Sport-Scan Daily Brief

SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 9/20/2020 Anaheim Ducks New York Rangers 1193641 Gary Bettman says 2020-21 NHL season might not start 1193668 When Gotham was Eden: The great wins and good times until January of a magical year in Big Apple sports 1193642 Ducks mailbag, Part II: The case for tanking and the free 1193669 Rangers should pursue Islanders’ Matt Martin under one agent options condition 1193670 As buyout window approaches, will this be Henrik Boston Bruins Lundqvist's final week with NY Rangers? 1193643 Well-traveled Geoff Ward has found a coaching home with 1193671 When will new NHL season begin, and what will it look Calgary like? Chicago Blackhawks Philadelphia Flyers 1193644 Dylan Strome, a restricted free agent, faces crucial 1193672 Answering Flyers fans' questions about trades, signings, moment in his Blackhawks tenure the 2021 expansion draft, and more 1193673 Alain Vigneault sent a message to more than just the Dallas Stars veterans 1193645 Stars' Game 1 victory proves the Stanley Cup Final can make heroes out of anyone Pittsburgh Penguins 1193646 Stars notebook: How Dallas slowed down Lightning’s top 1193674 Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Don’t be surprised if Penguins line; Jamie Oleksiak’s ‘Big Rig’ hat trick trade newly re-signed Jared McCann 1193647 ‘Go get that Cup’: Dallas-area athletes and local sports 1193675 Rossi’s mailbag: Are the Penguins’ moves about cap legends sent their best wishes to the Dallas Stars space or budget? 1193648 Lightning knew exactly how Stars would attack in Game 1, they still couldn’t stop Dallas’ defensemen San Jose Sharks 1193649 Stars' Joel Hanley scores first career goal in Game 1 of 1193676 Re-evaluating the Barclay Goodrow trade and the Sharks’ Stanley Cup Final other pre-deadline deals 1193650 A family tradition: Stars’ Rick Bowness, Jamie Oleksiak hoping to add to their families’ trophy cases St Louis Blues 1193651 Stars’ Corey Perry, Joe Pavelski have gone through some 1193677 Blues' contract talks with Pietrangelo hit stalemate battles, but never as teammates until now 1193652 Anton Khudobin’s 35-save Game 1 the latest in growing Tampa Bay Lightning list of impressive postseason performances 1193678 Lightning-Stars Game 1 report card: Beware the blueliners 1193653 Dallas Stars take Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final, and this 1193679 Was that just a hot goaltender or a bad omen for the team simply just has that look Lightning in Game 1? 1193654 Bubble Dispatch: How the Stars, Anton Khudobin defeated 1193680 Lightning’s Pat Maroon logs 10-minute penalty after the Lightning in Game 1 buzzer 1193655 Stars 20/20: Anton Khudobin and Dallas take Game 1 of 1193681 Rested Stars beat Lightning in Game 1 of Stanley Cup the Stanley Cup Final final 1193656 How the 2020 Cup finalists were built: Big trades, key 1193682 Lightning-Stars Game 1 live Stanley Cup final updates signings and savvy picks 1193683 Former Lightning goalie Ben Bishop is on the Stars, but 1193657 Stanley Cup Final staff prediction: What to expect from where is he? Stars-Lightning 1193684 Lightning’s Brayden Point in lineup for Game 1 of Stanley Cup final Edmonton Oilers 1193685 Patrick Maroon brings toughness, tenacity, grit, leadership 1193658 Lowetide: European leagues are open, and Oilers to Lightning prospects are everywhere 1193686 Lightning fans show plenty of spirit ahead of Stanley Cup final Los Angeles Kings 1193687 Lightning dismissed Rick Bowness two years ago. Now 1193659 Gary Bettman says 2020-21 NHL season might not start both are playing for the Stanley Cup until January 1193688 Lightning defensemen hungry for their first Stanley Cup 1193660 What does the Kings’ ‘Perfect Draft’ team look like? Let’s 1193689 Welcome to the Lightning bandwagon, new hockey fans do a redraft 1193690 Bubble Dispatch: How the Stars, Anton Khudobin defeated the Lightning in Game 1 Minnesota Wild 1193691 Lightning 20/20: Is Game 1 loss to Stars a cause for 1193661 Dane Mizutani: Wild GM Bill Guerin finally doing what concern or just a blip? needs to be done 1193692 Stanley Cup Final staff prediction: What to expect from Stars-Lightning New York Islanders 1193662 Rangers should pursue Islanders’ Matt Martin under one Vancouver Canucks condition 1193697 Canucks assistant Manny Malhotra joins Leafs, ‘very 1193663 Ranking the most rewarding NY teams to come out of excited for this opportunity’ nowhere 1193664 Matt Martin reuniting with young daughter after Islanders’ ouster 1193665 When will new NHL season begin, and what will it look like? 1193666 5 memorable moments from Islanders' 2019-2020 season 1193667 Offering perspective on the Islanders' 2019-20 season is virtually impossible Vegas Golden Knights 1193693 Golden Knights’ successful start historic even beyond hockey 1193694 Marc-Andre Fleury’s future with Knights has 4 likely outcomes 1193695 NHL Commish Bettman: NHL Teams Taking ‘Revenue Hit’ From Pandemic, But Clubs Will Weather Revenue Shortfall Websites 1193698 The Athletic / ‘I’m dressed for climbing Everest’: Cold rinks, unique NHL run for Jim Hughson 1193699 Sportsnet.ca / Stars check all the boxes in Game 1 win over Lightning 1193700 Sportsnet.ca / Quick Shifts: Why stunning Eric Staal trade is a clear win for Sabres 1193701 Sportsnet.ca / Why Joe Pavelski chose Dallas over Tampa Bay for his Stanley Cup shot 1193702 Sportsnet.ca / Lightning not reaching for easy excuses after Game 1 letdown 1193703 Sportsnet.ca / Gary Bettman short on specifics ahead of 2020-21 NHL season 1193704 TSN.CA / Dylan Cozens takes aim at WJC repeat, Buffalo Sabres roster spot and a moose Winnipeg Jets 1193696 What would the Jets’ ‘Perfect Draft’ team look like? Let’s do a redraft SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1193641 Anaheim Ducks He added, “The only good news in this context is that the ownership of the 31, soon to be 32 NHL franchises has never been stronger and healthier. While nobody has any revenue coming in right now and owners Gary Bettman says 2020-21 NHL season might not start until January are obviously writing checks to cover overhead and expenses, our franchises will get through this and will come out stronger on the other side.”

By HELENE ELLIOTT SPORTS COLUMNIST Bettman also said he’s opposed to keeping the expanded playoff format put in effect this summer, a plan that included 24 teams in postseason SEP. 19, 20204:38 PM play instead of the usual 16. “I think what we did this year we needed to do to be fair to the clubs that were on the bubble. … in terms of making the playoffs,” he said, “and I think we did the right thing in that regard but The 2020-21 NHL season could start in late December or “slip into I’m not sure that that’s necessarily a prototype for the future. In fact, I still January” depending on the health conditions and COVID-19 regulations believe that what we have in a normal year is the right way to go.” in place later this year, Commissioner Gary Bettman said on Saturday before the start of the Stanley Cup Final between the Dallas Stars and A return to what was once considered normal in terms of scheduling the Tampa Bay Lightning in Edmonton, Canada. remains far off. Bettman said he intends next season to feature an 82- game schedule for each team and full playoffs, but a late December or Speaking during the state of the league news conference he customarily early January start would push the season into the summer months conducts before Game 1 of the Final, Bettman emphasized the NHL has again. Bettman said he wants to avoid that, but he didn’t elaborate on made no plans regarding a start date for next season. However, his how that could be done. suggestion of a potential January launch reflected a shift in thinking to a later date than the previously anticipated date of Dec. 1. “My preference would be to stay out of summer as much as possible. Our fans typically like watching us through the fall, winter and into the spring Canadian government regulations limiting the entrance of travelers from and it’s always been a goal to be done by the end of June,” he said. the United States continue to pose a significant obstacle for the league’s “Playing late July, August, September is something that was important to planning because seven of the league’s 31 franchises are located in do now and if we can avoid it we will, but again it’s premature to have an Canada. “There’s no point right now in making definitive comments on answer to that question other than we understand the issue and we’re our plans because there’s still too much we don’t know,” Bettman said going to try and deal with it as best we can.” during a Zoom media conference. Bettman also said that while the end of the NHL’s successful return to “Nobody can tell me whether or not the border between Canada and the play plan is near, he’s not relaxing yet. “Actually handing the Cup over to United States is going to be open by a date certain, nobody can tell me the captain of the winning team will probably be the first time since March what the state of COVID-19 is going to be, nobody can tell me whether or 12 I’ll breathe a sigh of relief,” he said. “And maybe I’ll get a full night’s not our arenas will be able to have either socially distanced or fully sleep.” occupied buildings, and we’re going to have to do the same thing we did to get ready for the return to play: explore all the options, be flexible and agile enough to implement when the time comes.” LA Times: LOADED: 09.20.2020 Bettman also said that while next season might start with no fans in the stands — which has been the case for postseason games in the Toronto and Edmonton postseason bubbles — fans might be allowed back in next season as conditions allow. He also said the league is monitoring the protocols adopted by European sports leagues and other North American leagues to determine if the NHL can learn from their experiences.

“How we start doesn’t necessarily relate to how we’re going to finish,” Bettman said. “So if we’re going to speculate — and this is pure speculation, I’m just throwing it out there as a random thought — it’s conceivable that we start without fans, that we move to socially distant fans at some point and by some point in time maybe our buildings are open. I’m not saying that’s the case but if you’re thinking through all of the conceivable possibilities, there’s full, there’s empty, there’s a combination and again how we start doesn’t necessarily mean that’s how we have to finish.”

The NHL has conducted more than 31,000 COVID-19 tests in its playoff bubbles with no reported positive tests. Bettman thanked players and staffers for diligently following strict protocols that included frequent testing and limits on movement. He also thanked the NHL Players’ Assn. and executive director Donald Fehr. “This was, in the consummate team sport, the consummate team effort and I’m grateful for everybody who participated,” Bettman said.

Bettman did concede that leaving fans out of arenas created a void that “is enormous and profoundly felt.” For the NHL, which depends more on ticket revenues than the NBA, NFL or Major League Baseball, it has also created a significant financial hit. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the decision to admit fans will be made by health authorities in each city, no matter what the NHL might want to do.

“Yes, there will be a revenue hit,” Bettman said. “It’s no secret that attendance directly and indirectly impacts at least 50% of our revenues and on whatever basis we may or may not be able to have fans in our buildings, which, by the way, as Bill indicated, is something that may be well beyond our control in terms of local government regulations, that will determine how much the shortfall is off of where we were off of where we were projecting. So again, while we know it will be less, we know there’s a substantial revenue impact, I’m comfortable that our franchises will be strong enough to weather this.” 1193642 Anaheim Ducks that he is someone who is wise beyond his years and has that no- maintenance aspect about him that team executives love. Steel isn’t going to ham it up in a media scrum or rip off soundbites in a press Ducks mailbag, Part II: The case for tanking and the free agent options conference, but he does have leadership material. He was captain of the Regina Pats in his final WHL season. I think he’ll definitely put up more points in 2020-21, but the one I’m betting to bust out is Troy Terry. You could see his game coming together and the things he was trying in the By Eric Stephens offensive end even though the points weren’t reflected on the scoresheet. Sep 19, 2020 Iceman. Have you heard rumblings of a different approach with Martin Madden as the assistant GM concerning the drafting of a certain type of player? And along those lines, the prospect of taking a real flyer or Got to hand it to you fine readers. You absolutely crushed it for this latest riskier, not injury-wise but skill-wise, kid in the upcoming draft. I’ll use Ducks mailbag. (Daniel) Sprong as an example. High-high offensive skill side. Lacking on the D side. – Evan G. It was so big and bulky that we had to split it into two parts. Part I ran Thursday and there was plenty left to address. And the Ducks will be In the times that I’ve talked with Madden previously, I know that he isn’t making more noise soon as an important and highly anticipated NHL going to give much away when it comes to the draft. This year could be Draft approaches. very different as there won’t be a draft floor or even a gathering of executives and prospects. Maybe it makes it easier to keep things close The wait has been long but we’re now just 17 days away from learning to the vest. But I’m a proponent that they take a bigger cut with one of who the Ducks’ next hot prospect is going to be. There will be excitement their high picks, especially since they’ve got multiple choices with three and scrutiny over their choice with the No. 6 pick. There will be within the first 36 selections this year. Zegras may have fallen to them at projections of where he will eventually fit into the lineup. Let’s also hope No. 9 last year, but they still went for the player that has an elite skill set that there is a training camp to follow before winter arrives. as far as his passing and playmaking. Stay safe and let’s work together so we can all enjoy some hockey. Live, But I wouldn’t use Daniel Sprong as an example. Maybe the anti-Isac preferably. Now it’s time for the questions. Lundestrom, who looks more like the safer pick but may not have a high (Editor’s note: Questions have been edited for clarity and length.) NHL. I think I get where you’re going with it. However, Sprong doesn’t have an overwhelming skill to separate himself at the NHL level other The 2022 draft has at least three potential generational talents at the top. than his great shot. And you need to be a fantastic offensive player at (Shane) Wright, (Matthew) Savoie and (Brad) Lambert. Would it be such that level to overcome the other very noticeable flaws in your game. I’ll a bad thing to start a real rebuild if the Ducks miss the playoffs this year? give you a player that may fit that “boom-or-bust” profile as a riskier I can’t see a scenario where the current core of Ducks can take out the choice to take a shot on. Sarnia Sting goal scorer Jacob Perreault. Avalanche or Canucks in a seven-game series. Heck, we have hardly beaten the Golden Knights in a regular season game since they entered Any word on Simon Benoit potentially making the jump to the big squad the league. – Logan M. this year? I followed him a little bit in San Diego and was very excited when we signed him to an ELC. In my eyes, he definitely deserved it. At this point, I’m not seeing them take out Colorado or Vancouver either. Over the past year it seems like he’s made some great progression. I am a bit surprised at how much further along the Canucks got this year. Curious if you have any insight on him or have heard anything from the I didn’t think too highly of their overall roster even though I’ve always staff? – Chris L. been a big fan of Bo Horvat. But J.T. Miller had a much bigger impact than I thought he’d have as a veteran coming in and obviously Quinn Benoit has been one of the better under-the-radar stories as an undrafted Hughes and Elias Pettersson are going to be their bookend stars for guy that had to get an AHL contract first and play his way into an NHL years to come. It obviously helps to have quality goaltending and Jacob deal. Before next season begins, I’m going to see if I can pull Todd Markstrom gave that to them in finally fulfilling his No. 1 potential. Marchant in to discuss what he saw in the development of some of their more notable prospects. But he does have an uphill battle just because The question you pose is whether Ducks ownership is going to be on of all the left-side defenders that are there in front of him. Remember that board with a lot of losses until then if you opt to strip it down. Losing does he’s also only moving into his age-22 season. not play well in Southern California. It was a challenge to sell out Honda Center at times when they were winning. But if, say, it’s clear that this Unless someone gets moved, behind Hampus Lindholm and Cam Fowler current core does not move the team forward at all in 2020-21, then you have Christian Djoos, Jacob Larsson, Brendan Guhle and Josh taking a step back to try and take a giant step forward isn’t a bad plan. I Mahura, in no particular order. I’m not even counting left-shot free agent don’t like “tanking” and I’m a believer that it doesn’t solve everything and Kodie Curran as I noted in Part I of the mailbag how he actually prefers can bring some bad karma your way. Just look at Buffalo. But I get where playing the right side. That’s a tall order for Benoit as far as squeezing being in the middle – not good enough to compete for a Cup, not bad onto the Anaheim roster. But I do like that he plays with some bite on the enough to be in position for a top pick – isn’t a good place to be. For back end and is a decent skater. He’ll again be someone the Gulls can instance, it’s going to take a while for Steve Yzerman to get it going again lean on. in Detroit. Who are a couple of young prospects in other organizations’ farm Hi Eric, I have been following the Ducks though your work for a while systems that you think would fit in Anaheim? What AHL teams do you now. Thank you for that! That said, a couple of questions. (Adam) like name/logo/colors? – Devin L. Henrique was seen as a potential successor to (Ryan) Getzlaf as Well, Devin, the right side of the defense in the Anaheim system would captain. Does that still hold true? Do you see anyone from the younger look at a lot better if it had Bowen Byram in it. How flush is Colorado right Ducks reaching for the C instead? Among the young players, who do you now with the 2019 No. 4 pick waiting in the wings behind super rookie expect to break out this year? – Shakeel S. Cale Makar? It’s crazy how Makar, Hughes, Adam Fox and, to a lesser Thank you, Shakeel. You are among the reasons why I’ve been able to extent, Adam Boqvist, all had a big impact on the blue line for their NHL maintain some level of staying power in this business. I don’t know if clubs this season. I think Alex Turcotte is going to be a quality center for Henrique is the successor, but I wouldn’t rule him out. Not only is he still the Kings, but I’m bullish on Trevor Zegras impacting the Ducks with his a quality player with an important role on the team, but I think he has the offensive creativity. I’ll be real curious to see how Dylan Cozens for personality to connect with players of different ages and the Buffalo and Cole Caufield for Montreal develop. Two very different temperament to handle the ups and downs of a long season. He has players in size and style. worn an “A” at times if the permanent alternate captains were unable to As for AHL jerseys, that’s quite a curveball. What I notice is there are play. But I think that Jakob Silfverberg and Josh Manson are highly quite a few crests with both a caricature or an image to define the thought of in the room and within management. I’ve mentioned before nickname and the actual wordmark within the logo. Choose one. I tend to how I could see Cam Fowler as a successor. go with cleaner looks and having both clutters it up. For instance, I’d Among the younger players, I could easily see Sam Steel wearing a letter remove the Gulls wordmark for the Ducks’ club in San Diego, emphasize someday. If not, the “C” before his career is over. First, the Man Of needs the bird and hockey stick within the triangle (an ode to the original Mighty to play well enough to have a long NHL career. Second, I get the vibe Ducks logo) and clean up the side striping. I kind of dig the Lehigh Valley Phantoms’ simple but effective logo. The Utica Comets’ shield is decent even if there’s a lot inside it. Belleville Senators’ take-off of its parent Scott, I’ll address your example first. Devin Shore wasn’t going to bring Ottawa’s alternate jersey with the “B” and the bold red, white and black much of anything in a trade, so the fact that the Ducks got a player with stripes is nice. And I’m cool with the Laval Rocket. Yes, there is no actual more skill to take a chance on in Sonny Milano isn’t a bad swap. No GM rocket and just a big blue “R” with the nickname inside it. But I could see was giving a halfway decent draft pick for Shore. And Milano plays more wearing that, even though I’m not a huge jersey guy. on the left side, whereas Terry is a clear right wing. Maybe Milano is one of those who flourishes in a new spot. Maybe not. As to your other Hello Eric. How do you see the moving of players from space to space, question, I think moving players for picks is a sign to teams that you’re in even in trades and drafts, affecting the COVID-19 restrictions on play? clear rebuild mode and maybe that’s the signal Murray and the Would players need to quarantine before hitting the ice? How does this organization aren’t ready to send. For instance, would it have been better affect flying in support players when a player is injured? – Bonnie B. for him to get a mid-round pick for Nick Ritchie instead of Danton Got to hand it to you, Bonnie. Those are heavy questions that I wish I Heinen? I’m not sure he would have gotten anything more than a fourth. was even remotely qualified to answer. But they’re important for sure. As Third-round picks and higher are much better currency but you’ve got to much as the NHL deserves to be praised for how they were able to pull give up better players for those. off the return to play and the Stanley Cup playoffs with the bubbles in Hey Eric, with rumors of (Matt) Dumba in the trade block (again), do you Toronto and Edmonton – which, by the way, made for great TV viewing think that GMBM has any interest in acquiring him? – Connor P. with some all-day, everyday hockey – the far harder task will be providing safety in what we hope will be a 2020-21 season played. Hi, Connor. If nothing else, I’m at least inquiring about what the cost would be. You don’t go without placing a call to Wild GM Bill Guerin and As you note, dealing with player movement is part of the next territory. I’d imagine that Murray has already done that. Guerin seems bent on Playing within every NHL city and getting some amount of fans back in changing the mix in the land of 10,000 lakes. Dumba is just 26, a right- arenas is another major hurdle to clear. Moving from one side of the handed shot who skates well and is highly skilled. Those kinds of players Canadian border to the other. My guess is the league will have to set aren’t in play that often. But you’d better be prepared to offer up some some guidelines for the teams to follow with guidance from local real quality, even if it’s apparent that he’s already got to protect Ryan authorities and medical officials. Our Scott Burnside recently posted this Suter, Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin (all who have full no-movement sobering, but realistic story talking with league officials about what lies clauses) in the Seattle expansion draft, which might leave Dumba as the ahead. There are a lot of questions but precious few answers right now. odd man out.

Anaheim has a lot of money coming off the books next year ($20-plus What do you think the Ducks will do to address their ineffective defense? million). Do you get the sense ownership will take the opportunity to In the NHL you don’t win the Cup without exceptional defense and the suppress salaries at the that time because of the lack of gate receipts? – Ducks have been way, way short of that for several seasons. – Jim M. Robert H. Go and get Dumba, Jim. I’m kidding. Or am I? Ideally, they’re in need of Hey Eric, is there any chance the Ducks operate on an internal cap a top-four defenseman – or a top-pairing one in a perfect world. But there (lower than $81.5 million) this year and possibly going forward? Would are teams that can fashion tight units because of an effective system hate to see it, but would understand with all the revenue lost. – Matt P. where the forwards matter as much to overall team defense as the Hi, Robert and Matt. Personally, I don’t think it’d be good for the market if blueliners. Are any of the Islanders’ D-men big names? The best one you have that much available and not attempt to improve the team. You may be Adam Pelech. would also be sending a bad message, particularly after making public a The combination of John Stevens – who our Lisa Dillman recently caught $3 billion (and more when cost overruns develop) entertainment, up with – and the defensive guru that is Rick Bowness has produced a business and residential project around the arena during a pandemic. I’m suffocating group in Dallas that’s playing for the Stanley Cup. Now, they not saying blow that kind of cap space on bad free agent signings. But if, also have a legitimate No. 1 in young stud Miro Heiskanen. I’d be curious say, the Ducks make a push for the playoffs next spring and give a clear to see if Darryl Sutter has more of an impact assisting on this side of the indication that they’re a team on the rise but are in need of a player that puck next season. The Ducks need to further decrease the amount of could be available and takes the team into true contending status, I’d say high-danger chances they allow. We know Sutter’s Kings teams could be you do try to get that player if it’s one that can grow with the team moving quite stingy. It’s not true that he’d try to win games 0-0. It only felt that forward. way.

Matt, I’ll have to add up the actual cash outlay the team has committed to Do you think it’s almost inevitable that there will be a “hockey trade” players for next season as opposed to the cap figure. An example is when it comes to Fowler/Lindholm/Manson and getting another NHL Ryan Getzlaf, whose cap hit is $8.25 million but is owed $6 million in quality forward? Seems like we don’t have another option to bring in an actual dollars for next year – with $3 million of that already paid out in a impact player (mainly, a goal scorer) due to cap constraints. – Alex J. bonus. The total is something I want handy knowledge of, especially since the club likes to seek out players whose actual salary is lower than Alex, I think you’ve pretty much hit the nail on the head. If the kids don’t their cap number. Look for teams across the league eyeing available take a significant stride forward in 2020-21, and they’re still intent on players with that kind of contract structure as they deal with a flat cap. being as competitive as possible, they’re going to have to deal from the But I know that they’ll be conscious of what they spend. Several teams few proven assets they do have. Who knows? I don’t know how much figure to tighten their belts over the next couple of years. smoke there is to them or if there is any at all, but I don’t think the Manson-to-Toronto rumors are going away anytime soon. But you have Who have the Ducks loaned out to other leagues? – Cameron W. to maximize as much value as you can if you move one of those three.

Cameron, the Ducks have officially sent a few players overseas to get Do you think the Ducks prioritize the younger players next year. Or will some ice time. So far, it is limited to prospects but four of their signed Bob bring in more veteran free agents to create competition? – Earl guys have been loaned. Defenseman Axel Andersson is with Sodertalje of second division Allsvenskan in Sweden. Defenseman Hunter Drew is Earl, I think they will be judicious with bringing in free agents. The Ducks with HC Banska Bystrica and goalie Roman Durny is with HC Slovan are already pressed up against the cap due to the dead money that’s Bratislava in Slovakia Extraliga. Goalie Lukas Dostal is back in Finland paid out to Corey Perry, the final year of Getzlaf’s big contract and the with Ilves in the SM-Liiga. Though he is in college and not a signed pro nine players they have whose cap figures run from $3.7 million (Rickard yet, defenseman Henry Thrun is joining Dubuque in the USHL as Rakell) to $6.5 million (Fowler). They could possibly use the nearly $6.9 Harvard is not playing in any sports this fall. Other than Thrun, the Ducks million cap figure for Ryan Kesler that will go on long-term injured reserve do control the return of those players and will get them back once the to add one notable free agent (perhaps a right-shot NHL defenseman on AHL and other leagues return to play. short term) if they wished. Unless they dealt away a salary to really change the roster mix, I’m thinking they’ll really try to bring the younger Hey Eric – I asked you this during your last live Q&A and you told me to players along and push them to become key performers, while counting bring it to you on your next mailbag. With the Ducks having a good on a return to form for some veterans. reputation for drafting well, why do you think GM Bob Murray doesn’t get more picks in trades and instead seems to be going for more of other Hi Eric. Do you think Kiefer Sherwood has a future with the Ducks? teams “failed” prospects? And does that stunt the growth of our own Thanks again for doing your part to keep the Ducks on the fans’ radar prospects? (Example: trading for Milano and sending Terry to the AHL) – during this unprecedented time between games. – Michael T. Scott S. Hi, Michael. This has definitely led me to become more creative. Sherwood, 25, is a restricted free agent coming off a year in which he spent most of it in the AHL with San Diego before getting a look late in the year. Great kid and a hard worker, but I’m really not sure if he does. It has been quiet in terms of talks on a new contract. The Ohio native was buried on the depth chart at right wing. How much is that going to change? Unless Carter Rowney were to be moved, Sherwood’s not going to play above Terry, Heinen and certainly not Silfverberg. He does have a reference to the Ducks still in his Twitter bio, if that has any meaning.

The Athletic LOADED: 09.20.2020 1193643 Boston Bruins goaltending coach Jordan Sigalet, and video coach Jamie Pringle were on the staff at season’s end.

The old Bruins' core, built during Ward’s time under Julien, rolls on. While Well-traveled Geoff Ward has found a coaching home with Calgary Boston tries to reload as Patrice Bergeron and Co. slow down, Calgary is trying to get over the hump.

By Matt Porter Globe Staff The Flames' dossier includes three first-round exits in the last four years, and four coaches in the last five. They were first in the West last year, but Updated September 19, 2020, 12:15 p.m. fizzled out in five games against Colorado. This season, L’Affaire Peters hit them in November, and Ward coached at a 100-point pace (24-15-3)

from Christmas onward. In the Edmonton bubble, they beat a banged-up Most newly hired coaches want to start yesterday. Geoff Ward will accept Jets squad in the play-in, and lost a 2-1 lead to Dallas in a six-game a little extra time off. ouster.

Instead of prepping for September training camp in Calgary, he plans to Naturally, Ward compares the Calgary core — Johnny Gaudreau, Sean watch his children play hockey, field hockey, and lacrosse. He and his Monahan, Matthew Tkachuk, Mark Giordano, Mikael Backlund — to that wife hope to see the foliage in New Hampshire and Maine. of the 2009-10 Bruins, who surrendered a 3-0 lead to Philadelphia in the second round. “I’m going to take full advantage,” he said by telephone this past week. “If this goes on a little bit longer, I’m not going to be disappointed. As long “We had that collapse against Philly, after being up, 3-0, after [David as we get back to work relatively quickly.” Krejci] got hurt,” Ward said. "I don’t know if we would have won the Cup the next year if we hadn’t gone through that. It was a solidifying factor. Ward, 58, has called the Boston suburbs — Bedford, and now Lexington — his home base for 11 years, while traveling the world building the “I’m not saying at all that what happens in Calgary is going to follow what résumé of an NHL bench boss. Ward has his shot now. This past week, happened in Boston. But where our leadership group is at this time, what he was stripped of the interim tag by general manager Brad Treliving. they have to learn, how they’re evolving, those years have a lot of similarities for me, between the two groups.” In announcing the hire, Treliving praised Ward for stabilizing the team during the “uncomfortable” situation last year with deposed coach Bill The Bruins had difficult, personal conversations after the Philadelphia Peters, who was accused of making racist comments. Dealing with collapse. They went to Brattleboro, Vt., for two days of team-building instability, as Ward can attest, is part of the gig. exercises.

Ward, who taught elementary school before getting into coaching, has “That was a huge moment for us, going back and putting the end of that stopped at a Canadian university (Waterloo), the OHL (Kitchener, ’10 season to bed,” Ward said. “I remember Bergy standing up and Guelph), Germany (three stints), and AHL (Hamilton). He is best known [Zdeno Chara] talking about it. The things they said were powerful and on in Boston for his seven years as a Claude Julien assistant, resigning in point, and they needed to be said.” 2014 to take a head coaching job with Mannheim of the DEL. He The Flames are having similar discussions now. returned the following season as a Devils assistant, returning to Germany in the spring to coach in the World Championships four years in a row. Another coach with a Black-and-Gold past, Peter Laviolette, will get a He joined Peters’s staff in 2018. chance to prop open the Capitals' window for contention as Alex Ovechkin continues to go gray. “I have to give my family a lot of credit,” Ward said. "It’s a tough gig at the best of times. My wife [Carolyn] has been so, so supportive. She’s Washington, without a coach since Todd Reirden took his pink slip and strong. There’s been lots of times when I’m not there when they need returned to Pittsburgh as an assistant, left several other veteran coaches their dad, when something happens at school or in sports, and my wife on the market. Mike Babcock, starting a volunteer gig at the University of kind of does all that. There’s no chance I’d have been able to do Vermont, can afford to sit out. Expansion coach extraordinaire Gerard everything without her. Gallant still looks like a fit for Seattle, or in Detroit (if Jeff Blashill isn’t the answer there). “The kids have done a good job, too. My older two have done a good job with the younger two, filling in where they need to. It’s been a whole team As Laviolette, the Franklin High and Westfield State product, took the effort.” reins in Washington, he had a flashback to his Providence Bruins days, remembering when coach Bobby Francis planted a seed by asking him For his oldest two, Cody (a junior student assistant for Canisius College to be a player-coach. hockey) and Kylie (a sophomore lacrosse player at Merrimack), being the kids of a coach meant an international education. When Ward traded his “I had no idea what coaching even meant,” said Laviolette, who brought job on Edmonton’s player development staff to coach the DEL’s Iserlohn the P-Bruins from the AHL basement to the Calder Cup in his first season Roosters in 2006, his kids entered German school, in first and second (1999). grade. After Boston fired Mike Keenan in 2001, Laviolette was a candidate “They were fluent in three months,” Ward said. “When they wanted to talk despite his age (36). His boss, Mike O’Connell, named him the leading privately at the dinner table, they’d just rattle on in German. We had to contender, but eventually chose the more veteran Robbie Ftorek of say, hold on, hold on . . ." Needham.

When Ward left the Bruins for Mannheim in 2015, they stayed home, as Laviolette, who would later become one of four coaches to bring three did younger sister Hannah and brother Sawyer. Their father lived in franchises to the Cup Final (2006 Hurricanes, ’10 Flyers, ’17 Predators), apartments in New Jersey and Calgary. landed his first head gig on Long Island that year.

Around the league, players are thankful for the time with their families, in “In a word: presence,” said Mike Milbury, the GM who hired him, in an e- this strangest of offseasons. Instead of FaceTiming with his kids during mail. “Besides working his way through the ranks and having a the fall, Ward will be Zooming with his players and fellow staff over the compatible hockey philosophy, he has a self-confidence and air of being next few weeks. a leader. I believed he could command the room and have players believe in his direction. Best coaching interview I’ve ever conducted.” He’s expecting to be back in Calgary by the start of November, start training camp in the middle of the month, and open the 2020-21 season A best-case scenario for the Bruins regarding prospect Urho in early December. He recognizes those dates could move. Many around Vaakanainen: He becomes Jonas Brodin on a cheaper contract. the league expect to play in bubbles, at least to start. Cross-border travel and indoor crowds are unlikely to be a part of the restart. Brodin is a weighted blanket for the entire Minnesota defensive zone. He mutes chances all over, though he doesn’t turn it the other way. He is Ward cut players loose after their first-round exit against Dallas, hoping a understated and doesn’t play with a ton of bite. But Minnesota doesn’t few weeks’ break would let them reflect on what went right and wrong. allow much when he’s on the ice. He was holding exit meetings this past week. His staff of assistants “will be finalized shortly,” he said. Ryan Huska, Martin Gelinas, Ray Edwards, The Bruins hope the same happens with Vaakanainen, who will get a long look in training camp as a third-year pro. Defenders without big offensive numbers, such as Brandon Carlo, don’t The Blues also lost assistant GM and director of amateur scouting Bill usually get a large slice of the pie. But GM Bill Guerin served up $6 Armstrong, who became the GM in Arizona . . . Lucic and Ward were million annually — seven years and $42 million — for Brodin, whose happy to see Gregory Campbell join Merlot Line brother Shawn Thornton career highs are eight goals and 28 points. in the Florida front office. Campbell, a player development coach the last four years in Columbus, followed new GM Bill Zito to Sunrise. “I wish “The value in Jonas is his defensive play,” Guerin said. “He’s an elite them nothing but success,” Lucic said. “It always seems they’ve got all defender, not just a good one. He’s elite, and we put a premium on that the pieces in place, but they never seem to figure it out. Hopefully they just like putting the puck in the net.” can help move in the right direction.” Deciding what to do with the pieces That’s apparent. Guerin’s first major deal after taking over late last around franchise center Aleksander Barkov is Job No. 1 . . . Also new in summer was Jared Spurgeon, a 40-point blue liner who can defend, for Zito’s cabinet: veteran executives Rick Dudley and Paul Fenton (senior seven years times $7.575 million. advisers), Blake Geoffrion (assistant to the GM), and P.J. Fenton (scout). Zito fired assistant coach Mike Kitchen, who reportedly kicked a player In next year’s expansion draft, the Wild have to protect the big-money on the bench in January . . . Good to see Geoffrion, who, like Campbell, contracts of Spurgeon, Brodin, and Ryan Suter (five years left at $7.54 had Zito as an agent during his playing days, carve out a career post- million). All three have no-move clauses. No question they’ll explore the hockey. In 2013, the former Hobey Baker winner at Wisconsin retired at value of Matt Dumba, who has three years left at $6 million per, rather 23 because of a head injury . . . Other former Zito clients include Tuukka than lose him to Seattle. Rask, John Madden, Kimmo Timonen, Brian Rafalski, and Tim Thomas. If we ever see Thomas return to hockey, it might be in South Florida . . . While dangling Dumba, Guerin bet Marcus Johansson can fill Eric Staal’s Toronto plucked Manny Malhotra off the Vancouver bench, adding him shoes as a middle-of-the-order center. as a deputy to Sheldon Keefe. Lifelong Maple Leafs fan Bruce Boudreau, Being dealt to Buffalo this past week, straight up for Johansson, caught dismissed from the Wild in February, had his eyes on the role . . . This Staal off guard. The soon-to-be 36-year-old reportedly didn’t have Buffalo could be the last go-round with the Lightning for Alex Killorn (Harvard) on his 10-team no-trade list, because he didn’t think a perennial non- and Kevin Shattenkirk (Boston University). The latter is a UFA, while playoff team like the Sabres would consider him. Killorn’s $4.45 million cap hit (through 2023) could be cleared to make room for young RFAs Anthony Cirelli, Mikhail Sergachev, and Erik Staal, who has scored 42, 22, and 19 goals in the last three seasons (the Cernak. Other Beanpot connections in the Cup Final: Dallas defenseman latter in 66 games), reportedly vetoed multiple deals to contenders at the Jamie Oleksiak (Northeastern) is having a strong two-way postseason, trade deadline two years ago, including one to the Bruins. Instead of and backup netminder Jake Oettinger (BU) is standing by. something involving Staal, former Wild GM Paul Fenton and Bruins GM Don Sweeney wound up swapping Charlie Coyle and Ryan Donato (plus a conditional fifth). Boston Globe LOADED: 09.20.2020 Despite Coyle and Johansson forming a decent bond in Boston, the Bruins let Johansson walk. Johansson, now on his fourth team in three seasons, has been better on the wing in previous stops. Maybe this is the fresh start he needs.

Loose pucks

Two Bruins rumors that caught the eye this past week: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said they were among several teams who asked Arizona about captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson. He would be impactful on the left side in a post-Torey Krug world, but taking on $8.25 million for each of the next seven years seems inadvisable. Ekman-Larsson would be nearing 38 at the end of his deal, and has a full no-move clause. Also, veteran scribe Kevin Allen speculated the Bruins are leaning toward dealing Jake DeBrusk instead of giving him a second contract. Allen noted Carolina, Dallas, and Nashville could use a scorer, and Detroit and New Jersey need players . . . To draw another Boston-Calgary comparison, Flames coach Geoff Ward sees Milan Lucic as their Mark Recchi. “A huge add for our locker room at that point in time,” Ward said of the Hall of Famer, who arrived in 2009 and retired after winning the 2011 title. Lucic, 32, hasn’t produced much offensively the last two years (14 goals and 40 points combined), but Ward said his leadership has been important. “Our guys learned an awful lot from Looch this year,” Ward said of Lucic, who has three years and $18 million of cap hit left on his contract. The two broke in with the Bruins together in 2007 . . . Not convinced Montreal improved by adding defenseman Joel Edmundson for four years at $3.5 million per. He kills penalties and has a heavy shot (twice a seven-goal scorer) but doesn’t have the kind of impact his size (6 feet 4 inches, 215 pounds) promises. To wit: The Hurricanes, one of the best possession teams in the league, were underwater in shots, scoring chances, and expected goals when Edmundson was on the ice. A fine player on a slimmer or shorter deal, but this may not be GM Marc Bergevin’s best signing . . . The IIHF moved the World Junior Championship to the Edmonton safe zone. The tournament, which is set for Dec. 26-Jan. 5, will be played entirely at Rogers Place in an NHL- style bubble. The original plan was for Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta to co-host . . . The NHL will hold its awards show Monday (6:30 p.m., NBCSN). Yours truly’s ballot had Artemi Panarin for Hart, Roman Josi for Norris, Quinn Hughes for Calder, and would have had Connor Hellebuyck for Vezina if writers, not GMs, were so entrusted . . . After one season, former Bruins playmaker Marc Savard left his post as an assistant to Craig Berube in St. Louis. Family time and golf are on the docket. Savard’s departure opened the door for Jim Montgomery’s return. The former Stars coach, whose battle with alcoholism led to his firing in December, says he has been sober for more than nine months. “Sometimes it takes an unbearable consequence in your life to happen to have an unbelievable breakthrough,” he said in a Zoom call. Montgomery will likely pick up where Savard left off, and run the Blues' power play . . . 1193644 Chicago Blackhawks Strome’s agent is Mark Guy, who is going to have a busy autumn — Guy also represents Alex Pietrangelo, one of the year’s highest-profile unrestricted free agents, among many others.

Dylan Strome, a restricted free agent, faces crucial moment in his Guy said Friday his discussions so far with Bowman have only Blackhawks tenure determined timing, and the two will begin actual negotiations later in the offseason.

By Ben Pope@BenPopeCST But Strome made it clear that his preference is to stay with the Hawks.

Sep 19, 2020, 6:30am CDT “It’s a dream place to play,” he said. “I don’t think it’s any secret that I’ve had success in Chicago and I do like it there. We’ll see what happens.”

In the meantime, Strome will spend most of his offseason in his suburban The Blackhawks spent much time trying to convert Dylan Strome from a Toronto hometown, with a month or so working out in Chicago with center to a wing during the 2019-20 season. Hawks trainer Paul Goodman in the middle.

That effort, quite simply, failed. Injuries also contributed to the up-and-down nature of Strome’s 2019-20 campaign — he admitted he “should’ve taken a little more time and “I think [Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton] knows I feel that I’m more waited a little bit” before rushing back from his January ankle injury — comfortable at center,” Strome said this week, reflecting on his season. and he’ll hope to avoid a repeat of that curse in 2020-21. “My play showed that. It’s just different on wing; I’m not used to it. I feel like I can move the puck better at center, and have the puck more on my But first, he and the Hawks will need to come to a conclusive agreement stick, and create some more plays.” about his role — and salary — on the team.

Strome spent 40 games at his natural center position and 18 games on And the current uncertainty about both those things makes this offseason the wing during the regular season. a crucial moment in Strome’s still-young Hawks tenure.

During five-on-five play in those 40 games at center, he tallied six goals and 17 assists, good for 23 points. That’s an average of 2.63 points per 60 minutes, nearly matching his 2.73 points-per-60 rate during his Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 09.20.2020 breakout 2018-19 season in Chicago.

The Hawks also out-scored opponents 28-15 and mustered a 47.4% scoring chance ratio during Strome’s minutes at center.

On the wing, though, Strome’s results were far worse. He recorded only two goals and three assists during five-on-five play in those 18 games — a rate of 1.46 points per 60 minutes — and three of those five points came in a single night (Oct. 27 vs. the Kings).

The Hawks were out-scored 12-8 and recorded a 46.6% scoring chance ratio during Strome’s ice time in those games.

Colliton even tried rotating the centers with whom Strome played — first Ryan Carpenter, then Kirby Dach, then David Kampf, then back to Dach — without improvement. After Colliton healthy-scratched Strome against the Oilers on Feb. 11, the two had a serious talk.

“I talked to Jeremy after I got scratched in Edmonton, and we both felt that was the best place for me to be was center,” Strome said. “But things happen in the season, and sometimes you have to adjust, and that’s part of being a pro. Guys move from wing to center, center to wing, all the time. First line, second line, third line, fourth line, whatever it may be.”

In addition to essentially wasting 18 games of one of their better forwards this year, the Hawks’ failed “wing Strome” experiment also complicates their offensive depth chart moving forward.

With Jonathan Toews still elite and Dach developing remarkably fast, Strome would likely be the Hawks’ No. 3 center next season.

A player of Strome’s caliber should ideally play more than that, and he’d have the opportunity to do so if he could slot in next to Toews or Dach on the first or second line, but apparently he cannot.

And then there’s the elephant in the room: Strome’s entry-level contract has expired, making him a restricted free agent this offseason.

The Hawks only have to tender him a qualifying offer by Oct. 7 to retain his rights, and Strome isn’t eligible to file for arbitration either. But the contract negotiations nonetheless won’t be simple.

With the salary cap staying flat at $81.5 million, Hawks general manager Stan Bowman will struggle to re-sign all of Strome, Corey Crawford, Dominik Kubalik, Drake Caggiula and Slater Koekkoek. Can he afford to pay the several million dollars Strome’s production warrants just for him to be a third-line center?

“It’s not ideal,” Strome said. “The cap has pretty much gone up every year, excluding maybe the lockout I believe. Obviously it’s not ideal, but you’ve just got to go with what you’re dealt. There’s nothing I can do that about that.” 1193645 Dallas Stars There was Kiviranta, the long-haired Finn who has already written his playoff legend via his Game 7 hat trick against Colorado in the second round. Had he not scored another goal in the playoffs, no one would Stars' Game 1 victory proves the Stanley Cup Final can make heroes out have thought any less of Kiviranta and his playoff resume. of anyone But Kiviranta — the undrafted rookie 25-year-old forward signed last summer by the Stars at the recommendation of Jere Lehtinen — has piled on to his stats. He scored the game-tying goal in Game 5 against By Matthew DeFranks Vegas, and the insurance goal on Saturday night. In Game 1, he squeaked a shot through Vasilevskiy late in the second period to give the 9:02 PM on Sep 19, 2020 CDT Stars a 3-1 lead.

“I don’t know what’s going on,” Kiviranta said. “Sometimes it starts to feel The sport’s biggest stage — with the world’s most famous trophy like wherever you shoot the puck, it goes in. Right now, I’m in that hovering behind the benches as an untouchable temptation and the moment.” ultimate motivation — has the unique ability to make heroes out of From there, Khudobin locked down the game, fending off 22 Tampa Bay anyone, to enshrine them into hockey and franchise lore for contributions shots in the third period. on the elusive platform the Stanley Cup Final provides. Before the game, the NHL placed the Stanley Cup on the stage in the For decades before the Stars' 4-1 victory over Tampa Bay in Game 1 of sections at center ice, zooming in on the television broadcast to display the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night, timely goals led to fabled status. what the teams were fighting for. Bowness said he didn’t notice the Enter the unlikely trio of heroes on Saturday night: Joel Hanley, Jamie metal, while Khudobin said in Russian that the Stars should steal it and Oleksiak and Joel Kiviranta. run. Each of them scored goals in Game 1, puncturing Lightning goaltender Either way, the Stars are closer to claiming it thanks to a handful of Andrei Vasilevskiy thrice for just the second time in his last 10 games. unforeseen performances. Their goals made sure Anton Khudobin’s 35-save effort stood up, and gave the Stars a 1-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Final. Jason Dickinson “The only thing that matters is the next game,” Bowness said. “I’ve been added an empty-net goal in the waning minutes of the third period. to the Final a couple times now, I know the Cup is going to be around. You don’t even worry about it. You can’t afford to think about those Stars interim coach Rick Bowness said “that’s what you need to win in things.” the playoffs.”

