SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 11/25/2019 1163186 Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf criticizes team’s play, attitude 1163215 Detroit Red Wings shut out by Hurricanes, 2-0, in Filip after latest loss Zadina's debut 1163187 ‘You’ve got to embrace the suck’: Ducks try to turn 1163216 Detroit Red Wings call up prize prospect Filip Zadina for frustration into lessons after road struggles Carolina game 1163217 Punchless Red Wings blanked by Hurricanes, winless streak at six 1163188 McDavid scores shootout winner, Oilers top Coyotes 4-3 1163218 Filip Zadina 'pressed into service' for Red Wings with 1163189 Coyotes can't close out Oilers, fall in shootout Anthony Mantha out 1163190 Arizona Coyotes prospect Jan Jenik turning heads with 1163219 Red Wings’ offense struggles as skid reaches six scoring prowess 1163220 Red Wings recall Filip Zadina from Grand Rapids 1163191 Arizona Coyotes fall in shootout to McDavid, 1st-place 1163221 How to watch, listen and stream Detroit Red Wings vs. Edmonton 1163192 Arizona Coyotes hang on to beat 1163222 Reimer gets 22nd shutout, Hurricanes beat Red Wings 2-0 1163193 Arizona Coyotes’ Lawson Crouse leaves game with 1163223 Where Filip Zadina showed progress in his NHL season upper-body injury debut Edmonton Oilers 1163194 Torey Krug’s overtime game-winner capped a dazzling 1163224 Oilers complete statement-making sweep with win in comeback Arizona 1163195 Dressed for success? Bruins unveil new third jersey 1163225 Dave Tippett not sentimental over return to Arizona 1163196 Bruins need to tighten up 1163226 James Neal always remembers days with Vegas Golden 1163197 Boston Bruins unveil sharp new alternate jerseys Knights fondly 1163198 With a family of Boston fans supporting him, Ryan Donato 1163227 Edmonton Oilers Game Day: Tippett returns to Arizona is fighting to make his mark with the Wild 1163228 Lowetide: Tyler Benson posting a strong November in hopes of an Oilers recall Buffalo Sabres 1163199 Sabres get former second-rounder Matthew Spencer in minor league deal 1163229 No rally this time as Florida Panthers fall behind early in 1163200 The Wraparound: Buffalo Sabres 5, Florida Panthers 2 loss to Buffalo Sabres 1163201 Sabres game day: Zach Bogosian to make season debut 1163230 Sabres have their way with Montembeault, Panthers in Florida 1163231 Panthers’ Keith Yandle lost 9 teeth on Saturday. He still 1163202 How the ice time for the Sabres shook out with Zach played on Sunday, continuing his Iron Man streak Bogosian finally back Los Angeles Kings 1163232 Kings to face one of NHL’s hottest teams when San Jose 1163203 With new perspective, Flames' Brodie poised to return to Sharks come to Staples Center action 1163233 WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: NOVEMBER 24 Carolina Hurricanes 1163204 Detroit takes on Carolina on 5-game losing streak 1163234 New York hosts Minnesota after Lemieux's 2- game 1163205 Reimer gets 22nd shutout, Hurricanes beat Red Wings 2-0 1163235 Wild-N.Y. Rangers game preview 1163206 Canes’ Pesce joins Hamilton for some offensive fun 1163236 Wild's Mats Zuccarello, a former Ranger, returning to against Panthers Madison Square Garden 1163237 From the Big Apple to the Mini Apple, Mats Zuccarello Chicago Blackhawks reflects on former life 1163207 Robin Lehner is one of the best goalies in the NHL — but 1163238 With a family of Boston fans supporting him, Ryan Donato one of the worst at shootouts. Is there a way to fix is fighting to make his mark with the Wild 1163208 Despite Lehner’s struggles, goalie switch in shootouts not on the table for Blackhawks Canadiens 1163209 Blackhawks' DeBrincat confident he can turn things 1163239 Canadiens coach finds right mix on defence | HI/O Bonus around 2 1163210 Robin Lehner calls out hockey 'experts' following shootout loss 1163240 What Viktor Arvidsson's injury could mean for Predators, plus a look at Robert Bortuzzo's history of dirty hit 1163211 Avalanche’s Valeri Nichushkin says his 91-game goals 1163241 Kyle Turris a healthy scratch for the third straight game for drought has been the “hardest time in my life” Predators 1163212 How Avalanche’s Nikita Zadorov returned to the ice days after breaking his jaw 1163213 Michael Arace | Adding Paul MacLean a good move for Blue Jackets rather than a bad sign for John Tortorella 1163214 Jets 4, Blue Jackets 3: The 3-2-1 rundown 1163242 4 observations from Devils’ win over Red Wings | What 1163267 In two games, Sheldon Keefe is proving to be the anti- Will Butcher, Kyle Palmieri saw on winning goal Babcock, Dave Feschuk writes. The difference isn’t just 1163243 How Devils delivered key responses in win over Red 1163268 Leafs' Kerfoot has hearing with NHL on Monday after hit Wings on Avs' Johnson 1163244 What went right for the NJ Devils in 5-1 win over the Red 1163269 Reinvigorated Leafs eager to keep pushing forward with Wings Keefe at helm 1163270 After whirlwind start to tenure as Leafs coach, Keefe glad New York Islanders to settle into job 1163245 Islanders playmaker Mathew Barzal also a student of the 1163271 The Avs share their favorite memories of Tyson Barrie game 1163272 Mirtle: Identifying the key early changes Sheldon Keefe is 1163246 ‘I’m not that worried about it’: Anders Lee stays positive as trying to bring to the Maple Leafs his goalless streak continues in Islanders’ OT l 1163273 Leafs Report Cards: Tyson Barrie now has two goals in two games under Sheldon Keefe New York Rangers 1163274 Tyson Barrie got a hero’s welcome home from the Avs … 1163247 Rangers are giving Brady Skjei-Jacob Trouba pairing and 2 points in the Leafs’ win another shot 1163275 Nazem Kadri talks life after the Leafs: ‘At first, I was a little 1163248 David Quinn gushes about Brendan Lemieux's play bit bitter’ 1163249 Chris Kreider’s value to Rangers rising even in uncertain 1163276 Sheldon Keefe shaped Adam Brooks. Now the Marlies times forward wants to follow him to the Leafs Ottawa Senators 1163251 GAMEDAY: Ottawa Senators at Columbus Blue Jackets 1163281 Ben Kuzma: Edler escapes severe injury, will take 1163252 Warren's Piece: Surging Duclair looking to stick it to game-day skate Monday Tortorella and the Jackets tonight 1163282 Canucks prospects tracker: Madden's stock rises, Podkolzin plays hero 1163283 Canucks at 50: Smyl wondered if Red Wings might call his 1163253 Flyers week in preview: Canucks and huge goalie Jacob name on draft day in 1978 Markstrom offer first test 1163284 Ben Kuzma: Canucks' kids learn to embrace big-game 1163254 Flyers shootout losses are piling up. That could matter a challenges lot in a playoff race. 1163285 Canucks at 50: 1978 NHL draft delivered heart and soul to 1163255 Flyers prospect WATCH: Jay O’Brien getting help from a the Canucks Hextall Vegas Golden Knights Pittsburgh Penguins 1163277 Road white uniforms suit Golden Knights just fine 1163256 Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist’s 1st career fight was 1163278 Golden Knights give too much space to Oilers’ talented not memorable duo — ANALYSIS 1163257 Penguins defenseman Kris Letang returns to practice 1163258 How Bryan Rust overcame a speech impediment to Washington Capitals become vocal leader for Penguins 1163279 Report: Nicklas Backstrom has begun contract talks 1163259 Kris Letang back on the ice at Penguins practice after 'without an agent' Nov. 4 injury in Boston Websites 1163286 Sportsnet.ca / Mike Babcock in Sheldon Keefe's corner 1163260 Sharks takeaways: Why it’s critical for Aaron Dell to keep despite taking Maple Leafs job pushing Martin Jones 1163287 Sportsnet.ca / Meet the man behind some of hockey's 1163261 Sharks' defense-first mentality has been key to San Jose's most legendary Images | Sportsnet resurgence 1163288 Sportsnet.ca / How minor hockey survived the chaos of the Fort McMurray fires St Louis Blues 1163289 Sportsnet.ca / Canucks' Quinn Hughes finding new ways 1163262 Bortuzzo gets four-game suspension for crosscheck to surprise on nightly basis 1163263 BLUES at NASHVILLE 1163290 USA TODAY / Panthers' Keith Yandle loses teeth after 1163264 Blues' Bortuzzo suspended for four games for crosscheck puck to mouth, still finishes game 1163265 Predators snap 6-game losing streak with 4-2 win over Blues 1163280 NHLers raise money to fight cancer – 'a pervasive part of Tampa Bay Lightning our life,' Jets coach says 1163266 Lightning’s Luke Schenn shared dads trip with an SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 opponent, his brother Brayden 1163186 Anaheim Ducks got to maintain our control and maintain our discipline all the way through. You can’t (back off) in this league. It doesn’t matter who you are.

“There are teams that can get away with it because their goaltender has Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf criticizes team’s play, attitude after latest a hot night or whatever it is, or they’re scoring five or six goals. loss Obviously, we’re not scoring five goals a night. We have got to compete every shift. There’s no reason not to.”

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD | PUBLISHED: November 24, 2019 at 4:01 pm | Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.25.2019 UPDATED: November 24, 2019 at 4:01 PM

Ryan Getzlaf laughed, but he wasn’t happy.

Was he frustrated, angry, ticked off?

“Yes,” he said.

All of the above, eh?

The Ducks had just lost their third consecutive game to end their four- game trip, suffering their eighth defeat in the past nine games, and the team’s longtime captain was about to launch into a harsh critique of their play and their attitude following a 6-2 loss Saturday to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

First, he had to laugh when a reporter admitted he didn’t know what to say.

“You and me both,” Getzlaf said, chuckling.

Quickly, his tone changed.

Getzlaf was well aware that the Ducks’ uneven play was no laughing matter. Their margin for error was razor thin to begin with, which was easy enough for him to accept, but when they suffered letdowns and lost their bearings, as they did against the Lightning, it was difficult to stomach.

The takeaway, the money quote, was that Getzlaf said he believed the Ducks “quit” after Tampa Bay scored the tiebreaking goal while on a second-period power play. But he said a good deal more after the Lightning scored four consecutive goals to turn a tight game into a runaway.

“It’s a results-based business,” Getzlaf said in an extended postgame assessment of what ails the Ducks. “I don’t care if we’re rebuilding or regrouping or whatever the heck we’re doing, we’ve got to compete at a high level. I can deal with losses if we play hard all night long. That’s not an issue.

“But it’s about finding that consistency throughout 60 minutes of hockey that allows us to stay in games and not feel bad for ourselves. It’s a terrible habit to learn in this league. That’s how teams, organizations, stay in that (losing) position for a long time.

“If you accept losing or being close, then it’s hard to get out of it. It’s hard to play in this league that way.”

Getzlaf also pointed out the obvious fact that the Ducks’ youngest and least experienced players — including , Jacob Larsson, Sam Steel and Troy Terry — are attempting to show they can be reliable, productive players in the NHL, but so far have proved little of substance.

“We’ve got a whole bunch of guys who are battling for spots for the future of our organization, so there’s no excuse not to battle every night,” Getzlaf said.

Recent games have revealed a great deal about at a team in the process of turning over its roster. Coach Dallas Eakins likes to say the Ducks are a team in transition, which while true also is more or less saying the organization is rebuilding on the fly without actually saying it’s rebuilding on the fly.

Getzlaf decried the Ducks’ lack of toughness in front of their net and the opposition’s goal. He bemoaned their lack of scoring touch. Above all, he criticized their inability to play at a high level for an entire game. They showed flashes of brilliance Saturday, but couldn’t maintain them for 60 minutes.

At one point, with the score tied 2-2 in the second period, the Ducks led the Lightning in shots 25-11.

“We have a group that can play at that level,” he said, referring to the Ducks’ high level of play in the first half of Saturday’s game. “We’ve just 1163187 Anaheim Ducks Pointed, damning words from the captain. Getzlaf tends to deliver them a few times a season after a tough game or challenging stretch and longtime Ducks fans sometimes tire of a message that’s been sent before. But there is a goal behind it. ‘You’ve got to embrace the suck’: Ducks try to turn frustration into lessons after road struggles Things must be done that don’t carry a numerical value. This was a minefield of a road trip. It started with St. Louis, the reigning champion. Moved on to Washington, the 2018 Cup winners that might be the NHL’s best team at this moment. Then came Florida, a team starting By Eric Stephens Nov 24, 2019 to fulfill its expected rise in the Eastern Conference. And then Tampa Bay, the team many pegged to pass around the Cup last summer instead of the Blues. TAMPA, Fla. — Four games further into their schedule find the Ducks making a little progress with the process. Believe me, it’s there. Even And the trip was a microcosm of the Ducks’ season to now. There was a when it’s tougher to believe it or even see it when the progress to winning strong, perhaps surprising win over the Blues where they got an inspired regularly has more stops than a downtown bus route. out-of-the-blue performance by fourth-line center Derek Grant and expertly managed the lead they built. There was a loss to the Capitals Three straight losses to end a promising start to their latest road that there is no shame in. And then there was the stinging blow of a lost excursion will test that belief. Four wins in the last 16 games will rock that four-goal lead to the Panthers followed by Saturday’s defeat where they belief. A slow and steady plummet down the standings can make you fell apart as badly as two nights prior even if they never held a lead. question your belief. Steps were taken forward before tripping and a face plant. Fact is, this But keeping that belief is the real key. Once it’s shattered, then there’s no club can ill-afford to have one part of its game be substandard each hope. Losses are still piling up for the Ducks, but the belief remains that night. It doesn’t have the margin of error that other teams with more the things they have done well will eventually have a payoff in what talent or more experience (or both) do have. All of its facets must be matters most — wins. working at a high level if the Ducks want to make any kind of noise this season. Otherwise, it is going to be a struggle. The anger that has seeped out following losses to Florida and Tampa Bay showed that belief very much exists. Pain is going to be felt as a Anaheim doesn’t have the firepower to erase big deficits. Secondary group that currently is finding different ways to lose learns how to do the scoring that was the wish among the young forwards breaking into the exact opposite. Frustration with themselves and each other is going to lineup hasn’t moved beyond hope and hype. The kill can’t be surface and occasionally bubble over. This was going to be a hard road burned three times in a game as it was Saturday. An undermanned for all to travel on. defense might have heartily welcomed Hampus Lindholm back from a six-game injury absence, but it remains far from an elite shutdown unit. “No one said this season was going to be easy,” said Anaheim coach And the goaltending that regularly plugged many of the holes is now Dallas Eakins, who is squarely in the first serious test of his first season. leaky. “We knew it was going to be hard. And you’ve got to embrace the suck of it sometimes.” In Thursday’s loss to the Panthers, Eakins railed against the back-to- back goals by Brett Connolly that opened the door to their big comeback. For them to be sitting with an 10-11-3 record and in seventh place in the The second goal might have been a fluke deflection off the glove of Pacific Division is not unexpected. The Ducks are competitive, infinitely Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler, but in the coach’s mind, it shouldn’t more so than when it all fell apart midway through last season. They’ve have occurred if they didn’t give up the first 27 seconds earlier when had more games where their underlying metrics are far more favorable. Michael Del Zotto failed to execute a breakout pass for Jakob Silfverberg They feel they’ve offered evidence that some elements of becoming a after a faceoff win and John Gibson failed to close down the hole winning team again are being put in place. between his right arm and torso. But there remain proud veterans who, while they might understand the On Saturday, it was diminutive-but-determined centers Brayden Point pain that will come with a team in transition, still want to experience what and Anthony Cirelli who won battles at the goal crease to score against a they had been accustomed to. scuffling Ryan Miller that set off a powder keg. Big Pat Maroon also set Winning. up down low to put away a rebound and burn his old team. Ondrej Palat had plenty of time and space in front to convert another second-chance “I’ve been in this league 15 years,” Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf said shot. Saturday after taking in a 6-2 loss to the Lightning. “When you’re doing this stuff and you’re going through things, it’s difficult. And I can answer The Lightning did the gritty things the Ducks should be doing. The things the same questions after every loss if that’s what we need to do. But that aren’t as easily quantified. At both ends. regardless of what I say or what the group says in our meetings and “It’s in front of our net,” Getzlaf said. “That’s got to be a war zone. everything, we got to go out on the ice and compete for 60 minutes. And Someone’s got to be knocked down every time. It’s all of us. It’s not just we got to keep it together. on our D. We got low forwards that play down there and play in there. “Because we’re there. We have a group that can play (at) that level. We “And that goes on the offensive side too. We got to bang pucks in from just got to maintain our control and maintain our discipline to play that all around the paint. Tonight, we had chances. I had, I don’t even know how the way through.” many looks. I got to score goals. Those are turning points in games that Getzlaf had a lot to release from his pressure valve. The Ducks managed can help our group.” to lose a game where they soundly outplayed Tampa Bay — the team Or as Lindholm put it where you’re treating the game as if it’s a playoff that won an NHL-best 62 games and piled up a Presidents’ Trophy- battle where the battles are direct and you, “just be like a prick out there claiming 128 points last season — for the bulk of the 60 minutes. At one basically against your player.” point in the second period, they had 33 shots on goal to the Lightning’s 13. Natural Stat Trick offered confirmation of their extensive stays in the Lindholm himself was one of those victimized. He admitted to some rust Bolts’ zone, with a Corsi-for of 64.5 percent in the first period, 51.7 in his first game back from a nagging unspecified lower-body injury he percent in the second and 52.3 percent in the third. Total shots attempted hopes is behind him enough to not affect him over the remainder of the were 64-50 in their favor. season. But while he wasn’t as forceful in his postgame comments as Getzlaf, the Ducks’ top defenseman was just as direct. But the final score has the look of a team that was blown out of the rink. And it was time to vent. When situations in games turn hairy, it can’t be all on the shoulders of the veterans to carry them to victory. “I expect more out of our group in general,” Getzlaf said. “It’s disappointing when we play so well. I thought we came out and started “When we get in those situations — because that’s going to happen a lot the game properly. Worked hard. Battled hard. Got some adversity when to us in the future, too, where we’re going to play great and have they got a power play (on) kind of a chintzy call and they scored a goal. chances and we’re not going to get rewarded and other team does — And then we quit. Simple as that. I don’t know if we’re feeling bad for that’s when you need guys to step (up) and just grind and keep going,” ourselves or what we’re doing, but we quit.” Lindholm said. “You can’t have guys thinking it’s going to be Getzy. Guys thinking it’s going to be me. It has to be everyone.

“Obviously, you want your veteran guys to do it. But the other guys can’t expect us to be the ones doing it. Because they should be (also doing it) themselves. We’re a team of 23 guys and five guys on the ice every time. If anyone tries to think the other guy is going to do it for them, it’s not going to end well for us.”

Living with Jacob Larsson struggling mightily as he did Saturday or the repeated inability of Sam Steel and Troy Terry to turn promising rushes into Grade-A scoring chances or convert the good looks they do generate is going to induce frustration. It must be done as they develop. And the veterans must provide support even as they’re clearly applying some pressure on them to step forward.

‘We can only pet each other so long,” Getzlaf said. “It’s the reality of the game. It’s a results-based business. I don’t care if we’re rebuilding or regrouping or whatever the heck we’re doing. We got to compete at a high level. I can deal with losses if we play hard all night long. That’s not an issue. It’s about finding that consistency throughout 60 minutes of hockey that allows us to compete and stay in games and not feel bad for ourselves.”

Losing will bring some unease within the dressing room. I’ve contended that this season will be more about how the Ducks’ play and compete than where they finish in the standings. But this will also be about learning how to win. Eakins was careful to not pin the process all on the kids.

“It’s to a man,” the coach said Saturday in the bowels of Amalie Arena. “It’s just not young guys. And it’s not older guys. It’s to a man. You look at some of their guys that get to the net. It’s not that they’re fast. This isn’t a speed thing or a skill thing. This is a will thing.

“If you’re going to seek comfort in this league at any time, whether you’re down in a game, whether it’s a tough road trip or a back-to-back or if you’re going to seek comfort by playing on the outside, you are going to lose. That’s how this is. We can never seek comfort. We have to be hard every shift, every time.”

When asked about Lindholm’s assertion that some players are looking to others to dig in and get the job done, Eakins paused and thought about the question.

“I do believe in this,” he answered. “I don’t think any of our players should look left or right or up or down for somebody to do their job. It is quite simple. You’re responsible for your minutes and that’s it. And if you’re looking around for somebody else to do your job, then we should probably look for somebody else to do your job.”

Rickard Rakell is also one of the more plain-spoken Ducks on the team. Following their come-from-ahead overtime cough-up in Florida, the goal- scoring winger got a bit real as he broke down how they pulled defeat from the jaws of victory.

“It’s always easy to be smart after the game, saying what you should have done and should not have done,” he said.

Finally, he added, “A lot of times this year, you can say we could have really won this game. But we didn’t. I guess it is a process.”

The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163188 Arizona Coyotes NOTES: The game marked the return of former longtime Coyotes-now- Oilers head coach Dave Tippett to Arizona. The Coyotes parted ways with Tippett after the 2016-2017 season, and after serving as am adviser for the NHL expansion team coming to Seattle, he was hired by Oilers. McDavid scores shootout winner, Oilers top Coyotes 4-3 The Coyotes played a video tribute to Tippett, who waved in appreciation. ... Oilers F Jujhar Khaira was scratched for the second

straight game after hurting his hand blocking a shot against the Los APPublished 9:07 p.m. MT Nov. 24, 2019 | Updated 9:49 p.m. MT Nov. Angeles Kings Thursday. Nugent-Hopkins (hand injury) was scratched 24, 2019 just before the game, missing his first game of the season, and is expected to miss at least one more. ... Coyotes F Lawson Crouse was scratched after suffering a head injury Saturday night at Los Angeles.

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Fatigue set in for the Edmonton Oilers in the UP NEXT second game of a back-to-back as part of a five-game road trip. Edmonton: At Colorado on Wednesday night. However. the Oilers found a way to tie the score late in the third period and pick up two more key points with a shootout win. Arizona: Host Anaheim on Wednesday night.

Connor McDavid got the only goal of the tiebreaker, and the Pacific Arizona Republic LOADED: 11.25.2019 Division-leading Oilers beat the second-place Coyotes 4-3 Sunday night.

Mikko Koskinen stopped Vinnie Hinostroza on Arizona's last shootout attempt and finished with 27 saves. The Oilers got even for an overtime loss to Arizona at home earlier this month.

"This is a really big road trip for us," Koskinen said. "We're never giving up, and when you believe in each other good things start to happen."

James Neal, Alex Chiasson and Markus Granlund scored in regulation time for the Oilers, who have won three of four on their current road trip.

Hinostroza, Carl Soderberg and Christian Fischer scored for Arizona, which was also playing the second game of a back-to-back. Alex Goligoski had three assists and Darcy Kuemper stopped 34 shots.

Granlund tied the score at 3 when he collected a dropped catch from Kuemper of his own shot, and put in the rebound with 6:48 to play in regulation.

"That goal, you've got to take the body, can't watch the puck," Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said. "I thought we were doing well."

The Oilers were more active around the net over the final minutes of the third period and overtime, but couldn't get another goal.

McDavid extended his point streak to 11 games with his 29th assist of the season, while Leon Draisatl got his NHL-leading 32nd.

The league’s second-best power play entering the game struck quickly. After a too many men on the ice penalty against Arizona, McDavid slid a pass across the Coyotes zone to Draisatl, who found Neal alone near the goal for a tap-in at 2:05 of the first period. It was Neal’s 14th of the season and gave him 21 points and 12 career goals against the Coyotes.

Arizona tied it at 9:43 of the period, with 4 seconds left on a power play. Nick Schmaltz sent a pass to Soderberg, whose long wrist shot zoomed past Koskinen for his seventh goal of the season.

Arizona had a chance to go in front before the first period ended, but Michael Grabner just missed a chance when Koskinen pushed the puck off the post just as it was about to get past him.

Edmonton scored another quick goal to start the second period, Chiasson putting in a pass from Sam Gagner from behind the net.

Gagner replaced injured second-line center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins after being scratched the previous three games.

"(Gagner) comes in and gives us a lot of energy. That's what you need in this league, for guys to step up at different times," Chiasson said.

Arizona tied it at 2 on Fischer’s goal off a pass from Grabner behind the net at 11:52. Fischer wriggled away from being tangled up with McDavid along the boards and skated back into the play to collect the pass and score.

"That's a team we're chasing, and to give them a point when we have control, it stinks," Fischer said.

Less than two minutes later, Hinostroza scored on a slap shot from the side that appeared to take a deflection in front of the net. Goligoski got his third assist of the game on the play.

"We didn't have much gas in the tank, you could tell," Oilers coach Dave Tippett said. "Tough turnaround, so I'm proud of my guys for hanging around. It's a good two days for us." 1163189 Arizona Coyotes

Coyotes can't close out Oilers, fall in shootout

Richard Morin, Arizona RepublicPublished 8:49 p.m. MT Nov. 24, 2019 | Updated 9:34 p.m. MT Nov. 24, 2019

The Coyotes were unable to finish off a win over the division-leading Edmonton Oilers, suffering a 4-3 shootout defeat on Sunday at Gila River Arena.

Oilers forward James Neal opened the scoring at 2:05 of the first period, taking advantage of a mental mistake by the Coyotes that resulted in an early Edmonton power play.

But the Coyotes responded minutes later with their own power-play goal, courtesy of Carl Soderberg at 9:43 of the opening frame. Nick Schmaltz delivered a beautiful feed on the goal.

The Oilers took a 2-1 lead in the second period when the Coyotes seemed to disappear for a bit, but Arizona responded after Christian Fischer potted the equalizer at 11:52 of the middle frame.

Fischer tied up Oilers captain Connor McDavid in front of the Coyotes bench while play resumed in the Coyotes' offensive zone. Fischer eventually left and joined the play, but McDavid, upset that Fischer had stymied him, did not follow and Fischer was left all alone in front of the net as a result.

The Coyotes took a 3-2 lead minutes later when a bad-angle shot by Vinnie Hinostroza found its way through net-front traffic and past Oilers goaltender Mikko Koskinen.

Edmonton made it three goals apiece when Markus Granlund collected his own rebound after a missed glove attempt by Coyotes goaltender Darcy Kuemper, sending the game to overtime and, when no player could score in the extra period, a shootout.

Connor McDavid scored the lone shootout goal for the win.

The skinny

The score: Oilers 4, Coyotes 3 (SO).

The streak: L1.

The record: 14-8-3, 31 points.

The 82-game pace: 46-26-10, 102 points.

The standings: 2nd in Pacific.

The player: Connor McDavid.

The moment: Markus Granlund's game-tying goal at 13:12 of the third period.

The number: 1 — The Coyotes suffered their first loss of the season when scoring a power-play goal.

View from the press box: The Coyotes lost their way for the first 10 minutes or so of the second period, but Fischer's sequence against McDavid changed everything. That is, until Darcy Kuemper failed to glove a routine shot and allowed a juicy rebound on the game-tying goal to hand momentum back to Edmonton.

Song of the night: "Guys Like You Make Us Look Bad" by blessthefall.

Arizona Republic LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163190 Arizona Coyotes Tocchet said winger Lawson Crouse was "sore" on Sunday after taking a nasty spill into the end boards on Saturday in Los Angeles. He did not suit up for Sunday's game and no timetable has been established for his return. Arizona Coyotes prospect Jan Jenik turning heads with scoring prowess It was confirmed by Tocchet that Crouse entered concussion protocol, although the Coyotes are only tabbing the ailment as an upper-body injury, per team policy. Tocchet seemed to suggest the injury wasn't as Richard Morin, Arizona RepublicPublished 4:43 p.m. MT Nov. 24, 2019 much a head injury as it was an injury to the back/neck/shoulder area, too.

Throughout training camp, it’s common for reporters to ask coaching Michael Grabner drew in for Crouse on Sunday, returning after a two- staffs to identify prospects who may be impressing while playing game hiatus with an undisclosed injury. Rookie Barrett Hayton will likely alongside NHL players. continue to get playing time at least as long as Crouse remains sidelined.

This year, the answer each time for Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet Hayton is now past the 10-game mark this season, which means he will was Jan Jenik, the club’s third-rounder in the 2018 draft. burn the first year of his three-year, entry-level contract regardless of where he spends the rest of 2019-20. Jenik, who just turned 19 in September, didn’t make the NHL roster and isn’t old enough to play in the AHL due to the CHL-NHL agreement. As a The plan is for Hayton to stick around with the Coyotes this season, but result, he was sent back to his junior club in the OHL, and all he’s done the door has not been closed on a return to juniors or a stint with Team there is average more than 2 points per game. Canada in the World Junior tournament this winter.

Through 23 games with the Hamilton Bulldogs, Jenik has 19 goals and a A lot of those decisions likely hinge on whether or not Hayton is receiving whopping 50 points, second only in the league to teammate and Los regular playing time with the Coyotes, which he is currently. Angeles Kings draft pick Arthur Kaliyev (51 points). Arizona Republic LOADED: 11.25.2019 Jenik’s 31 assists lead all OHL skaters, and his 2.17 points per game also rank second in the OHL, trailing only Washington Capitals draft pick Connor McMichael, who plays for the London Knights.

The Coyotes see Jenik’s hot start as a continuation of what they saw in training camp.

“(Jan) came in here and trained hard here all summer,” Coyotes President of Hockey Operations and General Manager John Chayka said. “I think he put on 10-15 pounds of muscle. It showed in training camp; I thought he had an amazing rookie camp and training camp. It really showed well and it is not surprising us with the start he’s had.

“He’s a very competitive guy who works at his game every single day. His growth trajectory is really positive, and if he keeps it up, we're going to have a very special player.”

Clearly some credit for Jenik’s success comes from playing on a line with Kaliyev, a sharpshooting winger who was a second-round pick last year but was projected as high as the top 10.

Still, the Coyotes view Jenik as a dynamic playmaker whose skill set could translate regardless of who is on the ice.

“It’s a good combination,” Chayka said of Jenik and Kaliyev. “Obviously Kaliyev has a great shot and Jan is more of a playmaker, but he goes to the net and gets some dirty goals, too. Obviously they’ve been extremely productive, but the great thing about Jan is that he’s not only a goal- scorer and a playmaker but he hunts puck and he’s a competitive guy who wins puck battles and plays a physical game.”

The physical game is what impressed Tocchet so much in training camp. Jenik was not afraid to be aggressive in games against NHL players and make his presence felt.

“He came into training camp with NHL players and competed,” Chayka said. “He wants guys that are aggressive and can create space for themselves and their teammates. The whole coaching staff obviously loves him and it’s hard not to love a player like that. We feel like that’s translatable to the NHL.”

Jenik will likely suit up for the Czech Republic in the World Junior championship tournament in January, an event in which he participated last year but received limited playing time. Chayka expects Jenik to get a bigger opportunity this time around.

If Jenik continues this trajectory — and there’s no reason to believe he won’t — there is a good chance he’ll either end up as a fixture with the next season or even battling for a role with the Coyotes.

“He’s got to continue to get stronger, continue to grow his body,” Chayka said of Jenik, who is listed at 6-foot-1, 180 pounds. “There are certain details, but other than that we’ve got one heck of a prospect.”

Updates on Crouse, Hayton 1163191 Arizona Coyotes QUICK HITS — Kuemper made 34 saves as the Coyotes were out-shot 37-30. Mikko

Koskinen was in net for the Oilers, instead of former Coyotes goalie Mike Arizona Coyotes fall in shootout to McDavid, 1st-place Edmonton Smith.

— Speaking of former Coyotes, head coach Dave Tippett was behind the bench for the Oilers. It was the first time Tippett has coached as a visitor BY MATT LAYMAN | NOVEMBER 24, 2019 AT 9:57 PM at Gila River Arena since his departure from the franchise. With the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes, Tippett coached for eight seasons and led the UPDATED: NOVEMBER 24, 2019 AT 10:01 PM team to the playoffs three times.

— Sunday was the Coyotes’ second game against Edmonton this GLENDALE, Ariz. — It was a third-period, game-tying Edmonton Oilers season. Both games went beyond regulation time. goal by Markus Granlund that forced the Arizona Coyotes’ game to — Arizona is 3-for-8 (37.5%) on the power play in the last three games. overtime on Sunday night. Edmonton bested Arizona in the shootout and walked away with two points in the standings. — Up next on the schedule: The Coyotes get two days off before hosting the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night. From there, they play a back- The 4-3 final score included Connor McDavid’s shootout-deciding goal to-back on Friday and Saturday, the first one in Vegas and the second and his 29th assist, good for the second most in the NHL behind his one at home against San Jose. teammate Leon Draisaitl. Arizona got just a point in the standings against its Pacific Division rival, which now leads the Coyotes by four points for Arizona Sports LOADED: 11.25.2019 first place in the division.

“To me, it’s just that goal,” Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said of Granlund’s tying goal. “You’ve just got to take a body in front. You can’t puck-watch. Especially the last part of the game.”

Granlund drove to the net and put a shot on Darcy Kuemper, creating a loose puck in front. Coyotes defensemen Jordan Oesterle and Ilya Lyubushkin weren’t able to tie up Granlund, who scored on his own rebound with 6:48 remaining.

“I liked our third period until the goal, really. Even on the goal, it’s a play that we should defend or we defend 99% of the time,” Alex Goligoski said. “So I didn’t think we were sitting on our heels or anything. We had a lot of rushes that had chances to put that game away, too. So they got the one, and we get to overtime, anything can happen.”

Apart from that, the Coyotes led 3-2 going into the third period. Arizona came back from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits and had two quick goals just 1:33 apart in the second period that set them up for a clear path to win the game.

The late Oilers goal spoiled that.

“We had our chances to make it 4-2,” Tocchet said. ” We need to make that play to make it 4-2.”

The game’s scoring started with McDavid’s assist, which sent a puck to Draisaitl and then over to James Neal for a power play goal on the doorstep. Arizona answered back, though, with a power play goal of its own. The Coyotes’ man advantage was clicking smoothly and tied up the game 1-1.

That Coyotes power play goal was a feed from Nick Schmaltz to Carl Soderberg. It was the seventh goal of the season for Soderberg, who took sole possession of second place on the Coyotes in goals, behind Conor Garland (10). Schmaltz’s assist was his team-leading 15th of the year. Arizona’s power play finished 1-for-2.

In the second period, the Oilers had all the momentum for most of the first 10 minutes and scored to make it 2-1 on a goal by Alex Chiasson.

But a switch seemed to flip as the Coyotes scored two goals in quick succession. It first was a goal by Christian Fischer, his third of the season, assisted nicely by Michael Grabner. Then, Vinnie Hinostroza scored his fourth of the year on a sharp angle shot from a rebound.

That made it 3-2 Coyotes.

“The building’s starting to get loud and we could feel it when we get those back-to-back goals,” Fischer said. “That’s just something we’ve got to keep working on. When we find those momentum swings and those game swings, we’ve got to ride it.”

Granlund scored in the third period, and overtime saw Edmonton nearly score on multiple quality setups. Arizona forced a shootout, and McDavid’s goal was the only one for either team.

“I don’t think we should be that happy about the game,” Hinostroza said. “We had a goal lead late in the third, and for some reason, recently when we’re up one goal, we tend to let the other team back into it. So it’s something we’re going to have to clean up.” 1163192 Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes hang on to beat Los Angeles Kings

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

NOVEMBER 23, 2019 AT 5:12 PM

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lawson Crouse scored the go-ahead goal before a scary fall that forced him to leave the game, and the Arizona Coyotes held on to beat the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 on Saturday.

Phil Kessel and Christian Fischer also scored for the Coyotes, who have won five of seven, including a 3-0 home victory over the Kings on Monday. Antti Raata made 43 saves for Arizona, which was outshot 45- 18.

Anze Kopitar and Nikolai Prokhorkin scored for the Kings, whose five- game home winning streak ended. Jonathan Quick stopped 16 shots.

Crouse’s goal off a rebound in the second period put Arizona ahead 2-1. He left the game in the third period after he fell and hit his head awkwardly into the boards. After being checked by a trainer, he was helped off the ice, and he walked to the locker room.

Kessel opened the scoring with a power-play goal in the first period. The Coyotes got through the neutral zone quickly, and he scored on a give- and-go play, assisted by Keller and Derek Stepan.

Kopitar tied it at 1-1 in the second period on the power play, his team- best ninth goal of the season.

Crouse scored at 15:29 of the second period and 27 seconds later, Clayton Keller was whistled for a hooking penalty. But the Kings came up empty on that power-play opportunity.

Fischer’s empty-netter made it 3-1 with 2:10 left in the game, but Prokhorkin responded quickly with the game’s final goal.

The Coyotes return home to host the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday in a match-up of the Pacific Division’s top teams.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163193 Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes’ Lawson Crouse leaves game with upper-body injury

BY ARIZONA SPORTS | NOVEMBER 23, 2019 AT 4:31 PM

UPDATED: NOVEMBER 23, 2019 AT 7:25 PM

Arizona Coyotes forward Lawson Crouse was helped off the ice in the third period of the game against Los Angeles on Saturday.

In the third period, Crouse got tangled up with Kings defenseman Alec Martinez and tripped. Crouse ended up sliding across the ice and hitting the boards.

Scary scene in LA.

Lawson Crouse goes head first into the end boards.#ARIvsLAK pic.twitter.com/du3eMzkIS3

— Here’s Your Replay ḏ (@HeresYourReplay) November 23, 2019

The Arizona Coyotes later announced that he would not return due to an “upper-body injury.”

Crouse was helped off the ice with assistance from the training staff.

Head coach Rick Tocchet said after the game that Crouse was “woozy” and was having work done.

Crouse scored the go-ahead goal for Arizona in the 15th minute of the second period to give them a 2-1 lead.

It was Crouse’s fifth goal of the season.

The Coyotes went on to beat the Kings 3-2.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163194 Boston Bruins As Krug closed down the slot and angled toward the right post, Stalock dropped to his knees. Just as he neared the blue paint in the crease, Krug shoveled off a backhander and the puck squeezed through the tender’s pads and bled over the line. Torey Krug’s overtime game-winner capped a dazzling comeback The clock frozen with 2:19 left in overtime. Krug wasn’t aware he’d won it until he curled out of the right offensive corner and saw his teammates spilling over the boards like schoolboys set free at the recess bell. By Kevin Paul Dupont,Updated November 24, 2019, 10:30 p.m. “I heard the crowd,”said Krug, who looked akin to drum major leading a

marching band during his goal celebration. “Then I heard Bergy and A day later, talk of Torey Krug’s dazzling overtime goal Saturday night at Marchy scream, so all of a sudden someone is off the bench and hugging the Garden, the one that lifted the Bruins to a 5-4 win over the Wild, filled me. Right there, when you score those goals, it’s just natural emotion old-world public chat rooms such as New England church gathering and energy.” spaces, gas station convenient marts, and doughnut shops. Somewhat overshadowed in the drama was that David Krejci, both times Floyd the barber, of course, closed shop for the day to watch football. on velvety feeds from Bergeron, scored a pair of third-period goals in span of 48 seconds, erasing the Wild’s 4-2 lead. On both strikes, the Had the play gone according to plan — and, oh, how the Wild’s three Bruins had pulled goalie Tuukka Rask for an extra attacker. On the 4-4 skaters wish Krug had stuck to the script — the veteran defenseman was equalizer, which had the Bruins skating with a 6-on-4 advantage, supposed to dish away the puck roughly one-third of the way up the ice. Bergeron first had to race back to the bench to replace a broken stick. He Lugging the puck and prepared to shift to warp speed, Krug crossed out returned and fed deep on the wing for Krejci to hammer home a one-time of his own zone with Brad Marchand slightly ahead of the play on left slapper from a sharp angle. wing and ditto for Patrice Bergeron on the right side. Combined, including the pair of Krejci strikes and then Krug’s wizardry, As planned, Krug was driving the play from the back end, standard fare the Bruins transformed standard-cut NHL hockey into what felt more like in 3-on-3 overtime hockey. OT turns hockey into a game of slingshot. the stuff that is played on streets and ponds. It lacked only someone And the Wild were about to be shot. yelling, “Car!” or a black lab chasing down a puck that had skittered over a snowbank. Sign Up Everyone in the crowd of 17,850 should have been offered a cup of “I’m just trying to be open right away,” said Bergeron, reciting how the mom’s hot chocolate as they headed home. play was designed. “We had a play set up on that particular instance.” “Having the celebration after the [Krejci] goal that tied the game, those Per design, Krug was supposed to toss the puck to Bergeron, who in turn are great feelings,” said Krug. would bump it back to Krug, who in turn would laser a pass to Marchand breaking wide on the wing. Add a little travelin’ music . . . and away we “Those are moments that bring a team together throughout a season. go. That group of guys on the ice take a lot of pride in making things happen. To come back and celebrate on the bench with those guys, and see how It’s precisely that play that the Wild’s three skaters anticipated in their excited they are, that’s a special thing. Those are moments that bring a man-to-man coverage. Zach Parise would force Krug to give it up near group together, and we’ll try to embrace it.” mid-ice, and the two back defenders, Brad Hunt on the right and Luke Kunin on the left, would pick up either Bergeron or Marchand. Boston Globe LOADED: 11.25.2019 If the play were covered properly, it might force a low-percentage shot from outside, or perhaps force Marchand to circle back out of the zone with the puck and try to generate a different entry, recreate the slingshot.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the forum. Parise eased off his coverage of Krug in the neutral zone, opening wide the center of the ice, with a Waze-like track there for Krug to follow straight down Broadway. Parise never had chance to recalculate.

Up on the ninth floor, in his customary perch, team president Cam Neely spotted the open path.

“I was a little surprised by the two defenders, how wide they got,” a diplomatic Neely said Sunday, following a World Trade Center event at which he unveiled the club’s new third sweater. “Then I was thinking, ‘I hope Torey sees the opening there.’ Thankfully, he did, and he turned on the jets. You always wonder, if they’re seeing at ice level what we’re seeing on the ninth floor, right? It’s all a little slower when you’re watching from up there.”

Neely, not unlike the Wild defenders, was thinking, “OK, Krug’s going to pick it up and give it one of his wingers, March or Bergy, on the fly, so they can have speed on the entry.”

Instead, Hunt and Kunin morphed into . . . wait for it . . . Laurel and Hardy, and Krug took all the space they offered. As he zipped down the slot, all three Wild skaters waved their extended sticks his way, with astonished goaltender Alex Stalock aware of the doom about to be dropped at his doorstep.

“I mean, not often you go end to end, right?” said Neely. “Not even on 3- on-3, when you think you might be able to do a little bit more.”

Krug read the play perfectly, as if he, too, were sitting in a comfy roller chair on the ninth floor. He was not near full flight as he left the defensive zone.

“Came up the left side a little bit to mess with Parise’s gap,” he recalled. “Once I took a couple of hard strides I realized I could beat him, parting of the sea. Marchy and Bergy drew some attention as well, and all of a sudden I was in alone.” 1163195 Boston Bruins

Dressed for success? Bruins unveil new third jersey

By Kevin Paul Dupont Globe Staff,November 24, 2019, 6:34 p.m.

Amid flashing lights, a stage presentation headlined by chief Causeway haberdasher Cam Neely, and a slick two-minute video the envy of Fashion Avenue, the Bruins on Sunday unveiled their new third jersey at the World Trade Center.

Neely, who also doubles as the Black-and-Gold’s president, took the stage just after 2 p.m. to pull the curtain back on the new threads before a sprawling crowd of some 1,600 season-ticket holders.

“How about that finish last night?” asked Neely, many in the crowd still buzzing about Saturday’s 5-4 win over the Wild that was capped by Torey Krug’s dynamic end-to-end scoring dash in overtime. “Not great on the ticker, I can tell you that.”

The snazzy new jerseys, to be worn in game action for the first time when the Rangers visit for Friday’s 1 p.m. matinee, feature an oversized bold “B” on the chest, taking the place of the club’s iconic spoked-B logo that is embedded into center ice at the Garden.

The jerseys are black, trimmed in gold numerals and letters, with a distinctive gold band that rings the full circumference of the collar. It’s the club’s first new alternate jersey since the 2015-16 season, when the Bruins occasionally wore a somewhat similar model that was designed specifically for the outdoor Winter Classic game against the Canadiens at Gillette Stadium on Jan. 1, 2016.

The Bruins entered the NHL for the start of the 1924-25 season, and as Neely noted, history afforded them the luxury of considering a number of eras and uniform iterations when designing the new model.

“After we went through the Winter Classic jersey, the big bold ‘B’ was pretty impressive on the jersey when I saw it,” offered Neely, when asked who came up with the new design. “So it started there. And I am a big fan of black over white [as base color], so we started with what was going to be the crest. Then to decide on the color, we looked back at the other jerseys, historically. Then I polled some people in the office to see what they thought. You want to make sure you are getting it right, or as right as you think you can get it.”

As the video rolled on large screens, defenseman Connor Clifton and forward Anders Bjork took the stage in full uniform, sticks and skates included, for the crowd to get the live look at the new clothing line.

The new jerseys, with a top-end price of $240 each, will be available Friday in the club’s recently opened Pro Shop adjacent North Station. Smaller versions for women and children begin under $100.

Now 9-0-4 on home ice, the Bruins will play 28 more regular-season games on Causeway Street and will wear the new jersey in 11 of those games.

Boston Globe LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163196 Boston Bruins line switch-up can serve that purpose. It would also be nice to throw Krejci a bone for a bit.

— Of Bergeron’s four helpers in the win over the Wild, there was none Bruins need to tighten up prettier than the calm, no-look, two-foot-backhander pass that gave Krejci an empty net at which to shoot.

— In case you missed it, the Canadiens,whom the B’s play twice over the By STEVE CONROY | November 24, 2019 at 4:00 PM next week, joined the Blown Four-Goal Lead Club on Saturday, losing 6- 5 to the Rangers — in regulation, no less — after taking a 4-0 lead. Since

they lost Paul Byron and Jonathan Drouin to long-term injuries in a costly The Bruins completed a six-point sweep of their three-game schedule win over the Capitals, the Habs have lost four straight. last week. Going into Sunday’s games, they were two points behind the Boston Herald LOADED: 11.25.2019 league-leading Washington Capitals with two games in hand. They stretched their Atlantic Division lead to five points with their thrilling comeback win over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday.

And yet it doesn’t feel like all is right. The B’s have not been at the top of their game for a while now. They gave up 36 shots to the Wild on Saturday. That marked the eighth time in their 11 November games that they’ve allowed 30 or more shots on net against. They’ve allowed plus-40 twice this month. They’ve given up an average of 34 shots against this month. On average, that’s a little too much. On some nights, it’s been way too much.

More than the shots against, they simply haven’t looked great. Seeing them turn the puck over repeatedly on the first shift of the game against Minnesota after they were outshot 14-0 by Buffalo to start the game on Thursday was unsettling.

There is a way to look at these trends with Black and Gold glasses, to be sure. If this is what the 2019-20 Bruins can call a slump, that will be some good news. And given their stature in the league as defending Eastern Conference champs and coming off their great start, they’re going to be seeing lesser teams’ best efforts on most nights. They’ve taken some first round haymakers on the chin and been able to stay on their feet.

But it would be nice to see a complete, 60-minute effort a little more regularly.

Here are a few other thoughts from Saturday’s win and more:

— It was not a good night for the Never Tuukka crowd. One of the narratives that the Rask bashers like to push is that when things aren’t going his way, he doesn’t fight through it. Well, Rask showed up at the Garden expecting to be opening the bench door all night. Instead, scheduled starter Jaroslav Halak was ill and Rask was forced into action. His team was not great in front of him. The game looked lost when in the third period the B’s fell behind 4-2 on an own goal off the stick of Torey Krug.

But with the B’s still trailing by two late in the third, Rask stopped Jason Zucker on a clean breakaway to keep his team alive. Then, after the two late David Krejci goals tied the game with Rask on the bench, he made a tremendous split save on Brad Hunt’s deflected shot, allowing Krug to atone for his bad luck goal against with the overtime game-winner.

“He did a great job pinch-hitting,” sad coach Bruce Cassidy. “I thought he had some tough luck around the net. He makes that great save on Zucker. …That could be it. You could says, ‘Not our night.’ But he battled hard. Overtime shot that I think hit (Charlie) Coyle’s stick, he stretched out and made a great save. He battled hard. Good for him. I’m glad he got the win because, in those circumstances, it’s not easy.”

— The feeling here still is that the solution to David Krejci’s right wing dilemma will not be known until the trading deadline, but Brett Ritchie had himself a decent night there after starting the evening on the fourth line. He was instrumental in the B’s tying the game briefly in the second period. After Krejci lost a defensive zone draw, he exploded off his blocks to win the puck and then later in the sequence he beat two men down low to get the puck out high to Zdeno Chara for Jake DeBruck’s tip goal.

“Yeah, we got some O-zone time. He’s obviously strong, and big. A couple of times I lost the faceoff and he was first on the puck and we got O-zone time,” said Krejci.

— That being said, it might be time for a minor reboot with the top two lines. If it was up to me, and no one’s asked, I’d put Danton Heinen up with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand and move David Pastrnak to the Krejci-DeBrusk line. This isn’t a lobby for the long-term breakup of that explosive top line. Just for a couple of games, maybe even for a couple of periods. It doesn’t hurt to refocus every now and then, and a 1163197 Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins unveil sharp new alternate jerseys

By Jacob Camenker November 24, 2019 2:40 PM

The Boston Bruins have a new look.

The team took to Twitter on Sunday to unveil their new alternate jerseys. The all-black jerseys with a classic-looking yellow B in the middle are pretty sharp.

Very nice.

These jerseys will make their debut during the Bruins' Black Friday matinee against the New York Rangers. It'll be a nice contrast with the Rangers' red, white, and blue color scheme.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163198 Boston Bruins Nolan Donato, Jeannine, Ted and Maddie Donato (Michael Russo/The Athletic)

Ryan has been leaning on his dad for advice a lot this season. With a family of Boston fans supporting him, Ryan Donato is fighting to Ryan opened training camp penciled in as the second-line center make his mark with the Wild between Zach Parise and Mats Zuccarello. Chemistry was never attained, and once Kevin Fiala arrived a few weeks into camp after a work visa delay, Ryan inched his way down the lineup, largely playing By Michael Russo Nov 24, 2019 fourth-line left wing in recent weeks.

It’s a humbling experience for a former Massachusetts prep school star who played for his dad at Harvard, was drafted by his hometown B’s and NEW YORK – Pretty much every single Donato family member, every last year tied Wild star-studded prospect Kirill Kaprizov and NHL 400- single friend, every single neighbor inside Suite 510 at TD Garden on goal scorer Ilya Kovalchuk for first in Olympic goal-scoring (five). Saturday night was a lifelong Boston Bruins fan. Ryan was a scorer – a shooter – at every level before turning pro. Yet, for one night, some secretly – and some not-so-secretly – rooted for the Wild. “I just know that when I get my opportunity, I will succeed,” Ryan said Saturday morning. “Every time that I’ve been given a chance to do that, Once upon a time, Ted Donato played nearly 800 games in the NHL, I’ve found success. And for me, I just want to learn the lessons that I am beginning and ending his eight-team career with the Bruins. now and not take it for granted. Come in every day with a mentality of Yet, in the first period, when the Wild’s Jason Zucker scored the game’s fighting for that opportunity. And when I get it, hopefully doing well with it, first goal, then Alex Stalock denied Charlie McAvoy on a 3-on-0, the and using the lessons that I’ve learned now to create more value for me longtime Harvard men’s hockey coach jumped up and cheered from the as a guy that can be a top-six player and create offense.” box overlooking center ice. The Wild continue their road trip to Madison Square Garden to face the “I was worried the (NESN) camera would flash by me and say, ‘He’s a New York Rangers on Monday night, and perhaps that can bring Ryan traitor now,’” Donato said, laughing, during the first intermission. some good vibes. It’s on Broadway where he debuted for the Wild in February after being acquired for Charlie Coyle and a draft pick. Hey, you can bet the Bruins TV analysts would have understood. Donato was playing in AHL Providence at the time. Donato’s son, Ryan, a 2014 second-round pick by his hometown Bruins, now plays for the Wild and was playing as a visitor in Beantown for the His girlfriend was playing at Harvard. first time in his pro career. Once a week, Ryan would drive to Boston to have dinner with Fusco. Ryan’s mom, Jeannine Donato, and his girlfriend, Bradley Fusco, wore Coincidentally, on that particular week, after much debate back and forth custom sparkling Minnesota Wild hats with the logo on the front and No. with Fusco as to what day he should come, Ryan drove to Boston on the 6 on the side made of Swarovski crystals. day he ended up getting traded.

