SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 05/29/19 Anaheim Ducks 1145468 What did the Gulls’ extended playoff run mean for the 1145505 Sabres, NHL have interest in keeping scouting combine in Ducks’ future? Buffalo 1145469 ‘Obviously his game is on the decline’ — Should the 1145506 Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame loses its home, Ducks buy out Corey Perry? thanks to Sabres Store expansion Arizona Coyotes 1145470 2019 NHL draft: Studs, locals and steals plus what else 1145507 Absent for over a decade, the Russians are coming you need to know (again) to Calgary 1145471 Former Coyotes coach named Oilers Carolina Hurricanes 1145508 Devoted Canes fans love their team, but study gives Raleigh a mediocre hockey ranking 1145472 Bruins’ defense has all the right moves 1145473 Should Torey Krug be subject to discipline for that hit? Chicago Blackhawks 1145474 Blues refuse to let statistics bring them down 1145509 NHL combine primer: A scout’s take on all the possible 1145475 The beauty and practicality behind the Bruins pregame Blackhawks selections warmup 1145476 Zdeno Chara required stitches but is ‘fine’ after taking a shot to the wrist 1145510 Takeoffs and Landings: A look at how five Avalanche 1145477 Today: The Bruins run their playoff win streak prospects fared with the Colorado Eagles to eight 1145478 What players and coaches were saying after Game 1 of Columbus Blue Jackets the Stanley Cup Final 1145511 Blue Jackets | Pierre-Luc Dubois has strong run for 1145479 Bruins notebook: Didn’t take long for the Bruins to get in Canada at worlds the Blues heads 1145480 Blues must regroup for Game 2 vs. Bruins Detroit Red Wings 1145481 Torey Krug’s huge hit gets Blues’ attention 1145512 Red Wings officially sign Finnish defenseman Oliwer Kaski 1145482 Marcus Johansson elevates his game in a big spot 1145483 Torey Krug delivers for Bruins in more ways than one 1145484 Chase Rice: Kicking off Stanley Cup is ‘coolest thing you 1145513 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins still longs for stability on Edmonton can do’ Oilers 1145485 Pierre McGuire explains how Zdeno Chara embraces role 1145514 New Edmonton Oilers head coach Dave Tippett up for the as mentor for young Bruins challenge 1145486 Bruins GM Don Sweeney, Blues coach Craig Berube 1145515 WATCH: Dave Tippett introduced as the next Oilers head squared off in an epic brawl 20 years ago coach 1145487 Brad Marchand wants NHL to get rid of video reviews: 1145516 Optimism, concern and apathy as Oilers welcome in 'Refs are getting crucified' another coach 1145488 Bruins defensemen provided offensive spark in Game 1 1145517 What the hiring of Dave Tippett means for Connor over Blues McDavid and Leon Draisaitl 1145489 Welcome back: Six years after Game 1 slip-up, grown-up Krug is Game 1 star 1145490 Blues' Jordan Binnington jokes Torey Krug may have 1145518 ‘It’s time to start winning now’: Vincent Trocheck ready to been 'on something' in Game 1 bounce back in a big way for Panthers 1145491 Andrew Ference shares awesome photo of 2011 Bruins after Game 1 win vs. Blues Los Angeles Kings 1145492 Bruins' Perfection Line 'had a tough time finding their 1145519 VILARDI “STILL IN HOLDING PATTERN” AND NOTES game' in Game 1 ON ASSISTANTS 1145493 Stanley Cup Final: Three things that won't happen again in Game 2 Minnesota Wild 1145494 Boston is the best hockey city in America, according to 1145520 Phil Kessel's reported rejection of trade for Jason Zucker this ranking saved Wild from bad deal 1145495 Tuukka Rask has perfect response to Torey Krug, David Perron tussle in Game 1 Montreal Canadiens 1145496 Bruins overcame long layoff to accomplish rare Stanley 1145521 Canadiens' Max Domi provides support for young Cup feat in Game 1 win diabetics 1145497 Kyle Van Noy very much approved of Torey Krug's huge 1145522 Bargain shopping: Five under-the-radar free agents that Stanley Cup Final hit would fill specific needs for the Canadiens 1145498 Krug hit just a part of a powerful opening punch thrown by Bruins in Game 1 1145499 Brad Marchand in the company of Bruins legends after Stanley Cup Final 1145500 Deep Bruins team once again led by fourth line in Game 1 of Cup Final 1145501 Tuukka Rask delivered a solid one-liner about Torey Krug's massive hit 1145502 Blues know they must make Tuukka Rask's job harder in Game 2 vs. Bruins 1145503 The Big, Bad Who? Speed is the modern Bruins’ biggest strength 1145504 Blues can recover from Game 1 loss, but Bruins present a much stiffer challenge Nashville Predators 1145523 Predators Kyle Turris, Dante Fabbro help Canada win 1145553 Toronto Marlies sign coach to two-year silver at hockey world championship contract extension 1145524 Whether Kyle Turris stays or goes, his play at Worlds only 1145554 Leafs sign Marlies head coach Sheldon Keefe to two-year benefits the Predators extension 1145555 Borgman might break through yet 1145556 Sheldon Keefe staying with Marlies/Maple Leafs two more 1145525 NHL Draft 2019: Potential Devils, Rangers target Kaapo years Kakko to skip scouting combine 1145557 Why Sheldon Keefe is staying with the Marlies for two 1145526 Here’s proof Devils fans in N.J. are among the best in the more years nation 1145558 Leafs of the future? Projecting the NHL timelines for the 1145527 NHL Scouting Combine: Where Jack Hughes stands top Marlies prospects heading into Buffalo 1145528 Rangers, Devils won’t get NHL Combine look at Kaapo Kakko 1145565 The Athletic Presents: A Tribute to Jason Botchford Vegas Golden Knights 1145529 Five straight Finals: How the Warriors historic run 1145559 Golden Knights announce development camp dates captured the attention of an NHL dynasty 1145560 Marcus Johansson watched his Capitals friends win the 1145530 Rangers, Devils won’t get NHL Combine look at Kaapo Stanley Cup last spring. Now he’s three wins away from d Kakko 1145561 What the playoffs can tell the Capitals about how to use 1145531 No Kaapo Kakko, no problem for Rangers at NHL Draft Braden Holtby next season combine Websites Ottawa Senators 1145566 The Athletic / Defenseman Bowen Byram looks ready for a 1145532 What the signing of Josh Norris means for the rest of the quick ascent to the NHL Senators’ centres 1145567 The Athletic / Evaluating Anttoni Honka, the 2019 NHL Draft’s most polarizing player 1145568 The Athletic / ‘I realize how lucky I am’: Craig Cunningham 1145533 You can buy ’s former home (and its seizes control of his story Flyers-shaped pool) for $1.4 million 1145569 Sportsnet.ca / Leafs' Dubas on other teams coveting 1145534 Former Flyers forward Corban Knight signs with KHL's Keefe: 'We would never stand in his way' Barys Nur-Sultan 1145570 Sportsnet.ca / Oilers' Ken Holland, Dave Tippett preach stability as new era begins 1145571 Sportsnet.ca / Torey Krug's monster hit punctuates Blues' 1145535 Trading players such as Penguins’ Phil Kessel rare, not unravelling vs. Bruins unprecedented 1145572 Sportsnet.ca / How one NHL game turned Lil Nas X into a 1145536 Ex-Penguins center Joe Vitale shares tale of superstitious hockey fan Sidney Crosby 1145573 Sportsnet.ca / Q&A: Flames GM Brad Treliving on playoff 1145537 Pittsburgh ranks as 3rd best city for hockey fans disappointment, off-season plans 1145538 Tom Brady lends voice to Zdeno Chara’s Bruins’ pump-up 1145574 TSN.CA / WHL asks players to reject minimum-wage video lawsuit 1145539 Tim Benz, Mark Madden debate Kessel trade idea, 1145575 TSN.CA / Keefe happy to continue coaching AHL Marlies Pirates, Porter ripping Roethlisberger 1145576 TSN.CA / Toronto Maple Leafs sign AHL Marlies coach 1145540 Tim Benz: Phil Kessel to Wild would’ve been wrong move Sheldon Keefe to a two-year extension for Penguins 1145577 USA TODAY / Stanley Cup Final: Bruins' Zdeno Chara 1145541 Kuraly, Bruins rally, beat Blues 4-2 in Stanley Cup opener adapts his game and still dominates at 42 1145578 USA TODAY / NHL Scouting Combine: Where Jack San Jose Sharks Hughes stands heading into Buffalo 1145542 Joonas Donskoi wants to re-sign with Sharks if San Jose will have him Winnipeg Jets 1145562 Party like it's 1979: WHA Jets gather for 40th anniversary St Louis Blues of title 1145543 Berube says there's a chance Dunn returns for Game 2 1145563 ‘Gaming disorder’ warning won’t scramble Canucks 1145544 Hochman: A day later, helmet-less Krug's hit on Thomas scouting combine interviews still stings. Binnington deadpans: 'Maybe he's on somet 1145564 Canucks Under the Microscope: Tanner Pearson 1145545 Beantown Meltdown: Despite surging ahead, Blues still SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 can't win in Stanley Cup Final 1145546 BenFred: Blues' game plan goes AWOL 1145547 Blues notebook: Bettman confirms missed call on hand pass 1145548 Resiliency? Fourth line offense? Blues learn Bruins have that too 1145549 Hochman: Bruins do their best Blues impression, win with many unlikely heroes (and one helmet-less hit) 1145550 Blues let two-goal lead get away, fall to Boston 4-2 in Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final 1145551 Better late than never, NHL boss Bettman owns missed call that could have cost Blues 1145552 Bourne: Adjustments Blues D-corps must make to their gap control after poor showing in Game 1 1145468 Anaheim Ducks Murray bristled when asked if a turnaround was close, saying, “Close to what? Close to a Stanley Cup? Not a bloody chance. We’ve got to turn it over and change it.” And that’s why the success of the Ducks’ top What did the Gulls’ extended playoff run mean for the Ducks’ future? prospects, especially those playing with the Gulls, was so important.

Winning is imperative in the AHL, of course, but so is development. You can have one without the other and still claim success if a organization’s By Elliott Teaford | PUBLISHED: May 28, 2019 top prospects develop into useful NHL players. Murray’s philosophy is to “overcook” his prospects rather than rush them to the NHL.

The Gulls’ extended playoff run could accelerate the process, though. Sam Steel lurked in the attacking zone, a lone forechecker on the San Diego Gulls’ -killing unit midway through Game 3 of the AHL’s “It’s high-stakes hockey,” Steel said last week. “It’s what you want to be Western Conference final May 22, when goaltender playing. Right now, I’m in the moment and not really thinking about it too Oscar Dansk attempted a routine outlet pass to a teammate. much, just going out there and playing my best and trying to help the team win, but I think it’s great to be going deep in the playoffs early in my Then, with an extraordinary display of hand-eye coordination, Steel career. knocked the puck out of midair, gained control along the right wing a nanosecond later and rocketed toward Dansk’s net to deliver a deft shot “I think it’s big, for sure. It’s a great experience.” through the goalie’s legs and into the back of the net for a shorthanded goal. Said Eakins of the AHL experience: “You’re going to come and feel the game and jump on the bus every once in a while. I think it’s great for Suddenly, there was bedlam inside San Diego’s Pechanga Arena. those guys. Take a guy like Troy Terry, for instance. When I look at him, the sky is the limit. I don’t want to put unnecessary expectations on him. The Ducks’ future was on display during the Gulls’ recent charge through the AHL playoffs. Their top prospects, the 21-year-old Steel among them, “Troy Terry will be Troy Terry whatever he turns out to be. He’s got some were some of their top players before they were eliminated by the special gifts with his hands and how he sees the game. Could the easy Wolves in Game 6 of the Western Conference final Monday. thing to have done with him was just to leave him in the NHL (for all of 2018-19) and let him figure it out? General manager Bob Murray said last month he was determined to give the Ducks’ roster a dramatic makeover sooner rather than later, which “Yeah, but Bob Murray sent him here. Go play in the American League was why the Gulls’ role as an incubator for a number of the and grind it out.” organization’s best and brightest prospects was so important during their playoff run. Success for an AHL team doesn’t necessarily translate to NHL success in the seasons to come. Five or six Gulls, or maybe more, could fill key roles for the Ducks next season. For example, when the Kings won their second Stanley Cup championship in three seasons in 2014 and then their AHL club, the “The amount of games, the ice time and the critical situations that our Manchester Monarchs, claimed the Calder Cup in 2015, it seemed to young guys who are going to be a big part of the Anaheim Ducks moving indicate the organization was headed toward dynasty status at the NHL forward, I’m not sure you could draw it up any better,” Gulls coach Dallas level. Eakins said. In fact, the opposite was true. “I always wheel it back to training. It’s like in the regular season, you’re running a six-minute mile pace and now every night we’re running 4-1/2- The Kings missed the playoffs in 2015, were eliminated in the first round minute miles, and the longer we can run these 4-1/2-minute miles, when in ’16, missed again in ’17 and were swept in the opening round in ’18. we get to the regular season next year, we’ll be running 5-1/2-minute Their prospects made the jump from the AHL to the NHL seem like a miles. leap across the Grand Canyon. So far, none have emerged as elite players. “Suddenly, it starts becoming normal. Your old normal is so beneath you.” Many times, the roster makeup of AHL teams can be deceiving. Although the mixture of talented prospects and cagey veterans can be blended Pillars of the Ducks, especially Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, are together to produce extraordinary results in the minor league, there’s no nearing the end of their distinguished careers and Murray sees an guarantee of success with the big club. opportunity to start fresh without undergoing a complete tear-down and rebuilding project of the franchise starting in 2019-20. However, San Diego’s classroom in 2018-19 was better than most, according to Eakins. After a season in which the Ducks fell from the ranks of the NHL’s elite with a unceremonious thud, fired Coach Randy Carlyle after losses in 19 “This group, with the way it’s structured, with the number of prospects we of 21 games, finished with a 35-37-10 record and missed the playoffs for have and some guys who have played a few years pro who keep getting the first time in seven seasons, there were reasons for optimism this better and the character of our older vets, I’m not sure you can put spring. together a better club,” he said.

Steel, Max Comtois, 20, Max Jones, 21, Jacob Larsson, 22, Isac “Bob Murray has drafted well. He’s put high character guys here. We Lundestrom, 19, and Josh Mahura, 21, among others, skated circles have guys kind of in the middle who keep getting better. When I look around the opposition while guiding the Ducks’ top minor league team to around at other teams, this is the perfect structure for a development its first conference final appearance in Eakins’ four seasons as its coach. team. We’ve got a lot of development going on.”

Two other prospects, 21-year-olds Brendan Guhle and Troy Terry were Orange County Register: LOADED: 05.29.2019 sidelined by late-season injuries while with the Ducks and could not play in the AHL playoffs. Guhle suffered an oblique injury and Terry broke his leg while blocking a shot.

Two more, Benoit-Olivier Groulx, 19, and Antoine Morand, 20, never made it to San Diego, but led the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League to the Memorial Cup championship game last Saturday. Morand, in particular, could land in San Diego next season.

“We have a bunch of good, young kids in our organization,” Murray said last month. “I think they’re all over the map right now where they are playing and what they’re doing. But I do feel we have a good core group of young players coming along.” 1145469 Anaheim Ducks questionable defense, and second and third options in goal, into the 2011 playoffs with his ridiculous stretch run. He is the last Duck to top the NHL in goals and the last to score 50 in a season. And remember that Stanley ‘Obviously his game is on the decline’ — Should the Ducks buy out Cup he won as a key contributor and burgeoning star early in his career. Corey Perry? Perry is not that player anymore. But this isn’t the NFL and you can’t just put him on the curb, wipe off his contract and head back into the house. Besides, that would be disrespectful. By Lisa Dillman, Eric Stephens and Josh Cooper May 28, 2019 This isn’t to say anyone should be blind about the situation. Perry’s $8.625 million cap hit is one of three particularly big ones on the Anaheim roster and his production no longer comes close to approaching what you What should the Ducks do with forward Corey Perry? His last 20-plus would expect for that kind of salary. Perry no longer is a first-line right goal season was in 2015-16 and last year he had just 10 points in 31 wing, and that position is jammed, with Troy Terry expected to join a games and a minus-16 rating while coming off knee surgery. In fairness, roster that also could include Jakob Silfverberg, Ondrej Kase, Daniel it’s not as though any Ducks had a great season. Sprong and Kiefer Sherwood. His deal — $8.625 million per year through 2020-21 — isn’t looking like a Cold, clinical decisions must be made sometimes. You have to think great value for the Ducks right now, and seemingly gets worse by the about what Perry can still do for you. The Ducks must weigh whether a year. buyout is feasible and beneficial to them, or whether Perry should occupy Perry is 34 with two years left on his contract, so would it make sense for a roster spot given the open question of how much production he is Anaheim to buy out the 2010-11 Hart Trophy winner this summer, save capable of in 2019-20. some money and give his spot to one of its hungry and talented With the latter, they don’t have the benefit of a crystal ball. With the youngsters ready to come up and compete for a role? former, they know the salary-cap savings they can gain, but a buyout “No doubt, tough decision, hard to find the exact mix of veterans and also means paying him for the next four years instead of two. The catch youngsters,” an NHL team scout said. “They have a very good number of is, even with a buyout, the 2020-21 season would include a cap hit of younger players that are getting close to playing in the NHL, but you can $6.625 million, according to Cap Friendly, thanks to a lockout-protected, only fit so many of them into your lineup. Obviously his game is on the $3 million signing bonus that kicks in on July 1, 2020. That extra $2 decline, but they have to manage money and prospects they want in the million is something, but it’s far less than the extra $6 million the Ducks lineup.” would have this summer if they bought him out.

The Athletic’s Lisa Dillman, Josh Cooper and Eric Stephens debated Then there is the question of keeping someone on the payroll for an extra whether cutting Perry loose this summer is the right call. two years rather than letting his contract run out in 2021. Here is where splitting the difference might be best – while hoping for something better. Lisa Dillman If the Ducks keep Perry, they can see if the 34-year-old winger tailors his This is the macro issue: Every team has these sorts of contracts and, offseason training in ways that help him handle an increasingly fast- depending upon the circumstances, ultimately has to decide when and if paced NHL. The Ducks already know what they’re on the hook for. Don’t a buyout is worth it. view Perry as the $8.6-million former 30-goal scorer. As Lisa said, view Perry as a possible supportive piece who can deepen a lineup, like What the Ducks should do with Corey Perry is what the San Jose Sharks Thornton does for San Jose. Thornton had a massive 82-point season at did this past season with Joe Thornton. It’s all about transitioning an age 36 and is still effective at 39. If Perry can give Anaheim 20 or more older player – who plays a style that is no longer the standard in today’s goals and 50 points in a top-nine role, it would make the Ducks a better NHL – into a lesser role. team. At this stage of his career, Perry is not an $8.625-million player. But that However, if Perry continues to look like the forward who was slow to doesn’t mean he doesn’t have something to contribute. You have to look recover from knee surgery, and his presence is merely blocking the past the fact that he’s not going to contribute at that price point. development of a younger forward, a buyout has to be seriously He’s not a first-line winger, but he can play a third-line role, which would considered this time next year – if it isn’t now. give him better matchups defensively. Perry is still tough and edgy, and Josh Cooper we’ve learned from the 2019 playoffs that there is value in those attributes. The issue is year two of the buyout, when the Ducks’ salary-cap hit for Perry would be $6.625 million, according to Cap Friendly. That season, Alex Steen in St. Louis is playing down the lineup because of his the Ducks already have $66,052,258 locked into 23 contracts. Terry will advancing years, but is making an important contribution on the ice, and also be a restricted free agent that year and if Daniel Sprong turns into a presumably in a leadership role. 20-goal scorer, he’ll probably get a decent raise from his current bargain- If Perry was completely at the end, giving the Ducks nothing, that would basement contract of $750,000 per year. be one thing. That’s not the case, but what is unclear with Perry is how That said, it’s still cheaper than the $8.625 million of cap space that Perry much is left in the tank. The Ducks will never find out, however, if they cut will fill if he stays. him loose in June. Though Anaheim doesn’t like wasting money, the Ducks would save a They should bring him back, find out what he has left and make sure he total of $4 million on Perry’s deal with a buyout. And even though Perry’s understands his role and what he can provide in a reduced amount of ice contract turned into a relatively poor long-term investment, you have to time. cut your losses when you can. Perry’s knees are not in good shape, as The bottom line is, these next 12 months give the Ducks a chance to evidenced by him playing 31 games last season because of knee evaluate exactly where Perry is. surgery.

In another year, the answer could be different. The idea of buying him out Could he go the Ryan Kesler route and end up on LTIR eventually, now seems premature. saving the Ducks the entirety of the contract against the salary cap? As cynical as it is to think that way, this is a business where the results are Eric Stephens wins and losses. No middle ground. Anaheim has all of Perry’s medical information, so they’re in the best spot to make that choice. Let’s start with this about Perry: He is a top-five Ducks player, given all he has done for the franchise. Can Perry return to form, to where he provides some sort of value and his contract won’t be an albatross? At his age it’s unclear. Many players Perry is 28 goals shy of scoring 400 for them. Teemu Selanne is the only who are older say they’ll work on their speed over the offseason, then player to do that with Anaheim. look the same the following year. Perry is the only Duck to win the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable Plus, you don’t want him taking the spot of another player more player, and before you bring up Daniel Sedin (who finished second in deserving of the role, just because he makes a lot of money. The voting that year), remember how Perry dragged an Anaheim team with organization, coming off a Calder Cup playoff run in San Diego, is loaded with prospects who should take the next step into the lineup.

The Athletic LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145470 Arizona Coyotes

2019 NHL draft: Studs, locals and steals plus what else you need to know

Richard Morin, Arizona Republic Published 12:01 p.m. MT May 28, 2019 | Updated 12:07 p.m. MT May 28, 2019

From Vancouver, the 2019 NHL draft kicks off on June 21. Here's what you should be watching:

The studs

It's a 1 and 1A situation atop most team's draft boards. If you wouldn't take Jack Hughes first overall, you'd definitely take Kaapo Kakko.

Hughes, an American-born center, seems to have a slight edge. He shattered the points record at the U.S. National Team Development Program held by current Coyotes forward Clayton Keller, and he also beat Alex Ovechkin's U18 World Championship points record.

But Kakko might be more NHL-ready than Hughes right now. Kakko has spent parts of the last two seasons playing professionally in Finland's top league. He's a smart, fast winger who can score in bunches.

Are you a sports fan? Stay in the know. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

The New Jersey Devils hold the No. 1 overall pick, followed by the New York Rangers. The Chicago Blackhawks pick third.

The locals

The Coyotes own the 14th overall pick in the draft.

It's no secret that their prospect pipeline is thin on forward, but it is not a foregone conclusion that Coyotes President of Hockey Operations and General Manager John Chayka would spend his first-round pick on a forward.

Chayka has always valued premium positions, i.e., centers, mobile defensemen and goaltenders, which is why he will likely take a value approach as opposed to basing the pick on need.

Names to WATCH: Canadian forward Alex Newhook; Swedish defenseman Victor Soderstrom; American forward Cole Caufield; and German defenseman Moritz Seider.

The steal

That would be Caufield.

Caufield is regarded by many to have the best shot and most-advanced scoring ability of any draft prospect — and yet there is a real chance he could fall out of the top 10.

Why? He's just 5-foot-7.

There is some concern that Caufield doesn't have the size to compete at the NHL level, but Blackhawks forward Alex DeBrincat is the same size and is one of the best, young scoring talents in the NHL.

Still, Caufield's diminutive size could scare off some teams. If so, the team that picks him could be nabbing a top-three talent at a bargain price.

Arizona Republic LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145471 Arizona Coyotes

Former Coyotes coach Dave Tippett named Oilers head coach

BY ARIZONA SPORTS | MAY 28, 2019 AT 8:07 AM

Former Arizona Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett was named head coach of the Edmonton Oilers, the team announced Tuesday.

He was introduced at a press conference following a period of reports that Tippett would indeed replace Edmonton’s fired coach Todd McLellan and interim . SportsNet’s Mark Spector first reported Tuesday morning that the hire was made and would be announced the same day.

Tippett has agreed to a three-year deal, Elliotte Friedman reported, while TSN’s Pierre LeBrun added that he believes the deal is for just under $3 million per year.

Tippett has 14 years of NHL head-coaching experience and spent his last eight with the Coyotes (2009-17). Before his tenure with Arizona/Phoenix, Tippett coached the Dallas Stars.

After working as a senior adviser for the NHL’s Seattle franchise, he re- enters the coaching ranks after parting with the Coyotes in June 2017. He went 282-257-83 in his eight years in the Valley.

The Coyotes finished the 2016-17 season 30-42-10 before replacing Tippett with their former player, Rick Tocchet, who joined Arizona from the Pittsburgh Penguins staff.

The Tocchet-led Coyotes have posted 29-41-12 and 39-35-8 records in his first two seasons since Tippett’s departure.

In Edmonton, Tippett takes over a team that went 35-38-9 last year but features Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who respectively ranked second and fourth in points scored this past regular season.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145472 Boston Bruins Heinen, Brandon Carlo, Matt Grzelcyk, and Charlie McAvoy, were mostly comfortable stepping into the lineup immediately.

“Awareness on the ice, staying on top of guys was the biggest thing I had Bruins’ defense has all the right moves to work on,” DeBrusk recalled of his year in Providence (2016-17). “And then always have good routes. There were some times in Providence where Deano [Dean] probably wanted to strangle me; I’d loop around all By Matt Porter Globe Staff,May 28, 2019, 7:57 p.m. the time. I still do it a little bit here. But that goes back to junior. My coach used to yell, ‘You’ve got to stop, Jake!’ ”

Coyle, a seven-year veteran who arrived from Minnesota in February, Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask turns aside a shot during practice at TD said he picked up Cassidy’s system quickly, and it wasn’t an Garden in preparation for Game 2. overwhelming process. In his first few weeks, he had a few extra After Vladimir Tarasenko made it 2-0 in Game 1, the Bruins scored four meetings with Cassidy, when pointers in the team-wide film sessions unanswered goals. The offense was impressive enough — the Bruins put needed further explanation, and the staff sent him video clips of Bergeron 30 of their 45 attempts on net — but the defense was spectacular. and David Krejci to get him up to speed. He also rewatches most every game at home. Come playoff time, he felt like he arrived via I-95. Boston outshot St. Louis, 30-11, over the final 39 minutes. The visitors had 22 shot attempts after the Tarasenko goal, 12 of which came in the “It’s helped me to not get everything at once,” said Coyle, who is under final four minutes of a game all but decided. So, over 35 minutes of contract for next season. “It’s been smooth and natural.” hockey in a Stanley Cup Final, the Bruins allowed 10 shot attempts. ■ Heinen, explaining another source of the Bruins’ confidence: “We’ve Once they found their game, the Bruins defended as they typically do: as got a deep team and we pride ourselves on not chasing matchups. a five-man unit, with foot speed, almost always on the right side of the Everyone can play against kind of whoever. Guys take pride in that.” puck. Meaning, they are between their man and the goal, below the puck Boston Globe LOADED: 05.29.2019 in the defensive zone and above the puck in the offensive zone.

When stuck in their own end, they often move the puck to a less dangerous area rather than try to fling it out. They are unafraid to hold it along the boards so teammates can choke off other options, stifling the threat until they can win a battle. Their defensemen have their heads up, looking to create an odd-man situation, and are skilled and confident enough to make strong, smart outlets — or jump into the play, as did Connor Clifton Monday night, among others.

“That’s what you need now, because everyone’s so defensive,” center Charlie Coyle said. “You need your D to jump up and be that fourth guy, that third guy. The days where the D sits there and stays home are over. You need offensive guys jumping up, while being reliable.

“There are so many plays where it’s a three on two, you back them up, and if you get the late guy coming — like [Steven] Kampfer in Carolina. Like Cliffy [Monday] night. If he stays back, there’s no goal there, and maybe it’s a different game. It’s huge.”

The overarching factors are smarts, team speed, and netminder Tuukka Rask, who has convinced them he’ll make every save if they keep shooters to the outside, with clean lanes. The belief is reciprocated, after rocking-chair nights like he had Monday.

“It’s happened many times,” Rask said. “I’m kind of used to it . . . It’s nothing new.”

■ The Bruins are allowing 1.38 goals per game over their last eight, are humming along at 34.5 percent on the power play, have killed almost every penalty (96.2 percent), and Rask (.956 save percentage) has bailed them out if they’ve sagged. Several players pointed to the mental side of the streak, too. David Pastrnak’s turnover on the Tarasenko goal didn’t bother anyone.

“Not beating yourself,” coach said. “The second goal was an example of something we haven’t done a lot of, and we were able to play through it.”

■ Now outscoring Columbus, Carolina, and St. Louis by a combined 32- 11 over the last eight games, this club has its third-longest postseason winning streak. Only the Big Bad Bruins of 1970 (10 games) and 1972 (nine) won more in a row.

You’re likely aware of how those seasons ended.

The Bruins, who host the Blues in Game 2 on Wednesday, are the first team since Los Angeles in 2012 to grab eight playoff wins in a row. If they boost their Stanley Cup Final lead to 2-0, they would be the 10th NHL team to win nine, and first since Detroit in 2008. Should they sweep St. Louis, they would tie the NHL single-playoffs record (11), accomplished by Chicago and Pittsburgh in 1992, and Montreal in 1993.

■ Continuity is a theme of this year’s Bruins, whose locker room has long been led by veterans such as Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron. Several Bruins who traveled here via AHL Providence were taught the offensive and defensive systems by Cassidy (five years as Providence’s head coach) and his Providence Bruins successor, current Bruins assistant Kevin Dean. Call-ups, such as Clifton, Jake DeBrusk, Danton 1145473 Boston Bruins “Just take a number and try to get it later,” said Krug, asked if he pondered the retaliation hit. “I wasn’t going to do anything stupid and take a penalty and put our team in any sort of jeopardy.

Should Torey Krug be subject to discipline for that hit? “Luckily the puck went to a dead spot in the ice where you can make a hit like that. You are not able to do it unless you have the guys reloading and you have the proper support, and we did.” By Kevin Paul Dupont Globe Staff,May 28, 2019, 7:27 p.m. Referees Kelly Sutherland and Steve Kozari kept their whistles on silent mode, maddening some, particularly a vocal Twitter crowd, who felt Krug was guilty of charging. Keep in mind, in the six-month regular season of Moments before Torey Krug’s cannonball of a smack on Robert Thomas 2018-19, only 16 charging infractions were whistled (followed by three Monday night became the signature moment of the 2019 Stanley Cup more in the postseason). The penalty has become nearly as infrequent Final — granted, we’re only 60 minutes into this best-of-seven grinder — as a traveling violation in the NBA, where players now lug the ball for the Krug and Blues forward David Perron tangled in a junkyard scrap on equivalent of a first down without a whistle. Tuukka Rask’s doorstep. Critical, too, was the fact that Krug remained in his glide pattern for some Though hardly a stranger to how temperatures can rise at this time of 12-15 feet before contact. He did not accelerate into the hit (imagine if he year, even the Bruins goalie was a bit surprised over the tussle. had?!), and he did not launch, leap, or leave the ice prior to contact. He “What the [expletive] are these guys doing?!” said Rask, asked Tuesday did not bury Thomas into the boards or into the red steel pipes that frame to recall what he thought as the shenanigans played out just a few feet the net. away in the slot. And with a shrug, Rask added, “Hey, it’s the playoffs.” It was a big, nasty, menacing, clean hit in open ice, and one that the NHL Predictably, the Krug hit on Thomas instantly became a social media and its broadcast partners will use as a centerpiece of playoff marketing, brush fire, as if stoked by a steady wind from the building in the old West perhaps for years to come. End. The video was posted on digital sites far and wide within moments No doubt that will offend some. But violence and predatory hits make for and was still going strong, mainstream media platforms included, into great TV, and great TV only translates to more dollars in the Hockey- Tuesday night. Related Revenue pot that owners and players split 50/50. In that sense, The fight game is all but dead and buried in today’s NHL. These two Krug and the unsuspecting Thomas partnered in putting some more squads have not logged a five-minute fighting major yet in the 2019 money in the pot. playoffs. But big hits are here to stay and often get glorified. They remain “Obviously, it is the Stanley Cup Final,” said Tyler Bozak, one of pure oxygen for a crowd that loves violent contact, as well as those who Thomas’s nonplussed teammates. “Teams are playing hard. There’s cling to the NHL’s past of bloodbaths and donnybrooks. Even in the days going to be big hits throughout the whole series. Not something to really of the Big Bad Bruins, no one delivered hits with the force that Krug put focus on.” into his hit midway through the third period. Krug, his helmet reclaimed, was stoic as he returned and sat on the His helmet lost in the Perron fracas, Krug made a beeline up ice, bench next to Jake DeBrusk, the building rocking. The proud son of resisting any temptation to smack Perron again in the neutral zone, and Louie DeBrusk, who built his NHL playing career on big hits and fights, steamed down the left wing on a developing collision course with was clearly impressed by his pal’s shift. Thomas. “The arena was buzzing, and it gives you that buzz emotionally, I guess,” Once across the blue line, his radar fixed on the 19-year-old rookie said DeBrusk. “He was sitting beside me. He was pretty serious. And I moving toward the puck near the wall, Krug stopped skating and locked was kind of laughing, ‘Oh my God, do you realize what you just did out into a glide pattern as he lined up Thomas. It played out a like a video there?’ He was in the game. He was dialed in.” game, absent only the sound effects (BANG!!), with the 5-foot-9-inch Krug hammering the 6-foot Thomas to the ground. Game 2 Wednesday night, 8:23 at the Garden. With the hits surely to keep on coming. The sellout Garden crowd of 17,565 roared, in that old familiar Big Bad Bruins red-meat-on-Causeway kind of way. With the Bruins already Boston Globe LOADED: 05.29.2019 ahead on the scoreboard, 3-2, the hit served as the punctuation to a night they would seal a 1-0 series lead, and perhaps more, take the starch out of whatever will the Blues might have to stage a pushback over the final 10 minutes. It was over with that Krug thump.

“A good hit,” said a smiling Noel Acciari, the Bruins’ rock-solid winger who is a connoisseur of smacks large and small. “I mean, no helmet and old-time hockey. Awesome to see.”

It then appeared that Krug and rookie Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington had a brief exchange of words.

“It was more of a stare,” Binnington said Tuesday. “His pupils were pretty big. I don’t know if he’s on something, but . . . he was pretty fired up.”

No telling how the NHL, the Bruins, or Krug himself might respond to Binnington opining over the mental and/or chemical state of the six-year veteran. If Krug were on anything, it appeared to be a mission statement, one he punctuated with an exclamation mark all but carved into Thomas’s No. 18 sweater.

“Obviously, I felt like I was taken advantage of in front of the net,” Krug recalled Tuesday. “Not very happy about it, getting up off the ice. And I was sprinting up the ice and I saw that Perron was going for a change. And I thought there would be a chance for an offensive opportunity and just being in the second wave of an attack.”

If Krug’s developing tour de force had been simply a revenge sprint, he had his chance for that in the neutral zone, with Perron’s back to him as he revved up his skates. Perron’s No. 57 was all but begging for a crosscheck. Krug passed on any temptation. 1145474 Boston Bruins It was great to see members of the 2011 #NHLBruins back at @tdgarden to join @SpOlympicsMA athlete Liam O'Brien as last night's Fan Banner Captains!

Blues refuse to let statistics bring them down 2,632

11:00 AM - May 28, 2019

By Nicole Yang Boston.com Staff,May 28, 2019, 7:26 p.m. 398 people are talking about this

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Ryan O'Reilly, chasing down a loose puck with Torey Krug, insists the After the game, the group paid a visit to the locker room and hung out Blues are confident they can win Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final. with some former teammates. Current Bruins Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno There was a statistic making its way around TD Garden Tuesday Chara, David Krejci, Brad Marchand, and Tuukka Rask all were also a morning, about 12 hours after the Bruins overcame an early two-goal part of that title team. deficit to edge the St. Louis Blues, 4-2, in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup “It’s not often you get that many guys from a team together after this Final. long,” Marchand said. “The win kind of allowed us to do that. If we had According to the NHL, 77.2 percent of teams that win the opener in the lost, we may not have been able to have that moment. It was a lot of fun best-of-seven series go on to win the Cup. to see those guys.”

But the Blues, down 0-1, don’t seem fazed by the unpromising “It’s special every time,” added Bergeron. precedent. As they shouldn’t be. Just last year, the Washington Capitals Marchand also expressed gratitude for the collective effort to maintain lost Game 1 before rattling off four straight victories against the Vegas the veteran core. Golden Knights. “If you want to try and make every dollar you can, unfortunately, that’s “There are stats that you see all the time, but we know what our best not going to be with this group,” he said. “We want guys that want to be game looks like, and we’re confident we can win,” center Ryan O’Reilly here and want to win, and you’ve got to sacrifice some things. At the end said. “The first one wasn’t what we wanted, but we’re going to respond of the day, you lift the Stanley Cup and take a little bit less money, it’s and tie the series up. That’s our plan.” worth it every single time. That’s the culture around here.”

“We don’t care about those things,” added right winger Vladimir The Brady connection Tarasenko. “It doesn’t really matter at this part of the year. You never know what’s going to happen.” The 42-year-old Chara is rather fond of 41-year-old quarterback Tom Brady. Plagued by dwindling offensive firepower as well as a lack of discipline, St. Louis crumbled in the second period of Monday’s loss. The Blues “It’s not a secret that he’s one of those world athletes that everyone looks managed just three shots on net and were whistled for two penalties, up to,” Chara said. “He’s a true professional. He’s obviously a great high-sticking and cross-checking, with the latter leading to Boston’s human being. Very smart and well-spoken. I only have great experiences equalizing goal. Coach Craig Berube said the group already has talking to him.” discussed the importance of staying out of the box, especially against a team that boasts the league’s best power-play conversion rate (32.7 The praise is unsurprising, given the pair’s comparable longevity, percent) this postseason. dedication to the sport, and dietary regimens.

Blues players acknowledged they need to maintain controlled body Brady, who lent his voice to Chara’s Game 1 hype video, has been checks, but admitted it’s not always easy in Boston. O’Reilly called the supportive of the Bruins on social media but has yet to attend a game Bruins “one of the best teams” at making things chippy. this postseason. Patriots owner Robert Kraft and cornerback Stephon Gilmore were among those at Game 1. “I think we got away from our normal game,” O’Reilly said. “We got undisciplined, and the game kind of turned from there. I don’t know Dunn could return specifically how they do it, but it’s kind of an identity that they have that Berube said “there’s a chance” defenseman Vince Dunn could return for we have to avoid. We have to be stubborn in our structure.” Game 2, after missing the past four games due to an upper-body injury . . While NHL history may suggest a bleak fate, the Blues are hopeful they . Bruins forward David Pastrnak said his mom, who lives in the Czech can continue their trend of improving as a series goes on. In the Republic, is in town — and has been cooking plenty of meals — during conference finals against the San Jose Sharks, St. Louis dropped Game the playoff run. “She’s a really good chef,” Pastrnak noted with a smile . . 1, 6-3, before bouncing back to take Game 2. . After his instantly iconic helmet-less hit, defenseman Torey Krug took a seat next to Jake DeBrusk on the bench. But Krug was in no mood to “I expect the same thing,” Berube said. “I think we’re going to get a much discuss what had just happened. Per DeBrusk, “I was like, ‘Oh my God, better game [Wednesday]. We’ve got to be a lot more desperate in our did you realize what you just did out there?’ And he wouldn’t give me game.” much, so he was in the game. He was dialed in.”

“I think a lot of people have counted us out at different times,” echoed Boston Globe LOADED: 05.29.2019 center Tyler Bozak. “That’s usually when we kind of come back and play our best hockey.”

2011 team on hand

A crew of familiar faces was enlisted as fan banner captains Monday.

Members of the 2011 Stanley Cup championship squad — Gregory Campbell, Andrew Ference, Chris Kelly, Daniel Paille, Rich Peverley, Michael Ryder, Dennis Seidenberg, and Shawn Thornton — joined Special Olympics athlete Liam O’Brien in the pre-game ceremony.

Boston Bruins

✔

@NHLBruins

Campbell. Ference. Kelly. Paille. Peverley. Ryder. Seidenberg. Thornton. 1145475 Boston Bruins Each team’s prescribed routine goes for about 12 minutes, allowing the last few to be used for whatever players like (that’s when David Pastrnak flips pucks over the glass to gleeful kids in the stands).

The beauty and practicality behind the Bruins pregame warmup “Nothing is by chance,” defenseman John Moore said. “There’s a lot of From above, to the untrained eye, it appears to be something akin to a moving pieces. When you think about it, it’s 23 grown men in a very tight figure skating routine. But this pregame routine is a symphony of area all adhering to their own script, and somehow it works.” movement filled with both purpose and poetry. Embedded video

Matt Porter By Tara Sullivan Globe Staff,May 28, 2019, 12:58 p.m. ✔

@mattyports They flood onto the ice through a rinkside door, flowing seamlessly into Rask leads Bruins out for warmups. lines that weave their way around the ice. As if attached by a string from one skater to the next, they move with ease into circular patterns. 23 Starting goalie first, followed by a veteran ready to knock down the neatly stacked pile of pucks onto the ice, into the remaining parade of uniformed 7:42 PM - May 27, 2019 men on skates. See Matt Porter's other Tweets From above, to the untrained eye, it appears to be something akin to a Twitter Ads info and privacy figure skating routine. Only this is the NHL, and these are professional hockey players. Choreography is not in their playbook, but routine The schedule allows for Zamboni cleanup as well as the national anthem, absolutely is. And as routines go, nothing is more predictable than the and can differ slightly based on game-night circumstances (the need for nightly pregame warmup, a symphony of movement filled with both two anthems, perhaps a ceremony for a jersey retirement, and of course, purpose and poetry. special events such as the Stanley Cup). Logistics have changed little over the years, but old-timers will tell you the tenor of the warmup most “Once the whistle blows, we’re like robots with what we’re doing,” Chris certainly is different. Wagner said. “There’s a lot of chitchat now,” Cassidy said. “There never was before. Though driven more by practicality than artistry, the movements paint a They were the enemy. Now these guys all know each other very well and beautiful picture. Each player is motivated to complete his own agenda, it’s, ‘Hey, how you doing, how’s the missus, you going fishing?’ Whereas from broad goals such as stretching out the legs, checking on equipment, before it was, ‘I’m going to break your [expletive].’ It’s a lot different than or working up a sweat, to very specific superstitions such as shooting the maybe it used to be.” same number of pucks into the same spot on goal. For all the inside action going on, it’s the overall picture that is most But they must be accomplished as part of a larger whole. The same drills impressive to that untrained eye — the lack of collisions, crossovers, or every game, including line rushes, half-moon shooting (players gather crashes, attributable to the fact that, in the words of defenseman Connor near the blue line in a semicircle and deliver one-timers), three-on-twos Clifton, you “got your head up all the time.” and two-on-ones, power plays or passing, ones that may vary slightly from team to team but generally include the same core objectives of Paying attention starts before you take the ice, which for the Bruins feeling the puck, letting the goaltender see the puck, and getting the means you have to be ready for Jake DeBrusk, who makes his way down blood flowing. the line with a special handshake for each teammate.

A common drill includes all five players of one unit and begins with a “I think that’s the funniest thing,” said Wagner, the offseason acquisition puck dumped in from the neutral zone. The two defensemen go back, who grew up watching the Bruins in nearby Walpole. “The JD-[Charlie] make one pass between them, then pass it up to a forward, who initiates McAvoy one is pretty good; they have a whole basketball thing. Me and a passing sequence in which each player touches the puck, after which Sean [Kuraly] have the same agent, so we incorporate something with they all go toward the goal and someone shoots. Among the rules here: that. Heino [Danton Heinen] shakes my hand and says ‘Mayor,’ and No high shots, no fancy dekes or penalty-shot moves; the emphasis is on always says, ‘Pleasure to be here.’ ” feeling the puck and letting the goalie get his pads on it.

“The synchronicity of it,” David Backes said. “You could probably set your clocks by some of the things guys are doing, the same routine every Once on the ice, the heads-up attention continues, even as muscle time.” memory takes over. There’s captain Zdeno Chara, taking the same three slapshots from the middle of the ice. Here’s Brad Marchand, deciding Matt Porter whom to feed as he dumps passes in for shots. There’s Patrice Bergeron, softly stopping pucks so they don’t cross center ice, on the ✔ receiving end of the work Marchand does gathering pucks from the net @mattyports and clearing them out.

10 Here’s Marchand and Torey Krug doing their nightly handshake and spin move. There’s Steven Kampfer shooting from the same point on the 7:07 PM - Apr 11, 2019 short side until he scores into the top right corner. Here’s Pastrnak flipping pucks to the kids, the byproduct of a young fan who once asked See Matt Porter's other Tweets him if he noticed signs during warmups, and when Pasta said yes, he Twitter Ads info and privacy wondered why the player ignored them.

‘Nothing is by chance’ “Since then, I just try to see them and make people happy,” Pastrnak said. There are rules about when and how the warmup works, as detailed in the NHL’s Broadcasting Factbook. For a 7 p.m. game — the most There are other under-the-surface currents. common start time, which actually features a 7:08 puck drop — warmups “There could be gamesmanship, too,” Cassidy said. “One day if you’re are held from 6:29-6:45. They must happen simultaneously for the home mad at the other coach, you could say, ‘Bergy, go out there with Kuraly and visiting teams, who split the ice straight down the middle. and [Noel] Acciari,’ and they start panicking, thinking, ‘Holy crap, Bergy is Among the unwritten rules is not allowing a puck to invade the other playing with the fourth line.’ ” team’s side. Legendary NHLer Jaromir Jagr was famous for skipping warmups “You don’t cross center ice,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “That’s an altogether, lest he show anything to an opponent. absolute.” Unique to hockey There also are important insights to be gleaned from the warmup, from the line leader telling you who will be starting in goal to the ensuing on- ice groupings informing you which players will play on which lines together.

“As broadcasters, the hockey pregame warmup is pretty valuable,” said broadcaster Kenny Albert, the only current play-by-play person working across all four major professional sports. “A. if you haven’t seen a team in a while, even though we see them on TV and study the rosters, actually seeing them on the ice, names, numbers, helmets, what they look like, body size is great, but B. the lines especially.

“I would say, as a broadcaster, hockey is the one you look at the closest.”

And when you look, what you see is unique among all sports.

“It looks like it’s so choreographed, like synchronized swimming almost, where these guys, for them, they’ve been doing it for their whole life, but it just looks like everything comes together,” Albert said.

“Whether it’s the line rushes, the drills, it’s something that as a hockey player it’s ingrained in them. They just know what to do.

“Like, how do they know which player goes to retrieve the pucks, to shoot the pucks out from the net toward center ice? There’s a routine to it they know; they’ve done it forever. It’s like poetry in motion.”

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Zdeno Chara required stitches but is ‘fine’ after taking a shot to the wrist

By Hayden Bird Boston.com Staff,May 28, 2019, 8:10 a.m.

Zdeno Chara stood near the glass as a fan tried to get his attention during pregame warmups.

Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara took a shot to the wrist from Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko in Game 1 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final. Luckily for Boston, the 42-year-old appears to be all right.

In a scary moment during the 4-2 comeback win for the Bruins, Tarasenko’s shot impacted on Chara’s exposed wrist. The puck caused a noticeable cut, sending the captain to the locker room.

According to Chara, the injury required stitches. However, he said that he was alright.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Chara told reporters. “Just got a cut, so [I] just needed to get some stitches quickly.”

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Stanley Cup Today: The Bruins run their playoff win streak to eight

By Scott Thurston Globe Staff,May 28, 2019, 8:03 a.m.

The tradition of passing a Bruins banner through the crowd continued at Game 1 Monday.

The beat goes on for the Bruins, who skated circles around the Blues Monday night and extended their playoff winning streak to eight games. It’s the longest unbeaten postseason run by a Bruins team since a 9-0 streak in 1972 (The Cup-winning Big, Bad Bruins of 1970 had a 10-0 stretch. The Blues, of course, were on the losing end of four of those games). You know what they say about history . . .

Game 2 is slated for Wednesday night at TD Garden at 8 p.m.

Things to know

In the eight-game winning streak, which dates to Game 4 of the second round against Columbus, the Bruins have outscored their opponents, 32- 11 . . . The Bruins trailed, 2-0, and overcame a multi-goal deficit for the first time in Cup finals history . . . In fact, the Bruins trailed for more time against the Blues than they did in the entire Eastern Conference final (13:08 vs. Carolina) . . .Brad Marchand’s empty-net goal was his sixth in the Cup finals, pulling within one of Wayne Cashman on the all-time Bruins list. Some guy named Orr and Johnny Bucyk had 8 . . From NHL stats: Sean Kuraly scored the game-winning goal as the Bruins won a playoff game in which they trailed for the 28th time – and first time in the finals. Here’s the good part: Kuraly was also the hero in their last such playoff win, scoring the tying and double-overtime goals in Game 5 of the 2017 first round vs. Ottawa . . . The Bruins scored on the power play for the fifth straight game (1 for 5) and are 8 for 20 over that span. Special teams has been a key, as they are now 18 for 55 (32.7 percent) on the power play this postseason and have allowed only one shorthanded goal.

Tuesday’s schedule

Noon: Bruins skate at TD Garden, followed by media availability.

1:30: Blues optional skate at TD Garden, followed by media availability.

Tuesday’s Cup coverage plan

■ Tara Sullivan on the choreography of the pregame skate.

■ Kevin Paul Dupont takes a look at how the Blues collapsed in Game 1.

■ Nicole Yang reports from Bruins practice

Globe staffers talkin’ hockey

12:15 p.m.: Kevin Paul Dupont on SiriusXM “NHL Game Day”

6:20 p.m.: Matt Porter on “NHL Tonight”

Full coverage from Game 1

■ ‘Don’t make that guy mad.’ Torey Krug’s hit exemplified the Bruins’ night

■ The Bruins were rusty at the start, then broke the Blues

■ Bruce Cassidy increasingly called on Sean Kuraly and the fourth line, and they delivered

■ Gasper: When the Bruins finally found their legs, it was all over for the Blues

■ Photos from Game 1

■ Zdeno Chara required stitches but is ‘fine’ after taking a shot to the wrist

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What players and coaches were saying after Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final

By Scott Thurston Globe Staff,May 28, 2019,

The Bruins defeated the Blues in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday, 4-2, at TD Garden. Here are some of the notable comments from players and coaches after the game.

Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy, on his team coming back from a two-goal deficit: “Well, listen, I wouldn’t make it a habit. I don’t think we’re going to be able to do that every night against a good team. St. Louis is certainly a good team. I think some of it was, we weren’t too happy with how the game was going. We weren’t playing our game. We weren’t playing to our standard. And I think after the second goal, our guys, that kind of woke us up. And from there, need something good to happen. And it did.’’

Torey Krug, on the thunderous hit he delivered on Robert Thomas: “It’s part of the game. And momentum swings give your team boosts of energy. I don’t know what [the Blues] were feeling on their bench, but if it pushes them back and catches them off guard, then great for our team. But I think it gave our team energy and that’s all you’re trying to do out there.”

Connor Clifton, on Sean Kuraly’s pass and his overall game: “A goal and an assist, I think it was even more than that. He was playing his game. He was all over the ice. He was finishing his checks. He was winning pucks back and getting pucks to the net all night. He had a great game.”

Marcus Johannsson, on what happened after St. Louis took the lead: “I think come the second period we picked up our game a little bit, we got a little more physical, we started moving our feet and moving the puck, and we ended up spending time in their end. We didn’t give them as much room, and I think that’s kind of when we started taking the game over.”

Patrice Bergeron, on the importance of getting goals from defensemen: “I think that’s how you get to this point. It’s by relying on everybody. The way we’ve been successful is by everybody chipping and doing the job on any given night.”

David Pastrnak, on how tough it was to come back after a tough first period: “Yeah, 100 percent. You know, that’s what is the greatest thing about team sports, right? You’ve got 20 to 25 guys and you just never give up.”

Blues coach Craig Berube, on his team’s turnovers and the Bruins’ style of play: “They pressure, they come hard. They’ve got good sticks. We’ve got to be better. They’re going to continue to do that, and that’s the way they play. They’re a good defensive hockey team, and they do force you into bad situations with the puck a lot of times.’’

Related: Bruce Cassidy increasingly called on Sean Kuraly and the fourth line, and they delivered

Blues defenseman , on how the lead got away from them: “I think it’s hard with penalties. Especially against a team with a good power play. We took too many penalties and then the second period – we just didn’t play very good. We just didn’t skate and move the puck very well and got hemmed in our end and they got some momentum and that kind of turned the game around.”

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Bruins notebook: Didn’t take long for the Bruins to get in the Blues heads

By MARISA INGEMI

Everywhere the Bruins go, they seem to leave with someone upset.

Whether it be the Maple Leafs obviously flustered in Game 2 to the point of Nazem Kadri‘s antics, or John Tortorella trying to will Tuukka Rask to get “dented,” or the Hurricanes seeming acceptance of their fate against the Bruins power play, the hockey world has been frustrated by what the B’s have done this postseason.

The Blues joined that list in Game 1.

