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Home , Daniel Audette, Dennis Wideman, Glenn Gawdin, Lukas Vejdemo, Markus Eisenschmid, NHL Commissioner

SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 03/03/18 1101545 Ducks keep rolling with win over Blue Jackets 4-2 1101583 Saturday’s matchup: Blackhawks at Kings 1101546 Ducks Gameday: John Gibson moves past injury to start 1101584 As his role has changed, Patrick Sharp trying to roll with vs. Blue Jackets punches 1101547 John Gibson, Ducks look rejuvenated in victory over Blue 1101585 Former Blackhawk takes NHL to task on Jackets concussions 1101548 Chris Kelly ready to add a Ducks chapter to his 1101586 Patrick Kane all in on Penguins three-peat as memorable year champs 1101587 Eddie Olczyk on cancer battle: ‘I’m way tougher than I ever thought I was’ 1101549 Arizona Coyotes look to continue hot streak against struggling 1101588 Duncan Siemens’ broken nose signifies NHL progress for former Avalanche first-round pick 1101550 Bruins show they measure up with blowout of Penguins 1101589 Avalanche move up in playoff bid in blowout of Wild 1101551 Bruins rookie Danton Heinen staying positive amid slump 1101552 Torey Krug basking in offensive success of Bruins defensemen 1101590 Kings 5, Blue Jackets 2 | After Jackets’ lose seventh game 1101553 David Backes happy to play his role replacing Patrice to Kings, playoff race tightens up Bergeron 1101591 Ducks 4, Blue Jackets 2 | Special teams breakdowns sink 1101554 Charlie McAvoy among Bruins getting maintenance day Jackets after win over Penguins 1101592 Blue Jackets | Early lead slips away against Kings 1101555 Bruins notebook: Power play gets refueled, scores three 1101593 Iafallo leads Kings to 5-2 comeback over Blue Jackets times vs. Penguins 1101556 Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask overcomes poor first period to thwart Penguins at Garden 1101594 Ken Hitchcock was willing to 'cut deals' with Brett Hull -- 1101557 Conroy: With alongside, David Krejci’s game and he'll do the same with Alexander Radulov reverts to good, old days 1101595 NHL releases info on how to get tickets for 2018 draft in 1101558 David Krejci’s hat trick ignites an offensive night for the Dallas, as well as spiffy new logo Bruins in an 8-4 rout of Penguins 1101596 Stars announce restructuring of management to help with 1101559 David Krejci, Bruins pummel Penguins expanding business plans 1101560 Morning Skate: Gostisbehere honors Stoneman Douglas 1101597 Which Stars are next in line for a long-term extension? hockey team 1101561 Source: No supplemental discipline for Hornqvist on McAvoy hit 1101598 Detroit Red Wings irritated, weary as one- losses 1101562 Early chemistry between Rich Nash and David Krejci is define season undeniable 1101599 Detroit Red Wings fight hard, but fall short at , 4-3 1101600 Red Wings reveal which soups they'd throw, which ones 1101563 Sabres punch back too late against Panthers they'd duck 1101564 The Wraparound: Panthers 4, Sabres 1 1101601 Red Wings’ Athanasiou coming of age as goals mount 1101565 Sabres Notebook: Nelson, Antipin pair well; Rodrigues 1101602 Red Wings shoot selves in foot, suffer 4-3 setback to Jets injured 1101603 Detroit Red Wings at Winnipeg Jets live chat 1101566 Inside the Sabres: It comes down to a matter of respect 1101604 Stockpile of Red Wings draft picks will 'significantly' 1101567 Mike Harrington's NHL power rankings change Griffins 1101568 Five Things to Know as Sabres visit 1101605 Former Red Wings enforcer Darren McCarty coming to 1101569 Inside the NHL: Final words on the complex Evander Kane Mitten Brewing Company puzzle 1101606 Patrik Laine scores twice as Jets top Red Wings Flames Oilers 1101570 is coming to Calgary but not to talk about a 1101607 Oilers need to handle Bear's development new Flames arena carefully 1101571 Francis: Bettman has a solution for the Olympics, not for 1101608 Former Edmontonian David Poile returns home to claim an arena most all-time wins as an NHL general manager 1101572 Bettman has no news, no updates on new arena during 1101609 battling harder, but need to be smarter Calgary visit 1101612 Edmonton Oilers Game Day: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 1101573 Flames walking wounded making progress; Ferland and probable against visiting Rangers Versteeg skating 1101613 Lowetide: Is Cam Talbot secure as the Oilers No. 1 1101574 Lawsuit against Flames and Dennis Wideman sent to NHL goalie? for arbitration 1101614 Just how good would an all-hindsight Edmonton Oilers 1101575 Game Day: What you need to know as Flames take on roster be? Rangers 1101576 Francis: Flames treatment of ref led to questionable call 1101577 Flames put up another stinker at home against Rangers 1101578 Flames prospect update: Glenn Gawdin, the machine 1101579 Regardless of how his time in Calgary turns out, Chris Stewart is already a success 1101580 Five takeaways from the Hurricanes’ 3-1 win over Devils 1101581 Jordan Staal is back, and the Hurricanes need him as much as he needs them 1101582 Canes find a way to beat Devils, win 3-1 Florida Panthers 1101615 Barkov, Reimer help Panthers top Sabres 4-1 for 5th 1101646 What does Brett Brown think about Joshua Harris straight dragging Sixers, Devils into Donald Trump Russia 1101616 With Evander Kane out of Buffalo, Panthers downplay investigation rematch against Sabres: 'The main culprit's not here' 1101647 New Jersey Devils vs. Carolina Hurricanes: LIVE score 1101617 How the Panthers have turned around their season since updates and chat (3/2/18) the All-Star break 1101648 Here's a line Trump can use with Jared Kushner: You're 1101618 The Next Day Look: Florida Panthers 3, New Jersey fired! | Editorial Devils 2 1101649 Why goals started finding net for Devils' Kyle Palmieri 1101619 Panthers win again, push winning streak to season-high 1101650 Devils' lines vs. Hurricanes (3/2/18) | How Keith Kinkaid five games by beating Sabres used dud to spark best run of season 1101651 How Cory Schneider felt in return | 6 observations from Devils' loss to Panthers 1101620 Kings' Tanner Pearson finally sees his hard work pay 1101652 'We need more from everyone who's not Taylor Hall' | 6 dividends observations from Devils' loss to Hurricanes 1101621 Anze Kopitar lifting Kings with top-of-his-game play 1101653 Devils not sharp again in 3-1 loss to Hurricanes | Rapid 1101622 MARCH 2 PRACTICE NOTES: LEWIS TALKS; THE reaction SUBTLETIES OF PLAYING WITH PACE 1101654 When Devils Miles Wood knew he had taken next step as 1101623 STEVENS ON PEARSON’S NET-FRONT PRESENCE, player LEWIS, PHANEUF-MARTINEZ, BLACKHAWKS 1101655 Panthers 3, Devils 2: Post-game observations - 1101624 WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: MARCH 2 Understanding a missed opportunity 1101656 aylor Hall extends streak to 17 games but Devils fall to Hurricanes, 3-1 1101625 Wild aims to split back-to-back vs. Avalanche 1101657 Devils Live Blog: Hurricanes top Devils, 3-1 - Taylor Hall 1101626 Wild can't slow down speedy Avalanche in 7-1 shellacking extends point streak 1101627 Luke Kunin returns from AHL to supply spark for Wild 1101628 Wild-Colorado game recap 1101629 Lopsided loss to Avalanche puts dent in Wild's recent 1101658 Islanders give up three goals in third, fall to Canadiens progress 1101659 How Isles star gained inside track to NHL’s top rookie 1101630 MacKinnon has 5 points in Avs' 7-1 rout of Wild honor 1101631 Who’s next in Wild youth movement with top prospect 1101660 The trades that weren’t made reveal the NHL’s real Luke Kunin back up? problem 1101632 Wild taken to school in ’embarrassing’ 7-1 loss to rival 1101661 Islanders can’t afford for it to keep going like this Avalanche 1101662 Doug Weight shuffles Isles’ lines with Jordan Eberle out hurt 1101663 Islanders on perilous five-game skid with loss to 1101633 Alex Galchenyuk’s hat trick leads Canadiens past Canadiens Islanders 1101634 What the Puck: With GM Bergevin at Canadiens' helm, another reef looms 1101664 Henrik Lundqvist carries Rangers to win over Flames on 1101635 Canadiens at Islanders: Five things to watch his 36th birthday 1101636 Canadiens at Boston Bruins: Five things you should know 1101665 Young Rangers players have chance to step up into 1101637 Alex Galchenyuk's hat trick leads Canadiens to road win leadership roles in light of trades over Islanders 1101666 A suddenly senior Ranger has lost his friends, but not 1101638 In the Habs' Room: 'I got the bounces tonight,' Alex vision Galchenyuk says of his 3-goal game 1101667 Rangers’ 25-year-old ‘veteran’ embracing expanded role 1101639 Basu: Alex Galchenyuk, a veteran in a young man’s body 1101668 Henrik Lundqvist’s 50-save birthday outing propels 1101640 Three things we learned in New York Rangers 1101641 Mike Reilly and Charlie Lindgren reunited with the 1101669 Traded Rangers reunited in Tampa and find themselves in Canadiens playoff contention 1101642 Brown: Ranking the top-28 Canadiens prospects 1101670 survives Rangers’ purge, and glad he stayed 1101671 Henrik Lundqvist totals 50 saves again as Rangers top 1101643 Predators' Mike Fisher to debut Friday against Vancouver Flames Canucks 1101644 Predators honored to share in David Poile's record- Ottawa Senators breaking achievement 1101672 Sens coach Guy Boucher says Golden Knights have the 1101645 Predators defeat Canucks, make wholesale changes to same attitude his team did last year lineup in Mike Fisher's return 1101673 Game Day: Ottawa Senators at Arizona Coyotes 1101674 Mark Stone is focused on finishing season strong for the Senators 1101675 Senators' Mark Stone isn't sure if he'll answer Team 's call 1101676 Senators fan base growing increasingly frustrated with team owner Eugene Melnyk 1101677 Senators ready for tough test from Golden Knights 1101678 Senators score a victory over 1101679 Gordon: Senators need more resources, new voices to lead major rebuild 1101680 New-look Flyers entering critical stage 1101733 Jason Botchford: If Canucks hope to improve, defence 1101681 Who's odd man out when returns? needs an overhaul 1101682 Gostisbehere's plan to honor Parkland survivors 1101734 Canucks Game Day: Predators pushing the pace in wild 1101683 What Dave Hakstol means when he values 'veteran West presence' 1101735 Canucks Post Game: | The Province 1101736 Predators 4, Canucks 3 (OT): Daniel delivery not enough, Baertschi hurt again 1101684 Penguins not fazed by current three-game losing streak 1101737 Ed Willes: Caps send popular Parker packing believing 1101685 Penguins Matt Hunwick on his play: 'Overall, it's been team is upgraded alright' 1101738 The Provies: The Power of Positivity, Edler breaks a 1101686 6-7 Jamie Oleksiak on fighting 6-9 Zdeno Chara: 'Wasn't record, and Melnyk Mania breaks out at Rogers Arena fun being on the other side' 1101739 Well-traveled man: Thomas Vanek brings his Cup dreams 1101687 Penguins recall forward Dominik Simon — and a reputation — to Blue Jackets 1101688 Penguins goalie Matt Murray, out with concussion, skates 1101740 What could the Canucks' forward lines look like next before practice season? Here's a very early glimpse 1101689 Derick Brassard is 0-2 as a Penguin since coming over 1101741 Q&A with standout Utica rookie Zack MacEwen, who has last week in a from Ottawa. 1 a message for all the longshots 1101690 Penguins recall Dominik Simon from AHL Wilkes- Barre/Scranton Vegas Golden Knights 1101691 Penguins goalie Matt Murray works out at the UPMC 1101714 Chemistry lesson for Golden Knights after loss: Play Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry. 1 harder 1101715 Senators send Golden Knights to third straight loss, 5-4 1101716 Nate Schmidt, James Neal miss Golden Knights’ game 1101692 Takeaways: Kane is giving Sharks the speed they needed 1101717 Live Blog: Theodore returns for Golden Knights against 1101693 Sharks: Kane’s arrival, Pavelski’s ascendency has San Senators Jose rolling 1101718 'We are a lazy team right now': Golden Knights frustrated 1101694 Sharks use 4-goal period to bury Chicago after third-straight loss 1101695 Surging Sharks couldn't have asked for more to start vital six-game homestand 1101696 Sharks look to Europe for another free agent find 1101719 Mighty winds leave Capitals, Maple Leafs wondering about impact on outdoor game St Louis Blues 1101720 ‘I know he’ll be there with us’: Outdoor game at Navy has 1101697 Berglund says his benching by Yeo was 'the right call' extra meaning for NBC’s Kathryn Tappen 1101698 Getting benched was 'the right call,' Berglund says 1101721 T.J. Oshie has a special connection to his first outdoor 1101699 A lot on the line for Blues against Dallas game 1101722 Capitals prepare for outdoor game with indoor practice; Holtby to start Saturday 1101700 TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING Goaltender interference 1101723 The Stadium Series presents Caps with a unique continues to puzzle Lightning challenge: Weather 1101701 Goalie interference confuses Lightning, others 1101724 Of course Braden Holtby will start in Saturday's Stadium Series game 1101725 Saturday's Stadium Series lineup comes into focus 1101702 Babcock blows away negativity with cheery forecast for 1101726 NHL Awards tracker: Can Ovechkin make his Hart case in outdoor game the Stadium Series? 1101703 Flames’ financial situation ‘continues to deteriorate’ due to old arena: Bettman Websites 1101704 Leafs’ outdoor game looking likely to be a Windy Classic 1101742 The Athletic / On 25th anniversary of return from cancer, 1101705 NHL’s outdoor games are still must-watch television Mario Lemieux still leaves onlookers in awe 1101706 T.J. Oshie has a special connection to his first outdoor 1101743 The Athletic / LeBrun: Vegas showed how to handle the game trade deadline when you are an expansion team and a 1101707 Saturday NHL game preview: Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Cup Washington Capitals 1101744 The Athletic / Mirtle: Are the Maple Leafs justified in 1101708 Babcock and Maple Leafs salute military on both sides of jacking up their ticket prices? border 1101745 The Athletic / By the numbers: Taylor Hall making a case 1101709 To heck with Mother Nature, Maple Leafs need to blow by for league MVP Capitals 1101746 The Athletic / Duhatschek Notebook: Impressive ticket 1101710 Leafs ready for whatever the elements bring in outdoor drive has Seattle on track for 2020, finding the next Wi game vs Capitals 1101747 The Athletic / Basu: Alex Galchenyuk, a veteran in a 1101711 Leafs coach Babcock: This outdoor game is 'much more young man’s body special' 1101748 .ca / Alex Edler's special night comes after years 1101712 Mirtle: Are the Maple Leafs justified in jacking up their of consistent play ticket prices? 1101749 Sportsnet.ca / Weather wreaking havoc ahead of Maple 1101713 Marlies rookie Jeremy Bracco finds mentor in roommate Leafs-Capitals outdoor game Rich Clune Websites cont'd 1101750 Sportsnet.ca / Gary Bettman talks Calgary arena, Seattle expansion ticket drive, future Olympics 1101751 Sportsnet.ca / Why Taylor Hall is firmly in the conversation for the Hart Trophy 1101752 Sportsnet.ca / Maple Leafs' Kadri on why he clicks with Marner, Marleau 1101753 Sportsnet.ca / Quick Shifts: Why trade seeds can get planted in summer 1101754 Sportsnet.ca / How the has made every NHL team a buyer on the trade market 1101755 Sportsnet.ca / Prospect Report: Pipeline strongest on the blue line 1101756 Sportsnet.ca / Winnipeg Jets Prospect Report: The fallout from a big trade deadline 1101757 TSN.CA / Leafs batten down the hatches ahead of outdoor game 1101758 TSN.CA / No fear for Maple Leafs in peaking too early 1101759 TSN.CA / Snapshot: Predators pull back into top spot 1101760 TSN.CA / WHL to examine allegations by former players of scholastic fraud, refusal of medical treatment 1101761 TSN.CA / Statistically Speaking: Krejci leads Bruins to wild win 1101762 TSN.CA / Statistically Speaking: Three quarter NHL awards 1101763 TSN.CA / Melnyk preaching patience in massive PR shift 1101764 TSN.CA / Eugene Melnyk's letter to Senator fans 1101765 USA TODAY / Flyers' Shayne Gostisbehere will meet with Stoneman Douglas hockey team Winnipeg Jets 1101727 SUNDAYJets at Hurricanes, 6 p.m.TV: SportsnetRadio: TSN 1290 1101728 Mr. Snarl brings his charisma -- and success -- to AC Milan 1101729 Not just another ordinary Joe 1101730 Laine pots a pair as Jets top Red Wings 4-3 1101731 Mason eyes return to Jets crease 1101732 What does Winnipeg really have in deadline acquisition Joe Morrow?

SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1101545 Anaheim Ducks

Ducks keep rolling with win over Blue Jackets 4-2

By MIKE COPPINGER MAR 02, 2018 | 11:00 PM

No , no problem. The Ducks were forced to play without Ryan Getzlaf, who's produced 42 points in 40 games, after he was stricken by the flu. Getzlaf is a perennial All-Star, but the Ducks still got the job done without him with a 4-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday at Honda Center. The Blue Jackets struck first, but the Ducks responded moments later with a goal of their own, and it was all Anaheim as the Ducks scored four unanswered goals. With the win, the Ducks have scored points in six of their last seven games as they push for the playoffs with just 17 games remaining. "It was a good, resilient win by our team in terms of missing our best player," said Andrew Cogliano, who scored a short-handed breakaway goal in the second after stealing the puck from All-Sar winger Artemi Panarin. "That says a lot about the guys that are here and it says a lot about the guys who have come in and responded." Getzlaf was out, but the Ducks welcomed back starting goaltender John Gibson, who missed three games with a lower-body injury. He was stout in net, with 34 saves on 36 shots for his first victory since Feb. 19. There were also two newcomers to the lineup: Jason Chimera and Chris Kelly, who both joined the Ducks on Monday. The veterans, acquired for their playoff experience and speed, formed two-thirds of a newly constructed fourth unit. But it was the Ducks' lone All-Star this season, Rickard Rakell, who again inflicted damage. The Swede scored two goals in the final 21 seconds on Sunday against Edmonton to ensure the Ducks came away with one point in a shootout loss, and he also completed his first career hat trick in the same game. Rakell was back at it again Friday with the Ducks' first goal of the game, a backhanded rebound just 38 seconds after the Blue Jackets made it 1-0. Cam Fowler added a goal in the third period — the Ducks' final of the game — off a feed from Adam Henrique, who continues to pile up points after coming over in a late November trade. But it was the kill that sealed Columbus' fate. Less than a minute-and-a-half after Cogliano converted on the short- handed attempt, it was Josh Manson, fresh out of the penalty box, who had the puck waiting for him off a beautiful outlet pass from Francois Beauchemin. Manson deked Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky — the reigning Vezina Trophy winner — on the breakaway and then finished on the backside, a deflating goal for a Columbus team that finished 0-4 on the power play. "You can't win in the league with porous penalty killing," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "Usually your goaltender's your No. 1 penalty killer, but again, it's about acclimating some new people into the lineup, starting with the puck, get those 200-foot clears and outwork the opposition's power play." Recently, the Ducks have been outworking a lot of teams, no matter the scenario.

LA Times: LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101546 Anaheim Ducks has played in two games since the Blue Jackets picked up the former Pittsburgh defender from Ottawa.

Right wing Josh Anderson (18 goals) will be a key loss as he will be Ducks Gameday: John Gibson moves past injury to start vs. Blue Jackets sidelined for up to four weeks due to a knee injury. Young forward Oliver Bjorkstrand (10 goals, 22 assists) has assumed a large role for the Blue Jackets, who’ve also moved veteran Boone Jenner (six goals in 57 By ERIC STEPHENS | [email protected] | Orange County Register games) down in the lineup. PUBLISHED: March 2, 2018 at 3:18 pm | UPDATED: March 2, 2018 at Mark Letestu scored a goal in his first game back with Columbus after 4:00 PM spending the last three seasons with Edmonton. Letestu, who had five goals and six assists for the Oilers in last season’s playoffs, played four years with the Jackets during his first turn with the franchise. ANAHEIM –- The Ducks will welcome their top goalie back to action and integrate the latest two members of their team into the lineup Friday night when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets at Honda Center. Orange County Register: LOADED: 03.03.2018 John Gibson (22-15-6, 2.51 GAA, .925 SV%) gets back into the net after a three-game absence due to a lower-body injury suffered on Feb. 19 at Vegas. It was the fifth game that Gibson had to leave early due to injury. He had a six-game stretch where he had a 1.72 goals-against average and .945 save percentage between periods where he was sidelined. Veteran forwards Jason Chimera and Chris Kelly will make their team debut after being acquired earlier in the week. The Ducks (31-21-12) got Chimera, 38, from the New York Islanders for Chris Wagner and signed Kelly, 37, to a pro-rated $1.25-million contract for the remainder of the season. Chimera and Kelly will be centered by Derek Grant on Friday as part of a reconstituted fourth line. The two forwards have over 1,900 NHL games between them but Ducks coach Randy Carlyle wants them to “just basically be themselves.” “I talked to the line as a whole and said, ‘Hey, we’re not expecting anything other than your ‘A’ game,” Carlyle said. “We want to grind. We want to create offensive zone time. We don’t want to be icing the puck on a regular basis. We want you guys to make a contribution in that area. “Possibly kill penalties. Do those kinds of things. The offense will come. We’re not expecting it to drive the offense but we’re expecting to make a contribution to it.” Kelly won a Stanley Cup with Boston in 2011 and served as Canada’s captain in the recent Winter Olympics. He was eager to move right into another situation where he would play meaningful games. “It’s been a bit of a whirlwind the last few days or so,” said Kelly, who played all 82 games for Ottawa last season. “I’m definitely excited to be here. It was nice to get a practice under my belt yesterday. I look forward to tonight.” The Ducks are coming off a four-day schedule break but managed to stay in position for the second wild card in the Western Conference despite being idle. In the battle for playoff spots out of the Pacific Division, second-place San Jose has a five-point edge while the third- place Kings hold a three-point cushion. With the additions to the fourth line, the Ducks will scratch forwards Antoine Vermette and J.T. Brown. Defenseman Kevin Bieksa will sit for the fourth time in seven games as the club continues to transition him to a part-time role. Sergei Bobrovsky (27-20-5, 2.41 GAA, .920 SV%) will get the start in goal for the Blue Jackets as they continue their three-game road trip to California. Cam Atkinson and Seth Jones scored first-period goals for Columbus on Thursday but surrendered the final five in a loss to the Kings at Staples Center. Joonas Korpisalo allowed all five goals on 34 shots faced. With two goals and five points in his last three games, Jones needs just two more scores and another point to tie his career highs of 12 goals and 42 points that were set last season. Jones and Zach Werenski (11 goals, 16 assists) form one of the top defense pairings in the NHL. “They bring a lot of offense,” Carlyle said. “And they come [up ice] a lot. But I think that’s trending in the game. I don’t think it’s that much different than most teams. I think we’re a team that has a Cam Fowler and [Brandon] Montour that likes to join the rush. We play that way. “I think the L.A. Kings have that. I think the Columbus Blue Jackets have it. Everybody has that back end that is mobile. That’s the new-age defenseman in the league. And I think they’re no different. They’re obviously skilled players and very talented players.” Columbus had winger Thomas Vanek and defenseman Ian Cole in its lineup Thursday. Vanek made his debut after being acquired from Vancouver and did not register a point in 13 ½ minutes of action. Cole 1101547 Anaheim Ducks “When you win the special teams battle, you usually have a very good chance of winning the game,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. “Though we didn’t deliver on the power play, our penalty killing kept them off the John Gibson, Ducks look rejuvenated in victory over Blue Jackets board. “That was a big turning point, momentum-wise, when we get a shorty. Manson follows up with another one. Two goals made the difference and By ERIC STEPHENS | [email protected] | Orange County Register turned everything in our favor.” PUBLISHED: March 2, 2018 at 10:10 pm | UPDATED: March 2, 2018 at The first two stops of Blue Jackets’ trip through California have seen 11:42 PM them unravel after grabbing the lead. On Thursday, Cam Atkinson and Seth Jones staked them to a 2-0 lead against the Kings before they watched the hosts score five unanswered to win going away. ANAHEIM — An effective penalty kill for the Ducks turned dangerous Sonny Milano gave them another lead to work with Friday as he jumped Friday night and the Columbus Blue Jackets became its victim. on a puck that popped free in the slot area on Zach Werenski’s shot- created rebound. The easy put-away with Gibson out of position gave Andrew Cogliano scored a short-handed goal and Josh Manson Columbus its lead 13:28 into the first. delivered on another breakaway after coming out of the penalty box to power the Ducks to an eventual 4-2 victory at Honda Center. That edge lasted all of 36 seconds. Rakell has run hot and cold with his scoring but his first career hat trick Sunday blasted him out of a nine- John Gibson returned to make 34 saves after a three-game absence to game funk. He got the Ducks even with a nifty backhand over injury, while Rickard Rakell and Cam Fowler also scored as the Ducks Bobrovsky’s right shoulder for his team-leading 26th of the season. (32-21-12) did their part to maintain their standing as the second wild- card team in the Western Conference playoff race after Colorado had The sudden change became a theme the energized Ducks happily briefly passed them by routing Minnesota. carried into the game-changing second period. “Everybody knows how tight it gets this time of the season,” said “I think we wanted to make sure we held ourselves accountable,” Gibson Manson, whose goal came less than 90 seconds after Cogliano’s. said. “When we get two days off to kind of reset and rest, that we want to “Especially in this division. Guys see it. Guys see the points and how make sure we came and worked hard in two days of practice and we other teams are doing. We know that we control our fate if we put our wanted to follow it up with a good game. I thought we did a pretty good best foot forward and go out and win games. That’s the only way we’re job of that. It was good.” going to make it.”

The Ducks, who are 5-1-1 in their last seven games, played without Ryan Getzlaf – a late scratch due to the flu – but they didn’t need their big playmaker. Cogliano was creating enough on his own, with his biggest contribution putting him right behind Paul Kariya in the club’s record Orange County Register: LOADED: 03.03.2018 books. Four days away from game action clearly refreshed what had become a weary group but it seemed to refill the tank of the speedy Cogliano, who appeared to have found an extra gear during the break. The winger was skating with newfound tenacity and the effort paid off in a decisive second period. Dealing with a penalty kill after Manson was sent off for interference, Cogliano circled around like a hawk as the Blue Jackets attempted to move the puck up ice. Artemi Panarin skated over a return pass and Cogliano jumped on the gift in the Columbus zone. Many high-quality chances have gone unfulfilled for Cogliano this season but not this one. His seventh goal, which snapped a 15-game drought, was the product of him seeing Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky open up his pads ever so slightly and then sliding the puck between them. With the goal, Cogliano moves his total of short-handed goals with the Ducks to 15 and within one of Kariya’s franchise record. “I thought I’d maybe surprise him,” Cogliano said. “I was a little off balance but sometimes when he doesn’t see you with your head up looking at where you want to shoot, it works out better for you. It was a good goal. “I think just a matter of getting one for the team. The big part is the win. We had Getzy out. The most important thing is winning.” If the winger had more finish in his game, he might have multiple 20-goal seasons. Other great chances were created, notably two more that Bobrovsky had to make stops on. But this successful dagger broke a 1-1 tie and the momentum was clearly on the Ducks’ side. “I’ve had chances all year,” Cogliano said. “I don’t think offensively I’ve had a lot of pucks go in the net this year but I think I’ve been creating the same amount as last year. I think that’s just how it is sometimes. “You know I’m not going to change how I play the game. I think I’m here for a reason. I have to play the game the right away every night and do a job and play good defensively. When you have an opportunity to make them count in big games like this, it feels good.” As they took care of the rest of Manson’s penalty, Francois Beauchemin spotted the defenseman leaving the box and got a long outlet pass off the boards to him. Manson saw what Cogliano did earlier and also put the puck through Bobrovsky’s five hole for a 3-1 edge. “It’s what you dream about when you’re in the penalty box,” Manson said. After a rough patch for three weeks, the Ducks’ penalty kill has been outstanding. Four more Columbus power plays were erased Friday, making them successful in 20 straight and 29 of their last 30. 1101548 Anaheim Ducks Orange County Register: LOADED: 03.03.2018 Chris Kelly ready to add a Ducks chapter to his memorable year

By ERIC STEPHENS | [email protected] | Orange County Register PUBLISHED: March 2, 2018 at 8:54 pm | UPDATED: March 2, 2018 at 11:35 PM

ANAHEIM — If there was any doubt Chris Kelly felt there was plenty of competitive hockey left in him, consider the lengths to which he went to stay in the game. There was a tryout with Edmonton that seemed to go well but didn’t end with a contract. There was Ottawa, the team he broke in with 14 years ago, reaching out but only to get him connected with their affiliate in Belleville, . And with the NHL keeping its players out of the Winter Olympics, Kelly found himself under consideration for Team Canada and playing in the Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland in what was essentially an audition for potential duty in Pyeongchang. As it turned out, Kelly’s work in South Korea doubled as an audition for possible entry back into the NHL. His first day with the Ducks was Thursday. “Yeah, I wasn’t quite sure,” Kelly said. “I spoke to my agent (Pat Morris) a few times. I kind of wanted to stay in the bubble. I just said if there’s something to be worked out, that’d be fantastic. But just (wait) for after the fact, so I could stay focused with what I needed to do. “He did a great job throughout to get this opportunity and get a chance to play here.” Kelly, 37, made his Ducks debut Friday against Columbus. Playing with Antoine Vermette and another new acquisition in Jason Chimera, the Toronto native was in a familiar fourth-line grinding role that he’s been effective enough in to build an NHL career that’s now at 834 games. Unbeknownst to him, Kelly had popped up on the radar of Ducks general manager Bob Murray before the opportunity to play for his country was too good to pass up. “It awakened when we heard how well he did in Edmonton’s camp,” Murray said. “I talked a little bit with Pat Morris about bringing him in when he went to Belleville. And then he got excited about being in the Olympics, which I don’t blame one bit. “We weren’t the only team, just so everybody knows that. He wanted to go play in the Olympics. Good for him. And I thought that he played very well there.” In watching him during the Olympics, Murray said he saw a player who had fully recovered from a broken femur that had limited him to 11 games in 2015-16. He has been durable otherwise and the full 82-game schedule he played with Ottawa after the injury last season showed that. The Ducks signed Kelly to a pro-rated $1.25 million for the rest of this season. However it goes for him, there will always be Pyeongchang and the honor of being Canada’s captain and bringing back a bronze medal. It wasn’t just about playing. With the NHL’s best relegated to staying in North America, Kelly wanted to make the most of a rare opportunity with the national team. An avid collector of sticks and other equipment from “the good players,” Kelly came home with his name on Olympic memorabilia. “Maybe I got to appreciate it a little bit more because of my age,” Kelly said. “Maybe in younger days, I would have just stayed in a shell and just tried to focus. This time, I tried to enjoy my surroundings. The opening ceremonies and getting to know the other athletes in other sports. Getting to know my teammates. Enjoying the camp in Latvia before that. “Making a new experience and ultimately coming away with a medal was unbelievable.” Ryan Getzlaf’s bout with the flu allowed Vermette to get back in the lineup after it appeared he would be scratched for a second straight game. Derek Grant was bumped up to the top line with Rickard Rakell and Corey Perry as Ducks coach Randy Carlyle wanted to keep his other two lines together. Defenseman Kevin Bieksa sat for the fourth time in seven games as the club continues to transition him to a part-time role. J.T. Brown was the other healthy scratch. 1101549 Arizona Coyotes want to see what he can do. Eventually, if there’s injuries we’ll call some guys up. But at this time we’re going to go with this lineup.”

Dauphin has not played with the Coyotes this season after being Arizona Coyotes look to continue hot streak against struggling Ottawa acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 10. Senators Raanta vs. Kuemper

Goaltender Antti Raanta is the probable starter for Saturday’s game Richard Morin, azcentral sports Published 6:14 p.m. MT March 2, 2018 against the Senators, although Tocchet would not make a definite determination following Friday’s practice. After taking down a team riding a five-game winning streak on Thursday, Tocchet said he wants to get Raanta some consistent play down the the Coyotes will now welcome a team that carried a five-game losing stretch but also wants newly acquired backstop Darcy Kuemper to get his streak into Friday night's action. feet wet with the Coyotes. Just two days after Arizona mounted a comeback to dispatch the red-hot “We haven’t decided,” Tocchet said. “I definitely want to get (Raanta) Minnesota Wild, a reeling Ottawa Senators club, which played in Las going a bit, but I also want to get Kuemper in. I like our goaltending duo Vegas on Friday night, meet the Coyotes, who wrap up their seven-game right now.” homestand at Gila River Arena. “It’s always tough to play those,” Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said of Arizona Republic LOADED: 03.03.2018 back-to-backs on the road. “And we’ve had those a couple times this year, the back-to-back with travel. It’s a short flight, but the thing with Ottawa is they have dangerous guys. You’ve got to remember that they were one goal from going to the last year. They don’t have exactly the same team, but they still have a lot of pieces there. “They’re always a dangerous team and especially when they have a guy like (defenseman Erik) Karlsson back there. We don’t take anybody for granted.” The Senators (52 points) entered play Friday with the third-fewest points in the NHL ahead of the Buffalo Sabres (51) and the Coyotes (48). Still, Tocchet was quick to point out that Ottawa has firepower in their lineup. During one of Arizona’s several East Coast trips in the first two months of the season, the Coyotes notched a 3-2 overtime victory in Ottawa on Nov. 18 behind a hat trick from now-traded winger Anthony Duclair. Tocchet remembers the Senators as playing a highly competitive game. “It was a fast game,” Tocchet said. “Ottawa plays a fast game. It was actually an exciting game, I thought, for the fans. But I thought both teams played a speed game. There was good goaltending, a lot of chances and I think there was a couple power plays. It was good and I thought it was fun to watch. “And when you play Ottawa, they’ve got (Mike) Hoffman, (Mark) Stone and those guys can really put the puck in the net.” Karlsson, the Senators’ star defenseman, was the most-discussed commodity at last week’s NHL trade deadline. But the Swedish defenseman is still in Ottawa and still putting up points at a high clip. “He can play so much,” Tocchet said of Karlsson, who is second on the team with 44 points this season. “When he’s on the ice, he can control the play. He defends by having the puck on his stick. … He’s a world- class talent.” When asked if he sees similarities between Karlsson and Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson — who is also from Sweden and is good friends with Karlsson — Tocchet said there are indeed some parallels. “Yeah, a little bit,” Tocchet said. “(Oliver) is a little bit bigger, but yeah. They both see the ice well and they both have a quick wrist shot. They both can log minutes; we play (Oliver) quite a bit, too. Seems like Sweden turns out some really good hockey players. Niklas (Hjalmarsson) would probably be the godfather of all those guys.” Rinaldo day-to-day Coyotes forward Zac Rinaldo is nursing an upper-body injury and is day- to-day, according to Tocchet. Rinaldo did not practice with the team on Friday. “He’s just day-to-day,” Tocchet said. “He’s got some bumps and bruises here that he’s trying to heal, so he’s just day-to-day. (Rinaldo being a healthy scratch of late) has nothing to do with his play. It’s more of an injury thing. Dauphin’s role Tocchet also said he’s looking for opportunities to get center Laurent Dauphin into game action, but acknowledged his happiness with the current chemistry of his lineup. “Eventually, yeah,” Tocchet said of getting Dauphin into the lineup. “I’m not sure when he’s going to get in. I like the chemistry of the lines right now and with what’s going on. But he’s going to see some time and I 1101550 Boston Bruins With only 2.2 seconds remaining in the period, Riley Sheahan, ex- of Notre Dame, barreled up the left side and hammered a 30-footer slapper off the wing, Rask again too slow to react. Bruins show they measure up with blowout of Penguins The last time two teams combined for eight goals in the opening 20:00 on Causeway Street: March 10, 1977, when the Bruins gorged themselves on a 6-2 lead over the Rangers in the first and rolled to a 10-3 By Kevin Paul Dupont shellacking of the Blueshirts. GLOBE STAFF MARCH 2, 2018 The Bruins piled on three more goals in the second period, including the pair by Krejci for his hat trick, to put it away.

Krejci scored his second of the night at 2:16 on a power play, on a play The Bruins billed the visit by Penguins to the Garden Thursday night as a that started with a slapper from Holden. Krejci made an easy bunt in from measuring stick, and in the end it proved an eye-popping growth spurt, the right side. Bruins, 6-3. the Black and Gold filling up the net with eight goals — three from David Krejci, two from David Pastrnak — in a stunning 8-4 beatdown of the With 5:27 left in the period, Krejci was back for No. 3, finishing off a pretty back-to-back Cup champions. backhand-forehand move at the left post after Gionta slid a pass across form the right side. The thrashing included the most goals by the Bruins this season, and it was aided by three of their recent trade deadline acquisitions, Rick Nash, The beatdown continued at 17:40 when Pastrnak potted his second of Brian Gionta, and , combining for one goal and four assists the night off a clean feed from captain Zdeno Chara. as the Bruins improved to 39-15-8 on the season. The Pastrnak goal set a season high for the Bruins, who twice previously The Bruins’ power play, stymied in the previous three games (0 for 18), had scored seven goals this season. They hadn’t filled the net with eight clicked for three goals, contributing to a night when the Bruins out- goals since shutting out the Leafs, 8-0, March 19, 2012. Penguined the Penguins, scoring at will on the power play and outshooting the visitors, 38-26. “Today, yesterday morning, and the morning before that,” said coach Boston Globe LOADED: 03.03.2018 Bruce Cassidy, reviewing how often he had talked about his squad’s sputtering power play in recent days. “We executed better. That’s a start, right? You make good passes, win pucks, play in the offense end, force the team to defend . . . and we made some great heads-up plays.” The Bruins poured in five goals in the first period and three more in the second, the period in which Krejci, looking ever more comfortable with Nash on his right wing, popped in his second and third of the night. The one spot of concern for the Bruins was Tuukka Rask, their franchise tender, who struggled in the first, giving up three goals on the Penguins’ first six shots. What should have been a laugher with a handful of goals in the bank, instead was only a 5-3 lead after the first 20:00. “I mean, we won, I’m happy to be on this side . . . my God,” said Rask, trying to find some humor amid his frustration. “First period, I thought we were playing with white pucks there. The only time I saw the puck was when I dug it out of the net. So I had some Red Bull during the intermission there and actually made a couple of saves after that — not bad.” The first period, from an offensive standpoint, was a gift from the ’80s, back in the day when the scoring was easy and plentiful, especially if you played with an Oiler drop on the front of your sweater. The Bruins poured in their five goals in the opening 16:07, with strikes by: ■ Krejci, 1:45 ■ Pastrnak, 2:53 ■ Nash, 5:27 ■ David Backes, 12:49 ■ Torey Krug, 16:07 It felt like the old building on Causeway Street, where the Bruins once had the kind of firepower, particularly in the era, to ragdoll their opponent up and down the street. Rarely, though, was the ragdoll a two-time Cup champ. For all their faults — and there were many — the Penguins actually held a brief 1-0 lead when Olli Maatta blew a slapper by an unprepared Rask only 35 seconds into the action. Krejci, Pastrnak, and Nash then followed with their three in a span of less than four minutes to forge the 3-1 lead before ex-Bruin Phil Kessel pulled the Penguins to within one on yet another softy against Rask. Parked off the right post after the Penguins had just killed a power play, Kessel poked one by Rask on the short side, the Boston goaltender simply failing to close off the right post. When the lead reached 3-1, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan swapped out starting goalie Casey DeSmith, ex- of UNH, and called on Tristan Jarry to manage the carnage. Backes and Krug then connected for their goals, Nos. 4 and 5 of the night, to pile up what looked like a comfy lead. But there would be no comfort in the first. 1101551 Boston Bruins

Bruins rookie Danton Heinen staying positive amid slump

By Anthony GuliziaGLOBE CORRESPONDENT MARCH 2, 2018

The Bruins hope that eventually Danton Heinen can look back at this recent stretch as a small bump in an otherwise productive rookie season. Heinen was a healthy scratch in Thursday’s 8-4 blowout win against the Penguins and was replaced by 39-year-old Brian Gionta. Heinen’s minutes were limited during the third period of Tuesday’s 4-3 overtime win against the Hurricanes. Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said the expectation is that Heinen, who has no goals and just one assist in his last nine games, will return to the lineup against the Canadiens on Saturday. “I think, obviously, lately hasn’t gone great for me personally,” Heinen said Friday. “It’s a tough league. You’re going to have your ups and downs and try to limit those as much as possible and be as consistent as you can. That’s my goal, to stay positive, and the team had a big win [Thursday] so hopefully we can go on a roll here.” The first half of the season was proof that Heinen can thrive in the NHL. He spent time on the Bruins’ top line and was one of the team’s more productive forwards. In his first 34 games, Heinen had 10 goals and 18 assists. Since then he has just two goals, but he’s hopeful he can contribute much as he did earlier this season. “You talk to the older guys a little bit and they help you through it,” Heinen said. “I’m not too worried. When I get my chance, I’m just going to try and help the team as much as I can. You see the guys battling and having fun out there and it makes you hungry to get back in.” David Backes has provided strength on the wing since joining the Bruins last season, but the last two games have been a throwback to Backes’s days with the Blues, playing his natural position at center. Riley Nash jumped to the first line in place of Patrice Bergeron, and the domino effect moved Backes from the wing to center on the third line. It’s a position he’ll play for the foreseeable future, at least until Bergeron’s fractured foot is healed, and one Backes has played well in the interim. Backes scored to give the Bruins a 4-2 lead over the Penguins in the first period, won 12 of 21 faceoffs (57.1 percent), and filled Bergeron’s role on the top power-play unit. “More faceoffs for him and he was real good against [Sidney] Crosby,” Cassidy said. “He gets a little bit more responsibility in his own zone, so we’re taking him back in time, I guess.” It’s been a welcome change for Backes, who’s in his 12th season. “I don’t know if I’ve gone back in time, but a steep learning curve right in the mix,” Backes said. “Felt better in the second game [without Bergeron] than I did in the first and hopefully that trend continues. Can’t argue with the results of an 8-4 win. But there’s a little bit more thinking going on, a little bit more hockey sense. All those things are starting to come back and we were effective on the five-on-five shifts we had.” Rest easy Defenseman Charlie McAvoy and forwards Noel Acciari and Riley Nash did not skate with the team during Friday’s practice, but Cassidy said it was just a “maintenance day” for the trio. Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk was also out and is dealing with a lower-body injury, according to Cassidy. Grzelcyk was scratched against the Penguins in favor of Nick Holden, who made his Bruins debut after he was acquired from the Rangers last week. “We’ll probably go with the same six [defensemen], but that could change,” Cassidy said. “Liked Holden’s game, he moved the puck well.” Cassidy did not name a goaltender for Saturday’s game. Tuukka Rask has started the last two.

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Torey Krug basking in offensive success of Bruins defensemen

Rich Thompson Friday, March 02, 2018

Defenseman Torey Krug was the front man in an explosive performance by the Bruins’ back end in Thursday night’s 8-4 victory over the two time Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. The Bruins’ reconfigured blue lines contributed six assists and a goal against the Penguins. Krug led the way with a goal and an assist. Team captain Zdeno Chara and rookie Charlie McAvoy had two assists apiece while newcomer Nick Holden had the other in his Bruins debut. And Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy is counting on continued offensive help from the blue line in when the Bruins host the Montreal Canadiens and aim to sweep the four-game season series with their rivals on Saturday. “Obviously we feel we are a backbone for this team and if we can get involved with the offense it’s an added bonus,” said Krug, whose 41 points this season has him 11th among defenseman in the NHL. “I just think overall our transition game was good, we were cleaner on our breakouts and it led to some offense for us. Obviously it is going to be important down the stretch for us to be a part of it so I’m definitely exited to be a part of this group.” DEVILS BREW Brian Gionta had one thing in common with the veterans in the Bruins locker room before signing a one-year, one-way contract prior to the NHL trade deadline. Gionta played one of his 15 NHL seasons under the direction of Canadiens head coach Claude Julien. Gionta and Julien worked together for one season (2006-07) with the New Jersey Devils. Then Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli hired Julien to become the Bruins coach to replace Dave Lewis. “He was there for a short period of time and we were a first place team but he was let go late in that year,” said Gionta. “I liked him as a coach and as a person but that was a long time ago.” Gionta played in his 1,007 NHL game in his Bruins debut against the Penguins and had two assists. NEEDED REST Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy excused four players from practice for maintenance purposes. Defensemen Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk and forwards Noel Acciari and Riley Nash did not practice but have not been ruled out against the Canadiens. McAvoy suffered a facial laceration from a cheap shot by Pittsburgh right wing Patric Hornqvist. “Today was maintenance for certain individuals,” said Cassidy. “We have five of six guys playing through minor things and we identified today as a day to recuperate and the same with Noel. None of these guys have injuries that would preclude them from playing.” Cassidy said he might put rookie Danton Heinen back on third line in place of either Gionta or Tommy Wingels. Cassidy will make a game day decision to start either Tuukka Rask of Anton Khudobin in goal against the Habs.

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David Backes happy to play his role replacing Patrice Bergeron

Rich Thompson Friday, March 02, 2018

Bruins forward David Backes is rediscovering aspects of his game that were discarded when he left St. Louis Blues. Backes switched from right wing to center on the Bruins’ reconfigured third line and performed his duties diligently in Thursday night’s 8-4 dismemberment of the Pittsburgh Penguins. He will find himself in the same position flanked by either Tommy Wingels and Brian Gionta or rookie Danton Heinen when the Bruins host the Montreal Canadiens Saturday night. “I don’t know if I’ve gone back in time,” said Backes, who was signed a free agent by Boston on July 1, 2016, after 10 season with the Blues. “Maybe it’s a steep learning curve right into the present mix and it felt better in second game than it did in the first. Hopefully that trend continues. But you can’t argue with the results from an 8-4 win.” Bakes was removed from his comfort zone at right wing in the fallout of the recent injury to first line center Patrice Bergeron, who is out for a minimum two weeks with a fractured right foot. Riley Nash was upgraded to first line with Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak leaving a void in the middle of the third unit. Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy is counting on Backes to fill the vacancy with quality minutes until Bergeron’s return. “It’s a huge (adjustment) especially under a bit of a new system and little more thinking going on and a little more hockey sense being used rather than just straight brute force up the wall and winning puck battles and stuff like that,” said Backes. “Faceoffs and timing, all of those things are starting to come back and I think we were effective in the five-on-five shifts we had as a line.” Backes has assumed Bergeron’s place on the Bruins’ first power play unit. The Bruins ended a 0-for-18 skid on the power play against the Penguins, with David Krejci netting two man-advantage goals and Rick Nash another. Cassidy likes to note that “you can’t replace Patrice with one player,” but Backes his doing his part, especially on the power play unit. “He’s gotten a little more responsibility starting in his own zone as the center man so we are taking him back in time and on the first power play for sure,” Cassidy said. “He’s excited to do his part in Bergy’s absence.”

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Charlie McAvoy among Bruins getting maintenance day after win over Penguins

Rich Thompson Friday, March 02, 2018

Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy excused four players for maintenance purposes from this morning’s team practice at Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton. Defensemen Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk and forwards Noel Acciari and Riley Nash did not participate in practice but have not been ruled out for tomorrow night’s clash with the Montreal Canadiens at the TD Garden. McAvoy was on the business end of a cheap shot to the face from Pittsburgh right wing Patric Hornqvist in Thursday night’s 8-4 victory over the reigning Stanley Cup champion Penguins at the Garden. “Today was maintenance for certain individuals,” said Cassidy. “Charlie had a maintenance day and he will be fine tomorrow while Grzelcyk has a lower body (injury) we’ve talked about and give him time for that. “Riley Nash was the same thing, a maintenance day for him. We have five of six guys playing through minor things and we identified today as a day to recuperate and the same with Noel. “None of these guys have injuries that would preclude them from playing.”

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Bruins notebook: Power play gets refueled, scores three times vs. Penguins

Rich Thompson Friday, March 02, 2018

The Bruins’ dormant power play exploded in a red lamp frenzy during last night’s 8-4 victory over the reigning Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins at the Garden. The Bruins were 0-for-18 on the power play over their prior six games. But the B’s reversed course by scoring three power-play goals in five attempts last night, two of which were netted by center David Krejci, who registered his fourth career hat trick. “We executed better and we talked about that and that’s the start,” said B’s coach Bruce Cassidy. “When you make good passes and win pucks in the (offensive) zone and forcing teams to defend, I think that is the start of it, and we made great heads-up plays.” The drought ended when left winger Rick Nash potted his 20th goal of the season and second as a Bruin. With Pens star Evgeni Malkin in the box for interference, Brad Marchand set the play in motion and fed Torey Krug at the top of the right circle. Krug faked a shot and delivered a pass through the crease for Nash’s easy tip-in. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan gave the hook to goalie Casey DeSmith and replaced him with Tristan Jarry. “The last three games we’ve been talking about the drought and keeping it simple,” said Nash. “Whenever any power play struggles, you’ve got to simplify and get the pucks to the net and bodies to the net. That’s when the puck goes in.” The crowd was treated to a heavyweight bout between Pens 6-foot-7 defenseman Jamie Oleksiak and B’s 6-9 captain Zdeno Chara. The big Bruin had been on the ice for just over three minutes when he answered Oleksiak’s challenge to throw down. The giants exchanged repeated haymakers to the head, and the conflict ended with both combatants exhausted and in need of a five-minute break in the cooler. “It was tiring but it is part of the game,” said Chara. “It was important for us not to back down or show weakness, and I thought it was the right timing for us to play that way.” Chara’s partner Charlie McAvoy suffered a bloody slice on the nose from a hit to the face by Pens power forward Patric Hornqvist. Defenseman Nick Holden enjoyed a splendid B’s debut with an assist, four shots and three hits in 20:25 minutes of ice time. He was the first of general manager Don Sweeney’s trade deadline acquisitions, from the Rangers, but he joined a team that had three established blueline pairings in place. Cassidy decided to start Holden in place of Matt Grzelcyk, who was going against the rookie wall and nursing a minor injury. Holden set up Krejci’s second goal with a lucky play from the left point. “We made some great heads-up plays, and the Holden play to Krejci is not one you practice,” said Cassidy. “That is a broke play where you win a puck and you allow your skill to take over, and he makes a great play.” . . . Also making his B’s debut was forward Brian Gionta. In his first action since captaining Team USA in the Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, Gionta had two assists in 13:39 of ice time.

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Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask overcomes poor first period to thwart Penguins at Garden

Steve Hewitt Friday, March 02, 2018

At one end of the ice, the Penguins were pulling Casey DeSmith, their backup rookie goaltender, after he gave up three goals within the first six minutes of the game. On the other end, Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask gave up three in the first period for a second straight game, yet there was no such thought. It was a wild first period last night at the Garden. The Bruins led 5-3 into intermission and Rask himself admitted he was a little rattled, but coach Bruce Cassidy stuck with his goaltender — and the B’s went on to take a huge 8-4 win. Even Rask knew it was a strange opening stanza, but apparently all he needed to do was refuel in the locker room and he was on his way. “I thought we were playing with white pucks there (in the first period),” Rask said. “The only time I saw the puck was when I dug it out of the net. Had some Red Bull in the intermission there and I actually made a couple saves after that, so not bad.” The Penguins scored three times on just seven shots in the first period, including the ice-breaker just 35 seconds into the game, when Olli Maatta was left alone in front after a defensive breakdown. Phil Kessel later scored the second on a tough-angled shot after a Bruins turnover, and Riley Sheahan scored on a 2-on-1 blast that beat Rask shortside with two seconds left in the period. But Cassidy wasn’t about to look for an alternative between the pipes. “No, zero,” Cassidy said when asked if he thought to pull Rask. “Tuukka has to play through some of these games. If he was fatigued in terms of his workload of late, we would look at that.” Rask battled back, and only gave up one goal the rest of the way as he got into more of a rhythm. The Penguins came into the game boasting the NHL’s best power-play unit, but the Bruins killed all four of the visiting team’s man-advantage chances, including one in the middle of the second when Rask made multiple stops. “You want to stay out there as long as you can,” Rask said after his 22- save effort. “We try to battle. When you get no shots, you can’t battle with yourself and make shadow saves. I think you just wait for those pucks to come. I told (Zdeno Chara) in the intermission, I’m like, ‘At some point they’re going to hit me,’ so they started hitting me in the second. It wasn’t pretty for my part, but as a team I thought we played a great game. . . . “I think I was the only guy who was kind of rattled after the first, but everybody was feeling up and we were feeling good about our game.” It helped, too, that the Bruins scored a season-high eight goals to bail out their star goalie. Rask has given up 11 goals over his last three games, but the B’s remain patient as he works out of the funk. “He just has to fight his way through it a little bit here and find his game,” Cassidy said, adding, “The good news is we’re winning.”

Boston Herald LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101557 Boston Bruins If the B’s are to get to where they want to go, Krejci will have to be that kind of impact player he was in the two runs to the Cup finals in 2011 and 2013. In the championship season, he posted 12-11-23 totals in 25 Conroy: With Rick Nash alongside, David Krejci’s game reverts to good, games. In ’13, Krejci had 9-17-26 totals in 22 games. old days With the help of Nash, Krejci could very well get back to those good, old days. Steve Conroy Friday, March 02, 2018 Boston Herald LOADED: 03.03.2018 In discussing the biggest trade acquisition of his still young career as Bruins general manager, Don Sweeney said he hoped obtaining Rick Nash would have the ancillary benefit of giving his new linemate David Krejci a boost. Well, that mission appears to be accomplished. In a matchup that boasted a dash of playoff intensity and an extra helping of preseason goaltending, the Bruins crafty centerman — perhaps the key to their Stanley Cup aspirations — had himself a game, notching his fourth career hat trick in the 8-4 dismantling of the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. It started right off the bat. After a turnover and spotty defensive zone coverage led to a quick Penguins goal and an uh-oh feeling in the Garden, Krejci answered right back — with help from his new friend. Nash, eliciting a buzz from the crowd whenever he touches the puck, took a feed from Zdeno Chara near his own blue line and rumbled up the right wing. Though it looked like he didn’t have much of play on his backhand, Nash made a perfect feed down low to Krejci for the tap-in past Pittsburgh goalie Casey DeSmith. The play made it appear that the two have been playing together for three years, not three games. “It feels really good. Every game it seems like we’re spending a lot of time in the other team’s zone and I think that’s a positive thing. We’ve been OK defensively and better in the offensive zone,” Nash said. “It’s been a great fit. It’s still only three games, but up to those three games, it’s been a great fit so far.” As happy as Krejci is, he said the relationship is still a work in progress. “He takes the puck to the net, he’s a big body, he can skate really well. I’m trying to get a feel for what he can do and try to find that, getting an idea of where he puts the puck,” Krejci said of Nash. “It’s getting better.” How much better can it get remains to be seen, but it’s fun to watch. The Krejci line with Jake DeBrusk and Ryan Spooner was not playing poorly before the trade, but it was closer to being simply OK than it was to being truly impactful. Spooner may have played better than most of us thought he could before being dished in the package to the Rangers, but the dynamic has changed dramatically with the addition of the elite talent Nash, the most complete player Krejci has played with in his career. It has been a while since Krejci has had a chance to work with a player that possessed gifts approaching those of Nash. His best years have come with big men on his wings, first with and , then with Jarome Iginla taking Horton’s place. But one by one, they all got stripped away. Horton and then Iginla chased the money elsewhere. Lucic was traded before he could ask for the money. Though Krejci helped Loui Eriksson to a 30-goal season in 2015-16 and riches in Vancouver, the Krejci line wasn’t quite as potent, or feared, as when he had the big boys with him. Coach Bruce Cassidy sees the current makeup of the line as being something of a throwback. “David had some of his best years here playing with Looch and Horton and Iginla, so he’s used to having big, heavy guys who can get to the net. No disrespect to Ryan Spooner, we asked him to do something out his comfort zone and he did a good job. But we said this before. He wasn’t going to grow 6 inches here,” Cassidy said. “And Jake is doing a good job. He has a lot of Nash’s attributes, not as big a man, obviously, but he does like to get to the net and he has good foot speed. So he’s now got two wingers that have similar traits that he seems to excel with. And Nash is a good defensive player, so he’ll help whatever centerman he’s with. He’ll kill some plays in the zone with his reach and his hockey IQ. It’s been a good marriage so far.” After the first goal, Krejci popped in a couple of power-play goals in the second period, the first one off a broken play, the second on a rebound on which he had an open net at which to shoot but had to make a quick backhand-to-forehand move in tight quarters. Looking like his 2011 self, Krejci pulled it off. 1101558 Boston Bruins

David Krejci’s hat trick ignites an offensive night for the Bruins in an 8-4 rout of Penguins

Rich Thompson Friday, March 02, 2018

There is a tendency among Stanley Cup playoff contenders to play better defense when the NHL season skates into March. The Bruins and the Penguins both went in a completely different direction from the common course last night, when the hosts took a wild 8-4 triumph over the reigning champs from Pittsburgh at the Garden. The B’s had a season high for goals topped by David Krejci with a fourth career hat trick. David Pastrnak had two goals and three of the Bruins’ scores came on the power play. “I thought we scored some real high-end goals where we exposed there defending as well,” said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy. “It was interesting to say the least.” The B’s improved to 39-15-8 and 2-0 at the start of a six-game homestand. The Bruins resume play tomorrow at the Garden with the chance to complete a season sweep of Montreal. Brian Gionta, who played five seasons with Montreal, made his Bruins debut and registered an assist on David Backes goal that put the hosts up 4-2 at 12:49 of the first period. “Being in Montreal I’ve had some battles with the Bruins but it is great to be with them,” said Gionta, a former All-American and NCAA champion at Boston College. “Obviously this time of year playing the game the right way and coming out on top is huge. You want to be coming down the stretch feeling good about yourself and there is another big one (tomorrow).” The Penguins went up 1-0 just 35 seconds into the game as center Evgeni Malkin took the puck from Riley Nash along the side wall. Malkin sent a sweet pass into the slot for unattended defenseman Olli Maatta, who fired a wobbler that eluded Tuukka Rask (22 saves) on the glove side. The B’s responded quickly and furiously, taking a 5-3 by the end of the opening period. The B’s tied the game when Rick Nash set up Krejci’s first, an easy tip-in at 1:45. They went up 2-1 when Brad Marchand’s hustle play along the end boards set up David Pastrnak inside the right circle. Pastrnak fired in a wrist shot through a screen at 2:53. The B’s went up 3-1 at 5:27 on the first of three goals on the man advantage. Torey Krug faked a slap shot from the top of the circle and delivered a pass through the crease for an easy tip-in by Rick Nash. Defensemen accounted for one goal and six assists for the Bruins. “We were just shooting pucks and we talked about that,” said Charlie McAvoy, who had two assists. “I felt personally it’s been harder to get pucks through lately but overall we had a lot of tip-in goals and good shot selection and we have to keep getting pucks on net.” Old friend Phil Kessel made it 3-2 when he deflected the puck off Rask from a bad angle for his 27th goal at 9:27. The B’s went up 4-2 when Gionta made a nice play on the sidewall before feeding Backes for his 11th. Krug made it 5-2 with an off-balance slap shot from the left point that sailed through traffic and beat Tristan Jarry, who replaced Casey DeSmith after the third goal by the Bruins and just 5:27 on the ice.

Boston Herald LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101559 Boston Bruins

David Krejci, Bruins pummel Penguins

Rich Thompson Thursday, March 01, 2018

David Krejci's fourth career hat trick and a power-play surge highlighted the Bruins' 8-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins Thursday night at the TD Garden. The Bruins improved to 39-15-8 and 2-0 at the start of a six game homestand. The Bruins resume play Saturday with the chance to complete a series sweep of the Montreal Canadiens at the Garden. The Bruins have developed the bad custom of allowing the opposition to score first and the Penguins maintained that trend 35 seconds into the contest. Center Evgeni Malkin took the puck from Riley Nash along the side wall and fed a sweet pass to unattended defenseman Olli Maatta in the slot. Maatta fired a wobbler that eluded Tuukka Rask on the glove side. Butt he Bruins reaction was fast and furious and they led 5-3 at the end of the period. The Bruins tied it on Krejci's first goal, then took the lead on a score by David Pastrnak. Rick Nash, David Backes and Torey Krug added first-period goals for a two-goal lead after one.

Boston Herald LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101560 Boston Bruins

Morning Skate: Gostisbehere honors Stoneman Douglas hockey team

By Joe Haggerty March 02, 2018 2:26 PM

Here are all the links from around the hockey world, and what I’m reading while enjoying the Runaways series on Hulu right now. -- Pro Hockey Talk has the details on an extremely successful season ticket drive in Seattle, where it looks like we'll have NHL hockey next. -- Stoneman Douglas High School alum Shayne Gostisbehere has invited the school's hockey team to a Flyers game after they won a state championship. Cool gesture by the Philly D-man. -- So Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk has written an open letter to the fans where he vowed the Sens will once again be a Stanley Cup contender. I’ll believe it when I see it, is probably what Senators fans are saying right now. Boy, is it getting ugly up there. -- Congrats to legendary hockey reporter Stan Fischler, one of the last links back to the Bobby Orr era of the NHL, who is retiring. The Hockey Maven will absolutely be missed all around the hockey world, and especially in the New York area. -- The Corey Crawford injury is opening the door for some Blackhawks backup goalies to really show what they can do at the NHL level. -- For something completely different: Cool story from Lester Holt about Adrian Dantley, a big Celtics foe during his NBA career, giving back to the community.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101561 Boston Bruins

Source: No supplemental discipline for Hornqvist on McAvoy hit

By Joe Haggerty March 02, 2018 1:32 PM

BOSTON -- Charlie McAvoy got lit up by Pittsburgh's sandpaper forward, Patrick Hornqvist, during a nasty, physical game between the Bruins and Penguins on Thursday night, but Hornqvist won’t be facing any supplemental discipline as a result of it, per a source. McAvoy was drilled up high in the first period of the Bruins' 8-4 win as he had his head down looking to collect a puck, and ended up with a nasty bloodied nose after his visor came down and cut him. No penalty was called on the play and there shouldn’t have been, according to the letter of the law (Rule 48.1 in the Physical Fouls Section of the rulebook). It was deemed that “head contact on an otherwise full body check was unavoidable." McAvoy had his head hunched down as Hornqvist veered in for a shoulder hit to his chest. The 20-year-old defenseman admitted as much following the game, and was missing from Friday’s Bruins practice with a maintenance day after absorbing the hit. "He got me . . . he tagged me pretty good,” said McAvoy when asked about the hit after the game. “So that’s on me. I need to put myself in a better position to make sure I’m not taking hits like those. But it kind of opened the door for a physical game, and we have a lot of guys on our team that don’t mind going to that side. We’ve got a lot of guys on this team that had my back, and I appreciate that.” To McAvoy’s point, the rookie defenseman went after Hornqvist in the second period, and David Backes drilled Hornqvist with a massive hit in front of the Pittsburgh bench in the closing seconds of the B’s victory. That’s above and beyond Zdeno Chara confronting Hornqvist and them dropping the gloves with 6-foot-7 Jamie Oleksiak in the second period after a mammoth three-minute shift on the ice. All of those were great signs from the Bruins, who stood up for their young teammate, and from McAvoy, who stood up for himself as well.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101562 Boston Bruins be, and whether Nash is a longtime partner for Krejci or simply another in a long line of power forward-types that enjoyed success with him.

But it’s clear that the Bruins second line is much more dynamic and Early chemistry between Rich Nash and David Krejci is undeniable dangerous now than they were prior to the deadline, and that’s all about Chemistry 101 between Krejci and Nash that couldn’t be better as the Bruins continue rounding into playoff shape. By Joe Haggerty March 02, 2018 9:10 AM

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.03.2018 BOSTON – Clearly the Bruins viewed the trade for Rick Nash as a significant upgrade on the right wing among their top-6 forwards. That’s why you give up a smorgasbord of players, prospects and pucks for a player with no guarantees he’ll be signed on for duty beyond the next couple of months. Nash has been as advertised and then some as a big, skilled and fast- moving 6-foot-4 power forward that’s added size, strength and big time production with three points in three games, and an active 15 shots on net since suiting up and Black and Gold. But just as importantly, the power right winger has brought life and electricity back to David Krejci’s game as well alongside him, and never was that more evident than in the Czech center’s hat trick during Boston’s 8-4 barn-burner on Thursday night over the Pittsburgh Penguins at TD Garden. Krejci has three goals and four points and a plus-2 in the three games since finding instant chemistry with Nash, and Jake DeBrusk on the other wing has three points and a plus-5 rating over that span as well. Compare that with the modest three goals and five points that Krejci had over the previous 14 games prior to the deadline, and it’s clear that once again a big-bodied skilled winger has brought out the best in Boston’s playmaking pivot. To say it’s been instant chemistry between Krejci and Nash would be an understatement, and it really begins to build the excitement level of what they could do when everybody is healthy and making that final Bruins push for, and then into, the playoffs. “[Nash] is a great player. I’m obviously happy to be on his line. We had a good game so hopefully we can build on that, and be even better next game,” said Krejci. “He’s good. He took the puck tonight, he’s got a big body and can skate really well so trying to get a feel of what he can do and try to find that spot, and get an idea of where he puts the puck. So it’s getting better. He’s a world class player and he’s shown that over the last couple of games.” Just as he enjoyed his greatest success with power forward bookends like Nathan Horton, Milan Lucic and Jarome Iginla beside him, Krejci is doing very much the same thing with a guy that’s got over 400 goals and 800 points in his career. “David had some of his best years here playing with Looch [Milan Lucic] and [Nathan] Horton and [Jarome] Iginla, so he is used to having big, heavy guys who will get to the net,” said Bruce Cassidy. “[It’s] no disrespect to Ryan Spooner because we asked him to do something out of his comfort zone. I thought he did a good job. But, we said this before – he wasn’t going to grow six inches here. “Jake is doing a good job with that. He has a lot of Nash’s attributes – not as big a man, obviously, but he does like to get to the net, and he has good foot speed. [Krejci] now got two wingers that have some similar traits that he seems to excel with. Nash is a good defensive player, so he will help whoever centerman he is with, kill some plays in the zone because of his reach and his hockey IQ. It’s been a good marriage so far.” Nash and Krejci really only showed the chemistry on one of the three goals on the night for No. 46 with Nash bombing down the right wing, a backhanded saucer pass to the net that Krejci slammed through Casey DeSmith on the way to the Bruins first goal of the game. It was a big response score from the Black and Gold 1:45 into the first period after Pittsburgh had scored early, and it sent a message to the Penguins that the Bruins weren’t planning on rolling over and dying with Patrice Bergeron out of the lineup. Nash and Krejci both did the rest of their offensive damage on the power play on Thursday night in a big revival effort for the man advantage, and both players were crashing the front of the net. That wasn’t a reflection on the way that duo played 5-on-5 in the game, however, as they continued to show all kinds of possibilities. Sometimes it can take weeks (or not ever) for players to build chemistry together on a line, and there are some players that will never gel together no matter how long they’ve played beside each other. Then there are players like Krejci and Nash that were seemingly built for each other, and innately show that ability to complement each other from the very first moments they’re skating as linemates. Time will tell how good they can 1101563 Buffalo Sabres "You saw it last game we played against these guys, and unfortunately they got the better of us both times," he said. "It's unfortunate from our point of view that it's happening at the end when we're kind of out of it." Sabres punch back too late against Panthers He noted the teams have one more meeting April 7 in Florida for the season finale. By John Vogl | Published Fri, Mar 2, 2018 | Updated Fri, Mar 2, 2018 "Hopefully," Reinhart said, "we can bring that energy to start with."

SUNRISE, Fla. – When the puck drops for a defensive-zone faceoff, the Buffalo News LOADED: 03.03.2018 wingers head to the blue line to make sure the defensemen don't get free. Florida's defensemen got free, and it paid off. Buffalo had breakdowns on two faceoffs Friday night, and the Panthers scored on both to dart to a 4-1 victory. "Those are killers," Sabres coach Phil Housley said in BB&T Center. "They can really take a lot of wind out of your sails." The Panthers opened the scoring with 1:25 gone when they won the faceoff in Buffalo's zone. Defenseman Mike Matheson danced around Kyle Okposo for a shot that beat goaltender Robin Lehner. "I've got to have that guy," Okposo said. After the Sabres rallied to tie, it happened again. Benoit Pouliot went to the blue line, but he didn't stop Aaron Ekblad from going past him for a cross-ice pass and goal. "We can't give up two defensive-zone faceoff goals against," Housley said. "That's attention to detail. We talked about that before the game. That's just awareness and not picking up our checks." The Sabres had played a solid team game in establishing a 5-0-1 run against Atlantic Division opponents and a 6-1-1 run on the road. The Panthers added a loss to both those categories. "It was a bit of a frustrating game, but they're fighting for their playoff lives," Okposo said. "That would have been a good game to win for us. Those are the barometer games. If we're going to do that right now this late in the season, those are the games that we have to set our bar at." The difference in the second period was simple. One team scored. The other didn't. After 40 minutes, the shots were 20-20. The score was 4-1. "We had our opportunities at key times of the game," Housley said. "They capitalized on theirs, and we didn't." There was a five-minute span of the second period when the game featured end-to-end action. Florida goaltender James Reimer turned away the Sabres' prime chances. The puck quickly went up ice and got past Buffalo netminder Robin Lehner. "It wasn't really bouncing for us," Lehner said. "They got some breaks, and we didn't." Lehner allowed four goals on 30 shots as his save percentage dropped to .887 in the last eight appearances. His teammates took on the blame. "If I bury a couple more, we're right back in that game," said right wing Sam Reinhart, who scored once on four shots. "I gave myself a lot of looks, and that could have changed the game a little bit. "The chances they did create were Grade A ones, so we could have done a little bit better job in that." The loss got to the Sabres late. Nathan Beaulieu dropped the gloves to fight Colton Sceviour with 22 seconds left. After the other players inched toward the tussle, Okposo threw down his gloves for a tilt with MacKenzie Weegar. It was reminiscent of the teams' meeting in Buffalo last month, a 4-2 victory for Florida. They combined for 66 penalty minutes in the final 2:01. This time, there were 46 minutes in the final 22 seconds. It shows the Sabres don't go down without a fight. It also shows they have to fight because they're down. "I think we should have our aggression at the start of the game and playing heavy and finishing checks more than at the end of the game," Housley said. Reinhart concurred. 1101564 Buffalo Sabres Break time: Sabres Hall of Fame announcer Rick Jeanneret, who called the game, is staying in Florida with family for a couple of weeks.

The Wraparound: Panthers 4, Sabres 1

Buffalo News LOADED: 03.03.2018 By John Vogl | Published Fri, Mar 2, 2018 | Updated Fri, Mar 2, 2018

SUNRISE, Fla. – Marco Scandella hit the boards hard. That was essentially the end of his night. Buffalo lost its top-pair defenseman and the game Friday. Scandella missed the second and third periods with a lower-body injury, and the Florida Panthers skated to a 4-1 win BB&T Center. With five minutes to go in the first, Panthers forward Nick Bjugstad tossed Scandella into the back boards. Scandella took a five-second shift after that but didn't skate again. "Marco will be OK," Sabres coach Phil Housley said. "Lower-body bumps and bruises, so we just held him out." The defenseman sat on the Sabres' bench for the opening half of the second period, but he retreated to the dressing room and didn't come back. Playoff push: The Panthers are making a hard run at the playoffs. They won their fifth straight, improving to 8-2 in the last 10 games and 12-3 in the last 15. Florida pulled within one point of Columbus for the final wild-card spot heading into the Blue Jackets' late game in Anaheim. The Panthers have played three fewer games. Quick goal: The Panthers needed just 1:25 to take a 1-0 lead. They won a draw in the Sabres' zone, getting the puck to defenseman Mike Matheson at the blue line. He stepped around Kyle Okposo for a clean look at the net, and he easily beat goaltender Robin Lehner to the stick side. Tie it up: Sam Reinhart continued his extended run on the score sheet, making it 1-1 with 5:34 off the clock. Sabres defenseman Victor Antipin plunked Florida forward Aleksander Barkov with a hard shot, and Ryan O'Reilly scooped up the loose puck. He quickly moved it to Reinhart before the Panthers could react. The goal was the 15th of the season for Reinhart, who has eight goals and 21 points in the last 21 games. Familiar result: Once again, the Panthers won a faceoff in the Sabres' zone. Four seconds later, it was 2-1. The puck moved to defenseman Keith Yandle, who took a few strides up the left boards. Benoit Pouliot failed to pick up defenseman Aaron Ekblad on the right side, and Ekblad buried the cross-ice pass with 3:19 left in the opening period. Speed thrills: Barkov accepted a pass near center ice, got defenseman Justin Falk leaning the wrong way and split Falk and defenseman Nathan Beaulieu. Barkov then lifted a close-range backhand over Lehner's shoulder, putting the Sabres in a 3-1 hole with 6:49 gone in the second. Rebound: Florida made it 4-1 on another rush. Lehner stopped a spinning backhand by Bjugstad, but the rebound off his pad went to a driving Colton Sceviour. The forward pounded it home with 8:44 to go in the second. Sort of even: The shots were 20-20 after 40 minutes, but the Sabres went to intermission in a 4-1 hole. Rematch: The Sabres' Jordan Nolan and Florida's Micheal Haley dropped the gloves with 3:23 to go in the first. Nolan earned a win over Haley when they battled in November, but Haley scored a takedown Friday. It was Haley's 18th fight of the season. The Sabres moved to 11 as a team when Beaulieu fought with 21.4 seconds to play. Inside the NHL: Final words on the complex Evander Kane puzzle Line changes: Center Evan Rodrigues missed the game with an upper- body injury, so coach Phil Housley changed his top three lines. Ryan O'Reilly centered for left wing Benoit Pouliot and right wing Sam Reinhart. Zemgus Girgensons was in the middle of Nick Baptiste and Kyle Okposo. Johan Larsson was between Scott Wilson and Jason Pominville. The fourth line of Jacob Josefson centering for Jordan Nolan and Seth Griffith remained intact. 1101565 Buffalo Sabres "I've been there!" shouted Reinhart, who has flip-flopped positions throughout his career.

Sabres Notebook: Nelson, Antipin pair well; Rodrigues injured Buffalo News LOADED: 03.03.2018

By John Vogl | Published Fri, Mar 2, 2018 | Updated Fri, Mar 2, 2018

SUNRISE, Fla. – The Buffalo Sabres couldn't wait to see their new-look defense corps prior to the season. Due to a barrage of injuries and ineffective play, the pairings weren't as competent as anyone hoped. Coach Phil Housley feels he's found a solid one. Casey Nelson and Victor Antipin formed the Sabres' second pairing Friday night against Florida, the third straight time they shared the blue line. The first two were victories over Boston and Tampa Bay, games in which Buffalo held potent offenses to just one goal each. "They've been doing a really good job since they've been put together," Housley said in BB&T Center. "They've played against some really good competition. The better teams that we're facing here have good second and third lines, so they've risen to the challenge." They've enjoyed the challenge. "It's been going great," Nelson said. "I think we both move the puck pretty well, help each other out." Each member of the duo has speed and passing ability, which allows them to find breakouts in the defensive zone and join offensive rushes. "I really like their puck movement," Housley said. "I like the way they're getting up the ice and into the play." The players clearly like the opportunity they're getting. Nelson played his 21st straight game since being recalled from Rochester. Antipin, who sat out 16 of 18 games in December and January, has reversed those numbers. He played for the 16th time in 18 games. "My game has improved," Antipin said. "I'm feeling it's good. I have more patience." Housley has noticed. "I really like what I've seen from Victor lately," the coach said. "He's in control. His defense is really good. He's got a good stick and closes quick on guys. "It just feels he's been playing with a lot more confidence." Antipin, a Kazakhstan native who continues to work on his English, relies heavily on video for his lessons. They seem to be sinking in. "He's got a lot of ability," Nelson said. "He can do many things, is a very smart player. I think we're working better and better together." The Sabres were missing an offensive catalyst. Center Evan Rodrigues, who has been playing well in an expanded role with Jack Eichel injured, sat because of an upper-body injury. Though Housley did not announce how Rodrigues was injured, the center took a hard hit early in the third period of Wednesday's 2-1 overtime victory in Tampa Bay. He remained in the game and scored the tying goal. His ribs were wrapped in the dressing room following the game. "I just know that he woke up Thursday with an upper-body soreness, so we're just being cautious with it," Housley said. "He got banged up. He's got a little upper-body injury. It's more of a day-to-day situation with him." Rodrigues has four goals and nine points in his past 11 games. Kyle Okposo wore an extra piece of equipment. He had a medical bracelet on his wrist, allowing him to visit his wife and newborn daughter in the hospital once he gets back to Buffalo. The Okposos welcomed their third child Tuesday, and the right winger missed the game against Tampa Bay. He flew to Florida on Thursday. "I came here, skated, took a nap and then slept a lot," he said. "Everything went well. Long labor, but got it done. Really happy, just proud." Zemgus Girgensons alternated between center and wing during his first five seasons in the organization. He played in the middle for one of the few times under Housley because of Rodrigues' absence. When Girgensons was asked about the switch in the dressing room, Sam Reinhart overheard the query. 1101566 Buffalo Sabres Nelson has carved out a solid role in Buffalo, one that other teams surely have noticed – especially the teams that also watched him at Minnesota State. Inside the Sabres: It comes down to a matter of respect "I love it here, but we'll worry about that after the year," Nelson said. Nothing left By John Vogl | Published Fri, Mar 2, 2018 | Updated Fri, Mar 2, 2018 With Evander Kane gone and Benoit Pouliot expected to leave after the season, the Sabres have a serious depth problem at left wing. They have only Zemgus Girgensons, Alex Nylander and departed Matt Moulson During the 11 years that we "worked together," Ryan Miller and I had two under contract for next season. Scott Wilson and C.J. Smith will be big arguments. One was relatively infamous because it was on camera restricted free agents. There are no other prospects ready for the leap. after a 7-6 home loss in February 2011. The other came to mind on deadline day after listening to Jason Botterill talk sternly about the Toronto's James van Riemsdyk heads the list of pending UFA left Sabres' need for "compete and preparation." wingers, joined by Kane and Vegas' David Perron. It was December 2008 and Buffalo had lost eight of 10 games. After a 2- 1 defeat in Florida, coach Lindy Ruff called out Miller. He said "you've got Buffalo News LOADED: 03.03.2018 to get saves there" in reference to both goals and added the first one was "an easy play for Ryan to read." The next day, Ruff put the entire team, goaltenders included, through a skate-heavy practice in Tampa. With sweat pouring down Miller's face, the goalie closed his tense and terse interview with what seemed like a shot at Ruff. "Well, I guess I'm going to have to read better," he said as he bolted for the team bus. I looked at Paul Hamilton of WGR-AM 550, and we both said (and wrote) the same thing: Wow, he's obviously not happy about getting called out. After the Sabres beat the Lightning, Miller refused to talk to me, other than yelling a few words. We had a long, calm chat after returning to Buffalo. Miller insisted he wasn't calling out Ruff, and he was very adamant as to why. He was scared of the coach. He said Ruff was in charge of his career and playing time. Miller was worried if he crossed him, he could be benched or shipped out of town. I was flabbergasted. With the Bills lacking star power, Miller was easily the most popular athlete in Buffalo. He'd backstopped the team to consecutive appearances in the conference finals. He was the Great American Hope with the Vancouver Olympics a couple of years away. I thought it was crazy Miller would be worried about the coach. If anything, I figured Ruff should be worried about losing a power struggle to Miller. But back then, the Sabres had players who respected the coach and the organizational hierarchy. My, how things have changed. Too many Sabres either don't care or think they're in charge. Coach Phil Housley has a great knack for forecasting exactly what the opponent will do, and he explains it clearly in the morning. When the puck drops, the opponent follows the blueprint and the Sabres stand there and get run over. The players don't listen or, even worse, don't feel they even have to listen. It's a major reason why the Sabres are bottom-feeders once again. In all sports nowadays, athletes have more power than before. But if Miller, one of the most-loved players in Buffalo, can show respect for coaches and the organization, some of the most-loathed athletes in Buffalo should probably follow suit. "Sometimes guys think they're playing hard, but they're not playing hard enough and they have to work," Housley said. "I think that's the bottom line for a lot of guys." Casey Nelson chose Buffalo once. The Sabres need him to do it again. The defenseman, who has become a key component on the top two pairs, will be an unrestricted free agent. It's a rarity for a 25-year-old player finishing just his third professional season, but he'll fall under the "Group VI" category. It states that anyone 25 or older who has played three seasons but fewer than 80 NHL games is a UFA. Nelson played seven games in Buffalo after signing out of college in 2016. He played 11 games last year and is at 21 this year. That's a total of 39, and only 17 remain. At most, he'll play 56 through three seasons. Hence, he'll be free to sign anywhere. "Some weird rule where I didn't meet the number of games," said Nelson, who didn't know of his pending status until recently. "I don't really think about that. We'll worry about that after the season." 1101567 Buffalo Sabres 28. Vancouver Canucks. Kept Gudbranson with three-year, $12-million extension. (28)

29. Ottawa Senators. So do they re-sign Karlsson or work a bombshell Mike Harrington's NHL power rankings trade at the draft? (29) 30. Buffalo Sabres. It's sure hard to explain five wins over Lightning and By Mike Harrington | Published Fri, Mar 2, 2018 | Updated Fri, Mar 2, Bruins. (30) 2018 31. Arizona Coyotes. Ekman-Larsson with an NHL-worst minus-38 rating. Yes, minus-38. (31) Through Thursday's games. Last week's rankings in parentheses. 1. Tampa Bay Lightning. Sensational OT goal by ex-Griff Conacher is Buffalo News LOADED: 03.03.2018 the winner in Dallas. (2) 2. Nashville Predators. Moved atop West after outscoring foes, 29-12, in six-game winning streak. (3) 3. Vegas Golden Knights. Swept by Kings in home-and-home for first two-game skid in more than five weeks. (1) 4. Boston Bruins. Even without Bergeron, bombarded Pens with five-goal first period. (4) 5. Toronto Maple Leafs. First meeting of season with Sabres finally comes here Monday. Such a stupid schedule. (6) 6. Winnipeg Jets. Blew 5-3 lead, chance at Central lead with third- period collapse vs. Preds. (5) 7. Washington Capitals. Great Eight closing in on 600 goals, has 30 vs. Sabres. (8) 8. Minnesota Wild. Line of Zucker-Staal-Granlund explodes for 26 points in three games. (10) 9. San Jose Sharks. Bold move to add Kane will get plenty of scrutiny as season winds down. (12) 10. Philadelphia Flyers. Head-scratching loss to Canes derailed run to Metro lead. (9) 11. Los Angeles Kings. On the move: Got Carter back, swept Vegas. (16) 12. Pittsburgh Penguins. With Murray concussed, why no deal with Sabres for Lehner or Johnson? (7) 13. Dallas Stars. Hitchcock running out of patience with power play, which drops into bottom 10. (11) 14. Anaheim Ducks. Stood pat while others in Pacific added big pieces. (13) 15. New Jersey Devils. Hall yet to be blanked in 2018, point streak at 23 games. (17) 16. St. Louis Blues. Was Stastny trade an odd white flag or just a way to shake up the room? (14) 17. Calgary Flames. Underrated on the entertainment scale, Gaudreau & Co. are here Wednesday. (15) 18. Colorado Avalanche. Still alive with eight games vs. Central foes in March. (18) 19. Columbus Blue Jackets. Made adds at deadline, then got crowned by Kings. (21) 20. Carolina Hurricanes. Entering rugged three-game Central stretch vs. Jets, Wild, Hawks. (20) 21. Florida Panthers. While no one was looking, they crept back into wild- card race. (23) 22. New York Islanders. The sense is they're falling out of the race. (19) 23. Detroit Red Wings. How in the world did they not trade Mike Green? (25) 24. Chicago Blackhawks. With three goals in 17 games, Kane really misses Panarin. (22) 25. New York Rangers. A 6-5 OT win in Vancouver was stupid late-night fun. (24) 26. Montreal Canadiens. Pacioretty stays and says he's relieved no deal happened. (26) 27. Edmonton Oilers. McDavid up to 77 points in 64 games, on pace for 99. (27) 1101568 Buffalo Sabres

Five Things to Know as Sabres visit Florida Panthers

By John Vogl | Published Fri, Mar 2, 2018 | Updated Fri, Mar 2, 2018

SUNRISE, Fla. – Kyle Okposo is back. Evan Rodrigues is out. Here are Five Things to Know as the Buffalo Sabres visit the Florida Panthers at 7:30 p.m. Friday. 1. Lineup changes Rodrigues, who has been playing well in an expanded role with Jack Eichel injured, did not take part in the morning skate in BB&T Center because of an upper-body injury. Rodrigues took a hard hit early in the third period of Wednesday's 2-1 overtime victory in Tampa Bay, but he remained in the game and scored the tying goal. Rodrigues had his ribs wrapped in the dressing room following the game. "I just know that he woke up yesterday with an upper-body soreness, so we're just being cautious with it," Sabres coach Phil Housley said after the morning skate. "He got banged up. He's got a little upper-body injury. It's more of a day-to-day situation with him, but he won't be playing tonight." 2. Okposo had a girl The Sabres alternate captain and his wife, Danielle, welcomed a baby girl. He missed Wednesday's game after she was born Tuesday. "Everything went well," Okposo said. "Long labor, but got it done. Really happy, just proud. "I got in yesterday morning. I came here, skated, took a nap and then slept a lot. I'm doing all right." 3. Girgensons in the middle Girgensons flipped between wing and center through his opening five years in the Sabres' organization, but he's been on the wing most of this season. It'll take a few shifts to get back in the swing. "I feel comfortable playing both," he said. "Maybe the first couple shifts it'll take a little to get into it, but I'm used to it. It's pretty easy to adapt. "I do like playing low, but if you play enough games on the wing you kind of get away from the center mind." 4. Lehner in net Chad Johnson has won five of his last seven starts, but the Sabres are going back to Robin Lehner. The goaltender is 1-3-1 in his last five decisions and 2-5-2 in his last nine. Lehner is 13-23-8 this season with a .910 save percentage. He is 2-3-2 with a .911 in eight career appearances versus Florida. 5. Florida is hot Florida has won four in a row, including a 3-2 home victory over New Jersey on Thursday night. The Panthers are 7-2 in their last nine and 11- 3 in the last 14. James Reimer (15-13-5, .905) will start for the Panthers. "We've just got to be ready because it's going to be a physical game," Housley said. "They're a team that likes to finish checks, and we have to be prepared for that. We have to have a good pushback when they push. We did a good job of that in Tampa." The Sabres are 6-1-1 in their last eight road games and 5-0-1 in the last six within the Atlantic Division. "I think we're really ready to go at the start of the game, and I think we're playing as a team," Housley said. "Everybody is playing for each other in there, and when you play as a team in this league, you get things accomplished."

Buffalo News LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101569 Buffalo Sabres Perry, Ryan Kesler and old friend Ryan Miller, was reportedly also a top contender.

Botterill probably should have pushed harder to make a move on Kane Inside the NHL: Final words on the complex Evander Kane puzzle earlier in the season when he was super hot and the Sabres were already toast but back then, who's taking a chance on a rental in, say, December? Too many teams don't know if they're buyers or sellers so By Mike Harrington | Published Fri, Mar 2, 2018 | Updated Fri, the GM's hands may have been tied. But in general, Botterill has done Mar 2, 2018 too little during the season to try to fix the Sabres. Maybe they were unfixable in his mind, but the lack of activity has been a huge disappointment. Evander Kane has to rate as one of the most complex personalities to 9. What happens during free agency? The Sharks would likely be ever walk through the Buffalo Sabres' dressing room. But his time here interested if Kane has a good playoff run. Still, reputations are hard to was clearly over. Having watched his first two games with the San Jose shake. A goal scorer like Kane at age 26 should probably get a deal of Sharks, you're blown away by what he could mean to a good team, five to six years at $6 million to $7 million per season. At 28, the Sabres especially what he could bring to a playoff run. gave Kyle Okposo seven years and $42 million. You wonder what Kane thought watching Okposo on the ice at times the last two years. Kane will This corner has so many thoughts on Kane that they're tough to struggle to get four years come July unless he blows up deep into May. organize. He was just a difficult guy to comprehend at times. Here's what The bet here is San Jose keeps him on or Kane signs on for a trip home stands out in the wake of the trade: to Vancouver. 1. Kane had to go to a veteran team that would direct him and tell him in 10. True to social media, Kane has quickly changed the banner photo on no uncertain terms how things were going to be run. He was reportedly his Twitter page to one of him skating through the Shark mouth on to the picked up at the airport in San Jose in a limo by Joe Thornton. The roster ice at SAP Center. It's maybe the best team intro in the league. includes guys like Joe Pavelski, Brent Burns, Logan Couture, Marc- Eduoard Vlasic and Joel Ward. These guys have played a lot of hockey Singing the Blues in May and June, when Kane has long been on a beach somewhere. He darn well better listen. St. Louis slumped at just the wrong time, going 0-5-1 and getting shut out in their final two games prior to the deadline. It prompted management to 2. Kane's speed was really on display during the games against recoil some, with GM Doug Armstrong getting a first-round pick in the Edmonton and Chicago as the Sharks rang up 12 goals. His motivation surprise deal of center Paul Stastny to Winnipeg. was just about shot during his final few weeks with the Sabres and we rarely saw those bursts on the ice like we did in October and November. That brought a rare admonishment from player to front office courtesy of You can chalk it up to selfishness and you can chalk it up to human center Brayden Schenn. nature, too. The Sabres didn't want Kane anymore and he knew it. Why risk himself for them? “Really one or two points out and move a guy that does a lot for us,” Schenn said. “I didn’t expect Stastny to be moved, but I guess with his 3. When Kane arrived here in 2015, you expected an ogre to deal with contract expiring, them getting picks to be used elsewhere or to draft, you given everything you heard out of Winnipeg. The reality was far from it. kind of just go from there and we’ll see what happens ... Maybe it will fire He was almost always a pleasant interview subject and had plenty to guys up, give guys more opportunity to do more and that’s one way you say. And especially on the road with no cameras around, travel and can look at it. Teams that are one or two out are kind of loading up right baseball often became conversation points. Kane knew he had to now and we’re one or two out and we kind of ... went the other way." remake his image here with the media and he did a good job of it. But no reporter was naive to what was going on either. It got even worse for St. Louis in an 8-3 loss Tuesday in Minnesota but the seven-game skid finally ended with Wednesday's 2-1 win over 4. Sabres players bemoaned the loss of Kane's offense. But at least Detroit. Following the Minnesota game, coach Mike Yeo was fuming. publicly, there weren't a lot of well-wishes either in person or on social media toward him. It continues to feel like Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart "You know what? It's a matter of pride as far as I'm concerned," Yeo were his two biggest boosters on the club and the rest of the team didn't said. "You give up eight goals, c'mon. We've given up 16 in the last three have much use for him at times. You worry about what kind of influence games. We've always been one of the top defensive teams. The Kane has had on Eichel as a leader and potential captain going forward. turnovers that we have and the lack of respect that we have for our Still, good players are often the biggest divas on teams. Why is so much goaltenders and for the game of hockey — that's ridiculous." credibility handed to a journeyman like Justin Falk calling Kane "selfish" Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who attended Marjory during a practice tiff? Even if other players agree with him, how many of Stoneman Douglas High School for two years, has invited members of them are going to be around here anyway? the school's state championship hockey team to visit with him prior to 5. The Sabres' lack of leadership was unable to corral Kane when it was Sunday's game at Florida. Gostisbehere didn't play hockey at the school, needed. Brian Gionta and Josh Gorges are super humans but the decline where 17 students and adults were killed in the Feb. 14 mass shooting, in their play as they got older made their ability to lead difficult. Kane and because he attended prep schools in Connecticut to play hockey. But he the Sabres' young core in general didn't listen much to either one of them was impressed with how players persevered to win their title – and then and there were no other real veterans in the room to direct traffic. Like returned to school to hang their championship medals around a memorial Tim Murray said, Kane needed to stop showing up just before the team's to the victims. report time for games and practices and interact with his teammates "The way they handled themselves was pretty cool to see," Gostisbehere more. He didn't. told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Obviously the circumstances were a little 6. Kane's image off the ice, of course, continued to take a beating in rough. And what they did with their medals, bringing them to the school Buffalo. His reputation with women was left in tatters by the two very for the memorial, was pretty cool. They handled themselves like adults." public incidents he had early in his tenure here and you saw a lot of Gostisbehere said he's also impressed by the way students at the school good-riddance social media posts from female Sabres fans after the are speaking out on the need for change in gun laws. trade. Seems like they were willing to accept rooting for him to a small degree when he was still on the team but were more than happy to see "I’m not the biggest political guy there is," he said. “But it is my old him go. Understandable. school. My hometown. And it’s cool to watch these guys stand up for what they truly believe. Obviously, they want some change. It’s cool to 7. Kane's image off the ice II: He genuinely loved his interaction with see how some of the kids who survived are coming through it." children here, something he specifically mentioned in his farewell video. The holiday shopping spree at Target, the dinner at Tempo, the visits to Around the horn hospitals and schools are all commendable. They were greeted with a fair amount of skepticism by some, again as image-building moments in * The Predators took over first place in the Western Conference with the wake of Winnipeg. Certainly there had to be some of that, but Kane Thursday's 4-2 win in Edmonton that allowed General Manager David made numerous visits and not all of them got publicized either. Poile to carve a slice of NHL history. The victory, a season-high sixth straight for the Preds, gave Poile the most wins for a GM in NHL history 8. GM Jason Botterill had to think he was getting more than he did for at 1,320, one more than Glen Sather. Poile, the GM in Washington from Kane. It just shows you how little other teams thought of a guy who was 1982-97, has been at the helm of the Preds since their inception in 1998. only 26 years old and on his third straight 20-goal season. NHL GMs aren't big on personality and Kane has lots of panache. Only a team like Big trades. Late-round steals. Consistency. San Jose full of veterans could reasonably take a chance on him. * The Blackhawks are just 5-13-2 in their last 20 games and were Anaheim, with a similar room featuring the likes of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey particularly putrid during Thursday's 7-2 loss in San Jose. Wrote Sun- Times wordsmith Mark Lazerus: "After scoring first on an Artem Anisimov snipe just 2:12 into the game, the Hawks fumbled and stumbled through a truly awful defensive performance. The Sharks scored on a 4-on-2, a 2- on-0, a scrambling and sliding mess that resembled a Benny Hill sketch, a redirect (the only normal goal of the bunch) and a 2-on-1." Guess that about covers it. * The countdown to Seattle is on. A season-ticket drive took just 12 minutes on Thursday – yes, 12 minutes – to get 10,000 deposits for a new team. The total passed 26,000 later in the afternoon. There's no team name yet and there's not even an approval for expansion but it seems like it's just a formality now, with play starting in 2020 or 2021 at a rebuilt Key Arena. By comparison, it took Las Vegas a month to get 10,000 commitments for its ticket drive in 2015, although the club only took local buyers and Seattle stretched into Canada and even Alaska. * The Jack Johnson saga in Columbus continues to be bizarre. The standout defenseman asked for a trade, then started negotiations with the club on an extension, then waited for a trade, then wasn't dealt. So he'll be an unrestricted free agent come July but remains open to re- signing with the Blue Jackets. Columbus, like other teams, will have to pay: Johnson, 31, is looking for a big payday after his parents scammed him out of much of his career earnings and forced him into a bankruptcy settlement. * Sour Grapes of the Week Award is an easy one. In an interview with Fox 5 television in New York, Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark had this to say about the Islanders and how their move to has been less than stellar: "Unfortunately, it didn’t work. We had great hopes that moving the Islanders to Brooklyn would work. Unfortunately, they were like a rent-a-team. This team never really embraced Brooklyn, unfortunately. Their fan base resides in Long Island. They have a great, avid fan base in Long Island. Brooklyn just didn’t gravitate to the team as I had hoped they would." A rent-a-team? Just about anyone not in Brooklyn could have told you this wasn't going to work because the Nassau County fan base was largely going to get lost. The Isles are going to be splitting time the next couple of years at Barclays and NYCB Live, the refurbished Nassau Coliseum. Their planned arena by Belmont Park is targeted for the 2021- 22 season. Can't come fast enough.

Buffalo News LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101570 Calgary Flames

Gary Bettman is coming to Calgary but not to talk about a new Flames arena

Staff Report CP, The Canadian PressCP, THE CANADIAN PRESS Published on: March 1, 2018 | Last Updated: March 1, 2018 4:39 PM MST

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is heading to Calgary on Friday but says a new arena for the Flames franchise is not on the agenda. He says he’ll meet with sponsors, some season ticket holders and team officials. But he says he won’t be wading into the issue of a new rink because the Flames have decided there’s no point. “Obviously I’ll get an update from the Flames, but they are no longer pursuing a new arena in Calgary so there’s really nothing to talk about,” Bettman told reporters in Edmonton on Thursday. Bettman was asked if the ball is then in the city’s court when it comes to getting negotiations renewed. “There is no court,” Bettman replied. “The team has decided there was no point in continuing to pursue a new arena.” The Flames pulled out of talks with the city last fall, saying negotiations were going nowhere on reaching a deal to build a new facility to replace the 34-year-old Scotiabank Saddledome. Bettman has said previously that playing in the Saddledome threatens the team’s ability to compete, and the Flames say they’ll continue operations there for as long as they can remain viable and then look at options. Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi has said the Flames’ proposal for a $500- million arena places a heavy tax burden on the city, but the Flames say the city’s plan would ultimately see the team foot the entire cost of construction. Bettman was in Edmonton as part of a three-city western tour to meet with fans, officials and sponsors. He was in Vancouver on Wednesday, announcing that the 2019 NHL draft would be in that city. Bettman was asked that if talks with the City of Calgary are dead, will he discuss longer-term strategies or options with the Flames? “You’ll have to talk to the Flames about this, but they have said notwithstanding the fact that they’re playing in the league’s oldest building they are going to do the best they can for as long as they can,” he said.

Calgary Herald: LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101571 Calgary Flames “No – that’s not something I’m engaged in because if the club were for sale, that would be a decision that the Flames ownership would make,” said Bettman, insisting repeatedly he’s here as part of his semi-annual Francis: Bettman has a solution for the Olympics, not for an arena western swing, not to spark debate. “Is there anything in my track record that indicates that I’ve ever been happy when moving a franchise? Of course it’s important (to keep teams ERIC FRANCIS in Canada). We had the Canadian assistance plan before the Collective Bargaining system when the league wasn’t in an economic position to do Published on: March 2, 2018 | Last Updated: March 2, 2018 7:37 PM that. We recognize the strength of Canadian franchises. We also MST recognize that history is full of situations where we’ve been successful in keeping franchises in place and where we haven’t been successful. It’s

unfortunate when we’re not successful but we try to be successful.” Gary Bettman wants his NHL players back in the Olympics. He’ll continue to do that, as long as the Flames are content playing Words every hockey fan has been waiting to hear. towards a dead end. He said so Friday in Calgary, albeit with a caveat: hockey would be How long is anyone’s guess. moved to the Summer Games. Right now the team is competitive and drawing well, but that won’t last “Just as an historical anecdote, the first time there was hockey in the forever. Olympics was 1920 in Antwerp in the Summer Games,” said Bettman of Neither will this franchise in Calgary unless the Dome is replaced. a seven-team tourney won by the Winnipeg Falcons. But that’s a reality Bettman is too smart to point out anymore. “You’d have to talk to the players, but I’m assuming from their comments (they would want to play). I would be (in favour). “Since pre-(IOC president Juan-Antonio) Samaranch ran the IOC a long Calgary Herald: LOADED: 03.03.2018 time ago I’ve repeatedly said ‘what about the Summer Games?’ “It gets no traction whatsoever. When I ask it I almost get the sense of ridicule in their reaction.” Put aside the quirkiness of having hockey played in the summer spectacle, the reality is that if both sides – the IOC and the NHL – both felt the partnership could be mutually beneficial they’d find a way to further explore the notion. The players are off during the summer, as is the league. It solves one of the biggest impediments, which is having to disrupt the NHL season for the players to attend the Winter Games. Could be a creative way to marry the two together again. A creative way of solving another problem involves hopes a 2026 Olympic bid by Calgary might break the stalemate between the city and the Flames as it relates to building a new arena. The IOC recently shot that down, saying a new rink wasn’t necessary as the hockey tourney could be played in Edmonton or Vancouver. Thanks but no thanks, IOC. When asked about it, the commissioner shrugged off his involvement. After all, he has no say in the rink debacle and repeated that a dozen different ways Friday, despite futile efforts to extract a new narrative. “There’s nothing going on,” said Bettman of the Flames decision to end the charade of negotiations with the city. “That’s been the case since the summer and I don’t foresee any change. I completely concur with the position the Flames have assumed because I don’t see any point either in there being any talks. They are no longer pursuing a new arena or a new development because they don’t see any prospect of that happening on any terms that make any sense. “There’s nothing else I can tell you. This building is the oldest in the league and there’s no prospect of it being replaced. So, I don’t know. I’m not in the business of constructing buildings.” Neither is the city, as it relates to the Flames. Both sides are being silly. That’s not going to change anytime soon, which is why the commissioner wasn’t interested in discussing it at all. Any time he does, the vitriol of the angry left rains down on him anyway. It’s a mug’s game, which is why this team will eventually leave. But you didn’t hear the commissioner say that. He’s learned through this highly-charged debate that discussing the reality that something will eventually give in this situation is a no-win tack. So he shrugged, answered questions on the rink the way he has all along and implored questioners to get over it. Has the league office received calls from parties outside Calgary interested in buying the Flames? 1101572 Calgary Flames opportunities to generate revenues, for the players. I was told (Thursday) that there were 27 acts, some of them multiple days, that have played in Edmonton that haven’t played here. That goes to the quality of life in the Bettman has no news, no updates on new arena during Calgary visit city. That’s an indication of the quality of the building. They can turn over that building in a matter of hours.

“This building in its time was as work of art. Its time has long passed.” Kristen Anderson, Postmedia And that means what, exactly, in the larger scheme of things? Published on: March 2, 2018 | Last Updated: March 2, 2018 8:39 PM MST “It’s clear this is the oldest building in the league,” Bettman said. “It’s clear the team needs a new building. By the way, Calgary is a great market, great fans here but the building is as an important a factor as anything else. The team’s competitive situation, financial stability is also Gary Bettman opened his Western Canadian swing with positive news in being impacted each season they stay here. This used to be a top-10 Vancouver, that their city and Rogers Arena would be hosting the 2019 team. Calgary is one of our great markets.” draft. Bettman said the Flames used to be a franchise that wrote cheques for Then, he dropped into Edmonton, patting them on the back for the job revenue sharing and, for the last few years, “they’ve been receiving well done on the progress of the Ice District, the heart being the palatial cheques.” . “And those cheques are getting bigger which means the situation Then, he arrived in Calgary. financially continues to deteriorate,” he said. “That will, ultimately, affect the competitiveness of the organization I suppose. But they have said the “There’s nothing else I can tell you,” said the commissioner of the NHL, organization, as the Flames, they’re going to do the best they can, for as speaking to media prior to Friday’s game between the Flames and New long as they can.” York Rangers at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Upon returning from the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Bettman, of course, was referring to the ongoing discussion in the city Nenshi said Calgarians should expect an update on a potential Olympic regarding the oldest building in the 31 — soon to be 32 — team loop. bid for the 2026 Olympics in the next two weeks. The Calgary Bid On his last stop, he met with sponsors, season ticket holders and team Exploration Committee estimates hosting the 2026 Olympic Games brass but made it clear prior to his arrival that a meeting with Mayor would cost $4.6-billion (approximately half of which would be covered in Naheed Nenshi was not on his agenda. revenue) and the International Olympic Committee recently toured Calgary’s sports facilities which were built for the 1988 Games. The smoke has since cleared from the bombshell that Ken King, president and CEO of Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corp., dropped Bettman was asked about the potential bid creating leverage to fund a in the fall — that the ownership group was ending its quest for a new new building. arena. Nenshi responded, saying the city had a fair offer on the table and “I don’t know what the Olympics, the IOC view of this building is for the the heart of their discussions with the Flames had been regarding cost- Olympics in 2026,” he said. “It’s way too hypothetical, and it doesn’t sharing. involve us.” King fired back, saying their meetings had been “spectacularly So, to recap Bettman’s visit to the Saddledome: no threats, no news, no unproductive.” debate and no updates. Over a month later, Nenshi was re-elected for a third term and “Again, I’m not here to campaign,” he said. “Everything I’ve said is in maintained his vision for an entertainment and cultural district in Victoria response to a question. I would have been happier if no one asked me a Park on the eastern edge of Calgary’s Beltline neighbourhood. building question because, frankly, I don’t think I said anything new Since then? Crickets. today. And I apologize for that because that means I was probably a little boring.” On both sides.

“I talk to Ken (King) and (Flames principal owner) Murray (Edwards) on a regular basis,” Bettman said. “There’s nothing going on. That’s been the Calgary Herald: LOADED: 03.03.2018 case since the summer and I don’t foresee any change. I completely concur with the position the Flames have assumed because I don’t see any point either in there being any talks. They are no longer pursuing a new arena or a new development because they don’t see any prospect of that happening on any terms that make any sense.” When asked if Bettman would be willing to re-open discussions with the City of Calgary, he indicated that it would be up to the Flames and added that he supported their stance on the issue. “They tried,” he said. “They thought they were on a path. They actually had a proposal on something akin to Edmonton that would take a part of the city and transform it, part of the city where the land is unusable. But, ultimately, nothing had traction.” On Friday, the mere topic of the arena debate and absence of news nearly left the NHL commissioner at a loss for words. He reiterated his presence in the city was not to campaign for a new NHL building but wouldn’t shy away from the topic, specifically what his message was to Flames’ season ticket holders and fans. “The same thing the Flames have said — we’re going to stay here in this building and do the best we can,” Bettman said. “This building is the oldest in the league and there’s no prospect of it being replaced. So, I don’t know. I’m not in the business of constructing buildings.” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman in Calgary on March 15, 2017. Built for the 1988 Winter Olympics, the Saddledome is the second-oldest barn in the league outside of Madison Square Garden that underwent an estimated $1.22-billion CDN renovation in 2013. Similar to his visit in the fall, Bettman was asked to clarify the building’s downfalls. “This building is going to be 40 years old,” he said. “They don’t build buildings like this anymore, in terms of amenities for fans, in terms of 1101573 Calgary Flames

Flames walking wounded making progress; Ferland and Versteeg skating

Kristen Anderson, Postmedia March 2, 2018 3:33 PM MST

The Scotiabank Saddledome was buzzing with excitement, and not just because Gary Bettman was in the building. Micheal Ferland and Kris Versteeg were both back on the ice Friday morning, skating with the Calgary Flames during their pre-game twirl and wearing yellow jerseys to signify their road to recovery. Ferland is dealing with an upper body injury suffered on Feb. 15 in Nashville, while Versteeg has missed 43 games following hip surgery. “Ferly is feeling a bit better so we’ll monitor him today and see how the injury is after the skate,” said Flames head coach . “Steeger is still a bit of ways off but now he’s at the point where he can do some pre-game skates and we’ll start to see how he progresses with some practice next week.” While Versteeg’s return is unclear, Ferland’s return to action is targeted on Monday when the Flames play at Pittsburgh or Wednesday at Buffalo. Meanwhile Mike Smith has “made progression” which has the Flames anxious about his return. Smith, 35, has been on injured reserve after suffering a lower body injury on Feb. 11 in the final minute of Calgary’s 3- 2 road win at the New York Islanders. “Where we were four days ago to where we are now, we’ve taken a good leap,” Gulutzan said of the netminder’s recovery. The most pressing news is the fact the New York Rangers are in town and the Flames are coming off back-to-back losses against Dallas and Colorado. Calgary (32-24-9) is home for one game before heading on the road again for a three-game swing through Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Ottawa. The most recent ‘L’ was an undisciplined 5-2 loss at Pepsi Centre which featured a complete unravelling by the Flames. Five penalties against Arizona. Six penalties in Dallas. Seven in Colorado. “We play good when we’re an emotional group,” Gulutzan said. “But we’re a little too emotional … we started to lean on our guys a little bit here and they’re emotional right now — in a good way, they’re hungry. But we have to harness that a little better. We talked about not taking that many penalties. It takes us out of our rhythm. We talked about this in October. We’re better when we play four lines.” Speaking of lines, Gulutzan indicated that he wasn’t set on his lineup which featured Troy Brouwer on a line with Mark Jankowski and Chris Stewart while Tanner Glass, Matt Stajan and Garnet Hathaway were on the fourth line. Sam Bennett remained on the Flames top line with Ferland still out. Meanwhile Nick Shore skated for the first time at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Gillies was the first netminder off the ice Friday.

