliber teams. As they enter a brutal stretch of five games in seven days starting Monday night against the Anaheim Ducks, the Hawks are playing their best hockey since the first week of the season. Toews, who as captain usually has to answer for his teammates after a loss, repeatedly said the bounces would come. And on Saturday night, after his first three-point night of the season, and after Brandon Saad finally broke out of his own snake-bitten slump, Toews felt validated. “I think we’re starting to settle in as a team,” Toews said. “We’re starting to see what it takes for us to be a good team, and what it’s going to take to win games the rest of the season [with] how tight our conference and division [are].” The last time the Blackhawks visited BB&T Center, everything went wrong in a humiliating 7-0 defeat. On Saturday night, just about everything went right, starting with an utterly dominant first period. “Night and day,” Joel Quenneville said. By the time the first period was over, the Hawks had a 2-0 lead. They had outshot the Panthers 21-7. They had nine high-danger scoring chances to the Panthers’ one. Saad had seven shots on goal — the most in a period by a Hawks player since Dustin Byfuglien on Feb. 6, 2008 — and scored for just the second time in 16 games, following up John Hayden’s goal with one of his own. “It’s just staying positive,” Saad said. “You know it’s going to come, but when it comes, it feels good. … Just so happened tonight was the night.” If there was a nit to pick, it was how the Hawks let the Panthers right back in the game early in the second period, giving up a Jared McCann goal 66 seconds in and getting outshot 13-1 in the first six minutes. But Patrick Kane scored his third goal in two games at 7:03 to take the life out of the Panthers, and Toews finished them off with his fortunate fling at 17:08. Corey Crawford made 37 saves — many of them difficult ones — to stave off the desperate Panthers’ push. “We’re getting better starts,” Toews said. “And if we get ahead in the game, we always expect other teams to play better throughout the game, especially the second and third periods. I think we’ve been answering well.” The Hawks are still a flawed team, and are just clinging to a wild-card spot. But they’ve averaged nearly four goals per game during this 4-1-1 stretch. The lines and pairings have been consistent, and increasingly productive. The defense is more involved in the offense, and Crawford continues to be brilliant. And they’re certainly feeling better about themselves than they were two weeks ago, when they couldn’t score, couldn’t win, couldn’t do much of anything. “We were in a tough spot there,” Quenneville said. “Unfamiliar territory being out of the playoff spots, and looking at how competitive it is in our division and our conference. So we can’t be happy.” Well, they can be a little happy. 1085158 Chicago Blackhawks

Toews, Crawford help Blackhawks beat Panthers 4-1 updated: 11/25/2017 9:55 PM By PAUL GEREFFI Associated Press

SUNRISE, Fla. -- The goals are finally starting to come for some of the Chicago Blackhawks. Jonathan Toews had a goal and two assists and Corey Crawford made 37 saves in his 400th NHL game to help the Blackhawks beat the Florida Panthers 4-1 on Saturday night. Toews scored only his third goal in 17 games, and one was an empty- netter. "You go into every game trying to forget the pucks aren't going in, even though you have chances," Toews said. "You try and create that feeling you're going to get lucky, you get the puck on your stick and things can happen." Brandon Saad had a goal and an assist, and Patrick Kane and John Hayden also scored for Chicago. Saad scored for just the second time in 16 games. "Our line is playing much better, holding onto pucks, creating plays," Saad said. "Chances are coming and some were bound to go in for me." Kane's goal was his third in the past two games, but he only had one goal in the 10 games before that. The Blackhawks are 4-1-1 in their last six games and their top line contributed to this win. "Obviously, I'm sure they felt better about (Saad) finally getting one and then (Toews) gets one," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "It was a good night for them and they did a lot of good things." Jared McCann scored for the Panthers, and Roberto Luongo stopped 35 shots. Kane made it 3-1 when his shot from the right circle beat Luongo at 7:03 of the second. Toews stretched the Blackhawks lead to 4-1 with 2:52 left in the second. An awkward backhanded swat at the puck from Toews in the right circle caught Luongo by surprise and the puck trickled through his pads and into the net. "I tried to make a play on it and when it bounced in front of me, it just took a funny hop and went five-hole," Luongo said. "It's one of those where you just shake your head." When asked to explain what he was trying to do on the play, Toews said, "Exactly what happened. Let's leave it at that." The Panthers closed to 2-1 on McCann's goal 1:06 into the second. McCann's shot from the high slot beat Crawford on the glove side. The Blackhawks opened the scoring on Hayden's goal at 9:25 of the first. Florida's Derek MacKenzie failed to clear the puck in the slot and it ended up on Hayden's stick and he quickly shot the puck over Luongo's shoulder. Saad made it 2-0 when Toews fired a pass from the right side along the goal line, and Saad redirected the puck into the net with 5:25 left in the first. The Panthers were outshot 21-7 in the first period but started the second outshooting the Blackhawks 13-1 until Kane's goal. "We stood around and watched too much in the first period, they took it to us," Panthers coach Bob Boughner said. "You've got to hand it to them, they were ready to play and we weren't." NOTES: Crawford has held opponents to three goals or fewer in eight of his past nine starts. ... Saad is the first Blackhawk with seven shots on goal in a period since Dustin Byfuglien in 2008. ....Panthers RW Evgenii Dadanov left the game in the third with an upper-body injury.

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085159 Chicago Blackhawks The trio turned in another solid effort, combining for eight shot attempts (seven on goal), three hits and also teamed up to score the game's first goal (Hayden, assisted by Bouma and Wingels), as mentioned above. Five takeaways from Blackhawks 4-1 win over Panthers: Much-needed Bouma had another point, and increased in his point total to eight (one offensive breakout for Jonathan Toews goal, seven assists) in seven career games against the Panthers. It's got to be encouraging for Joel Quenneville that he can rely on his By Charlie Roumeliotis November 25, 2017 9:30 PM fourth line to play third-line minutes, and in any role, while he continues to tinker and figure out his top nine in an effort to get more consistency across the board. Although he hasn't gone to the blender much lately, which is a great sign because it means the Blackhawks are piling up Here are five takeaways from the Blackhawks’ 4-1 win over the Florida wins. Panthers on Saturday night:

1. Another strong start. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.26.2017 The Blackhawks had arguably their best first period since Opening Night on Wednesday in Tampa Bay when they scored a pair of goals and killed off three penalties, but they topped that against the Panthers. The Blackhawks registered 30 shot attempts (21 on goal), allowed only nine attempts (seven on goal) and led in the even-strength scoring chances department 13-4. White jerseys were flying everywhere. John Hayden and Brandon Saad both buried their scoring chances at the doorstep, and helped the Blackhawks take a 2-0 lead into the second period. Chicago now has 24 first-period goals this season, which ranks fourth in the league. 2. Saad-Toews-Panik line dominates. Of the 30 shot attempts the Blackhawks compiled in the first period, the top line of Saad, Jonathan Toews and Richard Panik combined for more than half of them. In fact, the trio was on the ice for 19 shot attempts for and zero against in their first six shifts, all of which were at even strength. Saad had seven of the team's 21 shots on goal in the period, which alone matched his season-high going into the matchup. The last Blackhawks player to record seven shots on goal in a period was Dustin Byfuglien on Feb. 6, 2008 against Edmonton. Saad was rewarded with a goal, just his second in his last 16 games, when he slammed home a Toews pass. Saad also had an assist and finished with eight shots on goal. 3. Kaner's feeling it. Look out, folks. Here comes the 2016 Hart Trophy winner. Patrick Kane has four goals in his last five games, including three in his last two, after going seven straight games without one. With seemingly no room, Kane found a hole top shelf snapped a shot past Roberto Luongo's left shoulder to put the Blackhawks in front 3-1 less than six minutes after the Panthers had cut their lead in half 1:06 into the second period. It really helped squash any type of momentum for the Panthers, who outshot the Blackhawks 19-10 in the middle frame. Kane also extended his point streak to six games, where he has four assists to go along with his four goals over that span. 4. So is The Captain? Both of the Blackhawks' top weapons are starting to heat up. One of them already has. Toews got off to a hot start when he had six points (three goals, three assists) in his first six games, but slowed down after he accumulated only seven points (two goals, five assists) in his next 16. Well, that changed Saturday when he tallied a goal and two assists for his first three-point outing of the season. His goal was fluky, but one that certainly took terrific hand-eye coordination. Hey, you take them any way you can get them, especially during a drought. The Blackhawks improved to 4-1-1 when their captain scores a goal this season. If he gets going offensively on a consistent basis, the rest of the lineup will too because it simply takes pressure off the other three lines. Toews sets the tone. 5. Fourth line stays reliable. If there's one line that's been consistent throughout the majority of the season, it's the Blackhawks' fourth consisting of Lance Bouma, Tommy Wingels and Hayden. 1085160 Colorado Avalanche

The Morning After: Three stars, five takeaways from the Avalanche’s shootout loss at Minnesota

By MIKE CHAMBERS | [email protected] | The Denver Post PUBLISHED: November 25, 2017 at 6:13 am | UPDATED: November 25, 2017 at 11:58 am

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Avalanche generally outplayed the Minnesota Wild in regulation Friday but goalie Alex Stalock was perfect in the second and third periods, plus overtime and the shootout, to prevent Colorado from getting more than a point. The Wild’s 3-2 win in a shootout extended its home unbeaten streak to four games (2-0-2). Game story is here. THREE STARS: Alex Stalock. Former Minnesota-Duluth goalie made 28 saves plus shootout stops against Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. J.T. Compher. Avs rookie forward played in every situation in 18:25 – including in the 3-on-3 OT — and scored a shorthanded goal. Mikko Koivu. Wild captain had a game-high six shots and made the no- look pass for the game-tying goal. What you might have missed: The Avs produced 30 shots to out-shoot their opponent for the fourth consecutive game. Into the Wild. The Avalanche doesn’t usually have good results against Minnesota. In the last 16 meetings, the Wild is 12-3-1 against Colorado, including six shutout victories, and has outscored the Avs 49-24. Thing is, the Avs are playing better and could easily have won this game by multiple goals. The comeback from an early 1-0 hole was impressive and the Avs now have points in five of their last seven games (3-2-1). This rivalry could get back to the heated games of 2013-14 — the last time the Avs were really good. Time to shine. Colorado has become consistent — the Avs play well together and produce more scoring chances than they allow — and is 11- 8-2 through the first quarter of the season. The Avs now play five consecutive home games, where they are 7-1-1 on the season. The opponents: Calgary on Saturday, Winnipeg on Wednesday, New Jersey Dec. 1, Dallas Dec. 3 and Buffalo Dec. 5. Gotta take care of business at home, and Colorado has done just that so far. Center of attention. The Avs entered the game last in the 31-team NHL in faceoffs and went 22-29 (43 percent) against the Wild. Nathan MacKinnon was 13-10 and but Carl Soderberg went 1-5 and Dominic Toninato 1-7. Not a huge issue, but Colorado needs to get better in this area. Identified. Make no mistake, Sven Andrighetto and Nail Yakupov are fourth-line wingers. Andrighetto logged just 10:29 and Yakupov 10:52. Their centerman, rookie Dominic Toninato, was at a team-low 8:21. This is the fourth line. In today’s NHL, fourth-liners don’t have to be bruisers willing to fight. In today’s NHL, they can be finesse forwards who aren’t where they want to be. Yakupov plays on a power-play unit but Andrighetto, who began the season as a top-six forward, had zero time on the PP and is unquestionably unhappy with his current role with the team. I tried to speak with Andrighetto about returning to the lineup Friday after being scratched in Thursday’s 3-0 win over Dallas and I briefly felt like I was in an NBA locker room. In yesterday’s NHL, fourth- line forwards accepted their role and limited minutes. Andrighetto doesn’t seem capable of being that player. To the point. Defenseman Tyson Barrie got the second assist on Blake Comeau’s goal for his 208th career point, tying Rob Blake for fourth among all-time Avalanche blue-line scorers. Barrie and Blake trail John- Michael Liles (275 career points), Adam Foote (259) and Sandis Ozolinsh (253). Barrie logged 24:05 Friday, second most behind Erik Johnson’s 26:44, but technically Barrie played on the third pairing with rookie Andrei Mironov (10:44). The Avs are picking their spots with Barrie, who is regularly being tapped on the shoulder from the bench in most offensive-end faceoffs.

Denver Post: LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085161 Colorado Avalanche

Calgary Flames score twice within 22 seconds in victory over Colorado Avalanche

By MIKE CHAMBERS | [email protected] | The Denver Post PUBLISHED: November 25, 2017 at 10:43 pm | UPDATED: November 26, 2017 at 12:00 am

In a game the heavy-legged Avalanche failed to develop its typical amount of scoring chances Saturday night, the similarly tired Calgary Flames scored twice in the final minute of the second period en route to a 3-2 victory at the Pepsi Center. Colorado defenseman Nikita Zadorov scored on a long wrist shot at 17:06 of the third period to get the hosts within 3-2, but Calgary snuffed the Avs on their ensuing 6-on-5 attack with goalie Jonathan Bernier on the bench for a sixth attacker. Both teams played on the road Friday. The Avs fell to Minnesota in a shootout in a Black Friday afternoon affair and the Flames fell Friday night at Dallas. “They played later than we did. We were home in bed by the time they were still finishing up the first period,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said of the Flames, who outshot Colorado 28-26. “I’m confident in our guys that we’ll bounce back here. We got to get back to work, look at that game and address it as a team, and why it happened and try to move forward from it.” The Avalanche didn’t generate much offensively at even strength but tied it 1-1 on its third power-play opportunity at 14:32 of the second period. Mikko Rantanen got the goal, firing a wrist past backup goalie David Rittich, who got the start because Mike Smith played Friday. The momentum turned. It was on Colorado’s side. But it didn’t last. Micheal Ferland struck at 19:09 and Mikael Backlund at 19:31. Ferland received a nice head-man pass to the net from linemate Sean Monahan and Backlund scored on a rebound from defenseman Travis Hamonic. “We just weren’t committed and willing to play the right way tonight in order to get the job done, especially when you don’t have your legs,” Bednar said. “It makes it more important that you have to do the right things with and without the puck. We had half our guys doing that and some of the other guys went off on their own. What it turned into was sloppy hockey, turnovers all over the place, and scoring chances-against. I thought we corrected some of that in the second period; we started playing a little more north-south and east-west and started generated a little more and giving up less.” Bednar mixed up the line combinations in the third period, putting rookie J.T. Compher on the Nathan MacKinnon-centered line with Gabe Landeskog, and moving Rantanen with center Alex Kerfoot and Nail Yakupov. But not much developed at 5-on-5 and the Avs didn’t get another power play. “I don’t think it was our best game. I don’t think we had the energy that we wanted tonight, especially coming back home, starting a homestand here,” Kerfoot said. “Calgary was at the end of a long road trip. I thought we needed better tonight. We just didn’t have it.” Rittich stopped Carl Soderberg on a breakaway late in the game — in what might have been the Avs’ best scoring chance of the game. Calgary had the only two power plays of the first period and capitalized on the latter. Defenseman Dougie Hamilton scored the goal with a one- time blast from the left circle. Young Matthew Tkachuk, 19, made the pass to Hamilton — a slick diagonal feed from the end line. Colorado dropped to 11-9-2 (24 points) on the season. Calgary is 13-9-1 (27 points). The Avs will have Sunday off and continue their five-game homestand Wednesday against the Winnipeg Jets.

Denver Post: LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085162 Colorado Avalanche

Semyon Varlamov misses third consecutive game because of illness

By MIKE CHAMBERS | [email protected] | The Denver Post November 25, 2017 at 7:49 PM

Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov missed his third consecutive game Saturday as he recovers from an illness, paving the way for Jonathan Bernier to make his fourth consecutive start, and second in as many nights. Andrew Hammond, who was recalled from the American Hockey League on Wednesday, backed up Bernier for the third consecutive game. Varlamov has resumed skating and taking shots but hasn’t had enough practice time, coach Jared Bednar said. “He is still bouncing back from his sickness,” Bednar said. “‘Berns’ has been real good. He was real good last night in Minny, and he’ll get another crack at it tonight.” Footnotes. Despite playing consecutive days, the Avs used their same lineup from Friday, with forward Gabriel Bourque and defenseman Chris Bigras serving as healthy scratches. Defenseman Anton Lindholm (broken jaw) is close to a return but defenseman Patrik Nemeth (lower body) and forward Vladislav Kamenev remain out long-term. … Calgary and Colorado played the first of three games in the season series. The Flames won all three last season. … Based on rosters from Friday, the Avs have the NHL’s second-youngest team, averaging age 25.7. Columbus is the youngest at 25.1.

Denver Post: LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085163 Colorado Avalanche

Chambers: Weekend-heavy NHL scheduling leads to long layoffs

By MIKE CHAMBERS | [email protected] | The Denver Post November 25, 2017 at 4:07 PM

Avalanche coach Jared Bednar likes to examine his team’s success through a three-game stretch, and this season, that generally means how it performs in three games over four nights, followed by a multiple-day layoff. The NHL’s quirky 2017-18 schedule is weekend heavy, particularly in October and November, and that forces teams to deal with consecutive-night games as much as relatively long breaks. Last Sunday in Detroit, in Colorado’s third game in four nights, Bednar dubbed it a “swing” game against the Red Wings. Colorado began the week with a resounding victory at home against the Washington Capitals, but then played poorly two nights later at Nashville against the Predators. The next night in Detroit, the Avs rallied for an overtime victory. Going 2- 1 in the four-day stretch was a resounding success. Get used to it. Saturday’s late-night game against the visiting Calgary Flames was Colorado’s third game in four days, and the Avs won’t play again until Wednesday when they host Winnipeg. In all, the Avs don’t have any games on Monday or Tuesday in November, and just two on Sunday in the first two months of the season. The schedule evens out in December and January, although there’s a week-long gap of no games between Jan. 6 against Minnesota to Jan. 13 at Dallas. Currently, the Avs aren’t complaining about their schedule. Against the Flames, they began a season-long five-game homestand. They entered Saturday 7-1-1 at home. “It’s funny as a coach, you look at the standings before every game or you look at your opponent and who you’re playing and you’re always like, ‘This is a big game,’ and then the next night, ‘This is a big game.’ They’re all big,” Bednar said after Friday’s 3-2 overtime loss at Minnesota. “You have to be good every day in this league to survive. We’re starting to get there.” “The NHL: 100” on deck. A special two-hour documentary to commemorate the NHL’s Centennial Celebration from January- December 2017 will be showed on NBC Sports Network and the NHL Network at 8 p.m. Sunday. “The NHL: 100” is split into 25-year periods, from the Founding Years to the Original Six to the Expansion Era and the Global Game of today. The four 25-minute episodes will be streamed on NHL.com beginning Monday. The documentary is made to be both emotional and educational. “It’s a daunting task to be in the mix of doing the definitive sweeping documentary on the history of the league,” producer Ross Greenburg told NHL.com. “It’s a pretty stiff challenge and it’s a little bit awesome in its scope.” “It’s an emotional piece,” Greenburg added. “I found myself getting a tear in my eye or a tingle up my spine when we would introduce the great ones like (Guy) Lafleur or (Gordie) Howe or (Bobby) Orr or some of the other contemporaries like Wayne Gretzky. You see your life passing by during a documentary like this. That’s what you really want people to feel. I remember where I was when Bobby Orr went flying through the air. That’s important to give people that memory back.” The educational aspects of the film might teach a thing or two to the league’s most knowledgeable fans. “There are a lot of little stories that a lot of people probably don’t remember or never knew, even hardcore fans,” Greenburg said. “People (might) have very little knowledge of how it all started, who the first stars were and how it evolved — even the introduction of the sport to the United States, people take for granted. So those kinds of stories are the fun finds for us. That’s what we enjoy putting into these (documentaries) so people can learn, as much as they can feel the 100-year history.”

Denver Post: LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085164 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets | Cam Atkinson, Nick Foligno back in scoring column

By Josh Horton The Columbus Dispatch Posted Nov 25, 2017 at 8:13 PM Updated Nov 25, 2017 at 8:13 PM

As Nick Foligno whipped a high shot past Senators goaltender Craig Anderson, coach John Tortorella took two steps and unleashed a vigorous fist pump. The significance within the context of the game was that Foligno’s third- period goal provided the Blue Jackets a cushion Friday during a 5-2 win. But the extra emotion stemmed from the Jackets captain snapping his 13-game goalless streak, which dated to Oct. 25. “Nick shot the puck, that was the most encouraging thing for me,” Tortorella said. “There was hesitation in his shot. So maybe that will help him.” Foligno wasn’t the only Blue Jackets player to break out of a slump. Forward Cam Atkinson scored twice after not having any goals in eight games. “It felt like I haven’t scored a goal in a couple of years,” Atkinson said. “But it’s nice to contribute. That’s my game.” Foligno and Atkinson have taken solace in getting opportunities to score. But for Tortorella, nothing regains confidence like scoring a goal. The win over the Senators extended the Jackets’ winning streak to six games, despite the team having scored three or more goals once during that stretch. Much of the Blue Jackets’ success has come from stellar defense and impeccable goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky. The five goals against Ottawa were the Blue Jackets’ most since recording a season-high seven against Florida on Nov. 2. Seeing what can happen when the most skilled offensive players such as Atkinson and Foligno chip in was encouraging for the Blue Jackets and offers a glimpse of what the team’s potential might be. “You see some other guys pitch in that haven’t. That’s important for our team,” Foligno said. “You can’t rely on the same guys. But that’s not to let the foot off the pedal for the other guys, too. But you need other guys stepping up. Especially the guys that are supposed to.” Josh Anderson has been the Blue Jackets’ biggest surprise in scoring, with a team-high eight goals. Although he didn’t score a goal against Ottawa, he flashed his skill set and picked up an assist on Markus Nutivaara’s second-period goal. “I’ve always said to Andy: Get noticed,” Tortorella said. “We all know you’re a fast skater, but get noticed. You have to be around the puck, too. His first two games with me when I started coaching him, he looked like a million bucks, but he never had the puck. “He’s really improved as far as getting noticed. I’ve said it from the get- go: He’s probably been our most consistent forward from the beginning of the year until now.” The hope moving forward is that the Blue Jackets benefit from newfound talent such as Anderson and that top-line players such as Foligno and Atkinson put their slumps behind them. “I’m really proud of our team because I’ve said we’ve been playing to our identity for a little while here, and ... just creeping forward you can see it,” Foligno said. “Our team’s starting to build toward that.”

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085165 Dallas Stars have been trying to figure out that role a little bit. Obviously I've been so used to playing with a guy like Jamie Benn and [Alexander] Radulov, just because they are experienced guys and offensive thinking. My line has He said it: Players and coaches comment after Stars' 6-4 win over been kind of rotating guys but tonight I thought we were connecting and Calgary Friday figuring it out." On the importance of tonight's win: By Mike Heika , Staff Writer Contact Mike Heikaon Twitter:@MikeHeika "Well, it's huge. Obviously, we've been in these situations so far this season a few times, but we couldn't come back. I'll say we were falling apart in the third. But today, we stick with it. I think we still have to prove defensively, like we can't give up those odd-man rushes and the goals On the importance of a game like tonight: they scored. But, it was great by everyone and we gave everything. Some lucky bounces there and found a way to win. That's huge and "I just think that coming back and winning a hockey game really builds we're going to try and build momentum off of that." confidence. That is the most important part. The score's not relevant for us. The contribution by role players helped a lot. We got a goal from On Tyler Seguin's hat trick performance tonight: Faksa's line, we got a goal from Hanzal's line. That really helped us a lot. But being down a goal and staring at that and then playing the way we "It's huge, we all know he's a world class goal scorer and we need him. did to bring it back. Six or seven chances on the five on three, glorious He was quiet for a bit in the past, but we know that it's hard in this league chances, Smith made some real saves. Feels good. Wins are wins but to score. Today he was outstanding. He was flying and he did everything this one feels good and they are going to be able to sit on it for a day or right, and he got the hat trick. So it's good for us, good for him too." two." On getting goals from all four lines: On the importance of Martin Hanzal: "That's what we're trying to do. We're trying to play hard. All of the lines "Part of the reason we split up Benn and Seguin was that Marty wasn't in are there, and Hitch is trying to play everybody because all four lines can and maybe we can put it back at some period of time when Hanzal is up score goals and play good defensively. But like I said before, we have to and running. He was good until he ran out of gas in the third, but he work on our defensive zone, it's not a secret." helps. He helps a lot. He manages the game properly and it allows other centers to look at him and know how to play the position. He plays the On tonight's performance: position so well, with or without the puck that you don't have to be quick if "I thought we played a pretty good game right until the 10-minute mark of you're smart and he plays smart. It helps us because the other guys look the third. We had a huge penalty kill. I thought the guys did an excellent at us and know that is the right way to play." job in a 5-on-3. Then, all of a sudden, we self-inflicted ourselves. We had On Seguin's big night after transitioning lines: pucks under perfect control, made a bad pass, made another bad pass and it ends up being in your net. Same thing again on a couple other "I looked at it for a different reason other than today. I looked at it if I plays, we had full control of the puck and we're just not secure with it and could put together a line with Seguin on it he should score more. The it cost us. It's been going on the last couple games - tonight it caught us." goal was to get him to score more. I felt he could be more of a productive offensive player if I got him a different match. If I started him in the On the team's sense of self-belief: offensive zone, if I got him a softer match at the end of the day he could "We're not losing belief because we shoot ourselves once here. In the be a significant point producer and give us a gap. He did that today but last couple games we've done it. Dodged a bullet in Columbus, got hit that was the goal from day one, was to get him into a scoring mode and today. Got to learn from it and keep moving." hopefully put a line together that could do it." On giving Dallas too many offensive chances: On Stephen Johns: "You're going to give up chances. There's chances in every game that's "Not really because we aren't exactly sure what it is. We're not sure played in this league. The problem is we don't need to give them up. It's where it is, what it is or I mean he hit his back he hit a little bit of his like in tennis, you don't want to hit the ball in the net. Just get it over, and head. He hit the middle of the back and his shoulder. We will get a better let them beat you. What we're doing is we're self-inflicting ourselves with evaluation in the morning but it's sore in a number of areas." some needless plays. Not high-risk plays, just simple plays we're just not On Tyler Seguin's progression at this point in the season: executing, and it's costly." "As I've said before he's really good from the red line back, and you know On how the game slipped away: he is more than capable against any center in the league from the red "I think we kept getting leads and then just blowing them. Every time we line back. We're trying to get him to be one from the red line in, that's why would get a goal we would give up a goal. That kind of killed it for us. We games like to day they help give him the confidence that he can go into couldn't hold onto the lead and play with the lead and I think that's what the hard areas and have success offensively. But he is already an hurt us." accomplished player from the red line back. He reads the game well, he's competitive as hell that part is really safe and good but we would like to On cleaning up turnovers: see if we could get him extended a little bit beyond this." "Just like you said, clean it up. We didn't play great today. We had some On Julius Honka: good offense from Jonny [Gaudreau's] line and got some goals, but other than that I don't know if we had too many great chances. Jagr had a "He was okay. Tough go because he comes in the game playing with a couple in that line, but like you said, those turnovers hurt us." right shot on the left side. Which means you're not passing the puck to a person in an area, you're actually spending the whole game passing the On the loss being mental or execution: puck to a person behind him. It was difficult transition at times. There was a little bit of hesitation, not his fault, but I thought he was okay. The way "Both. Execution comes from being mentally ready and there are some the league is right now we are going to have to find more mobility back things we did good in the game, but there are certainly a lot of errors that there. Whether it is by moving the puck quicker or by skating more. For we have to clean up. We've been talking about it for a while and we have us to get to another level we will have to look at playing him a little bit." to put a full 60 together as a group. It's tough to trade chances with a team like that off the rush. They're going to hurt you. They've got a lot of On the importance of winning a game like this one: guys and they proved it. It's a quick turnaround for us, a team that is playing well in Colorado, so we have to get there and finish the road trip "I mean that felt like a playoff game from the first shift. Obviously they're on a positive end for our group." a good team and you know how we've been against the West, so we were ready to come out and compete. I loved our game from goalie out, On having belief: now we just have to figure out how we can play like this at home and why we can't play like that on the road. So that is what we have to talk about. "Yeah, 100%. We're a good team and we believe we're a good team. We We have a weekend off pretty much, Sunday, Monday, back to work so believe in one another and that area is not creeping into our game we've got time digest this win and what clicked tonight and how we can whatsoever as a team. We believe in the group that we have on the ice bring this on the road and get two big wins in Vegas and Chicago." and we know that we can do it. We just have to go out there and do it, execute. We know we have it here and we're ready to keep pushing On taking on more responsibility: forward. We have to come back with a good effort and I know we will tomorrow." "I think the biggest thing for me, personally I liked my start to the year, you know. Then we switched lines to balance things out and I kind of Dallas Morning News LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085166 Dallas Stars Stars: Seguin scored his third of the game on an empty-netter with 59.4 seconds left in the game. Stars 6, Flames 4.

Cold facts: Late heroics from Seguin give Stars a 6-4 win over Calgary Dallas Morning News LOADED: 11.26.2017

By Mike Heika , Staff Writer Contact Mike Heikaon Twitter:@MikeHeika

Stars 6, Flames 4 Three Stars 1. Tyler Seguin, Stars - Three goals, and 10 shots on goal 2. Johnny Gaudreau, Flames - Goal and two assists, including big steal 3. Sean Monahan, Flames - Two goals, one assist, plus-2 Big play With Dallas in pretty good control in the second period, Johnny Gaudreau slipped in behind Stars defenseman Dan Hamhuis and picked his pocket. The third leading scorer in the NHL then wheeled and whipped a shot past Ben Bishop to give Flames a 2-1 lead and a huge boost of momentum. The rest of the game was chaos. Discuss Stephen Johns, who missed three games earlier in the season, crashed into the boards and appeared to hit his head. He was removed from the game and did not return. Should the Stars be patient with Johns and let Julius Honka take his ice time? What does it mean? On an emotional night when Jere Lehtinen had his No. 26 retired, the Stars needed a win. Dallas came back from three deficits and won the game with a gritty third period. The Stars move to 12-10-1, 9-2-0 at home. GOALS Stars: Radek Faksa and Tyler Pitlick got in hard on the forecheck and won several puck battles. Pitlick then made a quick pass out of the corner to Antoine Roussel in front of the net and Roussel scored his third goal of the season at 18:22 of the first period. Stars 1, Flames 0. Flames: After a turnover in the Stars' end, Micheal Ferland snapped a shot past Ben Bishop 39 seconds into the second period. It was Ferland's ninth goal of the season. Stars 1, Flames1. Flames: As Dan Hamhuis was working the puck out of the defensive end, Johnny Gaudreau lifted his stick, wheeled in on Bishop and scored his 11th goal of the season at 2:53 of the second period. Flames 2, Stars 1. Stars: Mattias Janmark worked the puck in the left circle and made a slick pass to Tyler Seguin in front of the net. Seguin deflected a shot on goal and then slam-dunked a high rebound for his 10th goal of the season at 4:20 of the second period. Stars 2, Flames 2. Flames: After a controversial goaltender interference penalty on Antoine Roussel, Sean Monahan scored on the power play at 17:31 of the second period. Flames 3, Stars 2. Stars: Devin Shore put a hard shot on net from the slot and cleaned up the rebound for his eighth goal of the season at 18:30 of the second period. Stars 3, Flames 3. Flames: Gaudreau made a nice pass to slip Monhan behind the Stars' defense, and Monahan scored his 14th goal of the season at 6:04 of the third period. Flames 4, Stars 3. Stars: Brett Ritchie wheeled around the Flames net and got the puck to the crease. There, Gemel Smith chipped in his second goal of the year at 12:12 of the third period. Stars 4, Flames 4. Stars: Tyler Seguin took a puck off the boards, dipped into the slot and snapped in his 11th goal of the season and 200th of his career at 14:03 of the third period. Stars 5, Flames 4. 1085167 Dallas Stars But then he would have missed the time with his family...and that was needed. Lehtinen said before the night that he didn't know if he would cry or not, but added that "sometimes, a man has to cry." Reminded of his Former Stars great Jere Lehtinen honored by family, former teammates statement after the emotional moment, he smiled the shy smile that has during jersey retirement ceremony always delighted Stars' fans. "That happens," he said. "And it's good." By Mike Heika , Staff Writer Contact Mike Heikaon Twitter:@MikeHeika Better than good, really, it was perfect.

As Jere Lehtinen stood and watched his No. 26 raised to the rafters at Dallas Morning News LOADED: 11.26.2017 American Airlines Center Friday - just the fifth number retired by the Stars franchise in 50 years - his wife Jaana and children came out to stand beside him. While the banner inched toward the sky, tears started running down the cheeks of Jere and Jaana, Olympic sweethearts from Finland who had to forge a new life in a strange land so that Lehtinen could come play for the Stars. As they watched Lehtinen's NHL career encapsulated in one evening, it all hit home pretty hard. "I'm so happy they were there," Lehtinen said. "You need a family when you are a hockey player, they made so many sacrifices so I could chase my dream." And while the support of his mom and brother, as well as daughters Anna and Sofia and son Joel, were a big part of Lehtinenpalooza Friday, it all seemed like family to Lehtinen. The three-time Selke Trophy winner, who played all 875 of his NHL games with the Stars, thanked former owners Norman Green and Tim Hicks, current owner Tom Gaglardi, a group of former teammates and the fans of the Stars who packed American Airlines Center. It was a perfect way to honor a player who meant so much to so many people. "Jere Lehtinen epitomized who the Stars needed to be," said former goalie Marty Turco. And Saturday's fete was a tribute to all of that. Stars players wore Lehtinen sweaters during warm-ups and wore gold laces at the morning skate, warm-ups, and during the game. Lehtinen used to wear gold laces when he played. "It's a great tribute," said captain Jamie Benn. "He meant so much to this organization that it's great to be able to honor that. It's a really neat feeling." Lehtinen joins Bill Masterton, Bill Goldsworthy, Neal Broten and Mike Modano in having his number retired by the Stars. He is the all-time franchise leader in plus-minus at plus-176, and he symbolized what the Stars stood for back in the day. Former GM Bob Gainey won four Selke Trophies with Montreal as best defensive forward in the NHL, and former Stars center Guy Carbonneau won three with Montreal. They brought that attitude, and Lehtinen carried it on as the Stars played two-way hockey and won the 1999 Stanley Cup. What did Lehtinen mean to new-old coach Ken Hitchcock, who coached Lehtinen back in the 1990s and now is back coaching Dallas again? "Winning," Hitchcock said. "A lot of winning." "He's the highlight package for a coach to show how to play the right way," Hitchcock added. "I've never seen a guy in my coaching career that I never coached. I basically asked him how he was and that's all the coaching I ever did. You didn't have to tell him how to play, you didn't have to tell him how to compete, you didn't have to tell him where to go on the ice. His instincts -- both defensively and offensively -- were excellent." Jamie and Jordie Benn's parents didn't wear their gifted jerseys to watch their sons face each other Lehtinen even handled the speech well. He thanked Gainey and Carbonneau for helping him learn to play defensive hockey. He thanked Team Finland linemates Ville Peltonen and Saku Koivu, who were in attendance. He thanked broadcasters Ralph Strangis and Daryl Reaugh for helping him learn English. That was a joke, of course, as Lehtinen still struggles with English. But he said he wrote the speech in English from his heart and he battled through with the same spirit he used to have as a player. "It was not easy," he said. "I would have rather had a helmet on one more time." 1085168 Dallas Stars Dallas Morning News LOADED: 11.26.2017

Stars get a big night from Tyler Seguin in win over Calgary; Jere Lehtinen honored

By Mike Heika , Staff Writer Contact Mike Heikaon Twitter:@MikeHeika

Tyler Seguin came up with his first hat trick of the season and 200th goal of his career, to help the Stars rally to a 6-4 win over the Calgary Flames Friday at American Airlines Center. Dallas pushed its overall record to 12-10-1 (25 points) and moved its home record to 9-2-0. What's more, a sellout crowd that came for the retirement of Jere Lehtinen's No. 26 went home happy. The game was chaotic as Dallas took a 1-0 lead in the first period and then had to chase the Flames the rest of the way. Seguin scored off his own rebound in the second period, and then chipped in the game- winning goal with 5:57 remaining in the third period and topped it off with an empty-netter. It was a huge night for Seguin, who has had his ups and downs since being moved off the top line and asked to try to create a little scoring depth on the second line. Seguin had a goal and two assists in his previous five games, and was looking out of sorts at times. However, he found his stride in a chaotic game in which Dallas had a 41-38 advantage in shots on goal. Seguin led all players with 10 shots on goal. Dallas also received goals from Antoine Roussel, Alexander Radulov and Gemel Smith, with each coming when the player found a way to drive the net and force the puck past Flames goalie Mike Smith, who was actually pretty hot in the game. Johnny Gaudreau had a goal and two assists, and Sean Monahan had two goals and an assist, but that wasn't enough for a Flames team that falls to 12-9-1 (25 points). Former Stars great Jere Lehtinen honored by family, former teammates during jersey retirement ceremony Lehtinen thinks Heiskanen could play in Olympics: In his current job as general manager of the Finnish National Team, Jere Lehtinen still leans on his experience with the Stars organization. Lehtinen has played a big role in getting Stars defenseman Esa Lindell onto the team for both the World Cup and World Championships last season, and he said this week that there is a good chance Stars prospect Miro Heiskanen could play for Finland in the 2018 Olympics. That's pretty impressive for an 18-year-old, but Heiskanen was the third overall player taken in the 2017 draft, so he is on the fast track to get to the NHL. Heiskanen is one of the better players on HIFK in the Finnish Elite League and has 11 points (seven goals, four assists) in 13 games, so he should be able to help the Finnish National Team in an Olympics where the NHL is not participating. "He's a good player," Lehtinen said. "Last year, I saw him play many games, and he stood out. But now, he's even better. We had him (on Team Finland) in a tournament two weeks ago and he was one of our best defenseman there. He has good chance to play in Olympics this year, World Championships, we'll see what happens. But he's put up good notice for us." Hanzal returns: Martin Hanzal missed most of training camp with an ankle issue, missed three games in late October with an unrelated lower body injury, and missed the past two games with a hand injury. The veteran center said it has been a tough run for him this year. Stars coach Ken Hitchcock said he feels for Hanzal, and believes the big center will improve once he can get a consistent run going. Hanzal entered Friday's game minus-11. "He's come out and been really good and then got hurt three times," Hitchcock said. "It's been unfortunate for him, because just when he's having a huge impact on the game and our team, boom - he's out. We just want to see him stay healthy, because he has a huge impact on our team."

Twitter: @MikeHeika 1085169 Dallas Stars Hitchcock, who said he trusts Seguin defensively and actually is trying to find a way to make him more dangerous offensively, is going to keep experimenting until he finds a solution he likes. What the Stars are hoping for with Tyler Seguin's role change "I looked at it as if I could put together a line with Seguin on it, he should score more," Hitchcock said of the decision to give Seguin his own line. "I felt he could be more of a productive offensive player if I got him a By Mike Heika , Staff Writer Contact Mike Heikaon Twitter:@MikeHeika different match. If I started him in the offensive zone, if I got him a softer match, at the end of the day, he could be a significant point producer and give us a gap. That was the goal from day one, to get him into a scoring mode and hopefully put a line together that could do it." It's been an odd year for Tyler Seguin. It's still an elusive goal, but if everyone can get together and make that The fifth leading scorer in the NHL since joining the Stars in 2013, Seguin happen, then maybe Seguin's season won't seem so odd after all. was told he would have a different role under new head coach Ken Hitchcock. The veteran bench boss said he wanted Seguin to become a Top five solid two-way forward who could check the opposition's best players, he wanted the 25-year-old center to transform from a care-free skater to a Tyler Seguin is fifth in NHL scoring since joining the Stars in 2013, but guy who digs in and battles at the toughest times of the game. can he And Seguin couldn't have been more happy. keep up that pace with a new role under head coach Ken Hitchcock? Here are the The second overall pick in 2008, who had always been seen as a one- dimensional sniper, wanted the responsibility, wanted to be a penalty top five scorers since 2013: killer, wanted to win games with a blocked shot or a takeaway. Player, Team - Goals - Assists - Points "Who wouldn't?" he asked before the season. 1. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh - 151 - 230 - 381 And everything seemed perfect. Through 14 games, Seguin had 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) and led the NHL in shots on goal with 2. Patrick Kane, Chicago - 144 - 205 - 349 48. He and linemates Jamie Benn and Alexander Radulov were in the 3. Jamie Benn, Dallas - 147 - 198 - 345 debate for top line in the NHL, and he was actually showing to be a pretty good defender. 4. Nicklas Backstrom - Washington - 82 - 248 - 330 But the Stars were in a win one/lose one funk, and Hitchcock decided he 5. Tyler Seguin, Dallas - 145 - 184 – 329 had to break up the top line to spread out the scoring.

"We have no choice," Hitchcock said at the time. "We have to do something like this because I can't put those three guys together and say Dallas Morning News LOADED: 11.26.2017 you've got to check the top line, you've got to score all the goals, you've got to kill all the penalties, and you've got to do all the stuff on the power play. It's too much. I've got to be able to find other participants to help this along or by November 30th we are going to be dealing with burnout." So, Seguin got his own line. But in doing so, Hitchcock created another problem. The coach calls Seguin a goal-scoring center, and said Seguin needs a play-making winger like Radulov. However, as Hitchcock went through combinations with Devin Shore or Mattias Janmark, it seemed pretty clear that Seguin was trying to make plays and not score goals. Thus, the magic he found in those first 14 games dried up. Even Hitchcock admitted that breaking up Seguin, Radulov and Benn proved more complicated than he first thought. "Seguin is a shooter, and that usually means you have a different chemistry from the center position," Hitchcock said. "It's a unique line that way." Seguin tallied just three points in five games before breaking out with his first hat trick of the year Friday in a 6-4 win over Calgary. Hitchcock moved him onto a line with Jason Spezza, a play-making center moved to right wing, and that might have helped. "Personally, I liked my start to the year, you know. Then we switched lines to balance things out, and I kind of have been trying to figure out that role a little bit," Seguin said after the game. "Obviously I've been so used to playing with a guy like Jamie Benn and Radulov, just because they are experienced guys and offensive thinking. My line has been kind of rotating guys, but tonight I thought we were connecting and figuring it out." And that's a pretty important step if Hitchcock feels he needs to keep Seguin away from Benn and Radulov. "I have no hesitation putting them together in games at all," Hitchcock said. "You see them at the ends of periods, you see them on critical face offs. They play on the power play together. They play 4-on-4 together. But I wanted to see if I could get more guys engaged." On Friday, everyone was engaged, and the plan worked. Still, it is a plan that can take many shapes and forms as the season moves on. That could end up being a good thing if the Stars get into the playoffs and have a lot of versatility in their lineup. It could be a bad thing if this "odd" year starts to drag Seguin down. 1085170 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings rally in third, but fall in overtime to Devils, 4-3

Noah Trister, Associated Press Published 10:18 p.m. ET Nov. 25, 2017

Brian Gibbons scored with 2:28 remaining in overtime to give the New Jersey Devils a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night at Little Caesars Arena. The Devils squandered a 3-1 lead in the third period, but Gibbons was able to get his stick on a pass by Red Wings defenseman Nick Jensen and took control of the puck in front of the Detroit net. He beat Jimmy Howard for the game-winner, his 11th goal of the season. David Booth scored twice for the Red Wings and Anthony Mantha started the third-period rally with his 11th goal of the season. Brian Boyle and Taylor Hall scored in the first period for New Jersey, and Nico Hischier added a goal in the third. The Devils moved past Columbus into first place in the Metropolitan Division. They have points in four straight games and eight of nine. The Wings has lost four straight games, three of them in overtime. Booth opened the scoring 34 seconds into the game, deflecting a shot from the point past Keith Kinkaid for his first goal of the season, but the Wings' early lead didn’t last long. Boyle redirected the puck from just to the right of the slot, and with goalie Petr Mrazek having slid out of position, it went in. Hall scored on the power play later in the first when he shook free with the puck at the top of the slot and beat Mrazek with a wrist shot for his eighth goal of the season. New Jersey had a goal disallowed early in the third when Adam Henrique was called for goaltender interference. Replays showed Detroit defenseman Jonathan Ericsson may have knocked Henrique into Mrazek, who was shaken up but remained in the game. The Devils killed off the ensuing power play and took a two-goal lead on Hischier’s goal, and Howard replaced Mrazek in net after that. Mantha beat Kinkaid with a wrist shot to the glove side, and the Red Wings tied it when Henrik Zetterberg’s shot bounced off a New Jersey player into the path of Booth, who was coming in alone down the middle. His second goal of the night made it 3-3 with 11:44 remaining in regulation. Detroit Free Press LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085171 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings rally in third, but fall in overtime to Devils, 4-3

Noah Trister, Associated Press Published 10:18 p.m. ET Nov. 25, 2017

Brian Gibbons scored with 2:28 remaining in overtime to give the New Jersey Devils a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night at Little Caesars Arena. The Devils squandered a 3-1 lead in the third period, but Gibbons was able to get his stick on a pass by Red Wings defenseman Nick Jensen and took control of the puck in front of the Detroit net. He beat Jimmy Howard for the game-winner, his 11th goal of the season. David Booth scored twice for the Red Wings and Anthony Mantha started the third-period rally with his 11th goal of the season. Brian Boyle and Taylor Hall scored in the first period for New Jersey, and Nico Hischier added a goal in the third. The Devils moved past Columbus into first place in the Metropolitan Division. They have points in four straight games and eight of nine. The Wings has lost four straight games, three of them in overtime. Booth opened the scoring 34 seconds into the game, deflecting a shot from the point past Keith Kinkaid for his first goal of the season, but the Wings' early lead didn’t last long. Boyle redirected the puck from just to the right of the slot, and with goalie Petr Mrazek having slid out of position, it went in. Hall scored on the power play later in the first when he shook free with the puck at the top of the slot and beat Mrazek with a wrist shot for his eighth goal of the season. New Jersey had a goal disallowed early in the third when Adam Henrique was called for goaltender interference. Replays showed Detroit defenseman Jonathan Ericsson may have knocked Henrique into Mrazek, who was shaken up but remained in the game. The Devils killed off the ensuing power play and took a two-goal lead on Hischier’s goal, and Howard replaced Mrazek in net after that. Mantha beat Kinkaid with a wrist shot to the glove side, and the Red Wings tied it when Henrik Zetterberg’s shot bounced off a New Jersey player into the path of Booth, who was coming in alone down the middle. His second goal of the night made it 3-3 with 11:44 remaining in regulation. Detroit Free Press LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085172 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings' Daley out against New Jersey, team awaiting test results

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press Published 5:17 p.m. ET Nov. 25, 2017

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Trevor Daley sat out Saturday's game after sustaining an injury in New York. Wings general manager Ken Holland told the Free Press on Saturday afternoon that Daley would miss the evening contest between the Wings and New Jersey Devils at Little Caesars Arena. Daley suffered an upper- body injury during a fluke collision with Rangers' forward Paul Carey Friday. It appeared Daley may have hurt his neck. Daley underwent an MRI on Saturday, and the Wings had yet to hear the results from a doctor. They did not need to call up anybody for the game, as they had six defensemen available. They don't play again until Tuesday. Detroit Free Press LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085173 Detroit Red Wings What is going so well in New Jersey, and how are they managing to rebuild suddenly?

“Whenever you have a young team or lots of new players in general, it’s Petr Mrazek's exit gives Red Wings a headache coming in before the season starts and really understanding what is our mission statement and what is our identity going to be,” Hynes said. Gregg Krupa Nov. 26, 2017 “What are our expectations going to be of what we want to be, both on and off the ice? That was step one.

“Establishing the work ethic that we need and the style that we need to Detroit — Petr Mrazek said afterward that he felt just fine, and that while play, as a group, was clearly laid out.” he experienced no pain in his head after a crease-crashing incident in which the Red Wings received a big break from the referees, he did have Then as the older players help drive home the disciplined approach to a little trouble breathing when he got the wind knocked out of him. playing like professionals early in the season, things have come together, he said. The Wings removed Mrazek officially at 6:12 of the third period of Saturday night's loss to the Devils, at the behest of NHL officials, and “The second part of it really coming together as a team, but being more Jimmy Howard finished the game. than a team. Being a brotherhood, where guys get to know each other away from the rink and who we are as people,” Hynes said. It was Mrazek’s first start since Nov. 9 against the Flames and just the third since Oct. 20 against the Capitals. “I think forming those bonds particularly with younger players and lots of new players is important.” Adam Henrique put the puck in the net and ran into Mrazek in the crease, after Jonathan Ericsson checked the Devils forward into the goalie. Mantha raising his level Referees immediately waved off the goal and sent Henrique to the Anthony Mantha scored his 11th goal Saturday, and now has 20 points in penalty box for interference on the goalkeeper. 24 games. A lucky break for the Red Wings, since it was Ericsson’s check that sent Blashill said he thought Mantha played a fine game. Henrique into Mrazek, ended up costing them their starting goalie minutes later. “He was excellent,” Blashill said, cutting off a questioner before he could finish the question. “He was excellent tonight. One of the best players on After trainer Piet Van Zant went out on the ice and visited a prone the ice.” Mrazek in his crease, the Wings left the goalie in. It was NHL concussion officials who appeared at the Red Wings bench, talked to Van Zant and The head coach liked the line of Dylan Larkin and Tomas Tatar, with subsequently ordered Mrazek pulled. Mantha. “I felt good after that hit, though,” Mrazek said of his intention to remain “Larkin, him and Tats created tons of chances. I thought he was excellent on the ice. “I just couldn’t breathe.” tonight.” After having the wind knocked out of him, Mrazek remained on the ice, Blashill surprised some observers when after the game against the Oilers yielded the third Devils goal and then was ordered to bench. Wednesday he said Mantha would have to play “way better.” “Yeah, the guys told me it took them a little bit to figure out I needed to be But count Mantha among the unsurprised. Mantha said he knew he had pulled, and then there was no whistle,” Mrazek said. to be better. As usual, the goalie appeared utterly unflustered. And an improved performance showed in his ice time against the Devils. “It’s the rule,” he said, shrugging his shoulders, but admitting that he Only Larkin (21:09) and Henrik Zetterberg (20:09) among forwards would have preferred to continue to play. played more than Mantha (19:36). “When they scored, I saw some guys and I saw (Blashill) saying I had to Detroit News LOADED: 11.26.2017 go out, because of the head,” Mrazek said. “I thought my game was starting to get better, but there’s nothing you can do about it.” Blashill seemed uncomfortable with how the situation played out. “It’s an interesting process,” the coach said. “I’ve seen it a couple of different ways. I’ve seen it where they call to the (penalty) box and blow the horn. “This one came to our trainer, and that is a real odd spot to put our trainer in, to be honest with you. “And Piet comes to me, and it’s way after the collision, and he says: ‘You know, he’s got to come out.’ And we were trying to get the refs’ attention. We couldn’t get the refs’ attention.” It all took some time, Blashill said. “It was actually the whistle before he was scored on. And then he gets scored on, and now he’s got to come out. “I get it,” Blashill said. “We want to protect players, and obviously concussions are a tough deal. There is no easy solution though, in this thing. That’s for sure.” Youth revolution Devils coach John Hynes is skating one of the youngest lineups in the NHL, as GM Ray Shero assembled a roster that includes eight players under the age of 23. The Devils, who missed the playoffs last season along with the Red Wings, look considerably improved. After beating the Wings 4-3 in overtime Saturday, they are 14-5-4 on the season and vying with the Blue Jackets for first place in the Metropolitan Division. They have seven more points than the Red Wings in the conference. 1085174 Detroit Red Wings The Red Wings found themselves down by two with less than 14 minutes remaining.

But they found their way back to tie it, with goals by Anthony Mantha, his Booth scores 2 but Wings handed another overtime loss 11th of the season, and Booth’s second. Regulation time ended with the score 3-3. Gregg Krupa, Nov. 25, 2017 After they were outshot 12-7 in the first period, the Red Wings outshot the Devils 27-17 in the last two periods.

“I thought the second and third, overall, we were real good,” Wings coach Detroit — The Red Wings fought back from a two-goal deficit with about Jeff Blashill said. “I like the way we battled back. We showed a lot of 14 minutes left in regulation against the much-improved New Jersey composure to stick with it, there. Devils on Saturday, only to lose a fourth consecutive game, and run their record in overtime to 0-4 so far this season. “I thought we pushed real hard. We proved to ourselves we can be a real good hockey team against a lot of good teams. “We’ve got to find a way Brian Gibbons beat Jimmy Howard from point-blank range in overtime,to to win it.” give the Devils the 4-3 victory. Zetterberg’s assist moved him past Pavel Datsyuk with 919 career points The Wings are now 0-1-3 since Nov. 19. They were 6-2-1 from Oct. 28 to for the Red Wings. He is now alone in sixth for all-time career scoring for Nov. 17. the club, behind Gordie Howe (1809), Steve Yzerman (1755), Alex Delvecchio (1281) Nicklas Lidstrom (1142) and Sergei Fedorov (954). David Booth, the 33-year-old native of Detroit, who played 134 games for Michigan State from 2002-06, and whose hockey career is a model of “Tight game,” Zetterberg said. “It’s tough to lose in overtime again.” persistence, had a night to remember in a career long marked by his fortitude. Trevor Daley sat out the game after apparently aggravating a stinger he suffered in the game Friday against the Rangers. After entering the lineup due to an injury to defenseman Trevor Daley, Booth opened the scoring at 34 seconds of the first period. His deft tip of The Wings removed Mrazek in the third period after he yielded the third a long attempt deflected the puck into the New Jersey net, to give the Devils goal. Red Wings a quick start. However, Mrazek fell hard to the ice moments earlier when Adam Then, at 8:16 of the third period, he banged in a pass from Henrik Henrique ran the crease on what would be a disallowed goal, and the Zetterberg to tie the score. goalie, in his first start in seven games since Nov. 9, reportedly left the game for a concussion protocol. “It was really cool just to come out here and help contribute tonight, you know, being in and out of the lineup,” said Booth, who grew up in After the game, Mrazek said he had felt no head pain, but had “a little Washington Township and has bounced around both the NHL and the difficulty breathing.” Kontinental Hockey League in in recent seasons, before the Detroit News LOADED: 11.26.2017 Wings offered him a tryout, this season. “I just really enjoy just being here and going to the rink every day, and being really grateful for this opportunity to play for the Detroit Red Wings.” Booth finished with two goals — his first of the season and as a Red Wing — five shots on goal — tied with Darren Helm for most on the team — and a hit. After he opened the scoring and provided considerable offensive presence, suddenly playing on a line with Henrik Zetterberg and Gustav Nyquist, nominally the Red Wings top line, despite frequent shuffling, the fans in Little Caesars Arena warmed to Booth’s effort. As he sat on the bench, his image suddenly popped up on the huge screen over center ice, and the fans, in unison, hollered, “Bo-o-o-o-o-o- oth!” “It was unbelievable,” Booth said. “It really was. “You know, our family has had season tickets for 30 years, and watched from the front row when they won the Stanley Cup. So, this goes back. It brings back very good memories.” But the memory of Saturday would have glimmered all the more had the Wings won. Once again, they played well enough to emerge victorious. But, as has happened several times this season, the Red Wings’ better efforts are sometimes not good enough to beat competitors playing well. In front of their backup goalie, Keith Kincaid, appearing in only his eight game of the season, and beginning the night with a gaudy 3.08 goals against average, the young Devils managed to prevail. New Jersey has eight players 23 years old or younger, as GM Ray Shero and head coach John Hynes preside over a significant restructuring of the roster, since last season alone. After Booth opened the scoring, the Devils got goals from Brian Boyle, at even strength at 9:12 of the first, Taylor Hall on the power play at 13:21 of the first and Nico Hischier at 6:12 of the third period. Boyle now has three goals in 13 games, after spending much of the season in treatment for a form of leukemia. Hall’s eighth goal of the season came from the slot, as he skated in on the Wings’ starting goalie Petr Mrazek and blistered a wrist shot from point-blank range. Hischier, 18, scored his fourth of the season to go with 13 assists in 23 games. 1085175 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings vs. New Jersey Devils live chat

By Ansar Khan

GAME INFORMATION * Who: Detroit Red Wings (10-9-4) vs. New Jersey Devils (13-5-4) * Where: Little Caesars Arena * When: 7 tonight * TV: Fox Sports Detroit * Radio: 97.1 WXYT-FM and Red Wings radio network * Social media: Follow MLive sports on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram * Twitter: Follow Ansar Khan and Brendan Savage Petr Mrazek makes his first start since Nov. 9 as the Red Wings look to end a three-game slide (0-1-2). Mrazek is 2-3-1, with a 3.10 goals- against average and .905 save percentage. Henrik Zetterberg is mired in the worst goal-scoring slump of his career, having gone 16 games without scoring since Oct. 18 (he has six assists during that span). The Red Wings are 4-3-3 at home. The surprising Devils are 4-1-2 in their past seven games and 7-2-2 on the road. They're led by Taylor Hall (24 points) and Brian Gibbons (10 goals). Michigan Live LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085176 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings lose in overtime despite spark from David Booth

By Ansar Khan

DETROIT - David Booth has seen little playing time this season, but stepped up big Saturday for the Detroit Red Wings. Booth scored a pair of goals, including the game-tying tally in the third period. It earned the Red Wings a point, but they couldn't secure the second point as Brian Gibbons scored at 2:32 of overtime to lift the New Jersey Devils to a 4-3 victory at Little Caesars Arena. Gibbons scored from point-blank range on Jimmy Howard following a turnover in the corner by Nick Jensen, as the Red Wings appeared in the verge of transitioning on offense. The Red Wings (10-9-5) are winless in four (0-1-3), losing three times in overtime during this stretch. They are 4-3-4 at home. The Devils are 14-5-4. The Red Wings got an offensive spark from, of all things, a goaltending change. Howard replaced Petr Mrazek at 6:12 of the third period, after Nico Hischier gave the Devils a 3-1 lead. Mrazek left due to concussion protocol, after he was run over by Adam Henrique at 3:56 of the third. The Red Wings then scored twice in a span of 1:26. Anthony Mantha notched his team-leading 11th goal at 6:50. He skated the puck across the blue line and fired a wrist shot that caught the top corner, over goaltender Keith Kinkaid's glove. Booth tied it at 8:16, corralling a loose puck in the slot and firing it past Kinkaid. Booth had appeared in only five games - he was a healthy scratch in 14 of the past 15 games. The Red Wings signed the nine-year NHL veteran and Michigan State product to a one-year contract after he made a good impression while on a tryout in training camp and the preseason. The Red Wings' struck fast after the opening faceoff, as Booth scored his first goal in just six games this season at the 34-second mark. Xavier Ouellet's point shot was deflected twice in the slot, first by Luke Glendening and then by Booth. It was Booth's first goal since March 31, 2015, when he played for Toronto. The Red Wings couldn't build any momentum of the goal, however, as the Devils outplayed them in the period, holding a 12-7 edge in shots and scoring twice to lead 2-1. Brian Boyle tied it at 9:12, redirecting a shot by Steven Santini. Mrazek was leaning to his right, where Santini's shot was headed. Taylor Hall snapped the tie at 13:21 on the power play. He whipped a hard wrist shot from the slot through traffic and through Mrazek's five- hole. This was Mrazek's first start since Nov. 9. The second period was scoreless and fairly uneventful. The Red Wings picked up the pace in the final minutes and outshot the Devils 14-6. Daley day-to-day: Defenseman Trevor Daley missed Saturday's game due to a stinger suffered Friday in a collision with the Rangers' Paul Carey. General manager Ken Holland said Daley should be back in the lineup within a week. Michigan Live LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085177 Edmonton Oilers “It’s always good to have internal competition,” said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy.

Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 11.26.2017 Edmonton Oilers coach believes pace of play has improved

Jim Matheson, Edmonton Journal

BOSTON — Edmonton Oilers coach Todd McLellan looks healthy, dropping about 30 pounds, and it’s not because he’s been fasting until his hockey club finds a way to win more than one game a week. The coaches are doing their job, now it’s up to the players to do theirs. “It’s our job to have them prepared and positioned, but we can’t go on the ice and play for them,” said McLellan. “We can push them and prod them and poke them. But at the end of the day, they need to make decisions that aren’t always easy. They happen very fast. They need to commit themselves to doing things that are right more than wrong, which will give us a chance at winning.” Leon Draisaitl agrees with that. It’s the players’ responsibility. “This is on us players,” he said. “We’re not ready to go and we can’t seem to string too good games together,” he said. McLellan would like to wrap up the Oilers hugely disappointing 8-13-2 season so far and in 25 words or less say exactly why they’re nowhere near last season’s team, but it’s not that easy. “It’s like a rubik’s cube for us right now. There’s different things that have happened, whether it’s special teams earlier in the year, penalty kill, slow starts in games, bad periods,” he said. “Then we get challenged and respond like we did after St. Louis and in Detroit this week but we haven’t been able to put two games back-to-back. “(Saturday) night in Buffalo, we didn’t have enough players who were playing at high enough level to beat a team, doesn’t matter where that team was in the standings. I don’t know why? I didn’t think our pace was anywhere near what it should be, especially with some of our bigger bodied players who can play a grinding game. But we never got into those battles so they could contribute. We were one and done in the offensive zone.” McLellan says his players forgot how hard it was to get those 103 points last year. “You line up on the marathon line and you remember how difficult it is to run that marathon. There’s hills, there’s valleys, there’s a lot of things that are obstacles to getting to the finish line,” said McLellan. “We did a poor job coming out of the gate dealing with those hills and obstacles, now were trying to pull ourselves back into the pack, if you will. There’s a lot of marathon left but you can’t fall too far behind.” SLEPYSHEV OFF IR Anton Slepyshev will come off injured reserve and he’ll play right-wing on a line with centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins against Boston. “Slep looked quite healthy and he had a jump to his stride in practice so there’s a lineup spot for him with Jujhar (Khaira) not skating and injured with a lower-body problem. He’s very doubtful for the Bruins game,” said McLellan. “I need to get my confidence back, like I had in those two games (Islanders and New Jersey earlier in November),” said Slepyshev, who sprained his ankle before camp and has been bothered by a bad groin for a good part of the season, but scored a nice goal against the Devils. “When you skate and practise it feels good but in the games you get tired and after a couple of periods, your groin gets sore. In New Jersey, a guy fell on my groin, an accident,” he said. “My ankle feels 100 per cent but I think it’s tied into my groin problem. It’s the same side. Maybe I’ve compensated with my ankle (and hurt the groin).” KLEFBOM BACK AT PRACTICE Oscar Klefbom, who missed Friday’s game with the flu, was back on the ice at practice at Boston University Saturday. He was on the first power- play unit on the point. He’ll probably play and line up with Matt Benning on the second pair. RASK GETS THE CALL Tuukka Rask will start in net for the Bruins, even though Anton Khudobin is 7-0-2 this season. Rask is 3-7-2 with an .897 save percentage. It’s a clear case that Rask is still the No. 1 and they have to get him a game. 1085178 Edmonton Oilers

Draisaitl moves back to the middle after months on right wing

JIM MATHESON, EDMONTON JOURNAL

BOSTON — Leon Draisaitl has always been ambivalent to where he plays, as long as he plays, so he hasn’t been screaming for a move back to the centre. But when your Edmonton Oilers team has won eight of 23 games, and you’re 80th in league scoring behind people like Jonathan Marchessault, maybe it’s time for a change of scenery, so Draisaitl won’t be on right wing any longer. He’ll be in the middle against the Bruins Sunday afternoon. Draisaitl has been a shadow of last year’s dominant self when he finished eighth in league scoring playing on Connor McDavid’s right side for much of the season. Loathe to change last season’s regular-season script, Todd McLellan has kept him on right wing, although he shifted him onto a line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on this five-game road trip to try and jumpstart Draisaitl, who has 17 points, none on the power play. “Leon didn’t live up to Leon’s standards in Buffalo and I talked to him (Saturday) before practice and we know he has to get back to skating like he can. He has to command some ice,” said Oilers coach Todd McLellan. “You have to skate at centre and maybe this also will cut back on the minutes for our other centre men and they’ll have more energy and jump. Connor’s been sick, although he’s starting to feel better, showing in his legs.” Draisaitl has always been ambivalent to where he lines up. “Like I always say, I don’t care where I play,” said Draisaitl, who had a poor game in Buffalo Friday. “My game hasn’t been close to good enough. I need to step up and maybe playing centre will give me a little spark.” You handle the puck more at centre than the wing, also log more miles because centres have to come back and play deeper defensively than wingers. Maybe, this is what Draisaitl needs. “I have to get my game back together and I haven’t been skating very well,” he said. “Hopefully, centre will give me a little change.” You also see where McLellan’s been coming from with Draisaitl on right wing, especially with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins strong early-season play as No. 2 centre. He didn’t have anybody else but Draisaitl to play on the No. 1 line, and after they dealt Jordan Eberle to the New York Islanders for Ryan Strome last June, it left a big hole on the right side. He did try Strome with McDavid early in camp, and early in pre-season games, but eventually felt Strome was better and more comfortable, not even as the No. 2 RW but as the third centre. “Last year Connor and Leon were the best duo in the league (points- wise, 100 and 77) and the line with (left-winger) Patty Maroon was one of the top lines. They were comparable to what the Brayden Schenn line is doing in St. Louis right now,” said McLellan. “We wanted to start there, with Leon and Connor. “And in my opinion, Nugent-Hopkins has played extremely well as the second centre. He’s had some average nights too but we’re 23 games in and it’s hard to be perfect all the time. And Ryan Strome’s had his best games as the No. 3 centre.” McLellan certainly didn’t want to slight Nugent-Hopkins, who was doing a nice job as the No. 2 pivot, also winning more than 50 percent of his draws, until he could find wingers to complement him. Anton Slepyshev returning gives him three lines, if he can stay healthy “We used the options we had but we haven’t been as productive as we’d like,” McLellan said. The key for McLellan has been to find wingers for his top three centres. Against the Bruins, he’ll go with Milan Lucic and Mike Cammalleri flanking McDavid. He’ll have Maroon and Slepyshev, coming off injured reserve, with Nugent-Hopkins and Draisaitl with Strome and Caggiula. Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085179 Edmonton Oilers Laurent Brossoit played because Cam Talbot was ill and Oscar Klefbom didn’t dress because he was under the weather.

“He made some really good saves, and any goalie in the league would Oilers fail to put together two good games in a row like the second one back but we can’t just focus on just that one,” said McLellan. “We have to look at his overall performance and it was pretty strong, especially early.” Jim Matheson, Edmonton Journal Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 11.26.2017

BUFFALO — Lip service, that’s pretty much all the Edmonton Oilers have been offering for weeks now. They talk a good game but can’t play more than one in a row. They trounced the Red Wings in Detroit 24 hours after getting their butts kicked in St. Louis so there was a pulse throughout their lineup Wednsday, but against the Sabres, who hadn’t won in almost three weeks, who’d had three closed-door players-only meetings, predictably there was no rinse and repeat. They didn’t get a puck past Robin Lehner until there was 16 seconds left, against a team that had been plundered for 79 goals in their previous 22 games. There was a tic, but seldom a tac or any toe to their passes against the Sabres who had won two of their 10 home games. By now it’s obvious. The Oilers are exactly where they should be in the standings. While the expansion Vegas Golden Knights won again Friday to go to 14- 6-1, the Oilers, who seem to have misplaced how hard they worked last year to get 103 points, are 8-13-2, 14th in the West, 29th overall, one spot ahead of the Sabres. They’re trying to run up a down escalator. “Same story after every win, we don’t follow it up with a win,” said Connor McDavid. “I don’t think it was effort at all, we were just sloppy. We were never in sync, anyone at any time, little passes that are usually easy to make, we couldn’t complete them. We’re a group that’s out of whack. “We need to get on a roll, we talk about and get the result in Detroit and have high hopes tonight but couldn’t get going.” So, after crushing Vegas 8-2, the Oilers lose the next three by a combined 18-7. They blitz Detroit 6-3, and fall to a team that hasn’t been able to beat anybody. They didn’t dictate the game like they did at Little Caesar’s Arena. The urgency was also there in Detroit. But Buffalo had more will Friday. “I think it can be better (urgency) but if our group thinks that’s enough then we’re on the short-end. Our guys have the want to do it, but can we get it done at the pace we’re executing? Our guys have to execute much quicker defensively and offensively,” said Oilers coach Todd McLellan. “Working hard is one thing but using that effort and executing and sustaining is another. We had some guys who worked hard, blocked shots, took some hits to make plays but not enough. We’re disappointed in a few guys who were playing upwards in the lineup, even some of the guys who got minutes at the end of the game.” Some of their best players were not their best players, for sure, against the Sabres. When asked before the TV cameras after the 3-1 loss, how he thought Leon Draisaitl had played, McLellan looked at the media interrogator who’d popped the hard question and pointedly said “you know what? Ask me tomorrow.” That says it all; he wasn’t happy even if McLellan played Draisaitl 18 minutes. He was on the ice for Jacob Josefson’s first Buffalo goal in the high slot 14 minutes into the second. But, he wasn’t the only big Oiler who had a tough time. After stealing Jack Eichel’s thunder two years ago here with an OT winner, the No. 2 player picked in the 2015 NHL draft outplayed the No. 1, McDavid. McDavid, who’s been playing even though sick, lost all eight of his faceoffs. McLellan put Mike Cammalleri up with him in the third to try and juice things up and Cammalleri, who took some draws for McDavid, showed some veteran patience with the puck. “He (McDavid) didn’t get a lot of space, we kept him to the outside,” said Sabres’ coach Phil Housley. “Jack’s made a choice to play the right way the last few games. He was physical, active in the offensive zone, he was very determined.” In the end, this was a team loss for the Oilers, though. You can’t just hang it on the big guys. 1085180 Edmonton Oilers drafting and their list is based on one player,” said Oilers’ coach Todd McLellan. “But once you pick that one player it becomes a team environment, and Connor is all about team commitment.” Oilers Snapshots: Benoit Pouliot trying to find his game in Buffalo Still, it’s tough to ignore the No 1 vs No. 2 2015 draft picks head-to-head, especially when they meet so infrequently. Friday’s game was their fourth meeting. JIM MATHESON, EDMONTON JOURNAL “The first time Connor and Jack met in the NHL, there were a lot of reporters making a lot about McDavid vs Eichel. I think we’re well beyond that now. It’s about winning as a team,” said McLellan. BUFFALO — There was no woe is me from Benoit Pouliot after he was bought out by Edmonton Oilers in June. Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 11.26.2017 He took the fall for his 14-point season in 67 games, which matches his jersey number. “Last year was a down year for me and it’s on nobody but myself,” said the now second-liner with the Buffalo Sabres, who played his old buddies for the first time Friday night. Pouliot was bought out with two years left on his five-year, $20 million deal. The Oilers are on the hook for $1.333 million against their cap this season and for three more years, which stings, while Pouliot is not hurting that much after signing a one-year $1.15 million free-agent contract in July. He’s making $2.38 million this season when you add the two salaries. Pouliot had 34 points in 58 games his first Oilers season and 36 in 55 in his second year. So 70 points in 113 games, very good numbers, but his game plummeted last year to where he had more minor penalties (17) than actual points. He became the fans whipping boy, castigated for the number of offensive-zone penalties he took, many he deserved, some because the gods were just dumping on him, even on good checks. Pouliot has moved around freely during his 573-game NHL game career always wanted somewhere, but unfortunately, not staying for long. The Sabres are his seventh stop — Minnesota, Montreal, Boston, Tampa, New York Rangers and Edmonton before Buffalo. The Oilers (180 games) were actually the most he’s ever played for a single team. As much as his offence was negligible last year, the Oilers miss him on two fronts. He could really skate and their team quickness is in question right now, and he could kill a penalty. “I had an awesome time in Edmonton. They take full responsibility for how I performed last year and they had to do what they had to do,” said Pouliot. Did he know the Oilers were going to buy him out? “No, but it was in my mind for sure,” he said. “I got in the doghouse pretty early in the year and I tried to get out of it but I was having a hard time with that. It was on me, the way I prepared, the way I showed up for games. I got down on myself.” OILERS BRASS ON SCOUTING TRIP Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli and his right-hand man Craig MacTavish were in nearby Rochester watching the Sabres farm team Friday, maybe looking at young winger Nick Baptiste who played with Connor McDavid in junior in Erie. The Sabres would trade winger Sam Reinhart too. They badly need defencemen but the Oilers don’t have any to give up until Andrej Sekera returns. PLAYING WITH TOP PICKS Pouliot is one of the few players who’s had a chance to play with Oiler captain Connor McDavid and Sabres top gun Jack Eichel, the first and second players taken in the 2015 draft. “Connor’s game is a fast game, up and down, north-south. There’s no east-west, he’s going to out-skate you all night long,” said Pouliot. “Jack can slow the game down with his hands, he’s a very smart player, he’ll watch for guys to pass to, get guys more involved in a slower pace. But he’s the fastest guy on our team, too.” A LITTLE HELP In the NBA, you can win with one out-of-this-world talent, but in the NHL a franchise player like McDavid or Eichel doesn’t guarantee you anything. The Sabres went into Friday’s matchup, 30th, the Oilers 29th. “When you look back to their draft years, it’s purely individual with the scouts, where you’re ranked. Teams are looking at lists when they’re 1085181 Edmonton Oilers The far larger issue is shooting percentage. Outside of the top line, nobody in Edmonton has been able to finish.

The Oilers finally got some offence from their bottom three lines in Edmonton’s failures of team-building are reflected in what happens with Wednesday’s game against the Red Wings, pushing the shooting Connor McDavid off the ice percentage for that group up to 5.3 percent. At first blush, that’s absurdly low, but the truth is that Edmonton’s second, third and fourth lines have been terrible at finishing their chances since the end of the Tambellini By Jonathan Willis 1 era. A lot of what I do here comes down to forecasting. Edmonton’s record is bad, but it’s too simplistic to say, “this is just a bad team” while it’s doing Are the Edmonton Oilers just a one-line team? It’s a big question, one the hardest thing right: winning the territorial battle. At the same time, it’s that goes to some core issues with team building and coaching. The also too simplistic to just look at the team’s awesome Corsi and say that answer is a little bit complicated, and intersects with another of the big things will come around. questions this season—why are the shot and goal metrics so out of line for this team? If we take the best shooting/save percentage numbers from any point over the last five years and apply them to the Oilers’ 54 per cent Corsi Before we dig into lines two through four, it’s a good idea to start with second, third and fourth lines, they don’t score 54 per cent of the goals. how much the Connor McDavid first line gives the Oilers, and the Instead they end up at plus-one, just under 51 per cent by goal share. difficulties it has had this season. That might be too optimistic. If we instead take the average shooting and It’s fascinating to see how the Oilers’ most important players have fared save percentage for the Oiler’s bottom-nine under Chiarelli/McLellan the in this most important metric over time. last two years, that 54 percent Corsi turns into a 47 percent goal share and a minus-3 rating overall. If that’s their true talent level, these three Edmonton may have backed into a rebuild in 2010 but it seems clear in lines of the Oilers have only underperformed by a grand total of four retrospect (and was argued by some at the time) that the talent at the top goals on the season. of the group just wasn’t good enough to be more than competitive in the NHL. Craig MacTavish’s top line always outscored its opponents, but not This lines up with the results we get by counting scoring chances by a lot and lacked game-breaking ability. manually. With McDavid off the ice at even-strength the Oilers are under 50 percent on the season by chance counts. The situation hit rock bottom in 2010 under Pat Quinn, and we see a gradual evolution in the years that followed. As the Oilers added quality It also makes sense when we think about who Edmonton lost last players and those players moved towards their most productive years, summer. Seven Oilers had a 9.0 shooting percentage or better at 5-on-5; top line scoring steadily improved. in order of goals they were: the top line, Jordan Eberle, Tyler Pitlick, Benoit Pouliot and Matt Hendricks. The latter four guys are all gone. Goals-against remained high, though I’m inclined to think that youthful indiscretions by the Taylor Hall cluster were a relatively small part of the Something else to consider here is that coaching isn’t static. reason. The defence was bad, the goaltending was hit-and-miss and often awful. Tom Renney, Ralph Krueger, Dallas Eakins and Todd I’ve been critical of McLellan’s favoured strategy of loading up his top Nelson all struggled with goals against, both with their top line and with line, possibly overly so. Things went really well for the Oilers last year; it’s the rest of their forwards. hard for a coach to abandon a certain good in favour of a hypothetical better. This year, things have gone poorly, and over the last few games Finally we enter the current era. Some of the spike in scoring we see is he’s gone to a far more balanced approach with his forward lines. Does talent—Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl is a fantastic duo—but bumping Leon Draisaitl from the top unit improve these lines’ finishing probably not all of it. The Oilers scored on nearly 11 percent of their ability? Of course it does, but it’s hard to know by how much. even-strength shots last year when this line was on the ice; that’s a ludicrous number, and while this year’s 7.5 percent is probably a little on Whatever balance we strike here, it’s abundantly clear that the Oilers the low side a correction is both expected and not a sign of trouble. have thus far failed at the key task of building a supporting cast. There’s a strong argument that McDavid’s on-ice results through two months are The problem for the top line this year is goals against. This is driven an aberration and will correct the rest of the way. The argument for the entirely by save percentage; the Oilers sit at a miserable 0.903 when the rest of the group is a lot weaker because there are now 2 1/2 years of first line is on the ice (for context: the lowest number for a rebuild-era top data suggesting they can’t finish on their chances. line was 0.902, and we know they had terrible goaltending). Some of that’s explainable when we look at scoring chances, but most of it is not. It’s a damning indictment of the team-building work done by the team’s Cam Talbot has had a difficult campaign, and if and when he gets things Peter Chiarelli-led management group. together we’ll see Edmonton’s top line benefit. Landing McDavid at the 2015 draft was a great gift to the Edmonton One thing the top line hasn’t had trouble with is shot-share. Oilers, but one that came with expectations: when fans see their team land a superstar, they rightly expect to enjoy a championship or three With the exception of 2013-14, the Hall-led Oilers got decent possession over his prime years. results from their top line, in the 50-51 percent range (given the state of the defence, no easy task). McDavid and Co. have blown past that easily In the context of those expectations, one of the worst potential outcomes and this year their Corsi numbers are ludicrous. There may be a little bit was a good, but not great, team. Such a team, although not a serious of air in there given how often the Oilers have trailed in games, but at contender, might keep its uninspired management group employed for some point this unit is going to be laying waste to the opposition. years thanks to the McDavid bump. They might win a few playoff rounds without ever seriously contending, all the while burning away at the prime Of greater concern are the team’s other three lines. years of a generational talent. I still remember Steve Tambellini’s angry post-2009 press conference, There have always been suspicions that this Chiarelli-led group was far the one where he labeled the season a disappointment, repeatedly too willing to bleed talent in the name of immediate need, and criticizing the Oilers’ size, energy and grit, and said he would not tolerate Edmonton’s wretched 8-13-2 start to the year has only fed them. Just an “unemotional game.” At the time, nobody knew that the second, third yesterday, Dom Luszczyszyn made that case, pegging the team’s and fourth lines whose commitment he so questioned were going to be unforced errors as costing them five wins per season. He offers some better than any the team would run for the remainder of his tenure. caveats to that estimate, and rightly so; among other things, it’s not clear to what degree the struggles of the Oilers’ other three lines are a result of No combination of roster, coach and general manager seen in Edmonton a lack of talent or a coaching approach that maximizes some things but has produced a bottom-nine with better goal metrics than the one run out hasn’t produced enough high-quality chances. by MacTavish that season. McLellan’s group, to both its and his credit, has improved dramatically by the shot metrics, but outscoring remains Whatever the exact mix, one thing does seem clear. The Oilers haven’t hard to come by. And it would be a lot easier to imagine the goals been nearly good enough with McDavid off the ice, and that reflects catching up with the Corsi if the gap separating them hadn't been a failures by the men tasked with building a championship team around recurring theme over the last five years. him. Goaltending is part of the problem, but the issue is less acute here: a The Athletic LOADED: 11.26.2017 0.917 save percentage at even-strength is below average, but even if we could reasonably expect last year’s 0.928 it would only improve the group by three goals against. 1085182 Edmonton Oilers future is looking really positive for him. We’ve seen flashes of what JJ can be. He just needs time to mature. We’re trying to mold JJ into a two- way centreman, somebody who can kill penalties, late in games trying to Lowetide: Oilers No. 9 Prospect Winter 2017: Jujhar Khaira preserve a game. He has the size. He just needs experience.”(Edmonton Journal)

The AHL By Allan Mitchell We don't have access to time on ice numbers but it's clear that Khaira's even-strength usage increased as his AHL career progressed. By the time he completed his entry-level deal, the big man's offense at even Jujhar Khaira is on the verge of establishing himself as an NHL regular strength was on par with Anton Lander (Lander was .543 in his final but that final hurdle could prove daunting. Khaira's positives fit the profile season of entry level). Khaira also increased his penalty-killing role as for a Todd McLellan team but offensive ability and overall consistency time went on in Bakersfield and played a lot of center for the team. are a little shy. His role is not yet secure, with Khaira dressing in 50 per cent of Edmonton's games this season. 2017-18 Previously No. 9 on the Winter List Khaira has been playing fourth-line minutes since arriving in the NHL (10:21, 9:15, 10:58 per year) and has progressed in possession while December 2007: G Devan Dubnyk (380 NHL games) scoring at a consistent rate 5×5. If he scores 1.07 per 60 and plays 10 minutes a night, Khaira can be expected to hover around 15 points per December 2008: D Cody Wild (0) season. December 2009: L Teemu Hartikainen (52) This season, Todd McLellan is using Khaira (at times) as a third line December 2010: C Anton Lander (215) option, reflected in his time with Ryan Strome in 2017-18. It's likely he will be unable to play at that level for long, Khaira's offensive outer marker is December 2011: R Tyler Pitlick (78) well shy of what will be required for that role. December 2012: R Tyler Pitlick (78) Comparable December 2013: D Martin Gernat (0) In terms of style, Lance Bouma is a reasonable comp for Khaira and has scored in the same range for his career. In terms of offense at the NHL December 2014: C Kyle Platzer (0) level, Oilers fans could probably view Anton Lander as an acceptable December 2015: D Ethan Bear (0) math doppelganger. December 2016: L Jujhar Khaira (37) Why is Jujhar Khaira No. 9? Devan Dubnyk is the first goalie since Grant Fuhr to be drafted and Khaira is the highest rated checking forward on this year's list, he's developed by the Oilers and play in more than 130 NHL games. He has always the top player of his type on my ranking. Khaira's size and speed, now played more games for the Minnesota Wild than he did in combined with the edge Red Line mentioned five years ago, makes him Edmonton. Anton Lander had a similar career path to Khaira, the Swede a personal favorite. He'll have to improve his checking and coverage playing in 215 NHL games without securing an NHL job season over skills in order for Todd McLellan to trust him and it's vital he become a season. Tyler Pitlick also belongs to the “tweener” category although reliable penalty killer (that's the role). If he had a little more offense in injuries are a big part of his story. him, Khaira would be an extremely valuable prospect. As it is, he's going to have to get lucky and find a coach who believes in him in order to have What They Said on Draft Day a long career. If he can survive long enough, I think some of that early offense may find it's way back to him and Khaira will be a positive player Red Line Report: We believe this kid could be the biggest/best sleeper of for his team. the entire draft. Prince George is so far off the beaten path teams don’t even travel there for WHL games, much less BCHL contests, so he gets The Athletic LOADED: 11.26.2017 zero exposure. But this kid is big, mean, aggressive, nasty, and guess what? He can score too. Does the dirty work in the corners, bangs bodies and wins battles, and loves to initiate heavy contact. Powerful stride with great balance and gets leverage on his hits. Has surprisingly soft hands and puck skills with play-making ability. Creates lots of space for smaller teammates and makes everyone braver. Very raw defensively. Red Line's verbal offers a road map for Khaira's career since 2012, a path that has seen him play in the NCAA, WHL and AHL on his way to the world's best league. He has improved defensively but didn't bring the entire offensive tool kit to pro hockey. Quotes Over the Years Khaira played for Michigan Tech in 2012-13 and impressed the coaching staff while moving up the depth chart quickly. Although he would play just one season of NCAA, hockey men recognized his talent. Head Coach Mel Pearson: “I told our coaches before the weekend I thought JJ (Jujhar) made huge strides in how much better he was. He’s at a different level right now. We’re playing sophomores and freshmen against other team’s seniors, grizzled vets, and they’re doing a great job.” Bill Muckalt, Michigan Tech asst coach: “We see him as a big time power forward. He skates really well, very good down low, strong on the puck, has good vision and great offensive instincts. I think he has a lot of potential to be a pro hockey player.” Khaira spent his 19-year old season playing for Kevin Constantine and the Everett Silvertips in 2013-14. Constantine's button-down defensive style forced Khaira to hone his positioning, although he retained enough offense to rank No. 4 in team scoring. He turned pro with the Oklahoma City Barons under head coach Todd Nelson, developing as a two-way forward. Todd Nelson: “He thinks the game really well on the ice and when you couple that with the size and skill he has, it’s going to be a very bright future for him. He’s an intelligent guy. He knows what he has to do to get better and he works hard at it. With his size and maturity and the way he approaches the game, who knows where his top level is, but I think the 1085183 Florida Panthers

Toews, Crawford help Blackhawks beat Panthers 4-1

Associated Press

SUNRISE, FLA.-The goals are finally starting to come for some of the Chicago Blackhawks. Jonathan Toews had a goal and two assists and Corey Crawford made 37 saves in his 400th NHL game to help the Blackhawks beat the Florida Panthers 4-1 on Saturday night. Toews scored only his third goal in 17 games, and one was an empty- netter. "You go into every game trying to forget the pucks aren't going in, even though you have chances," Toews said. "You try and create that feeling you're going to get lucky, you get the puck on your stick and things can happen." Brandon Saad had a goal and an assist, and Patrick Kane and John Hayden also scored for Chicago. Saad scored for just the second time in 16 games. "Our line is playing much better, holding onto pucks, creating plays," Saad said. "Chances are coming and some were bound to go in for me." Kane's goal was his third in the past two games, but he only had one goal in the 10 games before that. The Blackhawks are 4-1-1 in their last six games and their top line contributed to this win. "Obviously, I'm sure they felt better about (Saad) finally getting one and then (Toews) gets one," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "It was a good night for them and they did a lot of good things." Jared McCann scored for the Panthers, and Roberto Luongo stopped 35 shots. Kane made it 3-1 when his shot from the right circle beat Luongo at 7:03 of the second. Toews stretched the Blackhawks lead to 4-1 with 2:52 left in the second. An awkward backhanded swat at the puck from Toews in the right circle caught Luongo by surprise and the puck trickled through his pads and into the net. "I tried to make a play on it and when it bounced in front of me, it just took a funny hop and went five-hole," Luongo said. "It's one of those where you just shake your head." When asked to explain what he was trying to do on the play, Toews said, "Exactly what happened. Let's leave it at that." The Panthers closed to 2-1 on McCann's goal 1:06 into the second. McCann's shot from the high slot beat Crawford on the glove side. The Blackhawks opened the scoring on Hayden's goal at 9:25 of the first. Florida's Derek MacKenzie failed to clear the puck in the slot and it ended up on Hayden's stick and he quickly shot the puck over Luongo's shoulder. Saad made it 2-0 when Toews fired a pass from the right side along the goal line, and Saad redirected the puck into the net with 5:25 left in the first. The Panthers were outshot 21-7 in the first period but started the second outshooting the Blackhawks 13-1 until Kane's goal. "We stood around and watched too much in the first period, they took it to us," Panthers coach Bob Boughner said. "You've got to hand it to them, they were ready to play and we weren't." NOTES: Crawford has held opponents to three goals or fewer in eight of his past nine starts. ... Saad is the first Blackhawk with seven shots on goal in a period since Dustin Byfuglien in 2008. ....Panthers RW Evgenii Dadanov left the game in the third with an upper-body injury. UP NEXT: Blackhawks: Host Anaheim on Monday night. Panthers: At New Jersey on Monday night. Miami Herald LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085184 Florida Panthers Luongo has three 40-plus-save games since returning, including a 45- save effort against the Hurricanes on Nov. 7. He shut out San Jose for the first time in his career before coming up huge in a shootout against As Roberto Luongo stays hot, how do Panthers handle his usage, Toronto. health? “I just think he looks big,” Boughner said. “He’s square on pucks. His rebound control is solid. You can tell early on in the game that even if they get a second or third chance, he’s sliding and not having to make Matthew DeFranks any crazy saves. He’s just so square and so solid that he’s always fronting the puck.”

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 11.26.2017 Throughout an 18-year career, Florida Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo has figured his body out. He understands when to push it and when to back off. He’s learned how to manage injuries and take preventative measures to avoid them. It’s been a gradual change, he said, one that’s taken place across the past three or four years as the 38-year-old continues his push up the record books. And during times like this month, when he’s returned from injury as hot as any goaltender in the NHL, it’s a necessary item. “You can’t just neglect it and put the gear on and go out and practice,” Luongo said. “It’s not like that anymore.” Since returning from a right hand injury on Nov. 4 against the New York Rangers, Luongo has posted an incredible .944 save percentage as the Panthers have gone 4-2-1 in his seven starts. Among NHL goalies who have played at least five games since Luongo’s return, none have a better save percentage. His hot streak has pushed his season-long numbers to career levels through the season’s first two months, registering a .931 save percentage, which would be his best since the 2003-04 season, when he posted an identical stat. Among goalies with at least 10 games played this season, Luongo’s .931 save percentage ranks fourth. “He’s been our best player,” Panthers coach Bob Boughner said. Entering this season, Luongo faced questions about his health after missing the final six weeks of the last year with a hip injury. He adopted a new gameday routine that helps align his hip correctly, an approximately 45-minute chore that tries to avoid any further complications. He only played four games this season before the injury bug bit him again. This time, it came courtesy of Pittsburgh forward Conor Sheary, who slammed Luongo’s right hand into the goalpost as he skated by the net on Oct. 20. Luongo missed the next two weeks with the injury, rushing back to a team that struggled defensively with James Reimer as its top goaltender. More than a month since the injury, Luongo still wears a splint on his hand to play, and still isn’t back to full strength. “I wouldn’t say fully, but it’s good enough where I’m playing and I’m not thinking about it,” Luongo said. Luongo has been a workhorse since returning, starting every game but two, both part of back-to-backs. The usage is drastically different from early this season, when Luongo and Reimer alternated starts through the first couple weeks. The team described their situation as having a 1A and a 1B goalie. But Reimer struggled to carry the load in Luongo’s absence, bottoming out with back-to-back games in which he was yanked against Tampa Bay and Columbus. In those two games, he allowed nine total goals in less than 60 minutes. “Earlier on in the season, we were trying to split it up fairly evenly and not burn anybody out,” Boughner said. “I’m a guy that likes to roll with the guy that’s hot, and Louie’s definitely been that guy for us.” At their core, athletes want to play, especially when things are going as well as they have for Luongo lately. Boughner said he communicates with Luongo and goalie coach Robb Tallas to gauge his health and readiness for upcoming games. Last week in California, Boughner left it up to Luongo to pick which half of the Los Angeles-Anaheim back-to-back he wanted. Luongo faced the Ducks. “I put a lot of trust in Tally and I let Louie have a lot of say in that as well,” Boughner said. Luongo added: “I’ve learned how to manage it, especially in the time between games to make sure that it’s recovered and ready to go for the next game. It’s not only when you’re at the rink, but when you’re at home as well, making sure that you’re resting properly and doing the little [things] to get you recovered for the next one.” 1085185 Florida Panthers

Panthers' Bob Boughner: 'We need to have a little bit of a top-six mentality and identity'

Matthew DeFranks

Another day, not another new line for Florida Panthers center Vincent Trocheck. For the second consecutive game, Trocheck will play with Henrik Haapala on his left and Nick Bjugstad on his right after the trio first was teamed Wednesday night against Toronto. It was Haapala’s first NHL game and Bjugstad’s third on the second line this season. “We need to have a little bit of a top-six mentality and identity,” Panthers coach Bob Boughner said before Saturday’s game against Chicago. “Hopefully, those guys can keep going and meshing and that line will be a good one for us.” The Panthers continue their search for secondary scoring to bolster their offense behind the dominant top line of Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov and Evgenii Dadonov. The No. 1 line plus Trocheck has 81 of the team’s 170 points (47.6 percent). Boughner has tried a host of options alongside Trocheck. On the left, there’s been Jamie McGinn, Connor Brickley, Dryden Hunt, Bjugstad and Haapala. On the right, there’s been Radim Vrbata, Evgenii Dadonov, Colton Sceviour and Bjugstad. None have lasted. Boughner said he saw some bright spots from Haapala on Wednesday, including a cross-ice feed to Aaron Ekblad on a power play, but there was room to grow. “There were some mistakes made, but they weren’t anything that weren’t correctable,” Boughner said. “A little bit of system things. We work with him and had a good talk with him and some video yesterday. If he keeps playing like that, he’s a skilled guy and eventually that skill will take over.” ... Boughner was unsure whether forward Derek MacKenzie (lower body) or defenseman Mark Pysyk (lower body) would play on Saturday night. Pysyk skated during the optional morning skate while MacKenzie was cleared to practice on Friday morning. MacKenzie has not played any of the past five games, while Pysyk only missed Friday’s practice. After morning skate, when the night’s scratches typically stay on the ice, rookie forwards Dryden Hunt and Chase Balisy still worked, potentially signaling a return for MacKenzie to his customary fourth-line center position. ... Forward Radim Vrbata, who was hit in the face Nov. 18 at Los Angeles, skated prior to the rest of the team Saturday morning. Boughner said Vrbata would likely miss the upcoming road trip through New Jersey and New York and would “probably not” even travel for it. He has missed the past two games and only played one shift in Los Angeles before he was injured. Saturday’s projected lineup against Chicago, 7 p.m. Jonathan Huberdeau – Aleksander Barkov – Evgenii Dadonov Henrik Haapala – Vincent Trocheck – Nick Bjugstad Jamie McGinn – Jared McCann – Colton Sceviour Micheal Haley – Derek MacKenzie – Connor Brickley Keith Yandle – Aaron Ekblad Mike Matheson – Mark Pysyk or Alex Petrovic Ian McCoshen – MacKenzie Weegar Roberto Luongo James Reimer Scratches: Dryden Hunt, Chase Balisy, Mark Pysyk or Alex Petrovic. Injured reserve: Radim Vrbata (face). Sun Sentinel LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085186 Florida Panthers “Tonight, we took a step back,” Ekblad said. “We’re going to evaluate it and move on.”

The loss brought the Panthers closer to the Eastern Conference cellar. Blackhawks overwhelm, breeze past Panthers 4-1 on Saturday night Only Buffalo has fewer points than Florida. The Panthers have won back- to-back games only twice this season and never three in a row. They’ve had separate three- and five-game losing streaks. Matthew DeFranks “We got to start being more consistent, night in and night out,” Ekblad said. “We all have to. If somebody’s not doing it, we got to get on that guy or help pick them up.” During the Florida Panthers’ 4-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night, the intermissions served as a refuge. The dressing room Sun Sentinel LOADED: 11.26.2017 was a retreat from the ice, from the missed assignment and the bouncing pucks and shot barrage and the Blackhawks onslaught. But the 18 minutes that bridged the periods couldn’t save the Panthers. Instead, the Panthers suffered through a performance that welcomed the return of a subpar defense that plagued the club earlier this month. Chicago scored in a variety of ways: on whiffed clearing attempts, by being gifted extra time and by suddenly shaky goalie play. Florida allowed 39 shots on goal to Chicago as four different Blackhawks lit the lamp. Jared McCann tallied the sole Panthers goal on a sharp wrist shot from the high slot in the second period. It was Florida’s third loss in the last four games. Roberto Luongo’s hot streak ended decidedly, allowing four goals but making 35 saves. He entered the game with a save percentage of .944 since returning from a right hand injury seven games ago. The Panthers slumbered through the first period. The Blackhawks chose to dominate. Chicago attempted 30 shots, managing 21 on goal in the first period. Florida had just nine, aided in part by a power play at the end of the period. Brandon Saad had seven shots on goal in the period, matching the Panthers’ total. “I don’t think we were ready to play, plain and simple,” Luongo said. “We were turning pucks over and giving them away. That was what fed their offense.” Chicago forward John Hayden got Chicago on the board first with a shot from the slot that beat Luongo over his left shoulder. Tommy Wingels tried a wraparound that rolled through Derek MacKenzie’s attempted clear and into Hayden’s waiting stick. Saad tallied a goal of his own five minutes later, at 14:35, on a feed from Jonathan Toews. Toews retreated to the corner of the offensive zone as Panthers forward Connor Brickley abandoned him. Brickley offered Toews space. He didn’t turn it down. “We stood around,” Panthers coach Bob Boughner said. “We watched too much in the first period. They took it to us. You got to hand it to them, they were ready to play. We weren’t.” Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad added: “They just came out stronger than us. They were ready to play. We weren’t. It’s as simple as that.” McCann: “I guess we got to figure something out to get us going. The first period there was one of our worst periods of the year.” McCann stemmed the Blackhaws tide with a laser past Chicago’s Corey Crawford just 66 seconds into the second period. It was part of a Panthers revival in the second period that saw 10 shots on goal in about five minutes. But it didn’t last long. Patrick Kane slipped a shot past Luongo six minutes later. This time, it was Nick Bjugstad who deserted the puck and presented Kane with more time. Then Toews embarrassed Luongo. Armed with a one-handed swinging stick and a bouncing puck, Toews added to the Panthers’ misery. From the right circle, Toews flailed at the puck on his backhand, just barely making contact with it. It dribbled towards, then through Luongo. “It’s one of those where you shake your head,” Luongo said. “You don’t want to let those ever go in, but it was a weird play. I tried to react off of it. It took a funny hop and went in between my legs. It was one of those nights where the bounces weren’t going my way.” That version of Luongo wasn’t commonly seen in the last month. He rebounded from a slow start to approach career-best numbers. He notched 45 saves against Carolina. He shut out San Jose. But that Luongo wasn’t at the BB&T Center on Saturday night. Neither was the Panthers defense that appeared to turn the corner recently. The Blackhawks finished a shot away from 40 shots on goal, one game after the Panthers allowed the Maple Leafs to fire 44 on net. In the previous six games, Florida only surrendered at least 40 shots once. 1085187 Los Angeles Kings

Kings get off the mat and outlast the Ducks

Curtis Zupke

Getting up off the mat took on two meanings for the Kings. Frustrated and irritable from a string of losses, they were perfectly willing to take out those aggressions against the Ducks on Saturday night. But that came to a literal halt when Ducks defenseman Kevin Bieksa delivered a knockout blow to Andy Andreoff on the first punch of their opening-period tussle. Andreoff never returned. But the Kings did. Down a goal with 92 seconds remaining against the vulnerable and depleted Ducks, the Kings tied it on Dustin Brown’s goal with an extra attacker and won it 2-1 in a shootout in front of 18,230 fans at Staples Center. Anze Kopitar and Trevor Lewis scored in the shootout, and Jonathan Quick allowed only a goal to Corey Perry in the extended session as the Kings ended a three-game losing streak. “These are the type of games you need to find a way to win,” Brown said. “I thought we had a lot of really good looks. We just were not getting it in the net. I thought tonight was our best effort in terms of staying within our game plan throughout the game.” Brown’s second-chance shot went in off Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm. Brown’s initial wraparound attempt was stopped by a sprawled Ducks goalie Ryan Miller, and Brown was left open to finish a play that began with Kopitar’s faceoff win against Antoine Vermette. The comeback deflated what was a gutsy game by the Ducks, who lost leading scorer Rickard Rakell to a day-to-day upper-body injury, the team announced before the game, and were ready to win on Nick Ritchie’s first-period goal. “It’s unfortunate,” Miller said. “I thought I could have ended it on Kopitar [in the third round of the shootout]. I missed my [skate] edge completely. I thought I did exactly what I wanted to do. Then I just didn’t execute the edgework.” Bieksa’s knockout was the highlight of three opening-period fights as the teams wasted no time in renewing their hatred. The Kings’ Kurtis MacDermid started it off against Mike Liambas. Oscar Fantenberg got his first NHL fighting major in an unlikely and brief tussle with Andrew Cogliano, hardly known as a fighter. The triage unit that is the Ducks forwards took yet another blow because of Rakell. And their injury woes reached comic proportions in the first period when the Ducks went down to nine forwards with Cogliano and Liambas in the penalty box and Derek Grant briefly in the trainer’s room. It was a pedestrian game for the first 40 minutes, but the third period resembled something closer to the highly spirited Nov. 7 matchup at Honda Center that was one of the NHL’s best games this season. Saturday was more reflective of two struggling teams on the back end of consecutive games. The Kings were going nowhere with seven losses in eight games, due largely to what Kings coach John Stevens has referred to as “unforced errors” in their transition game and a disconnect between their defensemen and forwards. Etc. Torrey Mitchell remained unavailable to the Kings because his immigration paperwork was not completed during the holiday week. … Brooks Laich cleared waivers and was reassigned to Ontario. … The Ducks recalled Kalle Kossila. … Winnipeg’s Ben Chiarot was fined $3,763.44 for butt-ending Perry on Friday. LA Times: LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085188 Los Angeles Kings

Alec Martinez and Derek Forbort try to get in front of as many shots as they can

Curtis Zupke

Alec Martinez and Derek Forbort often have a contest where the winner is usually the one with the most ice packs strapped to their body after a game. The winner also might have to spend some extra time in the cold tub. It’s a side bet between the Kings defensemen to see who can get the most blocked shots. Martinez has been difficult to beat this season because he ranked second in the NHL with 63 blocks going into Saturday’s game against the Ducks at Staples Center. Forbort ranked 12th, with 50 blocks. So what does the winner get? “It’s usually just dinner,” Martinez said. With much of the conversation about the Kings centered on offense, defense is still a priority, and blocking shots is a part of what Kings coach John Stevens carried over from his previous tenure as associate head coach. The Kings rank 17th as a team in blocked shots (the Ducks are ninth), but have three of the top 12 blockers in Martinez, Forbort and Jake Muzzin. Martinez has set the example, taking shots off his legs and chest and wherever else he can sacrifice. He was credited with eight blocks in a Nov. 16 game against the Boston Bruins. “It starts here,” Stevens said as he pointed to his heart. “[He’s a] guy that has a lot of courage. I think good shot blockers want the puck to hit them, and Marty’s certainly one of those guys. He takes great pride in keeping the puck out of his net.” Martinez is probably known more for his offense. He was the face of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final with his series-clinching overtime goal against the New York Rangers. But he had to forge a way into the NHL early in his career, puck by painful puck. “Over a long time I was trying to get into the lineup or stay in the lineup, and I guess it’s just something I developed over time,” Martinez said. “I think the league’s taken more of a focus on it. I don’t know when they started keeping track. The bottom line is if you want to be good on the [penalty kill], the way things set up now, guys are going to have to block shots.” Martinez remembers seeing former teammate Matt Greene take pucks off his face. Stevens often uses a less-painful training method in the form of foam rubber pucks to practice shot blocking. His staff also uses iPads behind the shooters to record the angles and shooting lanes to play back to the players so they can better understand positioning. Martinez will sometimes take one side of the net away to minimize work for goalie Jonathan Quick. “He just can just focus on short-side shots,” Martinez said. “If the guy tries to put it far, it should hit me. If it doesn’t, it’s my fault. I could write a paper [on it].” Forbort’s approach is to go down on one knee. If it’s a point shot, he uses his legs. But, ultimately, it comes down to having the courage to stand in front of, say, Shea Weber of the Montreal Canadiens and his 100-mph shot. Many defensemen wear skate guards to protect their feet. Ducks general manager Bob Murray requires his defensemen to wear them. Modern shin pads also help, to a point. “I think the equipment’s just gotten a lot better,” Forbort said. “[But] it sucks. Guys shoot harder now.” LA Times: LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085189 Los Angeles Kings

Kings center Torrey Mitchell excited to see other side of rivalries

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD | November 25, 2017 at 6:40 PM

LOS ANGELES — Torrey Mitchell sounded eager to jump back into the Pacific again. He took a few turns around the Kings’ practice rink in El Segundo, but was not in their lineup for Saturday’s game against the Ducks at Staples Center. His immigration status hadn’t been resolved, so he couldn’t play. “Getting the specific work visa over Thanksgiving is a little tricky,” he said. Mitchell expects to have the issue resolved by Monday and to make his Kings debut during a four-game trip that begins Tuesday in Detroit. The Kings acquired him Thursday from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for a conditional draft pick. San Jose selected Mitchell in the fourth round of the 2004 draft (126th overall). He played four seasons with the Sharks, growing up in the NHL with Pacific Division rivalries against the Kings and Ducks. He’s also played with Minnesota, Buffalo and Montreal during a 617-game career. He was scoreless in 11 games with the Canadiens before Thursday’s trade. A few old friends from the Sharks welcomed back to California. “I got a few text messages from a couple of guys there who couldn’t believe I was on the other side now,” Mitchell said. “They’re hard games (between the Kings and Sharks). Over the years, it’s been a good rivalry. It’ll be fun to jump back into that.” Mitchell, a 32-year-old center, said he wasn’t expecting to be traded. He was acquired to bolster the Kings’ depth beyond their top two lines. Backup goaltender Darcy Kuemper is the only Kings player he knew before the trade, having played with him in Minnesota. “It caught me by surprise a little bit,” Mitchell said of Thursday’s trade. “But I’m super excited to be here. Good team. Playoff team. Stanley Cup contender. So, I’m excited to be a part of it. Having played so long, I think everyone knows my role around the league.” “I’ll use my speed and be a (good) faceoff guy and be an effective fourth- line center down the middle,” Mitchell added when asked specifically about his anticipated role with the Kings. “Hopefully, that’s how it shakes out.” INJURY UPDATE Kyle Clifford joined Mitchell and Nic Dowd for an optional skate. Clifford later said there’s no timetable for him to rejoin his teammates for a full- contact practice. He sat out Saturday for the 21st consecutive game because of an upper-body injury. “I’m definitely coming along,” he said. “I’ve been skating for a week now. I did a little bit of shooting, so it’s progressing well. I’ve definitely got a great team of doctors and personal trainers around to help me with conditioning and rehab. Credit to them.” Clifford said he was unsure whether he’d join his teammates for their upcoming trip. “That’s up in the air right now,” he said. Clifford was hurt in an Oct. 11 game against the Calgary Flames. ROSTER MOVE The Kings assigned forward Brooks Laich to their American Hockey League team in Ontario after he cleared waivers Saturday morning. Laich was scratched in five consecutive games after recording one point, an assist, in 12 games with the Kings. Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085190 Los Angeles Kings

MITCHELL SKATES, BUT CAN’T PLAY TONIGHT DUE TO VISA DELAY

JON ROSEN NOVEMBER 25, 2017

The Kings’ highly optional skate on Saturday was attended by players who did not travel with the team to Glendale, Arizona for Friday night’s game. Participants were Nic Dowd, who is day-to-day with a minor, undisclosed injury, Kyle Clifford, who has resumed skating and light shooting after sustaining a significant upper-body injury in the third game of the season, and Torrey Mitchell, who was acquired on Thursday from Montreal for a conditional fifth round draft pick but is not yet eligible to play for Los Angeles. As it turns out, it’s not a breeze getting immigration paperwork handled over a major holiday weekend. “Getting the specific work visa over Thanksgiving, unfortunately, is a little trickier … and they’re not back ‘til Monday, so we’re in the process of being told [of my eligibility],” Mitchell said. It’s likely that there will be an update on his visa status by Monday, according to a team source. So, Mitchell won’t play tonight against Anaheim. That’s unfortunate, because he has a history of playing important games in the California rivalry. Of his 75 career playoff games, 10 were spent as a member of the Sharks going to battle against either the Kings or Ducks. Once the paperwork is filled out, he’ll be excited to wear a new insignia in the NHL’s most hotly contested three-team rivalry. “I got a few text messages from some guys [on San Jose] saying they couldn’t believe I was on the other side now,” said Mitchell, who played with Darcy Kuemper in Minnesota from 2012-14. “They’re hard games, and over the years it’s been a big rivalry, so it’ll be fun to jump back into that, that’s for sure.” But, after tonight, Los Angeles won’t play San Jose or Anaheim for another month. Instead, the Kings will venture into the wilderness looking to emerge from a malaise in team play that has grasped at their ankles after they had leapt to the top of the Pacific Division pack with an 11-2-2 start. After tonight’s game, 12 of the next 17 games will be played away from Staples Center, and without the selective match-ups at home, Mitchell’s experience, speed and faceoff ability as a depth center will be of good value. He hasn’t yet had an extended sit down with the coaching staff, but he knows that time will come. His responsible reputation has preceded him. “Obviously, I’ve played this long, and everyone sort of knows what my role is around the league,” he said. “I’ll use my speed, a faceoff guy, I can be an effective fourth line center down the middle, so hopefully that’s how it shakes out.” Even though he was on the final year of a three-year contract on a Montreal team currently sitting in 14th place in the Eastern Conference, he wasn’t expecting a trade. With the exchange behind him and chapters to write in his Los Angeles career, he’s looking to make the most of a new opportunity. “It caught me by surprise by a little bit, but I’m super excited to be here,” Mitchell said. “Good team, a playoff team, and a Stanley Cup contender, so I’m excited to be a part of it.” LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085191 Los Angeles Kings

WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: NOVEMBER 25

JON ROSEN NOVEMBER 25, 2017

Kings-Coyotes games at Gila River Arena never resemble immaculately chiseled artworks, and Friday night’s game did include some of the rivalry’s requisite chaos, influenced by a large heaping of turnovers, spotty defensive play and poor puck management embedded in the play of a pair of struggling teams. Arizona has begun to turn it around; they’ve already dug themselves a practically insurmountable deficit, but their structure and defensive play has significantly improved during their 4-1-0 stretch. Los Angeles, though with an obviously stronger standings grip, is heading in the opposite direction. Individual performances have cooled, they continued to yield too many shots against, and yet again struggled to find detail in their game while committing a surplus of unforced errors. This is different from recent games against Montreal, or San Jose, or Boston, where they faced heavy forechecking pressure. Instead, this served as another game in which there were avoidable mistakes again committed in transition that even the league’s 31st ranked team was capable of picking apart and turning into offense. Execution is again a concern for this team, and it raises the question of whether the personnel is skilled enough to transition into more of an up- tempo, opportunistic attacking group while retaining much of their smothering possession, shot suppression and checking ability. A snap evaluation is that after early success, teams have adjusted to their evolved style of play and are forcing them to stretch out beyond what is comfortable in their five-man attacking and defending. Individually, players who should thrive in this new system have hit personal skids. Derek Forbort remains one of the better players on the team to defend against the rush, but he’s hit a rough patch over the last two weeks and was a factor in Arizona’s second goal, which followed a turnover of his. (He also made a gritty play to block a high-quality attempt shortly before Brendan Perlini’s deflection.) Jake Muzzin is another fluid skater and more of a hybrid, all-situational defender who has raised his play from last season, but he still continues to be haunted periodically by questionable decisions, and like a large glut of players on the team, too many turnovers. Up front, the center performance again represented a group significantly affected by Jeff Carter’s absence. This will continue until Carter returns or the team parts with significant assets to make a trade. For a group that’s struggling with puck management and curtailing the opposition’s shots and chances, it would be unwise to remove Nick Shore, traditionally one of the league’s better shot suppression forwards, from the lineup. But for the second consecutive game, Shore logged the second most minutes and faceoffs out of any L.A. center and failed to record a shot attempt. Over his last 62:36 of game action, he has two shots on goal and one missed shot. Adrian Kempe, a converted center, did not register a shot attempt in a game-low 9:38 of ice time on Friday. At this juncture, there are challenges in both execution and some stretched-thin center personnel beyond Anze Kopitar. Marian Gaborik stepped back into the lineup seamlessly. This isn’t much of a surprise; in his return, the adrenaline was going to be flowing – he even mentioned that he had some pre-game jitters – and against a team such as the Coyotes that has struggled to keep the puck out of its net, his landing spot was somewhat cushioned. Tonight’s game will be a harbinger at the opposite end of the spectrum: in a pugilistic rivalry game against the Ducks that simulates the type of competitive, late-season games that the team will need to win to make the playoffs, how will he fare when afforded less time and more physical resistance to make a play? He connected with Kopitar on the type of goal the two have hooked up on before, and once he gets his legs going over the coming games, it will be interesting to see if he earns a spot alongside alongside his familiar linemate. I’m not sure if playing with Jussi Jokinen and Jonny Brodzinski is the long-term solution, but that was Los Angeles’ best line at even strength on Friday, and it would probably benefit Brodzinski (and perhaps the lineup structure) if he skated opposite the younger forward. It’s a bit of a precarious situation. To help reassert themselves, the Kings are going to need these types of performances regularly from Gaborik. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085192 Los Angeles Kings

NOVEMBER 25 POSTGAME NOTES

JON ROSEN NOVEMBER 26, 2017 ‘

POSTGAME NOTES -With the win, Los Angeles improved to 60-49-25 all-time against Anaheim, a record that includes a home mark of 36-20-11. The Kings improved to 2-0-0 in the season series, with games remaining on January 13 at Staples Center and January 19 and March 30 at Honda Center. 15 of the last 21 games in the rivalry have been decided by one goal. -With the win, Los Angeles improved to 3-5-3 against the Western Conference, 3-3-2 against the Pacific Division, 5-5-3 in one-goal games, 6-6-3 when their opponent scores first, 4-5-3 when trailing after one period, 2-6-3 when trailing after two periods, 7-3-2 when outshooting their opponent and 4-3 in games decided after regulation. Both Kings wins when trailing after two periods have come against the Ducks. -Los Angeles improved to 2-0 in shootouts this season, while Anaheim fell to 2-2. Jonathan Quick improved to 1-0 in shootouts this season and 40-29 in his career, and by stopping three of four shots has now stopped 167 of 240 shootout attempts (.696). Jussi Jokinen fell to 0/1 this season and 36/93 in his career, Jonny Brodzinski fell to 0/1 this season and 0/1 in his career, Anze Kopitar improved to 1/2 this season and 37/97 in his career, and Trevor Lewis improved to 1/1 this season and 1/5 in his career. -Los Angeles scored with its goalie pulled for the fourth time this season, for the second night in a row and for the first time while trailing in the third period. The last time the Kings scored a goal after pulling their goalie while trailing in the third period was on April 8, 2017, when Dustin Brown scored on Corey Crawford. -With his third period goal, Brown recorded his 20th point of the season in the 24th game. Last season, he recorded his 20th point on January 17, 2017, the 45th game of the season. -Trevor Lewis scored his first career shootout goal on his fifth attempt. He has points in consecutive games (1-1=2) and four points (3-1=4) in the last five games. -Drew Doughty has five points (1-4=5) in the last six games. With 33:21 of ice time, he has cracked 30 minutes in four of the last 11 games. -Marian Gaborik appeared in his 200th game as a King. -Los Angeles attempted 72 shots (34 on goal, 19 blocked, 19 missed). Anaheim attempted 46 shots (26 on goal, 5 blocked, 15 missed). Jake Muzzin, Drew Doughty and Corey Perry tied with a game-high five shots on goal. -The Kings won 36-of-70 faceoffs (51%). Adrian Kempe won 3-of-8, Anze Kopitar won 17-of-31, Jonny Brodzinski won 2-of-3, Nick Shore won 7-of- 14, Trevor Lewis won 0-of-2, Alec Martinez won 0-of-1, and Jussi Jokinen won 7-of-11. Sunday, November 26 is an off-day for the team. They will return to Toyota Sports Center for practice at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, November 27 before flying to Detroit. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085193 Los Angeles Kings

ANDREOFF LEAVES GAME AFTER FIGHT WITH BIEKSA

JON ROSEN NOVEMBER 25, 2017

INJURIES Andy Andreoff didn’t return to the Kings’ 2-1 shootout win over the Anaheim Ducks Saturday night after absorbing a heavy punch from Kevin Bieksa immediately after engaging the Duck defenseman in a fight. “I think if you’ve been in a lot of fights before, you don’t really celebrate the wins too much, because you know with the wins come the losses and fighting’s a tricking thing, right? It’s bare knuckles and I mean, I hope he’s okay,” Bieksa said after the game. “I’m glad to have won the fight, but I hope he’s okay.” There was no immediate word on the severity of the injury, but a Kings spokesperson shared a note during the second period that he would not return to the game. The Kings have a day off Sunday, so the next update on Andreoff is likely to come Monday morning before the team travels to Detroit to open a four-game trip. The fight was one of three in the first period. Also squaring off were Kurtis MacDermid and Mike Liambas, and Oscar Fantenberg and Andrew Cogliano. In 22 games this season, Andreoff has one goal, two points and 36 penalty minutes. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085194 Los Angeles Kings Yeah I know I think if you’ve been in a lot of fights before, you don’t really celebrate the wins too much because you know with the wins come the losses and fighting’s a tricking thing, right? It’s bare knuckles and I mean, NOVEMBER 25 POSTGAME QUOTES: ANAHEIM I hope he’s okay. I’m glad to have won the fight, but I hope he’s okay. Hampus Lindholm, on what his vantage point was on the Kings’ late goal: JESSI MCDONALD NOVEMBER 25, 2017 I don’t know. It’s a tough goal. Obviously you don’t want to let in goals that late in the period, but that said, they did a good job too. We kind of got tangled up and couldn’t find the puck and he goes around the net, see Miller makes a hell of a save, and he gets it right back on his stick. POSTGAME QUOTES And those goals, you cannot always do something about them but obviously you learn something from it for next game. Randy Carlyle, on his overriding emotion following the game: Lindholm, on whether this game was a turning point for the team: I thought that our work ethic was strong and our compete level was where it needed to be. And these are the type of games that separate I don’t know. I don’t look at it like that. I take one game at a time. We’re men and boys. And I thought our hockey club competed as hard as it’s going to pay Chicago next game I think and that’s all I’m thinking about competed in any game this year. and that’s going to be the most important game of the year and then the next game is going to be the most important. So that’s just how we have Carlyle, on limiting the Kings’ shot selection: to manage it. Well again, we know we’re stressed our lineup to bare bones here. So all LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.26.2017 you can ask is your players to give you what they did tonight and we’re not going to be critical of them. I thought they left it out on the ice. They gave us everything they had. Ryan Miller, on whether this was one of the team’s best performances over the stretch: Yeah for sure. I think the intensity was there, engaged from the puck drop and you know both teams only scored once but I think both teams were really committed to playing a hard game. So that’s what you’re going to get. Miller, on whether he considers this game pivotal, even early in the season: I mean we need everything we can get. We know what we got coming down the barrel. So effort like tonight is going to go a long way. It’s frustrating to walk out of here without the two points but I thought we fought really hard and it was actually the kind of game we needed so see if we can keep it going. Miller, on whether he was well-rested: No I’m fine. My game is pretty simple. I know what I want to do on the ice and I’m able to do it. Youknow, then I’m in the play and more often than not, you’re going to get hit with pucks, so it’s just trying to stay inside the play, keep moving and keep finding the puck. I feel like I’ve set up some good practices to keep the timing going. I mean I’ve done it enough over my career that I can be ready when I need to be. Kevin Bieksa, on whether this was the type of game the team has been looking for: Yeah we were letting a few too many scoring chacnes and shots against for three, four game segment there. And we were still getting wins there until a couple caught up with us, so we tried to clean that up a big. I think tonight, d-zone was pretty good tonight. And I know we had a little too much of it in the second period, but kept a lot of shots to the outside and played good enough to almost get the shutout there, but they got one and losing in the shootout sucks. We all know that. Bieksa, on the intensity of a strong rivalry game: Yeah I think this team always brings out the best in us. I think there’s obviously a pretty strong rivalry there and as you can see the emotions are pretty high right off the bat. And you’ve got everybody going. It was a great game. It was physical. It had a little bit of everything. You could tell that we wanted this one. You win it in the shootout or overtime and you feel like a million bucks and you lose you feel like a zero. So right now we try to take away the positives and start heading out East and make some noise. Bieksa, on the importance of this game to staying in the thick of things: Well its tight right now, really tight. And you keep dropping and you’re at the very bottom and a few points, a win or two, and you’re at the top. So you want to be in the thick of things. You don’t want to be swinging too far either way, well too far down, and it’s important to keep getting points. Bieksa, on whether the Ducks are playing a simpler, more grinding style: I don’t know if we play a simpler grinding style. I think we kind of have a style that suits our team and the personnel in it. And yeah, right now I don’t know if it’s a grinding style, but it’s high percentage, it’s pucks deep, it’s physical. We’ve got a physical team and you play to your strengths, right? Just like you do with that vest. Bieksa, on his fight with Andy Andreoff: 1085195 Los Angeles Kings

NOVEMBER 25 POSTGAME QUOTES: JOHN STEVENS

JON ROSEN NOVEMBER 25, 2017

POSTGAME QUOTES On what the team did well in an emotional game: I thought they dug in. It’s a hard game. Anaheim plays a hard game. I think they’re a very good checking team. They make you compete on pucks. The dot-to-board game and the game below the goal lines is usually where it’s won and lost. I thought our guys did a good job digging in in those areas, and that’s all three zones. I don’t think there was any easy ice out there. There wasn’t last game, and there certainly wasn’t tonight. On whether he saw the team make strides in shots and chances against this week: Yeah, I think so. I think, quite honestly, for us as coaches and I think for our team, that’s a process that never goes away. I think we know that if we’re better without the puck, we have it more. If we can hold lines better, get plays killed in their own zone, we have it more, so I thought the team played hard in that regard. I think that’s an area that we’re going to continue to focus on getting better at, just like other parts of our game. But you’ve got to limit the opportunities … whether that’s power plays or even strength, if you want to give yourself a chance to win hockey games. On whether he had a sense that the team was “losing faith” while in a slump: I don’t sense they were losing any faith, I sense a lot of frustration in the group. Confidence is a funny thing. Everyone wants to talk about confidence. When we were winning we had all kinds of it, and then I would call it more ‘spirit.’ I think when you have success and the group has success, it really brings a lot of spirit to the group. When it doesn’t, the game’s not much fun. I wouldn’t use the word ‘faith’ at all. I think this group, we’ve talked to the captains all along. I think they’ve been totally dialed in to what we’re trying to get done here, but I do think games like this give you a real understanding of how hard it is, how hard every night it is to win hockey games, and just the fact that we can’t have any passengers in order to win hockey games. The league’s too good. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085196 Los Angeles Kings

GAME 24: LOS ANGELES VS ANAHEIM

JON ROSEN NOVEMBER 25, 2017

GAME THREADS Los Angeles Kings 2, Anaheim Ducks 1 Final – Shootout Radio Feed FUBO TV Stream

NHL.com Preview Boxscore Ice Tracker SOG: LAK – 34; ANA – 26 PP: LAK – 0/4; ANA – 0/2 First Period 1) ANA – Nick Ritchie (3) (Corey Perry, Cam Fowler), 10:08 Second Period No scoring Third Period 2) LAK – Dustin Brown (9) (Trevor Lewis, Drew Doughty), 18:28 Overtime No scoring Shootout LAK: Jokinen – Save ANA: Perry – GOAL LAK: Brodzinski – Miss ANA: Silfverberg – Miss LAK: Kopitar – GOAL ANA: Fowler – Post LAK: Lewis – GOAL ANA: Roy – Save Los Angeles wins shootout, 2-1 Los Angeles Kings (12-8-3) vs Anaheim Ducks (10-9-3) Saturday, November 25, 2017, 7:30 p.m. Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA Referees: #10 Kyle Rehman, #29 Ian Walsh Linesmen: #73 Vaughan Rody, #58 Ryan Gibbons Fox Sports West, FOX Sports GO, FUBO TV, KABC 790, I Heart Radio LAK starters: G Jonathan Quick, D Jake Muzzin, D Drew Doughty, LW Alex Iafallo, C Anze Kopitar, RW Dustin Brown LAK scratches: D Christian Folin, F Nic Dowd, F Torrey Mitchell ANA starters: G John Gibson, D Cam Fowler, D Sami Vatanen, LW Nick Ritchie, C Derek Grant, RW Corey Perry ANA scratches: F Dennis Rasmussen, D Francois Beauchemin, F Rickard Rakell LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085197 Los Angeles Kings On only one power play over the last four games: A lot of times when that happens, Daryl, you’ve got to want to look at and say, ‘well, what are we not doing to draw penalties?’ I actually think the NOVEMBER 25 PRE-GAME QUOTES: JOHN STEVENS last couple games, the forecheck’s been more effective. What I would like to see is a little stiffer net presence, and more of a focus on maybe beating guys off the wall and driving into those seams. I think those are JON ROSEN NOVEMBER 25, 2017 the situations where you can really force teams to defend, and a lot of penalties are taken in those situations when you force teams to defend, when you attack offensively. And it’s about toe-dragging guys, it’s just seeing a little bit of a space and getting a little bit of separation and On expectations for tonight’s game against Anaheim: driving the inside. Well, it’s a big division game. The last time we played, it was as expected LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.26.2017 – a pretty spirited affair. I think there’s a lot at stake for both teams. The games in the division are extremely important games. I think both teams have had some ebbs and flows to their season and had to absorb a lot of injuries, but I think both teams understand how valuable these points are within the division. It doesn’t matter if we’re at home or on the road. I think both teams come ready to play, both teams will play hard, and there’s usually a good amount of emotion in the game, so we’re not expecting anything different tonight. On Marian Gaborik’s return to the lineup: I thought he did a really good job of getting ready to play. I think physically he got himself ready to play, but if you just watched him go about his business leading up to that game, I thought he did a really good job of mentally preparing to play, and he really wanted to sit down and go over details of systems, he really wanted to get some timing back in practice, he wanted to get in some battle drills. I think he really wanted to get his mind around not just being physically ready, but mentally ready, and I thought he came in and played really well. That’s as good as we would’ve hoped he played. He created some really good chances, he attacked with his speed, he was tough on the puck. I thought that line might’ve been our best line last night, and he had a lot to do with it, so it was really pleasing to see. I think the challenge now, you get geared up for that first game, and now it’s a matter of tough schedule, back-to-back, getting ready to go on the road. We’re just going to help him with his recovery and get him back to that same place every day. On any positives from last night that he hopes will carry over: At the end of the day, it’s about winning hockey games. I think we’ve done some good things, but the one thing we did talk to the group about today was just raising the expectations for ourselves. You can go out there and do good things, but you’ve got to expect to do good things every shift, and you’ve got to expect to do enough things to make the difference between winning and losing. There’s affine line between winning and losing, and I think we’ve got to crank up those expectations a little bit, and when you expect to win, you usually end up winning. This group’s done a good job. They understand that. They understand how hard it is to win, and they understand you can’t let your guard down for even a shift or it could end up costing you the hockey game. I think we’re well aware of what it takes to win. On whether this game has the potential to “galvanize” the group and provide a spark: Quite honestly, it’s one game. We’re looking at it as one game. If you look at the stretch we’ve had behind us, it’s something you want to look at and learn from it, try and get better from it. You can’t change what’s behind you, but you can learn from it to help you moving forward. This is one game at home here before we head on the road. It’s an important division game, and that’s the way we look at it, so we’re not trying to galvanize anything. We’re just trying to get back on the winning track against what quite honestly is a tough opponent. They play hard, their defense is getting healthy, they have great goaltending and they’ll play hard. It’s a good test for our hockey team, and it’s a good opportunity to get our emotional juices up to the level necessary to win a hockey game. On Anze Kopitar’s heavy ice time, and any plans to reduce his usage situationally: We’ve done that, quite honestly. Penalty kill, we’ve used a lot of times eight guys. Last night he got caught out there for a couple extended shifts for the penalty kills. I think Jokinen, the addition of him, Mitchell coming on board, can help with faceoff situations, and I think the one thing I’d like to see with Kopi is his shift length come down a little bit. It’s not so much the number of shifts, it’s the length of shifts that’s getting his number up, and part of that is a guy like Kopi wants to make a difference all the time, so if he gets a puck in the neutral zone, it’s maybe later in the shift, he sees an opportunity to attack, and then you attack in the offensive zone, and you can’t get off and you’ve got to stay out there going back in your own zone, so if anything – and we’ve looked at that – the number of shifts, a lot of times, is OK. It’s the length of shifts that we’d like to get down a little bit, and that’ll influence himself and the people around him. 1085198 Los Angeles Kings “Definitely coming along. Been skating a week now, so a little bit of shooting today,” Clifford said. “It’s progressing well and [we’ve] got a great team of doctors and personal trainers around helping me condition NOVEMBER 25 NOTES: LAICH ASSIGNED TO ONTARIO; CLIFFORD and rehab and all that stuff. So, credit to them.” PROGRESSING; CHANCES He shared that there’s no real timeline on when he’ll be able to practice with the full group, but he assumes “hopefully pretty soon here.” It’s still being discussed as to whether he’ll travel to Detroit with the team on JON ROSEN NOVEMBER 25, 2017 Monday. He’s not in any pain, but noted that he’s still aware of the injury when making upper-body movements.

