SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 11/4/2019 Anaheim Ducks Los Angeles Kings 1159902 Ducks fall to Blackhawks in Ryan Getzlaf’s 1,000th career 1159938 Why perfection is unattainable for Drew Doughty, facing game Jake Muzzin and Tyler Toffoli’s response 1159903 Robin Lehner, Chicago Blackhawks spoil Ryan Getzlaf 1159939 WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: NOVEMBER 3 party with OT victory over Ducks 1159904 Ryan Getzlaf’s reign as Ducks captain began with a vote Minnesota Wild and an endorsement 1159940 Bad case of puck luck set the tone for Wild's downward week Boston Bruins 1159941 ‘Oh, no. It’s Sunday again’: Fantasy football league takes 1159905 Bruins’ David Pastrnak, playing lights out, is wary of bright over Wild locker room spotlight 1159906 Penguins thumbnails Montreal Canadiens 1159907 David Backes likely to miss at least two games 1159942 Canadiens call up Ryan Poehling from AHL's Laval 1159908 Man from North Andover got in a car accident with ‘the last Rocket person I’d want to hit:’ David Pastrnak 1159909 Scott Sabourin appears to be OK after collision with David New Jersey Devils Backes 1159943 What Devils did to successfully close game vs. Hurricanes 1159910 Early returns positive for Danton Heinen 1159911 Bruins’ David Backes to miss time after scary collision New York Islanders 1159912 These Sabres just might be for real 1159944 Cal Clutterbuck takes pride in reaching 800-game 1159913 Backes "doubtful" for the next couple of games after big milestone collision 1159914 Heinen making a little more of an impact in top-six role New York Rangers 1159915 McDonald: Humanity reigns in the hockey world 1159945 Mika Zibanejad may be closing in on Rangers return 1159946 Silver Lake seeks piece of lowly Knicks, Rangers Buffalo Sabres 1159947 How Filip Chytil is thriving in this huge Rangers spot 1159916 Sabres recall Lawrence Pilut, put Marco Scandella on 1159948 Alexandar Georgiev earns third start in row with excellent injured reserve play 1159917 Feeling 'normal' after hip surgery, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen makes season debut Ottawa Senators 1159949 WARRENSPIECE: All about hockey, roller coasters, Calgary Flames spiders, NYC fashion and MSG action 1159918 Flames lose road-trip finale to Capitals 1159950 Namestnikov returns to sweet old home in New York 1159919 Flames 'vehemently disagree' with two-game suspension 1159951 The Scott Sabourin injury a reminder of how dangerous to Lucic hockey can be 1159920 Flames first-rounder Pelletier anxious to impress in 1159952 Senators breathe easier, hearing and seeing that Sabourin Canada-Russia Series is recovering 1159921 Flames’ topsy-turvy junket — from Heritage Classic to World Series party Philadelphia Flyers 1159953 Flyers goalie Brian Elliott brilliant in losing shootout to Chicago Blackhawks Maple Leafs; Ivan Provorov promoted 1159922 Patrick Kane’s overtime goal and Adam Boqvist’s 1st career tally lift the Blackhawks to a 3-2 win over the Duc Pittsburgh Penguins 1159923 Column: Trading Erik Gustafsson would help the 1159954 Injury disrupts Patric Hornqvist’s rebound season for the Blackhawks begin their future when it needs to: now Penguins 1159924 3 takeaways from the Blackhawks’ 4-3 overtime loss to the 1159955 Nick Bjugstad’s struggles continue for the Penguins Kings, including Corey Crawford’s very strange night 1159956 There are two sides to the Penguins' special teams story 1159925 Adam Boqvist scores first NHL goal as Blackhawks beat 1159957 Penguins place Patric Hornqvist on injured reserve Ducks in OT 1159958 For the Penguins: Here comes the East (and there goes 1159926 Jeremy Colliton explains how he creates Blackhawks’ Patric Hornqvist) lineup every night 1159927 Kane scores in overtime, Blackhawks beat Ducks 3-2 San Jose Sharks 1159928 After unexpected call-up, Adam Boqvist not looking out of 1159959 As Sharks flounder, can moves — big or small — be far place with Blackhawks off? 1159929 The Blackhawks’ kids have arrived and they’re here to help St Louis Blues 1159960 Do they look nervous? Blues rally to win again in OT, this Columbus Blue Jackets time on O'Reilly's goal 1159930 Flames 3, Blue Jackets 0 | 3-2-1 breakdown 1159961 Blues notebook: Schenn was Mr. October for Blues 1159962 Takeaways From the First Month of the NHL Season Detroit Red Wings 1159963 O’Reilly scores overtime winner, Blues beat Wild 4-3 1159931 How are Detroit Red Wings prospects faring? Europeans are leading the way Tampa Bay Lightning 1159932 Steve Yzerman pulled pre-draft prank on Hawks' Kirby 1159964 Lightning arrive in Sweden, a country with a fascinating Dach culture 1159933 'Fragile' Red Wings losing confidence as setbacks pile up 1159965 How ‘living in the past’ has hurt the Lightning during their 1159934 Red Wings’ issues a combination of talent void, coaching surprisingly slow start Edmonton Oilers 1159935 Edmonton Oilers stay atop Pacific Division standings finding ways to win 1159936 Bakersfield Condors coaching staff continues to mold unheralded players into legit NHL prospects Toronto Maple Leafs 1159966 Leafs fan, 11, gets massive Twitter response to disappointing birthday 1159967 The Maple Leafs aren’t a bad team. They’re just an underperforming one 1159968 Frederik Andersen is 5-0-2 over his last seven games with a .917 save percentage, his career average. 1159969 Maple Leafs need to clean up their act Vancouver Canucks 1159987 Canucks prospects tracker: Rathbone goes goodwill hunting, Juolevi stretches it 1159988 Ben Kuzma: Horvat's productivity about less, not more ice time 1159989 Patrick Johnston: Finally healthy, Canucks getting Sutter's best Vegas Golden Knights 1159970 Golden Knights’ struggles with breakouts magnified in recent losses 1159971 Officials’ decision to wave off icing leaves Golden Knights puzzled 1159972 Officiating isn’t to blame for Golden Knights’ late game collapses Washington Capitals 1159973 Jakub Vrana’s first hat trick is more reason to celebrate for the Capitals 1159974 Vrana gets first career hat trick in Capitals' win over Flames 1159975 Vrana's hat trick, the Nationals party and Kuznetsov's words of wisdom 1159976 A wild night of brotherhood for World Series champion Nationals at Sunday’s Capitals game. 1159977 Vrana's first career-hat trick helps Caps stomp out Flames 1159978 Bud Light guy cements his magical legacy after winning Capitals' 'slap shot challenge' 1159979 Capitals tie franchise record for most consecutive games with a player scoring multiple goals 1159980 6 things to know for Caps-Flames: Caps likely avoid Lucic after Saturday’s sucker punch 1159981 Judge Judy? Psycho? Capitals players explain their nicknames Websites 1159990 Sportsnet.ca / Beyond Headlines: Jets, Byfuglien have complicated negotiation ahead 1159991 Sportsnet.ca / THE PROJECTION BUSINESS 1159992 Sportsnet.ca / Flames’ Mangiapane capitalizes on expanded role in Lucic’s absence 1159993 Sportsnet.ca / Longtime NHL ref Van Massenhoven on Lemieux, lockouts and old-school hockey 1159994 USA TODAY / Senators' Scott Sabourin taken off on stretcher after scary collision with Bruins' David Backes Winnipeg Jets 1159982 Jets turn tables after Knights brouhaha 1159983 Laine, Lowry back in Jets lineup 1159984 Jets like all-forward look in OT... Lowry's courage a big assist... Maurice wants Laine on second power-play, 1159985 Jets' identity still hard to figure from here 1159986 No suspension for Jets' Lowry for hit on Touch
SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1159902 Anaheim Ducks
Ducks fall to Blackhawks in Ryan Getzlaf’s 1,000th career game
Staff Report
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
NOV. 3, 2019 8:18 PM
Erik Gudbranson and Nick Ritchie scored for Anaheim. Ryan Miller had 34 saves.
Toews, stopped in traffic shortly after overtime began, spun around and slipped a cross-ice pass to Kane, who lifted the puck over the shoulder of Miller for the winner.
Blackhawks goalie Robin Lehner made 36 saves in the victory as Chicago won for just the second time in eight games. The Blackhawks also became the last Western Conference team to win a game on the road.
Gudbranson had a second-period goal and Ritchie tied the game 2-2 at the 6:17 mark of the third period on a power-play goal, with an assist from Steel. Getzlaf had an assist.
Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf moves the puck past Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom for the overtime game-winning goal.
Boqvist, who made his NHL debut Saturday night against the Los Angeles Kings, scored through traffic in front of the goal at 9:21 of the first period on a shot that hit off the right post and deflected into the net.
Boqvist, the No. 8 overall selection in the 2018 draft, played 14 minutes, 44 seconds on Sunday after playing 15:38 a day earlier.
It was just the second loss at home in eight games for the Ducks, who entered with three victories in their last four games.
Just over six minutes after Boqvist scored for the first time, DeBrincat took a cross-ice pass from Kane and scored his fourth of the season on a deflection off Miller’s right pad.
Getzlaf’s milestone game came two days after he scored the winner in overtime against the Vancouver Canucks.
LA Times: LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159903 Anaheim Ducks
Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.04.2019
Robin Lehner, Chicago Blackhawks spoil Ryan Getzlaf party with OT victory over Ducks
By ELLIOTT TEAFORD | [email protected] | Orange County Register
PUBLISHED: November 3, 2019 at 7:53 pm | UPDATED: November 3, 2019 at 8:47 PM
ANAHEIM — They gathered Sunday at Honda Center to celebrate Ryan Getzlaf’s 1,000th game in the Ducks’ 2,000th contest in the NHL. Family and friends arrived from near and far. There was a video tribute that brought the crowd to its feet in the first period.
“It was great,” Getzlaf would later say. “Obviously, the crowd, this our home building and I’ve been here a long time. It was a very warm welcome. A little emotional during the game. A little bit embarrassing. I’m not very good at those things, but it was great to see the family.”
Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Robin Lehner then played the role of party pooper, denying the Getzlaf and the Ducks a victory in regulation play and setting it up for teammate Patrick Kane to win it 3-2 with a goal 24 seconds into the five-minute overtime period.
The Ducks rallied from a two-goal first-period deficit to force the game to OT, earning one point in the standings. They wanted two, though. They wanted a better start. They wanted to play as they did in the third period, when they swarmed Lehner’s net and seemed on the verge of a victory.
Lehner made 35 saves, including 13 in the third. He didn’t have to make one in OT.
Kane sneaked behind Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler and chipped home Jonathan Toews’ cross-ice pass for the winner. Ducks goalie Ryan Miller, starting in place of John Gibson, also made 35 saves, but had no chance to stop Kane’s close-range shot while the teams skated three-on- three in OT.
Nick Ritchie’s power-play goal at 6:17 of the third period, off a cross-ice pass from Sam Steel, enabled the Ducks to complete their rally from a two-goal deficit. Steel also earned an assist on the Ducks’ first goal, a perimeter shot from defenseman Erik Gudbranson at 12:39 of the second.
Adam Boqvist and Alex DeBrincat scored in the first period for Chicago. Boqvist’s goal was his first in the NHL after making his debut in the Blackhawks’ overtime loss Saturday to the Kings. DeBrincat’s goal came on a five-on-three power play.
“I thought our start was better, but then the penalties took away from that,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said, referring to three first-period minors that sapped the team’s momentum, including delay of game and tripping penalties to Ritchie and Hampus Lindholm that set up Chicago’s five-on-three.
The Ducks talked about starting better than in Friday’s opening period, when they held a 1-0 lead over the Vancouver Canucks despite being outshot 19-5. They were well on their way to a better start Sunday, but their rash of penalties hurt them, starting with Josh Mahura’s hooking infraction.
Lehner was under pressure from the opening minutes, making three big saves in the first period to keep the Blackhawks in front. First, he denied Max Comtois from the slot, then he stopped Steel on a shot from the right wing and, finally, he saved Derek Grant’s shorthanded breakaway try.
The Ducks finally solved Lehner, with Gudbranson scoring his first goal since a trade from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Oct. 25. Steel was initially credited with a deflection of Gudbranson’s shot from the right point, but TV replays indicated the puck struck only Chicago sticks on the way to the net.
Ritchie’s goal was his second of the season, ending an 11-game drought.
“Again, it just seemed like a sleepy game,” Eakins said. “Obviously, them playing (Saturday against the Kings) was an opportunity for us to really jump on them hard. I’m not sure we quite accomplished what we wanted there, but it’s always good to come back and get back in the game.” 1159904 Anaheim Ducks
Ryan Getzlaf’s reign as Ducks captain began with a vote and an endorsement
By ELLIOTT TEAFORD | [email protected] | Orange County Register
PUBLISHED: November 3, 2019 at 5:43 pm | UPDATED: November 3, 2019 at 5:43 PM
ANAHEIM — Ryan Getzlaf’s 10-season tenure as the Ducks’ captain began with a vote of his teammates after Scott Niedermayer retired after the 2009-10 season. Getzlaf and Saku Koivu were the top choices of the Ducks players, with the voting ending in a tie.
Behind the scenes, Ducks general manager Bob Murray and then-coach Randy Carlyle wanted Getzlaf to get the captaincy unless Koivu, a veteran who served as captain of the Montreal Canadiens before signing with the Ducks as a free agent in July 2009, wanted the job.
As it turned out, Koivu wanted Getzlaf to become the captain. Koivu believed it was Getzlaf’s turn to guide the Ducks into a new era after Niedermayer had led the team to a Stanley Cup championship in 2006- 07. So, Koivu went to Murray and Carlyle to break the tie.
“Actually, Randy and I had decided at that point in time that it should be ‘Getzy,’” Murray recalled recently. “But what really happened to make sure we were right is that Saku came in and said, ‘No, no, no, ‘Getzy’s’ the captain. I’ll help him. I’ll support him.’
“So that’s what really happened. It was his time.”
Getzlaf played in his 1,000th game and in the Ducks’ 2,000th on Sunday, when they played host to the Chicago Blackhawks at Honda. Center. Several players have played their 1,000th game in the NHL while with the Ducks, but no one has ever played 1,000 games all with the club.
Getzlaf’s 10-season service as captain is the longest in team history. Paul Kariya (1996-97 to 2002-03) had the second-longest tenure at seven seasons and Niedermayer (2005-06 to 2006-07 and 2008-09 to 2009-10) was third with four seasons wearing the “C.”
LOOKING BACK
Getzlaf made his NHL debut Oct. 5, 2005, in the Ducks’ season-opening game against the Blackhawks in Chicago. He joined a ready-made contender, with Niedermayer on defense, Teemu Selanne on right wing and J-S Giguere in goal.
Looking back, Getzlaf said he didn’t realize it in the moment. He was simply trying to crack the lineup and stay there. He and fellow first-round draft pick Corey Perry started with the Ducks, but took a quick detour to the AHL before sticking for good at midseason.
“At the time, I didn’t think anything of it,” he said. “I just came and was trying to earn my keep around here. We went through a little bump of going to the minors and learning some stuff down there. But looking back it was a very great situation for me to come into. I got to sit back and learn a lot.
“I look at other guys who came into the league at the same time and the situations they were dropped into, having to be the guy right from the start, they didn’t get to go through that learning experience that we did. And not all of them got to go through it with someone (Perry) like I did.
“In that aspect, I feel very lucky to have done that.”
JONES RE-ASSIGNED
The Ducks sent left wing Max Jones to their AHL team, the San Diego Gulls, joining defenseman Brendan Guhle, who was re-assigned last week. Jones was scoreless with two shots on goal in the Gulls’ victory Saturday over the Colorado Eagles.
Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159905 Boston Bruins with his name. Brad Marchand and Kevan Miller recently launched a clothing company, March & Mill Co., with an outdoorsy vibe.
“That’s one thing I think fans are always looking for more of,” Marchand Bruins’ David Pastrnak, playing lights out, is wary of bright spotlight told NHLPA.com last summer, in a story on his new venture. “ ‘What are these guys really like?’ It’s not about who they are on the TV or who they are in front of the camera, when they’re prepped for the interview. ‘Who By Matt Porter Globe Staff are these guys, actually?’ ”
Updated November 3, 2019, 11:24 p.m. We saw a little of Pastrnak’s comic delivery last spring, when Canton- based Dunkin’ pitched the NHL on the idea of putting him in a national ad
spot. If you watched hockey on NBC at any point from January to June, David Pastrnak is the NHL’s leading scorer on the team with the best you likely recall Pastrnak yelling, ‘Hey ref, check your voicemail, you record in the league and the Bruins are drawing increased attention. missed some calls,” with an iced coffee in his hands.
David Pastrnak doesn’t mind the spotlight. But he doesn’t want to see too Dunkin’ hasn’t continued running the spot this season, but Pastrnak much of it. didn’t hurt his stock with marketers. The morning of Dec. 18, the day after the Bruins won a game in Montreal, Pastrnak was at Bentley University’s “I don’t play hockey for fame,” he said. “I play because I love it.” rink to film the commercial.
It shows. Entering Monday’s showdown with Sidney Crosby and the “He showed up early, he was incredibly generous with his time. He was a Penguins (7 p.m., NESN), the Bruins’ top sniper leads the league in delight to work with,” said Brian Jennings, the NHL’s chief brand officer scoring (13-14—27) on the team that had the best record (10-1-2). Fans and executive vice president, in an interview last May. “David seemed to aren’t the only ones who love watching the Bruins play these days. really enjoy his moment, and hopefully there’s more to come as his star Those with a financial stake in their success are excited, too. continues to shine.”
Through its first 11 telecasts of the season, NESN reported ratings up 70 The NHL, forever thinking globally, is trying to make Pastrnak and other percent from this time last year, saying that is the biggest increase of all European players more comfortable with the spotlight. regional networks carrying NHL teams. NESN has seen the greatest increase with a big spike — 158 percent — in the coveted 18 to 34 “Some players, and this is universally true in other sports too, they would demographic, and an 83 percent increase in adults 25 to 54. prefer to be the best athlete they can,” said Jennings, speaking not about Approximately 750,000 people across the nine markets in New England Pastrnak but in a general sense. “That’s OK. You have to be authentic. . . are watching a portion of every Bruins game. . He’ll be a star player, but maybe someone who doesn’t want to have a lot of endorsement deals, maybe someone who doesn’t want to do a lot NBC Sports Network, which will show Tuesday’s tilt in Montreal, has of long-form content behind the scenes, what music they listen to, a little carried only the Bruins-Blues Stanley Cup Final rematch from Oct. 26. about their family life, and things like that. They’re eager for the next Bruins game. “I do think this younger generation in general, they’re growing up with it, “From the high schools to the Beanpot to the Bruins to the Olympics, they’re getting more comfortable with it. That’s allowing us to be in that Bostonians know the sport and are passionate about it,” said Sam Flood, mode of, you can be a good teammate, you can be about ‘team before NBC Sports’ executive producer and president of production, who was [me]’, but it’s OK off the ice to show that personality.” raised in Dedham. Bobby Orr was a pitchman for Planters, Chevy, and Mastercard, and “Plus, although the league is more competitive than ever before, and that locally, BayBank, among others. The height of his fame came when print, is good for hockey, Original Six teams still resonate with hockey fans TV, and radio were the main advertising mediums. The social media age nationwide. So when the Bruins are good, it generates a lot of attention. is more immediate and invasive, leaving stars like Pastrnak tough It’s no coincidence that the two most-watched NHL games on record choices regarding how much they want to reveal. involve the Bruins.” Pastrnak, like many of his teammates, has given fans a behind-the- Those would be the Game 7s of the 2011 and 2019 Stanley Cup Final. scenes glimpse through the NHL and Bruins’ social media channels Last year’s Game 7 against the Blues drew a record 8.914 million (mostly Instagram). He’s friendly in interviews. He doesn’t want to be an viewers, passing Game 7 against the Canucks in 2011 (8.537 million) for international superstar, in the spotlight all the time, no matter the heights most viewers among games since 1994. No. 4 on that list is Game 6 of his career reaches. the 2013 Chicago-Boston Final (8.160 million). According to NBC, which is in the final year of its deal with the NHL, TV ratings are up 20 percent “If you look at soccer players, it’s crazy how big it is in Europe,” he said. through the same point last year. “Even basketball here in America, it’s on a different level than us.
On Tuesday, NBCSN will focus its spotlight on Boston’s top line of “To me, I never try to focus on that stuff. I play hockey and it’s not my Pastrnak, Brad Marchand (tied for third in scoring, 8-15—23), and Patrice business to change things, you know, around the league. Obviously Bergeron. there’s always things that can get better, there’s always things that can get worse. I don’t really want to get into this, you know, trying to change The affable Pastrnak might stroll into the Bell Centre wearing a whimsical things. I’m just going to play hockey.” kind of suit, like his past dalliances with salmon-colored clothes or something covered in ocean creatures like fanciful unicorn-sharks. Duds aside, he is not a look-at-me kind of guy. Following in line with most of Boston Globe LOADED: 11.04.2019 their NHL peers, few Bruins are.
They appear in social media content produced by the team and the league, and NESN is trying to bridge that gap with its My Story series, which already featured Tuukka Rask and will next dig into the backstories of locals Charlie Coyle (Nov. 6) and Matt Grzelcyk (Nov. 23).
Other than Pastrnak’s Dunkin’ commercial that ran last spring, the list of Bruins that pitch products is fairly limited, other than endorsements related to their own gear (nearly every player is a Bauer, CCM, or Warrior loyalist).
Pastrnak has three years remaining on a deal with Bruins sponsor ORG Packaging for his likeness to appear on cans of their sugary-sweet Want Want Milk drink, which is sold in China. Torey Krug, an investor in TDF Sports plant-based supplements, appears in a TV commercial for Plymouth Rock insurance, which sponsors the Bruins. Rask has a deal with Stoughton-based Franklin, which makes street hockey gear branded 1159906 Boston Bruins
Penguins thumbnails
Staff Report
November 3, 2019, 9:27 p.m.
■ When, where: Monday, 7 p.m., at TD Garden.
■ TV, radio: NESN, WBZ-FM (98.5).
■ Goals: Jake Guentzel 7, Sidney Crosby 5, Patric Hornqvist 5
■ Assists: Crosby 12, Kris Letang 7, Dominik Simon, 7
■ Goaltending: Matt Murray (7-3-1, 2.17 GAA), Tristan Jarry (1-2-0, 2.02 GAA).
■ Head to head: This is the first of three meetings between the two teams. The Bruins were 1-2 vs. Pittsburgh last season.
■ Miscellany: Pittsburgh has six power-play goals this season compared with the Bruins’ 15 . . . The Penguins have been shorthanded only 34 times this season, the second fewest in the league . . . The Penguins are coming off a 2-1 OT loss to the Oilers on Saturday in which they had 52 shots on goal.
Boston Globe LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159907 Boston Bruins
David Backes likely to miss at least two games
By Matt Porter Globe Staff
November 3, 2019, 6:09 p.m.
David Backes, involved in a crash on Saturday with Ottawa forward Scott Sabourin that sent the latter to the hospital, is likely to miss the Bruins’ next two games, at least.
Coach Bruce Cassidy pegged Backes as “doubtful” to play Monday against Pittsburgh and Tuesday in Montreal, but he did not have more detailed information on Backes’s condition.
The club announced that Backes has an undisclosed upper-body injury.
“It was a pretty good collision,” Cassidy said. “Like everybody, he was a little rattled by everything that transpired. Let’s just see how he’s doing tomorrow and go forward from there. It’s hard for me to say until the exact injury is determined.”
Backes didn’t return Saturday after Sabourin, who knocked his head as he checked Backes, was stretchered off the ice after a solemn delay of 11-plus minutes.
It is likely Backes was examined for concussion symptoms afterward. Backes, 35, has a history of concussions, the most recent of which is believed to have occurred last October.
As for Sabourin, Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said the 27- year-old forward was expected to be released from the hospital Sunday.
Speaking to reporters late Sunday morning in Ottawa, Dorion added that Sabourin’s nose was broken, but he didn’t go into further detail about his condition.
The team placed Sabourin on injured reserve.
From his hospital bed Sunday morning, Sabourin posted an Instagram selfie, smiling with his left eye swollen shut and his nose crooked.
“Thanks for all the well wishes,” he wrote. “Hope to be back out on the ice in the near future.”
Uncertain status
Carrying 12 healthy forwards with Backes, Joakim Nordstrom (elbow infection), Karson Kuhlman (broken leg), Par Lindholm (upper body) out of the lineup, the Bruins could make a call to Providence if Brett Ritchie (infected cut) cannot play Monday. Ritchie, who sat out Saturday’s game, skated during a lightly-attended Sunday session. Ritchie would slot in with third-line center Charlie Coyle and left wing Anders Bjork. Even if Ritchie can play, Cassidy and general manager Don Sweeney could determine Peter Cehlarik (9:55 of ice time against the Senators) isn’t a fit with fourth-liners Sean Kuraly and Chris Wagner . . . Nordstrom, who has missed three games, will not be available until Friday at Detroit, at the earliest . . . Jaroslav Halak will face the Penguins on Monday, Tuukka Rask set to go in La Belle Province . . . The Penguins (8-5-1), 2-1 overtime losers to Edmonton on Saturday, have Evgeni Malkin and Nick Bjugstad back from long-term injuries. However, the team on Sunday put net-front presence Patric Hornqvist on IR, a tough blow to a power play that’s in an 0-for-20 slump. They haven’t scored a power play goal since Oct. 13.
Boston Globe LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159908 Boston Bruins
Man from North Andover got in a car accident with ‘the last person I’d want to hit:’ David Pastrnak
By Brandon Chase Globe Correspondent
November 3, 2019, 9:27 a.m.
David Pastrnak took a hit off the ice Friday before Saturday’s Bruins game against the Senators, as a fan rear-ended Pastrnak’s Porsche near TD Garden.
North Andover native Mark Sousa, a hockey player himself, was in Boston to pick up a new passport before playing a game in Canada, according to NBC Boston. When he swerved to avoid a car that cut him off, Sousa’s Jeep came in contact with the back bumper of Pastrnak’s Porsche. Sousa’s car had minor damage and the condition of Pastrnak’s car is unknown.
“I had no words. The last person I’d want to hit,” Sousa told NBC Boston. “He was awesome, extremely nice, such a down-to-earth guy.”
Pastrnak posed for a post-accident picture with Sousa, 19, who plays for the Valley Jr. Warriors, according to his EliteProspects.com. page.
Boston Globe LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159909 Boston Bruins each other. But you don’t want to see something like that happen to a young guy, especially. He was in Manchester [Monarchs] when I was in Providence; he’s battled his way to get to the NHL. So those are the guys Scott Sabourin appears to be OK after collision with David Backes you root for, and, hopefully, he’s OK.”
On Sunday morning, Sabourin posted a picture of himself on his Instagram story in his hospital bed with the caption “Thanks for all the By Frank Dell’Apa Globe Correspondent well wishes. Hope to be back out on the ice in the near future.” Sabourin’s left eye was swollen shut and he had a cut above it, and one November 3, 2019, 12:04 a.m. on his lips.
Bruins forward Chris Wagner was among the first players to check on Boston Globe LOADED: 11.04.2019 Scott Sabourin after the Ottawa Senators defenseman went down in the early going of the Bruins’ 5-2 victory Saturday night at TD Garden.
“I tried to say, ‘We’re praying for you,’ ” Wagner said after the game. “I didn’t really see [the collision with the Bruins’ David Backes]. I just turned around and saw him out on the ice.
“Tough thing to see, it kind of shakes everybody, but especially right at the start of the game. No matter when it happens, it’s always tough to see.”
Sabourin and Wagner were teammates with the San Diego Gulls in the AHL in 2016-17.
“Great kid, too, I played with him a couple times in San Diego, golfed with him a lot,” Wagner said. “We became pretty tight, so hope nothing but the best.”
Afterward, Wagner said he sent a text message to Sabourin, but did not receive a reply.
“It was nice to see him give the thumbs-up and everything,” Wagner said. “You can see how the teams kind of come together and you wish nothing but the best for the guy.”
With the Bruins leading, 1-0, Sabourin closed in on Backes on the boards at the blue line opposite the Bruins’ bench. But as Sabourin arrived, Backes appeared to catch him in the face, Sabourin going down headfirst, Backes almost immediately motioning for help. Backes and other players stood vigil while Sabourin was treated, then taken away by stretcher.
Sabourin gave a thumbs-up sign on the way out as the crowd applauded. Backes then left the Bruins’ bench, possibly following concussion protocol.
“Extremely unfortunate with what happened with [Sabourin],” Bruins winger Brad Marchand said. “We’re all thinking about him and hope that he’s OK. You never want to see that happen to anybody and it’s scary. So it kind of shakes you after that happens, and it’s tough to get back in the mind-set of playing the game. But I think everyone just kind of got through that period and then after the first, try to regroup and get back at it.
“But I think it just shows our character and our ability to manage ourselves when we’re not playing our best. We had a really good third period and kind of took control. And that’s why we’re a good team, because we’re able to play through games like that, regardless whether we’re playing our best or not, and come out on the good side.”
The clash, followed by a delay of more than 11 minutes, seemed to dampen the Bruins’ enthusiasm for a while, the Senators’ Anthony Duclair equalizing at 12:04.
“It’s just kind of part of the game, you have to deal with,” Wagner said. “You don’t like to deal with it, but injuries happen. It’s never really that bad, but you have to regroup and keep on going.
“It’s the NHL, and they compete pretty hard. You hate to see that, no matter what. But, overall, they play a hard game, and they compete and we found a way to win, that’s all that counts.”
Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy did not know why Backes left.
“I just saw him leave and at first I didn’t know if he was injured or concerned or both, and he never came back,” Cassidy said. “I don’t know, to be honest with you.”
Cassidy was encouraged by reports on Sabourin.
“Scott’s in the hospital and doing OK, in terms of he’s aware, he’s alert, so that’s good news,” Cassidy said. “We’re all, we play hard, we battle 1159910 Boston Bruins puck,” said Heinen. “I think you’ve got to trust yourself and play on instincts. That’s what I try to tell myself when I get in those situations.”
Now the competition steps up. The Penguins are in the Garden on Early returns positive for Danton Heinen Monday. On Tuesday, it’s on to Montreal and the B’s first matchup with the Canadiens. If Heinen’s still feeling good about his game come Wednesday morning, then the B’s might really have something. By STEVE CONROY | [email protected] | Boston Herald
November 3, 2019 at 5:00 PM Boston Herald LOADED: 11.04.2019
Danton Heinen still has a lot to prove. One game is one game, and he still has not yet shown that he’s past his penchant for long dry spells in the offensive zone.
But his game on Saturday was nothing if not encouraging. In the second game of his audition to be David Krejci’s right wing, he made a terrific individual play in the neutral zone, then followed the puck in the offensive zone to score a pretty unassisted goal, which turned out to be the game- winner in the 5-2 victory over the Senators. Then later in the game, he stole a puck deep in the offensive zone and fed his new linemate Jake DeBrusk for a goal.
So perhaps he really can be Krejci’s more permanent right wing, or maybe there is another intriguing option, as coach Bruce Cassidy alluded to in his informal Sunday morning press briefing. But you can only take one step at at a time, and Heinen’s first step has been a good one.
“Coming along,” Cassidy said of Heinen. “Always trustworthy. That’s one of the things we harp on about the details, you take care of those things and you stay in the lineup, you keep getting your minutes. You might not be put in as many great situations offensively but eventually you fight your way through it. Now you start to get rewarded a little bit and then there is opportunity to move up and we say, ‘hey, maybe we can switch some lines around — i.e. (David Pastrnak) moving. But you always want someone who’s playing well to go up there if that’s the case. And that’s where Danton has been moved to in the past, that’s why I allude to it now. But he’s not going up there if he’s not going well because those guys are flying. You’re seeing good defenders every game so you want to be on top of your game. That’s the advantage now of him finding it more offensively. And if he doesn’t move, then he’s just adding to that Krejci-DeBrusk line.”
In case you missed it, yes, Cassidy is still keeping the option of moving the smoldering Pastrnak with his countryman Krejci in his back pocket and off the line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. He also didn’t rule out trying Brett Ritchie with Krejci. But in a season that has thus far produced precious few concerning issues — even the secondary scoring is coming around — the question of breaking up the top line for the sake of depth has been one of the more debated topics among Bruin fans and observers.
And don’t think Cassidy won’t do it — just don’t hold your breath.
“Part of it also is (Krejci) getting up to speed. He’s played now a couple of games so let’s get a few under his belt and let’s see where it is,” said Cassidy. “I just think that line right now is really clicking, so maybe the timing isn’t great. But at some point we’ll look at it.”
If he does it, however, it will be incumbent on Heinen proving he can be a consistent top-six producer. It looked like he was trending that way after his rookie season when he produced 47 points in a primarily third line role. His second season, however, produced both good and bad. His offensive droughts worsened — he had only 34 points — but he actually became a more reliable three-zone player. If he can put all the elements of his game together, then Heinen could get over the hump between being a bottom six guy to a top six one.
“For me, that’s something I’ve always wanted to be,” said Heinen. “I put pressure on myself to produce offensively and that’s something I want to be, a top six guy, and I want to keep working it and on my offensive side of it.”
Heinen conceded he might put a little too much pressure on himself when he gets these opportunities, which may explain his ill-advised pass to DeBrusk when he had a wide open shot in he B’s victory over the Sharks on Tuesday.
“I think earlier in my career I did and I was looking to maybe distribute too much. You’re playing with good players and you want to get them the 1159911 Boston Bruins
Bruins’ David Backes to miss time after scary collision
By MARISA INGEMI | [email protected] | Boston Herald
PUBLISHED: November 3, 2019 at 3:34 pm | UPDATED: November 3, 2019 at 4:25 PM
David Backes never returned to the Bruins bench on Saturday night after a heavy collision with Senators forward Scott Sabourin.
Ruled out midway through the contest with an upper body injury, he likely won’t be available for the next couple of contests while the Bruins have a back-to-back, facing the Penguins on Monday night before heading to Montreal the next day.
“Probably get a better evaluation tomorrow,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said Sunday. “I would say right now he’s doubtful for the next couple games, but I think tomorrow we’ll have a better determination. It’s an upper body injury, it was a pretty big collision. The level of concern would be the same for anybody if you get hit that hard.”
The hit left Sabourin down on the ice for more than 10 minutes while trainers worked on him before he was stretchered off and stayed overnight at a Boston hospital.
On Sunday it was announced he sustained a broken nose and would be released.
Until the Bruins announced Backes was also injured on the play, it wasn’t clear if he had left the ice out of concern after being shaken up.
“I’m sure, like everybody, he was a little rattled by everything that transpired,” said Cassidy. “Let’s just see how he does tomorrow and move forward from there. It’s hard for me to say right now until the exact injury is determined.”
Brett Ritchie missed Saturday’s game with what was described as an injury similar to what Joakim Nordstrom has, which is an infection in his elbow that’s left him out for more than two weeks.
They believe they caught it earlier with Ritchie so he might be able to return sooner, which would be big for a Bruins team that’s suddenly shorthanded at forward, especially on the right side.
“Brett Ritchie is out skating, so there might be some progress there,” said Cassidy. “We’ll see how he does (on Monday) morning. We’ve kind of got a few balls in the air there. If he’s ready to go, he’ll go back in with (Charlie) Coyle and then it’s a matter of, is (Peter) Cehlarik a better fit with (Sean) Kuraly and (Chris) Wagner? We’d have to make that determination.”
The Bruins are already without Joakim Nordstrom and Karson Kuhlman at wing, along with Par Lindholm as an option down the middle. On Saturday night they were shorthanded when Backes left the game.
If Ritchie isn’t ready to go on Monday and Backes is indeed out, they might have to recall another winger from Providence.
More updates
John Moore and Kevan Miller also skated during the Bruins very limited optional skate on Sunday morning. Both were donning the red-toned non-contact jerseys.
Miller (knee) has skated with the group the past two days during practice, but Moore (shoulder) has yet to join in. Both are projected for returns to the lineup in November.
Boston Herald LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159912 Boston Bruins Is this the year it doesn’t? Well, Buffalo is a good hockey town, and it’s deserved better than the eight straight DNQs through which it’s suffered. So we’ll choose to say the answer is yes. Again.
These Sabres just might be for real For a time it appeared that Alex Ovechkin would go down as a great player who didn’t know what it took to win. There were the one-and- dones in the playoffs and a few forgettable regular seasons. One year he By STEVE CONROY | [email protected] | Boston Herald pulled off the difficult trick of scoring 51 goals and finishing a minus-35.
November 3, 2019 at 7:00 am That, of course, changed when he and the rest of the underachieving Capitals finally bought into what Barry Trotz was preaching and his
Capitals finally got over the hump. Early last week, he spoke some hard We have eagerly, naively jumped into this seat before, only to be rudely truths to the extremely talented Maple Leafs who have been unable to chucked from it at the first pothole. The particular seat is on the Buffalo get past the Bruins and the first round two straight seasons. He spoke Sabres’ bandwagon, and you board it at your own peril. from experience.
But this year, we confidently take the seat one more time, because there “I hope they’re going to learn,” Ovechkin told reporters. “But it’s up to is too much talent for the Sabres not to succeed. This year just looks and them how they want to do it. If they want to play for themselves or or if feels a little different. It feels like they are ready to push their way into the they want to win a Stanley Cup, they have to do it differently.” upper echelon of the Atlantic Division that has been controlled the last It may have been music to the ears of Toronto coach Mike Babcock, who couple of years by the Lightning, Bruins and the Maple Leafs. has had difficulty getting his young stars on the same page. His job may Despite their sobering 6-1 loss in Washington on Friday (I can remember depend on getting a similar message across. a certain team running into that same buzz saw in the season opener last “Things like that always sting way more when it’s right,” said Babcock of year), the Sabres were right there with the B’s, posting a 9-2-2 record for Ovechkin’s comment. the month of October, with a couple of their additions paying big dividends. After that rare bit of pregame truth-telling, Ovechkin went out and figured in all four goals (2-2) in the Caps’ 4-3 overtime victory. Marcus Johansson, a cap casualty for the B’s, inked a two-year deal at a reasonable $4.5 million and he’s been a hit. While some longtime What’s going on in New Jersey is getting painful to watch. Goalie Cory Sabres’ watchers had visions of the failed Ville Leino experiment when it Schneider, one of the better guys you’ll meet, was still searching for his was announced the Sabres were trying Johansson (4-5-9 in 13 games) first win of the season for the Devils and he won’t find a better at center, the former Bruin and Devil has done a good job anchoring the opportunity than the one he got from his teammates on Wednesday second line, allowing Jeff Skinner (7-3-10 in 13) to flourish. Johansson when they put up six goals and thoroughly outplayed the Tampa Bay has also added some experience and maturity to a group that needed Lightning. Unfortunately for them, Schneider gave up seven in the just those qualities. He’s also taken the pressure of having to play up in overtime loss. He’s now got an .847 save percentage. the lineup off 20-year-old Casey Mittelstadt. “I’m probably not going to say a whole lot,” Schneider told reporters after Meanwhile, it appears the Sabres may have hit it big on a late round pick the ugly loss. “My teammates played well enough to win, and we from Europe five years ago. Swede Victor Olofsson, a seventh round pick deserved to win that game. We scored six goals and should win going from 2014 and a former Frolunda HC teammate of the Sabres’ 2018 No. away. The difference tonight was in net, so the game speaks for itself.” 1 overall pick Rasmus Dahlin, came to North America last year and ripped up the AHL with Rochester with 30 goals and 33 assists. While Schneider rightfully took the blame for the loss, Taylor Hall took the no-win route of blaming the home crowd. Olofsson was impressive at the Prospects Challenge at Buffalo’s HarborCenter in which the B’s rookies also participated in September, “We’re kind of battling our own fans right now. We were 1-for-3 on the and he didn’t slow down in main camp. He was given a plum spot as power play and we are getting booed. It’s a tie game, we are getting Jack Eichel’s left wing and he’s taken advantage of it, especially on the booed. That’s a tough environment to play in sometimes, especially when power-play, where he’d notched all but two of his 10 points (6-2-8). One you are at home. I know that when we’re playing somewhere and their Atlantic Division talent evaluator likened him to a certain sniper we know fans start booing, it’s a fun environment for the away team to play in,” here quite well. Hall told reporters after the game. “I understand the fans’ frustration. After the game, if they are booing (because) we are losing that is fine. “He shoots the puck like (David) Pastrnak,” he said. “He’s not as good as But when we’re 1-for-3 on the power play and they’re booing our power Pastrnak, not as thick, but he shoots the puck like him.” play, that is tough. If you’re playing at home, you want to feed off the energy of the crowd and not let that affect you, but sometimes it does.” The Sabres will go as Eichel goes, of course, and so far he’s been very good. With Olofsson on his left and Sam Reinhart on his right, Eichel was Doesn’t exactly sound like a guy who’s eager to re-up. better than a point-a-game guy with 7-10-17. Eichel’s body language has not always been the best in his first four years with the Sabres, but he The Bruins seem to be having a large hand the Rangers’ rebuild. A seems to be responding to new coach Ralph Krueger, who in turn has couple of days after the B’s drubbed the Rangers, 6-1, at Madison the young star’s back. A few weeks ago, we took Eichel to task here for Square Garden on February 7, 2018, GM Jeff Gorton took the unusual what looked like a lackluster effort in an overtime loss when he was but admirable step of informing the fans that the overhaul was on. A stripped of the puck by Columbus’ Nick Foligno and then didn’t do much couple of weeks later, Gorton moved Rick Nash to the B’s for a group of to prevent the Blue Jackets’ game-winner. assets that included defense prospect Ryan Lindgren.
But Krueger took the heat for that one, saying after the game that he put Then last week, after the B’s embarrassed the Rangers in a 7-4 game Eichel back on the ice too soon after Eichel had started the OT with a that was not that close, some major, youth-inspired personnel changes shift that lasted 1:09. Perhaps that support will pay off for Krueger in the occurred, one of which saw Lindgren inserted into the lineup for long run. respected veteran Marc Staal. The 2016 second round pick of the B’s promptly went out and picked up with a plus-2 rating in the Blueshirts’ 4-1 The biggest question is whether or not the goaltending will hold. In his bounce-back win over the Lightning. first opportunity to be a No. 1 goalie last year with he Sabres, Carter Hutton did not prove that he was going to be the guy. He had a .908 save percentage and a nice round goals against average of 3.00. This year the Boston Herald LOADED: 11.04.2019 33-year-old Hutton was at .926 and 2.21 with a 6-1-1 going into the weekend. He’s also been getting better support from backup Linus Ullmark, who was at 3-1-1, .932 and 2.56. A team can certainly win with numbers like that.
We’ve been here before, of course. Last year the Sabres looked for real when they ripped off a 10-game win streak — not a tiny sample size — but then it all fell apart. 1159913 Boston Bruins
Backes "doubtful" for the next couple of games after big collision
By Joe Haggerty
November 03, 2019 3:04 PM
With the Bruins readying for back-to-back games against the Penguins and Canadiens over the next few days, they aren’t expecting forward David Backes to play in either of the big Eastern Conference tilts. Backes suffered a suspected concussion that’s being called an “upper body injury” after a scary head-to-head collision with Scott Sabourin during Saturday night’s Boston win over the Ottawa Senators.
Sabourin had moved in on Backes near the sideboards for what appeared to be a standard, clean hit. But both forwards knocked heads, and Sabourin had to removed from the ice on a stretcher while a clearly upset Backes watched on before exiting the game for good.
The 27-year-old Sabourin was taken to a nearby hospital after being knocked out cold on his skates, but sent out a smiling picture on Instagram Sunday morning after clearly feeling a lot better.
The 35-year-old Backes was doing a little better this morning as well as he made into the Bruins practice facility for an early medical evaluation.
Still, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy termed him “doubtful” for the next couple of games and it would likely be at least a week the veteran winger would be out if it is indeed a concussion.
“[Backes] came in [on Sunday] morning to get checked out. [He’s] doing a little better than last night,” said Cassidy. “But we’ll probably get a better evaluation on him [on Monday]. He’s doubtful for the next couple of games. Brett Ritchie is out skating, so there might be some progress there. We’ll see how he’s feeling in the morning. We’ve got a few balls in the air if he’s ready to go and get back in there with [Charlie] Coyle, is Peter Cehlarik the best fit with [Sean] Kuraly and [Chris] Wagner?”
Backes joins Joakim Nordstrom (infection) and Par Lindholm (upper body) as injured B’s forwards currently on the shelf. But the potential return of Ritchie would prevent the Bruins from digging too deeply into their organizational depth chart, amidst the rash of forward injuries.
Backes has played in eight of the B’s first 13 games of the season, and has one assist along with a minus-1 rating while averaging 8:17 of ice time, largely playing on the fourth line.
Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159914 Boston Bruins
Heinen making a little more of an impact in top-six role
By Joe Haggerty
November 03, 2019 10:34 AM
BOSTON — While Danton Heinen already brings value to the Bruins as a versatile two-way winger capable of playing up and down the lineup, the 24-year-old could be so much more with an uptick in offensive production.
Heinen shows flashes from time to time, and he did that again in Saturday night’s 5-2 win over the Ottawa Senators, in which he scored the game-winning goal during a third-period onslaught from the Black and Gold.
The play was largely powered by Heinen. He won a puck battle along the side boards, watched Jake DeBrusk tie up Thomas Chabot ahead of him while vying for the puck, and then swooped in before waiting out Craig Anderson with a patient forehand scoring attempt.
Heinen added a perfect dish to DeBrusk for insurance later in the period, and finished with a goal, two points and a plus-2 rating in 14:08 of ice time. He essentially matched half of his season’s offensive output in one evening.
The secondary scoring is essential from guys like Heinen, and necessary if he’s going to remain at second line right wing with David Krejci and DeBrusk. But Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy was most pleased to see some additional fight from the 6-foot-1, 193-pounder along the boards.
“Heinen’s was a good [play]. He won a battle on the wall. Things we’ve asked Danton to do better this year is be heavier on pucks and battles. I thought he was tonight. He can do a lot of those things. We know he can defend well, we know he can make plays in space and he can contribute here and there on special teams,” said Cassidy. “[It’s] nice to see him win a puck battle on the wall because, you saw it, once he gets on open ice he tends to be able to find the right areas to go to, and good for him.”