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101574 Calgary Flames

Lawsuit against Flames and Dennis Wideman sent to NHL for arbitration

Kevin Martin March 2, 2018 4:05 PM MST

The dispute between NHL linesman Don Henderson and former Calgary Flames defenceman Dennis Wideman should not be dealt with in court, a judge ruled Friday. Calgary Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Willie deWit said an agreement between the National Hockey League and its members orders the matter to be dealt with through arbitration by commissioner Gary Bettman. Henderson’s lawyer had argued the Arbitration Act of , which governs such disputes, didn’t apply because he and Wideman were not parties to the arbitration agreement of the NHL. But deWit said the law was clear the case should first be dealt with through the arbitration process. “In this case, the law provides clear guidance that this matter should first proceed to the arbitrator to determine issues of jurisdiction, contractual interpretation and bias, because these determinations require questions of mixed fact and law,” deWit said. “Therefore, I would order a stay regarding the court action in this case and direct that the matter proceed to arbitration.” Henderson’s lawyer, Norm Machida, argued that issues such as potential bias on the part of Bettman should be dealt with by a judge. The lawyer noted Bettman had already ruled once in the case, when he upheld Wideman’s initial 20-game suspension for striking Henderson from behind on the ice, therefore showing a bias in the case. But deWit said the issue of potential bias could be dealt with quickly and wouldn’t prolong the case if a judge later had to rule on that. Wideman’s suspension by the league was later reduced to 10 games by a neutral arbitrator and was upheld by a U.S. district court judge a year ago. Henderson sued Wideman and the Flames for $10.25 million over an incident in a Jan. 27, 2016, game versus the Nashville Predators. Henderson was injured in the incident and has not returned to his duties as an NHL linesman since. Wideman, who played 815 NHL games, has not officially retired but is currently helping coach defencemen with the ’s .

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101575 Calgary Flames

Game Day: What you need to know as Flames take on Rangers

Wes Gilbertson March 2, 2018 3:03 PM MST

These guys actually scrapped in December 2016 but we’re not anticipating a gloves-on-the-ice rematch Friday, with both hoping to show soft hands instead of fists of fury. One of the centrepieces of a deadline- day blockbuster between the Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning, the 25- year-old Namestnikov made a positive first impression with a goal and an assist to help his new squad snap a seven-game skid in Wednesday’s 6- 5 overtime triumph against Canucks in Vancouver. With Micheal Ferland recovering from an upper-body injury, Bennett is trying to make the most of an audition alongside Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan on the top line. The Flames are desperate for secondary scoring, so they need the talented 21-year-old to produce. FIVE STORYLINES STAY MAD, GET EVEN The Flames lost their composure in Wednesday’s 5-2 groaner against the Colorado Avalanche at Pepsi Center, frittering away a two-goal lead en route to a second straight setback to another wildcard wannabe. The Flames racked up 33 penalty minutes in the Mile High City, including a bench minor to head coach Glen Gulutzan and a 10-minute misconduct to Lady Byng Trophy winner Johnny Gaudreau. So what now? “You have to harness that anger,” Gulutzan said. With only 17 dates remaining on their regular-season schedule, the Flames simply can’t afford a third consecutive loss, especially to a lottery team like the Rangers. BROADWAY BYE-BYES The Blueshirts have made major changes since facing the Flames just three weeks ago. Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton was the busiest salesman prior to the trade deadline, swapping aging sharpshooter Rick Nash and defenceman Nick Holden to the Boston Bruins in separate transactions, shipping speedster Michael Grabner to the nearby New Jersey Devils and then bidding farewell to captain Ryan McDonagh and centre JT Miller in a biggie with the Tampa Bay Lightning. REMEMBER ME? Rangers call-up John Gilmour made franchise history when he sniped the game-winner during Wednesday’s sudden-death session in Vancouver, becoming the first rookie defenceman to score an overtime goal for the squad. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because Gilmour was a seventh-round pick of the Flames in the 2013 NHL Draft. He was teammates with Mark Jankowski and Jon Gillies at Providence but never signed by the Saddledome brass. GOOD GAWDIN Flames prospect Glenn Gawdin was saluted Thursday as the ’s Player of the Month for February. The 20-year-old centre splurged for 27 points — 15 goals and 12 assists — in a dozen showings last month for the . Gawdin, who signed an entry-level pact with the Flames in November, is currently riding a 23- game point-spree and leads the WHL with 119 points and a plus-59 rating. THIS N’ THAT Rangers G Henrik Lundqvist racked up 50 saves against the Canucks, equalling his career-high … The boys from the Big Apple are 6-0-1 in their past seven meetings with the Flames, including a 4-3 victory in a Feb. 9 matchup at Madison Square Garden … Flames trade-deadline acquisition Nick Shore is hoping to debut against the Rangers. The 25- year-old centre missed Wednesday’s contest due to illness.

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101576 Calgary Flames They may want to revisit that reality check before Friday’s visit by the New York Rangers as a third-straight loss would put the club even further out of a playoff spot. Francis: Flames treatment of ref led to questionable call Gulutzan said after the game the club needs to harness its emotions if this team is to stay in a playoff race that is testing the mettle of everyone involved. ERIC FRANCIS With just 17 games remaining in the tightest race imaginable this is a March 2, 2018 2:57 PM MST stressful time for the underachieving bunch. How they handle that stress needs to improve soon, or the anxiety the lads in that room feel now will morph into concern all summer over their Somehow, in the midst of yet another meltdown, the Calgary Flames future in Calgary. forgot who the real enemy was Wednesday night.

It cost them the game and it may have cost Johnny Gaudreau a shot at repeating as a Lady Byng Trophy winner. Calgary Sun: LOADED: 03.03.2018 Ultimately it may cost the franchise much more, especially if they don’t turn things around quickly. They were playing the Colorado Avalanche, but their focus eventually turned to the officials. It’s an understandable oversight in peewee. Things are definitely starting to get tense for the Flames these days, but the way they’ve been responding of late might be the biggest concern fans should have moving forward. On Wednesday, their lack of composure included their coach. Nailed for a bench minor for the second game in a row, Glen Gulutzan admitted afterward he “took the bait” offered up by way of what he said was a stare down by a fed up referee. A facetious clap by Gulutzan directed at the ref midway through the second period put the Flames down a man, sending the coach into a slow burn that likely had him smoldering all the way home. The officials’ displeasure with being shown up, yelled at and harped on while the Flames gave up four straight goals in the second period didn’t end there, as it ultimately set up the game’s biggest talking point. Midway through the third period, with the frustrated Flames down 4-2, Gaudreau was the recipient of a Blake Comeau high stick as he sped down the right wing, into Colorado’s zone. The stick hit Gaudreau across the left arm and close to the chest area, prompting a head snap as he continued up ice. Referee Jon McIsaac had a perfect view of the incident and blew the whistle immediately to hand out a high sticking penalty, as well as a surprising embellishment call. No, the stick never hit Gaudreau’s face. But it certainly came close enough to warrant a reflex like his. The call sent Gaudreau over the edge. Repeatedly slamming his stick on the penalty box’s glass while shouting his displeasure at the six-year veteran, the league’s reigning most sportsmanlike player was handed a 10-minute misconduct. As he left the penalty box and skated to the bench an enraged Gaudreau took the opportunity to continue yelling at McIsaac. Tough to blame him for being upset. If the Flames took a step back to look at the situation, it’s evident the embellishment call had plenty to do with the mood set by the Flames and the unwelcome commentary with the officials. As he made the split-second decision to shock Gaudreau with an embellishment call, you can bet McIsaac simply saw the head snap as another sign of disrespect he wasn’t going to stand for. Don’t blame Gaudreau for the call, blame the coach who set the stage. It’s all eerily reminiscent of the Flames a couple years back under Bob Hartley when the team earned a reputation for incessant whining to officials. It reached a point where players quietly admitted they knew their complaining had gone too far and clearly wasn’t ever going to help their cause. It was hurting them, as few refs are going to give a team of malcontents the benefit of the doubt. So they made a conscious effort to stop. 1101577 Calgary Flames Before the period was over, Travis Hamonic tried to drop the gloves with Krieder while Dougie Hamilton was tagged with a phantom high-sticking call with 2.6 seconds left when Mika ZIbanejad’s own stick was lifted and Flames put up another stinker at home against Rangers struck himself in the face. Nothing was going the Flames way on this night and, just like Tuesday’s 2-0 loss at Dallas, they ran into another hot starting goalie.In the third, Kristen Anderson, Postmedia Buchnevich nearly scored on a breakaway, head-faking and going five- hole on Gillies but the puck hit the post and bounced out. March 2, 2018 11:29 PM MST “Jonny bailed us out,” Gulutzan said. “Things could have got worse in the second. We regrouped back again . . . we just couldn’t back in.” In a 3-1 loss to the visiting New York Rangers, which saw the Calgary The Flames have two days of practice before departing for a three-game Flames fire 51 shots at Henrik Lundqvist, one specific sequence and road trip to Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Ottawa. save defined it all. “This is our season, coming up,” Giordano said. “We have to find a way Twenty seconds into the second period with the score tied 1-1, Mikael to get points in these games coming up here.” Backlund accepted a cross-ice pass from Matthew Tkachuk. The birthday boy, Lundqvist, who turned 36 on Friday, read the play perfectly and nc sprawled across his crease to swat Backlund’s shot away with his blocker. Calgary Sun: LOADED: 03.03.2018 New York’s ensuing turnover saw Pavel Buchnevich go head-to-head with Flames netminder Jon Gillies, who belly-flopped to thwart the incoming Rangers forward. Buchnevich pulled the puck around his right skate and tapped it in the net. “The save he made on Backs . . . Backs hit as clean as you can hit it,” said Flames captain . “That was a big save for them. But I felt, again, we were getting a lot of tips, we were getting a lot of traffic. The puck didn’t go in the net. (Lundqvist) played well, give him credit. But we’ve got to find a way to hammer some of those home.” Their lone goal came from Flames defender Brett Kulak off a rebound in the first period, after Michael Frolik and Matthew Tkachuk both battled in front with chances. The offence has dried up as the first line of Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Sam Bennett combined for 10 shots on net while Dougie Hamilton and Tkachuk led the way with six shots apiece. Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan said his staff counted 87 scoring chances for his club on this night. Meanwhile, Jon Gillies, playing his sixth game this season allowed one bad marker and had no chance on the other two. In the end, the 24-year- old faced 27 shots and the loss can hardly be pegged on the rookie goalie. “He played really well,” Giordano said. “A lot of chances against, a lot of odd-man chances. We just made a couple mistakes that cost us the game, really. The second one was a weird one. The third one was a bad change by myself. You have to eliminate those. They get magnified when you’re not scoring goals but you have to eliminate them at this time of the year.” Unfortunately, the NHL is not patient. The Flames, losers of three straight and 3-6-1 without starting goalie Mike Smith in net, are falling out of the 2018 post-season race at a rapid pace. Having lost their composure during back-to-back road games at Dallas and Colorado, they kept their cool on this night but still dropped to 32-25- 9 against a team that promised an imminent rebuild to their fanbase just a few weeks ago. That team, sellers on Monday’s NHL trade deadline, jumped out to a 1-0 lead just 4:07 into the contest when a lost face-off by Sean Monahan allowed Kevin Hayes to punch in his 18th of the season on a set play. “We run the same draw,” Gulutzan said. “When a lefty is drawing towards his net, that’s the time on that side of the ice when you run that play. The biggest thing that caught us off guard was that he got a really good shot through but we thought Jonny had it for a second and we eased up. But (the puck) was laying there. I think that’s what caught us.” After allowing the go-ahead goal, Gillies settled in during the second period and made a timely stop on Chris Kreider on a one-timer off a two- on-one with Buchnevich. He also got lucky when Tony Deangelo cranked a post. The complexion changed, however, after a bad change by the Flames allowed Rangers newcomer Ryan Spooner to skate in all alone with Dougie Hamilton a few steps behind. Spooner, traded to The Big Apple in the trade deadline deal that saw Rick Nash sent to the Boston Bruins, potted his first goal as a Ranger when he casually beat Gillies blocker- side. 1101578 Calgary Flames NHLe: 23 Valimaki was the second Flames blueline prospect to score a hat trick in February, a feat that helped him garner 12 points in 13 games played last Flames prospect update: Glenn Gawdin, the machine month. Although he has been hobbled by injury somewhat this year, Valimaki is By Kent Wilson 12 hours ago 1 still operating at around a point-per-game pace (32 points in 33 games) and is one of the top 10 offensive defenders in the WHL by a number of measures. He also fires a copious amount of shots on net (4.3 per game in February). At the recent trade deadline, the Calgary Flames' most notable move was claiming right winger Chris Stewart off from the Minnesota Wild. Keep in mind that offence isn't considered the strength of Valimaki's That's how desperate the club's right side up front has become. game by scouts (!), with most saying he's bound to make his mark as a two-way/defensive player in the NHL. Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of help forthcoming from the organization's prospect ranks. While the team owns a number of quality youngsters who Although most defensive prospects do not tend to leap straight into NHL are putting together excellent seasons, almost none of them are right from junior, it wouldn't surprise me to see Valimaki challenge for a roster wingers, with the possible exception of Matthew Phillips (who is years spot on the Flames next season. away from challenging for an NHL job). 5.) Rasmus Andersson, RD That's the bad news. The good news is, Calgary boasts a number of impressive hopefuls on the blueline which may give them options this 3g-5a-8pts (7g-26a-33pts) summer. With guys like Juuso Valimaki, Rasmus Andersson, Adam Fox NHLe: 28 and Oliver Kylington waiting in the wings, the team may be able to trade from an area of strength – the back end – to shore up an area of AHL all-star, first pairing defender, and now the 's second weakness – the right side. highest scorer behind Andrew Mangiapane, Andersson continues to do it all on the Flames minor-league squad. February's prospect update features three of Calgary's blue-chip defensive prospects, plus an apparently unstoppable overager. Andersson is ready for the big league. Brad Treliving simply has to make room for him in the off-season. 1.) Glenn Gawdin, C Notes: 14g-13a-27pts (55g-64a-119pts) Matthew Phillips scoring streak finally ended at 22 games in February. NHLe: 45 The diminutive right winger managed 19 points in 11 games in February I'd like to stop writing about Gawdin in the prospect updates, but the 20- and is alone at fifth in WHL scoring with 100 points. year-old free agent signing just keeps putting up ridiculous numbers. doesn't seem to be considered a prospect by the Recently named the WHL's player of the month, Gawdin scored 2.25 organization anymore, but he's having a career season in the AHL points-per-game (27 points in 12 games) in February and is currently on nonetheless with 31 points in 49 games. The 24-year-old usually skates a 23-game point streak that stretches back to Jan. 7. In fact, Gawdin was with Andersson on the Heat's top pairing, but the decision makers have so dominant in February that he scored a goal or more in 11 of the 12 apparently decided he's merely a very good AHL depth guy. It will be games he played. interesting to see if the team re-signs him in the summer. With 119 points, Gawdin is not only the highest scoring player in the WHL, he's the top point getter in the entire . Not bad for a fifth-round pick who wasn't even retained by his original The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2018 draft team. 2.) Adam Fox, RD 3g-6a-9pts (3g-18a-21pts) NHLe: 16 It's been a slower season for Fox relatively to his freshman year, but then Harvard isn't nearly the powerhouse team they were last year. He is still third on his team in scoring, with an impressive PPG pace of 0.84. February was Fox's most productive month to date, scoring nine points in eight games. His totals are plumped up by a four-point game against St. Lawrence where he scored a hat trick (his goal total for the season, ironically). Fox is still considered one of the best offensive defenders among NHL prospects and it wouldn't surprise me to see the Flames push to get him signed to a pro contract this summer. 3.) Dillon Dube, C/LW 10g-11a-21pts (32g-38a-70pts) NHLe: 36 Dube's season totals just keep quietly increasing every month. In a very busy February, Dube scored 10 goals and 21 points in just 14 games and was held off the scoresheet just three times. It's worth noting that Dube is relatively young for his draft season, with a July 20, 1998, birthdate. That means he was about two months shy of being eligible for the 2017 entry draft instead of 2016 when the Flames took him in the second round. Parsing age by few months doesn't matter much when players are in the NHL, but in junior where players are still growing and maturing, being a dominant player despite being on the younger end of your cohort can be a positive sign. 4.) Juuso Valimaki, LD 6g-6a-12pts (11g-21a-32pts) 1101579 Calgary Flames Anthony, calling from Toronto, wanted Flames fans to know his younger brother had it the worst.

As a little kid, Anthony exhibited off-the-chart talent. The kind of player Regardless of how his time in Calgary turns out, Chris Stewart is already who, thanks to well-meaning coaches and parents, always gets to the a success arena on time. Not Chris. By Scott Cruickshank 17 hours ago 3 “He didn't have the superstar minor-hockey background,” Anthony said. “I had a lot of people picking me up and driving me everywhere. But he had to take the bus himself – with his equipment, from rink to rink – which is It started out as a favour – Anthony Stewart asking the Kingston pretty tough as as 12-, 13-year-old.” Frontenacs to please do him a solid. Invite his little brother to training camp. Anthony, three years older than Chris, continued to follow a glorious road, steadily moving through the ranks until the Frontenacs snared him The team, eager to appease its star and future captain, went along with in the first round of the OHL's entry draft. the request. It is worth noting that the sibling in question, Chris, had been out of hockey for two years and weighed more than 250 pounds. Meanwhile Chris, as noted, needed his big brother to lift the rope into the world of junior hockey. Once anchored in Kingston, though, he took care No matter. And, certainly, no expectations – especially at the Ontario of business. Hockey League level. When King met Chris, the kid was running hurdles for a local high school. “Chris was an unknown commodity, other than the fact that he was His first impression? Extremely gifted athlete. Then they sat down and Anthony's younger brother,” recalled Jim Hulton, coach of the Frontenacs talked. in those days. “That's all we knew at the time … and that he was playing football. The first impression? This was a big kid, but he certainly wasn't “He was a hockey nerd – he knew everything about hockey,” King, in hockey shape by any stretch of the imagination.” chuckling, said. “Which guys used which sticks, and so forth. He really was a student of the game. He knew what other guys did to be Hulton paused. successful.” “That's the last time there was a bad impression.” Including his big brother. Because, turned loose for his audition in the fall of 2004, Chris barrelled Despite mismatched paths as teenagers, the lads' storylines converged – around the ice, belting anything that moved, fighting anyone who dared. both served as captains of the Frontenacs, both were NHL first-round picks (Anthony 25th to Florida in 2003, Chris 18th to Colorado in 2006), “His desire overcame any deficiencies in terms of conditioning or timing,” both made hundreds of appearances in the NHL. said Hulton. “He quickly became a favourite of everybody involved – coaches, trainers, teammates, evaluators. It was, 'Geez, there's Both managed to overcome the odds. something here.' Imagine what could happen if he got in shape.” It's remarkable, really. Anthony doesn't deny the rocky upbringing. No need to imagine. “We really didn't have the best of the best.” After a productive rookie season in Kingston, Chris slimmed down and dominated as a sophomore in what was his National Hockey League Seven children. A father, Norman, who worked seasonally landscaping draft year. and installing pools, bringing home little money. Stays in government- subsidized housing, sometimes a seedy motel. Struggles to pay for the “From a raw, unpolished diamond… to a force,” Hulton said of the right- necessities, let alone sports. winger. “He looked like a junior version of Cam Neely. Big and powerful, but he had soft hands and he could put up points.” “They might have had tough times, but there was a lot of love in the house,” said Hulton. “Mom and Dad were terrific people, very supportive. Over the years, it's made for a tantalizing – and ultimately well-travelled – It was a great example – just because you don't have a lot of financial package, as hockey fans well know. support doesn't mean you can't succeed. It made them understand the value of hard work.” Hulton – from his coaching perch with the Islanders of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League – took notice of Chris's latest Anthony and Chris, to this day, pitch in on the home front. transfer. Norman currently lives with the boys' five younger sisters – Sarah, Leah, To the Calgary Flames, via waivers, from the Minnesota Wild. Kayla, Julie, Jessie – just down the street from Anthony's house in Ajax, Ont. (Their mother, Susan, died of a heart attack 11 years ago.) The Flames mark his sixth NHL employer, all part of one crazy stake- pulling odyssey for Chris, 6-foot-2 and 242 pounds. His agent declines to Unsurprisingly, the brothers remain tight. Daily texts. Regular calls. scoff at the resulting resume. Updates regarding the family's well-being. “People can have whatever perception they want,” Eustace King said on “He knows what he's doing (in hockey), so I try to stay out of it,” said the phone from Los Angeles. “But if they look back and see what he's Anthony. “But I offer him encouragement, keep his mind off it, keep him done on each team, he's had an impact. He has all these attributes … positive. As stressful as it is, he doesn't need his big brother telling him and each team has chosen how to use them.” what to do.” “It's a positive thing that teams continue to want Chris. Guys that aren't However Chris's time in Calgary turns out – barely five weeks of regular wanted end up out of the league.” season remain for the unrestricted free agent – the success of the Stewarts is undeniable. Hulton agreed. “We realize that we've made a pretty good life for ourselves and our Chris's portfolio, rather than raising red flags, is actually something that family, coming from not a lot, right?” said Anthony. “It goes to show that should be applauded. Adaptability, after all, should be appreciated. with the community support, being surrounded by the right people, stressing going to school and doing the right things, you can make “The fact that he's still playing, 650 games into his career, bodes well,” yourself a successful person.” said Hulton. “He's found a way. That's what all players have to do – you have to find a niche that's going to allow you to stay there. Really, when Anthony, in fact, is in pay-it-forward mode right now. you look at his career, he's filled a number of different roles. The game changes so quickly … and he's morphed into that fourth-line guy, pucks He wants to put Scarborough on the hockey map. The brothers – through in and pucks out, plays physical. There's a need for that on every team.” their company, Stewart Hockey – are putting together programs for disadvantaged youngsters, who, according to Anthony, are being left “He's learned how to survive.” behind because of soaring costs. Which, in the hard-knocks case of the Stewart boys, is not a “I'm trying to change things from a grassroots level,” Anthony said. characteristic to be taken lightly. “There's a lot of people doing camps overseas, when, really, they need to focus a little more on the people in Canada who can't afford to play the Their tale, by now, is no secret – hockey-playing brothers escaping the game. The next Sidney Crosby could be in Scarborough or could be in a mean streets of Scarborough, Ont., and making it all the way to the rough neighbourhood of Toronto. It's untapped potential.” planet's finest league. “My brother's a prime example of that. He had to literally fight and scratch and claw his way up to the NHL. He started off in junior as a fighter – and he was captain two years later. The rest is history.” Even if the course Chris is charting features few extended stays. Anthony laughed when asked if he'd been hoping that Chris would remain in Minnesota. “No, not really.” Chris had been scratched on a regular basis by the Wild, and Anthony is only too familiar with the feeling. “From a guy who sat 35 straight games in Florida in my early days … you get so frustrated you're almost in tears,” he said. “As a hockey player, you want to compete, you want to play every night.” Wearing No. 8, Chris made his Flames debut Tuesday in Dallas, starting on the first line and handling 13 minutes of ice time. The next night, however, the 30-year-old drew less than eight minutes of deployment in Denver. The Flames lost both nights. Anthony's confidence in his brother, however, is unwavering. “It's a perfect storm right now, with Calgary being in the playoff race and Chris being sort of shoved under the rug in Minnesota,” he said. “So there's motivation on both sides to do really well.” Chris did open this season with six goals in six dates, a roll reminiscent of his finest campaign – 28 goals and 64 points, while still on his entry- level contract, for the 2009-10 Avalanche. “He's the kind of player who, when he's on, can put up player-of-the- week numbers,” said Anthony. “Consistency is his issue. In the right position, in the right role, he can be a really, really good player.”

The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101580 Carolina Hurricanes “I’m not sure the ice was the best I’ve ever seen it,” Canes coach Bill Peters said. “Seemed like the puck was in the air a lot, bouncing around a little bit. But I thought we got going and were dangerous.” Five takeaways from the Hurricanes’ 3-1 win over Devils It was more a gritty, tight- game than anything smooth. Go to the net, hunt down rebounds, play the body, work hard for a bounce. That kind of game. BY CHIP ALEXANDER “I thought our execution was good in a building that kind of has some [email protected] tough ice,” Ward said. “We stuck with it.” March 02, 2018 11:56 PM News Observer LOADED: 03.03.2018 Five takeaways from the Carolina Hurricanes’ 3-1 win Friday over the New Jersey Devils. — There’s a different vibe in the Carolina Hurricanes’ locker room. One can sense it. “We’re playing with some swag, some confidence, and that’s good to see,” goalie Cam Ward said after the 3-1 Friday over the New Jersey Devils. Having Jordan Staal back is a relief to everyone, from Canes coach Bill Peters to Staal’s teammates to others in the organization. The death of Staal’s infant daughter, Hannah, last week due to a terminal birth defect affected everyone. But the Canes beat Philadelphia one night, then the Devils the next to move up in the Eastern Conference. “Jordo back has given us life,” Ward said. “It’s crunch time. We’re in this together. We’re in the fight.” — Teuvo Teravainen has had good games and not-so-good this season, either being one of the most dynamic players on the ice or one of more invisible. But the Canes forward is playing his best hockey of the past two seasons, with five goals and an assist in the past six games. He leads the team in points (51) and assists (33) and his 18 goals are a career high. Teravainen went to the front of the net and had a Brett Pesce shot go off his leg for the game-winning goal Friday, his third of the season. “It’s an exciting time of the year and every goal is huge and there’s a lot of one-goal games,” he said. “You have to find ways to score.” Teravainen said the Canes were “more dialed in” and physical the past two games, adding, “That’s the right way we have to keep playing.” — It’s always intriguing to watch opposing coaches play their game within a game. The Canes’ Bill Peters went back to the defensive pairing of Jaccob Slavin and Pesce to match up against the Devils’ top line of Nico Hischier at center with Taylor Hall and Kyle Palmieri. Slavin and Pesce were so effective — Hall did not have a shot in the first period — that Devils coach John Hynes flipped centers, moving on to the line with Hall and Palmieri and using Hischier with wingers Michael Grabner and Stefan Noesen. Hischier had two shots in the game and Hall was held to one, albeit scoring on a second-period redirection. — At first glance, it seemed like there were two Cam Wards in the Canes’ locker room Friday. Stick a cap on former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and he looks a lot like Ward. And with the same bit of stubble. At 34, Ward is a bit younger that Romo, who is 37. He’s also doing what he can to get the Canes back into the playoff mix, beating the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday and then the Devils with 25 saves. Play back-to-back games? Ward is fine with that. Make it three in four days by playing again Sunday against Winnipeg? He’s up for that, too. “I feel good,” Ward said. “I didn’t face a ton of work (against Philadelphia) and felt capable, if called upon, to play again tonight.” Ward made a timely kick save on a Devils power play in the third period that he called “a little old school, a little Tom Barrasso,” referring to the former NHL goalie and once the Canes goalie coach. — Some rough ice Friday at PNC Arena made for some weird bounces and was tough on Ward and Devils goalie Keith Kinkaid. 1101581 Carolina Hurricanes News Observer LOADED: 03.03.2018 Jordan Staal is back, and the Hurricanes need him as much as he needs them

BY LUKE DECOCK [email protected] March 02, 2018 11:14 PM

RALEIGH The applause for the assist was louder than it was for the goal, Justin Williams' empty-netter that sealed the win for the Carolina Hurricanes. The pass ahead to Williams came from a player who could possibly have taken a poke at the empty net himself, but scooted it along to Williams along the boards instead. It came from Jordan Staal, in his first home game back in the lineup. Staal is still only days removed from unspeakable loss, and only now can those on the outside understand the unimaginable burden under which he has played these past months. The rink became his refuge, and remains so now, and all his teammates can do is give him space and welcome him back into their brotherhood. It has only been a week since his wife Heather gave birth to a stillborn daughter, one they knew had a terminal birth defect. Staal has carried that knowledge with him for months, and when the moment came, the team was willing to give him as much time away as he needed. That turned out to be three games. It was nearly two. Staal showed up at the airport for the team's flight to Boston on Monday, only to return home. By Thursday, he was ready, and played in an emotional win over the Philadelphia Flyers. By Friday, he was back home for an equally emotional 3-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. “The only thing and the best thing we can do is create a positive atmosphere,” Hurricanes forward Justin Williams said. “Before he came back, we had lost six straight. He doesn't want to come into a locker room where we're down in the dumps and everyone's moping around. So we all kind of rallied around that to try to raise our spirits. Tonight was a really passionate game and a really big win for us.” Staal has yet to comment publicly beyond the statement he and his wife released on Wednesday, and he was receiving treatment after Friday's win. His teammates didn't know how long he would be gone, although they accepted that he would take as long as he needed. If Jordan Staal had been carrying this with him for a long time, it settled upon the team more suddenly. “It's such a tough situation,” Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward said. “It's things like that that put everything in perspective. The game seems so little when you think of it. As a teammate and a friend, you want to be someone that he can lean on first and foremost. The guys obviously love Jordan and love the whole entire Staal family. Seeing him come back in Philadelphia, was obviously exciting for us.” If there was ever any doubting Staal's value to the Hurricanes, these last three games proved it beyond a reasonable doubt. He may struggle to finish chances around the net, but he covers acres of ice with his size and wingspan, he's diligent and he takes on the most difficult defensive assignments. Without him, the Hurricanes – already undermanned and undersized at center – were completely overwhelmed. Evgeni Malkin ran wild in a 6-1 Pittsburgh win, the first of three losses (one in overtime) by a combined 13-5 scoreline. The Hurricanes were spiraling out of control, 0-4-2 in their last six, before Staal returned on Thursday. Now, after a pair of wins over division opponents, they're back in with a shout. They still face difficult odds to get back into the playoff hunt, but it's clear their chances are infinitely better with Staal in the lineup than without him – even weighed down by the emotional baggage he has lugged with him from game to game, week to week, month to month. And then there was his assist, on what was essentially the final play of the game. If the game is a refuge, perhaps it will be cathartic. Perhaps he will sleep well, as well as he can, for the first time in a long time Friday night. Life goes on for those left behind. The schedule ticks away, game by game by game. The Hurricanes need Jordan Staal as much as he needs them right now. 1101582 Carolina Hurricanes It was Ryan’s 12th goal of the season and his first in 16 games, ending a frustrating stretch for the center. Victor Rask, first in on the forecheck on the shift, had the primary assist. Canes find a way to beat Devils, win 3-1 A holding penalty on Ryan late in the second led to Hall’s power-play score. Held without a shot most of the first 40 minutes, Hall redirected a shot by Sami Vatanen from the wall in the slot to beat Ward with 32 BY CHIP ALEXANDER seconds remaining in the period. [email protected] Kinkaid had twice beaten the Canes before this season and took a 6-1 career record over Carolina into the game. March 02, 2018 10:11 PM

News Observer LOADED: 03.03.2018 RALEIGH The Carolina Hurricanes began the week by not making a move at the NHL trade deadline and five points out of playoff position in the Eastern Conference. Things appeared a bit bleak. But a 3-1 victory Friday over the New Jersey Devils at PNC Arena gave the Canes back-to-back wins and five points in their past three games. Just like that, they're back in a playoff spot. Teuvo Teravainen’s goal at 9:37 of the third period pushed the Canes ahead 2-1 as Brett Pesce’s point shot glanced off Teravainen's leg in front of Devils goalie Keith Kinkaid.. Justin Williams sealed it with a late empty-net goal, his third score in two games, off a Jordan Staal assist. Goalie Cam Ward, playing a back-to-back set for the first time this season, earned his 19th win of the season with 25 saves. The Canes' win, coupled with the Columbus Blue Jackets' loss to Anaheim, landed Carolina back in the second-wild card playoff spot. The Canes (29-25-11) and Blue Jackets each have 69 points, but the Canes have the tiebreaker edge with more points in their season series Just behind them: the surging Florida Panthers with 68 points and games in hand. "I think our guys are committed to seeing where we can get to and how high we can get," Canes coach Bill Peters said. "We believe we can make the playoffs and we want to make the playoffs and we're competing at a level that can give us a chance." The Canes, after Monday's trade deadline, lost in overtime on the road at Boston, stretching their winless streak to six games but picking up a point. They bounced back Thursday by beating the Philadelphia Flyers on the road, then returned home to outlast a Metropolitan Division rival that had beaten them twice this season. Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon was in the building and brought some friends, including former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who sounded the warning siren before the game. Derek Ryan had a second-period goal for the Hurricanes, a score matched late in the period by Devils forward Taylor Hall. Hall’s power-play score, his 29th goal of the season, extended his point streak to 17 games. He also became the eighth different player in the last 30 years to record at least one point in 24 or more consecutive appearances — Hall missed three games in January with a thumb injury. That took it into the third as Ward matched saves with Kinkaid. Ward was in net and the winner against the Flyers. Peters decided to go with the veteran again Friday — the first time this season Peters has used a goalie in both games of a back-to-back. -- and said Ward likely would start again Sunday against the Winnipeg Jets. After the Teravainen goal, his 18th, the Canes had to kill off a penalty to keep the lead. They did as Ward made some big stops. "We just got the momentum of the game (and) the next thing you know we give them a real good opportunity," Peters said. "Wardo came through." The Hurricanes got an emotional lift Thursday with the return of Staal and put together one of their most complete games of the season against the Flyers. Staal had been away from the team and missed three games following the death of his infant daughter, Hannah. Having him back in the lineup filled a void as the Canes won 4-1, ending their six-game winless streak. Friday’s game was more of a grind the first two periods as the two teams fought for pucks, clogged up the neutral zone and searched for offensive openings. Ryan, the Canes’ best offensive player in the first period, scored in the second on what appeared to be a pass through the crease to forward Lee Stempniak. The puck hit the left skate of defenseman Damon Severson on front, skidding past Kinkaid. 1101583 Chicago Blackhawks

Saturday’s matchup: Blackhawks at Kings

Paul Skrbina Chicago Tribune

TV/radio: 3 p.m. Saturday; NBCSCH, WGN-AM 720. Storylines: The Kings are among many teams trying to cling to a playoff spot. At 35-24-5, they are third in the Pacific Division with 77 points. Trending: The Hawks haven’t won on the road in more than a month, going 0-6-1 during that span.

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101584 Chicago Blackhawks Pride — and next year, for many of the team’s young players — is all that’s left to play for. Sharp might not be a part of next year, though.

So he plans to make the best of the nearly quarter of a season that is left. As his role has changed, Patrick Sharp trying to roll with punches “We get treated pretty well here in Chicago,” he said. “The least we can do is put an effort on the ice that makes yourself happy and makes the Paul Skrbina fans happy, that we can feel good about.” Chicago Tribune Chicago Tribune LOADED: 03.03.2018 Sitting doesn’t sit well with Patrick Sharp. But he has come to understand it. Sitting Sharp doesn’t sit well with Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville. But he has come to terms with doing it. Sharp, who did his part to help bring three Stanley Cups to the Blackhawks, has had his share of healthy scratches during this downtrodden season — 11, to be exact. The 36-year-old will be back in the lineup for the second consecutive game Saturday against the Kings after sitting out three in a row at the end of February. “You always want to be in the lineup; you always want to be contributing,” Sharp said Thursday after the team practiced in California. “Nobody dreams of being an extra player.” And Sharp never dreamed his return to Chicago after two years with the Stars would end up the nightmare it has become. He returned to the Hawks on a one-year deal, fresh off hip surgery last March that cut his season short. He has managed just seven goals and nine assists in 52 games. Just as Sharp has had his taste of being a spectator since coming back, the Hawks will be in the same position come the postseason for the first time in 10 years. Quenneville said he has had frank conversations with Sharp about the time off. The two talked about the whys and the whatnots. And none of those conversations were comfortable for either party. “Not easy,” Quenneville said. “That’s the challenge. As your career evolves, competition gets in the way, and that’s the battle you’re in. We’ve had talks about where he has been and where he’s at. When you have to sit him out, it’s not what we like doing. That’s the tough part about our business.” Still, Sharp appreciates his boss’ position. “There’s no coach I’d rather play for than Joel,” Sharp said. “I’d like to think we have had a great relationship over the years.” The years — Sharp has nearly 15 of them in the league — haven’t caught up to Sharp so much as the kind of game the NHL has become, teammate Patrick Kane said. There’s a lot more speed. There’s a lot more competition. There’s a lot more parity. Kane said he sees the same old — figurative, not literal — Sharp. “It’s such a fine line,” Kane said. “You pretty much see the same plays in practice. He can score on all of his shots. Even in the game, there are times where he can still do what he did before, if you want to put it that way. “I don’t think he really has lost that. I think the game maybe has changed a little bit. He might be in a little bit different of a role. There are a lot of factors going into it. There’s no one on the team playing at that high of a level this year.” Sharp’s role, it has turned out, is that of a bottom-six player. Sharp was part of the pre-glory years, before the Hawks turned into a dominant force that hoisted three Cups. He was part of the groundwork for those champions. He said he understands how to take the bad with the good. “There are going to be highs and lows throughout a season, throughout a career,” he said. “It’s how you handle yourself. It’s the kind of teammate you are, the attitude you bring to the rink every day. It says a lot about your character. That’s something I’ve always prided myself a lot on.” 1101585 Chicago Blackhawks

Former Blackhawk Daniel Carcillo takes NHL to task on concussions

Paul Skrbina Chicago Tribune

Daniel Carcillo reached out to all 31 NHL teams and several players Thursday afternoon on Twitter in an effort to increase concussion awareness. The former Blackhawk used the hashtag #TIMETODOBETTER and followed that with a link to a clip of Bryant Gumbel’s “Real Sports” show on HBO, which is titled “The NHL’s denial of CTE.” In one tweet, Carcillo said the NHL is “very much a fear-based league. Walk on eggshells, don’t dare ask questions and god forbid you don’t agree with how you’re being treated.” “It’s an ultimatum,” Carcillo tweeted. “Either put up or shut up bc there’s a young n dumb n hungrier youngen ready to step in and shut up n play.” Carcillo also encouraged players to stand up for themselves and “get educated” and to “know the risks of playing #hockey in a league that refuses to adequately care for humans.” Carcillo also asks whether more would be done if players such as Sidney Crosby and Hawks captain Jonathan Toews spoke out, adding that both had suffered multiple concussions. Gumbel’s show features interviews with Paul Montador (father of former Hawk Steve Montador), Eric Lindros and Ken Dryden. The subject hits especially close to home for Carcillo when it comes to Steve Montador, his friend and former teammate who died in 2015. Montador reportedly suffered multiple concussions during his career. Extensive CTE was found on his brain after his death. Carcillo also experienced multiple concussions during his nine-year career. Carcillo retired from the NHL after the 2014-15 season. His struggles both during and after his career have been well-documented. In 2015 he started Chapter 5, a non-profit group in Montador’s memory that was designed to help players deal with the transition from playing life to retired life after their days on the ice are over.

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101586 Chicago Blackhawks

Patrick Kane all in on Penguins three-peat as Stanley Cup champs

Paul Skrbina Chicago Tribune

This season has been for the birds, as far as Patrick Kane and the Blackhawks are concerned. So with his team’s postseason hopes dashed, Kane, who follows the league closely as a fan, is going with some other birds to win it all. The Hawks forward, a veteran of three Stanley Cup championships, said he likes the Penguins to win their third straight Cup this season, citing their trade-deadline acquisition of third-line center Derick Brassard as one of the reasons. “It’s hard to go against Pittsburgh,” Kane said. “They haven’t been beaten in the playoffs the last couple of years, and they look like they’re poised to make another run. They made a big move there at the deadline. I’d probably pick them.” Should Kane’s prediction come true, the Penguins would become the first team to win three in a row since the Islanders won four straight from 1980-83. Blurring the lines: Kane, Jonathan Toews and Brandon Saad have spent a touch more than 87 minutes on the ice together this season. But the three will join forces on one line Saturday against the Kings. In an effort to wake up a slumbering offense, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville decided to put the three together. “Me and ‘Tazer’ don’t really play much together anymore,” Kane said. “It will be nice to try to find some chemistry and some offense. Throughout the year you’re pretty much going to play with everyone, so kind of used to it at this point, the lines changing up.” Alex DeBrincat, Nick Schmaltz and Vinnie Hinostroza, who all have played at times on the top line, will form a line of their own Saturday. Rutta awakening: Hawks defenseman Jan Rutta made a cameo during practice Friday but left the ice before it was over and will not play Saturday against the Kings, Quenneville said. Rutta was activated from injured reserve Feb. 23 but has played in just two games since returning from an lower-body injury. Rutta has six goals and 13 assists in 43 games this season.

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101587 Chicago Blackhawks familiar locker room setting where players on all teams greet him with big hugs and friendly chirps. He’s called 17 games this season so far; typically, he’d be around 85 or 90 by now. But he’s resuming nearly a full Eddie Olczyk on cancer battle: ‘I’m way tougher than I ever thought I schedule — “rested and ready for the playoffs,” he said. was’ He’s moving on. After the last round of chemo, Olczyk cleared out his drawers and closet, throwing out anything that reminded him of the past seven months — clothes, pillows, blankets, whatever. When you’re 03/02/2018, 11:49PM undergoing chemo, he said, “You feel like you reek of it.” He went to the mall last week to replace everything with a big shopping spree, a new Mark Lazerus start on the rest of his career, the rest of his life. After he was unhooked for the last time, he told Diana, “It’s the first day of the rest of our lives.” @MarkLazerus | email His cancer will always be a part of him, a part of his story. But he doesn’t

want it to define him. EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Eddie Olczyk was unhooked from the life-giving, It’s finally time to just be Edzo again. body-wracking, soul-crushing chemotherapy for the last time at 9:47 a.m. on Feb. 21, and the congratulations followed immediately. “I traded in six months of hell for 50 more years,” he said with a smile. “I think I’d make a pretty good general manager if I can make that trade. was among the first. So were Olczyk’s brothers, Rick and And there’s no cap restrictions on that.” Randy. His Blackhawks bosses, John McDonough and Jay Blunk, called. The entire hockey world — teammates, players, writers, broadcasters — sent giddy texts loaded with exclamation points. His wife, Diana, walked into the house carrying an almost comical bouquet of helium balloons — Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 03.03.2018 horses and dogs and “You Did It!” and the like. “She almost flew away,” Olczyk said with a chuckle. Olczyk’s family and innumerable friends — just about everyone in the hockey world knows and loves Eddie O — wanted to celebrate. But Olczyk just wanted a quiet moment to reflect on the last seven months, the hardest of his life. Cancer changes you. Challenges you. It can weaken you physically, but it can strengthen you mentally. “Anybody that takes chemo is way tougher than they ever thought they were,” Olczyk said. “Look, I played a long time in the league and I’m very proud of my career. It’s hard to play in the NHL. I was never known as a tough player, I know that. But what I proved to myself is that I’m way tougher than I ever thought I was.” That toughness doesn’t come easy, and it doesn’t come naturally. It’s constantly at war with doubt, with fear, with self-pity. There were times when Olczyk wanted to quit, when the chemo ravaged his body so badly that he just couldn’t imagine months more of it. He endured 12 48-hour chemo sessions — hooked up at Northwestern Memorial Hospital on Monday, unhooked by a nurse at home on Wednesday, finally starting to feel like himself again by Saturday or Sunday. Those Mondays were filled with dread. The weeks were filled with pain and sickness. And there were times, Olczyk said, when Diana had to “talk me off the ledge.” “I can’t,” Olczyk said. “I can’t.” “You don’t have a choice,” Diana shot back. “I need you to fight.” “And when your wife’s sitting there crying, and you’re crying, man, it takes your breath away,” he said. “You’re like, OK. I’m fighting for my kids. I’m fighting for my wife. I’m fighting for my family. I’m fighting for hockey. I’m fighting for people I don’t even know.” Indeed, Olczyk has become a source of strength and encouragement for countless cancer patients and their families — constantly telling his story, relentlessly advocating for early detection, showing up on TV whenever his body allowed so that he could not only lose himself in hockey for a few hours, but also inspire others. Olczyk never wanted to be Eddie Olczyk, Cancer Survivor. He just wanted to be Edzo, the prolific player and gregarious broadcaster. When he was first diagnosed with colon cancer over the summer and had a fist- sized tumor, 23 lymph nodes and 14 inches of his colon removed, he just wanted to curl up in a corner, take his chemo in solitude and pop back up in the public eye when it was over. He quickly realized that was not only impossible for a celebrity of his stature, but that it was selfish, too. “Maybe I can help somebody,” he said. “Maybe somebody gets checked out early and they don’t have to go through what I went through. If it’s one person I helped, I did my job, I achieved my goal. And I’d like to think I’ve helped more than one person.” It’s not over yet. Olczyk is optimistic, but still terrified of what his April 2 scans and blood work will show. The doctors are confident, and so is he. But the uncertainty still looms. In the meantime, he’s back to work, once again losing himself in hockey, in his often delirious on-air banter with Foley and Doc Emrick, in the 1101588 Colorado Avalanche

Duncan Siemens’ broken nose signifies NHL progress for former Avalanche first-round pick

By KYLE FREDRICKSON | [email protected] | The Denver Post PUBLISHED: March 2, 2018 at 1:40 pm | UPDATED: March 2, 2018 at 7:33 PM

Avalanche defenseman Duncan Siemens’ nose shifted and swelled late Wednesday following a 5-2 victory that included several closed fist punches to his face from Calgary winger Tanner Glass during a first- period fight inside Pepsi Center. Team doctors later examined Siemens’ nose, then pushed on it till they heard a distinct … pop. “I actually thought it felt pretty good,” Siemens said Friday. “It relieved a lot of pressure.” A fitting metaphor for Siemens’ hockey journey. Drafted by Colorado in 2011 with the No. 11 overall pick, Siemens has appeared in just 10 NHL games. He was recalled from the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage on Feb. 13 and has since played his most impactful Avalanche hockey to date — including a night of NHL firsts on Wednesday. In addition to his first regular season fight, Siemens also scored his first NHL goal in the win. With less than a minute remaining and Colorado owning a 4-2 lead, the Flames pulled goaltender David Rittich. That’s when Siemens located the puck in his own zone, flipped it up and over a scrum of players, and watched it slide toward the open goal. “My intention was just to get it in over their blue line and give our guys a chance to change if we needed,” Siemens said. “Then I saw it go deeper and deeper, and eventually slide into the net. It wasn’t really the intention, but once it finally slid in there it was just hard to hold (back) a smile.” Siemens’ nose swelling had dropped significantly by Friday, although it was still slightly crooked with a couple stitches on the right side. Siemens, 24, then reflected on his hockey voyage to this point. “It hasn’t maybe been the road that I envisioned from Day One out of the NHL draft, but everybody has a different path,” Siemens said. “But I’ve stuck with it, worked hard and tried to take all the advice and criticisms from my coaches and continuously work on my game. It’s starting to pay off now.” Added Colorado coach Jared Bednar: “I certainly like what he’s doing now and I think he has the ability to keep doing it and play that way on a nightly basis. He impacted the game the other night. He’s been doing a really nice job on the penalty. He brings us a physical presence back there. He’s got some emotion in his game.” Footnotes. Defenseman Erik Johnson skated in a red non-contact sweater on Friday during early skate. Johnson, the Avs’ ice-time leader, has missed the last six games with what is believed to be a shoulder injury … Defenseman Anton Lindholm returned to the lineup Friday after missing five games to injury. Colorado reassigned defenseman David Warsofsky to San Antonio to make room for Lindholm.

Denver Post: LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101589 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche move up in playoff bid in blowout of Wild

By KYLE FREDRICKSON | [email protected] | The Denver Post PUBLISHED: March 2, 2018 at 9:46 pm | UPDATED: March 2, 2018 at 10:21 PM

A near-capacity crowd at Pepsi Center on Friday night appeared a close split between Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild faithful as the bitter rivals fought for playoff positioning. Turns out, the fan battle proved more competitive than the game. Colorado led start to finish in a 7-1 beatdown of Minnesota. It marked the Avs’ 13th victory over their past 14 home games, and moved the team one step closer to the final Western Conference playoff spot. Colorado reached 75 points on the season, and was one spot out of the playoffs depending on the results of a late Friday game between Columbus and Anaheim. The Avs have 18 games left. “A really good team effort,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “(Our top line) has been exceptional, especially on home ice. They’re hard to handle for most everyone who comes in here, so that’s good. That’s what we need. That’s why they’re leading the charge.” Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon solidified his place in Colorado hockey history with five points against the Wild to raise his season total at home to 56 — the most in Avalanche history since Peter Forsberg reached the same pinnacle in 2002-03. “Every game is so big now,” MacKinnon said. “The Wild are a really good hockey team. Obviously, it wasn’t their best night. But I thought we earned every goal we got.” Colorado (35-24-5) raced out to a 2-0 lead in the first period. The route began about 10 minutes in when team captain Gabe Landeskog redirected an entry pass from second-year winger Mikko Rantanen into the net. MacKinnon added to the Avs’ lead with a power-play wrister just before the first break. Colorado kept its foot on the gas pedal in the second period with three quick goals: Tyson Barrie (5:54), MacKinnon (8:08), and Carl Soderberg (10:39). Minnesota pulled goaltender Devan Dubnyk after the score reached 5-0 and opted for Alex Stalox, who didn’t fare much better. Less than two minutes later MacKinnon curled around Minnesota’s goal with the puck and set up a perfect back-door pass for a Rantanen finish on net. The Wild cut the deficit to 6-1 late in the second period when Mikko Koivu snuck a rocket beneath the left glove of Avs’ goaltender Semyon Varlamov. But Colorado struck back quickly in the third period when forward Matt Nieto found the net.

Denver Post: LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101590 Columbus Blue Jackets “We didn’t give up too many chances, they the chances they got were Grade-A,” Jones said. “That’s the way it is. We just have to find a way to be better. Some of their goals were just free ones we turned over to Kings 5, Blue Jackets 2 | After Jackets’ lose seventh game to Kings, them.” playoff race tightens up Columbus’ special teams were ineffective against the Kings throughout the night and proved costly. By George Richards Not only did the Kings score on their first power play chance, but on the Jackets’ third power play of the night, former Columbus forward Jeff Posted Mar 2, 2018 at 5:59 AM Carter scored shorthanded to make it 4-2 midway through the third. Updated Mar 2, 2018 at 6:17 AM That play got going when Sonny Milano lost the puck just inside the Columbus zone and Folin fed Carter as he gained speed through the zone in front of Zach Werenski and roofed a backhander past Korpisalo. LOS ANGELES — Things were going so well for the Blue Jackets to start “We have to find a way to generate something there,” Foligno said. “Our off their whirlwind tour of California on Thursday night. power play looked discombobulated toward the end.” Then came the second period. Quick, who got off to a rough start, ended with 30 saves as he beat Columbus for the 15th time in 18 starts. And the third. “He’s one hell of a goalie and made some great saves on us and you Columbus jumped to a two-goal lead yet the host Los Angeles Kings have to tip your cap to him,” said Atkinson, who works with Quick during dominated the second with three goals and finished it off with a 5-2 win at the offseason. Staples Center. “Once you think you have him beat, he makes those saves where you “We knew they were going to push back in the second as any good team kind of throw your head in the air and ask ‘how did he make that save?’ would,” Seth Jones said. “It was like they flipped a switch. They looked He’s one of the best goalies in the world for a reason.” like a completely different team out there.” Columbus continues its run of three games in four nights on the west The loss prevented Columbus from having its first three-game winning coast Friday night at Anaheim. streak since it went on a six-game run way back in November.

More importantly, failing to beat the Kings in Los Angeles — the Jackets have lost seven of eight here — further tightened up the playoff race. Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 03.03.2018 Earlier in the night, both the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers won their respective games. The Hurricanes now sit two points back of the Jackets for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference; Florida, which has won 11 of 14, is three back. Columbus also failed to pick up ground on New Jersey — which lost in Florida — as the Jackets remain five points behind the Devils for the first wild card. “We had some good minutes, we just weren’t consistent enough,” Nick Foligno said. The Jackets got things going in a hurry, taking a 1-0 lead when Cam Atkinson buried a pass Artemi Panarin sent from behind the cage 3:41 into the game. Later in the period, Jones took the puck up ice and snapped a wrist shot past Jonathan Quick for a 2-0 lead with 6:37 remaining in a first Columbus dominated. Columbus had a chance to pad its lead early in the second when it went on the power play for the second time. After getting off one shot, the Jackets watched the Kings tear up the ice and pick up their first of the night at 2:48 when Nate Thompson beat Joonas Korpisalo from the right circle. The Kings continued their offensive assault and tied the score minutes later as Alex Iafallo redirected a long shot from Christian Folin. “I thought they took momentum when they scored their first goal,” coach John Tortorella said. “I think [getting] that third goal is very important for us. We had a couple of great chances. Then they score, take momentum and we lost our composure. ... and didn’t fully get it back consistently enough.” Los Angeles didn’t slow down and kept coming hard at Korpisalo as Columbus not only struggled to do anything against the Kings in the offensive zone and had lots of trouble clearing the puck out of its own side as well. The Kings took their first lead of the night with 3:37 left in the second on their first power play chance. threw up a low burner which Tanner Pearson got a chunk of, the puck getting past Korpisalo. Columbus had two great chances to tie the score again late in the period, only Quick stopped successive shots from Atkinson and Panarin. Los Angeles only ended up outshooting Columbus 14-9 in the second. It just looked a whole lot worse. 1101591 Columbus Blue Jackets They almost gave up a second short-handed goal early in the third when Cogliano charged in yet a nice save from Bobrovsky kept the Jackets’ short-handed tally for the season at five. Ducks 4, Blue Jackets 2 | Special teams breakdowns sink Jackets As it was, Cam Fowler made it a three-goal game with 3:55 left. Werenski closed it back to two with his first goal since Dec. 29 with 2:17 remaining. By George Richards

@GeorgeRichards Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 03.03.2018 Posted at 12:48 AM Updated at 1:31 AM

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Special teams have been of major concern for the Blue Jackets all season. They cost them again on Friday night. For the second consecutive night, the Jackets gave up a short-handed goal on a power play it failed to score on. They then quickly surrendered another goal as that penalty expired and that was enough to lift the Anaheim Ducks to a 4-2 win at the Honda Center. Those two goals came within 87 seconds of each other in the second period giving Anaheim a two-goal lead the Jackets were unable to overcome. “We didn’t overcome it, we certainly tried and that’s the game there,” coach John Tortorella said. “With a power play, we end up with a great chance from Thomas (Vanek) to Pierre-Luc (Dubois) and we end up being down by two. ... We played good enough to lose. In that little section of the game — we were playing pretty good to that point. That changed the game.” With the loss, the Blue Jackets gave up their playoff position to the Carolina Hurricanes by virtue of a tiebreaker — the Hurricanes took five points in the season series to the Jackets’ four. The Florida Panthers also won again Friday night, so they moved to within a point of the Jackets and Carolina with three games in hand on both in a suddenly interesting race to the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Jackets have lost the first two games of their California trip with San Jose up next Sunday. It doesn’t get any easier for the Jackets as they come home to face the Western Conference’s top team — the expansion Vegas Golden Knights — on Tuesday. As was the case Thursday night in Los Angeles, the Jackets took the initial lead against Anaheim. With 6:32 left in the opening period, a Zach Werenski shot came hard off goalie John Gibson and came right back at Oliver Bjorkstrand. The Columbus winger kicked the puck across the slot to Sonny Milano, who buried it for his second goal in his third game back from injury and a brief stint in the minors. Unlike Thursday, the Jackets didn’t make it 2-0 as the Ducks tied the score just 38 seconds later off a Rickard Rakell backhanded shot. While the Jackets were able to kill off some penalties in Anaheim — the Kings scored on one of their two chances Thursday — they didn’t score on any of their opportunities with the extra skater, going 0 for 4. The Ducks took control of the game in the second period by scoring a pair of goals off broken plays. With Josh Manson in the penalty box for interference, the Jackets turned over the puck in their own zone when Artemi Panarin couldn’t control a pass. Andrew Cogliano swept in, stole the puck and marched in on Bobrovsky, scoring short-handed at 11:17 to give Anaheim its first lead. When Manson’s penalty ended, he bounded out of the penalty box and caught a long Francois Beauchemin clear off the side boards in midstride and walked in on Bobrovsky, scoring on a soft backhanded shot through the goalie’s skates. The Jackets showed signs of life down two when Pierre-Luc Dubois and Cogliano got into it a bit leading to a brief all-in brawl. Although Dubois took two minutes for roughing, Cogliano was hit with slashing and Ryan Kesler — who got into a stick battle with Seth Jones earlier — was nailed with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for jumping into the fray and getting everything going. The Jackets failed to score on that power play as well — their third chance of the night. 1101592 Columbus Blue Jackets Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 03.03.2018 Blue Jackets | Early lead slips away against Kings

By George Richards @GeorgeRichards Posted Mar 2, 2018 at 11:11 PM Updated Mar 2, 2018 at 11:11 PM

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Blue Jackets’ whirlwind tour of California didn’t start off too well Thursday. After running out to a two-goal lead in the first period, they watched the Los Angeles Kings roar to life in the second for a 5-2 win. “We knew they were going to push back in the second as any good team would,” said Seth Jones, who gave the Jackets a 2-0 lead in the first. “It was like they flipped a switch. They looked like a completely different team out there.” The Blue Jackets were trying for their first three-game winning streak since they won six consecutive games in November. Instead, the Jackets just left Los Angeles disappointed. Again. The Kings have won seven of their past eight against the Jackets at the Staples Center, and goalie Jonathan Quick has been dominating. He made 30 saves and beat the Jackets for the 15th time in 18 starts. “He’s made some great saves on us, and you have to tip your cap to him,” said Cam Atkinson, who made it 1-0 early and works out with Quick during the offseason. “Once you think you have him beat, he makes those saves where you kind of throw your head in the air and ask ‘How did he make that save?’ He’s one of the best goalies in the world for a reason.” With goals by Atkinson and Jones, the Blue Jackets looked good going into the second, when they even got a power-play chance early. Yet their special teams let them down. Not only did the Jackets go 0-for-3 on the power play, they gave up a power-play goal to the Kings — as well as a short-handed goal to former Blue Jackets forward Jeff Carter, making it 4-2 in the third. “We have to find a way to generate something there,” Nick Foligno said. “Our power play looked discombobulated toward the end.” The Kings got their first goal soon after the Blue Jackets failed to score on their second-period power play and tied it up five minutes into the period. “I thought they took momentum when they scored their first goal,” coach John Tortorella said of the Kings. “I think (getting) that third goal is very important for us. We had a couple of great chances. Then they score, take momentum and we lost our composure ... and didn’t fully get it back consistently enough.” Bobrovsky returns After taking the Los Angeles game off, Sergei Bobrovsky was back in net Friday night at the Anaheim Ducks. Joonas Korpisalo started Thursday and gave up five goals on 34 shots. “When you lose a game 5-2, like everyone else, you need to be better,” Tortorella said. “It’s not just on Korpi, but it’s a big position when it comes to winning and losing games. He needs to be better. But, in key situations, our team needs to be better in front of him.” Thomas Vanek played just 13:32 Thursday in his first game with the Blue Jackets, took a penalty and had a minus-1 rating. “It was OK. It was good to get those first-game jitters out of the way,” Vanek said. Tortorella said Friday that he was moving Pierre-Luc Dubois back up to the first power-play unit and moving Vanek down — if only because the power play had been going so well before. “He fought it, had not skated in a few days before practicing with us,” Tortorella said of Vanek. “I think he’s going to get used to the pace we’re trying to play. ... I’m certainly not going to make an evaluation on a player on just one game, especially since he just joined the team.” 1101593 Columbus Blue Jackets

Iafallo leads Kings to 5-2 comeback over Blue Jackets

Staff Report Mar 2, 2018 at 2:53a ET

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Alex Iafallo scored two goals to lead the Los Angeles Kings back from an early two-goal deficit and beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2 on Thursday night. Nate Thompson, Tanner Pearson and Jeff Carter also scored for the Kings, who won their third straight game. Jonathan Quick stopped 30 shots. Cam Atkinson and Seth Jones scored the early goals for the Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo saved 29 shots on goal for Columbus. The Kings have won six of their last eight. The Blue Jackets scored twice in the first period to jump out to a 2-0 lead, but the Kings stormed back with three goals in the second period. Atkinson started the scoring in the first with his 13th goal. He took nifty backward pass from Mat Calvert just past the net that went through the legs of Anze Kopitar and to a charging Atkinson, who snapped it behind Quick. Nearly 10 minutes later Jones skated down center ice and fired a long shot that slipped past Quick for a 2-0 Columbus lead. It was his 10th goal. A different Kings team came out in the second period. Thompson fired long from the right side to beat Korpisalo. It was his fifth goal of the season and first with the Kings since arriving in a Feb. 13 trade with Ottawa. Los Angeles tied it two minutes later when Iafallo deflected a Christian Folin shot into the net. The Kings took the lead a minute later on a power play when Drew Doughty‘s wrist shot was deflected in front of the net by Pearson for his 11th goal. In the third Carter scored on a breakaway and Iafallo on a wrist shot in front of the net to complete the Kings’ scoring. Iafallo had six goals entering the game. NOTES: The Kings signed their 2017 first-round pick (11th overall), Gabe Vilardi, to a three-year entry-level contract. The 18-year-old forward from Kingston, Ontario, has played in 134 career games in the Ontario Hockey League, totaling 142 points (60-82). foxsportsohio.com LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101594 Dallas Stars "He's a competitive player, and I think he elevates the rest of us," Hitchcock said of Radulov. "There's some things he tries where he gets the green light where someone else might get a yellow or red. But the Ken Hitchcock was willing to 'cut deals' with Brett Hull -- and he'll do the thing I like about Rads is he's not afraid of the moment ... that's why we same with Alexander Radulov brought him here."

By Mike Heika , Staff Writer Contact Mike Heikaon Twitter:@MikeHeika Dallas Morning News LOADED: 03.03.2018

When Brett Hull came to the Stars in 1998, Ken Hitchcock still was trying to understand the nuances of being a head coach in the NHL. Dealing with Hull became one of his most intense study labs. 10 things you might not know about Ken Hitchcock, like hilarious story about Brenden Morrow, Brett Hull "I learned more from Brett Hull than he learned from me, I know that for sure," Hitchcock said of the Hall of Famer who will be honored Saturday as part of the team's 25 Years in Dallas celebration. Those lessons are being seen in how Hitchcock and the coaching staff are handling Alexander Radulov this year. The free-spirited free agent who signed with the Stars in the summer has been an impressive addition, ranking second on the team in points with 57 (23 goals, 34 assists) in 64 games. However, he also leads the team in minor penalties at 28 and can wander from the game plan at times. Asked if players such as Hull and Radulov get a little wiggle room, Hitchcock laughed and said: "It's not a little wiggle room, it's a whole bunch of wiggle room." "With special players, you cut deals," Hitchcock said. "And the deal is I don't tell them what to do with the puck, and they've got to be on the same page as everybody else without the puck." It is at the crux of what Hitchcock really wants from his team. He wants his players to create offense out of a defensive base. He wants them to be able to score as well as defend. He has a history of producing teams that are in the top 10 in scoring, that succeed on the power play, that allow skilled players to use their skill. "I learned about power play, about angles, offensive structure, how to get odd-man rushes," Hitchcock said when asked what Hull taught him. "He just thought at a whole other level than most coaches do. I think any coach can learn from a skill player. I think he also saw that with good positional play, you can have [the puck] more. It became a pretty good partnership at the end." Hitchcock is fostering a similar relationship with Radulov, who, like Hull, enters with an understanding of team hockey. The 31-year-old was a captain and leader in the KHL and in international play before coming back to the NHL last season. "It's simple stuff," he said. "You take care of details, win battles, win games. The harder the game, the harder you have to work. You look at playoffs; teams that work the hardest, win. Simple." Hitchcock said Radulov is different from Hull in that he is a hunter who wants to force mistakes from the opposition, while Hull was a patient player who anticipated mistakes and put himself in position to counter- attack. Both, he said want to win and want to be a part of a team that has a good strategy. "Here is where they are similar: they have no patience for fools," Hitchcock said. "They view hockey as a five-man spatial relationship on the ice. They view all five players as really important, and when all five players aren't being used, they have no patience for that. They're strong in their belief." Radulov is wearing an "A" as an alternate captain this season and is becoming a leader on the team. While he typically leads with an energetic go-go-go approach to every moment on the ice, he also sets a pretty strong vocal tone. "We are just starting as a team, we have a long way to go," he said when asked if he thinks he's a good fit with the Stars. "So you have to go out there and prove yourself and earn it and make the playoffs, and we haven't done that yet. So, talking won't get that done. You have to go out and win on the ice." Hull had a similar approach back in the day, and that's one of the reasons Hitchcock doesn't mind giving a whole bunch of wiggle room these days. For the right player. 1101595 Dallas Stars

NHL releases info on how to get tickets for 2018 draft in Dallas, as well as spiffy new logo

Staff Report By SportsDayDFW.com Contact SportsDayDFW.com on Twitter:@SportsDayDFW

We're starting to learn more about how the NHL draft will shake out when it comes to the home of the Dallas Stars on June 22-23. On Friday, the NHL revealed a new logo for the draft and announced how Stars season ticket holders can get their hands on draft tickets. According to a league news release, a limited amount of tickets will be made available to Stars season ticket holders in May. They will be notified via email when their opportunity to secure tickets is determined. The first round of the draft will be held June 22. Rounds 2-7 will play out the next day. Last summer, when Dallas was announced as the home of this year's draft, Stars assistant general manager Mark Janko compared it to a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. It's the one time of the year when he sees every member of his hockey family. The NHL draft is a unique experience in which teams bring pretty much every important person except for their players. In addition to league royalty, every GM, every scout, most owners and most front-office people will be on hand. So having it in Dallas is a very big deal. "It's a huge event that will fill downtown up for four days," Stars CEO Jim Lites said. "It's a huge deal, and it's one of my favorite events all year. We're going to have a great time." The area could see a financial benefit of around $14 million. In addition to sold-out hotel rooms and filled restaurants, the exposure for Dallas is significant. The last time the city hosted a big NHL event was in 2007 when the All-Star Game took place at AAC. Getting the movers and shakers back here allows the Stars and the city to show off a bit.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101596 Dallas Stars As Chief Executive Officer, Lites will continue to work with Alberts and ownership on the day-to-day business activities of the Stars, oversee the hockey operations department, continue to chair the Dallas Stars Stars announce restructuring of management to help with expanding Ownership Advisory Group, represent Stars management on the board of business plans Center Operating Company (American Airlines Center), and maintain his role as the organization's Alternate Governor. Additionally, Lites will continue his role as a top advisor to Northland Properties Corporation and Gaglardi as they expand their hospitality, hotel and restaurant By Mike Heika , Staff Writer Contact Mike Heikaon Twitter:@MikeHeika business in Texas. Now in Lites' third stint with the Stars (1993-02; 2003-07; 2011-present), the team has won seven division championships, two Western Stars owner Tom Gaglardi has been expanding his investments in Texas, Conference championships, two Presidents' Trophies, and the 1999 and the Stars on Friday announced some changes in management that Stanley Cup under his watch. He played an active role in the conception, will not only help with that endeavor but also help the team transition to design, construction and on-going business operations of American the future. Airlines Center and Dr Pepper StarCenter ice facilities. Most recently, Jim Lites, who has served as president and CEO, will hand "president Lites played a significant role in hiring General Manager Jim Nill, duties to Brad Alberts, who has had several different roles with the Stars purchasing the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League (AHL) and since 1996, most recently as executive vice president, chief revenue establishing the operating lease of H-E-B Center at Cedar Park in Cedar officer. Alberts will report directly to Lites, who will continue to serve as Park, Texas. CEO of the Stars and will also play a big role in Gaglardi's Vancouver- Alberts will oversee all aspects of the Stars business operations going based Northland Properties Corporation, which is developing properties forward. Previously leading all sales and marketing, he will also now in and around Dallas, as well as in Cedar Park where the Stars' minor head all aspects of the organization's finance and administration, box league franchise is located. office, human resources and information technology. He will continue to Asked why announce the changes now instead of the offseason, Lites serve as President of the Texas Stars. Since rejoining the team in 2011, said: "Because so much is happening now." Alberts has played an integral role in the resurgence of the Stars in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, helping lead the organization to Lites and Jason Farris, the team's executive vice president and chief tremendous growth in brand visibility, attendance and sponsorship sales. operating officer, will expand their responsibilities with Northland Alberts and his leadership team have been instrumental in the sweeping Properties Corporation, the largest-held hospitality company in Canada rebrand of the team, retiring the numbers of Mike Modano and Jere which is run by Gaglardi and his father Bob. In recent years, Northlands Lehtinen, and creating tremendous sponsorship value for the team and has opened Moxie's Grill and Bar locations in Uptown Dallas and its partners. Houston. They are working on opening a Sandman Hotel in Plano, which will house a Moxie's Grill and Bar and a Shark Club Sports Bar. Alberts' career includes nearly two decades of professional sports Northlands also has purchased land in Dallas, Frisco and Las Colinas for experience selling tickets, suites, premium seating, and sponsorships. the future construction of Sutton Place Hotels. From 1996-09, Alberts worked for the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers in various sales management roles in tickets, suites and corporate Farris will have an active role in the development of nearly fifty acres of sponsorships. From 2006-09, Alberts served as the Executive Vice real estate in Cedar Park adjacent to H-E-B Center where the Texas President of the Hicks Sports Marketing Group, the in-house sponsorship Stars play, and all other real estate-related opportunities for the Stars sales group for the Stars, Texas Rangers, and Liverpool Football Club. In and Northland Properties. 2009, Alberts took over as the Vice President of Sponsorship and Sales at Legends/CSL, overseeing a number of events at numerous venues "We're a different NHL organization, because we own our AHL affiliate around the country. and we run and continue to develop community hockey facilities (the Dr Pepper StarCenters), so there's a lot going on," said Alberts. "It's a large Jason Farris will remain Executive Vice President and Chief Operating business and it's not just a hockey business, so we need to have a lot of Officer reporting to Lites. He will continue to serve as an Alternate people on the same page." Governor, manage the operation of Dr Pepper StarCenters, handle the NHL financial reporting for the club, manage the NHL Growth Fund Lites, 65, said he's not close to retiring and said he looks forward to initiatives and conduct all banking relationships for the organization. New working with Alberts, who he hired back in 1996 and then rehired in 2011 to this role, Farris and Lites will work side-by-side to identify opportunities when Gaglardi bought the Stars and brought Lites back. to increase the footprint of Northland Properties Corporation in and "Basically, every chance I have ever had to hire Brad Alberts, I've done it, around Texas. Northland Properties Corporation, the largest privately- so that's how much I think about him," Lites said. "He is perfectly held hospitality company in Canada, expanded to the when positioned to make this move right now." it opened two Moxie's Grill and Bar locations in Uptown Dallas and Houston. Northland Properties currently has several projects underway, Alberts, 48, started selling tickets with the Stars coming out of college in including the construction of a Sandman Hotel in Plano, which will house 1996. He quickly worked his way up the ladder and was an executive a Moxie's Grill and Bar and a Shark Club Sports Bar. The corporation vice president with the Hicks Sports Marketing Group from 2006-09, also has purchased land in Dallas, Frisco and Las Colinas for the future working with the Stars, the Texas Rangers and Liverpool FC. When the construction of Sutton Place Hotels. In addition, Farris will take an active Stars went into bankruptcy in 2009, Alberts moved to Legends/CSL and role in the development of nearly fifty acres of real estate in Cedar Park, did a lot of work with the Cowboys. Texas adjacent to H-E-B Center, and all other real estate-related opportunities for the Stars and Northland Properties. However, when Lites was hired by Gaglardi in 2011, he brought back Alberts. They have both been a big part of the rebrand and rebuild since. Alana Matthews has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Business Operations and General Counsel reporting directly to Alberts. "I've had so many good mentors in this business, but Jim is by far the In her role, she will oversee human resources, legal, finance and one who has helped me most," Alberts said. "I think we have a great administration, information technology and Dr Pepper Arena. With the relationship and I look forward to working together for years to come." team for four years, Matthews received her law degree from SMU Alberts said he has been lucky to find a home in Dallas. Dedman School of Law. Since joining the team, she has been integral in the daily operations of the organization including the expansion of the Dr "I love this team, I love this city, I'm very fortunate to be here," he said. "I Pepper StarCenters, the acquisition of the Texas Stars, securing the was here for the Stanley Cup in 1999, and what I want to see is the Stars operational rights of H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, and leading the win another Cup and then see the city celebrate. That's my dream." organization's efforts, alongside the major league sports clubs in Texas, to amend the Texas Constitution allowing for the expansion of charitable Here is the press release: raffles, which has significantly increased the fundraising efforts of the Dallas Stars Foundation. FRISCO, Texas - Dallas Stars Owner and Governor Tom Gaglardi today announced changes in the operating structure of the organization's Matt Bowman has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Chief business operations. Sales and Marketing Officer and will report directly to Alberts. Previously the team's Vice President of Sales and Marketing, he will oversee ticket Jim Lites will remain as Chief Executive Officer of the team, while Brad sales and service, ticket operations, marketing and business intelligence Alberts will now serve as President and report directly to Lites. for the team. In his sixth season with the team, Bowman has helped Previously, Lites held the dual role of President and Chief Executive expand the organization's fan base, doubling the amount of season ticket Officer, and Alberts served as Executive Vice President and Chief holders in that span. The team's fan-forward customer service strategy Revenue Officer. With the move, Alberts will now have significantly more control over the day-to-day operations of the business. has driven high retention rates and increased fan satisfaction. In marketing, Bowman has helped guide the organization in developing new strategies to build enhancements for Stars fans, and connect traditional advertising to new marketing assets in the digital space.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101597 Dallas Stars

Which Stars are next in line for a long-term extension?

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

Mike Heika, Stars beat writer for SportsDayDFW.com and The Dallas Morning News, answered questions about the team during a live chat recently. Here are some highlights. Who is next in line for a long-term extension? Mattias Janmark? Radek Faksa? Heika: Mattias Janmark, Devin Shore, Jason Dickinson, Gemel Smith and Remi Elie all are RFAs this summer, so they will be looking at deals that are probably 2-3 years. Janmark is the exception in that he's 25, and they might want to give him more term to take away some of his UFA years. That said, the knee injury history might scare them away from a long-term deal. The big extension will go to Tyler Seguin. He has one more year at $5.75 million next season, but most teams try to get their big dogs signed a year ahead of time, so Seguin is the most important negotiation of the summer. Does he deserve the $9.5 million over eight years that Jamie Benn just got? Would it be smart to have two players making that kind of money on one team? This could be a very intense negotiation. In your opinion, is it better or worse to split up Benn/Seguin/Radulov on separate lines? Heika: I like them together. I really believe you need to get more out of Jason Spezza, and I think the way to get the most out of Spezza is to play him as a center with Mattias Janmark and someone else (probably Devin Shore, but you can juggle that wing). Then play Benn-Seguin- Radulov together and Roussel-Faksa-Pitlick. You can even use Faksa as your second line center if you want, and you can change up the left wing if you want, but that's how I would do it. I think Martin Hanzal is a fourth line center now and you just get what you can before you deal with his injuries in the summer. Does Dallas have enough secondary scoring in your opinion to get into the playoffs and make some noise? Seguin/Benn/Radulov carry a lot of that weight. Heika: Yes, if the secondary scoring would score. Janmark is a legitimate second line player. Same with Faksa, so they need players like Spezza, Shore, Ritchie and Roussel to step up. They could use some boost on the second power play, as well, and maybe putting Dan Hamhuis and Stephen Johns out there might help. At the very least, they need to try some different forwards on the power play and create a competition for ice time out there. What exactly are the rules for the draft in the NHL for high school players? I thought I read that they can be signed and then go to college, or is it like baseball where they can be drafted, but if they do not sign get drafted a second time? I guess this is leading up to whether the hockey draft might be the solution for basketball players. Heika: The NHL has all sorts of complicated draft rules that apply to high school kids, major junior kids, amateur junior kids and overseas players. Bottom line, high schoolers who are drafted and want to play in college do not sign contracts when they are drafted. The players remain amateurs and the NHL team is given a window to keep those players as reserves. Different categories have different rules, but the bottom line is the league allows teams to draft players and keep them while they are playing in college. Now, a few use their powers to not sign with the team that drafted them and become UFAs, but it's usually pretty rare. It's a system that works in the NHL, but still has its critics. How much should fans count on the latest losing stretch, and how much should they focus on the body of work so far this season as the Stars hit the last 20 games? Heika: It's tough, because the level of play is revving up and the schedule is getting tougher. I almost think fans need to go game by game at this time and hope the team continues its season-long path of improvement. The team on the ice right now should be able to get into the playoffs, but it is not playing like a team that will be around for very long, so that's how I would read it.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101598 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings irritated, weary as one-goal losses define season

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press Published 12:15 a.m. ET March 3, 2018

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — The one-goal games chafe as the Detroit Red Wings keep coming up short. The Wings head into Sunday’s game at Minnesota with their playoff hopes dimmed by an 0-2 start on the trip. Good push in the first and third periods Friday at MTS Place couldn’t salvage the game, and the Wings ended up losing, 4-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. It was the 19th one-goal loss of the season. “We’re shooting ourselves in the foot,” Niklas Kronwall said after a two- point night. “It’s been said before. It’s one of the reasons why we are where we are at. First period I thought we started off pretty good, came out with a lot of energy. Made some mistakes in our own zone that cost us. “Then in the second, for whatever reason, we didn’t want the puck. We made it way too hard on ourselves. Kept turning the puck over. They’re a good team. You give them space and you give them the puck back all the time, they are going to make you pay. It’s tough when you dig yourself a hole like that.” The Jets are one of the better teams in the NHL, one that got stronger by acquiring Paul Stastny at the trade deadline. Their defense corps is among the best in the league. Patrik Laine is a superstar and demonstrated it with a two-goal night. But the Wings outplayed the Jets the first 10 minutes, took the lead when Kronwall converted on a power play — only to lose it over the next minute as the Jets scored twice. “They’re good players when they get their chances,” Henrik Zetterberg said. “Very strong on the puck, they’ve got a big reach. They’re good when they get the puck into our end. I thought we handled it pretty good for two periods but in the second we were shooting ourselves in the foot again and turning pucks over and letting them come back in the game. We’ve seen that before. We can say that we were close and we battled hard in the third, but there’s no reason for us to be in that situation.” Kronwall said the Wings, “have to look ourselves in the mirror and say what could we have done differently. In the first period, we were right there. And we can keep up with the best of them when we play like we should. But a few too many mistakes against a high-powered offense like this, it’s tough.” The Wings don’t have the talent to overcome mistakes; their 2.58 goals- per-game average ranks in the bottom-five in the league. “In the first in particular we were playing really good, we scored the first goal, and then we kind of gave away two goals,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “We have to make teams earn it more than we did on those two goals. “You’re going to have some push back-and-forth especially against really good teams and we’re in a stretch of playing some really good teams. What you can’t do when the push comes is give up goals like that.” Jimmy Howard said that, “it’s frustrating for all of us. We have to find ways to win games, not lose.” Credit the Wings for continuing to show fight. They’ve come up a goal short in five of their last seven games, but they’ve had several good starts in a row even as a reward has been elusive. “I’ve talked about it lots,” Blashill said. “Everybody gets knocked down. We got knocked down here again. You have to make sure you keep getting back up so we’re going to have to answer the bell again on Sunday.” Detroit Free Press LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101599 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings fight hard, but fall short at Winnipeg Jets, 4-3

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press Published 10:54 p.m. ET March 2, 2018 | Updated 11:57 p.m. ET March 2, 2018

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — For as hard as the Detroit Red Wings played, the Winnipeg Jets proved too talented. The Wings scored first and found ways to push back as the Jets built momentum, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a 4-3 loss on Friday at Bell MTS Place. Jimmy Howard made 38 saves to give teammates a chance. Niklas Kronwall converted on a power play but sloppiness with the puck left the Wings trailing, 2-1, after the first period. Anthony Mantha used his 21st goal of the season to pull the Wings within a goal in the second period. Two second-period penalties hampered the Wings’ offensive efforts, and they trailed by two goals going into the third period. Trevor Daley cut it to a one-goal deficit with his eighth goal of the season. Solid start undone in a minute The Wings did a good job getting in Winnipeg’s zone and getting shots on Connor Hellebuyck. Mantha took a couple whacks at a rebound by the left side of the net as the Wings ran up a 9-5 edge in shots. The Wings went on a power play at 11:57 and had success with a new looks. Frans Nielsen joined Henrik Zetterberg’s power play with Gustav Nyquist, Justin Abdelkader and Kronwall, who scored at 12:46 when he fired the puck through traffic, benefiting from Abdelkader screening Hellebuyck. The momentum did not last long. Daley’s attempt at clearing the puck was intercepted along the wall by Tyler Myers even as Andreas Athanasiou was right there, and Myers fed Patrik Laine for his 32nd goal of the season, at 13:24. Ben Chiarot one-timed the puck for a 2-1 Jets lead at 13:50. The Wings limited the Jets to one shot during a power play and emerged from the first period with a 17-12 shot advantage. Laine too good The Wings looked really good killing the Jets’ second power play, with Nielsen and Darren Helm creating an odd-man rush and Howard only having to make one save during the stretch. Terrific passing back at even stretch saw the Jets move ahead 3-1 when Dustin Byfuglien was in position by the left side of the net to finish a perfect pass from Josh Morrissey. The Wings stemmed the Jets’ momentum when Nyquist wheeled the puck around behind their net and found Mantha for a goal at 7:35 of the second period. Laine made it 4-2 at 12:17. The Jets had 19 shots in the second period, five of them during power plays. Wings come close again Tyler Bertuzzi fired a stretch pass to Athanasiou early in the third period, but Hellebuyck stopped Athanasiou’s forehand shot. Daley scored his third goal in four games when he fired a wrist shot from the low slot at 5:29, making it a 4-3 game. Hellebuyck robbed Mantha on a wrist shot from the bottom of the right circle as the clock ticked towards 4 minutes remaining. Detroit Free Press LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101600 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings reveal which soups they'd throw, which ones they'd duck

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press Published 2:49 p.m. ET March 2, 2018 | Updated 3:07 p.m. ET March 2, 2018

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Soup is a daily part of the Red Wings’ diet, a nourishing dish players know serves them well. That soup can have other uses, which were brought forth in an amusing discussion on Friday around the visitors locker room at MTS Place. The reason? Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith was suspended for Thursday’s game between the Cavs and Philadelphia, ESPN reported, because Smith had thrown soup at assistant coach Damon Jones. Players were incredulous. “No way,” Andreas Athanasiou said, laughing. Reports did not state what kind of soup Smith threw; Wings players revealed their choices. “If I was going to throw soup, it would obviously have to be some sort of vegetable soup,” Athanasiou said, as he switched to a vegan diet last summer. His personal favorite (to eat) is his mom’s lentil soup. Anthony Mantha said he’d throw chicken noodle soup because “that’s what we have every lunch.” If all soups were readily available, he’d throw tomato soup. Niklas Kronwall also weighed in the matter. “I love chicken soup but I think it’d work pretty good if you want to throw it at somebody,” he said. He’d least like to be a victim of someone throwing “tomato puree. I would think it stains pretty good.” The suspension cost Smith $94,897. “I hope it was worth it,” Mike Green said. Coach Jeff Blashill was up on the situation. “I actually just read that article and I thought to myself, well, I’ve never had soup thrown at me, so that’s a good step in coaching,” he said after the morning skate. He had a delicious take on which soup he’d least want to see coming at him (other than the old-fashioned way). “French onion,” he said. “That’d be tough. It’s usually scalding hot.” Detroit Free Press LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101601 Detroit Red Wings “It’s probably the best combination of size and speed in the league. “They have a ton of depth up front.” Red Wings’ Athanasiou coming of age as goals mount …The Red Wings have had some difficult one-goal losses this season, Wednesday’s in St. Louis the latest, but Blashill is pleased with how the team has responded this season after those defeats. Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News Published 6:08 p.m. ET March 2, 2018 “We’ve done a good job all year of picking ourselves up,” Blashill said. “We haven’t won enough of them, so we sit where we sit, but all year Winnipeg, Manitoba – In Andreas Athanasiou’s hopes and expectations, long we’ve continued to get back up.” it was just one more progressive step in a career still very much in its … Athanasiou played on a line in Barrie, in junior hockey, with Winnipeg infancy. star Mark Scheifele (51 points in 47 games). But it was good step. The third-year pro matched last year’s point total “We played one year together, I played on his line, he’s unbelievable,” (29) in 12 less games (52), and with his 13th goal in Wednesday’s 2-1 Athanasiou said. loss in St. Louis. “It’s crazy how good he is. He was one of the best players in junior He scored 18 last season, so Athanasiou is likely going to at least tie that hockey across Canada.” mark this season. … Blashill got a kick out of reading about Cleveland Cavaliers player J.R. But, in all, it was another example of Athanasiou, 23, making progress Smith being suspended for throwing soup at an assistant coach. this season. “I actually just read that article and thought to myself I’ve never had soup “I’m just playing my game, and have a little more opportunity, and thrown at me, so that’s a good step,” Blashill said. producing a bit more just comes with that,” Athanasiou said. Detroit News LOADED: 03.03.2018 Athanasiou is seeing more time these days with Dylan Larkin, which has helped the offensive output for both. And Wednesday, with the trade of linemate Tomas Tatar, former Grand Rapids teammate Tyler Bertuzzi can now be found on the Larkin line. Athanasiou likes the potential of the line. “I’ve had experience playing with Bert in Grand Rapids, and going all the way back to Traverse City (in prospects camp),” Athanasiou said. “It’s always fun being able to play with Bert.” Going through the NHL for a second season, and getting comfortable in the league and against certain players, has made it a bit easier this time around. “Anytime you get more experience, and you get the chance to grow and learn, it always helps,” Athanasiou said. A contract impasse forced Athanasiou to start his season late, on Oct. 26. But Athanasiou has overcome two lengthy goal-scoring droughts to still be ranked among the team leaders, and with his speed and shot, is always a threat. “Andreas has improved his game from a year ago in a consistency perspective,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “Winning puck battles, puck races, those types of things, and that’s what any player needs to do to go from good to great. “A player has to show up every single night and compete like crazy. That’s what all the great players in this league do.” Back home Darren Helm was born and grew up in Winnipeg, and this trip was hardly his first coming through Manitoba, but it’s still special coming home and playing in the NHL in front of family friends. “I enjoy it, I still do,” Helm said. “Just seeing some friends that I don’t get to normally see a lot. My parents are coming down to see the game tonight, my brother and his wife and their son, they’re all coming to the game. “Just all the people I don’t generally get to see a whole lot, and I enjoy seeing. “It’s really special in that sense.” Helm estimates that if all his cousins ever came to one single game, he’d have to leave around 20 tickets. But Helm estimates he left nine tickets for Friday’s game. “About the normal number,” Helm said. “Some people have left town. But it’s still fun to play here.” Ice chips Blashill feels the Jets are among the best teams in the NHL right now. “They have some big, fast forwards,” Blashill said. 1101602 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings shoot selves in foot, suffer 4-3 setback to Jets

Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News Published 10:56 p.m. ET March 2, 2018 | Updated 1:17 a.m. ET March 3, 2018

Winnipeg, Manitoba — Give the Red Wings credit for one thing lately — they're perfecting the one-goal loss. They did it again Friday, their fifth loss in seven games, all the losses by one goal, dropping a 4-3 game to Winnipeg. Trevor Daley scored at 5 minutes, 29 seconds of the third period, making it 4-3, but the Red Wings (26-28-10, 62 points) couldn't get the tying goal. "Another one-goal loss here," captain Henrik Zetterberg said. "We can say we're close and we battled hard in the third (period), but there's no reason for us to be in that situation." What does Zetterberg believe is the reason for all the close losses lately? "We're not consistent enough," Zetterberg said. The Red Wings felt they were good enough in the first and third periods — but not at all good enough in the middle 20 minutes, when Winnipeg grabbed a 4-2 lead. "Too many unforced errors, mistakes on goals that we didn't need to make," coach Jeff Blashill said. "We were playing real good and kind of gave away two goals. We have to be way better, we have to make teams earn it. "We have to make sure that we're out-working, out-competing, out- detailing our opponents on a nightly basis. We didn't out-detail them enough tonight." Niklas Kronwall (power play) and Anthony Mantha also scored for the Red Wings. Patrik Laine scored two goals and Dustin Byfuglien and Ben Chiarot had Jets (38-17-9, 65 points) goals. Laine and Chiarot scored goals 26 seconds apart after Kronwall had given the Red Wings a 1-0 lead in the first period. Laine scored his 32nd goal at 13:24 of the first period, after getting the puck from Tyler Myers along the boards. Laine wheeled toward the dot and snapped a shot over goaltender Jimmy Howard, tying the game. It didn’t take long for the Jets to get the lead. Just 26 seconds later, Winnipeg broke the 1-1 tie. Chiarot one-time a pass from Bryan Little at the point and blistered a shot past Howard, Chiarot’s first goal this season, giving Winnipeg a 2-1 lead. The Red Wings took the early lead on Kronwall’s third goal. On the power play, Zetterberg found Kronwall at the point and the veteran defenseman ripped a shot toward the net that goalie Connor Hellebuyck (Commerce Township) couldn’t see with three big bodies (one being Justin Abdelkader) blocking his view near the crease. The Red Wings were never able to gain hold of the lead in the second period. "We competed real well in the first and third, not so much in the second," said Howard, who stopped 38 shots. "It's frustrating for all of us. It's tough. We can't be satisfied with it." Said Kronwall: "We're shooting ourselves in the foot. It's one of the reasons we are where we are." Detroit News LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101603 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings at Winnipeg Jets live chat

Updated March 2, 2018 at 7:07 PM; Posted March 2, 2018 at 7:01 PM By Ansar Khan

GAME INFORMATION * Who: Detroit Red Wings (26-27-10) at Winnipeg Jets (37-19-9) * Where: MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. * When: 8 p.m. tonight. * TV: Fox Sports Detroit Plus. * Radio: 97.1 WXYT-FM and Red Wings radio network * Social media: Follow MLive sports on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram * Twitter: Follow Ansar Khan and Brendan Savage Jimmy Howard makes his sixth start in a row and Mike Green returns after missing seven games with a neck injury. Andreas Athanasiou has scored a goal in each of the past two games and has equaled his career- high point total from last season (29). The Red Wings won the first meeting between the teams, 5-1 on Dec. 5 at Little Caesars Arena. Blake Wheeler leads the high-powered Jets with 73 points. Patrik Laine has 31 goals and 53 points. Mark Scheifele, Athanasiou's junior linemate at Barrie (OHL), has 21 goals and 51 points. The Jets are 8 for 21 on the power play in the past six games. This will be Paul Stastny's second game since being acquired from St. Louis on Monday. He had a goal and an assist in Tuesday's 6-5 loss to Nashville. Michigan Live LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101604 Detroit Red Wings

Stockpile of Red Wings draft picks will 'significantly' change Griffins

Updated March 2, 2018 at 6:37 PM; Posted March 2, 2018 at 5:00 PM By Peter J. Wallner

The Detroit Red Wings commitment to full youth mode with a stockpile of draft picks will change the future look of the team, but it will first have a big impact on their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids. The Red Wings have as many as 11 picks within the first six rounds of the NHL draft this June 22-23. That follows 11 selected last season and comes after 14 picks the previous two drafts combined. But, before the best prospects migrate to Detroit over the course of years they will inevitably first change the dynamic of the Griffins. "At some point in the next four years you'll see the makeup of the team become significantly different than what he has been the past couple years," said Ryan Martin, the Red Wings assistant general manager who oversees the Griffins. That means the organization will look to provide more younger players a shot in the ECHL with Toledo and - more so, they hope - in the AHL with Grand Rapids. For the Griffins, that would mean fewer veterans and seasoned developmental players. If, for example, the team has five veteran forwards, the number may decrease to three. Likewise, for defensemen; instead of four veterans there may be two. "We're going to have to make room for the young kids and the young kids are going to have to have an opportunity to compete for playing time and compete for jobs," Martin said. "There will be no entitlement, but at the same time we have to make sure we don't have impediments to them playing and getting an opportunity to play." The Griffins have in recent years been heavy with veterans, and their contributions on and off the ice have helped earn five consecutive postseason trips and two AHL titles (last year and in 2013). Teams can carry as many veterans as they'd like, but 12 of the 18 skaters each game must have fewer than 260 regular-season pro games. As the younger players arrive, the Griffins will continue to be prudent in finding the best veteran fits. The effect of recent drafts may begin to take hold next season. Martin projected at least five first-year AHL pros on the Griffins next season, three coming from 2016 draft. He listed: Dennis Cholowski, a defenseman with Port Winterhawks in WHL (1st round, 2016); Givani Smith, a winger with Kitchener Rangers in WHL (2nd round, 2016); David Pope, left winger from University of Nebraska (4th round, 2013); Christoffer Ehn, a center with Frolunda HC in the (4th round, 2014); Jordan Sambrook, a defenseman with Sault Ste. Marie of OHL (5th round, 2016 but has yet to be signed) If Sambrook is not signed, Martin suggested Libor Sulak, a 23-year-old undrafted defenseman in the Finnish Elite League who signed last May, could slide into that spot. Of course, those are projections and the lineup could change and grow. But it does provide a look at where the Griffins - and ultimately, the Red Wings - are headed. "The goal is always the development of players and to give them the best opportunity for success," Martin said. Center Mike Rasmussen, the Red Wings No. 1 pick (seventh overall) last year, is expected to join the Griffins for the postseason but, by rule, next fall he will either make the Red Wings or return for his second season of juniors. Michigan Live LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101605 Detroit Red Wings

Former Red Wings enforcer Darren McCarty coming to Mitten Brewing Company

Posted March 2, 2018 at 2:05 PM By Brandon Champion

GRAND RAPIDS - An all-time favorite Red Wing is coming to Mitten Brewing Company. Darren McCarty, who for years served as the enforcer for winning Red Wings teams in the late-90s and early-2000s, will be at the brewery on Grand Rapids' westside from 1-3 p.m. on Sunday, March 18. McCarty will be on hand for a meet and greet. Guests who purchase this shirt will receive a free autograph. The shirt, which reads "Sweet Revenge" depicts McCarty pummeling Colorado Avalanche player as payback hit from behind he put on Red Wings center Kris Draper in the previous game. Guests can also bring their own bring in your own memorabilia and get it autographed for $10. A native of British Columbia, Canada, McCarty was drafted by the Red Wings in the 2nd Round of the 1992 NHL Draft. He spent parts of 13 seasons in Detroit, winning four Stanley Cups in 1997, 1998, 2002, and 2008. Michigan Live LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101606 Detroit Red Wings

Patrik Laine scores twice as Jets top Red Wings

Updated March 2, 2018 at 11:35 PM; Posted March 2, 2018 at 11:34 PM By The Associated Press

WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- Patrik Laine scored his 32rd and 33rd goals of the season to help the Winnipeg Jets beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 on Friday night. Dustin Byfuglien and Ben Chiarot also scored and Connor Hellebuyck made 30 saves for his 33rd victory of the season. Winnipeg has won six of its last eight games to improve to 38-17-9. Niklas Kronwall, Anthony Mantha and Trevor Daley scored for Detroit, and Jimmy Howard stopped 38 shots. Kronwall opened the scoring midway through the first period on Detroit's only power play. Winnipeg responded with two goals in a 26-second span to take the lead. Just 38 seconds after Kronwall's goal, Laine scored his first with a wrist shot following a Detroit turnover. Chiarot added his first goal of the season with a soaring shot from the perimeter. Byfuglien's chip-in put Winnipeg up 4-2, but Detroit responded with Mantha's 21st of the season and Daley's eighth. Laine broke the tie midway through the second with a quick wrister. NOTES: Winnipeg was 0 for 3 on the power play. ... After playing 12 of their last 14 at home, the Jets head out on a six-game trip UP NEXT: Red Wings: At Minnesota on Sunday night. Jets: At Carolina on Sunday night. Michigan Live LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101607 Edmonton Oilers They started that process already in the Nashville game. Is he out there with 18 seconds left in the second period of a 2-1 game if Edmonton is fighting for a playoff spot? No. But he was on Thursday, where he made Oilers need to handle defenceman Bear's development carefully a mistake and is now a better player for it. “We wanted to see him in all situations,” said McLellan. “We weren’t sitting in the coaches’ office saying Ethan Bear is playing tonight we have ROBERT TYCHKOWSKI to make sure we protect him. Published on: March 2, 2018 | Last Updated: March 2, 2018 7:08 PM “Let’s play him, let’s show a lot of confidence in him as a coaching staff. MST Let’s put him in a lot of situations. You can’t hide him against that team, he’s going to play against tremendous players. And we didn’t need to, he’s a good player.” It wasn’t exactly Mario Lemieux scoring a goal on the first shot of his first Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 03.03.2018 NHL shift. It never is for 20-year-old defencemen. Their first time a prospect D-man makes the highlights is usually at the other end of the ice, fishing the puck out of his own net after the first of many hard lessons he’ll learn on his way to earning a full-time job. That’s how it was for Ethan Bear on Thursday night, when he made his NHL debut against one of the best and deepest teams in the league. He finished minus-3 in a 4-2 loss and probably wants a decision or two back from that game. But, on the bright side, he’s already three lessons into an apprenticeship the Oilers hope will land him a spot in their top four for years to come. “It was fun,” said Bear, all smiles after the game and again the next morning at practice. “To feel the atmosphere and the energy of the guys was something special. And to play a very good team like Nashville was a good experience, honestly. “You have to move it quick out here. Everyone is in the right position. The smarts and the skills are a big factor. Seeing how fast they think was a good experience. I just have to learn from the mistakes I made and think positive and move forward.” That’s the mantra he’ll be repeating a lot as he begins his NHL journey. Learn from the mistakes. Be positive. Move forward. Because, like just about every young defenceman who’s ever tried to make it in the big league, fishing mistakes out of your own net is part of the development process. So, the key is to keep this patient and positive attitude in place for about, oh, three years or so. Because that’s how long it takes, at least, for a defenceman to fully ripen. And if you are not careful during that time, you can lose him. We all saw what happened to Justin Schultz when the patience ran out early and the burden of too much being put on his shoulders too soon broke his spirit. He had to get out and the Oilers lost what could have been a very useful piece of the puzzle here. Oscar Klefbom still struggles with confidence issues from time to time. Darnell Nurse is still far from a finished product. So, be ready for some growing pains from Bear. But also get ready for some pretty valuable upside. Todd McLellan already likes what he sees from a nervous 20-year-old who’d never skated a shift in the league before. “I thought he looked confident,” said the head coach. “The game sheet is not going to give you a true story when it comes to his game. You’re going to see dash three, but he was a victim of circumstance, even on the second goal at the end of the period. “I felt better and better about putting him on the ice as the game wore on. He moved pucks well, he zipped pucks up. You can tell a lot about how firm a young player’s passes are and how accurate they are and he made a number of those.” The Oilers know they’ll have to do a better job with Bear than they did with Schultz, which shouldn’t be difficult given how badly the organization handled Schultz. And missing the playoffs again this year will actually help in that regard. Getting a 19-game regular season NHL training camp is pretty much the best possible introduction a player like Bear could get. “We’re in a situation where we can afford to give him a little more without serious repercussions standings-wise, we gave that away early in the year,” said McLellan. “But we don’t want to put him in a situation where we doesn’t have a chance success, we want to push him to the limit.” 1101608 Edmonton Oilers and a coach, Fred Creighton, whom we signed to run our farm club. From that time on, I became Cliff’s guy,” said Poile.

He was with Fletcher for 10 years, and off to Washington in 1982. He Former Edmontonian David Poile returns home to claim most all-time went to Nashville in 1997. wins as an NHL general manager “I owe everything to Cliff, then Dick Patrick hired me in Washington and Jack Diller, who used to be (with the) Rangers, went to the Predators as JIM MATHESON president and he hired me,” Poile said. “I’ve had an assistant, Paul Fenton, for 19 of the 20 years in Nashville. Ray Shero was my assistant Published on: March 2, 2018 | Last Updated: March 2, 2018 7:42 PM before he got the job in Pittsburgh. I’m in a great place in my life today.” MST Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 03.03.2018

Maybe it was written in the stars that David Poile would become the most-winning general manager in NHL history in the very city where he grew up. After all, the Nashville Predators GM spent 10 years in the Edmonton neighbourhoods of Strathearn and Capilano back when his Hockey Hall- of-Fame dad, Bud, was coach and GM of the Detroit Red Wings’ top farm team, the Edmonton Flyers. It’s also the city where former Edmonton Oilers GM Glen Sather started out. He’s the guy Poile passed with career victory No, 1,320 in the Predators’ 4-2 victory Thursday night — a win that was celebrated in proper fashion by his happy players voting Poile the star of the game. That meant their boss had to tug on the team award — a musty wolf’s mask. “I thought you could see out of it, but you can’t,” said Poile, sheepishly. Either way, the 68-year-old is the lone wolf atop the NHL’s wins list now with only two stops in his 35 years as a GM — in Washington then Nashville, starting their expansion team. He’s been a good, smart and loyal overseer of two franchises. Cruelly, he’s yet to win a Stanley Cup, getting to within a hair of a Game 7 against Pittsburgh last spring with the Predators. But, the number that matters almost as much to him as 1,320 is five. “What I’m most proud of is only having five coaches in all this time,” said Poile. He had Bryan Murray and his brother, Terry, and in Washington, and Barry Trotz and Peter Lavioltte in Nashville. He hires the right people and let’s them coach. “Good for David, he’s a nice guy. I like him a lot,” said Sather, who left Edmonton to be the New York Rangers GM in 2000, and has since become the club’s president. “David bugged me for years when I was going to retire because the guy who’s been around the longest was at the top of the general manager’s guide book. “When I retired, David was the first guy I called. I told him, ‘OK, you’re No. 1 now.’’’ On Thursday, he became No. 1 in wins too. “I consider Glen one of my best friends, almost a mentor to me. I’ve learned so much from him,” said Poile. “I had no idea I was up there in wins with Glen, who has five Stanley Cups. “I owe everything to the game of hockey. I lived in Edmonton from the ages of three to 13 and, as you know, my dad was the coach and general manager of the Flyers. That was my introduction to hockey. I learned to skate at Seba Beach.” His dad was lined up to become GM of the Red Wings, replacing Jack Adams, but when it came time for the hand-off, Wings owner Bruce Norris gave the job to Sid Abel instead. “It’s incredible that this is my 46th year in the NHL. I’m really happy for my family. My wife’s been there for all 1,320 wins and the 1000 losses,” said Poile, always putting things in context. It started in Atlanta in 1972. “I was hired as an administrative assistant to Bill Putnam, the president of the team, and Cliff Fletcher was the general manager. I opened up the office in a trailer by the Omni (rink). There was a big billboard above the office that said: The Ice Age Cometh to Atlanta, Get Your Tickets before the Freeze. The first project I had was to run the name-the-team contest.” They became the Flames in Atlanta before moving to Calgary in 1980. “I set up a scouting program, which nobody had thought of, then in the latter part of the year we were short on help and Cliff gave me a couple of assignments. I recommended two or three players that were signed 1101609 Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton Oilers battling harder, but need to be smarter

ROBERT TYCHKOWSKI Published on: March 2, 2018 | Last Updated: March 2, 2018 2:46 PM MST

It took about 58 games, but the Edmonton Oilers finally got their starts figured out. Now, about those finishes … The third period got them again Thursday as the Nashville Predators joined the growing number of teams that have walked through Oilers leads like the Kool-Aid Man walks through walls. Four straight Nashville goals over the final 23 minutes turned what was looking like an Oilers upset into a 4-2 loss that had Edmonton shaking its head over one that never should have got away. “I thought it was a fairly evenly matched game but when all was said we made a few more mistakes than they did,” said Oilers head coach Todd McLellan. “And they capitalized more on our mistakes than we did on theirs.” That was a common theme, no matter who you talked to, when it was over. It’s been the common theme all year. “Mistakes hurt us,” said defenceman Darnell Nurse. “It’s just mistakes,” said winger Zack Kassian. “We didn’t make a lot of mistakes but they made us pay for the ones that we made,” said winger Milan Lucic. And that pretty much sums it up. It was an even matched game that saw one team find a way to win and the other find a way to lose. “We played a solid third period, there wasn’t much going on either way, but we had a couple of breakdowns from veteran players that really cost us,” said McLellan, who didn’t like the Kassian giveaway that lead to Nashville’s winning goal. “Some of them are more preventable than others. When you have the puck in free ice and try to go through people, that’s a tough one. Those are areas that we have to improve on. They didn’t make as many of those mistakes as we did.” There was a lot to like about the Oilers game on Thursday, they were all over the Predators for a larger part of the night and probably could have stolen one if Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne hadn’t stolen it first. But the fine points of the game that served the Oilers so well last season are killing them this year. “We had enough chances to extend the lead in the second period and we weren’t able to capitalize on them,” said Lucic, whose goalless streak dates back to wooden sticks. “Good teams, when they hang around and you give them chances, they find a way to get themselves back in it and that’s what happened here tonight.” The Oilers, who’ve won four of their last seven, are still playing with spirit and passion down the stretch, which is a big positive. That they are still turning in determined efforts from 27th place with 19 games to go is a good sign. Start playing a little smarter and they might be on to something. “We fought with the right effort and a lot of our guys had really strong games,” said Nurse. “As long as we have that compete level and that effort, we will be on the right side of the board most nights. “We put ourselves in tough positions even when we have had leads, but we found ways to win. Tonight we didn’t find a way to win, but we can learn a lot from it. It was definitely tough to lose that one but it is one we can grow from.” Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101610 Edmonton Oilers year,” said McLellan. “But we don’t want to put him in a situation where we doesn’t have a chance success, we want to push him to the limit.”