“There’s some range of motion stuff and just a couple more things, a INJURIESMORNING SKATE NOTES couple more hurdles we’ve got to work through, so it’s definitely coming along,” Clifford said. A good afternoon to you from Staples Center, Insiders. The Kings gathered at Toyota Sports Center at 10:00 a.m. today, but on a second Naturally, the ultracompetitive team-first player wants to be on the ice half of a back-to-back with some minor travel, it wasn’t a practice day. with his teammates, especially after having struck a chord with Nick Best to save the energy for the game, because the first #FreewayFaceoff Shore and Trevor Lewis during preseason and early regular season offering was the hockey representation of trench warfare. The Kings and action. Ducks will renew their acquaintances at Staples Center at 7:30 p.m. tonight (FOX Sports West / FOX Sports GO / FUBO TV / KABC 790 / I “Any time you’re injured. it’s definitely frustrating. Nobody wants to be Heart Radio). injured,” he said. “Everybody wants to play and be with the guys and help the team and contribute. It’s rough, and I had Gabby and Carts there Notes! keeping me company for a little bit. Gabby, he’s all grown up now, he’s moved on.” -It wasn’t a real morning skate, so there’s no real sense of any lineup adjustments. Expect Jonathan Quick to get the nod one day after Darcy Whether or not it’s in solidarity, much like Marian Gaborik and Jeff Carter, Kuemper went over 60 minutes. The only players to take the ice were Clifford has grown a beard. Torrey Mitchell, who is ineligible to play as the team waits for his work visa to go through, Nic Dowd, who is day-to-day with a minor, “It’s just been getting lazy, trying something new,” he said. “Trying to undisclosed injury, and Kyle Clifford, who continues to work his way back keep busy any way I can.” from an upper-body injury suffered in the third game of the season. -Anaheim still faces major personnel challenges. They’ll be without Ryan -Meanwhile, Brooks Laich cleared waivers, and the Kings announced Getzlaf (facial surgery), Ryan Kesler (hip surgery), Patrick Eaves today that they assigned him to AHL-Ontario. The Reign didn’t practice (Gullain-Barre syndrome), Ondrej Kase (head) and Jared Boll (lower- today in advance of tomorrow’s 3:00 p.m. home game against San body), all of whom are on injured reserve. By removing Kesler and Antonio, so there are no indications at this time on any sort of expected Getzlaf, they’ll continue to rely on Derek Grant and Chris Wagner as top availability. two centers, and it’s possible that defenseman Korbinian Holzer could continue to play right wing on the fourth line. One addition that the Kings -Los Angeles is 1-6-1 in its last eight games, but it’s not always whether have not seen before is Mike Liambas, a 28-year-old who was you win or lose, it’s whether you’re ‘winning’ or ‘losing,’ right? The suspended for the remainder of the year early in his 20-year-old OHL question is posited in context of the scoring chances the team has season with the Erie Otters for a vicious and notorious hit on Kitchener allowed, and whether that number has trended down in recent play. The defenseman Ben Fanelli in 2009-10. Liambas, who earned his first career Winnipeg game seemed to represent a tightly checked game with NHL point in his fifth game yesterday, has appeared in four consecutive minimal chances, but that hasn’t necessarily been the recent norm. games for the Ducks. In 11 prior major junior and professional seasons, he reached double digits in points once and triple digits in penalty “Two games ago, I think we’d come down a little bit,” said Goaltending minutes nine times, topping out with 267 with AHL-Milwaukee in 2013-14. Coach Bill Ranford, who is among those to track chances against. “Last John Gibson started yesterday, and the expectation is that the Kings will night we were really good until the last minute of the game in overtime. see Ryan Miller tonight. Miller, 37, is 9-5-2 with a 2.44 goals-against That jumped us right back up to a little high, but I think if you take out the average and a .930 save percentage in 17 career games against Los overtime where the last two games have been back management, where Angeles. we want them at.” -Tonight’s officials are referees Kyle Rehman and Ian Walsh and So, there have been some intermittent stretches of improving chances linesmen Vaughan Rody and Ryan Gibbons. Pia Toscano will sing the and shots against, but it has still been a challenging November stretch. national anthem. I’ll have some John Stevens quotes at 6:00 or so, “We’re always looking at it,” Ranford said. “We’re always trying to get Insiders. Let’s talk soon. better, and we’ve tried to put a focus on sealing, docked the boards a lot Before tonight's #FreewayFaceoff, see @Rupper17 & @KevinWeekes better, good sticks. You know it’s a work in process that we’re always break down 2 of the @LAKings' goals from the last time these teams trying to clean that aspect of it up that we’ve gotten away from a little bit met. pic.twitter.com/0rPDAscDTY over the last ten games.” — NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) November 25, 2017 Some of the challenges the team has recently faced have been due to unforced errors, which makes tonight’s game against the heavy, LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.26.2017 forechecking Ducks a particular challenge. On the other hand, the type of ultracompetitive rivalry game surely brought out the best of the group during a 4-3 overtime win at Honda Center two and a half weeks ago. -Kyle Clifford has been known to binge watch television shows from time to time. He was – if you remember back to the halcyon days of 2013 – satisfied with Breaking Bad’s finale. As for Stranger Things 2? Well… “I didn’t like the way it ended,” Clifford said. There are one or two reasons he shared, but this Morning Skate Report will remain spoilers-free. He otherwise enjoyed the reboot, apart from the ending. “I like the way I’ve been gone for seven weeks and you lead with a TV show,” he shared. Guilty! But Clifford has had some couch time recently. He suffered an upper-body injury in the October 11 overtime loss to Calgary, a setback that has limited him to more time in front of the television than on the ice. That’s changing, though! He is slowly being integrated back into the collective group, and while he’s still a ways away, has progressed to the point where he’s not just working out or skating by himself but actually handling pucks. 1085199 Minnesota Wild

Wild has chance to make week 'extra special' vs. Blues

By Sarah McLellan NOVEMBER 25, 2017 — 1:27PM

Regardless of what happens Saturday night in St. Louis, this has been a productive week for the Wild. The team has pocketed five out of a possible six points, a climb that has them in the thick of the West’s playoff race. But a win against the Blues would undoubtedly make this stretch even more meaningful. “We’ve done what we’ve needed to do,” coach said. “It would be extra special if we could come into this building and squeak one out today. That would be a tremendous week and if you ever get seven points in a week, you’re going to move up in the standings. That would be special for us.” Maneuvering around the Blues’ towering blue line will likely be key for the Wild to have a chance to accomplish that. The unit, led by 6-foot-3 captain Alex Pietrangelo, 6-foot-6 Colton Parayko and 6-foot-4 Jay Bouwmeester is one of the best in the league. “Holy geez, they’re big and strong,” Boudreau said. “They’re very good, so you have to be more determined to try to get in front of the net. It’s a tough job, and I think last spring (in the playoffs) we couldn’t do it on a consistent basis and they know that. So I think it’s going to be something they’ll really talk about.” Projected lineup: -Mikko Koivu-Mikael Granlund Jason Zucker-Eric Staal-Nino Niederreiter Tyler Ennis-Charlie Coyle-Zack Mitchell Marcus Foligno-Matt Cullen-Chris Stewart Ryan Suter-Jared Spurgeon Jonas Brodin-Matt Dumba Kyle Quincey-Gustav Olofsson Devan Dubnyk (The Wild held an optional morning skate Saturday in St. Louis.) Key numbers: 6-1-1: The Wild’s record over its past eight games. 8: Power-play goals by the Wild in its last 18 tries. 7: Goals by winger Nino Niederreiter over his past six games. 6: Wins by the Blues in eight games against the Central Division. 14-2-2: The Blues’ record against the Wild in the teams’ last 18 regular- season matchups in St. Louis. About the Blues: Despite getting blanked 2-0 by the Predators Friday, the Blues remain atop the Western Conference with 33 points. Contributions throughout the lineup have boosted the team. Their 21 goals from defensemen pace the NHL. The team’s save percentage (.914) and goals-against average (2.61) rank in the top-10 in the league. And the Blues’ plus-20 goal differential at even strength is tops. “We have to get good goaltending and play strong defensively and look for our breaks,” Boudreau said. “That’s how you’re going to beat this team. They’re the best in the league.” Star Tribune LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085200 Minnesota Wild

NHL caps centennial with documentary lauding its greats

By STEPHEN WHYNO Associated Press NOVEMBER 25, 2017

The NHL is wrapping up its centennial celebration with a documentary that taught even "The Great One" something about his sport. "I found out some interesting things about the game that I didn't know," Wayne Gretzky said. The record-breaking career of hockey's greatest player one highlight of "The NHL: 100 Years" documentary that airs Sunday night, a century to the date of league's founding on Nov. 26, 1917. After narrowing down its top 100 players, its greatest teams and best moments and going outdoors during the yearlong commemoration, the NHL is letting a noted fan in Jon Hamm narrate its growth from fledgling league on life support to 31 franchises today. "It's been an interesting journey for the NHL," said Hamm, the actor of "Mad Men" fame. "The Montreal Maroons are just as much a part of this as the Vegas Golden Knights and we celebrate that. It's etched in the trophy. I think that's pretty cool. There's a part of the NHL that celebrates history like no other league." The four-part, two-hour documentary is broken up over the 25-year periods of the league: the beginnings, Original Six era, expansion and modern times. Gary Bettman, approaching his 25th anniversary as commissioner, said the show will "refresh some vivid hockey memories" and is an important historical record that set the stage for the future. Former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Bobby Orr, Jaromir Jagr, Gretzky and others tell the stories. "This kind of puts it all together," said Steve Mayer, the NHL's executive vice president and chief content officer. "It was absolutely the goal to do something that would be a piece that would live forever and summarize the first 100 years." The first 100 years pays special attention to Gordie Howe's career; Orr's famous 1970 Stanley Cup-winning goal and leap through the air; Gretzky's role in shaping the direction of the league; and the league's expansion into nontraditional markets in California, Florida and elsewhere. "If Wayne doesn't come along, the league takes another 10, 15, maybe 20 years to expand the way they expanded," said Hamm, who grew up as a St. Louis Blues fan in the 1970s. "He was Michael Jordan and Larry Bird in one package. He was the kind of a person that made people that didn't care about hockey care about hockey." Gretzky learned plenty about the early days of the NHL with gruesome injuries, goaltenders without masks and the roadblocks that threatened to derail it. He figures anyone who was around in the 1930s and '40s would be amazed about what the league looks like now, though he downplays his own importance in that. "Just to play in the National Hockey League is such a great honor," said Gretzky, who won the Cup four times with the Edmonton Oilers, owns 61 NHL records and whose No. 99 is retired leaguewide. "I know as a fan from watching George Armstrong or Jean Beliveau lift the Stanley Cup when I was a kid or getting that ultimate dream of lifting the Stanley Cup myself, I felt very special to be part of it." Hamm, who hosted the unveiling of the 100 greatest players in January, was excited just to see Gretzky on the Blues late in the 1995-96 season. He knows there's no doubt about Gretzky's place as the face of the NHL. "You just look at the offensive records that he put up, the amount of championships that the guy won, the way that he made players around him so much better and you think, 'OK, that's a generational player.'" "He just wants to play the game and wants to be the best that ever was," Hamm added. "And I think that kind of thing inspires the Auston Matthews, the Connor McDavids, the guys that are coming around this next kind of generation." Star Tribune LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085201 Minnesota Wild

Penalties derail Wild in loss to Blues

By Sarah McLellan NOVEMBER 25, 2017

Considering the way the Wild had performed on the power play and while shorthanded lately, getting into a special-teams battle against the Blues might not have seemed like a problem. But the Wild’s prowess in those situations couldn’t sustain it Saturday, as the team was tripped up 6-3 by the Blues at Scottrade Center amid three power-play goals by the Blues in eight opportunities. “We’re a good penalty-killing team,” goalie Devan Dubnyk said. “We’ve shown it. That’s not how we kill, and we’ll get back to it on Monday.” The Wild had gone 28-for-30 on the penalty kill over its past 10 games – an efficiency of 93.3 percent. Overall, the unit entered the game third in the NHL (85.5 percent). But a steady succession of penalties was too much to overcome – even with a power play that continued to be potent. That unit went 2-for-3 against the Blues, helping the Wild inch closer in the third period. But, ultimately, more penalty trouble snuffed out any chance at a comeback, as the Blues scored two late insurance gaols with the man advantage to cap off the 6-3 win. “Just keep going,” coach Bruce Boudreau said of the message when the Wild clawed within one to make it 4-3 with more than 11 minutes to go in the third. “Stay the course. You’re going to get another chance or two. We thought at that point that they had shut it down a little bit and were looking for easy opportunities. That’s what we thought, but then we take another dumb penalty and it’s in the back of our net.” Here’s what else to watch for after the Wild’s loss to the Blues. Dubnyk seemed to be fighting the puck early and after the team fell behind 3-0 after one period, it didn’t appear as a given that Dubnyk would return for the second. But he did, and Dubnyk settled in with the Blues’ next three goals coming during special-teams play. Still, Boudreau said the performance “wasn’t as good as I would have liked it.” Forward Charlie Coyle scored his first goal of the season in the second period, which was also his first since returning to the lineup earlier this week after suffering a right fibula fracture in Game No.3. The goal was a shorthanded marker, as Coyle broke in alone and wired a shot by Blues goalie Jake Allen in the second period. “I thought he played hard,” Boudreau said. “He had opportunities. He was handling the puck. When he does that, he’s very visible.” Winger Chris Stewart tried to steal away the Blues’ first-period momentum with a fight against winger Chris Thorburn and although the tussle didn’t immediately spark the Wild, the effort didn’t go unnoticed. “You have Stewart step up there and try and give us some life,” Coyle said. “That's huge. There's no quit in our team, we know that. We fought back, but too little too late I think. They pour it on with the power plays. We need to stay out of the box." Star Tribune LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085202 Minnesota Wild

Wild notes: Mikko Koivu remains a big player in goal production

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune NOVEMBER 25, 2017

ST. LOUIS – When the Wild has scored lately, there’s been little surprise who’s been behind the celebration. Wingers Nino Niederreiter, Mikael Granlund and Jason Zucker were behind 12 of the team’s past 17 goals after the Wild outlasted the Avalanche 3-2 in a shootout Friday at Xcel Energy Center. But someone else has also been heavily involved in the attack — just not as a finisher. Mikko Koivu has been the architect. “He has great vision,” Niederreiter said. “He’s a great passer, and I would say [I’m] fortunate to play with him right now. He seems to find everyone, and obviously found me a few times now.” Koivu toted a five-game assist streak into Saturday’s game against the Blues, a span in which he set up seven goals. Most of his helpers have come on the power play, a situation that seems to highlight Koivu’s heads-up awareness to find the open stick. Before facing the Blues, the Wild had converted eight of its past 18 power plays and Koivu registered an assist on six of those tallies. “If you keep getting chances, if you keep getting that pressure toward their net, that’s a good sign,” Koivu said. “I believe it’s going to go in sooner or later.” Being the setup man isn’t a new role for Wild captain Koivu, who reached the 40-assist mark in 2016-17 for the fifth time in his career. Neither is his responsibility to shut down the opponent’s best players, a duty he and linemates Daniel Winnik and Granlund have fulfilled admirably lately. And the value of both contributions only seems to get underscored when the Wild racks up points like it has the past week. “Just overall his game is starting to come around,” coach Bruce Boudreau said. “He’s been a good player in this league for many years, so there’s no reason for him to think as our leader that he’s not taking this little run we’ve had and he’s been the guy spearheading it.” Switching it up Much of Niederreiter’s success during his goal streak has come while burying passes and loose pucks in or by the crease, but he extended the run to six games Friday with an impressive one-timer of a Koivu feed from the right faceoff circle. “Obviously when I get a setup like that, you have a good chance to put it in,” Niederreiter said. Crashing the net is still a reliable strategy for Niederreiter, who effectively uses his 6-2 frame to withstand the pressure from the opposition while hunting for goals. But diversifying his skill set is no doubt an encouraging sign for being a consistent scorer. “You’d certainly like to see it a lot more because he’s got a heavy shot,” Boudreau said. “When he can get rid of it in the time that he got rid of it (Friday) night, it’s very difficult for the goalie and he needs to find another element if he wants to get to another echelon. He can’t just go to the net and bang pucks in from there. He’s gotta be able to it in different ways.” Close calls The Wild’s shootout win over the Avalanche was the team’s 10th one- goal game finish, which was the second-most in the Western Conference. Its largest margin of victory entering Saturday was three goals (four times), while the widest deficit was two goals (five times). “Every game we’ve played I think this year has been a nail-biter,” Boudreau said. “I don’t think there’s been one way that we’ve been blown out or one way that we’ve blown another team out. So I guess that’s what we have. So if we’re not competing, we’re going to struggle. The more we compete, we’re in every game.” Star Tribune LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085203 Minnesota Wild (2011-2016). ... The Wild scratched D Mike Reilly. ... The Blues scratched D Carl Gunnarsson, D Nate Prosser and L Magnus Paajarvi.

UP NEXT Jaden Schwartz scores twice, Blues beat Wild 6-3 Wild: At Winnipeg on Monday night.

Blues: Host Anaheim on Wednesday night. By JOE HARRIS Associated Press NOVEMBER 25, 2017 Star Tribune LOADED: 11.26.2017

ST. LOUIS — Jaden Schwartz has been putting on a show for St. Louis Blues fans all season. On Saturday night, he put one on for his parents. Schwartz scored twice and Kyle Brodziak added a short-handed goal in the St. Louis Blues' 6-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild. "It's really nice having them here," Schwartz said about his parents. "They love visiting. They're here for a week and they made some good meals and I tried to reward them with a couple of goals." Paul Stastny, Dmitrij Jaskin and Sammy Blais also scored for the Blues, who jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period. Jake Allen made 22 saves to help St. Louis win for the third time in four games and improve its points total to an NHL-best 35 at 17-6-1. Charlie Coyle, Zack Mitchell and Eric Staal scored for the Wild. Devan Dubnyk made 34 saves. He's 6-13-2 in his career against St. Louis. Schwartz's second goal with 8:24 left in the third thwarted a mounting Minnesota rally. Colton Parayko found Schwartz all alone in the crease and Schwartz had enough time to wait out Dubnyk for the power play goal to make it 5-3 Blues. "I knew there was a battle going on in the corner," Schwartz said. "My first thought was shoot, but I didn't quite like where the puck was, so I just decided to grab it and hold on to it and just try to outwait the goalie." Schwartz leapfrogged Vladimir Tarasenko for the team lead with 13 goals. He has 32 points and is a plus-31. Blais scored on a power play three minutes later for his first NHL goal. "I played my game," Blais said. "I was good on the forecheck, I finished my hits and it's nice to have an effort goal at the end. I'm just going to try to keep going like that." Stastny's power-play goal gave the Blues a 1-0 lead at 6:15 in the first period. It was Stastny's second goal in four games. Jaskin made it 2-0 five minutes later, a product of an intense fore-check that forced Wild defenseman Kyle Quincey to try and throw the puck out of the Minnesota zone, but it bounced off of Chris Thorburn right to Jaskin's stick. "We did a better job of hanging onto the puck and allowing ourselves to get in better position," Blues coach Mike Yeo said. "When you have that kind of sustained zone time that's when things start to open up and I think we saw that with a couple of those goals." Schwartz deflected Vladimir Tarasenko's pass to make it 3-0 late in the first. The duo have combined for 10 points in their last three games. "They get a power play goal and that's fine and the second one gets things going in there and when you're in a tough building on the road against a real good hockey then they kind of roll a little bit and it's going to take a while to kind of weather that," Dubnyk said. "We've just got to do a better job not getting down 3-0. It's everyone including myself." Coyle took advantage of a Blais giveaway to score a short-handed goal with 4:58 left in the second period. It was the first of the season for Coyle, who was playing in just his seventh game after coming back from a broken fibula. Brodziak regained the three-goal lead for the Blues at 2:09 of the third period. Mitchell tipped in Daniel Winnik's feed at 3:31 to cut the Blues' lead to 4- 2. Staal made it a one-goal game after he banged home his own rebound at 8:52. Staal has nine points in his last seven games. "I mean when you try to chase the game, it's really difficult," Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said. "Because when you make a mistake you've got to press and they take advantage of it and it's usually in the net. NOTES: F Wild forward Chris Stewart played for the Blues in parts of four seasons (2010-14). ... Yeo coached the Wild in parts of five seasons 1085204 Minnesota Wild “We were feeling good, gained some momentum,” Coyle said. “You battle back like that, you gain more and more of that. We started taking more penalties, and it comes back to bite you.” Wild can't rebound from early deficit in loss to St. Louis sarah.mclellan@startribune,com Saturday's loss to the Blues was a less-than-flattering progress report on Star Tribune LOADED: 11.26.2017 how the Wild stacks up to the best in the West.

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune NOVEMBER 26, 2017 — 12:16AM

The Wild got its first chance this season to study the current Western Conference leader in person, getting reacquainted with the Blues on Saturday for the first time since St. Louis knocked it out of the playoffs last spring. But the group might have walked away from the test learning more about itself than St. Louis, because just when the Wild seemed to find equal footing with the Blues, it sabotaged itself by committing a turnover, surrendering a shorthanded goal and taking a penalty — a constellation of errors that lined up for a 6-3 letdown in front of an announced 18,610 at Scottrade Center. “When you keep giving them back a two-goal lead,” goalie Devan Dubnyk said, “eventually you’re going to run out of time.” While the Wild seemed to be catching the Blues at an opportune time for its litmus test, having banked five out of a possible six points through its first three games of the week, the result was a reminder of the work that still needs to be accomplished to not just hang with the elite in the West but outmaneuver it. “They’re a really good hockey club,” coach Bruce Boudreau said of the Blues. “I just don’t think we played anywhere near [our] capabilities.” The Wild was on the penalty kill a season-high eight times, and the Blues capitalized on three of those chances. This parade to the penalty box started early, teeing up a three-goal outburst for St. Louis in the first period. Coach Bruce Boudreau discusses the 6-3 loss to the Blues. Video (00:22): Penalties costly in Wild's loss to Western-Conference leading Blues A deflection in front by center Paul Stastny on a power play put the Blues up 1-0 just 6 minutes, 15 seconds into the game, but the Wild could have easily erased the deficit. Winger Nino Niederreiter lost the handle in front with goalie Jake Allen caught out of position, his best chance to extend his career-best goal streak that came to an end at six games. Wingers Tyler Ennis and Zack Mitchell also had quality looks, but Allen — who recorded 22 saves — blocked everything. Soon after, the Wild fell further behind after a giveaway by defenseman Kyle Quincey. His clearing attempt caromed off winger Chris Thorburn and right to winger Dmitrij Jaskin, who slid the puck around Dubnyk at 11:09. Winger Chris Stewart tried to flip the momentum by dropping the gloves with Thorburn, a spirited slugfest between the two at center ice. But the fight didn’t spark the Wild, as winger Jaden Schwartz pushed in a puck from in front at 16:54. “I don’t think we played that bad, but down 3-0, that says something there,” forward Charlie Coyle said. The Wild’s execution was only mildly better in the second; Coyle erased Allen’s shutout bid at 15:02 when he capitalized on a shorthanded breakaway by firing a shot by Allen’s glove for his first goal of the season. It was Coyle’s first career shorthanded goal and the Wild’s league- leading fifth. But the Wild derailed its own rhythm by giving up a shorthanded goal for the second straight game. Center Kyle Brodziak scored on a breakaway just 2:09 into the third. Still, the team persisted and pulled within one amid two power-play goals — from Mitchell at 3:31 and then another from center Eric Staal at 8:52. The unit finished 2-for-3. Again, though, penalties stalled the Wild’s efforts as the Blues added a pair of insurance goals on the power play with Schwartz’s second of the game at 11:36 and rookie Sammy Blais’ first career goal at 14:12. Dubnyk totaled 34 saves. 1085205 Minnesota Wild

Blues score early, often, to maintain mastery of Wild

By STEVE OVERBEY | PUBLISHED: November 25, 2017 a

ST. LOUIS – The Minnesota Wild simply dug themselves too deep a hole on Saturday night. St. Louis scored three first-period goals and held off a late challenge on the way to a 6-3 win in the battle of Central Division rivals at Scottrade Center. “Getting behind the eight ball early – it’s not ideal,” said Minnesota center Charlie Coyle, who scored his first goal of the season. “Obviously, you want a better start than that.” The Wild were hoping to make a statement after losing to the Blues in five games in the opening round of the playoffs last season. But St. Louis, which leads the Western Conference with 35 points, continued its dominance in impressive fashion. “They’re a good team, I just don’t think we played anywhere near the capabilities that we’re capable of,” Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said. The Blues bombarded goalie Devan Dubnyk early, scoring three times on their first eight shots. Peter Stastny, Dmitrij Jaskin and Jaden Schwartz converted in the game’s first 16 minutes and 54 seconds. The Wild, 11-9-3, never fully recovered from that early onslaught. Zack Mitchell and Eric Staal scored third-period power-play goals in a span of 5:21 to get the Wild to within 4-3. Schwartz and Sammy Blais followed with power-play goals for the Blues to put the game away. Minnesota had lost just once in regulation in its previous eight games and had several legitimate scoring chances in the opening period when the game was all but decided. But St. Louis goalie Jake Allen recorded a trio of highlight-reel saves. Nino Niederreiter, who had a franchise record-tying six-game goal steak snapped, missed from close range late in the period. Allen also stymied Tyler Ennis and Mitchell on back-to-back shots from the slot. “You never want to go down three to this team,” Dubnyk said. “We did a good job fighting back. We stayed with it. We were one shot away.” Minnesota cut the deficit to 3-1 on a second-period shorthanded goal by Coyle, who was playing in his seventh game after missing 16 contests with a broken leg. He picked up a loose puck and fired a wrist shot past Allen. Mitchell converted from the side of the net off a perfect pass from Daniel Winnik to get to within 4-2. Stahl got the Wild even closer with another power play tally. Minnesota is 10-for-21 with a man advantage over the past six games after a 2-for-3 effort on Saturday. The Wild were coming off a 3-2 shootout win over Colorado on Friday. Niederrieter had scored seven times during his six-game streak that tied Brian Ralston, who scored in six successive games from Jan. 21-Feb. 5, 2008. Dubnyk fell to 9-7-2, but he played well at times. He turned in a nifty glove save on a shot by Chris Thorburn in the second period. Minnesota winger Chris Stewart, who played in 211 games over four-plus seasons in St. Louis, squared off with Thorburn in a first-period toe-to-toe battle at center ice. This was the first of four games this season between the rivals. They will meet in Minnesota on Dec. 2. The Wild conclude their short two-game road trip in Winnipeg on Monday. “We got to pick up our shoes and go into Winnipeg and do it against another pretty good team,” Boudreau said. Pioneer Press LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085206 Montreal Canadiens

Carey Price notches shutout as Montreal Canadiens top Buffalo Sabres

KELSEY PATTERSON

A composed Carey Price looked like his old self in his return from injury. Price made 36 saves in his first game in more than three weeks as the Montreal Canadiens blanked the visiting Buffalo Sabres 3-0 on Saturday to snap a five-game losing skid. The Canadiens goalie earned his first shutout since Feb. 28, 2017. "I felt pretty good," said Price, who notched his 40th career shutout. "I felt prepared more than anything. I spent a lot of time thinking about today. I'm glad it all turned out well. Injuries aren't a vacation. It took a lot to get ready." Price missed 10 games with a lower-body injury dating back to Nov. 2. The Canadiens (9-12-3) went 4-4-2 in his absence. The 30-year-old, whose specific injury was never disclosed, had a shaky start to the season prior to getting hurt. He came into Saturday's game with an uncharacteristic 3.77 goals-against-average and an .877 save percentage. But it was the Price of old between the pipes against the Sabres as he made several key saves to keep his side in the game. In the second period, Price made back-to-back saves on Zemgus Girgensons and Johan Larsson in close quarters. In the third, Price stopped Jack Eichel twice on the power play to preserve Montreal's three-goal lead. "When you watch him play, that's the Carey Price that we've seen here since I've been in the league, since he's been in the league," said Brendan Gallagher. "Just look at how composed he was. He never really looks panicky. "We feed off of that in front of him." The Habs netminder made most of the 36 saves he faced look easy. His 40th shutout puts him six away from tying Ken Dryden for third-most in Canadiens history. "That was the Carey Price we're used to," said coach Claude Julien. "He came back strong. He was calm tonight and excited to play. Very good first game for him." Jeff Petry rewarded Price's efforts with his third goal of the season at 12:54 of the first period. With Montreal on the power play, Petry's shot from the point went off Rasmus Ristolainen's stick and the puck jumped over Robin Lehner's shoulder. Alex Galchenyuk made it 2-0 with his first goal in 12 games at 13:58 of the second period. Streaking down the ice on a 2-on-1 with Paul Byron, Galchenyuk buried the rebound after Byron's shot bounced off Lehner's pad. Byron got one of his own in the third period when he scored on a short- handed breakaway. The first-line winger intercepted a pass from Eichel and moved in all alone on Lehner, beating him five-hole for his first short- handed goal of the season. "With the time in the game, and that moment, it was a big goal," said Byron. "I'm just trying to kill the penalty. If it's there, I'll take it. If I keep getting them, I'll take them." Lehner made 23 saves for the last-place Sabres (6-14-4), who have lost eight of their last nine games. It looked like Evander Kane had spoiled Price's shutout with 32 seconds remaining in the game but the goal was disallowed for goaltender interference on Sam Reinhart. "I have no idea what they were reviewing," said Kane. "I saw the replay on the jumbotron. I don't know if I have to go to the eye doctor but it looked like Sam was outside the crease. I don't have anything good to say about that decision. "We didn't work hard enough to beat him (Price) or to score multiple goals in the game. They capitalized on the few chances they had." Montreal's last victory was against the Sabres exactly two weeks ago. Globe And Mail LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085207 Montreal Canadiens Mete – Jerabek Weber – Davidson Game Day: Canadiens' Shea Weber will miss his third straight game Canadiens rookie defenceman Victor Mete, who was made a healthy scratch for the first time this season in Thursday night’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Predators in Nashville, will be back in the lineup against the Stu Cowan, Montreal Gazette Sabres with Brandon Davidson expected to be the healthy scratch. Stu Cowan Defenceman Shea Weber will miss his third straight game with a lower- @StuCowan1 body injury when the Canadiens face the Buffalo Sabres Saturday night Head coach Claude Julien speaks with players at #Habs morning skate at the Bell Centre (7 p.m., SN, TVA Sports, TSN Radio 690). in Brossard #HabsIO Weber took part in the Canadiens’ morning skate Saturday in Brossard, 10:31 AM - Nov 25, 2017 but coach Claude Julien said afterward that the defenceman wasn’t ready to return to the lineup. Weber, who skipped practice Friday for a 3 3 Replies 3 3 Retweets 1 1 like therapy day, has 4-9-13 totals in 20 games this season and is minus-7 while averaging a team-high 26:07 of ice time. Deslauriers leads team stretch Brendan Gallagher, who leads the Canadiens in scoring with 9-5-14 Nicolas Deslauriers went to centre ice to lead the Canadiens’ team totals, also missed practice Friday for a therapy day but was back on the stretch after Saturday’s morning skate in Brossard. In the locker room ice Saturday morning and will play against the Sabres. afterward, Deslauriers said it was Weber who told him to get in the middle of the circle. Gallagher needs one more point to reach the 200 mark for his career and needs one more goal to match his total from last season in 64 games. The Canadiens acquired Deslauriers from the Sabres on Oct. 4 in Gallagher has shattered his left hand in each of the last two seasons exchange for defenceman Zach Redmond. Deslauriers is pointless in after being hit by slapshots, but is now healthy, although his left hand will four games with the Canadiens since getting called up from the Laval never be at 100 per cent again after two surgeries. Rocket and has five penalty minutes from a fight with the Arizona Coyotes’ Zac Rinaldo. “He’s injury free,” Julien said about Gallagher’s production this season compared with last. “I think that was the biggest thing. We saw it in Alex “That’s my second stretch … let’s hope I don’t do too many,” the 6-foot-1, Galchenyuk last year (after he suffered a knee injury). When guys come 215-pound Deslauriers said with a smile about leading the morning off some injuries where they’ve missed a lot of time it’s hard to catch up, stretch. “I don’t have any stretch in my book so that’s always going to be especially when teams are in full flight, in mid-season form, and a guy short and sweet, but it means a lot.” hasn’t played for a long time. So I think him getting a good start to the When asked if he has something to prove against the Sabres after they season and, obviously, the confidence is there for him. traded him, Deslauriers said: “I think I have something to prove every “He deserves the accolades he’s getting right now in my estimation,” game. I just got here. But it’s going to be special. That’s where everything Julien added about the 5-foot-9, 181-pound Gallagher. “He’s a started. They picked me up when I was in L.A. (after being selected by competitor, he works so hard and he does give our team some energy the Kings in the third round of the 2009 NHL Draft). First NHL game (with and some hope just by the way he plays in all areas. He’ll forecheck, he’ll Buffalo) … I have a lot of good memories. I think I owe a lot to this go to the front of the net, he’ll take the abuse to a point where I think (Sabres) organization but tonight’s it will be up to me to prove that they sometimes maybe unfair on him because of past reputation. I think he’s made a mistake.” taken more abuse than he should. But that’s not stopping him from doing Stu Cowan his job.” ✔ Goalie Carey Price will make his return to the Canadiens net Saturday night after missing the last 10 games with a lower-body injury. Price has @StuCowan1 a 3-7-1 record with a 3.77 goals-against average and .877 save percentage this season and has allowed four or more goals in seven of Nicolas Deslauriers leads team stretch at #Habs morning skate in the 11 games he has played. Antti Niemi will be Price’s backup after Brossard #HabsIO rookie goalie Charlie Lindgren was returned to the AHL’s Laval Rocket 10:50 AM - Nov 25, 2017 on Friday. Replies 2 2 Retweets likes You can watch Julien’s Saturday morning news conference from Brossard on the HI/O Facebook page. Twitter Ads info and privacy Stu Cowan Sabres end losing streak ✔ The Sabres ended a seven-game losing streak with a 3-1 win over the struggling Edmonton Oilers Friday night in Buffalo. @StuCowan1 The Sabres (6-13-4) remain in last place in the Eastern Conference but Carey Price stretches during #Habs morning skate in Brossard. He will are now only three points behind the Canadiens (8-12-3) in the be back in goal tonight vs #Sabres after missing 10 games with lower- standings. body injury #HabsIO “I do look at the standings … that’s part of our job,” Julien said after 10:54 AM - Nov 25, 2017 Saturday’s morning skate. “At the same time, I look at our team and what 6 6 Replies 4 4 Retweets 10 10 likes we need to do to win tonight more than go in there and say: ‘Hey guys, they could be within a point of us.’ Twitter Ads info and privacy “I’d rather look at us moving up than talk about teams that are creeping The lines up on us. I think that’s the best way to look at it.” Here’s how the Canadiens’ lines and defence pairings looked at This is the third of four meetings between the Canadiens and Sabres this Saturday’s morning skate in Brossard: season. The Canadiens won the first two games, beating the Sabres 2-1 in a shootout in the season opener on Oct. 5 in Buffalo and winning 3-2 Galchenyuk – Drouin – Byron in overtime at the Bell Centre on Nov. 11. The final meeting between the Pacioretty – Danault – Shaw Canadiens and Sabres will be on March 23 in Buffalo. Hudon – Plekanec – Gallagher Evander Kane is leading the Sabres in scoring with 12-11-23 totals, followed by Jack Eichel (7-12-19), Ryan O’Reilly (7-9-16) and Jason Deslauriers – De La Rose – Froese Pominville (6-8-14). Former Canadiens defenceman Nathan Beaulieu has no goals and three assists in 16 games with the Sabres and is Alzner – Petry minus-7 while averaging 18:36 of ice time per game. Morrow – Benn Who needs tickets? The Canadiens have reduced the price of some tickets for Wednesday night’s game against the Ottawa Senators at the Bell Centre. Donald Beauchamp, the Canadiens’ vice-president of communications, told The Canadian Press that the price change affected only a few tickets that were reduced to the regular price instead of the “optimum” price. “A week to 10 days before that game, in very few categories, we just lowered the price back to regular price instead of keeping it at optimum price,” Beauchamp told The Canadian Press in a phone interview. Beauchamp added that the price reduction was a “one-off” and blamed the sluggish sales on a busy home schedule for the Canadiens that includes 13 games at the Bell Centre from Nov. 7 through Dec. 9. There were some good deals on tickets for Saturday night’s game against the Sabres on the StubHub website with some tickets as low as $37 in the Grey section as of noon hour. Slumping offence The Canadiens have lost their last five games (0-3-2) and have the worst offence in the NHL, ranking 31st with an average of 2.30 goals per game despite the fact they lead the league in shots with an average of 36.0 per game. Jonathan Drouin has gone seven games without a goal and has only one goal in his last 16 games. Jacob De La Rose has no goals in the 14 games he has played, while Phillip Danault has gone 12 games without a goal, Galchenyuk hasn’t scored in 11 games, Charles Hudon hasn’t scored in 10 games and Tomas Plekanec hasn’t scored in nine games. Max Pacioretty and Andrew Shaw have both gone five games without a goal. The Canadiens rank 29th in the NHL on the power play (14.4 per cent), 27th in penalty-killing (75.3 per cent) and 28th in defence (allowing an average of 3.43 goals per game). Gallagher leads the Canadiens in scoring with 9-5-14 totals, followed by Weber (4-9-13), Drouin (3-10-13), Pacioretty (7-5-12) and Danault (3-9- 12). Plekanec has the best plus/minus on the Canadiens at plus-2, while Jeff Petry and Pacioretty are tied for the worst plus/minus at minus-12. Stu Cowan Tomas Plekanec and Jonathan Drouin work on faceoffs at #Habs morning skate in Brossard. Drouin is winning only 39.6% of his faceoffs this season #HabsIO 10:52 AM - Nov 25, 2017 5 5 Replies 2 2 Retweets 5 5 likes Twitter Ads info and privacy What’s next? The Canadiens have a practice scheduled for 11:15 a.m. Sunday in Brossard and will take on the Columbus Blue Jackets Monday night at the Bell Centre (7:30 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN Radio 690). The Senators will be at the Bell Centre Wednesday and then the Canadiens visit the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday. The Red Wings will be at the Bell Centre for a rematch next Saturday. Comments We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085208 Montreal Canadiens

Liveblog: Buffalo at Canadiens

MIKE BOONE

He’s baaaaaaack. Correction: They’re back. Charlie Lindgren is back in Laval. And Carey Prie will be back between the Bell Centre pipes when the Canadiens play host to the Buffalo Sabres Saturday night. Lindgren played well in Price’s absence. The Canadiens’ 3-4-1 record in Lindgren’s starts was more attributable to the team’s general crapitude than to any goaltending deficiencies. Lindgren’s 2.43 goals-against average and .924 save percentage were superior to Price’s early-season numbers: 3.77 GAA, .877 save percentage. Again, however, it’s not like ANY goalie wearing bleu-blanc-rouge is playing behind a stellar defence corps. And Shea Weber, the pillar of the less-than-solid six, is battling an injury. Buffalo ended a seven-game losing streak with a 3-1 home-ice win over surprisingly wretched Edmonton Friday night. The Sabres are last in the Eastern Conference, with 16 points. Bell Centre fans haven’t seen the mighty Sabres since Jan. 31, when Price made 37 saves and Max Pacioretty bagged a hat trick in a 5-2 win. The Canadiens opened the current season with a 3-2 Shootout win in Buffalo, where Price made 43 saves and Jonathan Drouin was the SO hero. Puck drops 7:10ish. Check back later for live game blogging. Pre-game reading: Cheap(er) tickets at the Bell Centre, Price’s albatross contract and Blow it upend start the rebuild. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085209 Montreal Canadiens Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin has been taking a lot of heat this season — and for good reason — but claiming Byron off waivers from the Calgary Flames before the start of the 2015-16 season was a great In the Habs Room: And the first star ... Carey Price! move. “I always thought I was better than just a waiver guy,” said Byron, who scored a career-high 22 goals last season and added 21 assists. “It takes Stu Cowan, Montreal Gazette a while to earn your role and your place on a team. I don’t know if we have a first line here. I think Pleky (Tomas Plekanec) takes the toughest matchups and then the other two lines kind of wait and see who you get. To play with those two players is an incredible opportunity and I’m happy “Ca-rey! Ca-rey! Ca-rey!” to get it, that’s for sure.” The first star had yet to be announced Saturday night after the But nobody was happier than Price Saturday night after everything he’s Canadiens’ 3-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres, but the Bell Centre crowd been through this season. He definitely heard the Bell Centre fans already knew who it would be — Carey Price. chanting his name at the start of the game and again at the end. After missing 10 games with a lower-body injury, Price returned to action “It was a nice homecoming,” he said. Saturday and stopped all 36 shots he faced from the Sabres for his first shutout of the season, improving his record to 4-7-1 after a tough start to Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.26.2017 the year even before the injury. “I felt pretty good,” Price said in the dressing room after the game. “I felt prepared more than anything,” the goalie added. “I spent a lot of time thinking about today and I’m just glad it all turned out well. A lot of preparation went into tonight. Injuries aren’t vacation. It took a lot to get ready for tonight and I got to move to the next one.” The next one will be Monday night when the Columbus Blue Jackets visit the Bell Centre (7:30 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN Radio 690), but Price and the Canadiens can savour this victory for a little while. It’s early in the season to talk about must-win games, but this sure seemed like one against the Sabres, who are in last place in the Eastern Conference and could have moved within one point of the Canadiens with a victory. Jeff Petry opened the scoring with a power-play goal in the first period, Alex Galchenyuk scored in the second period and Paul Byron scored short-handed in the third as the Canadiens ended a five-game losing streak (0-3-2). Jonathan Drouin, who had two assists, was named the second star and Galchenyuk, with a goal and an assist, was the third star. Montreal Canadiens’ Paul Byron scores against Buffalo Sabres goaltender Robin Lehner during third period NHL hockey action in Montreal, Saturday, November 25, 2017. GRAHAM HUGHES / THE CANADIAN PRESS If there was a fourth star it would have been Paul Byron, who was able to light a fire under Drouin and Galchenyuk that wasn’t there when captain Max Pacioretty was on their line. In his first game with his new linemates, Byron had a goal and an assist and was plus-2. He helped Drouin and Galchenyuk end their three-game pointless streaks and Galchenyuk also ended an 11-game goal-less drought. “He was Pauly tonight,” head coach Claude Julien said during his post- game news conference about Byron. “He continues to skate, scores a big goal for us short-handed. That was a huge goal. When you just have a two-goal lead and the way Buffalo came out in the third, they get a goal they get a lot of hope there. So that was a pretty big dagger when he scored that goal short-handed.” It was the sixth goal of the season for Byron and his blazing speed and work ethic looked like the missing ingredients on the Canadiens’ No. 1 line. “I think I call myself a skilled grinder,” Byron said. “I think I can complement them pretty good. I kind of get in the gritty areas, I can support defensively, I can play down low centre so those guys don’t have to worry about that game. With my speed I can chase pucks down, attack the rush, net drive, go to the front of the net, and I think that just creates a little bit more space for them on the ice. Any time you get a chance to play with two skilled guys like that you got to seize the moment. “There’s an expectation from me that I’m going to skate and work hard every night,” added Byron, who plays much bigger than his 5-foot-9 and 162 pounds. “I know I have enough skill to make plays, but I got to be smart with the puck and make sure that I’m doing the right things with the puck. When I have it, I try and feed it to them because the puck’s better on their stick than mine.” When asked what made him think Byron would be a good fit with Drouin and Galchenyuk, Julien said: “We make decisions because, obviously, the other three together it just wasn’t working. … Sometimes you try something, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Well, it wasn’t working, so we made the change.” The change definitely worked. 1085210 Montreal Canadiens

About last night ... Price shuts out Sabres 3-0

MIKE BOONE

He’s back. Sure, it was the Buffalo Sabres, who had played Friday night. But you play the schedule that’s in front of you. And Carey Price made a triumphal return to the Canadiens’ net, stopping 36 shots for his first shutout of the season. Fearless prediction: It won’t be Price’s last shutout of this star-crossed season. And he’ll have to be that good if the Canadiens are going to mount a pre- Christmas push toward the playoff spot that looked like a mirage through most of the team’s first 23 games. Playing without his best defenceman in front of him, Price made timely saves, drew strategic whistles, handled the puck adroitly and generally looked like the All-World goaltender that’s been MIA since the season began. Price’s performance elevated the play of his teammates, particularly the Shea Weber-less D corps. Jeff Petry, who led with 24:16 of ice time, was particularly stellar … in all three zones. Petry’s superb skating makes for some dangerous pinches – none of which resulted in Buffalo breakouts. Second most ToI? Joe Morrow. The defenceman Claude Julien had in Boston continues to shows signs that he may be getting his career back on track. Jordie Benn, Karl Alzner and new guy Jakub Jerabek were all solid, as was Victor Mete in a limited 6:49. (Send the kid back to junior already. He needs to play.) Up front, Alex Galchenyuk and Jonathan Drouin continues to show flashes of evolving chemistry. And Paul Byron brought some speed and hustle to their line. Charles Hudon was excellent with Tomas Plekanec and Brendan Gallagher. The line didn’t figure in any scoring, but they pressured the Buffalo defence on every shift. And wasn’t Pleks clanging one off the goalpost with the Buffalo net empty just his season in a nutshell? Max Pacioretty had only two SoG, which is unusually low for him. The Captain has been reunited with Phillip Danault, who made some timely defensive plays when the game was close. And it was close for most of the evening. In addition to outshooting the Canadiens 36-26, the Sabres had a mere four giveaways to 18 for the occasionally jittery home team. The win was the Canadiens’ third in as many games against Buffalo this season. They don’t see the Sabres again until March 23. In the immediate interim, things get harder: Columbus is at the Bell Centre on Monday night. Then it’s a back-to- back: home to Ottawa, at Detroit before the Wings visit the Bell Centre on Saturday. The homestand winds up with games against St. Louis, Calgary, Edmonton and New Jersey. No weak sisters in there … particularly if you think, as I do, that the Oilers have to break out of their funk soon. Don’t stake out your spot for the Stanley Cup parade just yet. But if Price is indeed back, a wretched winter may yet be averted. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085211 Montreal Canadiens because he realized he’s never had to call a goalie for hitting the puck with a high stick and it felt weird doing so here.

“He does that all the time in practice,” Paul Byron said. “He sticks his Basu: The residual effects of Carey Price being Carey Price stick out and blocks it and the coach is yelling at you because you didn’t get it around.” By Arpon Basu This is the normalcy Price brings to the Canadiens. Watching him do things he “does all the time” allows the Canadiens to simply go on the ice and play, and Price provided evidence that he was on his game before the first period was 10 minutes old in so many different ways. It happened early, about a minute into the game. “A lot of preparation went into tonight,” Price said. “Injuries aren’t Jason Pominville got the puck in the slot and sent a pass over to Evander vacations.” Kane, the Buffalo Sabres leading scorer. Kane one-timed the pass toward the net, and Carey Price was already there. The puck hit him, Aside from the fact Price was coming back after three weeks, there was popped up in the air, and Price batted it with his stick into the corner and also the fact he had allowed 13 goals in his previous three starts and away from danger. entered the game with an .877 save percentage. There was some doubt as to which version of Price we would see, but as soon as it became It was not a Grade-A scoring chance, at least Price didn’t make it seem clear which one it was the Canadiens realized it. that way, but it was telling. This was what he was not doing before his injury, making saves look easy, eliminating rebound opportunities, and “Any time he’s in the net for you, you know that at any given point he can doing it with a sense of calm that eventually infuses his entire team. literally steal you a game, so I think it alleviates some of that tension, that responsibility that we need to score tonight or we need to play really This is Carey Price. This is what he does. This is why he is so vital to the good defence tonight to have a chance to win,” Byron said. “You just go Canadiens success. out there and you play hockey and you know that he’s got your back…It certainly takes a load off everybody to know he’s in the net. It is the feeling he gives his teammates when he is playing like he did in a 3-0 win against the Sabres on Saturday, and how you can visibly see his “The game he played tonight is just vintage Carey.” teammates respond and play better. That feeling is difficult to define, but it was evident through the game because it’s been missing basically all There is so much implied in being “vintage Carey” for the Canadiens, season, not only for the 10 games Price missed while he recovered from because of how much of their game he impacts. Price benefited from a his lower body injury. Canadiens team that has improved defensively since he was injured and also from facing a team that is one of the worst in the NHL. But last It was there Saturday, whatever it is. season Price was struggling mightily when the Canadiens hit their bye week, and was back to normal when he came back. Brendan Gallagher mentioned it right away on the first question he was asked, how the Canadiens feed off the lack of panic in Price’s game, the This was not exactly a break, but if Saturday was the first sign that consistency, the positioning. Price’s struggles are behind him, a climb up the standings for the Canadiens over the coming weeks is not out of the question. “When you watch him play, it’s the Carey Price that we’ve seen here since I’ve been in the league and he’s been in the league,” he said. “It’s “I never once blamed him, I don’t think anyone else did,” Gallagher said all the same. The same Carey Price, night after night. You just look at of Price’s struggles prior to his injury. “You look at our games, we were how composed he is, how he never really looks panicky at any time and giving up way too many shots, way too many scoring chances. The last he’s always square to the puck. We feed off that in front of him and it kind two, three weeks I think we’ve been better at it and as a result our goals of leads into our game. I thought we settled in pretty good. Obviously a against have been down. We had Charlie (Lindgren), we had (Antti) power play goal is huge, and then to play with a 1-0 lead with him behind Niemi play really good hockey for us, then we have Pricey come back. you is nice.” “And obviously, he’s Carey Price.” But when asked to define the tangible benefit that gives him as a player, that it gives the Canadiens as a team, Gallagher was at a loss. The Athletic LOADED: 11.26.2017 “Not really because it’s not really something you think about,” he said. “It’s just kind of something that happens.” Then, suddenly, Gallagher realized what it was. “I mean, feeding off each other, you talk about momentum in sports, obviously you’d like momentum to be going your way the whole time,” he said. “I think Carey does a good job of that. He handles rebounds, he’s composed, he doesn’t make the other team feel like they’re keeping you under pressure. That’s a big part of it.” Here is a Sabres perspective on that. “There's not too many times where you're going to beat him clean,” said Sam Reinhart, who was judged to have interfered with Price when Kane had appeared to break up the shutout in the final minute of the third period, “so there's definitely ways we can be better with that.” There are different aspects of Price’s game that can provide that vague feeling for his teammates. It could be the calm of that save on Kane, or the extreme ability he showed in robbing Johan Larsson among the seven saves he made in a four-minute span early in the second period to preserve a 1-0 lead. Or it could be what he does behind his net, playing the puck with the confidence of a defenceman and finding teammates in position to break out of the zone easily. He did that early in this one, too, when just before the clock hit three minutes, Price stopped a puck behind his own net and sent a pass on to Phillip Danault’s tape. The problem, if you can call it that, was that Danault was in the slot in front of the Canadiens net, which was empty, and he clearly wasn’t expecting the pass. He immediately coughed up the puck, but Price was back in his net in time. There was another one a few minutes later when the Sabres rimmed the puck high off the glass around Price’s net, except he came out and batted it down with his stick, about shoulder-high. The referee seemed to be on the verge of whistling the play dead, except he didn’t, perhaps 1085212 Nashville Predators

Predators: Which players ace their quarter-season report card?