Heinen is now on a pace for 19 goals and 38 points after Saturday night’s outburst, and he now has a goal and four points in his last four games while getting a legitimate look in a top-six role on the right hand side.
It’s certainly something he’d like to seize control of after playing mostly the third line while the Bruins cycled through second line right wing options over the last couple of seasons.
“I didn’t start as well as I would have liked while trying to get my legs into it, but then I started kind of getting more engaged and winning my battles, and things started going a little better,” said Heinen. “I kind of missed the first puck and would have liked to have been a little cleaner. But then I’m just working to fix my mistake and get to the net. Jake made a great play on that and I don’t score unless he does that, so it was great.”
It remains to be seen if Heinen can continue to pick up points while being featured in his current top-six role, but the opportunity is there for him to seize. And it be a massive development for both player and team if Heinen could develop into more than just a nice 200-foot player and instead become somebody that can make a little more impact on things for the Black and Gold from time to time, just as he did against the Sens on Saturday night.
Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159915 Boston Bruins
The Athletic LOADED: 11.04.2019
McDonald: Humanity reigns in the hockey world
By Joe McDonald
Nov 3, 2019
It was a surreal moment. It wasn’t a surprise.
As Ottawa Senators forward Scott Sabourin was carted off on a stretcher during the first period of Saturday’s 5-2 Bruins win at TD Garden, every player from both teams surrounded him on the ice and wished him well. The 17,191 fans in attendance also gave him a standing ovation.
It was another example how hockey players and fans get it.
“If something like that so serious happens, humanity just takes over and you forget about the game for minute,” said Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask.
For the 10-plus minutes medical personnel worked to secure Sabourin, TD Garden was nearly silent. It was a scary moment. The Bruins’ David Backes, who had collided with Sabourin, was clearly devastated, watching as his opponent lay motionless with blood dripping from his face.
After spending the night at Massachusetts General Hospital, Sabourin was released Sunday afternoon with a fractured nose. Backes — who also exited the game and did not return with an upper-body injury after the head-on-head collision — was doing better Sunday morning, according to Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy. The veteran forward will be examined again Monday.
“He’s doubtful for the next couple of games,” Cassidy said.
The bigger takeaway here is how the overall hockey community responds in moments like this. The culture, at every level, is simply different. I’ve been a beat guy in the NHL, NFL, and MLB, and am often asked why I believe hockey players are the best athletes to deal with on and off the ice.
The answer is simple: Hockey players learn about sacrifice at a young age and they never forget it. They understand what their parents or guardians must do in order for the players to enjoy the sport they love. Early morning practices, long drives, expensive equipment, expensive ice time, some parents working two jobs to pay for it, are all examples of those types of sacrifices.
Hockey players respect themselves and one another. They learn quickly to conform to the team concept and to try to make individual goals secondary.
“You know how I feel about hockey players. They’re some of the best human beings I’ve ever been around,” Cassidy said.
On a personal note, my son and a few of his teammates were at a restaurant after one of their bantam games last season in Boston. They were all wearing their team jackets when an older waitress stood at the table and asked for their food order. After each one said “please” and “thank you” the woman turned to a parent and said: “They must be hockey players. Hockey players are always the most polite.”
This is no slight on any other sport. Each is special in its own way, but hockey is different because it’s an expensive sport generally played by blue-collar people. Win or lose, hockey players are forced to learn early to take responsibility for their actions on and off the ice.
A former NHL player once described the culture as a code of ethics. It’s ingrained at a young age and continues throughout one’s career. Those players that don’t adhere to it are usually weeded out pretty quickly.
It takes all types of personalities to make a team and create a solid locker room environment. Kids get it. It’s instilled early and it’s never forgotten. Hockey is a violent sport. Players can lose their tempers in the heat of the moment. But, if something happens to an opponent, teammate, or even a fan, the majority of hockey players handle the situation properly.
That was the case on Saturday night at TD Garden. It was no surprise.
“We’re all in it together at the end of the day,” Cassidy said. 1159916 Buffalo Sabres
Sabres recall Lawrence Pilut, put Marco Scandella on injured reserve
By Staff
Published Sun, Nov 3, 2019|Updated Sun, Nov 3, 2019
Lawrence Pilut will get his chance to go home.
The Sabres recalled the Swedish defenseman Sunday from Rochester before the team left for the NHL Global Series in Stockholm and placed defenseman Marco Scandella on injured reserve. Scandella suffered a lower-body injury Oct. 24 and is expected to miss two to three weeks.
Pilut, a native of Tingsryd, Sweden, had a goal and five assists in 33 games with the Sabres last season and four goals and 22 points in 30 games in Rochester.
The team also announced that goaltender Andrew Hammond will travel with the Sabres. Hammond, who has been in Rochester, will be replaced on the Amerks' roster by prospect Ukk0-Pekka Luukkonen, who was recalled from Cincinnati of the ECHL on Sunday.
Luukkonen made 25 saves with Cincinnati on Saturday night against Brampton and was the backup for Sunday's game.
Buffalo News LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159917 Buffalo Sabres Lindsay Sparks skated alone across the slot to beat Luukkonen with a backhanded shot in the third period.
"I thought he was excellent," Kotyk, who watched Luukkonen's season Feeling 'normal' after hip surgery, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen makes season debut from the press box, said. "I was really just impressed with his body debut strength and the control he had in his own game. From my standpoint, I was expecting him to be a little more choppy, a little more rusty because it’s so challenging to re-create game situations in practice and he’s been By Lance Lysowski sharing a net while he’s in Rochester. … I was really pleased to see the small steps in his game, the growth. I walked away really happy and felt Published Sun, Nov 3, 2019|Updated Sun, Nov 3, 2019 good with where he’s at."
This was an important step in the long road back from hip surgery, a BRAMPTON, Ont. – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen sat in his hotel room procedure that has become common among goaltenders over the past Saturday frantically piecing together his game-day routine. 20 years because of the wear and tear caused by the butterfly style. Luukkonen didn't allow many rebounds and appeared controlled with his Luukkonen typically has every stretch and workout planned to the exact movements during Brampton's three power plays. minute. However, on the morning of his first start in almost seven months, the Buffalo Sabres' goalie prospect awoke with no recollection of "Of course I’m still thinking about the hips and if they feel OK," the regimen that helped him win gold for Finland at the IIHF World Junior Luukkonen said. "They do. That’s the nice thing about being in a game. Championship last January. In a practice you have time to think about that and you’re seeing how they feel. In your head you’re thinking if they’re tight or stuff like that, but "I was a mess," Luukkonen joked after he stopped 25 of 28 shots for the in a game you don’t have time to think about your hips. You have to think ECHL's Cincinnati Cyclones in a 4-1 loss to the Brampton Beast at CAA about where the puck is and how you make the save." Centre. Since undergoing double-hip surgery in April, the 20-year-old had thought daily about finally being physically able to compete in a game. The Sabres will be patient with Luukkonen. A conservative approach will ensure he is ready for the next step in his development, and he'll Luukkonen didn't allow himself to think about pregame warmups or continue to hone his footwork and rebound control. stretches, though. He was consumed with an arduous physical rehabilitation that kept him off the ice until July and prevented him from Those who have worked with Luukkonen closely aren't surprised by his being ready for the start of the Rochester Americans' season. resolute approach. Following a difficult world juniors one year earlier, Luukkonen posted a .932 save percentage in six games during Finland's The wait is over. Luukkonen admittedly still thinks about the health of his run to the gold medal last winter. hips, particularly during practice, but his second professional start in North America was a welcome return to normalcy. Despite playing through pain following the tournament, Luukkonen was named the Ontario Hockey League's Most Valuable Player and top "It’s a really nice moment," Luukkonen said. "I’m proud of myself." goaltender in May after winning a league-best 38 regular-season games, including six shutouts, for Sudbury. Neither the surgery nor the rehab has Luukkonen eventually pieced together his routine. He took a few long fazed Luukkonen. He's now considered as one of the top drafted goalie strides out of the Zamboni entrance for pregame warmup, stickhandled a prospects in North America. puck once he approached his blue line and circled around the net. "That's one attribute of his game that jumps out the more you watch him. Luukkonen then proceeded to stretch near the Cyclones' penalty box and It’s not something you’ll notice if you just watch casually," Kotyk said of skated over to his spot in the crease. He faced a number of shots before Luukkonen's will. "Very driven. Very goal-oriented. Understands what he giving way to Daniel Spence, Cincinnati's emergency backup goalie for wants and doesn’t allow anything to get in the middle of what his goal is. the night. ... I find him very resilient. He bends but doesn’t break. It’s a massive Luukkonen appeared to be his usual composed self. In reality, he was component that’s going to allow him to take steps forward in his career." nervous. All the on-ice workouts with Dennis Miller, the Sabres' head of Luukkonen was pleased, not satisfied with his performance. He said he'll rehab and development, and Seamus Kotyk, the organization's never experience the latter, though. On a night when he achieved goaltending development coach, prepared Luukkonen to physically another career milestone, Luukkonen was disappointed with the handle his return to game action. Cyclones' loss. He credited the people who helped him return to the ice, The sharp pain that led to surgery is gone. He's moving well from post to including Miller and Kotyk. post and remains the same controlled goaltender. However, Luukkonen The Sabres have yet to announce when Luukkonen will play his next hadn't played in a game since April 14, when he stopped 32 of 34 shots game, although he was recalled to Rochester on Sunday, with Andrew for Rochester to earn his first professional win. No practice or workout Hammond making the trip to Sweden with the Sabres. Regardless of could prepare him for some of the chaos he faced Saturday. when his next start occurs, he won't have to piece together his game-day "I was so nervous about going back on the ice and back into the games routine. because in the end it’s so much different than practice situations," "I hate that we lost and we could have done better, including me, but I felt Luukkonen said. "Being in a new league, with a new team, all that it was a good game," Luukkonen said. "I’m happy about my performance, combined, it’s a different situation than I’ve ever been in before. That built even though we lost. Being out for that long, I felt pretty normal and good up some nervousness. Other than that, I was really excited. I'm just really in the net." happy to play games again."
That feeling didn't dissipate when Luukkonen stopped his first shot in the first period, an attempt by a Beast defenseman from the blue line. Or Buffalo News LOADED: 11.04.2019 when he stopped a Brampton 2-on-1.
Luukkonen tracked the puck well throughout the first period and there was little he could have done to stop Daniel Leavens from redirecting a shot-pass into the net for a Brampton power-play goal at 6:52 into regulation.
It wasn't until the first intermission that Luukkonen felt "normal." The rehab wasn't on his mind. His focus was on helping his new teammates, many of whom he met only one day earlier, earn their fourth win of the season.
Luukkonen gave them a chance. He stopped a Brampton breakaway and ensuring rebound, only to have the Beast score on a third shot attempt to take a 2-1 lead late in the second period. Brampton pulled away when 1159918 Calgary Flames during the second intermission — and was flinging caps back on the ice as crews cleaned them up.
Yeah, the baseball boys had a blast. Flames lose road-trip finale to Capitals The Flames, on the other hand, looked like they were bagged.
One of the exceptions was Mangiapane, who was promoted to skate Wes Gilbertson alongside Mikael Backlund and Matthew Tkachuk on the second line and November 3, 2019 8:59 PM MST made that seem like a pretty wise move with a goal and an assist in the losing cause. (His second-period wrestling match with Jonas Siegenthaler never did escalate, although both served two for roughing.)
WASHINGTON — Calgary Flames forward Andrew Mangiapane had On just his third shift of the evening, Mangiapane forced a turnover on already notched a goal and added an assist. the forecheck, then accepted a pass from Tkachuk and tucked a shot to give the out-of-town team an early lead. And now, during a second-period scrum, he was wrestling on the ice with one of the Washington Capitals. The 23-year-old left-winger also earned a helper on Lindholm’s deflection goal with just 1.6 seconds showing on the clock in the first. So . . . did the Gordie Howe Hat-Trick cross his mind? In between, the Capitals cashed in on a pair of oopsies — an ill-advised “Yeah, maybe a little bit,” Mangiapane grinned. “But not too much.” pinch by Giordano, then a failed clearing attempt by Travis Hamonic. The Flames didn’t lack spunk or spirit in Sunday’s 4-2 road loss in front of On Vrana’s breakaway winner, Flames goalie Cam Talbot made the the World Series-winning Washington Nationals and a loud-and-proud initial save but TJ Brodie didn’t arrive soon enough on the back-check to crowd at Capital Arena. stop him from his second crack at it. They did, however, lack finish. “I’d say, overall, it was a step in the right direction over the trip,” And they looked fatigued, absolutely understandable since they were Mangiapane said. “We had a big comeback win in Nashville and then capping their longest trip of the season with a back-to-back set. carried it over, so I think we have to keep building off it. Disappointing loss (Sunday), but overall I think it was a good trip.” For the road-weary crew from Calgary, that outdoor contest in Regina — the starting point for this five-game, 10-day trek — must feel like ages ICE CHIPS ago. They headed home with a 2-2-1 record on the gruelling getaway, far Lindholm is now riding a seven-game point-spree and has a team-high from perfect but not nearly as bad as some might have feared after 40 10 tallies on the season . . . Flames left-winger Milan Lucic was slapped minutes of Thursday’s thriller in Nashville. with a two-game suspension for Saturday’s slug to the chops of They won’t use it as an excuse, but it’s tough to beat one of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets rookie Kole Sherwood. Lucic was replaced in the top troupes — the Capitals lead the overall standings at 11-2-3 — when lineup by Tobias Rieder . . . It was another milestone night for Capitals you’re running on fumes. superstar Alex Ovechkin, who hit the 1,100-game plateau.
“I thought maybe we didn’t have enough gas in the third there,” Mangiapane conceded. Calgary Sun: LOADED: 11.04.2019 Flames captain Mark Giordano protested that potential explanation for Sunday’s loss.
“You know what? I thought we had good jump,” he insisted. “If anything, the things that cost us were because we were over-aggressive a little bit, trying to hold lines and making reads to stay in their zone. I thought they got some looks out of that, but I thought our jump was good.
“The effort obviously was there, but we just couldn’t find a way to put pucks in the net.”
Sunday’s special guests will be remembered for their resilience.
The Nationals faced elimination five times during the 2019 MLB playoffs. In fact, they erased a deficit in each of those do-or-die games.
With baseball’s comeback kings in attendance for a boozy bash, the Flames didn’t have any surprise endings up their own sleeve.
Both of Calgary’s markers — one by Mangiapane, another by Elias Lindholm — came in the opening period.
Jakub Vrana sniped a hat-trick for the hosts, including his game-winner in the middle frame, while Lars Eller added a key insurance marker on the power-play early in the third.
The Nationals, fresh off their championship parade, hooted and hollered through all of it from a private suite.
The crowd roared when first baseman Ryan Zimmerman — wearing a No. 19 Capitals jersey with a name-bar that read, ‘WS Champs’ — carried the Commissioner’s Trophy onto the red carpet for a pre-game ceremony.
More than once, pitcher Max Scherzer was shown on the big-screen chugging a Bud Light.
There was, of course, a rendition of the ‘Baby Shark’ dance.
And after Vrana completed his hat-trick, banging home his own rebound after a breakaway, fan favourite Adam Eaton appeared at the Zamboni entrance — preparing for a topless spin on the resurfacing machine 1159919 Calgary Flames
Flames 'vehemently disagree' with two-game suspension to Lucic
Wes Gilbertson
November 3, 2019 5:12 PM MST
WASHINGTON — The Calgary Flames liked the reaction.
So they’ll live with the result, although they don’t think Milan Lucic deserved a two-game suspension for Saturday’s sucker-punch on Kole Sherwood of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Irked that Sherwood had just jabbed at Flames goalie David Rittich after he’d smothered a rebound, Lucic slugged the Blue Jackets call-up with a gloved right.
The 31-year-old was dinged for a double-minor for roughing, but then handed a two-game sit-out after Sunday’s hearing with league disciplinarians. (Sherwood, who was pulled after that punch for concussion protocol but later returned to action, received a minor penalty for slashing on the sequence.)
“I have the utmost respect for George Parros and the Department of Player Safety — they do a great job — but on this one, we vehemently disagree,” said Flames general manager Brad Treliving. “I thought the play was handled by the on-ice officiating staff correctly. I saw a player who poked/jabbed/whacked/speared/whatever-you-want-to-call-it the goaltender. I think 31 teams around the league, if you do that to anybody, there is going to be a reaction. They scrum, they engage, but I don’t think it falls to the level where Milan is sitting out the next two games.
“We support our player 100%. We want our players to support each other, back each other up, and we felt that’s what Milan was doing in this case.
“It’s hard to be neutral when it’s your team, but we see this one differently.”
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety stuck up for Sherwood on Sunday, ruling he wasn’t ready to defend himself before being drilled with a glove to the chops.
“The punch is thrown so that Sherwood does not have a chance to get his hands up to either protect himself or choose to engage with Lucic,” the league explained in its suspension video. “And while we understand Lucic’s frustration at seeing his goalie slashed, players are not excused from punishment when they act in retaliation for another player’s illegal act.”
Lucic’s history was also weighed. The video reminded that the fearsome forward has twice before been disciplined for “punches to the face of unwilling opponents.” His NHL rap-sheet now includes a grand total of three suspensions and five fines.
The Flames’ fourth-liner was in a suit and tie for Sunday’s clash with the Capitals in D.C. and will finish serving this two-game ban on Tuesday when the Arizona Coyotes visit the Saddledome.
“Tonight, if we bump into the Washington goaltender, I can guarantee you what the response is going to be, right?” Treliving said during a pre- game media scrum. “And so it should be. But it was seen differently.”
Calgary Sun: LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159920 Calgary Flames “(Pelletier) has been good, he’s been dynamic, and they have a really good team,” praised Flames general manager Brad Treliving. “What we preach to these guys when they leave is there is a little bit of Flames first-rounder Pelletier anxious to impress in Canada-Russia disappointment to go back to junior, but sometimes there’s also sort of Series the big-league strut when they get back there. So what we tell them is, ‘All of those things that you spent the two or three or four weeks at camp doing, make sure you do that at the junior level. Don’t get caught playing at that level. Nothing disrespectful there, but play above the pace, Wes Gilbertson practise above the pace, be a driver in practice, be a driver in games . . . November 3, 2019 4:56 PM MST ‘
“The games I’ve seen, that’s what Jakob has done. He’s played above the pace there and pushing it, and all the reports are that he’s done the All of Canada’s top teenage puck prospects will say the exact same thing same in practice. So that’s good to see, and he’s being rewarded for it.” — that they’d sacrifice almost anything to represent their country on international ice. Pelletier, who signed an entry-level contract with the Flames at the end of his training-camp stay, is hoping he will also be rewarded with an Calgary Flames up-and-comer Jakob Pelletier has shown it, too. opportunity to don the maple leaf at the world juniors.
Last spring, some advised Pelletier that he’d be better off skipping the He’s not a lock but also not a long-shot, the sort of guy who could really IIHF World Under-18 Championship in Sweden because, with so many benefit from a pair of standout showings against Team Russia. He should scouts in the stands, a nagging injury could have a negative impact on already have a few fans on Hockey Canada’s scouting staff, especially his status as a potential first-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. after he shrugged off that high-ankle sprain when his country called last spring. The kid couldn’t be talked out of this trip. If that dropped his draft stock any, the Flames are thankful for it. “That was after playoffs last year — I had a high-ankle sprain, but I still wanted to go to U-18s because I think it’s a great experience,” Pelletier “For our guys that did the background on him, it was just another explained. “It was in Europe, and it’s not a lot of times you can play a example of the type of person he is,” Treliving said of Pelletier’s tournament there. So I went and it was just amazing to be with those insistence on attending the U-18s. “We obviously like the skill-set, the guys and represent your country. brain, the competitive nature . . . And then he’s an all-in personality, and that was just one of the many examples of it. That makes him who he is.” “I will not say I was 100%, but I was good to play. If I had to make the same decision today or tomorrow, it would be the same. Just to be part of that group, of that experience, I think it was amazing. You kind of see yourself when you’re younger and cheering for Team Canada. And Calgary Sun: LOADED: 11.04.2019 you’re like, ‘Now it’s me, it’s my turn, and most of the people at home are cheering for me.’ That’s a pretty great feeling.”
Pelletier, like the rest of his peers, is now chasing another international invite.
The 18-year-old left-winger, selected by the Flames at No. 26 overall this past summer and putting up impressive numbers since being returned to the Moncton Wildcats, will skate for Team QMJHL in the 2019 CIBC Canada-Russia Series, an important audition for spots on the world- junior roster.
The six-game tryout tour starts Monday in St. John, N.B., and Pelletier will be in the friendly surroundings of his home rink for Tuesday’s matchup in Moncton. After that, Team OHL and Team WHL get their cracks.
“I want to show the player that I am, why I’ve had success in the QMJHL,” Pelletier said. “I want to play a two-way game and show I can play on the first line or third line or the fourth line. Show all that. Show a guy who is going to be courageous, determined . . .
“Everyone will want to impress and everyone wants to be there in December, so it’s going to be a lot of fun, for sure.”
Hockey Canada’s brass, of course, has been stacking up evaluations for months already, and Pelletier has certainly been making quite a case to be part of the group that will be shooting for gold in the Czech Republic over the holidays.
With 11 goals and 17 assists in 15 outings so far, Calgary’s latest first- rounder is averaging a sparkling 1.87 points per game this fall. Only five QMJHLers are producing at a faster clip, including fellow Flames prospect Dmitry Zavgorodniy (Rimouski Oceanic), who will rep the Russians in the showcase series.
“I’m kind of still the same player of last year, the same person. I think I’m more confident, though, with the puck,” said Pelletier, who had 89 points for the Wildcats last winter. “I’m more patient. I can take more time because I’m more confident with the puck, so I think that’s the biggest change that can lead to some more offence.”
His confidence must be sky-high right now.
The 5-foot-9, 167-lb. left-hander is riding an eight-game point spree, with eight tallies and a dozen helpers during that tear.
The Wildcats, ranked sixth in the latest rundown of the CHL Top 10, have won each of those games. 1159921 Calgary Flames As the video from the NHL’s department of player safety explains, not only does Lucic give Sherwood “no warning before throwing this punch … the players are not engaged in any way and the first contact between Flames’ topsy-turvy junket — from Heritage Classic to World Series party the players is Lucic’s glove hitting Sherwood’s face.”
Giving consideration to the Flames tough guy’s rap sheet — “Since January of 2016, Lucic has been fined once and suspended once for By Scott Cruickshank punches to the face of unwilling opponents” — the league felt it needed to take action. Nov 3, 2019 Lucic — who didn’t suit up Sunday and will sit out Tuesday against the
Coyotes — has now been suspended on three occasions and fined five WASHINGTON — Nobody would blame the Calgary Flames for feeling times. overshadowed. “On this one we vehemently disagree,” Flames boss Brad Treliving said. In the house was not only the NHL’s top crew — give or take the Boston “I thought the play was handled by the on-ice officiating staff correctly. I Bruins — but the World Series-winning Washington Nationals. saw a player who poked, jabbed, whacked, speared, whatever you want to call it, the goaltender. I think 31 teams around the league, if you do District of Champions, indeed. that to anybody, there’s going to be a reaction.
Before the national anthems, the Flames watched as the ballplayers — a “They scrummed, they engaged, but I don’t think it falls to the level where beer-chugging and trophy-lugging bunch — and the Capitals cavorted, Milan is sitting out the next two games.” gathering in the rink’s corner for a group picture. Treliving pointed out that Rittich had been sticked between the legs by It was a two-team party. Erik Haula in Carolina.
And the white-clad third wheels, when the puck finally did drop Sunday “In our case — you guys cover us — we’d seen our goalie whacked a evening, had no answers for hat-tricking Jakub Vrana and his table- couple nights before,” he said. “(Sunday) if we bump into the Washington setting chum Evgeny Kuznetsov. The last stop of a grinding journey, the goaltender, I can guarantee you what the response is going to be, right? second half of a weekend back-to-back, the Flames faded down the And so it should be. But it was seen differently by them.” stretch at Capital One Arena. The trip opened with Adam Lowry plastering Oliver Kylington into the Perhaps understandably. fence, a transgression that earned the Winnipeg centre a two-game suspension. “I thought maybe we didn’t have enough gas in the third,” said Andrew Mangiapane, who, along with Elias Lindholm, accounted for the Halloween’s heroes travellers’ scoring in the 4-2 setback. “But I thought it was pretty good. We started off pretty strong, but I think we fell apart.” The Flames showed up to Bridgestone Arena dressed as the Washington Generals, comedically hapless. But a blur of heroics, capped by that goal More than a week ago, when the Flames were packing their long johns in overtime, turned a complete mess into what one local broadcaster and preparing to barrel into Regina for the Heritage Classic, they had deemed on-air to be a “season-changer” for the Flames. already faced five clubs that had made the playoffs last season. Their success rate was underwhelming — a single victory. Postgame, players, perhaps wisely, avoided making any grand proclamations about a newfound direction. “It’s too early to say that,” So this junket’s itinerary had reason to make them quake. Five stops, Matthew Tkachuk said. “If we go on to win 10 in a row, I guess you could featuring nothing but postseason-participating outfits. say it changed a little bit.”
Meaning this figured to be more litmus test than road trip. When asked about the emotional boost of the 6-5 overtime win in Nashville, Bill Peters said, “We’re going to find out.” It does seem strange to be wondering about the contending worthiness of a squad that piled up 107 points last winter. A day later: “The proof will be in the pudding.”
Yet here we are. Then: “It’s time — we’re 15 (games) into it. Whatever our issues have been, it’s time to put them away, and take a step as a team.” And what did we learn as the Flames cobbled together a 2-2-1 log? Spin the takeaway. Losers of three of five? Winners of two of the last three? The Flames were much improved next time out, starting well and beating the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0. The Flames happen to like the way they’re trending. And Sunday, while running on the fumes, the Flames stayed close to the “We’re getting more to the way we want to play, with a lot more pace in hot-running hosts. our game,” said Mark Giordano. “A tough trip, a lot of tough buildings … we know we have a lot to work on. Now we get a chance to take care of Third-period implosions business at home and improve our record.” First a look way back. Last season taking 32 leads into the third period, At the Saddledome, the Flames meet a pair of playoff-missers — Arizona the Flames failed to close the deal only once. (A Nov. 15 home-ice Coyotes and New Jersey Devils — before welcoming the Stanley Cup- crumbling against the Montreal Canadiens, if you’re wondering.) champion St. Louis Blues on Saturday. Impressive work, though, on the whole.
But first a look back at this odyssey, which wound up being unbelievably Now this season. In a matter of four days — al fresco and indoors — they eventful — with crazy highlight-reel goals, spells of horrible play by the flopped twice, blowing 1-0 leads. After the gag in Carolina, Peters stated: Flames, followed by stretches of excellent hockey and a pair of two-game “How would I describe the third period? Well, it’s 20 minutes long.” suspensions … A couple of days later — and Thursday’s snappy third-period comeback Chain of events in the bank — Peters was more expansive. “We’ve been in good positions with leads, and we haven’t pushed hard enough,” said the There is a price for jabbing a goalie. There is also a price for reacting to a coach. “We don’t want to be a conservative team. We want to put our player jabbing a goalie. foot on the gas. If we get one, we want to go out and get the next one. As Milan Lucic discovered Sunday when he was banned for two games Without being reckless. Being intelligent with your aggression.” for decking Kole Sherwood after the Columbus rookie dug his stick into They haven’t quite mastered the late stages, though. Against the Blue David Rittich’s pads. On the play, Sherwood was handed a minor for Jackets, they surrendered 16 shots in the final 20 minutes. “We had a slashing — and also briefly left the proceedings under NHL concussion little step back again,” said Rittich. “We have to figure out we have to play protocol — while Lucic received a double-minor for roughing. 60 minutes.” The long arm of the law, not surprisingly, reached into his wallet. And Sunday, Peters repeatedly pointed to Washington’s early power-play goal in the third period — 140 seconds in — as his team’s undoing. Believe it or not, the Flames held leads in four of the road games. And in morning. “The half I understood was that he’s fresh and wants to play. He the other? They won in overtime (after never leading). feels good.”
Sour patches Last season Rittich handled 2,503:20 — 26th most in the league. Stablemate Mike Smith, at 2,400:19, was next. It might be the most painfully one-sided “game” the Flames — and their followers — endure this year. “I mean, it’s good for every single goalie to be in the net, right?” Rittich said. “Every single goalie wants to be in there. Same as me. I love If you stitch together the third period in Raleigh and the first and second playing.” periods in Nashville — and if you’re a sucker for punishment — you’ll see a 60-minute stretch in which the Flames were terrible. Outshot 37-13. His .915 save percentage is 25th, while his 2.79 goals-against average is Outscored 6-1. Outclassed. 29th. But coming off a 43-save shutout in Columbus, nobody is undervaluing the Czech’s work in net. Sure, the Flames managed a wicked reversal against the Predators. “I think every night he’s in the zone,” Monahan said. “Whether or not we But that dreary spell over two nights outlines one of the team’s issues — put on the performance we need to … when we’re not, he steps up in a complete vanishings. Their bad is truly bad. big way. That’s a big credit to Ritter.”
They seem to not possess a hang-in-there gear — although Sunday, Finally, those goals despite not having their best stuff, they stayed close to the Caps, who have now gone nine games (8-0-1) without suffering a regulation loss. In back-to-back dates came those highlight-reel conversions.
Awakening of Sean Monahan A party-pooper might say big deal. Goals are goals — the fancy ones count the same on the stat sheet as some hacked-in rebound. For one of the steadiest offensive contributors in Calgary — career goal totals of 22, 31, 27, 27, 31, 34 — this had been a true dry spell. Well, you saw them.
Between markers for Sean Monahan, there were 13 games, 27 days, 33 Carolina teenager Andrei Svechnikov tying the game Tuesday, with a shots. lacrosse-style conversion in the third period.
Then in Columbus, he took a wrister and cashed in before the night was Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk winning the game Thursday, with a four minutes old. Drought over. between-the-legs buzzer-beater in overtime.
“Whenever you score, it’s obviously a good feeling,” Monahan said. “I’m lucky it went in,” Tkachuk said. “Once you play in this league a long time, you know you’re going to go through stretches and not find the back of the net. It gets frustrating when No, that wasn’t a fluke. Check out this video, a testament to the degree of you’re not winning games and you’re not producing.” difficulty.
In the 3-0 decision at Nationwide Arena, the handiwork stood up as his 36th career game-winner. “He’s scored big goals his whole career,” Sam The Athletic LOADED: 11.04.2019 Bennett said, “so he’s not new to this.”
In truth, Monahan got off the mat at Nashville. Through 40 minutes, in a 4-1 contest, he had been minus-4. Then, in the third period, he played a large role in the comeback, picking up three helpers.
Now it’s Johnny Gaudreau’s turn to straighten out his goal-scoring.
He has gone 12 games without a tally. He has earned seven assists during that span.
Not unrelated …
Not scoring, period
For the Flames, pucks have not been pouring in, unless your name is Elias Lindholm or Matthew Tkachuk.
Lindholm’s 10 goals stake him sixth overall, while Tkachuk’s seven are 19th most in the league.
However, beyond Nos. 28 and 19 …
The Flames, last season, had been the second-most potent club, tied with San Jose with 3.52 goals per game. (Only Tampa, at 3.89, was more productive.)
Now, however, they sit 23rd in goals-scoring average.
Their power play is 22nd. And team shooting percentage (7.83) is ranked 21st. (Last season’s shooting percentage of 10.88 was the third-most efficient in the NHL.)
And shots overall — 21st.
Is it simply fine-tuning the attempts? The Flames are among the league’s leaders in hit posts (fourth), shots over the net (fifth), shots wide (sixth).
“As a staff we have to do a better job of figuring this out,” Peters said of his team’s inefficiencies. “Obviously, it’s a capable group with a lot of skill, so we’ve got to figure this out.”
Goaltending
Rittich is the NHL’s busiest goalie — at 774:46 — and he aims to keep it that way.
“I talk to him. I had a good conversation in the (hotel) elevator — I was only able to understand half of it,” Peters, chuckling, said Saturday 1159922 Chicago Blackhawks
Patrick Kane’s overtime goal and Adam Boqvist’s 1st career tally lift the Blackhawks to a 3-2 win over the Ducks
By JIMMY GREENFIELD
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
NOV 03, 2019 | 10:10 PM
ANAHEIM, CALIF.
On a night when the Ducks’ Ryan Getzlaf played in his 1,000th career game, it was Patrick Kane who came away with the bigger smile on his face.
Taking a pass from Jonathan Toews, Kane buried a shot 24 seconds into overtime to give the Blackhawks a 3-2 win over Anaheim at the Honda Center. It was Kane’s first goal since Oct. 20 against the Capitals.
Blackhawks rookie Adam Boqvist also had a night to remember. Playing in the second game of his career, the 19-year-old defenseman ripped a wrist shot into the upper right-hand corner of the net for his first NHL goal.
The win was the Hawks' first in five road games this season and improved their record to 4-6-3.
Boqvist's first-period goal came three seconds after a Hawks power play ended when Alex Nylander sent him a pass from behind the net and he was able to beat Ducks goalie Ryan Miller. A few minutes later, Alex DeBrincat scored a 5-on-3 power-play goal to put the Hawks up 2-0.
The Hawks have power-play goals in consecutive games for the first time this season.
Hawks goaltender Robin Lehner had another terrific outing, stopping 36 of 38 shots to earn his 100th career victory.
Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159923 Chicago Blackhawks Gustafsson has held himself accountable for his defensive lapses and understood the decision to give him a game off against the Kings.
“Of course I’m frustrated,” he said. “I want to play. But you look at last Column: Trading Erik Gustafsson would help the Blackhawks begin their year and it might be a good thing, I don’t know. But I’ve got to be better future when it needs to: now out there, that’s all it is. I know that too. ... I need to do everything I can to not be a healthy scratch again and help the team to win.”
That’s what you want to hear from a player facing adversity. There’s no By JIMMY GREENFIELD questioning Gustafsson’s desire to improve, and it’s certainly possible he soon will get out of the funk that has thrown his season off course. CHICAGO TRIBUNE Hawks general manager Stan Bowman could wait until the February NOV 03, 2019 | 7:22 PM trade deadline, when Gustafsson’s value presumably would be higher, to strike a deal. But chances are Bowman explored deals for him in the offseason and didn’t discover much of a market for a player with less ANAHEIM, CALIF. than one great season under his belt.
The worst thing for any sports franchise is to get mired in the world of The Hawks’ decision to bring up Dach and Boqvist shows they’re serious mediocrity, which is smack dab where the Blackhawks find themselves. about speeding up their rebuilding process. It’s also a sign they recognize they’re not getting to the playoffs this season. So let’s just get on with it, shall we? Enough trying to rebuild on the fly. Let’s get on with moving out players who aren’t part of the future and Trading Gustafsson is the next logical move in a process that will take giving up on the false hope that this team can win now. time but can’t begin fast enough.
The first move needs to be trading Erik Gustafsson.
Actually, the Hawks already made their first move when they gave Kirby Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.04.2019 Dach, 19, a chance to prove he is ready for the NHL. They look to the future again by bringing up Adam Boqvist, 18, after only six games with Rockford of the AHL.
If Boqvist is here to stay, as he should be, then Gustafsson no longer has an obvious spot in the lineup. Not because he can’t be among the Hawks’ top six defensemen this season, but because he’s not going to be around next season anyway.
Gustafsson is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the season, and there’s little chance he will re-sign with the Hawks. Not when Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook are tied to long-term deals with no- movement clauses. Not when Calvin de Haan, Olli Maatta and Connor Murphy have several years left on reasonable contracts.
And not when Boqvist is just about ready to take up residence on the Hawks blue line for years to come, with prospects such as Ian Mitchell and Nicolas Beaudin on the cusp of being given chances to make the team in the next year or two.
The arguments were good for the Hawks to keep Gustafsson last summer rather than trade him when his value was at an all-time high. He was coming off a breakout season in which he scored 60 points — sixth- most among NHL defensemen — and showed signs of becoming a more responsible player in his own zone.
Even if his defensive skills remained average at best, the Hawks still needed him to quarterback a power play that became one of the league’s most effective when he was added to it midway through last season.
In short, Gustafsson had developed into a valuable player who couldn’t easily be replaced by a team that had its sights set on making the playoffs after a two-year drought.
Those were good arguments. Not anymore. After only 12 games this season is slowly disintegrating before our eyes. It was one thing for the Hawks to give up 51 shots to the Predators, but allowing 49 shots on goal to the Kings — who came into the game tied for the NHL’s worst winning percentage — was an embarrassment.
A 3-6-3 record going into Sunday’s game against the Ducks is an honest accounting of how they’ve performed. Gustafsson is just one of many players who are having rough starts, so don’t view singling him out as being only about his play. It’s far more about his unique situation as the only position player scheduled to be a UFA next summer.
Gustafsson was back in the lineup against the Ducks on Sunday after being a healthy scratch the previous game for the first time since last December. Boqvist also was in the lineup for their first time together in a regular-season game.
When Gustafsson was held out last season he responded with the best play of his career, marked by his addition to the power play. But coach Jeremy Colliton said before Sunday’s game that Gustafsson isn’t immediately getting back his spot on the power play, not even with the second unit that will consist of Jonathan Toews and rookies Dach, Boqvist, Alex Nylander and Dominik Kubalik. 1159924 Chicago Blackhawks Kane and Dominik Kubalik couldn’t get off the ice. They had shifts of roughly three minutes each, which is a lifetime in hockey.
“At some point it starts to wear on you when you can’t exit clean and we 3 takeaways from the Blackhawks’ 4-3 overtime loss to the Kings, could never get a push going the other way,” Jeremy Colliton said. including Corey Crawford’s very strange night “When we did break out clean and force them to play in their end and their half of the rink I thought our forecheck was quite good. We caused turnovers and created some chances. Basically, from that (long) shift (in) the second half of the game it was tough for us to gain any momentum.” By JIMMY GREENFIELD The Kings came in knowing the Hawks have had a terrible time getting CHICAGO TRIBUNE out of their zone, just as the Predators did before and future opponents NOV 03, 2019 | 7:03 AM will as well. The question now is can the Hawks do anything about it.
Toews is trying to stay optimistic and see good things where he can. But the Hawks' offensive transition game is just not working now. LOS ANGELES "If we get it out of our zone, they just turn it right back, fire it right back Even with the Blackhawks coming back from two deficits and picking up in," Toews said. "We're spending all our time in our own zone, so it gets their first road point of the season, Jonathan Toews was in no mood to tiring. Our goalies are getting peppered, eventually pucks are going to go talk about moral victories after Saturday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Kings in. They're doing a great job of trying to keep us in these games. But at the Staple Center. whenever we seem to get something, we let it go and take penalties and it's just frustrating. Nothing seems to be consistent right now." "Bottom line is we still didn't play well enough to win that game," Toews said. "So not going to talk about falling short in overtime." And how do you get that consistency? Toews didn't have any answers.
The Hawks have lost six of their last seven to fall to 3-6-3 with two games "That's a good question," he said. "Just working on that, trying to figure it left on their four-game road trip. They visit the Ducks on Sunday seeking out." their first road win of the season a day after getting their first road point of the season. 3. Corey Crawford had a very strange night.
"Get right back into it, come out with some energy," Toews said. "I think When Corey Crawford was struck in the face mask by a shot two minutes we're a good team when everyone wants the puck and everyone's into the game, it seemed to come and go without a problem. available and we're active without the puck, we're giving the puck carrier Even when the Kings scored a pair of goals, Crawford remained on the some options to make plays up ice. We've got to work to do that and try ice and wasn't showing side effects from the blow. and turn things our way here." But after the second goal, Robin Lehner hopped over the boards and Here are three takeaways from Saturday's 4-3 OT loss to the Kings: came into the game. At first it seemed like it was a standard goalie 1. Adam Boqvist’s NHL debut was a success. change after a rough start, but soon it became clear that Crawford was leaving at the behest of referee Wes McCauley. Adam Boqvist didn't have any costly mistakes, and Jeremy Colliton trusted him enough to give him some ice time during Saturday's OT. The fear, of course, was a concussion. Which is why it was such a relief when Crawford returned to the game midway through the first. After the That's a solid debut, certainly one that the Hawks' 2018 first-round pick game, Crawford denied feeling dazed or in need of the concussion can build on as he tries to make the most of his first NHL opportunity. protocol. But it was the decision of the referee so he abided by it.
"He was good," Colliton said. "Of course, we're trying to be a bit careful "I think the ref just thought I was dazed or something," Crawford said. "It on the road, not starting him in D zone. But I thought he was very good, was his call so … whatever. I was able to go back in." made a lot of plays. He was one of the guys stuck out there for that long shift. I thought they survived it well. I thought he performed well." Whether it was the breather or just a coincidence, Crawford returned to the game and was brilliant. He made 30 consecutive saves after Boqvist pinched a little too soon on his first shift of the game, which might reentering and despite allowing a pair of late goals, including the have led to a scoring chance but the Kings were offside on the rush up overtime winner by Drew Doughty, he turned what had the makings of a ice. It wasn’t a perfect debut by any means but should provide disastrous start into one where he was the reason the Hawks stole a confidence going into Sunday’s game against the Ducks. point.
“I thought he looked pretty comfortable off the hop,” Jonathan Toews “Just trying to get good feelings out there,” Crawford said. “You know, said. “He’s obviously a smart player and knows how to be deceptive and just play hard and try to get a little momentum going. It was nice of us to buy himself some time and space. I think it’s a pretty good showing tie it late. We get a point out of it. We had a chance to win it, too, in OT. I despite what happened tonight, and we know he’s got a ton of potential, mean, it’s not going to be easy. We just have to keep working hard. so hopefully he’ll keep building off that first game.” Maybe even work a little bit harder.”
2. The Blackhawks have allowed 100 shots over their last two games. Here’s coverage from Saturday’s game:
It's one thing to let the Predators, a Stanley Cup contender with a variety What began as a disaster for the Blackhawks looked like it would of offensive stars, pile up the shots on goal. become a tale of perseverance and redemption.
But the Kings? Then the Kings ruined the Hawks’ bid for a Hollywood ending.
One game after the Hawks gave up 51 shots to the Predators, they Drew Doughty scored with 16.6 seconds left in overtime to give the Kings allowed the Kings to put 49 shots on net to make it a tidy 100 over a 2- a 4-3 win over the Hawks on Saturday night at the Staples Center. game stretch. Hawks goalie Corey Crawford left the game early in the first period after That’s a ridiculous number of shots. It’s also a reflection of what a terrible getting struck in the head by a puck and allowing a pair of goals. He time the Hawks have had bringing the puck safely out of their own zone. returned to stop 30 consecutive shots until Michael Amadio snuck a puck through Crawford’s legs with 7 minutes, 23 seconds left in the third “We’re spending all our time in our own zone, so it gets tiring,” Jonathan period to give the Kings a 3-2 lead. Toews said. “Our goalies are getting peppered, eventually pucks are going to go in. They’re doing a great job of trying to keep us in these But Jonathan Toews scored his first goal in seven games to tie it with games. But whenever we seem to get something, we let it go and take 2:48 left in regulation and send the game to overtime. penalties and it’s just frustrating. Nothing seems to be consistent right now.” The OT loss was the Hawks’ fourth defeat in four road games this season but gave them their first road point while dropping them to 3-6-3 There was one shift in the second period where the Hawks had such a overall. They were outshot 49-27 by the Kings, who entered the game tough time clearing the puck that Adam Boqvist, Duncan Keith, Patrick tied for the NHL’s worst winning percentage. [Most read] Sebastian Maniscalco sets a United Center comedy record. And he’s still bothered. »
The first period got off to a dreadful start for the Hawks. Crawford took a shot off of his face mask and appeared to be OK, but after the Kings scored twice in less than two minutes he left the game to go into concussion protocol, apparently at the request of referee Wes McCauley.
Robin Lehner entered the game and stopped all five shots he saw, then at about the 10-minute mark, Crawford returned and was brilliant. He finished with 40 saves.
Adam Boqvist had a largely uneventful NHL debut for the Hawks. Kirby Dach nearly connected with the 19-year-old defenseman when he pinched towards the net early in the second, but the pass was deflected on the way through the crease. Boqvist finished with 15:38 of ice time and had one shot on goal.
The Hawks pulled to within 2-1 on their first power-play goal in seven games and their only opportunity against the Kings. A puck caromed away from the crease, and Dominik Kubalik slammed it home for his third goal of the season to tie him for the team lead with four others.
Kubalik didn’t get credit for an assist on the Hawks’ next goal, but it was his pressure that forced Kings goalie Jack Campbell into a turnover that allowed David Kampf to score into an empty net with 2:37 left in the first.
Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159925 Chicago Blackhawks
Adam Boqvist scores first NHL goal as Blackhawks beat Ducks in OT
By Ben Pope@BenPopeCST
Nov 3, 2019, 9:40pm CST
ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Blackhawks desperately needed some good feelings, some drought-busting goals and, most important, two points in the standings Sunday.
They succeeded on all three counts.
Adam Boqvist scored his first NHL goal, Robin Lehner continued his Vezina Trophy-level play and Patrick Kane struck in overtime as the Hawks edged the Ducks 3-2.
‘‘We just could not seem to put it together as far as results go, and ultimately they’re what allow you to kind of breathe easy and gain a little confidence in your game,’’ coach Jeremy Colliton said. ‘‘It’s not like we were outstanding tonight, but we got some points in the bank, and hopefully we can build on that.’’
Boqvist, a day removed from his NHL debut, ripped a top-corner snipe past Ducks goalie Ryan Miller to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead midway through the first period. It couldn’t have been a prettier first goal, and Boqvist followed it up with another solid all-around performance in 15:44 of ice time.
‘‘It’s happened so quick and everything,’’ a grinning Boqvist said afterward. ‘‘There’s so much in my head right now. I got called up four days ago, so I’m just going to go with the flow.’’
After the Ducks erased a 2-0 deficit to force overtime, Kane converted a spinning pass from Jonathan Toews 24 seconds into the extra period to give the Hawks the victory. Toews, who has been in a slump for most of the early part of the season, also was credited with an assist on Boqvist’s goal and suddenly finds himself on a two-game points streak.
The Hawks have earned points in three of their last four games — a strange reality, considering how dismal things felt entering the day.
The victory even seemed to provide a decent blueprint for success moving forward: Try to put together at least two periods of responsible puck play and rely on Lehner, whose save percentage is up to .939 after stopping 36 of 38 shots, to survive the other period.