Ryan Donato’s mom, Jeannine, and girlfriend, Bradley Fusco (Courtesy As Ryan stood in the stands waiting for Fusco’s practice to end, reports of Bradley Fusco) by The Athletic and TSN started to circulate that he was the asset being swapped for Coyle. “We had them made when Ryan was playing in Boston. He got traded the next day,” Jeannine said, rolling her eyes. “So, his girlfriend and I got Fusco found out from one of her teammates, who happened to be another one made. You know what? The Wild logo is a little bit harder to wearing an Apple Watch and received a notification on the ice. do than the Bruins one.” Ryan didn’t know what to do. Warmups had just completed and self-labeled “Mama Bear” was just In conversation with his agent, Matt Keator, there was still no official word settling in to watch her 23-year-old son play for his second NHL team because the Wild and Bruins weren’t permitted to announce the trade against his first one. until hours later because of roster complications for the Bruins, who had “I’ve been through it with Teddy so many times, but when it’s with your a game that night in Vegas. kid, it’s so different,” Jeannine said. “But Ryan seems really happy in “So I said, ‘We can either wait and do nothing, or let’s go to dinner,’” said Minnesota. Still, to come back home to Boston, like we had a whole Fusco, who comes from a huge hockey dynasty that includes her group – probably 20-plus people – that we went out to dinner with him Harvard-playing, Hobey Baker-winning father, Scott, and her Harvard- (Friday) night. He took all of his buddies out to dinner in the North End. playing, Hobey Baker-winning uncle, Mark. He was really excited to see everybody, but it’s hard to come back. He’s just excited to be home and see everybody.” During dinner with his girlfriend and father, Ryan finally received the call that the trade was official. Jeannine looked around the jam-packed suite, shook her head and smiled: “This is only half the crew that’s (in this arena) to see him. Like It worked out perfectly. every one of his high school buddies are here. Probably 50 or 60 people are here.” Fusco drove an hour with Ryan back to Providence, helped pack up his entire apartment and then was able to drive Ryan’s truck back to Boston They ended up seeing one of the most exciting games imaginable, once a car service arrived to take Ryan to Manhattan, where he’d meet although one that did not end pleasantly for Ryan and the road team. up with the Wild. Trailing by two goals with 1:55 left, the Bruins scored twice to force overtime, then won the game when defenseman Torey Krug went coast Ryan arrived after midnight, debuted for the Wild that night, assisted on to coast through a generous hole the Wild gifted him that was big enough two goals in the first of five consecutive games – all victories — with at to drive a semi through. least a point. In his first 15 games with the Wild, Ryan was a point-a- game player and Wild fans – and the Wild – were ecstatic about is future. Ryan, to his credit, played one of his better games after some early nerves. In 9 minutes, 13 seconds of ice time, Ryan had four hits, a But things have taken a turn for the worse since, and he’s trying to do blocked shot and was on the ice for linemate Victor Rask’s goal. everything possible to increase his confidence.

After one heck of a start with the Wild last season, Ryan has one goal, “My mom’s always supportive. She’s my mom,” Ryan said, laughing, two assists and only 23 shots in 21 games, and in a limited 9:46 of ice about Jeannine, who’s a nurse by trade and an expert in concussions. time per game. That’s nearly six minutes less ice time than he received “But my dad definitely, he’s always talking. He’s been in a similar from coach Bruce Boudreau after arriving from Boston in February. situation. And he knows the role. So, I really heavily rely on him. I think (New England Patriots wide receiver) Julian Edelman said his dad is like “If handled the right way though, this can make you stronger,” said Ted, a mechanic for his brain. That’s probably the same way for me. He who in 2001-02 actually played for Boudreau in Manchester of the AHL. settles me down when I need settling down and also kicks me into gear “Obviously there’s no secret that Ryan wants to produce more and be when I seem too relaxed.” more effective. He’s working hard to get there.” (Courtesy of Jared Kristall) Nine-year-old Eli became a Ryan Donato fanatic as a small child and was saddened when the Bruins traded him. He adopted the Wild as his Ted, of course, speaks from experience and tries to convey this wisdom new favorite team, and his parents covered him head to toe in Wild garb. to his boy, who has been a rink rat since he was a child. Now he was flying to the Twin Cities and wouldn’t even get to see Ryan What Ryan is going through is not unlike what several NHLers have had play? to deal with early in their careers. So Ryan spent a half-hour with the boy after the morning skate, “There’s a lot of experiences that go into being a pro,” said Ted, a father presented him with all sorts of keepsakes, a game-used stick that Eli of four (Nolan, 21, Jack, 22, and Maddie, 17, are the others). “Certainly sleeps with every night and lifelong memories. having some success then having some adversity. Probably getting your teeth knocked out, which he did last year in Providence. Then coming Eli even got a personal dressing room tour from GM Bill Guerin, back to play a team that you already played for and deal with all those autographs from many of Ryan’s teammates and a picture with emotions. Boudreau, who apologized profusely for not playing the boy’s hero.

“He’s trying to just be positive. He’s smart enough to look at the whole “Donato is such a good guy – so kind and humble and always has such a picture. When you’re a young guy, unless there’s a spot made for you, good attitude,” Eli’s mom, Jenn, said. “As a young hockey player, I’m so then otherwise you have to play well and get the opportunity. That glad Eli chose Ryan as his idol. Bill was so kind taking him into the locker opportunity may come when someone else doesn’t play well. It might room as well. Truly magical!” come when someone gets injured. Might come when the team’s not having a good game and you get your chance and you kind of run with it. The way Ryan treated the child on such a difficult day for him personally He’s just trying to improve himself so that when he does get that kind of was proof positive that Eli picked the perfect athlete to look up to. opportunity he’s able to take advantage of it. Eli attended Saturday’s morning skate and game in Boston, so he finally “He’s put a lot of time in this fall into really digesting each and every shift, got to see Ryan play for the Wild in person. and each and every play. He feels like he’s acquiring a lot of things that “We’ll never have to worry about whether hockey is the most important he needs to acquire to become a better player. But I think like any other thing for him,” Ted said. “I think he really wants to be better and he wants player, he wants to put it to work. He wants to get out there. But he loves to do all the things that allow him to have the best chance to be better. Minnesota. He loves the team. They’re playing much better than they Whether it’s eating right or living right. In a lot of ways, he was very were at the start, so he’s trying to put himself in a position so that he can fortunate to break in with the Bruins because he got to watch guys like be helpful to the team.” (Patrice) Bergeron and (Zdeno) Chara and say, ‘OK, this is what a pro Ryan lets every one of his dad’s words sink in. Jeannine hears the calls, looks like and this is how they react to good and the bad.’ she says, and the “advice from Teddy is always that, ‘You’re young, you “When it’s all said and done, I think like anybody else, you want to play have to learn, be patient, do your job.’ It’s always come pretty easy for well. You want to have a chance to express yourself in the most positive Ryan, and the last few years, there’s been some ups and downs. But way. Certainly, he had a little of that last year when he came to Teddy talks him through it.” Minnesota. Now he’s learning how to be helpful to the team when you’re “Yeah,” Ryan said, “I’m very lucky to have him. He’ll tell me straight out. not in that role. When I disagree with him, he’ll tell me that I’m wrong, and he’ll tell me “This is all part of growing up. If you look at most players, that is the the reasons, and usually he’s right. He’s been around long enough to curve. You come in and you have to prove that you’re reliable. You have understand what are the rights and wrongs of the league. I’m really to prove that you can help play in less minutes or play in an energy role. blessed to have him.” Then you get your chance and you run with it.”

He really does just need to be patient. The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2019 For the most part, the Wild have been healthy, and it’s hard to unseat top-nine left wings Zucker, Parise and Jordan Greenway, and top-nine right wings Zuccarello, Fiala and Luke Kunin. Boudreau has been mostly satisfied with Ryan’s play of late.

“I think he can score if he has confidence like he did in the beginning of his time with us,” Boudreau said. “But what he’s doing now, quite frankly, he’s learning how to play without the puck. And he’s doing a much better job. Defensive zone, he still has his hiccups. But at the end of the year last year, he had a ton of hiccups and I didn’t even care. I was just told to play him (by former GM Paul Fenton).

“So I played him despite the mistakes. But I think he’s gotten so much better of not trying to beat everybody one-on-one, coming back to his own zone and stopping, stuff like that. All those things, he’s gotten better.”

Eli with Ryan Donato in Boston on Saturday. (Courtesy of Eli’s mom, Jenn)

Still, the limited ice time, always having the threat of being pulled from the lineup, especially when Marcus Foligno returns from injury, can weigh on a young kid.

Yet, this is one good kid – someone who, by the way, barely drinks, never swears and is all about his faith.

But really proved what type of heart he has earlier this season when dealing with the stinging disappointment of finding out he would not get to play in the Wild’s home opener.

Unaccustomed to being a healthy scratch, Ryan could have sprinted home from Xcel Energy Center and buried his head in a pillow. But he got wind that a young fan from suburban Boston flew with his mom, Jenn, all the way to Minnesota to watch Ryan play the Pittsburgh Penguins. 1163199 Buffalo Sabres

Sabres get former second-rounder Matthew Spencer in minor league deal

By Staff

Published Sun, Nov 24, 2019|Updated Sun, Nov 24, 2019

The Buffalo Sabres have acquired defenseman Matthew Spencer from the Tampa Bay Lightning and assigned him to Cincinnati of the ECHL.

Buffalo sent defenseman Devante Stephens to the Lightning.

Spencer was a second-round pick in the 2015 draft and has played 53 games in the with the Syracuse Crunch with seven points with a goal and six assists. He also has played 53 games in the ECHL with Adirondack and Orlando with 18 points on four goals and 14 assists.

Stephens, a fifth-round pick in 2015, has played just three games this season with Cincinnati and has struggled with injuries throughout his career. His best pro season was last year when he played in 69 games with Cincinnati with eight goals and 17 assists.

Buffalo News LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163200 Buffalo Sabres Fine finish: Girgensons capped his first multigoal game since Jan. 25, 2016, by scoring on his own rebound with 6:35 remaining in regulation.

Bogo's return: Defenseman Zach Bogosian made his season debut The Wraparound: Buffalo Sabres 5, Florida Panthers 2 Sunday against Florida, skating alongside Rasmus Dahlin at even strength and contributing on the penalty kill. Bogosian had not appeared in a game since last March while recovering from hip surgery.

By Lance Lysowski Injuries: Center Marcus Johansson (upper body), winger Kyle Okposo (concussion) and forward Vladimir Sobotka (lower body) remained out of Published Sun, Nov 24, 2019|Updated Sun, Nov 24, 2019 the Sabres' lineup. Krueger expressed hope that Johansson will be ready to rejoin the team "early next week."

SUNRISE, Fla. – One breakaway could have changed the complexion of Winger Curtis Lazar and defenseman Colin Miller were healthy the game Sunday night in BB&T Center. scratches.

The Florida Panthers' Colton Sceviour skated alone down the ice and his Next: The Sabres complete their three-game road trip with a game shot on net was stopped by Buffalo Sabres goalie Linus Ullmark, who against the Tampa Bay Lightning at 7 p.m. EST on Monday night in was making his third consecutive start, to keep the game scoreless in the Amalie Arena. first period. Prospect update: Dylan Cozens, whom the Sabres drafted seventh Ullmark's teammates responded with one of their best performances in overall in June, had one goal among five points in Lethbridge's 11-2 November, despite playing with only 10 forwards after Evan Rodrigues victory over Red Deer on Saturday night. It was Cozens' eighth game of left with an injury. Jack Eichel had one goal among three points and four or more points in his career, and he's now Zemgus Girgensons scored twice to lift the Sabres to a 5-2 win over the tied with Price Albert center Aliaksei Protsai for the league lead in points. Panthers. Cozens, 18, has 17 goals among 37 points in 24 games this season. The Sabres (11-9-3) had lost nine of their previous 10 games, and this is Buffalo News LOADED: 11.25.2019 the first season in which they've beaten the Panthers (12-7-5) twice since 2016-17. Buffalo also received goals from Victor Olofsson and Jeff Skinner.

Ullmark made 43 saves to earn his fifth win of the season. Noel Acciari and Brett Connolly scored for Florida. This was the Sabres' first win in Sunrise, Fla., since November 2015, and they were 1-8-2 in their previous 11 road games against the Panthers.

Momentum shift: The Sabres failed to record a shot on goal during their first-period power play and almost allowed their second shorthanded goal of the season. Ullmark stopped Sceviour's breakaway with 8:13 remaining. Ullmark, who had a .921 save percentage in six career games against Florida, stopped all 12 shots he faced in the first period.

Opening salvo: The Sabres finally broke through with 3:36 remaining in the first period when Eichel stick-handled his way down the ice, skated toward the right circle and fired a centering pass towards the net.

Skinner was there to deflect the pass into the net for a 1-0 lead and his ninth goal of the season.

Quick strike: Girgensons pushed the lead to 2-0 with 1:37 left in the first period, when his shot ricocheted off Panthers defenseman Mark Pysyk's stick and past goalie Sam Montembeault. It was only the sixth time this season the Sabres led after the first period.

Early exit: Rodrigues played only one 40-second shift in the first period and did not return to the game because of an undisclosed injury.

Highlight: Eichel scored one of his signature goals in the second period, skating circles around Panthers forward Brian Boyle before he rifled a wrist shot past Montembeault for a 3-0 lead at 3:42. The goal was Eichel's 14th through 23 games this season. He had a career-high 28 goals in 77 games last season.

Defensive lapse: Acciari cut the Sabres' lead to two goals at 9:29 into the second period when he corralled a loose puck that leaked through the defense and beat Ullmark with a high shot.

Goalofsson: Following a chaotic sequence in which Ullmark was forced to make difficult saves, the Sabres increased their lead to 4-1 with Olofsson scoring on a wrist shot from the left-wing circle. Sam Reinhart set up Olofsson with a pass during the 2-on-1.

With his secondary assist, Eichel recorded his fifth three-point game of the season, surpassing his total from 2018-19.

Penalty kill: The Sabres allowed a power-play goal for an eighth consecutive game, when Connolly scored with a shot from the top of the left-wing circle with 16:52 left in the third period.

Painful block: Sabres defenseman Marco Scandella walked down the tunnel after blocking a shot with less than 13 minutes remaining in regulation, but he returned to the bench moments later. 1163201 Buffalo Sabres McCabe-Ristolainen Dahlin-Bogosian

Scandella-Jokiharju Sabres game day: Zach Bogosian to make season debut in Florida — Lance Lysowski (@LLysowski) November 23, 2019

Bogosian ready: Naturally, Bogosian smiled at the first mention of By Lance Lysowski possibly returning to game action. He hasn't been on the ice against an Published Sun, Nov 24, 2019|Updated Sun, Nov 24, 2019 opponent since March 23 and was limited to 65 games last season.

Bogosian suffered multiple setbacks in his return from hip surgery last summer, but he could assist the Sabres' penalty kill, which ranks 31st in Matchup: Buffalo Sabres (10-9-3) vs. Florida Panthers (12-6-5) the NHL during November. Bogosian also formed an excellent pairing with Dahlin last season and can provide the Sabres with the type of Where: BB&T Center, Sunrise, Fla. physical presence they need. When: 5 p.m. "Bogo has been really outstanding to have around, first of all as a TV: MSG. person," Krueger said. "Off the ice, he’s very emotional and so far he’s bringing a good spirit in on a daily basis since he’s been in practice. He’s Radio: WGR 550. a personality and he’s somebody who can help us moving forward with his experience, his ability to kill penalties and also play the team game. Crowded blue line: Sabres coach Ralph Krueger used practice Saturday We just look forward, and I’m seeing it more and more in practice, his to "play with some looks" on the blue line. Rasmus Dahlin was reunited confidence is going up in practice. I’m sure he’ll be an added asset to with Zach Bogosian, who could make his season debut against the us." Panthers. Colin Miller was also playing his off-side on a pairing with Brandon Montour. Ullmark in goal: The Sabres will start Linus Ullmark in goal for the third consecutive game. Ullmark has a .921 save percentage in six career Jake McCabe remained with Rasmus Ristolainen and the same goes for games against the Panthers. Carter Hutton will likely start Monday in Marco Scandella with Henri Jokiharju. It remains unclear whom will be Tampa Bay. scratched now that John Gilmour has joined the Rochester Americans. Ullmark has a .910 save percentage in 10 games this season, allowing However, Krueger will instead use seven defensemen and 11 forwards. 3.00 goals-against average. Sam Montembeault will start for the He informed the media Sunday afternoon Miller will be scratched, while Panthers, who lost at Carolina, 4-2, Saturday night. Bogosian will make his season debut. The thinking is Bogosian can help on the penalty kill and this look will also make the Sabres less Bad history: Since the calendar turned to November, the Panthers are 6- predictable. 3-1 and their power play ranks fourth in the NHL. Additionally, they have a plus-4 goal differential and their top players are leading the way. Curtis Lazar will also be a healthy scratch. Jonathan Huberdeau has three goals among 15 points and Aleksander "I think it’s unpredictable if the team likes to match," Krueger said. "As an Barkov has six goals among 14 points during that span. example, it’s almost impossible with lines being mixed and matched and The Sabres defeated the Panthers, 3-2, in a shootout on Oct. 11. different bodies going different places. It gets complicated. Seven D will However, Buffalo has not won two games against Florida in a season be the same. It will be more about us creating pace through that and since 2016-17. Since then, the Sabres are 2-6-1 against their Atlantic having good, quick line changes. ... I actually enjoy it. I think it’s quite a Division rival. creative way to play in a system like ours where it’s pretty clear what you have to do, no matter who you’re on the ice with, whether you’re right, left This would be an opportune time for the Sabres' power play to build off or center. the success it had Thursday night in Boston. The Panthers' penalty kill is converting at a rate of 79.2% since Nov. 1. "It doesn’t mean as much as some of the more structured formations here in the league, and I think also for the D there’s a certain awareness Opposing player to WATCH: Panthers winger Evgenii Dadonov entered that when you have different linemates, different D pairs that principles Sunday tied for first on the team with 10 goals and his 20 points ranked and concepts are more important, really, than thinking outside the box. third. He's also played outstanding against the Sabres during his career, We need a good team game today and we feel this will set us up for it." recording six goals among 17 points in 13 games.

Potential lineup: Center Marcus Johansson remains away from the Buffalo News LOADED: 11.25.2019 team as he recovers from an upper-body injury that has forced him to miss five games. Krueger confirmed Johansson won't play Sunday in Sunrise or Monday in Tampa Bay.

"It doesn’t look like he’ll be joining us here for these two games," Krueger said. "We hope to get him back early next week. He’s close but not close enough to bring him down here."

That has tested the Sabres' depth down the middle, however, Rasmus Asplund has performed well since being recalled from Rochester. Though Buffalo has lost nine of its last 10 games, Krueger is thrilled with how the Sabres performed Thursday in Boston.

The Bruins had not allowed as few as four shots on goal in one period in almost four years. That's a significant accomplishment against one of the top teams in the . Here is how the Sabres lined up during practice Saturday:

Sabres' lines/pairings at practice in Coral Springs:

Vesey-Eichel-Reinhart

Skinner-Rodrigues-Sheary

Girgensons-Larsson-Lazar

Olofsson-Asplund-Mittelstadt

Miller-Montour 1163202 Buffalo Sabres played more shifts than Bogosian and also played power play and some time short-handed. All it takes to skew things a little are a couple of long shifts, and Bogosian had two of those in the second period, but that’s still a big difference. Many complaints about the Sabres defense rest on How the ice time for the Sabres shook out with Zach Bogosian finally reducing ice time for the top pairing, and those wishes were granted for a back night.

Bogosian played 3:33 shorthanded with Scandella to help the Sabres’ beleaguered penalty kill. The PK slipped up again in the third period, By Joe Yerdon Nov 24, 2019 allowing a goal by Brett Connolly after a questionable tripping penalty by Henri Jokiharju, and Bogosian was on ice for that goal against. But the Sabres stopped Florida on three other opportunities in the game and SUNRISE, Fla. — If you had to guess who led the Sabres in ice time limited them to three shots on goal on the power play overall. When it against the Florida Panthers on Sunday, who would it be? Bet it wouldn’t comes to killing penalties, there have been nibbles of success followed have been the guy playing his first game since March 23. by letdowns that pile up so far this season. Bogosian’s presence there allowed for some semblance of calm when the action ramped up. Yes, Zach Bogosian was the minute mule in Buffalo’s 5-2 victory. With 22:03 time on ice, he had the most minutes played by more than a “It was pretty nice to see ‘4’ back out there running around, running into minute above forwards Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart. Among some guys on the other team,” captain Eichel said. “It was great to see defensemen — seven suited up — he bested usual leaders Jake him. I know how hard he’s worked in the offseason and everything he’s McCabe and Rasmus Ristolainen by nearly three minutes, and his done to get back to this point, some of the adversity he’s went through. impact was noticeable. … I thought he came in and brought a bit of leadership and a lot of intensity. I thought he made some great passes, finished his checks. It “Very, very positive, of course, is the return of Bogosian,” coach Ralph was just great to see him back out here. It was a good team win.” Krueger said. “I thought he played well and a lot of minutes. We weren’t sure how he would feel, how it would go. In general, our ability to score It’s been an emotional road back to the ice for Bogosian after another hip today was strong. It was deserved after what happened in Boston (a 3-2 surgery and a setback during the summer. That he was able to return to loss Thursday). I’m happy for the guys. It’s a good start to the weekend.” action and play in all situations (he got a spin on the power play late in the game, too) and even pull down a secondary assist on Eichel’s Bogosian spent most of the game paired with Rasmus Dahlin and, like second-period goal is encouraging. Last season feels like an eternity the other pairings against the Panthers, they had a hard time preventing ago, but if Bogosian can return and play the way he did and provide a shot attempts. Linus Ullmark had a brilliant start and made 43 saves. As steadying hand by leaning into aspects of the game other defenders it was, the Panthers out-attempted the Sabres 69-43 for the game and might struggle with, it can be a net positive for the Sabres. 55-39 at five-on-five. Per NaturalStatTrick.com, Bogosian and Dahlin had nine shot attempts for and 17 against (34.6 CF%) at five-on-five, worst The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2019 among the three defense pairs, but the other two were also below 50 percent.

It’s not ideal, but when you win 5-2 going away after playing a great game but losing in Boston, it can feel as if the universe corrected itself.

Bogosian’s return prompted Krueger to go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen. That move against Minnesota last week didn’t work out, and it could’ve backfired against Florida because Evan Rodrigues was injured during his first shift of the game and did not return. He won’t play Monday against Tampa Bay, and the 11-7 setup could be in play again.

What’s more interesting about that arrangement this time around was the first few shifts of the game pointed toward Krueger rotating the defensemen through while double-shifting wingers on a line with Johan Larsson and Zemgus Girgensons. With Bogosian in and Rodrigues leaving early, the plan was scrapped, and Brandon Montour settled in at forward for the remainder of the game. That turned out to be a stroke of luck, as he sprung Girgensons for the first of his two goals.

“The way we play, it’s about finding your role in the group,” Krueger said. “Sometimes D-men will be up in the front and forwards will be back and vice versa. It’s an easy style of play that you can step into that, but we definitely thought it was better to go 11-7 today. It was our choice because of Bogosian coming in. Not sure how he was feeling and also knowing we had the back-to-back here to keep our D fresh and energized.”

If there’s one interesting takeaway from Bogosian’s return, it’s how it affected his defensive teammates’ ice time. Here’s how their ice time against Florida compared with their average ice time this season:

Defenseman Sunday Season

Rasmus Ristolainen 19:05 24:07

Jake McCabe 19:04 20:44

Rasmus Dahlin 18:13 19:21

Marco Scandella 20:37 16:54

Henri Jokiharju 16:33 16:40

Brandon Montour 11:25 19:27

Two notes here: Montour played at forward, and Scandella played 4:11 on the penalty kill against Florida, which boosted his ice time quite a bit. What’s startling is how Bogosian’s return dropped Ristolainen’s minutes by just over five minutes compared with his season average. Ristolainen 1163203 Calgary Flames “The support from that room, it was incredible,” Brodie said. “It definitely makes things a lot easier with a group like that behind you.”

Now back on the ice, back on the road, there must be a sense of back-to- With new perspective, Flames' Brodie poised to return to action normal for Brodie.

The Flames had lost consecutive games — one in overtime, the other in regulation — before his medical emergency. Wes Gilbertson That skid stretched to six straight setbacks before Saturday’s 3-2 Published:November 24, 2019 shootout triumph over the Flyers in Philadelphia.

Updated:November 24, 2019 4:37 PM MST There was plenty of frustration, for sure, during their slide.

There was talk of trades or firings.

PITTSBURGH — As he waited on the results of all those tests, as he It is, however, just hockey. wondered and worried about why he had collapsed to the ice on that frightening day at the Saddledome, TJ Brodie gained some important “We’ve played together our entire careers,” said Flames captain Mark perspective. Giordano, who will partner with Brodie if his buddy is green-lighted for Monday’s meeting with the Penguins. “So I watched him as a young guy, His medical scare should have provided a reminder for fans and and now he has a wife and a daughter at home … This is beyond followers of the Calgary Flames, as well — that the guy who has been hockey, when stuff like this happens. You’re friends and to see someone shredded for every giveaway, who seems to be part of the outgoing go through something like that, that’s what you think about. You don’t package in every social-media trade suggestion, is a human being too. think about ‘Oh, when is this guy going to come back and play?’ or what it means related to hockey. You think about life. “At the end of the day, it’s a job, but it is just a game,” Brodie told Flames TV in his first comments since his Nov. 14 collapse, convulsions and trip “To see him respond well and all the tests have been clear, it’s been to the emergency room. “I think it sort of opened my eyes to how serious really reassuring for me and I’m sure, obviously, for him and his family.” I’ve taken it throughout my whole life and how much I’ve maybe brought home with me, depending on how the game went. Calgary Sun: LOADED: 11.25.2019

“Maybe the more I can let things go, the better it will make me as a person and a player.”

Brodie, a husband and father to a young daughter, is now back with his buddies.

The 29-year-old defenceman re-joined the team on the road, was on the ice for Sunday’s optional practice in Pittsburgh and repeated several times after that he is feeling good. He is officially a game-time decision for Monday’s matchup with the Sidney Crosby-less Penguins at PPG Paints Arena (5 p.m. MT, Sportsnet West/Sportsnet 960 The Fan).

“He wants to play. He’s eager,” said Flames head coach Bill Peters. “If he gets full clearance, he’ll be in the lineup.”

When Crosby opted for sports hernia surgery earlier this month, the Penguins knew they would be without their captain and go-to guy for at least six weeks.

When Brodie left the Saddledome in an ambulance that day, nobody had any clue how long he’d be out … or how serious the situation might be.

Fortunately, extensive tests have not uncovered any significant concerns.

The scare was hard on Brodie, even though he doesn’t remember the fall or the immediate panic that followed. (“I guess the best way to describe it is sort of like a bad dream,” he told reporters on Grey Cup Sunday in Pittsburgh. “You’re sort of confused at what happened and trying to process everything.”)

It was hard on his teammates, who were visibly shaken as paramedics tended to their pal.

It must have been especially hard on his wife, Amber, who was home with daughter Severn when Sean Monahan’s girlfriend banged on the door and explained the situation, and on his loved ones back in Ontario.

“It’s been a lot of tests in the hospital, trying to figure out exactly what happened,” Brodie told Flames TV. “I think it took a bit of a toll on the family but thanks to the medical staff and the guys and all the support in Calgary and back home, they’ve made it a lot easier.

“I think the biggest takeaway is, you know, I’m still here. I still get to play hockey. At the end of the day, family is the most important thing. And they were unreal through the whole thing.”

That goes for his extended Flames family, too.

His teammates — plus general manager Brad Treliving, Peters and other staffers — hustled to Foothills hospital that afternoon to check up on him.

Their better-halves volunteered to babysit so that Amber could accompany her husband to various medical appointments. 1163204 Carolina Hurricanes

Detroit takes on Carolina on 5-game losing streak

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NOVEMBER 24, 2019 03:05 AM

Carolina Hurricanes (14-8-1, third in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Detroit Red Wings (7-15-3, eighth in the Atlantic Division)

Detroit; Sunday, 7 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Detroit enters the matchup with Carolina as losers of five games in a row.

The Red Wings are 2-9-0 in conference games. Detroit scores 2.4 goals per game, the fewest in the NHL. Anthony Mantha leads the team with 12 total goals.

The Hurricanes are 9-6-1 in Eastern Conference play. Carolina has scored 80 goals and ranks seventh in the NHL averaging 3.5 goals per game. Andrei Svechnikov leads the team with 11.

Carolina beat Detroit 7-3 in the last meeting between these teams on Nov. 1. Sebastian Aho scored two goals for the Hurricanes in the victory and Mantha scored two goals for the Red Wings in the loss.

TOP PERFORMERS: Darren Helm leads the Red Wings with a plus-six in 24 games played this season. Andreas Athanasiou has totaled five goals and four assists over the last 10 games for Detroit.

Svechnikov leads the Hurricanes with 26 points, scoring 11 goals and adding 15 assists. Aho has scored six goals over the last 10 games for Carolina.

LAST 10 GAMES: Hurricanes: 5-5-0, averaging 3.5 goals, 6.4 assists, 3.8 penalties and nine penalty minutes while giving up 3.2 goals per game with a .884 save percentage.

Red Wings: 3-5-2, averaging 2.6 goals, 4.4 assists, 4.1 penalties and 9.6 penalty minutes while giving up 3.6 goals per game with a .873 save percentage.

Red Wings Injuries: Mike Green: day to day (upper body), Anthony Mantha: out (lower body).

Hurricanes Injuries: None listed.

News Observer LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163205 Carolina Hurricanes

Reimer gets 22nd shutout, Hurricanes beat Red Wings 2-0

BY PAUL HARRIS

NOVEMBER 24, 2019 10:53 PM

James Reimer made 19 saves to earn his 22nd career shutout as Carolina beat the Detroit Red Wings 2-0 on Sunday night.

Reimer had to make 11 saves in the first period, making a point-blank stop on Valtteri Filppula a little under five minutes in, denying Tyler Bertuzzi — who skated in from the bottom of the right circle — at 6:22, and thwarting Darren Helm’s short-handed breakaway attempt with a little more than four minutes left in the opening period. After that he faced only eight more shots — five in the second and three in the third).

“It was attention to detail. That's a fast team over there and they got going in the first period. When they do that, they are super dangerous, but if we stay on them and play defense first we can smother their offense,” Reimer said after his first shutout of the season. “This was fun. Actually, I think I got my first NHL shutout against the Canes way back in the day (with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2010-11), so it is nice to get one with them. It kind of comes full circle.”

Sebastian Aho had a goal and an assist, and Teuvo Teravainen also scored to help Carolina win for the sixth time in seven games.

“Just simple things. We got the pucks deep and went to grind in their end,” Aho said. “We didn't let them play offense and their legs were pretty gassed by the end of their shifts.”

Both teams played Saturday night. The Hurricanes defeated the Florida Panthers 4-2 and the Red Wings lost 5-1 to the New Jersey Devils.

“It's been great the last two games. That's the way you want to play,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “It was impressive that we didn't come off the gas and didn't give up much. The first period wasn't sharp, but we locked it down from there.”

Jimmy Howard stopped 34 shots for Detroit, which has lost six straight (0-4-2).

“We didn’t get out of our end well enough,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. “They forecheck hard and we know that. I thought we bogged ourselves down.”

Aho scored with 9:23 left in the second period. He put in the rebound of his attempted pass from the high slot, which had gone off the boards behind the net and caromed into the crease. Aho raced in and poked it into the net before Howard could find and cover the puck. It was Aho’s 12th goal and his third in four games.

Teravainen added an empty-net, short-handed goal with 1:13 left. It was his seventh goal.

NOTES: Detroit RW Anthony Mantha, who leads the team with 12 goals, will miss at least a week with a lower-body injury suffered in Saturday night’s 5-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils. ... RW Filip Zadina, the sixth overall pick of the 2018 draft, was recalled from AHL Grand Rapids to take Mantha’s place in the lineup. … Carolina improved to 11-2-0 when scoring first and 10-0-0 when leading after two periods.

UP NEXT

Hurricanes: At the New York Rangers on Wednesday night.

Red Wings: Host Toronto on Wednesday night.

News Observer LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163206 Carolina Hurricanes Hamilton is putting up the numbers for the Canes (14-8-1), who had a Sunday road game against the Detroit Red Wings to close out a back-to- back set. He has a team-leading 79 shots, eight more than center Sebastian Aho, and is shooting 12.7 percent. Canes’ Pesce joins Hamilton for some offensive fun against Panthers Hamilton’s career shooting average is 6.5 percent and he shot 6.9 percent last season in scoring 18 goals -- both career bests. But he’s finding the open looks and burying more shots while also being a BY CHIP ALEXANDER playmaker. His perfect seam pass Saturday also set up forward Martin NOVEMBER 24, 2019 10:37 AM Necas for a shot and score from the left circle to tie the score 2-2.

“It starts with Dougie. He’s been unbelievable,” Pesce said. “It’s impressive to me how well he’s playing defensively, too. Kudos to him for Hockey coaches are always talking about wanting their defensemen to just stepping up big time.” be active, mobile, jump into plays, join the rush, look to contribute offensively. You know the spiel. Pesce, in his fifth NHL season, is capable of topping his seven goals last year, a career high. It’s a matter of finding shooting lanes, better Not every NHL team is equipped to do that. But the Carolina Hurricanes accuracy ... and a few more bombs like Saturday’s shot. are. “That’s what I try to do every time,” he said, smiling again. “It’s pretty After the Canes’ 4-2 victory Saturday over the Florida Panthers, scary out there.” defenseman Dougie Hamilton was surrounded by the media, discussing his 10th goal of the season. It came late in the second period, gave the News Observer LOADED: 11.25.2019 Canes a 3-2 lead and proved to be the game-winner.

But Brett Pesce’s goal was just as big, just as timely. It came in the first period with the Canes trailing 2-0 and tasked with finding a way to beat Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.

Pesce found a way. The D-man let one rip from the top of the left circle, heavy and accurate.

“Unreal,” Hamilton said of the shot.

Pesce took it in stride, preferring to joke about it.

“Just closed my eyes and shot it as hard as I could,” he said.

Told some of his teammates were saying that might have been the hardest Pesce has shot a puck, he smiled.

“Yeah, absolutely,” he said. “I’m probably going to frame that stick. To be honest, I’m not going to shoot that hard ever again.”

Odds are, Pesce will. He could have had more than one goal Saturday as the Canes, as Hamilton put it, “rumbled around” in the Panthers’ zone a lot.

“He’s been great all year,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “He had a bunch of opportunities tonight. He got the one but I thought he had three or four (opportunities) right in the slot, ripping shots. And he was great defensively. He was solid as can be. He’s been that all year.”

Brind’Amour has settled in on using Pesce with as the second defensive pairing behind Hamilton and Jaccob Slavin. Jake Gardiner has been working with Trevor van Riemsdyk as the third D pair, and Haydn Fleury adds a seventh D-man capable of stepping in.

Edmundson, not known for his offensive prowess with the St. Louis Blues, was working on a six-game point streak in Brind’Amour’s system after assisting on Pesce’s goal.

The Canes lead the NHL with 20 goals from their defensemen and Hamilton became the first D-man to reach 10 goals this season. Pesce’s goal was his third but he’s the kind who will aggressively jump into the offensive zone to help with the forecheck.

“Roddy (Brind’Amour) encourages us to step in, obviously in a smart way,” Pesce said. “He encourages us to get in the play and keep pucks in and shoot whenever we can, and I think we’ve done a pretty good job of that all year.”

In the defensive zone, Pesce is dependable and tough enough at 6-3 and 206 pounds, and led the Canes with a plus-35 plus/minus rating last season on a playoff team. His 37 blocked shots this season are second to Slavin’s 40 on the team.

“Most people probably don’t know his name but he’s one of the best defensemen in the league,” Slavin said. “From a defensive standpoint, not too many guys get by him. He’s making strong, solid plays.

“But those are the kind of guys we have in our D corps. We have a solid D corps from a defensive standpoint and we have guys who can put up offensive numbers.” 1163207 Chicago Blackhawks The other issue is Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton didn’t seem interested in trying this, and it’s his call.

“Yeah, that’d be tough,” Colliton said. “Robin played really well. I don’t Robin Lehner is one of the best goalies in the NHL — but one of the think it’s fair to talk about the shootout as well as he played for the rest of worst at shootouts. Is there a way to fix that? the 65 minutes. He was really good.”

Far more games that finish tied after regulation end in the wide-open extra session that’s played with three skaters per side. So it’s possible By JIMMY GREENFIELD the Hawks won’t have many more shootouts and it won’t be an issue that could hurt their playoff chances. NOV 24, 2019 | 1:52 PM On the other hand, having already lost all three shootout chances, maybe

it already has. The good news is there are no shootouts in the playoffs. Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.25.2019 The bad news? If the Blackhawks can’t win some shootouts during the season, the playoffs won’t be an issue.

There are other reasons the Hawks will have to scratch and claw for a spot in the postseason, but getting an extra point in the standings from winning a shootout would help considerably.

This season, the Hawks have played in three shootouts and lost all of them, the equivalent of losing 1½ games in the standings.

Don’t think that’s a big deal? It is. If the Hawks had taken those three points, they’d have the final wild-card spot ahead of the Golden Knights, whom they trailed heading into Sunday’s games by — you guessed it — three points.

[Most read] Column: Ousted talk team Bill Leff and Wendy Snyder of WGN AM say a fond and gracious farewell to their listeners »

Robin Lehner was spectacular in the Hawks’ 2-1 shootout loss to the Stars on Saturday night. He stopped 40 shots, the third time this season he has had 40-plus saves. Last season, when Lehner was a Vezina Trophy finalist with the Islanders, the most saves he had in a game was 39.

Lehner’s latest masterpiece gave him a .938 save percentage in 13 appearances, including 12 starts, and moved him into first place in save percentage among all NHL goalies who have played at least seven games. But after failing to stop Joe Pavelski and Tyler Seguin during Saturday’s shootout, Lehner’s shootout save percentage dropped to .200 (1-for-5).

By comparison, Cam Ward had one of the worst save percentages in the NHL last season for the Hawks but stopped each of the five shootout goals he saw.

3 takeaways from the Blackhawks’ 2-1 shootout loss to the Stars, including Jonathan Toews being frustrated about a penalty and 2 disallowed goals »

And Lehner has no explanation for it.

“I don’t know what’s tough about them or not tough about them,” he said. “I just don’t seem to make the save in the shootout, and I do on the breakaways. It’s a little bit different in speed for me. I’ve tried to do a bunch of different things. But it is what it is.”

It hasn’t always been this way for Lehner. He has played in 30 shootouts and, oddly enough, his play in them started to go south right at the halfway mark.

Lehner was 33-for-52 over the first 15 shootout games of his career, a 63.5% stop rate that’s decent enough. This season, NHL goalies have stopped 174 of 246 shots for a 70.7% rate.

But over his last 15 shootouts, including Saturday night’s 0-for-2 effort against the Stars, Lehner is just 16-for-43 for a 37.2% rate.

Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat are a combined 2-for- 6 this season, which doesn’t seem very good, but it’s actually higher than the 29.3% conversion rate for all NHL shooters.

From a ‘little bit of a hanger over the lip’ to ‘whiskers on the catfish’: Andrew Shaw critiques the Blackhawks’ mustaches »

So can anything be done about Lehner's shootout woes?

One suggestion — to replace Lehner with Corey Crawford for just the shootout — has a couple of problems. Crawford stopped just one of three tries in a 3-2 loss to the Penguins in his lone shootout. 1163208 Chicago Blackhawks Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 11.25.2019

Despite Lehner’s struggles, goalie switch in shootouts not on the table for Blackhawks

By Ben PopeCST Nov 24, 2019, 12:53pm CST

Among all NHL goaltenders, Robin Lehner has the best regular save percentage — and the second-worst shootout save percentage.

Lehner has allowed four goals on five shootout attempts, including goals by Joe Pavelski and Tyler Seguin in Saturday’s 2-1 loss to the Stars.

He has been a terrible shootout goalie throughout his career with an 8-22 record and .521 save percentage across his stints with the Senators, Sabres, Islanders and Blackhawks.

The league-average save percentage in shootouts, by comparison, is .683 over the last six seasons and .707 this season.

The always-honest Lehner is fully aware of those woes.

“I’m not very good at them,” he said Saturday. “I don’t know what’s tough about them or not tough about them. I just don’t seem to make the save in the shootout, and I do on the breakaways. It’s a little bit different in speed for me. I’ve tried to do a bunch of different things.”

Corey Crawford, meanwhile, has above-average shootout results during his career, even though he was tagged for two goals on three attempts in the loss to the Penguins earlier this month. Crawford is 31-23 all time with a .719 save percentage.

With the Hawks clearly struggling in the shootout lately — they’re 0-3 after going 3-1 last season and 52-40 dating to 2009 — they must consider all options to gain those valuable extra points.

At least their shootout scoring should improve over the long run. Jonathan Toews (boasting his excellent 47 percent career scoring mark) and Patrick Kane (a solid 37 percent) will convert more often than their 1- for-3 marks so far.

The shootout goaltending is a bigger question, though.

One obvious but drastic possibility would be subbing Crawford in for Lehner, regardless of how Lehner plays in the preceding 65 minutes of real hockey (and in both of Lehner’s shootouts this season, he has played incredibly beforehand, making 40 saves on 41 shots against the Stars and 33 saves on 34 shots against the Golden Knights on Oct. 22).

But coach Jeremy Colliton said he’s adamantly opposed to that idea.

“That’d be tough,” Colliton said. “Listen, Robin played really well. I don’t think it’s fair to talk about the shootout, as well as he played for the rest of the 65 minutes. He was really good.”

NHL rules allow for pre-shootout (albeit not in-shootout) goalie changes, and it has been tried at least a few times before, but history is on Colliton’s side.

In October 2008, then-Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson switched starter Vesa Toskala, a horrendous shootout goalie who had already lost two other shootouts that month, for backup Curtis Joseph, a good shootout goalie, in a game against the Ducks.

But Joseph allowed goals on both Ducks attempts, and the Leafs lost anyway.

In an Islanders-Penguins matchup in October 2011, Rick DiPietro replaced Isles starter Evgeni Nabokov for the shootout. An explanation was never given, but DiPietro finished his career .730 in shootouts, while Nabokov finished at .645, so it may well have been strategic.

But the Isles also lost despite DiPietro stopping two of three attempts.

The obvious challenge of a goalie entering the game cold, with only a few minutes to prepare, and immediately facing uncontested breakaways with the game on the line apparently overrides goalies’ overall shootout tendencies.

So the Hawks likely will ride with Lehner in future situations and hope for the best. 1163209 Chicago Blackhawks The sharpshooter's just a little off his mark and in an uncharacteristic slump. He steadfastly believes that when the next one goes in, another will follow.

Blackhawks' DeBrincat confident he can turn things around And then another. And then another.

And Colliton believes the exact same thing.

John Dietz "He's a streaky player at times," Colliton said. "At times it looks like he's fighting it. Updated11/24/2019 6:10 PM "But the ability to finish, not many guys in the league have it. And he's also the type of player (that) when he gets one, he can get 10 in two, three weeks. ... Alex DeBrincat knows what his primary job is on the Blackhawks. "They'll go in." And that's to put the puck into the back of the net as often as possible. Daily Herald Times LOADED: 11.25.2019 He accomplished that goal with great regularity during his first two seasons in the NHL by scoring 69 times in 164 games.

This season has been a different story, however, as DeBrincat has managed to score just five times in 23 games, an 18-goal pace over an entire season.

"I feel all right. I think I can be a lot better," said DeBrincat, who hasn't scored in eight straight. "I'm fumbling the puck a little bit too much."

DeBrincat's strongest attribute is his shooting accuracy, something he perfected by firing at pop cans that his dad hung on a net while growing up in Michigan.

We saw the fruits of that labor over and over again last season, especially when DeBrincat would snap off shots from the middle of the ice from about 30-40 feet out.

For whatever reason, DeBrincat's touch is a bit off right now. Early on, it affected his confidence and even had him hesitating to shoot -- something that's rarely been a problem in the past.

"I feel like at the beginning of the season I wasn't really playing the game I'm used to," said DeBrincat, who is averaging 4.22 total shot attempts per game compared to 4.93 in 2018-19. "I don't think I was playing well at all. I was a little panicked with it and then I started holding onto it a little bit longer.

"It got a little bit better as we went. Right now I think I'm in that 'mid-zone' where I'm just not making the right plays at the right times."

Said coach Jeremy Colliton: "He's had a lot of chances. He just hasn't quite been able to convert."

Many of those chances have come on the power play, but DeBrincat has been unable to connect much with his deadly one-timer.

A prime 5-on-5 opportunity arose during the Hawks' 4-2 loss to Tampa Bay at the United Center on Thursday. As Patrick Kane drew a couple of defenders to him while entering the offensive zone, he dumped the puck back to Dylan Strome, who then fed it to DeBrincat.

It wasn't the easiest of passes to handle, but DeBrincat completely whiffed on the attempt with 14:56 left in the game and the Hawks trailing 1-0.

"That one just bounced over my stick," DeBrincat said. "But it's my job to get some wood on it (and) get it towards the net. It's something I need to work at and obviously get better at. That's a crucial part of the game, and if I score that it's a whole different game."

Let's pause here to recognize that DeBrincat has certainly improved his passing skills and it's helped him amass 13 assists, 8 of which have come in the last seven games. His perfect dish to Olli Maatta set up the Hawks' only goal in their 2-1 shootout loss at Dallas on Saturday.

"I'd rather be doing both at the same time rather than one or the other," DeBrincat told reporters in Dallas. "It's good (that) I can help the team when I'm not scoring. I've just got to be better overall. I think I can bring a lot more to the table and I've got a lot more to give."

Last season, DeBrincat's 18.6% shooting percentage was ninth best in the NHL (minimum 100 attempts). This season, that number has plummeted to 8.3%, which is just 10th best on his own team among players with at least 20 shots.

DeBrincat was adamant that he's not feeling the pressure of the three- year, $19.2 million contract extension he signed on Oct. 3, noting that it doesn't even kick in until next season. 1163210 Chicago Blackhawks

Robin Lehner calls out hockey 'experts' following shootout loss

By Tim Stebbins November 24, 2019 4:51 PM

Robin Lehner's Blackhawks career has gotten off to a stellar start. The 28-year-old's 2.38 goals against average is No. 7 in the NHL and his .938 save percentage is No. 1.

One area where Lehner struggles is in shootouts — he's lost 22 of his 30 career appearances, allowing 47.8 percent of shot attempts to score. This includes Saturday against the , who scored on both of their attempts against Lehner.

After the game, Lehner — who made 40 saves in regulation/overtime — admitted he struggles in shootouts. He's struggling to figure out why, however.

"I'm not very good at them. I don't seem to make the save in the shootout and I do on the breakaways," Lehner told reporters in Dallas. "It's a little bit different in speed for me, but it's what it is. Never been good at it. I've tried to do a bunch of different things, but it's what it is. I don't have an answer for you."

Lehner expanded on this Sunday on Twitter, saying his issues aren't mental and inviting hockey "experts" (tongue in cheek comment) to provide him with an answer for his shootout woes.

Buffalo sports columnist Mike Harrington tweeted about Lehner's 0-for-2 shootout outing on Saturday. Lehner then called on Harrington to try and make a save, obviously in sarcastic nature.

Here's to hoping Lehner gets on the right track in shootouts soon.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163211 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche’s Valeri Nichushkin says his 91-game goals drought has been the “hardest time in my life”

By MIKE CHAMBERS | PUBLISHED: November 24, 2019 at 4:34 pm | UPDATED: November 24, 2019 at 6:55 PM

Avs Mailbag: Would Cale Makar be better as a forward than a defenseman for Colorado?

Russian winger Valeri Nichushkin can finally relax.

The first-year Avalanche player will no longer worry about his goals drought reaching triple digits.

Nichushkin scored his first goal in 92 games Saturday night to give the Avs a chance to beat visiting Toronto. His goal early in the third period cut Colorado’s deficit to 4-3; the Avs were unable to produce the equalizer and lost 5-3 after the Leafs scored an empty-net goal with one second left.

Nichushkin, 24, said his 91-game goals drought has been the “hardest time in my life.” His previous goal was with the Dallas Stars on March 4, 2016.

“Always tough for forwards to have no goals,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of moments, lot of (opportunities), especially last 10 games. We lose couple of guys and I have more minutes, more chances to score. And it’s like, every game is close — close, close, close — and some guys are ‘What the (heck)’ and say, ‘You need to be more lucky.’ Finally happened and I hope now I will score often.”

Nichushkin signed a one-year, $850,000 contract with the Avs on Aug. 19, a little less than two months after Dallas bought out the $5.9 million he was owed for this season ($2.7 million) and 2020-21 ($3.2 million). Last season, after a two-year stint with CSKA Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League, Nichushkin failed to produce a goal, or a penalty, for Dallas in 57 games.

He has three points (two assists) and five penalty minutes in 19 games with the Avs. Nichushkin’s ice time is bound to decrease in the coming weeks when Colorado gets injured forwards Mikko Rantanen (left ankle), Gabe Landeskog (right ankle), Colin Wilson (lower-body) and Matt Calvert (concussion) back.

Reunion. Avs forward Nazem Kadri had two assists and four shots in his first game against the Maple Leafs, with whom he played his first nine NHL seasons. The Avs and Leafs meet again Dec. 4 in Toronto, in Kadri’s second game against his former team.

“It was odd, for sure. It was weird,” Kadri said of his first game against the Leafs. “Had to check down on jersey to make sure I was playing for the right team a couple times. But it was fun.”

Footnotes. Rookie defenseman Cale Makar has logged career-highs in ice time the last two games. He played 24:41 and 27:45 against Minnesota and Toronto, respectively, and his ice time against the Leafs was the most for an NHL rookie this season. … Former Avs forward Alex Kerfoot of the Maple Leafs will have a hearing with the NHL Player Safety on Monday for his hit on Colorado defenseman Erik Johnson. Kerfoot was assessed a minor penalty for boarding, and Johnson may have been injured on the play. The Avs recalled defenseman Calle Rosen of the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League on Sunday. … Following Saturday’s game, forward A.J. Greer was returned to the Eagles — presumably to get playing time. Greer had been with the Avs since Tuesday but has yet to play in the NHL this season.

Denver Post: LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163212 Colorado Avalanche character guy he is. He’s come back in and played well — hasn’t missed a beat.”

Nikita Zadorov’s timeline How Avalanche’s Nikita Zadorov returned to the ice days after breaking Thursday, Nov. 7 — Blocked a shot by Nashville’s Ryan Johansen with his jaw his face, breaking his lower jaw, caving in his lower teeth and requiring approximately 15 stitches to close a large flesh wound.

By MIKE CHAMBERS | PUBLISHED: November 24, 2019 at 6:00 am | Friday, Nov. 8 — Had surgery to repair his broken jaw, requiring two UPDATED: November 24, 2019 at 10:22 am plates and nine screws.

Monday, Nov. 11 — Donning a protective plastic cage around his jaw, he was a full practice participant with the Avs and later traveled with the With a broken jaw and caved-in teeth, Nikita Zadorov was nevertheless team to Winnipeg. champing at the bit to return to the Avalanche lineup. Saturday, Nov. 16 — Returned to the lineup at Vancouver, logging 16:07 Hockey players are known for being tough, and Zadorov doesn’t want in the Avs’ overtime victory. anyone to think he’s doing anything but his job. His story of returning to a full practice just four days after breaking his jaw, and three days after Friday — Following the Avs’ five-game road trip in which he played in the undergoing surgery to repair said jaw, is not fit for print, in his opinion. latter three games, had a dentist appointment to schedule a procedure to stabilize his lower teeth. But for anyone unfamiliar with hockey’s tough-man code, Zadorov’s story could be jaw-dropping. Denver Post: LOADED: 11.25.2019

The Avs’ 6-foot-6 shutdown defenseman took an errant puck to his mouth/chin area on Thursday, Nov. 7, against Nashville, causing a 15- stitch flesh wound, caved-in teeth and a broken jaw. He had surgery the next day on his jaw which required two plates and nine screws, but was a full practice participant three days later and was ready to play Nov. 12 when the Avs began a five-game road trip at Winnipeg.

