Sports42 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2017

Connolly rediscovers game, revitalizes career with Capitals

ARLINGTON: Hockey is easy again for Brett Connolly. Once a blue chip prospect, it looked awfully difficult for Connolly during his first four NHL seasons. He couldn’t produce like he did in junior ranks or the minors, was traded and hit bottom when the Boston Bruins decided not to extend a qualifying offer last summer. That move allowed him to become a free agent. The Washington Capitals expressed interest in Connolly right away and signed him to a bargain-base- ment $850,000, one-year deal on the first day of free agency. That looks like a steal now with Connolly on the verge of tying his career high in goals and on pace to shatter his career high in points. “This game is all about confidence,” Connolly said Wednesday. “When you’re confident, you’re a completely different player and when you don’t you’re not a good player. It’s just a matter of finding that.” It’s safe to say Connolly found it. Linemates Lars Eller, another newcomer, and Andre Burakovsky have been Connolly’s compass on his journey to being a productive NHL player this season. After being healthy-scratched 14 times in the first half of the season, the 24-year-old has become a mainstay in Washington’s lineup and has six ST PAUL: ’ (38) controls the puck against ’s Jared Spurgeon (46) in the points in his past four games. second period of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday. — AP Shaking off the frustration that mounted during unsuccessful stints with the Tampa Bay Lightning and NHL Bruins, along with the signer’s remorse that came with sit- ting so much early this season, Connolly finally looks like the player who was the sixth overall pick in 2010 and con- Toews’ in OT lifts sidered a future star. “There’s a lot of pressure on guys when they go top five, six overall,” said teammate and friend Tom Wilson, Blackhawks over Wild who works out with Connolly during the summer in Toronto and was also a first-round pick. “They come into the NHL, they’re expected to produce. He had some ST PAUL: Sure, no game is a must-win this time of year. Still, into the game. “There was some added meaning to it, for our tough times early on in his career, a little adversity, moved the Chicago Blackhawks couldn’t afford to slip much further team anyways,” said Toews, who also had two assists. Ryan a couple times and it’s awesome to see him kind of come behind the Minnesota Wild. Jonathan Toews scored a power- Suter was called for holding midway through the overtime, in here and find his stride.” play goal 3:09 into overtime to lift the Blackhawks over the and with the man advantage, Toews slipped a rebound Western Conference-leading Wild 4-3 on Wednesday night. between the skates of goalie Darcy Kuemper. “It was a huge TOO MUCH TOO EARLY The Blackhawks closed within five points of Minnesota for the win,” Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. “We had to win Connolly has 11 goals and five assists in 40 games, so conference lead. The Wild also have two games in hand, and the game to keep us within striking distance.” he’s not overshadowing Alex Ovechkin or Nicklas the Blackhawks admitted feeling a sense of urgency heading Corey Crawford stopped 35 of 38 shots as the Blackhawks Backstrom, but the Campbell River, British Columbia, snapped an eight-game regular-season losing streak against native is part of the league-leading Capitals’ elite scoring NHL result/standings Minnesota. He came up huge in the overtime, stonewalling depth. He fit into an established core right away, didn’t Mikael Granlund alone in the slot and stopping Suter on a complain about not playing and is being rewarded for the Chicago 4 Minnesota 3 (OT). breakaway. “We had the opportunities, but when they needed patience that was lacking earlier in his career. Western Conference a save, they got it,” Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau said. Scoring too much in his first NHL camp for the Central Division “Usually when you don’t score on your great opportunities, Lightning to send him back to the Western Hockey W L OTL GF GA PTS bad things happen.” League, Connolly concedes now he