‘‘It’s always nice to score, nice to score in overtime, nice for the team to get a win,’’ Kane said. ‘‘Three out of four points in this California swing so far. It’s a good start.’’
The Hawks had killed 15 power plays in a row — their longest such streak since January 2018 — until the Ducks struck for a tying power- play goal in the third period.
That breakdown, however, doesn’t undermine how improved the penalty kill has been overall.
‘‘Early on some pucks were going in the net, but we always felt that it looked way better,’’ Colliton said. ‘‘Much more under control, a lot of little things that make up a good penalty kill, whether it’s the clears or whether it’s the sorting, blocking shots. Obviously, goaltending has been a factor.
‘‘We’ve got a lot of those ingredients, so that’s one area of our game that we like.’’
Defenseman Dennis Gilbert didn’t play in either leg of the weekend back- to-back.
With eight healthy defensemen on the roster and Boqvist so far proving he belongs in the NHL, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Gilbert reassigned to Rockford of the American Hockey League at the end of the road trip.
Gilbert still has benefitted from this longer NHL stint. He has grown close with defenseman Erik Gustafsson, sitting with him on team flights, and has become less ‘‘afraid to make a mistake,’’ he said.
Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159926 Chicago Blackhawks
Jeremy Colliton explains how he creates Blackhawks’ lineup every night
By Ben Pope@BenPopeCST
Nov 3, 2019, 8:10am CST
LOS ANGELES — Coach Jeremy Colliton hatched a Blackhawks lineup even more hodgepodge than usual for the game Saturday against the Kings:
Jonathan Toews with Brandon Saad and Alex Nylander, David Kampf with Patrick Kane and Dominik Kubalik, Ryan Carpenter with Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome and Andrew Shaw with Kirby Dach and Zack Smith.
Previously this season, Saad-Toews- Nylander had played together for only 37 seconds and Smith-Shaw-Dach for only 12 seconds. Only DeBrincat-Carpenter-Strome had been seen with any regularity, and even that trio seemed strange when first united a few games ago.
So how does Colliton come up with these seemingly random combinations?
“We throw ideas around, different combinations, the pros and cons, all those things,” Colliton said. “Ultimately, we’re trying to match. I guess balance is the better word. We want to win on that night but also make sure there’s justice as far as the guys who are playing well should be playing more, the guys who aren’t playing well should play less. And it’s a balancing act.”
Colliton’s ultra-young cast of assistant coaches, as one would expect, have a say in the decision-making process.
The players aren’t given voices to chime in directly, but things Colliton has heard from them in conversations are incorporated into the discussion. Understandably, the team’s veteran core members have a bit more influence than the rest of the roster.
“Sometimes players have suggestions that are good for them but not always what’s best for the group,” Colliton said. “That’s our job, to sift through that, make the best call.”
“He kind of tells me certain ideas he has and different things,” Patrick Kane said. “He’s a super-smart hockey mind, and I think he wants to put you in the best position to succeed, so it’s not like he’s just putting lines together [and saying], ‘You’re just going to be playing with these guys.’ There are certain situations he wants to put you in on the ice, playing with different guys, too.”
Kane added an intriguing comment about something we’ll see going forward: in-game line flexibility without permanently breaking up the predetermined trios.
That’s part of an increasingly desperate search for ways to escape this loss-laden start and scoring drought.
Kane, for one, would probably appreciate more game-to-game stability line-wise, even if it requires some shift-to-shift instability. He has been tossed all around the Hawks’ lineup, although he’s far from the only one.
Just look at Drake Caggiula, for example.
Caggiula played with Carpenter and Smith the first two games, Toews and DeBrincat the next three and Carpenter and Nylander the next three, then was scratched for one game, returned for two games with Toews and Kane, then was scratched again Saturday. He basically has been riding a roller-coaster.
The obvious hope is that the Hawks will soon be able to avoid this level of turbulence. A few wins would be helpful.
“We don’t have all the answers right away,” Colliton said. “You’ve got to work through it and come up with different things and debate it back and forth, and I think that’s when you come up with the best plan.”
Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159927 Chicago Blackhawks "He has been given much by the organization and he has given everything that he has back," Ducks head coach Dallas Eakins said of Getzlaf. "To play 1,000 games in one jersey is a very hard things to do and we are all very, very proud of his accomplishment." Kane scores in overtime, Blackhawks beat Ducks 3-2
Daily Herald Times LOADED: 11.04.2019 By DOUG PADILLA
Associated Press
Posted 11/4/2019 7:00 AM
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- There was symmetry in the way the Chicago Blackhawks picked up their first road victory of the season Sunday, with a near-perfect balance of youth and veterans.
Rookie Adam Boqvist scored his first NHL goal in the first period and the veteran duo of Patrick Toews and Patrick Kane finished things off in overtime to give the Blackhawks a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks.
During a night-long recognition of the 1,000th game in the career of Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf, it was the Blackhawks who celebrated last with Kane's goal 24 seconds into overtime, off a pass from Toews.
"We have some young players who are extremely promising and they're getting better and better, and we're feeling confident that they can play in the league and contribute to the team," Blackhawks head coach Jeremy Colliton said. "And that, in the end, is how we're going to turn this - the combination of the old guys getting it done and the young guys taking more and more responsibility."
Alex DeBrincat also scored for the Blackhawks on a two-man advantage in the first period.
Sam Steel and Nick Ritchie scored for Anaheim. Ryan Miller had 34 saves.
Toews stopped in traffic shortly after overtime began, spun around and slipped a cross-ice pass to Kane, who lifted the puck over the shoulder of Miller for the winner. It was the veteran's fourth goal of the season.
Blackhawks goalie Robin Lehner made 36 saves in the victory as Chicago won for just the second time in eight games. The Blackhawks also became the last Western Conference team to win a game on the road.
Steel had a second-period goal and Ritchie tied the game 2-2 at the 6:17 mark of the third period on a power-play goal, with an assist from Steel. Getzlaf had an assist and a sense of relief as the Ducks at least came away with a point on a night when he was being honored.
"I was happier with our start tonight, although we came away down two (goals)," Getzlaf said. "We took some penalties and stuff again in the first which doesn't allow you to get any rhythm in the hockey game, but we did a good job of battling back and getting that point."
Boqvist, who made his NHL debut Saturday night against the Los Angeles Kings, scored through traffic in front of the goal at 9:21 of the first period on a shot that hit off the right post and deflected into the net.
"You always looked to scoring (your) first goal and playing in the NHL, so it happened," said Boqvist, who called the goal a dream. "I didn't see where it went in, but I did see it went by the post, so yeah, it was good (it went) in."
Boqvist, the No. 8 overall selection in the 2018 draft, played 14 minutes, 44 seconds on Sunday after playing 15:38 a day earlier.
"I don't think so much out there," Boqvist said. "It's happened so quick and everything. There's so much in my head right now. I got called up four days ago, so I'm just going to go with the flow."
It was just the second loss at home in eight games for the Ducks, who entered with three victories in their last four games.
Just over six minutes after Boqvist scored for the first time, DeBrincat took a cross-ice pass from Kane and scored his fourth of the season on a deflection off Miller's right pad.
Getzlaf's milestone game came two days after he scored the winner in overtime against the Vancouver Canucks. 1159928 Chicago Blackhawks
After unexpected call-up, Adam Boqvist not looking out of place with Blackhawks
By Charlie Roumeliotis
November 03, 2019 11:16 PM
ANAHEIM — It’s been a memorable week for Adam Boqvist. He scored his first goal as a pro on Wednesday, got called up to the big leagues on Thursday, made his NHL debut on Saturday and scored his first career NHL goal on Sunday.
And his first goal was exactly how you imagine scoring it as a kid: top shelf against one of the league's best goaltenders over the last decade- and-a-half in Ryan Miller.
"Of course, it's a dream," Boqvist said following a 3-2 overtime win over the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center. "You always looked up to scoring first goal and playing in the NHL, so it happened. I didn't see where it went in, but I did see it went by the post, so yeah, it was good to see it go in."
Even more fitting? Kirby Dach, who also needed only two games before scoring his first NHL goal, was the player who immediately picked up the puck for Boqvist. The future of the Blackhawks before our very eyes.
While they're being careful with which situations to put Boqvist in, the Blackhawks haven't been afraid to give the 19-year-old rookie defenseman a lot to handle in the early going.
He and Duncan Keith were the only two Blackhawks defensemen who saw the ice in an overtime that lasted 4:43 on Saturday against the Kings. Boqvist took three shifts and logged 2:14 of ice time during the 3- on-3 action, although he was on the ice for the game winner.
Boqvist has also become the new quarterback of the second power-play unit and he's the lone defensemen on it, which shows the confidence the Blackhawks have in his ability to handle that kind of responsibility.
"He's been really good," head coach Jeremy Colliton. "Obviously, he does bring that dimension to the power play. He can finish, he's got a great release. His movement is fantastic back there. He could have scored in overtime [against Los Angeles], too, so clearly he's having an impact on the game, but I think defensively he's been quite good. We feel pretty comfortable with him out there. Obviously, we're trying to protect him when we can, but he's made a really good impression so far."
Boqvist has never been a player to lack confidence, and you can see it in his game. He may have tried to keep it simple in his NHL debut, but he wasn't afraid to show what kind of player he is and can be on Sunday.
At even strength against the Ducks, Boqvist was on the ice for 16 shot attempts for and seven against, as well as nine scoring chances for and two against, according to Natural Stat Trick. He finished with six shot attempts (three on goal) and logged 15:44 of ice time.
It's been a whirlwind past few days and there will be growing pains along the way, but the Blackhawks' top defenseman prospect isn't looking out of place.
"I don't think so much out there," Boqvist said. "It's happened so quick and everything. There's so much in my head right now. I got called up four days ago. So I'm just going to go with the flow."
Attention Dish and Sling customers! You have lost your Blackhawks games on NBC Sports Chicago. To switch providers, visit mysportschicago.com.
Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159929 Chicago Blackhawks “I think Saad and Nylander have been two of our strongest players all year,” Colliton said after Sunday’s win. “They’re just kind of picking up where they left off, being really strong on the puck. I think Saad, he’s kind of had that reputation throughout his career that he’s been that guy to The Blackhawks’ kids have arrived and they’re here to help carry the puck and be heavy on it. I think I said before, I think his puck decisions have been fantastic this year. Really does a good job of
gaining lines. And he’s still dangerous, but he does it safely. I think By Scott Powers Nylander, it’s basically his first year, he’s shown a lot of heaviness on the puck, very heavy stick. He still makes young player mistakes at times, Nov 3, 2019 but he’s shown he can be someone we can count on.”
Dach, the third overall pick in the 2019 draft, continues to establish that case, too. He earned a permanent invitation to stay with the Blackhawks ANAHEIM, Calif. — Visiting California is nothing new for most NHL with his two-way play through six games and became the first veterans. Blackhawks draft pick since Kane to stick in the NHL in his draft year. They’ve been to Los Angeles, Anaheim and San Jose countless times. Since then, Colliton has shown he’s going to slowly add more onto They have their set routines and are often content to relax in their hotel Dach’s plate. He was placed as a net-front presence on a power-play unit rooms. It’s just another business trip. for the first time leading into Saturday’s game and set up a goal for For Blackhawks rookies Kirby Dach, Adam Boqvist and Alex Nylander, Dominik Kubalik at the net. It’s apparent Dach’s ice time could vary game California and most NHL cities are new destinations they’re eager to by game, but he was moved up into a top-nine role Sunday and played experience. They haven’t been beaten down by the NHL’s schedule, 12:37. He’s been north of 12 minutes in five of his eight games. travel and grind yet. They’re young, energetic and actually want to “He’s shown he can help us and he’s only going to get better,” Colliton venture outdoors. Rest isn’t on their minds. told reporters when announcing the organization’s decision to not send “We just like to be out and about doing things,” Dach said. “That’s one Dach back to juniors. “I think the player he is now, there’s likely going to thing when you’re traveling so much, and you’re in hotel after hotel, some be a huge improvement as the year goes on and the player (he is) in guys tend to sit there and stare at the same four walls, where Adam and I February I’m sure is going to be an impact player for us.” like to go out and do things. We’re kind of similar in that way. Finally, Boqvist has been the last to arrive. Not many, including Boqvist, “(Boqvist) flew out here (Thursday). Obviously when he got out here, expected his first call-up would come this early in the season. Boqvist we’ve been together ever since — me, him and Nylander. Obviously acknowledged he didn’t feel he had been playing well for the Rockford pretty close buddies (with Boqvist) at the development camp and me and IceHogs in the AHL. But with the Blackhawks struggling to score goals, Nylander were here from the start of the season. Now Bokey joining us especially from their defensemen and on the power play, they sent for again, and it’s been awesome.” their defenseman prospect with the highest offensive ceiling.
It was assumed Nylander, 21, Boqvist, 19, and Dach, 18, would be Boqvist demonstrated just what he’s capable of offensively when he sent eventually reunited, just not this soon. Their individual skill levels one of his signature wrist shots into the top right corner of the Ducks’ net influenced the Blackhawks’ decisions to bring them each to the NHL now. in the first period Sunday. It was the first five-on-five goal a Blackhawks Desperation following a slow start to the season has certainly factored defenseman had scored this season. into their arrivals as well. “I didn’t see where it went in, but I did see it went by the post, so yeah, it Regardless of how they got there, the Blackhawks have made it clear was good to see it go in,” Boqvist said and smiled. “Yeah, of course, it’s a they’re confident their future can play and contribute in the NHL now. dream. You always looked up to scoring first goal and playing in the NHL, so it happened.” As much as the Blackhawks are still going to lean on Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane to guide them, just as they did combining for the game- The Blackhawks are optimistic there are many more in his future too. winning goal in Sunday’s overtime win over the Anaheim Ducks, they’re Boqvist has a natural instinct for the game when he’s inside the offensive expecting Boqvist, who scored his first NHL goal Saturday, Dach, who zone. Dach nearly connected with him on a backdoor pass on Saturday. had a primary assist in Saturday’s overtime loss, and Nylander, who is He also struck a crossbar Sunday. tied for third on the team with seven points, to chip in as well. The defensive zone is a different thing for Boqvist, but he’s been reliable “You want to win now for sure, that’s definite,” Kane said. “But I think one enough so far and being paired with Duncan Keith has helped, too. of the things about today’s game is it is a young man’s game and these Through two games, Boqvist has been on the ice for 27 shot attempts for guys can come in the league for two to three years and all of a sudden and 25 against and two goals for and none against. become dominant players. You can see flashes of it with Kirby for sure. “He’s been really good,” Colliton said of Boqvist after the Ducks game. He hangs on to the puck well, he skates well with the puck and to be “Obviously, he does bring that dimension to the power play. He can honest with you I really like getting out there with him. I like playing with a finish, he’s got a great release. His movement is fantastic back there. He guy like that because he’s looking to make plays, to hang on to it and could have scored in overtime, too, so clearly he’s having an impact on create. I think he’s going to be special. And I think Boqvist, too. I really the game but I think defensively he’s been quite good. We feel pretty liked playing with him in preseason a couple years ago and this year had comfortable with him out there. Obviously, we’re trying to protect him a good camp, too. I think he just keeps playing his game and keeps when we can, but he’s made a really good impression so far.” getting better at some areas, defensively and stuff. He’s going to be special.” Some people around the league have suggested the Blackhawks decided to keep Dach and recall Boqvist largely to keep fans’ interest in a Kane has made his feelings known about Nylander in the recent past, struggling team. With Sunday’s win, the Blackhawks improved to 4-6-3, too, calling him a “talent.” Of the trio, Nylander is the one who has and as many on social media have pointed out the Blackhawks are established himself with the Blackhawks the most so far. He had some ensured of not possessing better than the 6-6-3 mark they had last early bumps, including a healthy scratch, and he had his skeptics season when Joel Quenneville was fired. It’s a lot easier to sell hope, considering he was acquired for 2017 first-round pick Henri Jokiharju, but tickets and explain how this is different from a season ago when you he’s become a top-six staple on the wing and his confidence has have players like Dach, Boqvist and Nylander in the lineup. You could increasingly grown game by game. He recorded a career-best seven throw 21-year-old Alex DeBrincat and 22-year-old Dylan Strome into that shots on goal Sunday night. conversation, too. Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton has built up so much faith in The talk outside the Blackhawks might be focused more on what their Nylander’s game that he put him with Toews and Brandon Saad on the young talent can do for the franchise in the years ahead. There have top line beginning Saturday. Over the last two games, the line has finally been plenty of discussions about whether the Blackhawks should burn given the Blackhawks a legitimate top line. The line had a 56.0 Corsi Dach’s first contract year, or now Boqvist’s, by allowing them to play 10 percentage in 11:52 of five-on-five ice time together Saturday and NHL games this season. Within the team, though, it’s still about the followed that up with a 54.17 Corsi percentage in 10:55 on Sunday. It’s present and what those young players can do to complement the no coincidence Toews had arguably two of his best games of the season veterans now and have success together. over the weekend, too. “I think that’s where we are at as a team,” Colliton said. “We got some young players coming in who are extremely promising and getting better and better. They’re feeling confident they can play in the league and contribute to the team, and that’s how we’re going to in the end turn this in the end — is that combination of the old guys still getting it done and the young guys taking more and more responsibility. That’s kind of the league. There’s going to be growing pains here, and we’ve had that, no question. But I think the young guys are playing pretty well.”
The young guys are willing to do whatever they’re asked. They’re just happy to be in the NHL, playing alongside guys they were watching on TV not too long ago, flying on private planes, staying in five-star hotels and getting the chance to get out and about in new cities.
They’re still pinching themselves that they’re living their childhood dreams. Plus, they’re doing it together.
“I think it’s pretty cool,” Dach said. “You don’t see a lot of teams with young guys like us. There’s a few teams in the league who got a couple young guys in the lineup who are playing regularly every night. For an organization like Chicago, such a rich history of winning and tradition, just the group they have here, it’s awesome for me and (Boqvist) to be here and Nylander, who is another young guy, to kind of fit in with the older group who’s here and try to help them win.”
The Athletic LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159930 Columbus Blue Jackets 3) Kole energy Sherwood’s excitement to be back in Columbus and the NHL was
evident on his first shift, when he lined up Flames defenseman Oliver Flames 3, Blue Jackets 0 | 3-2-1 breakdown Kylington behind the Calgary net and smashed him hard into the glass.
It was the start of a physical night for the 22-year old forward, who’s from New Albany and made his NHL debut last year to become the first local Brian Hedger The Columbus Dispatch player to play for the Blue Jackets.
Nov 3, 2019 at 8:57 AM Sherwood skated 7:47 of ice time on the fourth line, but missed time undergoing the league’s concussion protocol after Lucic punched him in
the face during a scrum. Toward the end of the Blue Jackets’ 3-0 loss to the Calgary Flames on He finished with three shots on goal and four hits, providing a physical Saturday night, it began to feel like every little flaw they have fought this presence while showing off his speed. season had been scooped up and dumped over their heads. “It’s expected, obviously, when you play that way,” Sherwood said of They had another bad start at Nationwide Arena, their own building, Lucic’s gloved punch. “I thought it sparked the team a little bit, but it’s falling behind 1-0 just 3:44 into the game on a goal by Sean Monahan expected when you play like that.” that goalie Joonas Korpisalo probably should’ve gloved. Two questions They didn’t create enough good scoring chances, despite outshooting the Flames 43-29, and they let too many of the ones they did generate slip 1) So, now what? right through their fingers. They thought their recent issues were behind them after a hard-earned The Jackets ran into another hot goalie, too, in David Rittich, who carried point in a 4-3 overtime loss Friday at the St. Louis Blues. Instead, the a pedestrian 3.02 goals-against average and .906 save percentage into Blue Jackets came out flat at home again and played catchup the game. They also struggled again, badly, on the power play (0-for-3), unsuccessfully. while Sonny Milano took another bad penalty in the final minute of a period while skating in the offensive zone – his third straight game of There is no practice Sunday, but you can be sure the tempo will be high doing that. Monday when the Jackets get back on the ice. This last stretch has left a mark, but it’s still early and there is time for a market correction. Rookie forward Kole Sherwood too a penalty, too, but his was more of a head-scratching call than his own mistake. Basically, other than a steady There are concerns going forward, such as getting more consistency out push over the final 40 minutes, not much of anything was going right for of both goalies and putting more pucks into the net, but no signs of panic the Jackets – who thought their strong performance Friday in St. Louis yet. was a positive sign. They have a home game coming up Tuesday against the Vegas Golden Instead, after earning at least a point in six straight games, they now Knights, another team that can get out to a fast start, followed by a three- haven’t won in four straight games (0-3-1). game road trip that will last into the middle of next week.
“That’s the way the game is, man,” coach John Tortorella said. “We’ve This next stretch could be pivotal, so the Jackets needs to get some just got to get ourselves out of it. We need to get back to the way we things figured out quickly. were playing. We will. It’s just how the league is. Sometimes, there’s just 2) They called Kole Sherwood for what now? no explanation.” If anything, it was a love tap. Sherwood thought he saw the puck And sometimes, the flaws get dumped over your head because of it – all uncovered between Rittich’s pads following his shot off a 3-on-1 rush, so at once. he poked his stick in between the pads to see if he could jar it free. Here is a 3-2-1 of the Jackets’ latest home letdown – three takeaways, It wasn’t exactly a violent jab, but was, somehow, ruled a slash when the two questions and one more thing to know: officials began doling out penalties for the melee that followed Lucic’s Three takeaways gloved punch – an offense that earned the veteran winger a pending disciplinary hearing. 1) Late start Sherwood was actually put into the penalty box before having to leave to One troubling early-season trend for the Blue Jackets is allowing the first undergo the league’s concussion protocols in the locker room, so he goal on home ice. didn’t know the call was slashing until informed by reporters after the game. After Monahan gave the Flames a 1-0 lead in the first period, Columbus has now trailed by that score in five of its first eight home games, going “I think (Lucic) was a little mad that I stripped him from the puck, but stuff 0-4-1. They’re 3-0-0 when scoring first at Nationwide Arena and 5-0-0 like that happens and you’ve got to keep playing,” Sherwood said. “I saw when scoring first regardless of the venue. the puck (after the initial save). He didn’t have a cover on that thing, so until the whistle blows, I’m going for it, but he didn’t like it obviously … I This loss dropped the Jackets’ record to 0-6-3 overall when allowing the guess I slashed the goalie, I don’t know. It was heat of the moment.” first goal. One more thing to know “I think the real tale of this game is honestly our start,” Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno said. “For whatever reason, we have a difficult time According to the Blue Jackets, their 43 shots are tied for third-highest in in our own rink setting the tone of how we want to play and I think that’s franchise history while being shutout. The most recent occurrence was the difference in the game. We have to be better at home. We have to Oct. 19, 2017 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, when Andrei Vasilevskiy start better at home. made 44 saves in a 2-0 shutout in Columbus.
2) Tight grip
This was the latest example of the Blue Jackets peppering the opposing Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 11.04.2019 goalie with little to zero success. They outshot the Flames by a combined 34-20 margin in the second and third periods and poured it on late – all to no avail.
Columbus currently has just one player, Pierre-Luc Dubois, with double- digit points (10) while Calgary already has five. The top scorers are struggling with an early-season rut.
“I think there’s a number of guys that are really squeezing their sticks,” Tortorella said. “We’ve just got to work our way through it.” 1159931 Detroit Red Wings “The points were starting to come. We are hoping he returns to that level of confidence. He’s very skilled with the puck.”
D Malte Setkov How are Detroit Red Wings prospects faring? Europeans are leading the Drafted: 100th overall, 2017. way Buzz: Setkov, 20, is playing in the top men’s league in Sweden. He’s
doing well, but he’s a gangly 6-foot-7, 205 pounds and needs more time Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press in the gym. “The head coach really likes him, likes his potential, as do we,” Horcoff said. “He just has to get physically stronger. He does a little Published 3:37 p.m. ET Nov. 2, 2019 | Updated 3:17 p.m. ET Nov. 3, bit of both special teams, but in pro hockey, in the NHL, his potential is to 2019 be a good first-pass defender.”
Grand Rapids report
The Detroit Red Wings’ rebuild is a work in progress, but even as the D Moritz Seider team struggles this season, it is encouraging that the best players are the ones the franchise drafted and developed. Drafted: 6th overall, 2019
Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha, Andreas Athanasiou, Tyler Bertuzzi and Buzz: Steve Yzerman’s first pick since taking over as general manager of Filip Hronek all have important roles on the team because they have the Wings has three points through nine games with the Griffins. Seider, pushed veterans aside. How soon the Wings regain competitiveness and 18, is adjusting to the smaller North American ice sheet. make it back to the playoffs depends largely on how soon another wave “Mo is in the right league right now,” Horcoff said. “He’s playing in all of prospects establish themselves as impact players. situations, playing big minutes. He likes to jump up in the play, but he has Shawn Horcoff logs a lot of miles in his role as the team’s director of good awareness. He has grit to his game. He likes to go into battles. He player development. He recently returned from a trip to Europe, and also gets back for pucks quickly. He’s very mobile. There’s a lot of upside keeps a close eye on the team’s North America-based prospects. there.
He shared his thoughts on select players, and the reports on several are “There’s no rush with him. He’s not going to be called up and thrust into encouraging for a team that still needs a good deal of growth from within. anything until he is absolutely ready to play meaningful minutes.”
Europe report F Filip Zadina
D Antti Tuomisto Drafted: 6th overall, 2018
Drafted: 35th overall, 2019 Buzz: Zadina, who turns 20 on Nov. 27, had two goals and two assists his first nine games with the Grand Rapids Griffins. He left Wings training Buzz: Tuomisto, 18, is big (6-foot-4, 194 pounds), a right-shot defender camp low on confidence and has struggled to establish himself as a who plays well on both ends of the ice. He leads all defensemen in consistent scoring threat in his second pro season in the AHL. Finland’s Jr. A SM-liiga with 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) in 21 games for Assat U20. “I think he’s frustrated a little bit that the puck is not going in as much as he would like it to,” Horcoff said. “But we are happy with his game, happy “Tuomisto is playing fantastic,” Horcoff said. “He’s playing 25 minutes a with his progression. He’s playing a much better 200-foot game. He’s night, all special teams, every situation. He’s doing really, really well.” defensively more responsible. He’s working hard away from the puck. He is learning how to play pro hockey. Tuomisto likely would be playing in the men’s league in Finland were he not ineligible because he is planning to go the U.S. college hockey route “We know he can score. But more importantly is going to be the offensive next season. opportunities he gets. To his credit, his work ethic has been fantastic. His maturity level is higher. He is dealing with stuff better than he was at 18. D Albert Johansson But there is lots of growth maturity left in his life." Drafted: 60th overall, 2019 F Joe Veleno Buzz: Johansson, 18, has jumped between Farjestad’s men’s team and Drafted: 30th overall, 2018 junior team. He has done better at the top level, with three points in nine games, compared to one point in six games with the junior squad). That Buzz: Like Zadina, Veleno is going through growing pains as he adjusts he has played more games in the Swedish Hockey League is indicative to pro hockey. The 19-year-old had two goals his first nine games with of how well he has performed. the Griffins. “His whole life, points have come easy,” Horcoff said. “It’s not easy in the AHL and he is finding that out. He doesn’t have as much time “He skates very well,” Horcoff said. “He’s good on the puck — he’s very with the puck. But he is learning what it is going to take to create crafty. He makes a good first pass.” chances. He has made some good plays, just hasn’t been able to F Albin Grewe convert.
Drafted: 66th overall, 2019 "We want him to work on his 200-foot game and being strong on both sides of the puck, making sure his work ethic is there. We want his Buzz: Grewe, 18, is a 6-foot, 187-pound scrapper who patterns his game offensive game to show, too, of course.” after Boston über-pest Brad Marchand. He has jumped between Djurgarden’s junior team (five points in seven games) and its men’s team D Gustav Lindstrom (one goal in 10 games) and has done well at the higher level. Drafted: 38th overall, 2017 “He doesn’t get the offensive chances he’s used to in J20 but it’s a good Buzz: Lindstrom, 20, had no points through nine games with the Griffins, league for him,” Horcoff said. “Every shift he goes out there on the ice but he has looked good considering he also is adjusting to the smaller and he plays 100%. He goes to hard areas, he takes the puck to hard North American ice sheet. "Gus got off to a good start,” Horcoff said. areas, he’s not afraid to get physically involved. He plays a pest-game, “He’s a guy that has good hockey sense, he move the puck very well, which is uncommon for over there. His compete level is what stands out.” and has good compete level. The small ice is really suiting him. He’s F Jonatan Berggren looked really sharp.”
Drafted: 33rd overall, 2018.
Buzz: A bruised shoulder sidelined Berggren the two games Horcoff was Detroit Free Press LOADED: 11.04.2019 supposed to see him, but Berggren already has resumed playing. “Before he got hurt, he was playing better, getting more minutes,” Horcoff said. 1159932 Detroit Red Wings
Steve Yzerman pulled pre-draft prank on Hawks' Kirby Dach
The Detroit News
Published 4:23 p.m. ET Nov. 3, 2019 | Updated 4:55 p.m. ET Nov. 3, 2019
Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman pulled a pre-draft prank on Blackhawks forward Kirby Dach earlier this year.
On the most recent podcast of "Spittin' Chiclets" with former NHLers Paul Bissonnette and Ryan Whitney, Dach, the third overall draft choice by Chicago, described a meeting with Yzerman before the 2019 NHL Draft in Vancouver.
"I only had eight or nine interviews," Dach said. "My interviews were short and sweet. I didn't get any tough questions. Actually, (Steve) Yzerman in Detroit grilled me.
"I sit down and say, 'Nice to meet you.' He's a hockey legend and I'm trying to be respectful.
"He says, 'I hear you smoke weed.'
"I said, 'No I really don't.'
"He says, 'OK,' and the questions go on.
"And then he says, 'So are you sure you don't smoke any pot? I had a couple of teammates who said you smoke weed.'
"I said, 'No, I don't really smoke any weed.'
"He says, 'Are you sure?'
"I said, 'Ya. I'm sure.'
"He's like an intimidating guy. He's very intense and he's in your face and I'm sitting there and I'm starting to sweat and I'm thinking I'm going to have to change my shirt after this for the next interview.
"But then, after I got out, he's like, 'I know you don't but I was just (messin') with you.'"
After Dach went third overall to the Blackhawks, Yzerman said he considered moving back in the draft, and possibly acquire more draft picks from another team, but nothing materialized so he took defenseman Moritz Seider with the sixth pick.
“We had to make a decision,” Yzerman said at the draft.
“In our opinion he was one of the top defensemen in the draft. Anyone we picked (at No. 6 overall) would have filled a need, based on where we’re at. A big, good skating, smart defenseman…it’s a very valuable asset.”
Seider has four assists and is plus-three in 10 games with the Red Wings' AHL affiliate in the American Hockey League.
The 6-4, 207-pound Seider had an assist in Grand Rapids' 5-3 loss against the Manitoba Moose on Saturday.
Dach, a 6-4, 200-pound winger, has one goal and two assists in seven games with the Blackhawks this year.
Detroit News LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159933 Detroit Red Wings the job done, and they didn’t get the job done and they haven’t got the job done.
“Our power play’s not good enough. We have to dig in way more. We 'Fragile' Red Wings losing confidence as setbacks pile up have to fight way harder for pucks, and we can’t give away wasted possessions by unneeded turnovers.”
Also, for the Wings to have a chance in any game, they can’t afford to Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News have key individuals with off nights.
Published 4:50 p.m. ET Nov. 3, 2019 Saturday, between the top two lines — Dylan Larkin centering Tyler Bertuzzi and Darren Helm, and Filppula between Andreas Athanasiou
and Anthony Mantha — the six players combined for 10 shots on net Sunrise, Fla. — It was quiet in the Red Wings locker room after (Bertuzzi’s three leading the way). Saturday’s 4-0 loss in Florida. “Some of our skill players didn’t compete hard enough,” Blashill said. Whenever a team loses, it’s never a fun place, but this was beyond that. “Not every guy, but enough of them. We didn’t have enough, not even Given the circumstances, all the losses lately, it’s no wonder the room close, to our ‘A’ game by a number of best players. was eerily silent. “Maybe different reasons, execution or compete, whatever it may be. Saturday’s 4-0 loss to the Panthers was a thumping, the Wings barely We’re relying on a lot of young guys and a lot of young guys weren’t threatening at any point of the evening. Florida took a lead about two good enough.” minutes into the game and never looked back.
The defeat provided a glimpse as to how fragile, and low in confidence, Detroit News LOADED: 11.04.2019 the Wings are currently.
The more the Wings fell behind, the less it looked they could recover and rally.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt we’ve been fragile,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “We better dig in, we control our confidence. We’ve done a pretty good job after we went through stretch in Calgary and Edmonton, and we’ve done a pretty good job of our next game mentality, our next shift mentality.
“There was tons of frustration at the end, probably everybody including myself. You’re frustrated but that ultimately is a wasted emotion. We have to be better for sure.”
Coach Jeff Blashill on the Red Wings' confidence level. The Detroit News
Certainly better than they’ve been since an impressive opening week, that feels like months and months ago, now.
The Wings have won one (1-9-1) of their last 11 games — and during that span have been outscored 46-19.
That gruesome 11-game stretch has come after the Wings began the season 3-1-0 and offered glimpses of optimism of what this season could be.
Now, nobody likely expected a playoff season. Most analysts and fans understood the roster the Wings have. But then again, nobody might have expected something like this season has been thus far.
“For sure you’re a little bit worried,” forward Valtteri Filppula said. “You’re not winning and the last couple of games haven’t been close. You have to find the urgency and try to get back to winning and build confidence that way.”
There are so many things going wrong with the Wings, but two stood out against the Panthers that also have been issues during the losing streak.
First, the special teams aren’t doing anything to help achieve victories. They’re contributing to the litany of losses.
In Sunday’s NHL statistics, the Wings' power play ranked 25th (14.0 percent) while the penalty kill was 28th (70.2 percent). Neither number is going to help secure victories.
“What hurt us (Saturday) is our special teams,” goaltender Jonathan Bernier said. “We’ve got to find a way to score some big goals and we’ve got to find a way to stop their team as well.
“It comes down to special teams.”
What bothered Blashill after the Panthers game, primarily, was the power play’s ineffectiveness. The Wings failed to score in three attempts, and rarely had any sustained pressure with the man advantage. games with a power-play goal, or gain momentum, at least, from an effective power play, and the unit hasn’t been able to deliver.
“Our power play has to be way better,” Blashill said. “Ultimately we have a whole bunch of young guys in real important spots. They have to get 1159934 Detroit Red Wings If the Red Wings continue losing without putting up a good fight, would Yzerman consider a coaching change? That’s difficult to say; he rarely speaks publicly and when he does, he doesn’t reveal much.
Red Wings’ issues a combination of talent void, coaching Chances are, unless this team completely falls apart, Yzerman will stick with Blashill for the entire season and then consider options for 2020-21, whether he feels a better alternative is available.
The Associated Press
By Ansar Khan | [email protected] Michigan Live LOADED: 11.04.2019
When former Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland announced a two-year extension for coach Jeff Blashill in April, he cited the team’s competitiveness on a nightly basis and the development of young players.
The Red Wings finished 28th overall, but they battled hard most nights, losing many close games. It was encouraging to see progress from their core of young forwards – Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha, Andreas Athanasiou and Tyler Bertuzzi – and the steps taken by Taro Hirose and defenseman Filip Hronek late in the season.
When Steve Yzerman took over as GM 2½ weeks later, he also endorsed Blashill, referring to him as an excellent young coach who’s had success at every level he has coached.
Expectations were low this season; many prognostications had the Red Wings finishing in the bottom three. They lack talent, skill and depth at forward and defense. They are stockpiling draft picks while waiting for prospects to develop and some hefty contracts to come off the books.
So being tied for 29th in the NHL, ahead of only Ottawa (which has played three fewer games), after 15 games isn’t alarming. How they have arrived there is disconcerting.
The Red Wings started well at 3-1-0, with impressive victories in Nashville and Montreal. They have since gone 1-9-1, losing seven times by three or more goals. They lost 11 times by that margin all of last season.
They were not competitive over the weekend in losses at Carolina (7-3) and Florida (4-0), after playing well the previous three games (1-1-1).
They have the worst goals differential in the league at minus-24 (they finished minus-50 last season). They are last in goals per game (2.20), 29th in goals against (3.80) and their special teams seem to be getting worse each season.
It has been a mixed bag on the player development front. Mantha, Bertuzzi and Hronek have taken steps; Athanasiou and Hirose have regressed, and Dennis Cholowski continues to be up and down.
Fifteen games is a small sample size to conclude what kind of season these players will have. But it is large enough to see the coaching staff is not getting this team to compete hard enough on a consistent basis.
Some could argue if they’re not going to make the playoffs, it’s better to finish as low as possible for better draft lottery odds and a higher pick.
But making a 10- to 15-point improvement on last season’s 74-point finish, while hurting draft position, would benefit young players, providing them experience in winning and closing games. It would be encouraging for the organization, showing the rebuild is on course and provide some hope for the fanbase.
The plan, for the fourth year in a row, is to unload some contracts at the trade deadline to accumulate more picks.
Problem is, at this rate, the team’s rentals (Jimmy Howard, Mike Green, Trevor Daley) won’t have much trade value. Many players with term (Darren Helm, Valtteri Filppula, Frans Nielsen, Justin Abdelkader, Jonathan Bernier) will be next-to-impossible to move.
Athanasiou could be the Red Wings’ biggest trading chip. Maybe Yzerman will attempt to deal him by the deadline or before the draft for an additional first-round pick. But his dreadful start (no goals, five assists, minus-18 in 13 games) surely has damaged his trade value significantly.
Three of the Red Wings’ next four games are at home against Stanley Cup contenders: Nashville on Monday, Boston on Friday and Vegas next Sunday. 1159935 Edmonton Oilers “Detroit (3-1 loss) was just OK, I thought we played very well in Columbus (4-1 win) and I thought we hung around this game,” Tippett said. “Mike Smith was very good and Draisaitl gave us a big goal at the end.” Edmonton Oilers stay atop Pacific Division standings finding ways to win Smith, 37, who signed as a free agent this summer after spending the past two years with the Calgary Flames, has been part of a culture change in Edmonton. Derek Van Diest For all the talk of Edmonton thanking Calgary for trading James Neal in November 3, 2019 4:01 PM MST exchange for Milan Lucic, there should also be some gratitude in allowing Smith to become available.
PITTSBURGH — The Edmonton Oilers would have lost to the Pittsburgh “I think as you get older in your career you realize what kind of person Penguins in the past, giving up the tying goal shorthanded then having to and player you need to be to help a group out,” Smith said. “Obviously, kill an offensive-zone penalty 18 seconds later. this team hasn’t had success in the last bunch of years. I think being brought in and being an older guy you owe it to younger players to lead The whole thing would have unraveled on them in a matter of minutes by example not only in practice, but in games and on and off the ice. I against a team with the Penguins’ talent. think that’s what I’m going to bring to this group and try and help guys out. Yet on Saturday, the Oilers were able to withstand the barrage, held on to take the game into overtime — due in large part to goaltender Mike “I’m a competitive guy and hopefully that rubs off on other guys the right Smith — and finished it off on an excellent individual effort by Leon way and they don’t take it too hard. I’m here to win and that’s the main Draisaitl. thing for me and this team and whatever I need to do to help out and to be a good leader and a good role model for younger guys, I’m going to This is the way things are going for the Oilers so far this season and why do it.” they are first in the Pacific Division standings with the third-best record in the league.
“You have to stay ahead of the pack, it’s a really tight league,” said Oilers Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 11.04.2019 defenceman Ethan Bear. “Two points are two points and you’ll take them however or whenever you can get them. You take it and run with it and now you move on to the next game.”
The Oilers blew out of Pittsburgh following the game like they had stolen something, justifiably so. Had it not been for an outstanding 51-save performance from Smith, the Oilers were nowhere close in the game.
Goaltending has been a strength this season with both Smith and Mikko Koskinen taking turns backstopping the squad. Koskinen will likely get the start against the Arizona Coyotes on Monday as head coach Dave Tippett is expected to return to the two-on, two-off rotation.
“As a goalie, you just want to keep it close in the game and then when it gets to overtime you have a chance to win,” Smith said. “You just want to keep the puck out and do whatever can. Even (Darnell) Nurse got involved there with a butterfly save at the side of the net there.”
The Oilers were out-shot 52-28 in the contest and got an offensive contribution from an unlikely source as Colby Cave went from the American Hockey League to scoring the opening goal against the Penguins.
Cave was recalled Friday in case Riley Sheahan was unable to play after taking a hit in the 4-1 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Sheahan practiced with the Oilers on Friday and appeared to be good to go for the Saturday afternoon contest, but was replaced in the lineup by Cave, who arrived in Pittsburgh the night before.
Cave proved to be instrumental, winning key face-offs and getting time on the penalty kill. The Oilers managed to kill off all five minors they were assessed against the Penguins, who are surprisingly struggling on the power play despite all the fire power available to them.
“I may not have expected that, but when coach throws you over the boards, you have a job to do,” Cave said. “If he gives you a tap on the back, you have to go out there and do your job. I thought everyone did a great job. Maybe it wasn’t the A-plus game that everyone wanted to play, but we stuck it out and found a way to win in a 2-1 game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“Smitty was brick wall back there and Draisaitl, obviously, with the big goal to win it in overtime. It’s going to take a big team effort like that throughout the year and it’s been pretty good so far.”
With his performance, Cave has given Tippett something to ponder as Joakim Nygard and Josh Archibald seem to be nearing returns to the lineup from injury.
Regardless, the Oilers returned to Edmonton having won two of three games on the road trip and have an opportunity to keep the momentum rolling at home with the Coyotes, St. Louis Blues and New Jersey Devils coming to town this week. 1159936 Edmonton Oilers Philip Broberg has played 16 SHL games and is averaging 14:09 per outing as one of the top-six defencemen for Skelleftea. I reached out to Swedish radio analyst (and former Oilers goalie) Mike Zanier to get his input on the season. Bakersfield Condors coaching staff continues to mold unheralded players into legit NHL prospects Zanier: “Philip Broberg is doing fairly well for a rookie in the SHL, one of the best leagues outside the NHL. A very strong skater who often transports the puck up ice with creativity, his finish hasn’t been there. The junior players here in Sweden tend to take off after Christmas with only By Allan Mitchell Elias Pettersson and Rasmus Dahlin as the exceptions the last few Nov 3, 2019 years. I think a good World Juniors Championships will do wonders for his offensive game. He usually plays extremely well against his own age group. He has good size and is a very good skater, things you can’t teach. However, where his offensive game goes, we will have to wait and As a long-time observer of Edmonton Oilers farm teams, I admit to being see. As with all kids in the SHL at 18, he makes rookie mistakes and fascinated by Jay Woodcroft and his Bakersfield Condors staff. After sometimes a little naivety creeps into his game, but this will leave as he almost two decades (since Claude Julien left the Hamilton Bulldogs to matures. ” coach the Montreal Canadiens in 2003), Edmonton’s prospect pipeline appears to be firing on all cylinders and on the way to delivering quality The key takeaways for Oilers fans are that Broberg is playing, learning and quantity. and developing defensively. His offensive potential remains as it was on draft day, but (as was the case with Oscar Klefbom) expectations for SHL The difference has shown up in several places. It was on display boxcars should remain low for this season. Saturday afternoon in Pittsburgh where Colby Cave scored a critical goal against the Penguins and played well in all areas after spending most of Ilya Konovalov flattened the KHL this week while going 2-1-0 for the past month in Bakersfield. In the same game, Ethan Bear played an Lokomotiv. In three games, he stopped 87 of 91 shots (.956) to give his overtime two-on-one efficiently, and then in the same shift followed up season save percentage a massive boost (now .916). He is an Leon Draisaitl’s breakaway goal well enough to be in perfect position for outstanding prospect. a potential rebound. A lot of that is on the player and his skills, but that’s coaching, too. Woodcroft and his staff (Dave Manson, Jean-Francis This week Houle, Sylvain Rodrigue and Sam Kim) have earned a lot of respect from Jesse Puljujarvi is on fire in Finland, and things might also be heating up Oilers fans in just over one year as a group. in the trade market. On Saturday, Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston named the In two seasons and most of a third campaign, Julien produced NHL New York Rangers as a possible destination, and it makes sense for a players via the second round (Jarret Stoll), depth rounds (Jason rebuilding team to acquire the big winger. General manager Ken Holland Chimera, Fernando Pisani, Shawn Horcoff) and undrafted free agents is headed to Europe to watch Puljujarvi play for Finland in the Karjala (Marc-Andre Bergeron, Ty Conklin). Cup (an international tournament). The Rangers have myriad young forwards who would be attractive trade options, but it’s unknown if the In more than a season with Bakersfield, Woodcroft and staff appear to club would be willing to part with any of them. One player who would be a have produced an NHL player from the fourth round (Bear) with several perfect fit but is likely unavailable is Lias Andersson. His two-way skills impressive prospects on the way. and ability to play centre make him a likely target, if not a successful one. If Holland is going to send Puljujarvi away, the price is likely to be steep. Woodcroft’s coaching includes deploying players in a way that allows There is no pressure on the general manager at this time, with the NHL them to play to their strengths. In the case of Kailer Yamamoto, who has club sitting 10-4-1 in the first 15 games of the season. good speed and can forecheck like a demon, drawing penalties is a valuable skill. Yamamoto’s offence isn’t earth-shattering so far this season (4-3-7 in 11 games) but he is one of the best players on the team, partly due to drawing so many power plays for the Condors. The Athletic LOADED: 11.04.2019 Woodcroft and his staff are developing a player who could be useful in the NHL as early as later this winter.
Evan Bouchard is Edmonton’s draft-jewel defenceman, matriculating to the NHL from Bakersfield this season. Bouchard’s main goal is to improve in the defensive zone and in coverage; his offensive abilities are already outstanding. He is 1-3-4 in his past four games while ranking No. 3 among AHL rookie defencemen (3-4-7) in total points. It’s difficult to project his arrival; defensive development is not math friendly. Time-on- ice estimates have him getting second-pair even-strength usage, over three minutes on the power play and a minute and change on the penalty kill. That’s a lot of work for a rookie. It’s interesting to observe Woodcroft’s handling of his gifted freshman.
