SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 2/11/2021 Anaheim Ducks Columbus Blue Jackets 1183336 With no bubble, the NHL season is in trouble. But there is 1183369 Blue Jackets better, but not sharp as Tortorella ponders a solution how to forge team's cohesion on the ice 1183337 Ducks prepared to play despite positive COVID-19 case 1183370 ‘We’ve moved on’: Blue Jackets’ Patrik Laine makes up among Golden Knights with coach after squabble 1183338 Ducks, Kings prospects overshadowed by AHL veterans as Gulls defeat Reign Dallas Stars 1183371 Matt’s mail: Looking at Miro Heiskanen’s start to the Arizona Coyotes season, the Stars’ drafting and more 1183339 Captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson nearing return from injury 1183372 Flashback: Why leagues should just play ball, and not for Coyotes national anthem, at sporting events 1183340 NHL adds another Blues-Coyotes matchup set for Friday 1183373 Dallas Stars appear to troll Mark Cuban and Mavericks 1183341 Blues-Coyotes for seven straight! How the experts prepare with message on national anthem for a long series Detroit Red Wings Boston Bruins 1183374 How the reeling Detroit Red Wings plan to play to their 1183342 Back from their break, Bruins roll through the rust, nab strengths moving forward overtime win at Rangers 1183375 Detroit Red Wings' frustration grows as good effort does 1183343 Jack Studnicka, coming off injury layoff, sent to AHL for not yield good result wing work 1183376 Steady veteran Jon Merrill wants to help turn around Red 1183344 After a pair of postponements, Bruins get back on the ice Wings tonight 1183377 Red Wings can’t cash in on power play in loss to Panthers 1183345 Brad Marchand lifts Bruins in OT 1183378 Red Wings to Anthony Mantha: skate, move your feet 1183346 Bruins notebook: Jack Studnicka to wing it in Providence 1183347 Brad Marchand On Video Replay: ‘All Of This Video Stuff Edmonton Oilers Really Bothers 1183379 Edmonton Oilers ready to move up a weight class against 1183348 Talking Points: Bruins’ Rask Stands On His Head, Laughs Canadiens Off Gaffe 1183380 OILERS SNAPSHOTS: Two goaltenders make for better 1183349 Did Boston Bruins W Jake DeBrusk Get Robbed? play 1183350 Boston Bruins Send Studnicka Down To Providence 1183351 Game 12: Boston Bruins @ New York Rangers Lines, Florida Panthers Preview 1183381 ‘They trust me here.’ With expanded role, Panthers’ 1183352 Brain cramp aside, Tuukka Rask sparkles in latest Bruins Verhaeghe ready to face former team overtime win 1183382 That’s right, the Panthers are good — and next 3 games vs. Tampa Bay will show how good | Commentary Buffalo Sabres 1183383 Florida Panthers Can Match Up Well Against Tampa Bay 1183353 Jack Eichel ready to 'step up' when shorthanded Sabres' Lightning schedule resumes 1183354 Mike Harrington: Sabres know lots of hockey is coming on Los Angeles Kings their daunting schedule 1183384 Inside Ron Hextall’s Kings influence, plus prospects begin 1183355 With eye toward future, Sabres not blaming NHL or Devils AHL season with Reign for Covid pause 1183385 Drew Doughty apparently suffers injury late in Kings’ loss 1183356 Cuomo decision on reopening large arenas could be good to Sharks news for Sabres 1183386 2/10 PRACTICE – ROY/DOUGHTY UPDATES, ROSTER 1183357 West Seneca native Sean Malone records first NHL point MOVES, FOURTH-LINE PLAY with Nashville 1183358 Travis Yost's Sabre Metrics: Will 56 games happen this Minnesota Wild season? It doesn't look good 1183387 Former Wild captain Mikko Koivu retires after slow start 1183359 Back at practice, Sabres players reflect on the impact of with Columbus their recent shutdown 1183388 Blue Jackets’ Mikko Koivu ends 16-year NHL career with surprise retirement Calgary Flames 1183360 Return to Rogers Arena a ‘business trip’ for Flames goalie Montreal Canadiens Markstrom 1183389 Maple Leafs stay hot with win over Habs 1183361 Tanev made name for himself in Vancouver, now returns 1183390 Leafs tighten grip atop Canadian division with 4-2 win over in Flaming C Canadiens 1183391 Stu Cowan: Jonathan Drouin turns corner in fourth season Chicago Blackhawks with Canadiens 1183362 Lucas Wallmark removed from the NHL’s COVID-19 1183392 Canadiens-Maple Leafs rivalry heating up this season protocol list, boosting the Chicago Blackhawks’ depth 1183393 Canadiens Game Day: Good start, but ugly end as Habs 1183363 Kevin Lankinen for Calder Trophy? Blackhawks goalie has lose 4-2 to Leafs a legitimate chance 1183394 Tomas Tatar is a tartare spokesman now, because his 1183364 Chicago Blackhawks defying the odds ... and the experts name is close enough 1183365 How Blackhawks penalty kill has drastically improved 1183395 Maple Leafs at Canadiens: Five things you should know 1183396 The Canadiens must address a lack of urgency before it Colorado Avalanche actually becomes urgent 1183366 The NHL’s COVID-19 problem is getting worse 1183397 In depth: How the Canadiens identified problems and 1183367 Who are the best Avalanche players of all time? addressed them in practice 1183368 Bednar: Nathan MacKinnon, Devon Toews (and P.E. Bellemare) back at practice Thursday Nashville Predators Pittsburgh Penguins 1183398 Nashville Predators and the NHL Central Division: 1183430 Minor league report: Nailers fall to Fuel in overtime Winners and losers from Week 4 1183431 Penguins eager to work with Ron Hextall, Brian Burke 1183399 John Hynes is getting the most he can out of a flawed 1183432 Penguins forward Jared McCann sidelined on a week- Predators roster to-week basis 1183433 Mark Madden: Brian Burke will bring no-nonsense New Jersey Devils approach to Penguins 1183400 Devils Insider Q&A wrap-up: How is Nico Hischier 1183434 Why did the Penguins hire Brian Burke? progressing and when will he return? Will team be rusty 1183435 Tim Benz: I get what the Penguins are thinking. But how is after this going to work? 1183401 Devils’ Tom Fitzgerald no longer a candidate for Penguins 1183436 Sidney Crosby, Mike Sullivan react to hiring of new GM after Pittsburgh hires Ron Hextall Penguins executives 1183402 How will Devils approach Seattle expansion draft this 1183437 Taking stock of the assets Brian Burke and Ron Hextall offseason? Breaking down roster options for protecting, inherit in their new roles with the Penguins 1183403 Devils’ ‘top line,’ Will Butcher’s trade value and more in 1183438 Marcus Pettersson rejoins Penguins practice, should mega-mailbag return soon 1183439 Penguins' Brian Burke explains why he 'wears' his tie like New York Islanders that 1183404 Return of small first wave of fans big step for New York 1183440 Penguins notes: Evgeni Malkin leaves practice 'out of sports caution' 1183405 Knicks, Rangers to host roughly 2,000 fans at games 1183441 Joe Starkey: For better or worse, the Penguins are about 1183406 It's hard not to be a fan of Gov. Cuomo's New York to get tougher stadium re-opening plan 1183442 Ron Cook: Penguins make boom-or-bust picks with Ron 1183407 Islanders' Noah Dobson learning how to harness his Hextall, Brian Burke considerable skills 1183443 Evgeni Malkin, Mike Sullivan and big decisions facing the 1183408 Gov. Cuomo says fans can return to NY arenas and Penguins’ front office stadiums starting Feb. 23 1183444 LeBrun: Inside the Brian Burke hiring and why the 1183409 Ken Hitchcock on Barry Trotz passing him in all-time wins: Penguins changed course ‘I’m really proud’ 1183445 (Updated) Penguins Practice: Pettersson Returns, Malkin 1183410 Islanders Noah Dobson Finding His Game in Early Part of Leaves EarlyPublished 17 hours ago on February 10, 202 bizarre Season 1183446 The Little Stories and Great Quotes of Hextall, Burke 1183411 Nassau Coliseum, Sports Venues in NY Can Reopen HirePublished 21 hours ago on February 10, 2021 Beginning Feb. 23 San Jose Sharks New York Rangers 1183447 Takeaways: Logan Couture is becoming the captain the 1183412 Rangers’ Artemi Panarin limited after ‘lower-body injury’ San Jose Sharks need 1183413 Mika Zibanejad glimpses not nearly enough for Rangers 1183448 Jones continues to be clutch after regulation for Sharks 1183414 Rangers fall in overtime vs. division-leading Bruins 1183415 Return of small first wave of fans big step for New York St Louis Blues sports 1183449 Blues brace for more in what has been Year of the Coyote 1183416 Knicks, Rangers to host roughly 2,000 fans at games 1183450 Berube sees good signs from revamped power play units 1183417 Chris Kreider emerging as Rangers’ true captain in tough 1183451 Practice update: Berube ponders sitting Mikkola season 1183452 Remembering broadcasting legend Dan Kelly, 'a friend for 1183418 Rangers lose in overtime to Bruins on Brad Marchand's life' breakaway goal 1183453 Blues-Coyotes for seven straight! How the experts prepare 1183419 It's hard not to be a fan of Gov. Cuomo's New York for a long series stadium re-opening plan 1183420 Rangers' game Sunday against Flyers postponed because Tampa Bay Lightning of COVID-19 protocols 1183454 Lightning’s third line setting tone for success 1183421 Amid struggles, Mika Zibanejad could get dropped from first line Toronto Maple Leafs 1183422 Gov. Cuomo says fans can return to NY arenas and 1183455 Maple Leafs stay hot with win over Habs stadiums starting Feb. 23 1183456 Maple Leafs get their offence from unlikely sources in 1183423 The real Mika Zibanejad is back, but Artemi Panarin might comeback win over Canadiens be out for the Rangers 1183457 Leafs get goals from unlikely sources to defeat Habs 4-2 in North Division showdown Ottawa Senators 1183458 The NHL’s COVID-19 protocols are changing to ensure 1183424 WARRENSPIECE: The goalie story, slowing down the big the games will go on guns, measuring shots and whatever happened to Erik 1183459 Mikheyev finally finds back of net for Maple Leafs Karls 1183460 KOSHAN: Unusual suspects lead Maple Leafs to win 1183425 Logan Brown goes back to Belleville Senators, auditioning against Canadiens for future role with the big-league Senators 1183461 SIMMONS: Maple Leafs win how? We'll explain later 1183426 SENATORS AFTERTHOUGHTS: Moral victories galore, 1183462 TRAIK-EOTOMY: Laine's problems with coaches nothing but that's 12 losses in 13 games for Sens new 1183463 Tavares looking to get a little more even as Maple Leafs Philadelphia Flyers take on Canadiens 1183427 Flyers’ game vs. Rangers on Sunday is also postponed 1183464 GAME DAY: Maple Leafs at Canadiens because of COVID-19 1183465 Maple Leafs Report Cards: Role players deliver in big test 1183428 Another Flyers game postponed as team now has its plan against Canadiens for return to practice 1183466 What do the Maple Leafs have in Ilya Mikheyev? 1183429 Flyers receive some good news on the COVID-19 front Vancouver Canucks 1183478 Canucks news: Gaudette not letting trade rumours bother him 1183479 Canucks: Slow start, funky vibe are commanding leaguewide attention Vegas Golden Knights 1183467 Golden Knights to face Ducks on Thursday despite COVID issues 1183468 Golden Knights’ Ryan Reaves ‘heading into battle’ with new beer 1183469 Golden Knights’ Nosek pulled from game after positive COVID test 1183470 Golden Knights’ Tomas Nosek Tests Positive For COVID; Knights-Ducks Game Still On For Thursday 1183471 Tomas Nosek tests positive for COVID-19, Golden Knights to play Thursday 1183472 What we know regarding the Golden Knights going into COVID-19 protocol Washington Capitals 1183473 The Caps are dealing with an unexpected break. They hope to use it to recover and reset. 1183474 Unique NHL season forges new bonds between officials and players 1183475 Why Flyers had games postponed due to COVID but Caps didn't Websites 1183480 The Athletic / NHL power rankings: Lightning and Avalanche remain on top 1183481 The Athletic / ‘BoroCop’ isn’t just a nickname to Mark Borowiecki. It’s a way of life 1183482 Sportsnet.ca / Unlikely Maple Leafs heroes shine in comeback win: ‘Hammer time, baby!’ 1183483 Sportsnet.ca / Canucks face make-or-break set vs. Flames with more than just wins at stake 1183484 Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens struggle to find edge against surprisingly stingy Maple Leafs 1183485 Sportsnet.ca / 31 Thoughts: What Hextall, Burke hirings say about the Penguins 1183487 Sportsnet.ca / How Auston Matthews has become NHL's most dangerous goal scorer 1183488 Sportsnet.ca / Looking back on Ron Hextall's most notable moves as Flyers GM 1183489 TSN.CA / Tavares not stressing slow start at even strength 1183490 USA TODAY / Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask gets score wrong, tries to leave net for extra attacker vs. New Y 1183491 USA TODAY / Vegas Golden Knights player Tomas Nosek was pulled from game vs. Anaheim Ducks after positive COVI Winnipeg Jets 1183476 Jets need more from struggling DeMelo 1183477 Pierre-Luc Dubois’ Jets debut: Clips, quotes and first impressions SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1183336 Anaheim Ducks “I think what you’re going to see is that there’s a lot of learning going on,” Adams said. “What happens, what we learn from our situation, will the league learn and make changes as we go? That’s likely.”
With no bubble, the NHL season is in trouble. But there is a solution Minnesota, which last played Feb. 2, had 12 players listed as unavailable Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos scores a goal against Tuesday. The Wild have had six games postponed and aren’t scheduled Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros. to play again until Feb. 16, when they face the Kings at Staples Center. The Flyers’ game against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday was postponed after a second member of the Flyers entered COVID protocol, according to a league statement, and the Flyers’ list Tuesday included By HELENE ELLIOTTSPORTS COLUMNIST FEB. 10, 2021 7 AM PT team captain Claude Giroux.
Teams aren’t obligated to provide information on the status of players Returning to a bubble this season was a non-starter for the NHL. Staging who are unavailable because of COVID protocol, but Wild general the 2019-20 playoffs in a controlled environment without fans kept manager Bill Guerin said some of his players tested positive and were COVID-19 at bay — and spared Commissioner Gary Bettman from being symptomatic. He also still expects teams to be able to complete their 56- booed when he handed the Stanley Cup to the Tampa Bay Lightning — game schedules. but replicating those conditions wasn’t considered a long-term solution. “This is no time to be complaining. This is not the time for that,” he told “We couldn’t very well ask the players to put themselves in a bubble for the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “This will be the time to be appreciative that six months. We knew that wasn’t going to be something we could even we’re able to get back to play. Just dealing with it. The schedule is tough ask,” Bettman said last month before he launched the abbreviated 2020- as it is, so if we can get back and cram a few more games in, then that’s 21 season. the way we’ll do it.”
“We understand there is an element of risk that COVID-19 may impact Ducks goalie Ryan Miller stops a shot by San Jose Sharks' Kevin Labanc one or more games. We are going to need to be flexible and agile in how during the shootout Feb. 6, 2021, in Anaheim. we deal with whatever we’re confronted with and we are, again, prepared Ryan Miller helps Ducks earn shootout win over Sharks to do that.” The Sabres were scheduled to play 46 games in 86 days before they had Despite adopting elaborate safety measures and modifying those plans six postponements, and to cram games in simply for the sake of getting on the fly during the first few weeks of the season, the NHL’s flexibility is to 56 makes no sense. Why risk injuries and a drop in the quality of play? being sternly challenged. With 34 games postponed as of late Tuesday The NHL, in rescheduling some games, has matched the St. Louis Blues and four teams on extended pauses, it’s time for the league to consider and Arizona Coyotes against each other seven straight times. That’s just taking a break to allow additional protective measures to be put in place too much for anything but a playoff series. and enable players in COVID protocol to emerge safely. Extending the season beyond May 8 and delaying the playoffs past the If that means cutting the schedule to 48 games, cut it: Bettman current endpoint of July 9 probably wouldn’t work for NBC, the NHL’s TV considered 48-game seasons long enough to be legitimate after he partner. A later end for hockey would cut into NBC’s promotion of its imposed lockouts in 1994-95 and 2012-13. Given the circumstances, 48 coverage of the Tokyo Olympics, which are scheduled to open July 23. is enough. And even Bettman conceded that taking the playoffs into late summer The Buffalo Sabres, Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild and New last season contributed to low TV ratings. Jersey Devils are on hold because of absences related to COVID So here we are, monitoring the daily list of COVID protocol-related protocols, and the Vegas Golden Knights only recently emerged from a absences more closely than we monitor the lists of scoring and nine-day hiatus. goaltending leaders. A pause to re-examine safety policies and let Kings-Wild game won’t be played Saturday because of COVID-19 everyone catch their breath should be the next step. protocol issues LA Times: LOADED: 02.11.2021 The Sabres last played Jan. 31 when they faced New Jersey, which had six players in COVID protocol. The Devils added four players to that list the next day. As of Tuesday, 19 Devils were on the daily list of unavailable players. The Devils aren’t scheduled to play again until Feb. 16, which seems an overly optimistic target.
“We come into a situation where potentially it was in the New Jersey locker room and now we are where we are,” Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said during a videoconference.
The Sabres, who are scheduled to return to play next Monday, practiced Tuesday for the first time in eight days but without nine players who are in the protocol. Also missing was coach Ralph Krueger, who tested positive.
Adams said some absent players are symptomatic. According to the NHL, COVID protocol-related absences can be because of an initial unconfirmed positive test; isolation for those showing symptoms; being in quarantine as a high-risk close contact; isolation based on a confirmed positive test, and/or quarantine required by travel.
Only the North division, comprised of the Canada-based teams, has dodged the reshuffling and uncertainty enveloping the other 24. Those seven teams have no one in COVID protocol. Good on them for staying safe.
In recent days the NHL has increased the use of rapid testing, told teams to remove the glass behind the benches to increase air flow and asked for greater distances between players in locker rooms. The league hasn’t yet outlawed fighting or hugging after goals. And it’s still insisting on bringing four teams to Lake Tahoe to play outdoor games on Feb. 20 and Feb. 21, unnecessary trips for unnecessary gatherings.
Florida Panthers defenseman Radko Gudas gets tied up with Detroit Red Wings left wing Givani Smith. 1183337 Anaheim Ducks and everyone making sure everyone gets tested and is respecting all the data.
“You can’t lock yourself into a little box. You still have to go play games Ducks prepared to play despite positive COVID-19 case among Golden and do normal stuff.” Knights Orange County Register: LOADED: 02.11.2021
By ELLIOTT TEAFORD | PUBLISHED: February 10, 2021 at 3:46 p.m. | UPDATED: February 10, 2021 at 3:51 p.m.
The Ducks practiced as scheduled on Wednesday afternoon at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and were set to play Thursday night against the Golden Knights despite a Vegas player receiving a positive COVID-19 test and being pulled from the ice in the second period of Tuesday’s game.
The NHL confirmed in a statement that Tomas Nosek of the Golden Knights was removed from the contest immediately upon learning of his positive test. Nosek was isolated from his teammates and close contact tracing was started in accordance with the league’s protocol.
In addition to the league’s regular daily testing of players, coaches and staff, rapid testing will be performed before Thursday’s rematch between the teams in Las Vegas, the league said. Any postponement of the game would be made by medical officials.
“As of now, we’re preparing to play,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said when asked about the status of Thursday’s game during a video call from Las Vegas. “We have full confidence in the league in these matters. Until we hear differently, we’re preparing to play.”
Eakins and defenseman Hampus Lindholm said they learned of the positive test after the Ducks’ 5-4 loss to the Golden Knights and expressed concern for Nosek’s welfare and that of his teammates. Neither was especially worried about in-game transmission from player to player.
“You notice when a guy isn’t out there,” Eakins said of Nosek’s late-game absence. “In my head, I didn’t think two seconds about it. Not once did it go through my head that he had COVID. I just thought he had been hurt or whatever happened.”
Vegas called off its practice Wednesday and did not hold a media availability. The Golden Knights also declined to comment Tuesday, after calling off their postgame video session with reporters. The Ducks canceled theirs abruptly after right wing Troy Terry spoke for nearly 10 minutes.
Eakins said he had every confidence in the league’s COVID-19 protocols, but he also said the Ducks were prepared for the possibility that a player, coach or staff member might contract the coronavirus. As of Wednesday, the Ducks had no players on the league’s COVID-19 list.
“We want to make sure everyone’s safe,” Eakins said. “The other team had a positive case and that puts everybody on red alert. I certainly didn’t want to be in a media room where other people have been. It’s a good call by the league just to shut it down and get everyone away from each other.
“It’s as simple as that.”
Last month, after two Vegas players and three coaches were placed on the NHL’s COVID-19 list, the league postponed three games against the San Jose Sharks. The Golden Knights were cleared to practice last week and resumed play Friday with a victory over the Kings at T-Mobile Arena.
Alex Pietrangelo was the last of the Golden Knights to come off the COVID-19 list Tuesday.
The postponements of the Vegas-Sharks games impacted the Ducks’ schedule, as well. The Ducks’ game Saturday against the Sharks in San Jose was rescheduled for April 6 and their Feb. 26 game against the Golden Knights at Honda Center was shifted to April 23.
“You’re hoping everyone in Vegas is staying safe and not too many guys got it and, hopefully, we can keep playing games and keep going with the season,” Lindholm said. “On a personal level, I think our team and our staff have done a great job of testing and keeping everybody safe.
“From my standpoint, I’m not too worried right now. We’re doing all we can do. We’re following the instructions we get from the league and I think as a team we’ve been doing a really good job, as well, with the staff 1183338 Anaheim Ducks
Ducks, Kings prospects overshadowed by AHL veterans as Gulls defeat Reign
By ELLIOTT TEAFORD PUBLISHED: February 10, 2021 at 10:44 p.m. | UPDATED: February 10, 2021 at 11:11 p.m.
IRVINE — Together again. Trevor Zegras, Arthur Kaliyev and Alex Turcotte skated on the same ice at the same time Wednesday night at Great Park Ice for the first time since leading the United States to the World Junior Championship last month in Edmonton.
One thing, though.
They could be best friends forever after forging a bond with Team USA, but they officially became rivals when Zegras and the San Diego Gulls played host to Kaliyev and Turcotte and the Ontario Reign in the third American Hockey League games of their budding careers.
The initial professional matchup for the former linemates went to the Gulls, who rallied for a 2-1 victory on defenseman Keegan Lowe’s goal at 19:55 of the third period. Lowe is one of a handful of veterans on the Gulls’ roster, someone familiar with AHL battles who was signed to mentor the youngsters.
Gulls defenseman Josh Mahura had tied it 1-1 with a breakaway goal after exiting the penalty box at 9:01 of the third period. Lukas Dostal, a 20-year-old Czech Republic native who had been playing in Finland, made 40 saves in only his third game in North America.
Of course, the three Americans could continue to cheer for each other, as Zegras said he did when Kaliyev scored his first NHL goal in his debut on Feb. 2 at Staples Center. Kaliyev sent Zegras a postgame photo of the stick he used to score in the Kings’ 3-1 loss to the Ducks.
Zegras recognized it right away.
It was one of his.
There was his name printed right there on the shaft.
“That was awesome,” Zegras said, recounting the story the other day. “He was so excited to play. It was funny. I gave him a couple of sticks at World Juniors. He used one of them and scored with it. It’s pretty hilarious. He was so excited. It’s ‘Arty.’ Why would he not score, right?
“He didn’t score for the first two games of the (World Junior) tournament. He was, like, ‘Can I see your stick?’ I had a couple of extras in the room, so I gave them five or six. He’s still using them. Hopefully, he’ll get a couple of his own soon.”
Zegras was one of the Ducks’ four recent first-round picks in the Gulls’ lineup, joining Brayden Tracey from the 2019 draft and Jamie Drysdale and Jacob Perreault from 2020. Zegras was off to a sizzling start to his career, earning AHL Player of the Week honors with two goals and three assists.
The Reign countered with three recent first-round selections in Turcotte (2019), Rasmus Kupari (2018) and Quinton Byfield, last year’s second overall pick. Kaliyev was a second-round selection in 2019, but he certainly didn’t look out of place among the higher picks.
In the end, the player with the best pedigree of all staked the Reign to a 1-0 lead with a short-handed goal 1:16 into the second period. Brett Sutter, 33, the son of former Kings coach and current Ducks special assistant Darryl Sutter, beat everyone down the wing to score.
Mahura tied it and then Lowe won it.
Lowe, the son of former Edmonton Oilers Hall of Fame defenseman Kevin Lowe, has been paired with Drysdale as the Gulls’ top defense pair since the beginning of San Diego’s training camp last month. Lowe is 27 and Drysdale is 18. It’s turned into a winning combination.
“I think it’s awesome what they’re doing here,” Lowe said of the Gulls’ mix of younger and older players. “It’s great for us that they recognize the value of having veterans. We can provide that leadership. We can help. It’s a long schedule. We can help them adapt to the pro way of life.”
Orange County Register: LOADED: 02.11.2021 1183339 Arizona Coyotes
Captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson nearing return from injury for Coyotes
Jose M. Romero
Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson practiced Wednesday as he nears return from injury.
When last Arizona Coyotes fans saw Oliver Ekman-Larsson, it was the second game of the season.
The Coyotes captain, however, is nearing a return, as seen in his skating Wednesday in the team's practice.
The veteran defenseman had three assists in the team's first win, 5-3 over the San Jose Sharks on Jan. 16. But a third-period hit from the Sharks' Evander Kane knocked Ekman-Larsson off balance, and his body crashed awkwardly into the boards behind the Coyotes net.
Ekman-Larsson left the game and his injury was later announced as one in his lower body. Two days later he was placed on injured reserve, and has been working his way back to full strength.
"At this point, I think now it's probably Oliver's call right now," Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet said.
Ekman-Larsson is expected to get in a full practice on Thursday leading up to the Coyotes' next game, Friday against the St. Louis Blues. Forward Christian Fischer also took part in Wednesday's practice as he comes back from an injury that has forced him out of the past four games.
"With injuries, sometimes there's a point where it's really going to be the player's call at some point, so how he feels, will he be able to do stuff in the game, will he feel confident," Tocchet said. "I've watched him this week and he looks like he's skating really well. We've had some drills where he's been pushing and shoving the last three or four days. Now it's just a matter of his comfortability playing, is really what it comes down to."
Ekman-Larsson has missed 10 games. The Coyotes play three games in four days starting Friday, all against the Blues.
ICE CHIPS
• Goalie Antti Raanta practiced Wednesday and could be available Friday, after he was scratched Monday with a minor injury.
— The Coyotes were delayed leaving St. Louis after Monday's game when the de-icing machine for their plane malfunctioned, and the runway was too icy. "There's something about St. Louis and us with travel," Tocchet said. "Guys were glad to get home, I'll tell you that."
Arizona Republic LOADED: 02.11.2021 1183340 Arizona Coyotes
NHL adds another Blues-Coyotes matchup set for Friday
BY ARIZONA SPORTS | FEBRUARY 9, 2021 AT 11:37 AM UPDATED: FEBRUARY 9, 2021 AT 11:49 AM
The Arizona Coyotes will now be playing seven consecutive games against the St. Louis Blues in the regular season.
In the NHL’s effort to fill both teams’ schedules after having games postponed, the meeting originally scheduled between the two teams for April 15 in Arizona is now set for this Friday at 7 p.m. MST.
The Coyotes and Blues also pushed back their previously planned Saturday puck drop at Gila River Arena an hour, to 6 p.m. MST.
The teams were supposed to play just twice on Feb. 2 and 4 in St. Louis before postponements for the Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche left the Coyotes on the sidelines for their next four games. To take advantage of that open time, the NHL had the Coyotes stay in St. Louis for two more games on Saturday and Monday.
With the schedule already set for two more matchups this coming Saturday and Monday, that makes it seven straight regular season games for the two sides against each other. The three games that are yet-to-be-played will all take place in Arizona.
The Coyotes lost the first game in the current string against the Blues but has recorded three straight victories since.
Arizona Sports LOADED: 02.11.2021 1183341 Arizona Coyotes In the Blues’ season opener on Jan. 13, they were impressive in a 4-1 win over Colorado. Some fans were ready to anoint them West Division winners and the real Stanley Cup contenders, not the Avalanche.
Blues-Coyotes for seven straight! How the experts prepare for a long “The coaching mantra is if you win the first game, you have to be better series the second game because it’s their job to change, to either adapt or play better, whether it’s effort based or attitude, or tactic and technical,” Bennett said. “I view it the same way in those consecutive-game sets. If By Jeremy Rutherford Feb 10, 2021 you lose Game 1, then it’s your job to change, however you evaluate it.”
Two days later on Jan. 18, the Avalanche responded with a 8-0 shutout of the Blues, in which the Avalanche netted five power-play goals. Colorado assistant coach Ray Bennett would have been on the bench last weekend, strategizing against the Blues. Instead, with the Avalanche Was the power-play success part of the adjustments the Avs made after season paused due to COVID-19 protocol, Bennett was on his couch dropping the first game? watching St. Louis play Arizona. “It’s funny you ask because part of what I’m doing here in quarantine is I The Blues had two games against Arizona and then were scheduled to reviewed all of our power-play minutes, trying to identify exactly what it host Colorado Saturday and Sunday. But with the Avs quarantined, the was — how did we score those goals?” Bennett said. “I have to be NHL had the Coyotes stay in St. Louis for a third and fourth meeting honest: It was probably just a little bit better execution, more than tactical Saturday and Monday. adjustments and staying ahead of their pressure. I won’t say they were fortunate goals because we did a lot of very good things. But some of it “I watched two of the games, or I’ll say, parts of all (four),” Bennett said. was good fortune, and the better part of it was just really clean, good Bennett, who spent 10 seasons as an assistant coach in St. Louis from execution.” 2007-17, hopes Colorado is back on the ice soon. But if not, he can But clubs around the league are making plenty of changes in the second continue tuning into the playoff-like series between the Blues and the game of these two-game sets, and the results are bearing fruit. Coyotes that has plenty of action left. Going into Tuesday’s games, there had been 75 occasions this season in The league announced Tuesday that the teams will play again Friday, which teams played at least two consecutive games; a few were three- and along with the two games already scheduled for Saturday and game sets and, as mentioned, there have been a couple of four-game Monday, they’re now slated to play seven consecutive regular-season sets. Of those 75, 40 ended with a 1-1 record after the first two games, games against one another. while 35 were swept by the winner of Game 1. “‘Crazy’ is a good word,” Bennett said. “It’s not unprecedented if you The Blues, in fact, went 3-0 in the opening game of their two-game sets, consider playoff series, but it’s foreign, in that, it’s the regular season.” but were 0-2-1 in Game 2. The 2020-21 schedule has been altered significantly this season to “I am a fan of playing these series games, these back-to-back situations,” lessen travel, most commonly playing two-game sets against the same San Jose coach Bob Boughner said Tuesday. “It’s great for preparation opponents in the same city. The longest such stretch of regular-season and how you can adjust. It’s almost like a playoff round, a seven-game games in NHL history had been three straight, most recently in 2012-13. series against a team. It’s hard to beat teams obviously three, four and No teams had ever played four in a row until Vegas-Arizona (Jan. 18-24), five times in a row. It doesn’t matter who’s matched up. Those are hard and then St. Louis-Arizona on Monday with the teams’ fourth faceoff in a games to win.” row. That proved to the case for the Blues again in their third two-game set of Now with the schedule amended again, the Blues and Coyotes could the season against Los Angeles. They won Game 1, 4-2, but dropped make it seven, a record that might hold forever considering the Game 2, 6-3, a game in which Kings center Gabriel Vilardi scored the circumstances that led to this situation. third of his team’s six goals. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly acknowledged Tuesday that it’s not “It does help playing the same team because you see your mistakes in ideal. But with the Blues’ two-game set against Minnesota scheduled for the first game, you see what you did well, and then you’ve got to be this week postponed, the league wants to keep teams not paused by the ready for the second game,” Vilardi said. COVID-19 protocol, like the Blues, playing when possible. Pittsburgh began the season with back-to-back losses to Philadelphia, “Obviously, with postponed games you try to make the best use of the but then went on a four-game winning streak with series sweeps over open dates they create for some teams on the schedule,” Daly wrote in Washington and the New York Rangers. an email. “It’s part of the equation we are dealing with. “What you really need to do is prepare for that next game because you “It’s obviously not ideal, and that’s why we tried to avoid similar stretches don’t know what the following day brings you,” Penguins assistant coach in the original schedule. But we also realize we have to do the best we Todd Reirden said. “Obviously there’s going to be some adjustments, can in less than ideal circumstances. Both clubs were consulted, and there’s going to be some things you’re going to do to set your team up for both approved of the alteration. Had there been concerns, we may not success and allow them to be able to find some of the weaknesses that have done it.” the opposition is having. That’s the fun stuff for a coach.” There are pros and cons in opponents seeing each other so many times For example, matchups and special teams, which get more difficult the in a row — perhaps more cons if you’re the Blues who have gone 1-2-1 deeper you get in the head-to-head series. in the first four games. To learn more about those pros and cons, The Athletic got insights from a few NHL coaches and a player. Even with the last line change at home, the Blues struggled to contain Arizona’s top line of Clayton Keller, Conor Garland and Nick Schmaltz. Bennett works with Colorado’s forwards and the Avs’ power play, which They have combined for 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in the four he also did in St. Louis, but his previous responsibilities also included meetings, including eight points (four goals, four assists) playing five-on- putting together the pre-scout report for the next game. five. In a normal season, barring a back-to-back situation, coaches would be Ryan O’Reilly’s line has played 12:34 against the Schmaltz line at five- working on the upcoming opponent before the current game was over. on-five and hasn’t surrendered a goal. But the line of Brayden Schenn, But when teams are playing each other seven straight times, there is less Jaden Schwartz and Jordan Kyrou has been on the ice for two goals reliance on recent video and more focus on each head-to-head matchup. against in just 6:39 of five-on-five ice time. “From a coaching point of view, it probably reduces the work you’re doing “Yeah, it’s not easy, Garland is playing terrific and his linemates as well,” in terms of preparing because you’re not pre-scouting,” Bennett said. Bennett said. “With the Avs, we tend not to be a team that chases “You’re basically evaluating your game postgame and preparing what matchups very much at all. But certainly every coach I know will spend you think is useful for the players to try and create an advantage for the time from the moment the game starts evaluating shift-to-shift how that next game.” matchup is going because it’s important that you don’t run away from it right away if you feel like it’s something you want to do. “Sometimes there are situations that evolve during the game that may “I think it’s very interesting this year,” Vilardi said. “If a team goes on a not be poor play or execution, but it just happens and suddenly you go, streak, all the games are divisional, so if you win the back-to-backs, it’s ‘These guys are getting killed.’ But then you might look at some analytics huge because you’re taking away points from the guys that are in the between periods and say, ‘It doesn’t look that bad. They’ve been scored same division. I think you’re seeing that it’s going to be a very tight race on twice, but their shot suppression is good.’ Or maybe other matchups just because of all the back-to-backs. It’s almost like a playoff format, are working for you, and you say, ‘We’re just going to stick with it.'” where teams split the (first two games), and then it’s the long part of the series where you see which team can really overtake the other one.” Now with the series shifting to Arizona, the Coyotes will get the last change, so that may continue to be problematic. That’s similar to what Arizona has done to the Blues lately.
Meanwhile, the Blues’ power play went 0-for-13 in the first three games “Arizona, you’ve got to give the credit,” Boughner said. “They won against Arizona, but then tweaked its personnel, putting Justin Faulk on (Monday) with seventh-tenths of a second left, I believe, and they’re the top unit in place of power-play specialist Torey Krug. The result was a finding ways to win. They’re getting good goaltending. What I like about goal on the team’s first opportunity Monday. Arizona, and I don’t think gets talked about enough, is their six guys on the backend. They’re real solid, they can all move pucks, they’re mobile “Torey Krug is such a really good player, (but) their power play in Boston guys and there’s not really a weak link back there. I think they’re playing was almost completely unique to what everybody else did,” Bennett said. with the puck a lot and they’re not defending as much. They’re a little “(The puck) went almost right from their breakouts and entries into their underrated if you ask me.” zone play, and the movement they had, I know our PK coach, Nolan Pratt, had fits trying to defend it. A lot of teams, they’re really predictable If this were a real best-of-seven playoff series, the Coyotes would lead 3- in their power-play set and Boston had a preferred set with Krug at the 1, though technically Monday’s 4-3 win came in a shootout, which isn’t top and (David) Pastrnak on his one-timer. But all of a sudden, (Brad) used in the playoffs. So games Nos. 6 and 7 would be tagged “if Marchand is at the top and Krug is down on the half-wall, and it was necessary” right now — but with teams playing each other eight times perpetual motion. this season, they all feel necessary.
“So adding Krug to your power play would seem natural that it should be “If it’s turning out that there’s (16) points available, it would make no amazing and yet he might have an adjustment and the others will have sense not to paint the picture of it as a playoff series,” Bennett said. “I an adjustment playing off him. Then when you face a team like Arizona, think the teams that grasp that really well will do extremely well through who basically pins their ears back and sets good angles and has good the course of gathering points. It’s a 56-game schedule, it’s condensed, sticks and they’re really committed to pressuring and forcing you to make and it’s going to go by in a blur. Those two points every night, it’s very good plays, if your power play is a step behind, then it can get ugly in a cliche but it’s really important in needing to find a way to raise your hurry.” emotional investment and make sure that you’re prepared. If you think about playing four, five, six or seven games against somebody, it might In relating Colorado’s recent situation — the Avs’ season was paused be a way to create real separation.” before the last of four straight games against Minnesota — Bennett is less focused on the pre-scout as the series goes along. The Athletic LOADED: 02.11.2021
“By the time we would have got to Game 4, our power-play meeting would be short and sweet,” Bennett said. “I would get players involved and have them produce their thoughts and what they feel could be different. They’re on the ice and play against it, so when I show them video and I say, ‘This might be a time that we could do this,’ they may say, ‘True but we could do this or that.’ So I think by giving them an ownership in it, there’s some really strong value in that.”
The other issue the Blues have had in their series with the Coyotes is staying disciplined. They had three penalties in the third period of Monday’s loss, including a high-sticking penalty against Schwartz with the club leading 3-2 and on the power play with less than three minutes remaining in regulation.
That can be a byproduct, Bennett says, of seeing the same faces on the other side for several games.
“It’s a crescendo of many things,” he said. “If a player has struggled for a couple of games in a row, then they get a little undisciplined and look for an opportunity to satisfy their own need a little bit. But I would say everybody’s preaching the need for discipline in those situations, and it’s incredibly difficult for players to just hold onto it in the heat of the moment. I laugh when I read or watch media reports postgame where there’s a lot of insinuation by people in the media who go, ‘This player did that, bad play, bad discipline.’
“Nobody’s going out trying to sabotage their team with little time left and take a penalty. It’s just the emotion, and they feel like for a good portion of the game they were able to do what they just did and got away with it, and then all of a sudden they’re getting a penalty for it. It’s very rarely black and white, and as I said before, it’s extremely rare that a player is going out trying to satisfy his own agenda at the expense of the team. It’s more unfortunate.”
Bennett said that applies to Schwartz, whom he coached for five seasons in St. Louis.
“The really good players tend not to do it, and Jaden is in that category,” he said. “So who knows what the explanation for (Monday’s penalty) is? He probably doesn’t have one other than just saying, ‘I was careless with my stick, it was a mistake.'”
With a 56-game schedule, there’s too much at stake in each game, especially when it allowed Arizona to rally for its third straight victory. The Coyotes are now just three points behind the Blues in the divisional standings (16-13) with one game in hand (13-12). 1183342 Boston Bruins Artemi Panarin into a turnover, skated to freedom, and slipped a forehander past Georgiev for his second goal of the year.
Bjork put the Bruins ahead with 11 minutes left in the third. Back from their break, Bruins roll through the rust, nab overtime win at Rangers The winger scored his first of the year off a Jake DeBrusk feed from behind the net, boosting his line to 1-2—3 in 12 games. It was more outstanding work from the reworked No. 3 line, which added DeBrusk By Matt Porter Globe Staff,Updated February 10, 2021, 9:45 p.m. after a two-week, five-game absence. Both DeBrusk (game-high seven shots and 14 attempts) and Bjork forechecked with straight-line fury.