“You can’t just focus on your top-end guys,” Bowness said. “You need contributions from everybody. Kivi’s been doing that for us. It’s nice to Dallas Morning News LOADED: 09.20.2020 see Dicky get on the board for us tonight. That’s how you win in the playoffs, contributions from guys you’re not really looking at for offense and all of a sudden, they just step up and make big-time plays.”

With three more wins, the Stars will claim the second Stanley Cup in franchise history and the first one since 1999. Game 2 in Monday night at 7 p.m.

The Stars can thank their unexpected conquerors.

There was Hanley, the journeyman and undersized defenseman who’s bounced around professionally since leaving college in 2014. He is the Toronto-area native who only dreamed of playing in the Ontario League, but was denied the chance when he was cut at tryouts for the London Knights.

Hanley played four seasons at UMass Amherst before signing a professional tryout in the AHL for a $40,000 salary, prorated for the number of games he played. At one point, Hanley was demoted to the ECHL, and said last year that “was kind of a moment where I’m like ‘Shoot, I don’t know what’s going to happen next.’”

Across the last two seasons, he’s found a home in the Stars organization as an injury replacement and AHL call up. It led to his moment on Saturday night, when he picked the upper left corner after Kiviranta’s forecheck and Roope Hintz’s assist.

It was Hanley’s first career NHL goal, either in the regular season or postseason.

“Everyone goes through parts of their career where sometimes they’re in the AHL and stuff, so I’m just lucky enough to get this opportunity to

There was Oleksiak, the former first-round pick humbled by being traded twice for the same fourth-round pick. When he returned to Dallas, the expectations mellowed as his number changed from No. 5 to No. 2. He found his game in this postseason, paired with Miro Heikanen as he turned into a bonafide top-four defenseman.

Oleksiak’s been confident in the playoffs, leading the rush and finding open space in the offensive zone and filling it with his 6-7 frame. On Saturday night, he smoothly slipped into the slot for a shot, then collected the rebound and roofed it past Vasilevskiy before the Tampa netminder knew where the puck was.

“I think the opportunities have come my way and you now, I’ve been able to put a couple in,” Oleksiak said. “So I think it’s just a product of good team play and kind of our system and what that affords the D men to do, and like I said, it’s definitely nice to contribute in that way.” 1193646 Dallas Stars

Stars notebook: How Dallas slowed down Lightning’s top line; Jamie Oleksiak’s ‘Big Rig’ hat trick

By Matthew DeFranks

11:17 PM on Sep 19, 2020 CDT

Tampa Bay’s offense is led by its two best forwards: Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. On Saturday night, the two of them combined for zero shots at 5 on 5. The reason? The Stars checking line of Andrew Cogliano, Jason Dickinson and Blake Comeau.

No Stars played more against the Tampa top line than that line, plus defensemen Esa Lindell and John Klingberg.

“To limit them to no chances is really tough to do,” Comeau said. “We just try to take away those second and third opportunities, and just try to play them hard. Make sure we’re on top of puck, on the right side of pucks, and when we can, try to create some offense and make them play in their own end.”

Bowness added: “That line with Blake and Cogs, they’ve been doing that all year, so give them a lot of credit for doing a wonderful job tonight. They’re a big part of our penalty kill, which was huge, obviously in the third period, taking six minutes. But that’s what we expect for them to do, and they did a great job for us tonight.”

The Big Rig Hat Trick

Jamie Oleksiak lost a tooth on Saturday night in the second period on a reverse hit, he said. It gave him an interesting stat line for Game 1: one goal, one two-minute minor for roughing and one lost tooth.

“Ate a little bit of elbow there, so it is what it is,” Oleksiak said. “Part of the game, right?”

Seguin’s superstition

Tyler Seguin likes to always be the last player off the ice after warmup. So when Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev stayed on the ice and waited him out, Seguin went halfway down the hallway, then returned to the ice to be the last one off.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 09.20.2020 1193647 Dallas Stars Bay Lightning during Game One of the Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on Saturday, September 19, 2020.

‘Go get that Cup’: Dallas-area athletes and local sports legends sent their best wishes to the Dallas Stars Dallas Morning News LOADED: 09.20.2020

By SportsDay Staff

11:09 PM on Sep 19, 2020 CDT

From Olympic medalists, to Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks and local radio voices — the D-FW area appears fully behind the Dallas Stars in their run to the Stanley Cup Final.

This week, FOX Sports Southwest gathered local athletes, legends, and members of the sports media to record encouraging messages for the Stars ahead of Game 1. Dallas defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.

Nastia Liukin, five-time Olympic medalist in gymnastics and a graduate of Spring Creek Academy in Plano, had this to say:

"First of all, congratulations. As a very loyal Dallas fan I am so excited to be cheering you on to the Stanley Cup Final. We are sending all of our positive vibes your way and wishing you the very best of luck.

“You have made Dallas so proud, now bring home the cup.”

“I just wanted to say congratulations on being Western Conference champs,” Mavericks point guard Jalen Brunson said, “and I want to wish you the best of luck in the Stanley Cup Finals. Go Stars.”

The Texas Rangers were one of many team accounts to send well wishes to the Stars.

Rangers players Jose Trevino and Taylor Hearn, both Texas natives, were next to share words of encouragement.

“[We] just want to wish the boys good luck in the Stanley Cup. Go get it and bring it back home to Dallas,” Trevino said.

They weren’t the only members of the Rangers organization to share best wishes. Rangers PA announcer Chuck Morgan also had some kind words for the hockey club.

“Chuck Morgan here, voice of Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers."

"On behalf of everyone with the Texas Rangers Baseball Club, congratulations to the Western Conference champion Dallas Stars on a great season and thank you for all the great memories and thrills you have given everyone in D-FW this year.

“Good luck to the Dallas Stars in the Stanley Cup Final. Four more W’s. Go get that cup.”

The Dallas Cowboys joined in on the fun with several players, including Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott and Tyron Smith taking time to say good luck.

Former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman also recorded a message for the Stars in FOX Sports Southwest’s video.

“Hey Fellas, I want to wish you the best of luck in the Stanley Cup Final,” Aikman said. “Bring the cup back where it belongs: To Dallas. Good luck, guys.”

FC Dallas, whose Twitter account actively supports the Stars, decided to create a helpful infographic for Dallas sports fans to keep track of when each team played on Saturday.

Reto Ziegler, FC Dallas defender, also had a message to share:

“Hey Dallas Stars. I wish you all the best in the final. I’m a big fan of how you play so step it up and bring the trophy back to Dallas.”

SMU head football coach Sonny Dykes had a message as well:

“Congratulations to the Dallas Stars on making the Stanley Cup Final,” Dykes said. “Everybody in Dallas will be rooting for you. Go Stars.”

Jamie Oleksiak (2), Alexander Radulov (47), Miro Heiskanen (4) and Tyler Seguin (91) of the Dallas Stars celebrate a goal against the Tampa 1193648 Dallas Stars

Lightning knew exactly how Stars would attack in Game 1, they still couldn’t stop Dallas’ defensemen

By Callie Caplan

9:42 PM on Sep 19, 2020 CDT

A few hours before the Stars downed his Lightning team in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper unintentionally discussed Dallas' winning plan.

Cooper spoke after his team’s morning skate about the need for NHL defensemen to be involved in offenses, especially during the postseason.

The Stars, to his dismay, proved him right Saturday night.

Defensemen Joel Hanley and Jamie Oleksiak scored the Stars' first two goals in the 4-1 win, Dallas' first in the championship round since Game 5 of the 2000 Final. On the other end, the Stars' held the Lightning’s dominant offense in check, making the game a prime example of the winning style they’ve established the last two years.

“Especially now in the league, a lot of the goals are coming from the point,” Hanley said. “That’s just a part of [our] team, and whenever there’s an opportunity to jump up and try to get shots, we want to do that.”

Since the restart of training camp began in July, Stars interim head coach Rick Bowness has emphasized defensive participation in the offense.

The Stars are getting it. Miro Heiskanen (23 points) and John Klingberg (17) rank first and fourth, respectively, on the team in the postseason. The two and Esa Lindell tallied assists in Game 1.

The Stars' defensemen have scored 15 goals in the playoffs and lead the NHL in defensive points (58).

“They’re a big part of our group, a big part of our offense,” Jamie Benn said on NBC after the win. “We have a lot of good players back there, so we try to use them a little more.”

With the renewed emphasis, the Stars have also risen from the doldrums of the league’s offensive standings — from 2.58 goals per game in the regular season (26th in the league) to 2.95 in the playoffs (seventh).

On Saturday night in the quarantined Rogers Place arena, Hanley started the surge with his first career NHL goal — and his first at any level since April 2019 — to give the Stars a 1-0 lead less than six minutes into the game.

Oleksiak followed in the second period with the decisive score off assists from Alexander Radulov and Heiskanen.

Tampa Bay’s attack couldn’t manage the same.

The Lightning averaged an NHL-best 3.47 goals a game in the regular season, but the Stars defense allowed the Lightning just one in the series opener, a wacky rebound off Yanni Gourde’s skate.

Goalie Anton Khudobin finished his first Stanley Cup Final appearance with 35 saves on 36 Tampa Bay shots while watching his back line take a leading offensive role.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 09.20.2020 1193649 Dallas Stars

Stars' Joel Hanley scores first career goal in Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final

By Matthew DeFranks

7:01 PM on Sep 19, 2020 CDT

You always remember your first.

Stars defenseman Joel Hanley scored the first goal of the Stanley Cup Final 5:40 into the first period. It was also his first career NHL goal, regardless of regular season or postseason.

Hanley entered Saturday’s game with 46 games played in the regular season and seven in the playoffs without a goal. His last goal in professional hockey came 17 months ago as a member of AHL affiliate Texas.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 09.20.2020 1193650 Dallas Stars

A family tradition: Stars’ Rick Bowness, Jamie Oleksiak hoping to add to their families’ trophy cases

By Matthew DeFranks

8:09 PM on Sep 19, 2020 CDT

A pair of Stars will be trying to add some more hardware to their family’s mantle.

Interim coach Rick Bowness is trying to become the second Stanley Cup winner in his family, following in the footsteps of his son Ryan, who won the Cup as a scout with Pittsburgh in 2017. Bowness has coached more games (as an assistant and head coach) than anyone else in NHL history, and his career has spanned five decades without a Stanley Cup championship.

Bowness' run with the Stars is the furthest he’s been as a head coach in his career. Ryan, 37, is the director of professional scouting for the Penguins.

“He’s like me,” Rick said. “He has a real passion for the game. When I used to take him to the rink in the morning, he’d be running right by me, running right into the locker room with the trainers, hanging up equipment, doing all the dirty laundry. He was thrilled when we gave him a piece of pizza for lunch.”

Bowness said Ryan brought the Cup to their home in Nova Scotia for a party. He took pictures with the trophy but did not touch it.

Defenseman Jamie Oleksiak’s sister, Penny, is a four-time Olympic medalist in swimming, including a gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle in 2016. Oleksiak said his parents are traveling to Edmonton to quarantine and then watch the Stanley Cup Final in person at Rogers Place.

Nickname battle?

Jamie Oleksiak (2) of the Dallas Stars battles against Pat Maroon (14) of the Tampa Bay Lightning during Game One of the Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on Saturday, September 19, 2020. (Codie McLachlan/Special Contributor)

Big Rig, meet Big Rig.

In the Stanley Cup Final, there are two players nicknamed Big Rig, as Oleksiak and Lightning forward Pat Maroon claim the nickname. Before Game 1, Oleksiak was asked about the moniker.

“I think hockey guys have a tendency to reuse nicknames,” Oleksiak said. “I think there’s been a few Big Rigs around the league.”

In the first period, Oleksiak and Maroon were called for roughing each other 8:08 into the game. Last year, Maroon scored the game-winning goal in double-overtime in Game 7 for St. Louis, and he is trying to become the eighth player in NHL history to win the Cup in consecutive seasons for different teams.

Maroon was hit with a 10-minute misconduct penalty at the end of the second period.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 09.20.2020 1193651 Dallas Stars

Stars’ Corey Perry, Joe Pavelski have gone through some battles, but never as teammates until now

By Matthew DeFranks

8:29 PM on Sep 19, 2020 CDT

Forward Joe Pavelski and Corey Perry are used to seeing each other — in the regular season, in the postseason and internationally — but just not as teammates.

For their entire careers before joining the Stars last summer, Pavelski (San Jose) and Perry (Anaheim) were Pacific Division rivals, key members on their teams in 27 combined seasons with the Sharks and Ducks. Both signed as free agents with the Stars in 2019.

“I think it’s great,” Pavelski said. “There was a few games ago, we did one of these and I looked up at the screen and I saw it, and just kind of started laughing. I thought it was great. I’m in the playoffs here with Corey Perry.”

Perry said, “There’s lots of battles that we’ve gone through.”

Pavelski entered Game 1 tied for the team lead with nine goals this postseason, and Perry is one of two Stars who have won the Stanley Cup before.

Benn’s anniversary: Saturday was the seven-year anniversary of the Stars naming Jamie Benn as their captain.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 09.20.2020 1193652 Dallas Stars

Anton Khudobin’s 35-save Game 1 the latest in growing list of impressive postseason performances

By Matthew DeFranks

11:04 PM on Sep 19, 2020 CDT

In order to secure the first game of the Stanley Cup Final, the Stars needed Anton Khudobin to ice the game away.

As the Stars hunkered down in their own zone in the third period of their eventual 4-1 win over Tampa Bay on Saturday, they asked the Lightning to shoot from the perimeter of the zone. Khudobin provided the answers, making 22 saves in the third period as part of a 35-save effort in Game 1.

“He’s just a great competitor,” Stars interim coach Rick Bowness said. “Don’t get wrapped up in styles. Get wrapped up in the job description: stop the puck, and he does everything he can to stay every shot. When he’s on, which he was tonight, he’s reading the play, so he’s getting there and anticipating the shot. He’s not late. He’s not chasing the game around. He’s focused on what’s coming, where it’s coming from, and he’s meeting the puck.”

It was the seventh time Khudobin made at least 35 saves in the 2020 postseason.

While the second period featured Khudobin’s acrobatic save and subsequent blocker pickup on Anthony Cirelli, the third period was his time to shine.

He made a save on Alex Killorn with his toe that kept the Lightning at bay. Later, he used a quick glove hand to rob Zach Bogosian’s slapper on the rush. Khudobin was also reading the play well enough to stop any one-timers the Lightning unleashed on their three third-period power plays.

“I think his play’s been speaking for himself,” Jamie Oleksiak said. “He’s obviously been great for us, and it looks like whenever he’s out there, he’s just having fun. I think we’re feeding off that energy, and like I said, he’s been great. I can’t say enough about him.”

Blake Comeau: “He’s been a rock for us all playoffs, it was no different tonight. We obviously got in a little bit of penalty trouble there in the third. He was there to bail us out. That’s kind of been the storyline this playoffs. Every time we’ve needed a big save at timely points in the game, he’s been there for us.”

In total, the Lighting outshot the Stars 22-2 in the third period and had 43 shot attempts to the Stars' three. According to Natural Stat Trick, Tampa Bay had all the scoring chances (13-0) and high-danger chances (5-0) in the third period.

“I don’t know how the game’s going to happen, like 19 or 20 or 25 shots,” Khudobin said. “I feel comfortable with that, don’t get me wrong. At the same time, when you’re winning the games with 20 or 25 shots, it’s always great, but it is what it is. I try to focus on the next shot and how much it’s going to be -- I don’t really think about it. Just try to do my job.”

Jamie Oleksiak (2), Alexander Radulov (47), Miro Heiskanen (4) and Tyler Seguin (91) of the Dallas Stars celebrate a goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning during Game One of the Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on Saturday, September 19, 2020.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 09.20.2020 1193653 Dallas Stars At one point, Tampa Bay out-shot the Stars in the third period, 20-2. Stars goalie Anton Khudobin stopped 35 of 36 shots, including a pair of standout stops in the final period.

Dallas Stars take Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final, and this team simply just Once again, Khudobin outplayed the higher graded goalie. Lightning has that look goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy faced 20 shots, and allowed three goals.

Vasilevskiy was pulled with 3:45 remaining in the game, and the Stars BY MAC ENGEL added an empty-netter from Jason Dickinson.

SEPTEMBER 19, 2020 09:24 PM At this point, Khudobin’s production is no longer a surprise, and neither are the goals from players who previously don’t score.

This is how Stanley Cups are won, and the Stars have that look. The tired team played like they were whipped, but the other team may simply be one of those teams.

The Dallas Stars defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 in Game 1 of the Star-Telegram LOADED: 09.20.2020 Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night in Edmonton. Game 2 is Monday night.

The last time the Stars won a Stanley Cup Finals game was Game 5 on June 8, 2000, against New Jersey in three overtimes.

The Stars had four days off, whereas the Lightning was coming off another overtime game in their Eastern Conference series two days ago.

Regardless, the Stars are on such a roll that even had the Lightning had the same amount of rest it may not matter.

The outcome on Saturday night technically is a surprise, but by now this is the norm.

Much like these Finals, the Stars were not supposed to win either of their previous two playoff series, but they continue to do so due in large part to production from guys who normally don’t produce much.

Stanley Cup winners typically do that.

The Stars took a 1-0 lead at the 5:40 mark of the first period on a goal by ... future Hall of Famer, defenseman Joel Hanley.

You don’t know Joel Hanley?

Joel Hanley has played in the NHL since 2015, and never appeared in more than 16 games in a regular season in that time with three different clubs.

He has zero goals in 46 career NHL games. Naturally, he now has one in the Stanley Cup Final.

“It’s something you dream about when you’re young. It’s just cool to be able to contribute like that,” Hanley said in a Zoom call with the media after the game.

The Lightning tied it seven minutes later in the first period on a trash, deflection goal from Yanni Gourde.

The Stars scored twice in the second period — one from defenseman Jamie Oleksiak.

“I had a lot of time so I was kinda moving in,” said Oleksiak, who lost a tooth in the game. “He got a piece of the first one, and I was able to get the rebound. It was a matter of sticking with it.”

The second goal in the period from the Stars came from forward Joel Kiviranta. This is the same Kiviranta who had one goal in 11 career NHL regular-season games. He now has five in these playoffs.

“I don’t know what’s going on. Whenever you shoot the puck, it goes in,” Kiviranta said.

His English is not great. His honesty is.

The first two periods the Stars owned. They were more physical, and created more quality traffic around the net. They should have had more than three goals.

“The 40 minutes is how we want to play,” Stars coach Rick Bowness said.

In that first 40 minutes, the Lightning’s top line, with Nikita Kucherov, was a non-factor. The former Hart Trophy winner had some shots, but was an invisible player.

In the third period, the Stars stayed back and were simply trying to end the game. 1193654 Dallas Stars and play and change time zones. We got to get a little bit of rest and heal some guys up.”

The Lightning were almost in exactly that situation in Game 1 of the Bubble Dispatch: How the Stars, Anton Khudobin defeated the Lightning Final, just without the travel. But Cooper was not willing to fully embrace in Game 1 the same reasoning he had after Game 1 of the previous round.

“Dallas has been the benefactor probably the last two series of Game 1 By Thomas Drance and Arpon Basu and rest, in a way. We were a benefactor last series of it,” he said. “Do I feel it plays a factor? I do, but we had some pretty good energy going into the third. We need to bring that in the first or second.

EDMONTON — The Stanley Cup itself was presented, in all its immortal “It’s no. They came out, they were skating, we probably dipped our toes glory, on a dais above centre ice and illuminated in-arena during the in the water a little bit and watched them skate around a little bit.” pregame player introductions. The biggest celebrity in the sport, the ultimate prize, displayed to the contestants before puck drop in the Ryan McDonagh wasn’t buying it either. Stanley Cup Final. “I think we were playing slow,” he said. “It wasn’t because we didn’t have Showing the Cup in that manner wasn’t traditional, but it was fitting for a energy or whatever. We knew it was a quick turnaround. We knew what most surreal Stanley Cup Final. If nothing else, it was a ruthless, made- we were up against. We just were shooting ourselves a little bit in the foot for-television, stakes-raising flourish. and they were on top of us and we needed to play with a higher pace. Give them a lot of credit, they got to the strength of their game more than “Told the guys, maybe we just steal it and run?” Dallas Stars goaltender we did, and that’s a reason they found a way to win Game 1.” Anton Khudobin joked in Russian after the game. You want players to be accountable? This is being accountable. But the Ultimately, Khudobin didn’t need to break bubble protocols or steal fact is, what Cooper said about Game 1 in the last series should perhaps anything in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. His teammates in front of be the way the Stars are thinking about this one. him were better than their opponents. They looked fresher, deeper, bigger and more assertive. “Now we’re on even terms,” Cooper said then. “There’s no travel. Everybody gets the same rest. They get to recover, we recover a little bit The Stars won the net front handily. They played their usual smothering and it becomes a series. So to me, this was a game we need to take, and defense. we did. Now it should be one hell of a series moving forward.”

Sure, Dallas, had some bounces, but no one wins without bounces at this The Khudobin show time of year. Even with the Stars’ exceptionally ugly third period, when Tampa Bay throttled them territorially, they were full value for their 4-1 Anton Khudobin was ridiculous in Game 1, as he has been throughout victory. the postseason.

When Tampa Bay turned it up in the third, it looked like the juggernaut it Overall, the Lightning were worth 2.6 expected goals in Game 1, is. It was too little too late in Game 1, sure, but it was a reminder of how according to Natural Stat Trick. Instead, Tampa Bay scored a lucky one dangerous the Lightning can be and how peerless their quality and skill and that was all, largely because Khudobin is playing out of his mind. level can be. Tactical nous The Stars showed us something, too. They showed that their trademark smothering defense will play, even against Tampa Bay’s overpowered Game 1 can probably best be summarized by the opening goal, scored weaponry. And they showed a level of tactical nous that far outweighed by Stars defender Joel Hanley, which was the result of a breakdown what Tampa Bay, which made several undisciplined, costly mistakes in created by a small blip in focus from the Lightning. Game 1, brought to the Western Phase 4 Secure Zone on Saturday Give Joel Kiviranta, the magic man of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, full credit night. for hunting down Point on the forecheck, but even after the hit, Lightning Bottom line, the Stars are three games from hoisting the Stanley Cup in defender Zach Bogosian would be in a 50-50 puck race with Stars the middle of a pandemic — close enough now that there’s really no forward Roope Hintz if he went to play the puck. It still wouldn’t be a need to grab it and run. particularly dangerous attacking situation for the Stars.

The Lightning were tired and didn’t want to admit it Except that Bogosian went, instead, to give Kiviranta the business for hitting Point. Meanwhile, Andrei Vasilevskiy raises his arm, calling for a And it was commendable. boarding penalty. The call didn’t come and the Lightning never really recovered positionally. Hintz had what felt like all of March 2020 to make We know the Lightning believe it is a thing, because their coach said as a play, and he found Hanley with tons of space in the slot. much after Game 1 of the last round, when the New York Islanders played the role of the Lightning and the Lightning played the role of the Veteran Edmonton hockey scribe Jim Matheson has been on the ‘Big Stars. Rig’ beat.

The Lightning were waiting for the Islanders, who had to fly to Edmonton Both Stars defenceman Jamie Oleksiak and Lightning forward Patrick after winning Game 7 against the Philadelphia Flyers and played Game 1 Maroon are known as “Big Rig” in their locker rooms. To Matheson, it the day after they arrived in the western bubble. The result was an 8-2 seems, ownership of the moniker is like something out of the movie thrashing, and coach Jon Cooper made it perfectly clear he knew exactly “Highlander.” There can only be one. what was going on. So, Matheson spent the first day of the Stanley Cup Final trying to figure “The bottom line is you’ve got to take advantage of a tired team,” he said out who the real Big Rig is, in fact. Before the game, he asked Oleksiak after Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final. “Let’s be honest, this is a for his take on whether there’s a Big Rig rivalry. one-off. They had to grind through a seven-game series and then travel “Hockey guys have a tendency to reuse nicknames,” Oleksiak said to His Game 1 goal was typical of the sort of timely magic that has enabled Matheson, whose hockey nickname would surely be “Matty,” we might the Stars to go on their run. Just 25 seconds after a shot by Luke Schenn add. “There’s been a few Big Rigs around the league. Guys just call me was deflected by Point off of the crossbar in the Dallas end, a low- Rig. … We’ll see what happens, I guess.” percentage shot by Kiviranta was blocked by Mikhail Sergachev and landed right on Kiviranta’s stick. Kiviranta’s second attempt, taken Rig 1, who is Oleksiak, clearly had the more impactful outing in Game 1. quickly, beat Vasilevskiy and all but iced the contest. Oleksiak was plus-2 whereas Maroon was minus-2. Oleksiak played more than 21 minutes while Maroon played less than half of that. (Courtesy of NBC) Oleksiak took a roughing penalty, Maroon got a 10-minute misconduct. Oleksiak scored the winner. Maroon didn’t find the score sheet. “I don’t know what’s going on,” Kiviranta said, relatably, of his goal- scoring streak. “Sometimes it feels like wherever you shoot, the puck it Clearly, after 60 minutes, Rig 1 leads Rig 2. goes in.”

“Just went in the corner to make a hit and kind of got counter hit,” Mmm … yeah Oleksiak said. “Ate a little bit of elbow there. It is what it is. Part of the game, right?” An excellent postgame exchange between The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro and Kiviranta, the Stars’ latter-day John Druce: When Oleksiak celebrated his second-period goal, his toothlessness made him look like a stone-cold badass while he yelled at his Shapiro: “Hey Joel, you said after your Game 7 hat trick that you hoped teammates, “Let’s fucking go, boys.” you’d earned more games. Do you think you’ve earned more games with what you’ve done?” (Courtesy of NBC) Kiviranta: “Mmm … yeah.” Congratulations to Oleksiak, who didn’t just win the Game 1 of the Big Rig battle, he also lived out every hockey player’s dream: Having a true The checking line Bobby Clarke moment after scoring the winning goal in the Stanley Cup It’s said that the best depth players are first-round picks who don’t quite Final. pan out in the NHL as the offensive stars they were once touted to Arpon’s rules rant become while in college or major junior.

So, a couple of things happened. Perhaps the best example of that theory can be found on the Stars’ fourth line. Somehow, Maroon shot a puck into the Stars’ bench at the end of the second period, nearly hitting Kiviranta in the face, and the Lightning did Andrew Cogliano (drafted 25th in 2005), Dickinson (29th in 2013) and not begin the third period shorthanded. Instead Maroon, the Lightning’s Blake Comeau (47th in 2004) are the prototypical highly touted prospects least-used forward, got a 10-minute misconduct. In what world is that who took a bit to time to develop in the NHL. When they arrived as full- OK? How does a player shoot a puck directly into the opposing bench at time NHL players — after moving on from the team that drafted them in the buzzer — he didn’t laser beam it in there, but that was no accident — Comeau’s and Cogliano’s cases — they arrived as high-end checkers and not put his team in a terrible position? It makes no sense, but that rather than top-six mainstays. was just the tip of the iceberg. It’s a testament to just how high the level of play is in the NHL. The best Just prior to the Stars’ second goal, the winner by Oleksiak, the Lightning of the best are selected early in the draft, but there’s another level for bench erupted because Miro Heiskanen had dumped the puck in from those players to hit to be a top producer and very few actually get there. the Stars’ side of center ice. And it wasn’t all that close. They’re among the truly gifted, they wash out of the league or they work to reinvent themselves as gritty, rangy, intelligent depth players with skill. Four Lightning players were given an opportunity to complain about Every player on the Stars’ fourth line qualifies in the third category. something the entire bench was screaming bloody murder about, and they didn’t. Again, good on them. Dickinson’s line produced the empty-net goal, but far more importantly, it drew the matchup against the line of Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov and “I didn’t look at the play,” Yanni Gourde said. “I don’t know.” Palat for much of Game 1 and did a tremendous job limiting its chances. In about eight head-to-head minutes against one of the most lethal But when Cooper was asked, he couldn’t help himself. His answer began offensive lines, Dickinson’s line permitted Point’s line to generate just with a big sigh. four shots on goal, three scoring chances and zero goals scored.

“Well, you wouldn’t be asking the question if you didn’t think the same “I mean, they’re one of the best lines in hockey. They’re tough to thing that we may have thought,” he said. “But it’s a moot point now. So contain,” Comeau said. “You try to take away their space and speed as you can’t go back and change the call.” best you can. To limit them to no chances is really tough to do. They’re Here’s the thing: You can go back and challenge a goal if there was an going to get their looks. We just try to take away their second and third offside by an inch 30 seconds before the puck went in the net. And no opportunities. … They’re an elite line and we’re just going to have to play one loves that, but it’s a rule. Yet in that situation, it can’t be challenged them hard.” for some random reason. Dallas’ fourth line isn’t going to manage that level of success every Finally, when the Lightning pulled Vasilevskiy with four minutes left in evening. The Point line is just too potent. But if it can simply limit the regulation and then iced the puck, why were they allowed to put him back damage, that’s a huge edge for the Stars. in the net for the faceoff in their end? Teams are not allowed to make a Mission accomplished in Game 1. line change after an icing, so why is that any different? If you don’t want to take a defensive zone faceoff with no goalie in net, how about you Last man off watch don’t ice the puck when you have an extra man on the ice? The Stars didn’t just jump the Lightning right from the opening draw. End of rant. They actually made sure to take their advantage well before puck drop.

Kivi-ridiculous Stars centre Tyler Seguin is famous for being competitive and compulsive about being the last player off of the ice after the warmup Kiviranta doesn’t always score, but when he does, he only scores in huge skate. And yet, as Seguin finished up, Sergachev stood by the bench, moments. one blade still on the ice, refusing to leave until after Seguin did so.

Actually, he just always scores. Reflecting the overall cynicism of his team, Seguin pulled out all the Going into the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Kiviranta had one goal in 11 career stops. He went halfway down the tunnel and lingered until Sergachev NHL games. He’s now scored five playoff goals in just nine appearances, had left. Once he did, Seguin jumped back on the sheet to touch his steel including a Game 7 hat trick against the Colorado Avalanche, a key goal to the ice, then ran down the tunnel. in Dallas’ Game 5 win to eliminate the Vegas Golden Knights and now a Thankfully, stats man Ryan Moir captured video of the brilliantly petty crucial insurance marker in the Stanley Cup Final. pregame confrontation:

Most meta 2020 moment At the end of the first period, the Rogers Place scoreboard showed video of the Stars’ watch party being held at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

In other words, the scoreboard in an empty Rogers Place was showing video of fans in an arena cheering on one of the teams playing.

The only reason that team was playing in Edmonton was because the NHL can’t have fans in the arena due to the pandemic. And yet, there were fans in an arena in Dallas watching players play on a video board despite the pandemic, and we were seeing it on the video board in the arena where the guys were playing with no fans in the stands because of the pandemic.

The Athletic LOADED: 09.20.2020 1193655 Dallas Stars 4. Khudobin, by the way, grows stronger when he faces more shots.

The goalie is at his best when he’s in rhythm. And while Tampa outshot the Stars 22-2 in the third period, it played perfectly into the type of Stars 20/20: Anton Khudobin and Dallas take Game 1 of the Stanley Cup period that Khudobin loves to play. Final 5. Jamie Oleksiak’s giant reach is an offensive weapon.

In the series against the Vegas Golden Knights, his long reach allowed By Sean Shapiro him to hold off a defender and finish off a breakaway goal. In Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, he used that reach in a more chaotic situation to give Dallas a 2-1 lead. The Dallas Stars opened the Stanley Cup Final with a 4-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Oleksiak had his initial shot blocked but immediately got the rebound, and with a bit of patience, he changed the angle and stretched out 1. Frustration arrived for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Vasilevskiy before roofing home his fifth goal of the postseason.

After rolling through the Eastern Conference, the Lightning ran into “It was pretty open on the backside there. (Alexander Radulov) made a adversity and disappointment. They met the team that had frustrated and great pass through the seam, and I had a lot of time, so I was just kind of angered the Western Conference favorites, booting the Colorado moving in and seeing what their (defensemen) were doing, whether he Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights prior to the Final. was going to block it and what their goalie was doing,” Oleksiak said. “He got a piece of the first one and was able to grab the rebound, (I) got it by The Dallas Stars are adversity. him on the second opportunity. Great play by Rads, and I think it was just They’ve faced so much of it themselves. They once feared it, but like a matter of sticking with it.” Bruce Wayne turning his phobia of bats into his icon, the Stars have 6. The legend of Joel Kiviranta continues to grow. forced opponents to learn what real fear and frustration is by turning adversity against them. It starts with Game 7 against the Colorado Avalanche, the overtime hat- trick winner, and extends into big goals in the Western Conference Final It’s having seemingly no-name players jump up and score big goals and now the Stanley Cup Final. against you. It’s getting stifled and controlled by a so-called backup goalie. It’s looking up skyward to the shot clock and just wondering how, Like Oleksiak’s goal, it followed a blocked shot. Unlike Oleksiak’s goal, it on a night where they outshot the Stars 36-20, they lost. was a shot that Vasilevskiy should have stopped as the puck slipped through the goalie’s body with less than a minute remaining in the Vegas felt this, and they were gone in five games. Now Tampa Bay is second period. getting a first-hand taste of what the Stars are able to do. That goal was a real deflator for the Lightning and helped to frustrate a 2. Anton Khudobin is at the center of this grand heist the Stars are team that hasn’t dealt with much adversity in the postseason. pulling. 7. No one predicted Joel Hanley scoring the first goal of the Stanley Cup The Stars’ system is built around allowing the goalie to make the easy Final. saves. Khudobin then just adds some razzle-dazzle with the ones he really shouldn’t stop. The defenseman had never scored an NHL goal, and even in 40 AHL games this season with the Texas Stars, he never found the back of the And there were some razzle-dazzle moments in Game 1 when he net. In fact, his last goal came on April 10, 2019. stopped 35 of 36 shots. But in the first period, Hanley jumped into the slot and snapped home a There was a blocker-hand grab of a rebound, Dominik Hasek-esque, to wrist shot to give the Stars a 1-0 lead. control the chaos of a scrum in his crease. “Obviously, it’s something you dream about when you’re young and stuff In the third period, Khudobin made a toe save on Alex Killorn, stretching but it’s just cool to be able to contribute with a goal like that,” Hanley said. every bit of his 5’11 frame for the stop. There was a glove save with an “Pretty cool to be in the Finals, too. It was pretty cool.” emphatic windmill finish on Zach Bogosian. There was a power-play stop with the shoulder, getting across and reading it perfectly. Saves like that The goal was set up by the other Joel after Kiviranta hit Brayden Point in — particularly on the penalty kill — deflated any hope that Tampa the corner to force a turnover that Roope Hintz turned into a primary seemed to muster in the third period. assist. The Lightning stopped playing defense after Kiviranta’s hit. Zach Bogosian took himself out of the play trying to distribute frontier justice What more can you say about Anton Khudobin at this point? against Kiviranta. For two rounds, Miro Heiskanen was the Conn Smythe favorite. Now, “I don’t know what it looks like on camera, but I just tried to pick a corner with the Stars three wins from the Stanley Cup, Khudobin may have and shoot as hard as I could, and it was lucky enough to go in,” Hanley snuck his way into the first-place spot on many ballots. said. 3. One of the growing narratives about the Stars is that they defy Dallas adding offense from defensemen has been a theme throughout analytics. this run. Hanley is just the most recent hero, joining the likes of That, to be frank, is BS. Or, since this is Dallas: FHS. Oleksiak’s game-winning goal back in Game 2 against the Calgary Flames and Andrej Sekera setting up the game-winning goal in Game 7 The Stars have been rocked in shot-share and CorsiFor. If you are only against the Colorado Avalanche from below the goal line. looking at the most basic analytics and cherry-picking arguments, you could say they defy analytics. Keep in mind that Hanley went into playoffs as the ninth defenseman on the depth chart. In order for him to get into the lineup, he needed an But the Stars don’t care about Corsi, and they never have. The Stars injury to both Stephen Johns and Taylor Fedun. Back in the round robin, focus more on high-danger chances and where the shots come from. the Stars opted to play rookie Thomas Harley over him when injuries rocked the defensive core. In Game 1, the Lightning had a 53-35 edge in shot attempts at even strength, but when you look at high-danger chances — the ones the The playoffs always test depth. This bubble run has tested even deeper Stars care about — Dallas had an 8-6 edge according to than anyone could have expected. NaturalStatTrick. 8. From a national perspective, the Lightning are supposed to be the When you expand the high-danger chances to all situations, power play team scoring pretty goals, while the Stars are perceived as the lucky and penalty-kill time included, Dallas had a 12-9 edge in high-danger ones. chances. Ironically, it was Tampa Bay that got the lucky goal in Game 1, flipping all Good defense isn’t about allowing the least number of shots. It’s about the intended narratives. allowing the lowest number of goals. Winning tends to follow. Anton Khudobin played the rebound perfectly on Blake Coleman’s shot, 14. The Stars and Lightning met twice in the regular season. The Stars but the puck ricocheted off Yanni Gourde’s skate and back of Khudobin’s won both games in overtime. pad for a 1-1 scoreline. In the first meeting, Tampa was the much better team and Khudobin got Coleman is a native Texan, growing up in the Dallas suburb of Plano, away with larceny before Seguin scored in overtime of a 4-3 victory. and went to Stars games as a child. In this series, he’s trying to become the first born-and-raised Texas to win the Stanley Cup. Brian Leetch was In the second meeting, the Stars also needed overtime, but they were the born in Texas and won the Stanley Cup in 1994, but he wasn’t raised in better team in a 3-2 win when Benn scored in sudden death. the Lone Star State. After a morning skate, Mattias Janmark said that the second game is the 9. Coleman went to the box twice in the second period, and the Stars blueprint the Stars will need to use. power play looked clinical. The only problem? They couldn’t score “I think if you look back at that game, I think that’s pretty much how we’re against Vasilevskiy. going to beat them, like we played that game,” Janmark said. “They’re a Dallas had seven shots on the power play. Their best chance came after tremendously good offensive team, so we’ve got to be on our toes all the Alexander Radulov hit the post and Tyler Seguin had a gimme finish, but time, but I think we’ve played good teams throughout these playoffs here. the Lightning goalie made the stunning save with his paddle. We’ve got to just be on our toes, but we also have got to be the attacking team and take it to them because I’m sure we can expose them, too.” Seguin was stopped, and he continues to search for more offense, but Game 1 was a positive sign for the Stars’ center as his one-timer had 15. It was fitting that Jamie Benn’s first Stanley Cup Final game came on more zip, and he looked like a threat throughout the game. Sept. 19.

10. The Stars penalty kill was a perfect 3-for-3 and limited Tampa Bay to On Sept. 19, 2013, Benn was named the Stars captain, filling the just four shots on the power play. vacancy left by Brenden Morrow after the former captain was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins the prior season. Credit was earned on both sides. The Stars penalty kill was great, but the Tampa Bay power play also shot itself in the foot too often. It was one of the biggest early moves for Stars general manager Jim Nill, who was just a couple months into the position when he named Benn the 11. Jason Dickinson added the empty-net goal with 1:18 remaining to captain. effectively ice the game. “He’s a fierce competitor, he leads by example and he wants to win,” Nill That’s a big goal for Dickinson — it’s his first of the postseason — said at the time. “The bigger the game, the bigger he plays. We’ve talked especially since he had been struggling to finish. in the organization about being an everyday player and Jamie exemplifies that. It’s about guys that come to play every day, bring it in Dickinson has, however, played a big role in the past three games on a practice every day on the ice and off it. That’s what Jamie is going to line with Andrew Cogliano and Blake Comeau. On Saturday, they were bring as we continue to grow this organization.” matched up against Tampa’s top line for most of the night and effectively frustrated them. When Benn was named captain, the Stars hadn’t made the playoffs in five straight seasons. In that press conference announcing he would be 12. The Stars had four days between the Western Conference Final and getting the “C,” Benn talked about changing those trends. the Stanley Cup Final. “It’s all on us now,” Benn said at the time. “Not making the playoffs for It was a welcome break after the Stars had one day between each of the five years is not what we want. With the players we brought in and the prior three rounds, including one day between the round robin and Round people surrounding them, it’s our time to do it and this is the year. 1 against the Calgary Flames. “You have my word that we will come to the rink each and every day and That time wasn’t enough, however, for the Stars to bring back Ben play hard for each other and play hard for this organization. Now it’s our Bishop, Radek Faksa or Stephen Johns. All three remain unfit to play, turn as a team to prove that to our fans and to the league.” and while Bishop has skated and practiced, Johns and Faksa haven’t shown any progress to return from what we’ve been told. Since Benn was named captain, the Stars have reached the playoffs in four of the seven seasons. 13. With Faksa still unavailable, the Stars used the same lineup that they used in Game 4 and 5 of the Western Conference Final against the 16. Pavelski spent four years as the captain in San Jose, and he was Vegas Golden Knights. teammates with Goodrow for six seasons on the Sharks.

Jamie Benn – Tyler Seguin – Alexander Radulov Now one of them will finally win an elusive Stanley Cup after they reached the Western Conference Final as teammates in 2019. Mattias Janmark – Joe Pavelski – Denis Gurianov “He’s a leader; he’s a guy that it’s easy to follow his lead. His play in the Joel Kiviranta – Roope Hintz – Corey Perry playoffs, I think, speaks for itself,” Goodrow said. “He rises to the Andrew Cogliano – Jason Dickinson – Blake Comeau occasion. I’ve learned a lot from him over the years, it’s gonna be fun to compete against him and it’s gonna be fun tonight.” Esa Lindell – John Klingberg 17. There is a back-to-back in Games 4 and 5 of the Stanley Cup Final. Jamie Oleksiak – Miro Heiskanen Why?

Joel Hanley – Andrej Sekera According to NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly, it’s because the league and the players agreed they wanted to get through this tournament as Justin Dowling and Taylor Fedun also took warmups. quickly as possible. Without travel, a back-to-back — even in the Final — Tampa has consistently gone with an 11-7 approach in the playoffs, and didn’t feel like a hardship on the players. that continued in the Stanley Cup Final with this lineup. In the original NHL Final schedule that had been leaked, Games 2 and 3 Ondrej Palat – Brayden Point – Nikita Kucherov would have come back to back. There was pushback on that — including some from the Stars, according to a source — so the NHL adjusted and Alex Killorn – Anthony Cirelli – Tyler Johnson simply moved the back-to-back to Games 4 and 5.

Barclay Goodrow – Yanni Gourde – Blake Coleman 18. When players agreed to the bubble concept, the NHL and NHLPA floated the possibility of having family members enter the hub for the Patrick Maroon – Cedric Paquette Conference Final as a carrot. It’s something that a veteran team like the Victor Hedman – Kevin Shattenkirk Stars viewed as important, especially with a large group in the traveling party who had young children. Ryan McDonagh – Zach Bogosian Turns out it was an ideal the NHL couldn’t deliver on. Mikhail Sergachev – Erik Cernak While some family members have been able to enter the bubble, Luke Schenn including Justin Dowling’s wife and daughter, the closed Canadian border has made it impossible for those outside Canada to make it for the Stanley Cup Final.

Family members for both the Stars and Lightning had been hoping charter flights would be set up for them to get to Edmonton. In fact, many had been quarantining at home and taking COVID tests to prepare for the journey. But on Friday, they were told definitively for the first time that they would not be heading to Canada.

For the Stars, that means the family contingent during the final will consist of Meg and Perri Dowling, Corey Perry’s wife Blakeny and Jamie Oleksiak’s parents.

“This has been a phenomenal run that we’ve been on, and it’s been a great experience,” Oleksiak said. “Obviously, it’s tough being away from your family. I’m glad my mom and dad are going to be able to come in and watch a couple of games. It’s nice getting a text message from home, from everyone in the fam, just showing support and cheering us on and everything. We’re just feeding off their energy.”

Seguin’s parents and sisters were originally planning on making the trip into the bubble, but those plans have since changed.

Daly said on Saturday that the NHL had broached the subject of families in the bubble early on with the Canadian government and filed a formal application at the midway point of the tournament. Daly said that application hasn’t been formally denied and it’s still pending.

While there hasn’t been a formal denial, the still pending status is a denial of that application with so little time remaining in the bubble.

19. Speaking of family, during the Zoom availability on Saturday morning my two-year-old daughter Evangeline decided to make a surprise appearance in my office when I was called upon to ask a question.