Joel Edmundson had some sort of vendetta with David Backes throughout the contest, while Blues goalie Jordan Binnginton joined in on ganging up on the former St. Louis captain with an elbow to his head. David Perron tied down Torey Krug until the Bruins defenseman broke free, helmet-less, and distributed his already-iconic hit down ice on Robert Thomas.

Against the strongest power play in the league, the Blues committed five penalties.

It was a clinic on getting under an opponent’s skin, and it’s what the Bruins have accomplished all playoffs.

“Every game in the NHL, since I’ve been in the league (a team has been trying to get into his head,)” Krug said. “I’m a 5-foot-9 defenseman. I’d probably doing the same thing if I was on the opposing team. I’d probably try to run me right through the boards. It’s no secret that a strength of mine (is) bringing up pucks and their strength is being on the forecheck, so they’re going to be coming. I know that. They’ve been coming all playoffs.”

Not even in the sense of playing the role of agitator, but just with their success whether it be on special teams or holding the Blues to just three shots in the second period and going a period of 12-plus minutes without a shot.

It goes beyond simply agitating the opposition. The Bruins also continued their success on special teams and held the Blues without a shot on net for a 12-minute span in the second period (three shots total).

“When you have five penalties it takes a lot of guys out of the game and that burns up a lot of energy from other guys, you know, that are killing all the time, but it’s too much,” Blues coach Craig Berube said. “You know, we’ve got to be better there. We’ve got to be more disciplined. Calls are calls. You know, that’s the way it goes and we’re not going to complain about them.”

The hockey world has been more than a little annoyed with the Bruins for the past couple of months.

That’s just the way they like it.

Depth comes through again

Much has been made of the Blues depth, but the Bruins have shown plenty of their own.

Sean Kuraly‘s clutch play has been well-documented, but there’s a lot more than just the fourth line. Defensemen Connor Clifton and Charlie McAvoy had the second-period goals that erased a 2-0 deficit, and the three stars of the game Monday night were Kuraly, Marcus Johansson and Clifton.

Just like they drew it up.

“I think we’re just trying to play as hard as we can, and the (fourth-line) role or whatever it is, is something I think that maybe other people talk about,” Kuraly said. “We’re just trying to play good and play as hard as we can … we’ve got a lot of good players on the team, so it’s kind of where we’re put in the lineup, and we just want to do the best that we can for the team.

“We’ve got a heck of a team in there, and a lot of guys that have been around for a while, so we’re just trying to do the best that we can and wherever they want to put us is all good.” 1145480 Boston Bruins

Blues must regroup for Game 2 vs. Bruins

By RICH THOMPSON

St. Louis Blues coach Craig Berube began practice Tuesday with an emphasis on the three R’s.

Regroup, refocus and reload.

The Blues are determined to rebound from Monday night’s 4-2 loss to the Bruins in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final when the teams return to the Garden ice Wednesday night.

The Bruins gained a statistical advantage with historical significance by securing the opener. Since the inception of the best-of-seven series format in 1939, the team that won the opener went on to win the Stanley Cup 77.2% of the time.

“Probably because when you win Game 1 you obviously feel that you have momentum,” Berube said. “I really don’t have an answer for that and I’m not really concerned about that stat.

“It’s one game and that’s the way we look at it. We are beyond that game now.”

The Blues need to regroup after surrendering a 2-0 lead Monday, something they refused to do during their run through the Western Conference playoffs. St. Louis went up 1-0 on Brayden Schenn’s second goal of the playoffs at 7:23 of the first period. The Blues were 10-3 when they scored first in the postseason.

The Blues went up 2-0 just 60 seconds into the second period on a goal by sniper Vladimir Tarasenko, but immediately began melting down under the Bruins’ forecheck and zone pressure.

“Obviously they are a good forecheck team with pressure and good speed,’’ Berube said of the B’s. “They are a well-structured hockey team but our pucks weren’t very good in the second and third periods and puck play in general with too many turnovers.

“We need better support and better puck play.”

The Blues’ commitment to refocus was the result of the mental errors that allowed the Bruins to tie the game 2-2 in the second. St. Louis incurred five penalties, the fourth of which led to Charlie McAvoy’s equalizer at 12:41. The Bruins extended their power-play goal streak to eight games and are 8-of-20 over that span.

“We talked about that (penalties) quite a bit and we’ve been a pretty disciplined team all year,” Berube said. “It was a little bit out of character and they got some calls and we have to do a better job and be more disciplined.”

The Blues offense needs to reload after being outshot 38-20 in the game. Both teams managed eight shots on goal in the first period but the Blues offense went comatose after Tarasenko’s tally. The Bruins outshot them 18-3 in the second period and 12-9 in the third.

“I though our first period was good and we got that second goal,” Berube said. “I felt we stopped playing a little bit and started protecting a little too much and make good plays with the puck.

“That’s a good hockey team over there and they are going to keep coming. They are not going to sit back, that’s for sure.”

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Torey Krug’s huge hit gets Blues’ attention

By RICH THOMPSON

The third period hit on Robert Thomas by Bruins defenseman Torey Krug Monday night was something the Blues didn’t want to talk about but couldn’t ignore.

St. Louis right winger David Perron instigated the situation when he pinned Krug down in the B’s slot and ripped off his helmet. Krug got up sans head gear and followed the play into the Blues zone where he struck his retaliatory blow against Thomas.

“To be honest with you I don’t really watch the highlights or look on social media for highlights from the game,” said Tyler Bozak, who centers the Blues third line with Thomas and Pat Maroon.

“I haven’t seen it too much personally, but obviously it’s the and teams are playing hard and there are going to be big hits throughout the series.”

After Krug dispatched with Thomas, he directed his attention on Blues goalie Jordan Binnington with a menacing glower. Binnington conceded there was something about Krug’s demeanor that was hard to ignore.

“It was more of a stare,” the rookie said. “His pupils were pretty big, they were awesome but he was pretty fired up and it was a big hit, big play.

“The rink was excited and it’s a fun atmosphere to play in.”

Krug’s statement body blow was the focal point of a very physical game from both camps. The Blues, who are generally recognized as the heavier team at both ends of the ice, finished with a 33-32 advantage in hits.

“Both sides were physical but that was obviously a massive hit,” said center Ryan O’Reilly. “It got some attention but we were physical and that’s one of the things that we did do well and have to maintain.”

ROILING RASK

The Blues learned over the course of Game 1 that creating open shots isn’t enough to dislodge B’s goalie Tuukka Rask, who has maintained the lowest goals-against average (1.85) and save percentage (.940) in the playoffs.

Blues center Brayden Schenn opened the scoring at 7:23 of the first period and went up 2-0 on right winger Vladimir Tarasenko’s ninth of the playoffs 60 seconds into the second. Rask and the Bruins defense made the proper adjustments and kept the Blues off the board for the remainder of the game.

“We have to put the puck in the net and we have to get more shots and creating more second chances,” Tarasenko said. “He’s a good goalie and we need more second chances and we can’t let him get comfortable and in areas create traffic.”

NOT DUNN YET

The Blues have plenty of size on the back end but they are missing Vince Dunn, their best puck moving defenseman. The 6-foot, 203-pound Dunn has missed four straight games with an upper body injury. Berube hopes to have him back for Game 2.

“There’s a chance and we’ll see how he does (in practice),” the coach said.

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Marcus Johansson elevates his game in a big spot

By MARISA INGEMI

It’s kind of hard to believe Marcus Johansson didn’t end up on the scoresheet in Game 1.

While both the Bruins and Blues had a feeling out period to start the game, the Bruins third-line winger had plenty of energy. He nearly scored early, breaking through the Blues defense before hitting the post.

Even aside from that one play, he clearly had the most jump early.

“It’s a lot of fun, a lot of adrenaline,” Johansson said. “This time of year you don’t think, you just go out and play and I think that is when you play your best, too. There’s no time to second-guess out there, you just go out and play. Whatever you can do to help the team, you’re going to do it and it’s a lot of fun.”

Johansson had some bursts like that earlier in the playoffs as well, especially against the Blue Jackets.

In just his fourth game after being acquired at the trade deadline, Johansson was injured against the Hurricanes, so the Bruins didn’t get a chance to see what kind of a player he could really be with the third line until late in the season or even once the playoffs got going.

“We knew he was a talented player,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I think the pace of his game, I didn’t know he had that first step to separate. He’s a good passer, he actually has a great shot, we encourage him to use it more, he always looks to pass first. That part, in traffic, he’s grabbed some pucks and gotten in and out of traffic, been able to get on the attack.”

Johansson has fit in with fellow trade acquisition Charlie Coyle and young winger Danton Heinen to make the Bruins deeper. That’s the role of that line, to provide depth.

Johansson’s skill, though, is shining through and an indication he just might be able to do a bit more.

“He’s excellent over the blue line,” Cassidy said. “He backs people off. … Good plays to the second wing, (David) Pastrnak was a good example last night. He’s attacked the net more since he’s been here, he’s driving wide, taking the inside and getting to the net when the opportunity dictates. A little greasier game. I think that’s been the difference from maybe what we saw when he first got here.”

Johansson had just one shot on goal in Game 1, so it’s odd to be left with the impression of what a strong game the 28-year-old had. But with 16:47 of ice time, his second-highest total in the postseason (he had 20:10 in the Game 2 double-overtime loss to the Blue Jackets), his impact was obvious with just the energy he brought to Monday’s game.

He left his imprint on the first contest of the Stanley Cup Final, and another performance like that is almost sure to garner some offensive results. Or at the very least, continue to challenge the Blues with the Bruins’ own forward depth, making it easier for the other lines to succeed.

Boston Herald LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145483 Boston Bruins the puck went to a dead spot in the ice where you can make a hit like that. You’re not able to do that unless you ave the guys reloading and have the proper support and we did.”

Torey Krug delivers for Bruins in more ways than one What resulted just might have been the B’s signature moment of these playoffs if they’re able to grind out three more wins and capture the Cup.

By STEVE CONROY But Krug has given this team a hell of a lot more than one moment in these playoffs.

Boston Herald LOADED: 05.29.2019 Torey Krug stands 5-foot-9, weighs in at 185 pounds. The chip he carries on his shoulder is at least that size.

Poor Robert Thomas learned that the hard way on Monday night in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final when he was made to pay for the liberties his St. Louis Blues teammate David Perron tried to take at Krug’s expense. The helmetless Krug, hockey hair flying in the breeze, turned down a chance to take a cheap shot on Perron and instead followed the puck to Thomas. And boom! Krug delivered the check, the photo, the moment of the playoffs for the Bruins so far.

But as electrifying as that hit was, it should not overshadow the body of work that Krug has put in these playoffs. While there have been some questions throughout his career about whether he was a legitimate top four defenseman, there have been nights during these past two months that he has actually played like a No. 1. After playing 27 minutes in the elimination game against Hurricanes – his season high in a non-overtime game – he led all Bruins in the Game 1 victory in ice time at 25:24.

Being the fierce competitor that he is, Krug is relishing proving his critics wrong.

“The narrative of my career for a long time has been an offensive guy, a one-way street,” Krug said after the B’s Tuesday practice at the Garden. “Even after this round, I’m still going to have people doubting me, so you just try to play the correct way. That’s been instilled in me from Day One, not only as a player growing up, but from the day I stepped into this organization. I take a lot of pride on both sides of the puck and that’s just what I’m trying to do.”

Krug, paired with Brandon Carlo for most of the season, has always been trying to prove himself in his own end but, to be honest, he has never shown himself to be this proficient as a defender. There have been times in the past when his competitiveness has gotten the best of him and he’d lose a costly physical puck fight or choose to absorb a hit he probably should have sidestepped. But he’s seemed more judicious in the battles that he’s been picking and, without this version of Krug, the B’s might not be three wins away from a Stanley Cup.

Coach Bruce Cassidy has been Krug’s biggest booster in these playoffs.

“He’s had a real good playoff in terms…people knows he’s a puck mover, people know his power-play acumen,” said Cassidy. “But he’s played heavy minutes against good players every night. I appreciate that, his teammates appreciate that and he’s building on his overall game. I think he’s always wanted to do that and I think this playoffs has allowed him to get out of that label of just being an offensive defenseman. He’s been real good for us, night in and night out. And he’s always been a physical guy.”

But as much as Cassidy is enjoying seeing Krug round out his game, he got as much a kick out of the hit on Thomas as anyone in the Garden balcony.

“Listen, I thought it was great,” said Cassidy. “Those are memorable moments. I’m a fan at heart. You see some stuff that’s a little bit old school and it’s good for the game, as long as nothing dangerous happens. And it just shows the passion of both players.”

On Tuesday, Krug relived the hit one more time.

“I felt like I was taken advantage of in front of the net and I wasn’t very happy about. I sprinted up the ice and saw Perron was going for a change and I thought I had a chance for an offensive opportunity, just being the second wave of attack,” he said.

Maybe in a regular season game, Krug might have indulged himself and given Perron the old two-hander to the back of the legs, but he could not take that chance at this stage.

“I’m just taking a number and I’d try to get it later,” said Krug, who has 1- 11-12 totals and plus-6 in the playoffs. “Obviously, I’m not going to do anything stupid and take a penalty and put our team in jeopardy. Luckily, 1145484 Boston Bruins

Chase Rice: Kicking off Stanley Cup is ‘coolest thing you can do’

By BROOKS SUTHERLAND

Chase Rice didn’t have to think long before jumping at the chance to kick off the Stanley Cup Finals in Boston.

“I love this town,” the country singer told the Herald before he performed in front of thousands on City Hall Plaza. “I’ve been a Red Sox fan since probably the ’90s and there’s something about Fenway for me. I’ll come up here for a day game and go home.”

A Nashville Predators fan, Rice said he predicts the Bruins will win the Stanley Cup in six games.

“I think it will be a great series,” Rice said. “I think Boston is the better team. It’s all Tuukka (Rask). Tuukka does well, the Bruins win.”

“People are nuts right now,” Rice said of the scene on the plaza. “It’s a cool atmosphere. It’s the Stanley Cup, you can’t beat it. On a sunny day outside, a street party before the Cup — it’s the coolest thing you can do.”

The hit singer of “Eyes on You,” which recently rose to the top on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, performed at the House of Blues on Saturday and said Boston is one of his favorite cities to perform in.

“The show we did two days ago is one of the coolest things I’ve ever done,” he said. “We were outside of Fenway and that’s my heaven right there.”

A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, Rice was a linebacker on the football team at the University of North Carolina and also spent time as a pit crew member for NASCAR’s Hendrick Motorsports. He said his success as a performer comes in part from his work ethic in sports.

“It’s been the coolest life you could imagine,” Rice said. “I’ve gotten to do everything that I’ve ever wanted to do. Now that we’re at the top, we just want to keep going.”

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Pierre McGuire explains how Zdeno Chara embraces role as mentor for young Bruins

By Justin Leger May 28, 2019 10:01 PM

Zdeno Chara may be on the tail end of his career, but his presence on the Bruins remains an integral part of the team's success.

NBC hockey analyst Pierre McGuire joined the latest Michael Holley Podcast and explained just how important the 42-year-old B's captain is to the team and how he's embraced his role as a mentor to the young guns.

Chara lauds Brady: 'I really admire him'

"He's adapted to his role," McGuire said. "Less minutes, better performance. He's been a tremendous mentor for those young defensemen. That's where I think he's really grown a lot. I think he really relishes being a mentor.

"So I see the development of, you know, Charlie McAvoy, I see the development of Torey Krug, Brandon Carlo. I watched them today in practice. At the end of practice, it's just he and Brandon Carlo. I wish I could've heard the conversation, but Carlo was listening and Zdeno was talking. And it was really good because it was eyeball to eyeball, and Carlo's one of the few Bruins that can actually look him in the eye without having to look up. So it was pretty neat, and so I really think he relishes the role of being a mentor."

Chara looks to take home his second Stanley Cup after leading the Bruins to their 2011 title.

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Bruins GM Don Sweeney, Blues coach Craig Berube squared off in an epic brawl 20 years ago

By Patrick Dunne May 28, 2019 9:59 PM

For the next few weeks, they'll oppose each other wearing suits, but more than 20 years ago, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney and Blues coach Craig Berube dropped the gloves to spark an epic brawl in Boston.

Remember that time Don Sweeney (current #NHLBruins GM) fought Craig Berube (current #STLBlues coach) in 1998?

We didn't think so! So here's the video ⏪ pic.twitter.com/FAGcKg1Tn7

— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) May 29, 2019

The Bruins won the game 5-4, back on Nov. 21, 1998, at what was then the Fleet Center, but Sweeney and Berube each didn't stick around to be a part of it after their dustup started a full-blown line brawl in the first period. Each was given a game misconduct, two of the five handed out after what started as a Berube crosscheck to Sweeney blew up into a battle that even had goalies Olaf Kolzig and Byron Dafoe involved.

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Brad Marchand wants NHL to get rid of video reviews: 'Refs are getting crucified'

By Justin Leger May 28, 2019 8:37 PM

As exciting as the NHL playoffs have been, they've been marred by controversial calls and non-calls by officials.

So how can the league remedy this issue for future postseasons? Bruins winger Brad Marchand offers a pretty straightforward solution.

Chara lauds Brady: 'I really admire him'

"Get rid of video reviews, that's the problem," Marchand told ESPN's Emily Kaplan. "When you start bringing in all the video reviews, the refs are getting crucified. They're out there to do a job. Start taking it away from them, little by little, then it's going to escalate. Now they're going to want video reviews for pucks hitting the net or hand passes, so how much are you going to take away from the refs? The only way to do it is to do all of it with video review or none of it."

Which would Marchand prefer?

"I don't care either way," he said. "Just pick one. We're in between right now."

Marchand's critique is a valid one. The Bruins had their own issues with video review rules during their second-round series against the Blue Jackets, when a puck off the netting went uncalled and resulted in a Columbus goal.

The Blues, Boston's Stanley Cup opponent, found themselves on the wrong side of the rules as well when an obvious hand pass led to a Sharks overtime goal and was ineligible for video review.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said prior to the Stanley Cup Final that video review would be among the topics discussed when the league's GMs meet June 20.

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Bruins defensemen provided offensive spark in Game 1 over Blues

By Nick Goss May 28, 2019 6:42 PM

The Boston Bruins have an impressive collection of young defensemen, and one of the group's most impressive attributes is its ability to contribute offensively.

Boston's sloppy play helped the St. Louis Blues increase their lead to 2-0 early in the second period of Game 1 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, and it was two young defensemen who gave the Bruins an offensive jolt.

Rookie blueliner Connor Clifton scored Boston's first goal. He read the play and made a smart move to jump into the action, and his drive to the net was rewarded with a goal that gave a much-needed spark to the TD Garden crowd. Later in the second period, Charlie McAvoy fired a shot past Blues goalie Jordan Binnington for a power-play tally that tied the score at two goals apiece.

Clifton and McAvoy became the fifth pair of defenseman to score in a single Stanley Cup Final game for the Bruins, and the first to accomplish the feat since 1990.

Game 1 marks the fifth time that the @NHLBruins have had multiple defensemen score a goal in a #StanleyCup Final game.

The last time: Game 2 in 1990 vs. EDM (Ray Bourque and Greg Hawgood). #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/SVsivMwJme

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) May 28, 2019

"Well, I think that just tells a lot about our team," Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask said when asked about the defensemen chipping in offensively. "We play for each other, everybody’s willing to do the dirty work and willing to do the offense as well. So, not surprising, but happy to see guys get rewarded. We’ve got a lot of D-men who can skate, who can join the rush, and today it showed."

Krug's huge hit part of powerful opening punch by B's

Bruins defenseman Torey Krug, who tied for the team lead with four shots on goal in Boston's 4-2 win, praised the team's depth for its success in the series opener.

"That’s the NHL today," Krug said. "If you get contributions from your backline, if you get contributions from your bottom-six forwards, you’re going win a lot of hockey games and you’re going to have a chance to go far in the playoffs. And that’s what we’ve had up to this point and that’s what we had tonight. And that’s why we won the game. It’s crucial."

The Bruins' top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak didn't play well in Game 1, but the rest of the team, and the blue line, in particular, picked up the slack. It's always a bonus when your defensemen are scoring goals, and this is part of what makes the Bruins such a difficult team to beat. They are able to find offensive production from everywhere in the lineup.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145489 Boston Bruins the Final and all of a sudden a year or two goes by, we miss the playoffs and then you're wondering if you're ever going to get back there again."

The years between trips to the Cup Final probably hammered home just Welcome back: Six years after Game 1 slip-up, grown-up Krug is Game how rare an opportunity the Bruins now have. Six years after that 22- 1 star year-old prospect slipped up at the challenge, a 28-year-old core player ran it over.

By DJ Bean May 28, 2019 6:43 PM Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 05.29.2019

Tuukka Rask is used to talking about Torey Krug after Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

"We had the game. We were up 3-1 in the third, and then a terrible turnover leads to a second goal, a tough bounce leads to the tying goal, and we just gave it away."

- Rask after Game 1 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final

"He's the type of guy that never gives up."

- Rask after Game 1 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final

Both of those quotes were about Torey Krug.

Boston's goalie did little to hide his frustration with a call-up making a rookie mistake on the biggest stage back in 2013. It was the first low moment for an otherwise splendid run for the undrafted free agent. Krug had scored four goals in five games against the Rangers, held his own against the Eastern Conference finals, then boom: With the Bruins on their way to a Game 1 victory against the Blackhawks on the road, he turned it over in his own end, leading to a Dave Bolland goal.

The next day, the Bruins had media availability at their hotel, with select players being made accessible to reporters. That Krug was one of them was an early sign that the Bruins had a character player on their hands.

Fast forward six years, and you saw another Monday night. After being tangled up in front of Boston's net with David Perron, who ripped Krug's helmet off, the undersized defensemen eventually broke loose, skated the length of the ice to get into the play and gave Blues rookie Robert Thomas his own welcome-to-the-Stanley-Cup moment.

"I think it gave our team energy and that’s all you’re trying to do out there is make little plays throughout the game that pushes your team in the right direction and that was one of them.” -Torey Krug

This is the #StanleyCup Final. pic.twitter.com/Qs2rB9T3la

— #StanleyCup on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) May 28, 2019

On Sunday, I asked Krug about being in the Cup Final again as an established veteran. He remarked that he'd actually just spoken to his teammates about it and that it felt like "a lifetime ago."

JOE HAGGERTY - Krug's hit part of a powerful opening punch thrown by the B's

"The perspective is way different, to be honest," Krug said. "You don't want to get in the way the first time. You want to be a difference-maker, but you realize that there's leaders on the team and they're going to be the guys you try to follow, but you also have to make sure you're doing your job. It's tough.

"Now this part of it, being on the opposite end, you just want to make sure guys are comfortable. I'm so confident in my own game and my preparation that on the ice it won't be too much of an issue. I can just worry about that, but you just worry about the other guys, the young guys, making sure that they're ready to go and they're comfortable."

Rask zings Krug over his massive hit

That Krug came out and not only turned in one of the most aesthetically pleasing hockey hits in NHL history (not hyperbole; fight me), but was one of the Bruins' most important players (he led the team in ice time by a wide margin with 25:24, nearly four minutes more than Charlie McAvoy, the next guy), is no surprise. Krug is as much a gamer as there is on the roster, and he'd be wearing a letter if he were on most teams in the league.

"I kind of got dragged along that first ride," Krug said Sunday. "When you're in the moment, you think, 'Wow, we have the team where I can be here every year. Year in, year out, we're going to have a chance to go to 1145490 Boston Bruins

Blues' Jordan Binnington jokes Torey Krug may have been 'on something' in Game 1

By Justin Leger May 28, 2019 5:26 PM

Torey Krug was the spark plug for the Bruins in their Game 1 victory over the Blues.

Was Krug's hit a penalty? Ex-NHL players, analysts disagree

While Krug's contributions didn't show up in the box score, his tussle with David Perron followed by his helmet-less hit on Robert Thomas set the tone for Boston's 4-2 win. The Bruins defenseman even managed to freak out Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington in the process.

Following Monday night's game, Binnington described his frightening interaction with Krug after the hit on Thomas.

"It was more a stare," Binnington said. "His pupils were pretty big. I don't know if he's on something, but he was pretty fired up."

Binnington may have been a bit taken aback by Krug's intensity in Game 1, but his teammates loved every second of it. David Backes went as far as to say the hit on Thomas gave him "goosebumps."

Also showing appreciation for Krug's hit was Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who chimed in with his fired up reaction on Twitter.

Krug and the B's will look to maintain that same level of competitiveness in Game 2, which will take place Wednesday night at TD Garden.

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Andrew Ference shares awesome photo of 2011 Bruins after Game 1 win vs. Blues

By Nick Goss May 28, 2019 5:05 PM

The 2011 Boston Bruins had a bit of a reunion Monday night at TD Garden.

Eight players from that Stanley Cup-winning team served as the fan banner captains before the Bruins took on the St. Louis Blues in Game 1 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final. The crowd went crazy when these 2011 champions were introduced before puck drop, adding to an already electric atmosphere before Boston's first Cup Final game since 2013.

Bruins extend historic playoff win streak

The eight former Bruins from 2011 in attendance for Game 1 were Andrew Ference, Shawn Thornton, Gregory Campbell, Rich Peverley, Chris Kelly, Michael Ryder, Dennis Seidenberg and Daniel Paille.

At some point Monday, these eight retired players, along with six players from the 2011 team still on the Bruins (Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Krejci, Tuukka Rask, Zdeno Chara and Steven Kampfer), as well as other team staff, joined for an awesome group photo.

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Bruins' Perfection Line 'had a tough time finding their game' in Game 1

By Joe Haggerty May 28, 2019 4:51 PM

BOSTON – The Bruins' Perfection Line started off pretty slowly against the Carolina Hurricanes in the conference final, and really didn’t get rolling until the fourth and final clinching game in the sweep of the Canes.

So perhaps it wasn’t a surprise that Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak were once again slow out of the gate in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night in the 4-2 victory over the Blues at TD Garden. Sure, Marchand finally scored the empty netter at the end of the game to clinch things, but they also had some rough moments in the first half of the game, including being on ice for both of the St. Louis goals.

In total, they had a pretty average 11 shots on net and five giveaways to show for their evening of work, and that’s something they know they can improve on while playing a simpler game.

Chara salutes Tom Brady: 'I really admire him'

“They’re a team that’s really good on the fore-check, and they turn the puck over a lot. I think we have to be smart in taking care of the puck,” said Bergeron. “When we do, and keep things simple, we get out of our zone and that helps going forward. I think the north-south kind of game is a lot more of what we need to do in this series.”

Marchand looked rusty with his hands after the 10-day break between playoff games, and was fumbling pucks and fanning on shot attempts in the opening 20 minutes. Pastrnak had a sloppy reverse pass off the end boards at the start of the second period that was intercepted by Brayden Schenn and turned into a Vladimir Tarasenko goal.

They were shut out offensively as a line until the empty netter in the third, and Bruce Cassidy opted to replace them defensively on the Blues top line when he switched the fourth line onto Schenn, Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz in the second period to great success. Cassidy admitted afterward that it was an off night for the Perfection Line clearly not living up to their name, but they’ll get every opportunity to get it all back in Wednesday night’s Game 2.

Bean: What you should expect to change in Game 2

“It wasn’t going our way, it’s that simple. I thought Bergy’s [Patrice Bergeron] line had a tough time finding their game tonight and the other guys were a little bit ahead of them, in terms of their puck possession. So we’ve used Kuraly’s [Sean Kuraly] line all year against good lines,” said Cassidy. “We decided to maybe go that route which worked out for us tonight and we’ll reevaluate on Wednesday.

“Or [Charlie] Coyle’s line, I thought that they were having a good night too. More offense against offense and I think they had the puck a lot. That’s usually how you contain good lines. Usually Bergy’s [Patrice Bergeron] line will have a lot of offensive zone puck possession but for whatever reason tonight they weren’t able to do it as much as they typically do.”

While it may take Boston’s top trio a game or two to figure things out and get going at their top level, the smart money says Marchand, Bergeron and Pastrnak will be much better in Game 2 with the Bruins in need of some elevated play.

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Stanley Cup Final: Three things that won't happen again in Game 2

By DJ Bean May 28, 2019 3:08 PM

Throughout the Stanley Cup Final I'll put together some quick-ish thoughts between games. One of my main takeaways from Game 1 is that a few things happened in the series-opener that I don't expect to happen in Game 2.

Bergeron line/top pair won't struggle that much vs. Schenn line

St. Louis' only two goals -- the first two of the game -- came against the Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak line and the Chara-McAvoy pair. One came off an attempted breakout from Bergeron that didn't leave the zone, the other from an uncharacteristic turnover from Pastrnak. After Vladimir Tarasenko capitalized on the latter to put the Blues up 2-0, Bruce Cassidy pulled the plug on their assignment and played the fourth line more against Schenn line.

Two things on the early struggles for the Bergeron line: 1. This trio has had peaks and valleys this postseason. 2. Think back to last postseason agains the Lightning. Brayden Point's line had a bad game against Bergeron's line and the Bruins took Game 1. Then Point snapped out of it, was fantastic and the Lightning won the next four.

The lesson here is that great players can have a bad game and still go on to have a great series. If I'm Cassidy I go back to Bergeron vs. the Blues' top line and count on them winning a matchup they should win on paper.

Boston ranked as best hockey city in USA

Blues won't live in the box

One of the many things the Blues have done well this postseason is avoid getting into trouble with penalties. That changed in Game 1, when they took five minors.

It's not like they were all because of the Bruins' speed, either. The first two they took were in the offensive zone. The third -- Joel Edmundson's high stick on David Backes -- came from frustration. 's cross-check on Connor Clifton as the Bruins defenseman was getting off the ice was idiotic.

The Bruins stunk on their first two power plays, got better as the night went on and eventually scored on the fourth. As long as the Blues don't lose their minds, Boston shouldn't expect five chances again.

Toronto media won't complain about a clean hit

I kid. That will probably happen again because Twitter is a place for stupidity and as long as you claim a normal play was a crime, people will complain. Especially if it's the Bruins.

Torey Krug glided into that hit on Robert Thomas for about 45 minutes. He just had momentum from skating the length of the ice.

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Boston is the best hockey city in America, according to this ranking

By Darren Hartwell May 28, 2019 2:10 PM

When the Boston Bruins sold out an intrasquad scrimmage at TD Garden last week, it gave some sense of how hockey-crazed this city is.

Now, we have quantifiable proof.

The personal finance website WalletHub published a ranking Tuesday of the 73 best hockey cities in the U.S., rating each city on 21 key indicators that include team performance, ticket prices, fan engagement and more.

No. 1 on the list: Boston, home of a Bruins team that's three wins away from its seventh Stanley Cup title after beating the St. Louis Blues in Game 1 on Monday night.

Krug's huge hit just a part of Bruins' powerful Game 1 punch

Here are the top five cities on WalletHub's list, which features no surprises:

1. Boston

2. Detroit

3. Pittsburgh

4. Chicago

5. New York

WalletHub rated each city by both its NHL rank and its NCAA rank, weighting 80 percent of a city's overall "score" to NHL and 20 percent to NCAA.

Detroit and Pittsburgh, home of the Red Wings and Penguins, respectfully, actually ranked as better NHL cities than Boston on WalletHub's list. But the City of Champions easily ranked as the top NCAA city in the nation, and with good reason, as schools like Boston University, Boston College and Northeastern always are rife with talent.

Members of 2011 Bruins serve as banner captains for Game 1

The full study is worth a read, if only for the fact that we now have statistical evidence that Boston is the center of the sports universe (in hockey, anyway).

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Tuukka Rask has perfect response to Torey Krug, David Perron tussle in Game 1

By Nick Goss May 28, 2019 1:57 PM

Torey Krug's crushing hit on Blues forward Robert Thomas was the most memorable moment from Game 1 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, but before that play, the Bruins defenseman had a lengthy tussle with St. Louis forward David Perron in front of the Boston net.

These players traded jabs, pushed each other around and Perron even took off Krug's helmet. When both of them got up, Perron was done with Krug and skated toward the Blues bench. Krug wasn't able to retaliate with Perron as a result and instead took out his frustration on Thomas at the other end of the ice.

Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask had a front row seat to the Krug/Perron exchange, and he had a great reaction to the incident when asked about it Tuesday.

Tuukka Rask was asked what he was thinking watching Torey Krug and David Perron going at it in front of him before Krug went down and crushed Robert Thomas. The answer is gold:

“I was like what the [expletive] are these guys doing. I’m just like, yeah, get out of there."

— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) May 28, 2019

Here's a look at the incident between Krug and Perron:

Krug and Perron mix it up in front. No call either way. #STLBlues #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/9mpDdRMRvD

— Trevor Connors (@tconnors83) May 28, 2019

Blues made it easy for Rask in Game 1

It wouldn't be surprising if Krug and Perron revisit their Game 1 fisticuffs at some point during Wednesday night's Game 2 at TD Garden. Game 1 was a physical affair and the rest of the series should follow suit considering these are two big, physical teams.

Perron and the Blues need to be smart, though, because they were undisciplined in the series opener and put the Bruins on the power play five times. Boston's power play is converting at an impressive 34.5 percent rate during the team's eight-game playoff win streak, including one goal Monday night, so St. Louis needs to walk a fine line between being physical and staying out of the penalty box.

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Bruins overcame long layoff to accomplish rare Stanley Cup feat in Game 1 win

By Nick Goss May 28, 2019 12:50 PM

The Boston Bruins didn't have their legs early in Game 1 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final.

The B's were careless with the puck, whiffed on passes/shots, struggled on the power play and just failed to execute at a high level. This slow start had consequences for the Bruins, as the Blues jumped out to a 2-0 lead a minute into the second period.

“We were 11 days off. It’s tough to come out and be 100 percent sure," Bruins defenseman Connor Clifton said. "We were a little flat. It is what it is. We knew we could play better.”

And play better they did.

Torey Krug hit gave David Backes 'goosebumps'

The Bruins ultimately shook off the rust and started to play their game, and that's when the tide turned. Boston outshot St. Louis 30-12 and outscored the Blues 4-1 over the final two periods. The B's secured a 4-2 victory as a result, and in the process, they accomplished a rare feat for a team that was well-rested entering Game 1 of a Stanley Cup Final.

The Bruins had five more days of rest than the Blues coming into this series. The previous five teams with five or more days of rest than their opponent entering Game 1 of the Cup Final all lost.

Here's a look at those teams:

1975: Sabres (six days) vs. Flyers (one day) -- BUF lost 4-1

1986: Canadiens (six days) vs. Flames (one day) -- MTL lost 5-2

1993: Canadiens (seven days) vs. Kings (two days) -- MTL lost 4-1

2003: Ducks (10 days) vs. Devils (three days) -- ANA lost 3-0

2006: Oilers (eight days) vs. Hurricanes (three days) -- EDM lost 5-4

2019: Bruins (10 days) vs. Blues (five days) -- BOS won 4-2

Chara 'fine' after bloody end to Game 1

Credit the Bruins for overcoming a poor start and earning their first ever multi-goal comeback win in the Stanley Cup Final.

The Blues' best bet to steal a game in Boston was the series opener, and the opportunity was there after the Bruins' sloppiness allowed St. Louis to go up 2-0. Now the Blues have to beat a superior opponent four times in six games, which is a pretty tough task considering three more games (if necessary) are in Boston.

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Kyle Van Noy very much approved of Torey Krug's huge Stanley Cup Final hit

By Nick Goss May 28, 2019 11:02 AM

Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug's gargantuan hit on St. Louis Blues forward Robert Thomas in Monday night's Game 1 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final was the type of collision an NFL player would be proud of.

Krug skated the length of the ice and just bulldozed Thomas, firing up the TD Garden crowd and New England Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who offered the following reaction on Twitter:

Get some Krug!!!!!!! @ToreyKrug

— Kyle Van Noy (@KVN_03) May 28, 2019

Here's a replay of Krug's devastating hit:

.@ToreyKrug: closet linebacker.#NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/AzbOowmCur

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) May 28, 2019

That's the kind of hit you'd expect from an NFL safety or linebacker. Krug, despite being listed at 5-foot-9 and 186 pounds, throws his weight around as well as any player on the B's roster. Bruins rookie defenseman Connor Clifton summed it up well after Game 1, saying "You don't want to get that guy mad" when describing Krug.

David Backes has great reaction to Krug's massive hit

The Bruins clearly were energized by Krug's booming check, as they closed out the final 10:19 of the third period to secure a 4-2 victory to open the series.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145498 Boston Bruins assumed to have a little bit of the size and strength advantage headed into the series. The B’s threw, and landed, the first haymaker punch on Monday night and it will be interesting to see how the Blues respond Krug hit just a part of a powerful opening punch thrown by Bruins in headed into Wednesday night’s Game 2 where we’ll learn just how long Game 1 this series is going to be.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 05.29.2019

By Joe Haggerty May 28, 2019 10:19 AM

BOSTON – The Bruins said they expected the St. Louis Blues to be their most physical opponent in the playoffs to date, and then they went out and played like it in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

It was punctuated by Torey Krug flying down the ice without a helmet hell-bent on revenge after getting his lid popped off his head by David Perron, and then obliterating rookie Robert Thomas with a punishing, clean hit that showed everything the Bruins want to show.

Krug had the presence of mind to not jump Perron from behind as he slowly retreated to the Blues bench — which undoubtedly would have earned him a penalty — and instead used his full-speed fury to attack Thomas as the two players battled for the puck. It wasn’t charging as he glided for the last 10-15 feet until impact, and it wasn’t launching as he didn’t leave his feet until after he steam-rolled Thomas.

It was goose bump-inducing as David Backes admitted to after the game.

“[The Krug hit] gave me some goose bumps. He’s battling in our zone. I don’t know what kind of twister game they were playing in front of our net,” said Backes. “But I was hoping we would change and he doesn’t have a helmet on. But he goes right up the ice and lays a big hit. He thinks he’s playing thirty, forty years ago. That was an exchange, I think, that was Torey Krug establishing himself in this series. That was from my perspective a big boost.”

.@ToreyKrug: closet linebacker.#NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/AzbOowmCur

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) May 28, 2019

Instead it was part of Boston’s plan to play a physical, unflinching brand of hockey against a big, strong and heavy Blues team, and Game 1 lived up to its advanced billing as two intensely physical hockey clubs were intent on slugging it out.

Give Round One to Krug and the Bruins with a 4-2 win over St. Louis at TD Garden where they outshot St. Louis 38-20 and left the ice with the game’s biggest, most breathtaking hit with Krug dropping Thomas in a stunning sequence.

But it didn’t end there either. There was Noel Acciari slamming Jaden Schwartz over the boards and dumping him into the Bruins bench, and then clobbering Alex Steen against the side boards after he’d thrown a hit on Charlie McAvoy in the corner. There was David Backes getting into it with St. Louis D-man Joel Edmundson after an early high-stick infraction where Edmundson cross-checked him in the back while he was down on the ice after getting his stick up in his face.

Fourth line leads the way (again) for deep Bruins squad

There was nastiness and competitiveness all over the ice, and it was highly entertaining to watch, as it should be for the entire best-of-seven series between a couple NHL heavyweights not looking to back down.

“When everything is on the line like that, it’s going to come to the surface a lot quicker,” said Krug, of the temperature of the series getting hot quickly between a couple of teams that don’t see each other very often. “This isn’t a team we see too often, so the rivalry factor isn’t there. But I’m sure by the end of the series it will be something to talk about for a very long time.”

Even skill players like Marcus Johansson were fighting through bodies, winning their battles and playing with an intrepid, tough determination that might not always be there during the regular season.

“These guys in here -- they’ll do anything to win and it’s what is special about this group,” said Johansson. “This is going to be a war to the end. That’s what it is. It’s us or them. Everybody wants it so you need to go out and get it.”

The bottom line for the Bruins is that they were ready to play Stanley Cup Final-level hockey in Game 1 and they took it to a Blues team that was 1145499 Boston Bruins

Brad Marchand in the company of Bruins legends after Stanley Cup Final goal

By Darren Hartwell May 28, 2019 10:00 AM

Don't let Brad Marchand's reputation as a pesky instigator distract you from the fact that he's quickly becoming one of the most accomplished postseason players in Boston Bruins history.

Marchand delivered the knockout blow to the St. Louis Blues on Monday night with an empty-net goal late in the third period that sealed Boston's 4-2 win in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The tally was Marchand's sixth goal in Stanley Cup Final series alone, moving him to fourth all-time in franchise history behind three Bruins players you may recognize.

Most goals in the #StanleyCup Final, @NHLBruins history:

8 – Johnny Bucyk

8 – Bobby Orr

7 – Wayne Cashman

6 – @Bmarch63

^Five others with 6#NHLStats pic.twitter.com/5J9nu4EYAT

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) May 28, 2019

That's pretty special company; Bobby Orr and Johnny Bucyk are both Hockey Hall of Famers, while Wayne Cashman is one of the best NHL players not to reach the Hall.

Incredibly, Marchand's previous five Stanley Cup Final goals all came in 2011 against the Vancouver Canucks during a white-hot five-game stretch. The veteran winger also competed in the 2013 Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks but was held scoreless.

Bruins Notes: Game 1 win extends historic playoff win streak

Patrice Bergeron actually is tied with Marchand on this list with six Cup Final goals of his own, as both have the benefit of appearing in three separate Finals.

Marchand still has the smallest sample size of anyone on the list, though, having appeared in 14 Final games compared to 16 for Orr, 24 for Bucyk and 26 for Cashman.

So, keep an eye on "The Perfection Line" throughout this series, as two more goals for either Marchand or Bergeron would push them level with two of the greatest Bruins of all time in Orr and Bucyk.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145500 Boston Bruins They really had it going on by the time they scored the game-winner in the third period with a hard fore-check and both Acciari and Kuraly going to work down low on the St. Louis defense before an Acciari net-front Deep Bruins team once again led by fourth line in Game 1 of Cup Final dish was popped home by Kuraly. It was good, old-fashioned blue collar hockey from the B’s lunch-pail trio and it was an appropriate score to decide a game that was about much more than the fancy stuff.

By Joe Haggerty May 28, 2019 9:29 AM B's extend historic win streak in Game 1

“I think we’re just trying to play as hard as we can, and the role or whatever it is, is something I think that maybe other people talk about or BOSTON – Just as it’s been all season and since Sean Kuraly jumped whatever. We’re just trying to play good and play as hard as we can. back into the lineup for the fourth line during the first-round series against We’ve got a lot of good players on the team, so it’s kind of where we’re the Maple Leafs, the fourth line continues to be a driving force for the put in the lineup,” said Kuraly. “We just want to do the best that we can Bruins. for the team. We’ve got a heck of a team in there, and a lot of guys that It’s helped the Bruins overwhelm opponents with their depth and it have been around for a while, so we’re just trying to do the best that we happened again in Monday night’s Game 1 as the fourth line powered a can and wherever they want to put us is all good.” couple even-strength goals and locked down St. Louis’ top line in a 4-2 The Bruins depth was a massive part of what got them over the Leafs in win for the B’s at TD Garden. Per usual, Kuraly was in the middle of it all the first round, and helped them get over the hump in the second round with a couple of points and a game-winning goal that was all about against Columbus. Boston’s depth overwhelmed the Hurricanes in the winning battles around the net before Kuraly pushed one past Joel conference final when the third and fourth lines did nearly all the damage Edmunsson at the front of the Blues crease. for the Black and Gold, and that was the very same case against a deep, The big offense night gives Kuraly three goals and seven points in 14 talented and hard-to-play against Blues bunch in Game 1. playoff games and continues his “Big Game Kuraly” reputation of St. Louis will get every chance to show the Game 1 loss was an outlier showing up in the clutch moments when it matters most during the when the two teams line up to face each other again on Wednesday postseason. The fact that Noel Acciari was a one-man wrecking ball night in Game 2, but if it wasn’t, then the Blues are going to fall under the while throwing Jaden Schwartz over the boards and onto the Bruins weight of Boston’s depth just like everybody else in these Stanley Cup bench was just an added bonus (all that before crunching Alex Steen Playoffs. after he clobbered Charlie McAvoy in the corner) with the fourth line roughing up the Blues' best players as well. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 05.29.2019 Krug's hit gave David Backes 'goosebumps'

The B’s fourth line does north-south hockey very well, and that was exactly what was needed on Monday night against a rugged Blues bunch.

“This is what they do. They possess pucks, they can skate, they play simple hockey and I think against St. Louis if you play north, especially for us being off as long as we were, we had to not get drawn into the fancy stuff, the east-west stuff, stuff that you’re doing in practice because you don’t have the competitive edge. It showed on the second goal, we just mismanaged the puck, even the first one we got a little loose so at the end of the day they are always going to play a straight line game,” said Bruce Cassidy. “Sometimes they get rewarded and sometimes they don’t but they always play the same way. That’s what they did tonight. They got rewarded by going to the net, they’re always good defensively and Noel will add the physicality.

“Going back to the previous question, we made the switch, we need to be a little more physical against that line and I thought they were able to deliver on that too.”

Cassidy reserved the right to change his strategy for Wednesday and Game 2 based on what he saw during the opening Stanley Cup Final game, and what his Perfection Line is capable of bringing later on in the series. But it’s hard to argue with a Bruins group that outshot the Blues by a 30-12 margin over the final 40 minutes of the game, and brought plenty of physical thump against a big, strong Blues roster that’s played some pretty dominant hockey along the way in their playoff run.

Chara 'fine' after getting arm bloodied

It’s also tough to argue with a fourth line that essentially punched the best Blues forwards right in the mouth, holding them down defensively while scoring a couple of goals amidst their big assignment as well.

“One of the strengths of this team is that we have four lines that can produce at any given time on any given night,” said Marcus Johansson, who also had a strong game for the Bruins. “What better time to do it than tonight? It’s not just they [the fourth line] scored the goals, I think they led the group to take the game over in to being more physical and I think that is what won us the game.”

The first goal was a big one for the Bruins, with it coming as an answer just 1:16 after the Blues had made it a 2-0, and it was Kuraly breaking into the offensive zone with speed before spotting rookie D-man Connor Clifton breaking to the net. Clifton was able to throw a sand wedge lob shot on the puck and got it to float over rookie netminder Jordan Binnington for the first goal that gave the Bruins life in a 2-1 game. 1145501 Boston Bruins

Tuukka Rask delivered a solid one-liner about Torey Krug's massive hit

By Darren Hartwell May 28, 2019 7:40 AM

Just as Torey Krug isn't afraid to throw his body around without a helmet on, his teammates aren't afraid to make fun of him for it.

The Boston Bruins defenseman unloaded what might be the biggest hit of the postseason in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night, leveling St. Louis Blues forward Robert Thomas in the third period after skating down the ice helmetless.

Krug's helmet popped off during a scrum in front of Boston's net, but goaltender Tuukka Rask had another theory.

"I think he had no helmet on so he wanted to make sure he made the highlights to make that hit," Rask wisecracked after the Bruins' rousing 4- 2 win at TD Garden.

Talking Points: Kuraly, Johansson step up in Game 1

Rask might be onto something: When asked about the hit after the game, Krug responded, "Just glad I got a haircut a few days ago."

Krug's ploy to get his luscious locks on the highlight reel certainly worked, as some awesome photos of the defenseman's hit emerged.

Angry Krug: A play in four acts. (via USATSI) pic.twitter.com/yeVFQZKNCJ

— Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) May 28, 2019

Krug did more than just lay the lumber, though, tying a team high with four shots on goal while leading the Bruins in ice time (25:24) as they jumped out to a 1-0 series lead in the Cup Final.

"He's the type of guy that never gives up," Rask added of Krug. "I saw him battling in front of the net, and I just wanted to tell him to get out of there and join the rush, but you're playing in the Final, so there's going to be battles all over the ice."

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Blues know they must make Tuukka Rask's job harder in Game 2 vs. Bruins

By Nick Goss May 28, 2019 2:00 AM

BOSTON -- Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask was good when he had to be in Game 1 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final. Those moments were few and far between, however.

Rask stopped 18 of the 20 shots the St. Louis Blues fired his way during the Bruins' 4-2 win in Monday night's series opener at TD Garden. It was a fairly comfortable night for Rask as the Bruins dominated the final 40 minutes of the game and at one point held the Blues without a single shot on goal over a 12:49 span.

"Whatever we had, 15 or 16 shots, that's not enough," Blues forward Brayden Schenn said. "He's a wold-class goaltender and we got to be able to shoot more pucks. We didn't get enough traffic around him, enough tips, screens. We didn't make it very hard on him tonight."

Rask entered the Stanley Cup Final as the leading Conn Smythe Trophy candidate. His .940 save percentage is the fifth-best for a single playoff run in NHL history, and he's coming off an Eastern Conference Final sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes during which he allowed just five goals in four games.

The Blues did well to capitalize on the Bruins' sloppy play early in Game 1, jumping out to a 2-0 lead after Vladimir Tarasenko's goal one minute into the second period. But once Boston shook off the rust from an 11- day layoff and started taking better care of the puck, St. Louis had a really tough time generating quality scoring chances. In fact, the Bruins had a 16-5 edge in scoring chances and a 5-0 advantage in high-danger chances during 5-on-5 play over the last two periods.

Chara 'fine' after bloody end to Game 1

The Blues had just 20 shots on goal overall and their power play failed to capitalize on its two opportunities. The Bruins deserve a lot of credit for consistently winning 50-50 battles and taking away time and space with the puck whenever a Blues player crossed into the attacking zone.

"Well, they pressure you," Blues coach Craig Berube said. "They come hard. They're a quick team. They get on you. They've got good sticks. They do a lot of good things. We've got to be better. They're a good defensive hockey team, and they do force you into bad situations with the puck a lot of times, but we've got to be better than that."

The Blues played the Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars and San Jose Sharks en route to the Cup Final, and none of those teams had a goalie as talented as Rask. If the Blues don't make Rask's job harder in Game 2, they'll fly back to St. Louis facing the incredibly difficult challenge of having to beat a deep, experienced Bruins team four times in five games.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145503 Boston Bruins get them to lose their gap? I think our forecheck was effective and we managed the puck.”

Sean Kuraly set up Clifton’s goal with a full-gas romp through the neutral The Big, Bad Who? Speed is the modern Bruins’ biggest strength zone. Robert Bortuzzo and did not come close to holding a tight gap against Kuraly’s entry.

By Fluto Shinzawa May 28, 2019 Later in the second, when McAvoy carried the puck over the offensive blue line on a one-versus-two rush, Colton Parayko and Alex Pietrangelo inexplicably backtracked instead of stepping up and choking off the defenseman’s approach. It is all well and good for the Bruins to encourage physicality. Robert Thomas is probably still wondering how the 10:20 p.m. outbound to It wasn’t just on the goals where the Bruins’ speed overwhelmed the Rockport jumped its North Station rails, climbed two flights of stairs and Blues. There were segments when the Blues had to relieve pressure with flattened him silly — in the form of Torey Krug — in the third period of hopeful chips, floats and rims just to disrupt the Bruins’ rhythm. It was Game 1. one reason the Blues posted a 22.22 5-on-5 Corsi For rating in the second period. They never had the puck. The Bruins’ biceps, however, were not the reason they stretched their postseason winning streak to eight. It was their legs. According to Natural Stat Trick, St. Louis recorded just one high-danger 5-on-5 shot attempt all game. The Bruins had six. “They pressure you,” said St. Louis coach Craig Berube. “They come hard. They’re a quick team. They get on you. They’ve got good sticks. “When we’re skating well, when we’re on top of teams, we’re rolling and They do a lot of good things. We’ve got to be better. They’re going to we’re playing fast, a lot of times teams are just chipping pucks out,” continue to do that. That’s the way they play. They’re a good defensive Danton Heinen said. “Especially in the second there, they were just hockey team, and they do force you into bad situations with the puck a lot chipping out and trying to get fresh legs out there. We were just rolling of times. But we’ve got to be better than that.” over. I thought in the first, it wasn’t bad. But we didn’t have our legs like we did in the second and third. It shows. We’re tougher to handle when Muscle will always be part of the Bruins’ DNA. As long as bodies fall at we’re skating.” TD Garden, patrons will rise from their seats. Bruce Cassidy shares in the pleasure of clobbering. Heinen, Coyle and Kuraly are three of the team’s faster forwards. They have company: Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, Jake DeBrusk and “I thought it was great,” Cassidy said of Krug’s no-helmet flight into Joakim Nordstrom. Even Marcus Johansson has sneaky speed — an Thomas. “Those are memorable moments. I’m a fan at heart. When you explosive initial burst and enough cruising power to stay away from his see some stuff that’s a little bit old-school, good for the game as long as chasers. nothing dangerous happens. It just shows the passion in both players.” “I didn’t know he had that first step to separate,” Cassidy said. But the Black-and-Gold cavemen understand that clubs are not the only tools at their disposal. As part of their organizational evolution, the Cassidy regularly says when the Bruins have their legs, they can skate Bruins, under the vision of general manager Don Sweeney and at the with any team in the league. The Blues have some catching up to do. hand of Cassidy, have become a hybrid. Their trunk remains stout, but they have grafted limbs of contemporary on-ice elements: namely, speed The Athletic LOADED: 05.29.2019 and quickness.

The 13 wins they have accumulated thus far are proof of their development.