Some 4:50 into the third, DeBrusk snapped off a wrister in traffic that As consistent and confident as any team in the NHL, the Bruins continue deflected off Georgiev, and bounced straight down after hitting to stumble early, regain their footing, and take control of games. underneath the crossbar. One angle of the replay showed the tumbling puck appear to hit on edge, beyond the goal line. Another angle made it They banked another two points in comeback fashion, beating the seem the puck was on the line, but not over. The no-goal call on the ice Rangers, 3-2, in overtime on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden. stood, the evidence to overturn it a bit shaky. They won their fourth game in a row and kept their East Division lead at 9-1-2, despite a few calls that went against them, and a defense that “I’d like to see that every night,” Cassidy said of DeBrusk. “Hopefully it finally “looked their age,” in the words of coach Bruce Cassidy. gives them some confidence going into Friday.”
Despite allowing the first goal in each of their last five games, they have The defense pair of Matt Grzelcyk and Brandon Carlo will look for a taken nine of the last 10 points available to them. bounce-back Friday against these Rangers. They were victimized twice by the Rangers’ fourth line of Brendan Lemieux, Kevin Rooney (Canton), “We bounce back from whatever happens,” Cassidy said. “We’ve done it and Julien Gauthier. The latter scored his first NHL goal in the opening all year. Different guys in the lineup, in and out. Game’s canceled, we 20, and Rooney batted home the tying goal with 8:38 left in regulation. move onto the next one. … We’re pretty good that way.” Both goals happened after the Blueshirts went heavy on the forecheck, Because of COVID-19 scheduling issues, it was their first game in five and muscled their way to the net. days. Rusty? For sure, but with Tuukka Rask (33 saves) making Rask needed no help in the second period, when he robbed Zibanejad acrobatic stops, they had enough traction to get things moving in the right on a shorthanded stop, before Wagner’s shorty. direction. With Craig Smith off for slashing at 8:05, Chris Kreider rushed 2 on 2 and Chris Wagner (shorthanded) and Anders Bjork scored for the Bruins, and saucered a feed over a diving Kevan Miller, onto the stick of Zibanejad. It Brad Marchand won it 36 seconds into overtime. He tucked a breakaway was labeled for the back of the net. Rask pushed post-to-post and chance past Rangers keeper Alexandar Georgiev after blue liner Charlie nabbed it. McAvoy batted down a 2 on 1 feed at the other end, and sent his buddy off to grab the ‘W.’ He shrugged it off afterward: “You’ve got to be lucky sometimes.”
That was a relief to Rask, who faced several odd-man rushes and Boston Globe LOADED: 02.11.2021 allowed two goals after his defenders couldn’t clear the front of the net.
“We weren’t very good in front of him,” Cassidy said. “It was probably the toughest game our D core had. We weren’t crisp with the puck. We had a pair that fought it all night. … As a whole, that group looked their age tonight. … It looked like we hadn’t played in a while.”
Rask also added some postgame levity to the proceedings, explaining a bewildering gaffe he made near the end of regulation. With the Bruins in possession and time ticking away, the keeper headed to the bench, with Cassidy, his assistants, and at least six teammates frantically waving him back.
What was he thinking?
“I just had to tell something to Jaro [Halak] real quick,” Rask deadpanned.
“No, I honestly thought we were down, 2-1,” he said, slightly sheepish. “That’s it. I was waiting for Butchy to wave me over. I was like, ‘Why the heck is he not …’ There was like a minute and a half left. I decided to come. Chucky [McAvoy] told me, ‘Buddy, it’s 2-2.’ ”
Tuukka Rask defends the net against New York's Pavel Buchnevich during the first period of Wednesday's game.
Cassidy smirked and shook his head slightly.
“I’d like to think he thought it was a delayed penalty,” he said.
Marchand said he did think the Bruins were headed to the power play. He planned to give his netminder a pass — “he made a lot of big saves tonight” — but Rask will take his share of ribbing.
“I wasn’t panicking at all,” Rask said of the moment he realized the game was tied, and his net was empty. “I was more laughing, actually.
“Hey, it’s an entertainment industry, I guess. Hopefully [fans] got a good laugh out of that.”
Several of Rask’s stops were highlight-reel variety, and kept the Bruins from falling behind in a third period when they were outshot, 15-6, and allowed 11 of the 14 scoring chances.
Wagner tied the game at 9:41 of the second following Rask’s huge shorthanded stop on Mika Zibanejad. The favorite son of Walpole forced 1183343 Boston Bruins The Bruins are on an nine-game point steak (8-0-1), and with the third- best points percentage (.833) in the NHL, behind only the Lightning (.864) and Golden Knights (.850). The margins were tighter than the Jack Studnicka, coming off injury layoff, sent to AHL for wing work standings would make it seem. Nine of the Bruins’ first 12 games have been decided by one goal, and a 10th (Feb. 1 against Washington) was a one-goal game until an empty-netter. The only games that weren’t one- goal or one-plus-ENG games were blowout wins: Jan. 23 against By Matt Porter Globe Staff,Updated February 10, 2021, 5:48 p.m. Philadelphia (6-1), and Jan. 28 against Pittsburgh (4-1) . . . Because of the postponed games against the Sabres (last Saturday, Monday) and Devils (next Monday), the Bruins will end February with eight games in Jack Studnicka has missed Boston's last four games since being injured 23 days — assuming no more postponements . . . After this run of three on Jan. 28 against Pittsburgh. games in four days (Friday at Rangers, Saturday at Islanders), the Bruins enter an uncertain week. Monday’s home game against the Devils (who Jack Studnicka’s next game action might come in Marlborough, not had 19 players on the COVID-19 protocol list as of Tuesday) was Manhattan. postponed. Another dance with the Devils, on Thursday at TD Garden, The 21-year-old prospect was shipped to the Providence Bruins on would seem in jeopardy. If they didn’t play either of next week’s games Wednesday, instead of joining the big club to start their road trip against against Jersey, the Bruins would go a full seven days without suiting up. the Rangers. Studnicka practiced with the junior varsity ahead of their And that’s assuming the Sunday, Feb. 21, Lake Tahoe game against the Thursday home game against the Hartford Wolf Pack, and is likely to Flyers is a go. Philadelphia put a couple players on the COVID-19 list this play in that game. week . . . As permitted by New York’s governor, Andrew Cuomo, Madison Square Garden plans to host approximately 2,000 fans for the Studnicka, who took a big hit from Penguins rookie defenseman Pierre- Feb. 26 Bruins-Rangers game. It would be the first Bruins game with fans Oliver Joseph on Jan. 28, has not played since because of an in attendance since March 10, 2020, in Philadelphia, their last before the undisclosed injury. He practiced in Brighton on Wednesday. pandemic stoppage . . . The Bruins were outshot, 35-32, and that total doesn’t include David Pastrnak ringing the post on a power play that Coach Bruce Cassidy, who welcomed back Jake DeBrusk and Matt went 0 for 2 . . . The Bruins used a five-forward unit, a rarity in today’s Grzelcyk to his lineup in the 3-2, overtime win at the Rangers, said NHL, on the first man-advantage. They went with the returning Grzelcyk Studnicka is likely to remain on the wing in Providence — playing this on the No. 1 unit during the second opportunity . . . Rangers star Artemi season at the New England Sports Center in Marlborough — as the Panarin, clearly laboring through some kind of lower body injury, did not second-year pro continues to learn the ins and outs of protecting pucks play toward the end of the second period and missed a large chunk of and winning battles in the trenches. the third. He finished with two shots in 15:34 . . . In addition to his goal, “We would like him to play some games on the wing, because that’s his Chris Wagner also had a third-period fight with Anthony Bitetto, which opportunity right now, here,” Cassidy said. “Of course it could change erupted after Wagner dumped the Rangers defenseman behind the play . any day, if we get an injury to a center iceman, but right now those guys . . The Bruins won 69 percent of the draws, with Patrice Bergeron going are healthy in the middle … He will have to improve his wall work, his 15 for 20 (75 percent) and David Krejci and Sean Kuraly each going 7 for awareness, just like a lot of young guys.” 9 (78 percent).
Wednesday’s date with the Rangers was the first game in five days for Boston Globe LOADED: 02.11.2021 the Bruins, who were last seen beating the Flyers, 2-1, on Friday. It was the first game in two weeks for DeBrusk, who lined up on the left of Charlie Coyle and Anders Bjork, who scored the go-ahead goal in the third on a slick feed from DeBrusk, who missed the last five contests with a lower-body injury. It was DeBrusk’s second assist in seven games.
Grzelcyk (lower body), who played one of the previous seven games, slotted on the No. 2 pair next to Brandon Carlo.
Tightening up the power play leaks
The Bruins’ commitment to team defense means they don’t allow many five-on-five scoring chances. Entering Wednesday, they were ranked fourth in scoring chances against per 60 minutes (20.93), according to Natural Stat Trick, the same place they ranked last season (23.75).
But one thing has changed. In 2019-20, Boston was arguably the leakiest team in defending while on the power play. It ranked 31st, even behind lowly Detroit, in allowing shorthanded scoring chances (9.68 per 60 minutes). This year, the Bruins had allowed the fourth-fewest (2.28).
The power play, clicking at a 33.3 percent clip (12 for 36), had the third- most goals per hour (13.67) and is yet to allow a shorthanded goal. This with ex-quarterback Torey Krug in St. Louis, and with both QB1 candidate Grzelcyk and top gunner David Pastrnak missing significant time.
Cassidy pointed to puck possession and recovery in the attacking zone, plus strong entries as a means of limiting shorthanded breaks. When teams do get the puck, he said, they’re tired and thinking “clear,” rather than “go.” Also, there has been little frustration in entering the zone.
“That was some of the issues in the past,” Cassidy said. “We wouldn’t get it in the first time, and then the second time, someone would try to be a little more of an individual than stick with the structure,” he said. “There’s been less of that. We’ve been cleaner on our second time down.
“Sometimes they go in peaks and valleys. We haven’t had any of those valleys, in terms of the entries … sooner or later, teams will jam you up. It’s just inevitable. Hopefully we deal with it well.”
Ice chips 1183344 Boston Bruins Boston Globe LOADED: 02.11.2021
After a pair of postponements, Bruins get back on the ice tonight
By Matt Porter Globe Staff,Updated February 10, 2021, 11:21 a.m.
The Bruins were 3-0 vs. the Rangers last season; this will be the teams' first matchup of 2021.
Wednesday is an Original Six day on the NHL’s calendar, which contains two games: Toronto at Montreal, and Boston at the New York Rangers (7 p.m., NBCSN). We will focus on the latter.
▪ Tuukka Rask (5-1-1, 2.36, .898) is expected between the pipes for Boston (8-1-2). Alexandar Giorgiev (1-2-1, 3.27, .886) is likely to start for New York (4-5-2). The latter, who turns 25 Wednesday, has not played since an overtime loss to Pittsburgh Jan. 30. He is 0-2-1 with an .854 save percentage since his first start of the year, a 23-save shutout against the Islanders Jan. 16.
▪ Jake DeBrusk is likely to play his first game since Jan. 26, lining up to the left of Charlie Coyle and Anders Bjork. DeBrusk (0-1—1 in six games) missed the last five contests with a lower-body injury.
▪ Matt Grzelcyk (lower body), who played just one of the previous seven games, is expected to return to the No. 2 defense pair next to Brandon Carlo.
▪ Jack Studnicka (upper body) is nearing a return — he practiced in full Tuesday — but is expected to miss his fifth game in a row.
▪ This is the first game in five days for the Bruins, last seen beating the Flyers, 2-1, last Friday.
Their two games against the Sabres (Saturday, Monday) postponed, the Bruins had an optional practice Saturday, took Sunday off, and practiced Monday and Tuesday in Brighton before traveling to Manhattan to begin a run of three games in four days (Friday at Rangers again, Saturday at Islanders).
The following Monday’s home game against the Devils has been postponed because, as of this writing, New Jersey had 19 players unavailable because of COVID protocol. Another dance with the Devils, next Thursday at TD Garden, would seem to be in jeopardy.
▪ If they don’t play either of next week’s games against Jersey, the Bruins will go seven days without suiting up. And that’s assuming the Feb. 21 Lake Tahoe game against the Flyers is a go. Philadelphia put a couple of players on the COVID-19 list this week.
In the case of a postponement in Nevada, the following Monday (Feb. 22) might work. The Bruins have three days between Tahoe and a road trip. The Flyers have two days off before a home date with the Rangers.
As for swapping in another team, NBC would no doubt prefer to keep a big-market Boston-Philadelphia matchup on its broadcast slate.
▪ The NHL has not announced a change in playoff structure, but the rash of postponements and COVID-related absences have left an ever- widening imbalance in games played. At this point, teams understand that points percentage, not points, will likely be the determining factor in playoff races.
Cassidy, speaking after Tuesday’s workout, noted the importance of getting “the games in wherever they fall,” and “banking points” as they come. Hopefully, he added, February “will be the worst of it.”
His club entered Wednesday with the third-best points percentage (.818) in the NHL, behind only the Lightning (.864) and Golden Knights (.850). The margins were tighter than the standings would make it seem.
▪ Eight of Boston’s first 11 games were decided by one goal, and a ninth was a one-goal game until an empty-netter (Feb. 1 against Washington). The only games that weren’t one-goal or one-plus-ENG were blowout wins: Jan. 23 against Philadelphia (6-1) and Jan. 28 against Pittsburgh (4-1).
▪ Because of the postponed games against the Sabres and Devils, the Bruins will end February with eight games in 23 days … assuming no more postponements. 1183345 Boston Bruins off Lemieux’s stick, it would have been reviewable. It was not, and this one had to be settled in overtime, where the B’s extended their point streak to nine games (8-0-1).
Brad Marchand lifts Bruins in OT The Blueshirts took the first lead at 13:50 of a tight-checking first period. Lemieux won a puck behind the net, sending a backhand pass off a couple of Bruin sticks to Julien Gauthier out front and Gauthier buried it By STEVE CONROY | PUBLISHED: February 10, 2021 at 9:47 p.m. | past Rask. UPDATED: February 10, 2021 at 11:21 p.m. In a more wide-open second period, the Rangers got their first power- play when Craig Smith had to take a slashing penalty on a partial break- in by Ryan Strome, but the man-advantage blew up on the Blueshirts. As any tourist can tell you, weird stuff can happen when you venture down to New York City and, on Wednesday, the Bruins experienced their On the kill, Rask made another tremendous save on an odd-man rush. fair share of it. Kreider fed Mika Zibanejad for what looked like an easy goal, but Rask robbed him with the glove. They had what they thought was a goal nullified, and saw a Ranger goal they thought should have been wiped out held up, before Brad Marchand The B’s made that save count as they tied it with a shorthanded goal at finally scored the game-winner on a breakaway 36 seconds into overtime 9:41. Chris Wagner, benched in the third period of the B’s last game after to lift the B’s to a 3-2 win. taking two undisciplined penalties, blocked an Artemi Panarin pass attempt at the blue line and took off on a partial breakaway. With Panarin And before the OT, Tuukka Rask provided some comic relief for the folks bearing down from behind, Wagner cut across the top of the crease and at home. In the final stages of regulation in the 2-2 game, Rask oddly beat Georgiev off the post and in. made his way to the Bruin bench as the coaching staff and teammates frantically tried to send him back between the pipes. With the B’s in Boston Herald LOADED: 02.11.2021 control of the puck, Rask was able to get back to the net with no harm done.
Did he think it was a delayed penalty or did he lose track of the score?
“Well, you figure it was one of the two,” said a chuckling Bruce Cassidy, who’d not yet spoken to Rask. “And you’d think he’d have access to the scoreboard. I’d like to think it was a delayed penalty.”
Nope. Rask ‘fessed up when it was his turn on the Zoom.
“I honestly through we were down 2-1. I was waiting for Butch to wave me over there and he did not. It was like a minute and half left and he’s not waving me and I decided to go when we had the puck. And (Charlie McAvoy) told me ‘Buddy, it’s 2-2,” said Rask.
With the two points safely secured, the potentially disastrous brain lock was fodder for humor.
“Its an entertainment industry,” said Rask. “Hopefully people got a good laugh about it. I did.”
The miscue may be mentioned a time or two at Thursday’s practice in Manhattan.
“Yeah, he’s going to take some heat for that,” said Marchand with a grin. “But he made a lot of big saves tonight, so he gets a pass on that one.”
Rask did indeed play one of his best games of the year, making 33 saves, including about a half-dozen Grade A stops off odd-man rushes. It was not a good night for the B’s young back end as the Rangers outshot the Bruins 15-6 in the third period.
“We were not very good in front of him,” said Cassidy. “It was probably the toughest night our D corps has had. We were not crisp with the puck. At the group as a whole, we looked our age tonight. But we got through it and (McAvoy) makes a hell of a play on the last goal.”
On the winner, McAvoy broke up a 2-on-1 and then sent Marchand in alone just seconds after the Rangers’ defenseman Adam Fox robbed him of a goal.
That capped off a crazy night.
The Bruins appeared to take the lead at 4:50 of the third period when Jake DeBrusk’s eighth shot of the night appeared to sneak under the crossbar. It was waved off by the on-ice officials initially, but they took a look at the replay. The puck tumbled as it fell and when it hit the ice, part of it was in the white but not all of it. No goal was the ruling.
But the B’s eventually did get their lead at 9:00, and it was produced by the DeBrusk-Charlie Coyle-Anders Bjork line that had been buzzing all night. From behind the net, DeBrusk fed Bjork, who slipped it through Alexander Georgiev’s pads for a 2-1 lead.
The Rangers, however, tied it on a disputed goal at 11:27. Former Bruin prospect Ryan Lindgren’s shot was deflected by Brendan Lemieux’s stick, off Rask’s chest and it dropped down for Kevin Rooney to knock home. Lemieux’s stick appeared to be over the crossbar when he deflected it, but it was not called on the ice and, after it went off Rask, Rooney’s goal was allowed to stand to make it 2-2. Had it gone directly in 1183346 Boston Bruins cleaner entries. That was some of the issue in the past. We’d get frustrated and we wouldn’t get in the first time and the second time someone would just try to be a little more of an individual than stick with Bruins notebook: Jack Studnicka to wing it in Providence the structure. That’s going to happen from time to time. You might be in the middle of line change, etc. I think there’s been less of that. We’ve just been cleaner on our second time down and our puck recovery has allowed us to tire teams out so they’re not thinking offense.” By STEVE CONROY | February 10, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. Back on the attack
Both Matt Grzelcyk and Jake DeBrusk were back in the lineup on Strength down the middle has been one of the Bruins’ hallmarks for over Wednesday. DeBrusk, who missed the last five games, was looking for a decade. Today it is just as strong as it was a decade ago when they his first goal of the season. He was expected to start the game on the left won a Stanley Cup. wing with center Charlie Coyle and right wing Anders Bjork. He’s started It’s so strong that Jack Studnicka, arguably the B’s top prospect, does slowly in the past but if the B’s want to improve 5-on-5 scoring — they not appear to have a path forward at his natural centerman position, at went into Wednesday’s game merely even (17 goals for, 17 against) — least at the moment. they’ll need some pop from DeBrusk, one of the B’s better natural goal- scorers. So the tentative plan for Studnicka was to see some time in Providence and get game action at wing, which is where he’d be more likely be able “I actually liked his last games, he was up with Bergie and March and he to see some NHL time. He practiced with the P-Bruins on Wednesday. was coming around, playing better. He was a little inconsistent to start the year. Unfortunately he got hurt playing on that line. I thought he was “We’ve discussed that,” said coach Bruce Cassidy. “That will be up to doing a better job in that mix,” said Cassidy. “Now (David Pastrnak‘s) (GM Don Sweeney) and (Providence coach) Jay Leach to get him in back so he’ll have a different line. Again, at this juncture of the season there where he best fits. But yes, we’ve talked about that he should play we’ve moved some people around and I think Jake is used to that. He’s some games on the wing. It’ll depend. I’m not 100% sure on how their played with Krech, he’s played with Coyle, a little bit with Bergie and depth is, if they have injuries, but we would like him to play some games March. For him it’s more important to just find his game and worry about on the wing because that’s his opportunity right now here. Of course, that himself, not worry about who his linemates are. Hopefully that’s his could change any day if we get an injury to a center iceman but right now attitude, to get his game back to where it needs to be. He didn’t miss a those guys are healthy in the middle, so that’s where his place would be lot, but you’re timing can take a little bit of time.” here. So yes, he should play some on the wing. I’m sure they’ll move him around a bit and take some draws as a centerman if he’s out there with a Boston Herald LOADED: 02.11.2021 guy who’s weaker at that. But he will have to improve his (play at wing), his awareness, just like a lot of young guys, if he’s going to play for us on the wall.”
Studnicka played on the right wing before getting injured, first riding with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, then with David Krejci. He had a goal, breaking the 5-on-5 ice for the team in the B’s come-from-behind win on Jan. 21, in six games.
“He obviously played well for us here. He got injured which was unfortunate. But some of that was he hadn’t played much on the walls so there’s a little bit of a learning curve for him there, so we want to make sure we don’t put him in a bad spot,” said Cassidy. “It’s just that down the middle of the ice we’re solid. That’s probably his best opportunity he has here and we want to prepare so when he goes back into our lineup he can be at his or close to it for a young guy.”
Marchand not loving road trips
With no fans in the arenas, the only tangible advantage the home team gets these days is the last change. Still, said Marchand, being on the road is not a lot of fun, and it can have a negative effect on players because of the COVID-19 restrictions.
“I think on the road, where you can get in trouble is more on your off-days and game days at your hotel now that you’re not allowed to really do anything,” said Marchand, who took an eight-game point streak into Wednesday’s game. “You get caught laying around your room a lot not doing anything. If you sit in your bed in your room for 10, 12 hours and not do anything, you get stagnant, and kind of tired and lazy. It can make you feel bad during the game. I think that’s why it can be a little tough on the road right now.”
Meanwhile, New York state is allowing fans back in buildings later in the month. The Rangers will be allowed to have roughly 2,000 fans at Madison Square Garden for their Feb. 26 game against the Bruins. It will be the first time the B’s have played in front of fans since March 10, 2020.
Short short
While the B’s have had strong power plays the last couple of years, allowing shorthanded goals has been a bit of a bugaboo. They allowed seven in last year’s shortened season and 15 the year before. Going into Wednesday’s game against the Rangers, they hadn’t given up any. Even the chances against were minimal.
Cassidy saw two reasons for that.
“The (offensive) zone puck recovery time. I think when teams do get it, they’re tired and they just want to get it down,” said Cassidy. “And 1183347 Boston Bruins
Brad Marchand On Video Replay: ‘All Of This Video Stuff Really Bothers
Me’
February 10, 2021 By Jimmy Murphy
Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand once again sent a message that he is an early-season candidate for the Hart Trophy by extending his point streak to nine games and scoring the overtime winner for the Bruins in a 3-2 win over the New York Rangers Wednesday.
Brad Marchand had another message for the NHL though after a game in which a Boston Bruins goal was disallowed and a Rangers’ apparent no- goal was allowed.
“You know, all of this video stuff really bothers me,” Marchand replied when asked if he thinks maybe the league needs to look deeper into having a sensor chip placed in the pucks to give a more clear-cut answer on controversial goals.
Just 4:53 into the third period with the game tied at one, Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk appeared to have lit the lamp for the first time this season to give the Boston Bruins what would’ve been a 2-1 lead at the time. However, it was ruled that after the puck hit the crossbar, it never fully crossed the goal line and therefore was no-goal.
While this call didn’t go the Bruins’ way, Brad Marchand wasn’t about to make a fuss and cry for more video replay or ways to determine what’s a goal a what isn’t.
“I just think that being able to challenge all these plays, hockey’s a game of mistakes,” Marchand pointed out. “Not only by the players but by the referees and that’s part of what makes it a good sport. You get your calls against you but you get your calls that go your way too. With all the video, there’s a lot of blame that gets put on the refs but they’re there to make those split-decision calls and now they’re calling them back all the time.”
As far as Brad Marchand is concerned, if the NHL continues down this rabbit hole of allowing video replay to determine the game the league is headed in the wrong direction. The pucks already had stat tracking sensors in them earlier in the season but it was affecting play too much.
“So, I don’t think that that’s necessary. It’s just taking hockey to a place where it’s annoying,” Marchand said bluntly.
Marchand also took a little jab at the analytics crowd in the NHL as those sensors the pucks had earlier in the season were there to enhance analytics stats.
“These dumb stats that just keep coming out. …they just bother me,” Marchand went on. “So I hope they don’t. They tried earlier this year and the puck was a cinder block for the boys. So, hopefully, we can just keep hockey hockey and play the game that we love.”
Boston Hockey Now LOADED: 02.11.2021 1183348 Boston Bruins
Talking Points: Bruins’ Rask Stands On His Head, Laughs Off Gaffe
By Joe Haggerty
Here are Talking Points from the Boston Bruins 3-2 overtime win over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.
GOLD STAR: Sure, Tuukka Rask forgot what the score was in the final minute of the third period and mistakenly skated to the Bruins bench for the extra attacker in a 2-2 game. But that’s easy to forgive when Rask was so brilliant throughout the rest of the game making 33 saves, and absolutely standing on his head in the second period with 14 saves where he stoned Mika Zibanejad a couple of times on Grade-A scoring chances. Rask looked locked in from the very beginning and was only beaten on a bad defensive zone breakdown and a puck that was high- sticked in front of the net before it bounced around to Kevin Rooney at the doorstep. Otherwise, it was Rask wiping away scoring chances on odd-man rushes, breakaways and backdoor plays as the Boston Bruins defense didn’t have a particularly strong game in front of him. Rask had a brain-fart late in the third period, but he was brilliant throughout the game and Boston’s best player in the win.
Tuukka Rask denies Mika Zibanejad. pic.twitter.com/ZFlbzq3n7i
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) February 11, 2021
BLACK EYE: A rough night for Brandon Carlo and Matt Grzelcyk, who were on ice for both of the goals against for the Bruins. The second goal was perhaps a bit more understandable with a Brendan Lemieux high stick during a battle in front with Matt Grzelcyk serving as a big part of the score that could/should have been negated. But the pairing was a hot mess at times in the first two periods, including in the first when they both chased the puck carrier behind the net and left things wide open for Julian Gauthier to score his first career NHL goal. Carlo and Grzelcyk combined for a minus-4 on the night and really struggled in all phases as Grzelcyk made his return to the lineup after missing the last couple of weeks due to a lower body injury.
TURNING POINT: There were wild moments in both directions in the third period, but the Bruins had a couple of bumps on the road that they had to overcome. One was what appeared to be a Jake DeBrusk goal that was ultimately waved off with video review confirming the puck never crossed the goal line, and the second was a game-tying score for the Rangers that the Bruins felt was a high-stick on Brendan Lemieux. The goal counted on the ice and the Bruins opted not to challenge the Rangers score that tied things up halfway through the third period. The Bruins battled through those developments to push things to overtime where they ultimately won the game, and once again showed the ability to play through in-game adversity.
HONORABLE MENTION: Jake DeBrusk didn’t end up scoring a goal, but he played great in his first game back from injury. DeBrusk nearly scored in the third period on a shot from the slot that deflected off the goalie, the crossbar and the goal line without any video evidence actually showing that it was an actual goal. When that goal didn’t count, he simply went back to work and fed a great pass from behind the net to Anders Bjork at the net-front for the go-ahead goal in the third period. DeBrusk finished with a game-high seven shots on net and 14 shot attempts in 14:08 of very active ice time. It sure looked like DeBrusk had good skating legs and that he teamed nicely with Bjork and Charlie Coyle as an effective speedy third line for the Bruins.
Been that kind of night for Jake DeBrusk. pic.twitter.com/rqmlAprWE2
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) February 11, 2021
BY THE NUMBERS: 4 – the number of consecutive wins for the Bruins where they needed to mount comebacks for the wins, a first in Bruins franchise history.
Here’s more from Rask on his silly mistake not knowing the score of the game tonight pic.twitter.com/Fk15s9iZQT
— Craig Kolodny (@NBCBostonCraig) February 11, 2021
Boston Hockey Now LOADED: 02.11.2021 1183349 Boston Bruins
Did Boston Bruins W Jake DeBrusk Get Robbed?
By Jimmy Murphy
Did Boston Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk get robbed of what would’ve been his first goal of the season after returning from a five-game absence?
DeBrusk was having arguably his best game of the season against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Through two periods of play, the embattled winger had six shots on net and 11 shot attempts. Just 4:53 into the third period with the game tied at one, DeBrusk appeared to have lit the lamp for the first time this season to give the Boston Bruins what would’ve been a 2-1 lead at the time.
No goal for Jake DeBrusk. Centimeters pic.twitter.com/ecLz6PZ7bu
— Bruins Diehards (@BruinsDiehards) February 11, 2021
The ruling was that the puck didn’t completely cross the goal line and the game remained tied at one. Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy did his best to argue for a goal but after long deliberation, the officials ruled it a no-goal. DeBrusk would get a bit of redemption and revenge just 4:07 later as he set up linemate Anders Bjork for his first goal of the season and a 2-1 lead. Unfortunately for the Boston Bruins though, Canton, MA native Kevin Rooney tied the game at two just 2:23 later.
DeBrusk had one assist in six games coming into the game Wednesday. DeBrusk – who had 16 goals and 27 assists in 70 games last season – has struggled out of the gate and instead of riding the left wing on the second line alongside David Krejci, DeBrusk found himself on the left of center Charlie Coyle and Bjork.
The Boston Bruins are playing their first game of a back-to-back against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
Boston Hockey Now LOADED: 02.11.2021 1183350 Boston Bruins Lauzon – McAvoy
Grzelcyk – Carlo
Boston Bruins Send Studnicka Down To Providence Zboril – Miller
Rask
By Joe Haggerty Halak pic.twitter.com/3KpJZLEAma
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) February 10, 2021
While the Boston Bruins will get back to close to full strength with Jake Boston Hockey Now LOADED: 02.11.2021 DeBrusk and Matt Grzelcyk returning to the lineup tonight vs. the New York Rangers, youngster Jack Studnicka will head to Providence for this week.
The 21-year-old forward has missed the last two weeks of action after suffering an upper body injury against the Pittsburgh Penguins on January 28, and just returned to practice with Boston in the last few days. So, the Bruins sent Studnicka down to Providence to practice this week given that the Bruins will mostly be holding morning skates with three games in four days, and Bruce Cassidy said he’ll likely play in Providence’s game on Thursday against Hartford.
It all depends on the B’s coming out of Wednesday night’s game against the Rangers relatively healthy, of course, but Cassidy that Studnicka will mostly play wing even in Providence as that’s what he’ll be needed for in Boston.
“He skated with yesterday and he felt good. He wasn’t going to play tonight, so we felt like it would be good to get him integrated with the group down there…it would be better for him,” said Cassidy of Studnicka, who has a goal and a minus-2 in six games along with six shots on net during his time in Boston thus far this season. “I think they play [on Thursday] so he may be in the lineup tomorrow [for Providence]. That may be part of it to get him some games. We’ll see how we do health- wise and then we’ll make decisions going forward.
“He obviously played well for us here, but some of it is that he hasn’t played much on the walls. So, there’s a little bit of a learning curve for him there, and we want to make sure we don’t put him in a bad spot. Down the middle of the ice, we’re solid, so [playing wing] is probably his best opportunity here and we’re doing the best we can to prepare him so when he goes back into our lineup he can be at his best, or close to it for a young guy.”
It sounds like Studnicka may stick with Providence for the time-being as the Bruins get healthier on the wing, and with a clear sentiment that there’s still some development for the natural center playing on the wing at the NHL level.
Tuukka Rask will get the start for the Bruins on Wednesday night with Rask and Jaroslav Halak expected to split the weekend back-to-back games against the Rangers and the Islanders on this three-game road trip.
Otherwise, it’s looking like a pretty normal lineup projected for the Bruins tonight vs. the Rangers at Madison Square Garden based on Wednesday’s morning skate:
Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak
Ritchie-Krejci-Smith
DeBrusk-Coyle-Bjork
Frederic-Kuraly-Wagner
Lauzon-McAvoy
Get BHN+
Grzelcyk-Carlo
Zboril-Miller
Rask
#NHLBruins morning rushes:
Marchand – Bergeron – Pastrnak
Ritchie – Krejci – Smith
DeBrusk – Coyle – Bjork
Frederic – Kuraly – Wagner 1183351 Boston Bruins – The Rangers are ranked 12th in the league on the penalty kill. They’ve allowed seven powerplay goals against 39 attempts and have an 82.1 success rate.
Game 12: Boston Bruins @ New York Rangers Lines, Preview – Rangers defensemen Jack Johnson (groin) and Brendan Smith (upper- body), are both day-to-day. Forward Colin Blackwell is also day-to-day with an upper-body injury and forward Filip Chytil (upper-body) is on By Jimmy Murphy injured reserve and is week-to-week.
Boston Bruins Lines
The Boston Bruins (8-1-2, 18 pts) and the New York Rangers (4-5-2, 10 Forwards: pts) try to renew their rivalry tonight at Madison Square Garden as they begin a two-game set there and play the first of eight meetings this Brad Marchand – Patrice Bergeron – David Pastrnak season. Nick Ritchie – David Krejci – Craig Smith
The Boston Bruins are riding a three-game win streak and have erased Jake DeBrusk – Charlie Coyle – Anders Bjork third period deficits in their last four games, earning a point in each one. Meanwhile, the Rangers, whom many expected to take a step forward Trent Frederic – Sean Kuraly – Chris Wagner this season have stumbled out of the gate and sit last in the East Division. Defense:
Tuukka Rask (5-1-1, 2.36 GAA, .898 save percentage) will get his third Jeremy Lauzon – Charlie McAvoy straight start for the Bruins. Connor Clifton – Brandon Carlo
Alexander Georgiev (1-2-1, 3.27 GAA, .886 save percentage) returns to Jakub Zboril – Kevan Miller the Rangers’ net for the first time in three games and since he and soon to be, former teammate Tony DeAngelo got into a postgame altercation. Goalies:
Bruins Notes Tuukka Rask
– Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk (lower-body) and forward Jake DeBrusk Jaroslav Halak (lower-body) will return to the lineup tonight. Grzelcyk missed games on Extras: Jan. 23 and 26 with lower and upper-body injuries, came back and played on Jan. 28 and suffered another lower body injury and then John Moore missed the last four games. DeBrusk suffered his lower-body injury on Jan. 26 and missed the last five games. Connor Clifton
Jack Studnicka (undisclosed) skated in a contact jersey Tuesday at New York Rangers Lines practice but did not go to New York with the Bruins. Studnicka and Forwards Ondrej Kase (upper-body), who has been working out and is getting closer to skating, remain on injured reserve. Chris Kreider — Mika Zibanejad — Pavel Buchnevich
– The Bruins went 0-for-2 on the powerplay in their 2-1 win over the Get BHN+ Philadelphia Flyers on Friday but they still woke up yesterday with the sixth-best powerplay in the NHL, scoring at a 33.3 percent clip. That’s Artemi Panarin — Ryan Strome — Kaapo Kakko why it was a bit surprising to see head coach Bruce Cassidy change Alexis Lafreniere — Brett Howden — Phil Di Giuseppe things up at practice Tuesday and have five forwards on the top PP unit. Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, David Krejci, and Brendan Lemieux — Kevin Rooney — Julien Gauthier Nick Ritchie manned the first powerplay. Charlie McAvoy, Matt Grzelcyk, Jake DeBrusk, Charlie Coyle and Craig Smith were on the second unit. Defense
-The Boston Bruins have been even better on the penalty kill. The B’s Ryan Lindgren — Adam Fox have only allowed five goals against 41 powerplay attempts. Their 87.8 K’Andre Miller — Jacob Trouba success rate is the second-best in the NHL. Libor Hajek — Anthony Bitetto – ‘The Perfection Line’ has once again established itself as arguably the best line in the NHL. Brad Marchand (7g, 8a) and Patrice Bergeron (6g, Goalies 9a) are tied for the team lead in points with 15 apiece. Marchand’s seven lamplighters are a team-best and Bergeron’s nine helpers lead the team Alex Georgiev as well. After missing the first seven games, winger David Pastrnak has Igor Shesterkin returned on a mission, with five goals and three assists in four games, including his ninth career hat trick. Boston Hockey Now LOADED: 02.11.2021
– Not to rain the offensive parade for the Boston Bruins’ top trio of forwards but it is worth noting that 19 (8g, 11a) of their 28 points together have come on the powerplay. Marchand has two goals and five assists on the man advantage; Bergeron has four goals and five assists and Pastrnak has lit the lamp twice on the powerplay and added a helper.
– Six of the Bruins’ first eleven games have gone to overtime and two have gone to the shootout. The Bruins are 4-2 in the extra frames, going 2-0 in the shootout.
Rangers Notes
– The New York Rangers are also mulling changes on their powerplay. Per Larry Brooks of the New York Post:
The Rangers are 1-for-10 in 17:07 with the man-advantage in the past three games and 2-for-23 in 39:51 over the past seven contests.
The Rangers are 6-for-44 on the man advantage this season with a dismal 13.6 success rate. The Rangers’ powerplay is ranked 25th in the NHL. 1183352 Boston Bruins Jake DeBrusk, unavailable for the five previous games because of a lower-body injury, returned with an exclamation point. DeBrusk, the No. 3 left wing alongside Charlie Coyle and Anders Bjork, cranked a game-high Brain cramp aside, Tuukka Rask sparkles in latest Bruins overtime win 14 pucks on net. Seven hit the target.
One of his misses was in the third period. After taking a pass from Coyle, DeBrusk whipped a shot from the slot that glanced off the crossbar and By Fluto Shinzawa Feb 10, 2021 into the net. Video review, however, could not confirm that the puck crossed the line. The original call was no goal, and thus it remained.
“He was willing to go in straight lines, work to get inside and get it to the Tuukka Rask was confused. When his team is down by a goal late in net,” Cassidy said. “Certainly wasn’t trying to over-pass. Just trying to put regulation, Bruce Cassidy is good about giving him the hook for an extra pucks on net. Goal scorers do that. Eventually they go in. I’d like to see attacker. that every night — he has that mentality no matter who his centerman or Late in the third on Wednesday, Cassidy wasn’t waving him off. So Rask winger is.” took off for the bench on his own. Just before he reached the door, DeBrusk set up Bjork for a third-period go-ahead goal. Charlie McAvoy set Rask straight. Tough night on defense The score was tied, 2-2. The 4.58 expected goals were the highest the Bruins allowed all year. THE BRUINS' BENCH REACTING TO TUUKKA RASK SKATING BACK: The previous high was 2.78 xGA against New Jersey in Game 2. PIC.TWITTER.COM/RI8CSZCF6D The No. 2 pairing of Matt Grzelcyk and Brandon Carlo had an especially — CONOR RYAN (@CONORRYAN_93) FEBRUARY 11, 2021 rocky game. Lemieux won a board battle against Carlo and Grzelcyk was “I thought we were down 2-1,” Rask said. “I was waiting for Butchy to caught watching the play prior to Julien Gauthier’s opening goal. wave me over there. I’m like, ‘Why the heck is he not?’ A minute and a Grzelcyk played 11:40, least of any defenseman. Carlo’s 13:58 was a half left, he’s not waving me. Then I just decided to come when we had season low. the puck. I think Chucky told me, ‘Buddy, it’s 2-2.’” “Probably the toughest night our D corps had,” Cassidy said of his young Fortunately for Rask and the Bruins, the New York Rangers never took group. “We weren’t crisp with the puck. We had a pair that fought it all advantage of the open net. Thirty-six seconds into overtime, Brad night. We did make some plays. But as a whole, that group looked their Marchand scored the winner to give the Bruins the 3-2 victory. age tonight.”