I was able to apologize to Stars coach Rick Bowness during a followup question, thankfully. We’ve been doing Zoom calls like this since July 25th, and this was Evangeline’s second surprise appearance. Sometimes she’s too quick and escapes away from the distractions we’ve tried to set up in the other room.

20. Before the game, the Stanley Cup was unveiled on a podium above the benches.

It was a nice piece of pageantry for the television audience, but Bowness said he ignored it. He said you can’t afford to think about things like that and had to stay in the moment.

Khudobin, of course, found a way to use it as motivation.

Three more wins, and he’ll be able to walk out of the bubble without any charges.

The Athletic LOADED: 09.20.2020 1193656 Dallas Stars 2017

Erik Cernak, Mikhail Sergachev, Carter Verhaeghe

How the 2020 Cup finalists were built: Big trades, key signings and savvy Ben Bishop, Miro Heiskanen, Alexander Radulov picks 2018

Ryan McDonagh By James Mirtle Anton Khudobin, Blake Comeau, Joel Hanley, Taylor Fedun, Rick Sep 19, 2020 Bowness (assistant coach)

2019

We’re down to two. Curtis McElhinney, Luke Schenn, Kevin Shattenkirk, Pat Maroon

The Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars will begin playing for the Andrew Cogliano, Jamie Oleksiak, Joel Kiviranta, Joe Pavelski, Andrej NHL’s Bubble Cup on Saturday night. It’s been a ridiculously long road to Sekera, Corey Perry here, given training camp started more than 12 months ago. 2020 One of the interesting things I like to look into, at this point, is how teams made it here. What did they do right, decision-wise, to best the other 29 Blake Coleman, Zach Bogosian, Barclay Goodrow teams and get the chance to play for the Cup? The Lightning’s early foundation began with getting Killorn, Stamkos, For both of these teams, this final has been a long time coming. The core Hedman, Kucherov and Palat with five draft picks that ranged from first of the Lightning roster began forming 13 years ago with key draft picks in overall (Stamkos) down to the end of the seventh round (Palat). They 2007, 2008 and 2009, when, under previous ownership, they bottomed also signed Tyler Johnson as an undrafted free agent in 2011 and took out and picked at the top of the draft. Vasilevskiy in the first round a year later.

The Stars, meanwhile, missed the playoffs eight out of 10 years between That’s a good start towards a championship-caliber roster. 2008 and 2018. The road up, however, really began with the hiring of GM The Stars’ early foundation began, however, with some really fortuitous Jim Nill in 2013. fifth-round picks, three years apart: Jamie Benn and John Klingberg.

Below is a look at when all of the key parts of the two organizations Both teams found a lot of their star power in the draft. Of the 21 Lightning joined the team. (In cases where players joined the team multiple times, players who have played a role in the playoffs, nine were Tampa picks. the latest instance is listed.) I’ve listed almost every player, as well as the Of the 23 Stars players who have contributed, eight were their picks. general managers and head coaches. Wins in the draft 2020 finalist chronology Tampa Bay Lightning 1. Victor Hedman: first round (No. 2), 2009 Stars More than 26 minutes a game. Nine goals in 19 games. Hedman is 2007 nearly 30 years old now and the rock of this team, a 6-foot-6 unicorn who Alex Killorn can face top lines and burn them at the other end of the ice.

Jamie Benn 2. Nikita Kucherov: second round (No. 58), 2011

2008 Al Murray, the Lightning’s director of amateur scouting since 2010, has done a marvelous job. Nowhere is that more evident than finding Steven Stamkos Kucherov at the end of the second round in 2011, one of the best picks made at the draft in the last decade. Kucherov has outscored every other 2009 player taken that year by a ton, with Gabriel Landeskog sitting in second, Victor Hedman 87 points behind.

2010 3. Brayden Point: third round (No. 79), 2014

Julien BriseBois (AGM) Another star found deep in the draft. There were concerns about Point’s size and skating that year, but he was a 91-point player in the WHL who John Klingberg never should have fallen that far. Again, kudos to then-GM Steve Yzerman and Murray for placing an emphasis on skill that allowed them 2011 to find gems like this. Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov, Ondrej Palat 4. Andrei Vasilevskiy: first round (No. 19), 2012 2012 Again, a brilliant pick. Vasilevskiy was hailed as the next great Russian Andrei Vasilevskiy, Cedrick Paquette netminder going into the draft, but many still figured he would fall until late in the first round, given that he was, well, a Russian netminder. Esa Lindell, Radek Faksa Yzerman turned Steve Downie into this pick in a smart three-team trade late that season. Now the Lightning have a franchise goaltender, one of 2013 the best in the game. Jon Cooper (coach) 5. Ondrej Palat: seventh round (No. 208), 2011 Jim Nill (GM), Jason Dickinson, Tyler Seguin 6. Anthony Cirelli: third round (No. 72), 2015 2014 7. Alex Killorn: third round (No. 77), 2007 Yanni Gourde, Brayden Point 8. Cedrick Paquette: fourth round (No. 101), 2012 2015 9. Mitchell Stephens: second round (No. 33), 2015 Mitchell Stephens, Anthony Cirelli More evidence of the Lightning’s ability to pull strong players out of the Mattias Janmark, Denis Gurianov, Roope Hintz, Stephen Johns middle and later rounds. Palat and Cirelli, in particular, are difference- makers who slipped in the draft for different reasons. Palat was 20 years 2016 old when he broke out in the QMJHL with a nearly 100-point season. Cirelli was a late birthday who was buried on a stacked Oshawa team as Jim Nill made his impact right away after the Stars hired him as GM, a 17-year-old in his draft year. Both have outstanding hockey sense, pulling off a blockbuster with the Bruins that landed them a 21-year-old something you need a savvy scout to pick up on, more than anything. superstar center who had been picked second overall three years earlier. It was quite a deal at the time and still looks that way all these years Dallas later.

1. Jamie Benn: fifth round (No. 129), 2007 1. Tyler Seguin, July 2013: Acquired with Ryan Button and Rich Peverley It’s simply hard drafting players out of the lower junior leagues. Benn was from Boston for Reilly Smith, Joe Morrow, Matt Fraser and Loui Eriksson. playing his first season in B.C. Junior A with the Victoria Grizzlies, and Seguin has been relatively quiet in this postseason, but he’s ninth in NHL some scouts — among the few who saw him play — were very critical of scoring since joining the Stars. He also ranked tied for fifth in goals in his skating ability. But he was big and strong and had a huge season that that timeframe, trailing only Alex Ovechkin, Patrick Kane, John Tavares year. Longtime Stars scout Dennis Holland, a B.C. native, was savvy and Sidney Crosby. One more round for him to break out and show just enough to spot talent in an unusual place and push for him to be one of how lopsided a deal this was, seven years later. their 2007 selections. Other deals

2. Miro Heiskanen: first round (No. 3), 2017 2. Ben Bishop, May 2017: UFA signing rights acquired from Los Angeles 3. John Klingberg: fifth round (No. 131), 2010 for a fourth-round pick in 2017.

4. Esa Lindell: third round (No. 74), 2012 3. Jamie Oleksiak, January 2019: Acquired from Pittsburgh for a fourth- round pick in 2019. What a benefit if you can build out three-quarters of a top blue line group with a first-, a third- and a fifth-round pick. Heiskanen is the biggest prize, 4. Stephen Johns, July 2015: Acquired with Patrick Sharp from Chicago and he came by way of a lottery win, which improved a decent Dallas for Trevor Daley and Ryan Garbutt. team’s selection from eighth overall all the way up to third. Klingberg and 5. Mattias Janmark, March 2015: Acquired with Mattias Backman and a Lindell were also savvy finds with tricky midround picks. All three are a second-round pick (Hintz) in 2015 from Detroit for Erik Cole and a third- credit to the Stars’ European scouting network, which has found some round pick in 2015. other gems, as you’ll see below. There’s a reason former North Stars goaltender Kari Takko has had his job running that department in Dallas 6. Andrew Cogliano, January 2019: Acquired from Anaheim for Devin for 20 years. Shore.

5. Radek Faksa: first round (No. 13), 2012 7. Taylor Fedun, November 2018: Acquired from Buffalo for a seventh- round pick in 2020. 6. Denis Gurianov: first round (No. 12), 2015 The big signing 7. Roope Hintz: second round (No. 49), 2015 Tampa Bay 8. Jason Dickinson: first round (No. 29), 2013 The Lightning haven’t been all that active on July 1 of late, but they have Hitting on picks in the middle of the first round is never simple. But Faksa found wins by signing young, undrafted players who slipped past other has evolved into a big, strong, elite defensive forward in relatively short team’s scouts for years. Including the top two names here … order coming out of a draft where there were a ton of misses in Round 1. Gurianov, meanwhile, looks like a potential star after cooking in the 1. Yanni Gourde, March 10, 2014: Two-year entry-level contract for minors for a couple of seasons in nearby Austin. The Hintz pick, $587,500 a season. meanwhile, was one Nill pulled out of his former organization in Detroit in a deal that also landed Mattias Janmark. Gourde is tiny by NHL standards and was 22 years old and bouncing around the ECHL in the year the Lightning spotted him. He was 26 years The big trade old before catching on full time in the NHL, but his rise since then has been incredibly dramatic. He had 64 points as a rookie, then signed a Tampa Bay massive six-year, $31 million in 2018. Few players in the NHL have had The Lightning have made a number of really smart deals over the past a more sudden, unexpected arrival. And now he’s playing more than 19 few years, but I’ll go with the one that landed them their No. 2 minutes a game on a club that’s four wins from a Stanley Cup. defenseman behind Hedman as the biggest impact on this roster. Other signings

1. Ryan McDonagh, February 2018: Acquired with J.T. Miller from the 2. Tyler Johnson, March 7, 2011: Three-year entry-level deal at $900,000 New York Rangers for Vladislav Namestnikov, Brett Howden, Libor Hajek a season. and Tampa Bay’s first-round pick in 2018 and second-round pick in 2019. Just a monster trade when you consider how much value Miller also 3. Kevin Shattenkirk, Aug. 5, 2019: One year at $1.75 million. brought, as the first-round pick they eventually acquired for him went into getting Blake Coleman from New Jersey earlier this year. McDonagh was 4. Zach Bogosian, Feb. 23, 2020: One year at $1.3 million. sort of a rental player, with only one year left on his deal, but the 5. Pat Maroon, Aug. 24, 2019: One year at $900,000. Lightning signed him five months later to a seven-year extension. Now he’s an integral piece on their back end. 6. Luke Schenn, July 1, 2019: One year at $700,000.

Other deals 7. Curtis McElhinney, July 1, 2019: Two years at $1.3 million a season.

2. Mikhail Sergachev, June 2017: Acquired with Montreal’s second-round Dallas pick in 2018 for Jonathan Drouin and Tampa Bay’s sixth-round pick in Unlike Tampa, unrestricted free agency has been pretty vital for the Stars 2018. to replenish their depth, as they’ve made eight signings that have 3. Erik Cernak, February 2017: Acquired with Peter Budaj, a conditional impacted their playoff roster. The vast majority of those were on July 1 — pick in the 2017 draft and a seventh-round pick in 2017 from the Los or shortly thereafter — in the past three seasons. The biggest one was Angeles Kings for Ben Bishop and a fifth-round pick in 2017. an easy choice …

4. Blake Coleman, February 2020: Acquired from New Jersey for Nolan 1. Anton Khudobin, July 1, 2018: Two years at $2.5 million a season. Foote and a first-round pick in 2020. The journeyman goalie known to teammates as Dobby has been 5. Barclay Goodrow, February 2020: Acquired with a third-round pick in sensational for his team with Bishop hurt. He may win the Conn Smythe 2020 from the Sharks for Anthony Greco and a first-round pick in 2020. Trophy as playoff MVP at 34 years old after having never started more than 37 games in a season. 6. Carter Verhaeghe, July 17: Acquired from the Islanders for Kristers Gudlevskis. Other signings

Dallas 2. Joe Pavelski, July 1, 2019: Three years at $7 million a season. 3. Alexander Radulov, July 3, 2017: Five years at $6.25 million a season.

4. Blake Comeau, July 1, 2018: Three years at $2.4 million a season.

5. Andrej Sekera, July 1, 2019: One year at $1.5 million plus bonuses.

6. Corey Perry, July 1, 2019: One year at $1.5 million plus bonuses.

7. Joel Kiviranta, May 31, 2019: Two year entry-level at $925,000 a season.

8. Joel Hanley, July 1, 2018: One year at $650,000.

The Athletic LOADED: 09.20.2020 1193657 Dallas Stars the day before the deadline, has been rejuvenated by his first playoff experience.

The Lightning have shown they’re able to not only play the high-skilled, Stanley Cup Final staff prediction: What to expect from Stars-Lightning possession-style game, but also the grind it out, physical matchups, and that was a big reason they were able to beat Columbus and Boston in the first two rounds. They beat another strong, structured team in the Isles. By Sean Shapiro and Joe Smith This is the most mentally tough Lightning team I’ve covered. They never Sep 19, 2020 seem to get rattled. Perhaps it’s because of the playoff scars they’ve had to wear or the personality brought by the new additions. But you don’t

luck into being 10-1 in one-goal games during these playoffs, or winning We’ve reached the Stanley Cup Final. six of seven overtime games. They’re playing like a team that won’t be denied, no matter the injuries and adversity. The fact we’re even having this discussion is a testament to the fact that the bubbles worked, and it’s been a real victory that NHL hasn’t reported Smith: I think another major storyline in this series will be the captains. a single positive COVID-19 test since teams entered the Edmonton and The Lightning are hoping to get Steven Stamkos back during the Final, Toronto hubs in late July. though that still seems like a longshot; you can tell by his emotions in holding the Prince of Wales Trophy Thursday night how much it would It shouldn’t be too much of a surprise the Tampa Bay Lightning are still mean to him to be part of this. But it seems as though Jamie Benn has standing; they were one of the favorites heading into the bubble. It is a bit really elevated his game in these playoffs. What have you seen? of a surprise that the Dallas Stars are here. Shapiro: Benn and Pavelski are the two individual players that I think We’ll see how much the Lightning have left in the tank after playing the benefited most from an offseason before the playoffs, and both have most overtime minutes by any team in a single playoff year (going 6-1 in been key fixtures in this run. Pavelski’s extended time off allowed him to those games). Brayden Point has been banged-up, and so has Nikita come in healthy and be the version of Pavelski we’ve seen in the past. Kucherov, with Anthony Cirelli playing “on one leg,” coach Jon Cooper said after the center’s second-period knee-to-knee collision with the Benn is at his best when he’s physically impacting games and then using Islanders’ Anders Lee. that extra space created to show off his elite skill. This often happens early in games where he is the tip of the Stars’ forechecking spear and There are plenty of storylines in this series, from former long-time often sets the tones for the Dallas bench. Lightning associate coach Rick Bowness facing Cooper and his old team, to Joe Pavelski’s top two suitors from the summer going head to head. That’s a style that Benn can’t play for 82 games a year, not at 31, so in The Lightning are looking for their first Cup since Martin St. Louis, Brad the past consistency has been an issue as his body has worn down. This Richards & Co. won in 2004, with Dallas’ hoping to hoist hockey’s holy playoff bubble, however, has featured a version of Benn that came in grail for first time since Brett Hull’s controversial overtime goal in 1999. without prior wear and tear, and he’s been able to inflict that pain on others. Smith: The Stars have already taken out two of the playoff favorites in Colorado and Vegas. What has struck you the most about how they did There’s also a big-game factor that’s hard to describe. Stars assistant it? coach John Stevens told me that one thing that surprised him about Benn in the Conference Final was that it didn’t look like Benn was new to Shapiro: The first thing to note about the Stars is that they are a different this stage. That for whatever reason, Benn knows how to win at this team than they were before the stoppage. They are still a defensively moment without having been there before and that’s resonated with the responsible team, that identity hasn’t changed, but the team has become rest of the team. better offensively by better activating all of their defensemen in the rush. Shapiro: One of my favorite facts about this series, as a hockey writer in Miro Heiskanen and John Klingberg are still the horses leading the Texas, is that, no matter what, the Cup is coming to Dallas. If Blake charge, but each of the defensemen now has the green light and it’s led Coleman wins a title he’ll be first born-and-raised Texan to win the to a more-even attack where the Stars always have the fourth man Stanley Cup. What has he brought to Tampa since that midseason joining the rush. trade?

The other key is frustration and how the Stars have mastered playing to Smith: Coleman has been terrific. It was a tough transition for the former their opponent’s weaknesses in this playoff run. Against Colorado, it was Devils winger when he got traded a week before the deadline. He was more of an open back-and-forth series, but the Stars hurt the Avalanche shocked. His wife, Jordan, was nine months pregnant, so it was a by creating on the rush and taking away quality chances for anyone not whirlwind few weeks as she gave birth the day after his first home game named Nathan MacKinnon. Against Vegas, the Stars got outshot, by a in Tampa. Coleman had zero goals in his first nine games with the wide margin, but the Golden Knights were never able to get to the high- Lightning before the pause, which really helped him settle in. danger areas or take advantage of all that possession, instead the Stars would absorb the blows and low-danger changes and then counter with a During the playoffs, we’ve seen why the Lightning spent so much to get more dangerous chance of their own. Coleman. He’s been a big part of that third line with Goodrow and Yanni Gourde that’s been tone-setting and clutch. Coleman has scored four That to me is something that I think will have to play out for Dallas in this goals (10 points), but he’s also been a key cog on the penalty kill with series. Can they trade three average chances against for one great Goodrow. chance for at the other end? What strikes me about this matchup is the type of talented and active Shapiro: Tampa got swept out last season in the opening round by the defensemen. The Lightning have Victor Hedman, who has been Columbus Blue Jackets. Is this a different team because of that sweep? spectacular with nine goals. The Norris Trophy winner is playing arguably Is there anything that you’ve noticed about how the Lightning deal with the best hockey of his career and is a Conn Smythe candidate. Mikhail adversity after that? Sergachev is a big part of the power play and the rush.

Smith: This is definitely a different team in many ways. There wasn’t a Smith: How does the Dallas ‘D’ fuel their game, and what will Lightning complete overhaul or major change in systems. But they realized there fans learn about the likes of Miro Heiskanen and Klingberg? were some flaws they had to fix, that they had to be better defensively and harder to play against when it came to the playoffs. Shapiro: Heading into the Final, Heiskanen is the Conn Smythe favorite for the Stars, and he and Klingberg combined have been far-and-away We detailed last week on how GM Julien BriseBois “transformed” this their most valuable players. team, but the first thing he did was show restraint and resolve in not blowing the team up. He didn’t fire his coach or trade from his core. But Heiskanen leads the team in points, with 22 in 21 games, but it’s his BriseBois helped change the feel of the dressing room by adding veteran overall performance that will really grab people’s attention over the leaders like Cup winner Pat Maroon and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. course of a series. Heiskanen, like Hedman, is great at everything and BriseBois took a big swing at the deadline in giving up a couple first- should be in that Norris trophy conversation next season. Heiskanen is round picks and top prospect Nolan Foote to acquire Barclay Goodrow the Stars’ fixer, he calms the game down and controls the ice for close to and Blake Coleman. Zach Bogosian, signed to a low-risk, one-year deal 26 minutes per night, and when he’s on the ice, the Stars are often the Bowness has said he’s worried about a goalie playing a back-to-back, better team. which is why the Stars rushed Bishop back unsuccessfully for Game 5 of the series with the Avalanche. In this series, could Bishop be making a Klingberg isn’t as sharp defensively, but his ability to move the puck and return in Game 5 after he’s been practicing consistently for the past create with it really drives the Stars’ transition offense, and his way of month? Or will the Stars stick with Anton Khudobin in the back-to-back? jumping into the play at key moments has created some of the Stars’ most important goals in this run. Either way it should create a juicy storyline for us to dive into with Bishop’s past ties to Tampa. Klingberg is also masterful on the power play, in Game 5 against Vegas his ability to walk the line and read the situation created both goals that Shapiro: So, Joe, how do you think this series plays out? led to the ouster of the Golden Knights. Smith: I think this one goes the distance. And I believe that the Lightning Shapiro: One thing that we haven’t addressed, but should, is that no will win in seven games. Nothing has come easy for Tampa Bay during team gets this far healthy. The Stars have done this without Ben Bishop, these playoffs, and it won’t start now. The Stars will provide a significant robbing us of an easy Dallas-Tampa story, while it’s pretty evident that challenge, boasting more firepower than the Lightning saw in the Tyler Seguin is battling through something. Tampa has the big piece Islanders series. The two goalies are both playing at the top of their missing in Stamkos, but that’s obviously just the start of the injury list, game. The X-factor will be health, both for Point and Kucherov, but if right? they’re not sidelined during this series, it really feels like it’s the Lightning’s year. Smith: Stamkos is certainly the start of the injured list, and his status is uncertain for the Cup Final. The fact Stamkos has returned to practicing How about you, Sean? with the team, skating with them in optionals or on his own, was an encouraging sign. But Cooper said a few days back that there are still Shapiro: I think this is going to be a long series, one where the Stars are things Stamkos can and can’t do. BriseBois said Friday that Stamkos has going to frustrate the Lightning more than they’ve been frustrated at any not been ruled out for series but is not expected to play Game 1. With the other point in the bubble. I also think it’s going to go seven games. I’m Cup Final starting Saturday and lasting roughly a week, time is running also going to pick the Lightning. I also kind of have to after I got flack the out for the captain to come back. Seeing Stamkos hold the Prince of other day from Stars assistant coach John Stevens, who told me that I’m Wales Trophy, and how happy he was, it would be a heck of a story to 0-for-3 on predictions so far and then ended the call with, “Don’t forget to see him return and be part of it. But it’s a lot to ask anyone, even an elite pick against us again.” player, to jump right in after not playing for seven months. “That would be an awful big ask,” said former NHLer Eddie Olczyk, now an NBCSN analyst. The Athletic LOADED: 09.20.2020

Brayden Point’s injury is one that’ll be of primary focus. Point missed two games during the Eastern Conference Final, and while he returned for Game 6 and was effective, he didn’t look like his normal self. He was seen using a massager on his legs on the bench too, so the Lightning will have to continue to manage that injury as the series goes on. Point still played 25 minutes, with four shots on goal and four blocked shots, so Tampa Bay would take that any day.

That top line will be key in this series against the Stars, who I’d imagine would put their shutdown line on them. With Point and Kucherov on the ice together in five-on-five during the playoffs (over 250 minutes), they have outscored opponents 19-7. In 19 playoff games, Tampa Bay has outshot its opponents by more than 75 at even strength with that top line on the ice.

The Lightning haven’t gotten much from their second line, up until Anthony Cirelli’s overtime goal Thursday night, so it’s basically been their top line and third line, and an extremely aggressive and active blueline (which can take up to half their shots in a game).

Smith: You wrote about Bowness and his impact on the Stars. He’s a beloved figure in Tampa Bay, at least among the players who were around when he was. Hedman said Bowness was one of the guys who really believed in him early in his development. Bowness was always positive, a players-type coach. Where do you see his biggest influence on this veteran Stars team?

Shapiro: Bowness has created an atmosphere where the players see him as both coach and inspiration, that’s something not many teams have when it comes to a coach – someone they truly want to win for.

When Corey Perry is picking up the series-clinching-goal puck and bringing it to Bowness on the bench, that speaks volumes that Zoom- based interviews will never be able to convey.

Bowness built this atmosphere by involving and including that veteran group in his processes and being open with them about his decisions. There have been some tough ones, he had to scratch Andrew Cogliano – one of the most respected players in the dressing room – and how he handled that spoke volumes to both Cogliano and his teammates.

Bowness also has allowed Benn to be the vocal leader in the room and on the ice. He allows Benn to deliver the last message before the players take the ice, he allows Benn to be the voice to say something in a big moment. That trust, I believe, allowed Benn to grow his leadership that we talked about earlier.

Bowness will have an interesting decision to make in this series, and I think it’ll be one of the X-factors in deciding who wins the Stanley Cup. How will he handle his goalies with a back-to-back in Game 4 and 5? 1193658 Edmonton Oilers this weekend, but the KHL shut down Lokomotiv Yaroslavl games because of positive COVID-19 tests on the team. The next scheduled game is Monday against Kunlun Red Star. For Edmonton, Konovalov’s Lowetide: European leagues are open, and Oilers prospects are performance might mean signing him in the offseason and giving him a everywhere shot to make the roster in training camp. He is undersized, but the results have been excellent so far this season.

Dmitri Samorukov got off to a quick start with CSKA Moscow, scoring an By Allan Mitchell early goal for his new team. After six games, his offence is settling in at expected levels (1-1-2), but his time on ice (17:47) and even-strength Sep 19, 2020 goal differential (5-2) indicate a strong start to his KHL season. Samorukov’s progress has to be encouraging for Edmonton; it gives the club an area of strength (young left-handed defenders pushing for NHL Top European leagues continue to launch their seasons, with the SHL employment) that might be useful in a potential move during the coming (Sweden’s top league) celebrating its opening night Saturday, joining the draft, trade and free-agency window. Samorukov’s range of skills, which KHL. Finland’s Liiga is scheduled to begin Oct. 1, and at that point, all includes size, wingspan, defending ability and a rugged style, gives him a leagues slated to play should be well into their seasons. unique look among Edmonton’s hopefuls at the position.

Philip Broberg had the best debut by an Oilers prospect this season, Kirill Maksimov is also playing for CSKA Moscow but has been used delivering a sensational game for Skelleftea in a 5-4 overtime win over sparingly by the KHL club. In two games, he has zero points, two shots Leksand on Saturday. He scored once and added two assists for a three- and is averaging 11:43 per game. It’s the kind of usage a developing point game, and played 21:38 and finished plus-2 in even-strength on-ice prospect can’t afford, although he has played one game in the Russian goal differential. He finished third among defenders in time on ice and minors (VHL). It’s early in the season, but Maksimov needs a break to was elevated to the power play (two points) in what is a clear indication move up the depth chart and get some playing time. he will be a part of the five-on-four group this season. Other leagues Broberg had a strong performance during the NHL bubble training camp with the Oilers in the summer, creating some discussion about when he Matej Blumel has played one game (0-0-0) in the Czech league for will arrive in the NHL. His performance Saturday will serve to raise the Dynamo Pardubice. The fleet scoring winger was quiet offensively in the subject again, with the 2021-22 season remaining the most likely same league a season ago (four goals in 31 games), and at age 20, scenario. should be having an impact at this level.

Broberg’s time-on-ice breakdown in Game 1 gives us some indication Tomas Mazura is playing in Finland, at the Sarja U 20 level, and has about the change in deployment compared with a season ago: scored 1-2-3 in three games. Like Blumel, it’s important for Mazura, who turns 20 on Sept. 23, to play a lot and dominate against the competition Overall: 21:38, up from 13:59 (45 games) last season he’ll see in a junior league.

Even strength: 14:36, up from 13:19 (45 games) last season Maxim Denezhkin, who turns 20 in December, has played in the VHL (two games, 0-1-1) so far this season but could see KHL action this year. Power play: 4:17, up from 24 seconds (45 games) last season The VHL is the second-highest level of Russian hockey and a perfect Penalty kill: 2:45, up from 16 seconds (45 games) last season spot for Denezhkin to shine in 2020-21.

It’s one game but still meaningful. Broberg’s one even-strength point (he What does it all mean? had seven a season ago) and two on the power play (one assist last There are many young Oilers prospects who haven’t started league play season) suggest he was given a major push Saturday, and he flourished yet, including No. 1 prospect Evan Bouchard, burner Ryan McLeod and with the opportunity. others. The European leagues will be a major part of the Oilers franchise On the day he was drafted, Broberg was a surprise selection. The Oilers this winter, as the finest talent in the system will play in the coming took him eighth in the 2019 draft despite some draft analysts projecting months. him to go later in the first round (Bob McKenzie’s final ranking for TSN Broberg’s debut was exceptional and another good indicator for Oilers had him No. 15). In March, I looked at his SHL draft plus-one season general manager Ken Holland and his scouts after reaching a little for the (2019-20) and found he was on track as a prospect with the only outlier player in the first round. being a lack of power-play time. Based on the smallest of sample sizes, it appears that area of his game will spike in a big way in 2020-21. Lavoie’s release might look like a negative, but I love the belief he has in himself and the desire to play at the highest level. The Athletic’s Daniel Theodor Lennström also played his first game of the SHL season for Nugent-Bowman detailed his story in late August. Wherever he lands, his Frolunda on Saturday, in a 3-0 win over HV71. Lennström played 14:57, team will get a motivated player. fifth among defencemen, had two shots and finished plus-1 in even- strength goal differential. He is expected to be at Oilers training camp for Konovalov’s start is very encouraging, although the recent canceled this upcoming season. He was signed by the Oilers as a free agent April games are getting in the way of setting a rhythm for the season. He has 29. been outstanding so far.

Filip Berglund played in Linköping’s first league game Saturday, playing Finally, Samorukov’s emergence in the world’s second-best league is a big minutes for his new team. Berglund should establish himself as a top godsend for Holland. In the next 30 days, he will contemplate making a defender in the SHL this season. It’s likely he arrives in North America in trade and it will likely involve a defenceman. Samorukov’s impressive time for the upcoming training camp. He played over 24 minutes in the start in the KHL signals the young man might be closer to being NHL first game of the season, leading his team in on-ice time. ready than his performance for the Bakersfield Condors indicated a season ago. Raphael Lavoie was scheduled to line up against Berglund’s team Saturday, but in the hours before the season began, Lavoie was released from his contract. It’s been rumoured that Lavoie got out of the deal because playing time was going to be an issue. If that is the case, it’s the The Athletic LOADED: 09.20.2020 right decision based on Lavoie’s age (he turns 20 on Sept. 25) and need to play heavy minutes wherever he lands. A return to the QMJHL would seem plausible, but it might benefit Lavoie to shop around Europe for opportunities before setting sail for Canada.

KHL

Ilya Konovalov is off to a strong start for Lokomotiv, and with free agency looming in the offseason, the Oilers most likely have noticed. Through four games this season, his save percentage is .950, goals against is 1.57 and the win-loss record is 3-1-0. Konovalov was slated to play again 1193659 Los Angeles Kings He added, “The only good news in this context is that the ownership of the 31, soon to be 32 NHL franchises has never been stronger and healthier. While nobody has any revenue coming in right now and owners Gary Bettman says 2020-21 NHL season might not start until January are obviously writing checks to cover overhead and expenses, our franchises will get through this and will come out stronger on the other side.”

Kings scout Tony Gasparini has compared Kaliyev to Thomas Vanek on One of the stories from the early days of The Athletic LA was a deep dive several occasions. Enough said. If Kaliyev is remotely close to the high- into how the 2005 NHL Draft helped the Kings become champions. scoring Vanek when he was at his best with the Sabres, then that’s a home run of a pick for the Kings, if you’ll pardon the cross-sports cliché. Al Murray, the architect of that Kings’ draft and now running the amateur scouting department for the Tampa Bay Lightning, talked about drafting No. 50 in 2018, noting: “There’s certainly more failure than success. It’s not an Kings pick: Samuel Fagemo exact science. You’re dealing with young guys. Wheeler’s pick: Anttoni Honka “I can tell you: every scouting staff has enough skeletons in the closet.” I could listen to arguments either way here, and almost picked Fagemo – Colleagues at various verticals at The Athletic have been putting on their as Dillman did – but I had to stick with my drafted prospects ranking, scouting hats and conducting re-drafts. With the NHL, James Mirtle where Honka landed at No. 50 and Fagemo just barely missed the cut. masterminded redrafts for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2005 to 2017. They’re both in the same tier of prospects, though, and the Kings got real Our window was considerably tighter – 2017 to 2019, covering the tenue value with the pick regardless. of Kings general manager Rob Blake. Now, remember, it’s another take Dillman’s pick: Samuel Fagemo for the purpose of conversation, not an indictment. A venture into what-if land and, as Mirtle stated, it is supposed to be fun. This is where having plenty of picks made it possible for the Kings to put together the package to move up in the draft. Liked the deal then, and Maybe we will eventually redraft our redraft … like it even more now. If you somehow missed it, colleague Corey 2019 Pronman stirred the pot when he ranked Fagemo as the Kings’ No. 1 prospect in his recent organizational rankings. No. 5 No. 87 Kings pick: Alex Turcotte Kings pick: Lukas Parik Wheeler’s pick: Dylan Cozens Wheeler’s pick: Matias Maccelli When I released my final draft board for the 2019 draft, Turcotte was ranked No. 3 while Cozens was ranked No. 4. It’s hard for me to play Parik’s a fine prospect but 87th was a little high for me at the time and I revisionist history a year later, given that Turcotte would have been my think that’s true today, given that there are double digits players taken pick at the time. But I’m going to do it anyway because, well, that’s after him that I’d take over him again. Maccelli, who like Fagemo just exactly what this piece is about. Could Turcotte still have the better missed the cut for my top 50 drafted prospects ranking, is probably first career, based on what we know a year later? Yes, I think he could. on that list after an excellent season in Ilves (though he cooled off a little Would I bet on it? No. After another season of evaluation and given in the second half) and a strong showing on an otherwise-disappointing Turcotte’s injury history, the vast majority of scouts would take Cozens, Finnish world juniors squad. Maccelli’s tracking as a versatile middle-six who ranked atop the 2020 edition of my top 50 drafted prospects ranking. forward and he was taken just 11 picks after Parik, so he may well have been in the conversation at the time. Dillman’s pick: Trevor Zegras Dillman’s pick: Tyce Thompson Hello, Mr. Primary Assist. After hearing it over and over, that became our nickname for Zegras at the world junior championships. Now a small Good NHL bloodlines here. Thompson’s father, defenseman Brent snapshot of the tournament and his nine assists weren’t the only thing to Thompson played 81 games for the Kings at the start of his career. (Yes, make Zegras my pick instead of Turcotte. But the choice was solidified I covered some of those games but not all of them). Unlike his father, when I checked in with TSN’s Craig Button. He said he would put Zegras Tyce is a forward, as his older brother Tage, who is in the Buffalo Sabres ahead of Turcotte. organization.

No. 22 No. 95

Kings pick: Tobias Bjornfot Kings pick: Jordan Spence

Wheeler’s pick: Arthur Kaliyev Wheeler’s pick: Henry Thrun

A year ago, I had Kaliyev ranked at No. 13 and he was the highest One of my favourite prospects of the 2019 class, Thrun was a player I remaining player on my board when the Kings were up at No. 22. If I had fought hard for all season, ranking him 38th on my final list. So I was to re-draft that pick today, not only would he still be my pick at that slot admittedly pretty thrilled when he stepped in at Harvard and became one but he’s already a Kings prospect – only from a different draft slot. The of the more dependable defenders in college hockey as a freshman. Kings knocked the Kaliyev pick out of the park then and this only That’s not a knock on Spence, who was another excellent Kings value reaffirms that now. pick and won QMJHL defenseman of the year after his draft, but I think Thrun’s the slightly safer bet as an NHLer. Dillman’s pick: Nils Hoglander Dillman’s pick: Matias Maccelli This is a Swede for Swede substitution. Is there some recency bias here? Absolutely. I’ve been mesmerized by the preseason highlights of Thrun, a Ducks prospect, recently made news when he decided that the Hoglander in the SHL. The fact that he fell to No. 40 feels almost as big a USHL (Dubuque) was better for his development right now. Like slight as Kaliyev falling out of the first round. Wheeler, I also like Thrun. But his case for Maccelli (see above) was convincing enough where I couldn’t pass him up at No. 95. No. 33 No. 119 Kings pick: Arthur Kaliyev Kings pick: Kim Nousiainen Wheeler’s pick: Nick Robertson Wheeler’s pick: Nick Abruzzese Abruzzese’s status as a diminutive overager contributed to his slide down Lundkvist bandwagon. He had 31 points (11 goals, 20 assists) for Lulea the 2019 draft to No. 124, despite an 80-point season as the USHL’s in the SHL. leading scorer. Nobody’s doubting his talent anymore, though. Given his age, Abruzzese had to step into the roster at Harvard and look like more No. 51 than a freshman. He netted 44 points in 31 games to finish tied for third Kings pick: Akil Thomas in NCAA scoring. The Kings’ 2019 class was arguably the best of the draft’s 31 teams and that’s reflected in here, where I concede that you Wheeler’s pick: Tyler Madden could take the Kings’ pick over my new selections in most cases. But Ironic, isn’t it? Abruzzese’s one of those who has become a clearcut better prospect than Nousiainen, who had a strong post-draft year. Dillman’s pick: Tyler Madden

Dillman’s pick: Kim Nousiainen Yes.

Christian Ruuttu, the Kings’ chief European scout, said that the Finnish No. 82 defenseman reminds him of Kimmo Timonen, who played 16 seasons in the NHL. Kings pick: Bulat Shafigullin

No. 157 Wheeler’s pick: Alexander Khovanov

Kings pick: Braden Doyle After a 99-point QMJHL season and a brilliant performance at the world juniors and the Canada-Russia Series that preceded it, Khovanov began Wheeler’s pick: Dustin Wolf the season in the KHL before being loaned to the second-tier VHL this season. He’s a lethal shooter and puck handler who battled If you followed my draft work last year, this pick won’t come as a mononucleosis in his draft year, fell further than he should, and has since surprise. Wolf was my No. 2-ranked goalie prospect and finished the shown that he can manufacture offence in the offensive zone. season 61st on my final ranking. Despite his 6-foot frame, I was really surprised when it took the Flames taking him with one of the final picks of Dillman’s pick: Alexander Khovanov the draft. A year later, the concerns about his size that all of those teams had should have evaporated with his CHL goaltender of the year award. So why not Shafigullin? One of the KHL beat writers who watches Will he become an NHL starter? Time will tell. Is he legitimately one of Shafigullin recently told me they thought his ceiling was maybe third-line the top goalie prospects in the world right now? The answer there is an winger. Later, a KHL front-office executive agreed. That, and Wheeler’s unequivocal, yes. take, was more than enough to shift to Khovanov.

Dillman’s pick: Elmer Soderblom No. 113

Pronman has him ranked No. 9 among the Red Wings prospects. With Kings pick: Aidan Dudas his size (6-foot-6, 227 pounds) and net-front presence, it’s well worth the Wheeler’s pick: Mathias Emilio Pettersen gamble at No. 157. Pettersen was already a “name” in his draft year. His YouTube fame No. 188 made him one. The kid from Norway with the slick hands. But concerns Kings pick: Andre Lee about his size, strength and pace after a good but not great USHL season made him a late-round pick. When Denver tapped into his skill, Wheeler’s pick: Nikola Pasic though, he became one of college hockey’s more fun playmakers and quickly turned pro. Now he looks like the kind of player you want as a Ranked 86 on my board ahead of the draft but taken 189. Pasic had a complimentary forward on a line with a scorer and your top power-play superb post-draft season that surprised even me, putting up 35 points in unit. I’ve got a lot of time for Aidan Dudas though, too. 45 games in Allsvenskan, Sweden’s second-tier pro league. Missing out on players who were taken well after your pick is one thing. But it’s got to Dillman’s pick: Ivan Prosvetov be disappointing when a player taken one pick after yours makes progress in the way Pasic did. He’s a boom-or-bust prospect who may At this point, in the fourth round, it’s time to take a goaltender. In the real not ever be quite talented enough to play in an offensive role, nor strong draft, he went to Arizona at No. 114, one spot behind Dudas. Prosvetov enough to play in a depth one, but he’s the kind of player you take your had an above-average rookie season with AHL Tucson. Goalie guru Cat chances on late in the draft. Silverman thinks Prosvetov has a higher ceiling than Adin Hill. “He’s incredibly smart about considering his options when facing a save and Dillman’s pick: Dustin Wolf not keeping himself limited by only playing within a certain style,” she said. “He still needs some cleaning up of his actual technique but that he Dustin from Tustin. Our Scott Burnside wrote a wonderful piece about the has good decision-making skills and reads the game at a high level for a emotional roller-coaster ride of Wolf in Vancouver, who waited and first-year pro.” waited until he was selected No. 217 pick by the Flames in 2019. Wolf’s response to the draft slight was textbook. Of his 34 wins this past season No. 144 with the Everett Silvertips (WHL), nine were shutouts. Kings pick: David Hrenak 2018 Wheeler’s pick: Peter Diliberatore No. 20 Diliberatore doesn’t have the offence to his game that I typically want in Kings pick: Rasmus Kupari comfortably projecting defensemen to the NHL level, but the more we learn about what makes defensemen work in today’s game, the more Wheeler’s pick: Nils Lundkvist emphasis we are beginning to place on long, fluid skaters who can I was too low on Lundkvist in 2017-2018. I was too low on him in 2018- escape pressure and create exits and entries with their feet or a pass. 2019, too. So I’m not going to make that same mistake twice here. His Once in the offensive zone, their value lessens. And Diliberatore is draft-plus-two season was sensational. He emerged as one of the best effortless in the other two zones and just active enough on offence. defensemen in the SHL. He stamped his claim as a star prospect at the Dillman’s pick: Peter Diliberatore world juniors. And he became the best prospect in the New York Rangers’ pool, one of the stronger pools in the NHL. Kupari’s a good If you aren’t convinced by Wheeler’s argument, there is this question: prospect and he was a fine pick. But Lundkvist, taken eight picks later, What are the Kings especially lacking in right now? There is not exactly a looks like he’s going to be an impactful, two-way, right-shot top-four surplus of left-shot defensemen. defenseman. No. 165 Dillman’s pick: Nils Lundkvist Kings pick: Johan Sodergran It’s not that I’m scared off by Kupari’s ACL surgery. By all accounts, he is expected to make a full recovery and has started skating again in Wheeler’s pick: Veini Vehvilainen Finland. But the Kings’ pipeline is well stocked up front. I’m on the After two stellar seasons as one of the best goalies in Liiga, Vehvilainen, No. 103 who was taken as an overager in 2018, was better than his .901 save percentage indicated as an AHL rookie last season. Though he’s a little Kings pick: Mikey Anderson on the shorter side for today’s goalies, he’s bigger than his listed height Wheeler’s pick: Lucas Elvenes suggests in the net and he’s got a track record of success across several levels. Exactly the kind of goalie you target in the late rounds. Slick, slick, slick, slick, slick. Elvenes may not be a threat to score every time he has the puck, but he’s a threat to make something happen. Dillman’s pick: Mathias Emilio Pettersen Dillman’s pick: Mikey Anderson We will have to suspend imagination even more here because Scott already grabbed Pettersen at No. 113. But it’s hard to overlook such a The feel-good vibe of the Kings’ winning streak heading into the pause skilled competitor even if he is a bit smaller. Those who watched him at extended to the defenseman, Anderson. Although he’s played a mere six DU said Pettersen grew on them with more viewings. One coach games in the NHL, internally the Kings are high on Anderson and his observed that he often looked like he was trying to play by himself, potential to develop under the guidance of assistant coach Trent adding: “Should have stayed at school one more year.” Yawney.

No. 175 No. 118

Kings pick: Jacob Ingham Kings pick: Markus Phillips

Wheeler’s pick: Jacob Ingham Wheeler’s pick: Jack Dugan

This is a no brainer. Whether Ingham makes it is still to be determined Speaking of Vegas’s impressive record at the draft. Dugan’s another but there weren’t a ton of noteworthy prospects selected after him, he’s overager whose limited track record before his first crack at the draft big, and he was excellent for Kitchener last season as one of the top helped him fly under the radar. He’s not a secret anymore. Every team goalies in the CHL. wants a big, long, physical forward who also happens to be talented enough to lead college hockey in points. Dillman’s pick: Jacob Ingham Dillman’s pick: Jack Dugan Coaches who worked with Ingham are high on his compete level and his raw ability to think outside the box to make a save. One of the easier In 2018, The Hockey News did its redraft and had Swedish forward choices in this exercise. Jonathan Davidsson making the biggest leap, saying he’d be a second- rounder. But Davidsson, taken 170th by the Blue Jackets and traded to 2017 the Senators, has struggled with injuries. It’s impossible to overlook No. 11 college hockey’s leading scorer, in Dugan.

Kings pick: Gabriel Vilardi No. 134

Wheeler’s pick: Nick Suzuki Kings pick: Cole Hults

Three years later, there’s an easy argument to be made for any of the Wheeler’s pick: Morgan Barron three players we’ve picked here. Suzuki gets the edge for me because There’s an easy case to be made for either player here. Hults turned he has become the prototype for what I look for in a modern forward. himself from a C-level prospect to a B-level prospect in his time at Penn He’s crafty with the puck, he finds pockets of space when he doesn’t State, where he became the program’s top defenseman. Barron did the have it, and he’s got the tools to be one of the game’s best defensive same at Cornell, where he became the team’s captain and most valuable forwards without ever needing to play a physical brand because of his player. I lean Barron if only because I think his game safely translates acumen with his stick and knack for reading the play. into at the very least a depth role in the NHL, while I’m not completely Dillman’s pick: Martin Necas sold that Hults’ game will translate as seamlessly at pro pace. It’s more or less a coin flip though. My first thought would have been to take Suzuki as well because strength is down the middle is so important for any team. But the Kings Dillman’s pick: Cole Hults have players in the system that can play that position. Almost right away, I’m sticking with Hults who is a solid two-way defender. But there is a Necas likely would be their highest skilled winger. For this team, at this concern, according to one college coach, who has been able to watch time, he appears to be the best fit. him closely at Penn State: “Foot speed is a question mark for me at the No. 41 NHL level. Great worker and leader.”