It used to be that the Bruins defended harder than anybody. In 2011, opponents did not enjoy breaching the real estate between the circles. Intruders felt the wrath of Zdeno Chara, Dennis Seidenberg, Johnny Boychuk and Adam McQuaid — large, dark-alley men who delighted in crushing bones as well as spirits.

Eight years later, Chara’s five blue-line companions are all plus skaters in their own ways. Charlie McAvoy is an effortless mover. Brandon Carlo skates well for a 6-foot-5 defenseman. Matt Grzelcyk’s feet are as quick as any in the league. Connor Clifton’s abandon can sometimes turn into recklessness. Krug does not have high-end speed, but he is good at picking his spots as to when to close on attackers.

This is modern defense. Teams build the stoutest fortifications possible at the defensive blue line to deny clean entries. It is far safer, in other words, to keep would-be rampagers far away from the crown jewels with a moat full of alligators. The danger rises if the king gives raiders free access to the castle wall.

By using their speed to gap up, angle and challenge attackers, the Bruins have given themselves 64 feet of breathing room between the blue line and their net. They could not do this without good legs.

“Defensively, I think we’re pretty stubborn back there,” Charlie Coyle said. “We make it hard on them, keep it to the outside, take away that middle there and we’re closing fast.”

In Game 1, the Bruins closed the Blues’ preferred entry points off the rush. When St. Louis sent pucks in and turned to its forecheck to regain possession, the Bruins executed swift retrievals and brisk zone exits.

Then they activated their speed game the other way. The Blues’ big boys on defense, focused on protecting the interior of their zone, sagged back far too much. The Bruins exploded into their slack gaps.

“With St. Louis, (Monday) night, I don’t want to say it’s an adjustment, but we started using our speed better in the second period, driving wide,” Cassidy said. “Now all of a sudden, we’ve got them turning. How did we 1145504 Boston Bruins CLIFFY HOCKEY.@CONNORCLIFF28 | #NHLBRUINS PIC.TWITTER.COM/NGBIDLTGYM

— BOSTON BRUINS (@NHLBRUINS) MAY 28, 2019 Blues can recover from Game 1 loss, but Bruins present a much stiffer challenge Then later in the second period, after saying several times in the days leading up to Game 1 they had to stay out of the penalty box against the Bruins’ No. 1-ranked power play, they went against their word and it cost By Jeremy Rutherford May 28, 2019 them the lead.

David Perron and Robert Thomas took offensive-zone stick penalties in the first period, and in the second period Joel Edmundson was called for BOSTON — They didn’t skate. There was little puck support. They high-sticking and Oskar Sundqvist for cross-checking. couldn’t get out of their zone and on their patented forecheck. Edmundson’s high-sticking was a gloves-up, cross-check to the head of “We didn’t manage the puck very well,” Blues coach Craig Berube said. David Backes, sending the Blues’ former captain to his knees. Edmundson evidently believed his former teammate was selling the call, That was the description of the Blues and Berube’s comment after a 6-3 giving him an extra jab while still on the ice. loss in Game 1 of the Western Conference final against San Jose on May 11. It was only one word different from what he was saying after his JOEL EDMUNDSON DID NOT LIKE THIS CALL AGAINST HIM. club’s 4-2 loss in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final against Boston on Monday night. AND IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S NO LOVE LOST BETWEEN DAVID BACKES AND THE BLUES. PIC.TWITTER.COM/4RND5KY757 “We didn’t move the puck very well,” Berube said from the podium at TD Garden. — CONOR RYAN (@CONORRYAN_93) MAY 28, 2019

The Blues had double-digit giveaways in both playoff series openers, and Boston didn’t score on Edmundson’s infraction, but did with Sundqvist in for the second straight one, they fell behind 1-0 in a best-of-seven. the box for cross-checking. The least-penalized team in the postseason had its fourth minor of the night, and Charlie McAvoy tied the score, 2-2, They have been here before, you’re right, and if you’ll recall, the Blues with 7:49 left in the second period. got their act together in Game 2, winning 4-2, and taking the series against the Sharks in six games. “It started with penalties,” Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester said. “We took to many penalties and then the second period we didn’t play very The team has shown that its capable of recovering quickly. But a word to good. We just didn’t skate and move the puck very well and got hemmed the wise — Boston is not San Jose. in our end, and they got some momentum and that kind of turned the game around.” The opening 21 minutes of the Blues’ first Stanley Cup appearance since 1970 could not have been any more promising, taking a 2-0 lead exactly Less than six minutes into the third period, Kuraly gave Boston a 3-2 lead one minute into the second period. But whether the Bruins were simply with the second goal of the game from the fourth line. shaking off the rust from their 10-day layoff, or just toying with the visitors, their final 39 minutes were impressive. Later, Sammy Blais took the Blues’ fifth minor penalty of the game in the third period, and though the Bruins were just 1-for-5 on the power play, The Blues surrendered that 2-0 lead to the Bruins and were held to just they ate up a lot of potential offensive ice time for the Blues. 20 shots on goal, the fewest they’ve had since Game 1 of the conference semifinals against Dallas. They were outshot 18-3 in the second period, “You have five penalties, it takes a lot of guys out of the game and that and overlapping the second and third periods they went 13 minutes burns up a lot of energy from other guys that are killing all the time,” without an official attempt. Berube said. “It’s too much. We’ve got to be better there. We’ve got to be more disciplined. Calls are calls. That’s the way it goes and we’re not THAT BLUES' SHOT ENDED A STRETCH OF 12:49 WITHOUT ONE. going to complain about it. We’ve just got to be better. We’ve been real #STLBLUES disciplined most of all playoffs, pretty much. We weren’t tonight, obviously, with five penalties. We’ve got to be better there.” — JEREMY RUTHERFORD (@JPRUTHERFORD) MAY 28, 2019 The Blues have shown an ability to regroup on many occasions this Meanwhile, Boston got two goals from its defense and another from a season, but they squandered a decent opportunity Monday. fourth line that played phenomenally Monday. The defeat dropped the Blues to 0-13 in Stanley Cup final games, and the Bruins are now They had a good start. responsible for the last five losses, including their sweep of St. Louis 49 years ago. “I thought we came out pretty good,” Bouwmeester said. “When you score early, that helps, that helps settle everybody down. But generally, “Turnovers,” Berube said. “The second period we got pucks and we that’s how we want to play.” didn’t skate, didn’t advance them, turned them over, gave them momentum.” Despite 10 shots for a Boston power-play unit that came into the game converting 34 percent, Jordan Binnington and the penalty kill limited the True, but credit Boston, which has now won eight consecutive playoff Bruins to just one goal. games, and did so Monday without much help — just one goal — from its power-play unit ranked No. 1 in the league this postseason. The Bruins The Blues even quieted Boston’s top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice played aggressively, got sticks into lanes and pounced on pucks. Bergeron and David Pastrnak, so much so that Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy altered his matchups, moving Bergeron’s line away from “They did a good job, you know, with gaps tonight,” Brayden Schenn Schenn’s line, which won the even-strength battle with a goal Monday. said. “They made it tough in the neutral zone. We’ve just got to do a better job, and find ways to create room for each other out there. They “It wasn’t going our way, it was that simple,” Cassidy said. “I thought did (turn up the pressure), but we didn’t match it. We didn’t get to our Bergy’s line had a tough time finding their game tonight. The other guys game at all. We turned over pucks, didn’t support each other, started were a little bit ahead of them in terms of their puck possession. We’ve flipping the puck a lot, weren’t making a whole lot of plays and it forced used Kuraly’s line all year against good lines and we decided to go that us to defend a lot.” route. It worked out for us tonight and we’ll re-evaluate on Wednesday.

Schenn, who had six of the Blues’ 20 shots, scored their first goal 7:23 “Usually Bergy’s line with a lot of (offensive) zone puck possession, but into the game for a 1-0 lead, and then Vladimir Tarasenko handed the for whatever reason tonight, they weren’t able to do it as much as they Blues a 2-0 lead early in the second period. And right after that, the typically do.” momentum started changing. The Blues checked all of those items and lost. So what happens if the Boston defenseman Connor Clifton brought the Bruins to within 2-1 with Blues don’t get a good start? Or if they can’t keep Boston’s power play a goal set up by fourth liners Sean Kuraly and Joakim Nordstrom just quiet? Or if they can’t contain Bergeron’s line? 1:16 after Tarasenko’s tally. BRUINS TAKE GAME 1. #STLBLUES PIC.TWITTER.COM/ABS2AZLCMN — ST. LOUIS BLUES (@STLOUISBLUES) MAY 28, 2019

They’re not worried about the ‘what-ifs.’ They’re more concerned with themselves.

“Well, we played into it,” Bouwmeester said. “We were turning pucks over, turned a lot of pucks over at the blueline. I think it was just more how we didn’t take care of the puck.”

“It was more us,” Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said. “I think we kind of got away from the game, got spread out and they played the way they wanted to in the neutral zone.”

It’s fine to look at it that way after just one game, but they’d be doing themselves a disservice not to think that Boston is better equipped to handle the Blues’ regrouping.

“Well, they pressure you,” Berube said. “They come hard. They’re a quick team. They get on you. They’ve got good sticks. They do a lot of good things. We’ve got to be better. They’re going to continue to do that. That’s the way they play. They’re a good defensive hockey team and they do force you into bad situations with the puck a lot of times. But we’ve got to be better than that.”

The Athletic LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145505 Buffalo Sabres

Sabres, NHL have interest in keeping scouting combine in Buffalo

By Lance Lysowski|Published Tue, May 28, 2019|Updated Tue, May 28, 2019

There is mutual interest between the Buffalo Sabres and the NHL to keep the scouting combine in Buffalo beyond 2019, and a source told The Buffalo News a deal is likely to be completed as early as this week.

The event is being held in Harborcenter and KeyBank Center this week, beginning with teams conducting one-on-one interviews with prospects in KeyBank Center and concluding with fitness testing Saturday. This is the fifth NHL scouting combine to be held in Buffalo. The two sides last signed a two-year contract in 2017.

However, the NHL, its central scouting bureau and executives across the league have enjoyed the benefits provided by the Sabres and Buffalo since the event was first held here in 2015.

More than 100 prospects will descend upon Buffalo this week to try to improve their stock ahead of the NHL draft, which will be held June 21-22 in Vancouver. The formal events for the combine begin Friday with five of the top 10 prospects available to speak to reporters. Each player will participate in fitness drills Saturday.

Buffalo presents a unique venue for the NHL given the space available at KeyBank Center and Harborcenter, a remarkable improvement from the Toronto Congress Centre, which hosted the event prior to 2015. KeyBank and Harborcenter have hosted a number of events in recent years, including the Frozen Four and IIHF World Junior Championship.

Although the public cannot attend the scouting combine, the event brings hundreds of people from around the league to Buffalo one week a year. It also can bring a palpable buzz, as was the case at last year's event when the Sabres hosted their eventual top draft pick, Rasmus Dahlin.

The event usually begins with some teams conducting one-on-one interviews with prospects in suites throughout KeyBank Center, which is potentially the most important part of the process. Saturday's fitness testing will include measurements of height, wing span, standing long jump, bench press, balance, aerobic fitness and the Wingate Cycle Ergometer Test, which measures agility.

The event could help teams decide which prospects should follow the consensus top two: United States Development Program center Jack Hughes and Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko. Hughes, 18, is expected to be drafted first overall by the New Jersey Devils. However, Kakko, 18, intensified the debate following his remarkable performance in Finland's gold medal run at this month's IIHF World Championship, but he won't attend the combine.

The Sabres could use the event to decide which prospect to select when they are on the clock with the seventh overall pick.

Buffalo News LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145506 Buffalo Sabres

Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame loses its home, thanks to Sabres Store expansion

By Samantha Christmann|Published Tue, May 28, 2019

The Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame will have to find a new home.

Key Bank Center's expansion of the Sabres Store is pushing into space the arena once provided for the Hall of Fame's displays.

"The Sabres had indicated they would like us to move out when their season ended. Unfortunately, they didn't make the playoffs, so that came quicker than we thought it would," said Tom Koller, the Hall of Fame president.

The artifacts are in limbo until they find a new, permanent space, which will likely take months, he said. In the meantime, the arena will allow the museum to keep its exhibits in a storage space on site.

“We are thankful to the Sabres for allowing us space at the KeyBank Center," Koller added.

A limited collection of artifacts are on temporary display in a room at Sahlen Field. The display includes a list of inductees and a small collection of memorabilia.

"It's not a large area, but at least it gives people an idea of what it's all about," Koller said. "It serves us well right now."

The temporary museum will be open during Buffalo Bisons home games through late August.

The Hall of Fame's board of directors will be looking for potential new locations over the next few months and exploring their options, Koller said.

The Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame is one of three components planned for the proposed BFLO Hall of Fame Experience, which would highlight Western New York's music, broadcast and sports history. Organizers have said it would cost $25 million to $30 million to bring that vision to fruition.

Buffalo News LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145507 Calgary Flames don’t need Russians, it’s OK, what hockey players are out there that we think can help us.”

Zagidulin and Yelesin are players the club has been tracking for a while. Absent for over a decade, the Russians are coming (again) to Calgary “Zav’s a little bit different in that yes, he’s a Russian, but he could be from Montreal. He’s playing in the Quebec league. The other guys — Yelesin By Darren Haynes May 28, 2019 is a guy who’s been on the radar for a couple years. Zagidulin, again, just from scouting and our guys over there, here’s another guy who we think has a chance. He’s at the right age.”

Calgary’s cold war with Russia is finally over. The curious absence of Russian players in the organization traces back to the summer of 2007 when a couple of noteworthy transactions OK, admittedly the words “cold war” are more for dramatic effect. But the unfolded. reality is when it comes to the Flames and players from Russia, there hadn’t been anyone from that country under contract for over a decade On June 22, Day 1 of the NHL Draft, Flames general manager Darryl before minor league defenceman Rinat Valiev arrived last October as Sutter shipped Zyuzin and minor league defenceman Steve Marr to part of the trade that sent Brett Kulak to the Montreal Canadiens. Chicago for Adrian Aucoin and a seventh-round pick. Zyuzin was the Blackhawks’ less-heralded addition that day. A few hours later, general Over the last two months, Valiev, a 24-year-old restricted free agent, has manager Dale Tallon chose Patrick Kane with the first-overall pick. been joined on the roster by three of his countrymen — each signed to the length of entry-level contract mandated in the CBA, based on their Then, on Sept. 1, came word that talented 2001 second-round pick, age. Andrei Taratukhin — with one year remaining on his ELC — was staying in Russia after playing the previous season in the American Hockey March 30 | RW Dmitry Zavgorodniy, 19, a seventh-round pick in 2018, League. Ufa Salavat Yulaev, a team in the Russian Super League (which signs his three-year ELC. became the KHL one year later), announced they had signed Taratukhin April 9 | G Artyom Zagidulin, who turns 24 in August, agrees to a one- to a three-year deal. year deal. On the eve of Flames training camp beginning, it was a stunning May 10 | D Alexander Yelesin, who turned 23 in February, signs for two development as Taratukhin was a highly-touted centre, who at age 24, years. was just entering his prime and expected to challenge for an NHL roster spot. Six weeks earlier while in Calgary for rookie camp, Taratukhin was Why this is noteworthy is that Russia produces a lot of quality hockey smiling and upbeat as he looked ahead to the upcoming season, noting players. Getting back to stocking the system with Russians as you how it was a dream of his since childhood to play in the NHL. identify them, via trade, the draft or free agency, is important and healthy for the franchise. In the last dozen years, 109 Russians have played at After playing in Russia, then playing for his country in the 2006 Winter least one game in the NHL. Calgary is the only NHL team not Olympics where he laced his skates up alongside centres such as Alexei represented. Yashin, Pavel Datsyuk and Evgeni Malkin, Taratukhin came over to North America and played the 2006-07 season with the Flames AHL The last Russian to suit up for the Flames was , who affiliate in Omaha, Nebraska. Despite the language barrier, adjusting to a signed a two-year deal in the summer of 2006 as a free agent. But the new country and getting used to a smaller ice surface, he racked up 60 1996 second-overall pick couldn’t find regular playing time under coach points (17 goals, 43 assists) to share the team scoring lead with Dustin Jim Playfair and only suited up for 49 games in 2006-07. Operating as a Boyd and Carsen Germyn. 6/7 guy on the blueline, he was a frequent healthy scratch, behind the likes of Dion Phaneuf, Roman Hamrlik, Robyn Regehr, Rhett Warrener What made it even more of a head-scratcher was opportunity up the and Andrew Ference (who was traded late in the season for Brad Stuart). middle loomed with Calgary was one season away from potentially losing A rookie named Mark Giordano and David Hale, acquired from New three of its four centres to unrestricted free agency. The 30-something Jersey at the trade deadline, were also in the mix. Zyuzin ended up being group of Daymond Langkow, Craig Conroy and Stephane Yelle each had traded to Chicago, in exchange for Adrian Aucoin. one year remaining on their contracts.

The last impactful Russian was Oleg Saprykin, who was part of the 2004 “Andrei Taratukhin was a real good player, who was failed by the Calgary team that went to the Stanley Cup final. It was his overtime goal that Flames. He was failed,” former Flames GM Craig Button told The Athletic capped off ‘The Shift’ by Jarome Iginla in Game 5 versus Tampa Bay, last week. “He did everything you’d want a young player to do. which gave the Flames a 3-2 series lead coming home. It was also his “He came over ready to play. Now you’re 24 and now you don’t feel rebound in the third period of Game 6, score tied 2-2, that went off Martin there’s an opportunity for you. Why are you going to stay? After you just Gelinas’ skate and appeared to cross the line, but did not count — back, had this year where you’ve been separated from your wife and your twin before video review was a thing. Saprykin was packaged with Denis newborn children.” Gauthier and dealt to Phoenix, prior to the 2005-06 season. There’s the other layer of intrigue with the Taratukhin story. Issues with Since the 2004-05 lockout, those 49 total games logged by Russian-born the immigration paperwork resulted in his family not being unable to players for the Flames (or player — singular, in this instance) are the come to North America with him. It wasn’t until March that it was finally fewest of any NHL team. For context, you need only look at the top of resolved and the family was reunited. that same list and the most games logged by Russian players since the lockout: So, from Russia to Nebraska — talk about a culture shock as it is — and add to that, his wife and two one-year-olds are over 5,000 miles away. Washington, 2,667 Yet he played every one of the team’s 80 games and had a great Columbus, 1,966 season.

Montreal, 1,780 “So when I hear about Russian players who weren’t ready to play in the minors and weren’t ready to sacrifice, I’ll tell you what. With Taratukhin, Brad Treliving shrugs off any notion that under his watch, Russians have that’s completely bullshit, because he did,” said Button. “He came over been viewed any different than players from the rest of Europe. and played in Omaha, while his wife and twin newborns couldn’t come over — and you know what, he was a good player in the American “You have to cast a wide net in terms of your player procurement,” Hockey League.” explained the Flames general manager. “We do not shy away from any markets.” Button, who drafted Taratukhin and four other Russians during his three years at the helm in Calgary, was fired on April 11, 2003. He was What Treliving has done over his five years in Calgary is greatly replaced by Sutter, the team’s head coach at the time, who added the increased the organization’s scouting presence across Europe. GM role to his responsibilities. “Go get the best players, wherever they are. We have people that work in As it would play out, Conroy, 36, and Langkow, 31, both re-signed one Russia and we work that market. It wasn’t that we need Russians, or we year later, Yelle, 34, moved on, signing with the Boston Bruins and Boyd graduated to the NHL to round out Calgary’s quartet of centres, which training camp in September. Calgary took that same approach a few also included Matthew Lombardi. years ago with Jakub Nakladal.

But it didn’t work. After a first-round playoff exit under Mike Keenan in As for what to expect from the newcomers, Treliving shared a scouting 2008-09, the Flames would miss the playoffs the next five seasons, report. despite being one of the league’s oldest teams over that stretch, up until the rebuild began. “Yelesin’s a 6-foot, stay-at-home guy. His puck game is simple. He makes a good first pass. He’s a hard defender. He’s a rugged guy. Plays Button says he never had any reservations about drafting Russian hard, very competitive, highly, highly competitive. He’s an intelligent guy, players. but he has an edge to him. Has a bomb of a shot. Not a guy that traditionally is going to put up a lot of points. He’s not a puck distributor or “In all my years in the NHL, I never was challenged to have a Russian a guy who is going to go from your end to their end, lugging it, but he player come over. Never. Never!” exclaimed Button. “When I was in moves it and he will support the play.” Dallas, we got Russian players. We drafted them, we got them, we traded for them, we had them. We went to Russia, we spent lots of times For Yelesin, who shoots right, you don’t have to squint your eyes very with the players and their families, trying to understand them, just as we much to see a path to NHL playing time should he prove himself worthy. did with North American players and Swedish players and Finnish In surveying the state of the entire organization, position by position, the players. We tried to outline for them what the expectations were and Flames have three veteran right-side defencemen, who will be free where we saw their path going.” agents a year from now. There’s a possibility at least one could be moved this summer. In his three years overseeing the Flames draft, Button selected five Russians. The same year he drafted Taratukhin at No. 41, he had “You see some of these guys, they’ve come over, their game has another second-round holler at No. 56 and went back to Russia with that translated well,” said Treliving. “We really like his attitude. He’s a real, selection, grabbing portly goaltender Andrei Medvedev, who went on to upbeat kid, who really takes his craft seriously. So we’ll see. He’s going backstop Russia to world junior gold twice, both times over Canada. to come in, he’s going to compete. He played well on the National team leading up to the World Championships. They had a number of NHL guys “Medvedev was a different situation. He was a really, good accomplished that went back so he got bumped off that. Not a lot of flash to him, but is goaltender that had to work in areas of fitness and conditioning,” Button a real, steady competitor.” said. “Most players have to work at getting stronger and moving in a direction that way, Medvedev had to work the other way. Based on his Meanwhile, Zagidulin arrives with a similar profile to David Rittich when abilities, we were confident that we could help him move in that direction, he was first signed three years ago. Scouts in Russia are seeing growth, but he wasn’t able to do that.” they’re seeing development and they figured now was the time to jump in and sign him. Important context to understand is that Button’s enthusiasm for drafting Russians was not the outlier. Al Coates, Button’s predecessor at GM, “He’s a little more of a raw guy. Good-sized guy. Very athletic. When the who presided over four drafts, selected five Russians over that span. guys have tracked him over there. He’s improved each and every year,” Before him, Doug Risebrough selected six Russians in his five seasons Treliving said. “We look at how he’s progressed. When we look at where of drafting — including second-rounders in consecutive years (1994 – he was, playing in the second division there. He backs up, gets the Dmitri Ryabkin, 1995 – Pavel Smirnov). Prior to that, had starter’s job, moves up to the KHL, backs up, then gets a bigger bite of selected four Russians over his final three seasons in the GM role. the apple this year. He’s got to get stronger. There’s some physical development that’s needed there. You can never have enough Sutter was at the helm from 2003 to 2010. During those eight drafts, not goaltending. He’s a guy our guys tracked and away we went.” one Russian player was selected. Expect Zagidulin to start in the minors where potentially he will tandem It makes the organization’s long absence without any Russian influence with Tyler Parsons in the AHL. Other goalies in the Flames system in the dressing room easier to explain. When you’re not adding any into include Jon Gillies, Mason McDonald, who is an RFA and Nick the pipeline, none are coming out either. Schneider.

After Button in 2002, the Flames didn’t draft another Russian until 2013 “There’s a lot of guys. But I’d rather have that than not have enough,” when Jay Feaster used a seventh-round pick on defenceman Rushan said Treliving. “If you look at it right now, you kinda slot him into Stockton Rafikov, who remains in Russia today, playing in the KHL. at this point, but we will see how it all plays out.”

He remains Flames property and with no agreement between the NHL One of the dynamics that makes the landscape with Russians a little and the Russian Federation, there’s no expiry when it comes to how long different than with other Europeans is the presence of the KHL. Russian players remain property of the NHL club, who drafted or traded for their rights. Called defective status, they just remain on that list for as “The challenge with them, a lot of the times, is that Russia is their home,” long as they continue to play in Russia and with no downside to just said Treliving. “You’re taking them from home, where they can make a lot leaving them there. of money, playing at home, and if you bring them over and you feel, hey, we like you, we want to get our hands on you to develop you, but you’re This is why to this day, when the Flames full roster is listed on the NHL going to maybe need some time in the AHL. When we’re paying them roster report as it is for preseason games (example below from the $60,000 or $70,000 in the American League or they can make $800,000 Flames-Oilers game on Sept. 29, 2018), it’s a who’s who of Russian or a million back in the motherland, they kind of look at you like you have blasts from the past including Taratukhin, Medvedev and even Ruslan two heads.” Zainullin, who was famously acquired from the Atlanta Thrashers in November 2002 (but never ever came to North America) when Button What’s attractive about waiting and bringing over Russians at an older traded disgruntled centre Marc Savard. age, rather than expending a draft pick on them, especially if they’re playing back home, is you’re reducing the amount of time they might “He was sorta the man of mystery,” said Treliving, when asked about need to play in the minors. Rafikov’s status. “It started off with ‘I need another year back there’, then ‘OK, I’m going to go back for another year.’ But then there wasn’t a lot of “The question always is: Is their time frame even consistent with yours, in engagement in terms of wanting to come over. Then when we’d go over terms of what time they need,” explained Treliving. “That’s where you see and watch him, his development had stagnated.” more of these guys that aren’t coming over at 18, 19, but they go back for a couple years, they mature, their game matures, they’re making money So chances are, he will never be signed, not unlike a lot of seventh-round in the KHL, then they’re coming over at 21, 22. picks. “Like Yelesin, he’s played a few years over there. He’s not 18, but he’s Treliving’s first Russian selected was Zavgorodniy. So far, so good on not 29 either. He’s a young guy and he gets to 23 years old. They’ve that front. played over there for a few years, now they’re like OK, my game’s Along with the two free agent signings, all three are expected to be at developed, I’m developed, I’m ready to take a legitimate run at being an Flames development camp in July. The annual summer gathering of the NHL player.” Flames’ younger prospects, it will be an opportunity for Yelesin and Plus, there’s no acquisition cost when you sign a player as a free agent. Zagidulin to meet the coaching staff and get oriented to the city, before It’s just the addition of one more contract and their salary. It’s a no risk, potentially high reward situation. If it doesn’t work out, you haven’t spent assets to acquire.

If you remember back to the 2013 draft, Valeri Nichushkin was viewed as a wild card. He could go as high as third overall some pundits suggested. Instead, he fell to Dallas at No. 10, because that threat of returning home to the KHL loomed.

Sure enough. Upon the expiry of his entry-level contract, Nichushkin did go back to Russia for two seasons. He has since returned, but no doubt that uncertainty factors into teams’ decision-making process. If it gets to your pick and there are two choices who are reasonably close, take the player with the least risk.

There is actually a rich history of Russians and the Flames.

Sergei Priakin, who suited up for Calgary in 1988-89, was the first Russian player given permission to leave his country and play in the NHL.

After starring in Russia for over 10 years, the great Sergei Makarov joined the Flames in 1989-90, winning the NHL’s rookie of the year award at age 31. He had four productive seasons with Calgary.

Hard-working forward, German Titov, who came over at age 28, played five seasons starting in 1993-94.

The last player to lead Calgary in scoring, before Jarome Iginla took over as that guy, was Valeri Bure in 1999-00.

But that rich history, which spanned a decade and a half, started in the late ’80s. After a decade and a half of nearly nothing, it looks like it’s time to wind back the clock for the benefit of players, as well as the organization.

“Look, it would be great if there are hundreds of players in the world available that can come and play in the NHL, but that’s not the case. If you want to cut yourself off from Russia, good luck,” said Button.

That’s luck Treliving won’t need. His recent stockpiling of Russians, to go with the Canadians, Americans, Swedes, Finns, Slovakians, Czechs, Belarusians and Norwegians already in the organization, underscores that he doesn’t care where you’re from, as long as you can play.

The Athletic LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145508 Carolina Hurricanes

Devoted Canes fans love their team, but study gives Raleigh a mediocre hockey ranking

BY SIMONE JASPER

With the Stanley Cup playoffs underway, one study finds a North Carolina city is just average when it comes to hockey fans.

Raleigh, home to the Carolina Hurricanes, ranked 20th out of 73 cities in the United States for people interested in the sport, according to 2019 findings released Tuesday from WalletHub.

That’s lower than Washington, D.C., Chicago, and St. Louis but higher than Las Vegas, Nashville and Columbus, Ohio — all cities that have teams, the findings show.

The financial website’s study looked at cities with professional or college hockey teams, WalletHub says. Each city was scored according to its type of team, number of wins, game attendance and other factors, according to the study.

This year, the Canes made it to the Eastern Conference finals , and fans showed devotion with tattoos and crowded around the team’s good luck charm, Hamilton the Pig, the News & Observer reported.

The North Carolina-based team was knocked out of the best-of-seven- game series after losing to the Boston Bruins.

In all, Bean Town (Boston) was named the best hockey city in the country, and Huntsville, Alabama was at the bottom of the list, according to WalletHub.

News Observer LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145509 Chicago Blackhawks 2. Kaapo Kakko, LW, TPS-Liiga

Vitals: 6-2, 190 pounds

NHL combine primer: A scout’s take on all the possible Blackhawks Stats: 22G, 16A in 45GP selections Kelley’s take: “He’s a dynamite player, too. Really — blue line in or dot down, he’s incredible. He really has a knack for getting to the net and getting the puck to the net. And if you watch him, he’s a big-goal player.” By Mark Lazerus May 28, 2019 3. Alex Turcotte, C, USNTDP

Vitals: 5-11, 194 pounds Sometimes, this draft stuff is pretty easy. There were no internal discussions, no debates, no hypotheticals thrown around the Pittsburgh Stats: 27G, 35A in 37GP draft room after the Penguins won the 2005 draft lottery in late July, shortly after the yearlong lockout ended. Kelley’s take: “He’s a very reliable two-way player that has a really good skill set, and ability to score goals and make plays. But he’s equally There wasn’t even any of that waiting-out-the-clock stuff the No. 1 team competitive away from the puck defensively.” often does, just in case some team swoops in with a ridiculous last- second offer for the pick. Not with Sidney Crosby there for the taking. Are the Jonathan Toews comparisons at all fair?

“That one was so easy that when we got to the draft table, we put it right “I think there’s a similarity to the games, for sure. With both of them, a lot into the computer and just waited the two hours until the NHL said we of times things happen because they will them to happen.” could send it in,” Mark Kelley recalled. 4. Bowen Byram, D, Vancouver (WHL)

Kelley, now the Blackhawks’ director of amateur scouting and draft guru, Vitals: 6-0, 192 pounds was part of the Penguins scouting staff that landed Marc-Andre Fleury, Evgeni Malkin and Crosby in consecutive drafts from 2003-05. The Stats: 26G, 45A in 67GP Malkin one was easy, too. The Capitals won the lottery that year and the Kelley’s take: “He’s a dynamic defenseman. He can transition the puck, rights to draft Alex Ovechkin. Malkin was a pretty darn good consolation he loves to carry the puck and he can create offense when you don’t see prize. it there. He loves to jump up in the play. He has some of the qualities of a The Fleury one, now that was interesting. The Penguins were slotted Paul Coffey, where he can take the puck into the zone and make plays.” third in that draft, but general manager Craig Patrick had fallen in love How does he compare with Adam Boqvist? with Fleury. “They have some similarities to their games. Byram, he runs with the “Craig Patrick was of the mindset that until we got a goaltender who was puck more. Adam transitions the puck more and jumps up into the capable of winning hockey games on his own, like Tom Barrasso did, the offense into spots to get the puck back to make shots.” Penguins would not win another Stanley Cup,” Kelley said. 5. Cole Caufield, RW, USNTDP Fleury was unlikely to go No. 1 to Florida, but Patrick didn’t want to take any chances. So the Penguins swung a deal with the Panthers to move Vitals: 5-7, 157 pounds up to No. 1. The Panthers got the third pick, the 55th pick, and forward Mikael Samuelsson, who hadn’t amounted to much at that point and who Stats: 72G, 28A in 64GP was already on his fourth team in four years. The Panthers also got Kelley’s take: “He’s the best goal-scorer in the draft. His ability to get to assurances from the Penguins that they wouldn’t take one of the top two spots, get open and get the puck on the net is just remarkable. And the forwards — Eric Staal or Nathan Horton — ensuring the Panthers would size factor is not an issue. He has a lot of similarities to Alex (DeBrincat), get one of them (they took Horton after Carolina took Staal). The and he has a very, very strong lower trunk. He has no fear. Like Alex, Penguins got the No. 1 pick and the 73rd pick, which ended up being you probably least suspect him to be involved in the scrums, but then Daniel Carcillo. when you go back and look it up, he’s one of the leaders in scrums. He’s “Craig wanted the goaltender, and if you go back and look at the cost of so competitive. He doesn’t feel like he has any kind of a size moving up there, it was not very expensive,” Kelley said. “It basically disadvantage and he’s proven that.” came down to Mikael Samuelsson. The goaltender was the risky pick in 6. Trevor Zegras, C, USNTDP hindsight, but looking back, you could argue that he was the best player in that draft.” Vitals: 6-0, 168 pounds

There’s a case to be made for Fleury, for sure. But that first round also Stats: 26G, 61A in 60GP included Brent Burns, Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Suter, Ryan Kesler, Corey Perry and Brent Seabrook, among others. Patrice Bergeron and Shea Kelley’s take: “Maybe one of the most skilled players in the draft. His Weber went in the second round. Hell, Joe Pavelski went in the seventh puck skills and his playmaking are elite. And they’re maybe round, and Dustin Byfuglien went in the eighth round, which doesn’t even underappreciated, or masked, because he plays on the same team as exist anymore. Jack Hughes.”

The point is, aside from the occasional generational talent at the top of 7. Dylan Cozens, C, Lethbridge (WHL) the board, the draft always is a crapshoot. Had the Blackhawks won the Vitals: 6-3, 185 pounds lottery and moved up to No. 1 or 2, their decision in Vancouver on June 21 would have been a lot easier, as American center Jack Hughes and Stats: 34G, 50A in 68GP Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko have separated themselves from the pack. Picking at No. 3, there are several possible choices. Kelley’s take: “He’s a big, two-way centerman. He has a real good knack for getting to the net and the slot area and putting the puck in the net. We’ll get to know the prospects better this week as the draft combine hits Very good on the forecheck. He’s got a big, long, lean body. A great NHL Buffalo, but as a primer, I asked Kelley to assess each of the players who prototype.” could conceivably be in the mix. Here are his top-sheet summaries, in the order of Corey Pronman’s rankings: 8. Matthew Boldy, LW, USNTDP

1. Jack Hughes, C, USNTDP Vitals: 6-2, 187 pounds

Vitals: 5-10, 168 pounds Stats: 33G, 48A in 64GP

Stats: 34G, 78A in 50GP Kelley’s take: “A big, prototype winger. Strong on the puck. He makes plays, but he also has a great shot. That size coming down the lane — Kelley’s take: “Just a dynamite player. His ability to play fast and make he has great presence.” fast plays — he really raises the bar.” 9. Kirby Dach, C, Saskatoon (WHL) Vitals: 6-4, 198 pounds

Stats: 25G, 48A in 62GP

Kelley’s take: “Kirby is a big centerman who’s really good with the puck. He’s a playmaking centerman, but he also has that knack to get goals. He gets down around the paint and scores a lot of goals in that area. Impressive kid. Great size. Another prototype, big NHL centerman.”

10. Vasili Podkolzin, RW, Russia

Vitals: 6-1, 190 pounds

Stats: 10G, 5A in 8GP with U18 team

Kelley’s take: “He plays a really strong, two-way game, strong on his skates, great power, great coming out of the corner, driving the net. He scores a lot of goals around the paint, also.”

He has two years left on his KHL contract. Would that scare you off of him?

“No, He’s in a contract for two more years. Really, with any of the players, you’re really looking at contribution three years down the road. Even if one plays in the next year or two years. For Pod, he’s going to play in the KHL and he’s going to get a lot of time with the national teams. No. The high skill that he’s going to be playing with and the competition he’s going to be playing against will make it easier to make the transition to the NHL.”

The Athletic LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145510 Colorado Avalanche starts out of the shift and he’s in open ice, he can go. He has deceiving speed. Kaut is not as explosive as (Logan O’Connor) is but once he’s in full stride, he’s fast. Very fast. He’s a deceivingly fast skater.

Takeoffs and Landings: A look at how five Avalanche prospects fared You mentioned Logan O’Connor. What were your thoughts on the year with the Colorado Eagles he had? He had more goals this year than he did over his first three years combined while playing at the University of Denver. How do you describe the growth he made? By Ryan S. Clark May 28, 2019 We were just talking about this and we had a meeting about certain players that are really visible throughout their careers. They are put in a role that kind of has a low ceiling to it. They are going to be third-line Quite a bit of the Colorado Avalanche’s offseason has centered around players. They are going to be penalty killers and they get stuck into that getting better for the future. Whether through the NHL Draft or free role. They are good at it. They are playing on a team where that role is agency, the goal is for the organization to start capitalizing on their talent critical to the team’s success. They play in that footprint and they don’t so they can immediately start challenging for a Stanley Cup over a really get that opportunity to grow from it. You see these flashes where lengthy window. they show visibility with the puck and they are not given a complementary One of the ways the Avalanche can do that is through their farm system. player to play with to create tangible offense. What happened was we For several years, the team’s front office was several hundred miles didn’t have a lot of offense this year. We didn’t have a lot of veterans away from their affiliate. That is no longer the outside of (Andrew) Agozzino who were naturally going to score and put case as the Colorado Eagles are a 52-mile drive from the Pepsi Center. up a lot of points. We didn’t have a lot of young guys that had a proven history of scoring in the American League. O.C. was given minutes that Shane Bowers. Martin Kaut. Nicolas Meloche. Logan O’Connor. Conor were probably going to be budgeted for a veteran that we did not have. Timmins. These are some of the names who played for the Eagles. They On top of that he was playing with a guy who had good numbers in the were all brought into the organization and are expected to play a role in American League in Agozzino. They played together killing penalties and the Avalanche’s future over the next few years. they played together on a line and O.C.’s visibility in a third-line role became tangibly productive in an offensive role. That’s what happens Former NHL assistant and Eagles coach Greg Cronin is the man charged and to be honest with you, Ryan, he could have had eight more goals with furthering development. He recently sat down with The Athletic’s without even blinking. … How many breakaways did he not score on? Ryan S. Clark to discuss several items related to the growth he has seen How many goals did he have? He had 19 goals and could have had at from Bowers, Kaut, Meloche, O’Connor and Timmins. least 25. Let’s start with Martin Kaut. What sort of growth did you see him make Everyone talked so much about Logan’s skating and his defensive ability. this season? Also, what are some of those areas where you feel he can Where did you see him take the next step in those areas? still use a bit more development? His skating is terrific. He might get a little bit quicker or a little bit faster I think we do a very thorough job of creating awareness from our players but he is what he is skating-wise. I think defensively, he’s very and awareness starts internally with “What are they like as people?” And responsible. Obviously, he was playing at Denver and (then-Pioneers how that does that collaborate with the athletic abilities to build an identity coach Jim) Montgomery did a good job with him. He knew his role. in as a player. First of all, Martin is a really good person. You can tell he’s Where he really took off was penalty killing. Again, a lot of his penalty- been very well brought up. His family has done a really good job with killing success he had came from the chemistry he had with Agozzino. him. He is an ethical person and really sensitive to his teammates. He’s They read off each other really well. You gotta have two guys who know very honest with himself, which is important. I think that this year as a 19- each other really well and he and Aggy read off each other really well. year-old playing in the American League was very eye-opening for him. That translated into high-success killing and high-success building Not only in terms of hockey but also psychologically. The preparation and offense from turnovers and 2-on-1 rushes. intensity you need to bring every day in practice and into a game is really going to be the key that unlocks his potential. Right now, he’s a guy that He’s projected to be a third-line player. How important is it to find those can contribute in open ice on both sides of the puck. He’s really good at sort of forwards given how every team faces salary cap challenges? getting into the offensive zone with the puck in shooting it and he’s really good tracking the puck defensively. He plays with a lot of a pace tracking I’ll tell you what. He’s going to play in the NHL. To what level? I don’t the puck but he needs to learn how to develop more off of those linear know. He surprised everybody with his offensive production this year. routes. What I mean by that is, he’s gotta be able to change speeds a The question about what he’s going to become will pivot off of two things. little bit and curl back and delay on the entries so he can be more of a One: His maturity as a person. He tends to get down on himself. He puts creator. Right now, he’s just a shooter and a linear player up and down a lot of pressure on himself. You can’t do that in the NHL. You have to let the wall. He’s gotta broaden that package offensively for himself and then the mistakes roll right off you. You have to play with a combination of develop a game down low. We call it “in-fighting” where he can generate fearlessness and desperation in his position. That means you’ve gotta more chances, taking the puck off the boards in the offensive zone and attack pucks with a purpose and a ferocity that is going to build into that driving it to the net. I think that’ll come as he matures. Physically, he’s puck-pursuit identity. The second thing is if he’s playing with players who gotta strengthen himself and get more durability to him. can generate offense, his offensive game will continue to expand? Remember Jason Blake? I had Blakey in New York and he was a great Martin Kaut (Courtesy of Colorado Eagles) college player. Offensively gifted and then when we got to pro, he was in a fourth-line role and had really, really simple, modest numbers. Like That being said, what does Martin “strengthening himself” look like? lucky to get 10 goals. Then when we came to us from L.A., he started out You gotta remember, he had a heart condition. He was out of the on the fourth line and scored maybe nine goals. Then we kept moving strength and conditioning loop for several months at a critical part of his him up the food chain because like O.C., he could change a game with development. He came in probably under-developed because he was in his speed and his fearlessness. He just played at a pace that was hard a cautionary situation with his heart. He was not able to put on weight. for the other team to keep up with. Then his offensive skill came back Usable, comfortable, natural weight. I believe that when he thickens up and he scored 40 goals. The mystery with O.C. is he does not have his body — particularly from his chest to his kneecaps — he’s going to Blakey’s offensive history but he’s creating at an offensive template in the really have a significant growth in terms of play in traffic, creating off of AHL that has room to grow. I’m curious where he’s going to be. Is he cycles and being more of a presence at the net front. He’s really going to going to be a Matt Calvert? Is he going to be a (J.T.) Compher? Is he get more confidence getting through those tight spaces. going to be that type of player? Or is he going to be more than that? I don’t know. Calvert is a different animal because he’s so tough and he’s Going back to Martin’s speed. Last time we spoke, you were saying with a fighter. Is he going to be like a (Matt) Nieto that’s got modest numbers him coming from Europe that he was going to learn how to play on but contributes to the game with pace, puck pursuit and killing penalties? smaller ice. How would you say he has transitioned in that regard? That’s kind of the zone I think he’s going to fall into.

It’s interesting. That speed that we spoke to was real visible. In overtime, Know you had Conor Timmins for a limited amount of time. Last time we he was real dominant in shifts. Three-on-three, four-on-four, it was spoke, you said it was about trying to build from all the time he missed extremely visible because he’s got a good stride, particularly early in the development-wise because he was still recovering from the concussion. shift. He tends to bend down too much when he gets tired but when he What did you think about Conor toward the end from what you saw him? First of all, concussions are so difficult to manage. There are no visible The difference is Ryan is a couple years older than Nick. Ryan learned signs that the person is struggling or he has lost a step. I do know he how to be consistent and reliable and the fundamentals that he was spent the first 75 percent of the time with us probably measuring his being taught and trained to do. Nick is aware of it and what he has to do ability to compete. I don’t even know where to begin with him. He was to be successful. It’s an issue of maturity and being able to do them never 100 percent and was never playing fully confident yet trying to consistently so that they could become a normal habit. That’s where he’s develop and try to play to an NHL level. We gave him the tools and the at. practice reps to push himself and ultimately he’s the one that had to control that pace and that intensity. So what I can tell you is that he’s got The Athletic LOADED: 05.29.2019 really good hockey sense. He’s a great puck-mover. He sees the game really well and he can make those plays in tight that allow teams to break out. He’s got a lot of poise with the puck which should translate to a decent power-play guy. What I can’t tell you is how good of an aggressive defender he is.

Conor came to Denver with a lot of expectations. So how would you say you’ve seen him assimilate into AHL culture where he’s around guys his own age and how he fit into the dressing room as a whole?

He’s a great kid. I’ll give you an example. We do postseason evaluations and we ask the kids some questions. They are standard questions but they all have a wrinkle toward the organization and with the players. Did they meet goals? He had a remarkable level of maturity in communicating his experience this year. From his acknowledgment that he wished he could have been more aggressive with his approach back into full-contact practice into his own self-evaluation with what he needs to work on to make it. I can tell you he is unequivocally very confident that he can play in the NHL next year. Whether that happens there are a lot of parts that are going to have to stick together. He got a taste of it and he’s aware he’s got the ability to do it. He wants to do it. The question is, is he going to be able to make the transition with confidence and not be measured in every move that he makes?

Let’s turn to Shane Bowers. He was another player you had a limited window with. But what were you able to pick up from him especially given that you have this relationship with (Bowers’ college coach Albie O’Connell) and you had an idea of what to expect when Shane came to Loveland?

He has a presence on the ice. You don’t say that about a lot of young guys. What I mean by that is he can skate efficiently in open ice. He can carry a puck with his head up. He’s very fluid. He knows that he needs to look around and kind of survey the ice when he has the puck. Lot of people can’t do that. Lot of people carry the puck with their heads down. They are three-step puck carriers where they carry the puck for three steps, put their head down and figure out what’s next. He’s not that type of guy. He has his head up all the time and surveys what’s around him. I would like to see him shoot the puck more. I would like to see a guy who has that confidence with the puck be more aggressive with it. Taking it to the net. Pounding the puck on the net. To me, he has a really good skill set, a really good presence on the ice but he has to develop an identity with the puck. … Again, it’s like the ground game into his game. Taking to the net off the cycle, driving his feet through bodies and sticks to get to the net.

In that same vein, the talk on Shane was what could he be with a bit more weight. What do you think a year of being in a pro strength conditioning program could do to enhance his game?

Oh, it’s a huge thing for him. Huge. He has to get physically stronger to allow his game to take off. He has to. Either you do it and you are going to be more of a presence on the ice. Or you’re not and you’re just going to blend in.

Wanted to ask you about Nicholas Meloche. Where are the areas where you saw growth from him? Also, what is his profile as a defenseman? Is he a two-way player? A stay-at-home skater?

I think he wants to be a two-way defenseman. He shows flashes of it. He has good offensive instincts. He’s a big kid. He’s a good puck-moving defenseman. He can break the puck out. I just think right now he gets caught between holding onto the puck too much and being more of a finesse defenseman as opposed to being more stout, being more physical. The big thing with him is the consistency. Doing it all the time and being reliable in the role.

Nicolas Meloche (Courtesy of Colorado Eagles)

You look at Nicolas versus someone such as Ryan Graves, who we saw made the strides needed to reach the NHL this season. What would you say is the difference in those two players? 1145511 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets | Pierre-Luc Dubois has strong run for Canada at worlds

Brian Hedger The Columbus Dispatch

He was ready for a break.

At least, that’s what the Pierre-Luc Dubois said to officially conclude his second NHL season this month, two days after the Blue Jackets lost to the Boston Bruins in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

“It’s important to learn and important to see what others are doing and stuff like that, but the most important thing is to apply it next year,” said Dubois, a 20-year-old center who already has become a key piece of the Jackets’ foundation. “So, I’m going to take a little break from hockey, but I’m already excited for training camp next year and everything next year.”

Only he didn’t take a break. There was still some hockey left in Dubois, so he tapped into it, playing for Canada in the world championships for the second straight year.

Unlike a year ago, Dubois left the tournament with a medal (silver) after contributing three goals and four assists in eight games. He also scored two winning goals, centered a line that featured Vegas Golden Knights star Mark Stone and set up two goals by Stone in the quarterfinals, including an overtime winner to push the Canadians past Switzerland.

Dubois finished the tournament with a plus-10 plus/minus rating and won 56.1 percent of his faceoffs (46 of 82), getting a jump on strengthening that part of his game.

“There’s a lot of things I think you can do,” said Dubois, who has won just 43 percent of his draws in two NHL seasons. “I’m going to talk to a couple people, talk to players that are playing today, talk to players that are retired, talk to a bunch of people to see what they’ve done and see what can work for me.”

Continuing to play at a high level for Canada couldn’t have hurt.

His three goals and four assists this season for Canada were identical to what he did at the world championships a year ago, and he did it each time after impressive NHL seasons.

Dubois set Jackets rookie season records in goals (20), points (48) and games (82) last year, then surpassed nearly all of those numbers this season, setting career highs with 27 goals, 34 assists, 61 points and a plus-16 rating.

“I learned a lot this year, too,” said Dubois, who played all 82 regular- season games again plus all 10 of the Jackets’ playoff games. “I learned that it’s not easy being consistent. Some guys, they get consistent in their fifth, sixth year, but I have to be more consistent and I think it starts next year.”

It may have to be.

The Blue Jackets could lose a huge amount of firepower in free agency, including stars Artemi Panarin and Matt Duchene, so Dubois may become even more important to the team.

“It’s just a mindset,” he said. “It takes an approach to be consistent every night, every practice and I learned a lot from the guys in the dressing room, from the older guys, from the guys who have been doing it on a consistent basis for the past eight to 10 years or whatever. It’s just experience. Obviously, I would’ve wanted it to start this year, but I’ve learned a lot and now I need to apply everything I learned.”

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145512 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings officially sign Finnish defenseman Oliwer Kaski

Ted Kulfan, May 28, 2019

The Red Wings officially announced the signing Tuesday of defenseman Oliwer Kaski to a one-year entry level contract.

Detroit — The Red Wings officially announced the signing Tuesday of defenseman Oliwer Kaski to a one-year entry level contract.

Kaski, 23, spent this past season with the Lahti Pelicans in SM-Liga, Finland’s top professional league. In 59 games, Kaski had 19 goals and 32 assists for 51 points, ranking sixth overall in scoring.

Kaski (6-foot-3, 190 pounds) won the Lasse Oksanen trophy as the league’s best player during the regular season after leading all defensemen in goals and points.

More: Who's staying and who's going? Bold predictions for the Red Wings' roster

In three seasons in Finland, Kaski had 73 points (30 goals, 43 assists) in 144 games, with a plus-15 rating and 20 penalty minutes.

Kaski was also on the Finland team which Sunday defeated Canada to win the men’s world championship in Slovakia, earning two assists in 10 games.

A native of Pori, Finland, Kaski played at Western Michigan during the 2015-16 season, earning 12 points (four goals, eight assists) during the season.

Kaski is expected to compete for a spot on the NHL roster.

Also on the personnel front Tuesday, Grand Rapids goalie Harri Sateri is leaving the organization, signing a one-year contract with Sibir Novosibirsk in the KHL.

Sateri played 40 games with the Griffins, with a 22-11-5 record and 2.84 goals-against average and .899 save percentage.

That leaves recently signed Filip Larsson, a 2016 sixth-round draft pick, as the only goaltender on the Griffins roster, depending on whether the Wings decide to bring back goatlender Patrik Rybar, who is a free agent.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145513 Edmonton Oilers “I dealt with him quite a bit and I really liked him,” he said. “It’s obviously different in a short tournament and as an assistant, but he was good. He’s a positive guy and a good communicator. It seemed like every Ryan Nugent-Hopkins still longs for stability on Edmonton Oilers player liked him. My experience was all positive.”

Nugent-Hopkins isn’t at all concerned about Tippett’s reputation as a staunch defensive coach who wants to win every game 2-1, and not just Robert Tychkowski because he’s the most committed two-way player on the team. He’s

ertain they will have the green light to create.

They should have let Ryan Nugent-Hopkins run the Dave Tippett press “We have a skilled, talented team, so it’s important to let the players play conference Tuesday at Rogers Place. to a certain extent, but structure is an important thing when it comes to him and I think it should come first. There is no greater authority on organizational turnover than the 26-year- old centre, who’s been watching from a distance while the Edmonton “But he likes to play a fast style of game, so I don’t think he’ll handcuff us Oilers completed the seemingly annual task of hiring a new head coach. at all.”

Next year will be his ninth season. Tippett is his seventh coach. All in all, even though this is his seventh — sorry, eighth — coach and fifth GM, Nugent-Hopkins is keeping a positive outlook in anticipation of “Actually, it’s technically eight coaches,” said Nugent-Hopkins, after his his ninth season with the Oilers. off-season training session in Vancouver. “They’re experienced guys,” he said of Holland and Tippett. “It’s exciting “Eight?” when you get new guys like that coming in. “Pretty sure it’s eight.” “But, at the end of the day, it comes down to the players going out there “I’ve got you down for Tom Renney, Ralph Krueger, , Todd and playing. If we don’t do our job, that’s when thing start to change. We Nelson, Todd McLellan, Ken Hitchcock and now Tippett. Seven.” want to get to a point where we are consistent and everything else falls into place from there.” “We also had Mac T there for a couple of weeks. They let Dallas go and before Todd Nelson came in Craig MacTavish was there for a couple of Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 05.29.2019 weeks.”

Eight it is.

And, if you’re scoring at home, Ken Holland is his fifth GM. There have already been some major moves this summer — Holland and Tippett in, MacTavish and former skills development coach Paul Coffey out – but if you ask about how these moves resonate among the players, the answer is ‘not much.’