“It’s an entertainment industry, I guess,” Rask said. “That’s what we try to Studnicka goes down provide — entertainment for the fans. I’m sure people were shocked at Jack Studnicka has NHL skill and speed. first. Hopefully they got a good laugh out of that. I sure did.” But the 21-year-old is a natural center playing right wing. This may be The truth is that without Rask, the Bruins would have been behind by a one reason Studnicka took a wallop along the TD Garden boards from whole lot more than one goal. The ace stopped 33 shots, none better Pittsburgh’s Pierre-Olivier Joseph on Jan. 28 and missed the next four than the second-period sniff that Mika Zibanejad thought he had games because of an undisclosed injury. Not only is Studnicka a few deposited in the back of the net. pounds short of optimal NHL weight, but also he is in areas of the ice a The New York center was on the receiving end of a cross-ice Chris lifelong pivot isn’t accustomed to patrolling. Kreider pass. But just before the puck crossed the line, Rask flashed So on Wednesday, the Bruins assigned Studnicka to Providence. It may from right to left and got his glove in front of Zibanejad’s shot. not be a short-term demotion. “I didn’t recognize that until the puck hit my glove,” Rask said. “I thought it “Got injured, which is unfortunate,” Cassidy said. “Some of that was he was going to be a breakaway. Just stretched out and made that save. hasn’t played much on the walls. So there’s a little bit of a learning curve That’s one of those where you’ve got to get lucky in order to be good. In for him. We want to make sure we don’t put him in a bad spot. It’s just that instance, I got a little lucky.” that down the middle of the ice, we’re solid. So (right wing) is probably The Rangers are a rush team. To compound that, the Bruins’ the best opportunity for him here. We’re trying to do the best for him to defensemen regularly burped pucks off their sticks. The Rangers, prepare him. So that when he goes back into our lineup, he can be at his according to Natural Stat Trick, were expected to score 4.58 all-situations best or close to it for a young guy.” goals based on the quality and quantity of their chances. All they got Studnicka should practice and play right wing in Providence while were two, including one in dispute: a Kevin Rooney tuck that came after continuing to build up his body. Providence is scheduled to host Hartford Brendan Lemieux appeared to deflect Ryan Lindgren’s point shot with a on Thursday. high stick. The Athletic LOADED: 02.11.2021 “They get a break around the net, then they got going after that,” Cassidy said. “We didn’t respond very well to that tying goal. You’ve got to put those things behind you and keep playing. Tuukka was excellent. Did a real good job for us tonight.”
McAvoy triggers the winner
In overtime, McAvoy was staring at trouble. Pavel Buchnevich was steaming down the right wing with Bruins defenseman Adam Fox joining him on the rush. But McAvoy calmly held his ground between the two attackers. When Buchnevich tried to saucer the puck to Zibanejad, McAvoy sticked it out of the air and banked it off the glass and out of the zone.
Marchand tracked down the puck. After fooling goalie Alexandar Georgiev by faking to his backhand, Marchand snapped the forehand winner high blocker.
“Charlie makes a hell of a play on the last goal,” Cassidy said. “Breaks up a two-on-one. Has the presence of mind to get the puck up ahead to Marshy. At the end of the day, a real good play by our D.”
DeBrusk shoots, shoots, shoots 1183353 Buffalo Sabres speed. But a search for answers led Eichel to watch game footage from last season.
Eichel took note of what led to his success, and he compared those Jack Eichel ready to 'step up' when shorthanded Sabres' schedule tendencies to how he performed during Buffalo’s 4-4-2 start to this resumes season.
“I just want to get back to attacking the game,” Eichel said. “I think I Lance Lysowski Feb 10, 2021 started doing a little bit better those last two games against Jersey. … I'm really excited to get the season going again. I think I'm going to start to take off, hopefully. I think a little bit of a slow start for me. Not really where I want to be. But I feel like I've definitely taken advantage of these Jack Eichel hasn’t worn the captain’s ‘C’ on his chest since the Sabres two weeks in trying to prepare myself to have a successful next 46 played the New Jersey Devils in Buffalo on Jan. 31, a game that featured games.” 23 players that eventually landed on the National Hockey League's Covid-19 protocol list. Eichel was exceptional in the final game before the pause, logging two assists and seven shots on goal in a 5-3 loss. He has only one even- Eichel didn’t need the symbolic letter Wednesday to show why he strength goal, but is the catalyst of a power play that entered Wednesday became the youngest captain in Sabres history before the 2018-19 ranked seventh in the NHL. The Sabres will lean on Eichel if their five season. forwards currently on the Covid-19 protocol list, including Hall, aren’t able “This is an opportunity, I think, as a leader to step up, and take on a to return in time for the next scheduled game. bigger role if we're missing guys,” said Eichel after practice at KeyBank During a 25-minute news conference Tuesday, Adams fielded questions Center. “You never know what's going to happen. So, just want to try and about the circumstances that led to the Sabres’ temporary shutdown. help impact this team as positively as I can and help us win games.” Following a sixth postponement in less than two weeks, the Sabres have The comment came after Eichel declined to blame the NHL or New 46 games to play between Monday and, as of now, their scheduled Jersey Devils for a weeklong shutdown that caused six Sabres games to regular-season finale in Pittsburgh on May 8. The physical and mental be postponed and landed nine Buffalo players on the Covid-19 protocol grind is exacerbated by the possibility of future Covid-19-related list. Coach Ralph Krueger is symptomatic after testing positive for Covid- absences or postponements. 19. Eichel is confronting his greatest challenge yet by rallying his teammates Eichel expressed concern for his coach and teammates, some of whom around one common goal: snapping a nine-year playoff drought amid a are also symptomatic. Since the Sabres’ pause began Feb. 2, the 24- global pandemic. year-old center acknowledged that he can’t help anyone overcome the virus, but he has maintained contact with his teammates. “I always feel better the more I'm playing,” Eichel said. “I mean, the more games we play, the more times on the ice, that's when I start to feel my "It’s something that’s directly affected the entire universe. It’s tough to best.” say and put the blame on someone," said Sabres center Jack Eichel. Buffalo News LOADED: 02.11.2021 It is unclear if Krueger or the nine players will be able to rejoin the Sabres in time for their next scheduled game Monday against the New York Islanders in Buffalo. Assistant coach Steve Smith ran a practice Wednesday that included only 14 skaters and three goalies.
The roster will likely be filled out with call-ups from Rochester, putting the Sabres at a competitive disadvantage in the East Division. Yet, Eichel struck an optimistic tone when describing the challenge ahead after practice Wednesday, the Sabres’ second on-ice session since returning to work.
“We’re just taking it as a great challenge,” Eichel said. “I think that’s the way to look at all the adversity thrown at you this season, whether it’s playing without key players because they’ve been affected by Covid or injuries. … I think that a situation like this has potential to bring us closer together as a group.”
Eichel wasn’t idle while Sabres team facilities were closed. Protocols forced Eichel to quarantine and undergo regular testing, a process that initially led to “anxiety” and “nerves” as he awaited results. But the three- time all-star used the unusual downtime to watch plenty of NHL games, which he described as “awkward,” given that he’s physically able to perform.
The pause also provided Eichel with time to reflect on his own play during the Sabres’ first 10 games. His 10-month offseason was extended a few extra days in January because of an upper-body injury that forced him to miss the start of training camp.
"Right now, the ice is a sanctuary for the Buffalo Sabres. It's a good thing they like it so much, because they're about to see a lot of it," writes Mike Harrington.
Eichel then ramped up to prepare to play heavy minutes alongside former Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall on the Sabres’ top line, only to have the season come to an abrupt halt after the second game of a back- to-back against New Jersey on Jan. 31.
Across 10 games, Eichel totaled a team-high 11 assists, including two goals, while averaging 21:22 of ice time. The lack of goal scoring irked Eichel. He’s shooting 5.1% after converting on 15.9% of his shots during a career-best 36 goal season in 2019-20. The play-making ability was still on powerful display. So was his elite on-ice vision and dynamic 1183354 Buffalo Sabres Okposo said. "So it's going to be a fun challenge for us. It's going to be something that we're not used to, something that is going to be different, but we love to play, we love to compete. That's why we do what we do.
Mike Harrington: Sabres know lots of hockey is coming on their daunting "And sure, it's going to be hard on us mentally, it's going to be hard on schedule the bodies. But I'm really looking forward to just playing games and see where we stack up in this division."
Mike Harrington "Kevyn Adams was in full going-forward mode Tuesday and you get it. Blaming the NHL or the New Jersey Devils isn't going to do anybody any good," writes Mike Harrington.
A News staffer since 1987, I'm a Baseball Hall of Fame voter, a 2013 The Sabres aren't going to be dealing with a lot of onerous travel in the inductee into the Buffalo Baseball HOF and the Buffalo chapter chair of East Division, so that's a huge plus. But they're not the deepest team, the Professional Hockey Writers Association. And I insist only Chicago & either. The goaltending has to hold up. And, of course, they can't have a New York can come close to Buffalo pizza. run of injuries or more Covid-19 issues.
Right now, the ice is a sanctuary for the Buffalo Sabres. It's a good thing For now, players have simply been stuck at home, except when they they like it so much, because they're about to see a lot of it. come to the rink for their daily tests and, finally, for practice. There's been a lot of TV time and there's plenty of hockey on to watch. Sitting in the stands, you can see the smiles of players at practice the last two days. The hooting and hollering level picked up noticeably on So, for the Sabres, it feels a lot like the summer when 24 teams were in Wednesday, too. That initial hesitation – and maybe even fear – that was the Toronto and Edmonton bubbles and they were one of the seven who absolutely lingering on Tuesday's first day back seemed to be put aside. were left out.
Assistant coach Steve Smith let the boys play. There was full-out shinny "Definitely watched a lot of hockey, definitely bringing the dog for little at the start of practice – with a puck in play at each end of the ice – walks," Miller said. "Trying to keep busy, but I think it's a little weird again followed by a 5-on-5 scrimmage and some 3-on-3 work in the short seeing all the hockey going on and not playing. But it'll come soon. And space at one end of the rink. then it'll come quick."
It's a good way for Smith, who is running practice in Ralph Krueger's Buffalo News LOADED: 02.11.2021 absence, to get the club's conditioning back up to snuff quickly. The players have been isolated at home for over a week in the middle of their season, with no skating at all.
And if all systems are go and the team resumes its season here Monday against the New York Islanders, it will mean 46 games from Feb. 15 to May 8.
"It’s something that’s directly affected the entire universe. It’s tough to say and put the blame on someone," said Sabres center Jack Eichel.
There are sprints. And then there is this upcoming craziness.
But you're not going to hear any complaints. Ask defenseman Colin Miller about it. You had to love what he said.
"I mean, we're hockey players. We like playing hockey," Miller said in such a simple answer that meant so much. "And I think that's what we're here to do. Right? So every team is going to be going through the same thing. You've just got to handle it the best we can, come to the rink trying to get your recovery when you can and be ready to play."
When you're a hockey player, there's no such thing as load management. It has become a big deal in the NBA, with stars such as Carmelo Anthony and Kawhi Leonard turning it into a way of life and periodically sitting out games to keep their bodies fresh.
But you seriously wonder how the Sabres and other teams are going to do this.
Eichel didn’t need the symbolic "C" on his chest Wednesday to show why he became the youngest captain in Sabres history before the 2018-19 season.
"This is what you prepare all summer for. This is what makes being a competitor," said captain Jack Eichel, who stood tall as the leader of this group during his impressive video call with reporters Wednesday. "I don't personally believe in the load management part of things. Obviously you get fatigue, but that's just part of it. ... For me, I always feel better the more I'm playing. The more games we play, the more times on the ice, that's when I start to feel my best.
"I think that it's going to be a great opportunity for us, and I look at it as an awesome challenge. It's obviously a really tight division with a lot of good hockey teams, and we're going to play them it seems like almost every night, so it's going to be great. I think the more games, the merrier."
Veteran Kyle Okposo said life is week to week right now. Hope he hasn't looked too far ahead. I count seven weeks ahead where there are four or five games scheduled.
"I think if you asked any pro athlete, or any athlete for that matter, if would you rather play or practice, I think 100% of them would say play," 1183355 Buffalo Sabres the things that happened. I think that the league is going to do that and teams are going to do that.”
Buffalo News LOADED: 02.11.2021 With eye toward future, Sabres not blaming NHL or Devils for Covid pause
Lance Lysowski Feb 10, 2021
There were no signs of anger when Jack Eichel, Kyle Okposo and Colin Miller spoke to the media Wednesday for the first time since the Buffalo Sabres resumed practice following a weeklong pause.
None of the three expressed concern about the National Hockey League’s protocols while playing a 56-game season during the Covid-19 pandemic. There weren’t any harsh words for the New Jersey Devils, either. Like General Manager Kevyn Adams on Tuesday, the three veteran Sabres players reminded the media that the NHL, much like governing bodies across the globe, is adjusting its efforts to prevent the virus from spreading.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced Wednesday that the state's large arenas would be permitted to again host events starting Feb. 23.
“This is obviously unchartered territory and something we haven’t been through, so at times maybe we’re learning as we go,” said Eichel, the Sabres’ 24-year-old center and third-year captain. “But this is just part of it. We aren’t the only ones dealing with Covid in terms of the NHL. It’s something that’s directly affected the entire universe. It’s tough to say and put the blame on someone. I don’t think there’s really anyone to blame.”
The Sabres’ pause officially ended Tuesday, one week after Taylor Hall and Rasmus Ristolainen became the first Buffalo players added to the Covid protocol list. Nine players are now in the protocol and coach Ralph Krueger is symptomatic after testing positive for Covid-19.
The trouble began when the Devils came to Buffalo for back-to-back games Jan. 30-31. New Jersey placed someone on the protocol list before each of the two games, yet the NHL decided to move forward with the Sabres homestand. Twenty-four players on the two teams have since been impacted, some of whom are symptomatic.
TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported that Sabres players expressed concern to the NHL Players’ Association before the game Jan. 31. After all, the NHL does not reveal why a player has been placed on the protocol list.
On the other hand, Miller, a 28-year-old defenseman, said Wednesday that the players’ focus was to win the game against the Devils: “Other people are going to make those calls; those are above us.”
“It’s a tough thing, it’s hard,” said Okposo, a 32-year-old winger. “The league and the Devils are trying to pass the information on to everybody to be safe, and unfortunately, the protocols were in place and everybody followed them and did what they were supposed to do. Unfortunately, the situation hadn’t really arose yet through the league, so the league really didn’t know what to do. And now I think that things are evolving, and protocols are going to evolve and to make us safer. …
“Of course, they’re going to try to look out for our safety, that’s first and foremost. But if you don’t have the information in hand and you don’t have if X happens, then Y’s going to happen, you just have to make the best decisions that you can. I think that the league is doing that, that the Devils did that.”
Six Sabres games have been postponed since their season was paused Jan. 2, including two originally scheduled this week against the Washington Capitals in KeyBank Center. Buffalo’s next scheduled game is Monday at home against the New York Islanders.
It’s unclear when Krueger or any of the nine unavailable players will rejoin the team. Assistant coach Steve Smith ran a practice Wednesday in which only 14 skaters and three goalies were on the ice.
The Sabres now have 46 games to play between Monday and their scheduled regular-season finale May 8.
“Everybody’s doing the best that they can do with the information provided,” said Okposo. “As everybody is forthcoming with the information that they have in hand, then we’re all going to get through this together. … And we just have to try to move forward and learn from 1183356 Buffalo Sabres Alumni Arena on the campus of the University at Buffalo, but it has a capacity of about 6,800.
The decision would eventually affect Sahlen Field, the home of the Cuomo decision on reopening large arenas could be good news for Buffalo Bisons. The team's schedule has not been set, but could begin Sabres play as early as April.
The guidelines are for any arenas or stadiums for any kind of event, Keith McShea , Mike Harrington Feb 10, 2021 sports, concerts or other performances.
The overall guidelines include:
The Buffalo Bills' home playoff wins weren't just big for Western New • Limited attendance of 10% of capacity York, they provided a path for venues to reopen across the state. • Negative PCR tests required within 72 hours of event
That could be good news for the Buffalo Sabres and the team's fans – • Social distancing, masks and temperature checks are required but don't bust out your favorite jersey and start lining up at the foot of Washington Street just yet. • Mandatory assigned, socially distanced seating
Citing what he called the "unparalleled success" of fans attending Bills "This hits the balance of a safe reopening," Cuomo said. playoff games in January, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced Wednesday that the state's large arenas would be permitted to again Cuomo said Bills Stadium was the only football stadium to open for fans host events starting Feb. 23. "with testing."
Venues that seat 10,000 or more people will be able to reopen to 10% of "If you are negative, you are negative," Cuomo said. "So the testing is the their capacity, given that they meet state guidelines, including testing of key. ... A PCR test is as safe as you can get." all attendees. Cuomo said that the NBA's Brooklyn Nets will host a game Feb. 23 "The Buffalo Bills demonstration program ... was an unparalleled against the Sacramento Kings at the Barclays Center. success," Cuomo said during a video briefing Wednesday afternoon from "Using this model they've been approved to do that," the governor said. Albany. "Seven thousand people in a stadium, everyone tested. "Anyone else who is interested should let us know."
"We are going to now extend the Buffalo Bills example. Any large Buffalo News LOADED: 02.11.2021 stadium or arena ... can open on Feb. 23."
That would seem to include KeyBank Center, the home of the Sabres. With a capacity of more than 19,000 for hockey games, close to 2,000 fans would be allowed to watch games.
The arena would be able to seat no fans on the bench side of the building in the 100 level because the glass has been taken out from behind the benches due to new NHL Covid protocols.
There would be 18 home games after the Feb. 23 date. The first one would be Feb. 25.
But in a statement posted Wednesday afternoon on Twitter, the Sabres did not quite throw open the arena doors and yell, "Welcome back!"
"Gov. Cuomo's announcement providing the opportunity to allow Sabres' fans back to KeyBank Center is a great step forward. We continue to work closely with the New York State and Erie County Departments of Health to ensure a safe, healthy, and fan-friendly environment to enjoy Sabres hockey. Ticketing information and game-day protocols will be announced as they become available."
The Sabres would have to determine which season ticket holders could attend and what it will do about allowing fans in luxury suites. The organization has to determine ticket and concession policies, with many arenas and stadiums that have opened to fans going mobile and cashless in those areas to cut down on contact points.
It has to match testing with ticketed fans, a chore that was not too arduous for a single Bills playoff game on a weekend but one that could be difficult for an NHL schedule that could have up to four home games in a week.
The team also could opt to only allow fans into the building for certain games, perhaps those on weekends or against marquee opponents in their division.
Still, Sabres winger Kyle Okposo said Wednesday he welcomes the idea of having fans back in the building.
"It's definitely something that has been missing," he said, adding: "Everybody's just trying to do the best with the information that they have, including Gov. Cuomo. ... I know that my kids will be pretty thrilled and hopefully they can come to a game, too."
The Sabres have not played since their season was put on pause last week following a Covid-19 outbreak.
KeyBank Center appears to be the only sports venue locally that would be immediately affected by the new guidelines. The next largest arena that would normally be hosting sporting events at this time of year is 1183357 Buffalo Sabres
West Seneca native Sean Malone records first NHL point with Nashville
Lance Lysowski Feb 10, 2021 Updated 17 hrs ago 0
Sean Malone went almost four years between skating in a National Hockey League game.
The 25-year-old West Seneca native made his return memorable Tuesday night, recording his first career NHL point by assisting on the Nashville Predators' only goal during a 6-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Malone, a forward drafted in the sixth round by the Buffalo Sabres in 2013, also had one shot on goal and two penalty minutes while skating 10:38 for Nashville. His previous NHL game was with the Sabres on April 8, 2017, a 3-0 loss at Florida in which he logged 12:12 of ice time.
Malone then spent three seasons with the Sabres' American Hockey League affiliate, the Rochester Americans, where he overcame a disappointing 2018-19 season to have an outstanding final year with Buffalo's organization.
Last season, Malone totaled 12 goals with 18 assists for a career-high 30 points while playing on an AHL contract with Rochester. The performance earned him an NHL contract with Nashville this summer.
Malone attended Harvard University and is expected to be an important depth player for the Predators during this shortened season.
Buffalo News LOADED: 02.11.2021 1183358 Buffalo Sabres For now, Buffalo will have to be patient and hope that the outbreak subsides in short order. But barring an extension of the May 8 conclusion date for the league, it seems highly unlikely that all teams will get to the Travis Yost's Sabre Metrics: Will 56 games happen this season? It 56-game threshold. And to that end, point percentage – or an insanely doesn't look good clustered schedule, where teams are playing games just about every day down the stretch – will dictate a team’s finish in the standings.
Buffalo News LOADED: 02.11.2021 Travis Yost
Ayear ago, the National Hockey League was leading from the front, engineering a safe and effective two-city bubble format to conclude the 2019-20 season.
It feels like 10 years ago.
The league has been rocked by Covid-19 outbreaks seemingly everywhere, undoubtedly a byproduct of the abandoned bubble format and frequent team travel during this truncated 56-game schedule.
The unknown of this season was an accepted fate by both the league and the players’ association – organizations have prepared for scheduling changes, the possibility of teams playing less than 56 games (and using point percentage to dictate standings placement), and the broader risk of a singular Covid-19 case acting as the lynchpin for outbreaks.
At this point, it feels inevitable that teams won’t make it to the 56-game threshold. Whereas the Scotia North division has been kept relatively insulated from Covid-19 outbreaks, the other three newly crafted divisions cannot say the same. Scheduling compression was already being felt as recently as a week ago, and that was before another wave of positive tests hit the league.
Front and center for the league’s scheduling problems? The Buffalo Sabres. After playing a pair of games against the New Jersey Devils to close out January, the Devils were forced to shut their facilities after some players were symptomatic and subsequently tested positive. The league is receiving harsh criticism over the handling of the Devils during this period, in large part because it appears individuals from the Devils organization somehow transmitted the virus to individuals of the Sabres organization.
Since that pair of games, at least nine players and head coach Ralph Krueger have been added to the Covid-19 list. And on Feb. 8, the league added both on-ice officials from the same game to the Covid-19 list.
There is obviously concern about what this means for the season going forward. We are operating under a lot of inference right now, but on-ice transmission of Covid-19 would fundamentally change the league’s protocol going forward. Even to the extent that it happened away from the ice, it calls into question how effective league protocol is right now.
The second problem is obvious. How on Earth will the Sabres – and any number of teams around the league – make up these games? When the truncated 56-game schedule was announced, most teams were expected to play a little more than once every two days through May 8, which already left little room for error.
Consider the Sabres for just a moment. During a normal season, teams are expected to play a game every 2.25 days, and that’s generally with a scheduling break somewhere around midseason. To start this season, the plan was for teams to play a game every 2.08 days, which is about 7% compressed.
Where are we now?
By having the apparent misfortune of playing the Devils at the wrong time, the Sabres have seen their schedule compressed already by 20% relative to a normal 82-game season, and 13% relative to where the league expected them to come Feb. 15. This, of course, assumes that the Sabres will return to action on Feb. 15 to take on the New York Islanders.
Considering the Sabres as recently as Monday were adding players to the Covid-19 list, that seems like a coin flip at best right now. And all of this assumes that the Sabres will not run into another outbreak, be it in their own clubhouse or in an opponent clubhouse, an important component considering that the league has created cluster scheduling (multiple games against the same opponent) to minimize risk. 1183359 Buffalo Sabres on the ice and perform to the best of their ability. So, we have to make sure that everybody is doing their part and checking in on each other. Everybody’s trying to get through this pandemic.”
Back at practice, Sabres players reflect on the impact of their recent The phone calls have included coach Ralph Krueger, who is symptomatic shutdown with COVID-19.
“I spoke with him a few times, actually,” Eichel said. “You don’t want to By John Vogl Feb 10, 2021 see your coach and someone who’s so valuable to our team and our environment here be out and be dealing with COVID, but you know he’s going to make a great recovery.”
BUFFALO, N.Y. – The pain and misery of COVID-19 is still very real for a In the meantime, the 17 cleared Sabres are moving toward Monday’s handful of Sabres. While no one can reverse the chain of events that game against the Islanders. They had their second straight day of landed nine players in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol, the hockey world practice Wednesday, a light-hearted affair that featured between-the-legs can benefit from them going through it. passes and spin-o-ramas during the two-on-two drills.
That’s what Buffalo hopes. “This is what we love to do,” Eichel said. “We love to come to the rink, so it’s been a good mood in the room.” “This is still a learning experience for all of us, the league and every team and players,” Sabres captain Jack Eichel said Wednesday. “This is There could be high spirits in the stands soon. New York Gov. Andrew obviously uncharted territory and something that we haven’t been Cuomo has announced that arenas can open at 10 percent capacity through. At times, maybe we’re learning as we go.” beginning Feb. 23. That would be 1,907 fans for KeyBank Center.
The Sabres, Devils and others involved in their infamous two-game “Gov. Cuomo’s announcement providing the opportunity to allow Sabres series have learned the hard way. So did the NHL. fans back to KeyBank Center is a great step forward,” the Sabres said in a statement. “We continue to work closely with the New York State and “The league’s in a really tough spot,” forward Kyle Okposo said in Erie County Departments of Health to ensure a safe, healthy and fan- KeyBank Center. “The teams are in a really tough spot. Everybody is. friendly environment to enjoy Sabres hockey. Ticketing information and “Nobody knows, ‘Hey, this virus is going to do this if this happens.’ game-day safety protocols will be announced as they become available.” Nobody does. So, all we can do is share as much information as we can PIC.TWITTER.COM/O45NP6Q7D9 and put a plan in place and be able to react.” — JOHN VOGL (@BUFFALOVOGL) FEBRUARY 10, 2021 It’s become clear that sharing information leads to a better plan. Failing to share leads to shutdowns. Season-ticket holders will undoubtedly get the first chance at tickets. Anyone attending games would need a negative PCR test within 72 The Devils’ Twitter followers learned before puck drop Jan. 31 that Kyle hours of the event. Face coverings and temperature checks would be Palmieri was entering COVID-19 protocols after playing Jan. 30. Sabres required. The assigned seating would be socially distanced. general manager Kevyn Adams said he didn’t know and neither did the organization. “Live sports and entertainment have long been engrained in the fabric of New York, and the inability to hold events has only added to the isolation They apparently weren’t entitled to that information despite sharing the we have all felt at the hands of this virus,” Cuomo said. “Thankfully, our ice with Palmieri. pilot program to reopen Buffalo Bills games to fans was an unparalleled “The protocols were in place and everybody followed them and did what success and now we are taking that model and expanding it to other they were supposed to do,” Okposo said. “But unfortunately, the situation large venues across the state.” hadn’t really arose yet throughout the league, so the league didn’t know The Sabres are scheduled to play 18 home games after Feb. 23. what to do. “It’s definitely something that has been missing. We love having our fans “Now I think things are evolving and protocols are going to evolve to in the building,” Okposo said. “My kids will be pretty thrilled and hopefully make us safer.” they can come to a game, too.” Whenever the NHL announces a COVID-related shutdown, it uses the They can if the NHL learns from its previous shutdowns, especially the phrase an “abundance of caution.” It appeared that phrase was absent ones featuring the Devils and Sabres. when the Sabres faced an infected Devils team, which resulted in 24 players and two linesmen entering protocols. Additionally, 12 games “There’s a little bit of anxiety at the beginning of the situation when you’re were postponed. not sure who it’s going to affect and how it’s going to affect them,” Eichel said. “Those first few days of isolation with the testing and everything “Of course they’re going to try and look out for our safety,” Okposo said. else that we were going through, yeah there was a little bit of nerves. “That’s first and foremost. But if you don’t have the information at hand Obviously, you don’t want to get a positive result and have to deal with and you don’t know, ‘OK, if X happens, then Y is going to happen,’ then that circumstance. you just have to make the best decisions that you can. “But this is just part of it. We’re not the only ones dealing with COVID in “I think the league is doing that. I think the Devils did that. So, we’re just terms of the NHL. It’s something that’s directly affecting the entire trying to move forward and hopefully they use that information correctly.” universe. It’s tough to say and put the blame on someone. I don’t think For the NHL to finish this season, it’s imperative that they use that info. that there’s anyone to really blame.” Otherwise, more players and personnel will feel the effects that are The Athletic LOADED: 02.11.2021 lingering in Buffalo.
“You don’t want to see guys dealing with some of the symptoms and things that they’re dealing with,” Eichel said. “I know there’s not a lot you can do in terms of their health but drop some stuff at their house, supplies, just to make things easier. It’s been checking in, seeing how guys are feeling.”
That includes mentally. Isolation can be hard.
“I just want to make sure everybody’s doing OK in that aspect,” Okposo said. “The group of guys that are here have done a very good job of checking in with everybody. We’ve been interacting with each other as much as we can on a personal level.
“We’re human beings, first and foremost. If somebody’s not doing well mentally, there’s no possible way that they’re going to be able to go out 1183360 Calgary Flames “He anticipates really, really well, in terms of what is going on with the play, and he positions himself accordingly so he never looks like he is out of control,” Ward said. “And the other thing about him is he’s always Return to Rogers Arena a ‘business trip’ for Flames goalie Markstrom calm. He gives your team a lot of quiet confidence from the back-end, even though he is a fiery competitor. And that translates into our whole team.
Wes Gilbertson “What he’s done since he’s been here has been everything that we’ve asked.”
ICE CHIPS: Flames prospect Glenn Gawdin has been promoted from the Jacob Markstrom is known for his calm and cool in the crease. minors to the taxi squad. The 23-year-old Gawdin was an American Nothing seems to spike his heart rate any. Hockey League all-star last season and is up next on the depth chart at centre. So while the standard just-another-game spiel is often a bunch of bologna, you get the feeling this particular cat — now tending twine for Calgary Sun: LOADED: 02.11.2021 the Calgary Flames — will be as even-keel as ever in his return to Rogers Arena in Vancouver, his home digs for the previous seven seasons.
“It’s a bit of a special thing when you go back and play your first game in the arena where you spent so many years as a home team player,” said Calgary’s coach, Geoff Ward, as the Flames headed to Vancouver for back-to-back-to-back clashes against the Canucks. “But at the same point in time, he’s played enough games in the league that I don’t think it’s going alter his approach or alter the way he plays.
“You know, it may be real comfortable for him. And that may be a positive thing for us.”
Markstrom, signed this fall to a six-year, US$36-million contract as the best backstop on the free-agent market, has so far been a major positive for the Flames.
The 31-year-old owns a 6-3-1 record in the early stages of this season. He pitched a shutout against the Canucks in Calgary’s home-opener in mid-January and got the best of his former buddies again two nights later.
He’ll be one of the visitors now as the Flames set up in Vancouver for three straight, starting with Thursday’s 8 p.m. MT matchup (Sportsnet West/Sportsnet 960 The Fan).
Markstrom insisted this is “a business trip,” especially true since the pandemic protocols will prevent him from meeting up with any of his friends in his old hometown.
He won’t have to wonder about how the fans will react. Rogers Arena will be empty.
“I’m excited. It’s going to be fun,” Markstrom said prior to Wednesday’s flight from Calgary to Vancouver. “A little special, but I feel like the first game we played here was the weirdest one. It’s going to be tough to beat that. Now, we’re a bit into the season and you get used to the game and being here and playing for the Flames.
“It would have been business-like either way, we go there to play for two points,” he added later. “But I think, for sure, it would have been way more special and different with fans in the building. That’s changing things a little bit. But that’s been my home rink for a long time and to go back there, I’m excited.”
The Flames are coming off back-to-back victories and seem to finally be finding some consistency in their game.
The Canucks, on the other hand, have dropped five in a row.
Superstar-in-the-making Quinn Hughes was probably thinking of Markstrom and his former defence partner Chris Tanev — another dude now donning the Flaming C — when he made this remark after Monday’s latest setback in Toronto: “We have a lot of new pieces. We lost some pretty good players from last year, and we’re just trying to put it all together.”
Their old pal, Markstrom, will try to prolong the misery.
He’s so far been a hit at the Saddledome, not only because of his puck- stopping prowess but thanks to his fit in a locker-room that is stocked with fellow Swedes.
Once or twice each night, the ex-Canucks stalwart seems to make a really difficult stop look surprisingly routine. Tuesday’s pad save on Mark Scheifele is the latest example. 1183361 Calgary Flames The more you watch Tanev, the more you appreciate his skating and puck-moving abilities and his knack for almost always being in the right spot.
Tanev made name for himself in Vancouver, now returns in Flaming C You can see what former teammate Kevin Bieksa was talking about when he quipped during the 2011 Stanley Cup final, “He could have played the game with a cigarette in his mouth, he’s so calm and cool out Wes Gilbertson there.”
It’s likely not a total coincidence that Tanev’s new partner, Noah Hanifin, is playing arguably the best hockey of his career. Hanifin, 24, will tell you Dave Gagner had, way back when, coached Chris Tanev on a spring as much. inline squad. “He just quietly does his job and makes everyone around him better,” He was a talented kid, a trustworthy defender even on wheels, but he said Tanev’s college bench boss, Wayne Wilson. “I’m sure when the was just a little squirt, so tiny that he looked like a little brother while coaches watch the tape, they probably just notice so many small things tagging along with his teammates. about his game that make you go, ‘Wow, great play there. That was Fast-forward several years … It’s 2010 and Gagner, after a lengthy NHL great, a real good pass … ’ ” career of his own, is now working in player development for the That seems to be a recurring theme as you trace the trail of Tanev. Vancouver Canucks. “I know (former Canucks coach) Alain Vigneault, he was just amazed The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Tigers are on the tube and there were no scoring chances when he was on the ice,” Gagner unbeknownst to his former roller hockey skipper, the once-wee Tanev recalled. has sprouted. Tanev’s countables in a dozen appearances in the Flaming C include It’s your story, Dave, you take it from here … one goal — a bouncer from inside his own blue-line — and a pair of “I was watching the NCAA tournament on TV and I knew we had scouts assists. He has a plus-4 rating, a team-high 24 blocked shots and has there present at the game,” recalled Gagner, who skated 16 seasons in been on the ice for only five goals against at even-strength. The Show and had also worked with this youngster in the winter months Thing is, with a shutdown sort, the numbers never tell the entire story. in the minor-hockey ranks. “I saw Chris score a goal and I’m thinking, This comment from Keith McCambridge, who helped tutor Tanev in his ‘Chris Tanev?!? That’s weird. This kid is 6-foot-2.’ So I looked on the first pro campaign as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, bench and sure enough, it’s the same head but it was on a bigger body. best sums up the appeal of the under-rated defenceman. “I remembered that he was always smart and fearless. As a smaller “He does all the non-highlight things that might go unnoticed by some defenceman, he would go to the corner and just get pasted to make a people — the little things like stick detail, body positioning, gap control, play. It was one of those things where he was just a late grower, but he good first passes,” said McCambridge, who was drafted by the Flames always had high-end hockey sense, loved to defend and would do back in 1994, has gobs of experience as both a skater and a skipper in anything to stop the best players on the other team. And he’d do it the minors and is now an associate coach for the WHL’s Vancouver quietly. Everybody loved being on Chris’ team because he was just a Giants. “The one thing that I’ve learned over the years is elite NHL competitor that didn’t bug anybody. He was just a very, very nice and players do simple better than anybody else. He does all of those things. humble young man. And those little things, as coaches know, give your team a chance to play “So I called one of our scouts I knew was at the game and I said, ‘Can in the offensive zone and to win hockey games.” you watch this kid and do a report on him?’ And he liked him, too.” The Canucks, currently allowing a cringe-worthy 3.94 goals per game, More of Vancouver’s talent-hounds were soon involved. certainly seem to miss both Tanev and Markstrom, who spent a combined 17 seasons with the organization before crossing enemy lines And there was growing consensus — this Tanev kid, never on the radar to sign in Calgary. to be drafted but now skating on RIT’s top pairing as an NCAA rookie, could be a gem. To appreciate what Thursday’s return must mean to Tanev, it helps to understand how the Toronto-raised rock wound up in Vancouver in the “So we ended up pitching Chris and his dad at the end of the season,” first place. said Gagner, who has since switched to the agent side of the business. “He was only a freshman but I knew other teams were interested in him With all due respect to the Tigers, Rochester Institute of Technology is as well, so we convinced him to sign in Vancouver at the time. Our whole not exactly a factory for future NHLers. group did. And the rest is history, as they say.” Tanev, in fact, was the first of two alums to ascend to the highest level. Tanev would spend a decade with the Canucks organization, the bulk of “People always say, ‘Whoa, how’d you get him?’ ” said Wilson, now in his it at the big-league level. 22nd season as RIT’s head coach. “We didn’t think he was going to be On Thursday, the 31-year-old blue-liner — signed this fall by the Calgary that good. We thought he was going to be good, but never one-and-done Flames and so far making a heck of an impression with his new club — and off to the NHL. Never dreamed of it.” will for the first time return to Rogers Arena in Vancouver as one of the Calgary Flames defenceman Chris Tanev celebrates his second-period bad guys (8 p.m. MT, Sportsnet West/Sportsnet 960 The Fan). goal against the Winnipeg Jets at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg on The Flames will stay on the West Coast for three straight dates. This is Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. also a homecoming-of-sorts for star netminder Jacob Markstrom and The Tigers were initially badgered by Rick Cornacchia — then Tanev’s right-winger Josh Leivo. Thanks to back-to-back wins in Calgary last coach with the Junior A-level Markham Waxers — to take a gander at a month, they are currently undefeated against their old buddies. dude who’d grown a foot over a one-year span prior to high-school “Going to the rink is going to be a little different — being on the visitors’ graduation. side of the arena,” Tanev said prior to Wednesday’s afternoon flight to his Wilson and Co. trusted Cornacchia’s wisdom. He had, after all, guided old stomping grounds. “I think early on it’s obviously going to be a little Eric Lindros and the Oshawa Generals to both an OHL championship emotional. I’m going to see a lot of faces that I’ve grown to like around and Memorial Cup crown in 1990 and later helmed Team Canada at the the arena for quite some time. But as the game progresses, I think it’s world juniors. going to become just another game where we’re trying to win.” And they trusted that he wanted the best for RIT. His son was then There were some groans when the Flames signed Tanev to a four-year, skating as a forward for the Tigers. US$18-million deal in free agency — the critics argued that is too much term for a 30-something — but the new guy in No. 8 has proved so far to “If people were to watch the Flames and it’s just one game, you’re not be a superb addition in a second-pairing role. going to come away and say, ‘Wow, look at him.’ He’s not Johnny Gaudreau,” Wilson said of Tanev. “We liked him but only because we got tipped off and we could really zero in on him a little bit more. So that’s how we kind of stumbled into him.”
Cornacchia was right about this kid.
He had, however, been wrong before. Tanev had once attended a spring camp with the Waxers but the team said no thanks to a guy the coach remembers as about 5-foot-8 and “maybe a-buck-forty.” They had to swing a trade to bring him back.
Tanev’s progress was perhaps stalled as he waited for that growth spurt — he played high-school hockey when he couldn’t catch on with a AAA team — but he may also owe some of his success to what he learned as a runt rearguard.
“His positional play is unbelievable,” Cornacchia praised. “As you can see now, he doesn’t get himself in trouble very much, meaning that he’s in the right position and the right spot. And he doesn’t take a lot of penalties because of his footwork and also his positioning.
“When you’re small, you have to develop your hockey IQ and you have to make sure that you have good positioning against bigger, stronger kids so you don’t get beat. So that’s something that he’s developed over time. The other thing you’ve probably noticed is he has no panic point. He doesn’t panic with the puck. He’s very calm and makes the right decision 99% of the time.”
McCambridge remembers his first glimpse of a just-signed Tanev at Vancouver’s summer development camp in 2010. He recalls being impressed with his awareness, his anticipation, his competitive drive in drills and scrimmages.
“Whenever you see a player that has that burning desire, that burning fire inside him … You can’t teach that. The athlete either has that or doesn’t,” McCambridge said. “And you could just tell from Chris that he loved playing hockey. You could tell he loved every part of it. And from my experience over the years coaching, if the athlete loves what they’re doing, they’ll usually find a way to make it. And he did.”
On Thursday, he makes his way back to Rogers Arena.
Over the decade he called that his home rink, Tanev totalled 547 appearances in Canucks silks.
It’s a good thing Gagner turned on the tube that day.
“He’s just reliable. He’s quietly efficient every day. You just don’t have to worry about him,” Gagner said of Tanev. “The best thing about coaching Chris is you know what you’re going to get out of him every day. That’s what coaches want, you know? You look at your lineup and you look at a guy and if you’re not sure what you’re going to get, then it’s tough to play them. But Chris is the same way every day. His reliability is what I think stands out to me. He’s just solid, and he does it quietly. You don’t even know he’s around. He just goes about his business. He’s really a coach’s dream.”
Calgary Sun: LOADED: 02.11.2021 1183362 Chicago Blackhawks
Lucas Wallmark removed from the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list, boosting the Chicago Blackhawks’ depth
By CHICAGO TRIBUNE STAFF CHICAGO TRIBUNE |FEB 10, 2021 AT 7:42 PM
The Chicago Blackhawks’ depth got a boost Wednesday as forward Lucas Wallmark was removed from the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list, the team announced.
Wallmark was added to the list Jan. 27. Forward Ryan Carpenter is the only Blackhawk still in the league’s COVID-19 protocol; Adam Boqvist and Alex DeBrincat were placed on the unavailable list Jan. 25 before being removed recently.
Wallmark has three assists in five games this season.
The Hawks have not had any games postponed because of coronavirus safety measures, but the team did cancel practice Jan. 30.