Nikita Zadorov is pictured Nov. 19, 2019.

Zadorov, however, was denied that opportunity because the team — thinking he’d be unavailable for at least a week — had placed him on injured reserve.

“So I had to stay a whole week on IR,” Zadorov said with disdain. “Doctor was kind of like, ‘It’s better to stay out,’ but I had a great skate on Monday and felt I could play.”

If he wasn’t placed on IR, Zadorov likely would have missed just one game. Instead, he missed three, returning Saturday, Nov. 16, at Vancouver.

“Everyone in here wants to play hockey. No one wants to be hurt. No one wants to go on vacation. No one wants to milk an injury,” said Avs defenseman Ian Cole, who missed 11 games last season with a broken orbital bone. “(Zadorov) was fortunate that he didn’t have to get his jaw wired shut. So a quick surgery, put a plate in there, and get back in there. He’s a tough kid. It’s not surprising at all.”

Zadorov downplays his injury and recovery, noting that Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara played Games 5, 6 and 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last season with multiple jaw fractures that were partly wired. He was on a liquid diet.

“He didn’t miss any games. He broke his jaw in three spots,” Zadorov said. “I could at least eat from sides (of the mouth), softer food.”

Zadorov’s recovery is far from over. He was scheduled to meet with a dentist Friday and possibly have his lower teeth wired together, depending on if those teeth are still alive. Also, he faces another procedure on his jaw.

“They didn’t put too much (repairs) on it so I could play right away,” Zadorov said. “My bite is off. My jaw is like sideways right now. At least it’s healing in here. When they do the teeth and put my bite back on the right spot, I should be fine.”

The Russian is apparently handling his injuries better than his wife, Aleksandra. “She doesn’t like it. She’s not a big fan of scars,” he said. “She thought I was a pretty man before that. So she doesn’t like it.”

Avs coach Jared Bednar appreciates it and was impressed with how quickly Zadorov resumed training.

“After talking to the doc, he was really excited about the way the surgery came together and what he was able to do. I think he put Z’s mind at ease that he was going to be able to come back as long as he had the guard on — that he was going to be strong with the plates and screws they put in,” Bednar said. “For him to want to get back in a hurry and help our team, especially when we’ve been depleted, it shows what kind of 1163213 Columbus Blue Jackets Just throwing it out there. Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 11.25.2019

Michael Arace | Adding Paul MacLean a good move for Blue Jackets rather than a bad sign for John Tortorella

Michael Arace Nov 24, 2019 at 4:30 AM

Nov 24, 2019 at 9:47 AM

The Blue Jackets on Thursday hired another assistant, Paul MacLean, to help coach John Tortorella with the power play. It is not often that a team plunks another suit behind the bench in the middle of the second month of the season. It can lead to speculation.

Is Tortorella's seat getting warm? MacLean, 61, has a stature that goes beyond his fabulous mustache. He had a long and distinguished playing career as a high-scoring forward in the 1980s. He paid his dues as a coach in the old IHL before he served as an assistant under Mike Babcock in Anaheim and Detroit.

In 2012, during MacLean's tenure as coach of the Ottawa Senators, he was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award. The other finalists were Tortorella, then with the New York Rangers, and Ken Hitchcock, then with the St. Louis Blues. Hitch won it. A year later, MacLean was again nominated, and won.

Everyone in hockey knows MacLean, or knows who he is. This isn't like bringing in ex-player Martin St. Louis as a consultant, as the Jackets did in January. It is committing to a coach with serious bona fides. Is it a statement, of some sort, on Tortorella? Is MacLean some kind of a coach-in-waiting?

No. Although every NHL coach has a shelf life, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has been clear that management is very happy with Tortorella and remains committed to him. Good.

Tortorella's winning percentage with the Blue Jackets is north of .580. Along with Kekalainen, he has brought the organization to where the fans are in a huff that the Jackets aren't holding down a playoff spot in mid- November. Imagine that.

From where I sit, it seems that Tortorella — who himself has two Jack Adams Awards, including one with the Jackets in 2017 — is in the perfect place at the right time of his career, and his life. Columbus vs. the NHL — bring it on. Yeah.

This coach, and this GM, are wired for this task. It is a verity, even with parity, that a budget team in a smaller market must have smart, no- nonsense people to compete on an annual basis, and to aspire. Continuity counts in Columbus. How does MacLean fit?

“He's a good man,” Tortorella said. “That's first of it.”

MacLean was brought in to replace Brad Larsen as the power-play showrunner — and everyone involved was on the same page with the decision. If you take this at face value, it means that Larsen welcomed the opportunity to be shunted aside for the good of the team. Can that be? It can.

One way to look at it: Majority owner John H. McConnell signed off on adding another assistant's salary and dropping a fourth coach behind the bench, because winning. It might be that simple. It probably is.

These things resonate when you're trying to build something that lasts. The power play has never been a hallmark, and MacLean can bring a fresh voice. Hire him. Don't kick Larsen, a good coach and loyal soldier, to the curb. The GM likes it. The coach likes it. The owner writes the check.

The Jackets carried a 9-8-4 record and a three-game winning streak into their game in Winnipeg on Saturday night. Ironically, their power play was on an uptick (23.5% over the previous 10 games). It's moving time.

In the past three full seasons under Tortorella, the Jackets have gained ground as autumn has turned toward winter. Last year, they won nine games in November and were on a roll at Christmastime. Two years ago, they kick-started a 9-1 streak that ended on Dec. 2. And Jackets fans will not forget 2016, when their team won nine games in November and went 14-0 in December. 1163214 Columbus Blue Jackets Columbus has scored on power plays in four straight games and in eight of its past 11. The Jackets also boosted their overall success rate to 20.3 percent, which ranks 12th in the NHL after languishing in the 20s the first 20 games. Jets 4, Blue Jackets 3: The 3-2-1 rundown "I thought the power play did a good job tonight, got three goals and played good minutes," said Dubois, who capped a power play in the first for a quick 1-0 lead. "We’re feeling comfortable. We’re just moving the Brian Hedger Nov 24, 2019 at 6:14 AM puck and we’re getting on the ice thinking we can score. We’re just on the ice, moving it and shooting it. It’s just a couple assignments that we changed a bit and we really did a good job with that." WINNIPEG, – Some sting worse than others. On the other side, the Jackets went 3-for-3 killing penalties and have Some games in the course of an NHL regular season just melt right into allowed a power-play goal in just two of their previous nine games. Their the others, erased and blurred in a player or coach’s memory before their 79.7 percent success rate overall is also starting to climb at 20th in the head hits the pillow. Others stick around for a while, causing restless league. nights, anguish and feelings of emptiness. Further positives included Zach Werenski extending his point streak to This was one of those for the Blue Jackets, who outplayed the Winnipeg six games, tying his career-long with a primary assist on Jones’ goal, Jets on Saturday night at MTS Place and left with nothing to show for it in Cam Atkinson getting an assist to give him seven points (one goal, six a maddening, biting 4-3 loss decided on Andrew Copp’s goal with 1:54 assists) in the past seven games and Oliver Bjorkstrand adding two left in the third period. assists for six points (one goal, five assists) during a three-game streak.

"We were the better team," said Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella, who 2) The bad refused to talk about Copp’s goal or the turnover by rookie goalie Elvis Merzlikins that led to it. "We were the better team and we found a way to According to NaturalStatTrick, the Blue Jackets generated six more lose." even-strength scoring chances in the third than the Jets (9-5) and five more high-danger chances (11-6). That assessment was succinct and accurate. They just couldn’t get any pucks past Brossoit and then Hellebuyck. The Jets (14-9-1) stole two points from the Blue Jackets despite losing Likewise, they were outscored 4-0 at even strength despite controlling two of their six defensemen to injuries in the second period, losing their the puck. starting goalie, Laurent Brossoit, to muscle cramps in the third and allowing three power-play goals. Merzlikins also had issues on two goals prior to Copp’s, failing to clear a puck out of the defensive zone prior Nikolai Ehlers’ 3-on-1 goal in the They were outshot by Columbus 35-31, gave up the game’s first goal, second and then failing to pick up Mathieu Perreault as a shooter on a took five penalties that led to five Blue Jackets power plays (3-for-5) - game-tying goal in the third. including a 5-on-3 that led to a pair of power-play tallies – and finished the game with 10 less shot attempts overall (62-52). More growing pains for the Latvian rookie netminder.

What the Jets did well was capitalize on almost every glaring Columbus 3) The ugly mistake, including the turnover at the end. Copp’s goal wasn’t one of those beautiful ones that just couldn’t be "We lost on key moments in the game," said Blue Jackets center Pierre- stopped. It was butchered, served up on a platter and then guided into Luc Dubois, who scored his team-high 10th goal on a power play to open the net by the kind of luck the Blue Jackets have received more than not the scoring 4:59 into the game. "That third period, they’re down two this season. defensemen, you have to get that (winning) goal. It’d be easy, but lazy to Merzlikins served up the turnover, sending an attempted exit pass from say we lost because of that mistake at the end, because we have 60 his crease down the middle of the ice into traffic rather than to the boards minutes to win a game and it never comes down to just one minute or on either wing. one mistake." Copp, who’d sent the puck the length of the ice to Merzlikins a couple The result is what matters the most anyway, and the loss ended the Blue seconds earlier, cruised into the high slot and gloved it down. He took a Jackets’ three-game winning streak. It also snapped their a four-game couple strides, got off a shot and watched the puck go into the net after point streak and set them right back to the .500 mark at 9-9-4. first deflecting off diving defenseman David Savard. Here is the 3-2-1 rundown of the Jackets’ bitter night in Winnipeg … That was the luck part, when the puck knuckled and Merzlikins buckled. three takeaways, two questions and one more thing to know: The Jackets nearly tied it again with time winding down and their net Three Takeaways empty – shots by Oliver Bjorkstrand and Zach Werenski missing the net – but time ran out. 1) The good Two Questions Games like this are nearly impossible to walk away from feeling good about anything. Still, the Blue Jackets gave themselves plenty of 1) Too many rookies? positives to take into a busy week ahead. The Jackets dressed four rookie skaters and put Merzlikins in net, which According to NaturalStatTrick, a stat-tracking site, Columbus took 54.4 meant that 26.3 percent of their active roster was comprised of players percent of the even-strength shot attempts (50-42), held a slight 51.3 who still qualify as NHL rookies. percent edge in attempts that weren’t blocked (39-37), generated four The upside is they’re a group that has led the way recently, scoring big more scoring chances (20-16) and finished with an 8-4 margin in high- goals, while the downside is the mistakes they’re bound to make. danger chances (66.7 percent). It was Merzlikins who made the most noticeable errors against the Jets, The Jackets also outshot the Jets 29-19 through the first two periods, but the ice time for the others suggested it wasn’t their best night either. aided by five power plays, and scored three power-play goals in a game Emil Bemstrom (9:58), Alexandre Texier (9:53) and Sonny Milano (8:09) for the first time since April 3, 2018 against the Detroit Red Wings. all played less than 10 minutes – which is also less than ideal. "I think our checking is much better, as far as making teams work for their Having so many rookies and young players, like Milano, portends good ice," Tortorella said. "Right on through our team, I think they’re more things for the future, but at what expense in the short-term? competitive with forcing teams to get through on their ice." 2) How will they respond? Seth Jones’ goal was during a 5-on-3 advantage and was their second straight game with one of those. It was also the Jackets’ second straight As much as this one stung, the Blue Jackets have no time to wallow in it. game with multiple power-play goals, after going 2-for-5 against the Red Wings in a 5-4 victory Thursday at Nationwide Arena. After a day off Sunday, they face four games in six days – including three home games, three Metropolitan Division opponents (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and the New York Islanders) plus a home/road back-to-back Friday against the Penguins and Saturday in New York.

That’s a lot of hockey, a lot of inter-divisional points at stake and quite a challenge for a team looking to claw its way up the standings.

One more thing to know

This was an odd game, simply because of the side stories.

There was a delay coming out of a TV timeout with 3:15 left in the first period because an ice-level microphone had somehow come unattached and was dangling on the wrong side of the glass behind the Jets’ net.

An official tried to push it back over to the spectator side with Laurent’s goalie stick, but was unsuccessful. A group of players then skated over to assist with their sticks, but none of them were successful either. Finally, a ladder was brought out to solve the issue, but not before the players and officials were given a loud cheer.

And that was just the first odd occurrence.

The Jets also lost two defensemen in the second to injuries and Brossoit left with muscle cramping about midway through the third. Hellebuyck replaced him shortly after Brossoit was spotted eating what appeared to be mustard packets in front of the Winnipeg bench – attempting to rehydrate with electrolytes.

Hellebuyck was credited with the win, logging 11:19, while Brossoit was stonewalled by coach Paul Maurice in his pursuit to return to the game.

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163215 Detroit Red Wings boards toward Wings goalie Jimmy Howard, who failed to secure it. Aho stuck his stick into the goal crease and tapped it into the net.

Aho scored two goals in the teams' first meeting on Nov. 1, a 7-3 Detroit Red Wings shut out by Hurricanes, 2-0, in Filip Zadina's season Carolina victory. debut Detroit Free Press LOADED: 11.25.2019

Dana Gauruder, Special to the Detroit Free PressPublished 9:41 p.m. ET Nov. 24, 2019

What happens when the leading scorer is removed from the NHL's weakest offense?

Nothing.

As in no goals. The Detroit Red Wings, who were averaging 2.4 goals per game entering their home game against Carolina on Sunday, were blanked 2-0. That stretched their winless streak to six games.

The Red Wings were playing their first game this season without Anthony Mantha and his team-high 12 goals. He suffered a lower body injury during the first period of the Wings' 5-1 loss to New Jersey on Saturday.

The Wings were listless and sloppy, though the Hurricanes didn't show much zeal either, as both teams were playing the second end of a back- to-back.

The Wings only had 19 shots on goal, three in the third period.

The officials didn't bail out the Wings, either. They weren't awarded any power plays until Nino Niederreiter was called for hooking with 2:27 remaining. The Hurricanes clinched the win while shorthanded, as Teuvo Teravainen scored an empty-netter with 1:13 left.

The power play unit has gone 0-for-15 during the six-game slide.

The addition of 2018 first-round pick Filip Zadina didn't produce a spark. Zadina made his season debut after being recalled from the earlier in the day.

Red Wings mailbag: There's no way they bring back Mike Babcock, right?

Weary Zadina gets the call up

Zadina was playing in his third game in three nights. The Griffins had a back-to-back this weekend and didn't return from Milwaukee until 4 A.M. on Sunday.

"It's not easy to ask of him," coach Jeff Blashill said prior to the game. "With that said, we needed a forward. We wanted someone with high-end skill, that's why he was drafted sixth (overall)."

In the early going, Zadina made a nifty move around a defender in the Carolina zone and backhanded a pass to Valtteri Filppuli, who couldn't push the puck past Hurricanes goalie James Reimer.

Otherwise, Zadina wasn't much of a factor.

Blashill switches lines up

With Mantha sidelined, Blashill shuffled his lines with the hope of achieving some balance.

Robby Fabbri was elevated to the top line alongside Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi. Zadina joined Filppula and Darren Helm on the second line as the right wing. Andreas Athanasiou was shifted from the second to the third line alongside Frans Nielsen and Luke Glendening.

The changes, mostly out of necessity, only contributed to the Wings' indecision and lack of cohesion. They had more giveaways in the first two periods (17) than shots on goal (16).

Pain followed by gain for Carolina

The second period took a painful turn and for a change, the injury riddled Wings weren't the ones suffering. Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce had to be helped off the ice after taking Filip Hronek's rocket shot from the right point in the midsection.

A short time later, Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho broke the scoreless deadlock. Aho took a shot that went wide of the net. It caromed off the 1163216 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings call up prize prospect Filip Zadina for Carolina game

Helene St. James, Detroit Free PressPublished 11:55 a.m. ET Nov. 24, 2019 | Updated 5:11 p.m. ET Nov. 24, 2019

Filip Zadina’s hot hand has earned him a trip to Detroit.

The Detroit Red Wings announced Sunday that their prize pick from the 2018 draft has been called up in time for the evening game at Little Caesars Arena against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Zadina has seven goals and six assists in 19 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins. He pumped four goals and four assists into a six-game stretch between Nov. 8-22.

Wings coach Jeff Blashill did not commit to keeping Zadina on the roster past Sunday's game in the pregame meeting with the media.

The Wings lost first-line right wing Anthony Mantha to a lower-body injury during Saturday’s 5-1 loss at New Jersey. Adam Erne’s status for the Carolina game is uncertain. The Wings placed veteran defenseman Mike Green on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 19.

Zadina, who turns 20 on Nov. 27, made his NHL debut on Feb. 24. He played nine games – enough for the Wings to get a look at the right wing they drafted at sixth overall without it triggering his entry-level contract, which means he is exempt from needing protection in next year's expansion draft. Zadina tallied a goal and two assists with the Wings.

He did not have an impressive training camp and looked lackluster during exhibition season. The Wings assigned Zadina to Grand Rapids in the hopes he would regain his confidence. That appears to have happened – Zadina has points in 10 of his last 13 games – and his reward is an opportunity to make an impression at the NHL level.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163217 Detroit Red Wings Howard lost the puck in his skates just long enough to allow Aho to bang in his 12th goal of the season, putting the Canes on the board with 9:23 left.

Punchless Red Wings blanked by Hurricanes, winless streak at six "I felt like if I would have pushed into the post, I probably could’ve knocked it in myself," Howard said. "So I tried to just squeeze it against me.

Chris McCosky, The Detroit NewsPublished 9:50 p.m. ET Nov. 24, 2019 | Both teams, playing on back-to-back nights and for the third time in four, Updated 1:33 a.m. ET Nov. 25, 2019 showed the effects of that grind throughout the game, especially in a scrambly first period.

Howard came up big making 13 saves, several set up by nine giveaways Detroit — The Red Wings, with the lowest goals per game average in the by the Wings. NHL and the least amount of victories, didn't get either Sunday night, losing to the Carolina Hurricanes, 2-0 at Little Caesars Arena. Darren Helm had three Grade-A chances in the first period, including a short-handed breakaway that he shoved into the pads of Reimer. Frans It extends the Wings' winless streak to six games and their league-worst Nielsen had a partial breakaway while the Wings were short-handed in home record to 4-7-1. the second period. "We didn't get out of our end," coach Jeff Blashill said. "They forecheck Filip Zadina, the Wings first-round pick (sixth overall) in 2018 who was hard and we knew that. I thought we bogged ourselves down. After we called up from Grand Rapids earlier Sunday to fill in for injured goals killed that penalty in the second period we just couldn't get out of our own leader Anthony Mantha (lower body), started the game on the second end. line. "And when you've got to defend like that on a back-to-back it's way He set up quality scoring chances for both his linemates Helm and harder. You end up playing a bunch of defense and defense is harder to Valtteri Filppula in the first period. play." But he was playing his third game in three nights, the first two with Grand Here are numbers that don't generally equate to winning hockey games: Rapids, and his ice time dwindled in the third period. 19 shots on goal, 25 giveaways. So did the Wings' scoring chances as the game went on. It was clear "Without a doubt, when you play that team, you are going to have some Mantha was missed. turnovers," Blashill said. "Because they pressure hard." “Definitely at the end there, his big shot," Larkin said. "We didn’t have an The Wings didn’t have a single power-play chance until the final two offensive spark tonight and Anthony, he’s been our best offensive player minutes, that’s how little pressure they applied in the Canes’ zone, and this year and is dangerous every time he’s on the ice. So we missed him. their best two scoring chances came on short-handed breakaways, both snuffed by Carolina's backup goalie James Reimer. "But that can’t be something that we start to look at here as we don’t really know what his situation is like right now. We have to find ways, we “They have big 'D' over there that make it hard to get in the zone, get set have to find answers within our lineup right now. We have to do it fast up," said Dylan Larkin, who was limited to one shot with four turnovers. with a lot of games coming here.” "We didn’t have an answer for that. They’re a good team over there, they work really hard, they’re disciplined. I think they move their feet better Detroit News LOADED: 11.25.2019 than any team in the league.

"They made it really hard on us and we didn’t have the push-back there at the end of the game to get enough shots, generate enough to win the game."

The Red Wings ended up being outshot 36-19. They managed eight shots in the final two periods.

"We are searching for it," Blashill said. "We need to be better driving the middle and we have to be better shooting the puck. I thought we had opportunities to put more shots at the net.

"You are right, we had eight shots (in the final two periods) but some of that is choice. It's not like we weren't in their end at all. We chose not to shoot enough pucks. We've got to start shooting and get more people at the net and have a simpler approach."

The stellar play of goalie Jimmy Howard was the only reason the game was close.

"That’s the type of game I need to play every single night for the guys," Howard said. "It’s been far and few between for me this year and it’s a good building block for me."

With 3:06 left and the Wings down 1-0, Blashill pulled Howard to get an extra skater. Then, with 2:27 left, the Canes' Nino Niederreiter was sent to the penalty box for hooking.

The Wings' first power play of the game was a two-man advantage. But they didn't even get a shot before Teuvo Teravainen scored an empty-net goal, after Sebastian Aho stole the puck.

"Just gotta keep pushing," Howard said. "It’s frustrating. It’s difficult, but you have to find a way mentally to come here every single day in a positive mind frame. Find a way to be eager to get on the ice and to want to improve."

Andrei Svechnikov fired a shot wide of the Red Wings net. He might’ve been trying to hit Teravainen with a pass, but the puck caromed hot off the lively backboards, just like it used to at the old arena, right into the crease. 1163218 Detroit Red Wings

Filip Zadina 'pressed into service' for Red Wings with Anthony Mantha out

Chris McCosky, The Detroit NewsPublished 12:16 p.m. ET Nov. 24, 2019 | Updated 11:09 p.m. ET Nov. 24, 2019

Detroit — In a perfect world, the Red Wings would’ve preferred to let prospect Filip Zadina ride his hot streak in Grand Rapids for a while longer. But these are far from perfect times.

So, when Wings’ leading goal scorer Anthony Mantha went down with a lower-body injury early in the loss at New Jersey Saturday, they were forced to make an emergency call for Zadina.

“It’s very day to day,” coach Jeff Blashill said of Zadina’s promotion before the game Sunday. “This is something we were pressed into due to a number of injuries. I know if we all had our druthers, we’d give him longer (at Grand Rapids).

“This is just one moment in time (for Zadina), not the moment.”

Mantha, who had produced 23 points in 24 games, played only three shifts Saturday. Blashill didn’t have any new information on the injury Sunday, except to say he was still being evaluated by team medical personnel and may know more after the game.

The Wings, the lowest-scoring team in the NHL, were hoping Zadina, the sixth overall pick in 2018 who will turn 20 years old Wednesday, could provide a spark. He’s riding a six-game point streak and has produced seven goals and six assists in 19 games at Grand Rapids.

“We need to temper any expectations in the sense that he’s played two games in a row and this will be his third in three nights and he didn’t get here from Milwaukee until 4 in the morning,” Blashill said. “I’ve lived that life and I know it’s not easy. It’s a not an easy thing to ask of him.

“But that said, we need a forward and we want somebody with high-end skill. That’s why he was drafted sixth overall. We hope he can come in and have a good game, as much as he can.”

Zadina played on a line with Darren Helm and Valtteri Filppula and set up both with scoring chances in the first period. But ended up taking just one shot himself in 15 minutes.

"I think I felt good." Zadina said, of playing for the third straight night in three different cities. "It wasn’t that bad, actually. I thought it was going to be worse but I felt OK."

Blashill said Zadina "didn't look out of place," but reiterated that he was here more as a fill-in.

“This doesn’t mean anything specific for the future,” Blashill said. “He has played much better of late and he’s produced, which is part of it but not the only part. Talking to the (Grand Rapids) coaching staff, they’ve been happy with his play. Talking to (general manager) Steve Yzerman, he’s been happy with his overall play.

“But it’s not something where he’s been so good we had to get him in the NHL. It’s more that we’re dealing with injuries and he was pressed into service. But he has a great opportunity to grind out a great game here.”

Zadina made his NHL debut last year, playing in nine games, scoring a goal with two assists.

"I was glad for those nine games," he said. "It showed me what this NHL hockey is all about. I think it helped me a lot and I was so appreciative that I could be here last year with those guys.

"Now I’m here, so I just want to do my best and stay as long as I can."

The Wings were also without forward Adam Erne (hand) Sunday and defenseman Mike Green was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Tuesday.

Detroit News LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163219 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings’ offense struggles as skid reaches six

Updated 10:25 PM;Today 9:33 PM

By Ansar Khan

DETROIT – Generating offense is a tough task for the Detroit Red Wings even with all hands on deck.

It’s more difficult without their leading scorer, as they saw on Sunday.

James Reimer made 19 saves and the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Red Wings 2-0 at Little Caesars Arena, extending Detroit’s losing skid to six games (0-4-2).

The Red Wings played without Anthony Mantha, who leads them with 12 goals and 23 points. He’s out for “a little bit of time,” coach Jeff Blashill said, after he suffered a lower-body injury in Saturday’s 5-1 loss at New Jersey.

The Red Wings (7-16-3) entered the night last in the NHL in goals per game (2.36).

The Red Wings pulled goaltender Jimmy Howard for the extra skater with 3:06 remaining in regulation. Shortly after, they got their first power play of the night when Nino Nidererreiter was called for hooking Andreas Athanasiou.

But Teuvo Teravainen scored into an empty net with 1:13 to play, during Detroit’s six-on-four, to make it 2-0 and seal the outcome.

The Red Wings managed only three shots in the third period and eight over the final 40 minutes.

With Mantha out, the Red Wings promoted Filip Zadina from the Grand Rapids Griffins. Zadina, the club’s top pick in 2018 (sixth overall), skated on a line with Valtteri Filppula and Darren Helm.

Zadina has seven goals and six assists in 19 games with the Griffins, in his second pro season. He had a six-game points streak (four goals, four assists) from Nov. 8-22.

Zadina appeared in nine games with the Red Wings late last season, picking up a goal and two assists.

Jimmy Howard made 34 saves for Detroit. Carolina improved to 15-8-1.

Sebastien Aho’s 12th goal of the season was the only scoring through 40 minutes.

Aho’s pass attempted bounced off the end boards into the crease, where Howard lost sight of the puck. Aho swooped in and knocked it into the net at 10:37 of the second period.

The Red Wings had some quality chances in the first period. Reimer denied point-blank shots from Filppula and Tyler Bertuzzi and stopped Helm on a shorthanded breakaway.

Michigan Live LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163220 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings recall Filip Zadina from Grand Rapids

Updated Nov 24, 2019;Posted Nov 24, 2019

By Ansar Khan

Filip Zadina has been hot lately, and the Detroit Red Wings are rewarding him for it.

The Red Wings have recalled Zadina from the Grand Rapids Griffins. He’ll presumably play tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes at Little Caesars Arena (7 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit) since Anthony Mantha is out with a lower-body injury. The Red Wings will look to end a five-game slide (0-3-2) .

Zadina, the club’s top pick in 2018 (sixth overall), has seven goals and six assists in 19 games with the Griffins, in his second pro season. Four of his goals have come on the power play.

Zadina, 19, registered points in six consecutive games recently -- four goals and four assists from Nov. 8-22. Dating back to Oct. 25, he has recorded points in 10 of his past 13 games. In 78 games with the Griffins over parts of two seasons, he 23 goals and 48 points.

Zadina appeared in nine games with the Red Wings late last season, picking up a goal and two assists.

Mantha was injured in the first period of Saturday’s 5-1 loss at New Jersey. Coach Jeff Blashill told media afterward that he will be out “for a little bit of time.” Mantha leads the club with 12 goals and 23 points.

The Red Wings placed defenseman Mike Green on injured reserve.

Michigan Live LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163221 Detroit Red Wings

How to watch, listen and stream Detroit Red Wings vs. Carolina Hurricanes

Posted Nov 24, 2019

By Lauren Williams

The Detroit Red Wings (7-15-3) will try to stop a five-game winless streak (0-3-2) when they hit the ice at Little Caesars Arena to host the Carolina Hurricanes (14-8-1). The Red Wings dropped a 7-3 decision in their last meeting with the Hurricanes on Nov. 1 in Raleigh.

The Red Wings will be without leading scorer Anthony Mantha, who suffered a lower-body injury in Saturday’s 5-1 loss at New Jersey and will be out “a little bit” according to coach Jeff Blashill.

Detroit and Carolina start playing at 7 p.m.

WATCH

Broadcast: Fox Sports Detroit

Live Stream: Hulu | YouTube TV | fubo (free trial)

LISTEN

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Michigan Live LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163222 Detroit Red Wings

Reimer gets 22nd shutout, Hurricanes beat Red Wings 2-0

By PAUL HARRIS The Associated Press Nov 24, 2019 Updated 6 hrs ago

DETROIT (AP) — James Reimer made 19 saves to earn his 22nd career shutout as the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Detroit Red Wings 2-0 Sunday night.

Sebastian Aho had a goal and an assist, and Teuvo Teravainen also scored to help Carolina win for the sixth time in seven games.

Jimmy Howard stopped 34 shots for Detroit, which has lost six straight (0-4-2).

Aho scored with 9:23 left in the second period. He put in the rebound of his attempted pass from the high slot, which had gone off the boards behind the net and caromed into the crease. Aho raced in and poked it into the net before Howard could find and cover the puck. It was Aho’s 12th goal and his third in four games.

Teravainen added an empty-net, short-handed goal with 1:13 left. It was his seventh goal.

Reimer’s biggest saves in his first shutout of the season came early. He made a point-blank stop on Valtteri Filppula a little under five minutes in, stopped Tyler Bertuzzi — who skated in from the bottom of the right circle — at 6:22, and thwarted Darren Helm’s short-handed breakaway attempt with a little more than four minutes left in the opening period.

NOTES: Detroit RW Anthony Mantha, who leads the team with 12 goals, will miss at least a week with a lower-body injury suffered in Saturday night’s 5-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils. ... RW Filip Zadina, the sixth overall pick of the 2018 draft, was recalled from AHL Grand Rapids to take Mantha’s place in the lineup. … Carolina improved to 11-2-0 when scoring first and 10-0-0 when leading after two periods.

UP NEXT

Hurricanes: At the New York Rangers on Wednesday night.

Red Wings: Host Toronto on Wednesday night.

Macomb Daily LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163223 Detroit Red Wings “I just wanted to be more helpful for the team,” Zadina said of his recent surge. “Win the battles and get some chances for my linemates, and that was probably the huge point for me to get stronger around the boards and play better hockey.” Where Filip Zadina showed progress in his NHL season debut Winning battles, for a player who’s still on the slighter side at 19 years old, can be tough, but Zadina showed an early example of that Sunday, too. Midway through the first, as the Hurricanes worked a pass up ice to By Max Bultman Nov 24, 2019 start the break, Zadina circled back in the neutral zone, put a body on Nino Niederreiter (who is 6-foot-2) and ultimately helped force Niederreiter to turn it over to Filip Hronek. Jeff Blashill did everything he could to keep expectations tempered pregame. It was a small play but one that will help his case to earn ice time in Detroit. He talked about the fact that Sunday would be Filip Zadina’s third game in three nights, coming straight off a back-to-back in the AHL, and how “I think when you’re a really good junior player, the puck finds you lots the 19-year-old winger probably hadn’t gotten home from a game in and you always have the puck,” Blashill said pregame. “As you get into Milwaukee until around 4 a.m. the previous night. He mentioned how, in pro, you’ve gotta find how to get it back sometimes. I think he’s really had his lived experience, that usually meant grinding just to get through the to work at that, and I think he’s done a good job.” next day. Throwing an NHL game into that mix would only be harder. All The Red Wings dipped in their game after the first period, so most of the true. most notable plays happened early. Whereas Detroit generated five high- He also said the Red Wings probably would have preferred to give danger chances in the first period, according to Natural Stat Trick, it had Zadina a little more time to percolate in AHL-affiliate Grand Rapids, were just three more the rest of the game. And Zadina wasn’t immune from it not for all their injuries, lest anyone get the idea this was intended to be that. a permanent call-up. But he had another play that showed some progress early in the third, “It’s just one moment in time,” Blashill said. “It’s not the moment.” when a bouncing puck found him around the offensive blue line, leaving him one-on-one with Brett Pesce, arguably one of the top defensive And yet, when a team’s top prospect makes his first NHL appearance of defensemen in the league (and 6-foot-3, to boot). the season, it’s never not going to be at the center of attention. At that point, Zadina didn’t really have the angle to try to take it to the net. And making that even moreso was the fact, even with all those mitigating But he did a nice job turning that into an offensive-zone possession, even factors Sunday night in Detroit, Zadina still managed to look pretty good as Pesce covered him tight, by taking the puck deep into the zone, in the Red Wings’ 2-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. escaping up the boards and holding on to it until he could cycle it down to Larkin in the corner. The Red Wings didn’t ultimately get any kind of “Every game in the NHL that I’ve seen him play, he’s built and he’s chance out of it, in part because of Carolina’s strong team defense, and gained confidence,” Dylan Larkin said afterward. “I saw him carrying the it’s worth pointing out that when the puck was eventually cycled back puck; he made some nice plays tonight.” down to Zadina, Pesce brought him down. Zadina played about 15 minutes over the course of 19 shifts, and no But nonetheless, his ability to hold on to the puck, create space for sample that small is ever game-changing. Blashill said before the game himself and generate possession are things that are signs of progress for that Zadina’s situation was “very day to day,” and one day won’t, and was him and massive needs for the Red Wings in Anthony Mantha’s absence. never going to, change that. (Mantha went down with an undisclosed injury Saturday against New But one thing the 2018 sixth-overall pick’s season debut offered was a Jersey.) chance to display the ways he has progressed since his nine NHL games It was just one game, and the plays we’re talking about here amount to last season. just a handful of seconds in his 15 minutes on the ice. They aren’t end- And as it turned out, the biggest areas of improvement he showed all, be-alls, and you also have to take Blashill at his word when he said Sunday were actually foreshadowed a bit before the game. prior to the game that how Zadina played wouldn’t necessarily mean anything specific for the future. It wouldn’t make much sense to expect Blashill commented a couple of hours before puck-drop that the team otherwise. had talked to Zadina about improving his give-and-go game and working to get the puck back when he didn’t have it. Both of those were important But at the very least, Blashill said afterward that he thought Zadina “came because as an offensive-minded player without tons of strength or in and didn’t look out of place.” dazzling speed, Zadina would need to find other ways to get For now, that’ll have to do. opportunities for himself in the most dangerous areas. The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2019 Sure enough, Zadina put both on display in the first period.

The loudest example came less than five minutes in, when Zadina took a pass from Valtteri Filppula just outside the offensive blue line, made a nice move wide around one of the league’s top defensemen, Jaccob Slavin, and then made another subtle play to slide a pass under the stick of Dougie Hamilton back to Filppula for a Grade-A scoring chance on the doorstep.

The puck didn’t go in, but it was an example of Zadina’s passing instincts, which have come more to the forefront lately. It’s a skill of his that’s probably gone a bit overlooked anyway since his reputation is as a sniper, but even in Grand Rapids it’s been noticeable how he’s used his passing to create chances for his team. And he did it multiple times that period. At one point, he ran a little give-and-go with Darren Helm out of a scrum along the boards, leading to a shot off the side of the net for Zadina. And on another occasion, he and Helm ran a give-and-go the opposite way, with Helm dropping one to Zadina, who gave it right back to Helm for a look from the slot.

That ability to help create plays for other players is part of the way Zadina has felt he’s improved of late, leading to eight points in his last seven games and 12 in his last 13. 1163224 Edmonton Oilers Tippett even called time out midway through the extra period to give them a breather. With Nugent-Hopkins injured, he didn’t have much of a second wave, so he rode the horses hard.

Oilers complete statement-making sweep with win in Arizona “I thought they were going to play the whole five minutes in overtime,” laughed Chiasson.

STRANGE PLAYS INDEED Robert Tychkowski A rather unfortunate turn of events midway through the second period Published:November 24, 2019 helped turn the tide Arizona’s way. Coyotes winger Christian Fischer took a hit from McDavid along the boards in the neutral zone, then held Updated:November 24, 2019 10:11 PM MST McDavid’s leg, freezing him out of the play for several seconds. Then he sprung to his feet, beat McDavid to the slot and buried the goal that tied it 2-2, GLENDALE — As far as statements go, sweeping the Vegas and Arizona in back-to-back road games is a big one. “I saw a couple of guys swing away from the front of the net,” said Tippett. “It wasn’t McDavid. He was behind the play. We should have And the Edmonton Oilers made it in dramatic fashion Sunday, securing covered that off. There were a couple of guys watching other things than their hold on first place in the Pacific Division with a 4-3 shootout triumph what they should have been watching.” over the Coyotes at Gila River Arena. Connor McDavid scored the only goal in the shootout. NO NUGE IS BAD NEWS

“It shows that our group is growing,” said forward Alex Chiasson. “We’re Tippett said his pre-game availability that a couple of players were gaining confidence and getting great goaltending. We had a short wrestling with bumps and bruises and their status was up in the air, but amount of time in the second where they had momentum, but as the no one had any idea Nugent-Hopkins was one of the players in the game went on we built back our game, stuck with it and found a way to maybe column. But he sat Sunday out, possibly with a wrist or hand win. issue. They hope to have him back for Wednesday in Denver.

“That’s what good teams do.” Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 11.25.2019

The win comes on the heels of a convincing 4-2 victory over the Golden Knights Saturday and lifts Edmonton to 3-1 on a tough five-game road trip they called the defining point in their season. They’re 16-7-3 now and looking very much like a team that deserves that record.

“We didn’t have much gas in the tank, you could tell,” grinned head coach Dave Tippett. “You can tell when players are coming to the bench and they’re looking at you like ‘I’m trying, I really am,’ but there’s not much there.

“It was a tough turnaround. We played a hard, hard physical game Saturday night, so I’m proud of our guys to hang around and find a way to get two points. It was a good two days for us.”

With the first place Oilers and second place Coyotes just three points apart in the Pacific Division standings when the night began, both teams were hyping Sunday night like it was a playoff game.

It wasn’t. You can’t have a playoff atmosphere in a building with thousands of empty seats, and they don’t have three-on-three overtime or a shootout, but the Oilers and Coyotes did their best to replicate a high-stakes post-season battle anyway.

They traded leads and momentum, they fought back when it looked like they were down and out and took the game all the way to the last shot.

“This is a really big road trip for us and this was a really big win,” said goalie Mikko Koskinen, who made some monster saves in improving his record to 9-1-2. “Sometimes you just have to make those saves if you want to keep your team in the game. Today I got those and I was happy with that.”

The Oilers scored early in both the first and second periods (James Neal at 2:05 of the first and Chiasson at 1:22 of the second) to take 1-0 and 2- 1 leads, but they couldn’t shake the plucky Coyotes, who fought back both times.

In the third, trailing 3-2 with under seven minutes to go, it was Edmonton’s turn to land a counter-punch. It came from the suddenly red hot Markus Granlund of all people, who scored his third goal in four games to make it 3-3.

“I think the guys did a really good job of playing solid and not giving up too much (Saturday), and that allowed us to have some legs tonight,” said Sam Gagner, who moved into the second line centre role in the absence of injured Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and responded with an assist and a plus two evening. “We got down, but we kept fighting and found a way to get two points.”

HARD DAY’S NIGHT

Leon Draisaitl logged a season high 29 minutes, over four minutes of it in overtime as he and McDavid emptied the tank during the three-on-three. 1163225 Edmonton Oilers “Any coach, what you’re trying to do is maximize every player,” he said. “Those guys are two top players, they take a good chunk of the game and they have a big impact on the game, but what I’m trying to do with them is the same thing I’m trying to do with everybody — make sure Dave Tippett not sentimental over return to Arizona they’re playing in the right spots and playing the right way to give us a chance to win.”

BACK TO THE FUTURE Robert Tychkowski Between charter airplanes, luxury hotels and more disciplined players, Published:November 24, 2019 back-to-back road games aren’t nearly as stressful as they were back in Updated:November 24, 2019 8:44 PM MST the old days. In fact, it’s a rhythm that some of them actually embrace.

“It’s easier nowadays than they were back in the day,” admitted defenceman Darnell Nurse, who was eager to get back at it in Arizona GLENDALE — Upon returning to Gila River Arena for the first time since after beating Vegas the night before. “As a player you have to love them taking over the Edmonton Oilers, former Arizona coach Dave Tippett because you play a game, park it, wake up the next day and you’re on to didn’t have much time to reflect on his eight years with the Coyotes. a new challenge.

That’s fine, though, because he didn’t want to. “You don’t have to think about the game the night before whether it was good or bad, you just get into a groove of waking up, going through the With back-to-back games on the road, the second one against a pre-game routine and getting on to the next game. Back to backs are divisional rival hot on Edmonton’s heels, the Oilers coach was in no probably the most fun to play, to be honest.” mood for emotional trips down memory lane. He was as he wanted his players to be: All business. GOALS ARE COMING

“I was here as a visitor coach before, (with LA and Dallas prior to actually Markus Granlund scored two in three games. Jujhar Khaira had three in coaching the Coyotes),” he said. “It’s not the only place I’ve coached. three games before a hand injury bumped him out of the lineup. Slowly, You come back, you know people, you say hello to people, which is nice, but surely, the bottom half of the Oilers forward group is starting to find but you’re here to win a game against a division rival that’s right behind the net. us.” “I think things are starting to turn around offensively,” said winger Josh Not exactly the kind of stuff they put on Hallmark cards, but given the Archibald, who is also looking to break through. “I want to chip in and do situation and the time element after playing in Vegas a night earlier, it’s as much as I can. understandable. When pressed on it again, he admits it felt good to see some old, familiar faces again. “I’ve been playing with great linemates all year and we’re starting to pick things up and get the chances, so it’s just a matter of time until things “Lots of great memories here, lot’s of good people who worked awfully start going in.” hard for this organization,” said Tippett, who received a video tribute and standing ovation in the first period. “It’s good to be back, good to see a lot Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 11.25.2019 of people. You don’t realize you know so many people when you’ve been here for so long, between ushers and staff and trainers. It was good to see everybody.”

OIL SURGE

Most people expected to see a bump in Edmonton’s game when Tippett arrived — his teams always take a big step forward in his first season — but to go from almost last overall to almost first overall is a league-wide stunner.

When they take a close look at things, though, opposition coaches aren’t really surprised.

“You look at Tipp’s track record,” said Arizona counterpart Rick Tocchet. “He’s an excellent coach who brings a lot of structure. He also has two guys there who are coming off great years and are shattering what they did last year.

“Those two guys, with his system, and the goaltending they’re getting and their defence playing better this year, there’s a reason why they’re in first place.”

HARD TO HANDLE

Game-planning for the two-headed monster that is Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl is becoming a frightening ritual for opponents around the league.

The pair isn’t quite unstoppable, but very rare is the night when teams manage to keep both of them from inflicting damage.

“If you back off you’re in trouble, but you also have to pick your spots when to attack,” said Tocchet. “To me, it starts in the neutral zone. You have to be really disciplined against those two guys. And you have to mark them. If you swing away from them, you get in trouble.

“They’re going to get their chances, you just hope you limit them. Instead of them getting 12 chances, if you can get it down to five or six, that’s a win.”

Tippett never had a dynamic duo like this to work with in Arizona, that’s why the Coyotes used to choke the life out of most games, but he says he hasn’t adapted his philosophy much even though he has access to a pair of nuclear weapons in Edmonton. 1163226 Edmonton Oilers “We’ll basically have just one practice. We have ice on the 23rd and 24th over in Davos but you don’t have all your players until late on the 24th and practise on Christmas day, then play Boxing Day (vs HC Ocelari Trinec, Czech)” said MacTavish. James Neal always remembers days with Vegas Golden Knights fondly David Musil and another former Oiler farmhand Martin Gernat play for that team.

Jim Matheson, Edmonton Journal “Davos is a beautiful place, spectacular actually, with everything that’s going on around the games. There’s a huge flooded outdoor rink for Published:November 24, 2019 fans,” said MacTavish. Updated:November 24, 2019 6:36 PM MST This ’n that: Oilers eight overall draft pick last summer, Philip Broberg, 18, is playing in the third defence pairing at Skelleftea, getting about 12- 15 minutes a game in the Swedish League. He has three assists in 19 LAS VEGAS — James Neal loved his time with the infant Vegas Golden games. He’ll be playing for the Swedes at the world junior in the Czech Knights, hated to leave the party as a free agent in the summer of 2018 Republic over Christmas … Hockey Canada might want Oilers farmhand when they wouldn’t offer the kind of money ($5 million per) the Calgary defenceman Evan Bouchard for this year’s Spengler Cup team, but Flames did. they’re not getting the first-year pro. Bakersfield plays three games over that Dec. 26-31 time frame … Coffey is doing some defence advisory “The whole experience was unforgettable, something I’ll remember for work with Jim Playfair with the Oiler young D this year. That pair goes a the rest of my life. I mean nobody knew what to expect that first year,” long ways back. Playfair lived with Coffey after being an Oiler first-round said the Edmonton Oilers winger, who fully admits the entire fan draft pick … Valentin Zykov, who had a teaspoon of coffee (nowhere experience was mind-blowing as Vegas made it all the way to the near a cup) with the Oilers is 17 games into his 20-game suspension with Stanley Cup final. the Golden Knights for using a banned substance. He played the first “I was hurt and didn’t play any exhibition games for them but I was in the seven games for them this season … Ex Oiler winger Ty Rattie, released stands and you could feel the energy in the building (T-Mobile Arena). by MacTavish’s Lokomotiv team so they could bring in Magnus Paajarvi Then my first time going on the ice was at the home opener for warm- instead, is now playing for Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo (five points in eight ups. I got out there and I thought, ‘whoa.’ I mean it felt so tight and tiny, games). “They have a Canadian coach (David Nemirovsky, a Florida the way the arena’s built with the fans on top of you. I know the feeling draft pick) who speaks Russian and (former NHLer) Jordan Schroeder for opposing teams where everything is going so fast and even when I plays on that team too,” said MacTavish. Nyshny is 400 km east of was on Vegas I would be thinking the same. We used that first year Moscow, population 1.2 million. (noise) to our advantage.” Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 11.25.2019 The whole entertainment part at the rink on a game night was special, too.

“Hey it’s Las Vegas, you’re right on the strip,” said Neal.

He got a kick out out the love affair with the players here.

“Special place for me. Just walking around the casinos and the hotels the fans come up and say hello and thank you. The first pro sports team in the city and they embraced us with open arms,” said Neal.

“There will be a lot of 29s (goalie Marc-Andre Fleury jerseys) in the building (Saturday) but 18 (Neal’s old number) will be right underneath that.”

BEST LOOKING FLOWER IN LEAGUE

Fleury is turning 35 in a few days but his game isn’t dropping off at all. He’s every bit as good in his 30s as he was in his 20s, rare for puck- stoppers. He went into the Oilers battle with 450 career wins, just four back of Curtis Joseph and Henrik Lundqvist’s 454 (tied for fifth).

Fleury should easily hit 500 wins which would put him third behind Marty Brodeur and Patrick Roy. They’re both in the Hall of Fame and Fleury (three Cups) will be joining them.

“His work ethic, how he takes care of himself … he’s such an athletic guy,” said his former Pittsburgh and Vegas teammate Neal. “He’s got so much passion and love for the game. He’s an unbelievable person. What happened in Pittsburgh (they left him available in the expansion draft and protected Matt Murray), coming here revived him. He probably got a little upset and mad and wanted to show everyone how good he still he is. He’s one of a kind and I’ve been lucky enough to know him for a long time.”

DYNAMIC DUO BEHIND BENCH

Craig MacTavish will be climbing back on the coaching horse at the Spengler Cup after being fired six weeks ago in Yaroslavl but Paul Coffey has never been behind a pro bench.

“He hasn’t had much pro experience but he’s coached a lot in Toronto, all of his boys’ teams. That’s probably more pressure-filled. He’s excited and I’m looking forward to having some fun with him over there,” said MacTavish.

MacTavish will need name tags on the team practice jerseys before the tournament starts. He won’t know a lot of the players personally. 1163227 Edmonton Oilers Oilers: Matt Benning Coyotes: Niklas Hjalmarsson, Michael Grabner

GAME DAY LINES Edmonton Oilers Game Day: Tippett returns to Arizona OILERS (PROJECTED)

Leon Draisaitl-Connor McDavid-Zack Kassian Jim Matheson, Jujhar Khaira-Ryan Nugent-Hopkins-James Neal Published:November 24, 2019 Joakim Nygard-Riley Sheahan-Josh Archibald Updated:November 24, 2019 6:00 AM MST Markus Granlund-Gaetan Haas-Alex Chiasson

Darnell Nurse-Ethan Bear 1. GETTING LEGS EARLY Oscar Klefbom-Caleb Jones Both teams are playing the second of a back-to-back but the Coyotes had an afternoon tilt in Los Angeles Saturday while the Oilers had a night Kris Russell-Adam Larsson game in Vegas with Arizona getting a head-start on recovery of five hours over Edmonton. It’s a short hop from Las Vegas to Phoenix Mikko Koskinen though, about a 40-minute flight, so that’s not a big deal. And often Mike Smith there’s more Oilers jerseys in the seats at the rink in Glendale, Ariz., than Coyotes sweaters; it’s almost a home game for Edmonton. COYOTES (PROJECTED)

2. WINNING THE SPECIAL TEAMS Christian Dvorak-Nick Schmaltz-Conor Garland.

The Oilers have the fourth-best PP in the league on the road (10 goals in Lawson Crouse-Carl Soderberg-Phil Kessel 37 tries) but the Coyotes, while a middling penalty-killing team, have been terrific at home, surrendering only three goals in 29 opposing Barrett Hayton-Derek Stepan-Clayton Keller attempts. Only San Jose and Pittsburgh have better home PK stats. It Christian Fischer-Brad Richardson-Vinnie Hinostroza might help if Oilers drew more penalties (70). Vancouver has drawn 96, Colorado 88. It’s patently crazy that a team with Connor McDavid and Oliver Ekman-Larsson-Jason Demers Leon Draisaitl gets the 19th-most power plays. Jakob Chychrun-Alex Goligoski 3. HOMECOMING GOAL? Ilya Lyubushkin-Jordan Oesterle Josh Archibald, who went into the Oilers game against Vegas still looking for his first goal of the season, is returning to Arizona for the first time Darcy Kuemper since signing as a free-agent this summer. Archibald had 12 goals for the Antti Raanta Coyotes last year, six at home in 44 shots, and he was a crowd favourite there in his 100-plus games over two seasons after the desert dogs got Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 11.25.2019 the former U of Nebraska-Omaha winger from Pittsburgh for goalie Michael Leighton.

4. CONNOR OUTSCORING CONOR

McDavid scored one of the Oilers goals in their 3-2 OT loss to Arizona on Nov. 4, while Coyotes smurf Conor Garland leads them with 10 goals this season, nine of those even-strength. We’re betting on the Oilers’ Connor winning this battle, but Garland has 23 goals in 71 career NHL games. He had two goals against Edmonton last season and seems to have found a spot beside Nick Schmaltz on their No. 1 line.

5. WHERE ART THOU, KESSEL?

Phil Kessel has had a very quiet beginning to his time with the Coyotes. He has four goals and 14 points and a team worst -8. Only one of his goals through 24 games came on even strength. True, he has been more playmaker than scorer in his 1,020-game career, but his shooting percentage of five percent (four goals in 62 shots) is pretty shocking for a guy who can fire it. The same minor penalties (four) as goals (four). Go figure.

Big Matchup

DARCY KUEMPER VS, MIKKO KOSKINEN

Even though Antti Raanta was sensational in Arizona’s 3-2 win in Los Angeles, Kuemper has taken over as the Coyotes’ No. 1 goalie. Entering play Saturday, he had the NHL’s best goals-against average (1.93) and save percentage (.935) in his 15 games. He likes to fight too. Remember that engagement with Matthew Tkachuk in front of his net. Koskinen had the seventh-best goals-against average (2.42) and his save percentage of .921 was eighth overall. He had the best win-loss of 8-1-2-1. Koskinen lost the first game to Kuemper in overtime in Edmonton, so this is a rematch.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Oilers: PP 22-70, 31.4 per cent, first. PK 71-8, 87.6 percent, second

Coyotes PP 13-74, 16.6 per cent, 21st PK 56-70 82 percent, 16th

SICK BAY 1163228 Edmonton Oilers numbers since draft day, we see some progress and a spike in power- play time this season:

Berglund’s offence has been fairly consistent, but he has been productive Lowetide: Tyler Benson posting a strong November in hopes of an Oilers on the power play this season. If that continues, his numbers are going to recall shine by season’s end. That might be a key to getting a contract from the Oilers, although his even-strength goal differential needs to recover.