“We’ve talked about it a little bit,” said Nugent-Hopkins. “But I’ve seen so much change over the years that…. I’m not saying I’m numb to it by any sense, but I’m almost used to it now. I take it in stride a lot better that I used to.”

During his end of season exit interview, after missing the playoffs for the seventh time in those eight years, Nugent-Hopkins admitted this vicious cycle of falling short and changing coaches is getting frustrating.

That hasn’t changed. Although, this time, he expressed optimism that there might finally be some stability in Edmonton.

“If I told you at this point that I wasn’t frustrated to a certain extent, you wouldn’t believe me,” he said.

“There have been too many changes every year. But what can you do? When you don’t have success as a team, changes happen. We want to get to a point where we’re in contention and we have consistency with the players and coaches and all the staff.

“I want to be in the playoffs every year, in contention and on a good team every year. I feel like we’ve been so close so many years but we haven’t been able to take whatever step was needed to make that jump.”

He hopes this marks the end of that revolving door.

“Stability? I hope it’s here. These are some experienced guys who’ve been around for a long time, so it gives you confidence when you see that.”

As with the previous seven coaches, Nugent-Hopkins says the biggest adjustments won’t be on the ice, but in the areas of communication and relationships. Once again, he will have to learn the ins and outs of a new boss.

“I think personality is the biggest thing you want to get used to right away. You want to learn the interaction, what kind of coach he is.

“Structure-wise, most coaches today are similar. So, even if the system is a little different, you can pick it up pretty easily. Once we get that down, it comes down to what kind of coach he is, what kind of communicator.”

Nugent-Hopkins has a better perspective than most, given that he played for Tippett at the World Cup when he was an assistant (to Todd McLellan) with Team North America. 1145514 Edmonton Oilers The first order of business for Tippett is to put together his coaching staff. Currently, Oilers assistants Glen Gulutzan, Trent Yawney, Manny Viveiros and Dustin Schwartz are in limbo regarding their fate.

New Edmonton Oilers head coach Dave Tippett up for the challenge “That’s up to Dave,” Holland said. “When I had and I had Mike Babcock, I told them to put their staff together and they come to me and I’ll rubber stamp it. He’s got to work with those guys on an everyday Derek Van Diest basis, and if I tell him who his assistants are and if they don’t have chemistry, it probably isn’t going to be successful.”

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 05.29.2019 Dave Tippett had a broad smile on his face walking into the coaching graveyard the Edmonton Oilers have been the past decade.

The newest Oilers head coach — the ninth in the past 11 years — is well aware of the long list of fallen prior to his arrival Tuesday, hired by new general manager Ken Holland.

Tippett is charged with doing what good hockey minds have been unable to in this organization for a long time.

“I’m always up for a good challenge, I’m looking forward to it,” Tippett said with a smile after being introduced on Tuesday at Rogers Place. “That’s part of why we do what we do.

“There is unbelievable history here and there have been unbelievable teams here and it hasn’t been as good lately, but we know how it can be here. I spent years chasing these guys around (as a player) and you always looked at them winning and you go, ‘Boy that would have been nice’. There is that challenge to get there.”

Born in Moosomin, Sask., and raised in Prince Albert, Tippett, 57, brings 14 years of National Hockey League coaching experience to Edmonton. He coached the Dallas Stars from 2002 to 2009, making the playoffs five of six seasons before moving on to the Arizona Coyotes in 2010.

In seven seasons with Arizona, Tippett guided the Coyotes to the playoffs three times, taking them to the Western Conference final in 2012.

“I’m a Western Canada kid and I’ve never coached in Canada, and my mom is so excited about me coming back to Canada and working for a team here,” Tippett said. “There is an allure about that. The fans are so passionate, I’ve got more texts from buddies that were high school buddies that I haven’t heard from in 20 years.”

Tippett was fired in Arizona after missing the playoffs with the Coyotes for five consecutive seasons. Following a one-year hiatus, he worked as a senior advisor for Seattle’s expansion franchise last season.

“I don’t think it’ll really hit me until you get behind the bench that first time,” Tippett said. “I’m looking forward to planning training camp, all those things … so I’m excited for the opportunity, excited to work with Ken.”

In seeking out a new coach after being hired as general manager by the Oilers three weeks ago, Holland wanted someone with experience. He turned to formers Oilers head coach Ken Hitchcock for help and, between the two of them, came up with Tippett as the best option.

“I talked to Ken Hitchcock and told him I wanted to work on two things: People that had coached in the National Hockey League or what we thought were going to be the top coaches that hadn’t coached in the National Hockey League,” Holland said. “I think the list was 16 or 17 people, and we went to work over three weeks to eventually get to today.”

Holland and Tippett met for the first time in San Diego, where the Oilers’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, were playing a playoff series.

The two continued to discuss the position and Holland heard what he needed from Tippett.

“I wanted to hear what was important to him as a coach,” Holland said. “What does he like in his team? How do you hold players accountable? How do you build team chemistry? We talked about the players on the roster, what does he think about the players on the roster? What does he think and what does he see with the team in comparison to what I see and what do we want to build?”

The Oilers have missed the playoffs 12 of the past 13 seasons, so Tippett and Holland know they have a lot of work ahead. 1145515 Edmonton Oilers

WATCH: Dave Tippett introduced as the next Oilers head coach

Shaughn Butts, Edmonton Journal

Veteran NHL bench boss Dave Tippett is the new head coach of the Edmonton Oilers.

The Oilers announced the hiring Tuesday, marking the first big move for new general manager Ken Holland.

Tippett, who had been working as a senior adviser to Seattle’s new NHL team since June 2018, becomes the Oilers’ ninth coach in the past 11 years.

He coached the Coyotes for eight seasons, missing the playoffs in his final five seasons in Arizona. He opened his run in the desert with consecutive first-round appearances followed by a trip to the Western Conference final. Tippett’s first season in Arizona ended with him being named NHL coach of the year.

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145516 Edmonton Oilers What the Oilers need is major improvement everywhere.

Defensively, Tippet’s resume speaks for itself: During the peak of his time in Dallas, he had the Stars 13th, third, second, sixth, third and sixth Optimism, concern and apathy as Oilers welcome in another coach in goals against.

In Arizona, they were third, 12th, sixth, and 16th before the bottom fell Robert Tychkowski out of the roster and they tumbled to 18th, 28th, 28th and 28th — suggesting you still need goaltending and good players to play a kill-the- game style.

If it is possible for a fan base to be optimistic, uneasy and apathetic all at In Edmonton, a lot will depend on Mikko Koskinen and a group of players the same time, Tuesday might be the day. whose goals against sunk to 25th and 27th over the last two years.

With Dave Tippett’s hiring about to be made official in the fourth major If anyone can help with that, you have to think it’s Tippett. news conference of the last six months (Todd McLellan fired in late November, Peter Chiarelli fired in January, Ken Holland hired in May and The question is, is he the guy who can get more offence out of them in Tippett three weeks later), the latest organizational turnover will be the new-look regular season NHL (which is different from the new look complete. playoff NHL, where the third- and fifth-best defensive teams are competing for the Cup). And, to be honest, it will be a little bit anticlimactic. The name has been out there for a long time, it’s pretty much been the only name, and it’s not The happy medium must be in there somewhere. Maybe Tippett will be like getting a new coach is a rarity in Edmonton. able to find something the previous eight coaches couldn’t.

Tippett will be the the ninth coach in the last 11 years, adding his name Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 05.29.2019 to the list of Craig MacTavish (2001-2009), Pat Quinn (2009-10), Tom Renney (2010-12), Ralph Krueger (2012-13), Dallas Eakins (2013-15), Todd Nelson (2014-15), Todd McLellan (2015-18) and Ken Hitchcock (2018-19).

He will be the seventh head coach for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who is entering his ninth season in the NHL.

With almost all of those previous coaches, there was the same air of optimism and excitement when they arrived, which usually wore off about a year or so later when it became obvious they couldn’t squeeze much more than about 25th place out of the Oilers roster.

So I’m not sure the new coach is going to matter as much as people think. In Edmonton, the problem hasn’t been so much the coach as the players being coached and the organizational mechanisms that put those players in place. It is change in those areas that should be generating the most excitement moving forward.

And, recent shakeups in hockey operations and player personnel suggest that work is finally being done on the inner core of the franchise. Those are the moves that lead many to believe that a new era could be dawning in Edmonton.

So what impact will Tippett have in all this?

That’s where the mix of optimism and unease comes in. The optimism stems from his track record of being able to grind every ounce of effort from every team he’s ever had, regardless of how thin the roster. That could come in handy here.

The concern among some, however, is the Oilers will become a version of the Tippett-coached Arizona Coyotes. Not that anyone is against hard- working teams that are difficult to play against, but the only thing harder than playing those Arizona teams was watching them play.

Will the Oilers evolve into that same team, meaning Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will be shackled by a smothering game plan designed to win every game 2-1?

This organization does have a reputation for being a step behind, after all. While the rest of the NHL was streamlining its players, Chiarelli had Edmonton bulking up. Now, as the league leans toward skill, creativity and speed and offence, they bring in a defensive specialist.

So until Tippett steps to the mic and says “Relax, I was just adapting to the era and to the players I had, I’m definitely in sync with where the league is going,” nobody is going to relax. And even then, nobody is going to relax because that’s what all coaches say.

They will need to see it, first.

But it is worth noting that the Oilers were 20th in the league in scoring the last two seasons, so concern that Tippett might turn them into a team that doesn’t score a lot of goals is a bit curious, since they’re already there.

And can Edmonton really afford to complain about what the hockey looks like after missing the playoffs 12 times in 13 years? Is that not like a starving man complaining about the plating of his first meal in a week? 1145517 Edmonton Oilers he’s probably caught deep in the offensive zone. But he was a great net- front presence. Ekman-Larsson could come off the point on cycling low and find those little holes.”

What the hiring of Dave Tippett means for Connor McDavid and Leon When the puck is turned over, King notes, that’s when players – including Draisaitl the star ones – had to start thinking about defence. Until then, they usually were given free rein.

By Daniel Nugent-Bowman May 28, 2019 “Tipper really manages his personnel well. He likes his players to play to their strengths,” King said. “Tipper is never going to inhibit anybody with his defensive play. All he does is make them conscious of both sides of the puck. I think he’ll work very well with (McDavid and) Draisaitl and If there’s a reputation associated with veteran coach Dave Tippett it’s that guys like that.” he’s a stickler who’s concerned with defensive details above all else. Players who need to play well defensively just to stay in the lineup were It’s something former NHL blueliner Philippe Boucher – one of Tippett’s told clearly what was expected of them. longest-serving players – has heard many times before. While he believes there’s a kernel of truth, it’s only that, a kernel. But in order for depth players to increase their offensive output, Tippett forced his Coyotes teams to forecheck aggressively. “I never felt like I was held back,” Boucher said. “I had my best offensive season as a defenceman playing in his system. We were structured and “Putting the team into a good structure to win the puck back and be in we didn’t give up a lot of shots in Dallas, but we also had a very good good transition position from that are his areas of focus,” said Newell roster, a very good group of defence and experienced guys. Brown, an assistant coach on Tippett’s staff for four seasons until 2017.

“I never saw it that way when I played for him. Sometimes you coach the “Vegas plays much like we did,” King added. “We liked to force the play players that you have, too. Sometimes to win hockey games, you have to hard, but we really did a good job of recovering off the forecheck back in coach that way. I don’t feel we were restricted at all when I was in to make sure we had good numbers back in the middle zone. He teaches Dallas.” offence. It’s just underrated. He’s so solid defensively that he gets a lot of credit for that.” There is a press conference scheduled for 11 a.m. MT, where Tippett is expected to be named the team’s new head coach. While he is tasked That defensive mindset dates all the way back to his playing days with with taking over a floundering team, Tippett also has two of the league’s the Prince Albert Raiders in the SJHL from 1979 to 1981. brightest superstars in their prime at his disposal. King was coaching nearby at the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl both surpassed the 100-point then and regularly saw Tippett in action. He later coached Tippett at the threshold and set new offensive career-highs. McDavid hit the century 1984 (with Tippett serving as Canada’s captain) and 1992 Olympics. mark for the third straight season, whereas Draisaitl was one of only two NHLers to score 50 goals. “He was a brilliant defensive hockey player. His defensive play was way ahead of everybody else at his age all the way along,” King said. “He The 22- and 23-year-old forwards – along with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – really had a sense of reading his teammates as much as he read the carried the team offensively. The Oilers, at least as currently constructed, opposition.” will likely need them to take another step in their development if they want any hope of reaching the playoffs next season. Just as he read his teammates on the ice, Tippett gained a knack for understanding his players as a coach. Boucher doesn’t anticipate any issues there on Tippett’s account. His biggest strengths are reaching each player on an individual basis and He spent parts of nine seasons with Tippett, first with the Kings and then communicating his expectations clearly. with the Stars. The first three were in Los Angeles, where Tippett was an assistant coach. “He has a good rapport with everybody that’s around,” Brown said. “People feel comfortable to talk to him. I’d say his relationship with the Tippett was named coach in Dallas in 2002 and Boucher signed with the players is professional and respectful. Stars as a free agent that summer in part because Tippett coached the defence and ran the power play in Los Angeles. Boucher eventually “He’s a talented hockey coach that will take the hand that’s given to him improved to his career-best 51-point season in 2006-07, which earned and bring out the best of it.” him a spot in the All-Star Game. Edmonton is as good a place for Tippett to resume his career as any, Boucher was third on the Stars in scoring that season, eight points King said. behind leader Mike Ribeiro. There was no one at the same level as either Tippett had been a senior adviser to Seattle’s expansion team and McDavid or Draisaitl. seemed to be enjoying life in Washington State. But King and Tippett talk Still, based on Boucher’s experience, McDavid and Draisaitl will be a couple of times a year and King could “sense he was restless to coach expected to buy in defensively, but they won’t be shackled by again.” unreasonable expectation. The Oiler sorely struggled in the defensive zone, finishing 25th in goals “I don’t think they need to be held back. I don’t think he would hold them against and 30th in penalty killing. Tippett will be tasked with solving back,” he said. those problems, while also improving an offence that was only 20th-best in the NHL and lacked secondary scoring. There’s more tangible proof in that prediction based on Tippett’s usage of his best players in his most recent coaching job. “He’s a total hockey coach. You can’t sling a label on Dave as being just a good defensive coach,” King said. “He coaches both sides of the game Tippett guided the Coyotes from 2009 to 2017 and Dave King was really well.” involved for the first five seasons as either an assistant or development coach or senior adviser. As he explains, players like Shane Doan, Ray With McDavid and Draisaitl at the top of the roster, Tippett has an Whitney and Oliver Ekman-Larsson were given more latitude to be opportunity to work with a pair of young superstars that he’s never had creative as a way to increase offensive production. before.

Now, part of that was out of sheer necessity. The Coyotes lacked a If his track record is any indication, it isn’t likely that Tippett will keep “profound, scoring line,” so Tippett had to let his few players with high- those horses in the barn. end talent take “calculated risks” when the score dictated. “He was interested in his players. He wasn’t coaching the group the “He knows that for some players to produce, you have to let them play on same way,” Boucher said. “He was coaching and dealing with individuals the wrong side of the puck sometimes,” King said. “He allowed Ray differently according to how they needed to be coached and needed to Whitney to hang in the offensive zone a long time and not always have to be treated.” be the first guy out. If something went wrong (for the opponent) and he The Athletic LOADED: 05.29.2019 got the puck, he was effective. He allowed Doaner to crash the net. Then 1145518 Florida Panthers “It was my first time in my entire life dealing with a serious injury. Being away from the game for as long as I was was not easy. Having to deal with it when I got back was tough as well. Obviously, it was a frustrating ‘It’s time to start winning now’: Vincent Trocheck ready to bounce back in season for our entire team, not winning as much as we wanted to. a big way for Panthers Overall it was just a tough season.”

The biggest memory Trocheck will have of this past season is the injury which cost him a huge chunk of games. By George Richards May 28, 2019 Although it appeared Trocheck may have suffered a knee injury as well as a lower-leg injury based on how his right leg buckled, the ankle had a clean fracture which allowed him to make a much quicker return to SUNRISE, Fla. — With one big exception, the Florida Panthers’ top action. forwards enjoyed the best offensive seasons of their careers this past year. Trocheck was limited to moving around on a leg scooter for a few weeks, but he was back on the ice in January and in the lineup for the final three Sasha Barkov set the franchise record for most points in a season with games before the All-Star break. 96, and Jonathan Huberdeau joined him in becoming the first duo in Florida history to reach 90 points. “He missed a quarter of a season, and it is hard to recover from that,” GM Dale Tallon said. “It is hard to catch up, and I know it was frustrating The Panthers had three players with 30 or more goals for the first time as for him. But it was not due to a lack of effort. I think his timing was off Mike Hoffman led the team with 36. Barkov (35) and Huberdeau (30) also because of the injury and it was a miraculous recovery for him to come hit the 30-goal mark for the first time in their careers. back so soon. He was back a month sooner than we thought. It was a But Vincent Trocheck did not join in Florida’s offensive onslaught this tough injury and a tough situation to be put in.” season. After missing two months following a horrific ankle injury — he In the end, Trocheck’s numbers were not as bad as they seemed, was limited to 55 games after fracturing his right ankle chasing down a although not as good as anyone — himself included — had envisioned, loose puck in Ottawa on Nov. 19 — he certainly has a good excuse. especially when you consider the offense the others in the top six Even so, he did not put up the kind of numbers he was expected to — generated. before or after his absence. Trocheck averaged 0.618 points per game in the 55 he played this past Trocheck finished his sixth NHL season with 10 goals and 34 points — season. Over the course of an 82-game season, that would have worked well short of the career-high 31 goals and 75 points he put up the out to 51 points. previous season. Of course, Trocheck put up those numbers after In context, taking out his career-best 2017-18 campaign, Trocheck’s playing in all 82 games for Florida in 2017-18. offensive production was close to what he had the previous two seasons Following this often frustrating campaign, the Panthers are expected to in which he averaged 53.5 points. be busy this offseason trying to improve and end their three-year Still, expectations are much higher for a player of Trocheck’s standing. postseason absence. And Trocheck, who will turn 26 in July, is a big part of Florida’s plans moving forward. “I don’t even know how many points I had, I missed (two) months,” he said. “So I am not really concerned about the production side. “Troch is one hell of a player and he’s going to produce for us,” assistant GM Eric Joyce said. “Players sometimes have years like that. But one “I am more worried about getting the team where we need to be, getting thing I know about Troch is he is the ultimate competitor, and I know that us on a winning track. When we are winning games, everybody is going season does not sit well with him. He was one of the first guys to reach to be doing well individually. Like we talked about this year, a lot of guys out to our training staff and get moving on the offseason. had career years and we didn’t make the playoffs. Individual stats don’t necessarily mean all that much.’’ “He is going to be 100 percent ready to go when training camp opens. We are excited about that. It’s OK if you have an off year, as long as you As the second half of the season unfolded, Trocheck seemed to grow recognize that and want to do something about it. Those are the kind of more and more irritated with how the Panthers were playing and the guys you win championships with. Troch is one of those guys.” direction in which things were headed.

Trocheck was sidelined for two months until he returned earlier than Although Florida scored more goals than it ever had in a single season expected Jan. 18 against Toronto. before, it also surrendered a franchise record as well.

The Panthers had been winless in their previous seven games, yet with Trocheck had 10 goals and 24 assists in his injury-shortened 2018-19 one of their on-ice leaders back, Florida beat Toronto 3-1 that night. season. (Robert Mayer / USA Today) Having Trocheck back was more than just good for morale as the Panthers’ second-line center assisted on the go-ahead (and eventual A coaching change came quickly, as was fired the day winning) goal. after the season ended. , who won the Stanley Cup three times as head coach of the Blackhawks and once as an assistant Trocheck followed that up with goals in his next two games. And when with Colorado, was officially hired the day after. the Panthers broke for their time off around All-Star weekend riding a three-game winning streak, Trocheck said he would have loved to Despite missing the playoffs, the Panthers were the talk of the hockey continue playing. world.

“To go into a break like this with a little momentum, having some fun, is “It’s exciting, obviously. He is the second-winningest coach in NHL going to make a big difference for the second half,” Trocheck said at the history,’’ Trocheck said. “He has obviously been around the game for a time. long time, won three Stanley Cups.

Upon their return, however, the Panthers lost two of their next three, and “It is great to have a veteran coach presence in here to kind of whip us Trocheck’s frustrating season continued. into shape, I guess you could say. I’m excited. … He demands a lot from his players and gets a lot of respect from his players.” Following the break, Trocheck went 11 games without a goal and had just two assists during that span before he broke his drought Feb. 23 Trocheck is one of the most fiery players the Panthers have, a player against Los Angeles. who is not afraid to speak his mind either in the privacy of the locker room or out in the open. Trocheck finished with five goals and 16 points in his final 34 games. Aside from the 11-game goalless stretch, he also had a run of eight As others spoke of losses being “disappointing,” Trocheck instead used games without a goal. the word “embarrassing.” He said the time for excuses is over. The Panthers are in a win-now mode, and he says everyone needs to be on “It was difficult,” said Trocheck, who finished with two goals and an assist board. in his final three games. “Missing the playoffs is unacceptable, especially with the team that we have and the talent that we have,” Trocheck said. “Going forward, I think now it’s on us to realize what a talented team we do have. Start maturing mentally as a team. Take it to the next level and go on a run.

“This definitely shows everybody that now is the time. We aren’t going to be young forever. It’s time to start winning now. There is accountability on us. It’s not just the coaching staff. It’s on us as players to win games. Coaches can’t go out there and do it for us. They can only put so much together. It’s on us now. It says we need to wake up a little bit. Q is here now. It is on us to take what he gives us and put it into action on the ice.”

The Athletic LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145519 Los Angeles Kings

VILARDI “STILL IN HOLDING PATTERN” AND NOTES ON ASSISTANTS

JON ROSEN MAY 28, 2019

A happy Tuesday morning to you, Insiders, and if you were able to celebrate Memorial Day yesterday, here’s to the start of a shortened week. To our friends outside of the United States, a very happy Tuesday to you. Let’s turn the page.

Several topics:

— I returned to robust discussion in commenting, with Gabe Vilardi’s status among the topics to gain traction. We last heard of Vilardi in early April as he remained in a holding pattern while rehabilitating an ongoing back issue that was “a combination of both” a muscular and disc injury, per Rob Blake. I hadn’t heard whether the plan was to eventually transition his rehab onto the ice at any point this spring, but whether or not that happens, he hasn’t yet returned to skates. “Still in holding pattern – awaiting clearance for training/skating protocol going forward,” was the word from hockey operations this morning. Unless there’s reason to suspect otherwise, my next inquiry towards his progress will come at the draft.

— Dave Tippett signed a contract that pays him “just under” $3-million annually (via Pierre LeBrun) to return to the Pacific Division as Edmonton’s Head Coach, rather than Seattle’s President or General Manager or Head Coach or in some alternative capacity. This has some influence on Los Angeles, because Todd McLellan hired Trent Yawney – a current Oilers assistant – in Edmonton last year, and while Yawney is expected to meet with Tippett, a source shared last week that he’s “very likely headed to LA shortly.”

Tippett says he will talk to last year's assistants before making any decisions about his staff. #Oilers

— Reid Wilkins (@ReidWilkins) May 28, 2019

I’m not privy to the conversations or dynamic between McLellan and former right hand man Jay Woodcroft, who did a great job coaching the Bakersfield Condors last season and worked under McLellan as an assistant in Edmonton (2015-18) and San Jose (2008-15) and as a video coach under Mike Babcock and McLellan in Detroit (2005-08). And while this is speculative, and not based on what I’ve heard over the past month, I did wonder aloud whether Woodcroft would choose to stay with the Condors, who won the AHL’s Pacific Division and perhaps present some degree of immediate success that might be more difficult to achieve in Los Angeles. With that in mind, the Edmonton Journal printed a report indicating Woodcroft will remain with Bakersfield:

In related News, it looks as if Bakersfield Condors Head Coach Jay Woodcroft will choose to stay with the club. It is tough to put much of the disappointing result of last year on the support coaching staff. And the one man in the organization who truly enjoyed success was Woodcroft. Despite some assumed loyalties to McLellan I am told that Woodcroft is expected back. I think most would view that as a positive.

I didn’t take that report as a confirmation; the dust will continue to settle as Tippett shores up his staff. Hence, why we had reported last week that no hiring was imminent. Is a hiring imminent now? When will then be now? Soon.

— There’s additional assistant coaching context in Elliotte Friedman’s 31 Thoughts. John Stevens’ name surfaced as a Plan B candidate in the event the Edmonton-Tippett arrangement went sideways. I’d also heard his name surface in an assistant role for another Pacific team, so it’s good (and not unexpected) to hear teams are considering one of the league’s better figures at teaching and developing defense.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145520 Minnesota Wild

Phil Kessel's reported rejection of trade for Jason Zucker saved Wild from bad deal

By Michael Rand MAY 28, 2019 — 11:58AM

Phil Kessel reportedly shut down a potential trade to the Wild, one that would have sent Jason Zucker to the Penguins. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on the veto and some interesting subplots; The Athletic reported on it as well, including the parameters of a particular deal: Kessel and Jack Johnson for Zucker and Victor Rask.

Everything about this looks bad for the Wild with one exception: the end result, where the trade didn’t happen.

First, it doesn’t look good that Kessel wouldn’t agree to the deal. Sure, he has that power since the Wild reportedly isn’t on his list of eight teams he would agree to be traded to, but those lists are malleable.

If the conventional thinking was that Kessel’s local connections — playing for the Gophers and being tight with Ryan Suter — would sway him, the state of the Wild appears to have trumped that. If you were a 31- year-old goal scorer used to winning Stanley Cups, is this really the team you would want to join? Probably not, which doesn’t look good for the Wild.

Second, the Wild has been VERY close to trading Zucker twice now — once to Calgary at last year’s deadline and now this.

It’s no secret Minnesota has been trying to move Zucker before his 10- team no-trade list kicks takes effect in July. And if the Wild really is still able to deal Zucker before then for fair value, those two publicized swings and misses won’t really matter.

But this is pretty awkward for now — and will become even more awkward if the Wild doesn’t find a suitable trade partner for Zucker and decides to keep him.

Third, what exactly is the plan here? I’m fine with the idea of trading Zucker if you’re not sold on his long-term production compared to his long-term contract (four more years, cap hit of $5.5 million per year).

But GM Paul Fenton took a couple positive steps to try to make the Wild younger and more nimble at the trade deadline. This team needs youth and speed. It probably needs to spend another year or two out of the playoffs to truly replenish its talent pool and give young players a chance to develop.

Trading Zucker, 27, for Kessel, 31 — speed and relative youth for a veteran goal-scorer — is a head-scratching move. And including Rask and Johnson as part of the swap only serves to admit that the trade for Rask last year was a mistake, while adding Johnson’s equally onerous contract.

The only good news in all of this is that Kessel, either out of stubbornness, his own best interest or a little of both, saved Fenton from himself.

Maybe now he can make a proper trade with Zucker to shed some more salary and get young, cheap talent — similar to the deal that sent Charlie Coyle to the Bruins for Ryan Donato.

Star Tribune LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145521 MontrealCanadiens to the NBA final and he and his father were in attendance when the Raptors eliminated Milwaukee in Game 6.

“It’s good for Toronto and it’s good for Canada,” Domi said. Canadiens' Max Domi provides support for young diabetics The Sun Life Walk to Cure Diabetes in the Montreal area will take place June 9 at Centre de la nature de Laval. There will be a run beginning at PAT HICKEY, MONTREAL GAZETTE 8:30 a.m. followed by the walk at 10 a.m. Domi is inviting Montrealers to join him.

“I grew up in Toronto, but I’m a Canadien now and I want to beat Toronto Max Domi says he had only one question when he learned, at age 12, he at everything and that includes the Walk for the Cure,” Domi said. “I’m had Type 1 diabetes. encouraging everyone to get on social media and create interest in this event so we can beat Toronto. “I wanted to know if I could still play hockey,” Domi said Tuesday as he shared his experiences with 13 youngsters dealing with the disease. “My Anyone who wants more information on the walk can call Jessica at 514- doctor asked me if I had ever heard of Bobby Clarke. I said I hadn’t and 744-5537, Local 247, or email [email protected]. he told that Bobby Clarke had diabetes and payed in the NHL and won a Stanley Cup. That was my dream and I felt better when I learned about Montreal Gazette LOADED: 05.29.2019 Bobby Clarke.”

The Canadiens’ centre is the national spokesman for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and will be participating in the Sun Life Walk to Cure Diabetes on June 9. But on Tuesday, he was just another guy coping with diabetes as he fielded questions from youngsters who ranged in age from five to 17.

“I’m fortunate to be playing in the NHL, but my experiences are just like yours,” he said. “I remember when I learned that I had diabetes, I was scared. I hated needles. I didn’t know how it was going to change my life. But I learned that if you were responsible, if you checked your levels and took care of yourself, you can do almost anything. You can’t be in the army and you can’t be a commercial pilot and not everyone is going to end up in the NHL, but you can be a teacher or a lawyer.”

When he was first told he had Type 1 diabetes, Domi said he was reluctant to share the information with his friends.

“I can understand why you don’t want to be seen as someone who’s different, but the best thing you can do is to help educate people about diabetes,” Domi said. “Explain to them why you can’t eat some things. I also have celiac disease, which means I’m gluten-intolerant and I know it’s tough when you go to a birthday party and you can’t eat the cake.”

Domi said learning to live with diabetes came with its share of problems and he could identify with teenagers who wanted to take responsibility for controlling their diabetes.

“I’m not perfect, I made mistakes,” he admitted. “I had a lot of help from my mother and my father. They were always asking whether I checked my (blood sugar) levels. As I got older, I took more responsibility, but just like hockey, you have to think that you’re part of a team with your parents and your doctors.

Domi said he had only one brief interaction with the former player he calls Mr Clarke, but Clarke’s success served as inspiration for him. So much so that he changed his minor hockey number.

When he was growing up, Max spent a lot of time hanging around the Toronto Maple Leafs locker room because his father, Tie, was the Leafs’ resident tough guy. The younger Domi idolized Leafs star Mats Sundin and he appropriated Sundin’s No. 13.

“Mats was my hero, but when I learned about Mr. Clarke, I asked my father’s permission to change my number to 16,” Domi said.

Domi, who had a breakout season in his first year with the Canadiens, said playing in the NHL requires a lot of preparation.

“I can’t find myself in a situation where I have a low during a game,” said Domi. “There are so many different factors that affect how you feel, your sugar levels, the adrenalin you feel during a game. I start getting ready 24 hours before the game and I make sure that I eat the right foods, get enough sleep. I test to make sure my levels are where they should be. If anything, I over-test to make sure. There are nights when you don’t have it, but I’ve never had a problem because of diabetes.”

Domi said there is sometimes a danger of going too low after a game and he has a support dog, a yellow Labrador named Orion, who senses when he might have problems at night.

Domi said there was disappointment when the Canadiens missed the playoffs in the final week of the season and he ruefully noted that he was watching the playoffs on TV for the fourth year in a row after three losing seasons in Arizona. He’s taking more joy from the Toronto Raptors’ run 1145522 MontrealCanadiens But here’s the thing: Gunnarsson is still a terrific penalty killer. Without Gunnarsson the Blues’ PK unit suppressed shots at roughly the league average in the regular season. Here’s what it looked like — small sample Bargain shopping: Five under-the-radar free agents that would fill specific alert — with him on the ice (via Micah Blake McCurdy’s amazingly needs for the Canadiens excellent HockeyViz.com).

That’s . . . élite-ish!? Sure, it’s a tiny number of minutes, but even if you zoom out on the last three years, the penalty kill is still 19 per cent better By Sean Gordon May 28, 2019 than league average at limiting opposition shots when Gunnarsson is on it.

He’s also got tons of experience playing high-leverage situations against Most new ideas are actually old ideas. In 2002, an MBA grad called Dave tough, top line opponents. If he’s healthy — okay, big if — he is, in the Brailsford took over the British cycling team and implemented an words of my colleague Arpon Basu just before the trade deadline, a approach he dubbed the aggregation of marginal gains; it was based on “sneaky good” value. identifying areas for minute improvement. Consider this comparison to Benn, courtesy of Evolving-Hockey’s The squad became a juggernaut; he is now Sir Dave. But Brailsford regularized adjusted plus-minus metric, which quantifies a player’s freely recognizes the main idea, that big changes can result from a series individual contribution, in this case at even strength over the past three of very small ones, was appropriated from kaizen, the Japanese concept seasons. Defensively, he’s in a different class. of constant workplace improvement (think: Toyota), which itself is rooted in an incremental workplace quality management approach developed by There’s not going to be much happening offence-wise with Gunnarsson the U.S. Department of War in the 1940s. on the ice, but he’s also likely to be available on the cheap. The salary projection model at Evolving-Hockey.com has him earning $730,000 on a Time is a flat circle and all that. one-year deal, or less than countryman Christian Folin. So how, exactly, does this tie into the Canadiens? Well, in a salary cap Bergevin has swung and missed in the recent past on low-risk, high- system changes at the margin can have surprising ripple effects; reward players with troubling injury histories (Ales Hemsky, come on squeezing an extra percentage point or two out of a player or a line can down!) but to torture the analogy a little further, that’s no reason not to make the difference between winning and losing. step up to the plate again. The point is you don’t need to acquire a Matt Duchene to win (although it If Gunnarsson represents too much of a risk, perhaps Montreal should helps), there are plenty of opportunities to marginally improve in the free contact the representatives for our next candidate: agent market. The following names were purposely selected from the group of players who didn’t make the top 20 list compiled by The Braydon Coburn (Tampa Bay) Athletic’s Craig Custance. In other words they are the unheralded options, lurking below the surface. Each addresses a specific short-term The days of Coburn being a near-elite skater are behind him — he’s now need for the Canadiens. Again, it goes without saying teams aren’t going 34 — and he too was an occasional scratch this past year; though he to find game-breaking talent in this bracket; Montreal’s high-end skill played the fourth-most games among Tampa defencemen, he was deficit is best solved from within, via the prospect pool and draft. seventh in average ice time.

With the Canadiens possibly tumbling into capmageddon in 2021, Marc So, he’s probably done, right? Not so fast. Bergevin is surely looking to be conservative on July 1, a day he is justly The Tampa penalty kill was good this past season, roughly 14 per cent leery of given the costly mistakes of the past. He will especially be better than the NHL average in terms of shot suppression; it was 25 mindful of term. percentage points better in the 75:47 where Coburn was on it (according That said, roster construction is about achieving balance and as the to HockeyViz.com). rotating cast on Montreal’s fourth line last season showed, having the Coburn also possesses at least one quality that can’t be taught: he’s 6- correct mix of role players matters in today’s NHL. This is especially true foot-5. And while he made $3.7 million last year, salary projection models when the game plan is to skate the other guy into the ground. peg his next contract’s annual value at something around $2 million. It’s The Canadiens were a terrific even-strength team this past season, but not a lot, but Tampa is strapped for cash so he may be the odd man out. that doesn’t mean there aren’t shortcomings to address via free agency, Given his age, term is a significant risk, but it’s not like he’s going to and realistic options to do so. command top-four money.

Job one is try and add to the blue line, particularly on the left side. Here is how he compares to Benn: Bergevin re-signed Xavier Ouellet this week, but that was a two-way Defensively, it’s basically a wash. Coburn seems to have a greater deal. He currently has seven defencemen on one-way NHL contracts and influence on shot generation, Benn seems to spur more goals for, one of them is Karl Alzner, who is destined for a different city, most likely although that may have something to do with 8.88 per cent of the Laval. Canadiens’ shots going in the net when he was on the ice. That led all Absent a hockey trade for a young defenceman with term who can play a Montreal defencemen, and may or may not be sustainable. top-4 role (which is possible!), the plan should probably be to find a Coburn can provide as much or more physicality as Benn, he’s played on reliable left-shooting veteran who can play hard minutes on the penalty a lot of successful teams, and he’s from Shaunavon, Sask. Apropos of kill at a higher level than, say, Mike Reilly. nothing, I have a theory: every Stanley Cup winning team features at Jordie Benn is a good defenceman and a fine fellow, and the impending least one key member, whether a player or coach, from Saskatchewan. free agent played to Shea Weber’s left on the top penalty killing pair. But Look, it’s science. And if Boston, with precisely zero Canadian Prairie as The Athletic’s Marc Dumont has written, he’s probably about to content, wins this year it will be bad, discredited science. become too expensive for what he brings. There are other players out there who could present viable alternatives. If not him, then who? How about: The Athletic’s Olivier Bouchard has pointed to Patrik Nemeth of the Avalanche, who seems to be surplus to requirements in Denver, is Carl Gunnarsson (St. Louis Blues) younger and healthier than both Coburn and Gunnarsson, and should come relatively cheap. Gunnarsson tore an ACL ligament in the spring of 2018, so he only played 25 regular season games in the walk year of his contract, which is If all other options are exhausted Taylor Fedun of the Stars is another good news for bargain shoppers. The fact he’s been a healthy scratch at pending UFA who could present something of a value proposition. He points in the playoffs and is plainly viewed by the Blues as a 6/7 played a relatively sheltered third-pair role (when he played at all), but his defenceman won’t inflate his value on the free agent market. underlying numbers were solid on what was the league’s best defensive team in the regular season. Dallas gave up fewer shots both at 5-on-5 Part of that is because the former Leaf is now 32 and, uh, ponderous on and on the penalty kill when he was on the ice than when he was off it. his skates; some of it has to do with the fact St. Louis is a great team with a bunch of younger, better defencemen. So that’s the defence sorted. But the blue line is only one challenge That said, Connolly on his own wouldn’t solve another problem the among many. Canadiens had last season, namely having a reliable cast of fourth line players who can drive play. That’s where the next name on our list Another is board play, which brings us to the next free agent on our list: comes in.

Colin Wilson (Colorado Avalanche) Carl Hagelin (Washington Capitals)

Bigger isn’t automatically better in the NHL any more, but it’s a fact your The word out of Pittsburgh is several influential Penguins players were huskier NHL player is going to have an easier time fending off steamed when the club traded the popular Swede away to L.A. last adversaries along the walls. Another fact: Montreal doesn’t have a ton of season; he’s evidently appreciated as a teammate. And why not, Hagelin those types on the wing. At 6-foot-1 Wilson isn’t especially tall, but he has always reveled in doing the grimy scut work that’s involved in weighs 221 pounds and is a runaway boulder in tight quarters. neutralizing the other team’s top forwards.

Wilson had a $3.937 million cap hit in 2018-19, the final season on a Having crested 30, he’s also adjusting to the reduced circumstances of four-year deal he signed while in Nashville. According to Evolving- those who populate the lower reaches of an NHL roster. His average .com’s salary projection model he can expect to be paid time of 14:44 per game in 2018-19 was the lowest of his NHL career, and somewhat less next season, likely in the range of $2.5 million for a two or the chances of that trend pointing skyward again any time soon are slim. three-year deal. Still, he has wheels, he can carry the puck out of trouble, and when the The winger has never quite lived up to his draft position (7th overall in other team has it he harries the opposition and is incredibly adept at 2008), partly because of injuries. He’s played more than 65 games in preventing them from shooting. Just look: only one of the past four seasons, but he’s still a relatively young 29. And he can play a little. Per NaturalStatTrick.com, Wilson produced 1.64 A fourth line rotation built around Paul Byron, Jordan Weal, Nate points per hour at 5-on-5, good for 179th in the NHL among forwards — Thompson and Hagelin would probably push the pace more effectively in other words, second-line output (he mostly played third line minutes in offensively and defend somewhat better than the the regular season). Hudon/Peca/Deslauriers grouping of yore, no? Like Byron, Hagelin is more than able to slot higher in the lineup, and can play multiple Here’s how his numbers over the past three years stack up relative to positions in a pinch. those of Joel Armia, the Canadiens’ tallest and heaviest middle-six winger. Now, the difficulty is cost. Hagelin’s still a championship pedigreed player who made $4 million last year. Though his role is likely to diminish further Based on PuckIq.com’s data, Wilson feasted on opposing role players as he ages, he’s talented and versatile enough to command something last season (54.4 per cent shot share at even strength against guys who more than cheap fourth liner money. Comparables suggest he could earn fall into the “gritensity” basket), which is what he’d be expected to do in between $2 million and $3 million depending on term (the Evolving- Montreal. It could well be the Avalanche, who are swimming in cap Hockey model has him making $2.47 million next year). space, will decide he’s worth keeping around. If they don’t he could be a good July 1 option for Bergevin. In all likelihood he’d cost less than, say, The Caps, who have some big decisions to make on their restricted free Patrick Maroon, and is a far better all-around player than Jamie McGinn, agents, may decide that’s an investment worth making. Or they might another big man who will hit free agency in just over four weeks’ time. not, in which case Montreal may want to call.

Should the Canadiens entice Wilson into leaving Colorado, his arrival This is the nothing ventured, nothing gained end of the free agent wouldn’t do much to solve another problem, namely a competent right- market. You never know what the person on the other end might agree handed shooter who ideally provides more than Armia or Andrew Shaw to. as a power play option. For that, we turn to . . . The Athletic LOADED: 05.29.2019 Brett Connolly (Washington Capitals)

As right-handed scorers go, Connolly is probably the best option outside of Artemi Panarin, who is going to earn a whole pantload more money than the former sixth overall draft choice from Vancouver Island (he was selected in 2010, by Tampa).

And he’s only just turned 27, so it’s probably safe to give him at least a little bit of term.

Connolly is no shrinking violet but he doesn’t typically play a physical game in the mold of an Alex Chiasson, another righty soon-to-be free agent wing who went from a professional try-out to playing alongside Connor McDavid last season. Also, Connolly’s a far more accomplished playmaker. And a better shooter; remarkably, he was third in even- strength goals per hour on a stacked Washington team last year (1.27).

Though he wasn’t a featured option on the power play – Lars Eller played more at 5-on-4 than Connolly – he was solidly above league average in that department as well. Here’s the evidence via HockeyViz.com, behold the handsome dark purple patches in front of the net and in the high slot on the power play inset heat map:

While Connolly has played in the shadow of the Caps’ headliners, he can be an offensive force in his own right and has been a positive possession player in five of the last six seasons (the exception being the year he won the Stanley Cup with Washington, oddly). He typically starts most of his shifts in the offensive zone and you’re not going to get anything more than slightly below average defence, but the Canadiens are already well equipped to mitigate that.

So what is all this likely to cost? Connolly made $1.5 million per season on his last contract, which needless to say is a colossal bargain. The Evolving-Hockey model has him more than doubling that this summer to $3.53 million, and most likely on a three-year deal. Therefore, signing Connolly might require the Canadiens to move some salary out. Even without knowing who that might be, it feels safe to say it would almost certainly be worth it. 1145523 Nashville Predators

Predators Kyle Turris, Dante Fabbro help Canada win silver at hockey world championship

Paul Skrbina, Nashville Tennessean Published 5:00 a.m. CT May 27, 2019

Kyle Turris and Dante Fabbro were in search of gold this summer after the Predators fell short in their bid for a certain silver trophy.

But the Predators teammates settled for silver Sunday when Team Canada fell to Finland 3-1 in the final of the International Ice Hockey Federation's World Championship in Slovakia.

Turris, whose struggles this season with the Predators were well documented, was named captain for Team Canada for the games, which concluded a day before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Bruins and Blues.

Turris had four goals and six assists in 10 games. Fellow Canadian Mark Stone of the Vegas Golden Knights was named the MVP after recording eight goals and six assists.

Fabbro, a 20-year-old rookie who played in 10 games, including six in the postseason, for the Predators, had a goal and two assists in nine games.

Finland had just two NHL players on its roster, while Canada's entire roster was NHL players.

Turris and Fabbro were two of five Predators playing in the tournament.

Nashville captain Roman Josi (one goal, five assists in eight games) and Yannick Weber (one assist in seven games) played for Switzerland with former Predator Kevin Fiala (four goals, three assists). Mattias Ekholm (two assists in eight games) suited up for Sweden.

Josi could be in line for a contract extension this summer with the Predators.

Tennessean LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145524 Nashville Predators BACKHANDER TO MAKE IT 3-0 @HC_MEN OVER #IIHFWORLDS PIC.TWITTER.COM/LKXX1SDT2C

— TSN (@TSN_SPORTS) MAY 12, 2019 Whether Kyle Turris stays or goes, his play at Worlds only benefits the Predators Turris now enters his offseason in the right frame of mind, which should help him as he attempts to rebound next season, whether it’s with the

Predators or another team. By Adam Vingan May 28, 2019 To that end, Turris raised his trade value if the Predators decide to go down that road. It still won’t be easy to move a nearly 30-year-old player with a $6 million cap hit for five more seasons, but the Predators’ A funny thing happened in Slovakia. Kyle Turris suddenly became a good bargaining position is stronger now than it was two weeks ago, when hockey player again. they had little to no leverage in potential trade talks.

That was meant to be facetious, of course. Turris has always been a “I have a conspiracy theory on Kyle Turris, and that is that there’s a good hockey player (though his time with the Predators has been uneven reason he was made the captain of Team Canada,” Sportsnet analyst for a variety of reasons). It’s just been a while since the version of Turris Elliotte Friedman recently said on the “31 Thoughts” podcast. “Everybody that captained the Canadian national team to a silver-medal finish at the knows that he didn’t have a great year, and I think they’re hoping it can IIHF World Championships has been seen in a Predators sweater. kickstart him. I think people know that he could be available. Centers are hard to find. I think it’s very, very interesting that he was named the The natural response to the numerous highlights of Turris slashing to the captain of Team Canada. You look at that team, there were a lot of net for goals and setting up teammates with precise passes is, to put it choices. I think that they were hoping this would motivate him.” bluntly, “What gives?” If that was indeed the aim, then it appeared to have worked. No matter “Ultimately, (it’s) just having the confidence to play my game and have what happens, the Predators stand to benefit from a motivated Turris. fun playing it,” Turris told The Athletic last week. “I’m making plays and not second-guessing anything and just playing the game I’ve played my “It’s confidence-building,” Turris said. “But it just comes down to me whole life.” playing the way I know I can play.”

When asked to elaborate on the reasons behind the improvement in his The Athletic LOADED: 05.29.2019 play, Turris expressed a similar sentiment, saying, “Obviously, I’m healthy now, but ultimately just having the confidence to play the way I know I can play. Not worrying about anything, not second-guessing anything. Just playing hockey the way I’ve always played hockey.”

.@KYLETURRIS FROM @ANTOMANTHA8 TO WIDEN @HC_MEN'S LEAD#CANCZE #IIHFWORLDS

WATCH ALL THE BEST HIGHLIGHTS AT HTTPS://T.CO/UN4KHITCC3 PIC.TWITTER.COM/39Y94PJC1W

— IIHF (@IIHFHOCKEY) MAY 25, 2019

Turris’ comments can be interpreted in a couple of ways. He endured an injury-plagued season from hell, so it would only be natural for him to struggle with self-doubt. He admitted as such before leaving Nashville for the summer.

But it’s worth wondering if Turris has been hindered by the Predators’ style of play. It certainly seemed that Turris and Predators coach had a difference of opinion regarding Turris’ role near the end of the season, starting with Laviolette’s decision to scratch him for two games in March.

In response, a frustrated Turris, who bounced around after returning to the lineup, said at the time, “I want to be out there playing and helping the team. I think I can be doing that. I just have to be able to play my game to do that.” (On a related note, it was interesting to see Predators general manager David Poile mention “the systems created” as a way to improve the team’s offense in an interview with colleague Pierre LeBrun last week.)

Whichever way you choose to look at it, Turris’ performance at the World Championships is very encouraging and advantageous to the Predators regardless of what they decide to do with him.

Based on his underlying numbers, Turris seemed to be turning a corner during the playoffs, leading the Predators in scoring chances and high- danger attempts per 60 minutes in their six-game loss to the Dallas Stars in the first round. He appeared to carry that into the tournament, producing four goals and nine points in 10 games with the national team as its third-line center.

“I’ve known Kyle for a while, and I know he’s a really solid player at both ends of the rink,” Canada coach said before the medal round. “I heard about his leadership qualities. … When we were talking about our leadership group, he was right up there. (We) named him captain and (have) been very happy. He’s been a great example both on and off the ice and a real leader for Canada.”

 SCORES!

ANTHONY MANTHA (@DETROITREDWINGS) FEATHERS ONE OVER TO KYLE TURRIS (@PREDSNHL), WHO ROOFS A NIFTY 1145525 New Jersey Devils

NHL Draft 2019: Potential Devils, Rangers target Kaapo Kakko to skip scouting combine

By Chris Ryan

Kaapo Kakko of Finland, one of the top two prospects entering the 2019 NHL Draft, will skip the NHL scouting combine this week in Buffalo, where top prospects for the draft will be interviewed by teams and will undergo physical tests ahead of the first round draft on June 21 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

Fellow top prospect Jack Hughes will be in attendance. Hughes and Kakko are expected to be the top two picks of the draft, where the No. 1 overall picks belongs to the Devils, and the No. 2 selection is held by the Rangers.

The NHL, which announced Kakko would not attend, did not give a reason for Kakko’s absence. Kakko finished playing in the IIHF World Championships on Sunday, where he capped off a six-goal tournament by helping Finland win the gold medal over Canada.

Kakko is one of six invited players who will skip the scouting combine, along with Semyon Chystyakov, Vladislav Firstov, Daniil Gutik, Danil Misyul and Kirill Slepets. There will be 103 prospects in attendance.

Player interviews at the scouting combine started on Tuesday, where all 31 NHL teams started to sit down with prospects ahead of the draft. For some players, the week involves talking to nearly every team.

Cole Caufield, a potential top-10 pick in the draft, is scheduled to meet with 27 teams.

Once interviews are completed, players will go through rigorous physical testing on Saturday to complete the combine.

Star Ledger LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145526 New Jersey Devils

Here’s proof Devils fans in N.J. are among the best in the nation

By Mike Rosenstein

Devils fans didn’t have much to cheer for this season. But landing the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft gives the fan base reason for optimism. As does this piece of news: Newark ranks among the top 10 for best cities in the United States for hockey fans. That’s according to the website WalletHub.com.

Before we get into the ratings, here’s WalletHub’s methodology behind its study:

In order to determine the best cities for hockey fans, WalletHub compared 73 U.S. cities across two divisional categories, NHL (Division I Men’s) and NCAA (Division I Men’s). For our sample, we chose cities with at least one college or professional hockey team.

We evaluated each divisional category using 21 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for hockey fans. The weight for each divisional category is based on its popularity, which we determined by summing the number of “Likes” for all the teams in each category and calculating the proportion that each league represents in total.

We then determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to construct our final ranking.

Based on WalletHub’s research, here are the top 10 U.S. cities for hockey fans:

Boston: 61.64 points

Detroit: 57.90

Pittsburgh: 55.79

Chicago: 49.62

New York: 49.51

Newark: 47.72

Anaheim: 43.54

Buffalo: 42.52

Tampa: 41.32

Washington, D.C.: 40.80

That Boston ranks No. 1 comes as little surprise, as the Bruins are favored to win the Stanley Cup after taking Game 1 of the Finals, beating the St. Louis Blues 4-2, on Monday night.

Newark received high marks in the categories of lowest average ticket price for a game (fourth place) and highest NHL stadium capacity (fourth place).

Star Ledger LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145527 New Jersey Devils Kakko has been playing with men for two seasons, so while Hughes may eventually prove to have a higher ceiling, it’s Kakko who may be better equipped to handle the NHL now.

NHL Scouting Combine: Where Jack Hughes stands heading into Buffalo Time to dream: How Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko fit for Devils and Rangers

Abbey Mastracco, NHL writer Published 2:28 p.m. ET May 28, 2019 | It’s early in the week so the observations will change and there will be Updated 9:13 p.m. ET May 28, 2019 more insight as things progress. While the rankings for these two players are unlikely to change, without Kakko, opportunities may arise for other players to jump on the radar.

The NHL Scouting Combine begins this week at KeyBank Center in Bergen Record LOADED: 05.29.2019 Buffalo. A total of 77 of the top North American prospects and 27 of the top international prospects were invited to participate in the event. There will be 56 forwards, 38 defensemen and 10 goalies going through 1-on-1 interviews with teams, medical testing and physical testing.

The two most heralded prospects are Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko. Hughes already arrived, having come straight from the IIHF World Championships in Slovakia, where he played for Team USA.

However, Kakko has declined an invitation to the combine. The winger who helped Finland win gold last week, pulled out Tuesday.

It’s been a busy draft season for both of them, but Hughes especially. Without Kakko, all eyes will be on Hughes this week. Here’s a look at what they showed at the world championships and what people are saying about them:

Jack Hughes

Jack Hughes of United States skates against Great Britain during the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Slovakia group A game between United States and Great Britain at Steel Arena on May 15, 2019 in Kosice, Slovakia.

Hughes celebrated his 18th birthday by playing with the big kids of Team USA, including his brother Quinn, in the senior men’s edition of the event, tallying three assists and averaging 13:52 of ice time. Hughes worked with Devils coach , who was an assistant with Team USA, and played in front of New Jersey goalie Cory Schneider. This came right after he finished the Under-18 tournament in Sweden, where he tore up the record books and rewrote them, much like he did throughout his career with U.S. National Development Team Program.