Chicago Tribune LOADED: 02.11.2021 1183363 Chicago Blackhawks percentage, but he finished fourth in the Calder voting behind Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine and Zach Werenski.
Still, this 2021 class — as long as Lafreniere continues to underperform Kevin Lankinen for Calder Trophy? Blackhawks goalie has a legitimate — doesn’t feature anyone like Matthews. chance And Lankinen’s out-of-the-blue emergence adds a storybook narrative to Most of the NHL’s projected top rookies have underperformed this his Calder campaign that Murray, who won 15 playoff games and the season. Lankinen, meanwhile, has gone 5-1-3 with a .933 save Stanley Cup the year before his official ‘‘rookie’’ season, already had percentage, quickly scaling the leaderboard. expended.
With every passing start, Lankinen’s candidacy looks better and better.
By Ben Pope Feb 10, 2021, 3:09pm CST Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 02.11.2021
At No. 1, there’s Lightning stalwart Andrei Vasilevskiy.
At No. 2, there’s Blackhawks rookie Kevin Lankinen.
That’s how the NHL goaltending leaders stand in terms of Goals Saved Above Average, which calculates the difference between how many goals a goalie has allowed and how many a league-average goalie would have allowed against the same number of shots.
That’s remarkable company for Lankinen, who arguably has become the NHL’s biggest breakout star of 2021. If he maintains this level of performance, he has a legitimate chance to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year.
Lankinen, 25, has run away with the Hawks’ No. 1 goalie job, starting nine of their last 11 games and recording a 5-1-3 record and a .933 save percentage.
He ranks first in the NHL in goaltending Point Shares — Hockey Reference’s stat that measures individual contributions toward team victories — second in the aforementioned Goals Saved Above Average and fifth in save percentage.
That makes him one of the NHL’s best goalies through the first quarter of the season. Only Vasilevskiy and the Ducks’ John Gibson are even close in Point Shares, and the Avalanche’s Philipp Grubauer — ranked third in Goals Saved Above Average — is nearly two goals saved behind Lankinen. (Lankinen, meanwhile, is .09 goals saved behind Vasilevskiy for first.)
Most impressive is that Lankinen’s success hasn’t startled him at all. His innate calmness and self-confidence, combined with the support of the Hawks’ team leaders, make him come across like a leader himself.
‘‘We’ve played a lot of hockey against really good teams here,’’ Lankinen said shortly after saving 34 of 35 shots in the Hawks’ 2-1 overtime victory Tuesday against the Stars. ‘‘We’ve still got a lot of young players who are just going to get better from here.
‘‘Gaining confidence every single day, and every experience is a new one. We’re on the right path, and we’ve just got to keep working hard because we’re a hard-working team.’’
Understandably nowhere to be found on the season-opening odds list to win the Calder Trophy, Lankinen has surged to sixth on the leaderboard at 10-1, according to Sports Betting Dime.
The opening month wasn’t particularly good for rookies in general, helping Lankinen’s case. Only the Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov has lived up to expectations among the projected top contenders, and his nine points in 11 games aren’t earth-shattering. The Rangers’ Alexis Lafreniere has one point in 11 games (Lankinen, who earned an assist Tuesday, has as many points as he does), and the Senators’ Tim Stutzle has struggled defensively despite his six points.
Hawks forward Pius Suter (eight points) ranks second to Kaprizov in rookie scoring, emphasizing the uninspiring nature of the Calder race. That opens the door for a goalie such as Lankinen to vie for the trophy, which a goalie hasn’t won since Steve Mason in 2009.
The Blue Jackets’ Elvis Merzlikins and the Devils’ Mackenzie Blackwood finished fifth and sixth, respectively, last season, but neither boasted the combination of big workload and results that Lankinen has to date. Merzlikins had a .923 save percentage but started fewer than half his team’s games. Blackwood was the Devils’ clear No. 1 but posted only a .915 save percentage.
The case of then-Penguins goalie Matt Murray in 2017 is more concerning. Murray made 47 starts and went 32-10-4 with a .923 save 1183364 Chicago Blackhawks • Nicolas Beaudin, who GM Stan Bowman said is the most improved player from last year, has looked awfully comfortable of late -- especially in the offensive zone.
Chicago Blackhawks defying the odds ... and the experts • Ian Mitchell and Lucas Carlsson are making slow but steady strides.
• Dominik Kubalik, while hardly perfect, has been a deadly weapon on the John Dietz power play.
• With Jonathan Toews out, the Hawks have asked for more out of Dylan Strome -- and he has been more than up to the task. Nobody is ever going to confuse Jeremy Colliton for Lou Brown, the gruff, contract-peeing fictional manager from the movie "Major League". • Rookie forwards Pius Suter and Philipp Kurashev have been up and down, but the fact that they've combined for 9 goals is a great sign for the But just as Brown did before his hapless Cleveland Indians took the field future. on Opening Day, Colliton also stood in front of his Blackhawks on the first day of training camp to deliver a message about the upcoming season. • Andrew Shaw is having fun, keeping things loose and helping to get the most out of his younger teammates. Same goes for Patrick Kane and If Colliton is a sports-movie buff, he easily could have stolen Brown's Duncan Keith. And, apparently, even the injured Brent Seabrook, who speech and said: hasn't been afraid to poke his nose into the dressing room to lighten the mood. "I'm not much for giving inspirational addresses, but I'd just like to point out that every newspaper in the country has picked us to finish last. The "Everything starts with the leaders of this team," Lankinen said after the local press seems to think that we'd save everyone the time and trouble if Hawks' 2-1 OT victory over Dallas on Tuesday. "The way they handle the we just went out and shot ourselves. team and take care of the younger guys, it's huge. ...
"Me, I'm for wasting sports writers' time. So I figured we ought to hang "Just had a really good discussion with Duncs about just being a pro and around for a while and see if we can give 'em all a nice big (crud)burger how he handles himself off the ice so he can contribute every single to eat!" night. Those things are big, you know. You can't really read those from a book. Colliton's speech wasn't quite as graphic, of course. "When you've got that leadership group that is doing a really good job, "He said people are doubting us, so let's surprise them," recalled forward that's kind of what brings the team together." Andrew Shaw. "We're going to be the underdog, so make sure we come out fighting. And we have." Only time will tell if they can keep it up all season.
Amen to that. But the culture Colliton is building is what is most important. It's one he built in Sweden and in Rockford. Now to actually believe the 6-4-4 Blackhawks are a playoff team would be quite a stretch. And it's one that is taking root in Chicago.
Still, it's difficult to argue with the results. Taking 3 out of 4 points against Watching guys buy into playing selfless hockey and seeing it translate Carolina and following that up with a sweep at Dallas is awfully into results is what impresses Colliton most. Because he expects that impressive. one day -- maybe much sooner than most of us believed possible -- the Hawks will be among the league's elite teams again. The Hawks are beginning to somewhat resemble the 2018 Vegas Golden Knights, the expansion squad that came together and shocked the NHL And when that happens, it's this kind of attitude that should yield some with a season for the ages. unbelievable results.
Emphasis here on somewhat. "Ultimately, it's about the group understanding we have to play this way to have success," Colliton said. "(When) we get to the point where we're I'm not about to suggest the Hawks are going to win the Central Division considered an elite team every year, this mentality needs to stay. This is and reach the Stanley Cup Final. But this 6-1-3 run they're on isn't a how we're going to win consistently and be a team that's always in the fluke. They're outworking teams, making the most of their opportunities mix. and winning games in a variety of ways. "We're on that path." "That's the key. You've got to find a way to win," said goalie Kevin Lankinen, who ranks sixth in save percentage at .933. "At the end of the Experts be damned. day, it doesn't really matter if it's 6-4 or 2-1. ... Some nights might be the 'D' core doing a really good job and (others) it might be the power play Daily Herald Times LOADED: 02.11.2021 stepping up and scoring three or four goals.
"That's just part of the team effort."
Said Colliton: "We've got a nice mix of guys. Young players who are doing everything they can to make their mark in the league and earn a spot, and (are) earning ice time. We've got some veteran guys who have been through it and know what it takes to win."
So far, it's been the perfect mix, with nearly everyone contributing every night.
To wit:
• After patiently working his way up the ladder, Lankinen arrived in Chicago with the belief that he is a No. 1 goalie. He has made that clear in interviews and even clearer on the ice where he sports a 5-1-3 record.
• Alex DeBrincat has become a more complete player and has seemingly put his disappointing 2019-20 campaign behind him.
• Brandon Hagel seems like he's been shot out of a cannon every time he jumps over the boards.
• Mattias Janmark said he expected to come in and compete for more of an offensive role. He's done exactly that, scoring 5 goals already. 1183365 Chicago Blackhawks
How Blackhawks penalty kill has drastically improved
Hawks Insider
Two seasons ago, the Blackhawks had the NHL's worst penalty kill in the last 30 years with a percentage of 72.7. It was a demoralizing part of their game.
Last season, the Blackhawks improved dramatically by finishing tied for No. 8 with an 82.1 percent kill rate. The goaltending of Corey Crawford and Robin Lehner had a lot to do with that, but the structure was certainly better.
This season, the Blackhawks were expected to take a step back in the penalty kill department because they didn't have a Crawford or Lehner to be the last line of defense when breakdowns happen. But despite that, the Blackhawks are showing they're still a top penalty kill team.
After giving up seven goals on 25 opportunities in their first six games of the season for a percent of 72.0, which ranked 25th, the Blackhawks have killed off 21 of 22 penalties over their last eight games for a kill rate of 95.5 percent. No team has a better percentage over that span than the Blackhawks.
Goaltending, surprisingly, has contributed immensely thanks to the play of Kevin Lankinen and Malcolm Subban. The Blackhawks, as a team, have the seventh-best penalty kill save percentage at .900, which is an even higher percentage than last season (.889) when it ranked No. 3.
"I feel like the biggest key, always, on the penalty kill is the goalie," Mattias Janmark said. "The goalies have stepped up and made some big saves, not only 4-on-5 but 5-on-5 as well, and that's the key. It gives us confidence and we can kind of take away what we want and then give them something and then the goalie will make the save, so I think that's the main key and really the only key and then gives us confidence and everyone plays a little better."
The Blackhawks are coming off a two-game set in which they killed off all five penalties against the Dallas Stars, who had the league's best power- play percentage (40.0) going into the series. The Blackhawks allowed 10 scoring chances on those five opportunities but only one of them came from a high-danger area, according to Natural Stat Trick.
That hasn't been the case all season, with the Blackhawks ranking 24th in shorthanded shot attempts from the slot against (2.05) and inner slot shots on goal against (0.56), according to Sportlogiq. But they do rank No. 7 in passes to the slot against (1.19) and No. 8 in defensive-zone faceoffs won resulting in a clean exit (65.5 percent), two areas that have drastically improved even from last season.
The stat that stands out the most though? The Blackhawks are one of the league's best at recovering pucks from shot attempts by the opposition, ranking No. 5 at 58.6 percent. And those typically lead to clears.
The Blackhawks, by no means, are perfect in the penalty kill department. Their team save percentage could come back down to earth at some point and present challenges.
But the overall structure has taken big strides over the last two seasons and the special teams unit as a whole is a huge reason why the Blackhawks are in the playoff hunt at the 20 percent mark of the season.
Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 02.11.2021 1183366 Colorado Avalanche long are state and city officials going to sit by when teams are bringing infected and contagious people into the region?
Who is to say. But we do know that testing needs to be amended, with The NHL’s COVID-19 problem is getting worse widespread implementation of rapid tests a priority. We do know that the upper limit for players in protocol to trigger postponed games needs to be exactly one. And we do know that more transparency is needed in order By Ryan Boulding - February 10, 2021 to hold teams and the league accountable for both successes and failures.
It will only take one death or one long lasting ailment—a la Marco Those of us living in reality knew it was a matter of time before the NHL’s Rossi—sidelining a top-tier player to completely sink this whole ship. And best laid plans would succumb to what we’ve spent the better part of the that’s not factoring in the injuries players are going to suffer when make- last year monitoring and eschewing like the literal plague it is. up games are hastily penciled into the end of what is already a But here we are, in the midst of the worst of speed bumps one could compressed 56-game season. have anticipated when the schedule was announced in December, and it The 2021 season is in a precarious spot at the moment, and it will likely seems like the league is just now beginning to understand how hard it is stay that way for some time. to keep things under control in a (largely) pre-vaccine world. milehighsports.com LOADED: 02.11.2021 In the first 28 days of the campaign, the league has had to postpone 34 games due to the litany of players unavailable to participate while in the league’s COVID protocol. Yes, that includes those Dallas Stars matches that had to be rescheduled before the first puck even dropped in 2021. It also includes the five Colorado Avalanche contests that have so far been put on hold.
“[We] are mindful of the fact that we might be seeing a more aggressive transmission of the virus,” commissioner Gary Bettman admitted in a press release on Feb. 4 that outlined new measures to help reduce the potential spread of a deathly illness. “It is important to note that, while we have seen almost 100 players enter our COVID Protocols, fewer than half have done so because of confirmed positive tests…”
That’s nice.
What is being announced (revealed?) is not enough information for us common folk. Sure, teams may know whether a player is in protocol because of a potential exposure due to contact tracing (Alex Ovechkin) or a positive test (Kyle Palmieri). But there’s no accountability outside of league officials and team management, and it certainly is needed.
Bettman’s statement came four days after the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils completed a home-and-home set that essentially became a super spreader event. The Devils ended up with 17 players stuck in quarantine, and Buffalo added nine of its own.
Sixty-one-year-old Sabres coach Ralph Krueger contracted COVID from the incident as well.
There’s no question that the second game shouldn’t have been contested, and yet Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams admitted that he KNEW Palmieri had entered protocol between games and decided to move ahead with hosting a traveling Devils squad-zero anyway.
If the likelihood of team-to-team transmission seems apparent to you, it’s not something Adams (or the NHL) is willing to admit, yet.
“We’ve come into a situation where potentially it was in the New Jersey locker room and now we are where we are,” Adams told the media. “There’s certainly the ability to connect the dots, but I don’t want to in any way (come off as) saying it’s happening on the ice. We have to let time play out. We have to let the contact tracing play out.”
Meanwhile, across the country in Minnesota, the seemingly unstoppable Avs were walking into their own health trap. Let me know if this sounds familiar. In the middle of a two-game set on the road, the Wild put forward Marcus Foligno on the COVID Protocol list.
No doubt armed with this information, the Avalanche forged ahead in contesting not only the second game in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, but another in Denver on Feb. 2—the second half of a home-and-home, four- game set. The following day, the Wild added five more players to the list and had its games postponed. One sleep after that and Colorado was canceled as well.
As of Tuesday, Minnesota had 12 total players out of action in protocol and the Avs had three.
We’ve yet to hear a word from Colorado’s (or Minnesota’s) management.
And on Monday, 1,622 people died from COVID-19.
Is this really the best we, and the NHL, can do? What is the cost of forcing this season forward in the face of a pandemic going to be? How 1183367 Colorado Avalanche We gotta go with Mr. Avalanche, Joe Sakic, as No. 1. I mean, the numbers are overwhelming: 625 goals, 1,641 points, 1,378 games – all with the Avs and Nordiques. Two Stanley Cups, one Conn Smythe, one Who are the best Avalanche players of all time? Hart Trophy, not to mention all the other accomplishments as a player, like being the MVP of the 2002 Olympics for Canada.
He was the ultimate team captain, a guy who led by example on and off By Adrian Dater the ice. He remains in the top 10 of all-time NHL scorers, and he’s No. 1 on this list as the greatest Avalanche player ever.
Any dissenters about this list? The floor is yours. I don’t do “listicles” too often, but with everything still shut down, at least when it comes to Avalanche games at least, I decided to do a “Five Colorado hockey now LOADED: 02.11.2021 Greatest” list. My list of the Five Best Avalanche players of all time. Maybe the names won’t be a surprise, but it was damn tough for me to pick the order.
Number 5: Milan Hejduk
He’s gotta be on the list. He played 1,020 games, all with the Avs, scoring 375 goals and 805 points. He was a team captain. He won one Stanley Cup and one Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL’s leading goal scorer. He was a big-game player, a leader in the room in a quiet, dignified way.
It’s too bad injuries caught up with him at the end, as he scored only 18 goals in his final 110 games. But he is in the pantheon, and, I hope he can sneak into the Hockey Hall of Fame too. I mean, guys with lesser numbers are in the Hall, and I think he has a legit chance eventually.
Here’s another underrated thing about Hejduk: he was gracious enough to hand off captaincy of the Avs to Gabe Landeskog, despite Landy being just a teenager and, to that point, the youngest captain in NHL history. Not a lot of guys would have done that – or at least have been as gracious about doing that.
Number 4: Adam Foote
When you ask who is the best defensive NBA player of all time TwinSpires mentions Bill Russell and Hakeem Olajuwon as their top pics. For us, no matter what anyone says, Adam Foote is in the pantheon of Avs greats.
Foote wasn’t the most technically gifted but his physicality and desire to win carried him a long way. In fact, it carried him to two Stanley Cup wins and, eventually, the Avalanche’s captain honors.
The formidable defender sits third on the all-time appearance list for the franchise and during his time with the Avs registered some pretty impressive numbers. He was more than a stats guy, of course. He was a gamer, a guy who was always there in the clutch, who was a true leader in the room.
Number 3: Peter Forsberg
OK, this is when the order gets damn tough. Having to put Peter Forsberg No. 3 on any Avs list is tough. I mean, he was just such a brilliant player, the most skilled Avs player I ever saw. But let’s face it, injuries hurt his case as being the greatest. He played 591 games for the Avs, but put up 775 points. He had 159 points in 140 playoff games for the Avs, with two Stanley Cup rings. He led the NHL in playoff scoring in 2002, despite missing all of the regular season.
His career points-per-game average of 1.25 remains in the top 10 all-time in the NHL. Forsberg wasn’t just a points machine though; he could do it all – attack, defend, roughhouse – everything. Everything, except stay consistently healthy. In 2014 he rightly found himself inducted to the Hall of Fame.
Number 2: Patrick Roy
I mean, he remains the greatest goalie of all time, at least in my opinion and those of many others. Thing is, more than half of his brilliant career was spent in Montreal, where he won two of his four Stanley Cups. He was just great from start to finish in his eight seasons in Colorado, though, winning two more Cups and a Conn Smythe Trophy in 2001. That last Conn came at age 36 and marked the third decade in which he won the award. No other player can say that.
It’s too bad his Avs coaching career kind of ended in ignominy, but he still won a Jack Adams Award in that first season, 2013-14.
Number 1: Joe Sakic 1183368 Colorado Avalanche
Bednar: Nathan MacKinnon, Devon Toews (and P.E. Bellemare) back at practice Thursday
By Adrian Dater
On his weekly radio show Wednesday, Jared Bednar had some good medical news: Nathan MacKinnon, Devon Toews and (surprise) P.E. Bellemare will be back at practice Thursday morning, assuming they are cleared by the medical staff.
As far as MacKinnon and Toews go, their return to the ice fits with what Colorado Hockey Now reported last week on each of their conditions/prognoses for a return. There was initially a lot of doom and gloom from some segments of the media about Bednar proclaiming all his injured players as “week to week”, but the injuries to MacKinnon and Toews were never that serious and we said so.
Bednar had hinted that Bellemare’s injury wasn’t as bad as the team initially feared, and his being back on the ice tomorrow would be proof of that. That’s really good news for the team, despite some good play from the players who have helped replace him on the fourth line.
Bednar also said that the guys currently on the Covid-19 protocol list – Tyson Jost, Sam Girard and Gabe Landeskog – won’t be able to resume hockey activities until “early next week”, which would mean they’d miss Sunday’s scheduled game in Las Vegas, and probably the one after.
The games in Vegas are starting to look iffy, by the way. The Golden Knights had to cancel practice for today because of Covid protocol. Nobody knows what comes next. Just have to hope there isn’t an outbreak with them. Today’s “Covid list”, released by the NHL, could be a pivotal moment for those games, at least.
I think we’re headed to something like this: In the U.S., anyway, the league is going to order teams to be in a bubble, even for home games. This is just my own opinion anyway. They’ve tried to let players go their own way off the ice, when at home, but clearly it’s not working. If players gripe about not being able to be with their families, well, the alternative is not being paid to play hockey for who knows how long again. That won’t be good for their families either. Last I checked, players have had a lot of quality family time in the last 11 months, too.
Colorado hockey now LOADED: 02.11.2021 1183369 Columbus Blue Jackets when the Jackets went 18-2-3 despite several injuries to jump into the playoff picture.
Tortorella has never been shy to change up lines, defensive pairs or sit Blue Jackets better, but not sharp as Tortorella ponders how to forge players to get his team playing “the right way.” Fourteen games in this team's cohesion on the ice season, he’s still searching for the answer.
"I got to get this team to play as a team and care as a team or we'll “I've got to get this team to play as a team and care as a team or we’ll continue to play the hockey that we're playing right now." continue to play the hockey that we’re playing right now. It’s my job,” he said.
Jacob Myers “Through hell or high water, I’m going to try to find a way to get us to that tightness with a lot of new bodies coming in here and understanding the standard and the culture that we want here.”
There are times this season when coach John Tortorella looks at his Blue Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 02.11.2021 Jackets team and still doesn't know what he has.
The Blue Jackets on Monday night responded to a painful, controversial loss the day before to Carolina. They limited scoring chances for the Hurricanes and created more of their own on the offensive end in a 3-2 win in Nationwide Arena.
The performance was an improvement from the night before but still far from perfect. In fact, it was not even particularly good.
Despite the victory, there’s a growing impatience inside the Jackets locker room and the office of coach John Tortorella to quickly find a way to play a more cohesive game before they lose more ground in the Central Division.
Blue Jackets: Tortorella benched Patrik Laine for off-ice interaction with assistant coach
“I still think we’re a terribly disjointed team in all facets,” Tortorella said after Monday’s game. “But the past two games, I think the effort’s been there. I think we worked hard in a 6-5 loss, I thought we worked hard tonight. We have a lot of things to iron out.”
Tortorella’s decision to shorten his bench by sitting Patrik Laine and Dean Kukan for a good chunk of the second period and all of the third was a clear sign of his frustration with some of his players not performing at the level Tortorella deems as acceptable for his team concept.
The Jackets, who are 6-5-3 and second place in the Central — though ranking sixth in the eight-team division in points per game — have prided themselves on being a physical team that is sound defensively and creates opportunities through its forecheck.
At the moment, however, they’re struggling to find an identity. Sometimes Tortorella believes the answer is sitting a player — even if said player is the team’s best chance at winning a tie game.
“It’s what I feel I need to do,” Tortorella said of benching the sharp- shooter Laine for the. final 26-plus minutes on Monday. “The last thing I want to do is bench a player. But as I answered your first question, we’re just disjointed in all areas, quite honestly both on and off the ice.”
The Jackets didn’t allow as many odd-man rushes as they did Sunday against the Hurricanes. The defensemen and wingers also didn’t turn over the puck as much in their own zone due to Carolina’s forecheck, but the Hurricanes still had 57 chances compared to 44 on Sunday, according to naturalstattrick.com.
Moving the puck up the ice quickly to avoid the forecheck also created some more sustained offensive zone pressure, but the Hurricanes had 63 shot attempts (24 on goal) versus the Jackets 41 attempts (22 on goal). Naturalstattrick.com showed the Jackets with 26 chances on Sunday and 38 on Monday.
Significant roster turnover from the past couple seasons has an impact on a team’s identity, but there are plenty of players, including Cam Atkinson, who have been with the Jackets for several seasons and are struggling as much as some newer arrivals.
“Whether you’re a new guy, an old guy, we have to hold each other accountable,” Atkinson said. “It doesn’t matter who you are and where you play. We have to all buy in.”
Last season, Tortorella was obsessive with the team concept. Without any elite goal-scorer, his belief was the only way the Jackets could win was to play together as a unit.
That logic was borne out in the middle of the season, before the coronavirus pandemic shut the league down for more than four months, 1183370 Columbus Blue Jackets Laine, in just his fourth game with the organization, has now seen this up close and personal. And … he kinda liked it.
“That’s fair from the coach, that it doesn’t matter who you are,” he said, ‘We’ve moved on’: Blue Jackets’ Patrik Laine makes up with coach after “If you do something, you’ll get benched. That’s great to see for me. You squabble don’t want to be the guy who’s getting benched, but now I’ve seen it myself, that it doesn’t matter who you are or how well you have done, you can get benched. By Aaron Portzline Feb 10, 2021 “If you want to look at something positive out of this, that’s the one thing.”
The Blue Jackets are only one-quarter of the way through the season, COLUMBUS, Ohio — Patrik Laine stepped onto the ice several minutes but they’ve already had two years’ worth of drama. before practice on Wednesday and skated a straight path to Blue Jackets assistant coach Brad Larsen. Between Pierre-Luc Dubois’ trade request, the blockbuster trade with Winnipeg, Laine’s arrival and debut, the outrageous officiating mistake Laine and Larsen peeled away from the group and had a lengthy one-on- versus Carolina on Sunday, Mikko Koivu’s surprise retirement and one conversation in one corner of the rink while the rest of the players Laine’s benching on Monday, it’s only fair to wonder when it’ll be about swirled and fired pucks on goal at the other end. hockey again in Columbus.
It appeared an amiable chat, and it ended with Laine tapping Larsen Foligno tried to act as if the first month of the season has been fairly twice on the chest and Larsen lightly swatting Laine’s shinguard with his normal. stick blade. That’s how hockey players say, “It’s all good, man.” “For what it’s worth, I think a lot of it is (created) by you guys,” he said. “In The controversy that has swirled in Columbus since Monday, when Blue our room, we’re talking about trying to win games. I understand you guys Jackets coach John Tortorella benched Laine for the final 26:19 of a win have lots to write about, but for us, we’re streamlined on how we’re going over Carolina, came to a breezy end on Wednesday. to get better and how we’re going to win games.
Laine was benched, sources told The Athletic, because he “verbally “This has been a weird year for everybody, but I don’t really see that it’s a disrespected” a Blue Jackets assistant coach during the game. It has not lot that we’ve gone through.” been confirmed that Larsen was the coach, but Laine’s pre-practice actions spoke volumes. But he did acknowledge that Laine, 22, endured a difficult lesson on a very public stage. On Wednesday, Laine was contrite, even acknowledging that he “deserved” to be benched, and the Blue Jackets — from Tortorella to “He figured it out pretty quickly, honestly,” Foligno said. “This is our captain Nick Foligno — circled the wagons to defend the star winger. standard here. This is how we go about our business, how we’ve been a successful team here for a lot of years. It’s never personal. It’s just the “This kind of stuff happens sometimes,” Laine said. “Everybody’s locked way it works here. in the game, and stuff like that happens. We’ve moved on. We’ve talked about it. It’s going to stay in the room, but it’s all good now. “You have to give Patrik credit because he’s a lot smarter and a lot more into it and competitive that people sometimes give him credit for. I think “That’s kind of how I’ve always been, playing with such passion, playing Patty has … gotten a good dose of who we are and is ready to jump right really hard, and you’re inside the game, you’re focused. in and be a part of it. Maybe sometimes you have to go through something like that early on to get moving forward, but I thought we all “If that kind of stuff happens, you deserve to get benched. That’s just the handled it well. way it is.” “I want guys who care and want to be here. Patty definitely wants to be Tortorella seemed almost incredulous at the question when asked if here. He’s excited about his opportunity here.” Laine would be in the lineup on Thursday in Chicago. (The answer was yes, by the way.) Laine is a restricted free agent this summer. The Blue Jackets hold his rights for two more seasons after this one, but GM Jarmo Kekäläinen will “You guys (the media) are a little bit more worried or anxious about it try to get Laine under a long-term contract this summer. than we are,” Tortorella said. “We’re just trying to do it the right way, problem-solve when we need to, and try to get about our business. This episode will not have an impact on those talks, Laine said. It happened, it has been dealt with and now the Blue Jackets — with Laine “We’re by it, and we’re getting ready to play Chicago. Yeah, we’re done fully onboard — are moving past it. with it. Everything’s fine, guys.” “I don’t think there’s going to be any issues there,” Laine said, referring to Tortorella said Laine was back in good standing with the Blue Jackets the future contract talks. “I’ve loved my time here so far. It’s going to get shortly after Monday’s game. The benching stole the spotlight from a better for sure. It’s not going to have any effect on my plans for the much-needed win by the Jackets, including a spectacular game-winning future.” goal by Jack Roslovic late in the third period. The Athletic LOADED: 02.11.2021 It was widely speculated that Laine’s defensive lapses on his final two shifts of the game were the reason for his benching, but Tortorella denied that after the game on Monday and drove the point home further on Wednesday.
“I told you I wouldn’t talk about it, but I need to say one last thing on it, which I think is totally unfair to Patty, and that’s some of the situations where people are writing that he didn’t work hard enough (or have enough) intensity or (made) bad mistakes,” Tortorella said.
“As I told you guys after the game, it had nothing to do with him being on the ice. That’s what bothers me about it most is we moved by it right away. I don’t think Patty should be put in the shade of light that he was lazy or that he didn’t work hard enough because that’s not what this kid’s about. We know he’s a great competitor and he’s a really good player. He’s going to be a big part of our team here. That’s what bothers me the most about the aftermath of this. Everybody tends to make things up when they really don’t know what’s going on. That’s all I’ll say on it.”
Tortorella has said repeatedly that he will hold every player on the roster accountable, no matter where they were drafted, how many goals they’ve scored, how big a contract they’ve signed, etc. 1183371 Dallas Stars But with the Stars’ style of asking defensemen to jump into the rush, and the confidence that Oleksiak has played with across the last six months, that has meant more involvement in transition from Oleksiak and less Matt’s mail: Looking at Miro Heiskanen’s start to the season, the Stars’ from Heiskanen. It’s fantastic that Oleksiak is involved in the offense, but drafting and more less so when he takes away from Heiskanen’s electricity on the ice.
Might this be better in terms of balancing the aggressive play? You can always change them around given a certain situation (leading, trailing, By Matthew DeFranks 5:50 PM on Feb 10, 2021 CST offensive zone, defensive zone).
Esa Lindell – John Klingberg
The Stars’ season is almost three weeks old and we’ve seen a couple Miro Heiskanen – Andrej Sekera/Mark Pysyk different versions of this team. Jamie Oleksiak – Mark Pysyk/Andrej Sekera There’s the world-beating one that sped out to a 4-0-0 start, with strong goaltending and a blistering power play. Then there’s the team that’s oh- Montgomery tried playing Heiskanen with Sekera at the start of last so-close to picking up extra points in the last week, but stumbling to a 1- season, but the pair didn’t play together at all really after the 1-7-1 start. 2-3 record. Could things be different this year with a slightly tweaked structure?
The Stars continue their eight-game home stand with a two-game series Heiskanen is going to be fine. He still has games where he looks superb vs. Carolina on Thursday and Saturday. Let’s get to some of your (Jan. 28 against the Red Wings). And there will be a point this season questions. where those games will become more regular.
Are you nervous about Heiskanen at all? He hasn’t look like himself Should there be concern that the Stars system internally outside of this season. Miro/Klinger/Faksa haven't developed any real NHL ready level success recently? Should Dallas use Lindell or Klingberg as trade bait to gain — mike kenehan (@kenehanmike) February 9, 2021 picks/prospects?
In the last three years of watching Miro Heiskanen, there’s been one — Mike Nicholas (@mikenick87) February 9, 2021 thing that has been a constant refrain from his coaches: you don’t have to worry about Miro. I don’t agree with your premise that the Stars have not developed NHL- ready talent recently. Jim Montgomery said it when he was the coach in Dallas. Rick Bowness has said it before as the assistant coach running the defensemen and Before we get to the players the Stars have drafted and developed now as the head coach. Heiskanen has given them good reason to not recently, let’s simply reset expectations for prospects, particularly first- worry about him, since it seems like every time he looks like he’s rounders. When I look at prospects, there are generally three items to struggling, he bounces back with another outstanding game. consider: What are the odds they make the NHL at all? How long do they stay in the NHL? How impactful are they in the NHL? You’re right in that Heiskanen hasn’t stolen the spotlight this season. He’s been overshadowed by John Klingberg on the Stars blue line, and All three questions are slightly different, but will tell you a whole lot about he hasn’t taken over games consistently like he did during the playoffs. the player. For example, a first-rounder making the NHL is not a surprise, but even getting a sixth or seventh-round pick to the NHL is a minor But let’s pause and reflect for a moment here. victory for scouts. Late-round success stories like John Klingberg, Jamie Benn and Joe Pavelski are not the norm. They are the exception. How blessed are Stars fans right now that a 21-year-old defenseman has seven points in 10 games, and that is a cause for concern? That’s an Similarly, just as all draft picks are not the same, all first-round picks are amazing statement on the expectations placed on Heiskanen as the not the same. Multiple research studies have shown that the value of future of the franchise, and the caliber of play that’s projected from a picks in the first round declines sharply in the middle of the round, when player in his third season in the NHL. they more closely resemble second-round picks than the top 15.
Among the 123 defensemen who have played at least 150 minutes at 5 That means we should evaluate players like Denis Gurianov (No. 12), on 5, Heiskanen is fourth with 1.8 points per 60. Miro Heiskanen (No. 3) and Ty Dellandrea (No. 13) differently than we would Jason Dickinson (No. 29), Riley Tufte (No. 25), Mavrik Bourque With defensemen — and Heiskanen in particular — it’s not all about (No. 30) and even Thomas Harley (No. 18). points. Heiskanen is so detailed on the back end in his body positioning and stick placement that much of what he does defensively goes It’s also OK for a first-round pick to not be an offensive player. Radek underappreciated at best and unnoticed at worst. Faksa was a first-round pick. Andrew Cogliano was a first-round pick. Mark Pysyk was a first-round pick. They stay in the league because they When he’s really playing well, you’ll see a bunch of times where he’s able tailored their skills to fit the NHL game and did so successfully enough to to exit his own zone cleanly and lead the rush the other way. That has remain in the league for quite some time. still been there at times, but not as evident as usual with Heiskanen, likely leading to his big decrease in shot attempts and shots on goal at It’s perfectly fine that Dickinson is a first-round pick that plays in the the other end of the ice. bottom six. If Tufte makes the NHL as a big, shutdown winger in the bottom six (it’s trending that way a bit), that is OK. Obviously, teams that Even Tuesday against the Blackhawks, there were examples of his d- draft high need to hit on big impact players that can change a game — zone play within minutes of each other. A turnover led to Dominik like the Stars did on Heiskanen — but the expectation wanes as you Kubalik’s scoring chance. Then there was Heiskanen denying Patrick move deeper into the draft. Kane a wraparound attempt, but only after Heiskanen wiped out into the boards seconds earlier. The Stars absolutely whiffed on the 2014 draft and much of the 2013 draft outside of Dickinson. But the Stars plucked scorers Gurianov and The Stars are actually giving up less defensively when Heiskanen is on Roope Hintz in 2015. Rhett Gardner and Nick Caamano have already the ice this season compared to when he was on the ice last year. The reached the NHL/taxi squad this season as late-round picks in 2016, problem is that Dallas is also generating less offense with him this year while Tufte and Fredrik Karlstrom appear to be next. vs. last year. The 2017 draft has the chance to change the franchise with Heiskanen, According to Natural Stat Trick, the Stars are allowing more shot Jake Oettinger and Jason Robertson, plus Jacob Peterson potentially on attempts (48.16% for the Stars) and shots on goal (47.10%) with him on his way as a depth forward. Ty Dellandrea has already impressed, while the ice at 5 on 5, but owning scoring chances (56.15%), expected goals the jury is still out on the NHL futures of 2018 picks like Albin Eriksson, (50.83%) and goals (58.33%). Oskar Back, Adam Mascherin and Riley Damiani. Thomas Harley is Part of me wonders whether the Stars would be better served splitting up knocking at the NHL door from the 2019 draft, and then Dallas went Jamie Oleksiak and Heiskanen. The pair played so well together during heavy on skill and speed with its 2020 draft headlined by Bourque. the playoffs, and the history of success is there for them. I’m not sure how you just gloss over all of those NHL players and Joel Kiviranta – Joe Pavelski – Alexander Radulov prospects in the pipeline and say that the Stars have only developed Heiskanen since Jim Nill took over. Jamie Benn – Roope Hintz – Denis Gurianov
If the Stars are going to trade either Esa Lindell or John Klingberg (they Andrew Cogliano – Radek Faksa – Blake Comeau shouldn’t and maybe the time to shop Lindell would be when Klingberg Jason Robertson – Jason Dickinson – Ty Dellandrea needs a new contract), you would hope the package is centered around NHL talent with the Stars currently in a championship window. Rick Bowness has liked rotating young players through the fourth line, so there’s probably a scenario in which Justin Dowling, Nick Caamano, For Dallas, it would make more sense to keep its current draft inventory Tanner Kero, Rhett Gardner and Joel L’Esperance are subbing in and — instead of trade for more — since they did not have a second or third- out for Robertson and Dellandrea. round pick in either of the last two drafts. What's the living situation/road roommates deal for the rookies and taxi Do you see the Stars as a player in the trade market given the cap squad this season with COVID? Are they all being put up in hotels while issues they had in the offseason, or has Johns’ move to LTIR opened up in Dallas? space? If they are a player, who/what position might they target? Forwards? Center? Thanks! — Emma (@ELRyle) February 9, 2021
— Brandon Crosby (@brandoncrosby) February 9, 2021 There are no roommates on the road this season. Typically, players on entry-level contracts would share a room on the road, but the NHL’s If the Stars are going to be active in the trade market, it won’t be a big COVID-19 protocols prevent that this season. trade. The good news for them is two-fold: they probably won’t need an earth-shattering trade given the composition of the roster and that Tyler As far as rookies and the taxi squad, the Stars have arranged furnished Seguin and Ben Bishop are coming back in the spring, and there are apartments for them to live in. In the past, players might have stayed in plenty of players on cheap contracts in a pandemic marketplace. local hotels, but the apartments are a more comfortable setup. The idea is the same as previous seasons (that the team provides housing for Since the Stars are using long-term injured reserve, the amount of cap players that could be moving frequently) but there are just more players space they will have will wholly depend on the roster’s makeup at the to provide for this season given the addition of the taxi squad. time — including any possible injuries the team has to deal with. By putting Stephen Johns and Bishop on LTIR during training camp, the Of course, players always want the call from management telling them to Stars accumulated cap space by sending players to the taxi squad and find an apartment of their own because that means they’re sticking with AHL affiliate Texas. As of Wednesday, the Stars had about $5.7 million in the NHL club. cap space. I don’t really go to Chick-fil-A at all. Now, that’s not as much space as it sounds like. The Stars will use some But give me a double-double animal style with animal fries from In N Out, of that space to recall players from the taxi squad as soon as Thursday. or a barbecue chicken strip sandwich from Whataburger with spicy And the team needs to have $4.917 million available to activate Bishop ketchup. Also all in on a Chipotle bowl with brown rice, chicken, veggies, when he returns, though it would gain $925,000 when Jake Oettinger both beans, all four salsas, lettuce and cheese. Yeah, I said all four presumably heads to the taxi squad. salsas. It’ll change your world. If the Stars were to make a move for a forward without shedding a roster Dallas Morning News LOADED: 02.11.2021 player, it would likely be a depth player on a minimal cap hit.
Given the team’s depth on defense (Joel Hanley, Taylor Fedun, Thomas Harley and Julius Honka all seem capable of stepping in if needed), not sure it makes sense for the Stars to chase a defenseman at the deadline, barring injury, of course.
Any update on seguin and bishops timelines?
— Chris Chambers (@chrischam2b) February 9, 2021
Nothing new on Tyler Seguin and Ben Bishop, according to general manager Jim Nill, with a “more definitive timeline to be determined as they continue rehab.” Bishop had knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus in mid to late October, while Seguin had surgery on his hip to repair a torn labrum in early November.
Both surgeries required five months of rehabilitation, putting Bishop on track to return in mid to late March and Seguin back in early April.
“No change, wish there was a sooner update but [they’re] on their original timeline as of now,” Nill said in a text message.
Does Bishop still have a chance to comeback as #1 goalie for the Stars?
— Your best follower (@Yurbestfollower) February 9, 2021
Yes. Not being Dallas’ No. 1 would require Bishop taking a massive step back when he returns, which seems unlikely since Bishop has usually come back from injuries at an elite level. The issue has been keeping him healthy.
The other possibility is that Anton Khudobin plays so well the Stars cede the net to him, or Jake Oettinger somehow passes both Khudobin and Bishop on the depth chart. Those scenarios are highly unlikely.
Who loses ice time when Kiviranta is healthy and playing again?