Adam Vingan, USA TODAY NETWORK Nov. 25, 2017

By blanking the Western Conference-leading St. Louis Blues on Friday, the Predators have started the season's second quarter in stellar fashion. Nashville has won four in a row and owns a 9-2-0 record in November, the NHL's best before Saturday's games. Although the Predators passed the 20-game mark Wednesday, it isn't too late to evaluate where certain players are. Here is how they grade through 20-plus games: Excellent Filip Forsberg: Nashville's clear first-quarter MVP is challenging for the best individual season in franchise history. Forsberg, with 11 goals and 24 points in 22 games, is on pace to become the Predators' first 40-goal scorer and single-season points leader. Paul Kariya, inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame earlier this month, had 85 points during the 2005-06 season. Predators' top three defensemen: Instead of singling out the team's top defensemen, let's collectively praise them. Roman Josi, P.K. Subban and Mattias Ekholm each have been sensational, handling heavy minutes with aplomb and combining for 45 points. When Ryan Ellis returns from offseason knee surgery in the coming weeks, this group will strengthen even more. Above Average Pekka Rinne: On Friday, Rinne recorded his 45th career shutout, the most among Finnish-born goaltenders in NHL history. He hasn't been statistically spectacular this month with a 2.66 goals-against average and .916 save percentage, but the eye test shows otherwise. Rinne regularly has made crucial saves to preserve Nashville's streak. Ryan Johansen: The team's top center has eight points in his past five games, which most importantly include his first three goals this season. Johansen, Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson have outscored opponents 11- 5 as a line this season during five-on-five play, according to corsica.hockey. Viktor Arvidsson: We finally have found a weakness of Arvidsson's — scoring on empty nets. Seven of the forward's eight goals have come at even strength, which leads the team. Craig Smith: Smith has seven goals in 22 games, five fewer than he had in 78 last season. He's on pace for a career-high 26 goals. Satisfactory Kevin Fiala: Fiala's connection with center Kyle Turris, who has been a welcome addition to the Predators' roster, has influenced the 21-year- old's emergence from a slow start. Fiala has six points in seven games since Turris debuted for the Predators, and their line with Smith has been dynamic. Incomplete/Below Average Nick Bonino: The Predators still are getting to know Bonino, who recently returned from a month-long absence because of injury, in relation to how he fits in their lineup. Turris' arrival three weeks ago places Bonino in a bottom-six center role, which ideally is where he belongs. Pontus Aberg: A frequent healthy scratch during the season's first month, Aberg hasn't scored in 12 games this season. He had four goals in as many games during a recent conditioning stint in the minors, so he'll have to show that he can translate that production to the NHL. Reach Adam Vingan at [email protected] and on Twitter @AdamVingan. NEXT GAME PREDATORS at HURRICANES When: Noon Sunday TV/radio: Fox TN/102.5-FM Tennessean LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085213 New Jersey Devils missed an empty netter by inches. Hynes was happy with the team's overall execution in the closing two minutes.

"We’ve had lots of practice at the 5-on-6, which is a good thing because it Devils beat Canucks: 8 observations | Hall carries team again; Butcher's means you have the lead," Hynes said. "But I thought the intensity level great move we had, I think if you look at Noesen, he had a big blocked shot. We pressure the puck a lot more than we had in those situations. I think it was the intensity level of the puck pressure, and when we had to come By Chris Ryan up with a save from Cory or a shot block, we got it." Boyle first star The Devils got back in the win column on Friday behind Brian Boyle's Hall could have scored five goals and finished with seven points, but it goal on Hockey Fights Cancer night in a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver would have been tough to award the game's first star to anyone but Canucks at the in Newark. Along with Boyle's Boyle. The Devils forward was honored during Hockey Fights Cancer storybook moment, the Devils got a monster game from Taylor Hall, a night before scoring in the second period. Boyle is nearly one month into dazzling pass from Will Butcher and a strong effort all around. Here are his return to game action, and he is feeling more and more comfortable eight observations from their 13th win of the season. and acclimated with each passing game. NHL: Vancouver Canucks at New Jersey Devils "Well I’ve only got two (goals). I’d like to have more, to be honest with you," Boyle said. "It’s always a process where you try to contribute. I Another monster night for Hall thought last game was my best, and you get an opportunity on the power play. That top unit, we’re getting a lot of looks, that’s a big responsibility Hall was at the center of all three goals for the Devils. He scored the first so you want to pull your weight and contribute. I’m OK with four pretty off a wicked wrister from a sharp angle in the left circle. He dropped a gifted guys. If I get it on my stick in that spot, I’ve got to put it in.” pass to Butcher to set up Brian Boyle's goal. Then he hit the post on a breakaway, allowing Damon Severson to punch in the third score. Hall's 1 stat that bodes well for Devils' playoff chances performance marked his third three-plus point outing this season, and it pushed him to 24 points in 22 games with seven goals and 17 assists. Zacha's strong showing “It was a fun night. We were looking for a win on home ice for a while The Devils have wanted forward Pavel Zacha to be a more impactful now, a solid win, and that what we had tonight," Hall said. "A solid start. player offensively, and he showed that on Friday. His four shots led the We made some mistakes, but I think the effort, the purpose was there team, and he added two more attempts. He was aggressive with the tonight and that’s a really good thing for us going forward. It’s a tough puck, setting up a couple teammates with dangerous chances throughout stretch of games right now, we’re playing a lot. Guys might not be feeling the night. He didn't get on the scoresheet, but that was the type of outing as 100 percent as they might have at the start of the year. You’ve just got the Devils want to see consistently. to grind through these games, find a way to get wins, and tonight was that.” "I thought Pavel had his best game since coming back from being scratched," Hynes said. "So it’s nice to see him be able to do that. It’s Despite the few recent quiet games, point-wise, Hall has driven play for nice to see, now it’s on him to play that kind of game back to back. That’s the Devils all season and created chances nearly every time he has the game we need. It’s up to him as the player to put it up back to back touched the ice. Hall had two total points over his past four games and and string some games together where he plays well, grows as a player four over his last eight. He had only one shot on goal on Friday, but his and helps our team win and become consistent." seven attempts led the Devils. Severson matches goal total "He’s a highly talented player, so it’s nice to see the consistency level that he’s been able to play with, and the work ethic," Devils coach John With his finish off Hall's breakaway post hit, Severson matched his 2016- Hynes said. "Guys like him, they get energy from points, from being able 17 goal total with his third of the season. Severson is up to eight points to produce. It was nice to see him stay with it. There were a few games over 21 games, and he's continued to make an impact offensively for the where he hadn’t gotten on, but he continues to be a leader in how we Devils. Between him and Butcher, the Devils have two strong offensive- want to play, and he continues to drive this team to be consistently minded blue liners to lean on at any point. competitive." Brian Boyle scores on Hockey Fights Cancer night as Devils beat Butcher's dazzling display Canucks Boyle's goal on Hockey Fights Cancer night highlighted the win for the How Hall and Hischier communicate during games Devils, and it was all set up by Butcher. Butcher weaved into the Hall and Hischier continue to find success playing on the top line offensive zone with the puck, where he dodged one Canucks defender together. Hischier didn't get credit for an assist on Hall's opening goal, while drawing the attention of two others. In a flash, he was behind the but he did on Severson's after the rookie sprung Hall for his breakaway. defense, where he dropped an easy pass to Boyle for a perfect look. Hall said the two don't discuss too much over the course of games. He “He’s a playmaker. He gets it done," Hall said. "He’s got a flare for just lets the rookie play his game and lets his offensive ability take over. making the right play at the right time, and sometimes you need that. "To be honest we don’t do a whole lot of talking throughout the game," Tonight was kind of a game where you saw individual plays that define Hall said. "With players like that, you just want to read and react as best the game. I think you’re starting to see that. We have playmakers and as possible. I don’t want to cloud his mind with a bunch of stuff. I’d rather skill all throughout the lineup, and some nights that’s going to carry you him just go out and play and try and make plays all night.” through.” Schneider reacts to Boyle's night Butcher's offensive knack has been no secret this season, where the rookie now has two goals and 15 assists. But in recent games Butcher Devils goalie Cory Schneider finished with 22 saves to earn his second has showed off his abilities to make big plays in open space, between his victory over his former team this season. Schneider also got to watch assist on Friday and his transition goal against the Minnesota Wild on Boyle, his old friend, shine on the night honoring him. The two were Monday. Now 22 games into his NHL career, Butcher seems to be reunited this season after playing three seasons at Boston College getting more and more confident in what he can do on the ice. together, and now they live just around the corner from each other. Like everyone else, Schneider was happy for Boyle's special night. "That’s one of the reasons why I think he was so highly sought after this summer by all the teams," Hynes said. "I think when you look at what he “He’s been an important part of it on and off the ice, and I think brings to a team, and a particularly our team, his vision, his hockey everything that’s gone on in the first few months here," Schneider said. sense, his puck skills, his offensive reads, his character and then the "it’s almost hard to believe. Just seeing from the first day of training camp growth in his game defensively, he’s becoming better and better." when we heard the news, and here we are two and a half months later. He’s scoring goals and playing hockey and something you thought would Noesen helps ice game never happen. It’s a testament to where we are in our fight against The Devils needed to protect their 3-2 lead during another 5-on-6 cancer, and it’s a testament to him as a person, just what he can scenario after the Canucks pulled goalie Jacob Markstrom with 1:47 left. overcome.” After allowing the Wild to tie it in that scenario on Monday, the Devils How Devils' Brian Boyle reacted to goal, crowd's chants on Hockey held their one-goal lead with the help of forward Stefan Noesen. Noesen Fights Cancer night blocked shot, dived to poke a puck out of the defensive zone and also Star Ledger LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085214 New Jersey Devils

How Devils' Brian Boyle reacted to goal, crowd's chants on Hockey Fights Cancer night

By Chris Ryan

Brian Boyle admitted he got a little dusty again. After tearing up following his first goal following his return to hockey from treatment for leukemia, Boyle's second goal brought plenty of emotion on Hockey Fights Cancer night at the Prudential Center in Newark. Boyle scored the Devils' second goal during the second period en route to a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks, leading to a huge ovation and chants of "Brian Boyle" reigning pouring down from the Prudential Center seats. "It's a pretty special feeling to feel that support," Boyle said. "It says about the crowd and the fans here in this particular city. I've felt the love in other cities, but this with the way they've embraced me, I've said it countless times, the fans that reached out, I saw the signs, that's a very special feeling." The Devils beat the Canucks 3-2. The game started with another special, personal moment for Boyle, when his wife and two children took the ice for a ceremonial puck drop. Boyle has credited his wife, Lauren, for being a huge part of his fight against chronic myeloid leukemia since his September diagnosis. "What a champ. Two kids, especially my two kids," Boyle said. "They buzz around. And I was happy they were there." More than half of Boyle's teammates had his name written down on their Hockey Fights Cancer cards before the game, asking who they fight for in the battle against the disease. Boyle has been a source of inspiration throughout the locker room since training camp, and he provided another moment for the group on Friday. "For what he's been through, what his families been through, it's been really cool to see him not only playing, but playing well and enjoying himself here," forward Taylor Hall said. "So it's cool to see. It puts a lot of things in perspective for us as hockey players and on a night like tonight where it's hockey fights cancer night and to see him score and hear the chants, it's awesome." Boyle's goal moved him within five of 100 for his career, and he's scored some memorable ones for good teams since breaking into the NHL. His two with the Devils rank high on his list, though. "The first one of the year was big for a number of different reasons, and that's something, that's just going to be different," Boyle said. "But (Friday's), the timing of it sets up pretty nicely. I'll probably remember it for a while, because this day, start to finish, has been pretty inspiring to me." As Boyle skated past the Devils' bench to get congratulations from teammates after his second-period goal, Boyle pointed to the sky. It's something he has done throughout his career. He has used the point as a way to show his gratitude for playing the game he loves, and he said it now has some extra special meaning. "I've done that every time I've been able to get a goal, and that's just giving thanks," Boyle said. "That's something that I'm very thankful to do what I do,. I've been given a lot of gifts, I've been blessed with a great life, and it's my dream to play in this league and I'm able to continue to do it, regardless of what else happens. I'm still able to play and I'm very, very thankful for that." Star Ledger LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085215 New Jersey Devils

1 stat that bodes well for Devils' playoff chances

By Chris Ryan

If recent history holds true, the Devils entered Thanksgiving in good position to end their five-season playoff drought. Since the 2013-14 season, 79.4 percent of teams who have held a postseason spot on Thanksgiving went on to clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Last season, only the three teams -- the Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins -- made the playoffs after sitting out of the postseason standings on Thanksgiving. Entering Friday's games, the Devils sat in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 28 points, one point behind the Columbus Blue Jackets. They were four points ahead of ninth place in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Devils beat the Canucks 3-2. Friday's 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks pushed the Devils to 13-5- 4 and 30 points through 22 games. Now in the second segment of the season, they're trying to build on their hot start. "Our game has been a little up and down, but overall we've been battling, clawing and scratching," Devils goalie Cory Schneider said. "As a group, we need to understand what it takes for us to take that next step. The first 20 have been great. Now we've got to make sure the next 20 are just as good and we don't have a big slide backwards." The Devils have defied the expectations of many outside of their locker room with their strong start, and they are one of three teams -- along with the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders -- to not go consecutive games without a point this season. Most players couldn't have predicted a 9-2-0 start for the Devils, which sparked their current spot in the standings, but they had the sense they could surprise some people. "Honestly I thought we could be up there," captain Andy Greene said. "Just the way our team was coming together during camp. Not just because we won in preseason and whatnot, but because of the way we were playing, the type of group we had. We went up to West Point and had a great time up there as a team, and that really helped us just become closer and starting off the way we did always helps." Coach John Hynes has talked about how the NHL season is divided up into segments. They accomplished what they wanted in the first segment, and now it's on to the next. When you break the season down, you come into training camp, you want to set a foundation of what your culture is and how you want to play," Hynes said. "We think we did that. First 20 games we felt like we clearly have an identity of how we want to play and what type of hockey gives us success. Right now, it's icing the same game, night in and night out." Star Ledger LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085216 New Jersey Devils

Brian Gibbons' 11th goal gives Devils 4-3 OT win over Red Wings | Rapid reaction

By Chris Ryan

Brian Gibbons scored the game-winning goal at 2:32 in overtime to cap off a 4-3 win for the Devils over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Gibbons initially lost the puck in the offensive zone, but he recovered to intercept a pass and went five-hole to beat Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard. Gibbons' goal was his team-leading 11th of the season after the 29-year- old entered had five goals in 66 NHL games prior to 2017-18. How Boyle reacted to goal, chants The game went to overtime after the Devils grabbed a two-goal lead in the third period, but the Red Wings quickly answered with back-to-back goals to tie it. The Devils made it a 3-1 game when Nico Hischier scored his fourth goal of the season, finishing a feed from Taylor Hall in front of the net at 6:12. But the Red Wings got two goals from Anthony Mantha and David Booth in a 1:26 stretch to tie it at 3-3. Booth's tying goal at 8:16 was his second of the game against Devils goalie Keith Kinkaid. Like Kinkaid's last start, he allowed a goal in the opening minute of the first period when Booth beat him for a quick 1-0 lead. Unlike Kinkaid's last start, where the Chicago Blackhawks jumped out to a 4-1 first period lead, Kinkaid settled down and let the offense go to work. The Devils took the lead before the first intermission on goals by Brian Boyle and Hall. Boyle tied the game at 1-1 at 9:12 of the first period when he redirected a Steven Santini shot from the right point. It marked Boyle's third goal of the season and his second in as many nights. Hall then pushed his goal streak to two games when he fired a wrister from the slot through the five hole of Red Wings goalie Petr Mrazek for a power-play goal at 13:21. Next up The Devils return home on Monday for a 7 p.m. game against the Florida Panthers at the Prudential Center. They will then depart on a three-game road trip with stops against the Colorado Avalanche, Arizona Coyotes and Columbus Blue Jackets. Star Ledger LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085217 New Jersey Devils

New Jersey Devils vs. Detroit Red Wings: LIVE score updates and chat (11/25/17)

By Chris Ryan

Taylor Hall, Nico Hischier, Adam Henrique and Keith Kinkaid will lead the New Jersey Devils into a Saturday matchup against the Detroit Red Wings at 7 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. The Devils are coming off a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Friday at the Prudential Center in Newark. Join NJ.com's live chat during the game in the comments section. You can also follow along with live score and stat updates above. Devils' lines vs. Red Wings Here is everything you need to know about the game: What: New Jersey Devils (13-5-4) vs. Detroit Red Wings (10-9-4) When: 7:00 p.m. EST, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017 Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan TV: MSG+ 2 Live stream: MSG GO Radio: WFAN/The One Jersey Network What Travis Zajac's return means for Devils Chris Ryan may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com Devils on Facebook. Star Ledger LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085218 New Jersey Devils 4. Just going to come out and say this. If Blake Coleman gets yet another shorthanded chance in this game, he’s going to bury it. Had a shorthanded breakaway stopped on Friday night and had three Game 23 Live Blog: Devils at Red Wings, 11/25 shorthanded shots in Wednesday’s 3-2 11-round shootout loss to the visiting Bruins.

5. The Devils’ leading goal scorer, Brian Gibbons (10 goals, four assists) Andrew Gross, Nov. 25, 2017 had a three-game point streak snapped on Friday night. Get this, his longest pointless streak this season is just two games and that’s happened just once this season and that was on Oct. 19-20. Devils coach John Hynes goes over his lineup,his team's early success and Brian Boyle's impact as he meets the media before Saturday night's Meaning, odds are he gets a point tonight. game at Detroit, Nov. 25, 2017. Andrew Gross/NorthJersey.com Devils (13-5-4) As expected, the Devils will have the same lineup tonight against the Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena (Faceoff: 7 p.m.; Television: MSG Plus 2; Taylor Hall-Nico Hischier-Jesper Bratt Radio: WFAN-101.9FM/660AM, digital One Jersey Network) as they did Adam Henrique-Travis Zajac-Drew Stafford in their win the previous night, except for Keith Kinkaid starting in goal. Pavel Zacha-Brian Boyle-Miles Wood The Devils beat the Canucks, 3-2, on Friday night at Prudential Center as Cory Schneider stopped 23 shots against his former team. Brian Gibbons-Blake Coleman-Stefan Noesen Detroit Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall skates Andy Greene-Steven Santini The Devils, 5-3-4 this month, last won consecutive games on Nov. 11-12 John Moore-Damon Severson and, prior to that, had not done so since a three-game winning streak Oct. 27-Nov. 1. They are playing back-to-back games for the fifth time Will Butcher-Ben Lovejoy this season – out of 16 on the schedule – and are 3-1-0 thus far in the Keith Kinkaid (4-1-1, 3.08 goals-against average, .905 save percentage) second game of the back-to-back sets. Red Wings (10-9-4) The Red Wings were also in the New York/New Jersey area on Friday night, as they lost, 2-1, in overtime to the Rangers at Madison Square Anthony Mantha-Henrik Zetterberg-Gustav Nyquist Garden in a goalie’s duel between Henrik Lundqvist and Jimmy Howard. Petr Mrazek gets the start for the Red Wings tonight. Luke Glendening-Dylan Larkin-Tomas Tatar Devils Daily Faceoff: Three storylines for Nov. 25 Justin Abdelkader-Frans Nielsen-Darren Helm Devils 3, Canucks 2: Post-game observations Scott Wilson-Andreas Athanasiou-David Booth The Red Wings have lost three straight but two of them are in overtime. Danny DeKeyser-Mike Green Their last home loss, though, was a legitimate loss as the Oilers came to Jonathan Ericsson-Nick Jensen Little Caesars Arena and won, 6-2, on Wednesday. Niklas Kronwall-Xavier Ouellet “I think they’re fast,” Devils coach John Hynes said. “They have some of those younger guys continue to grow and develop. They hit a skid earlier Petr Mrazek (5-2-3, 3.10, .905) in the year. But if you look at them now, they’re a little bit of a mirror image of us, in my opinion. They have good young forwards that play *** with pace. They can make plays. They compete on the puck. They check Here are the different ways to follow The Record and NorthJersey.com’s well. On defense, they do a little bit by committee and they’ve got good multi-media Devils’ coverage this season: goaltending.” Twitter: Follow me What to watch for: @AGrossRecord and The Record @TheRecordSports 1. There are league standards for lighting now so that won’t necessarily be an issue as the Devils play in a new arena for the first time in terms of Web: NorthJersey.com/sports/devils getting acclimated on the ice to the surroundings. Blog: NorthJersey.com/blog/fireandice But each arena has its own peculiarities such as the life on the boards, the color of the seats to create a background, the quality of the ice, etc. App: “Fire and Ice” available in app stores for iPhone and Android These are all things the Devils, who did not have a morning skate today Bergen Record LOADED: 11.26.2017 after arriving in the early morning hours from Newark after Friday night’s game, will be learning on the go. Kinkaid, when I asked him about it on Friday, said he wasn’t concerned. The skaters, though, may be discovering things as they go during this game. 2. Wrote this in the Devils Daily Faceoff but it bears repeating because how Pavel Zacha develops is certainly important to this organization after he was taken with a sixth round pick in 2015. Consistency has been the biggest issue with the 20-year-old Czech but he played on Friday night exactly the way the Devils need him to play. Tonight is a big, big chance for him to show the coaching staff he can string solid games together. 3. Taylor Hall has been playing like a bat out of hell lately and it certainly was a good sight to the Devils to see him rewarded – finally – with a goal and two assists on Friday night. It was his first goal in five games and he had just one goal and three assists in his previous eight games, even though the chances he had been creating would have suggested a lot more points for the Devils leading point scorer (seven goals, 17 assists). Typically, players like Hall get on spurts where a lot of points come at once. Will that happen for Hall? Well, that’s why we watch the games, innit? 1085219 New Jersey Devils

Devils' Stefan Noesen: Scoring 'will come'

Andrew Gross, Staff Writer

DETROIT – Asked to name one of his players who was contributing in a strong way but, perhaps, not getting the recognition for it, Devils coach John Hynes quickly settled upon his two players from Plano, Texas. But while Blake Coleman has played in every game, Saturday night’s game against the Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena marked right wing Stefan Noesen’s second game back in the lineup after being a healthy scratch for two games. Overall, Noesen, has been a healthy scratch seven times this season. “Obviously, it’s not the easiest thing in the word,” said Noesen, 24, who came into Saturday’s game with one goal and one assist in 15 games. “You always want to be playing every night. It really is Hynsie’s decision and the coaching staff’s. You don’t have too much say in whatever they do but you’ve got to make their decision hard.” Noesen was at his best, defensively at least, in the last minute of Friday night’s 3-2 win over the Canucks at Prudential Center as the visitors skated six on five with goalie Jacob Markstrom pulled. Noesen blocked a shot and, later on while on his stomach, poked the puck out of the Devils’ zone as the clock wound down. “I feel I’m doing my job to the best of my ability,” Noesen said. “The one thing lacking is the scoring. It will come. I know it will. It always comes.” Testing, testing Hynes said there wasn’t anything he necessarily needed to review with his team as it played in Little Caesars Arena for the first time. “The one thing you always want to do is check out the boards,” Hynes said. “Guys can do that in the warmups. Are the end boards live? Are the side boards live? The glass? You can rim a few pucks and you should be good. Mostly, it’s a feel for the ice.” Briefs Defenseman Dalton Prout and right wing Jimmy Hayes remained the healthy scratches, Prout for the 11th straight game. …Left wing Brian Gibbons, 29, who, spent the previous two seasons in the AHL, had a three-game point streak snapped on Friday and entered Saturday having been held without a point in two straight games only once this season, Oct. 19-20. Bergen Record LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085220 New Jersey Devils whether he would get pulled, hadn’t shut the door over the final 40 minutes.

Kinkaid was also solid in his last appearance, stopping all 12 shots he Devils Daily Faceoff: Three storylines for Nov. 25 faced in the third period after Schneider was pulled after 40 minutes of a 5-2 loss at Winnipeg on Nov. 18. Andrew Gross, Staff Writer Bergen Record LOADED: 11.26.2017

DETROIT – The Devils play their first-ever game at the state-of-the-art Little Caesars Arena against the Red Wings tonight (Faceoff: 7 p.m.; Television: MSG Plus 2; Radio: WFAN-101.9FM/660AM, digital One Jersey Network) with the goalie matchup presumably being Keith Kinkaid against Petr Mrazek. Both teams played in the New York/New Jersey region on Friday night, with the Devils topping the Canucks, 3-2, on NHL Hockey Fights Cancer night at Prudential Center , complete with a goal from Brian Boyle, diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia at the start of training camp, while the Red Wings lost, 2-1, in overtime to the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. New Jersey Devils center Brian Boyle throws a puck Devils coach John Hynes announced Kinkaid (4-1-1, 3.08 goals-against average, .905 save percentage) as his starter even before Cory Schneider stopped 23 shots against his former team. Red Wings No. 1 Jimmy Howard made 29 against the Rangers. Mrazek is 2-3-1 with a 3.10 GAA and a .905 save percentage. The Devils (13-5-4) are playing back-to-back games for the fifth time this season – out of 16 scheduled back-to-backs – and are 3-1-0 thus far in the second game of the back-to-backs. The Devils played in the last NHL game ever at the Red Wings’ former home, Joe Louis Arena, when they lost, 4-1, on April 9 amid a stirring, closing-game ceremony. Brian Boyle scores as Devils beat Canucks, 3-2, on NHL Hockey Fights Cancer Night But the Red Wings (10-9-4) have yet to settle into their new home as they are just 4-3-3 at Little Caesars Arena and have their last two there. Here are three storylines for tonight: First period – Back to back: This is not about the Devils playing on consecutive nights. This is about the Devils being able to put forth an effort like they did against the Canucks in consecutive games. The Devils played an inspired, complete game on Friday night throughout their lineup and perhaps it was because many of the players filled in the “I fight for” blank on their NHL Hockey Fights Cancer with Brian Boyle. But the Devils, 5-3-4 this month, last won consecutive games on Nov. 11- 12 and, prior to that, had not done so since a three-game winning streak Oct. 27-Nov. 1. But, big picture, the Devils believe they’re on the right path to playoff contention. “We’re winning,” Boyle said. “You are what your record says you are. We’re not a finished product by any means.” Second period –Pavel Zacha’s next game: Speaking of consistency, the Devils sorely want to see it from their 20-year-old forward, the sixth overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft. He was good against the Canucks, with four shots in 12:16 and his line with Boyle and fellow big body Miles Wood constantly harassed the Canucks in their zone. But Zacha’s struggles this season have come in being able to play in that engaged, forceful manner on a consistent basis. Friday night’s game was Zacha’s third back in the lineup after being a healthy scratch in a stretch of four of five games. “I thought Pavel had his best game since coming back from being scratched,” Hynes said. Third period – Kinkaid’s turn: The Devils’ 28-year-old backup has been steady this season and gets his first start since making 39 saves in a wild, come-from-behind 7-5 win at Chicago on Nov. 12. New Jersey Devils goalie Keith Kinkaid (1) celebrates Kinkaid allowed four goals in the first period of that game as the Devils ultimately rallied from a 4-1 deficit. But the Devils would not have been able to rally for the win if Kinkaid, curious during the first intermission 1085221 New Jersey Devils

Gibbons does it again for Devils, scoring OT winner in Detroit

Andrew Gross, Nov. 25, 2017

DETROIT – The Devils certainly are used to playing overtimes by now. And they’re certainly getting used to getting goals from Brian Gibbons, the 29-year-old journeyman who spent the past two seasons in the AHL and had five career goals coming into this season, “He’s got a knack for scoring some big goals for us,” center Travis Zajac said. “He’s using his speed. He’s creating turnovers and chances off of that. Obviously, he’s been around a long time. For him to get a chance to be up here and contribute, it’s great to see.” Gibbons, getting loose at the crease, gave the Devils a 4-3 win in overtime over the Red Wings in their first-ever game at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday night, despite not being able to hold a two-goal lead in the third period. Gibbons, with his team-leading 11th goal, won it at 2:31 of the extra period for the Devils (14-5-4). “I just hopped on the ice and I thought I had fresher legs than those guys, I thought they might be tired,” Gibbons said. “I lost an edge and they were trying to head to offense. Luckily, I was able to get back to my feet quickly and pick a pass off.” Both the Devils, 5-4 in overtimes this season, and the Red Wings (10-9- 5) played past regulation for the third time in their last four games. Keith Kinkaid stopped 31 shots – the Red Wings were outshot 3-0 in overtime – while Petr Mrazek made 21 saves before being forced from the game in the third period. Jimmy Howard stopped seven of eight shots he faced. “I think it shows to our character and our team structure this year,” said Kinkaid, making his first start since a 7-5 win at Chicago on Nov. 12. “We bent a little bit but we didn’t break.” Both teams were playing on back to back nights, the Devils coming off their 3-2 win over the Canucks at Prudential Center and the Red Wings losing 2-1 in overtime to the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Taylor Hall and Brian Boyle, diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia at the start of training camp, each had goals in an emotional win on NHL Hockey Fights Cancer night on Friday. Both extended their goal streaks to two on Saturday. “It’s great, keep it going,” Boyle said. “Good teams have four lines that can make plays.” Still, the Red Wings tied the game at 3 with two goals within one minute, 26 seconds in the third period. First, Anthony Mantha used defenseman John Moore as a screen and connected on a wrist shot from the left circle at 6:50, just 38 seconds after No. 1 overall pick Nico Hischier had given the Devils a two-goal edge. Then, David Booth, with his second goal of the season and of the game, beat Kinkaid with a close-range wrist shot for the equalizer at 8:16. “You could see it coming,” Devils coach John Hynes said. “You could just see we were losing some puck battles and we were a little loose on the puck and had some turnovers. Then you could see they were getting momentum. We didn’t recognize it quickly enough to rectify it.” The Red Wings took a 1-0 lead just 34 seconds into the game on Booth’s tip. Boyle tied it at 1 at 9:12 of the first period, deflecting Steven Santini’s shot from the right point inside the near post. Hall made it 2-1 on the power play at 13:21, wristing a shot through Mrazek’s pads. Hischier, with his fourth career goal and first in six games, made it 3-1 at 6:12 of the third period. But that just set up the Red Wings’ two-goal blitz. Bergen Record LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085222 New York Islanders

Islanders beat Senators, 2-1, for third straight win

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

OTTAWA, Ontario — The New York handed the reeling Ottawa Senators their sixth straight loss Anders Lee and Jordan Eberle scored, Nick Leddy had two assists and New York beat Ottawa 2-1 on Saturday night. They have won three straight and six of seven. Jaroslav Halak made 31 saves for the Islanders. "It's a big win and it would have been nicer with a shutout, but at this point I'll take any win," Halak said. "I think we worked hard but there were too many penalties on both sides so it took away any momentum." Matt Duchene scored his first goal in his eighth game with Ottawa, and Craig Anderson made 22 saves. "Nice to get the monkey off and it feels good (to score), but it doesn't feel great because we didn't get the result we wanted," Duchene said. "We played a heck of a hockey game and we felt like we deserved better. We're doing everything right except scoring." Duchene had four goals in 14 games with Colorado. The Islanders thought they had built a 2-0 lead in the third, but a delayed penalty call to Eberle for goaltender interference negated the goal. The Senators were unsuccessful on the ensuing power play, just as they were with the previous four opportunities in the game. The Islanders eventually did get that 2-0 cushion when Eberle made good on his miscue at 14:10 and deposited a backhand behind Anderson, who was moving in the other direction after making the initial save. Duchene scored a power-play goal at 15:39 to pull the Senators to within one. Senators captain Erik Karlsson was very blunt with his post-game comments. "Good is not going to cut it for us," Senators captain Erik Karlsson said. "We need to find a way to win a game and when we do we have to hope we can build off that and go on a stretch in the other way. We all know in here that we have a good team and whether it's going to be a good one or a bad one we just need a win." New York Daily News LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085223 New York Islanders

Islanders nab third straight victory over flailing Senators

By Associated Press November 25, 2017 | 10:11PM

OTTAWA, Ontario — Anders Lee and Jordan Eberle scored, Nick Leddy had two assists and the Islanders continued their hot play Saturday night, beating the Senators 2-1, Ottawa’s sixth loss in a row. Jaroslav Halak made 31 saves for the Islanders, who have won three straight and six of seven. “It’s a big win and it would have been nicer with a shutout, but at this point I’ll take any win,” Halak said. “I think we worked hard but there were too many penalties on both sides so it took away any momentum.” Matt Duchene scored his first goal in his eighth game with Ottawa, and Craig Anderson made 22 saves. The Islanders thought they had built a 2-0 lead in the third, but a delayed penalty call to Eberle for goaltender interference negated the goal. The Senators were unsuccessful on the ensuing power play, just as they were with the previous four opportunities in the game. The Islanders eventually did get that 2-0 cushion when Eberle made good on his miscue at 14:10 and deposited a backhand behind Anderson, who was moving in the other direction after making the initial save. Duchene scored a power-play goal at 15:39 to pull the Senators to within one. New York Post LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085224 New York Islanders The Islanders selecting Griffin Reinhart fourth overall in 2012 and three years later wheeling him to Edmonton for the 16th pick with which they selected Barzal is like the Rangers taking Hugh Jessiman 12th overall in It’s time for the Islanders to go all-in with a big trade 2003 and then three years later moving him for the pick with which they had selected Claude Giroux.

You mean to tell me that J.C. Tremblay, the splendid Montreal By Larry Brooks November 25, 2017 | 6:33PM defenseman who jumped to the WHA Nordiques at age 33, is not in the Hall of Fame? By the way, and to the point, it is the Hockey Hall of Fame, not the NHL Hall of Fame. It is premature to declare the end of the Pittsburgh-Washington axis that Best trade/worst trade of the decade, wouldn’t you say: The Blue Jackets has been dominant in the Metro Division, but it appears as if we’re acquiring Sergei Bobrovsky from the Flyers after 2011-12 for a second- experiencing an ongoing redistribution of power in which a path to the rounder and two fourths. conference finals is wide open. It just hasn’t been the same for Carey Price since Tanner Glass beat him And though the road to the final four might well go through Sergei with that 25-foot backhand up top for the first goal in last year’s Game 1, Bobrovsky in Columbus, there is also a team growing into a legitimate has it? threat in Brooklyn, where speculation about John Tavares’ future has been pushed into recesses by No. 91’s play and leadership. I’ve got to say, those Rangers Winter Classic duds are not bad at all. The arena issue does indeed cloud the future and could ultimately send In tribute to OEL, our teams’ all-time Number 23’s: 1. Bob Nystrom, the entire enterprise spinning off its axis into a great (alternate meaning) Islanders; 2. Scott Gomez, Devils; 3. Jeff Beukeboom, Rangers; 4. Bruce and dark unknown. But there is nothing the players can do about that, Driver, Devils; 5. Chris Drury, Rangers. Honorable mention: Marcel nothing the coaching staff can do about that, nothing management can Paille, Rangers. Dishonorable mention: Vladimir Malakhov, Rangers; do about that, and, really, little more that the owners can do about that Mention: Ed Hospodar, Rangers. unless and until the state calls on them to reinforce their bid for Belmont glory. Finally, do you know when it sounds like hockey at the Garden? When John Amirante sings the anthem, that’s when. For now, it is hockey, at which Doug Weight’s team — 37-19-6 going into Saturday since he took command behind the bench last Jan. 17 — New York Post LOADED: 11.26.2017 seems to be good enough to become aggressive buyers at the deadline and put all those assets general manager Garth Snow assembled through trial and error to use in a time where the window appears wide open. To be honest, the two-headed goaltender doesn’t strike us as Cup material. Of the 36 netminders who have played at least 400 minutes, Jaroslav Halak is 22nd in even-strength save percentage (.918) and Thomas Greiss is 23rd (.916). The Islanders are 21st in that fairly important category. But the prospect of trading for a goalie to push them over the top seems negligible. For years there has been clamor ignored by Snow to acquire a running mate suitable for Tavares, a sure-shot Hart contender. And the Islanders do have the assets necessary to acquire Buffalo pending free agent winger Evander Kane, who is having the second-best season of his career and is likely going to be the hottest commodity on the rental market. Coincidentally (or not), the 26-year-old Kane’s best season came in 2011-12, when he was on the final season of his first contract. Good news for the team that gets him now, perhaps not such good news for the team that signs him next July to a lucrative long-term deal. But the Islanders and Tavares might not need Kane. With Taveras between Anders Lee and Josh Bailey and the scintillating rookie Mathew Barzal centering Andrew Ladd and Jordan Eberle, the Islanders have scored the fourth-most five-on-five goals in the league and are ninth in five-on-five success. Their shooting percentage is second and so it may regress, but the Islanders have weapons throughout the lineup. So this may not be the time or place for Kane. Rather, this is probably exactly the time for Snow to load up a package for Arizona’s estimable defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, whose contract at $5 million per runs through next season and will be the object of a wild bidding war once the 26-year-old lets Coyotes personnel know he’s unlikely to re-up for more wandering through the desert. As a counterpoint to the attack, the Islanders have surrendered the seventh-most goals-against at five-on-five. A portion of that is on the goaltending, but what better way to mask certain deficiencies than to get one of the league’s premier defensemen who has a positive career possession rating despite having been stuck in an essentially perennial miserable situation. It will cost any team to get OEL, and it could cost the Islanders either Josh Ho-Sang or Anthony Beauvillier, perhaps Brock Nelson, maybe Ryan Pulock or Scott Mayfield, and probably one of the two first-rounders (their own plus Calgary’s) they own in the 2018 draft. The price will be high, but it would be worthwhile. One side of the East seems wide open and the other side, though presenting the formidable Lightning, doesn’t seem unassailable. This is the time for the Islanders to strike. This is the time for Snow to turn those hundreds of tomorrows he has been collecting into today. Time for the Islanders to augment Tavares by getting the best defenseman on the market when he goes on the market. 1085225 New York Islanders

High-scoring Islanders held to two goals, but still get the win

By Arthur Staple

KANATA, Ontario — Saturday night was that rarest of games for the Islanders — one that didn’t feature multiple goals at both ends and big, round numbers next to the team’s goal total. The second-highest-scoring team in the NHL scored only two goals, but that was enough in a 2-1 win over the Senators. It was the first time this season that the Isles have won when held to two goals. They have been piling up the impressive offensive numbers, but even they know that a tight, low-scoring victory has its place. “You’re not going to win 5-4 every night,” said Jordan Eberle, whose late goal in the third period made it 2-0 and proved to be the winner. “That’s not how the league is.” Yet the Isles were making a strong attempt in these first 23 games to turn the NHL clock back to the 1980s and 1990s, when 6-3 and 5-4 games were the norm, not the exception. They entered Saturday night averaging 3.68 goals per game. “Everyone likes to see the point totals go up. It builds confidence,” coach Doug Weight said. “But you need to be able to grind out some of these games.” Even one as disjointed as Saturday, when the teams totaled 11 power plays. The Isles have done well to stay out of the penalty box this season, having given opponents only 74 power plays in 23 games, in the top 10 in the league. That should help keep scoring down, in theory. But the Islanders now have won six of their last seven despite giving up at least three goals in four of those wins. To have a game like Saturday, on the tail end of three games in four nights that included a pair of wild overtime wins over the Flyers, shows some versatility and adaptability for this Islanders team that’s starting to round into form near the top of the Metropolitan Division. “You know when you get to the dog days, January-February, you’re not going to see those big numbers,” Weight said. “You have to get some experience in the low-scoring games. That’s what you’re going to see in April and May.” Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085226 New York Islanders

Jaroslav Halak strong in goal for Islanders in win over Ottawa

By Arthur Staple

KANATA, Ontario — Jaro slav Halak hadn’t been getting the “run support,” as Doug Weight put it before Saturday’s game. Halak was making his third start in the last 10 games, as he’d fallen below Thomas Greiss on Weight’s goaltender preference list, and hadn’t won since Oct. 30. Halak needed a game like Saturday. He turned aside 31 Senators shots and carried the night in a 2-1 Islanders win, their third straight victory and sixth in the last seven. He permitted precious few second chances and battled for space and sight lines all night, the hallmarks of what Weight has grown to know as a strong Halak performance. “You can tell when he’s on,” Weight said. “Our goalies have maybe been victim of some numbers they don’t deserve — Jaro hasn’t had much luck and Greisser has just been battling for wins. It was a big game for Jaro and he was the best player out there.” With six Senators power plays and 11 total for both teams on the second night of a back-to-back set for both clubs, the goaltenders had to set the tone. Craig Anderson did so for the Senators, denying John Tavares and Josh Bailey early in the first during a particularly forceful shift in the offensive zone for the Islanders’ top line. Halak answered later in the first, getting a shoulder on Derick Brassard’s wrister off a three-on-two rush. Halak denied Brassard again in the final minute of the third, flashing his right pad to keep it a one-goal game. “Lately we’ve been getting down early, 1-0, 2-0,” Halak said. “I just wanted to get through the first and build off it. We didn’t give them much in the first.” There were five minors called in the second and the Islanders capitalized, with Josh Bailey’s half slap shot grazing off Anders Lee and past Anderson at 8:06 for the only goal for either side after 40 minutes. The Islanders expected a big push from a Senators team that now has lost six straight and scored only eight goals in that span. Defending that push was made harder by losing Casey Cizikas to a lower-body injury. Cizikas crashed hard into the end boards during a second-period penalty kill, hobbled off, returned for a shift and then called it a night. The Islanders thought they had built a 2-0 lead in the third, but a delayed penalty call to Jordan Eberle for goaltender interference negated the goal. But the Isles got the crucial second goal when Mathew Barzal circled the Ottawa zone, got a couple of Senators forwards wrong-footed and dropped the puck to Nick Leddy, who found Eberle in front for a backhand at 14:10. It was Eberle’s ninth goal of the season, all in the last 13 games. Barzal extended his points streak to six games with the assist and Leddy, with two assists in the game, has 19 points in his last 16 games. With a late power play, the Senators got on the board at 15:39 when Matt Duchene buried a rebound for his first goal and point for Ottawa, but the Isles and Halak kept it tight after that. “Jaro’s had some lousy luck,” Johnny Boychuk said. “We should’ve gotten him a shutout tonight, too. But we came here to get the two points and that’s what we got. Mostly thanks to him.” Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085227 New York Islanders

Islanders assistant coach Luke Richardson happy to face Ottawa, his old team

By Arthur Staple

KANATA, Ontario — Islanders assistant coach Luke Richardson finished his 21-year NHL career with the Senators. He stepped behind the bench immediately after retiring and was a Senators assistant for three years before taking over Ottawa’s AHL affiliate in Binghamton for four seasons. “And it’s my hometown, too,” Richardson said of the anticipation he was feeling for Saturday night’s game against Ottawa. The first-year Isles assistant left the Senators’ organization after the 2015-16 season, and Saturday night was his first time back at Canadian Tire Centre with his new team. “I’ve got lots of people that’ll be at the game, so it’s always fun,” he said. “It’s a good team, too. We haven’t seen them this year. Be nice to get another benchmark for our team. They had a lot of success last year, and that’s where we want to go.” Richardson is in charge of the defense for Doug Weight, his former Oilers teammate during their playing careers. Weight tried to bring Richardson in as an NHL assistant a few seasons ago under Jack Capuano, but Richardson remained coach of the Senators’ AHL team. He was the first pro coach for a handful of Senators players who faced the Islanders on Saturday. The Isles came into Saturday allowing 3.27 goals per game, seventh most in the NHL, but Richardson has been pleased with how his group of defensemen has started the season. “We’ve got a unique situation. We’ve got eight D that are NHL D. We’re not trying to fit young guys in, guys that aren’t playing well,” he said. “Sometimes it’s tough to keep everybody happy, but it’s a good problem to have. The biggest thing is they all add to the offense. When you’ve got a world-class guy like Nick Leddy to lead that charge, you’re confident you can make up some ground if one does creep in on you.” HICKEY, QUINE BACK IN Thomas Hickey took Dennis Seidenberg’s spot after sitting out the previous two games as a healthy scratch. Weight did not swap out both sides of his third defense pair, as he’s done before, keeping Ryan Pulock in street clothes. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085228 New York Rangers

Boo Nieves will miss Rangers game vs. Canucks, but hip injury just a ‘day-to-day thing’

PETER BOTTE

Rangers fans won’t be able to cheer for Boo Nieves on Sunday afternoon. The rookie center will not play against Vancouver at the Garden after leaving Friday’s overtime win over Detroit early in the second period with a hip pointer. "I haven't talked to our medical staff yet, but obviously he came in this morning feeling better than he was yesterday," coach Alain Vigneault told reporters after practice on Saturday. “He was able to skate. He's not going to play tomorrow. I'm not sure what the percentage is there, but at least it's what we thought (Friday). It's just a day-to-day thing." Nieves suffered the injury on a hit from Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall late in the first period of the Blueshirts’ 2-1 OT victory, improving them to 9-2-0 over their past 11 games. According to the team website, Nieves said his hip was still sore and limited him in practice, but he added “everybody’s got bumps and bruises” at this stage of the season. He also said he dealt with a similar but less severe injury while at the University of Michigan. Vigneault said that veteran forward David Desharnais will get back in the lineup to replace Nieves on the fourth line, alongside Jimmy Vesey and Paul Carey, against the Canucks. Boo Nieves (24) suffers a hip pointer in Friday's OT win over the Red Wings. Desharnais has been a healthy scratch for the past three games after totaling two goals and eight points through his first 20 appearances. Nieves notched three assists in his season debut on Oct. 26, but he’s been held without a point in his past nine games. "That line's been effective," Vigneault said. "Both Jimmy and Paul have been playing some pretty good hockey for us. David's been out here for a couple of games and I'm sure he's anxious to get back in the lineup and play well and that's what he'll do for us tomorrow." MILLER TIME J.T. Miller has scored only three goals this season – and none in his past nine games - after netting 22 in each of the past two years. But he assisted on Mats Zuccarello’s OT game-winner on Friday night, and Vigneault indicated he’s seeing improvement from Miller lately at both ends of the ice. “He’s getting a better understanding of the game,” Vigneault said. “That’s the 200-foot game for a player that’s going to have a good career in the NHL has to understand. Nobody’s good enough in today’s game just to be an offensive player. You’ve got to be able to play the 200-foot game, and J.T. is getting better at it. He’s been a good player for us and we need for him to continue to improve and be a good player.” New York Daily News LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085229 New York Rangers

Mats Zuccarello: Rangers must guard against being ‘satisfied’

By Greg Joyce November 26, 2017 | 1:08am

Mats Zuccarello has been around long enough to know that both winning streaks and losing slumps have to be taken with a bit of perspective. That doesn’t mean the winger isn’t enjoying the Rangers’ surge as they enter Sunday’s game at the Garden against the Canucks having won nine of their past 11 — just weeks after opening the season losing nine of their first 12. “Hockey’s your life,” Zuccarello said Saturday after an optional practice. “When you lose hockey games, everything in your life is bad. Obviously, it’s not a big thing in life in the big picture, but for us, this is our job. It makes life easier to win hockey games, for sure.” Zuccarello, who tallied the game-winner in overtime against the Red Wings on Friday night, has been through this before. He pointed back to the 2013-14 season, Alain Vigneault’s first as Rangers head coach, when the team dropped seven of their first 10 games before turning their season around and going all the way to the Stanley Cup final. “We got smoked, it was kind of embarrassing,” Zuccarello said. “In the bad times, that’s when you can get the team together and really create that team bond. I think that’s important to know.” That mindset has paid off again this year. The Rangers suddenly find themselves in the middle of a packed Metropolitan Division race, not far behind the likes of their area counterparts, the Devils and Islanders. “Even though you’re winning, you always want to improve,” Zuccarello said. “You want to get better every day. Like J.T. Miller says — he’s not satisfied, so I think that’s important that we’re not satisfied and not happy. Every day is a new day and every game is a new game.” The Garden was buzzing Friday night in the showdown between Original Six foes and it did not go unnoticed. “It was a fun game,” Zuccarello said. “People were into it and it was exciting for us to be out there — as it is every day in the Garden. With Thanksgiving and all that, it was kind of special yesterday.” There was no news on defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who has sat out the past two games with an abdominal strain. The captain is shut down until at least Sunday, when the team is expected to offer a further update. New York Post LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085230 New York Rangers

Mats Zuccarello displaying leadership on, off the ice

By Barbara Barker

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Leaders come in all sizes and shapes and decibel levels. This is something Rick Nash has seen play out over and over again in his 14-plus years in the league and international play. “I’ve had Adam Foote as a captain. He comes in and screams at guys and throws things around,” Nash recalled after the Rangers optional skate on Saturday. “I’ve had Steve Yzerman as a captain who leads by example. [Rangers captain] Ryan McDonagh also leads by example. There’s a bunch of different leadership ways.” Nash would describe Mats Zuccarello, who was named an alternate captain for Rangers at the start of the season, as one of the more “vocal” types who also gets it done on the ice. That leadership was on full display Friday night when Zuccarello scored 37 seconds into overtime to give the Rangers a 2-1 win over the Red Wings at Madison Square Garden. The goal clinched an emotional victory for the Rangers, given that goalie Henrik Lundqvist had made a Herculean 40 saves in the game. At 5-8, Zuccarello may be the shortest person on the team but he plays with a giant-sized passion. After the game, Zuccarello had no problem calling out the poor play of the team in the first period, joking that they had all eaten too much turkey the day before. After Saturday’s skate, Zuccarello said he tries to use humor to get his point across. “Obviously, you try to be a leader on the ice and play hard and do what needs to be done to win hockey games,” he said. “It’s not necessary to always score goals but do other stuff. “I try to do that. On and off the ice, I’m the same and try to keep it loose and have fun with the guys. Sometimes it’s good. Sometimes it’s bad. You learn every day.” Zuccarello was named an alternate captain in October, taking the place of Derek Stepan who was traded to Arizona. Zucarello, who had led the Rangers in points in three of the last four years, was already someone who players listened to in the locker room. He also seemed to be a perfect complement to McDonagh, who is more of a “lead by example” type. Zuccarello said having an honorific title hasn’t changed him much. Said Zuccarello: “It’s just an A you know. I’m still the same way in practice and in games. Obviously, it’s a really proud moment when I got that A. I take pride in that. I want to be a leader especially on the ice.” Notes & quotes: Boo Nieves, who left Friday’s game against the Red Wings with a hip pointer, will not play Sunday afternoon when the Rangers host Vancouver. The rookie center was able to skate with the team on Saturday and said he is feeling better, but Vigneault prefers to take a cautious approach. “I haven’t talked to our medical staff yet, but obviously came in this morning feeling better than he was [Friday night],” Vigneault said. “He was able to skate. He’s not going to play [Sunday]. I’m not sure what the percentage is there, but at least it’s what we thought yesterday. It’s just a day-to-day thing.” Vigneault said that David Desharnais will replace Nieves on the line with Jimmy Vesey and Paul Carey. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085231 Ottawa Senators eight goals during their six game- losing streak, but hey, they finally ended their power play drought at what, 0-for-22 or 23?

BACK TO THE POINT: Karlsson played 26:48 against the Islanders. Brennan: Senators' post-Sweden snooze continues The next busiest defenceman was Dion Phaneuf, who saw seven minutes and one second less of ice time … Before Saturday, the third period insurance goal against Ottawa was scored by ex-Senators. First Don Brennan Mika Zibanejad, then and finally Nick Foligno …. Of the Senators 32 shots on goal, 17 came from Brassard (nine) and Mike Published on: November 25, 2017 | Last Updated: November 25, 2017 Hoffman (eight) … Most frequently spotted CFL jerseys in the stands 11:04 PM EST were worn by Roughrider fans. You expected differently? … The “Senators Seventh Man” was Lianne Laing … Fans seemed to

get a bigger kick than normal from the Racing Prime Ministers feature in That sure must have been a tiring flight home from Sweden for the the second intermission. Probably because until then, there wasn’t much Senators. else amusing coming from the home team …Somebody walked home with $30,190 from the 50-50 draw. How’s that for an early Christmas They’ve been asleep ever since. present? The way things are going, Ottawa will miss the playoffs this season and it will be very easy to see where their season fell apart. On their flight home from playing two games against the Colorado Avalanche in Stockholm, Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 11.26.2017 the Senators were carrying an 8-3-5 record and looking like a top contender in the Eastern Conference. They have since lost six straight, most recently Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at the hands of the New York Islanders and, at 8-8-6, continue to plunge towards the bottom of the standings. The Montreal Canadiens, who’ve been awful for most of the season, can move past the Senators when the teams meet Wednesday at Bell Centre. To get the Sweden trip they should have declined, the Senators agreed to a schedule that is one of the most hectic in the NHL. No doubt they alienated some fans who had a visit to Canadian Tire Centre erased from their plans, not to mention those who are upset the team is playing just one home game over a current span covering more than four weeks. From what we are led to believe, any financial gain for making the trip was minimal. As for the players, well, whatever the jaunt overseas has done to them, it’s not good. Irate callers to TSN1200 have started calling for the scalp of Guy Boucher, but it wasn’t the coach who signed up for Sweden. It wasn’t the GM or the guys on the ice, either. That was a decision that came from the top. STARTS AND STOPS: Matt Duchene looked to the skies and he finally slid home in his first goal as a Senator late in the third. Who would have ever guessed he’d go eight games with his new team before finally picking up his first point? ….The way Duchene’s luck has been, it’s a wonder Jaroslav Halak didn’t get the edge of his glove on the shot and extended the slump to nine games … Are we missing something? Do the Senators really have a better chance to win with Johnny Oduya in the lineup instead of Thomas Chabot? Apparently, Guy Boucher thought so on Saturday, and he was so desperate for a victory he agreed to let Craig Anderson go between the pipes for the second time in 24 hours and third time in four days. Boucher said it was a tough calling sitting Chabot, because of help he could give the power play, but added that his team needed more help at even strength – which is interesting given how bad the power play has been … Less than 12 months ago Chabot and Mathew Barzal were forming a strengthening their friendship at the Team Canada’s national junior team training in Ottawa. While Chabot watched from the press box Saturday, Barzal was darting and dazzling his way around Senators. In 23 games this season, he has 23 points, including his 17th assist on Jordan Eberle’s goal late in the third. BETWEEN PERIODS: The horrible Senators power play continued to fire blanks on Saturday. Just a thought, but they might want to steal a page from the Islanders, who seldom try those cross slot passes that very rarely result in success and are a staple of the Senators power play … Wouldn’t it make more sense to just put a puck towards the net, rather than throw in from one side of the boards to the other for a shot that usually makes a loud noise on the back wall? … First cheer of the night was for Erik Karlsson, not because of a move or a shot but a shoulder check he used to knock down Joshua Ho-Sang to the ice in the third minute … First up ice rush for John Tavares saw him 1-on-1 with Bobby Ryan, who was impersonating a defenceman and did a good job of it, deflecting a shot over the glass … A “superstar call” is what Tavares got when Derick Brassard was given two minutes for “tripping” him along the boards in the first. Looked like no contact was made at all from our vantage point … Also a weak call on Calvin de Hann in the second last minute of the second, so that’s a wash … The Senators have scored 1085232 Ottawa Senators The Islanders came into Ottawa on a roll — a two-game winning streak and with five wins in their previous six games.

As for the Senators, it’s clear they’re going to have to raise their game Duchene scores, but Senators lose to Islanders to extend slide to 6 even more to work their way out of this funk. games “The effort was there from the beginning,” said Boucher. “We had high- end, quality scoring chances and when you’re in a little phase like we are Ken Warren now, you’re squeezing the stick and missing. Published on: November 25, 2017 | Last Updated: November 25, 2017 “But the power play could have had two or three tonight. We’ve got to 11:09 PM EST keep pushing. We’re right there.” Easier said than done, of course, as it now becomes as much of a mental as a physical struggle. Islanders 2, Senators 1

The free-falling Ottawa Senators made a little bit of history Saturday night at the Canadian Tire Centre. Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 11.26.2017 It’s ugly history. A 2-1 loss to the New York Islanders represents the first time in Guy Boucher’s tenure as head coach that Senators have lost six consecutive games. It’s also the longest winless stretch for the organization since March 10- 22, 2014. If that’s not depressing enough, the Senators are now staring at a seven- game road trip that takes them east, to the U.S. west coast, and back east again before they return to the Canadian Tire Centre to face the New York Rangers on Dec. 13. “Good is not going to cut it for us,” said captain Erik Karlsson. “We need to find a way to win a game. And when we do, we’ve got to hope we can build off that and go on a stretch the other way, because right now, it’s obviously not pointing in the way we want.” The Islanders received goals from Anders Lee and Jordan Eberle and goaltender Jaroslav Halak stopped 31 of 32 Senators shots. Senators netminder Craig Anderson made 22 saves. The bright light in the dark cloud for the Senators is that Matt Duchene scored a power-play goal with 4:21 remaining, ending a pair of deep slumps. Duchene hadn’t picked up a point in his first seven games with the Senators and the power- play drought was at 0-for-22 before they finally found an answer against Halak, who preserved the victory with a superb trapper save off Brassard with Anderson on the bench for an extra skater and time ticking down. “Nice to get the monkey off, but it feels good, not great, because we didn’t get the result we wanted,” said Duchene. “We played a heck of a hockey game, a lot better than any of those games on the (three-game road trip). We felt like we deserved better. We’re doing everything right but scoring.” Ultimately, the winning goal belonged to Eberle, who made it 2-0 with 5:50 remaining. The goal was set up following a brilliant display of skill and skating by Mathew Barzal, who circled around the Senators zone before setting up the goal. Lee’s second-period power-play goal was the only thing separating the clubs through two periods. As much as Boucher was emphasizing the process, the importance of sticking to defensive fundamentals and practising patience, there was unquestionably tension in the air. He made the somewhat surprising decision to start Anderson, saying the Senators’ No. 1 goaltender asked to play. It’s rare, especially at this point in a season, for a No.1 goaltender to play on consecutive nights and Anderson also played in Friday’s 5-2 loss to Columbus. “Last game, I felt my game was right there, 2-2 halfway through the third period and I felt like I wanted to redeem myself and try to give our guys a chance to win,” he said. “If you don’t want to be in the net, you don’t belong in this league.” Boucher also shook up his forward lines, separating Duchene from Bobby Ryan, who remains without a goal this season. Duchene started on a line with Mark Stone and Tom Pyatt and ended on a line with Stone and Mike Hoffman. That, coupled with Zack Smith’s return after mixing six games with a thumb injury, created a shuffle of bodies everywhere. On defence, rookie Thomas Chabot was given the night off and Freddy Claesson returned. 1085233 Ottawa Senators game road trip Wednesday in Montreal. The Islanders are home Sunday to face the Vancouver Canucks.