I believe Tyler Benson is NHL-ready, but a pedestrian preseason (in fairness, he didn’t play much with NHL linemates) saw him sent to AHL camp earlier than anticipated. In the early weeks of the regular season in Bakersfield, Benson was getting points but seemed well off his impressive pace that ended the 2018-19 season. Benson had a strong weekend, getting an assist Friday and scoring twice Saturday against the Ontario Reign. He now leads the Condors in points (2-7-9) and appears to be on track for what many believe will be an NHL recall around Christmas. If Yamamoto doesn’t eat his lunch, it could happen just that way.
A quick final note on Stuart Skinner, who entered this weekend with a 3.55 goals-against average and a save percentage of .857 in five games. After stopping 68 of 71 (.958) and winning twice against Ontario, Skinner’s goals against is 2.87 and save percentage has improved to .898 this season. He appears to be emerging as the top option in Shane Starrett’s absence. Skinner appears to be paying back the organization’s faith in him this weekend. His story will be interesting to follow over the rest of the season.
Europe 1159938 Los Angeles Kings having a better season this year, and hopefully making the playoffs. That’s what we want to get back to.
“When we’re losing I take it personally.” Why perfection is unattainable for Drew Doughty, facing Jake Muzzin and Even someone as successful as Doughty, a two-time Stanley Cup Tyler Toffoli’s response champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist for Canada, can have moments of insecurity and doubt. Doughty, the 2016 Norris Trophy winner, admitted he is still adjusting to the systematic changes put in By Lisa Dillman place by new coach Todd McLellan.
Nov 3, 2019 “It’s not going to be easy,” McLellan said. “Change is hard. It is for all of us. In my mind, Drew is a Norris Trophy winner regardless of whether
we’re playing pond hockey or we’re playing in Game 7 of a championship LOS ANGELES — Drew Doughty knows it’s going to be a curious or Game 13 or 14 of the regular season. feeling, maybe even weird, when he finally plays against a close friend “It’s hard to be perfect. I think Drew is striving to be perfect right now. It and former teammate … a brother on the blue line. doesn’t exist.” The ex-teammate happens to wearing the same number Doughty wears McLellan finished his answer by listing areas where Doughty has for the Los Angeles Kings. improved and then asked a rhetorical question: “Can you imagine life That would be Jake Muzzin, No. 8 for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the next without him? That probably answers the question.” Kings’ opponent. Muzzin, Doughty and their wives were among the Kings The flip side of the warranted self-criticism is the fact that Doughty has players vacationing in Hawaii during the bye week last season when the game-winning goal in two of the Kings’ five wins this season. The trade rumors were swirling about Muzzin. other game-winning goal, of course, was his exuberant and off-color They returned home and Muzzin was promptly traded to the Maple Leafs celebration in Calgary the first week of the season, in Part I of Doughty on Jan. 28, a move that seemed like the symbolic end of an era. Nine vs. Matthew Tkachuk. months later, Muzzin could be playing against his former teammates on Those games could serve as an emotional catalyst for a team trying to Tuesday in Toronto. find its way. I asked Doughty how critical it was for the Kings to win a There’s a qualifier attached because Muzzin has been out since leaving game in this fashion after losing the lead with 1:39 remaining in Tuesday’s game against the Washington Capitals because of a lower- regulation. body injury. He also didn’t play in Philadelphia on Saturday because of “Really important. Especially because we gave up the late goal that was personal reasons. But Doughty is proceeding as though he will be frustrating,” he said. “I’m sure most of you upstairs probably were like, playing against his close friend. ‘We lost this one now because they tied it up late.’” “I haven’t played him since we were 15,” Doughty said. “I never played (Among the many options, I thought silence was the best response here.) him in the (OHL) but we played each other growing up when we were 12 to 15. It’ll be funny. Doughty continued, saying: “I don’t blame you for thinking that but as much as people might think we’re thinking that on the bench, we never “He’s wearing No. 8 over there. So that’s weird.” think that way. We’re like, ‘OK. whatever happened. Let’s go get the next Even without the Muzzin plot line, there is always an outsized sense of one.’ importance attached to games against the Maple Leafs. Doughty, Jeff “We need to learn. How many times has that happened where we were Carter, Tyler Toffoli, Michael Amadio, Kyle Clifford, Kurtis MacDermid in the third period where we gave the other team the lead or we let the and Sean Walker are all from Ontario. other team back in the game? We know how to do that as older guys and Family and friends have seen the best and the worst of the Kings in we need to bring along the young guys and teach them how to do it. recent years in Toronto. The best? On Nov. 8, 2016, the Kings beat the That’s the most important thing to becoming a good team.” Maple Leafs, 7-0, a memorable night for many world-changing reasons Kings goaltender Jack Campbell managed to cram in a night’s worth of — it was election day in the U.S. highlights into a couple of minutes in the first period. Among the worst was a 4-1 loss in Toronto on Oct. 15 last season, a few It’s well worth taking another look at two sequences for wildly different weeks before then-coach John Stevens was fired. In fact, the aggregate reasons. was not kind to the Kings in their two games last season against the Maple Leafs, as they were outscored 9-2. There was this sensational save on Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews with 4:57 remaining. Much has changed since then but the Kings’ record is quite similar to last year. They are 5-9-0 and were able to move out of the Pacific Division Minutes later, Campbell looked like the was channeling the Oilers’ Mike basement, passing the San Jose Sharks on Saturday. The Kings were 5- Smith, the stickhandling goalie who causes hearts to beat a little faster 8-1 after 14 games last season. when he leaves the crease.
Still, the Kings were feeling far better about themselves after their 4-3 The result for Campbell, like it often is for Smith, was not a good look victory in overtime against the Chicago Blackhawks at Staples Center, when David Kampf scored with 2:37 left in the first. stopping a four-game losing streak. And finally … Doughty ended the breakneck pace of overtime with this strong-willed effort with 16.6 seconds remaining. The first step in what McLellan did this week, sending a message by healthy-scratching Amadio for two games and Toffoli for one, was “I was a little bit tired because I played maybe two or three minutes in followed by giving them an opportunity against the Blackhawks. overtime,” Doughty said. “When you see the ice open up like that for you, you’re not tired anymore. You just take off.” Amadio responded with his first goal since Oct. 12 and finished a plus-2, while Toffoli was a plus-1 and added two assists for his first points since Kings forward Ilya Kovalchuk happened to be heading out of the dressing Oct. 19. room after the game, spotted the assembled media around Doughty’s stall, smiled and said, “Good job, Dewey.” McLellan’s assessment of the two? “Excellent.”
Earlier, Doughty had professed unhappiness about the way his game “I thought that Tyler was really good on the boards,” McLellan said. “I was trending this season. He was a career-worst minus-34 last season thought he showed a lot of poise over bouncing pucks. He was able to and is a minus-7 after 14 games this season. settle things down.
“I’m on for too many goals against,” he said. “I want to be better. I want to “Over time, he worked real hard to defend and to create. Really happy for be that defenseman that’s up for the Norris (Trophy) again one day. I him and glad he took advantage of the opportunity he got and I’m proud want to be successful again. That’s obviously the main goal — just of him. It’s not easy going through what he went through. “Michael would be the same thing. I thought (he) had more energy in his game tonight. He didn’t look as lethargic or as tired and maybe that was the case. Maybe he was a little bit tired.”
McLellan also gave props to Dustin Brown, who had two assists after zero points in his previous eight games, and thought it was his best game in a little while.
“So, we found some players that we needed to find, and now it’s up to them to carry it forward,” McLellan said.
The Athletic LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159939 Los Angeles Kings that he played with should serve as a good model. As a former 50-goal scorer, he’s been able to establish consistency before.
Adam Pantozzi/NHLI WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: NOVEMBER 3 Catching the eye amidst some understandably cushioned opportunity was Kirby Dach, who was probably the guy I was expecting more than any other to end up a King one week out from the 2019 draft. (Alex JON ROSEN Turcotte, selected one spot later, was a consolation prize the team was overjoyed to accept independent of the sting of missing out on a top-two NOVEMBER 3, 2019 pick.) Dach noticeably used his size, power skating and hands in tight areas to remain in control of the puck around the L.A. net in two or three of his 11 shifts and earned an assist by attempting to quickly turn and GAME STORY shoot on the power play amidst Doughty and Alec Martinez pressure. Instead, he usefully channeled it to an in-stride Kubalik for a power play There are plenty of narratives and starting points for the LA Kings’ assist reminiscent of core aspects of top Pacific Division centers like overtime win over Chicago, a carbon copy of a carbon copy of the two Getzlaf, Thornton and Kopitar. (Turcotte identifies more as a Toews-type Spidermen pointing at each other, but an entertaining one nonetheless. player, though his hands are similarly top-notch, dare we say even Jonathan Toews registered his third point 58 minutes and 21 seconds “incredible.”) Ex-King and Hawk Colin Fraser was “instrumental” in into his 12th game of the season. Drew Doughty, among the league’s Dach’s selection as an amateur scout with extensive Western Hockey most surehanded three-on-three specialists, turned the puck over twice League ties, and one could probably do worse in their first year with an in overtime before emotionally ending the game with a dynamic and organization than be associated with a player who’ll spend the full year sorely needed imprint for the second time this season. Bizarre with the big club as an 18-year-old. It is of little surprise to those who goaltending sequences set the tone early and peaked with Robin covered Fraser that he’d have a future in some sort of hockey operational Lehner’s game-saving, five-minute, He-Beast reign in the aftermath of a role – though he once joked that he had no interest in coaching because Kurtis MacDermid one-timer that temporarily knocked Corey Crawford of the sheer volume of video sessions required. He joins Rob Scuderi, out of the game. Dominik Kubalik scored and again announced himself who works for Nashville in defensive development, Matt Greene and with authority as a figure to watch in The Timonen Index. Tyler Toffoli Jarret Stoll as fellow 2012 budding hockey operations figures across the and Michael Amadio each rebounded with perhaps their best efforts of league. Davis Drewiske is coaching high school (and doing much more the season after they both publicly and awkwardly bore weight for than that), Jordan Nolan captains AHL-San Antonio, Kevin Westgarth is a collective and personal lulls. It was a proper accompaniment for the type vice president in the NHL’s business offices and Justin Williams is of Hockey Night in LA and happy hour vibe the team would like to instill probably wearing his sunglasses somewhere, as cool as ever. Such at its Saturday home games, and it was the final time two teams met in a pursuits obviously require inherent leadership traits, but that decade in which they won half the Stanley Cups. Sutter/Lombardi/Murray/Kings tree of influence needs a much bigger Adam Pantozzi/NHLI garden box.
Drew Doughty was typically honest and candid after Saturday’s game, holding court and owning up to not having played his best hockey. He LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.04.2019 didn’t want to use the adaptation to new systems and positioning as an excuse, but did admit to growing pains associated with shifting into a “rover” position in the middle of the ice, where he wasn’t funneled as many opportunities to leave a defensive imprint, either on the game or of opposing faces onto the glass. He shot down the suggestion that he should be treated with kid gloves. “No don’t give me a break. I mean, like I said, I’ve got to get back to what I was a couple years ago.”
Adam Pantozzi/NHLI
Doughty’s perhaps someone more motivated than any other player by his place or hierarchy within the game and will provide incredibly nuanced and often contrarian scouting reports on opposing players and his own play. And though he did acknowledge a process in which he’s still learning how to best apply his world-class talents within the more aggressive system, he was also relatively bullish on his own game near the start of the year. In any event, his game comes best when it flows naturally, when he’s making the overwhelmingly correct split-second decisions that have allowed him to evade forechecks, advance the puck, lob or hit teammates for stretch passes and control the game with the very best players of his era, and right now it seems there’s additional osmosis required to reduce decision time and perhaps loosen some of that out of him. As a player who understands his own game better than anyone, Doughty’s honest introspection should always be heeded.
Adam Pantozzi/NHLI
The Kings got on the board first with a really good work shift by Tyler Toffoli and Blake Lizotte. Toffoli was hard on the puck and kept multiple Blackhawks at bay in forcing a clean entry, and then issued a puck towards the corner, where Lizotte won a battle against two larger players. (Technically, virtually all players are larger players.) It was good use of five men interconnectedly and freed up MacDermid’s hot one-timer from an Ilya Kovalchuk set-up as part of several effective low-to-high plays. Toffoli is playing a bit away from the boards, and while he’s been good at maintaining possession in generating cleaner opportunities to play, retrieve or receive pucks in the offensive zone, he was again making his little touches and remaining strong on his skates to help facilitate the offensive zone advantages the team played with. Amadio, like MacDermid, played with great energy and will have to maintain such high levels over a more regular swath of playing time in the NHL. He has to show he can play a full NHL season following highs of 71 (NHL/AHL), 69 (NHL/AHL) and 68 (AHL; also, twice, OHL) games played, and that jump 1159940 Minnesota Wild “I still think we have to generate more,” Parise said. “We don’t spend enough time in the offensive zone. We don’t get enough scoring chances.”
Bad case of puck luck set the tone for Wild's downward week And with another road trip on tap, this one a four-game tour of the Pacific Division, the Wild will have ample opportunity to try to improve this area and get out from under the cloud of misfortune that’s following it.
By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune “We’re all battling out there, trying to do our best,” Zuccarello said. “If we play like that, we’re going to get some wins.” NOVEMBER 3, 2019 — 11:29PM
Star Tribune LOADED: 11.04.2019 Three own goals in succession didn’t just derail the Wild on Tuesday, flipping a lead into a flabbergasting 6-3 flop to the Stars in Dallas.
The fluky plays also set the tone for the entire week.
After rebounding with one of its cleanest efforts of the season the next night in St. Louis, a hard-fought 2-1 loss to the Blues, the Wild was again snubbed in the rematch Saturday at Xcel Energy Center.
Two controversial calls jumped out to bite the Wild in a 4-3 overtime letdown against the reigning Stanley Cup champions.
College hockey, high school action and the NHL: We dig into every corner of the state of hockey's sport on our Puck Drop page. Tap here to get there.
“We got a bit of the short end in that one,” goalie Devan Dubnyk said.
At 4-9-1, the Wild’s plight this season hasn’t stopped evolving.
In-game collapses were the early headliners, with blown leads making the occasional cameo. And now bad breaks have taken over, the latest round of adversity the Wild will have to overcome.
“It was discouraging in Dallas, and it was discouraging playing so well in St. Louis and it was discouraging here,” coach Bruce Boudreau said Saturday night. “The positive thing is you got a point. But I still think, [in] the early stage here, we needed two.”
This spell of unluckiness was at its peak Saturday.
When captain Mikko Koivu’s shot with 5 minutes, 29 seconds to go in the second period caromed off a defenseman and into St. Louis’ net, the Wild went up 4-2. The team had scored two goals earlier that period to make up for sagging in the first.
But a two-goal cushion was downgraded back to one after the Blues issued a coach’s challenge to check for goaltender interference. And although winger Zach Parise was set up outside the crease, it was ruled he elbowed goalie Jake Allen, and the goal was waved off.
To make matters worse for the Wild, St. Louis tied it 3-3 in the third period after Sammy Blais tripped Wild winger Luke Kunin before scoring the crucial goal.
“Unfortunate couple plays there,” Kunin said, “and unfortunately we didn’t get the job done.”
As much as the Wild was frustrated by the two calls that went against it — Boudreau said after the game he was grateful the Wild wasn’t playing Sunday, since it needed time to regroup — players also recognized the onus is on them to control their fate.
“You got to create your own bounces and luck, and we haven’t gotten that yet,” winger Mats Zuccarello said. “Obviously, some bounces can go against you, and it’s frustrating. But maybe, hopefully, in a stretch of time the bounces are going to go our way. That’s just how it is. You can’t just rely on bounces in a game, but you can certainly lose a game on bounces. You see that in Dallas. But at the same time, the other team, they create that and we have to [apply] a little more pressure.”
While the Wild certainly could have squeezed more scoring out of the first period Saturday, a start in which Allen looked unsteady, overall the group has made strides offensively.
Over the past seven games, the team has recorded at least three goals five times, and the production is coming from new sources. Zuccarello has scored twice in his past two games, his first goals with the Wild. Winger Kevin Fiala notched his first of the season Saturday, and Parise tallied his first assist. 1159941 Minnesota Wild That lends itself to another thing Dumba is known for in the league. “He’s a snake with the trades, man,” Foligno said. “He’s just always trying
to get guys to bite.” ‘Oh, no. It’s Sunday again’: Fantasy football league takes over Wild Not surprisingly, Dumba downplayed that part, too. locker room “I’m a snake?” Dumba asked rhetorically. “No way. I’m just an aggressive
GM.” By DANE MIZUTANI | [email protected] | Pioneer Press “You have, like, zero drafted players on your team right now,” locker PUBLISHED: November 3, 2019 at 2:43 pm | UPDATED: November 3, mate Ryan Hartman chimed in. “It’s ridiculous.” 2019 at 2:43 PM “Oh,” Dumba said to himself. “Maybe I am a little bit of a snake.”
In all seriousness, though, Dumba said the league itself is great for Jordan Greenway has been walking around the Wild locker room with a camaraderie. As much as it’s about winning, it’s just as much about little extra swagger the past few weeks, and it doesn’t have anything to keeping everyone talking no matter what’s going on. And that’s especially do with his play on the ice. important with the team’s record at 4-9-1 this season.
He puffs his chest out a bit more as he peels of his equipment, and isn’t “It’s just funny all the (BS) that it gets cooking up in here,” Dumba said. afraid to chirp at anyone within shouting distance. “As soon as fantasy football is over, there’s like a week-long adjustment period where we don’t know how to talk to each other.” As the man currently in first place in the Wild’s high-stakes fantasy football league, Greenway knows he has a reputation to uphold, and he’s Most Wild players agree that Sunday is their favorite day of the week, leaned all the way in. rivaled only by Monday and Tuesday when everyone gets to chirp each other about Sunday’s results. “I love coming in here and just giving everyone (expletive),” he said. “I’m at the top right now, so I’ve got to do that. I lost last week, though, so “It’s an absolute blast,” Foligno said. “I never used to watch the NFL and maybe karma is giving it to me. I’ve got to quiet it down a little bit.” now the wife will be like like, ‘Oh, no. It’s Sunday again.’ ”
Still, it’s been hard for anyone to chirp back at Greenway with the 6-foot- 6, 225-pound forward still sitting atop the standings entering this week’s Pioneer Press LOADED: 11.04.2019 slate of games. He has a solid team led by Vikings star running back Dalvin Cook and is probably the favorite to win it all.
Not that anyone would admit that. In a long-standing league been built on trash talk, admitting defeat at this point pretty much defeats the purpose.
“It’s always good to have some chirps back and forth,” said defenseman Jared Spurgeon, the defending league champion who somehow currently finds himself in last place this fall. “It gets pretty intense in here.”
Need proof? Asked about the league, goaltender Devan Dubnyk made sure to bring up the fact that Spurgeon is in last place.
“Let’s just say he will not be defending his title this year,” Dubnyk said. “That team is awful.”
Logistically speaking, it’s a 10-team league on the Yahoo platform that has been around for as long as anyone can remember. Veteran forward Zach Parise serves as league commissioner, according to Marcus Foligno, and Dubnyk has hosted the draft at his house the past couple of years.
“I think the coolest part is pretty much everyone is involved,” backup goalie Alex Stalock said. “We have two-person teams and three-person teams and stuff like that. It’s nice because anybody can do it. You really don’t have to know much.”
You do have to know how to trash talk, though, even if it’s not always rooted in truth.
Foligno recently talked about the lack of performance of Dubnyk’s team, hammering home the fact that his team is in last place.
“He’s having a rough go,” Foligno said. “His team is absolutely embarrassing.”
Maybe Foligno was just trying to get a rise out of Dubnyk because a quick look at the league standings shows that isn’t true.
“What the (expletive) is he talking about?” Dubnyk said. “I’m tied for second place right now.”
While it’s clear how vicious the trash talk gets, nobody is better at that part of the game than defenseman Matt Dumba. He has the reputation as the biggest trash talker on the team, rivaled only by video coach Jonas Plumb.
Asked about that, Dumba deflected, trying his best to change the narrative.
“I don’t know about that,” he said. “I do know that it’s near impossible to make a trade with Zach Parise and Jonas Plumb. They won’t budge, man. I pestered them for five straight weeks, though, and eventually got what I wanted.” 1159942 Montreal Canadiens
Canadiens call up Ryan Poehling from AHL's Laval Rocket
STU COWAN, MONTREAL GAZETTE
Updated: November 3, 2019
The Canadiens called up forward Ryan Poehling from the AHL’s Laval Rocket on Sunday and placed Jesperi Kotkaniemi on the injured-reserve list with a groin injury.
Poehling, the Canadiens’ first-round pick (25th overall) at the 2017 NHL Draft, had 3-2-5 totals and was minus-2 in 13 games with the Rocket this season.
Kotkaniemi, the Canadiens’ first-round pick (third overall) at the 2018 NHL Draft, had 2-1-3 totals and was minus-1 in 12 games with the Canadiens this season. Kotkaniemi missed the last two games with his groin injury.
Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159943 New Jersey Devils
What Devils did to successfully close game vs. Hurricanes
Posted Nov 03, 2019
By Chris Ryan
Saturday ended with the Devils in an all-too-familiar position.
P.K. Subban’s go-ahead goal with 16 minutes to play meant the Devils needed to survive the impending pushback that they’ve struggled to contain this season.
Except this time, the Devils held their ground. They closed the final 20 minutes without allowing the Carolina Hurricanes’ top-10 offense to score a goal, giving the Devils a 5-3 victory at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina.
“We’ve been in this position so many time, and we talked about it as a team before the third period that this is where we have to learn to grow," Subban said. "And I think guys were just sick and tired of being in that position and not getting the result we wanted.”
Introducing Devils Insider: Sign up for exclusive news, behind-the-scenes observations and the ability to text message directly with beat writers
The Devils held third-period leads in their two prior games against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Flyers but managed to get only one point in each after overtime and shootout losses. Saturday was the eighth game the Devils held a third-period lead this season, though it was just the second where they didn’t allow a goal in the frame while ahead.
And the lack of goals from the Hurricanes wasn’t a fluke. Defensively, the Devils did what they needed. They held Carolina to seven shot attempts and just two scoring chances in the final 20 minutes.
Plan your Devils road trip: Lodging at Airbnb, Last Minute Travel, Choice Hotels, Intercontinental Hotels, Hotels.com
“We talked about it before the game and we’ve discussed it the last couple weeks," Devils coach John Hynes said. "They know what to do, the players know what to do, and tonight we were able to execute it. We got some saves when we needed them. The process wasn’t much different from the few games that we lost, other than the fact we found a way to get the two points rather than one.”
The Devils are now 3-1-2 over their past six games, coming over a 17- day stretch. With the schedule finally starting to get consistently busy and four more road games left on their current trip, they picked up their first road win at a key time.
“It feels good. We needed that one, big time," forward Nico Hischier said. "If you look at the last two games we played, some tough losses. So it’s good for confidence, good for the team. We stick to the plan, battled hard. Won one on the road, so we have to keep it going.”
Star Ledger LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159944 New York Islanders
Cal Clutterbuck takes pride in reaching 800-game milestone
By Andrew Gross [email protected] @AGrossNewsday
Updated November 3, 2019 10:06 PM
Cal Clutterbuck tries not to look back.
“You kind of realize how much time has really gone by, looking in the rearview mirror,” the scrappy right wing said.
Yet Clutterbuck has never tried to look too far ahead, either. For instance, earlier in his NHL career, he never could have imagined reaching 800 games.
Clutterbuck, who will turn 32 on Nov. 18, reached that milestone as the Islanders topped the Sabres, 1-0, on Saturday night in Buffalo. It was their ninth straight victory, matching their longest single-season winning streak since Dec. 31, 1989, to Jan. 19, 1990.
“I think this is the first one where I was feeling like it was kind of an accomplishment,” Clutterbuck said Saturday. “It’s been almost a decade and a half in the making. Quite frankly, 13, 15 years ago, I probably would’ve never envisioned getting 800 in the league. Just still being here and trying to contribute is something to be proud of for me.”
Clutterbuck, in his seventh season with the Islanders, has two assists this season. He has 117 goals, 114 assists and 610 penalty minutes in his NHL career after being selected by the Wild in the third round of the 2006 draft.
Much of Clutterbuck’s time with the Islanders has been spent on an identity-setting line with center Casey Cizikas and Matt Martin — once dubbed the best fourth line in the NHL — but the trio has been together for only five games this season. Cizikas missed five games with a lower- body injury and Martin is out four to six weeks with a left leg issue.
Clutterbuck has dressed for all 13 games despite requiring offseason back surgery to repair nerve damage as well as other issues. Before surgery, there was some doubt about his playing future.
“It was my first surgery and a tough place to have it for your first one,” he said. “That’s probably what I’m most proud of, just mentally putting up with the [stuff] I was dealing with last year.”
Clutterbuck is in the third season of a five-year, $17.5 million deal. If he remains healthy, he will approach 1,000 games before the end of this contract.
“I’ve always thought of 1,000. I think everybody does,” he said. “But not too much. You don’t want to get hung up on lofty goals. There’s so much that goes on day to day. That’s sort of a distant goal.”
Notes & quotes: The Islanders reassigned Otto Koivula to their AHL affiliate in Bridgeport after the 21-year-old Finnish forward was a healthy scratch for both games of his first NHL call-up. It’s a decent sign that forward Leo Komarov, who has missed six games because of illness, is close to resuming practice with the team . . . The Islanders (10-3-0), who were off on Sunday, will face the Senators on Tuesday night at Barclays Center, the first of three straight games in Brooklyn and their first game of the season at their other home rink. Five of the Islanders’ seven home games this month are in Brooklyn.
Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159945 New York Rangers
Mika Zibanejad may be closing in on Rangers return
By Greg Joyce
November 4, 2019 | 12:22am | Updated
A week after taking a crushing hit from Patrice Bergeron, Mika Zibanejad finally returned to the ice Sunday morning and has not been ruled out for Monday’s clash against the Senators at the Garden.
Zibanejad skated on his own before the Rangers practiced, but coach David Quinn had not determined whether he would be available to play after missing the past two games with an upper-body/neck injury.
“He felt much better today,” Quinn said. “He made a big step in the right direction, so we’ll see. I haven’t had a chance to talk to the trainers, so I’ll know a lot more [when I do].”
In Zibanejad’s absence, Ryan Strome has filled in as the first-line center and recorded a pair of goals and an assist.
For only the third time in his career, Alexandar Georgiev (3-2-1, 2.27 GAA, .933 save percentage) will start a third straight game for the Rangers on Monday night. The 23-year-old goalie is coming off back-to- back wins against the Lightning and Senators, in which he has stopped 61 of 63 shots on net.
“He’s played very well,” Quinn said. “Hank [Henrik Lundqvist] and I talked today, and that’s going to happen to Hank, too. Hank’s played well. It’s not that Hank hasn’t played well. It’s just we’ve got a little bit of mojo going and Georgie has benefited from us playing very well in front of him. Hank and I talked about that as well.”
Lundqvist, who is 2-3-0 with a 3.58 GAA and .906 save percentage, is set to start Wednesday against the Red Wings.
The Rangers have dressed seven skaters 21 or younger in each of the past two games and won both. Quinn was asked how their contributions impact how he feels about this season.
“Well listen, we just beat Buffalo, Tampa and Nashville. We didn’t beat Rye High [and] White Plains Jr. High School,” Quinn said. “We played three really good hockey teams and won. … I think that should make our guys feel really good about what we need to do and have a blueprint of what we need to do to have success.”
Chris Kreider was robbed of a goal Saturday in Nashville when he hit the post instead, but his game didn’t go unnoticed.
“He was all over the ice last night,’ Quinn said. “I thought that was Chris Kreider’s best game this year.”
New York Post LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159946 New York Rangers
Silver Lake seeks piece of lowly Knicks, Rangers
By Josh Kosman
November 3, 2019 | 10:58pm | Updated
A giant buyout firm in Silicon Valley is looking to acquire major stakes in the New York Knicks and New York Rangers, The Post has learned.
Silver Lake Partners — a firm that’s better known for its investments in Tesla and Alibaba — is angling to buy a big stake in both teams before they’re spun off into a publicly traded company, sources close to the situation said.
Silver Lake owns close to 10 percent in the teams’ owner, Madison Square Garden — making it the largest outside investor in the entertainment conglomerate controlled by billionaire James Dolan.
Now, Silver Lake wants more, but only when it comes to the sports teams — not MSG’s other assets, like Radio City Music Hall and the Tao nightclub empire, these sources said.
Dolan will continue to control the Knicks and Rangers for the foreseeable future, even as MSG spins off about two-thirds of the value of the teams to current MSG shareholders. Nevertheless, MSG has said it is open to selling some of the one-third stake it plans to retain so it can invest the proceeds in its remaining businesses, including the futuristic, orb-like entertainment globes Dolan is building in Las Vegas and London.
Silver Lake, which is also a major investor in the Fanatics souvenir business, has approached MSG with multiple plans to take a bigger stake of the sports teams, said one source. One plan would result in a private sale to Silver Lake at the time of the spinout, this person added.
Watchers say Silver Lake could be seeking a front seat to the Knicks and Rangers if it anticipates a potential sale of the teams by Dolan, who is notoriously unpopular with fans. Dolan, whose father founded Cablevision, has repeatedly denied plans to sell the teams but has also complained about owning them, including in a November 2017 video he made for news site Deadspin.
“You know I own a basketball team. For most people that would be a dream,” Dolan sang in the video with lyrics he made up. “For a trust fund kid, it’s a living hell. Always some a—hole telling me to sell.”
Analysts and sources say the teams could fetch a 20 premium in any sale, which they attribute in part to the “Dolan Discount,” or perceived mismanagement by Dolan.
The Knicks, valued at $4 billion by Forbes, and the Rangers, valued at $1.55 billion, have the distinction of being the priciest sports franchise in their respective leagues — despite being losing teams with disgruntled fans.
The Knicks, Rangers and MSG’s smaller sports assets, including the Westchester Knicks and e-sports franchise Counter Logic Gaming, are expected to carry a $4.7 billion price tag in the spin, analyst LightShed Partners said in an Oct. 28 report.
Silver Lake’s grab for a bigger stake at what is expected to be a premium price would likely boost the value of MSG’s sports teams the day they start trading, sources said. The planned spinout, announced in June 2018, was initially expected to take place this year but is now slated for early 2020, sources said.
MSG and Silver Lake both declined to comment.
MSG reiterated its spinoff plans in a public filing last week, saying it would separate MSG into two separately traded public companies without giving a timetable.
Silver Lake retired co-founder Glenn Hutchins, is a part-owner of the Boston Celtics. Silver Lake also has a big stake in Endeavor, which owns half of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
New York Post LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159947 New York Rangers
How Filip Chytil is thriving in this huge Rangers spot
By Greg Joyce
November 3, 2019 | 8:19PM
Filip Chytil has been back with the Rangers for two games this season and has two goals and two wins to show for it.
The 20-year-old center may have his defensive work to thank.
Chytil arrived from AHL Hartford last Monday with a focus on playing a more complete game, and so far, he and the Rangers have reaped the rewards.
“I just think he’s doing the right things,” said Chris Kreider, who has played both games on Chytil’s left with Pavel Buchnevich on the right to make up the second line. “He’s doing the little things that lead to success. The details, playing good defense, and then that’s leading to his offense. I think that’s something that if he can consistently focus on it, then he’s going to have an impact on games, and coaches are going to be able to rely on him.”
Chytil is a natural center but played plenty of wing last season as the Rangers tried to find a way to get him on the ice. Now he is back to playing center full time, an opportunity that opened in part due to Mika Zibanejad’s injury, and he is determined to use the defensive responsibilities that come with the position to his benefit.
“I play center this year. That’s the biggest difference, I think,” Chytil said Sunday after a short Rangers practice ahead of Monday’s meeting with the Senators at the Garden. “There’s different responsibilities. … Center’s my position and trying to play as much as I can and try to focus on the details in my game and bring it to my game.”
There is also a renewed confidence that Chytil has brought to the ice, which has caught coach David Quinn’s attention.
“I think he went down to Hartford and he went down with a great attitude and didn’t sulk and moan and went down and got better,” Quinn said. “It’s a great example for anybody in his shoes when training camp ended. He went down, right from the get-go, right from the first practice, every report we got was how good he was.
“It’s hard to get confidence in this league when you’re 19 and 20 years old. All of these guys equate confidence and success to points. He went down there and worked on the things he’s gonna have to work on to be successful offensively here. From a defensive zone standpoint to a forecheck standpoint to a tracking standpoint, he’s doing things consistently and winning wall battles, which was an issue for him last year. But I think when you’re confident, you’re more willing to get in these
After doing the important dirty work, Chytil has been able to show off his offensive skill. His impressive deflection Tuesday night went down as the winning goal against the Lightning before flashing a slick toe drag to put the Rangers on the board first in Saturday’s win over the Predators.
Chytil had put up big numbers in Hartford — three goals and nine points in nine games — but the Rangers were hoping he would grab his latest opportunity in the NHL and run with it. So far, he hasn’t looked back.
“I feel better and more comfortable out there than in training camp, for sure, and than last year,” Chytil said. “In Hartford, I felt it from coaches and everyone — they believed in me and I was playing a lot. I was playing all important situations. I could try a lot of things, a lot of new things, and bring it to my game. It worked, so I just tried to bring it here and play like that.”
New York Post LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159948 New York Rangers
Alexandar Georgiev earns third start in row with excellent play
By Colin Stephenson [email protected] @ColinASteph
Updated November 3, 2019 10:08 PM
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — After two straight impressive wins, not even coach/mixologist David Quinn seems to want to change anything right now with the Rangers. He’ll make an exception if No. 1 center Mika Zibanejad is ready to play Monday against Ottawa at Madison Square Garden, but other than that, Quinn would just as soon stay with the same formula that worked in wins over Tampa Bay on Tuesday and Nashville on Saturday.
Part of that formula is that Alexandar Georgiev has played well in goal in both games. As a result, the 23-year-old Russian will make his third straight start when the Rangers face the Senators (3-8-1), who have the fewest points in the NHL.
“He’s played very well,’’ Quinn said of Georgiev after Sunday’s practice. “Hank [Lundqvist] and I talked today, and that’s going to happen to Hank too . . . It’s not that Hank hasn’t played well, it’s just, we’ve got a little bit of mojo going and Georgie has benefited from us playing well in front of him.’’
Quinn said Lundqvist, who is 2-3 with a 3.58 goals-against average and .906 save percentage, will play Wednesday when the Rangers host the Detroit Red Wings.
In the meantime, Georgiev, who is 3-2-1 with a 2.27 goals-against average and .933 save percentage, said after Saturday’s win that he is feeling “quite sharp’’ right now.
On Sunday, he said he is happy to get a string of games because it makes it easier to maintain a rhythm. However, after spending the first half of last season as a backup to Lundqvist, when he sat for long stretches between starts and even went down to the minors a couple of times to get some work, he said he isn’t allowing himself to get comfortable with the more consistent workload.
“Not really,’’ he said. “It’s more day-to-day, and I’m happy that we got to win the last two games and I’m happy that I get to play again. I don’t think about it too much.’’
Notes & quotes: Zibanejad, who has missed two games with an upper- body injury that Quinn has said is not a concussion, skated on his own Sunday before the team practiced. Quinn said Zibanejad will be a possibility to play Monday if he takes part in the morning skate and all goes well. “He felt much better today,’’ Quinn said. “He had a big step in the right direction, so we’ll see.’’
Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159949 Ottawa Senators game sheet in Boston. “I’m just trying to get involved a little more, keep some plays alive. If I can use my physical attributes, use my speed, my legs, to get up in the play and try to keep plays alive, I’m happy to do it.” … Borowiecki on the presence of the giant spider: “I thought it was like a WARRENSPIECE: All about hockey, roller coasters, spiders, NYC piñata. Maybe candy would come out if I went out there and smashed it.” fashion and MSG action THE MAGIC OF NYC AND MSG: Want to add a little more mayhem to the traffic chaos that is New York City? Add in the marathon that took over the streets of the five boroughs Sunday … Meanwhile, the busiest Ken Warren arena in the business has again been in full swing this weekend. On November 3, 2019 8:34 PM EST Saturday, MSG was home to UFC 244, where Donald Trump’s presence was greeted with louder boos than opposition hockey teams typically face here. On Sunday, the NBA’s New York Knicks moved in, taking on the Sacramento Kings. EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey — If you’re going to spend $5 billion on an indoor shopping mall, you’ve got to expect a few million bells and whistles. Ottawa Sun LOADED: 11.04.2019 The highly controversial American Dream Mall development — traffic is a major concern and it costs $24 just to park here for the day — officially opened last week on the grounds of the old Continental Airlines Arena, where the New Jersey Devils called home when they won Stanley Cup titles in 1995, 2000 and 2003.
But if the Devils successfully mastered the art of slowing things down here, the new place is a circus for the senses. As for the colours, a kid with a box of 64 Crayola crayons would need all of them to do the mall justice.
There’s a Nickelodeon-themed amusement park, complete with an assortment of roller coasters. Within the next few months, the water park and the 16-storey ski hill — yes, an indoor ski hill — will be operational, adding to the rink with the domed glass roof, which allows the sun to shine through.
With ice surfaces at a premium in the New York metropolitan area, that is where the Ottawa Senators found themselves working out Sunday afternoon.
“I always love practice where you can see the outdoors,” said Senators coach D.J. Smith. “It’s the NHL, but they are still kids at heart. They like to have fun and I thought they had fun today before a tough back to back (against the Rangers Monday and the Islanders Tuesday).”
The added bonus — or fear factor, for some players — was the appearance of gigantic fake spiders hanging from the rafters, leftovers from a Halloween public skating party.
“I got a little scared about that … I don’t like spiders,” said goaltender Anders Nilsson, who is expected to start Monday against the Rangers.
“It was a little different,” said winger Anthony Duclair. “It was sort of a change-up, but I think the boys enjoyed it today.”
NILSSON MEETS LUNDQVIST?: There was no official word from the Rangers Sunday, but 15-year NHL veteran goaltender Henrik Lundqvist could get the call to go head-to-head against Nilsson on Monday. “I’ve played a few games in my career against him,” said Nilsson. “He’s a really good goaltender and one of the best goalies to come out of Sweden ever. It’s always fun to play against him, always fun to play against all Swedish goaltenders. But it comes down to me making saves and tracking the puck and so on and I need to go out and do my job and I can’t think about who is standing at the other end.” … Nilsson, who will sport a flashy new red mask Monday, can be a sharp dresser, but he’s not trying to match the GQ-cover boy Lundqvist. “He has a great sense of style and suits and I just try to stay in my path and have whatever I have,” he said.
ABOUT THE SWEDISH DEFENCEMAN: Barring an injury on the blueline Monday, rookie Erik Brannstrom will get a break Tuesday against the Islanders. The plan is for Brannstrom to be a healthy scratch. Cody Golobeuf, who has yet to play a game this season, will be inserted into the line-up. “A young guy, back-to-back, for his development,” Smith said of the decision. “I thought he was good (against Boston), but this has been pre-planned for awhile now.”
THE NEW POINT PRODUCER: In 12 games this season, Mark Borowiecki has already matched the one goal and four assists he registered in 53 games a year ago. And for those keeping track, he’s only three points behind Thomas Chabot in the scoring lead among Senators defencemen. “I wasn’t happy with just the (two) assists, so I figured I would get a few minors (penalties), too, just to run up the stats,” Borowiecki said, with a laugh, as he talked about his place all over the 1159950 Ottawa Senators
Namestnikov returns to sweet old home in New York
Ken Warren
November 3, 2019 5:56 PM EST
EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey — The trip back to New York presents a great opportunity for Vladislav Namestnikov to visit family, friends and his own home.
Traded to the Senators from the Rangers a month ago, Namestnikov has found himself a much bigger role in Ottawa, but he has had fond memories of the bustling metropolis in general and Madison Square Garden in particular.
“It’s a historic building, it’s always fun to play here,” he said. “It’s a great atmosphere all the time. It’s a special game for me, against my ex-team.”
In the down time between games, Namestnikov says he will visit with his mother and his aunt and check in on his now vacant apartment.
“I’ve still got to get the rest of my stuff,” said Namestnikov, who has scored four goals and three assists in nine games since joining the Senators.
Ottawa Sun LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159951 Ottawa Senators Ottawa players. Borowiecki said it served notice that the players may be competitors, however, they care deeply about what happens to each other.
The Scott Sabourin injury a reminder of how dangerous hockey can be He wasn’t alone in that thinking because across down the hall Boston coach Bruce Cassidy was noting the same thing.
“You know how I feel about hockey players,” Cassidy said. “I think they’re Bruce Garrioch some of the best human beings I’ve ever been around, but I don’t know. I think it, honestly, in football, any situation like that, I think guys stop and November 3, 2019 5:29 PM EST take notice of the big picture in that case.
“I think it was a great sort of little, I don’t want to say tribute, because BOSTON — It was one of those nights where the final score just didn’t that’s probably not the right word, but acknowledging that we’re all in it really matter. together at the end of the day.”
Really, all that mattered was an update from Senators in the first intermission Saturday night that Ottawa Senators winger Scott Sabourin Ottawa Sun LOADED: 11.04.2019 was conscious and able to move his extremities before he was taken to a Boston hospital overnight for observation after being knocked out in a devastating head-to-head collision with Boston Bruins’ winger David Backes.
After the sad and scary incident, it felt like the rest of Ottawa’s 5-2 loss to the Bruins to start a three-game road trip was just a blur for the players and coaching staff on both teams because it’s difficult to forget the terrible scene on the ice before Sabourin gave the fans a thumbs up as he left the ice on stretcher.
Coach D.J. Smith noted after the game he couldn’t say much to the players because he was one himself and he knew what they’re going through. They’re not only thinking about Sabourin, they’re worried about his family, fiancé and friends who were watching in their homes because everybody knows how tough it must have been for them.
It was tough to watch because it just happened so fast and the pictures of Backes in tears on the bench before leaving with an upper body injury moments later told the story of the difficultly the players were feeling. Once Sabourin left the rink for the hospital, the Senators sent along word that he was conscious.
“I don’t think there is anything you can say, you just have to play the game and play it hard and hope for the best,” said Smith after the game. “They just wanted to know that he was moving and I think that made him feel better.”
There were 17,991 in the stands at the TD Garden, but as Sabourin lay motionless on the ice you could hear a pin drop while both benches sat in stunned, worried silence as medical personnel rushed to his aid. At that point, people weren’t sure what happened until the replays showed the force of what took place between Sabourin and Backes.
At one point during the traumatic scene, Ottawa alternate captain Mark Borowiecki skated down the ice to where the Zamboni door opened to assist the medical staff bringing the stretcher out.
“I was scared,” Borowiecki said. “It was hard to see, for sure, someone you care about being down like that — the blood and all that. It was tough. A lot of us have been there, in situations like that where you’re maybe unconscious or whatever it may be, and it’s scary to see.
“We just wanted to make sure he got taken care of right away,” Borowiecki added. “They did a great job and they seemed to take care of him very well. There’s definitely a big thank you to everyone who helped.”
And, everybody was thankful Sabourin, who made the team on a pro tryout in training camp, was responsive with the doctors before being taken to hospital. There was a collective sigh of relief when he posted an Instagram story from his bed Sunday morning indicating he’d like to return soon.
This incident makes every player in the game take a pause for thought because it could happen to anybody at any time, especially with the high pace the game is being played at right now. A lot of teams are built around speed, but the physical element is always going to be part of the game and nobody wants to see a repeat of what happened Saturday.
The hope is Sabourin will feel better soon and get back to playing. There isn’t any timetable and there won’t be. What matters most right now is that Sabourin gets completely healthy and achieves his goal of getting back in the lineup.
As the Senators all left their bench to wish Sabourin all the best when he was taken off on the stretcher, the Bruins skated over to line up with the 1159952 Ottawa Senators Anthony Duclair is one of many players who need to produce on the power play, but at least he’s heading into Madison Square Garden Monday on a bit of an offensive role in even strength situations.
Senators breathe easier, hearing and seeing that Sabourin is recovering Originally drafted by the Rangers in the third round of the 2013 entry draft, Duclair has goals in back to back games. He leads the Senators with five goals.
Ken Warren “I’m excited,” said Duclair, who will play his 300th NHL game. “The confidence is there. At the same time, I’m just doing the little details November 3, 2019 4:51 PM EST correctly and that’s when you get the confidence from the coaching staff and you get trust from them. When they want to put you back out there, it’s always great.” EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey — The best news for the Ottawa Senators Sunday came via social media from Boston.
That’s where Scott Sabourin was, issuing a thumbs-up of sorts — an Ottawa Sun LOADED: 11.04.2019 Instagram photo of him smiling from his hospital bed — after the nasty collision with the Bruins’ David Backes Saturday night that resulted in him being taken off the ice on a stretcher.
While the Senators travelled to New York immediately after the 5-2 loss to the Bruins and held a practice at the American Dream Mall Sunday afternoon in preparation for Monday’s game against the New York Rangers, Sabourin’s health was at the forefront of their thoughts.
“He is expected to be released from hospital (Sunday),” said general manager Pierre Dorion. “The one thing we know for sure is that he has suffered a fractured nose and we’re going to continue to monitor him to make sure he’s okay.”
There will be further tests, most likely including putting Sabourin through the NHL’s concussion protocol procedure.
“We’re sending nothing but positive vibes his way and (hopes for) a quick recovery,” said defenceman Mark Borowiecki, who texted with Sabourin Sunday morning. “You can’t help but have that image of him on the ice in your head a little bit, but to see him smiling in the hospital bed…that was nice.”
In addition to the Sabourin injury, Dorion said centre Logan Brown is also expected to be out “week to week” with the upper body injury he suffered against Boston.
That has resulted in plenty of line-up shuffling and the possibility of an earlier than expected return of Artem Anisimov. Anisimov was expected to join the Senators Sunday night and will be at Monday’s morning skate. If he doesn’t play against the Rangers, he could go Tuesday versus the New York Islanders in Brooklyn.
“We would like to get him a practice, but in the situation we’re in, with three centres out right now (Colin White is also missing due to a suspected him flexor/groin injury), if he can give us some minutes, we’ll think about using him,” said coach D.J. Smith.
Bobby Ryan, a healthy scratch for the past two games, will also likely return. He skated Sunday on a line with Filip Chlapik and Mikkel Boedker. Late in Sunday’s workout, Chlapik switched positions with Vladislav Namestnikov, who had previously skated with J.C. Beaudin and Tyler Ennis.