— Tim Perkins (@RockwallTim) February 9, 2021
It seems to be a revolving door for the Stars when it comes to injuries. When Kiviranta returned, Radulov was out. When Radulov is back in, who knows if anyone is hurt? But when everyone (besides Seguin) is healthy, think the Stars lineup could look like this: 1183372 Dallas Stars anthem were John Carlos and Tommie Smith. They were stripped of their medals and kicked off the U.S. Olympic team for holding their fists overhead to protest racial inequality back home as the anthem played for Flashback: Why leagues should just play ball, and not national anthem, their medal ceremony at the ’68 Summer Games in Mexico City. at sporting events The real reason Abdul-Rauf shouldn’t have to stand for it is because it shouldn’t be heard there.
By Kevin B. Blackistone 1:59 PM on Feb 10, 2021 CST It isn’t, I’ll bet, played before you go to work. It isn’t played before the city symphony leaps into an evening of Beethoven. It isn’t played before you take your seat at the local multi-screened theater. It isn’t played before the bell sounds on Wall Street. It isn’t played before Rush Limbaugh or Former SportsDay columnist Kevin B. Blackistone wrote this column on G. Gordan Liddy start running off at the mouth. March 15, 1996. We’re bringing it back because of Mark Cuban’s decision to stop playing the anthem at Dallas Mavericks games, and the The national anthem, in fact, isn’t even played on Capital Hill. If those national reaction that followed... who supposedly have your national interests at heart don’t have to be bothered with it, then neither should a mere athlete like Mahmoud Abdul- I don’t hang Old Glory on the front porch for the Fourth of July. I don’t Rauf or anyone who goes to watch him play. hum the Battle Hymn of the Republic on Veteran’s Day, even though my great uncle Henry - segregated in an all-black unit though he was - Dallas Morning News LOADED: 02.11.2021 fought in World War I and my parents keep the flag that draped his casket.
I am not, in other words, a person anyone would mistake as a flag- waving American - African, European, Asian or otherwise.
I will, however, be asked on Friday to honor America by standing for the national anthem. Not once, but at least twice. And, again on Sunday. And, a couple of times the next weekend. And, the weekend after that.
Despite my lack of passionate patriotism, I’m probably asked to honor America by standing and listening to the national anthem more than most passionately patriotic Americans. That is because I’m employed in the sports arena, where the playing of the national anthem is as much a part of game starts as are kickoffs, tipoffs and puck drops.
It will be played in the Richmond, Va., arena where this weekend I will cover some early rounds of the NCAA Tournament. It’ll be played in Las Vegas on Saturday before Mike Tyson bludgeons Frank Bruno.
Taking a stand
It’ll be played, of course, in Chicago on Friday before the Bulls meet Denver, which will see the return of its star point guard, Mahmoud Abdul- Rauf, who was suspended by the NBA on Tuesday for his refusal founded in his religious beliefs to stand for the rendition.
That is Abdul-Rauf’s right as, of all things, an American, a Muslim American. That is where the NBA is wrong.
The NBA would have learned, had it continued its suspension of Abdul- Rauf, that his decision not to demonstrate allegiance during the national anthem based on his interpretation of Islam is protected by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It prohibits discrimination based on religion and has been upheld numerous times.
The law also asks employers to reasonably accommodate employees’ religious practices, which in Abdul-Rauf’s case could have been allowing him to stay in the locker room until after the national anthem is played. Or, maybe, trading him to the Mavericks, where owner Don Carter, without threat of suspension from the NBA, prefers playing America the Beautiful. Instead, Abdul-Rauf on Thursday agreed to stand and pray during the anthem.
The most rational decision, of course, would be to drop the national anthem from pre-game festivities all together. What, after all, does it have to do with the NFC title game, or some meaningless September doubleheader between the Rangers and the Twins?
This all started years ago in baseball. The Hall of Fame has an account of it being played before a game in 1862 and again before a few games during the 1917 and 1918 World Series. During World War II, when upward of 700 ballplayers had their careers put on hold in the Armed Services, the anthem became tradition at baseball games.
Other sports followed. It now is custom in all sports for absolutely no reason other than it is custom.
Out of tune
That is the real problem with the national anthem for which Abdul-Rauf doesn’t want to stand. Forget that given this country’s history involving black Americans, many other black Americans – me included - long have felt queasy during the national anthem. Forget that the only other athletes penalized so harshly for not standing at allegiance during the national 1183373 Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars appear to troll Mark Cuban and Mavericks with message on national anthem
BY STEFAN STEVENSON
The Dallas Stars have weighed in on the national anthem flap, even if no one asked them.
The team posted a message on social media seemingly trolling the Dallas Mavericks and owner Mark Cuban who had chosen not to play the anthem before games through 13 games this season at American Airlines Center. The Mavs said they will begin playing the anthem again, according to a team spokesman. Cuban said earlier in the day that the team has had ongoing conversations on the potential use of the anthem as more fans are allowed to attend games. Indeed, the anthem was played before Wednesday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks.
The Stars, who also play their home games at American Airlines Center, have allowed a limited number of fans at games this season. The Mavs have only allowed a very small number of fans on a very limited basis recently.
We have issued the following statement regarding the National Anthem. pic.twitter.com/7ZR7HXMW73
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) February 10, 2021
“The national anthem is a time-honored tradition and the Dallas Stars will continue to perform the Star-Spangled Banner prior to our games at American Airlines Center,” the team posted on Twitter. “As the only National Hockey League team in Texas, we are proud to represent our state and our country.”
In a news release, Cuban explained his stance on the anthem, including those that feel the anthem does not represent them.
“We respect and always have respected the passion people have for the anthem and our country. But we also loudly hear the voices of those who feel that the anthem does not represent them. We feel that their voices need to be respected and heard, because they have not been,” Cuban said. “Going forward, our hope is that people will take the same passion they have for this issue and apply the same amount of energy to listen to those who feel differently from them. Only then we can move forward and have courageous conversations that move this country forward and find what unites us.”
The national anthem will play prior to tonight’s game and Mark Cuban has released the following statement. pic.twitter.com/rEAD9jXbSw
— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) February 10, 2021
Star-Telegram LOADED: 02.11.2021
1183374 Detroit Red Wings
How the reeling Detroit Red Wings plan to play to their strengths moving forward
HELENE ST. JAMES
Though their record does not reflect it, the Detroit Red Wings sound assured they are doing the right things to scrape themselves off the mat.
They take a 3-9-2 record into a pair of games at Nashville, most recently losing 2-1 to the Panthers; the fifth time the Wings dropped a one-goal game.
“It’s definitely not the results we are looking for,” defenseman Jon Merrill said. “We have to find a way to win some of those games. When that happens once or twice, it is going to really build our confidence. We are definitely not satisfied, but I think we are going in the right direction. We are starting to play the right way. We just have to be more consistent with that effort and the results will follow.”
Among the biggest issues for the Wings has been their power play.
At 9.3%, it ranks 30th in the NHL, having converted four times on 43 opportunities. The unit was without four regulars when Merrill, Robby Fabbri, Filip Zadina and Sam Gagner were sidelined two weeks after testing positive for COVID-19 in the opening week of the season. But even as those players have returned, the power play continues to be on life support.
"We have to be more assertive and just simplify things a little bit,” Merrill said. “We have to get more pucks to the cage. I think we are doing a decent job of gaining entries at times, and we are just not getting pucks to the net. A good power play starts with chaos, it starts with shots at the net, and that loosens up the PK. We have to do a better job of that early in the power play, of getting shots on net and really creating that chaos.”
The Wings snapped an eight-game winless skid when they won Sunday against the Panthers, but weren’t able to build on that. They are without Tyler Bertuzzi and Luke Glendening, who are sidelined by upper-body injuries.
“What happens at times when you struggle to score is, you lose your focus on defense and you gain a greater focus on offense, and next thing you know you’re bad defensively and you’re still not scoring,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “That’s a recipe for disaster. We are not going to win games, 6-5, on a regular basis. We have to win games 2-1, 3-2.
"We have to make sure we continue to stick to the foundation that is going to make us successful, and that’s being really hard to play against. We have to stay with it. We can’t stray away from these principles."
While the Wings rank last in the league with a 1.93 goals-for average, their 3.29 goals-allowed average ranks 23rd.
“I think that our guys understand that our best chance to be successful is to be a hard team to play against,” Blashill said. “There are things that go into that. One is physicality. One is work and compete and one is defense. You end up getting chances because you’re on the right side of pucks and you are creating turnovers. I think our guys are gaining an understanding, which hopefully then builds to an identity of being a hard team to play against.
“We have done a pretty good job this year of refusing to lose our way and staying with it.”
Beyond scores, Blashill said the Wings rate how they have performed based on internal statistics. He declined to share what those are, but did say, “we look at chances for and against, that we do internally ourselves. How we do in front of each net-front is extremely important. Ultimately you want to give up as little as you can and try to have a great margin of chances-for than against.”
Detroit Free Press LOADED: 02.11.2021 1183375 Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings' frustration grows as good effort does not yield good result
HELENE ST. JAMES
The frustration is tangible as the Detroit Red Wings once again play competitively but fail to get a win.
Their brief respite from losing lasted only one game, as they fell, 2-1, to the Florida Panthers Tuesday at BB&T Center.
“We need results and we need them now, with the hole we dug ourselves into the past couple weeks,” captain Dylan Larkin said. “But the process of our game is almost where it needs to be, consistently, here in the last three games. I feel like it is building. We had chances, we had looks on the power play, we had zone time. It could have gone either way. Yeah, we made mistakes, but we made up for them by work ethic and our compete level and that was the main message the past three games.
“You are going to make mistakes, just make up for them with compete and work ethic.”
The Wings (3-9-2) broke an eight-game winless skid Sunday against the Panthers, but Tuesday brought more of the previous misery, despite an individual highlight: Larkin set up Filip Zadina’s goal Tuesday, which was Zadina’s second point in three games after missing two weeks battling COVID-19.
“I think we were playing pretty good,” Zadina said. “We started good, we put the puck behind their D. We won the battles. We scored a goal and we were feeling pretty good.
“Just couldn’t make it even. I think we feel good as a team, but we have to find ways to score more than one goal in a game. I feel like we were pretty close to get a point at least, but it is what it is.”
The Wings were without top-line winger Tyler Bertuzzi and alternate captain Luke Glendening, both of whom are sidelined with upper-body injuries.
It’s been a frustrating month for the Wings, who came into the season confident they were deeper and better than the squad that finished last in 2020. But losing five players to COVID-19 protocols in the opening week dashed hopes early, and led to going eight games without a victory before heading into a Sunday-Tuesday series at Florida.
Zadina made it 1-0 less than four minutes into Tuesday’s game, and the Wings held the lead for a little over 12 minutes in the first period before the Panthers tied it at 1.
“I was pleased with parts of the game,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “I think we were competitive. We did a good job battling. We hurt ourselves the second half of the first and the first half of the second by turning pucks over.
“I thought overall we did a good job defending, we didn’t give them a whole bunch of chances. These are the types of games we need to put ourselves in and we need to find a way to win. We have to find a way to score.”
The Wings entered Tuesday averaging just two goals a game, 30th out of 31 teams this season. (Only the Anaheim Ducks have been worse, entering Tuesday averaging 1.85 goals per game.) Perhaps Thursday's opponent will provide some relief, though.
The Wings head to Nashville for a two-game set to complete a 6-game trip. The Predators entered the day allowing 3.33 goals per game — ninth-worst in the league — and then gave up six goals to Central Division leader Tampa Bay on Tuesday night.
Detroit Free Press LOADED: 02.11.2021 1183376 Detroit Red Wings goaltending, and that’s where it starts and we know what we have to do, eliminate the chances we’re giving up, and we’ve done a decent job of that.
Steady veteran Jon Merrill wants to help turn around Red Wings “We’re not satisfied with the results. We’re frustrated with the losses, but we’ll continue to build defensively and that’s something any good team is, the backbone of their identity is sound defense and that’s what we’re trying to build and continue to get better at.” TED KULFAN | The Detroit News Red Wings at Predators
► Faceoff: 8 p.m. Thursday, Bridgestone Arena, Nashville For the past three seasons, Jon Merrill went to the Stanley Cup Finals and had two other playoff runs while playing with the expansion Vegas ► TV/radio: Fox Sports Detroit-plus/97.1 FM Golden Knights. ► Outlook: The Red Wings (3-9-2) and Nashville (5-8-0) open a two- Winning became part of the culture quickly in the Vegas organization. game series. …The Predators are struggling, losing three consecutive games and seven of their last 10. ... Nashville ranks 22nd on the power The Grand Blanc native signed with the Wings last summer as an play and last on the penalty kill. ... LW Filip Forsberg (six goals, five unrestricted free agent and Merrill understood what he was getting into assists) leads offensively. — a Wings organization that was rebuilding and coming off a historically poor season. Detroit News LOADED: 02.11.2021 The start of this season has only been marginally better, which has made for a adjustment for the veteran defenseman.
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"It’s frustrating to lose,” Merrill said after Wednesday’s practice in Nashville. “We’re all competitive athletes, so to lose, it’s never easy, regardless if you come from a winning team before or not. Nobody likes to lose.
“It’s definitely something we’re trying to get rid of and get things going in the right direction and string some wins together.”
Merrill, 29, signed a one-year contract worth $925,000, as general manager Steve Yzerman attempted to upgrade the Wings with quality veterans who could guide a younger roster along.
Merrill, who played collegiately at Michigan, was thrilled with the opportunity to return home.
So far, Merrill, has shown to be a positive addition, and proving to be a professional example on and off the ice for coach Jeff Blashill
Merrill missed six games being on COVID-19 protocol, but has two assists in eight games, with a plus-2 plus-minus rating, and has provided a calmness any team needs.
“Jon Merrill is a big piece; he's come in and done a real good job on our defense core," Blashill said. "He's a really calm person, and his calmness has helped our team. He has a quiet confidence to him and his play is solid. He's a guy who, and it was almost a knock against him early (in Merrill's career), that he didn't do anything great but did everything pretty well.
"But that's what you like out of your defensemen, to do all things pretty well and he does that. He helps our penalty kill, power play, 5-on-5 in different roles, he's there at the end of games because he's a big guy who has poise and confidence with the puck, and when he makes a mistake it doesn't fluster him and that's an important lesson for the rest of our team."
Tuesday’s 2-1 loss in Florida was the Wings’ third consecutive game in which they’ve had a defensive effort worthy of a win — but lack of offense has won them only one of the three games.
Merrill believes the Wings are close to putting everything together.
“We’ve got to find a way to win some of those games,” Merrill said. “We did a good job (Tuesday), we had chances to tie that game up late, and we’ve got to find a way to get that done.
“When that happens once or twice, it’s going to build our confidence. We’re definitely not satisfied, but we’re going in the right direction. Play the right way and we just have to be consistent with the effort and the results will follow.”
The way the Wings have played defensively over the last week, Merrill said, could be the formation of the identity this lineup has.
“We’re trying to find out who we are as a group,” Merrill said. “We understand we’re not going to out-skill many teams in this league and go out and win games 6-5 like you’re seeing some of the scores out there. We have to be a team that will have to win 3-2 or 2-1, so we’ve got great 1183377 Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings can’t cash in on power play in loss to Panthers
By Ansar Khan
A familiar script unfolded Tuesday for the Detroit Red Wings -- they had an opportunity to win but didn’t cash in on the power play.
The Florida Panthers won the special teams battle and defeated the Red Wings 2-1 at BB&T Center.
Filip Zadina scored the lone goal for Detroit (3-9-2), which went 0 for 3 on the power play and failed to convert on a pair of opportunities during the first half of the third period while trailing by a goal.
The Red Wings are 0 for 16 on the power play in their past six games.
Sergei Bobrovsky made 31 saves to improve to 17-5-1 lifetime against the Red Wings. Florida improved to 7-1-2.
Patric Hornqvist snapped a 1-1 tie on the power play at 8:04 of the second period. He was at his usual spot near the front of the net when Aaron Ekblad’s shot glanced off his chest.
The Red Wings pulled goaltender Thomas Gress for the extra skater late in the game. They generated a couple of chances in the final minute but didn’t convert.
The game was tied 1-1 after one period.
Zadina scored his first goal of the season, in his seventh game, at 3:31. He took a pass from Dylan Larkin and beat Bobrovsky on the short side from a sharp angle.
Alex Wennberg tied it at 15:44, slamming in a pass from Jonathan Huberdeau while parked at the net front.
Anthony Mantha returned to the lineup after being scratched Sunday because of his recent sluggish performance. Luke Glendening missed the game and is listed as day to day after taking a shoulder check to the head from Radko Gudas in the previous game.
The Red Wings wrap up this six-game road trip, their longest of the season, at Nashville Thursday and Saturday.
Michigan Live LOADED: 02.11.2021 1183378 Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings to Anthony Mantha: skate, move your feet
By Ansar Khan
It has often been said a body in motion will remain in motion and a body at rest tends to stay at rest.
Anthony Mantha hasn’t been in motion enough this season to suit Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill, which is why the big forward was scratched from the lineup on Sunday.
Blashill, after today’s morning skate, declined to reveal whether Mantha will return to the lineup tonight against Florida at the BB&T Center (7 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit Plus), but he made it clear what he wants to see from him.
“Ultimately, when Anthony skates he’s a great player and when he doesn’t skate, he’s not as good, so just got to make sure as a player that he’s continuing to bend those knees and move his feet,” Blashill said.
Blashill said performance issues, not discipline, prompted him to sit Mantha Sunday in Florida, a game the Red Wings won 4-1 to stop an eight-game slide (0-6-2).
He was asked if he consulted with general manager Steve Yzerman.
“I would just say that I talk to Steve on a regular basis pretty much every day about a lot of things, including our lineup and players,” Blashill said.
Mantha has four goals and three assists in 12 games, along with a team- worst minus-8 rating.
Injury updates
Blashill said Luke Glendening is out tonight and listed as day-to-day. Glendening took a shoulder check to the head from Radko Gudas during the first period Sunday and did not return.
Gudas was not penalized and did not receive any supplementary discipline from the NHL.
“I thought it was a clean hit,” Blashill said. “I think Glenny thought it was a clean hit.”
Goaltender Jonathan Bernier (upper-body injury) is close to returning but Blashill had no specific date.
Tyler Bertuzzi (upper-body injury) will remain out through at least the next three games, which includes a pair in Nashville Thursday and Saturday.
More of same needed
The Red Wings registered a season-high 39 shots on goal and equaled their season-high goal total on Sunday. More importantly, they showed a high compete level they must repeat more often.
“We had an extremely high compete level the other day and I think we had it on a good number of nights, but that’s two in a row where our compete level was real high,” Blashill said. “We have to work, and we have to compete and ultimately we have to be hard to play against.
“For me, it means, one, competitiveness and physicality and two, really good and stingy defensively. Be above them all night long and not give them free looks at our net, clogging up the neutral zone, defending really well. Our D-zone coverage has to be better than it was the other night. We had breakdowns in our D-zone.”
Michigan Live LOADED: 02.11.2021 1183379 Edmonton Oilers What a team does after climbing back to .500 usually dictates how the season is going to go, so we’ll find out soon enough if the Oilers are ready to continue where they left off against the Senators. Montreal is a big step up from Ottawa, as are Winnipeg and Calgary after that, but Edmonton Oilers ready to move up a weight class against Canadiens prosperity never comes easy.
“We’re getting a better feel for our team and with Mike Smith coming back it will give us more balance,” said Tippett. “Hopefully we’re pushing Robert Tychkowski in the right direction. I think there is still lots of growth left in this group, but we’re moving in the right direction.”
There is nothing like four games against the Ottawa Senators to get a Getting Smith back 14 games into the season is another key layer in the wayward hockey team heading back in the right direction. equation. He and Mikko Koskinen splitting the duties makes both goalies better. The key for the Edmonton Oilers will be to stay on this path now that the degree of difficulty is about to get ramped up – five straight games “It’s a big factor,” said Tippett. “We’ll have a fresh guy going every night. against opponents with higher winning percentages, starting with That’s when both of our guys were at their best last year. Koskinen came Thursday’s visit to Montreal. in last game and gave us a really strong game.”
“This is where you can keep gaining ground,” said Oilers winger Alex Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 02.11.2021 Chiasson. “We didn’t get off to the start we wanted to, but we battled our way back. We’re feeling like more of a team. We’re starting to build a little bit of an identity in how we play and the roles on our team.”
After limping out to a 3-6-0 start, the Oilers are trending in the right direction, going 5-1-0 in their last six to move a game over .500 for the first time this season.
That four of those wins were against the 2-11-1 Senators means it’s fair to wonder what it all means, but head coach Dave Tippett, who is brutally honest in his assessments, says they’re a much different group than the one Montreal swept in the first week of the season.
“We’re playing better now than we were early on,” said Tippett. “The two games against Montreal, the first one we got behind early, the second one was early in the season, three in four nights, I thought we looked fatigued, got behind and chased the game again.
“(The Canadiens) are a good team, they got out to a great start this year and they have really good balance in goaltending, D and their forward lines. It will be a great challenge. I’m looking forward to it.”
It will be another one of those measuring stick games we’re going to see all season, providing valuable insight on the Oilers much-needed transformation.
Not only have the Oilers been able to put some wins together, they’ve been able to go about it in a variety of different ways. They won 8-5 and they won 3-1. They won ugly and won by making the highlight reels. They won with special teams and won when the power play fizzled. They won when Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl stole the show and won when the stars got blanked.
Ottawa or not, they’ve looked good.
“I think we’ve just gelled as a team over these last couple of weeks,” said winger Josh Archibald. “When you’re playing well and winning games it’s a big mental boost.
“The fact we’re sticking to our systems and playing our game, we’re not trying to be too fancy, we’re not trying to do too much, we’re just playing simple hockey right now is really helping us.”
So is getting offensive help from almost everywhere. Of Edmonton’s last 14 goals, only three came from Draisiatl and McDavid. The rest were Darnell Nurse (3), Jesse Puljujarvi (3), Jujhar Khaira, Archibald, Tyler Ennis, Tyson Barrie and Evan Bouchard.
Tuesday’s 3-2 win over the Senators marked in the first time since 2017 (225 games) that the Oilers won a game in which McDavid and Draisaitl were held off the score sheet altogether. Now, that probably has more to do with how few times they’ve both been shut out on the same night, but still.
“Last game we didn’t have our best stuff, but we found a way to get points,” said Chaisson, who believes six new players and a taxi squad of extras are finally getting acclimatized after not having a pre-season.
“There are so many guys here and the lineup has changed a lot, but the sooner guys accept their roles and get used to each other and how we play, that’s how we’ll get back to being the team we’re capable of.
“We got off to a little bit of a slow start, but we’re back to just over .500 so its on us over the next couple of weeks.” 1183380 Edmonton Oilers Josh Archibald took a shot off the hand in the series against Ottawa, but was quick to point out he still had both of them so was all good heading in against Montreal.
OILERS SNAPSHOTS: Two goaltenders make for better play Archibald had an assist Tuesday to go with the goal he scored Monday, and has been playing well regardless of where he’s used in the lineup. He’s gained the trust of the coaching staff in all situations.
Derek Van Diest “I think if you just go out, do what you’re asked and give it your all shift- to-shift, the coach is going to reward you,” Archibald said. “I’ve been put
in some situations that’ve helped me be successful and whether it’s the The Edmonton Oilers look like a new team with Mike Smith on the roster, first line or fourth line or anywhere in between, or on the penalty kill, I just and he didn’t even play in the second game of a back-to-back against the have to play the way I can play and bring the intensity and I think that’s Ottawa Senators. helping me a lot so far this year.”
Having Smith back has helped Mikko Koskinen, who had a strong Archibald has three goals and four points this season and has become rebound performance Tuesday in a 3-2 win over the Senators. an effective penalty killer for the Oilers.
Koskinen made 40 saves in the victory, which lifted the Oilers above .500 “He just does a lot of things right,” Tippett said. “If you look at the (8-7-0) for the first time this season, with the final game of a four-game structure he plays with, he’s a real smart player and is willing to sacrifice road trip Thursday (5 p.m., Sportsnet West) against the Montreal his body, block shots or getting in lanes and finishing checks. Canadiens. Positionally, he’s really sound. He’s just a guy you throw out in situations, you can trust his play and he gives you maximum effort every night.” “It’s a big factor and that’s when both of our guys were at their best last year,” Oilers head coach Dave Tippett said Wednesday. “Getting Smitty Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 02.11.2021 back allows them both to be fresh when they play. Koskinen came in (Tuesday) night and gave us a real strong game.
“We needed saves at the right time. Koskinen made one, we had a turnover late in the period that he had a point-blank one, that he made a great save on. He came in (Tuesday) night and gave us a chance to win and that’s all you can ask from your goaltender. If we have a fresh guy going every night, hopefully they can do that for us every night.”
The Oilers were outshot 42-22 by the Senators, although Tippet said the shots were deceiving because, by his count, the quality chances were similar and Ottawa threw a lot pucks at the net and did a better job retrieving them.
Regardless, the Oilers feel they have a strong tandem again with Smith having returned from a lower-body injury sustained during the warm-up on opening night. The injury forced Koskinen to play 10 straight to start the season and 12 of the first 13 games.
Koskinen fought the puck in a 6-4 loss against the Calgary Flames to start the road trip and Smith returned to make 27 saves in a 3-1 win against the Senators on Monday.
Smith is expected to get the start against the Canadiens on Thursday. Tippett does not have a set plan how to deploy his goaltenders for now, but as long as they both stay healthy, the two should be sharing the work the rest of the way.
“It’s more by feel right now until we get Smitty up and going here,” Tippett said. “We’ll get them both up and playing regular. It’s going to be a little different than last year, because the schedule is so condensed this year. There are more back-to-backs and three-in-fours and four-in-six. You’re going to have to use both of them and when you get into certain teams that you like one guy more than the other, we’ll see how that goes.”
QUIET NIGHT FOR DYNAMIC DUO
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were kept off the scoresheet against Ottawa and the Oilers still won.
That hasn’t happened since Nov. 28, 2017, against the Arizona Coyotes, a span of 225 games. Both McDavid and Draisaitl had a 10-game point streak come to an end in Ottawa.
“They’re two key players on our team that play in a lot of offensive situations,” Tippett said. “I think it’s more a credit to them the amount they impact the game in every way. They go into a game and they’re going to get points most nights.”
McDavid and Draisaitl have both been shut out three times this season, only once on the same night, which came in a 3-1 loss to the Canadiens on Jan. 18.
“You’re talking about a small percentage of games where they don’t get points and then the rest of the team chips in and wins,” Tippett said. “To me, that stat is more about how many games they actually do get points in than they don’t get in, and our team wins.”
UTILITY MAN 1183381 Florida Panthers top-10 in the NHL in penalty kills (eighth, 84.6 percent) and power-play efficiency (ninth, 25 percent).
RUNNING IT BACK ‘They trust me here.’ With expanded role, Panthers’ Verhaeghe ready to Quenneville said there is a “good chance” they use the same lineup from face former team Tuesday’s win over Detroit when they host Tampa on Thursday.
That includes having Sergei Bobrovsky back in net after his best start of BY JORDAN MCPHERSON the season.
Bobrovsky stopped 31 of 32 shots he faced against the Red Wings on Tuesday, including the final 30 after giving up a goal 3:31 into the game. Carter Verhaeghe sat and took a moment to reflect. A year ago, he was a fourth-line player for the Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning. Bobrovsky is now 4-0-1 on the season despite shaky overall statistics Now, he’s in the earliest stages of the next chapter of his still-burgeoning (3.07 goals against average, .899 save percentage). His active streak of NHL career with the Florida Panthers. picking up points in five consecutive starts is the second-longest season- opening point streak by a goaltender in Panthers history behind John There’s no Stanley Cup for his new team yet. Vanbiesbrouck, who opened the 1996-97 season with a 6-0-3 record.
But he’s getting plenty of chances early to prove he’s a valuable piece to Miami Herald LOADED: 02.11.2021 be part of a deep playoff run.
“I have definitely gotten a ton of opportunity here,” Verhaeghe said last week after picking up a goal and an assist in the Panthers’ 2-1 win over the Nashville Predators. “It seems like they trust me here.”
Past will meet present for Verhaeghe on Thursday when the Panthers (7- 1-2) and the Lightning (9-1-1) play three times during the next five days. The games on Thursday and Saturday are at the BB&T Center with 7 p.m. scheduled starts. Monday’s game will be a 7 p.m. start at Tampa’s Amalie Arena.
“A lot of familiar faces on the other team, a lot of good friends,” Verhaeghe said. “It’s going to be kind of weird, but I’m looking forward to it.”
The mixed emotions are understandable. Verhaeghe, 25, broke into the NHL with Tampa Bay last season even though he had a limited role on a stacked Lightning roster. Among those who played in at least 25 games, he averaged a team-low nine minutes and 22 seconds of ice time per game. Despite that, he still managed to score nine goals and tally another four assists in 52 regular-season games. He also dished out a pair of assists during the Lightning’s playoff run and was on the ice for three of six games Stanley Cup Finals games.
“Last year, we obviously had such a great team and won the Stanley Cup,” Verhaeghe said. “For me, I am just trying to get better every year. There are a ton of great players to learn from there and I had a different role in Tampa. I just tried to learn everything I could there. I am trying to use the tools I learned there.”
Those tools and Verhaeghe’s aggressive nature on the ice allowed him to break in as the left wing on Florida’s top forward line with center Aleksander Barkov and right wing Anthony Duclair.
And he’s been one of their more consistent players. Verhaeghe is tied with Patric Hornqvist for the team lead with six goals and is the only player on the team with multiple game-winning goals through the first 10 games of the season.
All six of Verhaeghe’s goals have been at even strength, with five of the six coming in five-on-five situations. His 23 scoring chances created at full strength are the second-most on the team behind only Barkov.
“I didn’t think he’d be on our top line. I didn’t think we’d be getting that type of production, to be totally honest,” Panthers coach Joel Quenneville said. “At the same time, we liked the ingredients that he did bring to our team with quickness and perseverance. It’s almost like he’s got a relentless attitude around the puck.”
A ‘MEASURING STICK’
Verhaeghe individually and the Panthers collectively are now set to face their biggest test in the early going of the season in these three games against the Lightning.
“They’re the measuring stick of the league,” defenseman Keith Yandle said.
Tampa Bay is on a six-game winning streak — all in regulation — and has outscored its opponents by a combined 27-9 score in that span.
The Lightning are allowing the least amount of goals per game (1.82), are scoring the second-most goals per game (3.82) and rank among the 1183382 Florida Panthers 3.07 goals-against-average. Meanwhile, reserve Chris Dreidger’s 1.99 goals-against is 11th in the league.
Translation: It’s too early for conclusions, but not too early for the pitter- That’s right, the Panthers are good — and next 3 games vs. Tampa Bay patter of hockey hope. No matter if their schedule has been heavy with will show how good | Commentary low-hanging teams like Nashville, Chicago, and Detroit. They’ve been lumped in such groups for years.
“I just think when we are in these kind of games, we’re comfortable,” By DAVE HYDE Quenneville said of Tuesday’s one-goal win. “You’re comfortable on the ice, trusting everybody and everybody gets a turn and they are getting
the job done as well. We can learn from these games.” Anyone who has been all-in on the Florida Panthers for the last quarter- Now comes Tampa Bay to decide just what this good first month means century remains fixated on that stupid clearing pass in Game 3 of the for the Panthers. Three games. Three litmus tests. Three nights to 1997 playoffs by Jody Hull in Madison Square Garden that was knocked measure if it’s too soon to conclude this franchise had a good first month down by New York Rangers defenseman Ulf Samuelsson and deposited or such a good first month to say big things are ahead. in the back of the Panthers net. They’re back. Maybe. Possibly. Stay tuned. You remember, right? The Eastern Conference quarterfinal series changed then. The karma changed then. The Panthers went dark then. Sun Sentinel LOADED: 02.11.2021 And now they’re back.
Let me repeat that.
THEY’RE BACK, BABY!
Well, maybe. Possibly. And, maybe, possibly it’s just overreaction fueled by a good first month and a quarter-century of hope against history that hockey is relevant in town again. But look at the Central Division standings after one month:
1. Tampa Bay Lightning. 19 points.
2. Florida Panthers. 16 points.
On Thursday, they start a three-game series against, Tampa Bay to answer the big question, too. No, the question isn’t: Did baseball take over hockey’s schedule-making? The question is whether this start is a tease, a fluke — a nice run but nothing to start throwing rats about.
Tampa is a good measure, too. It’s the rich cousin you’re jealous of these days. Look at their past sports year. It won the Super Bowl. It won the Stanley Cup. It lost in the World Series just to keep everyone humble. The only way Tampa could have more fun is for Tom Brady to skate with the Lightning on Thursday.
Jealous?
Who isn’t?
And now the champs come to town Thursday to explain this Panthers start. Florida had a chance to win 20 points through their first 10 games. They got 16. The only thing that’s stopped their first-month rampage is the pandemic that postponed four games.
So what’s different from last year — from most years, really?
“I think in course of game there’s a little more enthusiasm in our team game,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “I think we play faster, a little harder, more purpose across the board. The team has going into games — whether it’s a belief, whether it’s attitude, whether it’s doing things the right way or harder to play against — it’s all the things we talk about.
“I think they’re improved. And I think we got some depth. There’s a number of guys pushing to get in the lineup or trying to stay in the lineup. I think that can be healthy. We’ve got to manage that so it remains.”
Here’s what you heard: Enthusiasm. Purpose. Belief. Attitude.
All better. All important intangibles.
Here’s what you didn’t hear: Tangibles. More goals scored. Less goals against. Better goal-tending. Better special teams.
You didn’t hear anything about the tangibles because, really, no single number explains this except a 6-2 record in one-goal games (including overtimes). Their goal-scoring is down about half-a-goal a game — but that’s reflected a change in tempo, as seen by goals-against being down from a third-worst 3.25 a game last year to this month’s 22nd-ranked 2.65.
So the defense has tightened up headlined by the goaltending, right? Well, hmm. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky had his first good game in a while in Tuesday’s 2-1 win against Detroit. He still ranks 44th in the league with a 1183383 Florida Panthers regulation loss. It was a rough night for him, but he is sure to bounce back.
Sergei Bobrovsky Florida Panthers Florida Panthers Can Match Up Well Against Tampa Bay Lightning On the other side, the Lightning have a machine of a goaltender. That machine is last year’s Vezina Trophy-winner, Andrei Vasilevskiy who continues to play at a high level. Through 10 starts, he has a .936 SV% February 10, 2021 by Joey Ganzi and a 1.80 GAA. With stats like these, you have a better chance of being struck by lightning than scoring three goals on him.
Florida clearly has talent in net, but they need to show up against The Florida Panthers are off to one of their best starts in franchise Vasilevskiy and the Bolts. history, with a 7-1-2 record in their first 10 games. They had an eight- game point streak that was snapped by the Detroit Red Wings on Feb. 7 Do the Panthers Have What it Takes? and now they are tied for second in the Central Division with the Chicago Blackhawks. They trail the first-place team by three points; that team is On paper, most of the stats favor the Lightning with their goalscoring the defending Stanley Cup champion, Tampa Bay Lightning. talent, elite goaltending, and Norris-caliber defense. In recent matchups, the Lightning have dominated the Cats, with a 10-2-0 record in their last The Panthers are scheduled to play the Lightning eight times this 12 meetings. However, this is a very different season. season, starting with their first game on Thurs., Feb. 11. Can they play up to their competition and hang with an elite team? Florida has some The Panthers have shown they can put the puck in the net and they are things going for them that can help them keep up, but will it be enough? off to a great start unlike in years past. A slow start has ruined many chances of postseason glory but that may no longer be in their Goalscoring and Power Play vocabulary. If Florida wants to make a statement, it’s gonna be by defeating Tampa at least a few times this season. This might just be the The Panthers have arguably one of the best offenses in the league, season the younger brother finally gets his revenge. ranked 13th with a 3.10 goals-per-game average. Their power play is ranked second in the league, with a conversion rate of 37%, which is in Hockey Writers LOADED: 02.11.2021 large part due to the offensive talent that is oozing on the top line. Not only is captain Aleksander Barkov producing good numbers, but so are the new arrivals on his line, Anthony Duclair and Carter Verhaeghe.
That lethal top line has combined for 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists) and a plus-10 rating. Verhaeghe, a former Bolt, is tied for the team-lead in goals with six and is third in points with nine. Meanwhile, Jonathan Huberdeau leads the team in points with 14 (four goals, 10 assists) and Patric Hornqvist has emerged as a top goal-scorer to lead the team in power-play goals with three and is tied with Verhaeghe with six goals.
Aleksander Barkov Florida Panthers
The Panthers’ offense could keep their pace with the Lightning’s electrifying goal-scoring, but Tampa does bring a lot to the table. They rank second in the league in goals-per-game at 3.82. Four of their players have 10 points or more, including defenseman and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Victor Hedman, who has three goals and nine assists this season. Captain Steven Stamkos, after an injury-riddled season, has returned to lead the team in goals with seven and points with 14. Finally, all their skaters, except defenseman Luke Schenn and center Mitchel Stephens, have a plus rating. For a team that is missing Nikita Kucherov, they seem to be doing ok.
Florida’s Defense Has More Sandpaper…Is it Enough?
During the offseason, general manager Bill Zito tried to make the defense tougher. He brought in Radko Gudas on a three-year deal and, in his first season with the club, he’s already made an impact, literally. He leads the team and is fifth in the league with 53 hits. Through 10 games, he has a plus-4 rating and 12 blocked shots. Solid stats for an older player.
Forward Noel Acciari adds extra toughness. He’s second on the team in hits with 26 and leads the team in blocked shots with 16. Last season, he emerged as a great two-way forward, hitting career-highs in points and goals, all while keeping his grit.
Noel Acciari Florida Panthers
The Panthers continue to have a few reliable defensemen in their lineup, like Aaron Ekblad, who should have no problem taking that extra step against their cross-state rivals. In the grand scheme of things, the defense should be able to hold their own against Tampa with their newfound toughness and veteran presence.
Goaltending Must Step Up
This is the one factor that will make this a one-sided matchup. Despite his 4-0-1 record on the season, starting goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has not played up to his Vezina potential. He has a 3.07 goals-against average (GAA) and an .899 save percentage (SV%) through five starts. He played better in his last start on Feb. 9, stopping 31 of 32 shots.
Backup goaltender Chris Driedger, who has a 3-1-1 record, has played like a starter. He has a .937 SV% and a 1.97 GAA. His last start was against the Red Wings when he allowed three goals in the team’s only 1183384 Los Angeles Kings The 76-year-old is based in Southern California and is steadily improving after a rough go of it.
“It was between Christmas and New Year’s (Day) and they (the family) all Inside Ron Hextall’s Kings influence, plus prospects begin AHL season fought it off — no one was like me,” Ferreira said. “It knocked the shit out with Reign of me.”