Matt Duchene scores, but Senators still lose to Islanders Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 11.26.2017

Staff Report The Canadian Press Published on: November 25, 2017 | Last Updated: November 25, 2017 10:47 PM EST

OTTAWA — The good news for the Ottawa Senators is that Matt Duchene collected his first point in eight games since being acquired from the Colorado Avalanche. The bad news is they dropped their sixth straight game, falling 2-1 to the New York Islanders Saturday night. “Nice to get the monkey off and it feels good (to score) but it doesn’t feel great because we didn’t get the result we wanted. We played a heck of a hockey game and we felt like we deserved better. We’re doing everything right except scoring,” said Duchene, who had four goals and 10 points in 14 games with Colorado. Anders Lee and Jordan Eberle scored in the win, the third in a row and sixth in the past seven games for the Islanders (14-7-2), who got a 31- save performance from Jaroslav Halak. Duchene scored his first goal with the Senators (8-8-6) and Craig Anderson made 22 saves in defeat. “I’ve yet to see a team that gets to where they want to go at the end of the season that doesn’t go through some adversity. At the end of the day there’s nothing we can do about it now but with the team we have in here it’s unacceptable. We’re too good a team to keep losing,” said Duchene. After Lee opened the scoring in the second period, Eberle gave the Islanders a 2-0 lead at 14:10 of the third period — just minutes after a goal was waived off as he was going to be assessed a goaltender interference penalty. The Senators were unsuccessful on the ensuing power play, just as they were with the previous four opportunities in the game, but Duchene did score with the man advantage at 15:39 to pull the Senators to within one. That goal snapped an 0 for 23 stretch for the Senators on the power play. They finished 1 for 5 in the game while the Islanders were 1 for 6. “It’s a big win and it would have been nicer with a shutout, but at this point I’ll take any win,” Halak said. “I think we worked hard but there were too many penalties on both sides so it took away any momentum.” The night started slowly with both teams only registering a single shot each through the first five-plus minutes of play. The pace didn’t increase much throughout the period either, but Anderson was called upon to make a couple of big saves. After a loss in Columbus Friday, Anderson expressed his desire to coach Guy Boucher to get back in the net Saturday when normally the goaltending duties will be shared in back-to-back situations. “If you don’t want to be in the net you don’t belong in this league. It’s the coach’s decision ultimately and when he asked me how I felt I was happy to tell him the truth. I’m always striving to get better and I felt good. I felt like I did my best to give the team a chance to be in the game,” Anderson said. “Sometimes you don’t get rewarded for your play and I thought this was one of our better games in the last few and a step in the right direction. We still have to improve.” Senators captain Erik Karlsson was very blunt with his post-game comments. “Good is not going to cut it for us. We need to find a way to win a game and when we do we have to hope we can build off that and go on a stretch in the other way,” he said. “We all know in here that we have a good team and whether it’s going to be a good one or a bad one we just need a win.” Notes: Nick Paul and Thomas Chabot were scratches for the Senators while Dennis Seidenberg, Ryan Pulock and Anthony Beauvillier were scratches for the Islanders… The Senators open a season-long seven- 1085234 Philadelphia Flyers The Flyers, who have had six rookies in the lineup in each of their last two games, have received mostly good goaltending this season, but “Bob” is at another level. Dave Hakstol, Wayne Simmonds' future with Flyers could depend on the If he was still with the Flyers, the Weal and Konecny droughts — each upcoming stretch | Sam Carchidi has one goal in his last 19 games — would not be nearly as noticeable because the team would be winning lots of low-scoring games. Updated: NOVEMBER 25, 2017 — 5:18 PM EST Which brings us back to our premise: The next six weeks or so are extremely critical to determine if this team should keep its three key by Sam Carchidi, STAFF WRITER @BroadStBull | veterans — Claude Giroux, who would have to waive his no-movement [email protected] clause, Simmonds, and Voracek — or deal at least one of them because they will be well past their prime when the youngsters develop into quality players and the Flyers are Stanley Cup contenders. Having fallen to the bottom of the Metropolitan Division and forgotten Simmonds is the most tradable of the trio because of his contract. He is how to win close games, the Flyers are coming to a critical juncture in one of the league’s elite power forwards and a player who could bring their season. several pieces for a Flyers team that is in a rebuilding season, even if Hextall doesn’t want to use the dreaded R-word. The next six weeks or so may determine whether coach Dave Hakstol stays employed and how long star right winger Wayne Simmonds remains with the team. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.26.2017 Should the Flyers continue to stumble — they have lost seven straight and have blown leads in the last five games — and should young forwards such as Travis Konecny and Jordan Weal continue to struggle, it’s fair to wonder if general manager will consider a coaching change. Phantoms coach Scott Gordon, the former Islanders head coach who has had great success with several players now with the Flyers, would be a logical replacement. Since going on a 10-game winning streak last season, the Flyers have won just 28 of their last 73 games (28-32-13). That doesn’t have Hakstol on the hot seat (yet), but it should have him on notice, especially since several young teams (see Columbus, Winnipeg, and New Jersey, among others) are badly outperforming the Flyers. And if this team is still buried in the standings in mid-January, Hextall might try to deal the highly popular Simmonds — whose team-friendly contract expires after next season — because he is a player who could bring lots of building blocks for the future. Simmonds is a great competitor and leader who has averaged about 30 goals in each of the last four seasons. But he will be 30 at the start of next season and figures to be on the downside of his career, so Hextall might cut ties before the right winger gets an expected (and well- deserved) raise from a contract that has a $3.98 million cap hit. Simmonds has a modified no-trade clause; he can reject a trade to 12 teams on his list, according to capfriendly.com. Hextall has done well in the draft, but his trading record gets an “incomplete” grade because some of his deals cannot be judged at this time. The Brayden Schenn trade, for instance, looks like a disaster but can’t be fairly evaluated until, say, around 2023, because by then the Flyers should know the value of the two No. 1 picks they received from St. Louis: Morgan Frost and a still-to-be determined 2018 first-round selection. Those two picks need to develop into quality players because Schenn, who was shifted back to his natural position, center, is on a 107-point pace with the Blues. In other words, the trade has the potential to be one Hextall wants back, though it will be hard-pressed to match the franchise-altering deal in which then-GM Paul Holmgren sent goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to Columbus for draft picks that turned out to be goalie Anthony Stolarz and left winger Taylor Leier. To be fair, Holmgren deserves credit for the Mike Richards and Jeff Carter trades, deals that netted Schenn, Simmonds, Jake Voracek and a draft pick that turned out to be Sean Couturier. But the Bobrovsky trade, which was made a year after then-chairman Ed Snider caused Holmgren to sign free agent Ilya Bryzgalov, and the James van Reimsdyk deal (to acquire Luke Schenn) have undone a lot of the gains from the Richards and Carter transactions. No team is going to hit a home run on every trade, of course. You can look at every NHL team and find trades that didn’t work out. That said, the Bobrovsky trade was so disastrous that Hextall is still digging out from it five years later. Bobrovsky, one of the main reasons Columbus is a Stanley Cup contender, could be headed toward his third Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goalie. 1085235 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers' struggles causing them to leave points on the table

Updated: NOVEMBER 25, 2017 — 10:06 PM EST by Marc Narducci, STAFF WRITER @sjnard | [email protected]

The Flyers have to hope that their late-game collapses over the first 23 games of the season aren’t getting into their heads. In Friday’s 5-4 overtime loss to the visiting New York Islanders, the Flyers blew a 4-2 lead entering the third period. It was the team’s seventh consecutive loss. Granted, the Flyers have earned four points in those seven games, with three overtime losses and one shootout defeat, but they are now 1-6 in overtime/shootout games this season. “It is frustrating, obviously,” said right winger Jake Voracek, who had two assists to give him eight points (three goals, five assists) in his last five games. “We had a two-goal lead, we have to find a way to close it. This happened three times in the last seven if I am not mistaken.” He was mistaken. It’s three times in the last five games. The Flyers also squandered two-goal leads in a 3-2 shootout loss at Winnipeg on Nov. 16 and in a 5-4 overtime loss against visiting Calgary on Nov. 18. It is difficult to come back from any deficit in the NHL, especially while entering the third period. The Islanders entered Saturday’s game at Ottawa, 2-7-1 when trailing after two periods. The Flyers are 0-6-2. One has to wonder if the Flyers (8-9-6) are losing confidence with these recent collapses and with their struggles in overtime and shootouts. “We have to find a way to get confidence, especially in the third,” said captain Claude Giroux, who earned his 599th and 600th career points with a goal and assist Friday. “We have to believe in what we’re doing and what we’re doing is going to work.” Or maybe they have to change what they are doing. This is a young team, but are the Flyers playing not to lose once they get a lead? “I don’t know if it is a lack of confidence, I think we kind of get away from our game,” said defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who had a goal and assist Friday. “You step back and you play to protect the lead.” The mind-set, according to Gostisbehere, is to be more aggressive. “We have to keep pushing, keep making plays if you’re up 4-2.” So the Flyers, who will visit Pittsburgh on Monday, thought that the game should never have gone to overtime. Yet overtime has been its own problem for the Flyers. On Friday, the game-winning overtime goal came from a wide-open Nick Leddy. Too many times in the three-on-three extra period, the Flyers are losing their men. “I think we have confidence going into three-on-three, we have the skill and the hockey sense to do it,” goalie said. “We are just losing guys and not playing man on man; that’s kind of how it breaks down.” While Elliott is new to the team, the Flyers’ struggles in overtime and shootouts are a continuation from last season. The Flyers were 5-10 in these situations in 2016-2017. On Saturday, the Flyers had off from practice, probably giving the players time to dwell even more on all the points that they have left on the table and to figure out a way to reverse this trend.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085236 Philadelphia Flyers NHL. Frost has ability to make plays in tight spaces, is light on his skates to make tight turns, edges well, good on the back track and has amazing vision.” Flyers prospect WATCH: Carter Hart prepares for World Junior Isaac Ratcliffe, left wing, Guelph Storm (OHL) Championship Age: 18

Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 204 pounds Dave Isaac, @davegisaac Published 12:17 p.m. ET Nov. 25, 2017 Acquired: 2017 second-round draft pick (35th overall)

This season: 22 games, 11 goals, 8 assists Since it’s after Thanksgiving the spotlight is heating up, especially in Canada, on the teenagers who will play for their country next month. The skinny: Ratcliffe is another prospect who has turned it up recently. His goal Friday night had him on a three-game scoring streak entering The World Junior Championship is tied to Christmas for so many Saturday’s action and he had six goals in his last six games. The biggest Canadians as part of their hockey tradition. A date with the Americans, player taken in the draft, Ratcliffe has a solid base to build from as he usually on New Year’s Eve, is the highlight of the preliminary action. works toward being a pro. Last season the Flyers had nine prospects in the tournament and six Cosentino’s take: “Another aggressive trade up by Hextall. I did have this have aged out this season. It will be the last go-around in the tournament player going in the first round. I believe he’s more of a project player as for goalie Carter Hart, who has had a big week. he continues to grow into his body. Not overly aggressive with his size, Wednesday night Hart broke the shutout record for the Everett Silvertips but will use his body and good body positioning on the forecheck and to of the with a 43-save clean slate. It was his protect the puck. Ratcliffe has good net-front presence with above 22nd career shutout in junior hockey and he has four months to go to average hand-eye coordination, is an excellent shooter. Skating is good, raise the bar for whoever comes next. but could use some work. He does have some goal-scoring upside at the next level and his puck skills are on the rise.” Hart, 19, will turn pro next season and has been gaining hype ever since the Flyers drafted him in 2016 as the first goalie to come off the board. It Connor Bunnaman, center, Kitchener Rangers (OHL) seems to be a two-horse race for the goalie of the future in the Age: 19 organization between Hart and Felix Sandstrom, who has been out of his team’s lineup in Sweden since Oct. 26 with an abdominal injury. Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 220 pounds If most eyes weren’t on Hart already, now there’s more. Acquired: 2016 fourth-round draft pick (109th overall) With so much interest in the prospect group, the Courier-Post will check This season: 23 games, 14 goals, 9 assists in on the promising young players in each Sunday’s newspaper. Here’s the latest progress report with insights from Sam Cosentino, a Canadian The skinny: One of the best signs for the Flyers in Bunnaman’s Hockey League analyst for Rogers Sportsnet in Canada. development is that he was named captain of the Kitchener Rangers after his impressive time at Flyers training camp. He played with Nolan * all statistics through Friday, November 24 Patrick early on at camp and could be an underrated part of the budding forward group. Carter Hart, goalie, Everett Silvertips (WHL) Cosentino’s take: “Hard worker with good size. Puck seems to follow him Age: 19 whenever he’s around the net, effective even-strength goal scorer and is Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 185 pounds good station-to-station on the power play. His skating could use some work, but he has a goal-scorer’s knack for being in the right place at the Acquired: 2016 second-round draft pick (48th overall) right time with a tricky release and heavy shot.” This season: 11 games played, 1.59 goals-against average, .953 save German Rubtsov, center, Acadie-Bathurst Titan (QMJHL) percentage Age: 19 The skinny: Hart missed time early this season with mononucleosis and has made up for lost time. Since he returned on Nov. 3, Hart has a Height/weight: 6-feet, 190 pounds record of 6-2-0 with three shutouts and has allowed more than two goals Acquired: 2016 first-round draft pick (22nd overall) only once during that time span. He’s also done it with more action in front of him. Last year the Silvertips allowed fewer than 30 shots in 34 of This season: 17 games, 5 goals, 13 assists the 49 games in which Hart went the distance. In five of his 11 games this season he’s seen 35 or more shots. The skinny: Rubtsov is another player who should be part of the World Junior Championship. Last year for Russia he ended the tournament with Cosentino’s take: “Hart should be Canada’s starter at the World Junior a broken nose and concussion in a lesser role for the team because he Championships. If there’s one area of improvement required it would be was young for that team. This time around he could have a bigger piece to lessen the mental burden he puts on himself, but he’s been working of the pie. He has missed time recently with an undisclosed injury. with a sports psychologist (John Stevenson) for the last couple of seasons to improve in that area. He’s a cerebral kid who can easily be Cosentino’s take: “Rubtsov is an intriguing player in that he was part of mistaken for someone who’s fire doesn’t always burn, but I do believe the Russian U-18 team that was banned from the 2015 U-18 there’s plenty of it internally. Very coachable, pleasant young man who Championships for Meldonium. He has good size, skates well with vision prepares like a pro.” and acute ability to shoot the puck. When prompted he will compete in all three zones and is deadly on the power play.” Morgan Frost, center, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)

Age: 18 Courier-Post LOADED: 11.26.2017 Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 170 pounds Acquired: 2017 first-round draft pick (27th overall) This season: 24 games, 12 goals, 22 assists The skinny: Frost has taken off in the month of November with 16 points in his last nine games. Fans may be paying extra attention to Frost early on because of the trade the Flyers made to get the pick they used on him. Brayden Schenn has torn it up for the St. Louis Blues and the Flyers got two first-round draft picks in return as well as taking on Jori Lehtera for two seasons. Cosentino’s take: “Ron Hextall was aggressive in his trade to acquire this player, who I had as a surefire second-round pick. He has excellent vision, high hockey IQ, took advantage of ice-time given to him on a deep Sault Ste. Marie team as a 16-year-old when Jared McCann made the 1085237 Philadelphia Flyers Part of why the first period was a snooze-fest had less to do with the tryptophan from leftovers and more from the Flyers’ low confidence. As had been a trend for them, they were giving up shots for passes because Flyers 5 takeaways: Losing streak hits seven games in overtime loss goals had been hard to come by. It showed in the numbers, too. From the Flyers’ last win on Nov. 9 to Friday’s matchup, the team had a 5.3 shooting percentage, which was second last in the league. The Dave Isaac, @davegisaac Published 8:29 p.m. ET Nov. 24, 2017 leaders during that time frame were the Nashville Predators who shot 14.8 percent in six games.

“I think with us, just keeping it simple and getting pucks to the net, that’s PHILADELPHIA — Just when it looked like the Flyers were in line for a what works,” Gostisbehere said. “That’s what’s our bread and butter as a return trip to the win column, they found a new lead to blow. team. Obviously the plays are going to be there, the nice tic-tac-toes, but it’s not always the prettiest thing when you’re getting goals. You’ve got to Up two in the third period, the Flyers yielded to the New York Islanders 5- go to the blue paint and get some of the dirty ones.” 4 in overtime. Coach Dave Hakstol cited the seventh time in 10 games that the Flyers have gotten a point in a game, desperately clinging to In the second period Friday the Flyers had a better mentality. They what little positivity there is around the orange and black. scored four goals on their first six shots of the period. The math isn’t always helpful, though. Friday’s game was the third time in Where’s the whistle? five games the Flyers surrendered a two-goal lead to lose. The perception of there being a bias against the Flyers by the NHL’s “How? It’s tough to answer right now,” Jake Voracek said. “You have to officiating crew is one of the most tired aspects of the organization’s find a way to win in this league, simple as that. Two goal lead in the third, fandom. Friday afternoon, however, wasn’t a strong one for referees shouldn’t let it slip away.” Francis Charron and Frederick L’Ecuyer. Voracek was the goat this time and he owned it afterward. The Islanders Late in the first period, ex-Flyer Dennis Seidenberg was called for holding were in the Flyers’ end when Josh Ho-Sang found Nick Leddy with a Nolan Patrick. No question it was a hold, but it wasn’t penalty-shot pass from behind the net. worthy. The rookie was awarded one and shot wide left of the net. Leddy buried his sixth goal of the season past Brian Elliott. Last season Later in the game there was a just as egregious penalty by Nick Leddy the Flyers were 7-5 in games decided in 3-on-3 overtime. So far this who had his stick around Travis Konecny’s midsection. No call. season they’re 1-4. Voracek was also whistled for hooking John Tavares. The Islander “Mistakes. Personal mistakes,” Voracek said to explain the change. “It’s captain returned the favor, but only one penalty was called. simple. Leddy was open there. He was my guy. I got caught puck- watching. Simple as that.” “I was in the penalty box. I thought (Konecny) got hooked,” Voracek said. “I don’t know if he did. I got called for that in the neutral zone a minute The last time the Flyers had lost seven consecutively was part of a 10- before that. It’s a breakaway chance. I hooked Tavares on his stick. I game losing streak from Feb. 6-23, 2008. That team rebounded and don’t think I got his gloves. It was stick-on-stick. I got called. They didn’t. ended up going to the Eastern Conference finals, something this team seems to be in no danger of doing. “These days, I don’t know what is a penalty and what is not.” Hakstol trying to instill confidence with his statistic about points seems to Progress for the penalty kill be a fleeting effort. After the Flyers’ loss to the Islanders Wednesday in Brooklyn, they had “We’ve got to find a way to get confidence, especially in the third,” said allowed eight power-play goals against in four games. Coach Dave captain Claude Giroux, who notched his 599th and 600th career points in Hakstol started tinkering with the personnel there, especially the defense the loss. “We’ve got to believe in what we’re doing and that what we’re pairs, late in Wednesday’s game. doing is gonna work. When we’re gonna start believing we’re a good team and we can finish games and the way we play is going to start Of course, part of the struggles on the man disadvantage is that Andrew winning games, we’re gonna start winning. But until then, stuff like this is MacDonald has been out with a left knee injury and Radko Gudas served gonna happen.” the fourth of a 10-game suspension Friday. The change made Friday was to a forward, though. If yet another extra-session loss set the table for anything, perhaps it’s that Giroux’s unit doesn’t have to be the one doing all the lifting. Taylor Leier, who had the third-most shorthanded ice time among Flyers forwards, was not part of the penalty kill units. Even with Wayne He, Sean Couturier and Voracek have combined for 30 of the team’s 65 Simmonds (fourth-most) in the box for a high-sticking call, it was Michael goals. Wayne Simmonds found the back of the net for the first time in 15 Raffl who was tapped for the opportunity and not Leier. games and Shayne Gostisbehere for the first in 14 games. It’s not a huge change, and probably not a game-changer, but the There was little celebration for that, though. penalty kill was much more responsible Friday, allowing five shots to the Islanders in 5:30 of ice time. The one goal New York scored on the “We can’t sit here and cry,” Simmonds said. “No one is going to feel sorry power play was made by the terrific hands of Jordan Eberle at the side of for us. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We’ve got to find a way to the net. The penalty itself, however, was highly suspect. change the tide, no matter what it takes. We’ve been close, but we haven’t quite gotten there. We gotta get there.” Here are four more takeaways from Friday’s matinee… Courier-Post LOADED: 11.26.2017 Is time of service needed to gain Hakstol’s trust in the extra session? The last rookie to be on the ice in 3-on-3 overtime was Travis Sanheim, who had just come on the ice and was tasked with catching up to Arizona’s Alex Goligoski, the eventual goal-scorer, on Oct. 30. With half the Flyers’ defense being rookies Hakstol went with Brandon Manning, who had a season-high 23:45 of ice time, after Ivan Provorov and Gostisbehere. He noted that Manning is the veteran of the group and with Andrew MacDonald and Radko Gudas both out of the lineup with an injury and suspension respectively, he’s asking a lot of the veterans. “I think we’re asking a lot of our young guys as well,” the coach countered. “I believe they’re up to the task. We’re very close. Again, it’s results-based and close doesn’t get it done. On both sides of that we have to do a little bit better. The young guys have to keep growing and they have to stay confident and they’ve got to continue to work extremely hard to improve on what they’re doing individually and then collectively as a group we have to work hard to continue what we’re doing in 60 or 60-plus minutes.” 1085238 Pittsburgh Penguins Midway through the second, he lunged to his left to make a save on NHL goal-scoring leader Nikita Kucherov on the rebound of a shot off the end boards to prevent Tampa Bay from possibly mounting a comeback. Sidney Crosby and Phil Kessel score twice each in Penguins win “It's something that I've been trying for every game,” Jarry said of securing his first win. “I've come close, but I haven't yet reached that. It was something I was pushing for tonight. I was trying to give it my best JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, 9:53 p.m. shot and do the best I could.” Updated 7 hours ago Tribune Review LOADED: 11.26.2017 When the Penguins woke up Saturday morning, for the first time since Oct. 10, they found themselves out of a playoff position. They responded to plummeting in the standings by throttling the team with the best record in the league. Sidney Crosby and Phil Kessel scored two goals apiece, and Tristan Jarry recorded his first NHL win as the Penguins snapped a three-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Is it possible all the Penguins needed to get on track was some real, honest desperation born from their suddenly disadvantageous spot in the standings? Probably not. Great goaltending, an improving penalty kill and a lethal power play left the Lightning in the dust more than any added motivation the Penguins mustered. Still, the extra fire didn't hurt. “It started with our compete level,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “That's not to say we didn't make mistakes out there, but they were mistakes of enthusiasm.” The game turned on an exchange of penalties in the first period. About 11 minutes in, Jake Guentzel received a double minor for a high- stick on Tampa Bay's Ondrej Palat. Not only did the Lightning fail to score, they gave up a short-handed goal on a Bryan Rust breakaway with 33 seconds left in the four-minute advantage. For a Penguins team struggling with poor starts and leaky penalty killing, the 1-0 lead was a godsend. “I think it gives us a lot of life, and it just kind of feeds through our bench,” Rust said. With about four minutes left in the period, Cedric Paquette received a double minor for high-sticking Crosby. Anton Stralman took a tripping minor 91 seconds later. The Penguins scored two five-on-three goals in the final two minutes of the period to take control of the game. Kessel finished a tic-tac-toe passing play from Patric Hornqvist and Crosby with 1 minute, 57 seconds left. Crosby deflected in a Kessel wrist shot at the left post with 33.1 seconds to go. “I thought we were determined,” Kessel said. “I thought everyone was focused and ready to win the game.” For Crosby, the two-goal night reaffirms he's on his way out of the wilderness. He has six points in his last three games. For Kessel, it was a continuation of two months of strong play. He leads the team and is fourth in the league with 31 points in 25 games. Sullivan said it's the best sustained regular-season stretch Kessel has had with the Penguins. “Yes. Hands down,” Sullivan said. “I give Phil so much credit. He came into camp in great shape. He worked hard in training camp. His daily habits are so good right now, and I think it's translating into the game situations.” Jarry, meanwhile, turned in a brilliant 33-save performance to earn the win. Two saves stood out from the rest. At the midway point of the first period, he extended his right pad to stop a Steven Stamkos backhand breakaway bid to keep the Penguins from giving up the first goal. “You're able to stop that one, and your nerves settle a little bit and you're able to get to your game,” Jarry said. 1085239 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins notebook: Chris Kunitz returns to Pittsburgh as member of Lightning

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, 7:29 p.m.

The NHL player with the best chance at a Stanley Cup three-peat this season might not be wearing black and gold. It might be Tampa Bay Lightning winger Chris Kunitz. Now that they've cruised to a 16-4-2 start heading into Saturday night's game, posting the NHL's best record a quarter of the way into the season, it's hard not to ordain the Lightning the favorites to claim the sport's top prize. Tampa Bay is off to such a solid start, in fact, that Kunitz said he hadn't had much time or inclination to reflect on the emotional nature of his first game in Pittsburgh since leaving the Penguins in free agency in July. “It's been such a good run with Tampa that you kind of put it on the back burner,” Kunitz said before Saturday night's game. “Hadn't really thought about it.” Kunitz has been providing a no-nonsense presence in the bottom six for a high-flying Lightning offense this season. His numbers — three goals and three assists coming into Saturday — aren't eye-popping, but they're surely superior to any put up by the players who have replaced him on the Penguins' third and fourth lines. “Just go out and try to play my game,” Kunitz said. “Go out and play in straight lines, try to turn pucks over, be physical, go to the net. I don't think we've had as much scoring as we'd probably like to up to this point. We haven't hit the scoresheet as much, but we try to be out there and put a positive spin on the game any time we can and make sure we're solid defensively. “We're still trying to get better as a line and get better as a team.” Kunitz received his Stanley Cup ring from owner Mario Lemieux before the game and was featured in a tribute video played on the arena scoreboard in the first period. He had seen plenty of other ex-teammates receive the video tribute treatment over the years, but … “Never really thought about your own,” said Kunitz, who is in the top 15 in Penguins history in games played, goals and points. “Obviously it's a good honor when you're at some place for that long, and you've had a lot of success. It was always a nice gesture for an opponent.” Coach Mike Sullivan said presenting Kunitz with his ring was one of the most fulfilling parts of his job. “His coaching staff was certainly very appreciative of what he brought to this team, helping us win,” Sullivan said. “To have an opportunity to shake his hand and say thank you is a big thrill for me.” If the Lightning are going to get an in-person look at goalie Matt Murray this season, it will have to wait until the playoffs. Saturday's matchup between the Penguins and Lightning was the final chapter in the three-game season series. All three meetings came with the Penguins playing their backup goalie in the end of a set of back-to- back games. Antti Niemi lost the first two. Tristan Jarry got the nod Saturday. “It's just the way that the logistics of the schedule played out,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “We're trying to take each game as it comes. We're trying to win the game right in front of us, and the schedule is the schedule. We can only control what we can.” Evgeni Malkin missed his third straight game with an upper-body injury. Sullivan said Malkin is continuing to skate on his own and is considered day to day. “We'll take each day as it comes,” Sullivan said. Ian Cole was a healthy scratch for the second straight game.

Tribune Review LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085240 Pittsburgh Penguins “I give Phil so much credit,” Sullivan said. “He came into camp in great shape. He worked hard in training camp. His daily habits are so good right now. I think it’s translating into the game situations. He’s such an Phil Kessel is enjoying his best regular season as a Penguin elite player. He’s so dangerous when he has the puck.” When the Penguins acquired Kessel, the narrative was that he’d fit in Pittsburgh because Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin would shoulder the JASON MACKEY heaviest load. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette While Crosby and Malkin are obviously elite talents, Kessel has carried the team offensively while Crosby endured a bit of a slow start points- [email protected] wise and Malkin has been out with an upper-body injury. 11:47 PM NOV 25, 2017 Whether he wants to admit it or not, Kessel has been terrific in pretty much every aspect of the game, and he’s playing the best hockey he’s

played as a Penguin. Playoff dominance aside, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan has never seen “I think this is the best stretch of hockey that he’s played for us,” Sullivan a better version of Phil Kessel than the one who has produced a team- said. “Maybe put some of the playoff runs aside, but in the regular high 31 points in his team’s first 25 games. season, this is the most consistent hockey that Phil has played for us as “Hands down,” Sullivan said after Kessel torched Tampa Bay for two a Penguin in my time here.” goals and four points in a 5-2 win, including a missile that he fired from

the right circle in the second period that rendered poor Peter Budaj helpless. Post Gazette LOADED: 11.26.2017 The consistency of Kessel has been a major storyline of the Penguins’ season thus far. In the offseason, Sullivan met with Kessel in Toronto to talk about goals — not the kind Kessel would score, although he does lead the Penguins with 11 — for the upcoming season and what the Penguins would need from Kessel. Penguins' Tristan Jarry makes a save in the second period of Saturday's game. By all accounts, that talk went tremendously well. Whenever he’s been asked about Kessel, Sullivan has routinely gushed about how Kessel came into training camp in tremendous shape, how he’s grown his game and how his day-to-day habits have never been better. “I think he’s been really receptive to the coaching staff with some of our insights and trying to help him play the game a certain way,” Sullivan said of Kessel. “I think he’s made adjustments to his game, because the game itself has evolved. I think Phil has made a lot of subtle adjustments to his game that are helping him be more effective, especially even-strength. “He’s in the puck battles. He’s coming across the ice. He’s protecting pucks down low. He’s just an elite player. I don’t know how else to say it. He’s a very good player when he’s playing the game as determined as he is right now. You can see how he has the ability to be a difference- maker. He’s doing that consistently for us this season.” Of his consistency, Kessel said that, “I’m just playing. The usual. Nothing new.” It’s also important to note that Kessel has never been one to sing his own praises, but he is doing a few things differently. For one, he’s shooting more. Penguins Patric Hornqvist celebrates after Sidney Crosby scores his second goal of the night against the Lightning Saturday, November 25, 2017, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. Kessel is averaging 3.8 shots on goal per game. That’s way up from his mark of 2.8 from a season ago and is even nearly half a shot better than his career-mark of 3.4. It’s the second-best such mark of Kessel’s career (4.2 in 2009-10 with Toronto). As a result, Kessel is enjoying more scoring chances (6.2) and the same amount of high-danger scoring chances during five-on-five play (2.3). He was at 6.2 and 2.3 in those categories, per naturalstatstrick.com, in 2016- 17. Kessel’s shot share has jumped from 47.1 percent to 50.2 in 2017-18 during five-on-five play, and he’s accounted for a team-high 17 power- play points, on a unit that more and more seems to run through him in the left circle. “Same old,” Kessel said when asked whether he’s had more of a shoot- first mentality. “Nothing changes.” Maybe not. But the results have been much, much better. Kessel is on pace for 36 goals. Over the course of an 82-game season, that would give him the second-best goal-scoring season of his career. Points-wise, Kessel is on pace for 102 points, which would represent the most he’s ever accumulated. 1085241 Pittsburgh Penguins for four of the five goals and seven points — what Jarry did should not be overlooked.

“I’m just trying to prove that I can get better and better every day,” Jarry Deadly Lightning power play doesn't faze Tristan Jarry said. “That’s been my mindset from Day 1. Every day going into practice I have things that I want to focus on and try and work on and be able to put them into my game.” JASON MACKEY Apparently when the challenges are the greatest, too. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette [email protected] Post Gazette LOADED: 11.26.2017 11:21 PM NOV 25, 2017

Tristan Jarry said he was excited to face the Tampa Bay Lightning’s vaunted power play. He wasn’t kidding. Or inebriated. No, Jarry was eager to try and contain a group that boasted the NHL’s top two scorers and a league-best 27.2-percent success rate entering Saturday’s game at PPG Paints Arena. Penguins' Phil Kessel at the face off circle against the Lightning Saturday, November 25, 2017, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. “Every game you have to be excited for those new opportunities,” Jarry said. “That’s something that I was very excited to face.” Suffice to say, Jarry didn’t flinch and rose to the challenge. Making his fourth NHL start and home debut, Jarry stopped 33 of 35 shots to earn his first NHL win. He also helped the Penguins hold the Tampa power play to a 5-for-6 outing, all in all about as good as you can expect. “He played great,” Phil Kessel said of Jarry. “He made big saves throughout the whole game.” And in the process became the first Penguins goaltender other than Matt Murray or Marc-Andre Fleury to win a game for them since Jeff Zatkoff beat Florida on Feb. 6, 2016. On an early, four-minute penalty kill, Jarry made a handful of key saves, one he snatched out of the air, then re-gathered, almost like a rebound. He stoned Cedric Paquette when former Penguin Chris Kunitz deflected Riley Sheahan’s pass in the slot, then denied a terrific scoring chance for Ondrej Palat off a pass from Yanni Gourde. Penguins Patric Hornqvist celebrates after Sidney Crosby scores his second goal of the night against the Lightning Saturday, November 25, 2017, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. However, Jarry’s biggest save — maybe of the game — came when he denied Steven Stamkos on a breakaway, thwarting a backhand attempt from the NHL’s points leader with his pad. “You’re able to stop that one, your nerves settle a little bit,” Jarry said. “You’re able to get to your game.” Who knows? Maybe Jarry was excited for that, too. After all, how many times has he had the privlege of trying to stop one of the NHL’s premier offensive players coming in alone? “That gave us a lot of energy,” Bryan Rust said of Jarry’s stop on Stamkos. “Sometimes we need things like that. He had a few huge saves [Saturday].” Another time the Penguins needed a timely save from Jarry was on Nikita Kucherov at 11:59 of the second period. Jarry tracked the puck and made himself big in a hurry. “I saw him backdoor,” Jarry recalled. “I was trying to get there as quickly as I could. I was just trying to cover as much net as I could in the little time that I had.” The bigger-picture takeaway here is that the backup goaltending position now appears very much stable. Play like that routinely, and we’re going to be talking about ways to get Matt Murray extra rest and Jarry an additional start or two every couple weeks. “We have two good goalies here,” Kessel said. “When they make saves like that, you have a good chance to win.” While Saturday might’ve been about the Penguins’ offense springing to life behind some of its big guns — Kessel and Sidney Crosby combined 1085242 Pittsburgh Penguins Those weren’t the only encouraging signs, either, as the Pen- guins (12-10-3) picked up their first win on the second night of a back-to-back set; they now are 1-4-2 in that situation. Penguins put it all together in 5-2 win over Lightning • It took Riley Sheahan some time to get going, but he finished with an assist and now has points in five of his past six games. It’s probably unrealistic to say the Penguins’ depth-scor- ing JASON MACKEY concerns have been resolved, but it helps to have Sheahan pro- duc- ing. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette • Starts had been a focal point, and the Penguins got going on time [email protected] against Tampa Bay. Their first period might’ve been their best opening 20 minutes of the season. They killed a double minor on 11:00 PM NOV 25, 2017 Jake Guentzel and scored three times, playing clean and fast.

“It started with our compete level,” Sullivan said. “It’s not to say we Mike Sullivan’s message Saturday was simple. The Penguins didn’t make mistakes out there, but they were mistakes of coach basically reminded his players of all they have enthusiasm. We were trying to play on our toes. We were trying ac- com- plished and the specific ingredients that went into to be aggressive. We had the right mindset. I think when we do that winning consecutive Stanley Cup titles. we’re a pretty competitive hockey team. There was a lot to like about our game [Saturday].” Sullivan closed by pointing out that there’s no time like the pres- ent. The pen- alty-kill, which gave up two goals in five of six games before Fri- day’s 2-for-2 performance in Boston, killed 5 of 6 Lightning A few hours later, Sullivan’s players practiced what he had power plays, a really strong showing against the NHL’s best power preached. The result was a 5-2 Penguins win against the Tampa Bay play. Lightning at PPG Paints Arena, a victory filled with feel-good sto- ries that snapped a season-long, three-game losing streak. Not only that, Bryan Rust scored a key short-handed goal early, the fourth of the season for the Penguins. “We needed to find our footing and get a couple wins,” said Phil Kes- sel, who finished with two goals and four points. “That was a good “I was trying to beat their guy up the ice,” Rust said. “When I got in start.” close enough, I tried to look at what was open.” Penguins' Tristan Jarry makes a save in the second period of Saturday's Kessel made it 2-0 with a 5-on-3 marker at 18:03, finishing a Crosby game. feed. Crosby returned the favor at 19:26, getting his stick on a Kes- sel shot. The result was needed for many reasons. The Penguins were 0-4-2 on the second night of back-to-backs, had lost two consecutive Sheahan sprung Kessel for a missile from the right circle, an home games in regulation and were flirting with the first four-game extremely Kessel-like goal that left poor Peter Budaj with no chance. overall losing streak since the start of Sullivan’s tenure. It’s the type of goal, in the type of performance for the Penguins, Beating the Lightning, which entered with an NHL-high 34 points, that often leaves the opposing team with little breathing room. was certainly a big development, but more important might’ve And it’s one they’re hoping they can take and replicate several been how it went down. times over. Sidney Crosby hadn’t been terribly thrilled with the way he has “I think our players understand the circumstance,” Sullivan started the season. His performance Saturday, however, was said. “We all know where we are in the league and where we are in our vin- tage Crosby — winning battles, effective around the net, division. All of us watch hockey. We know where we stand. I think our setting up teammates, a threat on every shift. group has high expectations. I thought [Saturday] was a really solid effort, top to bottom.” It looked every bit like the guy who has won the Conn Smythe Trophy the past two postseasons. Around the boards A laser from the right circle on a 5-on-3 power play at 4:41 of the third Penguins fans contributed more than $7,000 to help the family of period gave Crosby his second two-goal game of the season. The fallen New Kensington policer officer Brian Shaw. The Penguins captain finished with three points, but he was hardly alone Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation added an additional $10,000 when it came to the team’s best offensive players being exactly to the Officer Brian Shaw Fund. Fans may continue to donate that. online through Dec. 5 at www.pittsburghpenguinsfoundation.org. … The Penguins Kessel had his best offensive performance in 2017-18 to date, now have won 12 of their past 13 at home against the Lightning. … which is saying something considering how consistently good Crosby has points in nine of his past 10 home games against Tampa Bay he has been. The outburst gave Kessel a team-high 31 points this (7-15–22). season and a nine-point lead on second place (Crosby, 22).

“It was a good night,” Kessel said. “Couple five-on-threes out there. It’s nice. We needed that win.” Post Gazette LOADED: 11.26.2017 Penguins' Phil Kessel at the face off circle against the Lightning Saturday, November 25, 2017, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. The Penguins have gotten quality goaltending at times in the early por- tion of the season, but it had come mostly from Matt Murray. Not Satur- day. Making his fourth career start, third this season and also his home debut, Tristan Jarry looked an awful lot like Murray in a stellar performance. Jarry stopped 33 of 35 shots to pick up his first NHL win. “It’s very special,” Jarry said. “It’s nice to get that out of the way. It’s obviously something that I’ll never forget. It’s something I’ll cherish forever.” Jarry’s best stop came with the Lightning trying to make it a two-goal game midway through the second period. Moving right to left and tracking another juicy bounce off the PPG Paints Arena end boards, Jarry robbed NHL goal-scor- ing leader Nikita Kucherov short side. 1085243 Pittsburgh Penguins “It’s a good honor when you’re at some place for that long and you’ve had a lot of success,” Kunitz said of the videos. “It was always a nice gesture from an opponent.” Malkin remains out with upper-body injury A well-deserved one here, for sure. Kunitz is one of five players in franchise history to win three Stanley Cups JASON MACKEY with the Penguins as a player. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette His last goal with the Penguins was the double-overtime winner against Ottawa in the Eastern Conference final. And he assisted on goals that [email protected] clinched the 2009 and 2017 Stanley Cups. 6:50 PM NOV 25, 2017 “He’s such a great person,” Sullivan said of Kunitz. “He’s a great teammate. He’s a good player. He’s the ultimate competitor. He’s meant so much to this organization over the years. I know he means a lot to his teammates. His coaching staff was certainly appreciative of what he Evgeni Malkin missed a third consecutive game Saturday when the brought to our team in helping us win. To have an opportunity to shake Penguins hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning, as he continues to work his his hand and say ‘thank you’ is a big thrill for me.” way back from an upper-body injury. Ian Cole was a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game. “He’s been skating, but he’s still status quo,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said before the game, speaking of Malkin. “Right now he’s just Sullivan also jumbled his defense pairs, deploying Olli Maatta with Kris day-to-day. We’ll take each day as it comes.” Letang, Brian Dumoulin with Chad Ruhwedel and Matt Hunwick with Justin Schultz. Malkin skated on his own before practice on Thanksgiving and was not noticeably hindered in any way. Given the intensity of the workout, and The forwards remained the same from Friday’s game, with Josh Sullivan’s answers, it’s not believed to be anything overly serious. Archibald as a healthy scratch. Malkin has seven goals and 21 points in 22 games this season, while the Baby steps Penguins were 95-54-15 (.625) in the 164 games he had missed in his career prior to Saturday. After allowing two power-play goals in five of their past six, the Penguins penalty kill gave up none Friday against the Bruins, going 2 for 2. Penguins' Tristan Jarry makes a save in the second period of Saturday's game. Sullivan viewed it as some semblance of progress, but not necessarily because of the clean sheet. Having Malkin back for Tampa would’ve been big, too; in 17 career home games against the Lightning, Malkin has 15 goals and 26 points. “We were more disciplined, for starters,” Sullivan said. “We didn’t take as many penalties. I think that’s an important part of it. Jarry gets start “That’s where it starts, but the guys on the kill certainly did a good job.” Sullivan started backup goaltender Tristan Jarry against the Lightning, which led the NHL in offense (3.77 goals per game) entering play Seen and heard Saturday. When Kunitz was talking, Sidney Crosby poked his head in the media While the decision was perfectly understandable — Matt Murray played scrum and smiled. Someone jokingly asked Crosby if he had a Friday in Boston — it meant that three times against the best team in the credential. league, the Penguins have started their backup netminder: Antti Niemi twice and now Jarry. Later, before Sullivan spoke, Lemieux walked over to where Bryan Rust and Tom Kuhnhackl were trying to retrieve a soccer ball that had gotten “It’s just he way the logistics of the schedule played out,” Sullivan said. stuck in the ceiling. “We’re trying to take each game as it comes. We’re trying to win that game right in front of us. The schedule is the schedule. We can only “Don’t fall,” Lemieux cracked at Kuhnhackl, who was at the top at the control what we can.” time. Chris Kunitz didn’t sleep in his old bed, at his old house. He stayed with the team, his new team. Post Gazette LOADED: 11.26.2017 Penguins' Phil Kessel at the face off circle against the Lightning Saturday, November 25, 2017, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. A Pittsburgher for 8 1/2 years, Kunitz didn’t bring his wife and kids with him, either. When Kunitz returned to PPG Paints Arena Saturday, it wasn’t a big, emotional thing for the 38-year-old with four Stanley Cup rings, three of them won as a Penguin. “It’s been such a good run with Tampa that it’s been easy to put on the back-burner,” Kunitz said before the game. “Maybe when you get on the ice it’ll have a little bit more of an effect, when you look across and notice something different.” Another realistic reason why Kunitz was able to downplay his return was the number of times these teams have seen each other. “I think right now we’re just worried about how our team’s playing and not worried about other teams,” Kunitz said. “We’ve played them twice. We had them on a tough back-to-back. I do hear that they have the most back-to-backs in the league. We’re going through the same thing. We have to go out and find a way to win games.” It could have also helped Kunitz’s case given that Tampa (16-4-2) had a league-high 34 points going into Saturday’s game. He’s been an integral part of that, although his numbers — three goals and six points in 22 games — are lower than he’d like. As for the coming-back elements, Kunitz was supposed to get his ring from Penguins co-owner Mario Lemieux after the game. He always noticed the team’s tremendously well-done tribute videos but never really envisioned how his own might look. 1085244 Pittsburgh Penguins “We weren’t coming out clean, and they were able to create a forecheck and hem us in,” Crosby said. “That took away from our own forecheck, and we weren’t able to generate anything ourselves. Just a lack of For the Penguins, it all starts … with their start execution early probably hurt us.” It’s probably a good time to point out how crucial clean, quick breakouts are to what Sullivan wants the Penguins to do. You can’t play fast if JASON MACKEY you’re monkeying around in your own zone or turning the puck over. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette • Yeah, those turnovers. [email protected] The Penguins were charged with six giveaways in the first against Boston, that’s not never going to be good for business. 12:27 PM NOV 25, 2017 But diligence — a word Sullivan loves to use when talking about this stuff — isn’t confined to the Penguins’ own zone. If the Penguins want to stop their season-long, three-game losing streak, It’s required at the offensive blue line as well, and too many times, they don’t have to look far for a solution. especially in the first period Friday, the Penguins sacrificed what could have been a strong offensive-zone shift because of a careless pass that It’s literally at the beginning. the Bruins swiped. Many of their losses this season have been chalked up to a lack of five- Murray said it was the type of thing where you should tip your cap to the on-five scoring, a wobbly penalty kill and shoddy backup goaltending. Bruins, and he’s not wrong. The Bruins are an exciting team to watch and Fairly accurately, too. But the latest Achilles heel for the Penguins has one that came out gangbusters. But the Penguins could also be doing been their slow starts. more to help themselves. Ironically, it’s the same issue that has plagued Saturday’s opponent, the “For me it all starts with a mindset and a readiness,” Sullivan said. “That’s Tampa Bay Lightning, of late. what it boils down to. Every player’s got to take ownership for their own “We need to be more consistent,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said preparedness, so that we’re ready from the drop of the puck.” after Friday’s 4-3 loss in Boston. “We can’t show up after the first 20

minutes of the game and expect to win games consistently.” Post Gazette LOADED: 11.26.2017 No, they certainly cannot.

Neither can any team in the NHL, really. Look at what Tampa did Friday night. The Lightning fell behind early in a 3-1 loss at Washington and never recovered, despite playing a strong third period and despite having the NHL’s best offense (3.77 goals per game) and its top two scorers. “They were the hungrier team in the first two periods, and it showed," Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said, per Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. "When we decided to play in the third period, it was the case of too little, too late." Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? The Penguins trailed the Bruins, 2-0, after the opening 20 minutes. Pittsburgh scored three of four goals in the second period to tie it before David Pastrnak won the game with a breakaway. Matt Murray blamed himself, saying he should have stopped Pastrnak, and maybe he’s right. But the reality is there was a whole lot more to the Penguins’ loss than one save. It started with their struggles from the drop of the puck. “We did some good things, but our start hurt us,” Sidney Crosby said. “It was great we were able to battle back, but we can’t put ourselves in that spot.” So far this season, the Penguins have scored 16 goals in the first period. That’s 27th in the NHL. They’ve allowed 30 and have a goal differential in the opening 20 minutes of minus-14 — both dead last. Now, it’s important to use context here and remember their blowout losses: 10-1 and a pair of 7-1 defeats. They allowed 11 first-period goals in those three games alone. Just for fun, let’s pretend they gave up five combined goals in those first periods instead of 11. That’s still 24 first-period goals allowed, which ranks among the five worst. How can the Penguins turn those numbers around and get off to a better start? Here are three suggestions: • Stay out of the penalty box. The Penguins didn’t do this against Boston. Worse, Patric Hornqvist took a penalty 32 seconds in. Bryan Rust was later called for a completely unnecessary hook. In case you’re scoring at home — let’s hope you’re not — the Penguins have been shorthanded 93 times. That’s the third-most in the NHL, although they were much improved overall in this department against the Bruins. • Better breakouts are a must. You probably saw this watching on TV, but that matters little compared to Crosby’s assessment of what held his team back … quite literally in this case. 1085245 San Jose Sharks “They’ve got a nice mix there,” DeBoer said. They’ve fixed the goaltending, it looks like, they’re getting good goaltending, which allows them to take a few more chances offensively and it’s working for them.” Three things to know: Is this when Brent Burns starts to heat up? 3. Melker Karlsson on the mend: Karlsson skated again Saturday morning as the Sharks went though an optional practice, but it appears he’ll be a scratch for a fourth straight game. By CURTIS PASHELKA | [email protected] | Bay Area News Group Karlsson is recovering from an upper body injury he suffered last Saturday against Boston. He’s hoping to play at some point on the PUBLISHED: November 25, 2017 at 2:22 pm | UPDATED: November 25, Sharks’ upcoming road trip through Philadelphia, Florida, Tampa Bay 2017 at 2:23 PM and Washington. Where Karlsson might play once he does return is unclear, since he’s seen Donskoi thrive on the Sharks’ second line with Couture and Tomas SAN JOSE — When Brent Burns was putting up record-setting seasons Hertl. In the last three games, Karlsson has two goals and two assists. for the Sharks’ franchise in terms of offensive production for a defenseman, his points tended to come in bunches. “He’s a guy that works hard and is getting rewarded for it,” Karlsson said of Donskoi. “He works hard, goes to the net and gets goals.” After five games last year, for instance, he already had three goals and six assists. Over an 11-game stretch in December, he had five goals and DeBoer wasn’t saying if there were any definite lineup changes, with eight assists. decisions on a couple of players coming at game-time. Forward Barclay Goodrow is getting better from an upper body injury he suffered against It’s early in the process, but perhaps Burns is starting a similar streak Florida on Nov. 16 but is still “a ways away, ” DeBoer said. Paul Martin, now. who experienced a setback recently, went through a light skate Saturday morning. After he recorded an assist Wednesday against Arizona to end an eight- game points drought, Burns recorded his first goal of the season in Friday’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. The Sharks are also showing signs of a more dangerous power play, which should only San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 11.26.2017 help Burns as they host the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday. Sharks coach Pete DeBoer maintained that as long as Burns is getting shots to the net and creating scoring chances, then there’s not much cause for concern. Still, it had to be a relief for everyone in teal to see Burns get rewarded for all of the pucks he’s thrown at the net. “I haven’t overreacted to this. It hasn’t been a story, as much as a story in my mind as you guys,” DeBoer said, referring to the media attention given to Burns’ early-season drought. “I look at the other side. (Dustin) Byfuglien doesn’t have a goal, (Ottawa’s Erik) Karlsson has one. Those guys you measure — are they getting looks, are they getting chances? It’s like anybody that scores. Eventually the odds are going to go your way and they’re going to go in. “A lot of those guys are streaky and a lot of times, once you get one, the floodgates do open. Now will they? I don’t know. That’s not a predictor. But I like (Burns’) game and I’m not worried about it.” Burns first goal came from a shot from just inside the blue line that got through traffic and past goalie Knights’ goalie Maxime Lagace at the 8:08 mark of the second period. The goal lit a fire under the Sharks, who scored two more times in the second period to the game 4-4 before the second intermission. The Sharks, who had a Logan Couture goal disallowed in the third period after it was ruled Joonas Donskoi interfered with new goalie Malcolm Subban, lost in OT. “There’s some things we want to clean up from Vegas last night,” DeBoer said. “We felt we gave them too much room, too much time and we were on our heels too much, which is something we take a lot of pride in, in our structure away from the puck. “We’ve got to get that back tonight because this is a skilled team that’ll make you look bad if you don’t.” 2. Martin Jones back in net: Jones will be in net Saturday after he was pulled in the second period of Friday’s game against the Golden Knights. Jones has only been so-so against the Jets in his career with a 2-2 record, a 2.77 goals against average and a .901 save percentage. Last season, though, Jones stopped 26 of 28 shots for the Sharks in their 5-2 win over the Jets at SAP Center. More encouraging for the Sharks — Jones typically responds well the following game that he plays after he’s been pulled. He’s 4-0 in such instances over the past two seasons, including 2-0 this year. He was also pulled in games against Los Angeles in October and Tampa Bay earlier this month before he came back to win the next time he took the net. Steve Mason will start in net for a Jets team that has won six of seven and is in second place in the Central Division. Nicolaj Ehlers, Patrik Laine and Mark Scheifele have combined for 32 goals, and Scheifele and Blake Wheeler lead the team with 25 points each. Like our Sharks Facebook page for more San Jose Sharks news, commentary and conversation. 1085246 San Jose Sharks session. “He’s doing as much offensively as he does defensively. He’s very much an unsung hero for what he does defensively. He blocks shots and that’s what you want from your best players. Three takeaways: Sharks’ Jones’ health in question after shutout vs. Jets “When guys like Logan Couture do it, it sends the right message to our young guys.” By PAUL GACKLE | [email protected] | Bay Area News For years, Couture has gone head-to-head with the top centers in the Group league, playing a selfless defensive game at the cost of his offensive numbers PUBLISHED: November 26, 2017 at 12:01 am | UPDATED: November 26, 2017 at 3:01 am But this year, Couture is leading the charge in the attack zone, as well. On a team that’s scored the fewest five-on-five goals in the NHL (32), Couture ranks fifth in the NHL in goals (tied with four players) and his 19 SAN JOSE — After scoring more than two non-empty net goals just once points is tops on the team, five more than Joe Thornton’s production. in a nine-game span, the Sharks are starting to find some offense, lighting the lamp 11 times in their last three games. Even if Couture’s numbers takes a dip over the next six weeks, it’s hard to imagine that he won’t earn his second trip to the All-Star game this Get Sharks news in your inbox. Sign up now for the free Sharks Report year. The Sharks just don’t have a lot of viable candidates other than he newsletter. and Jones. The Sharks followed up their four-goal performance against the Vegas Thornton is having an up-and-down year coming off major knee surgery Golden Knights Friday by notching four more against the Winnipeg Jets in the offseason. Joe Pavelski is stuck on four goals after failing to put (14-6-3), who entered Saturday’s game at the SAP Center with a 24-7-4 the puck in the net for a 10th-consecutive game and Brent Burns scored record since March 13 of last season. his first goal of the year on Friday. Here’s what we learned as the Sharks (12-8-2) picked up a 4-0 win over Without Couture, it’s hard to imagine that the Sharks would be anywhere the Western Conference’s hottest team. near a playoff spot right now. It’s safe to assume that the guys in the dressing room know who the team’s MVP through 22 games is. 1. Martin Jones goes “under evaluation” after pitching second shutout of season. “He does everything,” Jannik Hansen said. “He plays power play, five-on- five, shorthanded. He plays against the other team’s top guys every Usually, when a goalie tosses a shutout, he’ll be the first player night, and most nights, he comes out on top.” requested by reporters for a postgame interview. But Jones wound up being a no show for his media scrum Saturday after he made 38 saves 3. The Sharks get their offense the right away this time. en route to his second shutout of the season. The Sharks put up more than three goals for just the second time since Why? Nov. 1 Friday, but DeBoer was displeased with how his team generated its offense, calling its game, “pond hockey”. He was undergoing an evaluation for what appeared to be a lower-body injury suffered in the third period of the Sharks win. Although Couture criticized the Sharks defensive effort Saturday, the Sharks managed to score four times — an even strength goal, a power “He’s in with our medical people right now,” assistant coach Steve Spott play, a shorthanded goal and an empty netter — while containing a Jets said when asked about Jones’ postgame absence. “We’ll know more offense that came into the game ranked sixth in the NHL (3.27 goals per tomorrow.” game). With 6:32 left in the third period, Sharks head trainer Ray Tufts paid The Sharks kept Mark Scheifele (25 points), Blake Wheeler (25 points), Jones a visit on the ice, testing his ability to move side-to-side in the Patrik Laine (17 points) and Nikolaj Ehlers (17 points) off the scoresheet crease. Jones remained in the game, but he appeared to be nursing an and the penalty kill went 3-for-3 against a power play that had scored at injury in his lower-body area, moving around carefully in the blue paint, least one goal in nine of its last 11 games. looking awkward on a post-to-post slide and getting up slowly after he went down to stop the puck. “They’ve got a high-powered offense over there,” Spott said. “To do what we did tonight was excellent.” In between whistles, Jones could be seen stretching out his legs in the crease. Although Jones is putting together an all-star caliber season, the Sharks San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 11.26.2017 should be able to absorb his loss if he winds up having a short-term injury. Backup Aaron Dell is proving he’s more than capable of stepping in and providing the team with quality goaltending. Like our Sharks Facebook page for more San Jose Sharks news, commentary and conversation. In 28 NHL appearances, Dell has posted a .928 save percentage and a 2.06 goals-against average. He’s 2-3-1 with a .920 save percentage and a 2.23 goals-against average this season. The Sharks also have a pair of serviceable netminders with the AHL Barracuda if they need to recall a goalie to serve as a temporary backup. Antoine Bibeau ranks third in the league in goals-against average (1.82) and fourth in save percentage (.933) in nine appearances, and Troy Grosenick is coming off a season in which he snagged the league’s top goalie award. But if the injury is serious, which seems unlikely at this point, it could be potentially devastating to the Sharks, whose game is structured around keeping the puck out of the net. Dell, Bibeau and Grosenick are all unproven commodities as starters at the NHL level. 2. Pencil Logan Couture into the All-Star game. Couture is carrying the Sharks forward group this season, a point that isn’t lost on the Sharks coaching staff. After scoring his 12th and 13th goals of the year, his name came up in the coach’s office. “He’s been excellent. We just said that in the coach’s office,” said Spott as he filled in for head coach Pete DeBoer in the postgame media 1085247 San Jose Sharks “He’s been good since he’s been here,” Vlasic said of Jones, “so I wouldn’t expect less from him.”

▪Defenseman Joakim Ryan was scratched for the first time since he was Look of an all-star? Sharks’ two biggest candidates come up big vs. Jets recalled from the AHL on Oct. 12. Brenden Dillon was paired with Brent Burns for the start of Saturday’s game, and Tim Heed, who was scratched for the last two games, was paired with Dylan DeMelo. By CURTIS PASHELKA | [email protected] | Bay Area News Group ▪ Forward Melker Karlsson skated again in Saturday morning’s optional practice but was a scratch for a fourth straight game with an upper body PUBLISHED: November 25, 2017 at 9:38 pm | UPDATED: November 26, injury he suffered last Saturday against Boston. Karlsson said he hoping 2017 at 3:01 am to play at some point on the Sharks’ upcoming road trip. ▪ Forward Barclay Goodrow is improving from an upper body injury he suffered against Florida on Nov. 16 but is still “a ways away,” Sharks SAN JOSE — Spots for the 2017 NHL All-Star game won’t be handed coach Pete DeBoer said. Defenseman Paul Martin also skated lightly out until January. So there’s still plenty of time for players across the Saturday morning. Martin had been nursing an ankle injury for over a league to state their case. month but recently incurred another injury that is not ankle-related, DeBoer said last week. Through the first quarter of the season, two candidates have plainly emerged for the Sharks, and their importance was on full display in a 4-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets at SAP Center on Saturday. San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 11.26.2017 Center Logan Couture scored twice for his fourth multi-goal game of the season and goalie Martin Jones made 38 saves for his second shutout as the Sharks earned an important victory before they start a four-game road trip early next week. Marc-Edouard Vlasic assisted on both goals by Couture, who scored once at even strength and another shorthanded and now has a team- leading 13 goals in 22 games. “It’s been good. Scored some goals, the puck’s found its way in,” Couture said of his season. “Just have to keep shooting, stick with it and hopefully it continues. It’s a long season. There’s ups and there are downs. Right now, the puck’s going in.” Jones stopped 16 shots in the second period, including four on the penalty kill, as he bounced back from a so-so showing Friday night against the Vegas Golden Knights when he was pulled early in the second period. Jones, now with a 10-5-1 record this season, was shaken up in the third period and had to be tended to for a few moments by a member of the Sharks’ training staff. He finished the third period but remained under evaluation after the game. For the record, both Couture and Jones have been selected to one all- star game each. “He’s OK. He was just buying time for his teammates,” Vlasic deadpanned when asked about Jones’ injury. “He’s fine.” Tim Heed scored on the power play and Tomas Hertl added an empty- netter as the Sharks improved their record at home to 7-6-1. San Jose begins its road trip Tuesday in Philadelphia, followed by games against Florida, Tampa Bay and Washington. “We were playing Winnipeg, one of the hottest teams in the National Hockey League and we knew the points were going to be tough,” Sharks assistant coach Steve Spott said. “It was a big two points for our hockey club. To get a power play, a shorthanded and a 5 on 5 goal, that was great for our club.” Couture’s shorthanded goal gave the Sharks a 3-0 lead at the 13:13 mark of the second period. Hertl knocked a loose puck into the neutral zone where Couture collected it and went in on a breakaway, beating Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck with a backhand shot through the legs. Couture’s second goal came as the Sharks were killing their third straight penalty of the second period. He and Hertl played 2:22 on the penalty kill, part of an impressive defensive effort by the Sharks’ top shutdown forwards. “He does everything,” Sharks forward Jannik Hansen said of Couture. “He plays the power play, he plays 5 on 5, shorthanded. Goes against the other team’s top guys every night and most of the time comes out on top.” Like our Sharks Facebook page for more San Jose Sharks news, commentary and conversation. Jones has typically responded well in his next outing when he’s been pulled in his previous appearance. Jones was 4-0 in such instances over the past two seasons, including 2- 0 this year. He was also pulled in games against Los Angeles in October and Tampa Bay earlier this month before he came back to win the next time he took the net. 1085248 San Jose Sharks Like our Sharks Facebook page for more San Jose Sharks news, commentary and conversation.