It’s a makeshift roster, to be sure.
“You don’t want to say you want one guy injured over another, but when you get injuries at centre, it’s really tough,” said Smith. “It’s a position that’s hard to fill and Logan is one of our main guys now. But there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Beyond the negative injury news and another road loss — the Senators are 0-4-1 away from Canadian Tire Centre — Smith was able to find some positives in the effort against the Bruins.
The Senators were deadlocked 2-2 after two periods and by his estimation, had outchanced the Bruins through 40 minutes.
Come the third period, he says the Bruins proved why they are a role model to follow, taking advantage of the Senators miscues and wearing them down to the finish.
Of course, the whole thing could have been different if the Senators could take some pressure off themselves by cashing on the power play.
“We had five grade A chances (with the man advantage),” said Smith. “Our entries have been good. All the stats say it’s going to go in, but it hasn’t. Once a few go in, we’re going to win some hockey games.” 1159953 Philadelphia Flyers faceoffs over the last three games, winning seven. He leads the NHL in faceoff percentage (64.3%). … Joel Farabee played alongside Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk on Saturday, replacing Jake Voracek on what has been the Flyers’ second-best line, behind Couturier’s unit. Flyers goalie Brian Elliott brilliant in losing shootout to Maple Leafs; Ivan Farabee didn’t score, but took seven shots, including two on goal. Provorov promoted
Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.04.2019 by Sam Carchidi
Brian Elliott can relate to Antero Niittymaki’s performance for the Flyers 13 years ago.
On Saturday night, Elliott was excellent in the shootout, but was the losing goalie as the Flyers fell to the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-3, in 11 rounds.
The Leafs failed to score in nine of 11 shootout shots, giving Elliott an .818 save percentage in the session, well above the league average in last season’s shootouts (.705), according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
“You just have to trust your instincts sometimes,” Elliott said about the marathon shootout. “That’s kind of what we talked about as a group of goalies and goalie coach.”
Niittymaki suffered a similar fate in his long shootout, stopping 12 of 13 shots on Oct. 7, 2006, but losing to the New York Rangers and goalie Henrik Lundqvist, 5-4.
In both instances, the goalies got little help from the shootout shooters.
On Saturday, in the second-longest shootout in franchise history, the Flyers were 1 for 11 (9.1 percent) — Travis Konecny had their lone goal — against Frederik Andersen in the breakaway session. NHL shooters had a 29.5 percent average in shootouts last season.
In the 2006 game, which is still the longest shootout in team history, they were 0 for 13 against Lundqvist.
In between those two games, the Flyers have struggled mightily in the shootout, usually in both phases of the session. They have an NHL-worst 46-85 career record since shootouts started in 2005-06.
This season, they are 1-2 in shootouts, and they are hopeful the addition of skills coach Angelo Ricci will eventually help the shooters produce more victories. The success or failure in shootouts can play a big role in whether a team makes the playoffs or where it finishes in the standings.
The Flyers would have undoubtedly used Chris Stewart during Saturday’s shootout if he wasn’t a healthy scratch. In his career, Stewart has an outstanding shooting percentage of 44.4 percent (12 for 27) in shootouts, which is 17th in NHL history among players with at least 25 shots. He is also 3-for-3 in career penalty shots.
Defenseman Ivan Provorov, who had been on the so-called second power-play unit, replaced Shayne Gostisbehere on the top unit Saturday and responded with a goal and a primary assist when the Flyers had an extra attacker.
“He skates real well and I like how he moves laterally on the power play,” coach Alain Vigneault said. “It opened up a couple lanes.”
Up next: Carolina
The Flyers (6-5-2) will host a Carolina team Tuesday that is 9-4-1, but coming off a 5-3 home loss to scuffling New Jersey on Saturday.
“We never got enough going to create enough mojo,” former Flyer Rod Brind’Amour, now in his second year as the Hurricanes’ head coach, told reporters. “We were emotionally dead. We were a little tired. We weren’t smart with the puck, so that’s what you get.”
The Hurricanes usually play like their coach did in his NHL career — that is, with relentlessness at both ends of the ice.
Breakaways
The Flyers are 4-1-1 at home, 2-4-1 on the road. … Provorov has three multi-point performances in 12 games; he had three such games all last season . … Saturday’s shootout was the longest in Toronto history. … Oskar Lindblom has seven goals in 12 games; he didn’t score his seventh goal until Jan. 31 last season … Sean Couturier, apparently suffering from an injured left hand, has taken just a combined total of 18 1159954 Pittsburgh Penguins summer when you’re disappointed. We just wanted chances to do better and play better. He played very well. The same thing there. He was a leader, and he always go to the areas where he scored goals.”
Injury disrupts Patric Hornqvist’s rebound season for the Penguins Aside from actually scoring goals, Hornqvist’s teammates profess little has changed for him this season.
“I wouldn’t sense a difference, really,” Crosby said. “He plays the same SETH RORABAUGH way every night regardless if it’s going in or not. He brings a certain energy and physicality and grit to our team. I haven’t ever seen that Sunday, November 3, 2019 12:34 p.m. waver regardless of what the scoresheets looks like.
Said Pettersson: “Sometimes you get hot and you score goals, and Patric Hornqvist’s 2018-19 season ended as you would expect it to. sometimes you don’t. I know he was probably frustrated last year. But he didn’t show it at all to the team. He was always the same way. Always In the crease, vexing a goaltender. high energy in the locker room, getting the guys going. It probably bothered him (not scoring), but he doesn’t show it.” Midway through the second period of Game 4 of their first-round series, Hornqvist ran afoul of New York Islanders goaltenders Robin Lehner and Hornqvist suggested the key to his improved production is pretty simple. the two began to exchange cross checks, shoves, punches and probably a few cuss words in their native Swedish tongues. “Just stay healthy and play the right way.”
Just over an hour later, Lehner and the Islanders completed a four-game One portion of that equation already has gone by the wayside early in sweep of the Penguins. 2019-20.
The only thing missing from the sequence for Hornqvist, one of the NHL’s Notes: Forward Bryan Rust replaced Hornqvist on the second line in best net-front scorers, was a goal. practice. … Defenseman Brian Dumoulin did not participate in practice Sunday in order to attend to the birth of a child. His status for Monday’s Like most of his teammates, Hornqvist was blanked from the scoresheet road game against the Boston Bruins is uncertain. … During practice, for all four games against the Islanders. But for Hornqvist, that scoring Crosby did not wear a jaw protector he has donned for the past two futility was an extension of the second half of his regular season. In the games. He labeled the accessory as precautionary. 39 games after New Year’s Day, Hornqvist was limited to four goals.
After being dispatched by the Islanders, he found some goals a few weeks later. In Slovakia. Tribune Review LOADED: 11.04.2019
Joining Sweden’s entry into the IIHF World Championship tournament, Hornqvist led his team with seven goals in 10 games.
“I got the most goals,” Hornqvist proclaimed with minimal hubris. “There was some talented guys there. I found a way to score goals and get my confidence back.”
That confidence has carried over through the first 14 games of this season as Hornqvist is fourth on the Penguins with 10 points (five goals, five assists).
He’ll have to wait a while for his 15th game.
The Penguins placed Hornqvist on injured reserve because of an undisclosed injury he suffered during the late stages of Saturday’s 2-1 home overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers. A team spokesperson labeled the recovery time for the ailment as “longer term.” The designation is retroactive to Saturday.
Beyond Hornqvist’s tangible attributes, his absence will leave a considerable void in the dressing room, particularly when it come to his voice.
“He’s a great leader,” defenseman Marcus Pettersson said. “He’s one of the guys we always rely on to speak his mind and get the guys going when we don’t play well. He’s one of those verbal leader and gets everybody together and makes sure we strive in the right direction, makes sure we do the right things out there. He’s one of the best guys to do that.”
Said Sidney Crosby: “Just the energy, the compete level that he brings, he sets the tone that way. Home, away, rival, nonrival, he brings it every night. Just making sure that we have that element every night is something that we’ve got to make sure we focus on, and everyone’s got to to do that.”
Hornqvist’s energy has manifested itself into being a more regular contributor on offense through the early stages of this season.
“That obviously didn’t help last year when I couldn’t score the last part of the season,” Hornqvist said Friday. “That’s past me. I tried to learn from it. I feel good now. I don’t think I do that much different out there. There’s a lot going my way. And you know what? I’ve got confidence back, and it’s huge.”
As one of his closest friends on the team, fellow Swede Pettersson had a unique perspective on Hornqvist.
“One of the reasons him and I both went to play (in Slovakia) was that we thought (last) season ended so soon here It’s always tough going into a 1159955 Pittsburgh Penguins
Nick Bjugstad’s struggles continue for the Penguins
SETH RORABAUGH
Sunday, November 3, 2019 12:47 a.m.
Held without a point through his first four games of the season, Penguins forward Nick Bjugstad found a way to get in the box score in his fifth contest Saturday.
He took a penalty against Oilers forward Markus Granlund at 3 minutes, 31 seconds of the third period, giving Edmonton its first power play of the game, which the Oilers won 2-1 in overtime.
Centering the third line, Bjugstad, who carries the franchise’s eighth- largest salary cap hit at $4.1 million according to Cap Friendly, logged 11:03 of ice time on 18 shifts and failed to record a shot on net.
Injured for most of the season, Bjugstad is one of two forwards on the roster who have failed to score a goal this season. Alex Galchenyuk, who has two assists in five games, is the other.
“Obviously, we think Nick is capable of playing better than he is at this point,” said Sullivan, who is usually hesitant to criticize a player individually. “To his defense, he hasn’t played a lot. He’s another guy that’s been out. When you jump back in the lineup, sometimes it takes a little bit of an adjustment process. But we do think he’s capable of more.”
Follow the Penguins all season long.
Tribune Review LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159956 Pittsburgh Penguins “I think the guys on it are doing a terrific job,” Sullivan said. “They’re committed. I think we’ve got good speed on our penalty kill with some of the guys we’ve added. We get Rusty back in the lineup. We get some speed guys that have an opportunity to put people under duress. That’s There are two sides to the Penguins' special teams story an important part of it.”
And now, the other side.
MIKE DEFABO Entering this season, the Penguins knew there would be change on their power play after long-time mainstay Phil Kessel was shipped to Arizona. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette His tick-tack-toe passing often set the table for teammates. NOV 3, 2019 12:51 PM Then, the Penguins lost Malkin and Galchenyuk to injury, which delayed the chemistry-building process. Currently, Pittsburgh is using a couple variations on its top unit. In one look, two defensemen — Kris Letang and The Penguins power play unit whacked and hacked. They gritted and Justin Schultz — are paired with forwards Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel grinded in front of the net, getting the movement they were looking for. and Malkin. They changed places on the ice, and then personnel, adding Evgeni Malkin from injured reserve and then Alex Galchenyuk as an extra As the Penguins showed on Saturday, they can also sub one wrinkle. defenseman for Galchenyuk. While the goals aren’t there, the players and coaches aren’t displeased with the look and feel of the unit. After all that, what did they have to show for it? Nothing. “From my vantage point, the only thing that’s missing right now is finish,” Five chances. Zero goals. It continued a confounding slump during which Sullivan said. “If we weren’t generating scoring chances or we didn’t have the Penguins have not scored a power play goal in eight games and 20 zone time or didn’t have a high success rate on the entries or we were opportunities. losing faceoffs of that sort, we could look at the structure, the process and the execution. But ... we feel as though a lot of that has been there. And then, alas, the Penguins finally cracked through on the power play ... well, an Edmonton power play. Late in the third, Brian Dumoulin joined “It’s not like we’re not generating opportunity. If we weren’t, it would be a the rush, providing the lone short-handed goal in Pittsburgh’s 2-1 loss. different narrative. As I said to our players, we have to stay with it. We can’t get discouraged. We’ve got to get more determined.” Patric Hornqvist battles for a loose puck against the Sabres Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019, at PPG Paints Arena.
If you’re looking to tell the Penguins special teams’ story through the first Post Gazette LOADED: 11.04.2019 14 games, the 60 minutes against Edmonton summed it up quite well.
And really, there are two sides to the special teams story. On one hand, the power play that was for years one of the league’s best has become (at least statistically) one of the worst in the NHL during this current lull. Pittsburgh has scored just six goals this season with the man-advantage. Only five teams in the league have converted fewer times on their power play.
But at the same time, while Mike Sullivan and his players have been asked question after question after question about what’s wrong with the power play, the penalty-killing unit has, quietly, become the league’s best.
So you want the good news or bad news first?
Let’s start with the good because that’s what seems to be lost in this narrative.
When it comes to killing penalties, the Penguins find themselves on the right side of three stats. Not only are they among the least-penalized teams in the league, but on the rare occasion they commit one, they are also among the best at killing the penalty and scoring short-handed goals.
“Not taking a lot of penalties is the No. 1 key,” Bryan Rust, who typically works with the top penalty-killing unit, said. “I think for us, we’re just working as a unit. Just playing hard and trying to pressure the puck when we can.”
Oilers Colby Cave celebrates after scoring against the Penguins in the second period Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019, at the PPG Paints Arena, Uptown.
Through 14 games, the Penguins have been forced to kill just 34 opposing power plays, second behind only the Winnipeg Jets (31). Opponents have only scored just five power-play goals against Pittsburgh. That’s tied with the Florida Panthers for the best in the league. And, to top it off, Pittsburgh has scored three short-handed goals, just one behind the league leaders in this category.
While Dumoulin’s short-handed goal provided the highlight, the more fitting snapshot of the power play unit came during the Oilers’ first power play.
Brandon Tanev buzzed around in his defensive zone without a stick like an angry gnat trapped in a bottle, just looking for a shot to block or someone to hit. Finally, he found one. With two hands, the player teammates have affectionately nicknamed “Turbo” decked an Oiler in front of the net. 1159957 Pittsburgh Penguins
Penguins place Patric Hornqvist on injured reserve
MIKE DEFABO
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
NOV 3, 2019 12:32 PM
For the first time since the second period of the second game, the Penguins were finally healthy on Saturday ... and it lasted not even three whole periods.
Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist will be out longer-term with a lower- body injury. The team placed him on injured reserve retroactive to Saturday.
The forward left the game against Edmonton late in the third period, appearing to favor his left leg, and did not play in overtime. Through 14 games, he has tallied 10 points (five goals, five assists). He had been playing the right wing in the Evgeni Malkin-Alex Galchenyuk tandem prior to the injury.
The absence created a ripple effect throughout the Penguins’ roster at practice on Sunday. Bryan Rust moved up to play right wing with the Malkin line. Dominik Kahun, who was a healthy scratch on Saturday, was inserted into the tandem featuring center Nick Bjugstad and wing Jared McCann.
Bryan Rust collides with Oilers goaltender Mike Smith Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019, at PPG Paints Arena.
In addition to Hornqvist, defenseman Brian Dumoulin was also absent from Penguins practice. He is expecting the birth of his first child. Lefty Juuso Riikola played in his place on the top pairing with Kris Letang.
The Penguins have faced tough injury luck early in the season. At one point, they were so injured with five forwards out that Riikola was forced to play wing. The natural option in the short term is to move Kahun from a healthy scratch to the lineup.
While the injury is unfortunate for Hornqvist, it does create an opportunity for Kahun. He had started the season slowly, scoring just two points in his first 11 games. However, he came on of late, recording four points in the last two games prior to his healthy scratch.
The Penguins now have 12 forwards and eight defensemen healthy. Should the Penguins choose to recall a forward from their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton, Sam Lafferty would be a good guess. Coach Mike Sullivan has praised him, saying “he belongs” in the NHL. He was the last player sent back down after the Penguins’ rash of injuries forced them to call up three players from the AHL.
Post Gazette LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159958 Pittsburgh Penguins A fast skater with a sneaky shot, Tanev has already established himself as one of the Penguins’ most dependable two-way wingers. Also, he is a master at drawing penalties.
For the Penguins: Here comes the East (and there goes Patric Hornqvist) Then there is Kahun, who was a healthy scratch against the Oilers even though he scored a goal to go with two assists in the Penguins’ previous game against Philadelphia. Though he struggled through most of training camp and the season’s early weeks, Kahun had recently more By Rob Rossi resembled the skilled forward the Penguins thought they were getting Nov 3, 2019 from Chicago in exchange for defenseman Olli Maatta.
Kahun, who can also play center, probably was going to get back into the lineup sooner rather than later if Bjugstad’s struggles continued. If Patric Hornqvist is wincing in pain, something has gone terribly wrong. And being that Hornqvist is a forward for the Penguins, something must The difference now is that Kahun likely won’t have to wait. have gone terribly wrong Saturday afternoon. Which does not mean Bjugstad’s spot is safe. Not with prospect Sam It just seems to be one of those hockey seasons in Pittsburgh. Lafferty, whom Mike Sullivan has repeatedly said showed in training camp that he is NHL-ready, having been sent to the AHL on Friday to It will be one that continues for the Penguins without Hornqvist, who was make room for a returning Malkin. designated for the injured reserve Sunday afternoon because of a lower- body injury. He did not finish a 2-1 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers Oh right, him. at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday. Yeah, Malkin’s availability again puts the Penguins in possession of one Hornqvist appeared to favor his left leg while being helped to the of hockey’s biggest erasers. He and Crosby had made Hall-of-Fame dressing room late in the third period. Though details of his injury are not cases by helping erase roster deficiencies in Pittsburgh. known, Hornqvist looked to be injured after missing an attempted check Though he did not score against the Oilers, Malkin’s skating was strong and hitting hard against the boards. and he did not show signs of game rust. He did seem to tire late in that (Defenseman Brian Dumoulin also did not practice Sunday, though his game, but he had not played in nearly a month because of a left leg absence was excused for the birth of his child.) injury.
One of the NHL’s reputably toughest players, Hornqvist is not known for No, the Penguins didn’t want to trade Malkin for Hornqvist in their lineup. showing signs of fragility on the ice. So when teammates noticed him in They would surely rather have both. visible anguish late in the game Saturday, they feared the worst. But for all the considerable intangibles he brings, Hornqvist at his best is Of course, they might have reached a worst-case scenario simply by not to these Penguins what Malkin can — and is expected to — be this thinking back on the past month or so. season in Pittsburgh. Remember, Malkin said he returned from intense offseason training in Moscow to “get back my level.” Starting with winger Bryan Rust’s hand in the preseason finale, forwards have found themselves in peril for the Penguins. Rust and fellow winger Four of the Penguins’ next six games are on the road. All but one are Alex Galchenyuk, forward Nick Bjugstad and center Evgeni Malkin have against Eastern Conference opponents, including the Bruins in Boston on all missed at least nine games because of injuries. Those four forwards Monday night. were in the lineup together for the first time against the Oilers, but the As encouraging as their 8-5-1 record and +14 goal differential has been Penguins’ run at full health failed to last three periods. considering all of their injuries up front, the Penguins have mostly made Hornqvist is by far their most physical forward. As feisty as he is fearless, their mark this season against the Western Conference. They are 6-2-1 he is regularly lauded by teammates and management for being an out of conference. unapologetic and unflinching imposition on opponents. The Penguins will Nine of their remaining 13 games in November are against the East. Of miss his energy, willingness to battle in traffic and expert deflection of those, seven are within the Metropolitan Division. pucks from anywhere in the offensive zone. Some things are about to change this season for the Penguins. Still, if they are deep anywhere, it’s at Hornqvist’s right-wing position. Then again, as Hornqvist’s injury proved Sunday — some things are Rust took his space opposite Galchenyuk on Malkin’s line at practice staying very much the same. Sunday. The Penguins actually had ticketed those players to comprise the second scoring line coming out of training camp.
General manager Jim Rutherford is barely one week removed from The Athletic LOADED: 11.04.2019 watching a practice in Dallas and explaining his ideal plan for the Penguins’ right wingers. Basically, the plan is for whoever is performing best at the time to end up to the right of Malkin and captain Sidney Crosby on the two top lines.
That plan does not figure to change because of Hornqvist’s injury.
Even in his absence, the Penguins still can count Rust, Brandon Tanev and their Dominik duo — Dominik Simon and Dominik Kahun — among right wingers. And that’s not a bad group to go with, as the Penguins have already learned. Each player brings something unique.
Simon possesses the puck with few equals among right wingers. His challenge is scoring goals.
Rust can meet that challenge, especially in high-stakes situations, but he has been a streaky scorer in his career. However, his speed and defensive awareness have served him well whether working alongside former scoring-champion centers or while filling a bottom-six role.
Tanev was given looks with Crosby and Malkin in camp, and he looked solid. He was the Penguins’ big free-agent acquisition over the summer. At the time, Rutherford said coaches viewed Tanev as having more of an offensive upside than he had shown during his tenure with Winnipeg. 1159959 San Jose Sharks And of course, when the Sharks had won just eight of their first 23 games in late November of 2005, Wilson pulled off his biggest trade of all, acquiring Joe Thornton from Boston for Brad Stuart, Wayne Primeau and Marco Sturm. As Sharks flounder, can moves — big or small — be far off? Point is, when the Sharks have scuffled either early or at the midway point of a season, Wilson has traditionally done something — big or small. By CURTIS PASHELKA | PUBLISHED: November 3, 2019 at 4:59 am | UPDATED: November 3, 2019 at 3:03 PM Other moves
Lean Bergmann has been impressive since his return to the Barracuda, producing three goals and three assists in four games leading into SAN JOSE — Can a move, or two, be far off for the Sharks? Sunday. He could come up and provide a bigger impact on the fourth line Small moves, drastic moves. Whatever the case may be, it’s hard to than Lukas Radil, whose impact Saturday was negligible. Dylan Gambrell imagine Sharks general manager Doug Wilson standing pat much longer could also return at some point next week; he suffered a hand injury in as his team goes through one of its toughest first-half stretches in quite a the loss to Boston. while. Having Bergmann and Gambrell return will help, but it’s really just The latest loss, 5-2 to the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, was the fifth nibbling at the edges. Turning the season around is going to fall on the straight for the Sharks and dropped their record to 4-10-1. During the Sharks’ best players. losing streak, the Sharks have been outscored 22-8 and have managed Erik Karlsson has to figure out what will work for him on the defensive just five even-strength goals. end, because opposing teams at are going right at him. Timo Meier, now By the end of Saturday night, the Sharks were last in the Western without a point in six straight games, has to rediscover the confidence Conference in terms of points percentage, and nine points out of a that made him a 30-goal scorer last season. Couture now has one assist playoff spot. in five games.
This is uncharted territory for a Sharks team that has made the Finally, goaltenders Martin Jones and Aaron Dell have to find a way to postseason 14 of the last 15 seasons. help their teammates. The Sharks simply do not have the offense to offset sub-.900 save percentages. “No one in this league feels sorry for the San Jose Sharks. No one,” Sharks captain Logan Couture said. “We’ve made the playoffs so many “I think everyone’s looking in the mirror right now and everyone’s times in the last bunch of years. No one out there is saying, ‘We feel bad disappointed in how they’re playing,” Couture said. “I can only speak for for them.’ We’ve got to get ourselves out of this, and it’s going to be us in myself. When I go home from the rink, I think back on the game I played this room that’s going to do it.” and right now I’m not happy. I’m counted on to do a lot for us, and right now, I’m not. Couture said much the same last Tuesday night after the Sharks were drummed 5-1 by the Boston Bruins to conclude a 1-3-1 road trip. “So, it’s difficult. It’s something that being here in San Jose, we’ve never gone through. I’ve never personally gone though it… There’s no blame If you have not already, we strongly encourage you to sign up for a digital game going on in the room at all. Everyone looking at their own game. subscription, which gives you access to all content on the Mercury News Individually, we all need to be better.” and East Bay Times websites. With your support, we can continue bringing these stories — and much more — to your screens. Here’s San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 11.04.2019 where to sign up for the season pass: Mercury News, East Bay Times.
The Sharks thought they were on to something after getting 53 shots on goal in Friday in a 3-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. But once again, for the 11th time in 15 games, the Sharks gave up the first goal of the game. They were down 2-0 by the 12:46 mark of the first period, 3-0 just 45 seconds into the second period.
“You want to build on it. That’s always the goal,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said of Friday’s game. “It is disappointing. Like I said, it’s tough to start in a 2-0 hole like that. From there, you bleed out.”
So what can be done?
One has to expect that if defenseman Radim Simek emerges healthy from his Sunday tuneup with the Barracuda, he will rejoin the Sharks for Tuesday’s game against Chicago.
Simek won’t be a cure-all, not with all of the problems the Sharks are having. But what he can do is add some depth and some much needed bite to the Sharks’ defense. As a physical left-shot defenseman, he can slide next to Brent Burns again and allow Marc-Edouard Vlasic to partner with Mario Ferraro.
Simek made an impact when he joined the Sharks’ lineup last December. You can’t expect a lot from him right away, but the Sharks know what he can bring and how steady he can be.
When the Sharks were on the verge of missing the playoffs in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, Wilson traded Ryane Clowe, Michal Handzus and Douglas Murray in a span of eight days and brought in Raffi Torres and Scott Hannan. Additionally, Burns was moved to forward by former coach Todd McLellan. The Sharks got their house in order and made the postseason.
In 2015, the Sharks went 0-5-1 in the first two weeks of December. No major moves had been made, other than signing Dainius Zubrus to a one-year deal the month prior. Still, even after the losing skid, the Sharks were 14-14-1. 1159960 St Louis Blues sort of lost my balance. I wasn’t sure who it was so I really didn’t argue it right away.”
The successful challenge, “gave us some life for sure,” Berube said. Do they look nervous? Blues rally to win again in OT, this time on It sure did. Although they didn’t score over the remaining 5:29 of the O'Reilly's goal second, the Blues outshot the Wild 7-1 and had several prime scoring chances. The Blues outshot Minnesota 18-8 after the successful challenge, including the third period and overtime, and outscored the By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch 18 hrs ago Wild 2-0.
After that largely awful second period, the Blues were able to tie the game with 13:55 to play in the third on Sammy Blais’ fifth goal of the ST. PAUL, Minn. — Just a few days ago, a rested Blues team had the season, a hustle play in which he came up with a loose puck and beat good fortune of catching the visiting Minnesota Wild on the back end of a Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk in close. back-to-back. They took advantage of the favorable scheduling, albeit in a hard-fought 2-1 victory at Enterprise Center. The Wild wanted a tripping call on Blais who tumbled to the ice along with a Minnesota player behind the goal line. Once again the Wild didn’t On Saturday, the tables were turned. The Wild, who had not played since get the call. that game in St. Louis, were fresh and welcomed the Blues to the Twin Cities on the back end of a back-to-back. “The other guy pushed me on him and I kind of fell on him,” Blais said. “It’s hockey. It happens and we had a goal on that so we’re happy about It didn’t matter. The Blues stayed hot, winning their fourth game in a row it.” and for the sixth time in their last seven. Not that it was easy. It never is, it seems, with these Blues. Another day, another overtime. This time, it Wild coach Bruce Boudreau wasn’t happy. He must have said something took a Ryan O’Reilly goal with 2 minutes 33 seconds left in OT for a 4-3 naughty to the officiating crew because the Wild got a bench minor after triumph at Xcel Energy Center. the Blais goal. It should be noted that referee Pierre Lambert, who worked this game, also was part of the crew that gave Berube a bench That’s right, David Perron let someone else score the OT goal. minor in the Blues’ 4-3 overtime loss to Vancouver on Oct. 17. “It was nice to contribute this time,” O’Reilly said. “We just caught ‘em in When reminded that Lambert was the referee in both games, Berube a break and obviously a big goal. Needed that. It wasn’t a perfect game said with a noticeable grin: “(Boudreau) better not talk to him then. I don’t by any means. I thought Jake (Allen) played very well and we didn’t help know what to tell you. I did it, too. You’re better off not saying anything.” him enough. What’s worth saying is that the Blues have won four straight for the first “But a couple good breaks and we found a way to win. It’s an important time since March 19-25 of last season. They maintained their first-place two points but a lot of adjustments we need to make going forward.” status in the Central Division and improved to 9-3-3 for the season. Other than the reference to Allen, playing only his third game of the Minnesota, now 0-7-1 against the Central this season, is 4-9-1. Despite season, a lot of O’Reilly’s words should sound familiar. It’s the refrain of their lowly record, the Wild had won three straight at home prior to this Blues season so far. Three of the four victories during the current Saturday’s game. streak have come in overtime. Earlier in the season, the Blues lost three St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.04.2019 games via overtime or shootout.
Yes, they seem to have this thing about living on the edge.
“I think we’re definitely comfortable in high-pressure situations,” O’Reilly said.
Of course, some of that “comfort” is a carryover from the crucible that was the Stanley Cup playoffs.
“They’re used to it,” coach Craig Berube said. “Going through the playoffs — there’s a lot of high-pressure situations there. I don’t think we panic. We stay with it.
“Things don’t go right all the time. That’s the way the league is, night-in, night-out. . . .You just gotta keep battling.”
Sure, but wouldn’t Berube like to win 4-1 or 5-2 once in a while?
“It is what it is right now,” Berube said. “You gotta roll with it and you gotta deal with what’s handed to you. You gotta find different ways to win and that’s what we’re doing.”
The path to victory might have been blocked were it not for a successful goalie interference challenge with the Blues down 3-2 in the second period.
It appeared to be a 4-2 lead when a Mikko Koivu shot bounced off Colton Parayko and past Allen with 5:29 left in the period. The Blues challenged for goaltender interference, risky business these days due to a rule change that makes a failed challenge subject to a two-minute penalty for delay of game.
The crowd at Xcel didn’t like the call one bit, but Zach Parise — parked in front of Allen — was ruled to have interfered with Allen. It’s not as if Parise leveled Allen, but he did lean into him with his right shoulder and elbow on the play.
The NHL situation room determined that “Zach Parise’s elbow contacted Jake Allen in the crease, which prevented his ability to play his position prior to Mikko Koivu’s goal.”
“I've never watched the Jumbotron, so I don’t even watch replays but I know I got bumped a little bit,” said Allen, who stopped 20 of 23 shots. “I 1159961 St Louis Blues road swing heads to western Canada for three games beginning Tuesday in Vancouver.
BLUENOTES Blues notebook: Schenn was Mr. October for Blues St. Louisan Luke Kunin had one goal and two assists in 13 games for Minnesota entering Saturday’s contest, but was minus-8. He had a season-high four hits Wednesday against the Blues. He was the No. 15 By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch 19 hrs ago overall pick in the 2016 NHL draft by the Wild. He centered the Wild's fourth line Saturday.
• Saturday’s game was a homecoming for Blues defenseman Justin ST. PAUL, Minn. — Brayden Schenn is ahead of schedule — way ahead Faulk, who grew up in South St. Paul. of schedule — compared to last season with the Blues. It wasn’t until Game 52 of last season, a 1-0 overtime win in Tampa Bay on Feb. 7, that • Blues scratches were forward Robby Fabbri and defenseman Robert Schenn notched his 10th goal. Bortuzzo.
That was the fourth game of the Blues’ franchise-record 11-game wining St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.04.2019 streak that pulled them up from the bottom of the standings and into the playoffs en route to the Stanley Cup.
Asked to explain his torrid start, Schenn said simply: “It’s nice to score. Hopefully the bounces keep coming.”
Schenn was Mr. October for the Blues, with nine goals in 13 games. That total was the seventh-highest for the month of October in franchise history.
He got November off to a good start on Friday, with his 10th goal of the season to spark a comeback 4-3 overtime victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets at Enterprise Center. He thus became only the fourth player in franchise history to score his 10th goal of a season in 14 games or less. The others:
• Scott Young, nine games in 2000-01.
• Alexander Steen, nine games in 2013-14.
• Keith Tkachuk, 14 games in 2005-06.
The Blues had fallen behind 3-1 to the Blue Jackets when Schenn scored on the power play to change the game’s momentum.
“We weren’t very good to start the second period there,” he said. “When you get put on the power play, you gotta find ways to score goals. (David) Perron made a good play to me, and I was able to put it in.”
It was Schenn’s fourth power play goal of the season, which was tied for sixth in the league through Friday’s games.
MR. OVERTIME
Perron’s assist on the Schenn goal was No. 300 of his career. But he was just getting warmed up, later scoring the game-winner on a play in which he took his time before unleashing his potent wrist shot to beat Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins. What was he thinking on the play?
“I don’t think too much, I just react out there,” Perron said. “Trying to set up with that shot obviously. When I pull it in I’m just trying to set up the ‘D’ how I want to. Hopefully screen the goalie a little bit off that shot and kind of shoot it off his side just a little bit so that the goalie doesn’t have much time to react and it worked out again.”
“Again” is the operative word because it was Perron’s fourth game- winner of the season and his second overtime goal in three games. If this keeps up, they’ll start calling him Mr. Overtime.
“I’d rather do ‘Mr. Overtime for the Playoffs’ or something like that,” Perron said. “So I’m not there yet.”
He’s only the second player in Blues history to score two OT goals over a three-game span. Joe Mullen did it previously, on Nov. 12 and Nov. 16 of 1985.
Through Friday’s games, Perron’s four game-winners this season was tied for first in the league.
MEANWHILE, IN SAN ANTONIO
Jordan Kyrou made his long awaited season debut Saturday night for San Antonio against the Texas Stars. He had not played since late last season following surgery for a kneecap injury. He was on the Rampage's top line with Jordan Nolan and Ryan Olsen.
The Blues still haven’t made a callup from San Antonio to replace Vladimir Tarasenko (left shoulder surgery) on the roster. It’s possible the Blues will wait until Sunday before doing so, as the team’s four-game 1159962 St Louis Blues Eleven games into their season, the New York Rangers have many more questions than answers. With an exceptionally young squad — seven players 21 and under dressed against Tampa Bay on Tuesday — the Rangers won five games in the first month of the season. Takeaways From the First Month of the NHL Season Expectations are high with the arrival of elite scorer Artemi Panarin in free agency and 18-year-old Kaapo Kakko, the No. 2 pick in the draft in June. He has two goals, including one in Tuesday’s 4-1 win over the BY ANDREW KNOLL AND ALLAN KREDA THE NEW YORK TIMES Lightning in which the Rangers’ youth brigade burst through with three NEWS SERVICE goals. The others came from 20-year-old center Filip Chytil and heralded NOVEMBER 03, 2019 08:20 PM rookie defenseman Adam Fox, 21.
It was perhaps the most promising period of the season for the rebuilding Rangers, who have the youngest roster in the league. But they still have In the past decade in the NHL, the Philadelphia Flyers have qualified for 37-year-old goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who has been outplayed in the the playoffs in the last game of a season and reached the finals. The Los early going by 23-year-old Alexandar Georgiev. Angeles Kings have squeaked into the playoffs and then won not one but two Stanley Cups in three years. Just last season, the St. Louis Blues Coach David Quinn has a tall task ahead: melding all this youth with a were in last place in January before ascending to their first Stanley Cup, sprinkling of veterans and creating a team that can stay competitive over ending a wait that extended more than 50 years. the grind of an 82-game season. He points out repeatedly that there are many highs and lows young players will experience as they navigate the So the first month of the season may not be very instructive. Yet this steep learning curve of NHL life. season has already seen its share of shockers. (BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.) These are some of the players and teams who are sizzling and fizzling in the early going. (Records and statistics are through Saturday’s games.) The Rangers envisioned more contributions from forwards Lias Andersson, 21, taken seventh at the 2017 draft, and Vitali Kravtsov, 19, The Sabres are on the rise. the ninth pick in 2018. Andersson, who has one point in 11 games, is struggling to find his game at the NHL level. Kravtsov started the season The Buffalo Sabres (9-4-2) have not made the playoffs since 2011, and at their minor-league affiliate in Hartford, then used an escape clause in in their 50th anniversary season, they are still seeking the franchise’s first his contract to return home to Russia to play on loan in the Kontinental Stanley Cup. But first-year coach Ralph Krueger, who spent some of his Hockey League. six years out of the NHL coaching in Europe, has elevated his team’s play as a mixture of youthful exuberance and veteran experience has (END OPTIONAL TRIM.) struck the right chords. Barry Trotz’s Islanders were not a one-season fluke. Rookie Victor Olofsson — nicknamed “Golofsson” by fans — has gone from obscure seventh-round draft pick to lethal power-play weapon. The New York Islanders are once again the class of the Metro area, even Carter Hutton may have finally cemented himself as a No. 1 goalie at age though the Rangers and the Devils made big offseason splashes. 33. He has posted a 6-2-1 record and is one of five goalies to have Despite the additions of P.K. Subban, Wayne Simmonds and the No. 1 posted two shutouts, including one that set the franchise record for saves draft pick Jack Hughes, the Devils have only three wins. They have been made (47) in a shutout. plagued by defense and goaltending problems and have squandered Last season, Buffalo darted out to a 17-6-2 record in a 25-game stretch significant leads. that ended with a 10-game winning streak. But the Sabres lost 21 of their The Islanders are succeeding in much the way they did last season: by final 26 games. This season their roster is deeper, more experienced and playing stingy defense, scoring opportunistic goals and deploying two better balanced. solid goaltenders. After starting 1-3, they reeled off nine straight wins. Other teams off to surprisingly good starts include the Vancouver The early-season surge again points to the second-year coach Barry Canucks (9-3-2), who have missed the playoffs the past four seasons Trotz, who coaxed a 103-point finish and second-round playoff and, like the Sabres, have a 50-year Cup drought; and the Edmonton appearance from the squad last season. His steady but firm approach is Oilers (10-4-1), who have a new coach (Dave Tippett) and a new general clearly working again. manager (Ken Holland) and two of the league’s top point scorers in Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. (STORY CAN END HERE. OPTIONAL MATERIAL FOLLOWS.)
The Colorado Avalanche (8-4-2) and the defending champion Blues (9-3- The scoring attack is balanced, led by Brock Nelson, Mathew Barzal, 3) are jostling for the top spot in the Central Division but have been hit Josh Bailey and Anders Lee. Newcomer Derick Brassard, who is on his with injuries. Colorado faces the extended absences of top forwards fifth team in two years, has scored in five games in a row. Goaltender Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog, and St. Louis will be without its Semyon Varlamov has fit in well, replacing last season’s team hero leading scorer, Vladimir Tarasenko, for five months after he recently had Robin Lehner. And defenseman Devon Toews has become an emerging shoulder surgery. force offensively and on the blueline.
The Sharks and Lightning are in a rut. There are some surprising names among the league leaders.
The San Jose Sharks were a popular pick to win the West last season, — John Carlson of the league-leading Washington Capitals became the and they came close, reaching the conference finals. They managed to fourth defenseman in NHL history to record 20 points in October. retain much of their free-agent-laden roster, most notably defenseman Entering Sunday’s games, his 23 points are tied for third in the league. If Erik Karlsson and forward Timo Meier. (Their captain, Joe Pavelski, left he can maintain his staggering pace, or anything close to it, he would for Dallas.) become the first defenseman to score 100 points in a season since the Rangers’ Brian Leetch did so in 1991-92. But the Sharks have stumbled out of the starting blocks, in last place in the West with a 4-10-1 record and the league’s second-worst goal — Edmonton wing James Neal has notched 11 goals, two behind the differential. Their offensive explosiveness masked some atrocious league leaders. Last season he scored only seven goals in 63 games goaltending last season; those figures have not improved much this year. with Edmonton’s rival, the Calgary Flames.
In the East, the Tampa Bay Lightning, who had one of the best regular — Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews, who had 81 points last seasons in league history, seem to still be reeling from a stunning sweep season, so far has only two in 12 games. in the first round of the playoffs, starting the season with a lukewarm 6-5- 2 record. Their penalty kill, which was the NHL’s best last season, has Belleville News-Democrat LOADED: 11.04.2019 fallen near the bottom of the league.
The Rangers are experiencing growing pains. 1159963 St Louis Blues The Wild were outscored 39-20 after the first period in October, but Fiala took the first step toward reversing the trend by evening the game just 61 seconds after the intermission. He pivoted away from the boards and blindly sent a shot through traffic that Allen surely didn’t see. Then about O’Reilly scores overtime winner, Blues beat Wild 4-3 3½ minutes later, the Wild took the lead with a power-play goal by Zuccarello, their most notable offseason addition who went goalless in
his first 12 games with his new team but scored for the second straight BY DAVE CAMPBELL AP SPORTS WRITER contest.
NOVEMBER 02, 2019 11:10 PM “You’ve got to create your own bounces and luck,” Zuccarello said, “and we haven’t gotten that yet.”
NOTES: The Blues, who entered the night ranked fourth in the NHL in The Minnesota Wild could have used that two-score lead they believed power-play scoring, went 0 for 3. ... Parise assisted on Fiala’s goal, his they had late in the second period. first helper of the season and first point in six games.
As soon as the goal was waved off, the St. Louis Blues regained control, UP NEXT a sure sign of two teams skating in opposite directions. Blues: Play at Vancouver on Tuesday. They lost 4-3 to the Canucks in a Ryan O’Reilly scored 2:27 into overtime and the Blues beat the reeling shootout at home on Oct. 17. Wild 4-3 on Saturday night for their fourth straight win without injured star Vladimir Tarasenko. Wild: Play at Anaheim on Tuesday. They’re 1-8 on the road, with no home games for another 12 days. “We just stick with our game and find ways to chip away at it and get some greasy goals. If it takes overtime, it takes overtime,” said goalie Belleville News-Democrat LOADED: 11.04.2019 Jake Allen, who made 20 saves during his first start in seven games.
The defending champion Blues, who lost Tarasenko five games ago for at least five months following surgery on his left shoulder, are tied for the Western Conference lead with Edmonton. They started a four-game road trip in resilient fashion, having beaten Columbus at home in overtime the night before, and improved to 6-0-3 in one-goal decisions this season.
“We’re definitely comfortable in high-pressure situations,” O’Reilly said.
Mackenzie MacEachern and Carl Gunnarsson each scored their first goal in the first period for the Blues, who tied the game early in the third when Sammy Blais jammed the puck past Devan Dubnyk for his fifth score in 13 games.
The crowd was irate at a non-call after Luke Kunin tripped in front of Blais, seconds before the goal, and Wild coach Bruce Boudreau drew a penalty for the team by screamed at the officials in protest. The frustration was compounded by Mikko Koivu’s goal that was earlier overturned by automatic replay review due to goaltender interference on Zach Parise for elbowing Allen while he screened him in front of the net.
“He was moving into Zach, so I don’t understand the call,” Boudreau said.
Dubnyk stopped 25 shots for the Wild, who went to an extra session for the first time this season and had their three-game home winning streak stopped. O’Reilly deked Parise and darted between him and Jared Spurgeon to find space for his winning wrist shot, which gave the Blues a second victory over the Wild in four days.
“I saw they were kind of tired, and you could see they were waiting on our change,” O’Reilly said. “So I just kind of had a little chance to build some speed and then attack. That’s what you’re looking for, catching a team flat-footed.”
The Wild lost their steam earlier than that, though, after Koivu’s goal was waved off.
“That’s a joke,” Dubnyk said. “I’ve said it over and over: The decisions you see made on the reviews, you just never know what you’re getting. That’s probably the worst I’ve seen.”
Marcus Foligno, Kevin Fiala and Mats Zuccarello scored for the Wild, whose 4-9 record in October was the franchise’s worst first-month mark since the inaugural 2000-01 season when they went 2-7-3.
The Wild badly needed a fresh start with the calendar turn and a boost from the home crowd before hitting the road yet again for a four-game trip on an imbalanced early schedule that gave them only five home dates over their first 18 games.
Foligno’s one-timer put them on the board with just 2:26 elapsed, but Dubnyk gave one back to the Blues a mere 1:34 later when MacEachern’s initial shot glanced off his blocker and he knocked it in by trying to swipe his glove behind him at the fluttering puck. Three of the five goals backup Alex Stalock allowed earlier this week at Dallas were last touched by the Wild, who blew a 3-0 lead with 21 minutes to go and lost 6-3. 1159964 Tampa Bay Lightning Environmental consciousness ties back to Swedes love of nature and the outdoors. More than 50 percent of the country is covered by forests, and a sense of freedom permeates their interaction. Modig said a popular term is, “Allemansrätten” which means, roughly, “free to roam.” Lightning arrive in Sweden, a country with a fascinating culture “It means you are allowed to travel on private property (like to get to the beach) as long as you are respectful of the owner and owner’s privacy,” Modig said. By Ernest Hooper When she saw former Olympic women’s player A.J. Mleczko on the Published Yesterday Stanley Cup Playoffs broadcasts in 2018, Caley Chelios saw an opening.
The rural areas also are populated with hundreds of thousands of moose. ST. PETERSBURG — Scenic watery vistas, historic castles, friendly Modig said she once spotted a moose six feet at the shoulder in her people and terrific natural surroundings. parents’ backyard. Lindberg said his wife was excited to finally see one this summer on their annual visit. Niklas Lindberg will relish all those aspects of his home country when he returns to Stockholm, Sweden this week to see the Lightning play Buffalo Other Swedish aspects: the Nobel Prize, smorgasbords, northern lights, in the NHL’s Global Series. lingonberry jam, fermented fish (or surstromming) and fika — a tradition of coffee breaks that emphasize not coffee and pastries, but socializing He also hopes the Bolts also will enjoy a few sights, but it is a business and refreshing the brain, according to swedishfoods.com. trip. The team arrived in the Swedish national capital on Sunday and immediately went through a 45-minute skate at Hovet Arena in One more thing you should know about Sweden: They love hockey. Stockholm. Lindberg started playing as a child and says many play soccer in the summer and hockey in the winter. He grew into a professional, came to Whether they get to move before the two-game series against the Sabres the United States to play in the minor leagues and now coaches. remains to be seen — they are off on Wednesday — but if they do, Lindberg said there’s much to see and do. “People are very passionate about their hockey,” Lindberg said. “Especially the national teams. The game is growing and getting better. “The best time to visit is in the summer,” said Lindberg, the assistant There are a lot more (Swedish) players in the NHL and all around the hockey director/head of coaching at AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley world.” Chapel. “It’s nice in the winter, too, but summers are unbeatable. There’s lots of nature, people working out, walking. A lot of people ride their bike Modig was more succinct: “Hockey is life.” to work. The public transportation is great. People walk a lot. It’s very Note: Lightning have reassigned forward Luke Witkowski to the Syracuse active.” Crunch. Witkowski, 29, has appeared in 12 games with the Lightning this Like a lot of Swedish natives, Lindberg quickly explained his nation is so season, posting a goal and three points to go along with 13 penalty much more than ABBA, IKEA and meatballs. In fact, former Lightning minutes. great and friend Brian Bradley often teases him about “meatballs,” so he The Holland, Mich., native ranks tied for second on the Bolts for penalty counters by calling Bradley “bacon,” a nod to Bradley’s Canadian roots. minutes. Witkowski was originally drafted by Tampa Bay in the sixth Lindberg, 39, said he also has to remind people it’s Sweden, not round, 160th overall, at the 2008 NHL Draft. Switzerland, but that hasn’t stopped some from telling him, “The Alps are Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.04.2019 beautiful.”