Right now, the Kings have two players in COVID-19 protocol — forwards Andreas Athanasiou and Blake Lizotte. The expectation that if all goes By Lisa Dillman Feb 10, 2021 well, they could return to practice later this week, possibly on Friday. They could benefit from a break in the NHL schedule with no games on
the weekend for the Kings. Often you see the job title senior advisor and it carries an almost Prospect watch ceremonial feel, more like a rarely seen advisor. Two AHL games are in the books for the young Ontario Reign and That wasn’t the case with Ron Hextall when the Kings brought him back another is coming up Wednesday night against the San Diego Gulls. to the organization in September 2019. You would see him around Staples Center and he made appearances at Ontario Reign games. The visiting Reign were outscored by a combined 11-4 by the Henderson Silver Knights, the AHL affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights. Henderson The timing seemed excellent with the Kings coming off a tumultuous train goalie Logan Thompson led the way in Game 1 and prospect Peyton wreck 2018-19 season. One of the first things Kings general manager Krebs put on a show in the second game with a three-point night. Rob Blake told me the night Hextall officially returned was that he welcomed the prospect of bouncing ideas off him and drawing upon “The scores weren’t perfect, but you forget that we’re a young team,” said Hextall’s general managing experience with the Philadelphia Flyers. Kings director of player development Glen Murray, who was on hand. “Especially when you have a young team like that, they have no idea, That’s exactly what happened. and you can tell them 100 times how hard it (the AHL) is. Until they “He had been a GM before and understood the process,” Blake said experience a game against another American League team. It’s hard. Tuesday, a few hours after Hextall was named general manager of the There are good players (in the AHL). Pittsburgh Penguins. “It’s good for these kids. You’ve got to get these games under your belt “He understood the process, the vision and the ideas and knew how to and learn from them. There’s lots of work to do, which is what we know separate the BS from what really matters. And he also had different and what we expected. That’s part of it, right?” relationships with other GMs — past dealings that we would discuss.” After the Reign’s first two games, an NHL scout shared his observations Who is looking forward to the first deal between Blake and Hextall? with The Athletic. Henderson defeated the Reign 5-2 on Saturday night and scoring for Ontario were defenseman Daniel Brickley and forward I know I am. Rasmus Kupari. Quinton Byfield, the Kings’ first-round pick (No. 2 overall) in October, assisted on Brickley’s goal. Additionally, Kings president Luc Robitaille has ties to Pittsburgh, having played 46 games for the Penguins in the 1994-95 and maintains a In the second game, Henderson took a 3-0 lead, the Reign cut the deficit friendship with Pittsburgh co-owner Mario Lemieux. to 3-2 but would go on to lose 6-2 on Monday. Samuel Fagemo, a second-round pick in 2019, scored and added an assist. Maybe the Kings can become known as Penguins West, a slight geographical change from when they were often called Flyers West. Samuel Fagemo
There has been a longstanding symbiotic relationship between the Kings Scout: “It looks like his timing is coming back. On his goal, he jumped on and the Flyers — two Original 12 teams — starting in the executive suite, a loose puck on a zone entry. He’s getting accustomed to the smaller and then, of course, with multiple trades. After Dean Lombardi was let go rink. His offensive instinct and timing were there. He was working hard as GM in San Jose, he served as a Western Conference scout with the and I thought he played well.” Flyers before becoming the Kings’ president and GM in April 2006. Tyler Madden Hextall, who had worked for Lombardi in Los Angeles from the 2006-07 season until 2012-13, brought his one-time mentor back to Philadelphia Scout: Every time he was on the ice, he seemed to be on or near the as a consultant/advisor in the fall of 2017, several months after the Kings puck. He’s such a smart player. He’s not big enough. He’s not fast dismissed Lombardi and coach Darryl Sutter. enough. But it doesn’t matter. He’s just a really good hockey player. When the puck is in the offensive zone, he’s just always around it.” Lombardi is still working for the Flyers. He won the two Stanley Cups championships with the Kings in his second run as an NHL general Tobias Bjornfot manager, an illustration of the benefit of learning from the first time in Scout: “I thought he was a more assertive player (on Monday night). He GM’s chair. utilized his feet and his skating to set up his game with the puck.” Jack Ferreira, who worked with both Hextall and Lombardi in Los Quinton Byfield Angeles, was a three-time NHL general manager, first with the Minnesota North Stars, then the San Jose Sharks and was the first GM of the Scout: “He got caught chasing a little bit in Game 2. He was competing expansion Mighty Ducks. and working so hard but sometimes it got him out of position in the process. That’s going to happen with the amount of energy and nerves He has little doubt that Hextall will use the lessons from Philadelphia to for young players. I thought he worked hard, but he outskated some his benefit. coverage-type things. It happened to (Alex) Turcotte on a goal too. There “Nothing really surprises you the second time,” Ferreira said. “The first were positives toward generating offensively and getting looks but it time it’s, ‘Holy shit.’ The thing about Hex is: he is really smart. He will seemed that Henderson just capitalized on breakdowns, which is going learn from his mistakes. Whatever he did in Philly, he’ll analyze that and to happen when you have a young lineup.” figure out what he did wrong.” Arthur Kaliyev Ferreira, who is a part-time scout with the Minnesota Wild, continues to Scout: “You notice him in certain sequences. When pucks get to him in recover from COVID-19, which he believes he and his family contracted certain areas, his skill level takes over and he has success. He’s starting during the holidays. to figure it out — both at the AHL and NHL level. I thought he worked His case has nothing to do with the current situation in Minnesota with quite hard without the puck and he was trying to generate and tried to do the Wild having almost a dozen players in COVID-19 protocol and at what he needed to do defensively to contribute. He’s very opportunistic least three games postponed so far, including Saturday’s game against offensively and he needs pucks to get to him in those areas. You saw it the Kings. late in the game. It might have been in the first game where he doesn’t need a lot of time to get pucks off and he’s always in a ready position to shoot. Pucks got to him in the slot and it was off his stick.” Rasmus Kupari
Scout: “He certainly was noticeable in both games. You can see he is a stronger version of the player he was a year ago. I thought his skating looked outstanding. I thought he was more assertive with the puck in certain areas than he was previously. He is showing that he has all the tools to be an NHL player. You almost forget how young he is, at times. He’s being asked to carry a top line and he didn’t look out of place doing it. There were some youthful l mistakes, but I thought he carried himself very well.”
Walker update
Former NHLer and agent Cam Stewart represents Kings defenseman Sean Walker, who was injured by a slap shot from Wild defenseman Matt Dumba, which hit him in the face on Jan. 28 in St. Paul, Minn.
This week, Stewart was on a podcast, Straight From The Source, with colleague Michael Russo of The Athletic.
“It brings you back years,” Stewart told Russo of Walker’s injury. “I know when I used to get hurt how worried my parents got. Now that you have your own kids and I have my clients, you worry about them.
“To see something like that is very scary. But he was in great hands in Minnesota, got the surgery in L.A. and he is healing up. It’s amazing how tough these kids are. Dumba saying ‘sorry’ and the whole dynamic of everything — the hockey world has changed over the years, and he’s got a lot of support.”
The Athletic LOADED: 02.11.2021 1183385 Los Angeles Kings
Drew Doughty apparently suffers injury late in Kings’ loss to Sharks
By Lisa Dillman Feb 9, 2021
An already decimated Kings defense corps suffered another blow when Drew Doughty appeared to suffer an injury early in the third period of Tuesday’s game against the San Jose Sharks.
Doughty left the game and did not return after blocking a shot at 6:08 from Sharks defenseman Brent Burns. It appeared to hit him in the wrist/arm area, and Doughty was hunched over in discomfort.
PIC.TWITTER.COM/3YUOXKFUCE
— ERIC (@KINGSGIFS) FEBRUARY 10, 2021
San Jose forward Evander Kane tied it with 45 seconds remaining in regulation, and the Sharks went on to win 4-3 in a shootout at Staples Center. Shortly after the game, Kings coach Todd McLellan said he had no update regarding Doughty’s injury status, but on Wednesday, McLellan sounded optimistic.
“For me, it’s a maintenance day,” McLellan said. “He doesn’t miss many games. I think I’m going to have his number up on the board tomorrow and he’s going to be ready to play. It’s not necessarily a big relief. It’s probably what I expected. We’ll be excited about getting him back.”
The Kings (3-6-3) have been floundering without two of their top four defensemen – Sean Walker and Matt Roy, who were both injured on Jan. 28 at Minnesota. Including that game, the Kings are 0-4-1 since those injuries.
An extended Doughty absence would have cast even more of a pall over this season for the struggling Kings, who are last in the West Division. The only teams with fewer points in the NHL are Detroit and Ottawa.
Doughty leads the Kings in time on ice (27:14) and was second in the NHL in ice time behind Burns (27:31) heading into Tuesday night’s action. Doughty is a fixture on the first power-play unit and on the penalty kill.
“He plays a lot of minutes for us, so when he goes down it’s a lot of minutes we’ve got to cover and make up for him,” said second-year pro Mikey Anderson, who is Doughty’s D partner.
“But I thought the group did a good job tonight. We had a lot of communication toward the end there to try to close it out.”
Three of the Kings’ defensemen in the lineup – Austin Strand, Anderson and Kale Clague – haven’t played 20 NHL games yet. Strand, in fact, was playing his third NHL game, having made his debut last week against Vegas.
Clague logged 23:12 against the Sharks, a career high in ice time, and was on the ice for the start of overtime with Anze Kopitar and Alex Iafallo. Clague took the spot that Doughty would normally occupy in OT.
“That’s a lot of experience that a lot of them probably weren’t going to receive two weeks ago,” McLellan said. “They’ve earned the right to play. Guys like Austin Strand really opened our eyes.
“He’s been a pretty good defenseman for us the last three games he’s had to play. It’s a lot to ask of four young guys, four really young guys to be put in those situations. They’re only going to be better for it down the line but right now it stings a little bit. I thought they played their hearts out. They were pretty effective for most of the second half of the game.”
The Athletic LOADED: 02.11.2021 1183386 Los Angeles Kings As always, things are subject to change. It’s no guarantee that either of the aforementioned lines that played together last night – and kept rolling when the Kings condensed down to three lines – will stay together. But there was no indication otherwise, either. 2/10 PRACTICE – ROY/DOUGHTY UPDATES, ROSTER MOVES, FOURTH-LINE PLAY On defense, all six, healthy defensemen skated today – Mikey Anderson, Tobias Bjornfot, Kale Clague, Olli Maatta, Kurtis MacDermid and Austin Strand. With Roy in that mix, the seven defensemen interchanged amongst themselves during drills, not giving us a great idea of set BY ZACH DOOLEY pairings, plus there’s the whole Doughty situation to factor in, which will create a ripple effect one way or the other.
The LA Kings were back on the ice this morning at Toyota Sports A clearer picture to come tomorrow. Performance Center. That Grundstrom – Anderson-Dolan – Moore Line…. Joining the group today was defenseman Matt Roy, who skated for the I sat here for 30 seconds, trying to come up with more of a clever first time since he suffered an injury last month in Minnesota, wearing a headline, but I think that a line needs to be together for more than three non-contact, red jersey. Not a part of the group was defenseman Drew games to get a cool name. Doughty, who suffered an injury in last night’s game against San Jose, and was deemed “day-to-day” earlier this morning. Regardless, though, that trio has drawn praise from McLellan after each of the last two games. When the bench was shortened yesterday, that For Roy, his involvement was a big positive. McLellan said that he has trio continued to play as the team’s de-facto third line, and McLellan progressed well after he was boarded violently from behind by praised their energy and work ethic as the reason that it was the case. Minnesota’s Kevin Fiala, a hit that resulted in a three-game suspension from the NHL. He added that Roy’s return brought a bit of life to the team “That line has been effective since we’ve put them together, all three and that despite a non-contact jersey, he was still able to participate in games,” McLellan said, last night. “They’ve worked real hard, they’ve most parts of practice. been very conscientious defensively, they haven’t given up very much. They play a simple, straightforward game and they deserved to be out “He was wearing a non-contact jersey, but there were still some gentle there.” battles if you will, body positioning, things like that,” McLellan said, of Roy. “Talked to him after, he was excited and happy to be out there with McLellan also talked about bottom-six players, or #4, 5, 6 defensemen, his teammates, I think that sparked a little life in us right now, as a team, needing to do something to “provide a spark” when they’re on the ice. and we can always use that.” He’s looking for solid, consistent play from his big guns, but from guys playing smaller minutes, he’s expecting them to do something to bring Regarding Doughty, the picture is less clear. The Kings’ alternate captain energy to the team. blocked a shot midway through the third period last night and did not return to the game, nor did he skate with the team today. When asked, Anderson-Dolan, and his line, feels that they have the ability to do that. however, McLellan said that he considered today as more of a maintenance day for Doughty than anything, and said he is expecting to “I think the past couple of games, it’s just been the forecheck, and see #8 on the board in tomorrow’s lineup. creating energy off of that,” he said. “We’ve gotten some o-zone time, and some physicality, just off of putting pucks behind their D and getting “With Drew, for me, it’s a maintenance day,” McLellan said. “He doesn’t in there. We can all skate, we all know that, we know that’s what’s going miss many games, and I think that I’m going to have his number up on to give us success. I think that physicality that comes with being on the the board tomorrow, and he’s going to be ready to play. It’s probably forecheck, can turn the tide of the hockey game pretty quick.” what I expected, and I’m excited about getting him back.” Moore and Grundstrom have both had a number of linemates so far this How exactly it shakes out is unclear, but what we do know, is that this season. Grundstrom has been moved throughout the lineup, while Moore weekend’s game cancellation against Minnesota could serve as a has lined up with pretty much center in the lineup, including Anze Kopitar. blessing in disguise regarding getting players back in the lineup. The now second-year LA King said he’s been comfortable with everyone For players like Doughty and Roy, who are in the day-to-day phase, he’s been able to play with so far and has settled in nicely playing with having four days in between games can only help with regards to having Anderson-Dolan and Grundstrom. them healthy and ready to go. The same can be said for Andreas Athanasiou and Blake Lizotte on the COVID-19 Protocol list, though their “I think it’s gone pretty well. I told JAD his first game I was looking timing is less certain, considering the unknown natures of being on that forward to playing with him. He’s a guy who works hard, he’s direct and list. he’s responsible and Carl the same thing, I’ve played with him for a while now. I think that’s a good foundation to build on.” Regardless, though, tomorrow’s game presents one challenge, and the slightly longer outlook presents another. McLellan definitely saw the The next step for that line is to create more on the offensive end. The bright side in having Saturday’s game postponed. hard work and energy have been noticeable to date, and both Moore and Anderson-Dolan feel that turning some that into offensive execution is “The cancellation of the game against Minnesota is going to help our what the group needs to do more of moving forward. team get healthier and hopefully by next week, we have some healthy bodies to inject into the lineup,” McLellan added. “As far as moving forward, we’ve got to do a better job of creating more offense, myself included,” Moore said. “Just got to keep more plays alive, Lineup, Moves & Notes get more pucks back on the forecheck, and I think that’s going to come from the hard work and all that stuff.” The Kings had 13 forwards, seven defensemen and three goaltenders on the ice today. More to come on LAKI between now and tomorrow’s game, including a look at the slow starts to games the Kings have had so far this season. Prior to the skate, Lias Anderson, Tobias Bjornfot and Austin Strand were moved to the taxi squad, while Markus Phillips, Boko Imama and Mark LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 02.11.2021 Alt were loaned to the Ontario Reign, in advance of Ontario’s game tonight in Irvine against the San Diego Gulls.
We saw McLellan make some line adjustments during last night’s game, as Jeff Carter moved alongside Gabe Vilardi and Adrian Kempe, in a combination we could see stay together on Thursday. That leaves the trio of Carl Grundstrom – Jaret Anderson-Dolan – Trevor Moore, which was praised by McLellan after yesterday’s game, plus Michael Amadio, Lias Andersson, Matt Luff and Austin Wagner as the four others who were dressed today. More on the Anderson-Dolan line below. 1183387 Minnesota Wild "I will be back in Minnesota at some point," he said. "That is a very special bond for me personally. All the years that I spent there, the way the fans always treated me and also the teams that I was with, the feeling going to the Xcel Energy [Center] and just the energy that you had in the Former Wild captain Mikko Koivu retires after slow start with Columbus building, you feel like you're one of them.
After 15 seasons in Minnesota, he joined the Blue Jackets this season, "So, I will never forget that and for sure I'll be back there — just obviously and has one goal in seven games. in a different role than I'm used to, but I will enjoy that."
Star Tribune LOADED: 02.11.2021 By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune FEBRUARY 9, 2021 — 5:09PM
Mikko Koivu and the Wild parted ways last year, and now Koivu is moving on from the NHL.
The former Wild captain retired Tuesday, less than a month into the season after a short stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
"I always trusted that as long as you put the work in each and every day, you'll get to the level you want to be and I just wasn't able to get there," Koivu said during a virtual news conference.
After the Wild decided not to bring back Koivu when his contract expired in the offseason, ending his 15-year run with the organization, Koivu signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with Columbus to continue his NHL career.
But the 37-year-old's fresh start began slowly.
Koivu opened the season in the NHL's COVID protocols, experiencing minor symptoms and delaying his Blue Jackets debut. And after playing seven games, chipping in a goal and assist, Koivu was a healthy scratch Monday against Carolina.
That wasn't the reason behind Koivu's decision to retire after 16 years in the NHL, which Koivu said had been on his mind for some time.
Mikko Koivu career statistics
Although he entered the season with the thought that it could be his last — just like he did ahead of his final season with the Wild — Koivu was excited to join the Blue Jackets, enjoyed his brief stay in Columbus and is glad he pursued a new chapter after his tenure in Minnesota. But because he had to push himself to get ready for games and couldn't find a rhythm, he believed it was time to stop playing.
"I felt that I need to be honest with myself and the way I want to leave the game," said Koivu, who consulted with friends and family, including his brother and former NHLer Saku Koivu.
Drafted sixth overall by the Wild in 2001, Koivu is the franchise's all-time leader in games (1,028) and points (709). A one-time Selke Trophy finalist as the league's best defensive forward and first full-time captain in Wild history, the Finnish native was the 55th player in NHL history to play his first 1,000 games with the same team.
CARLOS GONZALEZ
Koivu gave his daughter a kiss as he was honored for his 1,000th game with the Wild in 2019.
"Minnesota just really became home for me," Koivu said.
Even though he's done competing in the NHL, Koivu said he'll keep following the sport and plans to stay involved in hockey. He just doesn't know in what capacity.
"It's a great game and something that I've done all my life," Koivu said. "Hopefully there's something that I will find with the game."
Wild GM Bill Guerin released a statement after Koivu's announcement that called Koivu "a fiery competitor" and said, "No one worked harder than Mikko during his time with the Minnesota Wild."
Guerin also mentioned honoring Koivu in front of his fans in the State of Hockey when able to do so, noting that "the impact [Koivu] made in our community and the connections he made with Wild fans will live on forever."
It's possible Koivu's No. 9 will be the first player jersey to hang from the rafters at Xcel Energy Center.
And the opportunity to get back in front of Wild fans is a moment Koivu would embrace "100 percent." 1183388 Minnesota Wild “That was the most important thing for me; I wanted to let him know how I felt about him in the short time I’ve known him,” Tortorella said. “But I talked more (about) how I watched him throughout his career.
Blue Jackets’ Mikko Koivu ends 16-year NHL career with surprise “I told him, ‘We have built our team here, and we play, the way that you retirement played.’ It’s the way we play — we’re not showing it right now — but the last three or four years, we’ve played his style of hockey.
“I told him, ‘That should be the utmost compliment to you.’ I have been a By Aaron Portzline Feb 9, 2021 huge fan of yours. Forget the points, assists, goals … I just have huge respect for how you carried yourself on the ice.”
STATEMENT FROM #MNWILD GENERAL MANAGER BILL GUERIN COLUMBUS, Ohio — Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen ON THE RETIREMENT OF MIKKO KOIVU. received a text message from Mikko Koivu early Tuesday morning asking PIC.TWITTER.COM/EVZ1D4WT2T to meet with Kekäläinen and coach John Tortorella a few hours later at Nationwide Arena. — MINNESOTA WILD PR (@MNWILDPR) FEBRUARY 9, 2021
Koivu didn’t say why he wanted to meet, but Kekäläinen knew what was Koivu could easily have retired last offseason and spent his entire career coming. with the Wild. But, he said, he has no regrets about signing with the Blue Jackets, even though his tenure was so brief. “I was 98 percent sure of it,” Kekäläinen said. “For myself, it’s knowing that I gave it my all,” Koivu said, appearing at Koivu, 37, had spent the last couple of weeks becoming increasingly times to fight back emotions. “It’s time to let go as a hockey player. I don’t frustrated by his own play, and he’d noticed that it was becoming an think I would get this feeling if I didn’t come and try it. But at the end, I effort to find the passion to play, something he’d never experienced in the need to be honest with myself. NHL. “I just want to be very clear: the room, my teammates, the coaching staff, After watching Monday’s 3-2 win over Carolina as a healthy scratch, he the management here in Columbus … it’s been first class. That’s the sad realized he was ready to retire after 16 years and 1,035 games in the part. I’ve really enjoyed my time with them, really enjoyed my time in the NHL, 1,026 of them with the Minnesota Wild. room and playing with those guys and playing for Tortorella and his “I didn’t get the feeling that I wanted to really get back in there,” Koivu coaching staff. It was an unbelievable experience for myself after all said. “It’s been on my mind for a while now. I didn’t make the decision those years in Minnesota.” based on one night. Koivu has been away from his family since the start of training camp. He “What it came down to was I wasn’t able to play at the level I want to play has three kids, ages 2, 5 and 7, so this season has been taxing on and at. I feel for myself that, if I can’t do the job on the ice the way I want to off the ice. Now he gets to go home to figure out his future. do it, it impacts me in the (dressing) room with the things that I trust and Kekäläinen has already made overtures to Koivu about taking a job with want to do. the organization, though that decision can wait. “Every game was kind of like I had to push to get ready. I just couldn’t get Koivu plans to “relax a little bit, take some time to think about it and let it into the rhythm. I just didn’t feel the way I wanted to feel as a hockey come to me. I’m sure it will. For sure, in the future, I want to stay in player and being also able to enjoy the game.” hockey in some way.” Koivu’s announcement came on an off day for the Columbus players, but Koivu’s retirement brings yet more uncertainty to the Blue Jackets’ roster he’s expected to address the dressing room to bid farewell on of centers. Riley Nash is a bottom-six lock, but it remains to be seen how Wednesday. the Jackets will fill the other spot on the third or fourth line. The Minnesota Wild issued a statement praising Koivu and indicating that Kekäläinen said it will allow Kevin Stenlund to grab more of a regular he’ll be honored in front of fans at Xcel Energy Center when the role. pandemic lifts and the world returns to normal. It’s widely accepted that Koivu will have his number retired by the Wild, a first for that “It’s obviously a coach’s decision, but I think he’s earned the right to stay organization. in the lineup now,” Kekäläinen said. “A guy like that could really benefit from an opportunity like this. It has been a frustrating season for many players, but Koivu’s season started on the wrong foot. He missed the first two weeks of the season “It’s not how we drew it up and how we planned, but what is right now? with COVID-19 then played the next seven games with minimal impact It’s a pretty messed-up year. You have to deal with all the curveballs and (1-1-2) before he was held out of the lineup on Monday. move on.”
“That’s a real pro for me who can take a look in the mirror first and is not Tortorella agreed with Stenlund getting more ice time. But he wasn’t pointing fingers at anybody else,” Kekäläinen said. ready to say it’ll be a bottom-six role.
“I have a lot of respect for Mikko. He’s had a great career. I’ve watched Really, the only center who’s thriving right now is Jack Roslovic, who’s him since he was a little kid. I have nothing but respect for him and his been a point-a-game player (2-5-7) since he joined the Blue Jackets in whole family. It’s too bad he couldn’t end it another way, but he goes out the Patrik Laine trade. with his head held high. I told him he should be very proud of his career.” “Stens will play,” Tortorella said. “But Stens may not be in the bottom Koivu said he was nervous to ask for the meeting. He’d signed a one- six.” year, $1.5 million contract with the Blue Jackets as a free agent, with plans to be the club’s third-line center. The Athletic LOADED: 02.11.2021
“That was hard; it was hard to go into the meeting,” Koivu said. “I didn’t know what to expect. They were both very supportive. That kind of gave me the peace of mind that the decision was right for me. Once I had a really good talk with them, I felt … that it was the right thing to do for myself.
“It was something I’ll never forget — that meeting — and that tells you everything about those two, the way they run their team, what they expect from their players. Nothing but respect for those two.”
The feeling is mutual, and Tortorella said he hoped that came through in the meeting. 1183389 Montreal Canadiens Perhaps he biggest news is that Matthews failed to score. He leads the NHL with 11 goals and had at least one in eight successive games. Mitch Marner also had an eight-game points streak come to a close.
Maple Leafs stay hot with win over Habs Jake Muzzin had three assists for the Maple Leafs on a big night for their defencemen. The goals by Dermott and Holl were only the team’s their fourth and fifth from the blueline this season. Mikheyev had not scored since he suffered a severed artery in a game against the New Jersey Marty Klinkenberg Devils in December of 2019.
“Every player wants to score,” Mikheyev said afterward. He had plenty of Wayne Simmonds had his first fight. Auston Matthews didn’t score a chances before this. “Sometimes you just keep working to help the team goal. Neither did Tyler Toffoli. Opening night seems like such a long time with everything you do.” ago. The Maple Leafs rallied from two goals down and beat the Sheldon Keefe, the Toronto coach, was happy for him. Canadiens in overtime in the first encounter of the season on Jan. 13. “He has worked extremely hard,” Keefe said. “It is nice to see him get The forever rivals met again in Montreal on Wednesday night. At any rewarded, for sure” other time, the Bell Centre would have been pulsating. Not so during these days of COVID-19. You could hear pucks boomerang around the Toronto has won four in a row and hasn’t lost in regulation time since boards, sticks chop at the ice. Jan. 20. Montreal has points in all but three outings in 2021.
They came in as the top two teams among the 31 in the NHL, and first The Leafs sit first overall, while the Canadiens are five points back with a and second in the all-Canadian North Division. Toronto’s 10-2-1 start was game in hand. Their long-standing rivalry is heating up again. its fourth-best in history. The Canadiens have been flying on offence and stingy on defence. Both are creating a buzz around the league, if not in “As a kid you loved watching these games,” Anderson, the Montreal any of the rinks. winger, said before the game. He grew up just west of Toronto in Burlington. “To be experiencing it now, it’s very exciting. I know a lot of Toronto won again in a 4-2 squeaker that was still interesting until Zach people will be watching.” Hyman scored an empty-net goal with 61 seconds remaining. The Maple Leafs fell behind but tied it in the second and pretty much put the game The Maple Leafs won on a night when their top players were held in away with two quick goals to start the third. Justin Holl had the go-ahead check. They won because four secondary players scored, and Andersen goal on a blistering one timer that beat Carey Price. Ilya Mikheyev poked played well after being beaten on that first one. another one past the Canadiens netminder 42 seconds later. It was also “That’s a very strong Montreal team,” John Tavares, the Toronto captain, his first of the season, and officially recorded as the game-winner. said. He was credited with two assists. “It wasn’t our best two periods, The loss dropped the Canadiens to 8-3-2 but they have plenty of time to but we got better as went along.” catch up. The teams play each other three times in a period of 11 days, Holl, who has five goals in 95 NHL games, was thrilled that he and two the next meeting on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena. teammates scored for the first time this season. Josh Anderson, who scored twice on opening night, put Montreal ahead “That is really good for us,” he said. “We rely so heavily on our star on its first shot of the game. He converted a turnover that he caused players, that if we can score on a night when they are held in check, himself by whipping a shot through Frederik Andersen’s wickets. that’s great. That is the sign of a good team.” Anderson, obtained in a trade with Columbus for Max Domi in the offseason, has nine goals already. Max Who has two so far for the Blue Globe And Mail LOADED: 02.11.2021 Jackets.
Tomas Tatar scored the Canadiens’ other, with 3:20 remaining to cut the margin to 3-2.
Before the puck drop, a tribute was paid to Ralph Backstrom, a six-time Stanley Cup winner with Montreal who died Sunday at 83.
It was Toronto’s second game without Simmonds. The pepperpot is out for six weeks with a broken wrist. Travis Dermott returned on defence after missing two games with a leg injury. As this was the theme for the evening, Dermott pulled Toronto even with a sharp wrist shot that was also his first goal. It baffled Price so much that he reviewed it on a tablet during a break.
Mikheyev got a shot off for Toronto 1 minute 10 seconds into the game. It was nearly 13 minutes later before the Maple Leafs got a second. They failed to score on back-to-back power plays late in the first, Montreal failed to register a shot on one earlier. The Canadiens held an advantage in shots, 9-6, after 20 minutes.
The pace increased in the second period. But neither team was able to score. A scuffle broke out late when Corey Perry took a whack at a puck in Andersen’s glove during a goal-mouth scrum. There is nothing terribly unusual about that.
Dermott scored the equalizer on a sharp wrist shot from 35 feet out on Price. It was Dermott’s first goal and first point in 10 games.
\After 40 minutes, Toronto had been outshot 20-12. Then the Maple Leafs lowered the boom.
Andersen made 33 saves to improve his career record against the Canadiens to 9-3-2. His victories in the net this season are the most in the NHL.
“He is making critical saves and timely saves when we need them,” Holl said. “He is allowing us to find our game, and that’s really big for us.” 1183390 Montreal Canadiens
Leafs tighten grip atop Canadian division with 4-2 win over Canadiens
Toronto capitalizes on two 4-on-4 goals to overcome first-period deficit and win their second game against Montreal this season.
Pat Hickey Montreal Gazette
Nick Suzuki chases loose puck in front of Maple Leafs' John Tavares during first period at the Bell Centre on Wednesday.
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The Canadiens have been one of the NHL’s best while playing 5-on-5 this season, but they surrendered two goals while playing 4-on-4 and the Toronto Maple Leafs held on to defeat the Canadiens 4-2 Wednesday night at the Bell Centre.
The Canadiens received a break at the end of the second period. Joel Edmundson was penalized for tripping, but it evened out when Zach Hyman was deemed guilty of embellishment.
But the Canadiens, who had a 22-12 edge on the shot clock after two periods, allowed the Leafs to take a 2-1 lead when defenceman Justin Holl scored while the teams were playing 4-on-4. Ilya Mikheyev beat Carey Price 42 seconds later to give the Leafs some breathing room.
Tomas Tatar scored on a scramble in front with 3:20 to play, but Hyman sealed the win with an empty-net goal.
The win enabled the Leafs to tighten their grip on first place the Canadian division with 23 points. They are five points ahead of Montreal, but the Canadiens do have a game in hand.
The Canadiens did a good job of containing Mitch Marner, William Nylander, John Tavares and Auston Matthews, whose eight-game goal- scoring steak came to an end. But Holl, Mikheyev and Travis Dermott all scored their first goals of the season.
The Canadiens got off to a quick start and took a 1-0 lead when Josh Anderson beat Frederik Andersen at 1:16. Anderson created some space for himself by checking Jake Muzzin along the boards and then released to take a stretch pass from Jonathan Drouin. Anderson used his speed to find some room on the right wing and beat Andersen through his pads.
The Canadiens’ failure to clear the puck during a 4-on-4 situation allowed the Leafs to tie the game at 15:18 of the second period. The Canadiens had the puck on their sticks at least four times but were unable to get the puck out of the zone and Dermott made them pay when he scored his first goal of the season.
Carey Price looks behind him as he is beaten by a shot by Maple Leafs' Travis Dermott during the second period at the Bell Centre on Wednesday.
One of Price’s perceived weaknesses is a tendency to drop to the ice too quickly and that was the case on this goal as Price dropped to his knees and Dermott found the top shelf on Price’s blocker side.
John Tavares was out of the Leafs’ lineup for three shifts after he was sent to the quiet room to go through the NHL concussion protocol. Tavares was shaken up when Shea Weber fell on him early in the second period.
Joel Armia returned to the lineup after missing seven games with a concussion. He was in his usual spot at right wing on the third line with Tyler Toffoli and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Corey Perry dropped down to the fourth line, replacing Paul Byron.
Armia had a scare in the first period when he was hit in the face by a high stick wielded by Pierre Engvall, who received a two-minute penalty.
Montreal Gazette LOADED: 02.11.2021 1183391 Montreal Canadiens Drouin grew up in Ste–Agathe and only started playing organized hockey when he was 8 at the Novice B level. Until that point, he didn’t like skating and preferred to go on the outdoor rink in his boots with his friends or play road hockey. That’s how he first developed his puck- Stu Cowan: Jonathan Drouin turns corner in fourth season with handling skills and it was just for fun. Canadiens Hockey has become a job for Drouin and he’s in the fourth season of his Winger gets off to good start this season by using some of the skills he six-year, US$33-million contract with a $5.5-million salary cap hit. But learned as a boy wearing his boots on outdoor rink in Ste-Agathe. he’s having fun again.
When asked Wednesday morning if this is the most fun he’s had since joining the Canadiens, Drouin said: “Yeah, definitely. Obviously, Stu Cowan Montreal Gazette winning’s fun. Everybody likes to be winning games. We’re in a good spot right now and it’s a great group of guys. It was a great group of guys every year I’ve been here, but this year there’s a different feel to when It’s going on four years since the Canadiens acquired Jonathan Drouin you show up to games. and he arrived in Montreal with the weight of a province on his shoulders. “I don’t know, it’s hard to explain one thing, but we’re definitely feeling “There’s obviously the pressure of playing in Montreal … everybody good about ourselves,” he added. “We have a good group of guys. knows that,” Drouin said during a news conference after GM Marc Everyone’s together, everyone’s hanging out and we’re playing well Bergevin acquired him on June 15, 2017, from the Tampa Bay Lightning together. But the biggest thing, definitely for fun, is winning games.” in exchange for defenceman Mikhail Sergachev. “But for me as a player, I think I’d rather have that pressure on myself than some other places. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 02.11.2021 I’m a French-Canadian and I like pressure … I like that stuff. I’ve played at the Bell Centre many times as an away guy and just to be on the home side is going to be even better.”
After a disappointing first three seasons with the Canadiens, things are going much better for Drouin. Heading into Wednesday night’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the 25-year-old had 1-9-10 totals in 12 games and was plus-7.
Drouin has picked up where he left off in the post-season last year when he posted 1-6-7 totals in 10 games and tied for the team lead in points with Suzuki, who had 4-3-7 totals. Drouin and Suzuki had good chemistry together in the Toronto playoff bubble and off-season acquisition Josh Anderson, a 6-foot-3, 226-pound power forward, has been a great fit on their line.
Suzuki headed into Wednesday’s game with 3-9-12 totals, while Anderson had 8-2-10.
“I think we’re skating, we’re all over the puck,” Drouin said about his line during a video conference Wednesday morning. “We’re playing well together. We’re using each other. But for me, I think it’s just being on the puck, skating there. I’m not waiting for stuff to happen. I’m going around that puck and making things happen, and I think we’re doing that as a line. So I’m pretty happy about our start, but it’s got to keep going.”
Drouin also got off to a good start last season. He had 7-8-15 totals in the first 19 games before suffering a wrist injury that required surgery in a 5-2 win over the Capitals in Washington on Nov. 15. Drouin missed the next 37 games. After returning to the lineup on Feb. 8, Drouin was pointless in eight games, along with a minus-10, before an ankle injury ended his regular season.
Jon Goyens, who coached Drouin when he was with the midget Triple-A Lac St. Louis Lions, calls him a “hockey savant.”
“He knows what everybody’s wearing equipment-wise, he knows how everybody tapes their stick, he knows everybody’s curves,” Goyens said after the Canadiens acquired Drouin.
Drouin still watches lots of hockey on TV and analyzes his game on video.
“I’d like to shoot more,” Drouin said when asked what he’s noticed watching himself on video this season. “Definitely that’s something I want to work on. But I don’t want to be one of those guys that’s shooting pucks at the net just to get my Corsi (advanced metric) or my shot numbers up. I want to have the good quality shots. But that’s definitely one thing this year. I look at my shots, I need more shots on net. I need to be more of a threat to shoot, so it opens up for my teammates.”
Heading into Wednesday’s game, Drouin ranked 15th on the Canadiens with 13 shots this season. Eight of those shots had come in the previous five games, so he’s definitely working on it.
Head coach Claude Julien has liked Drouin’s consistency this season.
“He’s been pretty consistent since the start of the year,” Julien said. “I know he’s only got one goal, but he’s averaging almost a point a game and that kind of stuff. So he’s engaged for the most part.” 1183392 Montreal Canadiens I know everyone’s watching on TV. But, like I said, the energy’s there, the feeling of playing Toronto is always there, fans or no fans.”
Imagine what it would be like in the playoffs. Canadiens-Maple Leafs rivalry heating up this season Montreal Gazette LOADED: 02.11.2021 The last time these two Canadian rivals met in the playoffs was 1979 — six years before Habs captain Shea Weber was born.
Stu Cowan Montreal Gazette
The last time the Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs met in the playoffs was 1979.
That was six years before Canadiens captain Shea Weber was born. Coach Claude Julien was a 19-year-old defenceman with the junior Windsor Spitfires when the Canadiens swept the Leafs in their 1979 playoff quarter-final series en route to winning the Stanley Cup.
The Canadiens and Leafs have met 15 times in total in the playoffs, including five Stanley Cup finals. The Leafs beat the Canadiens in the 1947, 1951 and 1967 Cup finals, while the Canadiens won in 1959 and 1960.
While there’s still a long way to go this season, there’s a good chance the Canadiens and Leafs could meet in the playoffs in the all-Canadian North Division. One team from the division will advance to the Stanley Cup semi-finals.
Heading into Wednesday night’s game at the Bell Centre, the Leafs were in first place in the North Division with a 10-2-1 record, three points ahead of the Canadiens, who were 8-2-2.
It is the second of 10 games between the teams this season after the Leafs won the season opener 5-4 in overtime in Toronto on Jan. 13, scoring two power-play goals in the second period. The Leafs headed into Wednesday night’s matchup with a 7-0-1 record in their previous eight games.
“Obviously, they’re playing well,” Julien said about the Leafs during a video conference Wednesday morning. “They’re a top team right now. They’ve won some consecutive games here, they’re on a bit of a roll. I think if anything this is a good hockey club that I think has a good skill level.
“I think one of the biggest things tonight is we need to be disciplined,” the coach added. “I think when you look back at the last time we played them, those penalties in the second period really ended up costing us a point. So I think we have to respect that. They’re a good skating team. We need to be on top of these guys here from the get-go. So we’re going to require our team to play a solid 60-minute game here tonight and be extremely disciplined.
“I think both fans in Montreal and Toronto fans are excited about their teams being at the top of the standings right now,” Julien added. “It certainly bodes well for a good rivalry and a good battle right till the end of the year here.”
The Canadiens will play the Edmonton Oilers Thursday night at the Bell Centre (7 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM) before facing the Leafs again in Toronto on Saturday night. After that, the Canadiens won’t play another game until the following Saturday when they face the Leafs at the Bell Centre.
“It’s going to be a good little series here coming up in this next week and a half with those two Saturday games,” Julien said. “So we’re looking forward to it and I’m sure the fans are as well.”
The Canadiens’ Jonathan Drouin, who grew up in Ste-Agathe, is looking forward to playing in the games.
“I definitely watched a lot of Canadiens-Toronto games when I was a kid … a lot of Saturday nights,” Drouin said. “It’s definitely just as fun to be a part of, even though there’s no fans this year (because of COVID-19). There’s still that energy to it. The rivalry’s there.
“Both teams are high in the standings in the Canadian division,” Drouin added. “It should be a very good game, it should be a high pace. Hopefully we get fans for those games (eventually). It’s fun to get in that building and knowing you’re playing one of those games against Toronto. 1183393 Montreal Canadiens “That first goal, the four-on-four, we had the puck four times on our blade and we didn’t get out,” coach Claude Julien said after the game. “We turned it over. So that’s exactly what cost us that first goal in the second period.” Canadiens Game Day: Good start, but ugly end as Habs lose 4-2 to Leafs The Leafs improved their record to 11-2-1 and moved five points ahead of the second-place Canadiens (8-3-2) in the North Division. The Leafs Second straight loss for Carey Price as his record falls to 4-2-2 with a are 8-0-1 in their last nine games. 2.84 goals-against average and a .896 save percentage. “I thought our first 10 minutes of the game we were on top of them,” the Canadiens’ Corey Perry said. “We were taking time and space away. They get two four-on-four goals. That’s kind of the momentum they Stu Cowan Montreal Gazette needed and went from there.”
This was the second of 10 games this season between these two teams. The good, the bad and the ugly. The Leafs won the season opener 5-4 in overtime in Toronto with Price in goal for the Canadiens. That’s the best way to describe the Canadiens’ 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs Wednesday night at the Bell Centre. “I thought we started the right way tonight,” Anderson said. “I thought we were physical on their D and on their top players. But we just came up Things started off very good for the Canadiens as Josh Anderson scored short. It’s a long year. It’s going to be a long series against these guys on their first shot only 1:16 into the game. and there’s going to be a lot of good hockey.”