“They’ve got a nice mix there,” DeBoer said. They’ve fixed the Three things to know: Is this when Brent Burns starts to heat up? goaltending, it looks like, they’re getting good goaltending, which allows them to take a few more chances offensively and it’s working for them.” By CURTIS PASHELKA | [email protected] | Bay 3. Melker Karlsson on the mend: Karlsson skated again Saturday Area News Group morning as the Sharks went though an optional practice, but it appears he’ll be a scratch for a fourth straight game. PUBLISHED: November 25, 2017 at 2:22 pm | UPDATED: November 25, 2017 at 2:23 PM Karlsson is recovering from an upper body injury he suffered last Saturday against Boston. He’s hoping to play at some point on the Sharks’ upcoming road trip through Philadelphia, Florida, Tampa Bay and Washington. SAN JOSE — When Brent Burns was putting up record-setting seasons for the Sharks’ franchise in terms of offensive production for a Where Karlsson might play once he does return is unclear, since he’s defenseman, his points tended to come in bunches. seen Donskoi thrive on the Sharks’ second line with Couture and Tomas Hertl. In the last three games, Karlsson has two goals and two assists. After five games last year, for instance, he already had three goals and six assists. Over an 11-game stretch in December, he had five goals and “He’s a guy that works hard and is getting rewarded for it,” Karlsson said eight assists. of Donskoi. “He works hard, goes to the net and gets goals.” It’s early in the process, but perhaps Burns is starting a similar streak DeBoer wasn’t saying if there were any definite lineup changes, with now. decisions on a couple of players coming at game-time. Forward Barclay Goodrow is getting better from an upper body injury he suffered against After he recorded an assist Wednesday against Arizona to end an eight- Florida on Nov. 16 but is still “a ways away, ” DeBoer said. Paul Martin, game points drought, Burns recorded his first goal of the season in who experienced a setback recently, went through a light skate Saturday Friday’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. The Sharks are morning. also showing signs of a more dangerous power play, which should only help Burns as they host the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday. Get Sharks news in your inbox. Sign up now for the free Sharks Report San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 11.26.2017 newsletter. Sharks coach Pete DeBoer maintained that as long as Burns is getting shots to the net and creating scoring chances, then there’s not much cause for concern. Still, it had to be a relief for everyone in teal to see Burns get rewarded for all of the pucks he’s thrown at the net. “I haven’t overreacted to this. It hasn’t been a story, as much as a story in my mind as you guys,” DeBoer said, referring to the media attention given to Burns’ early-season drought. “I look at the other side. (Dustin) Byfuglien doesn’t have a goal, (Ottawa’s Erik) Karlsson has one. Those guys you measure — are they getting looks, are they getting chances? It’s like anybody that scores. Eventually the odds are going to go your way and they’re going to go in. “A lot of those guys are streaky and a lot of times, once you get one, the floodgates do open. Now will they? I don’t know. That’s not a predictor. But I like (Burns’) game and I’m not worried about it.” Burns first goal came from a shot from just inside the blue line that got through traffic and past goalie Knights’ goalie Maxime Lagace at the 8:08 mark of the second period. The goal lit a fire under the Sharks, who scored two more times in the second period to the game 4-4 before the second intermission. The Sharks, who had a Logan Couture goal disallowed in the third period after it was ruled Joonas Donskoi interfered with new goalie Malcolm Subban, lost in OT. “There’s some things we want to clean up from Vegas last night,” DeBoer said. “We felt we gave them too much room, too much time and we were on our heels too much, which is something we take a lot of pride in, in our structure away from the puck. “We’ve got to get that back tonight because this is a skilled team that’ll make you look bad if you don’t.” 2. Martin Jones back in net: Jones will be in net Saturday after he was pulled in the second period of Friday’s game against the Golden Knights. Jones has only been so-so against the Jets in his career with a 2-2 record, a 2.77 goals against average and a .901 save percentage. Last season, though, Jones stopped 26 of 28 shots for the Sharks in their 5-2 win over the Jets at SAP Center. More encouraging for the Sharks — Jones typically responds well the following game that he plays after he’s been pulled. He’s 4-0 in such instances over the past two seasons, including 2-0 this year. He was also pulled in games against Los Angeles in October and Tampa Bay earlier this month before he came back to win the next time he took the net. Steve Mason will start in net for a Jets team that has won six of seven and is in second place in the Central Division. Nicolaj Ehlers, Patrik Laine and Mark Scheifele have combined for 32 goals, and Scheifele and Blake Wheeler lead the team with 25 points each. 1085249 San Jose Sharks

Logan Couture, Martin Jones lead Sharks past Jets

By Ross McKeon Updated 11:08 pm, Saturday, November 25, 2017

Logan Couture scored twice and Martin Jones made 38 saves as the Sharks beat one of the hottest teams in the NHL as San Jose beat the Winnipeg Jets 4-0 at SAP Center on Saturday night. Jones collected his second shutout of the season and the 17th of his career thanks in part to the Sharks’ penalty kill, which went 3-for-3 and provided a shorthanded goal. “We knew points were going to be tough,” Sharks assistant coach Steve Spott said. “Jones was excellent. And all six defensemen were solid. To hold them off the scoreboard — they’ve got a high-powered offense — to do what we did tonight was excellent.” Sitting second in the Central Division, Winnipeg lost for only the second time in eight games and for the fourth time in 14. Tomas Hertl scored his fifth goal of the season into an empty net at 16:50 of the third period as San Jose scored as many as four goals in consecutive games for the first time this season. “It’s finally going in for us,” said defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who added two assists. Despite taking three penalties in a 6:57 span of the middle period, the Sharks actually extended their lead. After standing tall at the blue line to continuously deny Winnipeg clear entry, the Sharks really benefited from defenseman Dylan DeMelo’s interference call against Brandon Tanev at 13:02. Winnipeg defenseman Dustin Byfuglien fumbled an attempted keep-in at the right point, and the result was a Couture breakaway that he capped with a backhand goal past relief goalie Connor Hellebuyck just 11 seconds into the kill. Couture nearly made it a hat trick when he broke away shorthanded again, but the puck squirted off his stick before he could attempt a shot. “Fake shot, he kind of froze and I went around him,” Couture said of his shortie. “The second one, I couldn’t believe I had another breakaway and the puck jumped on me.” Hellebuyck came into the game at the start of the second period because goalie Steve Mason suffered an upper-body injury late in the opening period. The Sharks started quickly, scoring two goals of the opening period. San Jose converted its first power play at 11:30 of the first to take a 1-0 lead. Joe Pavelski redirected a Joe Thornton drive off the crossbar, but the Sharks stuck with it. Eventually, defenseman Tim Heed stepped into Kevin Labanc’s behind-the-back pass from the high slot and scored 1:18 into the power play. “One of their guys broke a stick, they had to shrink in a little, so I had a good opportunity to move in a little and get a good shot,” said Heed before complimenting Labanc’s feed. “I was waiting for it. It’s good he saw me there.” Mason made a couple of good stops in close to deny Timo Meier and Pavelski, but left a juicy rebound on a Justin Braun shot from the right point that Couture punched home at 19:44 for his first goal of the night. “He’s been excellent,” Spott said of Couture. “He’s doing as much offensively as he does defensively. He’s very much an unsung hero for what he does defensively. He blocks shots and matches up against the best players. When Logan does what he does, it sends the right message to our youngsters.”

San Francisco Chronicle LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085250 San Jose Sharks

Couture powers Sharks past Jets

Staff Report By Associated Press November 25, 2017 8:53 PM

SAN JOSE -- Logan Couture scored two goals and Martin Jones had 38 saves as the San Jose Sharks defeated the Winnipeg Jets 4-0 on Saturday night. The Sharks won for just the second time in six games with two ties over that stretch as they improved to 18-5-2-2 all-time against Winnipeg. The Jets had won five of their previous six and 10 of their last 13. Couture scored a short-handed goal on a breakaway at 13:13 of the second period for his 13th goal of the season that gave the Sharks a 3-0 lead. Couture took the puck from just past the San Jose blue line. He faked a shot as he approached goalie Connor Hellebuyck and then backhanded the puck into the net. Tim Heed scored the game's first goal on a power play at 11:30 of the first period. Heed blasted a shot from the high slot off a behind-the-back pass from Kevin Labanc. Couture scored his goal just outside the crease after he rebounded a deflection with 16 seconds left in the first period. Tomas Hertl scored an empty-netter at 16:50 of the third.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085251 San Jose Sharks

Sharks wish they had Winnipeg's luck with the puck

By Marcus White November 25, 2017 11:44 AM

The Winnipeg Jets have not had the puck much this season, but have kept it out of their net and put it in their opposition’s. When adjusting for blowouts and different arenas, the Jets are 20th and 21st in the major possession metrics (corsi and fenwick, respectively), according to Puck on Net. Despite that, they’ve allowed the sixth-fewest and scored the eighth-most, and are second in the Central Division. The San Jose Sharks, meanwhile, are one of the three best possession teams by both metrics when adjusting for score and venue. They’ve allowed the fewest goals per game in the league, but have only scored the second-fewest, and are five points back in the Pacific Division. That’s a pretty stark difference, and much of it comes down to luck. One way to measure luck is with a statistic known as PDO, which sums a team’s save and shooting percentages. The “Mendoza line” is 100, with teams standing above the line considered lucky and teams sitting below unlucky. The Jets’ PDO during five-on-five play, which comprises the vast majority of a team’s minutes, is 102.67, the second-highest in the league, according to Corsica Hockey. The Sharkss is 98.04, the sixth-lowest. In some ways, the Jets are making their own luck. They boast one of the most skilled forward groups, and it’s reasonable to expect a team led by Patrik Laine to be one of the league’s best at finishing. Connor Hellebuyck, who’s seized the starting goalie job from free agent signing Steve Mason, has a history of success in college and the AHL. Expecting 11 players to convert on over 10 percent of their chances and Hellebuyck to exceed his career averages, as has happened in Winnipeg this season, is another matter entirely. Similarly, the Sharks are at least somewhat responsible for their own misfortune. The team’s too talented to continue scoring on only 6.01 percent of their five-on-five shots, but it’d be unrealistic to expect them to convert at the same level as a much more offensively gifted club like Winnipeg. Both teams are likely due for some amount of regression to the mean. The Sharks’ strong possession game bodes well when they’re luckier, while the Jets’ lesser numbers do not when they hit a bump in the road. The cliche holds that it’s better to be lucky than good. The Sharks and Jets have shown, however, that a team can’t be good without being a little lucky.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085252 St Louis Blues

Blais gets back into lineup as Blues face Wild

By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch 4 hrs ago (…)

Sammy Blais will be back in the lineup for the first time since he was sent down to the AHL more than a month ago when the Blues face Minnesota on Saturday night on the back half of a Central Division back-to-back weekend. Blais, who had one assist in four games when he was with the team in October before being sent back to San Antonio, will step into Magnus Paajarvi's spot on the right side of the third line, alongside Dmitrij Jaskin and Oskar Sundqvist. Paajarvi took a puck to the foot on Friday, one of the reasons he played only 8:56 (another was that that line didn't get a whole lot done, especially compared to the second and fourth lines); Yeo said they expect him to be fine. “We didn't have a plan. We wanted to make sure he was here in case we felt somebody needed to come out or someone needed to come out based on injury, so obviously we made that decision,” coach Mike Yeo said. “We talked about it after the game and felt it would be a good time to get him in.” When he was up before, Blais was starting as the right wing on a line with Jaden Schwartz and Brayden Schenn – it was his getting sent down that brought together Schwartz, Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko – though it usually by late in the game bodies were being moved around and Blais was skating on the third line. What the Blues want to see now from Blais, besides better play on defense, is predictability. “What we talked about with him, we know what he can do offensively,” Yeo said. “He's a guy that can make plays, he's a guy that's sneaky competitive, can win battles, move his feet and execute, either shoot pucks or create shots by his passing ability. What he needs to do with his play without the puck, he has to be easier to read off from his teammates. If you're not making the players you're on the ice with better, if it's too difficult for them to know where you're going, then obviously there's a lot of times you're in between and in between is death in this league. That's what we're talking to him about and that's where we're hoping to see improvement in talking to him and talking to the people who are watching him. “He's got lifelong habits that need to be changed. We want to see his creativity, we want to see his instincts with the puck. Our success has been because we play as a five-man unit and so we have to make sure guys are fitting into that. We're also not going to bury him if he makes a mistake. That's not the case. We want to make sure we keep him developing in the right way. We don't want him to be a good player, we want him to be a great player, and that's why we're going to keep working with him.” Other than that, it will be the same lineup for the Blues, but with Jake Allen in goal after Carter Hutton played against Nashville. That means that Carl Gunnarsson will be a scratch for the third straight game and Nate Prosser will be out for the 14th straight game. The Blues had an optional morning skate, with Blais, Chris Thorburn and Vince Dunn the only players who will play tonight (besides Allen) taking part. … Asked what he would like to see from his power play, Yeo said: “Goals.” He went on to say, “Obviously momentum, that's the biggest thing (that the power play is missing). You're watching it during the game, our breakouts, our entries, way too slow and I think our in-zone matched that too.” … Asked what he learned from watching the Blues-Predators game, Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said, “That the ice wasn't very good.” It's one of the curses of warm fall days, it seems. The puck was bouncing all over last night, no more obviously than when Tarasenko couldn't control a puck at the blueline with 50 seconds to go, which led to Nashville's game-clinching empty-net goal. While the ice was bad for both teams, Nashville did a better job of dealing with it. “It seemed to be a little sketchy there,” Yeo said, “but they had to play on it too. I'm not going to say we lost the game because of the ice. … There were a couple times the puck bounced over the stick, you saw that late in the period, when you're passing a puck into someone's skates, that's not because of bad ice.”

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085253 St Louis Blues

Blues were penalty-free Friday vs. Predators

By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch 4 hrs ago (…)

The Blues weren’t called for any penalties Friday against Nashville, something that doesn’t happen all that often in the NHL and even less often for the Blues. The Blues have had seven penalty-free games in the past 13 years, the most recent before Friday on Feb. 1, 2014, also against Nashville. Which brings up two trends to these games: Four of the six most recent times the Blues have played a game without a penalty have come in games against Nashville; and the loss to Nashville snapped a five-game winning streak for the Blues when they weren’t called for a penalty. It was the 10th time this season a team had played a penalty-free game (that was Game No. 344 this season), and curiously, those teams have won just twice in regulation. The most recent time the Blues didn’t have to kill a penalty came in the playoffs last season against, of course, Nashville. The Predators had no power plays in Game 2 of last season’s playoff series; the Blues, however, were called for one penalty, but it was part of coincidental minors so the teams stayed at even strength. Wild coach Bruce Boudreau was asked Saturday morning what he learned from watching the Blues’ game Friday night against Nashville. “That the ice wasn’t very good,” he said. It’s one of the curses of warm fall days, it seems, where the ice gets soft and uneven. The puck was bouncing all over Friday, no more obviously than when Vladimir Tarasenko couldn’t control a puck at the blueline with 50 seconds to go, which led to Nashville’s game-clinching empty-net goal. While the ice was bad for both teams, Nashville did a better job of dealing with it. “It seemed to be a little sketchy there,” Blues coach Mike Yeo said, “but they had to play on it, too. I’m not going to say we lost the game because of the ice. … There were a couple times the puck bounced over the stick, you saw that late in the period, when you’re passing a puck into someone’s skates, that’s not because of bad ice.” Patrik Berglund keeps getting closer, and he’s down to one chance to beat his original projected return month of December. The Blues have one more game in November, on Wednesday against Anaheim. “It’s getting closer and closer every day,” he said. “Still, it’s a process and we’ll see when I’m ready to compete and play. … Mostly (it’s) getting stronger in the gym, keep getting some strength back and all that so I really feel comfortable when I start playing. I’ve been skating for a while now. I think strength-wise is the biggest part now.” Of course, he joked, maybe the team’s success is what’s keeping him out. “Maybe I’ve been ready for a month, but they just don’t want to put me in because there’s no spots,” he said. “It’s been amazing to see how good they’re playing (and) competing, after a bad game how they’ve bounced back, too. They’re really rolling and it’s great to see.” Defensemen Carl Gunnarsson and Nate Prosser were healthy scratches, and Sammy Blais stepped into Magnus Paajarvi’s spot on the third line. Paajarvi took a shot to the foot Friday, and it’s not clear he would have played against Minnesota on Saturday had he been fully healthy. … Blues minor-league goalie Ville Husso is in St. Louis as he goes through treatment for a lower-body injury, suffered during a game Nov. 15, that is expected to keep him out another week.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085254 St Louis Blues faithful, he’ll unleash the way he did on Saturday, when he played such a Shea Weber-like game, shooting and assisting and dominating.

Parayko shooting puck a big plus for Blues St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.26.2017

Benjamin Hochman is a sports columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

He’s the human stretch pass, this blond, Stretch Armstrong lookalike who gliding through the neutral zone, while helpless defenders stretch out their arms, praying for a poke-check. It’s one of my favorite visuals in hockey — Colton Parayko, this 6-foot-6 defenseman, effortlessly carrying the puck into the offensive zone, changing the dynamic of a Blues’ possession. “He’s one of the elite players that can use his feet to gain ice,” Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said Saturday at Scottrade Center, before the Blues’ 6-3 win against the Wild. “But what impresses me — when he gains that ice and there’s a turnover, he can recover lost ice as good as anyone in the league. His skating through the neutral zone is one of his greatest aspects. I know it’s something that coaches Mike (Yeo) and Darryl (Sydor) are always pushing him to be active in the play, because you can recover that lost ice, where some guys, if they get caught, they’re not regaining that ice.” It’s pretty cool — these players who can defy the constructs of a positional role. Here’s this defenseman confidently not just adding to the offense, but spearheading it, with winger speed and constant confidence. Except, of course, when it comes to actually shooting. Or it’s seemed so for much of the season, right? Vince Dunn shoots more than this guy. But sure enough, Saturday night, we saw peak Parayko — he took shot after shot, like a Sigma Nu in spring break. In this statement win — a sturdy effort against a rival the night after being shutout— Parakyo had three shots on goal, another four that missed the net and another two that were blocked (even so, there was another moment, in the second, where he definitely should’ve shot and didn’t). He also tallied two assists and often created the offense, by unleashing an actual stretch pass or just bringing the darn puck in himself, ho-hum. “It looked like,” Yeo said, “from the drop of the puck, he wanted to grab the puck and go tell everybody that he wanted to be the best player on the ice tonight. … He was outstanding, right from the get-go. His game is coming along. I thought he was OK (on Friday) against Nashville, but for me, his last four games have been his best of the season.” Entering Saturday, since Feb. 2 of last season, Parayko was eighth among NHL defensemen with a plus-17 rating. That is good. Colton is only 24 — it’s pretty exciting to think about how many stud players the Blues have who can’t legally rent a car. And the recent return of Jay Bouwmeester has bolstered the Blues’ blueliners — on Saturday, Yeo paired Parayko with Joel Edmundson, and the fellows had quite a night. “They have two Pietrangelos out there, that’s the way I look at it,” Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau said at Saturday’s morning skate, and what a statement from an old hockey man. Indeed, the high-level play of Alex and the blossoming in front of our eyes by Colton has been a nightly treat for St. Louisans who love the intricacies of hockey. “You can just see the maturity in him,” Boudreau continued. “His first year, he started off great, and the second year he didn’t start off great — a little inconsistency — and this year, he’s grown into his body. He just feels confident out there.” Sometimes I find these “when player X does Y, the team does Z” stats a little forced. But this one is so one-sided, I feel it’s worth sharing: Entering Saturday, when Parayko recorded two assists in a game, the Blues were 9-0-0 in his career. Well, now they’re 10-0-0. And Parayko passed the most-important puck of the night, a brilliant find of Jaden Schwartz for a power-play goal. Oh, did you hear? The Blues can now score on the power play. And this one from Schwartzy gave St. Louis a 5-3 lead in the third. “I think they had both D-men in the corner,” Parayko said, matter-of- factly, “so he was all alone, gave me a holler, and I saw him there.” Last season, Parayko had 35 points. As a rookie he had 33. Per FanRag, just 11 defensemen since 2005-06 started their careers with two 30-point seasons. Well, this season, he’s got 12 points in his first 24 games. Still, it’s pretty mind-boggling that even in a year when so many defensemen are scoring for St. Louis, their star-in-the-making has scored just two goals. He had just four last year. So hopefully for the Blues 1085255 St Louis Blues The three power-play goals were the most for the Blues since Nov. 12, 2016 when they scored four in an 8-4 loss at Columbus under then- coach Ken Hitchcock. Blues turn up the power play in 6-3 win vs. Wild After strong forechecking by Stastny and Vladimir Tarasenko behind the Minnesota net, Parayko fed Schwartz in front. Schwartz took his time, deking and puckhandling Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk off his feet before By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch 5 hrs ago (…) depositing puck in net at the 11:36 mark of the third period to give the Blues a 5-3 lead.

Blais put the cherry on top at 14:12, when Alexander Steen put the puck One day you’re down in the dumps after a shutout loss to a division rival. right on Blais’ stick. Blais’ one-timed it past Dubnyk for his first NHL goal The next night you’re on top of the heap. Such is life in the National and restored the Blues’ three-goal lead — they had led 3-0 after one and Hockey League; such is life for the St. Louis Blues. 4-1 early in the third. After being on the wrong end of a disheartening 2-0 shutout Friday “When I saw the puck go in, I was really happy,” Blais said. “Steener against Nashville, coach Mike Yeo wanted a bounce-back game from his made a good play on that, and it’s a moment I’m gonna remember all my team Saturday against another Central Division rival, the Minnesota Wild. life for sure.” His team complied, turning back the Wild 6-3 at Scottrade Center behind That made amends for an earlier Blais giveaway that resulted in a two goals from Jaden Schwartz and a season-high three goals on the shorthanded goal by Charlie Coyle in the second period for Minnesota’s power play. first goal of the game. At 17-6-1, the Blues have 35 points, one more than Tampa Bay — which In between all the scoring was another Blues fight — just their fourth of suffered its second defeat in as many nights, losing 5-2 Saturday at the season but second in three games. To the delight of the crowd, Chris Pittsburgh. Thorburn and Minnesota’s Chris Stewart threw punches at each other for more than a minute, midway through the opening period, although none So how does it feel to be on top of the league? of them did much damage. “Can you ask me that question in about four months,” Yeo said, “That was an unreal fight,” Yeo said. “There was three fights in that one chuckling. “Obviously we’re happy with the start of the season. There’s, fight.” unfortunately, an awful lot to be played here so we’ll just keep working on our game and keep trying to get better.” So far it’s been a roller-coaster of a five-game home stand for the Blues. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.26.2017 Eight goals on Tuesday in a rout of Edmonton. None in Friday’s loss to Nashville, and then six Saturday against Minnesota. “It’s kinda funny how it works,” said defenseman Colton Parayko, who continued his strong recent play with two assists. “Completely different games. You kind of feel like (Nashville) — you take it hard — and then all of a sudden you come out and play today and you want to win and we get the win. “It’s just different feelings, and obviously this one’s a lot better. It’s a good response from our group.” The Blues seemingly respond every time they hit a bump. After back-to- back losses in Florida in mid-October, they posted 13 of a possible 14 points over their next seven games. After a defensive meltdown in the third period of a 7-4 loss at Calgary on Nov. 13, the Blues finished off their western Canada trip with wins in Edmonton and Vancouver. On Saturday, the Blues got right back on the horse after being stymied by Nashville. “You have to, you don’t really have a choice,” Schwartz said. “You’re gonna lose some games. Sometimes the effort’s there but the execution isn’t there and things aren’t going to go your way. But I think we’re doing a good job of refocusing every game whether we win or lose. ... That’s a sign of a mature group and a group that’s never really satisfied.” Like Nashville on Friday, Minnesota entered the game on a hot streak, earning points in seven of its previous eight games (6-1-1). A lot of that surge was a result of strong special teams play. The Wild entered the game ranked third in the NHL in penalty kill efficiency at 85.5 percent, but the Blues quickly put a dent in that figure. A revamped second power-play unit, containing recently recalled Sammy Blais, put the Blues on the board first Saturday with Paul Stastny tipping in a Vladimir Sobotka shot for his sixth goal of the season at the 6:15 mark of the first period. Yes, it was a power-play goal. Those haven’t come easily for the Blues this season, but there was more where that came from. After the Wild threatened to make a game of it in the third period, closing to 4-3, the Blues got their cushion back with power-play goals by Schwartz and Blais within a span of 2 1/2 minutes. “Those were big goals, timely goals for sure,” Yeo said. It was a special night for Schwartz. For one it was Bone Marrow Registration night at Scottrade. (His sister Mandi died of acute myeloid leukemia in 2011 at age 23). And Schwartz’s parents were on hand for the game. “It’s really nice having ’em here,” Schwartz said. “They love visiting. They’re here for a week, they made some good meals, and I tried to reward ’em with a couple goals.” 1085256 Tampa Bay Lightning

Chris Kunitz gets Cup ring in return to Pittsburgh

By Joe Smith Published: November 25, 2017Updated: November 25, 2017 at 06:49 PM

While Chris Kunitz faced his former Penguins teammates twice in the first month of the season, he said he'd be more emotional when he actually returned to Pittsburgh, where he spent nine years and won three Stanley Cups. And Saturday's reunion was extra special as Kunitz was presented with his 2017 Cup ring by Mario Lemieux and coach Mike Sullivan in a casual, pre-game meeting in a suite. Captain Sidney Crosby, Kunitz's former linemate, waited outside to catch up afterwards. "It's obviously a great honor," Kunitz said. The same could be said for Sullivan, who called this "one of the more fulfilling parts of the job." "He's such a great person, a great teammate, good player, ultimate competitor," Sullivan said. "He meant so much to the organization over the years and meant a lot to his teammates. So to have an opportunity to shake his hand and say, 'Thank you' is a big thrill for me." The Penguins are expected to honor Kunitz with a video tribute in the first period. Kunitz, who signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Lightning July 1, has six points in 22 games (three goals), a staple on the fourth line with Ryan Callahan. "Just going out and playing my game," Kunitz said. "Just trying to play in a straight line, turn pucks over and play physical, go to the net. We haven't had as much scoring as we'd like to this point, but we're trying to put a positive spin on the game every time we're in." More notes: The Penguins will start backup goalie Tristan Jarry, so the Lightning hasn't faced Matt Murray in three meetings this season. Kunitz said coach Jon Cooper showed the team tape of their slow starts the past few games, and thinks the key will be dictating the pace from the start tonight.

Tampa Tribune LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085257 Tampa Bay Lightning

Tyler Johnson not stressing slow start

By Joe Smith Published: November 25, 2017Updated: November 25, 2017 at 02:49 PM

Lightning center Tyler Johnson had the chance for a game-breaking goal Friday night against the Capitals. With the game tied midway through the second, Johnson, 27, broke free on a shorthanded breakaway. His trademark speed was there, but with a defender on his heels, Johnson's wrist shot deflected off goalie Philipp Grubaeur's blocker high and wide. Just a little bit off. It's been the story of the season so far for Johnson, who entered Saturday with a 12-game goal drought, one shy of his career-long (13, which actually spanned between two seasons, April 11- Oct 31, 2015). Johnson, who has just nine points (four goals) in 22 games, said his confidence isn't shaken. "I judge it more on chances," Johnson said. "And right now, as a line, we're getting a lot of chances. They just aren't going in for whatever reason. That will change. It's just the ebb and flows of the season." With the Lightning often going with 11 forwards, Johnson said it was initially a tough adjustment playing on the swing third line, which includes Alex Killorn and a rotating wing (typically from the top two lines). "It's something I've never done before," Johnson said. "You want to talk to our linemates after a shift on the bench, and one of them is already on the ice." Johnson said he's feeling better about it now, but he's still averaging just 1.68 shots per game, the lowest in his career. That's a shot fewer than during his 29-goal season in 2014-15. Johnson is still getting power play time on the second unit, and coach Jon Cooper dubs him a "valuable utility player" for his work on the penalty kill. But it's probably not the type of production the Lightning expected when signing the former All-Star to a seven-year, $35 million deal in the summer. Johnson had been so encouraged after the longest summer of his hockey career. He changed to a Keto diet, feeling "10 times better" than last season. He actually got to do strength training, too. Everyone wondered what a finally healthy Johnson could do. But with Brayden Point's emergence, the second-year pro elevating into a top-six spot, Johnson hasn't been quite as effective, dynamic in a bottom-six role. His minus-7 is a bit uncharacteristic, though Cooper said Johnson had some bad breaks, a "victim of circumstance." "His effort has been there," Cooper said. "And that's what you're looking for." Every team needs secondary scoring, and everyone knows Johnson's penchant for being clutch in the playoffs (42 points in 47 games). That could loom large if the Lightning's season continues to be as special as many think it can be. And Johnson has a little history on his side. The last time he went through this long of a single-season slump was the beginning of the 2014-15 season. He went 11 games without a goal. But Johnson finished with a career-high 29, lifting the Lightning to the Stanley Cup Final. More notes: Expect Peter Budaj to start tonight against the Penguins; Budaj is 2-1 with a 1.98 goals against average in his last three starts against Pittsburgh, including one shutout…. F Chris DiDomenico, claimed off waivers from Ottawa Friday, has been sent to AHL Syracuse on a conditioning loan, which could last up to two weeks. Interesting stat, Nikita Kucherov and Sidney Crosby both have 87 goals and 15 game- winners the past three seasons, per STATS INC.

Tampa Tribune LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085258 Tampa Bay Lightning The Lightning won’t have much time to regroup, facing Buffalo on Tuesday and Boston on Wednesday in another road back-to-back. "We’ve hit a speed bump here," Cooper said. "We’ve just got to snap our Penalties, special teams mark Lightning’s loss to Penguins way out of it." First Period—1, PIT, Rust 3 (Jarry), 14:36 (sh). 2, PIT, Kessel 10 (Crosby, Hornqvist), 18:03 (pp). 3, PIT, Crosby 8 (Schultz, Kessel), 19:26 Joe Smith (pp). Penalties—Guentzel, PIT, major (high sticking), 11:21; Paquette, TB, major (high sticking), 16:12; Stralman, TB, (tripping), 17:43. Times staff writer Second Period—4, PIT, Kessel 11 (Sheahan), 2:22. 5, TB, Palat 7 Published: November 25, 2017Updated: November 25, 2017 at 11:30 (Sergachev, Gourde), 6:52 (pp). Penalties—Kessel, PIT, (slashing), 6:43; PM Hunwick, PIT, (tripping), 16:04. Third Period—6, PIT, Crosby 9 (Kessel, Schultz), 4:41 (pp). 7, TB, Conacher 1 (Johnson, Killorn), 13:54. Penalties—Sergachev, TB, PITTSBURGH — You’re going to see Saturday’s final score, a 5-2 (interference), 3:31; Girardi, TB, (closing hand on the puck), 3:51; Lightning loss, and think, "Here we go again." Hunwick, PIT, (interference), 10:33; Schultz, PIT, (slashing), 18:33. Shots Another lethargic start. on Goal—Tampa Bay 14-14-7—35. Pittsburgh 8-14-12—34. Power-play opportunities—Tampa Bay 1 of 6; Pittsburgh 3 of 5. Goalies—Tampa A bad game by backup goalie Peter Budaj. Bay, Budaj 1-1-1 (34 shots-29 saves). Pittsburgh, Jarry 0-0-2 (35-33). A domination by the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.26.2017 You’d be wrong to think that. The Lightning was better Saturday, especially in 5-on-5 play. The problem was, most of the game’s critical moments came on special teams. The Penguins scored three 5-on-3 power-play goals and a shorthanded goal. "It was the difference in the game," coach Jon Cooper said. "I don’t know how many times you can come back from that." It was a third loss in four games for the Lightning (16-5-2), which lost back-to-back games for the first time this season. It’s is the first taste of adversity for Tampa Bay, off to the best start in franchise history, a lull that was expected eventually. There should be concern but not all-out panic. "The first 17, 18 games, it was coming really easy for us," veteran defenseman Dan Girardi said. "We were scoring and making great plays. But we’re going to get the ‘A’ game from every team every night, being the top team in the league. That’s something we need to be ready for." A lot of the breaks, fortunate bounces and calls the Lightning got in the first six weeks of the season aren’t going its way now. And the Lightning is mentally having a tough time handling it. "We have to do a better job of not getting so frustrated," wing Alex Killorn said. "Things have gone our way for a little bit of time, the first quarter of the season. It seems like when things don’t go our way at the beginning, we get down on ourselves because we’re so used to scoring all the time." That includes on the Lightning’s top-ranked power play, which squandered a four-minute man advantage for the second time in three games. This time Tampa Bay surrendered a momentum-swinging shorthanded goal. The Penguins’ Bryan Rust chipped a loose puck past pinching Mikhail Sergachev and cruised in for a breakaway goal. "We have to be better," wing Nikita Kucherov said. "We didn’t execute." Then came the Penguins’ two minutes of 5-on-3 late in the first period. You can question the calls, if you’d like. Sidney Crosby drew a four- minute high-sticking penalty on Cedric Paquette, and Anton Stralman’s tripping penalty was iffy. Still, the Lightning failed on two clearing attempts, and Pittsburgh made it pay with two goals on the 5-on-3, one by Phil Kessel, one by Crosby. "We had pucks on our stick to clear and didn’t get it out," Cooper said. "If we get that one puck down, and who knows, maybe we kill this off. All of a sudden, it’s in the back of our net." Crosby and Kessel each scored two goals, but the Lightning’s top players remained relatively quiet. Captain Steven Stamkos, other than a first- period breakaway, was a nonfactor. And Stamkos’ inability to corral a Victor Hedman pass in the slot helped lead to an odd-man rush for Kessel on Pittsburgh’s fourth goal. Kucherov looks — and sounds — frustrated, with one point (and no goals) in the past four games. Tyler Johnson’s goal drought extended to a career-high-matching 13 games. "We need to get some secondary scoring," Cooper said. Ondrej Palat scored a power-play goal in the second and nearly had another when his one-timer ripped off the post. Cory Conacher, making his Lightning season debut after being called up last week, scored in the third. But it was too late. 1085259 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning journal: Chris Kunitz gets his latest Penguins Stanley Cup ring

Joe Smith Times staff writer Published: November 25, 2017Updated: November 25, 2017 at 10:42 PM

PITTSBURGH — Though Lightning F Chris Kunitz had already faced his former Penguins teammates twice in the first month of the season, he said he’d be more emotional when he returned to Pittsburgh, where he spent nine years and won three Stanley Cups. And Saturday’s reunion was extra special. Kunitz was presented with his 2017 Cup ring by co-owner and Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux and coach Mike Sullivan in a casual pregame meeting in a suite. Captain Sidney Crosby, Kunitz’s former linemate, waited outside to catch up. "It’s obviously a great honor," said Kunitz, who also won the Cup with the Ducks in 2007. Sullivan called presenting the ring "one of the more fulfilling parts of the job." "(Kunitz is) such a great person, a great teammate, good player, ultimate competitor," Sullivan said. "He meant so much to the organization over the years and meant a lot to his teammates. So to have an opportunity to shake his hand and say ‘Thank you’ is a big thrill for me." The Penguins also honored Kunitz with a video tribute in the first period. The PPG Paints Arena crowd roared in a standing ovation as highlights of Kunitz’s Game 7 OT goal against the Senators in last season’s Eastern Conference final and him holding the Cup flashed on the screen. Kunitz, who signed a one-year, $2 million free-agent deal with the Lightning on July 1, has six points in 23 games (three goals) this season and is a staple on the fourth line with Ryan Callahan. "Just going out and playing my game," Kunitz said. "Just trying to play in a straight line … play physical, go to the net. We haven’t had as much scoring as we’d like to this point, but we’re trying to put a positive spin on the game every time we’re in." With the Lightning having sluggish starts in three straight games entering Saturday, coach Jon Cooper held a video session with his team in the morning showing how players weren’t doing the things that have made them successful this season. And though the Lightning had a better effort in the first period against the Penguins, it ended behind 3-0 because of struggling special teams. Tampa Bay allowed a shorthanded goal on a four-minute power play, then gave up two power-play goals on a 5-on-3. The Lightning entered Saturday with the NHL’s best road penalty kill (90.9 percent, tied with the Kings), having allowed three power-play goals in its first 10 road games. As expected, backup G Peter Budaj got the start against the Penguins. He entered Saturday 2-1 with a 1.98 goals-against average in his previous three starts against Pittsburgh, including one shutout. … F Cory Conacher made his Lightning season debut, and scored, as the team went with 12 forwards. D Slater Koekkoek played, with D Andrej Sustr scratched along with F J.T. Brown. … F Chris DiDomenico, claimed off waivers from Ottawa on Friday, was sent to AHL Syracuse on a conditioning loan, which could last up to two weeks. Did you know? Lightning wing Nikita Kucherov and Penguins captain Sidney Crosby each entered Saturday with 87 goals and 15 winners in the past three seasons, Stats Inc. said. In the game, Crosby had two goals, including the winner, and Kucherov didn’t score.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085260 Tampa Bay Lightning season. Not sure Kane is the best fit for Tampa Bay, though wouldn’t rule out GM Steve Yzerman looking for a final piece at the deadline.

• Craig Button, director of scouting for Canada’s TSN network, projected ‘A little bit off’ story of Lightning season for Tyler Johnson the 23-man roster for Canada at next month’s World Junior Championships, and four Lightning prospects were on it: defenseman Cal Foote and forwards Taylor Raddysh, Brett Howden and Boris Joe Smith Katchouk. Times staff writer Published: November 25, 2017Updated: November 25, 2017 at 10:38 Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.26.2017 PM

PITTSBURGH — Lightning center Tyler Johnson had the chance for a game-breaking goal Friday against the Capitals. With the score tied midway through the second period, Johnson, 27, had a shorthanded breakaway. His trademark speed was there, but with a defender on his heels, Johnson’s wrist shot deflected off goalie Philipp Grubauer’s blocker high and wide. Just a little bit off. That has been the story of the season for Johnson, who has a 13-game goal drought, tying his career worst (over two seasons, from April 11-Oct. 31, 2015). Johnson, who has 10 points (four goals) in the first 23 games, said his confidence isn’t shaken. "I judge it more on chances," he said. "And right now, as a line, we’re getting a lot of chances. They just aren’t going in, for whatever reason. That will change. It’s just the ebb and flows of the season." If you go by chances, Johnson isn’t that far off. He entered Saturday averaging 3.6 high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes, compared with 3.09 last year and 3.91 in 2015-16, naturalstattrick.com says. His shots per game, however, were a career low (1.68), a full shot fewer than during his 29-goal season in 2014-15. With the Lightning often going with 11 forwards, Johnson said it was a tough adjustment playing on the swing third line, which includes Alex Killorn and a rotating wing (typically from the top two lines). "It’s something I’ve never done before," Johnson said. "You want to talk to your linemates after a shift on the bench, and one of them is already on the ice." Johnson is still getting power-play time on the second unit, and coach Jon Cooper dubs him a "valuable utility player" for his work on the penalty kill. But it’s probably not the type of production the Lightning expected when signing the 2015 All-Star to a seven-year, $35 million deal in July. Johnson had been so encouraged after the longest offseason of his hockey career. He changed to a ketogenic diet — low in carbohydrates, high in fat — and said he felt "10 times better" than last season. He did strength training, too. Everyone wondered what a finally healthy Johnson could do after struggling with injuries the past three years. But with second-year pro Brayden Point moving into a top-six spot, Johnson hasn’t been quite as effective in a bottom-six role. His minus-7 is a bit uncharacteristic, though Cooper said Johnson has had some bad breaks and been a "victim of circumstance." "His effort has been there," Cooper said. "That’s what you’re looking for." Every team needs secondary scoring, and Johnson has a penchant for being clutch in the playoffs (42 points in 47 games). That could loom large if the Lightning’s season is as special as many think it can be. And Johnson has a little history on his side. The last time he went through this long of a single-season slump was the beginning of 2014-15. He went 11 games without a goal. But Johnson finished with 29 as the Lightning went to the Stanley Cup final. • Things weren’t going well in Montreal before its 3-0 win over Buffalo on Saturday in goalie Carey Price’s return from injury, and former Lightning wing Jonathan Drouin was shouldering some of the responsibility. Drouin, dealt to his hometown Canadiens in June, had 13 points (three goals) in 22 games and was minus-8 entering Saturday, and Montreal ranked last in the league in scoring and had the third-worst power play. "I didn’t come here to get the points I have right now or the goals that I have," Drouin told the Athletic website. "I have to be honest with that. The production’s not been there." Drouin went out and had two assists against the Sabres. • Reporter Elliotte Friedman of Canada’s Sportsnet said in a radio interview last week it wouldn’t surprise him if the Lightning took a look at Sabres wing Evander Kane at the trade deadline. Kane, who can be an unrestricted free agent next summer, has 12 goals in 23 games this 1085261 Tampa Bay Lightning

Joe Smith’s takeaways from Saturday’s Lightning-Penguins game

Joe Smith Times staff writer Published: November 25, 2017Updated: November 25, 2017 at 10:24 PM

The several huge ovations Chris Kunitz got from the crowd during his first game in Pittsburgh since joining Tampa Bay in July showed how much he meant in his nine years there. The four-time Cup winner is the kind of veteran who could come up big for the Lightning in the playoffs, as well as with leadership in this tough stretch. Steven Stamkos entered Saturday as the league’s leading scorer and is a big reason for the Lightning’s hot start. But he hasn’t been at his best recently. His inability to receive Victor Hedman’s pass in the slot led to an odd-man rush for Phil Kessel, who gave Pittsburgh a 4-0 lead early in the second period. It was good to see D Slater Koekkoek get extended playing time. Koekkoek, limited to a seventh-defenseman role, got a season high in minutes (16:19) and earned them. He was strong in his zone and made the right pinches offensively. He should get another game.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085262 Tampa Bay Lightning

Chris Kunitz gets Cup ring in return to Pittsburgh

By Joe Smith Published: November 25, 2017Updated: November 25, 2017 at 06:49 PM

While Chris Kunitz faced his former Penguins teammates twice in the first month of the season, he said he'd be more emotional when he actually returned to Pittsburgh, where he spent nine years and won three Stanley Cups. And Saturday's reunion was extra special as Kunitz was presented with his 2017 Cup ring by Mario Lemieux and coach Mike Sullivan in a casual, pre-game meeting in a suite. Captain Sidney Crosby, Kunitz's former linemate, waited outside to catch up afterwards. "It's obviously a great honor," Kunitz said. The same could be said for Sullivan, who called this "one of the more fulfilling parts of the job." "He's such a great person, a great teammate, good player, ultimate competitor," Sullivan said. "He meant so much to the organization over the years and meant a lot to his teammates. So to have an opportunity to shake his hand and say, 'Thank you' is a big thrill for me." The Penguins are expected to honor Kunitz with a video tribute in the first period. Kunitz, who signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Lightning July 1, has six points in 22 games (three goals), a staple on the fourth line with Ryan Callahan. "Just going out and playing my game," Kunitz said. "Just trying to play in a straight line, turn pucks over and play physical, go to the net. We haven't had as much scoring as we'd like to this point, but we're trying to put a positive spin on the game every time we're in." More notes: The Penguins will start backup goalie Tristan Jarry, so the Lightning hasn't faced Matt Murray in three meetings this season. Kunitz said coach Jon Cooper showed the team tape of their slow starts the past few games, and thinks the key will be dictating the pace from the start tonight.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085263 Tampa Bay Lightning

Tyler Johnson not stressing slow start

By Joe Smith Published: November 25, 2017Updated: November 25, 2017 at 02:49 PM

Lightning center Tyler Johnson had the chance for a game-breaking goal Friday night against the Capitals. With the game tied midway through the second, Johnson, 27, broke free on a shorthanded breakaway. His trademark speed was there, but with a defender on his heels, Johnson's wrist shot deflected off goalie Philipp Grubaeur's blocker high and wide. Just a little bit off. It's been the story of the season so far for Johnson, who entered Saturday with a 12-game goal drought, one shy of his career-long (13, which actually spanned between two seasons, April 11- Oct 31, 2015). Johnson, who has just nine points (four goals) in 22 games, said his confidence isn't shaken. "I judge it more on chances," Johnson said. "And right now, as a line, we're getting a lot of chances. They just aren't going in for whatever reason. That will change. It's just the ebb and flows of the season." With the Lightning often going with 11 forwards, Johnson said it was initially a tough adjustment playing on the swing third line, which includes Alex Killorn and a rotating wing (typically from the top two lines). "It's something I've never done before," Johnson said. "You want to talk to our linemates after a shift on the bench, and one of them is already on the ice." Johnson said he's feeling better about it now, but he's still averaging just 1.68 shots per game, the lowest in his career. That's a shot fewer than during his 29-goal season in 2014-15. Johnson is still getting power play time on the second unit, and coach Jon Cooper dubs him a "valuable utility player" for his work on the penalty kill. But it's probably not the type of production the Lightning expected when signing the former All-Star to a seven-year, $35 million deal in the summer. Johnson had been so encouraged after the longest summer of his hockey career. He changed to a Keto diet, feeling "10 times better" than last season. He actually got to do strength training, too. Everyone wondered what a finally healthy Johnson could do. But with Brayden Point's emergence, the second-year pro elevating into a top-six spot, Johnson hasn't been quite as effective, dynamic in a bottom-six role. His minus-7 is a bit uncharacteristic, though Cooper said Johnson had some bad breaks, a "victim of circumstance." "His effort has been there," Cooper said. "And that's what you're looking for." Every team needs secondary scoring, and everyone knows Johnson's penchant for being clutch in the playoffs (42 points in 47 games). That could loom large if the Lightning's season continues to be as special as many think it can be. And Johnson has a little history on his side. The last time he went through this long of a single-season slump was the beginning of the 2014-15 season. He went 11 games without a goal. But Johnson finished with a career-high 29, lifting the Lightning to the Stanley Cup Final. More notes: Expect Peter Budaj to start tonight against the Penguins; Budaj is 2-1 with a 1.98 goals against average in his last three starts against Pittsburgh, including one shutout…. F Chris DiDomenico, claimed off waivers from Ottawa Friday, has been sent to AHL Syracuse on a conditioning loan, which could last up to two weeks. Interesting stat, Nikita Kucherov and Sidney Crosby both have 87 goals and 15 game- winners the past three seasons, per STATS INC.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085264 Toronto Maple Leafs attempting sweep pass to the front of the net that caromed off Taylor Chorney and behind Braden Holtby.

A frantic hard-check effort to draw even in the waning minutes until Ovie and Ovie and Ovie again beats Leafs Ovechkin nailed his cheap trick hat trick. “We got one early, got a second one,” said Gardiner, who potted merely By ROSIE DIMANNOStar Columnist his second of the season. “Outplayed them pretty badly (in the third), probably one of our best periods in a while. The whole game we played Sat., Nov. 25, 2017 decent. Just when Ovechkin gets a chance like that and he puts it in the right spot, it’s going to be tough to save.”

Unclear whether Gardiner was referring to the first goal or the second. We shall call him Maximus. Which is better than, heh-heh, Malex. Or, Scarcely matters. Description applied to both. um, Movechkin. “Ovechkin, he’s got a heck of a shot.” Max the Maple Leaf Mannequin. This is not breaking news. Part of the taxi squad, or Black Aces, who on Saturday made his first appearance, as far as anybody could recall, at a morning skate. Really, there was hardly anything to pick apart in the Leafs’ performance. They just got beaten by Ovechkin, even if Jakub Vrana notched the The first sighting was a couple of years ago at a practice, but he only winner. existed then (quite macabre) from the waist down. Last year he got a top half and equipment. Yesterday, he even had a visor. It was a massive improvement over Toronto’s most recent efforts. For three straight games, Toronto had allowed the opposition 10 shots before Some days, he’s a better quote than Patrick Marleau. they’d managed to put a pair on the subhead board. He was propped in front of the empty net as a defender/screen for the That the Leafs managed to rack up half the points on the table during healthy scratch balance of the roster — welcome back to the press box, that stretch — limp loss in Arizona, overtime loss in Florida, hanging-on- Josh Leivo — and they were the only Leafs on the ice after a night-before by-their-fingernails win in Carolina — was entirely attributable to Frederik game in Raleigh. Andersen between the pipes. Max the Metaphor, too, for a team which had of late been dummy-stand- A year ago, Toronto would likely not have been on the right side of a one- still to start games. goal game, as they had emerged Friday against the Hurricanes. A year ago, Toronto dropped 22 one-goal games. Thus far in 2017-2018, they’re The Leafs were considerably more animated off the hop last night: 7-1 in those. Which speaks volumes about the transformation, the outskating, outshooting, out-shot-attempting and out-drawing the clog- ripening, that has occurred, traced back to that watershed experience of and-congest Capitals. But they got out-Great-8-ed, having no antidote or a six-game first playoff round ouster by these same capitals, five decided prophylactic for Alex Ovechkin, who single-handedly put Washington up in OT. 2-0 in the opening frame, en route to a hat trick in a 4-2 win for the visitors. Those Capitals were back in town for the first time, looking not remotely as intimidating as they’d loomed last April, Presidents Cup and all. It might as well have been Maximus as the obstacle, so adroitly did Ovechkin find space and seams despite the shadow-badgering of Both teams were engaging in the rear end of back-to-back games. And Marleau, Nazem Kadri and Leo Komarov. those sets had killed the Leafs last season, 9-4 bringing up the rear. This season, 2-2. Oh, how he does feast on the Leafs. Those were career goals 34, 35 and 36 in 61 games versus Toronto. “These games are tough. When you travel, get home late, you come to the rink in the morning, you just want to get your head right. You want to A classic-O wrister and one-timer bulging the twine behind Curtis be ready physically and mentally. The more of these you play, the more McElhinney. Even-strength and power-play goals with a cherry-on-top comfortable you become.’’ empty-netter, after Mitch Marner dropped to his knees to block the first shot. And a good thing too, with 10 more on the schedule. “After the first we came in here, we talked about improving, we talked Hectic part of the schedule also, with Leafs making only a brief Air about how we had more to give,” Morgan Rielly said afterward. “But Canada Centre return appearance before heading out on a Western realistically, I thought we were pretty good in the first. I mean, Ovie Canada swing. scores a great one to start, he scores a power-play goal, and all of a sudden you’re playing down. Then they got another good goal. Weirdly, they won’t have another Saturday engagement at the ACC until Jan. 6. “I feel like we had a good effort. We came out to play. Just a bit too little and too late.” But hey, Maximus is Saturday night available. Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the rink, the other side of that peat bog in the neutral zone, the Caps were seriously manhandling Auston Matthews with sly hooks and cross-checks, un-called, especially behind Toronto Star LOADED: 11.26.2017 the net. Just as clever opponents have figured out and neutralized the quick, short-pass breakout Toronto formerly deployed, it hardly requires an advanced degree in analytics to isolate Matthews as primary threat. “You’re used to it,” Matthews said. “That’s hockey. That kind of stuff is going to happen. It’s physical. You’ve just got to embrace it, have fun with it. You know it’s coming.” He didn’t seem to enjoy being on the end of Dmitry Orlov’s stick and shoves. Nobody’s creamed Matthews yet. He’s slick and shifty, hard to line up in the open ice cross-hairs. But it’s a different dimension, along the end boards. That’s a whole lot o’ lumber laid across the back of a young man fresh off an upper-body injury and Matthews was clearly annoyed by it in the moment. (Tell me again, hockey metrosexuals, how players don’t target injuries in the NHL. Or tell Orlov, as whacker-in-chief.) Matthews nonetheless led the Leafs in shots, with five and — though it was more of a miss than a pass — got the puck back to Jake Gardiner, who leaned into a shot from the blue line that put Toronto on the board early in the third, energizing what had been a dulled-out Air Canada Centre crowd, even more enlivened when Nikita Zaitsev shortly thereafter brought the Leafs within one on a deep penetrating surge and 1085265 Toronto Maple Leafs The top 10 could be a reasonable goal for a player who has never scored fewer than 32 goals in a single season, and has reached 50 or more goals on seven occasions. Mario Lemieux sits at No. 10 all time, with 690 Ovechkin hat trick leads Capitals over Leafs goals.

By MARK ZWOLINSKISports reporter Toronto Star LOADED: 11.26.2017 Sat., Nov. 25, 2017

Alex Ovechkin told cancer survivor Alex Luey he would try and score a goal for him when his Washington Capitals met the Leafs at the Air Canada Centre Saturday night. So, when Oveckhin delivered a hat trick in a 4-2 win over the Leafs, both Oveckhin and Luey were all smiles. “Not a hat trick . . . I just told him I’d try and score a goal for him,” said Ovechkin, who has been supporting Luey, a 13-year-old from Niagara Falls who has been battling a form of bone cancer that has left him with a prosthetic left leg. Luey, diagnosed just over a year ago with osteosarcoma, the same type of cancer that Terry Fox had, appeared on TV with Ovechkin and sat beside him at his locker in the Capitals’ post-game dressing room. “It was incredible, what he did for his team, and what he did for me,” Luey said. The goals gave Ovechkin 36 in 61 career games against the Leafs, and certainly buried the Leafs in an exciting match up with a Capitals team they established a solid rivalry with during the opening round of the playoffs last spring. The Leafs mounted a comeback, a two-goal outburst early in the third period that saw defencemen Jake Gardiner and Nikita Zaitsev score to draw the Leafs to within a goal at 3-2 with 13:51 to play. Zaitsev’s goal was a measure of redemption; he was beaten for a partial breakaway goal midway through the second by Washington’s Jakub Vrana, a goal that stood up as the game winner. Toronto pressed madly for much of the third period, but couldn’t solve Braden Holtby in the Capitals’ nets. And Ovechkin, who has the most career goals among active NHLers, had the final say. He had the first and second say as well, with a pair of goals in the second half of the opening period. That was certainly deflating for the home side, since the Leafs controlled more than 60 per cent of the puck possession to that point. Ovechkin, though, needs only a blink to unload his shot. And, if given room, the 32-year-old still has top-shelf skating speed and slick, inventive moves. His first goal reflected just that. Ovechkin broke into the Leafs zone slightly right of the middle of the ice. Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly was in good position, but didn’t quite control his gap well enough. Ovechkin laid out a couple of deft moves with the puck, the second one which froze Rielly, before unloading a wrist shot that whistled past Leafs goalie Curtis McElhinney before he could fully react. The next goal was a one-timer off a faceoff on a power-play. Ovechkin, in his usual spot on the left faceoff circle, took a couple of steps and drilled a rolling puck past McElhinney, again with lightning quick accuracy. The empty-netter made the night for Luey, whose story was told last month on Sportsnet’s Hometown Hockey. Ovechkin actually learned about Luey back when doctors diagnosed him with cancer, and gave him three options: Luey chose to have a procedure to amputate his leg. He was fixed with a prosthetic so he could continue to play his beloved hockey with the Niagara Falls Flyers. Ovechkin, inspired by the story, worked with the Capitals to have a pair of tickets to the Leafs game for Luey and his mother. That was something of a fairy tale ending for Luey, who was with Ovechkin on the team bench during the pre-game warmups. “He’s (Luey) the star tonight,” said Ovechkin, who began wearing a T- shirt that says “I fight for Alex Luey” when the 13-year-olld was diagnosed with cancer. Ovechkin, who now has 576 goals for his career, moved into sole possession of 21st on the NHL’s career list, passing Mike Bossy. The Islanders great posted a congratulatory video on Twitter Saturday night to help commemorate the moment. Mark Recchi, with 577, is Ovechkin’s next target. 1085266 Toronto Maple Leafs

Golden Knights, Oilers, Lightning among the stories of NHL’s first quarter

By MARK ZWOLINSKISports reporter Sat., Nov. 25, 2017

The NHL has had a lively look in the first quarter of the season. Goals are up, rookies are contributing across the league, and an expansion team is among the league’s elite. The expansion Vegas Golden Knights are for real, with a 14-6-1 record that had them first in the Pacific, and fourth in the Western Conference, through Friday’s games. The Knights benefitted from playing seven of their first nine games at home — they went 6-1 — but they’ve also held their own on the road (5-5-1). They’ve had balanced scoring — five players had 15 or more points in the first 20 games — and respectable goaltending despite having four netminders play three games or more. A pre-season favourite, the Edmonton Oilers are a wreck at the moment, ahead of only Arizona in the West. Edmonton has not gotten the goaltending it expected, with Cam Talbot allowing four or more goals in seven starts, but the rest of the team is as culpable. Connor McDavid is on pace for 100 points, and Ryan Nugent Hopkins is a solid, second-line centre, but there are plenty of sore points. Ryan Strome has disappointed, injuries have dimmed expectations for Anton Slepyshev and Drake Caggiula, and No. 1 defenceman Oscar Klefbom hasn’t lived up to his billing. Now, critics alike are wondering if the season has gone too far in the wrong direction to rescue with a playoff berth. Its seems that just about every game they play, the Tampa Bay Lightning come up with plays and goals that no other teams can match. The Lightning are the top team in the East, with a healthy Steven Stamkos (36 points) and Nikita Kucherov (34) 1-2 in NHL scoring. St. Louis and Winnipeg are keeping pace in the West, but Tampa has enough depth and experience to go wire to wire as the top club in the league. Teams are averaging 3.01 goals per game, the highest average at this point since 2005-06 (3.08), the first year of the post-lockout NHL. There are only five players on pace for 50 goals — Kucherov, John Tavares, Alex Ovechkin, Mark Stone and Auston Matthews — but that would be five more than last season. In fact, Ovechkin is the only player to hit 50 in the last five seasons. It’s a deep rookie class with 16 players having 10 or more points. Arizona’s Clayton Keller had an early jump in the Calder race, but he has been passed by the Canucks’ Brock Boeser and the Islanders’ Matthew Barzal, who have 22 points to Keller’s 20. Boeser is drawing comparisons to Pavel Bure, who won the Calder after scoring 34 goals in the 1992-93 season. Boeser entered the weekend with 11 goals in 20 games, and is the first Canucks rookie to score 10 goals in the team’s first 22 games since Jason King in 2003. The New York Islanders beat Philadelphia in overtime this week to extend their home winning record to 7-0-2. The Islanders remain the only NHL team to not lose in regulation time on home ice. But their attendance (11,727) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn is the second- lowest in the NHL, ahead of only Carolina. If the season had ended after Friday’s games, Canada would have had three of seven teams in the post-season (Winnipeg, Toronto, Calgary), with Vancouver and Ottawa just outside. The Jets have ridden the surprising start of Connor Hellebuyck (12-2-0, .928 save percentage) but they also deserve credit for their attention to detail. After taking the third- most penalties in the NHL a season ago, Paul Maurice and GM Kevin Chevaldayoff called in former NHL referee Paul Devorski during training camp to work with the players. The Jets are still seventh-worst but it’s an improvement. Winnipeg, 13-5-3, has a winning record at the quarter mark for the first time in five seasons.

Toronto Star LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085267 Toronto Maple Leafs conference leading Tampa Bay 3-1 at home. They went back to Brayden Holtby, a 2-0 loser to Andersen and the Leafs at Capital One Arena last month. Ovie, Capitals overcome Leafs in 4-2 win One of the casualties of the loss was Nazem Kadri’s personal best and Leafs team-high nine-game point streak. The Leafs were grumbling about a lack of penalty calls on Washington, but it’s added some spice to Lance Hornby this rivalry that began in last year’s playoffs with so many close games. November 25, 2017 11:49 PM EST Toronto has days off between all three games in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver, which likely means Andersen gets all three starts.