“I’ve heard it all,” Lindberg said. “People ask, ‘Does everyone have blonde hair? Do they speak English? Other than maybe Grandma or Grandpa, everybody speaks English. You’ll have a tough time practicing your Swedish, because everyone there wants to practice English.”
Swedish students start learning English in third or fourth grade, and a reported 89 percent of the natives speak English. Also, IKEA in Sweden is just like IKEA in the United States: You will get lost if you don’t follow the arrows. Mama Mia.
Yes, ABBA hails from Sweden, as does 1990s groups Roxette and Ace of Base. Music, however, is a big part of the culture and goes beyond those pop groups. The Cardigans, The Hive, Robyn and Rednex, who recorded the infectious Cotton-Eyed Joe, call Sweden home. You also can add electronic music stars Swedish Mafia House, naturally, and the late Aviici to the list.
Anna Modig, a Swedish native and St. Petersburg resident who owns her own graphic design company, lists Bo Kaspers Orkester and Rebecca Törnqvist among her favorite music groups, and says there may be a reason Sweden ranks behind only the U.S. and the United Kingdom in producing music stars.
“Swedes have always appreciated music, so much so that music education is taught and encouraged at an early age,” said Modig, 54. “That much installation lends to more people being interested in it and participating in it.”
Sweden also has earned praise for its sustainability and recycling efforts. It’s considered the world leader because of its use of renewable sources. Victoria, the crown princess of Sweden — yes, they have royal family in Sweden — recently visited a recycling plant in Sweden. And teen climate change activist Greta Thunberg also hails from Sweden.
“My brother throws out 'garbage’ once a month,” Modig said. “Everything else is either recycled, composted or burned for fuel (with appropriate air filtration so as to not pollute).” 1159965 Tampa Bay Lightning Because it hasn’t happened as much this year, it feels like maybe we’re going to have to work for it more.”
Just ask Maroon. The only Cup winner in the Lightning dressing room How ‘living in the past’ has hurt the Lightning during their surprisingly offers a unique perspective. He likes the fact that the Lightning are going slow start through adversity now. He knows they are not “playing good hockey right now.” They are still finding ways to win and learning from their mistakes (like giving up too many chances against the Rangers, Devils and Islanders on this trip). By Joe Smith Nov 3, 2019 Maroon said this adversity forces a team to grow closer and get tougher
for when it matters most. STOCKHOLM — Pat Maroon didn’t play for the 62-win Lightning last “These guys all know each other, have been around for so many years. season. They’re so accustomed to the same thing all the time,” Maroon said. The 31-year-old veteran wing hoisted the Stanley Cup with his hometown “Sometimes being good for so many years, it’s like, ‘What are we St. Louis Blues, who reached the sport’s pinnacle after being the worst missing?’ Maybe this is good for us. They have been so good in the team in the league at midseason. regular season, and they made the conference finals, made the Stanley Cup finals, everyone here has been there. But a few months into his first season with Tampa Bay, Maroon can’t help but feel attached to the Lightning team that won the Presidents’ “It’s like they haven’t been there, but they have.” Trophy yet got stunningly swept in the first round of the playoffs in April. Shattenkirk has been there. Kind of. After several failed playoff attempts “I feel like I was here, the way everyone keeps talking about it,” Maroon with the Blues, he joined a Capitals team at the 2017 trade deadline. said. “It breaks my heart because they’re still feeling it. I feel their pain. Washington had been a perennial contender yet had regularly fallen short, often against Pittsburgh. The Caps would lose in the second round “But you can’t rely on that anymore.” again — in Game 7 — to the Penguins in 2017 before winning the Cup the next summer. Much has been made about the Lightning’s slow start — 6-5-2 heading into next weekend’s back-to-back with the Sabres in the NHL’s Global Like former Capitals coach Barry Trotz said, losing after such high Series. Tampa Bay hasn’t played up to its standard and has struggled to expectations can be “like a death in the family” with everyone requiring fix its penalty and defensive zone issues that plagued the team the past different periods of time to heal. “Some people,” Trotz says, “never get few years. The Lightning are trying to reshape their identity from high- over it.” flying to less high-risk, and, as center Tyler Johnson says, “It won’t change overnight.” “It felt like when we got to the playoffs with Washington and we won our first round and we were playing Pittsburgh, you felt it around the city,” They’re frustrated. They’re disjointed. They’re lacking confidence. Shattenkirk said. “It’s like, ‘Uh oh, we have to play Pittsburgh. For (the Capitals), the guys who were there a long time, it’s only natural to be like, The mental hurdle is a big one. ‘Here we go again.’ Until that next year, when they were able to beat Lightning players Anthony Cirelli (71), Ryan McDonagh (27) and Curtis Pittsburgh, (the mentality changed to), ‘We can do this.’ It wasn’t like no McElhinney (35) react after allowing a goal to the Devils on Oct. 30. (AP one thought we couldn’t beat Pittsburgh. But when it got to the playoffs, it Photo / Frank Franklin II) was like, ‘How is Pittsburgh going to steal this one away from us?’ as opposed to, ‘We’ve got to beat them.'” Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, who signed this summer after he was bought out by the Rangers, said he has been struck by the fact that Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper strategizes with his team during a Lightning players would often come into the dressing room after losses game against Ottawa on Oct. 12. (Marc DesRosiers / USA Today) and lament, “Well, last year we would have gotten a bounce. It would Trotz spoke with Lightning coach Jon Cooper at June’s NHL Awards have gone the other way for us.” about the Capitals’ recovery and redemption, and Cooper said it showed Three Lightning newcomers — Maroon, Shattenkirk and backup goalie him a “light at the end of the tunnel.” Curtis McElhinney — have brought up (unprompted) in interviews that “The first part of the year we won the Cup, there was a lot of hurt in our everyone needs to move on from last year. Apparently, they weren’t just room, lot of bitterness,” Trotz said. “Wasn’t a lot of joy. I just let them talking about media and fans. heal. I saw it in training camp, and I just backed off. I thought, at some “We’re not going to be the team they were last year,” Shattenkirk said. point, I’ll pick them up and pick the pieces up. You’ve got to heal. “The sooner we come to grips with that, we’ll get past living on what “It’s like a broken leg. It’s not healed until it’s healed. We had to let that happened last year and just assuming things will go our way.” group heal and get a little pissed off. They said, ‘We’re better than this.’ After a summer of healing, the Lightning approached their playoff failure Once they realized it, then it was time to grab them and say, ‘OK, stop head-on. They owned it, vowed to learn from it. During training camp, fucking around. Let’s go.’ And we went. And, in the end, we deserved to management brought in motivational speaker and author Jon Gordon, win the Cup.” who had provided guidance for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Clemson The Lightning have been working on their problems through a number of football and Virginia men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett. The No. 1 70-80-minute practices. They still look out of sorts on occasion, like they Cavaliers infamously lost to a No. 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament did in Wednesday’s 7-6 win over the lowly Devils. And it may get worse before winning the national title the next year. Gordon’s message to the before it gets better. Lightning was similar — and simple. This chart, via Sean Tierney’s @ChartingHockey, shows each team’s “It’s not about defending your position as an elite team. It’s about PDO, which is the sum of their shooting percentage and save percentage attacking something new.” at five-on-five. All teams typically regress toward the average marks The first month of the season has certainly been something new for the during the season. The Lightning currently sit in the “lucky” quadrant Lightning, who never lost three of four games last season but did so in now, which means above average rates of shooting and saves, so you their first five games this fall. They are in sixth place in an Atlantic can expect them to inch back toward the middle of this chart, which will Division they dominated in 2018-19, winning by 21 points. You watch mean fewer goals for and fewer goals against. Lightning forward Mathieu Joseph lose the edge on his skates on Their special-teams units, each ranked No. 1 in the NHL last season, Mathew Barzal’s game-opening goal in Friday’s 5-2 loss on Long Island. have failed them, with the penalty kill sitting at a porous 72.9 percent, Or the dump in that bounced off Ryan McDonagh and dropped into the 27th in the league. The potent power play — which boasts superstars like lap of an Islanders 2-on-1. The breaks Tampa Bay got last year, whether Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman — has been it was sparkling goaltending that masked the team’s flaws or simply surprisingly inconsistent and is ranked 12th at 22.8 percent (Boston’s outscoring their problems, haven’t been happening this time around. top-ranked unit is at 30.9 percent). The Lightning are allowing 3.62 goals “I think it’s only natural for that to be lingering,” Shattenkirk said. “It’s part per game (25th in the NHL) and are tied with Ottawa for 29th in average of winning 62 games: You’re going to have some luck here and there. shots allowed (35). Captain Steven Stamkos, who offered a stern message to his team after really care. Yeah, do I want to be in first place? Heck yeah, we want to an early-season clunker against Carolina, said penalties have killed their win every night. But you just want to have that chance.” game and their rhythm. And Stamkos knows the way they won in New Jersey on Wednesday, 7-6 in overtime, is exactly the way they don’t want The Athletic LOADED: 11.04.2019 to play — and it won’t make them successful come playoff time.
“Listen, you have to find the balance,” Stamkos said. “We were the highest-scoring team in the league last year, the best power play, the most skilled team. You’re not going to (switch to) playing the trap and winning 1-0 games overnight. It’s not going to happen. We don’t have the personnel for that to happen. We have the personnel to have a well- balanced team that can defend but also still score goals. We can beat you with our special teams. That’s still the identity of our team. It doesn’t change overnight. You can’t get caught up in trying to be this team that’s going to win 1-0 every night. We have to have the mentality to defend, but we usually do our best job defending when we have the puck in the offensive zone. That’s the way we have to get back to.”
Cooper talked about how this has been a “process,” and how they have to “weather through this,” pointing out they’ve had a tough road-heavy schedule the first month. Maroon said these types of struggles can be beneficial to a team in the long run in terms of bringing the guys closer together and creating a tougher mindset.
“We’re moving in the right direction,” Maroon said. “We’re hitting adversity at the beginning of the year, which is good. It makes guys come together as a team. The biggest thing for us is as an individual: ‘How are you going to approach it? How are you going to make the team better?’
“Then the swagger in the room goes a long way. Once you have that swagger in the room and guys are feeling good, you start to see the tide turning a little bit. Sometimes it comes after a loss; it doesn’t have to be a win that turns it. Right now, we’re one and done. We play one good game and then play two bad ones. We’re going to need to be consistent, and once we figure that out, we’ll be fine.”
Lightning wing Pat Maroon fights with Rangers center Micheal Haley during their game at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 29. (Adam Hunger / USA Today)
For as much outside criticism is thrown at coaching, Cooper and his staff have received strong reviews — unprompted — from several veteran players. “The coaching staff has done a really good job of making sure we’re on board, and now it’s up to the players,” Maroon said. “It comes down to the 25 players in this dressing room that will dictate how we get out of this.”
McElhinney was one of the “Bunch of Jerks” in Carolina that took the Bruins to the limit in the Eastern Conference final last season. They went from surprising upstarts to legitimate threats, having a blast along the way with their “Storm Surge” celebrations. McElhinney came into Tampa and saw the need to move on from what had happened in the playoffs a year ago.
“I think the mindset is we need to create something here. We need to create our own identity,” McElhinney said. “We need to establish who we are going to be. It’s still taking place. I wish I could say, ‘Hey, by Nov. 15 we’ll know, and that’ll be it. That’s not how it works. You get feedback every game, but you build off it and hope you see the results in the next few opportunities. In hockey, it’s sometimes harder to take the bigger picture.”
There are still plenty of things that the Lightning need to work on. They’ve taken at least five penalties in eight of their first 13 games. Their special- teams units haven’t been the life preservers they hoped they’d be.
Nor has goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, last season’s Vezina Trophy winner, who has not been able to bail the Lightning out as much as last year. His save percentage is .905, but he’s 39th in the league in goals saved above average with a minus-0.55 compared to all starters and backups, meaning he’s performing below how an average goalie would in facing that number of shots. Vasilevskiy is allowing 8.52 goals above expectations.
It’s fair for fans to be frustrated, even ticked off. Tampa Bay has played some bad hockey at times in the first month. But this isn’t a team that’s broken. Nor is it one that has tuned out its coach. And if you ask the players, it’s not time to hit the panic button.
“It’s not like we’re sitting here 2-8,” McElhinney said. “We’re in the mix. When you’re in the mix, that’s all you can ask for. You try to separate yourself toward the end of the year. But when you’re in the mix, you don’t 1159966 Toronto Maple Leafs
Leafs fan, 11, gets massive Twitter response to disappointing birthday
THE CANADIAN PRESS
PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 3, 2019
UPDATED NOVEMBER 3, 2019
Leafs forwards John Tavares, left, and Mitch Marner, both seen here on Oct. 15, 2019, are among those tweeting birthday wishes to Kade Foster.
Some high-profile athletes are rallying around a young Toronto Maple Leafs fan after the boy’s dad tweeted that the 11-year-old had a disappointing birthday.
Leafs forwards Mitch Marner and John Tavares are among those sending birthday wishes to Kade Foster in response to a viral tweet from his father, Jason Foster of Corner Brook, N.L.
Foster wrote that none of Kade’s friends showed up to the Saturday night party.
“That hurt. I’m asking my Twitter friends to show him some love today. If you have a minute, please send him a birthday wish,” he wrote, tagging Marner and Tavares.
A photo linked to the tweet shows Kade in a Maple Leafs T-shirt, a Leafs birthday cake in front of him.
“Wanted to wish my friend Kade a Happy 11th Birthday! Your friends from the Maple Leafs have a surprise gift coming your way!” Marner tweeted in response.
Tavares added that he was “looking forward to celebrating” with Kade.
By Sunday evening, Foster’s post had been shared more than 10,000 times and garnered at least 25,000 responses, including messages from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and actor Ben Stiller – who specified that he doesn’t play hockey.
Lance McCullers Jr., a pitcher for the Houston Astros, also sent birthday wishes to Kade and offered to meet up with him in Toronto after the team plays there in May – but only if Kade wants.
Foster tweeted his thanks several hours after his initial message went out.
“We can’t comprehend what has happened today. Kade and the rest of us are just amazed,” he wrote. “To everyone who sent Kade a message – thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
Globe And Mail LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159967 Toronto Maple Leafs A fifth of the way into the campaign, the Leafs sit eighth in the Eastern Conference. The power play is a rolling series of brownouts. Their defence acts like a charity that’s giving away goals for the holidays.
The Maple Leafs aren’t a bad team. They’re just an underperforming one On Saturday night, they should have pounded the Flyers flat. Instead, they let it get to an endless shootout. Toronto won, but not easily. That’s become the theme of the season – nothing is easy.
CATHAL KELLY It’s early, but it’s not that early. The most serious problems are foundational rather than cosmetic. And now the coach is off in the corner PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 3, 2019 sighing about Toronto’s unreasonable expectations. UPDATED NOVEMBER 3, 2019 Unreasonable expectations are why Babcock came to Toronto. He could’ve made just as much money in Buffalo or Carolina and been able to relax. But if he wants to work his way into a Hockey Night in Canada November seems like an odd month to begin lowering expectations, but montage 20 years from now, the Leafs are his best chance to do it. That that’s where the Toronto Maple Leafs are at now. The most optimistic means accepting the expectations. season in recent history is quickly being recast in another rebuilding year. The Oilers have accepted them this year. Because there’s no next year The catalyst for this change was Alex Ovechkin. for that team. If an Edmonton executive came out now and tried a line about “building and building,” the fanbase would burn the building to the Ovechkin rolled through town last week and laid two beatings on Toronto. ground. The first was a tongue lashing: “It’s up to them how they want to do it. If The Oilers have a generational player in his prime. Their mulligans are they want to play for themselves or if they want to win the Stanley Cup, up. Accepting that fact has, thus far, had a salutary effect on Edmonton’s they have to play differently.” results. The second was an on-ice demonstration of what “differently” looks like. The Leafs should be acting as though they are in the same boat. This is Ovechkin had four points in one of those turning-a-good-win-into-a-silly- Auston Matthews’s fourth year in the league. John Tavares is 29. Tyson loss games the Leafs are specializing in this season. Barrie is a rental. Frederik Andersen will soon be in line for a raise the But where you could really see this idea take off was once Mike Babcock Leafs can’t afford to pay. The team hasn’t won a playoff round in 15 got hold of it. Most coaches would have brushed Ovechkin back. Instead, years. the Leafs’ coach endorsed Ovechkin’s criticisms: “Things like that always The Leafs’ window isn’t opening. They have one leg through it. Taking a sting way more when it’s right.” step back now won’t work. After the loss, Babcock had developed his talking points. He said a They still have months to work out the kinks. Whatever their problems, bunch of things about growing up and figuring out what you want. But the the Leafs aren’t a bad team. They’re an underperforming one. core takeaway was this bit: “Everybody in Toronto is in a rush all the time. I get it. But that’s not pro sport. You gotta keep building and building Underperforming teams don’t need less pressure. They need more. They and steady on the rudder, keep going through things.” need their minds concentrated. That’s hard to do when the coach is providing them with excuses. It’s also hard not to notice that all of THE CANADIAN PRESS Babcock’s wisdom tends to service his (and every other coach’s) main In other words, slow your roll, dummies. Nobody said this was going to goal – staying employed. happen this year. Or next year. Or 10 years from now. The important You know, he’d really love to win now, but, hey, kids these days. What thing is keeping that rudder steady and sailing smoothly into the Sea of are you gonna do? You have to hope for the best. Adversity is a Mediocrity the Leafs have been trawling for decades now. wonderful teacher. Yadda yadda yadda. You have to hand it to pro sports teams. They have revolutionized their Most of this slipped by in Toronto this week. Babcock’s comments were tactics over the past generation. And we’re not talking about the odd-man reported without a sneer. No one is coming for him yet. Give it a bit. rush. Ovechkin was right. The Leafs need to play differently. And while they’re This used to be a zero-sum endeavour and a total free-for-all. The only on the topic of change, they might want to start talking differently as well. correct answer to ‘How’s this year going to go?’ was ‘We think we can Toronto doesn’t have the luxury of building any more. It’s time to start win it all.' Since people are writing these things down and keeping track moving in, or some people will soon be moving out. of them, that can be deleterious to your career once you have not, in fact, won it all. It prompts uncomfortable questions about your professional Globe And Mail LOADED: 11.04.2019 competence.
But gradually, gradually, team executives and coaches realized there are other ways to answer that question.
‘It might be all right’ won’t get you anywhere. It makes you look like a waffler.
But ‘we’re not winning this year’ is reassuringly certain. It fends off ‘Gotcha!’ stories at season’s end. And if you do by some miracle win, you look like you’ve underpromised and overdelivered.
So you’re getting a feeling about where Babcock is headed here.
The Leafs are staffed like a winner. They had better be. There’s no easy way to change the team for the foreseeable future.
Babcock is paid like a winner. He is still the top earner in his position by a wide margin.
The town is primed for a winner. A couple of 100-point finishes over the past two years created that not-exactly delusional expectation.
But the team would like to continue talking like a loser. Whenever things go wrong, Babcock points over at the locker room and seems to say, ‘Well, what do you expect?’ 1159968 Toronto Maple Leafs eight the game before against Washington. Neither their penalty kill nor their power play is particularly strong at the moment either.
But some players seem to be coming out of their funk, perhaps following Frederik Andersen is 5-0-2 over his last seven games with a .917 save Andersen’s lead. Tyson Barrie, for example, is showing signs of finding percentage, his career average. his offensive flair by making aggressive plays. Mitch Marner, too, seems more engaged and got his first even-strength goal of the season — on a 4-on-4 wraparound. And Jason Spezza scored his first goal as a Leaf, though he may be the odd man out when John Tavares returns from a By Kevin McGranSports Reporter broken finger, possibly as early as Tuesday against the Los Angeles Sun., Nov. 3, 2019 Kings.
Babcock is excited for what’s to come, even with another busy week ahead: four games in six nights with a back-to-back set at the end: The Maple Leafs are better. The Maple Leafs are worse. The Maple Saturday at home to Philadelphia and Sunday in Chicago. Leafs are turning things around. What’s wrong with the Maple Leafs? “We’re set up with a good week here this week. We’ve got to take some There’s a constant to and fro in a hockey season, ups and downs, ins steps,” Babcock said. and outs. Hot streaks, cold streaks. Games you should win that you lose. Games you should lose that you win. “Our expectations is obviously to win every game and to improve,” said Andersen. “Everyone wants to be to be better and that’s why we practise Goaltender Frederik Andersen doesn’t let the talk around that get to him. — make sure that we work out some details we can improve on.”
“I don’t really want to spend time worrying about it,” he said. “The only Toronto Star LOADED: 11.04.2019 thing we’re worried about is trying to get better. I think, had we been in first, had we been in last, we just want to try to improve on details, no matter what it is.
“So I don’t want to waste any time thinking about it, it’s not going to do me any favours.”
Andersen was marvellous on Saturday night, turning aside 37 of 40 Philadelphia shots and 10 of 11 shooters in the shootout as the Leafs won 4-3.
“He would have liked to have their power-play goal back but, after that, he was outstanding,” Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said afterward. “They didn’t have much early and one of the first shots ends up bouncing off (Morgan Rielly) and going in, and then you get the other one that goes in and then he just said, ‘Enough is enough,’ and especially in the shootout, obviously.”
It was a win the Leafs needed, even if they perhaps didn’t deserve it. So credit goes to Andersen for the steal.
“We talk every day about how he keeps our team grounded,” forward Mitch Marner said. “He keeps us in games a lot of times. It’s a hell of a shootout performance by him. That win happens because of his saves.”
It’s often said the Leafs can outscore their mistakes. That hasn’t been the case in the early part of this season, in part, because Andersen and backup Michael Hutchinson haven’t been on top of their games. Scoring can only do so much if goaltending is letting you down.
Andersen, who has historically gotten off to slow starts, has rounded nicely into form. In his first four games, he allowed 14 goals on 113 shots, a save percentage of .876. Since allowing seven goals to Tampa Bay on Oct. 10, Andersen has been considerably better. Over his last seven games, he’s allowed 19 goals on 230 shots, a save percentage of .917, dead on his career average. He has not lost in regulation since that Tampa embarrassment, going 5-0-2.
For Andersen, it’s always about what’s next, rarely about what just happened.
“Just want to keep trying to get better and look ahead,” he said, when asked to appraise his game. “Especially early on, I think it’s useless to look back too much. I have a goalie coach who helps me look for trends, things he wants to work on, and usually that’s looking forward to the next game and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Don Cherry has called Andersen the best goalie in the game. That might be a bit of a stretch, since he might not even be the best goalie in the Atlantic Division, where four former Vezina winners tend the pipes. Andersen has yet to win the award.
Overall, the Leafs are slightly off the pace Babcock set for them,with 17 points in 15 games, a 93-point pace. The coach wants six points every five games — or 18 points by now — a pace that would lead them to 98 points. No team with 98 points has ever missed the playoffs. Montreal missed last year with 96.
There remain troubling parts of the Leafs’ game. They’ve been taking too many penalties lately; they took seven minors against Philadelphia and 1159969 Toronto Maple Leafs Tuesday will be the first of two meetings between the clubs, Muzzin no doubt also looking forward to the game in California on March 5.
AW, SHOOT Maple Leafs need to clean up their act The longest shootout in Leafs history was marked by some unflappable goaltending by Frederik Andersen (just his second win in 11 tiebeakers as a Leaf), bad ice that saw pucks skip away from marksmen on both Lance Hornby teams, and some comedy on the benches as the OT dragged on. The Leafs’ first-time shooters in an NHL setting included Dmytro Timashov, Published:November 3, 2019 Ilya Mikheyev and game-winner Andreas Johnsson. Updated:November 3, 2019 6:45 PM EST “We started asking (who wanted to go next) and guys were doing YouTube review to see who actually scored in the minors,” joked Babcock. “We have a pretty good list, but as time went on, you’re starting At a glance, the Maple Leafs’ 17 points are just three behind their 15- to wonder.” game pace from last season. Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and Kasperi Kapanen But you don’t need a Sherlock Holmes-sized magnifying glass to find all had the first crack for the Leafs, followed by Morgan Rielly, Tyson clues that all is not what it seems in 2019. Barrie and Alex Kerfoot.
The latest twist is Mike Babcock’s regimented system being undermined BOWEN GOIN’ BACK IN by penalties, including bench minors, that add stress to a penalty kill that is bottom 10 in the NHL. Meanwhile, the predicted fireworks of a grand Leafs radio voice Joe Bowen’s goaltender son David is back in major power play don’t happen nearly enough and have dragged that unit to the junior with the Drummondville Voltigeurs. After debuting in Sudbury with lower half in the league. his father’s hometown Wolves a couple of years ago, young Bowen was squeezed out of the crease picture and has been playing for the Rayside In the bigger picture, the combined special teams mystery has Balfour Canadians in Tier II NOJHL. The 6-foot-2 David, who turns 19 contributed to five one-goal losses, the most in the Eastern Conference this month, made his first QMJHL relief appearance Friday night. The before Sunday’s games. Shorthanded 13 times the past two games, the elder Bowen played goal growing up. Leafs are now sixth highest overall in that unflattering category with almost four penalties a night. LOOSE LEAFS
“We’ve talked about this, right?,” an irked Babcock said after Saturday’s After the whole Matthews line looked soft on the Flyers’ go-ahead goal in narrow escape in Philadelphia, an 11-round shootout win. “I thought we the third period, Nylander was kept out a couple of shifts … Tuesday will started really good (the Flyers managed just two weak shots through be Barrie’s 500th NHL game … With seven goals and 12 points, Marlies most of the first period), we took three penalties in a row and got off forward Pontus Aberg was in a tie for seventh in AHL scoring as of kilter, on our heels. We didn’t get our game back. Sunday … Former NHL winger Dean Prentice, who played 22 years with Rangers, Bruins, Red Wings, Penguin and Minnesota North Stars has “You have to play longer and harder than the other team and we didn’t do passed away at 87. Pre-deceased by brother Eric, the youngest Leaf that, but got ourselves a win. We’re set up for a good week here (three ever signed at age 17 during the war in 1944. well-spaced home games). We have to take some (corrective) steps, the guys know that, I know that.” Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.04.2019
Precious healing time might do much of the work for the Leafs. John Tavares should be back to face the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday after being away three weeks with a broken finger, Jake Muzzin skipped a game with a bruised leg, and this could finally be the week Zach Hyman is cleared from spring knee surgery.
That will lead to a few roster/salary cap machinations on the part of general manager Kyle Dubas, but the good news is this should be the first time the whole team, new blood included, is together.
SPEZZ DISPENSER
After realizing a childhood dream of scoring a big goal for the Leafs, it remains to be seen what Jason Spezza’s future in the lineup will be.
Plugged in due to the Tavares injury, the 36-year-old has managed as a third-line centre, making it through unexpected back-to-back appearances. He took two penalties against the Flyers on Saturday, though one was an iffy call, added an assist, scored one of Toronto’s two shootout goals, and won three of five draws.
“My game’s coming around,” Spezza said. “You have to stay ready. There’s a little less frequency than you’re used to, but it’s important.”
But despite saying at camp that he wanted to be club’s “Swiss Army Knife,” Spezza appears to still have some convincing to do where the demanding Babcock is concerned.
“Spezza’s trying to help out any way he can,” the coach said. “Sometimes he’s a fourth-line guy, sometimes he’s scratched. Why the heck would he come to the rink? He loves hockey, loves being with the guys.”
FIT FOR THE KINGS?
Maybe, just maybe, Muzzin taking a game off to recover from his injury had to do with wanting to be 100% to face his old team for the first time in Tuesday.
Muzzin played almost seven full seasons with L.A., more than 500 games counting the playoffs, and was on its 2014 Stanley Cup team. 1159970 Vegas Golden Knights Winnipeg left wing Adam Lowry avoided any supplemental discipline from the NHL Department of Player Safety for his hit on Knights right wing Alex Tuch in the second period Saturday.
Golden Knights’ struggles with breakouts magnified in recent losses Tuch was ruled out with an upper-body injury and did not return. Knights coach Gerard Gallant said after the game he thought Lowry should have received a major penalty.
By David Schoen The Knights traveled to Columbus, Ohio, on Sunday and are expected to provide an update on Tuch’s status at practice Monday. November 3, 2019 - 3:54 PM Tuch missed the first 13 games while recovering from an upper-body
injury he suffered during the preseason. Most of the criticism for the first goal allowed by the Golden Knights in Sparks sent down Saturday’s 4-3 overtime loss against Winnipeg was aimed at defenseman Deryk Engelland, who was directly responsible for the costly Goaltender Garret Sparks was reassigned to the American Hockey turnover. League on Sunday after serving as the backup against Winnipeg.
But the play also illustrated an ongoing issue in the first 15 games for the Sparks was recalled on an emergency basis Friday when goaltender Knights, who have struggled to exit their zone against opposing Marc-Andre Fleury came down with the flu and was unable to play. forechecks. Fleury is expected to be on the four-game trip that begins Tuesday at Columbus. “We just weren’t clean in a lot of places, especially on the breakout,” defenseman Nate Schmidt said. Sparks owns a a 1.80 goals-against average and .946 save percentage in six games for the Chicago Wolves. Engelland controlled the puck at the right faceoff circle and skated backward to avoid the forecheck of Jets center David Gustafsson. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.04.2019 But as Engelland looked for an outlet, none was available. Forwards Cody Eakin, Cody Glass and Alex Tuch left the zone early looking to beat the Jets in transition.
Rather than making the safe play and sending the puck behind the net to defense partner Nick Holden, Engelland threw a cross-ice pass to nobody on the left-wing boards.
Gabriel Bourque scooped up the gift before the Knights could recover and quickly threw a shot at net that Mathieu Perreault deflected past Malcolm Subban at 2:19 of the first period.
“They made it tough for us all game to break the puck out,” Subban said. “They came strong on our defense, so that made it tough for our defense to make plays up to the forwards. And when the forwards got the puck, they had a guy right on top of them. It was a tough game to play in that regard. They had a good forecheck.”
Winnipeg wasn’t the only team to bother the Knights with its forecheck on the just-concluded homestand.
Montreal found similar success in the third period of its come-from- behind OT win Thursday, while Colorado kept the Knights bottled in their own zone on multiple occasions.
“Our M.O. the last few years has been getting the puck out of the zone really quickly, and we haven’t been doing that,” Schmidt said. “There’s times when they come in with one forward and they keep the puck in the zone. That just can’t happen.”
Reaves, Kane stoke feud
Knights right wing Ryan Reaves appeared on Hockey Night in Canada’s “After Hours” segment following Saturday’s game and added more fuel to his long-running rivalry with San Jose’s Evander Kane.
“It might be longer than nine years — we didn’t like each other in junior,” Reaves told hosts Scott Oake and Louie DeBrusk. “I think it kind of started early in my career, him running around and then I’d challenge him. He always tells me he’s going to beat me up, but would never fight me. And it was just that constant — him chirping, chirping, chirping and never doing anything about it.
“One time, it was preseason, he waited until the refs came in and he sucker-punched me over the refs, and that’s just kind of what he always does.”
Kane responded on Twitter to the latest comments from Reaves, pointing out they never crossed paths in the Western Hockey League.
“You never played a single game against me in @TheWHL believe me,” Kane tweeted at Reaves. “Have to start calling you Mr. Rodgers for all this ‘make believe’ you spit.”
Kane was suspended for the first two regular-season matchups between the Knights and Sharks. The rivals next meet Nov. 21 at T-Mobile Arena.
No word on Tuch 1159971 Vegas Golden Knights Mark Stone is said to have the “best stick” in the NHL, which is sort of an ambiguous term for a player’s eye-hand coordination and ability to intercept pucks.
Officials’ decision to wave off icing leaves Golden Knights puzzled Basically, it means this:
Stone deflected a pass by Winnipeg defenseman Josh Morrissey and battled it out of midair off the boards to himself. By David Schoen He crossed the blue line and then threaded a cross-ice pass between November 3, 2019 - 8:08 am three Jets players to Max Pacioretty, who broke an eight-game goal drought.
Stone led the league in takeaways four of the past five seasons and Icing can be the most difficult rule to understand for novice NHL fans. finished second in the voting for the Selke Trophy as the best defensive And sometimes, even experts are left perplexed by it. forward. Take Saturday, for example. His campaign for the Selke got off to a slow start, but that play will help. Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele scored the tying goal with 6:43 Cashing in remaining in the third period moments after officials waved off icing, a decision that had the Golden Knights puzzled following the 4-3 overtime Winnipeg’s Mathieu Perreault scored at 2:19 of the first period to the loss. delight of hockey bettors.
“I don’t understand why that wasn’t an icing,” goaltender Malcolm The prop bet for a goal in the opening 10 minutes is 9-0 in Knights’ home Subban said. games, and they lead the NHL with a 13-2 record in the category overall.
“Earlier in the game they called it icing, so if you’re going to be consistent LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.04.2019 with that, yeah,” center Paul Stastny said.
On the play, Scheifele intercepted an errant pass from Knights right wing Reilly Smith and carried the puck out of the Jets’ zone. He crossed his own blue line, then fired a long dump-in toward the corner to the right of Subban.
Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt and speedy Jets winger Kyle Connor chased after the loose puck and both linesmen raised their arm to signal icing. Video showed Schmidt clearly won the race to the faceoff dots before he lost an edge near the side of the net and crashed into the boards.
But the whistle didn’t blow, and linesman Ryan Gibbons waved off the icing when Schmidt wiped out and Connor changed course to retrieve the puck behind the net.
Connor then backhanded a pass to Scheifele, who was left alone in the slot when the Knights scrambled to recover and sent a one-timer past Subban.
“You kind of read the game, they were calling ones that looked like they were going to stop before they got there and they called it icing the whole game,” Subban said. “Pretty much every one was an icing. That one it’s tough. I don’t understand why it wasn’t an icing.”
NHL Rule 81.1 states icing is “completed upon the determination as to which player (attacking or defending) would first touch the puck … by no later than the instant the first player reaches the end zone faceoff dots with the player’s skate being the determining factor.”
The rule goes on to clarify “if the race for the puck is too close to determine by the time the first player reaches the end zone face-off dots, icing shall be called.”
If the linesman determined that Schmidt was going to be first to the puck, icing should have been called when he reached the faceoff dots.
But the puck skidded to the opposite side of the net, and the best guess is the linesman believed Connor had the advantage to arrive first.
“They didn’t really have (an explanation),” Knights coach Gerard Gallant said. “They knew they made a mistake, bottom line, so we just moved on.”
Said Schmidt: “I don’t really want to comment on the officiating. I mean, I thought I was there, but again, I can’t see him. There are a lot of other variables there for me to be able to answer that. I thought I was there, but like I said, there’s more things than that.”
Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice understood the Knights’ grievance but was happy to catch a break.
“We’ve had that exact same play go for and against us because it’s the motion of the puck, too,” Maurice said. “They’re not going to like it. We love it. Oh, well.”
Sick stick 1159972 Vegas Golden Knights Schmidt echoed his coach’s sentiments following the disappointing performance.
“You can’t play a partial game in this league, and that’s what we did,” Officiating isn’t to blame for Golden Knights’ late game collapses Schmidt said. “We didn’t have what we had in the first period, sustainable throughout the game, and that’s not a good recipe. I think we probably had one (scoring) chance from the second half of the third period on, and into overtime, and that’s just not good enough. By Jesse Granger Nov 3, 2019 “You can’t do that, especially when you have a two-goal lead,” Schmidt
continued. “You sit back and wait for the other team to come at you, Midway through the third period of Saturday night’s game, the Jets that’s just a recipe for disaster.” scored to tie the game 3-3. The Golden Knights have scored 23 goals in the first period this season, Winnipeg forward Kyle Connor won a race to the puck against Golden but have only 24 total goals in the second and third periods, and overtime Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt and quickly fed a pass to Mark combined. Not only has the offense dried up late in games, but the Scheifele, who one-timed it past Malcolm Subban to tie the game. defense has become more and more porous as the games go on.
The play was controversial, as the linesman raised his hand to signal Vegas ranks fifth in the NHL in high danger chances allowed per 60 icing as Schmidt and Connor passed the blue line. The race was minutes, allowing only 8.44. However, when playing with a lead, that extremely tight, as the two were neck and neck — with Schmidt slightly number jumps to 10.64 per 60 minutes. That ranks 20th in the NHL. ahead — as the two crossed the faceoff dots. It’s an issue of managing the puck poorly in its own zone. Early in games, The NHL rule for icing states that: “This decision by the Linesman will be Vegas plays the majority of the game in the offensive zone, hiding its made by no later than the instant the first player reaches the end zone inefficiencies on the other end of the ice. As the Golden Knights sit back, faceoff dots with the player’s skate being the determining factor … if the and play more conservatively, the ice tilts in the other direction, and that’s race for the puck is too close to determine by the time the first player where the mistakes begin. reaches the end zone faceoff dots, icing shall be called.” The Golden Knights have an extremely talented roster, but to this point in That appeared to be the case, and linesman Ryan Gibbons raised his the season they haven’t played like it. Their 8-5-2 record is just barely hand well after the two crossed the faceoff dots, but then proceeded to above mediocre, and they are only that good thanks to a spectacular waive icing off, as Schmidt chose the wrong side of the net to skate start to the season by goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. Without his heroics, around and fell to the ice. Connor chose the correct angle to reach the Vegas could be in the same early season hole it found itself in last puck first, and it led to an immediate goal. season.
The other part of the NHL’s icing rule states: “For clarification, the Now the Golden Knights go on the road for their longest trip of the determining factor is which player would first touch the puck, not which season (Columbus, Toronto, Washington and Detroit). player would first reach the end zone faceoff dots.” It’s time to stop blaming the officiating. The players and coaches have. Perhaps Gibbons determined Connor would touch the puck first. If that “Obviously it’s frustrating but that’s adversity we’re going to face all year,” was his determination, it ended up being correct, as that’s what Marchessault said. “Sometimes it happens. The game’s not over, it’s 3-3. happened. But he still shouldn’t have raised his hand after the two had Obviously we’re an emotional team, but in those situations we need to crossed the dots. Not only is that the incorrect procedure, but it resulted just let (Gallant) take care of it. We as players need to keep our in Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault, who were backchecking on composure. Obviously it’s hard sometimes.” the play, letting up for a split second. That was enough for Scheifele to score the game-tying goal. Once the blame is directed where it should be — at the Golden Knights’ poor play in their own zone, especially late in games — then the “I don’t understand why that wasn’t an icing,” Subban said after the corrections can be made. game. “You can say whatever. Obviously it was a good shot and a good play.” The good news is they’re only 15 games into a very long season, and it’s much better to face this adversity now rather than in April or May. That goal was a major moment in the game. It helped bring Winnipeg back from a two-goal deficit to send the game to overtime, where the Jets “It’s something that has to be addressed in order to be a good team,” would win it with a goal by Connor. Schmidt said. “A lot of people are talking about how we’re a good team, but right now we need to show that we’re a good team first.” But it wasn’t the reason the Golden Knights lost. The Athletic LOADED: 11.04.2019 “I’m not going to blame the referees for this game, I’m going to blame the way we played the last 25 minutes of the hockey game,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “If they wouldn’t have scored there, they probably would have scored somewhere else because we didn’t play our game.”
Gallant is right. The Golden Knights were absolutely abysmal for the second half of Saturday night’s game. It’s the second straight game Vegas surrendered a two-goal lead to lose in overtime. To make matters worse, both of those games pitted a rested Golden Knights squad against a team on its second night of a back-to-back. And both times, the tired team outworked Vegas.
“I think we just sit back,” Marchessault said. “We let them come in our zone. It’s not good enough for our team and for Subban.”
After building a 3-1 lead in the first period, the Golden Knights were outshot 30-16 for the remainder of the game, and 16-6 in the third period. This Corsi game flow chart by Natural Stat Trick shows Vegas’ lack of puck control late in the game.
“We backed off, we were too loose and I’m disappointed,” Gallant said. “There’s a couple games now that we’ve backed off, so we need to be more aggressive. We talk about it all the time, when our forecheck is good and our defense is aggressive on the forecheck, we’re a good team. When our backcheck isn’t as good then our defensemen are back all the time, it’s not going to work. You don’t win in this league doing that.” 1159973 Washington Capitals came after a turnover by Dmitry Orlov behind the net, and the second goal came on a hard deflection by Elias Lindholm, also after an Orlov turnover, with 1.6 seconds left in the period to tie the score at 2.
Jakub Vrana’s first hat trick is more reason to celebrate for the Capitals Reirden wasn’t happy with his team’s play in the first period, but he was pleased with its response and with Samsonov’s ability to keep the charging Flames at bay during their two power-play opportunities late in the game. Samantha Pell “I thought the execution wasn’t at the level that’s expected from our November 3, 2019 at 10:21 PM EST team,” Reirden said of the opening 20 minutes. “That’s my responsibility to raise that level, and the players respond. It’s a clear message, and I thought we did a much better job with the puck and giving up a lot less Washington Capitals forward Jakub Vrana knew his first career hat trick from that point moving forward.” would come — he just had to be patient. His opportunity came Sunday night, in the Capitals’ 4-2 win over the Calgary Flames, after he scored With Holtby in a contract year and Samsonov the anointed goalie of the two goals in the first period and was actively seeking another in the future since he was drafted in the first round in 2015, the Capitals have second. already had to adjust some of their original plans. Reirden said he felt that part of the reason Samsonov got off to a rough start in his previous Vrana was gifted a breakaway down the middle of the ice, and the 23- game against Vancouver — putting the Capitals in a 5-1 hole in the year-old ripped the puck past Flames goaltender Cam Talbot. Vrana second period before the Capitals stormed back for a 6-5 shootout win — scrunched his face in celebration, motioning to the top of his head as he was that Samsonov had been out of the net for too long. threw an imaginary hat onto the ice. The real hats soon rained down at Capital One Arena to the delight of the grinning forward. “It’s a little bit of a balancing act,” Reirden said, “but a good one to have.”
“I’m just trying to keep working hard and keep on working on my shots,” Washington Post LOADED: 11.04.2019 Vrana said. “ . . . We’ve been playing great as a team. We’ve been winning a lot of games, so that is huge.”
With the World Series champion Nationals on hand to watch the party, the Capitals delivered, winning their fourth game in a row and improving to 8-0-1 in their past nine. Vrana’s third goal gave the Capitals the lead, and it held up as the game-winner after Lars Eller contributed a power- play snipe 2:20 into the third period to help secure the victory.
Vrana, who scored twice in the Capitals’ previous win Friday against Buffalo and now has nine goals in 16 games, got Washington (11-2-3) on the board Sunday after Andrew Mangiapane gave Calgary (8-7-2) a lead 5:40 into the first period. Vrana took a crisp, backhanded feed from Evgeny Kuznetsov — a play Kuznetsov called his “bread and butter” — and was wide open in the middle of the ice for a two-on-one rush that he finished at 11:01. Vrana then added an unassisted tally 15:08 into the first.
“It’s been probably the last five games where I think he’s added a little bit of a refocus there on the [recent five-game] road trip, and I think he’s played his best hockey since then,” Capitals Coach Todd Reirden said of Vrana.
Vrana has reaped the benefits of playing with Kuznetsov, who set him up with two primary assists, his first helpers since Oct. 20 in Chicago. The center has had an up-and-down start to his season, but with Vrana’s ability to find open ice on numerous breakaways to start the season, Kuznetsov’s line has started to get hot. Reirden said Vrana started to find his game when he was placed back with Kuznetsov on the second line.
“Sometimes you have to let some things develop and let a player find his game, and he started to find his game and then we moved him back there and now we’ve seen some really good results, the best results we’ve seen from that line this year,” Reirden said. “They’ve been really solid.”
The Capitals’ forward lines are continuing to mesh as the team deals with a couple of injuries in its forward corps: Richard Panik remains on long- term injured reserve with an upper-body injury, and Nic Dowd is day-to- day with a lower-body injury.
Dowd missed his second straight game Sunday after he was hurt Tuesday against Toronto. Reirden said Sunday he is hopeful Dowd will be able to play in the Capitals’ next game Thursday in Florida against the Panthers. Panik is eligible to return for Washington’s Nov. 11 game against Arizona.
Capitals’ forward depth is starting to pay dividends
The Capitals got a boost Sunday from rookie goaltender Ilya Samsonov, who improved to 5-1-0 this season spelling top goalie Braden Holtby. Samsonov’s five wins are the most in the NHL among rookies.
“He certainly doesn’t look like a rookie goaltender in there very often,” Reirden said.
Samsonov finished with 25 saves and kept Calgary scoreless over the final two periods after allowing two goals in the first. Mangiapane’s goal 1159974 Washington Capitals
Vrana gets first career hat trick in Capitals' win over Flames
By Ian Quillen - Associated Press - Sunday, November 3, 2019
Jakub Vrana got his first career hat trick and the Washington Capitals beat the Calgary Flames 4-2 Sunday night.
Lars Eller added a power-play goal, and Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson each had two assists for the Capitals, who have won eight of nine and lead the NHL with 25 points. Ilya Samsonov stoped 25 shots.
Elias Lindholm and Andrew Mangiapane scored for Calgary, and Cam Talbot finished with 28 saves. The Flames finished 2-2-0 on a four-game road trip.
The night began with the Capitals honoring the Washingon Nationals for their baseball championship. Several Nationals players, including outfielder Adam Eaton were on the ice with their World Series trophy.
Vrana followed up his first multi-goal game of the season Friday by scoring twice in the first period and once in the second. He now has nine goals through 16 games, with the 23-year-old Czech well on pace to exceed his previous high of 24 from last season.
The Flames earned only two power plays while extending their streak without a goal on the man advantage to a season-high four games.
After Mangiapane opened the scoring, Vrana got his first goal when Wilson found Kuznetsov down the right. Kuznetsov sent a cross-ice pass to Vrana, who beat two Flames defenders down the ice and Talbot to his stick side.
Vrana gave Washington its first lead with 4:52 left in the first when he was first to the puck in the offensive zone after Kuznetsov had it poked away and beat Talbot with a wrister to the top left corner.