But playing two tournaments back-to-back like that is a lot of hockey for a developing player, which is why some thought he looked out of sorts.

Jack Hughes: 3 things to know about Jack Hughes as Devils win NHL draft lottery

Hughes was knocked off the puck easily and didn’t seem physically ready to play a heavy checking game just yet. But Hughes’ calling card is his speed and his ability to execute while using his speed effectively, which is why he’s the likely choice for the Devils and their speed-based system. And he’ll mature physically, filling out his 5-foot-10 frame.

The off-the-charts decision-making and ability to create space for other players lead some scouts to believe he has a higher ceiling than Kakko. It’s a tremendous skill-set for a center to possess and the Devils are badly lacking in depth up the middle. Hughes and Nico Hischier would give New Jersey a formidable 1-2 punch, would take the pressure off Travis Zajac and allow for some more versatility from Pavel Zacha and Kevin Rooney down the lineup.

The Devils are scheduled to meet with Hughes this week in Buffalo.

Kaapo Kakko

Between his recent performance at the World Championships, his past international play and his performance in Finland’s Liiga, Kakko has built up enough of a body of work that skipping the combine shouldn’t affect his draft stock. Representatives for the Devils and Rangers, who own the No. 2 pick, were on hand in Slovakia to see his performance up close.

They didn’t come away disappointed.

He dazzled in the world championships. With six goals and assist, he proved to be a dynamic player capable of making plays few can make. Kakko’s ability to handle defenders in tight spaces is an attractive quality, leading many to believe he’s ready to play in the smaller rinks of the NHL. He already has the size needed (6-foot-2, 190 pounds) and he knows how to use that size to protect the puck and stay strong on his skates. 1145528 New Jersey Devils

Rangers, Devils won’t get NHL Combine look at Kaapo Kakko

By Brett Cyrgalis May 28, 2019 | 4:36pm | Updated

With nothing left to prove, Kaapo Kakko will stay home rather than attend the NHL Scouting Combine this week in Buffalo.

After a terrific showing for Team Finland, which won gold Sunday at the hockey world championship in Slovakia, the 18-year-old winger might have put himself above Jack Hughes as the top pick in June’s draft, which belongs to the Devils. With the Rangers holding the second pick, the chance of getting either Kakko or Hughes is hugely enticing.

But the extra travel hardly made sense for Kakko after he completed a world championship hat trick, winning in a competition with more than a few high-end NHL players after already having taken gold in the under-18 and under-20 tournaments. He’s the sixth player to win all three. Kakko, 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, scored six goals in Finland’s 10 games.

Kakko and his teammates returned to Finland for the celebration, so it would have been a quick turnaround. Teams could schedule one-on-one interviews with the prospects Monday through Friday, with a medical examination Wednesday and fitness testing Saturday. It was likely neither he nor Hughes would take part in the physical testing, and traveling just for a few interviews must not have seemed worth it.

The first round of the draft is June 21 in Vancouver, which would have left little downtime.

The Devils now have a decision to make with the top pick after Hughes had been thought of as a lock for the top spot. The extremely talented American center, who is 5-10 and 170 pounds, turned 18 on May 14.

He was a healthy scratch for one game in the world championship, but when he returned he was terrific in picking up two assists during a 4-3 loss to Russia in the quarterfinals that ended the United States’ run. Hughes, who still is expected to attend the combine, finished with no goals and three assists in seven games.

New York Post LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145529 New York Islanders during the 1978-79 season, only to get smoked in six games by the Rangers in the semifinals.

“After that, regular season kind of took on a different meaning for us,’’ Five straight Finals: How the Warriors historic run captured the attention Gillies said by phone. “Yes, you had to play well. It was hard for us not to of an NHL dynasty play well because we had a very good team.”

The following season, the Islanders’ win total dropped from 51 games to By Daniel Brown May 28, 2019 39. But they had their eyes on the bigger prize and won their first Stanley Cup. Nystrom credits coach Al Arbour for being smart about when to rest the team’s stars and when to ramp things up again.

Like the modern-day Warriors, the New York Islanders of the early 1980s “Al Arbour was a magician when it came to psychological motivation,’’ had strength in numbers. Whenever they were about to start an overtime Nystrom said. period, center Bob Nystrom would turn to the throng of exhausted, sweaty bodies and ask: “Who is going to be the hero?” Fearlessness? One of the defining elements of this postseason’s run, especially, is that the Splash Brothers never waver in the midst of a “I am,’’ Mike Bossy would say. shooting slump. As a rule, Stephen Curry tends to keep firing away even on his seemingly “off nights” and eventually finds the range. That was “I am,’’ Bryan Trottier would say. what Arbour taught Nystrom and the rest of the Islanders about handling “I am,’’ Butch Goring would say. pressure – and Nystrom said he carries that lesson to this day.

“We went right down the line,’’ Nystrom recalled by phone Tuesday “Arbour said: ‘You can’t fear losing. Don’t you want to be the guy who is morning, “and 99 percent of the guys said ‘I am.’’’ on his toes attacking, attacking, attacking and thinking that you’re going to get the goal? Wouldn’t you rather do that than be the guy who sits And during one of the most glorious stretches in NHL history, at least one back on his heels and worrying about making a mistake that costs you of them was right. The Islanders reached the Stanley Cup Final for five the game? consecutive seasons (winning four), starting with the 1979-80 squad. “And that to me is everything in life.” For 40 years, those multi-faceted Islanders held the distinction as the last major North American franchise to reach the championship stage for five Distractions? The Islanders learned, as the Warriors would later, what it consecutive seasons. was like to play under the microscope. They, too, were a traveling sideshow on the road that brought out the best in opponents and The Warriors join that club starting with Game 1 on Thursday night opposing crowds. against the Raptors in hockey-mad Canada. And even though those former Islanders couldn’t give a flying puck about basketball (“They’ve “Everybody wanted to beat us,’’ Gillies said. “So we got efforts out of a lot added, what, Kevin Durant?” one asked), they clearly share a kinship of teams that we wouldn’t have gotten if we weren’t in the position we with an NBA team that has ice in its veins. were in. And the crowds came out. Sellout arenas everywhere we went. Crowds would get very, very excited and cheer loud and root against us. “Listen, I like to see winners win,’’ said former captain Clark Gillies, the So that was always an added factor.” Hall of Fame left wing who played on all five of the Stanley Cup teams. This was in the days before social media, so there was no Zapruder-style “And the Warriors have a great team. They’re fun, and they’re fun to analysis of frictions caught on camera, a la Durant and Draymond Green. watch. We wish them the best of luck. … It’s not that easy to do, but they But this was New York, and so the spotlight was always lit brightly. Asked have it down to a science, obviously.’’ about the hurdles of reaching five straight finals back then, Trottier’s short list included the “media and ridiculous talk and banter.” Nystrom said: “I can honestly say I’m not really a basketball fan. But, needless to say, how can you not (follow the Warriors)? They must have (A pause here to let Durant nod along enthusiastically.) just incredible players, and they must have a helluva coach, too.” Savvy? One of the perks of reaching the finals every year is that teams Trottier, another Hall of Famer who remains the Islanders all-time leading learn how to handle the grand stage. Just about every player on the scorer (1,353 points), wrote via email Tuesday that he has “no strong Warriors roster knows what to expect by now. Gillies likened it to the way affinity to the Warriors outside of watching a group of incredibly talented the New England Patriots know the Super Bowl drill and avoid the athletes that throw 3-point bombs and manage to find ways to win.” trappings of the hoopla.

But Trottier also struck on a familiar scouting report when he described “There’s a lot to be said for that,’’ Gillies said. “Once you’ve been there, the winning formula of the Islanders dynasty: “A hungry bunch who you know how to program yourself on a daily basis. wanted to contribute to offense. More importantly, it was the big defensive plays that mattered as much. Sacrifice the body on a blocked “Younger teams tend to get overexcited. And they burn a lot of energy shot or extra effort on a back check or a mad scramble clear by our during the day. And in a lot of cases, there’s not much left at night. It defense. It was wonderful to feel that everyone had a hold of the rope.” takes a lot of experience to go about your daily routine so that, in this case, when tipoff happens you still have a full tank and you’re ready to And while the old Islanders may have wobbled through some of The go.” Athletic’s basketball questions like Andrew Bogut on skates, they also spoke to the universal language of sporting dynasties. They understand For Warriors fans, the most daunting aspect of the Islanders run is that it and appreciate the Warriors’ ability to clear the hurdles for five years ended on a sour note in Canada — and that injuries played a role. They running better than just about anyone on the planet. fell in five games in 1984 to an Edmonton Oilers-team led by the Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier. Swagger? Long before Durant’s brash talk (“I’m Kevin Durant”) the Islanders showed similar confidence. During the decisive Game 6 of the “We had a number of key injuries that year and a lot of aches and pains,’’ 1980 Final, the super-confident Nystrom went beyond merely answering Nystrom said. “And we just ran out of gas.” “I am” to his hero question. During the break between regulation and OT, That, said the Islanders, is the toughest part of making it up that he swiped a scalpel out of the medical room and used it to perform mountain one last time. There’s such a thing as championship fatigue, as surgery on his stick, carving a notch for the goal he was determined to only a few teams know in the history of sports. score. “At some point in time, you start to think, ‘Boy, one more, can I do it? One Then Nystrom went out and buried one at the 7:11 mark of overtime to more, can I do it? Can I just muster up enough energy to keep it going?” catapult the Islanders to the first Stanley Cup title in team history. Gillies said. “I don’t know where that stick is because I threw it in the air,’’ he said “Hey, listen, we had a great run. Getting there five times is something a Tuesday. “I would love to get that stick back.” lot of guys can’t say.” Patience? Like the Warriors, the Islanders figured out how to better Starting Thursday night, the Warriors can say it, too. manage the regular season in anticipation of the playoff rigors. The Islanders learned the hard way after posting an NHL-best 116 points Who is going to be the hero? The Athletic LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145530 New York Rangers

Rangers, Devils won’t get NHL Combine look at Kaapo Kakko

By Brett Cyrgalis

With nothing left to prove, Kaapo Kakko will stay home rather than attend the NHL Scouting Combine this week in Buffalo.

After a terrific showing for Team Finland, which won gold Sunday at the hockey world championship in Slovakia, the 18-year-old winger might have put himself above Jack Hughes as the top pick in June’s draft, which belongs to the Devils. With the Rangers holding the second pick, the chance of getting either Kakko or Hughes is hugely enticing.

But the extra travel hardly made sense for Kakko after he completed a world championship hat trick, winning in a competition with more than a few high-end NHL players after already having taken gold in the under-18 and under-20 tournaments. He’s the sixth player to win all three. Kakko, 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, scored six goals in Finland’s 10 games.

Kakko and his teammates returned to Finland for the celebration, so it would have been a quick turnaround. Teams could schedule one-on-one interviews with the prospects Monday through Friday, with a medical examination Wednesday and fitness testing Saturday. It was likely neither he nor Hughes would take part in the physical testing, and traveling just for a few interviews must not have seemed worth it.

The first round of the draft is June 21 in Vancouver, which would have left little downtime.

The Devils now have a decision to make with the top pick after Hughes had been thought of as a lock for the top spot. The extremely talented American center, who is 5-10 and 170 pounds, turned 18 on May 14.

He was a healthy scratch for one game in the world championship, but when he returned he was terrific in picking up two assists during a 4-3 loss to Russia in the quarterfinals that ended the United States’ run. Hughes, who still is expected to attend the combine, finished with no goals and three assists in seven games.

New York Post LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145531 New York Rangers TOP PLAYS SO FAR AT #IIHFWORLDS PIC.TWITTER.COM/3AC0X6U0UD

— IIHF (@IIHFHOCKEY) MAY 25, 2019 No Kaapo Kakko, no problem for Rangers at NHL Draft combine “Different players, different sizes. When you try to grade players, you’ve got the As, the Bs, the Cs. Those guys are As. As don’t come along too By Rick Carpiniello May 28, 2019 often, and when you have an opportunity like this, it’s one of those ‘you can hardly wait till the draft’ type of things. Whoever becomes a Ranger, you want to start working with him right away. I just envision down the road one of those two guys, if that’s who’s chosen, at Madison Square Rangers president John Davidson, GM Jeff Gorton, assistant GM Chris Garden becoming the best players on the ice and the Rangers fans just Drury and much of the franchise’s scouting staff are in Buffalo, N.Y., at having a blast watching them play. Those don’t come along very often. the NHL Draft combine. Those are one or two, maybe three, a year. There are other great kids in Kaapo Kakko is not. the draft. But there’s always the elite ones. Special.”

The big Finnish winger, who will be a Ranger, or perhaps a Devil, by the Gorton and Drury just got back from the world juniors, where Kakko, 18, second pick of the NHL draft in Vancouver on June 21, has decided to became one of seven players in IIHF history to win gold at the U18s, skip the combine. After a whirlwind year that included gold medals at the world juniors and World Championship. Drury saw him (and Hughes) World Junior Championship (in which he scored the winning goal in the more as the GM for Team USA. final) in Vancouver and the just-completed World Championship in “I saw them a bunch of times,” Gorton said. “Chris Drury was there the Slovakia, Kakko has nothing to prove and no reason to be in Buffalo this whole time and has seen them even more. Obviously, we saw Jack weekend. Hughes quite a bit at the U18s. We got a lot of good looks at Kakko And the Rangers are perfectly fine with that. Kakko doesn’t need to be throughout the year. So it’s exciting. flying from the ongoing party in Finland after the Slovakia trip, then “It’s a huge step for us. Obviously, there’s a little bit of luck involved when returning home, only to fly to Vancouver in less than a month. The you win the lottery, so to speak, to get to No. 2. The opportunity to get a Rangers don’t need to see how much weight he can lift, how high he can player of that caliber, it’s a huge thing for everybody in our organization, jump, how fast he can skate around the rink or what his O2 levels are. our fans. Just to say how excited we are — it’s really lifted the franchise There is nothing he could or couldn’t do that would change their right now. We’re pretty happy.” collective mind when Davidson and Gorton and Co. go up on the stage to flaunt the No. 2 pick they won in the draft lottery. Still, no GM is going to tip his hand. Shero won’t, and neither will Gorton. They won’t even state for certain that it will be one of the two. That’s just No, there is only one thing that could prevent the Rangers from picking hockey business. Kakko, and that would be Devils GM Ray Shero taking him instead of the kid who’s been the top-ranked 2019 prospect for years: Team USA “We’ll let you know on the stage when we call the name,” Gorton smiled. center Jack Hughes. “We’re sitting there and one team is going to indicate to us exactly how it If that happens, the Rangers will then pick — and be thrilled to have — might go the rest of the draft, so I think we’re in a good spot. We know Hughes. They will interview Hughes in Buffalo this week (or have we’re going to get a really good player no matter what happens to us, already), where they and other teams will privately meet with many of the and we look forward to, in a month’s time, what player we’re going to top prospects before they actually get onto the ice Saturday. Truthfully, take.” Hughes has no reason to be in Buffalo either, but he’s expected to be interviewed by a dozen or so teams even though there are only two that The addition of Kakko or Hughes to a roster that was already the would actually have a chance in hell to draft him. youngest in the NHL last season and most likely will now have 2018 first- rounder Vitali Kravtsov and likely a couple of new defensemen (Adam I asked Gorton if Shero has tipped his hand at all about which player he Fox and Libor Hajek), not to mention some potential free agents, has will pick. changed the tone of the rebuild.

“I have no idea, no,” Gorton said. “No. Listen, Ray’s not going to tell But the tone was likely to change anyway. anybody what he’s going to do. He’s got the first pick overall. He’s had it before. He’s going to do what he’s going to do. He’s going to talk to these KAKKO AND SOME HARDWARE. PIC.TWITTER.COM/HQZQ8ABTOS kids, spend some more time. Last time (when he picked Nico Hischier — ALEX NUNN (@AJ_RANGER) MAY 26, 2019 first overall in 2017) when he announced it on the stage was the first time everybody found out what he was doing. I would expect that to be the Patient aggressiveness is how Davidson and Gorton have described the exact same thing.” summer game plan, the acceleration of the rebuild.

The Rangers, therefore, will have no decisions to make — not until they “There’s a number of ways it could go at any time. There are some key get to their second first-round pick, at No. 20, from Winnipeg, barring a issues that could come up as far as free agency, the draft, all these trade of that pick. things. Deals come up. So just be ready for anything, understand that we have a plan in place and — JD mentioned it too — we want to stick to our “It’s ironic a little bit, isn’t it, that the other club has to make that choice,” plan. We want to be as aggressive as we can at the right time. Figuring Davidson said. “But it’s a no-lose when you have kids of that ilk. out when that is, that’s the trick.

“Both are fine young players. I can’t tell you how special it is to jump to “It’s jumping on things at the right time. It’s being patient. Seeing what where the Rangers did (in the lottery). That’s a special thing. …That’s opportunities arise. So we’ll do that.” huge.” He mentioned the Fox trade with Carolina as an opportunity the Rangers Davidson drafted Alex Pietrangelo at No. 4 overall in 2008 when he ran jumped on when they could have risked waiting until next summer when the St. Louis Blues, and Pietrangelo will get his hands first on the Stanley Fox could have been a free agent. Cup as team captain if the Blues can beat Boston in the Cup final. JD also selected Pierre-Luc Dubois, already a top NHL center at age 20, “We’re going to look to do that,” Gorton said. “We’ll try to be as speedy with the third overall pick in 2016 for Columbus. with this as possible, but honestly, we’re going to do this the right way and make good decisions as we go.” “These two and more … it’s big. It’s really big. It’s huge in every way,” Davidson said about Kakko and Hughes. “These are types of players He was asked if it keeps him up at night, wondering whether it will be who can help define a franchise. You have to make sure the timing is Kakko or Hughes. right, make sure they’re ready, etc. But I think every Rangers fan should have a smile on their face that they’re picking No. 2. That’s something “No, no, no, I sleep really well,” Gorton said. “No problem with that. I go very special. to bed at night thinking we’re in a good spot and we’re only getting better. Having draft picks and young players is the right way to go. I feel really KAAPO KAKKO HAS BEEN THE TALK OF THE TOWN IN KOSICE. comfortable with what the group has been able to do so far. So sleep NOW, HE AND @LEIJONAT ARRIVE IN BRATISLAVA. HERE ARE HIS hasn’t been a real problem.” Sweet dreams, indeed.

The Athletic LOADED: 05.29.2019

1145532 Ottawa Senators UFA) and Tierney (an impending RFA) for more young and inexpensive assets that may align better with the team’s rebuilding philosophy? Will rumours of the Senators’ interest in a Jason Spezza return ring true?

What the signing of Josh Norris means for the rest of the Senators’ Obviously, the rebuild philosophy gives the organization a mechanism to centres passively move forward with what they already have while downplaying the expectations placed on them. While the Senators may lack the defining franchise centre that every contender needs, they do not By Graeme Nichols May 28, 2019 necessarily have to stand pat. There is an enviable amount of depth in the sense that it gives them the flexibility and opportunity to get creative

and explore their trade options. In a press release on Monday, the Senators announced the signing of Now whether that happens remains to be seen, but with Norris scheduled centre prospect Josh Norris to a three-year entry-level contract. to attend development camp and training camp next fall, if he can assert Norris was the centrepiece of the multi-piece return that the Senators himself and create some buzz around his game, it may cause the fetched for Erik Karlsson last September – especially after recent public Senators to pause and reflect on how best to utilize this positional depth. comments made by Karlsson have fuelled the perception that he will not The Athletic LOADED: 05.29.2019 re-sign with San Jose and thereby void a condition of the trade that would have netted the Senators an additional draft pick.

In signing a professional contract, the University of Michigan product is leaving school after a disappointing sophomore year that was limited to 17 games because of an injury that he suffered during the 2019 World Junior Championships.

In the games in which he did play, Norris was incredibly productive. He tallied 10 goals and 19 points in those 17 games with the Wolverines before adding three goals and three assists in seven games while representing the United States at the world juniors.

Given the nature of Norris’ injury and the number of centres vying for spots on the parent roster next season, it is admittedly somewhat of a surprise to see Norris sign his entry-level contract.

Colin White, Zack Smith, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Chris Tierney, Logan Brown, Filip Chlapik and Nick Paul all played games for the Senators last year and although a few of these players could slide to the wing, it will be interesting to see how this congestion of veterans and prospects on the cusp of being NHL regulars affects Norris’ placement in the Senators’ depth chart.

When the Senators hired their new head coach D.J. Smith, one of the things that he stressed during his media availabilities was the importance of the centre position.

“Defence is a five-man unit. We’re going to develop these defencemen to not only be active in the rush, but they’re going to be responsible defensively and it doesn’t just fall on them. We’re going to teach the centres how to play low in their zone. Today’s centres have to be essentially a third defenceman.”

Norris’ acumen and ability to process the game at a high speed is one of his calling cards as a prospect.

In a write-up earlier this season detailing how impactful the prospects the Senators obtained in the Karlsson trade were, The Athletic’s Corey Pronman shared some of the diverse opinions on Norris’ game.

“The most optimistic scouts I talk to about Norris believe he has significant upside, meaning they see him as a good top-six forward; it’s why he went in the first round even though I think he’s more of a second- round caliber prospect. Those advocates point to how great an athlete he is and how coaches trust him in all the tough situations, but they also acknowledge his skills aren’t standout and he needs work. The more pessimistic scouts just don’t buy him having enough offense and projects out as a third-liner — tops. I tend to fall in the latter camp, but enough people I trust really like the kid that it’s made me watch him a lot.”

There is no question that the Senators have a lot of depth down the middle throughout the organization, but with so many of their other younger players projecting out similarly, it will be interesting to see how the Senators proceed to juggle this depth over the next few months and years.

Will a player like Paul, who was caught in flux – playing too well in Belleville to be a candidate for recall because of their playoff aspirations of the B-Senators – get an extended opportunity to prove that he can be a quality depth player for an NHL team? Will Chlapik or Brown be able to leapfrog some of the other well-regarded centre prospects and stay at the position or are they destined for the wing or be packaged in a trade to address another area of concern for the Senators? Or will the presence of these prospects put general manager Pierre Dorion in a position where he may feel comfortable moving veterans like Pageau (an impending 1145533 Philadelphia Flyers

You can buy Bobby Clarke’s former home (and its Flyers-shaped pool) for $1.4 million

by Rob Tornoe

Are you a Flyers fan with $1.4 million burning a hole in your pockets? Then there's a home on the market that'd be perfect for you.

A house once owned by Flyers legend Bobby Clarke is for sale in Cherry Hill. The house sports upscale amenities you’d expect from a million- dollar listing: tennis courts, heated towel racks and toilet seats, and a steam shower.

But the show-stopper is the in-ground pool shaped like the Flyers’ logo in the backyard, complete with water fountains and its own outdoor cabana.

“The pool was redone two years ago. I kept it in the shape of the Flyers emblem, but we redid the entire inside, filters an all,” said current resident Ann Marie Richter, whose husband Irv purchased the home from Clarke in 1982. The couple is now trying to downsize.

What else do you get for $1.4 million? Five bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms in a 5,266-square-foot home, complete with a gourmet kitchen, a wet bar in the living room, and a master bedroom suite with its own upstairs balcony.

“It’s just a unique house period. It’s got a Spanish feel to it on the outside. Inside, it’s more modern,” Richter said. “We’ve done everything. When [my husband] bought the house, everything was orange. It took them four years to get rid of all the orange.”

According to records, taxes on the Cherry Hill property last year were $33,543, on an assessed value of $831,100. The house at 54 Fries Lane is listed by Daren Sautter of Long & Foster Real Estate and was built in 1970.

Clarke, 69, spent his entire 15-year career with the Flyers and is generally regarded as the greatest player in the team’s 52-year history. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1987, and is now the Flyers’ senior vice president.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145534 Philadelphia Flyers

Former Flyers forward Corban Knight signs with KHL's Barys Nur-Sultan

By Jordan Hall May 28, 2019 12:50 PM

Corban Knight is not returning to the Flyers, which was expected.

But Knight's new destination is somewhat unexpected.

The 28-year-old is headed to the KHL as he signed a one-year deal Tuesday with Barys Nur-Sultan. InsideAHLHockey's Tony Androckitis first reported the news.

Knight was an unrestricted free agent after playing 23 games with the Flyers in 2018-19. He scored four points (one goal, three assists) in 9:41 ice time per game.

Knight, a role forward who played on the fourth line and saw some penalty-kill minutes, had a cap hit of $650,000 last season. He missed significant time from late October into late February dealing with an upper-body injury. He was placed on waivers twice during the season and cleared both times.

Knight was a productive player with AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley, accumulating 87 points and a plus-35 mark in 138 games over the last three seasons.

Here's a look at the Flyers' unrestricted free agents and restricted free agents this offseason:

Brian Elliott, G — UFA

Michal Neuvirth, G — UFA

Cam Talbot, G — UFA

Phil Varone, F — UFA

Jori Lehtera, F — UFA

Scott Laughton, F — RFA

Travis Konecny, F — RFA

Ryan Hartman, F — RFA

Justin Bailey, F — RFA

Ivan Provorov, D — RFA

Travis Sanheim, D — RFA

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145535 Pittsburgh Penguins While the Blackhawks saved a few bucks in the deal, it was more or less a hockey trade. Given the Penguins aren’t looking to rebuild, a Kessel deal easily could look a lot like this one.

Trading players such as Penguins’ Phil Kessel rare, not unprecedented •••

T.J. Oshie to Washington

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Tuesday, May 28, 2019 5:27 p.m. Oshie was 28 when the Blues traded him to Washington for power forward Troy Brouwer, goalie prospect Pheonix Copley and a third-round pick in summer 2015. The trade is analogous to the Kessel situation for From his personality on and off the ice to his set of strengths and one big reason. weaknesses as a player, Phil Kessel is truly one of a kind in the NHL universe. The Blues wanted to move Oshie to shake up their culture after three straight first-round playoff exits. They wanted to get heavier and harder to But that doesn’t mean the Pittsburgh Penguins are in uncharted territory play against. as they try to trade the popular two-time Stanley Cup champion this summer. Oshie turned out to be the best player in the deal by far, but the season after the trade, the Blues advanced to the conference finals for the first While teams don’t move proven offensive contributors with restrictive no- time in 14 years. The Penguins are hoping for a similar result by trade language in their contracts every day, it has happened often shopping Kessel. enough over the past five years to provide some hints about how this saga will end up for the Penguins. Tribune Review LOADED: 05.29.2019

Here are the parameters the Penguins are dealing with when it comes to trading Kessel:

• He’s 31 with three years left on a contract with an annual cap hit of $6.8 million for the acquiring team.

• While there are some indications his production has begun to tail off, like the 29 consecutive games he went without an even-strength goal in February and March, his overall offensive numbers remain strong. He’s one of 15 NHL players to average a point per game in each of the past two seasons.

• Kessel’s no-trade clause includes a list of eight teams he can be sent to without prior approval. According to multiple reports, he already scuttled a deal that would have sent him to the Minnesota Wild.

Here are four examples of teams that have moved players under similar circumstances in recent years:

Ryan Kesler to Anaheim

In the summer of 2014, Ryan Kesler wanted out of Vancouver, but his no-trade restrictions were tight. He reportedly only would approve a move to Anaheim, Chicago or Pittsburgh.

Kesler’s age and contract situation made him slightly more attractive than Kessel is right now. Kesler was 29 with two years left on a deal with an average salary of $5 million.

The Canucks sent Kesler to Anaheim for center Nick Bonino, defenseman Luca Sbisa and a first-round pick. It was a pretty decent haul. The Penguins would be lucky to get a similar return for Kessel.

•••

Jason Spezza to Dallas

That same summer, Spezza wanted out of Ottawa after reported disagreements with coach Paul MacLean. Spezza was considered a bona fide top-six scorer at the time. He was 31 with one year left on a contract that paid him $7 million.

Ottawa first made a deal with Nashville at the draft, but Spezza used his no-trade clause to nix it. On their second try, the Senators sent him to Dallas for Alex Chiasson, prospects Alex Guptill and Nicholas Paul and a second-round pick.

If the Penguins acquire prospects in a Kessel deal — which they theoretically might, using the salary cap savings to pursue a free agent instead — they’ll have to hope they turn out better than these ones did.

•••

Patrick Sharp to Dallas

The Blackhawks were looking for salary-cap relief in summer 2015, so they shopped Sharp, who was 33 with two years left on a contract worth $5.9 million per season.

Chicago sent Sharp and defensive prospect Stephen Johns to the Stars for defenseman Trevor Daley and fourth-liner Ryan Garbutt. Daley was 31 and coming off a career year in which he scored 16 goals. 1145536 Pittsburgh Penguins

Ex-Penguins center Joe Vitale shares tale of superstitious Sidney Crosby

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Tuesday, May 28, 2019 2:56 p.m.

The lengths to which Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will go to satisfy his superstitions are well known.

Former Penguins center Joe Vitale, on this week’s episode of the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, told a tale of a Crosby superstition that tested his patience.

Vitale was the team’s locker room DJ, and before one particular game, he played “Dog Days Are Over” by Florence and the Machine.

Crosby approached Vitale and told him how much he liked the song and how it reminded him of a trip he took to Italy the previous summer.

Crosby had a couple of assists and the Penguins won the game, Vitale said, so he knew he should play the song again before the next game.

When he did, Crosby approached Vitale and told him the exact same story about how much he liked the song and how it reminded him of Italy.

The Penguins ended up going on a 16-game winning streak. Vitale heard the same story about Italy before each and every one of the victories.

“And every game I had to act like I’d never heard this freaking story before,” Vitale said with a laugh.

Tribune Review LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145537 Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh ranks as 3rd best city for hockey fans

CHRIS PASTRICK | Tuesday, May 28, 2019 10:01 a.m.

Congrats, Pittsburgh: You are the third best city for hockey fans.

That’s according to a new study by WalletHub.

Although, with the Penguins having been swept in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs — can you remember back that far? — the accolade just kinda rings hollow, doesn’t it?

But, we’ll take it, won’t we?

The study looked at 21 relative metrics with 73 U.S. cities across two main categories — NHL and NCAA. All of the cities on the list have at least one college or NHL team. Then, they factored in things like team records, championships won, hall of fame coaches, fan engagement, stadium capacity, and ticket prices — among other things.

Pittsburgh tied for first when it comes fan engagement, which was calculated by adding the number of Twitter followers to the number of Facebook “Likes” per capita. The city Pittsburgh tied with? Sunrise, Fla. The study also found Pittsburgh has the fifth lowest minimum season ticket price for an NCAA game.

Fittingly, Boston came in as the top city for hockey fans, with their Stanley Cup Finals opponent city, St. Louis, coming in at 11. St. Louis is the oldest NHL city to have never won the Stanley Cup, while Boston’s teams have won six times.

Among other cities of note, Philadelphia showed up at 14, Columbus at 21, State College at 40, and Erie at 69. Cleveland, without either an NHL or NCAA team, didn’t make the list.

Source: WalletHub

As for sources, WalletHub collected data from the U.S. Census Bureau, ESPN, NCAA.org, NHL.com, U.S. College Hockey Online, Forbes, TicketIQ, Ranker.com, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame and each team’s website.

Maybe we weren’t tops here, but at least Pittsburgh can still lay claim to being the best city for football fans.

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Tom Brady lends voice to Zdeno Chara’s Bruins’ pump-up video

FRANK CARNEVALE | Tuesday, May 28, 2019 9:12 a.m.

One of Boston’s favorite sons is offering his support for another team on a championship run.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, six-time Super Bowl champion, lent his voice to a clip posted to Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara’s Instagram account. The clip was posted before the start of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday.

Chara posted the clip with the caption, “Still here……. #MADEFORTHIS”

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Still here……. #MADEFORTHIS

A post shared by Zdeno Chara (@zeechara33) on May 27, 2019 at 6:41am PDT

In the clip Brady narrates:

“We are shaped by our environment. Molded by our decisions. We are made from triumph and failure. Pain. And glory. But we remained determined. Because in Boston, we expect more. We set the bar high and fight for every inch to get over it. Here the destination is part of the journey. And we’re not done yet. We’ve been here before. And we’re still here. Let’s go. We are made for this.”

The video shows clips of the past Bruins wins and losses in the Stanley Cup, alongside clips of this year’s run.

Brady posted a similar pump-up video before the Patriots AFC Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs in January. Chara lent his voice to that video.

The Bruins won 4-2 after falling behind in the first period. Game 2 is Wednesday night in Boston.

Tribune Review LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145539 Pittsburgh Penguins

Tim Benz, Mark Madden debate Kessel trade idea, Pirates, Porter ripping Roethlisberger

TIM BENZ | Tuesday, May 28, 2019 9:08 a.m.

Mark Madden joins me for “Madden Madden” a day late after the Memorial Day holiday.

We debate that failed trade of Phil Kessel to the Wild. Mark and I have differing views on that front. I’m not opposed to a deal involving Kessel. But I’m down on the structure of the swap that would’ve sent the winger out to Minnesota. Mark seems to have been much more in favor of it.

Also, while discussing hockey, we take a look at Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final and the notion of expanding the NHL replay system.

Joey Porter is the latest current or former Steeler to pop off about Ben Roethlisberger. Mark doesn’t like what he has to say.

Regarding the Pirates, we discuss Mitch Keller’s debut against the Reds, and the woes of the pitching staff of late.

Also, we recap Mark’s trip to Las Vegas for the Starrcast Wrestling event.

Tribune Review LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145540 Pittsburgh Penguins But shipping him out in a trade like this would’ve been the wrong way to go. Kessel did Rutherford a favor by reportedly nixing the deal.

Tribune Review LOADED: 05.29.2019 Tim Benz: Phil Kessel to Wild would’ve been wrong move for Penguins

Tim Benz

If there was a trade in place between the Penguins and Wild involving Phil Kessel, it appears to be off now.

And it appears it’s off because Kessel doesn’t want to go to Minnesota. The Wild aren’t on his eight-team approved list for trades. And, according to Sportsnet, Kessel doesn’t appear willing to go there.

That’s a good thing. Not because I’m fretting over a Kessel trade happening. I’m resigned to the Penguins trading Kessel eventually, despite his points-per-game stats and two Stanley Cup rings.

General manager Jim Rutherford has promised change. Moving Kessel with his $6.8 million contract, his grumbly demeanor and his lack of attention to anything but scoring is probably a good place to start.

However, a trade of Kessel didn’t have to be this specific trade. Aside from shipping him out to the Western Conference, I don’t think a lot of positives would’ve come from the reported move.

The Athletic reported that the swap would’ve been Kessel and defenseman Jack Johnson ($3.25 million per year) to the Wild for Jason Zucker ($5.5 million) and Victor Rask ($4 million).

To me, that sounds as much about an attempt to get rid of Johnson’s contract as it does getting good return for Kessel.

Frankly, the reported trade proposal wouldn’t have accomplished very much because having Rask coming back in return eats up the savings enjoyed by moving Johnson. Unless Minnesota would retain some salary for one or both players, the Penguins would emerge with only $550,000 in cap savings.

For a decision a seismic as trading Kessel, the Penguins should get better talent than Rask and Zucker. Or they should demand high draft picks and the gift of significant cap space to shop for a suitable and affordable replacement in free agency.

There is a lot of good to Zucker’s game. He’s a fast winger with durability, missing just four games during the last three seasons. Plus, he’s a decent scorer with 76 goals over that span.

This past year was a drop off for Zucker. His goals dipped from 33 to 21. His point total dropped from 64 to 42. He went from a plus-34 in 2017 to a minus-8 in 2019.

Michael Russo, who covers the Wild for The Athletic, helped advance the trade story last week with this assessment of Zucker’s performance and by providing commentary on 93.7 The Fan on Friday.

“At times, he can be aggravating, like all players that like to cheat for offense,” Russo said. “There are things that drive you nuts in your own zone. He can score. He gets a ton of chances. But a lot of times, he can aggravate on the ice.”

Gee, a guy who can score but aggravates in his own zone and cheats for offense. Who does that sound like?

Also, it’s not as if Zucker is so special to the Wild that they would consider moving him only for a player of Kessel’s status. Keep in mind, general manager Paul Fenton was reportedly ready to trade him to Calgary back in February.

As for Rask, he’s just a not a good enough player for the money he is making. He had only nine points in 49 games. He’d be a fourth-liner in Pittsburgh, at best. Sometimes, organizations have to overpay for a guy such as Johnson to be on your blueline. They should never have to overpay for a fourth-line forward like that, especially when the Penguins have cheap options such as Teddy Blueger (RFA), Garrett Wilson (RFA) and Adam Johnson (RFA) who can eat up time on the fourth line.

When news of this trade proposal broke, many railed against it because the thought of trading Kessel and his raw point production makes them break out in hives. That’s not me. I’m willing to live in a post-Phil world. 1145541 Pittsburgh Penguins Plaza before the game, were in attendance. They both got big cheers when shown on the video board, and the crowd erupted when Rice chugged a beer. ... Members of the Bruins’ 2011 Stanley Cup Kuraly, Bruins rally, beat Blues 4-2 in Stanley Cup opener championship team took part in pregame banner ceremonies. Five players on the current roster were on that team: Rask, Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Krejci and Chara. ... The Blues scored the first goal for the 14th time in 20 playoff games. They had been 10-3 when JIMMY GOLEN Associated Press May 28, 2019 1:09 PM scoring first, and 6-1 when leading after the first period. ... Blues D Vince Dunn missed his fourth straight game with an unspecified injury. ... Binnington stopped 83 of the previous 85 shots he faced through one BOSTON — Torey Krug flew down the ice with his helmet off, like his big, period, dating back to Game 4 of the Western Conference finals. bad predecessors on the Boston defense from the days of Eddie Shore and Bobby Orr. Post Gazette LOADED: 05.29.2019

He lined up St. Louis center Robert Thomas and knocked him off his skates, delighting the crowd and sending an unmistakable message to rest of the Blues: The Bruins had woken up from their 11-day layoff, and they were ready to fight for the Stanley Cup.

“I think it gave our team energy, and that’s all you’re trying to do out there,” Krug said after Boston rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat St. Louis 4-2 in Game 1 on Monday night. “Hopefully it gave the guys a boost on the bench.”

Sean Kuraly scored to break a third-period tie and assisted on another goal, and Tuukka Rask stopped 18 shots to help the Bruins complete their comeback from a two-goal deficit. Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Wednesday night.

Forty-nine years after Bobby Orr flew through the air to beat the Blues for the 1970 NHL title, the Bruins got goals from defensemen Connor Clifton and Charlie McAvoy.

Brad Marchand added an empty netter with about three minutes left, but the unofficial clincher came when Krug got up off the ice after losing his helmet in a tussle with David Perron in front of the Boston net.

“You know, you don’t want to mess with that guy,” Clifton said. “Don’t make that guy mad.”

Jordan Binnington made 34 saves for the Blues, who haven’t been back to the final since getting swept by Boston in 1970. But it was Boston which was struggling with a long layoff — at least early on.

Idle since May 16, when they completed their sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes, the Bruins spotted St. Louis a two-goal lead before snapping out of their slumber.

Brayden Schenn made it 1-0 lead midway through the first period on a third-chance shot. In the first minute of the second, David Pastrnak got sloppy behind the Bruins’ net and Schenn was there again, this time to pass it to Vladimir Tarasenko in the slot to make it 2-0.

“I think we can be even better, and we have to be,” Perron said.

Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy admitted that the long layoff since the Eastern Conference finals may have left his team rusty.

“The time off, you don’t have your edge yet to battle,” he said. “We weren’t too happy with the way the game was going. We weren’t playing our game. We weren’t playing to our standard. And I think after the second goal, that kind of woke us up.”

The Bruins went on to outshoot the Blues 18-3 in the second period, finishing the game with a 38-20 edge.

“I was pretty much a spectator after that,” Rask said.

Just 76 seconds after Tarasenko’s goal, Clifton tipped in a pass from Kuraly to cut the deficit to one. And in the middle of the second, on the Bruins’ fourth power play of the game, McAvoy came right up the middle and wristed it past Binnington’s glove to tie it.

It was still tied five minutes into the third when Noel Acciari, on Binnington’s left, made a spin move and swept the puck across the crease to Kuraly. He steadied it with his skate and then poked it in with his stick to give the Bruins their first lead of the game.

“In the second period we stopped skating, turned it over and gave them momentum,” Blues coach Craig Berube said. “I thought they were the better team after that.”

Notes: Zdeno Chara had a cut on his left arm where he was hit by Tarasenko’s shot. He said it required a few stitches but was not a big deal. ... Lil Nas X and Chase Rice, who performed a concert in City Hall 1145542 San Jose Sharks

Joonas Donskoi wants to re-sign with Sharks if San Jose will have him

By Chelena Goldman May 28, 2019 6:13 PM

SAN JOSE -- Like every other Sharks player with a contract ending this summer, Joonas Donskoi said he was trying not to focus too much on what might happen after the season was over.

"During the season I wanted to focus on hockey," he told the media during San Jose's season-ending locker cleanout on May 23. "Our goal was to win the Stanley Cup so all of my thoughts were in that process."

Now that process is over and the focus turns to the long list of free agents on Team Teal's roster -- and which of those free agents will be in San Jose next season. Donskoi, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent, finds himself on that list following a season full of highs and lows. One thing is for certain though: He's hoping to be one of the players who stays.

"Of course, it's been a great four years here and I really hope to be back," Donskoi said.

The Finnish forward is coming off something of a rollercoaster campaign for the Sharks. Following two seasons that were hampered by injuries, Donskoi played in 80 regular-season contests. He hit his stride in the middle of the season after being put on Tomas Hertl's wing, tallying at least one point in eight out of nine contests. However, after scoring a goal against the Vegas Golden Knights on Jan. 10, he couldn't find the back of the net and was subsequently a healthy scratch twice toward the end of the regular season.

"There were a lot of ups and downs," Donskoi summarized when asked about the season. "I think the main thing for me coming into this season was staying healthy. I was pretty healthy all season long, during the regular season. Some small injuries. But like I said, there were ups and downs."

Donskoi had much better luck in the playoffs as head coach Peter DeBoer moved him throughout the lineup -- a valuable trait for a player, regardless of team. He even ended his goal drought by scoring a game- winning goal in the playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche -- a beautiful wraparound attempt reminiscent of a goal he scored during the 2016 Stanley Cup Final. Nevertheless, Donskoi wishes he had been able to contribute more.

"I think I played my best hockey in the playoffs, (but) the thing I could've done better is be more productive, score more goals," he said. "I think that's what we needed in the playoffs. It's all about that."

Now that the playoffs are over, attention turns to what the 27-year-old brings to the table beyond this summer. One thing that Donskoi has on his side is he can be moved throughout the lineup and help create offense, which has aided the Sharks' depth throughout his tenure in teal. However, that also makes him an attractive player to other teams in need of adding depth to their offensive arsenal, so it won't be a surprise if he's pursued -- maybe even by a division rival.

Of course, Donskoi's future isn't hinging solely on how he played for the Sharks during the 2018-19 season. He is one of five unrestricted free agents set to hit the market, including big fish Erik Karlsson, Joe Thornton, and Joe Pavelski. With so many tough decisions that have to be made, Donskoi is by no means a certainty to be back in teal next season.

We do know, however, that he's hoping to stay.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145543 St Louis Blues

Berube says there's a chance Dunn returns for Game 2

By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch

BOSTON — Blues coach Craig Berube said there was a chance injured defenseman Vince Dunn could be back in the lineup for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday.

Dunn hasn't played since the first period of Game 3 against San Jose on May 15 when he took a puck to the face. In the past four days, he has been on the ice with his teammates for practice and all indications are he is making progress in returning to action.

"There's a chance," Berube said. "We'll see how he does today."

Dunn skated with other players who didn't play on Monday during an optional skate on Tuesday at TD Garden. On Monday, he scrapped the full face visor he was wearing in favor of his usual visor, a sign that he was increasingly confident of being able to play.

When Dunn come out, Carl Gunnarsson went back in the lineup. After the problems the Blues had in Game 1, Dunn could be part of the answer.

"Dunner's a good puck mover for sure, can skate and get up the ice. He does a lot of good things with the puck," Berube said. "We love him in there. He's not available right now, maybe we'll see after today."

The Blues did not make Dunn available for comment.

THE HIT

Torey Krug's hit on Robert Thomas in Game 1 remained one of the talks of the series so far. With his helmet knocked off during a wrestling match with David Perron, Krug skated the length of the ice and crunched Robert Thomas, sending the young forward flying. Thomas didn't return to the game over the final 10:19 of the game.

"He's fine," Berube said. "The hit didn't bother me. ... I'm not going to come up here and complain about the hit and penalties and things like that. It's the Stanley Cup Final. It's going to be hard hockey."

TV NUMBERS

St. Louis led all markets in viewership of Game 1, with the broadcast on NBC drawing a 29.0 rating in the market. That beat out Boston, where the game drew a 25.2 and neighboring Providence an 18.8. The best non-participant city was Buffalo, at 8.4, followed by Indianapolis, at 7.3. According to NBC, it's the highest NHL rating for an NBC Sports broadcast in the city.

I just ran into NBC play-by-play guy Mike Emrick. "It was to be expected," he said of the big number in St. Louis.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145544 St Louis Blues

Hochman: A day later, helmet-less Krug's hit on Thomas still stings. Binnington deadpans: 'Maybe he's on something'

Benjamin Hochman

BOSTON — After a helmet-less Torey Krug obliterated the Blues' Robert Thomas in Game 1, Krug skated by Blues goalie Jordan Binnington.

Asked Tuesday what words of wisdom Krug shared, Binnington responded: “It was more of a stare. His pupils were pretty big, maybe he's on something? He was pretty fired up, it was a big hit, big play. The rink was excited and loud — it was a fun atmosphere to play in.”

Meanwhile, in the Boston locker room Monday, Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask talked about how the play began — Krug and David Perron in a scrum in front of Rask, and Perron knocked Krug's helmet off. Asked what he was thinking as he watched it unfold, Rask said: "What the (expletive) are these guys doing?"

It was just one hit of 65 in Game 1, which Boston won 4-2. But because of the visual and the intensity, it carried over into Tuesday as both teams talked about it.

Can it carry over into Wednesday's Game 2?

“Yeah, I think it's confidence and momentum” said the Bruins' Noel Acciari, who assisted the game-winning goal in Game 1. “Just making sure we're staying heavy on the puck and strong on the play. We know they're physical and heavy and we want to try to match that. Torey throwing that big hit is huge. ... It's the Stanley Cup Final, so anything goes.”

The other Blues players played it down. Yesterday is over, tomorrow is tomorrow sort of thing. Some fans clamored that it was charging, though it didn't appear that Krug jumped off the ice until after the contact with Thomas (who, coach Craig Berube said Tuesday, should be able to play in Game 2, even though Thomas left Game 1 after the hit.) But what's done is done — what will matter is how the Blues respond in Game 2, both with their physical play and their psychological play.

“I think they had the physical advantage in the first period,” Acciari said. “Then in the second we had it. And then the third was kind of a mix. I think it's going to be like that all series.

“They're a heavy team, they like to play with the puck down low and if you give them time and space, they're going to make their plays. We want to limit their puck control down in our D-zone and have good breakouts and get in on the forecheck.”

The best tweet about the hit came from @ETD51, in reference to that song “Smooth” from 1999 — “Torey Krug delivered a bigger hit to Rob Thomas than Carlos Santana did.”

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145545 St Louis Blues The Bruins entered the game with a scalding 34 percent success rate on the power play in the postseason, so the Blues were playing into their hands by sending out the Boston power play so many times. And the Beantown Meltdown: Despite surging ahead, Blues still can't win in Blues weren’t always happy about the calls. Stanley Cup Final Edmundson was sent off for high-sticking former Blues captain David Backes 5½ minutes into the second period.

By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch Edmundson reacted as if he thought Backes was guilty of embellishment, and gave a shove to Backes in the back while the Boston forward was on the ice.

BOSTON — It now is 51 years and counting, but the Blues still haven’t The Blues killed that one off. They weren’t as fortunate 5½ minutes later won a game in the Stanley Cup Final. when Oskar Sundqvist was sent off for hooking, at the 11:04 mark of the second. Sundqvist complained about that call as well, drawing boos from They were swept in four games in their three previous Cup Final the crowd at TD Garden. That penalty led to the game-tying goal by appearances — in 1968 and 1969 against the Montreal Canadiens and in McAvoy. 1970 against the Boston Bruins. “Yeah, I mean there’s a couple where we weren’t sure,” Perron said. “But On Monday night it was same story, different century. it is what it is. . . . It’s a fast game out there and we just gotta make sure The Blues looked good early, jumping to a 2-0 lead early in the second our sticks aren’t in there. Same with my penalty.” period. But with towel-waving Robert Kraft, owner of football’s New This is Boston’s 20th Stanley Cup Final and Monday marked its first England Patriots in the house, Boston stormed back for a 4-2 victory at victory in those 20 when trailing by two or more goals. TD Garden in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series. But it was more than the penalties that stymied St. Louis. The Blues just It was the Bruins’ eighth straight victory in these playoffs — they have couldn’t generate anything for most of the final two periods, as a quick, outscored their opponents 32-11 in that stretch. And it ran their aggressive Boston squad kept the Blues bottled up in their own zone postseason record to 9-0 against the Blues, including a 4-0 sweep in the much of the time. 1970 Stanley Cup Final, they last time the Blues were in the title round. “They pressure you. They come hard,” Berube said. “They’re a quick “We’ve been real disciplined most of the playoffs pretty much,” coach team. They get on you. They’ve got good sticks. They do a lot of good Craig Berube said. “We weren’t tonight obviously with five penalties. We things. . . . They force you into bad situations with the puck a lot of gotta be better there.” times.” Entering Monday’s contest, the Blues were the least penalized team in And in terms of physical play, they matched the Blues hit by hit. By the playoffs this season, spending an average of 6.18 minutes in the game’s end Boston had 32 hits to the Blues’ 33. A hit by Torey Krug penalty box per game. That wasn’t the case Monday, when they were leveled Robert Thomas midway through the third period and the Blues’ whistled for five penalties compared to two for Boston. rookie did not return. “I’m not gonna judge the calls, but they did happen,” Perron said. “We St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 05.29.2019 were in the box too much and that gave them the chance to get their touches and kinda get going in their game and shoot pucks on net.

“The number (of shots) looked bad and a lot of it happened on the power play. And we just didn’t play good enough in the second.”

No they didn’t. After taking a 2-0 lead one minute into the second period on Vladimir Tarasenko’s ninth goal of the playoffs, it was all Boston.

Connor Clifton got behind the Blues’ defense for a tap-in goal on a pinpoint pass from Sean Kuraly 76 seconds after Tarasenko’s goal. Clifton beat his former teammate from the Providence Bruins, goalie Jordan Binnington, on the play.

Charlie McAvoy scored on the power play with 7:19 left in the period to tie the game at 2-2. And then Kuraly got the winner 5:21 into the third period getting the puck past Joel Edmundson and then Binnington during a scramble in front of the net.

The Blues were outshot 18-3 in the second period and 30-12 over the final two periods.

“It’s just a reflection of we didn’t have the puck down low,” the Blues’ Jay Bouwmeester said. “We just played into their hands. It’s tough to win when you take five penalties, especially against a team that has a real good power play.”

It took several scrambling saves and spectacular saves by Binnington to keep the Blues in it before Brad Marchand scored an empty-net goal with 1:49 left.

“When that first goal went in they got some momentum, and then a big push there,” said Binnington, who made 34 saves. “You could feel them coming and they were coming hard and the rink was buzzing.”

In comparison, the Blues mustered only 20 shots and went the last 11:44 of the second and the first 4:33 of the third without a shot on goal — a total drought of 16:17.

“I think we’re fine in here,” Perron said. “We know what we did is we went to the box too much. We lost our composure a little bit. We were not getting to our game enough below the goal line, things like that.

"But I think we’re gonna be a lot better next game.” 1145546 St Louis Blues Binnington made saves that took your breath away, and then they took his power away. Just like that, he was just another goalie getting bruised by the Bruins.

BenFred: Blues' game plan goes AWOL He allowed three goals before Marchand scored on an empty net late in the third, and both Marchand and Binnington knew the fourth could have come before Binnington hit the bench. Ben Frederickson Perhaps that’s what Marchand, as good of an instigator as he is a goal- scorer, reminded Binnington as he brushed by the goalie late in the game. BOSTON — Here’s a positive. The Blues’ inability to control the puck and determination to give Boston Thanks to the video from Monday night’s loss, the Blues have a fresh advantages cut their shot total to 12 combined shots through the final two and visual reminder that their game plan against the heavily favored periods. Bruins might actually work. Boston totaled 30 in that same span. They now have confirmation that the opposite of it sure won’t. “We obviously didn’t make it very hard on him tonight,” Brayden Schenn For days leading up to their long-awaited return to the Stanley Cup Final, said about Rask. the Blues spoke about not giving Brad Marchand and his killer B’s anything extra, no matter how much Boston begged. The opposite was true for Binnington, who tapped his blocker against each post multiple times after each goal, as if to remind his teammates The Bruins are almost as good at drawing penalties as they are at he could use some help back there. capitalizing on power plays. They entered this series with a postseason- best 34 percent power-play percentage. No other team reached 28. None was coming.