I confess to being fascinated by Ilya Konovalov’s season. As you may By Allan Mitchell Nov 24, 2019 recall, the Oilers drafted the Russian goalie after a stunning season for Yaroslav Lokomotiv of the KHL that included a .930 save percentage.

Craig MacTavish was named coach of the team over the summer, In the AHL, a lot changes month to month. The NHL team is recalling meaning one of Edmonton’s top goalie prospects would be coached by players in a steady stream, so early line and pairing chemistry is its former head coach and general manager. It went poorly, but the story interrupted and reset with new combinations. Injuries to AHL players are didn’t end there for Konovalov. Have a look at these numbers: also a factor and the change in lines and pairings over a 30-day period It is wildly unfair to blame MacTavish for Konovalov’s start since can be enormous in the minors. Lokomotiv was having trouble in many areas. Still, it’s fascinating to see It’s also true that a hot streak, even early in a campaign, can get a player the goalie’s turnaround, and his numbers since the coaching change are recalled in a quick hurry. As an example, the Edmonton Oilers are in the range of normal expectations for the young stopper. The Oilers looking for some complementary scoring on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ line, have all kinds of time to sign Konovalov (“indefinite,” according to with auditions from Alex Chiasson, Jujhar Khaira and Joakim Nygard a CapFriendly), but his consistent play overall and quick recovery are mixed bag so far. compelling.

Tyler Benson is on a hot streak with the . In eight The Oilers have two veteran goalies and three young prospects pushing November games, he has scored five goals and four assists, with 19 from the AHL. Olivier Rodrigue is performing well in the QMJHL and he’ll shots on goal. That kind of production will get noticed by Oilers turn pro next fall. It’s possible Konovalov emerges from the prospect management, and Jay Woodcroft’s reports back to Edmonton are lavish pack based on his resume. with praise based on the coach’s conversation with The Athletic’s Daniel The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2019 Nugent-Bowman earlier this month. A quick look at top November performances by players in entry contracts shows just how well Benson is playing:

Benson is scoring well and is also having an impact without the puck. It’s likely a recall happens closer to Christmas (or after), but by any measure, Benson has emerged, ahead of Kailer Yamamoto and Cooper Marody, as the most qualified recall among forwards. Since no one is grabbing that spot on Nugent-Hopkins’ left wing, Benson may get a shot in the coming weeks. Ironically, after a junior career rife with injury, Benson’s health and consistent performance may win the day.

Other items of note include a nice spike by AHL rookies Kirill Maksimov and Ryan McLeod. Stuart Skinner has performed well in November, putting together a 2.76 goals-against average and .909 save percentage over eight games, compared to his overall numbers. Entry-contract prospects Ostap Safin and Nolan Vesey have yet to play a November game with the Condors.

Evan Bouchard has scored often in November, but his offence was never in doubt. The defensive coverage is the major item. The emergence of Ethan Bear as a quality NHL regular gives the organization the opportunity to be patient with the 2018 top-10 overall selection.

The 2016 draft class shows signs of life

The Oilers used nine draft picks in 2016, led by the selections of Jesse Puljujarvi and Benson in the first two rounds. For some time now, those two names have towered over the other seven in terms of matriculation toward the NHL. Things may be about to change.

Aapeli Rasanen was chosen in the sixth round for his skill, passing and two-way game. He fell to No. 153 due to his skating (described as “only average”) but produced internationally and in the USHL after he was drafted. At Boston College, he had a strong freshman season, with 16 points in 32 games, but fell into a season-long slump like the rest of his team in 2018-19.

This season, he’s a different player, scoring five goals and 10 points in 11 games. He caught a break when Logan Hutsko was hurt, meaning Rasanen moved to the top line with David Cotton and Julius Mattila. When Hutsko returned, Rasanen was moved down to a line with Alex Newhook and Mike Hardman and promptly had a hat trick with the new trio.

Rasanen is 21, and a right-handed two-way centre has high value for the Oilers. We could see him sign with them in the summer and forgo his senior season.

At No. 91 overall, Filip Berglund was one of three third-round selections in 2016, and he had a reputation for being a solid two-way defender with significant offensive potential. He has been a staple on defence for Skelleftea of the SHL since he was drafted and the Oilers will need to make a decision on him before his June 1 signing deadline. Tracking his 1163229 Florida Panthers that don’t even look like there’s a chance they’d go in our net and all of a sudden you’re down. We’ve got to make them earn them.”

Montembeault dropped to 3-2-1 on the year. No rally this time as Florida Panthers fall behind early in loss to Buffalo IRON CLAD YANDS Sabres Defenseman Keith Yandle, despite taking a puck to face in first period of

Saturday’s loss in Carolina that resulted in him losing multiple teeth, BY JORDAN MCPHERSON played Sunday to continue his iron man streak. He was on the ice for a team-high 23:38 against the Sabres. NOVEMBER 24, 2019 07:30 PM “Give him credit,” Quenneville said. “He did a lot of good things. The fact that he’s out there under those circumstances and still trying to generate something offensively for us, give him credit.” The Florida Panthers came into the weekend on a high note, riding a season-long three-game win streak capped by a miraculous rally from Yandle has now played in 821 consecutive games. That is the NHL’s four goals down to defeat the Anaheim Ducks. active leader, the all-time record for a defenseman and fifth all-time in NHL history. They left searching for answers to get back to that point. Yandle has played in every game since March 26, 2009. The Panthers followed up a 4-2 loss at the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday with a 5-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday at the BB&T Andrew Cogliano is fourth with 830 consecutive games played spanning Center. from Oct. 4, 2007 to Jan. 13, 2018.

It marked the first time this year that the Panthers (12-7-5) had lost Doug Jarvis is the NHL’s record holder for consecutive games with 964. consecutive games in regulation and therefore went more than one game Garry Unger (914) and Steve Larmer (884) follow in second and third. without picking up points. Florida was 4-0-1 in games following a regulation loss before this weekend. STILLMAN RETURNS

“We’re going to have to go through something like that. Every team’s The Panthers recalled defenseman Riley Stillman from their American going to go through it,” winger Brett Connolly said. “It’s a matter of how Hockey League affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds ahead of Sunday’s we respond.” game against Buffalo.

The loss on Sunday came against a Buffalo team that had lost nine of its Stillman, a fourth-round pick by the Panthers in 2016, has played in three past 10 games — seven in regulation — and had scored four goals just games for the Panthers this year. twice in that span. He was a scratch on Sunday, along with the injured Jayce Hawryluk and The Panthers were also more aggressive on the offensive end, MacKenzie Weegar. outshooting the Sabres 45-25. NEXT UP But Buffalo goaltender Linus Ullmark was remarkable in net, making 43 The Panthers travel to face the Washington Capitals on Wednesday with saves, and the Sabres made the most of their limited opportunities early. the puck drop set for 7 p.m. “We had a lot of shots, a lot of rebounds, a lot of nice plays around the After that, Florida will hold a nine-game homestand that starts Saturday net,” center and team captain Aleksander Barkov said. “... It wasn’t our and runs through Dec. 20. day.” “We’ve got a big game coming up Wednesday and then all of a sudden Florida found itself down 3-0 less than four minutes into the second you’ve got a stretch at home,” Quenneville said. “Let’s get back to the period despite being the Panthers holding the Sabres to just seven shots drawing board here and tighten things up and look at doing things the on goal in that frame. right way.” Jeff Skinner opened scoring with 3:36 remaining in the first period when Miami Herald LOADED: 11.25.2019 he re-directed a wide pass from Jack Eichel past Panthers goaltender Sam Montembeault.

The Sabres (11-9-3) doubled their lead less than two minutes later when Zemus Girgensons blasted a shot from the left side through traffic and underneath Montembeault’s right arm.

Eichel then scored one himself with 16:18 left in the second period, when his wrist shot from the right circle slid into the net.

Noel Acciari gave the Panthers one goal back when he slipped a shot past Ullman in front of the net with 10:31 left in the period. It was Acciari’s fifth goal of the season.

But five minutes later, a Victor Olofsson snap shot put the Sabres back up three goals.

Connolly added a Panthers power-play goal with 16:52 remaining in regulation. It was Connolly’s team-leading 11th goal of the season and his first on the power play. It snapped a three-game stretch in which Florida went scoreless on the man advantage.

The Panthers entered Sunday ranked sixth in the NHL in power-play efficiency, scoring on 24.3 percent of its opportunities.

Girgensons closed scoring with an insurance goal for Buffalo with 6:35 left when he rebounded his own shot and squeaked it past Monteambault.

“It was one of those games where you think you might be playing OK,” Panthers coach Joel Quenneville said, “but whether you’re out-chancing them, outshooting them, out-possessing them, you’re behind for a reason. I think that we’ve been playing with that danger of giving up goals 1163230 Florida Panthers

Sabres have their way with Montembeault, Panthers

By PAUL GEREFFI

ASSOCIATED PRESS |NOV 24, 2019 | 9:02 PM

Zemgus Girgensons and Linus Ullmark ended the Buffalo Sabres’ three- game losing streak.

Girgensons scored twice, Ullmark made 43 saves and the Sabres beat the Florida Panthers 5-2 on Sunday night to snap a three-game losing streak.

“We did a lot of good things tonight and were rewarded with a `W,’” said Jack Eichel, who had a goal and two assists. “We did a good job of finding a way to get that next goal.”

Victor Olofsson and Jeff Skinner also scored.

“I thought [Ullmark] played an outstanding game today staying on the initial shots,” Sabres coach Ralph Krueger said. “He was the king of the first shots tonight. We’re really, really happy with his performance.”

Brett Connolly and Noel Acciari scored for the Panthers, and Samuel Montembeault stopped 20 shots. The Panthers have lost two straight after winning their previous three, losing 4-2 to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night. They have lost consecutive games in regulation for the first time this season.

“All of a sudden you’ve got a tough weekend,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “Let’s get back to the drawing board and tighten things up and do things the right way.”

Connolly’s power-play goal — on a shot from above the left circle — cut it to 4-2 at 3:08 of the third, but Girgensons countered with his second goal with 6:35 to go. Girgensons was able to push the puck into the corner of the net.

“I just took it to the net, shot it once and it went in,” Girgensons said.

Connolly has five goals in his past five games, but the Panthers came away without a point in back-to-back games.

“I think we’re going to have to go through something like that,” Connolly said. “Every team is going to go through it. It’s just a matter of how we respond.”

Eichel made it 3-0 at 3:42 of the second on a shot from the right circle that got by the screened Montembeault. Eichel has six goals and four assists in a five-game points streak.

The Panthers closed to 3-1 midway through the second on Acciari’s shot from the low slot.

Olofsson responded, taking a cross-ice pass from San Reinhart to the left circle and scoring with 5:19 left in the second.

“We definitely managed the game in a way we’d like to see, finishing on opportunities, creating opportunities, and managing the lead right through,” Krueger said.

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163231 Florida Panthers

Panthers’ Keith Yandle lost 9 teeth on Saturday. He still played on Sunday, continuing his Iron Man streak

By WELLS DUSENBURY

NOV 24, 2019 | 8:00 PM

Hockey players have a reputation for being tough, but Keith Yandle has taken that to the next level.

Over the past decade, the Florida Panthers defenseman has been a pillar of durability, playing in 820 consecutive games entering Sunday — the fifth-longest streak in NHL history. That run appeared to be in jeopardy after Yandle took a puck to the face in Saturday night’s loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, causing him to lose nine teeth, according to the NHL Network.

Despite a bloody face and some dental work, Yandle was back at it less than 24 hours later.

In Florida’s matchup against the Buffalo Sabres at the BB&T Center, the 33-year-old defenseman was on the ice, playing in his 821st consecutive game.

In Saturday night’s game, Yandle exited the game in the first period, but later returned in the third.

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Yandle’s streak began over 10 years ago on March 26, 2009 during his time with the Phoenix Coyotes.

After spending the first nine years of his career with the Coyotes, he spent two seasons with the New York Rangers before being acquired by the Panthers in 2016. The defenseman signed a seven-year, $44 million deal, keeping him under contract through the 2022-23 season.

With his Iron Man streak alive, Yandle could potentially break the NHL’s all-time mark for consecutive games played next season.

Doug Jarvis holds the record, having played in 964 consecutive games from 1975-87 during his time with the , Washington Capitals and Hartford Whalers.

If Yandle keeps going, he would break the record sometime in the second half of next season.

Next on the list for Yandle is Dallas Stars’ forward Andrew Cogliano, who has the fourth-longest streak after playing in 830 consecutive games from 2007-18 with the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks.

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A five-time NHL All-Star, Yandle has tallied 546 points (96 goals, 450 assists) in his 14-year career, entering Sunday’s game.

For the season, he’s posted 2 goals, 16 assists, leading Panthers’ defensemen in both points and assists.

Yandle has been especially strong of late, earning the NHL’s Third Star of the Week last Monday. In three games during that span, he led all defenseman with eight points (1 goal, 7 assists). Over the past 12 games, he’s posted 14 points (1 goal, 13 assists).

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163232 Los Angeles Kings

Kings to face one of NHL’s hottest teams when San Jose Sharks come to Staples Center

By ANDREW KNOLL |PUBLISHED: November 24, 2019 at 1:31 pm | UPDATED: November 24, 2019 at 1:31 PM

In the NHL, fortunes can change in an instant.

The Kings face an old foe in the San Jose Sharks Monday night at Staples Center, a club that has transformed itself from one of the league’s most disappointing teams into one of its hottest.

The Sharks have won eight of their last nine games and their record in their last 10 games trails only the Dallas Stars and New York Islanders over that span. San Jose beat the Islanders 2-1 in overtime Saturday. They had been jockeying with the Kings and other struggling franchises for last place in the West, but have vaulted themselves onto the wild card bubble.

The Kings have also turned around their play, albeit in less drastic fashion than when they catapulted themselves out of an 0-3 hole to stun San Jose in the first round of the 2014 playoffs.

They have been markedly better at Staples Center, winning five straight before falling to Arizona 3-2 at home Saturday. They out-shot the Coyotes 45-19, but were hindered by some momentary lapses.

“It’s the best league in the world. All it takes is one mistake. Five-on-five, we were good except for 30 seconds,” center Blake Lizotte said. “They capitalized on a mistake of ours and that was the difference.”

The Kings have excelled at closing out games–they are 7-0-0 when leading after two periods–but have not managed to win a single game when trailing after either intermission.

In response, Kings coach Todd McLellan repeated one of his favorite cliches from his time coaching the Sharks. He said “it’s a 3-2 league” to stress the importance of getting the first goal.

Yet scoring has increased league-wide in each season since 2015-16 when he left San Jose, and, more importantly, comebacks are much more common. Upticks in late lead changes and comeback victories have been stark as a whole this season and anecdotally as well.

Consider two games that the storied Montreal Canadiens have been involved in this season. Saturday, they led 4-0 and then 5-3, only to fall 6-5 to the New York Rangers. Earlier in the year, they surmounted a 4-1 third-period deficit against the Toronto Maple Leafs, gaining a 5-4 lead, then ceding the equalizer before ultimately winning in a shootout.

Individual games can turn on a dime. The Kings will need to become more adaptive if they hope to improve their position in the standings, which have also proven volatile.

McLellan coached the Sharks for seven seasons. Several of the players he guided remain with the team, including their three leading scorers: forwards Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl and defenseman Brent Burns. Goalie Martin Jones, a former King, recorded only two wins in his first 10 starts. But he has since notched seven victories in his last eight appearances.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163233 Los Angeles Kings

WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: NOVEMBER 24

JON ROSENNOVEMBER 24, 2019

GAME STORY

The LA Kings might’ve deserved a little better than a 3-2 regulation loss to Arizona Saturday afternoon, but the Coyotes did what they’ve done to this point and what they’ll look to tinker with a little bit to continue to find success: They won the 5×5 battle 1-0 despite getting blitzed over the final 40 minutes and scored the go-ahead goal against not only the run of play but a suffocating shift by Jeff Carter’s line that shrunk the radius of chaos around Antti Raanta but went on for just a beat too long. We have seen this type of L.A.-Arizona game at Staples Center before. The matinee was the 14th consecutive home game the Kings registered more shot attempts than the Coyotes, and with a 66-32 divide, the ninth time over the five-plus-year span that range was greater than 15 attempts. They’re 6-7-1 in those games. But while all teams want to possess the puck more than their opponents, Arizona has carried a winning formula from late last season into this that has relied on yielding quantity rather than quality and defending the center of the ice well – in front of excellent goaltending – and even if the script seemed to be a shot-for-shot remake of the recent history between these teams, the Coyotes etched out a better start, played with the lead, retook the lead after allowing a power play goal, and relied on Antti Raanta’s ability to keep the puck out despite a regular convergence of bodies and pucks on his doorstep. Several players and Todd McLellan remarked on Los Angeles’ slow start, and that’s understandable; the first period was the most even territorially, and Lawson Crouse, Brad Richardson and Clayton Keller all had prime opportunities before the Keller-Kessel give-and-go. But at the time of the second period go-ahead goal, the shots were 26-10 in the Kings’ favor, and 13-4 that period. “A lot of teams are going to muck and grind against us, we have to have that mentality, we didn’t get a shot for the first eight minutes [of the second],” Rick Tocchet said. L.A. did its own mucking and grinding, and it’s getting apparent that their execution of the forecheck is improving, but they’ll have to settle for advancing the needle rather than their spot in the standings.

Juan Ocampo/NHLI

On the Nikolai Prokhorkin watch, the intriguing 26-year-old center was noticeable, and in a good way on the scoresheet. He was off-balance but drew a penalty when Christian Fischer swatted at his ankles and scored a late redirection goal off the type of Matt Roy activation we’d been seeing quite a bit of lately. After the game, McLellan shared that he prefers Prokhorkin at center, something Ilya Kovalchuk had alluded to earlier in the season. “He shows us a skill level, he’s able to use his size, I think his feet, his legs, his skating are improving, but it has to get a little bit quicker and better,” McLellan said as part of a review of Prokhorkin, who’s playing more confidently right now and whose endeavor to lock down a spot in the lineup will be among the interesting story lines of a busy week ahead. Same goes for Carl Grundstrom, who’s made a strong case to stay in the lineup over his last two games. Against Arizona and Edmonton (via Natural Stat Trick), he’s been on the ice for 41 attempts for and 18 against, 26 shots for and nine against, nine high-danger chances for and one against, and two goals for and none against. He registered three shots and six attempts against the Coyotes to go along with three hits and a blocked shot as his minutes were increased by nearly five minutes. Keep an eye on Grundstrom – who last year generated some late-season success opposite Toffoli – this week.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163234 Minnesota Wild

New York hosts Minnesota after Lemieux's 2-goal game

By The Associated Press NOVEMBER 25, 2019 — 2:20AM

Minnesota Wild (9-11-3, seventh in the Central Division) vs. New York Rangers (10-9-2, sixth in the Metropolitan Division)

New York; Monday, 7 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: New York hosts the Minnesota Wild after Brendan Lemieux scored two goals in the Rangers' 6-5 victory over the Canadiens.

The Rangers are 6-4-2 on their home ice. New York is seventh in the NHL recording 9.3 points per game, averaging 3.4 goals and 5.9 assists.

The Wild have gone 4-10-1 away from home. Minnesota has scored 15 power-play goals, converting on 18.8% of chances.

The teams match up Monday for the first time this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Artemi Panarin has recorded 27 total points while scoring 12 goals and collecting 15 assists for the Rangers. Ryan Strome has totaled two goals and eight assists over the last 10 games for New York.

Eric Staal leads the Wild with 17 points, scoring seven goals and registering 10 assists. Zach Parise has totaled five goals and three assists over the last 10 games for Minnesota.

LAST 10 GAMES: Wild: 5-2-3, averaging 3.4 goals, 5.7 assists, 3.5 penalties and 9.2 penalty minutes while allowing 3.1 goals per game with a .901 save percentage.

Rangers: 5-4-1, averaging 3.6 goals, 6.5 assists, 5.3 penalties and 15.5 penalty minutes while giving up 3.9 goals per game with a .894 save percentage.

Rangers Injuries: Mika Zibanejad: day to day (upper body), Marc Staal: out (ankle).

Wild Injuries: Marcus Foligno: out (lower body).

Star Tribune LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163235 Minnesota Wild

Wild-N.Y. Rangers game preview

NOVEMBER 24, 2019 — 11:26PM

Sarah McLellan

6 P.M. AT NEW YORK RANGERS • FSN PLUS, 100.3-FM

No deficit too large for Rangers

Preview: While the Wild was blowing a two-goal lead en route to a 5-4 overtime loss Saturday in Boston, the Rangers were in Montreal staging their own comeback. They overcame a 4-0 deficit to eke out a 6-5 victory. It was the fifth time a team has won in the NHL this season when trailing by four goals.

Players to WATCH: Rangers LW Brendan Lemieux had two goals in Saturday’s rally. C Artemi Panarin has a team-high 12 goals and 27 points. For the Wild, RW Mats Zuccarello has a goal and three assists during a three-game point streak. D Matt Dumba had a career-high seven hits Saturday.

Numbers: The Wild has collected at least a point in a season-high five straight games. G Alex Stalock’s 34 saves vs. the Bruins were a season high. New York surrenders the second-most shots per game in the NHL at 36.3.

Injuries: Rangers C Mika Zibanejad (upper body) and Ds Marc Staal (ankle infection) and Yegor Rykov (ankle) are out. Wild G Devan Dubnyk (personal), D Greg Pateryn (core muscle surgery) and W Marcus Foligno (lower body) are also out.

Star Tribune LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163236 Minnesota Wild “The past is the past,” Zuccarello said, “and now I’m just glad to be here and enjoying Minnesota.”

Star Tribune LOADED: 11.25.2019 Wild's Mats Zuccarello, a former Ranger, returning to Madison Square Garden

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune NOVEMBER 24, 2019 — 11:18PM

NEW YORK – Mats Zuccarello thought he’d be with the Rangers for his entire NHL career.

He spent most of his adult life in the Big Apple, arriving as a 23-year-old from his native Norway and becoming a fan favorite during his 500-plus games with New York — building a bond with the city, the team and its faithful that he figured would never end.

“Obviously, it’s a big part of me,” Zuccarello said.

But what once might have looked like his future is now Zuccarello’s past.

After the Rangers cut ties ahead of last season’s trade deadline, shipping Zuccarello across the country to the Stars, the forward switched his NHL address again in July when he signed a five-year, $30 million contract with the Wild.

Now, nearly five months later, Zuccarello will return to Madison Square Garden on Monday when the Wild’s three-game road trip continues against the Rangers. And while this reunion may not have been on the 32-year-old’s radar at one point in time, he’s excited for it and liking the change of scenery with a new team.

“Right now, I’m happy,” Zuccarello said. “I had a great time in Dallas, and now I’m here and having a good time here. Obviously, I’d like to win some more games. But life and teammates and everything here is great.”

Zuccarello, who emerged last summer as the right winger the Wild coveted, spent almost nine years with the Rangers. Although he scored goals, Zuccarello made the most impact as a playmaker — five times eclipsing 30 assists in a season; twice he had 40 or more. And his worker-bee style endeared him to fans.

“A lot of good years,” he said. “Up and down years in the beginning, but a lot of good years. You’ve got to appreciate them — the Rangers, the teammates you had and coaches and everything that helped you become the player you are.”

New York was playoff-bound nearly every season early in Zuccarello’s tenure, even advancing to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014, but it began to rebuild in 2018. And with Zuccarello’s contract nearing its expiration, the team decided to trade the impending free agent on Feb. 23.

“It was tough to accept in the beginning because you were passionate about your team and loyal and everything like that, and you felt like you gave everything every game and then suddenly it comes to an end,” Zuccarello said. “Suddenly they don’t want you anymore. They go in a different direction. It was hard to accept that for me in the beginning. I get emotional like that. I get loyal and wanted to stay on the team.”

Zuccarello had a sense of what was coming before the split, but said he felt dialogue with the team could have been better.

“Probably my biggest thing is the communication wasn’t really there,” he said. “To be there for a long time and don’t feel that, it was hard. But it’s no different for me than anyone else. I just think that’s the bad part of the business.”

With the Rangers is where Zuccarello thought he belonged, but he’s glad he’s on the Wild. And as his games-played tally has gone up, he’s settled in more with his new surroundings. Two assists in the Wild’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Bruins on Saturday gave him a three-game points streak. Over his past 12 games, Zuccarello has four goals and six assists.

“It’s an older team here than it was in New York, so you have to find my spot and the team has to get to know you, what kind of guy you are,” Zuccarello said. “It probably took a little longer than I was hoping, but I feel more and more comfortable every day coming into the locker room and on the ice. When you win, too, you get more confident.”

And that’s an encouraging development for Zuccarello and the Wild, partners in forming Zuccarello’s next chapter. 1163237 Minnesota Wild

From the Big Apple to the Mini Apple, Mats Zuccarello reflects on former life

By DANE MIZUTANI | November 24, 2019 at 7:03 PM

NEW YORK — Mats Zuccarello is no longer upset about his breakup with the New York Rangers. But he’d be lying if he said it was easy to get over.

After spending nearly a decade in New York City, developing an into an unquestioned fan favorite in that span, the Rangers traded Zuccarello to the Dallas Stars at last season’s trade deadline.

“It was tough to accept because you were passionate about your team and and you felt like you gave everything,” Zuccarello said. “Then suddenly they don’t want you anymore or whatever. They go in a different direction.”

The biggest thing that bothered Zuccarello was that nothing was ever directly communicated to him. While he had a sense something might happen as the Rangers continued to shift toward a rebuild, Zuccarello never got a chance to chat with general manager Jeff Gorton before everything went down.

“I’m not stupid,” said Zuccarello, 32, who signed with the Rangers in 2010 as precocious 22-year-old out of Norway. “I had a sense of it way before it happens. It’s just the communication could have been better. It is what it is. It’s in the past.”

Nearly 10 months later, Zuccarello sounds like someone who’s actually moved on. He’s enjoying his new life with the Wild after inking a five- year, $30 million contract last offseason.

Frankly, for someone who loved the Big Apple so much, it’s only right that he landed on his feet in the Mini Apple.

“Obviously the fans, and the Rangers, and my teammates, and everything, I miss that,” Zuccarello said. “But the past is the past. Just glad to be here (with the Wild).”

Still, with the Wild preparing for a game against the Rangers on Monday night at Madison Square Garden, it’s hard to imagine Zuccarello won’t get a little emotional returning to his old stomping grounds.

Even if he tried to downplay everything leading up to it.

“I don’t really think about it that much,” said Zuccarello, who scored 113 goals and tallied 239 assists in 509 games with the Rangers. “It’s more other people talking about it. I’ve always had a great relationship with New York City and the fans. I came there young and kind of grew up there during my adult life. That’s where I lived almost all my 20s. It’s obviously a big part of me. But I don’t know if it’s going to be emotional.”

It’s going to be. That much is clear by simply watching the way longtime Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist got choked up last season while talking about Zuccarello being traded.

It’s plain to see how much Zuccarello meant to everyone in the Rangers locker room. And the adoration was mutual.

That said, Zuccarello is trying his best to treat the matchup against his former team like any other game. Maybe as a defense mechanism more than anything else so not to reopen old wounds.

“For me I’m there to play two games in two days,” Zuccarello said, noting how the Wild play the Rangers and the New Jersey Devils back-to-back. “Even though this was my home for a long time, I’m here to work. Obviously I’ll see everyone at the rink and say hi to them. Then I’ll relax and get ready for the game.”

Pioneer Press LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163238 Minnesota Wild Nolan Donato, Jeannine, Ted and Maddie Donato (Michael Russo/The Athletic)

Ryan has been leaning on his dad for advice a lot this season. With a family of Boston fans supporting him, Ryan Donato is fighting to Ryan opened training camp penciled in as the second-line center make his mark with the Wild between Zach Parise and Mats Zuccarello. Chemistry was never attained, and once Kevin Fiala arrived a few weeks into camp after a work visa delay, Ryan inched his way down the lineup, largely playing By Michael Russo Nov 24, 2019 fourth-line left wing in recent weeks.

It’s a humbling experience for a former Massachusetts prep school star who played for his dad at Harvard, was drafted by his hometown B’s and NEW YORK – Pretty much every single Donato family member, every last year tied Wild star-studded prospect Kirill Kaprizov and NHL 400- single friend, every single neighbor inside Suite 510 at TD Garden on goal scorer Ilya Kovalchuk for first in Olympic goal-scoring (five). Saturday night was a lifelong Boston Bruins fan. Ryan was a scorer – a shooter – at every level before turning pro. Yet, for one night, some secretly – and some not-so-secretly – rooted for the Wild. “I just know that when I get my opportunity, I will succeed,” Ryan said Saturday morning. “Every time that I’ve been given a chance to do that, Once upon a time, Ted Donato played nearly 800 games in the NHL, I’ve found success. And for me, I just want to learn the lessons that I am beginning and ending his eight-team career with the Bruins. now and not take it for granted. Come in every day with a mentality of Yet, in the first period, when the Wild’s Jason Zucker scored the game’s fighting for that opportunity. And when I get it, hopefully doing well with it, first goal, then Alex Stalock denied Charlie McAvoy on a 3-on-0, the and using the lessons that I’ve learned now to create more value for me longtime Harvard men’s hockey coach jumped up and cheered from the as a guy that can be a top-six player and create offense.” box overlooking center ice. The Wild continue their road trip to Madison Square Garden to face the “I was worried the (NESN) camera would flash by me and say, ‘He’s a New York Rangers on Monday night, and perhaps that can bring Ryan traitor now,’” Donato said, laughing, during the first intermission. some good vibes. It’s on Broadway where he debuted for the Wild in February after being acquired for Charlie Coyle and a draft pick. Hey, you can bet the Bruins TV analysts would have understood. Donato was playing in AHL Providence at the time. Donato’s son, Ryan, a 2014 second-round pick by his hometown Bruins, now plays for the Wild and was playing as a visitor in Beantown for the His girlfriend was playing at Harvard. first time in his pro career. Once a week, Ryan would drive to Boston to have dinner with Fusco. Ryan’s mom, Jeannine Donato, and his girlfriend, Bradley Fusco, wore Coincidentally, on that particular week, after much debate back and forth custom sparkling Minnesota Wild hats with the logo on the front and No. with Fusco as to what day he should come, Ryan drove to Boston on the 6 on the side made of Swarovski crystals. day he ended up getting traded.

Ryan Donato’s mom, Jeannine, and girlfriend, Bradley Fusco (Courtesy As Ryan stood in the stands waiting for Fusco’s practice to end, reports of Bradley Fusco) by The Athletic and TSN started to circulate that he was the asset being swapped for Coyle. “We had them made when Ryan was playing in Boston. He got traded the next day,” Jeannine said, rolling her eyes. “So, his girlfriend and I got Fusco found out from one of her teammates, who happened to be another one made. You know what? The Wild logo is a little bit harder to wearing an Apple Watch and received a notification on the ice. do than the Bruins one.” Ryan didn’t know what to do. Warmups had just completed and self-labeled “Mama Bear” was just In conversation with his agent, Matt Keator, there was still no official word settling in to watch her 23-year-old son play for his second NHL team because the Wild and Bruins weren’t permitted to announce the trade against his first one. until hours later because of roster complications for the Bruins, who had “I’ve been through it with Teddy so many times, but when it’s with your a game that night in Vegas. kid, it’s so different,” Jeannine said. “But Ryan seems really happy in “So I said, ‘We can either wait and do nothing, or let’s go to dinner,’” said Minnesota. Still, to come back home to Boston, like we had a whole Fusco, who comes from a huge hockey dynasty that includes her group – probably 20-plus people – that we went out to dinner with him Harvard-playing, Hobey Baker-winning father, Scott, and her Harvard- (Friday) night. He took all of his buddies out to dinner in the North End. playing, Hobey Baker-winning uncle, Mark. He was really excited to see everybody, but it’s hard to come back. He’s just excited to be home and see everybody.” During dinner with his girlfriend and father, Ryan finally received the call that the trade was official. Jeannine looked around the jam-packed suite, shook her head and smiled: “This is only half the crew that’s (in this arena) to see him. Like It worked out perfectly. every one of his high school buddies are here. Probably 50 or 60 people are here.” Fusco drove an hour with Ryan back to Providence, helped pack up his entire apartment and then was able to drive Ryan’s truck back to Boston They ended up seeing one of the most exciting games imaginable, once a car service arrived to take Ryan to Manhattan, where he’d meet although one that did not end pleasantly for Ryan and the road team. up with the Wild. Trailing by two goals with 1:55 left, the Bruins scored twice to force overtime, then won the game when defenseman Torey Krug went coast Ryan arrived after midnight, debuted for the Wild that night, assisted on to coast through a generous hole the Wild gifted him that was big enough two goals in the first of five consecutive games – all victories — with at to drive a semi through. least a point. In his first 15 games with the Wild, Ryan was a point-a- game player and Wild fans – and the Wild – were ecstatic about is future. Ryan, to his credit, played one of his better games after some early nerves. In 9 minutes, 13 seconds of ice time, Ryan had four hits, a But things have taken a turn for the worse since, and he’s trying to do blocked shot and was on the ice for linemate Victor Rask’s goal. everything possible to increase his confidence.

After one heck of a start with the Wild last season, Ryan has one goal, “My mom’s always supportive. She’s my mom,” Ryan said, laughing, two assists and only 23 shots in 21 games, and in a limited 9:46 of ice about Jeannine, who’s a nurse by trade and an expert in concussions. time per game. That’s nearly six minutes less ice time than he received “But my dad definitely, he’s always talking. He’s been in a similar from coach Bruce Boudreau after arriving from Boston in February. situation. And he knows the role. So, I really heavily rely on him. I think (New England Patriots wide receiver) Julian Edelman said his dad is like “If handled the right way though, this can make you stronger,” said Ted, a mechanic for his brain. That’s probably the same way for me. He who in 2001-02 actually played for Boudreau in Manchester of the AHL. settles me down when I need settling down and also kicks me into gear “Obviously there’s no secret that Ryan wants to produce more and be when I seem too relaxed.” more effective. He’s working hard to get there.” (Courtesy of Jared Kristall) Nine-year-old Eli became a Ryan Donato fanatic as a small child and was saddened when the Bruins traded him. He adopted the Wild as his Ted, of course, speaks from experience and tries to convey this wisdom new favorite team, and his parents covered him head to toe in Wild garb. to his boy, who has been a rink rat since he was a child. Now he was flying to the Twin Cities and wouldn’t even get to see Ryan What Ryan is going through is not unlike what several NHLers have had play? to deal with early in their careers. So Ryan spent a half-hour with the boy after the morning skate, “There’s a lot of experiences that go into being a pro,” said Ted, a father presented him with all sorts of keepsakes, a game-used stick that Eli of four (Nolan, 21, Jack, 22, and Maddie, 17, are the others). “Certainly sleeps with every night and lifelong memories. having some success then having some adversity. Probably getting your teeth knocked out, which he did last year in Providence. Then coming Eli even got a personal dressing room tour from GM Bill Guerin, back to play a team that you already played for and deal with all those autographs from many of Ryan’s teammates and a picture with emotions. Boudreau, who apologized profusely for not playing the boy’s hero.

“He’s trying to just be positive. He’s smart enough to look at the whole “Donato is such a good guy – so kind and humble and always has such a picture. When you’re a young guy, unless there’s a spot made for you, good attitude,” Eli’s mom, Jenn, said. “As a young hockey player, I’m so then otherwise you have to play well and get the opportunity. That glad Eli chose Ryan as his idol. Bill was so kind taking him into the locker opportunity may come when someone else doesn’t play well. It might room as well. Truly magical!” come when someone gets injured. Might come when the team’s not having a good game and you get your chance and you kind of run with it. The way Ryan treated the child on such a difficult day for him personally He’s just trying to improve himself so that when he does get that kind of was proof positive that Eli picked the perfect athlete to look up to. opportunity he’s able to take advantage of it. Eli attended Saturday’s morning skate and game in Boston, so he finally “He’s put a lot of time in this fall into really digesting each and every shift, got to see Ryan play for the Wild in person. and each and every play. He feels like he’s acquiring a lot of things that “We’ll never have to worry about whether hockey is the most important he needs to acquire to become a better player. But I think like any other thing for him,” Ted said. “I think he really wants to be better and he wants player, he wants to put it to work. He wants to get out there. But he loves to do all the things that allow him to have the best chance to be better. Minnesota. He loves the team. They’re playing much better than they Whether it’s eating right or living right. In a lot of ways, he was very were at the start, so he’s trying to put himself in a position so that he can fortunate to break in with the Bruins because he got to watch guys like be helpful to the team.” (Patrice) Bergeron and (Zdeno) Chara and say, ‘OK, this is what a pro Ryan lets every one of his dad’s words sink in. Jeannine hears the calls, looks like and this is how they react to good and the bad.’ she says, and the “advice from Teddy is always that, ‘You’re young, you “When it’s all said and done, I think like anybody else, you want to play have to learn, be patient, do your job.’ It’s always come pretty easy for well. You want to have a chance to express yourself in the most positive Ryan, and the last few years, there’s been some ups and downs. But way. Certainly, he had a little of that last year when he came to Teddy talks him through it.” Minnesota. Now he’s learning how to be helpful to the team when you’re “Yeah,” Ryan said, “I’m very lucky to have him. He’ll tell me straight out. not in that role. When I disagree with him, he’ll tell me that I’m wrong, and he’ll tell me “This is all part of growing up. If you look at most players, that is the the reasons, and usually he’s right. He’s been around long enough to curve. You come in and you have to prove that you’re reliable. You have understand what are the rights and wrongs of the league. I’m really to prove that you can help play in less minutes or play in an energy role. blessed to have him.” Then you get your chance and you run with it.”

He really does just need to be patient. The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2019 For the most part, the Wild have been healthy, and it’s hard to unseat top-nine left wings Zucker, Parise and Jordan Greenway, and top-nine right wings Zuccarello, Fiala and Luke Kunin. Boudreau has been mostly satisfied with Ryan’s play of late.

“I think he can score if he has confidence like he did in the beginning of his time with us,” Boudreau said. “But what he’s doing now, quite frankly, he’s learning how to play without the puck. And he’s doing a much better job. Defensive zone, he still has his hiccups. But at the end of the year last year, he had a ton of hiccups and I didn’t even care. I was just told to play him (by former GM Paul Fenton).

“So I played him despite the mistakes. But I think he’s gotten so much better of not trying to beat everybody one-on-one, coming back to his own zone and stopping, stuff like that. All those things, he’s gotten better.”

Eli with Ryan Donato in Boston on Saturday. (Courtesy of Eli’s mom, Jenn)

Still, the limited ice time, always having the threat of being pulled from the lineup, especially when Marcus Foligno returns from injury, can weigh on a young kid.

Yet, this is one good kid – someone who, by the way, barely drinks, never swears and is all about his faith.

But really proved what type of heart he has earlier this season when dealing with the stinging disappointment of finding out he would not get to play in the Wild’s home opener.

Unaccustomed to being a healthy scratch, Ryan could have sprinted home from Xcel Energy Center and buried his head in a pillow. But he got wind that a young fan from suburban Boston flew with his mom, Jenn, all the way to Minnesota to watch Ryan play the Pittsburgh Penguins. 1163239 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens coach finds right mix on defence | HI/O Bonus 2

MONTREAL GAZETTE Updated: November 24, 2019

In this bonus episode, our panelists — Montreal Gazette columnists and Jack Todd, along with Montreal comedian and Bruins fan Joey Elias, and host Adam Susser — discuss Claude Julien’s move to play Shea Weber with Ben Chiarot and pairing Victor Mete with Jeff Petry.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163240 Nashville Predators Turris has been a healthy scratch for the last three games. Arvidsson's absence could mean he gets off that list, though Laviolette isn't sold on Turris playing anywhere other than center, if he plays him at all.

What Viktor Arvidsson's injury could mean for Predators, plus a look at If he decides to move Duchene up to play with Johansen and Forsberg, Robert Bortuzzo's history of dirty hits Turris could center the second line or another line. Who knows?

Total recall?

Paul Skrbina, Nashville TennesseanPublished 5:10 p.m. CT Nov. 24, The Predators likely will call someone up from Milwaukee to take 2019 | Updated 5:22 p.m. CT Nov. 24, 2019 Arvidsson's roster spot. Why not give Daniel Carr another shot?

Carr recorded no goals and no assists in just 26 minutes in three games after making the team out of camp. He's proven he can score, though, Viktor Arvidsson was down, tried to get up, then he was down again. since being sent down. The reigning AHL MVP has 11 goals and 10 assists in 16 games this season, and has helped the Admirals to a Now the Predators forward is out four to six weeks with a lower-body franchise-best 10 consecutive victories. injury he suffered when the Blues' Robert Bortuzzo crosschecked him twice in the net Saturday night during Nashville's 4-2 victory at Enterprise They also may elect to recall Miikka Salomaki, who was recently sent Center. down.

Bortuzzo's first check early during the first period sent Arvidsson flying Tennessean LOADED: 11.25.2019 face-first into the net. After appearing to protest the penalty that was called for the hit, Bortuzzo doubled down on Arvidsson and crosschecked him again when he tried to stand up.

Once on his feet, Arvidsson absorbed a third hit to the back from Blues goalie Jordan Binnington before leaving the game after playing just four shifts and 2 minutes, 2 seconds.

"It's dirty," Predators coach Peter Laviolette said of the hit, which will leave him without the man who set a franchise record with 34 goals last season despite missing 24 games with various injuries, including a broken thumb.

The NHL's department of player safety had a hearing with Bortuzzo on Sunday and suspended him four games. The suspension will cost Bortuzzo more than $67,000 in salary. It wasn't the first time he faced discipline for a similar hit. He was fined just over $3,000 in 2017 for repeatedly crosschecking the Islanders' Brock Nelson.

The department of player safety called the second crosscheck "not a hockey play" and declared he acted out of "frustration."

He was suspended for two preseason games and a regular-season game in 2018 for elbowing the Capitals' Michael Kempny.

He also was suspended two games in 2014 for a late, high hit on Jaromir Jagr.

Bortuzzo also ended Kevin Fiala's season in April 2017 when Bortuzzo hit him hard behind the net, resulting Fiala leaving the ice on a stretcher with a broken femur.

The Predators' Austin Watson wouldn't put a label on the play after Saturday's victory, which ended his team's six-game losing streak. He said the Predators would let the league deal with it.

"It's unfortunate that crosschecks like that happen, especially to a defenseless player, but there's nothing I can do about that," Watson said. "That's not my place to decide whether any action is taken. We'll let the proper guys deal with that stuff."

Now the Predators must deal with not having one of their biggest offensive threats for a what will be at least 12 games, should he return in four weeks.

What does that mean for the Predators, who are 10-9-3 and two points out of last place in the Central Division?

Here are three ways Arvidsson's injury could affect the Predators:

So much for JoFA

The line of Arvidsson, Ryan Johansen and Filip Forsberg was recently reunited when Forsberg returned to the lineup after missing six games.

The trio was the Predators' most effective line last season, when it accounted for 76 goals (32.2% of the team's total) and 86 assists during the regular season. It hasn't been nearly as effective this season, accounting for 19 goals and 27 assists.

Calle Jarnkrok, Craig Smith or Mikael Granlund could see some time there in Arvidsson's absence. Matt Duchene also saw some time with Forsberg and Johansen on Saturday after Arvidsson left the game.

What about Kyle Turris? 1163241 Nashville Predators

Kyle Turris a healthy scratch for the third straight game for Predators

Paul Skrbina, Nashville TennesseanPublished 6:00 a.m. CT Nov. 24, 2019 | Updated 8:16 a.m. CT Nov. 24, 2019

ST. LOUIS — When Kyle Turris was listed among the scratches for two games in a row last season, it made sense.

Turris was having the worst season of his career. He'd gone through two pretty major injuries. The Predators were making a push for playoff position.

When Turris was scratched for the third straight game Saturday, when the Predators faced the Blues at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, something seemed amiss.

The Predators came into the game having lost six in a row, two shy of tying the franchise record. They'd lost eight of nine, the last of which they'd given up five power-play goals, another franchise low. They were one point away from tying the Wild for last place in the Central Division, a division they've won the last two seasons.

And Turris was hardly at the top of the list of the team's problems. No, he wasn't lighting up the stat sheet with his four goals and five assists in 19 games. Then again, not many Predators, save for Roman Josi, have been of late.

But he is, at the very least, a better player than Mathieu Olivier, the man who replaced him in the lineup for third straight time Saturday, against the defending Stanley Cup champion not to mention division rival Blues, who went from worst record in the league in January to champions six months later.

The man who wasn't drafted. The man who played 3 minutes, 58 seconds Thursday during a loss to the Canucks. Yes, Olivier recorded his first NHL point Saturday, when he probably should have been credited with a goal Colton Sissons was awarded during a 4-2 victory that ended a six-game losing streak.

But Turris is a $6 million-per-season cap hit through 2023-24. Are the Predators trying to trade Turris? Has his performance this season warranted three straight scratches?

Turris didn't indicate there was any sort of injury involved with his benching.

A request to talk with general manager David Poile on Saturday was denied by the team.

"Kyle probably will be the first to admit he didn’t have the year he wanted to have – a couple of injuries, it didn’t happen for him," Poile said before the season.

"Kyle needs to be what he was when we first traded for him. If he gets back to that level again I don’t care where we play him."

Now he's not playing at all.

Predators coach Peter Laviolette, who said Thursday he hasn't felt any pressure from management during this slump, has referred to Turris' benching as a "lineup decision."

He said it isn't really beneficial for anyone to be a healthy scratch, a sentiment Turris agreed with last season when he was benched.

"I don’t know if anyone necessarily benefits," Laviolette said. "I think Kyle wants to play. I said it the other day, and didn’t skirt the question, it’s a lineup decision.

"I have 13 forwards and I made a decision to change the makeup of that line. There will be opportunities again for him and for anybody who's out of the lineup."

Tennessean LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163242 New Jersey Devils When Jack Hughes hasn’t been on the top line with Hall and Palmieri, the Devils have tried to different line mates to help him be as impactful as possible at 5-on-5. Over the last two games with Jesper Boqvist and Wayne Simmonds, that’s been the case. 4 observations from Devils’ win over Red Wings | What Will Butcher, Kyle Palmieri saw on winning goal Hughes and those two didn’t record any points against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday or the Red Wings on Saturday, but the line drove possession and generated chances on both nights.

Posted Nov 24, 2019 Hughes in particular has looked as dialed in and effective as he has at any point so far in his rookie season, and Boqvist gave Hynes plenty of By Chris Ryan reasons to keep him in the lineup in the near future.

“Really like that line. I think Jack’s played really well the last two games. The Devils secured a much-needed win when they scored five His competitive level’s been high he’s skating, he’s been noticeable, unanswered goals, including four in the third period, to grab a 5-1 victory puck’s been on his stick," Hynes said. "Boqvist has been a really, really over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark. strong skater, his speed’s been a factor, competitiveness. You can see he’s starting to take some steps. I think even against Pittsburgh, they Facing a 1-1 tie in the third period, the Devils got a key goal awarded on certainly deserved probably to score a couple goals. The puck didn’t go a video review to jumpstart their four-goal frame to close out the victory. in for them.” Here are three observations from the win: Part of getting strong nights out of two rookies in Hughes and Boqvist What players saw on Butcher’s go-ahead goal involves giving them line mates that can help in areas of the game where they’re still growing, particularly physically and defensively. While referees reviewed a disallowed goal that Kyle Palmieri appeared to kick into net in the tie game, the right winger waited by the bench without With Simmonds, the two have a player capable of supporting them in much worry. those spots. And while Simmonds has had success with other line combos this season, Hynes has seen something tangible in him with The play happened fast, with the puck deflecting into goal as Palmieri got Hughes and Boqvist the past two games. tied up with a Red Wings defender at the net. He was all but certain the call would be changed. “He’s been vocal on the bench, vocal in the locker room. His game’s been real solid and strong. I think he’s been great with those young “I felt something hit me, and I kind of figured it was his leg. We were guys," Hynes said. "They’re connecting as a line, which is important, and kind of tangled up there in the crease,” Palmieri said. “I can understand you look at what Wayne does you know at the end of the game, (fighting) maybe it looked a little like a kicking motion, but I was 95 percent sure with 22 seconds left. The last 48 hours, Wayne Simmonds has been that it didn’t come off me. So it was nice for that bounce to go our way.” exceptional on and off the ice.” A quick review did overturn the call, saying the puck went off the Red For the first time this season, a goalie not named Mackenzie Blackwood Wings defenseman to give the Devils the first of four third-period goals. won a game for the Devils. Since Palmieri never touched it, the goal went to Will Butcher. Louis Domingue won his first start with the Devils, making 19 saves, Butcher didn’t have a good look at the play at the crease, to the point including a couple difficult ones, to give the Devils plenty of support on where he didn’t even realize the puck was in the net until Nico Hischier the back end. began celebrating. Making his first NHL start since last season with the Tampa Bay “I was very shocked. I just threw it to the net and I didn’t really see where Lightning, the goalie didn’t need much time to settle into the action. it went from there,” Butcher said. “Coming back to the bench, Palms said he didn’t kick it, so I knew we had a good chance it was going to be “From start to finish, I was seeing the puck, and usually when you see called a good goal.” the puck, it’s because the team is doing a great job in front of you," Domingue said. “I thought we kept it from the outside. We limited Through the first two periods, Devils coach John Hynes leaned heavily everything to one rebound.” players from his top lines and defensive pairings, because that’s what the game dictated. Star Ledger LOADED: 11.25.2019 Each team had four power plays over the first 40 minutes, meaning both Devils special teams units saw plenty of ice time. There was also some 4-on-4 play, which typically goes to forwards in the Devils’ top six.

For players down the lineup that primarily play at 5-on-5, that meant long spells on the bench and some sporadic shifts, making it harder to find a rhythm.

With the Devils about to play their sixth period of hockey in just over 24 hours, Hynes told the team in the locker room during the second intermission that those players were going to need to bring energy for the final frame. There were not minor penalties called in the third, so they got plenty of chances, and they delivered.

“Early in the game, (Miles) Wood, (John) Hayden, (Brett) Seney, (Will) Butcher, (Matt) Tennyson, those guys didn’t play a lot in the first period, and that’s hard," Hynes said. "You get ready for a game and it’s 4-on-4, power play, penalty kill, and they’re not playing in those situations. We talked about it going into third period that we needed those guys to be able to step up coming into a back-to-back, and I just think that it’s important to recognize those guys.”

The Devils’ top line of delivered the team’s lone goal in the first two periods. Taylor Hall, Hischier and Palmieri were again on the ice for the go-ahead strike, with Butcher providing the shot.

Wood and Hayden then won a battle on the boards to help set up Blake Coleman’s first goal for a 3-1 lead, though neither got assists since possession briefly changed. They got rewarded with points later when they assisted Coleman’s second goal in the closing seconds of regulation. 1163243 New Jersey Devils

How Devils delivered key responses in win over Red Wings

Posted Nov 24, 2019

By Chris Ryan

In two losses earlier in the week to the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins, the Devils saw the same situation pop up twice. They allowed one goal, and less than one minute later, they conceded a second.

Both lapses were turning points in those defeats. So when the Devils gave up a goal to the Detroit Red Wings to fall behind 1-0 during the second period of Saturday’s game, they were determined to keep it out of their net on the ensuing shift.

They did that, and they also provided an answer of their own.

Kyle Palmieri’s goal 26 seconds later got the Devils right back into a tie game, and they eventually pulled away for a 5-1 victory with four goals in the third period at Prudential Center in Newark.

“Some of the things that have gone wrong for us in the season is crucial times in the game, it will be a shift after a goal or late in periods or to start periods, and that’s huge,” Palmieri said. “I think we were playing well up to that point, and you could look at our track record, we kind of sag a little bit after maybe not getting rewarded for a little while, or the other team scoring, but we went out there and scored five unanswered. Lots of times when you do that, you’re going to win hockey games.”