It was a true power-forward goal as the 6-foot-3, 226-pound Anderson hit The Canadiens pretty much shut down the Leafs’ top two offensive Leafs defenceman Jake Muzzin with a solid bodycheck in front of the players as Auston Matthews saw his eight-game goal streak come to an Canadiens’ bench, almost knocking him over the boards. Anderson then end and Mitch Marner’s eight-game assist streak also ended. Matthews, skated away, took a nice pass from Jonathan Drouin and broke down the who leads the NHL with 11 goals, did pick up an assist. right wing, getting past back-checking centre John Tavares and cutting toward the net before beating goalie Frederik Andersen through the five- Second straight loss for Price hole. Price suffered his second straight loss after allowing three goals on 23 It was the ninth goal of the season for Anderson — tying Tyler Toffoli for shots. His record is now 4-2-2 with a 2.84 goals-against average and a the team lead — while Drouin picked up his 10th assist. Anderson has .896 save percentage. now scored in four straight games. Expect to see Jake Allen in goal when the Canadiens play the Edmonton 5 buts à ses 4 derniers match. Josh Anderson est en feu. Oilers Thursday night at the Bell Centre (7 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM). Allen is 4-1-0 with a 1.81 goals-against average and a 5 goals in 4 games. Josh Anderson = #GoHabsGo .940 save percentage. Price allowed three goals on 22 shots in a 3-2 loss pic.twitter.com/Kt7TFARGOM to the Ottawa Senators last Thursday night at the Bell Centre, while Allen stopped 34 of 35 shots in Saturday’s 2-1 win over the Senators in — Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) February 11, 2021 Ottawa. Midway through the first period, the Canadiens were outshooting the This was Price’s eighth start in the Canadiens’ first 13 games. Last Leafs 7-1 and were in total control. The Leafs outshot the Canadiens 5-2 season, he started 10 of the first 13 games and 21 of the first 25. He in the last 10 minutes of the period — a sign of things to come — but the finished the season with 58 starts, the most of any goalie in the NHL, Canadiens were still leading 1-0 heading into the first intermission. while posting a 27-25-6 record with a 2.79 goals-against average and a Things started to get bad in the second period and the Leafs’ Travis .909 save percentage. Dermott tied it up 1-1 at the 15:18 mark when he beat Carey Price with a When asked Tuesday if it has been a tough adjustment to not playing as short-side shot to the blocker side, which seems to have become a weak much this season, Price said: “Not really, to be honest. It’s not spot for the goalie this season. challenging because Jake is playing really well. I’m just trying to focus on Derms with an absolute #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/U4qliJIP6b practising right, preparing the right way. It’s allowed me the opportunity to work on things in practice and take some longer practices and it’s — Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) February 11, 2021 actually been beneficial for me, I think.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW “Right now, we’re kind of in an odd, slower part of the schedule,” Price This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. added. “Jake’s playing really well. I totally understand the situation that we’re in. Just use practice wisely, keep preparing for that next start Article content because we know that the tough part of the schedule is coming up.”
The third period was ugly as the Leafs got two goals in a 42-second Tatar réduit l'écart! On lâche pas. span. Justin Holl scored at 1:50, blasting a shot over Price’s glove hand from the high slot while the unscreened goalie was on his knees, and Ilya Tatar makes it a one-goal game!#GoHabsGo Mikheyev scored at 2:32, banging the puck in from just outside the pic.twitter.com/jyGmCTvpVq crease. — Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) February 11, 2021
Here comes the BOOM! #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/a26O26JCwM Armia returns to lineup
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) February 11, 2021 Armia returned to the Canadiens’ lineup after missing the previous seven Tomas Tatar cut the Leafs’ lead to 3-2 when he scored his fourth of the games with a concussion. To make room for Armia, Paul Byron was season at the 16:40 mark, but Zach Hyman’s empty-netter at 18:56 made a healthy scratch. clinched the victory for Toronto. Tatar’s goal came after he had been Armia logged 15:25 of ice time with no shots and no hits. In six games taken off his regular line with Phillip Danault and Brendan Gallagher and this season, he has 2-3-5 totals and is plus-6. was put with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Joel Armia. Toffoli took Tatar’s spot with Danault and Gallagher. “I felt pretty good,” Armia said after the game. “I was surprised myself how good I felt. I think my legs were moving. I think I was good on the Toronto’s first two goals came when the teams were playing four-on-four battles, too. So I felt good.” and the Canadiens were dominated, unable to get the puck out of their own zone. Byron was scratched after posting 0-3-3 totals in the first 12 games.
Soup is back on the menu! #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/gpXmiPmjoi “I guess there doesn’t always have to be a reason,” Julien said after the game when asked about Byron being scratched. “When I say that, I’m — Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) February 11, 2021 just saying like right now we have some extra players and tonight we felt that it was important to have Corey Perry in the lineup for our power-play reasons and we needed some goal-scoring. So sometimes you make we’ve been the fortunate ones in the North Division — in the Canadian these kind of decisions. They’re not easy because you know you’re division — where so far, and we knock on wood saying that, we’ve been taking out a guy who’s been a good player and all that stuff. It doesn’t lucky with not having too many issues. But, at the same time, it’s just mean he’s out forever. It’s just that tonight we had to make a decision on about respecting the protocols as best we can here and try and stay as somebody had to sit out because Armia was coming back and Paul safe as we can as well.” ended up being the player that was out. Drouin said the new rule about when players can arrive at the rink “He’s very capable of playing, but he’s not 100 per cent,” Julien added doesn’t have an impact on him. about Byron. “I’m not one of those guys that comes that early,” he said. “But I’m sure Tough night for Danault some guys are definitely changing their routine. Some guys have been doing it for years where they show up three, three-and-a-half hours Danault did not have a good game. He finished the night pointless and (early). They want to get ready slowly and do all their stuff without any minus-1 and also struggled in the faceoff circle, going 4-8 (33 per cent). rush. I’m a little bit of the opposite. I like not having to think about the Danault and Byron are the only two Canadiens forwards without a goal game so much. I just like showing up to the rink, getting ready for a bit this season and Danault has only one goal in his last 36 games, dating and putting my equipment on. So I’m happy about the rule, but I’m sure back to last season. Danault has five assists this season and is plus-2 in some guys aren’t.” the final year of his contract with a $3.083 million salary-cap hit. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 02.11.2021 It was also a tough night for captain Shea Weber, who finished minus-3.
Some stats
The Canadiens outshot the Leafs 35-24, while the hits were tied 19-19. Both teams went 0-for-2 on the power play.
Jeff Petry led the Canadiens in ice time with 22:23, followed by Weber (22:08) and Ben Chiarot (21:37). Nick Suzuki led the forwards in ice time with 19:27, followed by Toffoli and Gallagher (16:05).
Tatar had a team-leading six shots, while Toffoli had four. Anderson led the Canadiens with four hits.
The Canadiens won 47 per cent of the faceoffs. Jake Evans had a very good night in the faceoff circle, going 6-2 (75 per cent). Suzuki went 8-7 (53 per cent) and Kotkaniemi was 3-4 (43 per cent).
Challenging week
After facing Toronto’s Matthews and Marner, the Canadiens will take on the Oilers’ dynamic duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl Thursday night at the Bell Centre before facing the Leafs again Saturday night in Toronto.
McDavid leads the NHL in scoring with 9-18-27 totals, while Draisaitl is second with 8-17-25, followed by Marner with 6-15-21.
“I don’t know if I would use the term defensive structure more than you got to be responsible with the puck and you got to be responsible without the puck,” Julien said about the challenge his team faces defensively. “For us, we want to be one of the teams that we bring some offence to our game and are able to score some goals. It’s getting tougher and tougher as we move forward here because teams are getting better defensively. But, at the same time, there’s a lot of firepower in our division where when we don’t have the puck, defensively we have to be sound. So we’ve been trying to work on both aspects of that game — the offensive part, defensive part — and hopefully we find a good balance there.”
COVID-19 protocols
The NHL had to postpone Tuesday night’s game between Philadelphia and the Washington Capitals after the Flyers’ Claude Giroux and Justin Brun were placed on the league’s COVID-19 protocol list.
The NHL has postponed 32 games so far this season because of COVID-19, but none in the all-Canadian North Division. The New Jersey Devils, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche have all postponed multiple games because of COVID-19 outbreaks among players. Sabres coach Ralph Krueger also tested positive for COVID-19
One of the new COVID-19 protocols the NHL put in place last week is that players are now not allowed to arrive at the arena more than 1 hour and 45 minutes before puck drop, unless it’s for treatment of injuries. Coaches have also been holding virtual meetings with players instead of in-person.
“It is very difficult to do those kind of virtual meetings,” Julien said. “You’re going to run into some players who say my Internet wasn’t working well at home and all that kind of stuff. I think the biggest thing here is we’re doing the best we can and that’s all the league is asking us to do.
“They’re encouraging players not to get to the rink too early to spend more time apart than together,” the coach added. “At the same time, 1183394 Montreal Canadiens
Tomas Tatar is a tartare spokesman now, because his name is close enough
It’s like nominative determinism, but with autocorrect enabled.
Montreal Gazette Publishing date:Feb 10, 2021
First things first: there are only two canonical pronunciations of Tomas Tatar — the correct one and the “TATAARRRRRRRR” version that local fan Derek Toulouse went viral for shouting a couple years ago.
Neither of those versions are all that close to “tartare,” but you’ll surely concede that they’re closer than, say, Romanov, Price or Kotkaniemi.
Thus, with a thudding sense of inevitability, we bring you news that Tatar is doing a tartare promotion for a local restaurant chain.
For each goal Tatar scores, Küto Restaurants will give customers a discount on the “tuna tatar” (get it?), according to a post on the forward’s Instagram. If you’re wondering how much tartare that might involve, Tatar has topped 20 goals in both of his full seasons with the Habs — one of which was abridged due to the pandemic.
There’s also a contest in which you can win one of 50 pucks signed by the forward.
Tatar’s involvement with the brand dates back nearly a year, when they first introduced the menu item that is maybe, kind of, almost named after him.
Having established that the Tatar-tartare similarity is enough to get a long-running promotional campaign, we should expect a variety of foods riffing on Canadiens’ names to appear any day now:
“The Toffoli Cannoli”
“Veggie Galla-bur-gher”
“Bergie’s perogies”
“Carey fried rice” (this one may take on too much meaning if Jake Allen continues to be the team’s best goalkeeper)
That’s something we can all look forward to.
Montreal Gazette LOADED: 02.11.2021 1183395 Montreal Canadiens
Maple Leafs at Canadiens: Five things you should know
Toronto star Auston Matthews is the hottest goal-scorer in the NHL, with at least one goal in each of the last eight games.
Pat Hickey Montreal Gazette
Here are five things you should know about the Canadiens-Maple Leafs game at the Bell Centre Wednesday (7:30 p.m., Sportsnet, RDS, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM):
The matchup: The Montreal-Toronto rivalry is the oldest in the NHL and it takes on added significance in this shortened season as the teams are 1- 2 in the Canadian division standings. Toronto leads the pack with 21 points and is on a three-game win streak after beating Vancouver 3-1 Monday. The Canadiens, who have been idle since edging Ottawa 2-1 Saturday, have 18 points, but they also hold a game in hand on the Leafs. This is the second of 10 meetings between these teams and the Leafs were 5-4 winners in overtime in the season opener in Toronto. They will meet again Saturday in Toronto.
Petry attracting notice: Jeff Petry leads the Canadiens in scoring with 14 points, including six goals, and that’s the type of performance that will impress the folks who vote for the Norris Trophy, particularly because he’s also plus-14 in the high-scoring North Division. Tyler Toffoli continues to be the team’s leading goal-scorer, with nine, but eight of those goals have been against the Vancouver Canucks and he has to prove he can produce against the rest of the division. Josh Anderson emerged from the concussion protocol Saturday to break a 1-1 tie in the victory over Ottawa and he has eight goals.
The Matthews factor: Carey Price, who is expected to start in goal for the Canadiens, says he loves to watch Leafs superstar Auston Matthews in action, but not when they’re on the ice at the same time. Matthews, 23, has enjoyed a great deal of success against the Canadiens with 12 goals and six assists in 15 games. He is the hottest goal-scorer in the NHL, with at least one goal in each of the last eight games, and he leads the league with 11 goals.
Not a one-man show: Matthews isn’t the only player the Canadiens have to watch closely. While Montreal leads the NHL in scoring, with an average of four goals a game, the Leafs are a close second at 3.69 and they have four other players who are close to a point-a-game pace against the Canadiens. William Nylander is right there with eight goals and 14 points in 14 games; Mitch Marner has 13 points — all assists — in 15 games and John Tavares has 15 goals and 33 points in 36 games. The Leaf who has done the most damage against the Canadiens over the years is Jason Spezza, who terrorized goaltenders when he played with a wooden stick in Ottawa. He has 32 goals and 70 points in 67 games.
Perry stays in the lineup: Joel Armia has been upgraded to day-to-day as he recovers from a concussion, but this is not the day. Armia and Corey Perry alternated on the Jesperi Kotkaniemi line in practice Thursday, but Perry was on the No. 1 power-play unit and that’s the tipoff he’ll stay in the lineup. It will be Perry’s eighth game since he was elevated from the taxi squad. He must be exposed to waivers after he plays his ninth game. The Leafs are without veterans Wayne Simmonds (broken wrist) and Joe Thornton (broken rib).
Montreal Gazette LOADED: 02.11.2021 1183396 Montreal Canadiens Carey Price allowed three or more goals for the fourth time in eight starts, and the Canadiens certainly could have used a save on one of the two goals the Maple Leafs scored at four-on-four on shots from distance. But what should be of greater concern to the Canadiens is they weren’t The Canadiens must address a lack of urgency before it actually particularly dangerous after that initial flurry to start the game until it was becomes urgent almost too late, until they were down two goals in the third period and began playing the way they know how.
The power play is now 2-for-21 over that six-game sample and is quickly By Arpon Basu Feb 10, 2021 becoming a problem, which was made all the more apparent with one that was so bad it swung the momentum of this game. The Canadiens’ shooting percentage has regressed, which was to be expected, but they The Canadiens spent two days fine-tuning their game, recognizing that are not manufacturing the same quality of chances off the rush as they what the Ottawa Senators had done to them two games in a row was not were earlier this season, either. Phillip Danault is not playing like a top acceptable. centre, and with inconsistency that was to be expected from the young centres behind him, that’s a problem too. Danault had the 2-0 goal on his So they worked. stick early in the first period, with Frederik Andersen down and out and Everyone seemed happy with the time to practice and how they used that the entire top half of the net to shoot at. Danault couldn’t get the puck up time, because the Canadiens have clearly set a standard for themselves high enough, Andersen stopped it while sitting on the ice, and an and were not meeting it. opportunity to take a stranglehold on this game early on was squandered. “Obviously we were disappointed we lost the first game to them. It’s a chance to get a little bit of revenge in that aspect,” Brendan Gallagher This is not meant to pin this loss on Price or the power play or Danault, said Monday of this second of 10 meetings with the Toronto Maple Leafs. just that these issues are among several that have arisen for the “But for us, we just want to put our best game forward and continue to Canadiens, and there needs to be a certain level of urgency to fix them grow as a team. that does not appear to exist for the moment.
“We’ve got goals as a team, and we’re trying to reach those things, so we After the game, Corey Perry, Joel Armia and Josh Anderson were trotted need to continue to get better every day.” out to the Zoom mic to explain the game, and none of them seemed all that bothered with the quality of their game. Again, the Canadiens were One of those goals must be to finish ahead of the Maple Leafs, and even not bad Wednesday. They were fine. And frankly, that seemed fine with though there are so many games remaining against them, that makes them. games like the one played on national television Wednesday night at the Bell Centre a four-point game in so far as its impact on the standings. It is “They scored that goal in the second and kind of grabbed some early in the season, but it’s never really all that early in this season. The momentum,” Perry said. “But I thought at that point we kind of had control Canadiens have already played nearly a quarter of their season, they of the game still.” have played the Maple Leafs twice, and they have now lost twice. “I thought we started the right way tonight,” Anderson added. “I thought The Canadiens began the game playing like there was some urgency to we were physical on their D and on their top players. But we just came this game, like it mattered. Then the Maple Leafs took a penalty midway up short. It’s a long year, it’s going to be a long series against these through the first period, the Canadiens went on the power play, and the guys, and there’s going to be a lot of good hockey.” game turned. Even Claude Julien didn’t appear to have a big problem with how his That power play was so bad, it shifted the momentum in the Leafs’ team played aside from the glaring mistakes that resulted in each of the favour. And even though the Canadiens held an edge in shots and every Maple Leafs’ goals. He pointed to having a decided edge in shots in the other metric that is measured in a game, they never felt as threatening as second period when asked if the Canadiens strayed from the game plan they did in those opening 10 minutes, at least not until they were down in the middle frame. The mistakes were upsetting to Julien, but the rest of two goals in the third period. In between, the Canadiens were, to use a his team’s game appeared, shall we say, fine. term Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe used to describe his team “It’s more so the mistakes that stand out,” Julien said. “You look at the through 40 minutes, fine. first goal they scored at four-on-four, we had the puck four times, and we No more than that, and they definitely stopped looking like the team that gave it back to them four times in our zone before they scored.” placed huge importance on this game and had that urgency in their game In the other dressing room, between the second and third periods, Keefe because of the substandard performances that preceded it. was imploring his players to be a bit more than fine. He emphasized the “Defensively today, we didn’t give them very much at all,” Keefe said. “In importance he placed on this game against the Maple Leafs’ biggest fact, I had this as the lowest number of scoring chances we gave up in a challenger in the division to his players. game all season. Despite some of the volume, I thought our guys did a “We pushed our guys just to have a real strong start to the period,” Keefe really good job protecting the middle of the ice, not giving up any odd- said. “I thought we had played a fine game, but I don’t think we had any man (rushes). The first goal they got behind us a little bit, but that was real strong pushes. We wanted that, and I thought we got it.” really it. They never really got behind us again off the rush.” The Canadiens need a little bit of that push right now. Three games is not Think back to that first game against the Maple Leafs on opening night in a lot, and little slumps happen and are no reason to be overly alarmed. Toronto, how the Canadiens got breakaway after breakaway, how they But no team should know better than this one how quickly those little created those opportunities by forcing turnovers and pressuring the puck slumps can become big ones because of how the Canadiens’ season got and doing all the things their identity is centered on. That simply didn’t completely derailed by two eight-game losing streaks last year. happen Wednesday, not after that soul-sucking power play midway through the first period. If the Canadiens want to meet the goals they have set for themselves, they will need to find the energy and speed and pressure that fueled their The Canadiens are 8-3-2, which is an excellent start. But they are also 3- hot start to the season. 3-0 in their past six games and, aside from an 11-goal outburst against the Vancouver Canucks, have scored six goals in those four other They will need to manufacture some urgency, in other words, before the games. situation actually becomes urgent.
Sample size is always something to keep in mind, but a six-game sample The Athletic LOADED: 02.11.2021 represents nearly half the games the Canadiens have played, and they have not looked right for three games in a row. The Canadiens wanted to bounce back after losing to the Senators last Thursday and proceeded to play worse in the next game, even if they won. They certainly played better against the Maple Leafs, but they did not play to the standard they have set for themselves. 1183397 Montreal Canadiens “They clogged it and they slowed us down really well,” Gallagher said. “We weren’t able to get our forecheck going as well, we weren’t able to come through the neutral zone as well, it was pretty much all over the ice. They slowed us down, and we weren’t able to penetrate that. They In depth: How the Canadiens identified problems and addressed them in had a good plan. What they did worked. Now that we’ve seen that, I think practice there’s some areas we could have been better, and hopefully we’re able to make those adjustments because we’re probably going to see that
going forward here.” By Arpon Basu Feb 10, 2021 So the Canadiens dealt with it in practice.
Battles along the wall to get the puck out of the zone Over the last two games against the Ottawa Senators, games the This became a serious issue as the games against the Senators Canadiens were expected to dominate in a matchup of the hottest and progressed. And this is something that drives Julien crazy. coldest teams in the NHL, a market correction was to be expected. Because this comes down to effort and execution. The way the games unfolded might have been shocking to some, but in reality, it was somewhat predictable. The Senators were not going to The Canadiens, over the course of two days, ran one-on-one, two-on-two continue getting blown out, and the Canadiens were not going to and three-on-three drills deep in the zone to counter this developing fault continue blowing teams out. It was inevitable. in their game.
But regardless of how the law of averages played out against the “I found we didn’t play our best games against Ottawa, the second one in Senators, the Canadiens took something from these two games, things particular, and at the end of the day, we have talent, we have depth, but they needed to clean up to continue their hot start to the season. The if our work ethic, if our compete level isn’t at its maximum, we become standard for the Canadiens this season is quite high, and these games just another team,” Julien said. “We saw that Saturday, we were just a provided a needed reminder that maintaining that standard will not be very ordinary team and it took everything to win the game.” easy. Beating them at their own game “For two games, they had a plan, and it was tough to play against,” Brendan Gallagher said. “They were really in our face, and they worked, The Canadiens repeatedly said how the Senators were in their face, and they skated. I wouldn’t say we were extremely happy with our efforts. which is something the Canadiens themselves take pride in doing. Not taking anything away from Ottawa, they did what they had to do, but The Canadiens had a perfect gap in their schedule to address these for us it’s more so just a matter of getting back to what we did so well issues just ahead of their toughest test of the season, against a team early on in the year where it doesn’t really matter what the other team is they hope to compete with for supremacy in this division. doing to us. It’s just about executing our game plan. I think with a little reset here, we can probably get back to a lot of the things we talked “I could really care less about what the Leafs are doing,” Gallagher said. about early on in the year.” “They’re a very good team, they’ve got their own storyline that they’re following through, but for us it’s just about playing our game. Obviously For two days Monday and Tuesday, the Canadiens attempted to do that we were disappointed we lost the first game to them, it’s a chance to get reset with a game against the most daunting opponent in their division, a little bit of revenge in that aspect. But for us, we just want to put our the Toronto Maple Leafs, facing them next. best game forward and continue to grow as a team. We’ve got goals as a “There were things we could have done better, whether it’s reloading, team, and we’re trying to reach those things, so we need to continue to killing plays before they even got a chance to get a scoring chance, that get better every day.” kind of stuff,” Claude Julien said after practice Tuesday. “So along the This week will show if the Canadiens accomplished that. walls, getting pucks out, I think there were lots of areas where I felt we could have been better. That’s what we worked on the last couple of The Athletic LOADED: 02.11.2021 days, to see if we can’t clean that up a little bit.”
Here is a look at what the Canadiens identified as issues, and how they aimed to fix them.
Forechecking
This is an aspect of the game where the Canadiens normally excel. It is really at the heart of everything they try to do. But it was not at its best against the Senators.
Nor was it particularly exemplary here.
Which is why we saw a drill at practice Monday that is pretty rare. It was methodical in order to drive home exactly how the Canadiens should be forechecking, making sure to note the positioning in different situations.
Reloading
This was another aspect of the drill shown above, how the forwards left the zone, twirled around a pylon and re-entered the zone. The Canadiens practiced this over and over, because they showed over and over again against Ottawa that this aspect of their game was not up to par.
And again.
Which is why it was worked on repeatedly at practice over these two days.
Beating a clogged neutral zone
This is something the Senators did very well against the Canadiens, preventing them from gaining speed through the neutral zone like they had done against so many opponents this season.
Such as here.
Or here. 1183398 Nashville Predators The Blue Jackets, who were in second place in the division going into Tuesday, put goalie Elvis Merzlikins on injured reserve after he sustained an upper-body injury during practice Feb. 3. The team's co-No.1 goalie strategy, using Merzlikins along with Joonas Korpisalo, helped the team Nashville Predators and the NHL Central Division: Winners and losers get this far, despite allowing a division-high 45 goals through Monday. from Week 4 Matiss Kivlenieks, who made his NHL debut last season, is Korpisalo's backup.
PAUL SKRBINA | Nashville Tennessean On Monday, Laine, whom the team acquired in a trade with the Jets, was benched for the entire third period. He scored two goals the night before.
No surprise the Predators held their spot here from previous weeks. As COVID-19 continues to disrupt the regular season — more games were postponed this week — it has left the Central Division alone of late. They are near the bottom of the division. The penalty kill is at the bottom of the league. The power play is near the bottom of the league. Not much else has changed in the last week, either. Underachieving center Ryan Johansen is on injured reserve. They'd lost The Lightning are still on top. three in a row going into Wednesday The Red Wings are still on the bottom. The players held a meeting after Monday's loss to the Lightning, then lost The Predators are still, well, the Predators. 6-1 to the same team Tuesday.
And Patrick Kane is still Patrick Kane. IT'S A GIRL: Nashville Predators' Mattias Ekholm, wife Ida, welcome baby girl WEEK 1: COVID-19 affects Predators, most others Detroit Red Wings WEEK 2: Nashville Predators lose some shine Let's start with the good news: The Wings became the first team to beat WEEK 3:Nashville Predators are reeling a bit the Florida Panthers in regulation this season, 4-1 on Sunday when Thomas Greiss stopped 36 of 37 shots to end their losing streak at eight. Without further ado, here's a look at the winners and losers from the division during the last week: Those goals more than doubled their league-worst 1.8 goals per game.
Winners The bad news: They held down last place with a 3-9-2 record and had just eight points going into Wednesday's games. Let us not forget about Tampa Bay Lightning that eight-game losing streak. The defending Stanley Cup champions look ready to defend their Stanley Tennessean LOADED: 02.11.2021 Cup.
The division leaders had won six in a row going into Wednesday and were 9-1-1 overall.
They were averaging 3.6 goals and allowing a league-low 1.9.
Andrei Vasilevskiy started the first nine games and allowed 1.88 goals against. His 37-year-old backup, Curtis McElhinney, allowed one goal on 25 attempts Monday against the Predators. Vasilevskiy returned Tuesday and also allowed just one goal.
They have eight players with at least three goals and four with double digits in points.
Good luck, rest of the division.
Patrick Kane
The 32-year-old, in his 14th season, is playing more like a 22-year-old.
He had three goals and six assists in the team's previous five games going into Wednesday, four of which were victories. He's averaging 21:48 in ice time per game, second highest mark of his career.
Oh, and he's helping carry the Blackhawks to a 6-4-4 record, which put them three points from the division lead. All of this without sidekick Jonathan Toews, who has been on long-term injured reserve all season.
Mikko Koivu
The Blue Jackets' 37-year-old center announced his retirement Tuesday. He spent the first 15 years of his career with the Minnesota Wild before joining Columbus this season.
He has 206 goals and 505 assists in his career but said his level of play (a goal and an assist in seven games) this season wasn't acceptable, which led to his decision.
"I need to be true to myself and fair to my teammates," he said in a statement. "So the time is right."
Losers
Columbus Blue Jackets
Elvis has left the building. For now. Mikko too. For good.
Patrik Laine left the game for "mouthing off" to an assistant coach. 1183399 Nashville Predators According to data compiled by Sportlogiq, the differences between the Predators’ underlying five-on-five numbers on offense under Laviolette and Hynes are not as extreme as the results suggest. The metrics indicate that the Hynes-coached Predators should be scoring more John Hynes is getting the most he can out of a flawed Predators roster based on their shot quality.
Since Hynes took over last year, the Predators have averaged 2.07 five- on-five goals per 60 minutes compared to 2.35 expected goals. They By Adam Vingan Feb 10, 2021 outperformed their expected five-on-five output under Laviolette (2.68 expected goals per 60 versus 3.1 actual goals), which tends to point toward luck. When talking about John Hynes’ tenure as Predators coach, it is important to put it into context. “When (the Predators have) scored this year, they’ve scored generating off the rush and off of second chances at the net-front,” Doerrie said. Hired one day after the Predators fired Peter Laviolette in January 2020, “The problem is they’re not very consistent at doing that.” Hynes inherited a team in disarray. Two months later, the NHL hit pause on the season in response to the coronavirus. To Doerrie’s point, the Predators have scored two rebound goals at five- on-five and five overall in 13 games, something that Hynes pointed out The Predators returned briefly over the summer after spending four Tuesday evening. months in relative isolation. Then came another extended break before the team reconvened last month to prepare for this season. Special-teams play is virtually identical.
In all, Hynes, who has not presided over a full-length training camp, has PP/PK Statistics Under Laviolette/Hynes coached 45 games since taking the job 13 months ago. PP Expected Goals “I know it’s been tough on him coming in,” Predators center Matt 0.25 Duchene said last week. “Kind of right away, it’s COVID, then the (postseason) bubble and then this year.” 0.25
The initial reaction from Predators fans to Hynes’ hiring was tepid, and PP Goals their feelings have not changed over the past year. He does not have his predecessor’s fiery disposition or resume, and his 21-19-1 regular- 0.2 season record with the Predators is used as a cudgel against him. 0.21 Coaches are easy targets. But it is worth asking if Hynes, whose contract PP Shots On Net runs through next season, is doing the best he can with the players at his disposal. 1.99
“John needs puck-moving defensemen — guys who can go back, get the 1.98 puck and move it quickly, so they’re basically facilitators,” said Rachel Doerrie, who worked closely with Hynes as a player information/video PP Slot Shots On Net analyst in the New Jersey Devils’ hockey operations department from 1.05 December 2017 to January 2019. “He needs forwards who can play in transition and attack off the rush, and he needs guys who can read the 1.04 game well.” PP Inner Slot Shots “I’d argue he doesn’t have most of them. … The whole team to a degree still has Peter Laviolette’s system drilled into its head and all of the habits 0.57 that come along with that. John would prefer if his (defensemen) 0.55 facilitated as opposed to (being) the catalysts. I think when you have (Mattias) Ekholm and (Roman) Josi and (Ryan) Ellis, they’re used to PK Expected Goals Against being the catalysts, so there’s kind of like this mismatch of what’s going on. I think that’s what’s leading to some of the struggles that they’re 0.22 having.” 0.16
Up front, Doerrie said the Predators’ forward group is “not built at all for PK Goals Against success,” pointing specifically at the bottom six. 0.29 “John’s teams are successful when he has speed on all four lines, and he can get positive contributions, whether it’s offensively or defensively, 0.31 from all four lines,” said Doerrie, who is pursuing a Master of Science PK Slot Shots Against degree with a specialization in analytics and player valuation inefficiencies at York University in Toronto. “If you look at New Jersey 0.91 when he was there, Blake Coleman wasn’t playing on the second line. Blake Coleman was a third-line player. He was actually a fourth-line 0.71 player and moved his way up, but it was because Coleman was able to Hynes is not infallible. His forward lines Tuesday were head-scratching. provide things other than scoring. Theoretically, Nick Cousins, Erik Haula and Eeli Tolvanen, all of whom “I look at the Nashville roster, and I think that the depth is a massive, were scratched, offer more potential for offense than Sean Malone and massive issue. The reason it’s a massive issue is because there isn’t Michael McCarron. But it is not like Cousins, Haula and Tolvanen have enough skill in that depth.” been producing.
Debates over personnel and systems play have a chicken-or-the-egg Predators forwards vs. Lightning quality to them. A coach has to tailor his game plan to fit the strengths of Filip Forsberg his players, but a system cannot operate properly if the players cannot execute on the ice. Colton Sissons
“(Hynes is) amenable to adjustments,” Doerrie said. “He understands that Viktor Arvidsson if he doesn’t have the personnel, he’s OK with changing his system and how things work.” Mikael Granlund
The Predators’ 6-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday was Luke Kunin Hynes’ 41st regular-season game behind the bench, the same number of Matt Duchene games that Laviolette coached last season before being fired. Yakov Trenin
Michael McCarron
Mathieu Olivier
Rocco Grimaldi
Sean Malone
Calle Jarnkrok
On Monday, Predators captain Roman Josi bemoaned the team’s tentativeness at the start of games, saying, “It almost feels like we’re playing, but we’re not playing to win.” Hynes bears some responsibility for that, too.
Josi also said, “Everybody is playing hard,” which is true, and, “We’re not playing up to our potential right now,” which is debatable.
This is the Predators’ potential with a poorly constructed roster. Hynes might be squeezing as much as he can — or perhaps any coach could — out of this particular group.
“If I had the answer to the riddle at this point, I think we would be able to solve it,” he said Monday when asked how to rectify the Predators’ inconsistency.
That answer might simply be that the Predators are not a good team, regardless of who is in charge.
The Athletic LOADED: 02.11.2021 1183400 New Jersey Devils a cheap deal to keep him in NJ, I can see why they would protect him. If they think Zajac will move on in free agency, there’s not a need. It’s going to be an interesting decision either way.
Devils Insider Q&A wrap-up: How is Nico Hischier progressing and when I think that they have other guys more likely to be chosen than (Zajac) will he return? Will team be rusty after pause? right now ... and it might be worth the gamble to save some younger prospects/players and leave him off the save list.
That’s a 100% valid argument and why I could see the Devils not By Chris Ryan protecting him in any scenario. Seattle might not be interested in a soon- to-be 36-year-old center, so it might be worth the Devils protecting
another young prospect and take their chances on Seattle not going after While the Devils’ season is currently paused due to COVID-19 protocols, Zajac. there’s still plenty to talk about surrounding the team. Star Ledger LOADED: 02.11.2021 On Tuesday afternoon, subscribers to NJ.com’s text service, Devils Insider, took part in a live Q&A to discuss some burning questions about the team.
Here’s a recap of Tuesday’s Q&A with Devils Insider subscribers. To take part in future Q&As, plus receive daily text updates on news, observations and more, sign up for Devils Insider today.
On to the questions:
I know Nico (Hischier) is on the COVID-19 protocol list ... but any idea if he is ready to play yet? How’s he coming along?
He should be getting relatively close. He’s been out of his boot for a few weeks, and the main thing for him recovering from his offseason leg injury has been his comfort wearing a skate and moving around with it. He’s skated a bit, but they’re not going to rush him until he’s 100%. There haven’t been any setbacks, but the idea that he could have played on opening night was just a really aggressive goal for him.
Is this pause a positive Nico’s situation?
When can we expect Nico to play his first game? Thank you.
There aren’t many positives the Devils can take out of this situation, especially with so many players on the list. But the stop did allow Hischier to keep rehabbing without missing any more games. If he can start skating with the team briefly after facilities open again, he should only need a week or so of practices to get up to speed. So perhaps he can get full clearance later this month to get back in the lineup. He seems to be trending that way.
How will the long layoff affect play on the ice? Do you anticipate any “rust”?
It’s a fair question. We’ve seen some teams bounce back pretty quickly (Vegas, Dallas) after COVID pauses, but no team has gone through as long of a layoff as the Devils yet. So I imagine there will be a level of rust in the first couple games, but similar to how the season started. After all, most players were off for nearly 10 months between games. So they’ve at least had a little action to fall back on this time around.
Confidence in (Will) Butcher and wondering if you think he will become trade bait.
The Devils will eventually need Butcher this season, particularly now that their schedule is so tight. The same six defenseman can’t play all 56 games. Given the COVID and travel restrictions, I don’t think he’s a trade piece during the season. They’d rather have the depth. Maybe he becomes a trade asset in the summer if he doesn’t carve out a bigger role.
Jack Hughes has been remarkable so far at the start of the season. How many goals/assists/points do think he’ll end up with by the end if you had to give an estimate?
Given his start, it’s certainly fair to give a boost to preseason expectations for his final totals. He’s got 8 points in 9 games, but oddly enough, he had just 2 in the past 6 before the pause. That went a little more unnoticed because he was still playing so well. As for the final prediction, I’ll say he finishes with 12G/27A/39P. That would translate to 17G/39A/56P over an 82-game season.
Should the Devils expose (Travis) Zajac to the expansion draft?
I did a story (Tuesday) morning previewing how the expansion draft could impact the Devils. Zajac was a player I went back and forth on. I ultimately had him as a player who gets protected, though I had an easy case for leaving him exposed, too. It all depends where the team and player stand after the season. If the Devils are ready to bring him back on 1183401 New Jersey Devils
Devils’ Tom Fitzgerald no longer a candidate for Penguins GM after Pittsburgh hires Ron Hextall
By Chris Ryan
Tom Fitzgerald won’t be leaving the Devils to join the Pittsburgh Penguins.
After Fitzgerald was reportedly a top candidate for the open Penguins general manager job following Jim Rutherford’s sudden resignation last month, the Penguins hired former Flyers GM Ron Hextall on Tuesday to take over the job full time.
Along with appointing Hextall as GM, longtime NHL GM Brian Burke, who most recently worked as an analyst on Sportsnet, was named the Penguins’ president of hockey operations.
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Considering the Penguins’ reported desire to hire a full-time GM quickly after Rutherford’s resignation, it’s no surprise Fitzgerald stayed in New Jersey. The Devils did not grant the Penguins permission to interview Fitzgerald — an expected move since it would have been for the same position in another NHL organization.
The Penguins’ interest in Fitzgerald stemmed from his long run in the front office in Pittsburgh. He joined the Penguins as Director of Player Development in 2007 under former Penguins and Devils GM Ray Shero.
Fitzgerald was promoted to assistant GM in 2009, and when Shero was hired in New Jersey in 2015, Fitzgerald took the same role with the Devils.
Fitzgerald was named interim GM of the Devils last season after Shero was fired in January of 2020. He earned the full-time role during the offseason.
Star Ledger LOADED: 02.11.2021 1183402 New Jersey Devils forwards to contract extensions prior to the draft to avoid exposing Zacha or Wood.
Zajac is also set to enter free agency this summer, but unless the team is How will Devils approach Seattle expansion draft this offseason? set on cutting ties with him after this season, it’s hard to see him not Breaking down roster options for protecting, exposing players coming back next season, hence his protection here.
If Zajac and Palmieri are protected, that leaves two spots for younger forwards who have started to crack into the NHL. McLeod and By Chris Ryan Sharangovich are our picks here, though the rest of the season will play a major factor in how the Devils proceed. Janne Kuokkanen, Nick
Merkley and Nathan Bastian could make a case for protection. This coming offseason will be a little different as the NHL prepares to Severson is the one lock the Devils have among defensemen who will be welcome its 32nd team. protected. Beyond that, it’s all up in the air. The Seattle Kraken will begin play during the 2021-22 season, and a Only three blue liners — Severson, P.K. Subban and Will Butcher — expansion draft will be used to fill the team’s roster, just as the NHL did in currently meet the games requirement for exposure. Ryan Murray will be 2017 with the Vegas Golden Knights. the sixth if he plays nine more games this season. But Severson, Subban So 30 of the NHL’s teams — the Golden Knights are exempt — will lose and Butcher are the only three from that group with contracts for 2021- one player to Seattle this summer. 22. So if Severson is a lock, Butcher or Subban would need to be exposed. The Devils saw defenseman Jon Merrill go to Vegas in 2017, and now they’ll need to prepare to lose one more asset. A lot can change between Butcher hasn’t played in 2020-21 while serving as a healthy scratch now and the scheduled draft on July 21 as the NHL season plays out and during each game. So there’s some logic to the Devils exposing him and other roster moves are made. But as things currently stand, here’s how protecting Subban. But here we have Butcher protected and Subban that process could look for the Devils. exposed, mainly because of their age and contracts.
Sign up for Devils Insider: Get exclusive news, behind-the-scenes Subban has one more season left on his current contract, and he’ll carry observations and the ability to text message directly with beat writers a $9 million cap hit in 2021-22. So even if the Devils expose him, that might keep Seattle away. But getting a big name like Subban could be The rules for the Kraken’s expansion draft are the same as the Golden intriguing for an expansion franchise. Knights’ draft in 2017. Not every player on every franchise will be available. Here’s a list of notable Devils exempt from the expansion draft: Murray is currently listed as a protected player, though he’s slated for unrestricted free agency following the season. It is possible he’s traded Jack Hughes, Nikita Gusev, Jesper Boqvist, Alexander Holtz, Dawson during the 2020-21 season, so that would free up another spot. The Mercer, Nolan Foote, Fabian Zetterlund, Mikhail Maltsev, Nathan Devils could also choose to not protect him if they feel he won’t be re- Schnarr, Reilly Walsh, Ty Smith, Kevin Bahl, Nikita Okhotyuk, Jeremy signed during the offseason. Groleau, Gilles Senn Sami Vatanen and Dmitri Kulikov are both set to enter unrestricted free Any players drafted in 2019 or 2020 are also exempt, along with any agency, so it’s unlikely the Devils would look to protect either after they prospects who did not play in a NHL or AHL game until 2019-20 or later. both joined the team on one-year contracts this season.