“Play between the whistles, for sure,” Blues coach Craig Berube said The yellow towels were turning. Dropkick Murphys was blaring, followed leading up to Game 1. “We have done a good job of that in the playoffs by a “We Want The Cup” encore. “I think the series is over,” a Boston- so far. We have been real good with our discipline after the whistle, based reporter said into his live stream after the game. staying out of the stuff.” Here’s another positive. The Blues get better as they go. It’s been the The rules at TD Garden seem to be pretty loose, lax enough that Boston case all postseason, and we should not expect anything different now. fans, wearing their sweaters, crashed the Bruins’ post-game news This is a best-of-seven series for a reason. conference following their team’s 4-2 win. That means Joel Edmundson should be able to drop in for Berube’s next remarks about not taking The Blues’ game plan is sound, and they were just reminded how this will needless penalties. He clearly needs some reminding. turn out if they stray.

David Perron tripped – and later got away with riding Torrey Krug like a St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 05.29.2019 mechanical bull. Robert Thomas hooked – and later took a devastating hit from Krug in response to Perron’s ride. I imagine a sellout crowd back home at the protested these calls. But no one, after seeing it again, could make much of a defense of Edmundson’s high stick to the face of former Blues captain David Backes. Sure, Backes might have sold it a bit. That’s smart. Edmundson’s shove to the face was not.

That’s not said with some soft spot for Backes, either. His snarling play made it clear he’s all Bruin. The Blues need more brain.

Three times, the Blues gave the Bruins’ elite power play a shot. Three times, the Blues’ penalty kill survived. The Blues had played with fire and survived. Then came the burn.

A game the Blues led 2-0 a minute into the second period was tied less than 13 minutes later, when Charlie McAvoy turned an Oskar Sundqvist cross-checking into a power-play goal on the fourth of five – five! – chances the Blues handed their opponent.

Whine about the officiating if you like. Berube didn’t.

“It takes a lot of guys out of the game, and burns a lot of energy from other guys when they’re killing (penalties) all the time,” the coach said. “It’s too much. We’ve got to be better there. We’ve got to be more disciplined. Calls are calls. That’s the way it goes. We’re not going to complain about it. We’ve just got to be better.”

There was another problem created by the Blues abandoning their game plan in a series opener that was not as close as the score indicated.

A major part of this match-up is supposed to hinge on Blues star goalie Jordan Binnington dueling with red-hot Bruins veteran Tuukka Rask.

Rask looked rusty after zero games in 10 days, allowing two goals in the game’s first 21 minutes.

Binnington looked like a brick wall at the beginning.

The Blues’ rookie caught the first shot of the biggest game of his life with the nonchalance of a backup catcher. He blocked a wide-open breakaway, then scrambled back to his net with the speed and agility of a spider retreating with its prey. He kicked pucks out of danger with a skate, chipped them from harm’s way with his blocker, and at one point found himself flat on his back, staring up at the six yellow championship banners hanging above his head as he flapped his arms and legs, pushing a puck he could not see from the crease. 1145547 St Louis Blues Captain Alex Pietrangelo said Dunn is talking better.

“Yeah, his teeth are coming in,” Pietrangelo said. “He’s getting better every day.” Blues notebook: Bettman confirms missed call on hand pass NOTES

In the first of at least four times this record will be broken this By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch postseason, Game 1 of the Final was the latest into spring the Blues have played a game. Previously, the latest the Blues had played was May 25, which was when the 2016 season ended on Game 6 of the BOSTON • NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said Monday that when he Western Conference finals. In the first three years of the Blues’ saw the missed hand pass call in Game 3 of the Blues series with San existence, when they went to the Stanley Cup Final, the regular season Jose he thought “it would be good if I kept my head from exploding. I was ended a week earlier and the playoffs had one less round, so the latest unhappy.” they ever played was May 11. … The referees for the game were Kelly Sutherland and Steve Kozari. … The Blues flew 120 full-time employees But despite that feeling, Bettman said that while the league wanted to to Boston for Games 1 and 2. use review to get calls right, officials had to balance that with how far back they could go to review a call and without slowing down the game. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 05.29.2019 “What if the hand pass happened a minute earlier and four or five other people touched the puck?” Bettman asked, “or it cleared the zone, or, or, or. You can roll it back endlessly, so again we’re going to have to come up with something, if we decide to extend replay, that defines it in a way that we can not ruin the game but get it right.

“It’s not as simple as just saying just review everything because the essential element, the excitement, the flow of our game, would be inalterably interrupted if we reviewed everything. It’s just not possible, and as a starting point you can’t really make penalty calls that haven’t been made two minutes earlier. Everybody has got an opinion on this and I respect that and we want lots of input, but it’s not as easy as it looks.”

Bettman said the call fulfilled a concern he takes into every playoff overtime game, that the game not be decided by a bad goal.

“I was unhappy,” he said. “We all were. If you ask the officials on the ice, they weren’t happy. If you asked (director of officiating) Stephen Walkom, he was unhappy. If you asked (director of hockey operations) Colie Campbell and hockey operations, they were unhappy. I know (deputy commissioner) Bill (Daly) was unhappy. We were all unhappy. … It was unfortunate to say the least. It was clearly a missed call and it led to a goal. You don’t ever want to see a game decided like that.”

Said Daly: “We have to go back and maybe come up with some common sense that improves the system. It failed in that circumstance.”

On the other major issue facing the league, the ability of both sides to opt out of their labor agreement after the 2019-20 season, Bettman said he preferred labor peace.

“When you think about where the game is and the state of the business of the game and how it’s grown there is a lot to be said for labor peace,” he said. “That’s something we’re very focused on. If you asked the players’ association, and Don (Fehr) is here, he could list 10 or 15 things he’d like to change in the collective bargaining agreement. We could probably do the same thing, but ultimately this is going to come down to what’s most important.”

Said Fehr a short while later: “I’ve been on this rodeo before. You get ready, you know what your deadlines are, you do your work, you talk to the other side, you end up doing what the right thing is to do at the time. But the notion that we know everything we need to do to make that decision now is, I suppose in the sum of all possible things we know it, but it’s not very obvious.”

DUNN PROGRESS

Vince Dunn has traded in his full-face visor and mouthguard for a standard one as he gets closer to a return to action.

“Pretty close,” coach Craig Berube said. “He’s still day to day.”

Going back to his regular visor is a good sign for Dunn, said teammate Carl Gunnarsson.

“It’s good to see,” said Gunnarsson, whose stall in the cramped TD Garden is next to Dunn’s. “The process has been pretty quick in the last couple days. He’s doing better.”

Dunn took a puck to the mouth in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals and has been out since. One of the challenges of the impact was its effect on Dunn’s speech. 1145548 St Louis Blues helmet on his head, he skated the length of the ice and leveled the Blues' Robert Thomas, who had the misfortune to be near the puck at the time.

“Oh!” said Backes. “That gave me some goosebumps. He's battling in Resiliency? Fourth line offense? Blues learn Bruins have that too our zone with Perron, I don't know what kind of Twister game they were playing in front of our net, but no bucket, I was hoping, he would (go for a) change, he doesn't have a helmet, but goes up the ice and lays a big By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch hit. I don't know, he thinks he's playing 30 or 40 years ago. That was an exchange that was Torey Krug establishing himself in this series. From

my perspective, that was a big boost and ability on the bench to say the BOSTON — Much of the talk during the long break the Bruins had boys are dialed in.” leading up to Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final revolved around rust, “Unbelievable,” said Bruins forward David Pastrnak. because when you go 10 days between games, it doesn't take long to run out of things to talk about. “I'm a 5-foot-9 defenseman,” Krug said. “I'd probably be doing the same thing if I was on the opposing team. I'd probably try to run me right The rust turned out to be a real thing. The Bruins came out and were through the boards. … (The hit) is part of the game. And momentum anything but sharp. When 20 minutes were done and the Bruins were swings give your team boosts of energy. I don't know what they were losing 1-0, it was time to break out the Hockey WD-40. feeling ontheir bench, but if it pushes them back and catches them off- “I think we were able to get in after the first,” Bruins forward David guard, then great for our team. Bit I think it gave our team energy and Backes said, “and regroup and say to ourselves, we've got to show up that's all you're trying to do out there. Just try to make little plays here or this might get ugly. The first shift of the second, they were able to throughout the game that push your team in the right direction and that bury another one off a miscue but we were able to show some resiliency. was one of them.” It was do-or-die time, we either picked our game up or they were going to The Bruins knew they didn't play a perfect game, but after the second embarrass us in Game 1.” and third periods, they liked the direction they were heading. While much has been made of the Blues' resiliency this season, turning St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 05.29.2019 their entire season into a comeback story, the Blues haven't cornered the market on it. Boston can do it too, and pretty well. The Bruins showed it by coming back from a 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 win in Game 1 at TD Garden on Monday night. The Bruins have won eight straight playoff games.

"I think that's the resiliency in this group,” forward Marcus Johansson said. “We stay calm on the bench, we stick together, we stay positive and we just keep playing our game. I think it was almost like that second goal was good for us because it woke us up a little bit, and after that, I think we took the game over."

And if the Blues have been getting good production from their fourth line, well, that's another market they haven't cornered. Boston's first and third goals both came from their fourth line of center Sean Kuraly, who had a goal and and assist, and left wing Joakim Nordstrom and right wing Noel Acciari, who each had an assist. On the assist, Kuraly put a shot on net that banked in off the skate of defenseman Connor Clifton. On the goal, Kuraly took a pass from Acciari, controlled it, and shot past Jordan Binnington for his third goal of the postseason.

“It's unbelievable,” Johansson said of Kuraly. “One of the strengths of this team is that we have four lines that can produce at any given time on any given night. What better time to do it than tonight? It's not just (the fourth line) scored goals, I think they led the group to take the game over in to being more physical and I think that is what won us the game.”

“He's been scoring clutch goals all year,” forward Patrice Bergeron said of Kuraly. “That line got us going, obviously, and got us the game-winner. We are a team that has relied on everybody all year and tonight was another great example.”

“This is what they do,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said of the fourth line. “They possess pucks, they can skate, they play simple hockey and I think against St. Louis if you play north, especially for us being off as long as we were, we had to to not get drawn into the fancy stuff, the east-west stuff, stuff that you're doing in practice because you don't have the competitive edge.”

Another change for the Bruins was switching up some matchups. Cassidy started with Patrice Bergeron's line going up against the Brayden Schenn's line. But with that line creating chances early, Cassidy made a movve.

"It wasn't going our way," he said, "it's that simple. I thought Bergy's line had a tough time finding their game tonight and the other guys were a little bit ahead of them, in terms of their puck possession. So we've used Kuraly's line all year against good lines. So we decided to maye go that route, which worked out for us tonight and we'll re-evaluate on Wednesday."

One other play got the attention of the Bruins. In the third period, Boston defenseman Torey Krug got tied up with the Blues' David Perron in front of the Bruins goal. Perron was pretty much sitting on top of Krug, and Krug's helmet came off in the process. When Krug got loose, with no 1145549 St Louis Blues With the score 3-2, and the Blues slowly emerging from their embarrassing second-period form, Krug and Perron got into a scrap on the ice in front of Tuukka Rask, the Bruins’ goalie.

Hochman: Bruins do their best Blues impression, win with many unlikely Krug’s helmet was flung off. No penalties, though. After he got up, a heroes (and one helmet-less hit) helmet-less Krug sprinted down ice like a special-teamer on a NFL kickoff . . . and rocked Robert Thomas to the ice. The Garden was as loud as it was when a goal was scored. Benjamin Hochman Meanwhile, where were the bruising Blues? Where was St. Louis’ depth? What happened to the road swagger? Well, for one, Boston’s Bruins seem to be well-coached. They smother on defense. There is little room BOSTON — The “mirror” stuff was cute, wasn’t it? Oh, the Bruins and to skate. (Time? Nope. Space? Nah.) And the Bruins routinely stymied Blues, they look so much alike! the Blues’ offensive attacks, cutting off cross-ice passes, ho-hum. That was the talk heading into the Stanley Cup Final. And in Game 1, the And second, the Bruins proved, for one night, that they are deeper than Bruins did look like the Blues — a deep team that can beat you any night St. Louis. with anybody. But the Blues? They looked like the San Jose Sharks — unbalanced and over-matched. “They have a lot of good players — they use everybody, all 16,’ said Berube, whose team plays Game 2 at TD Garden on Wednesday. Bruins 4, Blues 2. It’s just one loss, doesn’t count for anything more. But “They’re a good team. We’re a good team, too, though. We have depth.” it stings — and not just because it’s in the Stanley Cup Final. It stings because the Blues led this game, in Boston, 2-0, and then the Bruins Game 1 is just one game. beat the Blues at their own game. It stings because the top three stars were Sean Kuraly, Marcus Johansson and Connor Clifton. But it could be a Boston harbinger.

The brutalizing Bruins won the same way the Blues won so many games St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 05.29.2019 this postseason — by having all four lines play furious hockey, with all three defensive lines contributing.

“We saw it,” the Blues’ David Perron said. “Their fourth line — their so-to- speak fourth line — got two goals. So they played well.”

That’s scary. This is alarming. Oh, and then look at it this way — the Blues kept Boston’s top guys from being great — in Boston. And the Blues still lost.

All that talk about how it takes all 16 skaters to win a tournament? Robert Bortuzzo scoring, Ivan Barbashev punishing, Oskar Sundqvist doing everything? It got the Blues here to the Stanley Cup Final. But it also got the Bruins here.

And Boston won the first chess match on ice, if only because the Bruins seemed to be playing with more pieces.

To win Game 2, the Blues must have their depth create more offense more often. Simple as that.

“There was no flow. You know?” Blues coach Craig Berube said of Game 1. “We didn’t have the flow of the lines one after another, getting to our game, getting on the forecheck. It was sporadic. We didn’t get it turned around good enough. ...

“(The Bruins) are going to do good things. They’re going to force us into bad situations and things like that. We need to give more than we gave tonight. … In the second period, we got pucks and we didn’t advance them. Turned them over. Gave them momentum. … We stopped skating, stopped moving the puck, turned it over, gave them momentum.”

The three Boston goals with Jordan Binnington in net were scored by the most unlikely trio — third-line defenseman Clifton via five on five, defenseman Charlie McAvoy on the power play, and then fourth-liner Kuraly. Not exactly Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak. But they got the job done.

That Kuraly goal, giving Boston a 3-2 lead, had an impact reminiscent of the Blues’ fourth-line goal against San Jose in Game 3. The plays didn’t mirror themselves, no. But they were both beautiful surprises.

Against the Sharks in the Western Conference finals, Alexander Steen whipped an unreal, unexpected pass to Sundqvist for a game-rattling goal. Here in Game 1, a fellow named Noel Acciari zipped a pass across the crease to Kuraly, who put it in as Joel Edmundson just sort of stood there. In Game 1, the Blues’ D sure didn’t have depth.

But really, the play that encapsulated the game was made by Torey Krug. He’s one of the defensemen for Boston, a scrappy guy at 5-feet-9, 186 pounds. But he made a play they’ll be talking about for 48 hours. A play that was an emotional dagger in the Blues’ side. A play that might've been a penalty, but it appears he didn't leave his feet until after the collision. A play that shows that if you’re going to win the Cup, everyone has to contribute — and not just by scoring or passing. 1145550 St Louis Blues The Bruins then got their third and fourth power plays of the night, including a penalty on Joel Edmundson for high sticking David Backes, which led to Blues and Bruins grabbing each other. On the second Blues let two-goal lead get away, fall to Boston 4-2 in Game 1 of Stanley penalty of the period, a cross checking call on Oskar Sundqvist, the Cup Final Bruins scored with 23 seconds remaining in it when Charlie McAvoy gathered up a short clearance after a flurry of Bruins chances and beat Jordan Binnington from outside. That goal came with 7:19 remaining in the period, and after that, it was a matter of hanging on for dear life. The By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch May 27, 2019 Bruins had some more chances, but the Blues got through.

It's the second time this postseason the Blues have let a two-goal lead BOSTON — After a 49-year hiatus, the Blues still haven't won a game in get away. The other was Game 2 against San Jose, but in that one, they the Stanley Cup Final. rebounded and got the win. There have been 38 multi-goal comebacks in Stanley Cup Final history, the most recent before this in Game 2 of the After being swept in their first three appearances in the Final, which 2014 final when the Kings won in double overtime. came in the franchise's first three seasons, the Blues took a 2-0 lead early in the second period but saw it get away from them in that same Pulling even ended what must have been a weird feeling for the Bruins. period, as Boston pulled even, and went on to win 4-2, taking the lead on They trailed more to the Blues in this game than they did in the entire a goal by Sean Kuraly in the third period of Game 1 on Monday night at Eastern Conference final with Carolina, 13:08. Still, by keeping the game TD Garden and then adding an empty-net goal with 1:49 to play. tied, the Blues have not trailed in 229:20 of playing time when the second ended. "A 2-0 lead, there was a lot of hockey and we just didn't play our game after that," forward Brayden Schenn said. "I thought we had a good start Schenn scored as the Blues took the early lead in their return to the to the first period, got to our game a little bit. Then we just started getting Stanley Cup Final. too spread out, weren't getting pucks in, turning pucks over, whether it It's the first appearance for the Blues in the Stanley Cup Final since May was by accident or on purpose, we've just got to take care of the puck. 10, 1970, when they lost 4-3 in overtime to Boston in Game 4. They're good off the rush, they've got mobile defensemen and they made the most of it." Just 7:23 into the game, Schenn got a rebound of a shot by Jay Bouwmeester that deflected off Jaden Schwartz and, with time in the slot, "The second period, I didn't think we skated very well," coach Craig went to the top corner to beat Tuukka Rask. It was the third goal of the Berube said. "Also, penalties were part of it, but the second period, we playoffs for Schenn and his second in as many games after he scored a got pucks and we didn't skate, didn't advance them, turned them over, key goal in Game 6 against San Jose that gave the Blues a two-goal gave them momentum." lead. "It started with penalties," defenseman Jay Bouwmeester said. "We took It was the first goal scored by the Blues in the Cup Final since Larry too many penalties and then the second period we didn't play very good. Keenan scored 19 seconds into the third period of that Boston game. We just didn't skate and move the puck very well and got hemmed in our end, and they got some momentum and that kind of turned the game The Blues had an early power play but couldn't score and Boston had around." two power plays on which they didn't score. On the first, Boston's Marcus Johansson split the Blues defense and came in on Binnington, but his On the decisive goal, Jordan Binnington stopped a shot by Zdeno Chara shot hit off the right post. The Blues' penalties were on David Perron and but couldn't control the rebound. Noel Acciari kept the puck alive and Robert Thomas. passed across the crease to Kuraly, who was able to steady the puck and shoot past Joel Edmundson and Binnington to give the Bruins their For the period, the teams were even in shots on goal at eight each. The first lead of the game. Blues had 15 shot attempts to Boston's 14.

"I kind of caught it halfway through," Binnington said. "I’ve got to be St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 05.29.2019 better. That’s my puck there. It happens and unfortunately we couldn’t get back tied up. It is what it is and we move on."

It was only the second time the Blues had blown a two-goal lead and lost in the past four months.

"I think we were able to get in after the first and regroup and say to ourselves, we've got to show up here or this might get ugly," Bruins forward David Backes said. "The first shift of the second, they were able to bury another one off a miscue but we were able to show some resliency. It was do-or-die time, we either picked our game up or they were going to embarrass us in Game 1."

After a fairly even first period, Boston dominated the final two, outshooting the Blues 25-7 at one stretch that ran deep into the third period.

It looked like things were going the Blues way at the start of the second. One minute into the period, Brayden Schenn picked up a loose puck near the Boston goal, skated it behind the Boston net and passed in front to Vladimir Tarasenko, who scored to run his point streak to seven games. It was his ninth goal of the playoffs and tied him for the fourth longest point streak in Blues postseason history.

The lead was cut in half 1:16 later when Connor Clifton had a shot by Sean Kuraly deflect in off his skate 2:16 into the period.

"When that first goal went in," Binnington said, "they got some momentum and they had a big push there. We held it to a tie game going into the third. It wasn’t the outcome we wanted but it was good to feel it out and we’ll be back at ’em for Game 2."

"We were fine and we were playing," Berube said. "They went down on that partial three-on-two and off the skate and in the net. Obviously gave them momentum and I thought they were the better team after that." 1145551 St Louis Blues have extensive video review. We review every goal and non-goal, over 8,000 a season. We review offsides. We review goaltender interference. As we have learned, particularly with the coaches challenge, Better late than never, NHL boss Bettman owns missed call that could implementation of these extensions is not always easy and can prove to have cost Blues be challenging. But clearly, what we already do still may not be enough. The ability to review and parse plays down to the millisecond has become both a blessing and a curse. If we are to extend video replay, and we will be looking at that possibility, we must find the right balance Ben Frederickson when it comes to how much more to use, and when to use it without affecting the flow, pace and excitement of our game. Perhaps most important, we’ve got to have a system that enables us to be consistent. BOSTON — Give Gary Bettman some credit. This is the challenge and it’s a challenge we are focused on and we will meet. We are constantly reviewing the league’s replay and rules with our If you are going to be this late owning an embarrassment, you better general managers. Replay was again a topic of our last general have a pretty decent explanation. managers meeting in March, as it has been virtually at every meeting for The NHL commissioner did just that. the last two decades. It certainly will be discussed at the general managers meeting next month. The process to make a rule change “What I thought was, it would be good if I kept my head from exploding,” including video replay requires approval of the general managers, the Bettman said before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, when I asked him competition committee and ultimately the board of governors. What I can how he felt watching on-ice officials miss Timo Meier’s blatant hand pass say with absolute certainty is everyone involved is going to take a hard on the play that set up the San Jose Sharks’ game-winning overtime goal look at this issue in the upcoming months. No one should doubt that we against the Blues in the third game of the Western Conference Final. want to get it right. The fundamental question is the 'it', when to intervene and what are the instances that require doing so, and of course, how to Reporters snorted, surprised by Bettman's frankness. do it without destroying the fabric and essential elements of our game. The commissioner continued. We want every call to be correct. Everyone does. And while we seek to minimize errors, the speed of our game unprecedented in its history, and “I was unhappy,” Bettman said. “We all were. If you ask the officials on the advances in technology, also unprecedented have conspired to make the ice, they were unhappy. If you ask (NHL director of officiating) the world’s best officials the focus of every call and non-call, which no Stephen Walkom, he was unhappy. If you ask (NHL Executive VP) Colin one can do in real time as well as they do. This is not a complaint. This is Campbell and hockey operations, they were unhappy. I know (NHL not an excuse. We’re not whining about it. It’s simply a recognition of a Deputy Commissioner) Bill (Daly) was unhappy. We were all unhappy. challenge which we will address sensibly, appropriately and in the best Unfortunately, there have been occasions in our history where the interest of the game and those who love it. deciding plays were either offsides – which is one of the reasons we have the replay for that – and it was unfortunate to say the least. It was I get it, it's complicated stuff. clearly a missed call, and it led to a goal. Whether or not, they had But common sense should have a larger place at the table. whistled it down, who would have ultimately won the game? We will never know. But you don’t ever want to see a goal, a game, decided like Create a common-sense overseer who has a big red button and the that.” power to reverse an obvious error, if that's what it takes.

So, that part is settled. A call that is obviously wrong and/or missed should not stand. Period. Full stop. Especially in the playoffs! Bettman was not betting on the Sharks. He does not sleep in a Joe Thornton shirsey. Blues fans can remove their tinfoil hats. Fighting for common sense is wise. Bettman's shot of it was appreciated Monday. Here's hoping more of it comes out of those general manager Here, finally, was the common-sense ownership Bettman owed the Blues meetings, before Bettman has to keep his head from exploding all over and their fans, the directness previous mush-mouthed apologies from again. various NHL officials lacked, the kind of talk pro sports leagues could use a lot more of in an era dominated by suits. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 05.29.2019 The big boss was embarrassed. He was being sincere. He is lucky the Blues bounced back to beat the Sharks in the Western Conference finals to reach their first Stanley Cup Final since 1970, because what could have been a massive story about a missed call has become a positive story about the Blues' responding to adversity.

The hand pass has been reduced to a footnote.

That doesn’t mean we should skip over the fine print.

I asked Bettman what he wants to see happen to make sure a missed call like that does not happen again.

That’s where things get complicated.

“That goes into how you fix it,” Bettman said. “What if the hand pass happened a minute earlier, and four or five other people touched the puck, or it cleared the zone, or, or, or, or. You can roll it (replay) back endlessly. We are going to have to come up with something, if we decide to extend replay, that defines it in a way that we can not ruin the game, but get it right.”

Here are Bettman’s full remarks on the expansion of replay review, which will be discussed – as it always is -- when the league’s general managers to discuss league issues in June. I encourage you to read them, because he makes some compelling points.

We are flexible and willing to constantly involve and improve. Along those lines of self evaluation and adaptation, I know these playoffs have featured some controversial moments. To be clear, we have the best officials in the world and we all know that they have an extraordinarily difficult job. That is the very reason that we were the first sports league to implement a centralized replay review process. It’s the basis upon which other systems across the sports landscape were based. And we already 1145552 St Louis Blues It was off a Blues rush turned the other way, so you can understand the gap here being tough to get tight. But this is why coaches want their D pushing up-ice these days. Even when they aren’t involved in the rush, it Bourne: Adjustments Blues D-corps must make to their gap control after allows them to be up and defending in the event of a turnover. poor showing in Game 1 As you can see, Sean Kuraly has plenty of space to rush up the ice as Robert Bortuzzo pivots to backward early so he doesn’t get his doors blown off. By Justin Bourne May 28, 2019 But on the other side, his partner Carl Gunnarsson is backing way, way off, which Kuraly sees and takes as the free pass into the zone that it is. Just look how deep the Blues left D-man is here as Kuraly enters the Golf is a game played as much on the inches between your ears as it is zone. Who, or what is he defending? on the course. Anyone who’s ever picked up a Pinnacle or a Pro V1 understands the ridiculousness that can occur on a tee box when they Bortuzzo had to slow up so much to narrow the gap between himself and put every ounce of their effort into hitting a great drive. They may Kuraly – because the initial gap was so far off – that Clifton, who’d been cautiously decide where they want to drive the ball for the best angle to flying up the ice, is able to get in behind him with relative ease and put the pin on their next shot, assess how far they want to carry it in the air one home for the B’s. The multiple changes in speed proved too much for it to roll to that spot, judge the firmness of the ground, gauge the wind for Bortuzzo, as they would most D-men who start with a gap that direction and force, tweak the grip on their club more times than Nomar unmanageable. Garciaparra at the dish, take a deep breath and then … promptly rope the ball dead left out of bounds and into a ravine. And while the Bruins second goal was a powerplay goal off an attempted clear that didn’t get all the way down the ice, again it was the Bruins Then they’ll drop a second ball, maybe it’s an X’d out range ball, start skating across the blue line uncontested, and this time just … shooting it their next swing before so much as glancing up and mindlessly flush it in the net. dead center down the fairway as far as they’ve ever hit a ball before. The room to just skate from the center line to the top of the circles means Sometimes your own thinking gets in the way. It’s paralysis by analysis, you can get off a 74-mph wrist shot from a pretty good spot on the ice. as they say. At some point as a professional athlete, you have to take the information you have about your opponent – even if that’s a golf course – You can quibble with how any particular play unfolded (the goals may not process it, then go full Elsa and just Let It Go and play. Whether it’s the be the best examples, as they were tough situations in which to gap up), Boston Bruins or your local course, you have to at least challenge that and try to find excuses for the Blues D being set so far back. But it was opponent with your own abilities. Which is to say, if the Blues don’t find the one true thread running between nearly every Bruins scoring chance. their inner Elsa, they’re never going to win the Masters. They entered the zone with room to operate.

Wait. I think I’ve lost my point. Above Marchand enters the zone before firing a backhand spin-o-rama which created a dangerous rebound. Again, he entered the zone with Ahem: The Blues, and I specifically mean the Blues D-corps here, looks room to operate. like they’re showing Boston’s forwards way too much respect. They appear to be overthinking the situation. Their gap control looked as bad Below the gap control was so bad early that the defender had to slow so as I’ve seen from an NHL team this late in the season. It’s as if they’ve much that Marcus Johansson could eventually put it between his own been convinced every player on the other team is a lovechild of Connor legs and skate the puck right to the net. McDavid and Kendall Coyne Schofield. If they don’t back off five feet Over and over, this amount of room was there. That is not typically the beyond their own blue line while the Bruins leave their zone, they’re case in playoff hockey. going to get their doors blown off. Holy Hanna, it was a ghost town through the neutral zone after the first period. What a luxury gift that is for The question I now have – and one both the Bruins and Blues likely have an offensive player in playoffs. too, given they haven’t played each other a ton this season – “is the Bruins speed going to be too much for the Blues D?” I don’t know what The Bruins showed the rust that Bruce Cassidy called “unavoidable” in St. Louis’ staff showed the D prior to this series, but based on how they the first period, which put the Blues in a position to steal Game 1 out of hedged back towards Jordan Binnington, I have a hunch it was a lot of Boston. It was there for them. Had their D stayed aggressive defensively warnings about the foot speed of the some of these Bruins. (As I at the offensive blue line, they could’ve squeezed the Bruins forwards intimated before, some of this could be score-related – even a tie game enough to frustrate them as they tried to get their feet moving on the on the road could be seen as a “protect against the big mistake” situation breakout, which they seemed to be at times in the first period. They – and them trying to err on the side of caution instead of playing.) needed to keep them in that loop of rust-covered doubt. But given what the Blues likely learned here tonight – that they can’t just The Bruins are so good (particularly their top players) at making little back off and allow the Bruins forwards to breakout uncontested and enter passes to relieve pressure and advance zones, but in that first period the attacking zone with the freedom to move laterally – will an adjustment they struggled operating within traffic – no doubt at least a little in part to play tighter up at the Bruins blue line hurt them? If they do start to play due to the long pre-series layoff. The line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad up, will they then start to get beat wide? Marchand and David Pastrnak were on for both Blues goals against at 5- on-5 over the first 21 minutes, as they spent more times in their own end Before the game, there was a graphic highlighting the sizes of the six than they’re accustomed to. Their savvy little plays were just missing the Blues D-men. Six-two, six-three, six-four, six-four, six-four, six-six. mark. As it turned out, all they needed to find their groove was some time They’re huge. And those behemoths can play hockey, too. Alex and space, which the Blues ever-so-cordially provided. Pietrangelo has been a Norris contender, Jay Bouwmeester’s been an Olympian, Colton Parayko has nice hands and all the rest. But none of All it took was a moment – that moment after 21 minutes, when Brayden them are what you’d call “fast.” And while fine depth D-men, none of Schenn picked off a harebrained attempted reverse from Pastrnak, who Bortuzzo, Joel Edmundson or Carl Gunnarsson have been referred to as then passed it out front to Vladdy Tarasenko for a one-timer goal and the “spritely-footed” over the past few months. 2-0 lead – and the wheels came off for the Blues. I know, that’s not how scoring is supposed to work out. To go back to the golf metaphor, it’s like This isn’t an overreaction or an indictment of the talent level of the Blues that goal put the Blues in a position where they were shooting a career- D-corps after one game. They can play. However, the biggest question best score with a few holes to go and so they just tried to play it safe that arose out of Game 1 is about that unit. Can the Blues D corps – who instead of just continuing to play. Their gap control after that reeked of suddenly looks like it’s missing, say, a Vince Dunn type quite a bit – play not wanting to give up the big play or to make the big mistake, which up and aggressive enough to slow down the Bruins forwards, while also ironically turned out to be the big mistake. They backed off so nobody having enough speed to not get roasted wide multiple times a game? could get behind them, which gave them a great view of the game in front Because that’s an adjustment they’re going to have to make. Their feet of them, as it barreled down on them at a pace they’d eventually be will be tested. The Bruins are well-rested and they have some guys who unable to stop. can really turn and burn, which leaves no doubt that the Blues gap control is going to be key in shutting them down. And that doesn’t just From then on the Bruins came flying through the neutral zone time and apply to helping on rush chances against – proper gap control should again with speed and possession. We saw it on the Connor Clifton goal. also greatly reduce the time St. Louis spends in their own zone, as it keeps the play on the Bruins half of the ice more. Those Blues D/Bruins F confrontations need to happen earlier.

Too much respect, thinking, planning and processing can be a bad thing for any athlete in any sport. The Bruins may be fast, but they’re not so fast the Blues need to retreat back to their own crease. After smashing Game 1 out of bounds and into a ravine, it might be best for the Blues to just put their head down on the next one, not overthink their opponent and simply do what they already know how to do very well. Play.

The Athletic LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145553 Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto Marlies sign coach Sheldon Keefe to two-year contract extension

THE CANADIAN PRESS

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed Sheldon Keefe to a two-year contract extension as head coach of the club’s American Hockey League affiliate.

Keefe has posted a 189-87-20-1 record over four seasons as head coach of the Toronto Marlies and led them to their first Calder Cup championship in 2018.

The Marlies advanced to the AHL’s Eastern Conference final this season before losing to the Charlotte Checkers in six games.

Earlier this season, Keefe moved past Dallas Eakins for the most regular- season wins by a coach in franchise history and has the highest winning percentage (.688) of any Marlies coach to date.

“Over the last four seasons Sheldon has done a great job developing our individual prospects into Maple Leafs while also guiding the Marlies deep into the playoffs in each of his four seasons with the organization, including the Calder Cup in 2018,” Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas said in a statement. “Ensuring that Sheldon remains tasked with guiding the development of our prospects was very important to our program and the reason we began the discussion to extend Sheldon months ago.”

Prior to joining the Maple Leafs organization, Keefe spent three seasons as head coach of the Ontario Hockey League’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. He earned the 2014-15 CHL and OHL Coach of the Year awards after leading the Greyhounds to a league-best record of 54-12-0- 2 and establishing a new franchise record with 110 points.

Prior to his tenure in the OHL, the 38-year-old Brampton, Ont., native served as head coach and general manager of the CCHL’s Pembroke Lumber Kings, capturing five straight league titles and an RBC Cup national title in 2011.

Keefe played in 125 NHL games and 120 AHL games after being selected in the second round (47th over all) by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1999 NHL draft.

“In my conversations with the Leafs over the past several months, I felt that staying on with this club was the best decision for me, my family and my development,” Keefe said. “I’m incredibly proud of our recent achievements as a club and I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue to develop young Maple Leafs.”

Globe And Mail LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145554 Toronto Maple Leafs best record of 54-12-0-2 and establishing a new franchise record with 110 points.

Prior to his tenure in the OHL, the Brampton native served as head Leafs sign Marlies head coach Sheldon Keefe to two-year extension coach and general manager of the CCHL’s Pembroke Lumber Kings, capturing five straight league titles and a RBC Cup national title in 2011.

By Kevin McGran As a player, Keefe skated in 125 NHL games and 120 AHL games after being selected in the second round (47th overall) by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft.

Marlies head coach Sheldon Keefe inked a two-year extension to remain Toronto Star LOADED: 05.29.2019 as bench boss of the Leafs’ farm club he’s been coaching since 2015.

Sheldon Keefe wants to be an NHL coach one day. That goal hasn’t changed.

But he’s happy for now to remain as head coach of the Toronto Marlies.

“It’s pretty much a no-brainer staying with the Marlies,” Keefe said in a phone interview Tuesday. “I have a tremendous opportunity to coach in this organization, one that has vast resources to not only ice a competitive team but also to develop myself.

“My goal is to be a coach at the NHL level and there are things I can improve upon as a head coach and I feel like I have the opportunity to that best here.”

Keefe officially signed a two-year extension to remain as coach of the Maple Leafs’ American Hockey League affiliate — a deal that had been agreed upon for some time — as the Marlies cleaned out their lockers Tuesday following the team’s elimination from the Calder Cup playoffs.

Keefe, 38, said there was never any consideration by him or Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas to move Keefe up as an assistant under head coach Mike Babcock. The Leafs are in the process of shuffling their assistants, having replaced Jim Hiller with Paul McFarland while looking for a replacement for defensive assistant D.J. Smith, who became head coach of the Ottawa Senators.

“My job is to continue to improve as best I can and do the best job I can for this organization,” said Keefe. “And also to be as prepared as possible if or when anyone in the business deems I might be worthy of an opportunity beyond this level.”

Keefe has been considered a rising star in the coaching ranks, but most of the open NHL jobs were filled while the Marlies went deep again into the playoffs. It’s also believed by many that Keefe is Babcock’s heir apparent given Keefe’s long ties with Dubas, who hired him both to run the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds midway through the 2012-13 OHL season and again to coach the Marlies in 2015. Babcock has four years remaining on his contract.

“I have had (head coaching) discussions with other teams,” said Keefe. “Ultimately remaining here, I still feel like I have a lot to continue to learn."

Current Leafs such as William Nylander, Kasperi Kapanen, Andreas Johnsson, Travis Dermott, Zach Hyman, Connor Brown, Frederik Gauthier and Trevor Moore each spent significant time playing for the Marlies under Keefe.

“Pride is not the right term,” said Keefe. “I don’t want to overstate my role in their development. The credit is best suited to be given to the player. These players invest a lot in their lives to be NHL players. They earned it.

“If the Toronto Marlies played a part of that, and I’m a part of the Toronto Marlies, you feel good about that. I’m happy when I turn the TV on and there are so many players that have come through here and you can relate to the successes they’ve had, and the struggles they’ve had along the way.”

Keefe has spent four seasons behind the Marlies bench with an overall regular season record of 189-87-20-1 and led the team to the franchise’s first Calder Cup championship in 2018. Earlier this season, Keefe moved past Dallas Eakins for the most regular-season wins by a coach in franchise history and has the highest winning percentage (.688) of any Marlies coach to date.

Prior to joining the Maple Leafs organization, Keefe spent three seasons as head coach in Sault Ste. Marie. After joining the team as a mid- season replacement, Keefe led the club back to the playoffs. In the following two seasons, the Greyhounds skated to a regular season record of 98-29-0-2 while reaching the second round (2013-14) and third round (2014-15) of the playoffs. Keefe earned both the 2014-15 OHL and CHL coach of the year awards after leading the Greyhounds to a league- 1145555 Toronto Maple Leafs

Borgman might break through yet

Lance Hornby

When the Maple Leafs opened their IKEA store of Swedish blueline products in 2017, Andreas Borgman was the first on display.

Beating out free agent countryman Calle Rosen for a spot with the 2017- 18 Leafs, Borgman played 48 games, but wasn’t around at season’s end. This year, Rosen generated the headlines. First-round picks Timothy Liljegren and Rasmus Sandin have been farm-team stars and now Jesper Lindgren has returned from Europe. Young Canadian Mac Hollowell also did well at the end of the team’s most recent playoff run.

But Borgman had a solid post-season showing and also played a veteran’s role. At six-feet, 200 pounds, and possessing the knack to hit hard, he could still be in the mix again at Leafs training camp. The Leafs are expected to lose Jake Gardiner and Ron Hainsey to free agency and Borgman is on the last year of his $700,000 US, waivers-exempt ticket.

“It’s going to be a huge opportunity to me.” Borgman said on Marlies locker cleanout day. “It was a really good year for me as it went on. I can still work on other things, but I’ll never lose that (physicality) from my game. It’s always fun to play in the long seasons we’ve had (seven total playoff series since last year). Not everyone gets that chance, so you have to take advantage.”

Toronto Sun LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145556 Toronto Maple Leafs “Ensuring that Sheldon remains tasked with guiding the development of our prospects was very important to our program and the reason we began the discussion to extend months ago.”

Sheldon Keefe staying with Marlies/Maple Leafs two more years Keefe’s overall regular-season record is 189-87-20-1. In playoffs, he had the best winning percentage of any AHL coach in his first 50 post-season games (a mark of 36-17, .679). Earlier this season, Keefe passed Dallas Lance Hornby Eakins for most regular-season wins by a Marlies coach.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 05.29.2019 The Maple Leafs’ head-coach-in-waiting is willing to stick around two more years with the next best gig in town.

In a move to stop Sheldon Keefe leaving for another NHL team and one which underlines that general manager Kyle Dubas has a solid Plan B beyond Mike Babcock, the club signed Keefe to a two-year extension as Marlies coach.

The news broke Tuesday as Keefe and the club were on the ice at Coca- Cola Coliseum for a team picture on the last day of the season, a run that ended just shy of a second trip to the Calder Cup final amid wide Marlies success the past four years stocking the Leafs.

“This is the best job outside the NHL,” said Keefe, whose insisted his first priority was staying in his home town, keeping his kids in school and being near his parents.

For that alone he presumably gets a nice raise as part of a well-financed farm team, security which minor-leaguers in his spot rarely enjoy.

But surely the 38-year-old coach wants to be in The Show some day. Babcock is just halfway through his eight-year contract. However, his handling of key moments in a second straight series’ loss to Boston have many questioning his flexibility on personnel decisions and whether he drives young stars too hard.

Keefe stickhandled around how long he sees himself staying with the Marlies until the right opportunity arises.

“I don’t know what the future holds for me. All I know is my job is to improve myself, be as best a coach I can to be prepared for any opportunity that might come up, whenever that might be, wherever that might be.”

Tuesday’s announcement, which had been negotiated over the past two months, ends the speculation Keefe might take the vacant assistant’s job on Babcock’s staff, a rather awkward fit. D.J. Smith went to the Ottawa Senators last week, Jim Hiller isn’t returning and only Paul McFarland has been hired so far.

“I see myself as a head coach here for the time being,” Keefe said. “I’ve grown a lot in my time here and will continue to grow. I believe this is the best fit for me to do that. And I really enjoy the off-season because you have a chance to implement different things; off-ice stuff and how you communicate to players.

“I’ve been an assistant coach at different levels and I respect the position, but I see myself as a head coach and that’s my focus. If, down the line, I feel I need to be an assistant to gain extra experience, then I can entertain that. But I’m happy in this organization. All the resources are here, not only in players. Human and financial resources are things we need to develop successful Leafs and Marlies teams.”

Marlies players came out of their player exit interviews with plenty of plaudits for Keefe. Alternate captain Chris Mueller has seen many AHL coaches move up in more than a decade in the league.

“No doubt in my mind in the very near future he’ll be an NHL coach — and it will be well deserved<” said Mueller. “He’s an up-and-coming young coach who believes in evolving with the game. He strives for greatness and pushes his players and even more importantly, himself, to be better every day.

“He wants to play a fast-paced, defence-first structured game, but his biggest strength is he’s always willing to adapt. If his game plan isn’t working, he’s willing to change. Sometimes people get stuck in their ways and their teams fizzle out. Sheldon’s teams just keep getting stronger. As a player, all you want is a truthful coach who pushes you to the limit to give the team the best chance. A coach like that, you’ll follow him and believe in him.”

Dubas commented in a team statement. 1145557 Toronto Maple Leafs young family here in the GTA, my parents are here in the area, I grew up here, so that’s been special.”

The overwhelming feeling from players who were asked about the news Why Sheldon Keefe is staying with the Marlies for two more years is that they love to play for Keefe, and the confidence he instills in them makes them better.

By Hailey Salvian May 28, 2019 Chris Mueller said Keefe’s ability to adjust on the fly and evolve as a coach on a daily basis is a huge reason why the Marlies have had so much success.

Jeremy Bracco had just finished his end of season meeting with Toronto “I think his biggest strength is that he is always looking to improve and Marlies head coach Sheldon Keefe and general manager Laurence he’s always willing to adapt to whatever the game is evolving to or in a Gilman when he was asked by a reporter what it means to him to see particular game, what’s not working,” he said. Keefe get extended for two more seasons. “Even if it’s his game plan he thought would work and for some reason “Oh, he did? Good for him,” he responded, processing the information in it’s not working, he’s willing to change and I think as a coach especially front of half a dozen reporters. “Seriously, good for him … That’s nowadays you have to be able to evolve and realize what works and awesome!” sometimes doesn’t work and make changes, and sometimes people get stuck in their ways and you see that their teams kind of fizzle out, and The news had just been released. Moments earlier on Tuesday morning, with Sheldon I think his teams are just getting stronger and stronger and the Maple Leafs announced that Keefe had signed a two-year contract that’s a credit to the type of person he is, the type of coach he is.” extension, a deal that had been in the works for a while as it turned out. Calle Rosen said Keefe has had a major impact on his growth as a “It feels good, of course it’s something that we’ve worked towards over player. the last number of months and it was done before today obviously, but I’m thrilled about the opportunity to remain in the organization and “He has given me the confidence to play my game,” he said. “(He is) continue to work with the young players here,” Keefe told reporters on always pushing me to be better, and he’s been a really great coach to me Tuesday. these last two years.”

Keefe, 38, has spent the last four seasons behind the Marlies bench For young players like Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren, Keefe posting an overall regular season record of 189-87-20-1. He led the gave them the space to play their own game and make mistakes. Even in organization to its first-ever Calder Cup championship last season, and games when their on-ice mistakes may pile up, he never sacrificed their earlier this year, he surpassed Dallas Eakins for the most regular season development for a win. wins by a coach in franchise history. “He’s a good coach because he likes (for you) to be creative and he “It’s exceptionally gratifying because I think he’s one of the best up-and- wants you to play smart,” said Liljegren. “I think it’s good for young coming coaches in the American Hockey League. I think he’s a great players like me to (know) he has confidence in you and lets you do stuff hockey mind, he manages our roster well, he’s the life beat of our out there as long as you play to your structure as well.” dressing room and it means the fortunes of our team are going to be good moving forward,” said Gilman who took the reigns of the Marlies “I think for us young players he accepts that we play our game, and he from Leafs GM Kyle Dubas this season. knows what type of players we are and helps us develop and be as good as we can be,” said Sandin. “He lets his young players play out and “Am I happy that he’s going to be back and that I’m going to work side- develop and make mistakes, we learn from those all the time, so he’s by-side him next year? I’m ecstatic about that. Most importantly, I think been awesome this year.” it’s the best thing for the development of our players and it moves this organization forward.” There are plenty more stories like this. Keefe helped Engvall transition to centre, which also helped the organization address a depth problem at Keefe is widely considered an NHL-calibre coach, but it’s another year the position. He helped Trevor Moore be more confident in his abilities to where the job market shrunk while he was busy leading the Marlies deep take the next step to the NHL. He sat Bracco last year in the playoffs with into the Calder Cup playoffs (the team bowed out to the Charlotte a promise that the team would be his this season. Keefe stayed true to Checkers in the third round on Sunday). Currently, there is only one NHL his word, and Bracco took over the AHL. head coaching job available – Dave Tippett scooped up the Edmonton Oilers job Tuesday afternoon – and Eakins is expected to fill that role in Keefe’s fingerprints are all over the Leafs roster, too, having coached and Anaheim after his Calder Cup run with the San Diego Gulls, the Ducks’ helped develop players like William Nylander, Kasperi Kapanen, Andreas AHL affiliate, is done. Rumours also swirled about Keefe taking an Johnsson, Travis Dermott and Frederik Gauthier. assistant coaching position under Mike Babcock with the departure of In a press release, Dubas said ensuring Keefe continued to develop the D.J. Smith to Ottawa and with Jim Hiller being granted permission to organization’s prospects was “very important,” and one of the reasons explore opportunities outside of the organization. they started contract discussions months ago.

When asked about the openings on the Leafs bench, Keefe was clear “Over the last four seasons Sheldon has done a great job developing our that he did not consider taking one of the positions. individual prospects into Maple Leafs while also guiding the Marlies deep “The contract was obviously something that was already done, and I was into the playoffs in each of his four seasons with the organization, committed to this role and this responsibility,” he said. “I’ve been an including the Calder Cup in 2018.” assistant coach before at different levels, and I respect that position a lot Keefe was quick to give credit to the vast number of resources that are and it’s important, the assistants we have here are vital to our operation, available to him in the organization, rather than take the credit himself. but I see myself as a head coach. “All the resources are here not just in players, but whether it’s human “If down the line I feel that I need to be an assistant to gain some resources, or financial resources all the things we need to succeed in experience I can entertain that at that point in time. But right now, I’m developing Maple Leafs and developing competitive Marlies teams are happy with where I’m at in this organization.” here,” he said.

Being close to home is something Keefe has said is important to him as “And because of that I’ve always looked at this as the best job outside of well. He grew up in Brampton, just outside of Toronto, and played hockey the NHL. And I think those that are in the business across the American in the Greater Toronto Area for most of his junior career until getting League agree to that. I’ve had a number of people that I’ve spoken to drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1999. He’d been away from home that feel that way, so I recognize how much of a privilege it is to have this taking head coaching jobs in Pembroke, near Ottawa, and Sault Ste. job.” Marie before assuming his position as the Marlies head coach in 2015. And while he may hold the best job outside the NHL, many of his players “It’s already been four years and that in itself is rare in this business so to know that Keefe is destined for the big leagues. Nobody put it more continue to be (in Toronto) is something that’s important,” he said. “I’m succinctly than Mueller. very happy for myself and my family, it’s been really great to have my “I mean, maybe it’s a matter of fit for him, maybe it’s a matter of timing, who knows,” he said. “There’s no doubt in my mind in the very near future he’s going to be an NHL bench boss and it’s well deserved.”

The Athletic LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145558 Toronto Maple Leafs will be a lot clearer at the end of the summer. If the Leafs move Nylander to centre or trade one of their RFAs (namely Kasperi Kapanen), suddenly it’s easy to imagine him as a lock. If they don’t, I dunno…

Leafs of the future? Projecting the NHL timelines for the top Marlies Salvian: Bracco has always been a tough one for me, and he’s the guy prospects people ask about the most (save for two popular Swedish teens). His biggest criticism is that he only produces on the power play and not at even strength — and I am here to say that isn’t true. Regular season and By Scott Wheeler and Hailey Salvian May 28, 2019 playoffs combined, Bracco had eight power play goals versus 18 at even strength. His assists are more power play heavy with 40 versus 29 at 5-

on-5, but he is still able to create a lot of offence at even strength. The If you follow the Leafs closely enough, chances are you’ve asked the game gets faster at the NHL level no doubt, but guys like Bracco only question: When will Prospect X be ready to join the Leafs? make the plays they do because they see the game faster than most. Offensively, Bracco is dominant enough to jump to the NHL, but before It’s a natural question. You may have asked it on Sunday night, when the he can make the jump he needs to become more of a two-way player Marlies’ 2018-2019 season came to a close in a Game 6 third-round loss and be more effective off the puck. Bracco is an NHL player to me. to the Charlotte Checkers. As a result, the attention on those prospects Space on the right-wing with the Leafs is at a premium so despite now shifts to next fall and training camp. everything I say pro-Bracco … I also dunno.