They started that process already in the Nashville game. Is he out there Edmonton Oilers need to handle defenceman Bear's development with 18 seconds left in the second period of a 2-1 game if Edmonton is carefully fighting for a playoff spot? No. But he was on Thursday, where he made a mistake and is now a better player for it. Robert Tychkowski “We wanted to see him in all situations,” said McLellan. “We weren’t sitting in the coaches’ office saying Ethan Bear is playing tonight we have Published:March 2, 2018 to make sure we protect him. Updated:March 2, 2018 5:49 PM MST “Let’s play him, let’s show a lot of confidence in him as a coaching staff. Let’s put him in a lot of situations. You can’t hide him against that team, he’s going to play against tremendous players. And we didn’t need to, he’s a good player.” It wasn’t exactly Mario Lemieux scoring a goal on the first shot of his first NHL shift. Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 03.03.2018 It never is for 20-year-old defencemen. Their first time a prospect D-man makes the highlights is usually at the other end of the ice, fishing the puck out of his own net after the first of many hard lessons he’ll learn on his way to earning a full-time job. That’s how it was for Ethan Bear on Thursday night, when he made his NHL debut against one of the best and deepest teams in the league. He finished minus-3 in a 4-2 loss and probably wants a decision or two back from that game. But, on the bright side, he’s already three lessons into an apprenticeship the Oilers hope will land him a spot in their top four for years to come. “It was fun,” said Bear, all smiles after the game and again the next morning at practice. “To feel the atmosphere and the energy of the guys was something special. And to play a very good team like Nashville was a good experience, honestly. “You have to move it quick out here. Everyone is in the right position. The smarts and the skills are a big factor. Seeing how fast they think was a good experience. I just have to learn from the mistakes I made and think positive and move forward.” That’s the mantra he’ll be repeating a lot as he begins his NHL journey. Learn from the mistakes. Be positive. Move forward. Because, like just about every young defenceman who’s ever tried to make it in the big league, fishing mistakes out of your own net is part of the development process. So, the key is to keep this patient and positive attitude in place for about, oh, three years or so. Because that’s how long it takes, at least, for a defenceman to fully ripen. And if you are not careful during that time, you can lose him. We all saw what happened to Justin Schultz when the patience ran out early and the burden of too much being put on his shoulders too soon broke his spirit. He had to get out and the Oilers lost what could have been a very useful piece of the puzzle here. Oscar Klefbom still struggles with confidence issues from time to time. Darnell Nurse is still far from a finished product. So, be ready for some growing pains from Bear. But also get ready for some pretty valuable upside. Todd McLellan already likes what he sees from a nervous 20-year-old who’d never skated a shift in the league before. “I thought he looked confident,” said the head coach. “The game sheet is not going to give you a true story when it comes to his game. You’re going to see dash three, but he was a victim of circumstance, even on the second goal at the end of the period. “I felt better and better about putting him on the ice as the game wore on. He moved pucks well, he zipped pucks up. You can tell a lot about how firm a young player’s passes are and how accurate they are and he made a number of those.” The Oilers know they’ll have to do a better job with Bear than they did with Schultz, which shouldn’t be difficult given how badly the organization handled Schultz. And missing the playoffs again this year will actually help in that regard. Getting a 19-game regular season NHL training camp is pretty much the best possible introduction a player like Bear could get. “We’re in a situation where we can afford to give him a little more without serious repercussions standings-wise, we gave that away early in the 1101611 Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton Oilers battling harder, but need to be smarter

Robert Tychkowski Published:March 2, 2018 Updated:March 2, 2018 2:46 PM MST

It took about 58 games, but the Edmonton Oilers finally got their starts figured out. Now, about those finishes … The third period got them again Thursday as the Nashville Predators joined the growing number of teams that have walked through Oilers leads like the Kool-Aid Man walks through walls. Four straight Nashville goals over the final 23 minutes turned what was looking like an Oilers upset into a 4-2 loss that had Edmonton shaking its head over one that never should have got away. “I thought it was a fairly evenly matched game but when all was said we made a few more mistakes than they did,” said Oilers head coach Todd McLellan. “And they capitalized more on our mistakes than we did on theirs.” That was a common theme, no matter who you talked to, when it was over. It’s been the common theme all year. “Mistakes hurt us,” said defenceman Darnell Nurse. “It’s just mistakes,” said winger Zack Kassian. “We didn’t make a lot of mistakes but they made us pay for the ones that we made,” said winger Milan Lucic. And that pretty much sums it up. It was an even matched game that saw one team find a way to win and the other find a way to lose. “We played a solid third period, there wasn’t much going on either way, but we had a couple of breakdowns from veteran players that really cost us,” said McLellan, who didn’t like the Kassian giveaway that lead to Nashville’s winning goal. “Some of them are more preventable than others. When you have the puck in free ice and try to go through people, that’s a tough one. Those are areas that we have to improve on. They didn’t make as many of those mistakes as we did.” There was a lot to like about the Oilers game on Thursday, they were all over the Predators for a larger part of the night and probably could have stolen one if Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne hadn’t stolen it first. But the fine points of the game that served the Oilers so well last season are killing them this year. “We had enough chances to extend the lead in the second period and we weren’t able to capitalize on them,” said Lucic, whose goalless streak dates back to wooden sticks. “Good teams, when they hang around and you give them chances, they find a way to get themselves back in it and that’s what happened here tonight.” The Oilers, who’ve won four of their last seven, are still playing with spirit and passion down the stretch, which is a big positive. That they are still turning in determined efforts from 27th place with 19 games to go is a good sign. Start playing a little smarter and they might be on to something. “We fought with the right effort and a lot of our guys had really strong games,” said Nurse. “As long as we have that compete level and that effort, we will be on the right side of the board most nights. “We put ourselves in tough positions even when we have had leads, but we found ways to win. Tonight we didn’t find a way to win, but we can learn a lot from it. It was definitely tough to lose that one but it is one we can grow from.” Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101612 Edmonton Oilers Goal Talbot Montoya Edmonton Oilers Game Day: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins probable against visiting New York Rangers Rangers

projected lines Robert Tychkowski Forwards Published:March 3, 2018 Kreider Zibanejad Buchnevich Updated:March 3, 2018 3:00 AM MST Spooner Hayes Fast

Vesey Namestnikov Zuccarello Quit bubble-wrapping privileged students, professor tells teachers Carey Desharnais McLeod The Oilers would love another chance to close the deal after earning a two-goal lead in five of their last six games, only to let it slip away four Defence times. Skjei Gilmour New York Rangers at Edmonton Oilers 8:30 p.m., MT at Rogers Place, Staal Pionk TV: Sportsnet, radio: 630 CHED O’Gara Deangelo Oilers’ keys to the game Goal The lead Lundqvist Georgiev The Oilers hope to try their luck at protecting the lead again when the Rangers visit. They had a two-goal lead in five of the last six games and Injuries four times they’ve let it slip away, twice losing in regulation and twice being forced to overtime before pulling a win out of the fire. They’d love Oilers: D Adam Larsson (personal); Rangers: G Ondrej Pavelec (knee), another chance to try and close the deal. D Kevin Shattenkirk (knee), D Steve Kampfer (hand). Immediate impact Who to watch Ryan Spooner, who came to New York in the Rick Nash trade with Cam Talbot vs. The New York Rangers Boston, had three assists in his first game with the Blueshirts, including It’s always a nice reunion game when former New York Rangers backup setting up the game-winner in overtime as the Rangers beat Vancouver Cam Talbot faces his old team. Talbot spent two seasons with the to snap a seven-game losing streak. , acquired at Rangers as Henrik Lundqvist’s understudy, establishing himself as a the deadline from Tampa Bay in the Ryan McDonagh-J.T. Miller deal, sought-after commodity, before forging out on his own with the Oilers for had a goal and an assist. the 2015-16 season. Neither Talbot nor his former mentor are having the The streak kind of season they wanted, and the same should be said for the teams in front of them. But you know Talbot will want to be at his best in one of Milan Lucic might be riding a 28-game scoring slump that dates back to the rare times he gets to face the Rangers. New York won the first before Christmas, but he is making an impact on games lately. He had meeting of the season 4-2 on a night when the Rangers outshot six shots on net and five hits against Nashville and was one of the most Edmonton 34-29. noticeable players on the ice. He’s well past due to get one and six of his nine goals this season have come against Eastern Conference Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 03.03.2018 opponents. RNH A-OK Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who’s been practising for about 10 days now seem ready to play again after missing 18 games with a rib/sternum injury. Oilers coach Todd McLellan said he has Nugent-Hopkins pencilled in for Saturday’s game and will make a final decision at the morning skate. The Oilers went 7-10-1 his absence. He is still third in team scoring despite missing almost a quarter of the season. IT WORKS ’s power-play goal in the first period against Nashville Thursday was Edmonton’s first with the man advantage in 12 games. They were riding a woeful 0-for-19 drought before he picked the top corner on Pekka Rinne. Power plays can be streaky, so maybe it’s the start of something. Or not. Tonight’s lineups Oilers projected lines Forwards Lucic McDavid Slepyshev Cammalleri Draisaitl Rattie Puljujarvi Strome Aberg Caggiula Khaira Kassian Defence Nurse Russell Klefbom Benning Sekera Bear 1101613 Edmonton Oilers Carter Hutton, age 32. 29gp, 1.99 .935. Flourishing with the St. Louis Blues, he has never played more than 40 games in an NHL season. Hutton is probably best suited to being a prominent backup at this point Lowetide: Is Cam Talbot secure as the Oilers No. 1 goalie? in his career. Michael Hutchinson, age 27. 2gp, 2.00 .933. He is in the Winnipeg Jets system and posting a strong year in the AHL. His age makes Hutchinson By Allan Mitchell 17 hours ago an attractive option but as is the case with Hutton, a backup role is more likely. Hutchinson played in 96 games for the Jets between 2014-15 and 2016-17. A couple of weeks ago I looked at Cam Talbot's season and concluded Raanta is having a fine season and would be a candidate to replace much of the problem had to do with team penalty kill. At even strength, Talbot, but the cost in cap may prove to be prohibitive. If Chiarelli could Talbot is on a slight downbeat (giving up about 12 5×5 goals based on finesse a reasonable deal for Raanta on July 1, that might work if he can shots against and change in save percentage) year over year. In a world find a new team for Talbot via trade. However, it isn't clear Raanta can where math and reason ruled above all else, that would put most worries take on a No. 1 role and stay healthy/succeed. to rest and allow the team (and fans) to relax, secure in the knowledge that regression should send Talbot back to a good place in 2018-19. We don't know what we don't know In the real world, there are many factors in play. For Talbot, his future is There are reasons for poor seasons, usually having to do with turning 40 in the hands of Peter Chiarelli and Todd McLellan — or their or injuries. Talbot is 30, so erosion shouldn't be a factor. He did have replacements. His goaltending was a key element to the team's success some injury problems in December, missing a couple of weeks of action. in 2016-17 as he was clearly a big part of the 103-point campaign. About There have been suggestions the heavy load of 2016-17 left him Christmas of 2016, it became obvious the team could run Connor weakened this season. Aside from the injury, a fairly short-term item, McDavid's brilliance and Talbot's timely stops to the playoffs, and they nothing stands out as a reason for Talbot's struggles. did just that thing last spring. What does it all mean? A year later and the bloom is off the rose. Is Talbot a good bet for next season? Are there alternatives that make sense? Should Oilers fans be Chiarelli has an opening this summer to move on from Talbot but staying worried about the goalie position? And is he vulnerable as Edmonton's the course is the better plan. He could sign Raanta but money's too tight No. 1 man for the coming season? to mention, cap troubles are going to be an issue. Edmonton could go the trade route, but a long run of trading draft picks means a very poor That last question is the key one because it's less about math and more prospect pool. Ideally, the team holds on to its first and second-round about emotion. If Chiarelli retains his position as general manager, he is selections this summer. going to want as much certainty on this roster as is humanly possible. The math tells me Talbot is a good bet. Is Chiarelli looking at the same A solid backup who might grow into the starter's role could be an option. numbers? What are they telling him? Has the general manager lost faith If the general manager isn't sure of Al Montoya or Laurent Brossoit, in his goalie? signing Khudobin or Hutchinson as backup may give the club a more substantial option if injury or slump occurs. Talbot as a starter That's probably the right call for Edmonton over the summer. Arriving at Peter Chiarelli has to figure out what went wrong in net and as that opening night with quality, depth and balance would be both welcome February article pointed out, a lot of the goals-against problem is a 'bad and unusual compared to past Octobers for the team. Emotions aside, penalty kill' issue. Talbot is part of that group, but his even-strength retaining Talbot as the No. 1 goalie is the play here. numbers are down while staying in third tier starter range — suggesting much of the wobble may be external (penalty kill). Talbot is trending in a The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2018 better direction lately, reflected in his splits surrounding the All-Star Game: Talbot before the break: .901 in 39 games Talbot after the break: .909 in 11 games (Numbers via hockey-reference) That isn't a massive increase in fortunes but does reflect a rebound from his early performances in the 2017-18 season. I always like to run the 5×5 splits (via offsidereview.com) and that gives us a goalie who has been fairly consistent through the year: Talbot before the break: .9163 in 39 games Talbot after the break: .9148 in 11 games So Chiarelli has a No. 1 goalie who is enduring a difficult season at age 30, with one more year on his contract (via CapFriendly). Moving on this summer What's more, in 2018-19, the final year of his contract, Talbot will enter a window where the 'no movement' portion of his contract allows the team to ponder moving him (upon request, the player must provide a list of 10 teams he can't be traded to). Effectively, that means the Oilers could acquire a goalie this summer as a replacement and deal Talbot via the relaxation of his no movement. It's one thing to ponder it, and on some level the club has a right to pursue as much certainty at the position as possible. Is there readily available, cost-effective certainty? The top free agents available currently are: Antti Raanta, age 28. 37gp, 2.46 .923. Intriguing option as the veteran has been quality in Manhattan and Phoenix in recent seasons. Uncertain he'll be a free agent by July 1, Coyotes will no doubt work hard to sign him. Anton Khudobin, age 31. 23gp, 2.41 .919. He was very effective this season in a period where Boston badly needed him to step up. His resume has some wobble and he is well established as a backup goalie in the NHL. 1101614 Edmonton Oilers matter; there’s cap room for him this year, cap room for a buyout next year, and since this is a fantasy exercise anyway it’s not hard to replace him on the fourth line with any number of other left wings. Just how good would an all-hindsight Edmonton Oilers roster be? Khaira is on a fantastic contract. I’m a huge fan of taking advantage of the uncertainty which young players on the cusp of NHL duty face and signing them to cheap and easily buried one-way deals. It’s going to blow By Jonathan Willis 19 hours ago up occasionally, but if your team has a high-end AHLer in his early 20's the odds are good he can be at least a No. 13/14 forward. If he's more than that, it can work out spectacularly. Earlier this week, a follower on Twitter posed what I thought was an I understood why Edmonton walked away from Pitlick and agreed with interesting question: If I were to use only players who actually played for the decision. Looking at his AHL performance and injury history there the Oilers since 2013-14, what would be the best possible roster? was a lot against him. They were wrong and I was wrong. Pitlick has 12 goals and 20 points so far this season, along with a 51 per cent Corsi on This reader added a caveat: the roster had to stay under the upper limit a line that gets all the defensive zone starts in Dallas. After so much of the salary cap. To make the exercise a little more challenging, I added misfortune in his development years, it looks like he’s a quality NHLer, another: whenever a trade was made, I could keep one side of it, but not and that kind of perseverance is admirable. both. In other words, it would be great to have both Taylor Hall and Adam Larsson on the Oilers, but that was never a realistic possibility. I also Spare forwards: Anton Lander / Iiro Pakarinen opted not to use any rookie bonus room; in this exercise, I've acted as though those players hit all of their bonuses in the year they attain them. Again, the big thing here is that these players be cheap. What we’re left with is essentially an all-hindsight team. I don't pretend The exact choice of centre doesn’t matter much here. I’ve always liked that I would have made all of these decisions; this is meant as an Lander, who for cap purposes I have given a two-year, $700,000 exercise of whimsy, not smugness. contract. If he played it would be on the penalty kill and a defensive zone- oriented fourth line; he wouldn’t play much and he’s also a fit as a team- First line: Patrick Maroon / Connor McDavid / David Perron first guy who won’t rock the boat in a limited role. For those who don’t like Lander, it’s easy enough to run out David Desharnais or Mark Arcobello This dirt-cheap first line costs the Oilers less than $10 million against the or Brad Malone instead. I’d lean toward Arcobello, who brings versatility cap in 2017-18. That will change next season, when McDavid’s cap hit and a much needed right shot to the faceoff circle. alone will hit $12.5 million and his two hypothetical wingers become unrestricted free agents, but for this year it is fantastic value. I like Pakarinen, too, and like Lander he’s a good fit for killing penalties and a fourth line focused on the defensive zone. Again, it’s easy enough I’m actually a fan of the deal that sent Perron to Pittsburgh for Rob to swap him out for Pontus Aberg or Cammalleri or Omark if it’s seen as Klinkhammer and the 2015 first-rounder that became Mathew Barzal, but desirable to have one spare forward who can play offensive minutes since Barzal never played a game on Edmonton’s roster he’s not (though in the event of injury, one imagines one of the current fourth- technically eligible for this exercise. Thus we may as well use Perron, liners being bumped into the top-nine anyway). who is currently scoring at a point-per-game clip for Las Vegas and is vastly preferable to Griffin Reinhart as far as the options go. Top pairing: Oscar Klefbom / Jeff Petry Maroon’s $1.5 million cap hit is one of the best value adds of Peter Defence, especially on the right side, is undeniably the weakness of this Chiarelli’s tenure and his ability to play in this role makes everything Edmonton team. Still, one thing the Penguins showed when they won a easier. It's hard to find skaters who can hold their own in a top-nine role Cup without the injured Kris Letang in 2017 is that if the forwards are at that price. good enough, a team can get by with a by-committee defence. Second line: Taylor Hall / Leon Draisaitl / Jesse Puljujarvi Klefbom has had a miserable year, partially due to injury, but he’s still an excellent player: big, fast, young and good with the puck on his stick. I’d This trio costs nearly twice as much as Edmonton’s top line, at least if we bet heavily on him rebounding next season, and even this season his include Puljujarvi’s full rookie bonuses. Puljujarvi himself only lands here scoring chance totals have come along nicely over the course of the because I’m a firm believer in running three scoring lines when possible, year. He’s a good player and it’s worth sticking with him through a difficult and I’m confident that his partners will help him find success. year. Speaking of those partners, the duo of Hall and Draisaitl is itself a very His old partner Petry is arguably still the best right-shot defenceman to good first line. Hall is one of the contenders for the Hart Trophy this go through Edmonton during its rebuild. If he has competition, it comes in season, and the opportunity to run one line around him and the other the form of Larsson, and as much as Larsson would be a great fit on this around McDavid is too good to pass up—even at the cost of Larsson, blueline he just isn’t worth giving up an elite left winger like Hall. Petry who would otherwise be an excellent fit on defence. has lots of history playing tough minutes and is a superb skater and One of the nice things about having Hall on the second line is that it also puck-mover even if he's somewhat lacking in offensive flair. makes it easier to double-shift him on the fourth line, something which is Second pairing: Darnell Nurse / Justin Schultz obviously desirable given that he’s a 5-on-5 monster but not nearly as effective on special teams. I’m really skeptical that Schultz would be the player he is now if he had stayed in Edmonton. He’s been put in an ideal position to succeed in Draisaitl had tremendous success when he played with Hall in 2015-16 Pittsburgh, and to his credit he’s made the most of it. Most teams have and is obviously a fantastic player in his own right. room for someone like him in their top four: an offensive guy who can Third line: Anton Slepyshev / Ryan Nugent-Hopkins / Jordan Eberle move the puck and use a little bit of shelter. This is yet another expensive forward line, and a little richer once we Nurse has had a very strong season for the Oilers, and he’s also dirt include Slepyshev’s bonuses, but it’s also hard to pass up. This was two- cheap in the final season of his entry-level contract. He’s not a perfect thirds of Edmonton’s first line for most of the pre-McDavid rebuild, and as shutdown defenceman at this point in his career, but his future looks a third unit playing soft competition it should be absolutely lethal. bright and the present isn’t half-bad either. I’m not sure it’s ideal to have two defencemen as aggressive as Nurse and Schultz together; hopefully That’s why I’ve opted to keep Eberle. There is cap room for him both this the former would play a more conservative style so as to backstop his year and next with this roster. I like Ryan Strome plenty as a player, but partner. in his worst year Eberle is scoring 20 goals and that's so hard to find in the NHL. Third pairing: Brandon Davidson / Jordan Oesterle / Matt Benning As with Puljujarvi, Slepyshev is inserted here with the deliberate idea that There were a lot of different ways this third pairing could have gone, but he could play a complementary role to two more skilled linemates. His as soon as I started this I knew that Oesterle was going to be part of it. speed is a nice fit, as is his size and shot; physically he just seems like a Oesterle was one of those fringe guys who probably would have had a strong match for the Nugent-Hopkins/Eberle duo. shot in Edmonton if not for the demotion of Craig MacTavish, who always With all the money we’re spending on the top nine, it’s really important had nice things to say about the player. He got a cameo under Todd not to waste any on the depth guys. Thus we have a fourth line with a McLellan in 2015-16, played really well, and then never got another look. total cap hit of less than Puljujarvi alone, and one that’s trustworthy in its Now he’s in Chicago, partnering regularly with Duncan Keith as the right- own zone. side defenceman on that team’s first pairing. He has a 54 per cent Corsi Sticklers may prefer to budget Pouliot at the full $4 million cap hit he was (albeit with an offensive zone push) and seems to be a player. He’s also on as an Oiler, rather than his current deal with Buffalo. It doesn’t really dirt cheap, with a $650,000 cap hit for both this season and next. The No. 6 spot was up for grabs. I firmly believe Yohann Auvitu can play and if there’s an injury Benning is going to be getting regular minutes and play well, but he wasn’t a great fit for the penalty kill or for Oesterle here. It's not ideal. as a partner. Moreover his offensive skillset is duplicated elsewhere on the roster. Cap situation, 2017-18: $69.8 million spent, $5.2 million remaining Given what this blueline looks like overall, I wanted somebody defensive Cap situation, 2018-19: $65.0 million spent, $15.0 million remaining and ideally someone with a little bit of size and physical presence. I The cap situation is actually a little better than presented here, as these seriously considered , who has shown he can play the right totals include all rookie bonuses at full value. side, but his cap hit next season was just a little too dear. In 2017-18 there would have been room to do something at the deadline. Ultimately, Davidson made sense. He’s affordable this season, and The two obvious targets would be a top-nine right-shooting forward probably next year as an RFA as well, though he’d need to take a pay (ideally with faceoff ability) and a solid right-shot defenceman capable of cut. He’s also a very solid third-pairing defender whose game is a good fit handling a shutdown role. for a blueline loaded with puck movers. His ability to kill penalties was also a factor. Ottawa’s Jean-Gabriel Pageau would have been a great fit in the first role (likely taking Eberle’s position, pushing him up one line and forcing a I ultimately settled on Benning over Auvitu for the final defensive slot on nightly choice between Puljujarvi and Slepyshev for the remaining the roster largely because of handedness; with four lefties in the top-six scoring line slot). The discount option would be someone like Tommy there was a need for a right-shot defender in reserve in the event a righty Wingels or perhaps former U of A standout Derek Ryan. higher up the depth chart went down. His balanced two-way game is also a little bit better for the reserve slot than Auvitu’s brilliant but somewhat Arizona’s Jason Demers or Vancouver’s (currently injured) Chris Tanev one-dimensional style. were probably the best potentially available options for the other slot; in a scenario more reflective of the real world it’s likely an Edmonton team Devan Dubnyk with this sensibility just pays for Demers as a free agent in 2016. The Goal: Devan Dubnyk / Laurent Brossoit discount options were players like Cody Franson and Luke Schenn. Edmonton has had two competent starters over the past five seasons in The next season, 2018-19, is tough but manageable because of our Dubnyk and Cam Talbot, and there isn’t an automatic choice between commitment to dirt-cheap players in depth roles. them here. There is cap space for just one of those two players, so I can’t In the Pageau/Demers scenario, the cap situation gets very tough—so take the easy out of just picking both them. tough that trading Eberle in a salary dumping move probably becomes There are a lot of similarities. necessary. Failing that, it’s just barely workable. Both carry team-friendly cap hits with annual values south of $4.5 million. One would have to bridge Nurse (at, say, $3.1 million per year), let both Talbot’s deal expires in 2019, which is good in the sense that he’s 30 Perron and Maroon depart as free agents, and slot Kailer Yamamoto into years old and it won’t turn into an albatross, but bad in the sense that the lineup. That leaves about $750,000 per position for a complementary Edmonton may be looking for another goalie at that point. Dubnyk is 31 top-nine winger, No. 12 and 13 forwards, a No. 7 defenceman and a and his deal expires in 2021, so it has opposite positives and negatives. backup goalie. RFAs Slepyshev, Davidson and Benning would all potentially be on the chopping block. It’s a little rosier if we’re willing to Ultimately, I just went with performance. Dubnyk tops Talbot in both use some of the bonus space that Puljujarvi and Yamamoto carry—either even-strength and overall save percentage over this season, the last deferring money to next year or assuming they won’t make all of those three and the last five. Sometimes it is close, sometimes it is not, but by bonuses anyway. That leaves either enough room to sign Nurse long- the numbers it is hard to make the case for Talbot over Dubnyk. term or spend a bit more money on the supporting cast. There are three legitimate candidates for the backup role: Brossoit, In the no/discount rentals scenario, the money is relatively easy, though current No. 2 Al Montoya and KHLer Ben Scrivens. again Perron and Maroon are probably out at the end of the year. Nurse could sign long-term at an annual value of around $5.0 million. There If we look at even-strength save percentage over the last five years, would be $750,000 per position for the lower-end slots, plus $1.5 million there isn’t much gap between any of them. Montoya’s 0.916 is the best for the No. 6 defenceman. That would leave $3.4 million in cap space to number, and ranks him 59th among goalies (min. 25 games) league-wide add two complementary wingers, or more likely to re-sign Slepyshev and over that span. Scrivens and Brossoit both come in at 0.912, tied for add one other over the summer. 71st. In each case, we’re talking about a fringe NHL player. Competitiveness and sustainability The biggest factor in favour of Brossoit is age. I’d rather bet on the 24- year-old going forward over the 33-year-old Montoya or the 31-year-old Our all-hindsight team, as one would expect, is reasonably enviable both Scrivens. He’s also slightly cheaper than Montoya, and with his contract from a competitive perspective and a cap viewpoint. expiring this summer it’s easy to reassess at that point. Your mileage will vary on how good this roster is. For my money, the No. 1 power play: McDavid / Eberle / Draisaitl / Perron / Schultz forwards on this group are vastly superior to those of the real world Oilers; that’s what happens when we substitute Hall, Eberle and Perron No. 2 power play: Nugent-Hopkins / Puljujarvi / Hall / Maroon / Petry for Milan Lucic, Strome and Cammalleri. I like the depth better, too; The idea behind both power plays is simple: give the high-end left-shot Pitlick and Pouliot add speed and a defensive conscience that’s playmakers (McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins) passing options. somewhat lacking on the current roster. That means right shots at the point (Schultz and Petry) and the far wall The defence is probably a touch worse, despite the Oesterle find. It’s a (Eberle and Puljujarvi). McDavid keeps his frequent collaborator Draisaitl, lot better at moving the puck but misses the defensive presence of likely in the bumper role, and a right-shooting net-front guy in Perron. Larsson. That may be compensated for with Dubnyk’s superior Nugent-Hopkins gets Hall in the Draisaitl role, and Maroon in front of the goaltending, but perhaps not. Even so, the forwards in my view more net. than make up for this. There isn't a perfect right-shot sniper here to finish off the passes of How good would they have been? As the guy picking the roster, I’m McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins, but there isn't much we can do about that. biased. But I think those forwards give them an honest shot at The Oilers just haven't had that player. contending, or at the very least coming out of the Pacific. No. 1 penalty kill: Pouliot / Nugent-Hopkins / Klefbom / Petry From a cap perspective, it’s not especially close. It’s incredible the difference that one bargain contract can make, the way bad decisions No. 2 penalty kill: Khaira / Pitlick / Nurse / Davidson hamstring a team and how the little extravagances add up. The gap in price between Oesterle and Russell next season lets us keep Eberle over The penalty kill is built around two strong forward pairs, and I have no Strome. Lucic pays for Hall. Running Pitlick and a McBackup instead of concerns about any of the starting forward quartet. For those worried Kassian and Montoya frees up enough money for two league-minimum about playing Nugent-Hopkins on the third line at evens, his abundance contracts all by itself. The rest is thanks to the magic of having no buyout of special teams time helps keep him in the game. The depth up front dollars on the books. isn’t great—if there’s an injury Lander or Pakarinen would draw in, no problem, but for a third forward pair they’d have to work in McDavid, Beyond being a stroll down memory lane and a testament to the power of Draisaitl, Perron or someone else without an extensive NHL track record. hindsight, is there anything else we can take away from this exercise? This is one of the places where the puck-moving, lefty-heavy nature of I’d say don’t trade down on elite talent, be incredibly careful signing even the blue line hurts, too. Oesterle is the No. 5 PK option on the blueline, 30-year-old players to deals with real money and term, and whenever possible sign young guys to league-minimum deals at the bottom of the roster, both because every dollar above the minimum is wasted on a replacement-level player and because those early 20's guys can be shockingly good when they get a shot. The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101615 Florida Panthers

Barkov, Reimer help Panthers top Sabres 4-1 for 5th straight

BY PAUL GEREFFI Associated Press March 03, 2018 03:52 AM

The surging Florida Panthers are edging closer to a playoff spot. Aleksander Barkov scored his 24th goal of the season, James Reimer made 24 saves in his first start in six games and Florida beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-1 on Friday night. The Panthers have won five straight and are 12-3-0 in their past 15. They moved within one point of Columbus and Carolina for the second Eastern Conference wild card. Colton Sceviour, Aaron Ekblad and Mike Matheson also scored for the Panthers. Evgenii Dadanov and Nick Bjugstad each had two assists. "We're having a heck of a run here," Bjugstad said. "Anything can happen at the end of the year. A spark has been lit here." Reimer filled in admirably for Roberto Luongo, who has won four straight but was given the night off in the second of back-to-back games. "He was sharp," Panthers coach Bob Boughner said about Reimer. "It was nice to get four goals for him, but I think he looked real comfortable in the net." Sam Reinhart scored for the Sabres, and Robin Lehner made 26 saves. "I think we had effort today, but they got some breaks and we didn't," Lehner said. "It was a solid game but things were just clicking for them." Barkov stretched the Panthers' lead to 3-1 when he flipped the puck over Lehner's shoulder at 6:49 of the second period. Barkov has six goals and nine assists in his past 10 games and is tied with Vincent Trocheck for the team lead in goals. Sceviour made it 4-1 when he poked in a rebound with 8:44 left in the second. "They capitalized on their opportunities and we didn't," Sabres coach Phil Housley said. Florida's previous four games were decided by one goal, but the Panthers took a 4-1 lead into the third period. "We don't get a lot of those games," Boughner said. Ekblad put the Panthers ahead 2-1 after he took a cross-ice pass from Keith Yandle in the right circle and wristed it past Lehner with 3:19 left in the first. Matheson gave Florida a 1-0 lead 1:25 in when he corralled the puck in the high slot and fired a shot that beat Lehner on the stick side. The goal was Matheson's ninth but first on home ice. Reinhart tied the score at 1 when he swept the puck in from the right side at 5:34 of the first. NOTES: The Panthers have scored first in 11 of their past 13 games. ... Reinhart has 21 points in his past 21 games. ... Sabres forward Kyle Okposo returned after missing Wednesday's game at Tampa Bay due to the birth of his third child. UP NEXT Sabres: Host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday. Panthers: Host the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday. Miami Herald LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101616 Florida Panthers

With Evander Kane out of Buffalo, Panthers downplay rematch against Sabres: 'The main culprit's not here'

Matthew DeFranks

Twenty-nine days before the Florida Panthers hosted the Sabres on Friday night at the BB&T Center, the two teams sowed seeds of disgust. They met in Buffalo, and in the last period of a 4-2 Panthers win, combined for 68 penalty minutes. Panthers defenseman Alexander Petrovic was assessed a fighting major and a misconduct penalty with 35 seconds left. Micheal Haley received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and a misconduct penalty with three seconds left. Typically mild-mannered Nick Bjugstad was called for roughing after Evander Kane hit Aleksander Barkov late. For the Sabres, Kane racked up 19 penalty minutes, Johan Larsson finished with 17 penalty minutes and a two-game suspension for cross- checking Vincent Trocheck in the face. Jake McCabe settled for a five- minute fighting major. Friday marked the first meeting since that game, even if the characters changed. Kane was traded to San Jose. McCabe underwent season- ending surgery. Of the relevant Sabres, only Larsson remained. “The main culprit’s not here,” Haley said of Kane. “For us, I think at this point in the year anyway, we’re pretty focused on our two points. That’s what we want. The extracurriculars isn’t really a focus right now. We’ve made a pretty good push here and we want to keep it going.” The Panthers carried a four-game winning streak into Friday night. Haley leads the league with 17 fights this season. Petrovic is tied for ninth with five scraps this season. As a team, Florida leads the NHL with 37 fights, 13 more than second-place Anaheim. Twelve different Panthers have a fighting major this season. Like Haley, Panthers coach Bob Boughner did not expect Friday’s game to carry over any animosity from Buffalo. “It was a chippy game, especially towards the end,” Boughner said. “It feels like it was a year ago. There’s so many games running into each other right now. Tonight, I think the focus is on playing the right way and getting some points here and not worry about that other stuff.” ... Panthers forward Connor Brickley reentered the lineup on Friday night, taking 36-year-old Radim Vrbata’s spot on the second line. “Strictly just fresh legs coming in to the lineup on a back-to-back situation,” Boughner said. Friday’s projected lineup against Buffalo, 7:30 p.m. Evgenii Dadonov – Aleksander Barkov – Nick Bjugstad Jonathan Huberdeau - Vincent Trocheck – Connor Brickley Jamie McGinn – Jared McCann – Maxim Mamin Micheal Haley - Derek MacKenzie – Colton Sceviour Keith Yandle – Aaron Ekblad Mike Matheson – Mark Pysyk MacKenzie Weegar – Alexander Petrovic James Reimer Roberto Luongo Scratches: Denis Malgin, Radim Vrbata, Ian McCoshen. Injured reserve: Frank Vatrano. Sun Sentinel LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101617 Florida Panthers percentage and 2.58 GAA. The Panthers are 5-1-0 since his return and he’ll start again on Sunday against Philadelphia.

4. Fortunate schedule How the Panthers have turned around their season since the All-Star break During their current four-game winning streak, the Panthers have beat good teams, with all four likely playoff clubs. But they’ve also been lucky to face them when they have. Matthew DeFranks Pittsburgh’s Derrick Brassard hadn’t joined the Penguins yet, and the team started a backup goalie on the second night of a back-to-back. Toronto’s Auston Matthews is injured and the Maple Leafs also started a When the Florida Panthers reconvened in New York after the All-Star backup goalie on the second night of a back-to-back. Florida beat both break, they did so as a distant thought in the Eastern Conference playoff teams in the last week. race. They were 12 points behind Philadelphia. Only seven points separated them from the worst team in the conference. Prior to this tough stretch of games, the Panthers played seven of eight games against teams not currently in a playoff position. Florida feasted The season was on the brink of being another lost one after an 81-point on those games, going 7-1-0 across two road trips and a home stand. disaster last season. The division championship in 2015-16 looked increasingly like a fluke after the organization cycled through three The Panthers’ surge also coincided with their competition’s slide. Since coaches and two general managers since that season. the All-Star break, Eastern Conference foes like Columbus (5-8-2), Carolina (6-6-3), the Islanders (4-8-2) and the Rangers (3-10-1) have all Then it all changed. faltered. Florida took advantage of the opening. The Panthers have gone 11-3-0 in the 14 games since the All-Star break, 5. Poise in tight games rocketing themselves up the Eastern Conference standings and transforming themselves into a legitimate postseason candidate. They The Panthers have seemingly learned how to win tight games. Since the entered Friday night’s game against Buffalo just three points out of a All-Star break, Florida is 6-1-0 in one-goal games, including all four playoff spot with three games in hand on Columbus. games during the current four-game winning streak. In the first half of the season, the Panthers were just 10-7-6 in one-goal games. How did it happen? Here are some explanations. Boughner attributed the late-game success to more familiarity with the 1. Tweaked top six systems he’s implemented. Under pressure, the team no longer has to think about what to do, they just do it, he said. In each of the past four In the final game before the All-Star break, Panthers coach Bob victories, the game-winning goal has come in the last five minutes of the Boughner made the tough choice to split up Aleksander Barkov and game. Jonathan Huberdeau. The two played together on the top line all season, practically carrying the Florida offense at times. But that left Vincent “It’s been a close game and finding ways to win in the third period,” Trocheck vulnerable on the second line. He dealt with a rotating crew of Boughner said. “That shows another level of our game, a little more wingers that included players like Dryden Hunt, Henrik Haapala, Connor maturity in our game and composure.” Brickley and Jamie McGinn. Sun Sentinel LOADED: 03.03.2018 When Boughner sent Huberdeau to play with Trocheck and Denis Malgin (now sidelined a couple weeks with a knee injury), it made the Panthers deeper. The top line now consists of Evgenii Dadonov, Barkov and Nick Bjugstad, a trio driven by Barkov’s all-around game, Bjugstad’s big frame and Dadonov’s speed. The plumped top two lines forced opposing coaches to prepare for two scoring lines instead of isolating just one. Since the All-Star break, Dadonov, Barkov and Bjugstad have 18 goals. Huberdeau, Trocheck and Malgin have 12 goals. 2. Potent power play Since the All-Star break, the Panthers’ power play is the best one in the Eastern Conference, converting on 29.8 percent of opportunities. The only team with a better power play since Jan. 30 is Vegas (30 percent). In the first 47 games of the season, Florida’s power play scored on just 16 percent of chances. Florida’s man-advantage unit has been roughly twice as good as it was earlier in the season. The good thing for the Panthers is that the recent production has been nearly split between the top power-play unit (eight goals) and the second group (six goals). The bad news is that Florida’s offense has been increasingly dependent on scoring on the power play. In the past 14 games, 28.6 percent of all their goals have come on the power play. The league average is 21.2 percent, suggesting the production is not sustainable. Even Pittsburgh, the league’s best power play, only gets 25.9 percent of its goals with an extra man. 3. Goaltending by committee During the past 14 games, three different Panthers goalies won games. Harri Sateri filled in admirably with both Roberto Luongo and James Reimer were out with groin injuries. Sateri stepped up and led Florida to four consecutive wins immediately after the break. In those four games, Sateri had a sparkling .950 save percentage and 1.50 goals against average. When Reimer returned to the lineup, he won his first two games. He also allowed at least five goals in two of his three appearances since the break. Roberto Luongo, meanwhile, keeps ticking for the Panthers. Luongo missed six games with a hand injury and 27 more with a groin injury this season, but has been elite when healthy. Overall, he has a .928 save 1101618 Florida Panthers It wasn’t a sprawling, post-to-post stop that Roberto Luongo has made in his long career, but it was a solid, sound save on Miles Wood that kept the game tied at 1 in the second period. Taylor Hall flipped a pass to a The Next Day Look: Florida Panthers 3, New Jersey Devils 2 streaking Wood, who was in on goal. But he tried to stuff the puck five- hole.

On the game, Luongo made 29 saves. Since returning from a groin Matthew DeFranks injury, he is 5-1-0 with a .927 save percentage and 2.48 goals against average.

“Even I’m a little shocked at how good it’s been since I’ve been back,” The Florida Panthers beat the New Jersey Devils, 3-2, on Thursday night Luongo said. “I just want to keep going.” at the BB&T Center in Sunrise. Aleksander Barkov scored two goals, setting his career-high for points in a season, and Maxim Mamin scored Pass of the game his second career goal in the NHL as Florida won its fourth straight game. On Aleksander Barkov’s first goal of the night, Alexander Petrovic’s outlet pass set up the whole play. From behind his own net, Petrovic bounced a The Panthers are now 30-25-6 with 66 points, on pace for 89 points. pass off the boards to Evgenii Dadonov at the opposite blue line. They are three points behind Columbus with three games in hand for the Dadonov fed Barkov. Barkov’s centering pass got deflected in. But it second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. They are 19 points doesn’t happen without Petrovic’s pass. behind Toronto for third place in the Atlantic Division. Shot heat map (via Natural Stat Trick) Here’s another look at Thursday night’s game. The Panthers did a much better job clearing the slot that they had in the The story previous stretch of games against offensive powerhouses like Winnipeg, Toronto, Washington and Pittsburgh, forcing much of the Devils offense Aleksander Barkov sets career-high in points as Panthers win fourth to come from above the circles at 5-on-5. On the other side, Florida straight generated shots in front of the crease and even a goal from below the goalline. Telling numbers Sun Sentinel LOADED: 03.03.2018 8. By points percentage, the Panthers have the eighth best record in the Eastern Conference. Using raw points totals, Florida still sits in 10th place in the conference, behind Columbus (69 points in 64 games) and Carolina (67 points in 64 games) but can pass those teams during a busy final five weeks that features 21 games. No other NHL team plays more games down the stretch. Here’s some more playoff math. The Panthers need these records in order to match… … Columbus’ current 88-point pace: 11-10-0. … Carolina’s current 86-point pace: 10-11-0. … the standard 95-point playoff threshold: 14-6-1. Of Florida’s remaining schedule, 12 are at home and nine are on the road. 0. Number of Panthers shots during 3:23 of power play time, including 37 seconds of a 5-on-3. This was a sour point during Thursday’s game in which Florida squandered an opportunity to bury the Devils with a 5-on-3 goal. The power play has been a reason behind the Panthers’ resurgence since the All-Star break, and the unit entered Thursday as the best in the league since Jan. 30, converting on 31.1 percent of man-advantage opportunities. On Thursday, though, the Panthers struggled to even generate shot attempts. They only attempted four shots. None went on net. And Florida’s power play came up empty for the third time in the last five games. Under the radar quote of the game “I thought he was really good. I thought he was really good defensively. You’re playing against that Hall line and he’s the hottest player in the league right now. I believe they shut them down 5-on-5. It was him and Yands and Barky’s line, the whole five of them. I think he did a really good job tonight defensively,” Panthers coach Bob Boughner on Aaron Ekblad’s performance on Thursday night. On the surface, Ekblad’s night was a bad one. He had five giveaways and was responsible for New Jersey’s first goal, a Taylor Hall power-play tally that deflected off Ekblad’s stick and over Roberto Luongo’s shoulder in the second period. But the advanced stats point to a solid game for Ekblad against the MVP candidate Hall, who now has points in his last 23 games. At 5-on-5, Ekblad was on the ice for 11:07 against Hall, more minutes than any other Panther against any other Devil. When Ekblad was on the ice against Hall, the Panthers dominated play. They had 58.1 percent of shot attempts, 55 percent of shots on goal, 64.3 percent of scoring chances, and 60 percent of high-danger chances. Plus, Florida outscored New Jersey, 2-0. And Ekblad did this against Hall without a single offensive zone faceoff while both were on the ice. Save of the game 1101619 Florida Panthers beat Lehner to his right. It was Ekblad’s 13th goal of the season and 50th of his career.

Barkov, who scored two goals in a win over New Jersey on Thursday Panthers win again, push winning streak to season-high five games by night, potted another on Friday night. After splitting the Buffalo defense, beating Sabres Barkov fought off a check from Justin Falk and roofed a backhanded shot in the second period. Barkov’s 24th goal tied him with Trocheck for the team lead. Matthew DeFranks Colton Sceviour added an insurance goal halfway through the second period. For Buffalo, Sam Reinhart scored the only goal. The Florida Panthers postgame celebration after victories is equal parts Florida’s winning streak continues an unlikely resurgence. The Panthers elaborate and simple. In each of the Panthers’ 31 victories, including were the team that struggled to string together three wins in the first three Friday night’s 4-1 blowout win over the Buffalo Sabres, the team has months of the season. In the first 38 games of the season, Florida had followed a familiar script. one winning streak of longer than three games (a five-game stretch at the end of December). And during the most recent five-game winning streak, the routine has become commonplace. In the last 15 games, Florida has three separate winning streaks of at least three games. Winning has become normal for the Panthers, so “A spark has been lit here and we’re meshing well,” forward Nick much so that they’ve learned to optimize celebrations. Bjugstad said. “There’s no stopping here. Obviously, we still have a lot of games to play and we can’t rely on other teams to help us out. It’s got to “Losing, winning, you can’t get too high, too low,” Bjugstad said. “We’ve be us. It’s going to be a fun run here.” said that before. I think at the beginning of the year, we’d get almost too excited when we’d win. If we’d lose, it was just dead in here. You got to Vincent Trocheck is the team DJ, an honor he said former player Shawn find a happy medium.” Thornton bestowed upon him simply by asking him to play music. Lately, Trocheck has spun Matoma’s “Old Thing Back” as the victory anthem, Sun Sentinel LOADED: 03.03.2018 which fills the dressing room through a chorus of his teammates. (“Once you find a rhythm, you get used to listening to the same win song,” Bjugstad said.) They shout two words: “Yeah baby.” Keith Yandle often is louder than the rest of the Panthers, but he said the phrase’s origin traces its way back to Jonathan Huberdeau. There’s no meaning behind it, just something to yell after goals and wins and playoff pushes. “It just means that we’re all idiots,” Connor Brickley once said. The music and the cheers are the dressing to the rugby centerpiece. The team presents the player of the game with a New Zealand All Blacks jersey and a rugby ball — inspired by the book “Legacy,” which coach Bob Boughner installed as the team’s compass in the preseason. Different players have taken different strategies to the customary spike that follows the jersey presentation. Denis Malgin rolled on the dressing room floor, as if to score a try in rugby. Aleksander Barkov’s spikes skim off the floor. Some bounce of the floor, then the ceiling. Micheal Haley earned the honors on Friday night after teammates credited him for sparking the scoring with a fight in the first period. “Hales,” Bjugstad said. “Double-spike.” The scene has unfolded regularly in the last month. The five-game winning streak ties a season-long streak for the Panthers and gives them 12 wins in the 15 games since the All-Star break. The streak has pushed the Panthers from the edge of a playoff race to squarely in the thick of it. Florida entered Friday night three points behind Columbus for the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Panthers have played three fewer games than the Blue Jackets. “I think it’s all part of the attitude that we’ve had recently where instead of going into games hoping to win, we’ve been expecting to,” defenseman Mike Matheson said. “That’s a big difference in the culture of the team.” The win over Buffalo kept the Panthers perfect on their current six-game home stand, which concludes on Sunday afternoon against Philadelphia. This one was the only one that wasn’t a nail-biter. The first four games — wins over Washington, Pittsburgh, Toronto and New Jersey — each were decided in the last five minutes of the game. Two were won in the third period’s last two minutes. One dipped into overtime. Friday night allowed them to breathe after carrying a three-goal lead into the third period. “We played well enough to win,” Boughner said. “But it was one of those games, it was a bit of a grind for us.” Matheson opened the scoring 1:25 into the game by netting his ninth goal of the season, but just his first at home. After Jared McCann won a faceoff, Matheson drifted into the slot and whipped a wrist shot past Sabres goaltender Robin Lehner. Matheson wasn’t the only Panthers defenseman to score on Friday night, and he wasn’t the only one to do so immediately after a faceoff win. After Barkov won an offensive zone draw, Yandle fired a cross-ice pass to Aaron Ekblad. At the dot to Lehner’s left, Ekblad released a shot that 1101620 Los Angeles Kings Update: Chicago lost its seventh straight road game Thursday. Forward Matthew Highmore became the fifth player to make his NHL debut this season for the Blackhawks. Kings' Tanner Pearson finally sees his hard work pay dividends LA Times: LOADED: 03.03.2018

By CURTIS ZUPKE MAR 02, 2018 | 4:10 PM

The number has hung above Tanner Pearson's head in different ways. He scored 24 goals last season, a career high and the third straight season he increased his total for the Kings. It set the bar for his production and broached his potential as a 30-goal scorer like linemate Tyler Toffoli. But Pearson has found goals harder to come by this season despite a lot of hard work and unfortunate bounces that led to inevitable frustration. "For sure, when you have expectations for yourself and you don't exceed those, you just kind of try and stick with it and not let it bug you too much," Pearson said. "When you're in a slump, you kind of just try to get back to simple things like getting to the net. You know one, eventually, is going to probably going to go in. Just get it there." Pearson finally got tangible results Thursday for his strong play around the net with his first goal since the All-Star break, which ended a 15- game scoreless streak. That gave him 11 goals in 65 games, well off a 24-goal clip but not reflective of the work he's done as a 6-foot-1 traffic cone in front of opposing goalies. It cannot be measured in any statistic, but Pearson's obstructive presence has been noticeable the last few weeks, especially on the power play, where he's assumed the role previously occupied by Trevor Lewis. Pearson has combined with Dustin Brown as the most effective Kings players near the crease. "We look at net front as a real key to our hockey team," Kings coach John Stevens said. "It's a starting point for our offensive game. I think Tanner's one guy that's really embraced that role. I think he understands how important it is. I think Brownie's been a good mentor for him in that." It's easy to surmise that Pearson's dip in scoring is related to the absence of Jeff Carter for 55 games. But Pearson, who signed a four- year contract extension last May, has been bitten by near misses and some struck goal posts. He was previously centered by Adrian Kempe, who, like Carter, attracts attention with speed down center ice. "We created a lot of chances but we didn't really score as much as we wanted to," Kempe said. "I think you go back to playing hard and staying around the area in front of the net. You're going to score. Maybe he hasn't been scoring as many goals as he wanted, but he's been helping the team." Kings forward Tanner Pearson (70) has been a disrupting force against defensemen and goaltenders like the Golden Knights' Marc-Andre Fleury and Luca Sbisa (47). Pearson still has 17 games to up his goal total, plus Carter is back as his center. "In the National Hockey League, you can't expect to score 25 goals every year," Pearson said. "It's nice to [do that], but my game comes from work. When I can have a bit of urgency in my game, it benefits me. I've got to learn it that way." Lewis practicing Lewis practiced on a line Friday and took some contact as he works his way back from an upper-body injury. He is believed to be a week or two away but said there is no timetable yet. "We haven't really talked about that yet," Lewis said. "It's kind of go day- by-day and see how it reacts and go from there." Lewis was hit into the boards by Jared McCann of the Florida Panthers on Feb.9. General manager Rob Blake has said it is not a concussion. UP NEXT VS. CHICAGO When: 1 p.m., Saturday On the air: TV: FS West; Radio: 790 1101621 Los Angeles Kings After Saturday’s game, the Kings will not play again until they host Washington on Thursday night at 7:30 at Staples Center.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 03.03.2018 Anze Kopitar lifting Kings with top-of-his-game play

By ROBERT MORALES March 2, 2018 at 4:36 PM

EL SEGUNDO — When the going got tough, so did Anze Kopitar. Facing a crucial home-and-home series with high-flying Vegas this past Monday and Tuesday, the Kings knew that losses in both games would hurt their playoff chances. No problem. Kopitar scored the game-tying goal with 10.8 seconds to play in Monday’s 3-2 overtime victory at Staples Center. He also had two assists, including one on Dustin Brown’s game-winner. The next day, Kopitar had a goal and an assist in the Kings’ 4-1 victory in Las Vegas. The victories vaulted the Kings into third place in the Pacific Division, which is led by Vegas, and into a potential playoff spot as a third-place divisional finish guarantees a postseason berth. Coach John Stevens did more than applaud the play of his 12-year veteran. “I thought he was a dominant player,” Stevens said this week. “I think he really embraced the challenge of the people he was playing against. I think he knew how important the games were and that’s as good of leadership as I’ve seen from a player. “Kopi’s always been a good leader, but it just seemed like he wanted to make a difference.” Stevens went further in his praise. “He’s got a lot of confidence in his game right now,” said Stevens, whose team hosts the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Staples Center. “I think he feels good about his game and he’s really taken some ownership in leading our team game, so he’s played as well as we’ve ever seen him play.” That’s saying a lot. Kopitar, 30, has 27 goals and 43 assists. His team-leading 70 points are 11 shy of his career best of 81 in 2009-10 with 17 games left in the regular season. For his career, he has 282 goals and 524 assists. He appreciates Stevens’ words. “Well, it’s obviously very nice to hear that from your coach, to begin with,” he said following practice Friday. “I mean, I really feel good. I’ve been talking to this all along — I had a really good off-season and then I had a good start. “As much as we always harp about being confident and comfortable and playing with confidence, it goes a long way, for sure. When you have a good start, then you just kind of keep on rolling from there.” Kopitar did not bat an eye when asked if he might be in the prime of his career. “Yeah, very much so,” he said. It was all about the process. “It takes a few years once you first break in to really figure it out,” Kopitar said. “First off, the league. And then your preparation. It takes a little bit to figure out your routine and really your training — before the season, during the season — how to maintain it and all that stuff.” There is his character. He signed a big contract before the 2016-17 season, then had the lowest point total (52) of his career, save for the strike-shortened 2012-13 campaign when he had 42. He obviously did not let that deter him. “The bottom line, I’m just trying to help my team right now,” Kopitar said. “And whether that’s making a defensive play, winning a faceoff, it is what it is.” Ice chips The Kings (36-24-5, 77 points) were three points up on fourth-place Anaheim and four on fifth-place Calgary before Friday’s slate of games, which included Columbus at Anaheim and the Rangers at Calgary. … 1101622 Los Angeles Kings 3 year ELC starting in 2018-19 $925,000 cap hit MARCH 2 PRACTICE NOTES: LEWIS TALKS; THE SUBTLETIES OF + schedule 'A' bonuses as follows: PLAYING WITH PACE $500,000 in 2018-19

$850,000 in 2019-20 JON ROSENMARCH 2, 20180 $850,000 in 2020-21https://t.co/sMNaQc0crZ

— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) March 2, 2018 COMMUNITYCONTRACTS AND FINANCESINJURIES -Over the final 40 minutes of Los Angeles’ 5-2 win over Columbus on Insiders. A happy Friday to you. A reminder that tomorrow’s game is a Tuesday, the Kings out-shot the Blue Jackets 26-19 and were able to 1:00 p.m. start (FOX Sports West / FOX Sports GO / FUBO TV / KABC move pucks quickly up-ice in a strong all-around checking and puck- 790 / I Heart Radio) as the Chicago Blackhawks will make their lone moving performance. It represented the antithesis to a first period in Staples Center visit in 2017-18. HISTORY (not real history) is on the line, which John Stevens wasn’t a fan of the Kings’ quickness in either as the Kings haven’t swept the Blackhawks in any season series since direction. doing so in back-to-back seasons in 1997-98 and 1998-99, going 4-0-0 in both years. Los Angeles has lost at least one game in regulation to “Our pace, both directions, was off of what their pace was,” he said. “I Chicago for 17 straight years but won both games at the United Center didn’t talk to their coaches, but I’m willing to bet that’s one of the best earlier this season. The Kings have already guaranteed that they will win periods of hockey they’ve played this year, the first period. Their game the season series with the Blackhawks for the third consecutive year. was outstanding, and we were a step off, so when you’re a step late coming back, you’re a step late in being available for the puck going the -The Kings took the ice shortly before 11:00 a.m. and were color-coded other way. When somebody gets a puck, your feet are going the wrong thusly: way. Our pace in general had to improve, and we were gapped out and they were tight, and once we got our pace up, we got pucks up quicker, Gray: Iafallo-Kopitar-Brown we were in better position to support the puck going the other way. Blue: Pearson-Carter-Toffoli Teams that play fast play fast in both directions, not just offense. It’s not just going one way, it’s working back fast, checking-wise, to get a puck in Purple: Thompson-Kempe-Rieder-Andreoff position to support going fast the other way.” Yellow: Clifford-Amadio-Mitchell (Lewis) It’s part of a topic that LA Kings Insider has covered regularly over recent years, when the speed of the game began to pick up, and the Kings, who Notes! were capable of playing with a strong pace, weren’t quite as equipped with individual speed, and at times struggled to play quickly, especially at -Tomorrow’s game is an afternoon start, so the #LAKingsGoalieTweetOff times during the 2016-17 season. There’s a difference between pure applies. There were no surprises; Jonathan Quick left the ice first and will speed and quick decision-making, and on Friday Stevens discussed the be expected to start in net against the Blackhawks. Don’t be surprised if players on the current Kings team who have added to the team speed L.A. goes with the same lineup used against Columbus Thursday night. while also making quick reads on the fly, and how that has accentuated -Trevor Lewis (upper-body) got into some one-on-one net-front battle the team’s checking, pursuit and ability to advance the puck up-ice. drills, but was going at partial speed and the opposition he faced wasn’t “We use the term when you’re predictable to yourselves, you’re a lot going full-bore against him. “I got a little bit [of contact] there today, but faster, when we all are knowing and expecting what the other player’s obviously with a game tomorrow, it’s hard to do too much contact,” he doing and we have a belief and conviction that that’s the way we need to said. “I think with these days coming up, it’ll definitely help me a lot.” play. You can certainly play that way as a group,” Stevens said. “I think He’s feeling better each day, and for the first time was grouped as part of our team speed’s improved this year with just guys that can skate. If you an actual line, but there’s still no real timeline on his return or any sense look at Rieder now and Kempe and Iafallo, and I think our defense has of who he’ll skate with once that return is imminent. got good mobility, but even if you look at a guy like Christian Folin, he’s always looking to make a play going forward. He’s not your fastest player “Honestly, I’d have to talk to the trainers. We haven’t really talked about – although he moves well for a big guy – but he plays fast because his that yet, so just kind of go day-by-day and see how it reacts, and go from first thought is to get a puck up to speed, so I think just getting everybody there.” on the same page and just being predictable to each other allows you to play that way, and I think a guy that’s got good hockey sense can play “It just takes time. No one wants to catch up, especially in a playoff fast just because he anticipates where the puck’s going. We’ve got lots of battle.” those guys. Just talked about Lewie. Kopi, Kempe, those guys all think -On Thursday I asked Derek Forbort about his eight blocks in the Vegas the game. Iafallo – you can go down the line. Drew Doughty. Drew is a game and whether he came out of the 4-1 win particularly sore. He was unique guy because Drew has the ability to slow the game down when completely fine, and then the conversation actually steered towards his he has to, but also speed it up. I think because of guys like Drew, he has equipment and how he most effectively shields himself from the potential the ability to control the game, but I think as a group we want to certainly of blunt force injuries as a defenseman who has a tendency to get in the want to be a team that increases our team speed but plays a lot faster by way of shots. As it turns out, Forbort actually wears extra padding under doing things quicker.” his shinpads and his socks. It’s a double liner that runs up to his thigh There was a good demonstration as the game progressed Friday night. that minimizes the shock of wayward pucks and sticks, and he’s worn it throughout his time in the NHL. -Chicago is coming off a 7-2 drubbing in San Jose Thursday night, so Los Angeles will be facing a team Saturday afternoon looking to make -Tip-A-King returns after tomorrow’s game, and it’s not too late to amends. It should also catch the Kings’ attention that the Blackhawks’ 61 purchase tickets to the Kings Care Foundation’s largest annual first period goals are tied for the fifth most in the league. fundraising event. One special booth that will return this year: the doggie petting zoo! While Gustl Kopitar joined Tip-A-King last year, two of Jake But though the Blackhawks will miss the playoffs for the first time in 10 and Courtney Muzzin’s three dogs will be at this year’s event. Lulu, a years, they’re still a dangerous team that possesses the puck Shiba mix, and Lily, a Chow Chow mix, both of whom are rescue dogs, disproportionately and ranks third in the league with a 53.5% raw Corsi- will be hanging out, though Darryl, a St. Bernard, will be back at home. for percentage. They also rank third, according to Natural Stat Trick, by Keep all these good doggies in mind for next Saturday’s Stick Up for claiming 53.6% of all scoring chances, though they rank 20th with 48.3% Animals Night. More information on that night will be shared over the of all “high-danger” scoring chances, which seems to suggest they’ve coming week. been able to create a higher percentage of B-type chances this season. With Corey Crawford out since the Christmas break, the inconsistent -Quite a few teams signed players to entry-level contracts Thursday as goaltending hasn’t exactly favored the Hawks, who are 10-16-3 since March 1 represented the start of open season for teams to sign players Crawford’s last game. on their reserve list to ELCs that start the following season. Courtesy of Cap Friendly, the details of Gabe Vilardi’s contract structure are below: “They serve as big of a challenge as any other team we play because they attack well, they’ve got guys that can make plays, they lead the better late than never… league in zone entries, so you’ve really got to do a good job on the rush, Gabriel Vilardi #LAKings and they’ve got some dangerous players that can hurt you,” Stevens said as part of an answer to a question that suggested that teams in 2017 1st RD pick (11th overall) Chicago’s position can be particularly dangerous. “And, I think the fact that I think young guys might be excited for an opportunity to play in these situations makes them dangerous.” In addition to Crawford, defenseman Jan Rutta (lower-body) is also out. Former King farmhand and 2015 Calder Cup champion J-F Berube allowed six goals on 28 shots through two periods last night in San Jose, so there’s a good chance Los Angeles will see Anton Forsberg for the third time this season. Blackhawks today: Saad-Toews-Kane Jurco-Anisimov-Duclair DeBrincat-Schmaltz-Hinostroza Sharp-Kampf-Highmore Keith-Murphy Gustafsson-Seabrook Dahlstrom-Oesterle — Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) March 2, 2018 LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101623 Los Angeles Kings I think every team we play is dangerous, for different reasons. I think they still have a lot of great players there and they have a lot of pride, and I think they’re really well coached. We have to be ready. They’re coming STEVENS ON PEARSON’S NET-FRONT PRESENCE, LEWIS, off a game in San Jose where things didn’t go very well, so if anything, PHANEUF-MARTINEZ, BLACKHAWKS that’ll make them more ready. They’ve got a lot of pride there. They’re going to want to bounce back on this trip and get things righted. You’ve always got Toews, who plays a really heavy game, and then you’ve got Kane, who’s just a dynamic offensive guy, and then you’ve got some JON ROSENMARCH 2, 2018 young players that are excited about an opportunity and maybe get a little more responsibility and prove themselves. They serve as big of a

challenge as any other team we play because they attack well, they’ve PRACTICE QUOTES got guys that can make plays, they lead the league in zone entries, so you’ve really got to do a good job on the rush, and they’ve got some On whether Tanner Pearson’s net-front ability can be measured by any dangerous players that can hurt you. And, I think the fact that I think statistic: young guys might be excited for an opportunity to play in these situations makes them dangerous. I don’t know if there’s a specific analytic that tells you that. They do track inner-slot shots, but we look at net-front as a real key to our hockey LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 03.03.2018 team, and it’s a starting point for our offensive game. I think Tanner’s one guy that’s really embraced that role. I think he understands how important it is. I think Brownie’s been a good mentor for him in that. Trevor Lewis is a guy we put at net-front on the power play, just because he was really good there and we knew he’d retrieve a lot of pucks, but Tanner really has put a big value in that part of the game. I think he’s a straight line player that knows if he ends up at the net, more is going to happen around the net, and I think he’s worked hard in getting better. Billy Ranford does a good job. He looks at the goalies and tracks the goalies, and he tells the guys about the goalie and net-front, so for instance, some goalies are big and look over top, so if you’re too tight, it makes it easy, and if you come off him a little bit, it’s harder to see. Other guys look underneath, so you can’t be tight to ‘em. Those are all things we try and pay attention to, and the guys really care. Like, I know Brownie wants to know ‘how can I be most effective at net-front?’ So, there’s a lot of detail when you tell guys to go to the net. Well, he can go to the net, but there’s a lot of skill and detail involved with going to the net and doing a good job at the net, and I think Tanner’s really done a good job with it. [Reporter: he set the bar high, obviously, when he had that many goals. At any point this year, did you sense any frustration for him when he wasn’t keeping up that pace?] Tanner? Oh, sure. I think the challenge for an offensive player – I think Tanner’s a good 200-foot player, but I think he prides himself in providing offense for our hockey team – is the challenge is sometimes when you don’t score, you get frustrated, and when you get frustrated, you don’t work. That’s what you can’t do. Tanner’s a guy that has a game that can help us win even when he doesn’t score because he checks and he does a lot of things well. He kills penalties. He’s at the net and doesn’t get a point, but the puck goes in the net because he’s at the net. I think we as coaches make sure he knows that, and I think he understands the value and the little things he does that don’t always end up showing up in the stat sheet. On what makes Trevor Lewis a valuable part of the Kings: How much time you got? I’ve been fortunate to have played and coached a lot of really good teams, both in the American League, and obviously I’ve been a part of good teams here. You always have those glue guys on your team. Lewie’s one of those guys, he’s just zero maintenance. You start talking to him about something, and he already knows where you’re going. He understands the game, he really values all the little things in a game. He just does everything right all the time. If you’re teaching your team game and the details of your team game, you can always teach it through Lewie because he just seems to do everything right. He’s really competitive. He always does the right thing for the team, and he’s got a skill level and a toughness to him that teams [inaudible] guys like Trevor Lewis. He’s a guy that can play on your fourth line and he could be your best player, and if you play him on your first player, he can be your best player, and you can play him pretty much at every position and he’ll make a difference. It was just one of those detail guys that really takes great pride in the small things in the game that make a difference. On whether the Alec Martinez- pairing has shown growth: Yeah, we like the ingredients of the pair. Both veteran guys that communicate well. The one thing we tried to figure out is we can move them both back-and-forth, left-and-right. Dion’s played a ton of right, and Marty’s played a lot of right, and sometimes it goes back-and-forth, but Dion started on the left, and Marty’s been on the left as of late. We like the pair because they both defend well. They both have the ability move pucks, Marty maybe more with his feet. But Dion’s always looking to move a puck quickly, so I just think they have different ingredients that complement each other well, and they communicate really well, which I think really helps the pair, and it’s been a good fit for us. On whether the Blackhawks are dangerous as a team with “nothing to lose”: 1101624 Los Angeles Kings

WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: MARCH 2

JON ROSENMARCH 2, 2018

GAME STORY For the first 20 minutes of Thursday’s 5-2 win, there wasn’t much data to dispel the (mostly anecdotal) observation that the Kings traditionally fare poorly against back-up goaltenders, nor the (much more valid) observation that the team has struggled at home and in first periods. It took the Kings 20 minutes to start skating, but there are two teams on the ice, and the Blue Jackets, in their first game of an important road trip, following consecutive wins over Chicago and Washington, and with the importance of their remaining 19 games coming clearly into focus, had some expected and heavy jump right off the hop. This resulted in an early goal in which they outworked the Kings early and forced the team into poor puck management in several situations, followed by a mid- period goal in which Seth Jones was using FasTrak while the Kings countered from the exit lane of the 110 freeway during mid-week rush hour. Juan Ocampo/NHLI Columbus’ lead was erased over a 5:11 second period span that kickstarted Los Angeles’ romp. The period started inauspiciously with Pierre-Luc Dubois using some impressive speed to gain a step on Alex Iafallo and draw a penalty while forcing Jonathan Quick into a difficult two-on-one save that emerged as a major turning point in the win. Los Angeles allowed hardly a sniff at the net during the ensuing power play, and 22 seconds after its conclusion, Christian Folin started the wheels in motion for the first of three goals scored as the result of responsible checking and quick counters to set up offense. All were impressive in their own right, but the play that seemed to be most representative of the win was Anze Kopitar snatching the puck from Nick Foligno on a botched exchange and Folin putting the puck towards the net just as Iafallo buzzed through the low slot. It wasn’t off a rush, but the counter still seemed to be quasi-representative of the way the Vegas Golden Knights have been able to generate much of their offense this year: become hellbent on getting the puck back, get it to a dangerous area, raise your sticks in the air. The Kings were playing fast, generating the lion’s share of the scoring opportunities, and were clearly the better team in all game situations after confidently killing off the early second period power play. Juan Ocampo/NHLI There are certain observations that are essentially saying “you need air to breathe,” but the Kings need to improve out of the gate after falling to a league-worst -22 goal differential in first periods. (A good time to nip this in the bud will come tomorrow against Chicago, the first of three consecutive Saturday matinee home starts.) They’re quite good at battling from behind, having won their league-leading 18th best game when yielding the first goal. That’s on the backs of an impressive and league-best +36 third period goal differential that on Thursday helped push the Kings to a lukewarm but improving 16-11-3 at Staples Center this year. Though Anaheim benefits the most among playoff-hopeful Pacific Division teams in terms of facing teams coming off short rest – the Ducks have six remaining games against teams on the second night of back-to-back sets – keep in mind Los Angeles will face minimally-rested teams (Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota and Dallas) in four of last five games of the season. This is perhaps a moot point, because many of the “tired” teams the Ducks will face are simply making the drive down The 5, and not crossing borders or changing time zones, and tonight, they’ll face Columbus’ top starter instead of a back-up. But it’s still an interesting wrinkle that will factor into jockeying for playoff life when only six points separate the second place team in the division from the 11th place team in the conference. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101625 Minnesota Wild

Wild aims to split back-to-back vs. Avalanche

By Sarah McLellan MARCH 2, 2018 — 12:34PM

Coming from behind wasn’t an issue for the Wild in recent games, when it found a groove to win five in a row. The team’s rhythm hit a snag Thursday, as it blew an early lead and failed to rally en route to a 5-3 loss to the Coyotes at Gila River Arena, but it’ll have a chance to rebound Friday as it closes out this brief two- game road trip in Colorado against the Avalanche. “Try and get a win [Friday] and finish the trip .500,” winger Zach Parise said. “But it’s disappointing that we didn’t win [Thursday].” The Wild did not skate Friday morning in Denver; coach Bruce Boudreau will address the media at 6 p.m. Central time. It wouldn’t be surprising if he mixed up the forward lines after the team’s win streak ended. Perhaps, then, forward Luke Kunin plays his first game since the team recalled him from the American Hockey League Tuesday. In 36 games with Iowa, Kunin had 19 points (10 goals). During his previous look with the Wild this season, he chipped in two goals and recorded four points in 17 games. “I told him I just wanted him to play like the last time he was here,” Boudreau said earlier this week, “and if he does that, just the experience he’s gained 40 games since is probably going to be good enough.” Projected lineup: Zach Parise-Mikko Koivu-Charlie Coyle Jason Zucker-Eric Staal-Mikael Granlund Nino Niederreiter-Joel Eriksson Ek-Daniel Winnik Tyler Ennis-Matt Cullen-Luke Kunin Ryan Suter-Jared Spurgeon Jonas Brodin-Matt Dumba Nick Seeler-Nate Prosser Devan Dubnyk Key numbers: 12-4-1: The Wild’s record against the Avalanche in the last 17 matchups. 51: Goals for the Wild in those games compared to 31 to Colorado. .931: Save percentage for goalie Devan Dubnyk in 28 career starts against the Avalanche. 4: Points for center Matt Cullen in the past six games. 22-8-1: Colorado’s record on home ice. About the Avalanche: Colorado is only a point out of the second wild-card position in the West after going 5-4-1 in its last 10 games. The team is in the midst of a four- game homestand and has won the first two contests – outscoring the opposition 8-3. Center Nathan MacKinnon continues to pace the Avalanche offensively; he has 29 goals, 42 assists and 71 points. The Avalanche is 1-0-1 against the Wild this season. Captain Gabriel Landeskog has recorded 22 points in 31 career meetings with the Wild. Star Tribune LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101626 Minnesota Wild

Wild can't slow down speedy Avalanche in 7-1 shellacking

By Sarah McLellan MARCH 2, 2018 — 11:57PM

The Wild has been able to keep up with some of the juggernauts in the conference, prying points away from the likes of the Golden Knights, Predators and Sharks. But the challenge presented by a speedy team like the Avalanche is one that has befuddled the Wild, as it did Friday in a 7-1 shellacking at Pepsi Center that wrapped its brief two-game road trip at 0-2. “It’s usually on the road,” coach Bruce Boudreau said. “We have no choice but to correct it or we won’t be playing much longer.” Boudreau did point out that the team had success against a quick group in the Devils last week, and there have been other similar outcomes – against Vegas, Toronto and Tampa Bay. This is two straight lopsided defeats against the Avalanche, though, and in both cases the Wild couldn’t corral Colorado’s talented forwards and the defensemen who supported the rush. Perhaps being the visitor while the home team feeds off the energy of the crowd is part of the problem, but Boudreau doesn’t believe it’s a matter of the team not having last change on the road. So the search for answers continues, especially since the Avalanche won’t be the last fast group the Wild encounters the rest of the way. “A lot of times we get the matchups we want, especially on defense against their forward lines,” Boudreau said. “Whatever it is, we gotta figure it out.” Here’s what else to watch for after the Wild’s loss to the Avalanche. In its last four periods, the Wild has surrendered an eye-popping 11 goals – a number that hasn’t gone unnoticed by Boudreau. “That’s not something you want to do,” he said. This was an unsuccessful road trip for the Wild, as it went pointless in consecutive games for the first time since the final two games before the holiday break. On the heels of a five-game win streak, the setback seems to sting even more. “It’s disappointing,” center Eric Staal said. “We come on the road, and you want to keep building momentum.” The result is certainly unflattering for the Wild’s goaltending duo of Devan Dubnyk and Alex Stalock, but the Avalanche had plenty of time and space to operate with in the offensive zone – capitalizing on breakdowns that happened before the puck even reached the net. “I feel for Duby and Al,” defenseman Matt Dumba said. “We didn’t give them any support. … That’s a tough spot for us to put them in.” This isn’t the last time the Wild will face the Avalanche; Colorado visits Minnesota March 13 for the series finale. “Great players are going to make plays,” Dubnyk said. “But you got a guy like [Nathan] MacKinnon that skates and handles the puck like he does, the best way to defend him is to not give him that. There’s going to be times that he creates because he’s that good. But if it’s over and over and over again, it’s probably not going to be a positive result for us.” Star Tribune LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101627 Minnesota Wild

Luke Kunin returns from AHL to supply spark for Wild

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune MARCH 3, 2018 — 1:00AM

DENVER – He’d been away from the group for months, continuing his first professional season in the minors, but forward Luke Kunin felt an opportunity to rejoin the Wild might emerge. The team had made subtle tweaks at the trade deadline and with roster flexibility created from those decisions, there was room to usher in change from the pipeline — and Kunin was the first fresh yet familiar face tabbed to boost the Wild after he was recalled from the American Hockey League on Tuesday. “It’s a really good group up here,” he said. “I don’t think they need to move a lot of pieces for them to win hockey games. It worked out for me. I’m looking forward to playing and helping them win hockey games.” Kunin made his first appearance since his addition Friday against the Avalanche; it was also his first assignment with the Wild since a 17-game stint in October and November when he chipped in two goals and two assists. He was sent back to Iowa, where he started the season, to rebuild his confidence and log heavy minutes to enhance his development. “I think I got more comfortable as those games went on and toward the end, I was feeling really good about my game,” Kunin said. “So going back down there, I had more touches with the puck and some power play and things like that. I got some more confidence. I feel good about my game now. I’ve been working on a lot of wall play and being strong down low. I’m hoping it translates here.” In Iowa, Kunin scored 10 goals and amassed 19 points in 36 games — less production than he had last season in his final campaign at University of Wisconsin when he posted 22 goals and 38 points in 35 games. But the transition to the pro game has gone as anticipated in the 20-year- old’s eyes. “The [AHL] is not an easy league to produce [in] and score,” he said. “A lot of the goals and points are going to be on power plays and situations like that. I feel the last little bit down there, I like where my game is headed, and I feel confident and I feel like I can score. I think it is what I expected. You always want to say you can do better and you can be better. I’m happy with my game.” Coach Bruce Boudreau inserted Kunin on a line with winger Nino Niederreiter and center Joel Eriksson Ek against the Avalanche, and the hope is he helps the team by being the reliable sparkplug he showed flashes of earlier in the season. “He’s got speed, but he always plays a fairly physical game and he’s pretty responsible,” Boudreau said. “He does all those things, we’ll be very happy.” Shuffle time Aside from subbing Kunin into the lineup for winger Tyler Ennis, the Wild also made a change on defense with Gustav Olofsson playing against the Avalanche and Nate Prosser sitting — his first absence since missing the game on the day he was claimed off waivers by the Wild on Nov. 30. Forward Charlie Coyle suited up after taking a puck off the face late in the 5-3 loss to the Coyotes. “It was bleeding pretty good [Thursday] night when he got hit,” Boudreau said. Falling short The loss to the Coyotes was the first in regulation this season after the Wild held a lead after the first period, dropping it to 20-1-2 in that scenario. “We just play better with a lead,” Boudreau said. “We got a lot more confidence. … [But] we went out and got the lead and lost. You don’t want to dwell on [Thursday] too much, but it was frustrating. We outchanced them after the second period 13-1, and it was a 1-1 tie. They only had to play 20 minutes of good hockey, and we ended up having to play 60 and we only played 40.” Star Tribune LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101628 Minnesota Wild

Wild-Colorado game recap

MARCH 2, 2018 — 11:42PM SARAH MCLELLAN

GAME RECAP STAR TRIBUNE’S THREE STARS 1. Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche: The center amassed five points, including two goals. 2. Mikko Rantanen, Avalanche: MacKinnon’s linemate recorded four points. 3. Tyson Barrie, Avalanche: The defenseman tallied a goal and an assist. BY THE NUMBERS 4 Goals for the Avalanche in 6 minutes, 46 seconds. 10 Points for the Gabriel Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen line. 14 Goals surrendered by the Wild in its past two meetings with the Avalanche. Star Tribune LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101629 Minnesota Wild

Lopsided loss to Avalanche puts dent in Wild's recent progress

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune MARCH 3, 2018 — 1:00AM

DENVER – Wild coach Bruce Boudreau called a timeout, and players huddled around the bench to hear his message. “Let’s not get down,” Boudreau said in his pep talk. “If you’re going to get down and think negative thoughts and not be positive about your abilities, then you’re going to lose before you start.” But this break to refocus didn’t help spur the Wild. Instead, it only got worse. Amid a dynamic effort from its top line, the Avalanche toppled the Wild 7- 1 Friday in front of 17,325 at Pepsi Center to seal a pointless two-game trek for the visitors and put a dent in the progress recently accomplished with a season-best five-game win streak. Sarah McLellan recaps the 7-1 loss to the Avalanche in her Wild wrap- up. This was the first time since Dec. 22-23 the Wild came up empty-handed in consecutive games. “It’s pretty disappointing,” defenseman Matt Dumba said. “[Friday] it was embarrassing.” Center and Hart Trophy candidate Nathan MacKinnon scored twice and racked up five points, and each of his linemates — captain Gabriel Landeskog and winger Mikko Rantanen — chipped in a goal. Overall, the unit combined for 10 points, as the Wild struggled to tame the Avalanche’s speed and aggressiveness with the puck. “We just weren’t able to contain them,” defenseman Ryan Suter said. “They were coming at us with four or five guys every rush.” Landeskog started the onslaught 9 minutes, 42 seconds into the first with a deflection while his back was to the net. Only 2:26 later, MacKinnon roofed a shot on the power play after the Wild failed to clear the zone earlier in the sequence. That’s when Boudreau paused the action, talking to his group before sending it back out to play. And although the team was able to prevent the Avalanche from growing its lead the rest of the period, it imploded in the second. Defenseman Tyson Barrie started the parade of offense when he sneaked into the slot to wire a shot by goalie Devan Dubnyk at 5:54. “I thought that third goal was the difference,” Suter said. MacKinnon, who helped set up Barrie’s tally, scored five-hole at 8:08. The Wild challenged the play to determine if it was offside, and it looked like the team had a case with Rantanen trying to clear the zone to tag up before the puck re-entered. But video review determined the goal was legit, and the Wild was dinged with a penalty for delay of game. Colorado didn’t convert on the ensuing advantage — the team finished 1-for-3, while the Wild blanked on its three chances — but it tacked on a fourth only 2:31 after MacKinnon’s goal. After spinning along the wall, center Carl Soderberg unleashed a backhand on net, and it slipped between the post and Dubnyk’s right leg. That was it for Dubnyk, who was also pulled in a 7-2 loss to the Avalanche in Colorado on Jan. 6. “It was a little déjà vu, for sure,” said Dubnyk, who exited with 12 saves. Backup Alex Stalock stopped seven in mop-up duty. Stalock gave up the Avalanche’s sixth at 12:40 when Rantanen buried a rebound to cap off four Colorado goals in 6:46. Before the period mercifully ended for the Wild, captain Mikko Koivu sabotaged goalie Semyon Varlamov’s shutout bid with 2:53 to go on his third goal in as many games. Varlamov made 31 saves. The Avalanche issued its reply 7:46 into the third on a one-timer from winger Matt Nieto. “I didn’t think we had the jump to get back in there,” Boudreau said. Star Tribune LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101630 Minnesota Wild season. Timmins was the Avalanche's second-round draft pick last June. ... Wild C Charlie Coyle turned 26 on Friday.

UP NEXT MacKinnon has 5 points in Avs' 7-1 rout of Wild Wild: Host Detroit on Sunday.

Avalanche: Host Nashville on Sunday. By MICHAEL KELLY Associated Press MARCH 3, 2018 — 12:15AM Star Tribune LOADED: 03.03.2018

DENVER — It seems nothing can stop Nathan MacKinnon during what's been a career year. Not a shoulder injury that cost him eight games, and certainly not the Minnesota Wild. MacKinnon had two goals and three assists, Mikko Rantanen had a goal and three assists and the Avalanche beat Minnesota 7-1 on Friday night. The five points tied a career high for MacKinnon, who also set personal bests in goals (31) and assists (45) for the season. He reached the 30- goal mark for the first time in his five-year career. MacKinnon has seven goals and eight assists in seven games since returning from a shoulder injury Feb. 18. He was second in the NHL in scoring when he went down Jan. 30, and Friday's five-point night moved him into fourth overall. "I don't know what he did when he was gone but he clearly was doing something right because he's come back in real good shape and he picked up where he left off," linemate Gabriel Landeskog said. MacKinnon's other five-point game was Nov. 16 against Washington. "I wish I didn't miss those eight games, but I definitely do feel good," MacKinnon said. "Hopefully if we can make the playoffs, it'll be a blessing. If we don't, it won't be. If we squeak in, I'll be a little fresher than some of the other guys." Tyson Barrie had a goal and an assist, and Landeskog, Carl Soderberg and Matt Nieto also scored to help Colorado gain ground in the Western Conference playoff race with its 13th win in 14 home games. The Avalanche jumped over idle St. Louis and stayed a point behind Anaheim for the second wild card with 75 points. The Ducks beat Columbus 4-2 on Friday. "We're not just trying to chase the last wild card, we're trying to be a team in the division and solidify a guaranteed spot — in the top three," MacKinnon said. MacKinnon is trying to lead his team to the playoffs for the first time since 2014, when the Wild upset the No. 2-seeded Avalanche in seven games. He is giving the Wild some payback with eight points in the last two games. Colorado has scored seven goals in both home games against Minnesota. Mikko Koivu scored for the Wild, who have lost two straight after winning five in a row to move into third in the Central Division. Minnesota has a four-point lead on Colorado and has played one more game than the Avalanche. "Now when you lose one or two in a row teams are gaining on you all over the place," Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau said. Devan Dubnyk allowed five goals on 17 shots before being replaced by Alex Stalock after Soderberg's goal. Stalock had seven saves for the Wild, who have allowed seven goals in both games in Colorado this season. Landeskog and MacKinnon scored 2:26 apart midway through the first period to give Colorado a 2-0 lead, and then the Avalanche put it away in the second. After Barrie made it 3-0, MacKinnon, Soderberg and Rantanen each scored in a span of 4:32 to make it 6-0. Soderberg's tally, which went off Eric Staal's skate, chased Dubnyk. "I'd like to get the fourth one," Dubnyk said. "I don't know what happened on the fifth one." Koivu spoiled Semyon Varlamov's shutout bid with his 12th goal at 17:07 of the second period. Varlamov finished with 31 saves. NOTES: Colorado C Colin Wilson suffered an upper-body injury in the second period and did not return. ... Avalanche D Anton Lindholm returned after missing five games with an elbow injury. ... Minnesota is 4- 6-1 in the second night of back-to-back games. ... Colorado announced it had signed D Connor Timmins to an entry-level contract that begins next 1101631 Minnesota Wild Charlie Coyle took a puck directly to the mouth on Thursday night against the Arizona Coyotes. He started bleeding profusely and immediately went down the tunnel in the waning seconds of the game. Who’s next in Wild youth movement with top prospect Luke Kunin back Charlie Coyle took a friendly fire shot to the face and it was not pretty up? pic.twitter.com/rtfBqcgaeX — CJ Fogler (@cjzero) March 2, 2018 By DANE MIZUTANI | PUBLISHED: March 2, 2018 at 7:15 pm | Coyle, 26, was seen before Friday’s game with a fat lip that featured too UPDATED: March 2, 2018 at 7:33 PM many stitches to count. That said, he was adamant that he wouldn’t miss the game. DENVER — Luke Kunin, perhaps the top prospect in the entire Wild “It was bleeding pretty good last night,” Boudreau said, confirming that organization, was called up from the minors this week. He watched two Coyle would indeed play on Friday night. games from the press box and was slated to return to the lineup on Pioneer Press LOADED: 03.03.2018 Friday night against the rival Colorado Avalanche. “I just hope he plays like he played when he was last up here,” coach Bruce Boudreau said. “He’s got speed and plays a fairly physical game and is pretty responsible. If he does all of those things, we’ll be very happy.” Kunin, 20, is the latest youngster to make it to the NHL stage with Joel Eriksson Ek, 21, already up for most of the season. Both players represent a glimpse into the future. While the Wild are very clearly built to win now, they also have a healthy farm system, ripe with up-and-comers that could make an impact down the road. That was on display at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, with Jordan Greenway (U.S.) and Kirill Kaprizov (Russia) both introducing themselves to the world on the international stage. “They played well,” general manager Chuck Fletcher said of the two prospects. “That’s a tough assignment. I know the NHL players weren’t over there. You’re still talking about veteran players from all over the world. These are guys that play in the top professional leagues in Europe for the most part. They are mature players with several years of experience under their belt.” Greenway, 21, stood out as a 6-foot-6, 230-pound power forward that could conceivably make an immediate impact if the Wild are able to sign him when his collegiate season at Boston University ends. “I thought he handled himself very well,” Fletcher said. “He’s a guy that certainly has skill. Obviously he has a lot of size, and what’s mature about his game is his understanding of the positional side of the game. … I think Greenway just has a sort of a natural ability to play the game at such a young age. I thought that showed very well in the Olympics.” As for Kaprizov, 20, he shined in Korea, scoring five goals, including the game-winner in the gold medal game. He’s someone that has the chops to be a legitimate superstar once he reaches the NHL. Only problem is he’s still under contract with CSKA Moskva of the KHL and can’t come over until the 2020-21 season at the earliest. “He’s a special player,” Fletcher said. “I don’t want to hype this thing too high. He does things that not many players can do. And getting to know him the little bit that I have and watching him play, his compete level is tremendous. His understanding of the game is tremendous. … He’s a student of the game and those type of players that have the passion. With the skill set obviously there’s tremendous upside.” SEELER STILL SHINING Nick Seeler was slated to play in his 10th straight game on Friday night, meaning the blue liner still hasn’t missed a game since being called up from the minors more than two weeks ago. “It’s nice to know they have confidence in me,” Seeler said. “That said, I know nothing is guaranteed for me. I’m just going to keep trying to build their trust and work every day to get better and learn as much as I can. It’s been a really great experience so far.” Seeler, 24, admitted that his experience at the NHL has already been more than he ever could’ve expected. “It’s hard to know what to expect coming up for the first time,” Seeler said. “I came up hoping to stick to my game and play my game, and I think I’ve done that so far. I just need to keep building and keep earning their trust.” With Seeler getting the nod, and Gustav Olofsson getting back into the lineup, Nate Prosser was scheduled to be a healthy scratch for the first time since being claimed off of waivers by the Wild on Nov. 30, meaning his iron man streak dies at 39 games. COYLE TOUGHS IT OUT 1101632 Minnesota Wild “It’s frustrating,” Dubnyk added. “Nobody feels good about a game like this. It happens sometimes. We just have to get back to the way we’ve been playing for a long period of time.” Wild taken to school in ’embarrassing’ 7-1 loss to rival Avalanche Pioneer Press LOADED: 03.03.2018

By DANE MIZUTANI | PUBLISHED: March 2, 2018 at 10:39 pm | UPDATED: March 2, 2018 at 11:46 PM

DENVER — Just a few days ago, the Wild boarded a team charter winners of five straight games, their confidence soaring through the roof as they continued to tighten their grip on third place in the Central Division. That might as well have been a lifetime ago, as the Wild will return to the Twin Cities with their tail between their legs following a two-game road trip that couldn’t have gone worse. Instead of continuing to build on some positive momentum with the team thriving for the better part of two months, the Wild started things off with a ho-hum 5-3 loss to the last-place Arizona Coyotes on Thursday night and made things much worse with a dreadful 7-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night. “It was embarrassing,” Matt Dumba said. “This was a brutal game. … We know we played like (expletive) tonight.” As bad as the loss to the Coyotes was on paper, the Wild could at least take some solace in the fact that they were the better team for much of the 60 minutes of play. That definitely could not be said about the loss to the Avalanche, as the Wild played like absolute garbage in front of Devan Dubnyk, who was pulled for the second time in as many games at Pepsi Center. “It was a little deja vu for sure,” said Dubnyk, who was left hung out to dry in last month’s 7-2 loss to the Avalanche. “I don’t know why it happened that way.” Before this game, coach Bruce Boudreau described last month’s game against the Avalanche as “probably” the worst game of the season. Little did he know his team was about to do him one better, as the Wild looked discombobulated from the onset. No one on the Wild had any answer for superstar center Nathan MacKinnon, who constantly skated circles around would-be defenders on his way to two goals and three assists. His linemate, winger Mikko Rantanen, was almost equally as good with one goal and three assists in the matchup. After a deceiving back-and-forth start to the game, the Wild surrendered two goals midway through the first period when winger Gabriel Landeskog deflected home a shot from the point and MacKinnon delivered a top-shelf snipe from the left circle. The wheels fell off in the second period as defenseman Tyson Barrie got the ball rolling with a wrist shot from the high slot before MacKinnon spun home his second goal of the game to open the floodgates. “Once they got the third goal it was like, ‘Uh oh. Here we go again,’ ” Boudreau said. “I didn’t think we had the jump to get back in there (after that).” Not long after that, center Carl Soderberg added insult to injury, making sure Dubnyk didn’t finish the game with a twisting backhander that trickled past the goal line. “I feel for Duby,” Dumba said. “We didn’t give him any support tonight, which really sucks. He’s just in there battling for us, and we’re giving up clean looks. … That’s a tough spot for us to put him in.” Nothing changed when backup Alex Stalock came into the game, as the Wild allowed the Avalanche to tack on a couple more goals before the final seconds mercifully ticked away. “That’s not us,” Dumba said. “We aren’t going to sugarcoat anything. At the same time, the negativity won’t help us either. We have to get back going in the right direction.” Perhaps the Wild can return home feeling good that they still sit in third place in the Central Division despite the two-game debacle. That said, they won’t be able to say that for long if they don’t turn things around quickly with only a month left in the season. “It’s not that we want to let ourselves off the hook,” Dubnyk said. “You know, I always say that at the end of the day it’s no different than losing 1-0, standings-wise.” 1101633 Montreal Canadiens

Alex Galchenyuk’s hat trick leads Canadiens past Islanders

DENIS P. GORMAN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PUBLISHED MARCH 2, 2018 UPDATED MARCH 2, 2018

Alex Galchenyuk completed his hat trick shortly after Paul Byron and Noah Juulsen scored 1:43 apart in the third period, lifting the Montreal Canadiens over the New York Islanders 6-3 on Friday night. Galchenyuk scored his third goal into an empty net with 49 seconds left and also had an assist. Brendan Gallagher also scored for Montreal, which improved to 24-29-10 with its second straight win. Canadiens captain left the game in the third period with a lower-body injury. Montreal's Charlie Lindgren stopped 32 shots. New York dropped to 29-29-7 with its fifth straight loss. Tanner Fritz, Josh Bailey and Brock Nelson scored, and Jaroslav Halak made 19 saves. The Islanders entered the game trailing Columbus by four points for the final Eastern Conference wild card. However, New York has lost 27 of 41 (14-22-5) since Dec. 1. Montreal added to New York's woes when Byron and Juulsen scored to give Montreal a home-and-home series sweep – the Canadiens beat New York 3-1 on Wednesday in Montreal. Byron made it 4-3 with his 16th of the season at 8:10. Juulsen, a rookie, then scored his first NHL goal on a slap shot off of a feed from Artturi Lehkonen. Gallagher opened the scoring with his team-leading 22nd goal 1:28 in by deflecting Galchenyuk's shot from the blue line. The lead held until Fritz scored his second of the season with six seconds remaining in the period. Galchenyuk snapped the tie with his 13th of the season 2:17 into the second with the teams playing 4 on 4. Galchenyuk found the rebound when David Schlemko's shot ricocheted off the post. Bailey tied it 2:06 later with his 16th of the season. Montreal took its third lead of the game on Galchenyuk's second of the period at 11:31, but Nelson's power-play goal with 3.3 seconds left sent the teams into the intermission tied at 3. Globe And Mail LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101634 Montreal Canadiens important decision as team president. Of course, he will eventually have to give Bergevin his walking papers, but I think it’ll take another year of pain to convince him to do the deed. What the Puck: With GM Bergevin at Canadiens' helm, another reef The second theory is that it’s simply a question of money. In November looms 2015, Molson signed Bergevin to a contract extension through the end of the 2021-22 season. Who signs a GM to a further six years, and why? You don’t think he would’ve accepted three years at that point? Brendan Kelly So that means the Canadiens are on the hook for another four years of Published on: March 2, 2018 | Last Updated: March 2, 2018 2:54 PM paying Bergevin a pretty good salary whether or not he’s working the EST phones at the Bell Centre. Could it be that Molson doesn’t want to fire him because he’d owe Bergevin millions in the coming years? Keep in mind the team also has a coach with a losing record signed for five years at $5 million a year. Now is the winter of our discontent. Whichever theory is accurate, the result is the same. Bergevin isn’t going Habs fans are in a funk. Again. For the second time in three years, the nowhere. So get ready for more pain. Montreal Canadiens will miss the playoffs and there is nothing more depressing than a spring in our city with no playoff hockey to celebrate. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 03.03.2018 Since early January, it’s been pretty clear that this sad-sack team was not going to make the post-season and, naturally, folks’ interest in watching the games has been dropping big-time. TV ratings are down and there are loads of empty seats every night at the Bell Centre. I was at the recent game against the Nashville Predators, which should’ve been one of the hottest tickets of the season given that the Preds are one of the best teams in the NHL and there is the attraction of a chap named P.K. Subban. I was in the reds with a pal and there were all kinds of empty seats in the lower bowl. Not good. That’s a lot of lost beer sales! One of my friends used to watch every game. This season? Hasn’t watched since November. Another friend is not at all a hockey fan. In fact, she hates it and it used to drive her crazy that so many of her dinner parties were ruined by friends cancelling because they wanted to watch the Habs. This season, there haven’t been any such cancellations and she’s pleased as punch. So at least there’s one upside to this miserable season. But the real reason that we are in such a foul humour this week is because it doesn’t look like the misery is going to end any time soon. The trade-deadline news for Montreal wasn’t the deals or the lack of them. Most of us didn’t expect Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin to do much. Trading Tomas Plekanec was a no-brainer and all of the talk about shipping Mopey Max Pacioretty elsewhere was just that, talk. You need to get a good roster player in return for Patches, given that he does score a load of goals normally (though not this season), and no team that is potentially contending is going to give up someone from their roster. But the truly frightening news was that Canadiens management is staying the course. They’re not going to rebuild and, most significantly, they are going to pursue the same losing strategy under the direction of Bergevin. The GM basically confirmed during his news conference Monday that he’ll be back next season. “We talk every day,” Bergevin, said of his relationship with team owner and president Geoff Molson. “We sat down and went over our plan the way we’re going to move forward with this team. We’re all on the same page and we’re going to put it together, and we’ll be there at the draft in Dallas.” So there you have it. Sam Cooke wrote A Change Is Gonna Come, but he definitely wasn’t singing about the 2017-18 Canadiens. There is simply no accountability. Molson and Bergevin told anyone who would listen in the fall that they thought they had a very good team in place, with that standup comic Bergevin actually cracking wise at the team golf tournament with the line about how the defence this season was better than last season’s defence. That was indeed a joke. Molson and Bergevin seriously misjudged the quality of the team they’d put together and the terrifying thing is it’s unclear if they realize just how terrible this team is. In other words, what if they really think they just need to tinker this summer to turn Montreal into a contender? My hunch is that’s exactly their plan, and it’s no plan at all. This team needs to be rebuilt from the ground up, but their plan — I believe — is to build the team around two older players, Carey Price and Shea Weber. And trust me on this: Bergevin, in his post-season news conference, will blame this season’s debacle on Weber’s foot injury, Price’s “chronic fatigue” and Patches’ scoring drought. He will admit no wrong. As for the notion of hiring a president of hockey operations, forget about it. For Molson to do that, he’d have to admit he needs help and Bergevin would have to agree to work with another boss. Why is Molson so loyal to Bergevin? I have two theories and neither reflects well on Habs management. One is that Molson doesn’t want to fire the GM because to do so is to admit that he failed in his most 1101635 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens at Islanders: Five things to watch

Stu Cowan, Montreal Gazette Published on: March 2, 2018 | Last Updated: March 2, 2018 12:34 PM EST

Here are five things to watch when the Canadiens (24-29-10) and Islanders (29-28-7) square off for the second straight game Friday night in New York (7 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN Radio 690): The goalies: The Canadiens’ Antti Niemi made 27 saves in Wednesday night’s 3-1 win over the Islanders at the Bell Centre, but rookie Charlie Lindgren will get the start Friday night. Niemi now has a 4-2-2 record with a 2.43 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage since being claimed off waivers by the Canadiens from the Florida Panthers on Nov. 14. Lindgren has played nine games with the Canadiens this season, posting a 3-4-2 record with a 2.13 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage. Niemi and Lindgren both have better numbers than No. 1 goalie Carey Price, who is sidelined indefinitely with a concussion. Price has a 15-22-6 record with a 2.98 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage. Former Canadiens goalie Jaroslav Halak has an 18-21-5 record with the Islanders, along with a 3.18 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage after allowing three goals on 26 shots Wednesday night. He will start in goal again Friday night. And the Calder Trophy goes to …: Islanders centre Matthew Barzal has all but wrapped up the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie with 18-49- 67 totals to rank 15th in the NHL scoring race after scoring his team’s only goal against the Canadiens Wednesday night. Barzal, who was selected in the first round (16th overall) at the 2015 NHL Draft, had 13 points more than the Vancouver Canucks’ Brock Boeser (29-25-54), who ranks second in scoring among rookies. In his final junior season with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds in 2015-16, Barzal posted 27-61-88 totals in 58 games. The 6-foot, 189-pounder, who wears No. 13, is from Coquitlam, B.C., and grew up playing minor hockey against Canadiens defenceman Noah Juulsen, who is from Surrey, B.C. The Tavares WATCH: The Islanders’ John Tavares is in the final season of a six-year, US$33-million contract and can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 demanding big bucks. Tavares appears likely to remain with the Islanders — who selected him with the No. 1 overall pick at the 2009 NHL Draft — but Canadiens fans are hoping the 27-year-old centre will come to Montreal. Tavares has 30-34-64 totals to rank 17th in the NHL scoring race. De-fence! De-fence! The Islanders were four points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final wild-card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference after Wednesday’s loss. The Islanders would be in a much better position if they didn’t rank last in the NHL in defence, allowing an average of 3.53 goals per game, and 30th in penalty-killing. The Islanders rank seventh in offence (3.20 goals per game) and 13th on the power play. The Canadiens rank 29th in offence, 23rd in defence, eighth on the power play and 25th in penalty-killing. The new guy: Defenceman Mike Reilly made his Canadiens debut Wednesday night after being acquired from the Minnesota Wild on Monday in exchange for a fifth-round pick at the 2019 NHL Draft. The 6- foot-2, 195-pounder logged a game-high 22:56 of ice time with one shot and four hits. Reilly grew up playing youth hockey with Lindgren in the Minnesota Iceman program. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101636 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens at Boston Bruins: Five things you should know

Pat Hickey Published on: March 3, 2018 | Last Updated: March 3, 2018 6:01 AM EST

Here are five things you should know about the Canadiens-Bruins game at TD Garden Saturday (5 p.m., Sportsnet, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio). The new and improved Canadiens: It might be a case of too little too late, but the Canadiens went into Friday night’s game against the Islanders with points in five consecutive games after posting a 2-0-3 record. Coach Claude Julien said one difference in the team’s play of late is an improved ability to move the puck out of its own end. Julien said the addition of rookie defenceman Noah Juulsen has given the team a boost since he was called up from Laval. Julien said he was impressed by Juulsen’s skating when he saw him last year and he would have started the season in Montreal if he hadn’t sustained a broken foot. Niemi turns season around: Goaltender Antti Niemi will get the start tonight as the Canadiens play in the second half of back-to-back games. Niemi got off to a slow start this season and was waived by the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Florida Panthers. Things have gone better since he joined the Canadiens and was reunited with Stéphane Waite, who was his goalie coach in 2010 when Niemi and the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup. Niemi has appeared in 11 games with the Canadiens and has posted a 4-2-2 record with a 2.43 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage. Niemi doesn’t figure in Montreal’s plans for next season, but is boosting his free-agent stock. Bruins on a roll: David Krejci scored three goals as the Bruins came back from a shaky start to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 8-4 Thursday. The win enabled the Bruins to pass the Toronto Maple Leafs for second place in the Atlantic Division. The Bruins, who are 6-4 in their last 10 games, have 86 points. That puts them one point ahead of the Leafs, but they have four games in hand on Toronto. The Bruins also have three games in hand on the first-place Tampa Bay Lightning, which is six points ahead of Boston. Bruins have balance: The Bruins offer proof that you can play good defence and score goals. Boston ranks third in the NHL in defence (2.50 goals a game) and they rank fourth in offence (3.29 goals a game). Brad Marchand leads the team with 60 points. The injured Patrice Bergeron has a team-high 27 goals, while David Pastrnak has 24 goals, Marchand has 23 goals and Rick Nash arrived from New York with 20 goals. At the other end of the ice, Tuukka Rask is attracting Vézina Trophy attention after being challenged by Anton Khudobin for the No. 1 job. Rask ranks fourth in the NHL with a 2.28 goals-against average and he has 26 wins. Bergeron update: When Bergeron took a shot off the foot in a game against the Maple Leafs this week, the team sent him for an X-ray and, when it proved negative, they said Bergeron would be day-to-day with a bruised foot. However, the Boston medical staff decided to take a CT scan — which revealed a small fracture — and Bergeron will be sidelined indefinitely, but should be ready for the playoffs. The way the Bruins handled Bergeron’s situation is in stark contrast to the Shea Weber case in Montreal. Weber took a shot off a foot in the first game of the season and continued playing with an undiagnosed torn tendon. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101637 Montreal Canadiens

Alex Galchenyuk's hat trick leads Canadiens to road win over Islanders

Pat Hickey, Published on: March 2, 2018 | Last Updated: March 2, 2018 10:09 PM EST

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Paul Byron scored his 16th goal at 8:10 of the third period to put the Canadiens ahead for good and they went on to beat the New York Islanders 6-3 Friday night at the Barclays Center. Byron snapped a 3-3 tie when he scored from the slot after Jaroslav Halak stopped Brendan Gallagher’s wraparound attempt. Rookie defenceman Noah Juulsen provided some insurance with his first NHL goal at 9:53 and Alex Galchenyuk scored his 15th goal into an empty net to complete a hat trick. With the win, the Canadiens have gone six games (3-0-3) without a regulation loss. The Islanders, who stayed in the game by scoring goals in the final seconds of the first and second periods, suffered their fifth consecutive loss (0-4-1) and remained four points out of a wild-card position. Gallagher promotion pays off: Gallagher was bumped up to what should be the No. 1 line with Galchenyuk and Jonathan Drouin and the move paid an immediate dividend when Gallagher gave Montreal a 1-0 lead at 1:28 of the first period. Gallagher got his stick on Galchenyuk’s shot from the point and the puck went in over Halak’s shoulder on his blocker side. Gallagher leads the Canadiens with 22 goals. Fritz evens the score: The Islanders outshot the Canadiens 14-5 in the first period, but Charlie Lindgren kept them off the scoreboard until Tanner Fritz scored with 5.8 seconds remaining in the period to tie the game at 1-1. Fritz, who spent the first half of the season in the AHL, displayed NHL skills as he played give-and-go with Brock Nelson to slip behind the defence and went upstairs on Lindgren for his second goal of the season. Trading goals: Galchenyuk put the Canadiens back on top when he scored at 2:17 of the second period while the teams were playing 4-on-4. A David Schlemko shot rang off the post and Galchenyuk picked the puck out of the air. Josh Bailey got that one back when he scored at 4:23. The Canadiens were caught sleeping as Nick Leddy hit Bailey with a stretch pass and he scored his 16th goal on a clean breakaway. Galchenyuk put the Canadiens ahead 3-2 when he scored his second goal of the game at 10:31. Mike Reilly picked up his first point as a Canadien when he set up Galchenyuk for a one-timer from the right faceoff circle and he added a second assist on Juulsen’s goal. But the Islanders tied it at 3-3 with another late goal. Nelson redirected a shot from Anthony Beauvillier for a power-play goal with 3.3 seconds remaining. Mete and Pacioretty leave with injuries: The Canadiens played the final two periods with five defencemen after rookie Victor Mete left the game with a hand injury. The defenceman is coming back to Montreal for testing. Max Pacioretty left the game in the third-period with a lower-body injury. The road beckons: This was the first game in a six-game road trip and there’s a short turnaround before a late-afternoon game in Boston Saturday (5 p.m., Sportsnet, TVA Sports, TSN Radio 690). It’s one of five afternoon games Saturday as the NHL tries to avoid conflicts with the Toronto-Washington outdoor game from Annapolis, Md., at 8 p.m. The Canadiens are in New Jersey on Tuesday and then head to Florida for games Thursday in Sunrise and Saturday afternoon in Tampa. The trip winds up in Columbus on March 12. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101638 Montreal Canadiens

In the Habs' Room: 'I got the bounces tonight,' Alex Galchenyuk says of his 3-goal game

Pat Hickey, Montreal Gazette Published on: March 2, 2018 | Last Updated: March 2, 2018 11:29 PM EST

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Alex Galchenyuk’s 400th game was a night to remember. Galchenyuk scored three goals and added an assist to lead the Canadiens to a 6-3 win over the New York Islanders Friday at the Barclays Center. “We came in and we weren’t happy about our record (on the road),” Galchenyuk said. “Then we got scored on with five seconds to go in the (first) period and three seconds to go in the second, but we stuck together and we found a way to win.” Galchenyuk had gone 15 games since his last goal and he said the outburst provided a sense of relief. “I had a lot of chances in those 15 games, but at the end of the day it doesn’t matter,” Galchenyuk said. “You want to see that puck cross the goal line. I got the bounces tonight.” “He’s been playing well and getting chances and tonight was one of those nights where he had an empty-net goal and there was an unbelievable setup by (Mike) Reilly,” coach Claude Julien said. “He can shoot the puck when he’s at the top of his game and it’s nice to see him have a four-point night on his 400th game.” Reilly picked up two assists and rookie defenceman Noah Juulsen scored his first NHL goal. “(Artturi Lehkonen) did all the work,” Juulsen said. “He came up top and passed to me and I just shot. It’s good to get that first one out of the way. It was a good goal, better than my first AHL goal.” “We knew we were going to get some chances because, if you do your homework, (the Islanders) are one of the teams that has given up the most goals, so we had to manage their offence the best we could,” Julien said. “We didn’t do a great job tonight, but we did a decent job. They have a lot of guys that are dangerous and we managed that.” Rookie sensation Matthew Barzal and 30-goal scorers John Tavares and Anders Lee were all kept off the scoresheet. “After giving up late goals in the first and the second, it was an opportunity to show that it wasn’t going to deflate us, and we came out with a strong third period,” Julien said. “That’s a team that’s making a push for the playoffs and we had to be on our toes tonight and I thought we did a good job,” said Charlie Lindgren, who made 32 saves to push his record to 4-4-2. The Canadiens have the worst road record in the NHL and the win ended a seven-game road losing streak (0-6-1). “That’s something we talked about before the game. We wanted to establish ourselves as a road team,” Lindgren said. “We have a six-game road trip and to start with a win is big.” There was one disappointing aspect of the game as rookie defenceman Victor Mete and captain Max Pacioretty both left the game with injuries. Mete suffered a hand injury late in the first period. Julien said Mete would fly back to Montreal from Boston Saturday and would be evaluated by the team doctors. “He definitely won’t play tomorrow and, depending on what the doctors say, I wouldn’t expect to see him on the first half of this trip,” Julien said. The injury could open up an opportunity for Rinat Valiev, who was assigned to Laval after he was acquired from Toronto at the trade deadline. It appeared that Pacioretty suffered a leg injury when he was checked in the third period. “He’ll continue to be with us and we’ll evaluate him as we go along,” Julien said. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101639 Montreal Canadiens in Montreal, experiencing the lows of the job at such an early age that it made him better prepared to deal with them when he hit his prime years.