Lindholm got his 10th of the season to tie the score with 1.6 seconds remaining before the first intermission, but Vrana gave Washington the lead for good with 4:55 left in the second.
This time Kuznetsov found him from Washington’s own zone for a breakaway, and while Talbot made a pad save on Vrana’s first effort, he couldn’t keep out the rebound.
NOTES: A day after their celebratory parade, the Nationals were welcomed on the ice during player introductions while decked in white Capitals jerseys. Later, Eaton and pitcher Max Scherzer were among several players who took a shirtless Zamboni ride during the second intermission. … Capitals LW Alex Ovechkin became the first member of the 2004 NHL draft class to play in his 1,100th career game . Lindholm now has a seven-game point streak, which began in last month’s 5-3 loss to Washington. … Flames LW Milan Lucic served the first of his two- game suspension for a roughing incident in Saturday’s win over Columbus. … Vrana’s consecutive multi-goal games are the first of his career.
UP NEXT
Flames: Host Arizona on Tuesday night.
Capitals: At Florida on Thursday night.
Washington Times LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159975 Washington Capitals Now first, let’s be fair. Vrana’s second goal happens only because of the play Orlov makes at the offensive blue line when he cuts off the breakout. He drives the puck into the zone and Vrana is able to score after Evgeny Kuznetsov lost control of it. Having said that, Orlov has got to clean up Vrana's hat trick, the Nationals party and Kuznetsov's words of wisdom the turnovers in his own zone. The second defensive pair is still a work in progress as Reirden is trying to determine if Gudas is good enough to
handle top-four minutes. What doesn’t help is if the left defenseman is By J.J. Regan November 03, 2019 11:11 PM giving up turnovers that lead to goals.
Turning point
On a night in which the Washington Nationals were looking to party, With the game tied at 2, Vrana finished off the hat trick with the Jakub Vrana gave them plenty of reason to with his hat trick performance breakaway goal. Talbot actually stopped the first shot, but Vrana shot in in a 4-2 win over the Calgary Flames on Sunday. his own rebound for the goal.
Observations from the win Play of the night
That was a weird one Adam Eaton just so happened to be at ice level for Vrana’s hat trick. He decided to contribute to the celebration by throwing more hats out while The Nationals were on hand to celebrate their World Series title on holding the Commissioner’s Trophy in one hand. Clutch performance. Sunday. You are going to see a lot of quotes and read a lot of stories about the impact their presence had on the game. If you weren’t there, Stat of the night you may dismiss it as coach-speak or just a media-driven story. It wasn’t. What makes Vrana’s hat trick even more impressive is the fact that all I have covered a lot of games in the few years I’ve been writing for NBC three goals came on even strength. Sports Washington, and I can say definitively that Sunday’s game was Quote of the night one of the weirdest. The Nationals absolutely had an impact on the atmosphere at Captial One Arena. From celebrating the championship at If you watch Vrana’s third goal, he’s at the blue line almost waiting for the the start of the game, to seeing the entire Arena do “Baby Shark,” to the puck before the Caps even have possession. It’s blocked in front of the Nationals taking their shirts off in the Zamboni, this was a crazy one. net and Kuznetsov looks like he’s just clearing it, but instead he sets up Vrana perfectly for the breakaway. I was at the Nationals game the Caps went to after winning the Cup and this one was different. First, the Nationals were pretty much an I asked Kuznetsov after the game if Vrana was calling for the puck. afterthought at that game in 2018. I saw more Caps jerseys and hats that Here’s our exchange: day than Nationals gear at their own park. The main event was the Caps and the Stanley Cup. That’s just the nature of a 162-game regular Me: “Was [Vrana] calling for the puck on that third goal because…” season. Sometimes a game can get high jacked by something else. Kuznetsov: “He never call, he knows I’m going to pass it to him.” Sunday was different in that the Nationals’ celebration felt like it was a Me: “He knows if he’s on the blue line waiting for it to go down the ice?” part of the game. It’s hard to describe, but I think Todd Reirden felt the same way. He described how these kinds of things can be a distraction, Kuznetsov: “That’s actually a play from last game. I tell him, [expletive] but that he liked the dynamic it added on Sunday. that D zone, just go score that third goal and he listen to me.”
“Obviously it's amazing to have the World Series Champs in the building Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.04.2019 and everything that went along with it and the energy that they had,” he said. “Obviously I didn't see it all, I'm looking forward to rewatching that side of the game to see what was really going on up there. I saw part of it. It's interesting because from our perspective sometimes it gets to be a little bit of a distraction because the game that's going on and all the fans want to see the Nats. They're not watching the game. It's a weird dynamic, but it's an amazing one.”
Jakub Vrana, so hot right now
Vrana scored twice on Friday against the Buffalo Sabres and looked like he was going to score the hat trick, but Carter Hutton got his pad over in time to make a great save to deny Vrana his third goal. I asked Vrana about that Sunday after morning skate. He told me two things. First, he couldn’t get the shot off the way he wanted and he ended up not getting as much height on the shot as he wanted, which is how Hutton was able to stop it when he kicked the pad out. On his first goal on Sunday I noticed the puck had enough height on it to go over Cam Talbot’s pad. I’m not sure he had the pad out in time to block it anyway, but clearly Vrana remembered what happened with Hutton.
Second, Vrana was struck by how many people came up to him after Friday's game saying they were disappointed for him about not getting the hat trick. He wasn’t worried about it and said “the hat trick will come.”
I don’t think he meant on Sunday, but I’m sure he’s not complaining.
A high-event night for Dmitry Orlov
Calgary scored two goals and both goals were the result of a turnover by Orlov. On the first, both he and Radko Gudas were behind the goal line. Gudas passed to him and Orlov tried to backhand the pass back, but it was cut off by Matthew Tkachuk and fed to Andrew Mangiapane. With both defensemen behind the blue line, he was alone in front with Ilya Samsonov for the easy goal. On the second goal, Orlov fumbled a pass from Gudas in the neutral zone that was stolen away by the Flames. The resulting break-in would result in the game-tying goal with 1.6 seconds remaining in the first period. 1159976 Washington Capitals remember anything...So many people say the baseball game is so boring, but for me it's not. I like to watch them..."
The Nats players were far from done. Yan Gomes, Patrick Corbin, Trea A wild night of brotherhood for World Series champion Nationals at Turner, Eaton, Scherzer and Doolittle all rode one Zamboni as it Sunday’s Capitals game. resurfaced the ice in between the second and third periods. Zimmerman got a ride on his own. At some point during a lap around the ice, shirts became optional.
By Brian McNally November 03, 2019 11:08 PM All six players ripped off their jerseys and waved them at the crowd in a building where temperatures hover around 50 degrees during a game.
Zimmerman held his arms out in disbelief as his Zamboni passed theirs, WASHINGTON — The World Series trophy sat on a table on the ice at but chose to keep his clothes on. Capital One Arena just as the Stanley Cup did 13 months ago. Before the game, Zimmerman was chosen to announce the Capitals’ It was enough to make a Washington sports fan scream or cry or laugh. starting lineup. He did so to great applause. But Eaton brought the house There was Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, wearing a red No. down when he brought the World Series trophy into the room, presented 19 Capitals jersey with “W.S. Champs” on the back, arm in arm with the Capitals with a brand new “batting helmet” that goes to their player of Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin and teammate Nicklas Backstrom. To the game — autographed by Nationals players — and then paid his first their right was defenseman John Carlson. homage to Capitals forward T.J. Oshie’s post-Stanley Cup playoff celebration. Together they are the four longest-tenured D.C. athletes representing 50 seasons in their respective sports. Together, before Sunday’s Capitals’ Eaton pulled his jersey over his head and shot-gunned a beer through it. game against the Calgary Flames, the Nationals and Capitals got The Capitals looked like they were ready to skate through a wall. together for a group sing-along of Queen’s "We Are The Champions". It The Nationals finished watching the Capitals’ 4-2 win over Calgary and wasn’t the last time that would happen. then headed down to the hockey locker room. They sang “We Are The It was a fitting coda to a memorable October. After the Capitals won the Champions” together as a group again. They did a conga line while Stanley Cup in 2018, their iconic day of celebration June 9 began with a someone — probably Anibal Sanchez or Gerardo Parra — blew a whistle Nationals game two days after winning the Cup in Las Vegas. They just like the Nationals did after every playoff series celebration. gathered in a suite, lifted the Cup every few innings, each time drawing Less than 15 hours before the Nationals had to be at the White House to roars from the crowd ostensibly there to see a baseball game. They also be honored by President Trump, they were still going. The party drank their faces off, an epic weekend bender to celebrate a long- continues. awaited championship. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.04.2019 The Nationals had their turn on Sunday. Honored before the game on the ice for their World Series title – Washington’s first in 95 years – owner Mark Lerner, general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Martinez were honored by name to big cheers from the sellout crowd.
Then the Capitals skated over for a group picture. Not everyone on the roster was with the team when it won the Cup, but more than enough were. “We Are The Champions” brought the house down. Then it was up into the suite behind the visiting goal, where the Nationals, most wearing white Capitals jerseys, drew cheers from the crowd.
Nationals outfielder Adam Eaton did his best T.J. Oshie impersonation after a first period Jakub Vrana goal when he pulled his jersey over his head and drank a beer through it. The crowd went wild. That was Oshie's thing the summer before last.
Nationals reliever Sean Doolittle got to sit on the Zamboni. The Capitals game operations staff played Baby Shark. The entire song. That doesn’t even happen at Nationals Park. The Capital One in-house organist even followed with a few more bars of his own after the song ended.
It was a love fest between two organizations that spent the better part of a decade trying to win a championship only to fall short in agonizing fashion time and again. The Capitals broke through in 2018, the Nationals last week. The high from their parade on Saturday still hadn’t faded yet.
“Everything we learned about winning a championship we learned from the @Capitals!” Doolittle tweeted. “Thank you for hosting us tonight!“
Nationals ace Max Scherzer swigged a beer during a break in the action while the song “Calma” played. That anthem embraced by Washington’s clubhouse, one that played throughout the year and often multiple times after every playoff series win, provided a nice soundtrack to the evening.
When Vrana scored his third goal of the game for a hat trick, Nationals players joined the crowd and tossed hats out onto the ice. Somehow, Eaton was already down by the Zamboni entrance with the Commissioners’ Trophy.
He stepped onto the ice during the break after Vrana’s third goal, lofted the trophy to a huge roar from the crowd and then hugged it with one arm and grabbed a few hats with his other and flung them onto the ice himself.
"They look pretty sober, you know?” Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov told NBC Sports Washington’s Al Koken during an interview after the second period. “When we was in their situation I pretty much did not 1159977 Washington Capitals
Vrana's first career-hat trick helps Caps stomp out Flames
By J.J. Regan November 03, 2019 9:43 PM
WASHINGTON -- Jakub Vrana came oh so close to his first career hat trick on Friday against the Buffalo Sabres. As it turns out, he did not have to wait too long for his next opportunity. Vrana scored each of the Capitals' three goals on Sunday to lead Washington to the 4-2 win over the Calgary Flames. Vrana now has five goals in two games.
Here is how Washington won the game.
Jakub Vrana, so hot right now
Vrana scored two goals on Friday and was a fantastic pad save from Carter Hutton away from netting the hat trick. He told me this morning after morning skate that several people spoke with him after the game saying how disappointed they were for him that he couldn't get the hat trick. Vrana laughed it off saying, "the hat trick will come."
Thanks, Freddy Foreshadowing.
Vrana was brilliant on Sunday scoring all of the Caps' first three goals for his first career hat trick. He now has five goals in his last two games, and nine points in his last five.
Evgeny Kuznetsov
Behind two of Vrana's goals was a primary assist from Evgeny Kuznetsov and really there should have been a third. On the first, Kuznetsov took the puck into the offensive zone off a give-and-go with Tom Wilson. Defenseman T.J. Brodie either did not know he needed to cover a 2-on-1 with Vrana coming or he thought he could beat Kuznetsov to the puck because he did not keep his position at all, and instead bolted for the puck along the boards. Kuznetsov got there then feathered the great pass right to Vrana all alone in front.
On Vrana's third goal, he stood on the blue line when a Calgary shot was stopped before it reached Ilya Samsonov. Kuznetsov just threw the puck forward and Vrana read it well, taking off at exactly the right time to get in behind the defense for the breakaway. He had so much time that when his first shot was stopped, he was able to get to his own rebound for the goal.
Kuznetsov arguably should have had a third assist on Vrana's second goal, and both he and Dmitry Orlov were originally awarded assists on the play. The NHL reviewed it and removed the assists after it was clear the puck was stolen away from defenseman Rasmus Andersson, who turned the puck over to Vrana before he shot it into the net.
Taking advantage of the power play
The referees put away their whistles for the most part on Sunday and neither team got a power play opportunity until the third period. The Caps took advantage of the first, as Lars Eller roofed the puck after a cross-ice pass from Tom Wilson for Washington's first goal from someone not named Vrana on the night.
Staying out of the box
Heading into Sunday's game, the Caps were tied for the second-most minor penalties taken this season, which is an average of about four per game. The Caps were sent to the box only twice on Sunday and one was a matching minor between Jonas Siegenthaler and Andrew Mangiapane.
Washington's penalty kill was called upon only twice including for a disputed delay of game penalty on Dmitry Orlov late in the game. Both power plays were killed off with relative ease to make sure Calgary's special teams were not a factor in this game.
Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159978 Washington Capitals
Bud Light guy cements his magical legacy after winning Capitals' 'slap shot challenge'
By Frank Piscani November 03, 2019 9:20 PM
The legend of Bud Light guy continues.
One of the most exciting storylines from this year's World Series — besides, ya know, the Washington Nationals winning the whole darn thing — has been the formation of the newest American hero.
Jeff Adams, the fan who took a World Series home run to the chest while double-fisting Bud Lights, continues to become more and more of a national icon. After getting his own bus for the Nationals' World Series parade, Adams made an appearance at the Washington Capitals game and won the "slap shot challenge" during the second intermission.
Of course, in the same epic style that he's risen to fame, Adams won the challenge at the last second and is walking away with free Bud Light at Caps home games as a result.
The Capitals' game has been a lot of fun for everyone in Washington, but Adams joins the Nationals players in having just a little bit extra fun.
Adam Eaton and his teammates have consumed plenty of their own Bud Light, celebrating their World Series victory in style.
Just like the Nationals players, Bud Light guy is really living his best life.
Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159979 Washington Capitals
Capitals tie franchise record for most consecutive games with a player scoring multiple goals
By Frank Piscani November 03, 2019 7:43 PM
The Washington Capitals tied a franchise record on Sunday for most consecutive games with a player scoring multiple goals.
The Capitals have had at least one such player in each of their last six games, tying a franchise record they set way back in February 1987. The Caps are the fifth team in the past 11 years to accomplish the feat.
With a multi-goal scorer in each of their last six games, the Capitals become the fifth team since 2008-09 to accomplish this feat (Toronto: 2018-19; Philadelphia: 2016-17; Boston: 2013-14; San Jose: 2010-11; Anaheim: 2008-09).
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) November 4, 2019
Jakub Vrana scored twice in the first period against the Calgary Flames to hit the six-game mark. Vrana also scored twice in the Capitals' 6-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday.
Alex Ovechkin, John Carlson, Michal Kempny and Evgeny Kuznetsov have also contributed to the streak, which began Oct. 20 against the Flames. Vrana, Ovechkin and Carlson all scored twice in two of the six games.
The Capitals will look to continue their streak on Thursday against the Arizona Coyotes.
Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159980 Washington Capitals Champions in the house The Caps will honor the World Series champion Washington Nationals
prior to Sunday's game. Considering all the shenanigans that went on 6 things to know for Caps-Flames: Caps likely avoid Lucic after when the Caps went to Nationals Park after winning the Cup, the Saturday’s sucker punch Nationals will probably enjoy themselves quite a bit.
"They going to have beers, they going to have lots of chicken wings and nachos. They deserve it," Ovechkin said. "That's pretty cool. We very By J.J. Regan November 03, 2019 11:29 AM happy for guys, for the whole city, for fans, for this area. They was in a fight and they finished the fight."
Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.04.2019 The Capitals (10-2-3) will look to stay hot as they host the Calgary Flames (8-6-2) in their second and final matchup of the season. You can catch all the action on NBC Sports Washington with Caps FaceOff Live kicking things off at 6 p.m. before Caps Pregame Live begins at 6:30 p.m. to bring you up to the 7 p.m. puck drop. Stick with NBC Sports Washington afterward for Caps Postgame Live and Caps Overtime Live.
Here are five things to know for Sunday’s game.
Samsonov gets the start
Ilya Samsonov will be making his first start since Oct. 25 in the comeback win over the Vancouver Canucks. The choice of Samsonov makes sense considering he has not played in over a week and because he did not play in Washington’s first game against Calgary just over a week ago (more on that below).
In five games this season, Samsonov is 4-1-0 with a 2.46 GAA and .913 save percentage.
Cam Talbot is expected to start in net for the Flames after David Rittich started on Saturday in Columbus. Rittich has established himself as the No. 1 for Calgary and has started the last five games. Talbot has played four games this season and is 1-2-0 with a 2.46 GAA and .908 save percentage.
If it ain’t broke….
Based on the morning skate, there are no other changes to the Caps’ lineup:
Alex Ovechkin - Nicklas Backstrom - T.J. Oshie
Jakub Vrana - Evgeny Kuznetsov - Tom Wilson
Carl Hagelin - Lars Eller - Garnett Hathaway
Brendan Leipsic - Chandler Stephenson - Travis Boyd
Michal Kempny - John Carlson
Dmitry Orlov - Radko Gudas
Jonas Siegenthaler - Nick Jensen
Richard Panik and Nic Dowd also took part in the morning skate in blue non-contact jerseys.
When last we met
Sunday’s game is the second and final meeting between these two teams this season. Washington played in Calgary on Oct. 22 during the team’s recent five-game road trip that took them through western Canada. The Caps won that game 5-3 behind John Carlson’s two goals. They were also aided by some sloppy goaltending by Talbot as well as some nice goaltending by Braden Holtby who stopped 32 out of the 35 shots he faced.
No Lucic?
Noted pest Milan Lucic is scheduled to have a disciplinary hearing with the Department of Player Safety on Sunday after delivering a sucker punch to Columbus Blue Jackets rookie Kole Sherwood on Saturday. Sherwood jabbed at the puck after it was covered by Rittich and Lucic simply walked up and socked him.
It seems doubtful that Lucic will be available on Sunday.
About last night
Sunday will be the second leg of a back-to-back for the Flames who shutout the Blue Jackets 3-0 in Columbus on Saturday. Matthew Tkachuk scored his third goal in two games and now has seven on the season. Elias Lindholm also contributed two assists. 1159981 Washington Capitals every time he saw me. It was for no particular reason, as I remember. And it just kinda stuck.
“It’s mostly Lar, but it’s Tiger, too, when guys want to have a laugh.” Judge Judy? Psycho? Capitals players explain their nicknames Bonus story: Eller’s teammates in Montreal called him “Larry.” He hated it. The nickname briefly followed him to Washington, but he nipped it in the bud before it had a chance to become a thing. By Tarik El-Bashir Nov 3, 2019 10 Radko Gudas: Gudie.
“It was my dad’s nickname. So that’s what everyone is calling me in ARLINGTON, Va. – Judge Judy. Czech. So it’s an old one,” Gudas said.
Tiger. Leo Gudas was drafted by Calgary in 1990 but never played an NHL game. Psycho. Carl Hagelin: Hags. Snarls. Garnet Hathaway: Garf. Tuna. Wait, what? What do all those words have in common? Dowd “has been calling me Garf. He’s been trying to get it (to) go,” They’re nicknames, and each belongs to a player on the Capitals. Hathaway explained. “Then I got some people calling me Garfunkel. Before we continue, a quick disclaimer: Although everyone in a hockey Dowder kept getting called Judy and he wanted to call me something. dressing room has a nickname, not all hockey nicknames are created He’s the biggest salesman I’ve ever seen trying to sell it. equal. Many are just someone’s first or last name with an “ie” or “y” or “I don’t know,” Hathaway added, shrugging. “You got me.” “er” or an “s” attached to the end – and that’s it; there is no hilarious backstory. Braden Holtby: Holts or Beast.
Others, however, are awesome. “Simple, easy,” Holtby said, adding that it’s mostly, Holts.
The Athletic did some digging at MedStar Capitals Iceplex last week and Nick Jensen: Jens. here’s what we learned about the Caps’ nicknames for one another: “I’m not the only guy without one, am I?” Jensen cracked. Nicklas Backstrom: Nicky or Backy. Michal Kempny: Kemps or Psycho. “I’m a boring guy,” he said with a wink and a smile. Yes, there’s an explanation for the latter. Travis Boyd: Boydo or Boyder. “I think it’s because I like going in the cold tub,” he said. “I’m going whole John Carlson: Carly. body most time, so that’s why it’s ‘Psycho.'”
For a while, former Caps winger Eric Fehr called Carlson “Jumbo” but Pressed for more, Kempny shrugged and laughed. “Maybe it’s because that fizzled when Fehr was traded away in 2011. I’m kind of an explosive person, too” he joked.
Nic Dowd: Judy. As in Judge Judy. As explained by Dowd himself: Evgeny Kuznetsov: Kuze or Kuzy.
“It happened while we were playing sewer ball last year. It’s called sewer Brendan Leipsic: Leiper. ball because you basically try and screw each other over. You get two touches. If you don’t get the two touches you’re out. You can kick shitty Tyler Lewington: Lewy. balls at people, so it’s sewer ball. It happened at Cap One. Quite Liam O’Brien: Big Tuna or Tuna. frequently, Ovi will plead his case as to why he should not be out. Then it usually comes down to rock-paper-scissors, and whoever wins stays and “It’s just Tuna,” the recent call-up said. “It was Big Tuna, but everyone whoever loses is out. Frequently it comes down to that, even though just calls me Tuna now. It was Nate Schmidt when he was in Hershey my maybe Ovi should be out most of the time. But he’s the big man so, you first year. I’m pretty sure it came from ‘The Office.’ He would just come in know… the room and say, ‘The biiiggg Tuuunnnaaa.’ He liked it and he said it fit me really well. It just kinda took off. Coaches call me it. Friends back “One game I said something right away. I was like, ‘No, you should be home call me it.” out. You should be out.’ Ovi looked at me – and he had said this before to other guys, it’s just kinda one of his Ovi Sayings – he looked at me and Dmitry Orlov: Snarls. said, ‘Whatever, Judge Judy.’ Willie (Tom Wilson) was there and had never heard it. Willie just loved it. He looovvveeed it. It was one of those “My first year in the NHL, my roommate was Cody Eakin,” Orlov things, like it didn’t even cross my mind because Ovi had said it so many explained. “He did this nickname for me.” times to other guys. ‘Whatever, Judge Judy.’ But Willie loved it. And it The first time Orlov heard it, he needed someone to translate Snarls into stuck.” Russian.
Lars Eller: Lar or Tiger. “I can live with this,” he recalled thinking at the time.
By now, the origins of the Tiger nickname is well known by Caps fans. “It’s kinda funny,” Orlov added. “Even my family knows this nickname. The CliffsNotes version for those who aren’t familiar: During a Tony They said it’s the perfect nickname for you.” Robbins seminar with his teammates in 2017, Eller was asked on stage to name his spirit animal. “I yelled out, ‘Tiger!’ And from that day on, the T.J. Oshie: Osh. Osh Babe. Babe. guys were loving it,” he explained. “That started in St. Louis. I say to a lot of people, ‘What’s up, Babe?’ So a Tiger hasn’t only stuck, it’s Eller’s theme song. lot of people became ‘Babe’ when we got here. Yeah, I don’t know. It’s something with hockey players – half the time you aren’t called anything “Eye of the Tiger” blares over the speakers at Capital One Arena related to your name. It’s crazy.” whenever Eller scores. The classic Survivor tune was played Friday night when Eller was recognized at Capital One Arena for playing in his 700th Alex Ovechkin: Ovi or O. NHL game. “Everyone calls him ‘O,'” Oshie said. “No one on the team really calls him As for “Lar,” that was a Nate Schmidt creation. “He was like, Lar!” Eller, Ovi.” recalled, referring to the former Washington defenseman who now plays for Vegas. “He was just walking around here yelling it as loud as he could Richard Panik: Pans. “So far they don’t have anything for me,” he said. “I think it’s a good thing.”
After a pause, he added, “Or maybe it’s a bad thing. I don’t know.”
Ilya Samsonov: Sammy.
Jonas Siegenthaler: Siegs.
Chandler Stephenson: Steve or Stevie.
Jakub Vrana: V.
“There’s a few, but most guys call me ‘V,'” he said. “That’s my main nickname. It was right away, since my first day in North America. (Head equipment manager Brock Myles) and all those guys started calling me V. It makes sense. I like it. It’s nice and easy. It suits me.”
Tom Wilson: Willie or Whip.
“I was Willie for my first two years and then Stick (Justin Williams) came,” Wilson said. “So there were two Willies, and Trotzy (Barry Trotz) said we had to come up with something else.”
OK, but why Whip?
“Eric Fehr is the one that came up with it,” Wilson said with a smile. “That’s all I can tell you. No comment. You can call him.”
He added: “A nickname is one of those things comes from inside jokes and bonds with your teammates. It just happens. Sometimes they stick. Sometimes they don’t.”
The Athletic LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159982 Winnipeg Jets "Everybody in this room will tell you they’re pretty fired up after that. The courage in him to accept that fight and let alone win it, too, that’s big."
Hogwash, you might say. What does tossing a few punches have to do Jets turn tables after Knights brouhaha with finding a way to win a hockey game, where speed and skill rule the day? I’ve often wondered that myself, and the fact fighting is on a steep decline in the NHL suggests it’s mostly an afterthought these days.
Mike McIntyre But in his post-game availability late Saturday night, coach Paul Maurice provided some interesting food for thought, describing in great detail how Posted: 11/3/2019 9:27 PM Lowry’s actions resonated around his young team, and why this all was actually a very big deal.
LAS VEGAS — "Stay in the fight. Just stay in the fight. We’ve just got to “... there’s a bunch of guys that will never have to do what Adam Lowry stay in the fight." did, right? Throws a bit hit, he’s gotta stand up for it. That’s as tough a guy as there is in the league. And do the right thing.” I’ve been hearing that a lately around the Winnipeg Jets, who seem to be relishing their seemingly overnight transition from NHL heavyweights to — Jets head coach Paul Maurice scrappy underdogs. "My belief is, you’ve now got guys who will spend their entire careers and After all, it wasn’t long ago the local lads were seen as legitimate Stanley never have to fight. I’m not complaining about that or advocating against Cup favourites. Now, they’re viewed by many pundits as the hockey it either way. But there’s a bunch of guys that will never have to do what equivalent of washed-up boxer turned longshoreman Terry Malloy, Adam Lowry did, right? Throws a bit hit, he’s gotta stand up for it. That’s famously played by Marlon Brando, in On The Waterfront. as tough a guy as there is in the league. And do the right thing," Maurice said. "I coulda been a contender," might soon replace "Fuelled By Passion" as the team’s official motto. "That’s why the comeback was important. We’ve got a whole bunch of guys who’ll never have to do that, but Adam’s a teammate. So they’ve So, it was perhaps fitting that one of the signature moments of a young got to do something else. They gotta battle a little harder on pucks on the season already filled with surprises came Saturday night in Las Vegas, a wall, they gotta make another play. That’s the way your teammate shows city with a storied history in the sweet science. respect for what Adam did. So I’d like to think that was the singular reason that we found the energy in the third period to battle back and win In this case, it wasn’t a much-hyped bout inside the squared circle at it." MGM Grand that had tongues wagging. Rather, it was a bare-knuckled brouhaha on the ice at T-Mobile Arena. The Jets, of course, have been doing a lot of battling this year, such as Friday night in San Jose when they were outshot 53-19 yet downed the Jets forward Adam Lowry, fresh off a two-game suspension for a dirty hit- Sharks 3-2, thanks to Connor Hellebuyck’s heroics in net. from-behind on Calgary’s Oliver Kylington last weekend in Regina, blasted Golden Knights forward Alex Tuch with a hard hit that left him And after quickly falling behind by a pair of goals on Saturday night in Sin dazed and confused in the second period. City, then losing defenceman Tucker Poolman to an upper-body injury which further depleted their lineup, I suspected we might see the Jets What followed was something right out of the old-school hockey throw in the towel against a talented Golden Knights club. playbook. Instead, they got off the ropes and seemingly got stronger. "Everybody in this room will tell you they’re pretty fired up after that. The courage in him to accept that fight and let alone win it, too, that’s big," "Stay in the fight. We all know what’s going on around the league in said Jets forward Kyle Connor.
terms of the comeback game, you’re not out of it. But on back to back nights and when you get down to five defencemen, after the first period, "Everybody in this room will tell you they’re pretty fired up after that. The that was a pretty gutsy effort," said Maurice. courage in him to accept that fight and let alone win it, too, that’s big," said Jets forward Kyle Connor. It’s worth noting Gallant thought Lowry should have been given a major and tossed, but the officials didn’t deem his hit as even worthy of a minor. On the ensuing shift, Vegas enforcer (and Winnipeg product) Ryan Nor did the NHL, which took a look at the play and ruled it didn’t warrant Reaves was sent over the boards by coach Gerard Gallant. The purpose any supplemental discipline. was clear, especially when Reaves lined up opposite Lowry at centre, a position he probably hasn’t played since peewee. "I think it’s just a good, hard hit on Tuch and unfortunately, he was hurt on the play. I respect that. It’s (Reaves’) job and his role. We’re down in The puck was dropped. And the gloves came off. the game. I would want some guys to answer the bell if they hit one of "He let me get the faceoff, and I had been struggling in the faceoff circle, our guys and they were hurt. I don’t really have any issues with him so I appreciated that," Lowry joked after the game. coming out there," said Lowry, who will be in the lineup Tuesday night at Bell MTS Place when the Jets kick off a four-game homestand against Lowry held his own against Reaves, arguably the most dangerous dude the New Jersey Devils. in the league when it comes to chucking knuckles, getting in a few licks before the men in stripes broke it up. The Jets bench, which looked It’s only a matter of time before the Jets get knocked down again. But rather lethargic up until that point, suddenly came alive. based on what we’ve seen, is anyone doubting their ability get back up?Wouldn’t you know it, the Jets came off the canvas and turned a 3-1 "This team is never going to give up. I think our teams the last couple deficit into a 4-3 overtime victory, capping off a rather improbable 24 years, it’s come a little bit easier for us. We roll out of bed and put a four hours in which they put four valuable points in the bank and got back or five on the scoreboard, you know what I mean. Now it’s different, now above .500 with a 8-7-0 record. we really gotta fight for every inch of ice," said Wheeler.
Lowry didn’t factor in the scoring, just as he hasn’t all season. But he was "Having to live that in October or November is not such a bad lesson. the game’s first star in the eyes of his teammates and coaches. You become hardened, you learn how to grind. Ultimately when the games really count at the end of the season that’s how you’re going to "That’s the kind of stuff you win with right there. So hell of a job by Adam have to play. Our team’s learning how to do that. What a great makeup to Lowry," said captain Blake Wheeler. have, to know you’re never out of a game. This group’s obviously done "We went through a lull there in the second. Lowry’s fight, that was an that this year, so it’s a pretty good feeling." incredible fight by him and got us fired up. It was great to see that. And Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 11.04.2019 we came out in the third, knowing that we had something to prove. That was just an incredible comeback and testament to our team, that kind of character," added Kyle Connor, who scored the overtime winner to go with a pair of assists on third-period goals by Mathieu Perreault and Mark Scheifele which tied the game. 1159983 Winnipeg Jets "I kinda said, ‘Hey, we’ll put Nikky there,’ and then the power-play guys talked and Nikky came back and said ‘I prefer to be on the other unit on my natural side, I think I’m more effective there.’ So that’s why I put him back." Laine, Lowry back in Jets lineup Roslovic made the key play to set up Friday’s game-winner in San Jose, a beautiful backhanded pass to Ehlers, who one-timed a shot past Sharks goalie Martin Jones. The tally, with just 1:24 left in the third Mike McIntyre period, allowed the Jets to sneak out of town with two points despite Posted: 11/3/2019 3:00 AM being outshot 53-19.
Following the contest, Maurice dished out what might best be described as a backhanded compliment. LAS VEGAS — Slowly but surely, the Winnipeg Jets are getting closer to icing their ideal lineup. "Jack Roslovic created that goal, and he needed to, because he was so bad through two and a half," Maurice said, raising plenty of eyebrows in The club took a big step Saturday night in Las Vegas, as Patrik Laine the process. returned from injury and Adam Lowry returned from suspension. That’s a boost to a group that has been shorthanded for much of the season, yet "But you know what? Good for him. That’s important. Because you play have still managed to tread water with a 7-7-0 record pending the 82 games and you’re going to have a night where you just can’t get it outcome against the Golden Knights. done and it’s not going for you. But he didn’t sulk, he didn’t sit on the bench. He went out, he and Nik Ehlers win us the game, along with our "It sucks to kind of put your team at a disadvantage and to have to sit goaltender, after a real, real tough night." out," Lowry said prior to the puck dropping at T-Mobile Arena. Lowry was forced to be a spectator for the first two games of this road trip — a 7-4 Roslovic took the comments in stride, calling them "constructive loss in Anaheim and a 3-2 win in San Jose in which they were badly criticism." outplayed and outshot — for boarding Calgary’s Oliver Kylington last "I wasn’t too unhappy with my game, going back and looking at it. I Saturday at the Heritage Classic in Regina. always say its never as good as you think it is and never as bad as you The Jets have certainly missed the big shutdown centre, who took his think it is. Just try to get better," Roslovic said Saturday. usual spot on a line with Andrew Copp and Jack Roslovic Saturday. Maurice said there was no malice intended. Rather, he believes Roslovic "It’s one of those things where I still have to play hard. I can’t worry about took an important step in his development. getting suspended again. I can’t worry about (whether) this hit is going to "I got a lot more faith in him, there’s a young man that’s going to stay in be OK. Things happen real fast and I’ve got to do things with my best the game. He’s learned a really valuable lesson here, stay in the game, judgment and try not to put anyone’s safety in jeopardy. But I have to stay in the fight, because you truly can be the difference-maker," Maurice play hard. That’s an important part of the game," said Lowry, who leads said. the club in hits, but has yet to record a point this season. And that’s a role Roslovic is willing to embrace. He has two goals and "Maybe I’ll start asking for consent before I hit some people. You know four assists through his first 14 games this season. what? No, it’s one of those things where if you start thinking ‘can I hit him or can I not?’ The play is going to pass you by and you’re going to be a "I think I’m going to start saying it a little bit more now, but I don’t pretty ineffective player. It’s one of those things you’ve got to move on consider myself to be a young player anymore. And I want to get the from. I’m happy (Kylington) wasn’t hurt. I’m happy that there weren’t any respect that I can bring it every night. Obviously, I have to show that. The serious consequences from the play and I’m looking forward to turning leash still has to be pretty short on a player like me," he said. the page and starting fresh here," he said. Blake Wheeler’s biggest assist of the season won’t show up on any As for Laine, he missed the past two games with a lower-body injury, but scoresheet. was good to go Saturday after testing it out in warm-ups. Laine, who has three goals and 10 assists in his first 12 games, skated on a line with The Jets captain was the brains behind a successful goalie-interference Bryan Little and Nikolaj Ehlers. Little, of course, missed the first nine challenge on Friday in San Jose, Maurice revealed Saturday. games of the year with a concussion. Immediately after Evander Kane scored in the second period to give the home team a 2-1 lead, Wheeler told Maurice he was positive Sharks The return of both Lowry and Laine pushed Manitoba Moose call-ups forward Kevin Labanc had pushed Connor Hellebuyck’s pad with his Logan Shaw and C.J. Suess out of the lineup. stick.
Winnipeg’s battered blue line should also get some help next week, with "He saw it, and he knew it. He’ll be completely honest with you that that Nathan Beaulieu expected to make his season debut after getting hurt hasn’t always worked out great when he sees it. during the final pre-season game. "I looked at it once. You get the overhead camera look at it once. He Suddenly there is a light at the end of the tunnel for the depleted Jets. jams the pad. I can’t say from the bench I’m 100 per cent sure we’re getting that one called back, just based on history. But I’m calling that It was a curious sight, that’s for sure. Ehlers spent Thursday practising every time," Maurice said. with Winnipeg’s top power-play unit, seemingly getting a promotion. But when the puck dropped Friday night in San Jose, Ehlers was in his Turns out, they got this one right. The goal was wiped off the board and familiar spot on the second group. the game was still tied — that is, until Wheeler scored on the next shift to actually give the Jets a 2-1 lead. So what gives? Did head coach Paul Maurice have a change of heart? Not quite. Turns out it was Ehlers himself who balked at playing with the "He had a big two, three minutes. He was aware of that. That he’s big boys. changing the course of the game."
"Nikolaj didn’t want to be there. That’s not a negative thing. He would So does Wheeler have a future as a video coach? prefer to run downhill on his natural side on the other unit," Maurice said. "I don’t think so. More of an eye in the sky, perhaps. He makes way too That’s a new one. Ehlers led the Jets with seven goals and seven assists much money to do that, man," Maurice said. through 14 games heading into action Saturday night, with the bulk of his production coming at five-on-five as he gets very limited special-teams Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 11.04.2019 time with that second group. You’d think he’d crave a chance to play an even more prominent offensive role.
"To be honest with you, I was putting him on that other unit out of respect — he’s the leading scorer. It’s not what he does really well," Maurice said. 1159984 Winnipeg Jets Maurice is opening himself up to criticism and second-guessing by leaving Patrik Laine off the No. 1 power-play unit.
Despite Laine’s return from a two-game injury, Mathieu Perreault took Jets like all-forward look in OT... Lowry's courage a big assist... Maurice that spot, scoring the power-play goal that began the Jets’ comeback in wants Laine on second power-play, for now the third period.
The coach said it had a little to do with Laine’s health, but there’s more to it. Paul Friesen “We wanted Patty to be in a position that he was going to shoot that Published:November 3, 2019 puck,” Maurice said. “On a unit with Scheif (Mark Scheifele), the one that we’ve run here for the last year, if he doesn’t get it he’s never going to Updated:November 3, 2019 10:10 PM CST shoot it. So he sits there and waits for it to come to him. I want him coming downhill with the puck and shooting it every single time. We get him in a rhythm and get more shots. Don’t be surprised if the Winnipeg Jets start playing more overtime shifts without a defenceman on the ice. “Where it goes, I don’t know yet, we’ll see. But we’ll let it run for a bit.”
Head coach Paul Maurice says the use of that strategy for part of The Jets power play went 0-for-4 in the two games without Laine, 1-for-4 Saturday’s overtime win in Las Vegas wasn’t only because the Jets had against Vegas, and is ranked 22nd in the NHL, at 15.7 percent. played most of the game with five defenceman after an injury to Tucker ABOUT THOSE THIRD-PERIOD LEGS Poolman. The common thinking is a team playing on back-to-back nights will wear “I like it a lot,” Maurice said. “We’ve talked quite a bit about making that down as the game goes on. more the standard format.” But Wheeler had a different take after the Jets got stronger and took over The Jets controlled Saturday’s overtime, with Kyle Connor eventually the third period in Vegas. getting the winner. “To be honest with you, I think it’s the opposite,” he said. “On those back- And while defenceman Neal Pionk was on the ice for the winner, he and to-backs, sometimes that first period’s the toughest one. Josh Morrissey were gassed, after playing 29-plus and 25-plus minutes, respectively. Once you get a sweat going and you get back into the pace of the game, typically if you get out of that first period on a back-to-back you’re in good “They were blowin’ pretty good back there,” Blake Wheeler said. shape.” “Sometimes that’s a good look, get three guys that can skate out there, especially with that much ice. Regardless of maybe our defensive The Jets outshot the Golden Knights 16-6 in the third period and scored inadequacies, we have enough speed to make up for that, especially in a twice to force overtime. three-on-three situation. It worked.” HOME, SWEETER HOME? Maurice didn’t have an update on Poolman, post-game, other than to rule out a head injury. Sort of. Back-to-back wins, no matter how they came, have the Jets feeling good about themselves as they start a four-game home-ice run against New “I don’t really know. He just wasn’t feeling particularly well,” Maurice said. Jersey on Tuesday. “It’s not head related. We don’t think. He was off.” “We have some things to clean up,” Lowry said. “But it definitely gives us THE FIGHT, REVISITED some confidence we can win any style of game.”
The Jets couldn’t say enough about the effect Adam Lowry’s second- On their first significant home stand of the season, the Jets dropped four period scrap with Ryan Reaves had on the game in Vegas. of six.
Lowry received the fighter-pilot helmet the team hands out after victories Winnipeg Sun LOADED 11.04.2019 for taking on the bigger, better fighter following his unpenalized hit on Vegas forward Alex Tuch.
“That was an incredible fight by him and got us fired up,” is how Connor put it. “And we came out in the third, knowing that we had something to prove. He takes on, basically, the heavyweight in the league. Everybody in this room will tell you they’re pretty fired up after that.”
“Obviously we’re not playing well, in a hole, that’s the kind of stuff you win with right there,” Wheeler added.
Following Lowry’s hit, which knocked Tuch out of the game, Reaves came off the bench to take a faceoff against Lowry, just to challenge him.
Maurice had a few words with the officials over that move by Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant.
“I was discussing the options of the head coach when you put a guy who doesn’t take a lot of faceoffs out at centre ice,” Maurice deadpanned. “I was just wondering if I’d be allowed to do that. This is a fair game. If I had a heavyweight, would I be allowed to do that?”
Maurice, too, believed the fight inspired his team.
“I’d like to think that was the singular reason that we found the energy in the third period to battle back and win it,” he said.
Reaves stands 6-foot-1 and weighs in at 225 pounds, to Lowry’s 6-5, 210 stature.
Maybe not unfair, until you see Reaves, 32, has burnished his knuckles 67 times in his career, while Lowry, 26, has fought just 10 times.
NO LAINE ON TOP POWER-PLAY UNIT 1159985 Winnipeg Jets become paramount. We have to get away from thinking that we can be overly creative… and get back to real speed and battle. We’re playing a much faster game.”
Jets' identity still hard to figure from here Telling players like Patrik Laine, Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Nik Ehlers not to be overly creative is like trying to pound a square peg into a round hole, no?
Paul Friesen One of those square pegs says these last three games were another step toward learning that lesson. Published:November 3, 2019 “We’ve just got to get to that game and play a full 60 minutes of that Updated:November 3, 2019 6:45 PM CST hockey, and we’re a pretty scary team,” Connor said. “We learned that we play defence and we start there and don’t give up much, that’s where we’re going to get our offence.” This was supposed to be another column about the Winnipeg Jets’ identity. About how this just-completed three-game road trip was another I don’t know. I’ve heard it before, but haven’t seen it in practice step in discovering it. consistently since two seasons ago.
Only I’m still just as clueless about what that identity is than I was when Three wins in the last four mean something, I suppose, regardless how the trip began. they come.
Maybe it’s the air quality at 33,000 feet as I’m writing this, on the way But from 33,000 feet up, nothing looks particularly clear. back from Las Vegas, where the Jets had just beaten the odds for a Winnipeg Sun LOADED 11.04.2019 second straight night in a 3-2 overtime win over the Golden Knights.
That’s one result I didn’t see coming.
Not after what happened the night before in San Jose.
The Jets looked completely out-classed by the Sharks, and while they stole the win on the back of goalie Connor Hellebuyck’s heroics, there was little else encouraging about it.
Going into Vegas the next might looked like a recipe for disaster, what with the loaded Golden Knights roster, especially up front, and the whole back-to-back factor.
Not to mention the start in goal would go to Laurent Brossoit, who hadn’t started a game since giving up seven goals on 28 shots nearly three weeks ago against Pittsburgh.
The first period played out as expected, the Jets sneaking in the first one then watching as the home side rolled up three of their own.
But a funny thing happened on the way to the blowout.
You wonder if the result says more about the Jets and their character or about the Golden Knights and their lack of a killer instinct.
I went looking for answers after the game, and captain Blake Wheeler’s locker-room stall is as good a place as any to start.
“This team is never going to give up,” Wheeler said. “Our teams the last couple years, it’s come a little bit easier for us. We roll out of bed and put a four or five on the scoreboard, you know what I mean? Now it’s different. Now we’ve really got to fight for every inch of ice. Having to live that in October or November is not such a bad lesson. You become hardened, you learn how to grind.”
It seems even a veteran like Wheeler is re-learning what it takes to win with this bunch.
The Jets settled down after that first period, then took over to score twice in the third and win the thing in overtime.
Instead of fading at the tail end of the back-to-back, they got better.
“Ultimately when the games really count at the end of the season that’s how you’re going to have to play,” Wheeler continued. “What a great makeup to have, to know you’re never out of a game.”
On the bright side, the Jets have rediscovered their five-on-five scoring, produced a power play goal on the trip and killed off three straight penalties. Baby steps.
On the dark side, they gave up seven goals for a second time this season, 53 shots in San Jose and the power-play went 1-for-8, combined. Their own zone can still resemble a kindergarten fire drill, too.
A while back, head coach Paul Maurice pegged the 20-game mark as when teams start to sort themselves out.
At 8-7, the Jets are running out of time to get to know themselves.
“It was a really, really good trip, in that it wasn’t easy,” Maurice said. “There was some grind in it. The simplicity of our game now has to 1159986 Winnipeg Jets
No suspension for Jets' Lowry for hit on Touch
Paul Friesen
Published:November 3, 2019
Updated:November 3, 2019 6:46 PM CST
Winnipeg Jets centre Adam Lowry will not face another hearing or suspension for his controversial hit on Golden Knights forward Alex Tuch in Las Vegas, Saturday night.
The NHL reviewed the second-period play and determined no supplemental discipline was necessary.
The hit sent Tuch off for concussion testing, and he never did return to the game.
Making things even more dicey for Lowry was the fact he’d just come back from a two-game suspension for boarding Calgary’s Oliver Kylington at the outdoor game in Regina last weekend.
The hit on Tuch appeared much less egregious, even if the resulting injury was more serious. It wasn’t from behind and Tuch’s head was not the initial point of contact, although Lowry’s arm did catch Tuch on the jaw.