Kings pick: Jaret Anderson-Dolan No. 138

Wheeler’s pick: Drake Batherson Kings pick: Drake Rymsha

Maybe the most underrated prospect in hockey. Wheeler’s pick: Sasha Chmelevski

Dillman’s pick: Jaret Anderson-Dolan Chmelevski’s well-rounded skillset has often been underrated because he lacks a standout, visual NHL trait. But he’s one of the smartest Batherson has 43 NHL games to Anderson-Dolan’s five. But this is about prospects in hockey on and off the ice, I’ve watched him play as much as the long game. Anderson-Dolan can play center or wing – like Batherson just about any prospect over the last five years, and his versatility will get – but am probably influenced by the leadership qualities I’ve seen and him there. heard about from coaches and scouts about Anderson-Dolan. Dillman’s pick: Sebastian Aho No. 72 No, not THAT Aho. Why is a 24-year-old Swedish forward here with Kings pick: Matthew Villalta these kids? NHL teams skipped past him in three consecutive drafts and the Islanders finally took him in the fifth round in 2017. At this stage, it Wheeler’s pick: Emil Bemstrom would be worth the risk, taking a mobile defenseman.

It was an up-and-down rookie season for Bemstrom with the Blue Jackets, but after a brilliant SHL campaign a year earlier, he showed real flashes of his unique talent as a shot generator in a depth role in the The Athletic LOADED: 09.20.2020 NHL. Now he’s on loan with HIFK in Liiga as he awaits the NHL’s return, and I anticipate he’ll be one of the league’s more dangerous offensive weapons early in the season.

Dillman’s pick: Drake Batherson

It would be wrong to bypass him again. Especially at No.72. 1193661 Minnesota Wild these moves will go according to plan, it’s clear Guerin isn’t afraid to shake things up within a franchise that by and large has not.

These are his decisions to make at the end of the day, and everyone else Dane Mizutani: Wild GM Bill Guerin finally doing what needs to be done has to deal with it.

“It’s not as insensitive of that, but yeah,” Guerin said. “You have to move on and adjust.” By DANE MIZUTANI | [email protected] | Pioneer Press

September 19, 2020 at 8:00 a.m. Pioneer Press LOADED: 09.20.2020

Since the Wild entered the league in 2000-01, the franchise has been stuck in a sort of competitive purgatory: Never quite good enough to compete for a Stanley Cup, never been bad enough to blow it all up and start over.

Instead, the Wild have relied on “tweaks” to try to get over the hump, if for no other reason than owner Craig Leipold hasn’t been ready for a rebuild.

It appears those days are over.

In a surprising move, general manager Bill Guerin traded veteran center Eric Staal to the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday evening. He then announced on Friday morning that the Wild officially cut ties with longtime captain Mikko Koivu, who played all 1,028 of his NHL games in Minnesota and was the only full-time captain in franchise history.

While both moves will be met with praise from some Wild fans eager to see the franchise rebuild, a large segment seems to still believe tinkering will make it a Stanley Cup contender. Looking at social media in the wake of the Staal trade, one would have thought Guerin had just traded Wayne Gretzky for a pair of skates. Not at all the case.

As much as Staal became a revered member of the Twin Cites over the past few years, he was clearly in the decline of his career, the No. 1 center simply because the Wild had no other options.

Frankly, if nothing else, the outrage proved that even though Wild fans say they are ready for the organization to make wholesale changes, they are simultaneously averse to them. That’s because the Wild don’t make moves like this.

If they make a trade (see: Nino Niederreiter, Charlie Coyle, Mikael Granlund, Jason Zucker) it’s usually after years of speculation. That gives fans a chance to prepare, and by the time it actually happens, they are able to rationalize why it makes sense.

There wasn’t any of that with Staal. This move truly came out of nowhere. And that’s OK. It proves that Guerin is finally doing what needs to be done.

“If I don’t make moves, nothing will happen,” Guerin said. “We will just stay the same.”

For too long the Wild have lived in this distorted reality where they think the current roster is good enough to make a run at the Stanley Cup while ignoring the facts that the rest of the league is skating circles around them. That proved literal in the qualifying round as Kevin Fiala was the only Wild player that could keep up with the speedy Vancouver Canucks.

It’s clear Guerin no longer believes that. In fact, maybe he never did, and simply had to pretend during his first year on the job. Either way, it looks like he finally has Leipold’s blessing to do what he sees fit.

“We are trying to build a better team,” Guerin said. “Sometimes we have to take some drastic measures.”

That might have been foreshadowing more than anything else. It’s possible that moving Staal was the precursor for another move involving Matt Dumba. His name has been mentioned in pretty much every trade rumor over the past couple of weeks, and Guerin did little to quiet the noise earlier this week, replying, “Who wouldn’t want Matt Dumba?”

“I don’t promise anybody anything,” Guerin said. “I know the business well enough from a player side. I wouldn’t want to make an empty promise. We will try to improve our team as much as we can when we can.”

It’s already been a busy offseason for Guerin, who also acquired Nick Bjugstad from the Pittsburgh Penguins and doled out a seven-year, $42 million contract extension to Jonas Brodin. While it’s unclear if any of 1193662 New York Islanders but a check of naturalstattrick.com reveals that the trio was intact for a total of 33:25 of 5-on-5 hockey over the final eight games. And then, when Lemieux was suspended for the first two games of the qualifying round, the McKegg-Brett Howden-Gauthier fourth line was intact for a Rangers should pursue Islanders’ Matt Martin under one condition total of 3:19.

We have no idea when the 2020-21 season will open or under what conditions the season will be played, presuming it can be played at all. By Larry Brooks There is no way to guess when the Rangers will be back at the Garden September 19, 2020 | 3:51pm | Updated or when fans will be permitted to attend games in New York. So the uniqueness of it all might dampen the degree of difficulty with which an impact player invariably must contend when crossing the river to Manhattan from either the Island or New Jersey. That is something both Maybe it is simply recency bias. Maybe I should put more stock in the parties must weigh if Martin does get to free agency and if the Rangers hockey that was played during the winter, when the Rangers looked for are in on the 31-year-old, who will surely command more than the $2.5 all the world to be a better team than the Islanders and went 2-for-2 million per he earned on his expiring contract. against them at the Coliseum in a pair of thrilling games. But more than that, both Martin and the Rangers will have to evaluate And maybe I am putting too much emphasis on the way the Blueshirts whether this would be more than a marriage of convenience. The were taken to the woodshed without resistance by a Carolina team that Rangers would have to commit to the player more than, it seems, than seemed an imposing contender but was outed as an imposter the very the player to the team. The Rangers would have to commit to a four-line, next round by the Bruins. Maybe that, coupled with the dogged and playoff mentality. The Rangers would have to embrace a change to their inspirational show put on by the Islanders essentially every other night for identity. six weeks in making it to Game 6 overtime of the conference finals, has unduly influenced my perception of the Ballad of New York. The construction crew in the front office has done well on a top-down basis. The next step, and a critical one, entails building from the bottom Because though the Islanders probably need a little more Rangers in up. If that is the plan, it should include pursuit of Martin. If not, signing them in order to make it to the top, and that means a little more high-end No. 17 would be a waste of time. offensive skill at the top of the depth chart, the Rangers definitely need a lot more Islanders in them in order to become a viable Stanley Cup contender, and that means a lot more grit and heaps more dedication to playing structured, unyielding hockey. New York Post LOADED: 09.20.2020

Interestingly enough, the Rangers are likely to have the opportunity to put a fairly significant piece of the Islanders’ formula into their lineup. That piece wears No, 17, his name is Matt Martin, and he is an impending free agent eligible to hit the open market on Oct. 9, which is two weeks from this coming Friday.

The question I have is not whether Martin can add some of those missing elements to the Rangers, because he could and he would. The question is not whether Martin is ready to make the jump from Hempstead Turnpike to Broadway, but whether the Rangers are ready for him. The question is whether the Rangers would give Martin the opportunity to make an impact even if they sign him.

Categorizing Martin as the left wing on the Islanders’ fourth line might be technically true but it is practically faulty. Because Martin for years — other than the two-season stretch in Toronto — has been the left wing on the Islanders’ Identity Line, combining primarily with Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck to form a template for the way the team plays.

Now you tell me whether the Rangers as currently constituted, and as they have been deployed the past two years by David Quinn, are ready to make that kind of transition to giving their bottom six, let alone the fourth line, that kind of responsibility and sway. It is difficult to separate the personnel from the philosophy, and I have been writing about this for two years, but the Blueshirts’ fourth line has essentially been a repository for leftover parts and players needing a check on their work habits.

You can succeed during the regular season by leaning on your horses, and especially so if one of them is named Artemi Panarin and another is called Mika Zibanejad. But it is reinforced year after year that isn’t enough to win in the postseason. It is reinforced year after year that teams that rely too heavily on talent wind up watching teams that are knee deep in sandpaper compete for the Cup.

Martin averaged 10:09 of even-strength time this year after getting 11:10 per from Barry Trotz two seasons ago. Quinn’s two Rangers teams have had a jumble of fourth-liners, but it is worth noting Cody McLeod averaged 6:48 playing left wing on the fourth line two years ago ,and Micheal Haley got 5:30 per this season before leaving the lineup for good on Jan. 21 for bilateral core surgery.

And if slipping in the ice time of two rather faded fourth-line enforcers with Martin might be somewhat out of context, consider that Gregg McKegg, the club’s customary center on that unit, this year got 8:36 per, and that includes some time he spent up on the wing.

2000 Giants By Mike Vaccaro The Giants were scuffling along when Jim Fassel made his famous “my September 19, 2020 | 2:33pm | Updated chips are on the table!” declaration, and the Giants caught fire, won their last five games, beat the contemptible Eagles then utterly destroyed the Vikings, 41-0, in the last NFC Championship game ever held at Giants The best part about the Islanders season, which ended in a heartbeat Stadium. The Super Bowl … well, that’s best left unsaid. and a heartbreak Thursday, is that it was hard — impossible, even — to find even one member of the rank-and-file fan base who was anything 1998-99 Knicks other than utterly smitten by the team. The gold standard in this category, an 8-seed that entered the playoffs all These are always the most fun seasons, after all — the ones that come but shunned by their fans and instead beat the Heat, beat the Hawks, out of nowhere, that fall from the sky and present themselves at your feet beat the Pacers, turned their coach into a folk hero and turned the and all but announce: “This, dear friend, is why you care so much. Garden into a nightly chorus of glory, replete with the Shakespearean Because every now and again you get a season like this one.” ending of losing Patrick Ewing for the Finals against the Spurs.

And in an odd way, the fact the Islanders’ march ended shy of a Stanley Vac’s Whacks Cup almost purifies the experience; any championship team, of course, is Of all the wonderful Tom Seaver tributes that have been written, almost impossible to find fault with, but when you can have nothing but a recorded and posted, the one absolute must is Art Shamsky’s podcast feel-good vibe even without the big trophy? That’s a special season. And where Art, Jeff Idelson of the Hall of Fame, WFAN’s Bob Heussler and a rare one, too. In reverse chronological order from the past 25 years, Ron Swoboda all share reminiscences. Find it wherever you download here are the best of those kinds of years around here (suggestions on podcasts or at www.artshamsky.com. additions/omissions are, as always, welcome): There are certain coaches who are a pleasure to watch work. Erik 2019-20 Islanders Spoelstra is one of those coaches. It was easy to joke about how the Islanders were the only people on Speaking of the Heat, was I the only one who saw Bam Adebayo’s block earth who benefitted by the coronavirus shutdown, because they were of Jayson Tatum the other night and immediately thought of Roy trending in a terrible direction and seemed to be minutes away from Hibbert’s block of Carmelo Anthony, Game 6, 2013 East semifinals, playing themselves out of the playoffs before everything halted. Then, which was literally the last competitive breath the Knicks have ever when play resumed … well, they were terrific. They won three playoff taken? series (yes, I’m counting the play-in round) for the first time since 1984, and they were there — right there — with the Lightning. By the time it Come on and get here already, “Fargo.” We’ve all waited quite long ended late Thursday night, it honestly felt that even Rangers fans were enough. happy for the Isles. Though that was surely an optical illusion. Whack Back at Vac 2017 Yankees Steve Harris: In regard to Saquon Barkley: Love the guy, hate the pick. Rare is the time the Yankees can ever fall into this category, but three Any way you look at the Giants you see the many bad choices they have years ago they were still supposed to be neck-deep in a rebuild … and made. They certainly kept Jerry Reese too long, but Dave Gettleman has wound up with two cracks to make it to the World Series. Aaron Judge’s not been a big improvement. Jones and Barkley look like studs, but they 52 home runs were the engine, but in his final year Joe Girardi also should since they taken were a 2 and a 6. Gettleman cleaned out the seemed to push every proper button, and the team simply found it within locker room but still hasn’t really improved the team. itself to come up big every time it was needed — the AL wild-card game, ALDS Game 3 against the Indians, ALCS Games 3-5 against the Astros. Vac: It’s inevitable and human nature that we often judge our teams Fun team, fun ride. comparatively. The Jets gave the Giants cover last week. Unless things get better in Chicago today, that luxury isn’t a permanent one. 2015 Mets Bruce Welsch: If the Jets look as bad this Sunday as they did last week, I There is a caveat here. Though the Mets’ run from July 31 or so through would be shocked if any fans show up for their next home game. the NLCS sweep of the Cubs is met, even five years later, with approval from 99.7 percent of all Mets fans, there is an equal amount who will Vac: Oh, come on. You were thinking the exact same thing! always lament the World Series loss to the Royals — a gritty and tested Joachim Soriano: In this abnormal shortened season two things become bunch who, player-for-player, had no business beating the Mets, surely evident for the Yankees: 1) Re-sign, first priority, DJ LaMahieu. He is a not in five. But what came before that … that memory sustains. jewel; 2) Keep Clint Frazier. His bat is unquestioned. His fielding this 2013-14 Rangers year? Massive improvement. Do you agree?

After a middling season, the Rangers took a Game 7 at home against the Vac: I’d classify those two things as 1 and 1A on the Brian Cashman to- Flyers and came from 3-1 down to beat the Penguins a Game 7 in do list. Pittsburgh and, in so doing, New York became HockeyTown East for a few weeks, with Henrik Lundqvist the benign despot. The Canadiens fell in the conference finals, and there seemed little that could stop the King New York Post LOADED: 09.20.2020 and his court from their destiny … until a team full of (L.A.) Kings did.

2009 Jets

Rex Ryan thought they’d expired in Week 15 when they lost at home to the Falcons, but it wasn’t until the 14-0 Colts opted to mail in the second half the next week that things really took a turn. The Jets beat the Colts scrubs, beat the Bengals in consecutive weeks then won at San Diego before throwing a legit scare into Indy in the AFC Championship game. That one is still a little hard to believe.

2001-02 Nets 1193664 New York Islanders we were both just kind of like, ‘This is what has to be done. 2020 sucks for everyone and this is our situation.’ ”

Sydney was thankful Winnie was born before Matt headed to the Toronto Matt Martin reuniting with young daughter after Islanders’ ouster bubble, while not all the Islanders’ wives were as fortunate. Leo Komarov’s wife, Juulia, gave birth to their son just hours before the Islanders’ overtime loss in Game 6 Thursday night.

By Mollie Walker But it has been the community of Islanders wives and girlfriends who have helped Sydney get through the longest time she’s ever been away September 19, 2020 | 5:36am from Matt.

“We would FaceTime in between periods constantly and talking to each In the summer of 2018 after his second season with the Maple Leafs, other just checking in,” Sydney said. “It was nice to have that support and Matt Martin sat down to have a conversation with his future father-in-law, when you talk to other people, friends that don’t really understand, it’s Boomer Esiason. hard to explain the scenario that you’re in. When we have each other, it’s really helpful.” The lively WFAN radio host’s phone buzzed. It was a longtime friend of his, Brendan Shanahan, the president of the Maple Leafs. He wanted to The toughest moment for Sydney was watching Matt say goodbye to let Esiason know that Martin was everything he could have hoped for in a Winnie. She said she wouldn’t consider herself and Matt to be emotional player, and he had a class act for a potential son-in-law. people, especially when she drove him to the rink before he left and treated it as any other game-day drop off, but she could tell saying good- “And then Brendan sent me back he goes, ‘Look, we’ll send him to bye to his baby girl hurt him. wherever he wants to go. If he wants to go to the Rangers, we’ll send him to the Rangers. If he wants to go to the Islanders, we’ll send him back to In the beginning, she was extremely preoccupied with the craziness of the Islanders. That’s how much respect we have for him and that’s what taking care of a newborn. But once the Islanders lost in overtime we’d like to do for him,’ ” Esiason told The Post on a phone call Friday Thursday night and were set to come home, Sydney said the emotions of afternoon. everything came crashing down.

It had been just a few months since the Rangers sent out a letter Nevertheless, with help from her friends and family, Sydney got through pleading with fans to be patient during the upcoming rebuild. And as it. Esiason had to work in Manhattan for a majority of the summer and much as Esiason, a longtime in-your-face Rangers fan, wanted to see a could only make it out one weekend. Sydney said she thought her dad future part of his family pull on a red, white and blue sweater, he only had forgotten how much work it took to take care of a baby. could think of what was best for Martin. Esiason couldn’t be more proud to be Winnie’s “Boompa,” though. He Said Esiason: “I told Matt, ‘As much as I want to see you in a Rangers only took issue with one possibility. uniform, now is not the time. If you can get back with Cal [Clutterbuck] “If she was going to be paraded around in the Stanley Cup if the and Casey [Cizikas] I think that’s probably your best situation right now Islanders won it, that would’ve made it very difficult on me,” he said. “I because you’re beloved by your fan base here. Maybe they didn’t just kept talking about how I was rooting for her, and her dad, and it understand you in Toronto, or [former Maple Leafs coach Mike] Babcock would be a nice moment for the two of them if they were able to share didn’t understand you in Toronto, whatever the situation may be. But that. But maybe they’ll be able to do that next year for the Rangers. you’re here and you’re coming home and you can reunite with two of That’d be even better!” your best buddies. And Lou [Lamoriello] was going to bring in a coach who is going to try to get you guys to win right now.’

“I think it was pretty easy for Matt to say he wanted to go back to the New York Post LOADED: 09.20.2020 Islanders and play with his buddies.”

And so in July 2018, Martin was traded back to the Islanders and back to where his home had been for the first seven seasons of his NHL career. Now, the 31-year-old left winger is traveling home again, but this time back from the longest playoff run of his career as the Islanders came two wins away from qualifying for the Stanley Cup Finals.

It was also the most impressive playoff performance of Martin’s 11-year NHL career, as he collected five goals and an assist in 22 games, while leading the league in hits with 103. He became one of five players since 1997-98 to record five goals and 100-plus hits in a single playoff year, joining Tom Wilson, Dustin Brown, Milan Lucic and Eric Cole.

Set to become an unrestricted free agent next season, Martin prepared during the near three-month long hiatus from the coronavirus pandemic shutdown to prove himself. He treated every day as if the next day he was going to be back on the ice playing. From the rowing machine, the Peloton and running on the streets, Esiason said Martin worked out like a maniac.

But to Martin’s wife and Esiason’s daughter, Sydney, he didn’t have anything to prove. To her, he always has been the player the hockey world got a glimpse of this postseason.

It was sometime in May or June when official word of the NHL’s plans for bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton got back to the Martins. Sydney realized she would probably have to say goodbye to her husband roughly two weeks after Winnie was born.

But there were no conversations to be had. It was a mutual understanding that this was the hand they were dealt in 2020.

“We both didn’t really talk about it, we kind of just accepted that that’s what was going to happen and the way Matt is, and kind of how I am too, we know it’s his job,” she said. “That’s how we’re going to provide for our daughter and our family. We didn’t really get emotional about it because 1193665 New York Islanders Bettman added, "How we start doesn’t necessarily relate to how we’re going to finish" and raised the possibility of starting without fans and evolving from there.

When will new NHL season begin, and what will it look like? The league has held its entire, expanded 24-team playoffs in quarantined bubbles without fans in Toronto and Edmonton. Bettman said more than 30,000 COVID-19 tests have been done in that time with zero positive coronavirus test results. By Colin Stephenson MLB is playing games this season without fans, and has had games colin.stephenson@newsday.com @ColinSNewsday postponed because of outbreaks among teams. A handful of NFL teams Updated September 19, 2020 8:54 PM are allowing limited attendance (the Jets and Giants are not allowing fans to attend games), as are some college football teams.

A few European soccer leagues are allowing limited attendance for their As the song goes: When will I see you again? 2020-21 seasons, though the biggest, the English Premier League, is not (yet) one of them. The 2019-20 NHL season is over in New York, a full year after training camp began. It ended when the Islanders were eliminated Thursday As with all things in the era of the coronavirus, however, all plans are night in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals with a 2-1 overtime loss subject to change. to the Tampa Bay Lightning, who advanced to face the Dallas Stars in the Stanley Cup Final.

The season ended in early August for the Rangers, when the Blueshirts Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 09.20.2020 bowed out to the Carolina Hurricanes in a three-game, qualifying-round sweep. And for the Devils, who were not invited to the NHL’s 24-team return to play bubble in Toronto, it ended way back in March, when the league initially paused its season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But now that the NHL has successfully run a tournament in the COVID- free bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton, and the league is on track to hand out the Stanley Cup sometime this month, the question NHL fans are asking is the one the soul band the Three Degrees asked in their 1974 hit single:

When will I see you again?

When the NHL announced its plans for returning to play to finish the 2019-20 season, it said it was working with a tentative date of Dec. 1 to start the 2020-21 season. But COVID-19 has not gone away in the months since the league made that announcement.

Commissioner Gary Bettman said Saturday he wouldn’t be surprised if the next NHL season begins after the tentatively planned Dec. 1 start date.

In his annual pre-Stanley Cup Final news conference, Bettman said there is still too much uncertainty to know what that season will look like. He wouldn’t address speculation about an all-Canadian division given the U.S.-Canada border closure to nonessential travel.

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the focus would remain on the safety for players, coaches, staff and fans.

"If there’s an option to consider, believe me, we’re considering it," Bettman said

The league has repeatedly said opening training camps Nov. 17 and beginning the season Dec. 1 were tentative targets. Bettman raised the possibility of the season starting later in December or in January.

Asked about potentially not playing until the fall of 2021, Bettman expects a full 82-game season and playoffs.

"How and when we do that is something that we don’t all have enough information to make any decisions," Bettman said.

The U.S.-Canada border is a significant issue and has more of an effect on the NHL than other pro sports leagues because it has seven teams in Canada and 24 in the United States until Seattle is set to become the 32nd franchise in 2021. Canada did not allow Major League Baseball’s Blue Jays to play in Toronto this season because of cross-border travel.

Daly said the league can wait a certain amount of time until fans might be allowed in arenas but admitted, "I can’t sit here and guarantee that’ll be the case.’’ He also said it’s possible the league could start Jan. 1 and still play 82 games.

That might push games into the summer 2021, but Daly said this season’s restart proved the league can play games in the summer if it needs to.

However, he said, the NHL would prefer not to do that. 1193666 New York Islanders Sept. 15 The Islanders fell into a 3-1 series deficit against the Lightning in the

conference finals but kept their season alive with a heart-stopping, 2-1, 5 memorable moments from Islanders' 2019-2020 season double overtime win in Game 5 on Sept. 15 at Edmonton. Goalie Semyon Varlamov, typically stoic in his public persona, released the pent-up emotions with an instantly-iconic, head-first slide in the team’s on-ice celebration after making 36 saves. Eberle scored the winner at By Andrew Gross 12:30 of the second overtime. But, to get there, the Islanders and [email protected] @AGrossNewsday Varlamov had to kill off Beauvillier’s four-minute high-sticking penalty on defenseman Mikhail Sergachev at 18:37 of the third period, which carried September 19, 2020 5:30 PM over to the first overtime.

There’s no doubt the 2019-20 season proved to be one of the most Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 09.20.2020 memorable, and certainly the longest, in Islanders’ history.

There was the good in the deepest playoff run since 1993 and a franchise record for consecutive points via a 15-0-2 streak from Oct. 12- Nov. 23. There was the bad in top-pair defenseman Adam Pelech suffering an Achilles’ tendon injury in pregame, off-ice warmups on Jan. 2. And there was the unsettling in the COVID-19 pandemic that forced the NHL to halt the regular season on March 12 and resume with the postseason on Aug. 1.

Here are five moments that stood out:

Nov. 16-21

Three consecutive standout games during the Islanders’ record-setting point streak. First, they rallied from a three-goal deficit midway through the second period to win a 4-3 shootout at Philadelphia on Nov. 16. Anthony Beauvillier scored twice, including the equalizer at 17:56 of the third period, and Jordan Eberle had the deciding shootout goal. Three days later, the Islanders broke the previous team record of 14 games with at least a point by twice rallying from two-goal deficits to win at Pittsburgh, 5-4, on Brock Nelson’s overtime goal. Nelson, with his second goal of the game, also beat the Penguins again in overtime, 4-3, two days later in Brooklyn after Pittsburgh’s Patric Hornqvist tied it with 30 seconds left in regulation.

Feb. 25

Islanders president and general manager Lou Lamoriello had long targeted Jean-Gabriel Pageau as a potential acquisition and pulled off a deal with the Senators at the trade deadline on Feb. 24, immediately inking the center to a six-year, $30 million extension. It didn’t take long for Pageau to prove himself to his new teammates and fans. He scored the Islanders’ first goal in an eventual 4-3 overtime loss to the Rangers on Feb. 25 at Nassau Coliseum after they had fallen behind 2-0. Then, Pageau fought Jacob Trouba after the defenseman leveled an unsuspecting Michael Dal Colle in the third period, earning 17 penalty minutes and instant respect.

Aug. 12

The Islanders knew exactly how important their first-round playoff matchup with the Capitals was to coach Barry Trotz, associate coach Lane Lambert and director of goaltending Mitch Korn. Those three had led the Capitals to the Stanley Cup in 2018 before joining the Islanders. But the Capitals, on two goals from T.J. Oshie, had taken a 2-0, second- period lead in Game 1. However, the Islanders scored three times in the third period, including the shorthanded winner from Josh Bailey, for a 4-2 win on Aug. 12 at Toronto. It set the tone for the rest of the series, which the Islanders dominated in five games.

Sept. 5

Islanders goaltender Thomas Greiss stops Flyers left wing Claude Giroux during first-period NHL Stanley Cup Eastern Conference playoff action in Toronto on Sept. 5. Credit: AP/Frank Gunn

The Flyers forced a Game 7 in the second-round series with a 4-3 overtime win in Game 5 and a 5-4 double overtime win in Game 6. But the Islanders rebounded to prevent an awful playoff collapse with a picture-perfect 4-0 win in Game 7 on Sept. 5 at Toronto, advancing to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 27 years. Defensemen Scott Mayfield and Andy Greene made it 2-0 in the first period and Thomas Greiss, in the second of his three postseason starts, stopped 16 shots for his first career playoff shutout in his first career Game 7 appearance. He became the first Islanders goalie since Chico Resch in 1975 against the Penguins to have a Game 7 shutout. 1193667 New York Islanders My list includes an impromptu group interview with Islanders president and general manager Lou Lamoriello on March 7 after it was announced that, for precautionary health reasons, the media would no longer be allowed in the team’s dressing room for interviews. And sitting in a Offering perspective on the Islanders' 2019-20 season is virtually Calgary hotel restaurant with colleagues on March 11, watching the impossible television reports that the NBA had suspended its season and thinking I would not be going to Edmonton and Pittsburgh to finish this road trip.

But, for me, the craziness of a life on the road was encapsulated on Feb. By Andrew Gross 16. I had just arrived in Phoenix from Las Vegas, wrote my daily stories @AGrossNewsday and, mentally and physically exhausted, just needed a break. So, I drove to the Desert Botanical Garden to hike among the cacti. Somewhere, Updated September 19, 2020 6:08 PM deep in that maze, I learned the Islanders had acquired defenseman Andy Greene. Now, I was running to try and find the parking lot to get

back for a conference call and to write more stories. Like I said, it was a If the NHL manages to formulate a plan to play next season given the maze. At one point, sweating profusely in the heat, I stopped to read a myriad of COVID-19 pandemic health and financial concerns, then park map. I must have looked deep in distress because a man my age perhaps this season can be put into better context. addressed me like a five-year-old.

Because trying to offer perspective on 2019-20, specifically the Islanders’ "Son, do you need some help?" year-plus journey through it, is virtually impossible. There are no Here’s hoping to have the freedom to have that frustration soon. comparisons, thankfully.

Perhaps, the best way to sum it up is this: The Islanders’ wild, memorable ride through uncertain times provided just a ray of the Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 09.20.2020 normalcy every human being is craving.

And for that, we should be appreciative.

The Islanders’ season is the sum of way more than just the day-to-day results. It speaks more to overcoming adversity. Yes, hockey is a sport, not real life. But there are lessons to be applied to our lives watching how the Islanders navigated their minefields to reach the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 1993, playing in sequestered bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton away from their families for nearly eight weeks.

We all have grave fears now, be it for our health or our loved ones’ health or keeping a job or how the next bills are going to be paid. Best not to think of the bigger picture or wonder when the world will be right again. Or, worse, to get the negative imagination running wild. Best to get through today as best we can.

The Islanders focused on each day as a singular task, put their collective head down and figured out a way to get to the next day, each day, until the Lightning eliminated them with a 2-1 overtime win in Thursday night’s Game 6.

Here’s their season in a run-on sentence:

The Islanders reported for their first training camp on Sept. 12, 2019, opened the preseason four days later with a 3-1 win at Philadelphia, began the regular season with 2-1 loss to the Capitals at Nassau Coliseum on Oct. 4, put together a franchise-record 17-game point streak (15-0-2) from Oct. 12-Nov. 23, lost top-pair defenseman Adam Pelech to an Achilles’ tendon injury on Jan. 2 and invaluable fourth-line center Casey Cizikas to a lacerated left leg on Feb. 11, were on an 0-3-4 slide when they went into limbo with the NHL pausing its regular season on March 12 because of the pandemic, began Training Camp 2.0 on July 13, beat the Rangers, 2-1, in an exhibition game on July 29, officially resumed play on Aug. 1 with Pelech and Cizikas back in the lineup, advanced past the Panthers in a best-of-five qualifying series, beat coach Barry Trotz’s former team, the Capitals, in five games in the first round, nearly blew a 3-1 series lead before eliminating the Flyers with a 4-0 win in Game 7, before coming up just short against the Lightning with Cizikas and Pelech both getting injured again despite goalie Semyon Varmalov's instantly-iconic, headfirst dive into the celebration after a 2-1 double overtime win in Game 5.

Not that they were never the team of the people on Long Island but, more than likely, this team connected with its fans in a way not seen since the glory days of the 1970s and 1980s, even if the pandemic produced an unwanted physical divide between the two.

As evidence, all you had to do was look at the pictures and videos of the fans cheering the players deplaning after their flight from Edmonton on Friday at Republic Airport in East Farmingdale.

It was not a Stanley Cup parade but, given all that’s going on, it might have been just as meaningful.

A sports writer’s personal memories of a season are always different than the fans. 1193668 New York Rangers superstar in that era, before Seaver came up. But I was a kid from Baltimore, man. I was rooting for the Colts!”

Il Vagabondo, a venerable Italian restaurant with a full indoor bocce court When Gotham was Eden: The great wins and good times of a magical on E. 62nd Street in Manhattan, was one of the hotspots back in the day year in Big Apple sports for the city’s most eligible athlete bachelors, according to Gilbert.

“We were hanging out there every Monday night. It was amazing. It was a good time,” says Gilbert, 79. “Every time I tell Namath, ‘You know, Joe, By CHRISTIAN RED I used to get more ladies than you in February.’ He told me they named me Mr. February. You’ll never see those times again.” NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Namath counters that the Rangers stud “beat me out for the night guy SEP 19, 2020 AT 11:30 AM position in the town.”

“Rod is in first place. He out-suaved me, man,” says Namath. “He was When the Knicks routed the expansion Seattle SuperSonics by 25 points suede, boy. The way he talked, he had that [Canadian] accent that the in the season opener at Madison Square Garden, Oct. 14, 1969, the girls loved. And he was in good shape.” Mets were two days away from winning the franchise’s first World Series Gilbert, like Namath, lived on the Upper East Side — “Bob Nevin [the title at Shea Stadium in neighboring Queens. former Rangers captain] and myself lived on 65th and First,” says Gilbert Shea’s football denizens had already done their part to electrify New — but there were bachelor pads, and then there was Broadway Joe’s York City sports fans earlier that year, when the Jets marched to Super lair. Swoboda, who married his wife Cecilia in 1965, says he ended up in Bowl III victory, their brash quarterback Joe Namath guaranteeing the Namath’s pad through an invite from a friend of a friend. The interior and win over the heavily-favored Baltimore Colts three nights before the big layout exceeded the hype. game. “I was in that apartment one time that Joe Willie had with the llama-skin With a young Tom Seaver at the front of a pitching-rich rotation, the rug,” says Swoboda. “Joe wasn’t there at the time. But you could see Miracle Mets toppled the mighty Baltimore Orioles in five games. Davey where you could lose people in the nap of that rug. It seemed like Johnson — a future Mets manager who guided the club to its second everybody had a key to the damn place. You can imagine there were championship — hit a pop fly to Mets left fielder Cleon Jones for the final probably stewardesses hidden in every corner. It was pretty impressive.” out of the ’69 Fall Classic, and the Knicks and Rangers were officially on When the Knicks' season started in the fall of ’69, Frazier says the the clock. Garden was “the place to be, man,” packed all the way to the rafters. “There was pressure. Cleon, Namath, they said, ‘Hey man, you guys got Think the original celebrity row, but long before Spike Lee barked at to keep it going,’” says Hall of Fame Knicks point guard Walt (Clyde) Michael Jordan and other Knicks' nemeses. Frazier. “Everybody was saying, ‘Man, you guys got to do it. The Knicks “All the celebrities were there, sitting courtside. Saturday night gotta come through.’” especially,” says Frazier, 75. Rangers right winger and Hall of Famer Rod Gilbert says he and his One New York VIP you wouldn’t find on the prowl at night, however, was Blueshirts teammates were “hoping every single year” to raise the Seaver. The California kid married young, and Namath and Swoboda say Stanley Cup over their shoulders, but that the ’69-'70 season felt the Hall of Fame pitcher, who died last month, took an all-business different. mindset to the mound and when he left the ballpark. “Yeah, we wanted to have an impact, like, ‘We got to do that, too.’ I had “I knew Tom, of course, because we practiced in the same stadium. And faith,” says Gilbert. “I kept thinking, ‘We’re gonna add one piece, one I was a baseball fan,” says Namath, 77, who played high school baseball guy, and then we got to go all the way.’ We came close. We had a really growing up in Beaver Falls, Pa. “He was a pretty quiet guy. We didn’t good, complete team.” socialize in Manhattan. I’d run around a little bit but I never saw Tom.” But while the Rangers lost in the first round to Bobby Orr’s Boston Bruins “No, no, no. Seaver was married to Nancy,” adds Swoboda, 76. “That — the eventual Stanley Cup champions in the spring of ’70, immortalized wasn’t his gig. He had both hands on the steering wheel. That club scene by Orr going airborne for the clinching goal over the Blues — the Knicks would have never been Seaver.” fulfilled their end of the bargain, and kept the groovy sports vibes flowing throughout Gotham, after they defeated the Wilt Chamberlain-led Lakers Seaver’s laser-like focus on his craft paid off that year and beyond. He in a thrilling Game 7 at the Garden on May 8, 1970. Frazier’s teammate compiled a 25-7 record and won the first of his three Cy Young awards in Willis Reed stole the show when he limped out of the tunnel before the 1969. start of the game after there had been serious doubt he would be able to play at all on a gimpy right leg. The sell-out crowd erupted. “You have lions in the game of baseball, and you have lambs,” says baseball’s all-time hit king Pete Rose. “Lambs are guys you gotta get two It was a golden era for New York professional sports, when Broadway or three hits off of. Lions are guys you gotta really work hard to go 1-for- Joe, Clyde, Tom Terrific, Dollar Bill, Gilbert and other New York players 4. We all knew Tom was a lion. Whenever he went out there, you just ruled the sports headlines and back pages, and, more often than not, hoped he didn’t have his good stuff that day. That didn’t happen very were champions of the city’s nightlife scene. Namath was the devilishly often. That’s why he’s in the Hall of Fame.” handsome QB, and the first major athlete who had crossover fame in movies, advertisements, even owning his own Manhattan saloon After the Mets won the Series, the team appeared on “The Ed Sullivan (Bachelors III). Show” and famously sang a rendition of “You Gotta Have Heart.” Swoboda says the appearance came right after the parade up the He and Frazier were also fierce competitors — as athletes, and when it Canyon of Heroes, and that most of the players were not exactly in came to making fashion statements. Who wore the mink coats better? singing shape.

“I think I did because I’m taller,” says Frazier. “But I had the mink spread, “We went into the studio, still hungover from the party at Shea Stadium, the round bed, the mirrors on the ceiling. I told Joe I’m just happy with his and they were playing all these Lawrence Welk songs,” says Swoboda. overflow.” “They had a table full of glasses of champagne that they kept refreshing. We’re gulping champagne. Some of us were still half in the bag. If you Will the likes of that era ever be seen again, when during one calendar listen to the record, it sounds like it. But it was fun.” year three of the four major sports champions crowned were from the No. 1 sports market? The real stars all aligned perfectly during that stretch, Namath’s Jets were unsuccessful in mounting a Super Bowl repeat win for New York sports fans, that is. Baltimore became the punching bag. during the 1969 season — the team lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Besides the runner-up Colts and Orioles, the Knicks ousted the Baltimore first round — but Namath didn’t sit around and mope. He made his Bullets in the first round of the playoffs en route to their first title. Hollywood debut in 1970 with two films, although no one probably remembers the release of “Norwood.” “Pretty good run for the city of New York. Not so much for my hometown of Baltimore,” jokes 1969 Met Ron Swoboda. “They played the patsy. I have to be honest — I love Joe Namath, 'cause he was the first real Sixties screen siren Ann-Margret had already shot to stardom opposite Tinseltown heavyweights like Elvis Presley (“Viva Las Vegas”) and Dean Martin (“Murderers' Row”), and even had a guest turn on the animated “Flintstones” TV show as Ann-Margrock. The Swedish-born actress was set to star in a biker movie called “C.C. & Company” with the screenplay written by her husband, Roger Smith. When it came time to cast the male lead, the couple knew exactly who they wanted: Broadway Joe.

“We always liked Joe. He was exciting. He wore fur. He had the restaurants. Quite the life,” says Ann-Margret. “I sure saw that he guaranteed that [the Jets] would win. I love sports.”

Ann-Margret says she was a high school football cheerleader growing up, and that Smith played football on a scholarship at the University of Arizona, so there were football-loving ties between the couple. The movie shoot started in April 1970 in Tucson, Ariz. Although the plot is not too complicated — Namath plays C.C. Ryder and rescues fashion journalist Ann McCalley (Ann-Margret) from a rival biker gang — Ann-Margret says Namath was like a seasoned pro.

“He was just a natural. Humble, and just polite and what can I say? He was a joy to work with,” says Ann-Margret. “We went to work every morning in the same car. He was always in front because he had to stretch his legs because, oh my goodness, he had surgeries. The fact that he had never done a movie before, it didn’t faze him a bit. He had this big smile. Always joking around.”

“He teased me about my shoes,” she continues. “They were very in-style. He had to tease me about something. Oh dear. He was wonderful! I never saw him in a bad mood. I always smile when I hear his name. He’s just a good guy.”

Namath’s guarantee would be his only one, and the Jets have never been back to the Super Bowl since. The Knicks, with roughly the same roster, won a second title in that same era, after the 1972-73 season. The Mets lost the ’73 World Series but won again in 1986. And the Rangers didn’t raise the Cup until 1994, their last championship.

“We never talked about the guarantee,” says Namath, referring to his conversations with Frazier and Seaver back then. “We just talked about the joy of winning the championship. It was terrific. I’d like to think when we were able to accomplish our goal of winning the championship it encouraged [former Met] Bud Harrelson and all those guys to think they could do it too, you know?”

New York Daily News LOADED: 09.20.2020 1193669 New York Rangers but a check of naturalstattrick.com reveals that the trio was intact for a total of 33:25 of 5-on-5 hockey over the final eight games. And then, when Lemieux was suspended for the first two games of the qualifying round, the McKegg-Brett Howden-Gauthier fourth line was intact for a Rangers should pursue Islanders’ Matt Martin under one condition total of 3:19.

Again, I know Quinn has insisted he believes in being a four-line coach, but there has been scant evidence of that so far. He did seem to give a little more responsibility to the Brendan Lemieux-McKegg-Julien Gauthier combination that emerged over the last couple of weeks of the season, 1193670 New York Rangers All of these factors lead us to a probable conclusion — one we didn’t need a quote from Hájek to figure out. Barring a Lundqvist retirement, in which he willingly forfeits the earnings from the final year of his contract, a buyout is in sight. And the window for such a transaction will be here As buyout window approaches, will this be Henrik Lundqvist's final week before you know it. with NY Rangers? The expectation is that the buyout window will open Sept. 25 and close Oct. 8. It’s possible the Rangers will wait it out before making a final decision. But if they know what they’re going to do, why prolong it? An Vincent Z. Mercogliano announcement could come as soon as next Friday. NHL Writer Other buyout possibilities

Surely, the Rangers don’t want to be in the habit of buying out contracts Does Libor Hájek know something that we don't know? every year. It’s bad business to consistently pay players not to play for you. And going into 2020-21, they have nearly $7.5 million in buyout Internet speculation ran rampant after an unexpected statement from the costs already on the books. young defenseman ran in an article published by the Czech site iSport.cz. It originally contained a quote which, when run through a With that said, they’ve shown they’re unafraid to do it. translation tool, indicated that legendary New York Rangers goalie Henrik If they go that route again, Lundqvist makes the most sense because he Lundqvist "said goodbye" to his teammates following their elimination offers the most savings and they have ready replacements at his from the NHL's qualifying round last month. position. The translation spread like wildfire in North America and was soon Are there others who could be at risk? The next-most logical buyout removed from the story. options would be a couple of veteran left-handed defensemen, but I'm The whole ordeal understandably raised eyebrows, with jokes abound not sure I see it happening. about Hájek's new role as an NHL news breaker. But let's take a step Marc Staal is the Rangers' longest-tenured skater and is due to make back for a moment. $5.7 million in the final year of his contract. A Staal buyout would result in First of all, we don't know exactly what Hájek meant, or exactly what a cap hit of $3.567 million in 2020-21, with $2.133 million in savings. It Lundqvist said to his teammates back in early August. would also come with a manageable cap hit of $1.067 million in 2021-22.

The possibility of it being the 38-year-old's final run in New York was The other consideration would be Brendan Smith, who is owed $4.325 clearly on the players' minds, which was apparent when veteran Chris million for 2020-21 before his contract expires. A Smith buyout would Kreider got choked up at the postgame press conference following the result in a cap hit of $2.783 million next season, while providing $1.567 Game 3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. million in savings. The cap hit for 2021-22 would only be $783,333.

"It’s been an absolute honor and a pleasure to get to know him as a Staal and Smith finished the season as two of the Rangers' three regular person and as a teammate," Kreider said on Aug. 4. "I have the utmost left-handed defensemen, and while that's not an ideal situation heading respect for Hank. He battled his ass off, like he always does, and he into 2020-21, keeping them provides a safeguard from rushing prospects deserved better from us." who have yet to prove they're ready.

Emotions were running high, and I don't doubt that Lundqvist addressed K'Andre Miller is waiting in the wings and excited the organization with the team that night. He surely felt the weight of what could have been his his showing this summer, while Hájek and Tarmo Reunanen are also final game in a Rangers sweater. But could he have known with certainty expected to compete for spots at training camp. You could argue they at that point? Perhaps, but I'm not so sure. make Staal or Smith expendable. But I'm not sure the Rangers would feel comfortable gifting an NHL lineup spot to a prospect from the get-go. Team president John Davidson told us that he and Lundqvist had a long chat about the situation, but that wasn’t until after they got back to New Until they're convinced Miller (or others) are ready, they're going to need York. That's when future plans likely came into focus. veteran placeholders. If they let Staal or Smith go, they'd likely have to turn around and sign someone else. And with plenty of their own free Secondly, even if Hájek did slip up and reveal the big secret, no one agents to resign, that may not be financially feasible. should be surprised by the anticipated outcome. Speculation about a buyout has been out there for months and general manager Jeff Gorton My hunch is the Rangers would rather let Staal, Smith, Miller, Hájek and flatly said the team won’t carry three goaltenders into the 2020-21 Reunanen battle it out for two spots, with Ryan Lindgren locked in to the season. third. And if they do decide that the kids are ready, they can save $1.075 million by sending Smith to AHL Hartford. That means either Lundqvist or Alexandar Georgiev won’t be back — and while there’s a case to be made for trading Georgiev, the presumption is the Rangers haven’t found a deal to their liking. There are Bergen Record LOADED: 09.20.2020 a handful of more accomplished goalies who should be available this offseason, which lessens what other teams are willing to offer.