Galchenyuk has lived through an interminable debate over what position Basu: Alex Galchenyuk, a veteran in a young man’s body he should play, the pressure of being the Canadiens’ highest draft pick since Doug Wickenheiser was taken No 1 overall in 1980, the highs and lows of learning to be an offensive impact player in the NHL, the years of By Arpon Basu 6 hours ago trade rumours – rumours his general manager brought up all on his own for some reason as recently as Monday – and appears to have settled into a groove where he understands what matters and what doesn’t. BROOKLYN – Alex Galchenyuk has nights like this; nights where he “The way you look at it, at one point you’re 24, I mean who am I kidding? looks unstoppable, dominant, whatever adjective you want to attach to it. I’m still so young,” Galchenyuk said. “But at the same time, you see the league is so young, it’s 18, 19, 20-year-old guys, so you kind of feel like a Those nights always serve to remind you of how gifted a hockey player veteran. It’s my sixth year, so I’ve kind of been in a similar situation two Galchenyuk really is, how difficult he is to handle for NHL defencemen, years ago with not making the playoffs and so much negativity, but we how much of an impact he can have on a game. keep pushing, keep trying to get wins. It’s kind of a similar season, so it’s Then, you are left wanting more, and it doesn’t come. on us to kind of show the younger guys what it takes to keep going. This adversity is only going to make us better as a team.” That’s when the narrative on Galchenyuk turns, because he leaves you wanting more, and players who leave you wanting more can sometimes Does that sound like the same old Galchenyuk to you? If it does, it make you forget the talent that makes you feel that way. shouldn’t. So when Galchenyuk scores a hat trick and adds an assist in a 6-3 win Maybe Galchenyuk won’t suddenly start producing from now until the end against the New York Islanders – the Canadiens putting another dagger of the season, and even if he does it will likely be written off by many in their playoff hopes after beating them 3-1 at the Bell Centre on because it’s coming in garbage time of the season. Wednesday – the instinctive reaction is to wonder what you are seeing. But what’s important is that Galchenyuk not care what people think. And Is this more of the same? Will we be left wanting more? he seems to have figured that out. It’s possible we will. It’s possible Galchenyuk will go another 15 games The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2018 without scoring a goal, just like the streak he ended Friday night. It’s possible, but it seems unlikely. “You know, with all the talk going on outside, I think the most important thing in the world is as long as you know in which direction you’re going personally, that’s what matters the most,” Galchenyuk said after the game. “I mean, yeah, I scored 30 two years ago and I had a great start last year then got injured, but throughout the last couple of months I think I’ve been playing my best hockey. “The numbers don’t show it, that’s what people focus on – and that’s understandable, if I’m being realistic I focus on that too. But at the end of the day I knew a game like this was going to come soon, and I’m happy it came tonight.” This seems different because Galchenyuk seems different. Because he’s able to say things like that and do so with a comfort level and confidence that wasn’t there before. He’s growing up and it shows, and it showed long before Friday night. On Tuesday, Galchenyuk sat down after practice and spent 10 minutes talking to a few reporters about his game, about how comfortable he feels, about his knee injury last season and how long it took him to feel right again, how Claude Julien never got a chance to see the real him last season, how he’s growing as a player without the puck. He talked for 10 minutes about a lot of things and was comfortable doing it. It’s not only with the media, Julien has noticed it as well. “I didn’t know him before, but even since I’ve been here, absolutely he’s matured,” Julien said. “Maturity is just growing up as a pro, just year after year. Players eventually figure it out, and he’s figuring it out. He’s been good, and he’s also been good for Scherby. He’s got him working out after games and all that stuff and trying to be a leader in his own way.” “Scherby” is Nikita Scherbak, who indeed appears to have been taken under Galchenyuk’s wing this season. There they were in Philadelphia a couple of weeks ago shooting hoops together prior to the game, just the two of them chirping each other about their jump shots in Russian (or maybe they were exchanging angel food cake recipes, for all I know). There they were Friday morning, hanging out in the dressing room talking about James Harden’s filthy crossover that broke poor Wesley Johnson’s ankles, and laughing about how Harden stared him down before draining a three-pointer. Could you imagine any player being taken under Galchenyuk’s wing a year ago? Six months ago? No. “You know, I just turned 24 and for three or four years I was always the youngest guy,” Galchenyuk said. “It was always cool, but I’m happy to see younger guys than me coming in and playing big minutes, playing big roles. That’s what this league is about, it’s about young players coming in hungry and wanting to prove themselves.” At age 24, there were six players in the Canadiens lineup on Friday who are younger than Galchenyuk. But he’s already been through so much at such a young age that feeling like a veteran should be somewhat natural to him at this point. It is not dissimilar to what happened with Carey Price 1101640 Montreal Canadiens

Three things we learned in New York

By Arpon Basu 8 hours ago

Canadiens 6, Islanders 3 • Alex Galchenyuk was placed on a line with Jonathan Drouin and Brendan Gallagher at the morning skate in Brooklyn on Friday, and suddenly the morning skate got a lot more interesting. That is one of the few line combinations we have not seen Claude Julien pull out of his hat this season because Gallagher had been glued to the right side of Tomas Plekanec, and it was a combination Julien had no desire to split up. Plekanec is now gone, the season is over for all intents and purposes, so why not? The line’s first shift of the game was 40 seconds old when the combination paid dividends, and did so in a way that made it clear how Gallagher could complement Galchenyuk’s game perfectly. Drouin entered the zone, dropped it to Galchenyuk who quickly directed a shot towards the net, where Gallagher was already waiting for it. Gallagher got a stick on the puck, it went over Jaroslav Halak’s shoulder, and it was 1-0 Canadiens. It marked the beginning of a special night for Galchenyuk, who was all over the ice and popped in the next two Canadiens goals then added an empty-netter for the hat trick, matching a season-high with four points. Monday morning quarterbacks are the worst, but still, it's hard not to wonder what might have happened if Gallagher got to play with more offensive linemates earlier in the season. • Prior to the game, Julien was asked if the Canadiens are embracing the role of playoff spoiler at this time of year. He didn’t necessarily disagree. “I remember whenever we were in position to make the playoffs and we faced a team that was out of it, I always warned my players to be careful,” he said. “You need to find motivation, and we want to continue getting better.” The way the Canadiens came out to start the game, it sure looked like they had that as motivation. And that the Islanders weren’t warned. The Canadiens had about 64 odd man rushes in the first few minutes of the game. Or maybe it was two, I’m not sure. Halak had to be good to keep the Islanders in the game, and then the home team simply took over from a territorial standpoint. It was almost as if they were a team fighting for their playoff lives and the Canadiens, uhh, weren’t. A byproduct of that is the Canadiens won’t take unnecessary risks with players who are hurt. So Charles Hudon didn’t dress because of a bruised hand, even though he took part in the morning skate. Victor Mete didn’t come out for the second period because he was, as the Canadiens announced, injured. And Max Pacioretty left the game early in the third period and did not return. Still, despite this, the Canadiens managed to snap a seven-game road losing streak. Maybe the Islanders weren’t fighting all that hard for a playoff spot after all. • Mathew Barzal was held off the scoresheet, but he drew three penalties, which gives me an excuse to share this conversation with Julien prior to the game. He was asked by TSN 690’s Dan Robertson to talk about the Islanders rookie sensation, and here’s what Julien said: “He reminds me a little bit of a guy like Patrick Kane, you know who likes to wind up when the D’s got the puck, he circles and he wants that puck and he’s capable of skating up the ice with it. He’s got unbelievable speed, he’s got good hands and everything else. So he’s a very dangerous guy.” Hearing him talk, I realized he could easily be describing Drouin, but the Drouin everyone saw last season, not so much the one we’ve seen in a Canadiens uniform. Looking at Barzal and Drouin, they are of similar build and similar skill sets, though obviously there is only one player in the NHL who can match Barzal’s speed and it’s not Drouin. But still, I thought it would be interesting to hear Julien make that parallel. The parallel he did make between the two was very revealing, because it had nothing to do with what I was talking about. “Yeah, there’s always…you know, we always try and compare players and stuff like that. But they’re both good skaters, they’re both good puck handlers and everything else. I think right now, when you look at Barzal, he’s really explosive and he’s picking the right times. But same thing with him, when you bottle him up in his own end he’s not as efficient as he is once you let him go.” Ouch. The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101641 Montreal Canadiens

Mike Reilly and Charlie Lindgren reunited with the Canadiens

By Arpon Basu 12 hours ago

BROOKLYN – When Mike Reilly and Charlie Lindgren get dressed for the Canadiens to face the New York Islanders on Friday night, it will not be the first time they have done so together, pulling on the same uniform. Reilly, who the Canadiens acquired from the Minnesota Wild on Monday for a fifth-round pick in the 2019 draft, grew up in Chanhassen, Minn., about a half hour drive northwest of Lindgren’s hometown of Lakeville, Minn., just south of the Twin Cities. The two of them played on summer triple-A teams together when they were kids, and were sometimes cut from those teams because they both had a late growth spurt and were considered too small to make the team. “Me and Charlie were kind of smaller guys back in the day and never really made the big teams and development camps and whatnot,” Reilly said. “So me and him we kind of stuck together a little bit. We still see each other in the summer and we’re pretty close, so it’s cool to see him doing so well. “Two Minnesota guys, I guess it’s not a bad thing.” Now here they are, playing on the same team again, except in the NHL. A half hour subway ride to the north of Barclays Center, where Reilly and Lindgren were to play their first game as NHL teammates, there is Madison Square Garden. That is where New York Rangers defenceman normally goes to work, and the proximity is appropriate because he has a special link with both Lindgren and Reilly. Skjei is Lindgren’s best friend, growing up about five minutes away from his house in Lakeville and playing on the same hockey teams as him from the age of 4 or 5 right through high school. Skjei even worked at Lindgren’s father’s landscaping business a few times when he was a kid. Skjei was a first-round pick of the Rangers, 28th overall, in 2012, while Lindgren was never drafted. But Skjei is not the least bit surprised to see his best friend followed him to the best league in the world. “It was obviously a dream of ours to play in the NHL,” Skjei said. “I’m really happy for him. He’s worked so hard. “Honestly, I always thought he had it to make it to the biggest league, and I’m not just saying that. I just think it’s a little tougher for goalies sometimes. I knew he had that ‘it’ factor.” Skjei was also Reilly’s roommate at the University of Minnesota for three years, so there’s a connection there as well. Lindgren went to St. Cloud State, a little over an hour away, and often went to watch Skjei and Reilly play with the Gophers. And just like Skjei’s and Lindgren’s paths to the NHL differed, so did the one taken by his college roommate. Reilly was drafted in the fourth round of the 2011 draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets, but chose not to sign with them and became a free agent in the summer of 2015. After being pursued by the Canadiens, Reilly signed with his hometown Wild before winding up in Montreal anyway. The coincidences don’t end there. Lindgren’s father, Bob, was a goaltender who idolized Ken Dryden and loved the Canadiens. He played one season at the University of Michigan for Red Berenson, who began his NHL playing career with the Canadiens. Then there’s Reilly, whose father Mike Reilly Sr., was selected by the Canadiens in the eighth round, 144th overall, of the 1977 draft, though he never played an NHL game. “I think he was at a training camp or two, one for sure,” Reilly said. “That’s pretty cool, now that I’m here it will be definitely pretty special for him to come see me play here.” Lindgren and Reilly skating out on the ice at Barclays Center will mark a reunion of sorts for the two kids who took a little longer than most to hit their growth spurt. And doing so not far from where Skjei normally plays just makes for a cool story. Three kids who grew up in the same area, within a half hour of one another, wind up realizing their NHL dreams, but each take a different path to get there. The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101642 Montreal Canadiens Explanation: Even though it’s quite plausible that Juulsen ends up becoming a more valuable player than Scherbak, I leaned toward Scherbak solely because of his dynamic skill — but the difference is Brown: Ranking the top-28 Canadiens prospects razor thin. 4. Joni Ikonen, C/RW, KalPa (Liiga) By Mitch Brown 12 hours ago Age: 18 | Height: 5-11 | Weight: 182 | Draft: 2017, #58, Round 2 Stats: 49 GP, 3 G, 7 A, 10 P (0.20 P/GP) Welcome to my ranking of the Canadiens top-28 prospects. The organization’s most purely skilled prospect after Scherbak has been underwhelming in Liiga, to put it mildly. That he’s one of the lowest- The ranking places the greatest weight on skill, such as skating, scoring 18-year-olds in Liiga since 2010 should raise questions. He’s shooting, playmaking, and stickhandling. As a result, the list mostly reads shooting at just 3.9 percent, but also hasn’t consistently entered scoring a ranking of my perception of the player’s upside, rather than one based areas. Nifty hands, a powerful shot, and the ability to create lanes are the on proximity to the NHL. drivers of this potential offensive dynamo, but an erratic stride with average foot speed, lack of strength, and reluctance to use his For a player to be eligible, they must have been a draft pick or contracted teammates have largely negated these traits. These have improved, but player of the Canadiens in their 22-year-old season at oldest (i.e., there’s reason to be concerned. defined by the age of the player on September 15 of this season), and must be ineligible for waivers. This means that newly acquired Kerby Explanation: An emphasis on skill means the second-most purely skilled Rychel is ineligible, as are AHL contracted players like Niki Petti. Players player in the organization receives a higher ranking than his play this whose rights are no longer in the organization, such as Matt Bradley and season might suggest. No matter what, Ikonen is a skilled player who Martin Réway are also excluded. Full-time NHL players, like Victor Mete, creates, and this organization doesn’t have many of those. are also ineligible. 5. Josh Brook, RD, (WHL) For the top-10 prospects, I've included explanations to justify my ranking. Age: 18 | Height: 6-1 | Weight: 192 | Draft: 2017, #56, Round 2 1. Ryan Poehling, C, St. Cloud State University (NCAA) Stats: 36 GP, 2 G, 25 A, 27 P (0.75 P/GP) Age: 19 | Height: 6-2 | Weight: 200 | Draft: 2017, #25, Round 1 After exploding out of the gate with 16 points in 15 games, Brook has just Stats: 28 GP, 9 G, 17 A, 26 P (0.93 P/GP) 11 points in the last 21 games, coinciding with the acquisition of top WHL defenceman Kale Clague. Brook is still finding ways to contribute Poehling anchors the top line of arguably the deepest team in the NCAA offensively, despite losing his first unit power play time. He can be a as a sophomore. He’s a regular penalty killer, and has racked up nearly a dynamic player from the back end, with a smooth stride, soft hands, and point per game despite running the second power play unit. His an ability to get the puck into high-scoring areas — sometimes. playmaking is his best attribute, connecting with high skill passes Ultimately, Brook is a player whose skill level is far greater than the consistently. He’ll have to learn to pick his spots better off the rush, but execution is. Defensively, he’s solid through the neutral zone with a good he’s arguably his team’s most effective neutral zone puck carrier. There’s stick and can kill penalties competently, but his defensive zone puck heat behind his shot, but he rarely uses it. A smart, balanced centre with management and puck retrievals aren’t great. Even if he never fully 200-foot acumen, Poehling can quickly turn defence into offence, even unlocks his offensive skill set, he can move the needle a bit defensively. against the opposition’s best. While he might not be the franchise- A solid prospect with top-four upside. defining centre that the Canadiens have been searching for, he's a solid bet to be an impact player. Explanation: Brook is a steady player with flashes of something greater, whether he gets there or not remains to be seen. I gave Ikonen the edge Explanation: While he might not be the most purely skilled, no prospect in because I’m still a believer in his skill, but the gap is small. the organization has an equivalent blend of skill, speed, and attention to detail. More than 60 percent of similar producing prospects at the same 6. William Bitten, RW/C, Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL) age since 2005 made the NHL. And of those who made it, most of them were scorers, with an average points per game of 0.55. Not bad Age: 19 | Height: 5-11 | Weight: 180 | Draft: 2016, #70, Round 3 company at all. Stats: 55 GP, 19 G, 40 A, 59 P (1.07 P/GP) 2. Nikita Scherbak, RW, Montreal (NHL)/Laval (AHL) After an early-season bout with terrible luck, Bitten exploded for 42 points Age: 22 | Height 6-2 | Weight 190 | Draft: 2014, #26, Round 1 in the next 28 games. That 1.5 points-per-game pace is firmly elite in the OHL, and his play reflected that. He’s a turbocharged buzzsaw with a Stats: 26 GP, 7 G, 23 A, 30 P (1.15 P/GP) knack for setting up teammates around the net. And when it comes time to charge the net himself, few do it better than Bitten. Equally as Scherbak is a new player this season. His sublime playmaking, soft influential without the puck, Bitten loves to throw the body and brings hands, and dangerous speed dominated the AHL. And he built upon last above-average defence at both wing and centre. The skill level isn’t year’s work, improving his defensive game, conditioning, and strength. dynamic, but he’s so fast and powerful that he creates his own space. He was the offensive leader in Laval, finally finding that balance between Although his raw production hasn’t improved much since being drafted, high skill passes and explosive net drives. He’s added more offensive he’s improved the details of his game substantially. Unfortunately, he has multidimensionality with a slick change of angle in his release. The most since been in and out of the lineup with an ankle injury suffered on Feb. skilled prospect in the organization looks like he could be an impact 1. player in the NHL. Expect Scherbak to finish the season in the NHL, and perhaps emerge as a key piece of the future. Explanation: Bitten certainly brings a larger variety of skills than Ikonen, but Ikonen’s skill dimensions are a fair bit better, save for skating. Brook Explanation: Even with Scherbak’s impressive NHL stint, I feel that brings a similar level of diverse skills to Bitten, while being more skilled Poehling will be better overall. The difference in scoring upside is relative to the position. marginal, while the difference between off the puck impact is significant in Poehling’s favour. 7. Jake Evans, C, University of Notre Dame (NCAA/B1G Ten) 3. Noah Juulsen, RD, Montreal (NHL)/Laval (AHL) Age: 21 | Height: 6-1 | Weight: 190 | Draft: 2014, #207, Round 7 Age: 20 | Height: 6-3 | Weight: 191 | Draft: 2015, #26, Round 1 Stats: 34 GP, 11 G, 27 A, 38 P (1.12 P/GP) Stats: 31 GP, 1 G, 5 A, 6 P (0.19 P/GP) After torching the NCAA in the early stages of the season, Evans has fallen back to Earth in early December. Evans is one of the NCAA’s best After returning from a fractured foot that kept him out for nearly two playmakers, using hook and slip passes to thread the needle through months, Noah Juulsen immediately became Laval’s best defenceman at traffic in all three zones. The one-timer is his best shot, but he’s an 5-on-5. He drove shot share, with a team-best 58.4 Corsi for percentage. infrequent shooter at the best of times. A highly capable and methodical He prevented zone entries at the best rate (45 percent) by 17 percent. defensive player, Evans proactively picks up assignments, matches He made the team’s best breakout pass. And he started adding some against the opposition’s best, and regularly kills half of any given penalty. offence. Now, to steal the words of Marc Dumont, “Juulsen’s an NHL With average speed, stickhandling, and strength, Evans lacks separation veteran with four games experience.” Just like Scherbak, he looks like he tools, and he’s a tad one dimensional offensively. He’s a well-balanced could be a piece of the future going forward. And don’t underestimate his prospect with upside, and could slot into an NHL lineup as soon as next offence either, Juulsen has a cannon from the point, and can really dish season. the puck. Explanation: Evans lacks the separation traits that Bitten has, while being Age: 22 | Height 6-2 | Weight: 194 | Draft: 2015, #87, Round 3 more one dimensional offensively, and I think the puck skills are roughly at par between the two. Evans is an intelligent player with sublime Stats: 45 GP, 10 G, 12 A, 22 P (0.49 P/GP) playmaking ability, but concerns are numerous and worthy of Vejdemo’s been up and down these past four years, with this season consideration. being his best yet. He’s become Djurgårdens IF’s go-to centre in 8. Michael McCarron, C, (AHL) defensive situations, and he brings a decent offensive punch. Vejdemo is a smooth, coordinated puck handler with long, powerful stride. His shot is Age: 22 | Height: 6-6 | Weight: 231 | Draft: 2013, #25, Round 1 below-average, but he has found ways to get to scoring areas more regularly and can connect with the odd high-level pass. Overall, his lack Stats: 44 GP, 7 G, 15A, 22P (0.5 P/GP) of standout skill makes his offensive impact small at the next level, but A leaner, faster McCarron early in the season has faded into draft bust he’s solid in all aspects and could carve out an NHL career. His age is territory. That he’s carried around at least one ECHL-calibre anchor all also a factor here, as he’s just six months younger than Artturi Lehkonen, season speaks to his decreased opportunity as a scorer within the but has never come close to Lehkonen’s level of play. organization, despite his skating and puck skills improving. He can make 13. Rinat Valiev, LD, Toronto Marlies/Laval Rocket (AHL) skilled passes, particularly in the offensive zone, and he’s has a booming, but under-utilized shot. He’s not a creative player, relying Age: 22 | Height: 6-3 | Weight: 220 | Acquired via trade instead on time and space to find options, but he’s a detail-oriented defensive player. Dominant games highlighting his combination of size Stats: 40 GP, 5 G, 10 A, 15 P (0.38 P/GP) and skill have been fewer than in previous years, although his play has Acquired in the Tomas Plekanec trade, Rinat Valiev emerged as a trended up in the past few weeks. He’s in the midst of his lowest scoring shutdown option on the loaded Toronto Marlies squad this season. AHL season, which as a third-year pro is discouraging. Valiev’s steady defensively, with solid gap control and proactive Explanation: Despite being the second oldest player on the list, defensive zone reads. Valiev’s agility is above-average, but his speed McCarron seems so far away from the NHL. He’s more skilled than he and hands are average, limiting his ability as a carrier. Instead, he gets credit for, but his downward trending development has him looking prefers using his crisp outlet pass. His vision makes him more impactful like a fourth liner, while Bitten and Evans could slide onto a third line. in the offensive zone than the stats suggest, but it’s clear offence isn’t a Even eighth seems too high for me, but he’s been good enough these key component of his game. Valiev’s upside is quite limited, but I think last few weeks that there’s a glimmer of hope. he’s worth a look in the NHL. 9. Michael McNiven, G, Laval Rocket (AHL) 14. Jarret Tyszka, LD, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) Age: 20 | Height: 6-1 | Weight: 202 | Signed as a free agent Age: 18 | Height: 6-3 | Weight: 199 | Draft: 2017, #149, Round 5 Stats: 17 GP, 6 W, 0.891 SV%, 3.29 GAA Stats: 60 GP, 8 G, 29 A, 37 P (0.62 P/GP) McNiven, the reigning CHL Goaltender of the Year, has been just okay in Tyszka is one of the organization’s most improved prospects, thanks to his first professional season. A sub-.900 save percentage isn’t flattering, better decision-making and a more cerebral, 200-foot style. Tyszka’s but Charlie Lindgren’s equally unimpressive numbers highlights the man-on-man coverage has become a strength, using his long reach, defensive mess that Laval has been. McNiven’s ability to make the big quick feet, and strength to box out attackers from the net. He has stops has shone, but easier ones have been harder to come by. His arguably the best wrist shot of any defender on this list, which he lateral movement has been erratic this season, and he’s spending more consistently finds ways to get off from inside the circles. He’s a smooth time in the butterfly than in previous years. McNiven’s adjustment curve puck carrier through the neutral zone, but is prone to turnovers when isn’t out of the ordinary, and I suspect that as he gets more games down navigating his own zone. His neutral zone defence isn’t great either, and the stretch, he’s going to impress. he’s an avid but poor pincher. Tyszka remains quite raw, but there’s top- six, if not top-four, upside here. Don’t be surprised if his point totals Explanation: McNiven could be an impact goaltender in the NHL, but I do explode next season. have concerns about his technical game. I want to see more of him at the professional level before placing him higher, but really between 15. Daniel Audette, LW/C, Laval Rocket (AHL) McCarron, McNiven, Cale Fleury, and Cayden Primeau there isn’t much Age: 21 | Height: 5-9 | Weight: 176 | Draft: 2014, #147, Round 5 difference. Stats: 55 GP, 13 G, 16 A, 29 P (0.53 P/GP) 10. Cale Fleury, RD, (WHL) Audette has been just okay as a secondary scorer in Laval this season. Age: 19 | Height: 6-1 | Weight: 203 | Draft: 2017, #87, Round 3 He has done a much better job of getting to scoring areas after spending Stats: 60 GP, 11 G, 34 A, 45 P (0.75 P/GP) much of last season on the perimeter. He’s a shifty puck handler with above-average stick skills and speed, but could use his teammates better Possibly the organization’s most polished and well-rounded defenceman to increase his zone entry success rate. The occasional high skill pass is after Juulsen, Fleury has made serious strides this season. A refined, his best offensive trait, but otherwise he’s an underwhelming offensive tighter defensive game, along with his trademark neutral zone defence, player with inconsistent defence and below-average size. The tools are active stick, and mean streak, has made him the go-to shutdown option there to be far better than he currently is, but limited growth since being for the Memorial Cup hosts. Fleury orchestrates the breakout with a quick drafted adds further concern to the organization’s most perplexing outlet pass and occasional rush with his smooth stride, rarely dumping prospect. the puck out. In the offensive zone, Fleury has a wide variety of shots and the ability to find lanes. He’s not going to move the needle 16. Jeremiah Addison, LW, Laval Rocket (AHL) offensively at the next level, but brings so much adaptability and Age: 21 | Height: 6-0 | Weight: 187 | Draft: 2015, #207, Round 7 consistency every shift that it’s easy to see him as a quality player in the AHL as soon as next season and possibly a top-four defenceman in the Stats: 0 GP NHL. Addison put his name on the radar with an explosive Memorial Cup, Explanation: I’m normally more apprehensive about fourth-year junior scoring five times as Windsor went on to win, but has yet to make his defenceman without gaudy point totals, but Fleury has been exceptional. Laval debut due to shoulder surgery. Addison was an average scorer as Fleury, McCarron, McNiven, and Primeau are really tight, and I might an overager last season, but for the past three seasons has exploded in change the order when I wake up tomorrow. the postseason, with 17 goals in his last 19 postseason games. His production has never done his impact justice. His two best traits are his 11. Cayden Primeau, G, Northeastern University (NCAA/HE) powerful wrist shot and heavy style, which give him a knack for The biggest surprise in the organization is likely the incredible rise of generating scoring opportunities. Stick skills and playmaking are Cayden Primeau. Just a year removed from being one’s the USHL’s weaknesses, but his skating has improved significantly. I expect him to worst goaltenders, Primeau has become one of the NCAA’s best. His carve out a solid career as a professional, but his upside is limited. .933 save percentage is not only the best in Hockey East, it’s the best Addison has returned to practice, and might play a few games before the that an 18-year-old starter has had in the NCAA. Ever. Driving the season ends. incredible season is improved technique, rebound control, and post 17. Hayden Hawkey, G, Providence College (NCAA/HE) integration. And Primeau seemingly improves every passing week. Already with a Beanpot championship, don’t be surprised if Primeau and Age: 23 | Height: 6-2 | Weight: 187 | Draft: 2014, #177, Round 6 Northeastern University take home a national championship. Stats: 34 GP, 20 W, 0.916 SV%, 2.12 GAA 12. Lukas Vejdemo, C, Djurgårdens IF (SHL) I’ve been high on Hawkey for years, but truth be told I’ve been slightly both as a passer and finisher. His play away from the puck is consistently disappointed in his progression this season. Despite that, he’s still one of good. Grégoire’s skill is limited, and his skating is a concern. He’s RFA in the NCAA’s top goaltenders, by both name and skill. Hawkey’s the most the summer, and I’d like to see him back with Laval next season, agile and best skater of the many goaltending prospects in the although there’s not much, if any, NHL upside here. organization. He positions himself aggressively at the top of the crease, and has explosive lateral movement. Hawkey’s ability to make stops is 23. Michael Pezzetta, C/LW, Sarnia Sting (OHL) inconsistent, but he might have the higher upside of the goaltenders on Age: 19 | Height: 6-1 | Weight: 208 | Draft: 2016, #160, Round 6 this list. Hawkey likely will finish his senior year before joining the professional ranks in 2019. Stats: 55 GP, 23 G, 27 A, 51 P (0.93 P/GP) 18. Scott Walford, LD, Victoria Royals (WHL) Pezzetta has been one of the organization’s most improved prospects. Not only has he cleaned up his game, he’s more than doubled his Age: 19 | Height: 6-2 | Weight: 190 | Draft: 2017, #68, Round 3. previous career high in goals. He’s physical, even dirty at times, and Stats: 62 GP, 0 G, 29 A, 29 P (0.47 P/GP) consistently plays with an edge. He’s one of the OHL’s best at generating shots around the crease, but brings limited puck skills otherwise. His While most of the Canadiens 2017 draft has taken big steps, Walford has skating has improved, allowing him to make a bigger impact defensively been a notable outlier. He has a solid base, highlighted by his ability to and in battles, but he’s not a standout in either aspect. I suspect that break up plays, above-average mobility, and solid vision and passing. He Pezzetta will be signed, considering the organization’s history of signing can lay the body, but he’s best when using a well-timed poke check to players of his ilk, and that he will follow the same trend of those low- disrupt possession. Puck battles and retrievals are a strength of scoring fourth-year juniors; not amounting to much. Walford’s game, but his gap control is quite passive. Zero goals on 100 shots is unlucky, but it also highlights his lack of a threatening point shot. 24. Zach Fucale, G, Laval (AHL)/Brampton (ECHL) He can hold his own on both special teams, but he’s more of a PK guy at Age: 22 | Height: 6-2 | Weight: 187 | Draft: 2013, #36, Round 2 the next level. It’s fair to say that more was expected from Walford this season, especially offensively, as he’s a minute-muncher on a loaded Since being drafted Fucale hasn’t done anything to show that he is an Victoria Royals squad. above-average AHL goaltender, let alone NHL prospect. He finds success playing at the top of the crease to cut the angle down. But his 19. Antoine Waked, LW, Laval Rocket (AHL) positioning is inconsistent, and even three years into his professional Age: 21 | Height: 6-1 | Weight: 193 | Signed as a free agent career, he still has a tendency to lower his glove while dropping into the butterfly. Fucale was the first goaltender taken in the 2013 draft, driven Stats: 49 GP, 4 G, 3 A, 7 P (0.14) by his history of winning, but has failed to reach the level of those taken after him, notably Tristan Jarry, Eric Comrie, and Juuse Saros. Signed as an overager out of Rouyn-Noranda last season, Waked’s transition to pro hockey hasn’t gone as expected. Waked has 25. Markus Eisenschmid, RW/C, Laval Rocket (AHL) occasionally demonstrated scoring upside, notably with slick passes and puck carrying ability. In his 39-goal campaign, Waked was among the Age: 23 | Height: 6-1 | Weight: 180 | Signed as a free agent QMJHL’s elite around the blue paint. This season, he’s averaging the Stats: 37 GP, 6 G, 8 A, 14 P (0.3 P/GP) second-fewest high-danger slots per 60 minutes among Rocket forwards. If there is an encouraging sign, it’s that he’s managed to break even in Eisenschmid has arguably been the AHL squad’s most effective bottom- shot share despite being saddled with Laval’s biggest shot share six forward over the last three years — when healthy. A strong puck anchors. Not unlike Addison, he plays the game with a certain heaviness carrier with separation speed, Eisenschmid thrives while transitioning the and forcefulness, and he’s quite solid in his own zone. Simply put, puck. He brings an admirable effort in the defensive zone, and has the Waked has the tools to be far better than he’s showed, but he also hasn’t ability to generate quick-strike offence. Aside from spurts, he’s not gotten much opportunity to prove it. particularly effective in the offensive zone, meaning he’s unlikely to be an NHLer. His contract expires at the end of the year, but he might be worth 20. Simon Bourque, LD, Laval Rocket (AHL) keeping around on an AHL deal. Age: 21 | Height: 6-1 | Weight: 184 | Draft: 2015, #177, Round 6 26. Casey Staum, LD, Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL) Stats: 30 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 1 P (0.03 P/GP) Age: 20 | Height: 6-0 | Weight: 181 | Draft: 2016, #124, Round 5 Rookie defenceman Bourque has been in and out of Laval’s lineup. At Stats: 18 GP, 0 G, 3 A, 3P (0.17 P/GP) times, he’s shown the offensive acumen that launched him to 56 points in the QMJHL, but otherwise has spent so much time pinned in his own Arguably the organization’s best skater, Staum’s first-step acceleration is zone. Despite playing bottom-pairing minutes and weak competition, explosive, enabling him to get the hop on loose pucks and blow through Bourque’s -5.86 Corsi-for relative is the worst on the Rocket. His forecheckers. He’s not much of a stickhandler or shooter, but can make transition, both breakouts and defending entries, have also been crisp passes and the occasional high-skill pass in the offensive zone. An mediocre. Driving this lack of success is a lack of foot speed and agility. okay defender, largely because of his feet, but his reads and decisions With that said, he looked quite good last weekend. Although he lacks a are inconsistent and indecisive. His point totals are reflective of his standout trait, he has enough in the way of skill and smarts that he overall involvement in any given hockey game — limited. He’s de- should turn it around. committed from the University of Nebraska-Omaha, so where he plays next season remains unknown. 21. Brett Lernout, RD, Laval Rocket (AHL) 27. Nikolas Koberstein, RD, Alaska-Fairbanks (NCAA/WCHA) Age: 22 | Height: 6-4 | Weight: 213 | Draft: 2014, #73, Round 3 Age: 22 | Height: 6-2 | Weight: 201 | Draft: 2014, #125, Round 5 Stats: 50 GP, 1 G, 7 A, 8 P (0.16 P/GP) Stats: 34 GP, 1G, 11A, 12P (0.35 P/GP) Although Lernout earned an NHL recall, I thought he was in over his head in the AHL playing top pairing minutes. When he was returned, At times this season, Koberstein has been solid. He’s a punishing Juulsen had established himself as a top-four, if not top-pairing blue liner, defender, who uses the threat of the hit to defend the blue line. Defensive and Lernout was forced to play a more limited role where he found zone coverage is erratic, but he’s a staple on the penalty kill. The puck success. The tall, mobile blueliner can make plays on both ends of the skills that once gave him flashes of promise in the AJHL have been non- puck, just not on a consistent basis. The physicality along the wall and existent since, apart from an eight-points-in-10-games stretch this occasional bomb from the point are nice touches, and probably the full season, the best of his career since minor midget in 2011-12. Not much extent of how he impacts the game. The organization really likes Lernout, of a professional prospect, but he still has one more NCAA season to so don’t be surprised if he gets an NHL opportunity out of camp next prove his worth. season. 28. Arvid Henrikson, RD, Örebro HK J20 (SuperElit) 22. Jeremy Grégoire, RW, Laval Rocket (AHL) Age: 20 | Height 6-5 | Weight: 209 | Draft: 2016, #187, Round 7 Age: 22 | Height: 6-0 | Weight: 193 | Draft: 2013, #176, Round 6 Stats: 36 GP, 0 G, 7 A, 7 P (0.19 P/GP) Stats: 42 GP, 8 G, 11 A, 19 P (0.45 P/GP) After a strong finish to an otherwise mediocre season, Henrikson is back After underwhelming in his first two professional seasons, Grégoire has to mediocre. He’s a tall, bulky defender with shockingly light feet and reinvented himself a fair bit. He’s smashed career highs, found himself above-average open ice speed. He has an abrasive side, and he’s one of getting top-six ice time, and has been one of the best Rocket forwards. those players who takes a strange amount of enjoyment from blocking His abrasive style with a soft touch makes him effective around the net, shots. Puck skills are mediocre, at absolute best. Players of his statistical profile rarely make the SHL as a regular, let alone the NHL. The unknown seventh round pick is likely to stay that way. 03.03.2018= This prospect pool certainly lacks high-end talent. There's no prospect with significant scoring upside. The depth of the pool is rather weak, save for goaltenders. However, this could change at the draft. The Canadiens now own five picks in the first two rounds. With an emphasis on skill, the Canadiens could overhaul the prospect pool in short order. The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101643 Nashville Predators

Predators' Mike Fisher to debut Friday against Vancouver Canucks

Adam Vingan,— Tennessee Published 1:59 p.m. CT March 2, 2018 | Updated 4:00 p.m. CT March 2, 2018

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Mike Fisher will make his return to the Predators' lineup Friday against the Vancouver Canucks. Fisher, who ended his retirement Jan. 31 in order to rejoin the team for its playoff push and another opportunity at the Stanley Cup, signed a prorated $1 million contract Monday. “I know it’s going to take a little bit of time to get my game going, but hopefully it won’t take me too long," Fisher said. "There will be nerves. If there’s not nerves, there’s probably something wrong.” The 37-year-old has the ideal qualities of a bottom-six center, a position he now can play with the enviable balance that the Predators possess at the middle of the ice. Ryan Johansen, and Nick Bonino can slot ahead of Fisher, a projected depth chart that arguably would be the strongest in team history. "I would think, in all due respect to Mike, that he's going to start in a fourth-line position and probably play low minutes just to make sure that he can get caught up to the pace of the regular season," Predators general manager David Poile said earlier this week. It’s uncertain which Predators forward will exit the lineup Friday to accommodate Fisher’s return. But Nashville counts its versatility among its greatest strengths this season. “You look at our team and the depth we have,” Fisher said. “There’s so many guys that are capable of coming in, and that’s why this team’s been successful all year. Being able to play your fourth line against their first line and not worry at all, not many teams can say that. Wherever I fit in, I know that I can contribute in different ways — offensively, defensively, leadership, special teams. "Whatever it may be, I think that’s what I’ve done in the past and I’ll continue to do.” Tennessean LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101644 Nashville Predators

Predators honored to share in David Poile's record-breaking achievement

Adam Vingan, USA TODAY NETWORK — Tennessee Published 9:46 a.m. CT March 2, 2018 | Updated 1:21 p.m. CT March 2, 2018

EDMONTON, Alberta — Even after all these years, David Poile has never figured out how to contain his game-day anxiety. It manifests itself in numerous ways — how he paces during intermissions, how he grips his packet of game notes tight. You’d assume that 2,685 regular-season games as an NHL general manager would harden his nerves, but that just isn’t him. Poile could be forgiven for being a bit antsy Thursday. He, wife Elizabeth and daughter Lauren flew into Edmonton that afternoon with the hope of experiencing history. The Predators’ five-game winning streak had accelerated Poile's pursuit of becoming the winningest GM in NHL history. A victory against the Oilers would be his 1,320th in more than 35 years on the job. Big trades. Late-round steals. Consistency. As the Predators fell behind by two goals in the first period, Poile's nerves bubbled in his suite, so he and his family swapped seats in a superstitious attempt to shift momentum. It must’ve worked, seeing as the Predators rallied again to defeat the Oilers to secure the milestone. The way in which the Predators went about tying and breaking the record — winning consecutive games when trailing by two goals in each for the second time in team history — probably won’t do much to alleviate his stress. "To be able to come back and deliver on such a big night for him was pretty special and something really incredible for us as a group to be a part of," Predators forward Austin Watson said. Many factors conspired to add extra significance to Poile’s achievement. He spent much of his childhood in Edmonton while his father, Bud, served as coach and general manager of the minor-league Flyers. The man whose record he passed, Glen Sather, was the architect of the Oilers' dynasty that hoisted five Stanley Cups in seven years. Ryan Hartman, Poile's latest trade acquisition, presented him with the cartoonish wolf mask awarded after Predators victories to the player of the game, which he slipped over his head. Yes, Poile confirmed, it smells. "I owe everything to the game of hockey," he said. The Predators owe everything to him, too. Through franchise adversity and prosperity, Poile has remained a source of stability. His longevity is a product of evolution. A forward-thinking approach to roster building has positioned the Predators as a serious Stanley Cup contender for the foreseeable future. "This is my 46th year in the National Hockey League," said Poile, whose NHL career began as a administrative assistant with the expansion Atlanta Flames. "I've been in the game that long. All my friends are in hockey. Everything I've ever gotten is in hockey. "Coming to Nashville 20 years ago, I really had a vision, a hope that we could make it a hockey city. It's turned out unbelievable." Of course, Poile will point out that the victory that matters most of all is the one that clinches a championship, which he hasn't attained. Perhaps more than in any of his previous seasons, it feels within reach. "There's no question that he deserves everything that he gets," Predators coach Peter Laviolette said. "He works incredibly hard at his job. He works incredibly hard at the human side of things inside an organization. Just a terrific person, a terrific GM. It's very well-deserved, I can tell you that. "Just from being on the inside and speaking of what I know, he's earned it. He's really earned it." Tennessean LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101645 Nashville Predators

Predators defeat Canucks, make wholesale changes to lineup in Mike Fisher's return

Adam Vingan, USA TODAY NETWORK — Tennessee Published 11:43 p.m. CT March 2, 2018 | Updated 1:54 a.m. CT March 3, 2018

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Not to disregard the Predators’ latest scintillating comeback against the Vancouver Canucks on Friday, but the outcome wasn’t the most relevant takeaway. Comeback victories are old hat, anyway. Nashville's 4-3 overtime win — the team's seventh in a row and third in as many games that featured a rally from a two-goal deficit — marked the return of Mike Fisher, who dressed for the first time since leaving retirement in late January. He made his debut as the fourth-line center, whacking in a goal in the second period. “It was fun getting back out there, getting some shifts out of the way," said Fisher, who won 11 of his 13 faceoffs. "I was trying to keep the shifts as short as possible, but it was easy fitting in with my linemates (and) the team (with) the way guys have been playing and working.” “I felt pretty good. I still got a little bit to come, I think, but overall I felt OK. I think my endurance later in shifts will just come over time.” Predators coach Peter Laviolette noticeably scrambled his combinations, which he intends to do throughout the season’s final month. Here’s how they looked: F1: Filip Forsberg — Ryan Johansen — Viktor Arvidsson F2: Kevin Fiala — Kyle Turris — Ryan Hartman F3: Miikka Salomaki — Nick Bonino — Calle Jarnkrok F4: Colton Sissons — Mike Fisher — Austin Watson What you probably wondered at first was this — why would Laviolette deviate from a lineup that engineered a season-high winning streak and rest several lineup mainstays, most notably captain Roman Josi and forward Craig Smith, in the middle of an intense race for playoff seeding? “For me, I’m just looking at different things," Laviolette said. "I know that I can always move the lines back around. To be honest, I feel comfortable with any 20 guys that go in the lineup. "You’re going to see that down the stretch. It’s good that we’re able to do that. We’re in a position to do that, but one of the main things for me is to make sure that everybody’s playoff-ready.” The four players held out Friday, including forward Scott Hartnell and defenseman Yannick Weber, weren't injured and were available to Laviolette. He characterized their respective absences as "maintenance." “You’re going to hear that word a lot from us down the stretch," Laviolette said. The shakeup didn't affect the Predators' attack. They carried play at even strength, controlling roughly 64 percent of total shot attempts. “As a group, we’ve always been successful by (playing) a strong, solid team game that just works regardless of who’s in there," Fisher said. "It’s a good luxury to have.” Tennessean LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101646 New Jersey Devils

What does Brett Brown think about Joshua Harris dragging Sixers, Devils into Donald Trump Russia investigation?

Updated March 2, 2018 at 9:15 PM; Posted March 2, 2018 at 9:12 PM By Zack Rosenblatt

PHILADELPHIA -- Brett Brown is focused on getting the Sixers back to the playoffs for the first time since 2013. The Sixers coach is fresh off one of his team's very best wins of the season, a 108-97 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. There's a lot of positivity surrounding the Sixers franchise right now, centered around the team's performance and the emergence of a couple rising stars in Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. There's been more talk of LeBron James joining the Sixers this off- season than even the controversy surrounding the oft-discussed changes in Markelle Fultz's shot. Then the New York Times dropped a bombshell on Wednesday detailing some alleged shady dealings between Sixers and Devils owner Joshua Harris and the President Donald Trump White House, specifically Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor. NBA playoff picture: Can Sixers catch Cavaliers in 3rd? Will Pistons overtake Heat? | Eastern Conference standings In a socially conscious climate -- James, for one, has spoken out against Trump and the current administration on multiple occasions and the Warriors opted against visiting the White House to celebrate their 2017 NBA title -- the possibility of this news impacting the Sixers and their reputation around the league certainly looms large. Brown, for his part, doesn't seem all too concerned about that. Friday before the Sixers' 7 p.m. game against the Charlotte Hornets, Brown was asked if he was worried about the ramifications of having an owner associated with Kushner/Trump impacting the team's ability to do business. Brown quickly said "No." After a follow-up, Brown added: "I haven't given it one bit of thought." Moving on (for now). Star Ledger LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101647 New Jersey Devils

New Jersey Devils vs. Carolina Hurricanes: LIVE score updates and chat (3/2/18)

Posted March 2, 2018 at 7:00 PM By Chris Ryan

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Taylor Hall, Keith Kinkaid, Jesper Bratt, Sami Vatanen and the New Jersey Devils will close a three-game road trip when they visit the Carolina Hurricanes at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at PNC Arena. The Devils have won both meetings with the Hurricanes this season, including a 3-2 overtime road win on Feb. 18. Kinkaid will make his third start of the season against the Hurricanes. He allowed two goals in each of his two wins. Other than Kinkaid taking over for Cory Schneider, the Devils will roll with the same lineup as Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Florida Panthers. Devils' lines vs. Hurricanes Join NJ.com's live chat in the comment section, and follow along with live score and stat updates above. Here is everything you need to know about the game: What: New Jersey Devils (33-23-8) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (28-25-11) When: 7:30 p.m. EST, Friday, March. 2, 2018 Where: PNC Arena, Raleigh, North Carolina TV: MSG+ Live stream: MSG GO Radio: The One Jersey Network More to know: The Devils will aim to shake off an inconsistent performance from Thursday's loss while trying to add to their seven-point advantage over the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference playoff race. "We've got to be much harder, more thorough with out puck management," Devils coach John Hynes said. "We've got to make more determined plays through the neutral zone, at the offensive blue line. Get the puck in the offensive zone, we've got to be a to harder on it. We've got to make teams defend. And I think our forecheck and forecheck pressure have to be a lot more in sync. Quicker, harder." What Devils get from Michael Grabner, Patrick Maroon Star Ledger LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101648 New Jersey Devils

Here's a line Trump can use with Jared Kushner: You're fired! | Editorial

Posted March 2, 2018 at 6:45 PM By Star-Ledger Editorial Board

Here is yet another sentence you never thought you'd read about a U.S. President: The son-in-law of our chief executive invited investors to the White House, discussed giving one a job, borrowed $509 million from them to bail out his company's troubled properties, and then hoped nobody was paying attention. In an administration filled with grifters, Jared Kushner is a universe unto himself, and if there's any justice, time is running out on his Washington adventure as top presidential advisor and Keeper of the Family Pelf. These revelations from the New York Times about loans from Devils owner Joshua Harris and Citigroup came one day after a Washington Post report that Kushner's security status was downgraded, in part, because four countries are trying to use his financial problems to manipulate him. This is not how foreign relations usually work. Indeed, Kushner's foreign policy legacy was captured Friday by The Intercept, which examined his pursuit of an investment from Qatar officials in his Manhattan white elephant known as 666 Fifth Avenue. Kushner has been humiliated. Will Trump kick him to the curb? | Opinion Weeks after he failed to get a loan last April from our Middle East ally, Kushner allegedly gave Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain his support for a diplomatic assault that resulted in a blockade of Qatar in June - even as Rex Tillerson tried negotiate a settlement. So instead of brokering peace, President Trump allows his son-in-law to conduct a shadow foreign policy that punishes countries which don't lend him money. Allegedly. Legal, but unethical: Kushner's Jersey City gambit | Editorial All this reportedly has the attention of Robert Mueller, because Kushner has come to epitomize an administration that uses the office to enrich its businesses, lets offspring run amok, and aspires to autocracy. As the saying goes: If this were Botswana, we'd have a term for it. But this is the Trump presidency, where the corruption is so ingrained yet so pedestrian that we can no longer keep up - yet another sign we are sliding into banana republicanism. It's true that you can't choose your relatives. But you can choose when to fire them, and he should be skilled in the practice by now. Star Ledger LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101649 New Jersey Devils

Why goals started finding net for Devils' Kyle Palmieri

Updated March 2, 2018 at 7:02 AM; Posted March 2, 2018 at 6:00 AM By Chris Ryan

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Kyle Palmieri looked like his old self in February. The Devils forward's eight goals over 14 games nearly doubled the nine he had over 30 games from October through January. Three different injuries sidelined Palmieri over the first half of the season, but during the second half, his consistent presence in the lineup sparked his game. "It's one of those things you've got to work in and find a groove," Palmieri told NJ Advance Media. "Sometimes it's tough to do that, sometimes you struggle to do it. Other times it's things like injuries that keep you from doing it. But overall I think I've done a good job of staying with it and working hard, but it's nice to get rewarded on some of those shots that hadn't or weren't going in in the beginning of the year." Hall sets Devils point streak record Palmieri's surge is the second straight year his game has gotten going in the second half of the season. In 2016-17, Palmieri scored four goals over his first 30 games. Over his last 50, Palmieri netted 22 to lead the team with 26 for the season. When Palmieri picked things up last season, coach John Hynes said it came down to him getting to his strengths and playing the right way to generate goals. Palmieri looked to carry that over into 2017-18 before an opening-day knee injury, an October ankle injury and a November broken foot disrupted his first half. Now Palmieri seems to have his groove back. "Last year, first part of the year, he didn't play the way he needed to play to have success," Hynes "I think he learned, he had some benchings, he got taken off the power play at times. Second half of last year he bought in and played consistently, how he needs to play. "This year I think it's more been injuries. In training camp, he looked fantastic. Then he got hurt the first game, came back and got hurt again. Now he's had some staying power in the lineup and he looks like he did at the beginning of training camp, where he's playing to an identity, he's fast, strong, shooting the puck, and that's when he's playing his best hockey." What Devils get from Michael Grabner, Patrick Maroon Palmieri's scoring surge is coming at an important time for the Devils, with just 18 games to go in the regular season and the playoff race heating up even more. He's now second on the team with 17 goals this season. "I'm going to do whatever it takes to help my team win," Palmieri said. "So I think when you look at it individually, whatever it takes to get your team over the edge and into a playoff race, is what you're looking to do this time of year." Star Ledger LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101650 New Jersey Devils Two of those wins in his recent stretch came against the Hurricanes, and Kinkaid credited the play in front of him for the turn in results. If the Devils maintain their structure and style, Kinkaid will be set up for success. Devils' lines vs. Hurricanes (3/2/18) | How Keith Kinkaid used dud to "We just stick to our game plan. Either get on the board early or stick to spark best run of season our defensive structure, and that creates our offense," Kinkaid said. "Been fortunate to get a few breaks against them, and I just want to hold the fort against them and hopefully we can do that (Friday) too." Posted March 02, 2018 at 05:58 PM | Updated March 02, 2018 at 06:01 PM Handling a starter's workload By Chris Ryan While Schneider was out with his groin injury, Kinkaid played 12 of the Devils' 15 games, making it the heaviest workload he has handled in his NHL career. RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Devils will close a three-game road trip when they Kinkaid has had stretches of starts at times in the NHL, but February visit the Carolina Hurricanes at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at PNC Arena. taught him a good lesson about being a regular starter in the league. After goalie Cory Schneider returned from injured reserve in Thursday's "It was more managing my body, managing my rest," Kinkaid said. "I 3-2 loss to the Florida Panthers, the Devils will turn to Keith Kinkaid in the thought maybe I would have to go on the ice a lot more, but it’s more second leg of a back-to-back. about off-ice preparation. In the beginning I tried to do too much I think, and you saw a little dip there that one week where I went 0-3 after going Kinkaid went on a roll in Schneider's absence, and he turned a corner 3-0. following a blowout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Feb. 10. He is 5-1-0 in his six starts since then, which include two wins over the "I really learned more about the starting position in the NHL as you could Hurricanes. see the last five or six games, I’ve really come into my own, gotten really comfortable with it, adjusted and I feel as confident as ever." Here are the Devils' lines and pairings for Friday against the Hurricanes, more on Kinkaid turning a corner, plus notes and quotes heading into Importance of Hurricanes series game No. 65. When the Devils played the Hurricanes for the first time on Feb. 15, the Kyle Palmieri,Damon Severson Jaroslav Halak,Taylor Hall teams were close together in the standings while battling for a wild card spot. FORWARDS The Devils picked up two wins over the Hurricanes since then, and they Taylor Hall - Nico Hischier - Kyle Palmieri currently have a seven-point advantage in the standings, with Carolina holding ninth place in the Eastern Conference. Miles Wood - Pavel Zacha - Jesper Bratt Another head-to-head match gives the Devils another chance to pad their Michael Grabner - Travis Zajac - Stefen Noesen lead and add some separation. Blake Coleman - Brian Boyle - Patrick Maroon The Hurricanes also played on Thursday like the Devils and traveled NHL: New Jersey Devils at Florida Panthers home for Friday's game, so they will enter on a fairly level playing field. DEFENSEMEN "They're traveling from Philadelphia, it's pretty even that way," forward Taylor Hall said. "They're a team that needs points, just like Florida did Andy Greene - Sami Vatanen (Thursday). This time of year, the points are so huge. Every play is huge, every penalty, power play, it's magnified. We're going to have to step up." John Moore - Damon Severson How Cory Schneider felt in return | 6 observations from Devils' loss to Will Butcher - Ben Lovejoy Panthers NHL: New Jersey Devils at Pittsburgh Penguins What Devils need clean up from Thursday GOALIES The Devils came out of the gate slowly on Thursday and couldn't Starter: Keith Kinkaid (26 GP, 15-8-2, 2.99 GAA, .903 save percentage) establish the same 60-minute effort they saw in their 3-2 win on Tuesday against the Penguins. Backup: Cory Schneider With a quick turnaround on Friday, the Devils will aim to shake off the Kinkaid will start the second leg of the back-to-back after Schneider inconsistent parts of their game. played on Thursday. Kinkaid is 2-0-0 against the Hurricanes this season, picking up a 5-2 win and a 3-2 win in overtime. "We've got to be much harder, more thorough with out puck management," Devils coach John Hynes said. "We've got to make more SCRATCHES determined plays through the neutral zone, at the offensive blue line. Get the puck in the offensive zone, we've got to be a to harder on it. We've Forward: Jimmy Hayes (healthy), Drew Stafford (healthy) got to make teams defend. And I think our forecheck and forecheck Defenseman: Mirco Mueller (healthy) pressure have to be a lot more in sync. Quicker, harder." On IR: F Marcus Johansson (concussion, working out off ice); F Brian Star Ledger LOADED: 03.03.2018 Gibbons (broken thumb, skating on own); Goalie Eddie Lack was assigned to AHL Binghamton on Thursday. GAME NOTES Kinkaid's recent run After Kinkaid dropped a 6-1 decision against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Feb. 10, the goalie has turned things around and played his best hockey of the season. He is 5-1-0 in six starts since that loss, and he has a 2.13 GAA and a .933 save percentage. Following the Columbus loss, Kinkaid called it a wake-up call for the team, and they certainly responded. "We just look at that game and they were all over us. Then we look at other games, and we're playing our game," Kinkaid said. "That's really the key. We can't stray from our game. We need a full 60 minutes. Committed to blocking shots, committed to defense. That's our game and use our speed. When we don't use our speed, teams can expose us. We've done a great job the last couple weeks competing with anyone." 1101651 New Jersey Devils While Taylor Hall scored his 28th goal of the season to tie the game at 1- 1 in the second period and extend his point streak to 16 games, he said he had an off game that didn't support the Devils' collective effort. How Cory Schneider felt in return | 6 observations from Devils' loss to "I thought our team played pretty hard, to be honest," Hall said. "(The Panthers Panthers) play hard, man. They play fast, in your face, and it was a pretty close game for a lot of it. So that’s what you can expect this time of year." Posted March 02, 2018 at 06:30 AM | Updated March 02, 2018 at 07:01 "Myself, puck died on my stick a lot. That’s not good." AM Bratt gets back on the board By Chris Ryan With the Devils trailing 3-1 in the closing minutes of regulation, Jesper Bratt scored a 6-on-5 goal with 2:07 left to get them back within one. SUNRISE, Fla. -- The Devils didn't have the desired detail or sharpness It wasn't enough to spark a comeback, but it did get Bratt back on the in their game during Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Florida Panthers at the scoreboard after a quiet February. The goal snapped a seven-game point BB&T Center, where their two-game winning streak was snapped. drought, and it was his first goal since Jan. 20. Cory Schneider made 26 saves in his return from injured reserve and "It was nice to finally get a goal there," Bratt said. "It’s been a long time. Patrick Maroon had two assists in his Devils debut, but the Devils Always helps with the confidence a little bit to get a goal, so it was nice." dropped the season series against the Panthers. Bratt was coming off back-to-back games where he logged under 10 Here is more on Schneider's return, Maroon's impact, Jesper Bratt's minutes of ice time, which hadn't happened all season. He got back to drought ending and more. 12:01 on Thursday. Schneider's return "Of course you notice (the ice time)," Bratt said. "You always want to be out there as much as possible to play. Sometimes the game goes Schneider stopped 26 of 29 shots in his first NHL game since Jan. 23, another way and other players are maybe hotter for that game, so that’s but it wasn't enough to earn a win. A couple of odd goals got past just something you have to respect. I want to do everything I can to get Schneider, with one getting kicked and pushed in off a rebound by the team to get a win, and sometimes other players have to play the teammate Nico Hischier in a collision in the crease, and another going off game to get a win." Schneider's shoulder from behind after defenseman John Moore and Panthers forward Maxim Mamin battled at the right post. Maroon makes quick impact Physically, Schneider felt fine, but the result wasn't what he wanted. Patrick Maroon played his first game as a Devil following Monday's trade from the Edmonton Oilers, and the 6-3, 225-pound forward made a quick NHL: New Jersey Devils at Florida Panthers impact. “Just the result makes it unsuccessful. I felt pretty good, I felt I had to He logged assists on both of the Devils' goals, and a drop pass in the first make some tough saves at different parts of the game," Schneider said. period nearly set up another, where Blake Coleman hit the post. The "There were some areas maybe a little rust, they were throwing a lot of game was Maroon's first since Feb. 20. pucks at angles. Early on maybe handling the puck. Sometimes the more you play, the more comfortable you get, and I think (goalie coach Rollie "I thought my legs were OK. Not the best. That’s part of being off for two Melanson) did a good job trying to prepare me for that kind of stuff. weeks," Maroon said. "You’ve just got to find your game, get used to your line mates, just get used to playing the game again. I felt Ok. It was just "Sometimes when you get into a game, it’s not the same. Maybe early on one of those games where I try to keep it simple. Use my legs a little bit, just getting comfortable on my posts and on my movements, I felt good get to the front of the net and create a little offense.” as the game went on. It was disappointing to give up two in the third and come up one short." The Devils had Maroon on the power play right out of the gate, and coach John Hynes increased his opportunities as the game progressed. Schneider tested on breakaway save "He fought his first shift, I think that’s part of his game that’s good," After Schneider allowed the Panthers' go-ahead goal to go down 2-1 in Hynes said. "I thought he was strong on the puck, he looked good. He the third period, he was tested again moments later when Panthers got a little more increased ice time as the game went on, so good first forward Evgenii Dadonov got free for a breakaway. game for him.” Schneider stayed back and used his right skate and pad to turn a shot Why Maroon fought away at the left post, leaving him sprawled out on the ice in an awkward position. It was a play tough to replicate in practice, and Schneider felt Maroon wasted no time dropping the gloves, as he and Panthers forward comfortable after making the save. Micheal Haley fought directly off a face-off 1:54 into the first period. NHL: New Jersey Devils at Florida Panthers The fight was Maroon's fifth of the season, and while he can bring skill on top of his physicality, he said he won't back down if challenged. "I was put in a pretty awkward position there," Schneider said. "I don’t know if I’ve done anything quite like that, even in practice. It was good to "He asked me to fight, so I’m willing to do that," Maroon said. "That’s how do in a game, and feeling no ill effects from it. So hopefully that can only I kind of started getting in the league. You’ve got to earn your mark, so get better from here.” I’m not a guy to shy away from him. Haley’s a well-respected player. He earned his mark to be in the NHL, and he did it the hard way. I respect Schneider won't play in both games of the Devils' back-to-back, as guys like that. He’s a tough customer for a little guy. For me, it’s good to expected coming off an injury. Keith Kinkaid will start on Friday against get engaged. You’re out for two weeks, so it feels good getting your legs, the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, North Carolina. your bearings underneath you." Not sharp enough Star Ledger LOADED: 03.03.2018 Following one of their more complete games of the season, where the Devils didn't have many lulls or miscues in a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, they could couldn't match that effort and execution. The Panthers pushed them early before getting the first goal, and while the Devils played well in spurts, they couldn't get the result in the final 20 minutes. “We didn’t get off to a great start. I thought we had some pushes, we had a couple posts, puck just didn’t go in," Devils coach John Hynes said. "We just didn’t play thorough enough to win the game. Our puck management when we were coming from behind wasn’t very good. We didn’t play hard enough, as detailed enough, and committed enough as we need to win.” 1101652 New Jersey Devils In an effort to get anything going on Friday, coach John Hynes didn't waste time switching up lines. He started simple by flipping centers Travis Zajac and Nico Hischier in the first period. 'We need more from everyone who's not Taylor Hall' | 6 observations By the second, different combinations were hitting the ice up and down from Devils' loss to Hurricanes all four lines in an effort to jumpstart the team. “You’re trying to find guys that are going. You don’t change the lines just Posted March 03, 2018 at 06:10 AM | Updated March 03, 2018 at 06:10 to change the lines," Hynes said. "It’s the one thing people have to AM understand: you never change the lines for no reason. Sometimes it’s matchups, sometimes there’s nothing going on, so we’ll leave it at that." By Chris Ryan Don't waste frustration for after the game

While the Devils may have been frustrated with their effort and execution RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Devils can't wait for Taylor Hall to come to the again after the game, Hynes said that mentality needs to fuel there play rescue every night. to start games. Yes, Hall came through again with a game-tying goal on Friday, but it Coming off a game on Thursday, the Devils needed some energy to get was the only offense generated in a 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes things going on Friday, and Hynes said the Devils need to have the at PNC Arena. ability to jump right into games with more intensity. While Hall extended his point streak to 17 straight games, the Devils "If you’re frustrated after a game because you got outplayed, it’s wasted didn't get enough out of the rest of the lineup, causing the Devils to drop energy," Hynes said. "Where was that motivation, the frustration, the their second game in as many nights. drive, to start the game? That’s what’s got to happen. You can’t play, get out played, then come in and slam sticks and get upset. You gotta make Hall can't do it all sure how important the game is, how competitive this time of year is and you’ve got to get yourself motivated and in that type of state to play the The Devils have benefitted from Hall's run during the 2018 calendar game." year, where he has at least one point in every game that he's played. While he's a consistent source of production, the team can't wait around Why goals started finding net for Devils' Kyle Palmieri for him to save the day every night. Kinkaid kept Devils in it "We still have more to give. And like I said, our execution was not there tonight," center Travis Zajac said. "It didn’t allow us to play with the puck The one consistent aspect of Friday's game was the goaltending for the as much and felt like we were chasing all game and that’s what Devils. Keith Kinkaid came up with multiple tough stops over the course happened. We definitely need more from everyone who’s not Hallsy. We of the night while ending with 27 saves on 29 shots faced. He's the can’t wait for him to do it all. We need more." reason they entered the third period tied 1-1 despite the offense's struggles. New Jersey at Carolina "They probably outplayed us for a lot of that game and we got some good Chris Seward | Raleigh News & Observer pushes, but Keith kept us in it for a lot of that," Hall said. "So we have to find a way to be better. They play fast, they play hard in this building. It’s Devils coach John Hynes echoed the same sentiments as Zajac, saying a tough test, but it would have been great to get two points here for sure." the Devils have not gotten the collective effort needed to play winning hockey. The outing marked the sixth straight start for Kinkaid where he allowed two goals or fewer, and he is 4-2-0 over that stretch. "We need a lot more guys going. The last two games, we’ve been outplayed," Hynes said. "We don’t have enough guys playing as hard "I just wanted to keep it at 1-1, at worst force overtime and get any points enough and as committed enough and as detailed enough to have we could," Kinkaid said. "Unfortunately they get a bounce off a shin pad success, so we got what we deserved." into net. Maybe I play a little deeper and just wait on it. You could pick apart the game all you want, but thought it was a pretty good game and But Hall can do a lot bounces didn’t go our way.” Despite the loss, Hall once again found himself in the middle of the lone Star Ledger LOADED: 03.03.2018 scoring play for the Devils. On a late second-period power play, Hall got his stick on a Sami Vatanen pass in the inner half of the right circle, deflecting it inside the right post to tie the game at 1-1 at 19:27. Hall's goal was his 29th of the season, extending his career high and giving him a goal for a third straight.game. NHL: New Jersey Devils at Carolina Hurricanes The goal also extended his franchise-record point streak to 17 straight games after he set the mark at 16 on Thursday. Hall has points his each of his last 24 appearances dating, and his last game without a point came on Dec. 30, 2017. During the 2018 calendar year, Hall has 17 goals and 17 assists. He has 29 goals and 41 assists for 69 points this season. Another inconsistent effort Friday's game was the second straight where the Devils couldn't access their speed, get cleanly through the neutral zone or maintain any consistent offensive pressure. Those two outings followed one of the Devils' most complete games of the year, where they avoided any significant lulls in a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday. "I don’t know. Stanley Cup Champions, we go out and outplay them, then these two games, we don’t have our best," Hall said. "So we’ve got to find some consistency and get feeling good at home again. It’s a big home stand for us." The Devils return to the Prudential Center on Sunday to host the Vegas Golden Knights. Then following a three-game home stand, they embark on a season-long six-game road trip. Why lines went in the blender 1101653 New Jersey Devils

Devils not sharp again in 3-1 loss to Hurricanes | Rapid reaction

Updated Mar 2, 10:36 PM; Posted Mar 2, 10:07 PM By Chris Ryan

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Carolina Hurricanes eventually made the Devils pay for a lackluster game. A third-period goal by Teuvo Teravainen was the difference in a 3-1 Hurricanes win over the Devil on Friday at PNC Arena, where the Hurricanes dictated play for most of the night. Teravainen jumped and deflected a Brett Pesce shot, sending it past Devils goalie Keith Kinkaid at 9:37 of the third period to give the Hurricanes a 2-1 advantage. Justin Williams added an empty netter for the Hurricanes with 21.4 seconds left. Teravainen's goal gave the Hurricanes their second lead in a game where the Devils couldn't find any rhythm on the offensive end, despite getting a tying goal in the second period. Taylor Hall extended his points streak to 17 straight games and 24 consecutive appearances when he scored in the closing minute of the second, tying the game at 1-1. With the Devils struggling to generate any dangerous chances, Hall broke through on a late-power-play goal. Sami Vatanen sent a puck from the right wall toward Hall in the right circle. Hall deflected the puck with his stick and sent it inside the right post at 19:27 for his 29th goal of the season. Hall's goal served a jolt for the Devils after they struggled to find any traction outside of their defensive zone early in the game, with the Hurricanes controlling play and shots over the first two periods. The Hurricanes out shot the Devils, 22-14, over the first 40 minutes, and they out attempted them, 43-27. The Devils out chanced the Hurricanes 13-10 in the third period, but the Hurricanes walked away with the two goals. Still, the Devils trailed by just one at the time of Hall's goal, largely due to the play of goalie Keith Kinkaid. The Hurricanes managed to sneak a shot past him when a Derek Ryan attempt went just over the goal line for a 1-0 lead at 11:50 of the second period, but Kinkaid turned away the other 24 shots he faced in the first two periods. Kinkaid finished with 27 saves on 29 shots faced. Next up The Devils will be off on Saturday following back-to-back games. They return to action on Sunday when they play their first ever game against the Vegas Golden Knights at 5 p.m. at the Prudential Center in Newark. The Devils are the only team in the NHL to not play the Golden Knights yet this season. Following Sunday's game, the Devils have two more at home to round out a three-game home stand. They host the Montreal Canadiens at 7 p.m. on Tuesday before the Winnipeg Jets visit for a 7 p.m. game on Thursday. What Devils get from Michael Grabner, Patrick Maroon Star Ledger LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101654 New Jersey Devils

When Devils Miles Wood knew he had taken next step as player

Andrew Gross, Published 6:24 p.m. ET March 2, 2018

RALEIGH, N.C. – Miles Wood can easily pinpoint the 60 minutes in which he took the step from the raw player he was as a rookie last season to the more polished product he’s become. “Yeah, I can,” Wood said. “The Chicago game.” That was on Nov. 12 and while Wood entered Friday night’s game against the Hurricanes at PNC Arena to wrap up the Devils’ three-game road trip with just one assist in four games since returning from a two- game suspension for boarding then-Lightning Vladislav Namestnikov, the 22-year-old son of ex-NHLer Randy Wood has 16 goals and 11 assists in 61 games. That easily surpasses the eight goals and nine assists he had in 60 games last season as he’s learned to harness his prodigal speed. And a lot of it came together when he notched his first career hat trick and had a career-high four points in a 7-5 win over the Blackhawks at United Center. “Scoring three goals, it does something to you,” Wood said. “It gives you confidence that you didn’t have before. From there, I just built on that. “Heading into this year, I wanted to be more consistent in my play and having the coach rely on me day in and day out,” Wood added. “Last year, I felt like a flash in the pan. I’d have five good games then take five games off. Now, I’m starting to play 10 good games and then another good 10 games. The most important thing in hockey is being consistent.” Hall scores but Panthers top Devils 3-2 Wood has spent time on every line but the top trip this season and embodies the Devils’ desire to play a fast game. Too often, though, last season – and less occasionally this season – Wood played too fast, going too hard to the crease and plowing into goalies. “I think he’s learned how to use speed,” Devils coach John Hynes said. “At times, you could say his speed looks reckless but it is more controlled. He’s is able to understand how to play defensively a lot better than last year, his awareness away from the puck. He’s been very strong around the net. “I’d say his game has certainly matured and continues to mature,” Hynes added. In that way, Wood’s development this season, along with frequent linemate, 20-year-old center Pavel Zacha, has been nearly as crucial to the team’s success as the impact rookies Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt and defenseman Will Butcher have had on the lineup. “I always knew what kind of player I could be,” Wood said. “It’s just whether or now how consistent I played. Talking with my dad and what he went through his career, it goes back to what the coach expects from you day in and day out and can you prove that?” Wood said he’s too engrossed in the Devils’ playoff push – eagerly anticipating being able to play in a seven-game series for the first time at any level - to start mapping out what improvements he’ll want to make this coming offseason. Hynes said he anticipates a good portion of Wood’s offseason work to take the next step in his career will focus as much as working “on his body in the right areas” as his hockey skills. But Hynes, asked whether he foresees Wood becoming a consistent 25- goal scorer in the NHL, is not willing to project what kind of player Wood can eventually become. “He’s got to get to 20 first,” Hynes said. “For me, I don’t think it’s about putting numbers on the player. Maybe it’s more, maybe it’s less. For me, as a coach, the focus is seeing the player really developing. Let’s not put a top on it or a goal. Let’s continue to see how good he can be.” BRIEF: Forwards Drew Stafford and Jimmy Hayes and defenseman Mirco Mueller remained the healthy scratches. Bergen Record LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101655 New Jersey Devils where I tried to keep it simple. I tried to get in front of the net. I thought our line (with Brian Boyle and Blake Coleman) was OK. It was a tough loss.” Panthers 3, Devils 2: Post-game observations - Understanding a missed “I thought he looked good,” Hynes added. “He fought on his first shift, I opportunity think that’s part of his game. I thought he was strong on the puck. He got increased ice time as the game went on. It was a good first game for him.” Andrew Gross, Published 7:58 a.m. ET March 2, 2018 | Updated 7:59 a.m. ET March 2, 2018 2. Cory Schneider made 26 saves, thought he played OK with some amounts of rust understandably in his game, and, as is a goalie’s lot, was talking about the two goals on lucky bounces after the game. The two most telling interviews following the Devils’ 3-2 loss to the On the video-upheld Barkov goal, in which Schneider made the save on streaking Panthers on Thursday night at BB&T Center came from leading Barkov’s shot from the left but Nico Hischier and Nick Bjugstad came scorer and MVP-candidate Taylor Hall, who set the team record by crashing into the crease and Schneider, knocking everything back, extending his point streak to 16 games with a fling-the-puck-on-net-and- including the puck into the net off Hischier’s skate, Schneider said, “I hope-for-the-best goal and coach John Hynes. wasn’t surprised it stood. It’s more or less a hockey play to go in front of the net. I don’t think Bjugstad intentionally pushed it in. I think they were There was frustration in Hall’s voice and Hynes was a little more clipped battling. It got Nico on his hip there. It’s just a bad bounce.” than usual in his responses. On Mamin’s goal, Schneider said, “I think it ramped off the stick. It was the sound of a missed opportunity. Watching the replay, I couldn’t really tell what happened. I take responsibility for every goal that goes in, every single goal. My job is to Hynes laid out the facts at the morning skate as to how well the Panthers keep them out. It got up in a hurry. The d-man had a stick on the puck were playing. And the team knew Tuesday night’s impressive 3-2 win at and just ramped it up. Obviously it’s not a good one to give up. I don’t Pittsburgh to start this three-game road trip was a thing of the past. know how much I would have done differently. I wasn’t cheating or on my Yet the Devils, with Cory Schneider back in net after missing 16 games knees or trying to anticipate. I was standing up. It hit a four-inch section because of a groin and hip injury, just did not have the same intensity, off my shoulder and underneath and into the net. It’s not a great way to the same crispness, the same purpose they showed against the go in there. Sort of a bad bounce.” Penguins. 3. Given that Schneider also played Tuesday night for Binghamton And now the Devils have very little time to regroup and respond as the (AHL), no surprise that Keith Kinkaid is starting against the Hurricanes road trip ends on Friday night at Carolina night (Faceoff: 7:30 p.m.; rather than having a recovering Schneider play three games in four Television: MSG Plus; Radio: WFAN-101.9FM/660AM, digital One nights. Jersey Network). 4. Rookie Jesper Bratt got off the schneid, scoring on a backhander off “They’re traveling from Philadelphia so it’s pretty even that way,” Hall the rush to bring the Devils within 3-2 at 17:53 of the third period with said. “That team needs points just like Florida did. At this time of the Schneider off for an extra skater. year, points are so huge. Every penalty, every power play, it’s magnified It was Bratt’s 13th goal and his first since Jan. 20, a span of 19 games. so we’re going to have to step up.” It also snapped a seven-game scoreless streak for Bratt, who has just Hall scores but Panthers top Devils 3-2 one goal and three assists in his last 19 games. The Hurricanes, who beat the Flyers, 4-1, on Thursday night, moved Bratt logged 12:01 with one shot after playing just nine-plus minutes in within two points of the Blue Jackets, who hold the second wild-card spot each of his last two games, setting season lows for ice time in in the Eastern Conference but lost, 5-2, at Los Angeles on Thursday consecutive games. night. The Devils, in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division and in the conference’s first wild-card spot, have a five-point cushion on the Blue “It’s tough to get a loss,” Bratt said. “There were some times during the Jackets and are seven points ahead of the Hurricanes. game we were the better team for sure. It’s tough to get the loss. For my own, it’s nice to get a goal after a long time. It always helps a little with The Devils also remain two points behind the third-place Penguins after confidence to get a goal so that’s nice. the visiting Bruins beat them, 8-4, on the Thursday night. “Of course you notice,” Bratt added of the reduced ice time. “You always The Devils’ issues against the Panthers included some less-than-crisp want to be out there as much as possible to play. Sometimes the game puck management, especially in trying to navigate the neutral zone, the goes another way and other players are maybe harder for that game. It’s Panthers just going to the net a little harder than the Devils did and some just something you have to respect. You want to do anything to help your lucky bounces that fell the Panthers’ way. team get a win.” Aleksander Barkov’s first goal was essentially kicked in by Nico Hischier Said Hynes, “We know he’s a talented player and he works through it so and Hynes lost his challenge of goalie interference on the play. And it’s nice for him to get rewarded with some of the hard work. Hopefully Maxim Mamin’s goal found a four-inch hole after bouncing off that gives him a little bit of a boost.” Schneider’s shoulder. 5. I would expect at least some minor alterations to the Devils’ lineup Meanwhile, Blake Coleman and Brian hit posts within three seconds of against the Hurricanes on a back to back besides Kinkaid starting. each other. Forwards Jimmy Hayes and Drew Stafford and defenseman Mirco Of course, Hall’s power-play goal to tie the game at 1 just 50 seconds Mueller are the candidates to come in. into the second period was also fortuitous as he flung the puck off the right boards and Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad, reaching out with As for going out: Maybe Hynes doesn’t want to push Maroon on a back his stick at the crease, inadvertently redirected the puck up and over to back? Does Hynes give defenseman Will Butcher another rest at Roberto Luongo. Carolina in favor of Mueller, as he did for the Devils 3-2 win there on Feb. 18? “It goes both ways,” said Hall, adding he felt the puck “died” on his stick the whole game. “At this time of the year, you’ve got to really do the extra Questions, questions. things. The games are so close. It really comes down to one or two plays. We just weren’t able to get that one play to push us ahead.” 6. The NHL won’t recognize Hall’s point streak as 23 games because he missed three games with an injured right thumb. So it’s officially a 16- Here are some post-game observations: game point streak, which still broke the Devils’ team record Hall was sharing with Patrik Elias and Brian Gionta. 1. If this is what Pat Maroon can provide to the Devils, then he will be a decent addition/upgrade to the roster. But the league will let it be known that Hall is the 10th player in the past 30 years to record at least one point in 23 or more consecutive Maroon assisted on both goals and was a plus-1 in 13:16 with three appearances. shots, his ice time reduced after spending five minutes into the box in the first period fighting Micheal Haley on his first shift as a Devil. 7. All these breakaway chances for Michael Grabner are great. “Part of being off for two weeks, you have to find your game, get used to Even greater would be putting the puck on the net. your linemates, get used to playing the game again,” said Maroon, who had not played since Feb. 20. “I felt OK. It was one of those games 8. Early-morning flight to windy Raleigh. Hynes scheduled to meeting the media at 5:20 p.m. with lineup news and more, or at least hopefully more. Bergen Record LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101656 New Jersey Devils his second game for the Devils after being acquired on Monday, was on Pavel Zacha’s right wing along with Miles Wood. Blake Coleman took Hall’s spot with Zajac and Palmieri. aylor Hall extends point streak to 17 games but Devils fall to Hurricanes, By the end of the period, Hall was with Zajac and Grabner. 3-1 BRIEFS: Kinkaid, 28, made his 100th NHL appearance and his career- high 27th appearance this season as he started for the 13th time in 17 Andrew Gross, Published 10:08 p.m. ET March 2, 2018 | Updated 11:39 games. …Hynes was denied his 100th victory as an NHL coach for the p.m. ET March 2, 2018 second straight night. …Forwards Drew Stafford and Jimmy Hayes and defenseman Mirco Mueller remained the healthy scratches.

Bergen Record LOADED: 03.03.2018 RALEIGH, N.C. – If the Devils were frustrated after being outplayed in a second straight loss – and they were – well, coach John Hynes has a blunt message for his team. “You know they care,” Hynes said. “But you’ve got to get yourself into that state to start the game. If you’re frustrated after the game because you got outplayed, well, it’s wasted energy. Where was that motivation, the frustration, the drive to start the game? That’s what has to happen. “You can’t get outplayed and then come in and slam sticks and be upset,” Hynes added. “You’ve got to make sure that you understand how important, how competitive this time of the year is and you’ve got to get yourself motivated and in that type of state to play the game, not after the game.” Instead, the Devils got another goal from Taylor Hall, who kept his team record point streak alive, and a strong game from goalie Keith Kinkaid. But they ended a three-game road trip with back-to-back losses as Friday night’s 3-1 to the Hurricanes at PNC Arena followed Thursday night’s 3-2 loss to the Panthers. “We just need more from everyone who’s not Hallsy,” Travis Zajac said. “We can’t wait for him to do it all. We need more.” Hall notched a point in his 17th straight Devils game, extending his franchise record, with 12 goals and 10 assists in that span. Hall actually has at least one point – 17 goals and 17 assists – over his last 24 appearances but missed three games prior to the All-Star Game with an injured right thumb, hence the league not considering it a continuous streak. Hall last went without a point on Dec. 30 in a 5-2 loss at Washington. “We need a lot more guys going,” said Hynes, who started shuffling his lines midway through the first period. “The last two games we’ve been outplayed. We don’t have enough guys playing as hard enough, as committed enough and as detailed enough to have success. So we got what we deserved. Last night and tonight.” Kinkaid stopped 27 shots for the Devils (33-24-8) while Cam Ward made 25 save for the Hurricanes (29-25-11), also playing on back to back nights after snapping an 0-4-2 slide with a 4-1 win at Philadelphia on Thursday night. The Devils remain in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division and in the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card position. Hall, skating below the right circle, deflected Sami Vatanen’s shot past Ward to tie the game at 1 on the power play at 19:27 of the second period. Devils leading scorer Taylor Hall extends his franchise record point streak to 17 games in a 3-1 loss at Carolina on Friday night, March 2, 2018. Andrew Gross/NorthJersey.com He now has 29 goals – extending his career high – and 41 assists giving the Devils their first 70-point scorer since Ilya Kovalchuk (83) and Patrik Elias (78) both exceeded that mark in 2011-12. “Our puck execution wasn’t where we wanted it to be,” Hall said. “That didn’t allow us to get to our game.” Derek Ryan gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead at 11:50 of the second period as he banked the puck in off defenseman Damon Severson’s skate. Teuvo Teravainen’s deflection of Brett Pesce’s blue-line blast put the Hurricanes ahead 2-1 at 9:37 of the third period. Justin Williams clinched it with an empty-netter with 21.4 seconds left. The most noteworthy moment in an otherwise sluggish first period with both teams playing on tired legs came when Hynes flip-flopped centers Nico Hischier and Travis Zajac. The No. 1 overall pick was put between Michael Grabner and Stefan Noesen while the veteran Zajac went to center Hall and Kyle Palmieri. The lines got further tweaked in the second period as Hall was used on a line with Brian Boyle and rookie Jesper Bratt and ex-Oiler Pat Maroon, in 1101657 New Jersey Devils 4. At some point in this game, Michael Grabner will have a breakaway. The question is: Will that lead to his first point as a Devil.

“He probably could have four goals at this point in time,” Hynes said. “I Devils Live Blog: Hurricanes top Devils, 3-1 - Taylor Hall extends point think the positive thing is you see what his speed does.” streak 5. No doubt, the Devils’ plan now that Schneider is healthy again is to give a good portion of the games to their No. 1 goalie. Kinkaid needs to Andrew Gross Published 6:40 p.m. ET March 2, 2018 | Updated 10:34 show how he responds to that internal competition and prove that he p.m. ET March 2, 2018 deserves to keep getting key starts. He made 36 saves in Tuesday’s 3-2 win at Pittsburgh to improve to 5-1-0 with a 2.16 GAA and a .933 save percentage of his last six games. That Greetings from windy, but not snowy or rainy, Raleigh, N.C. where the included making 40 saves at Carolina on Feb. 18. Devils conclude a three-game road trip against the Hurricanes tonight at PNC Arena (Faceoff: 7:30 p.m.; Television: MSG Plus; Radio: WFAN- “He hasn’t given up leaky goals,” Hynes said. “That was a big thing with 101.9FM/660AM, digital One Jersey Network). him when he was struggling. He was giving one or two softies a game. Now, he’s made some big saves when we’ve needed them.” It’ll be the same lineup, same lines and same defense pairs for the Devils as in their 3-2 loss at Florida on Thursday night other than Keith Kinkaid 6. The Hurricanes have been outscored 67-48 in the second period this going back in net and starting for the 13th time in the last 17 games as season. he makes his 100th NHL appearance and his career-high 27th this 7. This is a what-to-listen-for entry but I will be the first intermission guest season. on the Devils’ radio broadcast, as always available digitally via the One The Devils are going for the three-game season series sweep of the Jersey Network and tonight on your dial on WFAN-101.9FM and 660AM. Hurricanes. Devils (33-23-8) Yet Devils coach John Hynes doesn’t see a great chance of that Taylor Hall-Nico Hischier-Kyle Palmieri happening if his team plays the same way it did in a 3-2 overtime win in this building on Feb. 18 in which they were outshot 42-21. Miles Wood-Pavel Zacha-Jesper Bratt “The last game we played them, we don’t need to replicate much except Michael Grabner-Travis Zajac-Stefan Noesen timely scoring,” Hynes said. “We’ve got to be way better than the last time we played. The first game (a 5-2 win at Prudential Center on Feb. Blake Coleman-Brian Boyle-Pat Maroon 15) was a much more thorough game. We probably deserved to win. The Andy Greene-Sami Vatanen last time, we got good goaltending, special teams and timely scoring so we need to be way better.” John Moore-Damon Severson Kinkaid was also in net for that game. Will Butcher-Ben Lovejoy Cory Schneider returned to the lineup with 26 saves against the Panthers Keith Kinkaid (15-8-2, 2.99 goals-against average, .903 save percentage) but, again, Hynes is not looking to replicate the start the Devils got off to at Florida. Hurricanes (28-25-11) “We’ve got to be much harder, more thorough with our puck Brock McGinn-Jordan Staal-Justin Williams management,” Hynes said. “We’ve got to make more determined plays Sebastian Aho-Elias Lindholm-Tuevo Teravainen through the neutral zone and at the offensive blue line. We’ve got to make teams defend. I think our forecheck and forecheck pressure have Jeff Skinner-Lucas Wallmark-Phillip Di Giuseppe to be a lot more in synch, quicker and harder. We’ve got to have that tonight.” Victor Rask-Derek Ryan-Lee Stempniak The Devils enter tonight’s game having won six of their last nine BUT Jaccob Slavin- Brett Pesce also having lost three of their last five. So you guys can debate how much water is in that glass. Noah Hanifin- Justin Faulk They are in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division and in the Eastern Haydn Fleury-Trevor van Riemsdyk Conference’s first wild-card spot, five points ahead of the fifth-place Blue Cam Ward (18-9-4, 2.65, .909) Jackets who, in turn, are just two points ahead of the sixth-place Hurricanes for the conference’s second wild-card spot. Devils starters: Kinkaid, Moore-Severson, Hall-Hischier-Palmieri The Devils are also just two points behind the third-place Penguins and Devils scratches: Mirco Mueller, Jimmy Hayes, Drew Stafford still just five points out of first place in the division. Hurricanes starters: Ward, Slavin-Pesce, McGinn-Staal-Williams The Hurricanes beat the second-place Flyers, 4-1, at Philadelphia on Thursday night but are in a 1-4-2 slide. Hurricanes scratches: Klas Dahlbeck, Joakim Nordstrom Here’s what to watch for tonight: First period: On the opening faceoff, Williams pushing and jockeying with Hall, who pushes back and they get spoken to before puck dropped. That 1. The old stand-by: Can Taylor Hall make it 17 straight Devils games would have been one straight game Hall got into it on the opening draw. with at least a point, extending the team record he took over with his goal Ryan from a sharp-angle on the right, gets the puck over Kinkaid’s glove against the Panthers. Hall has 11 goals and 10 assists over his last 16 and hits the near post. That might have been the definition of a leaky games. goal. Kinkaid slides to his left and makes a nice save on Ryan cutting to the post at 5:16. That’s the game’s second shot, both by the Hurricanes. Hall also has 16 goals and 17 assists as he’s collected at least one point At 8:29, Maroon slow to the bench after colliding with Boyle but staying in each of his last 23 appearances as he missed three games prior to the there after skating slowly off the ice from the left corner in the Hurricanes All-Star break with an injured right thumb. zone. Hurricanes up on shots 5-2. At 10:29, Hynes flip flops Zajac and 2. This is obviously a holdover from Thursday night: Hynes can record Hischier, so Zajac is between Hall and Palmieri and Hischier is centering his 100th win with the Devils and in the NHL. Grabner and Noesen. Shots are 9-5 for the Hurricanes at 16:22 as the Devils get the first power play with Faulk holding Boyle in the Hurricanes’ 3. Looking to see whether rookie Jesper Bratt’s goal to close the scoring zone. Devils don’t make a dent on the power play and do not register a against the Panther, snapping a seven-game streak without a point and shot. Shots are 9-6 for the Hurricanes. an 18-game streak without a goal, gets his production game going a little Second period: Zajac remains in between Hall and Palmieri. Well, to bit. start. Now things are jumbled as Hall is skating with Boyle and Bratt, “I think it always does,” Hynes said. “He’s a young, skilled player. He has Maroon is with Zacha and Wood and Coleman is skating with Zajac and played pretty well of late. He hasn’t gotten rewarded on the scoreboard. Palmieri. Zacha hooks Di Guiseppe at 6:34 but Coleman is the best Any player, you get a goal, an assist, it gives him some energy, some player on the ice during the Hurricanes’ man advantage, getting a confidence. So, hopefully that helps him continue to build his game back shorthanded shot while the Hurricanes were limited to one shot. to where he needs to be.” Hurricanes take a 1-0 lead at 11:50, though as Ryan, around the crease all game, is off the left post and banks it in off Severson’s skate. Hanifin, with the secondary assist, creates the sequence by keeping the puck in at the left point after Butcher attempted to clear. Rask gets the primary assist. Sorry, been writing my game story, so back to this and the Hurricanes are up on shots 22-13 with 1:26 remaining and the Devils, if possible, are playing less crisp this period. Also, Hall now with Zajac and Grabner. And Ryan goes off for holding in the offensive zone. with 59.9 seconds left. At 19:27, Hall, skating to the crease, deflects Vatanen’s shot to tie the game at 1 on the power play. That’s a team record and NHL-best this season 17-game point streak for Hall, who has points in the last 24 games in which he’s played (missing three for a injured right thumb). Palmieri gets the secondary assist. Shots are 22-14 for the Hurricanes. Third period: A quick note: Hall, with 29 goals and 41 assists, is the Devils’ first 70-point scorer since both Ilya Kovalchuk (37 goals, 46 assists, 83 points) and Patrik Elias (26-52-78) did so in 2011-12. Just over six minutes in and Sharp has to be sharp to stop Severson cutting low. The Hurricanes take a 2-1 lead at 9:37 as Pesce takes a blast from the blue-line and Teravainen gets either his body or his stick on the shot as he battles Vatanen for position. Wallmark trips Grabner at 9:57. Ward stretches to stop Palmieri’s power-play one timer. Kinkaid comes off for an extra skater with 2:10 remaining. Williams clinches it with an empty- netter with 21.4 seconds left. Devils are outshot 30-26 and outplayed. That’s two nights in a row. Dum-dum-dum-duh. Bergen Record LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101658 New York Islanders

Islanders give up three goals in third, fall to Canadiens

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Friday, March 2, 2018, 11:19 PM

NEW YORK — The Islanders are stumbling hard at the wrong time of the season for a team with eyes on a postseason berth. Alex Galchenyuk completed his hat trick shortly after Paul Byron and Noah Juulsen scored 1:43 apart in the third period, lifting the Montreal Canadiens over New York 6-3 on Friday night. New York dropped to 29-29-7 with its fifth straight loss. Tanner Fritz, Josh Bailey and Brock Nelson scored, and Jaroslav Halak made 19 saves. "Our record is ugly the past couple weeks," Thomas Hickey said. "You just have to win. It's that time of year. We've been given all the X's and O's and everything. We have to win. We have to find a way to win. Simple." The Islanders entered the game trailing Columbus by four points for the final Eastern Conference wild card. However, New York has lost 27 of 41 (14-22-5) since Dec. 1. Galchenyuk scored his third goal into an empty net with 49 seconds left and also had an assist. Brendan Gallagher also scored for Montreal, which improved to 24-29-10 with its second straight win. "We're happy to find a way to win," Galchenyuk said. "We've been playing better the last couple of weeks." Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty left the game in the third period with a lower-body injury. Montreal coach Claude Julien said Pacioretty would travel with the team during the rest of its six-game trip and would be "re- evaluated as we go along. We were just being cautious in the third period." Montreal's Charlie Lindgren stopped 32 shots. Montreal added to New York's woes when Byron and Juulsen scored to give Montreal a home-and-home series sweep — the Canadiens beat New York 3-1 on Wednesday in Montreal. Byron made it 4-3 with his 16th of the season at 8:10. Juulsen, a rookie, then scored his first NHL goal on a slap shot off of a feed from Artturi Lehkonen. Gallagher opened the scoring with his team-leading 22nd goal 1:28 in by deflecting Galchenyuk's shot from the blue line. The lead held until Fritz scored his second of the season with six seconds remaining in the period. Galchenyuk snapped the tie with his 13th of the season 2:17 into the second with the teams playing 4 on 4. Galchenyuk found the rebound when David Schlemko's shot ricocheted off the post. Bailey tied it 2:06 later with his 16th of the season. Montreal took its third lead of the game on Galchenyuk's second of the period at 11:31, but Nelson's power-play goal with 3.3 seconds left sent the teams into the intermission tied at 3. "After the middle of the second it didn't feel like a playoff atmosphere," Islanders coach Doug Weight said. "We weren't physical like we've been. Yeah, there's things we can do, but we have to play better. We're not playing well." New York Daily News LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101659 New York Islanders

How Isles star gained inside track to NHL’s top rookie honor

By Greg Joyce March 2, 2018 | 6:51PM

As he set goals and expectations for himself before the season began, even Mathew Barzal didn’t expect anything quite like this. After playing two games with the Islanders last season before being sent back to juniors, the winger just wanted to accomplish some simpler things this year like, for one, sticking in the NHL for 82 games. Leading all rookies in assists and points and having the inside track to win the Calder Trophy? Not so much. “I don’t think maybe to this extent, just in terms of numbers wise,” said Barzal, who entered Friday’s game against the Canadiens at Barclays Center with 18 goals and 49 assists. “I wanted to be an impact player and I wanted to be somebody they can rely on. I wanted to be in the lineup consistently. I don’t think early on I expected this much success.” If there was a rookie wall to be hit, the 20-year-old Barzal quickly knocked it down. Besides starting the season with five straight scoreless games, the longest he has gone without a point is three games (twice). The Islanders need everything they can get from Barzal as they wind down the regular season needing a major run to have any hope of sneaking into the playoffs. “I don’t think anyone’s really in panic mode just yet,” Barzal said. “We know we just gotta win games now. It’s as simple as that.” While some Islanders have entered scoring droughts that have forced coach Doug Weight to shuffle the lines in hope of finding a spark, the second unit has remained a source of consistency. With Barzal centering Anthony Beauvillier and Jordan Eberle, the line had combined to tally six goals and 11 assists over the last six games before Friday. Along with developing a chemistry on and off the ice with Barzal, Eberle has served another important role. “He chirps me pretty good,” Barzal said. His teammates’ good-natured ribbing helps Barzal stay grounded through a rookie season that has doubled as a non-stop highlight reel with his speed and stick skills. “We got a great group of older veterans,” Barzal said. “They make sure I’m not getting complacent or not reading into too much publicity stuff and media attention. They’ve done a great job just being my friend and being great teammates and making sure I’m working hard and not letting anything go to my head.” Barzal can get a daily reminder from his landlord, Dennis Seidenberg. The 36-year-old defenseman, who already has three kids of his own, offered up the basement of his Garden City house to Barzal. After Seidenberg’s wife, Rebecca, gave the idea a thumbs up, Barzal moved in. “It’s been great,” Barzal said. “He keeps me busy, I’m not at home by myself all day just bored and playing video games. They got three kids and it keeps me on my toes. Obviously Seids is such a pro. He helps me a lot in that sense.” With a month left in the season, Barzal appears to be in the driver’s seat for the Calder Trophy. The biggest threat to that feat is Canucks 21-year- old winger Brock Boeser, who owns the rookie lead of 29 goals to go with 25 assists. Though the veterans will be there to make sure Barzal doesn’t get too cocky if he does take home the NHL’s top rookie honor, they’re still counted among those who are impressed by what he’s accomplished. “He’s got a lot of confidence — not in a bad way,” said winger Josh Bailey, who played on Barzal’s line earlier this season. “I think that’s what makes him such a good player is he’s able to bring that confidence into his play.” New York Post LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101660 New York Islanders The second would be a reminder that Tanner Glass is back with the Flames, as he got into a pretty gnarly fight with Colorado’s Duncan Siemens on Wednesday — and then they swapped gloves over the glass The trades that weren’t made reveal the NHL’s real problem in the penalty boxes. Playing catch to kill time in the penalty box. pic.twitter.com/IM9i20dWEx By Brett Cyrgalis March 2, 2018 | 2:22PM — NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) March 1, 2018 Selling in Seattle In Gary Bettman’s league of parity, it’s not easy for teams to know if Quite the impressive start for what is sure looking like the pending new they’re good or bad. That’s because the answer is they’re neither. NHL franchise out in Seattle. Beginning a drive to get deposits down on future season tickets, the goal was for 10,000 — and within the first hour, And so that left another NHL trade deadline to come and go with only a they got 25,000. Wow. Surely the success of the Vegas Golden Knights few buyers and only a few sellers, with the rest of the general managers in their inaugural season has something to do with the enthusiasm, but seemingly paralyzed by either the fear of making a bad deal or by there good on the city of Seattle. being no deals out there to be made. And as Bettman continues to dump on the the city Calgary — with any It’s hard to think there wasn’t more available than 18 trades made that thought of leagues or teams putting pressure on taxpayers to fund a new included 37 players. But it has become a complicated world to make building landing somewhere between distasteful and deplorable — any moves, and I’m still not sure I understand what happened in the deal that new additions of enthusiastic fans and owners is a plus. sent Derick Brassard from the Senators to the Penguins, with the Golden Knights somehow absorbing $2 million of his salary. Stay tuned … But what I surely don’t understand is more teams not aggressively … to the Islanders pregame show on MSG before Friday’s Brooklyn pursuing trades with the declaration that they are either trying to win the match against the Canadiens, when the venerable Stan Fischler is set to Stanley Cup or trying to add assets and get better in the future. Good for publicly announce this is his final season doing TV work. The Hockey the Lightning, Bruins, Jets and Golden Knights to add win-now pieces, Maven started watching the game in 1939, and he leaves a legacy and and good for the Rangers, Blackhawks, Senators and Oilers for lineage in New York that likely will remain unrivaled. (That includes many recognizing they couldn’t win and selling off as much as they could former Posties, including the memorable NYPPP [New York Puny Pony before Monday’s 3 p.m. deadline. Picker], Anthony Affrunti.) But for those in between — why? Does Islanders general manager Garth I still remember the first time Stan sent me an email to say he thought Snow think that 26-year-old center Brock Nelson, set to be a restricted something I wrote was noteworthy. Believe me, that never gets old. free agent with arbitration rights, is going to have a better market this Anyone involved in hockey in New York should be thankful for what Stan summer? Does Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin think the market will be has done. I know I am. better for Max Pacioretty this summer rather than now, a time when Parting shot teams were looking to add skill at a very high cost? Or were both GMs hamstrung by the idea that their respective teams really aren’t that bad For some reason, I just couldn’t stop watching this goal from Mikael that they need to totally rebuild? Granlund the other day. He’s also a big reason I think Minnesota is no pushover in the West. Call it The Parity Problem. Chest-hand-eye coordination is a thing now, and it's a beautiful thing Like many GMs, it seems Snow and Bergevin are both slow-playing their indeed. pic.twitter.com/7fVIr3wkE5 hands like some magic elixir awaits. Whereas fans always think the unseen is better than what is — as in, the young players should always — NHL (@NHL) February 28, 2018 get a chance over the veterans — it seems the men running these organizations see the opposite. New York Post LOADED: 03.03.2018 This is just as much a reflection of the league as it is their own sensibilities. The organizations that have had the most success since the league came back from the 2004-05 cancelled season with the hard salary cap — the Penguins, Blackhawks and Kings — were the ones who saw the need to tear it all down and then build back up. (It also helped that they all made great choices with high picks in the draft.) And then when they thought they had a chance to win, they went all-in. It’s just what the top of the league and what the bottom of the league did this week, while the majority of the teams just sat in the middle and remained fodder for the fire. It likely will remain the same in the lead-up to June’s draft. This is just the way the winners and losers — and all those in between — are made. Proud U.S. Women Not going to lie, there were some chills in the house in Tampa on Wednesday night, when the gold medal-winning U.S. Women Hockey Team was honored before the Lightning-Sabres game, and then captain Meghan Duggan dropped the ceremonial first puck. Nice tribute to the gold-medal-winning U.S. Women’s Olympic Hockey team here in Tampa, out there to a big ovation and dropping the ceremonial puck. pic.twitter.com/5skGU5hfW9 — Brett Cyrgalis (@BrettCyrgalis) March 1, 2018 The admirable squad is going to be honored again before the outdoor Stadium Series game this Saturday in Annapolis — you remembered that was happening, right? — along with what could be the most shocking gold medal recipient for the U.S. this Olympics, the Men’s Curling team. Blooper Reel Two good ones this week, first coming from the Red Wings (a blooper reel unto themselves) and the Blues. ice is slippery pic.twitter.com/KB9tkJsi8E — NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) March 1, 2018 1101661 New York Islanders

Islanders can’t afford for it to keep going like this

By Greg Joyce March 2, 2018 | 9:54PM

The Islanders are running out of time — and answers — to save a sinking ship. After scoring equalizers in the final six seconds of the first two periods, the Islanders had no comeback left for the third and fell to the Canadiens, 6-3, on Friday at Barclays Center. Starting the night four points out of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, and with three teams to leapfrog to get there, the Islanders (29-29-7) lost their fifth straight game with 17 to go. “It’s the same as the last three or four games,” defenseman Thomas Hickey said. “Those are chances to get at least one, probably two points every single time but we’re coming up with zero. It’s unacceptable.” Paul Byron scored the winner when he took a wraparound feed from Brendan Gallagher and beat Jaroslav Halak (19 saves) to snap a 3-3 tie at 8:10 of the third period. Fewer than two minutes later, Noah Juulsen ripped a slap shot to put the Canadiens up 5-3. Alex Galchenyuk finished off a hat trick on an empty-netter with 49 seconds left, sending the Islanders packing for a season-long nine-day, four-game road trip that starts Saturday in Pittsburgh. By the time they come back home, their playoff hopes could be even slimmer. “We have to fight for our lives,” blueliner Johnny Boychuk said. The frustration only mounted Friday, a night when the Islanders allowed just 25 shots. They had been under siege in recent weeks with shots against reaching 40-plus more often than not. They have cut down on those during their losing streak without any kind of results to show for it. “We were having [defensive] zone time in that last month that was just like, ‘We have to get better,’ ” coach Doug Weight said. “Now we’re never in our zone. It definitely makes you shake your head, but it’s hockey. You gotta be better and we gotta find a way. We’re not going to go away.” Just 48 hours removed from a 3-1 loss at Montreal, the Islanders took the ice short-handed without the services of Jordan Eberle and Casey Cizikas. Eberle was still feeling sore after Wednesday’s game, while Cizikas was at the hospital awaiting the birth of his first child. The Islanders played with 11 forwards and seven defensemen as they spent the night fighting from behind, starting just 88 seconds into the game. Bumped up to the top line, Tanner Fritz scored his second career goal with 5.8 seconds left in the first period to tie the game. The teams traded goals in the second period, capped by Brock Nelson deflecting a shot from Anthony Beauvillier to tie it again at three with 3.3 seconds left. But the Islanders could never find the goal to put them ahead. “They weren’t in the game and we kept letting them take the lead,” Weight said. “We’re just finding ways to lose. … I think to a man, 35 guys from coaches to players, we have to be better. It’s a clutch time of year. We need guys to be clutch.” During their five-game losing streak, the Islanders have been outscored 8-1 in the third period. “It’s a fine line,” captain John Tavares said. “We’re just coming out on the wrong end of it way too much right now.” As the Islanders prepared to take off for Pittsburgh, the search continued for answers on how to turn it around before it’s too late — if it’s not too late already. “It’s difficult to watch things go the way they are when you know how much everyone cares,” Hickey said. “Sometimes caring too much and trying too hard is going to come back at you rather than help you. It just sucks that this is the time of year when that’s happening.” New York Post LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101662 New York Islanders

Doug Weight shuffles Isles’ lines with Jordan Eberle out hurt

By Brian Heyman March 2, 2018 8:45 PM

Goals hadn’t been coming easily for the Islanders, and that had been their No. 1 skill. They arrived at Barclays Center Friday night to face Montreal having scored three or less in each of the previous eight games, going 2-5-1. They had scored one each in losing the last two. So Doug Weight tried some line shuffling, something that began in the third period in the opener of this home-and-home and continued at practice Thursday and at the start against the Canadiens. But two changes weren’t by choice, including one involving Weight’s second-line right wing. Jordan Eberle’s streak of 215 consecutive games played ended due to an injury. The first 151 came with Edmonton. “In good times and bad times, I think it’s necessary,” Weight told the media at the morning skate about his changes. “Sometimes that just brings a spark and a little different chemistry.” At first, the changes featured a switch of the first- and third-line right wings. Tanner Fritz moved up to play with center John Tavares and left wing Anders Lee. Josh Bailey moved down to play with center Brock Nelson and left wing Andrew Ladd. Eberle, though, left practice Thursday with some soreness from Wednesday’s loss at Montreal. So Cal Clutterbuck stepped in with center Mathew Barzal and left wing Anthony Beauvillier. Fourth-line center Casey Cizikas was also out for the birth of his child. Weight went with seven defensemen. Bailey also played with center Chris Wagner and left wing Ross Johnston on the fourth line. Late in the first, Fritz was back with the third line, and he scored to tie it at 1. When the puck was dropped for the second, though, he was with the first line. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101663 New York Islanders

Islanders on perilous five-game skid with loss to Canadiens

By Brian Heyman Updated March 3, 2018 2:05 AM

The Islanders are going in the wrong direction at the worst possible time. They have gotten lost on the road to the playoffs. After claiming only one point while losing the previous four games, the Isles faced off with Montreal on Friday night at Barclays Center to close a home-and-home set. They began four points back for the second wild card with two other teams in between. They also are about to go on the road for the next four games. So the Islanders really couldn’t afford to throw away two more points at home against a team that’s all but out of the race. They did it anyway. Alex Galchenyuk scored a hat trick and set up a fourth goal and the Canadiens broke open a tie game with three goals in the third period on the way to a 6-3 win. Make it a five-game slide now. “Yeah, it’s frustrating,” coach Doug Weight said. “We’re just finding a way to lose.” Indeed, the Islanders scored in the final six seconds of two different periods for the first time in their 3,565 regular-season games, rallied to tie after falling behind by a goal three times and still lost. Now they’re at 29- 29-7 with 17 games left. “It’s tough,” Josh Bailey said. “We all want to win. We all want to be in the postseason. It’s going to take a lot of work from here on out, obviously. It’s going to be difficult. But we’re certainly not going to throw in the towel.” The Islanders are four points behind Carolina and Columbus, which are tied for the final wild-card spot, and three points behind Florida. Montreal, which began play 11 points behind in the race for the second wild card, beat the Isles, 3-1, on Wednesday night. This time Paul Byron broke a 3-3 tie with a shot from the slot at 8:10 of the third after Jaroslav Halak deflected a wraparound attempt. Noah Juulsen scored his first NHL goal 1:43 later. And Galchenyuk added an empty-netter with 49 seconds left. “We felt like we’d get our chances along the way,” Canadiens coach Claude Julien said. “If you do your homework, they’re one of the teams that have given up the most goals.” Galchenyuk put Montreal ahead 2-1 just 2:17 into the second, beating Halak on a rebound. Then Nick Leddy sent in Bailey, who beat Charlie Lindgren at 4:23 to tie it. It was his career-high-tying 16th goal. But Leddy provided an assist to Montreal on the next goal. The defenseman turned the puck over in his own zone, sending it right to Mike Reilly, who whipped a pass to Galchenyuk in the right circle. His blast beat Halak at 10:31, and it was a 3-2 game. The Islanders received a power play late in the second, and Anthony Beauvillier sent the puck from the right circle to Brock Nelson in front. His redirection got past Lindgren to tie it with 3.3 seconds on the clock (Tanner Fritz had tied it at 1-1 with 5.8 seconds left in the first). “It’s the same as the last three or four games,” Thomas Hickey said. “Those are chances to get at least one, probably two points every single time. And to come up with zero, it’s unacceptable . . . We’re just digging a hole.” This was the front end of a back-to-back. The Islanders will try again Saturday in Pittsburgh, with AHL call-up Christopher Gibson getting his first NHL start of the season in goal. “We just have not been able to generate some momentum consistently, just execute at a high level,” John Tavares said. “We’ve had some bad third periods . . . We always seem to come out on the wrong side of it.” Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101664 New York Rangers

Henrik Lundqvist carries Rangers to win over Flames on his 36th birthday

JUSTIN TASCH Updated: Saturday, March 3, 2018, 1:42 AM

CALGARY — Henrik Lundqvist’s competitive drive was as strong Friday on his 36th birthday as it’s been at any point in his career. Rangers management may have sacrificed the rest of this season for the betterment of the club’s future, but don’t try to tell Lundqvist these games don’t matter. Bombarded by shots once again, Lundqvist made 50 saves for the second straight game in the Rangers’ 3-1 win over the Flames, none more sterling than his robbery of Mikael Backlund 42 seconds into the second period with his right hand after dropping his stick on a tic-tac-toe play by Calgary. “Obviously, it’s unbelievable,” Mats Zuccarello told the Daily News. “I expect him to make those saves. He’s from Scandinavia, Europe. We play soccer over there.” Calgary attempted a tic-tac-toe play and Lundqvist was moving to his left just as the puck was sent across to the opposite circle. With his stick on the ice, Lundqvist quickly dove to his right and stopped Backlund’s shot with the underside of his blocker where there’s no protection. He favored his right hand after the shot but remained in the game after having cooling spray applied by trainer Jim Ramsay. “When it happens that quickly, you don’t have time to think,” Lundqvist said. “You just react and improvise. Right now, there’s so many situations like that where you have to improvise. There’s no textbook. You have to battle.” By making 50 saves on 51 shots, Lundqvist became the first Rangers goaltender to make at least 50 saves in consecutive games since Gump Worsley on Jan. 27 and 30, 1963. He’s also the first goalie in NHL history to make 50 saves in consecutive games and earn a win in each. It’s the first time Lundqvist made 50 saves in regulation. MANDATORY CREDIT Ryan Spooner continued his impressive run since coming over Sunday from the Bruins in the Rick Nash trade, scoring his first Rangers goal and adding another assist. He has seven points in three games with the club, recording multiple points in three consecutive games for the first time in his career. His assist led to Kevin Hayes’ career-high 18th goal of the season. Spooner fired a puck on net immediately upon puck drop on an offensive- zone draw and Hayes cleaned up a loose puck underneath Flames goalie Jon Gilles for the opening goal. Twelve seconds after Lundqvist’s right-hand save, Pavel Buchnevich put the Blueshirts up 2-1. The Rangers are 2-0 A.D. (After Deadline) and if Columbus lost late Friday night the Blueshirts would be five points out of a wild-card spot. They’re rebuilding for the future, but the remaining players aren’t content to just let the season end with a thud. “Everyone’s writing us down in a way,” Zuccarello told The News. “Management’s been kind of rebuilding and all that, so we have nothing to lose. Go out, have fun, play and try to win. No pressure. Just go out, play your game, have some fun.” It helps to have Lundqvist back in vintage form. “1-0 as a 36-year-old,” Lundqvist said smiling. New York Daily News LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101665 New York Rangers

Young Rangers players have chance to step up into leadership roles in light of trades

JUSTIN TASCH Friday, March 2, 2018, 8:24 PM

CALGARY - Ryan McDonagh and Rick Nash leave behind a hole in leadership, a captain and alternate captain respected by their teammates shipped out as part of the Rangers' rebuild. Several veterans remain in Henrik Lundqvist, who turned 36 on Friday, , Mats Zuccarello and Chris Kreider and they will handle the load in the short-term, but an opportunity exists now for others to have bigger voices in the dressing room. Jesper Fast has been wearing an 'A' recently, and Brady Skjei and Kevin Hayes given their talent, experience and responsibilities could also fit the mold. "Growing into becoming a leader, it takes time, and as coaches you've got to work with your young players so that they understand different responsibilities," said Friday before the Blueshirts played the Flames. "That's a learning curve. Some players are leaders, I wouldn't say born leaders because I think that's a characteristic that you develop, but some players have it quicker than others. Others you've just got to work with them. "Right now we've got a few veteran guys that I expect a lot from as far as that - Marc Staal to Mats Zuccarello to Chris Kreider to Hank - but there's also some other guys. Sophomore guys, second-or-third-year pros that are trying to figure out exactly what their game is and exactly what their leadership role is on this team." Kevin Hayes can fit the mold of next Rangers captain. Skjei, now the team's No. 1 defenseman in his second full season, is currently the second-most tenured defenseman playing behind Staal; Kevin Shattenkirk has been around longer but is recovering from meniscus surgery and is in his first year with the club. The other four defenseman, Tony DeAngelo, Neal Pionk, John Gilmour and Rob O'Gara, spent a majority of this season in the AHL. Among forwards, only Zuccarello and Kreider have been with the team longer than Hayes and Fast. Jeff Gorton's roster reconstruction of course is about talent, youth and speed, but he's also mentioned the desire for character players. After Friday the club has 17 more games to see how players handle the adversity of playing out the string in meaningless games. About that, though. As long as these players are suiting up they're trying to win, and they don't think the season has to be over and done with despite what transpired before the trade deadline. The Rangers entered Friday seven points back of a wild-card spot. Brady Skjei. "We're in this to win," said Vigneault, whose own performance will be under evaluation. "I don't know anybody that even plays cards to lose. We're in a competitive game, we're in a team sport. So we want to win. We haven't won a lot lately. I think that last game (Wednesday) obviously cheered everybody up, and hopefully we took a step in the right direction." Victories have been few and far between, but they're trying to believe amid what has been a chaotic few weeks. "There's a lot of things going on right now," Vigneault said, "and we're sorting it out a day at a time." New York Daily News LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101666 New York Rangers Hayes was set to skate between Jesper Fast (sixth in club seniority) and Ryan Spooner (a teammate of less than a week after coming over as part of the Nash deal) for the third straight game against the Flames. The A suddenly senior Ranger has lost his friends, but not vision combo had produced three five-on-five goals their first two matches. “Everybody here has the opportunity to step up,” Hayes said. “It’s not only important that we do that for management, the coaches and the By Larry Brooks March 2, 2018 | 3:16PM fans, it’s most important that we do that for each other. We owe that to one another.”