might not have been Minnesota 35 12 6 179 125 76 The Wild salvaged a when Erik Haula scored with 3:03 Chicago 33 17 5 156 144 71 ready for that pressure at age 19. He did fine in the Nashville 26 19 8 146 137 60 left in the third period to tie it at 3. Defenseman Marco American Hockey 8League but never found his scoring St. Louis 27 22 5 155 162 59 Scandella carried the puck from behind his own blue line deep touch in Tampa, and Capitals coach Barry Trotz believes Winnipeg 25 27 4 163 176 54 into the Chicago zone, then flipped a backhanded pass across Connolly was given “too much too early” and was unfairly Dallas 21 23 10 148 172 52 the goalmouth, where Haula was waiting to tip it past labeled a bust before he was given a chance. Colorado 15 33 2 103 168 32 Crawford. “He’s a very good hockey player,” Trotz said. “In the Pacific Division San Jose 33 17 4 148 126 70 “It was kind of a playoff game environment, a little bit,” right situation and also the right timeframe - his time- Anaheim 28 17 10 142 139 66 Haula said. Nino Niederreiter had two assists for the Wild, and frame, not everybody else’s timeframe - he can be a real Edmonton 29 18 8 156 141 66 Kuemper made 28 saves. Minnesota closed a four-game good hockey player. I think that’s what you’re seeing in Calgary 28 25 3 149 159 59 Canadian road trip on Tuesday night at Winnipeg, while the the maturity of a Brett Connolly, the confidence that he’s Los Angeles 27 23 4 132 133 58 Blackhawks had been resting since a Feb. 4 game at Dallas. starting to gain with us and he’s been a real good contrib- Vancouver 23 24 6 125 154 52 Arizona 17 28 6 116 161 40 Perhaps feeling the effect of that late-night flight, the Wild utor for us.” That recaptured confidence came from play- Eastern Conference looked sluggish early as Chicago raced to a 2-0 lead. ing and the instant chemistry that developed between Atlantic Division Connolly, Eller and Burakovsky. Connolly said he has nev- Montreal 30 17 8 158 138 68 EASY TRAP-IN er felt more comfortable with any linemates and sensed Ottawa 27 18 6 137 141 60 Ryan Hartman started the scoring at 10:54 of the first peri- something click right away playing with skilled linemates. Toronto 25 17 10 163 156 60 od when carried the puck deep into the But he also made the arrangement work. Connolly is a Boston 26 23 6 143 149 58 Florida 23 19 10 124 143 56 Minnesota zone and centered to the slot, where Hartman one- “big winger with good skating ability, just has a good Buffalo 22 21 10 131 149 54 timed it past Kuemper. hockey sense,” Eller said. “He’s got a good sense and he Detroit 22 21 10 134 155 54 Chicago doubled its lead 1:09 into the second period as can pass, he can shoot. He holds onto the puck well. He’s Tampa Bay 24 24 6 149 157 54 Toews found alone in front of the net for an got good poise. He’s got really good poise.” Metropolitan Division easy tap-in. Minnesota got one back 37 seconds later when That poise on the ice was always there, but the Washington 37 11 6 180 114 80 patience needed to endure criticism and not give up on Columbus 34 13 5 173 129 73 Jared Spurgeon finished a rush with a wrist shot over Pittsburgh 33 13 6 186 150 72 Crawford’s left shoulder. hockey came over time for Connolly, who is proving to be NY Rangers 34 18 1 181 140 69 That goal energized the Wild, who outshot the Blackhawks one of the best values in the league. Philadelphia 26 21 7 144 164 59 19-10 in the second period and dominated the next 15 min- “I’m definitely getting an opportunity now and taking NY Islanders 23 18 10 153 153 56 utes of play. Zach Parise tied it at 7:15 of the second on a dis- advantage of it,” Connolly said. “It’s just a matter of stick- New Jersey 23 21 10 127 153 56 ing with it. It can be hard sometimes. You’ve got to have Carolina 24 21 7 138 151 55 puted goal. Charlie Coyle threw the puck toward the net, and Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings Parise, with his back to the goal, tipped it between his legs. thick skin to play this game. I’m happy I stuck with it. To and are not included in the loss column (L). Crawford made the save, but Parise spun around and chipped be doing as well as I am now, I want to keep going.” — AP the rebound over the goalie. — AP