It would be tougher to find a trade partner for Lundqvist, even if the Rangers were willing to retain half of his $8.5 million cap hit for next season. If a team is interested, they can simply wait for him to be bought out and then sign him for a low figure.

Buying out Lundqvist would result in a dead cap hit of $5.5 million next season, but it would still save $3 million. And with the flat salary cap putting many teams into a financial squeeze — including the Rangers — those savings would come in handy. It would only cost the Rangers $1.5 million in dead money the following season, which is much easier to stomach than penalty of more than $6 million they’re now dealing with from last summer’s Kevin Shattenkirk buyout.

Granted, a portion of that $3 million in savings would have to go toward retaining Georgiev, who is a restricted free agent. But it was clear by the time the coronavirus halted the 2019-20 season that Georgiev had supplanted Lundqvist on the depth chart. A tandem of Igor Shesterkin as the starter and Georgiev as a reliable backup seems to be the organization’s preference moving forward. 1193671 New York Rangers Bettman added, "How we start doesn’t necessarily relate to how we’re going to finish" and raised the possibility of starting without fans and evolving from there.

When will new NHL season begin, and what will it look like? The league has held its entire, expanded 24-team playoffs in quarantined bubbles without fans in Toronto and Edmonton. Bettman said more than 30,000 COVID-19 tests have been done in that time with zero positive coronavirus test results. By Colin Stephenson MLB is playing games this season without fans, and has had games [email protected] @ColinSNewsday postponed because of outbreaks among teams. A handful of NFL teams Updated September 19, 2020 8:54 PM are allowing limited attendance (the Jets and Giants are not allowing fans to attend games), as are some college football teams.

When will I see you again?

Commissioner Gary Bettman said Saturday he wouldn’t be surprised if the next NHL season begins after the tentatively planned Dec. 1 start date.

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the focus would remain on the safety for players, coaches, staff and fans.

"If there’s an option to consider, believe me, we’re considering it," Bettman said

Asked about potentially not playing until the fall of 2021, Bettman expects a full 82-game season and playoffs.

"How and when we do that is something that we don’t all have enough information to make any decisions," Bettman said.

That might push games into the summer 2021, but Daly said this season’s restart proved the league can play games in the summer if it needs to.

However, he said, the NHL would prefer not to do that. 1193672 Philadelphia Flyers Will Flyers defenseman Robert Hagg (8) be exposed in next year's expansion draft? He is shown with Capitals right winger Richard Panik (14) and goaltender Brian Elliott (37) in a round-robin game on Aug. 6.

Answering Flyers fans' questions about trades, signings, the 2021 Will Flyers defenseman Robert Hagg (8) be exposed in next year's expansion draft, and more expansion draft? He is shown with Capitals right winger Richard Panik (14) and goaltender Brian Elliott (37) in a round-robin game on Aug. 6.

Question submitted by @afern_alex: "Give me breakdown of your perfect by Sam Carchidi offseason?

Acquire or sign a big scorer like Patrik Laine, Mike Hoffman, or Evgenii Dadonov. Re-sign Brian Elliott as the backup. Deal a veteran like van Answering some Twitter questions along the Flyers beat: Riemsdyk (and his hefty contract) for a fairly high draft pick. Van Question submitted by @EastVanPhilly1: The Flyers have shown Riemsdyk struggled in the postseason, but he had 19 goals and 40 improvement but are a bit of a ways from being true contenders for the points in 66 regular-season games, and had 27 goals in 66 games the Stanley Cup. What is the Flyers' “window” in your opinion and which core previous year. He can still be a valuable player. veteran or youth player might be moved in a trade to speed the process Question submitted by @HalloweenGuy36: "What are the chances that along? Flyers management pulls the trigger on at least one big move in the What happened to Travis Konecny’s scoring touch in the playoffs? That’s offseason? what he’d like to know. Less than 50-50, based on what Fletcher has said. Or maybe he’s just The “window,” I believe, will stay open for a long time because Carter playing poker and doesn’t want to seem desperate to other GMs. From Hart just turned 22 and has the potential to turn into the league’s best here, they need to make a big push for a scorer, whether it’s via a trade goalie. And goalies, as you know, are the biggest factors in winning a or free agency (see above). The flat salary cap, however, won’t make Cup. The Flyers have a good supporting cast, and even though Claude any trade or signing easy. Giroux and Matt Niskanen are past their primes, there is enough overall Question submitted by @flyboy27nl: If you had to move a defenseman depth to withstand their expected drop-offs. not named Ghost for a forward, who would you move? As for which players they may deal, Shayne Gostisbehere and James Probably Sanheim because a righthanded defenseman like Phil Myers van Riemsdyk will be shopped, and this may be a good year for the would be tougher to replace. I wouldn’t want to trade Sanheim -- his Flyers to deal their first-round pick if they can package it in a trade for a game is growing -- but if he can be included as part of a deal for, say, sniper. Laine, you may have to pull the trigger. Question submitted by @Mrxboyd: The Flyers have two tough contracts, Question by @Hagmann1: If the season started tomorrow and we signed Jake and JVR. Is there a chance they move one or both? and traded for no one, what would be our top four lines and top 3 D Jake Voracek had a solid season (56 points, career-best plus-14) and I pairings? don’t think they’d move him unless they got a younger, high-scoring Well, assuming Lindblom and Patrick are healthy, my guess is listed forward. Van Riemsdyk is much more likely to be dealt, though his below. If, say, Patrick doesn’t return, Frost would fit into the lineup: contract will make it tough. Line 1: Couturier centering Lindblom and Konecny. Question submitted by @jdgroh: “… Is it too early for you to guess which Flyers may be exposed in the expansion draft?” Line 2: Hayes centering Giroux and Voracek.

Before answering, let’s look at the 2021 expansion setup. The Flyers Line 3: Patrick centering van Riemsdyk and Farabee. figure to use the option where they protect 11 players (must be seven forwards, three defensemen, and a goalie). Line 4: Laughton centering Michael Raffl and Nic Aube-Kubel.

Giroux and Kevin Hayes have no-movement clauses and must be Defense: Provorov and Niskanen; Sanheim and Myers; Gostisbehere protected. That leaves five forwards who need to be protected. Sean and Hagg. Couturier and Travis Konecny are locks. Voracek will probably be Question submitted by @GaryStachowicz: Is this year considered a good protected, though the Flyers may gamble that Seattle doesn’t want to year for draft prospects (deep in talent) and, if so, would the Flyers be absorb his big salary -- he currently has four years left on a deal that has looking to move up in position? an annual $8.25 million cap hit -- and leave him available so they can protect another player. The top 10 is strong, scouts say, but then there is a drop-off. As mentioned above, the Flyers might be willing to trade their pick (No. 23 I think they will protect Nolan Patrick and Oskar Lindblom, assuming their overall) if it lands them the right forward. health is fine. Question submitted by @major78: Will Sam Morin have to go through That would leave van Riemsdyk, blossoming Scott Laughton and waivers to play for the Phantoms? If so, do you think another team will Voracek. Only one can be protected. claim him? That figures to be determined by how they perform in 2020-21. He would have to go through waivers. I don’t think another team would If he is not traded, Van Riemsdyk, who has three years left on a contract claim him because he still has a long road back from surgery for his that has an annual $7 million cap hit, will almost definitely be available to second torn ACL in his right knee. He has a great attitude, and he is Seattle. The Voracek-or-Laughton question will probably be answered by working hard in his rehab. their 2020-21 performance. Question submitted by @AllegerDavid: "Thoughts on the assistant General manager Chuck Fletcher might also try to trade Voracek or coaches staying on? Both have been huge additions and the team has Laughton for a draft pick so he doesn’t lose one of them and get nothing shown significant improvement. But the PP going south at such a crucial in return in the expansion draft. time for the playoffs, you’d think there’d be some pressure on [Michel] Therrien just as much as AV put on the star players. It should be noted that Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee don’t have to be protected because first- and second-year NHL players are exempt from Therrien is close with Alain Vigneault and I’d be shocked if he was let go. the draft. He should be judged on his whole body of work, and the power play made nice strides (14th in NHL at 20.8%, compared with 22nd at 17.1% Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim,and Phil Myers should be the the previous season) in the regular season. Mike Yeo, who did a nice job defensemen protected, along with (duh) Hart. directing the penalty kill, will be back if he isn’t hired as a head coach somewhere else. To answer your question: If trades aren’t made, Robert Hagg, van Riemsdyk, Gostisbehere, and either Laughton or Voracek will be available to Seattle, I believe. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 09.20.2020 1193673 Philadelphia Flyers He already did with this call to arms. And the purpose of that was to tell anyone who would listen that everyone is accountable. There can be no more reasons for failure.

Alain Vigneault sent a message to more than just the veterans When Giroux was asked about his postseason performance (one goal in 16 games), he acknowledged he could have played better. Then he offered some pushback about fitness by saying he always comes to training camp in the best shape possible. Wayne Fish Maybe so. But the guy players should really emulate is 23-year-old flyingfishhockey.com defenseman Ivan Provorov, who eats, sleeps and breathes hockey conditioning.

While the title on his office door reads “Hockey Coach,’’ Alain Vigneault’s It will be interesting to see ... no, make that compelling to see, where job description also could very well include team psychologist. Vigneault takes this group from here.

The day Chuck Fletcher hired Vigneault last year, the Flyers’ general Can these players advance on what they accomplished in 2019-20? Will manager made it clear he wanted a culture change in Philadelphia. they show the world they are more like the February-March Flyers team than the August-September one? And will the players continue to In just one season, Vigneault has done that – from fitness, diet and rest willingly take marching orders from a demanding coach? to attitude, approach and accountability. With the exception of Fred Shero, all the great coaches in Flyers history So it came as no surprise this past Monday when “AV’’ spent a portion of have lasted only three or four years. his media conference call addressing the production – or lack of it – during the playoffs. Specifically, the veteran performers. The clock is ticking.

Vigneault indicated he wanted to see his “older’’ players re-dedicate themselves to better conditioning during the offseason. Burlington County Times LOADED: 09.20.2020 That alone would have been pretty powerful stuff. But then the coach started naming names, including a trio of over-30s: Claude Giroux, Jake Voracek and James van Riemsdyk.

While many took that message at face value, some second thought might reveal the sermon was directed at everyone and we mean everyone – from all the players, to ownership, to the coaching staff, to the fans, to the media and so forth.

What Vigneault might have been saying was: I want more from my leaders, because they’re the ones who inspire everybody else. When they do well, our team does well.

And he’s right. People have been waiting years for high-salaried players such as the aforementioned trio to come through in the big moments.

In essence, the coach was saying it was nice to win a playoff series for the first time since 2012 and push to Game 7 of the second round.

But it’s not enough. Not in Vigneault’s world, which includes trips to the Stanley Cup Final with two different teams (Vancouver, the New York Rangers). Both those outfits didn’t have the talent of Boston and Los Angeles, respectively, yet those two series were highly competitive.

All season long, Vigneault made it a point to name a player who wasn’t performing up to his potential, so Monday’s proclamation shouldn’t come as a shocker.

Vigneault inherited a roster which pretty much had most of its pieces in place. Newcomers included Kevin Hayes, Matt Niskanen and Justin Braun, with others such as Nate Thompson, Derek Grant and rookies Joel Farabee and Nicolas Aube-Kubel entering the picture along the way.

It’s not easy to “change the culture’’ quickly when a team is so set in its ways. A coach should move somewhat delicately at first, knowing when a mutual trust has finally developed.

However, the time to worry about hurt feelings is over. That train has left the station for good. While Vigneault isn’t a Mike Keenan or a Peter Laviolette, he can be tough when he has to and Monday was one of those moments.

“I believe that we’ve got a lot of personal growth that we can do within our group,’’ Vigneault said. “We had the most first-year players that played their first NHL game this year. We’ve got quite a few young players that are coming into their best possible game and have learned a tremendous amount about playing the right way this year. They are going to learn a tremendous amount from our playoff experience and losing that Game 7.

“I also believe that our veteran players, the Girouxs, Voraceks and van Riemsdyks, guys that are little older, they understand where they are in their game and the evolution of their game. I believe I can help them get their game better.’’ 1193674 Pittsburgh Penguins

Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Don’t be surprised if Penguins trade newly re- signed Jared McCann

MARK MADDEN

Saturday, September 19, 2020 3:29 p.m.

Jared McCann didn’t score in his last 25 games this season. His last goal was Jan. 14, and the meter still is running. McCann was scratched for the third game of the Penguins’ four-game loss to Montreal in the Stanley Cup playoffs’ prelim round.

Six million bucks doesn’t buy what it used to.

Actually, the Penguins paid just shy of that to re-sign McCann, who would have been a restricted free agent: The average annual value of his two-year contract is $2.94 million.

McCann started last season well: He had 14 goals and 14 assists in his first 44 games, tacking on a plus-15 mark.

But the 24-year-old is twice cursed by inconsistency and versatility.

The former is why he has been on three teams in five NHL seasons. The latter gets McCann moved all over the depth chart — between center and wing, between the top six and bottom six.

Just because McCann can doesn’t mean he should. It might (or might not) help the team. It doesn’t help McCann.

Third-line center seems the most logical spot for McCann. To get the most out of McCann and to be fair to him, coach Mike Sullivan should put him there and leave him there.

But there might be a further twist: Don’t be surprised if McCann gets traded. Signing him makes that easier. A trade partner knows what it must pay and for how long, instead of getting McCann’s rights and facing the uncertainty of negotiating.

Tribune Review LOADED: 09.20.2020 1193675 Pittsburgh Penguins offseason. Doing so will make it easier for him to push ownership to approve later moves that might be available because franchises in a financial situation worse than the Penguins might be looking to sell cheap. But he can’t have those conversations without first creatively Rossi’s mailbag: Are the Penguins’ moves about cap space or budget? clearing cap space.

What would a Murray to COL scenario look like? And prospects coming back? By Rob Rossi Cory A. Sep 19, 2020 The Penguins want a first-round pick for Matt Murray. They value that

asset above all others, including prospects. About a year ago, a member of the Penguins hockey operations Probably has something to do with prospects being more valuable in this department inquired about my opinion of coach Mike Sullivan’s third full post-pandemic NHL. They’ve at least had some development within training camp. (Remember, Sullivan didn’t oversee a first full camp with clubs’ systems, whereas the teenagers picked at the upcoming NHL the Penguins until September 2018; he had been at the World Cup of Entry Draft are facing a world of unknowns because it’s unclear how the Hockey in 2017 and the bench boss with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2016.) ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will impact next season for non-NHL Anyway, my answer was similar to all the other times that question had leagues, including junior and collegiate hockey. been asked of me during Penguins camps dating to the early 2000s. Also, the club to which I’ve heard Murray most attached remains None of them have forgotten how to skate. Edmonton. For what it’s worth, I’ve never been able to confirm interest in Murray from Colorado. As expected, the questioner laughed. He’d heard me offer that line before. He’d known the subtext was that only so much can be learned Think Fleury is coming back? from watching hockey practices. Mom Yet, he persisted. No. Marc-Andre Fleury wants to be a No. 1 goalie, and that spot belongs “Pay attention to the practices with that Marino kid,” he said. “You’ll learn to Tristan Jarry in Pittsburgh. more than you think.” (Yes. I threw in a question from my mother. What? She’s a subscriber!) Whatever day that actually was last September, I’ll always remember it Do you feel it’s time to trade Letang ? while he has two years left on his as the one when John Marino went from a defenseman who shared a deal wouldn’t the Penguins get more now for him ? surname with one of Pittsburgh’s great sporting exports to perhaps one of its better imports. Jerry G.

Doesn’t it already feel as though the “hockey god” has been around a lot Pretty much emptied my files when it comes to Kris Letang with this longer than a year? story. Give it read, please and thank you.

Indeed. The market for Letang is not as fruitful as most readers probably believe it to be. Also, how the Penguins get better by trading their best All right, it’s time to dive into a long-overdue mailbag … defenseman — and, indeed, Letang remains Kronos despite the How much is money (actual $, not just cap space) playing a role in the emerging hockey god mentioned earlier — remains a question to which moves so far this offseason? nobody can provide a reasonable answer.

Kevin M. I’m in the camp of keeping Letang and Evgeni Malkin for the entirety of their NHL tenures and letting them and Sidney Crosby finish what they A lot, but not just for the Penguins. And probably less for the Penguins at started. Not just for sentimental reasons, either. this particular point in their offseason. Crosby, Malkin and Letang are stars that people pay to watch. They are A few GMs have confided that every club is “trying to dump” players. the core of the Penguins’ greatest era and players whom once-childhood Usually, that is because clubs want to free cap space before negotiations fans, now or soon to become parents, will probably want to watch with with their own free agents and/or pursuing players that spent the their kids. previous season elsewhere. A mid-revenue franchise such as the Penguins might benefit more However, just because the NHL’s expanded Stanley Cup experiment has financially from keeping living legends through their twilight seasons even reached its Final stage, that has not changed the financial outlook for if it makes for cap complications in those seasons. If the Cup heyday is individual clubs. over, presumably grateful fans will still show up to see their hockey heroes chase individual glories. Revenue was lost from canceled regular-season games. Revenue was lost from neutral-site postseason games that featured no paying Do you think the Pens look into some former players like Cullen, Dupuis, customers in the stands. Revenue will be lost if, as deputy commissioner etc. to fill an assistant coach role? Do you think players resonate better Bill Daly acknowledged recently on the “2 Man Advantage” podcast, next with former players they’ve gone to war with than some other coaches season begins after New Year’s Day and is condensed from 82 games. who just seem to bounce around from team to team?

Also — and this is the important part — revenue will be lost next season Dev O. for every game that is played to below 100 percent capacity. A return by Pascal Dupuis to a staff led by Sullivan would shock me. A Nobody in the NHL is counting on 100 percent capacity anytime soon. return by Matt Cullen would not.

Owners of clubs could not plan for revenues diminished by the COVID-19 Some former players make for very good assistant coaches. Others do pandemic this season. They will for next season, and they’ll do so by not. It’s more about the commitment those individuals care to make, imposing budgets on their GMs. because coaching requires long hours away from family and very few of the perks afforded to players. The transition is neither easy nor is it for The Penguins will have a budget, too. everyone. That said, Jim Rutherford has cap space on his mind while trying to make That said, a former player to keep an eye on is Mike Rupp. He turned a moves that would allow him to at least be involved when the free-agent courtesy conversation with Sullivan into an interview with Sullivan and market opens Oct. 9. If it was all about saving actual money — again, at Rutherford. In that interview, Rupp pitched being an every-day assistant this particular point — ownership would not have authorized partly paying who focused on helping young players develop at the NHL level — a forward Nick Bjugstad to play in Minnesota. challenge that will only become tougher if, as expected, COVID-19 plays With so much about next season undetermined, Rutherford wants to get havoc with other leagues at least for another hockey season. as close to the cap-max he’s been allotted by ownership during the Rupp impressed Sullivan and Rutherford. With his concept. With his for too many seasons, to be counted on for something approximating a preparedness. With his willingness to give up a promising broadcast full workload. career. Still, think of the six best forwards currently under contract. Then ask He reminds me a lot of Rick Tocchet in that he commands respect for yourself if Hornqvist is among that group. how he played but also how he communicates. But what do I know? If he is, then his $5.3 million cap hit is not too steep a price for what he We need some non-Pens questions in here. I came to know from brings in terms of aggression, net-front presence, toughness and Penultimate that you are a huge Rolling Stones fan. I’ve been on a big leadership. Rolling Stones kick recently and wanted to know what Rossi’s top 10 Stones songs would be. Also, could you throw in some good deep cuts? Here’s how I’d use Hornqvist:

Kyriakos S. Regular shifts on third line

Well, I do know something about deep cuts from “the greatest rock and Front of net on top power play roll band in the world”: Work him in some on Crosby’s line

“Let It Loose” (“Exile on Main Street”) However, if you believe he’s no longer of great value — and you’d not be “My Obsession” (“Between the Buttons”) alone in that belief — then it’s likely a good thing his contract clause transitions to a modified no-trade for the next two seasons. “Moonlight Mile” (Sticky Fingers) How do the pens get rid of JJ? “Worried About You” (“Tattoo You”) Dan L. “Jig-Saw Puzzle” (“Beggars Banquet”) Hey, a Jack Johnson question! Something new. “How Can I Stop” (“Bridges to Babylon”) Kidding, Dan. “Surprise, Surprise” (“12 X 5”) They don’t. And that’s because Rutherford, and to a lesser extent “Winter” (“Goats Head Soup”) Sullivan, like Johnson as a penalty-killing, depth defenseman.

“Biggest Mistake” (“A Bigger Bang”) Not sure how many times I have to say it, but here goes:

“Luxury” (“It’s Only Rock ’n’ Roll”) The Penguins don’t care what anybody else thinks about Johnson. That was true before he signed a contract most observers didn’t favor and Did you really write “Penguins in three, don’t overthink it.” And if so, why probably will be after Johnson finishes playing out that contract. did you actually believe that? Rob, do you agree with Yohe’s sentiment that the pens have two years Grant K. left for their contention window? If so and they want to go all in the next I don’t believe in Beatles. two years, how does that look with limited cap space, no first-round picks and no high-end prospects to make moves? Or predictions. Joseph Y. With the latter, I usually tell Yohe one thing and go complete opposite direction publicly. Best for business. Regarding Josh Yohe, I agree that:

Daniel C. He has become every bit the elite hockey writer I knew he’d become dating to our first season together covering the Penguins way back in Size matters. 2009-10

Only the Penguins don’t believe that to be true. His only local media rival when it comes to quick facial hair growth is Phil Bourque What would you think of going back to a one referee-two linemen system? The two referee system always positions the lead referee in the He is an amazing beat partner, a better friend and even a better father offensive corner and he’s in the way. Modern offenses cycle the corners and the referee becomes a frequent obstacle. Given the few calls that He’s never been on time (ever) are made, I say eliminate the second referee and the obstacle. What do He should know better than to bet against the Penguins, who often you think? succeed and fail counter to the expectations for them.

Thomas M How does it look for them to compete for the Cup next season or the one Seconded. after?

It has never made sense that the NHL takes players off the ice for Crosby and Malkin continue their remarkable lengthy run as elite players. regular-season overtimes to create more room, but insists on having four They get help, especially during the regular season, from a supporting officials on the same-sized ice at all times. cast that includes more certainty at wing than at any prior points of their time together. Marino and Marcus Pettersson continue to develop into a Have two referees. Just keep one in the media level and let him officiate potential No. 1 defense pairing. Jarry becomes what Murray didn’t: a from above-high. Might make for a better-officiated product, anyway. dependable, difference-making goaltender for the final great days of the Crosby/Malkin era. How much longer does Hornqvist have until he’s done in the NHL let alone on the Penguins. I have a feeling his time in Pittsburgh is coming to Also — and this is me agreeing with Yohe — they bring back Jason an end soon which got me thinking about his next step and to be honest, Botterill to help and ultimately supplant Rutherford. (Hiring Botterill would I don’t think he has more than 4 years left. Constant injuries and his play be the best move Rutherford has made since replacing Mike Johnston style has worn him down over the years but thankful we got to see him at with Sullivan in December 2015.) his fullest still during the early cup runs. Guentzel seems tied to Crosby and his career for the moment. 3-4 years Chase S. down the road he will likely be traded as part of the rebuild. What would you expect to get in return? Or do you not see him being traded? The advanced metrics don’t mesh with my opinion that Patric Hornqvist was quite good for the Penguins this past season. His 17 goals were Todd S. fourth on the club, and that equates to a 27-goal pace for a full season. My dude! Why do you care about three or four years from now and what Of course, Hornqvist’s only full season was in 2015-16, and he’ll probably it means for the Penguins or Jake Guentzel? never reach 82 games in any one term for the Penguins, even if he finishes the final two of his current deal. He is too physical, and has been Probably a low bar; but I’ll be happy if there are a couple of complete NHL seasons staged between 2021 and 2025. Really. Who would your Penguins sudoku team be?

Alex L.

Full disclosure, Alex chose:

Jaromir Jagr (68)

Malkin (71)

Andy Bathgate (9)

Ron Stackhouse (3)

Randy Carlyle (25)

Frank Pietrangelo (40)

Can’t argue with that lineup.

So, what is sudoku?

If you are GMJR what is your next move?

Curtis S.

Trading Murray before the goalie market becomes even more crowded. Even if that means straight up for a second-round pick.

As always, thanks for the questions. Stay safe. Be EXCELLENT to each other.

The Athletic LOADED: 09.20.2020 1193676 San Jose Sharks but, of course, there is a much better chance of finding an impactful player late in the first round than late in the third.

Luszczyszyn explains: Re-evaluating the Barclay Goodrow trade and the Sharks’ other pre- The best way to illustrate the abstract value of a draft pick is to put it in deadline deals context with real-world results from past drafts. That’s what the values are derived from, but it helps to show the names behind the picks.

By Kevin Kurz When it comes to draft picks, fans generally envision a realistic best-case scenario, especially for first-rounders. There’s always a chance for a Sep 19, 2020 home run, but in the case of past 30th or 31st overall picks, a more realistic best case would be a guy like Brock Nelson. He was drafted 30th

overall in 2010 and has proven to be a capable second-line center for the Perhaps it’s time to start calling him Big Game Barclay. Islanders over the past few seasons. In his first seven seasons, Nelson was worth about 8.5 wins, well above the 2.8 win value for an average In Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final on Thursday night, Barclay pick, showcasing the range of talent that’s possible at the end of the first Goodrow earned the primary assist on Anthony Cirelli’s overtime goal round. that clinched the series for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Goodrow drove the puck behind the net, slammed on the brakes and centered it to his The likelier scenario is a player that’s roughly six wins worse over seven teammate for a goal that put the Lightning into the Stanley Cup Final. years that more likely fits on a team’s bottom six. The best example of that is Minnesota’s Ryan Hartman, taken 30th overall in 2013. Through Goodrow, of course, authored one of the most important goals in Sharks his first six seasons, he’s been worth 2.1 wins and is projected to be franchise history in the 2019 playoffs, capping off a furious Game 7 worth about 0.5 next season, putting him right around average comeback against the Vegas Golden Knights with an overtime goal expectations for his pick range. Hartman is a useful third-liner that has himself. shown flashes of being more, and that’s basically what you can expect at this point of the draft. Teams will always hope for something more, but Ten months later, on Feb. 24, he was traded from the Sharks to the just getting a capable NHL’er at 30 or 31 is the most likely outcome. Lightning in a bit of a surprise deadline deal. The Sharks received Tampa Bay’s first-round pick along with minor-leaguer Anthony Greco, while the Perhaps put another way, finding a player that has achieved the kind of Lightning got Philadelphia’s third-round pick, previously acquired by the success that Goodrow has so far in his NHL career would probably be Sharks, along with Goodrow. considered a pretty good result.

The Lightning are surely thrilled with the trade, as they are considered Still, I’d place the odds that the Sharks actually use that pick at around moderate-to-heavy favorites in the Stanley Cup Final against Joe 50-50. Keep in mind, they still possess their own second-round pick, Pavelski and the Dallas Stars beginning on Saturday. which will be the 34th overall selection, and they also own Colorado’s second-round pick from the Brenden Dillon trade. I think the chances are “With Barclay, he’s exactly what we needed. We needed that scrappy, very good that they use at least one of those picks in a package with energy, gamer. He epitomizes ‘team,’” Lightning coach Jon Cooper told something else to try and land a player than can be inserted into the the Tampa Bay Times earlier this week. “He will step up and block that lineup right away — whether that be a proven goalie or a top-six right shot that you needed. He will take that (important) faceoff needed. He will wing, as those are their two primary needs. step up and fight a guy if he has to defend a teammate. He’s a player that drags teams through the fight, and you can’t have enough of those This is all to say that it’s too early to judge this trade. There’s a chance guys.” that both teams end up benefiting from the deal, but for that to happen, Doug Wilson has to either utilize that first-round pick in a trade for an One NHL scout has been impressed by what he’s seen in the playoffs impact player in 2020-21 or unearth a prospect that has a higher upside from Goodrow, who has five points (1g, 4a) and a +6 rating in 19 playoff than the effective Goodrow, who should still have several good years games since the league re-start. Goodrow has been the left wing on the ahead of him. Lightning’s third line with Yanni Gourde and Blake Coleman, and is a key penalty killer, like he was for the Sharks’ top-ranked unit. Patrick Marleau to the Penguins for a third-round pick in 2021

“I thought he’s been effective — bottom-six role player that provides This trade was a clear win for Wilson and the Sharks. Remember, some size, grit, can handle tough matchups and is hard to play against. Marleau wasn’t even on the Sharks’ opening night roster, as they wanted Think he’s played as advertised for (Tampa Bay),” said the scout. to let their younger players compete for vacant spots. It was only when Wilson realized that none of them were quite ready that he agreed to a In 2018, Goodrow signed a two-year, $1.85 million contract extension one-year, league-minimum deal for the Sharks’ franchise leader in just that takes him through next season. That $925,000 salary cap hit for the about every offensive category. Marleau joined the Sharks for their fifth 27-year-old is a bargain, especially considering the cap is to remain flat game of the season after they had dropped the first four in regulation. for next season. The Penguins, well, they wouldn’t do this deal with the benefit of Assuming their plans haven’t changed, the Sharks want to quickly return hindsight. Pittsburgh was one of the more disappointing teams in the to the Stanley Cup playoffs next season. Toronto bubble, quickly losing in the qualifying round to Montreal in four So, it’s worth asking — is this still a trade that looks good from a Sharks games. Marleau did not contribute, going scoreless. In the regular perspective, or could they have been better off simply keeping Goodrow, season, he managed two points (1g, 1a) in eight games. particularly as they are already thin at the forward position? Further, the Sharks can now decide if they want to bring Marleau back Now that there are just two teams remaining, we know where the draft next season, as there’s no way he’ll be returning to Pittsburgh. If the picks exchanged in the deal will land. The Sharks’ selection will be either Sharks struggle in 2020-21 but Marleau remains at least somewhat the 30th or the 31st overall pick, depending on whether the Lightning win effective, perhaps they can trade him again to a contending team that the Stanley Cup. The Flyers’ third-round pick that they gave to the might be looking for a little more speed and offense. Lightning will be 87th overall. Essentially, the Sharks surrendered If the Penguins weren’t the most disappointing team in the bubble, then it Goodrow to move up approximately two rounds in the 2020 draft, set to was probably the Capitals, who fell in the first round to the New York take place on Oct. 6-7. Islanders in five games. How much more valuable is a late first-round pick when compared to a Despite acquiring Dillon and Ilya Kovalchuk prior to the trade deadline, late third-rounder? Colleague Dom Luszczyszyn broke down the value of the Capitals were dispatched in the first round for the second consecutive each individual selection earlier this summer. According to his model, the season after winning the Stanley Cup in 2018. The Capitals relied heavily 31st overall pick is worth 2.8 wins over a player’s first seven seasons, upon Dillon; his 22:09 of average ice time in the playoffs was third on the while the 87th pick is worth 0.6 wins. The first overall pick is worth 17.7 team. He did, though, take a few too many minor penalties, including four wins, by comparison. in eight playoff games, and eight in 10 regular-season games. In layman’s terms, a team still has to get pretty lucky for a pick at the end of the first round to develop into a true difference-making NHL player, It’s uncertain whether Dillon, now a pending unrestricted free agent, will remain with the Capitals. According to colleague Tarik El-Bashir, “(Capitals GM Brian) MacLellan said he’s been in contact with Dillon’s representation. But he also hinted that the sides intend to explore their other options on the open market.”

If Dillon does remain, this could still be a trade that benefits both clubs. Knowing both Dillon and new Capitals coach Peter Laviolette, I tend to think that the defenseman would love to play for the fiery head coach that already has a Stanley Cup championship under his belt. The Capitals are still in a position to contend, and that has to be attractive to Dillon, too.

For the Sharks, that extra second-round pick in this year’s draft could benefit them if they attempt to package some of those picks for a player who could help right away. If they trade away either the first-rounder they picked up for Goodrow or their own high second-rounder (or both), they could still use the pick they got for Dillon to select a prospect later in the second round.

Regardless, the next few weeks shouldn’t lack for drama as the Sharks will likely be active in trying to fix a broken roster.

The Athletic LOADED: 09.20.2020 1193677 St Louis Blues extension that also had an AAV of $6.5 million. Both moves limited Armstrong's options, though he said after this season that he couldn't not make any deals while waiting on a Pietrangelo contract. The Blues also re-signed defenseman Marco Scandella, acquired at the trade deadline, Blues' contract talks with Pietrangelo hit stalemate to a three-year deal with an AAV of $3.275 million.

Teams have until Oct. 7, two days before free agency begins, to make qualifying offers for restricted free agents such as Dunn. Tom Timmermann

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 09.20.2020 "Contract talks haven't gone the way both sides were hoping and, unless something changes, it's in the best interests for everyone to see what the market looks like on October 9th," Pietrangelo said in a text to the Post- Dispatch, echoing comments he made to other news outfits.

Blues general manager Doug Armstrong declined to comment.

There is always the potential for something to change, and in this case, it could happen quickly. But at the moment, the chances of the Blues star defenseman and team leader returning are shakier than they have ever been.

Pietrangelo's comments are the first either side has made about the status of the discussions. Both Armstrong and Pietrangelo said from the start of last season they would not comment on the status of the contract talks during the process. When the Blues season ended, both parties talked of wanting to get a deal done and having optimism it would happen.

Pietrangelo's seven-year contract that paid him $6.5 million a year is expiring, and he is believed to be looking for a deal around $8 million. (Roman Josi's contract with Nashville, agreed to before the pandemic and which pays him $9.059 million per year, is likely out of reach.) What exactly the free agent market looks like for Pietrangelo, or anyone else, is uncertain. With the NHL salary cap not going up next season, holding steady at $81.5 million, many teams will be squeezing to get under the cap, while others, because of losses caused by the pandemic, may not be spending to the cap to begin with. In either case, it could be difficult for many teams to take on a big contract, though all it takes is one team willing to commit.

The Blues will already need to clear another $5 million of salary cap space to fit a potential Pietrangelo deal in. Since the end of the season, they have already traded goalie Jake Allen and at least one more deal will be needed. They also need to re-sign defenseman Vince Dunn, who is a restricted free agent.

Another issue would be the length of the contract. Pietrangelo would obviously prefer the longest contract he can get, while the Blues likely don't. Pietrangelo is 30. When his predecessor as captain, David Backes, became a free agent at 32, the Blues didn't want to give him a fifth year on his contract, which led him to sign with Boston, which did give him the fifth year. But by the fourth year of the contract, injuries had taken a toll on Backes, his playing time dropped considerably, and the Bruins traded him, though having to retain some of his salary against their cap.

Pietrangelo's longevity horizon is likely better than Backes'. His just- completed season was one of his best, with a career-high in goals at 16. He likely would have had a career-high in points had the season not been shortened. He had 52 when the season ended; his career high is 54. He will likely be in the top five of the voting for the Norris Trophy as top defenseman when the results are announced on Monday. He's not among the three top vote-getters.

The Blues are the only team Pietrangelo has played for, being selected with the fourth pick overall in the 2008 draft. After two seasons playing juniors, which included brief appearances with the Blues, he has been with the team since the 2010-11 season and became an assistant captain and, after Backes left, the team's captain. That gave him the honor of being the first Blue to raise the Stanley Cup when the team finally won it in 2018-19.

The Blues' contract situation is complicated by having a lot of contracts run out after next season. While it's a tight fit now, two high-priced veterans, Alexander Steen and Tyler Bozak, who each make $5 million or more, are unrestricted free agents after next season, creating much- needed space.

The Blues signed a potential unrestricted free agent, Brayden Schenn, to an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $6.5 million in October. That came about two weeks after the Blues acquired defenseman Justin Faulk from Carolina and signed him to a seven-year 1193678 Tampa Bay Lightning forward Tyler Seguin’s skates But Vasilevskiy poked the puck out of Seguin’s reach, losing his stick in the process. Later in the period, with Tampa Bay trailing 2-1, McDonagh made an outstanding defensive play of his own, preventing Dallas forward Blake Comeau from getting off a Lightning-Stars Game 1 report card: Beware the blueliners shot on a breakaway while avoiding a penalty after Tampa Bay defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk got caught pinching in the Dallas zone.

Grade: A By Frank Pastor Credit where credit is due. Blame, too Published 5 hours ago An innocent-looking dump-in led to the winning goal thanks to a couple of Updated 4 hours ago heads-up plays by the Stars, as well as some sloppy defensive work by the Lightning. After Victor Hedman lost a race to the puck, Radulov retrieved it in the right circle, spun and passed to the trailing Oleksiak in That the Stars' defensemen took away time and space from the the slot. Oleksiak held the puck, then shot as Tampa Bay defenseman Lightning’s forwards in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final on Saturday Luke Schenn dropped to the ice in front of him. Vasilevskiy made the night was no surprise. Tampa Bay is fast, highly skilled and loves to save, but Oleksiak jumped on the rebound and deposited a shot up create off the rush. under the crossbar 12:30 into the second period for a 2-1 lead. Most troubling, both Oleksiak and fellow defenseman Miro Heiskanen entered That Dallas' blueliners were allowed so much room of their own was the Tampa Bay zone well ahead of Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov, more puzzling and one of the biggest reasons the Lightning find who took a long, slow route back from the neutral zone. Should icing themselves trailing one game into the series. have been called on the play? Probably. But this is why you play to the Goaltender Anton Khudobin was the star of the game, with 35 saves on whistle. 36 shots in the Stars' 4-1 win at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Grade: D But two goals by Dallas defensemen, including Jamie Oleksiak’s winner If at first you don’t succeed 12:30 into the second period, were the difference. The backbreaker for the Lightning might have been Kiviranta’s goal with Oleksiak and Joel Hanley, who scored the Stars' first goal, were left wide 27.4 seconds remaining in the second period that extended the Stars' open in prime scoring areas, and both buried their opportunities with the lead to 3-1. Like Oleksiak, Kiviranta scored on a rebound of his own shot. puck on their sticks. The Dallas wing took a pass at center ice and skated to the high slot, It shouldn’t have been a surprise. The Stars' 15 goals from defensemen where he was met by Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev. are two more than the Lightning have in the playoffs and more than any Kiviranta’s first shot was blocked by Sergachev, but he quickly found the other team. puck near Sergachev’s skates and whipped a shot past Vasilevskiy, whose timing was thrown off when the first shot didn’t make it through to Here’s how we graded the Lightning’s performance in Game 1: the net.

Setting a tone Grade: C

The Stars made it clear from the start that this isn’t going to be an easy Marooned in the box series for the Lightning. The teams combined for 48 hits in a physical first period, including 25 from Dallas. Lightning center Brayden Point was hit Lightning wing Patrick Maroon received a 10-minute misconduct for with and without the puck, forward Joel Kiviranta knocking him into the shooting the puck into the Stars bench at the end of the second period. boards just before the Stars’ first goal and defenseman Esa Lindell cross- The penalty didn’t leave Tampa Bay shorthanded on the ice, but it did checking him later in the period. Tampa Bay ultimately outhit Dallas 56- shorten its bench. Since the Lightning started the game with only 11 50 in the game but never recovered from the slow start. forwards, choosing to play an extra defenseman instead, they were down to 10 for the first half of the final period, needing two goals to tie and all Grade: C the help they could get.

Ouch, on two counts Grade: D, for dumb

Which hurt more, the hit or the goal against? How about the overreaction ‘Dobby’ on the spot to the hit? When Kiviranta drove Point into the boards deep in the Lightning zone early in the first period, jarring the puck loose, Lightning After being outshot 18-14 over the first two periods, a desperate defenseman Zach Bogosian ignored both the puck and Stars forward Lightning team ratcheted up the pressure in the third period, outshooting Roope Hintz, opting to skate into Kiviranta instead. Hintz collected the the Stars 22-2. Khudobin was outstanding in the period, quick on his feet disc below the goal line and skated behind the Lightning net. When he and largely limiting rebound opportunities. He stopped a Kucherov shot passed out front, four Tampa Bay players were near or below the goal from low in the right circle with his shoulder, the puck ricocheting off the line, leaving no one to cover Hanley, who had crept down from the point crossbar and up over the net. He stretched to his right to make a skate into the slot. Hanley’s smooth shot from between the hashmarks beat save on a chance by forward Alex Killorn from in close. And he showed a goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy blocker high, giving Dallas a 1-0 lead. quick glove, snagging a shot by Bogosian from low in the crease. He got help from a couple of posts, too. But when a goalie is this sharp, Grade: D sometimes he makes his own luck. Oh, and those two Dallas shots? One Doubly lucky resulted in Jason Dickinson’s empty-net goal.

The Lightning got a break (two, actually) when forward Blake Coleman’s Grade: A for their shot volume, C for their failure to bury the puck slap shot from the top of the left circle deflected off the skates of Lightning forward Yanni Gourde and Hintz into the Dallas net, tying the score at 1 with 7:28 remaining in the first period. But credit Tampa Bay Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 09.20.2020 defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who pinched from the left point, for keeping the play alive, forward Barclay Goodrow for working the puck along the boards to Coleman, and Coleman for pulling back to take McDonagh’s spot at the point. Chalk the goal up to luck, if you will. But if Gourde isn’t driving aggressively toward the net, the puck doesn’t go in.

Grade: B

Keeping it close

With the score tied in the second period and Coleman in the penalty box, Vasilevskiy made an outstanding save to keep the game even. A shot by Dallas forward Alexander Radulov hit the post, the puck dropping at 1193679 Tampa Bay Lightning Maybe it really was bad luck or early fatigue or a mix of both. Maybe it’s unrealistic to think Khudobin could have another night like that in Game 2.

Was that just a hot goaltender or a bad omen for the Lightning in Game But the reality is the Lightning forwards have not had a lot of success in 1? recent games. Including overtimes, the Lightning have gone 12 periods with only two goals from their forwards. One was Anthony Cirelli’s overtime game-winner against the Islanders in Game 6, and the other was a lucky bounce off Yanni Gourde’s skate on Saturday night. By John Romano That means no goals from Tampa Bay’s top line in the last three games. Published Yesterday “Dallas seems to play a little more in our faces and we have to realize Updated Yesterday that,” said defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. “We adjusted in the third and put pucks behind them. That’s going to have to be the recipe going forward.” By the end of the first period, you were probably willing to call it fatigue. Cooper is fond of saying you need a short memory when you get to the Yeah, that’s what it was. The Dallas Stars were better rested and looked playoffs. a step quicker than the Lightning. After Game 1, you better hope the Lightning doesn’t have a short future, By the end of the second period, you might have considered calling it bad too. luck.

Because it sure felt that way. Pucks clanged off posts, and there was a missed icing call before a Dallas goal. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 09.20.2020

But by the time the clock ran out and Dallas had completed a 4-1 victory against Tampa Bay in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final Saturday night, you might have been tempted to call it something else:

Trouble.

Was this just a loss, or a sign of things to come? The Lightning may have started poorly, but it’s not like they made a ton of mistakes. Dallas just took control for the first 30 minutes, and then sat back and withstood the best the Lightning had to offer in the next 30 minutes.

And when you looked up at the end, it wasn’t even close.

“I’m just disappointed in the fact that we got away from our strengths,” said Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh. “Give them credit, they’re a great skating, a great structured team. But I think we could have played to our strengths a little better.”

No doubt, the Lightning had some legitimate complaints. It clearly looked like Miro Heiskanen should have been called for icing on a pass that, seconds later, led to the eventual winning goal in the second period.

And making the Lightning play less than 48 hours after an overtime win against the Islanders in Game 6 because the NHL wanted Saturday night TV ratings probably wasn’t conducive to a competitive first period.

“Do I think it plays a factor? I do,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said of the quick turnaround. “But we had some pretty good energy going in the third. We need to bring that in the first and second.”

They may also need to bring a new plan to solve Dallas goaltender Anton Khudobin.

How ironic would it be if another Ben Bishop injury could doom the Lightning in a Stanley Cup final?

Five years ago, Bishop had a groin pull that played a significant role in Tampa Bay’s six-game loss to the Blackhawks. Now Bishop is on the bench with an undisclosed injury for Dallas and Khudobin has gone from journeyman to star in a matter of days.

The Lightning outshot Dallas 22-2 in the third period and were still outscored because Khudobin refused to yield.

A Nikita Kucherov blast from the left? Khudobin slid across the crease and stopped it with his shoulder.