New York Post LOADED: 03.03.2018 CALGARY — There is focus on the future expressed through the organizational mandate issued on Feb. 8, the multiple trades enacted proximate to the Feb. 26 deadline and the number of new, fresh faces in the lineup. There has been focus on the past as well, manifested by the Feb. 25 Jean Ratelle No. 19 number retirement and the concurrent announcement that Vic Hadfield would be the next man — or sweater number — raised to the Garden’s pinwheel ceiling. But by and large, focus on the present has been absent, and for pretty good reason. For when a club has been as hideous as the Rangers while going 1-6-1 and 6-16-1 into Friday night’s match here against the Flames, the best idea is to look away. But that is not the way Kevin Hayes, one of only seven holdovers from the team that lost the 2016 first round to the Penguins, sees it. “It’s a whole different atmosphere, that’s for sure, but we still have a group of athletes in here who want to win,” Hayes told The Post. “The way I look at it is that we’re not out of it until we’re mathematically eliminated, and I’m not the only one thinking that way.” All right. Since it has been a while since the playoff race has seemed germane to the program, let’s insert this reminder: The Blueshirts entered Friday seven points out of the second wild-card spot with five teams to leapfrog in order to get there. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming. Hayes, who scored two goals in Wednesday’s chaotic 6-5 overtime victory in Vancouver in which his team was outshot 55-27, out-attempted 81-44 overall and 63-37 at five-on-five, joined the Blueshirts at the start of 2014-15 as a free agent out of Boston College after having been the Blackhawks’ first-round and 24th-overall selection in 2010. And after a few of blinks of the eye, only Henrik Lundqvist, Marc Staal, Mats Zuccarello and Chris Kreider have greater seniority than the 6-5 center. “And I’m only 25; crazy, isn’t it?” Hayes said. “I’m sure it’s hit some of the other guys in here more, like Marc and Hank and Zukey. I wouldn’t put myself in that category with what they must be feeling and going through. “But it’s been tough losing not only those two guys [J.T. Miller and Ryan McDonagh] on Monday, but all five [also Rick Nash, Michael Grabner and Nick Holden] guys. I was close to all of them. You hear the rumors, and honestly, I’m just happy it wasn’t me. “I love being a Ranger. I want to be here my whole career.” Hayes and Ryan McDonagh earlier this yearAP Hayes has had a reasonably decent season for a team that hasn’t had many players at all match expectations. Not only has No. 13 already matched his career best of 17 goals, previously established in his first and third seasons, but he has provided that offense while used primarily for the first time in his career as the matchup center against the opposition’s top line. That role had belonged to for most of Hayes’ career. “I’m not complaining about it, but I have been more of a defensive center,” said No. 13. “When you’re playing against marquee guys and you take a risk in order to provide offense, there’s a pretty good chance you’re going to wind up looking like an idiot. “So as much as possible, I’ve tried not to look like an idiot.” But Hayes has tried to get the puck to the net more often. If he still doesn’t use his frame and expanded wingspan to quite enough advantage, he has shot the puck with greater frequency as the season has progressed. Indeed, Hayes is averaging 2.26 shots per, nearly twice the career 1.15 per he carried into the season. “I’ve always been an offensive player, but I have been looking to shoot a lot more,” he said. “When I Watch video, there are times where I see I should have shot and passed instead, so I’m always trying to be aware of that.” 1101667 New York Rangers

Rangers’ 25-year-old ‘veteran’ embracing expanded role

By Larry Brooks March 3, 2018 | 4:31am | Updated

CALGARY, Alberta — After a few blinks of the eye, only Henrik Lundqvist, Marc Staal, Mats Zuccarello and Chris Kreider have greater seniority in terms of continuous Rangers service than Kevin Hayes. “And I’m only 25; crazy, isn’t it?” the 6-foot-5 center said before the Rangers’ 3-1 victory over the Flames on Friday night. “I’m sure it’s hit some of the other guys in here more, like Marc and Hank and Zukey. I wouldn’t put myself in that category with what they must be feeling and going through. “But it’s been tough losing not only those two guys [J.T. Miller and Ryan McDonagh] on Monday, but all five [also Rick Nash, Michael Grabner and Nick Holden] guys. I was close to all of them. You hear the rumors, and honestly, I’m just happy it wasn’t me. “I love being a Ranger. I want to be here my whole career.” Hayes has had a decent season for a team that hasn’t had many players match expectations. Not only did Hayes establish a personal-best with 18 goals — surpassing the 17 apiece he got in his first and third seasons — with a rebound jam 4:07 into Friday’s first period, but he has provided that offense while used primarily for the first time in his career as the matchup center against the opposition’s top line. That role had belonged to Derek Stepan for most of Hayes’ career. “I’m not complaining about it, but I have been more of a defensive center,” Hayes said. “When you’re playing against marquee guys and you take a risk in order to provide offense, there’s a pretty good chance you’re going to wind up looking like an idiot. “So as much as possible, I’ve tried not to look like an idiot.” Hayes has tried to get the puck to the net more often and has been more committed to shooting. He is averaging 2.26 shots per game, nearly twice the career 1.15 average he carried into the season. “I’ve always been an offensive player, but I have been looking to shoot a lot more,” he said. “When I Watch video, there are times where I see I should have shot and passed instead, so I’m always trying to be aware of that.” Hayes skated between Jesper Fast and Ryan Spooner (a teammate of less than a week after coming over as part of the Rick Nash deal) for the third straight game against the Flames. The combo had produced three five-on-five goals in their first two matches. “Everybody here has the opportunity to step up,” Hayes said. “It’s not only important that we do that for management, the coaches and the fans, it’s most important that we do that for each other. We owe that to one another.” Peter Holland, a healthy scratch the previous three games, replaced David Desharnais in the lineup, skating on the fourth line between Cody McLeod and Paul Carey. Desharnais had gotten an average of 8:33 of ice in the past two games. “Peter gives us an extra penalty-killer and I haven’t been using Davey on the power play,” coach Alain Vigneault said. “I think that should help us.” New York Post LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101668 New York Rangers New York Post LOADED: 03.03.2018

Henrik Lundqvist’s 50-save birthday outing propels Rangers

By Larry Brooks March 3, 2018 | 12:19am | Updated

CALGARY, Alberta — Stranger things probably have not happened, but the Rangers can continue to dream the impossible dream of making the playoffs for as long as Henrik Lundqvist delivers performances like his historic back-to-back 50-save victories at Vancouver on Wednesday and against the Flames on Friday night. The King celebrated his 36th birthday Friday with a 3-1 triumph over the Flames that featured one of the most superlative saves of his career, a diving palm-of-the-hand blocker stop following a left-right-left exchange that found Mikael Backlund alone from point-blank range on the left side 42 seconds into the second period of what then was a 1-1 game. “You don’t have time to think,” said Lundqvist, who dropped his stick in order to allow him to get across from left to right. “You react, you improvise. There are so many situations in the game now where you have to improvise. There’s no textbook. You just battle.” It seemed so certain Backlund had scored that trailing defenseman Dougie Hamilton began to raise his stick in celebration. Not only had Lundqvist performed the impossible to maintain the draw following an 18- save first period, but Pavel Buchnevich jammed one in from behind the net on the ensuing rush to break his own 10-game drought and give the Blueshirts a 2-1 edge 56 seconds in the period. Lundqvist went immediately to the bench to be attended to by trainer Jim Ramsay while Buchnevich’s goal was being reviewed to see whether it had indeed crossed the line. “It doesn’t hurt when you make the save and you score 10 seconds later,” said the graybeard in nets, who became the first goaltender since the NHL began tracking saves in 1955-56 to win consecutive 50-save games. “Rammer sprayed it and it was fine. It felt better right away when we scored.” The Blueshirts’ first goal was scored by Kevin Hayes, who jammed a rebound past Jon Gillies after Ryan Spooner’s direct shot off a left-wing draw. Spooner then scored on a nifty five-hole bury on a breakaway for the 3-1 lead at 10:48 of the second period to give him the somewhat astonishing total of seven points (1-6) in his first three games wearing the Blueshirt. And the Rangers had won twice in a row after losing seven straight (0-6- 1) while winning only five of 22 (5-16-1) bridging the ownership/management dictate to dismantle the old gang and start anew. Playoffs? Playoffs? “It’s a group of professional athletes. No one in here has quit,” said Chris Kreider, who engaged Travis Hamonic in a second-period fight. “We’re not mathematically eliminated. We look at it like, ‘Let’s go.’ “We’re playing with house money. Why not? Why not us?” The Blueshirts, who complete this three-game trek Saturday at Edmonton with Alex Georgiev scheduled to get the start in goal, are five points out of the second wild-card spot with four teams to leapfrog in order to get there. Maybe that’s why not. But the despair that had blanketed the squad for nearly a month has lifted. There is new energy, even if no one believes that surrendering 106 shots over two games represents a viable formula for pulling off a miracle. “It is what it is, but we’re going to try to have fun and make the most of it,” said Lundqvist, whose previous highest two-game combined workload was the 89 shots he faced in the opening two games of last year’s Montreal playoff series. “We’ll try to get on a roll.“A lot of us had been waiting or the big [deadline] day, especially me. It was tough to have the right mindset. But I just want to feel like I can make a difference. That’s why I’m here. The first half of the year I felt as good as I had in a few years. I want to get back to that.” The Rangers serenaded Lundqvist in the postgame room by singing “Happy Birthday” to the goaltender. “It felt great,” he said. “I’m 1-0 as a 36-year-old.” 1101669 New York Rangers Former Blueshirts on the Lightning and how they were acquired: , RW Traded Rangers reunited in Tampa and find themselves in playoff March 5, 2014, deal that brought Martin St. Louis to Rangers contention Dan Girardi, D, and Anton Stralman, D

July 1, 2014: Free agent signing By Greg Auman Ryan McDonagh, D, and J.T. Miller, C Updated March 2, 2018 8:39 PM Feb. 26, 2018 deal for three players and two draft picks

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 03.03.2018 TAMPA — It’s never easy being traded during a season, but if you’re going to get dealt, it might as well be to the best team in the NHL, with familiar faces all over the locker room. As Tampa Bay makes a push for the Stanley Cup, they made a major move at Monday’s trade deadline, acquiring defenseman Ryan McDonagh and forward J.T. Miller as the Rangers move into a rebuild with younger players. “It’s not too often you get traded to the top team in the league — that’s the way I look at it,” said McDonagh, 28, who played eight seasons in New York, finishing as a team captain before the trade. “It’s a group that’s had tremendous success already this season, and I hope I can add another element here and continue to find ways to win games.” Adding talent at the trade deadline is one thing, but it’s another to have some level of chemistry already built in with a new club. There’s a strong Ranger presence in the Lightning locker room — four years ago, Tampa Bay brought in another New York captain in Ryan Callahan, who remains a veteran leader and part of the Ranger reunion. “It’s so hard to add a guy like that, top four, onto your team at this time of the season,” said Callahan, 32, of McDonagh. “It’s huge for us, and we’re so excited to have him, and I think he’s going to add so much to our d- corps and what we already have back there.” The same summer that Callahan was re-signed, the Lightning signed Rangers defenseman Anton Stralman as a free agent, and he’s now 31, having spent more time in Tampa Bay than he did in New York. This past offseason, Tampa Bay added another veteran defenseman in Dan Girardi, 33, who has remained close friends with McDonagh. “There is a little bit of a running joke going on in the room that we are the Rangers of the South,” coach said Wednesday. “The big thing for us is they’re competitors. We need guys who can play hard, can play against big players, have played in big moments. They check all the boxes.” The Lightning have had good luck with former Rangers. They had another leader in Brian Boyle, who played in New York from 2009-14 and was a fixture in Tampa Bay until he was traded at this time last season. McDonagh is still recovering from a hand/wrist injury and hopes to make his Lightning debut on Tuesday against the Florida Panthers. The Rangers, by coincidence, come to Tampa on Thursday night, so one of his first games should be against his old team. One of the Rangers newcomers, center Vladislav Namestnikov, has jumped right in, getting a goal and an assist in his New York debut in an overtime win against Vancouver on Wednesday night. McDonagh said he’ll use the week of recovery as a transition to pick up a new system, and having familiar faces around him will only make that easier. “It’s everything — stuff off the ice, getting settled, sitting around the rink and figuring out the way practice is run and drills,” he said. “You get around the team and it’s hockey once again.” It didn’t take long for Miller, wearing the same No. 10 jersey, to make his presence felt with Tampa Bay — he had two assists Thursday night to help the Lightning to a 5-4 overtime win at Dallas in just his second game. “It’s such a fun hockey team to watch play,” said Miller, still just 24 and eager to contribute to what was already the league’s top scoring offense. “We weren’t planning on having the year we were having in New York, so this is different, but it’s a good surprise to be here. It’s a really talented group, a lot of skill and speed, so if I can just bring a physicality, get to the net and let these guys make plays with the puck, I can be helpful.” The schedule will naturally take McDonagh and Miller back home before the month’s even over, with games at the Islanders (March 22) and Devils (March 24) before the next-to-last road game of the regular season, at the Rangers on March 30. RANGERS SOUTH 1101670 New York Rangers

Mats Zuccarello survives Rangers’ purge, and glad he stayed

By Colin Stephenson March 2, 2018 6:43 PM

CALGARY — Sometimes, it’s not the guys who were traded away that you feel bad for. It’s the guys who stayed behind. Henrik Lundqvist, who celebrated his 36th birthday Friday by starting in goal against the desperately-fighting-for-a-wild card-spot Calgary Flames, is the most obvious one to feel sorry for, as the face of the Rangers plays behind a young defense every night and knows the odds of winning are long. But there are other popular veterans going through this rebuilding process along with Lundqvist. And saying goodbye to friends and losing hockey games isn’t fun for them, either. Mats Zuccarello thought he was one of the guys who might be traded after the Rangers notified their fans through that now famous Feb. 8 letter that they had decided to tear the team down and start again from scratch. “Yeah, of course,’’ Zuccarello said after Thursday’s practice in Vancouver, when asked if he wondered whether he’d be part of the purge that sent away Nick Holden, Rick Nash, J.T. Miller and captain Ryan McDonagh before Monday’s NHL trade deadline. “I mean, in a rebuild, it’s not guaranteed that you’re still going to be here. “Obviously, you don’t want to get traded — I love it here,’’ he said. “This is the only (NHL) team that I’ve ever played at, so, uh, it’s been a tough year all around, you know?’’ There are those who say Zuccarello, 30, has not been the same since that frightening head injury he suffered in 2015 when he was hit in the head by a shot from teammate McDonagh in a first-round playoff game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He suffered a fractured skull, had a brain contusion and bleeding on the brain and lost the ability to speak for a few days as a result of the injury. But he returned the next season with career highs in goals (26) and points (61), and over the past four seasons, he’s averaged 19 goals and 57 points per year. This year, entering Friday’s game, he has 10 goals, 33 assists, 43 points in 63 games, numbers that project to 13 goals and 55 points, so down a little in goals, but otherwise, right around that average. With the trade deadline behind him, and an uncertain summer ahead, Zuccarello is focused on the present. He entered Friday on a four-game scoreless streak, but in Wednesday’s wild 6-5 overtime win over Vancouver, he played on a line with the newest Ranger, Vladislav Namestnikov, who scored a goal and had an assist in his Rangers debut after coming from Tampa Bay in the McDonagh-Miller deal. “Really good player. Nice guy, humble. I like that,’’ Zuccarello said of Namestnikov. “He plays with some swagger on the ice and (he’s) really good with the puck. I really enjoyed his game (Wednesday), so I think we have a lot of younger players that are playing good and are going to be good hockey players. “But for me, I think the most important thing is that you play with heart and effort every game,’’ he said. “You play with 100 percent every game, and if you do that we’re going to be all right.’’ Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101671 New York Rangers

Henrik Lundqvist totals 50 saves again as Rangers top Flames

By Colin Stephenson Updated March 3, 2018 2:06 AM

CALGARY, Alberta — Henrik Lundqvist turned 36 on Friday, and his Rangers teammates gave him the best birthday present he could have asked for — a second straight win. “It’s great,’’ Lundqvist said after the Rangers knocked off the fighting-for- their-playoff-lives Calgary Flames, 3-1, at the Saddledome. “One-and-0 as a 36-year-old, it’s great!’’ Of course, this win wasn’t handed to him. He did plenty of work to earn it, making 50 saves for the second straight game as the Rangers were outshot 51-27. On Wednesday, he made 50 saves in a 6-5 overtime win over the Canucks in Vancouver, so he was asked if it was fun to make 100 saves in two games. “When you win, yeah,’’ he said. “It comes down to winning. And you want to feel like you’re making a difference out there. When you’re not . . . that’s why I’m here. I want to make a difference, to try to help the team to win games.’’ Lundqvist did have some help from his teammates. Kevin Hayes, Pavel Buchnevich and Ryan Spooner scored for the Rangers and Spooner, who came to the team from Boston last Sunday in the Rick Nash trade, also had an assist, giving him seven points (1-6-7) in his first three games with the club. “I thought my game tonight, I didn’t think it was that good,’’ Spooner said when asked about his continued hot start with his new team. “I had some plays I thought I could have done better on, but as a whole, you know, I just try to help out.’’ He helped get the Rangers off to another fast start when he won a left circle faceoff with a shot straight at Calgary goaltender Jon Gillies. Gillies made the save, but while the Flames appeared to be standing around marveling at how accurate and hard Spooner’s shot was, Hayes swooped in and jammed in the rebound at 4:07 of the first period for his career-high 18th goal of the season. The Flames tied it on a rebound goal by Brett Kulak with 3:21 left in the period and outshot the Rangers 19-9 in the first 20 minutes. In the opening minute of the second period, Lundqvist made a remarkable save on Mikael Backlund, diving over from the left post to the right and extending his stick arm to prevent the puck from entering what essentially was an otherwise empty net. It was a save that everyone was talking about after the game, and the Rangers collected the loose puck, went down the ice and took the lead when Buchnevich’s backhand wraparound from behind the net banked in off Gillies’ skate 56 seconds into the period. “Well, when he received the puck in the middle, he’s going to shoot it, and he did not; he passed it,’’ Lundqvist said of his save, which coach Alain Vig neault called “a game-changer.’’ “And I think he’s going to shoot it and he did not. He passed again. And I just realized if I’m going to reach over there, I’ve got to let go of my stick. It felt pretty good to make that save, and then we scored 30 seconds later. It’s a big difference to play with the lead.’’ The Rangers have won the first two games of this Western Canada swing, with the final game Saturday night in Edmonton against the rebuilding Oilers. Lundqvist will get a well-deserved night off, with backup Alexandar Georgiev starting in goal. The Rangers, who made clear their intention to rebuild weeks ago, improved to 29-30-6 for 64 points, which leaves them one point behind the sinking Islanders — who are most definitely not rebuilding — in the Eastern Conference standings. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101672 Ottawa Senators been living with centre Derick Brassard for the most of the season, moved out before Brassard was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins last week. Sens coach Guy Boucher says Golden Knights have the same attitude THE LAST WORDS his team did last year Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, who wrote an open letter to the fans Thursday to re-affirm his commitment to getting the Senators back to Bruce Garrioch respectability, was in town for Friday’s game. He also attended the morning skate … Asked if he was concerned about the Senators having Published:March 2, 2018 “The Vegas flu” after spending two days in the city, Boucher laughed. “I guess we’ll find out.” He noted it was important for Senators players to Updated:March 2, 2018 7:04 PM EST have a chance to spend some time together, especially with the all the new faces around in recent weeks. “Everything we do matters,” he said.

“I know the guys have had a good time, but they’ve also worked hard. LAS VEGAS — The Vegas Golden Knights are a team that, in a lot of We didn’t half-pace anything. We got everything done that we wanted to ways, defines the word team. accomplish. We prepared hard for this game. We didn’t come here for vacation. We’ve got no time for vacation.” The Golden Knights are on the verge of being one of the most successful expansion teams in National Hockey League history. They went into Ottawa Sun LOADED: 03.03.2018 Friday’s home game against the Ottawa Senators with a 41-17-5 record and were first in the Pacific Division standings with 87 points. To miss the playoffs, at this juncture, they’d have to fall apart. Nobody would have predicted this after the expansion draft in June. Experts agreed Golden Knights general manager George McPhee had done a good job getting assets, but most didn’t think his club would be a playoff contender. The Golden Knights have since proven a lot of people wrong. On that note, Senators head coach Guy Boucher said Ottawa fans may recognize that team mentality. “You saw what we did last year,” Boucher said Friday morning. “That’s one thing: The players wanted to prove that the previous season wasn’t good enough. They wanted to prove it to themselves. “Once you start believing in your team and things go well for you, you build chemistry, you build confidence, there’s pride that goes along with that, and I think they’ve rallied all around town. There’s a big rallying behind the team and what they’ve done. It’s new. It’s all positive. “Really, in the end, they deserve what they’re getting right now. They deserve it on all fronts. We have to give ourselves a chance against a team that believes in themselves.” The NHL is the first professional sport to set up shop in Las Vegas and, at this point, the Golden Knights have a captive audience. The NFL’s Oakland Raiders will move here once a new stadium is built, but for now the Knights don’t have any competition for local pro sports attention. People compare the atmosphere at T-Mobile Arena to the one at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The fans seem to be excited from the minute the puck drops until the final buzzer. “They own the middle of the ice, from everybody I’ve talk to, and they push everything outside,” Senators winger Bobby Ryan said. “They don’t allow you to make plays through the middle. It’s one of those teams where they bring their lunch pails to work and they go. “I saw a game the other night where they had 45 shots and they didn’t get the offence they wanted, but they look like a team that puts pucks at the net and goes hard.” Boucher doesn’t get a vote for the NHL’s coach of the year award and would never name his choice anyway, but he said he fully respected the job Gerard Gallant has done with the Golden Knights. “I certainly don’t want to disrespect any other coaches in the league that have done really well,” Boucher said. “But, of course, Gerard is somebody that has definitely paid his dues and was a player that people respected and he’s a man people respect. He’s one of those guys. “I’m glad to see that he’s having success. He’s done a great job.” OFF THE GLASS Senators winger Alex Burrows suited up Friday night for the first time since he was suspended for 10 games for delivering a knee to the head of New Jersey Devils forward Taylor Hall on Feb. 6. Boucher said Burrows had to get back to being tough to play against on a nightly basis. “I’d love to say he’s going to look great, but the reality is he hasn’t played in a long time,” Boucher said. “The thing for him is to keep things simple, bring what he brings, and not try to overdo things, and build it up as he goes along. The good thing is it wasn’t an injury, so at least he’s not going to be setback with not being able to practise or train his legs. He was able to keep himself in shape, but in shape and game shape isn’t the same things.” … Senators rookie defenceman Thomas Chabot, who had 1101673 Ottawa Senators Mark Borowiecki-Ben Harpur Goaltenders Game Day: Ottawa Senators at Arizona Coyotes Craig Anderson Mike Condon Bruce Garrioch Arizona Published:March 2, 2018 Forwards Updated:March 2, 2018 6:37 PM EST Brendan Perillini-Derek Stepan-Clayton Keller Max Domi-Christian Dvorak-Christian Fischer Former linesman's claim against Flames and Dennis Wideman sent to Jordan Martinook-Brad Richardson-Nick Cousins arbitration by judge Zac Rinald-Freddie Hamilton-Josh Archibald OTTAWA AT ARIZONA Defencemen 8 p.m., Gila River Arena. TV: City TV. Radio: TSN 1200, Unique 94.5 FM. Oliver Ekman-Larsson-Jason Demers Special Teams Jacob Chychrun-Niklas Hjmarlsson OTT: PP 16.6% (27th); PK 75.6% (28th) Kevin Connauton-Alex Goligoski ARI: PP 16.8% (26th); PK 79.5% (19th) Goaltenders The Big Matchup Antti Raanta Mike Hoffman vs. Clayton Keller Darcy Kuemper The Ottawa Senators opted not deal Hoffman at the trade deadline after INJURIES setting a high asking price. Nobody else was going to bite on the ask of a OTT: Chris Wideman, Marian Gaborik first-round pick and a player, plus the Senators weren’t sure they wanted to deal Hoffman anyway. If Hoffman can score some goals down the ARI: Richard Panik stretch, it will give him confidence for next season. Keller has been the Coyotes’ best player and they haven’t had many bright lights. Ottawa Sun LOADED: 03.03.2018 Five Keys to the Game 1. Back-to-back challenge This is the Senators 14th set of 19 back-to-back games this season. Heading into Friday’s game against the Golden Knights, they were 6-5-2 in the first game and 5-6-2 in the second. Last season, the Senators had only 13 back-to-backs. 2. Make the stops If Mike Condon makes the start in net, this would be his chance for retribution. He got caught diving out of the net to try to stop Anthony Duclair, leading to the tying goal in the third period, and Senators lost 3-2 in overtime on Nov. 18. 3. Finish with some pride The Senators have 19 games remaining and they aren’t going to make the National Hockey League playoffs, but they have to make sure they bring the same kind of effort they displayed against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday even though they lost that one 3-2. 4. Points from Karlsson Senators captain Erik Karlsson has been a pretty consistent performer against the Coyotes, with five goals and seven assists in 12 career games against Arizona. Karlsson recorded his 500th NHL point against the Capitals, and it would be nice if he kept rolling. 5. Success versus the Coyotes The Senators are 16-16-2-2 overall against the Coyotes, including 8-7-1- 1 in Arizona. Given the fact these two teams are battling it out for the No. 1 pick in the NHL draft in June, a win here would be good. Rosters Ottawa Forwards Mike Hoffman-Matt Duchene-Magnus Paajarvi Bobby Ryan-Jean-Gabriel Pageau-Mark Stone Ryan Dzingel-Zack Smith-Marian Gaborik Max McCormick-Jim O’Brien- Defencemen Fredrik Claesson-Erik Karlsson Thomas Chabot-Cody Ceci 1101674 Ottawa Senators Stone said he wouldn’t focus on personal goals for the rest of this season.

“Not really,” he said. “You’re just trying to play consistent, you’re just Mark Stone is focused on finishing season strong for the Senators trying to have success as a group, which usually leads to individual success. Bruce Garrioch “For us, the last 20 games, we have to try to find more of an identity as a group more than anything.” Published:March 2, 2018 Ottawa Sun LOADED: 03.03.2018 Updated:March 2, 2018 6:26 PM EST

LAS VEGAS — Mark Stone isn’t thinking about the future, only the present. As the Ottawa Senators prepared to face the Vegas Golden Knights at T- Mobile Arena on Friday, their top forward wasn’t about to discuss his future, negotiations on a new a contract as a unrestricted free agent or what direction the club may take in the off-season. The Senators have 19 games left this season. After the final buzzer sounds April 7 against the Boston Bruins, that’s when Stone will start thinking about next season. For now, Stone admits he has done some soul-searching, but it makes no sense to dwell on it with so much time left in the National Hockey League regular season. Senators’ Mark Stone isn’t sure if he’ll answer Team Canada’s call Like almost everybody else connected with the Senators, Stone isn’t sure what direction this team will take. Owner Eugene Melnyk and general manager Pierre Dorion have both talked about initiating a plan to help get the Senators back to respectability after what has been a disgraceful season. “I think I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t give it some thought,” Stone told the travelling media. “Right now, I’m just trying to keep my focus for the last 20 games or else things can go south even more, which I don’t think any of us want to happen. “Most of us have probably thought about what’s in store for the team and for each one of us. Like I said, these last 20 games are important for building that.” Some players were sent packing before the NHL trade deadline, including defenceman Dion Phaneuf and centre Derick Brassard, and the Senators listened to offers for captain Erik Karlsson, but was never really in a position where it would have dealt him. Stone was glad Karlsson stayed and said he was hopeful the Senators and their star defenceman could figure out a common direction. There’s an opportunity to step back after what was an emotional time before the trade deadline and reassess. That being said, Stone said he understood Dorion’s approach because all anybody wanting to know why the Senators wanted to make changes had to do was look at the NHL standings. This is a team in 29th place overall with a chance to fall even further. “I think it’s hard to trade players of that magnitude,” Stone said. “For us in here, we didn’t want (Karlsson) to get moved, and we didn’t want anybody to get moved, but, like I said, over the last two months we didn’t really have a whole lot of team success. “You can’t, in the general manager’s mind, go into next year with the same lineup when your lineup hasn’t had success. I think you’re expecting change. We lost three players (including centre Kyle Turris in early November) that were pretty well respected in the locker room, but that’s the way she goes when you lose hockey games.” Stone, who will be a restricted free agent on July 1 and is only year away from unrestricted free agency, knows the Senators are willing to take a step back to rebuild, and he knows that’s a daunting task, but he’s also excited about the club’s prospects. “I don’t think anybody wants to go through a rebuild, but sometimes you kind of see the bigger pictures in rebuilds,” Stone said. “You look at some of those guys in Toronto who stuck it out for some pretty tough years and they’re starting to see the benefits now. “But, I think for everybody, everybody is going to look and see where they’re at and see where the team is going. You’re starting to see some pretty bright spots on our team and there’s some really high-end players coming. It looks, unfortunately, like we’re probably going to get a pretty high draft pick this year, so that will be another good young piece to put in the puzzle.” 1101675 Ottawa Senators

Senators' Mark Stone isn't sure if he'll answer Team Canada's call

Bruce Garrioch Published:March 2, 2018 Updated:March 2, 2018 6:23 PM EST

LAS VEGAS — Mark Stone would have been a top candidate to play for Canada in Pyeongchang last month, but the National Hockey League refused to allow its players to participate in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Stone isn’t sure if he’ll suit up for Canada this spring, either. With the Ottawa Senators all but officially eliminated from the , Stone will likely be one of the players receiving a call to play for his country in the world championship tournament in Denmark in May. Stone isn’t sure he’ll go because he doesn’t have a contract for next season. He can become a restricted free agent July 1, and this will be an important summer for him. “We’ll see towards the end of the year. I haven’t heard anything yet,” Stone said. “It’s always fun to represent your country at those types of events, and not everybody gets to do it. It was pretty fun the last time, and I’m sure it will be an option for me, but we’ll have to see at the end of the season.” Stone, who with Senators teammate Cody Ceci won gold with the Canadian team in the 2016 world championship, would likely need insurance coverage before he could participate in this year’s tournament. “That’s important for me. This is an important negotiation, so we’ll see where I’m at in (six weeks) and make my decision then.” he said. Ottawa Sun LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101676 Ottawa Senators questions about whether he was pushed or jumped. Melnyk has since adopted a three-in-one approach to the top of the management ladder, adding CEO and president to his owner’s title. Senators fan base growing increasingly frustrated with team owner Melnyk’s outdoor-game outburst, when he threatened to move the Eugene Melnyk franchise if attendance didn’t improve, spurred what has become a heated anti-Melnyk social media movement. Ken Warren “He threw us under the bus on national TV, on the biggest platform he possibly could,” Callaghan said. Published:March 2, 2018 Melnyk did apologize, sort of, in a series of subsequent TV interviews. Updated:March 2, 2018 7:19 PM EST “It’s unfortunate that it hit a real nerve,” Melnyk said. “The reality is I love the city. I love the people. I love the fans and it’s actually my privilege to be there and to ice a team like the Ottawa Senators.” Eugene Melnyk’s olive branch to Ottawa Senators fans was to be expected during season-ticket renewal season. The latest Senators topic to hit a nerve is the Karlsson Conundrum. His open letter was an attempt to close wounds, to stifle negativity The high drama of whether Karlsson would be dealt before the Feb. 26 surrounding the direction of his National Hockey League franchise. NHL trade deadline passed, of course, with the Senators captain staying put. Now we’ve entered the calm before the next storm. But where is the substance behind the “change in approach,” the “difficult decisions,” the “commitment to a plan” and being “dedicated to be an General manager Pierre Dorion has said Karlsson will be offered a even larger part of Ottawa’s fabric?” contract if he’s still here July 1, the first day that teams can negotiate extensions with players who could become unrestricted free agents in Where is the answer for season-ticket holders biting their fingernails as July 2019. they wonder about Erik Karlsson’s future before opening their renewal notices? A week earlier, though, Karlsson could be traded at the NHL draft. Those are among the questions that remain for the frustrated fan base. As much as many fans don’t want to hear it, there is an argument to be made in favour of a legitimate “hockey trade,” if the return for Karlsson is “It’s just words. This doesn’t change anything for me,” says Spencer large enough. Callaghan, whose GoFundMe account to finance a #MelnykOut billboard has topped $10,000. “It doesn’t address the fundamental problem.” The bigger issue for fans is the idea that the Senators would deal Karlsson as part of a package including remaining $33 million on forward Callaghan, a 41-year-old with a public-relations background, has a Bobby Ryan’s contract. By taking on a Senators payroll problem, the passion for the Senators extending back to when he proudly wore one of reasoning goes, the trading team would give up fewer prospects or draft those original “Bring Back the Senators” Peace Tower jerseys. picks. When he read Melnyk’s open letter Thursday, Callaghan was Melnyk steered clear of the Karlsson topic in his open letter, but the disillusioned because the issues were framed largely as one-season captain’s status will hang over everything for the next four months. problems. “(Melnyk) made no one more confident about Karlsson, there’s no re- Indeed, the Senators went into Friday’s game against the Vegas Golden assurance here,” Callaghan said. “Does (the letter) win over any fans?” Knights with a 21-31-10 record, 29th best in the 31-team NHL and only four points ahead of the Arizona Coyotes for dead last. The Senators are Good question. well on their way to their worst campaign since they lost 59 games in 1995-96. Ottawa Sun LOADED: 03.03.2018 That, however, is not at the root of the GoFundMe campaign, where 500- odd fans have thrown in tens and twenties, even nickels and dimes, hoping to draw attention to the big picture on a big billboard. Callaghan doesn’t speak for the entire fan base, of course. There are season-ticket holders who will argue that Melnyk is doing the best he can in a town where the biggest employer — the federal government — can’t buy and/or give tickets to its employees. There’s a discussion to be had about why the Senators couldn’t sell out in the playoffs last spring or why there would be no team at all in Ottawa if Melnyk hadn’t stepped in to purchase a bankrupt team in 2003. Melnyk alluded to that in his letter. Others will suggest it’s the nature of the beast of professional sports to have bad seasons along with good. The way Callaghan sees it, though, countless fans are losing hope because they see a franchise going in circles. “If the fans are only upset because of one bad season, there would be legitimate reason to say they are bad fans,” Callaghan said. “This is about years of what I think fans perceive as a team that does not have a direction from the top down.” If the team can’t or won’t spend more than $10 million per season on an elite player such as Karlsson — more on that later — it could still try to enhance other areas of the operation at a smaller cost, finding good, if not great, replacements. In that regard, Callaghan is only echoing thoughts of others in the hockey world. “The Senators have one of the smallest hockey operations and scouting staffs in the league,” he said. “Why not say that you’re going to hire six more scouts? Or a full department? Or hire a CEO who understands the community?” On that front, Melnyk fired Senators founding father Cyril Leeder as president and CEO in 2017, replacing him with former MLSE executive Tom Anselmi. Anselmi left the organization last month and left behind 1101677 Ottawa Senators

Senators ready for tough test from Golden Knights

Bruce Garrioch Published:March 2, 2018 Updated:March 2, 2018 5:00 PM EST

LAS VEGAS — The Ottawa Senators know this won’t be easy. As the prepared to face the Vegas Golden Knights in the inaugural visit to T-Mobile Arena on Friday night, the Senators were certain they would get a huge pushback from the National Hockey League’s newest team. Senators head coach Guy Boucher planned only two changes to the lineup from Tuesday’s contest against the Washington Capitals, starting Craig Anderson in goal and inserting winger Alex Burrows in place of the injured Marian Gaborik. The Senators lost 5-4 to the Golden Knights at home on Nov. 4, the only other time these teams will meet this season. “What they do really well, and what we saw it in the first game we played them, is that they’re not supposed to be there, but they deserve to be there,” Boucher said following Friday’s morning skate. “They outwork their opponent because they’re on the same page. Defensively they own the middle and so, when you attack them, the middle is jammed. If we try to go through the middle, we’re going to do like we did last time and turn it over. They’re also really good at working in their own end.” The Senators will travel to Arizona to face the Coyotes on Saturday night. Ottawa Sun LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101678 Ottawa Senators “You hope it’s a pivotal (win) and we can finish the season strong. We gave up a few too many goals and there were some breakdowns but it was a very good win against a good team,” said Ryan. Senators score a victory over Vegas Golden Knights Trailing 2-1 after the first, the Senators really shouldn’t have been in this position. They outshot the Knights 8-3 and completely outplayed them but a late power play goal by Miller gave the Knights the lead with his Bruce Garrioch eighth of the season by beating Anderson at 18:22. Published:March 3, 2018 The Senators had done a good job but just couldn’t get a save when needed. Updated:March 3, 2018 1:15 AM EST While the Knights struck quickly, the Senators were able to get on the board as Stone scored his 20th of the season at 2:19. Alone in front, he took Fleury out of position and beat him on the glove side to tie it up 1-1. LAS VEGAS _ The Ottawa Senators rolled the dice and came up a It’s the fourth straight season that Stone has recorded 20 goals. winner Friday night at the T-Mobile Arena. Didn’t take long for the Senators to fall behind. Only 58 seconds into the Making their inaugural visit to the Sin City, the Senators were able to halt game, a bad turnover in their own zone came back to haunt them as a five-game losing streak after they blew a two-goal third period lead and Smith beat Anderson with a backhander on the glove side in alone. looked like they were in trouble until Alex Burrows’ first goal in 37 games helped Ottawa score a 5-4 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Coach Guy Boucher didn’t have much to say after the first because he felt they were playing well. Not only was it the club’s first win since a 6-3 victory over the New York Rangers on Feb. 17th, it’s also Ottawa’s first win on the road since Feb. “You’ve got recognize when things aren’t good, they’re not good, but 3rd against the Philadelphia Flyers. They’ve gone 0-5-1 as the visitors in when things are really good you don’t want to stray and start figuring out that stretch and it’s the first time Vegas has lost three straight this other things that aren’t going to help you,” said Boucher. “If you only give season. three shots to a team when they’re home, you’re doing some good things.” Captain Erik Karlsson led the club with a three-point effort while Mark Stone and Bobby Ryan had two points each. Matt Duchene, Jean- The Senators face the Arizona Coyotes Saturday night at 8 p.m, EST as Gabriel Pageau and Burrows all beat Marc-Andre Fleury. this road trip continues. Ryan Carpenter, William Karlsson, Colin Miller and Reilly Smith were Ottawa Sun LOADED: 03.03.2018 able to beat Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson, who didn’t look very good for most of the night. Making his return to the lineup for the first time since a 10-game suspension for an incident with New Jersey’s Taylor Hall on Feb. 6th, Burrows scored his first goal since Nov. 4th in a 5-4 loss to Vegas in Ottawa when he tipped Karlsson’s shot from the point by Fleury at 8:51 of the third. “I thought as a team we did a lot of good things. We skated extremely well against a team that competes really hard,” Burrows said. “They feed off that crowd. It was a great experience for us. It got us going. We made it interesting in the third but we found a way to get it done. “It feels good to win in this building.” The Senators looked like they were sitting in a good spot until Carpenter tied it up 4-4 with a shorthanded effort at 7:55 of the third and William Karlsson’s 35th of the season through Anderson’s five-hole at 3:34 cut Ottawa’s lead to 4-3. The Senators were well aware Vegas is tough to play at home with a 24- 6-2 record in 32 games here coming into this one. There’s been lots of talk about “The Vegas flu” but the Senators didn’t look like they were suffering. “It’s a great city. We’ve enjoyed it as much as we possibly could have but I also think that we were here for a job and we made sure that we were prepared to play,” Karlsson said. “They’re a good team. They’re playing extremely well at home. We came ready to play and it showed.” Coming off a 3-2 loss to the Washington Capitals Tuesday to start this road trip, the Senators had a strong effort through 40 minutes against the Knights and held a 4-2 lead by outshooting the Knights 25-21. Anderson didn’t get off to a great start in this game but he came up big in the second half of the second as the Knights pushed back Pageau scored his ninth of the season at 14:41 of the second to give the club the much-needed two-goal lead. They had plenty of opportunities on Fleury but he had kept the Knights in the game while they struggled to even create chances on Anderson. Duchene gave the Senators their first lead of the game with 9:15 left in the second when he took a pass in the left circle and fired it upstairs by Fleury to give Ottawa a 3-2 advantage with the club on the power play Twice, the Senators had to battle back after trailing. A great stretch pass from Stone to Ryan, breaking in alone, set up his eighth of the season and his first goal since Feb. 1st after he missed three weeks with a hand injury. Ryan, who was rumoured to be headed to Vegas at last Monday’s deadline beat Fleury on the glove side at 3:57 to tie it up 2-2. 1101679 Ottawa Senators Let's travel back to 2011 for a moment. Many will remember this as the point the Senators should have gone for a burn-everything rebuild. They'd unloaded veterans like Mike Fisher, Gordon: Senators need more resources, new voices to lead major rebuild Alex Kovalev and Chris Kelly, and entered that summer's draft with three first-rounders. Bryan Murray was still GM at the time, and Dorion had been elevated to the position of director of player personnel a couple By James Gordon 22 hours ago years earlier. Meanwhile, veteran Tampa was coming off the one and only successful season it had under head coach Guy Boucher and the reborn Winnipeg Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion had plenty of interesting Jets were making their first selections under new GM Kevin things to say during his post-deadline press availability earlier this week, Cheveldayoff. but one that jumped out at me was his stated objective of getting his squad back to being “a perennial playoff team.” That draft is where the Senators started to diverge from the teams they're now looking to emulate, setting the course for their current sad-sack This should be the ultimate goal of any NHL general manager, but after situation. While the Lightning and Jets added core pieces to their system years of starts and stops with the Senators' roster, it seems to signal a year after year with nary a miss, the Senators have since traded away shift in strategy. Instead of dealing assets to patch holes and signing assets and whiffed on nearly all of their picks. aged third- and fourth-liners, perhaps a youth movement really is underway here. Even from a pure “can this team pick NHL players” standpoint, the Senators lag. In the 2011-2015 drafts – i.e. the most recent ones that Unfortunately, building a team that competes year in and year out from give us some sense of what the players selected might wind up being – scratch is really hard to do – just ask the Buffalo Sabres. It takes a lot of they've gotten 1,651 NHL games out of their 37 picks. The Jets have patience, smarts and good fortune along the way, and it takes a great gotten 1,879 games from 38 players, while Tampa leads the way at deal of precision at the NHL draft – something the Senators haven't had 2,036 from 36 players. for a while now. It's one thing to be able to fill the bottom half of your roster with warm One reason draft precision is more important than ever is that teams bodies. It's another to be able to acquire players that would otherwise be seem increasingly unwilling to part with young roster players who are difficult to land in the trade or free agent markets. Where teams like already contributing in the NHL. It used to be that a trade deadline rental Tampa and Winnipeg really set themselves apart is that they've managed would net teams a first-round pick, a prospect and a good, young roster to hit one or two home runs every single year. player. In most cases, if teams are going to add the latter now, they actually have to pick him themselves. Let's start with the Jets, who've benefited from some higher picks but have also dug up some gems along the way. Players highlighted in green That's one reason Dorion probably had trouble moving young-ish guys denote core players: starting goalies, top-four defencemen and top-six with affordable contracts like Mike Hoffman and captain Erik Karlsson. forwards. Dorion couldn't accept anything less than strong potential replacements for them (if only for PR purposes), and nobody was willing to pony up. Without picking in the top three in the drafts in question, the Jets managed to get an elite No. 1 centre, two top-line quality wingers, a top- Tampa was considered the leading contender to land Karlsson, St. Louis pair defenceman, a strong second pair defenceman, a Vezina contender was supposed to be in on Hoffman and the Jets thought they were in net and a third-line centre. getting Derick Brassard before the Penguins stepped in with an offer Dorion liked better. The Lightning, who were decent, then bottomed out, then got good again, have managed to nab core players in almost every draft as well. It's believed that any deal with the Lightning would have started with Brayden Point or Mikhail Sergachev, and that was obviously a non- Ottawa, meanwhile, has been comparatively horrible. starter for Tampa. St. Louis had four forward prospects it reportedly refused to give up in any Hoffman deal. Winnipeg was ultimately able to In the 2011-2015 drafts, the Senators acquired just one player that you add Paul Stastny from the Blues without giving up NHL players. could, at this point, comfortably place in a core group you'd want to build a team around. They picked three times in the first round of that 2011 On it went. Tomas Tatar for draft picks alone. Evander Kane for draft, and Zibanejad is all they have to show for it. He was shipped out in conditional picks and an AHLer. Rick Nash for picks and depth players. the original Brassard deal, of course, and Brassard was just recently Tampa ultimately had to give up Vladimir Namestnikov in the Ryan traded for futures, so you could argue the Senators don't have a single McDonough deal, but replaced him with another guy who scores at close solid, core piece to show for five years of drafting. to a similar pace in J.T. Miller. Curtis Lazar is close to being out of the league at this point, so I'm being All of this has to be troubling if you're a Senators fan, because not only generous even including him among regular NHLers. does the team not have a very good drafting record with Dorion in senior hockey ops positions, it devotes far fewer resources to scouting, I'm sure Good Hockey Men would quibble with me not putting Cody Ceci analytics and front office staff than most of its competitors. in green above, given he plays 20-plus minutes per night, but when a player objectively makes his team worse when he's on the ice, it's hard to It's an odd strategy, isn't it? If you want to build a contender on the consider him a top-four defenceman. cheap, that's where it makes the most sense to invest. Think of how many scouting and development people you could hire for the cost of one You could make a much stronger argument for Chabot, who I assume Alex Burrows … or even a Nate Thompson. will ultimately succeed in that important role. As of now, he plays less than 17 minutes per night, has lacklustre underlying numbers when away That's why they need to shift strategy now if they are in fact going to deal from Karlsson, scores at a decent pace, but ultimately lags behind a Karlsson in the summer, something that feels more inevitable by the day. number of 2015 peers who've already solidly established themselves as With the Senators apparently headed down the scorched earth rebuild everyday top-fours (Noah Hanifin, Ivan Provarov, Zach Werenski and route, the first thing they need to develop the kind of scouting network Brandon Carlo). and analytics capabilities that'll ultimately produce on-ice success. Still, the Senators don't have a lot to show for their efforts at the draft, The second thing they must do is take a long, hard look at the front office and Dorion has made matters worse by committing dollars and term to and ask themselves whether the current hockey ops group should be the past-their-prime players who take roster spots away from the few one to hit the reset button. It may be that, after so many years of the youngsters who have shown some ability. same voices, it's time to bring in some new ones. Ottawa did well to find Karlsson, Hoffman and Mark Stone, but all three were selected nearly a Not that there are a lot of great candidates for those spots, anyway, decade ago. Since then, things have been pretty bleak. though. In his mid-season prospect ranking, The Athletic's Corey Pronman had two Senators listed, but at 27th (Logan Brown) and 35th In a perfect world, a Senators rebuild would produce a team like the (Drake Batherson), neither currently rates as a player who will soon step Lightning or Jets – two squads that are so loaded with young talent that into a top-six role. Not a single Senator made his list of top 100 NHL they could put together credible packages for Ottawa's skill players and players under 25, either (though Zibanejad does make an appearance). still confidently walk away from pricey deals while remaining strong Cup contenders. While the Senators had players those teams coveted, It's worth pointing out, too, that Tim Murray – a graduate of Ottawa's Tampa and Winnipeg had little incentive to pay exorbitant prices. hockey ops department – failed miserably as general manager of the Buffalo Sabres, another team that, like the Senators, has been unable to How did they arrive at that position of strength, while Ottawa floundered identify future stars at the draft outside of a very obvious Jack Eichel to unload assets from a position of weakness? pick. Now they're paying for it with a seemingly endless rebuild. The Sabres should serve as a cautionary tale for the Senators as they shift into rebuild mode: if you don't have the right people in leadership positions, you're going nowhere. If the Senators' next wave of young players don't start showing a lot more promise – and quick – it might be time to ask whether Dorion is the right guy to shepherd them through this critical new phase. The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101680 Philadelphia Flyers year, most likely larger roles than they are now as we want to continue to grow as a team.

“But don’t ever discount the importance of a veteran presence, whether New-look Flyers entering critical stage it’s in the dressing room after a positive or tough situation or whether it’s on the ice as part of the action.’’ Updated: MARCH 2, 2018 — 3:44 PM EST Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 03.03.2018 by Sam Donnellon,

For a team that didn’t do much at the trade deadline, the Flyers sure have a lot of new faces in their dressing room these days. There’s goalie Petr Mrazek, who finally lost a game Thursday night after backstopping three straight victories since being traded for a week before the deadline. Alex Lyon, his backup, wasn’t promoted from Lehigh Valley too much earlier than that. Called up to replace Wayne Simmonds two weeks ago, rookie Oskar Lindblom came thisclose to his first NHL goal Thursday. Johnny Oduya, their lone trade-deadline pickup, finally practiced with the team Friday and will join the team for this weekend’s back-to-back matinees against Tampa Bay and Florida. That guy without the front teeth looks familiar. Why, it’s Simmonds, who used the time he has spent rehabbing from his upper body injury to have a few bothersome dead teeth removed. “I feel like Coots,’’ he said through what is still a swollen mouth — a nod to the toothless on-ice presence of teammate Sean Couturier. Simmonds, who has been skating through his rehab, wore pads for the first time since leaving a game against the Rangers on Feb. 18 after a fight. According to an estimate given by Flyers general manager Ron Hextall on Monday, he could be available to play as soon as next weekend. “When I come back, I should have my legs,’’ he said. Where does that leave Lindblom, his replacement? Probably with the team, but on a lower line. Said Simmonds: “He’s been great. A really smart player. Great on the boards. He’s really good at making those give-and-go’s, getting back open. I’m surprised he doesn’t have a few points already.’’ On Friday, Flyers coach Dave Hakstol praised Lindblom’s play on the second line, saying, “I think Oskar has done everything but have a puck go into the net.’’ But he also spoke of the importance of veteran savvy, particularly at this time of the year, an explanation perhaps for why the Flyers claimed Oduya off waivers before the trade deadline. Oduya is 36, and by his own account, “it’s been a rough last couple of months’’ in Ottawa, where the Senators and their fans expected to be building on their conference finals appearance of a season ago. Instead, the Senators are in seventh place in the Atlantic Division with just 52 points, one of the true have-nots in this everybody-gets-a-trophy league. And thus Oduya, who averaged more than 17 minutes of ice time in Ottawa, is a depth-position Flyer. At least right now. And while Hakstol didn’t announce any lineup changes for the weekend, he answered a question Friday about in-game veteran presence this way: “There’s so many different things from recognizing details that happen during the play and on the ice to having the ability to read and react to that play,’’ the coach said. “As much as you want to prepare for that game and have structure … the more experience you have, along with hockey sense, puts you in a stronger position to make those right reads, and be able to make the play.’’ Oduya, 36, has won two Stanley Cups with Chicago and has been involved in 106 playoff games over his 15 NHL seasons. As much as his play has been down this season, he still was a plus-2 for a bad team. Brandon Manning is a lineup regular in a large part because of the inconsistencies of Travis Sanheim, who struggled as a regular before being a healthy scratch and, later, reassigned to Lehigh Valley. Lately, though, it is Manning who has been under the microscope for some costly mistakes and giveaways. Are his days as a lineup regular in jeopardy? This weekend’s games should provide insight. But we’ll leave you with more words from the coach on the subject. “Young guys are still very effective,’’ Hakstol said. “We have young guys on our roster who will continue to play key roles as we go through the 1101681 Philadelphia Flyers

Who's odd man out when Wayne Simmonds returns?

By Tom Dougherty and Jordan Hall | NBC Sports Philadelphia March 02, 2018 3:26 PM

Going End to End today is NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Tom Dougherty and Jordan Hall. The topic: What should the Flyers do when Wayne Simmonds returns? Dougherty This question really is, who comes out of the lineup when Simmonds comes back? Since the NHL roster limit is, well, no longer a limit, the Flyers can carry extra forwards. That doesn’t mean Ron Hextall will not send a promising 21-year-old back to Lehigh Valley. Oskar Lindblom, because of a paper transaction, is eligible for the AHL playoffs. Lindblom is the wild card here. Has he shown enough to stick with the Flyers? I think he has despite all of his positives (there are plenty) not showing up on the score sheet. But, I thought the same thing after the preseason. The reality is, Lindblom hasn’t produced points. If the offense showed up more in the preseason, he probably would have stayed. I’m afraid that is going to bite him again this time around. It shouldn’t, though. When Simmonds returns, Lindblom should stick around. Think of it this way, Simmonds, or Lindblom, is the Flyers’ trade deadline acquisition. So someone draws out. Thursday, Jordan Weal was in the press box. He hasn’t produced and has been given ample opportunity. Taylor Leier was back in. That spot is the one we’re looking at. Sure, Dale Weise and Jori Lehtera could take turns going in and out too. We should ask whether Lindblom is an upgrade over Weal, Leier, Lehtera and Weise. Yes, he is. Which means Lindblom’s (probably) going back to the AHL. Hall With the way the Flyers had been playing, you almost forgot about Simmonds. But of course, that would be silly. When Simmonds is doing what he does best, the Flyers are at another level. In fact, they're 16-1-1 when he scores a goal. So who comes out when he comes back? I'd like to see it be Weise. He's been scratched before and simply doesn't bring a whole lot to the table. Simmonds returns to the second unit, while Lindblom slides to the third line but still plays a role. However, it would not surprise me if Lindblom heads back to the AHL for further development while the Flyers trust the guys that have been here. Since Weal hasn't produced, he must now show he can understand the responsibilities of a bottom-six spot, specifically as a fourth-liner. If he can do that, he'll bring a nice scoring element alongside complementary players. How's a third line of Lindblom, Scott Laughton and Michael Raffl sound? And a fourth line of Lehtera, Valtteri Filppula and Weal? Ultimately, though, it very well could end up being Lindblom sent down and Weal or Leier as the scratch when Simmonds is back in action. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101682 Philadelphia Flyers

Gostisbehere's plan to honor Parkland survivors

By NBC Sports Philadelphia Staff March 02, 2018 10:45 AM

Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere has garnered Norris Trophy attention for his play this season, but his greatest assist is coming off the ice. Ghost has invited the Florida state champion Marjory Stoneman Douglas High hockey team to attend Sunday's game at the Panthers, with a meet and greet planned with the Flyers before the game. The Eagles won the Lightning High School Hockey League Tier 1 state title on Feb. 25, just 11 days after 17 students and teachers were killed in a school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas. "I thought it was pretty cool," Gostisbehere told The Intelligencer of the Eagles' title win. "Obviously the circumstances are a little rough. "Just to see how they won it, they didn't win a game in the round robin and then they came back. ... The way they handled themselves, it was pretty cool to see." After defeating Tampa Jesuit 7-4 in the final, the students returned back to Douglas High, laying their medals at a memorial dedicated to the victims. Gostisbehere, a native of nearby Pembroke Pines, Florida attended Marjory Stoneman Douglas for two years, although he didn't play hockey there. Still, he feels connected to his former school. “I would say it always hits close to home, but when it’s your home, it’s pretty tough to see,” Gostisbehere said after the shooting. “I haven’t really processed it yet and I still can’t believe it. I was just in that school. I was only there for two years. I felt safe at that school every day I was there. Just to see something like that happen to those kids and those teachers, it sucks.” With everything the students have been through, Ghost is hoping to help the team heal, even if it's just for a few hours. "It will be cool to see them," he said. "[And, hopefully] just get their minds off everything they've been going through." Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101683 Philadelphia Flyers Lindblom earns a stay? When Simmonds returns, will his replacement be sent back to the minors too? Oskar Lindblom has no points to show for his efforts, but has What Dave Hakstol means when he values 'veteran presence' impressed everyone, including Simmonds. “What I really notice about his game is that he’s really good at making Dave Isaac, Published 4:04 p.m. ET March 2, 2018 tight plays, little give-and-gos where he gives it and gets right back open like that,” Simmonds said. “I’m surprised he doesn’t have a few points here, a couple goals. He’s been awesome.” VOORHEES — It took four days of red tape, waiting and a trip from “I think Oskar has done everything except have a puck go in the net,” Ottawa to Toronto because appointments for visa renewals don’t happen Hakstol added. “You can break his game down last night and I see one of every day. Finally, Johnny Oduya was with his new team Friday in his most complete games. practice. “We obviously want to keep him going in the same direction. I think when The two-time Stanley Cup winner may not play for at least a couple he gets one, like any guy that expects to score, that will help him a little games, as he acclimates to the Flyers’ defense both on and off the ice. bit as well confidence-wise. But even when he hasn’t scored, he’s helped our team and he’s been an impactful guy.” “I’ve seen a lot of new faces the last couple years,” said Oduya, who is on his fourth team in the last two seasons. “Sometimes it takes a little bit Up next: at Tampa Bay Lightning of time to get into the groove. Obviously you want to adapt as soon as possible but it’s just one of those things you can’t really predict how it’s When: 1 p.m., Saturday gonna fit. It’s always tough to know beforehand. Sometimes it works TV/Radio: NBCSP/97.5 FM better; sometimes not as good. The only thing you can do is prepare and be open and be yourself and bring whatever you can. Everything else Courier-Post LOADED: 03.03.2018 just has to fall in place.” He was claimed off waivers by general manager Ron Hextall to help the younger players as the Flyers race toward the playoffs where home-ice advantage is very much within reach. Wednesday the Flyers opened the doors of the renovated gym and nutrition areas of the team's practice facility to the media. Wochit If used, he would speak to an aspect of the roster coach Dave Hakstol praises often: a “veteran presence.” “It means so many different things from recognizing details that happen during the play and on the ice to having the ability to read and react to that play,” Hakstol explained. “As much as you want to prepare for a game and you want to have structure to your game, there’s a pure element of playing with basic structure and reading and reacting fast. The more experience you have, along with hockey sense, it puts you in a stronger position to make those correct reads and make the play.” One of the players Hakstol lauds for this is Brandon Manning, who had a rough go of it in Thursday night’s 4-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. He led the team in ice time and was beaten on both of Justin Williams’ goals, first not the ex-Flyer out for position in front of the net and on the second tally he coughed up the puck in a scrum along the boards leading to the goal. The loss was by no means squarely on the shoulders of Manning, but it wasn’t a great endorsement of the traits Hakstol has praised in Manning, Radko Gudas, Jori Lehtera and others. Hakstol has pushed mostly the right buttons this season, but the roles of certain veterans haven’t always worked as he’s intended. Thursday was a good case of that and Friday the coach insinuated it might not always be that way. “Young guys are still very effective,” Hakstol said. “We’ve got young guys on our roster that are playing and are going to continue playing key roles and as we go through the year, most likely even larger roles as we want to continue growing as a team. But don’t ever discount the importance of a veteran presence whether it’s in the dressing room after a positive or a tough situation or on the ice in the heat of the action.” Simmonds could return next week Midway through practice Wayne Simmonds joined the team after skating on his own with assistant coach Ian Laperriere. Simmonds hasn’t played since Feb. 18 against the New York Rangers. It’s unclear what exactly his “upper-body injury” is, but playing next week isn’t out of the question. “I can’t put an exact date on it, obviously,” Simmonds said. “Today was my first time passing, shooting, stuff like that. Felt good.” The break gave Simmonds time to repair other things…like his teeth. In his first season in Philadelphia he took a puck to the mouth when Scott Hartnell rang a shot off the post. It pushed Simmonds’ teeth back and he’s been hit a couple more times, including Oct. 19 when he took Mattias Ekholm’s stick to the mouth. Simmonds had four of his top teeth removed this week. “It bothered me a little,” Simmonds said, of the teeth which had been dead and unable to be revived by oral surgeons. “Obviously it’s an unfortunate situation, but just trying to take advantage of it and get the most I can out of it.” 1101684 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins not fazed by current three-game losing streak

CHRIS ADAMSKI | Friday, March 2, 2018, 8:15 p.m. Updated 4 minutes ago

Mike Sullivan often others that these Penguins are a prideful bunch. Perhaps that is never more evident than when their egos take their biggest bruisings. Less than 48 after absorbing an 8-4 beatdown in Boston, the Penguins host a divisional opponent Saturday night and hope to snap a season high-tying three-game losing streak. It's one of the season's nadirs, to be sure. But through the season's first four months, the Penguins often have been at their best right after they've been at their worst: “Any time you get pounded like (Thursday), there's a reset,” defenseman Matt Hunwick said. A reset in terms of regaining focus, perhaps. But not in terms of personnel or in how they're grouped. At least not this time. For his team's practice Friday afternoon at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, Sullivan used the same line combinations and defense pairings he did in Boston. “I don't think line combinations had anything to do with what happened (Thursday),” Sullivan said. The practice was crisp, loose and short (about 30 minutes). Perhaps emboldened by their status as the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions — or maybe the realization that this stretch is a mini-slump compared to their December swoon — the Penguins treated Friday mostly as business and usual. “It's easy,” defenseman Kris Letang said of turning the proverbial page. “Last week, we were winning, and we had all the confidence in the world. We've hit a rough patch. We just have to regroup, just have to play better. Just play harder defense, and things will take care of themselves.” Before the losing streak began with at Florida last Saturday, the Penguins had won six in a row and were on a 16-2-1 run. “We feel as though as a coaching staff that these (recent troubles) are correctable,” Sullivan said. “We went through a long stretch of hockey where we played extremely well, and we got those results for a reason. So we just have to make sure we hit the reset button and get back to our game.” The Penguins have allowed 17 goals over the past three games — almost as many as they had in their eight-game point streak that immediately preceded it (19). But maybe the Penguins will be able to look back on this skid as one of the best things that could have happened to them with the playoffs about five weeks away. “That was kind of a wake-up call,” defenseman Olli Maatta said of Thursday's loss to Boston, “of how hard is to win (and) how good teams are.” “ Definitely a wake-up call,” defenseman Jamie Oleksiak emphasized. Added wing Patric Hornqvist: “For sure, it was a wake-up call.” That is mindset borne out during their recent Stanley Cup runs when they went 14-3 after a postseason loss, including 3-1 after a loss by at least three goals. Dating to Sullivan's first win as coach of the Penguins in December 2015, the team is 13-1-0 in the regular season in games following a loss by at least four goals. “Everyone in here knows we didn't play the way we wanted here the last three games,” winger Carl Hagelin said. “So we're going to go out tomorrow and play Penguins hockey the way we know how to, and that's when it fun. “... There's no one that's down and depressed. We're in a good spot. We're looking forward to the game (Saturday). It should be a turning point for us.” Tribune Review LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101685 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins Matt Hunwick on his play: 'Overall, it's been alright'

CHRIS ADAMSKI | Friday, March 2, 2018, 5:51 p.m. Updated 3 hours ago

During the Penguins' three-game losing streak, Matt Hunwick has been on the ice for 11 of the opponents' 17 goals, including nine at even strength. This despite playing in only about a quarter of the available minutes. As such, Hunwick has become something of a fan lightning rod during this sour stretch for the Penguins, particularly in that it has come after the team traded Ian Cole — a move that necessitated Hunwick's regular playing time. Hunwick, though, is largely unfazed, at least in the respect that he isn't willing to publicly admonish his own play. Asked to assess his overall game, particularly in the six games he has been back in the lineup since Feb. 17, Hunwick said: "I feel good. I think my skating's been good. Still working on some positional-type things. But overall, it's been all right." Hunwick's partner on the Penguins' No. 3 defense pairing, Jamie Oleksiak, also is going through what is arguably his worst stretch since he was acquired by the Penguins in December. Although the two haven't been together for every one of the goals against over this past week, Oleksiak also has been on the ice for 11 total and nine at even strength over the past three games. "We're ironing things out (as a pairing)," Oleksiak said. "It's been a tough few games here (for) the team in general. We kind of are trying to find a groove. And when you're playing with a different guy or on different lines, you're trying to find that chemistry. "But Matt's a good player. I think communication is going to be huge for us going forward in just developing a pairing there. Just like as a team right now, we're just trying to figure it out." Oleksiak and Cole seemed to mesh to the point that it appeared to bring out the best hockey of Oleksiak's NHL career. It's possible no player was more adversely affected by the trade of Cole than Oleksiak. Even though the two played together at points earlier this season, the Oleksiak- Hunwick pairing remains something of a work in progress. "I think it's just kind of when you get tossed into something like that, playing with a new guy, there's just little things you've got to work on," Oleksiak said. "(Hunwick is) a good and smart player and responsible. I think that it's just a matter of communicating. I think communication is key when play with new guys. That's just something we are working on, different calls and different plays and tendencies. It's a process." Hunwick was signed in July to a three-year, $6.75 million contract. Tribune Review LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101686 Pittsburgh Penguins

6-7 Jamie Oleksiak on fighting 6-9 Zdeno Chara: 'Wasn't fun being on the other side'

CHRIS ADAMSKI | Friday, March 2, 2018, 5:18 p.m. Updated 2 hours ago

At 6-foot-7, 255 pounds, Jamie Oleksiak rarely looks up to someone — especially when he's in a fight. But that changed Thursday night. "I know what it's like on the other side now," the Penguins defenseman said Friday after he fought Boston's 6-9 Zdeno Chara on Thursday. "And it's not a fun experience." Oleksiak and Chara dropped the gloves just past the midway point of what ended up an 8-4 Penguins loss at Boston. The two engaged with the Bruins up 6-3. Zdeno Chara and Jamie Oleksiak dropped the gloves last night. Who came out on top? #NHLBruins #LetsGoPens #PITvsBOS @FrankDangelo23 pic.twitter.com/qSEtxF6v7Z — NextSportStar.com (@NextSportStar) March 2, 2018 "(Thursday's game) was obviously a tough one, and obviously I was trying to get some juices going," said Oleksiak, who has been in 12 NHL regular-season fights according to hockeyfights.com. "I was just on the ice, and me and him kind of got into it in the corner, and I saw him and it was mutual, 'All right. Let's do this.' So it happened." The bout gave Oleksiak a taste of what opponents routinely have to encounter when facing him: a disadvantage in reach. "I felt like I was punching a mile away," he said. "I thought I had two (punch opportunities) where I finally got my arm loose, and I thought I was going to connect, but ... ." Here's a gif of the Chara-Oleksiak fight pic.twitter.com/V18cPmOqQ9 — Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) March 2, 2018 Oleksiak did not have the advantage in size, but he did have one edge. At the time the fight began, Chara was finishing a shift that officially lasted a ridiculous 3 minutes, 3 seconds — the final 2:28 of which was continuous play. That was by far the longest shift for any player in the game. Among all 35 other skaters on both teams, just two other shifts were credited for as long as 2 minutes. "I didn't even know that, but it kind of worked out in my favor," Oleksiak said. "I think he was a little gassed." Not quite enough, though, for Oleksiak to win the fight. Sixty percent of those who voted in the hockeyfights.com poll by 5 p.m. Friday scored it a win for Chara. Tribune Review LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101687 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins recall forward Dominik Simon

CHRIS ADAMSKI | Friday, March 2, 2018, 1:54 p.m. Updated 4 hours ago

Four days after sending him down to the AHL, the Penguins on Friday recalled forward Dominik Simon from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Simon, 23, has split 2017-18 between the Penguins and Baby Penguins, posting four goals and seven assists in 28 NHL games and four goals and 13 assists in 21 AHL games this season. He has spent time on the first line with Sidney Crosby but went without a point in his most recent six games with the Penguins and didn't have a goal in his past 12. With rookie Zach Aston-Reese out "longer term" because of an upper- body injury, the Penguins could use an extra forward on the roster. Tribune Review LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101688 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins goalie Matt Murray, out with concussion, skates before practice

CHRIS ADAMSKI | Friday, March 2, 2018, 12:48 p.m. Updated 7 hours ago

The day after one of their worst losses of the season, the Penguins were greeted with some good news Friday morning. Four days after leaving practice early following getting struck in the head by a shot puck and missed the ensuing two games, two-time Stanley Cup winning goalie Matt Murray was on the ice at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry. Murray skated prior to the team's practice but did not take part in the team portion of the session. Being cleared to skate can be considered a positive development in his progression through NHL concussion protocol. All expected players are present for practice here at #UPMC66 . Matt Murray skated on his own earlier this morning. pic.twitter.com/iI3o99Ug2T — Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 2, 2018 "Matt skated in full equipment, but didn't take shots," coach Mike Sullivan said after practice. "That is the next step in the process. We'll see how he responds and go from there." During the practice, all line combinations and defense pairings remained the same from Thursday night's 8-4 loss at the Boston Bruins . "I don't think line combinations had anything to do with what happened last night," Sullivan said. Murray was the only player unaccounted for at practice. #Pens lines remain the same:Guentzel-Crosby-RustHagelin-Malkin- HornqvistSheary-Brassard-KesselKuhnhackl-Sheahan- RowneyDumoulin-LetangMaatta-SchultzHunwick-Oleksiak(Gonchar)- Ruhwedel — Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) March 2, 2018 Tribune Review LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101689 Pittsburgh Penguins The Penguins typically have been good at using tough losses as springboards into more successful hockey. In games following a multi- goal loss this season, they are 10-1-1. Derick Brassard is 0-2 as a Penguin since coming over last week in a They would, obviously, like to have as few opportunities as possible to trade from Ottawa. 1 add to that record, but they’ve got one coming up Saturday evening at home. SAM WERNER “I think we’ve just got to have an answer,” Olli Maatta said. “That [Boston loss] kind of a wake-up call, how hard it is to win, how good the teams MAR 2, 2018 4:05 PM are. That’s a playoff team, that’s one of the better teams in the league. The way they play, it’s never an easy game. We've got to make sure every game we play, we expect it to be hard.” It’s a pretty common tactic for coaches, coming off a bad loss, to send a Post Gazette LOADED: 03.03.2018 message or try to shake things up by juggling their lineup. The Penguins’ 8-4 defeat Thursday in Boston certainly qualifies, yet, when the team took the ice for practice Friday in Cranberry, the four forward lines and three defense pairings were exactly the same as they have been for the past two games. Things could change before puck drops Saturday night against the New York Islanders — Dominik Simon was called up from AHL Wilkes- Barre/Scranton and could join the mix — but the message coach Mike Sullivan seemed intent on sending was that the Penguins’ recent issues run deeper than just who is playing with whom. “I don’t think line combinations had anything to do with what went on [Thursday] night,” Sullivan said. “If we did, then maybe we would make changes.” Penguins goalie Matt Murray works out at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry. OK, so then what was it? For starters, Penguins players still feel as though they are giving up way too many offensive chances on their goalies, particularly off the rush. They’ve given up an average of 35.3 shots per game in their past three contests — their first three-game losing streak since Dec. 9-14 — which is well above their season average of 31.3 per game. For context, the Islanders are last in the NHL with 35.8 shots allowed per game on the season. The easy temptation, given the timing of the team’s recent downturn, might be to allocate some of the blame to the departure of Ian Cole, the Penguins’ most defensive blue-liner who was dealt before the trade deadline last week. But Kris Letang said, even without Cole’s physical presence in the lineup, the Penguins still are more than capable of playing high-level defensive hockey. “We’re not a big, physical team, but we still have to defend,” Letang said. “Last week, that’s what we did. That’s why we had so much success. We were defending really well, we were fast — not necessary really physical — but we were finishing our hits and we were removing people from the puck.” It’s not just the defensemen, either. Patric Hornqvist was adamant that the Penguins forwards need to do a better job of making smart plays in the offensive zone to prevent the puck from going the other way. “We just have to come out and play the right style of hockey,” Hornqvist said. “We have to play fast and we have to support each other out there. That’s key here [Saturday], and we know what we have to do to get going. [Thursday] night was not our best, and we’re all excited for [Saturday] here and to have a better game.” Dominik Simon And that was the overarching theme in the locker room Friday after practice. No one is pleased with the way these past three games have gone, but Sullivan preached what he called a “playoff mindset” of learning the lessons from the loss and taking it with you into the next game. “It’s that time of year where the stakes are high. We’re going to have to be ready to hit the reset button and elevate our game [Saturday] to try and get the result we want,” Sullivan said. Hornqvist said the mood at practice was “pretty good” and he felt the short session was energetic despite a late (and bumpy) arrival Thursday night from Boston. “It was just good to get a sweat in,” Carl Hagelin said. “There’s no one that’s down, depressed. We’re in a good spot going in here. We’re looking forward to the game [Saturday,] and it should be a turning point for us.” 1101690 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins recall Dominik Simon from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

SAM WERNER MAR 2, 2018 1:45 PM

The Penguins recalled winger Dominik Simon from AHL Wilkes- Barre/Scranton Friday afternoon, the team announced. Simon has 11 points in 28 NHL games this season. He had been with the team since being called up in early January, but was sent down to the AHL Monday as part of the Penguins' trade deadline roster moves. He did not actually appear in a game for Wilkes-Barre during this stint in the AHL. Simon gives the Penguins another left wing option in their lineup. He could play on Sidney Crosby's top line, or get a spot in the bottom six. The Penguins' next game is Saturday at 5 p.m. against the Islanders. Post Gazette LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101691 Pittsburgh Penguins The Penguins will play host to “Hockey Is For Everyone Night” Monday for their home game against Calgary.

Players will use rainbow-colored “pride tape” in pregame warm-ups, and Penguins goalie Matt Murray works out at the UPMC Lemieux Sports those sticks will be auctioned off to benefit the “You Can Play” Complex in Cranberry. 1 organization, an advocacy group that promotes inclusion for LGBTQ individuals in sports. SAM WERNER The Penguins also have partnered with the Delta Foundation to distribute tickets to LGBTQ youth, and the team will have a number of other MAR 2, 2018 2:47 PM promotional events as part of the night. Post Gazette LOADED: 03.03.2018 Matt Murray might not have a timetable for his return from a concussion, but he is at least making progress in the right direction. Murray skated on his own, in full equipment, before the Penguins practice Friday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry. “[Matt] didn’t take shots, but skated in full equipment this morning, which is the next step in the process,” coach Mike Sullivan said after practice. “We’ll see how he responds and we’ll go from there.” Murray has been off the ice since Monday, when he left a practice early after taking a shot to the head from teammate Olli Maatta. He subsequently was diagnosed with a concussion, the second of his career. The previous time Murray had a concussion, at the very end of the 2016 regular season, he was out for 10 days before returning to game action in Game 3 of the first round of the playoff against the New York Rangers. Derick Brassard is 0-2 as a Penguin since coming over last week in a trade from Ottawa. In Murray’s absence, the Penguins have had to rely on the rookie tandem of Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith, and it hasn’t exactly gone well for them. DeSmith was fine, though hardly outstanding, in the team’s 3-2 loss Tuesday to New Jersey. He got another start Thursday night in Boston, but lasted just 4:33 after he gave up three goals on his first five shots. He was pulled in favor of Jarry, who allowed five goals on 33 shots and ended up with the loss. Odd schedule for Saturday For a group grounded in routine, Saturday will throw the Penguins a bit of a curveball. Their game against the Islanders starts at 5 p.m., rather than the usual 7 p.m. That means no morning skate Saturday, but a whole lot of time to kill throughout the day. “We had an 11 o’clock [a.m.] game [Feb. 11] in St. Louis,” Carl Hagelin said. “So, we’ve got nothing to worry about.” DeSmith moving on Bruins left wing Jake DeBrusk, left, competes for the puck along the boards with Penguins defenseman Matt Hunwick on Thursday. Jason Mackey Penguins’ issues are many, but accountability not one Casey DeSmith was all smiles Friday after practice, despite a rough outing Thursday night in Boston. He was pulled after giving up three goals in the first 5:27, the first time he has been yanked in seven NHL starts. “I’ve been a goalie a long time, it’s happened plenty of times and it’ll probably happen more times,” he said. “I think you need to have that mentality that you can bounce back and can’t let it get to you. Just examine your performance for what it was, fix what you can and move on.” Hunwick feeling confident Defenseman Matt Hunwick has battled through an up-and-down first season with the Penguins, but said he feels good about his recent play. He has played six games since having nearly a month off as a healthy scratch. He is a minus-3 in those six games, with a goal and three assists. “I’ve only played six now in the last bit, but I feel good,” Hunwick said. “I think my skating’s been good. Still working on some positional type things, but overall it’s been all right.” Penguins playing host to ‘Hockey Is For Everyone’ night 1101692 San Jose Sharks Even DeBoer, who tends to cringe at the speed question, acknowledged that Kane’s legs are giving his top line a new fold.

“Everybody in today’s NHL is looking for speed,” the Sharks coach said. Takeaways: Kane is giving Sharks the speed they needed “But you can’t just have speed, you’ve got to have speed that understands how to play. That’s the thing with him — he gets it. He knows when to slow down, when to turn it on. He can make plays.” By PAUL GACKLE | [email protected] | Bay Area News Group Most importantly, Kane is adding speed to the group, along with physicality. Oftentimes with speed, there’s a tradeoff. PUBLISHED: March 1, 2018 at 11:31 pm | UPDATED: March 2, 2018 at 4:25 am “That’s a rare package,” DeBoer said. 2. Kane is also balancing out the Sharks forward lines. SAN JOSE — Pete DeBoer insists that there are no “gimmes” in the The puzzle pieces all seemed to fall into play with Kane’s addition NHL. Monday. He might want to consider carving out an exception to rule after Now, the Sharks top line is dangerous, Logan Couture’s line is still a Thursday’s blowout win at SAP Center. strong shutdown unit that can score and the addition of Timo Meier’s 17 goals to the third line is giving the team a matchup edge at the bottom of Just six days after a 3-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks triggered the lineup, as well. DeBoer’s gimme tirade, the Sharks capitalized on the loosy-goosy play of a team that’s playing out a string in the rematch. 8:14PM #TimoTime The win allowed the Sharks to maintain a two-point lead over the Los #SJSharks pic.twitter.com/mMr6wTTaAe Angeles Kings for second place in the Pacific Division. — San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) March 2, 2018 Here’s what we learned as the Sharks (35-21-9) stomped the All four lines scored Thursday as Couture, Meier, Kevin Labanc and Blackhawks (27-28-8) in a convincing 7-2 win. Barclay Goodrow joined the goal parade. Eleven of the team’s 12 1. Evander Kane is giving the Sharks top line the speed it needed. forwards found their way onto the scoresheet. With Kane, the Sharks acquired a pure-goal scorer, injected physicality “We’ve been talking all year about getting our four line game going,” into the lineup and found the missing ingredient to their top-six forward DeBoer said. “I feel now we’ve got guys slotted in the right spots. We can group: speed. have dangerous players and dangerous-offensive players in our third and fourth lines. The Sharks lack of high-end speed got exposed by the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2016 Stanley Cup Final and it’s remained an issue “That’s what you’re seeing.” in the aftermath as the NHL continues to get flooded by young fast- Couture tied Owen Nolan for fourth place on the franchise’s all-time goals skating players. list with his 206th career goal. Marc-Edouard Vlasic set a career best by Kane’s addition this week might help fix the problem. scoring his 10th goal, tying Brent Burns for tops among Sharks defensemen, and DeMelo recorded the first three-point game of his Like our Sharks Facebook page for more San Jose Sharks news, career with three assists. commentary and conversation. The steal, the pass, the finish. The line of Kane, Joe Pavelski and Joonas Donskoi scored two more goals Thursday, both of which came off the rush. #SJSharks pic.twitter.com/so4aXqy8nP Kane got the Sharks first goal at 10:22 of the opening period started by — San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) March 2, 2018 taking Pavelski’s breakout pass, turning the play north with his speed and 3. Pump the brakes a bit. hitting Donskoi with a cross-ice feed in the neutral zone. From there, Donskoi entered the zone and dropped the puck back to Brent Burns, Don’t pencil the Sharks into the Stanley Cup playoffs just yet. Keep in who gave Pavelski a look into a yawning net for his 17th goal with a mind, the team’s back-to-back wins this week have come against a pair through-the-slot pass. of squads that are 16 and 12 points out of playoff spots right now. It’s hard emulate playoff hockey against teams that are playing wide-open The only word for this goal is sick. #SJSharks games without anything to lose. pic.twitter.com/CHHgryOqvY DeMelo acknowledged that the Blackhawks were playing “loose” — San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) March 2, 2018 Thursday. The Sharks top line, which has combined for 12 points in two games, “It happens when you’re playing a team that’s out of it,” he said. “We scored off the rush again at 12:14 of the second when Pavelski put the were able to capitalize today on their mistakes.” team ahead 5-1 with his 18th goal. Kane kickstarted the play again, punching the puck ahead to Donskoi for a two-on-one chance that The Sharks will get a better sense of how their new lineup stacks up Pavelski buried. against playoff-caliber teams Sunday when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets, who own the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. There’s so much to like: San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 03.03.2018 Martin Jones shutting it down. Donskoi great lead. or @jpav8 getting his 2nd #SjSharks lead by 4! (Not a typo) pic.twitter.com/SB5r11RFEM — Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) March 2, 2018 By the end of the game, the Sharks had scored five goals off the rush, a different look for a team that usually makes its hay by grinding teams down with the half-court offense. When asked how Kane is changing the dynamic on the ice, the first word off Joe Pavelski, Martin Jones and Dylan DeMelo’s tongue was “speed”. Pavelski: “definitely a speed element”. Jones: “he’s got that breakaway speed and he knows how to use it”. DeMelo: “he’s got great speed and he’s got great strength, too, on the puck. He’s physical and he’s opening up space.” 1101693 San Jose Sharks head coach, if the new norm for the Blackhawks was exemplified by the way they played in San Jose on Thursday (a 7-2 loss), he’s clearly lost the room. … The NHL entry draft is returning to the West Coast in 2019 Sharks: Kane’s arrival, Pavelski’s ascendency has San Jose rolling (Vancouver) for the first time since 2010 (Los Angeles) and for only the third time ever.

By Ross McKeon Updated 4:32 pm, Friday, March 2, 2018 San Francisco Chronicle LOADED: 03.03.2018

Two things stand out this week for the Sharks. One is obvious, the other not so much. Players generally enjoy a boost of adrenalin when traded to a new team, and Evander Kane is showing that with his first two games in San Jose. The other is the subtle but impressive leadership displayed by Joe Pavelski, who has excelled since Joe Thornton went down to injury on Jan. 23. “This is his time of the year,” Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said of the team’s captain. “He always finds another level this time of the year.” This early spring, however, Pavelski has picked his game up without his usual running mate Thornton, while adapting to the center position after years of playing on the wing. Without Thornton, Pavelski has eight goals and 10 assists (18 points) in 18 games. He wasn’t averaging a point per game with Thornton; Pavelski had 10 goals and 34 points in 47 games with Thornton on the ice. In addition, Pavelski is a plus-4 defensively since moving back to center after charting a minus-7 on the wing. “I think he was excited about the acquisition,” DeBoer said of Pavelski’s reaction to adding Kane to his left wing. “And he’s getting used to playing center. It takes some time; he hasn’t played (there) in a while.”

And it’s not just the numbers. With Patrick Marleau long departed and Thornton sidelined, this is the first time since accepting the captaincy in 2015 that Pavelski has had to lead without two of the team’s former captains in the room to provide support. He’s done it with his play on the ice and even-keel demeanor off of it. Now, thanks to him getting the team to and through the trade deadline when Kane’s arrival added a jolt, the Sharks basically only have to go .500 in their final 17 games to reach the playoffs for the 13th time in 14 seasons. Kane has made an immediate impact with his hard-nosed, go-to-the-net style of play that quite frankly was missing in San Jose’s lineup. He definitely adds to the team’s identity, and is a tough player to play against. “He’s fitting in real well,” DeBoer said. “I like his 200-foot game. The offense and the physicality are things you know he brings, but he’s working really hard away from the puck defensively and he’s been solid in his own end. “Everybody in today’s NHL is looking for speed, but you can’t just have speed. You need speed that understands how to play. That’s the thing with him, he gets it. He knows when to slow down and when to turn it on. He can make plays. He’s a world-class player.” Kane’s insertion into the top line — and the addition of veteran Eric Fehr to center a fourth group — helps to make all the pieces fit for DeBoer even without Thornton. There’s scoring punch throughout the top three lines, and the fourth group can hold its own while popping in a few here and there. Expansion coming: Seattle-area residents and corporations needed only 12 minutes to gobble up the goal of 10,000 deposits during Thursday’s season-ticket drive, which reached 25,000 after only 60 minutes. Clearly, Seattle is well on its way to convincing the NHL to grant the Emerald City an expansion franchise, which could begin play as early as the 2020-21 season. Big wind: Not great timing with challenging weather hitting the Eastern seaboard this weekend when the Maple Leafs and Capitals are scheduled to meet outside on the campus of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. While the area is sustaining 70 mph gusts, the winds are expected to die down to around 16 mph for the puck drop on Saturday night. Briefly: After recently coming out of retirement, 37-year-old Mike Fisher was expected to play for the first time Friday when Nashville visited Vancouver. … Regardless of how respected Joel Quenneville is as a 1101694 San Jose Sharks

Sharks use 4-goal period to bury Chicago

By Ross McKeon Updated 11:07 pm, Thursday, March 1, 2018

The Sharks took a break from their grind-it-out style to actually enjoy a one-sided affair Thursday night. Captain Joe Pavelski scored two goals to lead San Jose’s best offensive output of the season in a 7-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks at SAP Center. “It was nice because we haven’t been able to score like this all year,” Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer said. “We’re not doing much differently than we have, but it was nice for some pucks to go in the net, to get a lead and have a game like that because we haven’t had one in a long time.” San Jose, which had scored six goals three times, moved eight points behind Pacific Division-leading Vegas and remained two points ahead of third-place Los Angeles. Goalie Martin Jones allowed two or fewer goals for the 11th time in 13 games since Jan. 31 by stopping 32 shots, including a third-period penalty shot by Anthony Duclair. “I don’t know if we’ve executed off the rush like that in a long time, so it’s good to see,” Jones said. “We want to keep this rolling here.” The Sharks actually got off to a slow start, spotting the Blackhawks the game’s first goal 2:12 after the opening face-off. And San Jose sputtered during the opening 10 minutes before findings its legs and cranking up the intensity. Turnovers by a Chicago team that will have its streak of nine postseason appearances snapped this spring helped, too, to tilt the ice. Following a Chicago giveaway at center, San Jose defenseman Brent Burns set up the Sharks’ first goal with a sharp cross ice pass to Pavelski, who one-timed the tying goal past Chicago goalie Jean- Francois Berube at 10:22 of the first. Another Chicago turnover resulted in the Sharks breaking in 3-on-1 with Logan Couture potting his 27th goal at 14:14 of the period. Rookie Kevin Labanc snapped a 13-game goal drought with his eighth of the year at 2:13 of the second period as the Sharks opened some breathing room. The Sharks turned the game into a rout by scoring three more times before the end of the period as Chicago gave San Jose way too much room to skate in the offensive zone. “It happens when you’re playing a team that’s kind of out of it right now, but they’re tough to play, too, because they’re playing a little loose and sometimes it goes their way and they get odd-man rushes,” said Sharks defenseman Dylan DeMelo, who contributed a game-high three assists. “But we were able to capitalize on their mistakes.” Timo Meier scored his 17th goal at 5:21 of the second with a redirection from the mid-slot off a drive by defenseman Brenden Dillon. Meier has scored 15 goals since Dec. 4. Pavelski found the back of the net for the second time at 12:14 by capping a 2-on-1 break with Joonas Donskoi providing the pass. Marc-Edouard Vlasic then became the 10th Shark to reach double figures in goal scoring at 19:58 when, from behind the goal-line, he banked his 10th goal off the back of Berube’s right leg. “Tonight was a little bit more run-and-gun,” Pavelski said. “We had a lot of odd-man rushes and we scored some goals. It’s a fun night for sure, they’re not all going to come like that.” Finally, Barclay Goodrow was credited with his sixth of the season at 2:32 of the third when his centering pass from behind the net caromed off a Blackhawk and past Anton Forsberg, who relieved Berube at the start of the final period. San Francisco Chronicle LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101695 San Jose Sharks

Surging Sharks couldn't have asked for more to start vital six-game homestand

By Marcus White March 02, 2018 10:03 AM

The Sharks couldn't have asked for more from the first two games of their current six-game homestand. In two wins over the Edmonton Oilers and Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose scored 12 goals and allowed four. All but one of those goals-for came during five-on-five play (the outlier was an empty-netter), and in all, the Sharks scored four more five-on-five goals than on the entirety of a four-game road tip in which they won just once last week. San Jose has turned around its possession game, too. When adjusting for score and venue, (since the team held three-goal and five-goal leads headed into third periods against the Oilers and Blackhawks, respectively) the Sharks controlled 51.43 percent of the shot attempts and 55.08 percent of the unblocked shot attempts, according to Natural Stat Trick. The power play's now-11-game goalless drought remains concerning, but the first third of San Jose's six-game homestand has otherwise been impressive. It's also been necessary, considering how similar of a position the team's biggest rivals currently find themselves in. Call it a scheduling quirk, or divine narrative intervention, but whatever your preferred label, the Sharks and the Los Angeles Kings will play the same amount of home games over the next 11 days (four). Two points are currently what separates the two in the Pacific Division standings, and are the difference between starting the first round at home or on the road. While San Jose was in the midst of one of its biggest wins of the season on Thursday (by goal differential, anyway), Los Angeles scored five unanswered goals against the Columbus Blue Jackets en route to its third consecutive win. That's coincided nearly perfectly with the return of now-healthy Jeff Carter, who's scored in each of those aforementioned wins. Carter's return helped the Kings leapfrog the Ducks, and close in on the Sharks. Had San Jose split its last two games, Los Angeles would have been second in the Pacific. The Sharks instead kept pace, thanks to the near-ideal start to their homestand, and hold the Pacific's last spot for first round for home-ice advantage. A lack of it hasn't necessarily been a postseason impediment in the Peter DeBoer era, as they've only had it once over the last two postseasons, in the second round en route to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016. Given the disparity between San Jose's home (19-9-3) and road records (16-12-6), though, that calculus could change this spring, and make home-ice advantage vital to advancing out of the first round. Continued success on the homestand would move the Sharks closer to it, with the added bonus of keeping it further out of the Kings' reach. Like the first two games of said homestand, they couldn't ask for much more. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101696 San Jose Sharks “We watch some guys and see their tendencies and see what they do and just try to emulate a little bit of it, but not try to change our game while doing it,” Fox said. Sharks look to Europe for another free agent find In the end, it’s about finding their own style and chemistry together. They’ll have an opportunity to finish the season as a starting backcourt, and barring a major change in course, they’ll open the 2018-19 season SACRAMENTO -- Steph and Klay. Wall and Beal. Lillard and McCollum. playing alongside each other. Harden and CP3. The NBA is a guard league. The age of the big man is long gone. It’s all about tempo and 3-point shooting and it all starts in the “It’s really fun to play with him,” Bogdanovic said. “He understands the backcourt. game of basketball, even though he’s a pro for only one year. He’s like a veteran.” Teams that have a top tier point guard and shooting guard are excelling as the league continues to evolve. The Sacramento Kings came into the This is a sentiment that Bogdanovic has stated multiple times about Fox. 2017-18 season with plenty of uncertainty in their backcourt, but with 20 He is mature beyond his years on the court and his understanding of the games remaining, an outline of the future is taking shape. game is advanced for a player of his age and experience. With George Hill out of the picture, Dave Joerger has turned his team Fox has gone on record with similar comments about Bogdanovic as over to De’Aaron Fox and Bogdan Bogdanovic and the rookie duo is well. He isn’t a typical rookie, which might help this pairing gel faster than starting to shine. your standard NBA situation. Taken with the fifth overall selection in th 2017 NBA Draft, the hope “We want to get better, we really want to succeed together,” Bogdanovic coming into the season was that Fox would develop into a cornerstone said. for the struggling franchise. The early returns are good for the 20-year- The Kings are hoping they have the next great backcourt and they’ve old speedster. invested heavily in these two players. They need to continue to construct He has the quickness and size to man the position and his basketball IQ a core around Fox and Bogdanovic, but there’s no reason these two can’t is off the charts. Fox makes mistakes and has plenty of room for play alongside each other for the foreseeable future. improvement, but he’s also become a clutch player in big moments for Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.03.2018 Sacramento. Since returning from injury to start the 2018 calendar year, Fox is averaging 14 points and 5.2 assists per game. His defensive intensity is steadily increasing and he’s finding his niche on the floor. The draft rights to Bogdanovic came to Sacramento via a 2016 draft day trade with the Phoenix Suns. Taken with the 27th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Serbian guard was finally talked into coming over to the U.S. by Vlade Divac this past summer. At age 25, Bogdanovic is a mature, seasoned rookie with years of experience playing overseas. He won a EuroBasket championship last season with Fenerbahce and he took the Serbian national team to the gold medal game at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Like Fox, he’s excelled in the new year, averaging 13.6 points, 4.1 assists and 3.1 rebounds since the start of January. One of the keys to the final stretch run is to build chemistry with the young players, especially the starting backcourt. So far, it appears the duo is meshing on the court and improving as the season winds down. “Our communication is on a really high level, that’s what’s most important here, especially in a league where you don’t really have so much time practice,” Bogdanovic told NBC Sports California. “You need to have that kind of communication to make the game look easier on both sides of the court.” It was a challenge early in the season to find minutes together for the pairing. Fox was splitting time with Hill and eventually was inserted into the starting lineup alongside the veteran. With a lack of experience at the small forward spot, Bogdanovic was asked to play out of position for long stretches. The transition to Fox and Bogdanovic was already in full swing, but the trade that sent Hill to the Cavs at the deadline cleared a path for the tandem to see major courtime together. “We’re definitely building that chemistry,” Fox told NBC Sports California. “I wouldn’t even say it’s signals anymore. We talk about the way we watch Golden State, the way we watch Cleveland and guys like that, a lot of the things they do, especially in transition, it’s not even a call, it just happens. That’s what we’re trying to get to.” With 20 games remaining, the plan is to get these two acclimated to each other. They have very different play styles, but they appear to compliment each other. Fox likes to turn up the speed and attack the rim. Bogdanovic has a more methodical approach. Fox is progressing as a playmaker, where Bogdanovic has the experience at creating for others. “I feel like we’re both point guards on the floor,” Fox said. “He’s 6-foot-6, but he can play the one. It feels like you have two point guards.” Fox said that he and Bogdanovic study film together. They roll tape of other backcourt duos in an attempt to improve their game. They’ve seen a heavy dose of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum on the court of late, but also in film study. 1101697 St Louis Blues

Berglund says his benching by Yeo was 'the right call'

By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch 6 hrs ago (…)

After watching a Blues game as a healthy scratch for the first time this season, forward Patrik Berglund said his benching was "the right call" by coach Mike Yeo. Berglund said he was not surprised by Yeo's decision, saying his play "hasn't been good enough and something had to happen. So it's what it is." Berglund missed the Blues' first 24 games this season as he completed his recovery and rehab from offseason shoulder surgery. After Tuesday's humiliating 8-3 loss in Minnesota, a fuming Yeo said the team had too many players who weren't giving the team a chance to win and threatened lineup changes. With only two reserves available at forward and no healthy backups on defense, in reality there was only so much Yeo could do. So on Wednesday, it turned out to be Berglund who was scratched for the Blues' home game against Detroit, a 2-1 victory. "The only thing I can do is work harder and be ready when we get the chance next time," Berglund said. "All that matters now is to get points, win games. You know, it was a really good feeling to see the boys, the way they fought through that (Detroit) game and got those two very important points." BORTUZZO CLOSE Defenseman Robert Bortuzzo, who has missed the past five games with a knee injury, did a lot more in practice Friday and accompanied the team to Dallas. For the first time since the injury, Yeo did not rule him out or say he was doubtful for an upcoming game. "He's certainly close right now," Yeo said. "Ultimately we needed this practice today to see where he's at." Yeo added that Bortuzzo could potentially be in the lineup but that he needed to talk to him first. Bortuzzo remains on injured reserve, but the Blues are currently carrying only 22 players so they have a roster spot immediately available for him. MISSING BODIES Chris Thorburn, Nikita Soshnikov, Vladimir Sobotka and Jay Bouwmeester did not take part in Friday's practice at the IceZone in Hazelwood before the Blues departed later in the day for Dallas, where they'll play the Stars on Saturday. Thorburn and Soshnikov were ill. "Hopefully everyone's better for tomorrow," Yeo said. Sobotka's wife had a baby. And Bouwmeester practices only about once a week as he tries to finesse his way through the season with a nagging lower-body injury. With three missing forwards, the Blues had a hodge-podge on their third and fourth lines in practice Friday. But the first two lines were unchanged from the Detroit game: Steen-Barbashev-Tarasenko Schwartz-Schenn-Jaskin NO HINTS As per custom the day before a game, Yeo declined to say who would start in goal against the Stars . . . although he did say Carter Hutton was playing well. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101698 St Louis Blues • Soshnikov and Chris Thorburn missed Friday’s practice because of illness. Vladimir Sobotka was absent because his wife gave birth. They’re all expected to be available for Dallas. Getting benched was 'the right call,' Berglund says St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 03.03.2018

Jim Thomas

DALLAS • Patrik Berglund may not be happy about it, but the veteran forward said Friday he wasn’t surprised by coach Mike Yeo’s decision to bench him. “I think it was the right call,” Berglund said, adding that his play “hasn’t been good enough and something had to happen. So it’s what it is.” A first-round draft pick by the Blues in 2006, Berglund has played all of his 677 career NHL games with the team. After missing the Blues’ first 24 games this season as he completed his recovery and rehab from offseason shoulder surgery, he played in the team’s next 40 games. But after Tuesday’s humiliating 8-3 loss in Minnesota, a fuming Yeo said the team had too many players who weren’t playing at an acceptable level and threatened lineup changes. In reality, Yeo’s options were limited, with only two reserves available at forward and no healthy backups on defense. On Wednesday, the only lineup change turned out to be Berglund, who was scratched for the Blues’ home game against Detroit, a 2-1 victory. “The only thing I can do is work harder and be ready when we get the chance next time,” Berglund said. “All that matters now is to get points, win games. You know, it was a really good feeling to see the boys, the way they fought through that game and got those two very important points.” Berglund has eight goals and six assists this season and is minus-10. Before his benching against Detroit, he had only two goals in his last 23 games. “He’s owned up to it and I think that’s the first step,” Yeo said Friday. “I think he had a good practice today. He’s gotta do everything he can in practice, in the gym, to build his confidence back up and we can help with some of the video. And then we’re just gonna have to put him into a game.” BORTUZZO CLOSE Defenseman Robert Bortuzzo, who has missed the past five games with a knee injury, got a lot of work in Friday’s practice at the IceZone in Hazelwood, then accompanied the team to Dallas. Yeo said it’s possible Bortuzzo could return to the lineup Saturday against the Stars. “He’s certainly close right now,” Yeo said. “Ultimately, we needed this practice today to see where he’s at.” STRANGE BUT TRUE The Blues had 44 attempts against Detroit, breaking down as follows: 25 shots on goal, 11 shots that were blocked, and eight shots that missed the net. That’s their fourth-lowest number of attempts this season. Oddly enough, the Blues are 4-0 in those games. Their season low in attempts was in their earlier game against the Red Wings on Dec. 9, when they had just 37 in a 6-1 victory. LINE DANCING Detroit marked the fifth consecutive game that Jaden Schwartz and Brayden Schenn have had a different linemate. In reverse order, it has been: Dmitrij Jaskin, Nikita Soshnikov, Tage Thompson, Berglund and Sammy Blais. Against Detroit, Jaskin joined Schwartz and Schenn on a line for the fourth time this season but the first time since Oct. 9 at the New York Islanders. BLUENOTES Wednesday’s victory over Detroit boosted the team’s record to 8-2-2 in the second game of back-to-backs this season. They have four more back-to-backs — contests played on successive nights — remaining on the schedule. • Vladimir Tarasenko’s 14 hits over the past five games are the most for him in any five-game stretch this season. His four blocked shots in that span matches his high over any five-game period. 1101699 St Louis Blues winning and losing for the Blues this season in Dallas has been paper thin.

“It’s one of those things where one bounce can decide a game right A lot on the line for Blues against Dallas now,” Colton Parayko said. “Especially with how tight they are (defensively), it’s one of those things where we just gotta be ready for our next shift. If we’re down, if we’re up, we just gotta focus on the next thing Jim Thomas ahead of us and make sure we give ourselves our best opportunity to win.”