Here, The Athletic’s Marlies reporters Scott Wheeler and Hailey Salvian (Christian Bonin) put their heads together to try to answer when these player might be ready to take the next step. Midseason call-up threats

October locks Rasmus Sandin

Trevor Moore Wheeler: Sandin blew away most expectations this season. There’s no denying it. He often played close to half of the game at 18. He followed Wheeler: Moore didn’t grab hold of his return to the Marlies in the same that up with an excellent first playoff run at 19. The Leafs hit on Travis way Andreas Johnsson did a year ago but I doubt that precludes him Dermott with an early-second round pick and it looks they did the same from making the jump and joining the Leafs full time out of training camp. with Sandin as a late-first. Lost in that, though, I think has been a bit of Mike Babcock wouldn’t have played him over Tyler Ennis (who put hyperbole about just how ready Sandin is. There are some warts still, together a pretty respectable season, all told) if he didn’t believe in Moore particularly in the defensive zone. He made some big mistakes in the as a legitimate NHL option. Moore’s not going to be a major point playoff run. I think a post-trade deadline call-up is more likely than Sandin producer but he offers enough in terms of versatility and pace to making it out of camp over a player like Rosen. There’s no harm in him immediately become a regular in the Leafs’ bottom-six. I suspect he and continuing to play a big role for half a season in the AHL. Nic Petan will challenge each other all year. Salvian: Consider me one of the people who was blown away by Sandin Salvian: I understand the comparison to Johnsson in the sense that they this season. As an 18-year-old he was tapped to play the most minutes both returned from the Leafs to the Marlies in the postseason the last two over guys who have played NHL games — that is crazy to me. Like Scott years, but I think Moore would be the first to say that he doesn’t compare said above, Sandin was the shiny new toy this year and you see that to a player like Johnsson. Their games are different. Johnsson is the top- translated in some of the analysis on him. I think Sandin will be a full-time six skilled guy. And Moore is the bottom-six, hard working, versatile guy Leaf, but not right out of camp next year. He is not No. 1 on the left-D who, despite being 5-foot-10, plays Babcock’s definition of “big hockey.” pecking order *ahem Rosen* and I don’t think he’s ready to make that Moore won’t ever be the star on the Leafs, but he will be a useful tool for jump yet. Keefe often says he knows a player is ready when they are the team, and a steal of a depth player with only a $775,000 cap hit. clearly dominating at the AHL level. Sandin just isn’t there yet, and that’s not a bad thing. Let him make mistakes in the AHL and learn from them Calle Rosen rather than make them in the NHL. I think the Leafs will start him in the Wheeler: Playoff Rosen didn’t look like regular season Rosen after AHL next year, monitor how he progresses, and call him up if they need. returning from injury and that’s fine. When healthy, Rosen was the Timothy Liljegren Marlies’ best defenceman all year — and would have been a contender for one of the league’s end-of-season all-star teams. He gives Babcock Wheeler: I’ve been lower on Liljegren than a lot of people over the last the size he covets (though he’s not particularly physical, a lot like Justin year and half, which is kind of ironic considering I was higher than most Holl) and a long, smooth skating stride. Seriously, though: Rosen was for the year and a half that led into his draft. He’s no longer the prospect I outstanding for the Marlies this season and the Leafs will need cheap suspected he’d become, though. In some ways, that’s a bad thing: I don’t depth on the backend in Jake Gardiner’s absence. If he doesn’t earn a think he’s going to run a power play and I question the translation of his third pairing role out of camp, he probably starts the season in the Leafs’ skating, for example. In other ways, though, that’s a good thing: his press box. Either way, he’s probably done with the Marlies. defensive game has come along really nicely and he was taking on a much bigger role in his own zone late in this season. His start to next Salvian: Rosen wasn’t 100 percent for the playoffs, I don’t think there’s season will be critical in staying in the Leafs’ plans, I think. If he has a any doubt about that, and that’s likely why he didn’t look as dominant as good camp and returns to the Marlies for a strong start, it may not be he probably should have. Luckily, he now has the summer to get healthy much longer before he’s in the NHL. and ready for camp. Rosen is a big body on the blue line, but he is also very mobile. He plays a solid game at both ends, and is smart enough to Salvian: People are higher on Sandin than they are on Liljegren, but I know when to join the rush or hang back. He can quarterback the second think this playoffs showed just how important having that extra year of power-play unit, and he can kill penalties. There aren’t many knocks I experience is. Liljegren looked strong this postseason, while Sandin can make about Rosen’s play. With Travis Dermott set to miss the start started to show his age a little more. With Rosen hurt and Sandin not of the season due to surgery, and the likely loss of Gardiner on the left- playing his best, there were many games where Liljegren was the best side, I see Rosen playing right away, but possibly heading to the press defender on the ice. There are still improvements to be made with his box once Dermott comes back. skating and his decision making though. Liljegren will often go for the play that makes the highlight reel over the easy one, but he’s getting On the bubble better. It takes time. I think Liljegren is in the Leafs’ plans going forward Jeremy Bracco and because he is a right-side defender, I think we see him up full-time before Sandin. Wheeler: Bracco’s in a weird spot for me in that he’s definitely an NHL player, I know Sheldon Keefe believes that, I’m confident the Leafs do A year away/potential injury call-ups too, and yet I’m not sure where he fits. If it were my choice, I’d put in him Pierre Engvall the locks tier, even if that meant playing him as a facilitator on the fourth line and the quarterback from the point on the second power play. I think Wheeler: He’s 6-foot-5 every shift, he skates really fast, and he managed he makes the Leafs better in that kind of a role, though he’s probably to make the move to centre (where the Leafs conveniently have a hole). I better suited for higher in the lineup. But it just seems like there’s a lot think the plan for Engvall is pretty clear. He’s probably going to be given standing in his way of that happening under Babcock. Bracco’s picture a shot to play the fourth-line centre role at some point. I’m not sure I think he should but that appears to be the plan. At the very least, he’s fine treatment this year and now has a sense of what he needs to do this injury insurance. summer to come back and play a key role on the team. You don’t put down one of the best stat lines in NCAA if you aren’t a talented player, Salvian: I stan Pierre Engvall for 4C. now it’s just a matter of if he can work hard enough and translate those Adam Brooks college numbers to the pros.

Wheeler: I stan Adam Brooks for 4C. The wild cards

Salvian: We will not discuss any further at the risk of our professional Michael Carcone relationship. But in all seriousness, I think the Engvall versus Brooks Wheeler: Carcone feels like Moore before he became the Moore we argument depends on the kind of 4C the Leafs want in the event of an know today. He can really skate, he’s shifty, and yet he often leaves you injury. Small and skilled, or big and fast. Fans can argue with each other wanting more. You can hear it in the way Keefe talks about him, too. in the comments. Carcone has shown some real flashes with the Marlies but there were Mason Marchment also a lot of games where he struggled to make an impact. With time and the proper focus on development, I think there’s a lot to work with though. Wheeler: I get the sense I’m not as high on Marchment as a lot of people His speed alone makes him interesting. Ultimately, though, I’d probably are, including some within the organization, but you don’t have to look far bet against him if only because he feels a lot like Moore, only without the to realize what they see in him because he’s normally trying to put an defensive tools. He’ll probably play a major role with the Marlies next opposing player through the boards. Say what you will about how the season though and it’s not hard to imagine him putting up some fairly game is changing but that’s a coveted asset. I’m just not sure it’s enough, significant numbers. especially given the way the mechanics of his stride seem to continue to work (it’s awkward) and the fact that he remains extremely undisciplined. Salvian: I think calling Carcone a wildcard is the best way to describe Marchment can really rip it though (outside of Engvall, he probably had him. You don’t really know what he could turn out to be. He could the hardest shot among the Marlies forwards this season), plus Babcock improve so much and crack the Leafs in a year or two and shock will probably like him. everyone, or he could stay in the AHL and nobody in the organization will be upset because they haven’t invested a lot in him (sorry Josh Leivo Salvian: Interest in Marchment is at a high right now after Babcock fans). He has shown flashes this season of being dominant offensively, mentioned the Leafs have a big body coming up in the system. Other especially when playing with Bracco and Chris Mueller. But he has also than Engvall… it can only be Marchment he is referring to. And he’s right, gone into lulls of not creating much. Marchment is a big body and plays the pest role well. He’s the guy you hate to play against, but love to have on your team. Sometimes he Jesper Lindgren crosses the line though and hurts his team by spending too much time in Wheeler: Lindgren took huge strides this season and became one of the penalty box. Marchment needs to learn how to play that role within Liiga’s top possession-driving players. That, coupled with the pro reason, and stay healthy, sources have said he may need another experience he has across multiple leagues, and the fact that he just surgery this offseason. Mechanics and improvements Scott mentioned turned 22, makes him semi-interesting to me (even though he’s probably aside, if Babcock wants a big body who can throw a guy into his own a longshot to ever be more than a good AHLer). He needs to just stick bench (see here), Marchment is his guy. around for a full season already and we’ll go from there with our Two years away evaluations of his organizational fit. Throwing him into the playoffs cold isn’t exactly the proper barometer for where he’s at. Mac Hollowell Salvian: Leafs fans seem excited about Lindgren and rightfully so. He Wheeler: I have a lot of time for Hollowell. He’s already one of the best was huge with Liiga this season and stepped into the Marlies playoff run skaters in the organization, he has the on-ice confidence and offensive right away. Keefe even opted to have him in the lineup over Hollowell a aggression needed to become a truly dominant player in the AHL, but it’s few times, so that suggests he may be further along in his development going to take some time and he’s unlikely to get any bigger at this point, path. His four games with the Marlies this postseason is far too small a though he could add some strength if he really dedicates himself with the sample size to say anything more. Marlies’ strength and conditioning staff. I’d bet on Hollowell showing some promise as an everyday rookie next year before really grabbing (Christian Bonin) hold of it with the Marlies as a 22-year-old in 2020-2021. Patience will be The pecking order conundrum key. Dmytro Timashov Salvian: Kyle Dubas drafted Hollowell not once, but twice with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and the Leafs. He clearly likes something about Wheeler: Timashov is a hard player to gauge in that he actually took him or he wouldn’t risk a draft pick twice. He was an offensive force in his some fair significant steps this season, that Timashov-Engvall-Korshkov final season in the Soo with 24 goals and 77 points in 64 games and has line looked really promising in stretches, and yet it just feels like he’s too the work ethic to elevate his game to the next level. He is undersized, but far down the depth chart to ever get the chance he needs to really stick in can flat out skate. Keefe had high praise for Hollowell in the short time he the NHL. I think that will be true next fall and I think it will be true the was with the Marlies this season and like Dubas, obviously sees season after that. He draws a lot of attention from his linemates with the something in this 20-year-old or he wouldn’t have put him in such way he hangs onto the puck, he’s stronger than his size would suggest, important games fresh out of the OHL. Only time will tell, but I’m really but I don’t see him as a role player in the NHL and he’s not talented to be interested to see what he can turn into. more than that. There’s enough talent there for an even bigger AHL season at some point, so maybe he changes that narrative, but the Joey Duszak clock’s ticking.

Wheeler: I love Joey Duszak’s story. I love his skillset. But I think he Salvian: I need more than two hands to count the amount of times I needs to play on a Marlies team that doesn’t have players like Sandin called Timashov a zone-entry wizard this season. He is such an and Rosen ahead of him in offensive situations before we really see what explosive skater and can blow through the neutral zone, keep possession is an extremely promising set of offensive skills really blossom. And that of the puck and create offence. He is a pass first guy, and doesn’t shoot may just take some time. He might not ever get there due to his size but enough, but can also do this: he’s one of those players who has enough talent to potentially overcome that and the Leafs gave him a two-year entry-level contract instead of an NOT THE FIRST TIME TIMASHOV HAS PULLED THIS OFF. THE AHL deal because they recognized just how good his collegiate career DUDE HAS SWEET HANDS HTTPS://T.CO/8LXIWGQ0JQ was. They’re going to give him every opportunity he needs to succeed and that starts with an increased role with the Marlies beginning next — HAILEY SALVIAN (@HAILEY_SALVIAN) MAY 27, 2019 year. Timashov looked dominant this season when he played with Engvall as Salvian: Duszak was definitely a victim of the Marlies’ depth and influx of his centreman because of their speed and chemistry. Keefe often tapped players this season. He only played two regular season games, and four that line as the shutdown defensive guys, and praised them as the best in the playoffs so it’s hard to get an accurate read on what he can do at line on the ice more than once. With that being said, I don’t know if the AHL with such a small sample size. In a way, he got the Bracco Timashov is anything more than a really solid AHL guy. Andreas Borgman

Wheeler: Borgman’s one of those players who will pull of a spin-o-rama at the offensive zone blue line for a scoring chance and level someone along the boards all in the same shift. That makes him intriguing, especially for a coach like Babcock. The Leafs obviously re-signed him because they felt he could compete for a depth role. He doesn’t lack confidence. And yet, I’m not sure where he fits in. Rosen surpassed him. Sandin and Liljegren are prized organizational pieces. Dermott and Rielly aren’t going anywhere. At this point, he’s basically injury depth, no?

Salvian: Borgman confuses the hell out of me. Every time I watch him play, I’m either thinking about what a great shift he had, or how am I watching the same guy who played almost 50 games in the NHL? He’s had a bad run of luck with injuries and seems to have never gotten his stride back. Keefe said this year he doesn’t think Borgman has ever settled in with the Marlies, so that makes him a tough guy to evaluate, especially if we’ve never seen what he can do. He’s not really a penalty killer, or a power play guy on the Marlies so he won’t play those roles on the Leafs either. Borgman just isn’t high enough on the pecking order anymore to be a lock, call-up or an on the bubble guy. I’d love for him to prove me wrong though.

The Athletic LOADED: 05.29.2019

1145559 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights announce development camp dates

By Ben Gotz / Las Vegas Review-Journal

The Golden Knights development camp will take place from June 25-29 at City National Arena, the team announced Tuesday.

All on-ice practice sessions June 25 and 26 will be open to the public, but tickets will be required for scrimmages from June 27-29. Complimentary tickets, reserved seating and VIP experiences will be available on vegasgoldenknights.com “the week of June 10,” according to a team release. Season ticket holders will have access to a presale opportunity before the general public.

The camp’s roster will be released after the NHL Draft, which takes place June 21 and 22. The Knights currently have nine selections, starting with 17th overall.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145560 Washington Capitals Former teammates are rooting for him. Even T.J. Oshie, who was drafted by the Blues and spent seven years with that organization, specifically mentioned Johansson in an interview on May 16 as someone he was Marcus Johansson watched his Capitals friends win the Stanley Cup last rooting for once Washington’s season ended in the first round. They’d all spring. Now he’s three wins away from doing it himself. been through so much together. They like that Johansson, at least, has his own chance to make history now.

“Yeah, but we never got to where we wanted to, either,” Johansson said. By Brian McNally May 28, 2019 3:54 PM “It is what it is. We had such good teams [in Washington] those last few years. I think everyone thought that we should have won. But we never

did. And sometimes you’ve got to move on.” BOSTON – Marcus Johansson watched from afar last spring as his old Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 05.29.2019 Capitals teammates celebrated winning the Stanley Cup.

For a player drafted by Washington in 2009, a key part of the team for seven seasons, who experienced almost every crushing playoff loss in the Alex Ovechkin era, not being on the ice with the Capitals as they lifted the trophy was surreal.

But business always intrudes in pro sports. And Johansson had been traded to the New Jersey in the summer of 2017, a salary-cap casualty given way for draft picks, not NHL players, as the Capitals tried desperately to keep their core group together. Tough decisions were made.

“It took a bit to kind of sink in. I didn’t see it coming,” Johansson said. “I think that was the biggest reason for that. But it’s the business part of it. It’s not the first time in this sport that happens. Just something you have to deal with. Worked very well for me and my family. We got settled quickly in New Jersey. It came as a shock. But you deal with it and you move on.”

This time Johansson has a chance to experience it himself, though. A deal to Boston Bruins at the NHL trade deadline has breathed new life into his career. He was one of the best players on the ice in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues on Monday – even hitting the post early in the game.

Johansson and the Bruins are three wins away from the Cup after rallying from a 2-0 deficit. He has three goals and six assists in 16 playoff games this spring.

“You always envision that. It’s why you play,” Johansson said before Game 1. “You want to be in this position to have a chance to win. Obviously, I didn’t know it was going to be here. But I couldn’t be with a better group, couldn’t be with a better team. It’s showing in what we do. It’s been a lot of fun so far, but we still have the toughest part to go.”

If there was initial awkwardness with new teammate Brad Marchand, who gave Johansson a concussion that ruined his first season in New Jersey, it’s not shown itself.

Johansson was publically critical of the relatively light penalty (five-game suspension) that the NHL Department of Player Safety gave Marchand after a vicious elbow in a Jan. 23, 2018 game between New Jersey and Boston.

Johansson had missed a month earlier in the season with a concussion and played just 29 games with the Devils last year before rebounding with 12 goals and 15 assists in 48 games this season, making himself one of the more obvious trade deadline targets.

Meanwhile, the Capitals caught fire in the playoffs and, at long last, won their first Stanley Cup. Johansson could feel the raw emotion. He was there for so many memorable moments – the Game 6 overtime clincher against Toronto in 2016 – and far too many devastating losses.

“There’s a lot of guys that you’re happy for,” Johansson said. “You’ve played there for a long time, made a lot of good friends. It’s bitter, too, at the same time. But that’s hockey, I think.”

Johansson said he talked to a few of his former teammates afterward, but otherwise just left them to their over-the-top, fountain-swimming, beer-swilling celebrations.

“It looked like they had fun. I mean who wouldn’t?” Johansson said with a smile.

But there were no FaceTime conversations like the Capitals had from Las Vegas with Justin Williams, another player who left during that summer of 2017 purge after a second straight second-round loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins following their second Presidents’ Trophy in a row. 1145561 Washington Capitals If the Caps hope to get back to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020, there are several players who will need to play key roles and obviously, Holtby is chief among them. But make no mistake, if Washington hopes to make What the playoffs can tell the Capitals about how to use Braden Holtby another deep postseason run, Copley will be an absolutely vital piece of next season that puzzle. If head coach Todd Reirden does not feel he has an option behind Holtby he can depend on to win a game, then he will lean more heavily on his top netminder. As the games begin to pile up for Holtby, however, the less gas he will have left in the tank for the playoffs. The By J.J. Regan May 28, 2019 8:42 AM numbers bear that out.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 05.29.2019 With the Capitals tight against the salary cap, there will be some roster turnover in the offseason. One aspect of the team that appears secure heading into the next season, however, is in net. Braden Holtby is under contract for another season and looks poised to lead the team again in 2019-20.

If the Caps want to compete for another Stanley Cup, however, they would be wise to limit the number of games played by Holtby.

…Wait, what?

In Holtby, the Caps boast one of the top netminders in the NHL, a guy who won the Vezina Trophy in 2016, and they should play him less?

If the 2018-19 season is any indication, yes they should. Making sure Holtby is adequately rested heading into the postseason should be one of Washington’s top priorities if it hopes to make another deep postseason run.

Heading into the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the average number of games played by all 16 starting goalies in the regular season was about 52. That number dropped to a little over 48 among the eight starters in the second round. In the conference finals, three of the four starting goalies had played in fewer than 50 games and the overall average among all four was just 49.

The goalie matchup in the Stanley Cup Final features Tuukka Rask for the Boston Bruins and Jordan Binnington for the St. Louis Blues. With injuries and a dependable backup in Jaroslav Halak, Rask played in only 46 games in the regular season. Binnington played in 48 games…if you count his 16 appearances in the AHL (which I did for the purpose of calculating the above averages). He did not get into his first NHL game until Dec. 16.

Holtby showed the importance of getting rest in 2018 when he and the Capitals hoisted the Stanley Cup. During that season, he played in just 54 games, the fewest he had played in since 2013-14. The result was the deepest run of his career, but even his 54 games would rank at the higher end of the spectrum in 2019.

Before the Caps, it was the Pittsburgh Penguins who won in the Cup in 2016 and 2017. If one long season can affect a goalie’s playoff performance, how were the Penguins able to repeat with two long postseason runs? A significant factor was how much the team leaned on two goalies instead of one.

Marc-Andre Fleury played in 58 games for the Penguins in the 2015-16 season, but it was Matt Murray who got the bulk of the playing time in the postseason with 21 games. The following season, Murray played in 49 regular season games but was supplanted as the starter in the playoffs by Fleury who appeared in 15 games as opposed to Murray’s 11.

Was the lengthy playoff run in 2016 the reason Murray eventually yielded the crease in the 2017 playoffs? There is no way to definitively answer that question so let’s ask a different one: Would the Penguins have been able to repeat without splitting the workload in net? Probably not.

The takeaway from these recent years is that the NHL is moving away from the traditional starting and backup roles and more teams are electing to go with goalie tandems in the regular season. When the playoffs come and teams stick with a single starter, it’s the goalies who have had sufficient rest in the regular season who seem to be finding more success.

For the Caps, there is no question that Holtby is their No. 1 next season. The question is just how much should they use him and do they have a backup capable of handling a heavier workload?

Pheonix Copley played in 27 games for Washington in 2018-19. A .905 save percentage and 2.90 GAA are not great, but a team should be able to get by with a backup who can go 16-7-3 as Copley did. 1145562 Winnipeg Jets Terbenche, general manager John Ferguson Sr., and assistant coach Bill Sutherland.

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 05.29.2019 Party like it's 1979: WHA Jets gather for 40th anniversary of title

By: Alexandra Paul

Eighteen players and the head coach of the 1978-79 Avco Cup champion Winnipeg Jets will be in town this week for a series of events to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their feat.

"It was the last season that Winnipeg celebrated a hockey championship and the last time kids got to skip school to watch their hockey heroes ride in convertibles in a parade," said event organizer Geoff Kirbyson, author of the 2016 book, The Hot Line: How the Legendary Trio of Hull, Hedberg and Nilsson Transformed Hockey and Led the Winnipeg Jets to Greatness.

The late Winnipeg Jets captain Lars-Erik Sjoberg carries the Avco Cup after the Jets beat the Edmonton Oilers 7-3 to capture the final WHA championship four games to two in Winnipeg on May 20, 1979. (Jon Thordarson / Winnipeg Tribune files)

In 1979, the Jets won the third of their three Avco Cups — the now- defunct WHA's equivalent of the Stanley Cup — defeating Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers in the best-of-seven final 4-2. Game 6 was May 20, 1979, when the Jets beat the Oilers 7-3 on home ice.

The victory would mark the final game of the WHA, as the majority of the "rebel" league was absorbed into the NHL a few months later.

The anniversary festivities kick off Thursday evening, with a private VIP reception at the Winnipeg Winter Club for sponsors.

On Friday, the former players will be escorted to the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame — they are all members by virtue of their Avco Cup victory — followed by a tour of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

The event is capped Saturday with a banquet (featuring a Jets player at every table), a question-and-answer session, and live and silent auctions of memorabilia at Radisson Hotel downtown — a slapshot away from Bell MTS Place, home of the NHL's Jets. Tickets are $175 (with a tax receipt).

Proceeds from the anniversary events will be split between two hockey- related charities: the Winnipeg Foundation’s Ab McDonald Foundation, and the True North Youth Foundation.

In 2018, a similar reunion event for the 1977-78 Jets raised approximately $10,000 for the Bobby Hull Foundation for Children.

The Jets celebrate their third Avco Cup victory in the final year of the World Hockey Association's existence. (Jon Thordarson / Winnipeg Tribune files)

The Jets celebrate their third Avco Cup victory in the final year of the World Hockey Association's existence. (Jon Thordarson / Winnipeg Tribune files)

The final WHA title stands out in the city’s hockey annals because the Jets displayed far-from-championship-calibre play for most of the season, Kirbyson said.

Coach Tom McVie, who took over from the fired Larry Hillman late in the season, is remembered for pulling off a minor miracle by getting seven former Houston Aeros players (with whom the Jets were fierce rivals) to gel with the Winnipeg lineup.

The biggest name coming to town for the anniversary is Swedish hockey legend Kent Nilsson. A two-time Avco Cup winner for Winnipeg, and Stanley Cup winner for Edmonton (1987), Nilsson scored 214 points (81 goals) in 158 regular-season WHA games. He went on would add 686 points (264 goals) in 553 NHL games.

Other alumni coming to mark the anniversary include: Terry Ruskowski, Rich Preston, Morris Lukowich, Peter Sullivan, Willy Lindstrom, Roland Eriksson, Markus Mattsson, Joe Daley, Bill Lesuk, Lyle Moffat, Kim Clackson, Scott Campbell, Glenn Hicks, Paul MacKinnon, John Gray, Mike Amodeo and Steve West.

The weekend also will pay tribute to three members of the 1978-79 team who have since died: captain Lars-Erik Sjoberg, defenceman Paul 1145563 Winnipeg Jets “When you ask how a teammate would describe him, he can’t lie. We could go and check with the players, coaches or trainers. They usually give a pretty honest answer. And we challenge them with tough ‘Gaming disorder’ warning won’t scramble Canucks scouting combine questions about things we’ve heard about them and if it’s true. The interviews Swedish and Finnish players are more reserved and give short answers, so it’s harder to get a feel for their personalties. And sometimes with the Russians or Czechs, there’s a language barrier.”

Ben Kuzma What was the Quinn Hughes interview like a year ago?

“Sometimes when players are nervous, they talk a lot. But with Quinn, there was just a quiet confidence in his ability. After we interviewed him, Canucks believe driven draft prospects simply too busy, too devoted to we just felt like there was an air about him and that he came from a be distracted hockey family and knew what to expect. This was just another step to WHO has a warning for the NHL? prove he was going to be a good NHL player.

The World Health Organization (that’s WHO) has categorized a priority to “And with Petey (Elias Pettersson), he had a self-confidence about him play video games as a mental-health disorder when it takes precedence (before the 2017 draft). He was humble, but we could tell there was a over other interests and daily activities — including training, nutrition and quiet intensity about him to knock that door down to show people he rest for young NHL prospect and players — to produce negative could be one of the best players.” consequences. Have you been turned off by a player and not drafted him? The WHO has added “gaming disorder” to the International Statistical “Yeah. If we don’t get a good feel — whether it’s the personality or drive Classification of diseases and related health problems — ICD-11 — and willingness to face adversity and develop as a player in the AHL — which goes into effect in 2022. there may not be the mental toughness and it’s too easy for them to give What does this all mean when interviews are conducted this week at the up.” NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo? Will 104 prospects be asked about What sets the U.S. National Team Development Program apart with five the global obsession with Fortnite and the Battle Royal version before top-10 prospects? finding out what else makes them tick? Will their answers affect draft selections on June 21-22 at Rogers Arena? “They have a pro-style set-up there (in Plymouth, Mich.) with school, working out and practice and when we talk to those kids, they’re Canucks general manager Jim Benning doesn’t think so. organized. There are probably 12 players off that team that we’re gong to Even though a rumour surfaced a year ago that prospect Olli Juolevi had interview. a gaming addiction — an allegation his agent Markus Lehto denied — “Spencer Knight (rated 19th overall) has the ability to develop into No. 1 and the Vancouver Canucks banned video games on the road this goalie. And the players there are so good and dominant offensively, season, Benning believes there’s more at play because of the dedication sometimes when you look at one player, you lose sight of how good the and time management required to become an NHL prospect. group is.” Fortnite is far and away the most popular video game of the moment, and Winnipeg Sun LOADED 05.29.2019 lots of young NHL players are caught up in the phenomenon.

So don’t expect gaming questions to be a priority when the Canucks hockey operations department interviews 70 players during 10-15 minute segments this week in advance of medicals and physical testing.

“Playing those (video) games is part of growing-up process,” Benning said Tuesday. “But if kids are playing them too much, they’re not going to tell us in an interview. And between going to school and practising and playing and travelling, these kids are busy. So we don’t get into that too much because we know they don’t have a lot of free time. They’re pretty busy.”

It’s also a busy week for Benning because the scouting combine attracts his peers and agents. He expects to talk to Ben Hankinson, the representative for restricted free agent Brock Boeser and unrestricted free agent Luke Schenn, and stay abreast of anything that might improve his roster.

One rumour that won’t go away surfaced out of Edmonton on Tuesday, suggesting the Canucks and Oilers have talked about swapping Loui Eriksson for Milan Lucic.

“I haven’t had any conversations with Kenny (GM Holland) regarding that,” said Benning.

As for the scouting combine, here’s a Q&A with the Canucks GM:

What do you want to accomplish in the interview process?

“Getting to know the personalities and finding out what makes them tick, their competitiveness and how badly they want to be NHL players. The hard part of our job is we’re trying to project what they’re going to turn into three or four years from now when they’re fully matured physically and mentally. We’re looking for a skill set and a foundation to develop.”

What doesn’t surprise you about today’s driven prospects?

“How polished they are and how comfortable they are walking into a room of adults and selling themselves on their strengths and talking about their weaknesses. That just mirrors today’s society, they’re more interactive with their phones and they’re more social.”

What’s the best question to get a real read on a player? 1145564 Winnipeg Jets Josh Leivo

Tyler Motte

Canucks Under the Microscope: Tanner Pearson Olli Juolevi

Markus Granlund

Ben Kuzma More from Ben Kuzma Luke Schenn

Sven Baertschi

Has the well-travelled winger — he spent time with three teams last Brandon Sutter season — found a home on Bo Horvat's line with his late-season surge? Name: Tanner Pearson Alex Biega Age: 26. Jake Virtanen Position: Left wing/right wing. Quinn Hughes Career stats: GP: 388, G: 87, A: 83, Pts: 170, PIM 105. Nikolay Goldobin Contract status: Two years remaining on a four-year, US $15 million extension with Los Angeles in 2017. Carries a $3.75 million salary-cap Jim Benning hit. Chris Tanev

How 2018-19 went: Adventurous. Three teams in one season can rattle Alex Edler any player. Pearson had a combined 27 points (18-9) in 80 games, but finally gained late-season traction with Bo Horvat. Troy Stecher

He had an impressive run of seven goals in his final nine games — Ben Hutton including four in his last three — to offer some hope that the troubled “He has been a nice addition,” said Canucks coach Travis Green. “A alignment may have found one solution at wing. Until that point, Pearson bigger body who’s strong on the puck and understands the game. He looked a little lost and struggled with his stride before finishing the understands what it takes to win and he’s won Stanley Cups at a young Canucks portion of his wacky mystery tour with 12 points in 19 games (9- age and you can really see it in his game. 3). He was acquired at the trade deadline from Pittsburgh for Erik Gudbranson. “It’s probably a little bit of opportunity and playing with Bo, they’ve got some chemistry and he seems to be skating better than when we first got For too long, it looked like Pearson’s best days were in the SoCal rear- him and he’s playing well.” view mirror in Los Angeles on “That 70s’ Line” with Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli when he had a 24-goal season. He was shipped to Pittsburgh on How the future looks: Sustainability and support will be crucial. Scoring Nov. 13 for Carl Hagelin to create cap space. He also had but one assist when you’re out of the playoffs in more meaningless games and playing in 17 games, was a minus-9 rating and was riding a 30-game goal spoiler can be easier than pushing for a spot. Green likes his versatility, drought. He wasn’t going to help supplant the Kings’ eventual transition but Pearson seems better suited on the left side as a left shot who should from aging veterans Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. In short, he was be prominent along the walls and get to the net to unleash an underrated expendable. shot.

Pearson scored three goals in his first six games with the Penguins but If the Canucks can actually find a right-winger to complement the duo had just nine through 44 and was a frequent healthy scratch. The through free agency or, more likely, a trade — Horvat had a dozen problem was common. He had to get to the net more, had to battle down different wingers and three dozen different line combinations this season low, had to hold on to the puck for longer periods and had to shoot more. — then a second wave of attack to support Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser could help push the club past 81 points. Canucks winger Tanner Pearson skates past after scoring a goal against Arizona Coyotes goaltender Darcy Kuemper on Feb. 28, 2019 in “He’s a treat to have on my wing,” Horvat said of Pearson. “He’s fast, Glendale, Ariz. Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press files aggressive and gets on the forecheck. Especially after the year he has had in being traded twice, he has fit in unbelievably well.” In a 4-2 victory over San Jose on April 2, he had two goals, seven shots, nine attempts and two hits. When Horvat out-legged Brent Burns in that Greatest strengths: At 6-foot-1, 201 pounds, Pearson can make it a long meeting and fed a back pass from the end boards into the high slot, night for opposition forwards and defencemen when he decides to play a Pearson was where he was supposed to be to snap a shot far side on heavy game. Can be a force down low and doesn’t get enough credit for goalie Martin Jones. a good shot release.

“As you get games with guys, you get comfortable and playing with the Greatest weaknesses: Streaky scorer and stride could be stronger. same guys has probably helped, too,” Pearson reasoned in a post-game Needs to do other things when the goals aren’t coming, be harder on assessment of his late-season success. “I’ve got some chemistry and it’s pucks and cause havoc in front of the opposition net. been good so far. I’m happy where my game is right now. Is he trade bait: No. With so many questions at left and right wing, he “Especially playing a playoff team because they’re getting to crunch time should be more of a solution than a problem. and wanting to play their best hockey. If we can withstand that and beat some teams, it can carry some momentum into next year.” The big question: Can he return to 20-plus goal territory on a good line and with power-play time? There’s room for improvement. Rating his three stops over a full season meant Pearson would have allowed the fifth-most giveaways among Winnipeg Sun LOADED 05.29.2019 Canucks forwards and ranked ninth in takeaways, fifth in blocked shots and third in hits. His Cori-for puck-controlling percentage was seventh at 48.6, which should improve.

UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

It has been over seven weeks since the Vancouver Canucks began their summer holidays, nine points shy of a wild-card berth into the NHL playoffs. Today we continue our microscopic examination of the team’s roster:

Coming Wednesday: Ryan Spooner 1145565 Vancouver Canucks

The Athletic Presents: A Tribute to Jason Botchford

By Mike Halford May 28, 2019

On Thursday, June 20, Jason Brough and I will be hosting a special event at Vancouver’s iconic Commodore Ballroom to celebrate the life and times of our good buddy Jason Botchford.

And we hope you can be there.

The Botch tribute will be something of an all-encompassing variety show, with all proceeds to benefit the Supporting the Botchford Family Fund (to donate directly, please visit the family’s GoFundMe page). There will be live music, comedy and hockey panels discussing both the Canucks and all the latest news and rumours on the eve of the NHL Entry Draft.

It should be a great night. And again, we hope you can be there.

A full list of entertainers and speakers will be announced at a later date, but so far we can tell you the evening will feature the comedic stylings of John Cullen (@cullenthecomic), beats by longtime Vancouver DJ Jay Swing (@JaySwing) and some of hockey’s most popular and influential analysts, newsbreakers and personalities: Pierre LeBrun, Bob McKenzie, Ray Ferraro, James Duthie, James Mirtle, Craig Custance and Sean McIndoe.

Jeff Paterson, Botch’s longtime compadre on TSN 1040’s Patcast, will be headlining a special Canucks/Botch themed panel.

Thanks to generous donations from the Vancouver Canucks, the night will also feature an auction of terrific prizes with, again, 100 percent of the proceeds going to the Botchford Family Fund.

Among the items available? A Canucks jersey signed by the entire team and an Elias Pettersson autographed stick.

Tickets are available now, through Ticketmaster. If you have any questions or comments about the event, please post below or feel free to email me at [email protected]

Hope to see you all on the 20th.

Cheers,

Halford

The Athletic LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145566 Websites Byram is always a play away from a highlight reel moment, and while he doesn’t make plays like this often, he has the ability to completely break a game open with a sequence like this.

The Athletic / Defenseman Bowen Byram looks ready for a quick ascent Defensive Play to the NHL Byram doesn’t play 30 minutes a night for a top WHL team if he can’t make a few stops. Byram logged the heavy defensive minutes for the By Corey Pronman May 28, 2019 Giants and played in every tough situation.

His skating allows him to break up rushes. He’s very tough to try and just beat wide unless you catch him flat-footed. Bowen Byram entered the season with hype after a very good 16-year- old season in the WHL, and he delivered on the hype. He was a He’s an aware defensive player who can turn a takeaway into a scoring dominant all situations player for the Giants and, as a 17-year-old chance. Here we see on the penalty kill how Byram breaks up a play, defenseman, was a catalyst for them coming one goal away from a and then with his skating turns it into a rush right away. championship. Going through a lot of Byram tape, you never see him make a lot of Skating flashy defensive plays. It’s because pucks and players don’t often get behind him, and he’s often not out of position. A lot of his defensive plays Byram’s skating is the foundation for everything that makes him great. look like this. He’s always moving, is fast and creates offense while in motion. He’s one of the best skaters available for the 2019 NHL Draft. Players try to put pressure on his team, but he’s such a good skater he quickly retrieves the puck, spots the oncoming pressure, evades, finds His ability to lead a rush is a top-end attribute of his. Look here at how the outlet and boom, Giants are on offense again. It’s simple and subtle easily he gets the puck in stride and is a one-man zone exit and entry. but that kind of puck retrieval is valuable.

His first 3-4 steps are elite. Byram often danced around the offensive Shot blue line because he can catch the puck at a standstill and all of a sudden he’s zooming down the wing. A 17-year-old defenseman doesn’t score 34 goals (between regular season and playoffs) in the CHL that often, and Byram did so this past His quick-twitch stride allows him to gain speed so easily. He has the season. He’s got a forward’s shot in that he doesn’t have a bullet slap straight-ahead speed, he spins off pressure easily, he can skate with the shot or one-timer to launch from the point, but he when he gets down to fastest forwards and he has burst off the blue line. the dots, he’s a dangerous scorer.

I won’t devote a ton of space here to videos of his skating even if it is his The way Byram plays, he’s always activating and roaming around the best attribute because as I show the rest of his tool kit you will get the offensive zone. On the man advantage, Byram sometimes would roam idea quickly. down low or around the slot, and he’s comfortable doing so, giving him plenty of chances to use his wrist shot. Vision When he gets an opportunity around the slot, Byram is able to bury Byram’s vision has been a point of debate among scouts this season. chances and hit iron with a very accurate wrist shot that he has good There are some who think he has fantastic hockey sense and vision, and velocity on. there are others who are not sold that it’s anything special. Production There are instances where I can understand the latter. If you watch him run a power play, he can go long stretches where he’s not doing a whole Colleague Scott Wheeler discussed why Byram’s production was so lot. He catches the puck, basic four-foot pass, catches it again, shoots it. historic for a 17-year-old in the WHL. He’ll have moments at even strength where it just seems like he’s skating around and making the simple plays. Byram had 40 more points this season than the next best U18 defenseman in the WHL. His only recent comparable in scoring at the He doesn’t have the vision of say a Quinn Hughes or Adam Boqvist, same age is New Jersey prospect Ty Smith, and Byram had twice as where, as one scout put it, they “can see the entire ice at any instant.” many goals as Smith. But why I like Byram’s brain a lot is how well he makes plays while moving. Here are a few examples. Byram was the first defenseman to lead the WHL playoffs in scoring. His 26 points by a U18 defenseman in the WHL postseason were the most His feet open up his playmaking. We see here two examples of how by a rearguard in that league in more than 30 years. Byram hovers around the offensive zone, creating opportunities. Both plays don’t result in a chance on net, but we are looking for his vision and Byram also did this as a June 2001 birth date. Being that young and how he creates offense. highly productive is a strong indicator of future success.

I really liked this play here from Byram. While skating away from the Hockey World’s Impressions opponent’s net, he goes across his body and fits a tight pass to a An NHL scout said: “His feet dictate his game. He’s such a good skater teammate for a chance. and it allows him to impact shifts.”

He does have the ability to find seams on the power play. I think it needs An NHL scout said: “Byram played an important role in Vancouver last to be more in front of him than Byram making eyes in the back of his year as an underage, came into the season with lofty expectations and head type of plays, but this is a component of his game. somehow was able to exceed those. He is one of the most complete and His breakouts are very good. He’s got a high panic threshold and can pro-ready D to come out of the west in the last 10 years.” wait for lanes to develop. Vancouver Giants coach Michael Dyck said: “His ability to jump away And every now and then I did see him pop with this kind of highlight reel from checks is elite. He’s got a great first four steps. He moves well pass: laterally across the blue line. He can defend speed off the rush. His puck skills are elite. He can move the puck and has a great sense to find the Skill open man and playing fast.”

Byram’s skill level is interesting. I’ve seen really high-end flashes from Canada U18 GM Alan Millar said: “Byram is as dynamic as any him, but in games his skill typically looks good but nothing special. His defenseman in the . He’s got a lot of upside dekes are subtle, like this play here to go around a check to generate an offensively. He’s going to QB your power play. He’s smart, a good puck- exit. mover.”

Like with his playmaking, what I like about Byram is how he makes plays Projection at full speed. He has the ability to pop due to that. This play here is a combination of his feet, hands and vision at work as he makes a creative give and go, gains the zone with skill and tries to find a teammate. The NHL team that drafts Bowen Byram is getting a very complete defenseman who, despite not turning 18 until a week before the draft, is knocking on the door to play in the league.

Byram may not have the skill level of John Klingberg or the skating of P.K. Subban, but he does everything at a good if not very good level. He’s such a smooth player. His skating and pace of play will translate to the NHL immediately.

In the NHL, Byram will be able to generate clean exist and entries with his skating and passing. He can create offense off the blue line and with his skill. He’ll be able to score goals. He’ll be able to defend good players due to his skating, sense and physicality.

There’s not a whole lot more you can ask for. He projects as a No. 1 defenseman in the NHL.

The Athletic LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145567 Websites his team’s schemes. Watch for that below. It results in a lot of movement without actually accomplishing much — and sometimes goals against:

Sequences like the one below can drive a coach crazy because Honka, The Athletic / Evaluating Anttoni Honka, the 2019 NHL Draft’s most as the right-shot D on his pairing, follows the play into the left-wing corner polarizing player before his man at the net front ultimately scores the goal:

The third of his struggles is on box outs. At 5-foot-10 and 176-pounds, By Scott Wheeler May 28, 2019 Honka isn’t made to clear the front of the net. That’s a legitimate concern and one he will have to overcome in other areas to succeed in the NHL (though there’s room for him to get stronger and boxing out is often about positioning, which is something that can be taught). In the days after I published my final top 100 ranking for the 2019 NHL Draft, I heard from three people in the scouting world (two scouts and a Here, he’s there for the box out this time but he loses the battle and his prospects writer) about the player ranked No. 20, defenceman Anttoni man scores (again): Honka. Here, after doing a decent job on the box out, his skating impacts both One of the scouts shared the sentiment and commended me for still the lost puck race and the way he gets burned on the opposing forward’s believing in the player, despite a lot of noise to the contrary. The other stop up: scout and the prospects writer couldn’t believe it. The former’s team doesn’t have Honka on their draft board at all. The latter was surprised But below the surface, Honka was a product of poor luck despite strong by how high I’d ranked him. All four of us had done the research. We’d all results. That was true in the team-worst PDO he had on both teams had the same discussions and yet, half of us decided that the red flags (including an astonishingly low 90.2 PDO with Jukurit) side-by-side the meant that the player ought not be considered a first-round pick. fact that Honka was also a possession-driver on both teams. He was a 53 percent Corsi For player at 5-on-5 with Jukurit and at 54 percent when A year ago, I was having the same conversations about my 11th-ranked with JYP . In total, his two Liiga teams outshot the opposition 304-267 prospect for the 2018 class, Ryan Merkley. through 27 games for a shot differential of plus-37 at 5-on-5. That’s particularly impressive when you consider that Jukurit was a 45.5 percent And though the two players are different in a lot of ways (Merkley was not possession team (the second-worst in the league) and were outshot by only more talented but also came with more baggage and his ranking 385 attempts at 5-on-5. In that way, he made them better. reflected that), they were, without question, the most polarizing players of their draft year. And while the goals against linger on a viewer, the rest can get lost. It’s there though. So consider this a defence of Anttoni Honka (who wears No. 3 in all of the clips that follow). Honka can do things that most defencemen his age can’t. That’s especially true in a draft that’s as weak on defence as this one is. First, some context: Honka, though not to the level of Merkley, is mega talented. That makes evaluating him at lower levels difficult because he On of the things you notice when you watch Honka for long enough is his can dominate without having to try terribly hard. And though I think he unique hand-eye coordination. Honka has this impressive knack for deserves more credit for how good he was in Finland’s top junior ranks knocking pucks out of mid-air with his stick: this year, or down the stretch in its second-tier pro league Mestis (he was excellent in the Mestis playoffs and that’s not insignificant), this analysis Or keeping pucks alive at the blue line with his feet and a quick kick: will attempt to play devil’s advocate by breaking down his Liiga play. It’s He’s also a slick stickhandler and routinely makes little plays that can pull warranted seeing as he’s on the older side of the draft class and scouts you out of your seat or surprise defenders to create a scoring chance: are right to expect more maturity in his game and because some scouts say his play, as reflected by a minus-14 rating across 24 Liiga games this He’s also a lethal shooter. Not in the wind-up-and-let-it-rip kind of way but season, was awful (hence the shuffling across four different teams this in the modern, wrist pick-his-spot-and-fire-it kind of way. season). Concerns about Honka aren’t concerns about skill, they’re about effort, commitment in the defensive zone, attitude and skating. That isn’t to say he won’t use his one timer. Here, in the dying seconds of a period, he’s smart enough to get it off and powerful enough to nearly While my ranking of him is based off of more than two seasons of score: viewings, this will focus on the last 10 games he played in Liiga this season in order to give you a better sense of the Honka many no longer Here, after feigning shot before delivering a pass, he doesn’t hesitate to believe in. use his one-timer to the crowded net-front:

The two Liiga teams Honka played for this season were JYP, a team that Here, he replicates that play (notice the slight fade to draw the defender finished 10th in the 15-team league and won just 17 of 60 games in out on the pass too): regulation, and Jukurit, a team that finished 14th and won 13 of 60 But the biggest strength of Honka’s shot is his wrister. Honka is one of games in regulation. those players who, rather than leaning into the shot, uses a deceptive In the 10 games I tracked for this evaluation, Honka averaged 18:37 ice- curl-and-drag release to really sling. That elasticity in his stick gives the time and attempted by my count 34 shots (13 of which hit the net) resulting shot a real whip. alongside two goals and two assists. And it’s lethal. When Honka scores they aren’t the kind of goals that In those 10 games, which included seven losses, Honka was on the ice aren’t repeatable or bounce their way in. He scores by cleanly beating for eight of the 32 goals Jukurit surrendered. Two of those goals were goalies. This far side goal from a bad angle speaks to that degree of empty netters, as his team had him on the ice late in a game in an difficulty: attempt to tie it, trusting his offensive skill. And this off-balance wrister is just a laser from the point (you’ll notice he Did the other six goals expose some flaws? Absolutely. keeps the puck in with a quick twitch of his foot there too):

There are three main areas where Honka struggles defensively — the Much of what makes Honka who he is stems from his mentality. You first, is skating. probably noticed above the way he was banging his stick to demand the puck back. There are times where his lack of explosiveness (he’s a strong lateral skater) can cause him some trouble. If he gets back to this puck a little You can see it in everything he does with the puck and a lot of the ways quicker, or is better able to apply pressure on the puck carrier by sticking he moves without it. Honka is one of those rare defencemen who sees with him, the goal doesn’t happen: space and always takes it and that approach is admirable. It’s often the difference between the defencemen who become catalysts at the NHL If he’s confident enough in his skating ability to close this gap, another level and the ones who don’t. goal may have been prevented: Here, on a 5-on-3, after making the simple pass ahead of the entry, The second of his struggles is that he’s a chronic wanderer. Honka strays watch the way Honka attacks the space provided by the man advantage too much in the defensive zone and doesn’t do a great job playing within so that his shot can be used in the slot: That slot push is a recurring trait in Honka’s game, whether he has the puck or not.

Here, he feigns to the outside to draw his man there before sliding off of him and into the slot for a chance:

And when the slot isn’t there, he’ll use his ability as a carrier to attempt to take the puck to the middle of the ice regardless:

These plays can seem inconsequential but you have to consider the player’s options. Ask yourself this: On the above sequence, how many defencemen stop the puck on a clean draw and send it deep for the cycle or go D-to-D? And is that a better play than the decision Honka makes to attempt to create into the collapsed space himself? I’d argue Honka made the right decision, even if it’s the uncommon one.

You’ll notice, too, that Honka doesn’t just force the play to the slot when it’s not there. Honka will take whatever space is provided. The above play began with him driving the puck down the wall as a carrier.

So does this play, before he takes it to the slot:

This drive down the wall is one of those plays that start with Honka without the puck too. Here, he’s driving to force his teammate to give it to him and the play goes from the perimeter to a rebound:

Like with everything in hockey, enough repetition of successful plays results in goals and production too.

This assist — and the creative, high-skill back-pass that creates it — begins with Honka’s decision, in a split second after the draw is won, to drive the puck down the wall as a carrier:

His carry-into-space mentality isn’t limited to the offensive zone either. It’s evident in his ability to exit the zone and play on offence in the neutral zone, which results in those possession stats I talked about.

Watch the way he takes the neutral zone hole the Pelicans have opened up for him for a controlled entry and shot on goal here:

Or the way that he slides off his man to get open for the pass for a shot on goal in transition here:

He’s not just a shooter either. Honka has excellent cross-zone vision that allows him to make soft plays like this that are intended to create for a driving teammate (though the teammate doesn’t always drive):

In the end, I’ll bet on that skill more often than not. When players like Honka put it together they become stars. And late in the first round or early in the second round, I’ll take that risk — especially when the available options are lower-end at their ceiling.

Of the warts — the boxing out, the wandering, and the lack of explosiveness — only the latter is a prohibitive trait because it’s potentially an issue of athleticism.

The results speak for themselves though — and the context of his teams matters. Honka produces, both on the scoresheet and in terms of the underlying numbers that our eyes can miss (especially when those eyes are remembering that goal against). And the eye test reveals some truly unique skills and an approach that teams ought to crave in their defencemen.

Honka is a teenager. Not all of these kids reach the same level of maturity. But if he falls far enough, the talent is high enough to take a leap of faith on — just like it was for Adam Boqvist and Ryan Merkley last year.

Scouting is a game of projection, not immediacy, and Honka has the tools to get there, while still being a better player today than the ugly moments that linger might have many evaluators believe.

The Athletic LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145568 Websites Cunningham, now 28, never was one to heed stop signs. At age 2, he was pushing envelopes in his native city of Trail, British Columbia.

“We used to call him Can-I-Have Cunningham because he was such a The Athletic / ‘I realize how lucky I am’: Craig Cunningham seizes control pest,” Heather Cunningham said. “It was always, ‘Can I have this?’ Or, of his story ‘Can I do that?’

“We spent summers at Christina Lake, and there was this 15-foot bridge By Craig Morgan May 26, 2019 that all the bigger kids would jump off into the river. Craig would always ask, ‘Can I jump off the bridge?’ We’d tell him, ‘No, you can’t jump off the bridge.’ He wasn’t quite 3, but he asked so much that finally it was, ‘OK, Craig jump off the bridge!’ That little bugger jumped off the bridge, went When Craig Cunningham stepped onto the ice at the San Diego Gulls down deep — glug, glug, glug — came back up and asked, ‘Can I do it practice facility in his newly fitted left skate on April 3, there were about again?’ 10 to 15 people there to witness it. Once he posted the video on Instagram, thousands of friends, family, fans and well-wishers shared a “My oldest son, Ryan, was the intellectual. He would do puzzles and read smile. books, but Craig was always out destroying everything. Finally, my husband and I took him to a psychiatrist because we didn’t think he was “I was just so happy for him because I know how important playing was normal. The psychiatrist thought Alvin and I needed the psychiatrist. He to him,” said former Coyotes assistant director of amateur scouting Jeff said there was nothing wrong with Craig. We just couldn’t figure out his Twohey, who helped set up the skate by connecting Cunningham with energy.” Gulls coach Dallas Eakins. “Not that he’s going to be able to play again, but I know how good that made him feel.” Alvin Cunningham was scheduled to meet the family at Christina Lake on a summer day in 1996 when he stopped to pick up some supplies after There was a Zen-like calm on Cunningham’s face as glided across a work. He never made it to the lake. Alvin died at the scene of a one- surface so familiar and so significant to him ever since he started playing vehicle accident shortly before Craig’s sixth birthday. at age 4. To Cunningham, however, the moment was no feel-good conclusion to a near-death experience, no pretty bow on a story set to “When his dad died, Craig’s world changed,” Heather said, fighting back piano music. It was just another stride toward a greater goal. And there is tears. “The sense of fear was massive, and it took everything I had to get so much more work ahead. him to go to school. He would always ask, ‘What would happen to us if you died now? Where would we go?’ He never left my side. Even when “It just felt like there was a little bit of regularity back in life,” he said. “I he would go to school, at recess he would run down to the office and ask, grew up on the ice, so to have that taken away from you — not just the ‘Can I phone home?’ He phoned home three times a day for years. game and playing at a high level, but even being on the ice — it was hard. I have a passion for it, and it just takes your mind off everything “When Alvin died, I moved into the small bedroom and bought three else when you’re out there. single beds and moved the boys into the master and they slept like that until the day they left home. Before bed, Craig would always take my “It’s cool that so many people watched it. I’m grateful for all the help so hand and make sure all the doors and windows were locked before we many people have given me along the way, and it’s great to inspire went to bed, and then he would climb into his own bed. In the morning people, but honestly, you don’t just want to be known as the guy who lost when I’d go to get them up for school, he’d be in bed with one of his his leg. It’s a tough thing to be scooting around every day and hearing brothers (Ryan or Mitchell). He just couldn’t sleep alone.” comments from people. You don’t want that to be your profile. You don’t want the leg to define you. You’d rather hear, ‘Yeah, that’s the guy who With Alvin gone, Heather had neither the financing nor the manpower to went through some shit, but look where he is now.’” keep up with her three boys’ extracurricular activities. She made her home a daycare for 25 years to make ends meet, and she leaned on The starting point for the next chapter in Cunningham’s story came on various families in the town or on the boys’ teams to lend a hand with Nov. 19, 2016, when he collapsed on the Tucson Arena ice before the their transportation to events. Trail hockey legend Ray Ferraro, now an Roadrunners’ American Hockey League game against the Manitoba analyst for TSN and NBCSN, was still playing with the Los Angeles Kings Moose. Cunningham suffered an acute cardiac arrest caused by when he and his son, Landon, met Craig. Heather said Ray phoned not ventricular fibrillation. His heart stopped beating, he lapsed into a coma, long after Alvin died and told her: “I am going to look after you. Whatever medical staff performed CPR on him for 83 minutes, and at multiple you need for hockey, I’m there for you.” points, doctors told his mother, Heather, that she might want to say her goodbyes. Cunningham considers himself lucky to have survived that “The first word that comes to mind when I think of Craig is relentless,” ordeal, but it came at a cost: His left leg was amputated below the knee, Ray Ferraro said. “He’s a relentlessly good person. He’s relentlessly and his dream of an NHL playing career was over. protective of his mom and his family, and I can confidently say that nobody worked harder or tried to be better more than Craig. Cunningham recently discussed that well-chronicled incident (and more) on the Unnamed Hockey Podcast with Twohey and Ryan Lalonde, but in “We still have pictures of Landon and Craig sitting on a curb as little the ensuing 30 months, he has largely moved on from that life-altering guys, just itching for their turn to go in and play ball hockey. I remember event. He can jog two to three miles with one of several prosthetics him sitting at my kitchen table with no shirt on because he never had a designed by Peter Harsch Prosthetics, he is working on a new heart- shirt on, and I can remember practices, describing a drill to 14-, 15- and monitoring app that should launch in June through the Craig Cunningham 16-year-olds, and Craig always had to shoot an extra puck. You’d start to All Heart Foundation, he will add Western amateur scouting to his pro explain a drill and then, crash! This puck would go off the glass, you’d scouting duties for the Coyotes next season, and on Tuesday, he will lose your train of thought and Craig would skate in and say, ‘Oh, sorry head to Maui for a weeklong, all-expenses-paid vacation courtesy of the about that.’” Coyotes, equipped with “a scooter on steroids” to get around on the beach and hiking trails. Heather Cunningham often suggested that Craig take a day off from hockey, but he never could turn that switch off. The inner drive kept him “Do I miss playing?” he asked. “Fuck, yeah, I miss playing. Do I miss going on his 400-kilometer bus rides every weekend from Kelowna to being in the locker room every day and the camaraderie and the hard Vancouver after the Giants drafted him as a bantam. That drive helped practices and the wins and losses? I miss all that, but I’m at peace with him make the Giants’ roster as a 16-year-old and win a Memorial Cup in my injury, and I realize how lucky I am that I made it out of that situation his first season in the Western Hockey League. pretty unscathed. “When he came to camp, to be honest, we didn’t expect him to play as a “The only reason I’m not fully at peace is because I can’t get this 16-year-old for us,” said Craig Bonner, who was an assistant coach and goddamn leg to fit right, and it’s kind of holding me back a little bit. Since the assistant GM of the Giants at the time, and now works as a scout for my injury, I’ve had about 20 surgeries. Once I get it right — get about six the Dallas Stars. “He just worked so hard, and he was such a likable, months out without restrictions — I’ll be completely at peace, so I’ll easy kid to coach that he forced our hand. I know it was a stressful time continue to strive and bug these surgeons and prosthetic people until I’m for his mom and him, moving away from home, but he earned his way, happy and I’m where I want to be.” just like he has at every level.”