With the game still tied at the start of the third period, the Devils again flipped the script after allowing five third-period goals over the past two games.

They held strong after a couple early chances for the Red Wings before eventually breaking through and adding to their lead.

“We just stuck with it. We had a game plan, came back and regrouped after the second and came out and capitalized off opportunities,” said defenseman Will Butcher, who scored the go-ahead goal. “We just kept trying to play and stuck with it as a group. Louis played great and filed us out a couple times, and that’s what you need.”

The four-goal third period set a season high for goals in a single 20- minutes stretch for the Devils, and at least for one night, they took a step to show they can dictate play in a tight game in the third period.

“You could see there was energy in the locker room in between the second and third, and the energy on the bench, but I still say, it goes back to the guys that you put on the ice,” Devils coach John Hynes said. “They made the right decisions, they did the good things, they understand how we want to play. They went out and executed. And you had contributions throughout the lineup. It didn’t always have to be Hall, Palmieri, Hischier or Hughes.”

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Star Ledger LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163244 New Jersey Devils Domingue became the sixth goaltender to start for the Devils since played his last game with the New Jersey franchise on April 4, 2014, and the ninth to play in a game overall since then. Clearly, the Devils have trouble finding a trustworthy option. What went right for the NJ Devils in 5-1 win over the Red Wings Mackenzie Blackwood has been overplayed and he's still adjusting to the workload. So for Domingue to come in and backstop the Devils to a commanding victory like this, it gives the team another option they can Abbey Mastracco, NHL writerPublished 6:04 a.m. ET Nov. 24, 2019 | trust. Updated 9:38 a.m. ET Nov. 24, 2019 "Two things I noticed with him," Hynes said. "He’s good at stopping the

puck and he’s really good at moving the puck." NEWARK — The New Jersey Devils tried to shake things up by Nov 23, 2019; Newark, NJ, USA; New Jersey Devils goaltender Louis scratching two of their regular forwards against the Detroit Red Wings on Domingue (70) makes a save on Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin Saturday night. Still, the goals remained just as tough to come by for (71) during the first period at Prudential Center. most of the game as they have throughout most of this season for the Devils. Getting into Friday night's game in Pittsburgh and facing a few shots ahead of time proved beneficial and it helped prepare him for Saturday Finally, they broke through in the third period, doing to the Red Wings night. He showed excellent rebound control and an ability to track pucks what others usually do to them in that period for a 5-1 win. well. Kyle Palmieri and Will Butcher each scored for the Devils, Blake Domingue may have started the season in the AHL but it's the NHL Coleman scored twice and Taylor Hall had a goal and assist. Louis where he feels he belongs. This helped to validate that sentiment for him. Domingue made his first NHL start of the season, stopping 19 of 20 shots. "I was excited, it’s a long time coming for me," he said. "I felt like I should have started the year in the NHL but things went the way it did and now Technically, the Devils didn’t even score the go-ahead goal, the puck I’m here so I’m going to take it one day at a time and try and stay in the went off the skate of a Detroit skater but hey, they’ll take what they can league. get right now. What’s next "We were on the other side of it tonight," Palmieri said. "We went out there and it was a crucial point in the game where you’re 1-1 in the third Nov 23, 2019; Newark, NJ, USA; New Jersey Devils center Kyle Palmieri period and you’re able to get a goal off a faceoff play. Nico (Hischier) did (21) celebrates his goal during the second period of their game against a great job of winning the draw. It’s a set play that we’ve worked on and the Detroit Red Wings at Prudential Center. Butchy made a great play to get it at the net." New Jersey beat the team it needed to beat. Now, the Devils need to What was different? replicate this performance. They continually fall into a pattern of taking two steps forward only to take one giant one back, maybe more. This One night after Coleman said everyone was "sick of losing" the Devils dates back to last season and not only is it frustrating, but it's a self- finally played like they wanted to win when it mattered the most. defeating cycle that becomes nearly impossible to break. They haven’t had a lot of luck recently, especially in the final frame of The only way to break it is to take games like this and use them to build games, but they got lucky when Butcher banked a shot off the skate of momentum. In this one, the Devils didn't wilt after giving up a goal to Taro Dylan McIlrath 4:42 into the third period to break a 1-1 tie. Two minutes Hirose in the first period. They responded within 26 seconds and it later, John Hayden won a puck battle on the back boards and got the helped keep the score tied at 1-1 and gave them a chance to win. puck up to Coleman, who beat goalie Jonathan Bernier from the doorstep for the insurance goal. "We’ve put the first block in a lot of times, even the second one in at times, but you’ve got to get the third and fourth blocks and really build it From there, they piled on, which is something they haven't done in a up here," Coleman said. "The more games you find a way to win and game all season. learn how to win, the easier it makes it to do it consistently." “It’s a much better feeling in here,” Coleman said. “It’s the response you Bergen Record LOADED: 11.25.2019 want to see after a game like that. I thought that the first [period] was back-and-forth, even the second a little bit. But you could see that once we got that second goal it was pedal down and everybody started pulling the rope. It was a good third.”

Pavel Zacha and Jesper Bratt were healthy scratches for this tilt, with Brett Seney getting a call-up from Binghamton of the American Hockey League and Hayden drawing back into the lineup. The lineup has changed almost nightly and still, the Devils weren’t finding the back of the net despite strong offense generated 5-on-5 and 4-on-4 early on in this game.

But in the end, there were contributions from up and down the lineup. Hayden played a big role late in the game. Wayne Simmonds fought McIlrath with 22 seconds left to play. No one was backing down.

Nov 23, 2019; Newark, NJ, USA; Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jonathan Bernier (45) makes a save during the second period of their game against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center.

"Guys playing in roles that are not heralded roles or getting a ton of ice time, those guys stayed with it tonight," Hynes said. "They stayed tough, they stayed strong, they made big impacts in the third period. Some of those components that we got tonight, we’ve lacked more often than not and tonight we didn’t."

How did Domingue do?

Nov 23, 2019; Newark, NJ, USA; New Jersey Devils goaltender Louis Domingue (70) makes a save during the first period of their game against the Detroit Red Wings at Prudential Center. 1163245 New York Islanders

Islanders playmaker Mathew Barzal also a student of the game

By Andrew Gross

Updated November 25, 2019 1:00 AM

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Chances are Mathew Barzal reviewed some game video on Sunday, and not just the scoring chances. The immensely gifted skater and playmaker has learned to look at a broader scope.

The Islanders did not practice in advance of Monday night’s game against the Ducks at Honda Center, so Barzal had plenty of time to check out Saturday night’s game against the Sharks. Despite having their winning streak snapped at five games, the Isles extended their franchise- record point streak to 15-0-2 in a 2-1 overtime loss in San Jose to open this three-game California swing. The Islanders played one of their better games of late against the Sharks, aside from their 0-for-6 power play against the NHL’s top penalty-kill unit.

The Ducks, meanwhile, ended a 1-2-1 road trip with a 6-2 loss to the Lightning on Saturday night and are in a 1-5-3 slide overall.

“I’ll re-watch those games two, three times sometimes,” Barzal said. “I’ll watch the power play. I’ll watch overtime. I got lots of free time during the day.

“I used to just watch the offensive plays,” the 22-year-old center said. “But I’ll see myself have a nice takeaway or intercept a pass. A sneaky play like that. Maybe I enjoy watching it a little more. That’s something I like doing.

“Me and Ebs [right wing Jordan Eberle] talk about being thieves out there and trying to intercept as many pucks as we can.”

Barzal’s understanding of how defense can lead to offense has grown significantly under coach Barry Trotz.

Barzal has a team-leading 20 points on nine goals and 11 assists, including three goals and five assists in his last seven games.

In addition to Barzal’s usual spot between Eberle and Anders Lee, Trotz is not shy about double-shifting him. On Saturday, he wound up between Anthony Beauvillier and Josh Bailey or grinders Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck for a shift or two.

“I feel very comfortable double-shifting him with not necessarily all offensive players,” Trotz said. “He can do that and he skates so well. So he’s earned it, plain and simple.

“I think what he’s learned is value a little bit on both sides of the puck,” Trotz said. “I think he’s got more balance. Starting from where he was last year at the start of the year to now, he’s made great strides. He understands the value of the moment and he understands the moment can be a positive or a negative one.”

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163246 New York Islanders It has been an adjustment to not be needed for just goals. “You balance – there’s a lot of focus you have away from yourself, your individual game and thoughts,” he said. “Things you think about that can help us come together as a team. If you’re frustrated individually you’ve got to ‘I’m not that worried about it’: Anders Lee stays positive as his goalless check that at the door. But it’s a welcome responsibility. Just adds some streak continues in Islanders’ OT loss things to the list to be ready to go every night, but we’ve got a lot of guys in the room who support one another – the task isn’t as great as it may

seem.” By Arthur Staple Nov 24, 2019 The Islanders continue their quest for points on Monday in Anaheim. Lee, stuck on five goals since the Isles’ streak was merely an eight-game winning run, will try to break his personal skid. But he is far from uptight SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Islanders continued the streak that matters about it. most, earning a point for a 17th consecutive game on Saturday night. They didn’t win for only the second time in that streak that now spans 43 “The further you get in your career you really start to realize it’s all about days and they played their best, most complete game in a couple of winning,” Lee said. “This stretch, I wouldn’t trade any individual stats for weeks, but that’s going to happen. the wins we’ve had. We’re in the winning business, and that’s what it’s all about. I’m still going to do what I do and it’ll start going.” Another streak continued through Saturday as well, one that’s far less welcome: Nine straight games without a goal for Anders Lee and the full Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.25.2019 season, 21 games, without a power-play goal for the Islanders captain and three-years-running leading goal scorer.

“You want to do what you’ve always done and contribute, but there’s plenty of ways to do that,” Lee said prior to Saturday’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Sharks. “The scoring side, the goal aspect, that’s going to come. I’m not worried about that. I’m really not. You think about it – it’s part of my role, what I’ve done. I’ve had stretches like this before, but I’m not that worried about it.”

The power-play drought was helped along through much of this season by the Islanders simply getting fewer power plays than any other team — up until Thursday, the Islanders had just 37 power plays in 19 games and only eight goals. But they’ve had 13 advantages in the past two games, including six on Saturday that they failed to convert, so Lee is getting out there and occupying his customary spot in front of the opposing net regularly of late.

A look at the numbers tells you it’s not been the same this season for Lee on the power play: From 2016-17 through last season, Lee led the Islanders with 33 power-play goals, 10th-most in the NHL. He had 166 shots and, according to Natural Stat Trick, a remarkable 182 high-danger chances on the power play the three seasons prior to this one — only Wayne Simmonds (204) had more over that span and the third-most was 159, for Patric Hornqvist.

Through 21 games, Lee has only four power-play shots on goal and six high-danger chances. He’s also eighth on the team in PP ice time, a drastic change from years past.

Barry Trotz has shown a willingness to juggle the two power-play units but for the most part of this season, Lee hasn’t been on a unit with Mathew Barzal, the Isles’ most consistent generator on the advantage. With Josh Bailey and Jordan Eberle on the wings of the 1-3-1 rather than Barzal and the red-hot Anthony Beauvillier, Lee’s group of five just hasn’t produced on the power play — he hasn’t been on the ice for a power- play goal yet this season.

There were reasons for concern even going back to last season. He had 10 of his team-high 28 goals on the power play, but only two in the last 40 regular-season games; the Isles were a weak power-play team last season, finishing 29th in the league, but Lee was always in the middle of whatever they did.

“Honestly, it’s just the way it’s going,” he said. “Our unit has to get back to crashing down towards the net a little more and it’ll start going in here. If you’re getting your shots and getting your opportunities, you have to keep doing what you’re doing.”

Lee’s overall trajectory with the Islanders has improved even as they rely on him for pure goal-scoring less and less. He was named captain on the eve of last season, an important decision to fully move beyond John Tavares that wasn’t forced — Lee, a captain at Notre Dame, has an easy way with leadership and commanding the room.

After an admittedly tumultuous couple of months in the summer, the Islanders made Lee their highest-paid player on July 1, bringing him back on a seven-year deal worth $7 million per. He hasn’t punctuated the 15- 0-2 run with any memorable goals — frankly, the image that might stay once this streak ends is Lee tuning up the Penguins’ Zach Aston-Reese in a fight late in Thursday game after Lee laid a big hit on Brandon Tanev. 1163247 New York Rangers

Rangers are giving Brady Skjei-Jacob Trouba pairing another shot

By Brett CyrgalisNovember 25, 2019 | 1:35am

Looks like another go-around for the All-American Duo.

Having not lasted beyond the first game of the season, the defensive combination of childhood friends Brady Skjei and Jacob Trouba was reunited for the Rangers’ heartening 6-5 comeback win over the Canadiens on Saturday in Montreal.

The two played an assertive game, and coach David Quinn couldn’t have been higher with his praise.

“I loved them,” Quinn said after the game, his team off Sunday before playing host to Mats Zuccarello and the Wild at the Garden on Monday night. “I thought Brady Skjei had a monster game. I thought Trouba was a monster tonight. I liked both their games.”

Like the rest of the team, Skjei and Trouba have had inconsistencies in their games this season, with Skjei hitting an especially low point when he was a healthy scratch on Nov. 7 in Raleigh, N.C. But he was far more decisive against the Canadiens, rewarded with 23:21 of ice time while his team showed an impressive amount of resiliency.

“That’s the way we have to play for 60 minutes,” Skjei said.

The move put Libor Hajek with Tony DeAngelo, while the Ryan Lindgren- Adam Fox pair stayed together.

The club made a minor swap Sunday, sending Tim Gettinger down to AHL Hartford and recalling Boo Nieves.

Gettinger got into two games during his week up, registering his first career point (an assist) Friday in Ottawa. This is Nieves’ first time up this year, with the 2012 second-rounder (No. 59 overall) having 72 games of NHL experience, all with the Rangers, over the past three seasons. At 6- foot-3 and 215 pounds, the 25-year-old Nieves had one goal and seven assists in 20 games for the Wolf Pack this season.

Quinn said he “didn’t want to panic” in terms of juggling his forward lines, but he did make some switches for the third period on Saturday. He moved Chris Kreider up to the right side of the top line with Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome, while Filip Chytil was between Brendan Lemieux and Kaapo Kakko and Brett Howden centered Pavel Buchnevich and Jesper Fast.

When Greg McKegg suffered a lower-body injury in the second period, that pretty much did it for playing the fourth line, with Micheal Haley getting 3:58 of ice time and Brendan Smith getting 5:19 of even-strength time (plus 5:41 as a defenseman on the penalty kill).

Saturday was the fourth time in franchise history the Rangers have come back from a deficit of four goals or more, the most recent having been a five-goal deficit on Dec. 26, 1991, at Washington.

The Rangers had a season-high 27 blocked shots Saturday. They also had 29 hits, with 13 of 18 skaters registering at least one.

New York Post LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163248 New York Rangers

David Quinn gushes about Brendan Lemieux's play

By Colin Stephenson

Updated November 25, 2019 12:58 AM

What a difference a day makes.

When he stood in front of the media after Friday night’s listless and disappointing 4-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators, Rangers coach David Quinn was positively seething. He made it clear that he was “unhappy with everybody.’’

On Saturday night, after his team rallied from a four-goal deficit to beat the Montreal Canadiens, 6-5, at the Bell Centre, the second-year coach was feeling just the opposite.

“I couldn’t be prouder of these guys, the way we competed from the drop of the puck to the horn blowing at the end after 60 minutes,’’ Quinn said. “From our goalie to our ‘D’ corps to our forwards — just a real team effort.’’

Quinn had praise for everyone in the lineup, but he positively gushed about winger Brendan Lemieux. He scored twice, including a shorthanded goal that tied it at 5-5 at 8:40 of the third period after a nifty feed from Brett Howden.

Lemieux was sporting a black eye from his midweek fight with Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson and playing with a broken tooth suffered from a high stick in the Ottawa game.

“I’d like to give him another black eye for that too-many-men-on-the-ice [penalty in the third period],’’ Quinn joked. “But he played too well, so I won’t do that. I’ve talked about him a lot — I love him as a player. He’s a great kid, he works hard, he’s everything you want as a player and I’m happy for him that he got rewarded statistically.’’

Lemieux said he’d never had a week quite like this one. But with his father, Claude, a former Montreal Canadiens star, in attendance, getting the win and the goals in that building meant a lot to him.

“This is a special place to play and it feels good winning here,’’ he said while sporting the “Broadway Hat” that the team awards to the player of the game.

“I’ve been on the wrong end of a few bad bounces physically, and it’s been tough,’’ Lemieux said. “But I think it was a lot like our game tonight. You’ve just got to believe in it. How well you battle adversity builds character. And for our group and for me personally, I’ve always tried to do that to the best of my abilities. And I think our group learned a valuable lesson tonight to try to hold on to going forward.’’

Notes & quotes: Because fourth-line center Greg McKegg suffered a lower-body injury Saturday, the Rangers called up center Boo Nieves from AHL Hartford on Sunday. To make room on the roster, the team returned LW Tim Gettinger to Hartford . . . Former Rangers fan favorite Mats Zuccarello will return to Madison Square Garden for the first time as a visiting player Monday when the Rangers face the Wild. Zuccarello was traded to Dallas last February and signed with the Wild as a free agent during the summer.

New York Post LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163249 New York Rangers

Chris Kreider’s value to Rangers rising even in uncertain times

By Brett CyrgalisNovember 24, 2019 | 5:05PM

Boy, what a different team the Rangers are when Chris Kreider is going.

Inconsistency has been the theme during this tumultuous start to the season, and Kreider has not been exempt from that designation. But he was the best version of himself on Saturday night in Montreal, when the Blueshirts staged a dramatic comeback win over the Canadiens, erasing a 4-0 second-period deficit en route to a 6-5 victory.

Kreider’s first shift, he laid a huge hit on Tomas Tatar — maybe a little high, but it went unpenalized (and Tatar returned). With the Rangers having lost an ugly 4-1 game in Ottawa the night before, the message for the follow-up was clear from the beginning.

Kreider then flew up and down the ice all night, staying physical, making plays with the puck. He got to the front of the net constantly to take away Carey Price’s lines of vision, and eventually made a highlight-reel pass — blind, backhand, through-the-legs — popped in by Artemi Panarin to make the score 5-4, answering the Habs’ goal early in the third period.

“He was outstanding,” said coach David Quinn, who moved Kreider up to the right side of the top line with Panarin and Ryan Strome. “He was dialed in on the ice, he was dialed in off the ice. He means so much to our team.”

This has not been an easy start to the season for the 28-year-old Kreider, who didn’t have a goal for the first seven games and now has five to go with six assists in the first 21 contests. There is the looming issue of this being the final year of his contract, possibly an attractive rental piece before the February trade deadline with a cap-hit of $4.625 million.

But for now, he is not just with the Rangers, but is an integral part of their leadership group.

With the club having had a handful of very down moments en route to its 10-9-2 record, Kreider has often been the lone veteran voice in the locker room outside of Henrik Lundqvist, especially with veterans Mika Zibanejad having missed the past 12 games with an upper-body injury and with Marc Staal out for the past seven after ankle surgery. But Kreider has sat there for as long as needed, often staring into the distance, trying to come up with reasons why the team efforts have been so inconsistent.

He has been candid, like when he sat in the visiting room in Ottawa and explained how the effort was unacceptable. And also like Saturday, following his whale of a game, when he said that these highs carry the most meaning when followed up with another steady effort — something the Rangers have struggled mightily to do, and something they get a chance to do on Monday night when Mats Zuccarello and the Wild come to the Garden.

“For a while now, it’s been win one and play the right way, and lose one and get away from the things we do well,” Kreider said. “We really need to put this one behind us in a hurry and make sure we’re prepared for that game on Monday.”

Kreider laughed a bit when he said that, because he knows that no one is putting this game behind them in a hurry. When the Rangers were down, 4-0, things could have gotten ugly fast. They had been playing well, but a few soft ones from goalie Alexandar Georgiev could have been deflating. They’ve crumbled in smaller moments already.

Instead, they buckled down and kept fighting. It showed a level of previously unknown resolve, and Kreider was integral in the attitude and the execution. With such a young team, there needs to be leadership by example. It’s hard to think of a better example than the game Kreider played on Saturday.

“I’m really happy for him,” Quinn said. “He gave everything he had, on and off the ice. He was pivotal on the bench. Just a great effort by Chris.”

New York Post LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163250 New York Rangers

David Quinn gushes about Brendan Lemieux's play

By Colin Stephenson

Updated November 25, 2019 12:58 AM

What a difference a day makes.

When he stood in front of the media after Friday night’s listless and disappointing 4-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators, Rangers coach David Quinn was positively seething. He made it clear that he was “unhappy with everybody.’’

On Saturday night, after his team rallied from a four-goal deficit to beat the Montreal Canadiens, 6-5, at the Bell Centre, the second-year coach was feeling just the opposite.

“I couldn’t be prouder of these guys, the way we competed from the drop of the puck to the horn blowing at the end after 60 minutes,’’ Quinn said. “From our goalie to our ‘D’ corps to our forwards — just a real team effort.’’

Quinn had praise for everyone in the lineup, but he positively gushed about winger Brendan Lemieux. He scored twice, including a shorthanded goal that tied it at 5-5 at 8:40 of the third period after a nifty feed from Brett Howden.

Lemieux was sporting a black eye from his midweek fight with Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson and playing with a broken tooth suffered from a high stick in the Ottawa game.

“I’d like to give him another black eye for that too-many-men-on-the-ice [penalty in the third period],’’ Quinn joked. “But he played too well, so I won’t do that. I’ve talked about him a lot — I love him as a player. He’s a great kid, he works hard, he’s everything you want as a player and I’m happy for him that he got rewarded statistically.’’

Lemieux said he’d never had a week quite like this one. But with his father, Claude, a former Montreal Canadiens star, in attendance, getting the win and the goals in that building meant a lot to him.

“This is a special place to play and it feels good winning here,’’ he said while sporting the “Broadway Hat” that the team awards to the player of the game.

“I’ve been on the wrong end of a few bad bounces physically, and it’s been tough,’’ Lemieux said. “But I think it was a lot like our game tonight. You’ve just got to believe in it. How well you battle adversity builds character. And for our group and for me personally, I’ve always tried to do that to the best of my abilities. And I think our group learned a valuable lesson tonight to try to hold on to going forward.’’

Notes & quotes: Because fourth-line center Greg McKegg suffered a lower-body injury Saturday, the Rangers called up center Boo Nieves from AHL Hartford on Sunday. To make room on the roster, the team returned LW Tim Gettinger to Hartford . . . Former Rangers fan favorite Mats Zuccarello will return to Madison Square Garden for the first time as a visiting player Monday when the Rangers face the Wild. Zuccarello was traded to Dallas last February and signed with the Wild as a free agent during the summer.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163251 Ottawa Senators Filip Chlapik – J.C. Beaduin – Mikkel Boedker Defence

Thomas Chabot – Nikita Zaitsev GAMEDAY: Ottawa Senators at Columbus Blue Jackets Mark Borowiecki – Dylan DeMelo

Max Lajoie – Ron Hainsey Bruce Garrioch Goaltenders Published:November 24, 2019 Anders Nilsson Updated:November 24, 2019 8:56 PM EST Craig Anderson

JACKETS GAMEDAY LINES Ottawa Senators (11-11-1) at Columbus Blue Jackets (9-9-4) Sonny Milano – Pierre-Luc Dubois – Emil Bemstrom Monday, 7 p.m., Nationwide Arena Nick Foligno – Alexandre Texier – Cam Atkinson TSN5, TSN 1200 AM, Unique 94.5 FM Gustav Nyquist – Boone Jenner – Olivier Bjorkstrand SPECIAL TEAMS Eric Robinson – Alexander Wennberg – Josh Anderson OTT: PP 10% (31st); PK 82.5% (14th) Defence CBJ: PP 20.3% (12th); PK 79.7% (20th) Zach Werenski – Seth Jones THE BIG MATCHUP Ryan Murray – David Savard Colin White vs. Nick Foligno Vladislav Gavrikov – Dean Kukan Battling injuries, the Senators moved White to the wing in the club’s 4-1 victory over the Rangers Friday night at home. There’s no question the Goaltenders Senators need more consistency from White this season but he battled through injuries early in the year. Playing the wing gives him a little less Joonas Korpisalo responsibilities, but Ottawa needs him to thrive as a centre. Foligno has Elvis Merzlikins three assists in his last five games with the Jackets and always works hard. INJURY REPORT

FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME OTT: Artrem Anisimov, Erik Brannstrom, Cody Goloubef, Scott Sabourin

1. Carry success on the road CBJ: Brandon Dubinsky, Markus Nutivarra, Kole Sherwood

The Senators are 4-7-1 this season as the visitor, but they’re coming off Ottawa Sun LOADED: 11.25.2019 a 2-1 overtime victory over the Montreal Canadiens Wednesday and a 4- 3 win in Detroit Tuesday. The club is playing some of its best hockey of the season. The club hasn’t decided on will start in the net so flip a coin between Craig Anderson and Anders Nilsson for this one.

2. Stop the streak in Columbus

The Senators have a 6-6-1-1 record in 14 games at Nationwide Arena. The Senators have dropped three straight. The Jackets are coming off a 4-3 loss to Winnipeg Saturday night and have a 6-5-1 record at home. A victory here would be a good boost with only one of the next six games at the Canadian Tire Centre.

3. Mikkel Boedker gets a chance

A healthy scratch in nine straight games, the veteran forward will suit up for the first time since playing back-to-back games against the Rangers and Islanders in New York on Nov. 4-5. Boedker has only one point in five games he suited up this season and he’s been used mainly in a fourth-line role. Has to make an impact with minutes.

4. Offence from Thomas Chabot

The club’s top blueliner chipped in with his second of the season in the club’s victory over the Rangers and that’s key for this team. He is the straw that stirs the drink and if the power play is going to get some consistency (it scored twice in the last game) then Chabot is one of the players that has to lead the way.

5. Big ice time for DeMelo

With Nikita Zaitsev away for personal reasons and a two-day break in the schedule, Dylan DeMelo played 25:39 against the Rangers. Those are pretty good numbers for him and he finished the game with even rating. He’s been valuable for this team all season by picking up the slack and has good chemistry with Mark Borowiecki.

SENS GAMEDAY LINES

Brady Tkachuk – Logan Brown – Anthony Duclair

Nick Paul – Jean-Gabriel Pageau – Connor Brown

Tyler Ennis – Chris Tierney – Colin White 1163252 Ottawa Senators BOEDKER RETURNS: Mikkel Boedker, who has spent the past nine games as a healthy scratch, will take Max Veronneau’s spot on the fourth line against the Blue Jackets. “He works every day,” Smith said of Boedker. “It’s a tough mix, when you’re trying to get enough young guys Warren's Piece: Surging Duclair looking to stick it to Tortorella and the in, especially on the fourth line. (Sunday), he was flying in practice. He Jackets tonight hasn’t taken his foot off the gas. He’s a true professional. It’s wrong to not give him some opportunity here and there.” Boedker has one assist in

five games this season … Artem Anisimov (groin) skated with the team Ken Warren Sunday, but Vladislav Namestnikov (tailbone) did not.

Published:November 25, 2019 POWERING UP: Don’t tell the Rangers that the Senators power play is no good. Four of the Senators eight goals with the man advantage this Updated:November 25, 2019 12:07 AM EST season have come against the Broadway crew. That includes the goals from Logan Brown and Duclair Friday that were set up by Jean-Gabriel

Pageau, who is finally receiving long overdue power play time. “I try to Where Columbus Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella went low, Ottawa keep things simple and there are some players who are used to playing Senators winger Anthony Duclair is going high. on the power play since they are younger and they are way more talented than I am, so I try to get the puck in their hands,” he said. “I don’t As Duclair plays in Columbus on Monday for the first time since being try to change or try to force anything and I think that’s what has given me traded for Ryan Dzingel and a pair of second round draft picks last success.” To recap Pageau’s month so far: 10 goals and three assists in February, he’s not getting caught up in a war of words with his former 12 games … Colin White has rather quietly moved to right wing from coach. centre, now playing primarily on a line with Tyler Ennis and Chris At least not publicly. Tierney. “It doesn’t change anything,” he said. “I’ve played the wing before. I think that’s just where we’re missing a spot right now and a guy “Just a regular game for me,” Duclair said before boarding the club’s like me is versatile and can play both spots. Last game, our line had a lot Sunday afternoon charter to the Ohio capital. “I had some fun there. I’m of success and we played well together.” still tight with the guys, stayed in contact with them, made some friendships there, but it’s just another game.” Ottawa Sun LOADED: 11.25.2019

Now, let us take you back to February, only days before the deal.

In one breath, Tortorella mentioned Duclair’s speed and goal-scoring talent. In the next, he talked about Duclair’s “bad listening skills” while throwing him under the Columbus.

“I don’t think he knows how to play,” said the Blue Jackets coach. “I just think he thinks he can do whatever the hell he wants on the ice. He can’t do it in the National Hockey League. We have spent a lot of time trying to teach him, trying to teach him situational play, away from the puck, all the stuff we do with players.

“Sometimes it looks like he’s understanding. I don’t know if he just can’t comprehend it or he’s just stubborn. But he’s running out of time.”

If it hurt at the time, look who’s smiling now.

Duclair has become a front-line player for the surprising Senators, who have won three in a row and five of their past six, moving to an even 11- 11-1 on the season.

Now playing on a line with Brady Tkachuk and Logan Brown, Duclair has four goals and two assists in his past four games, including one goal and one assist in Friday’s 4-1 win over the New York Rangers.

He has 10 goals – the same number as Blue Jackets’ leading scorer Pierre-Luc Dubois. As a team, the Blue Jackets have scored only 58 goals, 30th in the league.

“I’m confident,” said Duclair. “Our whole team is confident. With the way we’ve been playing the past few games, we’ve just got to keep going, stay consistent and get as many points as we can here.”

Whatever happened with his former coach in Columbus, Duclair is relishing the offensive opportunities that are coming from the ice time (16:25 per game average) that he’s receiving from coach D.J. Smith.

“My play without the puck has improved a lot, just watching on video with D.J. and Davis Payne and I just want to continue doing that,” he said. “You still have the freedom to do whatever you want (in the offensive zone) in a sort of structured manner, but in the defensive zone, everybody plays the same, everybody gets back. The sooner you get back, the sooner you get on the offence.”

MOVING PARTS ON DEFENCE: The lineup question marks against the Blue Jackets could go all the way up to game time. Smith is hopeful defenceman Nikita Zaitsev will be back. Zaitsev went home to Russia for personal reasons and didn’t play in Friday’s game. Rookie defenceman Erik Brannstrom, who has missed the past three games with a thumb injury, didn’t make the trip to Columbus. Veteran Cody Goloubef, out against the Rangers due to an undisclosed injury, was at practice Sunday, but is deemed questionable against the Blue Jackets. For the time being, anyway, Max Lajoie remains with the big-league Senators. 1163253 Philadelphia Flyers Special-teams report Power play/NHL rank PP/Last 5 games Penalty kill/NHL rank PK/Last

5 games Flyers week in preview: Canucks and huge goalie Jacob Markstrom offer Flyers 17-85, 20,0% (t-13th) 2-16, 12.5% 59-69, 85.5% (6th) first test 15-18, 83.3%

Vancouver 27-101, 26.7% (3rd) 8-25, 32.0% 71-85, 83.5% (9th) by Ed Barkowitz, 16-19, 84.2%

Columbus 15-74, 20.3% (12th) 7-18, 38.9% 51-64, 79.7% (20th) 12-13, 92.3% Catching up quickly with the four teams the Flyers will play this week, while also sneaking a glance at the week that just was. Detroit 70-81, 13.6% (26th) 0-14, 0.0% 61-83, 73.5% (t- 27th) 15-18, 83.3% The Flyers are 11-7-5 and their 27 points are good for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. If the playoffs started today, they’d draw Montreal 14-72, 19.4% (17th) 2-14, 14.3% 53-72, 73.6% Washington in the first round. Through 23 games last year, they were 10- (25th) 11-15, 73.3% 11-2 for 22 points. Trivia answer Answer below. Tim Kerr (17) is the Flyers’ all-time leader in regular-season hat tricks Game 24 - Monday, vs. Vancouver (7 p.m., NBCSP+) with 17. Rick MacLeish (12) is second, followed by John LeClair and Eric Lindros (11 each). About the Canucks: It has been a tough month for Vancouver, though the Canucks have won two in row to move to 4-5-3 in November. ... Beat Last week/Nov. 18-24 Washington on Saturday in a shootout that lasted seven rounds. The The Flyers went 1-1-1 with a loss at Florida, a win in Carolina when Canucks are 3-1 in shootouts this season. The Flyers are 3-5. ... Claude Giroux posted four points, and a sour home loss to limping Defenseman Alex Edler left the game in the first period with an upper- Calgary in a shootout. Morgan Frost became the seventh Flyer to score body injury and did not return. He plays about 25 minutes per game, so goals in his first two career games, but he also had a turnover that led to it’s important if he can’t play ... This is the fourth game of a season-long a goal against the Flames. six-game road trip. ... Vancouver’s 16 road power-play goals are tops in the NHL. They had five in one game at Nashville last week. ... Massive Our three stars for the week: Travis Konecny, Brian Elliott, Sean goalie Jacob Markstrom, who beat the Flyers in October, has started the Couturier. last three games. Backup Thatcher Demko has never faced the Flyers. This week in Flyers history Where they stand: 12-8-4, 28 points, 3rd place in the Pacific Division. Nov. 26, 1996: Eric Lindros, who had missed the first 23 games with a Game 25 - Wednesday, at Columbus (7 p.m., NBCSP+) lingering knee injury, finally made his season debut in a loss at Boston. ``If you weren’t on a bike or in a pool or having needles stuck in your leg," About the Blue Jackets: The frustration level of Columbus’ coach John Lindros said of his rehab routine, “there wasn’t much to do.” Tortorella’s frustration level is rising as Columbus remains stuck in mediocrity. “We’re a .500 team not because of goaltending, because After dropping the first two games in Lindros’ return, the Flyers went on a we’ve had some pretty good goaltending. We need the core of this team 14-0-3 streak. Lindros posted 79 points in 52 games with 136 penalty to make a decision here on how we go about our business and drag minutes that year as the Flyers won the Eastern Conference. For context, people with them and take the responsibility.” Sounds a little like Alain the Flyers’ penalty-minutes leader this season is Matt Niskanen with 13. Vigneault. ... Coming off a loss to Winnipeg in which Andrew Copp That’s a pace of 46. scored the game-winner off an awful clearing pass by goaltender Elvis Merzļikins. ... Assistant Paul McLean was hired last week to improve the He said it power play. The Blue Jackets have converted 5 of 10 chances in the two "The Hayesey line -- with Jake and James – that should be a big, good games he’s been there, including all three goals in Saturday’s loss to NHL line. They should be able to contribute five-on-five and play well Winnipeg. ... Defenseman Zach Werenski has a six-game point streak offensively and defensively. I love Kevin Hayes as a person. James [van (three goals, five assists). Riemsdyk] and Jake [Voracek] I’m starting to learn are great people. But I Where they stand: 9-9-4, 22 points, 7th place in the Metropolitan need more from the hockey player. I know that they want to do well. Division. We’re 20 games in. It’s time.

Game 26 - Friday, vs. Detroit (4 p.m., NBCSP) “I’m not telling you anything I haven’t told them. Obviously, they feel pressure, but that’s why they’re paid the big bucks. You’ve got to deliver. About the Red Wings: Detroit has lost six in a row, the last four in You’ve got to produce and we expect those guys to produce.” regulation. The Wings are at the bottom of the NHL standings. ... Leading scorer Anthony Mantha missed Sunday’s loss to Carolina with a lower- -- Flyers coach Alain Vigneault last Monday body injury. He’s expected to be out for a week, which would include this The response game. The rebuilding Wings brought up Filip Zadina, the sixth overall pick in 2018, from the AHL to take Mantha’s spot. ... Linemates Andreas How the players responded in the three games following their coach’s Athanasiou (-25) and Valtteri Filppula (-19) have the league’s two worst call for more production: plus/minus numbers. ... The Flyers are 15-0-1 against Detroit in Philadelphia since they lost both home games during the 1997 Stanley Voracek Hayes van Riemsdyk Cup Finals. Goals-Assists 1-0 2-1 0-0

Where they stand: 7-16-3, 17 points, last place in the Atlantic Division. Shots on goal 3 4 5

Game 27 - Saturday, at Montreal (3 p.m., NBCSP) Plus-minus +1 +1 E

About the Canadiens: They limp into the week on a four-game losing Shifts 74 72 52 streak. Blew a 4-0 lead to the Rangers on Saturday, falling in regulation. ... All-Star goalie Carey Price is 0-2-1 in his last three starts with 13 goals Total ice time 49:39 52:52 35:59 allowed and an .845 save percentage. ... Jesperi Kotkaniemi does not have a point in the four games since he returned from a groin injury. He Ice time/game 16:33 17:37 12:00 did not play in the Nov. 7 meeting which the Flyers won in a shootout. Notable Strong 2-way game on Sat. ENG ended 12-game drought This will be the second of a back-to-back for the Flyers. Montreal plays Playing on 4th line Thanksgiving night, but not on Friday. The highlight Where they stand: 11-7-5, 27 points, 3rd place in the Atlantic Division. “What a move. ... That’s just amazing.”

-- Keith Jones

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163254 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers shootout losses are piling up. That could matter a lot in a playoff race.

by Sam Carchidi,

Shootouts are once again an issue for the Flyers.

They have dropped three straight games that have reached the glorified breakaway competition, and the lost points could come back to haunt them when teams are jockeying for playoff spots at the end of the season.

Their latest shootout defeat, Saturday’s 3-2 home loss to struggling Calgary, was particularly unsettling because the Flyers had outplayed the Flames through 65 minutes, outshooting them by a 38-27 margin and having a huge advantage in scoring opportunities (29-13), according to NaturalStatTrick.com.

“We generated a lot of shots and had some good chances,” said rookie center Morgan Frost, whose turnover led to Calgary’s first goal. “At the end of the day, we’ve got to put the puck in the back of the net. Some positives, but you definitely want to get those two points.”

The Flyers (11-7-5) will try to rebound Monday against visiting Vancouver (12-8-4), a team that defeated them in — you guessed it — a shootout earlier this season, 3-2.

The Flyers have had a staggering 34.8 percent of their games end in a shootout thus far this season. They have played in eight shootouts — four more than in their entire 2018-19 season — in 23 games. At this rate, they would finish with a ridiculous 29 games decided in the breakaway competition.

Based on the early results, that’s not a good thing.

The Flyers are 3-5 in shootouts.

Flyers shooters are just 7 for 30 (23.3 percent) in shootouts and are not making opposing goalies work hard to make the saves. The NHL average last year was 29.5 percent for those taking shots in the shootout, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

This season, goalies Carter Hart and Brian Elliott have combined for a .655 save percentage in shootouts, which is below last season’s league average of .705 in the skills competition.

Shootouts can play a big role, of course, on whether a team makes or misses the playoffs, especially when you consider the parity in today’s NHL. The Flyers are currently in the second wild-card spot. If they were 5-3 instead of 3-5 in shootouts, they would have entered Sunday tied in points for third place with Carolina in the Metropolitan Division.

“We’ve got to shift our focus to Monday,” defenseman Travis Sanheim said.

They will host a Vancouver team that is coming off Saturday’s 2-1 win in Washington, a game that wasn’t decided until the seventh shootout round. The Canucks have scored their last seven goals on special teams -- six on the power play, one shorthanded.

Vancouver has won two straight after losing seven of its previous eight games.

Breakaways

In franchise history, the Flyers have a worst-in-the-NHL 48-88 record in shootouts. … Entering Sunday, the Flyers were 17th in the NHL in scoring (2.91 goals per game) and tied for ninth in goals allowed (2.87). The Canucks were 14th in scoring (3.13 goals per game) and eighth in goals allowed (2.83). … Hart is 4-2-2 with a 2.18 GAA and a .920 save percentage this month. … James van Riemsdyk, recently demoted to the fourth line, has one goal in his last 14 games.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163255 Philadelphia Flyers Between a reset and the guidance of Hextall, he’s feeling like he’s back on the right path.

This week’s prospect report looks at four prospects playing in Western Flyers prospect WATCH: Jay O’Brien getting help from a Hextall Canada this season with insights from Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr.

* stats through Saturday, Nov. 23 Dave Isaac, NHL writerPublished 11:52 a.m. ET Nov. 24, 2019 | Updated 3:02 p.m. ET Nov. 24, 2019 Jay O'Brien

Jay O’Brien, center, Penticton Vees (BCHL)

Brett Hextall is spending a lot of time in a familiar place. Age: 19

After the Flyers fired his father, Ron, as general manager last year, they Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 184 pounds kept him as a development coach. He works with the team’s forward Acquired: 2018 first-round draft pick (19th overall) prospects and this season that has meant a few trips to Penticton, British Columbia, where he played two seasons for the BCHL’s Vees before his This season: 29 games, 15 goals, 27 assists NCAA career at University of North Dakota. The skinny: Joining the BCHL was a step back from NCAA and even is a The town of about 37,000 boasts its status as one of two cities in the rung below Canada’s major junior hockey system so O’Brien took a bet world situated between two lakes (Okanagan and Skaha) and has about on himself this season. So far, the results have been there but it’s clear 2,100 hours of sunshine and 15 inches of rain annually. that it will take the first-round pick a little longer than normal to “make it.” His fellow first-rounder that year, Joel Farabee, is already in the NHL. Sounded like a great place to Jay O’Brien, the 2018 Flyers first-round pick who had a nightmare season at Providence College as a freshman Flahr’s take: “People talk about points and all that. It’s more than points last season and is the reason for Hextall’s trips there now. for us. Obviously after last season it’s just more about get out there and feel good about playing hockey and stay healthy and play. At the same “We’ve developed a really great relationship, actually,” O’Brien said. “He time, because of what he is and playing at that level you want to make was a captain here in Penticton so he’s been great. He’s come out a sure you’re not cheating and creating bad habits.” bunch of times and we’ll go out to dinner or have lunch or whatever it may be and talk about life, things other than hockey. I have a leadership Wyatte Wylie role, wear a letter here, and he wore a letter here as well so just kind of talking about leadership stuff. Obviously we’ll talk about hockey, but it’s Wyatte Wylie, defense, Everett Silvertips (WHL) more about just talking about life and checking in. He’s been really great. Age: 20 He’s a good guy if you have questions or really anything, a good guy to lean on.” Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 190 pounds

O’Brien decided to leave Providence and join Boston University, but Acquired: 2018 fifth-round draft pick (127th overall) needed a season in between which is what led him to Penticton. Providence ended up not being a great fit and he struggled to get in the This season: 21 games, 5 goals, 16 assists lineup due to several injuries, some of them hits to the head. The skinny: If he had a good enough training camp, the Flyers could He needed to get out of the spotlight and Penticton is way out of it. have signed Wylie to an entry-level contract and had him join the Lehigh O’Brien is back playing center again, unlike last season when he played Valley Phantoms because of his late birthday (Nov. 2). They didn’t think mostly the wing at Providence. he was ready so he went back to the WHL for an overage season.

“I think it’s been good,” O’Brien said of this season. “We have a really Flahr’s take: “Competitive kid. Obviously plays in all situations there, deep team so I’m playing with some really good players. I’m just playing plays a ton and really battles hard. We’ll see where he’s at before the like myself, smart, fast hockey. I’m shooting the puck more and going to end of the season here.” continue to do that, keep making plays and playing with pace and taking Roddy Ross care of the D zone. I think my defensive zone game has gotten better this year and is leading to a lot of offensive numbers.” Roddy Ross, goalie, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)

He could have opted to go back to the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms, Age: 18 but they shook up their front office over the offseason with a new coach and GM and the major junior team that had his rights, the Shawinigan Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 184 pounds Cataractes of the QMJHL, weren’t projected to be very good and sit near Acquired: 2019 sixth-round draft pick (169th overall) the bottom of the league. This season: 17 games, 3.29 goals-against average, .909 save Penticton had the stability he was looking for in the form of Fred percentage Harbinson serving as the team’s coach, general manager and president. There are also great off-ice facilities for O’Brien to get a good routine in The skinny: For Ross to have a .909 save percentage says something the weight room and that’s translated to the ice, where he’s leading the considering the team in front of him. The Thunderbirds have a 7-12-2 team in scoring. record and have scored only 53 goals so far this season, which is fourth fewest in the WHL. So he’s not getting much help and considering he’s “You’ve got to do a lot of schoolwork (in the NCAA transfer process) and behind other goalie prospects like Felix Sandström, Kirill Ustimenko and I needed a team that had the resources for me to take care of my Samuel Ersson, it’s not the end of the world if this season doesn’t look schooling. It wasn’t about the league, I guess it was just about the right good on paper for Ross. team,” O’Brien said. “Penticton has had a lot of guys that have done a transfer situation and have had a lot of success. The last thing I wanted Flahr’s take: “He’s battling and our guys have been out there to work with was to be (academically) ineligible or something like that.” him to keep the positives. He’s not gonna get a lack of rubber, anyway. He hasn’t played a ton of hockey in that league so it will be a good The Penticton program (which has gone through five iterations of names) experience if nothing else. I think right now his spirits are good. He has produced notable alumni like Ray Ferraro, Andy Moog, Duncan knows what he’s up against every night but it’s a good experience for Keith, Ryan Johansen and Hall of Famers Brett Hull and Paul Kariya. It’s him.” still a destination. The sons of ex-NHLers Tony Amonte (Tristan), Scott Niedermayer (Jackson), Mike Sillinger (Lukas), Stu Barnes (Jack) and Yegor Serdyuk Doug Weight (Danny) are all on this year’s roster. Yegor Serdyuk, right wing, Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL) O’Brien has fit in so far. As one of the older players in the league he’s Age: 18 second in scoring and enjoying being back in the middle of the ice. Height/weight: 5-foot-10, 159 pounds Acquired: 2019 sixth-round draft pick (165th overall)

This season: 18 games, 8 goals, 5 assists

The skinny: As more than a point-per-game player last season, the Russian’s first in North America, the Flyers were intrigued enough to draft Serdyuk but he’s had trouble following that campaign up due to an injury to his hip/abdominal area. He hasn’t played since Nov. 10.

Flahr’s take: “He’s been hurt right from the start of the season and trying to play through it. He’s trying to play but it’s really painful. They’re hoping it just settles down. If not, he might need surgery at some point.”

Courier-Post LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163256 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist’s 1st career fight was not memorable

SETH RORABAUGH | Sunday, November 24, 2019 6:17 p.m.

Through 734 career games, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist has amassed 376 penalty minutes.

Only five of those have come from a fighting major.

Hornqvist would beg to differ over that designation, however.

“I don’t know about that,” he said after Sunday’s practice. “Yeah, I got five minutes, but …”

The conjunction in that incomplete sentence would be in reference to the affray he was involved in with New Jersey Devils defenseman Damon Severson during Friday’s 4-1 win at PPG Paints Arena.

Early in the second period, while the Penguins were on a power play, Severson shoved Penguins forward Jake Guentzel from behind, causing Guentzel to crash awkwardly into the boards. As the Devils’ penalty- killers lugged the puck out of the defensive zone, Hornqvist challenged Severson over the transgression.

He fared exactly like someone who was fighting for the first time in his career.

After Hornqvist batted Severson a few times with his gloves, Severson, who has five career fights according to HockeyFights.com, dropped his gloves and began throwing punches. Hornqvist fell to his knees and managed to avoid being punched in the head as linesmen Tyson Baker and David Brisebois stepped in to break up the dispute.

“He hit Jake pretty bad there, I thought,” Hornqvist said. “I know we were on the power play, and I don’t want to drop my gloves right away because then I’m the only guy that’s going to get a penalty. We were waiting for each other, then he dropped (his gloves) and I didn’t get the gloves off because I already had him in a hold. He wrestled me down. I don’t think it’s a fight. I don’t count it as a first fight. It was just a wrestling match.”

Hornqvist’s objections noted, he was given his first career fighting major as well as a roughing minor for the dustup.

“When he dropped the gloves, I didn’t have time to drop mine because I already had him grabbed on the neck there, so I didn’t want to lose my grip,” Hornqvist said. “I thought it was a dirty hit.”

Tribune Review LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163257 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins defenseman Kris Letang returns to practice

SETH RORABAUGH | Sunday, November 24, 2019 1:38 p.m.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang returned to practice Sunday in Cranberry, the first time he skated with teammates since suffering an undisclosed injury Nov. 4.

Letang practiced with no restrictions on contract and reported positive results afterward.

“I’m feeling good,” said Letang, who has missed eight games. “It was fun to be back on the ice with all the guys. I was getting lonely out there. It’s just fun to be a part of practice, get some motion and get back into the rhythm.”

Letang’s ailment had been described as “lower-body,” but he has been skating on his own before practices and morning skates.

“I’ve been skating for a little bit, over a week,” Letang said. “Like an hour a day. Just took it slowly and improved.”

Management appears optimistic about Letang’s availability for Monday’s home game against the Calgary Flames.

“His practice today was very encouraging,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “We’ll see how he responds overnight, but my sense is he’ll be a game- time decision (Monday).”

The team never issued a timetable for his recovery, but Letang sounded encouraged.

“Quicker than what we thought,” Letang said. “I guess it went smoothly.”

Letang’s potential return would boost a blue line that also is missing offensive defenseman Justin Schultz because of an undisclosed injury.

“What can I say about what he brings to the team?” Sullivan said of Letang. “He’s an elite defenseman. He plays in all the key situations for us. When he’s in the lineup, we’re a better hockey team.”

Notes:

The Penguins lines and pairs in practice were:

Jake Guentzel — Evgeni Malkin — Bryan Rust

Alex Galchenyuk — Jared McCann — Brandon Tanev

Dominik Kahun — Dominik Simon — Patric Hornqvist

Zach Aston-Reese — Teddy Blueger — Sam Lafferty

Brian Dumoulin — Kris Letang

Jack Johnson — John Marino

Marcus Pettersson — Zach Trotman

Juuso Riikola — Chad Ruhwedel

• The first power-play unit was composed of Guentzel, Hornqvist, Malkin, Letang and Rust. The second unit featured a combination of Galchenyuk, Kahun, McCann, Pettersson, Riikola and Trotman.

Tribune Review LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163258 Pittsburgh Penguins lately. They are tight away from the facility, too. Aston-Reese attended Rust’s wedding this summer.

“Sometimes, you notice the stutter. But it’s just part of his personality,” he How Bryan Rust overcame a speech impediment to become vocal leader said. “It’s almost like a little bit endearing in a way. He’s just such a for Penguins genuine guy.”

There was no big breakthrough for Rust. He gradually learned how to minimize his stutter over time. By seventh grade, it was no longer much PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE of a concern.

NOV 24, 2019 5:34 PM His freshman year at Brother Rice High School, Rust took a public speaking class. His “big semester-long project” was to give an oral

presentation about a historical figure, getting in character to detail their The Penguins had just blown a late two-goal lead Tuesday in a loss to subject’s successes and struggles. the New York Islanders when the locker room doors opened to the Naturally, the teenager chose a Hall-of-Fame hockey player who had media. skated for Chicago, Boston and the New York Rangers, not his Some frustrated players, magically out of their gear already, disappeared hometown Red Wings. into the showers. But Bryan Rust sat at his locker stall in case any of the “I picked . I don’t know why,” he said with an easy laugh. “I three dozen credentialed reporters and cameramen were looking for a was looking at hockey players and he was one of like the first five that quote. And, as is often the case, the veteran winger indeed drew a crowd came up.” — and delivered. The two students from each of the public speaking classes who got the “When we got up, 4-2, they turned it up a notch,” said Rust, who scored highest grade on the project would then speak in front of their entire in that overtime loss and has eight goals in his last 12 games. “And we grade. And that’s how 200 Brother Rice students got a random lesson didn’t match it.” about Esposito. The thought of one day speaking clearly in front of a group of relative Speaking in front of large groups, as nerve-wracking as it was, helped strangers, with microphones on and cameras recording sound bites that him become more comfortable as a speaker. Dealing with the media as a could reach millions of hockey fans, would have seemed inconceivable to standout at Notre Dame was another challenge. He didn’t back away a young Bryan Rust. from that one either. Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang takes the puck away from “I’ve always done it. I was never afraid of speaking. I haven’t really shied Anaheim Ducks right wing Carter Rowney Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019, at away. I just wasn’t very good at it,” he said, adding, “It’s part of who I am. PPG Paints Arena in Uptown. ... It definitely helped me character-wise, going through that when I was Pittsburgh Post-Gazette younger.”