With Chaminade Prep product and former Blue Ben Bishop expected to DALLAS • Just minutes earlier Wednesday night, Alex Pietrangelo had be in goal Saturday, the Stars rank fourth in the NHL in goals allowed per scored the game-winner in a tense 2-1 victory over Detroit. The game (2.61). Even with the Blues’ recent pratfalls against Winnipeg, nightmare of that seven-game losing streak, the Blues’ longest skid in Nashville and Minnesota, in which they allowed a combined 16 goals, eight years, was finally over. they rank fifth at 2.66. There was relief and even a few smiles in the home locker room at “We know what type of team they are,” Brodziak said. “We played them Scottrade Center. But Pietrangelo wasn’t living in the moment — not all in the playoffs two years ago. It’s not a whole lot of changeover from that of him anyway, because over the course of a few minutes spent with team. We know what the standings are. It’s gonna be a close game, I reporters, he kept referring to what came next. think guys are just excited for it.” “Saturday’s a big one for us,” he said. The Blues tightened up considerably on defense against Detroit, with Hutton in goal. Although they would’ve liked another goal or two and At the end of another answer: “It’s a big one for us Saturday.” were hanging on at the end, the Detroit game looked a lot more like A couple of answers later ... “We really gotta make sure we’re ready for Blues hockey. Saturday.” “We weren’t giving up a lot of easy rushes and a lot of easy chances,” Well, Saturday is here — and you know what? — Pietrangelo was right. Parayko said. “I think we played more tight as a unit. And then I think It’s the Blues (35-26-4) vs. the Dallas Stars (36-23-5). And it really is a obviously we had some chances that we gave up but Huttsie played well big one. and gave us a good chance all night.” With 77 points, the Stars hold the first wild-card position in the Western They will need more of the same against the Stars. Conference. The Blues are just three points off with 74, although they’ve St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 03.03.2018 played one more game than Dallas. “It’s gonna be a big one,” Kyle Brodziak said. We know, we know. Thirteen of the Blues’ 17 remaining games are against Western Conference opposition. But their opportunities to gain ground head-to- head against Central Division teams are dwindling to a precious few. They’re done playing Nashville (thank goodness), done with Winnipeg, done with Minnesota for the regular season. Saturday’s 1 p.m. matinee at American Airlines Center is the last of five contests against Dallas. Other than two games against the Central’s other playoff contender, surprising Colorado, that’s it’s for the Blues in their division for the season. To date, the Blues have won both games in St. Louis against the Stars, but the Stars have won both games in Dallas against the Blues. “We’ve had tight games against them every game in their building, in our building,” coach Mike Yeo said. “They’ve been intense. I think special teams is gonna be a real important part of the game.” The Blues never trailed in the games in St. Louis. In the home opener Oct. 7, the Blues jumped to a 3-0 first-period lead en route to a 4-2 victory. Exactly two months later, on Dec. 7, goalie Jake Allen registered the 16th shutout of his career in a 3-0 victory with the final score padded by an empty-netter by Vladimir Tarasenko. The two games in Dallas were much tighter. On Dec. 29, the Blues gave up three goals in the final 4 minutes, 50 seconds — one an empty-netter — in a 4-2 loss. They had scored twice in 65 seconds earlier in the third on goals by Tarasenko and Tage Thompson but couldn’t hold a 2-1 lead in the final minutes. In that game Allen left for nearly 10 minutes under the NHL’s concussion protocol after a net-front collision, with the Blues cruising along with Carter Hutton in net during his absence. Yeo then re-inserted Allen, Dallas scored its second and third goals after he returned, and Yeo second-guessed himself afterward for not leaving Hutton in the game. In the most recent game, Feb. 16, the Stars caught St. Louis for third place in the Central with a 2-1 victory. Both Dallas goals were deflected inadvertently by the Blues, the first off Carl Gunnarsson’s skate and the second off Pietrangelo’s stick. Sometimes you have to just shrug off such things to puck luck, right? “Yeah, but it’s also something for us to be aware of,” Yeo said. “We know they’re gonna throw a lot of pucks to the net. We gotta make sure that we’re boxing guys out. We’re gotta make sure we’re tying up sticks. That’s certainly an area that we’re gonna have to be aware of.” Actually, the Stars had only 16 shots on goal that night, the lowest shot total for a Blues opponent this season. Even so, the difference between 1101700 Tampa Bay Lightning

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING Goaltender interference continues to puzzle Lightning

By Joe Smith Published: March 2, 2018

When it comes to what is goaltender interference, Lightning captain Steven Stamkos is stumped. "Pretty confusing," Stamkos said. "Just too many gray areas." You saw that in the Lightning's 5-4 overtime win over the Stars Thursday night. Dallas' Mattias Janmark scored the tying goal with 3.6 seconds left shortly after Tyler Seguin made contact with goalie Louis Domingue. "(Seguin) shoved me in the net," Domingue said. "That's what happened. I don't see why I would end up with my pads in the net. It's not something I do ever." Usually coaches can challenge a goal due to goaltender interference. On reviews that late in the game, it automatically goes to the league office. And this time, the call on ice of good goal was upheld, which led to entirely opposite reactions from both benches. Said Lightning's Jon Cooper: "You look at that, and what's a better call? I thought the better call was our goalie had no chance to make the save. So I guess I was in the minority on that one." Said Stars coach Ken Hitchcock: "I would have been really disappointed if the goal got called back because of goalie interference. When (Tyler) Seguin went in there his stick was hooked. He was trying to score and his stick was hooked so that would have been really disappointing." Two NHL head coaches. Two sharp hockey minds. Two entirely different opinions on the same play. See why everyone is confused? What's been frustrating to many, including on the Lightning, is the inconsistent interpretation of the rule. There's been a lot of subjectivity. The rule 69.1 states: "Goals should be disallowed only if: (1) an attacking player, either by his positioning or by contact, impairs the goalkeeper's ability to move freely within his crease or defend his goal; or (2) an attacking player initiates intentional or deliberate contact with a goalkeeper, inside or outside of his goal crease. Incidental contact with a goalkeeper will be permitted, and resulting goals allowed, when such contact is initiated outside of the goal crease, provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact. The rule will be enforced exclusively in accordance with the on-ice judgement of the Referee(s), and not by means of video replay or review. The overriding rationale of this rule is that a goalkeeper should have the ability to move freely within his goal crease without being hindered by the actions of an attacking player. If an attacking player enters the goal crease and, by his actions, impairs the goalkeeper's ability to defend his goal, and a goal is scored, the goal will be disallowed." The league has been looking for answers. The issue was brought up at a board of governors meeting at the NHL All-Star Game in Tampa in late January. Commissioner Gary Bettman had a separate meeting with coaches, referees and general managers. There was a memo circulated around the league stating that officials should watch the play at normal speed and, unless an obvious foul pops up, the original call on the ice should stand. But, so far, looks like there's still work to be done. "I do know this," Cooper said. "Nobody is trying to screw anybody over. Everyone is trying to do the right thing and make the right call. And I know that's true. If there's a league that's got integrity it's the National Hockey League. "When teams are competing, one is looking at it one way, the other team is looking at it another way. Regardless of the call that's made, somebody is going to be ticked off, somebody is going to be happy. Unfortunately we were on the wrong side of it tonight. That's it." Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101701 Tampa Bay Lightning

Goalie interference confuses Lightning, others

By Joe Smith Published: March 2, 2018

TAMPA — When it comes to what is goaltender interference, Lightning captain Steven Stamkos is stumped. Same here. "Pretty confusing," Stamkos said. "Just too many gray areas." You saw that in the Lightning's 5-4 overtime win over the Stars on Thursday night. Dallas' Mattias Janmark scored the tying goal with 3.6 seconds left shortly after Tyler Seguin jabbed goalie Louis Domingue with his stick. "(Seguin) shoved me in the net," Domingue said. "That's what happened. I don't see why I would end up with my pads in the net. It's not something I do ever." Usually coaches can challenge a goal due to goaltender interference. On reviews that late in the game, it automatically goes to the league office. And this time, the call on ice of good goal was upheld, which led to entirely opposite reactions from both benches. Said Lightning coach Jon Cooper: "You look at that, and what's a better call? I thought the better call was our goalie had no chance to make the save. So I guess I was in the minority on that one." Said Stars coach Ken Hitchcock: "I would have been really disappointed if the goal got called back because of goalie interference. When Seguin went in there his stick was hooked. He was trying to score and his stick was hooked, so that would have been really disappointing." Two NHL head coaches. Two sharp hockey minds. Two entirely different opinions on the same play. Get why everyone is puzzled? What has been frustrating to many, including on the Lightning, is the inconsistent interpretation and application of the rule. There has been a lot of subjectivity. The rule 69.1 states: "Goals should be disallowed only if: (1) an attacking player, either by his positioning or by contact, impairs the goalkeeper's ability to move freely within his crease or defend his goal; or (2) an attacking player initiates intentional or deliberate contact with a goalkeeper, inside or outside of his goal crease. Incidental contact with a goalkeeper will be permitted, and resulting goals allowed, when such contact is initiated outside of the goal crease, provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact. "The overriding rationale of this rule is that a goalkeeper should have the ability to move freely within his goal crease without being hindered by the actions of an attacking player. If an attacking player enters the goal crease and, by his actions, impairs the goalkeeper's ability to defend his goal, and a goal is scored, the goal will be disallowed." The league has been looking for clarity. The issue was brought up at a board of governors meeting at the NHL All-Star Game in Tampa in late January. Commissioner Gary Bettman had a separate meeting with coaches (including Cooper), referees and general managers. A memo circulated around the league stating that officials should watch the play at normal speed and, unless an obvious foul pops up, the original call on the ice should stand. In a sense, don't overthink it. Cooper was livid on the bench after Janmark's goal was upheld. It wasn't the first goaltender interference play that went against Tampa Bay this season. But Cooper made it clear this isn't about a conspiracy, more so the confusion. "I do know this," Cooper said. "Everyone is trying to do the right thing and make the right call. And I know that's true. If there's a league that's got integrity, it's the National Hockey League. "Regardless of the call that's made, somebody is going to be ticked off, somebody is going to be happy. Unfortunately we were on the wrong side of it (Thursday night). That's it." Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101702 Toronto Maple Leafs "Don't get me wrong, we're still going to have lots of highs and lots of crushing lows. That's just part of being on a good team. But you want to set yourself up for as many opportunities as you can possibly have and I Babcock blows away negativity with cheery forecast for outdoor game think we're going in the right direction." Globe And Mail LOADED: 03.03.2018 David Shoalts

Winds gusting to 100 kilometres an hour forced both the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Washington Capitals to move their practices indoors Friday and threatened to disrupt their outdoor game on Saturday. But Mike Babcock proved to be the biggest blowhard. "We're going to get up, there's going to be no wind and we're going to have a good game tomorrow night," the Maple Leafs head coach said. "That's just the way it's going to be. These things have a way of working themselves out just fine." The rest of the players and coaches involved in Saturday's NHL Stadium Series game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapoli, Md., were not so sure. Capitals head coach Barry Trotz heard the winds from the storm that hit the U.S. Northeast howling around his house all Thursday night. He was just happy it was still standing on Friday and was fully prepared to make allowances for the wind at the game. "Maybe we'll have to flip a coin for the end zone like football," he said. "You better not be too tired on the backcheck against the wind because you'll never get back. We'll see how it is." While the forecast for the 8 p.m. opening faceoff at the U.S. Naval Academy calls for the winds to die down to gusts of 25 km/h, NHL officials will monitor the conditions. There is a possibility the teams could switch ends halfway through the third period so each team will have the wind at their backs for 30 of the 60 minutes of regulation time. "Not a clue to be honest with you," Leafs centre Tyler Bozak said when asked how he thought the wind would affect the game. "Whatever way is going with the wind I think we'll like that a little more. "I doubt it's going to be as windy as it is [Friday]. I hope not. Both teams will have to deal with the same elements. Whatever it is, it's going to be an exciting time." There are game-day skates scheduled at the 34,000-seat stadium, which will be the first time each team can try out the temporary rink. If the practices have to be cancelled, as the wind warning is expected to hold through the morning, then neither team will get to test the ice until the game's warmup, a first for the NHL since it began playing outdoor matches 15 years ago. Another first for the outdoor games is the involvement of the U.S. military, in which about 500 Navy midshipmen will attend the game. There are plans to explore holding outdoor games at the other military academies, the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., and the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. "The history speaks for itself coming to a place like this," Leafs forward James van Riemsdyk said. "It's going to be a cool venue for sure. I was a little disappointed not to skate out there [Friday]. You get a sense of the history just walking around." There's also some history between the Capitals and Leafs, thanks to last season's playoffs, which should make for an intense game. The Caps, who finished first in the regular season in 2016-17, had all they could handle in beating the upstart Leafs in six games in the first round of the postseason. "It's a team we're pretty familiar with, a team that always creates a good game, a fun game to play in," said Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby. "That's the most exciting part. When you play a team like Toronto it's a really good challenge. We've had good battles in the past. It creates a rivalry feeling." The game will be the third and final meeting of the regular season between these teams. The Leafs won 2-0 in Washington in October and the Caps beat them 4-2 in November in Toronto. This season, the Leafs are a much better team than the one that gave the Capitals a scare last spring before losing in overtime in the sixth and deciding game of their playoff series. "I just think we're significantly better because our young guys are better," Babcock said. "They're harder, they've been through it more, they've seen what it's like. They've been eliminated from the playoffs. They know right away here you get in the playoffs, then 10 days later one of you is moving on, one of you is going home. These are lessons you can talk about but until you've been through them you don't know. 1101703 Toronto Maple Leafs "I'm not going to predict what's going to be in the future," said Bettman. "While we're very focused on helping to build the game of hockey in China, in Asia, I'm not sure whether, or if, participation in the 2022 Flames’ financial situation ‘continues to deteriorate’ due to old arena: Olympics is an essential or important part of that." Bettman The commissioner also expressed his satisfaction with the league's current playoff format. Through the 1980s, 16 teams made the playoffs in what then was a 21-team league. The league is now 31 teams and the JEFF MCINTOSH/THE CANADIAN PRESS quantity of teams that make the post-season has not changed. "The regular season is compelling, exciting, unpredictable and we have great races," said Bettman. "We're going to have teams that make or NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says the Calgary Flames' financial don't make the playoffs by a point or two. I think what we've got now is situation "continues to deteriorate" as the team continues to operate out pretty good and I believe most of the clubs feel the same way. " of the aging Scotiabank Saddledome. Calgary is one of the teams in a playoff races. They sat one point out of a "This building, in its time, was a work of art. Its time is long past," said playoff spot in the Western Conference with 17 games to go heading into Bettman, speaking to reporters in Calgary as part of his Western a Friday night game against the visiting New York Rangers. Canadian tour. "They don't build buildings like this anymore." Globe And Mail LOADED: 03.03.2018 Bettman listed a lack of amenities for fans and players as well as opportunities for ownership to generate revenue among the many shortcomings of the building, which opened in 1983. He said it simply doesn't compare in any way to Rogers Place, the new home of the Edmonton Oilers, which opened up last season. "Have you been up the road to Edmonton? Do you see a difference between the two buildings? You know the answer to the question." Bettman added that Calgary concert-goers are losing out too. "I was told (Thursday) that there were 27 acts, some of them multiple days, that have played in Edmonton since the building opened that haven't played here. That goes to the quality of life of the city and that's an indication as to the differences in the buildings." While Bettman said he wasn't in town to make threats, he painted a bleak picture of the Flames' financial future if it continues to operate out of the NHL's oldest building. "The team's competitive situation, financial stability, is obviously being impacted with each season that they stay here," said Bettman. "They used to write a cheque for revenue sharing. For the last couple years, they have been receiving cheques. The cheques are getting bigger." Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi has said the Flames' proposal for a $500- million arena places a heavy tax burden on the city, but the Flames say the city's plan would ultimately see the team foot the entire cost of construction. Currently, neither side is talking with the team having said publicly that they have abandoned pursuit of a new building and that they will remain in the Saddledome, doing the best they can for as long as they can. "Everything I've heard, (Calgary's ownership group) sees no reason to have any discussions," Bettman said, adding he agrees with the team's position. "They tried, they thought they were on a path, they actually had a proposal on something akin to Edmonton that would take a part of the city and transform it. A part of the city right now where the land is blighted and unusable, and ultimately nothing got any traction." Bettman was involved throughout the process in Edmonton, working with then Mayor Stephen Mandel and owner Daryl Katz in helping get the deal done. He has no such involvement in Calgary. "You can't dance unless you're invited to the dance. I haven't been invited to this dance," said Bettman with a smile. "I can consult with the club, I can work with the club, we can discuss their situation, we can explore options – if and when – but there's nothing really for me to do here." In other hockey matters, Bettman spoke about the successful season season-ticket drive that started in Seattle on Thursday. Deposits for the minimum 10,000 season tickets were received in 12 minutes. By the end of the first hour, they had reached 25,000 deposits. "They have begun what looks like an amazing expression of interest," said Bettman. "Obviously, that's one of the many factors that we have to evaluate as we go through the expansion process." He added that process is still in its infancy and there are still many steps to come for the Seattle ownership group. "There are some boxes we have evaluate and check before the board gets anywhere close to having to make a decision." Bettman also touched on the NHL's absence from the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Korea, which he reiterated as a "good decision", saying it won't impact the league's potential participation in 2022 in Beijing, China. 1101704 Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs’ outdoor game looking likely to be a Windy Classic

By STEPHEN WHYNO The Associated Press Fri., March 2, 2018

ANNAPOLIS, MD.—Shortly before he walked outside Friday at Navy’s Memorial Stadium, Mike Babcock said: “Hang on to your hat.” Babcock’s Toronto Maple Leafs and the Washington Capitals might want to hang on to everything with high wind in the forecast for Saturday night’s outdoors Stadium Series game at the U.S. Naval Academy. The storm knocking out power and disrupting travel up and down the East Coast forced both teams to practice indoors Friday, where they were left to contemplate what sustained winds of 25-30 km/h and gusts as high as 50 km/h might have on their game. “I have no idea,” Maple Leafs centre Tyler Bozak said. “Hopefully we’re skating with the wind more than we are against it.” The wind is enough of a factor that the game could be postponed to Sunday. The glass had to be removed from the on-field rink because of safety concerns. The NHL has played 24 previous regular-season outdoor games and this one could easily see the worst conditions when it comes to wind. Temperatures just above freezing would not rank it among the coldest, but there are concerns how the wind could make a real difference. “I haven’t played in anywhere it’s been super windy,” said Maple Leafs winger James van Riemsdyk, who will be taking part in his fifth outdoor game. “It’ll definitely make a unique dynamic, I know. It seems like in today’s game there’s lots of high flips and stuff like that, so it’ll be interesting to see how the puck reacts getting flipped in the air and a gust of wind comes up.” Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby thinks strong wind would only possibly affect dump-ins or high flips of the puck and that it could make it difficult for players to keep their eyes open when it’s head on. Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen is more concerned for the skaters — and that’s a shared concern. “If you have a turnover and you’ve got to backcheck, that’s probably when it’s going to be a little tough,” Capitals centre Nicklas Backstrom said. NHL players are more accustomed to climate-controlled arenas — a long way from their younger days when playing on frozen ponds or lakes meant dealing with the conditions. “It won’t feel good on your body, that’s for sure,” Toronto forward Mitch Marner said. “It probably won’t help with the puck or anything like that.” Capitals coach Barry Trotz was more worried when the wind rumbled around trees outside his house Thursday night and joked about a coin toss to pick directions like a football game. Previous outdoor games have included teams changing ends at the 10- minute mark of the third period to negate an unfair wind advantage. At the least, that’s likely, and players are prepared for the wind even though they don’t know exactly what it’ll do. “The wind wouldn’t be ideal, but part of playing these games is you have to deal with the weather,” Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly said. “She was a little windy out there (Friday), but hopefully she clears up a little bit for us.” Rielly, who played outdoors on New Year’s Day in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 2014 and again in Toronto in 2017, figures wind would be more difficult to deal with than snow. But the 23-year-old has a sunny disposition about wacky weather. “It definitely has an impact on the game,” Rielly said. “But that’s all part of the experience. Players, two teams have to deal with it. It’s not going to change the game plan or anything. It’s just going to make it a little bit more difficult and it might be kind of fun.” Toronto Star LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101705 Toronto Maple Leafs

NHL’s outdoor games are still must-watch television

By KEVIN MCGRAN Sports Reporter Fri., March 2, 2018

There’s a feeling with some in the hockey community that the NHL’s outdoor games have passed their best-before dates, or that there are too many of them, that they are meaningless. But that’s not true for the city hosting the outdoor game, for the fans attending, for the teams and players involved — or for television. ”There are two points on the line, but it’s a special event and you should embrace that and enjoy it as much as you can,” Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock told reporters in Annapolis, Md. “The way our schedule is, it’s set up perfect for us. We look forward to it.” The Leafs and Capitals practised indoors Friday after high winds forced the league to cancel a practice at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, where the final outdoor game of the NHL season will be played. Capitals forward Tom Wilson is among the players looking forward to Saturday (8 p.m., Sportsnet, NBC). “One of the big things is, it gives you a little bit of a mental break from the rest of the season,” Wilson told the Washington Times. “It’s different. You’re outside your comfort zone. It’s fun to play outdoors. There’s a lot of attention. You get family and stuff in.” The outdoor games have become television events. Nine of NBC’s 10 most watched regular-season games have been Winter Classics or games from the league’s Stadium Series. And if TV loves the events, so do the powers that be in the NHL. “We continue to schedule them because there continues to be a strong appetite for them both from our clubs and fans alike,” NBC deputy commissioner told the Star. NBC normally prefers two American teams in the game, but the Leafs are a worthwhile exception. The Toronto-Detroit Winter Classic in 2014 is NBC’s highest-rated NHL regular-season game on record. “It’s always good to have an Original Six team play in a high-profile game, such as Saturday night’s prime-time game on NBC,” NBC spokesperson Christopher McCloskey said. “Although we lose one local market rating in the U.S., the Maple Leafs have demonstrated in the past that they are capable of defying ratings logic.” Even in Canada though, where strong ratings are virtually guaranteed with or without gimmicks, the outdoor games are popular on TV. “There’s still an allure to an outdoor game,” said Rob Corte, vice president of Sportsnet and NHL Production. “This one in particular, at the Annapolis Naval Academy, is not a traditional NHL market. It will have a different audience. And that military feel brings a mystique to it. “We see a (ratings) bump. Having the Leafs in the game helps. Then you add one of the NHL’s premier players in Alex Ovechkin. I think there’s a lot of intrigue and excitement.” Sportsnet’s production crew needs a longer set-up time, learning to deal with a new venue, the different camera angles, and technical issues of that ilk. “It’s a different environment than we’re used to, and it provides some different challenges,” Corte said. “But it’s exciting because you want to deal with these things. Part of the cool part is the crowd itself. And how are people dealing with the elements. How are they reacting to the game. That’s something that’s a little different than the controlled environment of the arena.” The different approaches to coverage make it worth it, Corte added. “The SkyCam, the cable cam from football, you don’t see that in regular games. It just doesn’t fit inside an arena. When you’re out in a stadium, you can add something like this. It brings a different dimension, a different look to the game.” Toronto Star LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101706 Toronto Maple Leafs

T.J. Oshie has a special connection to his first outdoor game

By ISABELLE KHURSHUDYAN Fri., March 2, 2018

WASHINGTON—T.J. Oshie will admit to feeling jealous. During his 10- year career in the NHL, he watched friends and former teammates play in dazzling outdoor games, Winter Classics at baseball parks and football fields, or Stadium Series contests on college campuses. He played in St. Louis for seven years, but the city didn’t host a Winter Classic until he was already with the Capitals, and Washington hosted the Winter Classic the year before Oshie arrived. “I was pretty jealous,” Oshie said. “They always look pretty cool. I always thought the 24/7 (HBO show) that they used to do for the Winter Classic—I don’t know if they still do it—I thought that was really sweet leading up to it. It always brought a really dramatic side of hockey that you don’t really feel when you’re playing. So, yeah, I was jealous.” NHL Winter Classic has come a long way since 2008 Oshie is the most tenured player on the Capitals’ roster to have never played in an NHL outdoor game. That’ll change on Saturday night, when the Capitals play the Toronto Maple Leafs at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md., and considering Oshie’s connection to the U.S. navy, the wait for his first Stadium Series experience may have been worth it. Both of his grandfathers, Richard Oshie and Dexter Moen, served together on the USS Saint Paul in the navy. “Sure enough, my mom and dad are from different cities north of Seattle and they had met through my mom’s cousin,” he said. “He was a basketball player and my dad helped out at Everett Community College with the basketball teams. One thing led to another. They met. My mom told her dad, my grandpa Dexter, who she was dating, and sure enough he was like ‘Oh, one my best friends in the navy was a Richard Oshie.’ And she said, ‘Yeah, that’s his dad.’ It kind of came full circle there. They were good buddies on the ship together and then their kids ended up getting married without them knowing.” Oshie said several relatives from the Seattle area are flying in for the game. His earliest memory of playing outside was shortly after he moved to Warroad, Minnesota, when he was 7 years old. “Uncle Henry,” who’s actually a cousin, had a rink in his backyard. “I remember one night, I woke up too excited to sleep,” Oshie said. “I think it was 3 a.m. I was young, so I went out and put on my skates and went out there by myself for about five hours before everyone else woke up. That was my first real experience on an outdoor rink, and it’s been that fun ever since.” Though Oshie has maintained his positive and upbeat demeanour, it’s been a trying season for him. Coming off a career year with 33 goals, he’s scored just 12 through 58 games, never quite rediscovering his form after suffering a concussion in early December. Eight of his 12 goals have been on the power play, and he hasn’t scored an even-strength tally in 28 games. “I’ve had a couple conversations with Osh,” coach Barry Trotz said. “When he’s really going really good, his blades are active. He’s got that really persistent, sort of hound dog mentality, that he brings naturally, but it’s more prevalent when he’s moving his feet and having fun and enjoying those battles he’s right in. . . . He’s getting looks, and he put one off the crossbar a couple games ago. So, it’s coming, and when it does, it’ll be fine. For T.J., when he’s going really good, there’s a joy in his game and a spirit about him that you can tell right away when he’s going to have a good night.” Toronto Star LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101707 Toronto Maple Leafs

Saturday NHL game preview: Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Washington Capitals

By Kevin McGranSports Reporter Fri., March 2, 2018

NAVY-MARINE CORPS MEMORIAL STADIUM FACEOFF: 8 p.m. TV: CBC RADIO: TSN 1050 KEY PLAYERS Ovechkin/Marner Alex Ovechkin is three goals away from 600 for his career. When he gets there, he’ll be the 20th in NHL history to hit that milestone. His 39 goals again lead the NHL. He has led the NHL in goals six times . . . In the continued absence of Auston Matthews (shoulder), Mitch Marner has taken the Leafs’ scoring lead with 53 points (17 goals, 36 assists). Marner had nine goals and nine assists in 14 games in February. NEED TO KNOW This outdoor game marks the first NHL contest in Maryland since Nov. 26, 1997 — the Capitals’ final game at U.S. Airways Arena, located in Landover . . . The Capitals are in a dogfight at the top of the close Metropolitan Division standings . . . Washington’s Jakub Vrana has gone 25 games without a goal. In that time, he has six assists and is a minus-4 . . . T.J. Oshie of the Caps has gone 28 games without an even-strength goal . . . Washington went 6-6-2 in February. UP NEXT Monday, at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Toronto Star LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101708 Toronto Maple Leafs

Babcock and Maple Leafs salute military on both sides of border

Lance Hornby

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — With U.S. Marines at their practice arena on Friday, a jet fighter parked in front of the game-day stadium and 500 Midshipmen encircling the rink on Saturday night, the Maple Leafs will never feel more safe and secure. Which gave the Leafs and the Capitals the ideal way to connect with their hosts and expand on the theme of this Stadium Series game at Navy- Marine Corps Stadium. Toronto coach Mike Babcock invited some of the Naval Academy’s young personnel to sit near the Leaf bench at practice. “Some of the kids I met, they are seniors and going into the Marines. We talked about how many times a week they practice, what we’re doing next, about how you get to be an officer when you graduate.” It struck Babcock to hear the cadets say that they considered NHL players heroes. “You think about heroes, there’s lots of different heroes in your lifetime. But people that put themselves in harm’s way to look after you, those are the heroes. I think that’s important while we’re here to understand that. “If you’re a North American this (Stadium Series game) more special, just because of the men and women who look after you and give you all the privileges in your life by keeping you safe and living in a democracy.” It was also a time for the Leafs to reflect on relatives past and present who served in the armed forces. “My grandparents did and actually I have a cousin right now who is serving in the Marines,” said New Jersey-born James van Riemsdyk. “He was overseas and I think he was back and forth a couple of times. “On my dad’s side, I believe I had a grandparent in the Dutch military (in World War II). I’ve seen pictures of him in his uniform.” Defenceman Jake Gardiner had two grandfathers in the Navy in World War II and the Korean War. One narrowly escaped death on his ship when he slept through an alarm and made it to his station to find a fire had killed some comrades. Had he awoken on time, he likely would have perished, too. “One of my grandparents is still alive and he’s pretty excited (back in Minnesota) about this game, to have us play in this setting,” said Gardiner. “People who defend our country every day, it’s cool to be in the same area they are.” Representative of the Canadian forces will be at Saturday’s game to participate in opening ceremonies, with the Leafs wearing a near 100% white uniform with blue trim in tribute to the Royal Canadian Navy. Toronto Sun LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101709 Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews, who scored the overtime winner over Detroit at BMO Field in Toronto 14 months ago, is the only significant scratch.

The two teams will change ends halfway through Saturday’s third To heck with Mother Nature, Maple Leafs need to blow by Capitals period, whatever the outdoor conditions are. “Maybe we’ll have to flip a coin for (choice of) end zone, like football,” Lance Hornby Trotz joked of the potential for high winds. “I was more concerned last night when everything was rumbling around. As long as my house was still there this morning, I was pretty good.” ANNAPOLIS, Md. — All the video and analytics data the Maple Leafs Toronto Sun LOADED: 03.03.2018 churn out won’t help Mike Babcock with his pre-scout for this game. The biggest concern for the Maple Leafs coach — and his opposite number, Barry Trotz of the Capitals — is what game plan Mother Nature has in store. Babcock is putting his faith in the forecasters that the high winds that battered the Baltimore area the past two days will die down by puck drop at 8 p.m. Saturday at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium. Gusts of up to nearly 100 km/h drove both clubs indoors on Friday, cancelling some events at the converted football stadium, where around 34,000 fans are expected for the outdoor game. “We’re going to get up tomorrow, there’ll be no wind and we’ll have a good game,” Babcock declared. “These things have a way of working themselves out.” The breeze is expected to be near 33 km/h, with temperatures projected around 9C, warmish but not enough to mess with the ice the NHL installed the past week for this chapter of the Stadium Series. The league will have an update on conditions at 1:30 p.m. Saturday. A Sunday contingency plan is in place. The players hope to skate like the wind rather than be stopped by it, with Leaf James van Riemsdyk musing how one of his flip passes would look blowing back in his face. But van Riemsdyk, appearing in his fifth outdoor game, including two with the Flyers, is ready for anything. “Every one of these is a little different. It would’ve been nice to get out there today and get a feel for (the ice), especially with (Toronto’s Canadian Navy-themed) white jerseys, but we’ll make it work,” van Riemsdyk said. “Night time will make it different for sight, but I think that will be good (not to lose the puck against different backdrops). I haven’t played anywhere where it has been super windy. It will definitely be a neat dynamic.” Many of Toronto’s players have already been through these roofless exhibitions, the Leafs winning two in overtime — one of them the 2014 Big House blizzard against the Red Wings — so they know something about adjusting to unknowns. “The game’s kind of slower at the start as you get used to everything,” said centre Tyler Bozak, who had the shootout winner in Ann Arbor. “I’m not sure we’ll get a chance to skate (Saturday morning) to feel it out, but it will turn into a real game pretty quick.” Indeed, there are two points on the table in a rematch against the Capitals club that beat the Leafs in last year’s playoffs. The Leafs began this four-game road trip with back-to-back extra time losses against Tampa Bay and Florida and will go home via a match in Buffalo on Monday night. “We need the points, but you have to embrace the opportunity of being better, to embrace the opportunity of playing outside,” Babcock said. He and his players cited the added incentive of having many family members in town to watch this game and to put on a good show for the attending military of both the United States and Canada. After giving the Caps a scare last season, taking the President’s Trophy winners to six games in their official coming-out party, the Leafs have split the first two games against Trotz’s team and want the rubber match. “That’s the beautiful thing about sports,” Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly said. “Even though it was last year and there’s some new faces here, you still want to beat them just as badly. You develop rivalries in the playoffs and that’s a good example.” These are, in fact, the only two playoff-bound teams to meet in a Stadium Series game this year. “Everybody knows how good Toronto is, how talented they are,” said Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin. “Right now, in the moment, it doesn’t matter who you play. You just have to collect points.” 1101710 Toronto Maple Leafs Babcock added the Leafs have to put the distractions aside and think of two points. They began this four-game trip with extra-time losses in Tampa Bay and Florida. Leafs ready for whatever the elements bring in outdoor game vs Capitals Toronto Sun LOADED: 03.03.2018

Lance Hornby

ANNAPOLIS – Wind, darkness, humid ice conditions and unusual sight lines will make Saturday night’s outdoor game between the Maple Leafs and the Capitals one of the more challenging of this NHL Stadium Series. But Toronto has already been through two of these roofless exhibitions — and this will be actually the fifth for winger James van Riemsdyk, counting two with the Flyers. Both Leaf games were overtime victories — one in a blizzard — so they do know something about adjusting to the unknown. “Every one of these is a little different,” van Riemsdyk said Friday after gusts up to 96 km/h moved the planned practices for the clubs at Navy- Marine Corps Stadium indoors. “It would’ve been nice to get out there today and get a feel for it, especially with (Toronto’s Canadian Navy themed) white jerseys, but we’ll make it work. “Night time will make it different for sighting, but I think that will good (not to lose the puck against a variety of backdrops). I haven’t played anywhere where it has been super windy. It will definitely be a neat dynamic. In today’s game, there are lots of high flips and it will be interesting to see how the puck reacts up in the air.” How to build a rink (in a football stadium).#StadiumSeries pic.twitter.com/WLvoHStpn0 — Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 2, 2018 The local weather outlook for Saturday shows no rain, which hit this part of Maryland the past two days, and a drop in wind to just about 33 km/h. It will be on the warm side, temperatures around 4C, but that’s something the NHL has dealt with before in keeping the ice solid. “Wind can have an affect, but we’re going to get up tomorrow, there’ll be no wind and we’ll have a good game,” said Leaf coach Mike Babcock, putting his faith in the foreast. “These things have a way of working themselves out.” There is a definite military theme to this game, given the venue and the plan to construct a replica aircraft carrier deck at ice level, complete with a model jet fighter and 500 Midshipmen in their dress whites as honour guards. When the Leafs went to the U.S. Naval Academy team’s indoor rink, they were introduced to service personnel who will be in the opening ceremonies. Hey Coach. #StadiumSeries pic.twitter.com/DLU9UOxb3V — Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 2, 2018 American-born Leafs such as van Riemsdyk, Jake Gardiner and Auston Matthews have had grandparents and cousins who served in various branches of service. The Leafs have a strong connection to all facets of the Canadian Armed Forces. “If you’re a North American, this outdoor game is more special because these are the men and women who look after you, who give you all the privileges that keep you safe in a democracy,” said Babcock. “The kids I met today are going to be in the Marines and it will be a privilege for them to be on the ice with us.” It's practice time in Annapolis. #StadiumSeries pic.twitter.com/grTHJ8D5Hn — Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 2, 2018 At the Big House snow globe in Ann Arbor, Mich. in 2014, Tyler Bozak had the winning shootout goal over Detroit. Fourteen months ago, Matthews scored in overtime to defeat the Red Wings at BMO Field in Toronto. “The game’s kind of slower at the start as you get used to everything,” said Bozak. “I’m not sure we’ll get a chance to skate once (Saturday morning) to feel it out, but it will turn into a real game pretty quick. “It would’ve been nice to have got out there today, but with those winds, I don’t think we’d be moving too fast. We (the Leafs and Caps) will be in the same boat. We’ll just get a feel for it in warm-ups and go from there.” A fresh look for Freddie.#StadiumSeries pic.twitter.com/TnaaV5oy3O — Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) February 28, 2018 1101711 Toronto Maple Leafs Andreas Johnsson has been named the American Hockey League player of the month for February. Johnsson had a league-high 19 points (three goals and 16 assists) in 11 games. The 23-year-old Johnsson had six Leafs coach Babcock: This outdoor game is 'much more special' multiple-point games in February, and is tied for second in AHL scoring with 51 points.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 03.03.2018 Terry Koshan

As they travelled to Annapolis, Md., from Florida on Thursday on a day off from practice, the Maple Leafs might not have been keeping their fingers crossed regarding the weather for their next game. The Leafs and Washington Capitals will meet in the Stadium Series outdoor game on Saturday night at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, though rain and snow were not in the forecast for game time. “To me, none of that matters,” Leafs coach Mike Babcock said Wednesday after listing off the weather possibilities. “There are two points on the line, and it’s an event you get to remember the rest of your life. “This year, in honour of the military, it’s even that much more special. We should really enjoy it.” Said goaltender Frederik Andersen: “We’ll see when we get out there. You just have to adjust and roll with it when you need to.” Forward Kasperi Kapanen was among the Leafs anticipating with excitement the idea of playing outside. “It’s going to be fantastic,” Kapanen said. “That’s where we grew up, playing on the pond and what do as kids back home in Finland with our buddies. It’s going to be a really good time.” RIELLY’S BEST YET With 37 points (six goals and 31 assists) in 60 games, defenceman Morgan Rielly has set a career high for most points and assists in one season, and is three goals off his career high of nine. “It’s one of those things where it happens naturally,” Rielly said of his best offensive output. “When a team plays well, guys tend to have individual success and that’s all it is. “To be totally honest, last year I maybe took it a little too seriously when I said as long as the team is winning, I don’t care. There has to be a balance between you wanting to contribute offensively, you wanting to score. “The most important thing will always wins. When you look at the last 20 games, we have had wins (in 14 of them). Guys like Mitchy (Mitch Marner) and Naz (Kadri) have had great nights individually, and that comes with wins.” KAPANEN’S TARGETS Don’t expect Kapanen to put on the brakes any time soon, but count on him to try to get his shot off with more consistency. There’s a lot of offensive potential in Kapanen, who has just four goals in 23 games with the Leafs this season. His speed sets him apart, but he knows he can use his effective shot more often. “People say I go too fast and I wipe out and stuff, but I don’t think you can ever go too fast,” Kapanen said. “It’s mostly just a problem with your skate or your blade or something like that. I don’t think you can go too fast in breakaways and two-on-ones.” Does Kapanen remind himself to try to shoot more? “It’s not that I’m not confident in my shot or not confident I can score, I just see an opportunity (to pass at times),” Kapanen said. “Me and Leo (Komarov) have had a bunch of two-on-ones here and I feel like he has a better opportunity if I get the puck over to him. “But for sure, I need to shoot more. I have a good shot and try to get some goals.” LOOSE LEAFS What are the chances Travis Dermott gets a look while the Leafs are on the power play? Slim. “Right now he can’t take anybody’s power-play time,” Babcock said. “You should ask Jake (Gardiner) or Morgan if they want to give him the power-play time.” … The Leafs have 16 games remaining — the fewest of any team in the National Hockey League — and Babcock will plan the next several weeks accordingly. “We’re going try to be as rested as we can, and as fit as we can be, and as good as we can be on a nightly basis,” Babcock said … Toronto Marlies forward 1101712 Toronto Maple Leafs after so many lean years, the team is asking for more money as soon as they've had a little success.

“I was expecting the increase last year but not the double digit one again Mirtle: Are the Maple Leafs justified in jacking up their ticket prices? this year,” one season ticket holder said. “But it's Toronto and no one's going to walk away I imagine. There's always the hope of a Cup run… Not so sure I agree that the 'lower' prices only benefit the professional By James Mirtle 23 hours ago 69 reseller.”

“Frankly it’s still a bargain,” added a Raptors season seat holder who also has a partial Leafs ticket plan. “I sell like 35 of mine a year at face So season ticket renewals for 2018-19 went out to many Maple Leafs value to people around the office. The tickets I wind up using are (and Raptors) fans earlier this week. Almost immediately, I started to effectively free because I make such a profit on the ones I sell. Ticket hear from those wanting to register their disappointment at another price prices were pretty flat this year, and they’re on a 60 win pace. What do hike. people expect?” Some emailed me about it, forwarding me their ticket package notice and Season ticket holders using their seats as an investment has become saying “Look at this!” hugely common in this city. Some don't attend any games at all. They'll Some unleashed their discontent publicly on social media. sell their tickets to brokers at an increase. Then the brokers sell them at an even further increase to someone else. SO THE #LEAFS RAISING TICKET PRICES ALMOST 11% FOR NEXT YEAR WITH A TWO YEAR TOTAL OF JUST OVER 21% IS A KICK IN The net loser is the fan at the end of the line, who doesn't have access to THE GUT I GOTTA SAY. #TMLTALK tickets anywhere close to face value.

— CMACS (@LEAFER1) FEBRUARY 28, 2018 “If that's what the market supports, I don't see why MLSE wouldn't want to be getting more of that action?” was a relatively common reply when I @MAPLELEAFS AFTER A 12% INCREASE IN TICKET PRICES LAST asked around about the increases. YEAR, SEASON TICKET HOLDERS GET SLAPPED WITH ANOTHER 15% INCREASE FOR NEXT SEASON???! I CAN UNDERSTAND Some fans I talked to complained about how rampant scalping has INFLATION, BUT THIS IS ROBBERY #GOUGINGLOYALFANS become. There are a lot of them in front of the ACC every night. They @SUNHORNBY @MIRTLE @HENNYTWEETS aggressively approach fans — and media! — attending the games looking for sellers or buyers. With both teams playing well, it seems — NAV (@REDPILOT99) FEBRUARY 27, 2018 business is good.

The more complaints I saw, the more I realized the numbers fans were There's an argument to be made that MLSE could do more to prevent quoting on their increases were all over the place. This wasn't an across- such rampant reselling and profiteering. The Boston Bruins attempted as the-board hike. much in recent years, going after buyers from outside the market.

I reached out to Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment for an explanation. These problems highlight a few things for me…

“There is a wide range of new prices depending on seat location,” said 1. This market is badly underserved for NHL hockey. I've been saying Dave Haggith, MLSE's senior director of communications. “Some this since I moved to Toronto in 2003, but the Golden Horseshoe area locations — in the upper bowl for example — that have shown as well should really have a least two franchises, rather than forcing all of the below market value in years past, have a higher increase than other demand from a population of ~10 million onto one team. (And that's likely locations for next season.” low-balling the demand given how many Leafs fans live in other markets The breakdown varies based on all of the many different Air Canada or abroad and come back to Toronto for games. I can see how many Centre seat locations. An overview based on upper bowl versus lower readers we have for Leafs coverage in places like the UK and Australia. bowl tickets looks something like this: It speaks to the incredible size of the fan base beyond the actual region.)

Lower bowl 2017-18 average price – $246 2. This problem is going to get worse the better the Leafs get. There's been downward pressure on tickets for years given they played one Lower bowl 2018-19 average price – $270 playoff round between 2004 and 2017, but those days are gone. I walk down the street now in my neighbourhood and a ton of the kids have (2017-18 secondary market average – $345) Matthews jerseys on. That wasn't happening a few years ago. If this team Upper bowl 2017-18 average price – $82 goes on a run and captures the imagination of the city a bit more, those secondary market prices are going further north. Upper bowl 2018-19 average price – $94 3. The ACC is almost 20 years old and rather ordinary by NHL standards, (2017-18 secondary market average – $149) with so many markets getting new facilities. The new rinks in Detroit and Edmonton have really showcased how far arenas have come. Most So that's an average of a 9.8-per-cent increase in the lower bowl and a games, the Leafs announce attendance in the 19,000 range, which ranks 14.6-per-cent increase in the upper bowl. fifth in the league. Without question the Leafs could fill a bigger building, To put that in context, the price for “purples” — the seats at the top of the especially if it was built with more common fan areas that could upper bowl, under where we sit in the press box — has gone from accommodate different ways of attending the game. This would also help around $4,800 to $5,500 a season for a pair of tickets. That works out to with getting more “regular” fans at games to improve the atmosphere. I a jump from about $115 a game to $135. don't know how they do it, given they've built their condo-restaurant- tower empire all around the ACC, but a new Leafs palace that fits 29,000 I'm including the secondary market prices because that's what Haggith is fans or whatever would be pretty neat to see. (People think I'm crazy referring to when he says “market value.” More than 90 per cent of Leafs when I say that, but I'm not kidding.) tickets are sold to people with season ticket packages, but a lot of those get turned over to ticket brokers, who benefit from that difference It's great that the NHL has had such a promising response in new between the “face” value and the secondary market value. markets like Las Vegas and now Seattle, with their massively successful ticket drive on Thursday. But the next team entering the league should be In other words, some of the biggest beneficiaries from the fact Leafs in this market. If it wasn't such a political decision, I think it would have tickets are underpriced relative to what the market will bear are the happened already. scalpers. MLSE obviously monitors what their tickets are worth beyond face value. Part of this increase is simply putting more of that money in And the Leafs should start thinking of new ways to get fans in the their pockets instead of the resellers. building — even if that means a new building itself.

I talked with a few season ticket holders about the increase, and the I don't blame MLSE for trying to charge closer to market value for its response was mixed. Some are understanding and believe that Leafs tickets. But there are some things the league and the organization could tickets are underpriced. Others are having a harder time accepting that, be doing here that would benefit the market and their revenues at the same time. The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101713 Toronto Maple Leafs your weakenesses and you work on it. He’s got a long way to go in the gym. I think he knows that,” Clune said.

“When it’s coming from your peers it’s a stronger message and it’s good, Marlies rookie Jeremy Bracco finds mentor in roommate Rich Clune it helps the competition. I have the luxury of not being a coach so he knows he can trust me, he knows I have his best interests at heart and I want him to do well. But there’s been a couple of instances where he has By Scott Wheeler 22 hours ago 21 been pissed off and hurting and feeling like I’m attacking him. If he gets pissed off at me a couple of days, I’m willing to live with that.”

The work in the gym is starting to pay off. Bracco is playing more, On the road, Rich Clune is happy to let Jeremy Bracco watch college sometimes on the team's first or second line. basketball when they share a hotel room. He has now played in 33 of the team's 56 games, scoring at a 0.52 That way he can tease him when he yells at the TV. points-per-game pace (17 points) while playing predominantly on the Both of the Toronto Marlies forwards need a reprieve from the grind of team's fourth line. He has nine points in his last 13 games and has hockey sometimes. become a staple on the point on the power play.

Bracco finds his in watching sports. Recently, it was the Olympics. But He's starting to feel better about where he's at. most of the time, it's basketball. And Clune sometimes finds his in “I haven’t played as many games as a lot of the guys here and I’ve really laughing at Bracco's. been working off the rink and I feel like it’s translating and I’m getting They both need each other, in their own way. more of an opportunity to play and try to seize that opportunity,” he said.

It's not an easy path, the one that runs from junior hockey to the NHL. Clune's not alone as a mentor either. If Clune has taken on a fatherly Even for Bracco, a 20-year-old who has accomplished everything a role, Bracco said forward Trevor Moore has become like a brother. young player can below the professional level, the odds are long. He's “It’s been a big thing all year for me in the gym and (Moore and Clune) the U.S. national development program's all-time assists leader. He's have done a great job with me continuing to work and trying to build a won gold medals at the under-17, under-18 and under-20 level. He won a great foundation. It’s a testament to those guys. Guys push each other Memorial Cup. here,” Bracco said. Still, there's a long way between him, a second-round draft pick in 2015, Like Clune, Moore insists it's easy to want to help Bracco. and the NHL. “Jeremy’s a really good kid. Everyone seems to like him. We want to help For everyone who makes it, including players like Bracco, who have him get the most out of himself in every area and I think the gym is one been blessed with the gifts required to get there, that path requires area where he could probably improve. You just want to help him, he’s a guidance. nice guy,” Moore said. “When you’re a pro, there’s so many areas of your In his first season with the Marlies, Bracco has learned that. It started last game that you have to work on that you don’t even know. In junior, summer when, after a long run to the Memorial Cup with the Windsor maybe just scoring goals is enough. He’s so motivated hockey-wise Spitfires and in need of a summer to prepare for his rookie season, he you’ve just got to get him motivated in the gym and other areas. He’ll be got mononucleosis. It continued into training camp. He wasn't in the kind fine.” of shape his peers were. Hockey has been a challenge for the first time in his young career. He's Early on, it meant he rarely played. In October, he played in three of the living on his own for the first time, too. That's why he's turned to watching Marlies' nine games. In November, he played in six of 12. During that sports on TV. time, he re-dedicated himself to the gym. “Sometimes you need a mental checkout after you leave the rink to try He also found a mentor. and stay focussed. You need a break. It’s not fun not playing, and hopefully down the stretch and towards the playoffs I can be an every- If there's one player who knows about the different directions a path to night guy. We’ve got a great team here and we’re poised to do something the NHL can take, it's Rich Clune. On his way to 139 NHL games, the 30- special. I just have to take it day-by-day. At the end of the day, it’s about year-old Clune battled addiction and depression. Today, he's sober and the process and being the best player you can be at the end of the year playing in the AHL. to carry that into the summer,” he said.

When Bracco was adjusting to life in the press box early in the season, Everyone knows Bracco has another level. Marlies head coach Sheldon he was often joined by Clune. Keefe said he has always believed Bracco was going to become an Quickly, they bonded, working through those healthy scratches together. important player for the Marlies — and the Leafs. They became friends and roommates on the road. Clune saw something After the Leafs moved wingers Kerby Rychel and Nikita Soshnikov ahead in Bracco. of the trade deadline, he now has a chance to really find out what that “Jeremy, for one, is a kid whose got something you can’t teach and that’s level might look like, according to Keefe. great life. He’s got a great sense of humour, he’s a happy-go-lucky kid “He’s put in the effort. Despite not playing, he has had a terrific attitude. and players like that are invaluable, especially when they’re young. I He has worked every single day, hasn’t complained once, and that has certainly think in a long season with the ups and downs and ebbs and me really excited over what’s to come for him because we know he’s got flows of a team, guys like that are invaluable. I think they keep the room elite offensive abilities,” Keefe said. “We just have to get him up to speed upbeat. That’s what I love about Jeremy,” Clune said. and get his fitness and strength to where it needs to be to play at this Bracco found something in Clune, too. level and beyond.”

“Rich has been through a lot and for him to be so nice to me, being a Clune has no doubt that Bracco's path leads to a bright future — and he's young guy, really open up and share everything he has been through and happy to play a small role in that journey. stuff he really wouldn’t want to see a friend like myself go through, it They have fun together. means a lot,” Bracco said. “Cluner has done a lot for me. He really showed me the ropes and introduced me to guys.” “We’re both young at heart. He’s literally young and I’m not that young,” Clune said with a laugh. A devoted gym rat, Clune is able to mentor Bracco in more ways than one. He has tried to coach Bracco in his own way — as a teammate, not “He’s a good kid. Those other things can be developed, but he’s got a as a trainer. Early on, he challenged him to work harder than he was off skill level that’s a lot further along than most of his peers at 20. I mean, the ice. he has come a long way as far as his preparation. He has put in a lot of work this year. He still has a long way to go, but he has been a pleasure “He’s a small guy. He’s underdeveloped and it is what it is. That’s just to work with.” where he’s at. You don’t want to be in denial about it. You just expose The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2018

1101714 Vegas Golden Knights Vegas has actually been down different guys for a while now, and until the new faces can integrate themselves into a lineup that delivered Vegas to atop the Pacific Division, determining how well Reaves and Chemistry lesson for Golden Knights after loss: Play harder Tatar fit is fairly difficult. “Our game is just slipping a bit, and we have to get back to the basics,” said defenseman Shea Theodore, who saw a team-high 25:16 of ice time By Ed Graney Las Vegas Review-Journal upon returning from a six-game absence because of illness. “The playoff race, coming down the stretch, is going to be tight for points. We just March 2, 2018 - 11:42 PM have to play a lot better hockey.” They can begin by playing a lot harder. I’m not sure it’s more over-used than the theory about momentum in Chemistry, if there is such a thing, has nothing to do with effort. sports — shhh, there’s no such thing, really — but this belief about chemistry being one of the more significant ingredients for any team sure gets exaggerated. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 03.03.2018 Do you know what side usually has good chemistry? The one that wins. Do you know what side lacks it? The one that doesn’t. We have seen more of the former in the Golden Knights over this expansion season, and yet the latter was apparent on Friday when a third straight defeat found Vegas in a 5-4 decision to Ottawa before 18,269 at T-Mobile Arena. It’s the third three-game losing streak for the Knights, who have yet to drop four straight. Now, having fallen to a Senators side that sits seventh in the Atlantic with 54 points but played a whole lot harder than the hosts, Vegas limps into a five-game road trip that begins Sunday at New Jersey. “We didn’t show up,” said Knights coach Gerard Gallant. “We didn’t come to play. It doesn’t matter if you’re missing skill guys or talented guys, as long as you compete you have a chance to win. We didn’t. “I hope I don’t have to say much before the next game. I hope our guys have enough character and enough pride that I don’t have to say anything. I don’t make excuses, but I’m not a fan of these long homestands. I’m pretty excited to go on the road again, to be honest with you.” A popular local theory went like this since Monday’s trade deadline: That by acquiring Tomas Tatar from Detroit and MMA fighter — I mean forward Ryan Reaves from Pittsburgh — the tide of a Vegas season would either continue its historic rise or fall by the combined effects of a gravitational force from the new guys not fitting in. Social media was especially harsh toward Reaves, who was blamed for everything from back-to-back losses to the Kings to the forgettable play of UNLV basketball against UNR (he was in attendance, after all) to severe weather patterns across Europe. Reaves, who had his best shifts yet as a Golden Knight on Friday, offers the sort of physical presence not seen much from Vegas this season. It can be an important skill in March and really important when the playoffs arrive and bigger and heavier teams are standing you up at the blue line and refusing much flow. Tatar is a different case in regard to what he offers. He’s a scorer, always has been, and given some of the injuries suffered by the Knights lately, anyone who can consistently find the net is considered valuable. He just needs to start doing so here. James Neal remains out and, with each passing loss, it becomes more and more obvious how much his presence is needed. Tatar on Friday saw 15:25 of ice time over 19 shifts and was limited to two shots. He arrived from the Red Wings having tallied 20 or more goals four straight years and is sitting at 16 this season. On which line he will settle with — where mixing and matching is a card played often by Gallant — isn’t known, but Tatar played alongside David Perron and Erik Haula on Friday. “When you’re playing well, (chemistry) is a lot easier,” said Knights forward Alex Tuch. “You have a little more jump in your step. You’re not getting as frustrated, and it’s easier to talk more. That’s a big thing, talk to line mates and see what they want out of the line. It’s all about communication.” It’s also about this right now: The Knights on Friday were down several regulars, including Neal, Pierre-Édouard Bellemare and arguably their top two defenders in Nate Schmidt and Luca Sbisa. 1101715 Vegas Golden Knights “The first period was embarrassing. We got three shots on net. What does that say for this group? You can’t expect to win if you only play 20 or 40 minutes a game.” Senators send Golden Knights to third straight loss, 5-4 LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 03.03.2018 By David Schoen / Las Vegas Review-Journal

Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant sounded an alarm early Friday when he called Ottawa a “dangerous” team. The Senators showed why hours later. Ottawa’s Alex Burrows scored 8:51 into the third period and the Knights were unable to overcome a slow start in a 5-4 loss to the lowly Senators before an announced crowd of 18,269 at T-Mobile Arena. “I think we got out-competed tonight,” Gallant said. “We didn’t work hard enough and we had one line going. You’re not going to win many games like that. You can look at one thing, but it wasn’t one thing. We weren’t ready to compete.” The Knights (41-18-5, 87 points) dropped their third straight, equaling their longest losing streak of the season, and remained eight points ahead of San Jose in the Pacific Division. Ryan Carpenter and William Karlsson scored in the third period to tie the game at 4. Reilly Smith and Colin Miller had goals in the first period for the Knights, who begin a five-game road trip Sunday at New Jersey. The Knights dropped both games of a home-and-home with Los Angeles this week and fell flat against Ottawa, which had lost five straight and entered with an NHL-low seven road victories. “I think our game’s just slipping a bit. We have to get back to the basics,” Knights defenseman Shea Theodore said. “The playoff race coming down the stretch is going to be tight for points and we have to play a lot better hockey.” Bobby Ryan had a goal and two assists and defenseman Erik Karlsson added three assists for Ottawa (22-31-10, 54 points). Ottawa’s Mark Stone scored and had a spectacular assist to spring Ryan for his breakaway goal early in the second. Matt Duchene (power play) and Jean-Gabriel Pageau also scored in the second for the Senators. The Knights trailed 4-2 entering the third period but scored twice in the opening 7:55 to nearly steal a point. Karlsson beat Ottawa goaltender Craig Anderson through the five-hole at 3:25 of the third. Carpenter added a short-handed goal to tie the game at 4. But Burrows, in his first game back after a 10-game suspension, deflected in Erik Karlsson’s shot less than a minute after Carpenter’s goal. “It was good that we showed some character, but that’s not the type of game that we want to play and we’ve been playing to have success, myself included,” Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury said. “We can’t be losing these games now.” The Knights were 18-4-1 when leading after the first period, but allowed three unanswered goals in the second period despite outshooting Ottawa 18-17. Jonathan Marchessault had the Knights’ best chance but was stopped on a breakaway with 11:30 remaining in the period. The Knights scored on their first shot of the game, then went more than 15 minutes without a shot on goal against Anderson. After Karlsson forced a turnover at the Ottawa blue line, Jonathan Marchessault quickly found Smith alone in front for a backhander 58 seconds into the first period. The Knights didn’t register another shot on goal until Marchessault’s wrister from the left wing with 3:27 remaining, but went ahead 2-1 at the end of a power play when Miller sent a wrist shot through traffic with 1:36 remaining in the first. “There’s just no excuse for us. We’re hockey players. It’s a hard job, but everybody needs to be ready,” Marchessault said. “Today was just not good. Our last game was not good. We can’t just leave (Fleury) out there to try to save us. 1101716 Vegas Golden Knights

Nate Schmidt, James Neal miss Golden Knights’ game

By David Schoen / Las Vegas Review-Journal 3 minutes

Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt missed his first game of the season Friday. Schmidt and forward James Neal did not play Friday against the Ottawa Senators at T-Mobile Arena because of undisclosed injuries. They are listed as day to day, according to coach Gerard Gallant. Gallant said both players are expected to be with the Knights for the five- game trip that begins Sunday at New Jersey. Defenseman Brad Hunt replaced Schmidt in the lineup Friday. Schmidt was credited on the official play-by-play with a hit on Los Angeles’ Dustin Brown with 4:13 remaining in the third period Tuesday, but did not appear again in the Knights’ 4-1 loss. He did not practice Thursday and was not at the Knights’ optional skate Friday morning at City National Arena. Schmidt was one of four players who appeared in all 63 games before missing Friday’s game. William Karlsson, Colin Miller and Reilly Smith are the only Knights to appear in every game. Neal, who appeared to hurt his right hand after an awkward fall midway through the second period Monday, missed his second consecutive game. He worked out with injured forward William Carrier after practice, and both players wore red, noncontact jerseys. Forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare practiced Friday but was not cleared for contact. Gallant said he is unsure whether Bellemare will be on the trip. Sens’ Burrows returns Ottawa forward Alex Burrows rejoined the lineup Friday after he served a 10-game suspension for kneeing New Jersey’s Taylor Hall in the head during a scrum Feb. 6. Burrows replaced Marion Gaborik, who suffered an undisclosed injury in Tuesday’s 3-2 loss at Washington. “Obviously, I messed up on that one,” Burrows said Thursday after practice at T-Mobile Arena. “I let the emotions get the best of me. I’ve moved on now. I’ve put it behind me. I’m looking forward to getting back into the lineup and helping the guys win some games.” Hague hits 30 Nicolas Hague, a second-round pick (No. 34 overall) by the Knights in June, became the first defenseman in the major junior Ontario Hockey League in 18 years to reach the 30-goal mark. The 6-foot-6-inch, 215-pound Hague had 66 points (30 goals, 36 assists) in 59 games, a Mississauga Steelheads franchise record for points by a defenseman. He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Knights in September.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101717 Vegas Golden Knights

Live Blog: Theodore returns for Golden Knights against Senators

By Jesse Granger (contact) Friday, March 2, 2018 | 4 p.m.

After missing six games with an illness, Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore will return to the lineup tonight, as Vegas hosts the Ottawa Senators at T-Mobile Arena. Theodore’s 18 points this season are fourth amongst Golden Knights defensemen. His speed and skating ability are a welcomed addition to the defensive group. “I’m excited to be back,” Theodore said. “It was tough, especially not being around the rink with the guys...It feels good to be back, and I’m ready to go.” Brad Hunt will also be back in the lineup in place of Nate Schmidt. James Neal and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare both remain out with upper-body injuries and are considered day-to-day, according to coach Gerard Gallant. “Hunt and I have been hanging out the last few games up top (in the press box),” Theodore said. “We’re both excited, and it’s going to be a fun atmosphere.” At 7-18-5, the Senators own the worst road record in the NHL. With less than 20 games remaining in the regular season and the third-worst record in the league, the Senators’ playoff hopes have already been dashed. But Gallant still sees the talent that got them within a game of the Stanley Cup Finals last summer. “They’re in a dangerous position,” Gallant said. “They’ve had a tough year but you look at their roster and say they’re still a dangerous team.” Teams out of contention remain challenges, even late in the season. The cellar-dwelling Arizona Coyotes are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, and they snapped the Minnesota Wild’s five-game winning streak Thursday night. Sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference are the Buffalo Sabres, who have won three of four, including Wednesday night’s overtime win over the league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning. “Every game is important for everybody, and every team wants to win hockey games,” Gallant said. “Some teams have no pressure and they’re going out there and playing well, so you have to be ready to play.” The Golden Knights are coming off two tough losses to the Los Angeles Kings and have fallen two points behind the Nashville Predators for first place in the Western Conference, so focus shouldn’t be an issue. “They’re going to try and take as many points away from teams that they’re playing and come hard tonight,” Theodore said. “It’s kind of crunch time for everyone, scrambling for points. We are going to play hard night in and night out just trying to get as many points as we can.”

LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101718 Vegas Golden Knights

'We are a lazy team right now': Golden Knights frustrated after third- straight loss

By Jesse Granger (contact)

Golden Knights’ goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury scooped the puck out of the back of his own net during the third period of Friday night’s 5-4 loss to the Senators, and angrily winged it into the end boards in frustration. The goal wasn't Fleury’s fault. Alexandre Burrows tipped a rocket slap shot by All-Star defenseman Erik Karlsson just in front of Fleury, and it ricocheted into the net. But nevertheless, Fleury was frustrated. “You never want to lose,” Fleury said. “It sucks, but it’s part of the game and we are going to learn from it.” It was the Golden Knights’ third-straight loss, and it left nearly everyone on the team frustrated, including coach Gerard Gallant. “I’m not happy with the way we’ve played the last two or three games at home to be honest with you,” Gallant said. “We looked bad tonight. Not everybody but the majority of them.” The lone bright spot for Vegas was its first line of Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson and Reilly Smith. The group scored in the opening minute when Marchessault fed Smith a pass right in front of the goal and he lifted it over Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson’s shoulder. In the third period, Marchessault set up Karlsson on his 35th goal of the season. It was Marchessault’s 43rd assist of the season, giving him the lead on the Golden Knights. The goal brought Vegas within one goal, and Ryan Carpenter tied the game minutes later, but the Senators scored late to spoil the comeback attempt. “I think we got outcompeted tonight,” Gallant said. “We didn’t work hard enough and we had one line going. You’re not going to win many games like that.” Despite giving up five goals, Fleury actually played well in net for the Golden Knights including an impressive pair of glove saves on shots by Mike Hoffman. Vegas constantly committed turnovers in its own zone giving Fleury no chance. “Every time our defensemen have the puck everybody is swinging away,” Marchessault said. “We need to give option to our defensemen and help them out. At the end of the day it’s easy to blame the defenseman that turns the puck over on the wall but if the forward isn’t there and he doesn’t have option then that’s our fault.” Gallant said it wasn’t the turnovers, or any other single factor, that led to the loss. He insisted that the effort and compete level that has carried the Golden Knights to this point was missing. “We always talk about skill and talent, but if you don’t work hard and compete hard like we have all season long, then it’s not going to work and tonight we didn’t show up,” Gallant said. Despite playing well himself, Marchessault agreed with Gallant’s assessment, adding, “We are a lazy team right now and we (aren’t) playing well.” Losers of three straight, the Golden Knights now face a five-game road trip that will cover nearly 4,000 miles. It starts in New Jersey with a matchup with the Devils on Sunday, and goes through Columbus, Detroit, Buffalo and Philadelphia. Gallant said he’s glad to be on the road to help refocus the team, and while he doesn’t anticipate verbally berating the team for it’s poor showings, the silence may be worse. “I hope I don’t have to say anything before the next game,” he said. “I hope our guys have enough character and enough pride.”

LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101719 Washington Capitals

Mighty winds leave Capitals, Maple Leafs wondering about impact on outdoor game

By Isabelle Khurshudyan March 2 at 7:12 PM Email the author

Capitals Coach Barry Trotz heard it whipping around his house all night. Players felt it walking from their front door to their cars this morning, and then again from their cars to the team practice facility. The not-so-subtle elephant in the room of this upcoming Stadium Series game at Navy- Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis is the wind — and how much of a nuisance it might be Saturday night. Unsurprisingly, given the rarity of outdoor NHL games, players from both the Capitals and the Toronto Maple Leafs said they’ve never played in windy conditions like those felt Friday before. As far as adjustments go, those might have to be made on the fly. The current forecast projects the wind to have died down some by Saturday’s 8 p.m. puck drop with 16- mph gusts expected. “Probably when you backcheck, if you have a turnover and you’ve got to backcheck [into the wind], then it’ll be a little tough,” center Nicklas Backstrom said. But if Washington has the wind at its back … “Yeah, that’d be nice,” Backstrom said. “Hopefully we get that for two periods.” Said Trotz: “I’ve thought about it. Maybe we’ll have to flip a coin for the end zone like football. It’s part of it. You better not be too tired on the backcheck against the wind because you’ll never get back. We’ll see how it is. The league will decide and if we’re going to play for how windy it is.” Outdoor practices in Annapolis were canceled on Friday because of a high wind warning, gusts reportedly up to 70 mph in some parts of the region. The teams practiced indoors instead, and while Toronto and Washington were scheduled to have morning skates on the outdoor rink Saturday, both teams have since cancelled those plans, too, meaning the first time each will be able to get a feel for the surroundings will be during pregame warmups. They’ll also get a first taste of the wind, which could affect even the most routine plays, like dump-ins. NHL ice guru Dan Craig and his crew monitor the playing surface while the NHL’s department of hockey operations monitors general playing conditions and weather reports before and during the game to determine if the conditions are playable. In situations with wind, the teams might switch ends midway through the third period to ensure that each team is skating into the wind for 30 minutes, or half the game. A league spokesman said the NHL is monitoring weather, aware of the gusting winds in the area, and while there’s no exact threshold of miles per hour that makes a game unplayable, teams won’t be forced to compete in unsafe conditions. But the game is expected to go on as scheduled, but the league announced it will provide another update on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner said “it won’t feel good on your body, that’s for sure.” “You have to simplify the game and make sure you play simple and make sure you play north instead of east-west,” Backstrom said. “The wind wouldn’t be ideal, but part of playing these games is you have to deal with the weather,” Toronto defenseman Morgan Rielly said. “Right now I think she was a little windy out there, but hopefully she clears up a little bit for us. But we’ll see. If it’s windy tomorrow, we’ll just have to deal with it. There’s two teams that have to deal with it, so we’re not too worried about it.”

Washington Post LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101720 Washington Capitals Tappen said Shaw would “hands-down” be at Saturday’s game, were he still alive. Shaw was a standout lacrosse player in high school, but he got more into hockey after she started covering the Bruins in her first job out ‘I know he’ll be there with us’: Outdoor game at Navy has extra meaning of college at NESN. Tappen remains close with many of the military for NBC’s Kathryn Tappen friends Shaw used to brag to about his cousin’s awesome sports broadcasting career. She serves as an ambassador for the Marine Raider Foundation, a nonprofit that provides support to active duty and retired MARSOC Raiders and their families, as well as to the families of By Scott Allen March 2 at 10:21 AM Email the author Raiders who have lost their lives. “For me, it’s a matter of giving back to the organization that gave so much to us while we were going through the most difficult time in our NBC Sports host and reporter Kathryn Tappen has covered 17 outdoor lives,” said Tappen, who helped organize the foundation’s first charity hockey games during her broadcasting career, but Saturday night’s fundraiser in New York later this year. “There’s not a day that goes by Stadium Series event in Annapolis will stand out from the others, that I don’t try to think about how Ford would do things, or how he would regardless of what happens on the ice between the Capitals and Maple want me to do something, or the way he acted, or the way he embraced Leafs. life. “There’s no question that this is going to be the most personally “He was just such a larger than life personality. I just try every day not to significant outdoor game that I’ve ever broadcast,” said Tappen, who will let the little things bother me, and if I can honor him in some way, the host the pregame and intermission coverage from Navy-Marine Corps best way I can is to give back.” Memorial Stadium alongside analysts Jeremy Roenick and Keith Jones.

The added meaning for Tappen stems from the tragic events of March 10, 2015, when her cousin, Capt. Stanford “Ford” H. Shaw III, was Washington Post LOADED: 03.03.2018 among seven members of the Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) killed in a Black Hawk helicopter crash off the coast of Florida. Four members of the Louisiana National Guard operating the helicopter during the training mission also died in the crash. The 31-year-old Shaw, a 2006 graduate of the Naval Academy, served two tours in Iraq and another in Afghanistan, and he was engaged. His fiancee, 2009 Naval Academy graduate and Marine Corps Capt. Lindsay Pirek, will be at Saturday’s game along with Shaw’s parents, Ford and Mona. “It’s really remarkable to have them be able to join me,” Tappen said. “The Naval Academy has always been a special place for my family, and now it’s even more so. It’s going to be a great weekend to be back on campus. Anytime I can be there, I just feel that much closer to my cousin.” Tappen, 36, always considered Shaw more like a brother. They were two of eight cousins separated by seven years on her mom’s side who grew up within a few miles of each other in New Jersey and saw each other every weekend. Tappen described Shaw, who hung his Navy flag everywhere he went, as one of the most passionate Naval Academy graduates she has ever met. After Tappen left NHL Network in 2014 to join NBC Sports, where her responsibilities include coverage of Notre Dame football, Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank sent her a large care package of Notre Dame gear. Tappen emailed her cousin, who was stationed in Afghanistan at the time, to ask if he and his fellow officers would be interested in some Fighting Irish swag. “He said, ‘I’m not wearing that,’ ” said Tappen, who added that Plank eventually arranged for a package of Navy-branded gear to be sent overseas instead. Tappen, a Rutgers graduate, visited Shaw in Annapolis at least once while he was a midshipman. The last time she was on campus before this weekend was in October 2015, seven months after her cousin’s death. It was the week before Notre Dame hosted Navy in South Bend, so Tappen and a few of her NBC colleagues were in town to chat with Navy players and coaches. During their visit, they met with Vice Admiral Walter E. “Ted” Carter, the U.S. Naval Academy Superintendent, who escorted them into Memorial Hall, where Shaw’s name was displayed among the names of other alumni who died in service to their country. “I was very emotionally raw at the time,” Tappen said of the experience. “I think being back there this weekend will be more a celebration to be there and to really share in the moment. I know he’ll be there with us for sure.” Saturday’s broadcast will feature interviews with representatives from the Naval Academy and video of U.S. military personnel stationed around the world. Play-by-play man was scheduled to tour the campus Friday, wind-permitting. The aircraft carrier flight deck design and model fighter jet that surrounds the rink, scheduled performances by military musical ensembles and 500 midshipmen in the stands will only add to the patriotic pageantry of the NHL’s first outdoor game at a service academy. Tappen, who recently returned from covering the Olympics in PyeongChang, is especially excited to see the U.S. Olympic women’s hockey team, which will be honored during the second intermission. “They’re just an incredible group of role models who I look up to, so being able to broadcast that game with my colleagues and share that moment with them was a highlight of my career,” Tappen said of the Americans’ shootout win over Canada in the gold medal game. 1101721 Washington Capitals

T.J. Oshie has a special connection to his first outdoor game

By Isabelle Khurshudyan March 2 at 9:57 AM Email the author

T.J. Oshie will admit to feeling jealous. During his 10-year career in the NHL, he watched friends and former teammates play in dazzling outdoor games — Winter Classics at baseball parks and football fields, or Stadium Series on college campuses. He played in St. Louis for seven years, but the city didn’t host a Winter Classic until he was already with the Capitals, and Washington hosted the Winter Classic the year before Oshie arrived. “I was pretty jealous,” Oshie said. “They always look pretty cool. I always thought the 24/7 [HBO show] that they used to do for the Winter Classic — I don’t know if they still do it — I thought that was really sweet leading up to it. It always brought a really dramatic side of hockey that you don’t really feel when you’re playing. So, yeah, I was jealous.” Oshie is the most tenured player on the Capitals’ roster to have never played in an NHL outdoor game. That’ll change Saturday night, when the Capitals play the Toronto Maple Leafs at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, and considering Oshie’s connection to the Navy, the wait for his first outdoors experience may have been worth it. His grandfathers, Richard Oshie and Dexter Moen, served together on the USS Saint Paul in the Navy. “Sure enough, my mom and dad are from different cities north of Seattle, and they had met through my mom’s cousin,” he said. “He was a basketball player, and my dad helped out at Everett Community College with the basketball teams. One thing led to another. They met. My mom told her dad, my grandpa Dexter, who she was dating, and sure enough he was like ‘Oh, one my best friends in the Navy was a Richard Oshie.’ And she said, ‘Yeah, that’s his dad.’ It kind of came full circle there. They were good buddies on the ship together, and then their kids ended up getting married without them knowing.” Oshie said several relatives from the Seattle area are flying in for the game. His earliest memory of playing outside was shortly after he moved to Warroad, Minn., when he was 7. “Uncle Henry,” who’s actually a cousin, had a rink in his backyard. “I remember one night, I woke up too excited to sleep,” Oshie said. “I think it was 3 a.m. I was young, so I went out and put on my skates and went out there by myself for about five hours before everyone else woke up. That was my first real experience on an outdoor rink, and it’s been that fun ever since.” Though Oshie has maintained his positive and upbeat demeanor, it’s been a trying season. Coming off a career year with 33 goals, he has scored just 12 through 58 games, never quite rediscovering his form after suffering a concussion in early December. Eight of his 12 goals have come on the power play, and he hasn’t scored an even-strength tally in 28 games. “I’ve had a couple conversations with Osh,” Coach Barry Trotz said. “When he’s really going really good, his blades are active. He’s got that really persistent, sort of hound dog mentality, that he brings naturally, but it’s more prevalent when he’s moving his feet and having fun and enjoying those battles he’s right in. … He’s getting looks, and he put one off the crossbar a couple games ago. So, it’s coming, and when it does, it’ll be fine. For T.J., when he’s going really good, there’s a joy in his game and a spirit about him that you can tell right away when he’s going to have a good night.”

Washington Post LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101722 Washington Capitals “They’re talking about all the things that goaltenders go through,” Trotz said. “Early in the year I think Gruby was playing really well, just couldn’t really get that win, and for Holtby, it’s sort of flipped a little bit lately where Capitals prepare for outdoor game with indoor practice; Holtby to start we just haven’t gotten a win for Holtz.” Saturday Holtby has prior experience outdoors, winning the 2015 Winter Classic with the Capitals over Chicago. Trotz views that as an advantage they have over Toronto in case neither team gets to test out the rink ahead of By Adam Zielonka - The Washington Times - Friday, March 2, 2018 the game. Of the eight Canadians on Washington’s roster, two players hail from Toronto or its outlying area: Smith-Pelly and fellow forward Tom Wilson. ARLINGTON, Va. — In outdoor NHL games of years past, predicting and Most players are bringing some family to this game, but considering the preparing for the weather was always the league’s top challenge and opponent, it is a particularly nice event for the Torontoans. priority. But it usually involved questions of temperature and precipitation. This week, wind has become the storyline. Smith-Pelly’s family usually only gets to see him play when his team is visiting Toronto, Montreal or Buffalo. For Saturday’s game, his parents, The Washington Capitals were scheduled to have a team skate 3 p.m. grandparents, younger brother and aunt are in town. Friday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, one day before the Annapolis football stadium hosts the final installment of the 2018 NHL “As a kid from Toronto you dream about playing Stadium Series. and to get to do it outside, against your favorite team growing up, all your friends and family watching, it’s gonna be exciting,” Smith-Pelly said. “I’ve But heavy wind from a nor’easter gusting up to 60 miles per hour forced been looking forward to it.” the league to cancel several Friday events at the stadium, including the Capitals‘ and Toronto Maple Leafs’ team skates. Washington moved its He added that he hopes the game isn’t postponed till Sunday due to the practice to its usual home at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. weather, because his family has to fly home by then. The wind could cause some chaos if it doesn’t die down by Saturday Wilson similarly said it’s “a dream come true for any kid” to face the team night. he rooted for on the Stadium Series stage, but he added, “Washington’s my new home. I’ve been here for five years.” “I’ve thought about it. Maybe we’ll have to flip a coin for the ‘end zone’ like football,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. “It’s part of it. You better not be too tired on the backcheck against the wind because you’ll never get back. Washington Times LOADED: 03.03.2018 “Depending on what happens tomorrow, we’re going to skate in the morning if the league allows us to skate on the outdoor ice, which I’m sure they’ll want us to do,” he added. Capitals players who haven’t taken part in an outdoor game before regretted the lost opportunity to get a feel for the layout in Annapolis. “I’m a rookie when it comes to outdoor games,” T.J. Oshie said. “I’ll kinda direct those questions about weather towards the other guys. Some of these guys have played I think three outdoor games. Being an older guy, I’m gonna be looking to some of the younger guys on how to deal with that.” Oshie said the players’ spatial awareness is likely to be different without fans right behind the glass like usual. “It would’ve been nice (to practice at Navy), but we’ll just roll with the punches here,” he said. “Hopefully we can get out tomorrow morning. If not we’ll just have to adjust quickly in the first period of the game.” Devante Smith-Pelly also hasn’t skated in an outdoor game before. He was on the Montreal Canadiens roster two seasons ago when they played the Winter Classic in Boston, but didn’t get on the ice. “I really look forward to seeing the stadium and checking out the ice and testing it out and stuff like that,” Smith-Pelly said. “Hopefully we get a chance to skate tomorrow morning so we’re not going in blind and not testing out the ice beforehand.” On the other hand, he said that players without prior outdoor experience still “know what it’s all about.” “It’s gonna be a spectacle and the first couple shifts are gonna be maybe either sloppy or super, super fast,” Smith-Pelly said. “But once the excitement from the original start goes out, it’s just gonna become another game again.” Trotz told reporters Friday that Braden Holtby will start in goal for the Stadium Series game. Perhaps Holtby will turn things around with the change in the calendar. He went 2-5-2 in February, allowing four goals per game, and was pulled early from three games in favor of Philipp Grubauer. Holtby is winless (0- 4-2) in his last six starts, the worst such stretch of his career. The Capitals‘ three-day break this week was especially beneficial for the goaltenders, Trotz said. “When you’re playing every second day it’s hard to get in that necessary work because a lot of times you’re traveling,” he said. “You’ve had days off because you’re playing every second day and you’ve got some league-mandated days (off) that have to be out there.” He added that Holtby has spent time consulting with goaltending coach Scott Murray and director of goaltending Mitch Korn during the off- stretch. 1101723 Washington Capitals

The Stadium Series presents Caps with a unique challenge: Weather

By J.J. Regan March 02, 2018 2:30 PM

Did you ever think wind would be a factor for a hockey game? Coaches go over every tiny detail when it comes to planning for an NHL game, but the weather is something they never have to think about. That changes on Saturday when the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs take it outside for the Stadium Series game. “Ice is going to feel different, the eyesight's going to be different, the feel's going to be different,” Tom Wilson said after Friday’s practice. “Might be a little colder. It's fun.” The concern for Saturday’s game is heavy wind. According to weather.com, the heavy winds in the area are supposed to continue on Saturday until the afternoon. If they continue during the game, that could definitely prove to be a factor for both teams. Those are conditions no one is used to playing in. “I don't think anyone's ever really played in heavy wind,” Wilson said. “Unless you're out on a lake when you were a kid with big gusts coming through.” “You better not be too tired on the backcheck against the wind because you'll never get back,” Barry Trotz said. For John Carlson, this will be his third NHL outdoor game. In the 2011 Winter Classic in Pittsburgh, teams had to deal with wet conditions as rain forced the game from the afternoon to that night. In 2015 teams had to deal with the sun and the start of the Capitals-Blackhawks Winter Classic was delayed briefly due to the glare on the ice. This year, it's wind. But in a profession in which everyone prepares for everything to an insane degree, weather may be the one thing hockey players can’t really prepare for. “I don't think you can, really,” Carlson said. “It's going to be different. Who knows what it's going to be like, but the teams are playing the same ice, same conditions, going the same way the same amount of time. It's just one of those things you've got to adapt to whatever it is, whether it's to keep it simple, whether it's to stay away from certain plays or tendencies. That's what you have to do. I think you've just got to go into it with an open mind and adapt.” Whether the teams will get a chance to skate on the ice prior to Saturday night will go a long way to adjusting to the new elements. Winds forced practices originally planned to take place in Annapolis on Friday to be moved and again threatens to move Saturday’s morning skates indoors. That could potentially mean both teams may not get a chance to skate on the actual playing surface until warmups of the game. It certainly is a different element than we are used to seeing in a hockey game, but the players are downplaying just how much any of this will affect them. “Little bit of different conditions is not going to be a huge factor,” Wilson said. “Both teams are playing in the same factors so we'll just do our best.”

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101724 Washington Capitals

Of course Braden Holtby will start in Saturday's Stadium Series game

By Tarik El-Bashir March 02, 2018 1:54 PM

Braden Holtby will get the nod for Saturday’s outdoor game in Annapolis, Coach Barry Trotz confirmed after Friday’s practice. Why was the question even posed? Well, Holtby is winless in six straight games (0-4-2) for the first time in his career, while backup Philipp Grubauer has won four straight starts. Trotz did not explain his decision-making process, but he did say that he expects the back-to-back practice days on Thursday and Friday to help Holtby “reset” after a rough stretch. In addition to doing some fine-tuning with first-year goalie coach Scott Murray in recent days, Holtby has also worked with the team's director of goaltending Mitch Korn, who has been in town all week. Korn, who stepped back from his day-to-day role this year, has been credited with turning Holtby into one of the NHL's best goalies. “It’s really beneficial, especially for goaltenders,” Trotz said of practice time. “When you’re playing every second day, it’s hard to get in that necessary work. I think a reset when you’ve got a couple of days is really good.” Holtby is 7-3-1 with a .934 save percentage and a 2.05 goals against average all-time vs. the Maple Leafs. That mark includes a 2-0 loss at home in October and a 4-2 win at Air Canada Centre in November. Holtby is also 1-0 in outdoor games as an NHLer, beating the Blackhawks 3-2 in the 2015 Winter Classic. He also played in an outdoor game as a Hershey Bear in 2012. The 2015-16 Vezina Trophy winner, for one, is looking forward to the challenge that Saturday’soutdoor game presents. “It’s rewarding because it is a lot more challenging than any other game with the different elements and circumstances, and that makes it more rewarding if you succeed,” he said.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101725 Washington Capitals

Saturday's Stadium Series lineup comes into focus

By Tarik El-Bashir March 02, 2018 1:01 PM

Barry Trotz says the forward combos and defensive pairs from Friday’s practice will almost assuredly be the ones he deploys at Navy. If that lineup holds, that means the scratches would be forwards Alex Chiasson and Travis Boyd and defensemen Madison Bowey and Jakub Jerabek. “At the end of the day there’s some valuable points that we have to try to get tomorrow,” Trotz said. “So the tough thing is there’s going to be some players that aren’t going to be in that game that you wish everybody could experience.” Trotz said he’ll inform the scratches of their status following Saturday’s morning skate. Players who are out, he added, will be allowed to skate in the pregame warmup so that they can soak in some of the game day experience.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101726 Washington Capitals

NHL Awards tracker: Can Ovechkin make his Hart case in the Stadium Series?

By J.J. Regan March 02, 2018 10:05 AM

Put a milestone in front of Alex Ovechkin and he doesn't just reach it, he sprints through it. Who could forget the 2015-16 season when he reached 500-career goals? Just three goals away, Ovechkin scored four goals in a span of two games. He scored twice against the New York Rangers, including the overtime winner and then returned to Washington the following day to score twice against the Ottawa Senators for goals No. 500 and 501. Let's face it, there is probably not as much buzz around the NHL for Ovechkin as a Hart candidate this season as there should be. What he is doing is incredible and not just because he is 32 years old. Tampa Bay would still be a playoff team without Nikita Kucherov. Taylor Hall does not have as many goals or points as Ovechkin. Evgeni Malkin has more points, but not as many goals, the Caps still lead the Penguins in the standings and the Caps' offensive stars are all having down years whereas Malkin has Sidney Crosby and Phil Kessel. Yet, if you ask experts around the league who will win the Hart, you will most likely hear all three names before you hear Ovechkin. But will the conversation change Saturday if Ovechkin does something special? Ovechkin currently stands just three goals shy of 600. What if he were to do the unthinkable and reach the 600-goal milestone on the big stage with a hat trick in the Stadium Series game? That's a tall task, obviously, and it would not be fair to expect such a performance, but it also would not be exactly shocking if he was able to pull it off. Ovechkin has a chance to make his case for the Hart Trophy on Saturday. What will he do with that opportunity? John Carlson In contention for: Norris Carlson is third among all defensemen with 50 points, but his case goes beyond the numbers. With a blue line that has featured two rookies the majority of the season, an aging veteran in Brooks Orpik and that had to deal with an injury to Matt Niskanen, the Caps have asked a lot of Carlson this season and he has always been up to the task. Alex Ovechkin In contention for: Hart Ovechkin leads the league in goals and is propping up the Capitals offense. Few players, if any, are as important to their team's offensive production and therefore its success as Ovechkin has been this season.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101727 Winnipeg Jets

SUNDAYJets at Hurricanes, 6 p.m.TV: SportsnetRadio: TSN 1290

Staff Report Posted: 03/3/2018 3:00 AM

ABOUT THE HURRICANES RW Sebastian Aho and LW Teuvo Teravainen were tied for the club scoring lead with 50 points apiece heading into Friday’s game against the New Jersey Devils. Aho has a team-leading 23 goals, while Teravainen is third with 17. D Jaccob Slavin led the team with 22:42 average ice time. He had five goals and 19 points in 64 games. Veteran winger Jeff Skinner, who scored a career-high 37 goals last season, has 20 goals and 39 points after 64 games in 2017-18. The seventh-overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft and Calder Trophy winner in 2010-11 has not played a post-season game in his seven previous seasons with the Hurricanes. The franchise has not qualified for the playoffs since losing in the Eastern Conference final in 2008-09. Cam Ward and Scott Darling have split duties evenly with 32 starts apiece. Ward’s numbers are better with a .909 save percentage, 2.65 goals-against average and 18-9-4 record. Darling, a big off-season free- agent signing, has a 10-16-7 record with an .899 save percentage and 3.08 goals-against average. LW Joakim Nordstrom (upper body) is questionable.

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 03.03.2018 1101728 Winnipeg Jets • The most compelling Premier League match of the weekend will see runaway leaders Manchester City host champions Chelsea at Etihad Stadium (10 a.m., Sportsnet). In first place since mid-September, the Mr. Snarl brings his charisma -- and success -- to AC Milan Citizens are coming off back-to-back 3-0 drubbings of Arsenal. Chelsea, meanwhile, have won just two of its past seven league matches and look about to tumble further behind Tottenham Hotspur in the race for fourth. Staff Report Posted: 03/3/2018 3:00 AM Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 03.03.2018

Gennaro Gattuso played 468 matches over 13 seasons for AC Milan — a tenure of grit and intensity that yielded two European Cups, a pair of Scudetti, the Coppa Italia and, for Italy in 2006, the FIFA World Cup. As a player he was known as "The Snarl." His tenacity in the centre of the park released teammates such as Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf and Kaká to create, attack and score goals. As a manager he drills his teams to be similarly resolute, to function as a collective made in his own image. He is "Mr. Snarl" now, and thanks to his guidance and his motivational ability, Milan is playing some of its best football since it last won the title in 2011 with him as a midfielder. Unbeaten in all competitions in 2018 — on Wednesday Milan edged Lazio on penalties to progress to the Coppa Italia final — the Rossoneri go into Sunday’s Derby della Madonnina against city rivals Inter (1:45 p.m. beIN Sports) the hot favourite to prevail at San Siro. Indeed, on Friday’s front page, La Gazzetta dello Sport revealed 50 per cent of its readers anticipated a Milan victory compared to just 18 per cent predicting Inter. "In terms of charisma, determination and the ferocity he transmits to the team, Gattuso does remind me of (Antonio) Conte," Milan defender Leonardo Bonucci remarked, referencing his former boss at Juventus, in a Thursday interview with Sky Sport Italia, adding, "I was most of all amazed at his ability to transmit that same hunger he had as a player." Now, no one is saying Gattuso’s tactical nous mimics that of Conte, whose managerial résumé includes three titles in Serie A with Juventus and one in the Premier League with Chelsea. That said, even when he self-deprecates, the 40-year-old reveals the technical understanding he drew on as a player and is now transferring to his team. "I am not a great coach. I’m not a guru of the bench and I’ve achieved nothing yet," he told Rai Sport with his trademark frankness following the Lazio win. But he also explained how he was instructing his players to operate in "more reduced spaces" and to move the ball forward "with as few passes as possible." That’s hardly the advice of a dullard. Since losing 2-0 at home to Atalanta on Dec. 23, AC Milan have gone undefeated in eight Serie A matches — including a 2-0 triumph at Roma last weekend — and advanced past Ludogorets Razgrad to set up a Europa League Round of 16 showdown with Arsenal. Milan will host the first leg against its English opponents on Thursday, and given the seven points between it and Italy’s fourth Champions League spot, we’re likely they see the Europa League campaign as the club’s best bet to get back into the continent’s most prestigious club competition. Of course, victory over Inter, who currently hold down that final Champions League berth, would go some distance toward closing the gap, or at least improving on their present position of seventh in Serie A. But win or lose, it won’t be as if Milan will show up with anything other than the grit and intensity instilled in them by Mr. Snarl. "You don’t learn this profession through books," Gattuso told Rai. "You learn it by getting smashed in the teeth and by setbacks. I’ve had some and I will have many more." Spot-kicks • The reigning Major League Soccer champion Toronto FC will open its MLS campaign today at home to Columbus Crew (noon, TSN). The Reds should be considered heavy favourites to repeat, although Atlanta United, Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders and Real Salt Lake will contend as well. Los Angeles FC will make their franchise debut Sunday in Seattle. Former United States manager Bob Bradley is in charge of LAFC, and Mexico striker Carlos Vela was signed from Real Sociedad in January. • One of the weekend’s marquee matches will take place at Camp Nou on Sunday when La Liga leaders Barcelona host second-place Atletico Madrid (9:15 a.m., beIN Sports). Atletico, currently five points back, could cut the gap atop the table to two points with a win, and given the 12 goals Antoine Griezmann has scored in his last eight outings, this should give the Baugrana their stiffest test of the season to date. 1101729 Winnipeg Jets averaged more than 22 minutes over the next five, while the Bruins were eliminated by the Ottawa Senators.

"The kind of diverse career that I’ve had — because it definitely hasn’t Not just another ordinary Joe been a straight-and-narrow path by any means — it just builds you up as a person, and solidifies your desire to play hockey and desire to keep going in this business," Morrow said. "At 25 years old, I still have a lot to By: Jeff Hamilton go and a lot to learn, and I really do think my best hockey is yet to come." Posted: 03/2/2018 11:46 PM | Comments: 0 Though he was in and out of the lineup throughout his time in Boston, Morrow must have done something to impress then-head coach Claude Julien. After the Bruins fired Julien in February 2017, he resurfaced with the Canadiens shortly thereafter. The next season, Morrow, a free agent When the Winnipeg Jets acquired journeyman defenceman Joe Morrow at the time, signed a one-year deal with Montreal. with just moments to spare before the NHL trade deadline earlier this week, they did so with the hope of never having to play him. In an odd twist of fate, Winnipeg had also offered Morrow a contract that off-season, which he respectfully declined in favour of Montreal. Morrow, who came over from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for the Jets’ fourth-round pick this year, was brought in to provide depth on a "At the time, I viewed confidence and comfortability in a situation over sturdy blue line. If all was to go well on the injury front — a big if, of diving into a brand-new experience," said Morrow, who echoed his course — it’s certain Morrow would have spent the rest of season in the appreciation for Winnipeg in continuing to see something in him. "Ending press box. up on a team like this at the end of the season, it’s always tough coming into a group that has been successful and been together since Day 1. But if injuries are anything, they’re unexpected. With Jacob Trouba already out with a high ankle sprain, and the loss of Toby Enstrom, the "You’ve got to prove yourself. These guys want to win, and to be able to Jets’ newest defenceman was immediately added to the active roster. slot in and help with that is the only way you kind of get accepted. That’s Morrow didn’t have to wait long for his chance. He has played in both where my mind is at right now." games since arriving in Winnipeg, creating a situation that is both unusual and familiar for the Edmonton native, who, days after joining the Jets, says he feels an equal dose of enthusiasm and disbelief in his new surroundings. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 03.03.2018 "I thought I would have been the last person to be shipped out of there," said Morrow, in a sit down with the Free Press ahead of the Jets tilt with the Detroit Red Wings on Friday. "It’s more an honour than anything to be brought into a situation like this…I’m going to play my heart out for this team." Morrow’s surprise at being dealt by the Canadiens wasn’t because he hadn’t been in that same place before. In fact, the Jets are his fifth organization in seven years. And to suggest he’s been around the block once or twice would be a gross understatement. He just figured with Montreal declaring themselves sellers at the deadline, that there would be bigger fish on the club eager to test out new waters. "For me, I thought it was a situation where I would play out the season and do what I can to leave a lasting impression," said Morrow, a restricted free agent by the end of the year. Morrow was once a big fish himself. Although he’s just 25 years old, that already seems like a lifetime ago. Drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round — 23rd overall — in the 2011 NHL draft, he returned that year to the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League. That season, he finished second in league scoring among defencemen, with 64 points (17 goals, 47 assists) in 62 games, and was named a first-team all-star. "It’s understandable to think that when you’re selected in the first round that things are kind of going to be a given for you, and that’s not the case at all," Morrow said. "It’s a cool token to have in your pocket, it’s cool to have that experience of going up on stage on national television and accepting that jersey from a team and being looked at as one of the best players in the world at your age group. But that’s about as far as it goes." After that standout season in Portland, Morrow was ready to make the jump to the professional ranks. But his timing couldn’t have been worse, as the NHL lockout stopped any chance of him jumping up with the big club. With the NHL on hold, Morrow was assigned to Wilkes-Barrie/Scranton, the Penguins’ American Hockey League affiliate. After posting modest numbers there, he was traded to Dallas later that year — along with a fifth-round pick — for Brendan Morrow (no relation) and a third-round pick. By the summer, he was shipped off to the Boston Bruins as one piece in the blockbuster trade that sent superstar forward Tyler Seguin the other way. "I’ve definitely had some tough times," said Morrow, whose dad, Dave, spent time with the Indianapolis Racers of the WHA. His brother, Josh, was selected late by the Nashville Predators in 2002. "It doesn’t really have a value on it, to be able to have a family like I have to lean on." It wouldn’t be until the 2014-15 season that Morrow would finally make his NHL debut, scoring one goal in 15 games for the Bruins that year. Over three seasons with Boston, he collected three goals and seven assists in 65 games. A smooth skater who can be inserted into the lineup with little notice, perhaps Morrow’s greatest contribution came in last year’s playoffs. After sitting out the first game in Round 1, Morrow 1101730 Winnipeg Jets Morrissey admitted the Jets will have to work hard to maintain a playoff level of play.

"It’s imperative you get it up to that level," said Morrissey. "You look at Laine pots a pair as Jets top Red Wings 4-3 Detroit, they played hard tonight. They did a lot of the things we do to other teams in the first period and throughout the game. They’ve got a lot of speed, they really pressured us, they had good sticks. It just seemed By: Mike Sawatzky like you never had a clean play. It’s something we’re really good at. When we got skating in the second, we started to find our games." Posted: 03/2/2018 9:58 PM | Last Modified: 03/2/2018 11:14 PM | Updates | Comments: 4 Hellebuyck finished the game with 30 saves. Howard stopped 38 shots. MASON’S STATUS: Veteran goaltender Steve Mason will begin a one- or two-game conditioning stint with the AHL’s Moose Saturday against Patrik Laine’s hands and goal-scoring savvy have never been in doubt the Iowa Wild. but it’s the 19-year-old’s feet that have fuelled a recent upsurge in production. Mason will then rejoin the Jets Tuesday in New York against the Rangers. He is expected to make at least one start on the trip. On Friday night, the sophomore right-winger scored his team-leading 32nd and 33rd goals to power the Winnipeg Jets to a 4-3 triumph over Mason, a 29-year-old unrestricted free agent who signed a two-year deal the Detroit Red Wings in NHL action before 15,321 fans at Bell MTS with Winnipeg in the off-season, suffered his second concussion of the Place. season when he took a shot off his mask during a morning skate in Chicago on Jan. 12. Laine, Winnipeg’s second-overall choice in the 2016 NHL Draft, now has eight goals and 13 points in his last seven games. He is only three shy of He has played only three times since suffering his first concussion Jan. equalling the 36 goals he scored in 73 games during his rookie season. 25 in San Jose. His season numbers thus far include a 3-6-1 record, .897 save percentage and a 3.52 goals-against average. "I think I just started to skate more," said Laine. "I just try to work hard and play as simple as can and I think that’s the biggest reason why I’m Once Mason is recalled, Michael Hutchinson will be reassigned to getting rewarded. It’s just the skating, (that’s) the biggest thing." Manitoba. Jets head coach Paul Maurice’s explanation was even more direct. NOTEWORTHY: Winnipeg went 0-for-3 on the power play. Detroit was 1- for-1 with the man advantage. "His feet. He’s skating. He’s driving harder," said Maurice. "He’s skating better, with and without the puck and because of that, his timing is right and everything else is falling into place for him." Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 03.03.2018 Detroit, fifth in the Atlantic, fell to 26-28-10. The Jets spotted the Wings a 1-0 lead on a goal by Niklas Kronwall at 12:46 of the first period but Laine, who sniped after eluding the check of Dylan Larkin and curling to the net, and Ben Chiarot, with his first of the season, responded 26 seconds apart to give the hosts a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes. Laine’s first of the night was a good example of what Maurice was talking about. "That is exactly the idea," said Maurice. "He’s a big strong powerful man that has whole other pieces to his game. He can still develop and are going to make him even more dynamic." The Jets, who are second in the Central Division with a 38-17-9 record, hit the road for six-game trip beginning Sunday night in Carolina against the Hurricanes. In the middle frame, Dustin Byfuglien added his fifth of the season on a one-timer, finishing off a superb cross-ice feed from Josh Morrissey. The goal capped an 85-second, 27-pass flurry of zone time by the Jets, leaving the five Detroit players on the ice exhausted. "I think they were tired... We had a lot of O-zone time," said Morrissey, who finished the game with two assists and 24:21 of ice time. "They were gassed. You could see the puck would go to the corner and they were pretty straight-legged. That’s where you just want to keep buzzing. "The forwards did a great job getting some pucks back and playing with Buff, we’ve played together enough, especially last year in practice. There’s a little bit of chemistry there... When you’re playing with him, he can see those areas and go to those places and he found a great spot and I just put it on his tape." Detroit’s Anthony Mantha closed the gap to 3-2 before Laine went to work again, taking a clever feed from Nikolaj Ehlers at the Red Wings’ blue line and snapping a shot into the top corner over goaltender Jimmy Howard’s blocker. In the third period, defenceman Trevor Daley pulled the Wings to within 4-3, beating Connor Hellebuyck with a nice individual effort. The victory came three days after a late collapse resulted in a 6-5 home loss to the Nashville Predators. "I thought we did a lot of good things against Nashville, probably played a better game than we did tonight even though we got the win," said Morrissey. "I didn’t love our first period, I really liked our second and in the third we took our foot off the gass a little bit. You have to find a way to win and in the last six minutes, we did pretty good job and Helly made some big saves." Winnipeg Jets' Ben Chiarot celebrates his goal against the Detroit Red Wings with teammates Bryan Little and Joe Morrow during first period Friday. 1101731 Winnipeg Jets

Mason eyes return to Jets crease

Paul Friesen March 2, 2018 12:54 PM CST

Steve Mason is one or two AHL games away from rejoining the Winnipeg Jets as their backup goalie. Mason will start for the Manitoba Moose, Saturday, with the option to play again for the Moose, Sunday afternoon, after which he’ll join the Jets on their six-game road trip to the East. Mason spoke with reporters today for the first time since suffering his second concussion of the season, seven weeks ago. “It’s been just an overall long year,” Mason said. “Being out of the lineup so much, it’s not fun. But it’s the way the cards have fallen this year. You deal with that. I’m excited to finally be almost getting into game action.” Mason’s second head injury came when he took a puck off the chin of his mask in the morning skate of a game day in Chicago, Jan. 12. “Much like the first one, the symptoms came on as the day progressed,” Mason said. “They lingered quite a bit longer than the original one this year. With these things you never know how long it’s going to take. You have to try and stay patient and try and stay engaged. But it’s tough at times. “When you get two in one year it’s frustrating, and maybe a little bit worrying.” Saying he’s felt good for the last two and a half weeks, Mason has upgraded his mask to add some protection. Regaining his confidence wasn’t as simple. “Not flinching when the puck is coming — because when I first got back on the ice that’s what I felt myself doing, was kind of pulling away from the puck,” he said. “Obviously as a goaltender you can’t be doing that.” Signed to be the Jets starter this season, Mason has played in just 11 games, and only three since Nov. 25, the date of his first concussion. Luckily for the Jets, Connor Hellebuyck has grabbed the No. 1 position and run with it. He’ll be starting his 51st game tonight at home against Detroit. The Jets aren’t expected to make any lineup changes, despite a loss in their last game. That means Paul Maurice will once again send out newly-acquired centre Paul Stastny between top goal scorers Patrik Laine and Nik Ehlers on one of the NHL’s top “third lines.” The Jets head coach says he simply calls it “the Stastny line.” “We’ll invest some time in the line to give it an opportunity to get comfortable,” Maurice said. “I’m going to leave them, unless I want to just see something else, to see another combination. Maybe in four or five games you might see a little more movement.” Stastny played more than 14 minutes in his debut, Tuesday’s 6-5 loss to Nashville, scoring a goal at even strength and setting up Mark Scheifele for a power play marker. Ehlers and Laine each had two points, as well. Maurice says Stastny, acquired in a trade with St. Louis, Monday, will eventually get work on the penalty kill, too. The Jets trail first-place Nashville by six points in the Central Division, with Minnesota just four points back in third. Detroit is seven points off the playoff line in the East.

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 03.03.2018 1101732 Winnipeg Jets Stanley Cup playoffs which was kind of bizarre. And I was playing over 20 minutes a night and playing well.”

Morrow’s 22:12 per game ranked fourth among Bruins defensemen so, at What does Winnipeg really have in deadline acquisition Joe Morrow? least for the 2016-17 playoffs, his assertion of playing top four minutes is correct. He went on to talk about the mindset he took with him into those games, crediting his quiet self-confidence for his mental strength. By Murat Ates 19 hours ago 10 “Just keep that to yourself, don’t let anybody else tell you any differently, and that’s kind of how you’ve got to live your life – positivity first,” Morrow said. “And being thrown into a role like that, I knew it was a do or die At the Winnipeg Jets’ press conferences and media availabilities since situation and I was grateful for the opportunity… When the time came, I Monday's trade deadline, their message about Joe Morrow has been was there to play and I was there to play hard. That’s all I did. I feel like I remarkably consistent. was really successful and that’s what kind of sticks with other teams too, “Joe's a guy that can really skate,” GM Kevin Cheveldayoff said Monday. when they see that.” “The thing I think impressed us the most is he played five of six games One thing that stands out about Morrow’s usage in those playoff games last year for Boston in the playoffs and I believe he had over 20 minutes is his brutal 25.5 per cent offensive zone start. played in those games.” For context, I looked at the 761 seasons by NHL defencemen who have After Tuesday’s morning skate, Paul Maurice maintained the Morrow played at least 100 5-on-5 minutes between 2015-16 and now. Not a message. single defenceman had a more punishing zone start than what Morrow “He’s a depth defenceman that can skate,” Maurice said. “He's been able faced in those five games against Ottawa. to come in and out of lineups. (He) moved into the playoff lineup last year Match-up wise, Morrow was partnered with Kevan Miller and saw a little and he played close to 20 minutes a night, I believe. He’s got experience bit of every Senator when the Bruins had last change at home. In Ottawa, going from out (of the roster) to in and he skates… He can go back and however, he was on a steady diet of Derick Brassard, Mike Hoffman, and get the puck and that will fit the game we play.” Mark Stone. The repeated items – that Morrow is a good skater and that he played “It was definitely a match-up type of game that I got into,” Morrow said. close to 20 minutes per night in five playoff games for Boston – strike me “Just the style that I was playing – I was just playing really good as one of two things: defensively, winning all of the battles… That’s all you can really ask for in Talking points. Morrow’s NHL resume is short and he is not a high profile playoff hockey out of a defenceman. There was really no risk to my game acquisition. Even if he’s just a warm body – injury coverage on a team at that time. that sorely needs it – the Jets had to say something about him. There “I just knew I had a job to do – just get out on the ice and get the puck out aren’t that many bullet points to choose from in describing Morrow’s NHL of your zone. And be successful that way, grind the team down. That’s career so it’s not a shock that coach and GM chose two of the same kind of what I was put out to do when their top lines were out there – it ones. was, ‘Get out there and be better than them.’” Genuine reasoning behind Morrow’s acquisition. In those five games, Morrow played a total of 95 minutes at 5-on-5, If it’s the former (as I believe it is), there isn’t much to read into. Winnipeg earning 45.4 per cent of the on-ice shot attempts, 37 per cent of the high needed a defenceman. Morrow is a defenceman. The math works and, in danger scoring chances, and 46.3 per cent of the expected goals. context, the words work, too. Despite this decidedly unequal game flow, Boston and Ottawa each scored twice during Morrow’s 5-on-5 time. If it’s the latter, I’m a little more concerned. Five games is a tiny sample to use for player evaluation. Whether he lit up the Senators or got caved In many situations, a depth defenceman going +2, -2 against the likes of in by them, whether he scored in all five games or was outscored by a Brassard, Hoffman, and Stone would be considered a clear win. Of significant margin, there is plenty of room for chance to skew the results. course, we also know that a 93-77 disadvantage in shot attempts doesn’t typically bode well for term results. And, even if there were a reasonable way to evaluate those games – with an understanding of Morrow’s role in the context of his minutes – the Jets But we’ve already established that Morrow was on the ice for a aren’t sharing that information. They’re simply saying that he played and historically unfavourable 25.5 per cent offensive zone start. Any player that he played a lot. who is on the ice for 41 face-offs in his own zone and just 14 in his opponent’s is going to get beaten by shot metrics. So how good is Joe Morrow, really? From Cheveldayoff and Maurice, we know these five games are The purpose of this piece is to evaluate how well Morrow played in the supposed to be quite important. Neither of them gave us context, though, five games Cheveldayoff and Maurice told us about and to compare them so we are left to ask, “Given the brutal context of Morrow’s minutes, are to the other 104 games of Morrow’s NHL career. After all, Winnipeg did his bad possession metrics within an acceptable range?” need another defenceman – even before Toby Enstrom got banged up – so we might as well develop a sense of what Morrow might bring. Once upon a time, a smart human being named Matt Cane took perhaps the biggest dive into the value of zone starts that I have ever seen. Let’s get some basic facts out of the way. It’s lengthy, it’s math-y, and it gave us this terrific chart which Morrow is a 25 year old left-handed defenceman who has played 109 summarizes seven years’ worth of data: games in the NHL – 104 of them in the regular season for Boston, Montreal, and now Winnipeg – and five quite heavily referenced playoff As Matt points out in his piece, conventional zone start percentage games for the Bruins in 2017. compares the amount of shifts which a player starts in the offensive zone with those that he starts in the defensive zone. This leaves out shifts Morrow stepped out of the press box and into heavy usage in last which begin on neutral zone faceoffs and shifts which begin on the fly. season’s playoffs. After sitting out Game 1, Morrow played in games two through six of Boston’s first round loss to Ottawa, playing just over 22 It turns out that approximately 60 per cent of shifts start without a faceoff minutes per game. and, as a result, the impact of zone starts on a player’s shot attempt percentages is often overstated unless a player’s zone start percentage On Thursday, I asked Morrow what that experience was like. To my is extreme. surprise, he laughed. Morrow, as we know, was an extreme case in terms of conventional zone “I mean, it’s kind of just been my whole career,” he told me. “If I’m not start (just comparing offensive zone draws to defensive zone draws) for playing, I’m not playing and then as soon as I do play, (I’m) kind of the Bruins in last year’s playoffs. So let’s dig deeper. heavily utilized – I’m a one-two pairing kind of guy. Using Cane’s numbers, we can calculate an “expected CF% percentage” “It’s been extremely interesting but… honestly, I have no idea how long it for Morrow’s playoff performance of 47.0 per cent. Should we be worried was before I even played a game. I think it was maybe two months that Morrow’s was 45.3 per cent? That difference equates to roughly one without actually seeing a live game. And then I got thrown into the extra shot attempt per hour – no, the difference is not enough to be concerned about.