A Zach Bogosian shot from directly in front of the goal? Khudobin snatched it out of the air with his glove.

An Alex Killorn sliding shot from the right? Khudobin kicked it away with the top of his skate.

“I thought we generated some pretty good chances and he made some big saves,” said Lightning forward Tyler Johnson. "Did we do enough? No, because we lost the game. We’ve got to do more. We’ve got to do more than score one goal. The entire team, the forward group, have got to get in front of his face and make it hard for him to see pucks.

“I think we can all do a little bit more, but he’s a heck of a goalie.” 1193680 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning’s Pat Maroon logs 10-minute penalty after buzzer

By Mari Faiello

Published Yesterday

Pat Maroon’s frustration had finally reached a boiling point. Or he had just made an untimely and careless decision in the Lightning’s 4-1 loss Saturday night in Edmonton.

Trailing 3-1 in the second period — Dallas scoring its third goal just 27.4 seconds from the buzzer — Maroon flicked the puck into the Stars' bench after the whistle blew for the end of the period.

The Lightning forward’s maneuver caused players on the ice to erupt in a brief scrum as the officials gave Maroon a 10-minute misconduct penalty.

Maroon served a roughing penalty alongside Dallas' Jamie Oleksiak about halfway through the first period.

The roughing started after Maroon poked at Corey Perry down on the ice. The Stars winger was sitting on the puck as Maroon tried to knock it free and back into play.

Oleksiak decided to take it up with Maroon with two shoves to the back. After the second shove, Maroon grabbed Oleksiak’s jersey and the two started pushing and swatting at each other. Maroon lost his helmet and both teams joined in on the fun with a group scrum.

The Lightning forward logged 10:09 minutes on ice over 13 shifts — down 3:03 minutes from his average — and two hits on Saturday night.

Despite starting off the third penalty with a 10-minute penalty, the Lightning played their best in the third period, outshooting the Stars 22-2 in the final frame.

The late start, however, couldn’t turn things around as the Lightning dropped the game 4-1 and the Stars took a 1-0 lead in the series.

“I think we finally found our game in the third period," Kevin Shattenkirk said after the loss. "The first two we kind of waited and allowed them to bring the game to us.”

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 09.20.2020 1193681 Tampa Bay Lightning said the Lightning generated chances and showed their relentless style of play.

“You can’t just do it for one period,” McDonagh said. “We need to find our Rested Stars beat Lightning in Game 1 of Stanley Cup final game here right from the first puck drop.”

The Lightning’s third-period shots weren’t high-quality chances. Thirteen came from above the faceoff circles, including two dump-ins from center By Diana C. Nearhos ice. Six more shots came from outside the dots, leaving just three in the slot. Published Yesterday Goalie Anton Khudobin turned away all 22, and 35 in the game as a Updated 5 hours ago whole.

Whether they were tired, needed a feeling-out period or were just slow to Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 09.20.2020 engage, the Lightning got off to a poor start in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final.

Dallas hit the ice ready to go Saturday night in Edmonton and won 4-1.

“I don’t know if you even need to take a shower after the first two periods,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said of his team.

“We probably dipped our toes in the water a little bit and watched them skate around.”

The Lightning played consecutive overtime games, including a double overtime finale, to finish the Eastern Conference final in six games Thursday. The Stars had four days to rest and recover after their five- game West final win against the Golden Knights was wrapped up Monday.

“We were playing slow," Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. “It wasn’t because we didn’t have energy or whatever. We just were shooting ourselves a little bit in the foot. They were on top of us and we needed to play with a higher pace.

"Give them credit. They found a way to get to the strength of their game more than we did.”

He wasn’t surprised to see Dallas come out hard quickly but was disappointed in the Lightning.

The Stars scored 5:40 into the game. Defenseman Joel Hanley got the first goal of the series and his first of the playoffs.

Dallas left wing Joel Kiviranta hit Lightning center Brayden Point in the corner, and Lightning defenseman Zach Bogosian stepped in to say something about it. That took Point and Bogosian out of the play, and Hanely landed a wrist shot.

Cooper pointed to that play by Bogosian as one of the poor decisions that plagued the Lightning and said there were more on the other Dallas goals as well.

Lightning fans unite at a drive thru pep rally in Tampa at a parking lot on the corner of N Westshore Boulevard and W North B Street ahead the hockey team's Stanley Cup Finals competition on Saturday, September 19, 2020.

“We made some errors,” Cooper said. “We made a poor judgment error going into the corner to defend a player on a hit, and then all of a sudden we’re out of position.”

Before the game, Cooper had said Game 1 is often a feeling-out period between teams because video shows only so much. He pointed to the Stars' first game of the West final, in which an early goal stood as the only one in the game.

“I think it was just more of a mental aspect of us kind of … seeing what Dallas brought to the table,” defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said. “And it took us a little bit of time to adjust to it.”

Forward Yanni Gourde tied the score for the Lightning at 12:32 of the first period. But the Stars added two in the second, the second goal coming from Kiviranta with 28 seconds left. That led to Lightning forward Pat Maroon flipping the puck into the Stars' bench after the whistle blew for the end of the period. He earned a 10-minute misconduct.

Shattenkirk said he thought the Lightning finally found their game in the third period — they outshot the Stars 22-2 in the period — but had waited too long and had let the Stars dictate the game. Shattenkirk acknowledged that some of that came from Dallas sitting on the lead but 1193682 Tampa Bay Lightning Lightning ice the puck, bringing the faceoff back to their zone. Vasileskiy returns for the faceoff then will go back off again.

Zach Bogosian wins race to the puck with Andrew Cogliano with the net Lightning-Stars Game 1 live Stanley Cup final updates empty.

Stars goal. Blake Comeau wins puck battle along the sideboards and finds Jason Dickinson at center ice. Dickinson scores into the empty net. By Frank Pastor 1:18 left. Stars 4, Lightning 1

Published Yesterday Second period

Updated Yesterday Anton Khudobin squeezes Kevin Shattenkirk’s shot from the high slot between his pads.

Jason Dickinson shot from the left faceoff dot stopped by Andrei Jason Dickinson scores into an empty net with 1:18 left, and the Stars go Vasilevskiy. on to beat the Lightning 4-1 in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final. Blake Coleman penalized for slashing Dickinson at 1:09. Jamie Oleksiak and Joel Kiviranta scored on their own rebounds in the second period to give the Stars a 3-1 lead. Alexander Radulov shot hits the post and Vasilevskiy sticks the puck aside, losing his stick in the process, before Tyler Seguin can get to the Earlier, the Lightning tied the score at 1 when a Blake Coleman slap shot rebound. went into the net after deflecting off the skates of Tampa Bay’s Yanni Gourde and Dallas' Roope Hintz with 7:28 left in the first period. Seguin with a couple of blasts from the left circle but misses the net on both. Stars defenseman Joel Hanley opened the scoring from the slot off a feed from Hintz from below the goal line at 5:40 of the first period. Lightning kill the penalty. Stars with three shots on goal and another that hit the post. Lightning fans unite at a drive thru pep rally in Tampa at a parking lot on the corner of N Westshore Boulevard and W North B Street ahead the Coleman goes back to the penalty box, this time for holding Jason hockey team's Stanley Cup Finals competition on Saturday, September Dickinson. 19, 2020. Corey Perry wrist shot from the left circle snagged by Vasilevskiy. Third period Seguin shot from the right circle stopped by Vasilevskiy. The 10-minute misconduct Patrick Maroon received at the end of the second period won’t put the Lightning shorthanded on the ice, but it does Miro Heiskanen shot from the left point steered aside by Vasilevskiy. shorten their bench. Since Tampa Bay started the game with only 11 Lightning kill the penalty. forwards, they’ll be down to 10 for the first half of the period. Tyler Johnson shot from the high slot goes high off the glass. Anton Khudobin with a huge skate save on Alex Killorn, who wasn’t able to elevate the puck. Stars goal. Defenseman Jamie Oleksiak restores the Dallas lead by putting in his own rebound with 7:30 left in the period. Alexander Radulov Mikhail Sergachev drive from the left circle can’t find the net. spun from the right circle and passed to Oleksiak in the slot. Oleksiak Lightning playing with much more urgency right now. held the puck, then shot with Luke Schenn diving in front of him. Oleksiak collected his rebound and scored top shelf. Stars 2, Lightning 1. John Klingberg penalized for hooking Brayden Point. Big scramble in front of the Stars net after Khudobin stops Ryan Victor Hedman shot from the high slot misses wide. McDonagh shot from the left circle with Anthony Cirelli battling in front. Khudobin stops Cirelli’s rebound opportunity with his right pad, then spins Esa Lindell clears the puck out of the zone. and covers the puck after it goes high in the air. Kevin Shattenkirk shot gloved by Khudobin. Outstanding defensive play by McDonagh, who prevented Blake Comeau Killorn goes off Jamie Oleksiak wide of the net. from getting off a shot on a breakaway after Kevin Shattenkirk got caught pinching in the Dallas zone. Stars kill the penalty. Stars goal. Joel Kiviranta scores from the high slot with 27.4 seconds John Klingberg shot from the right point held by Vasilevskiy. remaining in the period. Mikhail Sergachev blocked the first attempt, then Kiviranta spotted the puck near Sergachev’s skates and whipped it past Quick shot from Tyler Johnson stopped by Khudobin. Vasilevskiy. Stars 3, Lightning 1 Lightning go on the power play as Blake Comeau penalized for delay of Patrick Maroon got a 10-minute misconduct penalty for shooting the puck game with 10:52 remaining. into the Stars bench at the end of the period. Nikita Kucherov shot from right circle blocked by Esa Lindell and goes up First period out of play with Alex Killorn providing a screen in front. Lightning wearing their home blues, Stars in their road whites. Yanni Gourde keeps Miro Heiskanen from clearing the puck along the boards. Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn with a couple of chances from in close.

Lightning outshooting the Stars 13-1 to this point in the third period, 27- Stars goal. Defenseman Joel Hanley scores from the slot off a feed from 19 for the game. Roope Hintz from below the goal line (5:40). The play started with an aggressive forecheck from Joel Kiviranta, who drove Brayden Point into Khudobin with a pad save on Kevin Shattenkirk blast from the high point. the boards, knocking the puck loose. Stars 1, Lightning 0 Stars clear the puck. Point cross-checked by Esa Lindell, but no penalty called. Hedman shot-pass for Point goes wide. Schenn returns to the Lightning bench. Roope Hintz limps to the bench after blocking a shot from Mikhail Lindell wrist shot stopped by Vasilevskiy. Sergachev. Victor Hedman slap shot saved by Khudobin. Stars kill the penalty. Hanley clearing attempt deflects of Alex Killorn’s stick out of play. No Andrei Vasilevskiy pulled from the net for an extra attacker with 4 penalty for delay of game. minutes remaining.

Khudobin pad save on Kucherov from the right circle. Lightning goal! Yanni Gourde ties the game 7:28 left in the period. Blake Coleman slap shot from above the left circle goes off first Gourde’s skate, then Hintz’s skate, into the net. Lightning 1, Stars 1.

Brayden Point and Carter Verhaeghe taking warmups for the Lightning.

Verhaeghe probably just a precaution in case Point isn’t able to go.

Looks like the Lightning will stick with the same lineup they have employed since early in the conference semifinal series against the Bruins: 11 forwards and seven defensemen, including Luke Schenn.

Setting the scene

It took five years to get back, but here we are.

The Lightning are in the Stanley Cup final for the first time since 2015, when they lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.

It will be familiar territory for nine current Tampa Bay players, who competed together in the 2015 final. They took away some lessons from that experience, general manager Julien BriseBois added to their strong core — including 2019 Cup winner Patrick Maroon — and they’ll face a different opponent this time around — the Dallas Stars.

There will be some recognizable faces on the Stars, as well. Head coach Rick Bowness was an assistant coach and Ben Bishop the starting goaltender on that 2014-15 Lightning squad. Bishop, who has not played since the conference semifinals, remains “unfit to play,” so Anton Khudobin will be in goal for Dallas, as he’s been for 19 games already this postseason.

Injured captain Steven Stamkos remains out of the Lightning lineup, at least for the start of the series. Though isolated in the Edmonton bubble, the team will continue to receive support from afar, whether from fans at watch parties or at home in Tampa Bay or other pro teams in the community.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 09.20.2020 1193683 Tampa Bay Lightning

Former Lightning goalie Ben Bishop is on the Stars, but where is he?

By Mari Faiello

Published Yesterday

Lightning fans who were looking forward to seeing old favorite Ben Bishop were disappointed to start the Stanley Cup final on Saturday night at Edmonton. Their former goalie wasn’t starting for the Stars.

Bishop is “unfit to play,” Dallas said, and fans got the “Battle of Bishop’s Backups,” as one person posted on Twitter: Anton Khudobin versus the Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy, who backed up Bishop during the latter years of his tenure in Tampa Bay (April 2013-February 2017).

The Stars haven’t shared details about the status of Bishop, who has appeared in just three games this postseason. Interim coach Rick Bowness said before the game that Bishop was skating but he was not ready to play.

Bishop started the Stars' first game of the postseason, a round-robin loss to the Golden Knights on Aug. 3. Next, Bishop played in Game 2 of Dallas’ first-round series against Calgary.

After that, Bishop sat out eight games before making something of a surprise appearance in the second half of back-to-back games against Colorado in the Western Conference semifinals. He allowed four goals in 13:43, got pulled and hasn’t played since.

With the Lightning, Bishop was a fan favorite who maintained that status even after leaving the team in a trade to the Kings (who traded him to the Stars in May 2017 less than three months after acquiring him). His No. 30 jersey is still a frequent sighting at Amalie Arena, especially when he plays against the Lightning.

Vasilevskiy started his career as Bishop’s backup and got his first taste of the playoffs in 2015, when Bishop was hurt in the Stanley Cup final against the Blackhawks. Vasilevskiy refers to Bishop as his old goalie coach and has said he wouldn’t be the player he is without Bishop.

Commissioner Gary Bettman raised the possibility of next season beginning after the tentatively planned Dec. 1 start date, even while the plan remains for each team to play 82 games and the league hold a full playoffs.

The league hopes to adapt to the coronavirus pandemic circumstances worldwide and is open to adjusting on the fly as the situation evolves, Bettman said during his annual pre-Stanley Cup Final news conference at Edmonton. Acknowledging there are factors such as the U.S.-Canada border and local jurisdictions that are out of his control that could affect travel and attendance, Bettman said he wouldn’t be surprised if the season begins later in December or in January but he would like to avoid playing deep into next summer.

“If there’s an option to consider, believe me, we’re considering it,” Bettman said.

He also said next season could start without fans in buildings and then progress to socially distant fans at some point "and by some point in time maybe our buildings are open.”

One circumstance at play is the closure of the U.S.-Canada border to nonessential travel, which has more of an effect on the NHL than other pro sports league because it has seven teams in Canada and 24 in the United States.

Bettman also conceded there will be a financial hit because attendance makes up at least 50 percent of revenue. But "I’m comfortable that our franchises will be strong enough to weather this,” he said. “Our franchises will get through this and will come out stronger on the other side.”

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 09.20.2020 1193684 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning’s Brayden Point in lineup for Game 1 of Stanley Cup final

By Mari Faiello

Published Yesterday

Updated Yesterday

If there was any doubt Brayden Point would miss a first chance to play in the Stanley Cup final against the Stars on Saturday night, there was no need to worry.

The Lightning center is playing in Game 1 at Edmonton’s Rogers Place.

Point was in and out of the lineup against the Islanders in the Eastern Conference final because of injury. In Game 2, it looked like he injured a hamstring or hip, and he missed the next game. He returned for Game 4 but appeared to re-aggravate the injury and missed Game 5. He returned for Game 6 to help the Lightning clinchj he Eastern Conference title Thursday night.

Point had nine goals and 16 assists in the playoffs entering Saturday night.

Point took a hard hit to the boards in the first period, losing possession of the puck in the process, which led to Dallas getting on the board first on a shot from Joel Hanley.

Defenseman Luke Schenn also took a beating in the opening period when he collided with Dallas forward Alexander Radulov in front of the Lightning goal. Schenn was slow to get up after the play and ended up heading down the tunnel to the dressing room, but he was back out on the bench a couple of minutes later.

Yanni Gourde — who tied the score in the first period with 7:28 to go after the puck deflected off of his skate into the goal — also got banged up in the period.

Gourde took a hit from Dallas defenseman Jamie Oleksiak, who shoved the Lightning forward into the boards as Gourde chased down the puck in front of the Dallas bench.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 09.20.2020 1193685 Tampa Bay Lightning bit more composure sometimes. It’s great to have him, especially with the experience he had last year.”

Maroon is relishing his role on the Lightning and is solely focused on Patrick Maroon brings toughness, tenacity, grit, leadership to Lightning helping his teammates that have experienced several moments of playoff heartbreak over the years win a Stanley Cup.

“I have a Cup under my belt, but this team in the locker room has been to By Jason Hills, Times Correspondent plenty of conference finals and a Stanley Cup final,” said Maroon. "They’re looking to get over that hump to achieve their ultimate goal, and Published Yesterday if my voice can carry into the locker room and help out in any way, that’s Updated Yesterday a huge part of me. If they have questions about what it takes, I’ll answer them, but I just want to be a good leader.

“We have that no-quit mentality in our locker room. I’m so proud of these EDMONTON — Two years ago, Patrick Maroon may not have cashed in guys. We have to keep having that mindset of working hard, keep picking on his big opportunity in unrestricted free agency, but he surely wouldn’t each other up and having each other’s back, and good things will keep complain with how everything has worked out. happening with this group.”

He won a Stanley Cup with his hometown St. Louis Blues last year and now is in a position to potentially win his second Cup in as many years this year with the Lightning. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 09.20.2020

Maroon may not be the hired gun that gives the Lightning a jolt of potent offense, but the big power forward brings everything else to the table.

Toughness, tenacity, grit and leadership, and Maroon has flourished in his role with the Lightning this season.

“Patrick Maroon wasn’t brought in here to play on our top line. He was brought in here for what he brings to the room, what he brings on the ice and on our second power-play unit,” said Lightning coach Jon Cooper. “You give guys a role, and he’s really accepted his. He wasn’t used too much differently in St.Louis than he is here, but he’s contributed.”

Maroon scored a career-high 27 goals in the 2016-17 season, flanking the left wing of Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid.

He followed it up with another 20-plus goal campaign and recorded back- to-back 40-plus point seasons. But when teams came calling, an opportunity to play a top-six role wasn’t in the cards.

So Maroon dug deep and is excelling in a role as a grinder and physical presence.

Throughout most of these playoffs, Cooper has gone with 11 forwards and seven defensemen, which cuts into Maroon’s ice time. But the 32- year-old just wants to contribute any way he can.

“I know where I’m at in my career. I know my responsibility, I’m playing on the fourth line with Cedric Paquette,” said Maroon. "We’ve done a good job (in the playoffs) of managing the puck. If it’s seven-and-a-half minutes or 12 minutes, we just have to continue to grow as a line.

“If we can find ways to score a goal, that’s a plus, but if we can find ways to wear their “D” down and get the puck in the offensive zone and find ways to wear them out and get second and third opportunities, we’re doing our job.”

Part of the Lightning’s to-do list this year was to add some grit and experience throughout the lineup, and general manager Julien BriseBois' signing of Maroon brings that element to the team in a big way.

But the biggest thing that Maroon brings to the table is his leadership. He doesn’t wear a letter on his jersey, but he’s one of the vocal leaders on the Lightning.

The Lightning have players on their roster with Stanley Cup final experience, but Maroon is the only player who’s won a Cup.

Cup-winning experience goes a long way in the NHL. The last time a team won the Cup without a player who had won a Cup previously was the 1989 Calgary Flames.

Maroon’s experience is something the team is leaning on heavily. Last year, the Lightning didn’t have a single player on their roster who had previously won a Cup.

“A guy like him, you can rely on him. Whenever he talks in the room, everybody listens,” said Lightning forward Yanni Gourde. “He brings tons of leadership in this locker room and tons of poise as we need to have a 1193686 Tampa Bay Lightning “It’s exciting just to be a part of this journey with them,” Lowery said. “It’s a little heartbreaking because we want to participate and watch them right there (at Amalie Arena).”

Lightning fans show plenty of spirit ahead of Stanley Cup final Fellow Lightning fans Serena Samuels and Perry Bunch Jr. have been season ticket holders together for three years. The couple drove in from Parrish.

By Mari Faiello “We can’t go to the game to watch our team, but how awesome could this be?" said Samuels, 35. “Just seeing the fans and being able to come Published Yesterday up here and be a part of something for the playoff run, we just thought it Updated Yesterday would be fun."

Seeing Lightning mainstays like Bryson-Kirksey and experiencing parts of a traditional game day made it feel like the couple was back at Amalie TAMPA — Sonya Bryson-Kirksey was out shopping for groceries when Arena, said Bunch, 33. she got a call from the Lightning on Thursday, asking her to attend the franchise’s drive-thru pep rally at WestShore Plaza on Saturday morning. The couple decorated their gray Toyota Tundra with two large flags And she didn’t have to think twice about it. attached to the sides of the flatbed and five car flags on the rearview window, one of which featured the 2004 Stanley Cup year. “There’s no way I’m missing this,” she said. “It’s the atmosphere of ‘I’m at the game,’ but it’s not there,” he said. “I feel Saturday morning was the first time Bryson-Kirksey, 53, interacted with like my mind’s playing tricks on me right now. It’s cool because (the fans in-person since the league’s pause in March. She typically talks with team) isn’t here, but it feels like they are here.” fans at Lightning home games, where she sings the U.S. national anthem, and on social media, but the drive-thru was special.

About 750 vehicles went through WestShore Plaza for the pep rally. Fans Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 09.20.2020 cheered from their cars as workers handed out goodie bags — stuffed with promotionals, Lightning-branded fanny packs, pom-poms and more — and spray painted vehicles with the Lightning logo and short phrases like “Go Bolts."

“I think that it was necessary because we are here, we are at the Stanley Cup final,” Bryson-Kirksey said. “I think it was necessary for me to be out here today just so I can touch all of these people that I’ve been touching on social media, the entire season. So this is wonderful. It’s really fun.”

The Riverview resident added that the overall sentiment when talking to fans seemed to be just how much they miss being at Amalie Arena and feeling close to the players and the game itself.

Hilary Fitzgerald and longtime boyfriend Justin Key felt that way, too.

Fitzgerald, 29, saw an email from the Lightning about Saturday’s pep rally and knew she and Key had to make the drive from Clearwater.

“We definitely wish we were going to the game,” said Fitzgerald, who donned Victor Hedman’s personalized Harry hat. “But this has been a fun thing to do to keep it fun and exciting.”

Lightning fans unite at a drive thru pep rally in Tampa on Saturday.

Key added that the drive-thru was a great idea for getting fans involved. Watching games at home hasn’t been too challenging, since the couple has tried to make more of an event out of game days.

Key said this was their first run as a season ticket holders, so it was disappointing that the regular season was cut short and the playoffs are fan-less.

“We’re making the most out of it,” he said. “It’s refreshing (seeing Sonya and mascot ThunderBug).”

The couple has a reservation set at Cigar City Brewing’s Taproom at Thunder Alley for Friday night (Game 4).

“Just being involved and being with other fans to get excited about the games (is great),” said Key, 31.

By 9:50 a.m., workers were close to running out of spray paint. By 11:30, a half-hour before the event was advertised to end, the drive-thru entrance closed as cars in the back waited nearly 45 minutes to get to the front of the line from North WestShore Boulevard. At one point, traffic was backed up to I-275.

Simone Lowery has been a Lightning fan since the franchise’s Cup year in 2004. The 49-year-old Lutz resident brought a megaphone to the pep rally and was honking her horn, playing the siren on the speaker and trying to get others engaged in the fun.

She stopped at the start of the drive-thru for a hello with ThunderBug, too. 1193687 Tampa Bay Lightning Cooper repeated what Bowness said about change being good for both sides, saying the split was amicable and coaches change teams all the team.

Lightning dismissed Rick Bowness two years ago. Now both are playing There’s no doubt their time together with the Lightning was good for all. for the Stanley Cup “I’m probably not sitting here today,” Cooper said, “without a lot of the help of Rick Bowness.”

By Diana C. Nearhos

Published Yesterday Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 09.20.2020

Updated Yesterday

Rick Bowness can be connected to nearly every team in the league after 40 years of playing and coaching in the NHL. But right now, the Dallas Stars coach’s connections to his opponent are strongest and most relevant.

Bowness served as assistant coach to Jon Cooper on the Lightning for five years and is now coaching against him in the Stanley Cup final. It’s the first time in NHL history that a coach is facing his former assistant in the Cup final.

“We had five very good years,” Bowness said of his time with the Lightning, recounting two trips to the conference final and one to the Stanley Cup final.

Bowness and Cooper both have nothing but good things to say about each other. Cooper recounted a short conversation they had when they happened to sit at neighboring tables for dinner, exchanging pleasantries.

“As a coach, listen, there comes a point when you know it’s time to move on and I was ready to move on,” Bowness said. “It was a split that was good for both of us. I was ready to move on, they were ready to move on from me, so no hard feelings. That’s hockey. I was ready to move on, they were ready to move on, so it worked out great for both of us.”

In the long term, it does look to have worked out well. Bowness is a head coach for the first time since 20 games in 2004, and before that it was 1998. Technically, he’s still carrying an “interim” tag, but indications are he’ll get the permanent gig.

But as he repeated for the third time that both parties were ready to move on, he crossed his arms across his chest and pressed his lips together, looking off camera.

The Lightning and Bowness didn’t split because his contract was up and both decided not to pursue another one. He was relieved of his duties after the Lightning lost to the Capitals in the 2018 Eastern Conference final.

Bowness had been the coach of the defensemen for five years at that time and then-general manager Steve Yzerman said the team’s defense was “not quite there.”

About a week later, Bowness was no longer with the Lightning.

However it went down, neither Cooper nor Bowness has anything negative to say about the other.

Cooper spoke about having wanted to hire an assistant, when he was new to the league, who would be something of a mentor.

“I was very fortunate to run into Rick Bowness, because he was in between organizations at the time,” Cooper said. “I learned so much from him about how the league works, how to have success in this league. We spent half a decade together.”

Lightning center Brayden Point indicated Bowness' passion for the game, his experience and the depth of his knowledge.

“Bonesy was awesome,” Point said. “He was super good to me, and I think if you asked anyone who played for him, they’d say the same thing.”

Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman previously credited Bowness for helping him develop his game, a strong vote of confidence seeing how Hedman is universally acknowledged as one of the league’s best defensemen. 1193688 Tampa Bay Lightning This is Bogosian’s first time in the playoffs after playing 644 regular- season games over his 12-year career. Schenn had only 12 playoff games under his belt in his 12 years in the league before joining the Lightning. Lightning defensemen hungry for their first Stanley Cup Shattenkirk had some playoff runs end in heartbreaking fashion with the Blues and Capitals in his career.

By Jason Hills, Times Correspondent Now, all three aren’t focused on earning a big contract anymore. They just want to win the Cup. Published Yesterday “We were in a situation where, because of the success we’ve had in

years leading up to this one, we were able to bring in a few players like EDMONTON — Last summer, Kevin Shattenkirk had to be wondering, Luke Schenn … Kevin Shattenkirk that was chasing that Cup, just like “Why me?” the rest of us are,” said BriseBois. “They knew what our cap situation was, and they were willing to make it work with us so we can add them to He had to watch two of his former teams, the Capitals and Blues, hoist our group without having to discard anyone, and they made us a better the Stanley Cup in 2018 and 2019, respectively, then got a phone call team.” from the Rangers informing him they were buying him out — he was no longer needed. “Ultimately, when you’re trying to put all the pieces of the puzzle together, you’re accumulating talent, and, really, you’re building a team, and they That had to feel almost like a knockout blow, but Shattenkirk took his own were all key pieces in helping this picture come together for us this year.” shot and joined the Lightning on a one-year deal.

Now, the defenseman is getting his shot at winning the Stanley Cup. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 09.20.2020 “When you receive that information and you don’t really know which way is up at that point or where the chips are going to fall,” Shattenkirk said Friday, “it was tough to watch my former teams the last two years prior win the Stanley Cup and groups of guys I’ve been with and become close with. It makes you wonder, makes you think.”

Shattenkirk’s buyout wasn’t until Aug. 1, long after the league’s free- agent frenzy was over and most teams had their rosters built. The 10- year veteran had to wonder if he’d get another opportunity.

The Lightning signed him to a salary-cap-friendly deal of $1.75 million, and he has been a perfect fit among the defensemen as a veteran presence who provides a strong two-way game, whether that’s helping take some of the load off Victor Hedman or mentoring young defenseman Mikhail Sergachev.

“The phone calls started coming in (after his buyout), and I talked to Ryan (McDonagh) and just heard what (the Lightning) were building and where their head space was at after their loss to Columbus in last year’s playoffs,” said Shattenkirk. “It seemed like we all kind of shared that same drive and that same chip on our shoulder to prove something this year.”

Shattenkirk recorded eight goals and 34 points in the regular season and has shown he’s still capable of being the all-around defenseman he has proven to be throughout his career.

“This chance … (at a Stanley Cup), it’s very meaningful. I really felt like I got a second chance to prove who I was,” said Shattenkirk. "I’m so proud of the guys I’ve played with. They inspired me to play my best hockey this year, and we fight for each other every day on the ice and we drive each other to be better.

“Being in the place we are now, playing for the Stanley Cup, from where I was last year is kind of a ‘pinch me’ moment.”

Shattenkirk was one of a few moves general manager Julien BriseBois made for this season on defense. The acquisitions of Luke Schenn and Zach Bogosian may not have moved the dial in terms of blockbuster style, but Schenn and Bogosian also fit in with what BriseBois is trying to build.

Bogosian was bought out midseason by the Sabres and signed with the Lightning as a free agent. Schenn had bounced around several teams the last few years before landing with the Lightning in free agency in the offseason.

All three bring different elements to the right side of the defense. There’s a certain level of nastiness when Schenn and Bogosian are on the ice, and teams have to be aware of Shattenkirk’s offensive capabilities.

But a few other things also stand out. All three signed one-year, bargain- basement deals, and all three are hungry for their first Stanley Cup.

Combined, they’ve played 2,082 regular-season games. Heading into this postseason, the trio had played only a combined 72 playoff games, with Shattenkirk eating up 60. 1193689 Tampa Bay Lightning without a player touching the puck. Officials will blow their whistles and teams will line up for a faceoff in the defending zone of the team who “iced” the puck.

Welcome to the Lightning bandwagon, new hockey fans Power play: When the opposing team is called for a penalty, the other team gets a one-man advantage for two or four minutes, depending on the severity of the penalty.

By Mari Faiello Penalty kill: The team that is down a player is trying to “kill” the opponent’s chance at scoring. Published Yesterday Offsides: Just like football, hockey has its own version. A player can’t Updated Yesterday enter the offensive zone (cross the blue line — yes, that’s the technical term) before the puck does.

The Tampa Bay Lightning vs. the Dallas Stars. Two Southern teams Hockey quirks dominating a sport played on ice. With bragging rights to be decided in Fate decided late: Overtime in hockey consists of 20-minute periods. The Canada. During the final days of summer. first team to score wins, no matter how many extra periods it may take. Welcome to the Stanley Cup final in a pandemic season. Wacky, right? The Lightning have some experience with this, playing six overtime games during the postseason. Keep caffeine handy. If you’re a casual hockey fan getting swept up in the buzz that always permeates a professional sports town when trophies are at stake, we’re Intermission: Other sports are split up nicely into halves and quarters; here to help you make sense of the broadcasts. hockey leans toward periods (three total). Don’t let the second intermission fool you into thinking the game is over. Grab a sweater (jersey), get ready to yell at the refs about icing (not the sweet stuff) and prepare to lose a lot of sleep. The home team likes to Hands off? It’s a superstition of sorts that most teams do not touch their play well beyond regulation, game times are not early for those of us in conference trophy, the East’s aforementioned Prince of Wales and the the Eastern Time Zone, and a jolt from the Bolts (acceptable team West’s Clarence S. Campbell Bowl (another name to learn). Teams nickname) will keep you up well past bedtime, even on weeknights. instead prefer to get tactile with the Stanley Cup only. The Dallas Stars upheld tradition; the Lightning, however, were totally touchy-feely with the Lightning players to know Prince of Wales Trophy.

Steven Stamkos Mind games: Don’t expect either coach to share injury updates (Stamkos who?) or the game’s lineup at any time in the series before puck drop. The most famous player on the team may not actually play in this Cup run. The Lightning captain has yet to make his 2020 playoffs debut, Line up: Touching the conference trophies may be taboo, but in the missing in action since having core muscle repair surgery March 2, playoffs, hockey players form a a handshake line at the end of the series; followed by a few setbacks after recovery. But Stamkos was on the ice coaches often participate, too. Thursday night with his teammates, accepting the Prince of Wales Trophy as Eastern Conference champs. Stamkos has skated at optional Lightning’s Stanley Cup journey so far practices (his most recent one Monday), and the team won’t rule out a Round 1, Columbus Blue Jackets (4-1): The Lightning got their revenge possible postseason comeback despite the fact it doesn’t expect him to on the franchise that swept them in the opening round last year. And it start the Stanley Cup final. only took five overtimes to get the first win of the series. Yes, five. Victor Hedman Round 2, Boston Bruins (4-1): The Lightning got a bit of a break by not The Lightning’s cornerstone defenseman has had the most successful having to face one of the league’s top goaltenders in Tuukka Rask, who postseason of his 11-year career (nine goals, six assists). That’s more opted out of the bubble to be with his family, but overtime beckoned postseason goals than any defenseman since New York Rangers legend again. This time it was two extra periods to seal their berth in the Eastern Brian Leetch tallied 11 in 1994. And his stellar play all season has him in Conference semifinals. the mix for the James Norris Memorial Trophy — the NHL loves to name Round 3, New York Islanders (4-2): The Islanders pushed Tampa Bay to its position awards, so file this one away for trivia — which will be its first six-game series of the postseason. Anthony Cirelli locked up the announced before Game 2 on Monday night. Stanley Cup berth for the Lightning with — you guessed it — an overtime Andrei Vasilevskiy goal.

The All-Star has been the only goaltender in the league to play in every game this postseason. Vasilevskiy (14-5-0) has the highest save Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 09.20.2020 percentage at .931 with 543 saves through 19 games. Against the Stars, Vasilevskiy possibly could go head-to-head vs. a former Lightning fan favorite, Ben Bishop. And just like Hedman, Vasilevskiy may bring home some extra hardware; he’s up for the Vezina Trophy for the third straight season.

Nikita Kucherov

On Thursday night, he logged an assist on Hedman’s first-period goal, moving him into first place among the league’s postseason scorers (26 points with six goals and 20 assists). The winger can do outrageous things with a stick and puck, as evidenced by his five points in Game 1 against the Islanders.

Brayden Point

The shutdown center has the second-highest point total in the league, behind Kucherov, at 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists). Get invested in Point’s electric play, but not too invested. He missed two games, both losses, against the Islanders in the Eastern Conference final after appearing to injure his hamstring or hip.

Hockey terms to know

Icing: When a player shoots the puck down the ice and it crosses the center line and the red line at the back of the rink (called the goal line) 1193690 Tampa Bay Lightning one-off. They had to grind through a seven-game series and then travel and play and change time zones. We got to get a little bit of rest and heal some guys up.”

Bubble Dispatch: How the Stars, Anton Khudobin defeated the Lightning The Lightning were almost in exactly that situation in Game 1 of the in Game 1 Final, just without the travel. But Cooper was not willing to fully embrace the same reasoning he had after Game 1 of the previous round.

into the third. We need to bring that in the first or second. EDMONTON — The Stanley Cup itself was presented, in all its immortal “It’s no. They came out, they were skating, we probably dipped our toes glory, on a dais above centre ice and illuminated in-arena during the in the water a little bit and watched them skate around a little bit.” pregame player introductions. The biggest celebrity in the sport, the ultimate prize, displayed to the contestants before puck drop in the Ryan McDonagh wasn’t buying it either. Stanley Cup Final. “I think we were playing slow,” he said. “It wasn’t because we didn’t have Showing the Cup in that manner wasn’t traditional, but it was fitting for a energy or whatever. We knew it was a quick turnaround. We knew what most surreal Stanley Cup Final. If nothing else, it was a ruthless, made- we were up against. We just were shooting ourselves a little bit in the foot for-television, stakes-raising flourish. and they were on top of us and we needed to play with a higher pace. Give them a lot of credit, they got to the strength of their game more than “Told the guys, maybe we just steal it and run?” Dallas Stars goaltender we did, and that’s a reason they found a way to win Game 1.” Anton Khudobin joked in Russian after the game. You want players to be accountable? This is being accountable. But the Ultimately, Khudobin didn’t need to break bubble protocols or steal fact is, what Cooper said about Game 1 in the last series should perhaps anything in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. His teammates in front of be the way the Stars are thinking about this one. him were better than their opponents. They looked fresher, deeper, bigger and more assertive. “Now we’re on even terms,” Cooper said then. “There’s no travel. Everybody gets the same rest. They get to recover, we recover a little bit The Stars won the net front handily. They played their usual smothering and it becomes a series. So to me, this was a game we need to take, and defense. we did. Now it should be one hell of a series moving forward.” Sure, Dallas, had some bounces, but no one wins without bounces at this The Khudobin show time of year. Even with the Stars’ exceptionally ugly third period, when Tampa Bay throttled them territorially, they were full value for their 4-1 Anton Khudobin was ridiculous in Game 1, as he has been throughout victory. the postseason.

The Stars tend to smother opponents after building a lead. They often Yes, the Stars were the better team in Game 1, but still, the Lightning are look comfortable permitting their opponent a lot of shot attempts late. as potent an offensive team as you’ll find and they probably deserved at Saturday was something else, though. least two (and maybe more). Dallas did well to limit second-chance opportunities and win the battle at both net fronts, but Khudobin was still Dallas coach Rick Bowness said his players were “on their heels,” but the major reason why the Lightning were left shaking their heads on even that’s an understatement. The Lightning’s control of the third period multiple occasions throughout the evening. was so extreme that while Dallas’ end of the ice looked as snow covered as the planet Hoth by the end of the final frame, the Lightning’s end of Khudobin flashed the glove: the sheet was still start-of-the-period clean. As Jason Dickinson scored on an empty net on just the second shot, and the third shot attempt, of He got across quickly to snuff out lovely passing sequences: the period, he probably could’ve looked down and seen his own reflection And on the rare occasion when Tampa Bay did manage a rebound in the ice. opportunity, Khudobin made impossible blocker saves: When Tampa Bay turned it up in the third, it looked like the juggernaut it Overall, the Lightning were worth 2.6 expected goals in Game 1, is. It was too little too late in Game 1, sure, but it was a reminder of how according to Natural Stat Trick. Instead, Tampa Bay scored a lucky one dangerous the Lightning can be and how peerless their quality and skill and that was all, largely because Khudobin is playing out of his mind. level can be. Tactical nous The Stars showed us something, too. They showed that their trademark smothering defense will play, even against Tampa Bay’s overpowered Game 1 can probably best be summarized by the opening goal, scored weaponry. And they showed a level of tactical nous that far outweighed by Stars defender Joel Hanley, which was the result of a breakdown what Tampa Bay, which made several undisciplined, costly mistakes in created by a small blip in focus from the Lightning. Game 1, brought to the Western Phase 4 Secure Zone on Saturday night. Give Joel Kiviranta, the magic man of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, full credit for hunting down Point on the forecheck, but even after the hit, Lightning Bottom line, the Stars are three games from hoisting the Stanley Cup in defender Zach Bogosian would be in a 50-50 puck race with Stars the middle of a pandemic — close enough now that there’s really no forward Roope Hintz if he went to play the puck. It still wouldn’t be a need to grab it and run. particularly dangerous attacking situation for the Stars.

The Lightning were tired and didn’t want to admit it Veteran Edmonton hockey scribe Jim Matheson has been on the ‘Big Rig’ beat. And it was commendable. Both Stars defenceman Jamie Oleksiak and Lightning forward Patrick We know the Lightning believe it is a thing, because their coach said as Maroon are known as “Big Rig” in their locker rooms. To Matheson, it much after Game 1 of the last round, when the New York Islanders seems, ownership of the moniker is like something out of the movie played the role of the Lightning and the Lightning played the role of the “Highlander.” There can only be one. Stars. So, Matheson spent the first day of the Stanley Cup Final trying to figure The Lightning were waiting for the Islanders, who had to fly to Edmonton out who the real Big Rig is, in fact. Before the game, he asked Oleksiak after winning Game 7 against the Philadelphia Flyers and played Game 1 for his take on whether there’s a Big Rig rivalry. the day after they arrived in the western bubble. The result was an 8-2 thrashing, and coach Jon Cooper made it perfectly clear he knew exactly “Hockey guys have a tendency to reuse nicknames,” Oleksiak said to what was going on. Matheson, whose hockey nickname would surely be “Matty,” we might add. “There’s been a few Big Rigs around the league. Guys just call me “The bottom line is you’ve got to take advantage of a tired team,” he said Rig. … We’ll see what happens, I guess.” after Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final. “Let’s be honest, this is a Rig 1, who is Oleksiak, clearly had the more impactful outing in Game 1. Kiviranta: “Mmm … yeah.” Oleksiak was plus-2 whereas Maroon was minus-2. Oleksiak played more than 21 minutes while Maroon played less than half of that. The checking line Oleksiak took a roughing penalty, Maroon got a 10-minute misconduct. It’s said that the best depth players are first-round picks who don’t quite Oleksiak scored the winner. Maroon didn’t find the score sheet. pan out in the NHL as the offensive stars they were once touted to Clearly, after 60 minutes, Rig 1 leads Rig 2. become while in college or major junior.

“Just went in the corner to make a hit and kind of got counter hit,” Perhaps the best example of that theory can be found on the Stars’ Oleksiak said. “Ate a little bit of elbow there. It is what it is. Part of the fourth line. game, right?” Andrew Cogliano (drafted 25th in 2005), Dickinson (29th in 2013) and Congratulations to Oleksiak, who didn’t just win the Game 1 of the Big Blake Comeau (47th in 2004) are the prototypical highly touted prospects Rig battle, he also lived out every hockey player’s dream: Having a true who took a bit to time to develop in the NHL. When they arrived as full- Bobby Clarke moment after scoring the winning goal in the Stanley Cup time NHL players — after moving on from the team that drafted them in Final. Comeau’s and Cogliano’s cases — they arrived as high-end checkers rather than top-six mainstays. Arpon’s rules rant It’s a testament to just how high the level of play is in the NHL. The best So, a couple of things happened. of the best are selected early in the draft, but there’s another level for those players to hit to be a top producer and very few actually get there. Somehow, Maroon shot a puck into the Stars’ bench at the end of the They’re among the truly gifted, they wash out of the league or they work second period, nearly hitting Kiviranta in the face, and the Lightning did to reinvent themselves as gritty, rangy, intelligent depth players with skill. not begin the third period shorthanded. Instead Maroon, the Lightning’s Every player on the Stars’ fourth line qualifies in the third category. least-used forward, got a 10-minute misconduct. In what world is that OK? How does a player shoot a puck directly into the opposing bench at Dickinson’s line produced the empty-net goal, but far more importantly, it the buzzer — he didn’t laser beam it in there, but that was no accident — drew the matchup against the line of Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov and and not put his team in a terrible position? It makes no sense, but that Palat for much of Game 1 and did a tremendous job limiting its chances. was just the tip of the iceberg. In about eight head-to-head minutes against one of the most lethal offensive lines, Dickinson’s line permitted Point’s line to generate just Just prior to the Stars’ second goal, the winner by Oleksiak, the Lightning four shots on goal, three scoring chances and zero goals scored. bench erupted because Miro Heiskanen had dumped the puck in from the Stars’ side of center ice. And it wasn’t all that close. “I mean, they’re one of the best lines in hockey. They’re tough to contain,” Comeau said. “You try to take away their space and speed as Four Lightning players were given an opportunity to complain about best you can. To limit them to no chances is really tough to do. They’re something the entire bench was screaming bloody murder about, and going to get their looks. We just try to take away their second and third they didn’t. Again, good on them. opportunities. … They’re an elite line and we’re just going to have to play “I didn’t look at the play,” Yanni Gourde said. “I don’t know.” them hard.”