The Maple Leafs certainly had a better start, but it was Alex Ovechkin’s finish that ultimately mattered. Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.26.2017 A couple of chapeaus hit the ice at the Air Canada Centre when he completed his second career hat trick against the Leafs, staking his Washington Capitals to a 2-0 lead in a 4-2 result that was hotly contested in the first and third periods. With a lineup shuffle at the end of back-to-back games to freshen the roster against the Caps, Toronto tried to get some unconventional goals from tough angles and screens, while reinstated fourth-liner Matt Martin made his presence felt after steaming about being scratched in Carolina. But despite out-shooting the Caps 11-7, coach Mike Babcock’s club failed to score for the sixth straight time in the first period after leading the league in that department until this week. In fact, they trailed by two, thanks to the ever potent release of Ovechkin and eventually fell in a physical affair Saturday night. Given space to move through the neutral zone — and time to let a chorus of boos build up — Ovechkin snapped his first past Curtis McElhinney, who gave Frederik Andersen a break after his heroics in Raleigh and before next week’s Western Canadian road trip. Late in the opening frame, with Ron Hainsey off for delay of game, T.J. Oshie won a draw back to the Great 8 who golfed a rolling puck home. Ovechkin and the Caps had a little extra inspiration on Hockey Fights Cancer Night. Alex Luey, a youth hockey player and osteosarcoma survivor from Niagara Falls, Ont., who had his right leg amputated, spent the day with the team, read out coach Barry Trotz’s starting lineup, participated in their pre-game hallway pump-up ritual, and watched the warm-up from the bench. In an HNIC Hometown Hockey segment, Luey had mentioned Ovie was his favourite player and the latter got in touch to set up Saturday’s itinerary. “There’s a kid inside of Alex that lights up when he scores goals,” said Trotz. “He has a bond with them. You could tell from the first shift, the big man would be jumpin’ tonight, there was something going on. No doubt he was motivated to make the other Alex’s night special. Tonight, Ovie was Ovie.” That gives Ovechkin 63 points in 44 regular-season games against the Leafs, but Babcock didn’t rake his team over the coals for three losses in the past four games. “I liked us tonight,” he declared. “We were down 2-0, but had not given up much. Neither team was running around crazy. Ovie touched it twice and scored twice. We had a real push in the third.” Jake Gardiner scored through a crowd and Nikita Zaitsev, atoning for letting Jakub Vrana out-leg him on the visitors’ third goal, made a nice rush himself. Leading scorer Auston Matthews assisted on Gardiner’s goal, had five shots to lead all forwards and had a take-charge role throughout the third. “We controlled a good part of the game (29 shots, 27 missed or blocked, almost 60 per cent on faceoffs),” Matthews said. “The first period is what we’ve been talking about and trying to put into our game. A start like that definitely gives your team more confidence, gets the other team back on their heels. We wanted to out-man them underneath.” The Leafs, who let down their guard in the third period the night before and almost lost, came out of their room in slingshot fashion with re-jigged lines. Before Friday’s game, Babcock said the Martin benching, as well as that of Dominic Moore and the insertion of forwards Josh Leivo and Nikita Soshnikov, was a one-game move. The coach’s mindset didn’t change after Leivo scored a nice goal in Raleigh, his touch and quick release one of his advantages over Martin. “It’s situational,” Babcock said Saturday morning. “Look at our group last year. We played the same guys every night, whether they played good or bad. This year, we want to win every night. So sometimes we think there is a better lineup to help us win that game.” With a day off to fly on Sunday, it will be interesting to see how Monday’s lines shake out before taking on the Calgary Flames. The Capitals had also played Friday, using back-up goalie Philipp Grubauer to beat 1085268 Toronto Maple Leafs

New Leaf cast vs. Caps faces old problem

Lance Hornby November 25, 2017 1:14 PM EST

Curtis McElhinney will be in goal against the Washington Capitals, Roman Polak supplants on defence, while coach Mike Babcock tries to keep a fresh rotation at forward during a busy stretch in the schedule. He’s bringing back regulars Matt Martin and Dominic Moore, who sat for Josh Leivo and Nikita Soshnikov Friday in a 5-4 win in Carolina, a near collapse rescued by goalie Frederik Andersen. The Leafs will play their third game in four nights, then fly out to Calgary on Sunday ahead of three starts against the Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks next week. Babcock is rightfully concerned about slow starts, which would have reflected more poorly on the team had Andersen not been so stellar in goal the past month. “We got off to great starts at the start of the year,” said Babcock, whose team led the NHL in first-period goals until its current five-game blanking in that opening frame. “We aren’t lately. Two games ago (in Florida), we didn’t start on time start and we were unbelievable after 10 minutes and their goalie (Roberto Luongo) was good. Last game, we didn’t play in the first period or the third and Freddie was good. But good teams win games when they don’t have the right stuff. I think that’s a good sign, but we have to play better, absolutely.” Babcock admonished his team about not breaking out cleanly, leaving themselves vulnerable to a full court press by the opposition. “Play in their zone,” he urged. “If you spend some time in their zone, they don’t forecheck with five guys, they’re changing (lines).” As for taking out a player such as Leivo who scored after a long stint in the press box, Babcock had already said fourth liner Martin would be re- instated. “It’s situational,” Babcock said. “Look at our group last year. We played the same guys every night, whether they played good or bad. This year, we want to win every night. So sometimes we think there is a better lineup to help us win that game.” While Babcock has taken a share of blame for he and his staff being unable to have the Leafs prepared for puck drop during this slew of slow starts, defenceman and alternate captain Morgan Rielly said the players have to own up, too. “That’s (Babcock) being a good coach, we have to take responsibility,” Rielly said. “We’re the ones in the room. That aspect is on us.” The Capitals also played Friday, using back-up goalie Philipp Grubauer to beat conference leading Tampa Bay 3-1 at home. Washington did not skate Saturday morning, but the Leafs’ challenge remains the same, limit damage by Alex Ovechkin. He scored his 15th goal of the season on Friday and has 60 points in 43 regular season games against Toronto. Nazem Kadri has a nine-game points streak for the Leafs.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085269 Toronto Maple Leafs “I feel like he’s certainly very mature for his age so he can take care of himself. We are five Swedes and I’ve never played on a team without

Swedes so I can’t tell the difference but I feel like it’s pretty secure to Timothy Liljegren ahead of the curve on and off the ice with Marlies have a couple of Swedes and you can always speak Swedish in the room,” Johnsson said.

All of the Marlies' Swedes have grown close, but Liljegren credits By Scott Wheeler 22 hours ago defenceman Calle Rosen and Finn Miro Aaltonen as his two best friends and mentors. Their demotions to the Marlies after strong training camps

with the Leafs have played an early factor in his development. Word in the dressing room has it that Timothy Liljegren “I think it's important, especially for me coming over as a younger isn't as funny as he thinks he is. defenceman, to have Rosen,” Liljegren said. “It’s been nice to have the “Ha!” Andreas Johnsson shouted outside the Marlies' dressing room at Swedes to talk to.” Ricoh Coliseum on Friday afternoon when asked about his youngest The strong contingent of Swedes influenced his decision to play in North teammate's sense of humour. America this season, rather than returning to the SHL — something “He tries to make jokes and not all of them go home. In Sweden, you Swedish hockey officials would have preferred after recently lobbying the always say the people from Gothenburg are always the ones with the dry NHL and its junior hockey leagues to stop poaching their players. jokes and I ask him if he has any relatives from Gothenburg and he says There are benefits to staying in Sweden. Rosen vouches for its 20-or-so- no but at least his jokes seems like he does.” game junior schedule, which allows players to train heavily, and work on Liljegren, 18, is the youngest defenceman in the AHL. There aren't even systems and their skills more than in the CHL. any 19-year-old defencemen in the league. Even on a young Marlies “The biggest difference in Sweden is off the ice,” he said. “Here you can’t team, his 1999 birth year leaps off the roster sheet. He's a full two years do it (the) same way because it’s a game every day.” younger than the AHL's next youngest defencemen — Mitch Vande Sompel (New York Islanders) and Ethan Bear (Edmonton Oilers). When Torgny Bendelin, who coached Liljegren for three seasons — including he goes out for dinner with his teammates, he can't order a beer. twice at under-18 worlds — holds the same beliefs.

Until last week, he couldn't cook for himself either — something he “We have a very good, developed program in all of our top clubs and it’s missed. Liljegren has only just found an apartment, and was living out of also in those ages that it’s very important for the boys to get a lot of skills a Delta hotel for the first few months of his pro career after a whirlwind training on the ice and it’s also very important for physical training,” summer brought him to Plymouth for the world juniors' summer Bendelin said on a phone call earlier this week. “We’ve seen many, many showcase before he settled in Toronto. players coming over there, playing in the NHL and they’re getting better and better the older they get and one reason is that they have a very But he doesn't look out of place, or act like it, with his older teammates. good base from here.” Off the ice, Liljegren isn't the shy rookie. But if there was one kid whose development would benefit from coming “He’s a young kid and it’s really fun to hang out with him and he always over early, Bendelin thinks it's Liljegren. He has always been the talks about stupid things and always tries to make jokes but he doesn’t exception to Sweden's rules, consistently one age group or step ahead. really get the jokes going,” Rosen said, laughing. “It’s really fun to have him around. I don’t try to mentor him really but we talk a lot about hockey “He’s a great guy, he has a lot of talent but he also has things to learn. and the outside life too and all of the things that are going on and I just But he has the skills that are very, very difficult to learn, especially when try to be there. I try to be there for him.” you’re 17, 18, 19. He has a gift with his skating, his puck handling, and his shot and he’s also mentally a very strong kid too,” Bendelin said. “I His coach never refers to him in the same breath as fellow rookies think he’s coming to a great organization, to (a) great coaching staff.” Jeremy Bracco and Adam Brooks. There are the usual adjustments — the smaller ice, the increased pace — but Liljegren feels they There's still work to be done, though. complement his game more than the larger rinks in Sweden did. He likes playing fast, and trying to make plays. “He can improve all of his defence skills, both one-on-one and cleaning up the net but also tactic-wise how you play 1-on-2, play 2-on-2, play 2- Still, the Leafs are careful with their young players in the AHL. They went on-3 and so on,” Bendelin added. “I mean, he’s not a bad player on those through a similar process with William Nylander, though he was a year things but still he can improve.” older when he came to Toronto. Rosen tries to take Liljegren's mind off of the pressures by frequently “You want to make sure you’re checking in with him a lot and a lot of checking in on how he's doing away from the rink and talking to him people with different roles in the organization are making sure that he’s about things that are going on back in Sweden. They all laugh about taken care of,” Marlies head coach Sheldon Keefe said of Liljegren. “You using the language barrier with the rest of their teammates to good use. just want to make sure that you’re checking in. In this organization, behind the scenes, there’s a lot of people that are doing a lot of things to “It's a special bond we have,” Rosen said of his relationship with make sure of that.” Liljegren.

In many ways, he's not like Bracco and Brooks. He has played pro Having so many Swedes to support Liljegren has benefitted the Marlies' hockey before. Liljegren has been living alone on and off since his junior coaching staff too, according to Keefe. hockey career in Sweden began as a 14-year-old. Shortly after his single After a nearly three-week absence with an injury, Liljegren returned to his mother Lina moved him and his two older brothers to Angelholm to be pairing with Travis Dermott on Wednesday and picked up a primary close to him when he debuted with Rogle BK's under-16 team, Liljegren assist on a zone-exit pass to Aaltonen for the opening goal, his sixth decided to live on site with the program. point in 10 games with the Marlies. “Almost everyone in Sweden, young hockey players like myself, live by After the Marlies played well in his absence, Keefe was anxious about themselves. When you move to the hockey gymnasium, you usually live how well Liljegren would blend back into the lineup. On Friday, he said by yourself so it’s something I’m used to and I like it,” Liljegren said of his those concerns had subsided — again. move, 103 kilometres and nearly an hour and a half drive away from Kristianstad, his hometown. This, in a game Liljegren said he didn't quite feel 100 per cent in, even after the Marlies worked him extremely hard in the gym during his time Now with his own place again, he's at ease. off with an ambiguous upper-body injury. “My apartment's pretty nice. The Delta gets kind of boring after a while. I His teammates talk of moments and little plays that have left them in think I managed it pretty well but it’s nice to get my own place now,” he awe. For Rosen, it's Liljegren's skating and vision, which he called “just said. amazing.” He has fallen in love with Toronto, which brought with it a culture shock “He makes a lot of plays where I’m like ‘wow, this kid is awesome.' I after growing up in two cities whose combined population was a little over remember on the road trip there was a game where he made two-seam 80,000. passes on the same shift, exactly the same play. Too bad the guy who didn’t get the puck couldn’t score but it was too awesome,” Johnsson said, laughing.

And time is on his side more than it is for most defencemen his age. They aren't where he is.

“He’s one of the more skilled defencemen I've coached and he’s a great boy, a great attitude and I think he realized that he wanted to learn and he realized that that was a chance for him to really develop when he went over there,” Bendelin finished. “You’re going to have a big star there in a couple of years. I’m sure about that.”

The Athletic LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085270 Toronto Maple Leafs end goalie prospects racking up .890s. That year, in 2014-2015, Sparks finished a full .012 save percentage points higher than the next closest

goalie (.924). As Curtis McElhinney struggles with Leafs, Garret Sparks plays to Zane MacIntyre, who posted the highest save percentage in the AHL last historic heights with Marlies year (.930), never had a run like the one Sparks is on. Alex Stalock, who posted his first full season in the AHL above .912 last year, and finished just behind MacIntyre at .926, quickly earned an NHL job with Minnesota. By Scott Wheeler 7 hours ago In the last decade, only Jonathan Bernier (.936 in 58 games), Robin Lehner (.938 in 31 games) and Matt Murray (.941 in 40 games) have come anywhere close. Each went on to standout NHL seasons the year On Saturday night, when the Maple Leafs and the Capitals took to the after. ice, the former was at a disadvantage. Not because they were on the tail end of a back-to-back. The Capitals were too. Maybe it’s the lingering perceptions of a seventh-round pick. There are a plethora of goalies around the AHL and the ECHL this season who’ve The Leafs were at a disadvantage in net. never scratched the surface of where Sparks is at but whose At one end, Braden Holtby, a Vezina Trophy winner and one of the best organizations are prepared to use them in the same role – as an AHL goalies of his generation. At the other, Curtis McElhinney – a journeyman starter – in an effort to promote them in the near future. Even when career backup. was brought in, it was expected that Sparks might slide down the depth chart. That mismatch showed. Instead, he rose above — while remaining stagnant in the organizational The Capitals weren’t the better team, but they had the better goalie. The depth chart. Leafs were the better team early and outshot Washington 8-3 in the first 10 minutes. Maybe it was that 17-game NHL stint in 2015-2016, when the Leafs were the worst team in the NHL, that hampered Sparks and led to their search By the time McElhinney faced his first real test, on his fourth shot of the for McElhinney. After posting a .921 save percentage in his first four NHL game, Ovechkin beat him cleanly blocker side. Three shots later, it was starts, he posted sub-.900 numbers in nine of his final 13. With Mike Ovechkin again, this time under McElhinney with a one-timer rather than Babcock, first impressions matter. over him with a wrister. Early in the second, the lead ballooned to 3-0 when Jakub Vrana beat him on a breakaway — again blocker side. But then there’s McElhinney.

Late in the third, after the Leafs clawed their way back, McElhinney In 205 career AHL games, McElhinney posted a .915 save percentage, looked to have given up a fourth goal on a back-hand that hit the inside 10 points lower than Sparks’ .925. At the NHL level, McElhinney has of the far post from the top of the crease. posted a .910 save percentage at even strength over the course of his 171-game career and a .906 in all situations. At even strength, he sits a In the end, he gave up three goals on 20 shots (.850 save percentage) to full .13 below his expected save percentage of .923. During his 10-year push his save percentage on the year back down to .900. career, only one other goalie who has played more than 6,000 minutes at A few hours earlier, in the same rink, Garret Sparks was wrapping up even strength (or roughly 150 games) has played at a larger margin another win. below their expected save percentage: Jonas Gustavsson.

In his 12th start, he posted his 10th game above a .927 save percentage. The 34-year-old's age and style raise questions too. The scrambling, the His 27 saves came on 28 shots in a 2-1 win in a shootout that he stopped bizarre up-and-under tracking of the play which puts him off balance, the both Gabriel Gagne and Max Reinhart in with ease, once with a poke anti-butterfly. check and once five-hole. Through 40 minutes, the Marlies were outshot Still, there’s something in him that’s comfortable for Babcock. He didn’t 21-13 and Sparks was the only reason it was tied. In overtime, it was a struggle in his only 17 games like Sparks did. breakaway stretch pad save to hang onto the game – also on Gagne – and his .963 save percentage on the night. The Leafs recognize McElhinney lacks something though. Otherwise, they’d play him more than as a strictly back-to-backs goalie, lessening “We really didn’t belong (in the game). I think by this point it’s pretty the load on Frederik Andersen. obvious that 'Sparksy’s' dialed in. We know we can rely upon him,” Marlies head coach Sheldon Keefe said of Sparks after their first game of After McElhinney’s third poor start in four games, that disappointment the season at the Air Canada Centre. “Just the fact that he gives you the began to show – and contrasted the way Sparks’ teammates and one and that even that was a breakdown on a puck play behind the net. coaches spoke after their game. Otherwise, it didn’t seem like they were coming close to scoring today.” “It’s just tough to get down two in the first period and make the boys have It’s the end of November and Sparks has yet to give up more than three to fight back,” McElhinney said. “I’ve got to make one of those saves, goals in a game. He’s a lock for the Goaltender of the Month award, that’s the key tonight. That was a game that was very winnable for us. nearly perfect through seven games. With the win, he pushed the Marlies You want to come up big and make a key save at a key moment and I to 15-4, the AHL’s best record. just didn’t get it tonight so it’s tough.”

“We didn’t play well enough in the first or the second. We were flat and Sparks sounded different too. they were in our zone quite a bit. Every night Sparks has been playing “I think (the ACC) brings the best out of me. The one goal we had a like that for us. When your goalie’s giving up only one or two a night it miscommunication behind the net,” Sparks said. “I think (this stretch) is puts us in a position to win every game and just put up two or three,” Ben the best I’ve played but I think it’s also attributed to the fact that it’s the Smith said. best I’ve prepared in my time with the Marlies. Honestly, the most difficult In his lone recent loss, Sparks made 38 of 41 saves (.927 save thing for me right now playing wise is enjoying how well I’m playing.” percentage). That’s a lowlight for him these days. He is, without question, There’s now good reason to believe Sparks might be able to bring the best goalie in the AHL. something more in the NHL than McElhinney has — or will. “When we as a team don’t play well, Sparks saves us,” Andreas On Saturday, after the Marlies game, Babcock met with their coaching Johnsson said. staff and general manager Kyle Dubas to go over “player ratings.” With the win, his save percentage on the season rose to .947 and his He admitted he hasn’t seen the Marlies play live this season, but No. 40 record to 10-2. If he keeps it up, it will be the highest full-season save for the Marlies was probably a topic of discussion. percentage since the AHL began publicly releasing the data.

And this isn’t a new phenomenon, either. The Athletic LOADED: 11.26.2017 He’s been dominant since he entered the AHL. Before that, he played in the ECHL – where he never really belonged – and posted a .936 save percentage in a league infamous for its high-scoring games and its high- 1085271 Toronto Maple Leafs What’s interesting is that Bozak seems to have made strides defensively. In fact, before Friday night he hadn't been on the ice for a 5-on-5 goal

against since Nov. 2 in L.A. and shot attempts against on a per-minute Why the Leafs are really using Patrick Marleau at centre basis had been trending in a positive direction.

Before that though, things weren’t so good. In the first 15 games of the season, the Leafs were scored on 13 times when he was on the ice with By Jonas Siegel Nov 25, 2017 five aside while managing nine at the other end. Some of that was bad luck – an .863 save percentage, for instance, as Frederik Andersen

struggled through October – but plays like this weren’t irregular for his RALEIGH, N.C. – Mike Babcock had no thought of using Patrick Marleau line, either: down the middle when the Leafs lured the long-time Shark from San Bozak had been feeling better about his own and his line's defensive play Jose for three years and almost $19 million on July 2. of late, which up until recently had Mitch Marner in Nylander's spot with “I don’t know if they saw me playing centre at the start,” Marleau said, van Riemsdyk taking up his usual spot on the left. “but it’s something that’s been brought up and talked about.” “Honestly, I think you just go through stretches where maybe the puck’s Marleau lined up there for the ninth time already on Friday night, adding not bouncing to you in your end and they’re getting all the retrieval races another game-winning goal to his prestigious resume in the Leafs 5-4 win or stuff like that. Or maybe we’re getting the retrieval race in the O-zone over the Hurricanes. The 38-year-old has become head coach Mike so we’re spending more time in the O-zone and don’t have to play D- Babcock’s favourite foil that way on the road, specifically when control of zone,” he said during a conversation in Florida earlier this week. “But the matchups fall into the hands of the opposing head coach – in this there’s going to be stretches throughout the year where you play a lot in case, Bill Peters, a former protégé. the o-zone and some games where you play in the D-zone, that’s just kind of how it goes.” “He can play against anybody,” Babcock said of the move, before digging deeper into the meat of the matter. The 31-year-old is playing the fewest minutes of his career (the previous low came last year), now under 15 per game, which includes a career- The Leafs coach was mostly fearful of getting burned by his peer on the low 12:32 at even strength. Unlike van Riemsdyk though, Bozak isn’t other bench, the one who's “waiting to hunt your guys.” producing much with the minutes he is drawing.

“They always pick someone to play against, right?” Babcock explained He’s on pace for 38 points and hasn’t produced this little on a per game Friday morning. “And when they’re waiting for that guy and they keep basis since he was a sophomore way back in the Ron Wilson days. getting you and you never get out of your zone it starts wearing you out and you get tired of watching that so this way I don’t have to watch it.” Bozak had two assists on opening night in Winnipeg and found the scoresheet in each of the following two games before coming up empty That guy, from all indications, is Tyler Bozak. in 16 of the next 20. He notched the second helper on Ron Hainsey's Marleau occasionally sliding back to the position he was drafted to play goal against the Hurricanes, his 11th point of the season (tied for 11th on 20 years ago is as much about Bozak as it is the oldest Leaf. the Leafs).

Read between the lines and Babcock is really just insulating himself from Though he’s always been a sidekick of sorts – to Phil Kessel, Joffrey an apparent liability in the lineup. He hinted at it again while raving about Lupul, van Riemsdyk and Marner – Bozak has managed to get himself the Hurricanes scorching top line of Jordan Staal, Teuvo Teravainen and involved offensively throughout his long Leafs tenure, including last year Sebastian Aho, noting that the trio was “on fire so we better know who’s when he had a career-best 55 points. He scored 11 goals on 103 shots out there.” at even strength and came up with 18 primary assists on the 26 he managed. Though it had been brewing for some time, the straw really broke for the coach in Marleau’s former digs late last month. The Leafs lost close in Even the power play, where Bozak has historically been at his best, has Marleau's return to San Jose on Oct. 30, but the Sharks controlled play in been dry this season. He hasn’t registered even one power-play point every way and exposed their Eastern foes in the way that Babcock since Oct. 23 — a stretch of 15 games. referenced earlier. “I don’t want to say unlucky because it just kind of sounds like giving Taking full advantage of home ice, Pete DeBoer, the Sharks coach, was yourself a break,” Bozak said when asked if he was feeling exactly that – able to get his two biggest threats, Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton unlucky – when it came to point production. (Marleau’s long-time linemates), on the ice against a Bozak-led line for The team’s winning ways made it a little easier digest, he said. just over three minutes. “But obviously you want to produce as much as you can,” the longest- Not a significant stretch certainly, but enough for the Sharks to hammer serving Leaf continued. “Like anything, there’s going to be stretches the Leafs for 10 shot attempts. Possession was 77 per cent for San Jose. where you get a lot of points and stretches where you don’t. I’d rather Two nights later in Anaheim, Marleau was playing centre. finish strong than start strong and finish bad I guess.”

He stayed there for two more games after that and then shifted back It’s the defensive liability though that Babcock is clearly trying to remedy again when Auston Matthews went down with an injury. When the 20- in using Marleau at a position he appeared done with. There's a comfort year-old returned in Montreal on Nov. 18, Babcock saw more of the same he surely feels with the Aneroid, Sask. native, a comfort that comes from hunting, only this time by Habs coach Claude Julien who dropped his top Marleau's nearly 1,700 games of NHL experience along with two Olympic guys – Max Pacioretty and Jonathan Drouin – on Bozak for more than gold medals he helped win alongside Babcock at two Olympics. five minutes. Babcock had Marleau on the ice late in Friday's game as the Leafs tried In that stretch, the Leafs were outshot 8-4 and out-attempted 10-5. and ultimately succeeded in protecting a one-goal lead against the Hurricanes, this time at left wing with Kadri and Leo Komarov. This was the stuff Babcock was tired of watching, the liability that kept getting exposed. He moved Marleau to centre again that night in an Marleau, who moved into sole possession of seventh all-time with his eventual 6-0 win and then back once more when the Leafs hit the road 102nd career game-winning goal (now seven back of Brendan Shanahan earlier this week. for sixth), remembers first shifting from centre to the wing more than a decade ago when Pavelski first stepped into the NHL with the Sharks. He Even with Marleau playing the middle, and Dominic Moore out of the bounced back and forth as needed, including last season. lineup as a result, Peters still got Staal's line out against Bozak, James van Riemsdyk, and William Nylander and it worked to his advantage. The His versatility has come in handy for the Leafs already this year. Babcock Canes scored a pair of goals in the three-minute stretch and fired eight certainly had no option like him a year ago. attempts on goal to four for the Leafs. If comforted by his presence in the defensive zone, the Leafs coach also (They shredded Marleau's line, too, firing seven attempts to none for the believes Marleau will be less effective as a goal-scorer when he plays Leafs in just over three minutes.) centre. He won't be able to use his speed and put as much “heat” on opposing defenders or so the theory goes. It's a small sample size, but Marleau has actually scored five times in nine games at centre so far (four at even strength), though the most recent one came on the power play in Carolina on a crafty setup from Matthews. The goal was Marleau's 161st with the man advantage, pushing him past Mats Sundin and into a tie with Bryan Trottier for 34th all-time.

The Leafs play 12 of their next 16 on the road, so it’s likely that he sees quite a bit more time at centre in the near future. But given their initial intentions it hardly seems like a long-term fix, especially come playoff time. If Bozak, a pending free agent who turns 32 in March, isn't able to turn things around, the club might have to pursue other options ahead of the Feb. 26 trade deadline.

That’s a long way out, though, and for now, Marleau's got no problem either way.

“Wherever they want me is fine,” he said.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.26.2017

1085272 Vegas Golden Knights “Pretty solid,” the coach said. “He competed, and he didn’t see a lot of rubber. But he made the stops when he needed to.”

Golden Knights defeat Coyotes 4-2, remain in first place in division LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.26.2017

By Steve Carp Las Vegas Review-Journal November 25, 2017 - 7:46 PM Updated November 25, 2017 - 11:44 PM

GLENDALE, Ariz. — There are going to be games when a team isn’t at its best and does just enough to win. Such was the case Saturday night for the Golden Knights. Scoring three times in a 1:42 span of the second period, the Knights then held off a furious third-period rally to defeat the Arizona Coyotes 4-2 before 13,226 at Gila River Arena. The Knights were sluggish for a good portion of the game, and had it not been for some big saves by Malcolm Subban and some bad luck for Arizona, the outcome might have been different. The last-place Coyotes had a first-period goal by Christian Fischer taken away for goaltender interference. They hit a couple of posts, missed a couple of wide-open nets and couldn’t capitalize on a 5-on-3 third-period power play. The Knights won their fifth straight game, improved to 15-6-1 and remained atop the Pacific Division with 31 points. “It wasn’t our best game, but somehow we found a way,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “It was back-to-back, it’s three games in four days with a couple days of travel. We bended a little, but when the game got tight, we played well.” Tomas Nosek, William Karlsson and Erik Haula scored against Arizona starting goaltender Scott Wedgewood, with Haula’s power-play goal sending Wedgewood to the bench in favor of backup Marek Langhamer. Jonathan Marchessault’s empty-net goal with 1.7 seconds left sealed the win. But it was Nosek’s goal, a short-handed tally 7:23 into the second period on a fine defensive effort, that changed the complexion of the game. He stole the puck at the Knights’ blueline from Coyotes all-star defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, skated in 2-on-1 with Cody Eakin, held the puck, then wristed a shot over Wedgewood’s right shoulder for a 1-0 lead. It was Nosek’s third goal, two coming against the Coyotes. “I tried to stay with (Ekman-Larsson), and I tried to get a good angle on him and push him off the puck,” Nosek said. “He tried to fake and dangle me, but I got the puck from him.” His shot was equally impressive as he waited patiently, saw Eakin getting picked up by Derek Stepan and Ekman-Larsson and took his time lining up the wrist shot. “I was thinking about passing, but I saw they were cheating on Eaks so I shot it,” said Nosek, who was a healthy scratch Friday against San Jose but returned to the lineup because David Perron was out with an upper- body injury sustained in a 5-4 overtime win over the Sharks. Karlsson, the hottest of all the Knights, made the score 2-0 31 seconds later after Marchessault won a faceoff cleanly in the Arizona zone and drew the puck back to Karlsson, who was untouched in the slot. His slap shot whizzed by Wedgewood, giving Karlsson his team-leading 13th goal. Haula’s goal, his seventh, came 1:11 after Karlsson’s when he banged home a rebound of Marchessault’s shot as the Coyotes were serving a bench minor for too many men on the ice. At the other end, Subban made his first start in goal since Oct. 21 and stopped 23 of 25 shots. The Coyotes scored 21 seconds into the third period when Ekman-Larsson’s shot from the point eluded Subban. Brendan Perlini scored from in close to cut the deficit to 3-2 with 9:25 to play. “I felt good,” said Subban. “I wanted to get off to a good start tracking the puck, and I was able to do that. Nobody complains about playing back-to- back when you’re winning.” Gallant was pleased with Subban’s effort. 1085273 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights’ David Perron misses trip to Arizona

By Steve Carp Las Vegas Review-Journal November 25, 2017 - 5:20 PM

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Golden Knights were without one of their top scorers Saturday, as forward David Perron did not make the trip to Gila River Arena for the game with the Arizona Coyotes. The right wing, who got hit by San Jose’s Timo Meier early in the second period of Friday’s game at T-Mobile Arena, remained in Las Vegas to receive medical treatment for what the team called an upper-body injury. He remains listed as day to day. “The medical staff decided it would be better for him not to make the trip,” coach Gerard Gallant said before the game. Perron is tied with James Neal for second on the team in scoring with six goals and 19 points. William Karlsson leads the Knights with 20 points (12 goals, eight assists). Brendan Leipsic, who took Perron’s place on the line of Erik Haula and Neal against the Sharks, came off that line Saturday with Oscar Lindberg taking Perron’s spot. Leipsic returned to the third line to play with Cody Eakin and Alex Tuch. Tomas Nosek, who was a healthy scratch Friday, returned to the Knights’ lineup, taking his regular spot on the fourth line with Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Will Carrier. Goaltender Maxime Lagace, who left Friday’s game against San Jose after the second period with what the team said was an illness, was on the trip to Arizona and suited up. But his streak of 11 straight starts was snapped, as Malcolm Subban got the call against the Coyotes. Subban played a scoreless third period and overtime in a 5-4 win over the Sharks and faced just three shots. Keller for Calder? Coyotes rookie center Clayton Keller has been a bright spot in the team’s dismal season. The former Boston University freshman star from St. Louis has a team-high 11 goals and 20 points. But Keller has had a tough November. He has just two goals for the month and last scored Nov. 6 against Washington. Despite the recent slump, Keller, the NHL Rookie of the Month for October, is still in the mix among rookie scoring leaders. Going into Saturday’s game, he was third behind Vancouver’s Brock Boeser and the New York Islanders’ Mathew Barzal, who have 22 points apiece. The Knights will take Sunday off and return to the ice Monday at City National Arena to prepare for Tuesday’s home game against Dallas. Then it’s off to St. Paul for a Thursday game against the Minnesota Wild, followed by a trip to Winnipeg to meet the Jets on Friday.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085274 Vegas Golden Knights Meanwhile, the Habs are hoping Price can return to his Vezina Trophy form of 2014-15, rather than the guy who went 3-7-1 to open this season.

Montreal entered Saturday in sixth place in the Atlantic Division, five Sharks continue to search for offense points out of a playoff spot.

By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.26.2017 November 25, 2017 - 7:57 PM Updated November 25, 2017 - 8:16 PM

The message from San Jose Sharks coach Peter DeBoer has remained consistent all season. Stick with it. The goals will come eventually. Heading into Saturday night’s home game against Winnipeg, the Sharks were 28th in the NHL in scoring (2.52 goals per game) and trying to stay afloat in the Pacific Division. A combination of age, lack of depth in the organization and a struggling power play have conspired to turn San Jose from a Stanley Cup finalist in 2016 to a team fighting to make the playoffs this season. “I think we knew when Patty Marleau left that we were going to have to replace some goals by committee,” DeBoer said before Friday’s 5-4 loss to the Golden Knights. “When I look at our offense through (20) games, if we could get our power play to where we feel it belongs, that goal total is significantly better and we’re probably not talking about it. But it hasn’t been, and we’ve got to find an answer for that.” Marleau signed with Toronto after 19 seasons with the Sharks, and they’ve struggled to replace his 27 goals from last season. Joe Thornton had offseason knee surgery, and the 38-year-old’s two assists Friday marked his first multi-point game since Oct. 17. Joe Pavelski, 33, is playing through an unspecified injury and went nine straight games without a goal heading into Saturday. Defenseman Brent Burns, 32, scored his first goal Friday after totaling 29, 27, 17 and 22 goals the past four seasons. “From a 5-on-5 scoring point, our big guys have dealt with some injuries early and production-wise probably aren’t where they feel that they should be, but we’re starting to get some secondary scoring,” DeBoer said. The Sharks were fourth in the league in goals scored and third on the power play (22.5 percent) when they advanced to the Stanley Cup finals in DeBoer’s first season as coach. Last season, the Sharks again won 46 games, but were 19th in goals scored and slumped to 25th on the power play (16.7 percent) before an early playoff exit against Edmonton. Those power-play woes carried over into this season. Entering Saturday’s game, San Jose was tied for 25th in the league on the man advantage at 16.0 percent. But the Sharks have remained within touching distance of the postseason wild-card spots thanks to their stingy defense. San Jose is No. 1 in goals against (2.33 goals per game), and its penalty kill was No. 1 in the NHL until allowing two power-play goals against the Knights. “I think our veteran guys know how to play that way,” DeBoer said. “They’ve had success doing it, so I don’t think it’s new for those guys. But it’s not easy playing with little margin for error. You let in a bad goal, you miss an assignment and you’re potentially losing games. That’s not a lot of fun to play that way, but our guys have embraced it and done a good job.” Montreal goaltender Carey Price returned to the lineup Saturday against Buffalo after missing 10 games with what the team called a “minor” injury. Price’s return put a temporary end to a wacky stretch for the struggling Canadiens. General manager Marc Bergevin’s seat is at Flamin’ Hot Cheetos levels of warmth, and the mystery surrounding Price’s injury — he was hurt in pregame warmups Nov. 2 but played anyway — fueled several rumors among the Canadiens notoriously rabid fan base. Price’s wife, Angela, had to post on Instagram last week denying rumors that she was trying to force a trade. Or a divorce. 1085275 Vegas Golden Knights There’s no way to pin down the exact reasoning, but some teams have not looked their best when taking on the Golden Knights in Las Vegas.

“We do talk about it; we are not naive in the sense that we are going to Is the ‘Vegas flu’ a factor in Golden Knights’ early success? spend the night here Saturday night,” Armstrong said. “What we are trying to do is lob the ball and say, ‘It’s Vegas and it’s a great opportunity for you guys to have some fun and blow off some steam and become a By Jesse Granger (contact) team, but that’s for after the game.’ ” Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017 | 2 a.m. Some players can juggle the extracurricular activities. “For me personally, if a guy is out until 7 a.m. the night before but he comes out and plays hard the next day and does his work at the rink, Although the Golden Knights are playing their inaugural season, Las then more power to you,” Schmidt said. “Not that we have that, but I’ve Vegas isn’t new to NHL players. seen it before in my career. I can’t do that. I need my eight hours of sleep. There are guys who can burn the candle at both ends, but I’m not The league’s best players have traveled here since 2009 to attend the one of them.” end-of-the-year NHL Awards ceremony, and the Chicago Blackhawks in particular have made it an annual tradition to come to Las Vegas to It’s a relatively small sample size, but through the first month of the unwind in the offseason. season, it appears the Golden Knights have a strong home ice advantage that goes further than the 18,000 fans roaring inside the It’s the reason for the trip that’s transformed in the past month, as Las arena. Vegas has gone from a leisure spot for hockey players to a business location. Unfortunately for visiting teams, the pitfalls of Las Vegas remain. LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 11.26.2017 Players face a lot of temptation in the days before taking on the Golden Knights, and it could be having an effect on their performance. Fans have called it “the Vegas flu,” even though most players say they don’t believe in it. “I do,” Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt demurred. “The bright lights, the allure and everything. Whether you’re only staying up an extra half-hour later than normal because you’re playing cards or you go to a show. Whatever it may be, it just throws you off your schedule a little bit.” It was a concern for many before the Golden Knights even began play, and the results at T-Mobile Arena have only fueled the conversation. The Golden Knights have one of the NHL’s best home records, but have been mediocre on the road. When the Blackhawks came to town in October, rumors of their late-night activities in the days before the game swirled and they were then dominated for 60 minutes by a Golden Knights team many hockey analysts consider less talented. “I’d like to say it can go both ways,” Schmidt said. “It can be good if you do it the right way. You can go golfing and enjoy the nice weather and get some vitamin D, or even go to the spa, but not a lot of people do that.” Golden Knights defenseman Deryk Engelland, who’s lived in Las Vegas for more than a decade, is more skeptical of the Vegas flu. He said it was not uncommon for players to find entertainment on the road regardless of the city. “There’s just more out here, but you can have fun anywhere,” Engelland said. “If you’re going to do it, you’re going to do it no matter where you go. ... No matter what building you go into, the home team is going to have the advantage because of the crowd and being at home.” Vegas’ opponents are treating Las Vegas the same as any other road trip, Engelland says. After spending nine years in the NHL on three teams, he says the routine is pretty standard. “There’s usually someone who sets up a team dinner and most people go,” Engelland said. “Some guys like going earlier or in a smaller group. Once in a while, you’ll have a mandatory team dinner, but for the most part guys make plans and will meet up at a spot. Everyone on the team has a favorite spot. You kind of know the spots in most cities, and someone will just set a time and a reservation and see who comes.” Players like Engelland give more credit to T-Mobile Arena, and cite it as one of the loudest venues in which they’ve played — louder than Madison Square Garden and on par with the Bell Centre in Montreal. And, of course, credit goes to the Golden Knights’ ability. Despite low expectations entering the season, Vegas has outplayed talented teams such as Boston, Winnipeg and St. Louis at home. The Blues have aspirations of hoisting the Stanley Cup in June and skated out to a 13-5-1 record in their first 19 games. But they arrived in Las Vegas 40 hours before their Oct. 21 game and didn’t look like the same team that had won six of eight games coming into the contest. “There’s a lot to distract you here in Vegas, as I’m looking out the window now,” St. Louis General Manager Doug Armstrong told TSN’s Hockey Central. “I think the first couple of years, it’s certainly going to happen. That’s going to test, quite honestly, the maturity of our team.” 1085276 Vegas Golden Knights

Vegas Golden Knights defeat Coyotes 4-2 in Arizona

By Jesse Granger (contact) Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017 | 7:48 p.m.

The Golden Knights scored three goals in a minute and 42 seconds and outlasted the Coyotes for a 4-2 win Saturday night in Arizona. Tomas Nosek started the scoring with a great individual performance on the penalty kill. After being a healthy scratch for the past few games, Nosek rewarded coach Gerard Gallant for inserting him into the lineup with a shorthanded goal in the second period. William Karlsson continued his red-hot play with a goal only 21 seconds later. It was Karlsson’s team-leading 13th goal of the season, and puts him at fifth in the entire NHL. Shortly after Erik Haula scored his seventh goal of the season on a rebound off a Jonathan Marchessault shot to put the Golden Knights up 3-0 after two periods. The Coyotes got on the board when Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s wrist shot from the point made it’s way through traffic and past Golden Knights goaltender Malcolm Subban. Vegas dodged a bullet midway through the third period when both Brayden McNabb and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare were called for penalties and the Golden Knights faced a 5-on-3 for 1:28. The Golden Knights were able to kill off the penalties, but surrendered an even strength goal to pull within one with 9:25 to play in the game. Jonathan Marchessault scored an empty net goal to end the game. With two assists and the goal, Marchessault had three points for the third straight game. Malcolm Subban, in his first full game since missing weeks with a lower body injury, saved 23-of-25 shots to improve his record this season to 4- 0-0. It was the fifth straight win for Vegas, matching its previous season high, and improves their record within the Pacific Division to 7-1-0. The Golden Knights remain in first place in the division, now four points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings, who host the Anaheim Ducks Saturday night.

LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085277 Washington Capitals speed against the league’s infusion of young stars, such as the Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander.

Ovechkin came to training camp just four pounds lighter, but whatever he Alex Ovechkin’s hat trick lifts Capitals to third straight victory did in the offseason worked. He started the season with back-to-back hat tricks, the first player in 100 years to do that. Ovechkin has 13 goals at even strength, just three shy of his total from last season. At 32, he is on By Isabelle Khurshudyan November 25 at 10:19 PM pace for his eighth season with at least 50 goals. “He looks hungrier, but he scored over 30 goals last season,” Backstrom said. “He’s got a terrific shot, so people expect him to score 50 every TORONTO — The boos started as soon as Alex Ovechkin touched the year. Obviously, that’s something weird for media [to expect], I think, but I puck. It seemed to fuel him as he zigzagged through the neutral zone mean, he scored [almost] 20 already. That’s pretty impressive. We all and up the middle of the ice, and he ripped a shot in transition from the know what he’s capable of.” edge of the right faceoff circle. Those in the Air Canada Centre crowd were stunned into silence, all witnesses to a vintage Ovechkin goal. “Back to 19 years old, you know?” Ovechkin said. “Flying, make a move, Washington Post LOADED: 11.26.2017 shot. Sometimes you feel great.” It was a welcome to the Ovechkin show. He notched his third hat trick of the season in Washington’s 4-2 win Saturday over the Toronto Maple Leafs, temporarily solving the Capitals’ bugaboo in the second game of back-to-back sets. Washington (14-10-1) is now just three points behind the New Jersey Devils for first place in the Metropolitan Division. With how inconsistent the Capitals have been through the first quarter of the season, this set of back-to-back games wasn’t expected to go well for them. Washington hosted the league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night, a 3-1 win, and with the Capitals’ victory over the young, talented Maple Leafs, they are riding a three-game winning streak with their next five games at home. “We’re playing more of a game that we’re going to find success with,” said goaltender Braden Holtby, who made 27 saves. “We’re trending in the right direction that way, and we have some players that have put in good efforts right now.” After Ovechkin lifted Washington to a 2-0 lead in the first period, rookie Jakub Vrana gave the Capitals some extra cushion in the second, using his speed to blow past the Toronto defense and beat goaltender Curtis McElhinney with a snap shot. That was Vrana’s third goal in as many games, and it came in handy when the Maple Leafs scored twice early in the third period to make it a one-goal game. Ovechkin’s third goal was the empty-netter that sealed the win. The Capitals have struggled when they play a second game in two nights this season; entering Saturday, they were winless in the four games that served as the second half of a back-to-back set. Ovechkin’s first goal, his end-to-end beauty 12:43 into the game, marked the first time Washington had a lead in the second game of a back-to-back. Ovechkin added to that advantage in the last minute of the first period. Toronto defenseman Ron Hainsey was sent to the box for a delay-of- game penalty, and Ovechkin scored eight seconds later with a one-timer off a faceoff. By the end of the game, he had 18 goals, most in the NHL. “He was fantastic,” Coach Barry Trotz said. “He was skating, and when Alex is skating and he’s a big, powerful man and then that shot, those things explode off his stick.” Ovechkin had a guest in the stands: 13-year-old Alex Luey, who was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a cancer of the bone, in his right leg last year. Luey, of Niagara Falls, Ontario, is cancer-free, and when Ovechkin met with him before the game, he made a promise. “I said if I’m going to score a goal, it’s going to be for him,” Ovechkin said. “After my first goal, I tried to look in the stands. He tell me where he’s going to sit, but I couldn’t see him.” Ovechkin brought Luey into the Capitals’ locker room with him after the game, calling him “the star” of the night. “It’s incredible what he did for me, what he did for the team,” Luey said. “It’s awesome.” With his 20th hat trick, Ovechkin has the franchise mark in that category, and this marked his third straight game with at least one goal. He has caught fire since Trotz reunited him with center Nicklas Backstrom. In his 13th season, Ovechkin has rebounded from what was an off year for him: He scored 33 goals last season, one more than in his career-worst total in 2010-11. After salary-cap constraints forced the Capitals to part with top-six forwards Marcus Johansson and Justin Williams, a less-talented team was going to count on Ovechkin to carry it more this season. Washington’s coaching staff and management challenged the superstar winger to trim down his hulking, 6-foot-5, 239-pound frame for more 1085278 Washington Capitals “It’s been good reactions, and it’s been bad reactions,” said Ovechkin, who began learning English when he arrived in Washington. “People have own mind, own views.” Alex Ovechkin is one of Putin’s biggest fans. The question is, why? Ovechkin has been the face of the Capitals for more than a decade. (Mark Gail/Washington Post) By Rick Maese, Isabelle Khurshudyan and Andrew Roth November 25 at Though Ovechkin shared no details of his PutinTeam effort when he 8:34 PM made his Instagram post Nov. 2, last week he announced the soft launch of a new Russian-language website — putinteam.ru — inviting people to sign up for the team, track related news, participate in contests and attend and organize events. “PutinTeam is an informal movement,” the Alex Ovechkin says the PutinTeam movement he announced on site reads. “Everyone who shares our values can join the team.” Instagram this month was his idea. (Ria Novosti/Reuters) The domain was created Sept. 6, but it was not immediately clear who For more than a dozen years, Alex Ovechkin has skated between two funded and created the site or who was running its associated pages on worlds: his country of birth and his professional home. He’s beloved, Facebook, Instagram and other social networks. The official line from the cheered and revered in both. Kremlin is that Putin did not know in advance about Ovechkin’s plans, though the Russian president certainly welcomed the gesture. He regularly has tried to appease supporters in these disparate homes, making his living playing hockey in the United States’ capital while “Indeed, Sasha is a very famous Russian and a very successful one, and spending much of his offseason in Russia’s. And while the hockey star we know how much he appreciates our president,” Kremlin spokesman has never hidden his affection for Vladimir Putin, Ovechkin this month Dmitry Peskov said, referring to Ovechkin by his Russian nickname. raised the stakes considerably, announcing on his Instagram account that he was organizing a movement to support the Russian president. Ovechkin maintains the idea was his and says he felt it was the right thing to do for his country. “If somebody ask me to do something for my “Today, I want to announce a social movement in the name of country, I will,” he said. “If there’s a world championship, I go. So it’s that PutinTeam,” Ovechkin wrote in the post, accompanied by a photo of kind of a situation.” Ovechkin being embraced by the Russian leader. “Be a part of this team — to me it’s a privilege, it’s like the feeling of when you put on the jersey Asked whether anyone enlisted him to launch the campaign on Putin’s of the Russian team, knowing that the whole country is rooting for you.” behalf, Ovechkin quickly answered, “No,” and said he ran the idea by one Ovechkin ended the post with the hashtag #putinteam. friend before making his initial post. Ovechkin now finds himself awkwardly in the middle of a geopolitical People within the Capitals’ organization, however, are under the maelstrom — perhaps by his own doing — tugged in multiple directions, impression that Ovechkin was asked to create PutinTeam, and Russian just as he has been for much of his extraordinary career. media have begun connecting dots back to the Russian government. The financial newspaper Vedomosti, citing Kremlin sources, reported that the He has given an unwavering endorsement to a man who U.S. project was developed by a Moscow consulting agency called IMA- intelligence agencies say sanctioned Russian meddling in last year’s Consulting, which holds a reported $600,000 contract to promote the presidential election and whose athletes have drawn the ire of the country’s presidential election in March. international Olympic community for a state-sponsored doping scheme. At the same time, Ovechkin insists his advocacy is free of politics. While Putin hasn’t formally announced his intentions, he is expected to seek a new six-year term. He enjoys such a high favorability rating that a “I’m not a politic,” Ovechkin said in a recent interview. “I don’t know celebrity endorsement won’t win or lose the race, but Kremlin observers what’s happening out there. I know it’s a hard situation, but it is what it is. say it could help foster support among young voters. You know, I play here, and this is my second home. I don’t want to fight between two countries, because it’s going to be a mess.” A leading sports agent based in Moscow who represents athletes in hockey and other sports told The Washington Post that several of his Ovechkin says the PutinTeam movement was his idea, though there are clients had been approached to join PutinTeam by “political guys.” The signs that a Kremlin-backed public-relations firm might have played a agent, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, declined to name them. role. Ovechkin’s decision to wave the Putin banner comes at an A representative for IMA-Consulting told The Post that it had no especially awkward time: Relations between the countries are frayed, connection to PutinTeam. and a special counsel is investigating possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russian officials ahead of the 2016 election. Seven Thus far, PutinTeam has attracted only a handful of high-profile in 10 Americans hold an unfavorable opinion of Russia, according to a supporters, including hockey Hall of Famer Pavel Bure, former NHL recent Gallup poll. player Ilya Kovalchuk, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin and chess grandmaster Sergey Karjakin. The situation is certainly a thorny one for the Washington Capitals and the National Hockey League. Ted Leonsis, the Capitals team owner who Despite its intentions, the campaign has highlighted the dilemma facing signed Ovechkin to a 13-year, $124 million contract in 2008, declined to Russian professional athletes living in the United States who support comment for this article, as did the league office. The Capitals prefer for Putin. Several Russian hockey players, including those who have not Ovechkin to discuss the situation himself, keeping team brass at arm’s publicly signed on to Ovechkin’s initiative, declined interview requests. length from a sensitive topic that’s fraught with complications. Theirs is a Malkin waited five days after pledging his support on social media to business relationship in which Ovechkin is paid handsomely — he will answer questions about the campaign. earn $10 million this season — but team officials know that, even off the ice, one of the game’s most recognizable players must always represent “I don’t know what’s going on here [in the United States]. They don’t like Russia as well as Washington. or like him,” Malkin said of Putin. “I’m not trying to read everything. I just want to support him.” Ovechkin, 32, and his family have long enjoyed government support. His mother was a basketball star with the Soviet national team, a two-time There are more than 30 Russians playing in the NHL. Only Malkin has Olympic gold medalist who later leaned on her political connections to followed Ovechkin’s lead and joined PutinTeam. help finance her Moscow-based club team. Her son arrived in One U.S.-based hockey agent who represents Russian players in North Washington in 2005 and quickly blossomed into one of hockey’s best America said of Ovechkin’s initiative: “All of my clients, everybody’s players, certainly the most prolific scorer Russia has sent to the NHL. rolling their eyes, basically, saying, ‘What the [heck]?’ It’s like he’s Only Jaromir Jagr has more career goals among active players, and lobbying for a job in politics.” Ovechkin has led the league in goals six times and been named its most valuable player three times. The first known encounter between Ovechkin and Putin came a decade ago. Ovechkin was 21 and had just wrapped up his second season with His fame and success have afforded him an unusually close relationship the Capitals. Ovechkin attended a meeting in May 2007 at the Kremlin with the Kremlin. He has a personal phone number for Putin and near the end of Putin’s first presidential term; the meeting also included received a wedding present from the Russian leader last year. Russia’s national hockey coach at the time, Vyacheslav Bykov. He says he is aware that vocally supporting Putin could rub some While Ovechkin doesn’t talk politics in the Capitals’ locker room, his pride Americans the wrong way, but Capitals fans are still showing up to in Russia has been evident from the day he arrived in Washington. “He games, still wearing Ovechkin’s No. 8 jersey, still cheering his on-ice didn’t really say anything,” said Bruce Boudreau, who coached the exploits, and there’s no sign his legacy or standing among Washington Capitals from 2007 to 2011. “He’s a very passionate man. As we’re hockey fans has suffered. passionate about our country, he is about his.” The Putin-Ovechkin relationship seemed to grow in the buildup to the “We had a good time,” Oates told The Post then. But their visit was cut 2014 Sochi Olympics, Putin’s biggest opportunity to showcase his short, Oates said, because Ovechkin was called to attend a Kremlin- country to the world. Ovechkin was the face of the Winter Games. He related function promoting the Sochi Olympics. “So we were a little was given the honor of running the first leg of the Olympic torch’s journey unlucky with that,” Oates said. from Greece to Moscow, and he carried the nation’s hopes into the highly anticipated men’s hockey tournament. Some of the complications in the Ovechkin-Putin relationship take place far away from the ice, in murky areas that team officials concede they Putin had a front-row seat to Olympic disappointment as the Russian probably don’t fully understand. hockey team lost in a shootout against the United States, then failed to win a medal. Three months later, though, the Russians beat Finland to This was perhaps most prevalent in the past year, when Olympic officials win the world championship in Belarus. Cameras captured Ovechkin tried to strike a deal with the NHL that would allow the league’s players to helping Putin drink champagne from the trophy in the postgame locker compete in the Winter Games in South Korea in February. The NHL did room. not want to send them, and some players initially threatened to walk away from their NHL teams to represent their countries. None was louder Putin reportedly rewarded every player with a Mercedes-Benz, and the than Ovechkin. But when the NHL refused to budge, Ovechkin eventually team returned to Moscow for a special reception at the Kremlin. “You resigned himself to missing out on playing in a fourth Olympics for his remember how in the locker room on Sunday you offered me country. champagne?” Putin told the team, according to Russian news reports. “Well, now it’s my turn.” “He wants to win the Stanley Cup. He wants to win with his teammates here,” Trotz told The Post in 2016 while the Olympics situation was still in While Ovechkin rarely spoke publicly about Putin as a young player, he flux. “That’s priority number one. When he goes to Russia, a lot of times has become more open in recent years with sharing his admiration via there is a lot more pressure on him going than there are on Canadian or social media. In September 2014, he posted a birthday message to Putin USA players in the world championships — different kinds of pressures.” on Instagram. “You’re on the right track and we respect your actions and will support you in everything always because we also love our country!!!” Trotz was asked whether he was referring to Putin. Ovechkin wrote. “We’ll just say different kinds of pressures,” the coach replied. “He would The Russian president has reciprocated the warm feelings. He gave love to stay, but he’s also proud for Russia, too, and he gets that. When Ovechkin an ornamental tea set as a wedding present last year and sent those pressures are put on him, he’s got to go.” a telegram that was read aloud at the reception. While there is no shortage of photographs featuring the Russian leader Ovechkin has mostly sidestepped political discussions and hasn’t delved and the hockey star, the extent of their relationship is up for debate. deeply into some of Putin’s more controversial actions. In 2013, Putin Clearly, Ovechkin is feted differently than other Russian athletes, and he signed a law punishing anyone who spread “propaganda of non- represents many of the masculine qualities that Putin might want traditional sexual relations” to minors, prompting criticism from all corners projected on himself, said Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar, author of the of the world in advance of the Sochi Games. “Our job is to play. I’d rather book “All the Kremlin’s Men: Inside the Court of Vladimir Putin.” speak about that,” Ovechkin told Russian website sports.ru at the time. “It’s the idea Ovechkin symbolizes. He’s a strong man who’s an athlete, A year later, Ovechkin uploaded a photo on his Instagram account in who wins,” Zygar said. “Putin plays hockey, Ovechkin plays hockey. It’s which the player was holding a sign that read natural idea.” #SaveChildrenFromFascism,” a hashtag used at the time by pro-Russian Even among hockey players, Ovechkin is clearly treated differently. At a groups seeking support in Ukraine. It came months after Russia annexed news conference last summer, Malkin was being honored as the best the Crimean peninsula and amid fears Moscow would further escalate Russian player in the NHL when he was asked by a Russian reporter, the situation with an open invasion of Ukraine. Ovechkin downplayed the “Have you ever received a phone call on your mobile phone from significance of his post, telling ESPN then, “I don’t try to make a President Vladimir Putin?” statement.” “No,” the Penguins forward said. “I am not , after all.” A person close to Ovechkin explained that he tries to navigate a delicate tightrope, supporting one country while trying not to offend the other, and Ovechkin has downplayed the depth of his friendship with Putin, saying that the PutinTeam initiative has underscored the innate difficulties he in a recent interview that the two don’t have much in common. “We talk faces. about hockey and all that stuff. That’s it,” he said. “If he played in Carolina, this probably wouldn’t be as interesting to some While the high-profile relationship and increasingly vocal support might people as it probably is, just given where he lives and works and what he give some North American hockey fans pause, the Ovechkin family does,” said the Ovechkin associate, who spoke on the condition of learned long ago the benefits of befriending powerful political leaders. anonymity so he could talk more freely. “To say that Alex or anybody is following the daily nuances of really high-level, very complex geopolitical During the early 1990s, when Russia was navigating the difficult issues, they’re probably not doing that, right?” transition from communism to capitalism following the collapse of the , Yuri Luzhkov, the larger-than-life former Moscow mayor, Ovechkin says he mostly watches hockey news but occasionally takes in invested heavily in the Dynamo women’s basketball club, which was political reports. At the least, he knows how Putin is perceived by many in coached by Ovechkin’s mother. In a 2008 interview with Moscow-based the United States. newspaper Sport Express, Tatyana Ovechkina said she consulted Luzhkov “in all questions concerning Sasha’s future in hockey.” When the “But again, it’s their view,” he said. “My view is my view. Your view is Capitals drafted Ovechkin, she said, the first person she called was your view.” Luzhkov. The Capitals feature players from nine countries, including five Reached by telephone last week, Luzhkov said he had not spoken with Americans, three Russians and others from Canada, Sweden, Austria, Ovechkin about the PutinTeam project. He laughed off suggestions that Denmark, Australia, Czech Republic and Germany. Ovechkin was attempting to make political inroads in Moscow, saying the If any teammate is at odds with the captain’s pro-Putin stance, he hasn’t hockey star’s standing in Russia isn’t dependent on Kremlin support. said so publicly. Noting that Ovechkin operates in the same athletic pantheon as Argentine soccer superstar Lionel Messi, Luzhkov said: “Lionel Messi While the Capitals organization may not be eager to discuss Ovechkin’s probably does not need any political support, and neither does Sasha.” relationship with Putin, team officials are aware that it could upset some fans. At the same time, they accept the demands being placed on him Kremlin observers explain that many Russian celebrities can face from Moscow and recognize the franchise has at times had to work pressures both overt and indirect to take part in a Russian political around them, especially during the offseason. campaign. For many, an endorsement might protect their families or help secure government funding for their projects. But most agree that When Washington hired Barry Trotz as coach in May 2014, one of his Ovechkin probably is above such pressures — too rich, too high profile. first acts was a phone call to Ovechkin, who was in Moscow. The two spoke only briefly, Trotz later explained, because the new coach caught People in Moscow and Washington say Ovechkin’s efforts supporting the star player “at Mr. Putin’s house,” where they were celebrating Putin seem sincere and reflect only his love of Russia. For him, it’s the Russia’s world championship. simplest part of an otherwise complex geopolitical equation: He embraces the attention and the expectations — promoting the Olympics To connect more closely with Ovechkin, Adam Oates, Trotz’s or representing the Russian team in international competition — and he predecessor, boarded a plane after he was hired in 2012 and flew to accepts any accompanying pressure as a natural byproduct of his unique Moscow to meet the Russian star. They watched video together and place in Putin’s orbit. chatted about Ovechkin’s role on the team. Said one Ovechkin associate: “It’s remarkable that he is so carefree given the sort of two worlds that he lives in, which now obviously is being magnified because the two worlds that he lives in are maybe not as close as they used to be in recent times.” While some suggest Ovechkin could be laying the groundwork for a government position when his playing days are over, Ovechkin says he is focused solely on his hockey career. Asked whether he thinks he will return to Russia when he retires, he said, “I don’t know. We just have to talk to family, my wife. Hopefully the kid’s going to come soon, and we’ll see what’s going to happen. “But, again, I feel comfortable here, and I feel comfortable over there.”

Washington Post LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085279 Washington Capitals

Game 25: Capitals at Maple Leafs Date, Time, How to Watch, Game Thread

By J.J. Regan November 25, 2017 6:00 AM

How to WATCH: Capitals-Maple Leafs will be broadcast on NBC Sports Washington Plus (Channel Finder) Live Stream: You can watch the Capitals-Maple Leafs game on NBC Sports Washington's live stream page. You can also stream the game online with no cable TV subscription on fuboTV (try for free!). WHEN IS THE CAPITALS-MAPLE LEAFS GAME? The Capitals (13-10-1) take on the Maple Leafs (15-8-1) Saturday, November 25 at 7:00 p.m. ET in Toronto. WHAT CHANNEL IS THE CAPITALS-MAPLE LEAFS GAME ON? The Capitals-Maple Leafs game will be broadcast on NBC Sports Washington Plus. Coverage kicks off with Capitals FaceOff at 6:00 p.m. followed by Capitals GameTime at 6:30 p.m. Stay with NBC Sports Washington Plus following the game for Caps Extra and Caps Overtime at 10:00 p.m. for all your postgame coverage. (NBC Sports Washington channel Finder) WHERE CAN I STREAM THE CAPITALS-MAPLE LEAFS GAME? The Capitals-Maple Leafs game, as well as Caps GameTime and Caps Extra, is available to stream live here through NBC Sports Washington's live stream page and is available to authenticated NBC Sports Washington subscribers on desktops, tablets, mobile devices and connected TVs anywhere in the United States.