If you, like me, heard the Jets go on about Morrow’s playoff games and then took a quick look at his possession metrics, you may have been appalled at first. When accounting for where Morrow’s shifts took place, we’re given cause to relax a little.

What about the other 95 per cent of Morrow’s career?

This is Morrow’s with-or-without-you from his time in Montreal before Monday’s trade:

Most of Morrow’s teammates in Montreal generated fewer shots with him on the ice and gave up more shots against. If you look where Morrow’s blue boxes converge, they’re below 50 per cent in a region that suggests the Canadiens got more shots for and allowed more shots against whenever he was on the ice.

Is that awful for a 7-8 defenseman? No. But it’s worse than I would expect from both of Ben Chiarot and Tucker Poolman. And, for 10 games when Dustin Byfuglien and Toby Enstrom were both injured earlier this season, Chiarot and Poolman played very well as a sheltered third pairing.

So why would Winnipeg choose to play Morrow over Poolman?

If you recall Maurice’s words, the answer would appear to be experience.

I believe that consistency means a lot to the coach – especially at the fringe of his roster.

I believe that he expects Winnipeg to go into the playoffs with a healthy defence and that none of Chiarot, Morrow, and Poolman will dress for a long stretch of time.

Finally, I believe that Maurice is betting that – if someone gets hurt – the most experienced player, Morrow, is the one most likely to play well after missing a long stretch of games.

Morrow said he was dropped into last season’s playoffs after going “maybe two months without actually seeing a live game.” And, given his contextualized results in that tiny sample size, I’m impressed that he held his own. It couldn't have been easy.

Still, I don’t think there’s much evidence that says Morrow is clearly superior to Chiarot or Poolman.

In a best case scenario, Winnipeg begins the playoffs with its defence at full health and never looks back. Jacob Trouba and Josh Morrissey return to their role as the Jets de facto number one pair, Byfuglien and Enstrom continue their strong seasons, and Tyler Myers and Dmitry Kulikov return to the 5-6 slots where they’ve seen the most success.

In a more realistic world, at least one of Morrow, Chiarot, and Poolman will get in some games.

If you interpret Maurice’s words the same way that I do, Morrow is probably first on the list. I don't think this decision is a major concern for Winnipeg but, given that it seems to be mostly about intangibles, it's one to keep an eye on.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101733 Vancouver Canucks Trading Hutton is not going to move the ongoing rebuild forward. Now, trading Chris Tanev should. He’s a better than average top-four defenceman and could bring a return that includes a first-round draft pick. Jason Botchford: If Canucks hope to improve, defence needs an If the Canucks are looking to improve their blue-line, and by improving it overhaul we mean adding offence, they’re probably not going to be able to ice a top four with Tanev on one pair and Gudbranson on the other. Neither pairing is going to push the play. Jason Botchford And that brings us to the final twist, and one no one is currently March 2, 2018 4:24 PM PST expecting. What if the Canucks trade Gudbranson leading up to the draft? What if he’s the player they move, acquiring futures? It would free up money and The Vancouver Canucks never seem further away from relevancy than a roster spot to put together an offensively-minded second-pairing while, when the Nashville Predators visit. at the same time, give the Canucks a shot at some assets that might help their future. Part of it is obvious — Nashville is currently hockey royalty and, well, the Canucks are not. Sure, the Canucks just signed Gudbranson. But they’re also showcasing him in a prominent role in the final month of the season. He’s been more The Predators are one of the best managed organizations and they’ve physical than ever lately and that may make him more valuable on the produced one of the deepest NHL teams, among a handful of favourites trade market. capable of winning the Stanley Cup this season. If you’re going to be honest about Vancouver’s blue-line the question is: They’ve created this, in part, on the backs of a high-octane, skilled How will it be better next year? defence that’s the envy of most rivals, a collective who underscore the enormity of the job ahead for the Canucks’ front office. It’s difficult to beat this answer: Maybe by trading Gudbranson. Juxtapose Nashville’s defence to the Canucks. When Friday’s game started at Rogers Arena, P.K. Subban had more goals than the entire Canucks’ blue-line. Subban plays on the Preds’ second pairing. Now, Vancouver Province: LOADED: 03.03.2018 that is defensive depth. The lack of depth on defence is a major problem for Vancouver, and one that threatens to haunt the entire scope of the Vancouver rebuild. In fact, Vancouver defenders will need an impressive run of production in the season’s final month to match the 22 goals they scored last season. And we all thought that output was incredibly low. This isn’t necessarily a universal truth, but generally if you don’t have a quality NHL defence, you don’t have a rebuild. Not a successful one, anyway. As of now, it looks like the Canucks are poised to bring the band back together. This month they re-signed Erik Gudbranson for three years, taking a hard pass on a chance to trade him at the deadline for futures. They also re-signed Alex Biega for the next two seasons, seemingly locking in their seventh defenceman. It means all eight of their defenders are team controlled for the 2018-19 campaign. But the way it looks now is not going to be the way it looks in the fall, on opening night. It just can’t be. Quickly, let’s flashback to October. What if we told you rookie Brock Boeser would be on the verge of 30 goals; the Sedins would be having strong, 55-point pace seasons; Thomas Vanek would be a success; the Canucks’ power play would be among the best in the league; and Bo Horvat would have taken another big step in his development. Given this information, would you have expected Vancouver to be one of the worst, lowest-scoring teams in the league? We’re going to guess the answer is no. But in head coach Travis Green’s rookie season, he’s been let down by two massively important divisions of his team, his defence and goaltending. And, yes, the two are intertwined. How much of Jacob Markstrom’s struggles this year were because of the defence in front of him? The answer, essentially, is more than a little. The Canucks are now faced with a couple of choices. They can hope their younger blue-liners such as Ben Hutton, Troy Stecher and have fabulous summers and return opening night as vastly improved players. Or they can make changes. The betting line right now heavily favours the latter. It has been evident this season that something is going on with Hutton and the Canucks. He’s been a regular healthy scratch in the second half of the season, squeezed out of playing time by Michael Del Zotto, who, at this stage of his career, isn’t going to get any better. Many believe Hutton will be one of the defencemen traded leading up the draft and you can see why. On the left side of their defence, the Canucks have Del Zotto, Alex Edler, Pouliot and Hutton. Plus, they have left side D-man Olli Juolevi coming soon, and he’s their only top tier blue-line prospect. 1101734 Vancouver Canucks

Canucks Game Day: Predators pushing the pace in wild West

Jason Botchford March 2, 2018 2:05 PM PST

THE BIG MATCHUP Brock Boeser vs. Nashville D The Canucks had all the time and space they could have dreamed of Wednesday against a second-rate New York defence. They aren’t likely to feel as free against the Predators who may have the deepest, most skilled blue-line in the NHL. Boeser is healthier now than he’s been in a month, but to get that shot of his off he needs a little room. It will be difficult to come by if he’s matched a lot against Nashville’s best pairing of Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis. FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME 1. Loui Eriksson is out For the second consecutive season, the Canucks’ highest-paid winger has suffered a season-ending injury. This time it’s a broken rib. It’s bad news for Eriksson and his fans, but it can be viewed as a good opportunity, freeing up a spot for some of the younger Canucks. Eriksson was going to eat up a lineup spot and power-play minutes. Now, that can go to Nikolay Goldobin and the new guys acquired at the trade deadline. 2. P.K. Subban is here. P.K. Subban is here When he’s on, there are few players in the league who are more entertaining. His personality adds quite a bit to his team and the league. But his personality seems to be divisive in a league still monitored and influenced by old-school code. If you can believe it, some think he shows too much joy for the game. Imagine that? A hockey player with passion, humour and joy. Best not have too many players like that around. 3. The Bo Horvat development It kind of got buried in the 11 goals that were scored Wednesday and all the outside noise engulfing the Canucks, but Horvat had three points. One of them had to rank as one of his best assists of the season. If Horvat didn’t miss seven weeks of the season, he’d be on his way to 60 points and more. Some even think he could be a candidate for the 2022 Olympic team. 4. The Canucks’ defence This game will be one of the best examples of the haves and the have- nots in hockey. The Canucks have recently doubled down on their blue- line, re-signing Alex Biega and Erik Gudbranson. It means all eight of the Canucks’ defencemen are in team control for next season. There’s just one problem: This defence isn’t good. They aren’t fast. They don’t produce points and they aren’t overly physical. That’s a bad combo. 5. The goalie battle Jacob Markstrom was pulled Wednesday after allowing three quick goals. The first one, a wraparound attempt at the side of the net, probably looked the worst. It was another game where the Canucks gave up a quick goal against. Green approached Markstrom and told his No. 1 goalie he had suffered from a bit of hard luck. He will almost certainly go back to him for this game.

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101735 Vancouver Canucks It either spoke to the competitive nature the Canucks displayed Friday or spoke more to a frustrated Ryan Johansen’s reaction to a clean check by Erik Gudbranson. The aftermath — a blatant spear to the, let’s say lower Canucks Post Game: | The Province body — was met with Brandon Sutter and Edler going after the Predators centre, who received a five-minute major and game misconduct.

The trickle-down effect was Daniel Sedin scored on the ensuing power Ben Kuzma play to give the Canucks a 3-2 lead midway through the third period. It was his eighth goal in eight games, but a Ryan Ellis point shot that went off the skate of Ben Hutton with 1:15 remaining in regulation tied it, before Calle Jarnkrok won it 43 seconds into overtime. Points to ponder on a night when Alex Edler reached a franchise milestone, the injured Sven Baertschi reached another level of frustration But back to Gudbranson. and Ryan Johansen reached too far with a spear of Erik Gudbranson, as the Canucks started strong yet fell 4-3 to the Predators in overtime “You really don’t plan for that to happen,” he said of the spear. “You Friday: never expect it and it was an unfortunate play, and sucks that I was at the other end of it. It means a lot to me to see my D-partner (Edler) get Sven Baertschi suffered a fractured jaw on what looked like a harmless right in there quick, and that stuff goes a long way with me and the rest of clearing attempt by Mark Giordano on Dec. 9 in Calgary and missed 11 the group. games. The winger hadn’t scored in nine games and it was the last thing the restricted free agent needed in a contract season. “It (stick work) is part of the man and that’s their M.O. and not mine.” If that wasn’t bad enough, Baertschi was scratched Feb. 15 in San Jose Asked if he should experiment with Jake Virtanen on the left side — and then scored two nights later when the Canucks hammered the those bolts down the wing, power move to the net and backhand-to- Bruins. forehand forays are fast becoming his signature move — Green understood the query. But he’s trying to school the right winger on Then came Friday. becoming a complete player and with a sense of purpose doesn’t wane from shift to shift or game to game. Baertschi absorbed a heavy check from Alexei Emelin early in the second period and judging by the manner in which he was slumped over It’s working. and favouring this right shoulder, he may have suffered a separation. He was spotted post-game with his right shoulder in a sling and is expected Virtanen has earned more ice time when warranted, playing 17 minutes to be out several weeks. in a shutdown role in Denver on Monday, and it stands to reason that as a right shot, he’s going to get better looks coming down the wing or off With 14 goals in 53 games, Baertschi has dazzled and disappointed the wall. Then came Friday, another one of those strong moves down the Travis Green. The coach didn’t like his perimeter game and lauded the left side and to the net. He forced Ryan Hartman to take a holding minor. winger when he got more involved down low. As much as Baertschi needed these last 17 games to convince management he’s a no-brainer Virtanen also stapled Mattias Ekholm to the sideboards on the backhand, for an extension, he’s now out of sight. again on the left side. And if the Canucks are thinking of moving him for a player or a pick, Nikolay Goldobin once again showed why there’s an ongoing level of there’s nothing to showcase the rest of the season. curiosity about whether the Russian winger can grasp a total team game. The Canucks must see something because Green went out of his way If it was earlier in the season, the bottom line for Alex Edler wouldn’t have Friday to make his point. been a big deal. “I met with Goldy today for 15 to 20 minutes,” Green said after the The long-serving defenceman logged 25:28 Friday, had two assists, two morning skate. “He’s good with the puck when he has it and has to find shots and five attempts, threw three hits and blocked four shots. A good ways to be good away from it, even on the forecheck. night on any night, but this was quite the night for the Swede. “It’s funny when you talk to young players. I don’t want to say they’re His teammates know Alex Edler doesn’t get enough credit for everything naive, but I asked how long did you have the puck last game and he said he brings to competitive table. two minutes. I called our analytical guys and they said he had it for 29 seconds. So what do you do the other 10 minutes? You’ve go to play Edler’s two helpers gave him 326 career points and the franchise lead for good in other areas.” most points by a blueliner, two more than his mentor and countryman. And in a productive stretch where Edler has eight assists in his last That’s the thing with Goldobin. He does things you can’t teach, but can dozen games, the milestone would have meant more with a win. he grasp the other stuff? In the second period, he neatly redirected a shot in the slot and had three pokes at the loose puck. He was also the However, if you really think about Edler’s journey to the NHL, it shouldn’t last guy with a chance to clear the puck before Mike Fisher scored later be overshadowed by an overtime loss to the Western Conference in the same frame to make it 2-1. leaders. The amiable and accountable David Poile is being rightfully lauded for Edler was a babe in the woods when recalled from the Manitoba Moose becoming the winningest general manager in league history. in the 2006-07 season. And with 741 career games on his Canucks résumé, the 31-year-old is finally getting his due. He hit the mark of 1,320 triumphs Thursday in Edmonton where the Predators extended their win streak to six games with a 4-2 victory over “It means a lot to be up there with him (Ohlund),” said Edler. “He was a the Oilers to remain atop the Central Division and Western Conference. mentor for me and it was important to have him here my first few years. It The significance of it all isn’t lost on anybody who has seen how Poile wasn’t just how he played on the ice, it was how he acted off it, and I’m turned the Predators from competitive to Stanley Cup contender. very grateful for that. And it all dates back to that 2011 second-round playoff series with the “My game has been going kind of like the team. We had a few years Canucks. where we weren’t that good and my game kind of flattened out a bit. I’ve been feeling pretty good and with our system, you’re held accountable.” David Legwand was the club’s top centre. He was hard-pressed to nullify Ryan Kesler, who factored in 11 of the 14 goals the Canucks scored — Henrik Sedin said Edler doesn’t get enough credit for what he brings to with five goals and six assists — in the six-game series win. The Preds the club. had no answer for Kesler. Legwand would be traded three years later, “He does a lot of things that people don’t realize,” said the captain. but it’s the moves Poile made — and what he learned last season — that “People want him to be a true superstar and he’s a guy who does have the Preds primed for another Stanley Cup final push. everything.” Without a one-two punch down the middle, Poile knew the Predators Said Brandon Sutter: “It’s pretty amazing. For a guy who blocks shots were going to be in trouble last spring. They had to claw past centres and kill penalties, I had to think twice about that (points). He’s battling Ryan Getzlaf and Kesler in the conference final before falling to middle through some sore spots and does it all.” men Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in the Cup finale. Added Erik Gudbranson: “I really hope it’s the story of the day tomorrow Poile landed his No. 1 centre Ryan Johansen from Columbus in January (Saturday). He’s an incredible human being and done a lot of good things 2016 and then added Kyle Turris in November. Now he has a pair who and a very few get to reach that plateau. He does it all with the respect can go toe-to-toe with the best of them. for the logo and the city. And he’s playing with confidence.” That wasn’t Poile’s only vision. Swapping Shea Weber for P.K. Subban brought scoring style and sizzle to Music City. Over the years, he also traded for Filip Forsberg, Mike Fisher, Steve Sulivan, James Neal, Kimmo Timonen and Peter Forsberg. Poile also has cap-friendly contracts up front. Viktor Arvidsson at $4.25M for six more years and Craig Smith for the same amount for two more years, and Calle Jarnkrok for just $2M for four more seasons. On the back end, Roman Josi has two more years at $4M annually and Mattias Ekholm four more at $3.75M. It takes something as startling as the Preds’ production from the back end to wonder when a Canucks defenceman will score again. The last time was Feb. 9 at Carolina. With 45 goals from their blueliners — including P.K, Subban’s league- leading 15 — the Preds have an element that few possess. Only three forwards have hit the 20-goal mark — Arvidsson (24), Smith (20) and Kevin Fiala (21) — yet they’re fourth on the power play because defencemen have scored 17 man-advantage goals. The Canucks have but one from Derrick Pouliot. Philip Holm had seven power-play goals for the this season. He was traded Monday for Brendan Leipsic. Jordan Subban had 10 power-play goals for the Comets last season. He was dealt to Los Angeles in December for Nic Dowd. There’s no triggerman on the horizon — maybe Olli Juolevi someday — and that’s as concerning as the spotty defensive coverage. And then there’s the prospect of what remains on the back end all returning next fall if Chris Tanev isn’t dealt for something tangible. Players talk about how shots are taken away, how they have to change angles to avoid shots being blocked and be ready to retreat if that occurs. “Scoring from the point takes elite defencemen,” said Green. “They get their shots through and the forwards have to have a take in that with a net presence. It’s zone time and getting good passes and the skill level of your forwards helps. It’s even D-to-D passes that are flat. It all adds up to scoring chances.”

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101736 Vancouver Canucks last guy with a chance to clear the puck before Mike Fisher scored later in the same frame to make it 2-1.

OVERTIME — Alex Edler drew a power-play assist on Bo Horvat’s 18th Predators 4, Canucks 3 (OT): Daniel delivery not enough, Baertschi hurt goal of the season — the centre has nine points (5-4) in his last 10 again games — to tie Mattias Ohlund for the most franchise points by a defenceman with 325, and then added another assist for his 326th point. Ben Kuzma Vancouver Province: LOADED: 03.03.2018 Even on back-to-back nights with their legs still at the hotel, the Nashville Predators were expected to eventually hit stride Friday. Too good. Too fast. Too opportunistic. With an embarrassment of riches, the well-balanced Central Division and Western Conference leaders can beat you up on the scoreboard. They have a lethal power play. They have defencemen who score and they laid a 7-1 licking on the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on Dec. 13. However, whether there’s something to be said for audition season for the Vancouver newcomers — or that the Predators were too often pressing for the perfect passing play — something else was at play. The Canucks came to play. First Bo Horvat and Brandon Sutter scored and then a power-play effort by Daniel Sedin — his eighth goal in the last eight games — looked like the winner, but the Predators wouldn’t go away. Here’s what we learned as Jacob Markstrom made 39 saves, but Calle Jarnkrok scored 43 seconds into overtime in a 4-3 NHL win on a night the Canucks lost Sven Baertschi to a second-period shoulder injury: Baertschi suffered a fractured jaw on what looked like a harmless clearing attempt by Mark Giordano on Dec. 9 in Calgary and missed 11 games. The winger hadn’t scored in nine games and it was the last thing the restricted free agent needed in a contract season. If that wasn’t bad enough, Baertschi was scratched Feb. 15 in San Jose and then scored two nights later when the Canucks hammered the Bruins. Then came Friday. Baertschi absorbed a heavy check from Alexei Emelin early in the second period and, judging by the manner in which he was slumped over and favouring his right shoulder, he may have suffered a separation. With 14 goals in 53 games, Baertschi has dazzled and disappointed Travis Green. The coach didn’t like his perimeter game and lauded the winger when he got more involved down low. As much as Baertschi needed these last 17 games to convince management he’s a no-brainer for an extension, he’s now out of sight. And if the Canucks are thinking of moving him, there’s nothing to showcase the rest of the season. Can Virtanen wing it on both sides? Asked if he should experiment with Jake Virtanen on the left side — those bolts down the wing, power move to the net and backhand-to- forehand forays are fast becoming his signature move — Green understood the query. But he’s trying to school the right-winger on becoming a competent right-winger whose sense of purpose doesn’t wane from shift to shift, or game to game. It’s working. Virtanen has earned more ice time when warranted, played 17 minutes in a shutdown role in Denver on Monday, and it stands to reason that as a right shot, he’s going to get better looks coming down the wing or off the wall. Then came another one of those strong moves down the left side and to the net Friday. He forced Ryan Hartman to take a holding minor. Virtanen also stapled Mattias Ekholm to the sideboards on the backhand, again on the left side. Nikolay Goldobin once again showed why there’s an ongoing level of curiosity about whether the Russian winger can grasp a total team game. The Canucks must see something because Green went out of his way Friday to make his point. “I met with Goldy today for 15 to 20 minutes,” Green said after the morning skate. “He’s good with the puck when he has it and has to find ways to be good away from it, even on the forecheck.” That’s the thing with Goldobin. He does things you can’t teach, but can he grasp the other stuff? In the second period, he neatly redirected a shot in the slot and had three pokes at the loose puck. He was also the 1101737 Vancouver Canucks Again, the moves have to be looked at in their totality. Felipe and Mutch join a midfield rotation that includes another newcomer in Mexican veteran Efrain Juarez, Yordy Reyna, Nicolas Mezquida and Aly Ghazal. Ed Willes: Caps send popular Parker packing believing team is upgraded The larger development is up top where Kei Kamara, a proven MLS goal scorer acquired this off-season, and Anthony Blondell, a 23-year-old signing from Venezuela, represent an upgrade over Fredy Montero. Ed Willes As for the defence, Waston is the man on the backline and figures to make anyone who plays with him — Aja, Aaron Maund, Doneil Henry — better. On the surface, the decision to trade Tim Parker seemed relatively That, at least, is the theory, and all theories look like winners before the straightforward for the Vancouver Whitecaps. season starts. • The ‘Caps made their 25-year-old central defender a handsome offer, “We’ve got two centre forwards to replace Fredy,” said Robinson. “I feel $1.4 million over three years. we’ve upgraded our midfield substantially. We’re two deep at every position. From top to bottom, we’re stronger.” • Parker rejected that offer, partly because he thought he was worth more, partly because he wanted to play closer to his home on the Good, so if the Whitecaps don’t win we’ll know who to blame. Eastern Seaboard. “Robbo is going to have difficult decisions to make,” said Waston. “That • Given the Whitecaps’ best player, Kendall Waston, had just signed a is good. The bad thing is when you don’t have any choices. Now, two-year extension at roughly $550,000 per, the team couldn’t pay everything is more interesting.” Parker more than Waston. Ergo, they opted to move the young American. More interesting, yes. It would also help if it’s better. Simple, n’est-ce pas? Then why are there so many layers to this one? Vancouver Province: LOADED: 03.03.2018 “This wasn’t about one move,” Whitecaps manager Carl Robinson said Friday. “It was about four moves we made that are all connected. “For us, it’s not about players one through 11. It’s about one through 22. After these moves, we feel we’re a better team.” And in this, as with all things, we shall see. In a deal that had been in the making most of the off-season, the ‘Caps flipped Parker to the New York Red Bulls on Friday for midfielder Felipe, $500,000 in allocation money and an international roster spot in 2018. We will get to the deeper meaning of the return shortly but, in the here and now, the decision to move Parker isn’t exactly a public relations coup for the Whitecaps, especially when it was announced two days before their Major League Soccer season opener. In addition to being one of the team’s most popular players, the St. John’s grad represented one of the Whitecaps’ biggest wins in player development. A first-round pick in 2015 (13th overall), Parker graduated from Whitecaps 2 to the parent club in his rookie year, fought his way onto the roster and, by his second year, became a fixture as Waston’s partner in the middle of the backline. The Waston-Parker tandem, in fact, was the strength of the team last year, the one element that Robinson could count on to deliver on a game-in, game-out basis. They were consistent. They were durable. They held up under pressure and were instrumental in delivering the Whitecaps to a playoff berth and the Western Conference semifinals. So how does trading Parker make the Whitecaps a better team in 2018? Well, according to Robinson, that move was the final piece in a miniseries that began a week ago when Vancouver acquired central defender Jose Aja from Orlando City as Parker’s replacement for $125,000 in allocation money. Remember that. It will become important — I think. Midfielder Tony Tchani was then moved to Chicago for $150,000 in allocation money (idle question: Is that the MLS equivalent of a second- rounder?) as part of a larger effort to strengthen the midfield. Two days ago, the ‘Caps announced they had landed midfielder Jordon Mutch on loan from Crystal Palace. And Friday they dropped the hammer with Parker. “Everyone knows I love Timmy,” Waston said of his former teammate. “We had a great chemistry but we know this is a business.” “We didn’t want to lose (Parker) but what we got in return makes up for it,” said team president Bob Lenarduzzi, who was asked if paying Parker any more than he’d been offered would upset the Whitecaps’ internal salary cap. “Yes,” he said, without elaborating. Then again, he didn’t have to. Robinson, who played a lead role in the defender’s development, had a heart-to-heart with the young player at training camp and quickly realized Parker had made up his mind. Robinson also realized he had a marketable asset and, with a couple of teams vying for Parker, he believes the ‘Caps made out just fine. 1101738 Vancouver Canucks Positive Takeaway: Nashville is good, but Vancouver tried their best, and doggone it, people like them.

BEST MILESTONE The Provies: The Power of Positivity, Edler breaks a record, and Melnyk Mania breaks out at Rogers Arena Yes, aside from Daniel Sedin continuing to showcase why the idea of the Sedins signing for “a couple of million” to stick around for another year or two might be ludicrously downplaying the kind of contract they could Wyatt Arndt demand, Alex Edler picked up his second point of the night to become the all-time leading scorer for Canucks defencemen, with 326 points. 30-37 minutes It was what Farhan Lalji would probably say was the best night of his life.

Positive Takeaway: Daniel Sedin showed why age doesn’t matter and With the city still on fire after Elliotte Friedman’s Luftwaffe attack on the even if you’re in a beer league, never give up that NHL dream. negative Vancouver market, there was a strong outpouring of people attempting to embrace a new positive world. BEST FOLLOW-UP Accused of possibly hampering the Canucks’ attempt to win the Stanley Edler, of course, remains in a weird spot in Vancouver Canucks history. Cup, people began banding together to offer up a kinder, gentler hockey His career started off so well in Vancouver that it almost felt like it set the market. bar too high for him. A market that would allow you to score at will into your own net and be Surely a kid who can walk onto the team and play that well is a bonafide met with only cheers and applause. No. 1, top d-man, people mused. “At least he found the net!” we’d cry, despite the own goal. But Edler never materialized into that top guy that would be the envy of A market where management could make a poor trade or a bad signing, every other team in the league. and we’d write articles positively glowing with optimism. He was still a damn fine defenceman, but he just wasn’t able to become “Sure, he struck out on this deal, but the fact he’s trying shows how much “the guy” many people wanted him to be. he wants to win, and what more can you ask for?” we’d write. Part of it could be due to the fact he’s very quiet and doesn’t talk to the A market where any time a free agent pondered coming here, he media much. wouldn’t have to worry, “What if the people get mad at me?” but instead You can laugh that off, but guys who are affable and can make friends have to worry, “How will I deal with this much love in my life?” with the media, they sometimes get handled with a nicer touch. Yes, the Positive Provies are here tonight, so sit back, have a nice glass Part of it is Edler is the No. 1 d-man on a team that hasn’t been very of warm milk, and get ready for some good times! good the last several years. BEST PROTOCOL Life was easier for Edler when he was surrounded by the 2011 core and Remember, staying positive is key here. the jokes were simple “broken sticks and shin pads,” not so much “ask this guy to waive his NTC!!” So while we might broach subjects that may appear to be negative at first glance, I will make sure to insert a positive takeaway for any situation, no Part of it could simply be his back issues changed his game up a bit. matter how bad it looks. It felt like every playoff run Edler would throw a huge hit and then his Positive Takeaway: Even though the Predators came back to beat the physical game would have to be scaled back after he hurt himself. Canucks 4-3 even after sticking Guddy in the junk, there are many silver Ohlund landing thundering hits constantly was certainly one reason linings to read about. people look back upon him fondly. BEST THEORY Regardless, Alex Edler has had an amazing career for the Canucks, and Under the new positive regime, negative people have been barred from despite your view on him, should be applauded for what he has done the arena. here. Negs may gather outside at Costco and eat well-priced hot dogs and As much as we joke about negativity and positivity, it can’t be easy at fries of dubious quality while listening to the sounds of positivity ringing times to be in the crosshairs of a rabid hockey market. out from Rogers Arena. That being said, I hope we always joke about his stick-breaking. BEST SIGN THE OTHER TEAM ISN’T SCARED OF YOU Let us at least have that under the new positive regime. Good teams rest players at times against bad teams, because hey, why Positive Takeaway: Alex Edler’s stick breaks a lot and it’s funny. not roll the dice and see if you can get away with it? BEST SUMMARY Nashville took it a bit to the extreme tonight by resting four players, and putting Mike Fisher into the lineup in his first NHL game since last Positive Takeaway: Some people appreciate Edler for what he is. season. BEST BRANDING It was about as big a slap in the face you can give someone with a roster sheet. Yes, the new Canucks’ positive power play was in full force on the night, going 2-for-5 on the night. Now, Nashville can still ice an amazing team because they have so much depth and because every defenceman on the team can apparently score The puck movement was quick and fast at times, leaving one reddit simply by smashing the controller repeatedly. poster musing “had more cross ice passes on one power play than Coach Willie had in his entire tenure here.” But even then, that is still some glorious bulletin-board material that should get the Canucks to play a bit harder. The best part of the power play was the reaction shot from the penalty box, though. Let Nashville know that hey, they aren’t angry (anger is negative) but they are thrilled to prove them wrong (positive). Nothing makes me laugh more than the guy who is feeling shame in the shame box openly expressing his shame through swear words. And to their credit, they did. Sure, they lost the game, but it was a physical game at times, and the Canucks didn’t back down once. Positive Takeaway: The Canucks made a grown man curse on live TV while on the job. And despite Nashville being a superior team, you can’t blame a poor work ethic for the Canucks’ loss, they simply got out-skilled at the end. BEST BACKGROUND CHECK So yes, while the moral victory of beating a team that doesn’t take you Obviously he is reading the new positive rules for Rogers Arena. seriously was just within the Canucks’ grasp, it was as good an effort as It’s like 18 pages long. you can expect from the team at this point. Front to back. Positive Takeaway: People can enjoy the game any way they want, who Maybe a guy hits a guy with an elbow, but he claims he was stumbling are we to judge? Just as long as they’re having fun! forward and didn’t see the other guy. BEST FAREWELL TO 10 MINUTE JAKE Other times, it’s as clear as day what happens. It’s been so long since Jake had a sub 10 minute game that you almost Here Ryan Johansen feels a cross-check. want to believe it might never come back consistently. He looks back, sees Gudbranson, and decides, “Well I’m going to stick Virtanen had himself another one of those noticeable games where he him right in the balls.” did all the right things but just couldn’t get a goal. He then proceeds to stick Gudbranson right in the balls. Cam Tucker noticed it, and offered up the coldest of takes: What made this entire situation amusing (not for Guddy’s balls, full To be fair to Cam, ever since he was exposed for mixing dinner and respect to them and the pain they went through tonight), is that Ryan dessert on the same plate, he’s backed off making hot takes. Johansen is the one who did this. But yes, Jake driving hard to the net instead of around the perimeter is Johansen, if you’ll remember, had an infamous playoff feud with one Mr. something the government might have to legalize soon because Canucks Ryan Kesler. fans get so high off of it. Kesler was all up in Johansen’s grill the entire series, making his life a There’s Jake from Abbotsford driving to the net like he’s trying to make living hell, where eventually he just went off on Kesler to the media: his tee time at Ledgeview. “He just blows my mind,” Johansen said, according to ESPN’s 102.5 Jake once again showed later how when he gets his north/south speed The Game. “I don’t know what’s going through his head out there. His going, he can generate zone entries like nobody’s business: family and friends watching him play, I don’t know how you cheer for a guy like that. It just doesn’t make sense how he plays the game. I’m just Obviously the dream of Jake doing these things and sniping goals will trying to go out there and play hockey and it sucks when you’ve got to always be the holy grail for Canucks fans. pull a stick out of your groin every shift.” But the fact we’re posting gifs of Jake managing to get to the net, Yes, it must suck to have to pull a stick out of your groin, Ryan. drawing penalties, and gaining the zone is a far cry from questioning if he needs some more time in the AHL. Somewhere Ryan Kesler is cackling, telling Johansen to yes, yes, embrace the hate. Positive Takeaway: Jake is from Abbotsford so he feels relatable. Positive Takeaway: The Canucks have Sami Salo to teach Gudbranson BEST OF THE KEEP MASTER how to play with broken balls, and Brandon Sutter seems to be an expert When Darryl doesn’t post his stats I get real sad, but he’s a good on balls as well. He’s in good hands. Canadian kid (I actually have no idea) and was here tonight, giving us the BEST RESPONSE goods on zone entries. It was a weirdly physical game (maybe some leftover anger from the last And yes, your eyes didn’t deceive you, Leipsic had himself another solid beatdown Nashville laid on Vancouver and Virtanen’s big hit late in that game. game), and it showed itself in many battles throughout. Sure, not as flashy as the game against the Rangers, but this was The best response, though? against a much better team, so it was still impressive. Horvat getting an elbow and deciding to hand out his own receipt instead I won’t destroy your data plan with too many gifs of the small things of letting someone else hand it out for him. Leipsic did, but this was just an example of his ability to maintain the puck, even after getting checked, and using his hockey sense to make a You mess with the Bo, you get the horns. great pass. Positive Takeaway: Bull and Bo sound similar so I could make a pun Vancouver has seen its fair share of hard workers who maybe didn’t using Bo instead of Bull. Also he hit someone really hard, so that’s pretty have the greatest hockey IQ (not negative!), but when you have a guy cool. that can do both, that’s when you end up with the Alex Burrows-type players that the fans just eat up. WORST GIF Want some more Keeping stats? Let’s do this: I’ve had my shoulder badly separated (and to this day I have a huge bump from it) so anytime I see a hit like this, I assume separated Virtanen’s biggest knock was his mental game, and how his passing shoulder. wasn’t an asset. Baertschi did not return to the game and the only update was that he And to be fair, when you score 45 goals and only get 26 assists in a would be out a while. season in the WHL, people might wonder if you don’t exactly lean into your passing game much. That to me sounds like the ol’ shoulder separation, but I’m no doctor, I just play one on Twitter. That being said, while Jake’s passing might never be a strength, if he can utilize his skill set to allow him to set up other people (by creating space Positive Takeaway: Sven bounced back from the jaw injury, so he will with his drives to the net), then that is something that will go a long way bounce back from this as well! to making him have a more complete game. BEST BITE Also notice that Leipsic was also the other best forward at creating shots I though Markstrom had himself a really good game. and shot attempts for the team. He battled against a top team that pounded 43 shots on him, and he did And it wasn’t just shots, either. The dynamic duo of Virtanen and Leipsic everything in his power to keep his team in it. led the team in carrying the puck into the zone with control. He battled through Hutton screens, mobile Nashville d-men, and even All in all, it was a very good night for Virtanen and Leipsic, despite the himself after he poked the puck right into the slot. fact they didn’t score, although Brendan did come close. The good news for Markstrom? No soft goals on the night. Luckily Vancouver is under a new positive regime, so we were able to figure out why this wasn’t a bad thing: The bad news for Markstrom? None, because this is a positive night. Positive Takeaway: Leipsic and Virtanen didn’t score but they did a lot of Positive Takeaway: Markstrom provided extra entertainment by other good things and hey, maybe one day they will become best friends. swimming out of his crease. BEST IRONY BEST SWAG Sometimes plays happen in hockey where you don’t quite know the Sometimes Derek Pouliot does some of the low-key swaggiest things on intent. the ice. Maybe a guy leaves his feet, but he argues his momentum carried him Like here. upwards. Here he has the puck going towards his goalie and he just sort of drags Positive Takeaway: If Hutton can be both physical and a good puck the puck through the crease despite a Nashville forechecker being right mover, both sides of the Hutton debate will have no choice but to meet in on top of him. the middle and hug it out. And to his credit he makes the clearing attempt. BEST IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW Love it when he pulls it off. This is true, for all we know Green was just mad Hutton wasn’t being a backup backup goaltender, a proud tradition in the Vancouver market. But get ready to cringe if it fails. Positive Takeaway: If Tanev ever gets traded, it’s good to know Hutton Positive Takeaway: Derek Pouliot does dangerous plays and pulls them might be able to step up to challenge Edler for that backup backup role. off at times, making one feel better about the awful things they try in beer-league hockey. BEST GOAL BEST SAMWISE GAGNER Brandon Sutter, he of the worst goal song of all time back when the Canucks had individual goal songs, had himself one hell of a goal OK, I know that seems negative, but it’s a Princess Bride reference, and tonight. the Provies rule is those always make it in. Sutter, who has always felt slightly miscast as a defensive guru, really is Now, I don’t want to be seen as negative here, but Gagner did not have a quite decent at creating offence. strong game. Show me a one-on-two situation and I’ll show you Sutter coming into the We know his bread and butter is the offensive game, and lately, I’ve zone and still cutting through the middle to get a shot off. actually really enjoyed the Baertschi-Gagner-Virtanen line. Add in a great wrist shot, and dangles like this, and Sutter is pretty fun to But tonight felt like Gagner was forcing too many things in the offensive watch at times. zone, and he never really found his rhythm. Positive Takeaway: Despite being paid a lot and maybe being relied And when Gagner isn’t playing well in the offensive zone, all that leaves upon too much for defence, Sutter has some dingles in his dangles. is his defensive-zone work, which has never been great. BEST UH OH, HERE THEY COME Such as in overtime. Despite it being positive night, we do have to discuss how Nashville To Gagner’s credit, he did try and poke check, he just wasn’t moving at basically drove through the entire team, which led to Mike Fisher getting all and provided a very stationary Dana Murzyn-esque object for Jarnkrok his first goal since retirement. to skate around. Positive Takeaway: We got to make Mr. Carrie Underwood jokes after It wouldn’t have been my first choice to have Gagner out in overtime (at the goal? this point in the season just give in and embrace a Virtanen in OT world), but, in a positive world like this, it is what it is. BEST THEY NEVER STOPPED COMING Positive Takeaway: Bo Horvat didn’t lose his check once on that play, The theme for the night was Nashville’s speed and skill hemming the even when Nashville crossed over to try and confuse him! Canucks in their own zone for large chunks of time. BEST MEETING TIME It was delightful to watch the skilled hockey on display, give me that over a 1-0 game any day of the week, but it sure felt like the loss was Usually when Green has a meeting with a player it has the same effect inevitable after 10 minutes into the first period. as Bugs Bunny handing out special water to players. Positive Takeaway: Brock Boeser got a point earlier? And while Goldobin didn’t get a goal tonight, you can’t deny that he had some jam to his game: BEST SIGN WARS Some people questioned why Green would openly roast his player like Not since the days of WCW vs. WWE in their Monday Night Wars prime this, but I viewed it as Green being very direct about what he wants from have we seen sign wars take centre stage. his players, and not a roast at all. It started off simply enough. With Hutton, all he offered up was, “He knows what I want,” which is super vague and makes you think Green was just mad at him because A “Melnyk Out” sign was thrown out into the Twitterverse, as it was he didn’t help him move or something. revealed the plan was to put it by the penalty box. Here, he has laid out clearly what he wants from Goldobin, so nobody Little did we know that not one sign was there, but two. has to wonder what he needs to do to stay in the lineup. We saw the other sign make a cameo during a Del Zotto penalty: And it’s a very valid critique too, one that just lets Goldy know he wants While Friedman is the ultimate judge in what negativity is allowed or not, him more accountable when he doesn’t have the puck. he was not available. So a judgment call was made, and we, the people, Positive Takeaway: Coach Green used direct communication to kick decided to sit back and enjoy it. down vague barriers and let people know what he expects from More jokes were made, but this one felt like it hit close to home when we Goldobin. heard reports of the sign carrier having his sign taken away: BEST OF BIG BEN OK, so that was one sign down, but in a moment that truly shows what Speaking of Ben Hutton, he continued to have another visible game for positive teamwork can do, Lorenzo was given another “Melnyk Out” sign the Canucks. and resumed his post. This was a play where his line was tired and hemmed in their own zone Until we learned he had been kicked out of the arena for the second for a long time, and he manages to make a nice move to get the puck infraction. out. Lorenzo’s warning appeared to be spot on, as Ryan, sign guy No. 2, That being said, the underlying stats of Hutton’s game (zone exits) have would only moments later have his sign confiscated as well. always been strong. Lorenzo said he was told “the NHL doesn’t want that opinion voiced One of the big arguments from pro Hutton-ites was that yes, he could here.” make visible mistakes, but on the whole, he was actually very good at From Lorenzo himself: puck movement. “Not being disorderly or drunk or anything, just had a sign, they took it But Travis Green expects something else from Hutton, and since we away, buddy across the way saw and gave us another one. Put it up after don’t know what that is, I just assume physicality and noticeable effort is that scuffle and they kicked us out. one of those things, because he has been playing much more physical the last few games and hasn’t been scratched yet. I should also mention we looked up the sign policy and showed security on the way in, got the OK and everything. We think it was only a problem cause we had the TV coverage.” If you ignore security’s request a second time, you’re obviously playing Positive Takeaway: It’s great how we’re able to discuss competing with fire. ideologies in a public forum, one that even lets us use emojis to make counter points. The Canucks themselves stated they asked politely several times for Lorenzo to stop, and it was indeed only when the second sign was BEST ENDORSEMENT brought out that he was asked to leave. Positive Takeaway: Even team mascots appreciate the hard work our It looks like Ottawa might need to enrol in Vancouver’s course of city’s writers do! positivity, is what I take away from this. BEST WARNING Positive Takeaway: Nobody has raised over $10,000 for billboards to fire the owners in Vancouver like they have in Ottawa. Rumors are the Grizzlies actually folded because Grizz threw all his support behind the fast ferries. Positive Takeaway: You might be entitled to some money if you were hurt by a rogue pen tonight. Grizz knows of what he speaks. BEST FASHION WARS Positive Takeaway: The Vancouver Grizzlies got mentioned in The Provies and it wasn’t a Big Country joke. I challenged Biech to be as fashionable as Dimitri Filipovic was when he blew the world away with his turtleneck-based fashion. BEST SIGN IT’S WORKING Ryan was up to the task. Positive Takeaway: See? We’re not that bad. I commend him for not trying to match Dim in the shock-and-awe BEST WAIT, WHAT? department of fashion, but instead going with a subtle floral undertone. The same people upset for trading away McCann and his 8 goals in Positive Takeaway: I didn’t mention Dan Murphy’s bizarre pocket square 77 games as a Panther. and tie colour combo because it’s positive night. “Everyone” wasn’t mad about Subban being traded; the biggest noise BEST POSITIVE DUO around him was, “Why don’t they let Subban play a game?” With the world in trouble from negativity, the Justice League of Positive And not even an NHL game, this was, “Hey why not give him a pre- Hockey was formed when Vancouver needed it most. season game” or “OK, that’s the 173rd injury to a Canucks d-man, maybe call up Subban while the team dies a slow death in the standings to end Enter Jason “Positford” Botchford and Jeff “Pen Tosser” Paterson, two the year?” men who have been on a positive mission of late, trying to be leaders in helping Vancouver become a more positive place. I don’t doubt some people might have been miffed that Subban was traded without seemingly being given much of a shot, but for this market, Now that is the positive spin I like to see! it was pretty tame. Due to this positive approach, we had more people jump in to help raise As for McCann, I don’t think that’s a war that you can win quite yet, the value of other players and increase the Canucks’ odds of winning the especially when you ignore the fact it wasn’t just McCann being traded Stanley Cup: away for Gudbranson, it was also a second- and fourth rounder (though they got a fifth-rounder back). Positive Takeaway: People working together to complete a common goal is very rewarding. That trade is essentially knee deep in the optics that values certain types of d-men and doesn’t place as much value on draft picks as BEST THE DRAFT PICK WAR CONTINUES one would think he might. As the Draft Pick War appeared to be in a lull after a week of intense That’s why it gets so much attention to this day. fighting, General iMac took that moment to lead a surprise attack. Hell, Sam Gagner has 23 points (7 goals, 16 assists) in 56 games, and Surely Team Draft Pick would be caught unawares by a charge straight McCann has 18 points (7 goals and 11 assists) in 48 games this year. down the middle on what looked to be a day of rest for all involved. Positive Takeaway: Both Sam Gagner and Jared McCann have scored Digging back through deadline-week trades: 19 of 217 2018 draft seven goals and share a similar zest for life. picks were moved, 9 teams had a net gain of total picks, 6 teams had a net-gain for 2018 draft. Sometimes you have a 7/2 in your hand and you see Ace, King, Queen on the flop and you just say to yourself “Eff it, let’s do this” and you shove It was a bold strategy to attack down the middle like that. all your chips into the middle of the table. The city was still in shock over the newest “Negative vs. Positive” war; Positive Takeaway: James really believes in himself and won’t back surely nobody would have the strength to rally against this claim that down from a fight. implies the Canucks weren’t crazy for not targeting draft picks. That is tough. However, one plucky lieutenant colonel from Team Draft Pick, he saw this attack coming. The bad-ass violence of a Ballard hip check? Jason Hamilton saw it, and he signalled his stats, and they rose from the Or the “no effs to give” cool swag of a clapper on a breakaway? ground like demons from your worst nightmare. I don’t even want to vote, it’s too hard. And they attacked. You might as well be asking what’s better, a post rec hockey game beer, And attacked. or balling up your sock tape and nailing the no-look, over-the-shoulder toss off your teammates head and into the trash-can shot. And attacked. Positive Takeaway: It feels really nice when you throw an object into a 7 of 15 non-playoff teams had net gain. Essentially 50% of teams on garbage can from far away. the outside looking in not only targeted draft picks, but successfully acquired them. BEST JERSEY SIGHTING 10/13 trades involved draft picks, more than 50% of the trades made A salmon-coloured Esa Tikkanen jersey. involved non-playoff teams adding draft picks. That is not a jersey I’d ever think I’d see at a Canucks game. The Canucks, a bottom 5 team 3yrs running, made 2 of those 13 trades. So excluding Van, 7 of 11 trades involved non-playoff teams Well done, sir, well done. adding picks. Positive Takeaway: The gradient jersey is being given the love it This war is far from over. deserves. But you’ll never forget the day the Hamilton Manoeuvre was used to BEST RUNNER-UP mercilessly take down Team No Draft Pick. Raffi Torres, who would normally always win a jersey-sighting contest, has to settle for second place. Positive Takeaway: We are able to celebrate players from the past by showcasing them in The Provies, what player wouldn’t want to play here to be a part of that? BEST PRAISE Bob McKenzie, aka Bobby Margarita, was asked about hockey market negativity on a Montreal radio this morning. Two things. 1) It’s amazing that the interview starts off with them debating if they are worse than Vancouver in regards to negativity. In Canada, even negativity in hockey turns into a contest between Canadian teams. You think you can out-negative us, Montreal?? 2) Bobby Mack heaps some glorious praise upon Botch and The Provies: “I think the Vancouver market is intense. I think the Vancouver market is really thriving. I don’t know if you guys read Jason Botchford’s game stories called The Provies, but I think it’s one of the most brilliant, comprehensive, caustic, controversial ways to cover a game and it’s the one game story I automatically … anytime the Canucks play, the first thing I read the next morning is that.” McKenzie then goes on to say the Vancouver market is really intensive and covers the game more thoroughly than other hockey markets in Canada. He also gives a shout-out to the work Canucks Army has done here. Which is to say, yeah, there is a giant spotlight on Vancouver, and it’s why people have so many opinions. I don’t think there is anything magically negative about this market, it’s just there are a lot of people who want to talk about hockey, which is naturally going to lead to a lot of takes on everything. The only thing unique about this market is there are a large volume of people analyzing everything that happens here in regards to hockey. So when people can have what feels like a month-long debate about if the market is “too negative,” the only thing that tells me is that Vancouver’s hockey market is, as Bob McKenzie stated, thriving. Imagine a world where Vanek takes a half clapper breakaway, and nobody cares? Where Henrik makes a pass on an empty net and nobody cracks a joke? Where Gudbranson does something devastatingly handsome and nobody makes a gif of it? Where Troy Stecher makes an end-to-end rush and Richmond isn’t even mentioned once? Where a player is drafted and within minutes there aren’t statistical breakdowns of what the chances are of the player making the NHL, and possibly what he had for breakfast that day? I don’t want to live in that world.

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101739 Vancouver Canucks And Vanek remained productive in Vancouver this season, totaling 17- 24-41 in 61 games.

Only five players with more goals this season were traded at this year's Well-traveled man: Thomas Vanek brings his Cup dreams — and a deadline — Michael Grabner (25), Evander Kane (20), Vladislav reputation — to Blue Jackets Namestnikov (20), Rick Nash (18) and Derick Brassard (18). All of them were part of blockbuster trades (Namestnikov) or came at the cost of a top prospect and/or a first-round draft pick. By Aaron Portzline 6 hours ago 4 So how does a player like Vanek come so cheaply? Why has he lived as a nomad for the past five seasons? ANAHEIM, Calif. — After a wild day Monday — the NHL trade deadline's Building a reputation passing, an energized 5-1 win over Washington — the Blue Jackets spent Tuesday flying from Columbus to Los Angeles. When they arrived The trade call had barely closed on the Vanek-to-Columbus trade before at the team hotel near Staples Center, the newest Blue Jacket was former NHLer Mike Rupp tweeted: “Can we please have Vanek mic'd waiting. during his time in Columbus w Torts ?!?!” Veteran forward Thomas Vanek was dressed to the nines for his new Marian Gaborik retweeted it, along with some laughing/crying/smiling teammates and coaches as they climbed off the bus and flooded into the emojis and his own comment: “I'd want to hear the uncut version of it.” hotel lobby. Torts, of course, is Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella. It was a nice touch. But if there's one thing Vanek, 34, has perfected over Three times already Tortorella has bristled at the suggestion that he and the last five seasons, it's meeting new people. The Blue Jackets are Vanek might have issues based on Vanek's reputation for dispassionate Vanek's eighth team in not quite five seasons. play, especially on the defensive end of the rink. “I'm making a lot of friends,” Vanek said with a laugh. “Is it ideal? “I talked to (Vancouver coach) Travis Green and a number of people Certainly not. Especially now that I have three kids. It's hard. about Thomas,” Tortorella said. “I think you guys expect him and I to be “Then again, I'm trying to make the most out of it, and still chasing that fighting the first day. We were going to stage a fight there (on the ice) just dream of the Stanley Cup.” so it'd make everybody happy. After spending the first eight years of his career with the Buffalo Sabres, “He is a really good player, and I have nothing but great reports on him Vanek has traveled like a carny. The New York Islanders, Montreal, as far as how he handles himself.” Minnesota, Detroit, Florida, Vancouver and now the Blue Jackets, never Tortorella has suggested that all of the criticism — and all of Vanek's spending more than two seasons or 154 games (Minnesota, 2014-16) in reputation — has come from “you guys” in the media, but that's hardly one place. the case. This is the third time Vanek has been moved at the trade deadline. It's Rupp and Gaborik played many NHL games against Vanek, and they almost become routine for him. both played for Tortorella with the New York Rangers. They know the Vanek said he predicted he would be traded again as far back as Sept. 1, player and the coach better than anybody in the Columbus media. the very day he signed with Vancouver just a couple of weeks before the The Athletic spoke with club personnel and/or media members at all of start of training camp. The only mystery was the destination. Vanek's previous stops, and most of them told the same tale: Vanek is Asked what he was able to bring with him on short notice from incredibly skilled, has very good hockey sense, is a popular player in the Vancouver on Monday, Vanek smiled and laughed again. “My whole room, etc. apartment,” he said. But his work ethic and defensive effort have rankled coaches throughout He'd been living a Spartan existence in Vancouver, leaving his wife and his career. The Wild bought out the final year of Vanek's contract in 2016, kids back home in Minnesota because he knew another move was likely. even though he'd scored 39 goals in two seasons in St. Paul. “I wasn't going to move all three boys; they're in school,” Vanek said. “It's The exception appears to be in Vancouver, his most recent stop, where getting to the point where they need a little stability. Vanek was everything the Canucks wanted him to be and more than they ever expected. “(Columbus) is nice for me. It's a lot closer to Minnesota (than Vancouver). They can come visit.” Here's one scouting report from Vancouver: “Worked hard, didn't complain and proved still to be a better player than anyone expected. There's another reason he's happy to join the Blue Jackets. Figured he'd score, but playmaking was a surprise. Been around, so he's thoughtful. Mentored (rookie star Brock) Boeser. Guys really liked him.” “I come from a bottom team to be here,” Vanek said, referring to the way- out-of-the-playoffs Canucks. “It's nice to look at the standings again, and Tortorella has been through this before with many players, including they matter. That's fun.” Gaborik, Brassard and others. He and Gaborik apparently had issues, but he and Brassard got on famously. The Blue Jackets traded minor-leaguer Tyler Motte and veteran Jussi Jokinen, whom they placed on waivers a day earlier, to acquire Vanek “It's unfair to make assumptions based on just the noise out there,” from the Canucks. Tortorella said. “I love the challenge of different personalities and players. It's a league that is full of great people. That's one thing we are blessed It was a relatively low cost to acquire a player who can provide the with in our sport. There are not a lot of bad guys out there. scarcest commodity in today's NHL — goals — if only for the final six weeks of the season. “Some of the stuff that's said about people … it's wrong and it's unfair. I always wait for the judgment when I meet the guy face to face and I deal When Vanek debuted with the Blue Jackets on Thursday in Los Angeles, with them.” he played on the second line with center Alexander Wennberg and right winger Nick Foligno. He also took a spot as the middle forward across Vanek said he's not feeling any added pressure to make things work in the circle with the first power-play unit. Columbus. This only makes sense. After Artemi Panarin, Vanek is the most skilled “You guys don't faze me,” he told the Columbus media. “It is what it is, forward on the Blue Jackets' roster. His numbers may come as a surprise really. I know my game. Do I want to do well and help this team? Of to Blue Jackets fans who haven't paid close attention to his career. course. So do 24 other guys. That's what you need out of a team.” Since Vanek arrived as a rookie with Buffalo in 2005-06, he's scored 350 As for playing under Tortorella? goals in 947 games. “We've all heard the stories,” he said. “Then again, I've heard a lot of The short list of players who have scored more goals since the start of good things, too, that some guys say he's the best coach they've ever that season reads like a Hall of Fame ballot: Alex Ovechkin (597), Sidney had as far as systems and all that. Crosby (403), Rick Nash (378), Patrick Marleau (375), Jarome Iginla (375), Eric Staal (375), Evgeni Malkin (364) and Corey Perry (361). “I had Lindy Ruff in Buffalo for a long time. He isn't the easiest guy. Very demanding. I've had all different types of coaches. As long as you care Since 2005-06, Vanek's 133 power-play goals are second in the entire … you bring effort, I don't think it will be a problem at all. I think he wants NHL, trailing only Ovechkin (224). to win. There's a reason he still coaches. There's a reason I still play. We both share the same goal.” A future with the Blue Jackets? Vanek played his second game with the Blue Jackets on Friday in Anaheim. They need him desperately to help stoke their goal-scoring and their power play, both of which are ranked in the bottom five of the NHL. A surge of scoring could help them emerge from a tight race for the final few playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. If the Blue Jackets' many struggling forwards could get untracked, Vanek could give them scoring depth enough to rival the more talented teams they're likely to face in the postseason. But could the relationship extend beyond this season? That seems unlikely, based on how young the Blue Jackets' roster is and how committed the organization is to letting its young players develop. Vanek once again will be an unrestricted free agent July 1. “I just want it to work because I'm here,” Vanek said. “It's a good team with a great goaltender. If it works, then we'll figure it out in the summer. “I've been fortunate enough to play a lot of games (in the NHL), and I've done well for myself (financially). I don't need the long-term deals. I don't worry about that anymore. If things go well, they go well. If not, we'll figure it out in the summer.” Vanek is tired of moving around. The prospect of more travels seems wearying, but he's not ready to quit. The goal, since he was a kid growing up in Austria, has been to win the Stanley Cup. Now the goal has brought him to Columbus. “That's the only reason I'm doing it,” Vanek said. “I don't enjoy moving around, all over. “Everywhere I've been, I have nothing but good things to say. I've met a lot of good people, lived in some great cities. Am I getting tired of it? I am, yeah. But I'm chasing my dream.”

The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101740 Vancouver Canucks The Checking Line The assumption here is that Green will keep deploying a dedicated checking line. At the beginning of the season, that line was comprised of What could the Canucks' forward lines look like next season? Here's a Brandon Sutter, Derek Dorsett and Granlund. With Dorsett's career very early glimpse unfortunately over and Granlund's season likely done with an ankle injury, Sutter is currently skating with Darren Archibald and new addition Tyler Motte. By Jason Brough 8 hours ago 7 Sutter, 29, has three years left on his contract. While it's not totally unfathomable that he could be dealt this off-season, let's consider that option unlikely and focus on his potential wingers. Archibald and Motte In the absence of a playoff race, the rest of the Vancouver Canucks' are certainly candidates. But so too are Granlund, Loui Eriksson, season is all about identifying which young players will be part of the Brendan Gaunce and maybe even young Zack MacEwen. solution going forward. Let's face it, Eriksson probably isn't going anywhere. To trade him, the With that in mind, I thought I'd explore what the Canucks' forward lines Canucks would need to eat a large chunk of his contract, or they'd have could look like next season. Obviously, I don't expect to nail the starting to take back an equally bad deal. The 32-year-old is also one of Green's lineup for Game 1 of the 2018-19 campaign. Rather, I'm hoping to best penalty killers, and that shouldn't be overlooked. Yes, Eriksson is illustrate the many, many decisions that management will need to make overpaid. But he's still an NHLer. this off-season. Whether Granlund, 24, and Gaunce, 23, have a future with Vancouver The Top Line remains to be seen. The former, a pending RFA, may still have some trade value worth exploring. The latter, with one year remaining on his Let's assume that Bo Horvat and Brock Boeser will remain together. The contract, could conceivably clear waivers and start next season in Utica. big question then becomes, who will play left wing? Again, it's a question of whether Green sees these guys as part of the Friday against Nashville, newcomer Brendan Leipsic is expected to get solution. Personally, I have my doubts. Especially after the additions of the assignment. The 23-year-old had an excellent debut Wednesday Leipsic and Motte. alongside Horvat and Boeser; however, that was against a stripped-down The Other Line Rangers squad, so let's take it with a grain of salt. Remember that this is Leipsic's fourth NHL organization and he's yet to prove himself I couldn't figure out what to call this line. Is it the third? The fourth? indispensable. To remain in a primary role for Vancouver, he'll need to Regardless, against the Preds, it'll be Sam Gagner between Baertschi keep making plays and providing energy. This is a huge opportunity for and Jake Virtanen. him. Those three have actually shown some promise together lately. As for Sven Baertschi, there's no denying he's had decent success with However, they've all endured up-and-down seasons, and I've already Horvat and Boeser. That being said, there's no guarantee he'll even be surmised that Baertschi could be shopped this summer. back next season. The 25-year-old is just two years away from unrestricted free agency, so GM Jim Benning will have to decide soon if Theoretically, Gagner could be made available as well, though I doubt Baertschi's a core piece or not. Benning may instead opt to shop there'd be much of a market given the two years remaining on his Baertschi in hopes of upgrading the defence or adding draft picks. contract with a cap hit of $3.15 million. The 28-year-old has not produced like he'd hoped following that 50-point season in Columbus, but Green A potential wild card in all this is Evander Kane. The 26-year-old, does appreciate the veteran's work ethic. It may also be best to hold on currently with the San Jose Sharks after being dealt by Buffalo at the to Gagner, hope for a bit of a bounce-back, and flip him at the 2019 or deadline, is a pending unrestricted free agent, and there's always been 2020 deadline. speculation that he'd like to suit up for his hometown team. The Canucks should have enough cap space on July 1 to make a serious bid, and I fully expect Virtanen to be back next season. The Canucks have said Kane is the type of player that may prove awfully tempting for this over and over that they'll stay patient with the 21-year-old. About the only management group to pursue. I'm not saying it's going to happen. I'm just way I could see them changing course is if they got offered a good, saying it could. young defensive prospect. Of note: Virtanen will require waivers next season. The Sedin Line I'll also give Reid Boucher a mention here, since I thought he looked Let's also assume that Henrik and Daniel will re-sign. They may not, but it good in his last call-up. I'm just not sure there's a spot for him going sounds like they want to keep playing, and I'm not sure the Canucks are forward. A pending RFA, he turns 25 in September, so he's not really a quite ready to bid adieu. The twins are still a big part of the power play, prospect anymore. I don't think his skating is up to Green's standards and whether this is a realistic goal or not, I've always sensed they'd like either. to retire after a playoff appearance. Notes: The Sedins have not had a regular linemate this season. The expectation following last season was that they'd reunite with Markus Granlund. Alas, — Nic Dowd and Jussi Jokinen are both pending UFAs. It's highly new head coach Travis Green had other ideas and Granlund has been unlikely either will be back. deployed in a checking role instead. — Jonathan Dahlen, Kole Lind and Jonah Gadjovich are all eligible for Nikolay Goldobin is the one with the opportunity now, and he really the AHL next season, and that's where I expect them to be. needs to show something down the stretch. I remain skeptical that Green will ever consider Goldobin a player the Canucks can win with when — The Canucks were reportedly going to target Mikael Backlund in free they're ready to compete for a Stanley Cup. I could be wrong on that, but agency this summer, only to watch him re-sign with Calgary. Backlund, it's worth noting that the 22-year-old will no longer be exempt from 28, is a two-way centre. I don't know if the Canucks will target a similar- waivers next season. That means there's the potential for the Canucks to type player instead, but they've made it no secret they could be active trade him as opposed to losing him for nothing, a la what the Penguins come July 1. If the Sedins opt for retirement, they may have to be. did with Derrick Pouliot. — I didn't consider the possibility that the Canucks could draft an NHL- This brings us to Elias Pettersson, the most prized prospect in the ready forward. They're going to draft Rasmus Dahlin, that's why. Canucks' system. Pettersson, 19, is enjoying a historic season in Sweden. In theory, putting him on a line with his fellow countrymen could be a fantastic way to start his NHL career. The Sedins with Pettersson would have no shortage of offensive talent, and Green could provide them with sheltered minutes that would allay any defensive deficiencies. The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2018 The Canucks still hope that Pettersson will one day replace Henrik as the No. 1 centre, but he'll likely start in North America on the wing. If not Pettersson, perhaps it'll be another Canucks rookie that lines up with the Sedins. This is admittedly a long shot, but Adam Gaudette is a right shot who can put the puck in the net. Currently a centre in college, it may also be best for him to break into the pros on the wing. The Sedins could desperately use a winger with a dangerous shot, and by the looks of it, Gaudette can rip it pretty good. 1101741 Vancouver Canucks feel out the new body that I got. Once I caught on is when I really started to heat up. I developed a game where I could use my size more and take advantage of the tools I had. Q&A with standout Utica rookie Zack MacEwen, who has a message for MH: In a really short span, you went from playing in the Maritime League all the longshots to scoring 31 goals and 74 points in the Q. That's when NHL teams started sniffing around. What was that experience like? I've got to think part of you was like 'whoa, this is really happening.' By Mike Halford 19 hours ago 1 ZM: Oh yeah, for sure. I remember the first call I got from my agent telling me an NHL team wanted to sign me. I was on a bus trip in the Q with my team and I immediately called my father. I said 'you're never Not many people figured Zack MacEwen would be where he is today. going to believe the call I just got.' Then I told him, and then the offers kept getting better after the first one. Every new thing that came at me — Included in that group? Zack MacEwen. whether it was flying somewhere to meet a team, or meeting some Three years ago MacEwen was undrafted and unheralded, plying his players in an organization — it was just all so surreal. trade for the Amherst Ramblers of the Maritime Junior A Hockey League. The whole time I just couldn't really believe what was going on. I was Playing professionally was a longshot. His goal was to maybe get free always calling my friends and parents and letting them know what I just tuition playing university hockey. The idea of making the NHL seemed did. It was definitely a huge culture change. far, far-fetched. MH: Did you have a chip on your shoulder? Or was it a case of just At best. figuring things out later than most? There are guys that get passed over Yet since then, the burly forward has emerged into an intriguing prospect. and use that as motivation. Then there are guys passed over because Signed by Vancouver almost exactly one year ago, MacEwen is currently they just weren't ready for it, only to figure it out a few years after the fact. enjoying a terrific rookie campaign with the Utica Comets, his first ever ZM: I did have a bit of a chip on my shoulder, I guess you could say that. taste of the pro game. The 21-year-old is currently 18th in scoring (nine The thing was that nobody ever really had any expectations for me. goals and 30 points through 51 games) among first-year AHL players. Nobody ever really looked at me. So I just wanted to prove people wrong. He's one point back of Syracuse's Alexander Volkov, a highly touted It was always me playing with nothing to lose and taking advantage of Bolts prospect taken 48th overall at the '17 draft, and has earned huge every opportunity I was given. praise from Comets head coach Trent Cull and GM Ryan Johnson. If there was ever negativity around me, it was 'yeah, well, I'll show them.' This week, The Athletic caught up with MacEwen to discuss his rise to I didn't find it difficult when I didn't get looked at. I just took it in stride and prominence, the challenges he faced along the way and what words of kept progressing. I knew things would fall into place if it was going to wisdom he has for other longshots looking to make the bigs. happen. Mike Halford: So in your draft year, you're playing in the Maritime MH: You attended Anaheim's prospect camp and, obviously, signed with League. What did you think your hockey career would look like at that the Canucks. What other NHL teams showed interest? point? Did you even think there was going to be a hockey career? ZM: There was a handful. Tampa Bay, Dallas and Anaheim. Toronto a Zack MacEwen: The way I looked at it out of midget was that nobody little bit, too. picked me, so my only option was to go play [in Amherst]. I kind of just went there, not really talking to anybody, and made the team out of MH: How does that process work? Because at that point it's not the team camp. I had a bit of a rocky start. We had kind of an old-school coach picking you — you're picking the team. and I wasn't seeing much ice time. I liked playing hockey, but I didn't know if I was going to keep going. ZM: That's really what it was. It was an advantage to be a free agent and be able to make my pick. The Canucks organization really felt like home I got better as the year went along. When I first started, I was hoping to me. It felt like the best choice with the management and everybody maybe I could get some of my school paid for, maybe play there after that I met. Just from camps and the rookie tournament and stuff, those junior. That was an option I was looking at. I didn't really have many guys are some of my best friends now. I couldn't be happier with how it's expectations from my draft year, but my next year as an 18-year-old is going. when things kind of took off. I played on the same team [Amherst] and we traded away all our 20-year-olds, so we had a young team and I was MH: Those are some pretty good organizations you could've joined. What named captain. I had a good year, and the [Quebec League] Moncton specifically was it about Vancouver? Gut feeling? Opportunity to advance Wildcats took notice. I got called up around Christmastime. They had a to the NHL quickly? few guys out playing at the world juniors, so I filled in a couple spots and from there, they wanted me to stay because I had a pretty good showing. ZM: I'd say it was a combination of all that. I flew to the city and I'd never been to Vancouver before. I immediately fell in love with it. That place is [Amherst] wasn't really that solid, so they kind of needed me. I went back just amazing. I loved having the opportunity to go and spend time there. and finished the year there, because I would've been a 15th forward in Meeting the management — all the staff and trainers, had a tour of the the Q. I got called back up after we were eliminated. I sat out the first arena and facility. Trevor Linden is so wise, and the things he was telling playoff round for Moncton, then played the next two and had a pretty me about the organization and where I fit in, and the opportunity within solid showing. I was a role guy, but I played some minutes on the top line the lineup. with some good players and that was a good audition for me. Then there was the development staff they have in Utica. Trent Cull is [The next year] I made the Wildcats right out of camp, and had a solid doing a really good job down here. Working with [assistant coach] Jason year. I was up and down the lineup. We had a pretty good playoff run that King developing skill and the tiny aspects of my game, made it feel like year too, but I ended up getting traded to Gatineau in the summer. Went the right choice right away. I have no doubt that I made a good choice. there for my 20-year-old season and had a better feel for the league. I played a lot more minutes, had a bigger role and kind of had a chance to MH: I've talked to [Ryan Johnson] a few times, and we've joked about all do my own thing and let my game go from there. the player transactions. I think Utica was at 95 last time I checked. So I know your linemates have changed a lot, but who have you played with That's when I really started to get noticed and started talking to NHL the most, or developed the most chemistry with? teams. ZM: It really has been shifted around a lot. The last little stretch I've MH: Did you consider yourself a longshot? played with Wacey Hamilton and [Griffen] Molino, and Molino is one of my really good friends. We have some good chemistry on the ice. It's a ZM: Oh yeah. If you'd have asked me when I was 17 if I would be where I good team atmosphere down here. We switch the lines up a lot, but you am now, I probably wouldn't have believed you. Honestly. It was all just feel comfortable playing with everyone. It's pretty easy to play with pretty progression and taking advantage of opportunities I was given, doing well much anyone on the team. with those opportunities. MH: What's been the biggest surprise about the pro game? MH: What a lot of people like about your game is the size factor — you're 6-foot-4, 220 pounds. Did you always have the size advantage? Or did ZM: The busyness of the league. You're always on the go and have a lot you grow later on? of games, and sometimes they're clustered pretty close together. You've got to get used to that and learn how to get your rest whenever you have ZM: No, I wasn't that big at all. My first year in midget I was probably like a chance. That's really key. I knew it would be a tough league and you 5-foot-9. I took a really big growth spurt in my 17-year-old year, and I was really see that in your first couple of games. kind of awkward when I first grew. I was coming into my own, trying to MH: Have you been surprised with how well your first year has gone? ZM: [Laughs] Yeah, I would say so. I came in with high expectations for myself and I wanted to set a high standard. But I'm happy with the way it's gone for sure. I just have to keep trying to progress and not be happy with the way I'm playing. I have to keep getting better every day. MH: Is there a guy that you model your game after, or someone you watched growing up that you thought you could play like? ZM: There was never anyone I really modelled it after. I was always asked 'who is similar to how you play in the NHL?' So I looked at it over the last couple of years as a Jamie Benn-type player. He's a big guy that's used his size and has a lot of skill too, and he scores goals with a good shot. I thought that was a pretty OK comparison. MH: You're at 51 games now, you've seen the league. Are you confident you can keep going at this clip, and keep producing the way you're producing? The NHL has to feel pretty tangible right now. ZM: You try to think positive about everything that you do. But I'm here to develop, and that's what the AHL is for. They have a plan and a strategy for every player and I'm just going to take everything in stride and do what I have to do to keep improving. If that time comes where there's an opportunity to play in the NHL, I really hope that comes. But I'm not going to rush it. I just want to take advantage of the development side of things and make sure I'm actually ready if that time ever comes. MH: So the NHL is a realistic goal now. Earlier, you said 'if you had told me three years ago…' Well now you're actually there. Can you appreciate the journey and how far you've come? ZM: 100 per cent. One of the biggest things when I was signing a contract was 'that's great, I've signed, but I don't just want to sign. I want to play in the NHL.' It's been a goal of mine ever since I started talking to teams. It seems more realistic now with how things are going and how my play has been progressing. I just have to give myself the best opportunity to make it to the next level. MH: What are some of the things you need to improve to get to that next level? ZM: Staying physical as much as possible. The small details of the game, not working too hard to waste energy and take myself out of situations or plays. Slowing the game down for myself, and always improving my skating. That's always something that can get better. MH: You mentioned playing physical. That's something your former teammate, Darren Archibald, excelled at. It's also a big reason why he earned a contract with the Canucks. You didn't play with Archibald for a long time, but what did you learn from playing alongside him? ZM: He's a guy that plays a really hard, physical style and he's got a lot of skill, too. He's definitely one I took notice to. He's a great guy to have in the room and around the team. I took a lot from him. I saw the way he looked at the game and plays it. It's certainly something to model myself after. MH: Final question. If you could pass along a message to another kid that didn't have many expectations, or was overlooked, or is a longshot like you were… what would you tell him? ZM: You can't quit. You can't ever count yourself out. You have a lot more time than you think in this business. There is a small window for sure, but you can't ever count yourself out, and you always have to keep working. Stay determined to keep improving yourself.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101742 Websites 'I couldn't believe it when I saw him' Hines picked up Lemieux, and they drove to Pittsburgh International Airport. They were booked on a US Airways flight to Philadelphia and The Athletic / On 25th anniversary of return from cancer, Mario Lemieux were scheduled to arrive around noon, giving Lemieux ample time to rest still leaves onlookers in awe before the game. He hadn't practiced with the Penguins and wouldn't even take part in the Josh Yohe 16 hours ago 29 morning skate. Lemieux hadn't played in almost two months. “But it was Mario,” said Mark Recchi, who played for the Flyers that night. “He was so much better than the rest of us, you know, he didn't really It was 25 years ago today — March 2, 1993 — and Mario Lemieux sat need things like practice. And he knew it.” quietly, patiently, at Pittsburgh International Airport as his flight to Philadelphia was continually delayed. Morning became afternoon and, He did, however, need to arrive at the rink before the 7:30 p.m. faceoff. finally, Lemieux looked at Penguins director of public relations Cindy The Penguins were playing their bitter rivals, the Flyers, at the Spectrum Hines. that evening. A storm in Chicago forced Lemieux's flight into a lengthy delay, as his plane was stuck in Illinois. “Mario asked me if I knew anyone who had a charter plane,” Hines said. “I chuckled and said, 'No, but I bet you do.'” “They delayed it once,” Hines said. “Then again. And again. Now, Mario never really looked nervous. He just has a quiet way about him. He Lemieux nodded his head, whipped out his phone, made a call and the doesn't ever look nervous. But he was getting anxious just because I rest is history. knew it meant so much for him to play in that game.” Other athletes have returned from dealing with cancer to play in their Finally, Lemieux made a call and arranged for a private flight from the respective sports. No one of Lemieux's stature, however, has managed Allegheny County Airport in West Mifflin. such a feat. No one returned to dominate his sport quite like Lemieux. And rest assured, no one else played a hockey game on the final day of “We showed up and a plane was waiting for us,” Hines said. “I never radiation treatments. knew who he called. The plane was there, though. But by the time we got there to Philadelphia, it had to be about 4 (p.m.). So he didn't have a “But it was Mario,” Hines said. “I've never seen him so determined. He whole lot of time to prepare.” was going to make it to Philadelphia and play that night. Nothing was going to stop him. And when Mario is determined, he gets what he Lemieux and Hines took a taxi from the airport and made a quick stop at wants.” the team hotel in Philadelphia before heading to the Spectrum. He was already the greatest hockey player in the world and, at age 27, Something then immediately became clear to Hines. was safely a hockey god. One night in Philadelphia, though, turned “No one on the team had any idea Mario was going to play that night,” Lemieux into something more. she said. “He hadn't really told anyone. He just felt like playing, so he did 'He pretty much disappeared' it.” Lemieux announced to the world that he had been diagnosed with Even his closest friends on the team were stunned to see Lemieux Hodgkin's disease on Jan. 12, 1993. The stunning news came during a strolling into the Spectrum about two hours before puck drop. Since the time when Lemieux and the Penguins were on top of the world. He was team had already arrived at the building, Lemieux carried his equipment the unquestioned greatest player in hockey, the Penguins had won over his shoulder, an image his old left wing will never forget. consecutive championships and everything in Lemieux's life was “We had no clue he was showing up,” Stevens said. “I'll never forget seemingly perfect. His Penguins were the rock stars of the NHL and looking outside of the building. I had already gotten there. I look up, and Lemieux's was the brightest star of all. there's Mario walking into the building by himself, with his bag over his Then came the news. The normally vocal Penguins' locker room — those shoulder. First time he's carried his own equipment since peewees, I teams boasted larger than life personalities like Kevin Stevens, Ulf bet.” Samuelsson and Jaromir Jagr, to name a few — went silent. Those who knew Lemieux were surprised that he arrived in Philadelphia At the time, all Lemieux knew of Hodgkin's disease was that it had that day, but perhaps weren't completely stunned. previously claimed the life of two of his relatives. “I still remember him showing up that day,” said Mike Lange, the voice of “You never forget it when you hear that news,” Stevens said. “It would the Penguins. “There was some talk that he was thinking about it, but have been a terrible thing no matter who the teammate was. But it was nobody really knew. I'll never forget it. He had the biggest white horse in Mario. He was our leader. He was everything to us.” Pennsylvania. And he rode it well.” Lemieux was to undergo a series of radiation treatments as the initial 'I still get chills' prognosis called for a likely full recovery. The treatments were grueling The Penguins and Flyers boast a rivalry that is hateful on a good day. and created fatigue. They also created some mystery. While Lemieux still Lemieux, like Sidney Crosby a generation later, received a special kind of chatted with teammates and even skated a time or two during the hate in Philadelphia. Those Flyers took much delight in physically treatments, he wasn't often around. abusing him, and their fans expected nothing less. “He pretty much disappeared,” said former Penguins broadcaster Paul “They're great fans there, but it was a rough crowd at the Spectrum,” Steigerwald. “He wasn't around much during that time.” Lange said. “Always.” Lemieux had been enjoying his greatest season and, at the time of the Lemieux joined teammates for the pre-game skate, the shock of his diagnosis, was neck-and-neck with Wayne Gretzky's record 215 point appearance finally starting to dull. Then, the Penguins took the ice. season pace. Lemieux was in the starting lineup and stood by the glass on the “I saw him do a lot of things,” Stevens said. “That season, he was at his Penguins' blueline, right beside Stevens, awaiting the national anthem. best. He was making everyone look bad. Everyone.” And then, it happened. Lemieux finally had the perfect linemates in Stevens and Rick Tocchet, The roar of the crowd got louder and louder and louder. It wasn't a roar and was very much in his prime. The Penguins looked unstoppable, and for the home team. Lemieux's cancer fight had been the talk of the sports so did Lemieux. world and Philadelphia was paying homage, not to Lemieux the player, “Something always got in the way of Mario breaking one of Gretzky's but to Lemieux the man. records,” Steigerwald said. “It was always his health.” Respective accounts of the ovation all follow a similar path. It was Cancer, Lemieux determined, would only get in the way for so long. shocking. His final radiation treatment was scheduled for the morning of March 2. “That's never happened before or since with Philadelphia fans,” Lange said. “It was moving. It started as a wave. I call it dominoes in reverse. “I got a call from Tom Rooney (the president of the Penguins at the time) People started to stand up, one by one. Then other people did it. It went and he told me to be prepared to go to Philadelphia because Mario was through the entire arena. It became so loud. It was a crescendo of thinking about playing,” Hines said. “So, the next morning, sure enough, I appreciation for him being back. And it went on for a long time.” get the call from Tom. He said that Mario had said, 'Yep, I'm playing.'” Hines was standing outside of the Penguins' locker room. “I'll never forget that noise,” Hines said. “Everyone stood. Everyone. He “I never saw anyone dominate like he did at that time,” Recchi said. “I transcended the rivalry, the game. Everything.” don't think anyone's dominated like that.” On this night, it didn't matter if you were playing for the Penguins or Lemieux, who missed 20 games while enduring the radiation treatments, Flyers. Recchi, who was traded a year earlier from Pittsburgh to trailed Pat Lafontaine by 12 points in the scoring race when he returned. Philadelphia, smiles when he recalls that evening. When his destruction of the league was complete, he had surpassed “I still get chills when I think about it,” he said. “I've never seen anything Lafontaine by 12 points. like it. I've never heard anything like it.” “What a joy it was to watch,” Lange said. “It was extraordinary. You Stevens and Tocchet combined for 103 goals and 429 penalty minutes always wonder what he could have done, what records he would have that season. They were stars and Lemieux's protectors. put out of reach, if his health would have allowed. He was just that great. He gave us all so much.” They were also his admirers. For cancer survivors, he remains an inspiration to this day. Radiation at “Unreal moment,” Tocchet said. “One of my favorite moments of my morning, score a goal at night? No problem. career, standing there on the blueline, watching 17,000 Philly fans stand on their feet, applauding a Pittsburgh Penguin who happened to be one For hockey players, he remains the pinnacle that they'll never reach. of the greatest athletes ever, who was coming back from cancer. Unreal.” For hockey fans, he was always pure theater, perhaps never more than Stevens stood beside Lemieux and took it all in. in the spring of 1993, when he brushed cancer and an entire league aside and in one motion, just as easily as when he pulled his phone out “I've seen a lot of things in my life,” he said. “I've never seen anything like of his pocket and called for a plane to Philadelphia. that moment. And he deserved it. He had been through so much and he handled himself so well. There's just something special about him and Gretzky may have been about untouchable numbers. Lemieux was about those people in Philadelphia understood it.” creating moments that you'd never see before or after. The Penguins' broadcasters took a moment to enjoy it, too. There was never a moment quite like that night in Philadelphia. “There will never be a moment like that again,” Steigerwald said. “Never.” “It's funny,” Hines said. “People know the story about him playing that night. But people don't know how hard it was to get him there. I'm telling The Penguins lost that night, 5-4. Lemieux, though, recorded a goal and you, though, he was determined. He wanted to play on that night, the an assist. same night of his treatment. It was important to him. And then he played, “Of course he did,” Recchi said. “That was kind of a given. Only time I've and he was still Mario. It was amazing.” ever been happy when someone on the other team scored.” A quarter of a century later, those who were there swear only Lemieux 'There's never been anything like it' could have authored such a script. Lemieux and the Penguins then visited Manhattan two nights later. An “Oh, he had a flair for the drama,” Lange said. “But that night, he just unforgiving mattress at his hotel the night before in New York left wanted to play. He was a hockey player. He was ready to get on with his Lemieux's balky back in bad shape and he barely played in a loss against life. And did he ever.” the Rangers. A couple of nights later, Lemieux was received at the Civic Arena by an The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2018 emotional reaction. He had an assist in a 3-2 win. Then, something clicked. The natural performer in Lemieux felt like putting on a show for the ages, and so he did. “He said it would take a couple of games to get his timing back,” Steigerwald said. In the following 17 games, Lemieux erupted — even for his standards — by producing 29 goals and 53 points. There were back-to-back four-goal games against the Flyers and Capitals. There was a five-goal outburst against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden, which triggered yet another standing ovation in another road venue. There was the 17-game winning streak, which remains an NHL record. In many ways, it was Lemieux's finest moment. “He'd be the last guy out on the ice during intermissions because doctors were checking with him,” Lange said. “He just wanted to play, you know? He reaffirmed my beliefs that he could do on one leg what other NHL players needed two for. That was just him. The cancer treatments didn't stop him. Nothing could. There's never been anything like it.” Why did Lemieux rush back into the lineup on the day of a radiation treatment? In retrospect, it seems a little rash. Lange offered a pretty compelling reason. “He just wanted to get back to his normal life,” Lange said. “He just wanted to resume his life.” It all makes sense, really. Cancer patients often say the little things are what they crave and their day-to-day life being disrupted is often the worst part of the disease. And so, Lemieux wanted to play. He also wanted to dominate. “No one knew if he'd still be Mario when he came back,” Steigerwald said. “Because there had never been a situation like it.” He was still Mario. He wore a black or white turtleneck under his sweater to protect his skin from the burn marks the radiation treatments had left on his neck. But he was still Mario. 1101743 Websites teams so that Vegas could retain 40 percent of Brassard’s remaining contract for cap-challenged Pittsburgh in exchange for getting Reaves and a fourth-round pick. The idea was born out of the fact McPhee was The Athletic / LeBrun: Vegas showed how to handle the trade deadline already separately talking to Penguins GM Jim Rutherford about Reaves when you are an expansion team and a Cup contender anyway. “That was also a unique place to be in; it’s not often that a team that’s trying to reach the playoffs has that kind of cap space,” said McPhee. “I By Pierre LeBrun 16 hours ago 19 had just suggested it to Jim a couple of days before we did the transaction, that if he needed help on anything that we might be able to help with cap space. We’d like to bring back a body or a pick or both.” Nowhere in the expansion team guidebook is there a section that deals It got a little tense when the league first rejected the three-team deal as with how to be a buyer at the trade deadline in your first year of originally proposed. But McPhee said it wasn’t that frustrating. existence. “Not at all, it was a pretty simple exercise for us,” he said. “Because we There is no entry on that in this mythical guidebook, well, because there just had a discussion with Pittsburgh about it and agreed what would be shouldn’t be. coming back to us. It was basically Pittsburgh and Ottawa that did a lot of the legwork with the league after that.” First-year teams should not be worrying about adding at the deadline. So there you have it, the team’s first trade deadline has passed, two “Needless to say, it was unique for an expansion team,” Vegas Golden interesting transactions were made, and it could have been more, but not Knights GM George McPhee told The Athletic on Thursday. for a lack of trying. Um, yeah. Talk about a totally different game plan compared to the one imagined But try to add, they did, but within specific parameters. back in September when the prognosis was for a typical expansion team to miss the playoffs and sell off some pending unrestricted free agents. “We were trying to do the best we could for our team to see if we could make them a little bit better without giving up our young players, without There’s no question James Neal and David Perron, both pending UFAs, giving up draft picks for rentals, without taking anything out of our team,” might have found themselves on new teams had Vegas been out of it. said McPhee. “That’s a fair comment, yeah,” said McPhee. “We feel we did well.” Instead, the Golden Knights valued those players and their contributions The Knights added top-six forward Tomas Tatar plus rugged winger for the playoff drive and if they both walk July 1, so be it, that’s a reality Ryan Reaves and didn’t touch their roster. the team has accepted if indeed they can’t re-sign them. Yes, they paid a good sum for Tatar in giving up this year’s first-round “Yeah. And if you’re looking at our roster, you’ll understand that we pick, plus a second-rounder in 2019 and a third-rounder in 2021. claimed a lot of players in expansion that were younger and we're hoping to be here a long time,” said McPhee. “When you take a hard look at it, it Then again, the team still has six picks in the opening three rounds in looks like they will be.” 2019 and another five picks in the first three rounds in 2020. Jonathan Marchessault, Brayden McNabb, Jon Merrill and Deryk “We had surplus draft picks, and we used three spread over four years to Engelland were pending free agents who all signed extensions earlier acquire a player like Tatar whom we coveted,” said McPhee. this season. The fit was right for a 27-year-old winger who’s going to be around. I asked McPhee how delicate that was that some of his pending free agents got re-signed mid-season and others will have to wait. “He’s in his prime, he’s a good player, he’s smart, he’s quick, he competes,” said McPhee. “We will have him here for three more years “I don’t believe it was an issue at all, people understood that we had to after this season and that was important for us to acquire someone who have conversations with the UFAs and we have with everyone, and in could play first line, second line, third line, right wing, left wing, and get a some cases got deals done,” said McPhee. “The RFAs understand that lot of utility out of this player.” their time will come in the summer. Now, this is where the conversation with McPhee gets a little more “We didn’t mind approaching players during the season, it didn’t seem to awkward. He knows what I really want to ask and I know that I can’t use affect performance for them or the club. And it allowed us to get ahead of Erik Karlsson’s name specifically for tampering reasons, so how do I ask things. I thought, for the most part, it’s worked out pretty well.” the following question … Just like everything else has in a historical first year for this expansion Finally, I settle on this: There were reports that Vegas was looking at team. You run out of words to describe what the Golden Knights keep something else that would have been of magnitude and it didn’t happen; doing. but it certainly seems to indicate you were in on some other fairly big things. To the point where the Bodog oddsmaker came out Thursday and has Vegas as co-favorites for the Cup along with Tampa Bay at 23/4. “That’s the truth, we explored a lot of things with a lot of different teams,” said McPhee. “And it was an interesting process. How things with several I mentioned to McPhee how it’s now an accepted reality that people look different teams at one time would seem close and then as often happens, at his team as a serious Cup contender, that fans and media around the would completely disappear in the next call.” league take that at face value now. And the kicker is that I believe not only was Vegas talking to Ottawa on “Everyone can take that chatter at face value, except us,” McPhee Karlsson deep into the final hour before the deadline, while also having a responded. “We haven’t made the playoffs. We’ve got 19 games in 38 Tatar deal ready to go (if they do Karlsson, they can’t do Tatar), but I days, I believe. It’s going to be a tough and difficult finish. We’re going to think Vegas also had a third trade scenario it was working on in that final focus on the game in front of us. If we wake up at the end of the season hour that didn’t materialize. in a playoff spot, we’ll be very happy. But until then, we’re focused on the next game. There’s just no other way to do it.” In other words, that final hour was a doozy to say the least, including just getting Tatar done under the wire. What might sound like a cliché for any other team simply is not for this one. That “next game” mentality has done them well from Day 1 of this “Well, we had had several discussions about it and, as typically happens, amazing journey. you’re waiting for one thing to happen and if that doesn’t happen, you have your other options,” McPhee said carefully. And the story is far from over. “You’re just trying to figure out really what’s going to happen while all of these things are sort of happening simultaneously. So we had a pretty The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2018 good understanding of what it was going to take with Detroit, it was a matter of just having the final conversation and getting it to the league. I would say that 90 percent of these things get sent into the league within the last 20 minutes.” The Knights also showed their creativity in getting involved in the Derick Brassard to Pittsburgh deal with Ottawa, the trade extending to three 1101744 Websites sell their tickets to brokers at an increase. Then the brokers sell them at an even further increase to someone else.

The net loser is the fan at the end of the line, who doesn't have access to The Athletic / Mirtle: Are the Maple Leafs justified in jacking up their ticket tickets anywhere close to face value. prices? “If that's what the market supports, I don't see why MLSE wouldn't want to be getting more of that action?” was a relatively common reply when I By James Mirtle 23 hours ago 69 asked around about the increases. Some fans I talked to complained about how rampant scalping has become. There are a lot of them in front of the ACC every night. They So season ticket renewals for 2018-19 went out to many Maple Leafs aggressively approach fans — and media! — attending the games (and Raptors) fans earlier this week. Almost immediately, I started to looking for sellers or buyers. With both teams playing well, it seems hear from those wanting to register their disappointment at another price business is good. hike. There's an argument to be made that MLSE could do more to prevent Some emailed me about it, forwarding me their ticket package notice and such rampant reselling and profiteering. The Boston Bruins attempted as saying “Look at this!” much in recent years, going after buyers from outside the market. Some unleashed their discontent publicly on social media. These problems highlight a few things for me… The more complaints I saw, the more I realized the numbers fans were 1. This market is badly underserved for NHL hockey. I've been saying quoting on their increases were all over the place. This wasn't an across- this since I moved to Toronto in 2003, but the Golden Horseshoe area the-board hike. should really have a least two franchises, rather than forcing all of the demand from a population of ~10 million onto one team. (And that's likely I reached out to Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment for an explanation. low-balling the demand given how many Leafs fans live in other markets or abroad and come back to Toronto for games. I can see how many “There is a wide range of new prices depending on seat location,” said readers we have for Leafs coverage in places like the UK and Australia. Dave Haggith, MLSE's senior director of communications. “Some It speaks to the incredible size of the fan base beyond the actual region.) locations — in the upper bowl for example — that have shown as well below market value in years past, have a higher increase than other 2. This problem is going to get worse the better the Leafs get. There's locations for next season.” been downward pressure on tickets for years given they played one playoff round between 2004 and 2017, but those days are gone. I walk The breakdown varies based on all of the many different Air Canada down the street now in my neighbourhood and a ton of the kids have Centre seat locations. An overview based on upper bowl versus lower Matthews jerseys on. That wasn't happening a few years ago. If this team bowl tickets looks something like this: goes on a run and captures the imagination of the city a bit more, those Lower bowl 2017-18 average price – $246 secondary market prices are going further north. Lower bowl 2018-19 average price – $270 3. The ACC is almost 20 years old and rather ordinary by NHL standards, with so many markets getting new facilities. The new rinks in Detroit and (2017-18 secondary market average – $345) Edmonton have really showcased how far arenas have come. Most games, the Leafs announce attendance in the 19,000 range, which ranks Upper bowl 2017-18 average price – $82 fifth in the league. Without question the Leafs could fill a bigger building, Upper bowl 2018-19 average price – $94 especially if it was built with more common fan areas that could accommodate different ways of attending the game. This would also help (2017-18 secondary market average – $149) with getting more “regular” fans at games to improve the atmosphere. I don't know how they do it, given they've built their condo-restaurant- So that's an average of a 9.8-per-cent increase in the lower bowl and a tower empire all around the ACC, but a new Leafs palace that fits 29,000 14.6-per-cent increase in the upper bowl. fans or whatever would be pretty neat to see. (People think I'm crazy To put that in context, the price for “purples” — the seats at the top of the when I say that, but I'm not kidding.) upper bowl, under where we sit in the press box — has gone from It's great that the NHL has had such a promising response in new around $4,800 to $5,500 a season for a pair of tickets. That works out to markets like Las Vegas and now Seattle, with their massively successful a jump from about $115 a game to $135. ticket drive on Thursday. But the next team entering the league should be I'm including the secondary market prices because that's what Haggith is in this market. If it wasn't such a political decision, I think it would have referring to when he says “market value.” More than 90 per cent of Leafs happened already. tickets are sold to people with season ticket packages, but a lot of those And the Leafs should start thinking of new ways to get fans in the get turned over to ticket brokers, who benefit from that difference building — even if that means a new building itself. between the “face” value and the secondary market value. I don't blame MLSE for trying to charge closer to market value for its In other words, some of the biggest beneficiaries from the fact Leafs tickets. But there are some things the league and the organization could tickets are underpriced relative to what the market will bear are the be doing here that would benefit the market and their revenues at the scalpers. MLSE obviously monitors what their tickets are worth beyond same time. face value. Part of this increase is simply putting more of that money in their pockets instead of the resellers. I talked with a few season ticket holders about the increase, and the The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2018 response was mixed. Some are understanding and believe that Leafs tickets are underpriced. Others are having a harder time accepting that, after so many lean years, the team is asking for more money as soon as they've had a little success. “I was expecting the increase last year but not the double digit one again this year,” one season ticket holder said. “But it's Toronto and no one's going to walk away I imagine. There's always the hope of a Cup run… Not so sure I agree that the 'lower' prices only benefit the professional reseller.” “Frankly it’s still a bargain,” added a Raptors season seat holder who also has a partial Leafs ticket plan. “I sell like 35 of mine a year at face value to people around the office. The tickets I wind up using are effectively free because I make such a profit on the ones I sell. Ticket prices were pretty flat this year, and they’re on a 60 win pace. What do people expect?” Season ticket holders using their seats as an investment has become hugely common in this city. Some don't attend any games at all. They'll 1101745 Websites That’s a massive gap and as it turns out the difference is actually the largest in the league this season.

What this tells us is that Hall does a lot of the heavy lifting for his team, The Athletic / By the numbers: Taylor Hall making a case for league MVP that he’s much more involved in the play than any other player and that he can make things happen better than anyone else on the Devils can, and he’s doing it at a truly elite level. It means the Devils depend on him By Dom Luszczyszyn 15 hours ago 26 to succeed far more than any other team and he doesn’t have much help around him. Most other MVP candidates play with another star player. Hall doesn't. To this day it’s still hard to believe it was one for one. Hall’s most common linemate at 5-on-5 isn't even Palmieri (though they are on the same line now), it's rookie Nico Hischier, a good player in his In the previous five seasons, only 11 other players scored more points own right, but far from a Steven Stamkos or Patrice Bergeron or Mikko per game and just two played his position. Only five of those players Rantanen. Those other players also get to play with bonafide first pairing drove play better. Only 13 players shot the puck more often than he did. defenders. Hall usually plays with John Moore, Damon Severson and/or And somehow that player was traded. Not for a premium package of Andy Greene. assets, not for a player of equal quality, but for a one-dimensional Great players play better with other great players and they’ll help elevate defensive defenseman. One for one. each other’s play. Hall doesn’t really benefit from any Devil like that. It was difficult at the time to see what could’ve possibly possessed a Marchand and Bergeron are having incredible seasons that appear better tenured hockey man to trade Taylor Hall, one of the best wingers in than Hall’s at face value, but the fact they get to play with each other hockey, for Adam Larsson, a second pairing defensemen, and the needs to be taken into consideration. The same goes for Kucherov and decision only looks worse and worse by the day as Hall singlehandedly Stamkos. Kucherov has a 13 point lead on Hall and his average Game carries a surprising New Jersey Devils team into the playoffs. Score is higher, but would that be the case if Kucherov had to play on the Devils and Hall got a cushy spot on the league’s best team? Probably That he’s been able to shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. There are only not, and that’s not to take anything away from Kucherov this season, he's a handful of players in the league with the ability to do so and Hall is one been amazing, it’s simply to point out how much tougher Hall has it and of them. why the gap between the two might not be as large as it looks. And if it is that close, then Hall being “more valuable” becomes much more relevant. One of the most controversial posts I’ve ever written was a ranking of which teams had the most “star-power” last summer and one of the Game Score is a pretty good indicator of a player’s output, but it does bigger sticking points was Hall’s place on the list as a “Tier 1 Star.” It hinge heavily on who a player plays with. Playing with a player that has a doesn’t help that the loudest detractors were Oilers fans puzzled by their high Game Score generally means that the former’s Game Score will own lack of stars, but many didn’t see Hall as a player who belonged with also be high. They generally move in lock step with each other. Just look that group of names, a player who could carry a team by himself – not at what’s happened with Sean Couturier this season moving onto a line after he failed to do so in Edmonton. with Claude Giroux after years of playing with lesser Flyers forwards. But that was the point. Even those types of stars need players around That relationship is crystal clear at 5-on-5, meaning it’s possible to them to help carry the load. Funny enough, Hall has done it anyways – measure a player’s quality of teammates (measured by average Game even without much of a supporting cast around him. Score) and compare it with what it should be based on the player’s average Game Score. As with any future forecast, there’s a lot of things that don’t hold up from that list a year later, but there should be no doubt at all about where Hall Hall’s average Game Score at 5-on-5 this season is 0.80, the eighth best belongs on it. Not after the season he’s having, a season where he’s mark in the league. With a value that high, you’d expect the average firmly entrenched himself in the Hart Trophy race, and deservedly so. forward he plays with to be around 0.60 and the average defenseman to be around 0.34. Instead, Hall is playing with forwards who average 0.36 In 59 games this season, Hall has 69 points which is tied for 12th in the and defenders who average 0.22. The seven players above him play with league and good for a 96 point pace, the best of his career. That near forwards who average 0.59 and defenders who average 0.38. 100 point pace is good for sixth in the league behind Nikita Kucherov, Nathan MacKinnon, Evgeni Malkin, Brad Marchand and Connor The difference between expected and actual for him is the worst in the McDavid. league. In other words, no player shoulders a heavier burden from the teammates they play with than Hall. He’s been on an absolute tear lately, notching 33 points in a 23-game scoring streak, the longest streak since Patrick Kane hit 26 games in His performance this season given the situation he’s faced is what makes 2015. His consistency down the stretch has been nothing short of him easily the most valuable player to his team – the Devils are a lottery remarkable and it’s a big reason why he’s in the MVP conversation. team without him – but it’s also why he has an argument for best player not just most valuable. Hall has fewer points than Kucherov, yes, but that Points aren’t everything though and Hall is killing it at 5-on-5. He’s also he’s even anywhere close when you compare their supporting casts is driving possession as well as ever with a relative Corsi percentage of 4.4 nothing short of incredible. Kucherov is the biggest reason for Tampa per cent. The gap is even larger by goals where the Devils are plus-16 Bay’s success this season, but there’s plenty of other reasons after him. with Hall on the ice at 5-on-5 and minus-21 when he’s off. Bottom line is In New Jersey, there’s really just one. It’s Hall. the Devils prosper whenever he’s on the ice and languish when he’s off. And the fact the Devils have been this successful can’t be ignored. For Combine it all and Hall comes out looking very good. His average Game whatever reason, making the playoffs is also a prerequisite to win the Score, a combination of box score stats to estimate total value, this Hart Trophy (sorry Connor and Nathan) and Hall has the Devils on track season is 1.21, good for the seventh-best mark in the league. On a game to do just that. by game basis, Hall, like a lot of superstars, rarely takes a night off. Their surprising season is likely something even the most optimistic Taking a night off isn’t a privilege he can really afford on a Devils teams Devils fans didn’t see coming, especially after finishing 27th last year. that lacks other dependable players. If he’s not at his best it’s unlikely Not a single model, bookmaker or media outlet was close. Of the 12 pre- they come out on top. Lucky for them, he usually has been this season. season predictions I’ve tracked, the Devils were ranked the 28th best While Hall is part of a crowded race for the Hart Trophy, he’s not the team in the league on average with an average point projection of 79.4 front-runner. That honour still belongs to Kucherov, who leads the league points. The highest forecaster was MoneyPuck who had them 24th with in points with 82, but is there a case that it should be Hall instead 88.9 points. We dubiously had them 31st (sorry!) with 78.8 points (a good (especially with Kucherov currently on the sidelines) despite sitting 13 lesson for why even the “worst” teams had a relatively high point points behind the leader? projection compared to what the worst actual teams get). That’s still higher than Pinnacle’s over/under price of 74.5 points. Part of that comes down to criteria where some make a distinction between “best” player and “most valuable” player. If we’re going by “most The Devils looked like a consensus bottom five team at the start of the valuable” then the Hart is Hall’s to lose, but I think he’s got a case for season and Hall’s play has them solidly in a playoff spot in March with “best” too. their chances sitting at 72 per cent right now. Them making the playoffs would be a huge surprise and it would be largely because of Hall’s With context, there’s an argument to be made for Hall. No player in the incredible play this season. league has done more with less this season. He’s done it all this year and has a pretty good case as the league’s best As mentioned earlier, Hall’s average Game Score is seventh-best in the player. If I had a vote for the Hart Trophy, he’d be my top candidate at league this season. The next best Devil, Kyle Palmieri, is ranked 93rd. this point, assuming the Devils make the playoffs and he keeps up his torrid pace. Even if he doesn’t win, the fact he’ll likely be on a majority of ballots and a likely nominee is still a major accomplishment for him. As great as many thought Hall was when he was traded, I’m not sure many saw Hart Trophy candidate in his future. But that’s exactly how good he’s been this season and he really has taken his game to a new level, solidifying himself as one of the best players in the world. Imagine that infamous Bob McKenzie tweet again. “Trade is one for one: ______for Taylor Hall.” After the 2017-18 season, how many names could you honestly put in that blank space next to Hall and get a fair deal out of it? I don’t think there are many.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101746 Websites then do move to Houston, then it’s even easier. Everybody stays where they are and the relocated Coyotes franchise creates a rivalry with the Dallas Stars. Either way, don’t expect any firm news about who plays The Athletic / Duhatschek Notebook: Impressive ticket drive has Seattle where until much further along in the process. on track for 2020, finding the next William Karlsson All of this, of course, is bad news for the NHL’s aspirants in . Technically, when the NHL accepted Vegas’s expansion bid, it didn’t turn By Eric Duhatschek 16 hours ago 12 down Quebec’s application but “deferred” it – whatever that may mean. The justification for saying no to Quebec was partly because the NHL felt the asking price of $500 million U.S., converted to Canadian dollars, was too high to create a sustainable business model, even though there was If there was ever any lingering doubt about Seattle as a viable expansion already an NHL-ready building in place and an ownership group, destination, it was mostly put to rest Thursday, during the opening day of Quebecor, with deep pockets and steady revenue streams. If the NHL their NHL-mandated season-ticket drive. According to the NHLSeattle didn’t think Quebec was financially viable with a $500 million U.S. buy-in, Twitter feed, it took 720 seconds to reach the preliminary goal of 10,000 then the new price tag – of $650 million U.S. – makes the dream of tickets sold, which is pretty close to Winnipeg-like in terms of measuring returning the Nordiques even less likely. Quebec could lure a franchise interest in a marketplace. north in the same way Winnipeg did, but those price tags are massively inflated, too. And one of the weakest Eastern Conference franchises In fact, the team’s website crashed during the early moments of the ticket financially, the Carolina Hurricanes, were buttressed recently by a campaign, and eventually, once the technical issues were remedied, the majority ownership transfer to Tom Dundon, who as part of his deal, number climbed above 25,000. Now, those are refundable ticket agreed to keep the team in Raleigh indefinitely. deposits, and not all will necessarily translate into bums in the seats or revenue in the bank. Let’s face it: Even Vegas discovered it’s a different If the league approves Seattle, they’ll begin by hiring a president and exercise when you ask people to write cheques for the full amount of then a general manager, who will face a daunting task, trying to match expensive season-tickets. Still, even any potential buyers who may pull Vegas’s early success story. out become part of the organization’s database and will be seen as customers on a game-by-game or partial season-ticket base. But that’s a Leiweke has a prior relationship with Dean Lombardi, from their days minor quibble. together in L.A., where Lombardi built the Kings from the ground up, through the draft, and they eventually won a championship together. As an expression of interest from a growing city, it was an impressive Experience in that position is going to be critical. Other teams might be opening salvo – and in many ways, was reminiscent of how Winnipeg willing to try a fresh face in the GM role, but one of the things that made fans beat down the doors to buy tickets for the relocated Jets, after True Vegas so good was that its choice to run the team, George McPhee, had North Sports & Entertainment bought the and moved been a GM for 17 years with the Washington Capitals and had been an them to the Manitoba capital. AGM before that. Even more instructive I would argue was the fact that when the potential McPhee had prior relationships with many of his peer group, which made ownership group raised an ‘NHL 2020’ flag at the Space Needle, they it much easier for him to make the sort of trades and transactions ahead were permitted to use the NHL shield in its advertising campaign. The of the expansion draft that landed him quality players and a bounty of NHL is fiercely protective of its trademarks; the fact that the shield was draft choices. It’s hard to put a price tag or a value on the contact list in being deployed tells you how favorably the NHL views this group and its McPhee’s Rolodex. That’s a critical hire and if it were me running Seattle, potential. As with Vegas, the NHL was always going to look favorably I’d wait to see what was up in Detroit with Ken Holland, who would be at upon Seattle anyway because it met the trinity of the league’s expansion the top of my wish list depending upon what happens next in his goals: A market that met the league’s strategic needs and geographic professional life. Holland has worked his entire career for Detroit, but he footprint (check); a building that would generate gobs of revenue (check); was born in Vernon and his British Columbia roots run deep. Holland is and a well-financed ownership group that could meet the current 62 and might be ready for one more professional challenge depending on expansion price tag, which has jumped to $650 million (U.S.) – up from what happens next with the Red Wings. No matter who lands the gig, it the $500 million William Foley paid when the Golden Knights became the will be a coveted job, and the line will form fast. league’s 31st franchise. The NHL has long been known as a copy-cat league and so, a lot of The bidding company is called the Oak View Group and its CEO is Tim teams, approaching the trade deadline, studied the Vegas plan, and Leiweke, who was the president and CEO of the Anschutz Entertainment wondered if there was anything they could learn from it to help them out. Group, which owns the Los Angeles Kings, and of Maple Leafs Sports The Golden Knights had one advantage over every current NHL team – and Entertainment. Perhaps more importantly from the league’s point of they started out with a blank slate – and they did so as the first expansion view, Leiweke oversaw the revitalization of what was once a seedy area team to operate in the salary-cap era, which gave them a huge in downtown Los Angeles near the Staples Center and helped turn it into advantage. an entertainment hub. More and more, there’s almost always a real estate and/or city revitalization component that accompanies any NHL Seattle’s prospective owners spent Thursday assuring everybody in their building news. Hockey teams alone can’t generate the revenues needed market that they would get the same generous expansion terms as to service debt on a $650 million investment. Vegas did, which were far more favorable than previous expansions. But equally important was the fact that Vegas started out with zero dollars Leiweke is joined in the Seattle project by two investors with the financial committed to players (until it signed Reid Duke) and that became a clout to pull it off: Investment banker David Bonderman, a minority owner currency for them. I won’t go through the entire history of how Vegas of the NBA’s Boston Celtics, and film and television producer Jerry handled the expansion draft, and all the subsequent moves. But one Bruckheimer, a long-time friend of the NHL’s. Bruckheimer has long been thing you did hear from GMs, pondering what to do and what not to at the kicking tires on a possible NHL involvement. A decade ago, I approached deadline, was: Is there another William Karlsson hidden out there that we Bruckheimer in Las Vegas at a cocktail party ahead of the NHL Awards can possibly lay our hands on? and asked him about Vegas as an expansion candidate. Bruckheimer was genially non-committal. It was in the immediate aftermath of the U.S. Of all the smart moves Vegas made in the expansion process, Karlsson’s financial crisis and plans to construct the building that eventually became unexpected emergence is right at the top. Developing a genuine No. 1 the T-Mobile Arena had been shelved indefinitely. centre is just about the hardest thing to do in the NHL. Karlsson was on a deep Columbus Blue Jackets roster and internally, they just liked Alex In terms of the timeline, Seattle has already formally made its expansion Wennberg better. So Wennberg got the opportunity and eventually the application. The next step is to bring the matter to the attention of the contract and when all the other pieces slotted in behind him, Karlsson board of governors in June, which gives them just under four months to was a bit part. He played, but he didn’t play big minutes and he didn’t get complete the vetting process. The league has been embarrassed in the the opportunity to shine and Vegas grabbed him in the expansion and in past by hastily embracing ownership candidates who were not as fiscally an expanded role, he took full advantage and now is one of the top sound as advertised, but in Seattle’s case, because of the NHL’s scorers in the league. familiarity with Leiweke and Bruckheimer, that probably will not raise any unexpected red flags. And if the franchise is awarded and if the If one trade had the specter of William Karlsson hanging over it, it was governors can be convinced the renovations to Seattle’s KeyArena will Edmonton’s acquisition of Pontus Aberg from the Nashville Predators for be completed on schedule, the NHL’s 32nd franchise could be ready to Mark Letestu (who was subsequently flipped by the Preds to Columbus debut as early as the 2020-21 season. for a fourth-round pick). Seattle will slide neatly into the Pacific Division, which of course leaves Most people had their first look at Aberg during last year’s playoffs, when them with one team too many. The easy fix is to transfer both Calgary injuries took out Kevin Fiala, Ryan Johansen and others from Nashville’s and Edmonton to the Central and shift Colorado to the Pacific. That, of lineup. He’s got speed and has shown the ability to score goals at the course, assumes the Coyotes survive in Phoenix. If they don’t and if they minor-league level. If he gets to play more in Edmonton, could he be another Karlsson? Or if not Karlsson, then some reasonable facsimile of Predator next October, no matter how this spring’s playoffs unfold. Same Karlsson, because the Oilers really needed an upgrade in the speed with Aberg and the Oilers. department and in their top six. Probably not. “The challenge for all young players is consistency,” said Poile, “and But look at the similarities. Karlsson was born in January 1993, is from Edmonton’s probably going to get (Aberg) at the right time of his career. Marsta, Sweden and was the 53rd player chosen in the 2011 entry draft. This has to be a disappointing season for him. It could just be perfect After playing for HV Jonkoping his final year in Sweden, Karlsson played timing for him – to take off to a new level.” parts of two seasons in the AHL before becoming a full-time NHLer. Aberg was born nine months after Karlsson – September 1993 – and NHL free agents generally avoid teams with a losing culture, but as long was the 37th player chosen in the 2012 entry draft. After playing for as Edmonton has Connor McDavid as its centerpiece, it will remain an Djurgarden and then Farjestads in his final two seasons in Sweden, he attractive destination. The chance to ride shotgun for a generational came to North America and played parts of three years in the AHL. Last player would trump all else. Think of what playing with Mario Lemieux did year, in 56 games for Milwaukee, he scored 31 goals. for Warren Young. You’d have to think, if you’re Edmonton and looking for speed and “True,” said Poile. “But for every Warren Young, there are 10 guys that planning to give someone a chance to play top-six minutes, acquiring got a chance to play with Mario and couldn’t do it.” Aberg makes tons of sense – and there are some genuine comparables when you consider his career path against Karlsson’s. Of course, Karlsson took advantage of the opportunity and not everybody does. But The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2018 still, it’s a transaction that flew under the radar compared to some of the bigger deals that transpired at the deadline, but I wonder if long-term, it might have a significant impact. As with all these hope deals for future, we’ll see how it unfolds down the road. The fact that Patrick Maroon was on the move was partly because of that. Edmonton is, overall, too slow this year, which is an odd thing to say when they have the fastest player in the NHL, Connor McDavid. But the rest are plodders and if Vegas, this year, proved anything, it’s that a team that plays the game at a high tempo throughout can overcome all sorts of other obstacles. And since Milan Lucic is practically unmovable because of his contract, you really can’t afford to have two wingers that lumber as part of your top group. Who knows about Aberg? But Nashville had a surplus of forwards, is going for it this year, and so was prepared to let him go to bank a draft pick for later use. It’s a worthwhile gamble and as in all these sorts of minor moves, you just never know what is going to hit. I ran my theory about Aberg and Karlsson past the man who made the trade, Nashville GM David Poile, and he agreed with the basic premise – that sometimes, if a player cannot find traction in one organization, the opportunity provided by a different organization can be galvanizing. “As a manager for a good long time, it’s never really a good idea to trade younger players,” said Poile. “Someone like Aberg, who was a high draft pick, and has had steady progress in Milwaukee, scoring 30 goals last year and coming up and playing some games for the Predators and in the playoffs, we had high hopes he would fit into our lineup. For whatever reason, whether it was him or us, there wasn’t a fit. So, I think all the potential is there. At some point, you have to make a decision about whether it’s going to work with you and the player – and then make that decision. “I certainly don’t wish him any bad luck. I just wish, if it was going to happen, it was going to happen on our time.” The Predators essentially replaced Aberg in the lineup with Ryan Hartman, acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks, for a package that included a first-round draft choice. That’s the other trend at this year’s deadline that has changed significantly over the arc of Poile’s career. There was a time when teams would never even consider a trade with a divisional rival, on the grounds that you never wanted to get burned by a former player. Nashville and Chicago have bumped into each other in the playoffs lots over the past few years, the Predators finally getting the upper hand last spring, after losing out in all the previous series. But it wasn’t just them. Toronto and Montreal made a deal – Tomas Plekanec, heading to the Leafs. New Jersey grabbed Michael Grabner from the Rangers. Calgary made an inquiry about Letestu in their search for a right-handed centre, but couldn’t match Nashville’s offer. Once in a while – and this is especially true in goalie trades – teams may want to park a future star as far away as possible. When Vancouver traded Cory Schneider, for example, Edmonton offered a better package, but the prospect of Schneider coming back to haunt the Canucks made New Jersey a preferred destination. Similarly, Calgary made a comparable offer to Anaheim for Frederik Andersen, but since the packages were not dissimilar, the Ducks accepted Toronto’s offer, knowing the only way Andersen could come back and haunt them is if they met in a Stanley Cup final. Mostly though, teams worry about filling their own needs – and if the best match is with a team in its division, and even a team that it counts among its top rivals, they go forward with the deal. For rentals, as opposed to players with term, it’s far easier to pull the trigger on a deal with an arch rival. More and more of the transactions at this year’s deadline were so- called hockey deals, where there was term left. Hartman will be a 1101747 Websites in Montreal, experiencing the lows of the job at such an early age that it made him better prepared to deal with them when he hit his prime years.