But when Cooper was asked, he couldn’t help himself. His answer began Dallas’ fourth line isn’t going to manage that level of success every with a big sigh. evening. The Point line is just too potent. But if it can simply limit the damage, that’s a huge edge for the Stars. “Well, you wouldn’t be asking the question if you didn’t think the same thing that we may have thought,” he said. “But it’s a moot point now. So Mission accomplished in Game 1. you can’t go back and change the call.” Last man off watch

Here’s the thing: You can go back and challenge a goal if there was an The Stars didn’t just jump the Lightning right from the opening draw. offside by an inch 30 seconds before the puck went in the net. And no They actually made sure to take their advantage well before puck drop. one loves that, but it’s a rule. Yet in that situation, it can’t be challenged for some random reason. Stars centre Tyler Seguin is famous for being competitive and compulsive about being the last player off of the ice after the warmup Finally, when the Lightning pulled Vasilevskiy with four minutes left in skate. And yet, as Seguin finished up, Sergachev stood by the bench, regulation and then iced the puck, why were they allowed to put him back one blade still on the ice, refusing to leave until after Seguin did so. in the net for the faceoff in their end? Teams are not allowed to make a line change after an icing, so why is that any different? If you don’t want Reflecting the overall cynicism of his team, Seguin pulled out all the to take a defensive zone faceoff with no goalie in net, how about you stops. He went halfway down the tunnel and lingered until Sergachev don’t ice the puck when you have an extra man on the ice? had left. Once he did, Seguin jumped back on the sheet to touch his steel to the ice, then ran down the tunnel. End of rant. Thankfully, stats man Ryan Moir captured video of the brilliantly petty Kivi-ridiculous pregame confrontation:

Kiviranta doesn’t always score, but when he does, he only scores in huge Most meta 2020 moment moments. At the end of the first period, the Rogers Place scoreboard showed video Actually, he just always scores. of the Stars’ watch party being held at the American Airlines Center in Going into the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Kiviranta had one goal in 11 career Dallas. NHL games. He’s now scored five playoff goals in just nine appearances, In other words, the scoreboard in an empty Rogers Place was showing including a Game 7 hat trick against the Colorado Avalanche, a key goal video of fans in an arena cheering on one of the teams playing. in Dallas’ Game 5 win to eliminate the Vegas Golden Knights and now a crucial insurance marker in the Stanley Cup Final. The only reason that team was playing in Edmonton was because the NHL can’t have fans in the arena due to the pandemic. And yet, there “I don’t know what’s going on,” Kiviranta said, relatably, of his goal- were fans in an arena in Dallas watching players play on a video board scoring streak. “Sometimes it feels like wherever you shoot, the puck it despite the pandemic, and we were seeing it on the video board in the goes in.” arena where the guys were playing with no fans in the stands because of Mmm … yeah the pandemic.

An excellent postgame exchange between The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro and Kiviranta, the Stars’ latter-day John Druce: The Athletic LOADED: 09.20.2020 Shapiro: “Hey Joel, you said after your Game 7 hat trick that you hoped you’d earned more games. Do you think you’ve earned more games with what you’ve done?” 1193691 Tampa Bay Lightning “I don’t even know if you can take a shower after the first two periods,” Cooper said.

4. Zach Bogosian made a bad decision on the Stars’ first goal. After all Lightning 20/20: Is Game 1 loss to Stars a cause for concern or just a the hitting Dallas was doing early on, Joel Kiviranta delivered a big one blip? on Point in the corner. It forced a turnover. But Bogosian decided to stop playing and try to mix it up with Kiviranta in retaliation. Normally, defending a teammate is a good thing, and that’s part of Bogosian’s game. But there’s a time and a place for everything, and that was neither By Joe Smith the time nor the place. Bogosian took himself out of the play and the Stars scored seconds later on a shot by Joel Hanley, who was wide open in the slot. The Lightning knew the Stars would provide a tough challenge in the Stanley Cup Final, and Game 1 was Exhibit A. Bogosian is a veteran with nearly 700 games under his belt. He has to make better decisions than that. A slow start proved insurmountable as Dallas goalie Anton Khudobin continued his spectacular playoffs and the Lightning lost 4-1 at Rogers 5. That Gourde and Joel Hanley (who scored his first NHL goal) scored Arena. the first two goals was a great lesson. Both went undrafted and now are on the biggest stage coming through. It shows scouting and drafting are To take a page from my Stars counterpart, Sean Shapiro, I’m going to inexact sciences and that perseverance can pay off. Gourde once played break the game down the way he usually does, with 20 thoughts. in the Cow Palace, for goodness’ sake, in the ECHL in San Francisco. Now Gourde is on one of Tampa Bay’s most effective lines. 1. Holy Khudobin. The goaltender wasn’t even supposed to be the Stars’ starter in the playoffs. It was supposed to be the Lightning’s former 6. Saturday marked the sixth consecutive game the Lightning gave up Vezina Trophy finalist, Ben Bishop, but he’s still “unfit to play.” Enter the first goal. It’s not the end-all, be-all. But it forces them to chase the Khudobin, who’s one of the best stories of the postseason as he’s having game from the start, and against a strong defensive team like the Stars, a Conn Smythe Trophy-caliber run. The Lightning peppered Khudobin it’s not a survivable strategy. with shots, including 43 attempts in the third period, but couldn’t crack him. “In playoffs, it’s always tough playing from behind,” Johnson said. “It’s hard, especially against a team like Dallas that’s very good defensively. The only goal the Lightning scored was a fortuitous bounce off the skate The first goal is huge. It’s not the end of the world, but at the same time, of Yanni Gourde, who was crashing the net. Tampa Bay needs to get it’s way easier to play with the lead. We’ve got to find a way to better start more traffic in front and create deflections that were so effective in the in Game 2 and play a full 60 minutes.” past three rounds. 7. The Lightning appear to have been hurt by a missed icing call on the “We’ve got to take his eyes away,” Gourde said. “He’s seeing most of the Stars’ second goal. pucks.” The play started with a dump-in near mid-ice, and it looks like it was sent “He’s a very good goalie. When he’s on, he’s on,” Tyler Johnson said. “I in before the red line. thought we generated some pretty good chances and he made some really big saves. Did we do enough? No, because we lost the game. It’s not like the Lightning deserved to win anyway, and teams make their We’ve got to do more than score one goal. The entire forward group has own breaks. But when there’s a razor-thin margin of error, everything got to get in front of his face and make it hard to see pucks.” matters.

2. Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said the Lightning found their game in 8. Anthony Cirelli’s line looked to be at its best in a long time. the third period. They were relentless in creating chances, and each line The Lightning have been carried primarily by their top line and Gourde’s was contributing. line, with the trio of Cirelli, Johnson and Killorn being pretty darn quiet. Alex Killorn had a great chance on the doorstep, but Khudobin made a Killorn has zero goals and one point in his past nine games. Johnson has slick save with his skate blade. The power play looked dangerous, one goal and two points in his last 12 games, and Cirelli has two goals in though it was not successful. It was getting pucks deep and forechecking his last 12 games. instead of stick-handling through or forcing passes. Obviously, Cirelli had a huge goal in overtime to win Game 6 against the But is there a danger in putting too much into that third period, when the Islanders and seal the series, and that can’t be discounted. But, overall, Stars were clearly in sit-back mode? As Shapiro wrote, there were many they haven’t been nearly as effective offensively. To see them create times in the Western Conference final when Vegas had a significant lead chances, and momentum, in the third period was encouraging. in shots but was not in high-danger areas nearly enough. “Baby steps here,” Cooper said. “I thought they were a big reason why Look where the Lightning’s shots were taken: we had some momentum going in the third period. They were the guys “You can’t just do it for one period,” defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. “I that created it. In the end, you want everybody going. It’s good to see think it’s more of them playing high percentage and safe.” they did contribute in that way, but we’ve got to put some pucks in the net, which we didn’t do. Moral victories don’t get you the win we wanted.” By all means, the Lightning should look to build off their third period and their sustained attack. They just can’t read too much into it and expect 9. Andrei Vasilevskiy has been stellar in the playoffs. He hasn’t they can do it for only 20 to 30 minutes and win. necessarily had to steal many games, but it was hard to remember any bad goals he’s allowed. Well, you can bet the one Kiviranta scored to 3. The Stars came out flying — and hitting. They looked exactly like a make it 3-1 late in the second period was one the Vezina Trophy winner team that had five days between games and did a great job of attacking would love to have back. an opponent that was just 48 hours removed from finishing a grueling Game 6 in overtime. Brayden Point got smashed into the boards, as did It was a wrist shot that Vasilevskiy saw but still let it squeak through. Gourde. What made it hurt is that Tampa Bay had seemed to be making a push and finding some momentum, so going into intermission down two goals “They were right on top of us,” Gourde said. “They were on top of us right was a big blow. from the get-go.” 10. The power play has to be better. Game 1 is always a feeling-out type of game with teams making adjustments. As coach Jon Cooper said, there’s only so much a team The Lightning had three power plays in the third period while trailing by can glean from video versus playing. And Shattenkirk said the Lightning two goals and couldn’t score. Did they have good looks? Sure. Did they were slow to adjust to the Stars’ in-your-face style. They got too cute with create momentum? Yes. But looks and momentum don’t mean a ton of if their passing, with their puck management leaving much to be desired. a team doesn’t win. They don’t have Steven Stamkos, one of the best power-play weapons in all of hockey. But the unit still has too much They let the Stars dictate the way the game was played. talent, and has had a long enough time to adjust without the captain, to do better than 1-for-20 in their past seven games. The coaches have tried several tweaks, including putting Victor Hedman 16. Pat Maroon is one for gamesmanship and getting in the other team’s and Mikhail Sergachev on the top unit. But they’re still having trouble head. Usually, that’s a good thing for the Lightning. But his decision to flip freeing up Nikita Kucherov, who gets a lot of attention now that he’s the the puck into the Stars’ bench after the second period backfired as he major scoring threat. Perhaps Tampa Bay could go back to what worked had to sit for a 10-minute misconduct. Tampa Bay needed him on the ice in the Boston series when it flipped Kucherov and Ondrej Palat, giving a heck of a lot more, especially when it went down to 10 forwards. the Hart Trophy winner more options on his forehand side to create and make plays. 17. It’s unfortunate to hear that United States-based families of players were told Friday that they would not be able to make it into the bubble “The best power plays, if you’re 20 percent, you’re pretty good,” Cooper during the Cup Final. It had been doubtful for a while, with the league and said. “We created momentum off our power play. That’s part of the the NHLPA trying to get Canadian government approval, but it still stings. reason we kept going the way we were going. Ultimately, they didn’t There were many families, like Blake Coleman’s wife, Jordan, and score. It becomes more of an eyesore if you don’t score when you’re daughter, Charlie, who had been quarantining and testing just in case. behind. Well, if the power play would have scored, we were down a Now they’ll have to watch on TV. couple, not just one. We’ll have to go back to the tape and look. They were in the zone the whole time, they were getting some looks — they 18. When the Lightning were held to just four shots on goal in the first just didn’t go in.” period Saturday, it got me wondering how many times they had four or fewer shots in a period this season. I checked with Bob Waterman at the The top unit can be too predictable at times, especially when Sergachev Elias Sports Bureau, and the answer was more than I thought: nine takes the puck down and tries the back pass to Hedman. Shattenkirk times. said they need to keep it simple. 19. Former longtime Lightning associate coach Rick Bowness said this “We’re getting our looks,” Shattenkirk said. “We can’t let it discourage us. week that, looking back, he didn’t think Tampa Bay was ready to win a We need one to go off a skate or a leg. It’s a lot like our five-on-five play. Cup in 2015, when it lost in the Final to the Blackhawks. He referenced We need to get bodies to the net, bodies on Khudobin.” the Blackhawks’ Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Brent Seabrook, all of whom had won the Cup before, and how they handled everything. 11. Will Stamkos play in this series? “Just how they played, the composure they played with, the compete There’s a chance. GM Julien BriseBois said the captain hasn’t been ruled they played with,” Bowness said. “Sometimes you get in those situations out, and Stamkos has been skating with the team recently, including and you watch and learn. It doesn’t mean we can’t win. We went to during Saturday’s optional morning skate. Game 6. … When you look back, you’re not aware of it when you’re It’s hard to say when Stamkos might play as we don’t have access to going through it. You’re watching the veterans on the other teams and practice, where we could actually see him move more than the 20- you don’t really think about it until after. As long as you’re playing in the second clips the NHL sends out. But the fact Stamkos is working out with Final, you have a chance to win. But when you get a chance to look back the group indicates he’s getting closer. With a week left in the season, and reflect, they handled those (moments) a little better than we had. time is running out. They had been there before.”

It sure could help the power play to stick Stamkos out there for even just 20. The NHL did something I’ve never seen it do before. It displayed the those situations. The Lightning are going to be careful and not want to Stanley Cup in the arena before Game 1. That had to be something for risk further injury for the face of their franchise, who hasn’t played since the players, who have been in the bubble for seven weeks. They could February. But it would be one hell of a boost. set their eyes on the prize they’ve been sacrificing for. Leave it to Khudobin to offer the best line on it, joking that he told his teammates 12. Hedman has been a monster in the playoffs and is playing the best when he saw it that they should steal the Cup and make a break for it. he has in his career. He’s my leading candidate for the Conn Smythe if the Lightning were to win the Cup. But Saturday marked a rare off game for the Norris Trophy winner, who was a minus-2 with just two shots on The Athletic LOADED: 09.20.2020 goal.

13. It was also a quiet night for the Lightning’s usually dominant top line of Point, Kucherov and Palat. They were a combined minus-7. Point didn’t have a shot on goal. They were on the ice for the Stars’ first two goals. There’s no doubt the trio is banged up, from Point playing through his unspecified injury and Kucherov and Palat seeming to get dinged in the last series. But they’ve scored zero goals in their past three games.

The Lightning are going to need them to fight through, and it won’t be easy with a steady diet of Esa Lindell and John Klingberg.

14. Was fatigue a factor in the Lightning’s slow start?

It didn’t help that they had such a short turnaround from Game 6 against the Islanders on Thursday to Saturday’s Game 1, but they weren’t using that as an excuse.

“We were playing slow, not because we didn’t have energy,” McDonagh said. “We knew with the quick turnaround what we’d be up against. We were just shooting ourselves in the foot and they were on top of us.”

Cooper acknowledged the short turnaround was a factor, but he pointed out the Lightning benefited from more rest than the Islanders in the last series. It’s just part of it. “Do I think it plays a factor? I do,” Cooper said. “But we had some pretty good energy going in the third. We need to bring that in the first and second. They were skating, and we probably dipped our toes in the water a little bit and watched them skate around.”

15. The Lightning always emphasize their defensemen being active in the rush and in the offensive zone. And McDonagh’s timely pinch helped lead to Gourde’s goal. But Tampa Bay can’t count too much on its blue line for offense. The Lightning have just two goals from their forwards in the past 12 periods, including overtime: Cirelli’s overtime goal in Game 6 and Gourde’s goal off his skate Saturday. Hedman scoring nine goals is something historic among defensemen, but I wouldn’t have guessed that he’d be tied for the team lead with Point and have three more than Kucherov at this point. 1193692 Tampa Bay Lightning the day before the deadline, has been rejuvenated by his first playoff experience.

By Sean Shapiro and Joe Smith This is the most mentally tough Lightning team I’ve covered. They never seem to get rattled. Perhaps it’s because of the playoff scars they’ve had Sep 19, 2020 to wear or the personality brought by the new additions. But you don’t luck into being 10-1 in one-goal games during these playoffs, or winning six of seven overtime games. They’re playing like a team that won’t be We’ve reached the Stanley Cup Final. denied, no matter the injuries and adversity.

The fact we’re even having this discussion is a testament to the fact that Smith: I think another major storyline in this series will be the captains. the bubbles worked, and it’s been a real victory that NHL hasn’t reported The Lightning are hoping to get Steven Stamkos back during the Final, a single positive COVID-19 test since teams entered the Edmonton and though that still seems like a longshot; you can tell by his emotions in Toronto hubs in late July. holding the Prince of Wales Trophy Thursday night how much it would mean to him to be part of this. But it seems as though Jamie Benn has It shouldn’t be too much of a surprise the Tampa Bay Lightning are still really elevated his game in these playoffs. What have you seen? standing; they were one of the favorites heading into the bubble. It is a bit of a surprise that the Dallas Stars are here. Shapiro: Benn and Pavelski are the two individual players that I think benefited most from an offseason before the playoffs, and both have We’ll see how much the Lightning have left in the tank after playing the been key fixtures in this run. Pavelski’s extended time off allowed him to most overtime minutes by any team in a single playoff year (going 6-1 in come in healthy and be the version of Pavelski we’ve seen in the past. those games). Brayden Point has been banged-up, and so has Nikita Kucherov, with Anthony Cirelli playing “on one leg,” coach Jon Cooper Benn is at his best when he’s physically impacting games and then using said after the center’s second-period knee-to-knee collision with the that extra space created to show off his elite skill. This often happens Islanders’ Anders Lee. early in games where he is the tip of the Stars’ forechecking spear and often sets the tones for the Dallas bench. There are plenty of storylines in this series, from former long-time Lightning associate coach Rick Bowness facing Cooper and his old team, That’s a style that Benn can’t play for 82 games a year, not at 31, so in to Joe Pavelski’s top two suitors from the summer going head to head. the past consistency has been an issue as his body has worn down. This The Lightning are looking for their first Cup since Martin St. Louis, Brad playoff bubble, however, has featured a version of Benn that came in Richards & Co. won in 2004, with Dallas’ hoping to hoist hockey’s holy without prior wear and tear, and he’s been able to inflict that pain on grail for first time since Brett Hull’s controversial overtime goal in 1999. others.

Smith: The Stars have already taken out two of the playoff favorites in There’s also a big-game factor that’s hard to describe. Stars assistant Colorado and Vegas. What has struck you the most about how they did coach John Stevens told me that one thing that surprised him about it? Benn in the Conference Final was that it didn’t look like Benn was new to this stage. That for whatever reason, Benn knows how to win at this Shapiro: The first thing to note about the Stars is that they are a different moment without having been there before and that’s resonated with the team than they were before the stoppage. They are still a defensively rest of the team. responsible team, that identity hasn’t changed, but the team has become better offensively by better activating all of their defensemen in the rush. Shapiro: One of my favorite facts about this series, as a hockey writer in Texas, is that, no matter what, the Cup is coming to Dallas. If Blake Miro Heiskanen and John Klingberg are still the horses leading the Coleman wins a title he’ll be first born-and-raised Texan to win the charge, but each of the defensemen now has the green light and it’s led Stanley Cup. What has he brought to Tampa since that midseason to a more-even attack where the Stars always have the fourth man trade? joining the rush. Smith: Coleman has been terrific. It was a tough transition for the former The other key is frustration and how the Stars have mastered playing to Devils winger when he got traded a week before the deadline. He was their opponent’s weaknesses in this playoff run. Against Colorado, it was shocked. His wife, Jordan, was nine months pregnant, so it was a more of an open back-and-forth series, but the Stars hurt the Avalanche whirlwind few weeks as she gave birth the day after his first home game by creating on the rush and taking away quality chances for anyone not in Tampa. Coleman had zero goals in his first nine games with the named Nathan MacKinnon. Against Vegas, the Stars got outshot, by a Lightning before the pause, which really helped him settle in. wide margin, but the Golden Knights were never able to get to the high- danger areas or take advantage of all that possession, instead the Stars During the playoffs, we’ve seen why the Lightning spent so much to get would absorb the blows and low-danger changes and then counter with a Coleman. He’s been a big part of that third line with Goodrow and Yanni more dangerous chance of their own. Gourde that’s been tone-setting and clutch. Coleman has scored four goals (10 points), but he’s also been a key cog on the penalty kill with That to me is something that I think will have to play out for Dallas in this Goodrow. series. Can they trade three average chances against for one great chance for at the other end? What strikes me about this matchup is the type of talented and active defensemen. The Lightning have Victor Hedman, who has been Shapiro: Tampa got swept out last season in the opening round by the spectacular with nine goals. The Norris Trophy winner is playing arguably Columbus Blue Jackets. Is this a different team because of that sweep? the best hockey of his career and is a Conn Smythe candidate. Mikhail Is there anything that you’ve noticed about how the Lightning deal with Sergachev is a big part of the power play and the rush. adversity after that? Smith: How does the Dallas ‘D’ fuel their game, and what will Lightning Smith: This is definitely a different team in many ways. There wasn’t a fans learn about the likes of Miro Heiskanen and Klingberg? complete overhaul or major change in systems. But they realized there were some flaws they had to fix, that they had to be better defensively Shapiro: Heading into the Final, Heiskanen is the Conn Smythe favorite and harder to play against when it came to the playoffs. for the Stars, and he and Klingberg combined have been far-and-away their most valuable players. We detailed last week on how GM Julien BriseBois “transformed” this team, but the first thing he did was show restraint and resolve in not Heiskanen leads the team in points, with 22 in 21 games, but it’s his blowing the team up. He didn’t fire his coach or trade from his core. But overall performance that will really grab people’s attention over the BriseBois helped change the feel of the dressing room by adding veteran course of a series. Heiskanen, like Hedman, is great at everything and leaders like Cup winner Pat Maroon and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. should be in that Norris trophy conversation next season. Heiskanen is BriseBois took a big swing at the deadline in giving up a couple first- the Stars’ fixer, he calms the game down and controls the ice for close to round picks and top prospect Nolan Foote to acquire Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman. Zach Bogosian, signed to a low-risk, one-year deal 26 minutes per night, and when he’s on the ice, the Stars are often the Bowness has said he’s worried about a goalie playing a back-to-back, better team. which is why the Stars rushed Bishop back unsuccessfully for Game 5 of the series with the Avalanche. In this series, could Bishop be making a Klingberg isn’t as sharp defensively, but his ability to move the puck and return in Game 5 after he’s been practicing consistently for the past create with it really drives the Stars’ transition offense, and his way of month? Or will the Stars stick with Anton Khudobin in the back-to-back? jumping into the play at key moments has created some of the Stars’ most important goals in this run. Either way it should create a juicy storyline for us to dive into with Bishop’s past ties to Tampa. Klingberg is also masterful on the power play, in Game 5 against Vegas his ability to walk the line and read the situation created both goals that Shapiro: So, Joe, how do you think this series plays out? led to the ouster of the Golden Knights. Smith: I think this one goes the distance. And I believe that the Lightning Shapiro: One thing that we haven’t addressed, but should, is that no will win in seven games. Nothing has come easy for Tampa Bay during team gets this far healthy. The Stars have done this without Ben Bishop, these playoffs, and it won’t start now. The Stars will provide a significant robbing us of an easy Dallas-Tampa story, while it’s pretty evident that challenge, boasting more firepower than the Lightning saw in the Tyler Seguin is battling through something. Tampa has the big piece Islanders series. The two goalies are both playing at the top of their missing in Stamkos, but that’s obviously just the start of the injury list, game. The X-factor will be health, both for Point and Kucherov, but if right? they’re not sidelined during this series, it really feels like it’s the Lightning’s year. Smith: Stamkos is certainly the start of the injured list, and his status is uncertain for the Cup Final. The fact Stamkos has returned to practicing How about you, Sean? with the team, skating with them in optionals or on his own, was an encouraging sign. But Cooper said a few days back that there are still Shapiro: I think this is going to be a long series, one where the Stars are things Stamkos can and can’t do. BriseBois said Friday that Stamkos has going to frustrate the Lightning more than they’ve been frustrated at any not been ruled out for series but is not expected to play Game 1. With the other point in the bubble. I also think it’s going to go seven games. I’m Cup Final starting Saturday and lasting roughly a week, time is running also going to pick the Lightning. I also kind of have to after I got flack the out for the captain to come back. Seeing Stamkos hold the Prince of other day from Stars assistant coach John Stevens, who told me that I’m Wales Trophy, and how happy he was, it would be a heck of a story to 0-for-3 on predictions so far and then ended the call with, “Don’t forget to see him return and be part of it. But it’s a lot to ask anyone, even an elite pick against us again.” player, to jump right in after not playing for seven months. “That would be an awful big ask,” said former NHLer Eddie Olczyk, now an NBCSN analyst. The Athletic LOADED: 09.20.2020

When Corey Perry is picking up the series-clinching-goal puck and bringing it to Bowness on the bench, that speaks volumes that Zoom- based interviews will never be able to convey.

Bowness will have an interesting decision to make in this series, and I think it’ll be one of the X-factors in deciding who wins the Stanley Cup. How will he handle his goalies with a back-to-back in Game 4 and 5? 1193693 Vegas Golden Knights “You’re not just trying to build a successful on-the-ice or on-the-field or on-the-court team,” Pro Football Hall of Fame archivist Jon Kendle said. “You’re trying to build a market. So the worst thing you can have is, ‘We’re going to announce this new market, and we’re going to give you a Golden Knights’ successful start historic even beyond hockey really terrible team to root for.’”

Both teams had quality front offices and coaching staffs. Hall of Fame executive Bill Polian was the Panthers’ general manager, and Tom By Mark Anderson Las Vegas Review-Journal Coughlin — who later coached the New York Giants to two Super Bowl September 19, 2020 - 4:38 PM titles — was the Jaguars’coach and de facto GM.

But the Jaguars built on their surprising second season by also making the playoffs each of the next three years. That included going 14-2 in The offensive slump that doomed the Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup 1999 and appearing in the AFC championship game. playoff hopes left their fans with the feeling that this was a season unfulfilled. Jacksonville Jaguars' Brian DeMarco, left, and Michael Cheever hug after their 30-27 win over t ... It’s a similar feeling to last year’s crushing seven-game loss to the San Jose Sharks in the first round. But the fact that fans had such high hopes So while most Knights fans might not prefer to identify with Florida’s is remarkable for a franchise that just completed its third season. third-most popular NFL team, the Jaguars are the closest comparison from that league. The playoff disappointments should not take away from what has been accomplished, namely that the Knights have put together arguably the MLB strongest first three seasons in NHL history, appearing in the playoffs all When the Arizona Diamondbacks began their first Major League three seasons, including in the Stanley Cup Final two years ago. Baseball season in 1998, management had no intention of trying to win That Cinderella run remains as difficult to believe now as it was then. immediately. The philosophy from owner Jerry Colangelo on down was to build slowly with the idea of establishing a more firm base for long-term Arguments can be made regarding where Las Vegas’ NHL team should success. be ranked on the list of top expansion franchises. But the major point is the Knights are deep in that conversation, something that wouldn’t have Management saw how fans flocked to see the expansion Colorado been expected when the 2017-18 season began. Rockies at Mile High Stadium and then at Coors Field because just having a baseball team made up for the lack of victories. The The quick success they’ve had was not necessarily by design. Diamondbacks delivered the expected high number of losses in their inaugural season in 1998, going 65-97, but the patience executives “We’re not an organization that’s solely focused on winning next year,” expected from the fan base didn’t follow. Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. “We’re trying to build a really strong organization that’s got good depth throughout and … uses “Maybe it’s because we had spring training in Arizona for so long that the strength of our pro scouting staff and our amateur scouting staff, people were used to seeing major league players, but our season ticket which are really important parts of our organization. That’s our objective. sales fell off precipitously after that first year,” said Joe Garagiola Jr., That’s how we build our team for today. That’s how we build our team for then the Diamondbacks’ general manager and now a senior adviser. tomorrow.” “The point came where Jerry said, ‘Look, it’s clear that we are not going to have this multiyear honeymoon period that the Rockies have enjoyed So how does their start stack up compared to other expansion teams? up in Colorado.’” NHL So management created a new plan, which meant orchestrating trades The closest somewhat recent example are the St. Louis Blues, who were and being aggressive in free agency, most notably signing ace and future created in 1967 and made the Stanley Cup Final in each of their first Hall of Fame pitcher Randy Johnson. three seasons. That sounds astounding, but is deceiving. It worked. When the NHL doubled its size by adding six teams, the league created The Diamondbacks won 100 games in 1999 and the World Series in an entire second division. The winner was guaranteed a spot in the 2001. championship series. “The team we put on the field those years turned out to be a product of The Blues, who won that division, were overmatched by the time they Plan B,” Garagiola said. “But as it worked out, that was OK.” reached the final. They were swept each year — twice by the Montreal Canadiens and once by the Boston Bruins. NBA

Had the divisions been mixed between old and new teams, the Blues’ The Milwaukee Bucks also found quick success after going 27-55 in their path to the final would have been much more difficult. first season in 1968-69. They won a coin flip with the Phoenix Suns for the top pick in that year’s draft, positioning them to take UCLA’s Lew The New York Rangers are a better comparison to the Knights. They Alcindor, who later changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. were added in 1926 and appeared in the playoffs their first nine seasons and 15 of their first 16, winning the Cup in 1928, 1933 and 1940. Milwaukee made the playoffs immediately and was crowned NBA champion in 1971. The Bucks also made the playoffs the following three But … seasons, including the NBA Finals in 1974. There were only 10 teams in the league in 1926, and three, including the FILE - In this April 30, 1971, file photo, Milwaukee Bucks' Lew Alcindor, Rangers, were expansion franchises. who later was renamed ... “They got good quick and stayed good,” hockey historian Eric Zweig said Another NBA expansion team that made a quick impact was the Chicago of the Rangers. “They’re the only one that really is like the Golden Bulls, who joined the league in 1966 and made the playoffs their first two Knights, but the circumstances are so different.” seasons and eight of their first nine years. NFL

The NFL established more expansion-friendly rules when it invited the LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 09.20.2020 Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars to begin play in 1995. Both teams made their conference championship games in their second year, putting the NFL close to having an all-expansion Super Bowl.

Though such a championship game wouldn’t have necessarily been an ideal scenario for the NFL, the league also didn’t want new teams going 2-14 every season. 1193694 Vegas Golden Knights shipped out elsewhere. That means a top-six forward or quality defenseman gets sacrificed to the salary cap gods to make it work.

3. Fleury stays, Lehner goes Marc-Andre Fleury’s future with Knights has 4 likely outcomes It’s possible that Lehner’s play during the postseason increased his value and another team outbids the Knights in free agency. After all, he was expected to be a rental after being acquired from Chicago at the trade By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal deadline in February.

September 19, 2020 - 4:18 PM In the unlikely event that happens, the Knights could crawl back on their hands and knees and try to work it out with Fleury. Maybe there’s

another Stanley Cup run left in his body. Before Marc-Andre Fleury played a game for the Golden Knights, the The fans and his teammates would accept him back. But how do you tell goaltender revealed to a Flames beat writer in 2017 that he probably off the boss on a Friday the way Fleury and his agent did and then show would have waived his no-trade clause had Calgary and Pittsburgh up for work the following Monday like nothing happened? worked out a deal. 4. Lose both No offer was made by Calgary at the trade deadline that February, and Fleury went on to be selected in the expansion draft. It’s difficult to imagine general manager Kelly McCrimmon and president of hockey operations George McPhee misplaying their hand this badly. But three years later, Fleury finds himself in a similar position, uncertain They’re too prepared and surrounded by too many smart people for that of his future. to happen. The Knights appear headed to divorce court with the face of their But, there’s always a chance that Lehner was turned off by news of a franchise on the grounds of irreconcilable differences. possible extension getting out. Or, he might use it as leverage to drive up Robin Lehner was handed the majority of starts in the postseason, and his asking price elsewhere. the Knights reportedly agreed to a five-year, $25 million contract And if Fleury’s camp poisoned the water with the tweet, he and DeBoer extension with the 29-year-old, which Lehner denied. might be incompatible. Coach Pete DeBoer called Lehner an “elite goalie” over the past two This outcome is extremely unlikely, but would be potentially catastrophic seasons in explaining why he earned the No. 1 job. and prompt major questions about the direction of the organization. That leaves Fleury as the third wheel, and his camp expressed its displeasure Aug. 22 when agent Allan Walsh tweeted a picture of his client being stabbed through the back by a sword with “DeBoer” written LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 09.20.2020 on the blade. Walsh deleted the tweet the following day.

With free agency set to begin Oct. 9, the Knights must figure out whether they can salvage their relationship with Fleury or break up.

Here are the four most likely outcomes:

1. Fleury moves on

Reading between the lines of Walsh’s tweet, Fleury thinks he still can be a productive starter at age 36. Should Lehner re-sign with the Knights, a timeshare with Fleury isn’t desired by either goalie.

That means the Knights probably will explore the trade market for Fleury, whose $7 million salary cap hit for the next two seasons complicates the process.

Calgary could always revisit its interest from 2017 in Fleury, and Edmonton also is looking for a goaltender, though it’s not clear how the Knights feel about dealing him to a Pacific Division rival. Maybe Carolina is a fit?

Other noncontending teams that appear to be looking for a goaltender include Buffalo, Minnesota and Ottawa. Colorado could try to upgrade at that position for a Cup run, and a return to Pittsburgh can’t be ruled out entirely, either.

The deadline for Fleury to submit his 10-team, no-trade list was Tuesday, according to CapFriendly.com.

If a deal can’t be worked out, the Knights could buy out Fleury’s contract. That would reduce their salary cap hit to $2.583 million next season and $3.083 million in 2021-22, according to CapFriendly.com, but also would come with a $2.083 million hit in 2022-23 and 2023-24.

2. Keep both

First, this would require the most unlikely reconciliation since Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson got back together.

But, let’s assume Fleury kisses and makes up with the Knights, and Lehner is OK with splitting the starts for the third straight season. That would give the Knights one of the NHL’s best tandems for 2020-21, when the schedule is likely to be condensed and goaltending is more valuable than ever.

However, for the Knights to allocate a projected $12 million to the goaltending position with a flat $81.5 million cap, salary would have to be 1193695 Vegas Golden Knights

NHL Commish Bettman: NHL Teams Taking ‘Revenue Hit’ From Pandemic, But Clubs Will Weather Revenue Shortfall

September 19, 2020

By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com

No fans at NHL games mean a “substantial revenue impact” to the league’s 31 teams, which paused their games back in mid-March and generated no ticket sales during the Pandemic Playoffs in COVID-19 Bubbles in the postseason host cities of Edmonton and Toronto.

“Yes, there will be a revenue hit,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters during the league’s media Zoom session Saturday. It was before the Dallas Stars defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-1, to grab the first game of the Best-of-7 Stanley Cup Finals at the Rogers Place arena in Edmonton.

Bettman said “it’s no secret” that ticket sales directly and indirectly has an impact on 50 percent of a team’s revenue.

LVSportsBiz.com LOADED: 09.20.2020 1193696 Winnipeg Jets his plus-57 over the same time period that Scheifele is plus-29. Fans of modern stats will note that Couturier has the higher cumulative WAR, even when accounting for Scheifele’s power play brilliance.

What would the Jets’ ‘Perfect Draft’ team look like? Let’s do a redraft And you would never see this backcheck from Couturier.

Still, with respect to Dougie Hamilton, Jonas Brodin and J.T. Miller, Winnipeg’s supposed “reach” gave the Jets a far better player than By Murat Ates anyone — not named Couturier — who came after him. Scheifele was a clear win and remains a cornerstone piece of the franchise. Sep 19, 2020 The only other NHL player Winnipeg got from the 2011 draft was Adam

Lowry, another cornerstone but in a much different way. Still, there’s no There’s a movement building at The Athletic where we have some fun way the Fantasy Land Jets are passing up on Johnny Gaudreau, Blake with the power of hindsight. Coleman, Josh Manson or Ondrej Palat.

It started in the NFL, where prior to this year’s draft, some of our writers And welcome back, Dylan DeMelo. went through an interesting thought experiment. Our first history rewrite offers a stacked collection of players. I’m not sure What if their teams had drafted much better than they had? What if they if 2011 was a particularly wonky year draft-wise or if it speaks to just how had nailed every pick every year? much better scouting has gotten over the past decade. The late-round talent available here was mind-boggling. How much different would the roster look? How many picks would be the same? Analysis: This is the draft that sets us up in goal, giving us the 2019 Vezina Trophy winner and the 2020 Vezina Trophy winner-to-be-if-all-is- James Mirtle recently took that same thought experiment to hockey, right-and-good-in-the-world. To walk away from 2012 with both where he covers the Toronto Maple Leafs. He put together a brand new Hellebuyck and Andrei Vasilevskiy in net is to make Fantasy Land set of rules for looking back at the NHL draft with perfect hindsight and Winnipeg a Stanley Cup contender well into the future. drafted a Fantasy Land Maple Leafs team. After that, it gets a little dicey. Looking through the list of Winnipeg’s We’re going to play this game for the Jets. original draftees makes it seem as though the Jets largely missed outside of Hellebuyck and Jacob Trouba. Then you start looking at the quality of What if Winnipeg could go back and make every pick in Jets 2.0 players taken within 30 picks of the Jets’ selections and — while there is franchise history with full hindsight, knowing what kind of player each clearly talent there because this game is rigged — it’s not exactly the prospect became? Just how good could this roster be? same collection of stars as we got in 2011. Here are Mirtle’s rules, which I am stealing just like he stole Connor Still, Esa Lindell is an exciting addition to our defence, while Vinnie Hellebuyck in the Leafs’ version of this exercise. Hinostroza, Nikita Gusev and Chris Tierney will chip in for us from time to The rules: time. That said, you should be well aware that choosing Lindell, whose game I’ve coveted throughout the 2020 playoffs, came at the cost of 1. We’ll only look at drafts between 2011 and 2016. The Jets will keep goaltenders Frederik Andersen and Matt Murray — either of whom could the picks they’ve made since 2017 because there isn’t enough hindsight have led the Fantasy Land Moose to a Calder Cup. to have fun with yet. And we still have the best goaltending tandem on the planet. 2. Winnipeg can only draft players who went within 30 spots of their pick. For first-round picks, the player must have been drafted within 10 spots. Analysis: While the 2015 draft gets more prominence in the great big No going off the board. book of Jets draft lore, don’t sleep on Winnipeg’s work in 2013. From 10 picks, the Jets landed three current players and a collection of AHL talent 3. If there’s a tie or a close decision, we’ll stick with the player the Jets that has been quite valuable to the organization. drafted. It really highlights just how important it is for a team to draft early — and 4. We won’t draft around players who had their careers shortened due to draft a lot— something that Winnipeg has struggled with in recent years injury; 20/20 hindsight won’t apply to medical concerns. as trades have sent picks out for current talent.

5. We also won’t draft for position, which means the Jets could end up So as much as it’s exciting for the Fantasy Land Jets to add Brett Pesce, embarrassingly rich at some positions and embarrassed at others. Will Butcher and MacKenzie Weegar on defence, we’re just as proud to 6. Players who weren’t drafted are ineligible. select Josh Morrissey and Tucker Poolman all over again. And while Jake Guentzel, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Dominik Kubalik add all kinds of 7. There is no salary cap and no free agency in this fantasy world. firepower, you have to respect the Jets’ original pick of Andrew Copp at 104. 8. We also didn’t make any trades, so these Jets have not traded up to draft Logan Stanley in 2016. Free agency and poor management can’t The toughest decision to make in this redraft was taking Morrissey again hurt us here, either. at 13 with Anthony Mantha’s offence going to Detroit at 20. Mantha is a special player whose talent is obscured by the lack of depth on his club 9. This is supposed to be fun. No scouting staff would ever be able to pull and who is only going to take another step forward next season. this off, as the NHL draft is a crapshoot, but this gives you an idea of the best possible outcome an NHL team could have in these situations and Meanwhile, Juuse Saros finally gives the Moose their starter. how far off the Jets were some years. Analysis: The Jets hit a home run with their first-round pick in 2014 and 10. For the draft grades, first-round picks matter much, much more than then failed to yield an NHL player with their next six selections. later round ones. Pretty straightforward. Nik Ehlers makes for a respectable haul in any draft year, especially Analysis: We might as well start with the most scorching hot take when you have to scroll all of the way down to David Pastrnak at 25 possible. before there’s a clearly superior player. (Dylan Larkin might argue with us here. He went to the Red Wings at 15 and gave me a little bit of pause in Mark Scheifele was a tremendous choice. He’s more than covered the reselecting Ehlers.) bet for a No. 7 pick. He’s been a point per game player for four straight seasons and can find ways to create offence with just about anybody. That said, the amount of talent that hindsight gives us in 2014’s later rounds is simply astounding. I’m still taking Sean Couturier in the redraft. We took Brayden Point where the Jets took Jack Glover and Viktor The debate is not about gaudy point totals. It’s about what each player Arvidsson where they chose Chase De Leo. Hindsight is kind to us in net, creates vs. what he gives up. too, where New York Rangers future star Igor Shesterkin becomes an Couturier has created similar offence to Scheifele in the past three years obvious choice at 101 despite staying in the KHL until last season. and he’s a Selke Trophy winner. Fans of conventional stats will gawk at We also get to enjoy the unheralded skills of Ondrej Kase and Kevin Forwards: Sean Couturier, Johnny Gaudreau, Blake Coleman, Andrew Labanc up front and stay Oskar Strong. Shaw, Ondrej Palat, Chris Tierney, Vinnie Hinostroza, Nikita Gusev, Jake Guentzel, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Andrew Copp, Dominik Kubalik, Nik Ehlers, Analysis: There’s no away around this: Winnipeg absolutely dominated at Brayden Point, Viktor Arvidsson, Oskar Lindblom, Kevin Labanc, Ondrej the 2015 draft. Even with the gift of hindsight and a window as wide as Kase, Kyle Connor, Sebastian Aho, Anthony Cirelli, Erik Foley, Mason 30 picks to work with, we’re keeping five of the Jets’ original eight picks. Appleton, Patrik Laine, Brett Howden, Max Lajoie, Jesper Bratt, Matteo Yes, it’s generous to call minor-league forward Matteo Gennaro a win at Gennaro 203 the same way that Kyle Connor is a win at 17. And yes, concussion The biggest lesson I’ve taken away from this exercise is that hindsight is issues have derailed Erik Foley’s once highly promising career. But fun. they’re all good picks and so are the players we replaced: All of Jack Roslovic, Jansen Harkins, and Michael Spacek represent good value The second biggest lesson is that there is always a potential NHL player where the Jets chose them. available no matter which pick we’re talking about.

But in Fantasy Land we don’t have to wait for Roslovic to emerge as a It may be impossible to project who that will be — or how his career path top six threat because we already have Sebastian Aho lighting it up. We will play out — but NHL teams have found fortune in every round of the don’t have to wait for Jansen Harkins to impress us all with another year- draft. over-year leap because Anthony Cirelli can already control the game against top talent while putting up points, too. For us, that means we can hit with almost every single pick in the draft every single year. The tough decisions? Connor was easy to keep but he does come at the cost of defenceman Thomas Chabot, taken by Ottawa one pick after him, For the Jets, it means that the draft and develop model, which started so or goaltender Ilya Samsonov, who Washington took at 22. I like Roope brightly, is going to run into trouble with so many picks traded away in Hintz, but there’s no way we’re taking him in place of Harkins with Cirelli recent years. Winnipeg is going to need to hit big with the No. 10 pick this on the board. And it’s easy to dismiss Foley for an NHL player like Denis October and ideally pull a viable NHL player in Rounds 2, 5 or 6. This Malgin or Austin Wagner, but Foley’s pre-injury USHL and NCAA careers year’s draft will be the antithesis of 2013, when Winnipeg had 10 picks were truly worth their draft slot. and hit it big on three of them. Maximizing it with just four picks will be a tough ask of the scouts. Analysis: It’s early — sort of — but 2016 has to be seen as one of the most disappointing Jets drafts of the decade. Still, for at least one draft article, throw this chart right out the window altogether. And that’s with Patrik Laine and his 138 goals and 247 points in 305 regular season games. Can writer and reader still get along after the Fantasy Land Jets’ selection of Couturier? Laine was the easy choice for Winnipeg at the time and remains with us now, despite the performance of Pierre-Luc Dubois and the shift Do you disagree with my starting goaltenders or hate my lines? disturbance of Matthew Tkachuk. It was difficult enough to leave Who would you have drafted differently? Scheifele off this team in 2011; we’re not kicking salt in that wound here. You can have it your way in the comments. But the Jets have yet to get an NHL player out of the rest of their 2016 class (although I believe Mikhail Berdin will get there eventually.) It’s tempting to take that lack of results and lambaste Winnipeg — and The Athletic LOADED: 09.20.2020 indeed, the Fantasy Land Jets have not traded the 22nd and 36th picks to draft Stanley at 18 and Luke Green at 79.

Then you start picking through the wreckage of the players Winnipeg missed on and realize the 2016 draft class might not have been particularly strong.

The Jets took Stanley at 18. He hasn’t played an NHL game yet and he’s not a threat to do so immediately. But scouring through picks 22-32 to choose his replacement yields only Brett Howden. Remember, the Jets picked Roslovic at 25 the year before.

Winnipeg traded its second-round pick as part of the Stanley deal. Still, scouring through picks 36-66 only yields a handful of promising players; it’s not like NHL teams were crushing it in that section of the draft.

Well, unless you like Alex DeBrincat (39), Carter Hart (48), Filip Hronek (53) or Adam Fox (66.)

And that’s part of what makes this such an entertaining lesson. Even when the odds are heavily stacked against any particular pick, the possibility of drafting a star is always out there.

In our case, we’re taking Hart and then following him up with Victor Mete, Max Lajoie and Jesper Bratt.

It’s not as impressive a haul as some of our other drafts, but 2016 gives the Fantasy Land Jets a sniper and a terrific young goaltender all the same.

Draft Grade: C

The ‘Perfect Draft’ Jets

We stacked the game in our favour, pored over the possibilities and used hindsight to our advantage.