Kris Letang back on the ice at Penguins practice after Nov. 4 injury in And after a few years in Pittsburgh, Rust had found his voice with the Boston Penguins.

Growing up in the suburbs of Detroit, Rust learned to cope with a stutter Coach Mike Sullivan said the example set on the ice by Rust, who scored that still lingers today. It took him years of speech therapy, public big goals and made clutch plays during the recent Cup runs, “speaks for speaking classes in high school and the support of friends and family to itself,” calling him “one of our best players.” But he said Rust has become get a good handle on it. “a stronger voice in the room” during his Penguins career, bringing positivity and energy off the ice. “It’s almost like you’re thinking too fast for your mouth to work. It’s almost like you’re stuck. It does feel a little bit helpless,” he said after Sunday’s “He plays an important role for us, both in how he plays the game but practice. also his personality in our dressing room,” he said. “He’s been here a while. He’s won a couple of Stanley Cups. He’s earned a lot of respect Both Rust and his big brother, Matt, spoke with a stutter as children. with his teammates.” Relatives on both sides of the family dealt with similar speech impediments. He remembers sitting in class in elementary school, the Aston-Reese shared two examples of subtle ways Rust rallies the words often refusing to come out. Penguins.

Thankfully, the other kids only picked on him “every once in a while.” His Before a game, if Rust is not in the starting lineup, he will shuffle down friends were supportive. And he could lean on Matt, who in 2011-12 the bench and give a fist bump and a personalized “Let’s go!” to every spent a season with the Penguins’ American Hockey League affiliate in teammate. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. “He goes down the whole bench until he says everyone’s name,” he said. Rust’s parents, Steve and Betsy, signed him up for speech therapy at a Aston-Reese also said that when a player does one of the “little things young age. He said that in many of those sessions, he “seemed to talk that people might not notice,” like blocking a shot or taking a hit to dump perfectly.” the puck and get a line change, Rust is always “the first guy to give you a “My speech therapist would be like, ‘So, what’s the issue here?’” he pat on the shoulder.” recalled. “And then I’d get home and start stuttering up a storm again, Rust also takes pride in supporting the community. His “Seats for and my mom would be like, ‘Bryan! You just need to focus on your Strength” program, now in its second year, benefits children and families talking.’ It’s something where I’ve kind of learned to slow down a little bit through the Allegheny Family Network. Win or lose, he meets with kids and breathe a little bit more.” after every home game. It’s still something that he reminds himself today. During his media But he said he has long thought about helping kids here or back home scrums, he occasionally gets ahead of himself before taking a brief who are dealing with speech impediments. He is still looking for the right pause to regroup. outlet. Tristan Jarry makes a save against the Devils. For now, he shares this message, along with a story that speaks for “There’s certain letter combinations and sounds that still definitely trip itself. me up quite a bit,” said Rust, who will turn 28 this spring. “I try to use a “It’s part of who you are,” Rust said. “Everybody has their adversities, has few techniques I’ve learned over the years, or I just try to avoid them their struggles. It shouldn’t be something that defeats you or defines you. altogether.” It should be something that helps you grow as a person and builds your Zach Aston-Reese is a good buddy of Rust who sits next to him in the character.” locker room. A bit of a jokester, Aston-Reese occasionally tries to mess Post Gazette LOADED: 11.25.2019 with Rust when the media swarms him, which has been happening a lot 1163259 Pittsburgh Penguins “You have to show focus,” Trotman said of his fluid role within the organization. “Whether you’re in the lineup, out of the lineup or down in Wilkes, you have to make sure you’re preparing every day like you’re going to be playing here.” Kris Letang back on the ice at Penguins practice after Nov. 4 injury in Boston Five for wrestling?

Patric Hornqvist experienced an NHL first Friday. He wasn’t happy about it. PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE In the second period of the 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils, he NOV 24, 2019 11:43 AM confronted Damon Severson after the Devils defenseman collided with Jake Guentzel.

Hornqvist kept his gloves on and quickly got tossed like a Frisbee, Kris Letang is on track to return to the Penguins lineup in the coming perhaps hoping to draw a penalty. Instead, he was given the first fighting days after he joined his teammates on the ice Sunday for their practice in major of his career. The winger, two days later, was still puzzled about Cranberry. getting five for fighting. The All-Star defenseman has been sidelined since suffering a lower-body “I don’t count it as a first fight,” he said. “It was just a wrestling match.” injury in the Nov. 4 loss in Boston. He said he skated an hour a day in an individual setting for more than a week before practicing with the team Hornqvist dropped the gloves while playing in Sweden prior to coming Sunday morning. overseas. But somehow, despite picking on goalies like an eight-year-old boy would his little sister, he had managed to go 733 NHL games without “I was getting lonely out there,” said Letang, who has missed eight trading haymakers. games. “It’s fun to be a part of practice and get some motion and get back into rhythm.” He said he was willing to drop the gloves with Severson in that situation.

He wore a regular jersey, signifying that he skated without contact “He hit Jake there pretty bad, I thought, and I knew we were on the restrictions. He reported he “felt great” during the practice. And while he power play and I didn’t want to drop my gloves right away then. I’m the spoke with the media before consulting with his coaches and the team’s only guy who gets a penalty,” the 32-year-old said. “We were waiting for medical staff, Letang said he hoped to suit up for Monday’s home game each other and he dropped them and I didn’t get the gloves off because I against the Calgary Flames. already had him in a hold.”

Bryan Rust skates during practice Friday, Sept 20, 2019, at UPMC Focus on faceoffs Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry. The Penguins have struggled in the faceoff dot without Sidney Crosby His participation level and role in Sunday’s practice suggested he will. the last six games. Their 44.4 success rate on draws is 30th in the NHL Letang was back with regular partner Brian Dumoulin and on the top since Nov. 12. power-play unit. So Sullivan took matters into his own hands Sunday, hunching over the He was off to a strong start before getting hurt in the third period of the faceoff dot at center ice near the end of practice to share teaching points Boston game. He had four goals and eight assists in 15 games with a with Evgeni Malkin, Teddy Blueger, Jared McCann, Dominik Simon and plus-5 rating. Sam Lafferty.

After Letang exited the game in Boston during the third period and did “We were just talking about some things other guys in the league do,” not return, the Penguins evaluated Letang for a few days before said Blueger, who is second on the Penguins behind Crosby with a 49.5 declaring he would be out for awhile. He said his recovery was “quicker success rate. than what we thought.” How many faceoffs out of 10 could he take from his coach, a former Mike Sullivan, of course, won’t mind finding a spot in the lineup for him. center?

“He’s an elite defenseman. He plays in all the key situations for us. When “I don’t know,” Blueger chuckled. “I’ve never seen him take one. Maybe he’s in the lineup, we’re a better hockey team,” the coach said of the 32- half?” year-old. Post Gazette LOADED: 11.25.2019 The Penguins in their last two games were also without Justin Schultz, who is out “longer term” after suffering a lower-body injury during practice Wednesday. With both Letang and Schultz out of the mix, Dumoulin has been the point man on the top power-play unit. Getting Letang back will certainly help there.

John Marino performed well on the top defensive pair next to Dumoulin while Letang was sidelined, playing more than 20 minutes in all eight games. During Sunday’s practice, the rookie was back on the third pair with Jack Johnson.

Zach Trotman, meanwhile, practiced with Marcus Pettersson, suggesting Chad Ruhwedel and Juuso Riikola will be the odd men out if Letang plays Monday.

Trotman underwent sports hernia surgery during training camp. He went through the recovery process here in Pittsburgh before being sent to the team’s American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He had five points and a plus-3 rating in eight AHL games before getting called up to the Penguins last week.

“The training staff here was great. I got back really quickly. I was able to play some games down in Wilkes and hit my stride pretty quick,” he said, adding, “They threw me in the fire down there. Upwards of 20 minutes every night.”

Trotman carried it over into his first two games back with the NHL club. He has held his own alongside Pettersson, who previously played with Schultz. And for the moment, he has leapfrogged Ruhwedel and Riikola on the depth chart. 1163260 San Jose Sharks “It’s a big save because we go down and score right after,” Jones said. “You need to come up with a couple of those a game to have a chance to win.”

Sharks takeaways: Why it’s critical for Aaron Dell to keep pushing Martin Jones made 11 saves in the third period, six on the penalty kill. In all, he Jones made 10 saves while the Sharks were down a man, as the Islanders went 0-for-6 on the power play.

Per statistician Darin Stephens, Jones has faced 111 shots on the By CURTIS PASHELKA | [email protected] | Bay penalty kill this season, tied for the most in the NHL with Vegas’ Marc- Area News Group Andre Fleury. Jones’ .937 save pct on the kill is third-best in the league, right behind Fleury’s .946 percentage and Chicago’s Robin Lehner’s PUBLISHED: November 24, 2019 at 5:02 am | UPDATED: November 24, (.943). 2019 at 5:35 PM “I thought our kill was excellent,” Couture said, “and I thought (Jones)

was excellent as well.” SAN JOSE — According to Pete DeBoer and Logan Couture, it’s only Other takeaways from Saturday. natural that when Aaron Dell plays a good game, Martin Jones wants to follow with one of his own. Kane, Couture respond to big minutes: On 33 shifts Saturday, Kane played 23 minutes and 11 seconds, two days playing a season-high The numbers over the last two-plus seasons bear that out. 24:25. Couture played 29 shifts, tied with Brent Burns for second-most on Saturday, two nights after Dell made 37 saves, Jones had 27 to lead the the team. Sharks to a 2-1 overtime victory over the New York Islanders at SAP “I love it, it’s great,” Kane said of his extra ice time. “Let’s keep it going.” Center. The Sharks once again started Saturday’s game with 11 forwards. Both Couture scored his second straight overtime goal, as he one-timed a Tomas Hertl (lower body) and Melker Karlsson (upper body) were injured pass from Evander Kane past Islanders goalie at the and did not play. DeBoer dressed seven defensemen instead. 2:30 mark. Couture scored on a breakaway with 1:40 left in overtime on Thursday to give the Sharks a 2-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Really, the Sharks were down to 10 forwards after Lukas Radil was Knights. benched in the third period.

The Sharks have won eight of nine, and entering Sunday, at 12-11-1, It’s fine for the short-term, no doubt, as double-shifting Kane or Timo were one point back of the second wild card spot in the Western Meier with some extra minutes on the fourth line helps solidify that part of Conference. The Sharks play in Los Angeles against the Kings on the lineup. But, with Saturday’s game being the first of five in eight days, Monday. one wonders if all this extra ice time for the Sharks’ top forwards is sustainable for at least the next week or two. “The big thing is we want to keep pace,” Couture said. “We are right in it now after that horrendous start and have given ourselves the opportunity “You’ve just got the make the smartest decision with the puck,” Couture to collect more points.” said. “There’s times when you can make plays and there’s times when you’re at the end of your shift or there’s nothing through the middle where If you have not already, we strongly encourage you to sign up for a digital you just chip it in and make the safe play. subscription, which gives you access to all content on the Mercury News and East Bay Times websites. With your support, we can continue “I think we got away from that in the second and that’s why they had so bringing these stories — and much more — to your screens. Here’s many extended shifts in our end. They drew six penalties. I thought in the where to sign up for the season pass: Mercury News, East Bay Times. third we did a good job of managing the puck.”

Entering Saturday, Jones was 6-1-0 in his last seven starts with an .881 Radil’s future: Radil’s time with the Sharks could be coming to an end. save percentage. Statistically, his performance against the Islanders was He did not see the ice again after his tripping penalty at the 7:52 mark of his second-best of the season, only behind the 32-save effort he had the second period. He had just seven shifts and finished with two hits and against the Calgary Flames on Oct. 13. one blocked shot in 6:14 of ice time. It’s the third time in his last five games he’s had less than 10 shifts. Both of those starts had something in common. They came right after Dell won a game. Tying a record: Saturday marked the Sharks’ 43rd consecutive win (7-0-0 this season) when they’ve allowed two goals or fewer. The 43 Asked Saturday morning if he feels Jones feeds off Dell’s good consecutive wins dating back to Mar. 20, 2018 ties the NHL record of 43 performances, or can be pushed by them, DeBoer said, “I think it’s set by Pittsburgh from Feb. 21, 2012-Oct. 17, 2013. human nature when the other guy’s playing well.

“If you look at the history of our team with those two guys together, when Deller’s pushing him, I think they’re both better.” San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 11.25.2019 Jones has usually played well in the first game after Dell earns a win.

In the 2017-18 season, in the first game after Dell recorded a victory, Jones was 6-3-2 with a .910 save percentage. Last season under those circumstances, Jones was 5-2-1 with a .912 save percentage.

And in three such games this year, Jones is now 2-1-0 with a .943 save percentage.

“I think they feed off each other,” Couture said. “They have a great relationship. They want to see each other have success in the nets. It’s natural. When your partner does well, you want to do well. They’ve both played back-to-back tremendous games.”

Just as Dell did Thursday, Jones had to come up with big stops at key times.

His most important save might have come in the second period.

With the game scoreless, Jones stopped a breakaway chance by Islanders forward Brock Nelson. Less than 20 seconds later, Marcus Sorensen scored off a nice pass from Mario Ferraro to give the Sharks the lead. Joe Thornton started the breakout with a pass to Ferraro. 1163261 San Jose Sharks

Sharks' defense-first mentality has been key to San Jose's resurgence

By Chelena Goldman

November 23, 2019 11:11 PM

SAN JOSE -- It took a while. The whole first month of the season and then some, to be exact. But now, as the Sharks approach the end of November, they're finally looking like the defensive-minded team they want to be.

San Jose won its second straight overtime game on Saturday night. Even with power forward Tomas Hertl out of the lineup once again, the Sharks imposed a heavy game on the red-hot Islanders and, despite racking up a whopping seven penalties, were able to hold the high-scoring opponent to a single goal.

The Sharks won in overtime, 2-1, for the second straight night and moved above .500 for the first time this season. After sitting at 4-10-1 earlier this month, San Jose finally has begun to play like Peter DeBoer- coached teams of old.

"If you defend well in this league, you're going to have a chance to win every night, I think that's the moral of that story," DeBoer told reporters after the win. "It's great reinforcement for our group that, if you defend well and our goalies play well, we have a chance to win every night."

Perhaps the biggest key to the Sharks' win over the Islanders on Saturday -- and in their last couple of wins, honestly -- is that they didn't blow it late in the third period. San Jose could have gotten itself into trouble with all the penalties, but with a solid defensive effort and a perfect penalty kill, the Sharks were able to get the job done.

"We have to bear down late in games and I think lately we've done a good job of that," Mario Ferraro summarized. "Tonight was another example. It's really important -- the third period is the most important period of the hockey game. It's about finishing strong and we did that tonight."

It didn't hurt that goaltender Martin Jones was stellar between the pipes, both on the penalty kill and at even strength.

"Goaltending is huge," Ferraro said. "Jones, he played outstanding tonight. We don't win that game without him. Goaltending wins you big games."

Although a penalty-heavy game isn't a trend the Sharks want to fall into every night, their ability to overcome such an imperfect game says a lot about how far they've come since the rough start to their season. They've won eight of their last nine games, but not necessarily in the same ways.

"We found a way, and that's kind of been the story lately," DeBoer said. "We've been dealing with some injuries and some depth issues and we didn't help ourselves tonight be getting into the box. But we still found a way and I thought it was a pretty gutsy effort."

The word "gutsy" has been used a couple of times now to describe how the Sharks are winning games. Even with injured players and trouble with penalties, San Jose has been doing a better job of buckling down defensively and preventing other teams from capitalizing on their mistakes.

That's a big change from the start of the season.

"We have a veteran team, and we have a veteran coaching staff. We just needed to be better individually and, usually, that leads to a better performance collectively. I think that's what has transpired."

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163262 St Louis Blues The Blues have plenty to work on. For the second game in a row, they allowed more than 40 shots on goal and their sloppiness with the puck led to multiple odd-man rushes and breakaways for the Predators.

Bortuzzo gets four-game suspension for crosscheck “Just turnovers, taking care of the puck (caused them),” Schenn said. “They did a good job of clogging up the neutral zone and when you do get into their end, they have that guy sitting back waiting to break out the puck. So we’ve got to make an adjustment for the next game and find By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch ways, one, to take care of the puck, and, two, get pressure on the forecheck.”

When the Blues and Predators meet again on Monday night, this time in Nashville, two players from the game on Saturday won’t be present, and St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.25.2019 their absences are connected.

Nashville forward Victor Arvidsson, who scored 34 goals last season in just 58 games, is out for four to six weeks with a lower body injury, and Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo was suspended for four games on Sunday for the crosscheck that injured Arvidsson.

Predators coach Peter Laviolette labeled the play as “dirty” after the game, and the league’s department of player safety agreed. The league wasted no time after the game on Saturday announcing that Bortuzzo would have a hearing the following day and the ruling came down late Sunday afternoon, after the Blues had arrived in Nashville.

The hit “is not a hockey play,” the league said in its description of the incident. “Visibly frustrated, Bortuzzo turns, finds the still prone Arvidsson and forcefully crosschecks him in a vulnerable area of his body. This is a forceful crosscheck delivered well away from the puck on a vulnerable opponent and for no other reason than frustration.”

It didn’t help that Bortuzzo has been fined twice before for crosschecks, and that he was considered a repeat offender because of a three-game suspension for elbowing in the 2018-19 preseason. That upped the amount of his fine to $67,073.16.

Replacing Bortuzzo is simple: Carl Gunnarsson, who has been trading that spot back and forth with Bortuzzo this season, will go in. To have extra bodies on hand in case, the Blues called up defenseman Derrick Pouliot and forward Nathan Walker from San Antonio and designated Troy Brouwer as a non-roster player while he awaits his work visa. Pouliot, who has played in 200 NHL games in his career, leads AHL defensemen with 18 points on four goals and 14 assists in 20 games with San Antonio. Walker is third among AHL forwards with 22 points on 12 goals and 10 assists. He has played in 12 NHL games. The Blues will activate Brouwer as soon as his visa is approved, which could come as soon as Monday.

While killing a penalty in the first period Saturday, Bortuzzo hit Arvidsson twice, first a crosscheck that sent him headfirst into the goal’s crossbar, which drew the penalty, and then as Arvidsson was trying to get up, Bortuzzo gave him a crosscheck in the small of the back, which caused Arvidsson’s right leg to twist beneath him as he tried to get up. The Predators said it was a lower-body injury and they specifically attributed it to Bortuzzo’s crosscheck. As Arvidsson skated away, goalie Jordan Binnington gave him a shove too. Arvidsson, who has six goals and nine assists this season, did not return to action.

Bortuzzo was the second Blue to be fined by the league for a hit during the team’s just-completed four-game homestand, and two other opponents were knocked from games by clean hits. After the opening game against Anaheim, Oskar Sundqvist was fined $7,392.47 for charging goalie John Gibson, though it looked as though Sundqvist was trying to avoid him but ran out of places to go. In the Tampa Bay game, Nikita Kucherov was hit hard by Brayden Schenn just after getting rid of the puck and he hit his back and head on the ice. Kucherov missed Tampa Bay’s next game as well. Against Calgary, Vince Dunn leveled Andrew Mangiapane in the second period, breaking his nose and knocking him from the game.

Even with Bortuzzo out, emotions figure to be running high on Monday as the teams meet again two days later. The Blues welcome the second chance because their effort on Saturday was lacking all around.

“I think we’ll be better next game,” Schenn said. “We’ve got to be better. It’s tough playing in Nashville, they always come hard there and you can’t let them generate offense off us turning over the puck the whole game. “

“It’s going to be a huge game,” coach Craig Berube said. “Big test again for us.” 1163263 St Louis Blues

BLUES at NASHVILLE

By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Bridgestone normally is one of the NHL’s toughest venues on visiting teams, but you wouldn’t know it by what’s happened lately. In a streak that dates back to Halloween, the Predators have lost five in a row at home (0-4-1) getting outscored 23-12 in the process.

The Blues won their last game in Bridgestone, 5-4 in overtime last Feb. 10 for win No. 6 in the team’s franchise-record 11-game winning streak. Vladimir Tarasenko got his fourth career hat trick (his fifth counting playoffs) and scored his 200th career goal. His third goal was the OT game-winner.

Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis, who had an assist and was plus-3 in Saturday’s 4-2 win in St. Louis, played in his 500th NHL game. Forward Filip Forsberg, who scored 20 seconds into Saturday’s contest, has 25 points (13 goals, 12 assists) in 26 career games against the Blues. The Preds’ 22 first-period shots Saturday tied a season high.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163264 St Louis Blues

Blues' Bortuzzo suspended for four games for crosscheck

By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo got a four-game suspension for his crosscheck of Nashville's Viktor Arvidsson on Saturday night.

The Predators announced on Sunday that Arvidsson will be out four to six weeks.

On Sunday evening, the Blues called up defenseman Derrick Pouliot and forward Nathan Walker from San Antonio. Pouliot has four goals and 14 assists in 20 games for San Antonio. Walker is third in the AHL in points with 22 on 12 goals and 10 assists. The Blues also designated Troy Brouwer a non-roster player and will activate him when his visa is approved.

The NHL department of player safety announced shortly after Saturday's game that Bortuzzo would have a hearing on Sunday. The suspension will cost Bortuzzo $67,073.16 in lost wages, which goes to the players' emergency assistance fund. Bortuzzo's fine is higher because under terms of the CBA, he's a repeat offender since he was suspended in the previous 18 months. He missed the first game of last season because of an elbowing call.

Bortuzzo crosschecked Arvidsson twice. The first sent Arvidsson headfirst into the goal's crossbar, which drew the penalty. Bortuzzo reacted in frustration to the referee's call and then as Arvidsson was trying to get up, Bortuzzo gave him a crosscheck in the small of the back. Considering that the Predators said Arvidsson had a lower-body injury – which they specifically attributed to Bortuzzo's crosscheck in announcing the severity of the injury -- it's the second hit that did the damage.

"This was not a hockey play," the league said in the video announcing the suspension.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163265 St Louis Blues Belleville News-Democrat LOADED: 11.25.2019

Predators snap 6-game losing streak with 4-2 win over Blues

BY DAVID SOLOMON ASSOCIATED PRESS

NOVEMBER 23, 2019 11:23 PM

ST. LOUIS

The Nashville Predators had been waiting for a break to go their way to help the team shake its November malaise. It didn’t take long to generate momentum Saturday night.

Filip Forsberg scored 20 seconds into the game and Juuse Saros made 24 saves to help the Predators snap a six-game losing streak with a 4-2 win over the St. Louis Blues.

“We’re trying to get that one (victory) and we got it,” left wing Austin Watson said. “When you’re in it rough like that, like we were, that first one is hard to get. It feels like it eludes you no matter what you do, so credit to everybody in here from staff to players.”

Mattias Ekholm, Colton Sissons and Calle Jarnkrok also scored for Nashville, which won in St. Louis for the first time since December 2017.

Saros improved to 2-5-1 this season with his first win since Oct. 26 at Tampa Bay.

“I thought the guys played hard and invested a lot and got the win, so I thought it was important,” Predators coach Peter Laviolette said. “The guys have been working hard and the results came tonight.”

Klim Kostin and Alex Pietrangelo scored for the Blues. Jordan Binnington made 39 saves two nights after stopping 40 shots in a 5-0 victory over Calgary.

St. Louis was outshot 22-9 in the first period, and the 43 shots allowed marked a season high for the defending Stanley Cup champions.

“We didn’t close anything out in our own end,” Blues coach Craig Berube said. “We’ve got to play better defense. We’ve got to play harder. We’ve just got to play better.”

Forsberg set the tone early when he put Viktor Arvidsson’s rebound past Binnington for his 10th goal and fifth in eight games.

Ekholm gave Nashville a 2-0 lead with his fourth of the season. His shot ricocheted off Blues defensemen Jay Bouwmeester and before glancing off Binnington’s blocker and into the net.

Kostin put St. Louis on the scoreboard with his first career goal 14:55 into the first.

Sissons extended Nashville’s lead to 3-1 when he pushed a puck lying in the crease underneath Binnington’s pad with 1:26 remaining in the period.

“You start the first shift and you get a goal right away and you get a couple more in the first, it helps,” said Predators defenseman Roman Josi. “We haven’t been great in the first. It gives you that momentum for the whole game.”

Pietrangelo cut St. Louis’ deficit to 3-2 on a power-play goal with 3:08 left in the third. The goal was the 100th of his NHL career.

Jarnkrok scored an empty-net goal with 31 seconds to go.

“Any time we play these guys it’s a tough game,” Pietrangelo said. “That’s just the reality of it. We expected a big push, they had one — especially when you haven’t won in a while.”

NOTES: Arvidsson skated in his 300th career game. He exited with a lower body injury after being cross-checked into the St. Louis net by Robert Bortuzzo, who was not penalized on the play. Bortuzzo, however, faces a player safety hearing Sunday, the NHL tweeted. ... Blues RW Troy Brouwer was scratched for the second straight game as he awaits his work visa. … Blues LW Jacob de la Rose played his 200th NHL game.

1163266 Tampa Bay Lightning · Was Mike Babcock the problem in Toronto? Somewhere between maybe and probably not. But he’s the easiest change to make. The Maple Leafs have a few massive contracts that make it difficult to build depth. That might have as much to do with their poor start as anything Lightning’s Luke Schenn shared dads trip with an opponent, his brother Babcock did. Brayden Three-on-three

Absurd-sounding stats: 3. The Islanders’ shootout save percentage of By Diana C. Nearhos 100. 2. San Jose’s 90.2 percent penalty kill. 1. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl’s 44 points. Published Yesterday Anthem experiences this season: 3. Chicago 2. Montreal. 1. 101-year-old

Robert McClintock. Luke and Jeff Schenn decided to count. They figure Jeff has been on Most expensive franchises for a family of four: 3. Blackhawks 2. Maple about 17 dads trips. And still this one represented a first. Leafs. 1. Golden Knights. Jeff was on the trip with Luke, a Lightning defenseman, but he also got to Questions for the Lightning see his younger son Brayden, a St. Louis forward. In all the years they’ve been in the league, the brothers have never played a dads trip game Will we see NHL teams adopt the NBA’s “load management?” against each other. Never say never, but I don’t see this becoming an immediate thing. The On one hand, this was great, they all got to hang out and go to dinner. players want to play and teams believe strongly in momentum and But, Jeff also kind of hates watching his sons play against each other. maintaining chemistry. We’ve also seen how close a team can be to a They can’t both win. He wants to see Brayden score but doesn’t want playoff spot, or to that top seed. Montreal missed a playoff spot by two Luke to get scored on. points. Winnipeg missed the No. 1 seed by a single point.

So he sat in the suite with the other Lightning dads, rooting for both Has a goaltender ever been credited with scoring a goal in an NHL teams. The other dads, most of whom Jeff was meeting for the first time, game? chirped him a bit for this.

He became temporarily unpopular when Brayden delivered a big hit to Nikita Kucherov, forcing the star forward out of the game. Jeff was just Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.25.2019 happy Luke wasn’t on the ice. He’d typically be the player to go after the guy who hit his teammate.

Erik Cernak took care of that this time. But the two defensemen are built similarly and Brayden told Luke after, he thought Luke was coming at him at first.

Luke isn’t really sure what he would have done. He’d want to stand up for his teammate but also doesn’t want to take a swing at his brother. Fortunately, Jeff didn’t have to worry about seeing his sons square off.

He has seen Luke deliver quite a few hockey hits to Brayden, but no punches. Jeff tries to get to most games they play against each other. It’s a great experience even if he is still working out the cheering part.

And Jeff never misses a dads trip for either son. One year, both trips were the same weekend. So he went to the first game of Brayden’s trip in Boston then flew to Anaheim to join Luke. There was also a year when he got to double-dip. He went on the Flyers’ trip to New York, when both brother played for Philadelphia. Then, Luke was traded to the Kings and a week later, he and Jeff were right back at the same Ritz Carlton in Manhattan.

Quick hits with Mathieu Joseph

Pet peeve: Joseph can’t stand the sound of people scraping knives or forks against plates. But really, who can?

What would you bring to a desert island: Joseph took a very practical approach to this hypothetical banishment. He’d bring water.

So … I had a thought

· Hooray for Louis Domingue getting his first NHL appearances of the season. Remember how the defenseman jump-started his career with the Lightning last year, only to be replaced, sent down and finally traded? Well, he was recalled by the Devils this week after Cory Schneider was sent to the AHL. Domingue spelled Mackenzie Blackwood in a loss to Pittsburgh. Domingue played the final 17:30 of the game and saved all five shots he saw. He followed that up with a 19-save effort for his first win on Saturday. With a small sample size, Domingue now leads the league in save percentage at .960. It’s good to see him getting another shot.

· Chicago recognizes its former stars with “One More Shift.” Brian Campbell, who won the Stanley Cup twice with the Blackhawks, got his moment on Thursday. He suited up in full uniform and took the ice for the national anthem, as the team showed a video tribute. Chicago does this a few times a season and the fans enjoy the opportunity to shower a favorite alumnus with love. The Lightning faithful would probably feel similarly. 1163267 Toronto Maple Leafs “It probably shouldn’t be (such a boost) for a guy who’s played (in the NHL) as much as I have. But yeah, it feels nice,” Barrie said.

Babcock, if he was watching, might have chuckled at the fate of Keefe’s In two games, Sheldon Keefe is proving to be the anti-Babcock, Dave symbolic starting lineup on Saturday. The Leafs were scored on during Feschuk writes. The difference isn’t just tactical, it’s also sentimental. that first shift. And supporters of the Babcock school would chime in: See, touchy-feely nonsense doesn’t win. Overindulge the multimillionaires and soon enough you’re less a coach and more a glorified valet at a player-run country club. By Dave Feschuk Sports Columnist But here’s guessing Keefe would deploy those same players again. A Sun., Nov. 24, 2019 few days into the gig he’s already spoken about the “vibe” of the team and the “spirit” of the group. In other words, he’s of the mind that it’s not only important how players are playing. It matters how they’re feeling. In conducting the post-mortem analysis of the Maple Leafs’ firing of Mike Because unless you’re coaching robots, there’s often a connection Babcock on Wednesday, it was worth thinking back to the season’s between the two. Not that Babcock was unaware of such things. He just opening night. seemed to believe players need to find their own confidence, their own good place, their own way. As Henrik Zetterberg has said, Babcock It was a home game against the Ottawa Senators, so one of the many sometimes seemed bent on exasperating players to the point of them storylines figured to involve Jason Spezza. He is a local prodigy, a No. 2 saying, “I’ll show you.” pick in the 2001 draft who, after years playing in Ottawa and Dallas, chose to sign with the Leafs in the off-season for less money than he This is honeymoon-phase stuff for Keefe, for sure. Every coach is might have earned elsewhere. Spezza grew up a Leafs fan. He loves inevitably going to have his internal detractors. Every shift change, every talking about the franchise’s old days. He’s a rare active player who healthy scratch, is a potential enemy made. But if first impressions are remembers going to games at the Gardens. important, Keefe has been a hit. And maybe the recipe couldn’t be easier. Just like team president Brendan Shanahan arrived as the anti- So there was sentiment involved in his business decision. And it would Brian Burke — using a predecessor’s many mistakes of bombast and have been a special occasion for Spezza to don the blue and white on ego to essentially compile a handbook of what not to do — Keefe has, opening night — against one of his old teams, no less. intentionally or not, trod a path Babcock would never walk. Babcock, knowing all that, scratched Spezza, denying a veteran player a “I’m not focused on what this team isn’t, I’m focused on what this team special moment, allegedly in the name of maximizing the team’s chances is,” Keefe said on the day he was introduced. to win. Indeed, Babcock identified weaknesses and harped on them. Keefe is But only in Toronto would a coach think he could get away with insisting highlighting strengths and attempting to build around them. That’s not to a tweak on the fourth line would be a game-changer. The coach didn’t say both can’t produce results. But it also says this: Keefe wasn’t brought fool anyone. You know in retrospect that scratching Spezza was a loud in to simply revamp the systems on the ice. He was brought in to change dictatorial statement of petty cruelty because Babcock made up a the feeling around the dressing room. cockamamie excuse to justify it. He insisted Spezza hadn’t yet grasped the nuances of Toronto’s penalty kill, then, when Spezza finally got into A week ago Saturday in Pittsburgh, in the embarrassing midst of a 6-1 the lineup, proceeded to almost never play Spezza on the penalty kill. loss, the Leafs looked like they hated their jobs, and maybe their boss. Certainly you know the decision wasn’t made because Spezza can no Maybe that speaks to their entitlement and mental fragility. Or maybe, if longer contribute at age 36. Spezza, though he is a role player, is you believe in this group in the way GM Kyle Dubas clearly does, it says currently leading the team in total points per 60 minutes. something about the way they were being treated by the guy behind the bench. So opening night was Babcock at his ugliest, seemingly unwilling to muster even trace evidence of humanity and humility. If you’ve spent any It doesn’t seem to be a coincidence that Auston Matthews has been time reading ex-Leaf Mark Fraser’s Twitter dress-down of Babcock on palpably more energetic both on and off the ice. The leading scorer’s the weekend — a more measured version of the anti-Babcock venom relationship with Babcock was strained enough that it required multiple spewed by ex-NHLer Mike Commodore — you’ll know that, while one or home visits. It doesn’t seem to be a coincidence that Barrie is suddenly a two players can’t speak for hundreds, there are obviously many who threat. His confidence was AWOL under Babcock. Keefe has made it wouldn’t have been sorry to hear about Babcock’s demise. I know a few reappear before our eyes. who celebrated it as an occasion. And certainly the current Leafs didn’t hide their glee in the wake of the change. They’ve played like a re- It’s two games. It’s nothing, really. Wait a month, or a year, before you energized group in their two victories since. judge anything. Maybe, in the end, there will always be those who’ll tell you it doesn’t matter how the players feel about their coach. What we’re It brings to mind an eternal debate: Does it really matter if a team doesn’t seeing in the early days of Keefe’s Leafs suggests it matters, at least a like its coach? The old hockey truism goes that the great Montreal teams little, how a coach makes players feel. of the 1970s didn’t exactly love the all-business Scotty Bowman 364 days a year. But on that 365th day — the day they unfailingly hoisted the Stanley Cup — Bowman reaffirmed his status as their all-time favourite. Toronto Star LOADED: 11.25.2019 Times and players change. And two games into his tenure as Leafs coach, it’s not by chance that Keefe is sending a loud message he’s the anti-Babcock. The difference isn’t just tactical (although Keefe sees the game differently than Babcock and, to use just one example, wants less dump-and-change throwaways and more heady regroupings in the name of keeping the puck). The difference is also sentimental.

Keefe is taking the feelings of the players into account in a way Babcock often seemed loathe to do. Consider that in the lead-up to Saturday night’s 5-3 win in Colorado, Keefe chose to swap Nick Shore into the lineup for Nic Petan. The reason? The coach said he felt it was important that Shore, a Denver native, play in front of family and friends.

Keefe also started Saturday’s game with both Alexander Kerfoot and Tyson Barrie on the ice, since both were traded from Colorado to Toronto in the off-season. The game before in Arizona, Keefe began with Barrie paired on defence with Morgan Rielly, not because Barrie and Rielly were going to play together regularly that night, but because he wanted to reaffirm belief in Barrie’s first-pair skills. Barrie, who has scored his first two goals of the season since, acknowledged the gesture was a confidence boost. 1163268 Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs' Kerfoot has hearing with NHL on Monday after hit on Avs' Johnson

Terry Koshan

November 24, 2019 10:57 PM EST

The Maple Leafs are facing the prospect of playing without Alex Kerfoot.

The Leafs forward will have a hearing on Monday with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety for a check on Colorado Avalanche defenceman Erik Johnson during Toronto’s 5-3 win in Denver on Saturday night.

The Department of Player Safety made the announcement regarding Kerfoot on Sunday afternoon.

Kerfoot sent Johnson into the end boards and was assessed a boarding minor on the play. Johnson remained in the game.

Kerfoot, who has played in two games since returning to the Leafs lineup from facial dental surgery, has not been suspended during his NHL career.

In 22 games this season, Kerfoot, acquired by the Leafs from the Avalanche this past summer, has five goals and three assists.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163269 Toronto Maple Leafs The Leafs posted a video on social media of the happy dressing room following Keefe’s first win in his first game on Thursday in Arizona. In the video, captain John Tavares tells the team the win “is the start of something special.” Reinvigorated Leafs eager to keep pushing forward with Keefe at helm The Leafs won two nights later in Denver. The belief that had eroded under Babcock is being built again.

Terry Koshan “I think we have a tremendous group of people,” Tavares said when he was asked about his speech. “It has not gone the way we would like to November 24, 2019 7:37 PM EST start the year, but we have a lot of hockey left. We have had some changes, everyone is trying to embrace it the best we can and we want to keep it going.” What a long, strange trip it was.

From the most dismal loss of the season in Pittsburgh, to the firing of Mike Babcock and the hiring of Sheldon Keefe, to an inspirational victory Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.25.2019 in Denver, the Maple Leafs ran the full range of emotions in the past nine days.

We’re willing to bet the team won’t experience something similar in 2019- 20. Perhaps in the playoffs. But we’ll have to get back to you on that.

“Night and day,” said defenceman Tyson Barrie, who scored his first two goals of the season in consecutive victories after Keefe took over.

“(Pittsburgh) was a dark place for a lot of us. That game especially (a 6-1 loss Saturday) was a bit embarrassing. To be able to go home .500 (on the four-game trip), and be rolling a bit, it’s a great feeling.

“(Bonding) started a bit in Vegas and we’re tight. We’re all loving each other so it’s a fun group to be a part of.”

Babcock was fired last Wednesday exactly 4 1/2 years after was hired, and though the Leafs in the following days talked about taking some responsibility, it quickly became clear that a pall had been lifted in the dressing room.

And it’s not just because the injured Mitch Marner joined the Leafs the same day in Scottsdale, Ariz., where the club was staying at a golf resort. Marner’s outgoing manner in going about his daily business brought some relief to the group, but it was obvious that Babcock had run his course and could no longer make an impact on the group.

The daily message from Babcock — keep grinding, steady on the rudder, the sun will come up tomorrow — increasingly became empty words for a team that had lost six in a row.

Not only was a new voice needed, so too was a different style of coaching. At the age of 39, Keefe, we expect, will have an easier time properly relating to the players than Babcock did.

As the days have passed, the general feeling is emerging that Babcock didn’t have that at the top of his list of priorities.

Babcock long has taken a bashing on Twitter from former NHL player Mike Commodore, who has major issues with the way the coach treated him in Detroit.

A series of measured tweets on Saturday by former NHL defenceman Mark Fraser defended Commodore, with Fraser saying that based on his conversations and stories related to him “95%” of Babcock’s players “can’t say a good thing about” him. Fraser also tweeted that Babcock “used his power to turn teammates against each other.”

One tale was related to us in the past few days that is said to have occurred in the 2016-17 season, during the annual fathers trip.

Babcock was alleged to have asked one of the Leafs’ rookies to list the players on the team from hardest-working to those who, in the eyes of the rookie, didn’t have a strong work ethic. The rookie did so, not wanting to upset his coach, but was taken aback when Babcock told the players who had been listed at the bottom.

When Babcock scratched veteran Jason Spezza for the regular-season opener, a decision that was unnecessary and disrespectful, we received an e-mail from a long-time NHL observer wondering why Babcock would deliberately embarrass Spezza.

Babcock sometimes would take what were perceived as jabs at general manager Kyle Dubas during scrums with reporters.

Here’s a guarantee: That won’t happen with Keefe. Babcock wasn’t Dubas’ hire, having been brought aboard in 2015 by team president Brendan Shanahan. 1163270 Toronto Maple Leafs

After whirlwind start to tenure as Leafs coach, Keefe glad to settle into job

Terry Koshan

November 24, 2019 5:49 PM EST

Hockey life will return to a sense of normalcy for Sheldon Keefe in the next few days.

The Maple Leafs should be commended for collecting a pair of wins as Keefe was getting his feet wet both with the team and behind the bench in the National Hockey League, and Keefe now will get an opportunity to further put his stamp on the club in the next couple of days.

After a day off on Sunday, the Leafs will have two days of practice at the Ford Performance Centre before hitting the road again for games in Detroit and Buffalo, on Wednesday and Friday respectively.

“It’s nice, it’s important,” Keefe said. “Things will settle down from here. We’ll work on some things and continue to grow the group, I’ll get a chance to continue to grow my relationship with individual players and, for me, that’s the priority right now. The other stuff will come together in time.”

For Leafs captain John Tavares, Keefe has made a solid first impression on himself and the team.

“Calm and poised,” Tavares said. “Doesn’t change whether things are going our way (or not). He just stays with it, says it how it is and gives us good direction.”

Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163271 Toronto Maple Leafs value even a year later. … I think that as a team, you want guys on your team that can bring people together. He’s very much that type of person. He makes you feel comfortable right away. I would say he’s very similar to (Sidney Crosby) in that type of way where he can bring you in and The Avs share their favorite memories of Tyson Barrie make you feel a part of the team immediately. I think that bodes very well for a club and as a team. It’s something I continue to try and be better at.

You see how important it is and you feel how important it is when you’re By Ryan S. Clark the new guy. He’s a special guy.

Nov 22, 2019 J.T. Compher

Tyce was a great guy. Especially being a young guy. He treated us very well and looked out for the young guys on the ice and off the ice. He’s a ST. PAUL, Minn. — Ian Cole will always remember how it felt when he great guy to have in the locker room. A positive mindset and a good first joined the Colorado Avalanche and was embraced in a manner only attitude every day. We definitely miss him around here but it’s how it a few people can achieve. works sometimes. But a great guy. … It was nice having him as a young guy. We had a good leadership group that over the last few years was Tyson Jost will not forget the time spent in Aspen at the X-Games. really good with new guys coming in and he was a big part of that for Nathan MacKinnon also has memories that he might someday share with sure. … He was genuine and is fun to be around. He keeps the locker the world. room light. But he’s also a good competitor and a great teammate and Emily Wade cannot help but laugh at the goofy moments while being in someone that you liked going to battle with. awe of the personal interactions. Die-hard Avalanche fan Taylor Worlton Samuel Girard smiles each time she stares at one of her six sweaters signed by her favorite player of all-time who helped her see hockey as more than just a I mean, he was a model for me. I kinda watched him growing up and game. when I was playing juniors. I remember my agent told me to watch his game and how he plays and when I got traded, I was excited to be with Knowing those anecdotes makes the following clear: Practically anyone him and to have a good conversation with him and to learn a little bit who spent some time around Tyson Barrie typically has a few memories more from him. I think it’ll be fun when he comes back to Denver and it is about him and the impact he made on their lives. Barrie was with the going to be a special evening for sure. … He’s such a good person. It’s Avalanche for eight seasons but left the club in the summer after he and crazy. He was good to me on the ice but off the ice as well. He’s such a Alexander Kerfoot were traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for center good person, a good leader and I really think everyone in the room loves Nazem Kadri and defenseman Calle Rosen. him. Saturday is expected to be an emotional evening with Barrie returning to Erik Johnson Pepsi Center to face his old team for the first time since the trade. He left Denver as a fan favorite and one of the most respected players in the My first memory? That’s a long time ago. (Avs rookie defenseman Cale dressing room for his on-ice achievements, his personable nature and a Makar chimes in, “Make sure you put that in the story. That he said, willingness to always make time for everyone. ‘That’s a long time ago.’”) I think it was 2012. I think it was the lockout year and I think he got called up and played really well against Chicago. Here’s why. Then, the next night we came home and somebody came back from Mark Barberio injury and he was scratched. I just remember, “I can’t believe he got scratched. He was playing so well. Such a good, young player.” I kinda I would say my first day when I got picked up by the Avs. I had known just remember watching him the night before and thinking, “He’s going to him before. His dad had actually drafted me when I was in Tampa be a good player for a long time.” I remember just being surprised that he because his dad was a part-owner of the Lightning at the time. When I was scratched that next night. He was one of the best offensive D that went to my first rookie camp, Tyson was there but he was there as an Colorado has seen. It was sad to see him go but it was just kind of the underage player. His draft year was the next summer. But I met him way chips were falling. Guys were coming up from the prospect pool and before. You show up to a new team and I had met him but I didn’t really contract stuff was coming up and it was just probably, I think, the best know him. It was just the way he welcomed me. That’s probably my move for the team at the time. It’s tough maybe emotionally than it biggest memory of him. He welcomed me right away like I was a brother probably was. … He just had a really easy-going personality and could or a family member right off the bat. And I was like, “OK. I am probably get along with anybody. He liked to have fun. Didn’t really get flustered going to enjoy my time here with people like this around.” … He kept by anything too bad. Just an easy guy to get along with and we had a things fun. He kept things loose. He’s gotta be probably one of the good relationship. I would see him in the summer a couple times. He funniest guys I’ve played with. Just an amazing sense of humor. But the came and stayed with me in California for a couple days over the course biggest thing is deep down, he’s a really amazing person and he has a of the summer. He was kind of part of a core group of guys that kinda good heart. He would invite guys over for dinners or after the game. If came up together with (Gabriel Landeskog) and (Semyon Varlamov) and you wanted to go over to his place, it was always open. I know we had Nate and (Ryan O’Reilly) and (Matt) Duchene and myself. It was the Christmas events at his house and stuff like that. I just got a family- guys who were together for a while and then over the years different oriented vibe from him and those are really good qualities to have in a transactions happen and that’s kind of the way the game goes. teammate. … He is a huge Pearl Jam guy. He loves Eddie Vedder. He’s actually got a pretty good voice and he can sing. He was into different Tyson Jost types of music but liked rock music, rock alternatives and introduced me I got a couple (stories about) Tyce. First of all, he was absolutely into some good bands. One of them is my favorite bands and that’s Lord outstanding with me. I came in at 18, 19 years old and I was really young Huron. He’s into that type of genre but I think he’s got a wide variety of and in the summer, I hung out with him for a little bit. He kinda took me in music taste. and he was here rehabbing in the summer. It was great. We went to a Matt Calvert Metallica concert and he was like, “Hey, come with me,” and that’s where our friendship started. We went to Aspen together for All-Star break. That Bear’s an impressionable guy. He’s a guy that when he gets dealt, you was my best memory of Tyce for sure. That was a blast. It was supposed feel it in the locker room a bit. He’s a fun-loving guy. Always positive, to be me, him, Compher, Barberio and a couple of other guys that were likes to have a great time. You miss having that around. That’s probably supposed to come with us. Barb got hurt in the last game (before the All- my best memory of him. He was always upbeat and there was never Star break), Comph got sick in the last game before the All-Star break. really a bad day in Tyson Barrie’s world. We had this huge house, like an Airbnb sort of thing, with 12 rooms and Ian Cole everyone had to cancel because they were sick or hurt. I was like, “Tyce, are we still going to go?” We went to Aspen and had this huge 12- I think the world of him both as a player and as a person. Fantastic guy. bedroom house together and had a blast together. He took me under his One of the best guys in the game and also just an unbelievable hockey wing and we went to the X-Games because the X-Games were going on player. We played together for 95 percent of the year and it was a real during that All-Star break up in Aspen. (Colin Wilson) came down for a treat to play with someone like him who was so creative and so dynamic. day and we got really close. How could you not? We were with each It was a partnership that I loved being a part of and a friendship that I still other for three full days. I would say that’s my best memory. He’s such a caring guy and he’s funny and he’s always chirping. It’ll be cool to have sure people will love the one on Saturday too. Hopefully, they don’t cry. him back. No, I won’t cry. I already watched it. So, I’m good.

Nathan MacKinnon Life-long Avalanche supporter and well-known Barrie superfan Taylor Worlton We talk a lot. I have a lot of friends on other teams and it’s a little different when you play with somebody for six years and he was here for I think (on why Barrie is her favorite player) it’s partially because he’s like 10 years. I’m sure it’s more of an adjustment for him. I still have really good at what he does and is an elite offensive defenseman. It familiar faces around me but obviously it sucks not having your good really is also who he is as a person. Really humble. Great personality. buddy around. I definitely miss him a ton. … He was 21, 22 when we What person watches themselves on Pepsi Vision, sings Celine Dion and met. I was 18. We were roommates at a rookie orientation camp in laughs about it? His attitude and a really humble guy. Really appreciate Washington. We just kind of hit it off. He’s such a nice guy. He just likes that in an athlete. He just sticks out for that reason for me. … So I don’t everybody and you see why he’s got so many friends but obviously, it even think I really processed the whole trade for at least a week. I saw was nice that he took me under his wing early. I didn’t know much and Kadri and all I knew was the suspensions and was like “Great. That’s we came up together at the same time and spend six years together. … fun.” I was angry at first and asked why is Kerf going too? This is not OK. My favorite memories? I’m not going to sit here and tell stories to be I remembered I texted my mom “Tyson’s gone” and I just cried. I bawled honest! He’s one of my best buddies. Lot of stories I wouldn’t want to tell like a baby. I didn’t think it was going to happen. You are waiting. in the media. They are between me and him! … (The trade) was tough. It Waiting. Nothing happened and at 5 p.m., (Avs general manager Joe) was just an unfortunate situation. Obviously, it would have been nice to Sakic’s like “Oh, hey, by the way, I traded him.” I understand the hockey keep him. But we got Naz and that was huge for us as well. But, just in side of it and business side. But it still hurt. … For me, I finally had the terms of friendship, I miss him a ton. Same with hockey. If we still had opportunity to meet him (last) January. I think the one thing that kinda him, who knows if we get Naz too some other way? Obviously, it’s good sticks out for me is he asked my name. Then, he gave me a stick in to have a 60-point D-man back there. We had such good chemistry but I February during warmups during the (Winnipeg) Jets game. It was very miss him a ton. … It’s going to be weird. Playing against him is going to quiet. He just gave me a stick. That was a really cool experience. From be very, very strange. Coming down against him, they just got a new there, I’d go to practice to have him sign stuff. I have six Tyson Barrie coach so they’re obviously going to be buzzing. It’s going to be weird for jerseys and he signed every single one of them. I told him I was getting sure. Even in practice, it was weird when I would go against him, let the home, away and alternate jerseys and that I needed him to sign all of alone when he’s playing for Toronto. It’s going to be very, very strange these. I got the away jersey which was the last one. He made fun of me and I’m not really looking forward to it. It’s going to be emotional for sure. for it and was like, “Man, how many of these do you got?” He wrote, “To I’m sure he’ll get a tribute and it’s going to suck. Maybe that’s when it will Taylor, you need another jersey.” It was fun. I kinda got to know him a finally, really sink in that he’s gone is when I’m actually playing against little bit and see the hockey player and the person who makes him great. him. He’s awesome and I am grateful for all the kind memories and experiences. I really miss my favorite player and he will continue to be Avalanche social media and digital marketing manager Emily Wade my favorite player and I don’t care what team he is on. I also have a Tyson was the easiest person to build a relationship with. He’s super Toronto jersey he needs to sign! Tyson Barrie is the player that made me friendly every single day and ever since my first day, he was probably see hockey as more than just a game. one of the first people I talked with in the locker room back when I was Nikita Zadorov super shy. I think he’s super easy to build a relationship with because he’s super genuine. It’s really how he is and it’s easy to portray that on He’s probably like the best communicator I’ve ever seen. He’s so good social media. He was always down to make a fool of himself whenever with all the people. Super nice. Likes talking. Great in the dressing room we asked him to. … Definitely when he was hosting ice-breakers like and just an unbelievable person overall. He’s so good to everyone. when he was asking Gabe and Tyson questions. We filmed this ad for Obviously, we had a great relationship together and I enjoyed playing King Soopers and Pepsi. It was co-King Soopers and Pepsi. Pepsi was with him when I had the chance. … He was open to everybody. Anybody being sold at King Soopers. He was doing an appearance there that day could have come up and talked to him and he would have a conversation and it took him 18 takes and all he had to say was, “Whoa! Pepsi!” or with them on the same level. There was no cockiness or something something and he would never do it to his liking and was just laughing scary. He was open to people and super friendly and he’s a smart guy. the whole time. … We did an open house before the season started a He can talk about anything. couple seasons ago. He was just back in town and did it and was greeting fans. He legitimately greeted every fan and I knew that is what he was going to do but I think it was just so cool to watch. It was a line of The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2019 people and I think every single person walked away feeling like, “Wow. I kinda know Tyson Barrie now.” That was his sixth season at that point. He was such a veteran and had done so many events and sometimes, they do less events the longer they are here for. He wasn’t that person. He kept doing events but I thought with that, it was that one-on-one connection and he’s so good at that with us in the locker room, fans that he knows, fans that he doesn’t know. I think watching him connect with fans, it’s easy to see why he’s everyone’s favorite because you meet him one time and you’re basically friends. … (On the trade). That was pretty wild. We obviously had a busy day in general with re-signing Colin Wilson. Signing (Joonas) Donskoi and (Pierre-Edouard) Bellemare as well. We had a little lead time on those just to sort out and it was like, “Let’s get this welcome graphic.” I was leaving at 5:15 p.m. and (Avs vice president of media relations) Brendan McNicholas started calling me and I was like, “Oh no. This cannot be good.” I just answered it and he was like, “Where are you?” and I said, “Going back up to my desk.” He was like, “OK, we have a huge trade to announce” and the second he told me it was a huge trade, I just knew it was Tyson Barrie. It was just like, “Oh gosh what do we do?” But it was really easy because the fan sentiment was so universally, “We’ll miss Tyson.” We had to start with being like, “Here’s who we are getting, here’s who Kadri is and getting people on board with Kadri.” The next day was Tuesday and it was the last Tyson Tuesday and we did a lot of posts about him. I think it was right. I really don’t think it was too much. I felt like it put it to rest very nicely for fans the following day. That night was chaos. It was terrible reading how sad and how upset people were. That was a little brutal to be like, “Sorry, your favorite player is gone.” But Tuesday was nice. I thought the video (Avs social video coordinator Joey Post) posted was pretty perfect. I am 1163272 Toronto Maple Leafs Converting possession into higher-quality chances At the start of the road trip, before Babcock was let go, one of the key

storylines was where all of the Leafs’ quality scoring chances had gone. Mirtle: Identifying the key early changes Sheldon Keefe is trying to bring More and more, their shots were taken from the point, for example, to the Maple Leafs dropping their expected-goals share to just 44 percent over the previous 10 games.