For draft-eligible players, teams have two options when deciding who to Blackwood is the obvious lock for the protected goalie. Corey Crawford protect. They can protect up to 11 players using a combination of seven may have ended up as the best option for Seattle in the draft since he forwards, three defensemen and one goalie. They also have the option to was signed through 2022, but his preseason retirement took him off the protect nine players, using one goalie and any combination of eight table. Evan Cormier and Eric Comrie currently fill the contract skaters. requirements for exposed goalies, and Aaron Dell and Scott Wedgewood would also be exposed. Buy Nico Hischier Devils gear: Fanatics, NHL.com, Lids Here’s the full list of exposures for this scenario, with * denoting players Teams also have requirements for players they expose to Seattle. At who fill the contract/games played requirements. least two exposed forwards and one exposed defenseman must be under contract for 2021-22, and they will need to have 27 NHL games F: Miles Wood*, Pavel Zacha*, Nick Merkley, Janne Kuokkanen, Marian played in 2020-21, or 54 NHL games played from 2019-2021. Studenic, Ben Street, Brandon Gignac, Nathan Bastian
Teams must also expose one goalie who is under contract for the 2021- D: P.K. Subban*, Sami Vatanen, Connor Carrick, Dmitri Kulikov, David 22 season or is a restricted free agent with a qualifying offer. Quenneville, Matt Tennyson, Colton White, Josh Jacobs, Colby Sissons
Any players with no-movement clauses must be protected, though that G: Aaron Dell, Scott Wedgewood, Eric Comrie*, Evan Cormier* doesn’t have any impact on the Devils. Players with no-trade clauses can be exposed. 8 skaters, 1 goalie
So the Devils will have to weigh several options when deciding who to F: Nico Hischier, Andreas Johnsson, Jesper Bratt, Kyle Palmieri expose and protect. Here we break down both protection scenarios to D: Damon Severson, Ryan Murray, Will Butcher, Colton White see how things could shake out during the summer. G: Mackenzie Blackwood 7 forwards, 3 defensemen, 1 goalie Let’s just get this out of the way quickly: There’s almost no chance the F: Nico Hischier, Andreas Johnsson, Jesper Bratt, Kyle Palmieri, Travis Devils go with this protection option. Their defensemen simply don’t Zajac, Michael McLeod, Yegor Sharangovich warrant it, and there are too many forwards worth protecting in D: Damon Severson, Ryan Murray, Will Butcher comparison.
G: Mackenzie Blackwood Here they’d get the option to protect only four forwards, and that would mean exposing some key young names who could be part of the future Hischier, Johnsson and Bratt are locks to be protected among the of the team. Hischier, Bratt and Johnsson are locks to be protected. forwards. Palmieri likely is too, assuming he isn’t traded during the Palmieri’s status could come down to how his next contract plays out, but season if the Devils don’t sign him to a contract extension. Even if he’s if he gets a new deal before the offseason, he’s a lock, too. still heading toward free agency during the summer, the Devils would still have reason to protect him and retain his rights. And that would be it. Every other eligible forward would be exposed. Zajac, Wood, Zacha, McLeod, Bastian, Sharangovich and more would all The rest of the forward group is tricky. The Devils will need to expose two be options for Seattle. forwards who meet the contract and games requirement, and Pavel Zacha and Miles Wood are the only two remaining forwards that currently Considering we have Colton White as the fourth defenseman protected meet those stipulations outside of the locks. The Devils could sign other here should be enough to tell you why this scenario doesn’t make much sense for the Devils. And this also included Murray, who might not be an option if he’s traded or enters free agency this summer.
Here’s the full list of exposures for this scenario, with * denoting players who fill the contract/games played requirements:
F: Miles Wood*, Pavel Zacha*, Travis Zajac, Michael McLeod, Yegor Sharangovich, Nick Merkley, Janne Kuokkanen, Marian Studenic, Ben Street, Brandon Gignac, Nathan Bastian
D: P.K. Subban*, Sami Vatanen, Connor Carrick, Dmitri Kulikov, David Quenneville, Matt Tennyson, Josh Jacobs, Colby Sissons
G: Aaron Dell, Scott Wedgewood, Eric Comrie*, Evan Cormier*
Star Ledger LOADED: 02.11.2021 1183403 New Jersey Devils I think Bratt has the potential to be a top-six forward on a championship contender. I also think he’s one of the true swing players for the Devils in the next two to three seasons. It’s easy to feel confident about Hughes and Hischier approaching their ceilings, with Alexander Holtz and his Devils’ ‘top line,’ Will Butcher’s trade value and more in mega-mailbag high-end potential not far behind. Can Bratt be the third- or fourth-best forward on a great team, or is his his skill more in line with that of a sixth
or seventh forward? By Corey Masisak Feb 10, 2021 He’s small, but skilled, quick and feisty. Could he be the long-term solution next to Hughes, with either Holtz, Nolan Foote or Dawson Mercer on the right side? You can start to see the pieces of three There has been a lot of bad news for the Devils in February, but two formidable top lines coming together if Bratt can be that third- or fourth- potentially positive developments surfaced this week. New Jersey did not best forward behind the two franchise pillars. add anyone to the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list on Tuesday. No one came off, so the Devils still have a league-high 19 players on the list. But I don’t think the Devils have any interest in trading him now. He’s got after adding at least one player in three of the previous four days, it another year on a reasonable contract, and the hope is that by next provides a temporary reprieve. season both sides will have a better idea of where his long-term number should be. I don’t think the negotiation that just took place will have any The Pittsburgh Penguins also hired a general manager who wasn’t Tom lingering negative effects. Both sides knew it would be tough to nail down Fitzgerald. The Athletic’s Rob Rossi had reported the Penguins were a value for a player like Bratt at this stage of his career, and the financial interested in their former assistant GM, but they ultimately went with Ron situation and deadlines brought on by the pandemic all contributed to Hextall as GM and Brian Burke as president of hockey operations. what transpired. Fitzgerald’s contract as Devils GM still only runs through the end of the season, but there is no longer an intriguing opening out there applying OK, so it’s the last game of the season. Surprisingly, the Devils are still in pressure to the situation. contention for fourth place and the final playoff spot in the division. They’re playing the Penguins in a makeup game, and Pittsburgh is also So, while we wait at least another six days for the next Devils game, we fighting for its postseason berth — winner gets in, loser goes home. The have more time for a super-sized mailbag. Here is Part 1. Devils’ season has been a huge success, thanks to the massive leap forward taken by Hughes, stellar goaltending by Mackenzie Blackwood, Let’s get to it with Part 2. relentless energy and speed provided by Miles Wood and the rookies, With how Jack Hughes has played so far, is it still a foregone conclusion and a much improved defense. Ruff’s systems are working. Injuries have that Nico Hischier slides right back onto the top line when he’s back? Or been minimal, everyone has recovered from COVID-19 and is is it less about which “number” line they’re on and more about who their vaccinated. Give us the four forward lines and three defense pairings we linemates are? — Mike W. hope to vanquish the Pens with one more time! — James Z.
I generally have two principles when it comes to forward lines and This is an amazing question, mostly because it is precisely what I will defense pairings. spend way too much time pondering.
Time on ice matters more than the order players are put in before the The big question: What are the Devils going to do before the trade game starts. deadline if they are in the thick of the playoff chase? They have a handful of pending unrestricted free agents, particularly if Ryan Murray stays Whichever line the star player is on is the top line, unless the coach healthy and Dmitry Kulikov continues to play well — which also are explicitly says otherwise or withholds ice time to make a point. probably prerequisites for this team tracking toward the fourth spot in the A good example of this was the Devils’ handling of Taylor Hall. East. Whichever line Hall was on was considered the top line. Even when John Let’s say the Devils are two or three points shy of fourth as the deadline Hynes moved him away from Hischier and Kyle Palmieri, Hall’s line approaches; does Fitzgerald consider trading Palmieri, Gusev, Murray, ended up getting similar or more ice time. Kulikov or Sami Vatanen? Could he try to add a player for a playoff This Devils team doesn’t have an established star like Hall. If Hischier push? Would he buy and sell at the same time? How will the outside had been healthy at the start of the season, whichever line he was circumstances — quarantine restrictions, lack of cap space for other playing on the first day of camp probably would have been considered teams, the pending expansion draft — affect the Devils’ plans and the the top line. Now Hughes has played like a No. 1 center, both in the league’s deadline activity at large? offense he has created and his ice time. My prediction is that the deadline will be a bit of a snooze because of all I’m sure coach Lindy Ruff will say he doesn’t care which line is those factors. If the Devils are in fourth or within a couple of points of it, considered the top one, and that he has two top lines once Hughes and they could look to add a rental forward, particularly one who can help on Hischier get a chance to play together. There’s not a big difference the penalty kill. So, for a winner-take-all showdown with the Penguins, among the club’s top four wings (Palmieri, Nikita Gusev, Jesper Bratt, my lineup would be: Andreas Johnsson), so it’s relatively easy to fill out two No. 1A/1B lines Gusev-Hischier-Palmieri when everyone is healthy. Johnsson-Hughes-Bratt Hischier should help absorb some attention from Hughes, and vice versa. The decisions will probably come down to how well each of them plays, Janmark-Zajac-Zacha but I’ll go back to ice time. If one is playing two to three minutes more per Sharangovich-McLeod-Wood game than the other, that ends the debate. Extras: Bastian, Kuokkanen What do you think about Jesper Bratt? Is he a legitimate top-six player? What should the Devils do with him? Should they keep him or trade him? Murray-Subban Which teams could be interested in him? — Toni P. Smith-Severson Does anyone embody the excitement of the Devils’ start to the season along with the odd nature of it all more than Bratt does? Between missing Kulikov-Vatanen the start of the season because of contract negotiations, the mandatory Extras: Butcher quarantine and now a second turn on the COVID-19 protocol list, Bratt has been available to play six days this season. Mattias Janmark is off to a strong start with the surprising Blackhawks, who might decide to hold onto their pending UFAs. But if they drop off, In the three games he did play, he was excellent for the Devils. Bratt has Janmark is a versatile forward who could slot in as a regular on the PK. essentially played eight of his nine periods with Hughes and Johnsson, and that line has dominated. The Devils have a 31-7 advantage in shots I do think Butcher is going to get an opportunity to play. But in this on goal when Bratt and Hughes are on the ice together at even strength. scenario with a full allotment of healthy defensemen to pick from in a win- or-go-home spot, my gut says Ruff goes with Kulikov and Vatanen as a better defensive pairing to pit against the high-powered Penguins. With some teams sniffing around Tony DeAngelo, should the Devils look Add in that Butcher costs a million less next season and DeAngelo’s off- to call up a few teams about Will Butcher? They both play a similar ice concerns, and Butcher should be more valuable. Another team could offensive style and can run a PP, and Butcher is cheaper with the same look at the tape from his first two seasons and identify ways to recreate term. If so, what is the return we are looking for? Picks? NHL player? that. But another team also isn’t likely to offer full value in return at this Prospect? — Michael D. point.
It doesn’t make a lot of sense for the Devils to trade Butcher right now. With Miles Wood’s recent success, where do you think Wood’s ceiling is He missed the end of last year, which was the least productive of his in the NHL? — Jonathan F. three seasons, with an injury, and now he’s been a healthy scratch to start this season. It would be selling at an extreme low point for someone Wood has 53 goals and 104 points in 277 career games and he turned who had 74 points over the two seasons prior to last year. 25 years old in September. Trying to narrow down comparables at this point in his career led to a group of 29 wingers who have fewer than 60 If Butcher doesn’t get to play with any regularity once the Devils return goals and 120 points, with between 250 and 325 games played at 25 from the pause, Fitzgerald and Ruff might need to have a discussion years old, since the 2004-05 lockout. about where he fits with the club in the short- and long-term, unless Butcher and his agent initiate that conversation first. Given the Six of them are currently in their age-25 season: Wood, Nick Ritchie, condensed schedule that’s coming for the Devils, they’re likely going to Artturi Lehkonen, Valeri Nichushkin, Jake Virtanen and Adrian Kempe. use seven or even eight defensemen to rotate in fresh legs. Eighteen of them were first- or second-round picks. That makes sense because high picks typically get extra chances because of their draft The more interesting part of this question, to me, is the comparison of positions. Butcher and DeAngelo as players, excluding the obvious negative components of DeAngelo’s value. They are similarly sized but have There aren’t a lot of “late bloomers” in the group. Jakob Silfverberg is the different strengths outside of their power-play success. best player among them, but his career path was similar to Palmieri’s before he came to New Jersey — a talented young player stuck in a GP lesser role on a few loaded Anaheim teams. Most of the players in this group are either career fourth-liners or players who had a couple of 206 productive seasons in their mid-to-late 20s.
215 Chuck Kobasew had 20-goal seasons at 25 and 26, but he didn’t score Goals more than 10 a season after that. Justin Abdelkader had 42 goals between his age 27 and 28 seasons, then signed a seven-year contract 13 and was bought out four years later. Michael Ferland had 38 goals and 81 points across his age 25 and 26 seasons, but has run into concussion 24 troubles since. Points So far, Wood looks to be making the most of his fresh start with Ruff. He 95 probably won’t continue scoring goals at this rate, but he is averaging a career-high 2.67 shots per game and he’s shown a commitment to 106 planting himself at the edge of the crease. That could lead to more of the types of goals he scored in 2017-18, when he netted a career-high 19. PP points He’s been pegged as a fourth-line player who has incredible speed and 38 lacks in other areas. I think the past two seasons have been a learning 44 experience for him, about what kind of player he needs to be beyond out- skating people over long distances. I think this version of Wood can be a TOI/G more well-rounded player with the ability to play up on the third line when needed or cause havoc like he has in recent games next to McLeod and 17:43 Bastian. 18:26 What is your favorite advanced hockey stat and why? How useful do you CF% think they are to evaluate players beyond just the basics like points or save percentage? And do you think the advanced stats properly evaluate 49.97 defensive abilities? — Mathew F.
47.5 This might be a bit of a cop-out, but my favorite doesn’t really exist yet, at xGF% least in a universal and quickly accessible form. What I most want to see from the NHL’s new tracking data, whenever it starts to be available to 52.53 the public, are passing stats. To me, that is the most under-covered area of the sport from a statistical standpoint. Some people manually track 47.33 passing stats — Todd Cordell is tracking passes that lead to shot DeAngelo has a slight edge in the counting stats, but not by much. attempts for the Devils this season, for example — but I can’t wait to Butcher’s advantage begins to show up in the advanced stats. devour all sorts of new passing data.
Butcher had a successful rookie season on the third pair in limited As for what is available now, I think Dom’s Game Score is a good place minutes. He had a more successful season than some gave him credit to start because it’s an all-encompassing value stat (and for as a second-pairing defenseman in 2018-19. Last season, he took a hockeystatcards.com is easy to navigate with all of his data). The other step back. stats I use the most are Corsi, expected goals and scoring chances. They’re all similar, but the differences between them can tell slightly DeAngelo’s reputation as porous defensive player shows up in the all- different stories about a player. around value stats, which is where Butcher shined in his first two seasons. I think they do a much better job of evaluating “defense” than anything else we have available, but I also subscribe to the philosophy that the Here are Butcher’s first three seasons, according to Dom Luszczyszyn’s best defense in hockey is not playing it. If I have to choose one skill over GSVA: 2.47, 1.22, 0.01 the other, give me players who are good at getting the puck out of danger and keeping it in the offensive zone over ones who are good at playing Here are DeAngelo’s first four seasons: -0.65, -0.56, 0.67, 1.59 traditional defense. DeAngelo’s best year was in line with second-pairing value, though the I’ve been a believer in the advanced stats for a long time now. My entry flashy goals and points totals landed him 12th in the Norris Trophy point was actually relevant to the Devils. I covered the Kings during the voting. Butcher provided top-pairing value as a rookie, but his numbers final three rounds of the 2012 playoffs for NHL.com, and trying to figure have regressed since. out how this eighth-seeded team was steamrolling through the West led me to Corsi and this corner of the hockey community I didn’t know a lot about. I started reading the work of Tyler Dellow, the Devils’ current VP of analytics.
It’s important to remember that all stats, traditional or advanced, fall under the information category. It’s best to use them as a starting point. Trying to figure why someone’s Corsi for percentage or expected goals percentage is good or bad usually leads to more knowledge and maybe a good story.
The Athletic LOADED: 02.11.2021 1183404 New York Islanders miss that, I won’t lie. I can’t wait until they’re back so they can be a part of that.”
Absence can make the heart grow fonder, of course, and so every Return of small first wave of fans big step for New York sports athlete who has voiced a similar (and no doubt genuine) antipathy for empty arenas has likely forgotten the boos that also accompany paying fans in the building. It’s funny though: One of the most reassuring moments after sports returned following the events of Sept. 11, 2001, By Mike Vaccaro February 10, 2021 | 7:43PM was the afternoon 12 days later when Armando Benitez blew a save for the Mets against the Braves and was booed off the mound at Shea Stadium. Madison Square Garden won't be nearly this packed on Feb. 23, but there will be near 2,000 fans in the building for the Knicks-Warriors Things sure felt plenty normal then. game. It will still be odd, having 90 percent of the seats unoccupied. Even New There were a few hundred folks scattered throughout Madison Square York fans with their muscular voice boxes will have a hard time Garden that Thursday afternoon, family and friends sitting among the replicating a full house at 10 cents on the dollar. But they will surely try. staffers and the media folks. There was a surreal tint to the day even as There will be hassles to go along with attending these games, sacrifices, St. John’s and Creighton made their way through the layup lines last some more intrusive and invasive than when Sept. 11 introduced us to March 12. the daily sporting realities of metal detectors and bag checks. Some will be slow to return. One by one, across the country, conference basketball tournaments had conceded to the inevitable: the Big Ten in Indianapolis; the ACC in But the fact is, they can return. For the first time in 348 days, going to a Greensboro, N.C.; the SEC in Nashville, Tenn.; even the Atlantic 10, ballgame isn’t something you wistfully talk about in the past tense, like across the river in Brooklyn, all of them had called off their tournaments having a meal at the Automat. We’re not all the way back yet. But we’re because of COVID-19. It seemed a matter of seconds before the Big getting there. East followed suit. New York Post LOADED: 02.11.2021 Instead, just past noon, the Red Storm and the Bluejays tipped off. In almost every year going back to 1983 — when the Big East came home for good to Manhattan — this would have been an unofficial civic holiday, especially with the Johnnies playing, especially after they walked off the floor at halftime leading the top seeds, 38-35.
They never walked back on.
At halftime, the Big East realized what it needed to do. It called off the game, and the balance of the tournament. All across that day, one by one, sports in America boarded up its windows, padlocked its doors and settled in for a long season of dormancy. In New York, the games ultimately returned, starting with the Belmont Stakes in June and baseball a month later.
The fans did not. They were not allowed. Across the country, some states relented during the latter stages of baseball season, during college football season. In Western New York, Gov. Cuomo took mercy on the rabid acolytes of the local football team who refer to themselves as the Bills Mafia, allowed 7,500 people to Bills Stadium in suburban Buffalo for a pair of NFL playoff games.
A small crowd in Miami watched the Heat play the Knicks on Tuesday. On Feb 23, a small number of Knicks fans will be able to watch their team at Madison Square Garden.
Around here, we waited.
Feb. 23, the wait ends.
Feb. 23, it will be 348 days since the last fans were allowed into a New York-area venue, those hundreds of Johnnies fans who left the Garden convinced St. John’s would’ve finished what it started against Creighton, maybe done something magical with the rest of Big East Weekend. Cuomo announced Wednesday that local arenas and stadiums with capacities of more than 10,000 can start welcoming fans back, making 10 percent of seats available.
That means that on Feb. 23, the Knicks-Warriors game at the Garden and the Nets-Kings game at Barclays Center will be the first morsels of normalcy our sporting landscape will enjoy in 49 ½ weeks. Nets-Kings, in normal times, might barely register on the local consciousness. Knicks- Warriors would get some attention, mostly because you never know if Steph Curry is going to go off for 60.
Now, it will be an opportunity for 1,981 Knicks fans and 1,773 Nets fans to watch a live sporting event for the first time in what feels like two days longer than forever. The Islanders will open the doors for around 1,400 fans when they welcome the Bruins to Nassau Coliseum on Feb. 25, and the next night the Rangers will greet 1,800 or so when the Bruins visit the Garden.
“Most of the fun of playing in New York is the opportunity to play in front of New York fans, the passion they have, the energy they bring night after night,” Knicks forward Julius Randle said a couple of weeks ago. “I 1183405 New York Islanders
Knicks, Rangers to host roughly 2,000 fans at games
By Justin Tasch February 10, 2021 | 5:32pm | Updated
With Gov. Cuomo announcing Wednesday that sports stadiums and arenas can open up to a limited number of fans beginning this month, the Knicks and Rangers are preparing to welcome approximately 2,000 fans per game at the Garden. It’ll be the first time fans will be in the building since COVID-19 shut sports leagues down last March.
The Knicks will start hosting fans for their Feb. 23 game against the Warriors, while the Rangers will have fans for their Feb. 26 game against the Bruins, the teams said in a statement. Venues with capacity of at least 10,000 can start having up to 10 percent capacity starting Feb. 23.
MSG’s capacity is just over 20,000.
“Health and safety remain our top priority, and we will be working closely with state and health officials to implement the strongest operating protocols,” the teams said. “We know our fans are anxious to return and we can’t wait to see them at The Garden once again.”
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau says “it’s great for the league” to have fans back. Twelve NBA teams currently host fans.
“Safety has to come first in this situation,” Thibodeau said. “For us, we know how important fans are to our organization. It’s something you’re hopeful it gets turned around. This appears to be a good sign. As long as it’s safe, we’re looking forward to that. I think the same holds true for every team in the league. The safety of the fans is most important but we know how important is to our game.”
Madison Square Garden on Dec. 27, 2020.
The Nets are expected to have fans at their Feb. 23 game against the Kings at Barclays Center.
The Islanders said they “look forward” to having fans back at Nassau Coliseum but did not say when that will begin. The Buffalo Sabres also didn’t say when they’ll have fans back but called the announcement a “great step forward.” The Bills were able to have 6,700 fans at their Dec. 30 playoff game.
Both the NHL and NBA have had to postpone games this season due to the virus.
The Yankees and Mets have more time to prepare as their seasons don’t begin until April.
“Governor Cuomo’s announcement today is an encouraging first step,” the Yankees said in a statement. “We thank the governor for his leadership, and we will continue to engage his office in productive dialogue moving forward. The safety of everyone who enters Yankee Stadium remains our top priority, and we will work diligently and in lock- step with the governor to ensure all precautions and procedures are being followed as we lead up to the 2021 baseball season.”
The Mets said they “look forward to working with government officials to ensure that the return to the ballpark is safe and convenient for our fans.”
New York Post LOADED: 02.11.2021 1183406 New York Islanders worse as teams plowed through the season, head down, trying to dodge covid-positives like would-be tacklers.
Incredibly, each of the four major pro sports crowned champions during It's hard not to be a fan of Gov. Cuomo's New York stadium re-opening the pandemic, with the NBA and NHL well into another season already. plan Plenty of teams already have allowed fans inside arenas to watch -- the Super Bowl had over 25,000 people in attendance -- but New York has been one of the stricter states. After what we endured in 2020, there’s good reason for that. Staff But now the data is suggesting otherwise, and this region could use
something more to cheer about. I’m bullish on the recovery and the Welcome back. urgency for a wider re-opening -- albeit in a smart, safe fashion -- is impossible to ignore. Cuomo may be starting out at 10% capacity for the Not all of you. Not right away. Hopefully, that isn’t too, too far off. re-introduction of fans, but baseball still has another six weeks before the Yankees open up April 1 in the Bronx. With increased vaccinations, and But we’ll take the 10% for now, as granted Wednesday by Gov. Andrew perhaps a little luck, it’s always possible that percentage could be M. Cuomo, who finally snapped the padlocks on the gates of New York’s bumped up a little higher by first pitch. The Mets aren’t back at Citi Field arenas and stadiums to allow fans through, starting on Feb. 23. until April 8. I know Cuomo likes to say he listens to the science in making every one "Governor Cuomo’s announcement today is an encouraging first step," of his pandemic-related decisions, but whatever calculus he uses to the Yankees said Wednesday in a statement. determine these exact percentages is never readily available. All along, we’ve been following our best educated guesses, based on ever-evolving More like jumping for joy. We all were promised another slice of our data for a pandemic the world hadn’t seen in more than a century. Now regular lives back Wednesday with Cuomo’s announcement. And that’s a Cuomo believes this also can be done, for arenas/stadiums with a priceless feeling, no matter what the ticket costs. capacity over 10,000, by relying on PCR (nasal swab) tests, masks and social distancing. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 02.11.2021
On Wednesday, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced that
Cuomo: Sports arenas can host fans at 10% capacity starting Feb. 23
On Wednesday, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced that sports arenas that seat more than 10,000 people could host fans at up to 10% capacity as long as COVID-19 guidelines were followed and they had negative test results. Credit: NY Governor's Office
"This hits the balance of safe reopening," Cuomo said Wednesday.
Fingers crossed, I’m cautiously optimistic we’re ready for this next step, because it feels like we desperately need to take a few more in the forward direction. By the time Feb. 23 rolls around -- we’re not counting the Bills playoff game attended by 6,700 -- it will have been 349 days since a ticket-buying fan was actually on-site somewhere in the metropolitan area, dating to the March 12 Big East Tournament matchup between St. John’s and Creighton at Madison Square Garden.
That game, which feels like a decade ago, was abruptly halted at halftime due to the rapidly escalating COVID-19 concerns. Our world has never been the same since.
Fans will bring some of that normal back with them. And this goes way beyond sports. Our psyche needs repairing after nearly a year on the injured list. Just return to us some of those happy sights and sounds again. Let the arenas help provide a blueprint to get the smaller, cozier venues up and running, too -- like Broadway, Carnegie Hall, the Met or your neighborhood bowling alley.
Can we further refine the testing process to make it an even quicker, more reliable turnaround than a few hours or days? (The 15-minute rapid test still has its skeptics). Will the vaccination rate accelerate to the point where people don’t have to be skittish about pulling down their mask for a bite of hot dog or sip of beer? Going by my own informal Twitter poll, it sounds like most fans will be sprinting back into ballparks, but mindful of a continuing emphasis on safety.
Of course, franchises are craving that gate revenue again. They’re starving for it. When a team like the Yankees had to flush roughly $450 million last summer due to playing only 30 games in their empty cash register, um, ballpark, the financial hit is devastating, across the board, right down to the vendors, ushers and parking lot attendants.
They’re not going to get whole with just a few thousand fans in the building. At the start, this is mostly symbolic, another reason to be hopeful, like the plunge in infection rates after the holiday surges. A year ago, as COVID-19 was gutting New York City and steadily gaining momentum nationwide, I was adamant about slamming on the brakes. Never did I think playing sports would be possible, right up until tip-off inside the NBA bubble and the first pitch of MLB’s 60-game season.
The experiments did not go smoothly. Baseball had an especially tough time, trying to play games on a daily basis while traveling, and a handful of teams were ravaged by outbreaks. At times, the NFL looked even 1183407 New York Islanders
Islanders' Noah Dobson learning how to harness his considerable skills
By Laura Albanese
Noah Dobson is skating the path of those who came before him, and Barry Trotz believes it could one day end with him being a top-pair defenseman.
First it was Johnny Boychuk, who was integral in his development in his first NHL season, Dobson said. And now it’s Andy Greene, who skates alongside Dobson on the third defensive pairing and brings his 944 games of NHL experience with him as he goes. The confidence has rubbed off on him, Dobson said, and it’s certainly showing this season in his ascent to everyday player — he’s got a goal and five assists despite averaging only 17:55 of ice time.
"I think for a young guy it's really, really good for myself to see him and just kind of learn from it," Dobson said of Greene. "I think it doesn't matter what happens throughout the game, whether you make mistake [or not], he's just got that calmness and [the ability to] just focus on the next shift, so that's something I really, really took from him and he's definitely been a big help for me."
Naturally, there’s a long way to go. Trotz said he loved Dobson’s passing and skating but saw areas that needed improvement. And he’ll also need to weather the natural ebbs and flows of a young career.
"Hopefully he gets to another plateau and gets it to his highest level of hopefully being a top defenseman in the National Hockey League," Trotz said. " . . . just [has to go] through the growth path of a young player. There are going to be stints where they’re really good and stints where they look like they lost their confidence and not playing well."
Since Dobson’s passing is so above average, he’ll need to learn how to do more with less. He needs to "just let the puck do the work," Trotz said. "This game can humble you if you try to take it on by yourself . . . Do the simple right things all the time and it’s amazing, your skill comes out the other end."
And that aspect is as much mental as anything — trusting in your abilities, knowing when to pull back and being confident that the game will come to you. Dobson is working on it.
"You pick up things as you go along," Dobson said. "I just think this year with all the crazy circumstances and playing every other night, it's a really grind mentally . . . You’ve got to learn to prepare each night to play your best and I think that's just something that I've been learning along the way — just how important the mental side of the game is with so many games every other night. You’ve got to have a short memory, you’ve got to prepare like a pro and make sure you're preparing to bring your best each night."
Notes & quotes: Anthony Beauvillier (lower body) didn’t skate with the team on Wednesday, but Trotz said he’s making progress in his solo skates and "skated quite well." Though Beauvillier won't play against the Penguins Thursday, Trotz expects to have him back in games soon. Beauvillier has missed six games since getting injured in a game against the Devils on Jan. 24 . . . The Islanders assigned taxi squad players Otto Koivula and Dmytro Timashov to Bridgeport. Trotz said their depth at center would likely mean Koivula wouldn’t get much chance to play, anyway. "He needs to play," Trotz said of the 22-year-old. "He’s still a young, young player. Otto, I like where he is in terms of his growth . . . He’s been on the taxi squad since the bubble and here now, so he’s got to play in games."
Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 02.11.2021 1183408 New York Islanders NHL The Rangers’ policy will be the same as the Knicks’: roughly 2,000 fans
per game, beginning Feb. 26 against the Bruins, with season-ticket Gov. Cuomo says fans can return to NY arenas and stadiums starting holders receiving priority. Feb. 23 The Islanders were less specific, saying in a statement that they plan to have fans at Nassau Coliseum "as soon as possible." They, too, will grant season-ticket holders first dibs on tickets "when they are available." By Tim Healey Their first home game under the new rules is Feb. 25 against the Bruins.
"I'm thrilled that Islanders fans will be able to safely rock the Barn again," Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said in a statement. "Governor Fans’ nearly yearlong absence from major sporting events in the tristate Cuomo reopening arenas is a big step towards New York's safe return to area appears to be almost over. normal, and the reopening of the Coliseum means so much for Nassau. In another small step toward normalcy, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo We know virus risk is dramatically reduced with precautions in place and announced Wednesday that beginning Feb. 23, arenas and stadiums can rules being followed. I'm confident that we're ready to do this safely and admit up to 10% of their capacity — with the sort of restrictions that have smoothly." become routine during the coronavirus pandemic, including social- MLB distancing and mask-wearing requirements. With Opening Day still seven weeks away, the Mets and Yankees have Attendees also will have to present a negative COVID-19 test from within time to figure out logistics. Both teams are selling tickets — including for 72 hours of the event, Cuomo said. Opening Day, April 1 at Yankee Stadium and April 8 at Citi Field — but Details regarding how the local teams will enforce those rules, or when neither said how it will handle limited capacity and refunds/credits for and to whom they will sell tickets, were scant in the hours after Cuomo’s those who bought tickets but won’t be allowed to attend. reveal. But the general reaction was positive. Finally, fans can come The Mets did send a marketing email Wednesday evening, encouraging watch — and teams can make more money. fans to "be part of the action" by buying tickets, including to two April On Wednesday, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced that series.
Cuomo: Sports arenas can host fans at 10% capacity starting Feb. 23 Like the other pro leagues, MLB plans to allow fans on a team-by-team basis, being sure to follow local and state government regulations. If it’s On Wednesday, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced that sports arenas OK with Cuomo, it’s OK with MLB. that seat more than 10,000 people could host fans at up to 10% capacity as long as COVID-19 guidelines were followed and they had negative Both teams called Cuomo’s fan ban repeal "an encouraging first step." test results. Credit: NY Governor's Office "It’s an encouraging first step toward us potentially welcoming fans back First up: The Knicks and Nets, who play at home on Feb. 23, New York to Citi Field," the Mets said in a statement. "We look forward to working sports’ reopening day. with government officials to ensure that the return to the ballpark is safe and convenient for our fans." "It’s great for the league," Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. "Safety has to come first in this situation. For us, we know how important fans are to And the Yankees: "We will work diligently and in lock-step with the our organization. It’s something [that] you’re hopeful it gets turned governor to ensure all precautions and procedures are being followed as around. This appears to be a good sign. As long as it’s safe, we’re we lead up to the 2021 baseball season." looking forward to that." MLS Islanders’ coach Barry Trotz said: "We would really enjoy the fans back. A New York City FC spokesman said the club, which plays its home We missed that element in our game, no question. They're a big part of matches at Yankee Stadium, is looking forward to hosting fans in 2021, what we do." but does not yet have concrete plans for doing so. The MLS season is The most recent local major sporting event at which fans were in scheduled to begin April 17. attendance was the Big East quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden on NCAA March 12. Four hundred were allowed in to watch St. John’s-Creighton, which was canceled at halftime. Cuomo’s new rules apply to venues with capacities of 10,000 or more, so St. John’s, Hofstra and Stony Brook basketball will not be affected. That was 335 days ago. That count will get up to 348 by Feb. 23. Stony Brook (football, lacrosse) and Hofstra (lacrosse) seem to be Here is what local teams and colleges said about Cuomo’s eligible for allowing fans. Stony Brook said in a statement it will await announcement. "further guidance and interpretation on [the rules’] applicability to campus NBA venues." Hofstra saidin a statement it will "carefully study the policy" and what it means for athletics. Neither the Knicks nor the Nets said Wednesday when tickets will go on sale, but they expect season-ticket holders to get priority access. The "We are grateful to the Governor," Hofstra said, "and share his Knicks plan to allow about 2,000 fans at every game. commitment to reopening New York State’s sporting and cultural venues." "We know our fans are anxious to return and we can’t wait to see them at The Garden once again," the Knicks, Rangers and MSG said in a With Steve Popper, Greg Logan, Erik Boland, Laura Albanese, Ryan statement. Gerbosi and Jordan Lauterbach
Tuesday in Miami, the Knicks played in front of about 1,500 people. TURNSTILE COUNT
"It’s not the same as a full arena obviously, but it’s still great to have fans At 10% capacity, the maximum number of fans allowed in the area's in the building," Thibodeau said. "We’re looking forward to the day when large arenas and stadiums beginning on Feb. 23: the arenas are full again. It’s a start and that’s all you can ask for." Barclays Center The Nets, who said they will donate a portion of ticket proceeds to Nets: 1,773 support vaccination efforts in Brooklyn, directed those interested in tickets to brooklynnets.com/reopening. Madison Square Garden
"The players enjoy the experience a little bit more and it makes the Knicks: 1,981 season a little less monotonous," Nets coach Steve Nash said. "It's exciting to be able to have a little slice of normalcy. I think it's great for Rangers: 1,800 the fans, great for the players and great for the organization and Nassau Coliseum community. So I think it's a win all around." Islanders: 1,391
Yankee Stadium
Yankees: 5,425
NYCFC: 2,874
Citi Field
Mets 4,192
Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 02.11.2021 1183409 New York Islanders by Jon Goyens, a former QMJHL coach who threw together what he called the Coaches Cafe — a virtual hangout where coaches from the amateur and professional ranks could bat around ideas during the pandemic restrictions. Ken Hitchcock on Barry Trotz passing him in all-time wins: ‘I’m really proud’ What began as a handful of coaches grew to almost 300 in twice-weekly sessions, and it was hardly dominated by the old guard. “Barry and I both take pride in staying current,” Hitchcock said. “There were college coaches, junior coaches on there, talking about what works for them. We By Arthur Staple Feb 10, 2021 learned a lot.”
Trotz has hit a few coaching milestones already in his two-plus seasons Ken Hitchcock didn’t plan on sending a text or placing a congratulatory behind the Islanders bench. The first was when he won his 783rd game, call to his good friend Barry Trotz. Of all the coaches on the all-time NHL passing Islanders legend Al Arbour for fourth all-time. “It’s always Al’s coaching wins list, it’s fitting that Trotz passed Hitchcock on Monday with bench here,” Trotz said then. win No. 850. The two men have spent a lot of time together in the last Next was No. 800 toward the end of the 2018-19 season. And now, Trotz dozen or so offseasons — face time before the pandemic, and now is into the top three, with the untouchable Scotty Bowman (1,244 wins) FaceTime — sharing coaching concepts, preparation techniques, and Joel Quenneville (931), whom Trotz bested in the preliminary round motivational tools and systemic tweaks. over the summer, still ahead. As much as Trotz hates talking about What they do not share is a reverence for those massive numbers numbers and legacy, there was something special about passing alongside their names on the NHL’s list. Trotz is now third, Hitchcock is Hitchcock. fourth, but it won’t be a topic of conversation between the two next time “He’s a guy who I admire, a friend, and he’s mentored me a little bit,” they chat. Trotz said. “He’s a great teacher. To be mentioned in the same breath as “Neither one of us gets too worked up about numbers,” Hitchcock said on him, it’s humbling.” Tuesday morning. He’s retired now, for the time being anyway, watching The same is true for Hitchcock, who at 69 is 11 years older than Trotz. games and occasionally chatting with his friends still behind benches. He has talked to Trotz, even pretty recently, but that’s not a surprise to “I’m really proud of him,” Hitchcock said. “We’ve both paid our dues, Hitchcock. coming up through the ranks. I’m really proud of him, I’m really proud. When he was in Nashville, he was there on the ground floor. You can “A lot of times, when his team is going well, neither one of us talks,” he always tell a really good coach when he goes to a good team and makes said. “When it’s not going well, I know the calls are coming and I try to it better. He did that in Washington and he did that with the Islanders. He get ready to help him.” knows what he’s doing, he’s committed to certain principles and he sticks That was the case a couple of weeks ago, when the Islanders were in the to them.” midst of an 0-3-2 slide and playing very un-Trotz-like hockey. From what Trotz’s initial answer about the significance of No. 850 on Monday night Hitchcock saw, it was easy to diagnose the issue, but not quite as easy was Belichickian. “We’re on to Pittsburgh,” he said with a bit of tongue-in- to correct it. cheek humor. “When the Islanders are engaged, they look collectively quick. When you That drew a laugh from Hitchcock. stop the video, it looks like there’s 10 Islanders on the ice,” he said. “They’ve always got five in the picture everywhere. All of a sudden, they “Neither one of us do much living in the past,” he said. “We’re both 24- didn’t have five in the picture. They were spread out. hour-a-day coaches. You just never put that feeling aside.”
“The red flags for all of us are when our team looks slow. That’s a red The Athletic LOADED: 02.11.2021 flag either from an emotional standpoint or a playing-for-each-other standpoint. That always concerns experienced coaches, when your team looks slow. Because it’s not a technical fix, it’s an emotional fix.”
That may be where Trotz does his best work. He’s developed the right on-ice system for this Islanders team, one that accentuates forechecking to create high-danger chances and defensive-zone assignments to prevent them. It’s Trotz’s communication with his players that stands out, as well as his feel for the team. Before Monday’s milestone win, one that put the Islanders back over .500 and into the last East Division playoff spot for the time being, he felt he was seeing and hearing what he needed to from the group.
“They’re starting to use the words and the language that needs to be part of what you’re doing,” Trotz said of his players. “Every year is different. The group is different, the roles are different, the status within the group may be different. Every year’s a new sort of circumstances. You’ve got to use what you know, know what works for the group and commit to it.”
It’s the preparation that Hitchcock has long admired about his friend. “Barry, to me, is the most organized person leading up to a season I’ve ever seen,” Hitchcock said. “Everything is planned, everything is thought out. I’m different — I take notes every second of every day and I’m gaining knowledge as I see things unfold with my team. Both of us end up at the same place doing it a little differently. I learned a lot from him.”
What Hitchcock calls “The Hitch and Trotzy Symposium” began innocently enough in the mid-2000s, as an informal way to share thoughts about coaching. “We traded processes,” Hitchcock said. “What I mean by that, he has certain principles and I wanted him to walk me through how he developed those principles. From meetings to practices to games. We ended up having our symposium based on those principles. I found that was a great learning experience for both us.”
Those conversations have since extended to coaches at all levels, all sharing ideas that have equal value. This past offseason, there were phone calls between Hitchcock and Trotz, but also Zoom calls facilitated 1183410 New York Islanders
Islanders Noah Dobson Finding His Game in Early Part of bizarre Season
By Christian Arnold
New York Islanders head coach Barry Trotz isn’t overwhelming young defenseman Noah Dobson with a ton of minutes in his first season as a regular in the lineup. However, in the 17:55 of average ice time he has seen through the first 11 games of the season Dobson has continued to make impressive strides.
Dobson’s new role has a much different feel to it than the 34 games he played in during the 2019-20 season while Adam Pelech was out due to an injury. The Islanders defenseman appeared much more comfortable during his first 11 games this year, part of which had to do with having veteran Andy Greene besides him.
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“Kind of learning the ropes last year and come along slowly kind of made me come in this year a lot more comfortable and confident,” Dobson said on Wednesday after practice. “Just kind of know what to expect and I’ve been fortunate. Last year I was surrounded by and spent a lot of time with Johnny Boychuk, who was really a big part of my development. Really helped me along.
“I’m fortunate this year to play alongside Andy Greene, who has been in the league for a while. He’s played against the best players. He’s seen everything and knows what to do each night.”