The relentless runt A new goal Before Cunningham lost his leg to amputation, former Coyotes coach God’s work Dave Tippett visited him in the hospital. Tippett promised him there would be a spot for him in the organization, and he told Cunningham to Cunningham met Harsch at a running clinic hosted by the Challenged consider which path might suit him. When he lost the leg, Cunningham Athletes Foundation in Tucson. The two forged a friendship that led to knew the doctors visits and the adjustment to his prosthetic would limit multiple foundation collaborations, and Harsch has built a handful of his freedom initially, so he chose pro scouting as a way to learn the prosthetics for Cunningham, including the skating prosthetic he used in business while maintaining the flexibility his condition would require. that viral video. It’s a combination of carbon fiber, titanium and high- grade aircraft aluminum that eliminated the traditional skate boot. On those days when his condition limited Cunningham’s mobility, the Coyotes allowed him to Watch video rather than attending games, and “The biggest issue was the weight of the boot,” Cunningham said. “The that experience offered him a greater appreciation for the advantages of prosthetic is already foreign, dead weight and it feels heavy. Skates the film room vs. the still-valuable, in-person experience. today are super light, but that extra bit of weight was still hard to manage because the prosthetic is already heavy. When I would stride out and pull In his first year, Cunningham scouted Florida, Tampa Bay, Dallas, in, it almost felt like the skate was pulling off with the weight. Colorado and Carolina, along with their AHL affiliates. Last season, he scouted Winnipeg, St. Louis, Dallas and Colorado, reconnecting with “When I Googled Images, I saw an image of a guy that had a Tuuk Dave Warsofsky, his roommate and teammate with the Providence (Bauer blade) mounted onto a plate. I brought it to (Peter) and he said, Bruins, who is now in the Colorado Avalanche system. ‘Yeah that’s the easiest thing ever.’ I flew to San Diego, they had it ready in one day and I was on the ice the next day.” “It’s literally a whole new world for him,” Warsofsky said. “I don’t want to say scouting is on the bottom rung, but these guys travel a lot and it’s a Harsch said there was a little bit of trial and error involved in the process, hard job. It’s crazy how positive he is through all this.” but the video everyone saw was actually Cunningham’s first time using the prosthetic he and his staff created. Bonner and Ferraro told Cunningham that being away from the team environment would be the hardest adjustment. It was. “To be honest, basic anatomical fitting principles were not being met with the prosthetics he had tried before,” Harsch said. “A lot of the stuff they “I was on the road probably 20 days a month,” Cunningham said. “It’s a were putting on him was very expensive, but I didn’t use more expensive lot of travel and time away, and the first couple months are tough technology. I told him, ‘Let’s go back to basics with no bells or whistles. because you don’t really know anyone. You’re just introducing yourself. Let’s just get you comfortable.’” This year was a lot better because I had built some relationships and when you have one area you cover, there’s usually another guy that has Harsch’s company specializes in prosthetics for military veterans, that area, too, so you run into him a lot and it makes it a little less lonely particularly blast victims. The company services 17 VAs, Israeli soldiers, on the road. soldiers from the Republic of Georgia and multiple athletes, including a 74-year-old woman who lost her leg and has completed the Ironman “The good part of all the travel is it hasn’t given me a lot of down time to World Championship three times, and mountain climber Kirstie Ennis, feel sorry for myself. When you’re on the road scouting, you’re not who has already summited Kilimanjaro and Indonesia’s Puncak Jaya. thinking about anything else. I got into a good routine with working out and finding restaurants and eating good meals and sometimes bringing “You’re doing God’s work because you’re giving people hope,” Harsch meals to games because my first year on the job, I gained 17 or 18 said. “Everybody is happier when they are working out — healthy body, pounds. I wasn’t as active as I wanted to be, and the hotels don’t have healthy mind. the cardio machines I need. All the scouts make fun of me now because I “It was a total team effort here. It wasn’t just me, but we almost hit out of bring my own meals from Whole Foods.” the park on the first try and to get him back on the ice, you’re giving Cunningham has leaned on a lot of scouts for advice, including New somebody a chance at life again.” Jersey’s Claude Noel, Bonner, Twohey and the Coyotes staff, but he has Cunningham isn’t on solid ice just yet. After that San Diego skate, he also brought value to the table. developed some sharp ectopic bone, a couple of neuromas and a bursa “At the last (Coyotes) development camp, I was the only other scout sac, necessitating another surgery about six weeks ago. there and between sessions, we would go sit by the hotel pool and talk “Once I get my leg to a stable point where it’s healthy and the tissue is about junior hockey and scouting and players that we knew and from healed and I find the right fit, I should be able to go for two to three years there it morphed into what I thought was a really good friendship,” before I need a new one,” he said. “When you get a leg that fits and you Twohey said. “He would ask why we drafted guys or why we didn’t, and rehab the right way and strengthen the right muscles, there’s really he’d give his thoughts on them. It was a lot of back and forth, but we nothing you can’t do.” talked a lot about what you see in people that causes them to be successful. Looking forward

“I stressed to him that he has a lot to offer and not to undervalue himself. Cunningham hasn’t given much thought to what comes next in his I told him to do it for the right reasons — not because you don’t think you career. can get a job somewhere else or it’s an ego thing — but it’s clear he has “I’d be lying to you if I told you scouting is what I want to do for the rest of a passion for it. He studies players, and he’s not afraid to ask questions. my life,” he said. “You have goals, and you want to move up in an The more you do it, the more you develop your own philosophy on what organization, but I haven’t navigated or thought much about it. The you think is important in players, and that is really coming forward with Coyotes have given me a fantastic opportunity to learn and sit in on Craig right now.” trade-deadline meetings and free-agency talks and see the draft process. In addition to their scouting meetings, the Coyotes host periodic The coaching staff in Tucson has been great about letting me sit in and conference calls where they discuss prospects and philosophies. learn, and (Coyotes coaches) Rick Tocchet and Scottie Allen have President of hockey operations John Chayka relies on a wide variety of reached out, too. voices for input during those meetings and calls, including assistant GM “I was told by an older guy when I was playing that when you’re a young Steve Sullivan, director of scouting Lindsay Hofford and his staff, skating guy in the room, less talk and more listen is the way to go — mouth shut, coach Lars Hepso and mental performance consultant Brenley Shapiro. ears open. Scouting is a very selfless job done behind closed doors with Chayka said Cunningham holds his own in those talks. no real recognition on the exterior, but there’s so many people working so hard for a franchise that know so much more than you. It’s just cool to “He lights up a room, actually,” Chayka said. “When we have some of be a part of a team like that.” these grinding scouting meetings where we are going over depth charts and watching video of guys and doing things that can get monotonous, While Ferraro acknowledges concern about the stress such a job could Cunny always finds a way to persevere and bring energy and enthusiasm put on Cunningham’s heart, he believes Cunningham is destined for a and humor. different role in the NHL.

“Losing his leg was obviously a life- and plan-altering event for him, but “It is pretty incredible that John Chayka has given him this opportunity as he has done with everything else, he took it in stride and is turning it from the ground up to learn about scouting and an organization, very into a positive. He has come a long, long way in terms of his ability to laudable, but because I know Craig, I believe there is something far more evaluate players.” ahead of him,” Ferraro said. “He’s a communicator, a connective guy. I don’t know too many people who talk as much as I do, but he’s one of them. He needs to be around people.

“To me, scouting is a solitary, single-task or focus kind of job, and Craig’s personality is bigger than that. The really good scouts I know can go to a game and they don’t need to talk to one person. You see their name on the seating chart and you think, ‘Oh, I didn’t know he was here.’ I think Craig will be successful at whatever he chooses to do, but I just see him being around the team more, whether that’s in player development or coaching or something else.”

One place Cunningham swears he won’t find himself is dwelling on the past. Heather’s father lost the use of all four limbs after an auto accident, and she concedes it is hard to understand why a similar fate befell her son. When Craig catches her in one of those moments, he nudges her back into the present.

“He’ll say, ‘Mom, are you looking backwards?’” Heather said. “‘I told you, you can’t look backwards. You can only look forwards.’”

Cunningham’s forward-thinking mindset is a lesson he learned from the woman he is advising.

“You’re fine with disappointing some people; you never want to disappoint your mom,” he said. “Laying in my hospital room, she said, ‘I know you’ll never give up.’ Honestly, that’s because of her. Other than my own will and wants, the biggest thing that has helped me through this is my mom; just seeing everything she has been through and seeing how she has handled it and never given up.”

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“If I were to sit back and resign myself to the fact that is how I am now and I can’t do this and that, I’m not sure if that would disappoint my mom but I know that seeing me push through things every day really brightens her day,” he added. “She has been the one person in my life that always supported me no matter what decision I made. All my will and determination has come from her. My mom showed me real life obstacles and that not everything is great all the time, but you never give up.

“If I were to think about the past all the time it would be a long life thinking what if? The past is the past and it’s a great story, but where do you go from there?”

That part of the Craig Cunningham story has yet to be written.

“I say to people, ‘My kid lost his life,’” Heather said. “Not his beating-heart life, but he lost the life that he had set for himself. That was taken away from him.

“He had to find a new way to live and he has done that. He’s building a new life that means as much to him, but in a different way.”

The Athletic LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145569 Websites potential, which is excellent, but also they’re getting used to playing hockey deep into the spring,” said Dubas. “At the very least, it’s been mid-May that they’ve played to, and that would be the earliest the team’s Sportsnet.ca / Leafs' Dubas on other teams coveting Keefe: 'We would ever been done.” never stand in his way' The GM just witnessed some of Keefe’s best work in a season that ended Sunday with a double-overtime loss to Charlotte in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final. That was much farther than many expected Chris Johnston | May 28, 2019, 8:22 PM the Marlies to go in a year where they were defending the Calder Cup, but had to weather all kinds of storms along the way.

Dubas pointed to the loss of goalies Curtis McElhinney and Calvin Kyle Dubas recognizes that one of the Toronto Maple Leafs prospects Pickard on waivers right before the season, which was a huge blow to with the greatest potential for upward mobility right now is the man the organizational depth at that position. He also cited the trade of Carl standing behind the bench in the American Hockey League. Grundstrom as part of the Jake Muzzin deal with Los Angeles, the fact It seems like only a matter of time before the NHL comes calling for Sam Gagner bounced back and forth a couple times on loan from Sheldon Keefe. Vancouver, numerous injuries to key contributors and the absence of players who made the jump to the Leafs. “Oh yeah. Yeah. I don’t think at this point you would find anyone who would probably doubt that,” Dubas said Tuesday night, after finalizing a “I think this year more than ever, I was very proud of the way the veteran two-year extension with Keefe to remain Marlies head coach. players on the team and the coaching staff were able to find their way through the season,” said Dubas. “They didn’t make any excuses, they “He’s earned the right through the team success and through the were able to forge their own identity and find a way to become very development of players to certainly be considered … for any [NHL] competitive. Go from a team well outside the playoff picture to the opening. I’m very happy for him, for that, and I think he certainly is right in conference final and it allowed for some huge growth among some of our that mix now.” top young prospects in particular and I think the credit for that has to be spread around, but with Sheldon and [Marlies GM] Laurence [Gilman] That’s why the Leafs general manager felt so good about keeping Keefe sort of guiding it, I think they deserve a lot of credit with the coaching inside the organization during a critical period where player development staff, our development staff and the leadership of the group. will take on even greater importance with the draft picks being made later and the salary cap squeeze being felt tighter. “It was fun to see, especially some of the younger players evolve into leaders themselves.” As natural as it seems from afar to view Keefe as Mike Babcock’s eventual successor behind the Leafs bench, that presupposes the It was the kind of season that further cemented Keefe’s credentials as a answers to a couple questions that can’t possibly be known today: future NHL coach.

1. How much success will the NHL team have next season in what is All he’s waiting for now is the call-up. clearly a ‘take-a-step-forward-or-else’ campaign following three consecutive first-round exits under Babcock? Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 05.29.2019

2. What kind of outside opportunities will be presented to Keefe?

There’s certainly no guarantee the timing will align for him in Toronto, especially since Dubas doesn’t view the new two-year contract as an ironclad promise Keefe will remain with the Marlies through spring 2021.

“If there’s an upward move for anybody in our organization, I think we would never stand in their way and hold them back,” he said. “This contract isn’t really done to prevent that or anything of that nature. It’s just with them playing late [in the playoffs] again and a lot of the [NHL] jobs closing already, it’s a bit of a double-edged sword for Sheldon in that way.

“You know, if there were an upward move that people wanted to talk to him about and that he wanted to explore, he’s earned that. We would never stand in his way.”

One thing that was never really contemplated in a serious way by Leafs management this spring was having Keefe join Babcock’s evolving staff for next season. Assistants D.J. Smith and Jim Hiller have moved on, with Paul McFarland already hired to fill one of those openings, but Dubas didn’t even speak with Keefe about potentially filling the other.

“With the Marlies just being done, we haven’t really had any discussions about that,” he said. “I think in knowing Sheldon … it’s been very clear that his preference has been to remain as a head coach rather than moving to any assistant jobs. That’s always been consistent with him.”

Speaking with reporters at the Marlies locker cleanout availability on Tuesday, Keefe called his post “the best job outside of the NHL.”

“I recognize just how much of a privilege it is,” he added.

The 38-year-old has compiled remarkable numbers during his four years in charge of the Marlies, not to mention the two seasons he spent working under Dubas with the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds before that.

In the AHL, Keefe’s teams have a combined winning percentage of .668 and appeared in 12 playoff series. They’ve also graduated several players to the Leafs during that period and remained highly competitive in the process.

“[They’ve] done a great job of building the exact culture we want at that level of our organization, which is that the players are maximizing their 1145570 Websites “It all comes down to the time that you defend. If you defend more than you are in the offensive zone, guess what? Your points are going to go down.”

Sportsnet.ca / Oilers' Ken Holland, Dave Tippett preach stability as new It’s simple, common sense. Something there has been a paucity of era begins around an organization that made some real head-scratching deals over the past four seasons.

Mark Spector | May 28, 2019, 4:49 PM They always found a salve here in firing the head coach, but like the Cleveland Browns, that exercise turned into the definition of insanity.

On Tuesday it became Dave Tippett’s team, three weeks after it had EDMONTON — Ken Holland was telling a story about meeting an become Ken Holland’s organization. That’s 37 years of GM/head Edmonton Oilers employee the other day. coaching experience — double that in terms of time spent in the National Hockey League. The employee said, “You’re my fifth (general) manager since I started here!” If these guys can’t do it in Edmonton? Then it can’t be done.

“Wow, when did you start?” asked Holland, thinking he was speaking Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 05.29.2019 with an organizational oldtimer.

Employee: “In 2011.”

As the Oilers unveil Dave Tippett as the 16th coach in team history — or the seventh head coach in Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ nine-year NHL career next season — it is clear that simply hiring another smart coach is only part of the issue. Todd McLellan was/is a smart coach, and he is now down the road with the rest of ‘em.

“Stability,” promised Holland. “A stable environment.”

“I’ve coached two teams,” echoed Tippett. “One for seven years. The other for eight years.”

As you looked at the podium for the latest coaching hire in Edmonton on Tuesday, you saw a 22-year general manager in Holland flanked by a 15-year head coach in Tippett. We’ll say this now: If these two can’t get under the hood of this organization and find out where the knock is, then nobody can.

In Tippett, the Oilers hire a guy who was inventing his own analytics back in 1995, when he got his first coaching job as an assistant coach in IHL Houston. “I’ve been doing (analytics) for a lot longer than you guys have been talking about it,” laughed the 57-year-old, who played 721 NHL games and has coached another 1,114 in Dallas and Arizona.

He grew up in Saskatchewan, mostly Prince Albert, and like the province his teams have a penchant for punching above their weight — especially in Arizona. Over time, Tippett built up an extraordinary 50-16-7 record versus Edmonton. Even when those Coyotes rosters appeared overmatched, they stole points from an Oilers team that could be outworked, or whose lack of structure was ripe for exploitation.

“Maximize every player. That’s a coach’s responsibility,” he said. “You can battle, you can be hungrier, you can have work ethic. There is never an excuse not to win.”

An interesting exchange occurred after the formal press conference when a few reporters dug in on Tippett’s reputation as a defensive coach. It’s a reference that irks him, you can tell, and he was happy to challenge anyone who wondered aloud if his coaching style would impinge on the productivity of 100-point players Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl.

“Would those two be allowed to step outside his structure to create offence?” he was asked.

“Define structure,” Tippett replied. “Tell me what structure is?”

“OK,” said another scribe, re-wording the question. “Would a 100-point player end up with less points, after satisfying your system?”

“The word ‘system’ is so overused,” Tippett began. “Which system are you talking about? Are you talking offensive zone forecheck? Neutral zone forecheck? D-zone coverage? System without the puck? System with the puck? Power play? Penalty kill?

“It’s (how you) play with the puck, and how you play without the puck, five-on-five. When you have the puck, you have to create offence. How are you going to do that? When you don’t have the puck, you have to get it back. So, put yourself in a position to get it back, and defend your net.

“I go the other way: If you defend less, you’re going to be a better team. Breaking out of your own end, winning battles in your own end, recovering rebounds or loose pucks that allow you to get out of your own end quicker… Not turning it over in the neutral zone so it comes back to your end. 1145571 Websites more pucks, we didn’t get enough traffic around him — tips, screens. We didn’t make it very hard on him tonight.”

The high-danger chances were 10-3 in favour of Boston, which also Sportsnet.ca / Torey Krug's monster hit punctuates Blues' unravelling vs. authored 60 per cent of the game’s shot attempts. Bruins “It started with penalties. We took too many penalties, and then the second period we didn’t play very good,” defenceman Jay Bouwmeester Luke Fox | May 28, 2019, 1:32 AM said.

Take five mostly careless minors — including Perron’s offensive-zone trip of Danton Heinen — against the playoff’s best power-play squad, one BOSTON – David Perron was scrounging for a momentum jolt, that rolled through three rounds at a 34 per cent clip, and you can’t act unfortunately he ended up providing one for the wrong team. shocked when you get burned.

By pretzelling and pounding away at Torey Krug deep in the Blues zone “You have five penalties, it takes a lot of guys out of the game, and that and well away from the play, Perron was hoping the Boston Bruins burns up a lot of energy from other guys that are killing all the time. It’s defenceman might get agitated, throw an extra shot and commit a too much,” coach Craig Berube lamented. penalty. “We’ve got to be more disciplined. Calls are calls. That’s the way it goes, After seizing a 2-0 lead one minute into the second period, the Blues and we’re not going to complain about it. We’ve just got to be better.” spent the next 39 minutes under siege, undisciplined and overwhelmed. So, Perron pulled out the kitchen sink and pulled off Krug’s helmet. Boston outshot their visitors 18-3 in the middle frame, and St. Louis endured an excruciating 12:49 stretch in the middle of its loss without a “I don’t know what kind of Twister game they were playing in front of our puck on net, a steak that was snapped by a long-range Patrick Maroon net,” David Backes said. muffin that hit Rask smack in the logo.

Desperate times call for bizarre measures. The Blues are smarter than this, better than this. Much. They need to show it. “When you feel like you’re not generating momentum, you try to do something to change it — personally, for example,” Perron explained of “There was no flow. We didn’t have the flow of the lines one after another the play. “You’re trying to generate momentum. It’s a long series. You’re getting to our game, getting on the forecheck. It was sporadic, so we trying to show them it’s not going to be an easy one, regardless of the didn’t get it turned around good enough,” Berube said. “It’s obviously a score.” big thing. We’ve been real disciplined most of all playoffs, pretty much. We weren’t tonight.” Instead of going off for a change, a livid, bucket-free Krug raced down the ice to join the action and bowled over Blues rookie Robert Thomas And that played right into the Bruins’ hands. something nasty at peak glide. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 05.29.2019 Torrey Krug is a savage

— Matt Dumba (@matt_dumba) May 28, 2019

The check sent the locals onto their feet and into a frenzy, cheering as loud for The Hit as any of the four unanswered Bruins goals or the showings of Patriots owner Robert Kraft (waving a rally towel) or country star Chase Rice (chugging a beer) on the Jumbotron.

“Oh. That gave me some goosebumps,” Backes said. “He thinks he’s playing 30 or 40 years ago. That was an exchange that was Torey Krug establishing himself in this series.”

Added David Pastrnak: “He just got a haircut a couple of days ago, so he was looking pretty good.”

Krug’s ability to make an impact on the game without committing a penalty provided an exclamation mark on a Bruins’ 4-2 Game 1 victory Monday that felt more like 8-2, as the Blues squandered a superb road start and were dismantled in clinical fashion by the more experienced home side.

Until this loss, the quick-starting Blues had gone 9-1 this post-season in games they had scored in the first six minutes. But the poised and soaring Bruins, now winners of eight straight, are a different animal.

When it unravelled for St. Louis, it did so spectacularly.

“You could feel them coming, and they were coming hard,” rookie goaltender Jordan Binnington said. “The rink was buzzing.”

Boston flexed its depth, generating goals from active defencemen and engaged fourth-liners. When the Bruins decided to nullify the Blues’ frightening forecheck, they looked slow and out of sorts.

Repeatedly, they pleaded with referees Steve Kozari and Kelly Sutherland for make-up calls that never came. It was as if they knew generating quality chances 5-on-5 was a lost cause.

“We didn’t get to our game at all. We turned over pucks, didn’t support each other, started flipping the puck a lot, weren’t making a whole lot of plays. It forced us to defend a lot,” said Brayden Schenn, who scored the Blues’ first goal and set up winger Vladimir Tarasenko for the other.

“What did we have, 15? 16 shots? [Actually, 20 on Tuukka Rask.] That’s not enough. He’s a world-class goaltender. We’ve got to not only shoot 1145572 Websites "They are the biggest influencers out there, so if you can somehow grab their influencers because of them performing at an NHL event, that’s so incredibly valuable to us."

Sportsnet.ca / How one NHL game turned Lil Nas X into a hockey fan Mayer’s first big win at the NHL level was the display in Nashville at the ’16 Cup Final, when puck-loving mega stars like Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood and the sights of Broadway created a unique and beautiful Luke Fox | May 28, 2019, 4:52 PM sports/entertainment marriage.

Yes, country music and hockey can mix well.

BOSTON – Lil Nas X cheesed for a selfie with the Stanley Cup, rocked "I think so," Lil Nas says. "One hundred per cent." an outdoor throng 20,000-plus deep at Boston’s City Hall Plaza with the No. 1 hit in the country eight weeks running while wearing a personalized When Mayer saw the often-stoic athletes light up upon seeing Snoop Bruins sweater and one of the more outlandish pair of cowboy boots Dogg walk into their dressing room at the 2017 All-Star Game in L.A., you’ll ever see, then galloped off-stage giddy and aglow. and P.K. Subban join the rapper onstage, he knew he had to build on that relationship. "I’ve never been too big on sports, but for the Bruins, we’re going all the way. Let’s do it. Yeah!" the 20-year-old country/trap sensation beamed The YouTube educational series Hockey 101 with Snoop Dogg was born. backstage. The clips went viral, as did Snoop’s drop-in this season to the Kings play- by-play booth. "My favourite sport, if I had choose, as of right now, it has to be hockey, y’know? Let’s do it." "Those are the moments in sports, people — I don’t care whether you’re a basketball fan or a football fan — you watch that. That’s when we’re Despite growing up in Atlanta, former home to the Thrashers, the artist winning in the NHL," Mayer said. born Montero Hill had never attended a hockey game until Monday’s Stanley Cup Final opener, and yet the Bruins’ newest fan was still "This is all about how you cut through the clutter, how you make people accurate in his pre-game prediction. What did he expect? go, ‘Oh! Look at the scene in Nashville. Wow, look, Carrie Underwood is singing the national anthem.’" "Intense hockey playing," Lil Nas X bubbled. "It’s going to be sick." Unprompted, DeBrusk mentions last year’s Panic at the Disco! That the artist with the hottest song in the country was selected to open performance on a raft at the Las Vegas Bellagio fountains. And folks in the Stanley Cup Final in an untraditional concert venue about two Zdeno D.C. were awestruck that Sting and Shaggy performed on the steps of Chara slappers away from TD Garden was significant and by design. the National Portrait Gallery, loudly reminding a football, baseball, basketball and political town that hockey was touching down. In December 2015, the NHL hired nine-time Emmy Award–winning executive producer Steve Mayer to take over the scope and sounds of its Sure, the NHL may never have the pop-culture cache of the NBA. You major events, all-star games, outdoor spectacles and Cup Finals. won’t see Drake giving Craig Berube a shoulder massage during a timeout anytime soon. And Mayer has made it his mission to think bigger and bolder. He wants a splash. But by thinking big and taking risks, Mayer’s team can grow the sport’s following. Heck, all Lil Nas X needed was one night, one song, one "We need to be a little more current. I love AC/DC, but ‘Black in Black’ game. every single night… we have to look at what’s the new wave of music and make it a little more hipper," Mayer recently explained on the NHL’s He’s a Bruins fan now, converted overnight. Executive Suite podcast. "Every event needs to be just that — an event. "All the way," he says. "I’m gonna be at every game from now on." "Yes, it is a championship, but did you feel like it was any different than the game you watched two weeks ago? I want people when they watch Music to Mayer’s ears. one of our events to go, ‘Wow, inside, outside, look at all these people.’" Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 05.29.2019 Police had to stop the flood of giddy Bostonians to the stage as the sun set on Memorial Day for the free Cup hype concert by Lil Nas and country star Chase Rice, whose "Eyes on You" has been on the Billboard chart for 13 weeks and who would later chug a full beer during a mid- game Jumbotron cameo.

The scene outside did not go unnoticed by the players themselves.

"As a fan, just being part of that would be amazing," Jake DeBrusk said Tuesday, still wearing his earflap toque from the Winter Classic in late May. "Seeing the city buzzing like that, it sets the tone for watching on TV the game that’s gonna come. You saw it yesterday. I saw some of it on the Bruins’ Instagram story and thought, ‘Wow, just packed out there. It’s a jungle.’ Cool to see."

Lil Nas X’s "Old Town Road" is an unescapable phenomenon.

"I’m not a country guy, so I didn’t like the song originally, and the boys were playing it just to piss me off. But then it really grew on me," DeBrusk smiles. "It’s got a great beat. People love it. When we play it in our warmups here, people are buzzing. Great tune."

So to not only have Lil Nas perform but sign hockey-loving kids’ foreheads (among other special requests) and tweet out his exploits to 842,000 his followers isn’t just good fun. It’s good business.

Lil Nas X, for instance, helped plug his forthcoming EP, 7, by selecting a Bruins jersey with that number. Rice has 1.09 million followers. It’s a play to snatch the casual fan.

"We’re looking for bigger, grander, better, and it doesn’t really matter the genre. We’re really into the popularity of artists because we are seeing the effects of their world, their followers," Mayer said. 1145573 Websites We’ve identified some specific areas and now you start that process of bettering yourself and a lot of that happens internally, talking with sever players and having internal growth.

Sportsnet.ca / Q&A: Flames GM Brad Treliving on playoff It’s my job as a manager to continue to look at if there are some external disappointment, off-season plans ways to help us.

This is a good team.

Eric Francis | May 28, 2019, 2:16 PM Rightly so, the most important time of the season is the playoffs — we get focused on nine days — but we have a tendency to forget the growth this team has taken. At the conclusion of the Calgary Flames’ first-round face-plant, GM Brad Treliving insisted he needed time to assess how his team went from This was a team that was picking fourth overall five years ago to a team finishing tops in the west to being ousted by the Avalanche in five games. that won a division title in the regular season and won a . More than five weeks later he was finally able to talk about some of the team’s springtime shortfalls, which included an inability to use the speed Everybody wants instant results and wants everything to change, and and attack mentality they thrived on during the regular season. that’s not reality.

In a wide-ranging interview Tuesday from the scouting combine in We’ve taken significant steps and it’s our job to continue to improve the Buffalo, Treliving also addressed Johnny Gaudreau’s playoff struggles, team because everybody else is getting better. the importance internal growth will play in his team’s evolution, trade It’s not lost we accomplished some good things — we’ve built a strong speculation, the free buffet at the draft and his focus on signing Matthew team. Tkachuk, David Rittich and other free agents: But you have to continue to get better. Sportsnet: You’ve had plenty of time to digest and delve into your team’s playoff failure. Have you uncovered why the team underachieved when it Given the team’s lofty achievements during the regular season, is mattered most? managing expectations a big part of moving forward?

Treliving: Everybody wants to put it in a nice little box and have all the We have high expectations of ourselves. I think externally everybody answers, but it’s not that easy. tends to ride the wave. So when the record becomes good, expectations rise. If you want to become a good team, you’re going to have high When we watch the games again and break things down, at second expectations. blush some guys did better than I thought and some guys didn’t do as well. Obviously collectively we didn’t do enough. We don’t pay a lot of attention to what’s going on outside our room.

As a hockey department, with our coaches and scouts, we have We know the people, character and ability we have. formalized a plan we want to move forward with here. You can have high expectations, but you have to manage the process of We’ll see how the weeks and month unfold. The general statement is how to get there. It’s a daily process — it doesn’t just happen. we’ve got to get better. Not all of that is just airlifting in people. We think there are some areas we can improve on internally and we’re going to be Because you have a really good regular season doesn’t mean you’re better off for the experiences we went through. going to have success in the playoffs — it doesn’t just happen like that.

We’re in a competitive market and a competitive business so we don’t We have a strong foundation here. want to announce we’re going to do this, that and the other, but there are Was lack of size or pushback an issue in the playoffs? certainly areas we’ve identified to improve. No. What were the hits in the games? You’ve got to have a blend in the Livestream every game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, blackout-free. Plus league. stream the Blue Jays & MLB, Raptors and NBA Playoffs matchups and more. Everybody grabs themes. Last year I think the theme was ‘there was no character on the team.’ Does that mean significant change is in the works like last year when you altered the culture with a new coach and a significant trade? To me, to have success you have to be able to play the game all the different ways it is played. So we’ve got to make sure our team is as At the end of the day who knows what’s going to happen, but the idea diverse as it can be. that we’re going to take all of our young or core players and change them, that’s not going to happen. In your eyes, what happened to Johnny Gaudreau in the playoffs? After tying for seventh in regular season scoring he had just one playoff Every year teams change. In a couple weeks somebody is going to win assist? the Stanley Cup and I can guarantee you there will be changes to that team. To me it wasn’t a question of, ‘what happened in the playoffs?’ He’s going to get paid attention to because he’s a top player. Change is part of our league. It happens for a whole bunch of different reasons — financial plays a big role in that. He had lots of chances but the puck didn’t go in for him. He’s not the first player that’s going to happen to. We’re looking to make some improvements in our team as we do every year, but we’re not out there saying we have to turn over this roster. We don’t question anything about Johnny’s will, want or drive.

It’s not just about changing the faces. We have to work with some people He had 99 points in the regular season — those guys are going to have to help change their games a little bit. attention paid to him. We have to find ways to better support him and lessen the load. Captain Mark Giordano suggested the team played it too safe in the post- season, didn’t attack and couldn’t find a way to stop Colorado’s The top guys are always going to have huge responsibility when the momentum. Fair comment? game is the most critical.

That’s probably fair. We didn’t generate enough and we didn’t defend Game 5 is a perfect example — he had three breakaways but they didn’t well enough. I don’t know if there’s a third one. (chuckling) go in. He was generating a ton.

You’re either generating or defending, and we were poor on both sides. It’s another learning experience. Everybody talks about experience, but you have to go through these things to get the experience. The question is why? He’ll be better equipped the next time he gets in that situation. I didn’t think we played with the speed that we did in the regular season. I thought we gave up a lot, which was uncommon for us in the regular I have zero concern about anything to do with Johnny. He’s a driven guy season. who has proven to be a top guy in this league. During the regular season we were a deep team and I thought we had I’m not going to make predictions about camp, but we’ve shown in the support though the lineup, but you have to have that at the most past we will turn over every stone and be as aggressive as we can be to important time too. help our team.

What would you categorize as your top priority this summer in terms of We’ll continue to do that. addressing team needs? We’re talking about a team that had 107 points and 50 wins, but we’re Obviously, our top priority is getting our guys signed. not satisfied.

We’ve got Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and David Rittich to sign. NHL-Flames-Smith-stands-next-to-Rittich Matthew is obviously a very important part of our team. Getting this looked after is at the top of our to-do list. Calgary Flames goaltender Mike Smith (41) stands at his bench next to backup David Rittich. (Larry MacDougal/CP) In terms of team needs, to start making public statements of what we’re looking for and how we’re going to go about it — I don’t think that serves Do you expect to be pretty active at the draft — you typically love to us. make moves then?

We’ve defined certain areas we’d like to see if we can improve on and We’re quiet at the draft — we usually come in for the free buffet. have some changes. We don’t want to announce them to the world I don’t know. We never go in just to make a splash — we are always because there are 30 other teams trying to accomplish the same thing. active to help your team if you can find something that helps you.

Again, I want to recognize that change isn’t just external. You have to The good news is we’ve got a good team. We’re disappointed in how our grow the ones you have and we have to look at ways to slot people and season ended, but you get back into it. ask whether there’s a better way to put guys in positions to succeed. You’re pissed for a long time, but then you look back after going through We’ve spent a lot of time on that. that adversity and ask ‘what did you learn from it?’ We learned a whole Leafs GM Kyle Dubas said his top priority is to have Mitch Marner signed bunch of stuff. So now you have to put that into action and push by July 1. Do you feel the same about signing Matthew Tkachuk? everyone in our organization to be better.

I’d like to sign him this afternoon, but I’m not sure that’s going to happen. We’re energized to build upon what we did last year.

We’d like to get things done as soon as possible as it gives you a better Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 05.29.2019 read as you get more into the summer in terms of your financial picture.

But we’re going to just keep working and we’ll get a contract done.

These things take time.

Have you guys starting talking?

I don’t usually comment on that, but we certainly have it at the top of our list of things to get done.

It’s a copycat league. What have you learned from watching the playoffs about style of play and personnel?

It’s hard, there’s no space. Look at the game last night — the speed of Boston has been causing fits for everybody.

You’ve got to be engaged, persevere though a lot of things and the battle level you need every night is confirmed rather than just a revelation.

The intensity ramps up. You have to fight for space and that’s just how it is in the playoffs. Those things are never going to change and you have to be ready to play that type of game.

A weekly deep dive into the biggest hockey news in the world with hosts Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek. New episodes every Thursday.

Is David Rittich ready to be an everyday starter?

I think he took a real big step this year. We were confident in him last year and we have been for a while.

The storyline was, ‘who is going to play behind Mike Smith?’

Look around the league and it’s interesting if you do a study on how many guys play 60 or more games. It’s becoming more and more a shared position — you need two guys.

David is a young goaltender who continues to learn and improve.

There has been a lot of speculation veterans like T.J. Brodie and/or Michael Frolik could be on the move — do you anticipate a significant player like that not on the roster next year?

I’m not going to make any predictions like that — we’re trying to find ways to help our team.

Again, everyone seems to think to make your team better you have to airlift in a bunch of new bodies.

There’s always change for a whole bunch of different reasons.

We graduated a whole bunch of different guys from the minors the last two years — Mark Jankowski, Andrew Mangiapane, Garnet Hathaway and Rasmus Andersson, and next year it’s safe to assume Juuso Valimaki is going to be here and now Dillon Dube is pushing. 1145574 Websites TSN.CA LOADED: 05.29.2019

TSN.CA / WHL asks players to reject minimum-wage lawsuit

Rick Westhead

The Western Hockey League is asking current and former players to opt out of a class-action minimum-wage lawsuit against the league, suggesting that the future of amateur sports in Canada is at risk.

The WHL shared its message in an e-bulletin that was sent Tuesday by email to a distribution list that includes current and former players. The group email was obtained by TSN.

“Given the potential damage a lawsuit of this nature may have on the WHL, Canadian Hockey League (CHL) and the entire amateur sport system, it is extremely important to keep you informed as the case progresses,” the e-bulletin reads. “The lawsuit was initiated by a group of Ontario-based lawyers who we don’t believe have any experience with our teams or leagues.

“We do not believe amateur sports can or should be regulated by employment legislation. Almost all provincial governments across our country agree with the CHL. Despite this, the lawsuits and the ongoing challenge to our player experience and the overall amateur hockey development system continues.”

The e-bulletin includes a link for players to opt out of the litigation.

The Canadian Hockey League and its three leagues have been battling minimum-wage lawsuits for the past five years.

Current and former players suing the leagues have argued the teams are for-profit businesses and that players should enjoy protection under employment rights legislation. The WHL has argued that players are amateur student athletes and that they already have access to valuable educational scholarships.

The league warned that the lawsuits, if successful, could have wide- ranging implications.

“According to the theory of the lawsuit, any amateur hockey or sport organization that sells tickets or sponsorships could be considered employers and their athletes could be classified as employees,” the e- bulletin says. “As a result, this lawsuit could not only jeopardize other amateur sport organizations (such as U Sports, National/Olympic Teams, etc.) but at the same time eliminate opportunities for amateur athletes in the future.”

While few of the CHL’s star players have complained, other lesser-known players contend that they are receiving a pittance while playing for leagues that have become big business.

Team financial statements filed in connection with the lawsuit show that teams in the WHL in 2016 generated a collective $88 million in revenue.

The Seattle Thunderbirds generated a league-high $7.3 million ($5.6 million U.S.) in revenue in 2016, ahead of the Edmonton Oil Kings’ $6.6 million and Kelowna’s $4.7 million. The Kootenay Ice, meantime, generated the least revenue in the WHL, $1.2 million, in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2016.

The Oil Kings were the WHL’s most profitable club in 2016, with a $1.4 million profit, while the Victoria Royals reported the largest loss at $1.5 million. Portland did not submit any financial statements for the years 2012 to 2016, despite a court order to do so.

The league bulletin does not address the profits reported by the WHL or its teams.

A Calgary judge certified the lawsuit against the WHL as a class action in July 2017. That means hundreds of former players are set to automatically become plaintiffs in the case unless they notify the court that they don’t want to participate.

In the WHL case, players who played for B.C.-based teams between Oct. 30, 2012, and Feb. 14, 2016, are eligible to become plaintiffs. Players who were on Alberta and Manitoba-based teams from Oct. 30, 2012, to Apr. 18, 2017, can also become plaintiffs. The eligibility for players on Saskatchewan-based clubs is from Oct. 30, 2012, to April 29, 2014. 1145575 Websites or in the way he instills confidence by trusting his most important prospects with increased ice time in key moments.

Arguably no one has benefited more from Keefe's strategies in that area TSN.CA / Keefe happy to continue coaching AHL Marlies than winger Jeremy Bracco. The 22-year-old was a healthy scratch during much of last season's Calder Cup run, but Keefe pulled him aside during the Marlies' on-ice celebration post-win and told him the Marlies Kristen Shilton would be his team the following year. Keefe followed through by giving Bracco big minutes on the team's top line, and Bracco responded with 79

points in 75 games to finish second in the league scoring race. TORONTO — Even before an assistant coaching position became “Keefer stayed true to his word. Credit to him, because it’s hard,” Bracco available with the Maple Leafs last week, Sheldon Keefe didn’t want the said. “You want to play for a coach that trusts you and you trust the job. He didn’t even want to consider it. coach. He stuck to his word and ever since he gave me a chance.” The Toronto Marlies’ head coach had decided on his future months Babcock drew ample criticism from media and fans alike for being too before, signing a two-year extension announced Tuesday to remain the stubborn in some of his personnel decisions throughout Toronto’s Game Marlies’ bench boss. 7 loss to Boston in their first-round series last month, refusing to lean on Keefe said forgoing any promotion to the next level – in Toronto or stars like Auston Matthews or curtail minutes among struggling veterans elsewhere – was the right move for his development and growing family, like Patrick Marleau. but it also casts the 38-year-old as the Leafs’ head-coach-in-waiting, a Still, Dubas threw his support behind Babcock earlier this month, telling rising star with potential to be groomed as Mike Babcock’s eventual TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie that despite Toronto's three replacement. consecutive first-round playoff exits, Babcock will continue on into the “I don’t know what the future holds for me,” Keefe said on Tuesday. “I do fifth season of his eight-year deal. know I’m grateful for the opportunity to have another two years added to If at some point Keefe were tapped to step in, his current players say his my contract here. I see myself as a head coach for the time being. If greatest strength will be bringing an open mind. down the line I feel that I need to be an assistant to gain some experience, I’ll entertain that.” “He’s always looking to improve. He’s always willing to adapt to whatever the game is evolving to,” said Marlies forward Chris Mueller. “…You have It was then-Marlies general manager Kyle Dubas who brought Keefe to to be able to evolve, you have to be able to realize what works and Toronto in 2015, continuing a partnership that began in 2012 when doesn’t work and make changes. Sometimes people will get stuck in their Dubas was GM of the Ontario Hockey League’s Sault Ste. Marie ways and you’ll see their team kind of fizzle out. With Sheldon, his teams Greyhounds and hired Keefe to coach the team from 2012-15. are just getting stronger…his players want to play for him and want to In both instances, Keefe has delivered for Dubas. He was named OHL follow him because they believe in his system.” and CHL Coach of the Year in 2014-15 for leading the Greyhounds to a For the next couple years at least, Keefe will continue to guide the franchise-best 54-win season, and took the Marlies to their first-ever Marlies and bide his time until there’s an offer he can’t refuse. Keefe Calder Cup championship last spring. won’t speculate about what that opening might look like, but there’s no This season was perhaps an even better coaching job by Keefe, more comfortable place for him to wait things out. overcoming the loss of key players like Andreas Johnsson and Garret “All I know is my job every day is to get better, improve myself, be as Sparks to the NHL. good a coach as I can, and be prepared for any opportunity that might The Marlies didn’t clinch a playoff spot until the season’s final week, but come up, whenever that might be and wherever that might be,” Keefe the team reeled off seven straight postseason wins to reach the Eastern said. “I’ve always looked at this as the best job outside of the NHL. The Conference final before eventually falling in a Game 6 double-overtime most important thing for me is that I feel I’m growing every day and it’s loss to the Charlotte Checkers. [because of] the people and the players that I have around me.”

Since Keefe hoisted the Calder Trophy over his head a year ago, Dubas TSN.CA LOADED: 05.29.2019 has settled into a new role as general manager of the Leafs, while Toronto’s assistant GM, Laurence Gilman, has taken over responsibilities with the Marlies.

But the close relationship between Dubas and Keefe remains strong as ever and the organization has done everything possible to keep Keefe from moving on.

“I think he’s one of the best up-and-coming coaches in the American Hockey League,” said Gilman. “I think he’s a great hockey mind. Good people get good opportunities in time. It’s the best thing for the development of our young players [to have Keefe here] and move this organization forward. I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of opportunity in his future.”

According to Keefe, standing pat didn’t require much convincing. A native of Brampton, Ont., Keefe’s extended family still lives in the Greater Toronto Area, providing a support system for his wife and children during the long hockey season.

And then there are his own aspirations, ones that he may not articulate in full but admits will be better served calling the shots for an AHL team than working below someone else in the NHL.

“I know there are areas that I want to continue to grow in as a head coach and I believe this is the best fit for me to do that and I’ll continue to be committed,” Keefe said. “It’s not just the on-ice stuff, it’s the off-ice stuff and how you relate to players, how you communicate to players and how you work with your staff and there’s so many things there I want to continue to grow. I think I have a great opportunity here to do that.”

Most of the Marlies’ roster has been coached by Keefe for multiple years and players practically gush about the impact he’s had on them, whether through empowering each guy to improve upon and play his own game, 1145576 Websites

TSN.CA / Toronto Maple Leafs sign AHL Marlies coach Sheldon Keefe to a two-year extension

2-3 minutes

TORONTO — The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed Sheldon Keefe to a two-year contract extension as head coach of the club's American Hockey League affiliate.

Keefe has posted a 189-87-20-1 record over four seasons as head coach of the Toronto Marlies and led them to their first Calder Cup championship in 2018.

The Marlies advanced to the AHL's Eastern Conference final this season before losing in to the Charlotte Checkers in six games.

Earlier this season, Keefe moved past Dallas Eakins for the most regular- season wins by a coach in franchise history and has the highest winning percentage (.688) of any Marlies coach-to-date.

"Over the last four seasons Sheldon has done a great job developing our individual prospects into Maple Leafs while also guiding the Marlies deep into the playoffs in each of his four seasons with the organization, including the Calder Cup in 2018," Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas said in a statement. "Ensuring that Sheldon remains tasked with guiding the development of our prospects was very important to our program and the reason we began the discussion to extend Sheldon months ago."

Prior to joining the Maple Leafs organization, Keefe spent three seasons as head coach of the Ontario Hockey League's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. He earned the 2014-15 CHL and OHL Coach of the Year awards after leading the Greyhounds to a league-best record of 54-12-0- 2 and establishing a new franchise record with 110 points.

Prior to his tenure in the OHL, the 38-year-old Brampton, Ont., native served as head coach and general manager of the CCHL's Pembroke Lumber Kings, capturing five straight league titles and an RBC Cup national title in 2011.

Keefe played in 125 NHL games and 120 AHL games after being selected in the second round (47th overall) by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1999 NHL draft.

"In my conversations with the Leafs over the past several months, I felt that staying on with this club was the best decision for me, my family and my development," Keefe said. "I'm incredibly proud of our recent achievements as a club and I'm grateful for the opportunity to continue to develop young Maple Leafs."

TSN.CA LOADED: 05.29.2019 1145577 Websites USA TODAY LOADED: 05.29.2019

USA TODAY / Stanley Cup Final: Bruins' Zdeno Chara adapts his game and still dominates at 42

Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Published 5:41 p.m. ET May 28, 2019

BOSTON – When Zdeno Chara played his first game for the New York Islanders on Nov. 19, 1997, the NHL didn’t look like it does today.

The league had 26 teams. Wayne Gretzky was still a force. Fighting was still in vogue. Every defenseman was hooking and holding. The last helmetless player had only retired seven months before. No one would have bet a nickel on the possibility of Las Vegas ending up with an NHL team.

Twenty-one seasons later, the NHL looks dramatically different, except that Chara, 42, is still playing at an elite level for the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues.

“He is a special player,” said Bruins teammate Jake DeBrusk. “For him to adapt to all the changes in this game and be the dominant player he is … it’s impressive.”

Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara's size. reach and positional play make him tough to play against.

Chara’s defensive partner, Charlie McAvoy, wasn’t born when Chara started playing.

What makes Chara’s longevity even more remarkable is that he is 6-foot- 9, roughly 7-foot on skates, and is thriving in a league that keeps becoming faster and younger every year.

“I kind of sensed where the game was going the last few years,” Chara said. “And I tried to work really hard in the offseason and during the season on my ability to read plays better.”

While younger players are flying all around the offensive zone, Chara relies heavily on always being in the right position.

“He plays the game a lot on his brains right now,” said Blues coach Craig Berube, who was Chara’s teammate briefly on the Islanders. “He’s been around a long time and he uses that long reach and gets in the way."

Chara has a condor-like wingspan, giving him the ability to sweep away pucks with his stick that other defenders cannot reach.

“It’s his fitness level to begin with,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “His commitment to staying young. It’s his eating habits, his preparation. And he’s a very intelligent guy. He knows how the game has changed and he has adapted.”

Goalie Tuukka Rask has said Chara works so hard at improving his game that he is probably a better skater later in his career than he was earlier.

Everyone in the NHL seems to admire and respect how Chara has stayed relevant. At the completion of the Eastern Conference final, Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour paused longer during the handshake line to salute his effort and wish him luck.

It's all about respect.

Sound on for this remarkable moment in the handshake line between Zdeno Chara and Rod Brind'Amour. #StanleyCuppic.twitter.com/qWP6ABk9sJ

— #StanleyCup on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) May 17, 2019

“I find it very impressive what he can still do,” Blues center Ryan O’Reilly said. “It’s amazing what he’s still doing.”

Chara is leading the NHL with a +11 plus-minus in the postseason, while averaging 22 minutes, 21 seconds per game. His size also makes him an intimidating presence, and he uses it as a weapon.

Chara is the same age as another local sports hero, Tom Brady, and Chara’s teammates appreciate him as much as the New England Patriots appreciate the quarterback.

“Chara is a Hall of Famer,” DeBrusk said. “For sure.” 1145578 Websites Kakko has been playing with men for two seasons, so while Hughes may eventually prove to have a higher ceiling, it’s Kakko who may be better equipped to handle the NHL now.

USA TODAY / NHL Scouting Combine: Where Jack Hughes stands Time to dream: How Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko fit for Devils and heading into Buffalo Rangers

It’s early in the week so the observations will change and there will be Abbey Mastracco, NHL writer Published 2:28 p.m. ET May 28, 2019 | more insight as things progress. While the rankings for these two players Updated 9:13 p.m. ET May 28, 2019 are unlikely to change, without Kakko, opportunities may arise for other players to jump on the radar.

USA TODAY LOADED: 05.29.2019 The NHL Scouting Combine begins this week at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. A total of 77 of the top North American prospects and 27 of the top international prospects were invited to participate in the event. There will be 56 forwards, 38 defensemen and 10 goalies going through 1-on-1 interviews with teams, medical testing and physical testing.

The two most heralded prospects are Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko. Hughes already arrived, having come straight from the IIHF World Championships in Slovakia, where he played for Team USA.

However, Kakko has declined an invitation to the combine. The winger who helped Finland win gold last week, pulled out Tuesday.

It’s been a busy draft season for both of them, but Hughes especially. Without Kakko, all eyes will be on Hughes this week. Here’s a look at what they showed at the world championships and what people are saying about them:

Jack Hughes

Jack Hughes of United States skates against Great Britain during the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Slovakia group A game between United States and Great Britain at Steel Arena on May 15, 2019 in Kosice, Slovakia.

Hughes celebrated his 18th birthday by playing with the big kids of Team USA, including his brother Quinn, in the senior men’s edition of the event, tallying three assists and averaging 13:52 of ice time. Hughes worked with Devils coach John Hynes, who was an assistant with Team USA, and played in front of New Jersey goalie Cory Schneider. This came right after he finished the Under-18 tournament in Sweden, where he tore up the record books and rewrote them, much like he did throughout his career with U.S. National Development Team Program.

But playing two tournaments back-to-back like that is a lot of hockey for a developing player, which is why some thought he looked out of sorts.

Hughes was knocked off the puck easily and didn’t seem physically ready to play a heavy checking game just yet. But Hughes’ calling card is his speed and his ability to execute while using his speed effectively, which is why he’s the likely choice for the Devils and their speed-based system. And he’ll mature physically, filling out his 5-foot-10 frame.

The off-the-charts decision-making and ability to create space for other players lead some scouts to believe he has a higher ceiling than Kakko. It’s a tremendous skill-set for a center to possess and the Devils are badly lacking in depth up the middle. Hughes and Nico Hischier would give New Jersey a formidable 1-2 punch, would take the pressure off Travis Zajac and allow for some more versatility from Pavel Zacha and Kevin Rooney down the lineup.

The Devils are scheduled to meet with Hughes this week in Buffalo.

Kaapo Kakko

Between his recent performance at the World Championships, his past international play and his performance in Finland’s Liiga, Kakko has built up enough of a body of work that skipping the combine shouldn’t affect his draft stock. Representatives for the Devils and Rangers, who own the No. 2 pick, were on hand in Slovakia to see his performance up close.

They didn’t come away disappointed.

He dazzled in the world championships. With six goals and assist, he proved to be a dynamic player capable of making plays few can make. Kakko’s ability to handle defenders in tight spaces is an attractive quality, leading many to believe he’s ready to play in the smaller rinks of the NHL. He already has the size needed (6-foot-2, 190 pounds) and he knows how to use that size to protect the puck and stay strong on his skates.