Galchenyuk has lived through an interminable debate over what position The Athletic / Basu: Alex Galchenyuk, a veteran in a young man’s body he should play, the pressure of being the Canadiens’ highest draft pick since Doug Wickenheiser was taken No 1 overall in 1980, the highs and lows of learning to be an offensive impact player in the NHL, the years of By Arpon Basu 6 hours ago 3 trade rumours – rumours his general manager brought up all on his own for some reason as recently as Monday – and appears to have settled into a groove where he understands what matters and what doesn’t. BROOKLYN – Alex Galchenyuk has nights like this; nights where he “The way you look at it, at one point you’re 24, I mean who am I kidding? looks unstoppable, dominant, whatever adjective you want to attach to it. I’m still so young,” Galchenyuk said. “But at the same time, you see the league is so young, it’s 18, 19, 20-year-old guys, so you kind of feel like a Those nights always serve to remind you of how gifted a hockey player veteran. It’s my sixth year, so I’ve kind of been in a similar situation two Galchenyuk really is, how difficult he is to handle for NHL defencemen, years ago with not making the playoffs and so much negativity, but we how much of an impact he can have on a game. keep pushing, keep trying to get wins. It’s kind of a similar season, so it’s Then, you are left wanting more, and it doesn’t come. on us to kind of show the younger guys what it takes to keep going. This adversity is only going to make us better as a team.” That’s when the narrative on Galchenyuk turns, because he leaves you wanting more, and players who leave you wanting more can sometimes Does that sound like the same old Galchenyuk to you? If it does, it make you forget the talent that makes you feel that way. shouldn’t. So when Galchenyuk scores a hat trick and adds an assist in a 6-3 win Maybe Galchenyuk won’t suddenly start producing from now until the end against the New York Islanders – the Canadiens putting another dagger of the season, and even if he does it will likely be written off by many in their playoff hopes after beating them 3-1 at the Bell Centre on because it’s coming in garbage time of the season. Wednesday – the instinctive reaction is to wonder what you are seeing. But what’s important is that Galchenyuk not care what people think. And Is this more of the same? Will we be left wanting more? he seems to have figured that out. It’s possible we will. It’s possible Galchenyuk will go another 15 games without scoring a goal, just like the streak he ended Friday night. It’s The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2018 possible, but it seems unlikely. “You know, with all the talk going on outside, I think the most important thing in the world is as long as you know in which direction you’re going personally, that’s what matters the most,” Galchenyuk said after the game. “I mean, yeah, I scored 30 two years ago and I had a great start last year then got injured, but throughout the last couple of months I think I’ve been playing my best hockey. “The numbers don’t show it, that’s what people focus on – and that’s understandable, if I’m being realistic I focus on that too. But at the end of the day I knew a game like this was going to come soon, and I’m happy it came tonight.” This seems different because Galchenyuk seems different. Because he’s able to say things like that and do so with a comfort level and confidence that wasn’t there before. He’s growing up and it shows, and it showed long before Friday night. On Tuesday, Galchenyuk sat down after practice and spent 10 minutes talking to a few reporters about his game, about how comfortable he feels, about his knee injury last season and how long it took him to feel right again, how Claude Julien never got a chance to see the real him last season, how he’s growing as a player without the puck. He talked for 10 minutes about a lot of things and was comfortable doing it. It’s not only with the media, Julien has noticed it as well. “I didn’t know him before, but even since I’ve been here, absolutely he’s matured,” Julien said. “Maturity is just growing up as a pro, just year after year. Players eventually figure it out, and he’s figuring it out. He’s been good, and he’s also been good for Scherby. He’s got him working out after games and all that stuff and trying to be a leader in his own way.” “Scherby” is Nikita Scherbak, who indeed appears to have been taken under Galchenyuk’s wing this season. There they were in Philadelphia a couple of weeks ago shooting hoops together prior to the game, just the two of them chirping each other about their jump shots in Russian (or maybe they were exchanging angel food cake recipes, for all I know). There they were Friday morning, hanging out in the dressing room talking about James Harden’s filthy crossover that broke poor Wesley Johnson’s ankles, and laughing about how Harden stared him down before draining a three-pointer. Could you imagine any player being taken under Galchenyuk’s wing a year ago? Six months ago? No. “You know, I just turned 24 and for three or four years I was always the youngest guy,” Galchenyuk said. “It was always cool, but I’m happy to see younger guys than me coming in and playing big minutes, playing big roles. That’s what this league is about, it’s about young players coming in hungry and wanting to prove themselves.” At age 24, there were six players in the Canadiens lineup on Friday who are younger than Galchenyuk. But he’s already been through so much at such a young age that feeling like a veteran should be somewhat natural to him at this point. It is not dissimilar to what happened with Carey Price 1101748 Websites Edler has 26 points in 53 games this season, which is already his second-best total in the last six years.

He would have enjoyed his special night far more had the Canucks won. Sportsnet.ca / Alex Edler's special night comes after years of consistent But the Predators, legitimate Stanley Cup contenders, exerted their will play after falling behind 2-0. After Daniel Sedin flipped in his own rebound – Edler had the second Iain MacIntyre | @imacSportsnet March 3, 2018, 2:11 AM assist – to put the Canucks ahead 3-2 at 11:54 of the third period during Johansen’s penalty, Ryan Ellis’ slapshot past Vancouver winger Jake Virtanen and goalie Jacob Markstrom tied it 3-3 at 17:45. VANCOUVER – For much of his 12 years with the Vancouver Canucks, It was the second straight overtime loss for the Canucks, but in many Alex Edler has been defined by the things he is not. ways more impressive than their 6-5 thrill-ride Wednesday against the New York Rangers. He never became the Norris Trophy candidate he had the potential to be. He does not dominate physically often enough. He is not a No. 1 The Canucks moved up several weight classes Friday. defenceman as most people define it, not a classic power play quarterback. He is not emotional, not fiery, not loud in any way. In some It wasn’t a fluke last season that the Predators made it to the Stanley games, he is not even particularly noticeable. Now 31-years-old, the soft- Cup final, and it shouldn’t shock anyone if they win a championship in spoken defenceman never became a true star in the National Hockey June. An excellent team has been made even better by the mid-season League. additions of Kyle Turris and Ryan Hartman, and the Predators’ brought to Vancouver a six-game winning streak in which they had outscored And yet with all these "failings," what Alex Edler became Friday was the opponents 29-12. highest scoring defenceman in franchise history, which tells you something about how special he really is. But the Canucks, who have had more moral victories lately than real ones, pushed the pace early and was three minutes away from winning. Edler had a pair of assists in the Canucks’ 4-3 overtime loss to the Nashville Predators, who overcame a two-goal deficit, tied the game late Edler wasn’t the only player to have a special night. in the third and won it on Calle Jarnkrock’s top-corner shot 43 seconds Former Nashville captain Mike Fisher, signed out of retirement, scored in into overtime. his first game since last season. For the 37-year-old and his team, Playing some of the best hockey of his career last two months after it everything is now a rehearsal for the playoffs. There are much bigger seemed like his decline would follow the team’s, Edler passed former games ahead for Nashville. mentor Mattias Ohlund’s 325 points on the Canucks’ career scoring list. Edler’s biggest game was Friday. Ohlund’s name is already on the Canucks’ Ring of Honour inside Rogers Arena. One day, flaws and all, Edler will be there, too. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.03.2018 "There’s been a lot of criticism," Canucks captain Henrik Sedin said of his teammate. "I think that comes from coming in as young as he was and doing a lot of good things right away. I think people put an unfair expectation on him. But he’s one of those guys who shows up every game. There’s a mistake here and there, which happens for everyone. But him playing D and top minutes every night, maybe you notice it more because he’s playing against every team’s top guys and (mistakes) come back and hurt you sometimes. "Eddie’s a great defenceman, the best this team has had in a long time and maybe ever. But I don’t think people realize the little things he does on a nightly basis. He plays hurt; he’s an old-school guy that way. He goes out and battles." Edler logged 25:58 of ice time against the Predators, and that doesn’t include his brief twirl to acknowledge the standing ovation that occurred when his milestone was announced at the end of regulation time. Canucks defenceman Erik Gudbranson was speared in the crotch by Predator Ryan Johansen, whose major penalty halfway through the third period cost Nashville a goal but not the game. But no one looked more uncomfortable than Edler did in the spotlight. "I’m happy the fans had a chance to recognize him," Sedin said. "But I don’t know how much he enjoyed it." Edler was discovered by scout Thomas Gradin playing in obscurity in a semi-pro beer league at age 18, and as a third-rounder in 2004 became one of the great draft picks in Canucks history. His entire career has been spent with the Canucks. Friday was his 741st game. "I think early on I was pretty inconsistent like a lot of young Ds," Edler said. "The coaches worked on me to get more consistent and I think that’s what I got better at later in my career. When I look at Mattias Ohlund, he was always consistent. That’s what I always wanted to be as a defenceman in this league." But what about all the things other people wanted him to be? "I think I’ve always tried to focus what’s expected from myself and my coaches and my teammates, and not so much what’s around me," he said. "I think my game has been going the same as the team where we’ve had a few years where the team wasn’t as good and my game flattened out a little bit." But he agreed he is playing better now. It’s an uptick in performance most players can’t manufacture in their 30s once their game starts to erode. 1101749 Websites Want to livestream 56 Leafs games this season? See how you can stream this + over 300 regular season NHL games with Sportsnet NOW.

Capitals coach Barry Trotz joked that he felt better about the odds of Sportsnet.ca / Weather wreaking havoc ahead of Maple Leafs-Capitals getting it in when his house was still standing Friday morning after a outdoor game wind-swept night. “Maybe we’ll have to flip a coin for the end zone like football,” said Trotz. Chris Johnston | @reporterchris March 2, 2018, 3:15 PM “It’s part of it. You better not be too tired on the backcheck against the wind because you’ll never get back. We’ll see how it is. The league will decide and if we’re going to play for how windy it is.” The players didn’t really know what to expect. ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The NHL’s outdoor expeditions have been Newly acquired Leafs centre Tomas Plekanec has played in three prior threatened by rain and delayed by sun. Concerns about cold are outdoor games and only had to break out a bulkier turtleneck to contend commonplace and, on a balmy night at Dodger Stadium at least, there’s with the cold: “It was like minus-15, minus-20 [Celsius], which was pretty even been the odd question about heat. hard.” Never before has wind entered the equation — at least not to the degree Frederik Andersen’s only other experience came at the Centennial Mother Nature let loose on the eve of Saturday’s Toronto-Washington Classic on New Year’s Day 2017. That was a picturesque afternoon for Stadium Series game. Jan. 1 in Toronto. “Hold on to your hats!” exclaimed Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock, and “We never really skated on the ponds back home,” said the Danish he wasn’t kidding. goalie. “I’m sure it’s more for the kids from Canada.” Everything not strapped down at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium The idea of accounting for wind was largely a foreign concept even with was in serious danger of blowing away in gusts that reached up to 80 rosters full of outdoor game veterans. Expect the teams to switch ends kilometres per hour. midway through the third period to nullify any potential advantage pertaining to the conditions. That included part of a temporary TV studio that stood no chance against the elements. Workers wisely removed the glass from around the boards Despite the uncertainty, everyone seemed to be taking things in stride. where the teams are scheduled to play at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday night. And at least one man had resorted to deploying the power of positive thought. Despite high winds hitting the Annapolis area today, the NHL continues preparations for tomorrow's #StadiumSeries game. The “Tomorrow we’re going to get up, there’s going to be no wind and we’re League is monitoring conditions and as of now, the game is still going to have a good game tomorrow night,” said Babcock. “That’s just scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. the way it’s going to be.” While it was anything but hockey weather, it didn’t dampen the spirits of Fingers crossed. the players.

“Yeah, I was just telling [Jake Gardiner], I was actually making fun of his shot saying that if he threw one to the net with this kind of wind it might Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.03.2018 just stop in mid-air and just fall down,” said Leafs centre Nazem Kadri, with a chuckle. “It’s going to be certainly a challenge, but we’re ready for anything.” That’s basically the only way to approach a situation beyond your control. This will be the 25th time the NHL has taken a regular-season game outdoors, and each has faced its own unique circumstances. When they held the 2015 Winter Classic up the road at Nationals Park, the January sun was so warm that players wore shorts while kicking soccer balls around on the field beforehand. The schedule maker probably would have bet that March 3 was likely to produce similarly favourable conditions here and then a Nor’easter slammed the entire East Coast, bringing heavy winds, rain and snow while grounding numerous flights. On Friday, the Weather Network carried a high-wind warning for Annapolis that read: “Widespread power outages are occurring. Travel is dangerous, especially for high profile vehicles, and motorists need to be aware of rapidly changing road conditions due to the potential of downed trees and power lines. Pedestrians will face very hazardous conditions, and need to be aware of wind-borne projectiles.” Right, so about that hockey game… The NHL wouldn’t allow anyone to set foot in the bowl of the 34,000-seat stadium on Friday afternoon out of concerns for debris. That forced both teams to move scheduled practices indoors and likely means they’ll become the first to play an NHL outdoor game with only a quick 15- minute warmup on the temporary surface immediately before puck drop. Fortunately, the forecast was calling for the high winds to die down by around 6 a.m. on Saturday. The NHL’s hockey operations department was planning to meet between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., and will make a determination on the playing conditions in conjunction with team officials and the NHLPA. There’s a contingency in place to move the game to 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, if necessary. That would be a first. The Capitals-Penguins Winter Classic game in 2011 was shifted from an afternoon start to one at night, and a number of others have been delayed by sun, but never has an outdoor game been pushed back a day. 1101750 Websites Bettman and the league have had a past relationship with Jerry Bruckheimer, one of the potential owners of a Seattle franchise, and the commissioner was asked if that familiarity helps at all. Sportsnet.ca / Gary Bettman talks Calgary arena, Seattle expansion • “In terms of the process, I’m not sure how familiar any of them were ticket drive, future Olympics with doing a season-ticket drive like this. My guess is they’ve consulted with Winnipeg and Las Vegas, among others, to get a sense of how they did their ticket drives and used the benefit of that experience for them to Rory Boylen | @RoryBoylen March 2, 2018, 5:41 PM initiate what they did yesterday.” Though the NHL did not participate in the 2018 Olympics in South Korea, there is some belief the league would be more interested in returning to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman spoke to the media Friday in Calgary the Beijing Games in 2022, given their interest in the Chinese market. as he continued his western Canadian trip through Alberta and The NHL played games in China this season and will do so again next Vancouver. season as they work on making inroads into a huge, untapped market. He touched on topics ranging from Olympic participation, to the arena On Friday, Bettman was re-iterated that the league had no regrets about situation in the city, the Seattle expansion process and the prospect of skipping Pyeongchang and was non-committal on Beijing. changing the NHL’s playoff format. “It’s a long way off, we haven’t thought about it,” Bettman said of 2022 Right out of the gate, Bettman said he didn’t have any breaking news and participation. “We are perfectly comfortable with having not been at these that his availability in the city was strictly due to the fact he was on a trip Olympics. When you look at the last three weeks of our season, the through that part of the country. Bettman repeated the same talking individual performances, the runs some of our teams have been on, the points he’s hit on in the past because, as he stated, “there’s nothing intensity of our regular season right now, and the races, the trade going on” since the Flames pulled out of arena talks in September. deadline, all of that, including the very competitiveness of our season, would have been put in jeopardy. I think the league made a good • “I completely concur with the position that the Flames have assumed decision and I’m not going to predict what’s going to be in the future, because I don’t see any point either in there being any talks,” Bettman while we’re very focused on helping to build the game of hockey in said. “They’re no longer pursuing a new arena or a new development China, in Asia. I’m not sure whether or if participation in the 2022 because they don’t see any prospect of that happening on any terms that Olympics is an essential or important part of that. It’s a long way off. I’m make any sense.” not sure.” Naturally, some questions turned to the long-term outlook for this In fact, Bettman has suggested moving the hockey tournament to the situation if a new arena deal is never agreed on. Summer Olympics so that the league could participate without • “I’m not here to issue any threats,” the commissioner said. “It’s clear interrupting its season. He said that while he and, he expects, the league that this is the oldest building in the league. It’s clear that the team needs would be amenable to that route, it’s not a movement that’s generating a new building. By the way, Calgary is a great market, great fans here, much momentum at this point. but the building is as important a factor as anything else. The team’s “It gets no traction whatsoever,” Bettman said of the summer idea. “When competitive situation, financial stability, is obviously being impacted with I ask it I almost get the sense that there’s a ridicule somewhere in the each season they stay here (at the Saddledome). This used to be a top- reaction.” 10 team (in generating revenue). Calgary is one of our great markets, but again the building is the issue. This is a top-10 team. It used to write a Finally, Bettman was asked if there was any desire from the league to check for revenue sharing, for the last couple of years they have been change the playoff format and allow more teams entry as the league receiving checks. The checks are getting bigger, which means the expands to an anticipated 32 teams in the coming years. situation financially continues to deteriorate and that will effect ultimately the competitiveness, I suppose, of the organization. But they have said, “Not from my standpoint and not from most of the governors I’ve talked the organization has, that they’re going to do the best they can for as to,” he said. “We think what we have right now is really pretty terrific. The long as they can. regular season is compelling, exciting, unpredictable and we have great races. We’re going to have teams that make or don’t make the playoffs “I want to be clear about this: a lot of the public rhetoric concerning this by a point or two. I think what we’ve got right now is pretty good. And I involving some of my previous statements, every statement I’ve made believe most of our clubs feel the same way. And the feedback we get has been in response to a question, so I’m being very careful in from fans from the research we do is similar. I don’t foresee a change.” answering the questions because I’m not trying to precipitate a debate on this visit. I’m here because I try to get everywhere. I’m not here to beat the drum on a new building. The situation is what it is and you all know what it is.” Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.03.2018 Ryan Dixon and Rory Boylen go deep on pucks with a mix of facts and fun, leaning on a varied group of hockey voices to give their take on the country’s most beloved game. For years, Bettman and the NHL have stood committed to keeping the Coyotes in Phoenix, including a period in which they owned the team. The Atlanta Thrashers, meanwhile, were moved relatively quickly to Winnipeg after that franchise had its own struggles. The question was asked to Bettman how important it is to have strong and stable franchises in Canada. • “Of course it’s important (to have stable Canadian franchises),” he said. “We had the Canadian Assistance Plan back before the current collective bargaining system when the league wasn’t really in an economic position to do that, we recognized the strength of the Canadian franchise … and history is full of situations where we’ve been successful in keeping franchises in place and where we haven’t been successful. It’s unfortunate when we’re not successful, but we try to be successful.” Bettman spoke in Calgary one day after it was revealed the Oak View Group had collected over 25,000 ticket deposits in its ticket drive, including 10,000 in the first 12 minutes. It was the first step towards bringing an NHL expansion team to the U.S. Pacific Northwest. • “They have begun what looks like an amazing expression of interest. We’re aware of it,” Bettman noted. “Obviously, that’s one of the many factors that we have to evaluate as we go through the expansion process. And other than the ticket drive, which obviously didn’t seem like it’s taking a whole lot of time, we’re in the infancy of the process. So there are some boxes we have to evaluate and check before the board gets anywhere close to having to make a decision.” 1101751 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Why Taylor Hall is firmly in the conversation for the Hart Trophy

Andrew Berkshire March 2, 2018, 1:49 PM

Taylor Hall is scorching hot right now. Since the calendar turned to 2018, only Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby have more than Hall’s 33 points in 23 games, and there hasn’t been a single one of those games in which he’s failed to record a point. That streak is one of the most impressive in the modern era. The streak has propelled Hall into the Hart Trophy conversation, not just because he’s now 12th in the NHL in points, but also because he has been involved in 37.1 per cent of the goals the New Jersey Devils have scored this season. That’s the fifth-best mark in the league after Connor McDavid, Johnny Gaudreau, Claude Giroux, and Anze Kopitar. Bolstering Hall’s case is the fact that no player leading their team in scoring has as big of a gap between them and the second place scorer on their team than does Hall, who has 28 more points than rookie Nico Hischier — not to mention he has more than twice as many points as third place Jesper Bratt. Those numbers alone would put a player in conversation for the Hart Trophy, but it’s easy to be in consideration for the award in the midst of a hot streak. So, despite a hot two months, it’s important to look at Hall’s season as a whole to see if his stats back up the hype. Relative to his teammates, Hall is easily one of the strongest players in the league, not just because he makes his teammates better in every category, but because he brings them from below 50 per cent to above it in all those categories as well; he’s a one-man, play-driving machine. He’s getting some good fortune in on-ice goals, with a 102.74 PDO driven by an 11.11 per cent on-ice shooting percentage, so there’s some luck in these numbers for sure. However, at the end of the season, whether it’s repeatable or not, the deed is done and it’s just an accomplishment. The fact is, when you look at the offensive numbers behind Hall’s production, it’s not surprising that he’s had a brilliant year. Hall is one of the NHL’s rare players who is elite from a shooting and playmaking perspective, the same sort of skillset that has continued to make Phil Kessel an impact player despite a very real defensive deficiency. Hall doesn’t have that deficiency, though. In fact even after last season’s underwhelming offensive totals, he ranked second among left wingers over the past three seasons in my rankings project because he was the best transition player in the league at his position, and nearly as strong defensively as offensively. Hall is 14th in the league in chances generated for his teammates, and 19th in personal scoring chances league-wide at 5-on-5. Only McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Travis Konecny create more scoring chances off the rush than Hall. Hall has always been able to produce goals without much talent around him, but this season he’s turned the dial up to 11 (per cent on-ice shooting percentage) and dragged an OK Devils team into playoff position with a seven-point cushion and 18 games remaining. Maybe you’re thinking that there are conspicuously few areas where Hall is ranking first or second in the league, and that should take him a notch down for the Hart. But you should remember what the Hart Trophy actually is. Too many people believe that the Hart Trophy is for the league’s best player, but it isn’t. The Hart is given out annually to the “player judged to be most valuable to his team.” If you want an award for the league’s best player, you should be looking at the oft-ignored Ted Lindsay Award, which is actually given to the “NHL’s most outstanding player” by the NHLPA. If you’re looking at players who are most valuable to their teams, it’s almost impossible to say Hall doesn’t at least deserve to be nominated.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101752 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Maple Leafs' Kadri on why he clicks with Marner, Marleau

Mike Johnston | @MikeyJ_MMA March 2, 2018, 2:55 PM

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been amongst the NHL’s hottest teams since the turn of the calendar and one major reason for that is the collective success of the line featuring Nazem Kadri, Patrick Marleau and Mitchell Marner. The Maple Leafs are third in the Atlantic behind Tampa Bay and Boston and, although it will be an uphill climb, a division title is within reach with 16 games remaining in the regular season. “We feel confident,” Kadri told Hockey Central at Noon Friday. “There’s lots of belief in this team. … We’re hoping to get a couple bounces in the next month but really our fate is in our own hands and that’s what we want.” After going through a 20-game stretch from early December to mid January during which he registered just one goal and one assist, Kadri has tallied nine goals and 19 points in the past 17 games. He has Marner and Marleau to thank for many of those points. Marner is playing perhaps the best hockey of his career with Kadri as his centre and the sophomore winger has 11 goals and 21 points in his past 17 contests. Although Marleau has chipped in with only nine points in those 17 games, the 38-year-old might just be the glue that holds the line together. “He skates. That’s his strength and he can certainly put the puck in the net when you give him the opportunity,” Kadri said of Marleau. “Patty’s the lead dog as far as forechecking goes and he’s usually been on the forecheck forcing defencemen to turn the puck over to me and Mitch and we just try to make as many plays as possible. “Obviously all three of us have the chemistry there and we’ve been able to generate tons of offence but still be responsible defensively and I think that’s what really makes a dangerous line.” Auston Matthews remains out with a shoulder injury so there’s even more pressure on Kadri’s line to perform and so far they’ve passed with flying colours. The Leafs have dropped two straight—in a shootout to the Lightning and in overtime against the Panthers—and are hoping to snap the streak Saturday night when they visit the Washington Capitals in a Stadium Series game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. “I think it’s a great set-up,” Kadri said of the Leafs’ second outdoor game in as many years. “We’re just kinda hoping the weather holds up.”

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101753 Websites how much they dislike playing against him, you realize how important he is to our team.”

We’ve heard the Hart buzz, which likely fizzles with the broken foot. But Sportsnet.ca / Quick Shifts: Why trade seeds can get planted in summer what about the Art Ross? Could Bergeron win that trophy one day if he set his mind to it? Luke Fox | @lukefoxjukebox March 2, 2018, 2:12 PM “If he just wanted to play offence, cheat to score goals and make plays,” Marchand said.

“If you want to be a high-end guy, you have to cheat a bit. Everybody does it. All the top guys in the league that score, they cheat. They definitely don’t play the defence that he plays. If he wanted to go that, he A quick mix of the things we gleaned from the week of hockey, serious could definitely be up there.” and less so, and rolling four lines deep. 5. They’re still talking about that kiss. 1. Because real hockey news is so scarce in late July and early August, I’ve tracked all the NHL arbitration cases of the past three summers When Marchand faced off against the Maple Leafs Saturday for the first (2015, 2016, 2017). time since he smooched Leo Komarov on the cheek instead of fighting him, players on both sides of the rivalry were asked about the pest’s A bunch of the names that popped up on the list were moved to new unique kill-’em-with-kindness strategy. teams in the days and hours leading up to Monday’s trade deadline: Tobias Rieder, Tomas Tatar, Petr Mrazek, Vladislav Namestnikov, Ryan “Nobody ever thinks that [is coming]. I think that left Leo a little confused Spooner and J.T. Miller. Several other players with recent arbitration in his mind, not knowing what the relationship is going forward,” Mitch filings had long been dealt (Peter Holland) or are constantly in trade Marner said. “That’s a confusing thing to do to someone, but whatever rumours (Alex Galchenyuk). works. He’s a helluva player out there.” If you’re looking for a red flag that a team and a player might not be long Marchand denied there was any tactical motive pushing his lips toward for each other, an arbitration filing is a biggie. Uncle Leo’s face. Even though most NHL cases are settled before an actual hearing takes “I wasn’t really trying to make him uncomfortable,” he said. “I thought we place, a seed of distrust is planted. We see you as less valued than you were having a moment.” see yourself. It’s nasty stuff. (See: Stroman, Marcus) Watch here. However, not all arbitration paperwork ends up going full P.K. Subban. Brayden Holtby and the Capitals seem to have a healthy relationship, for 6. Sabres enforcer turned analyst Rob Ray appeared on Boomer and instance. Warrener in the Morning to discuss the two big names in Buffalo that made headlines at the deadline: Evander Kane and Robin Lehner. So, which RFAs that hold arbitration rights in the summer of 2018 could be in for a wage war? According to Ray, trading Kane was less about ensuring a massive return and more about taking the first step of getting the dressing room Mrazek, Namestnikov and Miller could all be at it again with their new under control for the younger kids coming in. clubs. “There were too many question marks following him. You can understand For various reasons, the names Robin Lehner, Mark Stone, William it. I tell you what: Now that he is out, there’s a pretty happy group of 20- Karlsson, Jason Zucker, Mathew Dumba and Andreas Athanasiou all pop some guys in the dressing room,” Ray said of the stud winger. “There out as players who could push for more money than their GMs are eager was some [maturation] in certain areas. In other ways, some people are to surrender. never going to change. They’re going to be that same person. Over time, it kinda wears on a group, especially a group that things aren’t going well 2. How will Colorado’s slide from a playoff position affect Nathan for.” MacKinnon‘s Hart Trophy chances? What about Claude Giroux and the Flyers’ ascension? Patrice Bergeron‘s broken foot? Taylor Hall‘s After leaving Winnipeg and Buffalo unceremoniously, it would be ridiculous point streak? fantastic if Kane — still a young talent — can find a fit with San Jose. How hard Doug Wilson tries to re-sign the impending UFA will be telling. This is shaping up to be a compelling awards season, and one related debate that arises every spring is whether members of the Professional As for Lehner, who denied a reported trade request, Ray said the goalie Hockey Writers Association should make their ballots public. I’m curious says things post-game out of emotion, then second-guesses some of his what fans think… words. Responsibility weighs on him. He cares so much, that when things start going sideways in the Sabres’ end, he “starts to play coach” 3. The servers receiving the flood of deposits when the NHL in Seattle’s and gets distracted. ticket drive opened Thursday were overloaded with traffic like they were CapFriendly.com on trade deadline day. Too much excitement to handle. “If he was on a team that had a defensive core in front of him that could play defence, he’d be really good,” Ray said. “If he was on a good team? This likely wasn’t a shock to Mathew Barzal, who played four seasons for Heck, yeah. He can stop the puck.” the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds. 7. You know that ol’ saying: Their fans travel well. “It was a really good hockey market when we were playing. The fans jumped on us pretty quick, and we were getting 5,000 to 6,000 a night in So, ticket re-sellers SeatGeek put some math to that sentiment and junior in a little town outside of the city,” Barzal says. found out which visiting teams drum up the most business. “It’ll be a good spot for a hockey team. I think it’s going to be cool. I’m a The struggling Chicago Blackhawks still lead the way, with the Penguins, Vancouver guy, so that’ll be good for a rivalry. Vancouver fans will jump Rangers, Canadiens and Maple Leafs rounding out the top five: on that quick. The city of Seattle is enthusiastic about sports.” 8. With sharp San Jose backup Aaron Dell inking a two-year extension I asked the 2018 Calder champ if he ever made a road trip from B.C. to this week for $1.9 million per season, the free agent market for goalies check out Mariners or Seahawks games. has gone from thin to thinner. Nope. Barzal was never much a baseball or football guy. He’s into No netminder set to hit the open market has more than 18 wins. hockey, lacrosse and basketball — and as a ’97 baby, the Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp glory days were before his time. St. Louis’s Carter Hutton (16 wins, .935 save percentage) is looking like the best of a bunch that features a handful of familiar backups (Cam 4. Go ahead. Accuse Brad Marchand of a lot of things, but please don’t Ward, Jonathan Bernier, Anton Khudobin, ) and a couple accuse him of being a bad quote. starters who’ve struggled with health and/or inconsistency issues (Jaroslav Halak, Antti Raanta). When the Bruins rolled through Toronto, Marchand gave the typical praise for his (now injured) centreman, Patrice Bergeron. He’s smart, Keep an eye on two guys who could shake the market. talented, and avoids high-risk plays. But then he took it a step further. Michael Hutchinson: Despite battling concussions, Winnipeg’s third- “He should definitely be up in the Hart Trophy race every year,” stringer is having the best pro season of his life, posting a .942 save Marchand said. “When you talk to guys he plays against and you hear percentage in the AHL. He won both his NHL appearances and put up a .933 save percentage in a tiny sample size with his big club. He’s only 27. The Jets need to give RFA Connor Hellebuyck a juicy raise, but veteran Steve Mason is on the books for one more season at $4.1 million. Petr Mrazek: The Flyers’ new favourite goalie is set to turn RFA, but if Ron Hextall doesn’t offer the Czech a qualifying offer of $4.15 million (his 2017-18 salary), he’ll turn unrestricted instead. Mrazek is off to a fine start, but the Flyers have already committed a combined $5.5 million in salary to the injured tandem of Brian Elliott and Michal Neuvirth for 2018-19. 9. One is an American living in Canada, the other is a Canadian who has fallen in love with his American home. Not enough can be said about the courage and truth Blake Wheeler and Roberto Luongo showed in their responses to the Parkland shooting. These are two leaders their teams — heck, the whole sport — should be proud of. Hockey players are discouraged from standing out. But these dads did so in the best way possible. The term standup guy can be thrown around too loosely, but when Wheeler tweets something, he never shies away from the ensuing questions. “It’s been going on too long without anyone really doing anything to help. It just seems like something that should be fixable,” Wheeler told reporters in Winnipeg. “It’s been great in our room this year. It’s probably the most we have chatted about important things going on in the world. It’s a great thing because it opens up the dialogue. “As an American, I have three kids now, and you start to get scared thinking about them going to school in the United States. It shouldn’t be that way.” Parkland resident Luongo’s unscripted speech at the first Panthers home game following the shooting is important. 10. I do appreciate how Luongo keeps his Twitter feed exclusively light, and that he favours quality over quantity. There’s a time to be serious; social media can still be a playground. The gold-medal-winning goalie’s response to a Tim and Sid fan poll this week was brilliant. 11. Quote of the Week is a tie. Brand-new gold medallist Pavel Datsyuk’s reaction to Russia’s Olympic victory is simultaneously beautiful and sad. And New York Islanders head coach Doug Weight scoffs at a hockey cliché. 12. Glove throwing is the new water squirting, kids.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101754 Websites Cernak, for Bishop, a second-round pick for Boyle and Mark Streit for Filppula, then flipped Streit to Pittsburgh for a fourth-round pick.

Was he selling off players? Or was he buying a prospect and picks, Sportsnet.ca / How the salary cap has made every NHL team a buyer on positioning the club for another acquisition down the road. Like Ryan the trade market McDonagh, who the Bolts got from the Rangers in a multi-piece trade this week. Damien Cox | @damospin March 2, 2018, 12:41 PM Toronto demonstrated in several trades, like the deal that sent David Clarkson to Columbus, the trade with Ottawa that moved Dion Phaneuf to the nation’s capital and the Phil Kessel trade with Pittsburgh, that in a cap world trades come in all shapes and varieties. Toronto wanted cap Seller. Buyer. Conventional terms we hear year after year at the NHL space, picks and prospects, and used Clarkson, Phaneuf and Kessel to trade deadline. This team’s a buyer, this team’s a seller. This other get them. team’s deciding whether it wants to be a buyer or a seller. When Don Sweeney took over the Boston Bruins, he saw the team had Good teams, teams heading to the playoffs and true contenders, are strong veterans in Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, Tuukka Rask and buyers. To be called a seller is to be in a bad position, to have failed to Brad Marchand, but not nearly enough youth in the system. So he used ice a competitive team and thus put in the position of having to dump Milan Lucic to buy a first-round pick from Los Angeles along with goalie veteran players under contract for futures. Martin Jones and defenceman Colin Miller. He then traded Jones to San Jose to buy young forward Sean Kuraly and another first-rounder, this The problem is, those terms don’t really apply anymore. Not in a cap one in 2016. world. Not in an environment where things like cap space, the number of contracts, entry-level deals and years until unrestricted free agency The Kings pick turned out to be the No. 13 selection in ’15. The Bruins matter just as much as how many goals an established NHLer can score. had their own pick at No. 14, and the No. 15 pick from the Doug Hamilton deal with Calgary. In rapid succession, the B’s took defenceman Jakub In 2018, all 31 teams are buyers. It’s just a question of what they’re Zboril, winger Jake DeBrusk and forward Zach Senyshyn. In 2016, buying. Sweeney used his own first-round pick to grab Charlie McAvoy at No. 14, Here’s an example. Earlier this week, we were all a little surprised when then used the first-rounder from the Sharks later to select Trent Frederic. St. Louis, a team fighting for a playoff position in the Western It looked at the time like Sweeney was selling off veteran players in Conference, decided to trade veteran centre Paul Stastny to the traditional NHL style. What seems evident now, however, is that he was Winnipeg Jets. buying much-needed first-rounders, using assets he had. Today, the The question immediately was, why would the Blues be sellers? The Bruins are one of the top teams in the league, and have a bright future. reality, however, is that GM Doug Armstrong was buying. His team didn’t Maybe it has always been thus. Maybe Sam Pollock felt he was buying a have a first-round pick for the June draft, having traded it to Philly to get shot at Guy Lafleur back in 1970, and the cost was sending Ernie Hicke Brayden Schenn, and was in need of some other assets. To buy a first- to Oakland. Good purchase. rounder, along with Providence College winger Erik Foley and a conditional fourth-rounder for the 2020 draft, Armstrong used Stastny and The point is, there are a lot more variables in the sport now at the NHL his expiring contract as currency. level than there were even 20 years ago. Trying to apply traditional words like buyer and seller to the NHL trade market pretty much just misses the Semantics? Maybe. But the Blues did the same thing last year, whole point. remember? They traded defenceman Kevin Shattenkirk, who was set to become a UFA, to Washington for a package that included 6-foot-4 left wing prospect Zach Sanford, a 2017 first-rounder and a conditional second-rounder in 2019. Armstrong later traded that first-rounder in Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.03.2018 another deal. At the time, the Blues were much higher in the standings than they are now. Shattenkirk, however, was the perfect currency to use to buy the other commodities the Blues felt they needed. So the Blues really weren’t sellers in either the Stastny or Shattenkirk trades. They were actually buyers. Look at what Vegas did in the Derick Brassard deal. They used cap space, enough to cover 40 per cent of two more years of Brassard’s contract, to buy forward Ryan Reaves and draft picks. In another deal that brought Tomas Tatar to Vegas, a better way to look at that trade might be to say Detroit used Tatar to buy salary cap relief and three draft picks, including a first-rounder this June, all elements that will help the Red Wings in their rebuild. Sportsnet's newest podcast is a weekly deep dive into the biggest hockey news in the world. New episodes every Wednesday. Nothing is as valuable these days on the NHL market as cap space and first-round picks. Both are hard to come by. So deals that once looked to be teams selling off assets and settling for futures need to be looked at in a very different way. In other words, the traditional ways of looking at NHL trades in and around the deadline simply no longer apply. Everybody’s buying. They’re just buying different things depending on the position they’re in and their organizational needs. This is not a league of haves and have-nots, or a league where the best are significantly separated from the worst. The entire league is tightly packed, and movement from top 10 to bottom 10 isn’t nearly as dramatic as once was the case. So it’s up to GMs to embrace the new world. Tampa’s Steve Yzerman seems to be a GM who gets it, an executive who is constantly evaluating the shifting value of picks, cap space and players under contract. Last year, beset by injuries, the Lightning were struggling outside the playoff bubble in the second half. Many teams would have tried to add contracts for immediate help. Not Yzerman. He shipped out Ben Bishop, Brian Boyle and Val Filppula. He got a prospect, defenceman Eric 1101755 Websites The Flames had done a nice job under Treliving the past four years, stockpiling draft picks and building a solid base of prospects that allowed the club to use picks to grab Hamonic. Sportsnet.ca / Calgary Flames Prospect Report: Pipeline strongest on It puts even more pressure on players like Dillon Dube, Andrew the blue line Mangiapane and others to continue climbing the organizational ladder so the absence of high draft picks don’t hamper team growth. Eric Francis | @EricFrancis March 2, 2018, 10:14 AM REASON FOR OPTIMISM The depth on the Flames blue line is matched by the number of top prospects in the system, which is nice for a team that believes in building from the back end. To no one’s surprise, Calgary Flames GM Brad Treliving chose to avoid By all accounts Rasmus Andersson should be playing in the NHL, and the pricey rental market at the trade deadline. would be, if not for the deep and healthy corps of the Flames. His lack of draft picks and his team’s wildly inconsistent play this year Valimaki could very well push for a spot in training camp next year and made it an easy decision. Fox is the most asked-about prospect in the Flames’ system by other GMs. He used a more frugal, creative approach to try adding depth, plucking Chris Stewart off waivers and signing Canadian Olympic team loaner It’s the blue line depth that might also be able to help land the Flames Cody Goloubef to a two-way deal upon his return to their AHL affiliate, some much-needed scoring depth up front this off-season. the Stockton Heat, from Pyeongchang.

The lone trade he made saw him send a seventh round draft pick in 2019 to Ottawa for 25-year-old centre Nick Shore. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.03.2018 In short, the Flames’ prospect pool was untouched. Join Jeff Marek and Sam Cosentino for all the CHL and NHL prospect talk you can handle. Although he contemplated the possibility of trading for a veteran goaltender to cover for the injured Mike Smith, Treliving felt the options weren’t better than the two AHL call-ups he’s employing now, David Rittich and Jon Gillies. In doing so, Treliving preserved his four coveted blue line prospects: Rasmus Andersson, Oliver Kylington (both in Stockton), Jusso Valimaki (Tri-City) and Adam Fox (Harvard). While Gillies has been largely speculated as a solid trade chip because of Tyler Parsons, he’s needed in Calgary where he is an emergency call up for Smith. PROSPECTS IN Cody Goloubef: At 28 years of age and with 129 NHL games on his resume, he’s hardly a prospect, although he does bolster the list of serviceable farmhands available down the road. While he was already in the Flames system, he was elevated from an AHL contract to a two-way deal after his stint at the Olympics. PROSPECTS OUT None. DRAFT PICK SITUATION 2018: Round 3 (conditional), Round 4, Round 4 (FLA), Round 6, Round 7, Round 7 (conditional via Det). 2019: Round 1, Round 4, Round 4 (conditional via NYI), Round 5, Round 7 (CAR). DRAFT PICK OUTLOOK The acquisition of Travis Hamonic cost the Flames a first and second- rounder in 2018, as well as a conditional second-rounder in 2019, depleting the Flames’ cupboard of draft picks. The conditions of the second-rounder revolve around the Flames’ tenuous playoff fate this year. If they fail to reach the postseason, the second-rounder goes to the Islanders in 2018. If they make the playoffs, the second rounder goes to the Isles in 2020 instead. It gets worse for the Flames if they don’t make the playoffs as they’ll also surrender their third rounder this year thanks to the Mike Smith deal. In that case they wouldn’t pick until the fourth round this spring, leaving them with the fewest picks in the league this year. In 2019, the Flames are without a second- and third-rounder, which would make replenishing their draft stock a priority if the Flames weren’t theoretically poised to start challenging for the Stanley Cup next year. The trade that landed the Flames Mike Smith last summer cost them a conditional third-rounder in 2020 that gets upgraded to a second-rounder if the Flames make the playoffs this year. 1101756 Websites A lot of attention has been paid to Canucks prospect Elias Pettersson, who is putting up an historical season in Sweden’s top league as a 19- year-old. But in Finland, Winnipeg prospect and 18-year-old Kristian Sportsnet.ca / Winnipeg Jets Prospect Report: The fallout from a big Vesalainen, the 24th-overall pick last summer, is quietly putting together trade deadline a monster season of his own. Ranked 16th in Liiga scoring and fifth in goals, both tops among U20 players in the league, Vesalainen has taken a huge step from last year, Rory Boylen | @RoryBoylen March 2, 2018, 11:57 AM so you’d excuse Jets fans for dreaming about a future line with the combination of Finns Vesalainen and Patrik Laine on the flanks. With such a young collection of forwards already in the NHL lineup, you have to wonder if Vesalainen will join them as early as next season. He’s Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff finally did it: he mentioned it’s a goal for himself in 2018-19, though he still has work to made a deadline day deal. do on the defensive side of the puck. The acquisition of Paul Stastny from the Blues came out of almost nowhere as St. Louis was itself in the hunt for a playoff spot when they made the move. But after finding themselves one point out of the wild Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.03.2018 card following back-to-back shutout losses, GM Doug Armstrong decided it was better to get assets back for the pending UFA rather than lose him for nothing. The Jets picked up a playmaking centre for the “third line,” which puts him with Patrik Laine and Nik Ehlers. Stastny got two points in his first game against Nashville and he figures to be a key element in their push for the Stanley Cup. The Jets didn’t have to give up anything risky in the deal. Sure, they moved their first-round pick but it should be a late one, and the NHL lineup is dotted with top picks already. Hilariously, the pick is conditional in that if it ends up in the top three, St. Louis will get Winnipeg’s 2019 pick instead. Not happening. One prospect was moved in the deal, but he’s still a few years away from being NHL-ready and with a well-stocked cupboard of futures anyway, the Jets can easily deal with that loss. The team matched what was being done in Pittsburgh and Nashville around the deadline, and are still set up for long-term success. It was a big win for Cheveldayoff on deadline day. Here’s a look at the team from the draft pick/prospect perspective post- trade deadline. Join Jeff Marek and Sam Cosentino for all the CHL and NHL prospect talk you can handle. PROSPECTS OUT Erik Foley: After missing out on Derick Brassard a couple of days before the deadline, the Jets found another opportunity to pounce on an offensive centre when Stastny became available. On top of Winnipeg’s first-rounder the Blues got Foley, a six-foot left winger who is leading the NCAA’s Providence Friars in scoring. Should Foley not sign with the Blues by August of 2019 and become a free agent, the Blues will get Winnipeg’s 2020 fourth-rounder instead. With forward prospects such as and Jack Roslovic graduating to the NHL, and Mason Appleton putting together an impressive rookie season in the AHL, Foley is not a damaging loss for a Jets team in win-now mode. A third-rounder in 2015 — which is proving to be a very successful draft for Winnipeg — Foley has 34 points in 32 games for the third-place Friars in his junior season. Expect him to return to Providence for his senior year before making a call on his NHL future. DRAFT PICK SITUATION 2018: Round 2, Round 3, Round 5, Round 5 (BOS), Round 6, Round 7 2019: Round 1, Round 2, Round 4, Round 5, Round 6, Round 7 Ryan Dixon and Rory Boylen go deep on pucks with a mix of facts and fun, leaning on a varied group of hockey voices to give their take on the country’s most beloved game. With five first-round picks made over the past three drafts, and seven of the nine first-rounders selected by GM Kevin Cheveldayoff currently in the NHL lineup, this year’s first was an obvious piece to use in trade to bolster a Cup-contending lineup. But the Jets did well to not have to also move a top prospect in their system, such as 2017 first-rounder Kristian Vesalainen or , who was the 18th-overall pick in 2016. The cupboard is relatively untouched, and because of that even next year’s first-rounder could be on the table in future deals. Winnipeg still has 12 selections over the next two drafts, including second-rounders in both 2018 and 2019, which hold enough value on their own to acquire a solid depth piece for next season. Winnipeg is both strong at the NHL level and in the pipeline, so Chelevdayoff has plenty of room to manoeuvre over the summer and into next season to improve the NHL team again. 1101757 Websites How much of an issue will weather and the windy conditions be for the Stadium Series game between the Maple Leafs and Capitals? Can Alex Ovechkin challenge Wayne Gretzky's goal-scoring mark? Mark Masters TSN.CA / Leafs batten down the hatches ahead of outdoor game and Frank Seravalli discuss this and more. Both teams are in a good position when it comes to the playoff race. Washington leads the Metropolitan Division while Toronto is 19 points Mark Masters clear of the Florida Panthers for the third and final automatic playoff berth in the Atlantic Division. 11-14 minutes “This game kind of comes at a good time for us,” said defenceman Morgan Rielly. “It’s a good opportunity to get our families here, a bit of tension breaker and then after this we make a final push and get into TSN Toronto reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes playoff mode. from Maple Leafs practices and game-day skates. The Leafs practised at the Brigade Sports Complex at the Naval Academy on Friday before Alexander Ovechkin will continue his pursuit of history on Saturday. The meeting the media at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Capitals captain is just three shy of scoring 600 goals for his career. He is also one tally away from posting another 40-goal season, which would High winds forced the Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals to be his ninth in the NHL. scrap planned outdoor practices at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Friday. The glass was removed from the boards at the on- “That’s absolutely incredible,” said Kadri, who was matched against field rink as a safety precaution with gusts reaching as high as 76 km/h. Ovechkin and the Capitals’ top line in last spring’s playoffs. “I don’t think people understand, really, how hard that is to do. He just makes it seem What’s the biggest challenge playing in the wind? so effortless.” “Not a clue, to be honest with you,” veteran centre Tyler Bozak said with With one more goal this season, Ovechkin would be the sixth player in a laugh. “Whatever way is going with the wind, I think we’ll like that a little history with at least nine 40-goal seasons, joining Wayne Gretzky (12), more. But I doubt it’ll be as windy as it is out there today. I really hope Marcel Dionne (10), Mario Lemieux (10), (nine) and Mike not.” Gartner (nine). The forecast is, indeed, better for Saturday night’s outdoor game (8 p.m. Ovechkin laughed off the suggestion that, as someone who likes the big ET), but the wind – gusts are expected to be in the 35-40 km/h range – stage, the outdoor game provides the prefect chance to reach a will still be a factor. The NHL is monitoring the playing conditions and the milestone. He did say his favourite part of his two previous outdoor weather and will provide an update at 1:30 p.m. ET Saturday. If the games was the “atmosphere.” weather becomes a concern, the league's contingency plan is to move the game to Sunday. Ovechkin is poised to become just the 20th player in NHL history to reach 600 goals and, according to Elias Sports Bureau, the fourth to do it “I was just making fun of (Jake Gardiner’s) shot,” noted Nazem Kadri with in fewer than 1,000 games (Saturday will be his 986th NHL game), a grin, “saying that if he threw one to the net with this type of wind it joining Gretzky (718), Lemieux (719) and Brett Hull (900). might just stop in mid-air and just fall down. It will certainly be a challenge, but we’re ready for anything.” “He’s one of the great goal scorers to play in a while,” said Rielly. “When I was younger, there was definitely a lot more of sitting back and Rain and high winds prevented the Maple Leafs and Capitals from watching him and then when you get used to playing against him it practicing outside ahead of their Stadium Series game on Saturday. The becomes fun.” Leafs spoke about what it would be like to play in those conditions which would make it unpredictable for both teams. “I didn’t realize how big he was until I actually played against him,” said Kadri. “He’s just very thick, very strong, a big winger, exactly what you Rain and high winds prevented the Maple Leafs and Capitals from want. A good skater. He’s got all the utensils.” practicing outside ahead of their Stadium Series game on Saturday. The Leafs spoke about what it would be like to play in those conditions which That size – Ovechkin is listed as 6-foot-3, 235 pounds – makes him would make it unpredictable for both teams. especially hard to contain. So, about those challenges. “Being that big, you can be physical and you can try to push guys around and buy yourself a little more time, which is important for him with that “Definitely for the guys skating up and down the ice, it’s going to be a shot,” said Kadri. “He doesn’t need much time so when he can be little bit different if there’s a lot of wind so hopefully we won’t have to physical and create some separation and a gap it can work out for him so backcheck in the wind,” said goalie Frederik Andersen. “I guess that’s the he’s got that mastered.” biggest issue.” Held off the board in his first outdoor game in 2011 against the Pittsburgh “You better not be too tired on the backcheck because you’ll never get Penguins, Ovechkin chipped in a goal and an assist against the Chicago back against the wind,” agreed Capitals head coach Barry Trotz. “We’ll Blackhawks back in 2015. see how it is. The league will decide if we’re going to play for how windy it is.” Capitals defenceman John Carlson had a special Navy-themed outfit with a blue sport coat and gold pants designed for Saturday. “It will definitely make for a unique dynamic,” said James van Riemsdyk, who will be suiting up in his fifth outdoor game. “It seems like in today’s The Leafs, meanwhile, are saving their fashion statement for the ice with game there’s lots of high flips, so it will be interesting to see how the puck an all-white uniform. reacts to getting flipped if a gust of air comes up.” “I appreciate the white,” Kadri said. “It almost looks so clean I don’t want Ever the optimist, Leafs bench boss Mike Babcock downplayed to mess it up or anything, but I know that’s probably not going to happen concerns. with the way I play.” “Tomorrow we’re going to get up, there’s going to be no wind and we're Leafs Lunch host Mark Roe and co-hosts Gord Miller and Andy Chiodo going to have a good game tomorrow night,” he insisted. “That’s just the are joined by Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri to look ahead to way it’s going to be. These things have a way of working themselves out Toronto's outdoor game on Saturday night and discuss what has just fine.” changed since Mitch Marner was added to his line. Many players expressed a desire to skate at the Naval Academy on Military setting hits home for Babcock, Gardiner Saturday morning just to get a better sense of the ice, boards and stadium feel. This is the 25th outdoor game in NHL regular-season history, but the first to be held at a service academy. “I would love to try and get out there,” said Andersen. “The goalies have such a small margin of error when you play a game like this.” “If you’re a North American, this one is more special just because of the men and women who look after you and give you all the privileges you How much of an issue will weather and the windy conditions be for the have in your life by keeping you safe and letting you live in a democracy,” Stadium Series game between the Maple Leafs and Capitals? Can Alex said Babcock, who met with some of the Navy hockey team players Ovechkin challenge Wayne Gretzky's goal-scoring mark? Mark Masters today. and Frank Seravalli discuss this and more. The pre-game festivities will feature a flyover by two Boeing F/A-18F Seravalli: The NHL is keeping a close eye on Stadium Series weather Super Hornets. Players from the Navy men’s Division I and II club teams and the women’s club team will unfurl the U.S. and Canadian flags before the singing of the anthems. “Both my grandparents fought in two different wars, one of them is still alive and he’s pretty excited about this game, to have us play in this setting,” said Gardiner, a Minnesota native. “People who defend our country every day, it’s cool to be in the same area they are. We met some (students) sitting on our bench today. It was cool just talking to them and seeing what they go through every day.” One of Gardiner’s grandfathers served in the navy. “He was on a ship, not sure what it was called, slept through an alarm and where he was supposed to be, a bomb went off and there was a fire. People died in that area where he would’ve been … Just lucky I guess.” The Maple Leafs and Capitals will play their Stadium Series game on Saturday at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis and the special venue was not lost on the team. Mike Babcock spoke about the great conversations he has been able to have with the armed forces.

TSN.CA LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101758 Websites “I like the fact we kept concentrated on our group,” Andersen said. “We didn’t lose focus. I think we have a lot of belief in this group.”

There are those who wonder whether Toronto has peaked too soon, TSN.CA / No fear for Maple Leafs in peaking too early playing is best hockey ahead of when it really matters. Andersen believes they have another gear left to find. Frank Seravalli “I’d like to think so,” Andersen said. “I think it’s clear that we have a talented group, a good group, we work. When we outwork other teams, 5-6 minutes that’s when the skill really shows. We can dominate teams, especially on the offensive side.”

Development is not a straight line in the NHL, not in a league with such ANNAPOLIS, Md. — “Hold on to your hats,” Mike Babcock said as he parity and younger players carrying the load more than ever before. The exited the interview room at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. next step will be the biggest. The Maple Leafs’ head coach was referencing the wind, as his team “Don’t get me wrong, we’re still going to have lots of highs and lots of prepares for what may be the windiest NHL outdoor game ever played on crushing lows,” Babcock said. “That’s just part of being on a good team. Saturday night at the United States Naval Academy. The gusts hit 76 But you want to set yourself up for as many opportunities as you can km/h on Friday, forcing the Leafs indoors for practice. possibly have, and I think we’re going in the right direction that way.” But Babcock also could have been referencing Toronto’s six-week stretch run that began as the calendar flipped to March. It’s time to buckle up. TSN.CA LOADED: 03.03.2018 “Once we get past this,” goaltender Frederik Andersen said, “it’s back to the grind to make the final push.” Babcock called the 2018 Stadium Series an “opportunity.” There are two points on the line, of course, but it is also an opportunity to take inventory on the Maple Leafs. Because in order to get where you are going, you must know where you’ve been. Facing the Washington Capitals, who knocked the young Leafs out of the playoffs last spring, makes this weekend a fitting reflection point. Babcock called the Maple Leafs’ growth over the last 11 months “significant.” They are the ones ahead of Washington in the standings this time around. Capitals star Alex Ovechkin, who is three goals short of 600, said Friday that “everybody knows how good Toronto is, how talented they are.” The Maple Leafs weren’t going to sneak up on anyone this year – and they’ve handled that test well. “The first thing that happens when you're not a very good team, no one takes you very seriously,” Babcock said. “Then you play this year and you're a good team and every night you're getting a real game. You know how much harder it is to get points. “I just think we're significantly better because our young guys are better. They’re harder. They've been through it more. They’ve seen what it’s like. They’ve been eliminated from the playoffs. They know right away here you get in the playoffs and then 10 days later one of you is moving on and one of you goes home." Knowing that, the question facing the Maple Leafs is: How can they use the Stadium Series as a springboard to peak at the right time heading into the Stanley Cup playoffs? With such a comfortable playoff position – a cushion of nearly 20 points – and such little to play for aside from home-ice advantage, Andersen said the Leafs need to guard against “walking into the playoffs half asleep.” “It can be a little bit of a trap, when there’s so much gap to get to the next team,” Andersen said. “That’s something we really can’t allow to happen.” Morgan Rielly is among the believers that entering the playoffs on a hot streak, as opposed to backing into them, can be the difference between golfing in early May and skating into June. “With these [standings], how close it is, a team that gets hot at the right time can be tough to stop – no matter who you are and no matter who you’re playing against,” Rielly said. “I think it’s important that you carry momentum in and that you’re playing well come playoff time.” It feels like forever ago that Andersen called out his teammates after blowing a third-period lead in Philadelphia, but that was just six weeks back. Andersen told his fragile team through the media that they needed to “look each other in the eyes and determine where we want to go from here.” They were treading water, comfortable in playoff position, but going nowhere during a 5-7-4 run. The Leafs have the best record in the NHL (14-3-2) and the most points (30) since that night. Andersen viewed it as another tick on Toronto’s growth chart. 1101759 Websites NET PP/60: +8.74 NET PK/60: -5.58 A 5-4 record in the past nine games isn’t inspiring, but the Jets made a big splash at the trade deadline with the addition of Paul Stastny, and TSN.CA / Snapshot: Predators pull back into top spot when Jacob Trouba returns from injury the outlook will be even brighter. Key Injuries: C Adam Lowry (upper body), D Jacob Trouba (ankle). Scott Cullen PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (36-25-4) 15-19 minutes THIS WEEK: 6 LAST WEEK: 7 GF: 3.23 GA: 3.02 SA CF%: 51.9 The Nashville Predators have taken over top spot in this week’s edition of NET PP/60: +9.39 NET PK/60: -5.90 Snapshot, ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins. The Penguins have lost three straight, but that comes on the heels of The Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils and Nashville Predators are eight games without a regulation loss, so while it’s fair to wonder about climbing this week while the Calgary Flames and St. Louis Blues are their goaltending, as they are left with rookies Tristan Jarry and Casey sliding down the list. DeSmith while Matt Murray is injured, but after adding Derick Brassard, (Snapshot is a continuation of the analytically-based Power Rankings the Penguins look like they are Cup contenders once again. that I’ve been doing on TSN for many years. They are generated using Key Injuries: G Matt Murray (concussion). statistics and individual player grades, which allows for ranking flexibility based on player availability due to injuries, suspensions, coaching DALLAS STARS (36-23-5) decisions etc. and are used for the model being measured, with others, here.) THIS WEEK: 7 LAST WEEK: 5 NASHVILLE PREDATORS (40-14-9) GF: 2.91 GA: 2.61 SA CF%: 52.0 THIS WEEK: 1 LAST WEEK: 2 NET PP/60: +6.00 NET PK/60: -5.70 GF: 3.19 GA: 2.49 SA CF%: 52.3 The Stars have just two wins in the past seven games, and didn’t do a whole lot at the deadline, perhaps feeling that the recent return of D Marc NET PP/60: +7.44 NET PK/60: -5.51 Methot will be what the team needs. Still, a little scoring support might have helped. Winners of six straight, the Predators made moves of a team with Stanley Cup expectations. Mike Fisher’s impending return will add depth Key Injuries: C Martin Hanzal (back). down the middle, and getting Ryan Hartman from Chicago gives Nashville an agitator who can play in a variety of spots. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (39-20-7) Key Injuries: None. THIS WEEK: 8 LAST WEEK: 8 TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (44-17-4) GF: 3.21 GA: 2.77 SA CF%: 50.4 THIS WEEK: 2 LAST WEEK: 3 NET PP/60: +6.52 NET PK/60: -4.94 GF: 3.52 GA: 2.68 SA CF%: 52.5 The Leafs have one regulation win in the past four games, but only one regulation loss in the past dozen games. That would move them up NET PP/60: +8.33 NET PK/60: -6.69 under most circumstances, but no Auston Matthews for the time being puts a ceiling on their immediate ranking. Five wins in the past six games for a Lightning team that made the biggest deal at the trade deadline, though they are still waiting on Ryan Key Injuries: C Auston Matthews (shoulder). McDonagh’s debut. The absence of McDonagh and leading scorer Nikita Kucherov is what keeps the Lightning from climbing to the top spot. WASHINGTON CAPITALS (36-21-7) Key Injuries: LW Ondrej Palat (lower body), D Ryan McDonagh (upper THIS WEEK: 9 LAST WEEK: 9 body), RW Nikita Kucherov (upper body). GF: 3.05 GA: 2.97 SA CF%: 48.2 BOSTON BRUINS (39-15-8) NET PP/60: +6.67 NET PK/60: -7.01 THIS WEEK: 3 LAST WEEK: 1 6-6-2 since the beginning of February, the Capitals didn’t take any big GF: 3.29 GA: 2.50 SA CF%: 54.2 swings at the deadline, but made a couple of interesting (and inexpensive) defence acquisitions, getting Michal Kempny and Jakub NET PP/60: +6.55 NET PK/60: -4.89 Jerabek from Chicago and Montreal, respectively. The Bruins have lost a few games, but taking Patrice Bergeron out of the Key Injuries: None. lineup to recover from a broken foot has the biggest impact on the team’s immediate value. They bolstered the lineup, with Rick Nash, Tommy SAN JOSE SHARKS (35-21-9) Wingels and Brian Gionta coming in, and Ryan Spooner, prospects and THIS WEEK: 10 LAST WEEK: 10 picks going out. GF: 2.92 GA: 2.72 SA CF%: 51.4 Key Injuries: C Patrice Bergeron (foot). NET PP/60: +8.10 NET PK/60: -4.34 VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS (41-17-5) While the Sharks don’t necessarily look like contenders, they paid a THIS WEEK: 4 LAST WEEK: 4 reasonable price to add Evander Kane from Buffalo and if they hang GF: 3.43 GA: 2.71 SA CF%: 52.6 around long enough, maybe Joe Thornton could come back to make their odds a little more interesting in the playoffs. NET PP/60: +6.58 NET PK/60: -6.26 Key Injuries: C Joe Thornton (knee), RW Joel Ward (shoulder). The Golden Knights are 7-5-1 in the past 13 games, which is fine, though off the pace they set through the first 50 games. The addition of Tomas LOS ANGELES KINGS (36-24-5) Tatar is a stunning development – not for a team in first place, of course, THIS WEEK: 11 LAST WEEK: 12 but for an expansion team adding rather than selling at the deadline. GF: 2.88 GA: 2.46 SA CF%: 49.6 Key Injuries: None. NET PP/60: +6.96 NET PK/60: -4.76 WINNIPEG JETS (37-17-9) Getting Jeff Carter back from injury is big, and if Dion Phaneuf can THIS WEEK: 5 LAST WEEK: 6 contribute positively down the stretch, the Kings might be able to make GF: 3.35 GA: 2.67 SA CF%: 51.9 some noise. Key Injuries: RW Trevor Lewis (concussion). COLORADO AVALANCHE (34-24-5) PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (34-20-10) THIS WEEK: 18 LAST WEEK: 18 THIS WEEK: 12 LAST WEEK: 16 GF: 3.08 GA: 2.979 SA CF%: 47.8 GF: 2.94 GA: 2.77 SA CF%: 49.4 NET PP/60: +5.88 NET PK/60: -5.00 NET PP/60: +5.65 NET PK/60: -8.79 The Avs are, somewhat stunningly in the playoff hunt, thanks largely to Nathan MacKinnon, who is having a breakout season. Their only Thursday’s loss to Carolina ended a 12-game stretch without a regulation deadline move was a minor-league trade, sending Chris Bigras to the loss. Goaltender Petr Mrazek fills a need, and the Flyers are giving Rangers for Ryan Graves, but that’s probably the right play for a team on rookie winger Oskar Lindblom a shot to play while Wayne Simmonds is the rise, but also playing with some house money. out. Key Injuries: RW Sven Andrighetto (leg), D Mark Barberio (lower body), Key Injuries: G Brian Elliott (core muscles), G Michal Neuvirth (lower D Erik Johnson (upper body). body), RW Wayne Simmonds (upper body). CALGARY FLAMES (32-24-9) NEW JERSEY DEVILS (33-23-8) THIS WEEK: 19 LAST WEEK: 13 THIS WEEK: 13 LAST WEEK: 19 GF: 2.80 GA: 2.88 SA CF%: 52.5 GF: 2.91 GA: 2.95 SA CF%: 48.7 NET PP/60: +5.72 NET PK/60: -6.60 NET PP/60: +5.91 NET PK/60: -5.09 4-6-1 in the past 11 games, the Flames are certainly finding life a little Getting Cory Schneider back will help the Devils down the stretch, and more difficult without Mike Smith, and they added centre Nick Shore from management made bold moves to acquire wingers Michael Grabner and Ottawa and Chris Stewart on waivers from Minnesota, but the hope Patrick Maroon to give this team a fighting chance to make the appears to be that if Kris Versteeg can return that he will provide the postseason. They can thank Taylor Hall, and his (unofficial) 23-game forward depth that the Flames are missing. scoring streak, that they are in this position. Key Injuries: LW Kris Versteeg (hip), G Mike Smith (lower body), RW Key Injuries: LW Brian Gibbons (thumb), LW Marcus Johansson Michaeal Ferland (lower body). (concussion). ST. LOUIS BLUES (35-26-4) ANAHEIM DUCKS (31-21-12) THIS WEEK: 20 LAST WEEK: 11 THIS WEEK: 14 LAST WEEK: 14 GF: 2.69 GA: 2.66 SA CF%: 51.4 GF: 2.69 GA: 2.67 SA CF%: 48.5 NET PP/60: +4.32 NET PK/60: -6.19 NET PP/60: +5.81 NET PK/60: -4.77 Wednesday’s win over Detroit ended a seven-game winless slide, and One regulation loss in the past six games has the Ducks moving in the that streak seemed to prompt the decision to move out Paul Stastny, right direction, though adding veteran winger Jason Chimera doesn’t which is tough for the players still on the team to handle. move the needle a whole lot. Really, for a team that battled a bunch of injuries in the first half, the Ducks can still be challengers with a now- Key Injuries: RW Robby Fabbri (knee), D Joel Edmundson (forearm). healthy lineup. NEW YORK ISLANDERS (29-28-7) Key Injuries: RW Patrick Eaves (Guillain-Barre). THIS WEEK: 21 LAST WEEK: 21 MINNESOTA WILD (36-21-7) GF: 3.20 GA: 3.53 SA CF%: 47.2 THIS WEEK: 15 LAST WEEK: 15 NET PP/60: +5.88 NET PK/60: -8.00 GF: 3.06 GA: 2.81 SA CF%: 47.5 The Islanders’ defensive questions are tough to overcome, and adding NET PP/60: +6.96 NET PK/60: -5.90 defenceman Brandon Davidson and forward Ryan Wagner probably isn’t going to be enough to make it look better down the stretch. Before Thursday’s loss at Arizona, which certainly doesn’t help, the Wild had suffered one regulation loss in the previous dozen games. They’re Key Injuries: D Calvin De Haan (upper body), D Scott Mayfield (lower pushing the right way and without making big deadline moves, their best body). addition for the stretch run may be rookie Luke Kunin, who has been recalled from the AHL. CAROLINA HURRICANES (28-25-11) Key Injuries: None. THIS WEEK: 22 LAST WEEK: 22 COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (32-27-5) GF: 2.63 GA: 2.98 SA CF%: 54.1 THIS WEEK: 16 LAST WEEK: 17 NET PP/60: +6.02 NET PK/60: -7.62 GF: 2.56 GA: 2.75 SA CF%: 51.6 Snapped a six-game winless streak with a win in Philadelphia on Thursday, but that slump may have prevented Carolina from making any NET PP/60: +4.32 NET PK/60: -8.64 big adds at the deadline. The second half of the season has been shaky, and a 5-4-1 record in the Key Injuries: None. past 10 doesn’t do a ton to inspire confidence, but the Blue Jackets added a bunch of veterans – Ian Cole, Thomas Vanek, Mark Letestu and CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (27-29-8) Nathan Gerbe (coming back from Europe) – to shore up their depth. THIS WEEK: 23 LAST WEEK: 23 Key Injuries: None. GF: 2.80 GA: 2.89 SA CF%: 53.8 FLORIDA PANTHERS (30-25-6) NET PP/60: +4.85 NET PK/60: -6.00 THIS WEEK: 17 LAST WEEK: 20 A team that knew their season had slipped away moved out Ryan GF: 2.93 GA: 3.18 SA CF%: 49.2 Hartman and Michal Kempny, but that’s tweaking that will probably have to be the precursor of bigger moves in the summer. NET PP/60: +6.12 NET PK/60: -6.09 Key Injuries: G Corey Crawford (upper body), D Jan Rutta (lower body). Suddenly, the Panthers are forcing their way into the playoff picture, winning 11 of the past 14 games. A healthy Roberto Luongo is a DETROIT RED WINGS (23-24-9) difference maker and the inexpensive addition of Frank Vatrano is an THIS WEEK: 24 LAST WEEK: 25 interesting speculative play. GF: 2.57 GA: 2.92 SA CF%: 48.7 Key Injuries: RW Denis Malgin (knee). NET PP/60: +5.57 NET PK/60: -6.63 The Coyotes are 7-2-1 in the past 10 games, and brought in goaltender Darcy Kuemper. The wins now run the risk of the team losing the best Detroit isn’t especially good, and won’t be made better by trading Tomas lottery odds. Tatar, but the big miss from the deadline was the inability to move injured blueliner Mike Green, who will be an unrestricted free agent in the Key Injuries: None. summer. BUFFALO SABRES (17-30-11) Key Injuries: D Mike Green (upper body). THIS WEEK: 31 LAST WEEK: 31 EDMONTON OILERS (23-29-4) GF: 2.39 GA: 3.22 SA CF%: 46.3 THIS WEEK: 25 LAST WEEK: 24 NET PP/60: +4.24 NET PK/60: -5.47 GF: 2.78 GA: 3.31 SA CF%: 50.7 The Sabres are 6-4-1 in the past 11 games, which hardly means a team NET PP/60: +4.15 NET PK/60: -8.26 should sit in the basement, but missing Jack Eichel and losing Evander Kane at the deadline leaves them with a rather patchwork lineup. The Oilers have two regulation wins in the past 13 games, and they picked up Pontus Aberg in a three-way deal, but sent out Mark Letestu, Patrick Maroon and Brandon Davidson in three separate deals. TSN.CA LOADED: 03.03.2018 Key Injuries: C Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (upper body), D Adam Larsson (personal). MONTREAL CANADIENS (24-29-10) THIS WEEK: 26 LAST WEEK: 27 GF: 2.51 GA: 3.02 SA CF%: 50.5 NET PP/60: +6.80 NET PK/60: -6.85 The Habs have gone five games without a regulation loss, but they did move out long-time centre Tomas Plekanec and depth blueliner Joe Morrow, bringing in defenceman Mike Reilly from Minnesota. With Carey Price injured, Montreal’s two goaltenders – Charlie Lidngren (.933) and Antti Niemi (.926) – have been effective in their small sample of games. Key Injuries: RW Ales Hemsky (concussion), D Shea Weber (foot), G Carey Price (concussion). NEW YORK RANGERS (28-30-6) THIS WEEK: 27 LAST WEEK: 26 GF: 2.81 GA: 3.16 SA CF%: 45.8 NET PP/60: +6.86 NET PK/60: -5.60 It’s been eight games without a regulation win for the Blueshirts and they started to strip down the team, dealing Rick Nash, Michael Grabner, Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller, and while that is clearly a step back, they probably came out the deadline looking pretty good for the future, adding Ryan Spooner, Vladislav Namestnikov and some picks, giving them (to start with) three first-rounders this year. Key Injuries: D Kevin Shattenkirk (knee). VANCOUVER CANUCKS (24-32-8) THIS WEEK: 28 LAST WEEK: 28 GF: 2.70 GA: 3.23 SA CF%: 47.3 NET PP/60: +7.05 NET PK/60: -7.40 3-8-2 in the past 13 games, the Canucks should have been primed to sell at the deadline, and they didn’t get much in return for Thomas Vanek, which may reflect more on Vanek than the Canucks. The shot they’re taking with winger Brendan Leipsic might pay off, however. Key Injuries: RW Derek Dorsett (neck), LW Markus Granlund (ankle), D Chris Tanev (leg), LW Loui Eriksson (rib). OTTAWA SENATORS (21-31-10) THIS WEEK: 29 LAST WEEK: 29 GF: 2.68 GA: 3.44 SA CF%: 46.6 NET PP/60: +4.96 NET PK/60: -7.88 One regulation win in the past 10 games leaves the Senators spiralling down, and while they did move out Dion Phaneuf (and then flipped Nick Shore, who they received as part of the Phaneuf deal), they didn’t panic trade Erik Karlsson or Mike Hoffman…at least not yet. Key Injuries: LW Clarke MacArthur (concussion). ARIZONA COYOTES (19-34-10) THIS WEEK: 30 LAST WEEK: 30 GF: 2.41 GA: 3.22 SA CF%: 47.4 NET PP/60: +4.71 NET PK/60: -7.31 1101760 Websites doping and mentorship programs, and coverage of all the necessary hockey equipment and travel expenses.”

During the 90-minute hearing on Tuesday, McEwan, a former Kelowna TSN.CA / WHL to examine allegations by former players of scholastic Rockets captain, also testified against the WHL and the Winterhawks, fraud, refusal of medical treatment saying that he has navigated bankruptcy and battled depression without the support of his former teams or the WHL. Rick Westhead McEwan, who fought at least 72 times in the WHL, according to hockeyfights.com, played four seasons in the league from 2004-05 to 6-8 minutes 2007-08, two with the Seattle Thunderbirds and two with the Rockets. He said after suffering multiple concussions in the WHL and undergoing multiple surgeries, he has had to pay his own medical bills for doctors, therapists and counselors. The Western Hockey League plans to look into allegations levelled against several of its teams by former players, one of whom told a “I’m very concerned for the players of the future,” McEwan said. “In this government hearing this week that he was given excellent school grades junior and professional hockey culture, players are being abused, in exchange for autographed pucks and was refused an X-ray for days manipulated, exploited and neglected... the consequences of allowing and forced to play in games after breaking his kneecap. and tolerating fighting and violence in the game, in hockey, is utterly devastating. Having the power to stop the violence and let it continue The testimony was given Tuesday by former WHL players Tyler Maxwell because it profits a small group is cowardly and disgusting.” and James McEwan in front of Oregon’s Senate Committee on Workforce. Tim Bernasek, a lawyer for the Winterhawks and WHL, told the Tuesday hearing that the testimony of the former players was “…truly shocking, The committee was hearing arguments over whether the WHL’s Portland sad situations that are not, I think, indicative of the league and the team Winterhawks’ players should be considered amateur athletes. If they are that I represent. These are very disturbing allegations and ones that need amateurs, the team wants to be exempted from paying them the state’s to be looked into and I think are taken very, very seriously.” minimum wage (currently $11.25 an hour). The Winterhawks have argued the team will be forced to move or declare bankruptcy without an As minimum-wage class action lawsuits against the WHL, Ontario exemption. Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League work their way through Canadian courts, the leagues and their teams are lobbying Maxwell and McEwan testified against the WHL and Winterhawks, governments to exempt teams from paying players minimum wage. arguing the WHL is a professional league and its teams are for-profit businesses. Governments including Nova Scotia, B.C., and Washington State have already provided junior leagues with such an exemption. In a Feb. 28 letter to the Oregon State Senate obtained by TSN, WHL commissioner Ron Robison wrote, “The WHL is reviewing the statements It’s unclear whether the Winterhawks can afford to pay players. with the WHL clubs concerned… Should a WHL club be in violation of According to a copy of the team’s 2015 tax return, filed in a Calgary court any policies or regulations as it relates to player treatment, they would be in connection with the WHL lawsuit, the team generated revenue of $5.4 sanctioned severely.” million but recorded a loss of $191,995. Maxwell alleged that during his time with the Everett Silvertips, where he The team has not provided any financial statements to the Calgary court played from 2008-09 until 2011-12, he suffered a broken kneecap when or detailed its expenses. he was hit during a game by a slap shot. Maxwell testified that he was refused X-rays after the injury, insulted by a team trainer and then forced to play on the broken bone for seven games. TSN.CA LOADED: 03.03.2018 “I was still scoring so they didn’t care what shape I was in,” he said. When he finally left a team practice early and demanded to see a doctor, Maxwell testified that X-rays showed a break. “The doctor couldn’t believe I was skating on it,” he said. Then, Maxwell said, “They rushed me back to playing after four weeks and little therapy so I could play in the playoffs.” Maxwell, who scored 116 regular-season and playoff goals over three- plus seasons with Everett, criticized the WHL’s commitment to player education. “Teachers would say, ‘Score two goals and I’ll give you an A. Give me a signed puck and I’ll give you an A,’” he said. “I got Scholastic Player of the Year [for the 2008-09 season] and I took three courses my senior year.” Maxwell disputed the WHL’s assertion that it is an amateur league. Maxwell also complained about conditions at the Silvertips’ team rink. “There was no limit on how long they could keep you at the rink and they did not provide food for us, only water, protein powder and Gatorade,” he said. Silvertips chief operating officer Zoran Rajcic wrote in an email to TSN that, “at this point we are looking into the matters and do not have a comment until we can look into the allegations against our hockey club.” Rajcic did not respond to an email asking whether the club would have a third party examine Maxwell’s allegations to ensure impartiality. The Oregon senate committee also heard testimony Tuesday from former NHL player Paul Gaustad, who played three seasons for the Winterhawks during his junior career, and Robison, who told the hearing that WHL teams “serve as a major source of community pride” and support numerous local charities. “The players’ well-being is the WHL’s top priority,” Robison said. “The WHL’s world-class player experience includes the highest calibre of coaching, training facilities, extensive health and safety initiatives, anti- 1101761 Websites assists in a 3-2 win against New Jersey, and has 12 points (7 G, 5 A) in the past nine games…Devils LW Patrick Maroon recorded two assists in his first game with New Jersey, a 3-2 loss at Florida. He has five points TSN.CA / Statistically Speaking: Krejci leads Bruins to wild win (1 G, 4 A) in his past six games…Lightning C J.T. Miller had a pair of assists in his first game with Tampa Bay, a 5-4 overtime win at Dallas, and has four points (1 G, 3 A) in his past four games…Stars C Tyler Seguin put up two goals and an assist in a 5-4 OT loss to Tampa Bay, Scott Cullen and has 15 points (11 G, 4 A) in the past 13 games…Predators LW Filip Forsberg earned a couple of assists in a 4-2 win at Edmonton, and has 6-8 minutes five assists in the past six games…Oilers C Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist in a 4-2 loss to Nashville, giving him 30 points (15 G, 15 A) in the past 21 games…Coyotes LW Max Domi had three helpers in a 5-3 Krejci comes through for the Bruins; Williams, Arvidsson, Barkov, Iafallo win against Minnesota, and has eight points (2 G, 6 A) in the past nine and more in Scott Cullen’s Statistically Speaking. games…Coyotes C Christian Dvorak added a goal and an assist against the Wild; he had two goals in the previous nine games…Coyotes rookie HEROES RW Christian Fisher had a couple of assists, giving him seven assists in David Krejci - The Bruins centre recorded a hat trick in a wild-and-wooly the past nine games…Sharks D Dylan DeMelo produced three assists in 8-4 win over Pittsburgh. He has six points (4 G, 2 A) in the past five a 7-2 rout over Chicago. He had one assist in his previous 22 games. games…Sharks C Joe Pavelski scored a pair of goals against Chicago, and has 16 points (8 G, 8 A) in the past 12 games…Sharks RW Joonas Justin Williams - Carolina's veteran winger scored twice and added an Donskoi added a couple of assists; he had two points (1 G, 1 A) in his assist in a 4-1 win at Philadelphia, snapping a five-game scoreless previous nine games…Kings D Christian Folin posted three assists in a slump. The 36-year-old has surpassed 40 points for the seventh straight 5-2 win vs. Columbus, after scoring just one goal in his previous 21 full season (ie. excluding the 2012-2013 lockout). games…Predators G Pekka Rinne turned away 34 of 36 shots in a 4-2 win at Edmonton, giving him a .934 save percentage in his past nine Viktor Arvidsson - The Nashville winger scored two goals in a 4-2 win at starts. Edmonton, giving him nine points (6 G, 3 A) in the past six games. FIRSTS Aleksander Barkov - Florida's star centre tallied a pair of goals in a 3-2 win over New Jersey, and has 18 points (8 G, 10 A) in the past 13 Anthony Cirelli – Tampa Bay’s 2015 third-round pick made his NHL debut games. and had a goal and an assist in a 6-5 overtime win at Dallas. He had 37 points (14 G, 23 A) in 51 AHL games before getting promoted. Alex Iafallo - The Kings rookie winger scored two goals in a 5-2 win against Columbus; he had two assists in his previous 10 games. Ethan Bear – A fifth-round pick of the Oilers in 2015, Bear made his NHL debut in a 4-2 loss to Nashville. The 20-year-old blueliner had 16 points ZEROES (6 G, 10 A) in 34 AHL games before getting called up. Matt Hunwick – The Penguins blueliner had a tough night (2 for, 11 Matthew Highmore – Undrafted out of the QMJHL, the 22-year-old left against, 15.4 CF%, 1-7 scoring chances) and was on the ice for a couple winger made his NHL debut for the Blackhawks in a 7-2 loss at San of goals against in an 8-4 loss at Boston. Jose. The first-year pro had 35 points (21 G, 14 A) in 56 AHL games Damon Severson and John Moore – New Jersey’s defence tandem was before getting his first taste of NHL action. on the wrong side of the puck (11 for, 24 against, 31.4 CF%, 2-11 scoring chances) and on the ice for two goals against in a 3-2 loss at Florida. TSN.CA LOADED: 03.03.2018 Nick Foligno – Columbus’ captain had a rough game (6 for, 12 against, 33.3 CF%, 1-8 scoring chances) and was on the ice for two goals against in a 5-2 defeat at Los Angeles. Casey DeSmith - Pittsburgh's rookie netminder gave up three goals on five shots and was pulled after just 5:27 in an 8-4 loss at Boston. He had a .936 save percentage in his previous six games. Jean-Francois Berube - The Blackhawks goaltender was lit up for six goals on 28 shots before getting pulled after two periods in a 7-2 loss at San Jose, crashing back to earth after stopping 42 of 43 shots in his previous start. VITAL SIGNS Cory Schneider – New Jersey’s starting goaltender returned to the lineup, after missing five weeks with groin and hip injuries. Brian Gionta – The 39-year-old winger, who played for Team USA at the Olympics, made his debut with the Boston Bruins and recorded two assists against Pittsburgh. SHORT SHIFTS 'Pasta' is a primo scoring winger for the Bruins. Bruins RW David Pastrnak put up two goals and an assist in an 8-4 win against Pitttsburgh. He has seven points (3 G, 4 A) in the past six games…Bruins RW Rick Nash and D Torey Krug both had a goal and an assist. Nash has three points (2 G, 1 A) and 15 shots on goal in three games since joining the Bruins and Krug has 19 points (5 G, 14 A) in the past 20 games…Bruins D Zdeno Chara, LW Brad Marchand, D Charlie McAvoy and C Riley Nash each had a couple of assists against the Penguins. Chara had just one goal in his previous nine games, Marchand has 28 points (9 G, 19 A) in the past 20 games, McAvoy has six points (2 G, 4 A) in the past five games, and Nash has nine points (3 G, 6 A) in the past nine games…Penguins D Olli Maatta scored a pair of goals in an 8- 4 loss at Boston, and has six points (4 G, 2 A) in the past seven games…Penguins RW Phil Kessel contributed a goal and an assist, giving him six points (3 G, 3 A) in the past four games…Penguins C Evgeni Malkin added a couple of assists, and has 29 points (15 G, 14 A) in the past 15 games…Hurricanes RW Sebastian Aho had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 win at Philadelphi; he has 27 points (16 G, 11 A) in his past 26 games…Panthers RW Evgeni Dadonov chipped in a couple of 1101762 Websites names that could very easily merit being a finalist, or even winning, by season’s end. For my second runner-up, though, I’m going with Giordano, who has been an eraser on the defensive end. TSN.CA / Statistically Speaking: Three quarter NHL awards Embedded Image John Gibson is central to the Anaheim Ducks' playoff hopes. Scott Cullen VEZINA 9-11 minutes Winner: John Gibson, Anaheim Runners-Up: Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus; Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa With less than a quarter of the season remaining, the awards races may Bay be coming into focus a little bit, but most (Jack Adams excepted) appear Goaltending measures are getting better, though the challenge remains to be up-for-grabs. figuring out just what kind of shot quality they are facing. Using the Statistically Speaking offers up awards for the first three quarters of the expected goals measures on Corsica certainly helps, and I like to get the National Hockey League season. view from Hockey Viz, to see just how much is being asked of a goaltender. HART While he’s probably not getting the notice he deserves, Anaheim’s John Winner: Nikita Kucherov, RW, Tampa Bay Gibson has been great under trying circumstances and, with his continued strong shorthanded numbers, he gets a slight edge over last Runners-Up: Connor McDavid, C, Edmonton; Patrice Bergeron, C, year’s winner, Sergei Bobrovsky, who has clearly been the best at 5-on-5 Boston in terms of save percentage (.935) relative to expected save percentage (.915). Picking the league’s leading scorer for the Hart Trophy may not be the most inspired choice, but Kucherov leads the league with 27 even- Of the other contenders, including Pekka Rinne, Mike Smith, Jonathan strength goals to go with his 82 points overall. He finished eighth in Quick, and Connor Hellebuyck, most don’t face a particularly difficult voting last year, after nearly dragging the Lightning into the postseason allocation of shots, so for the second runner-up spot I’m going with but, barring injury, he’s going to finish higher than that this year. Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has tremendous numbers with a heavy workload. Toronto’s Frederik Andersen is in the thick of this The runner-up spots can go in a variety of directions. discussion too, and tends to face a more challenging array of shots. Start with last year’s winner, Connor McDavid. There will be some (even Embedded Image many) that disqualify him as a candidate because the Edmonton Oilers are nowhere near the postseason, but McDavid leads the league with 58 Wait, this isn't Patrice Bergeron! even-strength points and, as is clear by now, he’s doing it without much of a supporting cast. SELKE For all-around play, it’s hard to argue with Patrice Bergeron, who is Winner: Sean Couturier, C, Philadelphia scoring at a career-best rate and anchors a line that, as usual, dominates play. His broken foot may prevent Bergeron from being a contender at Runners-Up: Patrice Bergeron, C, Boston; Mikko Koivu, Minnesota season’s end, but through three quarters of the season, he’s right there. This is practically Bergeron’s award, as he’s won it four times and There is a long list of worthy contenders. Among them, I like finished second twice in the past six seasons, but Couturier has been Philadelphia’s Sean Couturier, Vegas’ William Karlsson, Colorado’s tremendous for the Flyers this season and his career-best offensive Nathan MacKinnon and New Jersey’s Taylor Hall. MacKinnon is making numbers will garner more notice for his defensive game, which has been a late charge after coming back from injury, and if Hall just keeps scoring elite for a while now. in every single game, he’s going to be hard to ignore. It’s quite possible that Bergeron’s injury will open the door wider for Currently second in the scoring race, Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin is someone else to capture the Selke this season. Through three quarters, naturally in the discussion too, though he doesn’t have to do quite the Bergeron’s typical two-way dominance would still be worthy of winning if heavy lifting as the others when it comes to matchups, carrying the not for the impressive season that Couturier has produced, as the Flyers offensive burden, zone starts etc. pivot is driving play with more defensive zone starts. Winnipeg lobbied hard for captain Blake Wheeler at midseason, and Some familiar names should be in the conversation: Minnesota’s Mikko while he's had a productive scoring year with 73 points in 63 games, he Koivu is stifling; Calgary’s Mikael Backlund and Los Angeles’ Anze has uncharacteristically been getting outshot by quite a bit, which would Kopitar are solid, as always. Bergeron’s linemate, Brad Marchand, is make it hard to justify him as the most valuable player in the league. consistently strong as well, but has missed some time with injuries. Embedded Image New contenders to consider: Dallas’ Radek Faksa, Boston’s Riley Nash and Pittsburgh’s speedy winger Carl Hagelin. P.K. Subban is having another productive year in Nashville. Embedded Image NORRIS Mathew Barzal has quickly become a game-breaker for the Islanders. Winner: P.K. Subban, Nashville CALDER Runners-Up: Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay; Mark Giordano, Calgary Winner: Mathew Barzal, C, N.Y. Islanders This race still seems like it’s up for grabs and, as I’ve noted all year, it can be difficult to differentiate between the best individual defenceman Runners-Up: Brock Boeser, RW, Vancouver; Charlie McAvoy, D, Boston and the best defence pairing (cc: Mark Giordano and Dougie Hamilton in At one point, this looked like a serious race, but Barzal has pulled away Calgary as well as Zach Werenski and Seth Jones in Columbus). In from the rest of the rookie class, scoring better than a point-per-game. Subban’s case, he leads defencemen with 15 goals and has solid possession stats despite starting more shifts in the defensive zone and Boeser has slowed down some, but has 29 goals in 60 games, nearly a having Alexei Emelin as his most common partner. 40-goal pace in an 82-game season. There appears to be some momentum for Hedman to win his first Norris McAvoy has handled big minutes in Boston, and has tremendous scoring Trophy, and I’m not sure that his play is quite at that level. He has a 0.0 chance (56.6 SCF%) and goal differentials (65.4 GF%). relative Corsi, which means that his team outshoots the opposition at the same rate when he’s off the ice as when he’s on the ice; that’s not The great sign for the league is that while this year’s rookie class came typically what happens when Norris-calibre defencemen are in the lineup. with no expectations, there is probably more productive talent than Now, Hedman has frequently been partnered with Jake Dotchin, which expected. Tampa Bay’s Mikhail Sergachev and Yanni Gourde have been isn’t exactly propping up his performance, so that does need to be taken impact players in their respective roles. 2017 first overall pick Nico into account. Hischier has been New Jersey’s No. 1 centre, as has Pierre-Luc Dubois in Columbus. Danton Heinen has been quietly productive in Boston, too. There are plenty of quality candidates. Drew Doughty, John Klingberg, Brent Burns, Roman Josi, Seth Jones, and Kris Letang are the big JACK ADAMS Winner: Gerard Gallant, Vegas Runners-Up: Jon Hynes, New Jersey; Bruce Cassidy, Boston Coach of the year is a difficult one because it’s hard to know who is deserving of credit for a team’s success. The one trap that I try to avoid is not to credit the coach for a miraculous goaltending season. The obvious winner for the first three quarters of this season is Gallant, who has taken an expansion team to the top of the Western Conference (or near it, depending on the day). Hynes has surprisingly kept the Devils in a playoff spot, despite missing starting goaltender Cory Schneider for the past five weeks and Cassidy took the Bruins from mediocrity (going 6-7-4) early in the season, to nearly unbeatable since, going 32-8-4 in the past 44 games. There is a lot to like about the sustained excellence for teams like Tampa Bay (Jon Cooper), Nashville (Peter Laviolette), and Toronto (Mike Babcock). Dallas’ Ken Hitchcock was brought in to improve the Stars defensive record, and the wins have followed. Winnipeg’s Paul Maurice has tons of talent on hand, and his preseason backup goaltender has had a terrific year as the starter, but the Jets have been relentless; they have lost three games in a row once all season (and the third one was an overtime loss at Tampa Bay in early December).

TSN.CA LOADED: 03.03.2018 1101763 Websites many Sens fans, these promises of more resources are empty until they actually come to fruition.

At this point, the tensions between the fan base and the owner are at an TSN.CA / Melnyk preaching patience in massive PR shift all-time high and they won’t dissipate because of one thoughtfully penned letter. There are plans to erect a #MelnykOut billboard near the Canadian Tire Centre – a grassroots movement started by the most disgruntled Ian Mendes Senators fans. 8-10 minutes But even removing the most angry and bitter Senators fans from the equation, Melnyk needs to win over the fence-sitting public and silent majority who have kept his team at arm’s length over the past couple of seasons. A decade ago, the Ottawa Senators organization was at a crossroads. And therein lies the conundrum for the Senators, who are playing around After reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2007, the club had a tumultuous with a massive public relations grenade in the form of Erik Karlsson. season the following campaign and barely made the playoffs. Senators captain Erik Karlsson talks about how stressful the last few The club then stumbled out of the gates in 2008-09 under new head weeks have been with his name involved in trade rumours and says he coach Craig Hartsburg and was quickly out of the playoff race by the all- never wanted to leave, he loves Ottawa, just bought a house in the area star break. In January of 2009 there were many fans and critics who and wants to be there. urged the Senators to enter a re-build phase, as it seemed like the writing was on the wall. If they want to win back a major portion of their fan base, they could simply do so by signing Karlsson to a contract extension this summer. But when asked if he was ready to dismantle the team and rebuild, owner The mere mention of Karlsson being moved at the deadline forced many Eugene Melnyk had a strong message in response. Ottawa fans to have traumatic flashbacks to when Alfredsson left the “Anybody that says we should blow up this organization should get their franchise five years ago. Many vowed to stop cheering for the team if own bomb and blow themselves up, okay?” Melnyk famously told Karlsson is traded away, so it stands to reason that keeping their reporters on Jan. 23, 2009. “This is not an organization that is completely franchise defenceman in the fold would do wonders for relations with the crippled. It needs fine-tuning. It needs some tweaking. It needs a player fan base. here, a player there and a few good bounces. That’s it.” But if the Senators do somehow re-sign Karlsson - which still seems like And for the better part of his tenure as Senators owner that has pretty a longshot at this point – can they actually undergo the rebuild that much been Melnyk’s mantra. The owner has always believed that his Melnyk was alluding to in his letter to season-ticket holders? team has been on the cusp of winning – and the club reacted Melnyk wrote, “As a team we need to get younger, faster and more accordingly. skilled. We have already announced several key steps in making that When Dany Heatley demanded a trade in the summer of 2009, the club happen.” responded swiftly by signing Alexei Kovalev. Younger, faster and more skilled could also be code for cheaper talent. Just hours after losing Daniel Alfredsson to free agency in 2013, Ottawa At a time when the Senators appear to be in rebuild mode, would it make parted with significant assets to acquire Bobby Ryan. financial sense for a player to be making in the range of $11 million? And what’s more, one has to ask if Karlsson would even be open to the idea And the revolving door behind the bench is probably the best illustration of a rebuild around here. of the Senators’ impulsive decision-making in the Melnyk era. No Sens coach has been able to keep his job for 200 regular-season games since So if you’re reading the tea leaves, it seems like the most likely scenario Bryan Murray left the position following the Stanley Cup run. would see the Senators trading Karlsson at some point around the NHL Draft and then moving full-steam ahead with a significant rebuild. Patience has never been a virtue of Melnyk, which makes Thursday’s letter to season-ticket holders all the more astonishing. In his nearly 600- TSN Hockey analyst Craig Button on the Olympic hockey tournament, word letter, Melnyk seemed to finally acquiesce to the notion that his Sweden not playing Rasmus Dahlin, nobody is close to Dahlin's talent organization needs a rebuild. level in this draft and he wouldn't compare Dahlin to Erik Karlsson. “Enduring a tough year has given us a chance for clear-eyed evaluation. The loss of Karlsson could be mitigated by the return they receive for the This is an ongoing process, but I can tell you one thing: we are not star defenceman, but there is no way the Senators can immediately win looking to just tweak our lineup nor mortgage our future for stop-gap that trade from a PR standpoint. The situation could also be vastly solutions,” Melnyk wrote. improved if the Senators end up winning the draft lottery next month, allowing them to select Rasmus Dahlin. “The kind of change required to reclaim our standing needs a change in approach, requires difficult decisions and a commitment to a plan.” But no matter what scenario plays out, it appears as though patience will be the operative word in Ottawa moving forward. This is a complete 180-degree turn for an owner who has always enjoyed stepping in front of a microphone and boasting about his team. That It’s a new word in the vocabulary of Melnyk. It remains to be seen how Melnyk made this announcement via a carefully constructed statement many Senators fans are willing to use that word to describe their should not be lost on anybody. It represents a massive shift in public relationship with the team. relations for the owner, who now seems to be embracing the idea of a big-picture rebuild. TSN.CA LOADED: 03.03.2018 For the past couple of seasons, the Senators have been working with the smallest hockey operations department in the league. General manager Pierre Dorion has essentially being doing his job with one arm tied behind his back, while his counterparts have access to far more resources and personnel than he can dream about. The Senators have only dipped their toes in the waters of analytics, but there is some reason for optimism that they may do a full plunge in the wake of Melnyk’s letter. The owner flatly states that he will be pouring more resources into scouting and player development and one can only surmise that Dorion – who is open-minded to the idea of analytics – can have more resources on that front. “I remain committed to investing what is needed to identify, draft and develop the players that embody what it means to be an Ottawa Senator,” Melnyk wrote in his letter. “We have a strong foundation of players on this team and in the pipeline ready to contribute.” But while Melnyk is preaching a new approach, it will take months – possibly years – to see if Senators fans are willing to buy into this new plan. The next press release that many fans would like to see is one announcing a series of hires in the hockey operations department. To 1101764 Websites

TSN.CA / Eugene Melnyk's letter to Senator fans

Staff Report

To our valued Senators supporters, This has been a disappointing season for our team. Our place in the standings speaks for itself. Trust me, no one is more aware of this — and more frustrated by it — than I am. But one challenging year does not define our team. And, if anything, the commitment to re-establish our great franchise and reclaim our place atop the NHL standings should unite all Senators fans, partners and season-seat members. Now is the time for us to focus on the future, rather than dwelling on a difficult season. Remember, it was just a year ago we came within one goal of playing for the Stanley Cup. That grit and that fire are still part of the Senators’ DNA. When I came on board, the Ottawa Senators were in deep financial trouble. Together, with your support, we brought this team back to life and we have had Canada’s most successful NHL on-ice performance over the past 15 years. Backed by Ottawa fans and the entire community, I have demonstrated my commitment to giving you the best possible team over and over again. Today, I am just as committed to the Ottawa Senators and to keeping them in the City of Ottawa, as I was in 2003. Enduring a tough year has given us a chance for clear-eyed evaluation. This is an ongoing process, but I can tell you one thing: We are not looking to just tweak our lineup, nor mortgage our future for stop-gap solutions. The kind of change required to reclaim our standing needs a change in approach, requires difficult decisions and commitment to a plan. As an organization, and community, it meant saying goodbye to some very good players this year — quality men who gave their all on the ice and in the community. As a team, we need to get younger, faster and more skilled. We have already announced several key steps to making that happen. I remain committed to investing what is needed to identify, draft and develop the players that embody what it means to be an Ottawa Senator. We have a strong foundation of players on this team and in the pipeline ready to contribute. The passion of our fans in the Ottawa community is unlike any other in the NHL. As an owner, that is the most important thing of all. Over the coming months, you’ll learn more about our plans to improve the fan experience, to make our games more fun, accessible and affordable and to have an even greater presence in our community. Every day we are mindful and proud to represent the passion, strength and integrity of the National Capital Region, both on and off the ice. Every member of the organization understands our responsibility to make a positive community impact. We are dedicated to be an even larger part of Ottawa’s fabric, to ensure that, no matter the outcome on the ice on any given night, we’ll always, always be winning in the community. On a personal level, let me repeat that I have every intention of rebuilding the Senators to become the finest team in the NHL and bringing a Stanley Cup to Ottawa. I remain a diehard Sens fan. I know you are, too. We value your support and hope you can join in our excitement about the future for this team.

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USA TODAY / Flyers' Shayne Gostisbehere will meet with Stoneman Douglas hockey team

Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Sports Published 1:13 p.m. ET March 2, 2018

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, a former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, will meet with members of the school’s state championship hockey team following the Flyers’ road game against the Florida Panthers on Sunday. This will be Gostisbehere’s first game at BB&T Center, the Sunrise, Fla., arena, since 17 students were killed in a shooting by a fellow student at the school on Feb. 14. The Flyers confirmed Gostisbehere, who attended Stoneman Douglas for two years, will meet with the players, who will be the guests of the Panthers. Because Gostisbehere was an elite player, he never played hockey on the school team while he attended Stoneman Douglas. The Stoneman Douglas team won the state title 11 days after the mass shooting and laid their medals on the crosses at the memorial site for the students who were killed. "I’m not the biggest political guy there is," Gostisbehere told The Philadelphia Inquirer. “But it is my old school. My hometown. And it’s cool to watch these guys stand up for what they truly believe. Obviously, they want some change. It’s cool to see how some of the kids who survived are coming through it and ... handling themselves as young adults." Gostisbehere told TheInquirer it will be “cool” to meet the players: “To get their minds off everything they’re going through and hopefully have some fun for a few hours.”

USA TODAY LOADED: 03.03.2018