“I’m coming down and we hit hip on hip and I get him on the front shoulder,” is how Lowry described it, post-game. “I’m not really sure on the rest of it. I would have to watch it. From what I’ve been told, everyone thinks it’s a good, clean hockey hit. You never want to see a player get injured. I’m hoping that it’s just precautionary and that Tuch is okay.”
Lowry was already considered a repeat offender when he delivered the hit on Kylington – he received a two-game ban for high-sticking Nashville’s Filip Forsberg last March – so the NHL must have considered this latest injury to Tuch to be incidental to a clean hit.
The Golden Knights didn’t. Head coach Gerard Gallant said after the game Lowry should have received a major penalty and game misconduct.
The Jets (8-7) won the argument and the game, 3-2 in overtime, their second straight victory to close out a three-game road trip.
They begin four straight at home against New Jersey on Tuesday.
Winnipeg Sun LOADED 11.04.2019 1159987 Vancouver Canucks Then in Saturday’s 6-0 drubbing to the Americans, Juolevi was victimized defensively, going a team-worst minus-three.
Reports out of Utica indicate Juolevi has come as advertised offensively, Canucks prospects tracker: Rathbone goes goodwill hunting, Juolevi making smart, creative plays to maintain an impressive 0.65 points-per- stretches it game pace in the AHL.
Olli Juolevi has played at a 0.69 ppg pace in the AHL.
MIKE RAPTIS Other similarly-aged defenders (min 25gp) to produce around that level in the past decade include: Published:November 3, 2019 PK Subban Updated:November 3, 2019 8:50 PM PST Torey Krug
Ryan Ellis It’s the latest edition of the weekly tracker, where we tally up the efforts of the Vancouver Canucks’ highest-profile prospects: Sami Vatanen
Jack Rathbone Sami Niku
He was fabulous as a freshman, paired with a blue-chipper bound for the Tyson Barrie pros. Some stinkers in there too of course pic.twitter.com/ulGJPfD2LR— /Cam Now in his sophomore season and with former defensive partner Adam Robinson/ (@Hockey_Robinson) October 31, 2019 Fox plying his trade on Broadway, it’s showtime for Rathbone — and the And much of his defensive game has been good as well, primarily his Vancouver Canucks’ 2017 fourth-round pick put on quite the opening positioning and reading the play in front of him. night performance for Harvard on Friday night. But it’s the physical side of his game that needs work, which is no Rathbone scored two sensational goals on seven shots as the No. 19- surprise, considering the 6-foot-2, 183-pound left-side D-man is still a ranked Crimson cruised to a 7-3 win over Dartmouth to open their NCAA young buck finding his legs after knee surgery last season. campaign. In 10 games played this season, Juolevi has five assists and a minus- On the first shift of the game, Rathbone received a pass after joining the three rating. rush, going bar-down from the high slot to get his season started in style. Kole Lind Then, in the second period with the score tied three apiece, Rathbone was back at it. He faked a slap shot at the left point, skated around a He’s looking more and more like a pro as each game passes. defender and wired a wrister off the far-side post and into the net. Lind scored another goal this past week, this time on a one-timer from a It was the first two-goal game of his NCAA career and a huge statement superb cross-crease pass from defenceman Brogan Rafferty. made, despite the modest 20-year-old’s post-game analysis. The goal came in Wednesday’s win over the Devils, a game in which the “It’s always nice to contribute and get on the scoresheet, but the big thing Canucks’ 2017 second-rounder was also named the first star. is we came out with the (win),” Rathbone told the media after the game. A high-scoring winger in junior, Lind is now playing a man’s game, At 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, the Boston native is part of a new breed of battling along the boards and having the confidence to use his 6-foot-1, defencemen. He can skate like the wind and whip the puck around the 180-pound frame to engage the opposition. ice with impunity. He’s got a nose for the net and a shot that made him a goal-a-game scorer at the prestigious Dexter Prep High School. With three goals, six assists and a plus-three rating in 10 games this season, the Saskatchewan native is quickly becoming the complete He fashions his game after undersized Boston Bruins D-man Torey Krug, player he looked nothing like during last season’s struggles. though around these parts the comparable would be a Troy Stecher — or a new-school thoroughbred like Quinn Hughes. Nils Hoglander
His ability to drive the offence from the back end makes him an intriguing We call it the Michigan. In Sweden they call it the Zorro. prospect at a time when NHL clubs are putting a premium on such a skill Around the world, it’s being called a contender for goal of the year, set. despite the fact that Carolina Hurricanes foward Andrei Svechnikov Rathbone is looking to build on a rookie campaign in which he scored scored a similar lacrosse-style goal the same night as the highly-skilled seven goals and netted 22 assists in 33 games played. Canucks prospect.
It looks like he’s well on his way. What sets Hoglander’s goal — scored in Rogle’s 5-1 win over Djurgarden on Tuesday — apart from the competition is the pressure he faced in Olli Juolevi pulling it off. He had to bank to puck off the back of the goal to evade a defender, and that was before the magic even began. It’s not a stretch to say that Juolevi is flexing his offensive muscle in Utica. It was off the charts in terms of degree of difficulty, though it isn’t the first time the 2019 second-rounder has pulled it off. But it’s his work on the back end that still needs to improve if the Canucks’ 2016 first-rounder hopes to make strides this season. Hoglander, 18, was unable to build off the momentum, going pointless and a combined minus-four in his next two games, though he did receive Juolevi started out the past week strong, notching an assist on an more ice time than he’s used to, playing 16:24 and 15:59 in the two exquisite cross-ice stretch pass that started a scoring sequence in losses. Wednesday’s 3-1 win over the Binghamton Devils. It was the perfect end to October for the Comets, who ended the month with an unblemished 8- Hoglander has three goals, one assist and an even plus-minus rating in 0-0 record. 12 Swedish Hockey League games this season.
Juolevi would finish the game a plus-one with one assist a one minor Vasily Podkolzin penalty taken. Just when we thought he was out, they pull him back in. But the good vibes wore off, as the Comets were shut out in consecutive home losses on Friday and Saturday to Providence and Rochester. After seemingly gaining traction playing for Russia’s second-tier league, Podkolzin was dragged back to the KHL gulag on Tuesday, where he Juolevi, like the rest of his team, wasn’t great in those games. In a 2-0 played a whopping minute and thirty seconds of second period hockey loss to the Bruins on Friday, the 21-year-old was a minus-one with two for SKA St. Petersburg. shots on net. On nights like this he may as well put the stick down and get to work at an Aquilini-owned blueberry farm.
Podkolzin, 18, didn’t suit up for any Supreme Hockey League (VHL) games this past week, presumably because he’s travelling with Team Russia for the CIBC Canada-Russia Series that kicks off Monday night in Quebec.
He’s bound to see a lot of ice time during the six-game trip.
Team Russia roster announced
The Canucks’ 2019 first-rounder has two goals, five assists and a plus- four rating in 12 VHL games this season.
Carson Focht
Make it ten.
Focht continued his goal-scoring ways this past week, hitting the double- digit mark in just 13 games for the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen.
The Canucks’ 2019 fifth-rounder scored in Sunday’s 3-2 loss to the Oil Kings, as he skated to the top of the crease and deposited a pass past the Edmonton goaltender. He’d finish the game with one goal and two shots on net.
Focht, a centre, didn’t find the twine in Calgary’s two other games this past week, but put his other skills on display, most notably in the face-off circle. In Monday’s 2-1 loss against the Seattle Thunderbirds, he went 14-for-20 at the dot. In Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the Saskatoon Blades, he won 18-of-21 faceoffs. He also had nine shots on net in both games combined.
Focht has ten goals and six assists in 13 games so far this season. He’s also a plus-seven overall.
Tyler Madden
Chalk up another couple of points for the standout sophomore.
Madden’s No. 10-ranked Northeastern Huskies may have lost a weekend set against No. 3-ranked Massachusetts, but the Canucks’ 2018 third- rounder still factored into the scoresheet — and even helped a fellow Canucks prospect get his first NCAA goal.
Madden, 19, had an assist and three shots on net in Friday’s 6-3 loss to UMass, then had another assist and four more shots in Saturday’s 4-2 loss.
His assist on Saturday was notable, as it set up fellow American Aidan McDonough, a 6-foot-3 winger drafted in the seventh round this past summer. On the play, Madden took a pass in the corner then whipped the puck across the crease to a waiting McDonough.
Another decent day for Vancouver prospects. Northeastern's Aidan McDonough tallies his 1st NCAA goal.
Madden has five goals, two assists and a minus-two rating in eight games this season.
Jack Malone
Welcome to the show.
Malone made the most of his second game with No. 4 Cornell, scoring the first goal of his NCAA career.
Malone, a 6-foot-1, 192-pound forward drafted in the sixth round in 2019, banged in a rebound on the power play to tie the game 1-1 against Michigan State. Cornell eventually won 3-2.
It's been a good night for Canuck draft picks named Jack. Jack Rathbone has a pair of 's for Harvard and Jack Malone pots his 1st college goal in Cornell's 3-2 win over Michigan St.
The unheralded prospect is said to have a good shot, a strong passing ability and likes to use his body to shield defenders in the offensive zone.
We’ll see how he develops going forward.
Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159988 Vancouver Canucks on the path to easily eclipse his career best of 53.8 per cent in 2017-18 in overall draws.
Starting this season, attacking teams have the option of deciding which Ben Kuzma: Horvat's productivity about less, not more ice time side of the ice the puck will be dropped after an icing, start of a power play, a shot from outside the red line frozen by a goalie and when a defensive player unintentionally dislodges the net.
BEN KUZMA It was going to help Horvat and hinder Beagle, the defensive-zone face- off specialist. And yet, Beagle is third in shorthanded face-offs (61.4 per Published:November 3, 2019 cent) and fourth overall with the same percentage. Last season, Horvat Updated:November 3, 2019 2:04 PM PST led the NHL in total draws and maintained a 53 per cent success rate with the added load of shorthanded face-offs with Beagle and Sutter injured.
Bo isn’t going to say boo. This season, new rules are helping him rule.
He’s not wired that way. His personal DNA — distinctive characteristics “I don’t take as many on my off side now, which is great because we that set him apart — reads Don’t Nag Anybody. have Suds (Sutter) and Beags (Beagle), who do a great job,” said Horvat. “Any time I get a chance to pick, I’m going to pick my strong side and it’s Last season, Bo Horvat could have rightfully complained about playing been working out because I’m sticking to my backhand.” with a dozen different wingers and three dozen line combinations en route to 82-game durability and putting up career highs for goals (27), Which makes Beagle’s bravado in the circle even more impressive. assists (34) and points (61). “I don’t like to look at stats, whether good or bad, and I never have,” he This season, the Vancouver Canucks captain could argue that a dip in said. “I like to stay even and I always want to be hungry. Sometimes you ice time — he logged a season low 14:37 while collecting two assists in a can get complacent in certain parts of your game — if your stats are 5-2 win at a San Jose on Saturday and hasn’t played that little since good. It’s just my mindset and it’s always been like that.” 13:40 in the 2018-19 season opener — isn’t bringing out the best in the responsible and productive centre. He had an off night in the circle Beagle knows rule changes were implemented to increase offence and against the Sharks by winning just three of a dozen draws. not aid defenders.
Then again, Horvat’s average of 18:52 through 14 games is right in his “They’re going to be harder to win,” added Beagle. “Everything changes productive sweet spot. because it depends if I’m up against a righty or lefty. I’d rather take them on my strong side.” “I think I play my best when I’m around 19 or 20 minutes,” said Horvat. “You don’t waste as much energy and you have more pop in your game. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.04.2019 If I could stay around there, it would be good for my game.”
NEXT GAME
Tuesday
St. Louis Blues vs. Vancouver Canucks
7 p.m., Rogers Arena, TV: SNETP; Radio: SNET 650 AM
Horvat has 11 points (5-6) in his last seven outings and that speaks to an ability to adjust to another round of revolving right wingers — J.T. Miller, Josh Leivo, Jake Virtanen and Adam Gaudette — and more offensive zone time by being a beast in the face-off circle. He was ranked first in power-play efficiency (59.8) and fifth in overall draws (61.4) following the 2-0-1 road trip.
However, Horvat has just two assists in five games where he has played more than 20 minutes, including being blanked despite a season high 23:45 on Oct. 19 at New Jersey. His first career hat-trick came three days later in Detroit where the 24-year-old had a season best seven shots and logged 18:10.
“Bo can play a lot of minutes,” said Canucks coach Travis Green. “He can play 18 and play well and play 22. But 24 is probably getting a little high and anything over that is probably too high. Sometimes, it’s just the feel of the game and part of it is who he’s playing with at certain parts of the game as well.”
It’s easier when all four lines are effective. And with the Canucks off to an encouraging 9-3-2 start after dropping their first two games, nobody is going to argue with whatever it takes to win.
Even though Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser and Miller combined for five points against the Sharks, the linemates were kept under 16 minutes apiece, down from their respective averages of 18:22, 18:42 and 18:40.
Third and fourth-line centres Brandon Sutter (15:23 average) and Jay Beagle (12:45) were closer to 17 minutes Saturday because they’ve been better in matchups and line balance has allowed the Canucks to maintain a fresh, fast and ferocious forecheck.
They exploded offensively with the third-rated 3.64 goals per game ranking, were tied for first with a plus-19 in goal differential while surrendering the fourth-fewest goals per game (2.36) after the last trip.
For Horvat, part of the productivity with 13 points (6-7), a team high five power-play goals and face-off dominance is not being deployed to kill penalties. And part of it are beneficial rules changes that have the centre 1159989 Vancouver Canucks Sutter’s always been a good skater and the way the team is looking to play would seem to play to that strength too.
“I think he’s playing quicker, I like the pace of our team right now, we’re Patrick Johnston: Finally healthy, Canucks getting Sutter's best playing a faster game, trying to be aggressive, pushing guys to move their feet. He’s one of them, he’s buying in,” Green added.
Sutter also acknowledged the change in deployment. When he’s not PATRICK JOHNSTON starting shifts on the fly he’s still starting more of his shifts outside the offensive zone than in the zone, but, in relative terms, he’s taking fewer Published:November 3, 2019 defensive-zone draws than in the past. Updated:November 3, 2019 1:45 PM PST “A lot of it is the guys around you. We have a deeper team than we’ve had in the past,” Sutter said. “From our back end up, we’re getting more chances, more shots, less time in our zone than maybe previously. That A deeper Canucks squad means that Brandon Sutter is playing the best always makes things easier for you, especially when you’re supposed to hockey of his NHL career. be strong defensively. It’s nice when you can spend more time shooting pucks instead.” Brandon Sutter, asked if he’s still the same player today as he was when he first arrived in Vancouver in 2015, laughed. He’s also been very productive when paired with Josh Leivo, who is among the best forecheckers on the Canucks and is an outstanding “I think so, I hope I’m better,” he replied. “The league keeps getting better puck-possession player. and better, I hope I am too.” Now, it remains to be seen if the Canucks’ strong play holds over the The Canucks’ third-line centre is playing the best hockey of his coming month, as they face a much tougher schedule than they’ve seen Vancouver days. to date. There are a great many reasons why the Canucks are off to the strong Sutter’s career record shows a player who was often seen as a shutdown start that they are, which has come as a surprise to most observers. In player, but his skill set always seemed off for the job. The best stretches understanding Sutter’s season so far, we get a glimpse into why the of his career are the ones that look like the one he is currently in, where Canucks, as a whole, have raced out to an 9-3-2 record to open their he’s not having to go head-to-head with the league’s best centres. 2019-20 NHL campaign. And that, as we said, has made all the difference. He and his teammates In a word, it’s a story about depth. While that word has been tossed are being set up for success, and they’re finding that success thus far. around in seasons past by Canucks management as being a new-found strength, only for the long grind of the season to reveal it not to be, this Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.04.2019 year it’s actually true.
In the past, players were cast in roles that they weren’t suited to in the long run. Sutter, for example, was hoped to be a “foundational player” by general manager Jim Benning, a guy who could be the next Ryan Kesler, a two-way threat who made life tough for the opposition.
But Sutter was never quite that player. And being asked to do things that he wasn’t actually suited to pushed his body to the limit. When he played, he spent more time than you would like chasing the game. And that led to injuries. The Canucks, as a whole, were chasing the game too often and many of his teammates suffered as well.
Last season was a disaster for Sutter, with a terrible shoulder injury in the first half, then a season-ending groin tear in the second. He suited up for just 26 games in 2018-19.
When he did play, if it felt like he was trapped in his zone all the time, he essentially was: He posted a career-low shot-attempts-for percentage of 41.2. In other words, three out of every five shots were being taken by the opposition. What’s worse were the shots the Canucks were taking were terrible: His expected-goals percentage, a measure of shot quality, was 27 per cent.
But this year he’s healthy and the deeper Canucks are carrying more of the play, which means less physical strain on the players in general.
“For me as you get older, I think you want to keep improving, keep getting better. For me this year, I was really excited, especially after the way things went for me last year,” Sutter said. “Just happy to be in the fight now and motivated to see what our group can do.”
In the Canucks’ opening 14 games he’s at 50 per cent when it comes to shots-for, but more importantly, the Canucks’ expected-goals rate when he’s on the ice has burst into the positive.
A lot of the success he’s having this season is about the role he’s playing now. Unlike in past seasons he’s not facing other teams’ biggest offensive threats. Bo Horvat is usually facing down the opposition’s best forwards and Jay Beagle’s line has often been tasked with the opponents’ second-best trios. That’s left Sutter — and often Elias Pettersson — to play a less defensively focused role.
That has been a positive factor for him, his coach noted.
“I think he’s healthy, he’s feeling good, he’s feeling confident. Probably playing him in different situations, maybe, than he’s played before, it’s not strictly just matchup roles, which is probably freeing him up a little bit,” Travis Green said of the key to Sutter’s current success. 1159990 Websites The comparison may not be perfect, but it’s something the Edmonton Oilers have to be thinking about as they decide what to do with former No. 4 overall pick Jesse Puljujarvi. The 21-year-old continues to fill the net in Finland — with 11 goals and 20 points in 18 games for Karpat — Sportsnet.ca / Beyond Headlines: Jets, Byfuglien have complicated and seems to have regained some confidence while wearing the gold negotiation ahead helmet for his hometown team.
It certainly doesn’t seem like a stretch to suggest that Puljujarvi may yet still become a useful NHL player, perhaps even an impactful one. Chris Johnston November 3, 2019, 2:19 PM The only problem for Edmonton is that he has no interest in doing that for
the Oilers. Puljujarvi is still seeking a fresh start when he returns to North ‘Beyond Headlines’ is a deeper dive into some of the stories — and even America and hasn’t backed off his trade request. some that weren’t — discussed each week on Hockey Night in Canada’s As general manager Ken Holland heads over to Finland this week to ‘Headlines’ segment. watch Puljujarvi in the Karjala Cup, he has to wrestle with the fact he may We are starting to gain a better understanding of why the Dustin not know exactly what he’s giving up in a potential Puljujarvi trade and Byfuglien situation is so “complicated.” likely needs to net a player with similar upside to make the return worthwhile. That was how Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff described things during an appearance on Hockey Night in Canada from SEASONED SCRATCHES the Heritage Classic last weekend, and since then the curtain has been Bobby Ryan. Brent Seabrook. Tyler Toffoli. pulled back ever-so-slightly. Each is a veteran player earning well above the league-average salary Here’s what we know: and each got paid to watch from the press box as a healthy scratch in — Byfuglien recently underwent surgery on his ankle, where it was also recent days. discovered he had a broken bone in his foot. As a result, all of them should be considered available on the trade — Byfuglien has expressed a willingness to resume his playing career market — although Toffoli’s situation differs greatly from the other two. once healthy after previously contemplating retirement. He’s still only 27 and is due to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, so there’s considerably less risk and baggage tied to his contract. — The Jets are taking the position that Byfuglien should remain suspended without pay until he is fit to play since he was cleared by With the Los Angeles Kings expected to resume their campaign of doctors at last year’s end-of-season medicals and didn’t report to training shipping out veteran players for future assets, his is a name to watch camp for fitness testing in September. leading up to the Feb. 24 trade deadline.
Now, there are still a lot of important details unaccounted for. Exactly Finding a new home for the other seasoned scratches may not be who told what to whom and when. And why, for example, didn’t Byfuglien possible. just come to camp and avoid the team-issued suspension in the first Ryan has a modified no-trade clause and two more years after this one place? on his deal with Ottawa at $7.25 million. Seabrook has a full no- It’s easy to understand why this has become such an emotional situation movement clause and four years beyond this one with Chicago at $6.875 for the parties involved. million.
*I understand that I may withdraw my consent at any time. Consider this a luxury most NHL teams don’t have: The Boston Bruins can literally roll out either of their goaltenders on any given night and Byfuglien was due to be the Jets second-highest-paid player this season expect to get an above-average performance. and an important part of helping the organization move forward from a summer where it parted ways with defencemen Jacob Trouba, Tyler In fact, when choosing whether to start Tuukka Rask or Jaroslav Halak, Myers and Ben Chiarot. the biggest consideration is how that decision fits into the overall schedule to ensure both are getting a consistent workload. Bruins coach Then he caught management off-guard with the timing of his decision to Bruce Cassidy doesn’t spend much time trying to line things up so that sit out training camp and this more recent revelation that he’s Rask gets all of the toughest opponents or Halak faces only the teams experiencing further issues with his ankle. Now he wants to be paid? he’s had historical success against.
Conversely, consider the player’s perspective: There is no disputing the “There’s not a lot of ‘Well, his record in New York is this or that,'” said fact the 34-year-old defenceman missed considerable time last season Cassidy. “We don’t go through a whole lot of that.” because of an ankle injury and made his way back just before the playoffs. Then he experienced discomfort when he resumed skating late Not only do the Bruins have the NHL’s best team save percentage at in the off-season and required another procedure to continue his career. .934, they’ve done it with this sequence of starters through 13 games: He wants his contract honoured during the recovery. Rask-Halak-Rask-Halak-Rask-Halak-Rask-Halak-Rask-Rask-Halak- Rask-Rask. All signs point to a neutral arbitrator eventually sorting through this mess. This is the future. There is a significant amount of money at stake since Byfuglien was due to earn $8 million this season and it’s currently unclear if he’ll see any of Gone are the days when a goaltender could make 70 (or even 60) it. There is also precedent to protect from the NHL’s standpoint since regular-season starts and still be counted on to perform in the playoffs. fitness-to-play protocol is covered under the collective bargaining Rask was the biggest reason Boston reached Game 7 of the Stanley Cup agreement. Final last spring and would have claimed the Conn Smythe Trophy if they knocked off St. Louis that night. Byfuglien has 60 days to officially file a grievance, but the guess here is it won’t take that long. It’s probably not going to get any less complicated That came after a season where he started just 46 games — a season once he does, too. where both he and Halak won more than 20 times apiece for Boston.
BLUE CHIP TRADE CHIP Cassidy has Rask pencilled in for somewhere between 45 and 52 starts this year. He consults with goalie coach Bob Essensa and the team’s The thought crossed my mind while watching Stephen Strasburg deliver analytics department when charting out the schedule well in advance. an MVP performance in helping the Washington Nationals win the World Series: How soon is too soon to give up on a top-tier prospect? “Not only is it about Tuukka, it’s about Jaro,” said Cassidy. “If he’s into double digits [in days] between games, how effective is he going to be Strasburg was a No. 1 overall pick and can’t-miss star 10 years ago who playing after having 10, 11, 12 days off? So that will probably eat into a endured injuries and inconsistencies. He had a couple high-quality little bit of Tuukka’s consecutive starts because we want him going, too.” seasons, too, but nothing like the one he just delivered at age 30 for Washington. OF NOTE The ownership group in Seattle is believed to be getting close to finalizing its team name and should be ready to unveil it publicly before the all-star break … The off-season rule changes on faceoffs were designed in part to improve game flow and it appears to be working: The average time of a game dipped below two hours 30 minutes during the first month … Of note with San Jose struggling mightily out of the gates: The Ottawa Senators own the Sharks’ 2020 first-round draft pick from the Erik Karlsson trade and it is not lottery-protected.
Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.04.2019 1159991 Websites that large figure is what these players have in mind when they think of becoming restricted free agents again in the dead prime of their career. In a tidy bit of planning on the part of those elite young guns, that next negotiation will dovetail with an expected salary-cap spike thanks to the Sportsnet.ca / THE PROJECTION BUSINESS lucrative U.S. television deal the NHL steadfastly believes is coming when the current one ends after 2021–22 (to say nothing of how
legalized gambling could change the landscape). By Ryan Dixon So if a player doesn’t get an offer of long-term security at the outset, it’s a pretty easy pivot to think: How about I get paid now and really, really get paid not too long from now? It’s a strategy that’s become commonplace Offering term and big money to an unproven player is a gamble. But in the NBA, a league one long-time hockey executive says he keeps increasingly for NHL execs, a Hail Mary on elite talent is not only worth close tabs on so he’ll know what trends are coming to hockey in three to the risk, it's the smart play. five years.
John Chayka was pretty fresh on the job in 2016 when Clayton Keller A bridge deal — okay, “kick the can” doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue — became the first player drafted under his tenure as GM of the Arizona can offer clubs some temporary flexibility and end stressful and Coyotes. The scene was exactly what you’d expect after Keller’s name distracting negotiations, but it’s probably rare for it to be Option A. “By was called seventh overall; big smiles, hugs from the family, a bunch of coming to the table a year early [teams are likely] going to get the player people on stage wearing their best suits. Despite posting killer numbers at a discount [relative] to what they’ll probably get the player for if they go with the U.S. National Team Development Program, Keller’s slight frame down to the wire,” says the agent. had introduced the possibility he might slip a bit down the board — and opened Chayka’s decision up to potential criticism — but it was no real We’ve all seen the high-stakes exchanges in movies that involve a shock to see a guy with his talent get snatched up. “He is an excellent briefcase full of money on one side and a bag of merchandise on the skater. [He’s got] vision, hands — I love this pick for Arizona,” said other: The rule of thumb is nobody hands over the cash until they see the analyst Mike Johnson. “This is where the league is going.” goods. Hockey circles are full of people who gag at the notion of forking over mega dough — like the vast total promised on six- or seven-year Three years on, an occasional reminder of Keller’s talent is still required. deals — to anyone who hasn’t already left a red line’s worth of blood on His rookie campaign was a 65-point success, but his sophomore season the ice. Difficult though it may be, those executives have to get brought a 22-point dip. He has just one goal this year and is producing at comfortable with the idea of promising the green before unzipping that about a 55-point pace on a club that doesn’t win games by outgunning bag and seeing everything inside. opponents. “It’s easier to cite past production and then rationalize why a certain level Lose yourself in the lows and it’s easy to wonder why Keller was offered of compensation is warranted,” says Chayka, whose fellow GMs pulled a seven-year contract worth $7.2 million annually a full month before he some disgruntled double-takes when they saw the bar Keller’s deal was was to begin the third and final season of his entry-level deal and setting. “I think that’s a lot less cognitive strain than to understand how basically a year in advance of restricted free agency. Look around the you create value. Those years have gone by and have already played league, though, and you’ll soon find that some of the best deals going out, and you’re trying to match your revenues with expenses, essentially. these days — for the teams, that is — were signed more as a show of You’re paying for the production that’s upcoming — and that involves faith than a reward for what was already on the record. projection. It’s certainly not perfect, but that’s the business we’re in.”
Young players are influencing NHL games like never before and as the I- Chayka will be the first to tell you every situation is unique when it comes deserve-to-get-mine mentality spreads to the point of orthodoxy among to negotiations. Budget considerations dictate the Coyotes have to be them, the challenge of transitioning from their CBA-mandated, entry-level unconventional and creative. Some teams can play the no-state-tax card; deals to their second contracts isn’t going away for teams weighing a the Toronto Maple Leafs can afford to have a star player like William risk-reward scenario while making calls on players with small bodies of Nylander sit out and not worry about losing top billing in their market. work at the highest level. There are no sure things when you’re in what What’s increasingly tough to argue, though, is that regardless of the Chayka calls “the projection business,” but increasingly it seems there’s situation, getting out in front of things and offering money and term is enormous upside for teams that trust their evaluations and come to the something you must look long and hard at if you’re on the side cutting the table early prepared to talk about six or seven years. cheques.
PACK OF PACTS Nathan MacKinnon makes $6.3 million annually to be a top-three offensive threat in the league, something that will be true through the Despite a production dip after his rookie season, Keller was sewn up 2022–23 season. He signed his seven-year extension eight days into early by 'Yotes GM John Chayka, who also inked Jakob Chychrun, becoming an RFA, on July 8, 2016. At that point, MacKinnon was coming Christian Dvorak and Nick Schmaltz to long deals before their ELCs off a two-year period where he basically played at a 54-point pace. In the lapsed first year of his deal, he notched 53 points in 82 games. One year later, Leave it to the youngsters to start a trend, and trust the generations north he was runner-up to Taylor Hall for league MVP. (Hall, by the way, of them to slightly mislabel it. Not long after Keller and the Coyotes continues to make $6 million per on a seven-year deal he signed the knocked out their business, no less than 11 restricted free agents coming summer before he could become an RFA.) off entry-level pacts — all somewhere between very good and elite — POUND-FOR-POUND had yet to strike new terms with their teams as training camps were about to kick off. When six of them — Zach Werenski, Charlie McAvoy, Arguably the best contract in the NHL today, MacKinnon's seven-year Brock Boeser, Brayden Point, Matthew Tkachuk and Patrik Laine — all extension wasn't the no-brainer it appears to be in hindsight when he and settled with two- or three-year agreements, the Internet reflexively started the Avalanche put pens to paper throwing around the term “bridge deal.” The phrase has been around in this context for a while and though it remains appropriate in that these The Florida Panthers watched Aleksander Barkov post 96 points for $5.9 contracts offer a palatable short-term solution, there’s a new dynamic in million last season and he inked his six-year extension six months before play that almost renders it a misnomer. “It was the bridge from entry level the end of his ELC in January 2016, when he was in the midst of a third- to the monster [third contract],” says one agent. “I just think we need a straight injury-shortened season and had yet to register more than 36 new word for it now.” points in a single campaign.
That’s because, while still short and connective, these deals are no Jack Eichel is a solid bet to notch his first 100-point season for $10 longer merely a vehicle to get players to the real payday; they already million thanks to an eight-year deal he signed on the eve of his final contain serious dollars themselves. The smallest cap hit among those entry-level campaign in October 2017. That’s a healthy tab, but still great half-dozen players who went all summer without contracts and signed value for a guy with his pedigree who would have been a slam dunk first- short-term is McAvoy’s $4.9 million per and the juiciest is Tkachuk’s $7 overall pick had he not come along in the same draft year as Connor million. Even by pro sports standards, that’s not still-putting-in-your-time McDavid. money. Maybe the current bridge deals should be known as “kick the Some will say the preceding examples were no-brainer calls from the can” contracts, because they allow the team more time to sort out their outset, though hindsight is probably playing a larger role in that opinion financial affairs until the really big AAV comes due. And, let’s be clear, than one might initially realize. Is Keller in the same category as any of squad that hasn’t made the post-season since 2012 but remember, this those players? Not on our spreadsheet. But odds are that, by next year, is all about casting forward, and Keller couldn’t be more excited about the a player who tore up the pre-NHL ranks and had more points in his Coyotes’ trajectory. freshman season than anybody his age or younger — save Laine — will be worth $7 million annually. And even if it takes two years to get there, “I just love everything about Arizona,” he says. he’ll still have six more to go at great value. When the feeling is mutual, lock it in.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has never put up the totals you’d hope for from a Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.04.2019 first-overall pick. On balance, though, he’s certainly been worth the $6 million he’s been collecting annually for six years thanks to an extension signed in 2013, one year before his ELC ran out.
TAPE TO TAPE
Senior Writer Ryan Dixon and NHL Editor Rory Boylen always give it 110%, but never rely on clichés when it comes to podcasting. Instead, they use a mix of facts, fun and a varied group of hockey voices to cover Canada’s most beloved game.
And don’t forget the ancillary benefits of taking care of business early. Now the guy can focus on hockey instead of publicly saying the next deal is the last thing on his mind while furiously texting his agent behind closed doors. “There’s no distractions in terms of the player playing in the last year of his contract and the speculation that goes along with that,” says Chayka. “For Clayton, there’s no incentive other than to do what’s best for the team. Not that it was ever any question, but it certainly erases that for all of our [signed] players. Now, hopefully, they can focus on buying a house and setting down roots and getting their family situated. I think if you have the right types of people who are wired the right way, that stability is really what cultivates a sustained winning culture.”
Mock the Ottawa Senators all you want, but surely that’s what GM Pierre Dorion had in mind when, at the end of September, he signed Thomas Chabot to an eight-by-eight extension nobody needs to be sold on right before Chabot started skating in his final ELC campaign. Maybe New Jersey Devils GM Ray Shero would tell you the same thing about Nico Hischier, who has fine two-way chops, but thus far has topped out at 52 points and matched Keller’s 47 last season. Either way, Shero wasn’t waiting around to find out what this year will bring, inking his young centre on Oct. 18 to a seven-year extension worth just a hair less than Keller’s.
Will we see clubs push hard to get the likes of 2020 RFAs Mathew Barzal, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Roope Hintz to follow suit in the coming months? And will the teams that employ Rasmus Dahlin, Andrei Svechnikov and Elias Pettersson try to avert future headaches by inking them to extensions as soon as that becomes an option next summer? Again, the particulars of every situation are different, with all kinds of factors pouring into the equation. If recent history is any indication, however, the price tag for top-level talent left twisting in the wind after their ELCs expire goes up, not down. “I’m personally aware of several situations where there were negotiations with some of these big RFAs [in the summer of 2018] when they were eligible to sign extensions and the player’s ask was several million dollars lower than what they ended up signing for [in 2019], and it was the clubs that [initially] said no,” explains the agent.
If it’s in team’s best interest to sign players early, the natural counter is that players shouldn’t be in a rush to put pen to paper. Fair enough, though that path isn’t for the faint of heart as drawn-out negotiations — like the one that hung over the Leafs and Mitch Marner all summer — don’t tend to be fun for anyone. “I don’t think any player wants to be in that situation,” Keller says of the grind-it-out talks we saw in many markets in September. “The Coyotes and myself wanted to get a deal done, it was awesome to get it done before that and not have to worry about anything. Now you just go out and play, and that’s a great feeling.”
It’s certainly a common one in the Coyotes dressing room. In addition to Keller, Jakob Chychrun, Christian Dvorak and Nick Schmaltz all signed six- or seven-year extensions well in advance of their ELCs lapsing. “We prioritized being proactive,” Chayka says. “I think being reactive — in life in general — typically doesn’t bear a lot of fruit. There’s some risk involved in any decision you make and being proactive involves slightly more risk, but ultimately we feel we know our players better than anyone.”
Of Schmaltz, Dvorak and Chychrun, the highest cap hit on the new deals belongs to Schmaltz at $5.9 million. He’s come out of the gate putting up nearly a point-per-game on a defence-first Arizona team that appears ready to build on a determined showing last season and challenge for a playoff spot in the Pacific Division. Go ahead and be dismissive of a 1159992 Websites Stream all 82 Flames games this season with Sportsnet NOW. Get over 500 NHL games, blackout-free, including Hockey Night in Canada, all outdoor games, the All-Star Game, 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs and more.
Sportsnet.ca / Flames’ Mangiapane capitalizes on expanded role in QUICK HITS Lucic’s absence • Hours before the game Milan Lucic was handed a two-game suspension for what the league essentially deemed a sucker punch on Columbus call-up Kole Sherwood Saturday. Lucic took exception to Eric Francis November 3, 2019, 11:51 PM Sherwood’s extra stab at a puck smothered by David Rittich and punched him in the face with his glove on. Lucic’s history with the player
safety committee factored into the two-game sit-down, which GM Brad Andrew Mangiapane had a goal, an assist and an incredible opportunity Treliving took the time to respectfully disagree with. Treliving figured the to prove he belongs amongst the Calgary Flames top six forwards double-minor handed to Lucic for the incident was sufficient punishment. Sunday. Given Lucic’s history of such punches the league was right to sit him, but The 23-year-old winger was elevated to the team’s second line alongside the team will continue backing players who stand up for teammates Mikael Backlund and Matthew Tkachuk, creating several good scoring regardless of the consequences. chances including one which landed him his third goal of the year. • Even though Rittich got the shutout Saturday, the plan all along was for When Mangiapane ended his contract impasse early in training camp it Cam Talbot to make his second-straight start against the Capitals — a was with an eye on affording him the type of assignment he had Sunday tough task he fell short in once again. Alas, this wasn’t on him as the night. Flames got caught being overly aggressive on several plays resulting in good goals. All told Talbot made 28 saves. It’s a role he’s earned of late with relentless forechecking that translated into his goal, which opened the scoring five minutes into what would be a WHAT’S NEXT 4-2 loss Sunday in Washington. The Flames fly home after the game and have the day off Monday before He later assisted on Elias Lindholm’s 10th of the year as part of an returning Tuesday at home against Arizona for that clichéd trap game — evening in which he got some time filling in on the second powerplay unit the first game back after a long roadie. in Milan Lucic’s absence. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.04.2019 "He’s got a lot of energy, he’s tenacious, he’s on pucks and he hangs onto pucks and looks to make plays," said coach Bill Peters following the game.
"Real nice play on his goal and all three guys on the line found a way to contribute on the goal. Mangy is starting to come. He’s a confident player. He gives us a lot of pace on that line, so he’s been good. We had an opening on the powerplay and Mangy has been good so he deserves to be in there."
THE BIG TAKEAWAY
The Calgary Flames left town nine days ago a fragile group, unsure how or if the swagger of a year ago would return.
The final game of their five-game road trip in Washington Sunday demonstrated just how far they’ve come, as all but two players recorded shots on goal and the Flames were tied 2-2 until late in the second period when Jakub Vrana completed his hat trick.
A powerplay goal early in the third sealed the Flames’ fate, but the outing was to be applauded against a deep Caps squad that’s rolling.
Sure, the Flames lost 4-2, but the effort, the confidence and the feel-good sense this team now has is evident.
What’s missing is still what has ailed this previously potent club most of this season: goals.
The Flames are well behind the scoring pace they set this time last year when they began their assault on the Western Conference.
Perennial 30-goal scorer Sean Monahan has scored once in his last 15, Johnny Gaudreau is scoreless in 12 and the supporting cast that made the Flames so strong last year has been slow to chip in.
Yet, the team’s ridiculous comeback from a three-goal deficit in the third period in Nashville midway through the trip appears to have done exactly what fans had hoped it would. It put a little bounce in their steps, prompting them to roll over the Blue Jackets in Columbus Saturday 3-0, before ending the trip in D.C. with a 2-2-1 record thanks to stops in Regina, Carolina, Nashville and Columbus.
"I thought we were good," said Peters of the final game of a grueling trip that ended with three games in four nights.
"We started on time and all four lines going. We’re getting closer."
It’s a feeling they didn’t have two weeks ago when the coach questioned the team’s work ethic twice in a week.
Home of the Flames 1159993 Websites driveway, driving family members to the airport — simply doing what they could.
Van Massenhoven felt that same bond among his NHL family, too, the Sportsnet.ca / Longtime NHL ref Van Massenhoven on Lemieux, league often seeming to be just as close-knit a community. The veteran lockouts and old-school hockey official saw it during that same injury stint in Florida.
“I’m in the hospital the next day in intensive care — I just had an 11-hour surgery. I open up my eyes and there’s Joe Nieuwendyk, who played for Sonny Sachdeva November 1, 2019, 12:39 PM the Florida Panthers. He had come to the hospital to visit me the next day. I can’t tell you how emotional that made me feel, because he took
the time out of his day,” Van Massenhoven says. TORONTO — Don Van Massenhoven still remembers the first time his “The funny part is he brought in a box of donuts, and I’m lying in intensive skates touched NHL ice, even after more than two decades as a referee care. I barely can see, and I go, ‘Joe, I don’t think I can eat any donuts.’ in the league, and a half-decade more as an eye in the sky. He has it He says, ‘Well, that’s okay, my kids ate half of them already.’” down to the day, in fact. That lighthearted brotherhood extended to the ice as well, even amid the “November 11, 1993,” he recalls, “doing a game between the Oilers and tense moments of mid-game competition, with NHL careers and legacies Boston Bruins in the Boston Garden.” on the line. One such memory has always stuck with Van Massenhoven Van Massenhoven can still picture the moment — the arena lights — a now-famous moment shared with Mario Lemieux. pouring down, music blaring, that looming wall of fans waiting anxiously It was Le Magnifique’s second game back after his three-year retirement for puck-drop. in the late ’90s. In front of the Penguins faithful at Mellon Arena, Lemieux “I’m at centre ice standing there, I think my knees were knocking I was so appeared to score, only to see the goal negated by a Van Massenhoven nervous. Because now I know, ‘I’m here.’” mishap. “I blew the whistle too quickly,” he says. “I thought the goalie had it covered, [but] he didn’t. The puck squirted free, [and Pittsburgh] put it in He stuck around there for a fair while, becoming one of the most the net. respected officials in the game over the course of his lengthy NHL tenure. But little compares to those early days first getting acclimated to “Mario, the gentleman he was — [as] fans are yelling and throwing stuff the big-league chaos, being thrown into the fire to manage tempers in an on the ice — he comes over and asks me what happened. I said, ‘I era of pro hockey not known for restraint or reasonable resolutions. screwed up. I blew the whistle too quick.’ He said, ‘Well, I’ll stand here beside you until they stop throwing stuff.’ And they did. I couldn’t believe “A year or two later, I ended up filling in for fellow referee Rob Shick who it.” had been injured, and I had to go to Vancouver to ref the Winnipeg Jets and Vancouver,” he says of a particularly wild affair during those early It was a long road from Strathroy to that moment, standing side by side years in the show. “Mike Peca was playing for Vancouver, and he body- with one of the greatest talents the game has ever seen, right at the heart checked Teemu Selanne at centre ice before he got the puck. of hockey history. It wasn’t the first nor the last time Van Massenhoven found himself in such circumstances. “I think it ended up at about 250 minutes in penalties. Every stoppage was a fight, multiple fights. It was old-time hockey, shall we say. So that The veteran was there for the triple-overtime classic between the Toronto was my next awakening to, ‘Oh boy, here we go.’” Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators in 2002, when Gary Roberts’s game winner levelled the second-round playoff series between the provincial Of course, amid these all-too-often displays of brute strength, there were rivals. He worked the 2004 World Cup of Hockey and the 2006 Winter those who floated through with limitless skill. Olympics in Torino. He was out in the snow for the inaugural Winter Classic in Orchard Park, N.Y., in 2008, when Sidney Crosby’s shootout “I remember the first time I had a game with Wayne Gretzky, playing for winner clinched the thing for the Penguins. the L.A. Kings. They were in Dallas and I was skating around before, looking, and it just kind of hit me,” Van Massenhoven says. “I mean, I had Marquee memories aren’t hard to come by in Van Massenhoven’s line of already been in the league, but you’re still a fan of the game in a lot of work. But at the end of the day, he says he’s simply grateful he got to ways. So skating around with Wayne Gretzky beside you … I had to touch down on that big-league ice at all. pinch myself there.” “I’m like any Canadian kid. I wanted to play hockey,” he says. Long before those days at ice level trying to manage the tornado of “Refereeing became a bit of a side hobby, but then to advance to the hacks and crosschecks hurled at The Great One, Van Massenhoven was National Hockey League, the greatest league in the world, just — I can’t an 18-year-old in Strathroy, Ont. — where Rogers Hometown Hockey even really put it into words. touches down this weekend — trying to play his way onto the local Junior B club, the Strathroy Blades. “Saying ‘a dream come true’ is an understatement. Because I don’t even think I dreamt it. I didn’t really believe it was possible.” He earned the jersey and never left town. Forty years on, he’s still commuting from Strathroy for his current role with the league, serving as Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.04.2019 the NHL’s director of officiating operations and lending his expertise in the Situation Room.
In fact, when the league went dark during the 2004 lockout, leaving Van Massenhoven and the rest of his officiating brethren in limbo — and without a paycheque — it was his hometown that had his back.
An old friend called and offered Van Massenhoven a role selling cars at his Strathroy dealership. Not exactly in the wheelhouse of the towering referee — whose pre-NHL experience consisted of a decade of far higher stakes as an officer for the Ontario Provincial Police — but it would do.
“Honestly, I was kind of skeptical. I’m not a car guy per se … but I enjoyed it. And for a year, actually, it went really well — I think I was salesman of the month several times,” Van Massenhoven recalls with a laugh.
That was Strathroy. There to support their own, without a second thought. It was the same story in 2005, when Van Massenhoven was struck in the face by a puck during a game between the New Jersey Devils and Florida Panthers, sending him to the emergency room for an 11-hour facial reconstruction surgery. Again, his community stepped up, picking up groceries for Van Massenhoven’s family, shovelling their 1159994 Websites
USA TODAY / Senators' Scott Sabourin taken off on stretcher after scary collision with Bruins' David Backes
Mike Brehm
Ottawa Senators forward Scott Sabourin was taken off the ice on a stretcher Saturday night at Boston's TD Garden after his attempted check went awry.
Sabourin had lined up Boston Bruins forward David Backes for a hit at 3:08 of the first period, but Backes braced for it, and the players' heads appeared to collide.
The Senators player appeared to lose consciousness immediately after the collision, and he fell face first onto the ice.
Medical personnel came onto the ice and called for a stretcher as a shaken-up Backes watched.
Sabourin was eventually taken off the ice on the stretcher but gave a thumbs-up as he left.
The Senators tweeted during the second period that Sabourin was taken a "local hospital by ambulance for evaluation. He was conscious and speaking with the attending doctors at the time of leaving the arena."
Senators coach D.J. Smith said after the game that Sabourin would stay overnight at the hospital for observation. Smith updated Sunday to say Sabourin likely would be released from the hospital today, and that he suffered a fractured nose.
Backes, who has had his share of tough injury luck, including concussions, was upset by the result of the play and went to the locker room. The Bruins later tweeted that he wouldn't return to the game because of an upper-body injury.
"You can probably do the math on that one," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters. "So we'll see tomorrow. Probably have a better idea on the mental part."
Sabourin, 27, who wasn't drafted, had played his entire professional career in the minor leagues until he made the Senators out of training camp as a tryout. He has one goal and one assist in 11 games.
"He's battled his way to get to the National Hockey League," Cassidy said. "Those are the guys you root for. Hopefully, he's OK."
USA TODAY LOADED: 11.04.2019