By James Mirtle Thanks to The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn, we’re able to see just how huge a departure that was from the Leafs’ previous way of operating. Nov 23, 2019 What that indicates is that, in the previous two years, the Leafs were one of the three teams least likely to get shots on goal from its defence at even strength. DENVER — Four periods into Sheldon Keefe’s tenure behind the bench, the Maple Leafs certainly looked like a changed team. This season, the Leafs have shot up to fourth.

A dominant, offensively gifted one that was making things look easy in Some of that is personnel. When a team subtracts players like Ron ringing up a 7-2 aggregate score against two pretty good Western Hainsey, Nikita Zaitsev and Igor Ozhiganov who don’t shoot a lot, and Conference clubs in Arizona and Colorado after 80 minutes of hockey. replace them with puck chuckers like Tyson Barrie, Jake Muzzin and Justin Holl, they’re going to climb the list. Things unraveled a bit for Keefe’s Leafs in the second half against the Avalanche, but they held on and persevered to keep their new coach’s In two games under Keefe, however, the percentage of shots from the D record perfect as they head home for two days of practice Monday and figure dropped down closer to 30 percent. That’s by design. Tuesday. While Keefe wants to see the defence better activated and involved in Getting that teaching time in is vital. Despite how often we heard the the play, the goal of that is to get the puck into the slot more and on the Marlies and Leafs were using similar systems over the past few years, sticks of players like Matthews and Tavares in scoring areas. it’s becoming increasingly clear the system Keefe wants executed in the NHL is a big departure from Mike Babcock’s. The lack of mastery of the Earlier in the road trip, before the coaching change was made, I had a finer details is part of what’s causing some of the chaos in the Leafs’ own long conversation with Tavares about why their chance quality had zone. dipped from previous years. Tavares pointed out that the Leafs’ weakened transition game out of their own end was what was hurting “I think that’s just going through the process of changing things up on the them offensively. fly,” Auston Matthews said. “I think it’ll be good to get a couple of practice days in before we get on the road again and kind of dial some things in.” “Once you start generating that momentum and you have the puck consistently, you’re going to wear teams out more and you’re going to get That said, we only have two road games to go off of, but already we can better opportunities and get to the middle of the ice,” Tavares said. “A lot see the changes having an impact. of it just stems from where we haven’t been as consistent in our 200-foot game. What follows is a closer look at five of the bigger adjustments the new coach is working on with the Leafs. “When we’re not playing as well defensively, you’re using a lot of energy just to get the puck back. You’re defending a lot more than you need to I asked John Tavares after the win in Colorado what the biggest change be. That doesn’t lead to the type of transition and ability to put the Keefe was preaching was. pressure on the opponent going the other way when you do get the puck. He explained it was in how they “value” their opportunities with the puck … I think everything kind of works in sync and together. We’re working to more. The Leafs were a strong possession team and a relatively high- get back there.” scoring one under Babcock, but they aim to take that to another level in Under Babcock, the Leafs were generating 27.3 scoring chances and the coming weeks as they adjust to what Keefe wants. 2.19 expected goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five. Don’t expect a lot of dump-ins. Do expect a lot of regroups and back- In two games under Keefe, those numbers are up to 36.6 scoring channeling — including before line changes — as they try to consistently chances and 3.02 expected goals per 60. outnumber the opposition all over the ice. Both of those marks would be the best in the league if they can maintain “We talked about controlling the play,” Tavares said, “and I think a lot of them. They match what we’ve seen with the eye test, too: The Leafs that is just us trying to value when we have it and trying to create odd- simply look far more dangerous in the offensive zone than they have man situations all over the ice and finding the open areas. Understanding most of the year. that doesn’t mean taking a risk and not being smart about it. I think we have to play a smart game, but we also want to be patient and try to Locking it down on D control the play.” “We think we need to protect the middle of the ice a lot better,” Keefe Keefe said players needing to make quick reads will be one of the said before the Colorado game. “And we’re trying to be a little more biggest adaptations. His system will be less prescriptive and more “free” patient with our wingers in maintaining positioning in the inside of the ice. than Babcock’s, but with that comes certain challenges in terms of Not getting them outside the dots too much. That’s going to insulate learning when to take chances and when to hold back. things, prevent any passes from coming through our zone, rather that they have to go up and around. “The toughest thing to grasp (in the new system) is just when to hang on to the puck for a little bit longer than you normally would and when to “So, we’re going to focus on that, but also just closing space when the move it quickly,” Keefe said. “When to utilize speed and just look at puck gets on the bottom (below the goal line). That’s going to be a things on the ice. That’s the difficult part, is that decision-making. greater challenge today because these guys have a lot of people that move very quickly around the zone. So, here in the short term, it might “I think we have players with really good hockey sense, really good skill create a little more time in our end than we would like, but we’re trying to and, in time, they’ll recognize the patterns, recognize the pressures that prioritize the middle and make sure you settle things down there.” are coming at them. Also recognize the time of the game, the time of the period and what’s happening in the shift. All of those types of things I You can see evidence of what this looks like in the video I posted from think we’ll be able to talk them through until they recognize it. Thursday’s morning skate in Arizona. Keefe is instructing his five-man unit to collapse in tighter around the net and move almost like a five-man “One of the nice things that I talked about at the end of the second period box. — obviously, the second wasn’t great for us — but I just thought, this is us as a team, a new system, a new kind of philosophy here, trying to Is it working? figure out how to play with a lead. That’s a challenge for us, and we’re fortunate that we got the win. At the same time, we’ll have lots of good In two games, the Leafs are giving up as many shot opportunities (or clips and lots of good teaching points to get better this week.” more) under Keefe, but fewer of the shot attempts are coming in as chances and high-quality chances. Something to keep an eye on over the coming weeks.

New positions and new linemates

This one is interesting.

In his first morning skate with the club in Arizona, Keefe’s lines were scrambled in ways we’d never seen before. Zach Hyman was moved to right wing, where he’s barely played in Toronto. Alexander Kerfoot was shifted to left wing, after playing centre most of the year.

And Ilya Mikheyev was bumped up with John Tavares, where he’s gotten more minutes.

Asked Saturday morning why he made those three changes, which the coach stuck with for the Colorado game, Keefe said they weren’t really his decisions at all.

“The reality is with me coming in, I didn’t have a lot of opinions in terms of what was the right thing to do,” Keefe said. “I don’t know the players intimately enough to make those calls. I just leaned on the coaching staff that’s here, even management, just to get their opinions on what might be the optimal group. That’s what we went with and it worked very well. So, we’ll have a very similar look today.”

How I read that?

Kyle Dubas (and the other front-office staff) had some things they wanted to see tried that never happened under Babcock.

I expect we’ll see Keefe take a lot more suggestions from them in the weeks and months to come, especially when Mitch Marner and Trevor Moore return to the lineup and they have to cut down to a 20- or 21-man roster.

New special-teams schemes

It’s tough to get a read on this early, but we’ll try.

The Leafs have played just 2:22 on the power play under Keefe and 11:25 on the penalty kill.

Getting Tyson Barrie up on the top unit is obviously the biggest change to the power play, and it paid off with a nice goal early in Saturday’s win. I expect he’ll get a huge boost in minutes on the man advantage and be much more involved in the offence as a result.

It’s not just having Barrie as a shooting/one-timer threat that matters, however; as we saw against Colorado, he can act as a fourth forward by sneaking in from the point.

That’s why the Leafs can probably get away with having two defencemen on their top unit, at least until Marner returns from injury. Barrie can function as more of a hybrid than a strict big shot from the blueline.

The PK, meanwhile, looks fairly similar personnel wise, although Pierre Engvall and Andreas Johnsson are new additions to the second or third grouping of forwards that Keefe is familiar with from the Marlies.

The Leafs’ short-handed results have improved in our small sample in most important metrics.

What’s been interesting through the first few days of Keefe’s tenure is he has talked about a lot of ways he believes the Leafs can improve. It isn’t just about activating the defence or changing up some line combinations or other small tweaks.

They’re going to try many different looks in the weeks to come to try to start winning a lot more regularly than they were under Babcock the previous 12 months. Dubas and the other front office staff will also clearly be part of those shifts.

So far, the early indications are good. And more practice time in Toronto will only help.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163273 Toronto Maple Leafs high-end skill with this sublte-but-sweet saucer pass to Barrie on the power play.

He makes these little passes look so easy. Leafs Report Cards: Tyson Barrie now has two goals in two games under The Mikheyev-Tavares-Hyman line — I’m going to group these three Sheldon Keefe together again because I loved the way they played off each other in the offensive zone. Ilya Mikheyev did an excellent job forcing turnovers by applying pressure on puck carriers, John Tavares was able to make By Ian Tulloch some plays in open space, and Zach Hyman was creating tons of scoring chances. That last part isn’t something we’ve come to expect, but Hyman Nov 23, 2019 has looked dangerous offensively in his last couple of games.

Pierre Engvall (LW, No. 47) — I’m starting to become a huge fan of They hung on for dear life in the dying minutes of this game, but Toronto Engvall’s game. My biggest concern with him in the past was the fact he found a way to get the two points with a 5-3 victory over Colorado. never used his size to his advantage, but with the strides he’s made to improve his skating, his combination of speed and length is so annoying The Leafs dominated the first period, controlling the run of play en route for opposing players to deal with in the neutral zone. Keefe trusted him to a 4-1 lead. The second period wasn’t as pretty, with the team taking down the stretch protecting a one-goal lead and also has him killing two minor penalties, although the Leafs did still manage to outshoot and penalties, which isn’t something you would’ve guessed from Engvall’s outchance the Avalanche at five-on-five. scouting report a few years ago, but he’s found a way to really improve his play without the puck. Good on him! The third period is definitely going to be a learning experience for Sheldon Keefe and company. Even after you adjust for score effects, Jake Muzzin (LD, No. 8) — I didn’t love Muzzin’s play with the puck in Toronto got hemmed in their own zone for the majority of the final 20 this game, but he was Toronto’s only defenceman who played great minutes. They were able to hold on for the victory — in large part thanks without the puck Saturday. He has a knack for breaking up plays in the to their goaltending — but it’s clear the Leafs still have some defensive neutral zone before things have a chance to develop. Even if he misses issues to clean up in their own end. with his first stick check attempt, he’s great at recovering and closing the gap off the rush. He also saved a goal in the third period with a strong Player reports stick check on the left side of the net. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ Auston Matthews (C, No. 34) — He didn’t have the greatest defensive Nick Shore (C, No. 26) — I didn’t think this was a great game for Shore, performance Saturday night, but he was dominant on the cycle. It was but credit where credit is due: He put the puck in the net. clear that he was prioritizing puck possession in this game, looking to make short little passes to keep things moving in the right direction. That pass by Engvall was ridiculous, but you still need your forwards to Offensively, he contributed two points, with the highlight of his night get open near the net and tip those passes home. Shore was able to coming on this ridiculous release. accomplish that on this play, which could have been the difference between Toronto winning and losing this game. Matthews has been fooling goaltenders for years with the way he’s been able to change the angle on his shot before letting it rip, and I don’t see Kasperi Kapanen (RW, No. 24) — This was a pretty quiet game for that changing any time soon. Kapanen, although he did get in behind the Avalanche defence for a beautiful goal. Sheldon Keefe — As I mentioned at the beginning, Keefe still clearly has some big issues to sort out with the Leafs in the defensive zone, but he’s His speed makes him such a threat for two-on-ones and breakaways, made some changes to the team stylistically that have really helped which is why I’ve always argued his shot metrics don’t fully capture just improve their offensive play at five-on-five. The team isn’t dumping and how valuable he is at even strength — or on the penalty kill. changing anymore, with players turning back and maintaining possession before they hop off the ice. Jason Spezza (C, No. 19) — Did you see who made that pass up to Kapanen? None other than Points per 60 leader on the Maple Leafs There are also some little decisions he’s been making that I’m sure his Jason Spezza. players will appreciate, such as Nick Shore playing in Colorado because he used to play for the University of Denver, or Alexander Kerfoot and It’s nice to see Keefe putting Spezza in a position to succeed with the Tyson Barrie taking the first shift of the night against their former team. Leafs, playing to his strengths by pairing him with some skilled forwards Now, the latter obviously backfired — Toronto gave up a goal on the who can take advantage of his passing ability, but also sheltering him in opening shift because of course they did — but based on the comments key situations. For example, he played very little down the stretch in the we’ve heard from former players such as Mark Fraser, it’s clear that most third period when Toronto was protecting a lead — then again, maybe his of Mike Babcock’s players couldn’t stand him. I can understand wanting passing would’ve helped the Leafs maintain possession a bit more than to come in and show support for your players after a miserable month they did down the stretch. and a half of hockey. Justin Holl (RD, No. 3) — There were a lot of pros and cons from Holl in I also loved the strategy of calling a timeout halfway through a power play this game. I loved the way he was jumping up into the play and getting in the third period so PP1 could stay on the ice for the full two minutes. the puck below the goal line, rather than just relying on low percentage That’s a creative bit of coaching to maximize your team’s offensive shots from the point. At the same time, you need to be careful pinching talents. when Nathan MacKinnon is on the ice, which Holl learned the hard way. There were a few times he got caught for odd-man rushes the other way. Tyson Barrie (RD, No. 94) — To everyone who said Barrie’s problems in You still want him being aggressive in the offensive zone — that’s when Toronto were solely on him, I’d like to remind you that he now has two he’s at his most effective — but he’ll need to be a bit smarter with those goals in two games under Keefe — after scoring zero in 23 games under decisions. Babcock. This new style of play has helped get Barrie into more open space, encouraging him to be the special offensive player he can be. We Travis Dermott (LD, No. 23) — I usually have a lot of things to say about saw it at five-on-five the other night, and now we’re getting a glimpse at Dermott, but this seemed like a solid but not spectacular game from him. what it looks like on the power play. He was a bit off in his passing, but he was still able to escape forecheckers in the defensive zone and get the puck going in the right He’s always been a phenomenal offensive talent. It’s nice to see him direction. Later in the game, he made a great play to keep the puck in at being used as such. the blue line, which resulted in two grade-A chances back to back — one for Tavares and one for Mikheyev. Somehow the puck stayed out of the William Nylander (RW, No. 88) — Matthews and Nylander did a fantastic net, but that probably should’ve been an assist. job early in this game of making things happen offensively. Nylander almost scored on a breakaway after making a nifty move to his Andreas Johnsson (LW, No. 18) — I’ve always loved Johnsson’s hustle backhand, was winning puck battles along the boards and showed off his getting into puck battles in the corners and in front of the net, which was on full display in this game. He wasn’t as noticeable with the puck on his stick, although he did make a great play in the third period to avoid a body check and get the puck to Nylander in open space.

Cody Ceci (RD, No. 83) — For 59 minutes, this looked like your typical Cody Ceci game. He got caught puck-watching early in the game for an odd-man rush against, his puck-handling resulted in a few unnecessary turnovers, and he killed a few long shifts in the offensive zone with poor shot selection.

Then he did this.

I’m not sure how much a blocked shot like this is “worth” — it doesn’t require the same amount of talent as scoring a goal — but it helped Toronto secure the win in the dying seconds instead of heading to overtime. That’s worth at least a star in my books, so we’ll bump Ceci up to three stars for good measure.

⭐⭐

Frederik Gauthier (RW, No. 33) — Other than a few solid backchecks in the neutral zone, I barely noticed Gauthier in this game. That’s probably a good thing for a fourth-line centre, but I’m still not the biggest fan of him being a regular in the lineup. Personally, I’d love to see what a Timashov- Engvall-Petan line could do in sheltered minutes.

⭐

Alexander Kerfoot (LW, No. 15) — This was a pretty brutal homecoming for Kerfoot. The Leafs got scored on in his opening shift, he wasn’t very noticeable at even strength and he took another dumb penalty. Discipline has been an issue with him all season, and it doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon. Maybe he’s taking this “Nazem Kadri replacement” thing a bit too seriously.

Morgan Rielly (LD, No. 44) — We need to talk about Morgan Rielly. I’m not sure whether he’s hurt, banged up or just playing with a lack of confidence, but he’s looked pretty terrible all season. He’s making bad decisions with the puck in all three zones, giving up puck possession when he doesn’t have to. Sometimes it’s an unnecessary flip out, other times it’s a dump in, and we’re still seeing weak wristers from the point when he has multiple passing options available to him.

When you throw in his awful penalty killing, this just hasn’t been a great year for Rielly. It’ll be interesting to see whether Keefe can help him turn that around, possibly by adjusting his usage.

Heat map

Here’s a quick look at where each team’s shots were coming from, courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.

This looked a lot better before Toronto turtled in the third period — they were dominating shots and scoring chances after 40 minutes. They’ll need to do a better job protecting leads if they want to make this up- tempo style viable in the playoffs.

Game Score

Game Score is a metric developed by The Athletic‘s Dom Luszczyszyn to quickly measure a player’s performance in a single game.

It’s not perfect, but it can help give us a decent idea of how well players performed in a particular game based on their numbers (although I’d always recommend combining stats with video, since single-game numbers can be wonky).

Trending up or down?

This is a new section we’re going to have, which breaks down the latest trends in my Leafs Report Cards courtesy of Mark Norman. You can play around with the data at his Tableau page if you’re interested.

Tweet of the night

I’m going to test this out to see what people think. I’m of the opinion that it’s a fun way to get more readers involved in the report cards, similar to what Jason Botchford did with The Athletties.

This one legitimately made me laugh out loud.

Final grade: B-

The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163274 Toronto Maple Leafs Keefe’s tenure is only two games old, yet Barrie has succeeded. He was moved to the first-team power-play unit and had a goal in a 3-1 win Thursday against the Arizona Coyotes to snap a six-game Toronto losing streak before adding the two points Saturday. Tyson Barrie got a hero’s welcome home from the Avs … and 2 points in the Leafs’ win Here’s how Barrie compiled them:

• It was a 1-1 tie when Barrie held possession at the right point before sliding the puck to superstar center Auston Matthews in the high slot. By Ryan S. Clark Matthews had the time and space to unleash a wrist shot that beat Avalanche goaltender Philipp Grubauer with 9:04 remaining in the first Nov 23, 2019 period.

• Toronto was on the power play when Matthews carried the puck into the DENVER — Enough was in place to suggest Tyson Barrie might not zone before sending it to John Tavares only to recover possession in the have found the best way to say “thank you” to his old team for making corner. Matthews then found William Nylander and began skating toward him a tribute video while also receiving a standing ovation from the net. thousands of fans, all in his honour. All four of Colorado’s skaters concentrated on Nylander while Barrie Or maybe an argument could be made that how Barrie performed was skated to the low slot. Nylander held on until the last second, then fitting after all. delivered a pass to Barrie for a one-timer and a 3-1 lead with 6:38 left in the opening frame. Barrie did Saturday what he has done throughout his nine-year career: He created for others. He created for himself. Above all, he created “I’m on that side as a one-timer just trying to be a threat,” Barrie said of problems for his opponent. Yet what was so different about his 509th the goal. “It was a great pass by Willie and felt really good to get that one NHL game was it came against the team he played for on 484 occasions. here. Not that there’s any ill will with this team. But just coming home in front of all the familiar faces, it’s nice to get one.” The Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman, traded by the Avs in the offseason, went from having five points in his first 21 games to suddenly Barrie scoring a power-play goal was something Avalanche fans have being on a four-game point streak, one that continued in a 5-3 victory seen before. In fact, they watched him do it 12 times at Pepsi Center and Saturday against the Avalanche at Pepsi Center. Barrie finished with two 19 times altogether while he wore the No. 4 in a burgundy-and-blue points — a goal and an assist — for his first multipoint game in a Leafs sweater. Those goals and assists coupled with his community work made sweater. him a fan favorite in Denver.

When was the last time Barrie had a multiple-point performance in the One fan, Taylor Worlton, actually created a custom book she planned to regular season? It was April 2, 2019, at — you guessed it — Pepsi present to Barrie after the game as a way of showing thanks for all he Center, when his two points helped the Avalanche get closer to clinching had done in his time with the Avalanche. the final Western Conference wild-card berth with a 6-2 win over the Barrie’s former teammates all spoke fondly about the impact he had on Edmonton Oilers. their lives. He was a mentor to younger players such as J.T. Compher, And for those scoring at home, Barrie’s last goal at Pepsi Center was Samuel Girard and Tyson Jost. He welcomed new players, including April 4, when he scored the first of three unanswered against the Mark Barberio and Ian Cole, in a way that made them feel instantly Winnipeg Jets, which helped the Avalanche secure that final wild-card comfortable. spot. And Barrie remains MacKinnon’s best friend. “That’s amazing,” Barrie said of the reception and video tribute he Scoring 75 goals while creating 232 more for 307 points is how Barrie received from his old club. “You know, I wasn’t sure how I was going to became the Avalanche’s all-time leader in goals, assists and points feel coming back here and whatnot, but it’s been an amazing place to call among defensemen. home the last eight years, and that really topped it off. It’ll always be special to me, and these fans are great. It’s a great hockey club over Most of his tribute video was filled with those offensive exploits. In a way, there, so it’s going to be fun to watch these guys for a lot of years.” it was a fitting prelude to what he showed on the ice Saturday.

Colorado drafted Barrie in 2009 as part of a seven-player class. Barrie, Yet to see him do it in a Maple Leafs sweater while wearing No. 94 and Matt Duchene and Ryan O’Reilly were members of a group expected to benefitting the opposing team — that was definitely different. lift the Avalanche out of the basement and return them to NHL prominence. O’Reilly was traded after six seasons, and Duchene moved Barrie was asked about the bizarre nature of the day. He’d never been a on after nine years. visitor to Pepsi Center.

Barrie was the last member of that class to remain with the Avalanche. “Well, I definitely know where to go in the arena,” he said with a laugh. He became a foundational player in the team’s rebuild under general “It’s been a crazy, crazy day. Yesterday was a lot of fun. I got to catch up manager Joe Sakic. Barrie grew with what was perennially one of the with a lot of guys and have some friends waiting for me after here. It’s youngest rosters in the NHL, headlined by such promising talents as been a great day and kind of everything I could hope for.” Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. Perhaps the most important question Barrie was asked in his short media He played a significant role as the Avalanche went from possessing the session related to what he has done over the past two games under worst record in the salary-cap era in the 2016-17 campaign to helping Keefe’s direction of the team. them reach the postseason in back-to-back seasons for the first time in It is a valid query. The Leafs marched to a 4-1 lead at the end of the first. more than a decade. That prompted Avalanche coach Jared Bednar to pull Grubauer for the Those playoff games against the Calgary Flames and San Jose Sharks first time this season in favor of backup Pavel Francouz. The Leafs, aside last season ended up being Barrie’s last in an Avalanche sweater. from a Zach Hyman empty-net goal, were limited the rest of the game.

The rise of rookie defenseman Cale Makar, coupled with Sakic’s They were held to three shots in the second period and 10 in the third. contention that it would have been financially unfeasible to re-sign Barrie The Avalanche, meanwhile, had 13 shots in the second and 16 in the after the last year of his contract, prompted rumors about Barrie’s Denver third. future. He and center Alexander Kerfoot were traded to the Maple Leafs “Just confidence,” Barrie said. “Just the way that we’re playing with the in exchange for center Nazem Kadri and defenseman Calle Rosen on puck. I think tonight we got up early and had a lead and figured out how July 1. to play with that swagger when we’re up, and we’re trying to lock it down Several months have passed since the trade. Kadri has flourished as the a little bit. That’s going to be a challenge for us, but we’re an excited second-line center the Avalanche have needed for several seasons, group and we’re going now.” while Barrie struggled out of the gate under coach Mike Babcock. Leafs management decided earlier in the week to make a change and fired Babcock, replacing him with Sheldon Keefe. The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163275 Toronto Maple Leafs Q: At the time, did you spend much time thinking about why they moved you?

Kadri: “Yeah, a little bit. Obviously with the (playoff) suspensions it was Nazem Kadri talks life after the Leafs: ‘At first, I was a little bit bitter’ obviously maybe an option. But it was indicated to me that they weren’t trying to shop me around. So I was expecting to suit up as a Leaf this year. But I understand the business. I understand how things change. An offer gets thrown at you and maybe it’s tough not to accept one or two of By James Mirtle ‘em. So, ah, no hard feelings.” Nov 23, 2019 Q: Do you think about how far the Leafs could have gone if you hadn’t been suspended?

DENVER – Nazem Kadri was preparing to play his first-ever NHL game Kadri: “Yeah, I mean… Mark (Masters), I don’t know how many times against the Maple Leafs on Saturday, after nearly 600 games in the you’re going to ask that question. But of course, of course. I try to see it league. as a compliment. Because if I had have played, people might have expected us to move on. So, that’s a compliment for me, being a player With that came a lot of mixed feelings. to have that big an impact to maybe potentially move on in a series, especially against a team like Boston. Obviously I’m regretful for how it Kadri met with the Toronto media here at Pepsi Center before the game. went down. In my opinion, I was playing some of my best hockey in that He was his usual talkative self and even got a little emotional when series. So it was tough how it ended. But that’s how it goes.” asked about everything he misses in Toronto and if he has any regrets about the way his tenure with the Leafs ended. Q: What do you miss most about Toronto?

Here were his thoughts prior to puck drop. Kadri: “I miss the fans, I miss the city, I miss the guys over there. I was able to catch up last night and go out for some dinner, and hear about all Kadri: “Going to be a bit of a weird one, but that’s just part of the game. the stories. I miss those guys over there. They’re very easy to get along I’ve obviously been looking forward to it and matching up a few of my with. friends for the first time. So should be interesting.” “Obviously I’ve watched those younger kids grow in their first few years in Q: What do you take the most out of all the years in Toronto, being a high the league. Mo (Rielly) obviously being there from day one. Definitely a draft pick and everything? few guys that are going to be missed. But like I said, those types of Kadri: “I mean we’ll be here forever if I get going on that. I mean I came friendships kind of last forever.” in as an 18-year-old kid, left at 28. Those are pretty significant years of Q: How are you feeling about drilling them tonight? your life, under the microscope, so I am very appreciative of everything the city has given me, just that opportunity.” Kadri: “I told them I was coming after every single one of them. So I don’t think they’d be surprised at all. Obviously I’m kind of stuck between a Q: What’s been the biggest adjustment for you in a new city? rock and a hard place, going after a few of my buddies. But I’m all about Kadri: “Just getting to know everybody. Obviously being in the same winning. If that’s what it takes, that’s what it takes.” place for so long, which I was fortunate to do, guys coming to your team, it’s a little bit different, they have to get to know you as the new guy, it’s kind of the opposite. Just trying to get to know my teammates, the staff, The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2019 try to sit down and learn everybody’s names, that sort of thing. As of so far, it has been going great.”

Q: Babcock had a big influence in your career obviously. What did you think when he got let go this week?

Kadri: “Obviously tough to see. I think any team that is struggling, obviously looking for a spark and a change. And I think that’s what the team was looking for. I personally think Babs is a great coach. He’s helped that team over there get to the next step. They felt like it was a time for a spark.”

Q: Any regrets about the way your time in Toronto ended?

Kadri: “Yeah, a little bit. It’s tough to beat yourself up over that. It’s an emotional thing. Obviously I would have enjoyed another opportunity at redemption, but that being said, I gave it everything I had every single night for a lot of years so I’m sure the organization and the fans would be proud of that.”

Q: Unique situation you have with Tyson Barrie (and switching homes). How’s that working out for you here (living in his house)?

Kadri: “It has been great. He is a great guy. Very easy to get to know and to get along with, so I’m sure the guys over there are loving him and a bit of unique situation, but for both us, it couldn’t have worked out any better.”

Q: Who’s got the better condo?

Kadri: “He has a house, I got a condo, but it’s definitely two different lifestyles living in the heart of the city as opposed to the suburbs. But I can get used to either one.”

Q: Were you disappointed in the way Kyle broke the news to you of the trade during the summer?

“Yeah a little bit. When it happened at first I was a little bit bitter towards it. But now as time goes on, time heals all. So I got over that pretty quick. It was unfortunate. Obviously it was a phone call that I’ll never forget.

“But that being said, ending up in Denver was a blessing in disguise.” 1163276 Toronto Maple Leafs “I hate to say I’m used to it but I know the symptoms when they come and I know how to deal with them a little bit better,” Brooks said. “Hopefully I don’t have to deal with them anymore and my luck changes. It’s tough.” Sheldon Keefe shaped Adam Brooks. Now the Marlies forward wants to follow him to the Leafs For Brooks, the first week at home was the hardest.

“One of the big things that you have to do, especially immediately, is rest,” he said. “They want to get you on the bike as soon as possible so By Scott Wheeler that you’re doing something and you get moving but not push you to a point where you’re not comfortable because then you’re taking steps Nov 23, 2019 backwards. It’s tough when you’re sitting there resting and no one’s around and you’re doing everything by yourself. It’s hard.”

The day before Sheldon Keefe was named head coach of the Toronto When the Marlies left for one of their longest road trips of the year, the Maple Leafs, he called Adam Brooks into his office to tell him he was sense of isolation was compounded. Brooks said he felt great coming proud of the way he was playing. into camp. For the first time, he’d spent the full summer in Toronto training with Leafs staff. He was stronger, having bulked up on his 5-foot- It was the second time in a little over a month that a similar conversation 10 frame. had occurred. Their initial talk was the morning of a Marlies practice, moments before Brooks suffered a concussion in an awkward collision “It’s frustrating,” he said. “Especially early in the season when you come during a high-intensity drill. into camp and you feel like you’ve done a lot of work in the offseason to get yourself into a good position to succeed and then you don’t play eight On both occasions, Keefe wanted Brooks to know he liked what he saw. of the first 12 games.” Following the first four games of the season, Keefe went over video with Brooks. The coach highlighted all the things he was happy seeing from When he was ready to return, he worried about whether he’d return to the young centre — his skating chief among them. the same role. He felt good. He’d spent a month rehabbing with a small group of injured Marlies that included Mason Marchment and Darren They met again on Tuesday after Brooks returned for back-to-back Archibald. His fitness was where it needed to be, but the Marlies had one games against the Texas Stars. The message was the same. Keefe of the best records in the league (8-2-3), so he wondered if the coaching didn’t want his top centre, who lost a month (eight games) to the injury, to staff would disturb the successful status quo. doubt himself or his role. Keefe was ready to prop him up. Keefe put Brooks immediately back “I think his game was really coming on and then he gets hurt in practice onto the team’s first line with wingers Kenny Agostino and Jeremy and we don’t see him for a few weeks,” Keefe said on Tuesday, his last Bracco. And Brooks picked up where he left off with an assist alongside day as Marlies coach. “The injury was disappointing for him and for us four shots in an 8-4 win over the Stars. because you felt like he was ready to take a big step.” “The way that he skated really drove the play for that line I thought and Those interactions meant a lot to Brooks, because injuries have really had them come alive, not unlike when Nic Petan came back down hampered him at every turn of his pro career. But every step of the way, here and played with those two wingers,” Keefe said. “I thought (Brooks) Keefe has been a believer in his talent. Now that Keefe has made the did that for us. It was a very encouraging sign to see him just skating with jump to the NHL, Brooks hopes to be right behind him. so much confidence.”

Brooks believes Keefe’s communication skills are what will make him an That confidence returned from the coach meant a lot to Brooks. excellent NHL coach. “To come back and to have Sheldon’s trust to jump back on a line with “He’s very straight up with you in telling you what he wants. Sheldon likes Kenny and Jeremy, who are two of the best offensive guys on our team, to play fast and I think with the skill that they have up there they’re going it’s really nice,” he said. “I feel comfortable with those guys. I like playing to do great with him as a coach. I’m sure he’s going to do great,” Brooks with them.” said. According to his linemates, Brooks fit right in. Agostino, who dealt with a It was Brooks’ third concussion in three and a half years. He suffered his concussion of his own to start his first season with the Marlies, was first at the end of his junior career, which caused him to miss the Western surprised at how quickly Brooks was in step. Hockey League final when he captained the Regina Pats. The latest injury hit the 23-year-old hard because he had been playing the best “It’s something we talked about. When he started going through (the hockey of his career. concussion), I was just getting out of it.” Agostino said, noting he felt rusty in his own return. The concussion came after he’d posted four points in four games — which included his first goal of the season in a 4-3 win over Hershey on “It’s pretty unbelievable how quickly he has found his footing again after Oct. 16. It followed a 2018-2019 season where he finished the year with being out for a significant amount of time. We’re lucky to have him back.” 20 points in 24 games while often playing close to 30 minutes a night. It Bracco has been with Brooks since they were both selected in the 2016 followed a run to the AHL’s Eastern Conference Final where Brooks led draft. He has seen Brooks’ growth firsthand in both his play and his the Marlies in goals with six in 13 games. Had he played a full season confidence. last year, his 2.41 shots per game (147 in 61) would have bested Pierre Engvall’s 2.24 shots per game pace for the Marlies lead in shots on goal. “He’s a great person and a great player,” Bracco said. “You can build a friendship and you want to play for or with a guy like that. On the ice, his For once, Brooks was hoping his season would begin healthy. But for the game speaks for itself. He can score, he works hard, and he plays in all third straight year, he wasn’t so lucky. As a rookie, he contracted areas. He can pretty much do it all. He’s a jack of all trades.” mononucleosis in the summer and he was forced to miss training camp. By the time the season started, he had lost so much weight that he need Brooks has always proven to be the kind of player who makes those to play catch-up all year. As a sophomore, it was the shock of an early- around him better. That was true when, on his wing, Marchment, Bracco season heart scare. And now this. and Trevor Moore all had career years. Moore is now in the NHL. If not for injuries, Marchment might be too. And Bracco led the league in It’s been difficult sitting on the sidelines while others climb the ranks and assists last year. establish themselves early in the season. His speed is such a threat, which I think opens up a lot of the offensive “It’s definitely a tough interview to start the year with every year. It’s plays that we can create,” Agostino said. “Whenever you’ve got a centre never easy when you get hurt,” he said, shaking his head. “It was a freak down the middle that can skate like he can, it just seems to open up the accident. It was unlucky.” ice a little more for everyone else. For being a smaller player, he plays The layoff was tough on Brooks. After the injury, the feelings he was all bigger. I know he’s been around for a bit but he plays like a seasoned too familiar with started immediately: Nausea, dizzy spells and the vet.” unending headaches. Keefe attributes Brooks’ three-year growth to the development of his confidence. The talent was always there. You don’t lead the CHL in scoring without it. And while he was still coaching the Marlies, Keefe was excited about Brooks’ future.

“He has gone from just trying to survive and feel his way out to really looking to make a difference. He did that last season and now he’s I believe looking to try to show that he can push for an opportunity to play in the NHL,” Keefe said. “That’s what you like to see from a player in his third year.”

Brooks is in the final year of his entry-level contract. He turns 24 in May. This summer, he’ll become a restricted free agent for the first time. The next time he’s in an training camp, the stars will have to align because he won’t be waiver exempt.

After feeling good in three of his four games in Leafs camp this year (he called the game against the Sabres one of the worst he’s played), he knows this season may be his final chance to prove he’s the NHL player Keefe believes he can be.

“I obviously know it’s that year for me but I’m a guy who tends to look at things and overthink them. The less I do that, the better off I’m going to be,” he said. “I know I can get there now.”

On Wednesday night, hours after news of Mike Babcock’s firing broke, Brooks played his first game of pro hockey without Keefe behind the bench.

The Marlies won 2-1, improving to a perfect 7-0 with Brooks in the lineup this season.

When it was over, Brooks spoke about the huge impact Keefe had on his development — particularly in that tough rookie year.

Brooks, after moving from playing 30 minutes and always thinking offence in junior, was pushed onto the fourth line, where the transition was tougher than he expected it would be.

But at the end of that year, during the Marlies’ run to a Calder Cup, it was Keefe who taught him and linemates Moore and Marchment how to be the team’s energy guys. Brooks credited Keefe for teaching him the defensive side of the game.

“He was there the whole way,” Brooks said. “He’s a great coach, he tells you exactly what he wants from you, and when he sees that your game’s not going the way that he wants it to, he straightens it out and shows you the things that you’re doing wrong. I can’t thank him enough for everything he has done. It shows the kind of coach that Sheldon Keefe is.”

If Brooks makes the jump to the NHL, having a coach who knows his game and believes in him will help. Someday, Brooks hopes to play for Keefe again.

“I know what he’s all about as a person and I love him,” he said. “It’s exciting to see him get a chance. Guys are excited for him and if I get the chance I’ll be excited to play for him again.”

The Athletic LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163277 Vegas Golden Knights And it’s not just a generational preference. Coach Gerard Gallant played 11 seasons for Detroit and Tampa Bay from 1984 to 1995 when teams wore home whites but likes seeing the dark jerseys at home.

Road white uniforms suit Golden Knights just fine “When I look back, I like the Red Wings’ red one, I like the Blackhawks’ dark jersey,” Gallant said. “I like it the way it is now, to be honest.

“I like our darker uniforms a little better. For me. But they’re both nice. If By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal they rotated them once in a while it wouldn’t bother me.”

November 24, 2019 - 3:47 PM

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.25.2019 Alex Tuch is barely old enough to recall when NHL teams wore their white uniforms at home, while 32-year-old Ryan Reaves has vivid memories of the era.

Despite their nine-year age gap, the Golden Knights forwards share similar feelings about when teams should wear white.

”Home is dark. Away is white,” Tuch said. “There’s a couple games they might throw in when you’re wearing the white at home and stuff like that. That’s fine. But I like the dark at home. I do. It’s your more prominent colors, I feel like, throughout the entire league.”

The Knights saw two of the league’s Original Six white jerseys — Chicago and Toronto — on their recently completed homestand, and will take the ice Monday at Dallas wearing their road whites.

But it wasn’t always like that for the NHL.

In 1951, the league mandated that teams wear “basic white uniforms” at home and “basic colored uniforms” on the road to help provide a contrast for black-and-white television viewers. That policy was reversed in 1954 and again in 1970, when the tradition of wearing home whites was established.

But with the influx of alternative third jerseys that often featured dark colors, the NHL changed course in 2003 and required visiting teams to wear white.

“It took a couple years to get used to, for sure,” Reaves said. “It was weird seeing it the first year.”

One drawback to the change is fans inside the arena see the same uniform combination (home wearing dark, visiting team in white) rather than an array of colors over the course of the season.

For example, the Blackhawks’ beloved red jersey and the Maple Leafs’ classic all-blue setup did not appear last week at T-Mobile Arena. Neither did the Montreal Canadiens’ famous “bleu-blanc-rouge” uniform featuring red jerseys and socks with blue pants and helmets.

“Those are historic jerseys. Like, Chicago. Been around forever. The Rangers,” Knights right wing Mark Stone said. “Those jerseys, when I was a kid, were always the coolest. But I always think the darker ones usually look sharper.

“Most teams in this league, the sharper of the two are the darks. I think your fans deserve to see the nicer ones. We’ve got two awesome jerseys. The way it works with our gloves and our helmets, it looks pretty sharp regardless.”

The NFL and NBA allow the home team to choose whether it will wear white or dark jerseys and the road team is required to wearing a contrasting color. Major League Baseball teams traditionally wear white jerseys at home.

In the American Hockey League, teams primarily wear home whites. It’s the same for major-junior teams that are part of the Canadian Hockey League, along with NCAA hockey.

Defenseman Nate Schmidt played three seasons at Minnesota and preferred the Golden Gophers’ maroon road uniform.

“I like color, so I usually like (NHL) home jerseys,” Schmidt said. “But the classy whites at home? Honestly, again I like our white jerseys a lot. I love the white gloves.”

The Knights’ road look with white gloves quickly became a favorite across the league, though the majority of the players asked said they prefer the steel gray home jerseys. 1163278 Vegas Golden Knights McDavid and Draisaitl teamed up for the final Oilers’ goal on a power play at 2:11 of the third period.

Fleury made the initial save on Draisaitl’s drive but was out of position Golden Knights give too much space to Oilers’ talented duo — after he unsuccessfully tried to cover the rebound. Draisaitl scooped up ANALYSIS the puck and found McDavid in the slot for a one-timer before Fleury could fully recover.

“I don’t know what their secret is,” defenseman Nick Holden said. “We By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal didn’t play them the way we should have and they capitalized on the opportunities they had. November 24, 2019 - 8:07 am “We didn’t play our game consistently enough. We didn’t play fast

enough and gave them a little too much space.” was at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday to watch Edmonton’s dynamic scoring duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl take on the Golden Knights. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.25.2019 The NHL’s all-time leading scorer had to come away impressed.

McDavid and Draisaitl worked over the Knights defense at even strength and with the man advantage, combining for five points in the Oilers’ 4-2 victory.

“You give them time and space in the offensive zone, you back off them and let them make their passes, they’re going to make them. They’re great players. They’re going to make them,” Knights coach Gerard Gallant said. “You take their time and space away and play them tight. So, instead of defending all the time, you have to play them aggressively and finish some checks on them.

“You’ve got to play them harder than we did. We played them real soft. You’re not going to beat that team doing that. I’m not saying take penalties on them. I’m saying play them harder.”

McDavid finished with two goals, both of which were set up by Draisaitl, and has 23 points (12 goals, 11 assists) during his current 10-game points streak.

By comparison, William Karlsson leads the Knights with 23 points in 25 games.

In nine career games against the Knights, McDavid has 15 points, the most by any player against the league’s newest team.

Draisaitl notched three assists and leads the NHL with 47 points (16 goals, 31 assists), one more than McDavid.

Both are on pace to surpass 150 points, which has only been accomplished by five players in history — Gretzky, , Steve Yzerman, Phil Esposito and Bernie Nicholls.

“Obviously, we’ve had a good start,” McDavid said. “We’re trying to build something here. It takes a lot of work. A lot of focus. I’ve liked our start. We’ve continued to build on that and we need to continue to build.”

The Knights matched defensemen Nate Schmidt and Brayden McNabb against the Draisaitl-McDavid-Zack Kassian line as often as possible during 5-on-5 play, and McNabb was on the ice for Edmonton’s first two goals.

On the opener, rookie defenseman Nic Hague did well to stay with Draisaitl and swept the puck into the corner, where it ended up with McNabb. But McNabb was unable to clear and got knocked to the ice by Kassian, allowing Draisaitl to gain possession.

McDavid got a step on Reilly Smith, took a quick pass from Draisaitl, skated through the slot and tucked a forehand past Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury’s outstretched right skate 5:17 into the first period.

“They’ve got some pretty fast players that can really make you pay, one in particular,” Knights forward Cody Eakin said. “They were able to do their thing tonight.”

Draisaitl took advantage of the Knights’ poor defensive zone coverage to help put Edmonton on top 2-0 with four minutes remaining in the first.

After winning a puck battle with the Knights’ Mark Stone behind the net, Draisaitl used a screen from McDavid to create space along the left wing. He spotted defenseman Ethan Bear uncovered at the right point and snapped a backhand pass through the slot.

Bear beat Fleury with a low wrist shot before Schmidt could arrive in time to close down the lane. 1163279 Washington Capitals

Report: Nicklas Backstrom has begun contract talks 'without an agent'

By J.J. Regan

November 24, 2019 9:37 AM

Nicklas Backstrom is on the final year of his contract with the Capitals and has reportedly begun talks with the team himself. According to a report by Elliotte Friedman on Hockey Night in Canada Saturday, Backstrom has "begun talks with the Capitals without an agent."

Backstrom's current deal was negotiated by agent Marc Levine. There has been no indication that Backstrom has left Levine or the Sports Management Group, Inc. agency. Levine has not yet been reached for comment.

This would not be an unprecedented move within the Capitals organization, however, as Alex Ovechkin negotiated his current contract with the team without an agent, using his mother instead as his main negotiator.

Friedman noted that Backstrom's willingness to begin these talks without an agent was a positive sign for the possibility of reaching an agreement on an extension.

"I would think that would probably be a good sign for the player and the team that they feel they can get something done together," Friedman said.

Backstrom and Braden Holtby are the team's two big-name players on the final year of their contracts. General manager Brian MacLellan noted in September that he intended to stay in contact with both players throughout the season.

"We're going to communicate with both players," he said. "Both guys have been a big part of our organization, big part of our success. We'd love to keep both. We're going to play it out until the end here."

For his part, Backstrom has been open about his desire to remain with the team.

"I've played here my whole career, so I would like to stay here," he said at the end of last season. "I love it here."

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163280 Winnipeg Jets "When you walk into the rink wearing the Hockey Fights Cancer ties, you’re thinking about somebody in your life, so they’re important nights during the season."

NHLers raise money to fight cancer – 'a pervasive part of our life,' Jets coach says Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 11.25.2019

By: Jason Bell

Posted: 11/24/2019 3:00 AM

Nikolaj Ehlers can usually ignore the outside forces and focus on the game, but that was no easy task Saturday night. Not when the theme of the evening — Hockey Fights Cancer — hits so close to home.

The Winnipeg Jets winger lost his grandfather to cancer a few weeks ago, and another grandpa has been waging a nearly four-year battle.

"It’s personal for me right now, and it has been for many years. I’ve lost some people," said Ehlers, in a chat after the morning game-day skate. "I know how it’s made me, my family and the person it hits feel. It’s been in my family for over 10 years and it’s not fun. And many, many families are going through it.

"It definitely hits home. A lot of people close to my heart have gone through it and are still going through it."

November is Hockey Fights Cancer Month across the NHL, and each of the 31 clubs are hosting a special evening to honour the countless individuals who are no longer with us and support people living with, going through and moving past cancer.

The Winnipeg organization did its part on a night when the Columbus Blue Jackets were visiting. Players and coaches wore special ties as part of the fancy duds they arrive to the rink in, and the Jets donned lavender- coloured jerseys during the pre-game skate at Bell MTS Place, to be auctioned off to raise funds for cancer research, programs and awareness initiatives.

In the Winnipeg locker room this weekend, the name of a friend or family member is inscribed on each player’s nameplate above his stall. Ehlers has Bedstefar, the Danish word for grandfather, on his.

"The one who is still with us has been suffering from cancer for a years now. He’ll never be cancer free, they say, but he’s doing well and has a pretty normal life," said Ehlers. "He stays up (in Denmark) and watches my games at 2 or 3 in the morning. So, it means a lot to me."

Jets players, coaches and other staff members have been wearing T- shirts and pullovers with a navy blue crest reads, ‘Pritch Strong.’ It’s a show of support for the team’s massage therapist, Al Pritchard, who has undergone recent treatment for second bout with cancer.

Winnipeg associate coach Jamie Kompon’s wife, Tina, has also endured a long battle with breast cancer.

"(The team’s been affected) in all different ways in our room. It’s part of how we move. When you go through the nights in November where you’re a part of Hockey Fights Cancer, I think it’s critically important because you end up taking stock — one of my wife’s best friends last summer — and you start to do a list and go, ‘Oh my God, this list is long.’ And everybody has one," said Jets head coach Paul Maurice.

"It is such a pervasive part of our life, and the loss of life, and I think that reminder — yes the funds, for sure, for cancer research — but the reminder how painful the cost of this disease is."

The Jets were the visitors during two Hockey Fights Cancer nights — Tampa Bay and Dallas — on their recent road trip. Blue-liner Josh Morrissey said it’s always emotional when cancer patients and survivors, and the memories of those who lost the fight, are celebrated.

"It’s a great initiative by the league and by teams. Everyone has been affected by cancer in their lives, and to see the people that are able to come to the game and hear some of the stories but also raise awareness. What everyone’s after is to find better ways to treat the disease and maybe find a cure one day. That’s what everybody’s after," said Morrissey. 1163281 Vancouver Canucks

Ben Kuzma: Edler escapes severe injury, will take game-day skate Monday

BEN KUZMA

November 24, 2019 3:38 PM PST

PHILADELPHIA — Alex Edler leads his club in playing time and leads the league in minor penalties.

The veteran Vancouver Canucks defenceman, who left the first period of Saturday’s 2-1 shootout win in Washington with an upper-body injury, was averaging 23:54 minutes per outing and had an NHL-high 17 minor penalties.

More importantly, Edler had treatment Sunday and will take the game- day skate Monday to determine if he’s healthy enough to face the Flyers here. The Canucks didn’t release the exact injury and haven’t recalled a defenceman from the Utica Comets in New York.

They will have to shuffle their top two pairings if Edler doesn’t get medical clearance for the fourth stop of a six-game road trip. Left-shot blueliner Oscar Fantenberg would figure to draw in and make his regular-season debut if Edler can’t go.

It could also mean Chris Tanev playing the left side with Tyler Myers and Quinn Hughes switching to the right side, which he has played, in a possible pairing with Fantenberg.

As for the Edler injury, it first looked like the 236-pound Alex Ovechkin had wreaked some havoc with a heavy-but-clean end boards check to inflict some pain, perhaps a stinger or something even worse.

Then there was footage of Edler in a collision with Travis Boyd. The centre’s skate rode up and Edler appeared to have suffered a cut to the upper body.

Edler lasted just five shifts and 3:32 and not only were the Canucks reduced to five defencemen, they also needed some extra efforts to keep a game close before prevailing 2-1 in a shootout.

Early in the second period, Myers raced back just in time to sweep a trickling puck off the goal-line as a Jakub Vrana wrist shot got between the body and arm of goalie Jacob Markstrom and was slowly heading for back of the net. Without Edler, the five reaming blueliners had to play additional minutes and did an admirable job.

Canucks assistant coach Nolan Baumgartner excelled in deploying his defencemen as Tanev finished with 25:41 of ice time followed by Myers (25:21), Hughes (25:13), Jamie Benn (22:37) and Troy Stecher (17:26).

“He’s running the defence,” said Canucks coach Travis Green. “I don’t tell him who to put out. He makes his own decisions and we talked about the matches and he did a great job managing the bench and the back side. It was one of our best defensive games, maybe the best of the year.”

As for Edler, Green is more buoyed by how hard he plays as opposed to the minor penalties. He took a slashing penalty in the opening period Thursday in Nashville to increase his total to 16 and then made it 17 in the third period when he was whistled for a holding-the-stick infraction.

“He plays aggressive and he’s going to take some minors,” reasoned Green. “I’m not asking him to take penalties.”

Edler also blocked seven shots Thursday.

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163282 Vancouver Canucks We’ve seen the razzle-dazzle from Hoglander, but it’s his persistent play on the puck which has resulted in the 18-year-old getting more ice time as the season progresses.

Canucks prospects tracker: Madden's stock rises, Podkolzin plays hero He skated a season-high 18:53 on Thursday. The game before he was on the ice for 18:45. In Saturday’s loss, he was on the ice for almost 16 minutes.