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3 reasons why the Capitals beat the Maple Leafs

By J.J. Regan November 25, 2017 10:15 PM

It was closer than perhaps it should have been. But still, the Capitals skated away from the Air Canada Centre victorious on Saturday with a 4-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was the second quality road-win in a row for the Capitals. How did they get it done north of the border? Here's how: 1. Alex Ovechkin's First Period: Big deficits are hard to overcome when playing in the second game of a back-to-back. Ovechkin single-handedly put the Leafs down by two in the first period. His first goal was the 574th of his career, putting him ahead of Mike Bossy for 21st on the all-time scoring list. Even when the Leafs made their late push, they never were able to overcome the 2-0 deficit Ovechkin put them in after the first 20 minutes. 2. The First 40 Minutes: For two periods, the Caps dominated in just about every way. They allowed more shots to the Leafs, but Toronto barely threatened Braden Holtby. The Leafs looked like a team that played the night before. The Caps looked like they had fresh legs and took advantage as they outskated Toronto. That was especially evident on Vrana's goal when he took a one-on-one with Nikita Zaitsev and turned it into a breakaway with his pure speed. 3. Dmitry Orlov: No defenseman played more against Auston Matthews than Orlov who logged 9:22 against the dynamic forward. Orlov was phenomenal against him and shut him down completely. Orlov was physical on the boards and solid on one-on-one defensive plays to make sure Matthews. Matthews logged only one assist, but it was on a broken play as he lost the puck and Jake Gardiner collected it and fired a shot from the blue line for the goal. For the most part, Matthews was a non-factor and that was because of the work of Orlov.

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3 stars of the game: Alex Ovechkin's hat trick blows away the Leafs

By J.J. Regan November 25, 2017 9:44 PM

It looked like the Caps were going to win easily in Toronto on Saturday. The final was a bit too close for comfort, but the Capitals did hold on for the 4-2 win over the Maple Leafs. Washington jumped out to a 2-0 lead with two goals from Alex Ovechkin. After a goal from Jakub Vrana in the second, it looked all but over. Then Jake Gardiner scored early in the third and the Leafs made a late push. The Caps held on, however, and won on the second leg of a back-to- back for the first time this season. Here are the three stars of the game. 1. Alex Ovechkin This one wasn't hard. Ovechkin scored twice in the first period to pass Mike Bossy for 21st on the all-time goal list. The first goal came on a phenomenal end-to-end effort in which he was able to weave his way through the Maple Leafs' defense seemingly effortlessly before putting a shot past Curtis McElhinney almost before the goalie could even react. The second he teed up right off the faceoff for the power play goal. When this game turned into a nail-biter in the third period, it was Ovechkin who finished off the game and his 20th career hat trick with the empty net goal. 2. Jakub Vrana Vrana took what was a one-on-one battle and turned it into a breakaway when he turned on the jets, pushed his way past Nikita Zaitsev and then left him in the dust. That goal turned into the game-winner. We can all see how moving Ovechkin back with Nicklas Backstrom has sparked the top line, but what about Vrana? He now has three goals in three games and has looked like a completely different player since being put on the second line with Evgeny Kuznetsov and T.J. Oshie. 3. Jake Gardiner At 3-0 through two periods, this game looked over. Then he collected a misplay from Auston Matthews at the blue line and fired a slap shot that beat Braden Holtby. That brought woke up both the Leafs and the crowd and made this a game. Toronto dominated the third period and made a real push to tie a game that looked well in hand after 40 minutes.

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Mike Bossy has a message for Alex Ovechkin after Ovechkin passes him on all-time goal list

By J.J. Regan November 25, 2017 8:10 PM

Alex Ovechkin entered Saturday's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs tied with Mike Bossy for 21st on the all-time goals list. He needed only 12:43 to take sole possession of 21st place. Ovechkin scored career goals 574 and 575 in the first period against the Leafs to pull two ahead of the New York Islanders great. Goal No. 574 was a phenomenal end to end effort from the Great 8. Soon after he scored his first goal of the night, the Caps tweeted out a message from Bossy to Ovechkin. Ovechkin would add a third goal to complete the hat trick in the third period with an empty net goal. He is now just one goal behind Mark Recchi who sits at No. 20 all-time with 577.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085283 Winnipeg Jets Tim Heed’s point shot on the power-play, his third goal of year, started the scoring for San Jose. Forced to discard his broken stick, Jets centre Matt Hendricks sprawled to block the shot but the puck soared past him Sharks feast with 4-0 win over Jets and a few other bodies, including Mason. The Sharks, while just fourth in the Pacific Division, remain one of the league’s stingiest clubs, ranking at or near the top in several key By: Jason Bell categories. Heading into Saturday’s contest, San Jose had yielded the fewest goals (49), the fewest goals per game (2.33), owned the league’s Posted: 11/25/2017 11:42 PM | Last Modified: 11/26/2017 12:58 AM second-best penalty kill (89.7 per cent) and surrendered the fewest shots | Updates | Comments: 3 per game (28.5). Those numbers gleamed even brighter following the tidy win against Winnipeg. SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Winnipeg Jets were left smarting from a rather nasty Shark attack Saturday night — especially goalie Steve Mason. "It’s disappointing. I thought we played really well the last two games (2-1 over L.A. and 4-1 over Anaheim). Tonight, we’re come into a tough After two terrific performances late in the week, the Jets concluded a building and playing a veteran squad over there and they take advantage California getaway with a game that got away from them in San Jose. of some mistakes we made," said defenceman Josh Morrissey. The Sharks built a two-goal lead after 20 minutes, withstood a strong push from the visitors in the final 40 and hung on to register a 4-0 triumph "I just think it wasn’t the game we wanted. We had bigger aspirations for at SAP Center. the end of that road trip." It’s the first time Winnipeg has been shut out this season. Tomas Hertl added an empty-netter, his fifth goal of the year. The Jets might need to promote a goaltender after Mason suffered an Maurice changed up his forward units in the third period, elevating Nikolaj upper-body injury in the first period — and there’s concern about a Ehlers to the top line with Mark Scheifele and Wheeler, and putting possible concussion – although either guy on the Jets’ AHL affiliate, the Mathieu Perreault with Bryan Little and Patrik Laine. Manitoba Moose, looks ready if the call comes. The moves provided a spark but Jones blocked all 13 shots he faced in A wicked slap shot from winger Jannik Hansen at 8:43 was the likely the frame. cause of Mason’s early exit as the blast struck him squarely in the mask. He gathered himself, stayed in for the ensuing faceoff and finished out the period, stopping 11 of 13 shots. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 11.26.2017 But he was nowhere to be seen after the intermission, as Connor Hellebuyck took over to begin the second. Head coach Paul Maurice said Mason’s health will be evaluated Sunday. That will, undoubtedly, include monitoring for the effects of a possible concussion. "He stayed in (after the shot) and said he was OK after that. We talked to him at the (TV) time out, but by the time he got off the ice he was not feeling right. For us, that’s enough. He’s got to come out," said Maurice. "He wasn’t feeling good. He was sick." The day Mason was signed as a free agent, Michael Hutchinson’s days as a Jets goalie were over — unless either Mason or Hellebuyck hit sick bay. Yet, there’s no denying Hutchinson — with 41 career NHL victories under his belt, has been outstanding with the Moose, going 6-1-1 with a 2.14 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage. His goaltending partner, Eric Comrie, has equally impressive numbers, bolstered by an outstanding 30-save shutout in Milwaukee on Saturday night. The young goalie is 8-4-1 with a 2.30 GAA and .927 SP. Winnipeg (14-6-3) split four games on a road trip that began poorly in Nashville but drastically improved in Los Angeles and Anaheim. Ending it on a losing note wasn’t part of the plan, said captain Blake Wheeler. "It’s all right. They’re games where we stuck with it, even the game tonight," he said, assessing the trip. "A lot of frustration. I thought overall, even in the third period, we were pushing and had some opportunities. Their goalie made some big saves." Sharks goalie Martin Jones, whose 2.19 goals-against average prior to the game will look even better now, was rock-solid, stopping 38 shots. Full marks to the Sharks (12-8-2) for bending but not breaking against one of the NHL’s hottest squads. With his club ahead 2-0, Logan Couture raced away on a short-handed breakaway with just under seven minutes left in the second period and beat Hellebuyck on a deke for his second goal of the night and 13th of the year. Call that tally the back-breaker for the Jets, who were blanked on three power-play chances in the period but gave up the goal to Couture and nearly another when he couldn’t convert on his second breakaway on the same kill. "It hurt, it hurt a lot," said Wheeler. "We had a couple of good chances on the power plays before that. Kyle (Connor) had one sitting on the goal line, you know (at) 2-1 the momentum’s in our favour. Even if the period ends 2-1, that’s a hockey game we like to play. You give up two breakaways on the power play, it’s not good enough." 1085284 Winnipeg Jets

Chiarot fined for butt-ending Ducks' Perry

By: Jason Bell Posted: 11/25/2017 5:18 PM | Last Modified: 11/25/2017 7:22 PM | Updates | Comments: 11

SAN JOSE, Calif — Corey Perry can get under opponents' skin but crossing the line to try and even the score won't be tolerated by the NHL's Department of Player Safety. Winnipeg Jets blue-liner Ben Chiarot found that out Saturday. Chiarot avoided a suspension but was fined US$3,763.44, the maximum allowable under the NHL's collective bargaining agreement, for butt- ending the Anaheim Ducks forward Friday afternoon. The money goes to the NHL Players' Emergency Assistance Fund. The incident occurred at 14:22 of the second period during a scrum in the Jets end. The combatants came together, Chiarot levelled the butt-end and Perry was left with a big gash on his chin that reportedly required 20 stitches. There was no penalty on Chiarot, but Winnipeg centre Mark Scheifele drew a roughing penalty after other players joined the melee. Perry has been a thorn in Winnipeg's side for years, not just for the points he picks up. Last season, he caught Mathieu Perreault with a slash to the hand and broke his finger, causing the productive forward to miss three games. There was no penalty on the play and no supplemental punishment doled out by the league. The Jets are in San Jose to battle the Sharks tonight at 9 p.m. CT. Winnipeg (14-5-3), second in the Western Conference and tied for third in the NHL, is 2-1 on the road trip after opening with a loss to the Nashville Predators but bouncing back with wins against the Los Angeles Kings and Ducks. Head coach Paul Maurice has elected to go with goalie Steve Mason, whose terrific 38-save effort in L.A. helped solidify a 2-1 Wednesday. He could just as soon flip a coin on his choice of netminders. After a so-so performance in a 5-3 loss to Nashville, Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 30 shots in impressive fashion as the Jets dumped the Ducks 4-1 Friday. Winnipeg hasn't let the sting of defeat carry over, losing back-to-back games in regulation time only — and those were games 1 and 2 of the season. The club did lose consecutive road games in overtime but at least secured points. "I'd like to think for (the goalies) we give them a better chance to have that redemption game, so when they have an off-night it's usually the same time we feel our whole team did. Then, everybody needs to be a little bit better, and the guys in front of them have been and the goalies have been as well," said Maurice, following Friday's triumph. The Jets are 7-3-2 away from Bell MTS Place. "It's really important to win on the road. It's the best place to win because you can put them on the bus and then you put them on a plane and they get to go to a hotel and they can spend all that time enjoying it together," said Maurice. "These (are important) road wins in tough buildings — and we look at this is a very physically difficult stretch of hockey for us." The club returns home to face Central Division foes, the Minnesota Wild, on Monday night.

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 11.26.2017 1085285 Winnipeg Jets to figure it out ourselves, because you don’t want to mess up the chemistry of the other lines when we’re winning and when the other lines are doing well. Chiarot avoids suspension…Little line figuring it out…Jets healthy Each member of the line has expressed frustration over the course of the scratches try to stay sharp past few weeks, but they also appreciated the fact Maurice had chosen to stick with them. Ken Wiebe “It’s not good for the players if the coach is switching the lines all of the time. Our coach has been really patient with the lines and he’s going to November 26, 2017 12:46 AM CST give us time because he knows what we can do as a line,” said Laine. “When I think about chemistry, you need to practice with the same guys and it kind of builds itself. For our line, we’re just trying to make some difficult plays. For me, I need to do my job and (Ehlers) and (Little) will do SAN JOSE – Ben Chiarot has been fined by the NHL department of the same. At certain times, we need to be more selfish and shoot the player safety, but wasn’t suspended for catching Anaheim Ducks forward puck more.” Corey Perry with a butt end to the chin late in the second period of Friday’s 4-1 victory for the Winnipeg Jets. Maurice’s patience was rewarded in a big way on Friday afternoon, when the line erupted for three goals and seven points in a 4-1 victory over the Chiarot received a fine of $3,763.44, which is the maximum amount Anaheim Ducks. allowed under the terms of the NHL collective bargaining agreement. “Hopefully, this kicks us into gear,” said Little. “For this to work as a line, While the two players engaged in a battle, the Jets defenceman all of us have to be playing well for it to work. If we’re all going like (they connected with a punch to the face of Perry with his gloved hand, but were on Friday), we should be good.” video showed the butt end was sticking out slightly and made contact as well. When asked about consideration being given to breaking up the duo of Laine and Ehlers even temporarily, Maurice said the thought had crossed It’s important to note that while the action could be viewed as somewhat his mind, but there were extenuating factors to consider as well. reckless, it wasn’t deliberate, since Chiarot didn’t extend the butt end of the stick before delivering the punch. “Splitting them up is an option. The idea of splitting them up is easy, putting them in a place where they can excel is a little more challenging. “It was just a scrum in front of the net and I was getting my hands up to We’re going to give them some time,” Maurice said earlier in the road protect myself,” Chiarot said following Saturday’s 4-0 loss to the San trip. “I like the way Kyle Connor has played with (Mark Scheifele) and Jose Sharks. “I know he caught a butt end in the chin. But when guys are (Blake) Wheeler and I don’t want to break up something that has been getting their hands up, there are going to be sticks flying around. That’s really good. I’ve also seen (Ehlers), (Laine) and (Little) play really well, so going to happen, guys are going to get clipped by sticks.” I know it’s there.” Chiarot was not given a penalty on the play, though Jets centre Mark Maurice was adamant following Saturday’s game that the line juggling Scheifele was sent to the box for roughing after joining the scrum late. was a temporary fix and that he remains happy with how his lines are Perry was incensed about the incident and required 20 stitches to seal rolling right now. the wound left by Chiarot. “It wasn’t to shake everything up because you didn’t like it,” said Maurice. George Parros, who is the senior vice president of the NHL department “We’ve been a good team with the lines the way they are. There just of player safety, was in attendance for the game at Honda Center on wasn’t a lot of connection between the forwards, I thought. We didn’t Saturday. connect, so sometimes you’re just looking for a change.” Chiarot waited patiently for the NHL to make its ruling. With the Jets forward lines settled for the time being, it’s a matter of being patient and staying ready for Marko Dano and Shawn Matthias. “It was possible,” said Chiarot, when asked if he was nervous about the potential of a suspension. “There was no real intent on my part to jab him Dano sat out as a healthy scratch for a 14th consecutive game on with the butt end of my stick. I knew that and I’m pretty sure everybody Saturday and has been limited to six games and has no points this else knew that. I was pretty confident it would just be a fine.” season. Perry is known to play on and over the edge and is no stranger to Matthias, who has two assists in 17 games, has sat out six games in a incidents like this one, though he’s often been the one using his stick as row since Perreault returned from injury. a weapon. On defence, Tucker Poolman has sat out the past four games since Just last season, Perry’s slash caused Jets forward Mathieu Perreault to being recalled from the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey suffer a broken thumb and he missed three games because of it. League. Perry didn’t receive a penalty on the play, nor did he receive a fine or suspension. Winnipeg Sun LOADED 11.26.2017 Jets centre Bryan Little was just as confused as you were. When asked for his thoughts on the early struggles for his line with Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers, the Winnipeg Jets veteran centre admits he was often left scratching his head when searching for a solution. Things weren’t coming easily – especially during five-on-five play – even though the line looked like it could do a lot of damage together, at least on paper. “There have been points so far during the year where we’ve all been frustrated as a line,” said Little. “We’ve had some talks about it.” Eventually, those talks led to action. Jets head coach Paul Maurice has been known in the past to get out the blender and shake up his lines when things aren’t clicking. But he’s mostly resisted that urge this season, choosing instead to stick mostly with a standard group of four units, health permitting, of course. Since bumping the recalled Kyle Connor to the top line early in the second period of a game on Oct. 16 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Maurice has mostly kept Little between Laine and Ehlers, though though the blender was out in Saturday’s 4-0 loss to the Sharks. “One of the reasons (Maurice) stuck with us was that the other lines were playing so well,” said Little. “He was leaning on us to play better and try 1085286 Winnipeg Jets

That's fine with us

Glen Dawkins November 25, 2017 9:22 PM CST

Ben Chiarot isn’t asking for any help and he’s not likely to get any money raised. But a Winnipeg Jets fan figures it’s the thought that counts. “Often when something like this happens and there’s a fine (for doing something) against a player like Corey Perry or (Boston Bruins forward) Brad Marchand or other players in the league who have a reputation, you see fans say ‘I’d gladly chip in to pay off the guy’s fine,’ ” said Jets’ fan Kyle Klatt, who has set up a gofundme page to raise money towards the Jets defenceman’s $3,763 fine for butt-ending Perry during Friday’s 4-1 victory in Anaheim. “Realistically, I don’t see how I’m going to be able to collect that money and give it to Ben Chiarot. So I thought why not use that as a way of people showing their support for Ben Chiarot and put money towards a worthwhile cause at this time of year.” Klatt plans to donate whatever money raised to the Christmas Cheer Board. “I’d like to do it in Ben Chiarot’s name but I don’t know if I can,” said the 43-year-old Winnipegger, who was a fan of the original Jets and then fell in love again when the NHL returned to Winnipeg. “I don’t know how that works but they’re going to get the money either way.” Chiarot was fined after catching Perry with a butt end to the chin late in the second period of Friday’s game. Chiarot was not penalized on the play although Perry needed 20 stitches to sew up the cut on his chin. Perry is no stranger to stick work himself. Last season, his slash caused Jets forward Mathieu Perreault to suffer a broken thumb and he missed three games because of it. “The whole thing started because he went and cross-checked Chiarot in the back for no apparent reason,” said Klatt. “It’s hard to feel sorry for the guy. I’ll put it that way.”

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 11.26.2017 1085287 Winnipeg Jets

Chiarot fined, avoids suspension

Glen Dawkins November 25, 2017 12:56 PM CST

SAN JOSE – Ben Chiarot has been fined $3,763.44 by the NHL department of player safety, but he won’t be suspended for catching Anaheim Ducks forward Corey Perry with a butt end to the chin late in the second period of Friday’s 4-1 victory for the Winnipeg Jets. The fine is the maximum allowed under the terms of the NHL collective bargaining agreement. While the two players engaged in a battle, the Jets defenceman connected with a punch to the face of Perry with his gloved hand, but video showed the butt end was sticking out slightly. It’s important to note that while the action was careless, it wasn’t deliberate, since Chiarot didn’t extend the butt end of the stick before he extended his arm for the punch. Chiarot was not given a penalty on the play, though Jets centre Mark Scheifele was sent to the box for roughing after joining the scrum late. Perry was incensed and needed 20 stitches sew up the open wound. George Parros, who is the head of the department of player safety, was in attendance for the game at Honda Center on Saturday. Perry is known to play on and over the edge and is no stranger to incidents like this one, though he’s often been the one using his stick as a weapon. Just last season, Perry’s slash caused Jets forward Mathieu Perreault to suffer a broken pinkie and he missed three games because of it. Perry didn’t receive a penalty on the play, nor did he receive a fine or suspension. The Jets have won 10 of the past 13 games (10-2-0-1) and close out a four-game road trip on Saturday night against the San Jose Sharks. Steve Mason gets the call in goal for the Jets, while the Sharks are expected to counter with Martin Jones. Although the Jets didn’t hold a morning skate because they played on Friday afternoon, here’s how both teams are expected to start on Saturday:

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 11.26.2017 1085288 Winnipeg Jets

Five keys to Jets vs Sharks

Ken Wiebe November 24, 2017 6:43 PM CST

It’s surprising to see both Dustin Byfuglien (33) and Sharks defenceman Brent Burns go into Saturday’s game with zero combined goals. They remain key cogs for their respective teams – averaging around 25 minutes of ice time per game – and could break out offensively at any time.Brian Donogh / Brian Donogh/Winnipeg Sun/QMI Agency Jets wrap up a four-game road trip by taking on the San Jose Sharks. THE BIG MATCHUP Dustin Byfuglien vs Brent Burns As two of the highest-scoring blue-liners during the past several seasons, it’s surprising to see both Byfuglien and Burns go into Saturday’s game with zero combined goals. They remain key cogs for their respective teams – averaging around 25 minutes of ice time per game – and could break out offensively at any time. Keys to the game During his past three starts – and four appearances – Jets goalie Steve Mason has given up only four goals and dramatically improved his numbers after two tough outings to start the campaign. He’s won consecutive starts, lowering his goals-against average to 3.31 and raising his save % to .907. Mason is playing with a lot of confidence and his game is trending upward. The Jets second line of Bryan Little (one goal, two assists), Nikolaj Ehlers (two goals, one assist) and Patrik Laine (one assist) combined for three goals and seven points on Friday. While two of those goals came with the man-advantage, it was an important development for the trio as they’ve been pushing to produce more offensively. It’s been a slow offensive start for Joe Thornton (three goals, 11 points in 20 games) and Joe Pavelski (four goals, nine points in 20 games), but the duo has been dangerous against the Jets in the past, combining for 19 goals and 53 points in 60 combined games during their respective careers. They could be due to breakout at any time. Special teams are often a determining factor in NHL games and Saturday’s match-up features the Jets’ fifth-ranked power play and the NHL’s top-ranked penalty-killing unit of the Sharks. Do these two groups cancel each other out or propel their team to victory? After being limited to 11 games last season because of injury, Jets defenceman Tyler Myers has found his offensive groove. By chipping in two more assists on Friday, Myers is up to 11 points in 22 games, with one goal and six points coming during his past six games. He’s stabilized the third pairing and has an expanded role on special teams.

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 11.26.2017 1085289 Vancouver Canucks Cory Schneider grew as a player and a person while playing with the Sedins.

The New Jersey Devils’ goaltender beat his former club Friday, but he Kuzma: Legendary stage awaits Daniel Sedin's 1000 points plateau pitch beat a path to the locker-room to reunite with the Sedins. In his 108 crease appearances with the Canucks, Schneider saw firsthand how they inspired him to be better. He saw how they led by example, how they Ben Kuzma powered the Canucks to President’s Trophy titles in 2011 and 2012 and how they came within one game of a victory in a Stanley Cup Final November 25, 2017 2:52 PM PST series. That’s why Schneider wanted Daniel to understand the adulation he’s going to receive as soon as Sunday. It’s going to be about the points, but NEW YORK — They know this is no longer their team. But it’s their also about the person. Daniel and Henrik are there to take the post-game moment. heat after a loss and allow others to bask in the glory of a win. It’s fitting that on the greatest stage in professional sports, Daniel and You can’t talk about one without talking about the other. Henrik Sedin could combine to reach a significant plateau in a Sunday matinee at Madison Square Garden. “It’s a huge milestone for Danny,” said Schneider. “When you look back at the last 20 years of Canucks’ hockey, it’s the twins. That kind of And as much as Daniel has refused to dwell upon or even discuss consistency and the way you represent your organization means a lot. creeping closer to 1,000 career National Hockey League points — his goal and assist Friday in New Jersey placed the reluctant star at 998 and “For me, they’re Hall of Famers for sure. Hank has an MVP and Danny in the spotlight — his brother knows the significance if the winger should have won one. I know the Hall of Fame doesn’t look at the person becomes the 87th player in league history to fashion the feat. when they look at your numbers, but they’re two of the best that I ever played with in this game. And I think that’s pretty unanimous around the Imagine if the twins produce power-play magic? Imagine Daniel getting a league.” helper and then scoring off a blind backhand feed from Henrik to beat Henrik Lundqvist? Sweet Sedinery. That’s true. Daniel Sedin’s passion for playing has helped pile up the career points. However, the Sedins purposely released a Player’s Tribune piece the day before the 2017 training camp. They wanted to get ahead of Difficult to imagine the Swedish stopper wouldn’t give his countryman a speculation that they might be trade bait or not embrace lesser roles. celebratory tap on the pads — much like Roberto Luongo did when Henrik hit the plateau last Jan. 20 at Rogers Arena. The love letter to Vancouver and the Canucks’ organization read like a long goodbye citing career highs and lows, gaffes and laughs, but without And you’d like to think New York Rangers’ coach and former Canucks’ the microphone drop to announce a career exit date. bench boss Alain Vigneault would allow himself a moment to make eye contact with Daniel and applaud the accomplishment. They will leave when it suits everybody. Even those raucous Ranger fans, who still chant “Potvin sucks” before “They’re not selfish,” added Schneider. “They’re always looking out for every game, would recognize the moment and rise as one. It’s why what’s best for the team and the organization and everyone else. If Henrik talked of anticipation and Daniel talked of trepidation. they’re not on a top line, then to them it’s: ‘Don’t play us like top-line guys.’ But they’re still effective. They’re still dangerous. “It’s exciting,” said the Vancouver Canucks’ captain. “When it happened to me, I didn’t realize how big a thing it was for myself until it happened. “And having them around from a culture standpoint in how hard they I’m sure it’s going to be the same thing for him. work and how they go about their business, young guys like (Brock) Boeser and (Bo) Horvat can see two of the best to ever play the game do “He never talks about it or thinks about it and maybe not until today their thing.” (Friday). But two points away. When it happens, it’s going to be fun for him.” The irony is that a revamped and rejuvenated power play could be the Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.26.2017 catalyst to make all this play out like a great Broadway drama. After all, the 37-year-old Sedins are support players in the final year of their identical four-year, US$28 million contract extensions and face an uncertain playing future. Nine Canuck forwards are averaging more minutes per game than Daniel (14:02) and Henrik (14:04) and maybe that’s why Daniel hasn’t been doing the wave of joy while approaching 1,000 points. He’s competitive and proud. He’s articulate and accountable. He prefers to lead rather than follow. “I told you guys before — if it happens, it happens,” stressed Daniel. “This year is obviously different with our roles on the team and it (1,000 points) can happen next game or it can happen in six games. I’ll take it when it happens.” Read between those lines. Regardless of what the Sedins have said about embracing the franchise roster transition and accepting less responsibility, they’re not wired that way. The mind might be more willing than the body on some nights, but the passion has never eroded. First-year Canucks coach Travis Green learned that in a hurry. He challenged them to be better in the summer and not only was their fitness off the charts at camp, they bought into where the club needed to go, even though it would mean less prominence. “I expected them to be everything they have been,” Green said of his considerable ask of the twins. “They’re Hall of Fame players and Hall of Fame people.” If you need a reminder of everything that led to this — the Sedins’ skating, tenacity and toughness were often questioned and they became the brunt of cruel jokes and name-calling — Cory Schneider offers some telling perspective. 1085290 Vancouver Canucks

Canucks' Game Day: Midday clash with Rangers on Sunday at MSG

Jason Botchford November 25, 2017 8:00 PM PST

Head coach Alain Vigneault of the New York Rangers â” remember him Canuck fans? â” will be behind the bench Sunday at Madison Square Garden looking to beat his old team. It’s striking that Vigneault is the third longest-tenured head coach in the NHL. He joined the New York Rangers following an extended run in Vancouver. AV’s time in Vancouver coincided with the most historic run for the team that culminated in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final loss. Vigneault’s job seemed to be in trouble early, but the Rangers have since turned things around. Anders Nilsson has played well for the Vancouver Canucks and will be called upon to come up big in the Big Apple on Sunday. Five keys to the game 1. Goaltending: The Canucks presumed No. 1 goalie Jacob Markstrom was fine against the New Jersey Devils on Friday. He was not fine enough to win the game. He was beat for three goals and it was the fifth time in seven games his save percentage was below .900. This one feels like an Anders Nilsson start, the Canucks’ backup who hasn’t yet been given a chance to get a few consecutive starts. 2. Brock Boeser: Vancouver’s offence already leans heavily on the impressive rookie. He was kept in control by the New Jersey Devils Friday, the first game in five he didn’t score. The Devils paid a lot of attention to Boeser. They shadowed him at times when he didn’t have the puck and Taylor Hall levelled him with a massive hit. Things will only get tougher for Boeser as his story grows this season. 3. The Ryan McDonagh absence: How are the Rangers surviving without McDonagh? New York’s captain will continue to be out for Sunday’s matinee against the Canucks. In Friday’s 2-1 win against Detroit, the Rangers top minute-eater on defence was Brady Skjei. Brendan Smith has been serviceable and the Rangers have been playing him on his offside after a big off-season contract. 4. The Canucks’ power play: It continued its hot streak in New Jersey scoring for the eighth time in six games, since the team moved Boeser and Bo Horvat to the unit with the Sedins. Boeser has been getting all the attention but it was Horvat who scored Friday showing some soft hands in a tight space in front of goalie Cory Schneider. Also encouraging for the Canucks, the second unit has been getting chances. 5. Canucks may not have a matchup line: One of the most significant changes coach Travis Green has made in terms of in-game strategizing in Vancouver is his use of a shutdown line. He has leaned heavily on centre Brandon Sutter to counter top lines from the opposition. But Sutter didn’t finish Friday’s game with an injury and Green is already without Derek Dorsett who flew home to have numbness in his neck checked out.

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085291 Websites Midway through the second frame, a jet-powered Jakub Vrana breezed by Nikita Zaitsev, Toronto’s last man back, hunted down a puck chipped down-ice by Oshie and beat McElhinney on a breakaway to extend Sportsnet.ca / Extra-motivated Alex Ovechkin inspires Capitals to victory Washington’s lead to 3-zip. “[Vrana] has got so much talent, so much strength, and when he’s going, he’s hard to stop,” Oshie said of his rookie linemate. “Zaitsev is not a bad Luke Fox skater.” @lukefoxjukebox If it all felt over, you don’t know Leafs games. November 25, 2017, 10:06 PM Toronto awoke in the third period with a pair of goals from their blue line, Jake Gardiner and Zaitsev, pressuring Washington, pulling McElhinney and keeping the crowd on its collective seat-edge the rest of the ride. TORONTO – “If I score tonight, it will be for you.” The Leafs dominated zone time from starter’s pistol to the finish line, but the game-breaker was wearing red and white. That was Alex Ovechkin’s promise to 13-year-old Alex Luey, a cancer survivor, hockey player, and special guest of the Washington Capitals Guess who scored the empty-netter to complete the hat trick? Saturday night at Air Canada Centre. Yep, it was a fine night to be named Alex. Tearing a page from the Babe Ruth playbook before tearing his way through the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ovechkin authored the kind of Alex just gave Alex his gloves from the game. Hollywood story young Luey will remember forever, leading the Capitals to a 4-2 victory and extending their win streak to three. “It’s incredible what he did for me, what he did for the team,” said Luey, sitting next to his hero on the dressing room bench to share in the post- Leuy plays youth hockey for the Niagara Falls Flyers. He was diagnosed game interviews. “It’s just… awesome.” with osteosarcoma, the now-curable form of bone cancer that took Terry Fox from us. Luey underwent rotationplasty and had a portion of his right Ovechkin draped his Hockey Night in Canada towel over his admirer’s leg amputated so he could keep playing the sport he loves. Since being shoulders. Ovie signed the helmet, stick and gloves he used to set the equipped with a prosthetic, little Alex has returned to the ice. franchise record for hat tricks (20) and handed them all to Luey. He chatted and posed for pictures with the family. The Capitals awarded Inspired by Luey’s courage, Ovechkin invited Luey, an Ovie superfan, to Luey their Player of the Game helmet. this game a month ago on Hometown Hockey. Underneath his Caps cap, the kid broke down in tears. Little did he know the invite was just the “He lights up when he gets that opportunity to share a bit of Alex beginning. Ovechkin with a kid. There’s a kid inside of Alex with the way he celebrates goals. There’s a bond, and he’s got a big heart,” Trotz said. Prior to puck drop, Washington coach Barry Trotz escorted Luey, draped in a red No. 8 sweater, into the visitors’ dressing room to announce the “In our business sometimes we take ourselves way too seriously. These starting lineup. are priceless moments for a young man that you don’t always get.” “I give Alex [Luey] all the credit for the win. He got the guys pumped up before the game,” said Capitals coach Barry Trotz. “He brought it. I Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.26.2017 usually call out the lineup, and he changed it. He had all their positions and had some add-ons to it.” Ovechkin chatted with Luey during warm-ups and dedicated a goal that had yet to exist. With both Toronto and Washington a tad ragged after traveling to the city late Friday night after their respective victories, the Leafs returned from their mini road trip vowing a more aggressive start and a simplified pucks-on-net approach. They were tired of getting outshot. To that end, the Leafs delivered, controlling the possession battle (56-43 in attempts and 29-21 shots on net) and pressuring their visitors with frenzied action around Brayden Holtby’s crease. Mitchell Marner drew an early hooking penalty from Devante Smith-Pelly by charging to the net, but a suddenly chilly Leafs power play failed to make good. Then karma and fate conspired to touch Hockey Fights Cancer Night. As Leafs Nation began booing Ovechkin, their playoff nemesis seven months ago, in the first period, he gathered the puck at his own blue line, darted through the neutral zone, then wristed one past Curtis McElhinney low-blocker off the rush, using defenceman Morgan Rielly as a screen. “Sometimes, you’re just feeling it,” said Ovechkin, smiling. “Back to 19 years old. Flying, make a move, a shot… sometimes you feel great.” In celebration of his 574th goal — a wonderful solo effort that hopped him over no less than Hall of Famer Mike Bossy to rank 21st on the NHL’s all- time goals list — Ovechkin pointed up to Luey and his family in the stands. The kid told the hockey star where he’s be sitting. “It’s history,” Ovechkin said. With 55 seconds remaining in the first, Ron Hainsey committed a puck- over-glass penalty, and Ovechkin blasted a slap shot right through McElhinney on the ensuing face-off. “He touched it twice and shot it in the net twice,” said Leafs coach Mike Babcock. Two for Luey. “When Big 8’s going, he pulls the team with him,” T.J. Oshie beamed. “It wasn’t only all the goals. He was working, he was fore-checking, he was hitting. When he does all that, there’s not many guys in the world that can keep up.” 1085292 Websites Price has proven throughout his career that he can be exactly that. It’s the reason he was signed by the Canadiens in July to an eight-year, $84 million contract extension that kicks in at the beginning of next season. Sportsnet.ca / Price’s return a gigantic step in the right direction for But on too many nights this season, Price hasn’t been up to the Canadiens challenge. The good news is, Saturday night wasn’t one of them. Eric Engels “The way he plays, his style, it’s just his composure,” said Gallagher, November 25, 2017, 11:54 PM about what can make Price intimidating to face. “When he’s doing that for us, obviously it’s frustrating for the opposing team.”

If Price can stand up to the task physically—it’s a big question at this MONTREAL—Let’s save the hyperbolic proclamations for when Carey point, given his recent injury history of missing time in five of the last six Price has strung a number of wins together and pushed the Montreal seasons and for as many as 70 games in 2015-16—he gives the Canadiens that much closer to a playoff spot. One great game—a 3-0, Canadiens hope they wouldn’t otherwise have. 36-save shutout over the 29th-place Buffalo Sabres, who were playing for the second time in 24 hours—isn’t exactly a large enough sample to It appeared to be all but lost with the way Price started this season—and reasonably suggest he’s back on top of the goaltending world. with the uncertainty surrounding when he might return from his latest injury. But Saturday’s game could be the start of something different. But, we have no problem saying Price’s first-star performance on Saturday night—in his first game after a lower-body injury kept him out of “I was well-prepared for this game,” said Price, who admitted he felt good Montreal’s lineup for three weeks—was one gigantic step in the right right from the start of it. “Now it’s on to the next one.” direction. It’s not so much that Price made 36 saves; it’s how he made most of Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.26.2017 them. When he’s on his game, the puck typically hits him square in the chest. He may as well have had a dent in the Canadiens’ logo after this game. “When you watch him play, that’s the Carey Price that we’ve seen here,” said Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher. “I’ve been in the league since he’s been in the league, and it’s the same Carey Price night after night. I think you just look at how composed he is, how he never really looks panicky at any time, [how] he’s always square to the puck.” And when Price wasn’t in perfect position to make a save, he battled to make the ones that get the fans out of their seats. Price made more than a couple of those against Jack Eichel. Buffalo’s most talented forward fired eight shots on net and set up several quality looks for his linemates Evander Kane and Jason Pominville. Price made two fantastic saves on Kyle Okposo, as well. But none were better than the two Price made on Johan Larsson, while the Canadiens were clinging to a 1-0 lead in the second period. Just over six minutes into the frame Larsson found himself all alone with the puck and was stymied by Price’s left pad, and then the rebound came right back to him and it was déjà vu. It was impressive. The thing is, we haven’t seen this type of performance from Price since the first game of the season, which ended as a 3-2 shootout win for the Canadiens in Buffalo. And when we last saw him, after he injured himself in warmups on Nov. 2 in Minnesota, he was unrecognizable—flopping around his crease like a fish out water, unsure of his positioning, and struggling considerably to track the puck. There were two instances on Saturday, when Price overcommitted to a shot or slid a little further than he should have. Big whoop. Most reasonable people wouldn’t expect perfection from anyone after a three-week absence, and they certainly wouldn’t expect it from a guy who had gathered only three wins in his first 11 starts and posted the worst statistics of any starting goaltender in the NHL in the process. But some Canadiens fans—like any other passionate sports fans—can be unreasonable. They showed it when they mock-cheered Price on home ice, while his team was in the process of losing 4-0 to the Los Angeles Kings on Dec. 28. “I think this city, this town, expects to win and it doesn’t matter who you are; they hold you accountable to that standard,” said Paul Byron, who scored a shorthanded goal 8:27 into the third period and was asked afterwards about the polarity of the fans, who on this night chanted Price’s name before, during and after the game. “Any time you put on that logo, that jersey, you know that there’s a team that’s won 24 cups before you. Every night our team knows the fans expect our team to win hockey games,” Byron added. And every night, Price is expected to be the difference. Especially on a team that currently ranks 29th in the league in the goals for category; one that couldn’t find the back of an empty net for the final five minutes of Saturday’s hockey game. 1085293 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / William Nylander slump could save Maple Leafs money in the long term

Mike Johnston @MikeyJ_MMA November 25, 2017, 11:39 PM

William Nylander has just one goal in the past 17 games and his current slump may impact how the Toronto Maple Leafs proceed with contract negotiations. The young Swede is a pending restricted free agent and while at one point early in the season it appeared the eighth-overall pick from 2014 was a lock to earn a long-term extension—he had nine points in his first eight games of the season—Nylander’s second NHL contract might now end up being some type of bridge deal instead. Nylander’s recent cold streak has been “creating some issues in the near term for Mike Babcock, but in the longer term for the Toronto Maple Leafs this might end up not being the worst thing in the world,” Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston said Saturday during the Headlines segment on Hockey Night in Canada. The Maple Leafs had the opportunity to sign Nylander to a long-term deal following his 2016-17 rookie campaign in which he scored 22 goals and 61 points in 81 games yet general manager decided to wait. “It just shows you in the platform season how important your performance is to what that second deal looks like and obviously in William Nylander’s case if this (slump) continues he’s looking at a much lower deal in terms of money and potentially not the long-term deal he had coveted,” Johnston explained. The Maple Leafs are currently operating at the salary cap limit but could free up some cash by July 1 depending on what management decides to do with James van Riemsdyk ($4.25-million AAV), Tyler Bozak ($4.2- million AAV), Leo Komarov ($2.95-million AAV), Roman Polak ($1.1- million AAV) and Dominic Moore ($1-million AAV), all of whom are pending unrestricted free agents. July 1, 2018 will also be when Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner both become eligible to sign contract extensions. Matthews will presumably earn a long-term deal reminiscent of the eight-year, $100-million extension Edmonton Oilers centre Connor McDavid signed this past July, while Marner could be in a similar position as Nylander.

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Sportsnet.ca / Oilers’ Nugent-Hopkins garnering some trade interest around NHL

Mike Johnston @MikeyJ_MMA November 25, 2017, 10:07 PM

The Edmonton Oilers were getting Stanley Cup contender buzz prior to the season yet more than a quarter the way through the year the team finds itself near the bottom of the NHL standings. If the Oilers continue to struggle and management contemplates making a trade to shake things up, centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is a name that could come up. “There was some talk of the Boston Bruins kicking tires,” Nick Kypreos said during the Headlines segment on Hockey Night in Canada Saturday night. “There’s also a lot of talk the Florida Panthers are looking for a top- six player.” Nugent-Hopkins is coming off two rather mundane seasons, but in 23 games this year is second on the team in goals with eight and is tied for second in points with 17. The 24-year-old, whom the Oilers selected first overall in 2011, has three more years remaining on his contract. “The problem is, of course, is his salary is still very high at $6 million,” Kypreos added. “But it’s a nice problem for the Oilers to have—that Nugent-Hopkins all of a sudden is making other people around the league notice him.” Elliotte Friedman also said if the Oilers decided to sell off some assets that winger Patrick Maroon would likely garner a lot of interest from teams, including the St. Louis Blues. The Oilers have lost four of five, including a disappointing effort against the Buffalo Sabres Friday night, and look to gain back some momentum Sunday when they visit the Bruins.

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Sportsnet.ca / Jarome Iginla to begin skating; Spengler Cup remains an option

Josh Beneteau November 25, 2017, 10:03 PM

The door is still open for Jarome Iginla to return to the ice as a member of Team Canada this winter. The 40-year-old future Hall of Famer remains an unrestricted free agent in the NHL. But after having a minor hip surgery, Iginla is speaking to about playing a role with them in upcoming tournaments. “(Iginla) had conversations with Team Canada this week,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported during Saturday Headlines on Hockey Night in Canada. “He’s going to begin skating in a week or two and I think Team Canada has re-extended the invitation, if he wants to play in the Spengler Cup before the Olympics, there will be a spot for him.” Iginla hasn’t played since early April with the Los Angeles Kings. It has been reported in recent weeks that the 20-year NHL veteran was still hoping join a team, even if it was on a tryout contract. “We all know that the NHL teams out there use the American Thanksgiving as a bit of a gauge to reassess their team,” Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos said on Nov. 11. “He’s hoping at that point that there will be enough interest where at least he can find a team that perhaps he might even skate with and be in a situation, much like others have, with a PTO—player tryout—and wait for his opportunity to sign.” Hockey Canada president Tom Renny earlier this month said that if Iginla wants to play in the Olympics, which he is only eligible to do if he doesn’t sign with an NHL team, he needs to begin skating. Saturday’s report from Freidman indicates Iginla is taking that challenge seriously. The 2017 edition of the Spengler Cup will run from Dec. 26-31, giving Iginla one month to get up to game speed. The tournament is once again being hosted by the Swiss club HC Davos and will also feature Team Canada, HPK Hämeenlinna from Finland, Mountfield HK from the Czech Republic, Dinamo Riga of the KHL and ’s national team. Canada has won the past two tournaments.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085296 Websites the young guys go, you’ve got to become more of a secondary-scoring guy, which I’m completely fine with.

"Would I like to be playing at the 16-minute mark on average? Sure, but Sportsnet.ca / Vanek having bigger impact than expected for Canucks every player wants to play more. I think I’ve learned to not worry about it and the shifts I do get, be productive. Is it harder to score? For sure it is. The chances you get are less than when you’re playing 17 or 18 minutes, Iain MacIntyre but you just have to make the most of it." @imacSportsnet Vanek spoke with Green in July, weeks before he decided where to play, and says he knew the Canucks would be better than most people November 25, 2017, 5:25 PM predicted. He says bouncing between teams has been difficult on his family – his eldest child is 10 – and knows that he could be traded again if Benning NEW YORK – There is far more to Thomas Vanek than we expected. decides to leverage moveable assets at the deadline. Even his passport is more complex and impressive than we knew. But Vanek is having fun with the Canucks and still feels he can Sure, Vanek was born in Vienna and is considered by far the greatest contribute, which he is proving. player in Austrian hockey history. "I don’t feel like I’m just hanging on to playing," he says. "At this point in But his family and hockey roots are from the Czech Republic, where his my career, I’m not playing for money anymore. I want to win. I want to father, Zdenek, played professionally. And Vanek’s most important minor have success. As far as the future, I’m just really having fun with this year hockey season was spent in Lacombe, Alta., outside of Red Deer, where and trying to do my best. And whatever happens next summer, I’ll look a Canadian hockey friend of his dad knew a family that would take him at into that." age 14 so he could learn the game in Canada.

At 15, Vanek moved to Sioux Falls, S.D., to play in the United States Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.26.2017 Hockey League, and three years later the winger became a fifth-overall draft pick out of the University of Minnesota by the Buffalo Sabres. And Minnesota is where Vanek, his wife Ashley and their three boys have a home. "I wanted to play hockey in Canada," Vanek, 33, says. "My parents supported me and said: ‘Go try it, and if it doesn’t work out, you can come home in two days, two weeks, it doesn’t matter.’ The hardest part for me is I love to talk and joke around and, at 14, I really didn’t know any English. But the family I stayed with had a son my age and a younger daughter. He became my best friend, and his friends became my friends. I still keep in touch with them, see them when we play in Edmonton or Calgary. "My dream coming from Austria was to play in the NHL and win a Stanley Cup, and I’m still chasing the Cup." Oddly, Vanek figured he might yet achieve that by signing a free-agent contract with the Vancouver Canucks on Sept. 1. The Canucks became Vanek’s seventh NHL team in less than four years, so the former 40-goal scorer seemed more red flag than red light when general manager Jim Benning tossed him a one-year, $2-million contract at the end of the summer. Apart from the screeching it caused on social media that the Canucks were depriving a younger player of development time by adding a veteran near the end of his career, Vanek had disappointed some of the teams he’d played for. The Minnesota Wild bought out the final season of a three-year, $19.5- million contract it gave Vanek in 2014, which allowed him to sign before last season with the Detroit Red Wings, who dealt him at the trade deadline to the Florida Panthers. He scored twice in 20 games in South Florida. Vanek has played 908 games in the NHL and grossed $75 million, but has never been to a Stanley Cup Final. So there was, naturally, a wariness regarding Vanek when the Canucks signed him. What could he really offer a rebuilding team during the downslope of his career? Well, for starters, five goals and 15 points through 23 games. Only rookie Brock Boeser has been more productive for the Canucks in terms of points per minute. Playing on the third or fourth line, Vanek is averaging only 13:18 of ice time, which ranks 12th among Vancouver forwards who have played at least five games. But beyond his scoring, Vanek has looked fully engaged, displaying guile and tradecraft, and leading by example by playing hard without complaint each night even when his low ice time makes little sense. (Checking forward Brendan Gaunce has gone 82 games without a goal, yet is getting 14:14 a night from coach Travis Green). Vanek is strong on the puck, his playmaking is better than expected, and his robust work in front of the net has helped the power play. "My game has grown into something a little bit different than it used to be," Vanek says. "I used to be more of a scorer that played with good players, who tried to set me up. But over the years, as teams kind of let 1085297 Websites comeback gives us an opportunity to shift the narrative around this team yet again. Price’s play will let us know which direction to head in.

Yes, it’s still early to be talking about potential playoff matchups. But it’s Sportsnet.ca / Down Goes Brown Saturday Storylines: Can Price return hard to look at tonight’s Penguins/Lightning game and not start thinking save Canadiens? ahead to May. Because man, would that ever be a fun Eastern Conference final. Sean McIndoe That’s not even speculation — we’ve seen this matchup once before, back in 2016, and it was a classic. The two teams went seven games @DownGoesBrown back then, with the Lightning coughing up a 3–2 series lead to squander a chance to get back to the Stanley Cup final for a second straight year. November 25, 2017, 10:27 AM Instead, the Penguins punched their ticket through and ended up winning the first of two straight Cups (and counting), while the Lightning haven’t

been back to the playoffs since. It’s a bit of a weird weekend this time around, with the NHL taking U.S. A rematch would be fantastic, especially with the way this year’s Thanksgiving off on Thursday and then jamming the schedule with 14 Lightning are rolling. Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos may have games last night, the busiest Friday of the year. That means just about passed Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin as the league’s most feared everyone will be playing tired tonight, and the combination of fatigue and pair of forwards. With Victor Hedman having his typical Norris-worthy backup goalies could lead to some high-scoring games. season and Andrei Vasilevskiy looking good in his first year as the Heading into the season, this wouldn’t have been a game you circled as unquestioned starter, the Lightning are the clear favourite to come out of a potential matchup of the night. And sure, there are other matchups an uneven Atlantic. around the league that feature more star power or better teams. But this The Penguins aren’t quite holding up their end of the dream-matchup one is intriguing partly because it features two teams we haven’t quite bargain, struggling to get into high gear through the early goings. But figured out yet. they’re still lurking in the hunt for top spot in the Metro, and if anybody’s The Jets are finishing off a tough road swing that’s seen them play four earned the benefit of the doubt it’s the two-time champs. You always games in six nights, starting in Nashville and then heading through worry about fatigue when a team has played as much hockey as the California. So far, it’s yielded mixed results, with two wins in three games. Penguins over the last few years, and their questionable depth leaves But that still leaves the Jets with one of the better records in the Western them vulnerable to a hangover season. But until they fall apart, or Conference at 14-5-3. somebody else runs away with the division, the Penguins have earned the right to be called the Metro favourites. We’ve been waiting for this kind of breakout for years in Winnipeg, where a talented young core has played fun-but-inconsistent hockey that’s so This is the third game of the season between the two teams, with the far produced more magazine covers declaring them future Cup Lightning winning both previous meetings. Tampa took a 5–4 win on champions (one) than playoff game victories (still waiting). Last week, we home ice in the season’s second week, then embarrassed the Penguins nudged them into our top-five power rankings for the first time, well, ever. 7–1 a week later. That one was part of an ongoing theme for Pittsburgh’s season: looking terrible when they have to play on back-to-back nights. So it’s hard not to get excited about how it’s all coming together this year. They’re 0-for-6 in those games, including some ugly blowouts. And sure But then you look down the list of teams the Jets have actually beaten, enough, tonight’s meeting will present another back-half challenge, and aside from an admittedly impressive 7–1 win over the Penguins you coming on the heels of yesterday’s 4-3 loss in Boston. see a mix of struggling contenders, question marks and outright bad teams. Maybe that’s to be expected in a parity league where almost The Lightning played last night, too (a 3-1 loss in Washington). And everyone is just kind of OK, but it would be nice to see the Jets make a Pittsburgh fans can look on the bright side: Playing the best team in the statement. league in a situation you’ve already been embarrassed in more than once might be the perfect chance to send a message that the champs The Sharks may not offer that opportunity, since they’ve been up and aren’t ready to be written off yet. down all year. We snuck them into the top five on a couple of occasions, too, but they’ve cooled off lately and dropped out of a playoff spot. That’s In any case, it’s the last meeting of the year between the two teams… at not a cause for panic quite yet, at least in what’s shaping up to be a weak least until the playoffs. Here’s hoping. Pacific Division, and the analytics types still seem to love them. But wins We got to see this matchup play out during last year’s playoffs, when the are wins, and right now the Sharks are in danger of moving into that Leafs and Capitals decided to see if they could go an entire series where mushy middle of teams nobody pays much attention to. Maybe they every game was decided in sudden death. They almost made it, and should already be there. although neither Ovechkin or Matthews scored one of the winners, they If so, then this is exactly the sort of winnable road game that a contender were still front and centre through most of the series. would march in and take. We’re still not sure that the Jets are that team, It’s not hard to figure out why. In addition to being two of the most but they’ve been proving it a game at a time, and they get another exciting players in the league, Ovechkin and Matthews have plenty in chance tonight. At the very least, it may be the biggest Jets-vs.-Sharks common. They were both No. 1–overall picks. Both won the Calder matchup in 50 years. Trophy. And as of last week, they’re both on top of the cap-era list for Who else? goals scored in the first 100 games of a career. Price will reportedly get the start tonight, as the struggling Canadiens We’ll see how far those comparisons carry as Matthews’s career winds host the Sabres. It will be his first action since Nov. 2, and it would be an on. Maple Leafs fans are hoping they can add items like “multiple-time understatement to say that he’s rejoining a team that could use a win Hart Trophy winner” and “considered perhaps the greatest goal-scorer in right about now. The Canadiens have dropped five straight, and they find NHL history,” while skipping over the whole “one of the best players to themselves closer to last place in the East than to a playoff spot. never make a Cup final” thing. But either way, we can expect the two stars to be front and centre at just about every Leafs/Caps matchup from If this season were a Hollywood script, this would be the part where the here until the end of Ovechkin’s career. heroic star returns from injury just in time to turn the season around. But Price hadn’t been playing well before he got hurt, posting an ugly .877 This will be the second matchup between the two teams since last year’s save percentage on the year. And rookie Charlie Lindgren was actually playoff battle, with the Leafs earning a 2-0 shutout win in Washington on pretty good in relief, so it’s not as if solid goaltending will somehow solve Oct. 17. We didn’t know it at the time, but that game would be one of the all of Montreal’s problems. final bright spots for the Leafs before they went cold, losing six of their next nine. That was followed with six straight wins before another Still, at this point anything that changes the mix is a good thing. And the stumble this week. Now they’ll be looking to shut down Ovechkin and the chance, slim as it may be, that Price returns in something approaching Caps again, this time on home ice. his 2015 Hart Trophy form offers up at least a little hope to a team that could sure use some. With rumours of a rebuild on the way, this team As for the Capitals, they still don’t look like the team that won back-to- needs to bank some wins right now. With Price returning on home ice back Presidents’ Trophies, hovering around a wild-card spot instead of against one of the worst teams in the league, they couldn’t ask for a the top of the standings, and coach Barry Trotz is beginning to sound like better chance to get one. a guy who’s getting tired of all this. If the Caps are going to turn their season around, this is a good time to do it — tonight will be their only Or, you know, he’ll give up a goal on the first shot he faces and Montreal road game in a stretch that sees them play nine of 10 at home. fans will turn on him. It’s never boring in Montreal, and a star’s big Tonight serves up a meeting between the Red Wings and Devils, which is a rematch of a 1995 Stanley Cup final that made some history. Coming on the heels of the league’s first-ever lockout-shortened season, that series was New Jersey’s first trip to the final and Detroit’s first since 1966. It resulted in the Devils’ first-ever championship. But far more importantly, it was the series that gave us the most brutal intermission interview in league history: That’s what we call a hostile reception. There’s a myth among fans that Gary Bettman has always been booed by NHL fans. It’s true that most of his Cup-presentation receptions have ranged from unfriendly to outright ugly. But it wasn’t always that way. His first appearance came in 1993 in Montreal, and he got a generally warm welcome — he even tried to win over the crowd by mixing in a little French. And the Madison Square Garden crowd in 1994 was so happy that vintage Roddy Piper wouldn’t have had a chance at drawing a boo out of the building. No, ground zero for booing Gary Bettman wasn’t in Canada, and it wasn’t in an Original Six market. It was in New Jersey. And it started with this interview. The context here, as mentioned by James Brown in the clip, is that the Devils were rumoured to be on the verge of moving to Nashville. Owner John McMullen was demanding a better deal on the , and had been threatening to pick up the team and move it to Nashville, where a new arena awaited. And this wasn’t just some empty threat, like we’re seeing in Calgary these days — the deal was widely assumed to be done, to the point where there was already speculation over whether coach Jacques Lemaire would be joining the team when it moved. Not only did Devils fans think that they were losing their team, but they were convinced that Bettman wasn’t doing anything to stop it. In fact, they suspected, he was happy to see it happen. So when the commissioner made the unfortunate choice to agree to a Game 4 interview on live television in full view of New Jersey fans, they let him have it with both barrels, chanting “Bettman sucks” and later, if my ears are right, asking for egg rolls. Of course, the move never happened, even though it was reported as basically a done deal once the series was over. The Devils stuck around and eventually got a new arena, while Nashville got their team via expansion a few years later. Meanwhile, the Devils won the series that night, and Bettman was given another rough ride by the fans when he went to present the Cup. The tradition of booing Bettman during the handoff was born. And Stanley Cup presentations have never been quite the same since.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.26.2017 1085298 Websites away shooting lanes from Ovechkin’s one-timer. The kill finished 2-for-3 on the night against a Capitals team with the third-best road power play in the league (27.8 per cent) and has handled 17 of 20 man advantages TSN.CA / Spirited rally can't lift Leafs past Capitals over their last five games.

By Kristen Shilton TSN.CA LOADED: 11.26.2017

TORONTO – The Maple Leafs fell behind the Washington Capitals early on Saturday night, and even a spirited third period rally couldn’t lift them past the visitors in a 4-2 loss. It was Toronto’s third loss in four games and dropped them to 15-9-1 on the season. Takeaways For once the Leafs actually got the start they wanted, it just didn’t amount to anything on the scoreboard. Toronto had been on their heels in the first period of their last four games getting outshot 55-26 after the first 20 minutes in that span, but only giving up one first period goal in total. The Leafs dominated the first 10 minutes against Washington, holding the Capitals off the shot clock until 5:23 of the period, and by the end of the frame they were up 11-7 in shots. But while Toronto did a better job limiting chances, Curtis McElhinney didn’t do as fine a job keeping pucks out of the net as Frederik Andersen had in his previous five starts. The Leafs ceded two goals to Alexander Ovechkin in the final eight minutes of the first period to trail 2-0. It wasn’t that Toronto wasn’t playing well – their turnovers were minimal and the cycle was buzzing – but the details ultimately led to their demise. Mike Babcock said after the game the Leafs could have cut Ovechkin off more in the neutral zone or gapped up better on defence to prevent the first goal. But for the most part he was pleased with how his team executed in the first frame and beyond, especially after they’d made it a point of emphasis to turn the troubling trend of slow starts around. Toronto ended the night with a 29-20 advantage in shots. It was just the second time in their last 11 games that Toronto hadn’t been outshot and the first time since Nov. 6 they hadn’t allowed more than 30 shots on goal. By the time the final frame rolled around, the Leafs were down 3-0 and began throwing everything they had at Holtby and the Capitals. For the first time all game, Babcock blended his lines by swapping out William Nylander for Connor Brown on the Auston Matthews line and the new- look unit helped produce a goal on their first shift - Jake Gardiner quarterbacked a strong cycle shift and ended it with a point shot through traffic that beat Braden Holtby top shelf. Gardiner said after the game that goal sparked the Leafs to what was one of their most impressive periods of hockey this season. Less than five minutes later, Gardiner’s defensive partner Nikita Zaitsev got below the hashmarks and chipped a puck off Taylor Chorney and over Holtby to bring the Leafs within one. Zaitsev admitted after he’d been aiming to hit Dominic Moore with a centering pass but the puck took a fortuitous hop. Toronto had its best possession period of the night in the final 20 minutes (71 per cent) and despite it being the second night of a back-to-back, the Leafs had more jump than they’d shown all night. Right up until Ovechkin potted his final marker, an empty netter with 8.7 seconds left, the Leafs never relented. Not even Mike Babcock denies that McElhinney gets all the worst starts for the Leafs - his only opportunities come on the second night of a back- to-back. In those instances where the team simply isn’t going to be as sharp, the goaltender absolutely has to be. Against the Capitals, McElhinney was not. Ovechkin’s first goal went right under the netminder’s arm; his second, on the power play, was equally stoppable. Even Jakub Vrana’s goal, coming off a partial breakaway when he blew past Zaitsev at the blue line, beat McElhinney cleanly. Those one-on-one chances where the goaltender can track the shooter mostly unscreened are where Toronto needed big stops from McElhinney that they didn’t get. The veteran admitted after the game he was disappointed not to have made one of the stops on Ovechkin’s first two goals and felt responsible for having put his team behind the eight ball. Barring a change to Babcock’s usual goaltending schedule, where McElhinney only plays on back-to-backs, he’ll have to sit on the defeat until mid-December in Detroit. McElhinney finished with 17 saves and an .850 save percentage, the second time in four starts this season he’s recorded a save percentage below .900. While much may have changed about the Capitals over the years, Ovechkin’s prolific ability to make teams pay on the power play has rarely wavered. His goal on the man advantage aside, the Leafs penalty kill had a solid night, and was an important part of what kept their hopes of a comeback alive. With two calls going against the Leafs before the 12 minute mark of the second period (and both being loudly disputed by players and fans), the kill was tasked with not letting the Capitals lead extend out of hand. Enter sophomores Zach Hyman and Connor Brown. Hyman had a strong shift playing keep away with the puck behind the Capitals net to run the clock down and Brown did an admirable job taking