Goaltenders: Connor Hellebuyck, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Carter Hart, Igor Shesterkin, Juuse Saros

Defencemen: Josh Manson, Dylan DeMelo, Esa Lindell, Josh Morrissey, Brett Pesce, Will Butcher, Tucker Poolman, MacKenzie Weegar, Ethan Bear, Sami Niku, Victor Mete 1193697 Vancouver Canucks eye in 2011. The former Guelph Storm junior’s father, Shadi, was born in India and worked as a research chemist for Xerox of Canada. His mother, Lise, is French-Canadian.

Canucks assistant Manny Malhotra joins Leafs, ‘very excited for this Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment had promoted itself as boosting opportunity’ inclusivity for its diverse fan base even before the social justice movement came to the NHL this year. Malhotra sees himself furthering that cause.

Lance Hornby “Just growing up in the GTA, that’s what I loved about Mississauga and Toronto, seeing people of all walks of life,” said Malhotra, whose brother- Publishing date:Sep 18, 2020 in-law is Canadian basketball star and Brooklyn Nets coach Steve Nash. “That movement to get more minorities involved is something I want to be in.” In a thousand-game career under many learned coaches, centre Manny Malholtra learned a thing or two about maximizing offensive forwards into Keefe had a good chat with Malhotra on the weekend. two-way threats. “The work ethic, character, intelligence and attention to detail that made That he’ll be able to pass that knowledge to his hometown Maple Leafs Manny the ultimate teammate when he played are all assets that have — as one of their first visible minority coaching hires — made the translated to his coaching,” Keefe said in a statement. “That, combined Toronto assistant’s job all the more important to him. with his charisma and communication skills, make us really excited to have him join the organization.” He joins Sheldon Keefe’s staff after an encouraging three-year run with the Vancouver Canucks under Travis Green, rising from a player Now, the question is when Malhotra can get to work, with the start of the development post to the bench of the longest-surviving Canadian team in 2020-21 season in question. this year’s playoffs, Think of the coming world junior championships as hockey in a snow “Through my playing days and coaching career thus far, you start to globe. analyze the game more, realize that small details become second nature With COVID-19 currently containing games to bubble environments in to good teams,” Malhotra said Thursday when his appointment was the NHL, the holiday tourney with all the top teens is also going into announced. “It’s been very busy (since the Leafs were granted isolation. permission to approach him by Vancouver general manger Jim Benning on Saturday night) and extremely exciting to be here, with the history of The International Ice Hockey Federation has announced this year’s the Leafs. This is a great opportunity to further my career.” Christmas event will proceed in Edmonton, but without fans. Amid hopes the global pandemic will come under control in a year’s time, the 2022 At 40-years-old, the same milestone birthday Keefe reached Thursday, championships will then be staged in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta. Malhotra was considered one of the brightest coaching prospects in the game and courted by other clubs. With the Leafs, he’ll work with an array “Hockey Canada believes it will be able to host a safe and successful of scoring talent, but a group whose aggressiveness to hang on to the event for all participants and the community at large (this December) by puck or get it back has been criticized in the course of leaving too many following strict safety protocols set forth by the appropriate health regular-season points on the table and suffering four consecutive first- authorities,” said CEO Tom Renney in a statement. round playoff losses. “These are extraordinary times, and we understand the world juniors will Malhotra, who had a career high 35 points with Columbus in 2008-09, is look different this year in one venue with additional safety precautions. hopefully going to tweak general manager Kyle Dubas’ vision of a team We have no doubt that passionate hockey fans everywhere will still be that can be tough on foes through heavy forechecking with puck able to enjoy this annual holiday tradition.” protection as part of its system. Auston Matthews, who received some scattered Frank Selke Trophy votes this seasion, along with Mitch Among the challenges will be maintaining quarantine as many European Marner and William Nylander will be his challenges. teams fly into Canada. But officials must also be encouraged that the NHL has had no positive COVID tests to date in its Toronto and “You look through the lineup and those are extremely talented guys,” he Edmonton bubbles. said. “I’m (going to see) what drives them, what are they about?” FILLING THE BILL: The Arizona Coyotes hope stability will be restored in Malhotra should also help what’s already a strong faceoff team, with naming Bill Armstrong new general manager on Thursday. The 50-year- Matthews, John Tavares and, when called on, Nylander and Zach old helped set up the 2019 Cup champion St. Louis Blues for success Hyman. His teams have shone at 55% or better in the dots. after two years as their assistant GM, on top of a decade as head amateur scout. The team ended its season with interim GM Steve “When I went to Columbus and was working with (head coach Ken Sullivan after John Chayka was let go in July. Hitchcock), I realized that was the way to get extra minutes,” Malhotra told Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province in an earlier interview. “If ICE CHIPS: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports Eric Staal was shocked you’re good at faceoffs, you’re going to be out for the PK and at the end and disappointed by Wednesday night’s trade from the Wild to Buffalo for of the game. You develop a rapport with linesmen. You learn who drops Marcus Johansson as he was building a new home in Minnesota and (the puck) fast. A lot of stuff goes into it.” hadn’t thought to put the slow-to-develop Sabres on his no-trade list. But he’s all in now, giving the Sabres a proven No, 2 centre behind Jack The Leafs did talk to a few potential assistants after Paul McFarland Eichel … The hiring of Peter Laviolette as coach in Washington left departed at the end of the season to be GM/coach of the OHL’s KIngston applicants Mike Babcock, Gerard Gallant and Bruce Boudreau still Frontenacs. One was the fan-friendly Bruce Boudreau, who was willing to looking to get back in the NHL … The OHL plans a Dec. 1 start to its take a demotion from many years as a head coach to work with the team season, running until April 29, with May playoffs and a mid-June he worshipped as a kid before playing for the junior Marlies and Leafs. Memorial Cup. But Boudreau was also angling for another prime post and it would’ve been awkward for Keefe if the Leafs struggle out of the gate next season.

Malhotra fits the younger demographic that Dubas seeks and, by Vancouver Province: LOADED: 09.20.2020 coincidence, he and Keefe were GTHL minor stars, the former with the Mississauga Reps, Keefe with the Young Nats.

“Part of the reason I’m coming was based on the staff and doing my homework on both (Keefe and Dubas). They have impressive backgrounds in the way they approach the game,” Malhotra said. “I don’t know much about either of them on a personal level (or incumbent assistant Dave Hakstol), but I look forward to doing that.”

A first-round pick of the New York Rangers in 1998, Malhotra’s playing days on seven different clubs declined after a deflected puck hit his left 1193698 Websites The NHL and its broadcasters toyed with several unusual ideas over the summer. There were ideas to frame the ice in a different lighting, to spotlight it like it was a ring in boxing or pro wrestling. Other ideas took root, even if only for a while. The Athletic / ‘I’m dressed for climbing Everest’: Cold rinks, unique NHL run for Jim Hughson Hughson wanted to try out the new microphones the NHL had placed around the ice. The idea was that broadcasters would be able to fill some of the quiet spaces with the sounds of the game, from the slash of the skate on the ice, to the snap of the puck on the stick. By Sean Fitz-Gerald He tested them in the first exhibition game. Sep 19, 2020 “I would lay out and have these great pregnant pauses where I thought I

was hearing some really good, colourful stuff from the ice,” Hughson It hit 33.5 degrees Celsius in Toronto the week Jim Hughson rushed out said. “But nobody at home was getting it, because it was all muted on a to buy a new winter coat. He felt relief again a few weeks later in delay.” Edmonton, having scurried over to a department store before closing to In addition to the skates and the sticks, the sounds of profanity were also discover a full rack of warm shirts and long underwear. flowing across the ice, and he said it ultimately made full use of those “I’m dressed for climbing Everest,” he said. microphones too difficult and risky.

Hughson is calling the Stanley Cup Final. Another innovation was more helpful: Artificial crowd noise.

Nobody knew exactly how the NHL playoffs would unfold when players “Otherwise, it would be an echo-y, hollow kind of sound,” he said. “For entered their so-called bubble in late July. Nobody could say with me, anyway, it’s provided a bit of a soundtrack.” certainty the bubble would be strong enough to keep COVID-19 at bay, Hughson has been the voice of the Stanley Cup Final since 2009, when or how players and staff would cope with the isolation from friends and he replaced Bob Cole, who held the role for the better part of three family. decades. Sportsnet signed veteran play-by-play voice Chris Cuthbert in Broadcasters wrestled with ways to work around the uncertainty. They June and assigned him to the Western Conference games with analyst sketched out new ways to cover the game without any fans in the stands, Louie DeBrusk. planning for new camera angles and microphones to mask the eerie Hughson was in the East, before moving to Edmonton ahead of the final silence in the building. Some plans survived, and some surprises series. emerged. “And I feel honoured to be doing that,” he said. “This year is kind of a Arena temperatures — with exterior doors bolted shut; without fans and different thing, because this is so unique, and I think people from across their body heat — fell into the latter category. the country will want to tune in and see what it’s like when the “I’m sure it’s been great for the ice,” Hughson said. “Sometimes, in a championship is declared — what it’s like when the Cup is presented. regular playoff, in the middle of June – when it’s 30 degrees outside and “And I kind of feel that way, too.” the doors are open – it gets pretty warm in some of those buildings.” The games have been compelling, he said, but part of the spirit has been He chuckled: “I’ve done outdoor games where I’ve not been as cold after missing. Even when he walks to Rogers Place, signs hung by the arena the game.” are the only indication the NHL playoffs are in town. He said he gets Hughson is more than 50 days into his Stanley Cup playoff journey, tested, goes to work and goes back outside where “people are just which began in Toronto before the shift to Edmonton, where he will call carrying on with their lives.” the final series alongside analyst Craig Simpson. He has been the He misses the feeling around a city deeply involved in the Final, and the English voice of the Stanley Cup on Canadian television for more than a way it rallies around a team. decade. “We can have none of that,” he said. “That’s the part that I would say: We And none will be quite like this. don’t ever want to do this again. Because who are you doing it for? Unlike colleagues at NBC, Hughson has not embedded into the NHL’s You’re doing it for the fans. And right now, it’s a TV show, and a TV show bubble. He still has access to the arena, but cannot come into direct only.” contact with those carrying a higher security clearance. He stayed in an apartment in Toronto, and he has been living in another one in Edmonton. The Athletic LOADED: 09.20.2020 Life in the West has provided some benefits, he said. For one thing, the time difference means the puck drops earlier in Edmonton than it did in Toronto. There have also been a few days off in Alberta, which have allowed Hughson and Simpson time to squeeze in a few rounds of golf together.

Otherwise, life has been quiet. Hughson said he never wanted to live inside the bubble. He prefers the freedom of his apartment, where he can cook his own meals and sneak out for a daily run. Nobody in the bubble, for example, would be permitted to run out to grab a new winter coat by themselves.

There have been drawbacks, though. Hughson said production staff — directors and producers — are in the bubble, and his only contact with them comes through virtual meetings, and through talking on his microphone inside the arena. There are no long post-game debriefs, and no dinners together on the road.

As a rightsholder with Sportsnet, he has been entitled to some private access to coaches, but all of those conversations have also unfolded over Zoom.

“My existence is kind of a solo, lonely one, which probably would have happened in the bubble, anyway,” said Hughson. “But it’s just in keeping in perfect symmetry with all the weird things that are going on in the world.” 1193699 Websites Kiviranta set up the first goal with a huge hit in the corner, then scored the third goal on a one-on-four solo rush. He has become a huge revelation this fall, and not just to fans and media.

Sportsnet.ca / Stars check all the boxes in Game 1 win over Lightning “That’s how he plays. He’s fearless,” Bowness said. “As inexperienced as he is in terms of playing in our league (just 11 regular-season games), he’s one of our best forwards at making plays off the boards with the puck. He has a lot of poise and confidence with the puck, and he’s very Mark Spector | @sportsnetspec reliable defensively. September 19, 2020, 10:17 PM “If I were any smarter as a coach I would have had him playing a lot earlier than this.”

EDMONTON — They check every box, these Dallas Stars, as a team with a very real chance to become Stanley Cup champions — no matter Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 09.20.2020 what you thought about them when this whole thing began a couple of months ago.

Goaltending? Anton Khudobin is likely the leading Conn Smythe candidate right now.

A deep lineup? Man, it’s hard to tell one Stars line from the next, they all come at you so hard. And on Saturday, Dallas got two goals from defencemen in its 4-1 win, and neither scorer was named Klingberg or Heiskanen.

And now we are beginning to see the trait that every Cup winner since the beginning of time has exhibited, as a “new hero every night” begins to emerge.

Dallas took a 1-0 lead in this Stanley Cup Final Saturday on a game- winner from Jamie Oleksiak, a game-opener by Joel Hanley, and a dagger late in the second period by the slick Finn Joel Kiviranta, his fifth goal in nine playoff games.

“I don’t know what’s going on,” Kiviranta said. “Sometimes it goes like, whenever you shoot the puck it’s going in. Like right now.”

Oleksiak also has five playoff goals. This from a stay-at-home defenceman nicknamed “Big Rig” who only once before had a five-goal regular season in the NHL.

And Hanley? Not only had he never scored an NHL playoff goal before. He had never scored an NHL goal — period — before Saturday.

He took a pass from Roope Hintz and whistled the game-opener past Andrei Vasilevskiy from the high slot, an out-of-body experience for the undrafted journeyman, a 29-year-old with just 46 career NHL games who will never forget his first NHL goal inside the playoff bubble.

“No. No, definitely not,” he said. “It’s something you think about when you’re young, and it’s just cool to contribute with a goal like that. It’s pretty cool to be in the Final too. Ya. Pretty cool.”

Really cool for a Stars team that dominated the opening 40 minutes of Game 1. Tampa Bay wasn’t ready to meet the Stars’ intensity level, coming off its conference final victory just two days before. The Lightning outshot Dallas 22-2 in the third period, but the Stars just nursed their two- goal lead before Jason Dickinson fired one into an empty net to close the deal.

The Lightning will need to bring much, much more to the table and we expect them to do so, starting on Monday in Game 2.

“For 40 minutes, that’s how we want to play the game,” Stars head coach Rick Bowness said. “We limited shots, we limited the chances against, our D were involved… That’s how we want to play.”

From the Stanley Cup Qualifiers to the Stanley Cup Final, livestream every game of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, blackout-free, on Sportsnet NOW.

It’s all coming together right now for the Stars. Even on a night when the top line produced but a single assist, they still got four goals from a bunch of guys named Joel, and the famous swimmer’s brother.

“Well, that’s how you win,” shrugged Bowness. “You rely on your top-end guys to get you some chances, and you rely on guys who step up every now and then and score some huge goals. Joel Hanley, I couldn’t be happier for him.

“That’s what you need in the playoffs. You can’t just focus on your top- end guys. You need contributions from everybody. Kivi has been doing that for us. Big Rig? Couldn’t be happier for Jamie. He got the winning goal for us tonight.” 1193700 Websites “He’s a fun guy to watch. He’s entertaining. I hope I can help.” Asked about moving from one hockey-mad hub to another, Staal drifted

back to the Hurricanes’ Cup run in 2006 and their epic seven-game Sportsnet.ca / Quick Shifts: Why stunning Eric Staal trade is a clear win Eastern Conference final with Buffalo. He vividly recalled the packed, for Sabres frenzied streets on those late-spring road trips.

“I know it’s a passionate city fan base,” Staal said. “I believe that if it wasn’t us winning the Stanley Cup in 2006, it would have been Buffalo.” Luke Fox | @lukefoxjukebox 2. Colleague Jeff Marek fired off this tweet in the wake of Anthony Cirelli September 19, 2020, 8:45 AM scoring the Stanley Cup Final berth–clinching overtime goal Thursday:

It’s a sentiment that resonates in our house right now, as our own nine- year-old finds himself engaged in conversations with his peers about A quick mix of the things we gleaned from the week of hockey, serious which level of minor hockey they’re playing. Lots of politics. Lots of and less so, and rolling four lines deep. I hate to jinx it, but guess who comparing and judging between a number of kids over the letters picked the Dallas Stars to win the Stanley Cup a year ago? attached to their team. 1. When Bill Guerin’s name illuminated on Eric Staal’s cellphone Cirelli’s advice to kids who feel like they might be a step behind: “When Wednesday, the veteran centre walked out to his front lawn to accept the you put your mind to it and you just keep on going and keep on working call. He assumed his GM was simply calling for a routine off-season hard, good things will happen. You’ll find an opportunity.” check-in. Coach Jon Cooper notes that both he and Lightning GM Julien BriseBois After all, Staal hadn’t heard from the executive since the Minnesota Wild have children aged 10 to 13 playing competitively. They get it. were booted from the Edmonton bubble by the Vancouver Canucks. “The one thing I would tell any youth hockey parent: It doesn’t matter how Guerin stunned Staal when he said he’d been traded to Buffalo. Staal many A’s are on the league they’re playing in as long as they’re playing said, “OK.” and they’re having fun,” Cooper says. “I think that’s the best development The conversation was over as fast as it started. of all.”

Staal has pretty much seen it all in his 1,240 NHL games, but he didn’t 3. The market price for acquiring the signing rights of an impending UFA see this one coming. He just refiled the same 10-team, no-trade list as appears set as a fifth-round draft pick. last time. Buffalo wasn’t on it. That is what the Philadelphia Flyers paid the Winnipeg Jets leading up to “Out of the blue,” Staal says, is how the news hit him and his family in 2019’s free agency to get the jump on suitors for centre Kevin Hayes. Minnesota. And that is what the Montreal Canadiens surrendered this week to the Realistically, yes, Staal understood he would be trade bait… but not until Carolina Hurricanes in order to lock up target Joel Edmundson. the 2021 deadline. Heck, Mikko Koivu isn’t sticking around, and it’s not True, one could argue that the Habs might’ve been able to sign like the Wild organization is flush with 50-point centremen begging for Edmundson without giving up an asset, but (a) Montreal has had a Staal’s ice time. heckuva time landing recent free agents when the marketplace gets Like the best player in the trade, we too are still wrapping our heads crowded and (b) with the removal of the UFA courting period, why not around this deal — a clear win, in our books, for rookie Sabres GM spend a fifth to give your club a head start on convincing your player of Kevyn Adams, a former teammate of Staal’s in Carolina. choice?

“When he became general manager there in Buffalo, I sent him a note Fifth-rounders seldom pan out, and by the time they do, the drafting GM just wishing him the best, knowing that he would succeed and do well. may be gone anyway. Little did I know he’d be trading for me in two months,” Staal said Friday Curious to see if any other executives take this approach leading up to during a media Zoom call, sporting a cap emblazoned with a buffalo. Oct. 9. “I don’t feel like I’ve changed a whole ton as a player. I think confidence, Specifically in the cases of Alex Pietrangelo and Torey Krug, if their even for me, over my time, is a big thing. If I can get rolling and feeling current teams aren’t able to reach terms, do they make these valuable good about my game, I can go on a good long stretch and be successful defencemen’s rights available to recoup something, anything — and give offensively.” the acquiring team a chance to offer an eight-year contract and thus There are doubts Johansson, an ill fit in Buffalo, is capable of the same, spread out the cap hit. and it will be fascinating where Guerin — hardly done rearranging the 4. Composing a list of potential buyout candidates for next week’s chairs in Minny — stickhandles from here. window opening, I was struck by the number of last year’s buyout victims Yes, Staal is 35 and winger Marcus Johansson is 29, but Adams has playing key roles on strong teams. One man’s trash and all that. landed the healthier, more productive player at the more important Kevin Shattenkirk has been a fast leader and steady minutes-muncher position for $1.25 million less. for Cup-bound Tampa, flipping from a $6.65-million bust to a $1.75- Further, if either player does become a deadline rental in his upcoming million bargain. Zach Bogosian was bought out in late February by contract season, surely the market for a proven top-six centre, offence Buffalo. Somehow the big right shot couldn’t find use on one of the NHL’s creator and Cup winner will be richer. worst teams but has been an important depth player for the contender that scooped him up for a pro-rated $1.3 million. “Hopefully [my age] is a non-issue, but it seems to always be talked about in this line of work,” Staal said. “He knows that his abilities are still there, and you’re seeing that here in these playoffs,” says Ryan McDonagh, who opened up his home to “I may be 35 on paper, but I feel like I’m 25 with the guys in the locker Bogosian in Tampa while he found his feet. room. I’ll fit in fine. I’m not one of those stuffy old guys. I’ll be throwing the chirps around. It’ll be fun that way.” “He’s just as hungry as all of us to try and win this thing.”

Staal’s arrival gives superstar Jack Eichel a bona fide 2C to back him up On the left side of the bracket, Dallas has salvaged some great shifts and allows the organization more time to develop Dylan Cozens and from veteran Corey Perry ($8.65-million AAV down to $1.5 million) and, Casey Mittelstadt. especially, defenceman Andrej Sekera ($5.5 million to $1.5 million).

Best case, it also helps spark former Hurricanes teammate Jeff Skinner, They weren’t the only players bought out in 2019 who proved something whose poor output in 2019-20 Staal chalks up to an anomaly. by accepting one-year, small-money deals on new clubs. Patrick Marleau was a fair value addition to San Jose and, later, Pittsburgh for the league “I’m looking forward to seeing him again and sharing the ice with him,” minimum. And Colorado knocked it out of the park with Dallas Staal said. “Skins is an elite talent. His skill set is unique. reclamation project Valeri Nichushkin, who totaled 15 goals for the Avs in the regular season and playoffs for a cool $850,000. So, when some names get bought out at the end of September, some 10. The NHL’s behind-the-scenes playoff docuseries, Quest for the shrewd GMs will bet on second chances. Stanley Cup, is giving us some fantastic mic’d-up moments that capture the raw emotions of these battles. (Earmuffs, kids.) 5. With Dallas advancing to the all-tax-free-state Stanley Cup final, Perry will be receiving a juicy $100,000 bonus cheque. The veteran winger can I’m loving the fly-on-wall perspective of the coaches’ pre-game and earn another $150,000 top-up if the Stars hoist the Stanley Cup. intermission speeches. Urging his group to hang on to the puck and create in the Islanders’ end, Jon Cooper reminded the Lightning what No one can accuse the Stars of getting this far on a budget. Perry’s latest they do well: “We’re the second-best team in the league at generating bonus increases the club’s 2020-21 bonus overage penalty to offensive-zone possession in the offensive zone.” $3,047,866 (per CapFriendly.com). During Game 2 of the Eastern final, we hear Luke Schenn joyfully 6. When you stop drafting Jamie Benn to your regular-season fantasy request a fight with Matt Martin early in the second period: “Marty! Marty! squad, you can start appreciating the 2015 Art Ross Trophy winner all Let’s go.” over again. Martin immediately obliges, no questions asked, and when the “He’s just laying it all on the line. He’s doing what you want your captain combatants enter their respective penalty boxes to serve majors, a to do,” lauds Stars coach Rick Bowness. “He’s a huge inspiration, a lift to smiling Schenn pipes up over the glass: “Marty! I know you were looking our team. He’s playing the best hockey I’ve seen him play in the two for one at the end of the [first] period.” years I’ve been in Dallas, and he’s the Jamie Benn I remember coaching against when we were in Tampa. It’s great to see.” Following the players’ very next shift, a gasping Schenn, the winner of Round 1, returns to bench and tells a teammate: “He asked me for Bowness encouraging us to look beyond goals and assists totals. We another one. I was like, ‘Let me have a shift!’ ” don’t see Benn’s work ethic in practice, feel his influence in the locker room, or hear his encouragement on bench. Fun stuff.

How to explain the most engaged Benn in years? 11. The job belongs to Manny Malhotra, but free agent Bruce Boudreau’s interest in joining Sheldon Keefe’s bench is worth noting. “It’s the intensity of playoffs and the opportunity to win the Stanley Cup,” Bowness says. “It’s there for us all.” The long-established head coach told Squid & The Ultimate Leafs Fan podcast that he wouldn’t take an assistant role with any team but the Defenceman Miro Heiskanen still leads Dallas in scoring, but Benn tops Toronto Maple Leafs. (“Gabby” also tells an incredible streaking story all Stars forwards with 18 points and is winning an impressive 55 per cent during his podcast appearance at the 30-minute mark — “The charges of his draws. He has potted goals in eight different games this post- were dropped in the end,” he says — that is worth two minutes of your season, most of them timely. No player has scored in more games since life.) the restart. If final-bound Rick Bowness accepts Jim Nill’s offer to shake the interim “He’s our leader and our captain. And whenever there’s big moments, tag in Dallas, there won’t be any seats left in the coaching carousel for he’s always the frontrunner in changing the momentum or keeping the high-profile UFAs like Boudreau, Mike Babcock and Gerard Gallant. momentum,” longtime linemate Tyler Seguin says. Waiting to pop in as a mid-season replacement is not the worst idea. For “He’s playing the best that I’ve seen him, and I think he’s still got another the second straight season, the Western Conference will be represented level.” by an interim coach in the Cup Final. And for the third straight season, it’s Seguin was asked about the look the visor-free Benn gets in his eye late being repped by a first-year coach. in a tight game. Perhaps the most coveted landing spot will be in Seattle. Does Ron “I didn’t look him dead in the eye,” Seguin replied, “but I’ve seen those Francis think Gallant can do for the Kraken what he did for the Knights? eyes that you’re probably talking about.” 12. “Talent borrows. Genius steals,” goes the famous Oscar Wilde quote.

7. By making prospect Adin Hill’s contract extension a one-way, cap- I was impressed by the ingenuity of a Boston Bruins’ set play in their conscious ($800,000) deal for 2020-21, doesn’t that absolutely signal that Round 2 showdown with Tampa in which Brad Marchand set up new Arizona Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong will be trading one of Antti backdoor and purposely redirects the puck into the net with his skate Raanta or Darcy Kuemper? blades.

Hill, 24, has never been given more than 13 NHL appearances in a single Well, the Lightning learned from their victimization and attempted the season. After a .918 showing this past season in limited work, he’s ready same play in overtime of Game 6 against the Isles. Watch Mikhail for the next step in his development. Sergachev fire a hard cross-ice pass into the feet of Ondrej Palat — set 8. Quote of the Week arrives courtesy of Peter DeBoer. Suffering the up smack in the Marchand spot — that nearly ended the series. fresh pain of leaving the bubble one round too soon, the Vegas head coach describes the end of a deep playoff: Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 09.20.2020 “It’s a 100-metre sprint in an 80-metre gym.”

9. Three years in the league, three years without a captain.

The Vacant-C era in Vegas will end in 2020-21, DeBoer confirmed. The Golden Knights will have anointed the first captain in franchise history by the time they hit the ice again.

Oddsmakers say the “C” will be stitched to the chest of Mark Stone, who had been in line for the same promotion in Ottawa prior to switching conferences.

As the club’s best, most passionate, highest-paid and most-secure player, it’s a no-brainer.

“Anytime you get into the playoffs, you always think you can win. This year felt different because this is the best team I’ve ever been on. We felt we had as good a chance to win the Stanley Cup as anyone,” a clean- shaven Stone told reporters this week.

“I’d love to open up with 20,000 fans at T-Mobile and that would be awesome, but no one knows if that’s going to be possible.” 1193701 Websites He erupted for 23 points in 24 post-season games during the Sharks’ painful runner-up campaign in 2016. And since entering the bubble, he’s pumped his points-per-game rate for Dallas from 0.46 in the regular season to 0.67, while logging 18 minutes a night. Sportsnet.ca / Why Joe Pavelski chose Dallas over Tampa Bay for his Stanley Cup shot Pavelski’s nine playoffs goals and seven at even-strength co-lead the team, with Denis Gurianov.

On the eve of the Stanley Cup Final, Nill too thought back to Pavelski’s Luke Fox | @lukefoxjukebox recruiting visit.

September 19, 2020, 1:02 PM "You start to build a team, and you want to add some pieces, and all of a sudden names like Joe Pavelski and Corey Perry pop up. They’ve had

success where they’ve been. They still are driven to be even better, and Joe Pavelski had lasted 13 seasons and nearly 1,000 games with the it’s how they affect other players," Nill said. San Jose Sharks before hitting free agency in the summer of 2019. "They’ve taught me things, and I think they’ve taught the coaching staff He was leaving the "C" and the sea behind in California, without a things. They’re winners, and there is a reason you want those players on Stanley Cup. your team. I’m so happy for those guys. They’ve come together and gelled this team and pulled us through a lot of this.” In the last NHL courting period, Pavelski’s phone was buzzing. What team wouldn’t want a leader, a 10-time 50-point centre, one of the Funny how life twists, the places our decisions can bring us. greatest tippers in the game, and a guy who routinely elevated his play Pavelski and Perry were forever enemies in those fierce California battles come post-season and refused to slow down in his 30s? and rivals in some epic U.S.-versus-Canada tilts. Yet there they were But this wasn’t so much about what Pavelski’s multiple suitors wanted. Friday, sharing one podium and one objective at 2020 Stanley Cup Final This was about what he wanted. media day.

"If I was gonna be leaving San Jose, I wanted to go to a place that was Both chuckled and smiled at how things have worked out. Neither wished going to have a good chance to win and give me an opportunity to get to leave their former team — Perry was unceremoniously bought out by back to where we’re trying to get to," Pavelski says. the Anaheim Ducks last summer — yet here they are, dodging rebuilds and unified by their boyhood dream. So, he narrowed his decision to two finalists and paid an in-person visit to each — Dallas and Tampa Bay. Two of the sunniest, southern-most NHL “There’s been a lot of hockey played between us,” Perry said. “It’s nice to cities. Two tax-free states. Two clubs with an established, talented core be sitting here beside him right now and doing this.” firmly in a go-for-it stage of their contention window. Pavelski grinned wide through his playoff beard. And most important for our story: the only two teams left standing in "It’s fun to be on the same side," Pavelski added. “A few games ago, we 2019-20, the longest hockey season ever. did one of these [Zoom calls with reporters], and I just kind of looked up From the Stanley Cup Qualifiers to the Stanley Cup Final, livestream at the screen and saw it, and I just kind of started laughing. This is great, every game of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, blackout-free, on here in the playoffs with Corey Perry. It’s been awesome." Sportsnet NOW. Also awesome: a golden opportunity to prove yourself right, to have Shedding the teal, Pavelski opted for green over blue, signing a three- signed a contract with a team one year before it became Stanley Cup year, $21-million whopper. champion.

"I liked the goalies here. I liked the structure defensively. They play a lot "That’s all you can ask for," Pavelski said. of one-goal games and didn’t give up a lot of goals. And I always believe you need that, especially in the playoffs, to find those types of wins," Pavelski explains. "There’s also some high-end talent on this team as Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 09.20.2020 well."

We’ll find out 10 days or less whether Pavelski made the correct call, but certainly his logic has proven sound.

En route to Pavelski’s second crack at Round 4, his Stars have thrived in thin margins and bullied in crowded trenches. The goaltending has been phenomenal. And the high-end talent, from Miro Heiskanen to John Klingberg, Jamie Benn to Alexander Radulov, has risen to the moment.

Dallas is an incredible 10-1 in one-goal playoff games and 5-0 when the battle stretches past the 60-minute mark.

"The biggest trend in the series was they won the net-fronts on both ends. There’s a lot of trench warfare in front of both nets," said coach Peter DeBoer of the Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas’s most recent victim. "They were a little heavier, little harder, in those areas."

Considering the disciplined defensive play of both Cup finalists and the excellence of their starting goalies — Anton Khudobin and Andrei Vasilevskiy will each be given Conn Smythe consideration if their team goes the distance — we should be in for a few more one-goal affairs, starting Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT.

Since being drafted back in 2003 as a seventh-round afterthought, Pavelski, now 36, has constructed a sterling career by thriving the trenches. Even past his prime, Pavelski has the hands to swipe face-offs and redirect slappers in traffic, plus the brains to make the right play in tight and pounce at the proper time.

So, while Pavelski’s 14 goals and 31 points in a shortened season had some questioning Jim Nill’s signing, the playoffs are where Pavelski proves his worth. 1193702 Websites Still, deep down, there were no excuses in this loss. Tampa didn’t play with nearly the same verve it had in the previous rounds.

But the Lightning have been buckling in for a real series. Sportsnet.ca / Lightning not reaching for easy excuses after Game 1 “I think we probably dipped our toes in the water a little bit and watched letdown them skate around for a bit,” said Cooper. “It’s too bad, but you’ve heard me say it a million times: Turn the page and move on.

Chris Johnston | @reporterchris “Short memory in the playoffs.”

September 20, 2020, 1:02 AM

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 09.20.2020

EDMONTON — The evidence that the Tampa Bay Lightning are going to make this an interesting Stanley Cup Final can’t be found as much in what they did as what they didn’t do.

Namely, they didn’t seize on any of the excuses easily on offer after a 4-1 loss here to the Dallas Stars in Game 1.

The most clear example came on the Jamie Oleksiak goal that stood up as the winner. The puck was clearly fired into the Tampa zone from the wrong side of centre ice by Miro Heiskanen, which was accompanied by an animated response from the Lightning bench in real time.

Yet, by the time everyone had a chance to double-check the receipts, a collective set of amnesia had taken hold.

“I didn’t really see it,” said Tyler Johnson.

“I didn’t look at the play,” said Yanni Gourde. “I don’t know.”

“To be honest, I can’t really remember the play,” said Kevin Shattenkirk. “Sorry, me either.”

As dull as those quotes might read in print, that’s exactly the response a team needs following an emotional loss. The Lightning had a built-in explanation for why this game might not have turned out in their favour, but the true reason for a 1-0 series deficit was found more in the slow start and a strong goaltending performance by Anton Khudobin than anything else.

Tampa didn’t respond particularly well to the 48-hour turnaround after winning the Eastern Conference Final and couldn’t reverse a 3-1 deficit even while outshooting Dallas 22-2 in the third period.

The Oleksiak goal was a back-breaker. The lineseman didn’t raise his arm for icing when Heiskanen fired the puck in from the wrong side of centre, which is almost certainly why Victor Hedman never got below the faceoff dot to get the puck there.

“Well you wouldn’t be asking the question if you didn’t think the same that we may have thought. But it’s a moot point now. So you can’t go back and change the call,” said Lightning coach Jon Cooper.

They also couldn’t go back and find more purpose in the opening minutes. Dallas dictated the pace, grabbed an early lead and parked the bus.

That raised some questions about a Lightning team that has given up the first goal in six straight games. However, they’ve responded with the 1-1 goal each time, and lost their grip here in a second period where Dallas regained the lead.

“I’m just disappointed in the fact that we got away from our strengths,” said Lightning defenceman Ryan McDonagh. “They’re a great skating, great structured team, but I think we could have played to our strengths a little bit better. Simplified our game and get going north a little bit more early on and allow ourselves to so-called find our game with our forechecking and our offensive zone play.”

Those will be key talking points before Monday’s Game 2 at Rogers Place.

When the Lightning look at this Cup opener with clearer eyes, they’ll focus on creating more chaos in front of Khudobin. The power play will be a natural focus after going 0-for-3 in the third period and seeing it fall quiet late in the Islanders series.

“He’s a very good goalie,” said Johnson. “When he’s on, he’s on. I thought we generated some pretty good chances and he made some really big saves. Did we do enough? No, because we lost the game. I mean we’ve got to do more. We’ve got to do more than score one goal.” 1193703 Websites amount of convincing, to me at least, that we need a change. What we did this year we needed to do to be fair to teams that were on the bubble of making the playoffs. We did the right thing in that regard, but I don’t think that is necessarily a prototype for the future. I still believe that what Sportsnet.ca / Gary Bettman short on specifics ahead of 2020-21 NHL we have in a normal year is the right way to go.” season • On the fiscal health of the NHL through this pandemic:

“The only good news in this context is that the ownership of the … NHL Mark Spector | @sportsnetspec franchises has never been stronger and healthier. While nobody has revenue coming in right now, and owners are writing checks to cover September 19, 2020, 6:36 PM overhead and expenses, our franchises will get through this.

“Yes, there will be a revenue hit,” said Bettman, who stressed that EDMONTON — The elephant in the room might as well have been sitting attendance impacts at least 50 per cent of NHL revenues. “We know next to the NHL commissioner with a name card and a microphone, as (attendance) will be less, I am confident that our franchises will be strong Gary Bettman sat down for his annual State of the Union address with no enough to weather this.” real answers to the only question that truly matters. • On media policies and Zoom calls Is the league really going to start next season on Dec. 1 — with training “We’re not looking to long-term deprive the media of the access that camps opening in mid-November — the way they have modelled the you’ve historically had. When things get back to normal, our media opening of the 2020-21 season? Will there be a season next year at all? policies and access will get back to normal as well.” From the Stanley Cup Qualifiers to the Stanley Cup Final, livestream • On scheduling back to back games in the Final: every game of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, blackout-free, on Sportsnet NOW. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly answered this question: “We used the back to back in every round of these playoffs — one of the benefits of “There is still too much we don’t know,” Bettman admitted. “Anything that bubble hockey is less travel, wear and tear on the players. We felt we anybody suggests, reads, writes or commentates about next season is wanted to, and we heard from the players on this, move this tournament nothing but speculation. as quickly as we could, without putting players in danger. That’s how “December first has always been a notional date. I wouldn’t be surprised we’ve scheduled. A single back to back … we didn’t think was a hardship if it slips into later December. Could slip into January.” for the players.”

Truly, how do we know what the state of the Canada/U.S. border will be • On the chronically troubled Arizona Coyotes: two-and-half months from now? Who knows if fans will be allowed to “The Arizona franchise is under the strongest ownership it’s (ever been) attend games, or if different jurisdictions will maintain different rules under as long as I can remember,” Bettman said. “I think they’ll be fine.” regarding crowds and gatherings? Bettman would not say whether the Winter Classic, set for Minnesota on Where is COVID-19 going to be on Dec. 1? New Year’s Day, would be cancelled. He also promised that the All of it left Bettman very noncommittal ahead of Game 1 of the Stanley pandemic would not alter the 2021-22 start date for the expansion Cup Final, on a September evening normally reserved for NHL Seattle Kraken. preseason games.

But he did hint that the league will be nimble. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 09.20.2020 “How we start doesn’t necessarily relate to how we’re going to finish,” Bettman allowed. “This is pure speculation … (but) it’s conceivable that we start without fans, and we move to socially distant fans at some point. And by some point in time maybe our buildings are open.

“There’s full, there’s empty and there’s a combination. How we start doesn’t necessarily mean that’s how we have to finish.”

Bettman pooh-poohed the oft rumoured possibility of an All-Canadian division next season, should border crossings still be troublesome. “If there is an option to consider, believe me, we’re considering it.” He said they would rather finish next season prior to the end of June, while scrapping the entire season and simply waiting for the end of the pandemic does not appear to be an option.

“I anticipate playing a full season next season — 82 games, full playoffs,” he said. “How and when we do that is something that we don’t all have enough information to make any decisions. Anything would be sheer speculation.

“Our goal is to get back to as great a sense of normalcy as possible under whatever circumstances are presented.”

As usual, the NHL commissioner ran through the gamut of questions from reporters, covering all things NHL. Here are a few of the highlights:

• On the stress of pulling off these playoffs:

“Everything keeps me up at night. There are no victory laps,” Bettman said. In every discussion about restarting the NHL, Bettman said, there were people who believed that “how hard we planned and how creative we were, we might not be able to pull this off.

“We had to try.”

• On whether this season’s playoff expansion to 24 teams will remain:

“I’ve never been a fan of expanding the playoffs. When this is all over and I have a chance to really digest and debrief … it will take a fair 1193704 Websites "That's a pretty easy one: Sniper. You look at the guy's shot and his release is so quick. He's just got an unbelievable shot."

Chicoutimi Sagueneens forward Dawson Mercer? TSN.CA / Dylan Cozens takes aim at WJC repeat, Buffalo Sabres roster "He gets to the dirty areas and he's skilled. He's a great hockey player." spot and a moose Sudbury Wolves forward Quinton Byfield?

"Speed. He's so big and strong and then it's his speed. He just, you Mark Masters know, blows by guys. He's a funny guy too."

Rimouski Oceanic forward Alexis Lafreniere? In June 2019, Dylan Cozens became the first player from Yukon to be "Superstar. That's an obvious one. I think we can all [agree]. That's the picked in the first round of the National Hockey League draft. In first thing that pops to mind. He's a game changer. He's a guy that when December, he became the first player from Yukon to represent Team he's out there he's always making a difference and always a threat to Canada at the World Juniors. The Lethbridge Hurricanes centre has score." brought a lot of pride to the territory, Canada's smallest by population, but usually doesn't get to spend all that much time there. The returning guys will be leaned on to lead the way and TSN director of scouting Craig Button has identified you as a potential captain. How "This is the longest I've been home in probably the last five or six years," would you describe your leadership style? said Cozens, who moved to British Columbia at age 14 to pursue his hockey career. "It's been good to spend some time with my family and "Growing up I've been more of a leader than a follower. I like to lead by just get out on the lake fishing, get out hunting." example whether it's on or off the ice. I'm just a guy who likes to help others out and if I do get the chance to be one of the leaders of that team The COVID-19 pandemic, which halted the Canadian Hockey League I wouldn't take that lightly. Wearing a letter for Team Canada on a stage season before the playoffs in March, allowed Cozens to head north for an like the World Juniors is an honour that not many people get to extended stay. And he recently got to experience something new by experience so it'd be unbelievable for me." going on his first moose hunt. What leaders did you admire growing up? "We're way out in the bush, like, way, way out, so no [phone] service for four days," the 19-year-old Whitehorse native said. "So, you just realize "The one player that I looked up to was Jonathan Toews. Just the kind of anything can happen. Like, we see bears walking around us and we've leader he was off the ice and also on the ice. He just kind of leads by always got to be on our toes and be ready for a situation like that. It was example and was a player I watched a lot growing up." just an experience I felt I needed to have being from Yukon, you know, getting out and going on my first big hunt ... I didn't realize how much We don't know when the next NHL season will actually start, but how work it was to go on a moose hunt and then cleaning the moose, confident are you about making that jump? skinning them, taking all the meat." "I'm confident that I've put in the work this off-season to be able to make All three members of the hunting party ended up with a moose. the jump to the next level and play in the NHL and that's my goal. I want to be on Buffalo and I'll continue to work as hard as I can to be there." "It was a crazy experience," Cozens said. "The type of adrenaline rush you get when you're just about to pull that trigger is pretty crazy." What have you been focusing on in the off-season?

Cozens is now taking aim at a roster spot in the NHL and another gold "Getting my body to be able to play a full 82-game season in the NHL medal at the World Juniors. The Sabres prospect, picked seventh overall, against NHL players. I think that's one part that I wasn't quite ready for believes he can make the team whenever the next season begins. He's last year so I've taken that into consideration. I've just been working also keeping an eye on the World Juniors, which will be held in really hard on my body so I'm able to play against those guys, stronger Edmonton as scheduled albeit it in a bubble and without fans. Cozens is guys, and a faster game." one of seven potential returnees for Team Canada and a leading How did you do that? How did you get ready for the grind? contender to be captain. "Just grinding in the off-season and building up your lactate retention and Cozens spoke to TSN via Zoom this week about his leadership style and how much your legs can handle and being able to go back-to-back nights why he believes he's ready to take a big step in his career. The following with travel. I got to experience that a bit in the WHL, but it's a whole is an edited transcript of the conversation. different beast at the NHL level. So, just putting on muscle mass and What was your reaction to the news the 2021 World Juniors will be held? conditioning your legs to handle that."

"It's definitely good news that it's still going to happen [considering] all the The Sabres made a management change this off-season. Jason Botterill, other things that had been cancelled. The way they've done the NHL the man who drafted you, is gone. What has been the message from his bubble seems to work so I see no reason why they should cancel the replacement, Kevyn Adams? World Juniors." "Just to work as hard as I can to make sure I'm there next season and do What will it be like to play without fans? whatever it takes to give myself the best chance to be a part of the Sabres team." "We definitely would've had a pretty big advantage being on home ice with all the fans, but we'll have to create our own energy. It's definitely Buffalo just acquired Eric Staal who has already said he wants to be a going to be intense. The boys are going to have to get each other up and sounding board for you and help you in your development. What does the bench is going to have to be the energy producer." that mean?

Let's play word association with some of your Ostrava teammates. "That's huge. You look at his resume and he's won a Stanley Cup and What's the first thing that pops into your mind when you think of he's been around for a while. He's a veteran in the league so to be able Vancouver Giants defenceman Bowen Byram? to hopefully go in and learn from him and look up to him as a role model and a guy to show me what it takes to play in the NHL, that'll be huge." "Energy producer. You know, he's always laughing, he's always in a good mood, he's always getting the guys going and he's a guy that you What's the next stage of this off-season look like for you? definitely want around your team. He keeps the mood up and is also an "I'm going to be in Buffalo up until World Juniors or the start of the NHL unbelievable player too and a great guy to be around." season. So, just getting down there and training around NHL players will How about Erie Otters defenceman Jamie Drysdale? definitely help and push me more just being around them and seeing what it takes." "Agile. He's so agile with the puck, so shifty and you never know which way he's going to go. He's a great player and another guy who's fun to be around." TSN.CA LOADED: 09.20.2020 London Knights forward Connor McMichael?