MIKE RAPTIS Hoglander has five goals, one assist and a minus-three rating in 16 games this season. November 24, 2019 8:21 PM PST Vasily Podkolzin

Someone put a GPS tracker on this kid because he’s been hard to follow Tyler Madden lately. Not bad for a projected checker. From his tour across the great white north to being bounced between Tied for sixth in the NCAA with 56 shots. Tied for fourth in points with 19. leagues in Russia, Podkolzin has been everywhere the last couple And tied for first in goals with 11. weeks.

The sophomore centre has been molten hot of late, blowing through the On Friday night he was called up to the KHL, where he (gasp!) played a glass ceiling set for him on draft day as his offensive game continues to regular shift — and fit right in. The 18-year-old played his usual tenacious evolve. game, wiping out a defenceman on a rush and almost scoring a goal. In all, he logged 11:55 in St. Petersburg’s 5-2 win over Severstaz. Madden, the Canucks’ 2018 third-rounder, netted a hat trick and an assist in a dominant 5-2 win for the No. 13 Northeastern Huskies over the The promotion was short-lived, though. The Canucks’ 2019 first-rounder University of Maine on Friday night. was bounced back to the Supreme Hockey League (VHL) on Saturday, where he played hero for SKA-Neva in a 3-2 overtime win against cross- Just over a minute into the game, the 20-year-old scored off a deke after town rival Dinamo St. Petersburg. a pretty give-and-go with fellow Canucks prospect Aidan McDonough. On the winner, Podkolzin stole the puck from a defenceman, was Just a few minutes later, the combo was back at it with another give-and- stopped on a partial breakaway but then scored on a second chance. go, resulting in a tap-in goal for Madden. He could barely contain himself as his teammates joined the celebration. Knock, Knock! With less than 30 seconds to play in overtime, Vasily Podkolzin, strips, Who's there? goes hard to the net, gets a second chance and buries it.

Then in the second period, Madden got his third off of a wrist shot wired Earlier this week, TSN released its annual Core Four under-24 rankings, past the goalie’s blocker side. and the Canucks were rated the fourth-best squad. Besides Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes and Brock Boeser sits Podkolzin, so despite Drafted for his tenacious checking ability, Madden has blossomed his underwhelming stat line this season, the Russian teen is still seen as offensively with the Huskies. He’s got vision, a strong shot, great stick- a top prospect. handling abilities and a level of swagger rarely seen around hockey rinks. Also notable are the prospects in slots five-through-eight, which includes He may still be slight at 155 pounds, but he’s been a stick of dynamite current Canucks Thatcher Demko and Adam Gaudette, with Madden and this season. goaltender Mike DiPietro rounding off the list. He’s also making others around him better. Case in point: Canucks 2019 Podkolzin has three goals, five assists and a plus-five rating in 13 VHL seventh-rounder McDonough, a freshman with a four-game points streak games this season. He has yet to register a point in spot duty over 12 and three multi-point games this season playing alongside Madden. games in the KHL. After the game, Madden told the media he’s playing confident with the Carson Focht puck on his stick. There’s been no other WHLer who has been more clutch with the game “I’m starting to feel the puck a little better, being able to have more time on his stick this season. and space,” he said. “I’m kinda creating a little more.” Focht scored another game-winning goal for the Calgary Hitmen this past Madden finished Friday’s encounter with four points, seven shots on net week, this time in a 4-3 overtime win at the on and a plus-two rating. Friday night. The next night, the No. 13-ranked Huskies dispatched Maine again, this The goal was a brilliant solo effort, with a defender draped all over him in time 3-2. Madden had an assist, six shots on net and a plus-one rating. the neutral zone. Focht fought him off before getting loose and firing a Madden now has 19 points and a plus-four rating in 14 games played this wrist shot through the goaltender. season. Carson Focht gallops 140 feet to score the overtime winner tonight. He McDonough — or ‘Dunzo’, as Madden calls him — has four goals and had an assist in the game as well. five assists in 11 games played. The 19-year-old 2019 fifth-rounder was named the game’s first star for Nils Hoglander his one goal, one assist and plus-two performance.

He’s heating up and getting more ice time. Focht didn’t register a point in Wednesday’s 4-2 win against the Regina Pats, though he had five shots on goal. In Saturday’s 4-1 win at the Hoglander scored a goal in both of Rogle BK’s games this past week, Moose Jaw Warriors, the Saskatchewan native had an assist and four upping his total to five for this season. shots on goal.

In Thursday’s 4-3 loss to Ferry Town, the Canucks’ 2019 second-rounder With Friday’s overtime winner, Focht has scored four game-winning scored the 2-1 go-ahead goal, stripping the puck from a defender and goals this season, tied for tops in the WHL. Counting last season, Focht wristed a shot into the net on a partial breakaway. He ended the game has 10 game-winners. Makes sense that he’s one of the Hitmen’s with a goal, two shots on net and a plus-one rating. assistant captains alongside fellow Canucks prospect Jett Woo.

Nils Hoglander with the great anticipation, steal, drive and finish. His 4th Focht, a centre, has 12 goals, nine assists and a plus-nine rating in 12 of the SHL season. games played this season.

Then in Saturday’s 5-2 loss to Skelleftea, Hoglander scored again, this Jett Woo time off of a nice feed in front of the net from Carolina Hurricanes prospect Dominik Bokk on the power play. Clear the runway, this Jett looks like he’s about to take off. The breakaway goal came in Wednesday’s win over the Pats, as Woo went upstairs with a backhanded effort. He finished that game with four shots on net.

Jett Woo scores on a breakaway?! Here's his power-play goal from Nov 20th against Regina.

In Friday’s overtime win, Woo and Focht set up the game-tying goal late in the third period before Focht sealed the deal in OT. Woo had four shots on net in that game as well.

Then in Saturday’s win, Woo scored a goal and had an assist against his former Warriors teammates. The two-point effort came in Woo’s 200th WHL game.

Jett Woo is heating up with 5 points in his last 4 games. Here is his 1G 1A performance from last night.

Woo, a 2018 second-round pick, has three goals, ten assists and a plus- five rating in 22 games this season.

Jack Rathbone

Rathbone could run Utica’s power play right now, according to Canucks Assistant Director of Player Development Chris Higgins.

It’s high praise from Higgins, who made the comment on Sportsnet 650’s Reach Deep program on Friday.

Rathbone, a sophomore at No. 10 Harvard, has been a key cog in the team’s explosive 6-0 start. Harvard now boasts the top scoring NCAA offence at 5.4 goals-per-game and the second-best scoring defence, at 1.4 goals-per-game.

The Canucks’ 2017 fourth-rounder didn’t get a point in Friday’s 6-3 win against Rensselaer, though he had three shots on net.

Rathbone, 20, has three goals and four assists in six games this season. He’s also a plus-five overall.

Mike DiPietro

An up-and-down week for the AHL rookie goaltender, who got beat for five goals on Wednesday before rallying with a career-best performance for the Utica Comets.

In Wednesday’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Binghamton Devils, DiPietro saved 31 of 36 shots.

He didn’t start on Friday, a 6-4 loss at the Laval Rocket, but was back in the net on Saturday, a 4-2 win over the same team.

DiPietro saved 41 of 43 shots, marking the most saves he’s made in a professional win. He was also named the game’s third star. The game’s first star went to Nikolay Goldobin, who notched his second hat trick of the season.

41 saves from Michael DiPietro and a hat trick from @NG078 lead the Comets to a 4-2 win over Laval!

The Comets are 11-7-1 and sit in fourth place in the North Division. DiPietro has a 2.26 goals-against-average and a .923 save percentage this season.

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163283 Vancouver Canucks defencemen Barry Beck and Brad Maxwell, who were No. 2 and No. 7 overall picks in the 1977 NHL Draft.

Smyl’s critics questioned his 5-foot-10, 190-pound frame and his skating Canucks at 50: Smyl wondered if Red Wings might call his name on draft ability. day in 1978 Smyl says that he was “a little disappointed at being drafted in the third round after what we accomplished as a team.”

STEVE EWEN “It kept me humble and it made me thing that I always had something to prove,” Smyl countered of his draft spot. “That was my way of looking at November 24, 2019 2:29 PM PST it.”

Smyl, who was the 40th overall pick in that 1978 draft, is seventh all-time in games played (896) among that class. He’s sixth in goals (262) and On the day he was drafted into the NHL, Stan Smyl wondered if he might tied for third in points (673). He’s also tied for fifth in penalty minutes be a Detroit Red Wing. (1,556). All these years later, it sounds preposterous. Smyl is as Vancouver

Canuck as Vancouver Canuck gets. For fans of a certain vintage, his mug is a surefire, automatic for any Canucks’ Mt. Rushmore. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.25.2019 The right winger says that the Canucks gave him no hints of what they might be up to before they picked him in the third round of the 1978 draft, following his 19-year-old season with the New Westminster Bruins and famed coach Ernie (Punch) McLean.

Smyl spoke to then Canucks scout George Wood a few times that season in passing. He never had a formal interview with the club.

The draft was a different animal then. There wasn’t the attention to detail you see today. The money across the board wasn’t the same. The scrutiny wasn’t the same. The phrase “mock draft,” probably hadn’t been uttered yet.

Even with that, it’s still strange to hear Smyl could have played somewhere else.

“I really had no feel ahead of time for what might happen,” said Smyl, 61, who still has a Canucks logo on his pay cheques, working these days as a senior advisor to general manager Jim Benning.

“Punch was doing some things with the Red Wings back then and I thought if everything went a certain way then that might have been it. But I really didn’t have much of an idea of what might happen going in.”

He says he was “so thrilled,” when Vancouver general manager Jake Milford called him to give him the news after the Canucks selected him, and coming to the Canucks certainly had advantages for Smyl.

Every game wasn’t on television in 1978. Highlights didn’t pop up on your phone seconds after the play has happened. Smyl didn’t know what games in Detroit or Buffalo or Philadelphia might look like back then, but he knew exactly what games in Vancouver were like, because McLean routinely would get his players in to the Pacific Coliseum to watch Canuck games, pulling some strings for standing room tickets.

“I felt really comfortable in the rink,” said Smyl, the Glendon, Alta., native. “We’d watched the Canucks play live as much as we could.

“I knew the fan base. I knew what they’d expect out of me.

“I knew what type of player I was and I knew that I could help the team. And I felt like I knew guys on the team. I had watched Jack McIlhargey and Don Lever and Harold Snepsts. I felt like I could relate to them pretty good right away.”

He also knew some of the newcomers coming in alongside him. The Canucks stuck heavy to the WHL that draft. With their first choice, fourth overall, Vancouver took Brandon Wheat Kings centre Bill Derlago. With their second-round selection, they took Victoria Cougars left winger Curt Fraser.

“I was excited. I knew those guys from playing against them. Billy had put up incredible numbers in Brandon and after the battles we had with Victoria over the years you knew that Fraze was going to show up every game,” said Smyl.

McLean tried to get people excited about Smyl. You read newspaper articles from back then and he was regularly quoted about how “underrated,” Smyl was and Smyl admits that his Bruins coach “pumped my tires a lot.”

Smyl was a crucial part of three straight league championships with the Bruins and back-to-back Memorial Cup wins in 1977 and 1978. Among the players who moved onto the NHL after that first national title were 1163284 Vancouver Canucks Miller also spotted Pettersson on a first-period, 5-on-3 power play to erase a 1-0 deficit. It was a smart play. While moving left, he threw the puck right and past a defender who lost his stick. The extra time allowed Pettersson to tee up the shot and find the high short side on goalie Ben Kuzma: Canucks' kids learn to embrace big-game challenges Braden Holtby.

Pettersson also drew two penalties. One came by being hard on the puck and the other while retreating in his own zone to negate a Capitals rush. BEN KUZMA “We worked and we’ve done the last two games and that’s what can November 24, 2019 2:43 PM PST make this team good,” said Pettersson, who was 10th in league scoring after 24 games with 29 points (10-19). “I’m just trying to stay on my feet because we play our best when we work. PHILADELPHIA — J.T. Miller couldn’t help himself. “We have to build on this, stay humble and don’t think it’s going to come The Vancouver Canucks’ winger wasn’t tabbed for post-game media easy.” availability Saturday afternoon, but he purposely hung on the periphery of revolving and revealing scrums. He had something to say, so he wasn’t It didn’t Saturday. Aside from his three shots and five attempts, Boeser about to drift away after a satisfying 2-1 shootout win over the was levelled by a hit that looked liked something you might see in Game Washington Capitals that looked, sounded and felt like a playoff 7 of a Stanley Cup Final. encounter. “We joked that was a late April hit,” said Canucks coach Travis Green. And when the subject arose of how the kids are embracing the ebbs and “We’ve been through a lot of wars and battles, but when they (Capitals) flows of this NHL season — how they were willing to showcase their skill raise their level of compete, they’re a handful. and not flinch when being physically targeted in the meaningful matinee “And you like to see your team go through those kind of games, — Miller couldn’t help but spill out some superlatives. especially when you go through them and win.” There was the return of that Elias Pettersson one-timer bomb. There was

Quinn Hughes at his creative best and Brock Boeser getting up after a massive check and sticking his nose back in a big boys’ game. Miller Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.25.2019 knew what all that meant.

He has had memorable post-season clashes with the Capitals. He won the seventh game in the second round while with the New York Rangers in 2015. And he lost the conference final in seven games in 2018 while with the Tampa Bay Lightning. So he knew what Saturday could do for the psyche of the Canucks’ terrific trio.

“It’s all confidence when you’re young in this league,” said the 26-year- old Miller. “Even with me, you want to show that because it’s a hard league to play in. And to do well, you have to create space because there’s not much room out there and it’s easy to get deflated.

“Everybody wanted the puck (Saturday) and that was fun to watch and play in. It’s good for everybody to experience that. We know what it takes to be at our best and that was a really good example. It was a playoff game. Straight up. And even if we didn’t come out on top, we’re feeling really good about ourselves because we beat a really good team.

“We managed the puck and made them do it the hard way.”

That’s why it was so gratifying to see Hughes moving pucks with authority out of his own zone and not being afraid to dangle in the offensive end. Those saucer passes, quick pivots and blindly throwing pucks to areas where he expects there to be a teammate is pretty heady stuff for a rookie not accustomed to this kind of hectic schedule.

Hughes trails Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche by two points in rookie scoring with 18 points (2-16), but might lead the league in creativity because the Canucks now own the fourth-rated power play.

“He’s come a long way in learning how to be a top guy on the power play and move the puck and when to shoot and when to pass,” Miller said of Hughes, who had four shots and six attempts in 25:13 of ice time Saturday, his highest of the season.

“It’s way different than college — way less room and guys are way more responsible in their structure,” added Miller. “And we told him it’s not going to be easy and he’s definitely doing a good job kind of hanging out in the middle of the ice and making good decisions.”

If that isn’t enough, Hughes was credited with an overtime ‘assist’ to help Miller out of a jam Saturday.

A flubbed OT dangle could have cost the Canucks if not for a push from behind to help stop a T.J. Oshie breakaway.

“I was just trying to attack the guy,” said Miller, who had seven shots and 13 attempts. “In overtime, I usually don’t try that move. I just rip it at the net. I was just trying to hold it hard and I came up short. Huggy (Hughes) just gave me a boost.

“If he doesn’t push me, I don’t get there.” 1163285 Vancouver Canucks Fraser and 211 for Smyl. And in case you haven’t guessed by now, ma’am, those are penalty minutes.

“Let’s face it,” said a candid Neale. “With all those Swedes we’ve been Canucks at 50: 1978 NHL draft delivered heart and soul to the Canucks signing it’s like an open invitation for other National Hockey League teams to try and run us. I’m not saying the Swedes won’t be able to take care of themselves, but it sure wouldn’t hurt to have a couple of rugged fellows like these two around.” Staff Reporter Both Fraser, Canucks second-round amateur draft pick from Victoria November 24, 2019 8:00 AM PST Cougars, and Smyl, a third-round selection from the Memorial Cup champion New Westminster Bruins, signed four-year deals — three years plus the standard one-year option. "Smyl is the most underrated player in the draft. He's a tough right sider. He's just what Canucks need." — New West Bruins coach Ernie McLean Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association made pitches for both — in 1978 as they did for first-round pick Bill Derlago. But once again it was the boyhood dreams of NHL stardom that apparently spelled the difference. In the 1970s, free agency did not exist in the National Hockey League so drafting and trading for players were the only way you could improve. Like Neale, Canuck general manager Jake Milford was impressed by the After a handful of disappointing drafts, and a roster full of players that aggressive style favoured by both players. didn’t seem to be able to cope with the height of the goon culture in the “Some times last year I swear our forwards played like the volleyball league at the time, the Canucks felt a need to get tougher headed into team from Vassar (an all-girl New England college),” bristled Milford. the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft. “With Fraser and Smyl coming to camp I sure wouldn’t be complacent if I In the third round the Canucks stayed local and went for Stan Smyl, the was a veteran winger on this team.” captain of the Memorial Cup champion New Westminster Bruins to make Predictably both Fraser, a North Shore product, and Smyl, a native of St. the team harder to play against. Kent Spencer of The Province wrote: Paul, Alberta, fell they have a reasonable chance of cracking the When the Vancouver Canucks chose Stan Smyl of New Westminster Canucks lineup this fall — although the current NHL trend runs against Bruins Thursday in the National Hockey League amateur draft, they second and third round picks making it right off the bat. Fraser, a 6-foot, finally made some good sense. 195-pound left winger, will be battling for a spot against Don Lever, , Brad Gassoff, Ron Sedlbauer, Rob Flockhart and likely Gary Smyl is the first player from the Bruins that actually might play for his Monahan. Smyl, a 5’8″ 200-pound right winger, will be pushing Dennis hometown team. Ververgaert, Rick Blight and Hilliard Graves for employment.

Montreal Canadiens make a practice of drafting local, French-Canadian players who are naturally more suited to the Canadiens because they’re playing for their home team. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.25.2019

It’s a psychological ploy.

“I’m happy to be in Vancouver. I always wanted to make my home here,” Smyl said. “I think I can make the club.”

Smyl, a third-round pick and the 40th player taken overall, played four seasons in New Westminster.

“Smyl is the most underrated player in the draft,” said Bruins coach Ernie McLean. “He’s a tough right sider. He’s just what Canucks need.”

The Canucks have let other Bruin graduates slip through their fingers in the last four years, notably last year when Brad Maxwell went in the top round. Canucks didn’t have a chance at Barry Beck unless they’d traded for Colorado Rockies pick. Canucks were interested in Mark Lofthouse, but he wasn’t available when Vancouver made its pick in the second round.

Canucks scouts don’t have 20-20 vision.

“If a guy doesn’t do something fantastic the scouts won’t notice him,” said McLean. “Our guys aren’t like that.”

Smyl, 5’8″ and 190-pounds, was one of six Bruins to be taken.

The first-round pick was Bill Derlago with Curt Fraser taken in the second round before Smyl. The Province reported:

“We got our man in Derlago,” said Canucks general manager Jake Milford, who had earlier expressed the necessity of the club gaining another centre.

Fraser is a strong skating, aggressive left winger who will have a fair chance of making the club and Smyl, it was felt by Milford, was an excellent choice.

“We were delighted to get Stan. We felt it was a bit of a steal because we didn’t think he’d be around for our third pick,” said Milford.

Lyndon Little of The Vancouver Sun wrote:

Combined, Curt Fraser and Stan Smyl scored 77 goals during regular season play last year in junior hockey.

But the figures that seemed to catch the eye of new Vancouver Canucks coach Harry Neale Friday at the players’ media unveiling were 256 for 1163286 Websites “Who I’m going to be playing with, just the fans in Calgary, new arena coming hopefully,” said Kadri.

It’s believed the Flames hoped to acquire the 29-year-old centre in order Sportsnet.ca / Mike Babcock in Sheldon Keefe's corner despite taking to play him alongside Matthew Tkachuk. Just think about the possibilities Maple Leafs job for that feisty duo: There wouldn’t be many quiet shifts for opponents.

Instead Kadri ended up on Calgary’s Central Division rival in Colorado — a team not among the 10 on his no-trade list. Chris Johnston | @reporterchris It’s worked out well so far. Kadri had two assists against his former team November 24, 2019, 4:56 PM on Saturday night and has 17 points in 23 games this year.

An interesting nugget from Elliotte Friedman on “Headlines” that Nicklas Backstrom has started negotiating an extension with the Washington Sheldon Keefe wasn’t sure what he’d find on the other end of the phone Capitals without the use of an agent. line. It speaks to the level of trust between player and team. It also suggests There’d been countless conversations with Mike Babcock during their the 32-year-old centre has no intention of testing the open market as a four-plus years spent together in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, potential unrestricted free agent this summer. but this one was different since Keefe was calling in the aftermath of replacing Babcock behind the Leafs bench this week. Not many players choose to go this route, although Drew Doughty represented himself while hammering out his $88-million, eight-year Not only did the former coach pick up for the current coach, they had a extension with the Kings. Doughty said it simply came down to a matter pleasant conversation about the team. of dollars and cents for him. “He was great,” said Keefe. Agents fees can be negotiated, but typically come in at 3 per cent — Play the Sportsnet Fantasy Hockey Pool presented by RAM for your potentially saving the Kings defenceman north of $2-million over the life chance to drive away with a 2020 RAM 1500 Sport or win cash prizes! of his contract. It's FREE and easy to play! Backstrom is wrapping up a $67-million, 10-year deal and this will Babcock also sent along a congratulatory text after the Leafs beat probably his last chance to sign a lucrative extension. Arizona in Keefe’s debut, which was appreciated. It’ll be interesting to see how well he does on his own behalf. There is a human side to these kind of hockey decisions and it’s telling As the Vegas Golden Knights walked off the ice with a 6-0 win over that whatever combination of anger/disappointment/frustration/sadness Calgary last Sunday night, one player could be heard yelling: “We’re Babcock was feeling after the first firing of his NHL career, he didn’t let it back boys! We’re back!” trump his support of the man 17 years his junior who stepped into his shoes. They beat Toronto on Tuesday, lending some credence to the thought.

Babcock is a big supporter of his peers and has seen many of them start Then they lost to San Jose in overtime on Thursday and dropped two getting paid more since signing his landmark $50-million, eight-year deal points to Edmonton on Saturday. with the Leafs in May 2015. He had no qualms about disclosing that salary, either, believing that a rising tide would lift all boats. Some of this is a product of a highly competitive league without much separation between teams, but there’s a sense around the Golden Babcock is one of the driving forces behind a reinvigorated NHL Knights that they’re stuck in a middle gear. They’ve struggled defensively Coaches’ Association and remains involved with its day-to-day operation at points this season and don’t have a win from anyone but No. 1 while serving on the executive committee. It’s one of the largely unseen goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. ways he gives back after an improbable rise to the top of his profession that started with a job at Red Deer College in 1988. Nate Schmidt said this week that they’ve been in a “fragile state” because they don’t feel like they’ve been rewarded commensurate with Given the contrasting views, approaches and styles that kept Babcock the level of their play so far this season. That’s made it challenging at from getting on the same page with Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas, times to stick to the process. it’s hard to argue against Toronto’s decision to make a coaching change. It wasn’t working optimally. In fact, it might have happened last spring “How many games have we had that are there and then just slip through had the team not played so well in the first round against Boston — your fingers?” said Schmidt. especially in Game 5, where it played tight and controlled and won on the It’s a big week for the Golden Knights with games at Dallas and road at TD Garden — but this was always likely to become Keefe’s job Nashville, followed by a visit from Arizona. They’re not quite back just eventually. yet. He’s earned the opportunity, too, by travelling a hard road that Babcock would both respect and recognize. All his teams have done is win, be it in Pembroke, Sault Ste. Marie or Toronto with the Marlies. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.25.2019 Should that winning continue in his first NHL gig with the Leafs, you can count on one thing: Babcock will remain in Keefe’s corner even though Keefe was the one who took his job.

David Amber had a great sit-down with Nazem Kadri that aired during Saturday’s pre-game show. Of particular interest was hearing Kadri speak about his decision not to waive a no-trade clause in order to facilitate a potential deal to the Calgary Flames in June.

The Maple Leafs granted permission for Kadri to speak with Flames general manager Brad Treliving and head coach Bill Peters at that time. They gave him a lot to think about.

“It was actually very close,” said Kadri. “They put a good pitch together. I know a few guys, I train with a couple of those guys in the off-season. Even though they were on the no-trade list, it was very tempting from a hockey standpoint. Had a good team.

“I liked the city of Calgary.”

So, what did the Flames sales pitch entail? 1163287 Websites any given night he’s the only one in an arena of any job description who worked WHA games.

Says Al Bello, whose work in other sports for Getty has won many Sportsnet.ca / Meet the man behind some of hockey's most legendary awards: “It’s remarkable how Bruce has worked for so long and Images | Sportsnet consistently produced great Images over all those years. Hockey is so hard to shoot — things happen fast and you’re almost always crouched and crowded and shooting through a hole in the plexiglass. And it’s not just a physical grind but really dangerous — I don’t do a lot of hockey but by Eric Engels I’ve been hit by a puck and got stitches for a cut around the eye. You’re pretty much defenceless. Still, Bruce just doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. He’s still the best out there.” "IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MOMENT" Bennett doesn’t take his absence from the Hall personally, not in the For 45 years, Bruce Bennett has captured hockey's greatest players, least. Fact is, unless you count Doug Gilmour’s family pictures or the teams and memories, and shaped the way we see the game Instagram accounts of other former NHL legends, no photographer has been honoured by the , possibly because lens- As Getty’s director of hockey photography, Bennett is a player, coach persons are too busy framing and banging out Images to protest the and GM in one. Some staffers talk about him being “the captain” and oversight. others “the puppet master.” By the time the arena doors open, he’s back in the media room. First, he goes through the lineups and line You could make a compelling argument that photographers have made combinations. “He studies the tendencies for all the players around the at least an equal contribution to the game as those who have sat behind league, where they go, what they do, so he knows when to look for a typewriter, computer or mic. And consider when next you pass through them,” says Al Bello, a veteran Getty shooter. Then he checks in with the Hockey Hall of Fame: If Bruce Bennett, his peers and the estates of Getty’s editor, who will sort through hundreds, even thousands, of photographers of yore were to pull their work out of the displays, you’d be Images filed by Bennett and the staffers while the Boston Bruins and St. left with a collection of old sticks, Sharpie-marked pucks and moth-eaten Louis Blues let it all hang out on the business side of the plexiglass. The sweaters — not a shrine so much as a lawn sale. goal for the finalists is the same for Bennett and his crew: No glitches in the last minute. There are a few kids on the ice getting their first taste of Elmer Ferguson is known, if at all, as the name on the award the Hall pressure in the crucible, but everyone wearing a photo pass in Bennett’s gives to recognize writers, but no one remembers a line he wrote for the charge knows his or her job. This is the company’s A team. Montreal Star or Montreal Herald — in fact, few remember those papers at all, nor those of contemporaries whose columns persist only in fading A layman would tend to assume a photographer would roll out all the microfiche. What is etched in our memories, however, are the Images of available tech for the Final in search of the perfect shot when the stakes the game’s icons and watershed moments. And maybe it’s because are highest. Bennett, though, believes that, in the simplest terms, tech those Images still seem so very alive decades later that most of us don’t makes for prettier pictures but can also be an encumbrance. “During the think for a 16th of a second about the people who froze them for season, I like to set up strobes so that the photos are exposed right,” he preservation. If you’re looking at photos of landmark moments in the says. “During the Final, I go with available light because it’s all about the modern history of the game, then look in the margins, usually bottom moment.” right, and if they’re properly credited one shooter’s name will keep popping up. Another counterintuitive point: You’d imagine that the end of the last game would be the long-awaited juncture when the pressure is finally off, RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME but in fact the opposite is true. The tensest minutes for Bennett and his team are those when the celebration starts in earnest: the mob scene; Bennett studies the tendencies of players—from the greatest ever to the the handshake line; the presentation of the Cup; the Conn Smythe being fourth-liners—to know where to be and when to start snapping awarded; the laps with the trophy aloft; families spilling onto the ice. For Bruce Bennett will gladly talk shop, but he looks at his career as all the furious action through the season and playoffs, nothing matches something more seen than told. And if the old adage about a photo being the high-stakes minutes of bedlam incited by a new champion. worth 1,000 words holds true, then do the math on hundreds of Images There’s only so much that can be done to prepare for it, no knowing how every working night of his life and it becomes clear that “seen” is the only it will play out and the ever-present danger of a season’s work building way to take it all in. Still, a narrative arc helps track his immense body of up to disappointment. Bennett is the voice of experience among work. And while covering an event like the Stanley Cup Final is the photographers working the Final. This game at TD Garden kicks off his product of planning and a routine that has evolved over years, his start in 39th Stanley Cup. “I’ve missed a few since I started out in ’74, but the the business seems almost haphazard. last one I didn’t shoot was New Jersey and Dallas back in 2000.” At the urging of his father, a textile exec in New York, Bennett put in four SENSE IN CHAOS years earning an accounting degree at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University. Back then, the NHL’s Islanders still had that new- St. Louis's Game 7 win brought to a close the 39th Cup Final of Bennett's franchise smell, but a sports fan on Long Island didn’t have much of a career. As always, he was in the thick of the action. choice when it came to rooting for a home team — all others demanded trips to Manhattan or Queens or the Bronx or New Jersey. And, besides If you’re a fan of the game, you already know that the Hockey Hall of that, Bennett had an affinity for the game having played a lot of street Fame greeted new members last week. The induction night was a great and roller hockey after school in his suburban neighbourhood. big deal with much ceremony, the raising of plaques honouring players from the NHL, international and women’s ranks as well as builders, those “Before I was a photographer, I was a fan,” Bennett says. And it was in who contributed to the game as coaches and executives. Recognitions that capacity in ’74 that Bennett, a college sophomore, first took a for those in the media ranks are not quite as high-profile as those for camera to Nassau Coliseum: a 35mm Yashica with a fixed lens, a decent those famous names: the Foster Hewitt Award for career achievement in starter but a long way from the Nikon hardware the pros were using. broadcasting, which this year went to Sportsnet’s Jim Hughson; and the Back in the early- and mid-’70s, city newspapers prioritized the Elmer Ferguson Award for the printed word, which went to Frank Brown established and storied franchises and thus, the Yankees, Knicks and out of New York. If those on the selection committee in attendance at the Rangers played in front of a large crew of experienced shooters. The induction were weighing who should be next in line for tribute, they struggling Islanders were more of a novelty item and probably more of an needed only to look as far the edge of the red carpet, to the guy afterthought. As such, they were also an opportunity for a young crouching and squinting through his viewfinder. photographer — even if he had to work from a seat in the stands rather than a spot along the boards. Bruce Bennett — no missing him with the moustache and a head of hair that could pass for an oversized Brillo pad — has worked in NHL arenas Bennett’s first break, humble as it seems now, came when he snail- for 45 seasons and, oh, 6,000 regular-season and playoff games and mailed photos of the Islanders on spec to Ken McKenzie, co-founder of counting. (Yes, a back-up 70-200mm lens was probably overdue to be The Hockey News. The stars aligned for Bennett because the weekly pulled out of his bag.) And really, that staggering number is only the start didn’t have a regular shooter on Long Island. McKenzie bought a photo of his career log. It doesn’t factor Olympic and international play, and on for what would become Bennett’s standard rate in his rookie season: three bucks, not really enough to give up his amateur status. McKenzie sweetened the offer with the promise to set up Bennett with a press pass force that broke two ribs, or the night a puck parted his scalp for a dozen to Islanders home games. “I wasn’t thinking of any kind of income at the stitches. “I’m like a lot [of hockey photographers] when it comes to time or certainly not any kind of career,” Bennett says. “I just was a suffering for my art,” he says. hockey fan and this was a way to get into some games for free and even sit in the front row. At Madison Square Garden, I might get a press pass. Bennett and other photographers also had to work within a lot of But if I didn’t, I paid for a ticket, went down to ice level during the warm- technical and practical constraints. Some great moments that got away ups and then shot from the blue seats during games. Then I started to go still haunt him. “You basically had one roll of film for each period back in down to Philly for Flyers games. It just kind of blossomed from there.” the ’80s,” he says. “I was working the night of the famous incident [when] Mike Milbury left the Bruins bench and went into the crowd and started As a fan interested in sports photography, Bennett came along in what hitting a fan with his own shoe. was a golden era. Sports Illustrated’s staff was like the ’27 Yankees, a Murderers’ Row wielding telephoto lenses instead of Louisville Sluggers. “That happened so late in the third period that I had only five or six shots The roles of Ruth and Gehrig were filled by Walter Iooss and Neil Leifer, left in the roll. I got maybe four good shots, but it was something I wish I’d but really, SI had Hall of Famers up and down the lineup. Bennett studied had more left to work with.” the work of the magazine’s famous names but also veterans respected in The negatives of Milbury weaponizing a loafer these days reside in a the trade but not so well known outside it, like Melchior DiGiacomo, who windowless room on the 12th floor of a building on Wilshire Blvd. in Los had worked the Soviet-Canada series in ’72. “I’m still in touch with Mel Angeles — Bennett’s archive at Getty. They have no shortage of and I’m grateful for all the help he and the others gave me,” Bennett company there; Bennett’s best guess being that there are “a couple of says. “You’re fooling yourself if you think you [can learn technique] from million” negatives in binders and files held together by rubber bands. Add what you read in textbooks. It’s different when you see someone’s work to that almost innumerable photographs that were shot with digital and then ask them, ‘How did you get that shot?’ I wasn’t shy about equipment. These represent the life and work of the guy who started out asking.” as a three-bucks-a-shot freelancer, worked for a good long stretch as a One Montreal-based photographer Bennett befriended remains a source team photographer (in order, for the Islanders, the Flyers, the Devils and of wonder: the late Denis Brodeur, a former Canadian Olympic the Rangers) and sold his vast back catalogue and ongoing services to goaltender and father of Hockey Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur. “Denis Getty in 2004. To his mind, the sale not only improved his lot on a day-to- was an incredible talent, one of the all-time greats,” Bennett says. “Back day basis but has in fact extended his career. in the day of film and before motor-drives, you had to advance the roll Bennett’s original archive was in a 20-by-50-foot room in Farmingdale, and focus with every shot. Now you can go in and just spray, getting 12 N.Y., but when Getty bought out his business, the movers loaded up the frames a second. At a game when Denis was working, though, you might contents and reconstructed it, each piece in place, first in Manhattan and get 36 shots. And after, every one of Denis’s shots was a killer. He had then again in L.A. about five years back. On the west coast, Bennett’s such a great anticipation of the game. That’s something you can work shots can best be preserved and digitalized. About 180,000 have been towards but never really match.” scanned so far; cleaned up with Photoshop where necessary — After Denis Brodeur’s passing in 2013 and Martin’s retirement, the New something the company could offer that Bennett may never have had the Jersey Devils paid homage to Bennett’s friend and mentor by backing an time and spare bandwidth to take on. extracurricular photo program through Henry Snyder High School in Bennett is not on-site but the archive is not out of mind. Sometimes the Jersey City. Thus, when work and travel permits, Bennett advises archivists will get a request for a photo from the dusty past and find teenagers as a volunteer in the Denis Brodeur Sports Photography themselves stymied in attempts to root through the files. On those program. “I try to be supportive of any young person with an interest in occasions, they call Bennett. “Sometimes off the top of my head I’ll say, sports photography, just like others helped me when I started out,” ‘Yeah, I know I shot that guy. It’s just a matter of whether it was black- Bennett says. “It’s a way I can give back.” and-white or was colour,’ and tell them where to go and find it.”

Even before Bennett entered a classroom, others went to school on his TEST OF TIME work. Says Harry How: “Growing up, I looked at BBS [the acronym for Bruce Bennett Studios] and made notes in the margins of magazines … Those his editors were initially disappointed with the shot, Bennett's what lens he used to get this, how he framed it, what makes this photo photo of Bob Gainey from the 1979 Final has come to represent "the work. Anyone who got into hockey photography in the last 20 or even 30 collective spirit and camaraderie necessary to win a Stanley Cup” years knew Bruce’s stuff — it was everywhere and what you wanted to Bennett has no doubt what was his most fretful moment in the immediate work towards.” wake of a Final. It was in 1979 at the Montreal Forum, the Canadiens "STILL THE BEST" brushing aside the Rangers. “I was excited to be working that Final,” he says. “I was still a pretty young guy, learning as I was going along and, in Fellow Getty veteran, Al Bello, notes that the longevity and consistency retrospect, I was not as well prepared as I could have been.” of Bennett's career is particularly remarkable because "hockey is so hard to shoot" More to the point, he wasn’t familiar at all to the Forum’s security guards, who turned away Bennett and another photographer while waving local Bennett has always looked at photography as an art form to a degree, shooters onto the ice. Thus, while the Cup was being presented to but more than many of the lifers, he also recognized it as a business retiring Canadiens captain Yvan Cournoyer, while the Conn Smythe was early on. He will tell you the stereotype of a sideline photographer back in being handed to Bob Gainey, the two out-of-towners were running the ’70s and ’80s was pretty much in sharp focus: an anti-social misfit in around the wrong side of the boards, trying to find a member of security an army jacket talking to himself if he spoke at all, with his worldly who would honour their press passes. They reached one overwhelmed possessions dangling from his neck and every pocket stuffed with lenses, guard and rushed to either side of him. He chose to hold back Bennett, a rolls of film, receipts and half-eaten sandwiches. “Technically, the natural welterweight. Bennett ran another half-lap of the ice and this time difference between me and other photographers is minimal,” Bennett found a guard with a sympathetic ear. Awful minutes had passed while says. “I struck up conversations with reporters to find out who might be in he was shut out. Scrambling furiously in the tumult, desperately playing the market for photos. I was able to get ahead because I understood that catchup, he machine-gunned shots with the motor drive on his Nikon F. it was a business. I networked to find jobs and I knew from my training [in Back in those days, photographers couldn’t know what they had come accounting] how to run a business.” away with until they emerged from the darkroom — a player might have While Bennett’s timing was good, he came on the scene just when a new skated into the frame at the last moment, a shot could be under- or challenge emerged for photographers searching for iconic hockey overexposed or out of focus. When he flipped the lights back on in the Images: the growing number of players wearing helmets. It might seem makeshift darkroom he’d put together in his hotel room, Bennett couldn’t like a small point, but try throwing a bucket on Michelangelo’s “David.” “I help but think what might have been. like to say that the key to a great photo is a player’s eyes, but there was “The photo that year that I got was Bob Gainey on the shoulders of his something about the old photos where you could see the full faces, the teammates … from Gainey’s back. So [the editors at The Hockey News] sweat on the brow, the messy hair,” Bennett says. were disappointed in having a picture of the back of Bob Gainey and they While the risks of injury on the sidelines aren’t anything like those on the ended up using the photo from Denis Brodeur, who knew all the security ice, hockey photography is likely the most dangerous job in the media guards at the arena and was obviously able to get right on the ice.” and Bennett often could have used a helmet of his own. There was the night he was parked in the Rangers’ penalty box and took a slapshot full In the immediate wake of that series, Bennett came away feeling like the Rangers moving down the handshake line — second best for the night. This, though, was an example of the test of time. He may have been able, even then, to see his work later on the same night he captured it. The shot of Gainey, however, is an exception: It’s as if the image took years to develop. Decades even. Some fans will remember it distinctly. Others will think only that it looks kind of familiar. Everyone is transported. “I’m very proud of it,” Bennett says. “It’s a piece of hockey history, one that’s very meaningful to me. A bit of a contrast from the gut feeling I had when things were going sideways. That shot of Bob Gainey on his teammates’ shoulders has sold many times and it’s become a symbol of how hard it is to win a Stanley Cup — the team, the collective spirit and camaraderie necessary to win a Stanley Cup.”

And, to the man who pulled the roll of film out of the back of his camera that night, it’s an enduring reminder to introduce himself to the arena security guards before any game when the Cup might get hoisted.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163288 Websites With the blaze tearing through the neighbourhood containing the associations home rink, the Frank Lacroix Arena, its president was anxious to get a handle on the damage, and became among the first to return to the city. Sportsnet.ca / How minor hockey survived the chaos of the Fort McMurray fires Getting back into town, Galenzoski confirmed with his own eyes that the arena was still standing.

“Pretty much the only things that survived around the arena were a set of Sonny Sachdeva | @sachdevasonny condo buildings off to the northwest, the school behind it to the south and the church southeast of us,” he recalls. “Everything else was flattened. November 22, 2019, 11:46 AM There was a lot of devastation.”

A different result would’ve ended any hope of bringing minor hockey back TORONTO — For the hockey-hungry kids in Fort McMurray, Alta., the the next year, as Frank Lacroix wasn’t just the site of many an FMMHA closest NHL action is a five-hour drive south in Edmonton. Not the most game, it also housed the association’s offices and all of the convenient of weekend treks. organization’s jerseys and equipment for the participating kids, he says.

It’s no surprise, then, that the biggest show in town are the kings of Still, even with the FMMHA one of the lucky organizations in town to not Casman Centre, the Fort McMurray Oil Barons. Even for the big-league lose their home base, the plans for the following season seemed murky mainstays whose NHL careers eventually swept them out of town, all at best. Though they had been spared, heavy smoke damage required hockey journeys with roots in the Albertan city can be traced back to that the jerseys be sent off to Edmonton for professional cleaning, and the beloved junior-A club. arena be professionally scrubbed down as well.

“Hockey was a huge part of growing up in Fort McMurray. I think we all “There was a lot of talk about whether minor hockey was going to go on had dreams of playing in the NHL, but we also dreamed of playing for the that following Fall of that year,” Galenzoski recalls. “We put our heads Oil Barons,” says Chris Phillips, the longtime Ottawa Senator whose 17 together and made sure that we had that ability to ensure that our seasons with the club made him the longest-serving member in team members had that sport there that they relied on.” history. “They were stars in our eyes as young players.” It was a situation many around town found themselves in, with plenty of Fifteen-year NHL alum Scottie Upshall remembers spending more than a kids simply wanting to get back to playing, unaware of the scope of the few nights down at the rink watching the Oil Barons go to work, too. Even situation enveloping the city. in his pre-junior hockey days, he was hooked on the local squads. “My niece and nephew were going through that themselves,” Phillips “Every minor hockey kid, we would go to these games Friday and says. “They made it down to Edmonton and actually got some equipment Saturday nights in Fort Mac and watch our hometown Jr. Barons that they borrowed for them to play a little. [It] helped take their minds off compete and beat up all the teams [from] all over Alberta,” Upshall told of being displaced from their home.” Sportsnet from Switzerland, where he’s now suiting up for HC Ambri- As much as securing the return of minor hockey to Fort McMurray was Piotta. about getting kids back on the ice, it was also about preserving the heart “Our building in Fort McMurray, it would get pretty loud. It would be of a city that seemed very much on life support. It was bigger than rocking, maybe like 1,200 people — die-hard fans who live for hockey hockey. games in the middle of winter.” So, from the Oil Barons to the Jr. Barons down to the house league Celebrate Our Community. Celebrate Our Game. teams, the sport was pulled from the ashes and put back on the ice, with all eyes on trying to restore some sense of normalcy after a string of life- There’s no denying Fort McMurray — the site of this weekend’s Rogers altering weeks and months. Hometown Hockey festivities — is a hockey town through and through. The roots of that love of the game weave all the way down to the youth An essential step forward for all those families who had lost plenty in the level, with local kids flocking to the sport just like Upshall and Phillips did fires. back in their day. Seven single-A and double-A teams play out of the four “[The arena] is a common ground,” Galezoski says. “It’s a place where arenas in town, along with roughly 70 minor hockey house teams people go and talk. There’s a level of healing that happens just with that competing in the city’s own league. — being together with others and sharing stories and having your kids on “We’ve been on a pretty steady growth trajectory since 2010, and the ice together or on a ball diamond together. That was what it was like probably before that as well,” says Travis Galenzoski, president of the in town. Fort McMurray Minor Hockey Association (FMMHA). “With the exception “It was maybe a heightened sense of that. Everybody was more looking of 2016. The end of the 2015-16 season and the beginning of the 2016- forward to getting to the arena so that they could have time with friends, 17 season, we dropped 1.5-to-1.6 per cent. time with neighbours and other families to compare stories and be there “That was the year of the fire.” for those who lost.”

Any timeline that runs through Fort McMurray figures to feature a similar Upshall, meanwhile, was midway through the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs peculiarity when it reaches May of 2016. It was in the early days of that with the St. Louis Blues when those early evacuation orders came. He month that a wildfire swept through town with devastating intensity, returned home to Fort McMurray when the rebuilding effort was in full forcing the largest evacuation in Alberta’s history — more than 88,000 force. Like Galenzoski, what stood out most to him was the unshakeable residents forced to leave everything behind, many for the last time as resilience of the tight-knit community. roughly 2,500 homes were destroyed in the blaze. “What you did see as it went on is the healing and the transformation and “It was one of the toughest phone calls I ever received, when my sister the strength the city,” Upshall said. called and [said] her whole family was in the truck trying to get out of “[It’s] amazing to hear the stories of the community helping each other to town,” Phillips says. “They were explaining what was going on and I think find equipment for kids that lost theirs in the fire, and rally together in shock at the same time. Like they were living a movie.” around the re-building of the city,” adds Phillips. As the month wore on and the fires were slowly, painstakingly tamed, Initially heartbroken at the thought of losing the rink he grew up playing in community members began returning to Fort McMurray, wondering how — the 36-year-old’s pee-wee championship banner hangs from the the costliest disaster in the province’s history would impact the routines rafters of the Frank Lacroix Arena — Upshall was just as thankful to see they had come to know and love. the rink still standing. It was top of mind for Galenzoski even earlier than that. “It’s nice to know it’s still there,” he said. “When we were all evacuated, the [FMMHA] executive group, we were Three years on, the wildfire has begun its transition from present constantly in communication with each other,” he says. catastrophe to historic footnote, even if that shift is far from complete. But when it comes to the little things, the age-old routine of watching kids spin around a rink and swapping stories with fellow parents over paper- cup coffees, Fort McMurray is doing its best to get itself back.

“I don’t even think that today we’re truly back to April of 2016, to what normal looked like before May 3rd,” Galenzoski says. “[But] I think … we’re a fairly resilient community. I think we rebounded quite well.

“There’s still a lot of people that are in tough shape around town. But you know what — all things considered, I think the fire made us stronger.”

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.25.2019 1163289 Websites Hughes figures he played about 60 games last season, all-in. That includes all the games at Michigan, Team USA games at both the world junior and senior championships, and his five-game cameo for the Canucks at the end of last season. Sportsnet.ca / Canucks' Quinn Hughes finding new ways to surprise on nightly basis That was 60 games in about eight months. As an NHL rookie, he’ll play about 80 in six months if he stays healthy.

"It’s hard; there’s no getting around it," Canuck winger Brock Boeser, Iain MacIntyre | @imacSportsnet who made the jump from the University of North Dakota two seasons again, said of the transition to the NHL. "There’s a learning curve. It’s November 24, 2019, 12:33 PM manageable, but there are hard nights. There’s lots of things you can do to make sure your body feels good. But there are some nights where mentally it’s hard to get prepared." PHILADELPHIA – Chris Tanev was wrong. Quinn Hughes has done something to surprise us pretty much every game. "I think part of it with young guys is mental sharpness," Green agreed. "I think (Quinn) is such a good skater, he could probably play three games The rookie defenceman, who is 20 now but was still a teenager when in a day sometimes. It’s effortless how he skates. But I think it’s the Tanev said what he said seven weeks ago, has played 23 National mental part for young guys – being mentally sharp. When you’re not Hockey League games this season and been one of the Vancouver mentally dialled in, sometimes your passes are a foot off or four feet off. Canucks’ best players in about 18 of them. The other night (Tuesday in Dallas) he missed a couple of passes. That’s the growing pains that young guys have." His agility, puck skills and confidence allow the 5-foot-10 dynamo to do things we haven’t often seen, usually under pressure. Playing with Tanev, Hughes has a shots-for percentage of 55.8 this season and an expected goals-for, which measures shot quality, of 59.2. But his track (100-metre dash) and field (javelin) sprint to rescue This is at even strength. On the power play, Hughes is already an NHL teammate J.T. Miller and save the Canucks in overtime in Saturday’s 2-1 star. shootout win against the Washington Capitals was something else again. His 13 power-play points lead all defencemen, one more than When Miller lost the puck to T.J. Oshie inside the Washington blue line, Washington’s John Carlson and Boston’s Torey Krug. And Hughes would while trying to stickhandle as the last man back, Oshie was at the top of probably have more had Green not waited seven games before moving the circles in the middle of the ice, Hughes at the hashmarks near the the rookie to the first-unit power play alongside Boeser and Pettersson. boards. The Canucks’ power play is fourth in the NHL at 26.7 per cent, but leads In a span of about 130 feet, Hughes made up at least 25 on Oshie — the league with 27 extra-strength goals in 24 games. Vancouver scored who is not slow — and got close enough to Miller to use his stick to only 43 power-play goals all of last season. turbo-boost his teammate the last few feet to catch the Capital. "For me, I feel like I should be getting the power play going, and seeing "I thought I could have caught him, honestly," Hughes said after the what more can I do offensively and defensively," Hughes said. "Keep the game, meaning Oshie, not just Miller. puck out of my net, and try to make plays." The only bigger surprise involving Hughes was that the eventual shootout He’ll probably do something that surprises everyone Monday against the went seven rounds deep and the defenceman didn’t get a turn in any of Philadelphia Flyers. them.

Hughes finished with a season-high 25:13 of ice time, four shots on net and an assist on Vancouver’s only goal, a power-play rocket by Elias Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.25.2019 Pettersson.

"Every night he shows us something," coach Travis Green said. "But tonight he was good in the offensive zone, boy. He was making plays, creating a lot. We had a lot of chances to win it just with some of the plays he made."

Hughes has 18 points in 23 games, second among NHL rookies behind only Colorado Avalanche defenceman Cale Makar, who had 25 points as of Sunday. In ice time, Hughes’ average of 20:17 trails only Edmonton Oiler blue-liner Ethan Bear.

But in the last seven games, Hughes has averaged 22:07 of ice time – and even that sizeable figure was skewed lower by a 15-minute night Thursday in Nashville when he helped the Canuck power play go five-for- six.

A year ago, Hughes was playing twice a week for the University of Michigan. Now he’s playing every two nights in the NHL.

With Vancouver’s loss Saturday of top defenceman Alex Edler to an undisclosed injury – the Canucks offered no update Sunday on a team day off – Hughes may now have to do even more.

"It’s a lot different, totally different," Hughes said of the schedule. "I only played Friday-Saturday last year. This makes you have to prepare better and be ready all the time. You could slack off a couple of days at college and do what you want. But here, you’ve got to get your sleep, you’ve got to eat well, stay hydrated. You’ve got to take care of your body and stay focussed.

"It’s hard, but it’s also a treat. You’re not doing long rides on buses. You’ve got the best food, the best travel, everything like that. At the same time, it’s only Game 23. You’ll have to ask me at Game 70 because I could have a different outlook by then. There are 60 more games (this season) in about four more months. That’s crazy." 1163290 Websites

USA TODAY / Panthers' Keith Yandle loses teeth after puck to mouth, still finishes game

Kevin Allen USA TODAY

Published 5:44 PM EST Nov 24, 2019

The pursuit of becoming the NHL all-time Iron Man is a quest that Florida Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle can sink his teeth into.

Whatever teeth he has left.

Yandle lost multiple teeth — nine, according to NHL Network's Ryan Whitney — when he was hit by the puck in the first period of Saturday's game against the Carolina Panthers. He missed the second period, returned in the third, endured significant dental work this morning, and then played a home game Sunday evening against the Buffalo Sabres.

"What he's gone through over less than 24 hours and (be) ready to go is pretty remarkable," Panthers coach Joel Quenneville said at the morning skate.

Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle has 18 points this season.

That's why Yandle, 33, hasn't missed a game since the 2008-09 season and why he is approaching Doug Jarvis's NHL record of 964 consecutive games played. Tonight will be his 821st consecutive game. He will have 879 games in a row if he plays all 82 games this season.

"In today's day and age, with the pace of the game, he plays significant minutes," Quenneville said, adding, "(he's) not getting younger, still able be ready at the start at the season, over the rigors of 82 game schedule, a lot of things can change. Whether you have the flu or have this or that, they compound over the season, to be fresh, (he) finds ways to overcome it and persevere, it is very remarkable."

USA TODAY LOADED: 11.25.2019